The real question lingered: how was he supposed to find that place?
Ash stood at the wide, dark mouth of Mt. Moon. A cold wind tugged at his jacket. He frowned. The anime hadn't given clear details about the route inside.
He exhaled sharply through his nose. With a quick thought, the system interface flickered open.
[Shop]
A glowing panel appeared in his vision.
He scrolled through the options, searching for anything that could map the twisting caves. Minutes passed. Then he spotted it.
[Item: Mt. Moon Map]
[Cost: 5 Points]
[Description: Real-time interactive map of Mt. Moon interior. Shows layout, Pokémon locations, hidden paths, item spawns, and your current position marked in red.]
Ash tapped [Purchase]
Five points vanished in an instant.
The map bloomed across his sight like a living hologram. Clean lines traced every tunnel. Layers unfolded. Glowing dots marked entrances, exits, and points of interest. A small red pulse blinked in the corner, his exact spot at the cave entrance.
Deeper in, one faint icon glowed very far off. Near the massive Moon Stone. Close to it… the Clefairy eggs.
A slow, satisfied grin spread over his face as he understood. So this was the location of their eggs.
"Shiny Egg…" he murmured. "I'm coming."
He stepped inside. The air turned cold and damp. Echoes swallowed his footsteps.
The map guided him. His red dot slid forward along the glowing path.
It was pitch dark, and Ash didn't have a Fire-type Pokémon. But he had a torch, so he pulled it out. The beam cut through the blackness, painting the rough walls in pale yellow.
A few Zubat fluttered overhead. They screeched and dove, but Ash ignored them. As he had taken out Pikachu who sparked once, bright warning arcs crackling along her cheeks. The bats scattered instantly.
Deeper in, the tunnels narrowed. He passed a small underground pond, its surface still and black.
He followed the glowing line. Paras scuttled across the floor, their mushrooms glowing with faint, sickly light. One Parasect raised its claws as he approached, but Ash walked past without pause. It lowered them again, uninterested.
The path sloped upward. He emerged from a tight hiding hole and found himself much higher on the mountain. Open air greeted him. He continued following the map, crossing a narrow rock bridge with wind whipping past, then moving through scattered trees clinging to the steep slopes.
Two hours later, another cave mouth waited near the peak.
Ash stepped inside.
Clefairy darted everywhere. They scampered playfully across the stone floor. Some carried small stones toward a huge, shimmering Moon Stone at the center. They placed each one with care, then danced in tiny, happy hops around it.
Ash, obviously being a good guy, had no intention of stealing their sacred rock. He was doing well enough for money right now, and someday he'd have rich girls throwing cash at him anyway.
Besides, the system already sold Moon Stones. No need to be greedy.
He raised a gentle hand in greeting.
The Clefairy paused. Then a bright chorus of cheerful "Pi-pi! Pi-pi!" rang out, high bubbly chimes that echoed through the chamber like laughter.
Pikachu tilted her head, ears twitching. She let out a soft, curious "Pika?" and waved one little paw back at them.
He really liked these Clefairy. They were cute, playful, and their cheerful energy was infectious.
But the mission waited.
After a quick, friendly greeting, Ash followed the map's quiet line toward the nesting area where they kept their eggs.