Pokemon: Spiritual Master

Hoenn, Lavaridge Town.

The moment one arrived near Mt. Chimney, a wave of heat rushed forward, instantly dispelling most of the winter chill.

The hot springs in Lavaridge Town were famous throughout the Pokémon world.

Unlike other locations where hot springs typically formed around extinct volcanoes, the ones in Lavaridge were directly linked to an active volcano, supposedly enriched with highly active minerals.

As soon as Johan arrived, he bought some local snacks for his Pokémon.

There was no choice—he hadn't been here in a while, and his Pokémon immediately locked onto the food stalls.

However, as Johan gazed at Mt. Chimney from a distance...

Nothing seems wrong?

It was still spewing volcanic ash. Although the sight of dark clouds blanketing the sky might look intimidating, in reality, there was no significant danger.

In fact—

Not only was it not hazardous, but these ashes nourished the forests at the mountain's base, enriching the soil and making the land more fertile.

Fallarbor Town was one of the biggest beneficiaries of this volcanic ash.

Some places even actively collected the ash, using it to craft various tools and glass products, such as the Glass Workshop in Hoenn.

They specialized in using volcanic ash to create unique items like glass flutes.

In a way, this was similar to Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh.

Except, instead of falling snow, Mt. Chimney rained down ash.

"Yeah, if there was an obvious problem with Mt. Chimney, the ones showing up here wouldn't be me but the entire Hoenn League's leadership..." Johan mused.

Mt. Chimney was too important for the Hoenn region.

If it ever posed a real crisis, it wouldn't just be a minor issue—it would be a regional emergency.

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"Professor!"

Soon, Steven and Flannery arrived.

The three of them sat down in a dessert shop, where Johan listened to their report.

Flannery often wandered around Mt. Chimney in her free time—it was one of her hobbies.

Meanwhile, Steven had climbed to unreachable parts of the volcano in search of rare stones.

Then, the two of them unexpectedly ran into each other and noticed something strange happening.

Some of the wild Pokémon had abandoned their usual habitats.

At first glance, this might not seem significant.

However, in the wild, Pokémon were far more sensitive to environmental shifts than humans.

They wouldn't leave their territory unless something forced them to.

But that wasn't all.

Some of the wild Pokémon had attacked them.

These Pokémon weren't as crazed as the rampaging Camerupt from last time, but they were noticeably on edge and aggressive.

That was what made them think that something was wrong inside Mt. Chimney.

After hearing their account, Johan immediately made a decision.

"We're going now?" Flannery asked, her eyes lighting up.

Wait, why are you so excited?

Johan folded his arms, thinking for a moment before saying,

"Mt. Chimney is important. If something's really wrong, we need to report it to the League ASAP."

"Professor is right," Steven agreed.

"So what's the plan?" Flannery asked. "We'll probably run into aggressive Pokémon again, maybe even something big."

Johan had already thought of that.

"You're best at handling Fire-types. You take the lead."

"Me?"

Flannery blinked, then nodded. "Makes sense."

Her Rapidash had Flash Fire, which made it ideal for dealing with sudden Fire-type attacks.

Seeing Flannery accept her role so quickly, Johan's mind drifted to another person.

If that guy was here, things might be even easier...

Oh well.

At worst, they still had Steven's ultimate Metagross as backup.

"Let's go."

Hoenn Region, Mt. Chimney

The sun had begun to set, but Mt. Chimney still burned with a crimson glow.

Occasionally, flames flickered from cracks in the mountainside, accompanied by dark plumes of smoke.

"...Was the lava inside this active before?" Johan asked.

He distinctly remembered that the cracks didn't spit flames like this last time.

"The lava in Mt. Chimney pulsates periodically," Flannery explained, frowning. "We're currently in an active phase, but... this seems excessive."

Just because a Pokémon lived in a volcano didn't mean it enjoyed lava.

Some Pokémon liked the heat, while others only liked the minerals in the volcanic rock.

Steven narrowed his eyes.

"So you're saying the problem might be inside the volcano?"

He and Johan exchanged glances.

Both of them thought of the same Pokémon.

The legendary Pokémon Heatran—Mt. Chimney's supposed guardian.

"I know a shortcut into the volcano!" Flannery said, jumping onto her Rapidash.

A true one-horsepower engine.

Technically, if Groudon really was buried here, then Heatran shouldn't be living in Mt. Chimney.

Even though Heatran was a "mass-produced" legendary, it was still a legendary Pokémon.

Who would want to live next to Groudon?

Even Fire-types needed fire resistance, after all.

"Stay alert," Johan warned.

Better to be cautious.

"Rotom, start scanning."

"Understood, Roto!"

Inside Mt. Chimney

A wave of heat washed over them.

They walked along the cracked lava paths, their world bathed in red light.

Lava bubbled beside them, forming thick, boiling-hot gas bubbles that burst into steam.

Johan ordered Gengar to stay inside his shadow, while Rotom floated nearby, absorbing excess heat.

The temperature suddenly felt a lot more bearable.

Meanwhile, Flannery and Steven were already soaked in sweat.

Ghost-types really were fantastic.

"Professor!" Flannery took a deep breath and wiped her forehead. "You were right. The lava levels shouldn't be this high—this path used to be wider."

Molten rock had flooded most of the area, forcing them onto an even narrower path.

This was important information.

"Also, I haven't seen a single Slugma or Magcargo," Steven added, his expression grim.

Johan understood immediately.

He closed his eyes and activated Aura.

A wave of perception spread outward, mapping out the hidden parts of the volcano.

BOOM!

The lava churned violently, chunks of rock tumbling into the magma below.

A deep rumbling echoed from the volcano's core.

Johan's eyes snapped open.

"...RUN!"

Flannery and Steven didn't hesitate—they bolted.

Right behind them, a tidal wave of lava surged forward, devouring the narrow path.

If they had been a second slower, they would have been swallowed alive.

The entire cave trembled, rocks crashing down from above.

"Metagross!"

"Kubfu!"

Steven and Johan acted instantly.

Two Poké Balls burst open.

Shiny Metagross swung its mighty steel arms, smashing the falling rocks into dust.

Meanwhile, Kubfu punched straight through the boulders blocking their path, clearing the way forward.

ROOOOAR!!

A terrifying roar echoed behind them.

A monstrous figure emerged from the lava, standing atop the molten waves like a king of fire.

As expected—Heatran!

Seeing it in person, Johan felt his pulse quicken.

Last time, the Heatran they met was friendly.

But this one?

This one looked like it wanted to kill them.

Johan could feel Heatran's rage through his Aura.

"That thing's huge! What is it?!" Flannery gasped.

A roar from Heatran shook the entire cavern.

"You two, keep clearing the way," Johan said calmly.

"I'll try to reason with it."

He extended his Aura again.

"Heatran!"

...

The response?

"DENIED!"

Johan's eye twitched.

"...Looks like you need a beating."

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Powerstones?

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