Maki glanced at the map, which indeed bore the League's certification seal. It seemed unlikely that the vendor would dare sell a counterfeit, especially with so many people gathered around. Recently, Mt. Moon had attracted all sorts of people—both the virtuous and the villainous—so if the map were fake, the vendor probably wouldn't have lasted this long.
"I'll take one."
Maki had no intention of joining any groups inside, but having a map was still necessary.
"A word of advice, young friend—this map only covers the outer perimeter of Mt. Moon, not the interior. Don't wander too deep," the vendor kindly warned, glancing at Maki's youthful appearance. Many had flocked to Mt. Moon lately, chasing rumors without understanding the dangers.
"I'm just passing through."
Maki replied casually.
"Alright then—20 League Coins. Thank you for your patronage."
The price was reasonable, and Maki handed over the money before heading into the cave.
Mt. Moon was far too vast to have only one entrance. Even with the recent influx of explorers, the odds of running into anyone inside were slim.
"I'll just take a stroll and see what I find."
Maki glanced at the map, plotting a rough course. He had no intention of venturing too deep, merely hoping for a lucky encounter with a Larvitar—but he wasn't holding his breath.
His chosen path looped through the cave, allowing him to exit through another entrance without deviating from his journey.
About half an hour in, the trek proved dull. The only Pokémon he'd seen were a few Zubat flitting overhead—none of which piqued his interest.
However, the deeper he went, the wider the caverns became. Eventually, the space was so expansive that calling it a tunnel felt inadequate. The terrain was rough—no League workers would bother maintaining paths in a place like this. Even if they did, Diglett families would likely tear them up in days. Building roads in the Pokémon world was no easy task.
As Maki pressed forward, he noticed a patch of ground that looked subtly different from the surrounding soil. The change was nearly imperceptible—only visible to those paying close attention. The soil's color didn't quite match.
With limited visibility inside the cave, the discrepancy was easy to miss.
Maki halted, his expression turning curious.
A trap?
Who would dare set traps in Rocket territory?
His sharp gaze swept the area. The terrain was complex—perfect for an ambush.
"Cotton?"
Perched on his head, Cottonee stirred from its drowsy nap, blinking at him curiously.
Maki said nothing. He picked up a fist-sized rock from the ground, weighed it in his palm, then hurled it at the suspicious patch.
Smack!
The sound was wrong—too hollow.
The ground collapsed instantly, revealing a pitfall.
Maki's eyes narrowed. His suspicions were confirmed.
"Huh? What was that sound?"
"Elaine, you idiot—that's the trap we dug!"
Two youthful voices echoed from behind a nearby rock.
A boy leapt out, his face lit with excitement. Behind him, a girl yawned, rubbing her eyes—clearly just waking up.
"Don't worry! This time, we've definitely caught a rare Pokémon!"
The boy grinned confidently.
Then he turned and locked eyes with Maki—freezing on the spot.
This wasn't the script he'd imagined.
"Chase, you're the idiot! That's not a Pokémon—it's a person!"
The girl—Elaine—snapped awake, pulling the boy's ear and scolding him before turning to bow repeatedly toward Maki.
"I'm so, so sorry! We were trying to catch Pokémon with traps! Please forgive us!"
Maki quickly realized they weren't laying traps for people—just a couple of kids trying to catch Pokémon.
Though... choosing this exact spot made it hard to believe it was entirely accidental.
"Sorry! I heard there were Larvitar around, so we wanted to try catching one..."
Chase scratched his head awkwardly.
"I told you this was the wrong spot, but you never listen!" Elaine huffed.
"You didn't object when I suggested it!"
Maki glanced at his Charmeleon and Cottonee—both watching with indifference. They were used to these antics. The scene reminded them of Maki and Sabrina's bickering.
"Kids, this isn't exactly the best place for romance," Maki teased.
The two seemed about ten years old—around Misty's age—each with Poké Balls strapped to their belts.
Maki's gaze fell on their hats—League limited-edition caps. The same ones Ash Ketchum had written hundreds of letters to win in a lottery. These kids had two of them.
Maki had entered the lottery too but gave up after a few letters. Winning would have meant the prize being delivered directly to the Team Rocket base—hardly ideal.
Their attire marked them as rookie League trainers—likely just starting their journeys.
If Maki had recognized them, he'd know they were Chase and Elaine—the protagonists from Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!.
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