Kari is traveling through Route 3 as the sun begins to set. Her, Eevee and the other Pokémon decide to settle down for the night. They finish up their dinner and lie down under the stars. Only then does Kari notice the full moon.
"So pretty." They all sit in silence, admiring the large shining moon just above them. She turns to Eevee and the rest, "I bet you guys got to see stuff like this all the time, huh?" Pidgeotto, Metapod, Kakuna, and Rattata all nod in agreement. She looks back at Eevee, "We never did, huh? Not in the city." Veee~. Kari turns back to watch the night sky, "So pretty…"
While everyone is sleeping Kari feels a strange wetness on her face. Her eyes flicker open slowly. A full minute passes before she realizes- storm clouds have taken residence just above. Suddenly, the sky opens up and the rain comes pouring down. Kari gives a shriek and the Pokémon are alert. They all scramble to gather their things, making a run for it. Barely managing to fly ahead in the storm, Pidgeotto locates a small cave. Everyone follows.
Over the sound of the torrential downpour, Kari hears a soft whimpering. She turns her head and sees something pink. It's a Pokémon! Without hesitation, Kari makes a sharp turn towards the little Pokémon. [ " How did it get stuck in that tree?" ] Kari notices the berries. It must have come out to get a snack when the rain started. She stops just underneath, "Jump down! I'll catch you." But the little Pokémon is too scared. The harsh winds push at the tree branches, threatening to send the little Pokémon crashing down. She had to do something..!
"Don't worry, you can trust me!" Kari smiles up at it. The Pokémon opens her little black eyes and sees this. Should she risk it..? After a minute's hesitation, the Pokémon jumps. Kari catches it in her arms. The little thing is soft and extremely light. Kari covers it with her hat and makes a run for it. Back at the cave the other Pokémon have only just noticed Kari's disappearance. They turn to see her running back, fighting the rain that is now falling sideways. Kari stumbles to keep her balance, her body crouched against the winds.
Once in the cover of the cave, Kari shakes her head. She's completely soaked through, head-to-toe. The little pink Pokémon jumps from her arms. Cleff!Cleffa-Cleff-Cleff-Cleffa! Cleff! It bounces around them, then disappears farther in the cave.
"Uhm. What was that about?" She looks around at her Pokémon who simply respond with a shrug. Rattata jumps atop her shoulder. He pats her head and points in the direction of the little Pokémon. Ratta-rat!
"Ah! It still has my hat!" They continue farther inside the cave the little pink Pokémon's wake.
After about 30 minutes of walking in the dark and cold they finally hear something up ahead. Kari shivers, turning to thanks Pidgeotto for her hard work. She had been blowing a gust on them as they walked in order to help dry them off- they were freezing, but at least they weren't as wet anymore.
The group make a turn and find an large opening. In the center of the cavern is a large rock. The sounds they heard were coming from these Pokémon! Other little pink Pokémon running all about, some much bigger than the one from before. Kari pulls out her Pokédex: these Pokémon were known as Cleffa, Clefairy, and Clefable.
"Oh, of course! We must be at Mt. Moon!" She turns to explain to her friends, "There's a legend that these Pokémon came to Earth from the Moon. And on the night of the Full Moon, they dance. A kind of ceremony of thanks, I think. That means…" She takes a step into the light, her eyes on the giant stone in the center, "That must be a Moon Stone..!"
Cleffa! She turns to the see the little Cleffa from before. She's still wearing Kari's hat. All the other Pokémon stop their dancing to stare. Cleffa is jumping up and down, in a way, asking for Kari to join her. Looking around at all the Wild Pokémon surrounding them, Kari takes a few tentative steps forward. None of the others try to stop her. Kari makes it all the way across the cavern to where the Cleffa is standing with some of its friends. They have a little conversation- the Cleffa is very animated.
The Clefable she's talking to is often nodding and looking at Kari. She wonders if maybe Cleffa was telling her how she so valiantly saved the Cleffa from the tree. Finally, Cleffable turns to face Kari. It speaks a few word (of thanks?) and gives a bow. She offers her hand for Kari to take. The Clefable gives a tug, dragging her forward into the line of Moon Pokémon. They others are all chanting and singing in perfect harmony. They want Kari to be apart of their ceremony..!
Kari is certain that no human has ever witnessed something like this before, "I'd be honored!" That night, Kari and her Pokémon joined in the Clefairy Moon Dance. Metapod and Kakuna stayed towards the edge of the room, bobbing their heads to the music while Kari did spins with Eevee and Pidgeotto. Rattata wanted no part in the festivities, but they managed to drag him into it eventually. At some point the little Cleffa from the tree returned Kari her hat, jumping onto her shoulder and enjoying the party. They even had fresh berries for them all to partake in and enjoy. In order to show their thanks to the human that had saved one of their own, the Wild Pokémon of Mt. Moon were excellent hosts.
…
As the sun was rising in the distance, Kari and the others are escorted back outside. The storm had past and the morning skies were a crystal clear blue. The other Cleffa, Clefairy, and Clefable gave a cry of goodbye and a wave before disappearing back into the mountain for some well deserved sleep. Kari kneels down beside her new Cleffa friend and pats her on the head. She turns to her team, "You guys ready to keep going?" There's a nod of agreement and they turn to leave, giving one final wave of goodbye.
Several minutes down the road, Kari is yawning. She stretches, her arms high above her head, "That was one long night! But it was so much fun!" Metapod stops in its tracks. She jumps up and down signaling to something behind them. They all turn to see something pink bouncing on towards them. It's the same Cleffa from before! She comes running straight up to Kari. She kneels down to meet her, "What's up, Cleffa?" The little Cleffa is holding something. Kari takes it and gasps. It's a Moon Stone! She looks from the stone in her hand and back to the Pokémon again, "Is this for me?" Cleffa nods.
"Wow, thanks!" Kari removes her backpack and unzips it. She reaches inside, and stops. There seems to be something else on Cleffa's mind. Her eyes are darting back and forth between her and the cave entrance, considering… Kari smiles to herself. Instead of just putting the stone away in her pouch Kari pulls out an empty Pokéball. She shows it to the Cleffa.
"Hey, Cleffa. Would you like to come with us on our journey? You'll be able to see more of the world outside that cave." Cleffa's eyes grow wide with excitement. She starts jumping up and down. She leaps into Kari's arms, almost knocking her over. Kari laughs, "I'll take that as a yes!"
Kari's other Pokémon give a cheer. They all watch in anticipation as Kari stands. Cleffa jumps back down, ready. Kari enlarges the ball, "Alrighty then!" She gives a nice throw and Cleffa doesn't even try to dodge it. Cleffa is caught and Kari has a new Pokémon friend!