Chapter 334: Encounter at Great Black Mountain
The sudden downpour not only disrupted the black-robed man's plans but also Basalt's.
Facing the torrential rain, the Rapidash herd found a few caves to shelter in, and Basalt followed suit.
But unfortunately, the rain had soaked the ground, turning it into a muddy mess. The Rapidash herd refused to forage in such conditions.
"Oh horses, horses, it seems our journey together ends here for now."
Waving goodbye to the Rapidash herd, Basalt set off again on his own.
For several days, Basalt followed the map, checking the various volcanoes, especially those with active lava vents. He wouldn't miss a single one.
Along the way, Basalt encountered many battles: cunning Heatmor, ill-tempered Simisear, and a Flareon that looked cute but was extremely aggressive.
He had no choice. Not all Pokémon were as gentle as the Rapidash herd.
Fortunately, Basalt's strength was considerable. Especially under the Quicksand Domain, the power of Fire-type Pokémon was greatly diminished. Even Pro-level Pokémon couldn't gain an advantage against him.
"That should be Great Black Mountain ahead, right?"
On this day, a towering mountain covered in black soil appeared in Basalt's view.
Unlike the other volcanoes, this black mountain had quite a bit of vegetation growing on it, a stark contrast to the other barren peaks. It was particularly eye-catching.
Great Black Mountain was an active volcano, and a very active one at that. Every so often, it would spew thick smoke from its crater. The ash would settle on the mountain's surface, forming its characteristic black soil.
According to Adil, the volcanic ash from Great Black Mountain had a very high sulfur content, so as soon as one entered the mountain's range, they would smell a pungent odor.
Not only that, but the freshly erupted ash also contained toxins, making it unsuitable for human habitation.
However, this environment was perfect for the Houndoom pack, so Great Black Mountain was their traditional territory.
"Houndoom can't fly, so the best way to pass Great Black Mountain... is from the air."
Basalt recalled Excadrill, mounted Bronzong, and shot into the sky.
Although it was all part of the Ashkule volcanic region, different locations required diametrically opposed methods for safe passage.
If not for Adil's map and experience, Basalt would have surely suffered a great loss.
"Awoo! Awoo!"
Just as he reached halfway up the mountain, a loud, clear howl suddenly rang out from the dense forests of Great Black Mountain. It seemed filled with anger.
"Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!"
Then, more and more howls joined in, echoing across the mountain, calling and responding to each other.
Basalt paused, then quickly ordered Bronzong to gain altitude to ensure a safe distance. He wondered, "I already chickened out and took the air route, do they really need to flex on me like this? Why are these big black dogs so domineering?"
Basalt pouted, expressing his dissatisfaction internally.
But soon, Basalt realized he had misunderstood.
Because a fierce battle suddenly erupted in the forest below.
Looking down, Basalt saw a flaxen-colored figure sprinting through the forest at incredible speed. It moved as if on flat ground, despite the dense foliage.
On the back of this figure, Basalt could faintly make out a person.
"An Arcanine?"
Basalt recognized the Pokémon and was slightly surprised.
This was a very rare Pokémon, and one with special significance. It was one of the representative Pokémon of the Alliance. An ordinary person wouldn't be qualified to catch one.
Behind the Arcanine, black figures were surging forward in relentless pursuit. They were Houndoom and Houndour.
Although Arcanine and Houndoom both had a base Speed of 95 in the games, in reality, an Arcanine running at full tilt was much faster than a Houndoom.
Under normal circumstances, this Arcanine would have shaken off its pursuers eventually.
But unfortunately, the Houndoom's earlier howls had attracted many of its packmates. These packmates had already spewed thick, dark purple smog ahead of the Arcanine, waiting in ambush.
"Not good! It's Houndoom's Smog!"
On Arcanine's back, the woman, Ember, turned pale.
She was completely surrounded!
And the Pokémon surrounding her weren't just four or five Houndoom, but also over a dozen Houndour.
After completing the encirclement, these Pokémon didn't attack immediately. Instead, they howled as they gradually closed the distance, constantly compressing Arcanine's maneuvering space, pressuring the woman's nerves and piling on immense psychological stress.
"Ar-canine!"
Although outnumbered and carrying a person, Arcanine wasn't afraid at all. It swept its cold gaze over the enemies, its fur bristling, baring its teeth and growling low.
Seeing this, a flicker of fear appeared on the faces of the encircling Houndoom and Houndour.
Ability: Intimidate!
But very quickly, the Houndoom and Houndour recovered.
"Looks like we have to fight for our lives!"
Ember covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, looking at her Pokédex with despair.
She had sent out a distress signal the moment she was spotted by the Houndoom.
But the Pokédex showed that the nearest Pro-level trainer who could help was thirty kilometers away.
Thirty kilometers wasn't far, but it wasn't close either.
By the time that Pro-level trainer arrived, the battle here would likely be over.
Battles in the wild were often decided in a very short time. It wasn't like a tournament match where there was a back-and-forth struggle.
Also, battles in the wild were far more brutal than competitive matches.
If she lost, she would definitely be torn to pieces and eaten.
"Come out, everyone!"
Ember threw three Pokéballs, and three Fire-type Pokémon instantly appeared.
The first was a bipedal Pokémon with a tall, slender figure. It had purple-red patterns on its belly and soft, ribbon-like protrusions on its waist.
The second was primarily red and yellow. The fur on its legs and paws was long and thick, resembling a witch's dress. It held a branch with a flame burning at the tip. Its large ears were very prominent, with tufts of fire-like fur inside them.
The third was a lamp-like Pokémon with a black, hat-like top ending in a point. Its face featured two bright yellow eyes, and inside its glass head burned a blue flame.
"Salazzle! Delphox! Lampent!"
Basalt, watching from mid-air, was shocked. He muttered, "What kind of background does this girl have? All her Pokémon are rare!"
A rich girl, confirmed!
While Basalt was surprised, the battle on Great Black Mountain finally erupted.
Although the Houndoom and Houndour were numerous, Ember was clearly no pushover. Her Pokémon were impressive: the fierce and powerful Arcanine, the Lampent unafraid of fire attacks, the dazzling, mage-like Delphox...
But the most eye-catching on the battlefield was the Salazzle.
With a flick of its tongue, the Salazzle inhaled a large amount of the toxic Smog into its body, then breathed out an even more potent Poison Gas to counter-attack the Houndoom pack.
Not only that, but this Salazzle also strutted and posed, casting amorous glances at the Houndoom and Houndour. It used Captivate and Attract in succession, causing the Houndoom pack's attack to stutter.
Unfortunately, the lead Houndoom, although male, had a will of iron and was unmoved by Salazzle.
BOOM!
A terrifying pillar of fire shot from the leader's mouth, striking Salazzle. It was instantly engulfed in flames that couldn't be extinguished.
Fire-type move, Inferno!
Inferno not only dealt significant damage but had a terrifying secondary effect: a 100% chance to burn the target.
Not only that, but this Houndoom's melee capabilities were also impressive. It charged straight at Arcanine, its eyes devoid of fear, filled only with ruthlessness and cunning.
Because the Houndoom knew that Arcanine was the strongest here, but with a person on its back, it couldn't fight at 100%.
Take it out first, and the rest wouldn't be a worry.
And the result was exactly as the Houndoom leader expected. Arcanine was fighting with one hand tied behind its back, unable to use moves like Flame Charge or Flare Blitz. Its combat power was severely compromised.
On the other side, Delphox, the only one capable of using Teleport, was being besieged by a Houndoom and several Houndour. The Houndoom's Snarl rang out constantly, disrupting Delphox's concentration and preventing it from escaping.
Crucially, this Houndoom had the Flash Fire ability, making it immune to Fire-type attacks, and its Dark typing made it immune to Psychic-type attacks. It was a complete counter to Delphox.
Lampent was in a similar situation, and the burned Salazzle was in even worse shape.
Meanwhile, more and more members of the Houndoom pack were arriving from the periphery, constantly joining the battle.
Ember and her Pokémon were in dire straits.
"Looks like today, the genius girl of the Rong family is going to fall here."
Tears filled Ember's eyes as she watched the hellhounds closing in. Her heart was full of despair.
At the same time, she deeply regretted coming to the Ashkule volcanic region, and especially provoking this pack of hellhounds on Great Black Mountain.
Sshh-ssh-ssh...
But just then, the calm, sunny weather suddenly changed.
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