When Cain saw the Quilava, he immediately used telepathy to direct the battle of his three Pokémon with full concentration.
In a short time, they managed to clear out the Pokémon occupying the cave.
Although the pace was quick, Cain ended up somewhat exhausted.
After all, even though he was already an intermediate-level psychic, he still couldn't maintain telepathy continuously for long periods.
However, the effort was worth it to track down the Quilava he had glimpsed briefly.
Returning to the place where he had previously fought the members of Team Magma, Cain couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic.
Back then, facing a Team Magma Pokémon that had barely reached the quasi-elite level had been a huge challenge. Cain and Steven had needed considerable effort to defeat it.
It was precisely that battle that had allowed Steven's Metagross to evolve.
Now that Cain was back in this place, he was no longer the same. He had become a quasi-elite level trainer—and not just any quasi-elite, but one who was beginning to touch the domain of true elite-level trainers.
The wild Pokémon in the area now only presented a suitable challenge for Cain's secondary team.
Carefully examining the Pokémon tracks on the ground, he found many footprints, all jumbled together.
But one of Cain's standout skills in his previous life was tracking and counterintelligence, which allowed him to identify Quilava's tracks amidst the chaos. Thanks to the system's analysis and scanning, the process was even more efficient.
Quilava's tracks were fresh, not yet erased by other Pokémon, which made tracking much easier.
The tracks led deeper into the cave. They matched the direction Cain had already planned to take, so he didn't think twice and continued forward.
The main battle team consisted of Aron, Larvitar, and Combusken.
However, what he found inside the cave didn't match his expectations. The area once full of Magcargo now hosted only a few scattered Pokémon—mostly Slugma instead of Magcargo.
The difficulty level had dropped drastically.
Cain frowned. "Could someone have passed through here already? But the number of Pokémon in the first half of the cave was as expected, and there were no unusual signs in the surroundings."
With this doubt in mind, Cain kept moving forward.
Upon entering the second half of the cave, he noticed a significant increase in temperature. The hot air felt scorching, and his shoes were soaked with sweat. Droplets began sliding down his forehead and body.
After only a few moments, Cain began to feel an intense thirst.
He decided to go back and change gear.
Fortunately, before coming to Mt. Chimney, Cain had prepared a special outfit. Similar to Team Magma's uniform but of better quality, this suit offered superior thermal insulation and adequate ventilation.
Once equipped, the feeling of heat almost completely disappeared.
With that resolved, Cain continued deeper into the cave with his three Pokémon.
For Larvitar, the heat didn't seem to be a big issue. His thick shell and diamond-based diet made him incredibly resilient, both inside and out.
Combusken, on the other hand, seemed to be in his ideal environment. Cain even felt like the feathers on his head were almost turning into real flames.
Since being released, Combusken's excitement was evident. The concentration of fire-type energy in the cave was noticeable, significantly improving his recovery and self-adjustment. This was his ideal battlefield.
Aron, however, was at a disadvantage. Even though his body temperature had increased significantly, he could still fight—but there was no doubt the heat slightly affected his reaction time.
Cain, however, had no intention of returning him to his Pokéball.
Although the environment wasn't comfortable for Aron, pulling him back wouldn't benefit him in the long run.
After all, difficulties are meant to be overcome, right?
If every time he faced a problem he chose to flee, what would he do in the future if he encountered an enemy whose natural habitat was similar? Would he avoid the fight?
Cain took out a bottle of water and let Aron drink. The contact of the water with his metallic shell produced a soft "sss" sound, as the water instantly heated up.
Aron drank the entire bottle in one go, as his water consumption was higher in that environment.
Cain endured the heat in his hand and patted Aron's head with an encouraging smile. "Aron, perseverance is the key to success! We can't run just because fire-type energy is your weakness."
"Kurr, Kurr!" Aron shook his head firmly and moved his front legs, signaling that he was fine.
"Laaarr~~" Larvitar came over, trying to console Aron.
Imitating Cain, Larvitar placed his hand on Aron's back, attempting to give him a few pats. As good friends, it was a supportive gesture.
However, Larvitar's palm, being his most sensitive spot, wasn't prepared for Aron's shell temperature.
"Laaaarr, Laaaaarrrrr!" Larvitar suddenly shouted.
At first, he didn't feel anything upon touching Aron, but after a moment, he felt a burning pain in his palm.
Looking at his hand, he found it completely red.
"Fuuuu! Fuuuu!" Larvitar urgently blew on his hand, trying to ease the burning sensation.
Cain, seeing Larvitar's adorable reaction, couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Kurr, Kurr!" Aron joined in the laughter too, while Combusken was already on the ground, clutching his stomach from laughing so hard.
Despite being the heaviest on Cain's team, Larvitar was also the most mischievous.
Nevertheless, he had an excellent relationship with the others, who treated him like a younger brother.
Larvitar, embarrassed, scratched his head.
He had definitely lost his composure...
This little incident was just a fun moment in Cain and his Pokémon's adventure.
The Slugma in the area showed no intention of attacking Cain, as long as he carefully avoided the lava that occasionally spilled from their bodies.
The cave didn't seem to house many more Pokémon—mostly just Slugma.
At the end of this second half of the cave, Cain reached a huge space that resembled a lake—though this "lake" was filled with lava.
The surrounding rocks were a deep red, and the lava's surface was dotted with bubbles. When those bubbles burst, they released hot air currents upward.
Above it was the summit of Mt. Chimney—the volcano's crater.
"Have I reached the heart of Mt. Chimney?" Cain thought.
Just as he was reflecting, a black shadow emerged from the lava and, as if it had found its target, launched itself straight at Cain.
"Busskk!" Combusken reacted instantly, stepping in front of Cain in a defensive stance.
(End of Chapter)