Moonlight

Oddy had done it.

He evolved into a Gloom.

But something was… different Probably because of the experiments he's been through at the Lab in the Viridian Forest.

Normaly Glooms were supposed to have droopy, half-lidded eyes, a dopey grin, and a constant trail of drool dripping from their mouths due to the sweet but rancid nectar they produced.

Oddy had none of that.

His body was a deep, almost black shade of blue, his stance firm, and his eyes were sharp—piercing, determined, and unwavering.

But the most unsettling difference?

Instead of the usual pedals that bloomed atop a Gloom's head, Oddy had several writhing Venus flytrap-like mouths, snapping open and shut as if they had a mind of their own.

I barely had time to process his transformation before Nidoking let out a monstrous roar, the sheer force of its cry rattling the cave walls, sending loose pebbles tumbling from the ceiling. Then, with thunderous footsteps, it charged toward Oddy like an unstoppable force while his chest was burning. One of his hands had Poison Around it while the other had electricty around it.

"Oddy, Giga Drain! Then follow up with Bite!"

Oddy dashed forward, his movements quicker, more refined than before. One of the flytrap mouths glowed an eerie green, latching onto Nidoking's rugged hide.

A faint, pulsing light seeped from Nidoking into Oddy, his wounds knitting slightly. Even though the attack wasn't effective, Oddy wasn't done.

He threw his head back and let out a deep, guttural noice instead of the bite—but it wasn't just a sound.

The noise took form, twisting and spiraling outward in visible, black-and-purple sound waves.

The attack struck Nidoking like a hammer, making the massive beast stumble mid-charge, hands flying to its ears.

But it didn't work.

He could still hear it.

He let out a pained bellow, his body shaking as the spiraling waves of Voice continued to tear into it.

Then, Rotom floated up beside me, buzzing frantically.

["ALEX CARTER! Listen! Oddy's Moveset Must have Changed When He Evolved! He Foesn't know Bite as a Move Anymore"]

I tore my gaze away from the fight, eyes snapping to Rotom. "Then What does he know now?!"

["RIGHT NOW, ODDY KNOWS STUN SPORE, GIGA DRAIN, VINE WHIP, AND SNARL!"]

I looked back at Oddy, who stood firm, unshaken, unafraid.

His yellow eyes gleamed under the flickering lights of the burning fire, his multiple snapping mouths moving in sync as his Snarl continued to batter Nidoking.

Nidoking roared in frustration, trying to push forward, but between the burning Will-O-Wisp on its chest and Oddy's relentless Snarl, it was losing ground.

I clenched my fist, glancing at the metal ball Skyla had given me earlier.

Then, I turned to her.

She was already watching me.

She knew what I was thinking.

"Oddy, use Vine Whip on the stalactites! Rotom, help him—let's trap this thing!"

Oddy's flytrap mouths snapped open, and suddenly, thick, whipping green vines lashed upward, wrapping around the stalactites hanging from the cave's ceiling.

Rotom fired a Shadow Ball, slamming into the weakened rock formations.

Cracks formed—

Then, in a sudden collapse, the ceiling began to cave in directly over Nidoking.

The beast let out a furious, panicked roar, its claws still pressed against its ears from Oddy's Snarl.

Skyla tightened her grip on the metal ball. "NOW!"

In perfect sync, we threw them.

The moment the metal spheres hit the ground, they exploded—not with fire or force, but with foam.

Thick, expanding hardened foam burst outward, spreading over everything in its path.

Nidoking realized the danger too late.

It thrashed violently, its yellow eyes wild, its muscles bulging as it tried to break free. But the more it struggled, the faster the foam hardened, trapping its arms, legs, and tail.

Finally, with stalactites pinning it down and the foam locking it in place, only its snarling, furious face remained visible.

We had won.

I let out a deep sigh, my breath still heavy from the fight, as I collapsed onto my back, feeling the cold, damp ground of the cave against me. My hat slipped off my head, landing somewhere beside me, but I didn't care.

The fire from the flashlight Rotom had set ablaze was slowly dying, its flickering light dimming more and more, casting long, dancing shadows on the jagged walls.

Soon, darkness would swallow us whole.

Skyla sat down next to me, pulling off her coat and laying it on the rocky floor before settling on it. We sat there in silence—well, as silent as we could be with the distant, guttural roars of the trapped Adapted Nidoking still echoing through the cave.

"We make one hell of a team…" Skyla finally said, breaking the quiet.

I turned my head to look at her, still lying down, and smirked. "I guess we do… but didn't I do all the work?"

Skyla scoffed, rolling her blue eyes before meeting my scarlet red ones. "If I hadn't given you that metal ball, you'd be dead right now. You know that, right?"

Before I could come up with a comeback, Oddy finally managed to stand up.

He wobbled unsteadily on his feet for a moment, then, with the grace of a newborn Deer, ran toward us—only to immediately trip over his own foot.

Skyla laughed, standing up and walking over to catch him before he could faceplant. She held him up with both hands, tilting her head as she examined him.

"Right now, you really look like a Anime villain."

Oddy froze, his expression falling.

Oof. That hit him hard.

It wasn't even the first time she had called him that.

Skyla must've realized how sad he looked because she suddenly smiled, spinning on her heel before sitting back down on her coat, still holding Oddy in her lap.

"But I guess you really saved the day, huh, Hero?"

Oddy perked up at that, and I reached out, giving him a fist bump.

Then, just as I was about to let myself fully relax…

ROOOOOAAARRRR!

The Nidoking's furious howls shook the cavern walls again, making loose pebbles tumble from the ceiling.

I let out a groan, running a hand through my hair. "What are we gonna do with that?" I asked, jerking my thumb toward the trapped, still-struggling beast.

While pulling a bottle of water from my bag and secretly taking some berries from my inventory, I rolled onto my side, taking out Aria's Pokéball.

Even though she was inside, I could tell she was exhausted.

Seeing her resting inside the ball made me feel a bit calmer. But not calm enough to forget that there was still a murderous Nidoking glaring at us.

Skyla, however, was suddenly digging through her luggage.

I arched a brow. "What are you looking for?"

"Just a minute!" she shot back, still rummaging.

I sighed, shaking my head, and flopped onto my back again. Whatever she was up to, I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

Then—

"Found it!"

I turned my head to see her grinning like a madwoman—and holding up some Ultra Balls.

My heart dropped.

Oh no.

"Don't tell me—"

"Yep."

"No, you can't—"

"Yes, I can!"

Before I could stand up to stop her, Skyla had already sprinting toward Nidoking.

"Skyla, stop!" I shouted, scrambling to my feet.

She didn't listen.

Instead, she snatched the berry from my hand as she passed and slid right up next to the monstrous Pokémon.

"Here, have some," she said casually, as if she weren't two inches away from a raging, Adapted Nidoking that had just tried to kill us.

I took baby steps toward her, my entire body tensed. I glanced at Rotom, silently begging it to do something.

["Should I hit her with Thunder Alex Carter?"] Rotom asked.

I blinked.

Then, I looked around.

At the dark, damp, enclosed cave we were in.

I deadpanned at Rotom. "We are in a cave..."

[Oh… Right....]

Meanwhile, Skyla was still just sitting there, holding out the berry like she was offering it to a stray Lillipup instead of a giant, furious, electric-poison-type Nidoking.

Nidoking snorted, nostrils flaring, staring at her like he couldn't decide whether to accept the food or eat her instead.

Skyla, completely unfazed, wiggled the berry. "C'mon, big guy. You gotta be hungry after all that fighting."

Nidoking let out a deep growl, his massive shoulders heaving. His yellow eyes flicked to the berry.

Then, slowly—very slowly—he sniffed it.

I held my breath.

Skyla just smiled. "See? Not so bad, huh?"

For a moment, Nidoking didn't move.

Then—he snapped the berry out of her hand, chomping it down in one bite.

I exhaled, relaxing just a little—

Until Skyla secretly lifted the Ultra Ball and tapped it against his head.

A bright red light burst forth, engulfing Nidoking's massive form.

And just like that, he vanished inside the ball.

The Ultra Ball shook violently, the Nidoking furiously thrashing inside.

One shake.

Two shakes.

Three—

CLICK.

Silence.

Skyla picked up the ball, grinning ear to ear. "And that's how you catch a Pokémon."

I stared at her.

Then at the Ultra Ball in her hand.

Then back at her.

I opened my mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.

Then I just threw my hands up. "Go K*ll yourself."

Skyla just laughed. "Atleast it worked."

She held the Ultra Ball in her hands, feeling the faint tremors as Nidoking struggled against its containment. She patted the ball absentmindedly, almost as if reassuring the Pokémon inside. Rotom, who had been floating beside her, tilted its screen toward her.

["So, Skyla, does this mean you're a trainer now?"] Rotom asked, tilting slightly in the air.

Skyla hesitated. She stood still, lost in thought, before finally muttering, "No… maybe… I don't really know."

She glanced at the Pokéball in her hand. "Did you ask that because I caught this guy?"

["Yeah,"] Rotom replied. ["In order to control that Nidoking, you'll need at least four badges. Otherwise, he'll stay as wild as he is now."]

As if to prove its point, the Ultra Ball gave another sharp jolt.

Skyla sighed, rolling the ball in her palm. "Then I really don't know. I might just send him to the Cerulean City Lab. They'd know what to do with him."

I raised a brow, adjusting the newly re-lit flashlight in my grip and shining it around the cave. "Looks like this Nidoking was the reason our flashes weren't working," I mused, then, with a smirk, pointed the beam directly into Skyla's eyes.

"Hey!" She flinched back, glaring at me.

"By the way, what's this Cerulean City Lab?" I asked, lowering the light.

Rotom floated forward. ["The Cerulean Lab is one of the eight Pokémon research labs in Kanto and Johto. Don't you remember, Alex Carter? You got Aria and me from one of these labs too."]

A Trainer or Not?

Rotom hovered beside Skyla as she absently patted the Ultra Ball containing her newly caught Nidoking. The ball trembled in her grip, shaking violently as the still-wild Pokémon fought to break free.

["So, Skyla, does this mean you're a trainer now?"] Rotom asked, tilting slightly in the air.

Skyla hesitated. She stood still, lost in thought, before finally muttering, "No… maybe… I don't really know." She glanced at the Pokéball in her hand. "Did you ask just because I caught this guy?"

["Yeah,"] Rotom replied. ["In order to control that Nidoking, you'll need at least four badges. Otherwise, he'll stay as wild as he is now."]

As if to prove its point, the Ultra Ball gave another sharp jolt.

Skyla sighed, tapping the button on the ball to lock it before looking over at me. "Hmm… then I really don't know. I might just send him to the Cerulean City Lab, you know?"

A faint memory resurfaced—Professor Cherry, explaining that every one of the two cities now had their own lab for trainers and researchers alike.

"Oh, I get it now," I muttered, bending down to grab my hat from the ground and Skyla's coat, handing it back to her.

Stretching my arms, I exhaled. "I think we've wasted enough time. We should get out of here before that red-eyed fossil comes back."

Skyla, Rotom, and Oddy all nodded in agreement. I glanced up at the hole in the cave's ceiling, half-expecting the Aerodactyl to swoop down at any moment, but the skies above were empty.

Good.

"Let's go."

But just as I took my first step, something caught my eye.

A small, metallic glint on the ground.

I frowned. "What is that?"

Skyla followed my gaze before stepping forward. As soon as she saw it, she burst out laughing.

I squinted at her. "What? What's so funny?"

She grinned, motioning for me to move aside. "Stay back for a second."

I stepped aside, watching as she bent down—then started laughing even harder.

Curious, I followed her gaze.

And then I saw it.

The coin.

The same coin we had flipped before getting attacked by Nidoking.

It was wedged perfectly between two rocks, standing upright—neither tails nor heads.

I blinked. Then I started laughing too.

"Of course," I muttered. "Of all things…"

Skyla wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, shaking her head. "That's gotta be some kind of sign, right?"

I snorted. "If it is, I don't wanna know what it means."

With that, we continued forward, finally making our way out of the damned cave.

The journey to the exit was far calmer than what we had endured inside. No more surprise attacks, no more zubats, no more rampaging Nidokings. Just… a quiet, eerie stillness.

By the time we reached a safe resting spot, we decided to stay one more day inside the cave before finally emerging.

And when we did—

Moonlight greeted us.

The crisp night air rushed to meet us, cool against my skin after so long in the damp, dark cavern. The sky stretched wide and endless above, stars twinkling like scattered diamonds.

Then, a soft sound drifted through the air.

I turned toward it.

A faint, melodic hum.

To our right, just beyond the cave entrance, a small clearing bathed in silver moonlight came into view. And in the center of it—

A group of Clefairy.

They danced around a shimmering pool, their tiny feet stepping lightly on the soft grass, their pink forms almost glowing under the full moon. The water beneath them reflected the sky above, making it look as though they were dancing among the stars themselves.

All six of us—Skyla, Rotom, Oddy, Aria, and even the Pokéball containing Nidoking—stood still, watching the almost unreal sight before us.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves.

"It's… beautiful," Skyla and ı murmured, sitting down on the dewy grass.

Aria and Oddy immediately curled up on my lap, their bodies pressing against me as they, too, watched the Clefairys. Rotom floated just above us, humming softly,its usual energetic buzzing quieter, as if even it didn't want to disturb the scene while Skyla took a seat beside me, resting her arms on her knees as she watched the Clefairy twirl under the moonlight.

For a long moment, we just sat there, listening it all. I looked at them—the Clefairy, my Pokémon, Skyla—and then, a single thought crossed my mind.

Maybe living inside this world isn't half ba—

I stopped myself.

Because if I really finished that thought… it would mean leaving behind everything.

No.

If I allowed myself to think that way...

Every person I ever loved.

The graves of my parents.

Sakura,Meowt and many more people and especially my Dream.

If I ever let myself say those words aloud—if I ever truly accepted this world—then I would be leaving everything behind.

A small pat on my arm pulled me from my thoughts.

I blinked, glancing down.

Aria and Oddy were looking up at me, concern in their eyes.

I put on a small smile. "I'm good. Don't worry about me."

As I spoke, I patted Oddy's back and gently ran my fingers through Aria's ghostly hair.

Above us, the Clefairy continued their dance, their voices carrying into the night.

For now, I let myself listen....

Even if this world wasn't going to be my own…