Chapter 131: Yellow of Viridian Forest

Viridian Forest, a magical place, gave birth to the most malevolent figure of the original timeline, Giovanni, as well as Yellow, who would travel a thousand miles to save her beloved.

Zhu Suihan glanced at Lance.

If one were to calculate it that way, in that timeline, Lance, the future Dragon Champion, seemed to have somewhat tarnished the prestige of Viridian Forest.

But fear not, Red-Hair!

With me by your side, I guarantee you the position of Dragon King in the Pokémon world!

"Why are you looking at me?"

Lance cast a sideways glance at Zhu Suihan. Under normal circumstances, he should have been like the Lapras and Milcery, gazing at the scenery of Viridian Forest with curiosity.

"Nothing, I just feel like Viridian Forest is excessively large."

If a fitness enthusiast were to set a goal of "running a lap around Viridian Forest in a day," they would likely be picked up by a Forest Ranger for emergency treatment before even finishing a small portion of it.

Even the safe roads carved out by Viridian City were, by Zhu Suihan’s estimation, at least eight lanes wide—it was simply absurd.

Vehicles in the Pokémon world were not as ubiquitous as in his past life; in a place like Viridian Forest, even a bicycle was considered a high-speed tool.

However, in the original timeline, there seemed to be people like Gary Oak, who drove around in a convertible sports car with a cheerleading squad of older girls.

"I feel like the League could add another option for participating in the Indigo Plateau Conference, such as taking the trails to cross through Viridian Forest."

Lance shook his head: "Too difficult. I’ve ventured deep into Viridian Forest before, and Dragonite sensed many auras as powerful as its own. It’s extremely dangerous."

Elite-level Pokémon gathered in packs?

Zhu Suihan looked thoughtful, but upon seeing the Pokémon on both sides of the path, he smiled and waved at the little creatures.

He wondered if, once Viridian Forest became more bustling, there would be some crafty little ones specifically waiting by the roadside to be fed.

"Hm?"

Lance’s brow twitched: "I sense an aura nearby. Should we go check it out?"

"A powerful Pokémon?"

"No, it seems to be a power of the same origin as mine, but I have never seen such a flourishing, vibrant vitality."

Lance was curious: "It should be a wielder of the Viridian Power that I have never encountered before."

Zhu Suihan glanced at the two little ones, who were equally curious.

"Alright then, let’s go take a look."

The sound of splashing water reached the group's ears. Zhu Suihan looked at the Lapras, who gave a soft cry and nodded, indicating that there was a significant amount of water ahead.

A wielder of the Viridian Power, a place with a decent water flow—Zhu Suihan thought he knew who it was.

"Let’s go. Since it’s such a coincidence, I’d like to cast a line and have some fun myself."

After passing through the woods, a river came into view. Sunlight illuminated a large rock on the bank, making the blonde girl sitting on it appear like a goddess descended into the mortal realm.

In the shadow of the rock stood a middle-aged man in a black suit with a large "R" on the chest, calmly watching his fishing float in the river.

Lance nudged Zhu Suihan’s arm: "That is Giovanni, the Gym Leader of Viridian Gym."

"Mm, I’ve seen photos."

This was the first time Zhu Suihan had seen Giovanni in reality; he still had that somewhat overly plain hairstyle, and his suit looked without a single wrinkle.

Boss Giovanni, Giovanni of the Earth.

One could only say that he truly gave off that feeling, as if the man before them were a mountain.

Zhu Suihan walked over, found a random spot to sit, and began watching the float, quietly becoming a spectator.

For a bystander, whether the angler catches a big haul, gets nothing, or even snaps their rod, it is all quite entertaining.

The float moved. The little girl on the rock didn't react. The float, which had only moved once, was slowly pushed up by the Pokémon below and then suddenly submerged!

The girl lifted her rod. The sound of the fishing line cutting through the water and the bending of the rod created a tense background melody. Even Lance couldn't help but fix his gaze on the surface.

What kind of Pokémon was under the water? This was indeed a question that could make anyone curious.

Zhu Suihan glanced at the girl’s fishing rod: "With this tension and the sound of the water, it shouldn't be a big catch."

"Look at the intensity of the splash and the size of the shadow."

"It’s a Goldeen."

The girl sitting on the rock turned her head to look at Zhu Suihan, her smile warm and healing.

"The Pokémon on the hook is a Goldeen."

"As expected of an expert."

Zhu Suihan smiled in response and continued to watch the battle between the girl and the Goldeen in the water.

Nice to meet you, Yellow.

The current Yellow was still in her "cub" phase, much younger than when she traveled to save her beloved, but her smile and demeanor were more lively; it seemed she was not yet troubled by her sleepiness.

The combination of an overly powerful Viridian Power and a somewhat frail body, coupled with her tendency to heal Pokémon, resulted in that special state of being top-heavy and prone to falling asleep.

How to put it? It gave Zhu Suihan a sense of shared misfortune.

In the Special manga, Yellow could fall asleep anytime and anywhere; the powerful Viridian Power was somewhat of a burden for a child of that age.

"I only sensed one Viridian Power, but I didn't expect you to be here too."

Lance started chatting with Giovanni: "Mr. Giovanni, has your Viridian Power improved again?"

"It’s not an improvement, but rather a phenomenon that should have been this way."

Giovanni glanced at Zhu Suihan and then smiled at Lance.

"Standing in Viridian Forest, I am the forest itself. It is normal that you cannot sense me."

Lance’s expression became much more solemn: "That, too, is proof of even greater strength."

"Strength is not just evaluated by power."

Giovanni said: "For example, this child here, do you think she is strong?"

Out of respect, Lance did not directly probe her physical state, but instead observed Yellow’s demeanor.

Hmm, she didn't look like a powerhouse.

But then he glanced at Zhu Suihan, who was busy baiting his hook, and the Lapras and Milcery beside him, who looked like they were on a casual outing.

Hmm, this family didn't look like powerhouses either, especially the white-haired man who looked like a gentle person on the surface.

In reality, the man could beat you black and blue with whatever he pulled out of his incense burner.

Lance spoke the truth: "I can't tell."

The look in Giovanni’s eyes gradually shifted to appreciation: "You have grown, Lance. When you were honing yourself in Viridian Forest, you wouldn't have had such a cautious way of thinking."

"Even when you fell into the traps of those poachers, you relied on your own powerful strength to fight your way out, rather than being vigilant beforehand."

"Even the overly rigid you have grown. Seeing that the person chosen has made such progress, Viridian Forest will be happy."

Lance: ...

Nonsense, if he didn't grow, he would really become an accomplice to that white-haired monkey!

"Hello, big brother, my name is Yellow."

Yellow looked at the Lapras and Milcery: "Are these your Pokémon? They like you very much."

"My name is Zhu Suihan, hello Yellow."

The white-haired man said earnestly: "Yellow, if anyone teaches you to call me a white-haired monkey in the future, remember not to listen to her."

Giovanni, who had turned his gaze over, felt his mouth twitch slightly.

He knew what had happened in Saffron City.

Beneath that seemingly gentle exterior did indeed hide the heart of a monkey, making one wonder if he was a relative of an Aipom.

Splash.

The sound of water breaking rang out, and Yellow’s body leaned back slightly. The droplets of water caught in the sunlight were somewhat dazzling.

The Goldeen looked at Yellow, and upon realizing it was a familiar face, a look of disdain appeared on its face. It let go of the hook, fell back into the water, and sprayed a Water Gun at the rock where Yellow was sitting.

Again with you!

If I bite your hook again next time, I'm not a fish!

The Goldeen swam away after re-entering the water, but it was still savoring the taste of the bait.

The bait tasted great, and the aura on it was even more intoxicating, as if the entire Viridian Forest were speaking to her.

No, I can't keep indulging like this!

Zhu Suihan: ?

"That child has been caught by me many times."

Yellow smiled: "This area seems to be her main activity zone. I can catch her almost every day. We’re very familiar."

Ah, this.

He suddenly wanted to ask the Lapras to find that Goldeen and ask what kind of mentality it had to bite the hook every time.

The Lapras and Milcery were whispering to each other, planning to ask Yellow how her bait was made.

In the eyes of these two foodies, Yellow had become a gifted little chef; otherwise, how could that Goldeen be hooked every day as if bewitched?

In the Pokémon world, the biggest difference in fishing is the intention of the fish.

Pokémon are not stupid. Besides those who bite out of greed, another reason is that they want to test themselves against the angler.

You can pull me out of the water, right? I acknowledge you!

Come on, let’s have a hearty battle!

The reason this portion of Pokémon are willing to bite is that they want a battle, and if they take a liking to the Trainer, they might be willing to become their partner.

With food and fun, why wouldn't they bite?

"Just casting a line while I have nothing to do."

Zhu Suihan skillfully baited and cast his line. Anyway, the person who wanted to hold the Viridian Festival was right there, so he didn't have to worry about being late.

"Brother Suihan, do you like fishing too?"

Yellow was eager to try: "How about we have a competition? Let’s see who can catch a fish first!"

The Lapras and Milcery were stunned, their eyes filled with awe as they looked at Yellow.

She actually dared to compete with their white-haired monkey in this aspect.

We are willing to call you a god!

"Then you better hurry up and bait your hook; time waits for no one."

Zhu Suihan glanced at his float: "Yellow, let me remind you of one thing."

"My fishing isn't about skill, but about what’s in this big river."

The float submerged. Zhu Suihan gripped the rod and lifted it, quite easily catching the Magikarp that had taken the bait.

Yellow: ?

She didn't understand, but she was deeply shocked.

Even for a Magikarp, they were not usually that easy to catch; they should have had plenty of caution!

"See, what did I tell you?"

Zhu Suihan shook his rod. The Magikarp, still biting the hook, widened its eyes, as if it hadn't felt a thing.

"Alright, you're the first catch of the day, aren't you? I’ll reward you with a bottle of Dragon Gate Potion."

Zhu Suihan took out a bottle of Dragon Gate Potion, poured it into the Magikarp’s mouth, and with a gentle flick of the rod, tossed it back into the river.