Chapter 114: Annoyed with You—It's All Your Fault!

The Kanto and Johto regions lie on the same continent, separated by a massive mountain range known as Mt. Silver. To the east lies Kanto, and to the west, Johto.

Looking at the regional map, Hu Yang’s gaze drifted toward the red zone marked with a "Danger!" sign. Much like the Petalburg Woods in the Hoenn region, Mt. Silver is home to a vast number of wild Pokémon. It is said that the Johto region's pseudo-legendary, Tyranitar, was first discovered there. A sudden impulse stirred within Hu Yang, and he found he no longer wished to return to Hoenn. He cared far less about collecting gym badges or becoming a Champion than he did about witnessing these rare Pokémon living in their natural habitats—observing their behaviors, their true-to-life appearances, and the environments in which they thrived.

After leaving Pallet Town, Hu Yang hopped on his bicycle and headed toward Viridian City. The Power Plant is located north of Lavender Town and south of Rock Tunnel. It was too far from Pallet Town to reach on foot; at that rate, it would take months to arrive. Thus, Hu Yang chose the simpler, more efficient route: taking the direct train from Viridian City to Lavender Town.

However, before boarding, he caught sight of a billboard advertising Mt. Moon. He stood still, lost in thought. If Meteor Falls was the sacred land of stones in Hoenn, then Mt. Moon—situated between Pewter City and Cerulean City—was surely the sacred land of stones in Kanto. Both locations were formed by meteorites falling from the heavens. According to the lore of *Alpha Sapphire*, the interior of a meteor is the origin of Mega Evolution—the very source of Key Stones. Rayquaza is able to Mega Evolve by consuming the energy within these meteorites, which then triggers a reaction with its internal organs. As for Mega Stones, Dr. Sycamore’s research suggested they were likely formed when Evolution Stones were bathed in the energy unleashed by Xerneas and Yveltal via the Ultimate Weapon.

Mt. Moon was famously known as a place where stars fell. Could there be primitive Key Stone veins hidden deep within? Although he already possessed one large piece, one could never have too much of such a limited resource. After much deliberation, Hu Yang looked at the ticket in his hand and abandoned his plans to travel to Lavender Town for the time being. The restart project for the Power Plant hadn't yet begun, and that remote location was unlikely to see any visitors. Zapdos would remain right where it was, so Hu Yang decided to visit Mt. Moon first and seek out the legendary bird later. He tossed his unused ticket into a trash can and turned away from the station.

Mt. Moon lay toward Pewter City, and to reach it, one had to traverse the Viridian Forest, located north of Viridian City. Hu Yang decided to cycle through it; he wanted to see what the forest that gave birth to the Viridian Mind was truly like. He recalled that his bicycle was being stored by Gengar, so he released the Ghost-type from its Poké Ball. Gengar, much like Doraemon, reached into its stomach pouch, rummaged around for a moment, and pulled out a bicycle. "Found it!" it chirped.

Hu Yang mounted the bike and patted the back seat, signaling for Gengar to climb on. He didn't intend to return Gengar to its ball; having it out would make the journey less tedious, and at the very least, he would have someone to talk to.

With Gengar riding pillion, Hu Yang soon reached the entrance of Viridian Forest. Looking inside, he saw a dense canopy of lush, sprawling branches forming a green curtain that blocked the sunlight, casting the forest interior into a dim gloom. The thick labyrinth of trees was notorious; it was said that many had lost their way within these woods. It was a paradise for Bug and Flying-type Pokémon.

Hardly had they entered when Hu Yang spotted several Caterpie slowly inching along a tree branch. Standing beneath the tree was a young boy wearing a straw hat and shorts, clutching a bug-catching net. The boy crept forward cautiously, but at that moment, the phone in Hu Yang’s pocket suddenly rang. The sharp, rhythmic chiming sounded jarringly loud in the silent forest. The Caterpie, startled by the noise, immediately raised their heads in alarm, unleashed a String Shot at the scheming boy below, and fled.

Hu Yang: "..."

He pulled out his phone to find a greeting message from the crew of the *Dewgong*. After replying, he looked up to see the bug-catching boy stomping over, face flushed with anger. "My Caterpie got away! Ugh, this is all your fault!" He had spent ages tracking down one with excellent potential, and now it was gone, all because of this sudden intruder! The boy was furious and decided to teach this trainer a lesson. He pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket and declared, "I challenge you to a battle!"

Hu Yang: "..."

*Seriously? Even in the real world, I can't escape the bug-catching boys?* In his previous life, while playing the games, these blocking NPCs were the bane of his existence. He was always in a hurry to save the world, yet a group of NPCs who clearly lacked a sense of priority would constantly stand in his way to demand a battle.

The boy released a Weedle. Hu Yang sighed. "...You can't beat me." Besides, it wasn't like he had done it on purpose.

The boy grew even more incensed. "How do you know unless you try?!"

Hu Yang sighed helplessly, reached into his backpack, and pulled out Axew's Poké Ball. With a flash of white light, the Axew appeared before the Weedle. To a Bug-type like Weedle, a Dragon-type like Axew was practically at the top of the food chain. The gaze that Hu Yang found gentle appeared filled with overwhelming pressure and intimidation to the Weedle. It trembled, shrinking back in fear.

"Don't be afraid! Weedle!" the boy shouted. "Use String Shot!"

The Weedle was terrified, but the trainer's command compelled it. It opened its mouth and, fighting through its fear, spat out white silk. The threads wrapped around Axew’s body, but in the next second, Axew simply closed its claw. The silk, still connected to the Weedle, was yanked taut. With a sharp flick, the Weedle was sent flying through the air, landing on the ground already fainted.

"Weedle!" the boy cried, rushing forward to scoop up his Pokémon.

Watching this, Hu Yang couldn't help but gasp. *How terrifying. How could he dare to touch such a giant caterpillar?!*