The canopy of Viridian Forest loomed like a living ceiling above them, thick with mossy branches and tangled vines. Sunlight barely pierced through, casting the trail ahead in mottled greens and shadow. The air smelled of damp leaves and wildflowers, and every step stirred the forest floor into soft crunches and earthy scents.
Skylar took the first step into the path, his eyes scanning the overgrown trail with sharp, steady focus. The Gyarados egg was secured safely in a padded sling across his back. Beside him, Misty followed with confident strides, one hand resting on the Poké Ball that held her Starmie. Charmander walked ahead with excited chirps, his tail flame glowing brighter in the cool shade, while Gardevoir floated gracefully behind Skylar, eyes half-closed in alert meditation.
—"Did you know Viridian Forest was once the natural link between all of early Kanto?" Skylar said, stepping over a thick root. "Even before the League was founded, Trainers used this forest to reach the mountain towns."
Misty raised an eyebrow and swatted away a low-hanging spiderweb with a stick.
—"Great. History and bug bites. What a deal."
Skylar chuckled. Her sarcastic realism was oddly grounding—and he appreciated that.
They walked in silence for a while, surrounded by the constant buzz of bugs and the soft flapping of wings high above. At times, the light dimmed so much they needed Charmander to walk ahead for illumination. But the trail, though wild, remained clear enough to follow.
Until something shifted.
A bush to their left rustled.
Then stilled.
A Kakuna slowly descended from a branch on a thread of silk. It hung silently, unmoving.
But above them, the buzzing grew louder.
Misty's voice dropped to a whisper. "Skylar…"
A shrill cry rang out—and a Beedrill shot down from the treetops in a blur of wings and steel-like stingers.
—"Scatter!" Skylar shouted.
They dove to opposite sides as the Beedrill slammed into the forest floor with a force that cracked bark.
—"Gardevoir, Confusion! Knock it off-course!"
A ripple of psychic energy blasted through the air, sending the Beedrill spiraling into a tree, dazed—but not down.
—"Charmander, Ember, now!"
A spiral of flames shot forward, catching the Kakuna mid-air just as it began to glow—evolving.
Misty's eyes widened. "It's becoming another Beedrill!"
Skylar gritted his teeth. "Not if I stop it. Gardevoir—Disarming Voice!"
The gentle psychic cry hit the Kakuna mid-glow, interrupting its evolution and knocking it out cold.
Meanwhile, Misty had released Starmie, who flashed forward in a blur of motion.
—"Water Pulse, now!"
Starmie spun violently, generating a powerful sphere of water that exploded against the Beedrill, forcing it to crash into a tree trunk with a thud before it darted off into the canopy—beaten and unwilling to press its luck.
The clearing was quiet again, except for their heavy breathing.
Skylar glanced at Misty. "That was… intense."
She knelt beside Starmie to check on her partner. "Yeah. Not like Gym battles. These fights don't wait for introductions."
Skylar nodded. "No referees out here."
Misty wiped her forehead. "Just nature. And the occasional venomous hornet."
They looked forward. The trail ahead narrowed, darkened by hanging branches and crawling vines.
—"So," she said. "Still want to keep going?"
Skylar smirked. "We came for the adventure, didn't we?"
They pressed on, side by side, Charmander's flame lighting the way and Gardevoir gliding silently behind.
Whatever waited deeper in Viridian Forest—it wouldn't be easy.But that was exactly the point.