: Reunion with the Trio, Another Halo Reward

After confirming that it was the Rockets trio, Jiang Chuan's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

Sakaki's bail process is really efficient.

It's only been a few days? And they've already been released to "move freely" again.

"Let's go this way!" Jiang Chuan began to lead the way.

"I sensed some noise over here."

The four of them moved quietly, cautiously making their way forward along the mine tunnel.

After navigating several bends, a faint "clanging" sound could be heard ahead, along with familiar complaints.

"Meow! How long are we going to keep digging like this, meow!" That's the sound of a meow.

"Enough talk! Now that we're sure there's a Moon Stone down there, let's dig it up! Our funding for the rest of our activities depends on this." Musashi's voice was as energetic as ever.

"But... I'm so tired... and we just came from the police station, right? Should we try to keep a low profile for now..." Kojiro suggested weakly.

"Shut up! It's precisely because we're new that we need to pull off a big heist and salvage our image in the boss's eyes! Hurry up and dig!"

.........

Jiang Chuan and the others approached quietly, hiding behind a huge rock, and saw what was happening in front of them.

Musashi, Kojiro, and Meowth were covered in dirt, digging furiously at a rock wall with shovels and pickaxes.

There were also several empty sacks next to it, obviously intended to be used to store the spoils of war.

Gas bombs and Arbok were released, but they also seemed to be used as laborers.

Seeing this, Li Ke was so angry that he trembled and jumped out, shouting, "Stop! Please stop destroying the ecology of Mount Tsukimi!"

The three mining buddies looked back.

Jiangchuan was the first target they identified.

It was that brat who ruined their plans in Viridian City and got them caught by Officer Jenny!

Musashi's pupils suddenly contracted, and an unnamed anger shot up to the top of his head.

Enemies meeting are bound to be filled with hatred.

"It's you, kid!" the three screamed in unison, forgetting all about mining.

Musashi threw down his shovel and pointed menacingly at the rocks: "You brat! How dare you show your face here!"

"Perfect! Let's settle both old and new scores at once. This time, we'll show you what the Rockets are all about!"

Kojiro shouted, "That's right! Let's settle the score for both the previous and this time!"

Meow showed its claws: "Meow! It's all because of you that we've suffered so much, meow! We absolutely can't let you get away with this, meow."

"It seems I run into you guys everywhere I go." Jiang Chuan glanced at the mangled rock face. "The three of you are the ones who came to destroy Mount Tsukimi."

"So what if we do!" Musashi said, hands on her hips, completely unfazed. "Team Rocket has their eyes on the Moon Stones here! If you know what's good for you, get out of our way and don't get in our way!"

"Looks like they haven't had enough of the police station yet." Jiang Chuan, too lazy to waste any more words with them, directly released Butterfree: "Butterfree, Wind Rise! Get them out of here!"

Butterfree flapped its wings, and a powerful gust of air swept towards Team Rocket, causing them to stagger and be buffeted by pebbles and dust.

"Damn it! How dare they attack first!" Musashi cried out, desperately covering his face, "Gas bomb! Teach him a lesson! Use poison gas!"

Gas!

The gas bomb drifted forward, its body swelled, and it spewed out a large cloud of thick purple poisonous mist, which spread towards Jiang Chuan and his group.

Poisonous gas is not only toxic, but also has a pungent odor, making it even more threatening in the relatively enclosed cave.

"Butterfly, use the wind to blow the poison gas back!" Jiang Chuan responded calmly.

The butterfly flapped its wings again, and the strong wind tried to blow the poison gas back.

But the gas bombs continued to spew out, and the poisonous gas and strong winds clashed in the middle of the cave, forming a swirling area of ​​poisonous fog.

Fortunately, Butterfree's blast brought the poison fog area closer to Team Rocket.

After Jiang Chuan told Hanako and the others to step back, he immediately had Pikachu unleash a Thunderbolt.

An electrical spark ignited the gas, causing a violent explosion.

A violent shockwave and flames instantly swept in front of them.

"Waaaaaah...!"

"This feeling is awful!!!"

The screams of the Rockets' trio were drowned out by the sound of the explosion.

The force of the explosion not only sent them flying high into the air, but also blasted a large hole in the rock wall behind them, which was already structurally unstable due to the excavation!

Outside the cave entrance, there is a steep slope and sky on the other side of Mount Tsukimi.

Musashi, Kojiro, Meowth, along with their Koffing and Arbok, transformed into several black shooting stars, flying straight out of the gaping hole and disappearing into the horizon.

Faintly, one can still hear shouts carried by the wind, growing ever more distant:

"I will definitely come back!!!"

Inside the cave, silence gradually returned, leaving only the faint smoke and dust from the explosion and the conspicuous large hole.

"Cough cough..." Li Ke brushed the dust off his face and looked at Jiang Chuan with a hint of amazement: "Jiang Chuan, you are really an amazing trainer."

Jiang Chuan put away the Butterfree Poké Ball and looked towards the cave entrance.

That explosion will send the Team Rocket trio flying, and it will take them a long time to recover.

However, given how "stubborn" these guys are, they'll probably be back in three to five days, but at least there won't be any more of their storyline today.

[Ding! Mission to protect Mount Tsukimi complete]

[Friends of Nature aura has been activated]

Officer Jenny's Family Affection +10. Current Total: 20

As the mission rewards were distributed, a warm, indescribable feeling quietly enveloped my entire body.

Jiang Chuan could vaguely sense that a cluster of ferns growing tenaciously in the crevices of the rock wall beside him seemed to be radiating a faint sense of closeness to him.

Even the faint rustling sounds of unknown Pokémon coming from deep within the cave seemed to have lessened their vigilance.

Good ability.

Jiang Chuan was satisfied.

In the world of Pokémon, wilderness exploration is the norm.

With this aura, regardless of its effect on catching Pokémon, the chances of being attacked by wild Pokémon are greatly reduced, indirectly increasing travel safety.

As for the goodwill towards the Officer Jenny family...

Jiang Chuan's smile deepened as he thought of the dashing Officer Jenny from Tokiwa City.

It will definitely be of great help in the future.

"Mr. Jiang Chuan." Li Ke stepped forward, wanting to hug Jiang Chuan again, but Jiang Chuan stopped him once more: "Thank you so much for your help! If it weren't for you, the ecology of Mount Tsukimi would probably be..."

"It was nothing," Jiang Chuan waved his hand. "I also hate this kind of environmentally damaging behavior."

"Yes!" Li Ke nodded vigorously, then took out a small cloth bag from his backpack.

"This is a Moon Stone fragment of decent quality that I found during my patrol. While it's not as good as a complete Moon Stone, it's enough to unlock the potential of certain Pokémon... Please accept it!"

"Don't worry, I submitted the application."

Jiang Chuan took the cloth bag, opened it, and took a look.

Inside lay a small stone, about the size of a fingernail, with a soft, moon-white luster. Although it contained little energy, it should be enough to guarantee one evolution, though it might not provide the same combat power boost as a complete moonstone.

However, even if it's not used for evolution, it's still a good deal to exchange it for some money.

"Thank you then." Jiang Chuan accepted the gift without hesitation.

Having dealt with the culprit, Jiang Chuan didn't linger any longer. After saying goodbye to Li Ke, he continued his journey with Hua Zi and Xiao Xia.

After all, Mount Tsukimi is just a minor plot point.

The best items are nothing more than the Moonstone and Pipi.

He has already obtained the fragments of the Moonstone; the complete vein is not something he can move by himself, nor is it necessary.

As for Pipi...

Those pink, elusive Fairy-type Pokémon, while cute and rare, don't actually have high battle value.

Even if I catch them, I'll just keep them in the backyard to raise and observe.

What Jiang Chuan needs now is immediate combat power, partners who can help him quickly pass through gyms and accumulate strength.

There's no need to waste time waiting here.

…………

"Let's go, let's hurry." Jiang Chuan glanced at the sky. "Let's try to get out of the mountains before evening."

"Okay~"

Hanako obediently responded, while Kasumi was still reeling from the explosion, muttering to herself as she walked, "Detonating a gas bomb directly... that's too reckless..."

"As long as it works." Jiang Chuan said without turning his head.

The three of them quickly left the Tsukimi-yama area via the exit on the other side of the mine tunnel.