Judging from this Gyarados' status panel, its strength was far from weak. It truly lived up to being a Pokémon from the Meteor Falls Mountain Range.
Theo noticed that this Gyarados had its gaze firmly locked onto Milotic, its eyes filled with obvious hostility and vigilance as it let out low, continuous roars.
At that moment, Metang took the initiative to release a wave of psychic fluctuations, temporarily acting as a "translator," conveying Gyarados' hostility and warning to Theo:
"This is my territory. Outsiders are not welcome. Leave immediately!"
Without hesitation, Theo reached into his backpack and took out a mid-grade pokéblock, holding it up in his hand.
He gestured to show that he had no intention of invading its territory. He simply wanted to ask Gyarados whether it had seen the figures of Bagon or Shelgon, or if there was any passage at the bottom of this lake that could lead into other caves within the mountain.
Gyarados stared warily at Milotic, clearly sensing the immense power contained within it and not daring to act rashly.
After understanding Theo's intentions through Metang's "translation," it fell silent for a moment.
Then it shook its head, indicating that it had never seen Bagon or Shelgon, and that there was no passage at the bottom of the lake leading to other caves.
Its gaze lingered on the mid-grade pokéblock in Theo's hand for a few seconds. Although it did not actively ask for it, a trace of desire still flickered in its eyes.
Seeing this, Theo casually tossed the Pokéblock toward it.
Gyarados reacted instantly, snapping its jaws open and catching the pokéblock with precision.
It chewed slowly, and a hint of satisfaction appeared on its face.
After finishing the pokéblock, Gyarados flicked its massive tail fin and pointed gently toward the right side of the lake while letting out a low growl.
Metang immediately picked up on its meaning and relayed it to Theo:
"It says if you follow that path upward, there is a very large cliffside cave. It might be worth checking out."
"Alright, thank you very much for the information, Gyarados."
Theo was delighted. He quickly took out another pokéblock from his backpack and tossed it over.
"Thanks again. We'll leave now and won't disturb you."
Gyarados opened its mouth to catch it and began chewing again, watching as Theo and his group gradually disappeared from sight.
It let out a low roar, swayed its massive tail fin, sending up a splash of water, and slowly sank beneath the surface.
The lake soon returned to calm, as if nothing had happened at all, with only faint ripples spreading and slowly fading away.
As they continued to climb upward, the mountain path became increasingly steep, almost rising at a forty-five-degree angle.
The surrounding trees grew sparse, replaced by more and more exposed rock.
These rocks had been smoothed by years of flowing water and weathering, their surfaces slick and covered with a thin layer of moss. A slight touch could easily cause one to slip.
The roaring of the waterfall grew louder and louder, vibrating against their eardrums.
The air was thick with moisture, making the soil beneath their feet soft and muddy. One careless step could easily lead to a fall.
Throughout the journey, Theo relied almost entirely on Metang's psychic power to lift and support him, barely managing to maintain his balance as he moved forward step by step.
With his own strength alone, it would have been impossible for him to traverse such a treacherous and slippery path.
After struggling forward for about another hour, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
A naturally formed platform appeared halfway up the mountain, as if it had been carved out by a giant axe.
From the edge of the platform, the distant main waterfall looked like a surging silver river pouring down from the sky, grand and awe-inspiring.
On the other side of the platform, pressed against the mountainside, was a massive cave.
The entrance was extraordinarily wide, nearly ten meters high and spacious enough for several people to walk in side by side.
The edges of the cave mouth were jagged and uneven, as though torn apart by some immense force.
The rock surface was covered with traces of water erosion, damp and constantly seeping droplets that fell to the ground with a steady dripping sound.
Drip. Drip.
Looking at the enormous cave before him, Theo felt both anticipation and a trace of tension.
He took out a flashlight from his backpack and clicked it on.
A bright beam of light immediately pierced the darkness, illuminating a small section of the cave interior.
"Metang, go ahead and scout with your psychic power. Stay alert for any movement around us," Theo instructed.
Metang responded and moved forward, its red eyes particularly striking in the dim environment. Its psychic energy spread out like an invisible radar.
Theo followed closely behind, while Milotic swam gracefully at his side, faint mist swirling around its body as it remained vigilant for any potential danger.
The interior of the cave was even deeper than expected.
The flashlight could only illuminate about ten meters ahead. Beyond that lay darkness so thick it seemed impenetrable.
At this moment, Milotic cooperated in perfect sync, a soft and peculiar glow emerging around its body. It was the move Confuse Ray.
Although it was not a dedicated illumination move that could light up the cave like daylight, Milotic had its own unique way of using it.
With a simple activation, the gentle glow spread outward, illuminating the areas beyond the reach of Theo's flashlight.
The faint light shone within the pitch-black cave, bringing a considerable sense of security.
The cave walls were damp, and droplets of water occasionally fell from the tips of stalactites.
Drip, drip!
The sound echoed clearly in the silent cave.
The ground was covered with a thick layer of sludge. Each step sank softly into it, leaving deep footprints, and a moment of carelessness could cause one to get stuck.
After walking about a dozen meters, the cave suddenly opened up into a vast chamber.
The ceiling was covered with numerous stalactites of strange shapes, glinting coldly under the flashlight.
At the center of the chamber was a small pool of water, crystal clear, reflecting the shadows of the stalactites above in a strangely mesmerizing way.
At that moment, Metang suddenly let out a low, alert hum, its red eyes fixed on a shadow in the corner of the chamber.
Theo's heart tightened. He gripped the flashlight and quickly directed the beam toward that spot.
In the shadows, more than a dozen pairs of faintly glowing eyes stared back at them with vigilance. They were Zubat and Golbat.
Clearly disturbed by the sudden light, they spread their wings at once, emitting sharp screeches as they charged toward Theo and his group.
"Metang, defend! Milotic, use Icy Wind!"
Theo gave his orders decisively.
Even before he finished speaking, Metang had already moved into position, its powerful psychic force forming an invisible barrier in front of Theo.
Milotic took a deep breath and released an extremely cold gust. The move Icy Wind activated instantly.
The surrounding air froze over a wide area. The Zubat and Golbat at the front had their wings instantly coated with a thin layer of ice, losing their ability to fly.
With a series of cracking sounds, they fell to the ground, unable to move.
The remaining Zubat and Golbat were terrified at the sight. They quickly turned around and fled back into the darkness, not daring to approach again.
Theo let out a breath of relief and signaled Metang and Milotic to continue forward.
The cave remained dim and complex, with winding paths. From time to time, groups of Zubat and Golbat would fly out from the shadows.
Fortunately, with Metang's psychic barrier and Milotic's Icy Wind alternating in defense, Theo was able to avoid danger again and again without suffering any real harm.
After walking a while longer, a small pool appeared ahead.
The water was a deep, dark green, lying silently as if merging with the surrounding darkness.
Milotic took the initiative to move forward and dove into the pool to investigate. Not long after, it swam back up, wagging its tail excitedly and rubbing its head against Theo's arm.
It had discovered a passage at the bottom of the pool that connected to another area.
Theo immediately had Milotic carry him underwater.
Understanding his intent, Milotic opened its mouth and released a transparent bubble that enveloped both Theo and Metang.
Under Milotic's guidance, they followed the underwater current passage at the bottom of the pool, slowly diving forward.
After traveling through the dark current for quite some time, they finally emerged from the other end, entering a different part of the cave.
The scenery here was completely different from before. The surroundings were filled entirely with bare rocks, barren and empty as far as the eye could see.
Metang suddenly stopped, its red eyes fixed on a massive rock ahead.
Following its gaze, Theo saw that beside the rock was a Pokémon with a bright orange-red body, shaped like a sun, floating quietly in midair, making it particularly eye-catching.
[Pokémon: Solrock]
Type: Rock / Psychic
Category: Meteorite Pokémon
Ability: Levitate (Granting it the power to float and making it immune to Ground-type moves.)
Moves: Confusion, Rock Throw, Morning Sun, Hypnosis, Rock Polish, Rock Slide, Cosmic Power, Zen Headbutt, Psychic, Calm Mind…
Solrock's red eyes flickered faintly before it slowly opened them.
There was a trace of drowsiness and dissatisfaction in its gaze, as though it had been abruptly disturbed from its sleep, giving it a somewhat impatient demeanor.
Fortunately, Solrock did not immediately launch an attack like the Zubat and Golbat earlier.
As a Psychic-type Pokémon, its intelligence was far superior to that of most other types.
Metang immediately released a friendly wave of psychic energy, taking the initiative to communicate with Solrock.
Seeing this, Theo quickly had Metang convey his intentions:
"Excuse me, have you seen a Bagon or a Shelgon anywhere in this cave?"
Solrock blinked its red eyes, seemingly thinking carefully about Theo's question.
After a moment, it slowly shook its head, then nodded again. Through Metang's "translation," it sent its reply:
"A long time ago, while I was scanning the cave for minerals, I encountered a Shelgon.
Because I accidentally woke it up, we fought. In the end, it could not defeat me and fled in embarrassment.
But that was a long time ago. Since then, I have never seen it again."
Theo's heart stirred. Although Solrock was talking about something from long ago, it at least proved that Shelgon had indeed appeared here.
He took out a mid-grade pokéblock from his backpack and held it out to Solrock.
"This is a small token of appreciation. Could you think a bit more and try to recall the exact area where that Shelgon used to move within the cave?"
Solrock stared at the pokéblock in Theo's hand, and a hint of desire flashed in its eyes.
It nodded, then released its psychic power.
The layout of the cave within its memory, along with the approximate location where it had encountered Shelgon, was clearly transmitted to Metang.
After receiving the information, Metang gained a general understanding of the cave.
Under Metang's guidance, following the mental map it had just received, Theo quickly arrived at the place where Shelgon had once appeared.
However, aside from some scattered rocks, there were no obvious traces left behind.
Unwilling to give up, Theo had Metang carefully search the surrounding area.
Eventually, they discovered a fragment of a white shell buried in the soil some distance away.
'It seems this was left behind by that Shelgon. Judging by it, it has probably already evolved into a Salamence,' Theo thought to himself as he picked up the fragment and gently rubbed it.
Although he had not found Salamence itself, this piece of shell made him even more certain that Shelgon still existed somewhere within the Meteor Falls Mountain Range.
He stored the fragment away and continued exploring the cave with Metang and Milotic.
Unfortunately, the cave yielded nothing further.
Over the next few days, Theo continued searching through the lake and the caves.
However, aside from the shell fragment found in Solrock's cavern, there were no additional traces related to Shelgon.
During dinner at the campsite, Theo sat beside the campfire, staring at the sizzling canned food in front of him, yet his thoughts were far from the meal.
"Are there really no other Shelgon around? Maybe… I could have Larvesta give it a try?"
Theo looked toward Larvesta, which was lying nearby and eating, and his eyes lit up.
He remembered that Larvesta had once sensed the energy from the system's advanced energy orbs through the small stone on its body bearing Groudon's symbol.
Perhaps, with the help of that stone, it might also be able to sense Shelgon, which harbored similarly powerful energy and was on the verge of evolution.
Theo leaned closer to Larvesta.
"Larvesta, can you sense it like you did before with my advanced energy orb? Try to see if there's any trace of Shelgon nearby."
Larvesta had been happily munching away, its tiny mouth crunching noisily, but upon hearing this, it suddenly froze.
It lifted its small head and shot Theo a sideways glance with its round eyes.
Its antennae swayed impatiently as it let out a few chirps, its expression seeming to say:
"Shelgon is a Pokémon, not food. How would I sense it? You're such a clueless trainer."
That look of disdain was so obvious that Theo did not even need Metang to translate it. He reached out and poked Larvesta's plump little head.
"Hey, are you still upset? I've been letting you and Tyrantrum out to play together a lot these past few days. There's no need to stay mad, right?"
Larvesta shook its head, then nodded, and cast another sideways glance at Theo.
Tyrantrum, standing nearby, mimicked Larvesta's behavior, glancing at Theo with its amber eyes while letting out a low rumbling sound, as if echoing Larvesta's sentiment.
For a moment, Theo forgot about his frustration over failing to find Shelgon, amused by the antics of the two little troublemakers.
Fortunately, persistence paid off.
In another rocky cavern, Theo encountered a Lunatone, the counterpart to Solrock.
Lunatone had a silver-white body shaped like a crescent moon, also a Meteorite Pokémon.
Through Metang's translation, Theo learned another piece of information from Lunatone:
"At night, when it flies out of the cave to absorb the energy of the moon, it occasionally sees Salamence flying near the peak of the mountain."
Upon hearing this, Theo thanked Lunatone and immediately decided to head toward the summit to see if he might have a chance to encounter Salamence.
At that time, he could use a similar method to when he captured Larvesta, provoking Salamence into battling Milotic.
As long as he could find traces of Salamence and provoke it into a battle, his chances of capturing it would be far greater than blindly searching for Shelgon.
Early the next morning, Theo packed up his belongings and decided not to waste any more time searching aimlessly through hidden caves and lakes.
Since Lunatone had mentioned seeing Salamence flying toward the summit, it was better to shift his focus to the peak, where Salamence was more likely to appear, rather than continue wandering in dark caves.
The mountain path became increasingly steep, with loose rocks and gravel occasionally rolling down from the sides. The wind howled past his ears, mixed with the distant roar of the waterfall.
With Metang's psychic assistance, Theo climbed swiftly toward the summit.
After hurrying along like this, he finally reached the area near the peak just as the sun was about to set behind the western mountains.
The view suddenly opened up.
A massive platform appeared at the edge of the mountain, and at its center lay an enormous lake.
At the edge of the platform was a sheer cliff, from which the magnificent Meteor Falls cascaded downward.
"How spectacular…"
Theo walked to the edge of the cliff and could not help but murmur in awe as he gazed at the scene before him.
The thunderous roar of the waterfall was deafening. Without seeing it firsthand, it would be impossible to imagine such grandeur.
Milotic and the other three Pokémon gathered around him, looking down at the breathtaking view together.
On the other side of the platform stood an even taller, towering mountain peak, its summit hidden within swirling clouds, impossible to see clearly.
Theo glanced at the sky and decided to set up camp here for the night, to rest and recover before exploring that peak the next day.
That should be the summit where Lunatone had seen Salamence.
Theo took out his tent, while Metang used its psychic power to help secure the frame.
Milotic, Tyrantrum, and Larvesta played by the lakeside, splashing about happily.
However, Larvesta seemed somewhat distracted, occasionally glancing toward the cliff, the flame on its antenna flickering unpredictably.
Just as Theo drove the final tent stake into the ground, Tyrantrum suddenly let out a loud roar.
There was clear unease and vigilance in its voice.
Theo's heart tightened as he quickly turned his head and followed Tyrantrum's line of sight.
He saw Larvesta hovering in midair, its five antennae spewing intense flames. The small stone embedded on its head, bearing the "Ω" symbol, was flashing wildly, emitting a scorching red glow.
What shocked Theo even more was that Larvesta suddenly seemed to lose control, darting rapidly toward the cliffside waterfall.
"Larvesta!"
Theo cried out, his heart leaping into his throat.
At that critical moment, Metang reacted instantly, unleashing its Psychic move.
A powerful force seized Larvesta's body, forcibly pulling it back and preventing it from plunging off the cliff.
Theo, Milotic, and Tyrantrum rushed forward at once, surrounding Larvesta tightly.
Seeing that Larvesta's antennae were no longer spewing flames, Theo quickly pulled it into his arms. Its body was burning hot.
"Larvesta, what's wrong? What happened?"
Larvesta struggled in his arms, still agitated, letting out a series of chirps as if trying to express something complex.
Metang rushed over, using its psychic power to restrain Larvesta while also translating its thoughts to Theo.
It turned out that Larvesta's recent bad temper was not directed at Theo or the others. It had been feeling uncomfortable all along, with the flames inside its body constantly becoming restless for no reason.
And just now, it had suddenly sensed something clearly.
Below the cliff, hidden behind the waterfall's rushing water and mist, there was a presence that it found extremely unpleasant.
Or rather, something that the small stone with the "Ω" symbol found unpleasant.
That presence was overbearing and powerful, making it instinctively afraid.
Yet at the same time, there was an indescribable sense of envy. Even Larvesta itself could not explain what it was.
Theo frowned deeply. Something that could trigger such a reaction from the stone bearing Groudon's symbol, evoking both fear and envy…
Could it be related to Kyogre or Rayquaza?
Seeing that Larvesta was still restless and its body temperature showed no sign of decreasing, Milotic immediately took action.
It gently swayed its tail, a soft blue glow radiating from its body. Droplets of water filled with life energy condensed in the air like pearls.
They slowly descended onto Larvesta's body.
The soothing energy of the Life Dew spread instantly, like a clear spring flowing into Larvesta's body, effectively suppressing the restless flames within it.
Larvesta narrowed its eyes in comfort, its previously tense body gradually relaxing. Its chirping softened as well.
After a long while, the intense heat from Larvesta's body finally subsided, returning to its usual temperature.
The "Ω" symbol on its head, which had been flashing wildly, gradually dimmed until it completely disappeared, leaving its forehead smooth once more.
Theo let out a sigh of relief. He gently stroked Larvesta's body, feeling its normal temperature return, and the worry in his heart eased.
He carefully placed Larvesta on the ground, watching as it nuzzled against Milotic before curling up and closing its eyes to rest.
It was clear that the intense reaction had drained much of its energy.
With the immediate crisis resolved, Theo's gaze once again fell upon the endlessly cascading waterfall.
He stood at the edge of the cliff, letting the mist splash against his face as he looked down once more.
The rushing water formed a massive curtain, completely obscuring whatever lay beneath.
Theo stared intently.
Perhaps behind that veil of water, there was a hidden cave, just like a Water Curtain Cave concealed from sight.
(End of Chapter)