Airheaded Beautiful Girl, Moriyasu Kaori

"You got the Gray Badge that quickly? That makes no sense. None at all."

"Did you use a cheat code or something?"

Ito Hei sized Liu Xin up but couldn't figure it out.

He settled on a new goal: when they reached South China City, he would get its badge before Liu Xin did.

And so, the two of them left together, somehow having become traveling companions.

Pewter City truly was rock-type Pokémon territory. They were everywhere.

Liu Xin was tempted, but rock types and ground types were different. He couldn't catch them.

Besides, the three Pokémon he already had were strong enough for his needs and his training.

Mt. Moon.

It lived up to its name. Clefairy were everywhere, and there were plenty of Clefable too.

Liu Xin and Ito Hei made their way along slowly. They couldn't go any faster on the rugged paths.

After so many trainers had suffered accidents here in recent years, Pewter City had improved the paths on Mt. Moon, making it much easier to traverse.

Even so, its steep slopes were not to be underestimated.

"It's so high up. This is dangerous."

"One wrong step, and I'm done for."

Ito Hei had dismounted Rapidash. Riding a Pokémon through this terrain would be asking for death.

Liu Xin looked around as daylight gradually faded.

"I've heard the Moon Stone looks beautiful at night. Let's go up and see it."

"Besides, we can't come all the way to Mt. Moon and leave without seeing the Moon Stone."

They headed toward the summit. Along the way, the Clefairy and Clefable they encountered grew noticeably stronger.

The Pokémon looked at Liu Xin and Ito Hei with unfriendly eyes, some more openly hostile than others.

They were supposed to be gentle Pokémon. Why were they acting like this?

The two were still puzzling over it when a clear voice caught their attention before they reached the summit.

"Good Clefairy, sweet Clefairy, come into the ball."

"I gave you all my tasty treats. If you won't come with me, I—I'll cry."

When Liu Xin and Ito Hei drew closer, they found a young woman talking to a Clefairy, with a Poké Ball lying between them.

She had a fresh, innocent look. Despite her long, straight black hair, she seemed less like a cool beauty and more adorably clueless.

Her little canine tooth showed as she watched the Clefairy approach step by step, her face full of hope.

Ito Hei watched for a moment, then called out, "Hey, beautiful. What are you doing out here?"

"Is that Clefairy your Pokémon?"

At the sight of them, the young woman looked as though she'd found a lifeline. She hurried forward. "No. I'm a trainer from Pewter City, and I'm trying to catch my first Pokémon."

Catching her first Pokémon without one of her own? Liu Xin's interest was piqued.

He stepped forward confidently. "I know all about that. I caught my first Pokémon without one too. This guy right here."

As soon as the shiny Cubone appeared, it looked curiously at Clefairy.

Clefairy startled and ducked behind the young woman's heel.

Seeing Clefairy hide behind her, the young woman lit up. "You're amazing! You've already helped me get closer to Clefairy."

"So what's next? What do I do now?"

Huh?

Ito Hei and Liu Xin suddenly realized she wasn't merely a little clueless. She seemed to know next to nothing about Pokémon.

They were speechless, but they still had to explain how catching one worked.

Liu Xin smiled. "Next, throw that Poké Ball at Clefairy."

"If the little button in the middle touches the Pokémon, the ball will pull it inside. Then you wait to see what happens."

The young woman picked up the Poké Ball and struck a pose. "Like this?"

"That doesn't look quite right. Maybe this pose?"

"Or this one?"

She tried pose after pose as she prepared to throw the Poké Ball. Several showed off her cuteness so perfectly that neither man had the heart to point out her mistake.

When she grew thoroughly frustrated, Liu Xin cleared his throat. "Actually, your pose isn't the most important part of catching a Pokémon. But a good one can greatly improve your chances."

So that's how it works! Her eyes sparkled. It sounded fascinating.

She hurried closer and asked, "Then what pose do you think would give me the best chance?"

"An experienced trainer really is different."

Liu Xin's lips curled into a smile. "After observing and analyzing you just now, I'd say this is the pose for you."

"Head up, chest out, hips back. Throw the Poké Ball with a sultry pose, and make sure your gaze is enticing. Got it?"

The young woman didn't doubt him for a second. She actually did it, leaving Liu Xin and Ito Hei cheering with excitement.

Ito Hei quietly gave him a thumbs-up. "You can spout nonsense with a straight face like nobody else. I'm impressed!"

Miraculously, the young woman caught Clefairy perfectly with that sultry pose.

Her admiration for Liu Xin soared. She held the Poké Ball like a priceless treasure. "You're amazing! You must be a really strong trainer, right?"

"Thank you for teaching me how to catch a Pokémon. I'm Sen Anxiang. What are your names?"

After Liu Xin and Ito Hei introduced themselves, Sen Anxiang asked, "You're trainers, right? Are you going on adventures?"

"Could I come with you? I know I'm a new trainer, but I'm a really good cook, and I can help take care of your Pokémon."

Bring Sen Anxiang along?

That sounded great. Having a beautiful young woman with them would surely make the journey more pleasant.

Liu Xin was all for it, and Ito Hei had no objections either.

Just like that, their two-person team became a three-person team, with a long-haired, straight-haired beauty joining them.

Whenever she had the chance, Sen Anxiang let Clefairy out to play and chat, and she even told it stories.

Clefairy was affectionate with Sen Anxiang, but it bared its claws and bristled at the two men.

"Stingy little thing. It won't even let me touch it."

"But why do the Clefairy here seem so irritable? It's like they hate humans."

Ito Hei looked around at the vaguely hostile Clefable, puzzled.

Sen Anxiang sighed. "We humans brought it on ourselves. We've seriously disrupted the Clefairy's lives and taken away huge amounts of Moon Stone. How could they see us in a good light?"

So that was it. Now they understood.

It wasn't just Mt. Moon. Conflicts between humans and Pokémon were bound to arise in all sorts of places.

Liu Xin still had a question. "Then why did you come to Mt. Moon when things here aren't exactly safe?"

"Wouldn't it have been better to get one of the three Pokémon offered in Pewter City?"

Sen Anxiang was about to answer when a group of Clefairy and Clefable approached from the distance, hostility filling their eyes.

They weren't coming to make friends.