New Home, Goldenrod City
I just moved all my stuff to this new place I found in the middle of Goldenrod City. I’m not too far from the seaside, I’m not too close to the forest. Right now I’m sitting at my desk in front of the window, I can see the Radio Tower and the big boats from the ocean. It feels pretty small compared to where I lived before, my hometown, but that’s the big city life… I guess.
I can’t complain. My university chose to fund my project and now I’m about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: travelling the world to preserve the hidden stories of our story. Since I was a child, I was deeply interested in the Pokémon world. I remember, before bedtime, my grandmother telling fairy tales that kept me company during the night, in the scary darkness. One of my favourites was The Brave Little Caterpie, that’s how I remember it:
Once upon a time, in the green forests of Kanto, there was a small Caterpie that couldn’t wait to be a Butterfree. The little green Pokémon was hiding all day long in the low bushes, scared to cross the mighty strong Pidgeotto.
All of his friends were already becoming Metapod, thanks to their silky strings developed through training… something he couldn’t do, he was too scared! Every time he heard the wing stroke of a bird, he hid in fear, the poor little creature. He was so scared that he always slept near Ekans’ den, the archnemesis of the flying Pokémon.
One day, unfortunately, he couldn’t hide no more. He went up a tree, to say goodbye to all his Butterfree friends migrating to warmer regions. Up there alone, closer to the clouds, nobody could defend him from the Pidgeotto, and that’s exactly when he arrived. Caterpie looked up and down, left and right: there was nowhere to go! He squeezed his eyes and, for the first time, he shot the silk strings to Pidgeotto’s face. The little Caterpie surprised himself, Pidgeotto’s view was weakened: he had to think fast, to take advantage of the situation.
Instinctively, he focused and pushed the osmeterium, the big red antennas on his forehead. They became bigger and they started to vibrate, just like Ekans’ tongue. Pidgeotto, still blinded from the silk strings, got scared and flew away, thinking he was about to get attacked by the snake Pokémon.
The small green Caterpie couldn’t believe his own power: he didn’t need to wait to become a Butterfree, his strength was already hidden within. When he came down the tree, he felt a strong energy from inside his heart. Without even thinking, he started to spit silk in the air, creating his own evolving cocoon… and that’s the story of how the brave little Caterpie became the strong Metapod.
In my comfy bed, my childish mind wondered a lot. If even the smallest Caterpie had his own adventure, how many stories were told around the world? And silly little me wanted to know them all. This might be the reason why I do the type of research that I do, just to make my inner child’s wishes come true… Thank you grandma!
Now that I’m in central Johto, it will be so much easier to reach all the different spots I planned to visit. Last time I called my tutor, he told me to write down my experience, he said it will be easier to write my report when I’ll be back in a few months. Well, what does my future hold for me? Only Dialga will tell.