Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Little Fire Dragon

"This place is really difficult to traverse..." Looking at the fallen Magma Worm in front of him, Zhao Fang couldn't help but feel a bit helpless. As he drew closer to the location Dujuan had marked earlier, the number of Pokémon in the area increased markedly. All sorts of fire-type and ground-type Pokémon darted back and forth across the rugged terrain.

Since setting out in the morning, Zhao Fang had already defeated ten wild Pokémon he’d encountered. Fortunately, they were all at a disadvantage against his Gyarados, so dispatching them was a simple matter. The only trouble was the sheer number of them; it was an endless onslaught.

Volcanic ash swirled in the air, and the rising temperature was so oppressive that even Dragapult sought refuge inside its Poké Ball. Zhao Fang was drenched in sweat, feeling as if he were in a steaming sauna. He knew exactly why it was so hot here—so many fire-type Pokémon in one place, it would be odd if the temperature wasn't high.

Along the way, Zhao Fang spotted many fire-type Pokémon, but what caught his eye most was a single Ember Larva. Its evolved form, Volcarona, was quite impressive. Unfortunately, the Ember Larva was too quick. Before Zhao Fang even had a chance to chase after it, the creature vanished into the underbrush.

After finding a suitable spot to pitch his tent, Zhao Fang finally arrived at the location Dujuan had marked. According to the map, this was the very hillside where Dujuan had previously seen that mysterious tower.

Peering through his respirator, Zhao Fang looked out over the slope, where volcanic ash drifted lazily in the air. Yet, there was nothing there—no buildings, nothing at all. With a sigh, he turned his attention to tending his Pokémon.

"It's hot, isn't it, Gyarados, Dragapult?" Inside the tent, Zhao Fang could finally remove his respirator.

"Dragaa..." Dragapult lay feebly on the ground, unwilling to move. In its arms was a small chunk of ice—a rare purchase from a shop—which, in this heat, had melted down to a sliver.

Gyarados, on the other hand, seemed fine. Its massive body sprawled halfway outside the tent, lying lazily on the ground, seemingly unaffected by the surrounding heat. Zhao Fang glanced at the wound on Gyarados' forehead and applied some healing spray.

Gyarados had a notorious habit of headbutting others. Zhao Fang suspected it was a habit left over from its days as a Magikarp. Still, it was effective; after all, a solid blow to the head would rattle any opponent. The only problem would come if they encountered a Pokémon with the "Sturdy Head" trait—then Gyarados might be in for some trouble.

A delicate cry echoed outside. Zhao Fang paused, then looked out to see a golden Charmander sitting comfortably at the tip of Gyarados' tail, enjoying the cool breeze as the tail swayed.

"Charmander?" Zhao Fang stared in surprise. This was the first Charmander he'd seen since climbing the mountain.

He didn't act hastily, but instead carefully surveyed his surroundings. He remembered his encounter with a Treecko in Petalburg Woods—the parent had been hiding nearby. Zhao Fang was cautious—what if this Charmander was in a similar situation?

After observing for a while, Zhao Fang saw no sign of any Charmeleon or Charizard nearby. His eyes lit up—this was a Charmander, after all!

Charmander could eventually evolve into Charizard, a Pokémon Zhao Fang deeply admired. Now that he’d finally found one, he decided to see if he could capture it.

"Gyarados, there's a Charmander behind your tail. Use Iron Head, but be gentle," Zhao Fang whispered. But he seemed to forget that Gyarados was, by nature, rather reckless.

Upon hearing Zhao Fang’s command, Gyarados immediately slammed its tail into the ground, sending the little Pokémon flying. Before Zhao Fang could react, Gyarados launched a perfect Iron Head right into the head of the fleeing Charmander.

Staring at the dazed, bleeding Charmander sprawled on the ground, and then at the triumphant Gyarados, Zhao Fang's mouth twitched. Why did his Gyarados look so ecstatic whenever it got to headbutt other Pokémon, as if it had just taken some kind of stimulant?

Zhao Fang fished out a Poké Ball. Now that Charmander was too weak to resist, it would be easy to capture. He threw the Poké Ball directly; a beam of light shot out, but before it could reach Charmander, a voice rang out nearby.

"Trying to catch someone else's Pokémon? That's outrageous! Magma Worm, Flamethrower!"

A jet of flame blasted over, instantly incinerating Zhao Fang's Poké Ball.

Stunned, Zhao Fang finally realized the implication of the words—so this Charmander belonged to someone?

While Zhao Fang was still mourning the loss of his Poké Ball, a figure emerged from the side—a red-haired girl with a single ponytail, glaring at him in anger.

"Ah, sorry, sorry, my mistake. I watched for a while and thought it was a wild Charmander," Zhao Fang said, smiling awkwardly. That hair color looked oddly familiar.

"Really? Do you think I'll believe such a clumsy lie?" The girl eyed Gyarados warily, her gaze fixed on Zhao Fang.

"Well... actually, I'm a Pokédex holder. Here's my Pokédex. Roxanne, the Rock-type Gym Leader from Rustboro City, is also a friend of mine." Zhao Fang produced his Pokédex, inventing a connection to make himself more convincing.

The girl relaxed noticeably upon seeing the Pokédex, and even more so at the mention of Roxanne. Still, she didn’t lower her guard completely. She produced her own Pokédex, tapped at it, then looked Zhao Fang up and down before finally relaxing fully.

"Sorry, Charmander is a new Pokémon I just caught. I'm here on Chimney Mountain for some special training with it. Oh, my name is Asha, and I'm a fire-type trainer from Lavaridge Town. Roxanne is a good friend of mine," Asha said, offering her hand with a straightforward smile.

Now Zhao Fang understood. No wonder her hair color had seemed so distinctive. She hadn't grown her hair out like she would in the future, which was why he hadn't recognized her at first.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Zhao Fang, a trainer from Dewford Town. I'm here to train my Pokémon," he replied with a smile, shaking her hand and introducing himself.

"Heh, but you're actually here to investigate the Phantom Tower amid the volcanic ash, aren't you?" Asha teased, winking playfully as she cradled her Charmander and applied healing spray to its wounds.

Zhao Fang felt a bit embarrassed. He hadn't expected Asha to know about that as well.