Chapter Thirty-One: Shilabi and Tree Gecko

Celebi—this is the official term, though many Pokémon players still call it Serebii. This Pokémon, which looks a bit like a green onion bulb, is one of the few legendary creatures from the earlier generations. Besides being the god of the forest, Celebi is also said to possess the power to travel through time and space. That’s quite daunting, for anything involving time and space is never a trivial matter—it can get so convoluted it makes one’s head spin.

But Zhao Fang had no such concerns. Celebi was still far removed from his world; even if he encountered it one day, it would be much like Ash’s chance meeting with Ho-Oh—a sign of sheer good fortune.

The entrance to Petalburg Woods was nothing like in the games. Here, the entrance featured a shop, and the first thing Zhao Fang noticed was a map of the woods for sale at twenty League coins. This was an absolute necessity—getting lost in the forest was a real pain.

After showing his Pokédex, the shopkeeper’s previously cold expression warmed considerably, even breaking into a faint smile. “Young Trainer, there are parts of Petalburg Woods you mustn’t venture into. It’s best to stick to the routes marked on the map... Of course, if you ever collect five badges, I can offer you a more unique map.” The shopkeeper’s lips curled up, but Zhao Fang couldn’t shake the feeling the smile was a bit forced.

“Thank you very much,” Zhao Fang replied politely, recognizing the good intentions.

Map in hand, Zhao Fang stepped into Petalburg Woods. At once, he felt the difference in the air—fresher, tinged with a floral scent. Nearby, a few Bug-type Pokémon darted among the grasses.

He even spotted a Beedrill, though these seemed to have learned their lesson and stayed well away from the main path. Many considered Beedrill weak, but there were always exceptions—like Giovanni of Team Rocket, whose Beedrill possessed Champion-level power. Truly, there are no useless Pokémon, only useless Trainers.

Venturing deeper, Zhao Fang took a glance at his map. The route for sale offered a direct path to Rustboro City, while other areas were marked as dangerous.

Of course, a map was just a guide—if a Trainer wished to explore the hazardous areas, no one would stop them. The League discovered victims in the woods and forbidden zones every year.

“It seems to be mostly Grass and Bug Pokémon here,” Zhao Fang mused. He’d seen plenty of Bug-types and the occasional flash of a Grass Pokémon, but the only one that really piqued his interest was a Bellsprout.

What disappointed him was the complete lack of other Trainers—not even a soul in sight. But then, in reality, people didn’t loiter by the roadside with Poké Balls ready for battle.

“Should I try to toughen up Magikarp’s endurance?” Zhao Fang eyed a nearby Oddish that darted from the bushes, lost in thought.

He recalled an episode of the anime in which a Pokémon, facing a type disadvantage, withstood an attack and turned the tables on its opponent. This made him consider whether he should train Magikarp to withstand super-effective moves before it evolved.

Magikarp, being Water-type, was vulnerable to Grass-types, and there were plenty here. But that didn’t quite fit his needs, since after evolving into Gyarados, Grass would no longer be super-effective; it was Electric moves that would become a real threat with their quadruple damage.

“Oh, if only Dragapult could use Electric-type moves,” he sighed. He didn’t let Dragapult battle—these wild Pokémon were hardly worthy sparring partners for his Dragapult-Meissia.

“Dragapult?” With no one else around, Dragapult-Meissia poked out its head, its yellow eyes full of confusion.

Zhao Fang was about to chat with Dragapult-Meissia when he heard a strange noise from the nearby underbrush. Quickly, he patted Dragapult-Meissia’s head, sending it into stealth mode, while he gripped Magikarp’s Poké Ball and watched the grass ahead warily.

The bushes rustled, and soon a Treecko emerged, locking eyes with Zhao Fang.

“Treecko?” Zhao Fang was stunned. The Treecko, as if it had seen a ghost, instantly leapt aside.

Treecko—a rare starter from Hoenn—was a powerful and coveted initial Pokémon for many Trainers. Zhao Fang hadn’t expected to encounter one here.

Without hesitation, Zhao Fang gave his command. He didn’t know why there was a Treecko in Petalburg Woods, but such a Pokémon was a prize worth capturing.

“Dragapult-Meissia, use Dragon Tail!” Zhao Fang’s hand reached for the Poké Ball.

Magikarp, being Water-type, was at a disadvantage against the Grass-type Treecko, and the situation was too sudden for him to send it out. So he simply ordered Dragapult-Meissia into action.

“Draa~” Dragapult-Meissia chirped cheerfully, swinging its tail in a blur. But before it could strike Treecko, it collided with something else.

A Sceptile stepped out of the shadows, casting a cold glance at Dragapult-Meissia, whose tail had struck its leg. Then it looked at Treecko, its expression softening.

Zhao Fang felt a pang of guilt. He wasn’t foolish—this was obviously Treecko’s elder. He might stand a chance against Treecko, but Sceptile was out of the question.

“Dragapult-Meissia, return!” Zhao Fang called his Pokémon back, protecting it behind him.

He couldn’t communicate with Pokémon, and didn’t know if Sceptile would blame him and Dragapult-Meissia for attacking its child, but he had no intention of letting his partner face such a powerful foe.

Fortunately, Sceptile seemed uninterested. Wrapping its tail protectively around Treecko, it didn’t spare Zhao Fang a glance, disappearing into the forest with its charge.

“That was close...” Zhao Fang wiped the cold sweat from his brow. Sceptile’s presence was truly overwhelming.