Eichi had been restless the past two days. He felt something was about to happen.
In his past life, he had read about this feeling in novels. Now, he finally understood it.
He tried to read, but he could not focus. His mood grew irritable, and he could not calm himself.
So, he decided to go out for fresh air.
Kakuna came with him. It was not good to stay indoors all the time.
Whenever he was at home, Eichi always let Kakuna out of its Poké Ball.
They headed toward the entrance of the Viridian Forest. He found a flat patch of grass and sat down.
He took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. The scent of flowers mixed with the smell of earth.
It had been a long time since he had felt this relaxed.
Every day was busy. He never gave himself time to truly rest.
He released Kakuna, and together they enjoyed the beauty of nature.
It was said that the Viridian Forest was a special place. From time to time, brave and righteous young Trainers would receive its blessing.
The blessing gave them a power known as the Viridian Power.
It could increase a Pokémon's strength, heal injuries, and allow Trainers to communicate with Pokémon.
Some even said that Giovanni of Team Rocket had this power, though no one could confirm it.
Eichi longed for it too. Who would not want a special ability?
But when his eyes had acted strangely before, it had felt like a special power of its own.
Could that have been the Viridian Power? He was lost in thought when his eyes began to itch again.
Suddenly, he saw a stream of green energy appear and surge into the Viridian Forest.
This time, though, it was mixed with a strong shade of blood red.
"It's happening again. What is it this time?"
Kakuna became restless, chirping anxiously.
"Something bad is happening ahead."
Eichi quickly recalled Kakuna and ran toward the flow of energy.
He weaved around trees, avoiding wild Pokémon as he went deeper into the forest.
Soon, he slowed down. He was in even deeper than before. It was dangerous here.
The green energy ahead grew thicker with red. Eichi began to suspect what was happening.
He hid himself carefully and advanced.
After a few hundred meters, he finally heard sounds that did not belong to wild Pokémon.
Explosions from moves, roars of Pokémon, the hum of machines, and human voices all mixed together.
It's the poaching group.
They're hunting Pokémon.
Eichi crept forward and found cover about fifty meters away.
The energy stream ended there. Parting the grass, he saw what was happening.
A group of rough men in mismatched clothing was fighting a crowd of wild Pokémon.
Beside them were two off-road trucks. Each truck carried a large sack filled with Poké Balls.
The wild Pokémon attacked furiously, but the poachers had sent out their own Pokémon to block them.
Three of the men carried strange weapons like rocket launchers.
Every time a strong wild Pokémon charged, they fired and blasted it down.
Then they would capture it by force with a Poké Ball.
Weaker Pokémon were beaten down by their own Pokémon first, then captured.
Eichi listened carefully.
A rough voice laughed.
"Ha ha! This electromagnetic cannon is amazing. These Pokémon are like weeds. Step on them and they're done."
Another said, "Yeah! These last few days have been great!"
"One shot, and they all fall."
"Our leader is the best, bringing us these cannons."
The others cheered in agreement.
The leader, a man named Rogen, grinned with pride. He was the boss of the Rattata Poaching Group.
Lately, he had been doing well. With these electromagnetic cannons, he had captured many Pokémon.
In the past, life had been hard for his group.
They could not beat strong Pokémon.
Ordinary Pokémon lived in groups, and fighting one would bring the whole swarm on them.
And Officer Jennys often caught them.
Targeting lone Pokémon was too slow. There was no profit.
One night, while drinking with a buyer, Rogen learned the man was from Team Rocket.
The buyer bragged that Team Rocket had advanced technology that made catching Pokémon easy.
Hearing this, Rogen thought that if he could get such weapons, his group would rise.
So he flattered the man and grew close to him.
After spending a lot of money, he finally got results.
The Team Rocket captain needed materials for research. He gave the mission to Rogen, who gladly accepted, only asking to borrow some weapons.
The captain agreed, giving him a few electromagnetic cannons.
Rogen finished the job well. Team Rocket was satisfied and let him keep the cannons, since they were only the cheapest models.
Later, Team Rocket ordered him to catch large numbers of ordinary Pokémon.
He did it, and they rewarded him with a large payment.
But now Team Rocket no longer needed them. So Rogen gathered more men and began selling captured Pokémon on the black market himself.
They were only common Pokémon, but in great numbers.
In just a few days, he had made plenty of money.
But doing this too much had drawn attention.
The black market was overflowing with Pokémon, and the local Officer Jenny was already suspicious.
Sensing danger, Rogen planned to finish this job and then move to another city.
But as he drifted into thought, he felt a sudden sense of unease.
"Finish it fast! We need to go. Don't let Officer Jenny catch us!" he ordered.
"Yes, boss!" his men shouted.