In the dim light of the Rock Cave, seventeen pairs of glowing red eyes peeked out from behind boulders. Their cold, fierce gazes made the air feel heavier and more suffocating than ever.
Besides the notorious Mawile with their fearsome jaws, there were other Steel-type Pokémon like Aron, and even a more powerful evolution—Lairon. The Lairon stood at level 33, noticeably higher than the rest.
The moment they detected the "intruder," these steel creatures surged toward Alex like a raging whirlwind.
Their overwhelming numbers made anyone wary—just a small mistake could lead to severe consequences.
Quickly, Alex pulled a Poké Ball from his belt, recalled Lucario, and gently picked up Kirlia.
"Luna, use Teleport to take us behind those Pokémon, about 30 meters away!" His voice was firm.
Kirlia immediately waved her hands as energy surged through her small body. A flash of light, and suddenly they both appeared safely far from the furious steel group.
"Luna, when you're ready, use Teleport again!" Alex reminded.
As Kirlia prepared for another teleportation, Alex held her tight and started running deeper into the cave.
Though the steel Pokémon reacted quickly, spinning around to chase, their heavy bodies made them clumsy in the cramped cave.
Taking advantage of this precious moment, Alex managed to run nearly 20 meters before Kirlia teleported again, vanishing completely from the steel Pokémon's sight.
"Phew~" Alex exhaled with relief and released Lucario.
He and Kirlia stopped, cautiously watching every corner.
"Rocky, are you alright?!" Alex stared into Lucario's eyes, full of restrained anger. He could feel the tension inside his steel companion as they entered the cave.
"The deeper we go, that scent bothers me more and more!" Lucario replied in a low, uncomfortable tone.
Alex hesitated, "Do you want to rest inside your Poké Ball for a while?"
He took back the Poké Ball and gently offered it to Lucario.
Then he looked at Kirlia, "How about you, Luna? How do you feel? Anything unusual?"
If both Pokémon couldn't bear it, he wouldn't hesitate to abandon the mission.
Despite spraying a lot of Repel on them, it seemed useless against the wild Pokémon here.
The force behind this rebellion surely was not trivial.
Kirlia closed her eyes, focusing deeply, then shook her head:
"I don't feel anything strange, only… it's very hot in here…"
Alex frowned, still puzzled.
At that moment, a Zubat quietly flew past them nearby. It moved calmly, with no trace of aggression.
Maybe it smelled the Repel on Alex and shook its head before flying away without concern.
Alex turned to Kirlia and repeated, "Hot?"
Kirlia nodded seriously, pointing deeper inside the cave:
"Very hot. Much hotter than outside."
Alex was silent. Strange — he felt no heat, even thought the air inside was cooler. But both Lucario and Kirlia clearly sensed it.
The question arose: Why were Steel-type Pokémon like Mawile and Aron affected, while Poison and Flying-type Zubat seemed normal?
Could there be a strange heat source here?
Alex speculated, "Could it be Fire Stones?"
Fire Stones were a rare evolution stone, often radiating strong heat energy. Steel-type Pokémon, naturally weak to fire, were highly susceptible to the thermal radiation from Fire Stones.
However, Fire Stones typically appeared in hot areas like volcanoes or geothermal zones.
So how could a usually cool cave contain so many powerful Fire Stones?
"Unless…" Alex narrowed his eyes, considering the possibility that a large cluster of Fire Stones had recently appeared here.
"If the quantity is large enough, even such danger might be worth exploring." His eyes gleamed with determination.
Alex knew well that among the ten types of evolution stones in the Pokémon world, each could evolve different Pokémon and significantly boost their power.
For example, a Dark Stone could evolve Murkrow into Honchkrow, greatly enhancing strength.
But supply of evolution stones was always scarce.
In Hoenn, Mt. Chimney — a famous volcano — was the richest source of Fire Stones, but their prices were among the highest, about 30 million union coins for an average-quality stone, and possibly double for the best quality.
For the entire steel Pokémon group in the cave to go mad like this, there must be at least 20 Fire Stones or more.
This thought made Alex's heart burn as if ignited by those stones.
But he would not let temptation cloud his reason.
To uncover this mystery, he had to prepare even more thoroughly.
He took out some fresh water and food from his backpack and handed them to Kirlia.
"Luna, eat a bit, then meditate to restore your energy and adjust your condition."
"Once you're ready, we'll go deeper. You'll guard me here."
Kirlia obediently accepted, quietly eating.
Her ability to use Teleport gave Alex confidence to venture into dangerous areas.
Half an hour passed, Kirlia had fully recovered. Her eyes shone brightly with energy and a refreshed spirit.
Alex bent down, signaling: "Luna, hug me."
Kirlia blushed shyly, gently jumped onto Alex's back.
He held her tightly, took a deep breath, scanned the cave quickly, and together they advanced deeper into the cavern.