"What terrifying power… Onix's Rampage was completely stopped in its tracks! Just how strong was that telekinesis?" Misty shot to her feet, eyes wide with shock.
Beside her, Ash and Pikachu were just as stunned, staring in disbelief.
Ash clenched his fists with envy. If only my Pokémon could wield such strength…
"Onix, move! Come on, break free!" Brock shouted, his voice filled with desperation.
"Rrrghhh…"
Of course Onix wanted to move, but its massive body was bound tight, every attempt only making its pain worse.
"That's enough."
Yozora gave a satisfied smile and snapped his fingers with flourish. "Psyduck, finish it off with Water Gun!"
"Pshhh—!"
Psyduck obeyed instantly, spraying a powerful stream of water that struck Onix squarely on the head. The Rock Snake Pokémon let out a pained roar as its massive body collapsed backward, slamming to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.
Yozora could have commanded Hydro Pump to end things more spectacularly, but there was no need.
This wasn't a game—it was the real world. There was no such thing as "PP."
Every special move a Pokémon used drained its stamina directly. The stronger the move, the heavier the toll.
In Yozora's judgment, Psyduck wasn't yet at the level where it could freely unleash Hydro Pump without consequence.
The battle ended. Brock quietly recalled Onix into its Poké Ball, his mind reeling.
He had been serving as the acting Gym Leader here for years. In that time, he had fulfilled his role faithfully—like an immovable mountain, he posed challenges and trials for aspiring Trainers, pushing them to grow stronger.
That was the duty of a Gym Leader.
Yet he never imagined he would be defeated so completely…
Against Yozora, he had been utterly powerless.
What made it worse was the truth staring him in the face: Yozora was just a Rookie Trainer who had only started his journey a month ago!
Brock drew in a long breath, steadied himself, then walked toward Yozora with a smile.
"Yozora, for a Rookie, your strength shines like a comet in the night sky."
From his pocket, he withdrew a gray-colored badge and placed it in Yozora's hand. "Congratulations. This is proof you've conquered the Pewter Gym—the Boulder Badge!"
Yozora accepted it with both hands, thanking him earnestly. At that very moment, the familiar system chime rang in his ears—
Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the Achievement Quest: 'The Rookie's First Step.' All of your Pokémon gain +1 Ability Slot!
Now issuing new Achievement Quest: 'Regional Elite.' Requirement: Participate in the Kanto League's Indigo Plateau Conference and reach at least the quarterfinals.
Reward: All of your Pokémon gain +1 Ability Slot!
Yozora's heart stirred. With this, every Pokémon under his care now had three ability slots.
Beedrill, whose bond with him had reached its maximum, possessed an extra slot on top of that—bringing it to four in total.
The group stepped out of the Pewter Gym.
Ash knew that now Yozora had won the Boulder Badge, he likely wouldn't linger in the city. "Yozora, are you leaving already?"
Yozora nodded. "Yes. My next destination is Cerulean City, to challenge the Cerulean Gym. What about you, Ash?"
"…"
At the mention of the Cerulean Gym, Misty's shoulders gave the faintest tremble.
"I'll stay here to continue my training. If I fall, I'll rise again in the very place I stumbled!" Ash declared with determination.
"Well said."
"Then, Ash, Misty—until next time."
Patting Ash on the shoulder, Yozora bid them farewell and set off once more on his journey.
Two days later, Yozora arrived at Mt. Moon.
According to the map, once he crossed this mountain, he would reach Cerulean City.
Mt. Moon was famous for its wild Clefairy and the frequent meteor showers that rained down upon it. Over time, those fallen stars transformed into Moon Stones.
Moon Stones were one type among the many evolutionary stones.
In this world, most Pokémon evolved naturally—through time, gaining experience, or emotional surges. That was natural evolution.
But some Pokémon couldn't evolve that way. They required special conditions: a bond of affection with their Trainer, knowledge of certain moves, reaching specific locations, or touching evolution-inducing items.
Take Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀. They could evolve naturally into Nidorino and Nidorina. But from there, they couldn't advance on their own.
Only a Moon Stone could evolve them into Nidoking and Nidoqueen.
Evolutionary stones were divided into three grades: inferior, standard, and supreme.
An inferior stone merely enabled evolution.
A standard stone not only allowed evolution but also awakened hidden potential, strengthening the Pokémon.
A supreme stone went even further. Beyond evolution and potential awakening, it could expand a Pokémon's very limits—raising its ceiling for talent itself. A terrifying gift, remolding the Pokémon from within.
Naturally, their market prices reflected these differences.
Take the Moon Stone, for example. An inferior one sold for around 100,000.
A standard Moon Stone reached a million.
A supreme Moon Stone? Tens of millions—and even then, it was priceless. The most recent transaction was an astonishing fifteen million.
The leap in price was astronomical.
But it was no mystery—supreme stones were both powerful and exceedingly rare.
Of course, even 100,000 for an inferior Moon Stone was no small sum.
And so, Mt. Moon had long drawn Trainers and treasure hunters alike, eager to mine for fortune.
It was said that, on occasion, lucky diggers unearthed fossils here too. Each fossil fetched a minimum of a million.
At the foot of Mt. Moon, Yozora was surprised to find the place bustling with life. Stalls lined the path, selling everything from food to helmets and shovels for excavation.
The entire area looked more like a noisy marketplace than a mountain trail.
Yozora chuckled to himself. So this was the reality. No mention of this in the anime.
Where there were people, there was business. And where there was business, there was a market.
"Young man! Interested in a shovel? I've got a golden heirloom shovel right here! With it, I guarantee your mining yield will skyrocket!"
Yozora had barely stepped near one stall before the vendor rushed over, whispering mysteriously into his ear.
(End of Chapter)