With Courage I Will Face
Arc II: Pewter
Chapter Nine: Mt. Moon Mayhem
"Dodge and use Wing Attack!" Ash commanded.
Pidgeotto dodged the incoming Paras that was leaping forward, attacking with an X-Scissor. The flying-type quickly dodged and struck Paras out of mid-air, slamming it down onto the cave floor. It didn't move after, and its trainer returned it.
"You were really good! It's been a while since someone beat me and Paras like that." Evan said. "Here's your button. I hope you keep going, you've got real potential!" He handed Ash over another small red button, this time with a Paras stamped onto it.
"Two master trainers down!" Ash cheered to himself, admiring the button.
"And a hundred or so to go." Misty replied. "Did we really have to stop for a battle? I thought we were gonna figure out what was bothering the wild Pokemon, not bother them some more."
"I'm sure whatever's bothering them is occurring deeper inside the mountain. Battling out here isn't doing any more harm than simply passing through." Seymour informed them.
The group kept walking. They did not stop for Ash to have any more battles, and they quickly found themselves alone in a long, dark path inside the mountain. Seymour clicked on a flashlight, helping illuminate the path slightly. Every step deeper inside felt more significant, like they were testing fate getting deeper inside.
"How deep did you get in here when you were a kid, Brock?" Misty asked.
"I mostly stayed on the paths and used the ladders. I didn't do a lot of spelunking, my folks always said I was too young, and it was too dangerous." He replied. "I don't know if I wish I didn't listen to them, or if right now is making me really glad that I did."
"You ever find any Moonstones?" Ash asked curiously.
"Or see any of the Clefairy they say can be found here?" Seymour jumped in as well.
"I've found tons of Moonstone shards, but probably only one or two big enough to use as an evolution stone. And I never went deep enough to see any Clefairy either. I was more than happy with the rocks and rock Pokemon I did find, though." Brock replied.
Before they had time to discuss anything else they felt the violent shaking that Seymour had described. It was almost enough to throw everyone off their feet. They held their balance for the duration, and the shaking stopped moments later, but the group could only look at each other in confusion. Moments after, there was a different noise throughout the cave and the group was quickly overwhelmed by another swarm of Zubat, trying to exit the depths of the cave as quickly as possible.
"That's right, and don't come back!" They heard a voice yelling over the Zubat.
The wave of blue washed past them and revealed a man with his Ekans, caught in the spotlight of Seymour's flashlight. He was wearing all black, they never would have seen him otherwise. Much less seen him clearly enough to notice the big red 'R' imprinted on his shirt.
The man froze and seemed to hesitate at the sudden reveal of a crowd through the sea of Zubat. He turned and ran back into the depths of the cave.
"Team Rocket!" Brock and Misty shouted at once, while Ash took off after him.
Left with little choice, Misty, Brock, and Seymour ran after Ash as he chased the team rocket member as best, he could through the cave network. Pikachu was doing his best to give bursts of light for Ash as they gave chase, but they mostly followed the sounds of his footsteps.
It was all for naught, as they all quickly lost sight of their targets.
Ash and Pikachu could no longer see or hear the rocket grunt, and Misty and Brock could no longer see the flashes of light coming off Pikachu.
The rocket grunt in question climbed down a ladder as quickly as he could. He paused when he was completely descended, waiting a moment to see if he would be followed. It was clear the kid had kept running, or hadn't tailed him this far, so he turned to face the rest of the cavern he descended into.
There was three other Team Rocket members dressed like him, in black with white boots and gloves, and one teal-haired man dressed in white. He was in stark white dress pants and a white long-sleeved shirt with a black undershirt. The top shirt had a black pocket square on it, and a red 'R' was printed on it.
"Admin, sir! I believe we're in danger of being compromised!" The grunt called out to the man in all white.
The admin turned quickly.
"What? How?" he asked, full of surprise.
"I don't know how, sir, but I was scouting on floor one and spotted a group of travelers attempting to pass through the mountain. They looked to be Pokemon Trainers, so I retreated for backup and recon. One pursued, but I lost him in the tunnels." The grunt reported.
"Retreat was wise, we do not want unnecessary scuffles taking place. At least we almost have enough Moonstones." The admin agreed. "Still, a trainer brazen enough to chase after an agent of Team Rocket is mildly concerning. We should speed up; in case they continue sniffing around."
"Understood." The grunt replied. He jogged over to the cavern wall with the other rockets, each lighting several sticks of dynamite.
They each gave it a moment, then threw the sticks at the cavern wall.
"I guess Archer decided to speed things up." James observed as the ground shook more vigorously underneath them.
"I wonder why, they were goin' at a pretty good pace all week." Meowth wondered out loud. Jessie and James both shrugged in response.
"Maybe he heard from the boss and was told to wrap it up soon." Jessie suggested. "How much time do you think he can allot for Archer to sit in these caves and dig holes?"
"Considering the whole thing is technically his operation, however much time he wants. And he's not one to quit before getting what he wants." James snarked back.
"Maybe he got what he wants." Meowth offered with a shrug of his own.
"Whatever. I just hope that means we don't have to sit down here and play in the dirt for much longer. We have better things to be doing than following Archer around." Jessie stretched from her seated position.
"Like getting eyes back on that twerp and his Pikachu!" James offered. Jessie and Meowth nodded.
"Meowth, that's right!" Meowth added.
"Who're you calling a twerp?" A familiar voice interjected.
Jessie, James and Meowth quickly turned to see none other than the twerp in question exiting from a tunnel, Pikachu perched perfectly on his shoulders.
"Buzz off, will ya? We're on business." Meowth waved them off.
"You're not gonna try and fight me? What business?" Ash asked, confused.
"We're on assignment right now, we can't afford to take time out of our busy schedule just to put you in your place every time we see you." Jessie said, pretending to inspect her nails through her gloves.
"From where I'm standing it seems like I'm the one who puts you in your place." Ash said, throwing a glare her way. She remained unfazed.
"Stand wherever you like, just not right here. We're busy and you're interrupting, you're lucky we're allowing you to leave after uncovering out secret operation." She replied quickly. Ash growled.
"I should've known you three would be here when I saw that other guy from Team Rocket anyway. If you're not gonna stop me, I'm gonna find where he went and stop whatever Team Rocket's doing here." Ash told them, moving to turn around.
"You know, under normal circumstances you would've just given us a good excuse to stop you. We let you leave free and clear, and you threaten to interfere with Team Rocket? We ought not to let that happen, should we Jess?" James called after him.
"Wait, did you say you saw someone else from Team Rocket here?" Meowth cut James off.
Ash hesitated but nodded. The Team Rocket trio hummed in thought.
"I suppose you seeing that grunt made him run away, right?" James asked. Ash nodded again after a beat.
"Probably ran right back to Archer. I bet that's why he's decided to speed up the process. I guess we do have you to thank after all, twerp." Jessie said happily.
"I don't understand." Ash said plainly. Jessie and James rolled their eyes.
"Of course you don't, your twerpish brain cannot possibly comprehend the strategic genius of plans enacted by Team Rocket." Jessie taunted him again, ignoring the growl both the human and Pokemon made.
"Tell you what, chances are you won't be able to stop Archer, it's probably too late. So, we won't bother to fight with you here, we have someplace else to be when half the basement caves in." James bargained as they all seemed to get ready to take off.
"What makes you think I'm just gonna let you go?" Ash challenged them the same way they had him. Pikachu's cheeks sparked, backing up his trainer, but the trio just laughed lightly.
"I think if you really want to stop whatever it is you think Team Rocket's doing here, you should really spend your time clearing out the grunts in here doing… well, anything else. We're just about ready to call it quits, twerp, and soon no trace of Team Rocket will be found in Mt. Moon." Jessie paused. "If I were you, I would much rather make my way through people who are pillaging caves and target the boss of the operation, but if you insist on standing here…" She trailed off, moving to grab a Pokeball.
Another tremor shook through the mountain. Ash, Pikachu, Jessie, James and Meowth all stared at each other down. They all seemed to unanimously, simultaneously decide on not fighting each other.
"See ya round, kid." Meowth said a little too happily.
"We'll make sure of it." Ash promised.
He watched them disappear further into one of the tunnels without another word. He growled, balling his hands into fists.
"Those guys think they're so clever, so smart." He grumbled. "Let's see what they think when I kick all their friends out of this cave. C'mon Pikachu." Ash turned back the way he came. "We probably missed a ladder or something somewhere. They said basement."
"It feels endless in here." Misty commented. Brock and Seymour nodded.
Seymour moved the flashlight around, making sure they were still on some type of path. Everything was dark now, the cave they were in was not connected to an entrance or exit at all. The mountain shook again, and Seymour lost his footing. He gasped loudly, falling to the ground.
He lost his grip on the flashlight, and the group watched as it rolled across the ground, shining light on the wall. It slowly rolled further and further away, casting light on a small hole in the ground with a ladder connected to it. Brock crept over.
"That's odd. We're a little far in for there to be a ladder here." He said.
"Do you think we should go down?" Misty asked. Brock shrugged.
"Most of the exits that put us closer to Cerulean City are on the basement level." Was all he offered in response. Misty huffed.
"And Ash?" she asked concerned.
"Ash will find us, or he'll find a way out. We'd be doing nobody a favor wandering the caves aimlessly looking for him. Especially knowing Team Rocket is around here. Who knows what those guys are up to." Brock replied. He picked up Seymour's flashlight and handed it back to the scientist.
"Let's get this over with then." Misty said.
Seymour shined the light on the opening, and their descent began.
It was cut off almost as quickly as it began when the mountain shook again, and Seymour lost his grip on the ladder. Being the last one down, he took Brock and Misty down to ground level with him. Luckily the drop wasn't more than seven or eight feet, but it was enough to disorient them all.
"Hey Admin! Looks like we got us some intruders after all!" A voice said loudly, drawing their attention.
The basement was much more well-lit, they noted. Probably thanks to the many lanterns and bulb lights strung about. The second thing they noticed were the Team Rocket grunts in the cavern with them. There was five of them in the area, two were holding sticks of dynamite and the other two were advancing on the fallen travelers. One was doing neither and was instead paying more attention to something he had in his hands.
"Team Rocket!" Misty announced as she stood up.
"You've got no right to come in here and tear down entire sections of the mountain!" Brock followed, standing up.
The Team Rocket grunts quickly surrounded them, while the teal haired man in the center only gazed at the object in his hands still. It was a vibrant orange color and fit in the palm of his hand. It was enchanting even to Seymour through all the commotion.
"I believe they found a fossil of some kind." Seymour added, not following Misty and Brock to their feet. Instead, he scooted forward onto his knees, trying to peer at the object in the admin's hand.
It was about the size of the mans hand, only just barely to big to comfortably hold in the palm of one hand and was a stunning orange color. Seymour's attention on the fossil is what got the admin's attention.
"Another scientist, I presume?" He offered them his attention. "You lot are all the same. What gives anyone more of a right to study unique specimens such as this than another? We came prepared and we got here first. Simple as that, really." He gloated.
"Except the part where you're causing irreparable damage to the environment and disturbing the Pokemon that live here. That part is illegal." Misty shot back.
"They're adaptable creatures, they'll adapt somewhere else. How do you think every settlement started out, once upon a time? Pewter City was very likely part of Mt. Moon eons ago, before a first settlement of humans probably carved it out of the mountain side." He replied.
"We can't change the past; we can only be mindful going forward. And carving a home is a lot different than blowing up a cave for the chance to study a fossil!" Brock argued. Archer waved him off again.
"Clearly, you three don't have what it takes to be Rocket's. Agents, clear them out." Archer ordered, turning away from them and back towards the cavern wall. "I'll finish collecting the merchandise."
All the Rocket grunts let out their Pokemon at once. Trainer wise, it was 2-to-4, not terrible odds considering Misty's talent and Brock's experience, but an uphill battle for sure. The grunts Pokemon were thrown out quickly; Sandshrew, Ekans, Zubat and Rattata.
"Staryu, let's go!" Misty cried.
"Geodude, it's time!" Brock followed.
Misty and Brock's Pokemon appeared before them as well, ready for a fight.
"Rattata, Tackle!"
"Ekans, Wrap!"
The Rattata and Ekans lunged forward, and Geodude immediately moved to cover Staryu.
"Defense Curl!" Brock ordered.
Geodude flashed light blue just before the Rocket Pokemon slammed into it. The dual-type took the attacks head-on and did not budge, glaring heavily at its opponents.
"Rapid Spin, go for Ekans!" Misty cried.
Staryu jumped into the air and spun around as it descended, slamming into Ekans and forcing it to release Geodude from its attempted Wrap. The Rattata tried its luck again and tackled into Geodude, but it still did not flinch.
"Grab and toss Rattata!" Brock cried.
Geodude quickly blocked Rattata's next attempt with the swipe of its hand, scooping it off the floor and tossing it backwards and into the flying Zubat. The grunt gasped, while the other was commanding his Sandshrew.
"Poison Sting!"
"Water Gun!" Misty countered.
The lone needle was no match to the small gush of water that came from Staryu. The Water Gun easily broke threw and soaked Sandshrew, much to its immediate displeasure.
"Sand Attack!" The Sandshrew's trainer commanded.
"Rock Throw!" Brock was the one to counter him this time, while Misty worried about the Rattata.
Geodude's Rock Throw was thrown more at the sand than Sandshrew, blocking a large chunk of the attack from getting through. The Rocket's Sandshrew did avoid a direct hit from the stones, but Geodude and Staryu's accuracy was spared.
"Where's Ash when you need him?" Misty lamented.
"ThunderShock 'em!" Ash cried.
"Piiika-Chuuu!" Pikachu cried as well moments later.
The cave lit up with brilliant yellow electricity. Pikachu had made quick work of this Rocket's two Zubat, the two Bat Pokemon collapsing on the cave floor with no more energy to continue battling. So far, this Rocket was the latest in a string of four Ash had encountered trying to find his way to the basement where Jessie and James had implied their boss was, with Pikachu making quick work of all of them thus far.
The Rocket ran off, not bothering to collect his Zubat off the floor. Ash bent down to check on them, making sure they weren't seriously injured, before deciding they were probably better off in the cave anyway instead of being taken back with Team Rocket. Shame he had run off so quickly though, Ash was getting to the point where he was willing to ask someone for directions.
Where were Jessie and James when you needed them?
"Hear anything, Pikachu?" Ash asked Pikachu as the Mouse Pokemon moved back onto his shoulder.
Pikachu took a moment to focus on listening, then shook his head. Ash shrugged, scratching Pikachu. Ash's cheeks burned again, but the sensation was quickly removed when Pikachu leaned closer in, touching his cheek to Ash's own.
"How many more of those guys could there be anyway? We've gotta be close to finding that Archer guy, right? Or at least Misty and Brock." Ash pondered out loud, taking a cave deeper into the heart of the mountain.
Neither he nor Pikachu noticed the shape of a Pokemon from behind them.
"Scratch!" The Rocket commanding Sandshrew practically growled out.
The Sandshrew lunged forward savagely, swiping repeatedly before it was even withing striking distance of Staryu. Misty was much too poised to let the sloppy attack connect.
"Go for Confuse Ray!" She called out.
Staryu posed, standing straight, and created a small purple ball of energy out of its top appendage. The ball quickly grew to the size of Staryu's bright red core before it shot off and went straight at Sandshrew. It appeared to not make physical contact, as the impact didn't knock the ground-type off its feet, but it stopped in its tracks and begun swinging its arms around wildly, even hitting itself in its confusion.
"Wait to go Staryu! Now use Rapid Spin!"
Staryu grunted, jumping off the floor and beginning to spin as it took off.
"Ekans, use Wrap!" One of the Rocket grunts tried to interrupt.
"Use Tackle!" Brock interrupted him.
The other two gave commands as well, but neither were quick enough to interrupt Brock's Geodude from slamming into Ekans before it could intercept Staryu. So Ekans and Sandshrew were flung backwards into the cave wall. All the grunts were growing frustrated at the turn of events.
"Admin, sir, what do you suggest we- "Rattata's owner tried to seek orders from their higher-up, but quickly noticed that the teal-haired man had abandoned the area.
They were on their own, and that was more than alright for Misty and Brock. The duo were becoming eager to wrap up the situation.
"Eight, I can't believe there was at least eight more of those guys." Ash complained to Pikachu.
Luckily, they were all low-level enough for Pikachu to take care of them all on his own. Ash was trying to wait as long as possible before using either Butterfree or Pidgeotto to keep everyone as well-rested as possible. Not to mention both of them were aerial attackers, who would be severely hindered by the cavernous environment.
"We've got to be making some kind of progress here, right Pikachu?" He asked his companion. Pikachu could only sigh in response.
They kept going for a while without running into anymore Rocket agents, or even people at all. Ash had no idea which way was the way out of the mountain, let alone the way out towards Cerulean City. He supposed this was well deserved after rashly chasing the very first Team Rocket grunt and getting himself all turned around.
He found himself hoping Misty and Brock were making out better than he was. At least they had the sense to stick together while he wandered aimlessly through caves alone. They even had Seymour and his flashlight, while Ash was making do with the flashes of light Pikachu could provide. He didn't want to overexert Pikachu with that, though, while Team Rocket was still in the cave.
Further down the path, Ash noticed a large opening in the floor ahead. There were ladder rungs hammered into the wall of the cave on the way down. This path was surely not the intended way through Mt. Moon, but really that was even more reason for them to take it.
At the bottom of the ladder, the cave seemed to open a lot more. No longer was he in a round tube-like path, but a cavernous basement section where he was quickly ambushed by yet another Rocket grunt, this time using a Drowzee.
"An intruder?" The Rocket exclaimed suddenly. "How'd you get here?" He quickly turned to his Drowzee instead, not waiting for an answer. "Use Pound!"
"Nuzzle!" Ash shouted back.
Drowzee ran as fast as it could towards Ash, but that was still not very fast and gave Pikachu plenty of time to launch forward and collide with the psychic-type. Though Drowzee was heavier, Pikachu had momentum on his side, and they toppled over backwards, giving Pikachu an opening to rub his cheek against Drowzee while releasing charges of electricity that attached themselves to his opponent. The paralyzing effect was instantaneous.
"No wonder you made it all the way down here!" The Rocket said in shock, quickly recalling Drowzee. "You can have my haul, just don't tell anyone I lost to a loser like you."
Before Ash could even register the motion, the grunt was high-tailing it further into the cavern. Ash looked down at the ground where there were multiple holes dug, some going a few feet into the ground, and then over to the left. A small pile of items made; Ash guessed they were excavated from the holes nearby.
He kneeled to inspect the pile closer, Pikachu mirroring him closely.
There were two purple bottles of potions there, each unopened, a small section of rope, a green disk carefully leaned against said rope to keep it off the ground, and small purple star-shaped bit, almost like a piece of stone.
"A pretty good haul I guess." Ash commented idly, remembering the Rocket's words.
He hesitated to take them; it would probably be just as bad as Team Rocket taking them. But he hadn't caused all this damage to the mountain, and the Rocket said he could have them. And leaving them alone just meant that they were prime for the pickings of another Rocket grunt. So, with a little reluctance, Ash begun pocketing the items while Pikachu sniffed the air. He tapped Ash's leg with his tail.
Trouble, Ash figured. Pikachu was on edge already as they were approached by someone else in a lab coat.
"Oh, hello. I didn't see you come down." They said to him. "What're you doing down here?"
"Just trying to get through." Ash explained easily, quickly tucking the remainder of the loos items away from the prying eyes. He felt like this scientist was staring directly at his pockets as they spoke.
"Right, well." They paused. "Best get going then." They nodded their heads back and to the left. "There's a ladder back there around this bend that'll put ya straight back to the ground level. Convenient, huh? Skips the two middle levels."
Ash grunted his agreement as he stepped forward, but stopped seconds later when he noticed the scientist was wearing a trainer belt as well.
"What did you say your name was, again?" Ash asked curiously.
"I'm Miguel, but they call me the super scientist around here." They bragged at him.
Ash and Pikachu exchanged a look. They as in 'the Zubat and stalagmites'? They knew they were each thinking the same thing.
"Right. Thanks for the directions." Ash said, but his tone was still skeptical. He took a few steps and passed Miguel, trying hard not to give the super scientist a second glance; something about them scratched at Ash the wrong way.
"Would you mind if I asked what you've found down here?" They asked once Ash passed.
Ash was on a plateau now, even with Miguel. They had a backpack thrown to the side and leaning against a large rock formation that went almost all the way to the ceiling and a small round collapsable table set up with different rocks on it. The path ahead was narrow, almost narrow enough to be blocked by two simple large rocks in the ground, but Ash could see the path turn the way Miguel said it did.
"I haven't found anything." Ash technically was not lying. "I've just been trying to find my friends and get out of here. We didn't come here to dig around."
Their glasses seemed to move up just a smudge. It was the only reaction they seemed to have to his answer for several extended moments.
"That's good then, it means you aren't here for my haul- er, my discoveries." Miguel replied quickly, stumbling over their words.
Ash narrowed his eyes.
"It doesn't sound like you're here for discoveries either." Ash said. Pikachu growled, and Miguel threw their hands up.
"Okay, okay! Tell ya what, you can battle me for it! If you win, I'll give you what I found." They wagered, reaching for their trainer belt.
"I don't want any of what you have, but if it's a battle you want, I'm more than happy to give it to you!" Ash replied heatedly.
"Go, Grimer!" Miguel cried.
Miguel's Pokemon appeared, amorphous in shape and purple in color. Ash glanced at Pikachu briefly but decided to finally give his partner a break. This guy had more Pokemon on his belt, better to be safe than sorry.
"Butterfree, I choose you!" Ash's Butterfree appeared next, fluttering close to the ground.
"Use Poison Gas!" Miguel ordered.
Grimer opened its mouth wide and released a dark purple cloud of gas. Ash reflexively covered his nose and mouth with his elbow before he gave Butterfree an order.
"Blow it away with Gust!" Butterfree flapped its wings and blew back the gaseous cloud. "Confusion!"
Butterfree's eyes glowed red and Grimer was surrounded in a light blue outline. The psychic power was enough to make the poison-type recoil backwards, but not buckle. The outline disappeared and Grimer shook the damage off.
"Mud-Slap!" Miguel ordered next frantically. Grimer opened its mouth again and fired out several round clumps of brown mud towards Butterfree, but they seemed to be too heavy to reach all the way.
"Swoop in with Tackle!" Ash cried.
"Pound!"
Grimer smacked towards Butterfree as the dual-type charged forward, but the Sludge Pokemon was not powerful enough to physically overpower the opposing Pokemon and was forced backwards as Butterfree entered a quick climb. Grimer panicked and fired a Mud-Slap again. The series of globs seemed to miraculously dance around connecting with Butterfree despite it making no attempt to dodge.
"Turn around and use Supersonic!"
Butterfree quickly turned back downwards to face Grimer as it pulled its amorphous body off the ground. Butterfree's eyes glowed again, sending small blue circles of soundwaves down towards Grimer. The poison-type did not have the time to dodge and was struck head-on by the confusion-inducing attack. Miguel gasped and begged at Grimer.
"Grimer, you've got to use Poison Gas again!" They begged, but Grimer seemed unable to focus on the sound of their voice.
Grimer twisted and turned around, even smacking itself with its flailing arms in its confusion a few times. Ash decided to take advantage of its state.
"Hit it with Confusion again!" Butterfree repeated its psychic-type attack, forcing Grimer onto the ground with its psychic control and inflicting damage all the while.
Grimer rolled over after the Confusion let up and seemed a bit looser than before, its slimy body seemed to lose the strength to hold itself together properly. After one more Confusion from Butterfree, Miguel was forced to recall the unconscious Grimer. They threw their next Pokeball.
"Voltorb, go!" The next Pokeball was thrown and a Voltorb appeared. It was small and round, colored like a Pokeball, and seemed angry.
"Butterfree, Confusion!" Ash didn't waste any time. Butterfree fired another Confusion, outlining Voltorb as well and throwing it into the air.
"ThunderShock!" Miguel cried.
Voltorb glowed yellow and shot a familiar arc of yellow electricity outwards as it fell from the air, striking Butterfree who was still close in the air. Butterfree let out a cry of pain as Voltorb landed, albeit roughly, back onto the ground. Miguel and Ash both didn't hesitate with their next orders.
"Eerie Impulse!"
"Gust!"
Voltorb's form glowed yellow briefly. The outline morphed off Voltorb, creating a yellow sparkling ring that was sent forward. The further from Voltorb it got, the more the yellows turned to green. It seemed more conceptual and less physical, as it was undeterred by Butterfree's Gust. The circles hit Butterfree, almost as big as his own wingspan, causing him to shiver and glow green, signifying a stat drop. Ash grimaced as Butterfree's Gust appeared to lose power before it connected with Voltorb.
Eerie Impulse was not an attack that Ash was extremely familiar with, but he could recognize stat modifiers easily. Shrouded in all sorts of mystery were Pokemon statistics and moves that modified them, like Growl and Tail Whip, that made controlling battle easier. They were used to buff or de-buff Pokemon, though nobody could prove the science behind how they worked. But most battle enthusiasts could spot the difference in glows between the glow from an attack and the glow from a modifying effect placed on a Pokemon. Judging quickly by the look of the damage Gust had just done, Ash guessed that Eerie Impulse had lowered Butterfree's special attack stat. That would also make his Confusion's weaker.
Ash growled and, unfortunately, this type of growl could not lower anyone's attack stat. He had to do something quickly. Confusion and Gust were easily Butterfee's most powerful moves, but they would be severely less effective now. The other strategies Butterfree liked to employ were also not safe.
Voltorb could potentially have the ability Soundproof, making Butterfree's Supersonic useless against it. It could have its other ability Static, but failing a Supersonic could easily leave Butterfree in position to be quickly knocked out by another ThunderShock. Even String Shot could be more of a hinderance; in an enclosed area, two of Ash's Pokemon already had a disadvantage. Littering the place with String Shot's could cause more problems for Pidgeotto or even Pikachu than it could help Butterfree.
"ThunderShock!" Miguel was commanding again. Ash listened to his gut feeling.
"Butterfree, return!" Ash's Pokeball recalled Butterfree just in time to avoid what likely would've been a knockout-blow. If he hadn't already been questioning the status of that particular match, there was no way he would've made it in time. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!"
He wasn't sure if this was the right move either, but he had at least another Pokemon and Pikachu, tired or not, was his strongest fighter. If the scientists third Pokemon was an ace-in-the-hole, it was likely that Pikachu had better odds on it than either Butterfree or Pidgeotto.
"Use Gust!" Ash cried. Pidgeotto wasted no time complying, flapping her wings and hitting Voltorb with a slew of winds. Voltorb rolled backwards, smacking into one of the large rocks nearby while Miguel cried out. "Come down and use Sand Attack!"
Pidgeotto swooped down quickly, advancing on Voltorb, and slamming her wing into the ground as she passed by Voltorb. Voltorb, while reorientating itself from the Gust, was struck with a wad of sand kicked up from Pidgeotto's wing. Voltorb, being mostly face, was easily completely disoriented once again by this strategy.
"Tackle it!" Miguel tried to order next. Voltorb charged forward, throwing itself out and at Pidgeotto while she was still close to the ground but to no avail, and the opposing electric-type missed terribly.
"Circle back around and use Quick Attack!" Pidgeotto obeyed, swerving her direction, and charging back in at Voltorb leaving a blinding white trail in her wake.
Pidgeotto slammed into Voltorb and sent the Ball Pokemon rolling away yet again while Pidgeotto swooped back into the air. Miguel gasped again as Voltorb let out a few stray sparks, likely a stress response, before giving their next command.
"Charge!"
Voltorb continued to spark, but the sparks danced around it differently. Sparks turned into sparkles, and sparkles into little particles as Voltorb continued to build power. Ash pointed dramatically.
"Wing Attack!" Ash called. Pidgeotto swooped back again, its wings glowing and primed to strike Voltorb.
"ThunderShock!" Miguel shouted at the last minute.
Pidgeotto was too close to properly dodge and was struck head-on with a ThunderShock that had double the power. Pidgeotto cried out in pain at the collision and Ash felt his heart clench at the sound.
"Pidgeotto!" He cried out worriedly, ignoring Miguel's smirk. "Are you okay?" He watched as Pidgeotto panted and tried to remain on her feet. He could see her breathing raggedly, the singes on her plumage. But her eyes were cold as ice as she stood back up.
"Ridiculous." Miguel seemed completely blown away by Pidgeotto remaining on her feet, and Ash took advantage of it.
"Quick Attack!" Ash ordered swiftly.
Pidgeotto took off again, slower than before but faster than anyone expected considering her injuries, and slammed into Voltorb before the Ball Pokemon even had a chance to blink. Voltorb rolled backwards again, out cold, as Pidgeotto slumped into the ground tiredly. Miguel sourly recalled their Voltorb while Ash and Pikachu practically ran up to Pidgeotto.
"You did a great job, Pidgeotto. We'll take it from here, just get some rest." Ash soothed the bird as he gently recalled her. Ash stood up and clipped the Pokeball back onto his belt while Pikachu stepped forward, sparking his cheeks. Miguel smiled.
"Magnemite, go!" They cried out. Their next Pokemon was small and silver, floating above the ground using electromagnetism that it innately controlled. The Magnemite stared out at its opponents with one large eye. "You won't take this opportunity away from me! Magnemite, use ThunderShock!"
Magnemite launched a ThunderShock next, gathering blue electricity and firing it off at Pikachu. Pikachu took his own initiative to dodge the attack, moving off to the side while Ash gave his command.
"You use ThunderShock too!" Pikachu returned fire, shooting his own ThunderShock that did quickly connect with Magnemite.
"Tackle!" Miguel tried next. Magnemite, floating a little lower due to Pikachu's earlier hit, shrugged it off and charged forward at Pikachu, but Ash was prepared.
"Let 'em run straight into a Brick Break!" He said.
Pikachu powered up the fighting-type attack and turned around in one swift motion. The Magnemite could not stop in time and slammed straight into the attack, effectively hitting itself with Brick Break. It was quickly thrown backwards and did not float back up again; the powerful super-effective attack was more than enough to put it out of commission.
"What? How?" Miguel seemed more confused than concerned for a moment, but then grew nervous. "Alright, you won fair and square. Here ya go." They swung their backpack around and dug through it, pulling out a large brown object from inside and showing it off to Ash.
It appeared to be a shell attached to a piece of the ground. The entire thing was brown in color and covered in dirt, but the shell-like part was visibly raised in comparison and appeared half covered in the sediment.
"A… fossil?" Ash said, although it came out more like a question. He raised his hand to touch it, as if to inspect it like he could tell its authenticity, but Miguel nearly shoved it into his arms.
"Yes, it's yours. I keep my word, and I told you I'd hand over my findings if you won." Miguel gave a big dramatic sigh. "Oh well, best get going then. Be sure to keep my fossil safe, you never know how much one will go for these days!"
Ash could barely process what happened before Miguel grabbed the last of their supplies and practically skipped away around a corner while Pikachu climbed onto Ash's shoulder. They looked down at the fossil in Ash's arms, and Pikachu sniffed at it while Ash hummed in thought.
Something about that scientist was not right, but Ash was not about to waste more time in Mt. Moon. It had been ages since he had seen Jessie and James, longer still since he had seen Misty and Brock, and the shaking had stopped so he was sure most of Team Rocket was long gone.
All that was left now was to escape Mt. Moon.
Misty and Brock considered themselves lucky that the cavern they escaped from was only a short walk and a ladder away from the Route 4 exit. They checked the sign to be sure, noting the route number and the direction sign pointing east towards Cerulean City. Seymour seemed relieved to be out of the cave, and pretty content that they drove Team Rocket away even if it took the combined forces of them both.
"What will you do now?" Misty asked him, and he smiled.
"I've got to go through it again, actually. I've got to get back to Pewter City, remember?" Seymour said with a chuckle. Misty could only sigh.
"Well, if you see Ash in there send him our way, would you?" Brock added. He and Misty were going to have to decide whether to wait here or head into town and bring back help, as there was no telling what happened to Ash inside the mountain.
Seymour nodded and was about to turn back into the cave entrance when they heard Ash's voice from inside.
"You sure this is the way out?" Ash's voice was confused, but calm. They didn't hear any response, but Ash replied still. "If you say so. Thanks a lot, Clefairy, you were a big help!"
Misty, Brock and Seymour audibly gasped at the reply and their eyes nearly bugged out of their heads as Ash stepped from the darkness with Pikachu on his shoulder and a Clefairy by his foot. Upon seeing them, Ash gave them a huge smile, but the Clefairy was much less excited to see them and gave a startled cry before darting back into the cave.
"Hey wait, it's okay, I promise!" Ash tried to call after it but he seemed to know it was no use and quickly just gave a small sigh. "Oh well, I hope it doesn't think this was part of a trap or anything. It's been through enough of that for one day."
"Piika." Pikachu seemed to agree with his trainer.
"Hey guys, glad to see you're all okay!" Ash turned his attention back to his friends, ignoring their gob smacked expressions.
"Yeah but… what?" Misty asked, nearly breathless. Clefairy were some of the rarest Pokemon in all of Kanto, and she had just seen one! Really, seriously seen a live Clefairy!
"Clefairy found us in the cave and saw we were lost. She led us to the way out. Can't we talk over dinner? I'm really hungry." Ash suggested, nearly pleaded.
Brock decided to have mercy on him and agreed. They had plenty of time to catch up and volunteered to cook dinner. Seymour reluctantly headed back without getting the full story, and Ash and Misty set up a small campsite while Brock worked on dinner.
That night, Ash, Misty and Brock spent the first of many nights trading nearly unbelievable stories.
A long awaited update! A lot of things got in my way for this one, including having to rewrite half of it twice, but it's here! This is kind of the point I think more will start to change going forward, butterfly effect and all that. I wanted to blend the anime and the games as usual, I hope I managed okay. In the games there would've been a boss fight with Archer, probably, but there's no way anyone can take him on right now so I had to get ~clever~ about it.
Ash, Jessie and James continue to have a very friendly relationship considering the whole 'enemies' thing while Misty and Brock prove they can hold their own. While Ash IS a battle phanatic and will do most of the heavy lifting (especially later), Brock and Misty are likely going to help out a lot more than they did in canon. And we see a little dose of canon shenanigans with Ash somehow being guided out of the cave by Clefairy, who witnessed him driving out Team Rocket and decided he was a Good Human.
That's pretty much all for now, let me know what you guys think!
Ash's Team: Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto
Pikachu: Electric - Male - Static - Rash | ThunderShock, Tail Whip, Growl, Nuzzle, Charm, Thunder Wave, Brick Break
Butterfree: Bug/Flying - Male - Compound Eyes - Hardy | Tackle, String Shot, Harden, Gust, Supersonic, Confusion
Pidgeotto: Normal/Flying - Female - Keen Eye - Hasty | Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack, Wing Attack
Misty's Team: Staryu, Goldeen
Staryu: Water - N/A - Natural Cure - Modest | Tackle, Rapid Spin, Harden, Water Gun, Confuse Ray
Goldeen: Water - Female - Swift Swim - Careful | Peck, Tail Whip, Supersonic
Brock's Team: Onix, Geodude, Zubat
Onix: Rock/Ground - Male - Rock Head - Calm | Tackle, Bind, Screech, Harden, Rock Throw
Geodude: Rock/Ground - Male - Sturdy - Relaxed | Tackle, Defense Curl, Rock Throw
Zubat: Poison/Flying - Male - Inner Focus - Hasty | Absorb, Supersonic, Astonish
Jessie's Team: Ekans, Spearow
Ekans: Poison - Male - Shed Skin - Serious | Poison Sting, Bite, Wrap, Leer
Spearow: Normal/Flying - Male - Keen Eye - Hasty | Peck, Growl, Leer
James' Team: Koffing, Spearow, Weedle
Koffing: Poison - Male - Levitate - Bashful | Poison Gas, Tackle, Smog, Smokescreen
Spearow: Normal/Flying - Female - Keen Eye - Lax | Peck, Growl Leer
Weedle: Bug/Poison - Female - Swarm - Jolly | Poison Sting, String Shot
Meowth: Normal - Male - Pickup - Sassy | Fury Swipes, Scratch, Growl, Fake Out