I had Chansey heal up Spearow with her Heal Pulse before we got a move on. My muscles were restored and no longer fatigued, and carrying my heavy bag even felt a little bit easier after it with my recovery. I let Chansey return to her pokeball, her stubby little legs didn't look at all good for long distances treks, though I kept Spearow out of his ball, carrying him on the opposing shoulder from Pidgey.

As I made my way from the city to the forest, they seemed to be in an intense discussion. They squawked loudly and lifted their wings to make gestured quite frequently and it was times like these I wished I had taken the chance to capture Meowth last night instead of letting him get locked up with the other two stooges, he would be a great help as a translator.

Maybe I can catch that Slowking from the Orange Islands? He'd be way more useful.

It took a good half an hour to leave the city behind and reach the entrance of the forest, and I had to admit, the place wasn't too shabby.

Tall luscious trees, grass that wasn't too long, full open clearing paths through the forest. I could definitely see the touch of man in this place. But at the same time, the busy sounds of the city were left behind and replaced by the sounds of nature. Wind rustling through the grass and trees, the running of streams in the distance, and of course, the cacophony of different sounds made by pokemon.

I could discern the chirps of many a Pidgey as I trekked through the forest. But most I couldn't recognize because the many sounds clashed together so often it was hard to tell one from another other.

"So my plan for Brock is simple," I said, having just explained my goal to Pidgey and Spearow, we'd been in the forest for a good two hours at this point. We'd seen a bunch of Pidgey and one Weedle in a tree, but I'd rather grab one of the many Beedrill I know are here, "He's a rock type user. And I know how to teach you guys Steel Wing I think. On top of that, I can have Poliwhirl teach you both how to use Rain Dance which will passively damage rock and ground pokemon as long as they're under it." I'm wondering if I should use these two? They're both weak to rock types, so if I manage to beat Brock with them, surely that would increase the amount of prize money I'd get, right?

Here's hoping.

"Pri pri." Pidgey nodded in understanding.

Spearow though held his wing up in front of my face, stopping me from moving. "What's wrong mate?" I asked the little bird. He nodded at me before pointing up and miming to be silent with his wing.

I did just that, cutting off my voice completely and listening intently.

..B..z.

.

..

...

..Bzz.

...

...

Bzzzzzzzz!

A buzzing sound coming from the distance, getting closer and closer as the moments ticked by. We kept quiet until it was right on top of us, and at the peak loudness, I caught sight of a yellow blur shooting over the clearing we were in.

"A Beedrill!" I exclaimed. Before I realised what I was doing, I pointed into the air at the bug pokemon, "Spearow, Razor Wind!" I ordered.

Spearow saluted and shot off of my shoulder into the air, his push off almost made me fall and land on my ass, and would have if Pidgey didn't whip a small Gust attack out behind me to propel me forward a little bit with one of his wings.

The Beedrill hadn't noticed us yet and Spearow took ruthless advantage of that fact. His wings began to glow white and he whipped them back and forth rapidly towards the bee pokemon, firing a salvo of wind blades that sliced through the air rapidly. One, two, four, in the span of two seconds easily twelve of them closed in on the Beedrill.

The first two slashed into it before it even knew what happened, halting it mid-air. It buzzed loudly in agitation and swung around to face us, just in time for the next pair to slice into its chest carapace. Followed by another two, and then another four after that.

The dual poison and bug type let loose a buzzing shriek of pain and dropped from the air, dropping fifty feet towards where we were on the ground in a split few moments.

Somehow its wings flickered to life and halted its fall though once it was half way down. "Beeeeeeeedrill!" it hollered angrily, red gem like eyes focusing on me and Pidgey.

Bad idea. "Astonish!"

Beedrill lifted its massive lance like arms and swooped down towards us like a bullet, but its flight course was halted once more.

"ROOOOOOOW!" Spearow's voice was so loud it felt like my brain was rattling in my skull. A circular chorus of sound waves slammed into the Beedrill from the side and tore it from the air once more.

This time, despite attempting to do so at the very last moment, it didn't recover in time to get back into the air, slamming into the ground hard. I noticed though, a golden sheen gleaming off of its body.

"Was that fucking Harden?" I wondered, Pidgey nodding on my shoulder. Jeez, this thing is defo a try hard. It had maybe two seconds to try and recover before it hit the ground and it managed to pull up a defensive ability so quickly.

Beedrill shook its head, stabbing its lances into the grass, puncturing the ground like a hot knife through butter and pushed itself up. It met my eyes with those amazingly vibrant red ones it had and I couldn't stop myself from grinning, "You're all mine Beedrill."

It buzzed its wings at my words and then its eyes began to grow an even darker red. And then a fucking pair of lasers shot from its eyes, each as big as my head in width!

"Holy shit!" I cursed, I was about to throw myself back when Pidgey bounced off of my shoulder and began to rapidly beat his wings, conjuring a massive squall of wind that met the pair of red lasers just as they were about to hit us and blowing them up into the air.

"Drill!" Beedrill buzzed angrily and used its lances to push off the ground and zip towards us, crimson red energy beginning to glow around its arm lances. But it was interrupted again by Spearow before it could reach us.

"Spearow!" the tiny red winged bird smashed face first into the Beedrill's back, beak glowing white and ploughed it into the ground, flaring his wings back and crying out in victoryas it fell limp beneath his attack.

"Good job Spearow!" I made sure to praise him as I grabbed an empty pokeball from my pocket and enlarged it. Walking over, not trusting my accuracy with how my hands were shaking lightly from adrenaline and excitement, I touched the empty red and white sphere to the downed bee pokemon and it clicked open, sucking the pokemon inside it within a beam of red light and shutting with a loud click, the white button in the middle glowing crimson red.

It began to shake. Once, twice, three times, four times, five, six, and finally after the seventh, it let loose a click and the capture was a success.

I picked up the pokeball while grinning, "Let's see what we've got here," I said, pulling out my phone and bringing up the profiles of my captured pokemon. I could just scan it with the pokedex, but I get a bit of a kick out of seeing these pokemon and their icons under my ownership. When I clicked on it, I let loose a whistle, "Damn, Male with the Sniper ability just like Spearow. But look at how many moves this thing has! Poison Sting, String Shot, Harden, Twineedle, Agility, Mega Drain and even frickin' Toxic Spikes. Seven fuckin' attacks, this thing's a beast."

And another contender to take on Brock with. Mega Drain would deal so much damage and Toxic Spikes are the shit man.

"Good job guys." I turned to look at my two bird pokemon and they both puffed up with pride, especially Spearow.

It was already nearing four in the afternoon after I caught Beedrill. And considering I've not set up a tent in years, it would probably take me a while to get it done and dusted, make a camp fire and get food ready for my pokemon. Not to mention I'll need to deal with Beedrill myself for now and get him fixed up by Chansey.

With that in mind, I sent Pidgey and Spearow off to find me a good clearing to set up camp in. and just to be safe, I released Poliwhirl from his pokeball to act as my bodyguard in case anything attacked.

Poliwhirl was quite the jolly fellow, all to happy to listen to any orders I had. And while we were waiting, he dropped down and started doing push ups to pass the time. Guess I've got a good idea what he wants to evolve into then. Well, Poliwrath is way better than Politoad anyway.

"We'd be better working on your punching technique right now," I said, setting my bag down and watching my pokemon rise up and down with ease, "Doing push ups will be better when I have Chansey out, with her I can get her to use Gravity on you to make it harder on you and give you a better work out." plus have her heal him and get him constant gains like I was planning on doing.

"Po?" Poliwhirl pushed himself up and looked at me curiosity with his big black eyes, tilting his torso a bit to the side, miming a straight punch.

"Yeah, you don't punch right body, a straight punch like that without putting your body into it will bleed off a lot of the strength behind it and leave you open to a counter hit," I explained to him, "Instead, if you're going for a simple punch while using your Mega Punch, you should go about it like this." I raised both my arms up in a standard boxing guard at the ready in front of my face then stepped forward, showing him in slow motion how I pulled my fist back and pivoted slightly with my back foot for leverage and threw a jab out that had just the tiniest little twist of my wrist to add an extra little momentum.

"Poli!" Poliwhirl began to clap excitedly.

I chuckled, "Did you get that?" I asked him, and he nodded. "Right then, just copy what I do and I'll show you some standard punching and blocking techniques for in close right?" It's been years since I actively trained in kickboxing and with my goldfish memory, I've forgotten a ton of the how and why, but the basic building blocks of jabs, uppercuts and blocks were something I probably wouldn't ever forget, it's something every male kid just starting school was pretty much taught by male relatives, a bit of a tradition, at least where I grew up.

Poliwhirl was quick to follow my instructions and copy me, and I made a note to try and work on his flexibility a bit. He was powerful, but a bit clumsy and rather rigid. We went through some basic drills for maybe five minutes before Spearow and Pidgey returned, my first bird landing on my shoulder first and outright beginning to excitedly whack my head with his wing?

"Pidg pidg pidg!" he chanted, cuffing and pulling at my air and directing me around.

"Fuck! Alright, calm down!" I rose my hand and blocked his next whack, "Did you find something then?"

"Row!" Spearow nodded from my other show, pointing off further into the forest.

"Right let's go then boys!" I shouted, bending down and heaving my backpack up onto my back again and..well not running, but power walking towards where the my two shoulder birds directed me. I can't run with this heavy as thing on my back.

..Yet.

"Poli!" Poliwhirl cheered and jogged alongside me.

Pidgey and Spearow directed me through the forest for a good hundred feet, off the beaten path laid out by human hand and deeper into untamed nature. It was quite a pain to get through all the foliage, bushes and tree branches that snagged on me as I went though, especially with my heavy as fuck bag. I even almost tripped over one rock that I didn't see and was oh so glad I was wearing heavy boots, otherwise I probably would have stubbed my toe.

And fuck that noise, I'll defos avoid that if I can. Did it not long ago and broke a few of my fucking toes. It wasn't the most painful thing out there, but for the split minute after, it was fucking agony, way worse than when I broke my arm or any of my other larger bones.

Thankfully, liberal use of Spearow's Razor Wind cut through most of what was a problem. Still, I'll have to get my hands on a machete or something to cut my way through this shit myself next time I'm in a town or city.

It didn't take very long to reach where I was directed by my two pokemon and I squeezed through some trees to find myself standing in a decently large clearing, filled with long untamed grass, surrounded by a large cluster of trees that nearly blotted the sky out because of the amount of branches and abundance of leaves criss crossing all over above us. The main attraction of the clearing though, had to be the decently large pond that stretched out at the other end of the clearing.

It clearly wasn't natural. Probably done by some pokemon or something, maybe a water type that knew dig.

And of course, who could forget about the pokemon? My eyes swerved through the clearing, noting dozens of Pidgey roosting on branches all around me. My eyes were more focused on the three other denizens of the area though.

A Bellsprout and an Oddish frolicked through the glass towards me, and behind them, hanging on the side of tree was a large and narrow green shape, it was pretty damn big actually. It had to be nearly four feet long from my estimates, but that couldn't be right. Are Metapod really that big?

"Oddish!" the small blue form of Oddish ran over to me and stopped at my feet, "Od!" it looked up into my eyes with its own cute little red gem-like eyes and waved its grassy head to me in greeting.

"Well hiya there," I chuckled, squatting down and patting it on the head, "You're a friendly little thing aren't you?" I expected its body to feel maybe slimy, or like dirt texture wise, but its grass head felt like actual grass and its blue little body was warm and a bit fuzzy to the touch.

"Sprout!" the Beellsprout nodded right behind it before smiling up at me somehow through its weirdly round and disjointed mouth and waving a leafy arm at me, "Bell!" then walked over and butted its head against my leg gently.

Alright, I'm not an idiot. This is just like with dogs that get jealous over attention you pay one over the other. I reached out with my other hand and rubbed its yellow bell-like head. And again I was surprised, I always assumed ones head would feel like a flower head, but no, it was actually quite rigid, not really hard, but solid, with a bit of a bouncy texture at the crown.

I pet the two pokemon for a few more moments before lifting them up into my arms. Thankfully they didn't panic, and practically rubbed into me. Very affectionate pokemon. "Hey guys, you wanna come and be my pokemon?" I asked. I was only planning on getting a Bellsprout, but I wouldn't say no to an Oddish either. It's a fucking pokemon! I want all I can get my hands on.

Plus, multiple of each type will be great for making plans for taking on gyms and the pokemon league, especially the Indigo League with their variety of type set battlefields.

They both looked up at me in curiosity and I nudged my head towards the two birds on my shoulders and Poliwhirl standing diligently behind me, "These guys are my pokemon, they travel all over with me and help me win battles while I train them to get stronger and help them evolve and the like," I explained, "You two wanna tag along? I don't have any grass type pokemon, and you'd both be a big help to have on hand."

They were silent for a few moments before Bellsprout raised its leafy arm and pat me on the face, "Sprout!" he nodded its head, and Oddish chirped in after him, rubbing its face against my chest happily.

"Fantastic." I smiled. I set them down and reached into my pocket while they stared up at me and pulled out a pair of shrunken pokeballs that I enlarged and crouched down again, one in each hand, "Now this might be a little tingly, but don't be scared. You'll be transferred over to Nurse Joy where my pokemon stay alright? She has a really nice place with lots of good food for you guys. I'll bring you over once I reach Pewter City okay?" I explained to them, and before they could say anything else, the excitement go the better of me again and I tapped both pokeballs to both of the grass types heads.

A second later, the balls clicked open and sucked them both inside before clicking shut again and beginning to wobble in my hands. Thankfully, they didn't take long before letting loose a pair of clicks. Though the red glow didn't fade from them. Instead, I gave a shout of fright when they glowed white and blipped out of existence. "Shit that nearly gave me a heart attack!" I cursed, "I wasn't expecting it to be so sudden." Pidgey palmed his face with his wing on my shoulder while Spearow sniggered at me.

"Whirl." Poliwhirl stepped forward and pat me on the back consolingly.

The rest of the pokemon in the clearing were looking at me and my three in interest after the byplay I had with Oddish and Bellsprout. No doubt they're wondering if I'm going to try and get one of them.

Spoiler, I am. But I don't need another Pidgey, the one I have right now is good enough for me. Well, I wouldn't mind a whole flock under my command, but I don't have the pokeballs to go for it, so I have to be picky right now.

Reaching down to my belt, I plucked two of the pokeballs from it and brought out Chansey and Rattata. It was a built designed to hold pokeballs that I picked up earlier when clothes shopping. Just like the one I remembered Ash always using. Interestingly enough, it had a type of magnetism within it that polarised with the components of pokeballs. Nifty stuff.

Chansey greeted me warmly while Rattata ran over and rubbed up against my leg happily, "Hiya guys," I greeted them, before squatting down to unload my heavy backpack, I sighed in relief as I did, ignoring the massive thud it made as it hit the grass covered ground. My hands went to my shoulders and I began to rub the ache out of them. "Can I get a little hand Chansey?" I asked.

"Chans!" she nodded and like earlier, lifted her hands and conjured that glowing pink aura that suffused my body. I almost sank to the ground like a noodle as a familiar pleasant warmness rushed through me and my tired and aching muscles mended under the power of her Heal Pulse. Jesus, but that is one overpowered ability.

"Thanks sweetness," I pat her on the head then addressed all of my pokemon, "Spearow, Pidgey and Rattata can you clear out most of the tall grass with your attacks for me so I can get camp set up?"

"Rata!" the purple rodent at my feet happily nodded, turning around with his long sharp tooth glowing white and tearing into the love grass, while the two birds on my shoulders vacated their perches and reluctantly followed Rattata's lead.

"Chansey, can you unpack the stuff for camping from my backpack?" I asked my designated team healer. She nodded happily and waddled passed me to lift up the bag with an ease that made me incredibly jealous and moved over to one spot of the grass that had already been sheared away by Rattata.

With that taken care of, I turned to Poliwhirl last, "Hey, can you do me a favour buddy?" I asked the water type. He nodded without preamble and I pointed at the pond to the other side of the clearing, "Can you go check out if there are any pokemon living in that pond and if there are any who wouldn't mind me catching them? Feel free to tell them that when not with me, they'll be able to stay in a massive stream at the Pokemon Centre and won't have to worry about food at all."

"Poli!" he nodded, lifting his gloved white hand up and saluting me. He turned on his heel and made his way over to the pond before diving in with a large splash.

Now I just needed to wait for him to get back. And in the mean time. I turned to the Metapod hanging stationary on the side of the tree as it had been just moments ago, it hadn't moved at all. The second I looked at it though, its beady black eyes met my eyes and stared right back.

"Hiya!" I greeted it, walking over. It stayed silent. That was fine really, because I wanted to admire this thing a bit. Because Jesus fuck was it massive. Now that I'm up close and personal, I can see just how big it is. Four feet or so in length, and as thick as four of my legs stuck together, side by side. What a fucking beast. "Just chilling, waiting to evolve?" I asked.

This time it nodded. Seems like quite the quiet fellow. "So, since you were watching you probably saw me catch Bellsprout and Oddish," I said, and again, the bug type pokemon nodded. "I'm not gonna beat around the bush. I want a Butterfree, they're great pokemon. And you're the best looking Metapod I've ever seen. I'd love if it you let me capture you." admittedly this one is the only Metapod I've ever seen, but still.

It stared at me. I stared back. It continued to stare at me, and I continued to stare back. The silence, only broken by the general hubbub of my other pokemon getting shit done a few metres away was a bit uncomfortable, but I geld its gaze.

Finally, after what felt like ten minutes, but was probably closer to two, it slowly nodded once again, "..Pod.." it rumbled, a deep, scratchy sound that reverberated.

"Great, cheers mate." I grinned, pulling out another empty pokeball and tapping it to the stationary bug type. Just like Bellsprout and Oddish before it, it clicked moments later to signify a successful capture and then the ball blipped out of existence in a glow of white energy as it was teleported to Viridian City Pokemon Centre.

..And this time I didn't nearly shit myself like a little pansy. Progress!

"Let's see what I'm working with." I mused, pulling my phone out and tapping on the icons of my three new pokemon. Both Bellsprout and Metapod are males, while Oddish is female, good to know. They have pretty standard abilities, both the grass and poison types have Chlorophyll and Metapod has Shed Skin. both Oddish and Bellsprout had some really good moves like the status powders and Razor Leaf, but Metapod took the motherfucking cake, munched it down, shit it out and then hung up a sign on it saying, 'Metapod's bitch.'

That was how good a fucking move set it had. Tackle, String Shot, Harden, Stun Spore, Electroweb, Headbutt, Sharpen and fucking Rollout. I didn't even know Metapod could get half this shit.

"For fucks sake!" I shook my head, gaping down a bit at my phone in shock. My luck is fucking insane. I mean, I know pokemon are fricking everywhere here, you can't even walk down the street of a town without seeing dozens of pidgey, pidgeotto, Murkrow, Spearow, Wingull and shit. And I had seen them on my way out of Viridian and wish I'd thought to catch one of the Murkrow while I had the chance. But still, talk about an amazing find.

..Actually fuck, I forgot to head back to Route 1 to grab a Sandshrew and Mankey. Shit.

Oh well, I'll just have to grab a few next time I see them.