Episode 68:
Lost Then Found

Kelly enters the mazelike Viridian Forest. “I guess we go through here.”

“Yeah. Uh, it looks scary. Are you sure this is the only way?” Mars wasn’t too keen on treading through a mysterious place. Venus shared his view.

“Isn’t there a route that goes around this forest?” Venus tugged at Kelly’s pant leg.

“Not that I can see. C’mon, let’s just walk in.” Kelly walks into the thick forest. Her Eevees reluctantly follow her in. As they go deeper and deeper, Kelly and her Eevees get the distinct feeling they are lost.

“Kelly, where are we,” asks Venus.

“We’re lost,” answers Mars.

“No we’re not. I just, well. Ok, I’m lost!” Kelly dropped down and started crying. “WHAAA!!! I want to go home!!!” The tears from her eyes began running down her cheeks.

“Oh Kelly, don’t cry please. Now we’ve done it,” Venus scolded Mars.

“Me? You brought it up!” Mars retorted.

“Please {sniff}. Both of you stop fighting and help me figure out where we are.” Kelly whips the tears off her face.

Mars and Venus begin looking for anything that would mark a trail of a direction to follow. Suddenly, Mars stepped on the edge of a wooden post which flipped up knocking him in the face. “Owwww.” Mars sobbed. He covered his face with his paws tending to the bruise.

“Mars, are you ok? Did you find something?” Kelly looked at the ground. There was a wooden signpost that someone had ripped down off the tree in front of her. ‘The Bug Gym 3000ft’. In had a small wooden engraving of a Caterpie on it too. “Maybe to trainer at this gym can help us find a way out of this forest. It says to go this direction about 3000 feet.”

“Ok, let’s go then.” Venus turned to Mars. “C’mon Mars, let’s hop to it!”

“Oww. Just a sec.” Mars rubbed his sore nose. “Ok, I’m ready.”

“Are you hurt bad Mars?”

“No, I’ll live I think. It’s just a bruise.”

“Ok. Just try to keep up.” The trio follows what they believe to be a path leading to a place called the Bug Gym. As they continue walked Kelly sees several strange looking pokémon staring at her. “Ohh, I hope we find that gym soon, those pokémon don’t look too friendly.”

“We’ll defend you Kelly.” Mars and Venus took up defensive positions on either side of Kelly. In the distance, they could see a medium sized building.

“That must be the gym. Let’s go before those pokémon decide to come out any closer.” Kelly and her Eevees run towards the gym in hopes that the trainer there will be able to guide them out of the forest to Viridian City.

Kelly walked into the Bug Gym. “Hello?” A younger kid, one of Sara’s pupils answered her.

“Welcome to the Bug Gym of Viridian Forest. My name’s Toby, how can I help you?” Toby wasn’t that much taller that Kelly so it made her feel better.

“Uh, I got lost in the forest and was hoping someone here could give me directions.”

“Ok. Icy is in the main gym now. I can take you there if you’d like.”

“Um, who is Icy?”

“You’ve never heard of Icy the Pikachu trainer? Well, he’s not a Pikachu anymore, but, for the past few months he was.” After about 10 minutes, Toby completes his recount of Icy’s tale. “And that’s why he is sometimes referred to as the Pikachu Trainer.”

“Wow. That must have been cool. Um, sure, can you take me to see him.”

“Uh huh. Right this way please.” They walked down the large grand hallway lined with different forest type pokémon and statues.

“This is such a beautiful place.”

“Yeah, I like staying here.”

“Are you a pokémon trainer?”

“Well, not quite. I will be soon. I’m one of Icy and Sara’s students. Sara teaches pokémon classes to younger trainers to get them ready for pokémon training. I am in her class.”

“And who’s Sara?”

“Icy will introduce her to you. Here we are.” Toby pushed open the big wooded doors to reveal the main gym. Icy and Nicky were chatting about battle strategy. Sara was taking a look at Meeko’s Caterpie. Hocus stood in a back corner meditating.

“Wow!”

“Master Icy, I brought you a visitor.” Toby turns to Kelly. “Uhh, what was your name?”

“Oh, I’m Kelly.”

“Right.” He turns back to Icy. “This is Kelly. She got lost in the forest and needs directions.” Icy nodded and Toby went back to the main entrance.

Kelly walked up to Icy and Nicky and formally introduced herself. “Oh, hello. My name is Kelly.”

“And you are from Celadon City. Your two Eevees are named Mars and Venus. You are nine years old and want to become a pokémon breeder. Right?”

“How did you know all that?”

“Icy’s a psychic trainer. See the Kadabra.” Nicky was definitely impressed with Kelly’s appearance. Icy have him a friendly shove back into reality.

“Snap out of it, you know she’s much to young for you. Not even Brock would act like that.”

“Sorry… I spaced out for a sec.” Icy just shook his head.

“So, you need directions, that’s all?”

“Yes. Can you tell me how to get to Viridian City?”

Sara and Meeko come out of the back office. Everyone suddenly hears the stereo blasting “Viridian City” in the background. “Opps, sorry ‘bout that.” Sara flips the switch on the stereo turning it off. “Why’s out new guest Icy?”

“This is Kelly. Kelly, this is my girlfriend Sara.”

“Ohhh, pleased to meet you Sara.” Kelly seemed to admire Sara. Sara could if she wanted to, become a pokémon breeder herself, but she rather spend her time working with helping other trainers and Icy then just raising pokémon.

Nicky was spacing out once again. “Now that’s just plain rude Nicky,” Icy whispered to his friend while punching his shoulder.

“Eheheh…,” Nicky half chuckled.

“Well, there’s a path leaded to the left as you leave this gym. There should be signs along the road to tell you where to go. If you want, you can stay awhile. We don’t get many visitors around here that often.”