"You've got something in mind, don't you?" Cissy's father looked at Reiji thoughtfully, as if he had guessed where this was going but still wanted to hear it from him.
"Once the eruption stops, what if we build hot spring inns and a food street around this lava channel?" Reiji said. "People could bathe, eat, enjoy the view, and spend the day here. If this whole area became a hot spring resort with food, sightseeing, and entertainment, it should bring plenty of tourists to the island."
"And once there are more tourists, Mikan Island gets more tax revenue. The island wouldn't have to rely only on Trainers coming here for the Gym challenge. It would also make both the island and the Gym more popular."
"Mikan Island's citrus wouldn't need to be shipped so far away either. Tourists could buy and eat it right here, which cuts down on transport costs."
"They could bring in other Berries and local products too, maybe invite businesses to invest. Murcott Island has its Bug-Catching Contest, right? Mikan Island could host fishing tournaments instead. Regular tourists would have something to join in on, and with enough shops and activities, they'd have plenty of reasons to spend money."
Cissy's father gave him a long look. "Not bad, kid. You're thinking further ahead than I expected."
The more he thought about it, the more workable the idea sounded. If tourists started coming in, some of them might even stay and settle down. Once that happened, the island could grow in almost any direction.
Mikan Island's current economy was too narrow. It had citrus, Mikan Gym, and a seaside town that was only a little bigger than a small town. The Gym and the lakeside cabin where Reiji stayed were basically out in the countryside, and pretty beaches were everywhere in the Orange Archipelago. They were beautiful, but not special enough to build the whole island around.
That was why Mikan Island had never been able to draw much traffic. Even Trainers who came for the Gym usually challenged it and left. There was nothing to make them stay. But if there were hot springs, good food, and a place to relax before or after the Gym challenge, plenty of Trainers and tourists would linger.
"That's a good idea," Officer Jenny said, visibly tempted.
Who ever complained about having more money? She still had plenty of makeup and handbags she wanted. If she could own a hot spring inn that offered food and lodging, that would open up a nice side income. She would be running her own place.
Cissy's father was thinking along the same lines. His family had always been in the citrus business. If they could add another source of income, that would be a huge help to the Gym too.
"Officer Jenny, Gym Leader, this side of the island is uninhabited. I don't know how hard it would be to get the development rights for the land," Reiji said, looking between them.
On Mikan Island, the people with real authority were Officer Jenny at the police station and the Gym Leader. Add Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center and the town mayor, and that was basically the island's leadership.
As for black markets or gangs, Mikan Island had nothing like that. At most, there were a few bad kids or small-time punks hanging around in groups of three or five. The population was too small, the number of Trainers too low, and the spending power too weak to support a black market. The Gym would never allow one here anyway.
Mandarin Island North was different. It was a major city and a shipping hub, with passenger ships even heading to Hoenn. A city that large naturally had darker corners.
Mikan Island could not compete with Mandarin Island North as a trade center. Unless Mandarin Island North declined, Mikan Island would never take over its position in these waters. The better path was to turn itself into a vacation destination.
"That part is easy enough," Officer Jenny said after a moment. "I'll find Nurse Joy, then we'll speak with the mayor and apply to the League for development rights."
The Nurse Joy she mentioned sounded like the local Pokémon Center's Nurse Joy, but underneath that was the Joy family. For something this large, she would definitely need to inform her family and have them send professionals over.
Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy were both outsiders posted to Mikan Island. Cissy's father and the mayor were the local powers. If Officer Jenny wanted a seat at the table, she had to bring in the Joy family and balance the locals through that alliance.
"Trainer Reiji, thank you for the development proposal," Officer Jenny said as she called Arcanine over. "This would benefit Mikan Island, so I'll report it properly. As for the trouble you caused today, there weren't any major losses, so the police won't pursue it further. Go home and rest."
Before leaving, she waved him off, making it clear that the matter was over. Reiji finally let out the breath he had been holding.
"Dad," Cissy said, turning to her father. She had heard Reiji's whole proposal too, but she wasn't sure what he planned to do with it.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. You two head back first." Cissy's father watched Officer Jenny leave while already turning over plans for hot spring inns, open-air baths, and a full hot spring town.
The key was the volcanic hot spring. Once the lava flow slowed down, they would only need to guide a small underground lava channel to heat the spring water. After that, this whole area could be developed.
Hot springs were a natural resource, not something anyone could claim just because they wanted to build an inn. The four sides would definitely have to negotiate over the hot spring rights and the land around the lava channel.
Whatever happened, Mikan Gym would get a share. As for the brat who caused all this, Cissy's father could probably help him secure a small piece of land and a slice of the hot spring rights. But sitting at the main table was out of the question. Reiji did not have that kind of weight yet.
Yes, the hot spring town only existed as a possibility because the brat had woken a dead volcano and dug a lava channel that made development easier. But he had also nearly caused a disaster. Letting him off without punishment was already generous. Asking for more would be pushing his luck, and even if he got it, he might not be able to hold onto it.
Still, the kid really was bold. He had dared to mess with a dead volcano and actually brought it back to life. If the eruption had grown out of control and forced everyone to evacuate, the Gym's citrus groves, the island's other crops, and all kinds of infrastructure would have been ruined.
Even selling Reiji down to his underwear wouldn't have covered that kind of loss. If it came to that, he would either end up in jail or spend the rest of his life working for the League to pay off the debt.
Cissy's father clicked his tongue, then suddenly chuckled as if something funny had crossed his mind. "My daughter isn't even married yet, and she almost became a widow."
He laughed to himself and went after Officer Jenny, heading back toward the earlier camp.
Reiji and Cissy looked at each other, both confused by the laughter.
"What's the Gym Leader laughing about?" Reiji asked.
"How would I know?" Cissy shook her head. She and her father still weren't exactly close. She had grown up with him away from home, and only recently had they started reconnecting through his brutal training sessions.
"Let's head back first." Reiji followed after the two adults. Pelipper had worn itself out cutting trees earlier, so he planned to let it rest a little before flying back.
He and Cissy walked through the forest in silence, neither of them quite knowing what to say. Before long, they reached the temporary camp the geologists had set up and saw a crowd gathered around a black object, murmuring among themselves.
"What are they looking at?" Reiji moved closer and saw an uneven black boulder still hot enough to blur the air around it.
"Gym Leader, what is that?" he asked, turning to Cissy's father and Officer Jenny, who had arrived before them.
"No idea," Cissy's father said. "The geologists said it flew out of the crater and landed near the camp. It started a forest fire when it hit. After they put the fire out, they found this rock. At first it was too hot to approach. It only cooled enough for them to examine just now."
"So that's what happened." Reiji glanced up at the sky. Because of the eruption, smoke still hung over the area. There was no sunset to see tonight, and the sky looked much darker than it had the day before.
He didn't plan to waste any more time here. He released Pelipper and fed it a Pokéblock. Once it recovered enough, he still needed to check the crater and find out whether Magby had evolved—and where it had gone.
Crack. Crack.
Reiji had just turned to leave when the massive black stone started cracking, as if the noise around it had woken something inside. The geologists backed away in alarm, and the rest of the crowd quickly followed.
Even if they hadn't moved, they wouldn't have been able to stay close for long. The black boulder that had only just cooled began throwing off intense heat again.
"Get Water-types to cool it down! Hurry!"
Someone shouted from the crowd, and four or five jets of water immediately struck the black stone. Steam hissed up, the same way it had when lava hit the sea.
Cold water kept pouring down, and white steam quickly filled the clearing. Cissy's father sensed something wrong at almost the same time Slowking's telepathy warned him. He grabbed Cissy and backed away.
Then he had Slowking clear the fog and shouted at the people still frozen near the stone, "What are you standing there for? Run! That thing is about to blow! Take cover!"
Reiji ran the moment he heard it. Luckily, he had been standing near the edge of the crowd, so he didn't get trapped or trampled. He ducked behind a large tree and saw Officer Jenny sprint a few steps before dropping behind a fallen trunk with Arcanine.
The geologists, bystanders, and police officers scattered in every direction, diving behind trees and rocks.
Boom!
The black boulder exploded the instant everyone hit the ground. A wave of scorching air swept through the clearing, and fragments hammered against the rocks and tree trunks they were hiding behind. No one dared lift their head.
The tree Reiji was using as cover caught fire the moment the heat washed over it. Flames raced up the trunk.
"What the hell was that? Even the tree caught fire?" Reiji's heart jumped. He released Poliwhirl to put it out with water; Pelipper still needed to save its strength.
A living tree had ignited in an instant. That meant the blast had been hot enough to dry the leaves and trunk on contact, then set the whole thing alight.
If they had not been behind trees and rocks, they would have been badly burned. Only after the worst of the heat faded did people begin peeking toward the center of the blast.
The fallen trunk Officer Jenny had used for cover was burning too. She quickly got up with Arcanine and moved away, glancing toward the explosion site. Black smoke still rose from the center, thick enough to hide whatever was there.
"Mag... mar..."
"What was that?" Reiji paused. "That sound came from the center."
He had a bad feeling, and saving Pelipper's stamina no longer mattered.
"Pelipper, blow the smoke away!"
"Peli! Peli!" Pelipper lifted off and swept the smoke aside, revealing a blazing red figure standing at the center of the blast.
Reiji swallowed. "M-Magmar. That's Magmar."
Was that really his Magmar?
The ground under its feet had melted into lava. Its body temperature had to be insane. It had probably just evolved and still couldn't control its power.
Even so, this was far beyond normal. The heat wave alone had set the forest on fire.
"Mag... mar..." Magmar looked around at the people cautiously peeking out from cover. It seemed to be searching for Reiji. Had he left without waiting for it?
Reiji threw a Poké Ball. It struck Magmar and pulled it inside.
Only then was he sure this was his Magmar. Otherwise, the ball would never have accepted it so easily. He had used the Poké Ball registered to Magby.
But before he could relax, the Poké Ball opened by itself. Magmar came back out, and the ball fell into the lava under its feet. The moment it touched the molten ground, it melted, burned, and disappeared.
"That won't work," someone said. "This Magmar's body temperature is too high. A regular Poké Ball can't hold it. Use a Great Ball."
A Great Ball struck Magmar next and pulled it inside. This time, the ball held for a little longer, but it soon opened on its own too.
Magmar emerged and roared at the stranger who had tried to catch it. The blast of heat curled the man's hair on the spot, leaving it puffed out like an explosion.
The attempt had only been possible because Reiji's Poké Ball had been destroyed. Its registration was gone, so Magmar was technically wild again.
"If it can't be caught, I'll take it back first," Cissy's father said. "Slowking."
He was about to have Slowking lift Magmar with psychic power and carry it away through the air.
Magmar's heat was so intense that even Slowking's psychic grip warped around it. If Slowking had not been much stronger, it might not have been able to move it at all.
"Gym Leader, wait!" Reiji quickly stepped forward before Cissy's father could take Magmar away. "That… that's my Magmar. It's the one I evolved."
If Magmar was taken away now, clearing things up later would be a nightmare.
"Yours?" Cissy's father stared at him in surprise. "That Magmar?"
He only knew Reiji had come here to evolve a Fire-type Pokémon. Was this the one?
How had this kid raised a Pokémon like that?
A Fire talent like this meant Magmar's potential was anything but ordinary. The brat had actually raised something terrifying. Cissy's father had almost underestimated him.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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