After a few twists and turns, Hayato finally arrived in Viridian City.
Also known as the Evergreen City, Viridian City lies in the western part of the Kanto Region. It boasts a Trainer School, where people can learn all sorts of Pokémon knowledge—status conditions, for example. There's also a Pokémon Gym here, though it's currently under repair due to an accident.
"Not that I could win a Gym battle anyway! Oddish, Sandshrew—just you wait!"
By the time the sun had set, Hayato had no intention of spending a night in Viridian Forest. He booked a room in an inn, took a hot bath, and went to bed early, planning to explore the forest first thing in the morning.
The next day, the sun was bright, the air crisp and cool. Hayato searched through the forest, looking for any sign of Oddish or Sandshrew.
Both Pokémon were fairly common—Sandshrew tended to dwell near rocky hills or mountains, while Oddish preferred lush grassy areas.
Between the two, Oddish was the easier catch. Still, he'd have to be careful—if he got hit by Sleep Powder, he'd be out for a while. That would be a real pain.
After some thought, Hayato decided to target Oddish first.
Viridian Forest was brimming with life—birds sang, streams murmured, and the whole place radiated a refreshing natural energy.
Then, all at once, Hayato stopped walking.
"Is that a Rattata? What a cute little thing. Should I catch it too?"
Just then, the nearby grass rustled, and another Pokémon emerged.
Its round blue body was topped with five green leaves, tiny blue feet padding lightly on the ground. There was no mistaking it—it was Oddish!
[Oddish, the Weed Pokémon. If you try to pull it from the ground thinking it's a plant, it will shriek loudly, startling you.]
Grass and Poison type—naturally, Psyduck's Confusion would be the perfect counter.
"Psyduck, you're up! Use Confusion on that Oddish!"
Hayato wasn't entirely confident. He almost regretted not fusing that scatterbrained duck already. Still, he didn't dare go after Oddish barehanded—not with its Sleep Powder around.
Unfortunately, Psyduck's eyes suddenly lit up—not at Oddish, but at Rattata. With a lovestruck "Psy~duck!", he waddled off after it.
"Psy~ psy~!"
The startled Rattata bolted immediately, and of course, the clumsy Psyduck couldn't possibly keep up.
"Psyy… psyyy…"
When the Rattata disappeared, Psyduck threw himself to the ground and began to roll around crying.
Oddish, watching nearby, froze in confusion for a moment—then quietly tiptoed away.
Hayato could only clutch his forehead in despair. "Why… why do I have to deal with this idiot? My IQ is dropping just by looking at him!"
Then a spark of inspiration struck him. "Psyduck! If you defeat that Oddish, I'll help you find that Rattata again!"
At once, Psyduck perked up. "Psy! Psy!"
A Confusion beam shot straight at Oddish. Its eyes went blank, and it collapsed instantly.
"Wait, that actually worked? I'll never understand ducks… Go! Poké Ball!"
Everything went smoothly—Hayato successfully captured Oddish.
According to his map, there was a mine nearby—a perfect habitat for Sandshrew.
Hayato gazed up at the blazing sun, his thoughts heavy. "Not one of my Pokémon can win a real battle… Challenging a Gym is nothing but a dream. This can't go on. Hopefully, my next fusion won't disappoint me."
By probability, getting a Pokémon with a base stat total over 500 wasn't too rare. Of course, it all came down to luck. If only I could get a Tyranitar—Crunch, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Fire Punch… unbeatable coverage!
The abandoned mine lay ahead, its entrance dark and foreboding. Hayato hesitated.
"I mean, I have a flashlight, but this is seriously creepy! Reality check—I'm not an anime protagonist. If something in there uses Earthquake, I'll be buried alive!"
Caves like this typically housed Zubat, Geodude, Onix, Sandshrew, or Diglett. Except for Onix, most were relatively common—but Sandshrew was a must-catch. Hayato had no real choice.
Suddenly, a small tan figure scurried out from a pile of rocks—a Sandshrew! After sniffing around, it darted into the forest.
"Well, well—no need to search high and low! The prey comes to me!"
Hayato dashed after it, tossing Psyduck's Poké Ball. Against a Ground-type Pokémon, a Water-type like Psyduck was perfect. One Water Gun should do the trick.
"Psyduck, Water Gun! That Sandshrew stole your Rattata girlfriend!"
He expected Psyduck to fight fiercely, but the duck instead turned and ran the other way—eyes sparkling at a Bellsprout swaying nearby. Apparently, his "love" for Rattata had already faded.
"You hopeless romantic idiot duck! Turn around and attack the Sandshrew!"
Psyduck ignored him completely. By the time Hayato looked back, Sandshrew had already burrowed underground.
Fuming, Hayato marched over and bonked Psyduck on the head. "Get it together! One more stunt like that and I'm releasing you!"
Psyduck began to cry pitifully. Hayato thought it was remorse—until the duck suddenly bowed three times, then ran off after the Bellsprout, tears of joy streaming down his face.
"What the—what even just happened?"
Just as expected, the Bellsprout wanted nothing to do with Psyduck. It fired a Bullet Seed, sending the duck flying sky-high.
Hayato raised his hand like a referee. "Psyduck is unable to battle! The winner is Bellsprout!"
After recalling Psyduck to his Poké Ball, Hayato eyed the Bellsprout thoughtfully. Grass beats Ground—using it to catch Sandshrew would be the smart move.
"Hey there, little guy. Want to come with me? I'll buy you some candy."
Bellsprout tilted its head for a moment, then happily followed him. Just like that, Hayato caught it without any effort.
"No way… am I actually getting lucky for once?"
With Bellsprout by his side, Hayato felt much bolder. At least this one was more reliable than Psyduck. To find Sandshrew, he ventured into the cave.
The cavern stretched deep into darkness. The flashlight's beam barely pierced a fraction of the gloom, and every echo made Hayato's nerves tighten.
A pebble clattered to the ground—loud as thunder in the silence. Hayato nearly jumped out of his skin, shining his light toward the sound. Hanging upside down from the ceiling was a Zubat, which immediately lunged at him.
[Zubat, the Bat Pokémon. It hides in dark places during the day because sunlight can burn its delicate skin.]
"Seriously? Just a Zubat? I could punt you to the moon!"
After shooing it away, Hayato spotted a yellow shape deeper in the tunnel. His heart leapt.
"Haha! Sandshrew—finally! Bellsprout, use Vine Whip to bind it, then finish with Bullet Seed!"
Bellsprout didn't disappoint. The combo landed perfectly, and Sandshrew collapsed on the spot.
"Go, Poké Ball!"
Whoosh—click!
Got it! Task complete!
Hayato wasted no time leaving that creepy cave behind.
(End of Chapter)