PBK 62 Mt Moon (Patreon)

Route 3, Outside Pewter

Arata's POV

"Hey there," I said as she turned around. "My name is Arata."

"Oh, hello there!" the woman said, startled, taking a step back. She clearly hadn't been expecting me. "I'm Doctor Olivia. How can I help you, Mr. Arata?"

I gave the retreating private security officer a look, ensuring he was far away. I didn't want to start an unneeded altercation; these people were on a hair trigger.

"I was wondering if you knew anything about what's going on here," I said quietly. "With the blockade."

Dr. Olivia raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her expression. "And what makes you think I would know anything?"

"Nothing concrete," I admitted with a small shrug. "Just a gut feeling. The guards and police seem to be avoiding answering questions from everyone else, but they actually talked to your group. Figured it was worth asking."

She raised an eyebrow at me, a smile playing on her lips at my admittedly bold words. By this time, both of us had reached her admittedly large group. I counted at least eight people—a mix of teenagers and young adults in their twenties. One of them, a tall man with sharp features, walked up to us. He wore durable khaki pants and a vest with multiple pockets. His eyes, I noticed, were a particular shade of gold, hidden behind a pair of thin glasses. By this time, Marie and Maggie had also reached us, so I introduced them.

"This is Marie and Maggie," I said, looking over at the man. "And I'm Arata Ishida. We're trainers on our journey."

Dr. Olivia, recognizing I was introducing my friends, gave them both a courteous smile and introduced herself and the man standing next to her, who was looking at us inquisitively.

"I'm Dr. Olivia of Saffron University. I specialize in studies of ancient Pokémon," she said, pointing to herself. "And this is my assistant, Professor Magnus."

Isn't that rins uni..? What are the odds?

"Hey there," the man replied calmly.

"What are ancient Pokémon?" Maggie asked the professor curiously. The woman smiled more genuinely at the younger girl and answered enthusiastically.

"Well, ancient Pokémon are species that are believed to have existed in prehistoric times. Many of them are fossil Pokémon that we've managed to revive—a small number of them—through modern technology. We study their biology, behavior, and how they fit into our current ecosystems."

Before Maggie could ask more, a commotion broke out behind us. The crowd was getting visibly agitated, voices rising. One of the police officers stepped forward and raised his hands.

"Please remain calm! We ask that you wait another thirty minutes. We'll provide an official statement shortly."

Dr. Olivia turned to me with a raised eyebrow and a knowing look. "Well... there's your information."

I nodded, filing that away.At least we'd made some useful connections here.

As Magnus went back to prepare the rest of the group, I lowered my voice again. "Do you know the actual reason for the blockade?"

She hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "From what I've gathered, one of the largest mining companies in Pewter discovered significant deposits of rare earth materials during a recent survey. These materials are critical for space-shrinking technology. The mayor is apparently assisting them, and they want to secure the area without any interference from trainers or civilians."

That would explain the heavy police presence, I thought.

We waited along with the group, as there was nothing we could do in this situation. We learned that Dr. Olivia was out on an excursion along with her students after being teleported from Saffron to Pewter. Their destination was a deeper section of Mount Moon, a site where several important fossil excavations had taken place over the years. Apparently, the area was also home to a surprising variety of rare Pokémon species.

Dr. Olivia turned to us with a warm, inviting smile. "Would you three like to join us? It will take a little longer to reach the other side, but you'll be traveling with experienced guides and a full group. Much safer that way."

I was surprised by the offer, but genuinely glad for it. After a quick, quiet discussion with the girls, we decided to accept.

The main reason was to travel with a larger group with an experienced guide. Sure, it would be hard to get lost from the main path, but trainers did get lost every now and then and were never found again. There was also the opportunity to try and find some of the rarer Pokémon deeper inside the mountain. Even Marie was excited at the prospect after her disastrous last attempt.

We all eventually moved out after the blockade was lifted. It was a little crowded, but not something to complain about. Marie, Maggie, and I stayed close to one of the students who had introduced himself as Shane. He was about my age and very enthusiastic about the trip. Despite the blonde's propensity to chatter, he was a wellspring of information. Eventually, we reached the mouth of the tunnel that would connect us to the interior cavern the expedition was taking.

It was separate from the main path we would have normally taken. There were many such paths and tunnels that were mapped; I even had a large number of them marked on my Ranger Nav. But traversing them was another story entirely. It would take experienced hikers and explorers to do so, as even the higher-end navigation devices provided by the Ranger Corps could not mark your position on the map, allowing one to get lost easily.

Maggie was practically vibrating with excitement beside me, eyes wide as she stared into the dark opening.

The lead guide raised his voice. "Alright everyone, please release one first-stage Pokémon for your own safety and to avoid unnecessarily disturbing the wild Pokémon inside. Only use the glow sticks we're providing — no bright lights or flashy moves unless absolutely necessary."

He released his Graveler, giving us some protection at least. I was a little skeptical of having out only first-stage Pokémon; I would have preferred to have Orin out, but I'd have to deal. I looked at the opening of the tunnel, feeling a pang of apprehension. After all, it was my first time inside a subterranean region like Mount Moon. They started handing out glow sticks and spares.

Dr. Olivia added firmly to her students, "Everyone, please behave and stay together as a group."

I shared a quick look with Marie. We both nodded and released our Pokémon.

Marie sent out Vinny, her Tangela, while I released Titania. The not-so-little Larvitar appeared with a proud "Lar!" and looked around curiously. As her spines rose, noticing she was among strangers, she started to growl, only calming after a quick reassurance from me via our bonds.

There were several gasps from the students nearby. A pseudo-legendary wasn't something you saw every day. I ignored most of the stares, but noticed Magnus giving my little Godzilla-in-the-making an inscrutable look. I made a note of it but ignored it for the most part. We all made our way inside, with Marie keeping Maggie close to her. Titania stayed right by my side in case of any surprise attacks by wild Pokémon. We saw a cluster of Zubats that ignored us surprisingly, and a couple of calm Geodudes.

We all walked in pairs of two or three so as to keep a respectable distance from the walls, where some Pokémon were known to burrow in. We stopped at periodic intervals to rest, and we eventually stopped around a man-made—or Pokémon-made—entrance inside a relatively large cavern. The entrance was clearly widened and supported to allow passage. Taking a look at my Nav, it was around 5 PM; we had walked for three hours straight, and I was sweaty. Looking around, I was not the only one.

Professor Magnus turned to address the group, his voice echoing slightly in the enclosed space.

"Alright everyone, we're approaching the excavation site. As mentioned before, there will likely be a number of Pokémon in the area. While I can't stop you from catching any that interest you, I ask that you please do not battle them unless they attack first. Many of the Pokémon here are quite docile, and any large-scale battles could damage the surrounding structures and research materials."

I blinked.

What? We can't battle? I thought, feeling a little conned. Marie even looked confused and asked me.

Marie leaned closer to me and whispered, sounding just as confused as I felt.

"Isn't that one of the reasons we joined the expedition?"

"Yeah..." I muttered quietly. "Not gonna lie, I'm feeling a little cheated right now."

Still, we followed the group as the tunnel gradually narrowed until only one person could pass comfortably at a time. Then, without warning, it opened up.

The sight that greeted us made me stop in my tracks.

We had stepped out onto a wide stone ledge overlooking an enormous underground cavern. Above us, massive crystalline stalactites hung from the ceiling, glowing faintly with an inner light that reflected off the water below. A large, sparkling lake stretched across the center of the cavern.

All around the lake and along the rocky shores, various Pokémon lived in surprising peace, surprising me. Zubats, Slowpokes, even a pair of Arons quietly drinking water from the lake. To our right, built into the rock, was a clearly artificial structure—wooden platforms, metal supports, and some equipment. We were standing quite high above the lake, and I couldn't immediately see an easy way down.

For a moment, I just stood there, taking it all in.

...This world really is beautiful, I thought. Even Titania was quiet and looked around in awe, probably bouncing off my own.

Eventually, we all settled into the wooden research structure where we were supposed to spend the night. I'd been skeptical about the whole idea at first, but Dr. Olivia had reassured us. Apparently, this entire section of the mountain was generationally managed and protected by the Pewter Hikers and Mount Moon Preservation Organization. Historically, this particular area had never had any major incidents, and the Pokémon living near the lake were unusually docile—something to do with the crystalline stalactites above that was still being researched.

After a simple dinner of trail rations, Dr. Olivia held an impromptu lesson for her students about the Tree of Beginning and how ancient legends surrounding it had influenced cultures and customs across multiple regions. I listened quietly from the side, finding it surprisingly interesting.

Wasn't there a movie about that...?

At some point, Marie caught my eye and nodded toward Maggie. "I'm taking her to the little girls' room."

I nodded back and watched them head off, Marie's Tangela trailing protectively behind. Later, once everything had quieted down, I settled into my sleeping bag with Titania curled up against my side, feeling her smooth, powerful armor plates. The little Larvitar let out a content sigh and quickly dozed off. I was just starting to drift when a small commotion broke out near the entrance of the structure.

Frowning, I sat up and looked over. A small group had gathered around Marie and Maggie. My eyes widened when I saw what Maggie was holding.

A Pokémon egg.