After lunch.
Courtney and her Pokémon visibly regained their energy at a remarkable pace.
"The food... was great..."
She seemed like she wanted to praise it further, but Baimu wasn't particularly concerned with her compliment. While warming up, he asked, "How do you want to battle? Are there any rules? Or is anything fine?"
Zweilous eagerly eyed Camerupt and other Pokémon, itching for a fight after its recent evolution!
"You can make the decision..."
Courtney said generously and confidently.
"Then let's do a three-on-three singles battle, with free switching allowed. The battle ends when all Pokémon on one side are down—no attacking the Trainer."
Seeing no objection, he pressed down the two eager heads of Zweilous, saying, "I'll leave this to your seniors for now."
"Hey woo?" "Hey woo?"
Zweilous turned its heads, visibly disappointed that it couldn't participate, but it understood that even after evolving, it still wasn't as strong as those before it.
Need to get stronger!
Stronger than it is now, until the Trainer thinks of it first when facing a formidable enemy!
Feeling humiliated, Zweilous made a firm resolution to itself.
Baimu also recognized that this big guy was probably a bit upset, but Courtney was likely a worthy opponent deserving his best effort—not to be underestimated.
Before the battle officially commenced, they recalled their Pokémon and moved to a new location for the fight.
The summit was too densely forested and Camerupt's firepower might inadvertently start a wildfire—something Baimu definitely didn't want to see happen.
Fortunately, there was a relatively flat rocky path nearby, with only damp wild grass soaked by mist, making it an ideal place for the battle.
The two stood on opposite sides, maintaining a certain distance.
"Begin..."
Courtney couldn't wait to throw a Pokeball.
Bang!
A flash of white light.
"Moo!"
The first to appear was Camerupt, letting out a sound like a horse or donkey. It was in excellent condition after filling its belly.
Meanwhile, Baimu also released his Pokémon.
Bang!
Cherry blossoms scattered, and Mawile slowly emerged.
"Cheedo!"
With a full fighting spirit, it looked at Camerupt, well aware that the latter was no easy opponent.
"Hehe..."
Courtney wore a faint smile and raised her right hand, "Analyze... Reconstruct... Only Magma Team can create a better tomorrow, Super Evolution!"
"Moo——"
Camerupt roared to the sky, revealing the shimmering Super Stone beneath its heavy mane.
An invisible mental wave formed between the two, and some latent power seemed ready to erupt—
"Wait!"
Baimu abruptly raised his hand.
Everyone present, including the two Pokémon, looked at him, puzzled.
"Uh, cough cough... Because I didn't know what you were going to do earlier, I sneakily took something and haven't returned it." He walked over somewhat awkwardly and handed the Key Stone back to Courtney.
As mentioned before, vigilance is always necessary.
To avoid any potential foul play from her, he had secretly removed Courtney's Key Stone, and only just remembered to return it.
It wasn't until she began reciting her dramatic lines that he realized the Key Stone hadn't been returned.
"..."
Courtney looked at the Key Stone in her palm, then glanced at Baimu as he retreated. She didn't say a word.
"Moo!"
Camerupt glared at him with an expression akin to "Are you serious?" It had just gotten into the mood, only for this antic to ruin it.
"Cheedo~"
Mawile chuckled, giving its Trainer a thumbs-up. It hated seeing others put on airs.
Baimu returned to his position, saying aloud, "Do it again, and we'll pretend it never happened!"
"... Super Evolution!"
There was no way Courtney would repeat herself like a fool; instead, she lit up the Key Stone in her hand.
"Moo!"
Transforming its anger into strength, Camerupt's body changed visibly.
Its already hefty surface turned from orange-yellow to orange-red, growing wildly to cover its lower limbs. The two small volcanoes on its back merged into one, becoming massive and terrifying, as unstoppable Super Energy flowed like lava from its crater, tightly locked by a circle of black rock.
Rumble——
The air resonated with a fierce, muffled sound, as if something long-suppressed was brewing.
Mawile, who had just completed Electromagnetic Levitation and was using Sword Dance, looked at Mega Camerupt with intense vigilance, convinced it was the strongest opponent it had faced so far!
"Spray fire..."
"Moo——!!"
With a blast like a steam whistle, a vast plume of white smoke burst from Mega Camerupt's nostrils, while the black rocks on its back emitted a blinding white light!
Boom!!
A terrifying lava column shot skyward, forming a smoky cloud that darkened the sky as countless Molten Rock Balls mixed with stones fell from the sky like an apocalyptic meteor shower!
What a terrifying power!
Although Baimu was somewhat prepared, seeing it with his own eyes still made his heart tremble. He dodged while shouting, "Dodge it!"
"Cheedo!"
Mawile, fully aware of the Molten Rock Balls' terror, used its maneuverability from Electromagnetic Levitation to dodge, continuously closing in on Mega Camerupt.
The plummeting Molten Rock Balls slammed into the ground with heavy thuds, creating blackened craters and allowing lava to slowly flow across the ground.
"Moo!"
Seeing Mawile dodge so nimbly, Mega Camerupt unhesitatingly launched another fire attack, summoning even more molten meteors.
Super Evolution provided Pokémon with an almost inexhaustible supply of attribute energy in the short term, something typically used sparingly to avoid energy depletion.
Now it could be used freely without worry!
However, Mawile's evasion capabilities were exceptional, adeptly avoiding one Molten Rock Ball after another without a scratch.
Seeing it get closer, a smirk appeared on both Courtney and Mega Camerupt's faces.
"Smoke Spray..."
Whoosh!
Black smoke laced with fiery embers gushed from Mega Camerupt's mouth, quickly enveloping its body to form a barrier that obscured vision and prevented Mawile from approaching!
"Fairy Wind, blow it away!"
Baimu remained calm, giving Mawile its directive.
"Cheedo!"
Mawile whirled rapidly around itself, pink-hued winds forming dragon-like vortices to hit the fiery smoke, quickly dispersing it.
Simultaneously, it sidestepped another falling Molten Rock Ball.
Bang!
The landed Molten Rock Ball splashed like lava, while somewhere along the rocky path had been covered by flowing lava at some point. The released heat made Baimu sweat profusely.
Yet Courtney, despite being closer, seemed unaffected.
He knew it had to do with the clothes she wore.
Despite the flashy skirt and hood, they were designed with the intent to allow members to move freely even in lava.
Of course.
Whether or not they could actually move in lava was unclear, but the fire resistance was top-notch.