Pokemon: Psychic Master

The dense velvet sky obscured the moon, and the lingering mist carried an unsettling chill, as if some unseen dark presence lurked in the shadows, watching. In contrast, the explosive roar that followed was like a harbinger of light, tearing through the dark curtain with a deafening crack. It rumbled on, echoing like the earth itself was splitting open.

Hearing the sound, both Johan and Steven's expressions changed, and Gastly along with Metagross immediately moved to their sides, ready to protect them.

The next second...

CRASH!!

A massive boulder came crashing down, shattering the wooden partition that separated the two hot springs.

The two springs were now connected.

"What happened?" Steven quickly asked.

"There's—" Roxanne started, but her face, already flushed from soaking in the hot water, now turned an even deeper shade of red, much like a ripe apple.

Her cheeks were burning, her usual twin tails had come undone, and her damp hair now draped over her shoulders. Fortunately, all four of them—Roxanne, Flannery, Johan, and Steven—were wrapped in towels.

Steven, too, seemed taken aback, but quickly realized the situation and displayed a hint of embarrassment.

"A rock! A huge rock just fell down from the mountain!" Flannery exclaimed, far less self-conscious than the others, and immediately filled in the missing details.

In fact, given her similar build to Johan and Steven... well, let's just say, ahem...

The mountain?

Johan, the only one who remained somewhat calm, furrowed his brow and looked up at the mountain.

Since Lavaridge Town's hot springs rely on the heat from Mt. Chimney, many of the town's inns and hot springs are located near the mountain.

Johan and Steven's side of the springs was relatively safe, but Roxanne and Flannery's side was almost directly adjacent to the rocky slopes of Mt. Chimney.

Because of the distance and the jagged terrain, it was hard to determine what had happened up on the mountain. However, the dark night made one thing visible—a faint glow of fire could be seen rising from the upper reaches of the mountain.

The flickering flames looked like a sword piercing the night sky, growing larger and brighter as if threatening to tear a hole through the darkness.

"Could it be that the volcano has opened up, and lava is starting to seep out?" Johan muttered to himself.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the other three drastically changed.

Flannery, who had already changed into her clothes, stared intently at the firelight in the night sky, her face set with determination. It was clear that she had every intention of heading up the mountain.

If Mt. Chimney had indeed developed a fissure that allowed lava to escape, the position of the firelight suggested that Lavaridge Town could be in imminent danger.

Lavaridge Town was Flannery's home—there was no way she could sit back and do nothing!

It wasn't just her. Steven and Roxanne, though less visibly shaken, shared the same concern.

Noticing the determination in their faces, Johan sighed inwardly.

He understood that at this point, simply acting as their teacher wasn't enough to quell the sense of duty and justice burning within them.

Though the firelight wasn't overly intense yet, and the dark red hue of Mt. Chimney's surface often concealed such dangers, the fact that a boulder had fallen alerted them to the problem. The fire was growing, albeit slowly, indicating that if lava was leaking, now was the best time to intervene before things got worse.

There wasn't much time to deliberate, but Johan had already made his decision.

"Roxanne, Flannery, I want you two to notify the Lavaridge Gym, the local police, and the other teachers at the Pokémon Center. Steven and I will go take a look."

If anyone had to go investigate, it was only right that as the teacher, Johan should take the lead.

Steven, being the strongest among them, was also a necessary part of the team.

Additionally, his Metagross, Skarmory, and Claydol would be essential in case things got out of hand, providing them a way to escape if necessary.

"Mr. Johan, I—" Roxanne started to protest but was quickly silenced by Johan's firm, unyielding gaze.

"I understand," she finally said, lowering her head and taking a deep breath, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Flannery, however, wasn't as easy to convince.

"No! I have to go!" she demanded, and before Johan could even respond, she added, "I know the area best! I know a shortcut that'll get us there quickly!"

Time was of the essence. Johan could see the determination in Flannery's eyes and, after a moment, replied in a serious tone, "Alright. You lead the way, but if anything happens, you have to follow my commands."

"Deal!"

"Ka-kah!"

Gastly brought Johan his clothes.

Mt. Chimney.

Jagged rocks and steep cliffs surrounded them as three figures quickly made their way through the rugged terrain.

"This is the shortcut you were talking about?" Johan leaped over uneven rocks, keeping pace with Flannery.

"I used to take this path all the time! It might look dangerous, but as long as you don't misstep, it's perfectly safe," Flannery called back from the front.

As long as we don't misstep...

Both Steven and Johan glanced down at their feet.

Silence.

Johan felt a bit of regret.

If it had just been him and Steven, they could've used Skarmory, Metagross, and Claydol to fly straight up to their destination.

While relying on Psychic-type abilities to fly that high would've drained a lot of energy from their Pokémon, this route did conserve their strength in case of emergencies, and it wasn't much slower. Still... it was a bit of a strain on those who weren't built like "super rookies."

Fortunately, despite Flannery's impulsive nature, her shortcut did seem to be leading them directly to their destination.

Soon enough, they reached a small plateau.

"Hicha, hicha—"

Scattered across the plateau were several Geodude and even some Graveler, all huddled in the corners, trembling in fear.

As Johan, Steven, and Flannery approached, the Pokémon retreated even further, causing small rocks to tumble down the mountainside.

However, the trio's attention was immediately drawn to the sight before them—a glowing red crack in the rocky wall of the mountain.

The fissure wasn't large, barely wide enough for a person to pass through, but the firelight they had seen from below was emanating from within it.

"What is this...?"

The trio moved closer, feeling the intense heat radiating from the crack. It was far hotter than the warmth they had felt back in Lavaridge Town.

Flap, flap—

Suddenly, a Zubat darted out of the crack, flying frantically away from the mountain.

Johan, Steven, and Flannery quickly stepped aside to avoid any collision.

Moments later, a swarm of Zubat, along with a few Golbat, poured out of the fissure, hastily fleeing from Mt. Chimney.

Seeing this, the three trainers' expressions grew more solemn.

Wild Pokémon are always the first to sense changes in their environment. Both the Geodude and the fleeing Zubat indicated that something inside the mountain was terrifying them—or perhaps it was something even more dangerous.

"Gastly," Johan called quietly.

Given the circumstances, rushing in blindly was not an option. Johan held Flannery back, preventing her from charging in recklessly.

"Ka-kah~~"

Gastly floated out from Johan's jacket, peering into the dark fissure, clearly unafraid—if anything, it seemed slightly excited.

"Be careful."

Johan couldn't help but give a stern warning.

"Ka-kah!"

Gastly blinked at Johan and let out a mischievous laugh before transforming into a dark cloud of mist, disappearing into the fissure.

Time seemed to stretch on, each second ticking by slowly.

Although Johan usually maintained his composure, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious this time—not for himself, but for Gastly.

After all, the situation inside the mountain was unknown, and Gastly's strength wasn't exactly top-tier.

Moreover, this was Mt. Chimney.

"Ka-kah~~"

Thankfully, Gastly soon emerged from the fissure.

It was panting heavily, tongue hanging out, clearly displeased with the intense heat inside the mountain.

But seeing Gastly return brought a wave of relief to Johan.

"How is it, Gastly?"

"Ka-kah!!"

Gastly inhaled deeply, causing its body to puff up.

Inside... there's something BIG!