"That's… true."
Buck scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed. When he calmed down and thought about it carefully, Gary was right—Fire-type Pokémon were naturally resistant to extreme heat. Magma was terrifying to humans, but to Pokémon like Heatran, it was closer to a natural environment than a deadly threat.
Still, logic aside, it was impossible not to panic when seeing a living creature fall straight into a pool of molten lava.
Almost anyone would instinctively worry.
Before Buck could say anything else—
Boom!
A violent splash of magma erupted.
"Hrrr—duo!"
Heatran burst out from the lava, its massive body radiating terrifying heat. Molten magma dripped from its steel-plated limbs as it landed firmly atop a towering stone pillar.
The pillar was not natural.
It was formed by Stone Edge.
When a Rock-type technique was mastered to an extreme level, it could be used not just as a projectile, but as a structural construct—creating massive stone pillars more than ten meters high, sturdy enough to support even a Legendary Pokémon's weight.
Heatran climbed swiftly along the volcanic wall, its cross-shaped claws digging deep into the rock as if gravity itself meant nothing to it. In just a few seconds, it had closed the distance to the volcano's mouth.
"It's coming!" Buck cried out nervously.
"Move," Gary said calmly. "This place is too narrow. Fighting here is a bad idea."
The volcano entrance was cramped, filled with jagged rock formations and unstable ground. A single misstep could lead to catastrophic consequences—especially against a Pokémon like Heatran.
Gary turned and ran toward the open area outside the volcano. Buck didn't hesitate and followed immediately.
Behind them—
"Hrrr—duo!"
Heatran let out an angry roar and leapt out of the volcano, landing heavily on solid ground.
At that moment—
"Woof!"
Arcanine barked loudly, deliberately stepping forward.
Its posture was arrogant.
Provocative.
Almost mocking.
Heatran froze for half a second.
Then its crimson eyes burned with fury.
To be taunted by a dog Pokémon—right after emerging from magma—was unacceptable.
"HRR—DUO!"
Heatran slammed its iron palm into the ground.
Stone Edge!
Sharp rock blades erupted violently from the earth, racing toward Arcanine like a forest of spears.
But Arcanine had already turned and sprinted away, deliberately keeping just enough distance to stay within Heatran's sight.
It ran fast—
But not too fast.
Heatran took the bait.
It charged forward, claws scraping against the rock, Stone Edge continuing to surge toward Arcanine's position.
Just as the rock blades were about to strike—
A red beam flashed.
Teleport.
Arcanine vanished instantly.
The Stone Edge burst violently from the ground—
But struck nothing.
"Hrr—duo?"
Heatran halted, confused.
It looked around, searching—
Then noticed Gary and Buck standing calmly not far away.
Before Heatran could react—
"Blastoise," Gary said evenly, "I'll leave it to you."
A Poké Ball flew forward.
Flash!
A massive blue figure materialized.
"KAMI!"
Blastoise landed heavily on the ground, its shell gleaming under the volcanic glow.
[LV73 Blastoise | Legendary]
Buck's breath caught.
Even after seeing Moltres, he still couldn't fully suppress his shock. This Blastoise's aura was overwhelming—steady, immovable, like a fortress.
"Rain Dance," Gary ordered without hesitation.
Blastoise raised both arms.
Two compressed spheres of water shot straight into the sky, rising dozens of meters before detonating.
Dark clouds gathered instantly.
Thunder rumbled.
Then—
Rain poured down.
A torrential downpour blanketed the peak of Stark Mountain.
Near the volcano, where temperatures were already extreme, the sudden rain caused thick steam to rise. The air became heavy, oppressive, and difficult to breathe.
"Hrr—duo!"
Heatran growled unhappily.
This humid, water-filled environment clearly irritated it. Red smoke poured from the gaps in its steel armor, spreading outward like a burning mist.
"Hydro Pump," Gary said calmly.
Blastoise's shoulder cannons rotated.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two massive columns of water blasted forward, tearing through the red smoke and carving a clear path straight toward Heatran.
"HRR—DUO!"
Heatran dug its claws deep into the rock wall, anchoring itself to avoid being blasted away.
But the impact still pushed it back several meters, leaving deep claw marks in the stone.
"wave crash," Gary continued.
Blastoise surged forward, its body coated in a flowing layer of water energy. It became a living battering ram, charging straight at Heatran.
Heatran roared and responded in kind.
Steel energy flared across its body as it charged forward to meet Blastoise head-on.
BANG!!!
The collision shook the mountain.
Both Pokémon were forced back by the impact, sending shockwaves through the ground.
"Earthquake," Gary ordered.
Blastoise slammed its fists into the ground.
The earth trembled violently.
Cracks spread rapidly across the battlefield.
"HRR—DUO!!"
Heatran tried to leap away—but its claws, so accustomed to gripping solid ground, betrayed it. The vibrations struck directly through its body.
Four times effectiveness.
Ground-type attacks were Heatran's greatest weakness.
Heatran staggered, letting out a pained roar.
Gary's eyes narrowed.
"Now. Hydro Cannon."
Blastoise braced itself.
Its shoulder cannons glowed with blinding blue light.
Then—
WHOOSH!!!
A devastating torrent of water exploded forward.
The Hydro Cannon struck Heatran head-on.
Heatran tried to hold its ground, claws gouging into the rock—but the force was overwhelming.
CRACK!
The rock beneath its claws shattered.
Heatran's massive body was thrown backward violently.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
It smashed through three large boulders in succession before finally slamming hard into the ground.
Dust and steam filled the air.
Buck stared in disbelief, his heart pounding.
"That… that should be enough, right…?"
Gary didn't relax.
When the dust settled—
Heatran was still standing.
Its posture was unsteady. Its armor was scorched and cracked in places.
But it hadn't fallen.
"…Impressive," Gary murmured.
A Pokémon that could withstand Hydro Cannon after taking a quadruple-effective Earthquake was no ordinary Legendary.
"Hrrr… duo…!"
Heatran gathered the last of its strength.
Intense red heat erupted from its body.
A beam of fire—condensed, violent, and scorching—burst forth.
Overheat.
The full-force release of Heatran's remaining energy.
Blastoise, unable to move immediately after Hydro Cannon, took the attack head-on.
Buck gasped. "What kind of move is that?!"
"Overheat," Gary replied calmly.
Smoke engulfed Blastoise completely.
Buck clenched his fists. "Is Blastoise okay…?"
Gary didn't answer.
He simply watched.
Slowly, the smoke cleared.
Blastoise stood firm.
Its shell was scorched, steam rising from its body—but the damage was limited.
It hadn't fallen.
"KAMI…!"
Heatran's eyes widened.
It had used everything.
And it still wasn't enough.
Gary took a step forward.
"Heatran," he said steadily, "this is where it ends."
He pulled out an Ultra Ball.
Without hesitation, he threw it.
The Ultra Ball struck Heatran directly.
Flash!
Heatran was absorbed.
The Ultra Ball fell to the ground.
One shake.
Two shakes.
Three—
Click.
Silence.
Buck's pupils shrank.
"…It worked," he whispered.
A Legendary Pokémon—
Conquered.
Right in front of him.
[Ding! Mission Triggered: Conquer the Volcano Pokémon Heatran]
[Reward: Master Rare Candy ×1, Gold Bottle Cap ×1, Ability Enhanced Stone ×1, Ability Expansion Stone ×1]
[Mission Completed. Rewards stored in Space Backpack]
Gary blinked slightly.
"…Only one Master Rare Candy?"
[Heatran is classified as a standard Legendary Pokémon, not a Mythical Legendary Pokémon.]