Pokemon: The Journey of Ash's Father

Reaching The Virdian City

Both of them were on Dragonite, soaring through the clouds. It tore through the atmosphere, beating its tiny wings and gaining a speed comparable to that of an airplane.

They passed a dense forest where Ethan had been struggling earlier, the scent of the tall trees following them on their tracks.

After a few minutes, a long Route lay below them, covered with grasslands on the sides.

"We have arrived," Ronnie stated, staring at the meadows. "It hasn't been long since I last visited these fields, but they still look as enchanting as ever!"

He commanded Dragonite to descend onto the Route slowly. "Don't get lost again since we won't be there to help you again," Ronnie sighed.

"Beginner Routes are scary," Ethan averted his gaze, a disappointed expression taking over.

Once Dragonite reached the ground, Ethan dismounted it and waved his hands. "Goodbye then, Ronnie and Dragonite."

"AOUU!" Dragonite exclaimed with a magnetic smile and flew up in the sky.

"Alright," Ethan sighed, stretching his hands. "The plan this time is simple. Avoid any Pokemon and walk straight."

"And, one last thing," he pulled out his Pokedex from his right pocket. "Hey, Pokedex, tell me everything that I need to do to safely reach Viridian City without encountering any Pokemon?"

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea," the Pokedex replied after a pause.

"What?" Ethan exclaimed. "Were you only programmed to offer advice after a trainer finds themselves in danger?"

As soon as Ethan's sentence finished, the red light on the Pokedex stopped abruptly.

"This..." Ethan muttered, frowning as he shoved his Pokedex back into his pocket.

"I guess I'll hide behind trees as usual," Ethan began walking as a warm breeze gently swayed the long grass blades.

After a few hours, Ethan encountered a wide river blocking his path forward. The fresh scent of water enveloped the dense forest surrounding it, while its gentle waves created soothing sounds.

Since he had been avoiding any wild Pokemon, he had diverted from his original Route, but he didn't stray far away.

"There must be a bridge connecting Route 201 to the other side of the river," He gazed around, searching through each and every tree.

A pack of Pidgeys flooded the top of a giant tree nearby, and Ethan noticed it with his eagle-like vision.

"Haha," Ethan chuckled slowly. "I knew this Route was dangerous."

"The next time I visit this Route, I'll bring my evolved Charmander, aka Charizard, and take some smooth revenge," Ethan declared, his eyes burning with determination and anger as he swiftly maneuvered between different trees.

After a few moments, Ethan's eyes caught a wooden bridge that barely hung onto the sides of the ending pathways. Fear incapacitated him as goosebumps formed over his arms.

Gulping his fear, he moved closer to the fast-flowing river and murmured. "I have to dash through here before any Pokemon notices me."

Closing his eyes, he prayed, "Oh, god of luck, you've been quite angry with me for a while. I hope to receive your blessings at least once. I hope that this bridge survives just this once."

Keeping his eyes closed, he carefully stepped on the bridge and dashed to the other side. The jittery movements of the old bridge gave him mini heart attacks as his blood pressure and heart rate rose, but as soon as his foot touched the stagnant ground, he felt like he had been reborn.