"A Pokémon is calling for help!" May immediately pulled out a Poké Ball and charged over without another word.
"Hey, why are you running so fast?" Lin Hao sighed. He hated getting involved in other people's business, but he still followed at a leisurely pace.
They rounded a bend, and the view opened up into a spacious underground cavern. Glowing stones embedded in the walls cast a pink light.
At the center of the cavern, a group of plump, pink Clefairy huddled together, surrounded by a broad, insulated electric net.
Outside the net stood three figures Lin Hao knew all too well. "Hahaha! Prepare for trouble!" The red-haired Jessie planted her hands on her hips.
"And make it double!" The blue-haired James flourished a rose.
"To protect the world from devastation..."
"Shut up!" May's furious shout cut their routine short. "You Team Rocket scumbags again!"
Jessie and James jumped and turned toward the passage entrance. "What little brat dares meddle in Team Rocket's business?" James sneered. "Ekans, teach her a lesson!"
"Koffing, you too!"
Just then, Lin Hao emerged from the shadows of the passage with his eyes half open. "It's the middle of the night. Don't you Team Rocket people need sleep?" He rubbed his eyes. "Even a farm donkey doesn't work as hard as you."
At the sound of that lazy voice, Meowth, who had been about to give orders, had every hair stand on end.
Meowth turned around. The instant Meowth saw Lin Hao's face, a shrill scream rang out. "Meow!" Meowth scrambled backward and landed flat on the ground.
"Meowth? What's gotten into you this time?" Jessie frowned.
"It's him! The monster with gods backing him, meow!" Meowth pointed at Lin Hao and wailed on the spot. "Run, meow! He'll tear us limb from limb, meow!"
Jessie and James followed Meowth's pointing paw. They got a clear look at Lin Hao's face-and the Pikachu on his shoulder, idly picking its nose.
"Mommy!" Jessie's and James's legs gave out, and they dropped straight to their knees.
"B-big bro!" James stammered, trembling. "We had no idea you were taking a stroll here!"
"Big bro, we're sorry! We're leaving right now!" Jessie hoisted the foaming Meowth off the ground and onto her shoulder, then turned and ran.
"You don't even want your net?" Lin Hao called.
"It's yours! You can have all of it!" The trio fled in a panic, vanishing into the far end of the cavern in a flash. Soon, they were nowhere to be seen.
May stood frozen with her Poké Ball raised. "Th-they just ran away?" She was dumbfounded.
"Maybe they think I look scary." Lin Hao walked forward and gave the net a casual tug. The insulated electric net, supposedly capable of withstanding Thunderbolt, tore clean in two.
Inside his mind, the System Space had already become lively.
Ho-Oh began showing off. "Master, did you see that? That was my sacred aura. Those mortal ants were cowed by my presence!"
Mewtwo scoffed. "Bullshit. I clearly released psychic pressure just now and scrambled that cat's brain waves."
Groudon: "Roar! (I stomped my foot!)"
All of you, shut up, Lin Hao cursed inwardly. Keep making noise and I'll throw the lot of you into lava for a bath.
With the electric net torn apart, the Clefairy were finally free. Instead of fleeing, they all gathered around him.
"Clefairy~"
"Cle~Clefairy~"
Dozens of Clefairy surrounded Lin Hao. Some hugged his legs, some tugged at his clothes, and a few even jumped onto his back, nuzzling him furiously.
"Hey, hey, hey! Stop rubbing against me!" Lin Hao frantically tried to pull them off. "You're going to tear my clothes!"
May watched from the side, her face full of astonishment. "Clefairy are extremely timid Pokémon. They never approach humans on their own," she murmured. "Why are they so attached to you?"
"Maybe I smell like milk?" Lin Hao made something up on the spot.
In truth, the aura of laws emanating from the Runic Eevee in Lin Hao's backpack made the Clefairy feel close to him.
Just then, the Clefairy parted to either side. Their leader, a slightly larger Clefairy, approached carrying a stone the size of a volleyball.
The stone was ink-black all over, but a faint moon-white glow shone from its center. The Clefairy leader lifted it and strained to offer it to Lin Hao. "Clefairy!"
The instant May saw the stone clearly, she stared, transfixed. "A top-grade Moon Stone!" she blurted out. "One this big? It would fetch an astronomical price on the black market! Even a tiny chip could perfectly evolve a Clefairy into a Clefable!"
Lin Hao glanced at the stone and frowned. "That's way too big. It'll take up so much room in my backpack."
"What did you say?" May thought she had misheard. "You're complaining that it takes up space?"
"Yeah." Lin Hao grimaced. "I've already got spare underwear and facial cleanser in this bag. Stuff a rock like that in there too, and it'll be a pain to carry."
"Lin Hao, is there something wrong with your brain?" May rushed over. "This is a top-grade Evolution stone!"
"Then you carry it?" Lin Hao shoved the stone into May's arms.
May held the heavy Moon Stone, utterly bewildered. Did this guy not understand the basics of the Pokémon world, or did he simply not care about these priceless treasures?
Seeing that Lin Hao had accepted the stone, the Clefairy leader happily danced around him.
"All right, all right, I've accepted your thank-you gift. Hurry home and get some sleep." Lin Hao waved and turned toward the tunnel exit.
May jogged after him, carrying the Moon Stone.
The two emerged from the Mt. Moon tunnel. It was already late at night, and moonlight spilled across the empty road.
May had only just caught her breath when Lin Hao suddenly stopped. "Why aren't you moving?" She nearly bumped into his back.
"Don't run so fast. Someone's blocking the road ahead." Lin Hao spread his hands.
May poked her head out from behind Lin Hao. "Who would be blocking the road out here in the mountains in the middle of the night?"
Before you continue