"Cle... Clefable!"
"I was also worried about that, which is why I wanted to ask for your opinion."
"Clefairy... Clefable!"
"Is that really okay? Then let's resolve it this way."
...While Brock and Li Ke watched dumbfounded, Ash had a one-sided conversation with Clefable. Afterward, Clefable happily gathered all the Clefairy together, and they began dancing a mysterious dance around the oversized Moon Stone meteorite.
"Ash, what did you say to Clefable?" Brock asked, utterly bewildered.
As a travel companion, he generally knew Ash possessed Aura Power, but this kind of conversation still felt bizarre.
"You'll know if you just wait and watch," Ash said with a mysterious smile.
At this moment, Clefable and the Clefairy had all simultaneously started using Metronome!
After a slow motion with their left and right hands, Clefable, all the Clefairy, and the Moon Stone meteorite vanished without a trace!
"Huh? Clefable and the Clefairy... where did they all go?!" Li Ke was greatly alarmed by the sight.
"I told Clefable to take the Moon Stone with all the Clefairy and hide somewhere no one could find them," Ash explained calmly. "If we waited for the Pewter City police and the Science Museum staff to arrive, they might not be able to leave."
"That's not true!" Li Ke couldn't help but retort. "Do you think our museum staff are the same as those Team Rockets villains? If the Director knew about this, he would definitely designate Mt. Moon as a conservation area and stop anyone from disturbing the Pokémon here ever again!"
"A naive thought." Ash shook his head noncommittally. "The entirety of Pewter City developed based on Mt. Moon's mineral resources. Declaring it a conservation area or sealing the mountain just Li Ke that—even the League Champion couldn't do something Li Ke that."
"You!"
"Alright, stop arguing." Brock quickly intervened to mediate, but he also looked troubled. "Ash, the Clefairy left too quickly and forgot this little guy."
When Clefable gathered its companions, it accidentally left behind that weak Clefairy, which now had no choice but to follow Brock.
"Then just capture it. It should agree," Ash said with a smile.
"Is... is that really okay?"
Having just caught a Zubat and now acquiring a Clefairy, Brock suddenly felt Li Ke he'd hit the jackpot and was clearly embarrassed.
Ash, however, kept smiling and urged him to accept it quickly.
What kind of bargain was this?
Clefairy wasn't part of Ash's acquisition plan, but it was much more important to Brock, so why shouldn't Brock capture it?
In a perfect journey, one person shouldn't be the only one benefiting; companions must also gain something. That's what makes everyone happy~
A little while later, a large group of police officers and the Director of the Science Museum finally arrived. They were all astonished to see that Ash and Brock alone had dealt with a group of Team Rockets members.
"Mr. Ash, Mr. Brock, I can't believe you managed to resolve such a serious incident. On behalf of the Pewter City Police Department, I thank you both for your assistance!" Jenny thanked the two gratefully... (Of course, Brock's infatuation moment can be omitted.)
"Following this, we will conduct strict interrogations and immediately report this to the League to apply for commendations for both of you."
"I also want to thank you for helping us recover two important fossils." The Director of the Science Museum was equally grateful, though he also expressed a bit of regret. "It's just a pity that one Dome Fossil is still missing..."
"Mr. Director, how about this?" Ash suddenly proposed. "I can look into the whereabouts of the missing fossil along the way, but if I find it, could you give it to me?"
"Ash?" Brock was stunned. He didn't understand why Ash, who had been so generous just moments ago, would make such a opportunistic request.
"Well... alright." The Director pondered for a moment before finally agreeing. "These three fossils were originally meant to be revived, and if successful, they would need someone to care for them. Mr. Ash is an excellent Trainer, so you may certainly keep the revived Fossil Pokémon."
"Mr. Director, thank you very much for your generosity," Ash said sincerely.
This way, Blue's concerns were also resolved... The Mt. Moon incident quickly drew to a close, and after a short rest, Ash and Brock set off again toward their next destination.
But as they left the mountains, Brock seemed lost in thought.
"Ash... do you think the development of Pewter City and the tranquility of Mt. Moon truly cannot coexist?"
Thinking about how the Pokémon of Mt. Moon would be affected for the prosperity of his hometown, even Uncle Gang couldn't help but feel sentimental.
"I can't say, and that's not something we can manage right now."
Honestly, even if Ash possessed Viridian Power, he wouldn't naively believe that humans and Pokémon could achieve perfect harmony.
People's hearts are hidden beneath their skin; how much more so for non-human species?
Furthermore, the very existence of the Trainer community implies a status difference between humans and Pokémon.
Humans and Pokémon will only gradually achieve a jagged balance through conflict and reconciliation... And even this process is bound to be extremely long, certainly not achievable through the efforts of a few people or short-term actions.
So, instead of thinking about these things, it's better to do something practical.
If you want to Protect wild Pokémon, you need the ability to do so—don't just talk, especially if you can't even take apart a light bulb;
If you don't want the city to affect the surrounding environment, then study hard and develop technology to make Pewter City self-sufficient in the future!
When you cannot bear more responsibility, all sentimentality is just empty talk with no practical meaning... "So that's it... he interfered with the Mt. Moon incident?"
In a dark, secret base somewhere unknown in Kanto, Team Rockets's behind-the-scenes Boss, Giovanni, was listening to the latest intelligence from his subordinates.
Two people... no, accurately speaking, one person, actually managed to disrupt Team Rockets's operation at Mt. Moon. Even Giovanni was surprised by this.
That young man truly possessed the same incredible courage as always.
Then again, he dared to charge Guzzlord when he was four years old, so naturally, he wouldn't pay attention to just a dozen or so grunts.
"Issue an order: all Team Rockets members operating within the Kanto region, if you spot Ash from Pallet Town in the near future, immediately remain silent and avoid conflict with him unless absolutely necessary!"
After seeing Ash's performance, Giovanni decided to temporarily avoid confrontation.
It wasn't that he was afraid of a rookie kid; he was simply concerned about Ash's special background. Too many conflicts with him could potentially disrupt Team Rockets's overall strategy in Kanto.
"But what should we do about Jessie and James's group?" Giovanni's executive secretary reminded him. "They previously reported that they seem to have found a special Pikachu..."
"Let them cause trouble. Those fools are perfect for distracting the Kanto higher-ups."
"Understood... Also, there's one more thing. News just arrived from New Island: it seems to have been stimulated somehow and has now awakened."
"Increase the inhibitor and put it back to sleep! From now on, closely monitor Silph Co.'s movements. We must obtain that ball immediately!"
In the darkness, the Boss's orders were methodical, as if everything was under control...