Pokemon: Trait Master

Viridian Forest located outside Viridian City was a vast and sprawling woodland! 

Legends spoke of Celebi residing deep within the forest, 

though no one had ever actually seen it. 

There was another legend— 

those born within this forest, whether human or Pokémon, 

had an incredibly rare chance of receiving the blessing of Viridian Forest, 

gaining the mythical power known as Viridian Force! 

Because of this legend, many people from Viridian City 

would deliberately travel to the forest to give birth, 

hoping to secure this mystical power for their child. 

But just like the Celebi legend, 

this story remained nothing more than a myth— 

no one had ever truly gained Viridian Force this way. 

Instead, the number of people who got lost, injured, or even perished 

in the depths of Viridian Forest grew year by year. 

To mitigate these risks, 

the Pokémon League had designated a safe route through the forest. 

As long as Trainers stuck to this route, 

the chances of encountering danger were extremely low. 

However, if someone deliberately sought danger 

by straying into the deeper parts of the forest… 

then even the League wouldn't be able to save them. 

Though Ash had full confidence in his strength, 

he had no reason to risk his life exploring dangerous areas. 

His priority was collecting all eight Gym Badges first! 

--- 

As the three walked along the forest trail, 

Misty kept sneaking glances at Ash, 

her emerald-green eyes flickering with curiosity. 

Just as Ash had guessed— 

her real reason for joining the group was not because she was afraid of bugs in Viridian Forest. 

The truth was— 

she had been drawn to Ash's actions that night at the Pokémon Center. 

Misty had always dreamed of becoming a Water-type Pokémon Master, 

but she had only recently begun her journey. 

Traveling alone had been rough, and she had struggled a lot. 

She had long wanted to find a traveling companion, but good travel partners were hard to come by. 

As a young girl, she was well aware of how dangerous it could be to team up with the wrong person. 

One mistake could lead to disaster. 

That was why Misty had been extremely cautious in choosing her travel partners! 

But after witnessing Ash's strength and character, 

she became convinced— 

not only was he strong, but he also had a good heart! 

On top of that— 

he was already traveling with another girl, 

which made the situation feel even safer! 

So Misty's decision to follow Ash was not just about crossing Viridian Forest. 

She was already considering him as a long-term travel companion! 

Of course, she still wanted to observe him for a couple of days. 

If their personalities clashed or if any problems arose, 

she could simply part ways after leaving the forest. 

It wasn't like she was forcing herself into the group! 

--- 

"Ash, Serena, stay alert—we're entering the deeper parts of Viridian Forest now." 

"Even though we used bug repellent spray, 

not all Bug-type Pokémon will be deterred by it." 

"Especially Beedrill—if we encounter a swarm, 

even Pikachu would have a hard time handling them." 

"So let's each release a Pokémon for protection." 

Since this was a safety issue, Ash had to be extra cautious. 

Serena and Misty nodded. 

Serena released her Fennekin, 

while Misty sent out her Starmie. 

Ash glanced at Starmie— 

Advanced-level, with one Purple and two Blue Traits. 

Not bad. 

Misty had good taste. 

At the same time, Ash also released his Froakie. 

Viridian Forest was a massive experience farm! 

His goal was to level up Froakie to at least Normal Mid-tier 

before leaving the forest. 

"Wow! Is this a Water-type Pokémon? It's so cute!!" 

The moment Misty saw Froakie, her eyes sparkled, and she rushed over, 

wanting to hug the little Water-type. 

But— 

Froakie swiftly dodged, 

leaping onto Ash's shoulder instead. 

Ash chuckled. 

"Haha, his name is Froakie—one of the starter Pokémon from the Kalos Region." 

"Froakie, this is Misty—our new teammate. Say hi." 

Froakie hesitated for a moment, 

then gave a small wave, acknowledging Misty. 

"Kalos Region? Oh, I know that place! It's super far from Kanto, right?" 

"Wait… Ash, aren't you from Pallet Town?" 

"And Serena—what about your Pokémon? I've never seen it before! 

It's so pretty! Is it a fox?" 

Ash and Serena exchanged a look. 

One thing was for sure— 

with Misty around, things were a LOT livelier! 

As they walked, Ash and Serena 

explained Froakie and Fennekin's origins to Misty. 

"Whoa—so you two are childhood friends?!" 

Misty's eyes widened in surprise. 

Serena's face immediately flushed red, 

and she waved her hands, trying to explain. 

"N-No, we're not childhood friends! 

We just… played together for a little while when we were kids." 

Misty grinned. 

"That still counts! And you even came all the way from Kalos 

just to travel with Ash!" 

"That's so romantic~!" 

Serena turned even redder, struggling to respond. 

As the two girls chatted, 

Ash began preparing weighted training gear for Froakie. 

He had commissioned these weights in Viridian City— 

simple wrist and ankle weights that weren't too complicated to craft. 

It had only taken half a day to forge them. 

Now, he was equipping them onto Froakie. 

Weighted training was an old-school method, 

but it was undeniably effective. 

Training and battling under extra weight 

would drastically improve Froakie's physical capabilities. 

Of course, proper nutrition was essential— 

but for Ash, that was no problem at all! 

--- 

Once Froakie was geared up, 

Ash led him to battle wild Pokémon, 

training non-stop until lunchtime. 

By then, Froakie had a flawless winning streak! 

Even against Normal-tier Pokémon, 

Froakie was able to defeat them under Ash's command. 

As for the wild Pokémon in Viridian Forest's safe zone, 

most were Beginner-tier Pokémon. 

Serena and Misty also had a few battles, 

but neither of them caught any Pokémon. 

After all— 

the most common Pokémon here were Bug-types, Rattata, and Spearow. 

They weren't strong or visually appealing, 

so there was no reason to catch them. 

--- 

When lunchtime arrived, 

Ash once again demonstrated his top-tier cooking skills. 

For Misty, this was her first time eating Ash's food— 

And her face turned bright red from the sheer deliciousness! 

Serena, watching from the side, 

also turned completely red— 

She had never realized that she must have looked exactly like this the first time she ate Ash's cooking! 

How embarrassing!