"Nidoking, Fire Release—Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
As soon as Ron gave the command, searing flames surged forth. Thankfully, the battlefield was a rocky terrain, sparing the forest from erupting into a wildfire.
Faced with Nidoking's fierce assault, the Rhydon instinctively attempted to retreat.
While it's true that Rhydon has some resistance to Fire-type moves, that didn't mean it could completely shrug them off.
"Nidoking, Earth Release—Rock Pillar Spear!"
Seizing the moment, Ron issued his next command.
A second later, a massive stone pillar erupted from beneath Rhydon's feet, launching the hefty Pokémon high into the air.
"Nidoking, Ice Release—Black Dragon Blizzard!"
A bitter, frigid wind swept upward, quickly engulfing the airborne Rhydon.
A black dragon twisted within the icy vortex, swallowing the Rhydon whole mid-flight and slamming it back down to the ground.
"Nidoking, Ice Release—Black Dragon Blizzard, finish it off!"
Under the relentless barrage of elemental techniques, the Rhydon—who possessed quasi-Elite Four strength—never had a chance to mount a proper counterattack. It collapsed, completely defeated.
Watching Nidoking dispatch the Rhydon with such ease, Ron felt a mix of pride and concern.
He was thrilled that Nidoking had grown so powerful, mastering techniques with increasing precision. But the pace of this evolution was almost alarming—at this rate, Nidoking might soon ascend to Elite Four level. And that would mean needing two more Attribute Plates.
Gardevoir was another matter—already at the quasi-Elite Four stage herself. Could her breakthrough be far behind?
Then there was Gengar, who had consumed a Nether Crystal. Its strength had surged with terrifying speed—"a thousand miles in a day" wouldn't be an exaggeration.
As for that Nether Crystal, Ron couldn't decide whether to be grateful for its absurd durability—or concerned about how long its effects would last.
All told, excluding the Psychic-type Attribute Plate gifted by Wallace, Ron still needed five more Plates—among them, rare ones like Ghost and Fairy.
In a moment of daze, Ron imagined the five Plates materializing into colossal weights, pressing down on him until he could hardly breathe.
Although he hadn't given further orders, Bellossom and Gardevoir moved on instinct to tend to the fallen Rhydon, just as they always had.
Snapping back to the present, Ron decided not to worry so much. When the cart gets to the mountain, there'll be a road, as the saying goes. Worst-case scenario, he'd have to call in help from those brothers in the Ghost Corps.
Anyway, now that he had accomplished his goal of strengthening himself through this research facility, it was time to move on.
"Ron, Steven's here."
Gardevoir's voice echoed gently in Ron's mind, as if sensing his thoughts.
After everything they'd been through together, both Gardevoir and Lucario had memorized Steven's aura. Keeping Ron informed was easy.
"Steven… looks like his vacation's over. Perfect timing—I was about to say goodbye."
Now that he knew who was approaching, Ron simply waited.
"Finally found you, Ron. There's something I want to ask—would you be willing to come with me on a mission?"
The moment they met, Steven spoke with a rare spark of excitement.
He wasted no time explaining his discovery in detail.
After spotting a group of unfamiliar individuals near the volcano crater, Steven had tracked them discreetly. Eventually, he discovered they were operating out of a hidden base near the summit. Judging by their behavior, they were likely just out buying supplies.
Steven was no stranger to the region. If the League or Devon Corp had established a base here, he'd know about it.
With the two biggest organizations ruled out, that left fewer suspects.
Steven decided to investigate the base in secret. If it turned out to belong to a rival corporation conducting research, that might be acceptable. But if it belonged to Pokémon hunters or—worse—Team Magma, then it was destined for destruction.
Rather than alerting the League or Devon right away, the first person Steven thought of was Gardevoir.
Despite spending most of his time digging for rare stones, Steven hadn't ignored Ron's progress. Thanks to updates from Uncle Rin, he knew that Ron's Gardevoir had reached quasi-Elite Four levels of power.
Combine that with Machamp's recent breakthroughs, and they'd make a formidable team.
From Steven's perspective, even if this was a Team Magma stronghold with Maxie himself inside, he could still get Ron out safely.
In fact, it was the perfect opportunity to see Ron's strength for himself.
"I'm in."
Ron didn't hesitate for a second.
Let's not even mention how Steven personally brought Ron to the Devon Corporation's research facility to help him strengthen his skills—Steven's identity alone was enough to win Ron's respect.
Like Steven, Ron was confident that with their combined strength, even if this base turned out to be a den of dragons and tigers, they could make it out unscathed.
"Alright, no time to waste. Let's move out now. Uncle Rin and the League team will be standing by nearby. If anything changes, they'll be able to provide backup immediately."
Steven had expected Ron's response and without delay climbed onto Metagross's back, ready to depart.
Although Steven had immense confidence in his strength, he wasn't arrogant. He had arranged support, just in case.
That kind of foresight was exactly why Steven had rightfully earned the title of Champion.
Ron didn't say anything further. He quickly returned his Machamp and the others into their Poké Balls and joined Steven on Metagross's back.
With the help of Metagross's psychic abilities cloaking them, Steven and Ron approached the base with ease.
Just like their previous reconnaissance, very few Pokémon or people were capable of detecting a Champion-level Metagross—let alone hiding from it.
"Ron, the plan is simple. We'll first lure out a few Pokémon to stir up a battle near the perimeter. When someone comes out to investigate, we'll take that opportunity to infiltrate the base."
"But let me be clear—right now we don't know which faction this base belongs to. Stealth is the priority. We don't act until we find solid proof of criminal activity."
Worried that Ron might act rashly, Steven gave a firm reminder.
"Relax. I'm not that reckless," Ron replied coolly.
Seeing that Ron understood the situation, Steven nodded and initiated the first phase of their operation.
Meanwhile, Uncle Rin and the others were posing as field researchers, gradually dispersing around Mt. Chimney, inching their way toward the hidden base at a deliberately slow pace.
"Professor Kansan, any new discoveries today?"
A lazy female voice broke the silence. Before the man addressed as Kansan could respond, she had already begun flipping through files on his computer without asking.
The balding Professor Kansan had long grown used to scenes like this.
"Not yet. But our earlier hypothesis appears to be correct. This volcano is still active, not due to geological causes, but because of interference from some unknown biological entity."
"So our theory holds water… Does that mean the Legendary Pokémon Groudon might really be hidden somewhere beneath us?"
Despite the potentially thrilling revelation, the woman—Courtney—spoke with a detached tone, lacking any visible excitement.
The glow of the monitor reflected off her face, casting her features in a pale, almost chilling light.
"It's still too early to confirm anything. But the probability is high."
"In that case, I'll await your good news, Professor."
Shutting down the computer, Courtney rose and exited Professor Kansan's lab, beginning her patrol around the base.
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