Just as Ash was about to block the two men, the Axew began attacking wildly, without any reason, recklessly bombarding the surroundings. The cave shook violently under the force of the explosion.
Ash and Brock's movements were hindered as rocks from the cave's ceiling began to collapse. Seeing this, the bald man quickly shouted, "Let's go now, now!"
The Axew was clearly a valuable Pokémon, even if it wasn't sold to Team Rocket. Despite this, there was no other option now.
"Damn it!!" The flat-headed man beside him was frustrated but had no choice but to listen to the bald man's orders. They both recalled their Pokémon and fled amidst the chaos.
"Don't go!!" Brock yelled, instinctively wanting to chase after them.
"Be careful!" Ash noticed a large rock falling from above and quickly pushed Brock out of the way. The rock crashed to the ground, and as the fragments fell, the entire passage became blocked.
"Axew!!"
At that moment, the Axew roared and, while Ash and Brock were distracted, darted past them.
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out, alerting them. They noticed the Axew's movement while dodging the falling rocks and quickly turned to look.
"Oops, it's heading in the direction Misty and the others went." Ash worried. The tunnel seemed to have only one direction, and the Axew was acting irrationally. If it reached Misty and the others, it could be disastrous.
"Let's catch up!" Ash said without hesitation.
The two immediately sped up, Pikachu leaping onto Ash's shoulder, while Brock recalled Zubat. They quickly chased after the Axew .
On the other side...
"Huh... We should be safe here for now." Misty, holding Clefairy, stopped after she and Seymour had escaped a considerable distance and heard no more movement.
"Will Ash and Brock be okay?" Seymour asked, frowning slightly. With Team Rocket and two dangerous poachers involved, he was worried whether Ash and Brock could handle the situation.
"Don't underestimate them. Brock is a Gym Leader, and not long ago, Ash defeated him to earn the Boulder Badge. They're very strong."
"By the way, aren't you from Pewter City? How come you don't even know about Brock?" Misty asked. After spending time with Ash, she had been influenced by his confidence and now shared it.
Seymour chuckled awkwardly. "Uh... Ha ha! I've spent so much time in the museum or Mt. Moon that, although I've heard Brock's name, I've never actually met him!"
He was a research enthusiast, and was usually too absorbed in his work to do much else. Though he knew of Brock, he had never encountered him personally. He hadn't even realized it earlier, thinking it was just a coincidence of the same name. After all, why would a Gym Leader be traveling?
"You really are something, Uncle..." Misty sighed, feeling too tired to even complain about him anymore.
At that moment, Clefairy let out a delicate growl. With such a sweet voice and cute appearance, Misty, a young girl herself, was instantly drawn in.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Misty asked, concerned.
"Ah!! Clefairy is injured? It's unforgivable for those terrible people to harm such a lovely Clefairy!!" Seymour's eyes blazed with anger as he gritted his teeth.
Seeing this, Misty was speechless for a moment, noticing that Clefairy looked a bit frightened by Seymour's intense expression.
"Well... Clefairy, don't worry about this uncle. What's wrong with you?" Misty waved her hands helplessly at Seymour before turning her attention back to Clefairy, asking with concern.
"Clefairy..."
Clefairy raised her hands in front of Misty, who initially thought that Clefairy's hands might be injured. She was about to check when she realized Clefairy's hands were fine—just empty.
"Ah!!" Misty suddenly remembered what was missing from Clefairy's hands. "Your Moon Stone is gone!" Misty exclaimed, realizing that Clefairy had been holding a Moon Stone earlier.
The Moon Stone was precious and likely very important to Clefairy. In the chaos earlier, they only had time to grab Clefairy and didn't notice the Moon Stone.
Seeing Clefairy on the verge of tears, Misty's heart ached. "Don't worry, it's too dangerous to go back now. When Ash and the others get here, we'll go back to find it, okay?" Misty comforted Clefairy gently. She understood the situation; her Pokémon couldn't be much help here, and she had to protect Clefairy and Seymour. Rushing back would only hinder Ash and Brock, so she tried to remain calm.
"Clefairy..." Although Clefairy was worried about the Moon Stone, it understood the danger. After listening to Misty's comforting words, it nodded reluctantly.
At that moment, Clefairy suddenly lifted its head, its pink ears twitching slightly as its body began to tremble.
"Huh? What's wrong, Clefairy?" Misty asked instinctively.
"It seems like something is coming," Seymour said, his usual nervousness replaced by a rare seriousness as he looked into the dark passage ahead.
"Is it Ash and the others? Clefairy doesn't seem okay." Misty stood up, but noticed Clefairy trembling and hiding behind her.
Clefairy, usually a gentle and kind Pokémon, had an instinct for sensing bad intentions. It tended to avoid those with ill intentions and seek out those with good hearts.
Suddenly, in the darkness, a pair of red eyes glowed ominously, startling both Seymour and Misty. A figure emerged from the shadows, glaring at them with hostility.
"Huh? What is this Pokémon?" Misty asked, puzzled. She had never seen this Pokémon before.
"I don't know. Even in the museum, I've never seen a Pokémon like this," Seymour admitted, scratching his head in confusion.
"Really, you're no help at all," Misty muttered, unable to hide her frustration.