When Larvesta noticed that Theo's other three Pokémon were all staring at it, it immediately hurried over to Milotic, Metang, and Tyrantrum. A friendly low hum rumbled in its throat as it greeted them, clearly trying to show goodwill.
Milotic gently swayed her elegant tail in response, brushing lightly against Larvesta in acknowledgment. Metang lowered its levitating body slightly and extended one of its claws to softly tap Larvesta's body in greeting. Tyrantrum was the most enthusiastic of all, practically bouncing forward as if it wanted to haul Larvesta onto its own back and play right away.
Theo stood to the side with a smile, letting the four little companions enjoy a brief moment of playful interaction.
"All right, that is enough. We should head down the mountain now. If we wait any longer, it will probably be dark."
Theo clapped his hands lightly to interrupt their fun. He took out three Poké Balls, preparing to recall Milotic, Tyrantrum, and Larvesta.
The moment Larvesta heard the words "head down the mountain," it suddenly seemed to remember something. It snapped its head up and let out a series of urgent cries toward Theo, its blue eyes filled with anxiety.
Metang immediately translated through telepathy. "It says it still has many treasures in the lava cave and wants to go back to retrieve them. It asks if you can wait for a moment."
Theo raised an eyebrow. He had not expected that this little fellow, aside from the mysterious stone related to Groudon, would have other treasures as well.
Deliberately, Theo summoned an advanced Pokémon energy orb from his system storage space, letting it appear and disappear repeatedly in his palm. "Sure, I will wait for you. But let me make this clear first. If you dare to run away, you can forget about ever seeing this kind of energy orb again."
Larvesta immediately put on a pitiful expression and shook its head vigorously. Its five antennae drooped so low they nearly touched the ground, as if it were swearing a solemn oath that it would never run.
"All right, all right. I believe you. I am just reminding you."
Theo laughed at its exaggerated reaction and waved his hand, signaling for it to go quickly and return quickly.
Only then did Larvesta feel at ease. With a swift motion, it dived straight into the nearby lava pit, leaving behind nothing but a circle of ripples spreading across the surface of the boiling magma.
Theo and the three Pokémon waited at the edge of the pit.
Tyrantrum curiously edged closer to the lava, stretching out its short little foreclaws as if wanting to test the temperature. Unfortunately, its forelimbs were simply too short. Even when it flattened itself against the ground and strained forward with all its might, it still could not quite reach the lava below. Frustrated, Tyrantrum let out an indignant roar.
Metang watched from the side, and a hint of helplessness flashed through its red eyes. After evolving, it had clearly grown more mature and steady. Yet Tyrantrum still behaved like the same somewhat silly little Tyrantrum it used to be.
With a gentle use of telekinesis, Metang carefully lifted a small clump of lava from the pit and guided it through the air until it hovered in front of Tyrantrum.
This way, Tyrantrum did not have to lean dangerously close to the edge and could still "touch" the lava.
Tyrantrum stared at the floating clump of magma, its amber eyes filled with hesitation. It cautiously extended a claw toward it. Just as it was about to make contact, it suddenly withdrew. The claw hovered in midair, reaching out and pulling back again and again. Even from a short distance, it could feel the intense heat radiating from the molten rock.
Milotic could not help herself. Her tail fin flicked as she let out a soft sound of amusement. A faint blue glow surrounded her body as she used Water Pulse.
A gentle wave of water accurately splashed onto the floating lava. With a sharp sizzling sound, the magma was instantly extinguished, leaving behind only a small pile of blackened ash.
Milotic tilted her head at Tyrantrum and Metang, as if scolding two mischievous younger siblings. "It will burn you. You must not play with it."
Tyrantrum and Metang immediately adopted obedient postures, lowering their heads toward Milotic. They looked exactly like children being reprimanded by their older sister.
Theo watched the scene with great amusement. Tyrantrum might have the largest physical build among his Pokémon, but mentally it was the youngest. Milotic and Metang had both grown significantly more composed and mature after evolving. Tyrantrum's appearance had changed, but its mindset had not improved much. It still carried that slightly foolish yet endearing charm.
At that moment, a sudden wave of heat burst from the lava pit. Larvesta shot out from within, several droplets of scorching magma clinging to its body, yet it seemed completely unaffected.
Its back was loaded with various items. It wobbled slightly as it flew toward Theo and then dumped everything onto the ground in one go.
Theo looked down and could not help feeling surprised.
Aside from several common Fire Stones, there were quite a few rare items among the pile.
There was a completely crimson glass bead, inside which a cluster of golden flames burned steadily, radiating intense heat.
There was a gray stone embedded with several long pink crystal rods, resembling some sort of rare diamond formation.
There were also several sharply cut red crystal fragments, sparkling brilliantly under the glow of the setting sun.
Theo instinctively opened his system panel and scanned the items. Their information immediately appeared.
[Flame Orb: A mysterious orb that emits heat when touched. When held by a Pokémon, it can actively release high temperatures, causing the holder to enter a burned state.]
[Heat Rock: A stone imbued with special power. When held by a Pokémon using Sunny Day, it significantly reduces stamina consumption and extends the duration of the sunny weather.]
[Fire Gem: A gemstone formed from condensed Fire type energy. After absorption, it can enhance a Pokémon's control over Fire type energy or slightly increase its resistance to Fire type attacks.]
"Well, well. You really have been hiding quite a collection of treasures."
Theo could not help but praise it. "Looks like when you claimed to be the king of Mt. Chimney, you were not exaggerating."
Larvesta proudly lifted its head, the small flames on its antennae flickering brightly.
Then it used its forelegs to push all the treasures toward Theo, as if offering up its entire fortune to demonstrate loyalty.
It even deliberately selected three Fire Gems and nudged them separately toward Milotic, Metang, and Tyrantrum. Clearly, it intended to use these treasures to befriend its new companions.
In Larvesta's mind, these glittering stones were far less important than the energy orbs and move light orbs in Theo's possession.
By following this human, it could easily obtain the green light orbs that enhanced its energy and the white light clusters that allowed it to learn new moves quickly. Those were the true keys to becoming stronger.
As for the treasures it had painstakingly collected before, there was no real regret in giving them away.
Seeing how completely devoted and obedient Larvesta had become, Theo could not resist reaching out to pat its head. "All right, I will accept these. We have all received your sincerity."
Milotic graciously coiled her tail around the Fire Gem and gently brushed it against Larvesta in thanks. Metang and Tyrantrum each accepted their gems as well, acknowledging the thoughtful gift.
Theo carefully stored all the treasures in his backpack. Among them, the Flame Orb was the one that drew his attention the most.
Previously, he had planned to contact Devon Corporation after reaching a city to purchase a Flame Orb. He had not expected Larvesta to deliver one directly into his hands.
As for upcoming Contest performances, Milotic already had her own graceful and brilliant style of presentation.
However, this Flame Orb would serve as a crucial component in the core tactics of Milotic's future battle strategy.
(End of Chapter)