"Eh? What's going on? Didn't it just show volcanic activity not long ago? How come it's happening again so soon?"
A man dressed like a standard Pokémon Trainer grumbled as he listened to the broadcast by the roadside.
He had originally planned to go up the volcano, hoping he might get lucky and encounter some rare Pokémon that lived in the fiery environment.
"Ah, forget it, forget it. That's fine too! Let's just stroll through the souvenir shops today. I haven't shopped enough yet!"
His female companion, however, looked quite delighted by the change of plans.
"Well, I guess that's the only option left."
The man visibly drooped, his enthusiasm drained.
But his companion only smiled, leaned in close to whisper something in his ear, and instantly, he lit up with renewed energy, as if injected with caffeine.
"GOGOGO! Today's mission — visit every single craft shop in Cinnabar Island!"
Watching this whole scene, Silas bit into one of Cinnabar Island's specialty fruits.
"Boss, this fruit of yours… it's kinda sour."
"Heh, young man, the one you picked is the spicy variety."
The shopkeeper's face remained completely calm.
Silas bolted in embarrassment.
The vendor picked up another fruit of the same kind Silas had just eaten, took a bite himself, and muttered, "Hm, this year's batch is a bit sour, actually."
Walking through the streets of Cinnabar Island, Silas sighed helplessly.
This sudden announcement hadn't only ruined that male Trainer's plan — his own objective had gone down the drain as well.
And he wasn't the only one. Plenty of other Trainers were in the same situation.
Still, no one actually dared to risk climbing the volcano with an eruption warning in place. Since the Pokémon League had officially issued the alert, everyone valued their lives too much to ignore it.
Silas dialed a number on his PokéGear.
"Hello? Silas? What's the matter? Did you manage to find the material I asked for?"
The voice that came from the other side of the line belonged to a woman he didn't know well.
"Sister Hina, I'm afraid I can't get the materials for you this time. Cinnabar Volcano is showing signs of renewed activity, maybe even an eruption. The authorities have sealed it off for a whole month."
Silas explained, holding the phone a little away from his head in preparation.
"Aaaahhhh!! Why is it always like this?! Why am I so unlucky?!"
Sure enough, after a brief silence, the woman exploded into a shrill scream, sharp like a Watchog's cry.
The nearby pedestrians gave Silas, the "handsome young man," odd looks. He offered an apologetic smile and moved into a quieter alley to continue the call.
"Sister Hina, calm down."
He tried his best to soothe her.
"B-but Silas! How can I calm down? All I want is to collect materials to support my research paper! This is the third time! Every single time I ask someone to go to Cinnabar Volcano, something like this happens! It's pure misfortune!!"
The woman, Hina, wailed in frustration. From her words, it was clear she was a Pokémon researcher.
"Well, there's nothing that can be done… You could always try Mt. Chimney in Hoenn. That's an active volcano too."
Silas offered another solution. Since the materials were volcanic in origin, Hoenn's Mt. Chimney should also be suitable.
"Do you know how expensive it is to request a cross-region task from Kanto to Hoenn?! I've been working under Professor Rowan for years, but my finances aren't as rich as yours, Silas.
Why don't you just sponsor me? Support me as your sugar sister so I can do research properly?"
Her voice quickly regained calmness. She was already used to these disappointments, though she couldn't resist teasing Silas with her words.
Of course, Silas rolled his eyes, even though she couldn't see it.
"Come on, Sister Hina, you're nearly twelve years older than me. No way. If you were in your early twenties, maybe I'd consider it."
On the other end, it was like she had been stabbed in her weakest spot.
"Excuse me?! I'm only twenty-nine this year, okay?! Twenty-nine is still the early twenties!"
"Ha… anyway, that ore really only shows up near volcanoes?" Silas instantly changed the topic. Best not to argue about a woman's age — that was a fight he'd never win.
"Yes. Not just near the volcanoes — it only occasionally forms inside the craters themselves. Incredibly difficult to find."
Hina sighed deeply.
"What about research funding? Doesn't the Institute reimburse expenses like that? Or help with resources?"
Silas asked as he strolled through the town.
"Reimbursement? That's what the payment I promised you was supposed to be. But it's limited. Going all the way to Hoenn is definitely unrealistic.
As for resources, Cinnabar Gym is directly affiliated with the Cinnabar Research Lab. As an outsider, I'd have to wait in line for at least half a year before getting access. That's why I try to use multiple approaches."
Hina explained with resignation. "You know, it's strange… For fifty years, Cinnabar Volcano was completely dormant. But starting last year, it's become more and more active. The intervals are getting shorter, and the tremors stronger. Otherwise, I would've had the materials long ago."
Silas fell silent, her words stirring his memory. He recalled that in the future, Cinnabar Gym would relocate to the Seafoam Islands — forced to move because of a catastrophic volcanic eruption.
"Well, Cinnabar is an active volcano. Maybe it really is about to erupt."
He commented casually.
"Could be. It wouldn't be unprecedented. Anyway, if something major does happen, the Pokémon League will handle it."
Hina didn't sound concerned at all.
"True." Silas paused, then added,
"By the way, I know one of Blaine's students. I'll try asking about those materials for you."
"Ah! Silas, you're the best! Love you! Muah~ That's amazing!"
Hina squealed with delight at the unexpected good news. She never thought this little brother figure would give her such a surprise. No wonder Professor Rowan praised him as one of the future faces of the League.
Silas suddenly felt… unclean.
After quickly exchanging a few more words, he hung up.
The materials weren't really a big deal. He even needed Hina's help with something else anyway, so he didn't mind asking Celeb (Blaine's disciple) about it later.
But what truly piqued his interest was the volcanic eruption itself.
Whether from Hina's explanation or from his conversations with locals and travelers along the way, everything pointed toward signs of an impending eruption.
Yet from his memory, the actual eruption that destroyed Cinnabar Gym wouldn't occur until another eight or nine years in the future.
That raised a troubling question — could a volcano really show signs of erupting eight or nine years in advance?
That seemed outside the bounds of his knowledge. No way it could be that far ahead, right?
Meanwhile, at the very same time Silas was on the phone, atop the crater of Cinnabar Volcano…
Blaine himself, who should normally have been at Cinnabar Gym, stood there. But his usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced with uncharacteristic seriousness.
His forehead was drenched with sweat, partly from his hurried journey, partly from the intense heat of the area.
"So it's true… an eruption really is coming."
His words were heavy with resignation. Even with his strength, natural disasters were beyond what he and his Pokémon could resist. Even the League itself couldn't guarantee a perfect defense.
Natural disasters in the Pokémon world — volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, typhoons — were all far more violent than in Silas's previous world. Likely because of the presence of Pokémon and elemental energy.
From the shadows of the crater, an unknown Pokémon let out a cry in response to him.
"Thank you. I'll try to relocate the Gym closer here, so I can constantly monitor the volcano's activity. For now, I'll leave Magmar stationed here. If anything happens, it'll alert me immediately."
Blaine nodded firmly, speaking to his old friend.
"Sorry if we're disturbing you."
"Kreeehhh!"
A birdlike cry echoed from the darkness.
Blaine chuckled, his eyes narrowing with a smile.
"Of course I know you're also happy to protect humans, but no matter what, I still have to thank you."
Even so, the worry in his eyes did not fade in the slightest.
"Based on your estimation… how much can this eruption be held back?"
The bird Pokémon gave a low, resonant cry. From time to time, Blaine nodded in response, his expression easing ever so slightly.
"Relieving the pressure, huh? That's the best outcome we could hope for… But even so, we'd better prepare in advance." Blaine sighed softly.
The bird Pokémon slowly dipped its head in agreement.
"Then, old partner, I'll leave things to you for now."
Blaine tossed a Poké Ball — a flash of red light burst out, and a Pokémon with red-and-yellow markings, a flaming body, and a broad ducklike bill leapt straight into the lava.
It was Magmar. Its body temperature could reach over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The hotter the environment, the more energetic it became. To Magmar, the magma was no different than a swimming pool to a human.
"I'll head back and make preparations." Blaine gave a final nod to the Pokémon hidden in the darkness, then turned and left.
Once Blaine's figure disappeared, the mysterious Pokémon slowly stepped out from the shadows.
Its body began to blaze with fire, illuminating the entire area. Even here at the mouth of the volcano, if a human had been present, they would have instantly felt the temperature spike higher.
Under the glow, its form became clear: crimson feathers, fiery wings, a sharp, spear-like beak, tan skin, and a long crest and flowing tail that looked like they were made entirely of living fire.
It was the Legendary Pokémon — Moltres.
"Cryaaah!"
With a piercing cry, Moltres dove headlong into the bubbling magma, Magmar quickly following behind.
And just like that, silence reclaimed the volcano's crater.
Silas, of course, had no idea about Blaine's meeting with Moltres. He was still occupied, lost in thought, puzzling over the volcano's signs of activity.
But after a long while, he couldn't find any clear answers. With a sigh, he gave up.
Returning to his hot spring inn, Silas slipped back into the steaming bath.
"Now this," he thought with his eyes half-closed, "is one of life's greatest pleasures."
Beep—
The waterproof function of his wristwatch chimed softly. Silas tapped it open.
This is a letter from the Pokémon League Breeder Examination Center:
Greetings, future Breeder Master.
The Level 6 Pokémon Breeder Certification Exam will officially begin tomorrow at 1:00 PM. Please arrive on time, bringing identification such as your Trainer Card or Pokédex.
The specific exam location can be found by clicking the link at the end of this message.
Allow us to briefly introduce the contents of the examination.
This exam consists of two parts: a written test and a practical assessment. Each section is scored out of 100, for a total of 200 points.
Only those who score 90 or above in both sections will earn the title of Level 6 Breeder.
The detailed rules are as follows: …
.....
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