I do not own Pokémon. Credit goes to Satoshi Tajiri and Game Freak.

Once Leaf, Red, Gary and Mewtwo arrived in Viridian Forest, they stopped for a brief moment so the boy with the baseball cap could set down Pikachu. The electric mouse gave Red a blank stare for a brief moment before he began sniffing along the ground. Red took a step back and observed carefully, waiting for the Pokémon to scamper off. After a moment of silence, Pikachu returned his gaze to Red and stood on his hind legs.

"Pika?"

"Go on, then," Red persuaded, "go home. You're all healed up, though."

Pikachu surveyed the area ahead of him, shuddering at the sight of the tall grass. He narrowed his eyes, anticipating a Weedle to jump out at him. As the moment continued on in silence, Gary gave Leaf a puzzled look.

"Hmm," Gary pondered, "do you think maybe we should take it closer to its nest? Maybe it doesn't know this area."

Another moment of silence passed before Pikachu turned around and pounced onto Red, eliciting a startled yelp out of him. He quickly recomposed himself seconds later as the electric mouse nuzzled his face.

"Oh, you're welcome," Red blurted, "is that you saying you want to come with us?"

Pikachu stared into Red's eyes and waved his paw.

"Pika!" Pikachu chirped with a nod, "Pi-Pikachu!"

"Oh, ok," Red replied, "cool, then."

Red fumbled for a Poké Ball.

"Uhm," he continued, "here."

Red tapped the Pikachu with the Poké Ball, capturing the electric mouse with the release button flashing green after a few shakes.

"Huh," Red mused, "I heard that was a hard Pokémon to catch."

Mewtwo folded his arms and chuckled softly.

"I guess I gotta help him with battling," Red added with a shrug.

Mewtwo tilted his head.

"Perhaps he's young enough that he needs the guidance," he mentioned, "and you've happened to earn his trust by saving him."

Red laughed nervously as he placed his hand behind his hand. Still, they began their stroll through the forest.

Much to their relief, the entire forest seemed to calm down as the wild Pokémon continued on with their lives. As they navigated the mazelike forest, bug Pokémon could be seen either hanging from the trees, like Kakuna or Metapod, other crawling such as Caterpie and Weedle, laying low so they didn't attract predators' unwanted attention and a few Butterfree were happily gathering pollen or nectar.

"Come here!" a childish voice sounded in the forest.

And soon enough, Leaf saw a young boy with a net running after a Butterfree. Unfortunately, as he was focused on the Bug Pokémon, he didn't see the root of the tree and fell flat on his face, and the Pokémon used it to fly out of the young man's path.

"Aaagh! It's the second one who escaped me!" he growled, getting back to his feet.

Looking to the side, he caught sight of Leaf.

"Hey, you! It's your fault I fell!" he yelled while he pointed at her, "I demand a battle!"

Leaf couldn't help but grimace. Gary, Red and Mewtwo also stiffened at the bold accusation.

"I-I'm just an innocent bystander," she objected.

The young bug catcher trainer huffed and reached for his Poké Ball.

"No excuses!" he shouted, "go, Caterpie!"

He tossed his Poké Ball, sending out a Caterpie which took its battle stance. Leaf couldn't help but sigh as she sent out her Pidgey.

"String Shot!"

Caterpie opened its mouth and started to take aim. Leaf steeled herself as she clenched her fists.

"Dodge," Leaf ordered, "then Tackle!"

"Caterpie, move out of the way!"

But of course, even though the Pidgey was slowed down by the String Shot, it was still fast enough to hit the Bug Pokémon, injuring it pretty badly.

"Caterpie!" the young trainer called, "get up and use Tackle!"

Slowly, the Caterpie managed to get back on its little feet, just as Leaf's Pidgey flew high in the sky.

"Pidgey, use Gust!" she commanded her bird.

It dove into the air, gathering speed and moved its wings at a fast speed, creating a small tornado right where the small green Pokémon stood. It rose with the wind, clearly scared, and when the tornado disappeared, releasing the Caterpie, it crashed on the ground and remained motionless.

"Caterpie…" the young boy called his Pokémon back into his Poké Ball and rushed out of the forest, tears in his eyes.

"Geez," Gary sighed with a shrug, "what's his issue?"

Leaf made a brief glance at Mewtwo as he frowned beneath his hood.

"I can see why trainers are restricted to being almost teenagers," he observed, "you need to earn your maturity."

Leaf shifted her gaze towards her Pidgey as it landed in front of her and chirped happily.

"Great work, Pidgey," Leaf praised.

She knelt down and gave her Pidgey a pat on the head before taking some time to remove the sticky web from the tiny bird. Gary shrugged at Mewtwo's comment.

"I never got it," Gary remarked, "shouldn't they be safely in school instead of wandering about out here?"

Leaf didn't give much thought as she withdrew her Pidgey and they continued to meander through the forest. Along the way, Leaf recorded a Metapod into her Pokédex while Red recorded a Butterfree and Kakuna into his Pokédex. At the same time, Gary would search a few patches of tall grass to see if any rare Pokémon flourished. Leaf spotted a Caterpie nearby, so she crouched down and held her Pokédex before it.

{Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon. Its short feet are tipped with suction pads that help it tirelessly climb slopes and walls. Its voracious appetite compels it to devour leaves bigger than itself. From its antenna, it can release a strong odor to repel predators.}

"Aww," Leaf cooed as she flapped her hands, "such a cute Caterpie!"

Gary rolled his eyes and curtly flicked his hand.

"Pfft," Gary scoffed, "Caterpies are lame. Weedles are better."

For a brief moment, Leaf and Gary stuck their tongues out at one another, eliciting a sigh out of Red.

"Are you two going to stand there making faces all day?"

Gary and Leaf froze before they recomposed themselves, the young girl standing to her full height while the Caterpie slithered back into the tall grass.

"Perhaps I should retract my statement on maturity?" Mewtwo mumbled, attempting to try out sarcasm.

Leaf's face reddened and lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Sorry about Leaf, bud," Red informed Mewtwo, "she just perceives the world differently. Besides, Gary's actually more immature than she is."

Irritated, Gary snapped his head towards his rival and pointed at him.

"Hey!" Gary furrowed his eyebrows, "I'm the grandson of the great Professor Oak, I'll grow into my brain eventually and you'll get all sorts of wisdom from me."

Mewtwo studied Leaf's expression for a brief moment.

"That's alright," he said, "I'd like to hear a variety of perspectives."

Upon seeing Mewtwo's reassuring smile, Leaf relaxed her shoulders.

"I guess so," she replied.

Leaf, Red, Gary and Mewtwo went back to venturing through the forest. But once they passed by a few trees, the professor's grandson spotted a nearby Weedle. With that, his face brightened with a grin.

"Hey, finally!"

Gary sent out his Squirtle as Mewtwo watched with keen interest.

"I should get used to your different approaches."

The Weedle took notice of Squirtle as he scratched the ground with his front claws.

"Squirt, Squirt, Squirt, Squirt, Squirt, Squirt…"

Weedle narrowed its eyes before it slithered towards Squirtle.

"Weed!"

"Squirtle," Gary held out his hand, "Tackle!"

Squirtle charged at the Weedle and rammed into it. After the stinging larva recuperated from the impact, it rolled away a little and stood up tall. Gary tensed as the Weedle was preparing to launch a Poison Sting.

"Dodge!" Gary instructed.

Squirtle jumped out of the way the instant Weedle spewed a Poison Sting. The bee larva went to prepare another attack. The water turtle rammed into Weedle once again, but the larva sprayed a String Shot at him. Squirtle growled at Weedle as the silky thread tied his arms to his body. Without warning, the water turtle blasted the larva with a Water Gun. Weedle rolled away again, but struggled to get up. Gary perked up and scrambled to grab a Poké Ball from his bag.

"Here…goes…nothing!" Gary declared.

Gary threw the Poké Ball which captured the Weedle and dropped to the ground. A few shakes and the release button flashed green.

"Yes!" Gary cheered, raising his fist into the air.

"Impressive," Mewtwo nodded.

After Gary picked up the Poké Ball, he helped remove the silk threads from his Squirtle. Red smiled and wondered if his newly caught Pikachu wanted to try training. Seconds later, one of the Poké Balls from his belt opened up and the electric mouse emerged, taking a moment to stretch his limbs, eliciting a gaze of curiosity from his trainer.

"Say," Red asked, "you wanna brave the wilds?"

Red crouched to the ground and offered his hand, allowing Pikachu to sniff it. The electric mouse then shifted his gaze between Gary, Leaf and Mewtwo.

"These are my friends," Red gestured, "Gary, Leaf and Mewtwo."

Leaf tilted her head and waved her hand slightly. Pikachu perked his ears up and wagged his tail.

"Pika?"

Leaf slowly approached the Pikachu and crouched down while the electric mouse stared back at her. After a moment, she reached out and tapped the electric mouse's nose with an index finger, eliciting a giggle out of him as he rubbed his cheeks.

"Are you not worried he may have shocked you?" Mewtwo tilted his head.

Leaf glanced over her shoulder as she stood up.

"Don't worry," Leaf assured the psionic feline, "he didn't."

Pikachu jumped up and down.

"Pika!" Pikachu chirped, "Pika!"

Pikachu circled around Red a couple times before he turned his gaze forward.

"Pi-kachu!" Pikachu pointed forward with a wink.

With Pikachu sorta leading the way, Red, Leaf, Gary and Mewtwo continued to venture through the Viridian Forest. While Gary observed a swarm of Caterpies from a distance, Leaf engaged in a challenge with a Lass trainer and her Rattata. The young girl managed to win the challenge with Bulbasaur's clever experiment of her Vine Whip, in which the Lass gave Leaf a Heart Scale to congratulate her.

Well, the trip continued on when all of a sudden…

"Excuse me!" they heard.

Red spun around and jumped with a startled yelp at the sight of a katana aimed at his throat.

"Hey," Red demanded, "what's the big idea?!"

Leaf, Gary and Mewtwo froze when they laid eyes on a boy dressed in samurai armor and a pair of shorts. She swore he looked the same age as them.

"Greetings," the boy said, "are you, by any chance, the Pokémon trainer who comes from Pallet Town?"

Red couldn't help but shudder.

"Y-Yeah," Red admitted, shifting his gaze between Leaf and Gary, "but I'm not the only one."

Leaf furrowed her eyebrows at the strange boy and put her hands on her hips.

"Watch where you're pointing that thing," Leaf raised her voice, "you idiot!"

The boy sighed as he lowered his katana and slid it back into its sheath. The psionic feline narrowed his eyes at him, even when he was impressed by Leaf's bravado.

"Geez. Who are you, anyway?" Gary paused, scratching his head.

The boy straightened himself and gave the Pallet Town trainers a bow.

"I go by Samurai," he answered.

Red folded his arms.

"Are you a guardian of Viridian Forest or something?" he asked.

"No," Samurai reached for his Poké Ball, "but I'm here to challenge you, trainer of Pallet Town!"

When Samurai pointed at Red, Pikachu folded his ears and entered a battle stance on all fours.

"Pika Pika!"

"Seems like he is, too," Red nodded, "ok, bud! Show me what you can do!"

Samurai sent out a Pinsir, and Gary gasped in awe. As she huddled closer to Mewtwo, she pulled out her Pokédex.

{Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokémon. It digs burrows with its horns to sleep at night. A Pinsir's movements turn sluggish at cold temperatures, so it hides deep in forests. When its powerful horns clamp onto an opponent, it won't let go until it's torn in half. Otherwise, it'll toss its opponent.}

Leaf couldn't help but grimace upon hearing the last two details from the Pokédex.

"Brutal," Mewtwo frowned.

Gary shrugged before he stood at the edge of the makeshift battlefield, eyes focused on his rival and the challenger.

"I don't know how many Pokémon Samurai has here," Gary declared, "but whoever knocks out all their Pokémon first wins!"

Gary extended his hand forward.

"Go!"

"You know Quick Attack, bud?" Red asked.

Pikachu glanced behind him.

"Pika!" the electric mouse nodded.

"Pinsir, Vise Grip!" Samurai ordered.

Pinsir charged at Pikachu, but the electric mouse jumped out of the way before the insect Pokémon could grab him with its pincers.

"Quick Attack, then," Red instructed, "keep dodging, otherwise."

Pikachu rammed into the Pinsir with a Quick Attack before dodging its pincers. Samurai tensed up and clenched his fists.

"Come on, Pinsir," he directed, "Focus Energy!"

Pinsir paused to breathe and focus as it closed its eyes. Pikachu charged at the tough insect again, only for it to grab him with its pincers without warning. Red stiffened and gritted his teeth.

"Now, Seismic Toss!"

"Shake it off with a Thunder Shock!"

"Pikaaa…" electric sparks developed around the mouse's cheeks.

Pikachu squeezed his eyes shut as Pinsir tightened its grip on him and leaned back, as if it was ready to throw the electric mouse.

"…Chuuu!"

Pikachu enveloped the Pinsir with a Thunder Shock. It screeched in pain as it loosened its grip and collapsed to the ground. The electric mouse shook a little before he went to lick his paw.

"Pinsir is unable to battle," Gary announced, "Pikachu wins the round!"

Pikachu spun around and jumped up and down, waving its paws at Red.

"Pika!" Pikachu chirped, "Pika Pika-pi!"

"Nice one, Pikachu!" Red gave Pikachu a thumbs up.

Pikachu scurried towards Red as he crouched down to give the electric mouse a pat on the head.

"You wanna take a break?" Red asked.

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded.

While Pikachu stepped out of the battlefield, Red rose to his full height, watching as Samurai sent out a Metapod.

"Ok, Charmander," Red reached for a Poké Ball from his belt, "you're up!"

Red sent out his Charmander, who widened his stance.

"Char!"

Leaf noticed as Samurai's forehead sweated nervously.

"You think that's all the Pokémon he has with him?" Leaf whispered.

"The scent of his nerves is overwhelming," Mewtwo nodded.

"Metapod, Harden!" Samurai commanded.

Metapod stared at Charmander intently as it began hardening its shell.

"Get 'im with Ember!" Red ordered.

Charmander spewed a few Embers at the Metapod every few seconds and the cocoon Pokémon fainted. Samurai gave Red a dumbfounded look.

"Metapod is unable to battle," Gary gestured to his rival, "the victory goes to Red of Pallet Town!"

Red smiled and knelt to pet his Charmander.

"Way to go!"

"Char!" Charmander chirped happily.

Samurai let out a sigh as he withdrew his Metapod. With the battle over, all eyes were on him as he gave them a bow.

"Thank you," Samurai told Red, "that was a commendable showing. Perhaps I'll seek more Pokémon types if I am to challenge future trainers."

Leaf tilted her head.

"And your katana?" Leaf mentioned, "is it really a real one?"

Samurai paused for a moment before he unsheathed his katana, simply holding it out for everyone to see.

"It looks well made," Red mumbled, not wanting to point out the blade appeared to be made out of wood.

"Thank you," Samurai nodded as he sheathed his katana again, "good luck on your journey."

And with that, Samurai turned to leave.

Feel free to drop a review, because Leaf and Mewtwo could use them to offer each other emotional support!