The night passed without incident.
Logan couldn't tell what exactly Giovanni was planning. The man, despite being the infamous leader of Team Rocket, had remained unnervingly quiet the entire night. By the time the morning sun crept over the horizon, he even greeted Logan with a cheerful smile and an enthusiastic wave.
If Logan hadn't retained a few fragments of knowledge from the old anime about this man's danger, he might've truly let his guard down under such a convincing performance.
After breakfast and a short rest, Logan had his Gabite go through another round of skill drills. Now that he had discovered the secret behind a Pokémon's growth lay not in brute physical training but in mental clarity and focused willpower, Logan wasn't about to waste a single second. Every moment was poured into strengthening his team, each day building upon the last. He knew this discipline would eventually lead to that one powerful breakthrough.
The phrase "I spend my coffee time reading books instead" deeply resonated with him. One day of effort might not mean much, but keeping that up for a year? The gap between you and the rest of the world would start to become real.
After the morning training session wrapped up, Logan joined Giovanni on their so-called "investigation." Logan had long realized that avoiding Giovanni was pointless. With Team Rocket's vast network, the moment he stepped into any city, he'd be found. It was actually safer to keep Giovanni where he could see him — right in his line of sight.
Still, it bugged Logan. Other trainers got to travel with cute girls. He? He had to walk next to a middle-aged man who might murder him in his sleep. Fate truly had a twisted sense of humor.
…
"These caves are pitch black, huh?"
Logan flicked on his heavy-duty flashlight, flooding the dark tunnel with piercing white light. The sudden brightness stirred a colony of Zubat deep within, and they screeched as they burst from the darkness in a frenzied swarm. Logan crouched low behind Gabite's towering figure as the dragon, standing nearly three meters tall, unleashed a stream of scorching flames, torching the air and driving the bats back. The heat within the cave spiked sharply.
"We're deep inside Mt. Moon now," Giovanni commented, also taking shelter behind Gabite. "Hardly anyone ventures this far. Near the outer areas, the caves are lit with proper lighting, but not here."
He kept his distance — precisely two meters behind Logan. He understood Logan's sharp awareness. Any closer and the kid's nerves would flare again. Even so, Logan never let his attention stray too far from him.
"You'll want to be careful of Diglett and Dugtrio here," Giovanni continued in a calm, educational tone. "They live underground and often ambush travelers. Not only that, they tend to soften the ground, making it as treacherous as quicksand. The most dangerous thing is their tendency to nest in Onix's abandoned tunnels — if you see a Diglett, there's a good chance a wild Onix is nearby too."
Giovanni's expertise sounded almost scholarly. Logan figured it came from experience — probably gained during his own days as a wandering trainer in his youth.
"Here. This path has a breeze. That means there's a connecting tunnel ahead. Mt. Moon has countless caverns, but most aren't too complicated once you know how to read them."
At a junction, Giovanni paused, took a moment to feel the wind, then confidently led the way.
"Hm? Gabite, what is it?"
Suddenly, Logan noticed something strange — Gabite was staring intensely at a cave wall. A gleam of excitement flashed in its savage eyes, and that instantly put Logan on alert.
A surge of emotion passed from Gabite to Logan through their bond.
"You found something good?" Logan asked.
"Graaaaaar!" Gabite gave a deep, thrilled roar and nodded.
"Why aren't you coming along, Logan?"
Giovanni had noticed Logan wasn't following and circled back with a puzzled expression.
"Gabite found something," Logan replied. "Mind waiting a sec, Mr. Giovanni? Alright, Gabite, take me to it."
At Logan's command, Gabite swung its dual arm-blades, carving cleanly into the stone wall. A slab of rock came free, and Logan aimed his flashlight at it — catching the faintest glimmer reflecting back at him.
"What is this...?"
"That's a fossil," Giovanni explained as he approached. "A prehistoric one. There's a tiny piece of it sticking out of the surface. That glint you saw? It's the fossil reflecting light. Honestly, even most Pokémon wouldn't have caught that. Your Gabite is exceptional."
He crouched down like a professional, producing a small brush from his supplies. He delicately cleaned the stone, revealing a trace of amber-like texture embedded within. Logan watched him curiously.
Then, curious, Logan pulled out his Pokédex and scanned Gabite.
"Gabite, the evolution of Gabite. Known for its obsession with shiny objects, it often remains in its nest, staring at gems or small, sparkling stones for hours."
Logan's expression twitched.
"So you're really a dragon, huh? Let me guess — do you also hoard princesses? No wonder you noticed such a faint glint. It's just in your nature."
Gabite roared joyfully, clearly pleased.
"Alright, alright, enough with the howling. Collapse the cave and we'll all be fossils."
While Logan joked, Giovanni had already retrieved the fossil from the stone. He wiped the sweat off his brow and handed it over.
"This belongs to you. Your Gabite found it. Take it. Honestly, with its instincts, you might want to explore more of Mt. Moon. Moon Stones tend to be even more reflective. Your Gabite will probably spot them more easily than any human or Pokémon could."
Logan wasn't particularly excited by the prospect of treasure hunting. Money meant nothing to him. Strength — true power — was what mattered. Still, he took the fossil and examined it under the flashlight, visibly intrigued.
"Think you can tell what Pokémon it is, Mr. Giovanni?"
"Not by eye," Giovanni replied. "You'd need lab equipment and scanners to determine that."
"Darn, that's a shame."
Logan sighed and stored the fossil in his bag. Wouldn't it be great if it were an Aerodactyl fossil?
No—wait. Even that wouldn't be ideal. Logan wasn't an idiot. He knew Aerodactyl wasn't technically a Dragon-type — it was Rock and Flying. Not exactly what he was aiming to build his team around. He had no interest in becoming the next Flying-type Elite Four member.
Still, whatever it was, it had to be rare.
As Logan smiled and examined his prize, Giovanni quietly let out a long sigh.
In that moment, watching the boy's bright expression, he actually looked like a proper teenager — vibrant, hopeful, full of life.
If only... if only that accident ten years ago hadn't happened...
He might've grown up to be a truly carefree kid...
If only...
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