"Congratulations, Maen. You won," Flint said as he walked over. "This is the Boulder Badge from the Pewter Gym. Since this is your first Gym challenge, you can also have this badge case."
Maen accepted the box, opening it to see the Boulder Badge neatly placed inside. He nodded in appreciation. "Thanks."
He knew that Flint hadn't fought with his full strength. As a Gym Leader, Flint had to have Pokémon at a Gym Leader level, meaning his Golem, while strong, was definitely not his ace. But Maen didn't point that out. Instead, he chatted with Flint for a few minutes before deciding to head back to the Pokémon Center. It was getting late, and he planned to set out early the next morning.
Just as he turned to leave, Flint leaned in slightly and whispered, "Maen, let me give you a word of advice. This world isn't as peaceful as it seems."
Maen didn't respond. He didn't need to. Flint was right.
In the anime, the Pokémon world looked bright and harmonious. But this was reality. Maen had lived here for sixteen years, long enough to see that things weren't so simple. Organizations like Team Rocket weren't just made up of harmless fools like Jessie, James, and Meowth. The real criminal underworld was far more brutal. Some of them had blood on their hands—whether human or Pokémon.
And it wasn't just criminals. Even the Pokémon League's higher-ups weren't as righteous as they seemed. In the end, power and profit always took priority.
---
Pokémon League Headquarters
The video of Maen's battle with Flint spread quickly among the League's upper ranks. Every Gym had official referees assigned by the Pokémon League, meaning the battle results—especially impressive ones—reached the higher-ups almost immediately.
"Oh? This kid is interesting."
"That Haunter of his… it's unusual. We should keep an eye on him."
"Check his background. See if we can recruit him."
In a dimly lit meeting room at the League headquarters, several high-ranking officials sat around a table. Papers, battle reports, and Maen's profile were spread out before them. They discussed his future as if it was something they could decide on a whim.
Then, suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped.
A bone-chilling cold swept through the space.
The executives instinctively reached for their Poké Balls—only to realize they couldn't move.
A slow click... click... click... echoed through the room as the door creaked open.
An elderly woman stepped inside, leaning on a cane.
It was Agatha of the Elite Four.
"Maen is my grandson," she said, her voice low and commanding. "If he rises through the ranks, let it be by his own strength. If he can't handle the obstacles ahead, then he simply isn't strong enough."
Her gaze darkened. "But if any of you dare try anything underhanded—if you try to manipulate or harm him—I won't hesitate to deal with you myself."
The frozen executives could only break into cold sweats. They couldn't even nod, forced to communicate their fear through panicked eyes.
Agatha gave a final scoff before turning away. As she left, the room's temperature slowly returned to normal, and the paralysis on the executives lifted.
No one spoke.
They didn't need to.
The message was clear: Maen was off-limits.
While they could still observe him, none of them were foolish enough to interfere now. After all, not everyone was willing to provoke an Elite Four member.
---
Viridian Gym
Giovanni sat at his desk, fingers tapping idly against the surface. Before him lay Maen's battle report.
He glanced at it briefly before scoffing. "A shame he's Agatha's grandson. If not, we could've tried recruiting him into Team Rocket."
He tossed the file aside. "But in the end, he's just another talented kid. Promising, yes, but not worth our time."
Right now, Team Rocket had far more important matters to deal with.
Their top priority?
Mewtwo.
"This is the future of Team Rocket," Giovanni murmured as he stood up. Moments later, he disappeared into a hidden passage, en route to New Island to check on Mewtwo's progress.
---
Mt. Moon
Unaware of the chaos his battle had stirred in the Pokémon League and Team Rocket, Maen was already onto his next adventure.
Between Pewter City and Cerulean City lay Mt. Moon, a vast, cave-filled mountain rumored to be home to Clefairy and rare Moon Stones.
Maen wasn't interested in Clefairy, but the Moon Stones?
That was another story.
Traveling wasn't cheap, and selling just a couple of Moon Stones could earn him enough money to live comfortably for a while.
Without a Flying-type Pokémon to carry him over, he had no choice but to navigate the cave on foot. It was a well-known fact that Mt. Moon was difficult to traverse, and every year, Trainers got lost inside due to its confusing layout and lack of signal.
But it wasn't just the challenge that attracted people.
Mt. Moon was a gold mine.
Trainers and treasure hunters alike scoured the caves for Moon Stones, fossils, and rare gems—anything they could sell for a profit.
Holding up his Pokédex's built-in flashlight, Maen made his way through the rocky tunnels. His Haunter, lurking in the surrounding shadows, remained on high alert.
During his time at the old estate, Maen had spent many nights reading books about the Pokémon world. He wasn't an expert, but he knew enough to identify basic evolution stones and fossils.
So far, his search had turned up nothing valuable. Most of the fossils he found were damaged or incomplete—worthless, really. And he hadn't seen a single Moon Stone.
"Figures," Maen muttered. "Guess I'm not that lucky."
Just as he was about to give up, Haunter suddenly reappeared in front of him, eyes gleaming.
It pointed ahead.
Something was waiting for them.
---