The mountain path ahead grew increasingly steep; Tyrantrum's size was clearly no longer suitable for travel.
Not only would it easily disturb nearby wild Pokémon, but its massive body would have difficulty maneuvering on the narrow mountain paths, hindering exploration instead.
Lionel recalled it into its Poké Ball to let it have a good rest.
As for Milotic, it was a Water-type Pokémon; the dryness and scorching heat of the volcanic area were not friendly to it. Long-term exposure would inevitably cause discomfort, so it was safer for it to stay in its Poké Ball.
As a result, Beldum became the most suitable partner to accompany him.
Furthermore, it possessed Psychic powers; besides helping Lionel climb the mountain more easily, it could sense subtle movements in the surroundings at all times.
Should a wild Pokémon launch a Sucker Punch, its Psychic senses would issue a warning immediately, giving Lionel enough time to calmly release Tyrantrum or Milotic to respond.
Lionel threw Beldum's Poké Ball. With a flash of white light, the little guy floated lightly in the air, its red crystalline eye shining brightly like a little guardian ready for action.
It first tilted its head toward Tyrantrum's Poké Ball as if saying goodbye, then focused its attention on Lionel. A faint blue Psychic energy quietly expanded, weaving an invisible barrier around Lionel's body.
"I'll be counting on you for the next part."
Lionel patted Beldum's cool metallic body and tightened the straps of the backpack behind him.
Beldum shook its small body, and its Psychic power suddenly intensified a bit, gently lifting Lionel's body and backpack.
Lionel tried taking a step and felt as if he were stepping on invisible stairs. Every step was light and effortless, and even his breathing became much smoother.
Lionel had just given Beldum high-grade Energy Clusters and enhancement potions this morning. Letting it use Confusion to assist with walking now was perfect for helping it digest the newly absorbed energy and familiarize itself with the power surging within its body.
"Let's go."
Lionel tilted his chin toward the mountain peak. Beldum understood immediately and led him steadily upward.
The mountain path was more rugged than expected.
At first, the mountain rocks were a common earthy yellow, but the further up they went, the color gradually deepened and turned red.
The surface of the rocks was scalding; a slight touch with a bare palm would result in a distinct burning sensation.
Wisps of white steam occasionally rose from the rock crevices, mixed with a thick smell of sulfur that felt somewhat pungent when inhaled into the lungs.
Beldum's Psychic power not only supported Lionel but also kept a constant eye on the road conditions underfoot.
When it encountered loose gravel, it would gently push it aside with its Psychic power; when it spotted hidden pits, it would skillfully adjust the angle of its support to avoid the obstacles.
Lionel walked up the mountain while keeping an eye on the surroundings, occasionally stopping to observe if there were any traces of Pokémon activity.
Beldum used this journey to continuously familiarize itself with its enhanced internal energy, its control over Psychic power becoming increasingly fluid.
The sky gradually darkened.
The mountain path was deserted at this moment, with only the sound of wind whistling past the rock walls and the faint sound of bubbling lava in the distance.
By the time they reached the mountainside, irregular pits began to appear on the road. The bottoms of these pits glowed with an orange-red light, and a "gurgle-gurgle" sound could be heard—it was lava that had not yet completely cooled.
Just then, several shell-less red snails crawled out from the edge of a lava pit.
Their bodies seemed to be composed of flowing lava as they crawled slowly across the scalding rocks.
They left behind a faint, steaming trail of lava that quickly solidified as it adjusted to the temperature of the rocks.
Lionel's system panel immediately displayed the relevant information:
[Pokémon: Slugma]
[Type: Fire]
[Category: Lava Pokémon]
[Ability: Flame Body (Contact may cause the opponent to be burned)]
[Skills: Smog, Yawn, Ember, Rock Tomb, Harden, Clear Smog...]
This was Slugma, a common Pokémon in volcanic regions. It feeds on minerals in lava and eventually evolves into Magcargo, a Fire and Rock-type.
Lionel took out his phone, turned on the camera function, and began filming the Slugma while explaining in a low voice: "Look everyone, this is Slugma, a typical volcanic inhabitant. Its body is made of lava, and it leaves high-temperature trails when it moves—"
Lionel intended to edit these video materials into a Mt. Chimney exploration collection to show his followers on his account later.
After filming for a few minutes and ensuring he had enough material, Lionel put away his phone and continued upward. He had no intention of catching a Slugma; this Pokémon was not among those he favored.
The reason Lionel wanted to climb this volcano was, first, to see the lava lake at the summit where Groudon was rumored to have once resided.
As a Legendary Pokémon, Groudon's existence was full of mystery, and rumors about it were extremely attractive to any Pokémon Trainer.
Secondly, he hoped to catch an excellent Fire-type Pokémon here at Mt. Chimney.
In his current team, Tyrantrum was Rock and Dragon-type, Milotic was Water-type, and Beldum was Steel and Psychic-type. If he encountered a suitable Fire-type Pokémon, it would be a perfect time to catch one.
Now that the livestream system was well-established, it could help Lionel quickly train his Pokémon.
Moreover, with the help of the system panel, Lionel could see a Pokémon's Egg Moves, which he could use to roughly judge the quality of its talent.
Lionel currently had three potential targets for this trip—or rather, two targets plus a faint hope.
Vulpix, Magmar, and Larvesta.
Among these three targets, given the environment of Mt. Chimney, the most likely ones to be encountered were Vulpix and Magmar.
Vulpix were relatively common Pokémon in Mt. Chimney. They liked to move around the geothermal areas of the volcano, their bodies covered in orange-red fur and their tails divided into six strands like burning flames.
However, the Vulpix Lionel wanted was an individual with the Hidden Ability 'Drought.'
When a Pokémon with this ability enters the field, the weather automatically changes to a Sunny Day.
In sunny weather, the power of Fire-type moves increases significantly. For a Fire-type Pokémon, this is undoubtedly an extremely powerful ability.
However, the probability of a Pokémon with a Hidden Ability appearing is extremely low; finding one would not be easy.
Next was Magmar.
Magby and Magmar mostly inhabit volcanic regions. They are Pokémon born for high temperatures, born and raised in volcanic craters. The hotter the environment, the better their condition.
When tired, they jump into the crater and soak in lava to relieve fatigue. Even if injured, they can use the heat of the lava to accelerate the healing of their wounds.
Lionel had seen a post on a Pokémon forum saying someone had filmed a Magmar appearing in the lava at the summit of Mt. Chimney.
Furthermore, in the anime from his previous life, Blaine's Magmar, which dared to swim freely in lava, had left a deep impression on Lionel.
As for the third target, Larvesta, Lionel actually didn't have much confidence.
This Pokémon that feeds on fire has an evolved form, Volcarona, which is hailed as the 'Incarnation of the Sun.'
Although they have a special fondness for volcanic environments, Lionel wasn't entirely sure if there were any traces of them in Mt. Chimney.
However, the hope in Lionel's heart wasn't baseless, because in the historical posts of the Pokémon forum, someone had once posted a blurry but shocking video.
That was fifteen years ago, when Mt. Chimney volcano experienced a violent tremor without warning.
The mountain roared and dust filled the air, terrifying all the Trainers and explorers present at the time. Everyone thought a catastrophic eruption was imminent.
In the chaos, a Trainer who was urgently evacuating on a Flying-type Pokémon hurriedly captured a miraculous video.