14. Petalburg Woods

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Petalburg Woods, an ordinary forest that connects Petalburg City and Rustboro City. The lush, intricate terrain has caused many Trainers to lose their way in it.

He kept "crossing the line" along the way.

The strength of the Trainers on the road was also low, with the highest level Pokémon barely reaching level 7. Most Trainers carried Pokémon like Wurmple, posing little threat.

Chris naturally dominated all his battles.

As he collected lost items from defeated Trainers, he also tried to encounter local Pokémon, hoping to find something rare.

Along the way, he encountered the usual: Poochyena, Zigzagoon, and Wurmple—common sights in Petalburg Woods and local staples.

Silcoon, Cascoon, Taillow, Shroomish, Paras...

[A wild Slakoth jumps out of the grass.]

"Yeah!" Chris rubbed his chin as he looked at the lazy Slakoth on his screen.

Slakoth, a rarer Pokémon in Petalburg Woods.

Its final evolution, Slaking, is Norman's ace Pokémon, the Gym Leader of Petalburg Gym—and also the protagonist's father.

In the game, Slaking has stats comparable to a Legendary Pokémon, but it's often overlooked due to its crippling Ability, "Truant."

Chris decided to try and catch the Slakoth in front of him.

[Slakoth (Normal)]

[Level: 7]

[Ability: Truant (can only move once every two turns)]

[Individual Values: HP (21), Attack (31), Special Attack (11), Defense (24), Special Defense (17), Speed (16)]

[Moves: Scratch, Yawn, Encore]

[Held Item: None]

In the game, Pokémon with the Truant Ability can only attack every other turn.

In reality, Slakoth and Slaking often remain motionless from the moment they enter battle until they're knocked out by their opponents. If not for their Ability, one might wonder if they had switched sides.

There are even amusing videos online where Trainers post similar moments.

But there are exceptions. Slaking has shown its potential in double battles.

Pairing Slaking with Weezing, whose Ability "Neutralizing Gas" cancels Truant, can turn Slaking into a powerhouse.

However, Chris had no intention of training a Slaking for double battles, focusing instead on his other Pokémon. Surely they were better than a Slaking?

Still, this Slakoth had impressive Attack stats. Once it evolved, its destructive power could be immense.

He decided to send Slakoth to Professor Birch via the computer to raise it. After all, it's a rare Pokémon, and its value is high.

Chris continued his journey until he reached the middle of Petalburg Woods.

Suddenly, the protagonist controlled by Chris stopped.

Not far ahead, a man in a suit and tie was scanning the area.

[Man: I remember it should be around here...]

When the man noticed Chris, he hurried over.

[Man: Have you seen a Shroomish in Petalburg Woods? I love that kind of Pokémon. I came here to catch one, but I haven't seen any.]

Before Chris could respond, a young man in a sailor's outfit with a blue scarf tied around his head came running over.

[Subordinate of Team Aqua: We were planning to attack you, but it looks like you're making yourself at home in Petalburg Woods! Hand over that briefcase!]

The Team Aqua grunt lunged forward, attempting to snatch the briefcase from the man's hands.

But the man quickly jumped behind Chris.

[Man: Young man! I'll leave it to you!]

Even though Chris knew this was part of the plot, he couldn't help but want to complain.

"Uncle, you're way too smooth with that move!"

As the battle began, Chris found himself in the dense forest where sunlight barely reached through the thick canopy. The faint beams of light that broke through the leaves were the only thing illuminating the battlefield.

"Kid, how dare you interfere with Team Aqua's plans! You're done for!" the Aqua grunt shouted as he aggressively threw a Poké Ball at Chris.

A Poochyena (Lv. 12) appeared.

Chris raised an eyebrow, finally facing an opponent with a higher-level Pokémon.

Without hesitation, Chris released his Froakie.

In this unconventional encounter, no one called for the battle to begin. The Team Aqua grunt immediately took the first move. "Poochyena, use Bite!"

The wolf-like Poochyena charged at Froakie, its jaws glowing with dark energy as it lunged forward. The sinister energy oozed from its mouth, and as it closed in—just three meters away—it sprang up, its fangs ready to clamp down.

"Dodge, then use Pound," Chris commanded calmly.

Froakie, unfazed, looked at Poochyena with disdain. Its cold eyes suggested that it found something unpleasant about its opponent.

Those teeth were way too grimy, and the stench... clearly, Poochyena didn't brush or rinse after meals.

With a light hop, Froakie easily sidestepped the attack. Before Poochyena could recover and make another move, Froakie's fist, glowing with white light, was already aimed at its head.

*Pound!*

*Smack!*

Poochyena let out a whimper as its head was driven into the dirt, whimpering pathetically.

It wasn't completely knocked out, which showed how resilient it was.

But Froakie wasn't about to hold back. If one Pound wasn't enough, then two would do the trick.

*Smack!*

*Boom!*

This time, Poochyena's front half sank deeper into the ground.

Before Chris could even process the outcome, the screen of his game flashed back to his small apartment, indicating the battle was over.

A prompt appeared on the screen:

[Defeated Poochyena (Lv. 12), gained 240 experience points.]

[Defeated Team Aqua, earned 181 bonus points.]

[Subordinate of Team Aqua: I won't forget this! Team Aqua will get revenge!]

The Aqua grunt quickly ran off in defeat.

[Man: Thank you, young man!]

The man handed Chris a Great Ball and hurriedly fled.

Getting a Great Ball from that encounter? Not bad at all.

Chris pocketed the Great Ball and continued his journey toward Rustboro City.

Join my Patreon for 40 more chapters and earlier updates for all members( For free members too):

patreon.com/Tempest_29

100 power stones=1bonus chapter

7 reviews=1bonus chapter

Check out my other novel Pokemon: A different ash (Also in patreon )