"Well, we're here" Leon said as they stepped in the deep and sprawling, natural maze that was Viridian Forest.
"Viridian Forest" Jaina said looking around in front of them, "The trees really do block most of the sky here."
The sounds of the forest's inhabitants echoed, the chirping and calls of birds, the shrieks and buzzings of bugs. A pleasant breeze that belied the potential dangers of the deep forest. The leaves in the trees rustled with the wind and the brush occasionally rustled with the movement of Pokemon and young, novice trainers looking to add to their collections or train with what they already have. Many young trainers from Viridian and Pewter come here to practice, most of them end up specializing in bug-types since they make up most of the forest's population, but even though bug-types are known for being weak at first they can become strong quicker than most other types.
Taking their first steps into the forest Jaina and Leon stay on the trail while they continue to observe their surroundings. The map on their Pokegear keeping them informed of their position and the trail posts and signs would tell them where in the forest they are as well as what direction they were heading in. It wasn't even noon yet and the tree tops were close enough to make it look like dusk was approaching.
"Looks like it will take us a few hours to get through here" Jaina said while looking at their map, "That's if we take the direct path through. If we detour the long way it could take us almost half the day."
"I vote for the latter" Leon said, seeing a Caterpie slowly crawling up a tree trunk, he gently tapped his friend's arm to point it out, "Why not do a little nature sightseeing while we're here?"
Jaina closed her Pokegear and set her bag down to get her camera before walking over to the Caterpie, the worm Pokemon sensing her presence quickly fell still believing her to be a predator, hoping to avoid being noticed. Jaina kneeled down, raising her camera zooming in and once the focus cleared she snapped a picture. The sound of the shutter clicking and the flash of light startled the Caterpie, the front half of its body jumped from the trunk of the tree, two of its tiny legs flailing to try and regain purchase on the tree so it could run.
"It's okay" Jaina said, lowering the camera and gently running her finger over the Pokemon's head, "You're pretty cute you know."
The wild Pokemon, not understanding her words, sprayed her hand with its string shot before it continued to crawl up the tree as fast as it could manage unaware that the human meant it no harm.
"Must be pretty young" Leon surmised, "If it was a bit older it probably would have tried to move on instead of immediately spraying you."
"It's still cute though" Jaina said, "I always did like those."
"Why not catch it then?" Leon asked her, "Eventually get a Butterfree on your team."
Jaina watched the worm finally crawl out of reach, "I think I scared this one enough for today, maybe the next one."
Their attention is drawn away from the Caterpie when they hear Growlithe start to growl as she faces the bushes behind the tree. She bares her fangs before barking once, twice and then a third and though the bushes are not moving she clearly is aware that something is hiding within them.
"Growlithe?" Leon asked his Pokemon, "What is it girl?"
Still growling and showing her teeth she gives him a glance from the corner of her eyes before returning her gaze to the bushes roughly ten yards ahead of them. She crouches into a ready to pounce stance and barks again, and now Natu seems to be on edge, he shakes ruffling his feathers before spreading out his wings and letting out a sharp cry. Growlithe takes a step back, keeping herself firmly in front of Leon and her eyes locked on the line of foliage.
"Something is hiding in there" Jaina concluded.
"Yeah" Leon agreed, "And they don't like whatever it is."
Jaina looked at the tree line, squinting her eyes, "Remember that old guy we met in Viridian?" she asked him, "He said the Beedrill were swarming more than usual lately, maybe there's a couple nearby?"
Leon looked at both Natu and Growlithe, both of them were staring at the same bush, "I don't think that's it. Beedrill fly and tend to be more arboreal, they're both looking at something on the ground. Besides, if it was Beedrill we'd probably already have seen them, or at least a warning of some kind to stay away."
Jaina looked back at the tree, the Caterpie was gone, having climbed higher and sprayed its string shot on the tree seemingly to keep anything from chasing it, "Maybe we should keep going for now."
Leon agreed, "Come on girl" he said to his Growlithe as he and Jaina resumed walking, Growlithe following a few steps behind and sniffing the air while Natu turned on Jaina's shoulder to keep watch behind them.
They continue following the trail, still unsure of what Grolwithe and Natu were concerned about, but the fact that both Pokemon were still on edge, growling and cawing and the fact that they haven't seen a glimpse of whatever had them agitated was causing a sense of tension and anxiety to set in, at least for one of them.
"This is starting to feel like one of those movies your dad likes" Leon said, "Two teens hiking alone in a dark forest, the bushes rustling and everything else around them is quiet for miles."
"Leon" Jaina began, "You know I don't like those movies. No!"
"They carry on, unaware at first that they're being stalked, possibly even hunted by a…"
Jaina turned to him, "Leon, I will tie you to that tree and leave you here to find out if something actually is following us."
"Alright, alright" Leon sighed, "Just trying to lighten the mood."
A minute of silence passes as they walk deeper into the forest, Jaina not noticing that Leon falls a couple of steps behind her with a dark grin curving his lips.
"Daaaaaa dum" he says quietly, humming a tune from a movie about a giant Shark Pokemon attacking a beach during a seasonal festival, "Daaaaaa dum" he says again.
"I will slap you" Jaina threatened over her shoulder.
"Daaaaa dum" he hums once more causing her to finally turn to him and start slapping him on his shoulder, arm and chest, "Alright, alright I'll stop" he quickly surrenders.
She huffed, "I'm starting to think I'd be better off traveling on my own."
The bushes rustled loudly with heavy footsteps and Jaina let out a shrill scream before jumping to hide behind Leon who stared blankly at the bushes waiting to see what it was.
The first thing to emerge was an Eevee, its ears twitching as it sniffed the ground, clearly trying to track something.
"Got a scent yet, Luna?" a girl's voice asked before a girl with wild unkempt red hair followed the Pokemon out of the bushes, her blue eyes meeting theirs. She wore a long sandy brown coat tied at her neck allowing it to hang from her shoulders without her arms being in the sleeves. Underneath she wore a white button up shirt with all, but the last one undone and a black sports bra…on the outside. A pair of black compression shorts under a dark red mini skirt. Her skin tight, thigh high leggings were torn, judging from the scratches and minor cuts on her skin she must have been from running through the brush, her blue lined black running shoes were caked with dirt showing a lot of wear.
"Heya!" the girl said upon seeing Leon and Jaina, "Was that you that screamed just now?" she asked, seeing the way Jaina was huddled behind Leon, "Sorry" she grinned, "Didn't mean to scare you."
"Oh I'm fine" Leon said, "This one however" he began nodding over his shoulder, but he was silenced before he could continue.
"I'm just fine as well" Jaina said, her hand covering Leon's mouth, "We heard someone scream as well, so clearly there's other people out here."
"Yeah" the red head said, "The local kids are having a bug catching contest, from what I hear they do it the first weekend of every month. I saw a Scyther somewhere back there" she said pointing over her shoulder, "But I'm after something else."
Leon points down the path he and Jaina came from, "We saw a pretty adorable Caterpie down that way."
The girl laughed, "I'll admit they're cute like you, but I'm tracking something better."
"Cute like what now?" Leon blinked, his expression showing signs of a brain slowly shutting down.
The girl laughed, "Oh, you're one of those types huh? A girl calls you cute and you just freeze up. What's wrong? Don't know how to respond? It's okay, just because I know the move bite doesn't mean I'll use it…not now anyway."
"Uh I um…" Leon's words failed before they could even form in his mouth, slowly he looked at Jaina, "Help" he asked, incapable of thinking further.
Jaina cleared her throat, "Forgive my friend, while he can tease and taunt others he doesn't know how to respond when it's directed at him."
"Oh ho" the red head smirked, "Can dish it out, but can't take it. That's kinda adorable."
Growlithe growled before letting out a short bark, while she didn't know this new human's intentions it was clear she was making Leon uneasy causing his Pokemon's protective instincts to kick in.
The girl crouched down, "Hello to you too pretty" she said before holding her hand out watching as the fire puppy sniffed her hand before giving the tip of her finger a lick and taking a step back, maintaining a protective stance in front of Leon.
Jaina cleared her throat once more, "So, you are?"
The girl looks up, "Oh, I'm Lita! I'm from Blackthorn in Johto, I'm here on a summer vacation with my family so I figured why not try to challenge the Pokemon League while we're here."
"You're from Johto too?" Jaina clarified, "I'm from Violet City, but my family and I moved to Celadon eight years ago."
"Alright!" Lita cheered, "A fellow Johtonian, I'm finally not alone anymore!" she looked at Leon, "And where are you from? Or are you still rebooting?"
Jaina answered for him, "Leon is from Saffron. My name is Jaina by the way."
"Cool" the red-head replied, "Nice to meet both of you, this is Luna" she said gesturing to her Eevee, "And this is Trilo" she turns sideways and they see part of the coat moving, no crawling. A pair of red eyes peered at them from under the coat before the Pokemon crawled up further onto Lita's head. A rounded brown shell with what appeared to be an extra set of black eyes on top, a black underbody with four yellow hooked legs.
"A Kabuto?" Leon said, seeing it.
Lita smiled as she tilted her head to look up at the shellfish Pokemon perched atop her head, "Yep, I found this little guy while my family and I were on Cinnabar Island, from the sounds of it he escaped the lab after they resurrected him from a fossil. I was sunbathing on the beach and fell asleep. I woke up because I heard this strange sound and found him inside my lunch basket. Isn't that right buddy?"
The formerly extinct Pokemon peered down at her before looking back at the other two humans and lunging at them, but Lita caught him before he could latch onto one of them.
"Don't worry he's harmless" she tells them, "He just likes to jump on people, it's his way of saying hello."
Jaina reaches out a hand to let the living fossil get used to her, "So you gave your Pokemon nicknames?" she asked.
Lita nods, "Yeah, I've always liked giving nicknames to people so I couldn't help, but give them to my Pokemon as well. I'm bad at names so giving nicknames helps me remember them better and well you know, giving your Pokemon a name can help you bond more."
Jaina and Leon met each other's eyes before looking at their own Pokemon, it was common knowledge that naming your Pokemon did help Pokemon and trainer bond better, it formed a more personal connection and built more affection between them.
"I mean why not?" Leon said to Jaina before looking at Growlithe, "After all, no other Growlithe is as awesome as you, right Rei?"
The puppy Pokemon barked excitedly as he pet her.
Jaina looked at her Natu, as always perched on her shoulder. The tiny bird staring back at her, tilting its head trying to sense his trainer's thoughts.
"How does Grun sound?" Jaina asked him.
Natu chirped before leaning forward, flicking her nose with his beak, a sign of affection from him.
"Good names" Lita said, "What other Pokemon do you have?"
Jaina answered, "Just what you see."
Lita smiled, "So you two are new trainers as well huh? I've only got Trilo and Luna right now."
Leon asked, "Have we been walking this whole time?"
They were standing in front of a cabin, built to be a rest stop for people traveling through the forest. Neither of them had realized it, but they were enjoying each other's company and conversation that they had been walking together the entire time.
"Guess so" Lita laughed, "Guess that means we're friends already."
"Or" Leon began, "You just like to talk and followed us."
Lita smirked at him, "Or maybe you were following me?" she pokes a finger into his chest and leans in close, "Ever think of that cutie?"
"I uh" Leon stuttered as he felt his face heating up, "Um, going to restroom, I'll be right back" he struggled to speak as he quickly stepped inside the cabin and to the bathroom in the back.
"Oh he's going to be fun" Lita said watching him flee.
Jaina rolled her eyes, "I suppose we should take a little rest while we're here. Care to join us?"
"Absolutely" Lita accepted, "He's activating my prey reflex, I don't want to leave now."
Jaina goes inside and sits down, "Just promise you won't break him, I still need him for a few things."
Lita sat across the table from her, "What kind of things? You two a thing?"
"Of course not" Jaina quickly snapped, "We're just friends, we've known each other since we were kids."
Lita smirked, "Hmm."
They looked around, the cabin was rather bare, two tables, each with four chairs, a simple kitchen with a fireplace against the wall and a few cots for anyone who wanted to stay overnight. A pair of doors leading to small, separated bathrooms and showers. Four framed pictures hung from each wall, the one next to the door was a painting depicting a Caterpie's evolution, the one near the kitchen was a picture of a pair of Rattata huddled against one another, sleeping. The third against the wall near the cots was a picture of a boy who seemed to be around their age, a plaque under it reading "Jay, Bug Catching Champion" with a list of dates ranging to the past two years. The fourth picture which hung between the doors that lead to the bathrooms was a classic picture of the moon and its wondrous silver glow, surrounded by stars.
Lita tapped her knuckles against the table, then her foot on the floor, "Good wood, whoever built this place knew what they were doing."
"Looks like it" Jaina agreed before getting her camera to examine the picture of the Caterpie she and Leon saw earlier. Aside from Pokemon, photography was her favorite hobby.
"How did it turn out?" Leon asked, coming out of the bathroom and seeing Jaina looking at her camera.
"Perfect" she answered before noticing something unusual in the bushes in the background of the photo, two pairs of what seemed to be red eyes, "Isn't that the bush Growlithe was barking at?"
Leon looked at the picture, it was. Lita asked what they were talking about and Leon explained while Jaina showed her the picture.
Lita smirked, "Ever stare into the woods at night and wonder if something is staring back?"
"No" Leon replied, "But I am now so, thanks for that."
The red-head smiled, "You're welcome, if you ever have trouble sleeping you can always come find me, I can help you sleep, or keep you company at night."
"Stop it" Leon pointed at her, "Or I'm going to start suspecting that you're a succubus in disguise."
Lita narrowed her eyes, "Maybe I am" she replied with a sultry tone, "Wanna find out?"
Leon grabbed a chair and sat next to Jaina, "What do you think those belong to?" he asked, trying to ignore Lita.
"A couple of Beedrill maybe" she answered, "Maybe they were injured and couldn't fly. I'm trying to think what Pokemon in this area have red eyes like that."
"I know" Lita said, standing up and moving behind Jaina to look over her shoulder, "That's what I've been tracking for the past week. It's a pair of Houndour, they're never seen around here and I want one."
"Those are fire-types" Leon thought, "And she said there's two of them."
"So you can get one and Leon can catch the other" Jaina said, "He wants to be a fire-type expert."
Lita looks him up and down, "Hmm, I guess I can see it, considering how hot he is right now anyway."
Once again Leon demanded, "Stop it!" causing the red-head to laugh.
"Well there's two, so one for each of us" Lita continued, "So how about a race to see who catches one first. Loser has to do whateeeeever the winner says."
Leon stared at her, "Why do you have to say it like that?"
"Why not?" Lita countered.
That's when they heard screams from outside, other people yelling and screaming. Rushing over to the door Leon opened it hearing the other trainers as they ran for cover.
"Beedrill swarm!" one yelled.
Another screamed, "Find cover."
One trainer, a young lass sprinted past Leon into the cabin followed by a boy with a net and a box in hand. The screams of other fleeing trainers began to get drowned out by the sounds of overlapping buzzing and then he saw them.
Just over three feet tall, more than half his height, long conical spear like stingers on their forelimbs, red eyes and beating wings. There were three of them, but there were others not far away, another group of three, one group of two. Multiple groups with varying numbers, it was more like an invasion than a swarm. How many? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? They were everywhere, and something had clearly provoked them.
"Shut the door!" the lass yelled at Leon.
Leon scanned the area, "There are still people and Pokemon out there" he yelled back before seeing another girl with brown hair trip, "Dammit, Rei let's go!" he yelled to his Growlithe before rushing outside, his ever loyal Pokemon right behind him.
"Leon!" Jaina yelled after him.
Lita said, "There's no time, we've got to act now."
The red-head rushed outside after Leon while Jaina looked at the other two trainers, "We'll hold them off, if anyone makes it over let them in."
Running out after Leon and Lita she looked around seeing the swarms, "There's way too many" she said, "We need a plan."
Leon made it to the brunette girl and helped her up just as the trio of Beedrill dived for them, "Rei take 'em out!" he yelled ducking down to cover the girl as Growlithe inhaled a deep breath before releasing her ember attack to stave off the attacking bugs.
"Get up we have to go" Leon yelled over the battle sounds.
Lita arrived to help the girl up and they began running back to the cabin only to be cut off by another swarm.
Lita yelled, "They're surrounding us."
Eight Beedrill surrounded them with more flying toward them, the beating of their wings and their buzzes becoming deafening from their numbers alone. More began appearing, flying from the trees to further surround them, from the sides, from above until they were trapped in a massive cage of angry Pokemon. Lita backed up, her Eevee, Luna at her feet ready to attack while her Kabuto was on her shoulder. Leon pushed the brunette girl between them while Rei growled and began barking loudly to try and scare some of the bugs off.
The brunette girl adjusted her glasses while her other arm went into the sleeve of her jacket, "Stahl!" she cried out throwing a pokeball from her sleeve onto the ground, "Protect us!"
The ball opened, a bright flash of light erupting from it followed by a mighty, bellowing roar as a massive serpent-like Pokemon made of a silver-gray rock looking body emerged and coiled around the group, staring down part of the swarm.
"A Steelix?" Lita chuckled, "That is amazing, I like you already. I'm Lita."
"Aussa" the girl replied, "Stahl, let's go, sweep them with an iron tail!"
The iron snake Pokemon roared before swinging its body around, its massive tail slamming into the Beedrill not fast enough to dodge, sending several into the trees or to the ground, six of them knocked out in a single blow.
"Six KO's at once?" Leon thought, "Maybe I should switch to steel-types."
He looked down at Rei, "Alright girl, let's go, light 'em up!"
With the gargantuan Steelix coiled up to protect her trainer, Growlithe leapt into action, lunging toward one Beedrill and biting down on its right stinger arm. Dragging it to the ground she released it before inhaling and expelling a breath of ember, the close range attack making it impossible for the grounded bug to evade. She next jumped to the next, turning her body and kicking it before landing on top of it with her weight.
Lita ordered her Eevee to use shadow ball and Kabuto to use aqua jet. Luna staying close to her trainer fired off one shadow ball after another, to keep the Beedrill at bay, while Trilo launched itself from her shoulder, engulfed in a jet stream of water and scored a direct hit on another before turning to repeat the process.
While Lita, Leon and the other girl held off the swarm, Jaina stayed close to the cabin, having Grun use teleport whenever she saw another person or Pokemon and get them safely inside the cabin. None of them knew how long this went on for, they could only focus on the desperate situation in front of them, but eventually they managed to fight off the Beedrill swarm, the swarm retreating once their numbers were greatly reduced. Some of the Beedrill picked up their injured family and flew away, those too hurt to fly tried to run on their feet stumbling away as they did.
Lita asked, "Is it over? Did we win?"
Leon exhaled, "Yeah, they're leaving. Good work team."
He exhaled again and hunched over bracing himself on his knees as Rei walked over to him, also exhausted, she laid at his feet, licking his leg with a tired groan.
"I know girl" he said, "You did good, you deserve a rest."
He looked up as Jaina walked over to them, "Idiot!" she said, slapping his shoulder, "Do you have any idea how lucky you are? If that girl didn't have a Steelix those things could have killed you!"
"Yeah" he agreed, "But they didn't and Rei and I once again prove how awesome we are."
Jaina sighs before covering her face, a headache already pressing against her skull, "You're lucky I love you" she groaned before turning to walk back to the cabin only to stop when she realized what she said.
"I didn't mean it like that so don't go thinking weird thoughts again!" she yelled at him, her face bright red.
"Yeah" he quietly muttered to himself as his own cheeks turned pink, "Lucky."