Chapter 20: Mt. Moon (2)
~Third POV~
[Kanto Region, Mt. Moon Interior]
Deep inside the caverns of Mt. Moon, the three trainers began to go down, with Misty and Azure having difficulty maneuvering through the darkness. Red spoke out loud in a confident tone, "It's awfully dark in here. Heheheh… just leave everything to me! 'Kay, bright eyes—I'm countin' on you!"
*Pop*
Taking out his Poke Ball, Red brings out Pikachu, avoiding his direction, clearly not wanting to be here, with Misty asking, surprised, "Is that a… Pikachu?"
Red merely smirks, commenting about his Pika, making Azure double-take on the first part of his words, confusing him, "Ain't Mickey Mouse."
Azure, for his part, contemplates how Red even knows the communist mouse, 'Wait… how the hell does Red know Disney?!!'
As Azure thinks about that, Misty looks at Pika with some concern as sparks come off its cheeks, "Doesn't exactly look thrilled to be here…?"
*Zzzz*
But proving Pika's worth, Red looks at the flashing darkness with his light of electricity as Red explains in a difficult tone, "Yeah. Life's tough little fella… but Pikachu's one talented little mouse."
With Pikachu using Flash, the three of them began to wander around the caverns of Mt. Moon, seeing a plethora of Pokémon that lived inside the caves. They avoided them and were on standby to defend if attacked.
The Pokémon consisted of Zubat, Geodudes, or the rare Diglett in the caverns as the three kids moved forward deeper inside the Cavern of Mt. Moon. Feeling the danger coming around him, Azure took out Dratini on his side, with the Dragon Pokémon agreeing happily following next to him.
Seeing the inside of the cave, Azure had Growlithe close by, illuminating light with its fire, and hanging back to ensure no one attacked them from behind. Pikachu stood on standby over Azure's shoulder in case it had to defend him.
"Yurrg!"
Azure adjusts his eyes as Red stumbles upon a rock wall. Dratini gets her eyes narrowed, seeing the Pokémon ahead of them with Growlithe next to Azure. Red stumbles upon a Rock-type Pokémon…
Azure could only gulp, seeing what Pokémon Red stumbled upon, seeing that it was a rhinoceros-like Pokémon with a body covered in gray, rocky plates. Its underside and rear are smooth, and it has four short legs with two claws on each foot.
It has a triangular head with narrow, red eyes, two fangs protruding from its upper jaw, small, triangular openings on the upper sides, and a short horn on the tip of its snout. A spiked ridge runs along its back.
"Rrrr…"
"AAAAA!!!!"
Stepping back quickly and screaming in the process, a small laugh from a person caused the 3 of them to freeze as the Team Rocket Captain in appearance shows up, mocking them in an annoyed tone, snorting in disdain, "Heh! Well, if it isn't Tom Sawyer, little Becky, and the dog in the cave?"
Red recovers quickly enough to know he is finally facing one of the Team Rocket members, with the leader in charge snorting at them, "You know us, we're flattered. And who are you?"
The leader's eyes soon wander towards Azure Dratini, standing by with a crooked smile on his expression, but soon Red declares him a challenge in a defiant tone, "Let me answer you like this! I challenge you!"
Already knowing where this was going, the leader replied instantly, "Ryhorn! Use Rock Blast!!"
Hearing this, Azure immediately countered the blast of rocks, ordering his Dratini, "Twister to counter!"
Dratini agreed to head up front into the rock's path, "Dra!"
*Wooosh*
Using Twister, Dratini summoned up a tornado, redirecting the Rock Blast attack back at the Team Rocket Grunts and their leader with a frown on his face as the grunts avoided the blast of rocks in their way. Having the attack deflected, the trio began to work together.
Growlithe glared at the Rocket Grunts but didn't do anything, seeing Azure's hand signaling him to hold. Pika electrified the remaining rocks around, forming a small ball of condensed electricity with the Rock Blast attack.
*Woosh*
"Pwiii!"
"Feww!"
"Chom!!"
Ryhorn was soon hit straight on with the attack, with Red looking happy at the sudden turn of events as Ryhorn looked to faint, "You may look cute, Pika, but ohh, you sure are ornery!"
However, despite expectations, the team Grunt leader snorts at this, holding a strange syringe of medicine on his person, "Ah. Takes me back to when I was a boy. Let me give you a taste of –"
Before the Grunt Leader took the chance, Azure whispered roughly, "NOW! Agile Style Quick Attack!"
*Swooosh*
The Grunt Leader's eyes widened, having avoided his hand getting bitten off, "Wha?! The hell!"
*Brrr*
Suddenly attacked by Azure's Pikachu, keeping itself close and lunging in a burst of speed using Agile Style Quick Attack. Azure's Pikachu managed to land at the Grunt Leader's syringe and rushed back to Azure's side, making the trainer growl at him.
And yet, with him growling, a surprised but smiling expression showed across his face, gazing his eyes at Azure, making him nervous, "Hahaha! I see… Were you prepared for this occasion? Are you perhaps a Psychic? No matter. I, for one, don't need this weakling to forcibly evolve."
*CRACK*
Proving his point, the Grunt Leader took out Ryhorn's Poke Ball and crushed it as Misty caught on to what he said, glaring at the man in front of her in an enraged tone, "Are you responsible for what happened to my Gyarados?!"
Listening to her outburst, the Grunt Leader only shrugged as if not carrying his own Poke Ball in an annoyed tone, tossing another Poke Ball, "How should we know? Do you think we remember every little Pokémon we experiment on? Go Muk!"
*Pop*
Throwing out his next Pokémon, an awful stench filled the area as Muk finally appeared with its large, sticky, amorphous Pokémon made of living purple sludge. It has two small eyes with beady black pupils.
It also has an enormous mouth with a gray tongue and strands of ooze connecting its top and bottom jaws. While it has no visible legs, it does have two arms with three fingers on each hand.
Muk cried out, stretching its poisonous body, "Muk!"
Seeing Muk come out, Misty retaliated next as her anger beat the stench in the air as Azure and Red held their noses to keep the smell out as she says, "You rotten… Staryu! Attack with Water Gun!"
*Pop*
Being called to action, Staryu cried out, "Hiya!"
*SPLASH*
Coming out from its Poke Ball, Staryu came out and splashed the Muk with Water Gun as the Grunt Leader scoffed at this, returning his counterattack, "Dear me, do you think such a weak attack would do? Poison Gas."
*Splash*
Azure's eyes widen in horror, seeing Misty Staryu not do much damage as the Muk shrugs it off, and next releases a purple-like substance out of its mouth using the move Poison Gas as it comes closer to them. In an enclosed space like this, it would prove fatal for them.
Narrowing his eyes, he gave his command in a calm tone, "Pikachu! Dratini! Surf!"
*SPLASH*
Both using the move Surf summoned a surge of water blasting at the Team Rocket Grunts and the leader down the drain. And along with it, the poison gas, not all of it, seeing it was still heading their direction.
Soon, the Poison Gas gets closer. Red makes a quick reaction, seeing this won't end well for them, along with other Team Rocket Grunts coming by as he mutters, "I guess nobody wins every fight… but I'm not gonna lose to jerks like you! Misty! Sky! Run right now! Pikachu Thunder Shock on the ceiling!"
Listening to Red's words right away, Azure recalled his Growlithe and Dratini inside their Poke Balls as Misty followed suit. Azure also gave a command, "Pikachu, use Thunder Shock as well!"
Pikachu nodded as he assisted Pika. Pikachu unleashed a Thunder Shock at the ceiling above them, unleashing their electric might, "Pika…. CHU!!!!"
*Zzzzz*
A sudden burst of electricity shot through the ceiling, damaging it enough to cause the rocks inside to collapse, blocking the path and causing the Grunt Leader to look shocked as the Poison Gas didn't harm them. He growled, annoyed by this sudden development.
Angered by this, he reaches for his hate, angered by the situation that happened, responding hatefully, slamming his hat down, and being humiliated, "Gone! They're gone! Escaped!"
/////
[Kanto Region, Mt. Moon – Route 4]
Exiting outside the other side of the entrance of Mt. Moon to Route 4, Misty, Azure, and Red all managed to escape. All of them breathed out in relief, getting out of that sticky situation. Route 4 is a one-way road down a hill that has a gentle slope and is fun to traverse.
Azure catching his breath, began to speak in a startled tone grasping his chest, "Holy crap, that was way too close of a call there! Poison Gas enclosed with a Muk wasn't the greatest thing to happen in there."
Panting from running away, Misty cringes, remembering the smell the Muk produces, responding to his words in a defeated tone, "Yeah… that Muk smelled incredibly rancid and bad! But we didn't get the Moon Stone and –"
Before Misty could continue, Red revealed the Moon Stone with a mischievous smirk on his face, responding to the surprised duo covered in dirt in a triumphant tone, "Tada! When the cave collapsed, there it was when the rumble came down! I had Pikachu pick this up when we had the chance! Like to see that Team Rocket search without this bad boy!"
Azure sighed at this but couldn't refute what Red said with a smile as he helplessly said, shaking his head, "Sure, Red. But I'm glad we got out of that place in one piece. The last thing I need is to be poisoned with a Muk."
Nodding at that, Misty smiled briefly as she talked to the two of them with a genuine, kind tone, "Yeah, thanks for the help, you two. How about I show you around, but first, let's get your Pokémon healed up back at my place."
*Rmbl*
Agreeing to that, a loud grumble was heard from Azure's stomach, causing him to blush, embarrassed by it, as he says in a shy tone, "Well… I hope you don't mind me getting hungry after the commotion of running. Heh…?"
Azure scratches the back of his head as Misty and Red laugh at his hunger, appearing at the mention of free food, as the trio begins to head towards Misty's hometown of Cerulean City, the City of Water.
Cerulean City is known for the mysterious blue aura that surrounds it. And the very next place for Azure to earn the next Gym Badge against Misty.