Under the morning light of Pewter City, Ash and Misty were making their final preparations at the entrance of the Pokémon Center.
"Ash, what are you waiting for?" Misty noticed Ash constantly glancing toward the door and couldn't help asking.
"I'm just seeing whether someone can make up his mind."
Ash was certain Brock would eventually come—but he had no idea exactly when.
Just as they were about to head toward Mt. Moon, a familiar voice called from behind.
"Ash! Misty! Please wait!"
They turned around to find Brock sprinting toward them, carrying a massive hiking backpack. He was slightly out of breath, but his face shone with a lightness and anticipation they had never seen before.
"Brock? What's all this?" Ash already had a guess, but still asked.
Stopping in front of them, Brock took a deep breath and declared seriously:
"Dad has completely taken over the Gym and the family. He supports me in pursuing my own dream! So… if you don't mind, I want to travel with you! I can be the team's Breeder and handle everyone's logistics! Also, your next stop is Mt. Moon, right? I'm very familiar with the route toward Cerulean City and the Mt. Moon area!"
Misty's eyes lit up.
"Really? That's great!"
Having a reliable Breeder with them would make the journey much easier.
Ash's smile was genuine as he extended a hand.
"Welcome aboard, Brock! We really needed someone dependable like you."
"Thank you so much!"
Brock clasped Ash's hand firmly.
And thus, their group of three officially formed.
With Brock—the professional Breeder—on the team, all their Pokémon were maintained in top condition, easing a great deal of Ash's pressure.
Once they entered the Mt. Moon region, Brock's role as guide immediately showed its worth. He expertly led the way while explaining:
"Mt. Moon is famous for producing Moon Stones and for Clefairy. But the tunnels here are a maze, and there are a lot of wild Zubat swarms. We need to stay alert."
Before he could finish, as they passed through a wide cavern, a thick fluttering sound echoed overhead!
A huge swarm of Zubat had been disturbed and swooped downward like a black cloud, clearly treating the trio as intruders!
"Not good! A Zubat swarm!" Brock shouted.
"Onix, use Rock Tomb to block part of the entrance—reduce how many can get in!"
Onix emerged and sealed off part of the opening with rocks, but dozens of Zubat still slipped through.
"Pikachu, use a wide-range Thunder Shock!"
"Staryu, Water Gun!"
This time Misty sent out her trusted partner—Staryu.
"Brock, look out!"
Ash shouted as several Zubat looped around from behind toward him.
Brock reacted instantly, diving into a roll to dodge, then instinctively tossed another Poké Ball.
"Geodude, block them!"
Geodude appeared, intercepting the incoming Zubat.
But amid the chaos, one smaller, unusually agile Zubat caught Brock's eye.
It wasn't sticking with the swarm. Instead, it circled alone at the edge, using sonar cleverly to dodge attacks—and every now and then it even "accidentally" disrupted the other Zubat attacking the trio.
"That Zubat… it's different."
Brock, as an expert on Rock-type Pokémon, had sharp instincts for unusual behaviors.
Timing its next swift dive, Brock threw a Poké Ball with perfect accuracy.
"Go! Poké Ball!"
It struck true. After a few shakes, it clicked shut.
This clever, independent Zubat might become a valuable asset to his team.
Meanwhile, with Ash's Pikachu using wide-range electricity and Misty's Staryu firing precise Water Guns, the remaining Zubat were soon driven off.
"Amazing work, Brock!" Ash praised.
Brock scratched his head shyly, a bit embarrassed.
Just then, from a nearby fork in the path, a frantic male voice shouted, "Thank goodness! Finally, other Trainers! Please help!"
A young man in a researcher's coat and glasses came running toward them—it was Prof. Seymour, who was conducting ecological studies in Mt. Moon.
"Prof. Seymour? What happened?" Brock recognized him immediately.
"It's Team Rocket!" Prof. Seymour said anxiously. "In a cave where Clefairy gather, they're using machines to forcibly dig up Moon Stones! They even injured a Clefairy that tried to stop them! I'm not strong enough alone, so I was running out for help!"
"Team Rocket again?!"
Ash, Misty, and Brock shouted in unison, their anger flaring.
"Prof. Seymour, take us there!" Ash said instantly.
Under Prof. Seymour's guidance, they rushed to the cave.
There they found the classic Team Rocket trio circling around an injured Clefairy whose leg was hurt, while their drilling machine rumbled loudly beside them.
"You brats?! Why is it always you?!" Jessie yelled in frustration.
"And they brought reinforcements… and a nerd!" James added.
"Clefaiiiir…" the wounded Clefairy whimpered helplessly.
"Team Rocket, stop your evil deeds immediately!" Ash stepped forward.
"As if! Arbok/Koffing, go!"
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Staryu, Rapid Spin!"
"Onix, Rock Slide!"
"Zubat, use Supersonic!"
Brock sent out his newly captured partner.
The battle erupted again! With Brock and Prof. Seymour—who also released a Geodude to help—Team Rocket was instantly pushed into a corner.
Zubat's Supersonic effectively disrupted their movements, while Pikachu's lightning and Staryu's attacks struck one after another!
"Damn it! We're taking this Moon Stone and leaving!" Jessie grabbed the freshly unearthed Moon Stone and tried to flee.
"Scyther, stop her!" Ash commanded.
A green blur flashed, and Scyther's blades blocked Jessie's path.
At that moment, countless small eyes lit up around the cave—an entire Clefairy colony had arrived!
The Clefairy raised their tiny moon-shaped stones and combined their psychic power, unleashing a force so strong it blasted Team Rocket and their machine straight out of the cave!
"Blasting off agaaaaain—!"
Prof. Seymour and Brock hurried to treat the injured Clefairy's wound.
The Clefairy tribe was deeply grateful.
The one they saved even gifted Ash the Moon Stone as thanks.
"Thank you all so much!" Prof. Seymour shook their hands firmly. "Without you, the Clefairy and the Moon Stones here would've suffered. I'll be sure to record your heroic deed in my research report!"
[Ding! The host assisted Prof. Seymour in repelling Team Rocket and protecting Mt. Moon's ecosystem, earning high recognition from the researcher faction. Reward: World Points +300.]
[Current World Points: 3500]
After bidding farewell to Prof. Seymour and the Clefairy, Ash's trio continued their journey with the Moon Stone and Brock's newly captured Zubat.
Their experience in Mt. Moon made their team more united—and strengthened them with new allies.