"Golden Shovel?"
Yozora froze. Wasn't this the same scam routine as the "Golden Magikarp"?
Wait a second.
He carefully studied the vendor in front of him—then suddenly realized this peddler looked almost exactly like the shady old man who tricked James in the original story.
"…Don't tell me it's the same guy." Yozora was speechless.
But in truth—
While Yozora was frowning and scrutinizing him, the peddler himself was panicking inside. Hey, hey, hey, don't stare at me like that! Could this kid be one of my "former customers" that I conned?
As the saying goes, an honest man fears no shadows, but a guilty heart trembles at a knock on the door.
And Yozora's guess was right—the man before him really was that same old con artist.
Years of swindling had earned him plenty of enemies. Now with Yozora's unblinking gaze fixed on him, his nerves were unraveling fast.
"Damn it… he must be someone I tricked before!"
His mind raced. With a snap decision, he shoved the golden shovel into Yozora's arms."Brother, I can tell we're destined to meet! This golden shovel—I'll give it to you, free of charge!"
As soon as he spoke, the old man bolted, packing up his stall in seconds and vanishing without a trace—leaving Yozora standing there dumbfounded.
"Well… I guess I just scored a free golden shovel." Yozora swung it twice experimentally before slinging it over his shoulder with a smirk.
Of course, he didn't believe for a second in the "golden" part. This was obviously just a regular shovel with a coat of gold paint.
Still—
Even an ordinary shovel was worth over a thousand yen at the foot of Mt. Moon. For Yozora, that meant saving enough money for a hearty meal.
…
Mt. Moon was riddled with caves.
Many of them were connected by underground tunnels, letting one traverse up, down, or even across the mountain to eventually reach Cerulean City.
The problem was—
Most caves were inhabited by wild Pokémon. For ordinary miners and travelers, stepping inside was far too dangerous.
But for Yozora, entering was inevitable.
As a Pokémon Trainer, encountering more species and capturing rare ones was a true calling in life. Mining was just a convenient side activity.
Besides, caves surely held more ore than the open slopes outside.
Carrying the golden shovel, and with Charmander by his side providing firelight, Yozora stepped straight into the darkness.
Almost immediately, a swarm of Zubat swooped toward them. But the moment Charmander roared, the bats veered sharply away.
After all—
Zubat were bloodsucking Pokémon. Human or Pokémon, once caught, they would drain their target dry.
This was the real world, not the sanitized fairy tale of a kids' cartoon. The bloodshed and cruelty here were very real.
Still, one thing was just as in the original world—
Humans here were incredibly resilient.
They didn't wield Pokémon powers, but physically they were just as tough. A Thunderbolt might hurt like hell, but it wouldn't kill them outright.
"Thanks, Charmander." Yozora rubbed his partner's head and pressed onward.
Every so often, he'd swing the shovel into the earth—but found nothing of value.
He didn't know how much time had passed before faint cries for help echoed from deeper inside.
Without hesitation, Yozora rushed toward the sound with Charmander at his side.
What he saw made his eyes widen. A young boy was surrounded by a cloud of Zubat, utterly trapped.
"Charmander, Flamethrower!"
Yozora gave the command instantly.
"Chaaaar!"
Flames roared through the cavern, scattering the Zubat in a panic.
"Haah…"
The pale-faced boy collapsed weakly to the ground, gasping. "Thank you… thank you for saving my life."
But Yozora shook his head, frowning. "Where's your Pokémon? Why didn't you battle the Zubat with them? If you're not a Trainer, you shouldn't be mining inside the caves at all—you should've stayed outside."
The boy sighed in despair. "My Pokémon were stolen by thieves…"
Yozora blinked. "Thieves?"
The boy nodded. "Yeah. Just up ahead. Two strange guys in black uniforms—they called themselves Team Rocket!"
"Team Rocket…"
Yozora's expression froze. Could it be Jessie and James? He asked quickly: "Were they with a Meowth? A Meowth that can talk?"
The boy looked bewildered and shook his head. "No… nothing like that."
"So not them, then. Just other Team Rocket grunts…"
Yozora's eyes darkened. Then he said firmly, "Come on. I'll help you get your Pokémon back."
Yozora's life had been a hard one.
His father, a police officer, died in the line of duty. His mother, devastated by the loss, wasted away and passed when he was nine.
From then on, Yozora grew up despising evil with all his heart.
Team Rocket scum like this—if fate put them in his path, there was no way he would let them walk free.
…
He and the boy advanced cautiously. Soon, at the mouth of a stone passage, they found the culprits.
Two men in black uniforms, a large red "R" emblazoned front and back—Team Rocket, without a doubt.
At their sides were a Zubat and a Raticate, though neither looked very strong, just mid-level Pokémon at best.
"Hey, kid!" one of them jeered. "This passage belongs to Team Rocket now! If you want through, pay us a Moon Stone toll, hahaha!"
"And that Charmander of yours looks real nice too. Tell you what—we'll take it off your hands!"
Their laughter rang out as they sent Zubat and Raticate forward.
"Tch. Villains in this world really don't mess around… Or maybe you're just too stupid, being bottom-rung grunts?" Yozora sneered.
"Hahaha! Cocky brat! You dare mock the mighty Team Rocket? Fine, I'll show you the cruelty of this world! Go, Raticate—use Hyper Fang!"
"Raaaticaaate!"
The rodent lunged with its massive fangs bared, aiming straight for Yozora's throat.
So they really did order their Pokémon to attack humans directly. Truly Team Rocket.
But before it could strike, Charmander darted in front of Yozora.
With a fiery surge, flames erupted around its right fist.
Fire Punch!
With a resounding crack, Charmander's blazing fist smashed straight into Raticate's jaws, shattering its two prized fangs.
A scream tore through the cavern as Raticate was hurled backward, crashing violently into the stone wall.
…
…
(End of Chapter)