The mountain path ahead grew increasingly steep, and Tyrantrum's size was clearly no longer suitable for continuing together. Not only would its presence easily disturb the wild Pokémon in the surrounding area, but its bulky body also made it difficult to maneuver along the narrow mountain trails. Instead of helping, it would only hinder further exploration.
Theo therefore recalled Tyrantrum into its Poké Ball, allowing it to rest properly.
As for Milotic, being a Water-type Pokémon, the dry and scorching conditions of the volcanic surrounding were far from friendly to it. Prolonged exposure would inevitably cause discomfort, so keeping it inside the Poké Ball was the safer choice.
With that, Beldum naturally became the most suitable companion to accompany him.
Not only did it possess Psychic abilities, making the climb much easier for Theo but it could also constantly sense even the faintest movements in the surroundings.
If any wild Pokémon attempted a surprise attack, Beldum's psychic perception would immediately send out a warning, giving Theo more than enough time to calmly release Tyrantrum or Milotic to respond.
Theo tossed Beldum's Poké Ball. A flash of white light appeared, and the little Pokémon floated lightly in the air. Its red crystalline eye shimmered brightly, like a small guardian poised for action.
It first tilted its head toward Tyrantrum's Poké Ball, as if saying goodbye, before focusing its attention on Theo. Pale blue Psychic energy quietly spread out, weaving an invisible barrier around Theo's body.
"Looks like I'll be counting on you from here on out," Theo said softly.
He patted Beldum's cool metallic body and tightened the straps of the backpack on his shoulders.
Beldum wobbled its small body slightly, and its Psychic power suddenly strengthened, gently lifting Theo and his backpack.
Theo tried taking a step forward and felt as if he were stepping on invisible stairs. Every step became light and effortless, and even his breathing felt much smoother.
Earlier that morning, Theo had given Beldum an Advanced Energy Orb and a Protein vitamin. Letting it assist with Psychic power now was the perfect way for it to digest the newly absorbed energy and grow accustomed to the surging strength within its body.
"Let's go."
Theo raised his chin slightly toward the mountaintop, and Beldum immediately understood, steadily carrying him upward.
The mountain road was even more rugged than expected.
At first, the rocks of the mountain were an ordinary earthy yellow, but the higher they climbed, the darker and redder the color gradually became.
The surface of the rocks was scorching hot—just a brief touch with bare hands was enough to feel an obvious burning sensation.
From time to time, wisps of white steam rose from cracks in the stone, mixed with a strong sulfurous smell that carried a sharp, spicy bite when inhaled.
Beldum's Psychic abilities did more than just support Theo's weight—it constantly monitored the condition of the path beneath them.
When it encountered loose gravel, it gently pushed the stones aside with Psychic force. When it spotted concealed pits, it subtly adjusted the angle of its lift, neatly avoiding the obstacles.
As Theo climbed, he carefully observed the surrounding environment, occasionally stopping to check for traces of Pokémon activity.
Meanwhile, Beldum took advantage of the journey to familiarize itself with its enhanced energy, its control over Psychic abilities growing smoother and more refined with each passing moment.
The sky gradually grew darker.
At this time, there was no one else on the mountain path—only the mournful sound of wind sweeping across the rock walls, and the faint bubbling of magma echoing from somewhere in the distance.
By the time they reached the mid-slope, irregular pits began appearing along the path. The bottoms of these pits glowed with an orange-red light, accompanied by faint "gurgle, gurgle" sounds—it was magma that had not yet fully cooled.
Just then, several shell-less red slugs crawled out from the edge of one of the magma pits.
Their bodies looked as though they were formed from flowing molten lava as they slowly inched across the scorching rocks.
Behind them, they left faint trails of steaming magma that quickly solidified again under the heat of the stone.
Theo's system interface immediately displayed the relevant information:
[Pokémon: Slugma]
Type: Fire
Category: Lava Pokémon
Ability: Flame Body (May burn the opponent upon contact)
Moves: Smog, Yawn, Ember, Rock Throw, Harden, Clear Smog…
This was Slugma, a Pokémon commonly found in volcanic regions. It fed on minerals within magma and would eventually evolve into Magcargo, a Fire- and Rock-type Pokémon.
Theo took out his phone, switched on the camera, and began filming the Slugma while quietly explaining, "Everyone, take a look—this is Slugma, a classic volcanic-dwelling Pokémon. Its body is made of magma, and it leaves high-temperature traces as it moves—"
These video clips would later be edited into a Mt. Chimney exploration compilation and uploaded to his account for viewers to watch.
After filming for several minutes and ensuring he had enough footage, Theo put his phone away and continued upward. He had no intention of capturing Slugma—this Pokémon simply wasn't one of his preferred choices.
Theo's reason for climbing this volcano was twofold. First, he wanted to personally see the lava lake at the summit where Groudon was rumored to have once resided.
As a legendary Pokémon, Groudon's very existence was shrouded in mystery, and any rumors surrounding it held immense appeal for Pokémon Trainers.
Secondly, he hoped to capture an outstanding Fire-type Pokémon here on Mt. Chimney.
In his current team, Tyrantrum was Rock/Dragon-type, Milotic was Water-type, and Beldum was Steel/Psychic-type. If he could encounter a suitable Fire-type Pokémon, it would be the perfect addition to round out his lineup.
By now, the livestream system was already running smoothly and could help Theo rapidly train his Pokémon.
Moreover, with the help of the system interface, Theo could clearly see a Pokémon's inherited moves, allowing him to roughly judge its potential and innate talent.
For this trip, Theo had three Pokémon targets in mind—or rather, two concrete goals plus one lingering hope.
Vulpix, Magmar, and Larvesta.
Among these three, given Mt. Chimney's environment, the most likely encounters were Vulpix and Magmar.
Vulpix was a relatively common Pokémon within Mt. Chimney. They favored geothermal areas of the volcano, their bodies covered in orange-red fur, with six tails split like burning flames.
However, the Vulpix Theo wanted was one with the hidden ability "Drought."
When a Pokémon with this ability entered battle, the weather would automatically shift to harsh sunlight.
Under sunny conditions, the power of Fire-type moves increased significantly—an extremely powerful ability for Fire-type Pokémon.
That said, Pokémon with hidden abilities were exceedingly rare, and finding one was far from easy.
The second target was Magmar.
Magby and Magmar mostly lived in volcanic regions. They were Pokémon born for high temperatures, hatching and growing up near volcanic craters. The hotter the environment, the better their condition.
When tired, they would jump directly into the crater to soak in magma, and even when injured, they could use the heat of molten lava to accelerate their recovery.
Theo had once seen a post on a Pokémon forum claiming that Magmar had been spotted in the magma at the summit of Mt. Chimney.
Moreover, in the anime from his previous life, Blaine's Magmar—fearlessly swimming through molten lava—had left an incredibly deep impression on Theo.
As for the third target, Larvesta, Theo honestly didn't have much confidence.
This Pokémon fed on flames, and its evolved form, Volcarona, was revered as the "Embodiment of the Sun."
Although they were known to favor volcanic environments, Theo wasn't entirely sure whether Mt. Chimney truly harbored their presence.
Still, this lingering hope wasn't groundless. In the archives of old forum posts, someone had once uploaded a blurry yet astonishing video.
Fifteen years ago, Mt. Chimney had suddenly begun to tremble violently without any warning.
The mountain roared, ash and dust filled the air, terrifying every Trainer and explorer present. Everyone believed a catastrophic eruption was imminent.
Amid the chaos, a Trainer who was evacuating on a Flying-type Pokémon hastily recorded a miraculous video in a moment of panic.
(End of Chapter)