Chapter 48: Mission - Investigate Mt. Moon
Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy
---------------------------------
After obtaining the badge, Liam said farewell to Flint and his family. After giving Brock's spiky hair a good ruffle, he returned to the Pokémon Center.
By the time he arrived, it was already noon. After finishing lunch, Liam packed his belongings, returned the room key to Nurse Joy, and expressed his heartfelt gratitude before leaving.
Having obtained the Boulder Badge, his time in Pewter City had come to an end. Since transportation wasn't particularly advanced, it was better to move quickly.
The next Gym was in Cerulean City. After consulting his map and determining the direction, Liam set off on his journey once more.
Walking along the flat road, Liam didn't notice the figure standing silently on a hill not far behind him.
"Growlithe!"
The figure's Growlithe let out a soft bark.
"I'm fine, Growlithe. It's just... as a friend, it hurts a bit that he left without saying goodbye. That's all. I'm not crying." The figure turned slightly and spoke to Growlithe with a forced, bitter smile.
"Growlithe, growl..."
Growlithe nuzzled the figure gently with its head, offering comfort.
"Growlithe, you really are the best. Let's always stay together, okay?" The figure crouched down and hugged Growlithe, but tears couldn't be held back any longer, streaming down their face.
"Growl, growl..."
Meanwhile, Liam continued forward and called Lulu out, collecting the rewards for challenging the Pewter Gym.
[Ding!]
[Quest: Kanto's Summit! Gym Challenge 2/8 complete! Obtained Boulder Badge.]
[Reward: 500 exchange points, TM Protect x1.]
---------------------------
[Ding!]
[Hidden Achievement: Bloodline Awakening.]
[Defeated Pewter Gym, obtained Pewter Gym Fragment x1, and 500 exchange points.]
[Current fragments owned: Viridian Gym Fragment, Pewter Gym Fragment.]
---------------------------
Two quests completed, granting him a total of 1,000 exchange points. However, what truly excited Liam was the random TM he obtained: Protect.
Protect was a godsend! Although its success rate decreased with repeated use, it remained invaluable.
It was a must-have for battles, sneaky tactics, and even travel. It was also one of the most expensive utility moves in the system. Alongside Toxic and Substitute, it was part of the "infamous trio"—devastatingly effective but absurdly pricey.
Each cost as much as a Dragon Fang, with Protect alone priced at 2,000 points. Worse, unlike other TMs, these could only be used three times instead of being reusable.
This stinginess was why Liam hadn't bought them earlier.
First, because the tactics felt too "cheap," and second, because they were so expensive.
But now, with a free, reusable TM in hand, there was no reason not to use it. Liam decided to teach the move to all his Pokémon at the first opportunity.
He could already imagine the frustration of his opponents when their last desperate move got blocked by Protect.
The thought alone made him grin as he marched toward Cerulean City, his spirits high.
"Huh?"
While walking past a mountain, Lulu suddenly emerged on her own without Liam calling her out.
"Didn't you say you were going back to sleep? Why are you out here now?" Liam asked, puzzled.
Lulu rolled her eyes at him before gesturing toward his portable storage. With a wave of her hand, a dimly glowing, fragmented Moon Stone floated out and hovered in front of Liam.
"Huh? Isn't this the broken Moon Stone? Why is it glowing? What's going on?" Liam asked, staring at the glowing fragment in confusion.
Lulu closed his storage space and circled the fragment a few times before confidently declaring, "This kind of glow only appears when Moon Stone fragments are merging. The fact that this broken Moon Stone is glowing means..."
"It means there are other Moon Stone fragments nearby, right?" Liam interrupted, his eyes lighting up as he finished her sentence.
"You!!! How dare you steal my line?! See if I don't teach you a lesson!" Furious, Lulu flew to Liam's head and yanked on his hair, making him wince in pain.
"Ow, ow, ow! Stop it! I'll go bald!" Liam quickly grabbed Lulu and managed to pry her off with considerable effort. Rubbing his sore scalp, he looked at her painedly as she clutched a few strands of his hair in her hands.
"Hmph! That's what you get for stealing my lines!" Lulu said, tossing the hairs aside and putting her hands on her hips.
"Alright, alright, I won't do it again," Liam surrendered immediately, not wanting to risk his hair further.
"Hmph... This mountain feels strange. I think you should investigate it. The glowing Moon Stone fragment will guide you. Maybe you'll find other fragments—definitely worth it. Of course, a quest will also be issued."
---------------------------
[Ding!]
[Quest Issued: Investigate the Mysterious Mountain.]
[Quest Objective: The mountain ahead seems to hide some secrets. Uncover them.]
[Quest Reward: None.]
---------------------------
Liam: "..."
"Uh... Lulu, any idea what happened to the quest rewards? Did you cancel them out of spite?" Liam asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
Lulu, who had been acting confident moments ago, suddenly looked flustered. Under Liam's skeptical gaze, she tried to maintain her composure.
"Of course not! What would I even do with the rewards? Maybe the system thinks you'll gain plenty from this quest, so it didn't add extra rewards. Yes, that must be it!"
Liam wasn't buying it. It was obvious Lulu had meddled.
Still, he decided to let it slide this time. With 1,000 exchange points already added to his account, he could afford to overlook this minor issue.
"Fine, fine. You win. Let me check the map for any routes into this mountain so I can get started on this 'reward-less' quest." Liam opened his navigation map and tapped on the nearby mountain to gather information.
[Mt. Moon: A mountain named for the legend of a fallen meteor. It's said to be home to precious meteorites, making it a haven for mineral enthusiasts. Rumors also speak of mysterious Pokémon like Clefairy living here, though their existence remains unconfirmed.]
"Mt. Moon, huh? It had a feeling that would be it. What's with this mysterious mountain crap? Almost made me think it's a different mountain. Still, no wonder the Moon Stone fragment started glowing. There must be more Moon Stones hidden here. And there are Clefairy and Clefable too? If I run into any of those adorable Pokémon, I might catch one as a gift for Delia. She'd definitely be thrilled!"
Thinking of Delia's delighted reaction upon receiving a Clefairy filled Liam with energy as he prepared to explore the mountain.