Glug, glug...
Inside Cinnabar Island's volcano, Groudon poked its head out of the lava and looked at Little Riolu.
It could not quite understand why Little Riolu had come to invite it along. Considering Grey's circumstances, how could anything possibly happen to him in Unova?
Had Officer Jenny caught him during one of his late-night stress-relief visits, forcing Groudon to go rescue him?
Recently, Groudon had become fond of watching short dramas, especially the ones where someone got caught sneaking into another person's home at night. Groudon often fantasized about Grey getting arrested one day so it could rush over, shatter the earth beneath the prison, and rescue him.
This was clearly a perfect opportunity for Groudon to save Grey!
"Miu?" Little Riolu asked. "Groudon, what are you imagining? Grey wants to catch Heatran at Reversal Mountain in Unova, so he asked you to come over and provide some backup."
Little Riolu dragged Groudon's thoughts back to reality.
When Groudon heard that it had only been summoned to bully a Heatran, its expression immediately fell.
It had thought Grey had started some exciting new side hustle. Instead, he merely wanted to catch a sub-Legendary Pokémon that was four times weak to Groudon's attacks.
That was it?
Groudon waved a hand, intending to politely refuse Little Riolu's invitation, but Little Riolu's next words immediately made its eyes light up.
"Miu! Catching Heatran might seem like a small matter, but Grey's future happiness depends on it! His future in-laws said that if he wants to marry their daughter Caitlin, he either has to demonstrate Elite Four-level strength or catch a Heatran. That means Heatran absolutely must be caught! He also needs someone impressive there to lend him some gravitas, so naturally, he called you!"
Little Riolu deliberately tied the matter directly to Grey's future happiness.
When Groudon heard that, it was stunned.
Whoa!
It had never imagined it could play such an important role in Grey's future happiness. Groudon immediately agreed.
"Let's go! Take me straight to Reversal Mountain in Unova! I'd like to meet this Heatran myself!"
Groudon impatiently urged Little Riolu to take it away.
"Miu! All right, let's roll!"
Little Riolu enveloped Groudon in psychic power and immediately Teleported toward Reversal Mountain.
After Little Riolu and Groudon disappeared, bubbles rose through the lava.
Glug, glug...
Blaine's Magmar cautiously poked its head out, still badly shaken.
For the past several days, a Groudon had suddenly taken up residence in its home. Magmar had been living in constant fear, worried that Groudon might casually crush it underfoot like an insect one day.
Magmar had not dared to tell Blaine about it.
What if the mighty Groudon overheard their conversation? Wouldn't Magmar's final day arrive immediately?
Whew...
Thank goodness.
Fortunately, Groudon had left quickly.
Now Magmar could finally enjoy some peace and quiet.
In Unova, Grey and Caitlin had already wandered around Reversal Mountain several times, yet they still had not managed to reach its deepest area.
"This is strange. Where exactly are the depths of Reversal Mountain? Even Aura isn't very useful for searching this place."
Grey wiped the sweat from his forehead and increased the output of his Aura, ensuring that neither he nor Caitlin was affected by the heat.
"Baby, maybe we should stop looking for Heatran," Caitlin said. "Haven't you already caught the three Legendary birds? They should be more than enough! Besides, you also have Reshiram and Kyurem. My parents won't complain about anything."
Caitlin did not want Grey to exhaust himself.
They could simply give up if they truly could not find Heatran. Even if Grey lacked Elite Four-level strength and did not possess any Legendary Pokémon, she would still find a way to make her parents agree to their relationship.
"We definitely need to find it. This will also prove to your parents that I'm someone they can trust."
Grey patted his chest before looking at Caitlin.
"Let's rest for a while first."
"Okay."
They found a random spot and sat down. Caitlin leaned against Grey's shoulder, her face filled with happiness.
Spending time alone with Grey was wonderful.
She did not need to consider anything else. For now, there was only the two of them.
Caitlin let out a comfortable breath and gazed at Grey. Her eyes held nothing but him.
Tap, tap, tap.
Suddenly, approaching footsteps drew both Grey's and Caitlin's attention.
They turned and saw a young woman walking toward them while looking around. She had short blond hair beneath a green beret with a white rim, a green shoulder bag, an orange-and-white dress, and short yellow shoes.
She was muttering something about Heatran and the depths of Reversal Mountain.
The moment she noticed Grey and Caitlin, her eyes visibly brightened.
"Hello! I'm Bianca, Professor Juniper's assistant. It's wonderful to meet you!"
Wow, the timeline really had tied itself into knots.
Under normal circumstances, Bianca should still have been a rookie Trainer at this point. Yet judging from the current situation, they had somehow entered the Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 portion of the timeline.
It was not a serious problem.
The timeline was already such a mess that there was no point worrying about it.
"I'm the Gym Leader of Kanto's Fighting Dojo..."
"I know, I know! You're Gym Leader Grey, right? And the woman beside you is Caitlin of the Unova Elite Four! Wow! Are you two on your honeymoon? You're so sweet together!"
The sight of them together instantly transformed Bianca into an enthusiastic shipper.
Admittedly, Bianca had originally supported Grey and Sabrina as a couple, but after seeing how affectionate Caitlin and Grey were, she immediately switched sides.
There was no shame in that!
"What brings you here, Bianca?" Grey asked with a smile. "I heard you mention Heatran and the depths of Reversal Mountain. Are you searching for signs of Heatran?"
"Wow! You really are impressive, Gym Leader Grey! I've been investigating Reversal Mountain recently, and someone told me that Heatran lives here. I came because I wanted to explore the unknown."
Bianca scratched her head and smiled.
"Are you and Caitlin also here looking for Heatran?"
"That's right."
Grey nodded.
"I want to catch Heatran."
He made no attempt to conceal his intentions.
"Wow! You're actually planning to catch Heatran? Someone as strong as you definitely has a chance!"
Bianca immediately became Grey's cheerleader before asking another question.
"Have you found any clues yet? Do you need a map?"
"Would you really be willing to share it?"
The moment Grey heard that she had a map, he naturally wanted to see it.
"Of course! I only came here to try my luck anyway. I don't care about catching Heatran myself. If I help you find it, would you mind letting me take a few photographs?"
Bianca became slightly embarrassed as she finished speaking.
"Of course not. That's completely fine."
Grey waved his hand.
They were only photographs, so there was no reason to refuse. He was the one benefiting from Bianca's map. If they genuinely found Heatran, he would even owe her a thank-you gift.
"Great! Here's the map!"
Bianca handed it over.
Grey examined the map and discovered that their destination was surprisingly close, located a short distance to the south.
With the map guiding them, the search became far less complicated. All they needed to do was head south.
Less than ten minutes later, Grey led Caitlin and Bianca into the heart of Reversal Mountain.
The scenery ahead no longer resembled an ordinary mountain path. Lava snaked through cracks in the earth, and the rising waves of heat distorted the air.
The ground beneath them consisted entirely of volcanic rock, and even through the soles of their shoes, they could feel its astonishing temperature.
Fortunately, Grey's Aura flowed around the three of them, forming a gentle protective barrier that kept the skin-searing heat a few inches away.
"So this is the deepest part of Reversal Mountain," Bianca said as she looked around. "I wonder where Heatran is."
She was certain they had reached the depths of the mountain, but she could not find any sign of Heatran.
Just as she began to think the journey had been pointless and prepared to take a few photographs of the environment before saying goodbye to Grey and Caitlin, a familiar voice rang out.
"Miu! Grey, I brought Groudon!"
Little Riolu appeared while holding a Master Ball.
"That was fast. Your timing is perfect."
Grey gave Little Riolu a thumbs-up and praised it without reservation.
He then turned toward Caitlin with a broad grin.
"Baby, remember to record everything."
"Of course!"
Caitlin took out her phone, started recording, and gave Grey an okay sign, indicating that he could begin whenever he was ready.
"Perfect!"
Grey performed a few warm-up movements and swung his arms around. After telling the two women to move farther back, he threw the Master Ball into the air.
"Groudon, I choose you!"
Bianca stared at him in disbelief.
What?
Groudon?
He was planning to use Groudon to catch Heatran?
What kind of grudge did he have against it?
When Bianca heard the name of the Pokémon Grey had summoned, her small head became filled with enormous confusion.
This was Groudon, the creator of the land!
In some places, it was even worshiped as the god of volcanoes!
Heatran was a Pokémon that lived inside volcanoes. In a certain sense, Heatran could practically be considered Groudon's underling.
More importantly, Heatran was a Fire- and Steel-type Pokémon with an extreme weakness to Ground-type attacks.
Despite all that, Grey had summoned Groudon to help him search for Heatran!
Was this an absurd waste of Groudon's strength, or was Grey simply making perfect use of the resources available to him?
Bianca had no idea how to describe it.
All she knew was that she had gained a newfound respect for Grey.
"Groudon, I'm counting on you."
Grey patted Groudon's leg.
"Call Heatran out. Tell it that if it comes with me, it can live a happy and comfortable life."
"Understood."
Groudon nodded.
It knew perfectly well that what happened next was directly connected to Grey's future happiness. It immediately turned toward a pool of lava and unleashed a roar.
"GROOOO!"
Groudon's roar was deafening, causing the surrounding lava to churn violently.
Before long, a turtle-like Pokémon emerged from the direction Groudon had roared toward.
The Pokémon had orange-red eyes and a head covered by something resembling a metallic mask. Its body was reddish brown, with a mixture of brown and orange spots. Its underside was dark gray, while its legs had structures resembling metal bracelets.
Each foot had four claws arranged in a cross-shaped pattern.
[Pokémon: Heatran]
[Level: 75]
[Type: Fire, Steel]
[Ability: Flame Body]
[Moves: Magma Storm, Earth Power, Stone Edge, Lava Plume, and others omitted.]
It was actually a level-75 Heatran with Champion-level strength!
Its credentials could hardly have been more impressive.
Heatran, however, was completely bewildered.
It had been peacefully swimming through the lava when it suddenly sensed an overwhelming pressure. Then someone called it out, claiming there was a job available that included free food and lodging.
Heatran naturally could not tolerate such disrespect.
It was a mighty sub-Legendary Pokémon that lived in the depths of lava, an environment where ordinary Pokémon could never survive. As long as no major Legendary Pokémon appeared, Heatran was the undisputed ruler of the area.
With that thought in mind, Heatran rushed out to see what blind fool had dared to cause trouble in its territory.
Did they not know who ran Reversal Mountain?
"Hea!" Heatran cried. "Dad!"
The instant Heatran saw Groudon, it instinctively called it "Dad."
One glance was all it needed to confirm that Groudon truly could provide it with unlimited food and lodging.
As for preserving its dignity?
What dignity?
If it could cling to the leg of a major Legendary Pokémon, dignity became completely irrelevant!
Heatran shamelessly approached Groudon and attempted to ingratiate itself.
Boss, I came out. Why don't you tell me what this job is about?
Heatran had noticed Grey and the others, but it assumed they were merely new underlings Groudon had taken in, so it paid them no attention.
Groudon's next words, however, left Heatran completely confused.
"Grou," Groudon said, pointing at Grey. "From now on, follow my boss. You'll eat well, live comfortably, and never have to worry about anything."
Heatran froze.
Your boss is a human?
And he looks like some pretty-faced freeloader who lives off women.
Grey narrowed his eyes.
What?
Was this Heatran thinking something rude about him?
It was not important.
Grey immediately explained what he wanted.
"I want to catch you."
He got straight to the point without wasting any time.
"Hea! Fine! Let's see whether you're strong enough to catch me!"
Heatran was amused.
It was a Champion-level sub-Legendary Pokémon. Why would it be afraid of a human?
Then Grey raised his voice.
"Groudon, I choose you!"
"Grou!"
Groudon showed Grey plenty of respect by stepping forward and placing itself between him and Heatran. Its Ability, [Drought], activated, causing the surrounding temperature to rise sharply.
"Hea?"
Heatran's mind stopped working.
Wait, what?
Why did this have to be so complicated?
Why not just throw a Poké Ball at me? I promise I won't resist.
Heatran was so exasperated that it almost laughed, but judging from Groudon's preparations, this did not appear to be a joke.
Holy crap, don't do it!
Heatran had no choice but to use every ounce of strength it possessed. It sprang upward, clung to the rock wall, drew upon the source of Fire-type energy inside its body, and unleashed the strongest [Magma Storm] it had ever produced.
A massive eruption of volcanic lava burst forth, accompanied by thick black smoke. The lava and smoke began rotating together, transforming into something resembling a raging storm as it swept toward Groudon!
//Check out my P@tre0n for 30 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.