The transition from the sun-drenched, fragrant fields of Floaroma Town to the emerald depths of the Eterna Forest was like walking from a bright room into a dimly lit cellar. The canopy was so thick that the sunlight only managed to reach the forest floor in scattered, dusty beams. Giant ancient oaks and pines stood like silent sentinels, their trunks covered in thick moss and creeping vines.
This was a place where time seemed to move differently. It was home to massive colonies of Bug-type Pokémon and elusive Grass-types, but the locals always warned travelers about the "shivers"—the feeling of being watched by the Ghost-types that called the deeper thickets home.
I stepped onto the soft, loamy soil, the scent of damp earth and pine needles replacing the sweetness of honey. Beside me, Sylveon's feelers were twitching nervously, and Togepi was peeking out from my jacket, wide-eyed at the towering trees.
I stopped for a moment, looking at a particularly gnarled tree with a hollowed-out trunk. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me.
"We fell right around here back then," I murmured, my voice hushed by the heavy silence of the woods. "In the blink of an eye, a whole year has passed."
A year ago, I was a panicked researcher who had just "arrived" in this world with nothing but the clothes on my back and a tiny, frightened Flabébé. I reached into my pocket and pulled out Floette's Poké Ball. I could feel it vibrating slightly, as if she knew exactly where we were.
"Speaking of which, we've known each other for exactly one year. We met right in this forest."
I tossed the ball, and Floette emerged in a swirl of green petals. She didn't fly off to explore; she hovered in place, her eyes scanning the familiar trees with a look of deep recognition.
"Let's walk together for a bit," I said with a faint smile. "Maybe we'll run into some of the locals who aren't trying to eat us."
"Floette-sound~ (Okay, Jing!)"
She gave a cheerful chirp and immediately drifted over to her favorite spot: right on top of my head. Feeling that familiar weight, I started walking, my boots crunching on dry leaves.
"You know, when we first fell here, we were so busy screaming and running for our lives that we didn't really get to enjoy the view," I said, laughing at the memory of my past self.
"Florges-sound! (That's for sure! My tiny heart was beating so fast!)" Floette agreed, patting my hair with her flower.
As we walked deeper, memories began to resurface. I remembered the hunger, the cold, and the sheer terror of being an "invasive species" in a world where everything had superpowers. Suddenly, I stopped and hit my palm with my fist.
"Wait! Floette, do you think you can find that specific clearing? You know, the one with the high-quality Oran Berry trees? The place where that... charming fellow chased us so miserably?"
I could still feel the phantom ache in my legs from that day. We had just been trying to find a snack, but we had accidentally trespassed on the territory of a very grumpy, very large Pinsir. We had barely escaped with our skin intact.
"See if you can sense it. If that Pinsir is still there, I think it's about time we settled the score. Revenge is a dish best served with a specialized move-set, don't you think?"
Floette's eyes lit up with a mischievous, competitive fire. "Florges-sound! Florges! (Oh, I remember! He was so mean! Revenge! Revenge!)"
She closed her eyes, her long, elegant eyelashes fluttering as she extended her natural connection to the surrounding flora. I did the same, closing my eyes and trying to tap into the Aura I had been practicing. I felt the life force of the forest—the buzzing of Wurmple, the rustling of Budew—but it was like trying to tune a radio through heavy static.
A few minutes later, Floette's eyes snapped open. She pointed a tiny hand toward a dense thicket on our right.
"Floette! (Found it! Follow the leader!)"
"Still better than me, huh?" I sighed, following her as she zipped through the brush. "My Aura sensing still needs some serious work."
"Florges-sound! (If you were better at sensing nature than a Pokémon, what would you need us for?!)" she teased, glancing back with a smirk.
I gave a dry laugh. If only you knew, Floette. I thought about the "monsters" I knew from the lore. There was Ash, who could basically bench-press a Larvitar and walk off a Thunderbolt like it was a light breeze. There was Professor Oak, who legendary rumors claimed could survive being trampled by a herd of Tauros. And don't even get me started on the Psychics like Sabrina.
Kanto is a land of titans, I thought, shivering. Best not to tell Floette yet, or she might start demanding I take a Hyper Beam to the chest to show 'team spirit'.
"Floette! (We're here!)"
Her shout snapped me out of my internal monologue. I pushed through the final layer of ferns and stepped into a bright, circular clearing. It was exactly as I remembered—a beautiful pocket of wild flowers surrounded by several lush Oran Berry trees.
However, the clearing was eerily quiet. Usually, a place like this would be crawling with Caterpie and Combee. But today, they were all hiding.
The reason was currently perched on a low-hanging branch of the largest Oran tree. It was a massive, stag-beetle-like Pokémon with terrifying, spiked pincers and a permanent scowl.
It was the Pinsir.
He was currently munching on a ripe Berry, looking every bit the king of the clearing. I stepped forward, my shadow falling across the grass.
"Hey, big guy! Remember us?" I shouted, my voice echoing through the trees. "A year ago, you chased a guy in a t-shirt and a tiny Flabébé across three miles of forest! Well, we're back, and we're not running this time!"
The Pinsir froze. He slowly turned his head, the Oran Berry juice staining his mandibles. He looked at me, then at the elegant, powerful Floette hovering beside me. A low, guttural growl vibrated in his chest.
"Pinsir!" (You again? Get lost!)
"Not happening," I said, my hand going to my belt just in case, though Floette was already in position. "This time, it's a fair fight. Floette, show him how much we've grown. It's time for some payback!"
"Floette! (For the chase! For the hunger! Take this!)"
The Pinsir dropped from the branch, landing with a heavy thud that shook the ground. He snapped his pincers together—a metallic clack-clack that sounded like a guillotine.
The forest seemed to hold its breath. This wasn't a Contest, and it wasn't a Gym match. This was personal.