Blazing magma bubbles swelled within the lava lake, rising with a thick gurgle, gurgle sound.
At the instant they burst, countless sparks scattered into the air, only to fall back into the seething molten lake, sending ripples spreading outward in glowing circles.
Within the lava lake, dozens of stone pillars of varying thickness stood abruptly upright. Each pillar radiated a scorching crimson hue, as though they had been directly cast from molten magma itself.
Most heart-stopping of all was the overwhelming heat emanating from the lava lake.
Even standing dozens of meters away at the edge of the platform, the blistering sensation—so intense it felt capable of igniting the air itself—did not diminish in the slightest. Exposed skin prickled with pain, and even breathing carried a scalding sting.
Theo could clearly see his own breath distort into hazy white vapor the instant it met the heated air, before dispersing without a trace.
The rock along the platform's edge was riddled with honeycomb-like holes, from which white streams of hot steam constantly erupted, hissing sharply.
"So this is… the lava lake at the summit of Mt. Chimney?"
Theo murmured to himself, his heart deeply shaken by the sheer might of nature. After steadying himself, he began carefully exploring along the platform's edge.
The rocks beneath his feet were baked to a blistering temperature; each step felt as though he were walking across red-hot iron plates.
His gaze meticulously swept across every corner of the lava lake below.
By evening, Theo had nearly circled the entire platform surrounding the lake.
Aside from the Magcargo and Slugma accustomed to extreme heat, creatures crawling along the rock walls toward the lava, seemingly enjoying the splashes of molten droplets—there were no other Pokémon in sight.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, orange-red twilight bathed the lava lake, making the already dark-red magma appear even more dazzling.
Theo sat behind a relatively cooler boulder and unscrewed his canteen, taking a long sip. The cool liquid slid down his throat, temporarily suppressing the burning dryness.
Metang hovered beside him, its red eyes still vigilantly scanning the surroundings without the slightest slackening.
At that moment, a series of footsteps echoed from the opposite side of the platform.
Looking up, Theo saw a group of people dressed in white protective suits walking toward the central area.
They carried heavy instruments on their backs and held various detection devices in their hands, their strides steady and purposeful.
Flanking the team were several Fire-type Pokémon.
At the very front walked a nimble Blaziken, its eyes constantly scanning its surroundings, flames flickering rhythmically around its wrists.
Beside it followed a Ninetales, its fluffy tails swaying gently, as if drawing some of the oppressive heat toward itself.
At the rear of the group were several Sunny Form Castform, hovering as support and protection.
The group soon noticed Theo as well. Their leader, a middle-aged man with brown hair and thick glasses, paused in surprise upon seeing him before walking over with a friendly smile.
"Hello. We're a research team from the Weather Institute. My name is Allen, and I'm leading this expedition. Judging by your gear, are you a Trainer who came to hike and take photos?"
"Hello, I'm Theo."
Theo immediately stood up and responded politely.
Allen adjusted his glasses and examined him more closely, his gaze lingering on Metang with curiosity.
"From your appearance… are you affiliated with Devon Corporation? Most people come to the summit just to take a quick photo and leave. It's rare to see someone staying this long. The environment here isn't exactly friendly. Are you lost? Do you need assistance?"
"No, I'm just trying my luck looking for Magmar. But after searching for quite some time, I haven't even seen a shadow of one."
Theo answered honestly.
"Magmar, huh…" Allen sighed, gesturing for his team to begin setting up equipment while he remained behind to talk. "They've indeed become very difficult to spot in recent years. We're here to measure the surface temperature of the volcano and estimate its next possible eruption. We conduct this kind of survey periodically, usually camping at the summit for two or three days."
He pointed toward a nearby instrument being calibrated.
"According to our data, after the eruption fifteen years ago, the magma temperature has dropped significantly. It's still scorching to us, of course but for Magmar, it might no longer be ideal."
"Have they migrated?" Theo recalled what the father, Kevin had mentioned earlier.
"Not exactly. Magmar have extremely high temperature requirements. If you want to find them now, you'll either need to explore the deepest parts of the mountain's caves, or keep an eye on those crimson stone pillars in the lava lake. Occasionally, you might spot them standing on top—but that's purely a matter of luck."
Understanding dawned on Theo.
No wonder he had found nothing, Magmar had likely retreated deep into the volcano's interior.
After thanking Allen, Theo began recalling what had happened when Beldum evolved.
The mysterious watcher at the bottom of the magma pit near his camp… it very well might have been a Magmar.
He refused to believe both Metang and Milotic had sensed wrongly at the same time. Something had definitely been watching him from below.
For the next two days, Theo did not leave immediately. Instead, he searched caves near the summit, attempting to track down a Magmar.
At night, he camped near magma pits, cooking hot meals and letting the fragrance drift with the wind.
He even placed several of Metang's mineral stones nearby, secretly wondering whether those had once attracted the mysterious observer.
Metang was particularly tense about that.
Each time, it stared intensely at its precious minerals, red eyes wide, maintaining absolute vigilance to prevent theft.
Unfortunately, after two consecutive nights, there was still nothing.
Deep within the caves were only Magcargo and Torkoal. Around the camp, aside from a few Slugma drawn by the scent of food, there were no abnormalities.
The mysterious presence from Beldum's evolution seemed as though it had never existed.
On the fifth day of climbing, at noon, Theo descended to the eastern mid-slope of Mt. Chimney. His supplies were nearly depleted.
At this pace, he would reach Lavaridge Town by nightfall.
It seemed Magmar were no longer within reach. He planned to head downhill and search for a Vulpix with the Drought ability instead.
After lunch with Metang, Milotic, and Tyrantrum behind a wind-sheltered rock, Theo took out three Advanced Energy Orbs from his system space.
The crystalline spheres shimmered faintly under the sunlight, pure energy flowing within and causing subtle distortions in the air.
Normally, to allow his Pokémon to adapt gradually, Theo distributed one orb to Metang, Milotic, and Tyrantrum every four to five days.
However, since Tyrantrum had absorbed the majority previously to evolve, its allocation cycle had been extended to about ten days.
Today happened to be the day all three would receive one.
As Theo held the orbs in his palm, the three Pokémon immediately gathered around, eyes brimming with anticipation.
Suddenly—
Beside them, a magma pit began bubbling intensely.
Fine bubbles surfaced, as though something below was awakening.
Before Theo could react, a slender red thread shot out from the pit like an arrow, aiming straight for the energy orbs in his hand!
In that instant, Milotic and Metang responded.
Milotic darted in front of Theo, sweeping her tail to conjure a precise Water Pulse that intercepted the red thread.
Metang unleashed its psychic power, pulling Theo several meters backward in a split second.
Tyrantrum roared furiously, amber eyes locked onto the pit.
More red threads shot out like a dense web.
"Metang, drag it out!" Theo ordered.
Psychic force surged into the magma pit.
With a sharp cry, a small figure was yanked out and suspended midair.
Theo froze when he saw it.
The system panel appeared:
[Pokémon: Larvesta]
Type: Bug / Fire
Classification: Torch Pokémon
Ability: Flame Body
Moves: Screech, Ember (Mastered), String Shot (Mastered), Flame Charge (Mastered), Struggle Bug (Proficient), Flame Wheel (Mastered), Leech Life (Skilled), Bug Buzz (Skilled), Sunny Day (Proficient), Morning Sun (Proficient)
It was Larvesta!
And a remarkably powerful one at that.
Even more astonishing, a small dark-red stone was strapped to its back, engraved with an ancient "Ω" Omega symbol.
The unmistakable mark of Groudon.
Realization struck Theo.
No one had ever found Larvesta on Mt. Chimney, not even former Elite Four member and Flannery's grandfather, Mr. Moore, despite searching.
This stone must have concealed it.
The rumors that Mt. Chimney had once been Groudon's dwelling might not have been false.
As Theo pondered, Larvesta suddenly glowed crimson.
The stone dissolved into light, merging into its body. The Ω symbol appeared on its forehead.
With a surge of flames, its body expanded to nearly two meters tall, heat waves shattering Metang's psychic hold.
Hovering midair, Larvesta's blue eyes locked onto the energy orbs in Theo's hand with undisguised desire.
Theo raised his hand calmly.
"You want this?"
Larvesta stared silently.
"Then how about becoming my Pokémon? Follow me, and you'll never lack energy robs again."
Larvesta snorted, flames igniting around its five head appendages in disdain.
It had ruled this mountain alone for years, why would it submit to a human?
Without another word, Theo flipped his wrist. The energy orbs vanished back into system space.
Larvesta's flames flared violently in fury.
Milotic, Metang, and Tyrantrum stepped forward.
Only then did Theo speak again, voice steady.
"How about a bet? If you can withstand one move from one of my Pokémon, this is yours. But if you can't… you become mine."
He flashed the energy orbs in and out of existence twice.
"You can't steal it."
Larvesta's eyes followed the shimmering prize, pride battling desire.
It assessed the trio.
Metang? Weak.
Milotic and Tyrantrum? Slightly stronger but not enough to defeat it in one move.
It had dominated Mt. Chimney for too long to fear such a challenge.
After a moment, Larvesta nodded firmly, blue eyes blazing with arrogant confidence.
It accepted the wager.
"Good," Theo smiled meaningfully. "Larvesta… no backing out now."
(End of Chapter)