Chapter 129: Mega Kick

Even for Maki, pseudo-legendary Pokémon possessed a certain allure. Even if he had no use for them personally, capturing one and bringing it back to Team Rocket would be a great contribution.

After all, pseudo-legendaries were rare resources, even within Team Rocket. Lance's family, known for controlling a large number of precious Dragon-type Pokémon, had very few pseudo-legendary hatchlings like Dratini or Bagon. Only highly talented direct descendants could obtain such Pokémon.

Ordinary family members would usually have common Dragon-types, and the unlucky ones might only end up with a Druddigon.

"You saved my life, kid. I don't have much to repay you with, but I can teach your Pokémon a move. This is my signature technique!"

After arriving near the old man's home, instead of taking Maki to an inn, the elder made this offer with a smile.

"Huh?" Maki froze. What kind of development was this? Was this guy a walking NPC from the games, capable of teaching moves?

"I'm telling you, this move is really strong. Back in the day, my Hitmonlee used this very technique to become undefeated in town!"

The old man boasted proudly.

"Oh, impressive, impressive. Goodbye."

Maki nodded absentmindedly, mostly thinking about how the town probably had a Pokémon Center. Why not just stay there instead?

"Hmm… Hey! Wait, wait, wait! You don't think I'm joking, do you? I'm serious! Mega Kick is an incredibly powerful battle move. Aren't you even a little interested?"

The old man puffed his chest out proudly, then panicked when he saw Maki walking away.

"Not at all."

Maki answered decisively. For Cottonee, who had neither hands nor feet, learning the move was impossible. Charmeleon and Mawile could theoretically learn it, but there was no need.

Mawile already had plenty of moves. Maki barely had enough time to train them all. Iron Head and Play Rough were both more useful than the Normal-type Mega Kick. The move was powerful but had terrible accuracy and didn't benefit from the Sheer Force ability. Thunder Punch was a much more reliable option.

As for Charmeleon, Maki felt that the fiery lizard could handle most situations with its fire attacks alone. Mega Kick would be nothing but a gimmick.

"Ah… this… I…"

The old man stammered. He had never encountered someone who outright refused him before. Most people begged him to teach their Pokémon moves—what was wrong with this kid?

In his eyes, learning more moves was always beneficial. However, Maki understood that mastering a move required significant effort. Trainers typically taught diverse moves to cover type weaknesses, but Normal-type moves had poor coverage.

A Dragonite learning Flamethrower could still scorch Grass- or Steel-types. But what could Mega Kick do? Nothing.

Seeing Maki about to walk away, the old man hastily called out again.

"Not interested in Mega Kick? I can also teach Mega Punch, you know!"

"No thanks. I'm heading to the Pokémon Center. Take care."

Maki found the old man amusing but had no desire to chat further. He politely bid farewell and left for the Pokémon Center.

On his way through town, Maki's entourage of Pokémon caught the attention of children. Many of them had never seen some of the species accompanying him.

After checking in, Maki recalled the old man's offer and approached Nurse Joy with a question.

"Nurse Joy, how's Mount Moon recently? I plan to pass through on my way to Pewter City."

"Mount Moon? If possible, it's best to avoid that route for now."

Nurse Joy glanced at Maki's age and advised him with a concerned expression.

"There are guides in nearby towns who can escort you through for a fee. The area is easy to get lost in, and it hasn't been very safe lately."

"I see. Thank you."

Maki nodded and returned to his room, pulling out a map.

"Cotton?" [What are you planning now?]

Cottonee asked from atop Maki's head.

"Hmm… Just had an idea. How about we take a little detour through Mount Moon? Maybe we'll stumble upon a Sun Stone for your evolution."

Maki grinned.

His original plan was to cross Mount Moon to reach Pewter City directly. But now he was intrigued. Mount Moon was famous for Moon Stones and fossils, but it also produced high-quality Sun Stones—rare but exceptionally valuable.

High-quality Sun Stones from Mount Moon were so rare that the League treated them as freebies when excavating Moon Stones.

Maki wasn't interested in common stones, but if he could get his hands on a top-tier Sun Stone, it would save his father some resources.

Cottonee wasn't ready to evolve yet, with plenty of untapped potential—but having the stone on hand wouldn't hurt.

Still, Maki was mostly joking. The odds of a perfect Sun Stone dropping into his lap were about as likely as a Larvitar walking up and asking to be caught.

"Cotton?" [But didn't they say it's dangerous?]

Cottonee asked, concerned. She had overheard both the old man and Nurse Joy.

"Don't worry. We'll only explore a little. There won't be any danger."

With Dragonite around, Maki doubted he'd run into any threats he couldn't handle—unless a Legendary Pokémon decided to show up and wreck him. But what were the chances of that?

"Maw!" [I'll protect you!]

Mawile puffed out its tiny chest.

"Cotton? Cotton~" [You? Take care of yourself first~]

Cottonee wobbled atop Maki's head, clearly unimpressed. The morning's Iron Head attack had long lost its intimidation factor.

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