At Mt. Chimney, the air was thick with the pungent scent of scorched vegetation and coal.
The volcanic rock beneath his feet still held a searing heat, emitting a'shasha' crunching sound with every step.
The Heat Wave swirled with grayish-black volcanic dust, clinging to his face and bringing bouts of dry itchiness.
In the distance, the massive crater resembled the throat of a ferocious beast, constantly belching out grayish-white smoke that dyed the sky in an ominous twilight hue.
Ariel's figure was hidden behind a jagged boulder, like a sculpture blending perfectly into the environment.
His breathing was steady and long; wearing a filter, he was completely unaffected by the harsh environment.
His gaze was firmly Lock-On to two Team Magma Minions patrolling nearby.
The two wore the signature red jumpsuits, hoods, and goggles, but their slouching postures and idle chatter betrayed the fact that they were far from elite.
"This godforsaken place really isn't for humans. It's hot as hell."
One of the slightly chubby members tugged at his collar and complained.
"The boss is really something, insisting on mining here. What kind of treasure could be in a place where birds don't even poop?"
"Shut your mouth. Careful the lackeys by the boss's side don't hear you."
The other tall and thin one looked around warily.
"The boss's will is the will of the magma. We just need to execute it. Besides, once the great Groudon awakens, what does this bit of hardship matter?"
The chubby one curled his lip and stopped talking, but the impatience on his face was obvious.
There wasn't a ripple of emotion in Ariel's eyes.
Stupid fanatics were the easiest to deal with and the least valuable.
He didn't act immediately but continued to observe.
He needed a perfect timing, a moment that wouldn't attract any attention.
His gaze swept over the surroundings, taking in the entire terrain.
At the end of the patrol route, there was a natural crevice formed by several boulders, an excellent hiding spot.
Furthermore, the rumbling and wind from the crater could mask most unusual noises.
The opportunity arrived.
The two Minions reached the turning point of the patrol route. The tall, thin member habitually turned to look at the crater, seemingly feeling the pulse of the earth.
Meanwhile, the chubby one had his back turned, sneakily pulling something out of his pocket to stuff into his mouth.
Now.
Ariel didn't make a sound, only a convergence of gazes.
In the shadows by his side, Malamar emerged silently, its eerie eyes shimmering with a ghostly light in the dimness.
"Hypnosis."
Ariel issued the command in his heart.
There was no dazzling light or violent energy surge; an invisible Psywave spread out instantly like a pebble dropped into water.
The chubby member, with his back to his companion, paused his chewing, his body suddenly freezing.
His eyes instantly became vacant, and his whole body became like a puppet with its soul removed, falling straight backward.
At the same time his body lost balance, Ariel moved.
His figure was like a ghost, darting out from the shadows of the rocks without making a sound.
With a quick stride, he reached the man and, before his body could hit the ground, firmly caught him by the neck and waist.
The entire process was as smooth as flowing water, fast to the extreme.
The tall, thin member on the other side seemed to sense something and turned back in confusion: "Hey, are you Slack Off-ing again..."
His voice stopped abruptly.
The space behind him was empty. Aside from the howling wind and rolling volcanic ash, there was no sign of his companion.
"...Where is he?"
He froze for a moment and scratched his head, thinking his companion had run off to Slack Off somewhere again. He shouted a few curses, and seeing no response, he impatiently walked forward alone.
In the rock crevice, Ariel threw the unconscious member to the ground, his face expressionless.
Malamar hovered beside him, several tentacles resting Frillish-ly on the member's head.
"Dig out the passwords, the map, and everything else you know."
Ariel's voice was low, carrying a command that brooked no argument.
Malamar's eyes lit up with a faint blue light, and its slender Psychic power, like an invisible probe, carefully pierced into the other's cerebral cortex.
This was delicate work.
One couldn't use too much force, or it would turn the target into an idiot, making it impossible to get any useful intelligence.
Nor could it be too weak, or it wouldn't break through the subconscious defenses of the brain.
A series of chaotic, fragmented images flooded into Ariel's mind through the mental link.
A crude, simplified map of the base's interior gradually took shape in Ariel's mind.
He even saw the face of the executive called 'Fire Ghost' and the powerful-looking Camerupt by his side.
Information extraction complete.
Ariel confirmed his previous hypothesis.
This Mt. Chimney base was indeed just a temporary frontline mining point; its defense system was laughably simple.
Forget the 'Psychic Sensors' that were standard for large bases; there wasn't even a single Psychic Pokémon specifically responsible for mental surveillance.
This group of fanatics seemed to believe that no one would dare provoke them on their sacred mountain.
This arrogance left a fatal backdoor for Ariel's Teleport.
"Dispose of him."
Ariel coldly spat out those words.
Malamar understood. The Psychic power on its tentacles intensified suddenly, and a destructive force instantly crushed the member's brain.
The man's body jerked once and then went completely silent.
Ariel swiftly stripped the red uniform, still warm from the body, off the man.
The clothes were a bit oversized, the fabric was rough, and they emitted a strange smell of sweat.
He put them on without a care, pulled the hood low to cover most of his face, and donned the large goggles.
The world instantly turned into a monotonous dark red.
He checked himself against a slightly smooth part of the rock wall and adjusted his posture.
He hunched his back slightly, restrained all the sharpness in his eyes, and instead began to Mimic the paranoid and fanatical expression characteristic of those Team Magma Minions.
He cleared his throat and tried a few syllables; his voice became somewhat raspy and muffled.
Good.
From now on, he was an ordinary member of the Team Magma.
Ariel casually stuffed the corpse deep into the rock crevice and covered it with some rubble.
Infiltrating the Team Magma and stealing ore—he didn't think his actions would be seamless; being discovered was only a matter of time.
Therefore, it was enough that this corpse remained undiscovered for a short while.
Having finished all this, he took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and then walked grandly out from the shadows of the rocks.
Not far away, another patrol of Team Magma members was walking toward him.
Seeing Ariel, the leader frowned: "Hey, kid, where's your partner?"
Ariel lowered his voice and replied in an extremely impatient tone:
"That fat guy, I don't know where he ran off to Slack Off. Who cares about him."
This response perfectly matched the daily behavior of these undisciplined Minions.
The other person indeed didn't suspect anything, merely letting out a disdainful 'tch':
"A piece of trash. Fine, get back in line. We're heading to the summit for shift change soon."
"Got it."
Ariel lowered his head, responded, and followed at an unhurried pace at the end of the line.
His figure soon blended into that swaying sea of red, becoming indistinguishable from the rest.
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