As they ventured further along the narrow mountain path, Naoki noticed signs of other Pokémon ahead.

  A group of Pokémon resembling small boulders with muscur arms were scattered along the trail.

  "There are so many Geodudes!"

  Naoki's gaze swept across the mountain road, which was dotted with numerous Geodude floating leisurely in the air.

  Some of them had partially buried themselves underground, blending seamlessly with the rocky terrain. Only their eyes and the tops of their heads were visible, peeking out to observe Naoki and his panions.

  It was an impressive sight. From what Naoki could see, there were at least fifty or sixty Geodude along the path.

  Koraidon and Pawmot also noticed the Geodude.

  Pawmot, fasated by the floating Pokémon, pointed excitedly at one of them and turo Naoki, seemingly asking how it mao stay aloft.

  Naoki thought for a moment, realizing Pawmot's question fell outside his expertise.

  "Logically speaking, Geodude shouldn't have the ability to float," he said, scratg his head. "But somehow, they do. It's amazing!"

  After a bit of sideration, he offered a guess. "Maybe it has something to do with gravity?"

  "Pawmot…" Pawmot tilted its head, utterly fused by the cept of gravity.

  As Naoki prepared to expin further, he noticed Koraidon was about to step on a Geodude partially hidden underground.

  "Wait!" Naoki quickly reached out, stopping Koraidon just in time.

  "Ah, gah?" Koraidon looked down, notig the Geodude beh its foot, and quickly backed away.

  "Careful not to step on them," Naoki warned.

  He remembered the Pokédex entry that described Geodude as having tough and irritable temperaments. Stepping on one could easily provoke its wrath.

  And with so many Geodude around, a riot would be nothing short of chaos.

  Choosing the safer route, Naoki led Pawmot and Koraidon around the group of Geodude, carefully avoiding any unnecessary flict.

  About thirty mier, they finally reached the halfoint of the mountain.

  Naoki paused, sniffing the air. A faint sulfuric smell lingered, and the surrounding temperature had noticeably risen.

  "All of this says we've reached Hell Valley!"

  The realizatinited Naoki's excitement, and Pawmot mirrored his energy, eagerly boung forward.

  As they tinued deeper into the area, the heat became more intense, and clouds of milky-white steam periodically hissed from the ground.

  Both Naoki and Pawmot were soon drenched i. Koraidon, however, seemed unfazed; its rugged build hahe harsh enviro with ease.

  "This heat…" Naoki muttered, wiping his forehead. "No worainers use this pce for enduraraining. It's perfect for toughening up."

  Looking around, he began to notice the presence of Fire-type Pokémon.

  Not far ahead, a group of Houndoom watched them warily. Some let out low, eerie howls, alerting their panions to the intruders' presence.

  Naoki immediately uood the situation.

  "This must be Houndoom territory," he said.

  Suddenly, the sound of a battle echoed from deeper within the valley.

  The Houndoom group turned in unison, their attention drawn to the otion. Without hesitation, they sprioward the source of the noise.

  Naoki and his panions tinued cautiously in the same dire, navigating a rocky trail until they reached an open area.

  The se before them was captivating.

  A young traiood fidently, anding a powerful Infernape in battle against a wild Houndoom.

  Infernape moved with astonishing speed and precision, its fmes bzing brightly as it delivered a series of well-executed attacks.

  Despite Houndoom's ferocity, the wild Pokémon couldn't keep up. Infernape overpowered it in just a few moves.

  As Houndoom colpsed, weakened and uo fight further, the trainer retrieved a Poké Ball from his belt and threw it. The ball struck Houndoom, opened, and drew the wild Pokémon ih a fsh of red light.

  The surrounding Houndoom, who had gathered to observe the fight, dispersed swiftly upon seeing Houndoom captured.

  The young trainer didn't seem overly ed as he pocketed Houndoom's Poké Ball and turo leave.

  But then, his gaze met Naoki's.

  The boy's eyes immediately locked onto Koraidon, the scarlet-colored, muscur Pokémon standing proudly nearby. His attention quickly shifted to Pawmot, with its fluffy pink fur, red cape fluttering behind it, and the small silver hammer it carried fidently in its paw.

  The boy's expression lit up with i, and his Infernape, sensing its trainer's excitement, fred up with a surge of fiery energy. The fmes on its body burned even brighter.

  Naoki, trying to remain polite, waved and greeted him. "Hi there, how's it going?"

  The boy's voice brimmed with enthusiasm. "You're a traiht? Here to train in Hell Valley? Since we've met, how about a Pokémon battle?"

  Naoki sighed internally. Of course.

  The age-old rule of trainers meeting eyes: a battle was iable.

  But the heat was relentless, and Naoki had little patience for it. He only wao find the Slugmas and leave the valley as quickly as possible.

  "No, I'm not here to train," Naoki replied, shaking his head. "I'm just looking for a specifion."

  He turo walk away, but the boy dashed after him.

  "Looking for a Pokémon? What kind? Maybe I help!"

  Naoki gnced over his shoulder, skeptical.

  The boy quickly added, "I've been training here for a month! I know all the Pokémon that live in this area. I help you find it—if you agree to a Pokémon battle first!"

  Naoki sighed deeply. "Aren't trainers a bit too obsessed with battles?" he muttered to himself.

  Still, the sooner he found the Slugmas, the sooner he could leave this sweltering pce. Relutly, he turned back. "Alright, do you know where I find Slugmas?"

  The bhtened instantly. "Slugmas? Of course, I know where to find them!"

  "Great," Naoki said with a sigh nation. "Let's battle, then."

  "Eh?!" The boy blinked, momentarily thrown by Naoki's sudden ge in tone.

  But his surprise was short-lived. His fighting spirit reignited, and his eyes gleamed with determination. "Alright! Let's go, Infernape!"

  The Fme Pokémon nodded fiercely and stepped forward, its fiery mane r with iy.

  Naoki gestured to Koraidon.

  In the wild, Pokémon battles were free-form, without the formal restris of league rules. As the trainers prepared, the battle began without further ado.

  The boy's gaze didn't waver as he called out his first move. "Infernape, use Fme Wheel!"

  At his and, Infernape's fmes surged to new heights, enveloping its body in a fiery vortex. The Pokémon charged toward Koraidon at full speed, spinning rapidly like a living wheel of fire.

  Naoki, unfazed, wiped the sweat from his brow and called out calmly, "Koraidon, Collision Course!"

  "Ah, gah!"

  Koraidon roared in aowledgment. Scarlet energy coursed through its body as it leapt forward with staggering speed. The air around it seemed to as it radiated an a, primal power.

  In a matter of seds, the two Pokémon collided with a resounding impact.

  The resulting explosion was deafening. A shockwave rippled through the valley, and smoke billowed into the air.

  When the dust settled, Infernape y sprawled on the ground, unscious. Its fmes had fizzled out entirely.

  Koraidon stood tall, its crimson form unscathed, exuding an air of triumph.

  The boy stood frozen in disbelief, his jaw slightly agape.

  "So… strong…" he whispered, too stuo move.

  What kind of Pokémon was that? How could it take down his Inferh a single move?

  Helian stared in disbelief. After all, he wasn't just any trainer—he had participated in the prestigious Lily of the Valley ferend made it to the top eight!

  But now, his Infernape had beeed in an instant.

  Helian's mind raced, pieg together the only pusible expnation.

  'Could this person be… a Champion-level trainer?'

  Naoki, sensing the boy's bewilderment, coughed lightly to break the awkward silence. "Well… the battle's over."

  Still stunned, Helian finally snapped out of it. He stepped forward, pulled a potion from his bag, and carefully treated Infernape before returning it to its Poké Ball for some well-deserved rest.

  "If I've lost, I'll honor my word," Helian said with a determined nod. "I'll take you to where the Slugmas live!"

  "Thank you," Naoki said sincerely, relieved that this would save him time.

  "You're not from Kitakami, are you?" Helian asked, his curiosity piqued. "By the way, my name's Helian. What's yours?"

  "I'm Naoki," he replied. "I'm visiting from the Paldea region."

  Helian's jaw dropped. "P-Paldea? That's oher side of the world! You traveled all that way?"

  Naoki nodded. "I'm here on a work trip."

  Helian's eyes widened further. 'No wonder! It all made sense now—he didn't reize the scarlet Pokémon or the pink one because they must be native to Paldea.'

  Pulling out his Pokédex, Helian sed Koraidon and Pawmot, hoping to learn more about them. However, the device returhe same frustrating message: 'No data avaible. This Pokémon has not been discovered yet.'

  Helian's curiosity grew. "Your Pokémon are incredible! What are their names?"

  Naoki smiled aured toward his panions. "This is Koraidon, and this one here is Pawmot. They're both from the Paldea region. Are you from Sinnoh?"

  Helian's eyes widened in surprise. "How'd you guess that?"

  Naoki chuckled softly "Because Infernape evolves from Chimchar, one of the three starter Pokémon given to rainers by the Sinnoh League."

  Helian scratched his head sheepishly. "ht! I nearly fot." He then looked at Naoki with a mix of admiration and awe. "Your Pokémon are incredibly strong. You must be a Champion-level trainer!"

  Naoki waved the ent off. "I don't know about that," he admitted.

  Helian tilted his head, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

  Naoki expined holy, "I've never participated in any Champion assessments. My main job is being a rancher. I'm in Kitakami Township for an agricultural exge with the local farmers."

  Helian blinked, pletely floored.

  "A rancher?!" he excimed internally. 'How is this guy a rancher? He's nothing like any rancher I've ever seen!'

  After a moment of silence, Helian said early, "With your skills, I'm sure you'd domihe Lily of the Valley ference ba Sinnoh. I bet you'd walk away as the Champion!"

  Naoki raised an eyebrow, intrigued. The name Lily of the Valley ferenbsp;triggered a faint memory. He recalled it being a major event in the Sinnion, promily featured in the anime.

  "That's the graour we have in Sinnoh!" Helian said enthusiastically. "Only trainers who've collected all eight Gym Badges are allowed to pete!"

  "If you wiour, not only will you gain fame and a rge sum of money, but you'll also earn the ce to battle against the regional champion, Miss thia!" Helian excimed excitedly.

  thia… The image of a tall, posed blonde woman with pierg eyes and an air of mystery fshed through Naoki's mind. Smiling to himself, he shook his head and replied,"Everyone has their own ambitions. Instead of being a champion, I'd rather enjoy a peaceful life with the Pokémon I love."

  Helian nodded in uanding. "Fair enough."

  The heat around them became increasingly oppressive. The inteemperature made Helian, dressed in a lightweight short-sleeved shirt, visibly unfortable. He flushed red as he dramatically shed his shirt, fanning himself with his hands. "It's scorg! I 't take this anymore!"

  Naoki, drenched i, exhaled deeply, trying to calm himself. The air around them shimmered with heat, and he silently prayed for some relief, though he doubted any was forthing.

  Helian sed the surroundings, his gaze sharp as if searg for something specific. Suddenly, he bolted towards a nearby hillside. After a brief moment of observatiourned back, shouting with enthusiasm:

  "Naoki! Over here! The Slugmas are here!"

  Naoki rushed to join him, eager to see what y ahead.

  On a sun-bleached hillside scattered with jagged rocks, a vibrant gathering of Slugmas basked in the seari. Volic gases hissed and curled into the air from fissures among the rubble, creating a se both dynamid fiery. The red Slugmas crawled zily, their movements refleg the sluggish but lively ambiance of the area.

  At st!

  Naoki's eyes lit up with excitement as he spotted the Pokémon they had been searg for. But his excitement quickly turo curiosity as his eyes fell upon one particur Slugma. It stood out from the rest, its body radiating a crystalline glow, refrag light into a spectrum of colors. On its head rested a peculiar red dlestick-like structure that pulsed faintly.

  "Is that… Terastallization?" Naoki muttered, stunned.

  Helian looked equally fused. "I have no idea what that is. But this isn't the first time I've seen Pokémon with strange appearances like that around here. Over the past month, I've e across several Pokémon that looked… unusual. After battling them, they'd return to normal."

  Naoki turo Helian, his expression thoughtful. "That's Terastallization."

  "Terastallization?" Heliaed, puzzled.

  "It's a phenomenon uo the Paldea region," Naoki expined. "When Pokémon undergo Terastallization, a crystalline energy envelops their bodies, temporarily ging their types and enhang their abilities. It's a lot like…" He paused for a moment, recalling the broader Pokémon meics. inally, he was about to pare it to Mega Evolution but at this time, Mega Evolution might not have been released yet, so he ged his words midway:

  "It's simir to Dynamaxing in the Gar region."

  "What's Dynamax?" Helian asked, looking even more fused.

  Naoki: "…"

  He couldn't help but ask, "Don't you keep up with news from ions?"

  Helian scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, those pces are so far away… and I'm usually traveling, so I don't really get a ce to watch the news."

  "Fair enough." Naoki sighed, thinking back to how Helian had used his Pokédex earlier. It must have been the regional Pokédex for Sinnoh, which cked entries for Pokémon from ions.

  sidering the limited unication teologies and underdeveloped i of this era, it made sehat many trainers had no way of learning about the happenings in distant regions.

  "If you get the ce," Naoki said, "you should visit the Gar region and the Paldea region to see for yourself."

  Helian nodded with determination. "I will!"

  Turning his attention to the group of Slugmas, Naoki smiled at Pawmot. "Pawmot, I'll leave this to you!"

  "Pawmot!"

  Pawmot replied, brimming with enthusiasm.

  The little Pokémon ractically vibrating with excitement at the sight of so many Slugmas. Holding a fruit in its paw, it flew toward the group, its voice carrying a nervous yet hopeful tone.

  "Pawmot, Pawmot!" (Hi there! I'm Pawmot, and I'd really like to be friends with you!)

  The Slugmas turheir glowing yellow eyes toawmot, blinking curiously.

  But after a moment, most of them seemed indifferent. They turned away, ued, and resumed their slow, crawling movements across the sunlit rocks.

  Pawmot's hopeful expression fell.

  "Pawmot…" It drooped, disappoi evident in its posture. Almost all the Slugmas had igs greeting and wandered off.

  However, just as it was about to give up, one small Slugma slowly crawled closer, its movements deliberate.

  Pawmot immediately perked up, turning toward the approag Slugma with renewed energy.

  The Slugma stopped in front of Pawmot, its yellow eyes fixated on the fruit itle Pokémon's paw.

  Pawmot looked at the fruit, then back at the Slugma, its face lighting up with a wide, hopeful grin. With a happy chirp, it extes paw, the fruit: "Pawmot!"

  The Slugma hesitated for a moment before leaning forward and taking the fruit in its mouth. It chewed slowly, sav the snack as its crystalline body shimmered faintly in the sunlight.

  Seeing the Slugma accept its , Pawmot's eyes sparkled with joy. It extended a friendly paw toward the Pokémon.

  "Pawmot?" (Would you like to be my friend?)

  The Slugma fihe berry, licked its lips, and looked up at the eager little Pokémon. It blinked ohen twice, its expression difficult to read.

  "Gooo?" it respoilting its head in a mix of curiosity and fusion.

  Pawmot chirped enthusiastically, "Pawmot!" (Good friends are the best! I'll share lots of berries with you, we'll py together every day, and if any Pokémon tries to bully you, I'll teach them a lesson!)

  The Slugma bliilting its head as it processed Pawmot's words. The thought of having a friend who would protect it and bring berries every day seemed almost too good to be true. As it imagihis, white steam began to rise from its crystalline body, and a rhythmic popping sound—"bang, bang, bang"—echoed across the cliff.

  Pawmot paused for a moment, surprised by the rea. Then, remembering the animated film it realized what this meant.

  The Slugma was overjoyed!

  Pawmot's eyes sparkled with delight. It leaned closer and asked with even more enthusiasm, "Pawmot?" (Will you e with me and be my friend?)

  The Slugma g Pawmot, steam rising from its body once more as it thumped happily against the ground.

  Seeing this, Pawmot spun around and eagerly flew back to Naoki, gesturing for something.

  Naoki smiled, reached into his bag, and handed over a Poké Ball. With an encing nod, he watched as Pawmot darted back toward the Slugma.

  Holding the Poké Ball in its tiny paws, Pawmot extehe invitation again, the Poké Ball to the Slugma. The small Pokémon looked at Pawmot, then at the Poké Ball, and finally thumped the ground o time with excitement before tapping the Poké Ball.

  In a fsh of red light, the Slugma ehe ball, which clicked shut without aance.

  "Pawmot!" Pawmot chirped, twirling happily in the air. It had made a new friend! Holding the Poké Ball triumphantly, it flew back to Naoki and pced the ball in his hand.

  Naoki smiled, giving Pawmot a ge. "Great job, Pawmot!"

  Meanwhile, Helian stood frozen, his jaw practically on the ground.

  What?!

  This… this…

  'Is it even possible to capture a Pokémon like that?'

  'No, wait! That wasn't the stra part—this Pawmot had actually mao befriend and capture a Slugma on its own!'

  Helian's thoughts raced as he tried to process what he had just witnessed. Finally, a new popped into his mind: 'Would a Slugma befriended by Pawmot even listen to Naoki's ands?'