Pokemon: A Legendary Adventure

Having won the battle against Kenta and evolved Sentret into Furret, Victor is on his way home from school after classes.

A little past noon, Victor walks along the path back, planning to stop by a diner in the city center for lunch.

Upon arriving, he orders food for himself, Furret, Marill, and Stoutland, eating while contemplating his next steps.

'Maybe I should form a second team, separate from my main identity. After all, there are things I'll need to do that could put my family's safety at risk if I use my real identity—especially regarding Team Rocket, like Project Mewtwo.' Victor thinks as he takes a bite of his burger.

Sipping his milkshake, Victor gazes out the window.

'Team Rocket, the Masked Man, Team Aqua, Team Magma, Team Galactic, and so many others. Many of them pose a threat to the regions. I need to be prepared. That's why I need a second identity—something for secret missions where I have to remain anonymous.'

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Victor rests his chin on his hand as he reaches a conclusion.

'I'll need a two-layer disguise—a mask and a new face, courtesy of a Ditto. That means capturing a Ditto with the Imposter ability. It'd be funny to dress like a bat, hahaha... but I'm not that crazy. Not to mention, I don't want some psycho clown terrorizing the world. I'll stick to just a mask.'

After lunch, he heads toward the forest north of the city.

Entering a small grove, Victor releases Furret and Stoutland, who both growl as they emerge from their Poké Balls.

"Fuuurret!"

"Stouuutland!"

"Can I hop on?" Victor asks, stroking Stoutland's fur.

"Stoouu..."

Stoutland nods affirmatively and lowers its body.

Taking advantage of Stoutland's large size—bigger than a normal Stoutland, thanks to Andrew's excellent training—Victor climbs onto its back.

Now riding Stoutland, Victor wraps his arms around its neck and says excitedly, "Let's go!"

"Stouutlaand."

"Fuur."

At Victor's signal, Stoutland pushes off with its hind legs, dashing into the grove.

"FU!"

Not wanting to be left behind, Furret shoots forward like a rocket, chasing after Stoutland.

Speeding up, Furret runs with excitement, reveling in the agility of its new form.

"Fur Furret Furr!"

Taking the lead over Stoutland, Furret glances back with a smug expression, proud to have overtaken it.

"Stouu?" (o_o#?)

Noticing Furret's cocky look, Stoutland lets out an amused yet irritated huff. Fixing Furret with a determined gaze, Stoutland digs deep, gathering more strength in its legs before surging forward and reclaiming the lead.

"Fuu?"

Furret watches in shock as Stoutland speeds past, the distance between them rapidly increasing. Mouth agape, Furret stares in disbelief as Stoutland vanishes ahead.

A few minutes later, Furret finally catches up to Victor and Stoutland, who are stopped near a stream.

By the water's edge, Stoutland drinks while Victor holds up his camera, pointing it at a large tree on the other side of the stream.

In that tree sits something rare in Johto. If it weren't so far away, Victor would've tried to capture it. A dark gray and white bird.

A Staravia.

It perches on a high branch, near a Pidgeotto.

Raising his camera, Victor snaps a photo of an adorable scene.

In the picture, Staravia has one wing spread, shielding Pidgeotto's back. Meanwhile, Pidgeotto rests its head against Staravia's chest, preening its feathers.

Whoosh! 

The sound of Furret's arrival startles Staravia and Pidgeotto, making them take flight.

Watching the birds fly away into the depths of the forest, Victor sighs.

'Another Pokémon abandoned by an incompetent trainer… sigh.'

Turning around, Victor lets out an amused huff as he looks at Furret. Playfully, he says,

"Hey, buddy. Did you really think you could outrun a Pokémon on the verge of Elite level while you're only Intermediate?"

"Fuu?" (TnT)

Furret gazes at Victor with teary eyes, panting lightly.

Stoutland, finishing its drink, shoots Furret a mildly disdainful look.

Seeing Furret's expression, Victor shakes his head with a smile and says,

"It's okay, Furret. Enough pretending. Recognize this place?"

"Furret… Fur?"

Shaking off its fake tears, Furret regains its normal expression. Looking around, it tilts its head in confusion—until it spots the stream.

"Fu?" Furret asks, recalling their first attempt at exploring the forest.

"Yep, it's that place. I really hope that bastard is still here. We have unfinished business," Victor says, flashing a mischievous grin.

"Furrrrr."

Furret mirrors Victor's smirk, nodding in agreement.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go."

Clapping his hands, Victor wears an expression that, from afar, might seem innocent—unaware of the small, vengeful grudge he holds against that Victreebel.

Continuing on, they follow the stream toward the Sentret Tribe.

After some walking, Victor signals Furret and Stoutland to crouch, hiding in a bush.

In the distance, they spot Victreebel basking in the sunlight, dozens of meters from the stream.

"There's our guy. Stoutland, can you handle him?" Victor asks, locking eyes on Victreebel.

"Stoouu..."

Stoutland growls, shifting into a battle stance.

"Now! Rock Tomb!"

Stoutland slams its front paw into the ground, summoning massive rocks from the sky, which plummet toward Victreebel, aiming to trap it.

"Victree?"

As a wild Pokémon, Victreebel's danger instincts are razor-sharp. Sensing the incoming threat, it leaps to the left, narrowly dodging a rock that would have crushed it.

"Stoutland!"

Seeing Victreebel dodge, Stoutland charges forward with a roar.

With Stoutland closing in, Victreebel's instincts flare again, prompting it to retaliate with Vine Whip.

"Victreebel!"

Vines shoot out from Victreebel's body, whipping toward Stoutland.

Watching the attack approach, Victor quickly thinks of a counter and commands,

"Fire Fang! Burn the vines!"

There's a slight delay—Stoutland isn't officially Victor's Pokémon—but it still obeys. Flames engulf its mouth, forming fiery fangs.

With those blazing jaws, Stoutland bites into the vines, incinerating them as it rushes forward.

Now face-to-face with Victreebel, Victor seizes the advantage, ordering,

"Psychic Fangs!"

"Stouuuu!"

Enormous, glowing psychic fangs materialize as Stoutland clamps down on Victreebel.

"BEEEEL!"

Screaming in pain, Victreebel desperately counters, forming a Leaf Blade aimed at Stoutland's back.

But Stoutland, sensing its intent, swings its head and tosses Victreebel away.

Soaring through the air, Victreebel uses its vines to grab the ground, stopping itself from crashing into a massive tree.

Landing, it pants heavily before glaring at Victor with a devious glint.

'Crap!' Victor realizes.

"Protect me, Stoutland!"

Reacting instantly, Stoutland dashes back—just as Victreebel unleashes Razor Leaf at Victor.

"Stout!"

Roaring, Stoutland counters by summoning Rock Tomb, blocking the attack.

"Sigh..."

Seeing the leaves deflected, Victor breathes a sigh of relief.

'I can't even underestimate a wild Pokémon, huh?' he muses, a self-deprecating smile forming.

But when he scans the battlefield—Victreebel is gone.

"Where is that bastard?" Victor mutters.

"Stou."

Stoutland gestures toward the stream, where a faint purple stain in the water is fading.

"Furret Furret Fuu..."

Furret theatrically reenacts what it saw—Victreebel, injured and bleeding, dragging itself into the water before disappearing.

"You've got to be kidding me… That slimy thing actually got away. Sigh… at least we hurt it badly. Lesson learned—**in the wild, nothing is ever truly under control.**"

"Furret." 

Furret comments in a gentle tone while using its tail to pat Victor's back in consolation.

"It's okay, Furret. Are we close to the Furret tribe's location?" Victor asks, calming down as he looks at Furret.

"Fu."

Checking their surroundings, Sentret nods in confirmation.

"Alright, let's keep going."

Having received Furret's response, Victor climbs back onto Stoutland and resumes riding toward the tribe.

As they pass through a denser part of the forest, they arrive at a small grove, where they are greeted by many Sentrets and Furrets.

With a quick count, Victor estimates there are around forty Sentrets and about twenty Furrets.

The strange thing is that the Sentrets are watching them with caution and curiosity, which is normal for them. However, the Furrets appear much more hostile, which is odd since Furrets are usually gentle creatures.

Sensing the tension in the air, Victor's Furret steps forward to mediate and try to figure out the reason behind this hostility.

"Fuurr Fuur Ret," Furret says, waving its little arms, communicating with its former tribemates.

"Fuu Furret Fu," one of the Furrets from the tribe steps forward, responding to Victor's Furret.

While the two communicate, Victor dismounts from Stoutland and begins observing the area. He notices several oran berry trees, as well as holes in the non-fruit-bearing trees, which seem to serve as dens for the tribe.

These dens remind Victor of something he still needs to consider.

'I need a secret base. A Batcave—for logistics, item storage, and other things.'

Snapping out of his thoughts, Victor sees Furret returning.

"What happened, Furret?"

"Fuu Furret."

In response to Victor's question, Furret begins explaining.

From Furret's explanation, Victor learns that someone has been stealing the tribe's berries, and they are struggling to catch the thief. This is especially concerning because they need the berries for... a ceremony?

"Wait. What ceremony?" Victor asks, tilting his head in confusion.

"Fu Fu Furret Fu."

Furret then explains that once a year, the various tribes in the forest hold a ceremony in which they offer gifts to the Forest God in exchange for blessings to keep the forest ecosystem thriving. They do this by leaving offerings at a temple located near a cliff in the inner circle of the forest.

'Forest God? Possibly Celebi. But…' Victor thinks, processing the information.

"Furret, did you say temple?" Victor asks curiously, looking at Furret.

"Fuurr..."

Furret confirms before elaborating on the temple's history. It explains that, according to the Sentret tribe's ancestors, the temple was built by a man over a hundred years ago. According to legend, this man had a deep connection with the Forest God and was incredibly strong, commanding an army of insects.

"An army of insects? William Thomas, 'The Bug Tide.' Was he the one who built it?" Victor murmurs in shock, realizing he has stumbled upon something incredible.

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