Chapter 12: Bat Pokémon, Danger Warning!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
At the foot of Mt. Moon.
The trio from the First Generation was traveling at a leisurely pace.
"Mt. Moon is an undisputed, idyllic paradise with simple and honest folk. At this time of year, large groups of tourists come here to visit. The mysterious Moon Stone is also hidden here, making it a great place for treasure hunting."
As a man whose Hometown was right next to Mt. Moon, Brock was sharing his knowledge.
"Once we cross this mountain path, we'll reach Cerulean City. Ash, didn't you want to challenge a Gym? There's a Cerulean Gym right there."
Ash nodded, wishing he could sprout wings and fly over for a Gym Challenge right this instant.
However, as they walked, Ash felt a chilling wind at his back, and the surroundings became incredibly gloomy.
Looking around, even as they neared the Cave entrance, they hadn't seen a single soul.
Could this be a tourist spot in the Underworld?
Can we get something for the living, please?
The three of them noticed a Wooden Sign.
"Warning: A large number of Zubat have recently appeared. Please be careful while climbing the mountain."
"Zubat?"
The three were stunned, especially Brock and Misty.
Their hometowns were both adjacent to Mt. Moon. Pokémon like Zubat were indeed common in caves, but for them to be so numerous as to warrant a Notice Board was rare.
"We'll be fine if we're just careful. Zubat don't usually attack Humans on their own," Brock said.
"True."
"Makes sense."
And so, the three of them relaxed and continued on their way.
Upon entering the Mt. Moon Cave, they found a Large Light Bulb lit up every few meters, all to fully leverage the area's Tourism Industry. This certainly saved them the trouble of a Flash TM.
However, this man-made brightness had undoubtedly destroyed the original ecosystem.
The Pokémon adapted to the darkness, in particular, had clearly been hit hard.
"Perhaps this is the reason for the Zubat rampage," Brock analyzed.
Hearing this, Ash nodded as well. "You've got a point."
As the three walked through the Cave, they suddenly heard a miserable scream from up ahead, along with the chaotic sound of flapping wings, which was exceptionally jarring in the quiet Cave.
Always one for excitement, Ash immediately took the lead and ran over.
In a corner of the Cave, a young man in a white Lab Coat was being attacked by several Zubat. The situation was critical.
Seeing someone approach, the man in the Lab Coat immediately cried for help:
"Righteous passersby, please save me!"
Hearing this, a jolt went through Ash; he was moved by the word "righteous."
"Since you have requested with such sincerity, I shall graciously save you! Pikachu, use 10,000 Volts!"
Pikachu leaped from his shoulder, its body transforming into a bolt of agile Lightning as it charged forward. It unleashed a 10,000 Volts attack on the rampaging Zubat.
A low-spec Thunderbolt.
A flash of electricity shot through them, giving the swarm of Zubat a nice jolt.
"Bzzzt…"
Of course, the man in the Lab Coat also enjoyed a round of Electrotherapy.
He wouldn't have been able to withstand a full Thunderbolt.
After the flash of light, the Zubat all went limp, their bodies scorched black, and were about to flap their wings and flee.
"Now's the chance, Poké Ball!"
A cold glint appeared in Brock's squinting eyes. With swift hands and sharp eyes, he threw out a Poké Ball, perfectly targeting the Zubat with the largest eyes.
*Clink. Clink. Clink!*
The red light flashed, and after three shakes, it signaled that the large-eyed Zubat had been successfully caught.
"Well, I'll be!"
Anxious at the sight, Ash quickly reached for his waist, posturing to Catch a squinty-eyed Zubat himself. But he accidentally bumped the Pokedex next to it.
"Pokedex Beep. Zubat, the Bat Pokémon. Not edible. Danger warning!! Danger warning!!"
The Pokedex even flashed an alarming red light as if a major Crisis had occurred.
Ash: "???"
Because of the Pokedex's interruption, by the time Ash pulled out a Poké Ball, the swarm of Zubat had vanished.
"Damn it!"
He could only retract his Poké Ball in frustration, glaring at Brock, who was flashing a pearly-white smile. He was fuming.
"Is this your Rock Will? Secretly catching a Zubat? How laughable."
Ash couldn't help but jeer.
Brock laughed and replied:
"Oh, Rock Will is an ancestral tradition. I have plenty of younger brothers who can inherit the Rock Will. Being a Breeder is my true Willpower!"
"Oh, well, misunderstanding cleared up then."
"Yep, we're all bros."
Misty: "..."
Was this how manly men conversed? She didn't understand a single word.
With the Zubat gone, the young man who had undergone the 10,000 Volts Electrotherapy finally rubbed his head and groggily woke up. Seeing the three of them, he quickly expressed his gratitude.
"Thank you all for saving me. All my Pokemon lost their Combat Capability, and then I ran into these rampaging Zubat. I almost lost my life here."
"Losing all your combat capability to just a few Zubat… you're really something."
It was unclear which of the three had whispered that.
The young man in the Lab Coat pretended not to hear and continued his introduction:
"Hello, my name is Richuan Gangban. I'm a Fossil enthusiast."
Mt. Moon not only held the rare Moon Stone, but one could also occasionally dig up an Ancient Fossil. It truly was a premier tourist destination.
"Oh? So did you find any Fossils?" Ash asked curiously.
The fossil man, Richuan Gangban, nodded and said with a smile:
"I've already dug up two Ancient Fossils. To repay you for saving my life just now, I've decided to give one to you."
As he spoke, he took two Fossils out of his Backpack.
The trio's interest was immediately piqued, and they all crowded around for a look.
One was shaped like a smooth stone, while the other had a spiral shape. Both were a dingy yellow, clearly ancient artifacts.
"Hey Brock, you don't even have your Rock Will anymore. Maybe you shouldn't look. Be careful your ancestors don't visit you in your dreams tonight."
Ash couldn't resist saying.
"It's fine. My brothers aren't adults yet. I'm a man possessed of a dual will right now."
Pewter City had its own Fossil Museum, so he had some understanding of Fossils. His eyes widened, and after careful observation, he said:
"My blind guess is that these are a Dome Fossil and a Helix Fossil, right?"
"Really? This one looks like a poop Fossil to me."
Ash pointed at the spiral-shaped Fossil.
Now that he mentioned it, the spiral protrusion did look a bit like that. Even Brock began to have his doubts and couldn't help asking:
"Mr. Hikawa, you didn't actually dig up a poop Fossil, did you?"
"Impossible! This is a pure Helix Fossil! At a major museum, they could even use special equipment to revive this Fossil into an Ancient Pokémon!"
Richuan Gangban laid out the two Fossils in a row, presenting them to Ash.
"Choose, my savior."
Ash didn't hesitate, immediately picking up the Dome Fossil, which had a reasonably decent shape.
"In that case, I'll take this one!"
He weighed it in his hand; it was surprisingly heavy.
It would be excellent to use as a Hidden Weapon for a Sucker Punch against Team Rocket in the future.
After the friendly transaction, the fossil man hurried away along the Path they had come from, planning to take this opportunity to rush to the museum in Pewter City and see if he could revive an Ancient Pokémon.
"Congratulations, Ash. Maybe you'll really obtain an Ancient Pokémon in the future."
Every Ancient Pokémon was a rare species. Whether they still existed today was a matter of debate even in Academia.
Carrying the Primal Bloodline passed down directly from ancient times, the Power and bodies of Ancient Pokémon were much greater than those of normal Pokemon, and their temperaments were far more savage.
"I'll take that as a blessing."
The trio set off once more, continuing deeper into the Mt. Moon Cave.
Before long, about halfway down the mountain Path, they suddenly discovered a hidden cave entrance to the side, with a Wooden Sign stuck in the ground.
"Mt. Moon's Official Designated Clefairy Shop. Turn left and go 50 meters ahead. Welcome."
Though it seemed out of place, the three of them were tired from walking anyway, so they decided to go to this little shop to rest.
Mt. Moon Square.
"So there was a clearing like this inside Mt. Moon?"
Misty couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
They were surrounded by steep rock walls, but the place where they stood was like an oasis, seeming exceptionally isolated.
The area wasn't very large. Aside from a patch of Grassland not far away, there was only a small shop. On the shop's sign was a drawing of a cute and innocent Pink Devil.
"Is that the Clefairy Shop? Let's go over and rest for a bit."
Without hesitation, the three entered the shop.
"Welcome~~ Everything in this shop is free~~"
Just as they stepped inside, a listless shout came from the counter.
The voice was soft, probably belonging to a cute girl.
She was a young girl wearing a white Sun Hat, which had a Poké Ball pattern on its brim. Her head was completely hidden by the Hat, and she was slumped over the counter, dozing off.
"Seed, seed~"
Next to her lay a Bulbasaur, looking as wilted as if it desperately needed fertilizing.