"Are you sure you remember the way?"
Maki cast a doubtful glance at Malamar. Trust was one thing, but Maki wasn't even convinced that this creature could correctly lead him to the place it claimed to know.
"Maaa-lamar!"
Perhaps fearing that Maki might toss it into a volcano if it failed, Malamar responded in a flustered manner.
Although it had been some time since its last visit, there was no way it could forget—the path was simple enough.
Enter this cave, walk straight down, and you'll find the Magmar.
"Then why did you waste so much time talking? Couldn't you have just told me, and I'd have gone myself?"
Maki shot Malamar an annoyed look. If it was just a straight path, what was the point of being led?
Malamar let out an awkward chuckle. Wasn't it just trying to show off a little in front of Maki to secure a better position?
Without paying any more attention to its thoughts, Maki swiftly returned Malamar to its Poké Ball.
"Magcargo?"
As he proceeded, Maki encountered several Pokémon. The most prominent ones were Slugma and Magcargo, creatures typically found near volcanic craters or lava flows.
It made sense—given that their body temperatures were abnormally high, even if they didn't reach the rumored 10,000 degrees Celsius, living in a forest would be out of the question. They'd probably set all the trees ablaze within moments.
However, as soon as these two Pokémon noticed Maki, they immediately scurried to the side, peeking at him cautiously with only their eyes visible—displaying extreme timidity.
Due to their high body temperatures, Slugma and Magcargo had very few natural predators, yet their personalities were generally timid. Even within the Pokémon world, it was rare for a Magcargo to willingly approach a human.
Maki merely glanced at them before shifting his attention away. He wasn't interested in them—could they farm? If they couldn't, what was the point? He already had Charmeleon for fire-related tasks.
Just as Malamar had said, deep within the cave resided a Magmar. And by coincidence, the Pokémon seemed to be asleep.
Aside from Magmar, the cave was almost devoid of other wild Pokémon. Maki took note of the cave's sweltering temperature and the nearby flowing lava. It was clear—Magmar had claimed this place as its own.
Maki gestured to his Pokémon, signaling them to stay quiet and not wake it up. As a civilized League Trainer, he would always steal when possible rather than engage in direct conflict.
Of course, the main reason was that he wasn't confident his Pokémon could defeat Magmar in battle.
Having known Blaine for quite some time, Maki was well aware of Magmar's capabilities—Blaine's ace Pokémon was a Magmar, after all.
While this Magmar wasn't on the level of an Ultra Ball-tier Pokémon, it was certainly one of the stronger ones in the Great Ball tier. If they were to fight one-on-one, not a single Pokémon in Maki's team would be able to win.
Not to mention, Maki was at a type disadvantage—Whimsicott's Grass/Fairy typing meant that its attacks would be halved against Magmar. Mawile, being Steel/Fairy, would also be at a disadvantage.
If he set up Sunny Day to assist Charmeleon, that would be outright foolish—boosting a Fire-type opponent's power? Not a great strategy.
Luckily, the Mega Stone that Malamar had mentioned was placed on a stone pedestal behind Magmar. However, due to the distance, Maki couldn't determine its color and, therefore, couldn't confirm whether it was actually a Charizardite.
He shot a glance at Whimsicott, signaling her to proceed. Having been with Maki for so long, Whimsicott instantly understood his… ahem, strategic mindset. She floated lightly toward the Magmar, being extra cautious not to generate too much wind to avoid unnecessary noise.
Maki and his Pokémon watched in tense anticipation, fearful that Whimsicott might make a mistake and wake Magmar, forcing them to flee.
However, as a Windveiled Pokémon, Whimsicott had exceptional control over air currents. She effortlessly drifted past Magmar without being detected.
Upon reaching the pedestal, she carefully wrapped her tiny brown hands around the Mega Stone.
She didn't examine it closely—after all, even if she did, she wouldn't be able to tell what it was. The priority was to bring it back to Maki as quickly as possible.
Just as she was about to turn and return, an accident happened.
The pedestal's surface wasn't completely smooth; tiny fragments of rock were scattered across it. Focused entirely on the Mega Stone, Whimsicott failed to notice them. As she turned, her foot nudged the loose debris, causing a small chunk to fall.
And it landed right on Magmar's forehead.
Maki: …
Whimsicott: …
Feeling an itch on its forehead, Magmar frowned and reached up to scratch it. That was when it noticed something strange—had everything gone dark for a second?
Magmar opened its eyes in confusion, only to see a tiny, cotton-cloaked creature clutching its stone and carefully floating away.
Magmar: ?
Seriously? It was just taking a nap, and someone was brazenly stealing from it?
Furious, Magmar immediately opened its mouth and launched a Flamethrower at Whimsicott.
"Run!"
Maki had been watching closely. The moment Magmar's eyes snapped open, his expression changed, and he shouted the command to Whimsicott.
Whimsicott, being so close to Magmar, immediately sensed its awakening and the incoming flames. Without hesitation, she used Tailwind on herself, narrowly dodging the attack.
Magmar's Flamethrower was terrifying. The moment it hit the cave's ceiling, the blackened rock turned a glowing red, as if it were about to melt and drip down.
Having worked with Charmeleon for so long, Whimsicott was well aware that even with her assistance, Charmeleon's Flamethrower could never reach such levels. This Magmar's power was simply on another level.
After successfully evading the attack, Whimsicott clutched the Mega Stone tightly and rushed back to Maki's side.
"We're leaving. We can't take it on here."
Maki quickly made the call. Magmar had lived here for who knows how long. In this environment, there was no way they could win.
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