From: NMVdS <nmvds@aol.computers> Subject: [PW!] Viridian Forest Adventures, Part I Date: Saturday, May 22, 1999 2:55 PM "So you're sure you wanna head over to Viridian Forest already?" asked Karen Oak. "Positive," Steve Fugues replied. "The only Pokemon left in Viridian City are average ones with nothing special about them. I need a few Pokemon of specified elemental types. And the first such place to get the is Viridian Forest. I only wish the gym wasn't closed." "You wouldn't have won anyway," she pointed out. "With a Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur?" said Steve. "Not to mention Clefable, Golem, and Machamp. I would've wiped the floor with him. Remember, I'm a Pokemon Tech Graduate. That means I have the equivalent of 8 badges already." "But you can't even command any of your Pokemon until you win badges," Karen reminded. "Now that you're brain has been turned to pudding, I don't think that any Pokemon worth the ball they were captured in would obey you." "Ironic," thought Steve. "I can't earn badges until I get good Pokemon. And I can't get good Pokemon to obey me until I earn badges. It's a Catch-22 if I ever heard one." "I suppose you have a point." "Don't I always?" "If you say so," Karen smiled, "So what do you hope to find their?" "The only thing I can hope to find there," said Steve. "A Caterpie, a Weedle and their respective evolved forms... maybe even a Pikachu. Two of which would be weak to my Pidgey and one of which would be strong against it, assuring that I'd at least have practice." "I just hope you know what you're doing," said Karen. "I did once," Steve pointed out, "how hard could it be to know again?" Karen sighed. At one point, Steve Fugues was one of the greater Pokemon trainers the world had to offer. One of the greatest trainers which Pokemon Tech had to offer. One of the greatest minds Silph Co. had to recruit. And now he was just an empty shell of what he once was. Ever since that fight with Gil Bates, Steve was never the same. An attack from an Alakazam nearly wiped his mind clean. Unable to reapply to Pokemon Tech and finding out that his well trained Pokemon would no longer obey him, Steve was left alone to wander the world. Most people would have just left Steve alone. But the reason why he surrendered to Gil just before his memory was wiped clean was a noble one, to save her life. "I hear that there's a few trainers over here eager for a challenge," said Steve, "we better load up on potions and antidotes." "Sure," replied Karen, "once potions and antidotes grow on trees." "Good point," Steve admitted The two ventured into the Forest. "Hey you," said a local bug catcher, "wanna try to have our Pokemon fight each other? I need to toughen mine up." Steve smiled. "Sure kid," he began, "sure." "For my first Pokemon, I chose caterpie!" "And as my first and currently only Pokemon, I think I'll use my Pidgey," Steve replied. The bug catcher was a little surprised. He knew that bug Pokemon were weak against birds. "Caterpie, tackle attack!" the bug catcher ordered. The caterpie prepared to run towards the Pidgey. "Pidgey, sand-attack!" Steve countered. The Pidgey obeyed and threw sand at the insect, lowering it's accuracy. "Caterpie, string shot!" the bug catcher yelled. "Pidgey, gust!" within seconds the caterpie began to blow away. "Caterpie, return!" the bug catcher yelled, "Weedle, go! Use poison sting!" "Pidgey, another gust attack!" Steve responded. The Weedle was also quickly defeated, but only after it managed to infect the Pidgey with it's stinging venom. "Crud!" Steve yelled. "Well, congratulations," the bug catcher smiled. "I knew I should've packed a few antidotes..." Steve grumbled as Pidgey moaned in pain. "You didn't?" the bug catcher asked. Steve shook his head. "Well, good luck to you, then," the bug catcher smiled as he left. As he looked around, he spotted another Pokemon to add to his collection. "Hey, a Weedle!" he thought. "Pidgey, do you think you're up to attacking him?" Pidgey looked at it's enemy. The last fight he had with a Weedle didn't end the way he wanted it to. But it didn't want to lose the same way again. With fire in it's eyes, it attacked. "Go, Pidgey," Steve said calmly. "Gust attack, now!" The Pidgey obeyed. The Weedle put up a valiant effort, and yet also a futile one. Then Pidgey did something unexpected. "No, Pidgey, you're supposed to let me *capture* them!" Steve yelled. The Pidgey responded with a large belch. "Hey, even Pokemon have to eat," said Karen. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," said Steve. Suddenly he saw a flash of yellow from the corner of his eye. Could it be... "A Pikachu!" Steve yelled. "Do you have any idea how hard these are to find, Karen?" "No idea at all," she replied sarcastically. "Pidgey, normally I wouldn't put you in this situation when you're this weak," Steve began, "but this is a rare opportunity. And you've just eaten. Mind helping me out here?" Pidgey obeyed. It flew too Pikachu and prepared to battled. "Pika-Pika-Pikachu!" the Pikachu yelled as it released a bold of electricity at the Pidgey. The combination of the poison and the electric attack were too much for the bird to handle. "Crud," Steve mumbled. "Tell me about it," Karen replied. "Looks like I'll have to try this myself," Steve said. He ran towards the Pikachu armed with a Pokeball. "Pika-CHU!!!" it shouted. A dazzling burst of energy poured through Steve, temporarily denying him control over his movements. The Pokeball he was carrying rolled from his hand and under a nearby bush, and he was knocked unconscience. "Not again," thought Karen, grumbling to herself. To reply, remove "puters" from the e-mail address.