Ash Makes a Discovery!

"Y'know, I don't see why so many trainers want to delve through Mt. Moon," May remarked as she, Ash, and Misty strolled down the forest trail, Nidoran trotting along at their feet. "This is way nicer."

"Because Mt. Moon has stuff you can't get in the forest," Ash responded. "Rare Pokemon. Fossils. Moon stones."

"Bunch of angry bats trying to suck you dry," Misty pointed out.

"Well, sure, but…"

"A whole lot of evil criminals trying to kill you," May added.

Ash winced.

"Well, I'm pretty sure they don't advertise those," Misty said. "Still, this is nice."

It was indeed. After they had all woken feeling warm and refreshed from their nap, they also felt strong enough to go make that supply run. So, after cleaning themselves off and making sure Ash applied some of his antibiotic cream, they all dressed and headed out in search of any sign of civilization.

Despite all that had happened, the forest did not seem to have noticed. The weather was nice and bright, and the forest calm and peaceful. One might never guess that there had recently been a massive war between wild Pokemon and a nefarious criminal cartel that had blown up part of a mountain nearby.

Ash slowly breathed out. Yeah. This was nice. Sort of what he had expected he own journey to be. Walking through the forests. Enjoying the outdoors. Listening to the chatter of birds and the crunching of leaves beneath his feet. Not getting wrapped up in evil schemes and ancient grudges.

"Kind of reminds me of The Golden Greenhouse," he remarked. "You know, the part right after they find the greenhouse, and they're all like, 'This is a desert planet! What's this forest doing here?'"

Misty brightened at the mention of their favorite show. "Oh yeah. You know, I'm pretty sure they filmed that episode around here."

Ash paused. "Wait, what, really?"

"Yeah, I have this old trivia book! Like, they filmed the forest scenes here, but the jungle scenes on Cinnabar and the Orange Islands, while the desert scenes were like in the studio. Because they wanted pink sand for some reason."

"I'd ask you nerds what the heck you're talking about," May remarked. "But I already know the answer is Star Trainers."

"Of course it is," Ash said, feeling a bit defensive. "So what?"

May rolled her eyes. "You see what I have to put up with?" she said to Nidoran. "Total nerds. Both of them."

Nidoran shot her a look, one that plainly said that he wasn't nearly as annoyed by the talk of geeky sci-fi tv shows as he was of all her constant sexualization of everything.

"Just ignore her," Misty said. "She doesn't watch anything that doesn't have at least one sex scene every fifteen minutes."

"Hey! Not true! I have standards! Seven minutes, pure minimum!"

Ash frowned. "You liked the movie we saw the other day."

"I liked the exactly one scene we saw in the movie," May countered. "And apparently, they only have actual sex in the movies! And even then, it's like only a couple of times per film! Come on! Give me my money's worth!"

"You didn't spend any money, May," Misty said with an exasperated sigh.

May shrugged. "So what? I still want the hypothetical worth for the hypothetical money I hypothetically might have paid in a bizarre, alternate universe where I'm as nerdy as-" She suddenly yelped, and slapped a hand over her arm. "Ow! Stop that! The next time you that do that, you're getting an ember in the face!"

"Then don't annoy me," Misty said, lowering a sparking finger. Then she glanced over to Ash, a thoughtful look on her face. "Though speaking of which…Hey, Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"This might sound crazy, but did you ever get the feeling that there was something going on between Captain Piker and Mr. Scort?"

May groaned. "Oh, no. There she goes again. Always with her boys' love fantasies. Never mind that this guy apparently bangs every hot alien girl he comes across, he's apparently-"

"Oh, yeah," Ash said. "They're totally in love."

May almost tripped over a nonexistent root. "Wait, hold on! What?"

…

Down at the feet of his human companions, Nidoran bounded along. Fortunately, despite their grotesquely long legs, they were ambling along at a leisurely pace, so he didn't have much trouble keeping up.

At the moment, they were talking about something…weird. Nidoran's understanding of human speech was admittedly basic. He had a decent grasp on the fundamentals and never had trouble understanding what Ash or the others was trying to communicate to him, but now they were going on about something that made no sense to him at all, using words that he didn't recognize in a manner that was downright perplexing.

But to be honest, he didn't care. He was still sort of salty that his training session with Tangela had been abruptly interrupted. Though he and Tangela had been recalled into their pokeballs before the reason could be revealed, it was pretty obvious what had happened. The girls had wanted to mate, and Ash had obliged them. Again.

Nidoran sighed. He liked his human companions, he really did, but they were so stuffed with hormones that it got in the way of everything else. And Nidoran needed to train! He needed to get better, he needed to get stronger, he needed to get bigger, to become as powerful as possible so that when he finally grew up and evolved into a Nidorino, he would be the strongest Nidorino there can be. And when they finally got their hands on a danged moon stone, he could become the world's most powerful Nidoking! He couldn't do any of that if those who were supposed to be training him kept getting distracted!

Maybe it was just a temporary thing. They had only really started going at it in the mountain. Maybe, once the novelty had worn off, things would become a little more balance. Nidoran hoped so. Because while Zubat might enjoy it, Nidoran wasn't a pervert like he was!

Only really listening to the humans' chatter with half a raised ear, Nidoran hopped over a tangle of exposed roots and sniffed the air. On the plus side, the forest was filled with interesting smells! It was cleaned than the pungent stench of Viridian Forest, while also a bit wilder than his meadow had been. The scents drifted in, an olfactory message board filled with information. Nearby, a cocky young Ratata had dug out a burrow and claimed all nearby shrubs as his property, and woe be to anyone who would dare step paw in his territory! Nidoran didn't care about the bushes, but he was still tempted to go kick the rodent's ass just to teach him some humility. There was also a family of nesting Pidgeys in the branches above. Nidoran discarded that information as unimportant. A family of humans had tramped along this same trail the day before, going in the opposite direction, though presumably they had changed course before reaching the field where Nidoran's humans had made camp. There were fresh Zubat droppings mixed in with the rotting leaves, suggesting that they often left their tunnels for nocturnal flights. He wondered if the Zubat he knew had ever been a part of those. Oddish spores drifted through the air. Well, it was spring, so it was the season. And now-

Nidoran paused. Wait.

He gave another sniff. There was a very distinct tingle in the air, one that he didn't quite recognize, but also struck him as weirdly significant. It couldn't be, could it-

Then he jolted. The humans' conversation had suddenly gotten loud. They were arguing about something, and it sounded pointless.

…

"What's the big deal?" Ash said as May gawked at him. "I mean, it's kind of obvious."

"B-B-But in like every scene Misty's shown me, he's getting it in with hot alien chicks!" May sputtered.

"So? You get it in with every girl you come across, but you still banged me. Some guys like both."

"But that's different! Girls are hot!"

Ash scowled.

"Um, present company excluded?" May hastily amended.

Misty shook her head. "You know, some guys do like other guys," she said. "Big shock, I know. Just like there's girls who only like other girls, and girls who only like guys."

"Okay, Tauroscrap," May said flatly. "Name one."

"Yellow."

"I mean the other one! Girls who only like guys!"

Misty gave her a look. "May. I know PokeGirls like anything and everything, but come on. Liking girls is not the default."

"Okay, now that I do not believe," May said.

"Suit yourself," Misty said with a shake of her head. "But I'm pretty disappointed in you, May. Never thought that you'd be so closed-minded."

May seemed honestly taken back by that. She opened her mouth to respond, only for nothing to come out and closed it again.

They hiked on. As they did, Ash watched May out of the corner of his eye. She seemed more confused than anything, her face twisted into a frown. Ash found himself really hoping that she wasn't prejudiced against gay guys. That would suck.

Then May said, "Okay, but even still, you can't tell me that your precious Captain Piker is into boys. Because, again, hot alien girls! Did he ever get in on with hot alien boys?"

"Come on, it was made in the sixties," Misty said with a sigh. "Times were different. They were pushing things just by having PokeGirls from other regions!"

"Besides, who actually watched the show?" Ash added. "Us or you? Trust me, if one or both of them were girls, then you'd totally say that they're in love!"

May shot him a look.

"What?"

"Uh, Ash? You're not telling me that you're…" May limply flicked her wrist at him. "…you know…"

Ash returned the look. "No, but I have a cousin who is. And he's awesome. So you better not be saying that it's a bad thing."

"I…no, I just…" May sighed. "Oh, forget it."

Ash and Misty exchanged a look. Misty rolled her eyes. Sighing, Ash started walking again. This was a bummer, but hopefully May would learn.

The path they had been hiking down had come to a crossroads, one that split off into a wider road that wound around the side of the slop, and another, slimmer one that descended deeper into the forest.

"Hang on," Misty said with a frown. "I recognize this place."

"Really?" Ash cocked his head. "Since when have you been here?"

Misty shot him a look. "Ash. Give me a break. Cerulean is pretty close to here, and I go on training trips all the time. Of course I'm going to visit the local forest!"

"Fair enough," Ash conceded as he readjusted the straps of his backpack. "So, where are we?"

Pursing her lips, Misty leaned over to look as far down the large road as she could. "Okay, if I'm right, then we might be in luck, because I'm pretty sure this'll take us to the Mt. Moon Visitor's Center."

Ash perked up at that. "Wait, really? It's that close?"

"You've been here, too?" May asked.

"Yeah, my family's gone camping around here a couple of times. Is it the one with all the shops and that little museum?"

"That's the one," Misty confirmed. "It's where the ranger's station is located, and it's also got a PokeCenter and a PokeMart."

"And someplace to eat?" May asked, licking her lips. "Oh, please tell me that it's got someplace to eat!"

"Pretty sure it does, yeah."

May let out a low, almost erotic moan that made Ash's skin shiver. "Oh, finally. Real food. Not just bland oatmeal or instant noodles."

Misty shot her a look.

"Which, of course, were very delicious, and I of course was not questioning your cooking skills," May quickly amended. "But you have to admit, you didn't have a whole lot to work with."

"True," Misty sighed. "Okay, let's check it out."

…

Given the importance of Pokemon trainers to the Kanto Region's economy, society, and history, and given the importance of Mt. Moon to Pokemon trainers, the Mt. Moon Visitor's Center really went the extra mile to ensure that it provided everything that any and all travelers might need.

Instead of just a building or two, it was more of a small complex. There was the Visitor's Center itself, which was part information center and part museum, containing everything that inquisitive young (and even some old) minds might want to learn about the mountain. It also contained a small post-office, a library, a classroom-sized theater that mostly showed informational documentaries but on occasion would also play more popular films for vacationing families, the ranger's office, and even a small research lab, though what went on there was also more for educational purposes rather than hard research.

The shopping center was an umbrella-shaped building, each section with a different kind of store, including the gift shop, the convenience store, the grocery store, the PokeMart, and even a small entertainment store selling things like books, games, and toys. And of course, there was also a sex toy store, catering to all sorts of PokeGirl needs.

There was also a diner for anyone tired of travel rations who might want a fully cooked meal and a snack bar for those in the mood for something quick. Next to that was a tiny playground for the kids, both those camping with their families and those on their own adventures as junior trainers. And, of course, a PokeCenter.

On most days, it saw a steady stream of business, from exhausted trainers coming out of the other side of Mt. Moon to campers and hikers from the forests surrounding the mountain to even people stopping for a bite to eat on the way from Pewter City to Cerulean City. But ever since a large chunk of Mt. Moon had mysteriously blown up the day before, the place was swamped with scared vacationers and fleeing trainers, all wanting to know just what the hell was going on.

Unfortunately, despite being an information center, nobody at the Visitor's Center could help them, as no one there had the slightest clue what was going on themselves.

And to be quite frank, Ranger Cindy was growing fed up with it all.

Become a ranger, they had said! Enjoy the big outdoors, they had said! And hey, they had been right! Cindy really did love her job...most of the time. But in her opinion, too much of was spent in the Visitor's Center dealing with a bunch of clueless tourists that were responsible for all the plastic bottles she had to clean up in the forest and not enough time spent in the forest itself.

At the moment, she had finally managed to find the time to take her break. Unfortunately, that meant leaving Frankie in charge of the info desk. Frankie was one of the many teens that worked for the Visitor's Center, and he was kind of a dunce, one that enjoyed certain mood-altering herbs even more than she did. You could smell it on him when he came into work. Honestly, he probably would have been fired a long time ago if it weren't for the fact that he was also supplying half the staff, Cindy included.

Still, she needed to get away from all the people and their questions, demands, and complaints.

Even more unfortunately, that meant having to put up with Seymour.

Seymour was one of the "scientists" that worked the research lab. Which was to say he was a nerd who showed kids how the water cycle worked. He was also a total kook who had a lot of really weird theories about the Pokemon of Mt. Moon, ones that he was always all too happy to share with anyone that he could get to listen. In detail.

"I'm telling you; that was the Moon Stone!" the bespectacled dweeb was telling her.

Cindy wished she had a cigarette. Or a blunt. Yeah, a blunt sounded good right now. Maybe she should have hit up Frankie before taking her break. "Which one? There's, like, literally hundreds!"

"But only one the Moon Stone!" Seymour insisted. "The star that fell from the heavens, the one that made the mountain!"

Cindy sprawled her upper body all over the break table with a groan. "That's wild, Seymour," she said in a flat voice.

Through the wall, she could hear Frankie talking to someone who had approached the information desk, someone that sounded like a kid, though she could only make out what Frankie was saying. "Uh, yeah? Sorry, we don't, like, know what's up. But as soon as we do-Wait, huh?"

"It was the Clefairies; it has to be!" Seymour declared. "The Moon Stone brought them here to Earth centuries ago, and they've been trying to get back ever since!"

"That's crazy, Seymour," Cindy said.

"Oh, yo, that was you?" she heard Frankie say. "Yeah, like, the police were asking us about you. Glad you're okay!"

Police? What was that about? No, wait, Cindy didn't care.

Oblivious to his audience's complete lack of interest, Seymour went right on. "That blast? That was their signal! They were sending a message back to their home planet, trying to call for help!"

"Uh, yeah, actually," Frankie said to some kind of inquiry. "They brought it by yesterday. Yeah, I heard the police were gonna come pick it up, but if it's really you, then I guess you can have it back. Cut out the middleman, right? You should probably talk to them, though. They were really, like, worried about you guys."

"I wouldn't be surprised if the Clefairy armada was already on its way!" Slamming his foot down on one of the cheap plastic chairs, Seymour thrust a finger at the sky and declared, "Thousands of ships, bristling with weapons! We wouldn't stand a chance!"

Cindy groaned. "Clefairies have lived in that mountain since before humans evolved," she pointed out, not bothering to lift her face from the table's top.

Seymour wilted a little at this. "Well, yeah..."

"Oh, say no more. I gotcha," Frankie said. "Fuck the-Sorry. Screw the police. Okay, Miss Miniature Gym Leader. Here's your stuff. Be good, okay?"

"So why haven't they called for help before now?" Cindy continued.

Finally sitting down in his chair like a normal person, Seymour leaned forward, one hand thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "Maybe they couldn't. Maybe it's taken them this long to develop the equipment necessary to send a signal across the cosmos. Maybe we are fated to be the generation that falls before our new-"

The door to the break room opened, and Frankie walked in. "Yo, hey, dudes. You know that backpack that got picked up off the bridge?"

Cindy finally raised her head. "The one belonging to the little girl Gym Leader? The one who's missing?"

"Yeah, that." Frankie stuck his thumb over his shoulder toward the door. "Well, just thought I should let you guys know that she just picked it up."

Cindy sat up straight. "What?"

Frankie shrugged. "Yeah, she's totally alive and stuff. And she wanted her stuff back. So, like, I gave it to her. I guess we don't have to worry about her anymore!"

"How do you know it was her?" Cindy demanded.

Frankie stared at her like she was dense. Which, coming from him, was downright disrespectful. "Uh, who else would even know about it? Besides, her face totally matched the picture on that cool ID card we found in there!"

"You guys rooted through a little girl's possessions?" Seymour said, sounding appalled. Which was probably the most sensible thing he had said all day.

"No. I did," Cindy told him. "And I'm a woman, so it's okay. And trust me: you do not want to know what she was keeping in there, the little pervert." To Frankie, she said, "But the police were coming to pick it up later today, weren't they?"

"Yeah, but, you know." Frankie shrugged again. "Fuck those guys."

Cindy wondered if she was going to get into trouble for this. On the one hand, if you had something that the police wanted but gave away before they could pick it up, then they tended to be cross with you.

On the other hand, due to a variety of different reasons, Cindy did not care for the police at all. And it had been Frankie to hand the backpack over, not her. She wasn't even his boss. If heads were going to roll, then it wasn't going to be hers. What did she care.

"Yeah, okay," she said at last.

Frankie sagely nodded. Then he said, "Do you guys, like, want some grass?"

"Yes," Cindy and Seymour said, for once in perfect agreement.

…

"I cannot believe that actually worked."

Having been blessed with an entirely unexpected and extremely uncharacteristic bout of luck, Ash, Misty, and May decided grab some lunch at the snack bar. Given how many people had gone to the Visitor's Center in hopes of finding out what the heck was going on, there was a bit of wait, but in good time they were sitting at a round, umbrella-covered table near the playground, chowing down on bacon burgers, onion rings, nachos, and soft drinks. After all the rationing they had done in the past couple of days, it seemed like a king's feast. A very greasy king's feast.

"No kidding," May mumbled around a mouthful of tortilla chips drizzled with a cheese-like goop. She swallowed, and said, "I mean, it was right there! We didn't have to go looking for it or anything!"

Misty had her backpack open on the seat next to her and was rifling through it, taking stock of its contents. "It's all still here! The gear, the food, our clothes-"

"Aw," May said, her face falling in disappointment. She and Misty were both fully dressed in Ash's clothing, and she had made it clear that while she found the experience kind of kinky, she was looking forward to shedding them entirely.

"-my ID, even my money!" She heaved a big sigh of relief. "Wow, what a relief. I was worried that they had sent it home or something."

"We probably got to it just in time," Ash said between juicy bites of his burger. "That guy said something about the police asking about you."

"And we are going to stay as far as possible from that mess, thank you very much!" Misty exclaimed. "No more Team Rocket agents in disguise for me!"

"Hear friggin' hear," May sighed. "Hey, they didn't take the rest of my stuff, did they?"

Frowning, Misty dug in deeper. "Yeah, I found your toys."

"Yes!" May pumped her arm. "Oh, how I missed them! I was so worried we were going to have to get new ones, and that's always a hassle."

"Still, so long as we're here, we may as well stock up a little anyway," Ash said.

"Uh, I admire your enthusiasm, but why?" May asked. "Unless, you know, you're looking for a little gimp suit of your own, and I don't think they sell them your size around here!"

Ash groaned. "No, I mean normal supplies! Food, potions, some new camping gear, that sort of thing! If the police shows up, then we bail."

"Good idea," Misty said. "I should probably check my email while we're at it. See if there's been any new developments." Then she paused as if something had just occurred to her before going for an internal pouch in her backpack.

A moment later she heaved another relief sigh. "Oh, thank the Three, it's still here."

"What is?" Ash asked.

Glancing around, Misty produced a shrunken-down human ball.

"Is that mine?" May asked. When May nodded, she let out a sigh of her own. "Oh, wow. Good thing we have that. I'd hate to think what would happen if...literally anyone else got their hands on it."

Ash felt that sour feeling in his gut start to stir. His hand reflexively went to his breast pocket, where Misty's human ball was secreted away.

And where Jessie's had been not too long ago.

He looked over the playground, where several children were playing without a care in the world. They weren't that much younger than he was, but he felt so much older. He had faced death far more times than even an inexperienced Pokemon trainer should, and now he had caused it as well.

Then he heard the sound of giggling.

A wooden bench was sitting on the edge of the playground. And seated in that was a trainer and his PokeGirl. The trainer, dressed in red plaid and black hiking shorts, was on the short and stocky side, but was also fairly well-muscled, with a sharp, handsome face and curly brown hair. The girl was a slender brunette, wearing a very short skirt slit so high on the sides that it was practically a loincloth, an open leather vest, sneakers with knee-high black socks, and nothing else. She was sitting in his lap and facing him, legs straddling him to either side, with one of his hands roving up and down her bare back and the other cupped possessively around her butt. The two were happily making out, with the PokeGirl holding her trainer's face with both hands as they kissed.

It was a pretty mundane display, basically what anyone might expect to see when there were trainers around. But there was just something about the tender way that he held her, or the open affection in their kisses that made Ash's stomach squirm. Those two adored one another. That was how it was supposed to be between PokeGirls and their trainers. That was how it was now starting to become between Ash and his PokeGirls.

Except Ash didn't always just have two PokeGirls. He used to have three.

And he had failed the third in the worst possible way.

…

After lunch, Misty and May stole away to the public restroom to change. While doing so did have a sort of kinky thrill to it, Misty was tired of wearing Ash's clothes, and now that she had her stuff back, it was time to feel more like herself.

After giving May a fresh outfit (and ignoring the other girl's suggestion that she just go naked from here on out), Misty popped into one of the stalls and rummaged through her bag.

"You know, so long as we're shopping, we might want to look into some new outfits," May said from the next stall over.

Misty pulled out a pair of shorts and a top. A little more looking produced a pair of panties and socks. She'd have to look into getting a new pair of shoes. Maybe they sold some in the supply shop. "I'd say that that's probably a good idea," she remarked as she peeled off the socks Ash had loaned her. "But knowing you, that's not really what you mean."

"Weeeelllll, I'm just saying, since we're going full-on with the whole PokeGirl thing-"

Misty winced. "Hey! Ix-nay on the OkeGirl-Pay!" She was pretty sure that the restroom had been otherwise empty, but why take the chance?

"Oops! Sorry. Um, what I was saying, our outfits are cute and all, but maybe we can get something that shows just a little more skin, you know what I mean?"

Rolling her eyes, Misty wriggled her way out of Ash's jeans and boxers. "My outfits show plenty of skin." She yanked off the shirt, and carefully stowed Ash's clothes away. "But knowing you, you probably mean like ninety percent skin, and ten percent clothes. And unless you want to walk around in a bikini out in the open, I don't think they make stuff like that for kids our age."

"Don't think I won't if you'd let me," May said cheerfully. "And I can get creative. Still, Kanto blows. Did you know that in Alola, they just let kids have fun? Like, straight up have sex and even catch each other! Talk about progressive!"

"Yes, I did," Misty grunted as she slipped her legs into her panties and pulled them up. "Same with Unova. Pretty sure the Orange Islands are like that, too."

"There, you see? We are way behind the times!" Then there was a noticeable pause, and when May's voice came back, there was a note of trepidation. "Though apparently, you're also supposed to have sex with your parents or something? And that's kinda messed up, even for me. Especially for me!"

Misty had known that as well, and had to admit, she also was kind of skeeved out by the idea. And she knew very well why May would be horrified by the idea. "Well, it's probably for families that aren't as totally screwed up as ours," she said as she buttoned up her shorts. She then pulled on her shirt.

"If you say so. Just saying, they probably have screwed up families too, and having to deal with that on top of everything just sounds…yuck."

The two exited the stalls, both now wearing their own clothes. May gave Misty a quick lookover before shooting her a grin, a wink, and a thumb's up. "You are right, though. Your normal outfits are dead sexy. I should start taking notes!"

Despite how irritating May's relentless audacity could be, Misty still couldn't help but preen at the compliment. "Why, thank you," she purred, striking the pose of a pin-up model.

Grinning, May hooked her arm around Misty's. "Well, we still got some shopping to do. Hey, while we're at it, I know your tent and bag are bigger than Ash's, but we really should look into upgrading on both counts."

"Huh, not a bad idea," Misty said as they exited the restroom together. "Tell you what: if we can't find anything good enough here, then we'll definitely stop by the store when we get back to Cerulean."

"Before or after we humiliate your loser sisters?"

"Oh, definitely before. No matter what, once we're done, we're going to get out of town fast."

…

"Hello…Whoa," Ash said in surprise. "You guys really are everywhere!"

Potions worked fine, but only really went so far, so Ash's first stop was the Mt. Moon Visitor's Center PokeCenter to get his three Pokemon fully healed up. It was a lot smaller than the ones he had seen in Viridian and Pewter City, not to mention a bit more rustic in its design, with walls made from split wooden logs, hand-carved wooden furniture, and even a hand-carved wooden sculpture of an angry Rhydon. However, the familiar trappings were still there, from the Healing Machine to the PC to the bookshelf of training material.

However, another thing it had in common was the familiar face sitting behind the counter, manning the Healing Machine. It was, as far as he could tell, identical to the two other Nurse Joys he had already met. Same facial features, same pink hair done up in the same style, and even the same uniform.

However, as soon as Ash had blurted out his observation, he immediately regretted it, as judging by the dark glower on her face and the heavy bags under her eyes, this Nurse Joy looked to be in a far worse mood than the other two.

"What, never seen a Nurse Joy before?" she snapped.

"Uh, actually, I've seen two of them," Ash said. "In Viridian and Pewter City."

Nurse Joy rolled her eyes. "Nice. You met Alexis and Kristine, and maybe Kimberley, too! So, before you ask, yes. Every PokeCenter in Kanto Region has a member of the Joy family running it, and most of the other regions, too. Yes, we all look close enough that anyone else would think we're clones. Yes, we have first names. Mine's Vanessa, hi, bet you never even thought to ask. Yes, can tell each other apart. And NO-" here Nurse Joy raised her voice as she stood up from her chair, looking to a gaggle of hikers that had entered the PokeCenter behind Ash "-I don't know why the mountain blew up, and neither does anyone else working here! God!"

The hikers quickly left.

Taken back by this Nurse Joy's cranky attitude, Ash stammered, "Uh, s-s-sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, forget it, sorry for snapping at you," Nurse Joy groused as she settled back down. "It's just…never heard that before! But it's not your fault. I really don't know why Mt. Moon blew up, though."

"Oh. I actually wasn't asking about that," Ash said. He held out his hand, in which were his three filled pokeballs. "I just need these guys treated."

"Right, right," Nurse Joy said as she took them from him. Placing them in the Healing Machine, she activated the rejuvenation process. "But believe me, I'd love to know what the heck happened! One moment everything's fine and dandy, and the next, kaboom! And now everyone's losing their minds." She paused, and then turned to Ash, her brow furrowed. "Say, you're a trainer, aren't you?"

Ash blinked. "Uh, just a junior trainer, but yeah."

"You weren't in the mountain when it blew up, were you?"

Ash wasn't liking where this line of questioning was going. "Er, uh, y-yeah. But I was close to the exit, so I got out before everything came down." It wasn't exactly the truth, but it wasn't really a lie either.

"Wow," Nurse Joy said. "Close call. They say there's still a bunch of trainers trapped in there. They're trying to send people in to save them, but something's got the local Pokemon all worked up. You weren't attacked by any, were you?"

Yes.

"No," Ash said, lying for real this time.

"Well, you're lucky, then," Nurse Joy said. The healing finished up, and she handed Ash the tray with his pokeballs. "Though if you ask me, you'd better head out soon. There's something weird going on around here."

No kidding, Ash said as he clipped the pokeballs back onto his belt. "Uh, yeah. Will do. Thanks."

Shaken and confused by the encounter, Ash quickly left the PokeCenter. That had been weird.

Once outside, he popped Nidoran out of his ball. "Hey," he said, kneeling down in front of the little guy. "How you feeling?"

Nidoran's nose twitched. He cautiously stretched each of his legs out in turn and then ran around in a quick circle. Everything must have checked out, as he then leapt up and down and squeaked out an affirmative, "Ni!"

"Good," Ash said, feeling relieved. He straightened up and looked around. This actually wasn't the first time he had visited this place, truth be told, though the last time had been when he was seven and he and his friends' families had all gone camping together. At the time, it had seemed to have this strange, almost mystical feel to it, a bizarre hodgepodge of modern conveniences and rustic aesthetics. He fondly recalled spending an inordinate amount of time in the small museum, browsing the exhibits on the history of Mt. Moon and perusing the tiny library on anything he could find on the many myths and legends that surrounded the mountain. If only he had known how close and personal he would get with those legends.

Then his eyes fell upon the Visitor's Center. He had caught a glimpse of it when they had gone to the lost-and-found, at it seemed to be pretty close to what he remembered.

Ash hesitated. He shot a look over to the shops. Inside, Misty and May were still nosing around. He ought to rejoin them, but he also found himself incredibly curious. Maybe they even had something on Ambihilech.

That decided, he headed to the main building's front entrance, Nidoran trotting along at his feet.

…

"How about...this one?" May said, pointing at one of the sleeping bags for sale.

Misty dubiously read the description on the box. "May, that bag's thermal. It's for cold weather."

"So? There'll be plenty of that along the way."

"We'll be sharing it with you, you walking fever dream! Do you want us to get cooked alive?"

May sighed. "Fine, fine. How about that one?"

"Too small. Dang, you'd think a camping store in the middle of a forest would have a bigger selection of sleeping bags!"

The two young PokeGirls were in the supply store, poking around for anything that might be of use for their new life direction. They already had acquired new shoes (Misty made a mental note to have both of them proofed against their individual typings as soon as she could), as well as a few other tools, rope, and other odds and ends, and now they were looking to upgrade their sleeping conditions. Since both her and Ash's sleeping bags were made for one person apiece, acquiring a new one that could comfortably fit all three of them was at the top of the list. Unfortunately, as often seemed to be the case, they were finding sleeping bags of every possible variety except the one that they needed.

"Look, it doesn't have to say it fits three people," May pointed out. "Just get one meant for like a grown-up couple. That should fit us."

"I guess," Misty said, looking them over. She did wish that they could test them first. If they got one that was even a little bit too small, it would cause discomfort for the rest of their journey.

Then May tugged on her arm. "Oh! Oh! Here's one!"

Misty frowned. "May, that might actually be too big. It's specifically for trainers with more than one PokeGirl."

May looked at her like she was dense. "Uh, yeah? Which is exactly our issue? What's the problem?"

"I mean, it's for like three adults, not three kids!"

"So? Better too big than too small! Besides, who says we won't pick up any more girls along the way?"

May rolled her eyes, but then it occurred to her that May might not be joking. "Wait. You're serious, aren't you?"

The grin that May wore cast aside any doubt. "Look, just sayin', Ash's track record speaks for itself. That boy's a pussy magnet. Don't be surprised if we end up with another cutie before we even reach Cerulean."

That...wasn't untrue, but Misty wasn't sure how she felt about that idea. Glowering suspiciously at May, she accused, "You're planning on catching a girl for yourself, aren't you?"

May seemed honestly taken back by the implication. "Me? No! Like I'd let anyone drop lower than me in the pecking order!"

Misty knelt down to pick up the extra-large sleeping bag. Inappropriate ideas aside, May was right about it being the closest to what they were looking for. "What was that whole business with Yellow, then?"

"Yellow wasn't my sub; she was my pupil!" May said. "There's a difference! By the way, we should probably pick up another tent while we're here. Both of yours are cramped with two people, much less three."

Dang it, she was right. Sighing, May passed the sleeping bag to May and went to examine the tents. Unfortunately, their luck had run out, as there were few left and all were for one person.

"Oh well," Misty sighed. "Mine's big enough for now. We'll find an upgrade once we get back to Cerulean."

"If we get that far," May remarked. "Bet you anything the police are all paid by the Rockets and want to nab us first chance that they get."

Misty shivered. "Let's…not talk about that right now," she said.

"Well, we should, sooner or later."

"And we will. Just…not now."

"Fair enough," May sighed. Then she frowned and looked around. "Though speaking of which, where'd Ash go? Shouldn't he be done with the PokeCenter by now?"

…

As Ash and Nidoran entered the Visitor's Center, Ash found himself getting a little excited.

He had caught a brief glimpse of it earlier, but now he got to confirm that, yes, the small museum was still there, from the glassed-in displays to the artificial trees carved into the walls and ceiling to the little library/story time corner.

Now, this was more like this!

Pleased to see that what few changes that were there seemed to be for the better, Ash wandered from exhibit to exhibit. Most were of stuff he already knew just from having an archeologist for a father, from stuff about the geological eras of the mountain and the levels of earth and what they contained to the various Pokemon species native to the area, both above and underground.

All of it was genuinely interesting, but Ash had other things in mind. His memory did recall one specific exhibit, and though he didn't recall exactly where it was, he saw no reason for it to be gone. It wasn't a large building, so it shouldn't take long to find it.

Then, as he turned a corner, his eyes fell upon what he was looking for, and he smiled. It was still there.

Between two round, wooden pillars decorated with ancient glyphs an area had been set into one wall that looked to resemble a shrine. And behind glass were the real treasures of Mt. Moon.

There was one large chunk of moon stone about the size of a coconut, surrounded by other crystals, some of them also moon stone, but also other evolutionary stones, such a bright scarlet chunk of fire stone and a glittering emerald piece of leaf stone. There were also pieces of what looked like stone tablets, bowls, tools, and what looked like the broken head of a rod studded with tiny moon stones. Come to think of it, it kind of looked like Malakai's walking stick.

So, there was evidence of human civilizations living in the mountain! Unfortunately, the explosion had probably destroyed a good chunk of them, which Ash had witnessed firsthand-

Ash, help me!

-Ash blinked, shook his head, and turned away from those ancient relics to look at the moon stone itself.

According to the placard, moon stone was found in natural veins throughout the mountain, though legends spoke of some kind of prime moon stone, a singular crystal that was responsible for the lesser moon stones. After all of Ambihilech's talk about the "Holy Star," Ash had a feeling that there might be some truth to it all.

However, his attention was then drawn by the left-hand corner of the exhibit. There, a handful of ancient figurines carved from precious materials were displayed. A Golem molded from silver, a Golbat made from moon stone, a Rhyhorn carved from amethyst, and an Onix made of gold.

The description wrote, "Ancient legends speak of a great guardian of the mountain, responsible for protecting the Prime Moon Stone from thieves. Though this has never been proven, even to this day adventurous trainers tell tales of encountering a terrifying glowing creature guarding the lower reaches of the mountain."

"Huh," Ash said, staring down at the display. "Well, that's…almost right."

"See? That's what I've been saying!" said a voice that Ash didn't recognize, from right over his shoulder.

"Ah!" Startled, Ash jerked back to see a man standing way too close. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with uncombed brown hair, exceptionally thick glasses, and a white lab coat. On his breast was a laminated nametag that identified him as "Seymour." "Where did you come from?"

"Here! The whole time!" The weirdo declared. Adjusting his glasses, he leaned in to peer at the four inaccurate representations of the Guardian of Mt. Moon. "And I agree! This exhibit has always bothered me, because it comes so close to the truth, but cannot grasp what is right in front of everyone's eyes!"

Ash made a face. "Which is…?"

"These! It's obvious that the Master Moon Stone is the very same comet that made the mountain! That one that brought the Clefairies to Earth!"

"Wait, you know about that?" Ash blurted out before realizing, to his chagrin, that he should probably keep his mouth shut. When he did, he couldn't keep from wincing. Dang it.

Sure enough, Seymour seized upon his slip immediately. "Wait, you believe me?" he exclaimed. Then, before Ash could react, he lunged forward to seize Ash's hands in his own. "Oh, finally someone with some sense! You have no idea what it's like to be the only one who realizes the obvious, but having no one else who can see it!"

Well, on the upside, this guy was such a kook that even if he learned every little detail about Ambihilech and his people, no one was likely to believe him. "Um, sure, yeah," Ash said, edging away from him.

"I mean, you only have to give it the smallest microcosm of thought! The crater at the top of the mountain was created by an asteroid strike; this is an undeniable scientific fact! Moon stone is found nowhere else, and is structurally identical to quartz! Ergo, it stands to reason that the asteroid must have been composed of some extraterrestrial mineral not naturally found on Earth, and its power mutated the natural quartz crystals of the mountain!"

That…actually, Ambihilech hadn't said anything about that, but he had talked about guarding a Holy Star, so it seemed as if this weirdo might actually be right on the money.

"Well, I can see how-"

"Furthermore, all scientific minds agree that Clefairies originally originated from this very mountain, with any other populations having migrated from here eons ago! Think about it! A mountain formed by an asteroid strike. An evolutionary stone that forms nowhere else. A fairy-type with a mystical affinity for that stone, and that originally originated from this very mountain. What does that tell you?"

"That…Clefairies are-"

"Are aliens, brought to Earth by the Moon Stone itself!" Seymour declared. "It's all there, right in plain sight. How could anyone not see?"

On the one hand, everything Seymour was saying was actually true, and even if Ash hadn't already gotten direct confirmation, it wasn't hard to follow the logic. On the other hand, Seymour was also so kooky that he could see why nobody took his theories seriously. Also, his breath smelled…herby.

"Um, maybe Clefairies are actually Jigglypuffs that mutated because of the moon stones?" Ash suggested, throwing in a theory he had read in a magazine once.

Seymour shook his head in disgust. "Preposterous! Not even closely related! Just because two Pokemon species share the same typing, general shape, and color does not mean they sit on the same evolutionary branch!"

While that wasn't untrue, the ratio of Seymour's correctness compared to his general unhingedness was really making Ash uncomfortable. He shot a glance down at Nidoran, who was insistently eyeing the exit. Ash agreed.

"Well, maybe you got a point," he said as he slowly backed away from the exhibit and its unstable curator. "Say, it's been great talking to you, but I've got-"

"Seymour!"

Everyone turned to see a young woman with short black hair wearing the red hat and jacket of a Mt. Moon ranger. She had her arms folded across her chest as she glowered over at Seymour.

"What did I tell you about bugging kids with you crackpot theories?" she demanded. "Leave the poor guy alone!"

"But this kid is smarter than like seventy percent of everyone here!" Seymour protested. "Maybe eighty! He sees the truth, and-"

"Did you just call me dumber than an eight-year-old?" the ranger lady demanded.

"N-No! I was just-"

"Get back to work and leave him alone! God!"

Dejected, Seymour's shoulders slumped and he wandered off with a resigned sigh. Rolling her eyes, the ranger lady stormed into the back. Ash stared after them both.

"Um, I'm ten," he said to the empty air. "Not eight. If anyone cares."

Nobody did. Feeling very confused, he walked away from the exhibit, an equally confused Nidoran pattering along behind him.

"Well, that was weird," he remarked to Nidoran as the two of them descended the steps. "How can someone be so right, and so…off at the same time?"

Nidoran gave a little shrug. "Dori-ran."

"Yeah, he was definitely on something. But also onto something. I hope he doesn't actually go looking for the Moon Stone. Ambihilech would not like that." The thought of Seymour actually rambling at an increasingly bemused and annoyed Ambihilech was amusing, sure, but it probably wouldn't end well for him. Nidoran chuffed an agreement.

As they reached the bottom step, he heard May call, "There you two are! Over here!"

Ash felt a smile perk up. He turned to see Misty and May hurrying over to him.

As expected, now that Misty had her gear back, she and May had wasted no time changing from the outfits that they had borrowed from Ash into their own clothing.

Misty had on a tight, sleeveless shirt of a silver-grey color, one that also exposed her midriff like the old one had. And her new pair of shorts were, thankfully, as short as their predecessors, though they lacked the suspenders. As for May, she now had on a tight, spaghetti-strap tank top, colored red like her last shirt, and a pair of shorts even smaller than Misty's. A large red-and-white ribbon had been tied into a bow in her hair, replacing her bandana.

Truthfully, their new outfits weren't exactly what one might call sexy, but that didn't change the fact that they looked fantastic in them.

"Wow," he said, letting his eyes wander over them in appreciation. "You guys look, well, great!"

Misty smirked. "Of course we do! When do we not?"

"See, that's what I like to hear!" May said, chucking Misty in the shoulder. "Guy spent the last couple of days with you naked, and he still starts blushing at just a peek of your belly. Girl, you have got it!"

"You're cute too, you know," Ash told her.

"Of course I am! I mean, have you met me? I'm me! I'm kind of…" May's self-granitizing speech slowly trailed off as pink flushes of heat blossomed all over her cheeks. "Um, wow. Wow. Okay, so, why was that so effective?"

Snickering, Misty leaned in to plant a kiss on her PokeGirl's blushing cheek. "See? Told you."

"Yeah, but that was still weird. I mean, should you start calling me a good girl now? Because I worked hard to earn my bad girl reputation, thank you very much!"

"That doesn't mean you're not really cute," Ash said as he walked over and slipped his arms around both of their shoulders. "You can be a bad girl and still cute, you know."

"I mean, well, duh. But even so…" May shook her head. "Champ, I don't know what went on in those caves, but you're growing too powerful."

"Yes, you do," Misty retorted. "After you pumped me for details."

"Yeah, but clearly something happened to unlock Ash's inner stud!"

"Yeah. He had sex." Misty reached down to grab onto Ash's butt, giving it a squeeze. "It's not really that difficult."

Ash's eyes widened as the unexpected groping. Before he could react, May tilted her head back to take a peek, grinned, and lowered her own hand to join in, seizing the other cheek.

Well, two could…three could play that game! After all, who was the trainer around here? Ash let his own hands drop from their shoulders to slide down their bodies. However, as sorely tempted as he was to go for their butts, that was too obvious. Instead, he let his arms snake around their chests to grab onto their breasts.

Misty, who clearly hadn't expected him to on-up them like that, went stiff, while May merely closed her eyes and let out a low, happy moan.

"Okay, hands off!" Misty snapped, slapping Ash's hand away. "Too many people around!"

Ash stepped back and folded his arms. "You started it," he pointed out.

"I grabbed your butt! It's a lot more…more…" Misty turned to May. "May, what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Juicy?" May suggested.

Misty sighed. "Why did I…discrete! It's a lot more discrete than grabbing our chests!"

"Uh-huh," Ash said. "Except for, you know, the people standing behind us?"

Misty's face went red. She turned around to see that behind them was the parking lot, where a lot of people were milling around.

"He's got a point, Red," May noted. "Can't get all handsy and get mad when he ups the ante."

"I…fine." Misty let out a long sigh. "You win this one." She then jammed a finger into Ash's nose. "But don't get too cocky, Mister! I've got way more experience than you do, and that's from dealing with May! This isn't a war you can win!"

Smirking, Ash held up his hands. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Y'know, it is kind of your fault for giving him all this confidence," May remarked.

Misty shot her a look. "Why does everyone who crosses your path wind up as pervy as you?"

"Yo." May snapped her fingers. "That includes you. And you, again, started it. Can you really complain?"

"I…I guess not." Misty shook her head. "Okay, let's try to keep our hands to ourselves until we get back to camp, okay?"

"Fair enough," Ash said.

"Good. That's…Okay." Misty then looked from one face to the next and scowled. "Well, what are you two looking at? We still have shopping to do, and I want to get it done before the police show up. So, let's go!"

She turned and marched off toward the stores. Ash and May exchanged a look. Ash smirked, May grinned, and the two of them followed, Nidoran trotting behind and rolling his eyes.

…

First stop was the small grocery store. Misty's pack had more than doubled their food stores, but they still needed to replenish what they could.

"Chocolate?" May said as Ash and Misty loaded up a basket. "And marshmallows? What for?"

"S'mores," the other two answered in perfect harmony.

May frowned. "Was that word supposed to mean something, or…?"

Ash stared. "Seriously? You don't know what a S'more is?"

"Should I?"

"It's like a camping staple," Misty told her. "You roast a marshmallow in the campfire, and then stick it between two graham crackers, along with a chunk of chocolate."

"Oh," May said. "I, uh, never really went camping before, at least not before Misty caught me.""

Ash found himself regretting his flippant response to her ignorance. "Well, we'll have to fix that!" he declared. "You'll be a camping master by the end of this, complete with S'mores!"

The two girls shot him a look.

"What?"

May and Misty glanced at one another. They both smirked.

"Ash, you are such a dork," May said with a snort of laughter.

"Hey," he said, feeling a little hurt. "I'm just-"

"No, I mean it as a good thing." May darted forward, giving Ash a quick peck on the lips. "Stay dorky. I love it."

Ash blinked. "Oh. Uh, thanks."

After that, they headed for the PokeMart, letting Ash stock up on things like potions and various other healing sprays.

"You definitely want plenty of antidotes," Misty noted as Ash perused the shelf. "Especially with all the poison-types you keep attracting."

Though he knew that she hadn't meant to invoke Jessie, Ash still couldn't help but twitch at the reminder. "Uh, right," he said, grabbing a few. "Anything else?"

May picked up a freeze heal. "Probably won't need one of these," she noted. "All the ice-types are a long ways away."

"Except we still have to deal with my sisters," Misty pointed out. "Who will probably be using my Pokemon like the lazy losers that they are. And I taught them plenty of ice moves."

"Oh," May said. "Um, never mind. Definitely grab a few of these."

In the end, they ended up buying a few of everything. After everything they had experienced, it definitely paid to be prepared.

"By the way, you sure you don't want to pop into the PokeCenter and check your email?" May asked Misty. "I mean, there could be an update."

Misty frowned. "I don't know. By now, they've probably hacked it, and if I log on from an official PokeCenter PC, that sounds like a great way to tip them off where I am."

"Do you really think your sisters would actually go after you?" Ash asked.

"Them? Ha! Nope. Too lazy. But we still don't know who's really behind all of this, and if it's who we think it is, I don't wanna take chances."

On this, all three of them were in agreement.

Now that they had everything that they needed, the trio (plus Nidoran) then found themselves drawn to the gift shop, which, given the current situation, was currently one of the least busy stores.

Inside was mostly what one might expected. Tiny Pokemon figurines carved from wood, snow globes of the mountain, post cards, gag gifts, and a small bin of smooth and shiny rocks for kids to fill a small bag with. Ash found himself browsing shelves, wondering if there might be any moon stones for sale. It was a long shot, but one that was worth it.

Not seeing anything on the shelves or behind the glass, Ash turned toward the portly man running the counter. "Uh, excuse me?" he said. "You guys don't sell moon stones by any chance, do you?"

The man pursed his lips. "Order only," he said, indicating a chart on the wall behind him. "And only by waiting list. Sorry, kid."

Ash's face fell when he saw the prices. He still had a decent chunk of everything he had saved for his Pokemon journey, plus the money that those trainers in Viridian Forest had given him, but this was too steep for him, maybe even too steep for Misty. And judging by the size of the waiting list, he would be long gone by the time they got ahold of one.

"Oh well," he said with a disappointed sigh. "Thanks anyway."

Then May, who was poking around a floating island display of sunglasses and necklaces, hissed out, "Ash! Misty! Over here!"

The two of them headed over to her. "What's up?" Misty said.

Grinning at the two, May rotated the island to show them a set of leather collars, each one with a pokeball-shaped pendant.

Misty frowned. "What? What's up with those?"

"Oh, you know," May said in a singsong tone. "You like being called a good girl, right? So, why not go all the way and get us some collars?"

Misty blanched. Ash blushed. Nidoran groaned.

"Are you nuts?" Misty hissed. "Oh, I so regret telling you about that!"

"What? Why not?" May said. "They're cute! Come on, I'll get one, too! We'll match!"

"Nuh-uh!" Misty said with a vigorous shake of her head. "Nope! Not happening!"

May stuck out her lip in a pout. "Misty," she said. "Why not?"

Taking a deep breath, Misty declared, "Because I'm not about to be collared like some…some…"

"PokeGirl?" May suggested.

Misty looked like she was about to sock her. Or shock her. Or both, seeing how thunder punch was probably in her moveset. Ash wondered if he ought to intervene, but as he was technically still recovering from the last time Misty had accidentally shocked him, he didn't want to tempt her to do it on purpose, to say nothing of May's fire.

But of course, May had to involve him. "Come on, Ash!" she whined, turning to him with big, pleading eyes. "She's yours! Make her do it!"

"Uh, no," Ash said flatly.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to make Misty wear anything she doesn't want to."

Misty sighed. "Thank you, Ash."

Sighing, May put the collars back. "It's always two steps forward, three steps back with you," she complained. "No fun at all."

"Oh, hush," Misty told her. "We showed you plenty of fun already."

"Yeah, but every time you do, you take it back by being lame!" Sighing, May then looked over to the doorway that connected to the next shop. Specifically, the one intended to cater to trainers with PokeGirls. And their needs. "Okay, what about-"

"No," Ash and Misty both said at the exact same time, and in the exact same tone of voice.

"We got your toys back," Misty added. "Control yourself."

May scowled. "Okay, fine! But when we get back, you are tying me up and doing unspeakable things to me!"

As amusing as Ash was finding the argument, and as intriguing as the thought of using May as his and Misty's plaything was, he did feel that she was being just a little too loose with the more sensitive details of their relationship. He nervously glanced around. Fortunately, nobody else in the shop seemed to be paying attention to them.

"Hey," he hissed. "Chill out! There's people around, remember?"

"Well, it's not like they're paying any attention to us," May said with a shrug.

Actually, that was true. In fact, everyone's attention suddenly seemed to be elsewhere, with everyone in the shop heading for the front to peer out of the big picture windows, including the shopkeepers.

"What's going on?" Misty wondered. Ash shrugged.

And then they heard the sirens.

"Oh, crap," May whispered, her eyes going wide. Ash gulped his agreement.

The three of them cautiously made their way closer to the front to peer out through the people. Sure enough, several police cars had just arrived, lights flashing and sirens wailing. They had come to a stop in the parking lot and uniformed officers were climbing out.

Ash and the girls all exchanged a look. "Time to go," Ash hissed. The other two nodded.

Then he knelt down at Nidoran. "Nidoran, sniff us the quickest way back into the forest," he instructed. "And keep us away from the police."

Nidoran nodded. He raised his head, took a quick sniff, and bounded off toward the back door. The trio followed, hastily making their exit.

…

"Well, all in all, I'd say that went about as good as we could have hoped," May exclaimed as the three of them trekked up through the mountain trail, heading back up to the clearing that was currently their home base. "I mean, it sucks that the police had to show up and ruin it at the end, but overall? Mission accomplished."

"Tell me about it," Misty said, shaking her head. "I still can't believe they had my pack. It was right there!"

"Well, it makes sense," Ash said. "I mean, they had to send it somewhere. And this is the biggest place for that kind of thing around the mountain."

"Not necessarily," May pointed out as they rounded a big old oak. "It could've been picked up by the police and taken back to Pewter. Or worse, sent on its way to Cerulean."

Misty shuddered. "Oh gosh, don't say that. That would be the worst."

"Well, it didn't, so relax! Besides, we did great! We got Misty's stuff back and loaded up on supplies, so it's smooth traveling from now on. Plus, we also got my toys back, which is way more important!" Then May grinned. "Hey, Misty's tent is bigger than yours, and we've got a new sleeping bag. What say we set things up so we have some more room, break out the ropes, and have a little-"

Suddenly, Nidoran, who had been trotting away at Ash's feet, suddenly stiffened. He stuck his little nose into the air and sniffed.

Ash noticed. "What's up, Nidoran?" he said. "Is something nearby?"

In answer, Nidoran nosed his way forward, apparently drawn by some elusive scent.

"What's with him?" May asked. "Is there like a cute lady Nido nearby?"

"I don't think so. There were some in that Pokemon sanctuary, and he didn't seem to care. Hey, Nidoran! What's going on?"

Nidoran paused. He again raised his snout and took another sniff.

Then he started hopping up and down in excitement. "Nidoran!" he exclaimed. "Nidoran! Nidoran!"

With that, he charged forward, running through the mountainside forest as fast as his stubby little legs could take him.

"Hey, wait up!" Ash cried as he hurried after his Pokemon.

Misty and May exchanged a look. Then they shrugged and jogged after the two boys.

"What's up with him?" May asked as she easily reached and kept pace with Ash.

"I don't know. Something's got his attention."

"Why not just recall him, then?"

Ash frowned. "Because I also kind of want to see what's got him so worked up."

Misty sighed. "Okay, but if it's any kind of bug, you're bringing him back and we're getting the heck out of here."

As it turned out, the place that Nidoran led the three young humans to wasn't any sort of bug nest, but rather another clearing, albeit one that was smaller, rockier, and less suitable for camping. Still, it had definitely gotten him excited, as he was darting this was and that, sniffing the ground while chattering in excitement.

"Nidoran, what's gotten into you?" Ash said as he knelt down next to the poisonous little creature. "There's nothing-Huh?"

Nidoran looked up at him, his eye gleaming. "Ni!"

There was a crystal of some kind in the grass. Small, barely the size of a marble, but it was translucent, and of a pale pink hue.

"It can't be," Ash said as he picked it up.

"What's that?" May said as she squatted down next to him.

"Guys, look at this," Ash said, showing the girls the crystal. "I think it's a moon stone!"

"Nido-Ni!" Nidoran squeaked.

"Is it?" Misty said, taking it from him. "It's not glowing, though."

"Dori-Nido!"

Ash looked down. Nidoran had pushed another chunk of what might be moon stone up against his trainer's foot, this one larger than the first. However, it too was dull.

"What's going on here?" he wondered as he picked it up.

"There's one here, too," May said, picking up another chunk. "It looks like they're spent. Drained, somehow."

Hearing this, Nidoran's ears drooped in disappointment. "Nidoran!" he spat before hopping off to find a moon stone that still had some juice in it.

Ash poked around through the wild grass. Now that he was looking, he saw that there were several pieces of spent moon stone about, with the grass around them twisted and burned white. But they didn't seem hot at all, and it didn't seem like anything had caught fire.

Frowning, he looked up at Mt. Moon. Had the explosion launched moon stone chunks into the air, like a volcanic eruption? He supposed that it was possible, but surely he would have heard something about it back at the Visitor's Center.

There was a rotting log nearby, one that had a few bits of crystal embedded in its trunk. As he drew near to investigate, he heard what sounded like a pained moan on the other side.

"What?" he said, peeking over.

Then his eyes went wide. "G-Guys!" he called. "Get over here, quick!"

Misty, May, and Nidoran hurried over to him. "What is it?" Misty said. "What did-" Then she gasped. "Oh, my God."

There was a person lying face down in the grass, a woman. She was naked, and unlike the PokeGirls they had seen, not by choice. It looked as if she had been horribly burned, with her hair and clothing burned away, leaving her skin scorched black and red, far worse than Ash's had been after Misty's accidental discharge. What was more, bits of crystal were stuck into her skin here and there, as if she had been shot by them. She was bleeding around where the crystals were embedded in her flesh.

At the sound of their voices, the woman stirred ever so slightly. "H-Help..." she wheezed.

"Holy crap, what happened to her?" May gawked.

Ash was already dropping his pack. "Probably a PokeGirl that got caught in the explosion!" he said as he started pulling out burn heals and potions. It was going to take a lot to help her, but at least there was a PokeMart nearby.

Popping the cap off of one of each, he immediately set to work spraying the poor woman's damaged flesh. It was a miracle that she was alive at all, but he didn't know how effective his measly potions would be.

"Is that even going to be enough?" May asked. "I mean, she needs like a full session in a healing machine!"

"And we'll get her one if we can! Um, look around! Maybe her human ball is nearby!"

"On it!"

Thankfully, as horrific as the burns were, under the spray her skin did noticeably improve, though not by much. After the bottles were exhausted, Ash placed them back into his pack and went for two more.

"Is she going to be okay?" Misty said in a worried tone as she and May combed through the grass.

"I..." Ash shook his head. "I don't know. I hope so, but man, she is really messed up."

"Will those potions even be enough?"

"They'll have to be. I just hope they keep her alive long enough for us to get her to that PokeCenter."

"Where's her trainer?" May wanted to know. "Are they even still alive?"

To this, Ash had no answer.

After going through about half of his burn heals and potions, Ash realized that he definitely didn't have enough. The woman's backside was still pretty raw, and he hadn't even started on her front yet.

"Darn it," he hissed. "Okay, we'll have to make due. Uh, can you guys help me flip her over?"

The girls knelt down on either side of him. "Should we try to take the crystals out?" May asked.

"Er, I have no idea," Ash admitted. "It could just make her bleed out if we do."

"Hmmm." May thoughtfully tapped her lower lip. Then she reached down and pinched one of the moon stone slivers stuck in the poor woman's body. She gave it a tug.

The burned woman let out an agonized whimper. "No, you're right, bad idea," May said, immediately releasing the crystal. "It's basically melted in anyway."

"God, this is terrible," Misty said as they rolled the woman onto her back.

The woman's front was fortunately not as bad as her back. It seemed the explosion had caught her from behind, roasting her in the process. However, she still was pretty badly burned on that side of her as well.

"I wonder who she is," Misty said, squatting down and hugging her knees as Ash went to work.

"Don't know," Ash said. "Poor lady."

"She's got a pretty nice rack, though," May observed.

"May!" Misty cried in horror.

"What? I'm just saying that-" May caught the glowers that Misty and Ash were both sending her and finally seemed to realize how out of line that comment had been. Wincing, she mumbled an apology and scooted back.

Shaking his head, Ash went back to work. At least with her front not being as badly burned, he was able to do more good with what he had left. Sure enough, the redness was giving way to pink. It was far too dark a pink to be healthy, but it was pink nonetheless.

Suddenly, Misty perked up. "Oh, wait! Ash!" She hastily shrugged off her newly reacquired backpack. "Hold on! I think I got…" After rummaging through its contents, she triumphantly pulled out a black bottle. "Ta-da!"

Ash was boggled. "A full restore?" he exclaimed, taking the precious potion from her. Full restores healed everything, both physical damage as well as other conditions, including burns! "How'd you get one of these?"

"Um, duh? Gym Leader? We basically get them for free?"

"Right, right," Ash groused. Unlike normal potions, full restores had to be injected, so he screwed off the top, gave the cap a twist to extend the needle, and carefully inserted it into the wounded woman's skin. It was horrible to say so, but at least the extensive bruising helped him find a big enough vein.

It worked. The horrific burns began to really clear away, dead skin flaking off to reveal a healthier shade of pink underneath. The embedded moon stone shards remained stuck, though.

Then May jolted. "Hey, there's her human ball!"

"What?"

May pointed. "There! Between her legs!"

Ash looked. Sure enough, there was a small capture ball lying in the grass. It too was badly burned, its casing blackened and its circumference sparking in a worrying manner.

"Huh, how'd it get there?" Ash said, picking it up. He brought it close, only to nearly drop it in disgust.

"What, is it hot?" Misty asked.

"No, but it smells awful! Like barbequed farts!"

"Huh, that's weird. Well, better not try to recall her. That thing looks totally broken."

"Why didn't we see it earlier?" May wondered. "I mean, we searched the whole area around her?"

"Who knows?" Ash shrugged. "For all we know, it popped out of her..."

His voice trailed off.

Wait.

He looked over to where the human ball had been found. For it to have ended up there, it might have popped right out of the woman's butt when they rolled her over.

Her butt.

Her human ball had been in her butt.

No way.

His head jerked toward the burned PokeGirl, who was starting to stir. Her eyelids fluttered, and opened to reveal confused and scared violet eyes.

"Wha...What?" she mumbled.

"It's okay, Ma'am!" Misty said, taking the woman's hand in her own. "We got you. You'll be okay."

Ash didn't say anything. Now that the idea had been put in his head, he began matching the woman's proportions to the memory in his head. As for her voice, it was strained, creaky, exhausted, and terrified, but he still knew it.

"Ash, what's up?" May asked, tilting her head in askance. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Ash slowly rose up. His fingers were trembling, and he nearly dropped the human ball.

The woman's eyes were darting this way and that, frantically trying to figure out where she was and if she was in danger. But as Ash stood, they suddenly focused on him. When they did, he caught a flash of recognition.

"Jessie," he whispered.

…

A/N: Ash is surprisingly forward thinking for a ten year old boy living in the fictional 90's.

Though if you think about it, being a gay dude who's also a Pokemon trainer in this world must get really annoying. Not only do you not get any PokeBoys (no, I don't have an explanation as to why they're not a thing), but every time you get challenged by a girl it's like, "Okay, here we go again. Please, if I win, don't make this weird."

Girl: Oh no, you've beaten me. I guess that means that I'm yours forever and-

Dude: No.

Girl: What?

Dude: Not interested, sorry. Now, if you could give me the money you owe me-

Girl: What, am I not good enough for you? Are you saying that I'm so ugly that you don't even want me as a PokeGirl? What kind of-

Dude: Lady. I'm gay. My boyfriend is back at camp. Now, would you please give me my money, and we can both pretend that we never met each other?

Though I suppose he could just be like Soldier and demand her hat.

And if you're wondering, that whole discussion was inspired by this one time I overhead these little kids talking about shipping and the boy was shocked that the girl was into yaoi. Guess it really does start young. And then I realized that it would be hilarious if Ash turned out to be an in-universe equivalent of a Kirk/Spock shipper.

But Star Trek yaoi aside, this chapter was supposed to be part of the last chapter, and I think it's obvious why they got split into two. And we end with what is probably the most telegraphed plot twist ever. Yeah, Jessie's alive, and has been reset back to factory settings. I was considering expanding things to the trip back to camp, but eh, it was long enough.

Anyway, two chapters is good enough to end the year on. Time to return to my increasing to-do pile.