Chapter 23: Conquering the Giant Onix
After three seconds of thought, Onix decided to attack the last known location of Pikachu.
However, its powerful charge was destined to be a trap.
As soon as it burst out of the ground, a huge golden Electric Net descended from the sky, directly ensnaring it.
Roar! (I'm a snake, are you fishing here?)
Onix was indignant; that yellow-skinned mouse was insulting it! That human was also a cruel one, how detestable!
"Pikachu, use Thunder with maximum power now!"
Ash didn't care what Onix was thinking; he just wanted Pikachu to finish unleashing its power quickly.
The move Thunder is a bit stronger than Thunderbolt, but its accuracy isn't 100%, so there's a possibility of it missing.
But now that Onix was restrained by the Electric Net, and Pikachu was standing right on its head, using the move at close range—if it could still miss, Ash might as well consider jumping off a cliff and starting over.
Boom!
A shocking bolt of lightning spread from Onix's head to its entire body, and the stinging pain from the Thunder Shock caused Onix immense suffering.
Before long, Onix's eyes swirled like a mosquito coil, and it lost its ability to battle, lying straight on the ground, unconscious.
Seeing this, Ash quickly walked to the fourth segment of Giant Onix and retrieved the Sandslash that was stuck on its body.
Then he took out a Heavy Ball and threw it towards Onix. The Heavy Ball followed a parabolic trajectory, accurately hitting Onix's body, then released a brilliant red light that pulled it inside.
Perhaps it was the disappearance of the foreign object stuck on its body, making it feel much lighter, or perhaps it was completely subdued, but Onix didn't struggle at all. After the Poké Ball dropped to the ground, it made a 'ding' sound, indicating that it had been completely caught.
"I caught a Pokémon!"
Ash picked up the Heavy Ball and celebrated.
"Pika!"
Pikachu also happily jumped onto Ash's shoulder.
This time, Ash was not shocked. After the previous battle, Pikachu's control over electricity had improved, and it could now freely control the power within its body.
"Ding, detected that the host has completed side quest one, catching the Overlord-class Onix. Rewards obtained: one thousand points, one top-grade Metal Coat, 250,000 Alliance Coins."
So delightful!
With three happy events occurring simultaneously, Ash's heart was filled with joy.
Seeing that the battle was over, Kirlia used Teleport to bring Misty and herself back to Ash's side.
"Ash, congratulations on catching another powerful Pokémon," Misty congratulated him with a smile.
"Ash, congratulations!"
Brock also spoke up to congratulate him.
After responding to both of them, Ash released Giant Onix. After a simple examination, he began to treat Onix, first applying medicine to the injuries on Onix's body, then using Viridian Power to heal its internal injuries.
Since Onix's injuries were not too severe, Ash did not plan to return to Pewter City. Instead, after a brief rest, he headed directly towards Cerulean City. The next destination was Mt. Moon, the gathering place for Clefairy.
Mt. Moon, located between Pewter City and Cerulean City, is a mountain range rich in Moon Stones. It is rumored that this mountain was named because meteors often fell there, but due to over-mining, the mining company that contracted Mt. Moon had long announced that Moon Stones were "almost" non-existent within the mountain.
"Mt. Moon, I heard there are wild Clefairy here! Fairy type Clefairy, they're so cute!" Misty's eyes showed a hint of longing.
"If you like them, just catch one. It just so happens that I have some connection with the Clefairy in this mountain," Ash said with a smile.
Before the Fairy type was announced, he had tricked Oak into taking him to Mt. Moon to find Cleffa, Clefairy, and Clefable. After all, this entire species has a pure Fairy attribute, making them the most suitable for experiments.
"Really?" Misty was overjoyed.
"Of course it's true. If you don't believe me, you can ask Kirlia."
Hearing this, Misty turned her gaze to Kirlia.
Kirlia nodded seriously.
"That's great!"
"Ash, then you lead the way again. My understanding of Mt. Moon is still from seven or eight years ago. The caves in this mountain are crisscrossing and too complex, and I'm not familiar with where the Clefairy live."
Brock relinquished the task of leading the way. He had only been there a few times with Flint when he was little. After taking over the Gym, he rarely even left Pewter City, let alone such a remote mountain area.