The sun had only just crested the rocky ridges when William Walker and his team stood at the mouth of Mt. Moon.
The entrance loomed before them with a vast crack in the mountain's face, shrouded in morning mist. Cold air spilled from its depths, carrying the smell of damp stone and iron.
William adjusted his backpack strap and glanced down at his partners.
Eevee stood alert on a boulder, tail flicking with cautious excitement. Ralts hovered at his side, eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. Shocker, the Electabuzz cracked his knuckles, lightning faintly pulsing across his arms. Behind them, the dark waters of a subterranean pool rippled as Sharpedo glided near the surface, restless and eager.
"Mt. Moon," William murmured. His voice echoed faintly off the rocks. "Brock said the passage leads all the way to Cerulean. But it's not the wild Pokémon I'm worried about."
Shocker grunted, "Buzz?"
William's gaze sharpened. "It's what's hiding behind them."
He had heard rumors—miners whispering about strangers in black uniforms and stolen fossils. The Rocket symbol, feared across the Kanto underground. If those stories were true, then Mt. Moon wasn't just a cavern. It was a hunting ground.
He turned back to his team.
"Stay sharp. We move together."
The first tunnel sloped downward sharply. Water dripped from the ceiling, forming tiny pools that shimmered under the light of William's headlamp. The echo of each step multiplied a hundredfold, bouncing down the endless corridors.
Small Pokémon darted between the rocks, Zubat fluttering like shadows, Paras clicking their claws as they scurried past. Occasionally, the walls glittered with veins of crystal and chunks of moonstone embedded deep within the rock.
Eevee's ears twitched at every sound. Ralts floated close, its aura spreading out like a radar pulse, quietly mapping psychic presences nearby.
After an hour of descent, the tunnel opened into a cavern. A broad underground river cut through its center, glowing faintly blue from the light of bioluminescent algae.
"Sharpedo," William said, releasing the Poké Ball.
The Brutal Pokémon burst forth with a splash, immediately taking to the water. Its fin sliced through the river like a blade.
"You'll scout the left channel. Keep within sound range."
Sharpedo grunted in acknowledgment and slipped away beneath the rippling surface.
William crouched near the edge, gloved fingers brushing the cold rock. The water's color wasn't right. It shimmered faintly, reflecting something deeper. Minerals, maybe… or something alive.
He stood, brushing off his coat. "Let's keep moving. Shocker, light the path."
The Electabuzz raised his palm, releasing a soft glow of static that illuminated the cavern like a lantern.
They hadn't gone far when the ground trembled.
William stopped instantly.
"Hold."
A rumble built from the right side of the tunnel and then, with a crash of stone, a Graveler burst through the wall, eyes burning red with fury.
It roared, sending dust flying.
"Ralts, psychic barrier! Shocker, prepare Discharge!"
Ralts raised both arms, psychic light forming a thin shield just as the Graveler's Rock Blast shattered against it. Shards flew across the tunnel. Shocker stepped forward, electricity building around him in visible arcs.
"Now, uses Discharge!"
The explosion of light filled the tunnel, the air vibrating with power. Graveler staggered backward, smoking slightly from the shock. It growled, tried to roll forward, but William's voice cut through the chaos:
"Eevee, Quick Attack. Keep it off balance!"
Eevee darted forward, a blur of brown and white. It struck Graveler's side, just enough to push it off-center.
"Shocker. Finish it with Low Kick!" William commanded.
Shocker pivoted and slammed his leg under Graveler's rolling body. The impact echoed like thunder. Graveler toppled backward, unconscious before it hit the stone.
Silence followed. Dust floated through the air.
William exhaled slowly. "Well done."
Eevee wagged its tail proudly, Ralts floated closer with a small smile, and Shocker snorted smoke from his nose.
William crouched to inspect the fallen Graveler. "Wild… but powerful. Mt. Moon's ecosystem's stronger than I thought." He took out a small vial, collected a bit of rock dust, and pocketed it for research notes.
As he rose, something glimmered faintly in the corner of his vision which is a fragment of a broken fossil plate half-buried in rubble.
He frowned. "That's not natural erosion. Someone's digging down here."
By late afternoon, the tunnels had grown narrower. The air thickened, the scent of gunpowder and machinery lingering faintly.
They found the remains of a mining cart, tipped on its side. Its tracks disappeared into darkness. On the metal frame, faint scorch marks were visible with fresh ones.
William touched the edge. "Explosives… used recently."
"Buzz?" Shocker tilted his head.
William nodded grimly. "Someone's mining illegally. And I can guess who."
He motioned to his team. "Stay low."
They followed the old tracks deeper until faint voices began to echo through the stone. William crouched behind a pillar, motioning the others to stop.
Two figures stood in a half-lit chamber ahead, both wearing black uniforms with a red R emblazoned across the chest.
Team Rocket.
A cage sat near them. Inside were several trembling Clefairy huddled together, clutching fragments of Moon Stones.
One of the Rockets, a man with a jagged scar on his chin, kicked the cage. "Quit squealing! The boss wants these stones extracted before midnight."
The other, a woman with a visor, held a scanner device that glowed pale blue. "This chamber's still radiating Lunar energy. We're close to the core."
William's jaw tightened. The air around him seemed to still.
He'd seen cruelty before in the wilderness, in hunters but this felt colder, methodical.
Eevee crouched low, growling softly. Ralts trembled, psychic senses detecting fear from the captured Pokémon. Shocker's fists crackled with restrained electricity.
William raised a hand for silence. "Wait."
He scanned the area. Two visible Rockets, possibly more beyond. They were armed, not just with Pokémon, but with tools that could destabilize the cavern.
"Sharpedo," he whispered into the comm receiver on his wrist. "Circle to the water route and wait for my signal."
A low growl of acknowledgment came through the earpiece.
William turned to his team. "When I move, we hit fast and clean. Ralts will disrupt communications. Eevee targets their scanner. Shocker,you're the main attacker."
They nodded, eyes focused.
He exhaled slowly, steadying his pulse. Then he stepped out from the shadows.
***************
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