Once more, life fucking blows. But! Between my breaks at work and a few nights of insomnia and Chapter 10 was born! Still trying to figure out how to type and edit effectively using only my phone so please bear with some of the grammar issues I might have missed! On a side note ya boi is a lot less depressed than a few months ago so hopefully that opens up more opportunities for my writing brain to come out!

Without further hold up, I present to you Chapter 10!

Cindy Pracket Roster

Kong (Mankey)

Polli (Poliwag)

?

?

?

?

I want to say first and foremost. I fucking hate camping in this forest. The amount of Spinarak webs that I had walked through is enough to create a new phobia of spiders. We had been making our way to the center of the forest for the past two days and the trek was grueling. We had pissed off no less than a metric shit ton of Bug types and Pidgey line with our fast pace and we were starting to feel the drag of the constant fending off wild Pokemon.

Kong was loving it however as it allowed him to get a grasp on his new moves. Ice Punch was coming along nicely. Kong was able to get his Ice energy channeled a lot quicker but we were still working on making it colder. One of the few troubles with him not being a native Ice type was getting the temperature right for maximum damage. What an Ice type would be able to understand intuitively was a process of trial and error for Kong. There was a progression for sure, but plenty of times the move was painful but could be shrugged off after the contact for our foes.

On the other hand, Rock Tomb was proving a bit more difficult. Kong had no problem forming the small boulders. The issue was getting him to aim and be precise. For having been a close combat fighter for his entire life, bringing in the option of range was a pretty big switch up from his current fighting style. It wasn't anything that couldn't be corrected with enough time and practice, but we decided away from using it in a battle until his aim had improved a bit.

It was the night of our second day in the forest that we stumbled onto something different from the never-ending trees and bushes. Kong had been leading the way through the bushes and stopped suddenly with every muscle tensed. He started into the direction ahead of us where the trees were a bit thinner and crept forward through the underbrush. I sat for a few moments, nervously calming Polli's pokeball in worry until I heard a voice call out ahead.

"Hello? Is someone there?".

I trudged forward warily until I entered a small clearing, about ten to fifteen feet in diameter, with a large hollowed-out tree to my right. I saw Kong standing alert, but not hostile, and gazing off towards the hollowed-out tree. It was then that I noticed the clear remains of a small campfire and a few camping tools set out nearer to the tree. And standing in the shadows of the tree looked to be a teenage boy.

He was dressed in a white tank top and dark navy blue shorts that cut off right above his knees. Atop his head rested a flat-brim sun hat with a small green stripe that ran around the middle. It wasn't until I saw the net that was as tall as him in his left hand and a Caterpie sitting atop his opposite shoulder that I realized I was looking at a bona fide Bug Trainer. I raised both hands in a placating manner.

"Hey! Sorry about walking into your campsite like this but I didn't realize that there was someone here." He stopped for a moment and looked at me intensely. He idly thumbed one of the Pokeballs on his belt before moving and replying, "Alright, I believe you. What are you doing out in the forest like this? Most trainers don't wander this far in unless they're a Bug Specialist, and you…", he quickly glanced up and down at me, "...do not fit that image."

My eyes narrowed before I took a slow and deep breath. I knew he didn't mean much by it and to be frank, I didn't fit the image of someone who was a Bug Specialist. I let out my breath and felt the irritation leave as if escaping outwards with my exhale.

"You're right. I'm not a Bug Specialist. But…I am looking for a specific bug. Would you happen to know where I could find the territory of any Heracross?", at the mention of the Pokemon I could see his eyes narrow slightly and he looked at me with a calculating gaze. "...Perhaps…but what exactly would I get out of sharing such information with you?"

I nodded to myself. It was only fair. He was a Bug Catcher. There is no incentive for him to give me any information about where they could be since he would probably want to keep that close to home. I stood for a moment thinking before an idea slowly began forming in my head. It was a long shot since I had no idea what kind of person this guy was. But seeing how I was broke and had nothing to trade but TMs that I had plans for, it was the best thing that I had at the moment.

"Well…How about this? We can have a battle. If I win, you have to tell me what you know and take me in the right direction. If I lose, you don't owe me anything and you get to let a girl wander into the deeper parts of the forest all on her lonesome. Deal?" Once I said my intentions of wandering out on my own I could see the look of conflict on his face. Huh. Looks like my longshot plan of playing into the knight in shining armor fantasy worked.

He stood for a moment and I could almost see the gears in his head turning with his thought process. After a few moments, he sighed and shook his head. "You know what? Fuck it. An extra battle would just shorten the time that I'm able to be out here. Alright. I'll take you. BUT!...", he pointed a finger directly at me, "We will leave tomorrow. Traveling through the deeper parts of the forest at night is dangerous even if I know most of the layout. The Beedrill have been particularly restless in the past few days and as much as I don't want to show you the Honey trees, I don't want the guilt of knowing you died because I was selfish."

At the mention of the Beedrill my blood chilled and I immediately shivered slightly. Angering a Beedrill usually meant you angered a dozen. And if you didn't have the strength to fight off a swarm you were as good as dead unless help was able to get to you quick enough. I nodded my acceptance towards him and shifted over to one side of the tree he was using as his shelter. I started to set up my tent and bedroom while introducing myself to my new forest guide. "My name is Cindy. What's yours? You seem to know a lot about the forest, do you come out here often?"

He had started some work on placing a few smaller pieces of kindling to keep the fire he had going and paused for a second at my question before continuing. "My name is Jace. And I guess you could say Viridian Forest is the home that I chose. I always make sure to spend a few days out here before I start on my journey once more. I grew up in Viridian city but I'm not the biggest fan of civilization. I'm a lot more comfortable being out here with my team so when I come home I usually just set up shop here and relax for a few days." I nodded in understanding and honestly, I did. Viridian City, while not the biggest in Kanto, still holds a sizable population which for many people can be pretty crowded. He finished with the last few pieces of wood and stood back while gazing at it for a moment. With a small nod, he moved back towards one of the larger roots that had risen out of the ground. He sat down upon it before addressing me once again.

"So…Cindy was it? How many Pokemon do you have?"

"I have two with me rig-," Jace raised his hand sharply to cut me off, "Wait, wait, wait! Do you want to go deeper into the forest with TWO Pokemon on your roster?? You're kidding me right?" I shook my head and his jaw dropped in response. He chuckled slightly before shaking his head.

"Two…I can't believe that you want to head into the western part of the forest with only two. Forget the battle Cindy, I'll take you because I don't want you to die out of stupidity."

I jerked back and could feel the slight prickles of tears at the edge of my eyes. Who the hell was he?!? Did he just call me stupid? My team is strong and we proved that by beating Brock! There's no reason why he should- I took a deep breath in and held it as I felt my skin flash warm from my blood pumping. I didn't want to lose my temper with the person who was going to bring me to the Heracross grounds tomorrow. As I began to calm down, I decided to hear. his thoughts on why having only two Pokemon was such a bad idea. He blushed slightly and quickly raised both his hands in a placating manner.

"I didn't mean to offend by my statement Cindy. But the western section of the forest?…that's almost no man's land. The Ranger stations are mostly posted on the eastern side of the forest. When you get towards the western side? There's only one station that covers most of that side because of how dangerous it can be and to keep from upsetting the current balance of the ecosystem. So if anything happens it might take a while for help to get us to keep from angering many of the current inhabitants of the edge of the forest." My eyes grew wide as dinner plates after learning that tidbit of information. I hadn't known that the western section was that dangerous at all. Sure I knew Beedrill swarms would possibly be a concern. But I had a few repels that would have helped throw off the scent. But also now that I think about it, I hadn't even researched very much about the forest before I took off to find a Heracross. I never looked at the Ranger map or the Net for any Ranger postings of any dangers. My cheeks flushed as I realized that I had been stupid. I disregarded any sense of forethought in my excitement to get my next team member. I felt my chest tighten when I looked down at my bag strap that held Kong and Polli's Pokeballs. I had risked my team…

Jace sighed and leaned back on the root. "Look, a lot of trainers have moments where they rush forward into something they may not be ready to handle. Just be grateful that you met me before going in too deep. I've been running around this forest for years and while I may not show it, I am a three-badge trainer." He opened his bag and showed me his badge case. Inside lay the Rainbow Badge, the Earth Badge, and one other that I didn't recognize. It possibly could have come from one of the recognized minor gyms like my Uncles that we have throughout the region. The only real difference that a minor badge has for a trainer is the prestige and seed placements for the preliminaries. The more of the Core 8 that you have the better chances you have of receiving a bye for the first round.

"What badge is that last one? I don't recognize it from the Core 8." Jace looks down and points towards it, "That's the Beam Badge. There's a minor gym out in Commerce City run by a guy named Crowler. He's a Steel-type Specialist but honestly, his gym wasn't too hard. His Magneton gave us a little trouble but my trusty Pinsir was able to bring it down eventually." At that, he slides the badge case back into his bag and zips it back shut.

He sits for a while looking at me before nodding and continuing, "Alright well with our current roster I'm going to have a condition. I'll take you to the area that I know of where Heracross likes to visit.", A smile bloomed across my face and I rushed to thank him before being stopped by him raising his hand once more, "But. Any sign of trouble? We're out of there. If I notice some signs that there might be something we can't handle? We dip. No complaints. No questions. I've only got a team of five right now and while I do know the forest well, I'm not to the level where I can take an extended expedition into the western section yet. We're going to go and have a look. But once we hit about six hours of searching, we're heading back."

I looked down at my shoes with my mind racing with thoughts. I should've done more research about the forest before trying to make the journey in. And honestly? I was really lucky to bump into Jace while I did. I was tunnel visioning hard trying to get a Heracross and wasn't even considering all of the dangers that I was putting myself and my team into. Hell, we were barely able to keep up with making it into the center of the forest.

Looking back up to Jace I nodded and gave my reply.

"Alright. I didn't realize how unprepared I was for such a task until now. You'll hear no arguments from me. Six hours tops. In and out." Jace stared at me for a while before finally nodding and standing up. "In that case, we should both get some rest. Your Mankey looked a little worn whenever you approached so it would be a good idea to forgo that battle for now. But if I ever see you again, you can bet I'm going to challenge you for all of the trouble you're bringing me." I laughed slightly before beginning to set out my tent and prepare myself for another night under the trees. We made small talk about our journeys and the differences but similarities that Viridian and Saffron have with each other.

Once the sun began to set, Jace moved to kill the fire and gather the coals in a pan for some heat. He graciously offered a second smaller pan for me and I accepted it with a nod. The nights got chilly sometimes and I knew the coals would keep my tent comfortable. Before Jace returned to his hideout I called out to him.

"Hey, Jace?"

"Yeah?"

"…Thank you. For keeping me from doing something stupid that I would probably regret."

"…You're welcome…just promise that you'll do the same the next time you see a rookie in a situation like this."

"I will…Goodnight Jace."

"Goodnight Cindy." And without he disappeared into the shadows of the tree. I stared for a moment longer. I wonder if there was a moment in his journey when he was in the exact place that I am. Woefully unprepared and in need of help. Did someone help him?

Or maybe it was the fact that no one did when he desperately needed it. I crawled into my sleeping bag with a vow to myself. Never again would I be so careless for my team's safety. And never would I overlook a hand in need of help. I snuggled deeper into the sleeping bag as I felt the heat waft off from the cooling coils. That was the promise of a lifetime.

I awoke to the sounds of life around me. A Pidgeotto cried above as it flew overhead. The rustle of leaves as Caterpie climbed higher in the trees to reach more leaves for breakfast. The coals from the previous night's fire had long grown cold and lay inside the pan reduced to ash. I raised myself slowly, muscles tensed slightly from the uncomfortable night's rest. After a second or two to blink the sleep from my eyes, I removed myself from my sleeping bag and picked up the pan. There was no use in carrying around ash.

Lifting the flap of the tent I could see that the sun had barely begun to rise, the trees still darkened by shadows. I scrambled out of my tent and walked a few steps over towards the edge and, after checking for any stray ember in the few pieces that were left, emptied the ash upon the Forest's floor. Turning I felt a small twinge from my back where I had slept on an uneven patch of earth. I was going to have to buy a camping mat the next time I got into the city.

Jace was already awake and was already packing away his things into his pack. Noticing that I was awake he nodded in greeting before picking up his hat and placing it atop his head. "Mornin. We'll be heading out soon. I want to get there as soon as possible and out as soon as possible. There haven't been any alerts from where I plan on taking us but even my team can't fend for very long out in the Danger Zones. It'll take us seven hours of trekking to get close to where we need to go. After that the timer starts and you'll have six hours to search the area for your Heracross. After that, we make our way back towards the safer areas. Agreed?" I nodded in agreement as I folded up my rain tarp before sliding it back into its compartment. With a few practiced tugs, my tent followed quickly after and I was done collecting my camp. Pulling out an energy bar to snack on for breakfast, I took stock of all the things I had prepared.

Potions? Check.

Antidotes? Check.

Repel? Check.

Pokeballs? 1, 2, 3…17. Check.

Nodding to myself I zipped my bag closed and threw it back over my shoulder. Jace glanced at me over and nodded affirmatively. He reached into his belt before pulling out a Pokeball. He tossed it lightly before him and the energy materialized into the shape of an intimidating figure that snapped its mandibles at me upon release.

"PINSIR!"

Jace looked apologetically towards me. "Sorry, he likes to show off around new people. He's one of my main battlers though and he'll be helping in keeping any wild Pokemon at bay. Until we get into the more dangerous areas, not many would want to challenge Pinsir here." His Pinser pumped both of its arms and snapped his mandibles sharply once more in agreement. At first, I was a little intimidated. Those things could sheer me in half without a second of pause. But after a moment that uneasiness turned into relief as I realized that many wild Pokemon would think the same thing. He would be a great deterrent for the first leg of our trip deeper.

Jace looked back at me, "I would say between your Poliwag and Mankey, release your Mankey. While we won't be too close to some of the areas that Raichu likes to live in, it's always possible that some of their territories might have shifted since my last trip and my info is outdated. It wouldn't be good to have your Poliwag taken out straight away from a Thunderbolt." I nodded and quickly released Kong back from his Pokeball. He grunted and looked up at me with an annoyed expression. "I know you were supposed to have the day to rest Kong, but we might be heading into areas where Polli would have a big disadvantage. I promise to let you have an extra rest after our trek, okay?" He looked at me for another moment before nodding begrudgingly. I could tell he wasn't very happy about it and made a mental note to slide him some extra berries after all of this was over.

Gathering up the last few things from our campsite, we took off heading deeper into the forest. The first few hours were pretty uneventful. Many of the local bug Pokemon took one look at the mighty Pinsir within our midst and scampered away. Kong was eager to look around a bit and would watch the trees above for any attempts of a wild Pokemon dropping in from the limbs above. About three hours in he caught sight of an Ariados hanging from some threads and we made a long loop around the path we had been going.

It wasn't until my feet had begun to grow sore from constant use that we stopped for a break. Jace released another of his Pokemon, a Butterfree, and had it fly around the area to keep watch for anything that we would have to deal with. We munched on some energy bars and talked about our strategies for finding a Heracross whenever we made it to their territory.

"So whenever we get to the area, we're going to have to search the trees for a bit. Heracross loves sap so make sure to note down trees that might have sap on them from a previous feeding. We can tap those with the few I have and hopefully, the smell will draw in any that might still be around." I nodded and jotted down a few quick notes. Jace showed me a sketch of a Heracross footprint and I managed to make a crude imitation that was decent enough to not lead me astray. Once I had compiled the tips, a question had been raised in my mind from when I had talked to Nurse Joy.

"I remember talking to Nurse Joy and she had mentioned that there hadn't been as many sightings in the central forest as usual. What are your thoughts on that?"

Jace scratched his head and took another bite of his energy bar. After a moment to chew and swallow he answered, "Well honestly? It could be several things. Heracross isn't common in Viridian forest so they don't have regular breeding grounds. It's possible that a conflict in the deeper parts could have destabilized their normal patterns. A territorial dispute between another group of Pokemon could be the cause. And since Heracross isn't a long-term native of Kanto like say the Beedrill line, they're not more established in their territory here. Think of them more as nomadic than established if that makes sense?"

I thought about it before nodding. It was a valid point even if I might not have understood it fully.

"So we should also be on the lookout for any possible signs of other Pokemon calling this territory home right? If it was a territory dispute then that would mean more signs of other Pokemon that would have claimed this territory as their own."

Jace smiled, "Exactly. Now you're starting to get it. When you're trying to track where certain Pokemon have moved to you're going to have to account for many different factors. It could be possible that the Heracross could have moved to any territory that opened up from the shift as well. So it's a good idea to know what Pokemon are moving in and out of the area that you're searching in."

I added a few more notes to my notebook before closing it and finishing the last bite of my lunch. "We're getting close right? Maybe an hour more or so of walking?"

Jace looked down towards his map and calculated the time with where we were on the GPS. "Yeah, I would say a little under an hour more of walking and we'll be there. Should probably start heading that way." He folded the map back up and placed it away. We began making our way once more into the forest.

As we walked I could notice the differences between each section of the forest. While the eastern side was a lot more open due to the volume of traffic between Viridian and Pewter, the western parts were thick with brush and undergrowth. At some point, Jace handed me a small Machete to help clear some of the bushes that were tangled and gnarled with each other. The tree groupings were a lot closer too with roots rising out of the ground and gnarled around others in competition for water. All in all, it felt like a true place of wilderness. Barely touched by man and left to its own devices. No wonder there was only one Ranger station out here. To supply more than that would be a logistical nightmare without strong flying types.

After another thirty minutes of hiking, Jace suddenly cursed, raised his hand, and crouched behind a tree. I quickly scrambled over towards him with Kong behind me. I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong before he covered my mouth with his other hand and made a shushing motion. I noticed that Pinsir was not around us and looked up higher in the trees to find him staring intently ahead of us at something that I hadn't gotten a view on yet. I looked over at Jace and saw that he had begun to tremble slightly. His grip on the tree was tight I glanced around the tree to see what he had.

My heart dropped into my stomach and I fought the urge to throw up. Before us lay the bodies of three Heracross laid upon the ground. The one closest to us was dead. Its carapace had been shredded to pieces and was missing its limbs on its left side. Two more lay further past it and were too far away to distinguish if they were alive or not. Off to one side near the second Heracross were two Pokemon. One I recognized as a Gloom and it stood between the two bodies. A small puff of powder lifted from its head that I recognized as Sleep Powder. Nearer the second one stood a Houndour that was growling and glaring at the Heracross that lay there.

Jace looked back at me snapping me out of my horrified daze and pointed me off to the side near the Houndour. What I hadn't noticed in my first glance of the scene before us was a man lurking in the underbrush about 60 feet away. He slowly moved from it towards the downed Heracross, Pokeball in hand and another Houndour that slinked out of the brush after him.

My blood went as cold as ice in my veins whenever I saw what he was wearing. A black uniform was adorned with a large red "R" on the front of the shirt.

Team Rocket was in Viridian Forest. And they were hunting Heracross.

Annnnnd done! A bit of a cliffhanger going into the next chapter but honestly my eyes are burning even as I'm writing this so I think it's a good time to attempt at a nap.

Huge shout out to rhett.leonard.1 for the idea of a roster list. Since the team is so small right now I hadn't thought of adding one but it makes sense especially since I'm fond of using nicknames. Thank you for pointing out my oversight!

Once more I shall urge you to drink some high quality H2O. You'll be surprised by how much it helps!

And with that, until next time folks!