Chapter 322: Befriending the Lava Bugs
Chapter 322: Befriending the Lava Bugs
After traversing a narrow mountain path, signs of other Pokemon began to emerge.
They were sturdy, stone-like creatures with muscular arms.
Here is the rewritten text with no changes, as the original text already follows the guidelines:
The number of Geodude on this mountain path was astonishing, with at least fifty or sixty visible to Naoki.
Golton and Babbulsas noticed the Geodude floating in mid-air as well.
Babbulsas, intrigued by these stone-like creatures that could float despite their heavy appearance, pointed at one of them and asked Naoki how they did it. Naoki understood Babbulsas' curiosity.
However, the question delved into an area of his knowledge that was lacking.
Geodude didn't have the ability to float, and yet they defied gravity just like Gastly. It was truly fascinating.
After a moment's thought, Naoki speculated, "Maybe it has something to do with gravity?"
"Ba...mo..." Babbulsas was perplexed by the concept of gravity, his confusion evident on his face.
Just then, Naoki noticed that Golbat was about to step on a Geodude hiding underground. He quickly reached out and pulled Golbat away, intentionally avoiding the Pokemon.
"Ah, what's going on?" Golem was initially confused but understood as soon as it lowered its head and spotted the hidden Geodude.
"We mustn't step on them," Naoki explained.
According to the Pokedex, Geodude had a foul temper and were known for their rough behavior. Stepping on them would likely provoke their wrath.
While Golbat was not present and Golem was powerful, there were so many Geodude here that a riot would be troublesome.
Naoki decided it was better to avoid any potential problems, so he led the two Pokemon around the group of Geodude.
About thirty minutes later, they had climbed to the mountain's mid-point.
By then, Naoki could smell a faint hint of sulfur in the air, and the temperature had noticeably risen.
All signs indicated they had reached their destination—Hell Valley!
"We're here!" Naoki exclaimed, his spirits lifting. Babbulsas shared his excitement.
As they ventured further, the temperature continued to climb, and from time to time, they witnessed geysers of milky-white gas erupting from the mountain path.
In the sweltering heat, Naoki and Babbulsas were drenched in sweat. Golem, on the other hand, seemed to fare better in these conditions.
"It's too hot... No wonder trainers use this place for their ascetic training," Naoki thought to himself. Indeed, this environment was perfect for tempering one's willpower and mental fortitude.
Numerous Fire-type Pokemon made their homes nearby.
In the distance, several Darumaka kept a vigilant watch, some of them letting out terrifying howls to communicate with their companions in the area.
Naoki understood the situation at a glance.
This place seemed to be the territory of those Darumaka, and just then, the sound of a scuffle reached their ears from up ahead.
The watchful Darumaka turned as one and rushed toward the source of the noise.
Naoki followed the same path, knowing it led deeper into Hell Valley.
After navigating a rugged path strewn with boulders, the scene before them came into view.
A young trainer was commanding a Infernape and a wild Hariyama in a battle.
The Infernape was exceptionally strong, easily defeating the Hariyama in a few rounds.
As the Hariyama lay on the ground, the trainer retrieved a Poke Ball and captured it.
The surrounding Darumaka, seeing this, scattered and soon disappeared from sight.
The young trainer didn't seem to mind. He put away the Hariyama's Poke Ball and turned to leave.
However, at that moment, their eyes met.
The boy immediately noticed the mysterious Pokemon—a crimson-bodied, robust creature—standing not far away.
Next to it was a Pokemon with pink fur, a red cape tied around its neck, and a small silver hammer in its hand.
The boy's eyes lit up with interest, and his Infernape sensed its trainer's enthusiasm, its flames burning even brighter.
Naoki waved and greeted him, "Hi there!"
The boy, brimming with fighting spirit, replied, "You must be a trainer here for ascetic training as well! Since we've met, how about a Pokemon battle?"
Naoki hesitated, "...I knew it. Here we go again."
The moment their eyes met, he knew a battle was inevitable.
But it was too hot, and he wanted nothing more than to find the Lava Bugs and get back to town for some apples.
"No thanks, I'm not here for training," Naoki refused politely. "I'm just looking for a particular Pokemon."
As he turned to leave, the boy ran after him.
"Looking for a Pokemon? What kind? Maybe I can help!"
Naoki glanced at him.
The boy explained, "I've been training here for a month now, and I know the Pokemon in the area well! I can help you find what you're looking for if you battle me!"
Naoki was exasperated.
These trainers were so obsessed with Pokemon battles!
However, wanting to find the Lava Bugs and leave this scorching place as soon as possible, Naoki stopped and asked, "Do you know where I can find Lava Bugs?"
"Huh?!" The boy was taken aback as the topic shifted too quickly for him to process.
But soon, he regained his composure, and his eyes sparkled with determination. "I'm looking forward to it! Monferno, let's do this!"
The Monferno nodded coldly and then stepped forward.
Naoki sent out Golton to face the challenge.
Wild Pokemon battles had few restrictions, and as soon as the trainers and Pokemon took their positions, the battle officially began.
The boy stared at Golton and said, "I've never seen that Pokemon before, but we will definitely win! Monferno, use Flamethrower!"
As the command was given, the flames on Monferno's body shot up with a whoosh.
The fire engulfed its body, and Monferno charged straight towards Golton.
Naoki wiped the sweat from his forehead as he watched the scene unfold, then gave his instruction: "Use Take Down with all your might!"
"Agas!"
Golton nodded slightly, and its crimson body leaped into the air. Scarlet energy flowed through it, and an ancient aura instantly enveloped the area.
Its form changed rapidly, and with the force of shattering the earth, it rushed towards Monferno.
The two Pokemon collided head-on, and the terrifying energy continued to surge, resulting in a violent, massive explosion.
Monferno was blasted away and fell to the ground, knocked out of the battle.
Boy: "???"
Damn... that's strong! The boy was stunned, unable to process what had just happened.
What kind of Pokemon was that? How could it knock out his proud Monferno with just one move?
After all, he had participated in the Lilac Conference and even reached the quarterfinals!
And now, he had been defeated in a single move...
The boy's mind raced as he arrived at a shocking conclusion.
Could this guy be a Champion-level trainer?
Seeing the boy's confused expression, Naoki coughed awkwardly and said, "It's over."
The boy was impressed by the display and conceded. He fed his Monferno a Potion to restore its health before recalling it to its Poke Ball to rest.
"A bet is a bet. I'll take you to the Lava Bugs' habitat now!" the boy said.
"Thanks." Naoki expressed his gratitude; this would save him a lot of time.
"You're not from the North District, are you?" the boy asked curiously. "Oh, by the way, my name is Helian. What's yours?"
"Naoki," he replied. "I'm from the Pasio region."
"Pa... Pasio region?!" Helian was shocked. That was on the other end of the planet! Coming all the way from there to this place...
"Yes." Naoki nodded slightly. "I'm here on a business trip."
No wonder, Helian realized. No wonder he didn't recognize those two Pokemon; they were from the Pasio region!
He took out his Pokedex and scanned Golton and Babbulsas. However, the result he got was "Unable to identify. These are undiscovered Pokemon species."
Seeing his curiosity about Golton and Babbulsas, Naoki introduced them: "This is Golton, and this one is Babbulsas. They're both from the Pasio region. Are you from the Sinnoh region?"
Helian widened his eyes. "How did you know?"
Naoki: "......Because Monferno is one of the starter Pokemon given to new trainers by the Sinnoh League."
Helian smiled sheepishly. "I almost forgot. But anyway, your strength is incredible. I think you're at the Champion level, right?"
"I don't know," Naoki shook his head. This topic was tricky to discuss, as he had never participated in a Champion evaluation.
Moreover, most of his Pokemon had become strong by eating his special dishes, so it was hard to compare them to others.
Helian was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Naoki explained honestly, "I've never participated in a Champion evaluation because I'm a ranch owner by profession. I came to the North District for an agricultural exchange with the farmers here."
Helian: "???"
His mouth hung open, even more shocked than before.
He knew about ranch owners and farmers, but the ranch owner standing before him seemed a little different from what he expected.
"With your strength, I think you have a high chance of becoming the Champion if you participate in the Lilac Conference held in the Sinnoh region," Helian said.
"Lilac Conference?" Naoki raised an eyebrow. Those three words immediately brought to mind the image of the anime's Beast Tamer.
"That's right! It's the grandest conference in the Sinnoh region!" Helian exclaimed. "Only trainers who have collected eight badges can challenge it!"
"If you win the Conference, you'll not only gain fame and a substantial reward but also the opportunity to battle with the region's Champion, Miss Cynthia!"
Cynthia... Naoki's mind conjured an image of a blonde, high and mighty young lady. He smiled and shook his head, saying,
"Everyone has different aspirations. Instead of becoming a Champion, I'd rather live peacefully with my beloved Pokemon."
"I understand." Helian nodded.
At that moment, the surrounding temperature continued to rise.
Helian, wearing only a short-sleeved shirt, was overwhelmed by the heat and took off his clothes, his face flushed. "It's too hot... I can't take it anymore!"
Naoki's clothes were already drenched in sweat. He exhaled a breath of hot air and silently recited a mantra to calm his mind and cool his body.
Zhishu hurried over.
On the hillside, bleached by the sun, lay a large group of reddish-orange Lava Bugs.
Among the surrounding piles of rubble, plumes of hot volcanic gas erupted, as the Lava Bugs crawled slowly and leisurely, looking lively and playful.
"We've finally found them!" Zhishu exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
Just then, he noticed something peculiar about one of the Lava Bugs.
The bug's body was emitting a crystalline, colorful glow, and on its head sat a small, red candelabra.
"That's... Tajingization?!" Zhishu was perplexed.
"That's odd. How is there Tajingization here when the North District and the Pasio region are so far apart?" Meanwhile, He Lian had also taken note of the unusual sight.
"I don't know what that is either," he replied. "That Lava Bug isn't the first one to look like this. Over the past month, I've encountered several strange-looking Pokemon like this, and they return to normal after being defeated."
"That's Tajingization," Zhishu explained.
"Tajingization?" He Lian was taken aback.
"It's a magical phenomenon that occurs in the Pasio region. Tajing energy envelops the Pokemon's body, temporarily altering their attributes and enhancing the power of their moves, similar to..."
Zhishu had been about to say 'Mega Evolution,' but realizing that it likely hadn't been discovered yet, he changed his wording mid-sentence.
"...similar to the Gigantamax phenomenon in the Galar region."
"And what's Gigantamax?" He Lian was even more confused.
"..." Zhishu couldn't help but ask, "Don't you keep up with news from other regions?"
He Lian scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, those places are quite far away... and I've been traveling, so I haven't had a chance to catch up on the news."
"I see," Zhishu said, recalling how He Lian had used his Pokedex to scan Golton earlier.
"Your Pokedex is probably just a regional one for the Sinnoh region, not a National Pokedex, so it wouldn't have data on Pokemon from other regions."
Additionally, with the communication limitations of this era and the internet still in its infancy, many trainers had little access to information about other regions.
Zhishu continued, "If you get the chance, you should definitely visit the Galar and Pasio regions to see for yourself."
"I will!" He Lian replied enthusiastically.
Zhishu turned his gaze to the group of Lava Bugs and addressed Babu Tubo, "It's all up to you now, Babu Tubo!"
"Ba mo!" Babu Tubo responded eagerly.
Seeing so many Lava Bugs, Babu Tubo couldn't contain his excitement any longer.
At Zhishu's command, Babu Tubo took out a Pecha Berry and flew over to the group of Lava Bugs, shyly introducing himself.
"Ba mo ba mo!" ("Hello, I'm Babu Tubo, and I'd like to be your friend!")
The group of Lava Bugs looked up at Babu Tubo, blinking their eyes.
Soon, the Lava Bugs who weren't interested in Babu Tubo turned away and continued their slow crawl across the ground.
Babu Tubo felt a bit dejected.
"Ba mo..."
Most of the Lava Bugs had wandered off.
Just then, a smaller Lava Bug slowly crawled towards Babu Tubo, capturing his attention.
Babu Tubo turned to face the bug, and the Lava Bug gazed at the berry in his hand with its yellow eyes.
Babu Tubo looked at the berry and then back at the Lava Bug. With a happy squeak, he extended his paw, offering the berry to the bug. "Ba mo!"
The Lava Bug stretched out its neck and took the berry from Babu Tubo's paw, happily munching on it.
Overjoyed, Babu Tubo extended his paw again and asked, "Ba mo?" ("Do you want to be my friend?")
After finishing the berry, the Lava Bug looked up at the unfamiliar Pokemon, blinking in confusion.
"Gu wu?"
Babu Tubo explained, "Ba mo! ("Friends are friends! I'll give you lots of berries, and we can play together every day. If any Pokemon bullies you, I'll beat them up!")
The Lava Bug had never heard of such a thing, but it seemed to understand Babu Tubo's intentions, and its entire body began to emit white smoke.
Suddenly, the sound of "Peng peng peng" echoed throughout the mountain cliff.
Babu Tubo paused, recognizing the meaning behind the sound thanks to his prior knowledge from the show 'The Warm Lava Bug Home'.
This meant that the Lava Bug was extremely happy!
Babu Tubo's eyes sparkled with anticipation, and he seized the opportunity to ask, "Ba mo?"
The Lava Bug looked at him and responded with another series of "Peng peng peng" sounds.
Babu Tubo turned to Zhishu, who handed him a Poke Ball.
At Babu Tubo's invitation, the delighted Lava Bug jumped into the Poke Ball, ready to go home with his new friend.
"Ba mo!" Babu Tubo exclaimed in excitement, having successfully made a new friend. He flew back with the Lava Bug's Poke Ball and presented it to Zhishu.
Witnessing the entire exchange, He Lian was left stunned and speechless.
"What... what just happened?!"
Is this how you catch Pokemon now?!
No, wait! Babu Tubo just caught a Lava Bug?!
But will this Lava Bug listen to Zhishu's commands since it was caught by Babu Tubo?
(End of Chapter)
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