Chapter 30: The Chimney Mountain Incident
Chapter 30: The Chimney Mountain Incident
Thick, velvety clouds obscured the moon, and the pervasive mist carried a chilling and eerie presence, as if a dark entity lurked in the shadows, unseen and terrifying.
At that moment, the thunderous boom that tore through the air seemed like a harbinger of light, shattering the darkness. The sound echoed with a rumble, as if the earth itself was cracking open.
Jing He and Daiwu's faces changed when they heard the commotion. Gengar and Metagross immediately moved to protect them.
The next second.
Crack!
A massive rock shattered the wooden barrier that separated the two hot springs.
The two hot springs were now connected.
"What's happening?" Daiwu asked urgently.
"Th-there's..." Dujuan's words trailed off. Her cheeks, already flushed from the hot spring, now resembled a ripe red apple.
Her face was flushed, her long hair, which had been tied up, now hung loose and damp, drooping over her shoulders.
Fortunately, both she and Yasu, as well as Jing He and Daiwu, were wrapped in towels.
Daiwu was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered, his face showing a hint of embarrassment.
"There's a rock, a very large rock, that fell from the mountain!" Yasu, less sensitive to the situation, quickly added.
In fact, with her figure similar to Jing He and Daiwu, she, well, coughed.
The mountain?
Jing He, the only one who remained relatively calm, furrowed his brow and looked up at the mountain.
Since the hot springs in Sootopolis mostly relied on the heat from Chimney Mountain, most of the hot springs and inns were situated near it.
Daiwu and Jing He's side was relatively safe, but Dujuan and Yasu's side was almost right against the rocky wall of Chimney Mountain.
Due to the distance and the jagged terrain, they couldn't clearly see what was happening on the mountain.
However, in the dim night, they could see a faint glow rising from the area directly above them.
The glow flickered, like a sharp sword in the night sky, gradually growing larger, as if it was about to tear a hole in the darkness.
"It can't be that the volcano has cracked, and lava is seeping out, can it?" Jing He muttered to himself.
Upon hearing this, the three of them grew pale.
Yasu, who had already changed into her clothes at some point, wore a stern expression, her eyes fixed on the glowing light in the sky, determined to go up there.
If Chimney Mountain really had a crack that caused the lava inside to spill out, then based on the position of the glow, Sootopolis might be in grave danger.
Sootopolis was her hometown, and she couldn't just stand by and do nothing!
She wasn't the only one.
Daiwu and Dujuan's reactions were less intense, but their determination was the same.
Noticing their expressions, Jing He sighed inwardly.
He knew that in this situation, his role as a teacher wouldn't be enough to suppress their sense of justice.
The glow was still not very noticeable, and because Chimney Mountain itself was dark red, they might not have noticed it if it weren't for the falling rock.
The glow was gradually growing, but the trend was not yet clear, suggesting that if it was indeed lava from Chimney Mountain, now might be the best time to take action.
He didn't have much time to think, but he had already made his decision.
"Dujuan, Yasu, go and inform the Sootopolis Gym, the Sootopolis Police Department, and the Pokemon Center. I'll go with Daiwu to check it out."
If someone had to go, it had to be him, as the teacher.
And Daiwu was the strongest among the four.
Moreover, his Metagross, Skarmory, and Baltoy could help them escape in the worst-case scenario.
"Teacher Jing He, I—" Dujuan tried to protest but was cut off by Jing He's unwavering gaze.
"I understand."
Dujuan lowered her head, taking a deep breath. She knew the importance of the situation.
But Yasu wasn't as easily convinced.
"No, I have to go!"
Seemingly anticipating Jing He's response, she quickly added, "I know this area best. There's a shortcut to that location—I can get there quickly!"
Time was of the essence, and Jing He could feel Yasu's determination. He said firmly,
"Alright! You lead the way, but if anything happens, you must follow my orders!"
"Agreed!"
"Screech—"
Gengar brought Jing He his clothes.
Chimney Mountain.
Jagged rocks and steep cliffs, three figures swiftly darted through the terrain.
"Is this the shortcut you were talking about?" Jing He leaped from one uneven stone to another, following Yasha's steps.
"I used to take it all the time. It looks dangerous, but as long as you don't slip, it's quite safe." Yasha ran at the front.
"Don't slip."
Daiwu and Jing He both glanced down at their feet.
They remained silent.
Jing He felt a bit regretful.
If it were just him and Daiwu, with the help of Armor Bird, Metang, and Baltoy, they could have flown up directly.
While using Psychic powers to fly to such a height would consume a lot of their Pokemon's energy, running up this way did save their Pokemon's strength for emergencies and didn't take much longer. However, it was indeed challenging for those not blessed with the "Super Newbie" constitution.
Fortunately, though Yasha seemed reckless, the shortcut she mentioned did lead them to their destination.
They soon arrived at a small platform.
"Heycha, heycha—"
On the platform, several Bonsly and Geodude were huddled in the corner, looking fearful.
When they saw Jing He and the others approaching, they shrank even further into the corner, causing several rocks to roll down the mountain with a "clatter."
However, the three were now focused on a red crack in the rock wall before them.
The crack wasn't large, just big enough for a person to squeeze through, and the firelight they had seen from below was coming from this crack.
"This is—"
As they approached, they immediately felt a wave of intense heat emanating from the crack, far hotter than the scorching weather in Sootopolis Town.
Flap, flap—
Suddenly, a Zubat flew out of the crack at high speed, clearly panicked.
Jing He and the others quickly moved aside, avoiding any conflict.
Then, a large group of Zubats, along with a couple of Golbats, squeezed out of the crack and quickly flew away from Chimney Mountain.
Seeing this, the three of them grew increasingly serious.
Wild Pokemon were the most sensitive to environmental changes. The presence of Bonsly and Zubats indicated that there was something in the cave that they feared.
"Gastly," Jing He called softly.
In this situation, it was absolutely not wise to rush in. Jing He held back the impulsive Yasha.
"Kya~~"
Gastly floated out from his clothes, gazing at the deep, dark crack without fear, even showing a hint of excitement.
"Be careful."
Jing He couldn't help but warn him seriously.
"Kya!"
Gastly winked at him, gave a mischievous laugh, and transformed into a black mist, slipping into the rock wall.
Time ticked by.
To be honest, Jing He, usually calm, was a bit nervous, not for himself but for Gastly.
After all, the situation inside was unknown, and Gastly wasn't particularly powerful.
Moreover, this was Chimney Mountain!
"Kya~~"
Fortunately, Gastly soon poked his head out of the rock wall.
It's so hot—
He stuck out his tongue, clearly disliking the temperature inside Chimney Mountain.
But seeing him reappear, Jing He felt a bit relieved and asked, "Gastly, what's in there?"
"Kya!!"
Gastly took a deep breath, his body suddenly swelling.
There's a big one in there!
(End of Chapter)
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