Literally not even half a day after making a post about wanting to get back into Pokemon, something truly magical happened.
When I was 15, I was playing the post-game of my copy of Pokemon White when I encountered a shiny Butterfree on route 12. Pink and purple are some of my favorite colors, so I instantly fell in love as it reminded me of the pink butterfree from the anime.
I was using my Lilligant who was about 20 levels higher, but since it 4x resists magical leaf, I didn't think anything could go wrong.
But everything went wrong. I got a critial hit and OHKO's the first wild shiny I ever encountered. I was absolutely devastated, turning off the game and refusing to play for two weeks straight after that. I might have actually never gone back to that save file because I was so mad at myself for not just chucking Ultra Balls at it.
Fast forward to today where I started a new save file on Let's Go Eevee because Kanto was my first region and Eevee is my favorite Pokemon.
I had planned out a team to use consisting of my favorites: Eevee, Venusaur (my fav gen I starter), Clefable, Ninetales, Lapras and Dragonite.
About half an hour into the game, I go into Viridian Forest to catch a Bulbasaur. I know it's a rare spawn, so I decided to get a chain of 11 or more of another Pokemon first to hopefully get it to appear. I know that chaining increases shiny odds, so I settle on Caterpie, remembering the failed shiny Butterfree from all those years ago.
As I'm walking around the long stretch of tall grass North of the entrance, I notice a single sparkle behind the wooden sign board. Surely it must be my eyes playing tricks on me? I don't quite remember what the special aura indicating small/big Pokemon looks like after all. I go behind the fence, get an encounter…
…and it's a normal Caterpie. Of course. Must have been a mistake after all. I quickly catch it which brings me back to the previous screen and the sparkle is still there. Taking one more step, I instantly run into another encounter and my heart drops.
A bright red Metapod. A female one at that, just like the Butterfree I lost all those years ago.
I'm literally shaking as I throw balls at it and it breaks out of the first two, but the third one catches it. Crazy knowing I could have very easily missed it, considering it spawned out of sight behind the sign board AND right next to another encounter. (I included a photo of the exact location where I found it as the last picture of the set)
Fifteen years after that tragic incident in Pokemon White, I am finally the proud owner of a shiny Butterfree. I know it's not the strongest Pokemon out there, but the Let's Go games are not exactly difficult either. I'm not sure who I will replace on the team I planned out, but you bet this shiny Butterfree is going on the squad.
If this isn't fate to get back into the franchise, then I don't know what is.
by SailcrVee