Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. Nintendo does. This story isn't written to make profit, or even to get attention from girls. It is simply written for entertainment and to keep myself busy. The main characters are mine however (except for professor Oak and some Jenny's and Joy's) and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't use it without my approval.

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Chapter 10 – Trouble at Mount Moon

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I had retrieved Lawrence easily and was now slowly moving forward through the dark caves. I crept silently alongside the wall, trying to evade Zubats and Geodudes. Normally I would love to get my hands on a Geodude, but now I couldn't return to the centre to heal my pokémon and I still had to get past Team Rocket. I used my repel cautiously and avoided several people in the dark. I found a ladder going down with a little plaque saying 'roadmark' and I took the way down. Just as I reached the lower level I felt a hand on my shoulder. I squirmed.

"Ha-hah, I challenge you to a fight." A loud voice boomed.

This was strange. I turned around and saw this big guy with a large backpack standing before me.

"You're not Team Rocket?" I asked silently.

"What? No, I'm a hiker, on my way to Cerulean!"

"Could you please be a little bit more quiet?" I asked, "Team Rocket is said to have taken over this mountain and I don't want to attract any attention."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't know, although that would explain why the roadmarks have been moved. The fiends, we must stop them."

Yes, we do, but first I have to get to the other side.

"Are you here to stop them?"

"Uhm, not really, but if we can slow them down, at the foot of Mount Moon the SWAT will arrive."

"Ha-hah," he laughed, "don't fight them but slow them down enough to get arrested. Good plan, what's your name?"

I told him my name and he told he was called Francis, "Franky for my friends". We decided to move on to Cerulean as quietly as possible (which was troublesome for Franky sometimes but this besides the point) and we almost reached the final level when some Rocket spotted us.

"Hold it, hands in the air and give me your pokémon."

Oh my God, these guys still pokénapped? Okay, that was a stupid word, they still stole pokémon?

"How can we give you our pokémon if our hands are in the air?" I asked.

You got to admit, a very logical question which has smartass written all over it. The Rocket didn't like that and let out his Meowth and Zubat. Just as he tried to grab me, Franky let out his Onix. It was even bigger than the one the trainer in Pewter had. Before the Rocket could react the Onix slammed the Meowth and Zubat against the wall with his tail and I hit him right on the chin. He came up, whipped his chin and looked enraged at me. Then Franky hit him on the side of the head with his full fist. I swear, I heard something crack. The Rocket fell down unconscious.

"Next time you hit him, knee him in the groin." Franky smiled while he called back his Onix.

"That went easily," I grinned, yep, I felt totally overconfident.

I even let out War to get catch a Geodude. Just one more level and I was homefree. And this lowlife henchman would stay here long enough to get caught by the cops, so Jenny got that. Everything was going perfect. Oh, how wrong I was…

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Just as we reached the last level I saw a few Rockets and some science guy packing some rocks. No way we could get past them unnoticed.

"Guess that's the way to delay them until the cops get here," I whispered to Franky who nodded, "what do you think, should we risk it?"

Franky got out his Onix who trashed one of the henchmen while he jumped the other one. I got out Blaster and War to kick the snot out of the nerd. Unfortunately we underestimated the strength of those Rockets and the one Franky was fighting hit him back. He got out a Weepingbell that whipped the Onix with his vines. The Onix fell down and didn't move anymore. Blaster could just avoid the vines but War was smacked to the wall. I didn't have any fire pokémon and nothing that could hurt a grass pokémon. I still had Lawrence, Flutter, Shocker and Sentinel. Maybe Blaster could divert him while the other made a full out attack… Fuck, what the fuck was that? Something just shocked Blaster! Fuck, that nerd got a Pikachu out! I'm totally fucked! I got Lawrence out who started to sing. He got the Weepingbell out, but he got hit by the Pikachu. Shocker ran along the wall and tackled the Pikachu while Flutter tried to poison him. The Pikachu sneezed and shocked Flutter out of the air. Well, at least it was poisoned. Sentinel jumped forward and tried to sink his claws in the Pikachu, to be brought of course by a vine shooting out. Fuck, that Weepingbell woke up and Lawrence wasn't recovered enough from that bolt to lull him to sleep again. Suddenly a Sentret came out of nowhere and started to pound on the Weepingbell. Lawrence ran towards him and started hitting him also. Quickly the Weepingbell dropped down and stayed down. I glanced to Franky who shrugged and let out an embarrassed smile. Who was I to judge. Well, we just had a Pikachu now with still Lawrence, Sentinel, and Shocker in play. And with Franky's Sentret we had a chance. Of course the Sentret got shocked. Shocker bit the Pikachu in the hind legs and Sentinel tackled him head on. The Pikachu shocked in return but Lawrence kicked him in the stomach and the Pikachu went down. Alright, we won, cool. Then the nerd grinned and let out a Voltorb. He rolled up to Shocker and jumped against him. Shocker fainted. Fuck. Only Lawrence was against him now and just as he opened his mouth to start his lullaby, the Voltorb started glowing.

"That's right, Volty," the science geek grinned, "blast them to kingdom come, heheheh."

Fuck!

"Lawrence get him away!" I yelled, but Lawrence didn't know what to do.

A sudden burst of water hit the Voltorb and send him rolling back into a small pit. He blew up without doing much damage. I looked back and saw Blaster standing there, doing his best not to fall over. He wiped off his mouth and grinned or at least tried to. I triumphantly turned to the science geek who whimpered away.

"So, what's so important for Team Rocket here?"

"The fossils, we lost them again." He whispered.

"That's right," I nodded, "give 'em up."

"Hah, you're only alone," he laughed, "and there's four fossils and then the amber."

"The amber I can carry alone, and Franky and me can carry two fossils. That leaves you with only two fossils."

The science geek sunk back.

"Woah-hoaw," Franky interrupted me, "I'm not sure what I can do with a fossil like that."

Fucking great, the science nerd regained his cool and knew Team Rocket would leave with at least three of those fossils. Blaster let out a cry that made us look up. He lit up in a bright light and evolved into a Wartortle. He walked towards the fossils and picked them up.

"Come on Franky, if we can get out with two more fossils we'll set Team Rocket back for I don't know how far. And wasn't that what you wanted?"

Franky thought about this for a second and slowly nodded.

"Okay, I'll take it."

"WE'll take it." I heard a voice say.

Fuck, more Rocket henchmen? I turned around and saw to my relief officer Jenny with the SWAT team.

"Tony, why am I not surprised?" she sighed.

"Hey, I stopped that Rocket guy." I tried.

"You did, and we're grateful. But I'm afraid you'll have to leave those fossils here for us to collect."

Fuck.

"Okay, I'll leave them. Blaster, drop it."

Blaster dropped the fossil while the cops came and arrested the Rockets. Jenny came standing next to me and looked me in the eye.

"Sorry Jenny, I fucked up, but I had to get into Cerulean. Professor Oak called and said some strange guys were after me. They gave him the impression I came from Fushia, so I wanted to go to Fushia as soon as possible. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"What else didn't you tell me?"

Before I could answer one of the SWAT came reporting her something.

"I'll deal with you later, go to Cerulean and stay there until I get there."

I promised. I didn't want to get on her bad side, not after she risked so much for me so far. I liked her, I really did. She was one of my new friends, next to Oak and now Franky (say Allan and I'll deck you).

"So, I guess it's up to the both of us to reach Cerulean, hey, Franky?"

"Sorry Tony, but I think I'll go back to Pewter for some refuelling and go see my mother again."

Franky, the tough hiker with his pet Sentret and a soft spot for his mother. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it doesn't really fit the picture.

"Okay, dude, see you later."

We shook hands and exchanged phone numbers. I went to the small doorway leading to the exit outside and left the SWAT team. I had survived Mount Moon and now it was all downhill to Cerulean.