Honestly, it was no surprise that Maki didn't recognize them — he had never played that game at all!
Because the game was such a letdown — with its limited Pokédex, the removal of Abilities, and the shift to a Pokémon Go-style catching mechanic that tried to turn everyone into a One Ball Master — Maki had abandoned it outright, choosing instead to devote himself to Pokémon Sword and Shield.
If Elaine and Chase had released Pikachu or Eevee from their Poké Balls, perhaps Maki might have recognized them — after all, those two Pokémon were simply too iconic.
But expecting him to recognize their identities just by sight alone was asking a bit too much.
The moment Maki spoke, both Elaine and Chase's faces flushed bright red.
"Who would ever date this guy?!" x2
Such perfect synchronization.
Since they'd both denied it so vehemently, Maki saw no reason to argue further.
"Next time, don't dig holes in places like this. It's dangerous, you know… Wait, no — you shouldn't be digging holes at all!"
Maki casually scolded the two of them. Honestly, the pit they dug wasn't bad — with a little more training, they might even be qualified to join Team Rocket someday.
Of course, they were still leagues behind the classic trio. After all, the pits Jessie, James, and Meowth dug were so well-hidden that even they couldn't find them — much less anyone else — often falling into their own traps in the process.
If it weren't for his special circumstances, Maki might have seriously considered recruiting these two into Team Rocket.
"Mm-hmm!"
Knowing they were in the wrong, Elaine and Chase simply nodded obediently without any backtalk.
"And what's with digging holes to catch Larvitar? What were you two even thinking?"
Just the thought made Maki's head ache.
"Huh? Isn't that how you're supposed to do it?"
Elaine and Chase exchanged confused glances before turning back to Maki.
"Larvitar lives here year-round and mainly feeds on various minerals. Do you really think it wouldn't know how to dig itself out of a hole? The moment it fell in, it'd probably tunnel out before you even noticed."
"Ohhh! That makes so much sense! How did I forget that?"
Chase nodded repeatedly. As a trainer from Pallet Town, he definitely had the basic Pokémon knowledge — but with his young age and lack of experience, it was hard to connect textbook knowledge to real-life scenarios.
With Maki's explanation, the boy quickly understood.
"It's because you're an idiot."
Elaine shot him a glare, making it clear their hard work had been for nothing.
"You two must have only just become trainers, huh? You should really leave as soon as possible. Mt. Moon can be pretty dangerous."
Maki glanced at their belts — each carrying only a single Poké Ball. Definitely rookies.
Falling asleep while waiting for a Pokémon to fall into their trap? These two were as green as they come.
"Okay, we'll leave."
"No way! I still need to catch Larvitar! I can't give up so easily!"
Elaine seemed ready to listen, but Chase's stubbornness reminded Maki of someone...
Ash Ketchum.
Their personalities were practically identical — if there had been a Pikachu by Chase's side, Maki might have genuinely mistaken him for Ash.
"Mt. Moon is huge. The odds of running into a Larvitar are incredibly low — most people are just trying their luck."
He paused, smirking.
"Besides, if you spot a Larvitar… there's a good chance a Tyranitar won't be far behind."
Maki wasn't just trying to scare him — for Pokémon like Larvitar, having a parent nearby was extremely common. The last trainer who managed to catch a Larvitar here had been incredibly lucky.
It's not that no one ever found one — plenty of explorers ventured deep into the cave.
Maki figured most people who did find a Larvitar likely got smacked down by its Tyranitar parent before they could catch it.
"But I did see one last night! That's why we've been waiting here this whole time!"
Chase pouted, puffing out his cheeks.
Maki fell silent.
Kid… you're way too honest.
Maybe out of sudden sympathy, Maki offered the boy one last piece of advice.
"If you ever see a Pokémon like Larvitar again… don't tell anyone. Especially not strangers."
"Does that include you, big brother?"
"...Yeah, I guess so."
"Alright, alright! I told you we should've left already. When I finished digging that hole, Eevee was scratching at me, saying her claws were nearly worn down!"
With Maki's urging, Elaine dragged Chase away by the ear, muttering under her breath.
"My... My Pikachu helped too, didn't he?"
"You really think those tiny little arms could dig a hole that big? It was all thanks to Eevee!"
"Fine, fine... I'll treat you and Eevee to a feast once we're out, okay?"
"I want to see the Cerulean City Water Show!"
"But there are so many people there... The line will take forever."
"I don't care! You're buying the tickets!"
[Wait… there really is a Larvitar around here?]
Maki couldn't tell if the kids were reliable or just imagining things — it was easy to mistake something in these dark caves.
He hadn't chased them off out of greed — he genuinely wanted to protect those two.
With their total lack of experience, they'd be lucky to handle Larvitar — let alone Tyranitar.
Any Larvitar raised on precious minerals would have power far beyond a typical wild Pokémon.
Even if they managed to catch one… keeping hold of it would be another matter entirely.
"Rumble!"
A short walk later, a massive boulder came rolling toward Maki — with arms.
"Headbutt."
Maki didn't hesitate, ordering Mawile to strike. Cottonee floated nearby, casting Helping Hand to boost the attack.
He recognized the Pokémon immediately — Graveler.
Despite its Steel-type weakness, its high physical defense made it a tough opponent.
If it had the Sturdy Ability, this battle would be far from over.
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