Viridian City... also known simply as Viridian City. "Viridian" refers to an everlasting emerald green, and it is a city located in the western part of the Kanto region.
The vast Viridian Forest above, the largest primeval forest in Kanto, stretches across Viridian City and Pewter City. Its greatest draw is the variety of resources hidden deep within—beyond the illegal profits from poaching Pokémon or eggs, the excellent medicinal herbs alone are enough to make anyone envious, not to mention the rare natural treasures that can dramatically boost a Pokémon's strength.
But rewards and risks are usually proportional. The dense canopy forms a natural maze where many have lost their way forever. Combined with other dangers, the number of missing persons each year is far from small—yet none of that stops people's deep fascination with this land.
Early morning light mist hung in the air like a veil, shrouding the earth in mystery. The sun had just risen, its soft golden rays piercing the fog and spilling onto the platform of Viridian City station.
"Next stop, Viridian City. Passengers, please take all your personal belongings with you."
"Next stop, Viridian City. Passengers, please take all your personal belongings with you."
Amid the elderly bus conductor's repeated calls, Alex Drake opened his bleary eyes with a helpless sigh. No legendary truck accidents or dramatic events had occurred, but the constant bumps along the road had been exhausting—his brain felt like it had been shaken smooth.
Walking along the forest road cleared and maintained by the League, the area was sparsely populated, and the gentle breeze lifted Alex's mood.
Since the League periodically sent teams to clear out aggressive Pokémon within several kilometers of the road to ensure safe passage, there was basically no need to worry about immediate danger.
An hour later... "This should be the spot," Alex thought, stopping near a clear river. He pulled a single-person tent from his travel backpack and began setting it up, then placed alarm bells around the perimeter and sprayed a circle of Repel nearby.
With those tasks done, Alex took out cookware and ingredients to prepare lunch. As someone from a culture that values good food, he had decent cooking skills—not gourmet level, but certainly edible.
"Char~"
Before Alex could release Charmander from its Poké Ball, the ball shook a few times on its own, and Charmander popped out voluntarily.
The little guy stretched, then looked up at Alex with big, watery eyes.
"Alright, alright—I'll start lunch right away. You go gather some firewood, and remember to boil some water while you're at it." Alex patted Charmander's smooth head; the touch felt surprisingly nice.
Before long, Charmander returned with an armful of branches. Alex arranged eight logs in a star shape, had Charmander use Ember to ignite the center, then gradually pushed the logs inward as they burned. In no time, a neat star-shaped campfire was ready.
Alex pulled out a cutting board and knife. With quick, practiced strokes, he sliced bacon, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. He seared the bacon first, added water, then tossed in the vegetables to stew. A bit of red sausage went in next, followed by seasoning. Soon, a hearty Pokémon-friendly red sausage thick soup was bubbling away. He paired it with sandwiches bought in town, and lunch was ready.
Charmander's eyes lit up. His nose twitched at the tempting aroma. Unable to wait, he snatched a sandwich, tossed it into his mouth, and began chewing happily. Paired with a bowl of hot soup, the flavors exploded perfectly. Charmander's chewing speed increased—he practically wolfed it down.
After finishing, he let out a satisfied burp.
Looking at Charmander's content expression, Alex thought to himself, *Not bad at all.*
After the meal, Alex led Charmander to a relatively open clearing near the campsite.
Seeing Charmander sprawled on his back, limbs in the air, claws rubbing his round belly, the smile on Alex's face slowly faded. He called Charmander over and adopted a serious expression.
"Charmander, we're about to start our formal training. You know strength is the foundation of our survival."
Hearing the shift in tone, Charmander's playful demeanor turned determined.
Alex looked him in the eye and spoke solemnly. "Training will be tiring and hard. You might even feel like giving up. But I'll train right alongside you. So you have to take it seriously, okay?"
Charmander nodded without hesitation.
"Good. Then let's begin today's session. Combat ultimately comes down to four things: physical fitness, moves, combat awareness, and mindset. Building a solid foundation first is never wrong. See that tree over there? We're doing shuttle runs. The basic goal is thirty laps. Come here—put this on your back. I'll stay with you the whole time!"
With that, Alex took out the second-hand Pokémon weights he'd bought in town and strapped them onto Charmander.
After all, the body is like a container—the amount of energy it can hold depends on its physical foundation. Only by strengthening the base can further growth happen.
Running improves overall fitness, and the weights build strength.
Thirty laps, with fifty meters between the start and turnaround point, meant three thousand meters total.
At Alex's command, they both dashed forward.
At first, Charmander was full of energy, but after ten laps, regret began to creep in.
By the fifteenth lap, his pace had noticeably slowed.
Not just Charmander—Alex's speed dropped too. Sweat beaded on his forehead and the tip of his nose.
Alex's stamina had always been average. Before coming to this world, he'd been an ordinary office worker with little exercise. Running this far was already impressive.
Perhaps influenced by the Pokémon world, Alex felt his constitution was slightly better than before, but nothing absurd.
Seeing Alex pushing through the pain, Charmander gritted his teeth and kept going.
After twenty-five laps, both human and Pokémon were nearing their limits.
Still, this was their first real training session. Giving up now would ruin the entire effort.
"Per… persevere. Hold on. This is just the beginning. If we quit now, everything we've done is wasted. We… we promised to see the peak of the world together one day."
Alex panted heavily, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. Even if he felt like he was suffocating from exhaustion, as a Trainer, he had to set the example during their first session.
"Char~"
Charmander let out a determined cry, as if cheering himself on—and encouraging Alex too.
Finally, thirty laps were complete.
Alex gasped for air, legs trembling. He braced his hands on his knees just to stay upright. His chest heaved violently, as if trying to inhale every last bit of oxygen. Sweat streamed down his face, dripping onto the ground in small puddles.
Charmander's steps were unsteady; his body swayed as if he might collapse any second. He wobbled over to Alex, originally intending to flop down, but he bit his lip and forced himself to stand tall.
The little guy had more willpower than expected—he was clearly at his absolute limit.
Gradually, their breathing steadied. Warmth spread through their bodies, like an inner fire had been kindled.
Thirty minutes later, both had mostly recovered. Alex quietly took out a notebook to record Charmander's performance data for future planning.
"Rested enough? Charmander, first show me every move you know—and try any you think you might have."
Without hesitation, Charmander executed Scratch, Growl, Ember, and Smokescreen fluently. Just when Alex thought that was all, light flickered in Charmander's mouth. Moments later, a blue beam shot out and struck a distant rock. To Alex's stunned eyes, the rock shattered into pieces.
"Holy cow, Charmander! If I'm not mistaken, that was Dragon Breath! You even know that? Not bad, kid!" Alex praised him repeatedly.
"Char~" Charmander patted his chest proudly with a small claw.
"Don't get cocky yet. The real work starts now. Next, we'll test the power, speed, range, and consecutive usage of each move. You're going to be wiped out." Alex led Charmander to a flat plain.
After the tests, Charmander collapsed in exhaustion—it had taken a serious toll.
"Come on, let's head back to camp." After a short rest, Alex gathered his notes, walked over, squatted down, and spoke to Charmander.
"Char~" Suddenly energized, Charmander made a running leap and landed squarely on Alex's back.
"Hey! You're full of energy now? That exhausted act earlier… you weren't faking it just to mess with me, were you?"
"Char~"
The setting sun's afterglow draped the earth like golden threads. In that brilliant light, Alex carried Charmander on his back, walking slowly forward. His steps were firm and steady, as if bearing the weight of the world. In the sunset, his silhouette looked exceptionally tall.
Charmander rested quietly, finding endless peace in that warmth.
The golden light outlined a warm, beautiful scene. Their figures grew smaller in the glow, walking toward an unknown yet promising future.
The sun set in the west, and the full moon rose high.
At camp, Alex's fingers gently pressed and kneaded Charmander's body. He had no formal Pokémon massage experience—he just wanted to ease the little guy's fatigue as much as possible.
"Charmander, this is only the beginning. You have to keep pushing. This world is even more wonderful than we imagined."
"Char~"
After such an intense afternoon, Charmander had no energy left to play and fell asleep early.
Once Charmander was out, Alex reviewed the training data, constantly refining tomorrow's plan. Finally, he checked the alarm bells, set the notes aside, and collapsed into sleep.
(End of Chapter 5)