Summary: A quick exit into Viridian Forest...
Warning! Chapters 13-17 were all published back-to-back! Make sure you don't miss any of them!
Chapter 15 – Quick! Into the Forest!
Zoey took a deep breath, let it out in a sigh, and clutched her peace offering of chocolate chip bagels as she hesitated in front of 2B's door. She'd been a bit…short…with 2B the night before, when it became obvious the girl was utterly oblivious to the havoc she was about to unleash. She'd ultimately demanded and gotten a number for Daisy Oak, who she'd called after leaving 2B.
It was from Daisy that Zoey had learned that the havoc wasn't actually unplanned for. The older woman had been grinning when she'd asked Zoey to link her pokédex, and promptly uploaded a much more complete database to it. One that, frankly, caused her poor civilian model to lag when she'd accessed it for more than a few seconds. Thankfully, she could flip between the 'professional' mode Daisy had given her and its original programing. More to the point, though…she'd found listings of several new moves on the updated 'dex.
Fairy Gatling
Fairy Sword
Lullaby
Ice Burst
Four entirely new move entries. Ones with minimal details admittedly, but present in a completely official format. Apparently, the Oaks had realized what was happening with 2B's move creation, but hadn't wanted to 'spoil the process' by telling 2B that what she was doing was supposed to be hard. As in, bordering on outright impossible. Typically, it was rare for a single new move to be added to the pokédex archive in any given year. 2B had four…that the Oaks knew about. Daisy had admitted it was entirely possible Jigglypuff had more. So many undocumented move signatures could confuse things, apparently. The four they'd identified and submitted were ones they'd been able to record her practicing.
The League had been forwarded the results of the new moves as part of said submission, making them officially recognized. But the pokedexs hadn't been updated, as the moves had yet to be used in a League setting. As such, even lab-provided 'dex's would be in the dark. Which…neither Oak had apparently considered a problem. Daisy sheepishly admitted that between getting used to 2B doing the impossible and getting caught up in amusement over the idea of how everyone was going to react, that she'd sort of forgotten that Trainers were both overly excitable and competitive.
Which meant that, somehow, it was now up to Zoey to both apologize to her new friend for being short with her and convince her that they probably ought to leave Viridian now. Or as close to now, with now being five in the morning, as possible. Talking over the issue with Daisy, they'd both come to the conclusion that it would likely be better for everyone if the first 'true' reveal of the new moves happened during a sanctioned and recorded Gym Battle. There, the League's knowledge of the moves and attribution of them to a 'Researcher for Professor Oak's Lab,' would offset the more extreme reactions and potential accusations that Zoey could almost feel coming.
Honestly, they were probably overreacting.
But, well…Trainers were melodramatic as heck, as a general rule. Something not helped by the fact that the bulk of them were always teenagers who hadn't settled down into another role in life yet. Zoey was a teenager too, of course, but at eighteen she liked to think she wasn't quite as erratic as younger Trainers on their first circuit could be. Sighing at that thought, she raised her hand and knocked, hoping that Daisy was right to believe 2B would already be awake at this hour. Apparently, the younger girl didn't sleep much? You certainly wouldn't know it from looking at her.
There was a stirring from beyond the door. Thankfully, not one that sounded like someone just waking up. Something that was supported by the door opening fairly quickly. Zoey opened her mouth to speak, only for her eyes to catch up to her brain and temporarily initiate Emergency Shutdown Procedures.
Apparently, 2B slept in nothing but a negligee.
A partially transparent negligee that clearly showed her nipples, showed a distinct lack of lines from panties, and barely came to mid-thigh.
Combined with the utterly gorgeous pair of bright blue eyes Zoey hadn't seen nearly enough of due to her visor, and the complete and utter innocence of her expression, Zoey was momentarily a bit too stunned to speak. Somewhere in the far back of her mind, one part of her brain was sardonically noting that it was a good thing Zoey had already known she was into girls. Meanwhile, another part of her mind was drooling and frantically scribbling on a mental notepad, chanting 'Write this down! Write this down!' as it recorded the current view for review on 'lonely nights.'
Blushing as she became properly aware of that last mental thought process, Zoey wordlessly shoved her bag of bagels forward as she tried to get her tongue working again. 2B looked adorably confused as she accepted the offering, and Zoey finally managed to get her brain working again.
"Ah! U-um, the bagels are an apology? I wanted to say sorry for being a bit abrupt last night. I was worried about something and…well…Daisy agreed we should probably head to Pewter as soon as possible. Like, preferably before everyone else starts waking up."
Adorable confusion only got more adorable as 2B cocked her head.
"We should? Why?"
Zoey looked up and down the hall, then at 2B's state of dress.
"Uh…maybe I should come inside to explain?"
2B nodded solemnly, her serious face doing absolutely nothing to dispel her adorableness. Something that only got worse as she stepped back to let Zoey into the room, retrieved a bagel, and nommed on it with cute bites as she held the bag out to Zoey. Zoey shook her head in denial.
"I already had one. The rest are for you. You explained about your appetite yesterday, and we should probably avoid being seen so we don't get swarmed. Or, well, so you don't get swarmed."
Damn it, that head cock was so adorably puppy-like that Zoey wanted to pat her head! Don't give into temptation Zoey! You can do this! Concentrate on the explanation!"
"Ah…Daisy apparently didn't explain this to you, so that it didn't affect your way of thinking, but new moves are rare. Combinations aren't, but something so seamless that it becomes a proper move, ingrained into a pokémon's instincts? That only happens very, very rarely. Yet your Jigglypuff apparently has three and your Vulpix, despite being with you for less than three weeks, already has one. One entirely different from any that Jigglypuff knows, too. It's going to be a big deal when people realize it, and at least one lab-provided pokédex recorded Vulpix's Ice Burst move yesterday."
2B still looked confused, causing Zoey to sigh. Was it bad that her obliviousness just sort of added to the younger girl's charm?
"2B, you're going to get swarmed by people asking how you did it. Some of them more pushy than others, and some even accusing you of cheating. Apparently, Daisy scanned the moves she knows about and sent them to the League, so the League won't cause issues. But Trainers, particularly the younger ones, can be total drama queens. It would be much better if you officially 'revealed' the moves in the setting of a Gym Battle. That way the League officials can attribute the moves to the lab, which will deflect a lot of the crazier people who will seek you out."
2B had finished her first bagel, somehow eating it so neatly that the black negligee she was wearing didn't have a single crumb on it. Zoey was both incredibly jealous of that ability and still trying not to blush at how revealing her companion's sleepwear was. The girl still looked a bit confused, but shrugged, which did not help Zoey keep her eyes above the other girl's neckline. Though those bright eyes of hers certainly helped the effort on their own.
"I don't get it. But if Daisy agreed with you, the Common Sense Checklist probably missed something. I can be ready to go in a few minutes."
Zoey nodded, then stopped abruptly as she processed the clear capital letters in 2B's use of the words 'Common Sense Checklist.' She really wanted to ask about that…only to spin quickly toward the wall as 2B started moving toward the room's small bathroom and pulled her negligee up over her head.
Nope. She definitely hadn't being wearing panties under it…
... ... ...
It took less than twenty minutes after Zoey's explanation for the two of them to be on their way out of town, towards Viridian Forest. Most of that had actually been for 2B's pokémon to eat. Though the girl had taken time to put on a small amount of makeup. It was incredibly minimal, really just lip-gloss and a tiny bit of blush and eyeshadow. Frankly, she didn't really need it, but Zoey had to admit that whoever had taught her the simple routine had known what they were about. It made her eyes, sadly covered most of the time, pop a bit more, as well as helped bring a little bit more life to a face that seemed to rest on 'deadpan' most of the time.
A seriously cute deadpan that somehow suited 2B's features. Which were almost artificially perfect, actually, but distinctly unexpressive nevertheless. The blush she'd applied did help her look a little less doll-like. As did, admittedly, the rugged and practical traveling outfit that 2B had changed to. Zoey quietly admitted to herself that she was rather sad not to see a repeat of either the swimsuit from day one, or the tight leather pants from yesterday. Though 2B's current outfit made sense for where they were headed. Speaking of which…
"What can you tell me about Viridian Forest? Normally, I would have spent at least a few hours doing some research before heading into a place like this…"
2B's response was immediate but less than useful.
"It's spooky and full of bugs."
Zoey turned to stare at the girl…and just barely caught the tugging of a smirk at the edges of her lips. Snorting, she fought her own twitching lips as she poked 2B in the arm.
"Yes. Very succinct. Now, how about a more useful version for the poor tourist to the region?"
2B's twitching lips turned into a smile for just a brief moment, before returning to her usual neutral expression. Zoey was going to have to remember that there was a sneaky thread of mischief hidden under that expression in the future.
"Technically, what I said is accurate. Viridian Forest is mostly known as a Bug Catcher's paradise. That said, the Forest is large and quite old. Even following the paths exactly, it will take us several days to get through it, and it's often hard to actually do that. Despite the Ranger's best efforts, the paths just seem to vanish from time to time. They always rebuild it, but it's not uncommon for people to get a bit lost inside. Thankfully, so long as they stay away from the Beedrill territories that the paths are mapped to take you around, there isn't much that's a serious threat to a well-equipped Trainer."
Zoey grimaced. Beedrill swarms were infamously dangerous. So much so that even the regions they weren't native to had often heard of them. Still, so long as you weren't an idiot, you should recognize the signs of such a swarm long before you properly entered its territory and agitated it.
"Are there any pokémon worth looking for specifically? I admit, I'm not much of a Bug-type enthusiast. If I was doing the Contest Circuit, I might consider the Butterfree line, but for battlers…"
2B nodded.
"The Butterfree and Beedrill lines are actually both quite capable battlers. Their early stages are, like many bug pokémon, quite weak however. As a result, they tend to only be used by dedicated enthusiasts. Those willing to put the effort in and knowledgeable about how to best make use of them. There are a few other bug types that are less common, but still relatively easy to find. Spinarak, Ledyba and the rare Scyther or Pinsir can all be found if you look around a bit off the main paths."
Zoey nodded. That all fit with the idea of a 'Bug Catcher's paradise,' but none really appealed to her current plans. 2B carried on, moving away from the bug types.
"Oddish and Bellsprout are both present, as are Seedot and Shroomish, each decent grass types that are often caught to help trainers with the Pewter Gym. Flyng types are common, preying on the bug types. Most typically present are the Pidgey and Hoothoot lines. Harder to find, but more widely desired pokémon include the Pickachu and, extremely uncommonly, wild Bulbasaur."
Zoey blinked, almost missing a step at that last little detail.
"Wait you can find Bulbasaur in Viridian? I've got to admit that if I saw one of those, my plans to avoid grass types would likely go out the window."
2B nodded seriously.
"It is unlikely. But Viridian Forest is one of the only places they can be found in the wild. Hmmm…I think the only other likely finds would be Diglett and Dugtrio, if you pass near Diglett Cave and the tunnels there. Zubat, at night as well, of course. Those are pretty much anywhere in Kanto that has caves. There are rumors of wild Chansey in the caves from time to time, but reports of them are even rarer than for Bulbasaur in the Forest. I think that's about it?"
Zoey considered the list. It was honestly a fairly impressive selection in some ways, yet there was little on it to truly interest her. She wasn't really looking for a bug type and, aside from the idea of a Bulbasaur, only the Pidgey line was something she noted as potentially interesting. Even that was, she felt, more for their ability to grow large enough to Ride than anything. They were very solid flying types, but hardly spectacular. If she happened upon one she connected with, she might consider it. But that was true of virtually any type of pokémon.
"Not a lot that interests me, I admit. Not when I already have two new captures to train. What about you? You only have Chinchou, really. Though I guess your Vulpix is technically sort of new? It's hard to think of it that way, given what a little monster you've already turn her into."
Not to mention the fact she'd somehow helped it create an entirely new move in less than three weeks. Seriously, what the heck? Struggling once again to ignore her incredulity about that particular subject, she focused on 2B's answer. She was prompt to respond, clearly showing that she'd considered the possibilities already.
"A Scyther, if there is one willing to come with me. I have some considerable skill with a blade that I believe I could pass on to one."
Zoey blinked, squinted at 2B, then shrugged and decided to take her word for it. Compared to the many other weird things about her companion, the idea that she knew how to use a sword was honestly fairly tame. There was also that Fairy Sword move as evidence, even if Zoey had so far only seen a pokédex description of that particular move. Heck, it also might even explain why she'd fought Chinchou personally. Fighting type trainers and all adjacent disciplines tended to produce oddballs that liked sparring personally with their pokémon. Add in 2B's ability to use aura and she could probably actually keep up with younger pokémon like Chinchou, at least.
"Well, let's hope we find you one, then! Looks like we're here, after all…"
So they were. The city had fallen behind them fairly quickly, and it had only taken a half an hour past that to reach what appeared to be a Ranger Station. Not an uncommon thing to see, with them likely wanting trainers to check in so they would know to search for you if you didn't come back out again in a week or so. Moving forward to speak with the Rangers, Zoey was relieved they seemed to have successfully escaped Viridian without attracting any crazies…
... ... ...
"Who's the tagalong?"
A scruffy-looking twenty something hiding in a bush asked the question to the angry-looking teen that had told him about the 'cheating bitch' that had defeated him. Personally, the man thought the kid was just being whiney. But he'd overheard conversations from a couple of pokédex owners the night previous. One of them had even been an out-of-region lab-trainer, with the real deal, a full-database lab-pokédex.
What he'd caught of that conversation meant there really had been something odd about the Jigglypuff and Vulpix. Not to mention that the Vulpix was an out-of-region variant. His bosses would want to know, which meant it was worth trailing the girl. Yet, he'd expected her to be alone, given a quick poke into her background had said she was some sort of researcher for Professor Oak's lab.
"Just someone going the same way, I think. They came in together, and I saw them talking, but I don't think they've been traveling together for long. Probably just both headed for Pewter, since it's the start of the season and they're newbies."
The older man chewed his lip. The kid was full of shit, of course. Even if she was just now going on a Journey, his target was officially a Researcher, which meant some level of experience. As for the other girl…she had to be at least seventeen or eighteen. Unless she was a very late starter, that meant she was either doing a two-year run or was, more likely, an out-of-region visitor. Either could be trouble.
"Well, thanks for the tip, kid. Here."
He passed the fool a roll of pokédollars, even as he watched the duo vanish into the Ranger Station. He'd better get a move on if he wanted to keep track of them in some place like the Viridian Forest…
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
A/N 1: Yeah, let's face it, even with me aging up the typical Journey age, Trainers are mostly still teenagers, unless they've made it their profession. So they are going to be super dramatic and Zoey was only slightly overreacting that they might get swarmed by people wanting things/demanding things of 2B. She's also more used to Contests, where fans are dealing with someone who is closer to a Celebrity. So she was probably projecting it to be worse than it would have been...but she wasn't entirely wrong.
A/N 2: Daisy's friend that went on the shopping trip with them is ABSOLUTELY the one that convinced 2B just a semi-transparent negligee was the right choice for sleeping ;-). Poor Zoey...
A/N 3: Oh no! Someone is following them! Gasp!