The chapter opens with Dango, his Axew perched on his shoulder, and Maylin walking through the dimly lit corridors of Mt. Moon. The cave echoes with the sound of trainers passing by, most of them here for Rock or Ground-type Pokémon. But Dango and Maylin's mission is much more urgent: they're on the hunt for the rare Nepapa flower, which holds the key to saving Elekid, the Pokémon who had once saved Dango's life.
The duo makes their way toward one of the three locations marked on the map—a place where the flower had bloomed years ago. They walk for hours, not pausing to catch any wild Pokémon, all of Dango's focus on finding the flower. Maylin, alongside her Drillbur, and Dango's Axew, all help scour the cave. But after a long search, they find nothing.
Dango calls back his Staravia and prepares to move on, Axew at his side. Maylin, weary and with Drillbur beside her, asks how much farther they have to go. Dango glances at the map and answers that they've got about an hour of travel left—maybe 30 minutes if they run. Maylin hesitates and then asks if they could take a break, the importance of rest clear in her voice. But Dango, visibly frustrated, brushes off her suggestion. He insists she rest while he continues the search. Without waiting for her to respond, he strides ahead, determined to find the flower on his own. Maylin calls after him, telling him to wait, but Dango doesn't stop.
Meanwhile, in Cerulean City, we find Rose inside the Pokémon Centre, waiting as her team gets treated. Her newly evolved Treecko—now a Grovyle—alongside Pikachu and her newest addition, a Rookidee. After Nurse Joy returns them to her, she steps outside and releases all three Pokémon. She sits on a nearby bench as her Pokémon play together, with Grovyle clearly taking a leadership role, bossing the others around.
Rose leans forward, trying to strategise her next attempt at beating Misty—this would be her seventh try. She thinks aloud, noting that if she could just find a Thunder Stone and evolve her Pikachu into a Raichu, then Misty's Golduck wouldn't be such a problem.
She reflects on her past losses, recognising that she always gets through Misty's first two Pokémon with ease, but as soon as Golduck enters the battle, her whole team crumbles. Frustrated, she wonders aloud how her Uncle Blue ever managed to defeat Misty.
Female voice: "It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that."
Rose quickly turns to see a woman, Misty, now 36, approaching with her Golduck by her side. Rose jumps with a start, and her Pokémon quickly take a defensive stance, but she calms them down. Rose crosses her arms, asking what Misty wants and telling her she doesn't need her pity. Misty simply sits beside her, answering Rose's earlier question about Blue.
Misty: "It was about 23 years ago. Blue walked into the Gym, smug as ever—and rightfully so. When he faced me..."
A flashback begins, showing a fierce battle from two decades ago. Blue, standing confidently with his Wartortle, faced Misty's final Pokémon—her Starmie. The fight was intense, each move calculated and powerful. It came down to the wire, but Blue's Wartortle ended the match with a well-timed Mega Punch, knocking out Starmie and claiming victory on his first attempt. Blue took his badge and, with his signature arrogance, waved goodbye.
Blue: "Smell ya later."
The flashback fades, and Misty stands up to leave. As she does, she casually mentions two strange men near the Route 4 exit from Mt. Moon. According to her, they've been arguing for years over whether Mega Punch or Mega Kick is the better move. They'll each give out a TM to those who choose a side, but you can only pick one. Misty suggests Rose check it out. Inspired, Rose rises from the bench, newly determined to have one of her Pokémon learn one of the powerful moves. Night had fallen, and Rose knew she should probably spend the night at the Pokémon Centre. She recalled her Pokémon and headed inside.
Back at Mt. Moon, Dango was still on the move—his eyes heavy with exhaustion—searching the second location on the map. His Staravia and Axew flanked him, tirelessly assisting. Maylin approached him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to convince him to rest. But Dango snapped—he shoved her to the ground and shouted at her to be quiet. He told her that if she wasn't going to help, she should just leave.
Maylin stood up slowly, visibly hurt. Even Dango's Pokémon looked stunned by his outburst.
Maylin: "Fine then. Maybe I was wrong about you."
She turned and walked away, disappearing into the cave's shadows. Dango watched her leave with a flicker of regret in his eyes, wanting to call her back but knowing his time was short. He told himself he'd apologise later.
Hours passed. Dango kept digging and searching, but still found nothing. That left only one remaining location on the map. He hurried there, exhausted, and eventually collapsed onto the ground. His eyes shut against his will. Axew and Staravia looked at one another and chose not to wake him, letting him sleep at last.
Dango woke the next morning to find his Pokémon curled up beside him. With a clearer mind and guilt sinking in, he reflected on how poorly he had treated Maylin. He promised to apologise the next time he saw her. He returned his Pokémon to their balls, thanking them and telling them they deserved to rest.
He made his way to the final marked location, only to find someone already there. It was a cave explorer named Cane—friendly enough on the surface. Cane explained he was also searching for the Nepapa flower but had no intention of taking it, claiming he only wanted to see it for himself.
Still cautious, Dango released Axew just in case. As they both searched, hours turned into more than a day. Then, finally, after 1 day and 12 hours in Mt. Moon, Dango found it. The Nepapa flower, golden and glowing. Overjoyed, Dango prepared to head back to the Centre, estimating the trip would take three hours—plenty of time to save Elekid.
But then he looked back and saw Cane still sifting through rocks. Dango could've left him searching in vain, but something compelled him to offer closure. He walked over and showed Cane the flower.
Cane's eyes lit up. He asked to take a few pictures, which Dango allowed. After taking them, Cane then asked if he could hold the flower. Dango didn't let him, pulling the flower away and bidding him goodbye.
As Dango turned his back and began to walk off with Axew, he suddenly heard the sound of several Poké Balls hitting the ground behind him. He spun around to see Cane grinning wickedly, standing behind five Geodude and a Graveler.
Cane: "Come on, kid. Just let me see the flower one more time."
Dango glared back, cold and unwavering, before tossing out his Staravia.
Dango: "Fuck no."
It became clear that Cane had been lying. He admitted as much, saying he'd waited his whole life for the flower to bloom, and he wouldn't let a kid walk away with it. He was ready to do whatever it took to claim it—even kill. Then his eyes flicked toward Axew.
Cane: "That Axew… It's shiny, isn't it? I think I'll take that too."
Dango just smirked as Axew and Staravia stepped forward, ready to battle Cane's rock-type squad. Meanwhile, hidden behind a nearby pillar, Maylin and her Drillbur watched silently. She hadn't left after all, worried about Dango and choosing to stay close. And now, watching Cane's betrayal unfold, she waited for the perfect moment to strike.
With a loud yell, Cane commands his Pokémon to attack, and Dango responds in kind. Two of the Geodudes launch themselves toward Staravia. With a sharp screech, Staravia spins midair, using Gust to whip up a powerful tornado of wind that knocks the Geodudes back. But the other three Geodudes leap forward, grabbing Staravia and yanking him down hard. The two Geodudes on the ground slam into him with a powerful dual Mega Punch, sending him flying into the cave ceiling with a shockwave.
Staravia drops like a comet, his wings flaring as he struggles to stay airborne. Meanwhile, Axew faces off against the Graveler. The Ground-type attempts a punch, but Axew leaps high into the air, launching Dragon Rages midflight. Explosions erupt, cloaking the battlefield in thick smoke. Axew hovers back, waiting for his next move, only for Graveler's hand to shoot out from the fog, grabbing Axew and slamming him down hard onto the ground. Cracks spiderweb beneath Axew.
The ground trembles as Graveler starts hammering down on the tiny Dragon. Cane shouts at his Pokémon to avoid seriously injuring Axew. Graveler lifts Axew by the scruff, and despite the Axew's attempts to spit out a Dragon Rage, Graveler forces his mouth shut, causing the blast to explode in his own face. Axew twitches, struggling to move. Dango is horrified—his Pokémon are moving sluggishly. That's when it hits him—they haven't had any rest.
Graveler picks up two massive boulders, aiming to crush Axew with them. Dango shouts for Staravia, who tries to swoop in, but the Geodudes tackle him mid-flight, dragging him to the ground. Graveler raises the boulders, ready to smash Axew, but Dango charges at the Ground-type, throwing his fists into its side. He's thrown back with a brutal blow. Struggling to his feet, Dango sees Graveler winding up for the finishing strike.
Dango screams, but before the attack can land, the ground suddenly explodes. Drillbur bursts from the earth, spinning like a drill and landing a sharp, clean Metal Claw on Graveler, sending it crashing onto its back.
Cane: "WHAT!"
Drillbur quickly grabs Axew, pulling him out of harm's way. Dango, recognizing the familiar Pokémon, looks toward a nearby pillar. He spots Maylin, standing there, ready for action. Maylin calls out a Rock Slide, and rocks rain down on the Geodudes, freeing Staravia from their grip. The bird Pokémon lands beside Dango, still a little battered, but determined.
Dango opens his mouth to apologise, but Maylin silences him with a raised hand. She pulls him up, and as they stand side by side, ready for whatever comes next, the Geodudes help Graveler back to its feet. The tension builds—Dango and Maylin are still outnumbered, with only their Pokémon standing between them and Cane's forces.
Dango quickly sprays some potion on both Axew and Staravia, healing them before tucking the precious flower into his pocket. Maylin and Dango shout for their Pokémon to attack, ending the Chapter.
To Be Continued!