Chapter 20: Journey to Cerulean

"I can't believe we're going to Cerulean City next," Charcoal said some time later after we were well out from Pewter City. As it were, the grass was already beginning to thin out while dirt began to gradually thicken as we walked for Cerulean. "Of all places, why Cerulean?"

"The way I see it, you take care of the hard challenges first, the rest will be but a breeze," Ted said.

"So we're going to Cerulean," I said. "There's not a problem with going there, is there?"

"Dude," Charcoal said. "Cerulean is home of all that is water in Kanto."

"Cool!" I said. "Then they should be easy to beat."

"I don't think you're getting the gist of what Charcoal is saying, bro," Ted said. "Take a good look at Charcoal and explain to me what he's like." I looked at Ted a little funny when he said that, but did what he told me to do anyway. I studied every bit of Charcoal right from his baby blue eyes right down to the flaming fire that was on the tip of his tail.

"Well," I said. "He's orange, scaly, has really cool blue eyes, and has a flame on the tip of his tail which I'm not entirely sure why it doesn't hurt him like that."

"You think my eyes are cool?" Charcoal asked.

"Definitely," I said with a nod. "Still don't see the problem with why Charcoal is against going to Cerulean though."

"Seriously?" Charcoal asked, not believing that I still didn't know.

"Yup," I said.

"So then it escapes you that Charcoal is a fire type and water can do major damage to him?" Ted asked. Ah! so that was it.

"Oh!" I said. "That. Right. Of course. I knew all along. I just made you think I didn't know."

"Uh-huh," Charcoal said. "Sure you did." I hung my head down in shame before hearing Charcoal ask, "Say, where's Skitty been? I haven't seen her since before the gym battle."

"She's been in her pokeball," Ted said. "She's always random."

"So why's she in her pokeball instead of walking out here with us?" I asked.

"Being surrounded in nothing but gray color depresses Skitty," Ted explained. "She'll remain in her ball until she's back to her usual old self."

"And how long does that take?" Charcoal asked.

"Not entirely sure," Ted said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Could be a few days, a week, maybe even a month."

"A month?" I questioned. "I probably wouldn't be able to handle living in my pokeball for a full month."

"Just joking on the whole month thing," Ted said with a small chuckle. "Longest she'll stay in her pokeball is at least a week."

"I think I could handle that," Charcoal said.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Never mind Zack," Charcoal said. "It's just a personal thing."

"O.K.," I said, leaving it at that.

The rest of the day wasn't all that too interesting. I was quite bored and even walking around at night was boring too. So I wounded up returing to the little campsite we set up and fell asleep. The next day wasn't all that great either. We mostly began walking uphill, mountains surrounding us from all over. My heart was pounding hard for some action to happen, but I was let down big time with disappointment when night came again. "Ugh!" I groaned with boredom. "When is something going to happen? I need excitement."

"Why do you always want something to happen?" Charcoal asked. "Why not just sit still for a day and take in what's around us?"

"All pokemon are different in their own ways," Ted said. "Zack's blood boils for the thrill of adventure. Pokemon like him don't like to sit still for too long. Only when they're in the mood of taking a day off will they remain."

"Are there days when you make actual sense instead of saying words that confuse others?" Charcoal asked.

"There are pokemon who speak in a pattern that can understand others," Ted said.

"I understand half the things Ted says sometimes," I commented. "But can we please not argue about this? It's just who we are."

"There you have it," Ted said with a smile.

"What kind of pokemon have I ended up with?" I heard Charcoal mutter to himself, prompting a tiny, soft giggle to escape from me, but just soft enough so that Charcoal wouldn't hear. I turned my attention toward my human trainer who was laying in a weird blanket looking up at the stars, his hands behind his head. I got up and walked over to him, settling down next to him.

"Hey boy," he said as he moved his hand to rub my head. I have to admit, it felt good. "You and Charcoal did a really awesome job the other day. Charcoal got to learn Metal Claw and you just outright beat that Onix with thise moves you did. It was so cool watching the two of you fight like that. I bet not many people have pokemon like I do." A small, happy laugh escaped from him, causing me to wag my tail in reply. I was glad Charcoal and I could make him happy. But then he kind of got a little serious. "But still, that was only the first gym. We still have seven more gyms to go through before we finally reached the Pokemon League."

"Right!" I said, my tail wagging furiously just by hearing that.

"Oh!" my trainer said. "You're excited to get to the Pokemon League too, aren't you?"

"I want to be the top!" I said. "Or more likely us."

"Well," my trainer said. "It's going to be a long journey. And I still have to catch at least four other pokemon so as to compete."

"You can do it!" I said excitedly.

"You think I can do it?" he asked.

"Of course you can," I said with a nod.

My trainer only chuckled and rubbed my head again. "Well, guess we'll just have to train hard then, won't we?"

"Right!" I said with a smile.

The next morning was the usual routine for all of us. We ate a hearty, healthy breakfast, packed up everything, in which it was only my trainer and Laura. Oh all right. Charcoal, Ted, and I helped out too. It must have been about mid-morning or so before we headed out again. "What's up with all these mountains?" I asked. "They all just seem to be everywhere. But then again, so do buildings and trees and grass and dirt and-"

"Your face is turning blue, Zack bro," Ted said. I breathed in deep and smiled.

"Thanks!" I said.

"So do you seriously not know where you are?" Charcoal asked.

"Not entirely," I replied. "All I know is that these are mountains."

"That's good," Charcoal said. "Because we are in fact within a mountain range. And to get to Cerulean, we have to pass through Mt. Moon."

"That's the name of this mountain," Ted said to me.

"Why's it called that anyway?" I asked after a moment of thinking it over.

"Basically Mt. Moon gets its name from the moon stones that lie around this area," Charcoal explained. "And the moon stone can help evolve certain pokemon who can't evolve at a certain level."

"Like what kind of pokemon?" I asked.

"Clefairy are one kind of example," Ted said. "However, there have been legends that the Clefairy all came from outer space riding in a moon stone the size of a house."

"Cool!" I said excitedly. "I want to see this moon stone!"

"Chill out, Zack bro," Ted said. "It's like I said, it's only a legend that has been told time and again throughout the centuries that have passed by."

"Yeah but what if the legend is real?" I asked. "We could have an entire Clefairy alien invasion!"

"Oh brother!" Charcoal muttered. "How gullible can you be, Zack? A legend's a legend. There's been no proof that it ever did come to pass, let alone there being a moon stone the size of a house. It's ridiculous."

"You just wait and see," I said. "I'll prove how wrong you are."

Ted only chuckled right before my master announced our arrival. "We're here," he said. "Mt. Moon."

"Yeah, yeah," Laura said. "Let's just get through this tunnel."

"What's the matter?" my master asked with a strange tone and a smirk. "You're not afraid of the dark, spooky cave now, are you?"

"Of course not!" Laura shouted back. "It's just that there could be pokemon lurking around waiting to jump us from behind and make a meal out of us. And I don't want to end up an afternoon snack!"

"That's why we have pokemon for," my master said. "They'll fend off any pokemon that attack us."

My attention was suddenly diverted to the entrance of the cave as my ears picked up a small, faint sound. I couldn't tell what the sound was at first, but I soon realized it was the sound of footsteps the moment a pink, stout creature came walking out from within the dark. "Hey guys!" I said pointing. "Check it out. Clefairy!"

"Huh?" both my master and Laura said in confusion as they turned their attention to what I was pointing at. "Hey look!" Laura said. "It's a Clefairy!"

"Hey!" I said. "I just said that."

"Why's there a Clefairy exposing itself out in broad daylight?" my master asked.

"Seems to me like there's something wrong with that Clefairy from the looks of things," Ted said.

"Nonsense," I said. "Maybe the Clefairy are peaceful creatures who are misunderstood."

"Which explains why it's dashing towards us bearing its teeth and claws," Charcoal said.

I turned as soon as Charcoal said that to see the Clefairy running straight for us, its claws sharp and pointed and its teeth beared, ready to bite. "Yeah," I said slowly as I was beginning to realize that my assumption on Clefairy may have been wrong.

"DIE!" the Clefairy shrieked, leaping right at me.