I have added this story to my Patreon. You can support me and read the 40 latest and advanced chapters there. It also fed and motivate me to write more chapters!
Free Members will get 10 Chapters Ahead of the schedule on Patreon!!!
Link: Patreon.com/AVRKingsTL
—------------------—
Mt. Moon is located between Cerulean City and Pewter City. It was originally an unknown mountain, but one day, someone discovered moon stones there, and Mt. Moon became famous overnight.
Compared to other evolution ites, moon stones are not considered too rare, but that is only in comparison to other evolution ites.
Even a single moon stone, even one of very poor quality, can sell for at least ten thousand yuan, while high-quality moon stones are priceless treasures.
Pokémon have varying levels of aptitude. Generally speaking, a Pokémon's aptitude is very difficult to change, but nothing is absolute. There is a magical phenomenon among Pokémon called evolution, and after a Pokémon evolves, there is a small probability that its aptitude will change.
Some Pokémon can evolve once they reach a certain level, while others require special methods to evolve, such as using an ite.
The higher the quality of the ite, the higher the level the Pokémon will gain after evolving. Furthermore, high-quality ites also have a significant chance of changing a Pokémon's aptitude, making it better.
"...However, all of the above are just rumors. A Pokémon's aptitude is generally difficult to discern with the naked eye and requires specialized equipment for detection. But such a test costs tens of thousands of yuan each time, so only people from wealthy families would even consider doing it." Walking along the mountain path of Mt. Moon, Brock explained with a serious expression.
Hearing this, Ash's mouth slightly opened, his face showing some surprise: "Eh, does it really cost that much to test a Pokémon's aptitude?"
"Of course. In reality, the cost of testing aptitude isn't high, but if it were easy to Detect a Pokémon's aptitude, then there would be countless Trainers in the Pokémon World who, after catching a Pokémon, would immediately test its aptitude and then release or abandon it if they found its aptitude to be poor. Such behavior is inhumane and not allowed by the Alliance."
"So, by increasing the cost of detecting a Pokémon's aptitude, it makes it difficult for people to easily test it. This way, those who plan to catch a large number of Pokémon, test their aptitudes, and only keep the best ones, cannot use such methods."
Misty also explained to Ash why detecting a Pokémon's aptitude is so expensive.
It's not that detecting aptitude requires many materials, leading to high costs, but rather that it's deliberately priced this way to deter many people and make them abandon the idea of testing a Pokémon's aptitude.
"But... if you don't want people to test a Pokémon's aptitude, wouldn't it be better not to develop such a thing in the first place?" Ash asked, somewhat confused.
"Who knows? Perhaps it was developed by accident," Misty shrugged, indicating that she wasn't entirely sure why.
As the three chatted and ventured deeper into Mt. Moon, the path through Mt. Moon was not short, and since they had to go deep into the cave, time unknowingly passed until evening. Just after the three finished dinner, a cute and playful pink Pokémon suddenly appeared before them: "Clefairy~~"
When Misty saw the pink Pokémon, her eyes instantly sparkled: "It's a Clefairy! Mt. Moon really does have Clefairy!"
According to rumors, besides moon stones, Clefairy also exist in Mt. Moon. Clefairy are considered relatively rare Pokémon. Although not very strong, they are very cute and are loved by many female Trainers, including Misty.
When Misty set out, she had intended to only catch Water-type Pokémon, but when she saw the Clefairy, she suddenly felt that catching a Clefairy would actually be quite nice.
"So this is a Clefairy, it looks quite cute," Ash said, taking out his Pokémon Dex to scan the Clefairy.
The Insight Eye can Detect a Pokémon's aptitude, but it cannot provide a general description of the Pokémon or its type. For that, he still needed to rely on the Pokémon Dex. If it were a complete Insight Eye, then perhaps he wouldn't need the Pokémon Dex anymore.
[Clefairy: Because of its very lovable appearance, it is very popular as a pet, but it is not easy to find. Furthermore, legend has it that it is a Pokémon from the moon.]
"Eh, a Pokémon from the moon? Is that true?" Ash put away his Pokémon Dex and said with a surprised expression.
Clefairy may be rare, but to say they come from the moon is a bit outrageous, isn't it?
"There is such a rumor, but it's a bit difficult to verify," Brock nodded, indicating that it was indeed true.
"Why? Can't current technology land on the moon yet?" Ash squatted in front of the Clefairy and curiously poked it. This wild Clefairy didn't seem to be afraid of Ash; instead, it smiled, amused by Ash's finger, and even swayed slightly from side to side to show friendliness.
"Yes, current technology is not yet sufficient for humans to land on the moon... That's not entirely accurate. In terms of technology, it's already enough for humans to travel into outer space, but once we break through the ozone layer, we seem to be mysteriously blocked. So, to this day, humans have not been able to escape Earth."
Breaking through the ozone layer... Ash pondered for a moment, then said with a serious expression: "What is the ozone layer?"
That one sentence almost made Brock and Misty trip and fall flat on the ground. Sometimes Ash seemed to know a lot of things, but other times he would be so ignorant about common knowledge that it was frustrating.
"These are aerospace knowledge; I'm not particularly clear about them either. In short, you can understand the ozone layer as a protective shield that prevents us from being scorched to death by the sun. Besides, now is not the time to focus on that, is it? It's rare to meet a Clefairy, don't you two want to catch her? She's about to leave if you don't catch her soon." Brock pointed into the distance.
Ash, who had been listening intently to Brock's explanation, and Misty, who looked helpless, quickly turned their heads, only to find the Clefairy skipping happily towards the depths of Mt. Moon, clutching a sparkling, transparent stone.
"Wait, Clefairy!" Misty shouted as she ran towards the Clefairy. Suddenly, three figures appeared before them, ahead of them. Immediately, a large net instantly enveloped the Clefairy, along with the ore in her hand.
"What's going on!?" The three, Ash, stopped, somewhat bewildered, looking at the Clefairy caught in the net.
In the now dim Mt. Moon cave, a spotlight suddenly appeared, revealing the three somewhat indistinct figures before everyone.
"Since you asked so sincerely!"
"I will mercifully tell you!"
"..."
As the opening lines rang out, Ash and Misty also widened their eyes, looking at the three with some disbelief.
"Team Rockets! How did you three get here!" The former shouted out the names of the three—Team Rockets!
That's right, the ones who appeared before Ash and the others were none other than the Team Rocket Trio: Jessie, James, and Meowth.
In the Pokémon World, there are satellites. It is set that no living creatures are allowed to pass through the ozone layer, otherwise they will be hunted by Rayquaza.
Additionally, there was a minor researcher in Mt. Moon, but since he played no role in the plot, I cut him out directly.