Pokémon Tails: A Journey to the East
DISCLAIMER: I don't own DBZ or Pokémon.
CHAPTER 8: A Fossil of a Chance
Running up to them all was a nerdy-looking brown-haired man with oversized glasses that made his eyes look larger than they really were as well as a white lab coat slapped over his admittedly casual attire.
"Who's he?" Ash wondered.
"I don't know," Misty answered with a shrug.
Coming to a halt in front of Gohan, the nerd fell to his knees gasping and panting, seemingly exhausted.
"Um, excuse me, mister, but are you okay?" Gohan asked, now worried for the strange man.
The young man glanced upward and fixed Gohan with a determined gaze, much to the half-Saiyan's confusion.
"Never call me mister!" he declared passionately, throwing his arms wide as if to embrace Mother Nature. "My name's Seymour! Seymour the scientist! Knowledge! Research!" He laughed. "I'm Seymour the scientist!"
And he laughed some more.
"Pika Pika?" Pikachu replied. "Pi Pikachu?"
"He's odd," Brock commented with a bewildered look.
"He's not odd," Misty corrected. "He's nuts!"
"You!" Seymour proclaimed grandly, thrusting his arm forward as he pointed a stern finger several inches away from Gohan's face, much to the hybrid's surprise. "Are you here as a troublemaker, young man?"
"What?" Gohan said, sounding shocked. "No, no, of course not!"
The man known as Seymour straightened his glasses.
"Then you can't capture that Clefairy," Seymour went on. "It's best to just let it go."
"Wh-What?" Gohan said, now utterly perplexed. "But why?"
"Clefairy?" the Fairy Pokémon agreed with an oh so adorably confused expression.
"Because the Clefairy here have a special job looking after the Moon Stone," Seymour explained.
"The Moon Stone?" Ash, Misty, and Brock repeated.
"Pika Pika?" Pikachu added, now tilting its head sideways.
"Oh yeah, Brock told us about that earlier!" Gohan said.
"Exactly," Seymour said, raising his arms. "The Moon Stone is an awesome boulder, a million years old or maybe even older. Deep in these caves, the meteor hides; although no explorer has found the place of the legendary rock from space, we studied its fragments for many an hour, and discovered that it increases Pokémon's power."
"He didn't strike me as the poetic type," Misty stated, blinking at all the various rhymes the man before them was using.
With that said, Seymour whipped out a black, glowing rock from in his lab coat. Ash and the others gasped in awe.
"Oh, so that's a Moon Stone!" Gohan exclaimed, amazed.
"Mew, Mew!" the little feline agreed with its customary midair twirl.
"Yes, and without the Clefairy here, the system will collapse in less than a year," Seymour continued. "The Moon Stone is an ancient relic that needs protecting, from the Pokémon that do all the respecting. Well, do you understand now, young man?"
"Sure I do!" Gohan said. He glanced down at the Moon Pokémon, which was still nestled in his arms. "But, honestly, Clefairy wants to come with us... don't you, Clefairy?" he added as he scratched its head.
"Clefairy," Clefairy giggled, wriggling within Gohan's grip. "Fairy, Fairy."
Seymour leaned in closer, now looking quite put out.
"Hm?" he said. "That's strange. The Clefairy normally don't want to leave Mt. Moon, but this one seems quite taken with you."
"Clefairy!" Clefairy confirmed, raising its arm.
"Mew!" Mew continued, cutting ribbons in the air. "Mew, Mew!"
And then he finally caught sight of the Mew now dancing above them.
"Ahhh!" he burst, pointing at the sight. "You have a Mew with you."
"Mew!" Mew giggled as it soared even higher, pink sparkles of energy trailing in its wake. "Mew, Mew!"
"Gohan isn't your average Trainer, Seymour," Misty said haughtily, placing both hands on her hips.
"Yes, that's for sure," Brock ventured forth.
"Pika Pika," the Electric Rat added.
"Hmmm..." Seymour said, now rubbing his chin, very thoughtfully. "Mew and Clefairy both like you... and you're the most polite boy I've met before... I got it!" He slapped his fist into the palm of his other hand.
The others learned forward, wondering what he was going to say next. And without warning, he grabbed Gohan's hands in his own.
"Huh?" Gohan said, looking down.
"Ohh, this is so inspiring!" he exclaimed. "Like a thousand hearts desiring! I've never met someone like you, I'm so excited my dreams have finally come true! I'll always remember you as long as I live and I hope you can forgive how wrong I was earlier, friend, and now I'll try to make amends!"
"Um, excuse me, Mr. Seymour, but what are you talking about?" Gohan asked, taken aback.
"You!" Seymour said. "You must have a very pure heart, young man, to be able attract these two Pokémon!"
Gohan blushed, rubbing his head as he chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, well, thank you for saying so, Mr. Seymour."
"Mew!" Mew confirmed, just as cheerful as always. "Mew, Mew!"
"Oh, this is just super fantabulistic!" the weird man said giddily. "I'm talking two thumbs up! I mean way, way up!"
Misty, Ash, and Brock all exchanged glances and shrugged hopelessly at Seymour's eccentric antics.
"They say man's best friend is a Pokémon and with you I believe it," Seymour went on. "I'm moved to tears, you've helped me to face my fears — such friendship I was beginning to think I would never see; I'm so glad you met me." And he threw both arms out. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! You've restored my faith in human nature, and from a complete stranger!"
"Um, it was no big trouble, Mr. Seymour!" Gohan insisted. "Really!"
But Seymour, surrounded by clouds of rapture, didn't appear to have heard him.
"Oh, you must come with me on my quest to find the Moon Stone!" Seymour offered.
"Mew?" Mew said with an adorably inquisitive gaze.
"Come with you? To look for the Moon Stone?" the black-haired boy repeated. "You really mean it?"
"Well, of course I do, young man!" Seymour answered. "With you and your friends at my side, I just know we can do it."
Gohan turned to face his three friends with a pleading expression.
"Hey, guys, do you think it's okay?" he begged.
"Are you kidding?!" Ash said, eyes gleaming. "Of course we'll go! It sounds like a fantastic adventure!"
"Count me in!" Misty added, nodding her head.
"You'll need a guide to go with you, so I might as well come too!" Brock agreed.
"Pika, Pika Pika, Pikachu!" Pikachu said, throwing its arm up.
"Mew!" Mew said, dancing ever more furiously in the air above them.
Gohan smiled at it, then looked back to Seymour.
"It looks like we'll be coming with you, Mr. Seymour," Gohan said.
"Total awesomonium, dudes!" the scientist declared, now with tears shining within his eyes. "This will be a trek for the ages, and they'll be trying to take a leaf from our pages! So, without time to waste, let's go!"
He stuck his arm up in the air and headed off down the tunnels as, with a careless shrug, the group followed after him.
Behind them, sniggers could be heard as three shadowy figures chased after them kids heading deeper into Mt. Moon...
Bulma was in the lab when a voice suddenly spoke behind her. "So, hard at work, I see."
Shocked, Bulma turned to find a tall Namekian warrior standing behind her.
"Would you stop doing that?!" she demanded of him furiously.
"This wouldn't by any chance be another Dimensional Hopper, would it?" Piccolo pressed. "To try and track down Gohan?"
The blue-haired beauty sighed and turned back to work, swiping away a loose strand of hair from her forehead.
"Yes, it is," she said. "He hasn't been back for a whole week and I'm getting worried. Something must have happened to him."
"I know, it's not like him," Piccolo growled. "But how are you going to find him? He could be anywhere in the universe."
"Well, obviously, someone's gotta go to all these separate timelines and search for him," Bulma stated intelligently. "Meanwhile, I'll remain here and keep trying to track down the reality he might have traveled to. If I can get a signal lock on his Dimensional Hopper, we can isolate his location and getting there won't be nearly as hard as finding him."
Piccolo grunted, seemingly unimpressed. "And who do you intend to go to all these realities and look for him?"
"I was hoping you would, Piccolo, as well as some of the others," the blue-eyed woman said. "Yamcha, Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu..."
"They'll jump at the chance, I'm sure," Piccolo commented wryly.
He turned his back on Bulma as he made to head for the window, but before he reached it, he paused in his tracks.
"Oh, and since we'll going out and searching for him, it's your job to tell Gohan's mother what happened to him," he intoned.
And with that, the green-skinned man lifted up and took out the window, leaving a horrified Bulma behind...
Hours had passed since the group started their quest, and there was not a sign of the Moon Stone or other Pokémon besides, of course, the annoyingly persistent Zubat flocks, and they were beginning to grow tired, especially with the weights all three humans were wearing.
"This is nuts!" Misty complained. "Where could the Moon Stone be?"
"It's been two hours," Brock pointed out. "You'd think we would have found it by now."
"Could you be wrong?" Gohan inquired, turning to look at Seymour. "Maybe the Moon Stone isn't here at all."
"Mew!" Mew agreed, shooting through the air like a pink comet.
Seymour shook his head. "No, it has to be here. The presence of the Clefairy is proof of that!"
"What do Clefairy have to do with anything?" Ash moaned pitifully.
"Pika, Pika Pika," the Electric Pokémon added, sounding just as tired as its Trainer was.
"You see, ever since I was a little boy, I believed the Pokémon came to Earth from outer space," Seymour explained.
"From outer space?!" the group demanded in unison as the Pokémon also exclaimed in shock.
Misty, Brock, and Ash threw sidelong glances toward Gohan, but didn't say anything, and Gohan knew what was on their minds.
They must be thinking of my origins, he mused. But is it really true? Are Pokémon in this realm just aliens? Like me?
"Yes," Seymour, straightening up proudly. "And where, you may ask, is the spaceship which brought them to this world? The answer to that, my friends, is simple. Right here in this cavern. It's the Moon Stone."
"Wow!" Gohan burst out. "So you think the Moon Stone is really just a Pokémon mother ship?"
"Sure do!" Seymour proclaimed. "And just you wait, someday, I'm going to prove it!"
"Well, it's sure an original theory, I'll give you that," Misty said as she stifled an inappropriate giggle.
"Do you guys think Pokémon really came to Earth from space?" Ash asked them.
"Pika Pika?" the yellow rat added.
"Mew?" Mew said with a spiral. "Mew, Mew!"
"It's fun to think so," Misty answered, politely evading the issue.
"Well, knowing what I do now," Brock said, with a side glance towards Gohan, "it's not so farfetched as you may think."
"I guess that's true..." Misty allowed, also glancing at the hybrid.
"Mew!" Mew squealed, suddenly diving behind Gohan.
Just then, the group heard some shuffling nearby, and as one, they turned their heads to face it.
Emerging from one of the side tunnels was a young kid about their age, with long, straggly black hair, sunglasses, a gray jumpsuit, and a cap, hauling a burlap sack behind him as he walked towards them.
"Who's that?" Ash wondered, blinking.
"Pika Pika?" Pikachu inquired, tilting its head to the side.
"Beats me," Misty replied with a helpless shrug.
Just then, the kid caught sight of them and reacted instantly.
"Hey, who goes there?" he shouted, sounding enraged... and without warning, he raced up in front of Gohan, getting in his face. "You trying to cut in on my action? 'Cause no one's getting hold of my stash, you hear me?! NO ONE!"
Gohan sweatdropped. "Hey, whoa, calm down. That's not what I'm trying to do, honest!"
"Mew!" Mew chirped, popping up from behind its Trainer. "Mew, Mew!"
"Holy Miltanks!" the kid yelled. "You... you have a Mew with you!"
Gohan grinned as Mew snuggled up to his cheek. "That's right, Mew is my partner — and my first Pokémon ever in the world."
"Mew," Mew giggled. "Mew, Mew! Mew."
"Well, that settles it, then!" the other kid announced as a smirk now crossed his face. "We gotta battle for it right now!"
The others reacted with shock.
"But you can't do that!" Ash protested rather hotly.
"Mew is Gohan's Pokémon!" Brock agreed, sounding angry.
"Yeah!" Misty added. "You can't take it away from him!"
"Pika Pi!" the yellow rat piped in.
"BUTT OUT!" the guy yelled, causing Ash, Misty, and Brock to flinch. "This is between me and this other kid!"
He turned to face Gohan, licking his lips eagerly.
"What say you, kid?" he demanded coolly.
Seymour sidled up between the two, looking timid, but determined. "Um, excuse me, but... you can't have a battle here — this is a sacred spot for the Clefairy and we have to show the appropriate respect."
"Oh, put a sock in it!" the other kid screamed. "Josh Dylan has set his tights on that Mew, and what Josh Dylan wants, Josh Dylan gets!"
Seymour covered up his ears, wincing from both fear/irritation.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Dylan, but we can't battle!" Gohan said. "Mew is my Pokémon; unless it wants to go with you, I'm not giving it up."
"Oh, unfair, lame-o, totally uncoolio, dude!" Josh wept dramatically, causing everyone to sweatdrop. "Is this karma? Is this fate? Is this my destiny, to long so near to close but reaching forward nevermore as always?"
"He's... he's whacked!" Brock chimed in.
"This guy makes Seymour look normal," Misty said.
"Pika Pika," Pikachu added, looking nervous.
"Hey, you!" Josh screamed. "Battle with me now and I'll give you something special!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Dylan," Gohan insisted, now with a frown on his face, "but I already said —"
"MEW!" Mew suddenly burst in, flying around them in a gentle arc. "Mew, Mew! MEW! Mew, Mew, Mew... MEW! Mew! Mew!"
"What are you saying?" Gohan said, blinking. "You... you wanna battle Mr. Dylan?"
"Mew!" Mew squeaked, now with a determined expression. "Mew!"
"But... what if we lose?" Gohan pressed, sounding worried.
Mew pumped its small fist. "MEW! Mew, Mew! Mew! Mew, Mew, Mew! MEW!"
And Gohan could instantly see exactly what Mew was saying as he nodded, now determined himself.
"I get it!" he said. "We just won't lose, that's all!"
"Mew!" Mew cried giddily, twirling around him. "Mew! Mew!"
Gohan looked back at Josh Dylan. "Okay, Mr. Dylan, you got yourself a deal!"
"Perfect sound and perfect noise!" Josh exclaimed. "I'll stomp you, I'll crush you, and I'll leave out to dry with egg on your chest!"
And with that, he burst out into raucous laughter.
"Gohan, are you sure about this?" Misty wondered, concerned for him. "This kid doesn't seem... quite all there."
"There's no need to worry!" Gohan insisted, raising one of his arms. "Me and Mew can do anything we set our minds to!"
"Mew, Mew!" Mew said, looking back at him.
"Well, if you say so..." the redhead muttered uncertainly.
A short time later, they had set up an impromptu arena in a small cave with Brock refereeing.
"The battle will be two-on-two!" he said. "We'll keep going until the Pokémon on one side are unable to battle. No substitutions."
"Do it, Gohan!" Misty cheered on the sidelines. "Crush him! I know you can do it!"
"Go, Gohan!" Ash also said. "Don't let your Pokémon down! They're counting on you!"
"Pika Pi, Pika Pika!" Pikachu called. "Pikachu!"
"Beat him that disrespectful brat!" Seymour agreed. "Send him running back home to his mommy!"
"Don't worry, guys," Gohan said with a steely glint in his eyes. "I have no intention of blowing this."
And with that, Brock raised his arms. "Trainers, call your Pokémon!"
And Josh Dylan threw his arm back, tossing out a Poké Ball in the air.
"Go, Ekans!" he shouted dramatically. "Don't let me down now!"
And the Snake Pokémon materialized with a cry of, "Ekans, Ekans!"
"Whoa, it's an Ekans!" Ash observed, leaning forward in interest.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu put forth, blinking its eyes. "Pi Pikachu!"
"Just like the kind Team Rocket's got!" Misty agreed.
Now very curious, Gohan aimed his Pokédex at Ekans, and it instantly registered the Pokémon's presence.
"Ekans, the Snake Pokémon," Gohan's Dexter drawled. "In the wild, Ekans curls itself up in a spiral as it sleeps — this position allows it to quickly respond to enemies from all directions with a threat from its upraised head."
"A snake Pokémon, huh?" Gohan said. "Well, I know just the Pokémon to use!"
Pulling his own Poké Ball, Gohan tossed it down with a cry of, "Come out, Clefairy!"
The Fairy Pokémon appeared on the opposite end of their battlefield as it waved its little fingers.
"Clefairy, Clefairy, Clefairy, Clefairy, Clefairy," it sang contentedly.
"So, rare Pokémon flock to you like honey on an Ursaring, huh?" Josh Dylan mused.
"What's an Ursaring?" Ash wondered, blinking his eyes quickly.
"Pika Pika," Pikachu breathed, sounding just as confused as Ash was.
"Mew!" Mew chirped, flying about the cave in a simple arc. "Mew!"
"Pokémon battle, ready, set, begin!" Brock declared.
"Go now, Ekans, Bite!" Josh ordered instantly.
"Clefairy, dodge it!" Gohan responded.
The Ekans lunged for Clefairy, narrowly evading the huge fangs that had been barreling down on it.
"Now, Clefairy, use Thunderpunch!" Gohan commanded.
Clefairy just stood there gazing at the half-Saiyan in confusion.
"Clefairy?" it asked as a question mark surrounded its head.
Everyone fell over at the display.
"Gohan, Clefairy can't use Thunderpunch!" Misty called to him.
Gohan turned to face Misty. "But it said in All You Need To Know About Pokémon that Normal types know different moves!"
Misty facepalmed with a big sweatdrop.
"Gohan doesn't know much about Pokémon, does he?" Seymour pointed out.
"We know, we know," Misty sighed. "It's embarrassing."
"But you can't really blame him!" Ash chimed in.
"Well, that's true," Misty said grudgingly.
"Ekans, use Wrap!" Josh said.
"Ekans, Ekans!" Ekans said as it closed in around the Moon Pokémon and grabbed its tail around it, getting it in a choke hold.
"Oh no, Clefairy!" Gohan said worriedly.
"Mew!" Mew cried, looking scared for its partner. "Mew!"
"Now, Ekans, Bind!" Josh said with a huge smirk.
"Ekans!" Ekans commented as it started squeezing the living daylights out of Clefairy.
"Clefairy..." Clefairy moaned. "Clefairy, Fairy... Clefairy..."
"I gotta think of something fast!" Gohan said, pointing the Pokédex towards Clefairy.
Dexter beeped. "The moves Clefairy knows are — Light Screen, Metronome, Sing, Growl, and Double Slap."
"Clefairy, use Metronome, now!" Gohan said immediately.
"Cle... fairy," Clefairy whimpered as it began twiddling its fingers back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
"Fairy... Cle... FAIRY!" Clefairy roared as suddenly, a massive fiery burst erupted from it.
The fire wrapped itself around Ekans as the Snake Pokémon dropped Clefairy like a hot potato. "Ekans! Ekans!"
"Wow, that's Fire Spin!" Misty noted, sounding impressed.
"Metronome is the move that randomly chooses which attack the Pokémon uses," Seymour informed them, adjusting his glasses. "It's Clefairy's speciality and one of the reasons it's so highly sought."
"Oh wow, that's so cool!" Ash said enthusiastically.
"Gohan, you're the man!" Misty chanted. "Now go out there and show that kid who's boss!"
"Mew!" Mew squeaked, waving both arms around. "Mew! Mew!"
Gohan felt that familiar spirit of determination welling up inside him, not for bloodlust and to conquer and destroy his enemy, but for fun, to compete, and learn who was the more skilled opponent between the two. Is this what it's like to be a Pokémon Trainer? he thought.
"Clefairy, use Double Slap!" Gohan said.
"CLEFAIRY!" the pink fairy screamed as it ran up to Ekans and began furiously slapping it.
"Ekans, that's so not cool!" Josh yelled while sweat formed on the sides of his head.
"Now, Clefairy, use Metronome again!" Gohan shouted.
"Clefairy!" Clefairy sang as it twiddled both its fingers, and a bright light started glowing around it.
"Clefairy, Clefairy, Clefairy, Clefairy..." it hummed.
The light seemed to be building from within, growing more and more intense all the time, as Gohan frowned.
"What's happening to Clefairy?" he said out loud. "Its ki is building higher and higher!"
"Mew?" Mew inquired. "Mew, Mew? Mew!"
"What kind of Pokémon attack is that?" Misty wondered.
"I... I don't know," Seymour admitted, shrugging in defeat.
"Pika, Pika Pika," the Electric Rodent said, mouth agape.
Suddenly, Clefairy stopped twiddling its fingers, spun once, and roared, "CLEFAIRY!"
BOOM!
A huge explosion of light and energy engulfed the cavern, sending those closest to it flying back. Only Gohan remained unaffected as his Pokémon, his Clefairy, blew up in a fiery blast of pure destruction.
"Clefairy!" he cried. "Clefairy, where are you? Clefairy!"
Coughing on the dust that had formed within the cavern, Misty and Ash made their way back to their feet.
"Ugh, what kind of move was that?" Ash said inquisitively
"I think it was Explosion!" Seymour explained.
"Wow, what an attack!" Misty said, rubbing her neck.
"Pika... Pikachu..." Pikachu coughed. "Pi Pikachu. Pika... Cha..."
Finally, the smoke cleared, revealing both Clefairy and Ekans... several feet apart with both of them unconscious!
Brock held up both arms. "Clefairy and Ekans are unable to battle, so this battle ends in a draw."
"Oh!" Gohan exclaimed, rushing to its side. "Clefairy, no! Clefairy!"
Reaching it immediately, Gohan scooped the beaten Pokémon into his arms as he cradled it tenderly.
"Clefairy, I'm sorry," he whispered, holding the Moon Pokémon close to his body. "I was such an idiot... I should have known better than to use an untested move like Metronome in battle... oh, poor Clefairy... can you ever forgive me?"
"Clefairy..." the weak Pokémon said, Xs swirling in its eyes.
"Mew!" Mew declared, soaring over closer. "Mew, Mew?"
"Mew, I'm so stupid..." Gohan said bitterly. "And now Clefairy is hurt because of me. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."
"MEW!" Mew squealed as it flew into his arms next to Clefairy and wrapped its tail around him. "Mew, Mew! MEW!"
"You mean... you mean... you can forgive me?" Gohan said, sounding hopeful.
"Mew!" Mew burst excitedly, stroking its tail along its Trainer's face. "Mew, Mew. MEW!"
Gohan chuckled happily. "Thanks, Mew. I'm glad I met you. You're my best friend."
"Mew," Mew giggled, wriggling within his grip. "Mew!"
Josh, still coughing, finally caught sight of all of the damage from Clefairy's Explosion.
"No! Ekans!" Josh cried out. "What have you done?!"
Ignoring him, Gohan reached for his Poké Ball and called Clefairy back inside it.
"Just rest for now," he cooed. "I'll get you help later, I promise."
Standing up, he turned to find Josh Dylan now withdrawing Ekans into its own Poké Ball.
"Let's get this over with," Gohan said, now sounding very resigned. "Clefairy's hurt. I'm not gonna fool around anymore."
"Then let's see you handle my next Pokémon, Brains Boy!" Josh said, smirking again. "Go, Seviper!"
A black serpent-like Pokémon formed from the beam of light in the center of the cavern.
"SEVIPER!" it declared once it appeared.
The entire group gasped in complete shock at the sight.
"For as long as I've been researching Pokémon, I've never seen one like that!" Seymour told them.
"What kind of Pokémon is it?" Ash said, pointing Dexter at it.
"No data," Dexter intoned mechanically as a bright red question mark popped up on screen, signifying the Pokédex's inability to answer.
The group, which had been expecting Dexter to surely know what it was, now gasped again.
"No way!" Misty burst out.
"I thought for sure Dexter would have the answer," Ash said.
"Pika Pika, Pi Pikachu," Pikachu piped up, looking awed.
"Heh heh," Josh chuckled, and then he erupted into laughter. "Ha ha ha ha ha! Of course it doesn't! You wanna know about Seviper? I'll tell you about it!" His sunglasses glinted menacingly. "Seviper, the Fang Snake Pokémon, is from the Hoenn Region!"
"Hoenn Region?" Ash repeated.
"I've never heard of a place like that!" Misty noted.
"I've only heard of it once, many years ago," Seymour said.
"Seviper is well-known for its ongoing feud with Zangoose — the Cat Ferret Pokémon," Josh continued. "Its sword-like tail has two purposes — slashing foes and dousing them with poison, and in the wild it can be found sharpening its tail on blade rocks, preparing for battle."
"Amazing," Ash breathed, impressed.
"Amazing?" Misty yelled. "You call that amazing? It sounds like a horrible Pokémon, Ash!"
"Whatever it is, I'm ending this battle quickly," Gohan put forth, and he glanced into his arms. "Mew, you're up now."
"MEW!" Mew chirped as it jumped out of his arms to hover on the opposite side of the cave, facing Seviper.
"Both sides are tied," Brock announced. "This is for the win. Gohan's Mew versus Josh's Seviper... GO!"
"Mew, use Mega Punch!" Gohan ordered quickly.
Josh was prepared for him, though. "Seviper, Poison Fang!"
"What kind of attack is that?" Ash said, blinking twice.
"I've never heard of Poison Fang before!" Misty agreed while the two exchanged looks.
"Seviper!" the Fang Snake Pokémon hissed as it flew at Mew with obvious intent to bite it.
Mew was ready for it, though, and dodged to the side, giggling like the innocent little creature it was.
"Now, Mew, hit it, LET'S GO!" Gohan commanded his partner.
With a loud battle cry, Mew gathered blue-white energy in its palm, then slammed it into Seviper, knocking it back.
"You're doing great, Mew!" Gohan cried. "Now let's show them how we win! Confusion!"
Writhing in place, Mew suddenly threw both its arms up with a loud scream of, "MEW!"
Just like that, a blue-purple energy wave flew through the air towards Seviper.
"Oh no, Seviper, MOVE!" Josh yelled.
Too late, as the energy wave hit Seviper head-on and little swirls appeared within its eyes.
"Viper... Viper... Seviper..." it moaned, staggering around the tunnels.
"I've never seen a Pokémon act that way before!" Ash remarked.
"It's confused, Ash!" Misty scolded him sternly.
"Pika Pi, Pika Pika!" Pikachu said.
"Come on, Seviper, snap out of it!" Josh pleaded.
"Seviper..." the Snake Pokémon hissed. And without warning, it reared up and slammed itself into the wall!
"No, not the wall, you dummy!" Josh said harshly. "You gotta hit the other Pokémon!"
"Okay, Mew, that's enough toying around," Gohan said. "Psychic now!"
"Mew!" Mew chirped as a hellish blue lit up its pupils, and instantly Seviper was caught in a purple-bluish aura of light.
"Seviper, do... do something!" Josh cried out desperately.
"Mew..." Mew growled, which could be heard to the far corners of the cavern. "Mew... Mew... MEW!"
As though it had been jerked off the ground, Seviper was thrown through the air... heading right for Josh!
"AHHHHHHHH!" Josh screamed as he tried to dodge, but proved too slow for the hurtling incoming meteorite and his own Seviper smashed into him, sending them both crashing into the cave wall, as the now beaten Seviper lay there, clearly unconscious from the blow.
"Seviper has been knocked out!" Brock declared. "That makes Son Gohan from Mt. Paozu the winner!"
"You did it!" Ash cried, running up to his friend. "You did it, you really did it! You won your first Pokémon battle!"
"Yes!" Misty agreed as she run up to cheer for her friend too. "You proved you aren't a complete rookie like Ash here is!"
Ash jerked to the side in total exasperation.
"Pika Pika," Pikachu sighed. "Cha..."
"Congratulations, Gohan!" Seymour stated.
Mew, meanwhile, was soaring around the cavern, squeaking its name every so often, until it finally leaped into Gohan's arms.
"Mew, Mew!" it giggled. "Mew, Mew! Mew! MEW!"
Gohan patted its head. "I'm glad I get to keep you too, Mew! I just knew we could do it!"
"Mew," it replied, waving its arms rather wildly. "Mew, Mew..."
Suddenly, Josh burst into the center of the room, looking mad, as he suddenly fell to his knees in front of Gohan.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!" he chanted as he bowed low before the half-Saiyan." I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Forgive me!"
With that, he whipped out his burlap sack, laying it on the ground in front of them.
"Here, take it!" he insisted. "I promise I'll be good from now on! Choose which one you want!"
"Choose which one what?" Gohan repeated, rubbing the back of his head.
"Mew?" Mew inquired, looking just as confused. "Mew?"
"Yeah, what have you got in that bag, mister?" Ash wondered.
"Fossils old, fossils new, fossils of all kinds!" Josh explained. "And you can all have one you want!"
"One for us each?!" Misty exclaimed, pointing at herself. "Really?!"
"Yes, what Josh says, Josh does, and your friend beat Josh Dylan, fair and square," the kooky Trainer said.
And he tipped up the sack and let the contents within fall to the dirt floor as Brock made his way back over to his friends.
"Wow, look at all the fossils!" Ash said eagerly.
"Pi Pika Pi Pikachu, Pi Pika!" Pikachu declared excitedly.
"Oh, look at them, they're so pretty!" Misty sighed happily.
"And you're really letting us choose?" Brock asked him.
Josh Dylan nodded a few times. "Yes, now pick!"
"Do I get to choose too?" Seymour asked.
"JUST PICK!" Josh roared, terrifying the Pokémon scientist.
Glancing back and forth between the fossils laid out on the floor, Seymour finally poked his finger at one.
"What's this?" he asked Josh.
"Old Amber," Josh informed him. "I found it in Pewter City."
"Hmm, this one looks like it contains deep, dark secrets hidden beneath the surface," Seymour said.
And then he grinned happily as he reached out and took it.
"I choose the Old Amber!" he said, holding it up.
"Then it looks like that one is mine!" Brock said as he grabbed a fossil with a cylindrical shape ending in three digits.
"I'm choosing this one!" Ash said as he reached out and picked up a fossil with spiky segmented joints etch into the surface.
"Well, it looks like it's this one for me," Gohan said, choosing a dome-shaped fossil with something under its shell.
"Mew!" Mew declared as it spun upside down in joy. "Mew... Mew!"
"Misty, have you decided yet?" Ash asked the fiery tomboy.
"Pika Pika, Chu Pika Pikachu," Pikachu added with an inquiring look.
"Yes!" the Water Trainer announced as she picked up the fossil with a spiral pattern written onto it.
"Excellent, you've all chosen!" Josh said as he shoveled handfuls of fossils back into his sack. "Now it's time for Josh to leave!"
And with that, he hoisted the sack across his back and took off down one of the side tunnels.
"Josh hopes never to see you five again!" he shouted back to them.
The others just blinked after him for a couple of seconds.
"Man, he's really strange," Gohan murmured embarrassedly.
"I know," Misty agreed. "What's his problem, I wonder?"
"Mew!" Mew giggled, twirling around. "Mew, Mew!"
Over in a side passage, a familiar trio stuck their heads out.
"Did you see that?" James inquired. "That kooky kid just gave those three twerps fossils!"
"Ooh, they look pretty rare," Jessie squealed. "I bet they're worth a lot of money!"
"Meowth says Team Rocket grab dose fossils and give 'em to da Boss along with Pikachu and Mew," Meowth said, grinning evilly.
"The second they drop their guard, we'll be there!" James vowed.
"Ready to steal everything they have, then claim it for Team Rocket!" Jessie finished.
And giggling like mad, Team Rocket ran off down the passage...
The group was pretty tired by the time it came to the surface again.
"Hey, look, we made it!" Brock said cheerfully. "We're out of Mt. Moon!"
"Yes, but we didn't find the Moon Stone," Seymour groaned, as he drooped dejectedly.
"Aw, come on, cheer up!" Misty piped in. "You still got a rare, one-of-a-kind fossil no one else in the world has."
"Pi Pika, Chu Pika Pikachu," the Electric-type added as it nodded its head.
"Mew!" Mew agreed, dancing in the air in a pink-and-white streak of energy and light.
"Well, I suppose you're right about that," Seymour allowed.
"Oh wow!" Ash said, placing his hand over his eyes. "Look at the moon! Is it ever bright tonight!"
As one everyone turned to face the object in the night skies.
"Yeah, it is kinda pretty, but I don't..." Gohan began, then he froze completely.
"Uh, Gohan, is something wrong?" Ash asked.
Gohan merely continued gazing blankly at the full moon above.
"Yoo-hoo, Earth to Gohan!" Brock prodded. "You awake?"
And then, with a primal-sounding snarl, Gohan began changing. His body started twisting and distorting and taking on new dimensions as his muscles bulked outward to insane levels, tearing his clothes like they were flimsy rags.
The others reacted with shock.
"G-G-G-G-Gohan?!" Ash demanded timidly.
"Oh my goodness!" Misty cried. "What's happening?!"
"CHU?!" Pikachu agreed, looking flabbergasted.
"Mew, Mew!" Mew squealed urgently, flying around frantically.
"Oh my heavens above, he's changing!" Seymour gasped.
Gohan's nose sprouted outward into a monkey's snout as he began growing, and growing, and growing, becoming larger and larger! And one issue immediately became obvious to the Pokémon Trainers — with Gohan's increasing bulk he was going to crush them all!
"Quick, run!" Brock instructed them.
The five Pokémon Trainers quickly backed away from the rapidly expanding Gohan with horrified shouts, as he towered upward like a gigantic skyscraper. His now exposed body rippled as a pelt of brown fur appeared all across his flesh. And finally, it was all over — within seconds, Gohan had transformed into a giant ape!
And with that, he opened his mouth and let his feelings be known.
"GRRRRRAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!"
Part 2 of the four-chapter Mt. Moon arc. Don't know when the next update will be.
Now, onto the individual reviews!
kitsunelover300: As I had said, I won't be going past Unova and that includes anything introduced to the Pokémon series after then, such as the Mega-Evolutions or any of the new Pokémon or their types. To be completely honest and no offense to anyone, Fairy seems like a stupid new type to me, frankly. How is "Fairy" an elemental power? It's like Mati's power of "heart" from the Captain Planet cartoon.
drake202: Yup, I'd figured that was obvious! ;)
ChosenOne358: Sorry, but... it's really kind of necessary to the plot considering Goku doesn't end up marrying Chi-Chi in A New Beginning, but rather Kaede, and naturally, any children from that union would have horns and tails. You don't have to read if you don't want to.
iamzim87: I know, I personally find that to be really annoying.
Jawisian: Yup. Even during my upcoming adaptation for Mewtwo Strikes Back, they won't be substantially powerful. Definitely weaker than Raditz, way, way, weaker. Maybe around Goku's power level from the 21st tournament, since that seems like a reasonable level to set.
To everybody who'd asked about Gohan getting a Dragon/Fighting type — gimme a break, guys! :P The story only just started! Trust me, he's gonna be getting a lot of types by the time the fic hits its end.
Also, my explanation for this chapter is in the canon, the group was too busy dealing with Team Rocket and so they missed the kid with all the fossils nearby as well as unique, exotic Pokémon types that Ash would have loved! XD
Here's how I envision Gohan's power level currently:
Gohan: 1,500,000
Gohan (Oozaru): 15,000,000
Thanks for all the kind words! Please review!