Mt. Chimney, a dormant volcano in the northern part of Hoenn, is one of the region's most iconic landmarks. Its massive height and breathtaking views attract visitors from all over!
And of course, Ash and his friends couldn't miss the chance to ride the cable car to the summit!
They just barely made it before the final car departed.
"So tired…" May and Max collapsed onto the seats, gasping for breath. Even Brock was winded from the sprint to the station.
Ash, however, stood casually beside them—completely fine. After all, his newly awakened Aura powers and enhanced physique gave him a stamina advantage well beyond that of any normal person.
"Waaah~ Look at the view!" May leaned against the window, mesmerized by the sea of clouds and the breathtaking scenery. Just like that, her fatigue melted away.
While admiring the view, Pikachu's ears suddenly twitched.
"Pika?" Pikachu pointed to the right.
Ash followed his gaze and saw a red helicopter slicing through the air.
Then Eevee cried out, pointing in the opposite direction.
"Eevee~!"
A blue helicopter flew past the left side.
Ash narrowed his eyes.
"Red and blue… Team Magma and Team Aqua?! Are they at it again?"
Crisis on the Summit
At Mt. Chimney's peak, a meteorite researcher was scanning the terrain with a detector, searching for a meteorite that had fallen a few days earlier.
"Found it!" he cheered.
But before he could celebrate, a group in red uniforms—Team Magma—appeared, cutting him off. At the same time, Team Aqua had taken control of the cable car system. The ride suddenly ground to a halt and suspended mid-air!
"Aaaah! What's happening?!"May and Max gripped their seats in panic. The suspended car gently swayed in the wind.
"Don't worry. I'll go check it out," Ash said calmly, standing up.
"Huh?! Ash, wait—"Brock couldn't even finish his sentence before Ash had already opened a compartment under the bench. Inside was a rescue rope and a grappling hook for emergencies.
Ash climbed up to the skylight with Pikachu and Eevee and emerged onto the roof of the cable car.
"Be careful!" May shouted, worried.Ash gave her a thumbs-up before tying one end of the rope to the car and hurling the grappling hook toward the nearest support tower, securing it.
"I'll head over and find help. You guys stay put!"
With that, Ash zipped across the rope with his Pokémon, landing on the tower and climbing down. From there, he sprinted toward the summit.
The Meteorite Thieves
Running down from the summit came a panicked man carrying a rock. He stumbled and shouted:
"Can't stop—ahh!!"
Ash stepped forward and caught him before he fell.
"Phew, thank you!"The man adjusted his glasses. "But we've gotta hide! They're after me!"
Three red-clad Team Magma grunts came chasing down the trail. Ash and the man quickly ducked behind a boulder.
"Team Magma…" Ash muttered, recognizing their uniforms.
"You know them?" the man asked.
"Yeah. They're criminals who use Pokémon to cause trouble."
The man nodded.
"I'm Professor Cozmo, a meteorite researcher. This—" he held up the stone—"is a real meteorite I found on the volcano. They're after it."
Suddenly, a Golbat swooped down to steal the meteorite!
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Pika!!"
A bolt of electricity blasted the Golbat out of the air.
More Team Magma grunts arrived, including their field commander Tabitha.
"Ugh, it's you again! Kid, I've had enough of your meddling. Get him!"
He sent out a Mightyena, and the other grunts followed suit with more Mightyena and Golbat.
"Fine! Let's battle! Go—Torchic, Ralts, Mudkip, Corphish, Electrike, Beautifly!"
Ash's team burst out of their Poké Balls, and the battle began!
Pikachu faced Tabitha's Mightyena one-on-one, while the rest held off the grunts.
"Electro Ball!"Pikachu's attack hit dead-on, instantly knocking out the opposing Mightyena.
"What?!" Tabitha was shocked. "How has this Pikachu gotten so strong?!"
Meanwhile, Ash's other Pokémon swiftly overwhelmed the grunts. Beautifly's Silver Wind, Mudkip's Water Gun, Corphish's Crabhammer, and Ralts' Confusion left no room for a comeback.
"Tch… Retreat!" Tabitha ordered. "This isn't over, brat!"
Team Magma fled into the shadows of the mountain.
Ash smiled and called back his Pokémon.
"Nice job, everyone!"
After the fight, he noticed Ralts and Mudkip were glowing slightly. Both had reached the peak of Normal Rank—almost ready to evolve!
"They've gotten stronger," Ash nodded with pride.
Cable Car Rescue
"Thank you so much!" Professor Cozmo beamed. "You're amazing, Ash!"
Ash chuckled and scratched the back of his head.
"It's nothing... Wait! My friends are still stuck in the cable car!"
"Come with me, I'll take you to the control room!"
Meanwhile, watching from the crater rim, Team Aqua commander Shelly (Izumi) observed the battle.
"That kid… he's not normal. All units, withdraw."
Shelly's squad melted away into the rocks.
Ash and Professor Cozmo reached the cable car control room. They freed the tied-up operators and restarted the system, finally bringing the suspended car safely back to the station.
"Woohoo! We're saved!"May cheered as the doors opened."I knew Ash would come through!"
"Thank you!" Brock sighed in relief.
The Truth Behind the Meteorite
"But what are Team Magma up to with that meteorite?" Brock wondered aloud. "It doesn't seem directly related to Groudon."
"Who knows…" Ash shrugged.
Max leaned over, staring at the meteorite in Cozmo's hands.
"Wow, it's so cool! A real space rock!"
After saying their goodbyes, Cozmo pointed the group toward the next town.
"Follow this path—you'll reach Lavaridge Town. Ash, good luck with your Gym Battle!"
"Thanks! See you next time!"Everyone waved.
With that, Ash and his friends left the towering volcano of Mt. Chimney behind. By evening, they finally arrived at Lavaridge Town—where Ash's next Gym challenge awaited!
To be continued...