Chapter Nineteen: Rescuing the Moonstone

"Cheng Cheng, do you have any ideas?"
"I've figured out that the power of the Moon Stone comes from the moon itself. So, all we need to do is leave the Moon Stone outside when the moon is out. Once it absorbs the moonlight, it will recover."
"Is that so? That's wonderful. I wonder if the moon will be visible tonight?"
"Tonight isn't just any night, it's a full moon," Miss Joy said.
"Then let's do it tonight. Let's help the Moon Stone restore its energy together!"
"That should work, but our Valley Town is surrounded by tall mountains, making it difficult to see the moon."
"Then let's take the Moon Stone outside the valley."
"Agreed."
"But those two people from before seem to be searching for the Moon Stone as well. Carrying it out might not be convenient."
"How about this: we put the Moon Stone inside a Poké Ball, carry it out of the valley, and then release it outside. That way, it can absorb the moonlight and we can leave quickly and easily," Cheng Cheng suggested.
"But will the Moon Stone agree to enter the Poké Ball?"
"No problem. I'm sure if we explain that we're trying to save it, and promise to release it once we're outside, it might agree to go in."
"Let's try it."
Cheng Cheng walked up to the Moon Stone and touched it with the Poké Ball. In an instant, the Moon Stone was drawn inside. The Poké Ball flashed red briefly, then the Moon Stone settled quietly.
At that moment, Cheng Cheng wanted to shout in his heart, "I've caught the Moon Stone!" But the situation wasn't appropriate.
With the Moon Stone safely inside the Poké Ball, everyone quickly left the Pokémon Center and headed toward the valley's exit.
After half an hour, they arrived at their destination—a mountaintop, spacious and open, where the moon hung high in the sky.
"Come out, Moon Stone."
Cheng Cheng released the Moon Stone, which immediately began to emit a pale blue glow, seemingly responding to the moon above.
"This must be Moon Stone's ability—Moonlight."
Moonlight gathered around the Moon Stone, healing its wounds and filling it with renewed energy.
"Hahaha! Just as I suspected. If we waited here, the Moon Stone would surely appear."
"You two again?"
The newcomers were the duo from the Incredible Pokémon Club, arriving this time in a strange machine.
It had to be said, the technology in this world was a little... peculiar.
"This Moon Stone is ours now."
From the left side of the machine, a claw-like device extended, reaching for the Moon Stone, which was still absorbing moonlight and unable to move.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"
Pikachu's Iron Tail struck the claw, forcing it open.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
"Pikachu~"
Pikachu's Thunderbolt hit the machine, but it remained undamaged.
"Haha, our machine is waterproof, fireproof, shockproof, and theft-proof!"
"Come out, Mudkip! Use Water Gun!"
Brock summoned Mudkip, which blasted a strong jet of water, trying to block the machine.
But the water didn't do much; the duo pressed their attack.
"Come out, Beautifly! Use Silver Wind!"
A series of whirlwinds held the machine back.
While Beautifly fended off the machine, the Moon Stone fully recovered.
"The rest of the battle is up to you."
Moon Stone's eyes flashed blue, and a wave of psychic energy brought the machine to a halt, then tossed it aside.
The Moon Stone gathered energy, more and more, then unleashed it.

"Awaken!"
The machine was destroyed by Moon Stone's Awaken attack, sending the duo flying.
"Wonderful, Moon Stone, you’ve finally regained your strength," Ash rejoiced.
"Pikachu~"
"Moon Stone, are you leaving?"
Moon Stone was preparing to depart, and Cheng Cheng watched, but did not try to stop it. He knew he could force Moon Stone to stay, but that would surely ruin his relationship with Ash and the others. Between Ash and Moon Stone, Cheng Cheng chose Pikachu.
Moon Stone floated upwards, drifting farther and farther away, until it disappeared from sight.
"Alright, let's head back. It's getting late, and we need to rest well. Tomorrow, our journey continues."
Cheng Cheng persuaded everyone to go to bed.
That night, a shadow approached the Pokémon Center, lingering outside the building. Soon after, another shadow appeared, and before long, both vanished.
The next morning, everyone woke up late, so they quickly ate breakfast and decided to set out immediately.
Cheng Cheng and his companions walked along the forest path, with Pikachu leading the way, looking cheerful.
Seeing Pikachu so lively, Cheng Cheng felt a stir in his heart. He had often thought about taking Pikachu for himself, but with the system in place, he couldn't raise Pikachu anyway. Even if he did manage it, Pikachu might not listen to him.
"Pikachu was walking ahead step by step when suddenly a large tree toppled toward him."
"Watch out, Pikachu! Dodge quickly!" Ash shouted.
The tree crashed to the ground, and Pikachu managed to avoid it. The fallen tree raised a cloud of dust, obscuring everyone's vision.
As the haze cleared, they saw Pikachu caught in the grasp of a mechanical arm.
"What in the world?"
"If you're so sincerely asking,
Then I shall mercifully tell you..."
"Go, Chimecho! Use Psywave!"
Cheng Cheng didn't let them finish their speech. Daring to attack Pikachu was unforgivable in his eyes.
"Ah, curses!"
The members of Team Rocket clutched their ears as Chimecho's Psywave scrambled their minds.
"Now, Chimecho! Use Take Down to break the arm holding Pikachu!"
Chimecho crashed into the machine's arm, which, surprisingly, wasn't made of steel and was easily smashed.
"Chimecho, use Psychic to catch Pikachu!"
"Chime~"
Pikachu, plummeting rapidly, stopped in midair and slowly floated toward Cheng Cheng.
Cheng Cheng caught Pikachu, hugging him and stroking him gently.
"Pikachu, are you alright?"
"Pika pi~"
"I'm glad you're okay." Cheng Cheng patted Pikachu's head again.
"Pikachu, are you alright?"
Ash rushed over.
Upon seeing Ash, Pikachu jumped from Cheng Cheng's arms onto Ash's shoulder.
"I'm so glad you're safe, Pikachu."
"Pika pi~"
"Thank you so much, Cheng Cheng."
"No problem."
I've finally saved you once; let me hold you a little longer! Cheng Cheng thought to himself.
"You brat, how dare you break our machine! Take this!"
Meowth piloted the robot, seemingly preparing a counterattack.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"
"Pika~ Pika~ Pika~ Pika~ Pika~ Pika!"
"What a bothersome feeling!"
The familiar catchphrase rang out again. Cheng Cheng paid it no mind, treating the incident as a minor episode. Still, he had managed to pet Pikachu a few more times, which was quite nice. He hoped Team Rocket would show up more often.
Cheng Cheng and his companions continued on their way; Mauville City was now close.
Soon, Cheng Cheng spotted his next destination—the Safari Zone.
"We've arrived at the Safari Zone. Ash, do you all want to go in and catch some Pokémon together?"
"Of course, I'd love to get some new Pokémon."
"Then let's go in together!"
"Welcome!" A man at the counter greeted them.
"Hello, we'd like to enter the Safari Zone to catch Pokémon."
"Certainly. Please present your identification."
Everyone produced their IDs.
"This session includes thirty Safari Balls and lasts three hours. Whether you run out of balls or time ends, you must leave. The entry fee is one hundred thousand. Also, I must remind you: first, you may only use Safari Balls inside, not your own Poké Balls; second, you cannot battle with Pokémon inside, you must catch them directly."
"One hundred thousand is a bit pricey, but if luck is on your side, you might make a good profit."
Cheng Cheng and his friends took their Safari Balls and entered the Safari Zone.
"For better chances, let's split up."
The group parted ways.
Cheng Cheng chose a path and followed it, finding that the Pokémon here were even more numerous than in the forest. Moreover, these Pokémon were less dangerous, quieter and calmer.
"A Natu."
Upon entering, Cheng Cheng spotted a Natu, but it was only of pale orange grade, so he moved on. Although he needed many Psychic-type Pokémon, he was also concerned with their caliber.
He passed up the Natu and headed in another direction.
Soon, he spotted a Pokémon resembling a giraffe, but much smaller.
"That must be Girafarig."
Pokémon: Girafarig
Type: Psychic, Normal
Level: 17
Grade: Deep Yellow
Rarity: Rare
...
This Girafarig seemed quite promising, also a Psychic-type. Cheng Cheng decided to catch it.
"Go, Safari Ball!"
He threw the Safari Ball at Girafarig, who was drawn inside. The ball shook on the ground, making Cheng Cheng a bit nervous.
Fortunately, after several shakes, the Safari Ball settled. He had caught his first Pokémon.
Time to keep pushing forward.
Cheng Cheng continued exploring the Safari Zone. Along the way, he encountered many Ralts, Natu, Exeggcute, Spoink, and Girafarig—mostly Psychic-types. He caught a few with good potential, and now only had ten Safari Balls left.
He hadn't expected the Safari Zone to have so many Psychic-types. So far, he'd collected twenty, completing his first task.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, you've completed Task One. Achievement points: five hundred."
Cheng Cheng checked his second task. Only five Pokémon of pale green grade or higher had been caught, so with ten balls remaining, he needed five more. Otherwise, he'd have to catch them outside, but wild Pokémon outside tended to be lower quality and more troublesome to catch. So Cheng Cheng decided not to limit himself to Psychic-types anymore; as long as they were of good quality, he'd catch other types too.
He picked a new direction and continued onward.