The Misty Forest is a grove located east of the Lake of Rage, named for the dense mist that enshrouds it all year round. If an ordinary person enters this forest, they could easily get lost, and finding their way out is no simple task.
Some ghost-type Pokémon inhabit the Misty Forest. If a faint-hearted person ventures in, they might get quite a fright. There have been cases where people who entered the forest came out so terrified they were left dazed.
Therefore, the League advises those who lack sufficient strength not to enter the Misty Forest rashly. The same applies to the Misty Mountains, which are connected to this forest.
After getting out of the water, Cain didn't stop for a moment and, along with Slowpoke, headed into the Misty Forest.
Although Slowpoke couldn't use the move Teleport, it could still employ other psychic-type moves, so Cain wasn't worried about the ghost-type Pokémon that might inhabit the forest. However, to be safe, he also summoned Murkrow.
After walking for an hour deep into the forest, Cain finally decided to stop. He gathered some dry branches and lit a campfire to dry his somewhat wet body.
Once he was completely dry, he changed clothes, storing his wet clothes in his ring, as he was on the run and couldn't leave any traces that could be followed.
In the Misty Forest, you can't see the sun, but Cain assumed that, before entering, the sun was already setting. After an hour in the forest, it was surely dark outside by now.
Cain decided to prepare dinner for his Pokémon, but suddenly, two figures emerged from the forest mist. Both were dressed as intermediate-level League trainers and were heading straight toward where Cain was.
In reality, these two didn't have a clear way to navigate; they had been aimlessly wandering through the Misty Forest, searching for the person they'd been assigned to track.
But seeing a light in the forest, they hurried to follow it. Although they'd been tasked with searching for someone, they hadn't been given any information—not even a description of the person they were looking for—making their search extremely difficult.
So the two decided to follow the light, hoping to find someone, though they weren't sure if it would be the person they were looking for. After all, the Misty Forest is a place where few people venture, but that doesn't mean it's deserted.
Cain, on his part, was a bit frustrated. He thought he'd perhaps had too much luck before, resulting in this streak of bad luck now. He had barely settled in to camp in the forest when he came across two League trainers looking for him. Although it seemed they weren't certain of his identity, Cain couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed.
What Cain didn't know was that these two had been ordered to enter the forest before him, arriving long before he did.
One of the men stepped forward and said, "Hello, young man. Have you seen anyone pass through here?"
Cain thought quickly and, pretending to recall, said, "I think I saw someone earlier; he was drenched. He looked a bit threatening, so I didn't approach. Are you looking for someone, gentlemen?"
The two men exchanged a glance. Then, the one who had spoken earlier smiled and said, "No, no, we were just curious. It's not common to find someone in this forest, let alone so many people in one day."
Cain continued setting up his tent, showing no signs of nervousness at their words. The Misty Forest is a place where few people venture, as the men had said. Encountering someone here is already rare, and even more so, as Cain had said, encountering three people in one day.
"Yes, usually days go by without seeing a single person, and today we've seen three, which is unusual," replied Cain as he continued setting up his tent.
Seeing Cain's calm demeanor, the two men's suspicions began to dissipate. The young man before them, who seemed so innocent and spoke so openly, didn't look like a criminal.
"Are you League members?" Cain asked, pretending not to notice the exchange of glances between them.
"Ah, yes, we are," one of the men replied.
"Where are you from, young man?"
Cain finished setting up his tent and sat by the campfire, extending his hands to warm up a bit.
"I'm from Saffron City, in the Kanto region. I recently started my training. I heard in Ecruteak City that the Misty Forest is a good place to train, so I came here. But I've been here almost a month now and still haven't found the exit."
The two men sat on the other side of the campfire, mimicking Cain to warm themselves.
"Saffron City? It's a big city, right?"
"Well, it's not bad; it's similar to Goldenrod City. But my family is pretty ordinary—I'm the only one in my family who became a trainer," Cain said, pretending indifference.
"Could you show us your League ID card?" One of the men asked Cain to show his ID to confirm if he was one of theirs. "It's not that we don't trust you, but you understand, we're on a mission."
Cain pretended to be a bit uncomfortable and stayed silent for a moment. The men, noticing his discomfort, showed their own League ID cards, trying to gain his trust. However, one of them kept his hand close to his Pokéball, ready to act if Cain showed any sign of danger.
After seeing the men's ID cards, Cain nodded and took out his own League card, handing it to them. The men examined it carefully, comparing the information with Cain's appearance. They didn't notice any discrepancies and concluded that the card was authentic.
Although having a League ID card doesn't guarantee someone is trustworthy, it's much more likely than with the Team Rocket members they'd been fighting that day.
Handing the card back to Cain, one of the men apologized and smiled. "Don't worry, young man. We were just asking out of curiosity. It's good to have friends when you're out here."
(End of chapter)