Mt. Moon, foothills.
The original trio continued their journey at a leisurely pace.
"Mt. Moon is a peaceful place with simple folk and a relaxed atmosphere," Brock explained, slipping naturally into tour-guide mode.
"Around this time every year, lots of travelers come to visit. There are also rumors of rare Moon Stones hidden here—definitely a great place for treasure hunting."
"Once we cross this mountain path, we'll reach Cerulean City," Brock continued.
"Ash, weren't you planning to challenge Gyms? The Cerulean Gym is there."
Ash nodded enthusiastically, already itching to grow wings and rush off to battle.
But as they walked on, Ash suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
A cold draft brushed past his back.
The surroundings felt gloomy and unsettling.
They were already close to the cave entrance—yet there wasn't a single person in sight.
Is this a tourist attraction… or the afterlife?
Can we get something a little more alive here?
The three stopped in front of a wooden warning sign.
WARNING:
Large numbers of Zubat have been sighted recently.
Proceed with caution.
"Zubat?"
Brock and Misty both paused.
Mt. Moon bordered both their hometowns, and Zubat were common in caves—but common enough to warrant a warning sign?
That was unusual.
"Let's just be careful," Brock said calmly.
"Zubat don't usually attack humans without provocation."
"True."
"Sounds reasonable."
With that, they continued forward.
Inside Mt. Moon
To better support tourism, the cave interior was brightly lit—large lamps placed every few meters.
There was no need for Flash at all.
Unfortunately, this artificial brightness had clearly disrupted the cave's ecosystem.
Especially for Pokémon adapted to darkness.
"They probably didn't think this through," Brock said thoughtfully.
"This might be why the Zubat have become aggressive."
Ash nodded seriously.
"You make a lot of sense."
Suddenly—
A scream echoed from deeper inside the cave.
Along with frantic wingbeats that pierced the silence.
"Someone's in trouble!"
Ash didn't hesitate—he rushed ahead.
In a corner of the cave, a young man in a white lab coat was being swarmed by several Zubat, clearly in danger.
Seeing Ash, the man cried out desperately:
"Righteous passerby! Please, save me!"
The word righteous struck Ash's soul.
"If you sincerely wish for salvation—then I shall grant it!" Ash declared dramatically.
"Pikachu! Use Thunder Shock!"
Pikachu leapt from his shoulder, becoming a streak of yellow lightning as it charged forward.
Thunder Shock — the budget version of Thunderbolt.
Electricity crackled.
The Zubat were shocked stiff.
Unfortunately—
So was the scientist.
Thunder Shock, after all, was still electricity.
"Zzzttt—!"
After the sparks faded, the Zubat were scorched and disoriented, flapping frantically as they fled.
"Now! Poké Ball!"
Brock's eyes sharpened.
In one smooth motion, he threw a Poké Ball—perfectly tagging the largest-eyed Zubat.
Shake—shake—shake!
Click!
Capture successful.
"Hey—!" Ash exclaimed.
He immediately reached for his own Poké Ball, but his hand brushed against his Pokédex instead.
"Beep.
Zubat. Bat Pokémon.
Not edible.
DANGER WARNING! DANGER WARNING! "
The Pokédex flashed red like an emergency alarm.
Ash: "???"
By the time he recovered, the remaining Zubat were long gone.
"Damn it!"
He glared at Brock, who was grinning broadly.
"So this is your Rock-type resolve? Stealing a Zubat? That's hilarious."
Brock laughed openly.
"Oh, Rock-type resolve is a family tradition. I've got plenty of brothers who can inherit it."
"Pokémon Breeder—that's my real calling!"
"Oh. Then never mind."
"Yep. Brothers for life."
Misty stared blankly.
Is this… how muscular men talk?
I understood absolutely nothing.
The Scientist
With the Zubat gone, the electrocuted man finally regained consciousness.
"Thank you for saving me," he said gratefully.
"My Pokémon were all knocked out, and then the Zubat went berserk—I almost lost my life."
"Losing all your Pokémon to Zubat is… impressive," someone muttered quietly.
The man pretended not to hear.
"My name is Hikawa Gōban," he said proudly.
"I'm a fossil enthusiast."
Mt. Moon was famous not only for Moon Stones, but also for occasionally yielding ancient fossils.
"A fossil hunter?" Ash's eyes lit up.
"Did you find any?"
Hikawa nodded and smiled.
"I found two ancient fossils. To repay you for saving me, I'll give you one."
He pulled two fossils from his backpack.
Everyone leaned in.
One was smooth and dome-shaped.
The other was yellowish, spiral-shaped, clearly very old.
"Ash," Brock said cautiously, "since you've abandoned Rock-type resolve, maybe you shouldn't look too closely—your ancestors might visit you in your dreams."
"It's fine," Brock waved it off.
"My youngest brother isn't an adult yet—I currently wield dual resolves."
After careful inspection, Brock guessed:
"These should be the Dome Fossil and the Helix Fossil, right?"
"…That one kinda looks like fossilized poop," Ash said, pointing at the spiral fossil.
Honestly—he wasn't entirely wrong.
Even Brock hesitated.
"Mr. Hikawa… you're sure that's not a coprolite?"
"Impossible!" Hikawa protested.
"That's a genuine Helix Fossil! At a major museum, it could even be revived into an ancient Pokémon!"
He laid them out neatly.
"Choose, my savior."
Ash didn't hesitate.
"I'll take this one!"
He picked up the Dome Fossil.
It was heavy.
Could also work as a projectile against Team Rocket, he noted approvingly.
After a brief… friendly transaction, Hikawa hurried back toward Pewter City, eager to see if the museum could revive his fossil.
"Congrats, Ash," Brock said.
"You might one day have an ancient Pokémon."
Ancient Pokémon were exceedingly rare—some scholars even questioned whether any still existed.
Descended from primordial bloodlines, they were typically stronger, tougher, and far more feral.
"Good luck to me, then."
The Clefairy Shop
The trio continued deeper into Mt. Moon.
Before long, they spotted a hidden side passage with a wooden sign.
Official Mt. Moon Clefairy Shop
50 meters ahead — Welcome!
"…Huh?"
They were tired anyway, so they followed the sign.
Soon, they emerged into an open plaza.
"Whoa… Mt. Moon has a place like this?" Misty gasped.
Surrounded by steep rock walls, the clearing felt like an oasis.
A grassy patch.
A single shop.
And on the sign—
A cute, innocent-looking pink devil.
"That must be the Clefairy Shop," Brock said.
"Let's rest."
They entered.
"Welcome~~ Everything is free~~"
A sleepy voice called out.
It sounded soft—probably a cute girl.
Behind the counter was a girl wearing a white sunhat with a Poké Ball emblem.
Her face was hidden beneath the brim as she dozed.
Beside her—
A wilted green bulb Pokémon lay sprawled on the counter.
"Bulba… Bulba…"
It looked like it hadn't been fertilized in days.