Chapter 20: River of the Green Forest
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"That figure looks familiar..."
Bruce squinted, watching the two figures in the distance—one tall, one shorter—and murmured quietly.
"Maybe I've seen them somewhere before."
Not many people were at the Green Forest today. Other than a few trainers, there were only the staff members at the outpost, who were handling registrations.
Bruce already knew the necessity of registering information before coming here.
Generally, law and order in Avalon are good, but there are still some wanted criminals or poaching teams hiding in the shadows, often roaming in the wilderness and in secret places.
And these types of people are often more dangerous than wild Pokemon.
They are ruthless, cold, and will stop at nothing to make a profit, and snatching Pokemon from Trainers is not uncommon for them.
Bruce is very aware of this. When you're alone in the wild, you need to be cautious not only of wild Pokemon but also of strangers.
The wilderness is home to all sorts: there are formally organized Trainers, powerful lone wanderers, ignorant novices, wanted criminals, and poaching teams.
"In the wild, Trainers often help each other and lend a hand."
"But where people can't see, in the shadows, there's blood and murder."
"And all of it is for resources."
Once Bruce finished registering, he officially began his journey into the Green Forest.
As he stepped onto the path, Bruce tossed a Luxury Ball.
"Combusken!"
Combusken appeared before him with great enthusiasm. As soon as it emerged, Combusken looked around, full of curiosity about the surroundings.
"Combusken, I'll leave the rest to you," Bruce said.
"Combusken!"
Combusken nodded firmly.
Though Bruce had never been in the wild, his school teacher had emphasized more than once that Pokemon are a Trainer's greatest safeguard in the wilderness.
From the moment you enter the forest, you should let your Pokemon protect you at all times to avoid unforeseen incidents.
If you wait until an accident or an attack happens to send out a Pokemon, it may be too late.
"It's a shame I don't have a flying Pokemon," Bruce thought, walking beside Combusken with a hint of regret.
Flying Pokemon make excellent scouts in the wild, providing an aerial view, which is extremely helpful.
Nine out of ten times, Ash sent out his Flying Pokemon to locate Pikachu, who had been taken by Team Rocket, showing how useful they can be.
Bruce and Combusken headed deeper into the Green River Forest, all the while recalling relevant information about the forest.
"According to geography class, the Kunlun Mountains in the west gave rise to a great river. This river flows from west to east, passing through snow-covered mountains, plateaus, grasslands, mountains, and plains, finally emptying into the eastern sea."
"The Green River is one of the tributaries of this great river, splitting this forest in two. That's why it's called the 'Green River Forest.'"
"In other words, if you walk all the way north from the Green Forest, you should be able to reach the city of Endsville," Bruce thought to himself.
The city of Endsville and Fairbay, located closely together like sisters, are affectionately referred to as "sister cities" by people from other places.
The further they walked, the denser the forest became, thickly populated with massive trees. Branches stretched out wide with lush foliage, shading the sun.
From time to time, Bruce heard noises—unsettling though not entirely silent.
Bruce remained calm, while Combusken seemed eager, looking around alertly.
An Ekans coiled itself around a tree trunk, eyes cold and hissing; a Murkrow perched on a branch, staring at Bruce; an Oddish hid in the grass, trembling.
"Now this is biodiversity," Bruce whispered.
Walking through the dim forest, stepping on dead and rotting branches, he recalled the knowledge he had learned from his books.
Due to differences in habitats, wild Pokemon are fiercer and more hostile toward humans than domesticated Pokemon.
Additionally, due to their various species, there are some differences in their personalities.
In the wilderness, some Pokemon are gentle and dislike fighting, while others are fierce and will attack humans at the slightest disagreement.
"So, we should always be alert to the wild Pokemon that may appear, and if we notice a trace of hostility, act immediately." Bruce squinted and spoke firmly.
"Combusken."
Combusken nodded, then glanced back and forth, its sharp eyes scaring a Catterpie hiding in the shadows, causing it to retreat behind the leaves, not daring to move an inch.
As they moved forward, the trees around them gradually thinned, revealing patches of light scattered across the ground through the gaps in the foliage. Their vision gradually grew brighter.
Bruce munched on a piece of dried food, looking around and searching for any Pokemon hidden in the darkness.
"Combusken!"
Just then, Combusken suddenly turned its head to look not far away, its gaze sharp as it sounded a warning.
"Hm?"
Bruce looked in the same direction and saw a large white cat walking upright, revealing its figure. It had red patterns on its body, resembling terrifying scars.
It had a soft white tail behind it and two sharp claws glinting with a cold light, eager to strike.
Zangoose, the nemesis of Seviper.
[Pokemon: Zangoose (Normal)]
Ability: Immunity
Qualification: Professional
Level: Lv21 (Senior level)]
"A Senior-level Zangoose..." Bruce observed Zangoose, its body fur bristling, and spoke quietly.
"Looks like we're starting off big."
Bruce grinned and said, "Get ready to fight."
"Combusken!"
In fact, without Bruce's reminder, Combusken had already entered battle mode, ready to fight at any moment.
Zangoose struck first. It took a step forward, transforming into a white blur that was hard to track with the naked eye, charging quickly!
Quick Attack!
Combusken stayed silent, eyes narrowed, watching Zangoose's rapid approach.
To Combusken, Zangoose's speed seemed to slow down, each movement traceable.
In a flash, Zangoose lunged at Combusken, its cold eyes slashing with its sharp claws.
Combusken remained calm, then suddenly sidestepped to the left, completely avoiding Zangoose's attack range!
At the same time, Zangoose's swing missed, its balance compromised.
Combusken took advantage, swinging its claws fiercely, with an intense aura condensing in an instant. A bright white light enveloped its claws.
"Roar!"
A painful cry echoed as a long scar appeared on Zangoose's abdomen, red blood seeping out, staining its white fur.
The unimaginable pain coursed through Zangoose's body, its face twisting in agony.
Combusken pressed on, opening its beak to spit out a hot Ember, which exploded against Zangoose's abdomen!
Boom!
Zangoose was knocked several meters back, crashing hard against a thick tree and then collapsing onto the ground.
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To be Continued
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