In the woods, Vance looked at the message on his phone with an odd expression on his face.
It was from the League, inviting him to Mt. Moon to help guard the giant Moon Stone there. Over the next few days the Moon Stone would fill up with energy and give off a force that helped Pokémon grow stronger.
At the same time, the League members stationed on Mt. Moon had found traces of Team Rocket activity, and suspected that they too meant no good by this Moon Stone that was about to release its energy; so the League was asking Trainers in the area for help, to guard the giant Moon Stone on Mt. Moon together over these few days.
It was a request, not a compulsory call-up.
Trainers who received the message were free to go or not, as they chose.
The interesting part was that when Vance took out the communicator Team Rocket had issued him and looked at the mission channel, there was a mission about Mt. Moon there as well, likewise rounding up bodies. Which meant that the Moon Stone on Mt. Moon really would be releasing its energy in the next few days.
"Now that is interesting. A giant Moon Stone. I'll go and take a look, then, and see whether there's anything in it for me."
Vance put the communicator away and said it with a smile, meaning to go and see for himself; it was not far from where he was in any case.
Just then the Combusken finished his own fight, with two Pokémon slumped against him.
"Combusken—"
The Combusken dragged the two of them over to Vance, pointed at his Poké Balls, then pointed at the two on the ground.
"All right."
Vance took out Poké Balls and drew them in.
"Thunk—"
They were caught without the least trouble. He shrank the balls down, picked them up and slid them into a compartment of his pack.
"Let's go."
"Combusken—"
By the time they reached Mt. Moon several Trainers had already arrived, and a man in a white coat and a pair of large glasses was receiving them.
"Hello, hello. Are you here to help on Mt. Moon? Then would you show me your Pokédex, please."
The man came up to Vance and said it politely.
"Yes, of course."
Vance took out his Pokédex and let him check it.
"Hello. I'm Dr. Renn, the research staff here. Thank you all for your trouble over the next few days."
Dr. Renn tapped at the Pokédex a few times, took a picture of Vance, and once he had confirmed that the details were correct he handed the Pokédex back and introduced himself.
Vance gave his own name in turn, and the other Trainers gave theirs one after another.
"It'll be within the next few days now — the Moon Stone will release its power. We hear Team Rocket may come; if they do, I'll have to ask you to step in. Otherwise you're welcome to walk about — the scenery on Mt. Moon really is rather good. Here are your temporary work passes."
Dr. Renn took out the passes and handed one to each of them, and went on.
"On the night the power is released, a group of Clefairy will dance around the Moon Stone, and some of them will evolve because of it. Part of your duty is to keep the Clefairy safe and not let Team Rocket take any — this bears on a research project from above."
"Understood."
They all nodded.
A while later several more Trainers arrived, perhaps also passing by Mt. Moon and hurrying over on the news, and the researcher called Dr. Renn went to receive them as before.
With his temporary pass on, Vance walked into the cordoned-off area.
A squad in police uniform was already standing guard there, some of them patrolling back and forth with Arcanine. They looked at Vance, saw the pass on his chest, nodded, and let him through.
Unhindered, Vance came to the heart of Mt. Moon, the place where the giant Moon Stone stood.
"So this is the Moon Stone."
To look at, this famous Moon Stone was nothing but an enormous ordinary rock, plain and unremarkable and easy to walk past.
But Vance could still feel a vast energy inside that huge stone, gentle as water, pure and soft.
Close to it the energy was very dense, and Vance had only to draw on it a little for a great deal of that soft energy to flow into him.
As it entered him his mind went cool and clear, and the weariness of the road scattered in that same moment. The power was extremely pure and gentle; once inside him it simply merged into his body, and Vance could feel his standing as an Advanced Psychic rise by a fraction.
This giant Moon Stone was not only of use to Pokémon. A human with powers, as he was, could use it too.
"This giant Moon Stone is a fine thing."
Vance opened his eyes and said it to himself, breaking off his practice; there were others some way off, still gazing at the stone.
"Clefairy—"
Several of them came bounding out together from a cave off to one side, each carrying a small stone with a faint energy in it.
The energy was the same as the Moon Stone's.
"Clefairy—"
The Clefairy were not afraid of Vance. They glanced at him, then went hopping on and set the stones they carried down at the foot of the giant Moon Stone.
"Clef—"
Once the stones were down they seemed thoroughly satisfied, wiped the sweat from their foreheads and fell to playing together.
> **Pokémon:** Clefairy (female)
> **Type:** Fairy
> **Ability:** Cute Charm
> **Aptitude:** Elite
> **Level:** 31
> **Moves:** Pound, Growl, Encore, Sing, Double Slap, Minimize, Psychic, Round
Vance checked one of the Clefairy at random, and that was what came up.
A Clefairy's fur is pink and its body star-shaped, with small wings on its back.
Its hands have three digits and its feet only one; there is a single small tooth in its mouth and creases at the corners of its eyes. Its ears are pink with brown tips, there is a curled tuft of hair on the crown of its head between them, and its tail curls as well.
It looks very sweet.
"Clef—"
One Clefairy tugged at the leg of Vance's trousers, a red berry in its other small hand, and held it out to him with a smile all over its face.
"Clefairy—"
"Is that for me?"
"Clef—"
The Clefairy nodded.
Vance looked up. The other Clefairy were carrying fruit as well and handing it to the other people there, apparently thanking them for standing guard.
"Thank you, then."
Vance crouched down and took the fruit from the Clefairy.
"Clef—"
Delighted that he had taken it, the Clefairy went hopping away.
Watching it go, Vance wiped the berry and took a bite. Not bad — quite sweet. He finished it in a few mouthfuls and found himself a place to sit close to the Moon Stone.
Quietly he set the power inside him working, drawing the loose motes of energy in the air into his body.
The men on patrol saw him sitting there, took him for someone resting, and did not disturb him.