The Journey Through Viridian Forest
Maen silently observed the scene before him.
Following the principle that Pokémon Trainers should travel by foot, Maen relied on his Pokédex's map to navigate. After returning to Viridian City from Pallet Town, he entered Viridian Forest, intending to cross it and reach Pewter City (formerly known as Nibi City).
So far, his journey had been uneventful. The Pokémon he encountered were mostly Caterpie and Weedle—small, harmless Bug-types. Maen had no interest in bullying these Pokémon and planned to pass through quickly.
Then, he was blocked.
Yes, Maen had been stopped in his tracks.
Standing before him was a young boy wearing a straw hat and holding a bug net—one of the legendary Bug Catchers that seemed to lurk in every forest.
"You're a Trainer, right?" the Bug Catcher asked excitedly. "Let's have a battle!"
Maen stared at the kid, expression blank.
"...No thanks."
He side-stepped, intending to walk past him and continue on his way.
But the Bug Catcher quickly moved to block him again, eyes full of defiance.
"What?! You refuse a battle?! You're not worthy of being a Pokémon Trainer!" the boy declared dramatically. "If you want to leave, you'll have to defeat me first!"
A Caterpie suddenly appeared in front of Maen.
Maen let out a long sigh, rubbing his forehead.
This kid needs a lesson.
"Haunter," he said lazily, "use—actually, wait. Don't use Shadow Ball. The Caterpie is innocent. Just use Lick."
Haunter, hovering beside him, looked a bit helpless at this command.
As a Gastly, it had fought countless battles in the abandoned mansion with Marn. It had sparred under the guidance of Gengar. It was more than experienced.
But… this was the weakest opponent it had ever faced.
Still, it obeyed.
Haunter disappeared into a shadow, reappearing instantly beside Caterpie.
A quick swipe of its tongue—and Caterpie collapsed on the spot, paralyzed.
Then, just as quickly, Haunter vanished back into Maen's shadow.
The entire battle lasted seconds.
The Bug Catcher stood frozen, mouth hanging open. He hadn't even seen which Pokémon Maen had used before his Caterpie was defeated.
Ignoring him, Maen continued walking forward.
---
A Second Interruption
Maen sighed as two more kids blocked his path.
This time, the defeated Bug Catcher was standing beside an older boy—one dressed in samurai armor, carrying a wooden sword.
"Brother! This guy is a bully!" the Bug Catcher whined. "Show him how strong we are!"
The Samurai Boy stepped forward, pointing his toy sword at Maen.
"You fight weak Pokémon with such overwhelming power?! You have no honor!" he declared. "Let me teach you a lesson!"
Before Maen could even react, the Samurai threw a Poké Ball, summoning a Pinsir.
Maen's eye twitched.
Alright. You brats win. Now I'm actually pissed off.
A dark mist slowly spread around Maen's body.
The two kids visibly trembled as a chilling aura settled over the forest.
"Haunter," Maen said in a dangerously calm voice.
"Shadow Claw."
Haunter emerged from Maen's shadow, eyes glowing red, its body wreathed in darkness.
It raised a clawed hand, which expanded into three jagged blades of shadowy energy, swirling ominously in the air.
The move looked… different.
This wasn't a normal Shadow Claw—it had been strengthened by Maen's dark power, appearing more sinister, more powerful.
The claws slashed through the air.
Pinsir barely had time to react before it was sent flying, landing in a heap on the ground—completely unconscious.
The two boys stood frozen, eyes wide with terror.
Maen walked up to them, placing a hand on each of their heads.
Then, he grinned.
It wasn't a friendly grin.
"Are you gonna block my path again?"
The boys shook their heads violently, too scared to speak.
"Good," Maen said, smirking. "But if you ever want revenge, you're welcome to try. I'm a Trainer from Pallet Town."
With that, he walked past them.
Haunter, floating behind him, made a quick stop—licking each kid once before vanishing into Maen's shadow.
The two boys shuddered violently, their minds now scarred forever.
Years later, when Ash Ketchum would arrive at this very spot, there would be no Bug Catchers waiting to challenge him.
The infamous Kakuna vs. Kakuna "Harden battle" would never happen.
And so, Maen's reputation as a sinister, merciless Trainer began.
---
Arrival at Pewter City
With no more interruptions, Maen reached Pewter City by afternoon.
The Pewter Gym was a massive stone structure, standing out against the rest of the city. It was impossible to miss.
The gym doors were unlocked.
With a light push, Maen stepped inside.
The interior was dimly lit, but he didn't hesitate, walking forward confidently.
A deep voice echoed through the darkness.
"Oh? A challenger, at last?"
With a click, the lights in the gym flashed on, revealing a man with spiky hair and half-lidded eyes, sitting cross-legged on a massive boulder.
"I'm Flint, the Gym Leader of Pewter City," the man said.
He studied Maen for a moment.
"What's your name, challenger?"
"Maen," he replied simply.
Flint nodded. "This will be a two-on-two battle. You can switch Pokémon, but as a Gym Leader, I cannot. Victory is decided when both Pokémon on either side are defeated.
Any objections?"
"None," Maen said.
"Good." Flint snapped his fingers.
The rocky floor shifted, moving into place to form an artificial battlefield.
The Pewter Gym battle was about to begin.
---