They had fun yesterday, but today it was time to get back on the road.
After leaving Pewter City, the next destination was Cerulean City. To reach it, one had to cross a mountain: the Mount Moon.
Mount Moon was difficult to climb, so most travelers passed through the caves inside.
The mountain was famous for its wild Clefairy and the frequent meteor falls.
The fallen meteorites would turn into Moon Stones, and fossils could also be excavated there.
Yoshino Eichi remembered that in the anime, there was a gigantic Moon Stone in Mount Moon surrounded by many Clefairy.
That was still far ahead, though. He needed to reach Mount Moon first.
***
Eichi continued on his journey toward Cerulean City.
After two days of walking, the sky began to darken. Eichi decided not to continue traveling. He released Beedrill and Scyther.
He told them to find a place with a water source, and once they did, to gather some dry wood nearby.
Starting a fire and cooking had become second nature to him.
Everything was going smoothly until a strange bird cry echoed from above.
Looking up, he saw a metallic bird Pokémon flying overhead.
A person jumped down from its back. He had bright blue hair, the same color as Amelie's.
He wore a silver combat outfit, and his appearance was strikingly handsome.
As soon as he landed, he walked toward Eichi and smiled. "Hey there, the sky's getting dark. How about we camp together?"
Eichi activated the Eye of the Bug Emperor. Since there was no reaction, it meant the man wasn't a bad person.
That was one of the uses of the Bug Force. Back in Viridian City, when Officer Jenny brought back a criminal, Eichi had used the Eye of the Bug Emperor and noticed that evil people had a blood-red light above their heads.
Ordinary people didn't. Although Eichi still didn't know how exactly that "evil" was determined, it was useful to tell whether strangers had ill intentions.
Seeing that the man wasn't dangerous, Eichi nodded. "Sure, why not?"
The man smiled. "Thanks a lot."
He sat down across from Eichi and took out a Poké Ball and released the Pokémon inside.
"Ninetales, the Fox Pokémon.
Type: Fire.
Abilities: Flash Fire.
Hidden Ability: Drought.
Ninetales had the appearance of a four-legged fox Pokémon. Its body was covered in cream-colored fur, and its red eyes shone brightly. It looked noble and elegant, with nine smooth, slender tails tipped with gold.
The man then released another Pokémon.
"Skarmory, the Armor Bird Pokémon.
Type: Steel, Flying.
Abilities: Keen Eye, Sturdy.
Hidden Ability: Weak Armor.
Skarmory's whole body gleamed silver like armor. The inside of its wings was red, and its feathers were thin and razor sharp. In the past, warriors used these molted feathers as blades. Though its metallic body was tough, it rusts easily, so Skarmory stays in its nest on rainy days."
Eichi used the Eye of the Bug Emperor to observe them both.
The result startled him. Skarmory's talent was rated Excellent, and its level was Elite.
Ninetales' talent was Outstanding, and its level was Gym Leader.
This guy wasn't simple at all. Especially that Ninetales, its strength and talent were remarkable.
Eichi glanced at him quietly, then went back to his cooking.
The man took out Pokémon food from a small pouch. There was no brand mark on it, which meant it was probably custom-made food crafted to suit his Pokémon's taste.
The aroma from Eichi's cooking soon spread through the forest. The smell was rich and mouthwatering. The man swallowed hard when he caught a whiff.
Not long after, Pokémon cries came from the bushes nearby.
The man immediately grew alert, staring toward the sound.
From the grass came a Caterpie, followed by a Weedle, then a Venonat. One after another, the Pokémon emerged.
Seeing they were just ordinary wild Pokémon, the man relaxed again.
The group surrounded Eichi, who was about to speak when heavier footsteps echoed. The sound was deep and heavy.
A Kangaskhan appeared.
Kangaskhan, the Parent Pokémon.
Type: Normal.
It's a bipedal Pokémon with a brown body, grayish-yellow belly, and armor-like plates on its shoulders and legs. A baby Kangaskhan sits in its mother's pouch, its small body pale purple and features similar to its parent.
So it was a Kangaskhan. They must have all been drawn by the smell of food.
Eichi smiled warmly. "I know you're all hungry. Come, eat together."
He took several large bags of Pokémon food from his backpack and poured them into big bowls he set on the ground.
The Pokémon gathered around and began eating.
The baby Kangaskhan hopped out of its mother's pouch and ran toward Eichi, jumping into his arms.
Eichi laughed, picking it up. "What are you doing here? Go eat some food."
He placed it near a bowl. After one bite, the baby's eyes lit up, and it happily kept eating.
The mother Kangaskhan relaxed and joined in beside it.
The man in silver clothes quietly watched the whole scene. He seemed surprised. This boy was really something special.
Eichi poured some soup from his pot into large bowls and placed them near the Pokémon.
He called Beedrill and Scyther over to eat as well.
Then he handed a smaller bowl to the man. "Here, have some too."
The man accepted it. "Thanks."
Their relationship became much friendlier after that.
After a while, the man spoke. "By the way, kid, what's your name? I'm Archie."
Eichi looked up. "Yoshino Eichi. You can just call me Eichi."
"Alright, Eichi," Archie said. "So what brings you out here?"
"I'm traveling," Eichi replied. "Classes start in about twenty days, so I decided to explore a bit."
Archie chuckled. "You don't seem surprised that all these Pokémon came over."
Eichi smiled, sipping his soup. "I'm used to it. Pokémon are naturally friendly toward me. Whenever I cook in the wild, hungry ones come around. Some of them probably haven't eaten in a day."
"I always share a little food with them. When we all sleep together at night, I don't have to worry about being attacked by wild Pokémon."
Archie nodded thoughtfully.
Then Eichi asked, "What about you? What are you doing out here?"
Archie leaned back. "Me? I'm going to visit my sister. Haven't seen her in a while. I'm also planning to catch another Pokémon. This time, I only brought two with me. The rest are still at home."
***
The two of them chatted as they ate.
When they finished, they packed up and got ready to sleep.
Archie lay down on one side with his Ninetales beside him.
He opened his eyes briefly to look at Eichi, who was surrounded by sleeping Pokémon, then closed them again.