When Theo approached the entrance of that cave with Metang at his side, a wave of heat several times more intense than the outside air rushed toward him head-on. It carried with it the pungent sting of sulfur and the acrid scent of scorched charcoal, so oppressive that it almost felt as though it could burn straight through his lungs with every breath.
The cave entrance was pitch-black, yet faintly visible within were rock walls glowing with a dark red sheen, the unmistakable mark of relentless high-temperature baking.
Considering that the situation inside the cave was completely unknown, and that Metang alone might not be sufficient to handle potential dangers, Theo immediately took out Milotic's Poké Ball.
"Milotic, come out! I'll need you and Metang to explore this cave with me. I'm counting on you both."
A flash of white light burst forth, and Milotic's elegant figure materialized instantly beside Theo.
He gently reached out and stroked Milotic's head. She responded by affectionately rubbing against his palm, letting out a soft, melodious hum. In the next moment, a transparent sphere of water rapidly condensed around her body.
This time, Milotic did not conserve her strength by merely manipulating the moisture in the air as she usually would.
Instead, she directly expended her internal Water-type energy to create a complete water sphere, fully enveloping herself within it.
At the same time, ripples shimmered within the sphere as Aqua Ring activated silently, continuously replenishing the water and maintaining its stability.
Then Milotic turned her head toward Theo.
With a gentle flick of her tail fin, a clear stream of water flowed across the ground, winding toward him before spiraling upward around his body and solidifying into a water sphere of moderate size.
The refreshing coolness instantly cut off the oppressive heat from outside. Even his breathing became noticeably smoother.
"Thanks, Milotic."
Milotic simply nodded faintly. Metang, hovering nearby, also gave her a slight nod of acknowledgment before taking the lead, floating toward the cave entrance.
Its red eyes scanned the interior vigilantly. Pale blue psychic energy spread outward like an invisible radar, finely weaving through the cave to detect even the slightest disturbance.
Theo followed closely behind as the trio stepped into the cavern.
The interior of the cave was far more winding and complex than he had imagined. The rock walls were riddled with irregular holes of varying sizes.
From time to time, jets of white-hot steam burst from these openings with sharp hissing sounds.
The ground was a deep crimson color. Merely looking at the dark red stone beneath his feet was enough to imagine the unbearable heat radiating from it. Fortunately, Milotic's water sphere allowed Theo to continue forward steadily.
The deeper they ventured, the higher the temperature climbed, and the red glow of the rock walls grew increasingly intense.
Gradually, more Pokémon began to appear.
Several Magcargo lumbered slowly across the ground, their heavy dark-gray shells lined at the edges with visibly flowing magma. Smaller Slugma trailed alongside them.
When they noticed Theo and his Pokémon, they stopped and stared with their black eyes, but showed no intention of initiating an attack.
Thankfully, they moved slowly and possessed relatively mild temperaments. Theo carefully circled around them, avoiding any unnecessary conflict.
Following a relatively wide passageway, he pressed onward. The rocks beneath his feet grew hotter and hotter, and small bubbles even began forming on the surface of the water sphere surrounding him.
As he reached deeper into the cave, he suddenly heard a sharp cracking sound echoing from ahead—"crack, crack"—distinct and clear within the hollow cavern.
He signaled Metang to slow down and took cover behind a protruding rock, carefully peeking forward.
At the end of the passage lay a magma pool. Beside it, on a relatively flat patch of ground, rested a turtle-like Pokémon.
Its body was shrouded in gray-white smoke. Its shell resembled a burning furnace, covered with honeycomb-like holes.
From within those holes shone a dazzling red glow, and one could faintly see crimson flames flickering inside.
Theo's system interface immediately displayed the information:
[Pokémon: Torkoal]
Type: Fire
Category: Coal Pokémon
Ability: Drought (When it enters battle, the weather becomes Harsh Sunlight. Fire-type moves are strengthened, Water-type moves are weakened.)
Moves: Ember, Smog, Withdraw, Rapid Spin, Smokescreen, Clear Smog, Flame Wheel, Protect, Lava Plume, Body Slam, Iron Defense
"So it's Torkoal…"
A trace of disappointment flickered across Theo's heart.
If this Drought ability were on a Vulpix instead, he would not hesitate to attempt capturing it. But Torkoal was not the target of this journey.
Nevertheless, Theo took out his phone and snapped several photos of Torkoal and the surrounding environment, precisely marking the location on his map.
After all, a Pokémon with the powerful Drought ability was still worth recording.
He intended to retreat.
Behind that Torkoal, within the magma lake, two slightly smaller Torkoal had their heads poking out. Clearly, this was a family group.
Since this territory had already been claimed by them, it was unlikely that other Pokémon would inhabit the area. There was no point in lingering.
However, just as Theo prepared to leave quietly, the Torkoal seemed to detect something. It suddenly lifted its head.
Its eyes locked forward, and two thick plumes of white smoke shot from its nostrils, engulfing the rock behind which Theo was hiding.
They had been discovered.
Theo's heart tightened. He was about to signal that they meant no harm when Torkoal let out a deep roar, evidently viewing them as intruders.
"Milotic, Metang—defensive positions!"
Theo made a swift decision.
Milotic immediately pushed the water sphere containing Theo several meters backward, positioning herself in front. The Aqua Ring around her sphere began spinning at a much faster rate.
Metang hovered at the side, its red eyes locked onto Torkoal as pale blue psychic energy surged around it, ready to strike at any moment.
Feeling its territory violated, Torkoal grew visibly enraged. It opened its mouth and spewed a stream of sparks toward Theo's direction.
"Milotic, use Water Pulse!"
At Theo's command, Milotic flicked her tail fin. A stream separated from the water sphere, coalescing midair into a pulsating ring of water that shot precisely toward the incoming sparks.
However, the Water Pulse was noticeably weaker than usual. Under Torkoal's Drought ability and within the volcanic cave environment, Water-type moves were significantly diminished in power.
Water and fire collided violently in midair with a sharp hiss, releasing a massive cloud of white steam that instantly blanketed half the passage, drastically reducing visibility.
Torkoal's vision was obscured, and it let out a more irritated hiss, the flames within its shell flaring more intensely.
At that very moment, Metang moved.
Seizing the opportunity provided by the spreading steam, it unleashed its psychic power in a sudden burst. The invisible force acted like a giant hand, lifting Torkoal's body straight into the air.
Torkoal clearly had not anticipated such a strange and overwhelming ability.
It flailed its limbs helplessly midair, the flames within its shell raging violently, yet it could not break free from the psychic restraint.
Metang controlled the psychic force carefully and flung Torkoal toward an open area on the opposite side of the passage.
With a heavy thud, Torkoal hit the ground.
Though not severely injured, the sudden attack disrupted its rhythm, leaving it momentarily dazed.
It climbed back up, glaring at Metang and Milotic, a threatening growl rumbling in its throat.
But the brief clash had made it realize that these two opponents were not easy to handle—especially the metallic Pokémon with its mysterious and unnerving power.
After a brief hesitation, Torkoal slowly stepped backward and retracted its neck slightly, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.
Seeing this, Theo gestured for Milotic and Metang not to pursue.
"We're leaving."
He and his Pokémon gradually retreated, remaining cautious until they had fully exited Torkoal's alert range. Only then did Theo allow himself to relax slightly.
Since this area had already been claimed by Torkoal and contained none of the Pokémon he was searching for, there was no need to engage in a pointless battle.
(End of Chapter)