A camouflage assault jacket was essential gear for forest expeditions. It didn't just fool human eyes—more often than not, it could deceive the eyes of Pokémon as well.
Kael mounted his off-road bike. Ralts, having just woken up, let out an adorable yawn, then used her psychic power to lift herself unsteadily into the air before drifting onto her trainer's shoulder. Her small head rested against Kael's neck, and from time to time she rubbed her green helmet-like crest against him in a gesture of sleepy affection.
His multifunction sports watch synced with his handheld device. Kael entered the coordinates of the Sneasel sighting he had just purchased, and the system immediately initiated auto-navigation. With a push of his legs, the off-road bike surged forward, heading straight for Viridian Forest.
...
Viridian Forest was a paradise for Bug-type Pokémon. The number of Bug-types living here could practically be counted in the hundreds of millions. Among them, the most iconic of the Kanto region was Caterpie.
Almost the moment one stepped into the forest, Caterpie could be seen clinging to tree trunks and branches, lazily chewing on leaves.
Caterpie were the most numerous Pokémon in Viridian Forest—and also those at the very bottom of the food chain. Compared to Weedle, which were larvae of a bee species and enjoyed the protection of entire swarms of Beedrill, Caterpie were far less fortunate. Butterfree abandoned their offspring shortly after laying eggs, offering no protection at all.
As a result, Caterpie became the favorite prey of Pidgeotto and Fearow.
Slow-moving, weak, and naturally disadvantaged against Flying-types, Caterpie were nothing more than easy, tender prey to bird Pokémon—fat lambs delivered straight to the slaughter.
...
Kael found a concealed spot and marked the surrounding area before covering his off-road bike with a sheet of camouflage tarp, further disguising it with weeds and branches. From here onward, the forest grew dense with vines and underbrush—terrain unsuitable for riding. He would leave the bike here and retrieve it after the mission.
There was still some distance to the target coordinates.
He needed to speed up.
Kael tucked Ralts into the collar of his jacket, then leapt onto a nearby tree trunk. With a powerful push, he sprang upward again, using his exceptional coordination to swing rapidly from tree to tree like a real-life Tarzan. Whenever the gaps between trees were too wide—or when small ravines blocked the way—he had Ralts use Teleport.
By the time the sky dimmed and the sun was about to sink below the horizon, Kael arrived at the marked location, his body already showing signs of fatigue.
Using the reference images for comparison, he confirmed the terrain: thirty meters to the left lay a small pond. Sure enough, an identical pond came into view. Beneath a large tree nearby, he also spotted scattered remains of Caterpie corpses.
If nothing else, this was almost certainly the aftermath of Weavile feeding.
"So it's fallen to hunting Caterpie…" Kael crouched down, examining the remains, a strange glint flashing through his eyes.
There was no doubt that Sneasel were carnivorous Pokémon—but not all carnivores preyed on Caterpie. When attacked, Caterpie's distinctive V-shaped antennae released a nauseating stench that most Pokémon found unbearable.
Aside from some bird Pokémon, Caterpie rarely appeared on the menu of other carnivores. Research records even clearly stated that Sneasel never hunted Caterpie under normal circumstances.
There was only one exception.
When a Sneasel could no longer obtain higher-quality prey, survival forced it to hunt the easiest meat available in the forest.
Sneasel were pack Pokémon, their behavior eerily similar to African wild dogs from Kael's previous world. In large enough numbers, they even dared challenge Tyranitar. But one should never underestimate a Sneasel's individual combat ability—paired with their cunning and vicious nature, very few Pokémon in Viridian Forest could truly threaten them.
It was already late, and after hours of travel, Kael's body was worn down. He decided to rest, eat something, and recover his strength before continuing the pursuit.
When camping in the wild, there was one ironclad rule: never set up camp near a water source. Otherwise, during the night, you were almost guaranteed to be attacked by wild Pokémon coming to drink.
Kael's tent was a newly released inflatable camping tent from Silph Co. It required no manual assembly and was made from special rubber capable of adapting to all kinds of outdoor terrain. Once inflated, a large tent covering roughly ten square meters rose from the ground, complete with an air mattress and an inflatable sofa inside.