Pokémon: I’m Really Not a Team Rocket Spy

Carrying his supplies to the back door, Maki peeked around to make sure no one was watching before slipping out unnoticed.

Maki was heading to the forest just outside Saffron City. Though much smaller than the sprawling Viridian Forest, it still served as a habitat for many wild Pokémon.

The smaller scale meant fewer Pokémon, which naturally made it a safer area. One reason Maki had avoided Viridian Forest was the potential for trouble.

With just his Charmander, even a few Beedrill could turn into a dangerous chase.

Maki wasn't short on resources. If he wanted a new Pokémon, buying one from a breeder or asking Giovanni to find one would be far more efficient than blindly venturing into the forest.

But now, he had nothing to worry about. The Saffron Forest was smaller, and more importantly, Dragonite would serve as a reliable safeguard.

Besides, battling wild Pokémon in the field was different from battling in a controlled environment. It would be good practice to improve Charmander's combat abilities.

However, no sooner had Maki stepped into the forest than Dragonite emerged from its Poké Ball of its own accord.

"Boooo!"

[Just so you know! Unless your life is in danger, I'm not stepping in.]

Dragonite crossed its short arms in an attempt to appear stern, though its adorable demeanor made it hard to take seriously.

"I understand. It's just me and Charmander; we can handle it."

"Char!"

[Exactly!]

Charmander nodded vigorously, declaring that Maki had all the protection he needed.

Maki didn't plan to go too deep into the forest. As long as they didn't run into something like Ursaring or Arbok, Charmander could easily handle Pokémon like Pidgey or Spearow.

"Boooo…"

[Let's hope so.]

Satisfied, Dragonite returned to its Poké Ball.

As Maki entered the forest, he was greeted by a faint, refreshing fragrance mixed with the earthy aroma unique to nature, creating a sense of comfort.

For someone who had spent so much time in the city, the change of scenery felt refreshing.

"The last time I came to Saffron Forest, it was with Father and Silver. That was years ago."

A wave of nostalgia washed over Maki as he recalled those days. Speaking of Silver, he wondered how his stubborn little brother was faring after running away from home. At least with Giovanni watching over him from the shadows, he shouldn't run into anything serious.

Maki smirked at the thought of Silver possibly following the same path as in the games, stealing a starter Pokémon from Professor Elm's lab. After all, Professor Oak had left for the Johto region, and everything seemed to be aligning with the events of Pokémon Gold and Silver.

"Why am I even thinking about him? I've got my own problems to deal with."

Shaking his head to dismiss the thought, Maki refocused on exploring the forest with Charmander.

"Stay alert. Wild Pokémon could appear at any moment. If they're not hostile, we'll leave them alone. But some wild Pokémon can be aggressive, so don't let your guard down."

Maki glanced at Charmander, hesitating briefly before deciding to speak further.

"Also, don't underestimate other Trainers. Even if they seem friendly, they can be more dangerous than wild Pokémon."

In the wild, unexpected encounters with Trainers could pose a bigger threat than most Pokémon.

Charmander, as a rare starter Pokémon, would likely attract attention from ill-intentioned individuals. Having spent its early days under Professor Oak's care, Charmander had only interacted with Trainers like Nathan, Lance, and Sabrina, giving it the impression that all Trainers were trustworthy.

"Char…"

Charmander tilted its head, unable to fully grasp Maki's warning. But since it came from Maki, Charmander nodded earnestly.

As they ventured deeper, the surroundings grew quieter. They had left the safer outskirts of Saffron Forest and entered an area where wild Pokémon roamed freely.

Rustle… rustle…

A faint sound came from a nearby bush. Charmander, curious, moved closer to investigate. Before it could reach the bush, several Oddish darted out, hopping away as fast as they could.

Trailing behind them was a Caterpie, inching along slowly, unable to keep up.

Oddish—a common sight in forests.

Despite their potential to evolve into either Vileplume or Bellossom, Maki had no intention of catching one.

Bellossom was elegant but limited as a pure Grass-type, while Vileplume, with its Grass/Poison typing and Chlorophyll ability, couldn't compare to Venusaur in terms of versatility.

And then there was the issue of Gloom—just the thought of enduring its stench made Maki shudder.

"Let them go, Charmander."

Since they weren't attacking, Maki saw no reason to trouble them and called Charmander back.

"Speeear!"

A sharp cry came from above. The sluggish Caterpie seemed to gain a sudden burst of energy, scrambling out of sight in record time.

A Spearow swooped down but missed its target, now turning its frustrated glare toward Maki and Charmander.

"Looks like we interrupted its meal."

Maki scratched his head sheepishly, glancing at Charmander.

"Char…"

Charmander nervously scratched its own head, as if apologizing for accidentally disrupting the Spearow.

"Speeear!"

Angered, the Spearow fixated its fierce gaze on Maki, then dived toward him in a sudden attack.

Wild battles were nothing like official matches. Wild Pokémon didn't follow rules—they often targeted Trainers directly.

"Charmander, Ember!"

As Maki gave the command, he instinctively took a step back to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

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