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"You don't have to hide it from me. If you have something else to say, just say it. After all, we're in a cooperative relationship now. If you keep things from me, our cooperation won't continue."
Gary suspected that Aiko was hiding something from him, so he decided to coax her into revealing any useful information.
Aiko's body visibly trembled at Gary's words, but she quickly regained her composure. If Gary hadn't been observing her closely, he might not have noticed her reaction at all. It was because of this reaction that Gary became even more certain that Aiko was hiding something from him.
"What could I possibly be hiding from you? You're overthinking things."
Despite Gary's probing, Aiko still didn't reveal what she was keeping from him.
"If you don't trust me, there's no need for us to work together. You can leave."
Seeing that Aiko had no intention of revealing what she was hiding, Gary bluntly told her to leave.
Panicked by Gary's words, Aiko quickly responded, "Don't worry, I really do want to work with you."
"Oh?" Gary turned to look at her, sneering. "You say you want to cooperate, but you hide things from your partner. Do you really think that's appropriate?"
Aiko was speechless for a moment.
"In fact, my requirements aren't high. I just want you to tell me everything you know. We're partners, after all. What's the point of hiding things?"
Gary could see that Aiko was wavering, so he pressed her further, hoping she would reveal everything.
"Since you insist, I'll tell you."
After listening to Gary's persistent questioning, Aiko hesitated for a moment before finally choosing to tell the truth.
Seeing that Aiko was finally ready to come clean, Gary fell silent and waited for her to speak.
Through Aiko's explanation, Gary learned that Team Rocket's purpose for coming to Mt. Moon was connected to Clefairy's ceremony, just as he had suspected.
"That's it?"
Gary already knew these things, so he looked at Aiko again, doubtful that she had nothing more to share.
"That's really all. I didn't tell you before because I was worried you might also be after the Clefairy ceremony."
Seeing that Gary was still suspicious, Aiko shook her head helplessly, assuring him she had nothing else to hide. She also explained why she had initially withheld the information.
Satisfied that Aiko truly didn't know more, Gary paused to think, then looked at her and said, "Since you've told me what you were hiding, I won't keep anything from you. I do know a bit about Team Rocket's intentions. As you said, their goal is related to Clefairy's ritual, but it's not the ritual itself—they're after the Moon Stone, which can trigger Clefairy's evolution."
"Moon Stone?!" Aiko's eyes widened in surprise as she processed what Gary had said. "Are you sure Team Rocket's goal is the Moon Stone?"
It was natural for Aiko to be skeptical of Gary's claim. After all, the Moon Stone is a rare item known to induce evolution in certain Pokémon.
"That's what I've heard. I've told you everything I know without holding anything back. Whether you believe me or not is up to you. But I should warn you, I don't know how reliable this information is. If there are any inaccuracies, there's not much I can do about it."
Although Gary was confident that the Moon Stone existed in Mt. Moon, he was still cautious. The timeline in the anime differed from his current situation, so he couldn't be entirely sure if his information was accurate. But he was certain that the Moon Stone was present in Mt. Moon. However, he didn't share this certainty with Aiko, knowing that once he did, he'd have to provide more details, and he didn't want to complicate things further.
"I understand. Then let's head out now."
Aiko nodded, seemingly ready to leave immediately.
"That's not possible right now. A friend of mine went out to buy supplies and hasn't returned yet. Besides, it's getting late. It wouldn't be wise to go into the mountain now. Let's wait until tomorrow morning."
Gary refused Aiko's suggestion to go into the mountain immediately, citing two reasons. First, Mia hadn't returned yet, and he wanted to wait for her before setting off. Second, it was getting late, making it unsuitable to venture into the mountain at that hour.
"Alright, I'll wait for you in the lobby tomorrow morning. See you then."
Aiko agreed with Gary's reasoning and left his room, agreeing to meet him the next morning.
After Aiko left, Gary muttered to himself, "According to Aiko, Team Rocket's goal is most likely the Moon Stone."
"What are you talking about? What stone?"
A voice suddenly came from the door.
"Why did it take you so long?"
Gary recognized the voice immediately. Apart from Mia, no one would be so casual as to walk straight into a guy's room.
"Hehehe, there are so many things in Pewter City that we don't have back in Pallet Town. I just couldn't help but explore a bit longer."
Mia scratched her head sheepishly, grinning as she responded to Gary's question.
Gary noticed the large and small bags Mia was carrying and sighed. "So you bought a lot of stuff and brought it back?"
"It's not my fault. Everything was just so pretty, I couldn't resist."
Mia knew she had gone overboard and smiled awkwardly.
"Well, since you've bought them already, just keep them. But don't be so extravagant in the future, or we'll run out of money."
Gary waved off her concern, but Mia was delighted by his understanding.
"You still haven't told me what you were talking about just now."
After her moment of joy, Mia turned back to Gary, curious about the conversation she had overheard.
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