Chapter 25 "Revelations"

"Someone who wouldn't train a Ralts capable of using Teleport so fluidly in the middle of a real fight."

I couldn't help but laugh even louder. Secretly, I liked that Andrew wasn't as closed off as he seemed. Maybe he didn't say much, but what he said was meaningful. And even though he kept secrets, something told me I could trust him… at least for now.

Without having anything else to talk about, the day ended with a visit to the Poké Mart to buy a few antidotes before going to rest for the raid that would take place tomorrow. Viridian Forest was waiting for us.

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That night, after training with Andrew, I returned to the orphanage. The sky had already darkened, and the gentle night breeze refreshed the air. Upon arriving, I ran into Mother Clarisse, who was organizing some papers in her office.

"Is everything okay, Max?" he asked, putting aside his papers and standing up to approach me. His tone was soft and affectionate, as always.

I slumped into a nearby chair, the day's tiredness beginning to weigh on me. Although it had been an interesting day, I couldn't help but feel the strange sensation of making important decisions.

"Amazing," I replied, "Deino is impressive. It's clear Andrew has been training him well. I know dragons are difficult to train. He's very different from the other Trainers, and what caught my attention most was his approach to them. I think he's teaching me a lot more than I imagined."

Mother Clarisse smiled softly, her eyes filled with a mixture of pride and slight concern.

"I'm glad to hear you're learning. But remember what I told you, Max... being a Trainer isn't an easy path. Sometimes, Pokémon can be unpredictable and tricky. It's important to always be prepared, not only with your Pokémon, but also with your heart."

Her words always resonated with me. I knew that, even if she didn't say it directly, there was something deeper behind her concern. Something she couldn't put into words, but that always watched me with protective eyes. Something in her gaze that told me she wanted to protect me from more than met the eye.

I remained silent for a moment, staring at Mother Clarisse's hands, which were now playing with the edge of one of the cards she had left on the table. I was thinking about how to speak to her, how to ask her more about this fear she seemed to be hiding inside, but I couldn't find the right words.

She seemed to notice my silence and came closer, placing a loving hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Mother Clarisse," I replied, feeling a warmth in my chest at her gesture. "I know what you're doing for me, and I appreciate it. I have my fears too, but I'm learning to face them. I'm going to be okay, really. Pokémon have shown me a whole new and amazing world, and even though it scares me sometimes, I'm not going to let that stop me."

His face softened as he listened to me. I was so used to his presence that I sometimes forgot how young he really was, the struggles he'd faced, and the unconditional love he felt for me, even though I knew nothing about his story.

I gave him a warm hug as farewell before retiring to my room to rest.

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At dawn, I woke up early, after a quick breakfast, and walked to the meeting point: the southern exit of Pewter City. There was Andrew, next to his Deino, which was circling around him as if unable to stay still.

"Max! Ready to go to Viridian Forest?" she asked, excitement shining in her eyes.

I nodded, squeezing Ralts's PokéBall tightly.

"Yes. Today is the day Ralts levels up. If we're going to face Brock anytime soon, she needs to be ready."

Ralts appeared beside me with a soft glow. She stretched out his arms, still a little sleepy, but with his eyes full of excitement.

We started walking along the path that connected Pewter City to Viridian Forest. The sun wasn't yet at its highest point, and the morning breeze was with us. Nidoran ♂ walked close to me, his gaze alert. We'd talked before: he would cover any gaps if Ralts or Deino were overwhelmed. Not only was he my toughest Pokémon, he was also my most loyal.

Before entering the forest, I took out my Pokenav to check the map and make sure everything was in order. But something strange happened. Checking the screen, I noticed there was no signal. It was odd. Pokenavs always have reception, even in remote locations. I glanced at Andrew, who was standing next to me, and he held up his own device, which impressed me for a few brief seconds, since I knew firsthand that it was considered a luxury item for new Trainers.

"No signal, too?" he asked, frowning.

I checked my Pokenav again, but the screen still showed the same message: "No coverage." Andrew nodded, thinking out loud.

"There must be something blocking the signal. Pokenavs never fail, especially in this area. Has this happened to you before?" Andrew asked, looking at me expectantly for a solution.

I remembered what had happened on my previous adventure, when I rescued the children trapped by the Mad Hypno. The signal had also disappeared at that time, but I couldn't understand why. Something in the air, something in the forest, seemed to be interfering with the devices' technology.

"Yeah, when the crazy Hypno incident happened, the signal also disappeared. It's strange... I don't know what's causing it, but something's blocking the communication."

Andrew put away his Pokenav, staring straight ahead with a look of concentration.

"Okay. Let's proceed carefully, Max. This might not be a mere coincidence."

We both continued walking deeper into the Green Forest. The trees were beginning to become more leafy, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating an almost magical atmosphere. The air was fresh, but something about the atmosphere felt different. A tension hung in the air, as if the forest was hiding something.

Ralts walked beside me, while Nidoran ♂, always alert, stayed close behind us. The small Poison-type Pokémon seemed to never miss a single movement. In every corner, in every shadow, Nidoran ♂ was ready to intervene if anything got out of hand.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound was heard among the trees. A Bug-type Pokémon, a Caterpie, appeared in front of us, letting out a challenging cry. Without thinking, I prepared for battle.

"Ralts, get ready! Use Disarming Voice to weaken him," I shouted.

Ralts quickly charged forward, letting out a scream that disoriented Caterpie, who took a couple of steps back. Although Ralts' strategy was effective, the Pokémon didn't give up. It launched a String Shot , trying to trap Ralts.

"Nidoran ♂! Cover her!"

Like lightning, Nidoran ♂ leaped forward and took the impact. He broke the threads with a jolt and launched into a Fury Attack, delivering a series of blows that gave Caterpie no time to counterattack. He was knocked out.

Ralts, watching Nidoran ♂, approached his partner and nodded in thanks. He knew that if any Pokémon managed to escape or got out of reach, Nidoran ♂ would be there to help.

We advanced even further, and more and more Bug-type Pokémon came out to meet us. Some were easy to defeat, but others seemed stronger. Ralts continued to confront them with her Disarming Voice and Confusion, but the wear on her body was beginning to show.

Suddenly, a group of Weedles appeared. Their stingers ready to attack, they tried to surround us. Ralts cast his Confusion, but a Weedle managed to escape the impact and charged at him furiously, throwing its stinger straight at Ralts's face.

"Ralts, watch out!" I shouted.

At that moment, a roar echoed in the air.

"Deino, Dragon Fury!" Andrew ordered in a firm voice.

Andrew's Deino shot forward with impressive speed. Powerful draconic energy surrounded its body, and with a deafening roar, Deino unleashed a powerful Dragon Rage attack. The wave of energy raged like a tornado, slamming headlong into the Weedle threatening Ralts.

The impact was devastating. The Weedle was pushed backward with great force, skidding along the ground and falling disoriented several meters away, completely out of combat. The force of Dragon Fury caused the rest of the Weedles to retreat, fearful of the power of the attack.

Ralts, still a little stunned by how close he'd come to the attack, turned to Deino. His once fearful gaze softened with an expression of gratitude. Despite everything, he knew he'd been protected at the last moment.

"Deino, excellent!" I said, looking at the Dragon Pokémon. Andrew patted it on the back, gratefully.

"You're welcome. Deino is quick to react," Andrew replied with a smile, while his Pokémon breathed heavily, but with the satisfaction of having done its duty.

Ralts approached Deino, and despite being a smaller and less experienced Pokémon, he nodded in thanks. Deino, as if understanding the gesture, bowed his head slightly.

After several fights, the atmosphere became calmer, as if the forest were leading them to a specific place. Then, after passing through some dense bushes, we reached a small clearing bordering a crystal-clear pond. The water was so calm that it perfectly reflected the treetops and the slightly cloudy sky. On the shore, however, something macabre awaited us.

A body lay sprawled by the water, half-hidden by the undergrowth. It was a member of Team Rocket, recognizable by his distinctive attire: a T-shirt with a red "R" and dark pants. I felt a knot in my stomach. He approached me slowly, my Trainer's instinct alert to the situation.

The man's body was motionless, covered by a light layer of dried leaves. As I got closer, I noticed something strange: his lips were slightly purple, and he had several bite marks on his arms. It was easy to see that he had died of poisoning. I knelt beside the corpse, examining the area in more detail. Beside it was a broken wooden box, quite large enough to hold a Pokémon with pieces scattered all over the floor, and a strange device, covered in dirt but still seemingly working, albeit with some kind of malfunction.

"What is this?" Andrew muttered, approaching as well and looking curiously at the device.

I inspected the equipment more carefully. There was a small light blinking on the device, as if indicating something was activating it. Immediately, a thought crossed my mind, a thought that made me tense. I remembered the last time I'd been in the Viridian Forest, when I'd tried to rescue the children kidnapped by the mad Hypno. It had been a bewildering experience, but now, something in that memory began to take shape.

"This... is blocking the Pokenavs' signal," I said, with a mixture of understanding and concern.

Andrew frowned and studied the device closely. However, he didn't say anything immediately. Something in his expression suggested he'd been pondering the situation, but wasn't willing to say too much about it. He looked at the corpse and then at the remains of the box, as if weighing his words.

Following Andrew's gaze, I stood up and took a step toward the remains of the box. Between the pieces of wood, something was shining with a faint glow. I looked closer and saw what appeared to be a blue scale.

"That's what I was looking for." Andrew's voice was almost inaudible. "It's definitely a Dratini scale." He said the last bit, his voice a little louder.

I stood up and stepped back, looking at the blue scale in my hands. I remembered something else: the incident in Pewter City, where a pair of Dragonites had almost attacked the city, rampaging and out of control, flying over the city and causing chaos. Brock had had to intervene with his Steelyx, Aurorus, and Aerodactyl, defeating the two Pokémon with an impressive strategy. But I also remembered something more important: those Dragonites were furious as if something unforgivable had been done to them.

-Could it be that Team Rocket was involved in that incident?-I thought for a second

I looked at the corpse again. At that moment, something in my mind clicked. Team Rocket had been behind the incident in Pewter City. What if this Team Rocket member had been in the forest on a mission to hide and care for the stolen Pokémon? A Pokémon whose mother had been furious and had caused so much chaos in the city? I thought quickly, the Dratini. The Dratini that had been stolen from somewhere, probably from a nest or a secret stash.

"They stole it…" I said softly, as if saying it would confirm my thought. "The Dratini. They hid it here in the woods."

Andrew, who had been silent for a long moment, looked toward Team Rocket's body, his eyes narrowed. He seemed to be holding something back, an emotion that was escaping him, but he didn't want to let it out. Finally, he took a step forward, approaching me with a soft sigh.

"I heard a rumor…" he said quietly, looking at the corpse and then back at the device. "But I didn't want to say anything. A Dratini… was lost. The Dragonites had been searching for its hatchling in Pewter City. I heard Team Rocket stole it, but… I didn't want to make any assumptions until now." His voice faltered slightly, as if he was afraid he was saying too much, but his face was tense and worried.

I stared at him. The puzzle piece was coming together clearly in my mind. Andrew had heard the rumors, but he hadn't wanted to accept them until he saw the evidence in front of him. And now, somehow, they were both connecting the dots. The Dratini, the theft, the rampaging Dragonites... It all fit together.

"So, the Dratini is here," I said, looking more closely at the water.

Andrew nodded slowly, not saying another word, but the change in his expression was evident. For my part, I couldn't help but feel there was something more at stake. Even if the Dratini was here, there was so much more to discover. Why had Team Rocket been so interested in this Pokémon? And how had they come so far as to lose their lives in this dark corner of the forest?

Feeling something calling me, I moved closer to the edge of the pond. Something in the still waters made me stop. A glimmer in the waters flickered for a moment, and I could make out a shape in the distance, something moving silently beneath the surface.

"There it is…" I muttered, pointing to the exact spot where I had seen the flash.

Andrew looked in the direction indicated. Despite his usual composure, a hint of expectation could be seen in his eyes.

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Trainer License

Trainer: Maxwell Jones

Hometown: Pewter City

Sponsorship: None

Money: $54,600 Pokedollars

Badges: None

Bag

5 potions –

Candy Bar 3 Fury

9 Pokeballs

1 escape rope

1 red handkerchief (with 20 orange berries)

3 Poison Cure

-12 Spaces Available-

Pokémon

Nidoran♂

Gender: Male

Level: 15

Moves: Leer, Peck, Focus Energy, Double Kick, Poison Sting, Fury Attack

Ralts ✨

Gender: Female

Level: 12 ↑ 3

Moves: Disarming Voice, Teleport, Growl, Double Team, Hypnosis, Draining Kiss ↑

EXTRA

Pendulum necklace