The city closest to Pewter City was Cerulean City. Challenging the Cerulean Gym would earn one the Cascade Badge, and the Gym Leader was none other than Misty—a beautiful girl who specialized in Water-type Pokémon.
Hayato strolled alone along the smooth, sunlit road, a faint look of confusion on his face.
"Strange… Where did Ash go? If I can find Misty, maybe I'll run into him too. Well, whatever—let's just head to Cerulean City first!"
Between Pewter and Cerulean stood a towering mountain—Mt. Moon—a difficult range to cross. Most travelers chose to pass through the tunnels that wound within it.
Mt. Moon was famous for its wild Clefairy and the frequent meteorites that fell upon it. These meteorites transformed into Moon Stones, said to hold the mysterious power to trigger certain Pokémon evolutions. Fossils could also be excavated from within, making Mt. Moon a sacred destination for archaeologists and adventurers alike.
Hayato gazed up at the mountain rising thousands of meters before him and couldn't help but marvel.
"Magnificent…! Well, good thing there's lighting equipment in the caves. Nothing to be afraid of!"
Wild Pokémon commonly found around Mt. Moon included Rattata, Ekans, Clefairy, Zubat, Paras, and Geodude. All fairly ordinary. None of them particularly interested Hayato, who walked straight into the cavern without hesitation.
High above Mt. Moon, a familiar hot-air balloon was descending—the emblem of Team Rocket emblazoned across its side.
Jessie's eyes gleamed with ambition.
"I heard there are Clefairy here—and Moon Stones too! This could be our big break!"
James nodded quickly.
"Yeah! If we bring back a Moon Stone, the Boss will love it!"
Meowth sighed gloomily.
"But Clefairy aren't half as good as Meowth! I just wanna stay by the Boss's side and live the good life, nya…"
James patted Meowth's head with mock sympathy.
"Oh, come on, Meowth. Stop dreaming. The Boss's Persian is a hundred times tougher than you. You really think you've got a chance? Chin up! As long as we do our job right, our day in the spotlight will come!"
The tunnels of Mt. Moon were winding and complex, but thanks to countless explorers before, the routes were well-documented—escaping wasn't too difficult.
Suddenly, Hayato spotted movement ahead.
"That Pokémon… is that a Clefairy?"
[Pokédex Entry: Clefairy, the Fairy Pokémon. Gentle and peace-loving, it is rarely seen and primarily inhabits Mt. Moon.]
"Rare, huh?" Hayato frowned in surprise. "That rare? In that case, I'd better catch it while I can!"
He knew well that he could never predict what ingredients he might need for future fusions—rare Pokémon were precious opportunities. Missing one now could mean never getting another.
"Let's go—Haunter!"
But before his Poké Ball even opened fully, a loud voice shouted from the tunnel ahead.
"Move it! Outta the way! That Clefairy's mine!"
A boy dashed into view—Gary Oak.
"Gary? So he's here too? Hmph, looks like I'm not the only one making progress."
The Clefairy disappeared around a bend and was gone. Gary searched furiously but found nothing. Annoyed, he turned his frustration toward Hayato.
"You! If you hadn't blocked me, I'd have caught it already—wait, Hayato? Didn't expect to see you here! Perfect timing. Let's battle!"
Among Pokémon Trainers, disputes were almost always settled through battle—defeating one's rival was the greatest satisfaction of all.
Hayato smirked. Gary's Squirtle shouldn't be too strong yet. Sure, he'd probably beaten Brock already, but still—Hayato wasn't worried.
"Fine by me. What are the rules?"
"Simple—one-on-one! Winner takes all! Go, Squirtle!"
"Alright then—Haunter, you're up!"
Haunter's shadowy form materialized soundlessly in the darkness. Gary jumped back in fright.
"Wh-what is that?! That's your Pokémon?!"
Hayato laughed mockingly.
"What, Gary—don't tell me you're scared! Hahaha!"
Gary clenched his fists, his pride stung.
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!"
"Haunter—counter it with Smog!"
The two attacks collided midair, erupting in a burst of smoke and noise. Neither side gained the advantage, but the resulting smokescreen filled the cave, obscuring everything.
"Now, Haunter—Hypnosis! "
A faint glow pulsed from within the smoke. Before Gary could react, the hypnotic wave struck Squirtle directly.
"Squirtle! Wake up! Come on, wake up!"
Gary panicked as his Pokémon began to snore softly.
Hayato folded his arms, sighing.
"If only I had the TM for Thunderbolt, this would be over instantly. Ugh, that disc costs a fortune. They sell them in the big cities, but who's got that kind of money right now…"
Just as he prepared to finish the match, familiar voices echoed through the cavern.
"Prepare for trouble!""And make it double!"
Team Rocket had arrived. Hayato groaned inwardly. Whatever they were planning, it couldn't be good.
James pointed eagerly.
"That Squirtle looks perfect! Let's take it!"
Before either Trainer could react, the sleeping Squirtle was snatched away. Gary tried to recall it with his Poké Ball, but the capture beam failed to connect.
"Give me back my Squirtle! Go, Krabby!"
"Haunter, Spearow—after them! Don't let them get away!"
Spearow's speed was impressive—it quickly caught up to the trio's balloon. With a sharp cry, it unleashed Hurricane, buffeting them violently.
"Koffing, use Smokescreen! "
The poisonous haze filled the air—but to Haunter, the gas felt like home.
"Haunter, Night Shade! Spearow, another Hurricane! "
"Krabby, use Bubble Beam! " Gary added.
The combined attacks struck true, blasting Team Rocket out of the cave and into the sky.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"
"Nyaaa~!" Meowth's voice faded into the distance.
Because of the interruption, the battle between Hayato and Gary had ended without a conclusion. Naturally, Gary refused to admit defeat.
"That battle didn't count—Team Rocket messed it up! We'll finish this next time."
"Hah, you're just saying that because I won."
Gary turned his head stubbornly.
"Who says you did? My Squirtle will wake up soon, and your Haunter doesn't even know any Electric or Grass-type moves. You couldn't have beaten me in one shot anyway. But… thanks for the help. See ya!"
And with that, Gary ran off into the tunnels.
"What a stubborn guy…" Hayato chuckled. "Well, at least I made it through Mt. Moon. Moon Stone, Clefairy—forget it. I've got better things to do."
Just as he was about to leave, a glimmer caught his eye. A rock tumbled down from above—one that shimmered with a sacred, silvery light.
"Whoa… beautiful! Is this a Moon Stone?"
The stone's glow was pure and ethereal—mystical, almost divine. A rare find indeed.
"Not a bad haul at all! Hahaha—Cerulean City, here I come!"
(End of Chapter)