The next morning, Mason woke up from his sleep, feeling the fresh morning air. After a quick wash-up, he had breakfast and left the Pokémon Center, heading towards Cerulean City. On the way, he passed Mt. Moon.
Mt. Moon was known for being rich in Moon Stones and famous for its wild Clefairy population. The area was also frequently struck by meteor falls, with the meteors turning into Moon Stones when they hit the ground.
The Moon Stone was a valuable item that could make certain Pokémon evolve, and because of its worth, many merchants came here to dig up the stones. Unfortunately, this had led to significant disruption in the environment, disturbing the local Pokémon who lived in the cave.
At this moment, Mason was in the middle of a Pokémon battle with a mountain climber who liked to dig for Moon Stones.
"Graveler, use Rollout!" the climber commanded.
"Charmeleon, use Mega Punch!" Mason countered.
The two Pokémon clashed with all their might, not backing down from the battle. Mason glanced at the climber's Graveler, and using his system, he quickly searched for its details.
Pokémon: Graveler
Type: Rock + Ground
Ability: Hard Head
Moves: Rollout, Rock Throw, Self-Destruct, Rock Blade, Double Edge, Mega Punch...
The battle was intense. Charmeleon, with his fiery spirit, pushed Graveler back with all his strength, then stepped back cautiously, his thick tail slapping the ground as it signaled his impatience.
"Use Rock Smash and Iron Tail together!" Mason ordered.
"Uh-oh! Graveler, get out of the way!" the climber shouted in panic.
Thanks to his strong defense, Graveler had gained the upper hand for a short time, but Charmeleon's Rock Smash and Iron Tail moves were a nightmare for it. These moves not only took advantage of Graveler's weaknesses but also had a chance to lower its defense.
Taking advantage of the situation, Charmeleon unleashed a Flamethrower, enveloping Graveler in a pillar of fire. While he didn't particularly want to use fire to defeat Graveler, Charmeleon figured it would make the Pokémon stay where he was, "thinking things over."
"Graveler, use Double Edge!" the climber yelled, trying to turn the tide of the battle.
Charmeleon's claws and tail glowed white as he used his speed to strike quickly, intercepting Graveler's Double Edge with swift blows. Despite Graveler's best efforts, Charmeleon's precise attacks overwhelmed him.
Once Graveler was defeated, the climber reluctantly returned him to his Poké Ball. He looked at Mason with approval.
"If you want to dig for Moon Stones, I can recommend a place," the climber said.
Mason nodded, following the climber's instructions until he came to a cave. As soon as Mason stepped into the cave, he heard the faint sound of hammering. Someone was already digging for Moon Stones.
The constant noise was unbearable for the wild Pokémon. Several Zubats flew out of the cave, disturbed by the continuous hammering. Forced to leave the darkness for the glaring sunlight, they screeched as they flew away.
Inside the cave, lighting fixtures had been installed along the walls to help with the excavation. The lighting had caused problems for the local Pokémon. Sandshrew had collapsed from exhaustion due to a lack of water, and Paras had developed mushrooms on its back from prolonged exposure to the artificial light.
These phenomena were clearly abnormal, and Mason felt a sense of discomfort as he walked deeper into the cave.
"Damn it! Is there really a Moon Stone here?" A furious voice rang out from deeper within the cave. The tone belonged to an angry, rude woman.
Mason approached cautiously and saw a woman and a man digging around the cave. The woman's expression was fierce, and her voice carried an air of arrogance. "Come out, Scyther! Use Razor Wind."
A sharp wind blade sliced through the air, cutting toward the duo. The two figures stepped into view, and Mason immediately recognized them. They weren't Jessie and James, the usual troublemakers he had encountered. Instead, the pair was dressed in unusual, worn-out uniforms.
"What do you want? Who are you?" Cassidy, the woman, demanded, clearly annoyed.
Mason raised an eyebrow. "Since you asked so nicely… I'll make an exception and tell you." He gave a slight smirk. "To prevent the earth from being destroyed, to protect peace… we are the ones who carry out love and honesty!"
With a flourish, he continued: "We are Team Rocket, traveling through the universe, seeking a better tomorrow!"
Cassidy and Butch walked out from the shadows, clearly frustrated. Their uniforms were torn, and Scyther's Razor Wind attack had left visible marks on their clothes. Despite their appearance, they carried themselves arrogantly.
"What do you want, brat?" Cassidy snapped.
Mason shrugged. "I'm here to stop you from destroying this place. And to be honest, you're no different from Jessie and James. Just another pair of incompetent troublemakers."
"Go, Raticate!" Cassidy shouted as she sent out her Pokémon.
Butch also threw out a Poké Ball. "Infernape, come out and show your strength!"
Scyther stood motionless, but Mason knew the Pokémon would handle this on its own. He didn't need to issue commands. These two were no match for the Flash Scyther.
The two Team Rocket members seemed confident, but it was quickly clear that they were outmatched. Scyther lazily rubbed its sickle as if waiting for them to make the first move.
"Arrogant little creature!" Cassidy muttered, clearly frustrated by Scyther's nonchalant demeanor.
"Infernape, use Fury Swipes!" Butch ordered, desperate to make something happen.
"Raticate, charge in and use Tackle!" Cassidy shouted, trying to create an opening.
Scyther reacted swiftly, using Double Team to dodge both attacks. Soon, there were countless Scyther clones surrounding Infernape and Raticate. The Team Rocket members were thrown off, unable to determine which Scyther was the real one.
In a flash, Scyther attacked, crossing its blades in a swift X-Scissor maneuver.
"Raticate!" Cassidy cried out, watching her Pokémon fall as it was hit by the brutal attack.
"Infernape, counter with Karate Chop!" Butch ordered desperately.
But Scyther's sickles flashed with white light as it used Brick Break to cancel out Infernape's Karate Chop. With its superior strength and speed, Scyther knocked Infernape back with ease, its attacks relentless and overwhelming.
Soon, Infernape lay on the ground, defeated. With no other choice, Butch and Cassidy stood there, stunned.
Now, only Raticate remained, but it, too, was soon defeated by a swift Quick Attack from Scyther.
"Damn you, we are Team Rocket! What do you plan to do with us?" Cassidy demanded, her voice shaking with frustration.
Mason was unbothered. "Your reputation doesn't scare me."
He gestured to Scyther to keep an eye on the duo while he took out his Pokédex and activated the phone function. He then called the Nibi City Police Station.
Half an hour later, Officer Jenny arrived at the scene with reinforcements.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mason," she said, shaking his hand with respect. "Thanks to Trainers like you, Team Rocket's evil plans are foiled. It's people like you who make a difference."
Mason nodded casually. "I'm counting on you, Officer Jenny. But don't be fooled—Team Rocket will be back. It's all about money for them."
The officers began taking the defeated Team Rocket members into custody. After dismantling the illegal lighting fixtures and making sure the Pokémon were safe, Mason bid Officer Jenny goodbye.
His original goal in visiting Mt. Moon was still not complete, however. He ventured deeper into the cave, determined not to leave empty-handed.
It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for. A tiny Clefairy popped its head out from behind a rock, looking at Mason with wide, innocent eyes. As soon as the Clefairy saw Mason, it waved energetically and beckoned him to follow. Mason followed the Clefairy through the cave until they reached a hidden area where a group of Clefairy gathered around a sacred Moon Stone.
The Clefairy were worshiping the Moon Stone, and the Clefable that seemed to be the leader turned to Mason with a knowing look. Without hesitation, the Clefable ordered the Clefairy to offer the Moon Stone to Mason as a gesture of gratitude.
Mason carefully accepted the Moon Stone, noticing it was much thicker than the ones he had seen before. The stone glowed with an unusual energy, and Mason could feel its power pulsing within his hand.
The energy inside this Moon Stone felt twice as strong as those he had encountered, and Mason knew this stone was different. It might just be the key to something special in the future.
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