A Journey | Book 1 [Completed]

Chapter II | Viridian Forest

Atlas' POV

     We began to venture through the dark woods as night slowly fell upon us. It'd be dark soon, so we decided to get through as fast as possible. Unfortunately, we were lost.

     "Great, just great," Ace complained, kicking the ground. "Quit your whining, you klutz. You were the one who told us to turn right," Inferno scolded him. "How did I know?! I blame Atlas!" Ace pointed.

     I was confused by this. "Me? Why me?" I ask. "I wasn't doing anything!" "Exactly!" Ace answered. "You should've told me that right was a bad idea!" "You wouldn't have listened to me anyway!" I yell.

     "Hey, you two, shut up," Inferno demands. Me and Ace turn to him in unison. "NO!" We bellow. "Okay, let's just let night get here," he shrugs, sitting on a stump.

     Suddenly, I remember that it was becoming late and we'd been wasting time. "Alright, let's hurry," I order, starting to walk. Inferno catches up with me and begins talking.

     "I wonder...what would happen if we were attacked by wild Pokémon which were stronger than ours?" He asks. I assume he brought that up just to scare me.

     I shake my head, blowing the question off. "We'd run, that's what," I reply. He looked serious now, as if he were really worried. "What if they were faster?" He questions.

     That one put me on the spot. The fact neither had ever battled before means we were technically defenceless. On top of that, it's very possible we could be unable to outrun certain Pokémon.

     "Let's just hope that doesn't happen," I sigh. Instantly, just like magic, a Pokémon leaps out from the trees. It doesn't look too dangerous, but you can never judge a book by its cover.

     Even with that being said, the thing doesn't look dangerous even a bit. I held up my Pokédex and let its magic. "Weedle, the hairy bug Pokémon," the Pokédex began.

     "Often found in forests, eating leaves. It has a sharp venomous stinger on its head."   

     I quickly flung a pokéball at the Weedle. Seconds later, the pokéball stopped moving and I went to pick it up. It was my first Pokémon, a tiny worm that was probably useless.

     I tossed its pokéball in the air to send it out. "Name it Dank Memes!" Ace exclaimed. I rolled my eyes and turn to the insect. I wonder what kind of moves it has, I thought to myself.

     "Weedle, use tackle!" I order, pointing at Ace. It rammed into his legs, but didn't really knock him back. "Rude," he mumbled. We continued onto Pewter City.

     After taking a left, we soon found a clearing. There was a small wooden house amongst the lush green trees. It looked empty, but not abandoned. The grass seemed greener in the area.

     Suddenly, a Pokémon jumped out from the trees. It looked like some kind of worm. It was green and looked like some kind of bug. I pulled out my Pokédex and held it out towards the creature.

     "Caterpie, the worm Pokémon. Caterpie has a voracious appetite. It can devour leaves bigger than its body right before your eyes. From its antenna, this Pokémon releases a terrifically strong odor."

     I had already caught a bug type, and neither Ace nor Inferno seemed interested. I instructed Caterpie to move forward. "Weedle, use string shot," I demand.

     The small bug shot a thread towards the Caterpie, slowing it down. The opposing Pokémon tried to tackle Weedle, but it dodged the attack.

     "Alright, use tackle!" I called. Weedle rammed the Caterpie and sent it hurtling backwards. "This is so exciting," Inferno mumbled sarcastically. "Indeed. I wonder who will win!" Ace replied.

     I simply rolled my eyes and turned back to the fight. "Let's go, one more time, use tackle," I command. With one last move, the Weedle became unable to battle. Weedle flashed a lime green color.

     This triggered a flashback of when Ace, Inferno and I were younger. "Mom? When I grow up I wanna be a Pokémon trainer," I had said to her. "Well that's very nice dear, but you have to know a lot about Pokémon to do that," She replied.

     I remember her smiling. The look she gave me was filled with hope and joy. If only she was still here, I thought to myself. She'd be so proud. I remember her telling me that when a Pokémon glows a bright green color, it gained experience which made them stronger. When they gained enough experience, they could level up.

     But, that can't happen now, I convinced myself. She's gone, but...maybe she's still watching. When the three of us were seven, we'd lost our mother to a fire that had started in the kitchen. It happened three years ago. From there, I had stepped up and taken care of them.

     "Something the matter?" Ace asked, waving his hand in my face. I shook my head and quickly responded. "Nothing, just memories," I muttered. He shrugged and took off after Inferno, who'd gotten ahead.

     I had caught up with them soon enough. Inferno halted to a stop, then turned back to us. "Are we there yet?" He asked with a stupid grin. Obviously he was trying to pester me again.

     The moon was now in the sky, our only source of light. Scanning the surroundings, I notice something lurking in the shadows. I figured it was just another Pokémon.

     Eventually the forest came to an end, after many turns. Not only did my legs hurt, but so did my ears. Inferno had been complaining that his legs were sore the whole way to Pewter City.

     We decided to spend the night in the Pokémon Center. I sat down on a waiting chair while Nurse Joy healed our Pokémon.

     Inferno insisted that Nurse Joy healed his broken leg. Note the sarcasm, thank you. Ace was trying to get some rest, but kept rolling around on the bench.

     "You realize there are beds here, right?" I question Ace from across the room. He looked up at me with a groggy expression. "Where?" He hastily asked me back. I knew he was tired, but it looked like he hadn't slept in days.

     I point a slow finger towards a room which had about eight beds laying side-by-side, each one empty. He turned his head and rushed towards one near the window.

     I smiled, happy to know my siblings were still safe and alive up to this day. Soon Nurse Joy came walking out of the room she'd been in. "Weedle wasn't hurt, just tired," she told me. "He'll be fine by morning."

     I nodded to her then took the Pokéball from a pink Pokémon. It had an egg on its belly and was wearing a nurse hat. I held my Pokédex up to it.

     "Chansey, the egg Pokémon," the Pokédex spoke. Chansey is a rare and elusive Pokémon said to bring happiness to those who get it." I close my Pokédex and put it in my pocket.

     "Thank you," I smiled. Nurse Joy walked out of the room as Chansey followed her. I went to lay on a nearby bench inside the building.

     I attempted to sleep, but had no luck for what seemed to be hours. Eventually, I drifted off into my dreams, allowing my body to rest from the long day we had.