Chapter 13

The party finished pitching their tents just as the sun set over the horizon. Route 3 was a canyon that ran east and west before curving northward to the mouth of Mt. Moon.

Felix said he'd take the first watch, so Daisy retired to her tent. He felt bad because they had been cycling through the same few sets of clothes without washing them. Everytime he changed into the same few black T-shirts, the sweat from the previous time he wore it made his spine shiver. He knew Daisy was experiencing the same thing. She had been wearing the same few sporty tank tops. He appreciated that she hadn't said much about it. He admired her commitment to the cause.

The incident at the museum ruined their plans to stock up on food before they left. Luckily, the Bug Catchers graciously gave them some food to take, but the supply was running low. He chastised himself to get better at planning ahead.

"I don't know, Pikachu," sighed Felix.

Pikachu curled up in Felix's lap. Felix began to stroke the fur on his back, and soon Pikachu's breathing slowed into a sleepy purr. He looked down at his small, yellow mouse and marveled at how far they had come. Although he missed Magnemite, he was glad to have had the opportunity to train Pikachu. He had a unique relationship with both. It warmed his heart that the love he had for both of them was the same.

As the night dragged on, Felix's thoughts drifted toward his mother. He hadn't had much time to process her death. He had been so focused on the task at hand during the day, and so tired at night, that he almost felt guilty that he hadn't given his grief closure. Sometimes his chest would swell with emotions he couldn't identify while walking, and he would tear up. He always wiped them away as soon as they came so that Daisy wouldn't see them, then he would spend the next few minutes calming himself down while continuing on with a stoic face.

It had to have been Team Rocket. Who else would have done it? Just getting Magnemite back didn't seem like enough. Finding Magnemite without getting himself killed was a daunting task on its own, but taking down the whole organization? Even he had to admit that was delusional.

Just as Felix started to doze off, imagining Pikachu zapping the whole of Team Rocket, a hand shook his shoulder.

"Hey! It's my turn to keep watch! Go sleep in your tent," whispered Daisy gently.

Felix, with his eyes barely open, zipped up his tent, crawled into his sleeping bag and fell asleep as his head hit the pillow.

It seemed like he had just fallen asleep when Daisy started shaking his tent to wake him up. The sun hadn't risen over the mountains to the east, but the sky was beginning to brighten with the dawn. The pair packed up their tents, chewed on half a granola bar, and continued onward.

The days spent crossing Route 3 were pretty much the same. Throughout the day, they would stumble upon all kinds of trainers with various backgrounds, including one who was a shorts enthusiast. Felix and Daisy would take turns battling the trainers, and sometimes they both got to battle the same person. Nidoran even evolved into a Nidorina causing Daisy to burst into tears of joy and embrace her in a tight squeeze. She soon regretted it because of Nidorina's spiky exterior.

While he was having a lot of fun testing his battle prowess and taking people's money, there was a sad fact that weighed on Felix's heart: all of their opponents were kids. There was only one reason to be out in the wilderness, battling strangers as a child and that was survival. Everyone they battled were either orphans taking care of themselves or their parent's meager paychecks weren't paying the bills.

At night, Felix and Daisy would take turns keeping watch. One would do the first part of the night and the other the second part. They weren't alone on the route. It was filled with desperate people, so they couldn't let their guard down. Plus, everyday they got closer and closer to Team Rocket. Even though it was necessary for their safety, they both felt like they were getting so little sleep, they may as well have kept going, but they knew they still needed their rest.

Finally, after many days of walking without seeing any sign of civilization, a Pokemon Center could be seen in the distance next to the entrance to Mt. Moon. The pair would run if they had the energy, but they just walked slightly more briskly with the adrenaline boost.

Upon entering, the two trainers left their two Pokemon with the nurse and then headed straight for the trainer amenities. After putting their clothes through the laundromat, the pair went their separate ways into the locker rooms, and took the most satisfying shower either of them had ever taken. When they reconvened to pick up their Pokemon, they felt so fresh and fancy, they decided to buy overpriced Magikarp to eat for dinner.

"We're here at the entrance of Mt. Moon, but I haven't seen Team Rocket anywhere yet," said Felix with a mouthful of Magikarp. The two friends sat across from each other in booth seats at the Pokemon Center.

"I thought it would be overrun the way Officer Jenny described it," said Daisy, dabbing her mouth with a napkin.

"Still, we can't be too careful. Not all evil bears it on its chest," said Felix, swallowing his bite. He leaned back and stared off past Daisy. Thoughts of the aggressive father at the museum invaded his mind.

"I wonder if they found what they were looking for," Daisy chirped, reaching for her soda pop.

"Team Rocket attacks Cerulean citizens…" a man in the booth next to them sighed in frustration. "Team Rocket is always in the news!"

Felix and Daisy looked over at him. Felix slid out of his booth seat and approached the man. "Did that happen today?" He spoke the first question that came to his mind.

"Yes!" replied the man. "Tragic, what happened…"

"What happened?"

"A group of six or so Team Rocket members ransacked a residence in Cerulean City. They wrecked the place and stole a Pokemon along with other valuable items!"

The story sounded eerily familiar to what happened to him. Felix was for a moment transported to that fateful night he lost Magnemite. He shivered as his mind re-lived that experience before he was brought back to reality when Daisy asked, "We heard Team Rocket was in the cave of Mt. Moon. Do you know if they're still there?"

"I suppose they are. You'd think they'd be terrorizing all of the travelers in the cave, but they haven't! There are a few Rocket patrols on the main path, but for the most part they are digging deep into the cave and are leaving the passersby well enough alone. They must be looking for something big," said the man.

Daisy looked over at Felix. She pursed her lips as she had a feeling she knew what he was thinking.

"Thank you for answering our questions," said Felix, quickly. He turned back toward their table and put his arm around Daisy. She blushed for a moment until Felix whispered in her ear what she knew Felix was thinking.

"This is our chance," whispered Felix into Daisy's ear. "If we can corner one of them… get one of them to talk… maybe, just maybe we can get at least a general location of where Magnemite could be."

The two friends slid back into their booth.

"We should leave after dinner. We'll take Team Rocket by surprise," said Felix, talking quicker and quicker.

"I think we should get some rest tonight," said Daisy firmly. "We're going to need our full energy."

Felix reluctantly conceded this point. He was eager to find Magnemite and hungry to bring a few Team Rocket members to justice. He knew Daisy was right, but his body was riding a wave of energy he wanted to capitalize on.

Once the two of them finished dinner, and Daisy started preparing to go to sleep, the wave of energy subsided. Felix suddenly barely had the consciousness to brush his teeth. The Pokemon Center provided many services for trainers and Pokemon alike, but a hotel service was not one of them. However, trainers and small Pokemon were allowed to sleep on the sofas in the lobby. This time Pikachu and Nidorina kept watch over their possessions as Felix and Daisy fell into a deep sleep.