Early in the morning, Eichi finished breakfast and prepared everything he needed.
To make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, he made a checklist and went through each item one by one.
Standing in his room, he changed into a fresh set of clothes.
He wore a short-sleeved sports shirt with a light blue jacket on top, blue track pants, and a new pair of blue sneakers.
His outfit was entirely blue, and he topped it off with a white cap.
Around his waist was a belt he had bought yesterday at the Johto Department Store, fitted with six round slots.
He attached two Poké Balls to it.
His look was quite similar to Red's outfit from the games, and he had even prepared several identical sets for the journey.
Once everything was ready, Eichi stepped outside.
His father, Mr. Yoshino, stood behind him at the door.
Eichi walked a few steps, then turned around. "I'm heading out, Dad."
Mr. Yoshino said, "Be safe."
Eichi turned his head forward again and replied, "Got it."
His figure slowly disappeared as his father waved goodbye.
From the direction he was heading, crossing through the Viridian Forest would lead him to Pewter City.
On the main path of the Viridian Forest, after walking for a while, Eichi spotted several Bug Catchers.
Some faces were familiar, others new.
They were doing the same thing as always, blocking the path to challenge passing rookie trainers.
Since he was passing by, Eichi greeted them. "Hey!"
They turned and, upon seeing him, the ones who knew him lit up. "It's Eichi!"
"Eichi!"
Eichi walked closer. "Still blocking new trainers here, huh?"
They looked embarrassed. "Yeah."
Then they noticed his outfit and asked, "What's with the getup?"
Eichi smiled. "Me? I'm going on a journey for a while."
They all said enviously, "So lucky. I want to travel too."
Eichi comforted them. "You can't yet, but someday, you will."
"Really? Then, when you come back, can you tell us your travel stories?"
"Of course," Eichi promised.
After chatting a bit more, he said, "Alright, I'll get going now."
"Goodbye, Eichi!" the Bug Catchers called out together.
***
Eichi continued walking deeper into the Viridian Forest.
Even though he often came here, the place always felt alive each time he entered.
His Bug Force was unusually active here, perhaps even stronger than in the city.
Although the sun shone brightly overhead, the forest was dim, wrapped in a tranquil darkness.
He breathed in the fresh air and felt completely at ease.
Along the path, he saw many Pokémon native to the Kanto region.
They all lived freely and peacefully in the Viridian Forest.
Some Bug-type Pokémon spotted him and didn't flee.
Instead, they chirped at him cheerfully.
A few friendly ones even rubbed against his legs, showing affection.
Eichi smiled and took a packet of Pokémon food from his backpack to feed them.
Seeing food, even more Pokémon gathered around.
Eichi took out a few more packs and shared them generously.
While they ate happily, he quietly continued his journey.
He didn't know why, but seeing these cute Pokémon made him feel genuinely happy.
Just giving them food filled him with joy.
***
After he left, two dark figures appeared where he had fed the Pokémon.
They soon followed in the direction he went.
***
Eichi's goal for this trip was simple: to see more places, make new friends, hear their stories, and battle many different Pokémon.
Ever since arriving in this world, he had never traveled beyond his hometown.
He only went between a few nearby spots, and he knew that wasn't enough.
He wanted to explore more.
In his previous life, he had only seen other cities in the anime.
Now he wanted to truly experience the difference between animation and reality.
This time, he planned to visit Pewter City and Cerulean City, and maybe meet Brock and Misty's three sisters.
If he had extra time, he might visit another city as well.
He also had another goal: to challenge a Gym.
He didn't know exactly how strong Beedrill had become.
Although it was still at the Experienced level, battle power couldn't be judged by level alone.
He needed to fight to find out.
Eichi walked at a steady pace.
At this rate, he could cross the Viridian Forest in four or five days.
He had walked all morning, and soon it was noon.
It was time for lunch.
He found a small clearing near a water source and began preparing his meal.
He released Beedrill and Scyther for some fresh air.
The two Pokémon had been cooped up for a while.
Eichi said, "Lunch will be ready soon. For now, go explore a bit, but don't go too far."
Scyther chirped excitedly and flew off.
Not long after, Beedrill also took off, disappearing into the trees.
Eichi chuckled. Beedrill was acting like a responsible big brother, making sure Scyther didn't get into trouble.
He stayed behind to cook.
Since it was his first time cooking outdoors, he was a bit clumsy and slow.
Still, after a while, lunch was ready.
Just then, Scyther returned, and soon after, Beedrill followed.
They sat together and enjoyed the meal.
Eichi didn't always feed them Pokémon food or Pokéblocks.
Sometimes he cooked simple meals for them to enjoy.
Today, he made porridge. The smell was wonderful.
He served them each a bowl. Scyther took a sip and chirped, "Syyth!"
Then it happily gulped it down. Beedrill tried some and said, "Bee!" (Delicious!)
Eichi laughed. "If it's good, have some more."
After eating, Eichi asked them to stretch and move around to help digest.
Scyther wanted to spar with Beedrill.
Although it was just for fun, their strength gap was too big for a real fight.
When they finished playing, Eichi took out his sleeping bag and lay down for a nap.
Beedrill and Scyther each found a tree to rest under.
In the afternoon, they continued traveling.
It was a quiet, uneventful stretch of road.
Hours passed, and the sky began to darken.
In the distance, Eichi noticed a signpost.
It said that from here onward, he would truly be leaving the outskirts of Viridian City.
He had now reached the middle area of the Viridian Forest.
Just as he was about to keep going, Beedrill suddenly came out of its Poké Ball, alert.
It stared warily at a blue Pokémon not far ahead.
Eichi looked closely. It was that same Heracross.
What was it doing here?
Heracross pointed at Scyther's Poké Ball on Eichi's belt and shouted, "Karo! Karo!" (Let's Battle!)