c7: Mt. Moon, Fire Rock
After spending two full days navigating through the densely wooded Viridian Forest, Alex finally emerged from its shadowy depths into the bright open expanse outside.
Taming a Pidgeotto along the way had certainly paid off it wasn't just for battle anymore. With its keen sense of direction and aerial perspective, Alex no longer had to worry about getting hopelessly lost in the woods. His past troubles as a "walking compass failure" were finally behind him.
He pulled out his Pokédex a sleek device gifted to him by Professor Oak and opened the digital map to confirm his current location.
Just beyond the mossy, dark canopy of Viridian Forest was the rugged Mt. Moon range. His next destination. Once through the caverns of Mt. Moon, his journey would lead him straight to Cerulean City, home of the renowned Sensational Sisters Violet, Lily, and Daisy who were not only the Gym Leaders of the city but also famous water ballet performers. The thought of their elegant battles and the vibrant aquatic choreography caused Alex's heart to race with excitement. The three sisters were known for their charm, grace, and undeniable beauty each one possessing a different but equally mesmerizing appeal that dazzled audiences.
After trekking for a while, Alex finally laid eyes on the towering silhouette of Mt. Moon ahead of him. According to the anime and manga, this mountain range was a hotspot for Moon Stones, mysterious evolutionary rocks that had fallen from space long ago. There was even an account of a giant, high-purity Moon Stone witnessed during a rare celestial event, attracting attention from trainers, researchers, and treasure hunters alike. Many sought it most failed. Over time, the tales were dismissed as local legend, and the search waned.
But Alex, who had studied both the anime episodes and Pokémon Adventures manga closely, knew the truth. Somewhere deep within Mt. Moon was a hidden chamber protected by a tribe of Clefairy and Clefable, who held a deep reverence for the Moon Stone's power.
As Alex pressed forward, he spotted an opening in the rocky face of the mountain an arch-like cave entrance around two meters high. Judging by the unnatural smoothness of the surrounding stone walls, Alex suspected this wasn't a natural formation. Perhaps someone had excavated it, hoping to uncover the ultimate Moon Stone treasure hidden within Mt. Moon's core.
But a lingering question gnawed at him: if the rumors of Mt. Moon had already been circulating for decades, why were people still coming back?
Alex entered cautiously. Inside, the cave was pitch black, the darkness wrapping around him like a cloak. Chilly gusts of wind occasionally funneled through the tunnels, bringing with them the eerie cries of Zubat and Golbat that echoed from deeper within. The high-pitched screeches bounced off the stone walls, casting an ominous aura.
Switching on his flashlight, Alex illuminated the damp, uneven path ahead. The beam danced across jagged rocks and uneven surfaces as he slowly made his way forward.
Despite walking for what felt like a good ten minutes, the tunnel showed no signs of ending. It was astonishing—whoever carved out this subterranean path had to have been both determined and well-equipped.
Suddenly, the stone floor beneath Alex cracked and shifted. Without warning, a Sandshrew burst from the loose gravel with startling speed, aiming to ambush him.
Reacting swiftly, Alex pulled out a Poké Ball and called out, "Charizard—go!"
A flash of red light erupted, revealing the towering, fire-breathing dragon.
"Charizard, use Dragon Claw!" Alex commanded.
Green energy crackled along Charizard's claws as it lunged forward. With one powerful swipe, it launched Sandshrew through the air, sending it crashing into the rocky wall with a dull thud. The Ground-type Pokémon slumped over, unconscious.
"Trying to catch me off guard? Not today," Alex muttered with a smirk, brushing dust off his sleeve.
Then, from somewhere deeper within the tunnel, a voice rang out. "Who's there?"
Alex turned toward the sound, his muscles tensing slightly.
A young man in a white research coat, likely from the Pewter Museum of Science, emerged from the shadows, his gaze cautious and probing. He eyed Alex warily, clearly not expecting to encounter anyone else this deep in the mountain.
"I'm a Trainer on a journey. I passed by and saw a cave, so I came in to take a look," Alex said calmly.
The man's expression softened slightly upon hearing this and offered a smile. "Oh, I see. A Trainer, huh? We're researchers from the Pewter City Pokémon Research Station. We're here conducting fieldwork."
"Researchers from Pewter?" Alex echoed with a puzzled look. As far as he remembered, there wasn't any known research outpost nearby aside from Bill's Lighthouse along Route 25, near Cerulean. Pewter had the Museum of Science, but not an official laboratory of this scale operating out of Mt. Moon.
Suspicion rose in Alex's heart, but he maintained an innocent expression and feigned admiration. "Wow, researchers from Pewter City? That sounds amazing!"
The man's slight smirk hinted that he had let down his guard. So just a rookie trainer, he thought. No need to worry he's not from the Pokémon League. Still, this rookie had taken down his Sandshrew, so he wasn't completely incompetent.
"Would it be alright if I visited your research base?" Alex continued, still acting curious and harmless.
"Uh... sure. Just, uh, keep it quiet, okay?" The man seemed a little flustered but nodded.
"Of course," Alex replied, inwardly smirking. Let's see what secrets you're hiding. If you're some Rocket-style operation, I might just blow the whistle and cash in on that League bounty. I'm running low on funds anyway.
Following the man through a series of dim tunnels, Alex eventually emerged into a vast underground cavern. The place was illuminated by dozens of mounted industrial lights, bathing the area in a harsh white glow.
Coming straight from the darkness, the intense light momentarily blinded him. Once his eyes adjusted, Alex noticed several people bustling about, working with various devices and large machinery. It was far more high-tech than any simple geological survey.
A stern-looking middle-aged man strode over, glaring at the researcher who brought Alex. "Why did you bring a kid here?" he asked coldly.
The man leaned in and whispered something into his ear. After a brief exchange, both men chuckled softly.
"Haha, welcome. I'm the director here. You can call me Qingli," the man said with an overly warm smile.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Alex. What kind of research are you conducting?"
"We're studying the ecosystem of Pokémon in Mt. Moon. The natural habitat here is rich in Ground and Rock types, so we relocated part of our lab to conduct long-term observation."
Alex smiled, but inwardly scoffed. Sandshrew, Geodude, Diglett Pokémon like that have been cataloged for years. No legitimate lab would relocate underground just to study species this common. They're hiding something.
He scanned the room everyone looked tense, focused on instruments, as if searching for something specific. Alex silently took mental notes.
"Alex, come this way," Qingli gestured warmly, leading him to a sealed-off section in the back.
What awaited him was a massive machine setup two towering cylindrical antennae wired into an intricate detection array. A chilling hum of power ran through the air.
One look, and Alex knew. They were searching for the giant Moon Stone said to be worshipped by the Clefairy and Clefable tribes native to Mt. Moon, just like in the Pokémon Adventures manga.
Suddenly, a thunderous explosion rocked the cavern.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" came a voice from the chaos.
Bursting through the entry tunnel were Ash, Misty, Brock, and a clearly panicked Clefairy.
Alex blinked. Ash?! What is he doing here?
"They broke containment!" Qingli shouted in fury as the machine behind him exploded, sparks flying. Alex shielded his face from the blast wind.
"Alex? What are you doing here?" Ash called out, visibly confused.
"I saw some suspicious activity and decided to check it out," Alex answered, brushing dust off his shirt.
"These guys are from Team Fire Rock. They're a rogue group that captures rare Pokémon and causes chaos. They've attacked several habitats already!" Ash explained.
So that's it—Team Fire Rock, a group mentioned only once or twice in obscure media, but now clearly active. They weren't in the original anime much, but in this world, they were real and dangerous.
"What about you guys?" Alex asked.
"We were hiking Mt. Moon and met this Clefairy," Ash said. "But Fire Rock ambushed us. We lost and got captured. Pikachu stole a key from one of the grunts and helped us break out."
Qingli's face darkened. "Tch. So much for secrecy. Kawamura told me your Charizard had potential. I wanted to study it maybe even use it. Looks like that plan's over."
He raised a Poké Ball. "Go! Houndoom, use Dark Pulse!"
"Let's go, Garchomp! Use Dragon Rage!" Alex shouted.
Garchomp roared as it launched a searing blast of blue draconic energy, overpowering Houndoom in a single strike and slamming it against the wall.
"A Garchomp?! Such a rare and powerful Pokémon… it should belong to me! Everyone, attack!" Qingli snarled.
The Fire Rock grunts released their Pokémon in waves: Nidoking, Crobat, Infernape, Fearow, Rapidash, Scyther, and Butterfree all appeared, snarling and ready.
"What do we do?" Misty gasped, her voice tight. "There's too many!"
Brock growled, "We need to regroup. We can't win head-on like this!"
Qingli's laughter echoed through the chamber. "Run? You think you can run? You've seen too much. You all die here today! This is your grave!"
Alex's gaze sharpened. "No. I think today is your end," he said coldly.
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