Around noon, after circling around a steep mountain ridge, the scenery before Theo suddenly opened up.
A relatively flat platform appeared ahead. Near its edge stood two temporarily pitched tents, and beside them a family was resting.
A middle-aged couple sat together with their son and daughter, both children appearing to be around elementary-school age. All four were dressed in professional mountaineering gear. Beside them stood a robust, powerfully built Camerupt and an elegant Ninetales.
Ninetales' nine tails swayed gently behind it, its smooth fur shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight.
"Finally, I've run into other people."
A flicker of joy rose in Theo's heart, and he quickened his pace.
After traveling alone in the mountains for several days, seeing no other humans besides Pokémon, the sight of fellow people stirred an unexpected sense of warmth and familiarity within him.
Hearing approaching footsteps, the family turned their heads.
The boy, who looked to be about ten years old, suddenly lit up with excitement. He pointed at Metang hovering beside Theo and shouted, "Wow, it's the streamer Theo! Brother Theo I'm your fan! I've watched the video of you competing in the Contest! Your Beldum — wait, how did it evolve into Metang already? That's so cool!"
Theo was slightly surprised, but he soon smiled gently and politely responded to the boy's enthusiasm.
"Dad, Mom, it's Brother Theo! Can I see Milotic? The Milotic in the video was super beautiful!"
Seeing this, Theo took out a Poké Ball and released Milotic.
When Milotic appeared, she gracefully controlled the surrounding water vapor to suspend herself slightly above the ground. Her tail fin swayed lightly, and gentle ripples of water shimmered around her body, drawing gasps of admiration from both the boy and the girl.
The boy's parents quickly stood up. The middle-aged man scratched his head somewhat sheepishly.
"Sorry about that, the kid's just too excited. I hope we're not bothering you. We're the Laurent family from Lavaridge Town. I'm Kevin. This is my wife Lara, our son Ken, and our daughter Natalia. It happens to be a holiday, so we brought the family up to see the lava lake at the summit of Mt. Chimney. We're actually preparing to head back down now."
"It's no trouble at all. They're very adorable," Theo replied with a smile, shaking his head lightly.
Kevin handed him a bottle of drink. "Come, sit down and rest for a bit. Have some water first."
Theo did not refuse. He sat on a nearby rock, accepted the drink, and unscrewed the cap before taking a sip.
The icy liquid flowed down his throat, instantly dispelling much of the oppressive heat. He narrowed his eyes slightly in relief.
"Are you here to see the lava lake at the summit too?" Kevin asked curiously as he sat beside him.
Theo nodded. "In a sense. I'm also hoping to see if there are any Pokémon on Mt. Chimney that catch my eye."
"Oh? What Pokémon are you looking for?" Kevin's interest was piqued. "The most common ones on this mountain are Torkoal and Magcargo. Occasionally you can see Camerupt too, though there seem to be fewer lately."
"I'm looking for Vulpix, and also Magmar," Theo replied honestly. "But after these past few days, I've only seen two Vulpix. I haven't encountered a single Magmar."
"Vulpix, huh…" Kevin stroked his chin, his expression turning thoughtful. "If you had come earlier, you might've run into a few near the summit. But now? Most of them have gone downhill."
"Gone downhill?" Theo blinked in surprise. "Why?"
"Isn't it because tourism in Lavaridge Town has been booming?" Kevin's wife answered with a warm, pleasant voice. "The hot springs in Lavaridge have become more and more famous these past couple of years. There are a lot of tourists now. Those visitors love leaving food near the shrubs at the foot of the mountain and around the mid-slope areas — things like Pokémon snacks. Over time, quite a few Vulpix have been attracted there."
"That's right," Kevin added. "Vulpix are clever. They know where there's a stable food source. Even though it's cooler at the foot of the mountain, there's less competition from other Pokémon, and humans provide food. Life is much more comfortable down there compared to the summit. The ones remaining near the top now are mostly Torkoal and Magcargo because they require high-temperature environments and can't leave the hot zones."
Understanding dawned on Theo.
So that was why it had been so difficult to encounter Vulpix in the mid-to-upper regions these past few days — they had been lured downhill by food.
In that case, if he wanted to find a Vulpix with the hidden ability Drought, he might need to head down toward Lavaridge Town and try his luck there.
"What about Magmar? Do you know anything about where they might be?" Theo asked again.
At the mention of Magmar, Kevin frowned slightly. "Magmar… they've become rarer and rarer over the years. In the past, you could occasionally see a few near the summit's lava lake. Sometimes you'd even spot Magby following the adults around. But in the last couple of years, with so many people coming to see the lava lake, Magmar have gradually disappeared."
"Some say it's because the increase in tourists disturbed their habitat. Others say… well, no one knows the exact reason. In any case, these past two years, we haven't seen even one when we came up," his wife added.
Theo fell silent. It seemed that Magmar were even harder to find than he had imagined.
"Still, if you really want to look for Magmar, you should spend more time near the lava lake at the summit. All the previously recorded sightings were basically around that area," Kevin suggested.
"Thank you for the advice." Theo stood up. "I'll head up to the summit and take a look. If I don't find anything, I'll go down toward Lavaridge Town and try my luck with Vulpix."
Before parting, Ken and Natalia pulled Theo into several group photos. One moment they were pointing excitedly at Metang; the next they were crowding beside Milotic, their cheeks flushed with excitement.
Theo patiently cooperated until the family waved goodbye with cheerful smiles. Only then did he recall Milotic and continue climbing upward with Metang.
Now that he knew the reason behind Vulpix's movements, the anxiety in his heart lessened somewhat. His steps felt noticeably lighter.
Since there was still a possibility of Magmar near the summit, he had to confirm it no matter what.
The closer they approached the peak, the more intense the waves of heat became, as if they were stepping into a gigantic steamer.
Soon, he began hearing a steady "gurgle, gurgle" sound — the sound of magma churning beneath the earth, like the heartbeat of the mountain itself.
After climbing for about another forty minutes, an expansive platform suddenly appeared before him.
Theo's steps halted abruptly at the edge. He instinctively took a deep breath, only to be met with scorching air that made him frown slightly.
But when his eyes truly beheld the scene before him, all discomfort was instantly cast aside, replaced by indescribable awe.
Even Metang, hovering beside him, let out a short, astonished hum.
Its red eyes reflected the magnificent sight, its metallic body trembling faintly as if overwhelmed by the sheer power of nature.
Stretching out beyond the platform was an endless lava lake spanning between heaven and earth.
Dark red magma rolled slowly within it, thick and viscous like boiling blood. On its surface, basketball-sized bubbles continuously swelled upward, ready to burst at any moment…
(End of Chapter)