hadn’t encountered any wild Pokémon yet, but he had been listening to Dexboy. He

could expect to find three different kinds of Pokémon here, Pidgey, a bird Pokémon,

Spearow, another bird Pokémon with a horrible attitude, and Rattata, a rat Pokémon.

Using the matches Professor Oak gave him, Erik lit up a pile of pine straw, then

quickly added sticks near an abandoned campsite. After all, if he didn’t learn how to start

a campfire and control it, he’d never find Laury. He used some leaves to get it going, and

then let out Bulby and Oddish to stretch their legs. While the ran around near the

campfire, Erik got out his Trainer’s guide and read some more.

He hadn’t gotten but a few pages when his Pokédex started beeping. Opening it,

Professor Oak’s face appeared, and he started to talk, like a video phone.

"Erik! Sorry to bother you like this, but I forgot to tell you that I finally built a

video phone into my Pokédexes! You can call me or anyone else anytime, by using the

type displays as numbers, 1 to 5 and then 6 to 0! Anyway, I really called to tell you this:

After you left, I started trying to figure out another part scribbled after the prophesy. It

was just gibberish, so I didn’t tell you, but I figured it out! It says, ‘May all evil beware’.

Of course, you know that, but it wasn’t a period; it was a comma. Afterwards it says,

‘When the ten clues are solved, for then Gassiter shall be found’!" I hope this helps you

Erik. Bye!"

The Professor hung up before Erik could do or say anything. Closing his Pokédex

and Trainer’s Guide, Erik put them away.

Holding out two Pokéballs, Erik tried out his "return" command.

"Bulby, Oddball, return." He said. Red beams shot out of the raised circle on the

Pokéballs, each connecting with Bulby or Oddball. They were turned into red light and

brought inside the Pokéballs. Erik put them on his belt and went to sleep. He didn’t have

a sleeping bag. Already half asleep, Erik made a groggy mental note to pick one up.

<><><>

Light from the sun woke Erik up. Sore from spending the night on the ground, he

summoned some nearby vines to cover his campfire ashes. Packing once again, he

realized that he still didn’t have any food. His stomach growling, he made an all out run

to Viridian. He rushed into the Pokémon center panting.

Looking around, he spotted Nurse Joy.

"Excuse me, but do you have any Pokémon food I could buy? I’m afraid I don’t

have any, and both my Pokémon haven’t eaten for over a day." He said. In an

afterthought, he added, "Then again, neither have I."

Nurse Joy took one look at him. "Why, young man! When’s the last time you

had a shower? And look how thin you are! No sir, you’re going to get cleaned up and

full before I ever let you leave here again!" she said as she ushered him towards a private

shower room. Just as she put him in and left, he took off Bulby and Oddish’s Pokéballs.

"Nurse Joy!" he called. As she turned, he tossed the two Pokéballs and went back

into the shower room. They would get fed while he showered.

<><><>

Twenty minutes later, Erik had showered, clean from head to toe, and put on

clean clothes. Apparently, while he showered, a system had cleaned his clothes, which

he had placed in the area marked, "Clothes."

Coming out, rubbing his hair back into it’s normal position, hanging freely, he

walked down the hall. It didn’t take him very long to find Bulby and Oddball. They

were in a room filled with loud sounds of munching. Their munching. At a small table

Nurse Joy sat watching them. She stood up as he came in.

"And for you…?" she inquired.

Erik told the truth, what he really wanted. "Anything." He said. A few minutes

later, she returned with a 12-ounce T-bone and fries, complete with a large Coke.

"Now that I’m done playing Pokésitter and waitress, I think I’ll go back to being

Nurse." She said, and walked out of the room.

A few minutes later, Erik dumped his empty plate and cup into the correctly

marked area. Sitting down again, he watched Bulby and Oddball, still eating a large

amount of brown food, talk in between chewing and swallowing. After concentrating for

a moment, he could almost make out what they were saying. While they were repeating

syllables of their name in different orders, this is what they meant.

"What do you think of Erik?" Bulby asked.

"I don’t know. He’s okay. Do you think he understands us?" Oddball replied

thoughtfully.

"I think he understands me. Maybe you too. Whatever, I don’t think he can hear

good enough from over there." Bulby said, glancing at Erik.

"Maybe. You know, he looks a lot like a person in a story my mother used to tell

me. She said something—I don’t remember it all—she said something about a boy

named Erik finding something called Gassiter. Whatever that means." Oddball said,

apparently for no reason.

"Yeah. I heard Gassiter was a weapon, but that was when we were inside that old

guy’s house." Bulby said, and then started to talk about his mother and father, and how

they were caught when he was a young Bulbasaur.

Erik suddenly remembered that he hadn’t added data to his Pokédex about Bulby

or Oddball. Pulling it out, he opened it and pointed it at Oddball.

"Oddish. This Pokémon uses a variety of spores to lay its opponent to rest, such

as Stun Spore or Leech Seed. It can also learn Solarbeam, TM version." Dexboy said,

while showing a picture of an Oddish. Changing the screen to a classic Pokédex statistics

layout, he showed Oddball’s moves while continuing. "This Oddish has learned Stun

Spore, Poison Powder, and Razor Leaf."

Now pointing Dexboy at Bulby, a Bulbasaur was displayed.

"Bulbasaur. Scientists are unsure whether to classify this Pokémon as a plant or

animal. As it evolves, the bulb on its back grows and develops." He again changed

screens. "This Bulbasaur has learned Tackle, Razor Leaf, Solar Beam, and Vine Whip."

He said.

Bulby and Oddball were just finishing their meal.

"Bulby, Oddball, return." Erik said, and they were brought inside. Erik put them

on his belt and left the Pokécenter, thanking Nurse Joy on his way out.

Erik started walking, looking for the Mart in this small town.

It wasn’t too hard to spot; it was only a few dozen yards from the Pokécenter.

Walking inside, he browsed through the items, only recognizing a few. After discretely

studying the list in his guide, he chose to buy five Super Potions and five regular potions

for healing Bulby and Oddball. He also took into consideration Viridian Forest, and

chose to buy three Antidotes. All in all, it cost him about half his money.

He walked outside, consulting his guide as he did so. Looking up for a moment,

he realized that he was going to depend on the Trainer’s Guide a lot. Erik stood up, and

headed for what had once been called a "natural maze." He was heading for Viridian

Forest, where, hopefully, he would catch a Pokémon.

<><><>

After an hour, Erik reached the forest. It was thick, lush with tall trees and

bushes. On a dirt road leading into the forest, leaves and grass grew over their

boundaries and into the well worn path.

Taking a last look back at Viridian, Erik took his first steps into the forest. Just

around a bend in the road, Erik immediately saw a creature in front of him. It was build

like a caterpillar, with green, segmented parts, circular and connecting at the ends. At the

back was a short, yellow tail that looked hardened. On it’s head was a red antennae, that

started as a single one and then split like a Y. It had large round eyes, yellow with huge

black pupils. It was hurrying away on short yellow feet.

Erik was quick to act. Pulling Oddball’s Pokéball and enlarging it, he

commanded, "Oddball, Go!"

He threw the ball, and it hit the ground, releasing the energy that so quickly

formed into Oddball. The worm froze, squealing with fear. Before continuing Erik

brought out Dexboy and pointed it at the animal.

"Caterpie." He said, his voice mechanical and fake. "A worm Pokémon. If you

touch the feeler on it’s head, it will release a horrible stink to protect itself."

Erik was quick to call out to Oddball. "You hear that?" When she nodded, Erik

said, "Then Razor Leaf!"

Oddball released a quick burst of leaves at Caterpie. After that short instant, Erik

could see that it was already weak.

Pulling another Pokéball, an empty one, he enlarged it. "Pokéball! Go!" he cried,

throwing the ball at Caterpie.

At soon at it hit the Pokémon, Caterpie was transformed into energy and

transferred into the ball, which shut tightly, having opened when it hit Caterpie. The ball

gave a slight rock, and then the red warning light went off.

"Yes!" Erik yelled, ecstasy overcoming all caution he had advised himself. He

ran over and scooped up both Oddball and Caterpie’s Pokéball in one, swift motion.

Giving Oddball a hug, he returned her to her Pokéball. As for Caterpie, he released it and

sprayed one of his Potions on it. It was immediately revitalized.

"How you feeling, little friend?" Erik asked it.

"Caterpie!" it said. Erik was already starting to understand it.

"Cater! Pie caterpie!" it said, Erik realizing it was a she, also.

"What should I call you?" Erik ventured.

After a quizzical reply, Erik took out Dexboy again and pressed the new MORE

INFO button.

"Caterpie, a worm Pokémon, evolves into Metapod, a cocoon Pokémon, around

level 7. Metapod then evolves into Butterfree, a butterfly Pokémon, around level 10." He

said.

Putting Dexboy in his pocket, Erik considered.

"Well, let’s call you Buttergirl, eh?" Erik said to the little creature. When it

nodded vigorously, he held out it’s Pokéball. "Buttergirl, return." He said, letting the red

beam recall Caterpie. Instead of transforming her into energy, the beam simply

dissipated, appearing to do nothing at all.

"What?" Erik said, confused. Buttergirl said a stream of its language.

Erik got more and more excited at she went on. Kneeling, he knew that this was

the first of the ten clues.

"The ten clues form a verse?" he asked. "And you know the first one?" he said.

Buttergirl nodded fiercely. "Well, what is it?" he asked, almost impatient.

She went off on another stream, and he was even more confused. Buttergirl had

said, "The first line is, ‘The mystic’s sword Gassiter is hidden below. Where, only I

know.’ I guess you understand that. And, I think you are the one I was supposed to give

these to. My mother got this from her mother, and so on. I think you’re supposed to

have it, though I don’t know why I think that."

She glowed a bright green for a moment, and then, in an instant, an item appeared

from mist in front of her.

It was part of a medallion. The cord was long and black, and at the end, a small,

golden circle was born. It had a nine-edged circle in the middle, with other supports

dividing the area between the large and small circles into nine segments. On the left side,

one of the segments was filled with glass, a deep, rich green. It seemed to glow. All in

all, it wasn’t much bigger that Erik’s palm. He took it, and, silently recalling Buttergirl

into her Pokéball, slipped it around his neck. He knew that the ten clues were a way of

finding Laury. And this was the first of the many.