Under Yuuji's lead, a large group of trainers suddenly seemed to find their anchor.
But don't assume these trainers were all obedient little angels.
Being a Pokémon trainer these days was far from safe. Every year, many trainers died in the wild from unexpected encounters with dangerous Pokémon. Anyone who dared to become a trainer had at least a spark of adventurous spirit.
The reason they had only debated with those Mining Association workers before, instead of rushing in, was simple: they lacked the strength.
Now, with Nozomi—a clearly skilled and powerful trainer—stepping forward as their leader, the trainers were eager to press forward and show these Mining Association goons what real strength looked like.
For a moment, with Nozomi at the front and Onix forming a living barricade, dozens of trainers stared at the few Mining Association workers ahead of them, forming an awe-inspiring scene.
"We…"
The workers being stared down felt their scalps tingle.
They had orders from above: not a single person was allowed into the tunnel. But who could have anticipated this situation?
Especially the trainer commanding that Onix—where had this prodigy appeared from? He looked barely fifteen or sixteen, yet he had an Onix! Was he perhaps a scion of some prominent family within the League?
Thinking this, the workers exchanged glances.
Continuing to block the way was impossible. With the trainer's strength, even if they tried, they couldn't stop him.
Better to let them pass and report the situation later than risk pointless casualties.
With this in mind, the pressure from Onix no longer felt quite so overwhelming.
"Go ahead… but don't blame us if you run into trouble," they warned, offering their last words of caution.
Hearing this, a few trainers hesitated.
But who was Nozomi? He smiled lightly and said, "Don't worry. Even if the tunnel collapses—or even if this mountain had no tunnel at all—my Onix could carve one out without breaking a sweat."
At his words, the Mining Association workers stiffened.
What frustrated them most was that there was no room to argue. They knew he was right. Even if Mt. Moon had no tunnel, an Onix could force one through.
After all, the tunnel from Pewter City to Cerulean City was expanded based on one originally dug by an Onix.
Seeing the once-arrogant workers fall silent and clear the way, the long-suppressed trainers finally lifted their heads in triumph, following Nozomi into the tunnel.
Once the last trainer disappeared from view, the workers huddled together.
"What do we do? The mission from above is ruined."
"What can we do? Did you see the look in that Onix's eyes just now? If we'd dared to stop them, it would have attacked immediately. If things escalate to the police, our identities wouldn't hold up under scrutiny."
"Should we notify the captain?"
"We have no choice… Hopefully, the captain won't be too harsh with us."
With grim faces, the workers dialed a number.
…
Inside the Mt. Moon tunnel, Nozomi had no idea that the moment he stepped in, news of his intrusion was already being reported to the higher-ups.
Of course, he didn't care.
He hadn't planned to hide it.
He had thousands of ways to sneak into Mt. Moon undetected, yet he chose the bluntest method: barging in. Why?
For the trainers behind him.
One person alone couldn't take on a group of Team Rocket members. He had less than six Pokémon, and even with Onix and Metagross, he couldn't cover everything.
But with the trainers behind him—and Officer Jenny from Pewter City, already en route—everything changed.
Even if these trainers weren't very strong, they could help hold off a portion of Team Rocket. That would make the rest easy for him to handle.
As he moved forward, Nozomi noticed something unusual about the tunnel.
"Boss… did you notice this tunnel feels… too quiet?" Yuuji whispered from the side.
"I've passed through Mt. Moon's tunnel a few times before," Yuuji continued, "and while wild Pokémon weren't exactly common, it's never been completely empty like this."
"Don't call me 'boss.' I have a name—Nozomi."
Privately, it felt a little flattering to be called "boss," but in public, it was awkward.
"Alright, Nozomi-boss," Yuuji said, going along with it.
Much better.
"You noticed it too, huh? But I see more than that," Nozomi said, stopping at a corner and picking up a piece of metal.
"Fragment of a tranquilizer smoke bomb… Team Rocket's favorite tool for capturing wild Pokémon."
"Team Rocket?"
The group of trainers gasped. Being in Kanto, they knew all too well the reputation of Team Rocket.
Stealing rare Pokémon, poaching in the wild, smuggling contraband—any dark deed seemed to have Team Rocket lurking nearby.
"Nozomi-boss, how did you know?"
Yuuji asked beside him.
Yeah—how did he know?
All the trainers turned to look at Nozomi.
He smiled slightly. "I used to be a League Investigator for a while."
"Whoa!"
All eyes stared at him like he was a monster.
Boss… are you really only sixteen this year? You have an Onix, and you've been a League Investigator—what can't you do?
The trainers compared themselves to Nozomi and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.