Giovanni stepped carefully through the dense underbrush of Viridian Forest, the familiar chirps and rustles of wild Pokémon surrounding him. The night was practically smothering the forest, the entire sky was crushing it and even though his torch was high quality it failed to illuminate more than 5 feet in front of him due to the intense darkness.
Only 5 minutes ago his radio had gone berserk where Lola screamed bloody murder over her missing Grandson, and he was sent to look into Veridian Forest by Amanda who was right now flipping over Pallet town upsidedown. Giovanni only met Lola's Grandson for all of 5 seconds and something told him that if he isn't found by the end of the night, not only would Lola rip his head off, but her grandson would be found naked with warpaint all over his body and speaking and behaving like a Pokémon acting as if he had been raised by pokemon all his life when in reality he was gone for all of 6 hours tops.
Giovanni wasn't the youngest member of Team Jet, yet he was determined to prove his worth, not only for him but also for…Giovanni shook his head as if to shake the mere thought out of his head as he tried to focus on his objective, but the forest felt like it stretched on forever, each path more winding than the last.
Suddenly, he heard a commotion up ahead, loud sharp and angry voices. He quickened his pace, slipping silently between the trees until he found the source of the noise. A group of campers, no older than teenagers, were backed against a tree, fear, annoyance and anger etched across their faces. Towering over them stood an Ember Eye Gang grunt, his uniform marked by the gang's fiery emblem. He sneered as he loomed over the campers, a Pokéball in one hand.
"You're in Ember Eye territory now," the grunt growled. "Hand over your supplies, and I might let you leave with your tents intact."
"For the last time no!" One girl cried as she cradled her fainted Pichu "You won't even get a handkerchief from us."
"Awww? You gonna cry?" The grunt said in a mocking voice "Why don't you run home to mama and ask for hot chocolate before a bedtime story and going to bed? HA HA HA HA HA!"
Giovanni's eyes narrowed, and without a moment's hesitation, he stepped out from behind the tree line. "Back off," he said, his voice steady but commanding.
The grunt spun around, surprise flashing across his face before it twisted into a grin. "Well, well, a little Jet wannabe. You lost, kid?"
Giovanni ignored the taunt and reached for the Pokéball at his side. "Nidoran, let's show him what Team Jet stands for!" With a flick of his wrist, he released his Nidoran, the small, horned creature landing nimbly on the forest floor, his eyes glinting with determination.
The grunt laughed, tossing out his own Pokéball. "You're gonna regret this, Jet boy. Go, Slugma!"
A writhing, molten Slugma appeared, its body crackling with heat as it glared at Nidoran. The campers huddled closer together, hope flickering in their eyes as they watched Giovanni step forward.
"Nidoran, use Double Kick!" Giovanni ordered.
Nidoran sprang forward with impressive speed, its small legs delivering a rapid double strike that sent Slugma skidding backward, patches of its molten body smoldering where it had been struck. The Ember Eye grunt's smile faded, replaced with a scowl.
"Slugma, hit it with Ember!" he shouted.
Slugma opened its mouth, spewing small embers toward Nidoran. Giovanni's eyes sharpened, and he called out, "Dodge and follow up with Poison Sting!"
Nidoran leapt out of the path of the embers, its movements swift and practiced. With a sharp flick, it launched a volley of purple needles from its horn, striking Slugma square in the face. The Fire-type stumbled, its molten body quivering as the poison began to take effect.
The grunt cursed under his breath, glancing nervously between his faltering Pokémon and Giovanni. "You're going to pay for that, kid!"
Giovanni smirked, confidence in his voice that he never thought he had. "Not today. Nidoran, finish it with Double Kick!"
Nidoran charged again, delivering another powerful double strike that knocked Slugma out cold. The Pokémon collapsed into a puddle of molten rock, unable to continue. The grunt stared in disbelief, fists clenching as he recalled his fallen Pokémon.
"Get out of here before I decide to let Nidoran go another round," Giovanni said, his tone low and unwavering.
The Ember Eye grunt glared at him, muttering angrily as he backed away. "This isn't over, Jet boy," he spat before turning and disappearing into the trees.
The campers let out a collective sigh of relief, their expressions shifting from fear to gratitude. One of them, a boy with tousled hair and wide eyes, stepped forward. "Thank you! We thought we were done for."
Giovanni nodded, a small smile crossing his face as he looked down at his Nidoran, who was breathing heavily but triumphant. "You did great, buddy, you're a good boy." he said, crouching to pat the small Pokémon on the head.
Nidoran chirped happily, nudging Giovanni's hand. The young Team Jet member straightened, his focus returning to his mission. "Stay safe, and don't stray too far from the main paths," he told the campers before heading deeper into the forest.
"Thank you." The young woman with the Pichu said with a small smile
"Does your Pichu need any help?" Giovanni said as he took out a revive and full restore out of thin air.
"No, I have enough to sink the Titanic" The woman said as she walked past Giovanni to a bag that was on a log as she took out the medicine.
"Pichuuu" The pichu cried weakly as she fed it the medicine.
"Well we shall be on our way." The man said
"Wait." Giovanni said "Have you seen a young boy, looks something like this?" He said as he fished out a photo that was handed out to every Team Jet member.
The small group stared at the photo then shook their head. "Can't say we have."
"Alright then, have a nice evening."
With the threat dealt with and Nidoran at his side, Giovanni pressed on, he smiled for a moment as he further pushed through a patch of dense foliage, the branches snapping under his boots as he made his way deeper into the forest.
As he moved forward, the sound of gentle, melodic chatter reached his ears. He soon stepped into a small clearing where the moonlight filtered down in patches, illuminating the scene before him. Standing in the center, an eight-year-old boy with wild, auburn hair and an expression of intense concentration was guiding three Dratini as they coiled and twisted in synchronized movements. He was wearing a ridiculous outfit that included a giant cape that was at least 5 times too big for him, odd looking red and blue shirt and trousers that were too big and too small at the same time.
The boy's posture was commanding despite his young age, his eyes focused as he spoke softly to the Dragon-type Pokémon.
"That's it, Dratini. Remember, stay in sync," the boy encouraged, his voice steady and confident as he flicked his cape as if trying to be some kind of superhero. The Dratini wriggled and followed his instructions, their scales glistening in the dappled moonlight.
Giovanni's eyes widened slightly as he took in strange sight. So this was Lance, Lola's grandson. Even though he knew next to nothing about Lola's family what he did know was all of them were dragon masters going back hundreds if not thousands of years, and it looked like Lance is not different than his father, his grandmother, and so on. Giovanni stepped forward, breaking a twig underfoot, and Lance's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Who's there?" Lance demanded, his small frame shifting into a defensive stance.
Giovanni raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Easy, kid. I'm Giovanni, from Team Jet. Your grandmother sent me to find you."
Lance's eyes softened a bit, but he didn't relax completely. He studied Giovanni for a moment before nodding slowly. "Grandma's worried again, huh?" He sighs "Grandma worries too much. I told her I'd be fine. I'm training my Dratini trio."
"She's just being cautious," Giovanni said, stepping further into the clearing. He glanced at the Dratini, who were now watching him curiously. "Looks like you're pretty busy here."
A small smile tugged at Lance's lips as he turned back to his Pokémon. "I'm training them. One day, they're going to be the strongest dragons in Kanto, Johto and beyond!"
Giovanni's brows lifted with genuine admiration. "Ambitious for an eight-year-old, aren't you?"
Lance's eyes sparkled with determination. "Grandma says that if you want to be the best, you have to start young. And I plan on being the best dragon trainer ever! Grandma was so cool in her prime, dad may not have done as good as her, but he is still awesome, soon I will be the best Dragon trainer in the entire world!"
Giovanni chuckled softly, feeling a flicker of warmth in his chest. The kid had a fire in him. He crouched down to get a closer look at the Dratini. "They're impressive. Not many people could handle three Dratini at once."
Lance's grin widened, pride evident on his face. "They're not just my Pokémon. They're my friends."
One of the Dratini, the smallest of the trio, slithered closer and nuzzled against Lance's arm. He gently patted its head, and it cooed in response.
Giovanni stood up, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. "Well, looks like you're safe and sound. Your grandma will be glad to know you're okay."
Lance nodded, then his expression turned curious. "Why did she send you, though? Did something happen?"
"Just some trouble in the forest earlier. A few thugs from the Ember Eye gang were making a mess," Giovanni explained, glancing around to ensure they were still alone. "But they're taken care of now."
Lance's eyes narrowed, a flicker of defiance crossing his face. "If they come back, my Dratini and I can handle them."
Giovanni smiled, a rare softness in his expression. "I don't doubt that for a second, kid. But for now, let's head back and let your grandma know you're safe. She'll be worried until she sees you."
"Kid? You're a kid too!" Lance cried indignantly.
"I am 15 years old." Giovanni said coldly "That ain't a kid."
Lance sighed but nodded, giving his Dratini a quick signal. The trio coiled around him protectively as he stepped toward Giovanni. "Okay, but only if you promise not to tell her I was training them in secret."
Giovanni smirked, crossing his arms. "Your secret's safe with me."
With that, the two began the walk back through the forest, the three Dratini trailing behind, their scales shimmering in the shafts of moonlight. As they made their way back, Giovanni couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the young boy at his side.
"Someday I am going to be a champion!" Lance said enthusiastically.
"I wish you all the best." Giovanni said with a soft smile.
"What about you? What do you want to be?"
Giovanni chuckled "I have no idea kid. I have no idea."