Roy carried Misty on his back, moving steadily through the Viridian Forest.
Delia followed by his side, while Eevee trotted ahead to scout the path, ears twitching from time to time as it stayed alert to its surroundings.
"Ro... Roy..." Misty murmured, her face buried in the crook of his neck. "Are you getting tired? Am I... a bit heavy?"
She could feel that Roy's pace was steady and his breathing even, but having a whole person hanging on his back for so long made her feel guilty.
"It's fine," Roy said honestly, intentionally shifting his grip to hoist her up a bit. "You're lighter than I thought. You usually seem so energetic, I didn't expect you to be so thin."
"Right? I have a good figure, don't I?" Misty bragged subconsciously, but soon realized it wasn't the time for that.
She could clearly feel Roy's palms supporting her under her knees and buttocks. That warmth from his palms, through the thin fabric of her shorts, almost felt like it was burning her skin.
Especially when he occasionally adjusted his posture and his fingers accidentally brushed against the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, that feeling... She could only tighten her arms around Roy's neck, pressing herself closer to his broad back, as if that could soothe the inexplicable fluttering in her heart.
Delia saw everything, the smile in her eyes deepening, but she thoughtfully said nothing. She simply kept a closer watch on their surroundings, clearing away any unnecessary "sources of fright."
As he walked, Roy quietly expanded his Aura Power.
Invisible ripples of perception radiated from him as the center, slowly spreading into the surrounding forest.
Within his Aura perception, the forest was filled with life energies of various sizes and strengths.
Most were Bug-type and Flying-type with generally weak energy, but there were a few brighter presences.
He was searching for that special Caterpie from his memories.
Aura Power could not only sense location but also vaguely perceive the "quality" of life energy.
What he was looking for was an energy that stood out among the weak groups—exceptionally resilient, active, and even possessing a hint of spiritual agility.
Along the way, Roy used his Aura to search for that high-potential Caterpie.
Of course, any other wild Pokemon they encountered along the way—unless they actively avoided them or seemed to have decent potential—became experience fodder for Pikachu and Eevee to level up.
Through these battles, Pikachu and Eevee's coordination became increasingly seamless.
After half a day, Pikachu's level had increased significantly.
[Pokémon: Pikachu, Level: lv14→lv17]
As long as they didn't provoke aggressive, swarming groups like Beedrill or Fearow, and avoided individuals with particularly strong energy reactions, the outskirts of Viridian Forest were indeed a good grinding spot for newcomers.
It allowed them to accumulate combat experience while steadily raising their levels.
"Pika~chu!"
With a clean and efficient Thunder Shock, Pikachu knocked out a Rattata that was trying to ambush them.
After the battle, the little fellow wiped away non-existent sweat and looked at Roy as if asking for praise.
"Good job, Pikachu," Roy praised. He stopped and took out special Pokémon food and a few berries from his backpack. "Take a break and recover your strength."
He carefully set Misty down on a large, clean rock.
Misty didn't scream this time, though her legs were still a bit weak when they touched the ground. She sat down close to Roy, warily scanning the surroundings.
Roy crouched down and began feeding Pikachu and Eevee.
Delia also took out a water bottle and handed it to Misty. "Have some water, Misty. You've worked hard this whole way."
"I... I didn't do anything hard. Roy is the one who worked hard..." Misty took the bottle and muttered sheepishly, her eyes stealing glances at Roy's focused profile.
She watched him carefully break the food into small pieces, looking at Pikachu and Eevee with a gentle gaze as they ate happily.
Misty suddenly felt that Roy was quite charming like this.
Much better than when he was bragging.
There was no sign of Bug-type Pokémon nearby for the moment, only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the occasional bird call from afar.
The atmosphere was peaceful and warm for a moment.
Seeing that the Bug-types in the area had been cleared out, Misty grew a bit bolder and tried to leave the rock to stand on her own for a bit.
But just as her toes touched the ground and she was about to stretch...
Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly spotted something moving in the bushes behind where Delia was standing!
"A bug! Sister Delia, watch out behind you!"
Misty practically shrieked, instinctively jumping back and, with a whoosh, expertly shrinking back onto Roy's back, her arms and legs locking tight instantly.
"Hmm?" Delia, who wasn't afraid of bugs, was also startled by the sudden scream and quickly looked back.
When she saw it, even Delia was slightly stunned and subconsciously took half a step back.
A Caterpie slowly crawled out from the bushes behind her.
But this Caterpie was different from any they had seen before!
Its body was significantly larger than its peers, and it was a deeper, more lustrous emerald green, like high-quality jade.
The two red antennae on its head twitched slightly, and its small black eyes looked exceptionally bright, even carrying a sense of composure and spirituality unfitting for its species.
Instead of panicking and fleeing or blindly attacking like a normal Caterpie, it stopped in its tracks, tilting its head slightly to curiously observe the three of them. Its gaze lingered particularly on Roy and the Pikachu beside him.
"This Caterpie..." Delia said with some surprise, "it looks very special."
Roy looked up in that direction, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
At the same time, the system prompt sounded in his ear right on cue.
[Ding! Side quest triggered: First Capture.]
[Quest Content: Please complete your first Pokemon capture through battle.]
[Quest Reward: Junior Potential Enhancement Berry x1 — After use by a Pokemon with potential below Elite-level, its potential level will permanently increase by 1.]
The triggering of a quest confirmed the extraordinary nature of this Caterpie.
However, seeing the phrase "through battle" in the quest description, Roy laughed outright.
"Who is this throwing shade at? Goh?"
He couldn't help but mutter under his breath.
A Novice Level Trainer's way of capturing is, of course, to send out a Pokémon to battle, wear down the target's HP until it's weakened, and then capture it with a poké ball.
Could you really just throw a poké ball and catch it?
Whether as a person or a Trainer, one shouldn't be too much like Goh.
"Pikachu." Roy hoisted Misty higher on his back to make her more stable, then gave an order to Pikachu, who had rested enough.
"Prepare for battle. Close in with Quick Attack, then defeat that Caterpie with Thunder Shock. Note: just defeat it, don't go too hard."
"Pika!"
Pikachu's spirits lifted, the electric sacs on its cheeks sparking with tiny bolts of electricity. Its form instantly turned into a streak of yellow light as it lunged at the special Caterpie.
Facing the rapidly approaching Pikachu, this Caterpie didn't panic.
A hint of fighting spirit flashed in its eyes. Its plump body suddenly twisted, and in the blink of an eye, it managed to roll a short distance to the side, narrowly avoiding the direct impact of Pikachu's Quick Attack!
"Eh?" Misty, still clinging to Roy's back, forgot her fear and widened her eyes in surprise.
This Caterpie's reaction time and speed far exceeded its common peers!
...After several exchanges, Pikachu finally took it down.
Hit by the electricity, the Caterpie's body twitched a few times before it finally slumped weakly to the ground, losing its ability to fight. Yet, there seemed to be no defiance in its eyes, only exhaustion.
This Caterpie was indeed tough, managing to trade blows with Pikachu for a few rounds. Although Pikachu wasn't at full strength and had already been through several battles, reaching this level was already far beyond an ordinary Caterpie.
However, a gap in raw power still existed.
Pikachu could still handle a Caterpie with ease.
After a few moves, the Caterpie slumped to the ground.
Without hesitation, Roy took an empty Poké Ball from his waist, weighed it slightly in his hand, and then with a flick of his wrist, the Poké Ball traced a precise arc and hit the Caterpie.
A red light pulled it inside.
The Poké Ball landed on the grass and wobbled.
Once, twice, three times... "Ding!"
The crisp sound effect of a successful capture rang out.
The Poké Ball stopped shaking, and the button in the center glowed with a steady light.
[Ding! Side quest "First Capture" completed!]
[Quest Reward: Junior Potential Enhancement Berry x1, has been sent to the system inventory.]
Roy stepped forward and bent down to pick up the Poké Ball containing the Caterpie.
It felt slightly heavy in his hand.
As he picked up the Poké Ball, the Caterpie's status panel was integrated into the system, appearing clearly in his mind.
[Pokémon: Caterpie]
[Type: Bug]
[Level: lv6 (Novice Level)]
[Potential: Gym-level]
[Ability: Shield Dust — Protects the Pokémon from the additional effects of moves.]
[Moves: Tackle, String Shot]
[Held Item: None]
[Special Enhancements: None]
Roy scanned the panel, feeling satisfied.
It really was a high-potential Caterpie.
In the Caterpie population, reaching Superior-level potential is considered excellent, and quasi-Gym-level is already extremely rare.
But this one's potential was as high as Gym-level!
The potential of such Bug-type Pokemon is often related to their vitality, lifespan, and a certain hidden spirituality.
Higher potential usually means stronger vitality and potentially a longer lifespan, allowing it to help a Trainer through the early stages for a longer period.
Plus, the Caterpie evolution line requires relatively little experience, so it can quickly evolve into Metapod and then emerge from its cocoon as Butterfree.
Once it evolves into Butterfree, it can immediately form significant combat power, mastering various practical moves like Confusion, Psybeam, Sleep Powder, and Stun Spore, offering immense tactical value.
Basically, Roy planned to make this Caterpie one of the core combatants of his early-game lineup.
It was perfect for quickly building combat power to handle the first Gym and the journey beyond.
"Roy, are you really going to train this Caterpie?"
Seeing the Caterpie successfully captured and Roy looking satisfied with the Poké Ball, Misty finally dared to slide off his back and stand on her own feet.
But she still stayed close to Roy, her small hand clutching his arm as she looked at the Poké Ball and voiced her doubt.
"This isn't really a Pokemon worth spending too much effort on, is it?"
Misty had received a formal and comprehensive Gym Trainer education since childhood. Although she specialized in Water-types, she had a systematic understanding of common Pokemon of other types, especially basic Pokemon like Caterpie that Novice Level Trainers inevitably encounter.
She was well aware of the common perceptions and drawbacks of Caterpie.
Their lifespans are relatively short, their evolution cycles are fixed and brief, and the Base Stats of their final form, Butterfree, are on the lower end among Final Evolutions.
Except for a few Trainers specializing in Bug-types or for specific tactical needs, most Trainers view Caterpie as "experience fodder" for Novice Levels to practice with and gain initial experience. Or, even if captured, they are often released or traded soon after, and rarely trained as mainstays for the long term.
Along the way, Roy had also used the Caterpie and Weedle they encountered as practice for Pikachu. Why did he capture this one specifically? And why plan to train it?
Out of concern for her companion and her own Confusion, the straightforward Misty spoke her mind, saying it wasn't worth training.
She was afraid that Roy, due to a lack of understanding, would waste precious resources and training effort on this "ordinary" Caterpie.
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