-054- Expedition in the Forest of Green Leaves (2/3)

The two of them wandered aimlessly through the Forest of Verdant Leaves for over half an hour. Though strange scents wafted continuously through the air, not a single Pokémon could be seen.

“Tong Si, I can’t go on. Let me rest for a while...”

Jiang Tao sat himself down on the spot, not caring whether the fallen log beneath him was clean or not, and plopped down heavily.

With a crack, the decaying wood split open under his weight.

“Here!”

Jiang Tao pulled a large bottle of water from his backpack and tossed it to Tong Si.

Both of them were carrying hefty packs, crammed with all sorts of food and water. After all, they would have to survive in this primeval forest for several days.

Gulping thirstily, Tong Si unscrewed the cap and drank down half the bottle in one go.

“This isn’t working. There are all kinds of scents coming from every direction, some sweet, some foul, but we haven’t spotted a single Pokémon. I find it odd.”

Tong Si felt something amiss. Normally, this vast Forest of Verdant Leaves should have been teeming with Pokémon.

Yet after walking for more than half an hour, they hadn’t seen even one? It was truly strange.

Suddenly, odd cries echoed from all around.

“It’s just my imagination, it must be...” Jiang Tao’s vision swam, and all he wanted was to lie down in a warm, soft bed.

The sharp cries filled the air, making Tong Si frown. He had a bad feeling.

“Come out, Electrike! Eevee!”

Tong Si hurriedly released his two Pokémon.

“Beep beep!”

“Bui~!”

The two Pokémon appeared, both curious about their unfamiliar surroundings.

“Stay alert, both of you. This ancient forest is riddled with danger.”

Tong Si warned Electrike and Eevee.

“Tong Si, you should rest too. There aren’t any Pokémon here. We’ve been in for so long and haven’t seen a single one. Let’s just give up!”

Jiang Tao threw up his hands in surrender.

Tong Si shot him a glance, speechless. He was the one who insisted they come to explore the Forest of Verdant Leaves, and now he was the first to give up.

Suddenly, a cry for help rang out.

Tong Si pricked up his ears. The voice sounded a little distant... and it seemed like more than one person was calling out.

“Let’s go! Hurry, let’s check it out!”

Following the direction of the call, Tong Si dashed forward.

“Hey! Wait for me!” Jiang Tao quickly scrambled to his feet and followed after.

His round belly made running difficult, and Tong Si soon left him behind.

“The voice is coming from nearby...”

Tong Si crept closer, occasionally catching snippets of strange noises—like the sounds of battle?

“Could someone be under attack by wild Pokémon?” Tong Si wondered, though he wasn’t surprised. In this ancient forest, it was normal to encounter wild Pokémon, and being attacked was to be expected. In fact, it was more unusual that he and Jiang Tao hadn’t seen a single Pokémon in all this time.

Suddenly, the insect cries grew louder.

Since entering the forest, the chorus of insects had been incessant. Even though Tong Si hadn’t seen a single Bug-type Pokémon, the noise was enough to make his ears ring.

Here, the buzzing was deafening.

“Beedrill!” Tong Si immediately recognized the sound. In his memory, that buzz belonged to Beedrill. The original Tong Si had been a true academic, well-versed in the cries of many Pokémon.

“Beep beep!”

Electrike suddenly yelped.

“Hm? Did you find something, Electrike?” Tong Si looked at Electrike and saw the Pokémon’s expression grow serious.

“Beep beep...” Electrike darted ahead, with Eevee following close behind.

“It must be nearby,” Tong Si thought, hurrying after the two Pokémon into unfamiliar territory.

Here, the trees were massive and uneven, packed tightly together. The ground was thick with shrubs, making the path difficult to traverse.

Pushing aside the brush, Tong Si finally heard the cries for help again, along with the sounds of fierce battle.

Peering through a gap in the foliage, Tong Si saw three figures ahead, locked in combat with a swarm of wild Beedrill.

“Are you alright, Rattata?” One of the trainers cradled his Rattata, which looked gravely injured, barely clinging to life.

The other two trainers had a Zigzagoon and a Fletchling, both under siege by the Beedrill swarm.

“Electrike, use Thunderbolt on those Beedrill!” Tong Si called out, stepping in to help. He couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“Beep beep!”

Electrike leapt from the brush, unleashing a golden bolt straight at the Beedrill.

Tong Si quickly scanned the data panel. Most of the Beedrill were between level seven and fifteen, their potential ranging from average to ordinary. The leader, however, was of superior quality.

Suddenly, Tong Si noticed something odd. Level seven? Level eight? Level nine? But doesn’t Kakuna only evolve at level ten? How could there be Beedrill at seven, eight, or nine?

A sense of shock washed over him.

“Something’s wrong. Very wrong,” Tong Si muttered to himself from within the brush.

With Electrike joining the fray, the tide of battle swiftly turned.

“Someone’s come to save us!” The three trainers were overjoyed. They had thought themselves doomed. The sudden attack by the Beedrill swarm had terrified them. In places like the Forest of Verdant Leaves, it wasn’t uncommon for trainers to be injured or worse by wild Pokémon, despite professional trainers patrolling the area. The forest was vast, and not every new trainer could have a professional guardian by their side. Who could guarantee someone would always come to your rescue in time?

Some wild Pokémon were vicious and attacked with terrifying speed; tragedy could happen in an instant. Most of the truly fierce or high-level wild Pokémon resided in the heart of the forest, and trainers were generally advised not to venture near the center. Capturing Pokémon on the outskirts was enough.

“Are you alright?” Tong Si finally emerged from the brush, finding the dense tangle of trees and shrubs made travel difficult.

“We’re fine... Wait, you’re... Tong Si!” The three trainers immediately recognized him.

“You know me?”

...(To be continued)