Henry didn't get far enough with Onix as much as Jason was hoping for. The two brothers were able to find a plain yet rugged stretch of land in the direction of Mount Moon. The two brothers climbed on top of Onix and held onto his fin on his head while he slithered toward Mount Moon. Henry, used to riding on top of Onix, only held one hand to his Pokémon to keep himself secured while Jason kept both of his arms wrapped around the fin, excited and terrified at the same time. They traveled well into the evening before they had to stop.

The sun started to set when trees started to block the path to Mount Moon. Henry called for Onix to stop, not wanting to tear down a forest and put Pokémon at harm just to get to Mount Moon faster. Jason was disappointed that they would have to proceed by foot but didn't complain when he and his brother got off Onix. After Henry recalled Onix into a Poké Ball, he led the way into the forest and found a clearing that would make for a good campsite. The brothers set up camp for the night, knowing that they would make it to Mount Moon the next day.

The brothers woke up at sunrise, and after a quick breakfast, they took down their tents and made their way in the direction of Mount Moon. Henry and Jason caught sight of different Pokémon on their way but nothing they haven't seen before. Nothing stood out to the brothers to catch but Henry had high hopes for finding a Pokémon in Mount Moon. Back home, he spent a lot of time rock climbing and enjoyed being around mountains and caves. Henry looked forward to exploring through Mount Moon and seeing the different sights and Pokémon waiting for him.

After several hours of traveling, Henry and Jason spotted the Pokémon Center at the base of Mount Moon. Henry glanced in the direction of the mountain with a smile. He had the supplies needed to travel through the caves the mountain had safely no matter what obstacles came their way. With his experience, it shouldn't take him too long to find the way to Cerulean City. Jason would be in a rush to challenge the Pokémon Gym so that they could move on, but even then, Henry would be satisfied with traveling through Mount Moon as his sightseeing trip for Cerulean City.

Henry and Jason quickly decided between themselves that they wouldn't need to stop at the Pokémon Center since their Pokémon were in good health. However, before they continued toward Mount Moon, they spotted Victor leaving the Pokémon Center. He spotted the two brothers and frowned, shaking his head as he approached them. Henry wondered if Jason was going to challenge Victor to another battle but could see that his brother hadn't noticed him and was looking toward Mount Moon.

"You again," Victor said when he stepped closer to the brothers. "I take it you both got the Boulder Badge if you're out here."

"We have," Henry answered politely. "How about you?"

Jason turned to face Victor, realizing that he's around for the first time. "Brock wasn't a challenge at all! You're not challenging me to a rematch, are you?"

Victor paused to think over Jason's question before shaking his head. "Not today. I got the badge no problem but I can't battle right now. I'm out to catch a Pokémon before I head through Mount Moon."

"That's a good idea," Henry nodded in approval.

"I'm going to need more Pokémon if I'm going to become the Champion of Kanto," Victor continued. "Last night, I got into a battle with some trainers and I had some bad luck. I could have won against Noah if I had another Pokémon to battle with."

"Noah?" Henry questioned, curious. "You saw him recently?"

"Last night with his friends," Victor answered. "I'm pretty sure they're trying to find a way through Mount Moon now."

"What are we waiting for?" Jason asked, looking up at his brother. "Who knows how many other trainers have a headstart on us after we spent days in Pewter City. We need to get moving!"

"I guess we do," Henry nodded in agreement, watching Jason dash off before turning back to Victor. "See you around, Victor. I hope you find the right Pokémon for your team."

Victor blinked in surprise, taken aback by Henry's words. "Right. See you around, I guess."

Jason looked over his shoulder and shouted out while running. "We're having that rematch next time we meet so you better prepare to lose to me again!"

"Things will be different next time!" Victor called out. "Just you wait!"

Henry chuckled to himself and followed after his brother toward Mount Moon. He was glad to hear that Noah, Danny, Celena, and Jared had all made it out of Pewter City without issue after what happened at the Museum of Science. Jason might not have liked that they had gotten ahead of him but Henry was proud to see that they were able to continue their journey. The life of a professional Pokémon Trainer wasn't easy with many people giving up on their journey before collecting all of the gym badges. If the younger trainers made it to the conference matches, they had a bright future ahead of them.

For now, Henry had to focus on catching up with them and letting them know that he was fine after they left the Museum of Science, which meant keeping up with Jason on the way to Mount Moon.

With flashlights guiding their way through the dark tunnels, Noah, Celena, Jared, and Danny traversed the caves through Mount Moon. Although there were some brave climbers who preferred to reach the peak of the mountain, the tunnels around the base of the mountain were the quickest way to get to Cerulean City and home to most of the region's wild Pokémon. The group didn't have a lot of experience when it came to exploring caves but they were reassured at the Pokémon Center that it was difficult to get lost with how few tunnels there were. Pokémon Rangers patrolled the area as well in case someone did get stuck and needed to be rescued so the young trainers pressed onward, ready to make it to Cerulean City.

The group encountered different kinds of Pokémon while traveling through Mount Moon's caves. Zubats perched up high and Geodudes floating off the ground were common enough for the trainers to see. Noah had even seen a group of Clefairy that kept their distance away from the trainers. He had heard that Mount Moon was one of the few places in Kanto where Clefairy could be found in the wild and it was amazing for him and his friends to see one in person for the first time. The Pokémon weren't too aggressive as they realized that it wasn't a good idea to attack a group of trainers.

However, none of the Pokémon the group saw weren't anything they wanted to catch and train. Noah knew that he was going to need to catch more Pokémoin but none of the Pokémon at Mount Moon stuck out to him. He didn't consider himself a type specialist but he preferred Water-type Pokémon. Noah had fond memories of seeing many different Pokémon at sea from his home at Vermillion City. He had befriended Squirtle to have him join him after meeting him on the beach by his home and Meowth was a gift from his mother. For now, he was willing to wait until he found the right Pokémon for his team.

Noah figured that his friends had similar thoughts about what kind of Pokémon to catch. Both of Jared's Pokémon were Bug-types and Noah knew that his friend preferred Pokémon from forest and woods. Although Mount Moon was part of the natural world, the Pokémon that called the mountain weren't anything Jared was interested in. Danny likely would have been interested in catching Pokémon regardless of what they were but he was too busy trying to train his Rattata to follow his commands. He kept letting Rattata out and asking his Pokémon to stay only to recall Rattata when he inevitably ran off. As for Celena, Noah wasn't sure what kind of Pokémon she preferred. She was quiet about herself, and although he counted her as a friend, he realized he didn't know a lot about her.

Eventually, the group of trainers paused when they heard the sound of mining ahead. Noah didn't think that there was a mining operation in Mount Moon, and after looking back at his friends, there was a silent agreement that they should proceed silently. Slowly, the trainers made their way through the tunnel, and when Noah saw faint light coming ahead, turned off his flashlight. The others followed in his example and they turned around the corner, coming across a large chamber that was lit up with various lanterns lighting the area up.

Noah could make out a small base camp with two tents and an assortment of tools such as pickaxes and sledgehammers scattered about the area. There were many different tunnels and the trainers weren't sure which way led to Cerulean City. Part of the chamber descended down below to a small chasm where the sounds of mining came from with a wooden ladder making it easy to climb into. Noah cautiously led the way to the edge of the chasm and looked down, seeing two men wearing dirt-stained clothes striking at the rock wall with pickaxes. By the mens' side was a crate with two strange rocks piled on top. Noah wasn't sure what kind of operation they stumbled on, but from what little he could tell, nothing seemed off about the situation. He figured that the miners might be willing to help him and his friends find their way to Cerulean City and he called out to them.

"Hey! Noah greeted. "Can you help us out?!"

One of the men looked up, dropping his pickaxe in surprise. "What are kids doing here?!"

"What exactly is this place?" Celena questioned. "What are you doing?"

"We're mining for fossils," the other man answered, more calm than his companion.

"Fossils?" Danny questioned.

"The remains of ancient Pokémon," Jared explained to Danny. "It's like what we saw at the Museum of Science while looking for your Rattata."

"Right," Danny nodded. "Are you two with the museum?"

"Not quite," the second man answered. "We're independent diggers. We look for fossils, dig them up, and bring them back to whichever lab for-"

"Do you think we should tell these kids about what happens at the lab?" the first man asked, crossing his arms.

The second man shrugged. "Does it matter, Joseph? Eventually, the whole world is going to learn about our groundbreaking work. Does it matter if some kids learn ahead of time?"

"Maybe," the first man, Joseph, said, although his tone showed he wasn't completely convinced.

"You're not up to anything shady, right?" Noah asked.

"Of course not," the second man answered with a smile. "Recently, a group of scientists have made a breakthrough with their research. It's now possible to bring ancient Pokémon back to life. There are a few labs scattered across the world with this technology, but in the next few years, I believe that we will see Pokémon that were once extinct roam the world again."

"Woah," Danny gasped. "That's incredible!"

"It really is," Celena nodded in agreement.

"What does this mean for the Pokémon League?" Jared asked. "Could Pokémon Trainers use Pokémon revived from fossils?"

"They sure can," the second man answered. "From what I've heard, revived Pokémon aren't that big of a game changer when it comes to Pokémon battles. They're fair game."

"I guess we should be on the lookout for fossils," Noah said, tapping his chin in thought. "I could see myself having a Pokémon like that on our team."

"You know, maybe we can help with that," the second man offered.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Mason?" Joseph asked. "They're kids."

"They're taking on the gym challenge," the second man, Mason, pointed out. "We need someone to get these fossils to the lab on Cinnabar Island and Kent hasn't come back from his last delivery. The sooner we get the fossils delivered the better."

Joseph sighed. "Alright, fine. Go for it."

"Is this for real?" Noah asked, surprised. "We deliver fossils to Cinnabar Island and we can get the Pokémon? Would the scientists agree to that?"

"I think they want to see how the revived Pokémon handle themselves in a battle," Mason told the group. "Hang on a moment. I'll bring the two fossils we've dug up so far."

Noah couldn't believe the opportunity he and his friends found. He wasn't sure if it was possible to bring back fossils as Pokémon even after the explanation he heard but he looked forward to finding out for himself. Noah watched Mason collect the two rocks on the crate and make his way to the ladder and wondered what kind of Pokémon the fossils were. For all he knew, it was possible that a revived Pokémon was the right fit for his team.

Mason made it to the group and the young trainers were able to see the fossils he carried up close. In his left hand, he carried a rock with some sort of shell embedded into the surface, and in his right hand, a carapace was embedded in the rock. Noah wondered what Pokémon and could see that the fossil of the shell could be a Water-type Pokémon.

"There's only two fossils," Jared pointed out and Noah was quick to catch on what he meant.

"Yes, there are," Mason said with a nod. "That means if they're revived, only two of you can have the revived Pokémon on your team."

"Could we come back later and get more fossils to bring back to be revived?" Celena asked.

"I like your spirit but I'm not sure if that'll be possible," Mason shook his head. "We're about to finish up our digging here. It's been a couple of days since we've dug up these fossils."

"So only half of us could get a Pokémon revived from a fossil," Noah said quietly.

Noah glanced around to see his friends frown at the development. Although he was interested in seeing what Pokémon the fossils were, he wasn't sure he had it in him to deny any of his friends the chance to have one for themselves. He didn't think anyone would be interested in leaving the fossils behind though. There had to be a fair way to determine which of them would get a fossil to bring to Cinnabar Island to have revived.

"How do we want to decide this?" Celena asked her friends. "I think it would be fun to have a fossil Pokémon on my team."

"So do I," Danny said with Noah nodding in agreement.

Jared hesitated for a moment, and after some thought, shook his head. "I'll be fine without a fossil Pokémon."

"Are you sure, Jared?" Noah asked, taken aback by Jared's decision.

"Yes, I'm sure," Jared nodded, his tone more firm than before. "Don't worry about me. Seeing my friends use rare Pokémon will be enough for me."

"Thanks, Jared," Noah said, smiling.

"I know it wasn't an easy decision but I think we all appreciate it," Celena told Jared kindly. "I won't forget this."

"It was nothing, really," Jared told his friends, his cheeks red from the praise he received.

"We could try battling for the fossils," Danny suggested.

"There's only three of us," Celena pointed out. "We can't have an even amount of battles."

"Maybe we can take the fossils now and decide who gets them in Cerulean City," Noah offered. "We can battle for the fossils there, and since we'll be by the Pokémon Center, we'll be able to heal up and have as many battles as we need to narrow down who gets the fossils."

"Hold on," Joseph said, climbing out of the crevasse. "If we're battling for the fossils, count me in. I'd rather wait for Kent to make the delivery, but if one of you can beat me in a battle, I'll feel better leaving you kids to make it to Cinnabar Island."

"I guess we have four now," Noah said with a nod. "Alright. Celena, Danny, do you mind if I battle Joseph?"

"Sure!" Danny said. "I can battle Celena for the fossil."

"That seems like a good idea," Celena nodded in agreement. "Let's keep the battles simple. How about one Pokémon for each of us?"

"Works for me," Noah looked toward Joseph. "We'll battle first."

"You're on, kid."

There was plenty of space in the chamber for a Pokémon battle with the group setting up in the center of the area. Noah and Joseph stood across from each other, each taking out a Poké Ball. Danny, Celena, Jared, and Mason stood to the sidelines to watch the battle. There was enough room for two battles, but if Danny and Celena preferred to watch him battle first, that was their choice. Noah was going to do everything he could to win his battle against Joseph and show that even though he was young, he was capable of protecting the fossils.

"Are you ready?" Noah asked.

"Ready," Joseph nodded, determined. "Let's do this."

Noah threw his Poké Ball out. "You're up, Wartortle!"

"Let's win this, Grimer!"

Noah reached for his nose to block the noxious scent of Grimer as Joseph released his Pokémon. He had never seen a Grimer before but he had a feeling that it was going to be a tough opponent. Grimer looked capable of taking some strong hits and was definitely a Poison-type Pokémon. If Noah wasn't careful, Wartortle might end up poisoned during the battle. It was important to defeat Grimer as soon as possible, and with how strong Wartortle was, Noah believed that he could pull out a win against Joseph.

"Wartortle, let's start out with Water Pulse!"

"Grimer, use Poison Gas!"

The two Pokémon stood across from each other to launch their attacks at each other. Wartortle opened his mouth to blast Grimer with a stream of pressurized water but it wasn't enough to stop Grimer from emitting a toxic cloud. Noah had to take a few steps away from the makeshift battlefield to avoid being caught in the attack. Wartortle wasn't able to escape from the dark cloud, and as it cleared away, he started to cough and turned green. Noah frowned, realizing that his Pokémon had been poisoned, and he had to end this battle as quickly as he could.

"Time for a change of tactics," Noah told Wartortle. "Get in close and Bite Grimer!"

"Not so fast! Grimer, use Mud Slap!"

Wartortle advanced toward Grimer, bearing his teeth. Noah figured that since Wartortle was already poisoned, he had nothing to lose from risking a physical attack against Grimer. Wartortle bit down on Grimer harshly and Grimer cried out in pain. He backed away from Wartortle, flinching from the pain and unable to follow Joseph's directions. Noah could tell that he was likely going to win the battle with how much of a fight Wartortle was putting up but they still had work to do to ensure their victory.

"Go in with another Bite, Wartortle!"

"Enough of that! Grimer, use Disable!"

Wartortle bit down on Grimer again, pushing past his opponent's oozy body to continue to inflict damage. However, Grimer held his ground and his eyes flashed white. Wartortle backed away from Grimer, blinking in surprise as he could no longer bite down on Grimer. Noah frowned, realizing that Wartortle could no longer attack Grimer. Still, Wartortle had done plenty of damage to his opponent and one last attack should be enough to win the battle.

"Let's finish this," Noah said, encouraging Wartortle. "Blast Grimer away with Water Pulse!"

"Grimer, hit Wartortle with Sludge!"

Unfortunately for Joseph, Grimer wasn't able to get an attack in before Wartortle blasted him with water. The force of the water was powerful and enough to knock out Grimer, who slumped down in unconsciousness. Noah heard his friends cheer and grin at his success. Joseph recalled Grimer, and while Noah wanted to run up to Wartortle, he could see that his Pokémon was in pain from being poisoned. Instead, Noah recalled Wartortle and whispered quietly to the Poké Ball.

"You did a great job, Wartortle," Noah said and looked to Joseph. "Have I proven myself as a capable trainer now?"

"I suppose so," Joseph admitted with a sigh. "I underestimated you because of how young you were. I can see now that the fossils will be in good hands."

"So that means Noah gets one of the fossils," Jared noted. "That leaves Celena and Danny."

"It's our turn to battle," Danny told Celena with a smile. "Are you ready?"

"I am," Celena said with a nod. "Let's do this."

"Good luck, you two," Noah told his friends and moved to take his place with the other spectators along with Joseph.

Noah thought about how the battle would go. He felt that Celena's Pokémon were stronger than Danny's and that she likely would be able to come up with a plan. However, Danny had a creative streak when it came to battle and held his own advantages. Celena's Charmander would be able to burn away Danny's Bulbasaur but Celena may struggle to predict Danny's Rattata's moves if he didn't listen to his trainer. She would be able to counter his Rattata with her Mankey but Noah believed that Bulbasaur would be able to defeat Mankey. Then there was their new Pokémon and Noah wasn't sure what Danny's Sandshrew or Celena's Ekans were capable of. He had a feeling that this battle would be determined by the Pokémon the two trainers decided on.

"Ready, Celena?" Danny asked.

"I am," Celena nodded and tossed out a Poké Ball. "Charmander, you're up!"

"It's your time to shine, Magikarp!"

"Magikarp?!" Noah gasped along with Jared and the diggers.

Danny released his Magikarp, which flopped up and down on the ground against Charmander. Celena blinked in confusion at Magikarp while Danny let out a cheer for his Pokémon. It was no secret to the trainers that Danny had been given a Magikarp as a gift from his parents but they typically forgot about Magikarp because he rarely fought. Noah had told Danny months ago that Magikarp wasn't the kind of Pokémon to battle with with his limited number of moves and poor mobility but the young trainer often forgot the advice.

"Magikarp, go in with Tackle!" Danny called out.

Celena watched Magikarp flop toward Charmander and glanced up to her opponent. "Danny, are you sure that you want to use your Magikarp?"

"I sure am!" Danny said, grinning. "I figured that you would want to use your Charmander so I went for taking the type advantage!"

"Except that Magikarp doesn't know any Water-type moves," Noah reminded his friend with a sigh.

"I guess it is good that he is letting his Magikarp get some experience with battling," Jared pointed out.

"Better here than during the conference matches," Noah nodded in agreement.

During the conversation, Magikarp slapped his tail against Charmander's face. Noah had to admit that Danny had trained his Pokémon well by finding time to send Magikarp into battle but there was a reason he had yet to win with Magikarp. Charmander glared at Magikarp and Celena, having overcome her shock at Danny's choice, shouted out a command to her Pokémon.

"Charmander, use Dragon Breath!"

"Dragon Breath?!" Jared gasped. "Quickly, Magikarp, use Tackle!"

Unfortunately for Danny, Magikarp wasn't quick enough to get another Tackle in as Charmander breathed blue flames. Dragon Breath wasn't the same as Charmander's normal fire attacks and was more effective against Magikarp. The attack was enough to defeat Magikarp, who stopped flopping up and down on the floor. Danny didn't seem to mind losing and kept up a smile as he recalled his defeated Pokémon.

"You did great, Magikarp!" Danny said to the Poké Ball he held. "Charmander must have really felt that Tackle if Celena had to use Dragon Breath."

"Magikarp will be really strong once he evolves," Celena told Danny as she stepped up to pat Charmander on the back of the head. "Good work, Charmander."

"I have to say that I'm impressed," Mason told the young trainers with a smile. "I'm glad that we found such promising trainers to take the fossils off our hands."

"We're glad to help," Noah said with a nod.

"Are you feeling up for another battle, Noah?" Celena asked. "We could decide which of us picks a fossil first."

Noah shook his head. "Wartortle's poisoned and we both know that you'd send out Mankey against Meowth. You can pick first."

Mason stepped up to present the two fossils for Celena to pick from. She looked over her options for a few moments before selecting the rocky carapace as her option. That left Noah with the fossil of the shell and he smiled as he took it. If he had been the one to pick first, the shell fossil would have been his pick anyways. He was glad that the fossil selection worked out for the group without any hard feelings from anyone.

"Now that we have that sorted out, we should get going," Jared said. "We'll have to get to Cerulean City. Do either of you know which tunnel to take to get there?"

Mason shook his head and Joseph answered Jared's question. "Kent's the one who knows this mountain and we haven't seen him since he left. Maybe he left behind a map."

"Or we could tell you which way to go after you give us those fossils."

The young trainers gasped together and turned toward the source of the sound. Noah tried to put on a brave face but seeing the same four criminals that they fought against at the Pewter City Museum of Science wasn't something he expected or looked forward to. The man with the shaved head might have been the one to speak but he stood behind the criminal that Noah fought first. Anthony Lombardi had his arms crossed and frowned at the young trainers that stood between him and his prize.

Team Rocket had come for the fossils and Noah wasn't sure if he and his friends could stop them.

A/N: Still keeping up with this story. The chapters take quite a bit of time to write but I'm not going on another hiatus again. I'm definitely looking forward to writing the next chapter though.

Until next time.