Summary: The Old Forest isn't to be taken lightly...
Warning! Chapters 13-17 were all published back-to-back! Make sure you don't miss any of them!
Chapter 16 – Viridian Forest
2B was quite intrigued by the Forest around her. It was alive in a way that no place she'd ever been to before had been. Discounting her original reality, in which Earth was no longer capable of sustaining such places at all, was easy. The woods and forests that lay to the direct East and West of Pallet Town, however, had been rich with largely-untamed territory. Those were the places that Daisy had taken her for 'wilderness training,' and they had been fully and truly alive. Yet, now that she was in Viridian, she realized that even those woods had been…curated, somewhat.
Those 'woods' were pinned between Routes and, as such, somewhat patrolled and culled by Ranger teams. Truly powerful pokémon, if they managed to develop there are all, where typically moved by the Rangers. There were far vaster tracks of untouched territory in the far north of Kanto, or in the mountains that bracketed each side of the human territories of the region. As such, even the 'off-Route' sections of the woods around Pallet Town were relatively 'managed' by humans.
Viridian Forest was not.
Oh, the paths through the Forest were well patrolled. If you stuck to them, you were unlikely to run into anything that your own pokémon couldn't help you at least escape from. But there was an air to the aura of the Forest that spoke to 2B about this being a wild, untamed place. A place that belonged to the pokémon, not to humans, and any human traveling through had best respect it and its inhabitants or they'd not make it out the other side. Something which had only been reinforced by the attitudes of the Rangers at the entrance station. Rangers who had said much the same thing, in serious tones, as they'd checked in and recorded how long the pair intended to be in the Forest and where they intended to exit it.
Most people might be put off by the feeling.
2B was simply intrigued.
Enough so that without Zoey along, she might well have decided to cut through the woods more directly, instead of staying on the paths. Her companion being less robust than her, however, easily suppressed that impulse. She wouldn't put a human at risk. Not simply to sate her own curiosity about the place. Particularly when said human seemed to be at least a bit affected by the aura in the Forest, huddling closer to 2B and having brought her most powerful pokémon in Purugly out.
"This place sort of reminds me of Eterna Forest. Less mysterious but…older feeling? Even more untouched by humans than Eterna, somehow."
2B nodded and happily provided a bit of history.
"That's because it is. Viridian Forest has never been settled by anyone. Not ever in recorded history, at any rate. You'll find no ruins or other remnants of humanity here. It's not a place that pokémon have overrun. It's a place where they were here first and never left. It's never traveled by anyone but Trainers either, not ever. Pewter was, so far as anyone really remembers, founded from Cerulean City, not Viridian. There's effectively no land-based trade through the Forest. It all goes either East through or over Mt. Moon, or else uses the few waterways that cut through the Forest."
Zoey seemed fascinated by the idea.
"That's…how? Most places only stay like that if there's extremely powerful pokémon living in the area. But in that case, trainers would be barred from entry without enough badges."
2B nodded.
"True. You're missing something important though. The Beedrill Hives. Well, they are called Hives for convenience, but it really just refers to collective territory owned by a Queen and her brood. Those 'Hives' have always been here. While individual Beedrill aren't enough to prevent humans moving in…"
Recognition lit behind Zoey's eyes.
"Right. A swarm of them would deter just about anyone. Particularly since there are multiple Hives from where you're saying. How are the paths through the Forest kept safe then, though?"
2B smirked.
"Noticed yet that the path is super windy and maze like?"
When Zoey nodded, her eyes narrowing, 2B gave her a moment to think about it before offering the explanation.
"It's because the paths are actually carefully routed so that they go between various Hive territories. There are sort of 'buffer zones' between each Hive, where they Beedrill don't go in any major numbers, because it would put them too close to another Hive. Since the Rangers are careful to keep the populations under control enough that the Hives aren't prone to expansion, they can almost always find paths that cut through the buffer spaces. Though they often change from year to year."
Zoey made an 'oh' of surprise, before looking warily around the path they were on. 2B was quick to reassure her.
"Don't worry, unless someone does something really stupid and stirs up a Hive, this is the safest time of year to pass through. The paths are refreshed during the League off-season. So the Rangers just re-established them within the last few weeks."
Her companion relaxed at that comment, though as they continued to talk, she kept a wary eye on the Forest. As she should, in 2B's opinion. As they had been warned on entry, this was not a place to let your guard down…
... ... ...
"Teddi, use Fury Swipes!"
2B and Zoey watched on as Zoey's newest pokémon obeyed, swiping repeatedly at the oddly aggressive Hoothoot. It didn't faint from the blows, but it did appear that it had had enough. Calling out its name angrily, it swept off into the trees. Which was another odd thing, and a pattern that was beginning to emerge. A Nuzleaf shepherding a trio of Seedot had only been placated by 2B's aura, and a Pidgeotto had outright attacked Vulpix before that, though it had quickly regretted that decision. Zoey shook her head at the retreating Hoothoot, making eye contact with 2B.
"This is definitely not right. The Nuzleaf I could understand. Even the Pidgeotto to an extent. But that Hoothoot shouldn't have even been awake yet, let alone so aggressive."
2B nodded, frowning as she checked the time on her tactical display. She didn't really need it as anything more than confirmation, her own internal clock still being far more accurate than a regular human's. Still, the Forest could have been playing tricks, so she checked, only to find out that her sense of time was still on track.
"You are correct. It's only 5:35pm. Despite how dim it is in the Forest, there are still a few hours of daylight left and that HootHoot should have been sleeping still. Something is agitating the pokémon."
Zoey bit her lip, patting Teddiursa on the head in thanks for his efforts even as she stared off in the opposite direction from where the Hoothoot had fled.
"All of them have come out of the West. Should we investigate? Or possibly call the Rangers? If I had my usual team with me, I'd say we should check it out ourselves, but as it is…"
2B frowned, nodding in acknowledgement. The problem, of course, was that the Western part of Viridian Forest was by far the most dangerous section. It led straight up into the foothills of the mountains. The same range that included Mount Silver, even if that mountain was now a bit to their south. It was, in fact, the same range which 2B had pointed out to Zoey could occasionally see Skarmony and the like from neighboring Johto. Few of the official paths led that way, the Rangers doing their best to steer people through the eastern and central parts of the Forest, which were considerably more…tame was too strong a word. But somewhat less dangerous, at the very least.
Of course, there was another problem.
"The Forest is too thick here. I checked for a signal after the Nuzleaf and there hasn't been one. Perhaps if we climbed one of the trees, we could get a message out. But pokégear signals are notoriously spotty in the Forest."
Zoey muttered a mild curse as the option to summon help, or at least alert the Rangers something was up, was taken off the table. At least until they picked up a signal again.
"That still leaves the question. Press on, or investigate? If we don't figure out what it is, we might have to push through the night. Setting up camp with an unknown disturbance going on would be a bad—"
Abruptly, the choice of what to do was wrenched out of their hands as they heard screams coming from deeper into the Forest, off the main path. 2B didn't hesitate, immediately scooping up Vulpix and bolting into the woods towards the screams. Zoey cursed again, but wasn't much slower off the line, only pausing long enough to return Teddiursa and release Purugly. Of course, despite being in good shape, Zoey didn't have 2B's superhuman strength or stamina and started falling behind fast.
2B summoned a katana from her bracer, the closest to a copy of Virtuous Contract that she'd managed to have forged since arriving in this world, and used it to slice through foliage between her and the increasingly panicked yelling ahead. Cutting through one last bush, 2B took in the sight of two fleeing humans and a badly wounded Rattata trying desperately to slow down seven angry Pinsirs that were chasing them. With one last superhuman leap, she pushed off a tree at an angle to land between the fleeing humans and the angry Bug-types.
Her facsimile of Virtuous Contract lit up with aura as she batted aside one set of pincers from a Pinsir. Vulpix, who had shifted from her arms to clinging to her shoulder during the run, pushed off and launched a spread of Ice Burst that stopped the next closest pair of the bugs. For a moment, the charging hoard of Bug pokémon faltered…but then one of the exhausted humans, a girl younger than 2B, collapsed. Scenting blood, the enraged Pinsirs pushed forward…but they'd unknowingly lost their chance in their hesitation.
2B did not lock her pokéballs.
This was a choice any Trainer could make, with some official legal exceptions for particularly dangerous pokémon where Trainers were required to keep their balls 'locked' at all times. Doing so prevented a pokémon from releasing itself, and aside from the small list of exceptions, the cultural rule was that it was up to the Trainer to decide which pokémon could be trusted. 2B, with her ability to communicate with her pokémon via aura, had left all three of her pokéballs unlocked. At least, she had after her very first talk with Chinchou to establish basic ground rules.
This meant that Jigglypuff and Chinchou were both free to release themselves at any time they desired and pokéballs provided at least some idea of what was going on outside their balls to the pokémon inside them. Unlocked balls more so than locked ones. Sensing the bloodlust directed at their Trainer, the pair of pokémon didn't hesitate to release themselves now, shifting the odds from two versus seven to four versus seven. Which quickly became four versus six as 2B whipped her sword around, still infused with aura to give it power, and hit the Pinsir facing her between the eyes hard enough to knock it out.
The other bugs were only enraged farther by that, of course, but two had already eaten damage from Vulpix and went down fast to another barrage of Ice Burst. Two more found out firsthand that an angry Jigglypuff, armed with a sword twice its size made out of Fairy energy, was terrifying. Another ate the brunt of an Electro Ball from Chinchou. The last remaining Pinsir finally hesitated…but didn't get a chance to run as it was hit with a brutal Aerial Ace from Purugly as a panting Zoey finally caught up.
For a moment, everyone in the clearing simply stared, before 2B put away her blade and briskly walked to the fallen trainer and her friend. The injured Rattata had positioned itself to guard the duo and bared its teeth in a threat display as 2B got too close to her Trainer. 2B ignored it, plucking it casually out of the air when it tried a Quick Attack as she continued to advance. Knocking it out with a pressure point, she frowned as she assessed that the two humans weren't seriously injured and stopped to pull a potion out of her bracer. The two humans gaped at her, for some bizarre reason, as she carefully applied the potion to the Rattata she'd just knocked out.
"U-um…thank you? Wait! We need to go! That group wasn't alone!"
2B's gaze pinned the girl as she stuttered out the thanks, then panicked as the situation seemed to catch up to her.
"Explain. Pinsir do not swarm."
The terse response seemed to shut the girl up, causing 2B to berate herself as she flinched away. Thankfully, the male Trainer had raised a pokéball to recall the Rattata and spoke with a slightly steadier voice.
"They shouldn't. I've never heard of them doing so. Or even of them having so many numbers present in Viridian Forest at all. But something has stirred them all up horribly. They are fighting with everything they come across, and there were easily two dozen of them in the group we first saw. Most of them got tied up when we deliberately swung past a group of Beedrill we'd avoided earlier, but either the Pinsir or the Beedrill could catch up any time."
Zoey, breathing a bit heavily still from the frantic sprint, had reached them in time to hear the explanation.
"That's not good, but panicking won't make it better. Do you know what stirred them up, and what direction they were coming from or heading to?"
The trainer shook his head, but 2B had already noticed something else and leaned down to touch the ground with one hand, holding the other up in a signal for silence. They all stared at her in confusion, then she abruptly stood.
"Onix. Possibly Graveler, but more likely Onix. The ground is tremoring like someone not too far away is using strong Ground or Rock type moves. Given that Pinsir aren't seen much due to the fact that they burrow, I'm guessing that Onix have moved down into the Forest for some reason and disrupted all the Pinsir by tunneling straight through a breeding ground."
The female Trainer gained her courage back at that explanation. Out of pure outrage, it seemed.
"T-there are new mines, that just opened Southwest of Pewter! Flint and Forrest were furious with the mayor for allowing it. Could they have…?"
2B grimaced and nodded abruptly.
"That's almost certainly it. There's never been development there and it must be driving the Onix into the Forest. We need to move back to the path and start warning people, as well as try to get in touch with the Rangers so they can start stopping people from coming into the Forest until this is dealt with."
That got shaky nods from the two unknown Trainers, and a firmer one from Zoey. The redhead gestured back the way they had come.
"Path's that way, and it heads almost straight East here, back the way we came. If you two aren't hurt, we can get you there and you can go to the Rangers at the southern station while we move on to warn people. Do either of you still have pokémon in fighting shape?"
The girl, thankfully, nodded.
"Yes! My Oddish and Bellsprout weren't hurt! They just couldn't keep up with us when we needed to run!"
The male Trainer nodded as well.
"Same with my Geodude. We'll be fine so long as we reach the path and stay ahead of the trouble. We only went deeper into the Forest because our pokémon are actually fairly strong for their types and we're both Pewter residents, so we know where to avoid."
Zoey nodded and clapped her hands.
"Then, unless someone is planning to capture one of the Pinsir, time to get moving before anything else happens."
Both of the trainers shook their heads frantically at that idea, clearly a bit traumatized by the Pinsir that had been chasing them. The pair quickly started moving, causing Zoey to smirk at 2B behind their backs...
... ... ... ... ... ... ...
A/N: I had a lot of fun fleshing out Viridian. I both thought it deserved more than it's ever gotten, and needed a place to set a first true adventure/misadventure. The pokémon I chose are ones that actually can be found there, in one game or another, for the most part. Pinsir and Scyther are exceptions, but I think they fit well.