Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 93: A Chance Encounter at Mt. Moon

"Happiny… evolved?" Green stared in shock.

She had only gone to grab some juice, and in that short time, Happiny had evolved. There was only one other person in the room—Asahi.

"...You did this?"

Asahi shrugged. "Didn't I say I'd get it a gift? I happened to come across an Oval Stone for sale earlier."

As they spoke, Happiny had already completed its evolution.

Its color remained a soft pink, but its height and size had more than doubled. Its round body looked even more adorable.

"Chansey!"

Now evolved, Chansey happily pounced on Green.

But it seemed to have forgotten that it was no longer the small, lightweight Happiny from before.

Bang!

Green couldn't dodge in time. Realizing the danger, she barely managed to place the juice she was holding onto the table before being tackled to the ground by Chansey.

"Chansey… get up!"

Pinned under Chansey, Green struggled to breathe.

"Chansey…"

Chansey also realized that it was no longer the tiny Happiny. Looking embarrassed, it quickly reached into its pouch and pulled out an egg, offering it to Green to heal her.

"For me?"

Green looked at the egg in front of her.

Chansey's eggs were known to be delicious and had healing properties. It often shared them with injured Pokémon to help with recovery.

But accepting an egg directly from her own Pokémon… Green felt weird about it.

Eating something her own Pokémon had laid? That sounded a little… disturbing.

She was about to refuse when she saw Chansey casually reach into its pouch again and produce another egg with ease.

"Chansey!"

Chansey took out the new egg and handed it to Asahi.

"I get one too?"

Asahi hadn't expected that.

Accepting the egg from Chansey, he didn't hesitate like Green did.

"Thanks."

He placed the egg in his backpack and nodded in appreciation.

"Chansey!"

Chansey happily waved its tiny arms, looking pleased.

Seeing how excited Chansey was about giving out its eggs, Green felt bad about rejecting the gesture. So, she copied Asahi and put the egg in her backpack.

Whether she would eat it later—or how she would prepare it—was a decision for the future…

Watching Chansey happily circling around her, Green patted its head and turned to Asahi.

"So, where are we headed next?"

She had overheard Asahi's conversation with Brock. Since Asahi knew Brock, were they planning to go to Pewter Gym?

Understanding her question, Asahi shook his head.

"Friendship is friendship. Assessments are assessments. The two shouldn't be mixed."

"We will still visit Pewter Gym, but if we go now, Brock might not be there. Let's stay in Cerulean City for another day."

"Tomorrow, we'll set out and cross Mt. Moon to reach Pewter City."

Green rolled her eyes.

For a moment, she almost believed him.

One second, he was talking about keeping assessments and friendships separate. The next, he was conveniently giving Brock an extra day to prepare.

But that was fine—this would give her a chance to get familiar with Chansey's newly learned moves.

"Chansey, let's head to the training grounds!"

"Chansey~!"

Chansey happily followed Green toward the training area.

Asahi, on the other hand, stayed behind. He released Lugia, Gardevoir, and Eevee, then opened his Pokéblock Maker to experiment with new energy block recipes.

He had run out of his special Pokéblocks, and he needed to make a new batch.

---

Mt. Moon

Not much had changed since Asahi's last visit. The only noticeable difference was that, with Team Rocket no longer active in the area, more trainers could be seen along the paths.

"Graveler, use Rollout!"

A rugged-looking Graveler, its body slightly darker than usual, curled its four arms and two legs inward, transforming into a rolling boulder as it charged toward Marshtomp under the command of a hiking trainer.

Despite the incoming attack, Asahi remained calm.

"Marshtomp, use Rock Smash!"

Marshtomp swiftly raised its arm, gathering power. The moment Graveler reached it, Marshtomp dodged to the side, letting the attack pass.

Then, without hesitation, it delivered a powerful punch to Graveler's side, sending it flying. Mid-air, fragments of shattered rock scattered in all directions.

Boom!

Graveler crashed hard onto the ground, looking dazed from the impact.

Before it could recover, Asahi gave another command.

"Marshtomp, use Water Pulse!"

Marshtomp opened its mouth and unleashed a powerful surge of water, striking Graveler directly.

The water attack, combined with the move's disorienting effect, left Graveler both physically injured and confused.

Graveler was unable to continue battling.

"You young trainers are seriously impressive!"

The hiking trainer, carrying his backpack and leaning on his walking stick, sighed as he recalled Graveler and handed Asahi his prize money.

Asahi casually waved as he bid farewell to the hiker.

Green, watching the whole scene, frowned.

"You're not short on money, so why do you even care about a few hundred bucks?"

"It's not about the money. It's about respecting trainer traditions!" Asahi responded seriously. "Besides, this is about staying true to my roots."

Previously, he had earned a title for defeating 100 rookie trainers.

Although he was still far from the next milestone of 1,000, it was only a matter of time.

Green thought back to their journey from Cerulean City to Celadon City, where Asahi had battled countless rookie trainers along the way.

So this is what he means by 'staying true to his roots'…?

Those poor rookies who ran into you really had it rough.

Just as Green was about to make a sarcastic remark, the sound of footsteps echoed from a side tunnel of the cave.

Both she and Asahi turned their heads.

Out of the shadows emerged a man dressed in black, slightly hunched over as he walked toward them.

His clothes were dusty, and his hands were casually tucked into his pockets. He had a friendly smile—one that seemed genuinely warm and welcoming.

But the moment Asahi saw him, he froze.

Of all people…

If there was one place he had bad luck with, it was Mt. Moon.

The last time he was here, he had somehow gotten wrapped up in a Team Rocket incident.

And now, on his return visit, he had encountered none other than their boss.

Though alarm bells rang in his mind, Asahi managed to keep his expression under control—his experience with the International Police had toughened him up.

Next to him, Green looked equally surprised.

The man's smile didn't waver as he noticed their reactions. Instead, he seemed slightly puzzled and curious.

"You two… recognize me?"

---