Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

In the early morning, feeling the moist and refreshing air, Aoki jumped down from a large tree and landed firmly on the dew-covered grass.

Stretching for a moment, he heard the soft crackle of his joints. One by one, his Pokémon followed, descending from the tree.

This forest was different from the one outside Goldenrod City. The wild Pokémon here were generally stronger. For safety, Aoki and his team had slept in the trees the previous night. However, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, a sensation that had plagued him since yesterday. Although nothing happened overnight, he remained wary.

After a good night's sleep, Aoki felt refreshed. The distant iceberg, which had once seemed so far away, now appeared much closer. Through the dense canopy, he could see massive stone formations marking the mountain's base. The air grew colder as they neared the iceberg.

Following a quick breakfast, they resumed their journey.

The Pokémon in this forest were territorial. Some lone Pokémon dominated large areas, while others formed powerful colonies. In both cases, trespassers were not welcome.

Single Pokémon with vast territories were easier to avoid; Aoki simply had to be cautious. However, navigating past colony territories was more complicated. These groups patrolled their land diligently, and any intrusion could result in aggressive expulsion or even a relentless chase.

One particular nuisance was Beedrill. Though more common in Kanto, they also thrived in Johto, albeit in smaller numbers. The problem was that, once they established a hive, their numbers exploded.

If not for their natural predators, Aoki suspected they could dominate entire forests. Pidgeotto and Furret preyed on Weedle, while Ursaring and other Pokémon stole their honey. Even then, Beedrill colonies remained some of the most populous groups in the forest.

Earlier, Aoki had unknowingly entered Beedrill territory and was immediately swarmed. The sheer number made his skin crawl. This hive was far larger and stronger than the one he had encountered on the trial island.

After Murkrow and the others took down a few Beedrill, they had only provoked the colony further, forcing Aoki and his team to flee.

"Hahh..." Aoki exhaled, still catching his breath. Even with his current physical fitness, the chase had drained him.

"Miltank!" Miltank approached, offering a fresh bottle of milk.

Aoki smiled wearily, patting Miltank on the head before downing the milk in one gulp. As warmth and energy returned to his body, he wiped his mouth, ready to speak—when he suddenly felt it again.

That same, persistent sensation of being watched.

This time, the feeling was even stronger. The mysterious presence was getting closer.

Aoki's eyes narrowed. "Is it... the milk?"

He thought back to the past encounters:

The first time he noticed it was after battling the two Team Rocket grunts, when Miltank was healing Murkrow.

The second time was after the exhausting battle against Persian, when Miltank once again provided milk.

And now, after narrowly escaping the Beedrill swarm, right after drinking Miltank's milk, he felt it again.

"It's watching the milk?" Aoki found it odd. The milk was indeed a valuable resource, but why skulk in the shadows instead of approaching openly?

Realizing that the unknown figure was not interested in him personally, Aoki felt a bit relieved.

To test his theory, he placed a full bottle of Miltank's milk on the ground and signaled his team to stay calm.

Then, he slowly led them away, leaving the milk behind.

—

Ten minutes passed. The bottle of milk remained untouched in the clearing. Aoki and Murkrow hid within the foliage of a large tree, watching silently.

Just as he was about to give up, a blur of motion appeared.

A shadowy figure darted down from a nearby tree, snatched the bottle, and vanished within the blink of an eye.

"There it is!" Aoki's eyes sharpened. Though the figure was fast, he managed to catch a glimpse of red markings and a faint glimmer of white light.

Not enough to fully identify it, but enough to confirm it was no illusion.

"Murkrow, follow it!" Aoki ordered.

Without hesitation, Murkrow spread its wings and took flight in pursuit. Aoki followed on foot with Slowpoke and Miltank at his side, though he remained cautious of wild Pokémon ambushing them in the dense forest.

Strangely, the mysterious figure seemed to be heading toward the iceberg.

—

After thirty minutes of running, Aoki reached a small lakeside, gasping for breath. Two intense chases in a single day had drained him completely. Even drinking another bottle of Miltank's milk only provided slight relief—his body had reached its limit.

"Murkrow!" Murkrow returned, looking slightly disheveled.

"Couldn't keep up?" Aoki guessed. The figure had clearly been fast and well-acquainted with the terrain.

"It's fine. If it's after Miltank's milk, it'll return. I think I know what it is now... or at least, what kind of Pokémon it might be." Aoki smirked, intrigued by the mystery.