(The next day)
"I HATE BUGS!" Misty screamed as a Caterpie suddenly dropped onto her head.
The shout echoed through the forest. Licht and Ash, who had been walking just ahead, stopped at the same time and turned around. Misty stumbled backward and fell onto the dirt, shaking her head wildly as the small Pokémon clung on stubbornly, refusing to let go.
Ash blinked, then let out a short laugh. "Whoa easy!"
Licht shook his head, clearly amused, as Ash hurried over and carefully lifted Caterpie off Misty's head, holding it close to his chest.
"Misty, relax," Ash said, giving the Pokémon a gentle pat. "It's just a Caterpie."
"I don't care!" Misty snapped, scrambling to her feet and backing away until her back hit a tree. She hugged it tightly, pointing at Caterpie with a trembling finger. "I hate bugs. Get that thing away from me!"
Caterpie let out a small cry, tilting its head, clearly confused by her reaction.
Watching from the side, Licht finally spoke. "Ash, it looks like Caterpie really likes you. Why don't you catch him?"
Ash glanced from Licht to the Pokémon in his arms. "You think so?" He crouched slightly and smiled. "Hey, buddy… what do you say? Want to come with me?"
Caterpie's eyes lit up. It wriggled out of Ash's hands and hopped onto the path a few feet away, nodding eagerly.
Ash chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes."
He pulled out a Pokéball, adjusted his hat, and tossed it forward. A red flash pulled Caterpie inside. The ball shook once… twice… then stopped with a soft ding.
"Yes! I caught Caterpie!" Ash cheered, holding the Pokéball up proudly.
Misty peeked out from behind the tree, her shoulders finally relaxing. "Just… keep it inside the Pokéball," she said firmly.
Ash laughed and released Caterpie again. "Come on, Misty. Why are you so scared of Caterpie? Look at it, it's cute."
Misty instantly took three steps back.
They continued walking, the forest growing thicker around them. Ash chatted happily while Caterpie bounced along beside him. Misty stayed a few steps behind, eyes darting from the trees to the ground, making sure no other bug Pokémon were nearby.
After a few minutes of uneasy silence, Misty spoke up. "Umm… guys?" She glanced around. "Are we lost? Why does it feel like we're going deeper into the forest?"
Ash looked around, then shrugged. "Honestly? I have no idea. I'm just following Licht."
Up ahead, Licht slowed and unfolded the map he had bought at the market, studying it carefully as he walked. "We're not lost," he said. "I'm taking us to see an old friend. If everything goes right, we won't have to camp tonight."
Misty stopped walking. "A friend?" she asked. "Who in their right mind lives this deep in Viridian Forest?" She narrowed her eyes. "You're sure this isn't the wrong way?"
Ash leaned forward. "Yeah, Licht. Who are you talking about?"
"Remember Yellow?" Licht replied. "The girl from the summer camp before we came here. I contacted her earlier. She said she and her uncle live near this area."
Ash snapped his fingers. "Oh! Right. The shy girl with the yellow hair."
Licht nodded, tapping the map. "She gave me these directions. If we follow this path, we should reach her place soon."
Misty let out a long breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Thank goodness," she said. "I really don't want to camp out here tonight."
Licht folded the map and continued forward. "Then let's keep moving."
The others followed, the path ahead finally starting to feel a little less uncertain.
------------------
(Two hours later)
"Just how long are we going to keep walking?" Misty groaned, wiping sweat from her forehead as she glanced around at the endless trees. "Because this definitely feels wrong."
Licht slowed to a stop, unfolding the map again. He stared at it longer than before, his brows knitting together.
"That's strange…" he muttered. "We've been following the map exactly. We should've reached her place by now."
The hesitation in his voice didn't go unnoticed.
Misty's eye twitched. "Don't tell me that." She stepped closer, glaring at him. "You realize what this means, right?" Her hands shot out, grabbing Licht by the collar. "We're lost. Lost. Deep in the forest!"
"Misty!" Ash quickly stepped in. "Okay, calm down!" He looked at Licht, concern creeping into his voice. "Licht… are you sure we're going the right way?"
Licht swayed slightly, still dizzy from being shaken. He glanced back at the map, then scratched the back of his head and gave a sheepish grin.
"Well… umm…" He laughed nervously. "We might be lost. But hey at least we're together, right? Hahaha…"
Silence.
Misty: '...'
Ash: '...'
Pikachu: '...'
"…I am going to kill you," Misty screamed and a second later, she lunged at him like an enraged Gyarados.
Yellow's POV
Elsewhere in the forest, far from the chaos, a girl stood alone on a narrow road, as she looked down the path.
"…They're really late," Yellow murmured, glancing toward the trees. She let out a small sigh. Did they get lost?
After a moment, she straightened. Maybe I should go look for them.
"You're still waiting for them?" Just as she was thinking this suddenly a man's voice called yellow from behind.
Yellow turned just as her uncle stepped out from between the trees, a Beedrill hovering calmly nearby and a Doduo trotting at his side. Fishing gear rested over his shoulder.
"Uncle! Dody!" Yellow called happily, running over and gently patting the Doduo's heads. Dody hummed contentedly.
"They might be in trouble," Wilton said calmly. "You should go find them."
Yellow nodded. "I was thinking the same thing."
As Wilton set his fishing gear beside the shed, he glanced at her thoughtfully. "This friend you mentioned… Licht. Is he the one with power similar to yours?"
"Mm-hmm," Yellow replied. "He's really strong." She smiled softly. "He said if he gets the chance, he'll teach me how to use this power properly."
As she spoke, a gentle green glow wrapped around her hand. Dody leaned into her touch, clearly enjoying it.
Wilton watched quietly, then sighed. If you were still here with us…He shook the thought away. "Go on, Yellow. Take Dody and find them before it gets dark. I'll make something to eat."
"Okay!" Yellow said brightly.
She ran inside, grabbed her gear, and rushed back out. With a practiced motion, she climbed onto Dody's back.
"Alright then, Uncle. I'll be careful—"
Before she could finish, Dody took off like a burst of wind.
"W-WAIT—!"
Wilton chuckled as Yellow's scream echoed through the forest. He shook his head and headed inside, still smiling.
-------
"Licht… please do something," Ash mumbled, clutching his stomach as it let out a loud growl. "I'm starving."
"I just want to get out of this forest," Misty added weakly, her shoulders slumping. "And take a proper bath."
Licht walked ahead of them, still moving with confidence despite their complaints. He turned back with a cheerful smile.
"We're close, guys. Just a little farther and we'll reach our destination."
"You've said that countless times!" Ash and Misty shouted at the same time.
Licht stopped walking. He sighed, reached into his bag, and pulled out two chocolate bars, handing one to each of them.
"This is the last of our food. Eat it and deal with it. We're really close."
Defeated, both of them accepted the bars and started unwrapping them. But just as Ash peeled his open
A shadow swooped down.
"Hey! That's mine!" Ash yelled as the food bar was snatched straight out of his hand.
A Pidgey flapped upward, clutching the stolen food in its beak. Without thinking, Ash and Pikachu took off running after it, with Licht and Misty right behind them.
They burst into a moderately open clearing moments later. The Pidgey sat on a low branch, happily munching away at its prize.
Ash clenched his fists, already opening his mouth. "Pikachu..."
"Wait," Licht said calmly, stepping forward. "Let me handle this. I want to catch it."
Ash blinked, surprised, then nodded and stepped aside. "Alright."
Licht reached for his belt and released Charmander.
"Alright, little guy," he said, eyes on the Pidgey. "How about a deal? If you win, I'll give you more food. But if I win… you come with me."
The Pidgey paused mid-bite, studied them for a moment, then spread its wings and took flight, clearly accepting the challenge.
Licht glanced down. "Ready, buddy?"
Charmander nodded and took his stance, tail flame burning steady.
The Pidgey screeched and rushed forward, beating its wings hard as it launched a Gust.
"Ember," Licht said simply.
Charmander opened his mouth and fired a stream of flames upward. The attack clipped away the burst of wind and hit Pidgey mid-air, forcing it to pull back with a sharp cry. Smoke trailed from its feathers as it struggled to stay airborne.
Angry now, the Pidgey flapped harder and dove again, faster than before.
"Dragon Rage."
Charmander's eyes narrowed. A burst of deep crimson energy shot forward, slamming straight into the Pidgey. The impact sent it spiralling down, crashing into the ground and rolling across the dirt.
The Pidgey pushed itself back up, wings shaking as it panted. Still, it flared its wings and screeched defiantly.
Licht didn't hesitate. "Finish it. Iron Tail."
Charmander leapt forward, his tail glowing with a metallic sheen. He twisted mid-air and brought it down in a clean, powerful strike.
The hit landed solidly.
Pidgey was knocked backward and slid to a stop, unconscious.
Without wasting a second, Licht threw an empty Pokéball. A flash of red light pulled Pidgey inside. The ball shook once… twice…Ding.
Charmander stepped forward, picked up the Pokéball, and carried it back proudly.
"Thanks, buddy. You did great," Licht said, patting Charmander's head. He took the Pokéball, raised it slightly, and smiled. "I caught Pidgey."
"Heeeelllpppp!"
But suddenly a scream shattered the moment.
Licht barely had time to look up before a Doduo came charging straight toward them, someone riding it and clinging on for dear life.
Before he could even react
Bang!