Caterpie, Weedle, Venonat, Paras, Pinsir, Pineco, Ledyba, Spinarak, Yanma—
all the imaginable and unimaginable Bug-type Pokémon were living together in harmony within this dense forest.
As Silas made his way through the forest, he had already lost count of how many times he had marveled at its ecosystem.
Even in Viridian Forest, it would be difficult to see such an overwhelming concentration of Bug-type Pokémon.
After all, Viridian Forest was home to many other kinds of Pokémon as well, leaving Bug-types with far less living space.
Here, however, the Bug-type Pokémon were primarily native to Kanto and Johto, with only a small number originating from Hoenn and Sinnoh.
On one hand, this was because, aside from a few regions such as Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, interregional travel was still relatively uncommon at present. As a result, Pokémon from other regions did exist in Johto, but they were quite rare.
That said, it was foreseeable that as infrastructure throughout the Pokémon world continued to improve, Pokémon that once lived exclusively within a single region would eventually spread to every corner of the world.
Such a thing would have been nearly unimaginable in the distant ancient past.
If that were not the case, the Cranidos fossil Silas had discovered the previous year would not have caused such a stir after Professor Oak and Professor Rowan jointly published their research paper on it.
Even Kanto and Sinnoh, two regions so close that they could practically be considered connected, were already like this. There was no need to even mention far-off regions like Unova and Kalos.
Of course, all of this applied only to Pokémon that lived on land.
Most ocean-dwelling Pokémon, such as Staryu and Starmie, were found throughout seas all over the world.
Unova alone had already recorded sightings of Staryu colonies more than once.
On the other hand, Pokémon Leagues in each region also consciously regulated both the variety and number of Pokémon introduced from other regions.
This was easy to understand.
After all, wild Pokémon ecosystems followed food chains.
Introducing new Pokémon at the cost of driving native species to extinction would be an extremely unwise decision.
Moreover, Pokémon often clashed with unfamiliar groups.
Take Pidgey, the common early-route bird Pokémon of Kanto, for example.
Originally, Pidgey was believed to prey only on certain Bug-type Pokémon. However, after being introduced to Hoenn, they underwent unexpected behavioral changes.
They began hunting Seedot, a Grass-type Pokémon and doing so in groups.
This left researchers utterly baffled.
After investigation, they arrived at a rather absurd conclusion: Seedot's temperament and appearance were simply too deceptive to Pidgey, which had never encountered them before.
When Seedot remained perfectly still, hanging from tree branches using the stem on its "cap," it looked exactly like an ordinary Berry.
Pidgey, which loved pecking at Berries, naturally couldn't resist what appeared to be a plump, juicy snack.
However, Seedot enjoyed startling Pokémon that attempted to eat it. As a result, Pidgey that landed on the branch unprepared would inevitably be frightened half to death.
Although Pidgey were gentle by nature, they were hardly the sort to let themselves be bullied, especially when food was involved.
In such circumstances, conflict between the two species was inevitable.
Seedot ranked among the more combat-capable Grass-type base-stage Pokémon—after all, they were known to explode without warning.
But compared to Pidgey, they were still largely powerless.
Grass-type Pokémon were notoriously weak in the early stages, even compared to Bug-types, which also grew faster.
This led to Pidgey populations increasing steadily, while Seedot numbers declined with no sign of stopping.
This was not an outcome the Hoenn League wanted to see.
As a result, the Hoenn League quickly mobilized official forces to capture and relocate most of the Pidgey back to Kanto.
As for why only most and not all—
That was because Hoenn still needed Pidgey populations to periodically curb Seedot overgrowth and prevent chain explosions.
If Hoenn's native early-route bird Pokémon, Taillow, had not already adapted to Seedot and instead fed exclusively on Wurmple, the League wouldn't have chosen this solution.
After once again directing his Serperior to drive away another group of insolent Weedle, Silas pushed through the undergrowth and finally spotted the Pokémon Center Bugsy had mentioned.
"Hello, I'm Silas Alaric from Viridian City, Kanto. I was sent by Gym Leader Bugsy to assist with your operations."
Recalling Serperior, he stepped forward briskly and presented his Pokédex to the Officer Jenny on duty at the entrance.
"Thank you very much for coming. Please, go right in."
After verifying his identity, Officer Jenny saluted crisply and let him through.
"I object.
Taking action without even confirming the target's presence will undoubtedly disrupt the Pokémon living here and may also alert the enemy."
The moment Silas stepped inside, he heard heated voices arguing within the Pokémon Center.
Stare—
As everyone's gaze suddenly focused on him, Silas immediately felt an overwhelming pressure.
…He might have arrived at a bad time.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Silas Alaric from Viridian City, Kanto, here at the request of Gym Leader Bugsy to assist."
He introduced himself awkwardly.
"Hello."
"Good afternoon."
Fortunately, the people seated inside quickly responded, sparing him further embarrassment.
"Please, have a seat. We're discussing the operational plan, you can listen in for now."
An Officer Jenny who clearly appeared to be in charge gestured for Silas to sit.
"Thank you."
Silas obediently found a corner seat and settled down.
Seeing that he remained quiet, the people in the center resumed their intense "discussion."
After listening for a short while, Silas quickly pieced everything together.
First, the people involved could broadly be divided into two groups.
One group consisted of Officer Jenny units, acting under the direction of the Azalea Town Police Department and Gym Leader Bugsy, tasked with investigating Team Rocket activity.
The other group was a League-dispatched task force, specifically assigned to protect the local Psychic-type Pokémon populations.
The point of contention lay here.
Officer Jenny insisted on conducting a semi-sweep search of the Ilex Forest.
Since it was unclear how many members Team Rocket might have sent, this approach would minimize potential losses.
Additionally, the forest's perpetually dark interior made such a method especially practical.
Without a sweep-style operation, the area was simply too good at hiding people.
The task force, however, strongly opposed the plan.
They had only just managed to locate the current habitats of the Psychic-type Pokémon and establish what was nominally protection but in reality, surveillance.
Wasted effort was a minor issue.
If the Psychic-type Pokémon suddenly migrated as a result of this operation, the consequences would be catastrophic.
These were two massive populations of Abra and Ralts, calling them priceless treasures would still be an understatement.
Once they left Ilex Forest, it would be nearly impossible for the task force or even the League, to locate them again.
Moreover, the task force's objections were well-founded.
If the number of enemies was unknown, it meant Officer Jenny couldn't even confirm Team Rocket's presence.
Under such circumstances, a semi-sweep would severely disturb not only the Psychic-types, but also the Bug-type Pokémon living there.
Worse still, an operation of this scale could easily alert the enemy and allow them to escape early.
Neither side could persuade the other.
Their differing responsibilities naturally led to different perspectives.
And, more importantly, there was no chain of command between the League task force and the local police.
Finding a decisive leader to settle the matter was simply impossible.
"Then let me suggest something."
At that moment, a voice as gentle as heavenly music rang out.
It was Nurse Joy.
Yes, this was precisely the moment for Nurse Joy to demonstrate her value.
She was a breath of fresh air within the League, and a voice no one could afford to ignore.
Both the task force captain and the lead Officer Jenny turned toward her.
"Considering the safety of all residents of Azalea Town, we must confirm whether members of a criminal organization are hiding in this forest and determine their objective. If they are present, locating their hideout is urgent."
Nurse Joy first reiterated the points everyone agreed on.
Pokémon protection was important, but it could never outweigh the lives of an entire town's residents.
Even if Team Rocket rarely engaged in such actions, the risk could not be ignored.
After both leaders nodded in agreement, Nurse Joy continued.
"Therefore, I agree with Officer Jenny's proposal to conduct a semi-sweep search of Ilex Forest."
"But—"
The task force captain frowned and tried to speak.
"Captain Ajay, please don't worry."
Nurse Joy interrupted decisively. "The nurses from the Pokémon Center will be responsible for calming the Pokémon in the forest. There will absolutely be no problems."
"It's not that I doubt your abilities, Nurse Joy," said the captain named Ajay helplessly. "It's those Pokémon…"
Psychic-type Pokémon wouldn't be so rare if they were that easy to pacify.
People often say that Dragon-type Pokémon are proud and difficult to capture, but in Ajay's view, Psychic-types weren't any better.
This was a conclusion he'd reached through long firsthand experience guarding this area.
Of course, Ajay himself had never tried to capture a Dragon-type Pokémon.
"Leave it to us,"
Nurse Joy said confidently.
"…Alright."
Captain Ajay had no choice but to agree to Officer Jenny's plan.
"But I still recommend that you avoid Zones 32 and 33 as much as possible,"
he added unwillingly.
"Naturally. We'll search the other areas first,"
Officer Jenny nodded in agreement.
If Team Rocket wasn't hiding near those two zones, that would be even better for her.
"Trainer Silas."
She suddenly looked toward the young man who had remained silent since entering.
"Yes. Just call me Silas," Silas replied immediately, fully focused.
There was no way he was going to tell Bugsy that, although Bugsy hadn't personally told him where Abra and Ralts lived, it still counted as intelligence he'd provided.
What a genuinely good guy.
"Alright, Silas. While we carry out the frontal operation, I want you to monitor the surrounding forest from the flanks for any unusual activity.
If you detect anything, notify us immediately and delay or engage the target as necessary."
Officer Jenny assigned him his task.
"Understood," Silas agreed without hesitation.
The job was straightforward.
He didn't think assigning him to this role was a waste of his strength.
Professionals should handle professional work, this had always been his guiding principle.
His search abilities were indeed strong, but compared to Officer Jenny and the action squad, they paled in comparison.
Moreover, this task carried real danger.
If Team Rocket detected him and reacted immediately, he would be on the absolute front line.
Anyone with half a brain knew Team Rocket wouldn't mobilize just a handful of people.
"Captain, the Chief and the Gym Leader have discovered Team Rocket beneath the Slowpoke Well and have already engaged them."
While Officer Jenny was assigning tasks, another Officer Jenny in charge of communications delivered the report.
"Excellent."
A sharp gleam flashed through Officer Jenny's eyes.
"Given Team Rocket's habit of maintaining multiple hideouts, they definitely wouldn't rely on just one base. There's a high probability they have a base hidden in Ilex Forest as well."
She glanced around the room.
"The operation officially begins now. Everyone, stay alert and prioritize safety."
"Understood!"
Crisp, spirited voices rang out.
One by one, everyone filed out, vanishing into the darkness.
Meanwhile
Not far from Azalea Town, a man known as Thousand Faces listened to the loud commotion coming from the town and fell into thought.
"I'm still here, right?
Why has this place already descended into chaos before I've even started causing trouble?"
He felt speechless.
If he'd known it would turn out like this, why had he even come?
"Hey, Blaise."
Thousand Faces irritably placed a call.
"You've arrived?" Blaise asked.
"Yeah, but it looks like I don't need to do anything," Thousand Faces complained.
"Listen to that, you can hear it from this far away.
That's some serious fighting. What, are you planning to level Azalea Town?"
Blaise, who had just arrived halfway up the volcanic back mountain near the base, froze.
"What are you talking about? Our target isn't Azalea Town."
He looked toward his subordinates.
They shook their heads.
He was certain, the two Team Rocket members under surveillance hadn't made a move.
They were still squatting there, completely motionless.
"Huh?"
Thousand Faces let out a confused sound.
"Either way, no matter who's responsible, just keep the people of Azalea Town occupied. Help me keep an eye on things."
Blaise couldn't make sense of it, so he issued a simple order.
"You couldn't get anyone else to do this? You had to pick me?"
Thousand Faces was just short of swearing.
He had abandoned his own target to come here.
....
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