I do not own Pokémon. Credit goes to Satoshi Tajiri and Game Freak.
The following morning, Red returned the room key before he, Leaf, Gary and Mewtwo left the Pokémon Center, making their way east towards the entrance leading to Mount Moon. Out of the corner of his eye, Mewtwo spotted a Meowth taking a nap on top of the stony entrance. He narrowed his eyes at the Meowth and listened to the inside of the cave, hating the silence that obviously came as the aftermath of fear and chaos.
"Pika?" Pikachu called out to Mewtwo.
Mewtwo snapped out of his thoughts and tilted his head towards Pikachu. Red glanced down at Pikachu as well.
"Yeah, buddy?" Red said.
Mewtwo blinked and moved first into the cave, wanting to survey the immediate surroundings for danger before they could continue. Leaf stepped inside next followed by Red and Gary. The surroundings sounded quiet even with Zubats hugging the ceiling of the cave, yet Leaf spotted a Geodude out of the corner of her eye. She took out her Pokédex and held it above the rocky Pokémon.
{Geodude, the Rock Pokémon. They're commonly found in mountains and caves. They tend to sleep by burying themselves halfway into the ground, making them indistinguishable to other boulders. People have frequently reported tripping over them.}
Leaf kept her eyes locked onto the sleeping Geodude as she tucked away her Pokédex.
"Ok," Leaf chirped, "have a nice nap, buddy!"
Continuing her stroll in the cave, Leaf slipped past the Geodude without disturbing it. Mewtwo noticed Leaf's behavior and was careful not to disturb any of the Zubats with his height. Red smiled at her comment and shook his head slightly. He also slipped past without disturbing it. The last thing they needed was a cave-in caused by a grumpy rock Pokémon.
As they meandered through the cave, they kept an eye out for any Clefairys and Clefables. To their dismay, they didn't have such luck. Leaf, Red and Gary would pass by an occasional ladder. The female trainer often climbed down such ladders only to return with items she found in the chambers.
"I swear," Gary commented as Leaf handed him a Paralyze Heal she found, "these travelers can be negligent with their stuff sometimes!"
Leaf didn't reply as she handed Red another Potion.
"Did you find anything besides these?" Red asked her.
Leaf sighed as she lowered her head.
"I still have yet to find a Clefairy," she shrugged.
Mewtwo scanned their surroundings, wanting to keep himself from disturbing anything.
"I'm picking up a general aura from them," he pointed out, "but nothing concrete."
Leaf's face lit up.
"How much farther?" she clamored, fluttering her hands with anticipation.
"I'm not sure," Mewtwo closed his eyes, "they seem to be scattered and moving a lot. I believe something has them scared."
Once Red finished counting the Potions, he handed one back to Leaf, allowing her to stash it into her messenger bag. As they continued their journey, Red battled a bug catcher while Leaf faced a trainer battle with a lass who had an Oddish and a Bellsprout. Gary and Mewtwo kept a vigilant eye out in case a Clefairy might be nearby. While Leaf took the time to administer a Potion to her Pidgey after her battle, the professor's grandson stood next to the cloaked figure. The psionic feline wondered whether he might recognize him from any stories his grandfather might have told him, given Oak's participation in his creation. Gary crouched down and brushed his hand along the ground, pulling out a Moon Stone.
"Lucky find," Gary winked, "even if we still hadn't found any Clefairys."
"At least one must be nearby," Mewtwo replied.
Leaf closed her messenger bag and recalled her Pidgey before she sent out Bulbasaur.
"Ok, Bulbasaur," Leaf chirped, "you up for a walk?"
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur grinned.
Red and Gary took the hint to send out their Charmander and Squirtle. The three starters and Pikachu darted for the next ladder, the electric mouse sniffing at the hole in the ground. Pikachu perked up his ears and glanced over his shoulder.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu chirped, his paw giving the thumbs up.
"I believe it's safe to continue," Mewtwo nodded, "after you all."
Red climbed down the ladder first, followed by Leaf, then Gary, and then Mewtwo floated down. They ventured a little farther until they stopped to take a break. Leaf handed the extra water canteen to Mewtwo while Red and Gary set down water bowls, filling them with water for Pikachu, Charmander, Bellsprout, Mankey, Kakuna and Nidoran to quench their thirst. Leaf brought out her own bowl to set down and fill it with water. She brought out Pidgey and Cleffa, who joined Bulbasaur as they went to drink. He scanned around, bringing out the canteen from one of the cape folds and taking a drink too. Leaf sat on a boulder as she took a sip from her canteen, tilting her head upwards and gazing at the sleeping Zubats.
They all relaxed in the seemingly quiet environment, save for the water dripping from the stalactites at intervals as Mewtwo continued to focus on his superior psionic senses. For a brief moment, Leaf glanced over her shoulder, only to wince as she noticed a strange man wearing a black cap staring at her. She hugged one arm to her chest and reached for Mewtwo's cloak. But by the time the psionic feline gazed at her, the stalker quickly vanished into the shadows.
"Uhh, Mewtwo?" Leaf stammered.
"What is it? Show me," Mewtwo glanced around for a brief moment, "if you'll allow me to read your memory."
Leaf nodded without hesitation and lowered her head, trying to relax her mind a little. Mewtwo studied her memory and tensed when he saw the figure.
"We may need to leave," Mewtwo declared.
Red and Gary turned their gaze towards Mewtwo with baffled expressions in their eyes.
"Uhh," Red paused, "what are you talking about?"
Gary scratched his head.
"Back to the Pokémon Center?" Gary protested, "seriously?"
By then, their Pokémon had finished drinking up their water, so Leaf withdrew Pidgey and Cleffa before scooping Bulbasaur into her arms.
"They're here," Mewtwo warned, hovering closer to Leaf, "want me close?"
Leaf nodded sheepishly as she clung herself to Mewtwo.
"They?" Red paused, "you mean…Team Rocket?"
Gary felt a chill down his spine as he recalled Kakuna and Nidoran.
"What could those guys be up to, anyway?" Gary grumbled.
Pikachu stood on his hind legs while he lowered his ears.
"Pika…"
Mewtwo wrapped his tail around Leaf.
"I'd rather not find out," Mewtwo answered, "is everyone present?"
Red and Gary nodded.
"We still have to get to Cerulean City, right?" Red reminded, "maybe if we just keep an eye out and sneak past Team Rocket, they wouldn't bother us."
"And if they do insist on bothering us," Gary added, giving a thumbs up, "we just fight back!"
Mewtwo placed his hand on her head.
"Do you want to go forward?" he asked her.
Normally, Leaf wouldn't want to make eye contact with humans. But as she knew Mewtwo was technically a Pokémon, she tilted her head up and gazed into his eyes.
"I-I know I'm scared," Leaf admitted, "but I want to keep going. Besides, I could be safe if I stay close to you, right?"
Mewtwo raised his brows as Leaf smiled softly at him. After a moment, he gave a small nod.
"As you wish," he told her, "you may hold my tail if it helps. My hands need to be free."
Mewtwo returned his gaze to Red and Gary.
"Now who's leading?" Mewtwo asked.
Red placed his hand behind his neck while Gary scratched his head.
"You can sense danger better than we can," Gary suggested, "so, you lead the way."
Leaf, Gary and Red followed Mewtwo as they ventured deeper into the caves of Mount Moon. Mewtwo took extra caution, taking the lead and listening ahead. He would perk up every time he heard voices, especially human ones, but they always seemed several steps ahead. Red's Pikachu seemed to have the same idea as Mewtwo and took up the rear to make sure no one unsavory followed them. Along the way, Red sidestepped a Paras and Leaf found a Star Piece on the ground while bypassing a crater.
Out of the corner of his eye, Mewtwo spotted a woman with long red hair and a man with short light purple hair as they dug into the terrain in search of…something. He narrowed his eyes when he recognized their Team Rocket uniforms, but they're colored white instead of the usual black. A Meowth sat down behind them and sorted through a pile of rocks, tossing them aside one by one. He was surprised they hadn't noticed them. Red followed Mewtwo's gaze and rose to his feet before he stepped over to the trio. Pikachu followed close behind and shifted into a battle stance, narrowing his eyes at Meowth.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu barked.
Meowth snapped out of his thoughts and glared at Pikachu.
"Go away!" Meowth snapped, "we're busy here!"
Red and Pikachu shuddered when they heard the Meowth talk. Strange how that catlike Pokémon didn't use telepathy at all.
"What are you guys doing here?" Red demanded.
That was when the Team Rocket duo froze in their tracks and glanced over their shoulders.
"Don't have anything better to do than interrupt people like that, you twerp?!" the purple-haired man snapped.
"Go play somewhere else, kids!" the redhead chided, glancing them over and staring at Mewtwo for a moment.
Pikachu's cheeks sparked.
"Pika Pika Pika!" Pikachu pestered.
Just then, Gary and Leaf recalled their Pokémon before they followed Mewtwo, approaching Red from close behind. Leaf kept her breathing steady and fluttered her hand to ease her tension while she glared at the duo, not bothering to look into their eyes.
"I bet you guys aren't the only members of Team Rocket here," Gary pointed out, "so where are the others?!"
The redhead gritted her teeth before she and her partner rose to her feet.
"Oh, so that's how you're going to play?" she growled.
The duo turned on their feet and stared down the three trainers.
"Prepare for trouble!" the redhead started.
"And make it double!" the purple-haired man added.
"To protect the world from devastation," the redhead continued.
"To unite all peoples within our nation!" the purple-haired man raised his fist in front of him.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love," the redhead emphasized.
"To extend our reach to the stars above!" the purple-haired man added.
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!" Jessie announced.
"Surrender now," James warned, "or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth," the Meowth chirped, "that's right!"
Gary and Red shifted their bodies into a battle position while Mewtwo clenched his fists.
"Whatever, just answer us," Red raised an eyebrow, "did something happen to the Clefairys?"
Mewtwo resisted the urge to pin them against the wall and narrowed his eyes, trying to see what they knew just by making eye contact with them. James folded his arms.
"For your information, twerp," James answered, "we're not involved in that operation!"
"Yeah!" Meowth added, "the boss assigned us to just find rare fossils for him!"
"Fossils? Here?" Mewtwo nodded slightly, "they're telling the truth. How strange. Why have underlings here in such a hostile environment? Distraction?"
Jessie, James and Meowth shuddered upon hearing the eerie telepathic voice and scanned their surroundings. Mewtwo blinked and stared them down.
"Leave before you become the next victim," Mewtwo threatened.
Jessie glanced towards the group.
"Who's doing that?!" Jessie insisted.
Leaf made a brief glance at Mewtwo while she held Bulbasaur close to her chest. Jessie followed Leaf's gaze and stared at Mewtwo who made his eyes glow at her, sending Meowth's pile of rocks shattering against the wall. Meowth screamed and clambered up James' leg.
"What is that thing?!" James exclaimed, eyes widening in shock.
"Who cares?!" Meowth cried, "let's blast on outta here!"
Jessie grabbed her partner's arm and darted around the group with them. Mewtwo huffed and looked to the rest of the rocks.
"Can we move on through here?" Red insisted.
Leaf nodded as Red and Gary sighed in relief.
"Yeah," Gary answered, "that was a close one."
Mewtwo noticed Leaf lowered her head.
"Didn't they mention something about an operation?" Leaf stammered.
Red and Gary stared in disbelief before they exchanged glances.
"They did," Mewtwo nodded, "any theories before we move on?"
Leaf took a moment to adjust her hat and pull up her socks.
"Whatever it is," Leaf replied, "I hope the Clefairys are ok."
From there, Mewtwo led Leaf, Red and Gary farther into the cave and descended another ladder leading to a lower floor. That was when they noticed a nearby hiker conversing with a brown-haired scientist with glasses and a Pokémon Ranger. He tensed briefly at the coat but relaxed a little on seeing a lack of Rocket logo.
"He's safe," Mewtwo told the kids.
Leaf nodded in agreement, but she couldn't help but listen in on the conversation.
"All right, Dr. Seymour," the Pokémon Ranger instructed, "I need you to take deep breaths and we'll walk you through the details of what happened, ok?"
When the hiker gave Seymour a pat on the shoulder, the scientist inhaled slowly and let out a sharp exhale.
"I was on the search for Moon Stones when a startled Geodude woke up the Zubats," Seymour began to explain, "I held onto my notes as best as I could when I made a run for it. The next thing I knew, I ran into those three Grunts. Their Koffing unleashed a Smokescreen long enough to swipe my notes under my nose and make a run for it."
Leaf blinked twice as she took a step closer to the conversing trio, catching Red's attention.
"Uhh, Leaf?" Red paused.
Pikachu tilted his head up and noticed unusual light bulbs on the cavern walls…almost as if they were installed quickly without efficient reinforcement. Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle noticed the Paras in the cavern chamber plucking their mushrooms off their backs and planting them in the ground.
"We're in the middle of pinpointing the base of operations as we speak," the Pokémon Ranger assured Seymour, "they won't be evading us for long."
Seymour smiled softly at the Pokémon Ranger and the hiker.
"Thank you," he said, "the sooner we can save those poor Clefairys, the better."
Out of the corner of her eye, Leaf spotted several Sandshrews splaying on their bellies, panting in exhaustion.
"Oh no," Leaf stammered.
Leaf scampered towards the Sandshrews and knelt beside one of them.
"Hey," Leaf cooed, "are you ok, little guys?"
"Sand," the Sandshrew cried weakly.
Mewtwo hovered towards Leaf, holding out the canteen.
"Do they need water?" Mewtwo asked her.
Sandshrew lifted his gaze and shook his head. Leaf removed her hat and swiped it back and forth, creating cool air that breezed in the shrew-like Pokémon's direction. It was that moment when Seymour, the hiker and the Pokémon Ranger paused in their conversation and focused their gaze on the three young trainers and the psionic feline.
"Excuse me," the Pokémon Ranger called out, "but what are you kids doing out here?"
Red and Gary shuddered as they returned their gaze.
"Uhh, we were just passing through," Red placed his hand behind his head.
Mewtwo used his tail to flap his cloak at the other Sandshrews while switching gazes between Red and the Pokémon Ranger. The psionic feline used his hood to shield his face from the light.
"Right now," the Pokémon Ranger told them, "we are dealing with an emergency here. Not only have these lights here been interrupting the way of life of these nocturnal Pokémon, but Clefairys have been disappearing since yesterday. We suspect Team Rocket is at hand."
Gary sighed as he shrugged.
"That's just great," Gary remarked, "you guys want our help?"
Leaf stammered incoherently as the nearest Sandshrew stood back up and stretched his arms.
"I don't think so," the Pokémon Ranger declined, "this is not a matter for you kids to get involved in."
Sandshrew perched his paws on Leaf's knees and blinked happily.
"Sand!"
"Oh!" Leaf chirped, "you're welcome, buddy."
Leaf rose to her full height while Pikachu sniffed at the cords connecting the unnatural lights.
"That's fine," Red told the Pokémon Ranger, "is there a shortcut to Route 4?"
The hiker nodded and approached the boy.
"Of course, boy!" the hiker answered, "first, you gotta traverse through the tunnel to your left. Next, you climb up the ladder in the middle. Then, you traverse the small chamber and climb down another ladder. And finally, you take the tunnel to your right and the exit is a short walking distance from there. Think you can remember the way?"
Just as Mewtwo successfully fanned the Sandshrews in the room, he noticed one of them gripped Leaf's leg.
"It looks like you got a new friend," Mewtwo informed Leaf.
Leaf glanced down and smiled at Sandshrew, before she scooped him into her arms.
"O-Ok," Leaf proclaimed, "we'll be on our way, then."
The Pokémon Ranger nodded in approval.
"Stay safe out there."
Feel free to drop a review, because Leaf and Mewtwo could use them to offer each other emotional support!
Fanart for this fanfic is also welcome.