Mt. Ember, located on the northern part of One Island, is the highest peak in the Sevii Archipelago.
Several hundred years ago, it was an active volcano, but at some point, it slowly fell silent and eventually became the dormant volcano it is today.
However, even after enduring so many years of erosion, it has always maintained its complete form, its shape not significantly altered by wind or rain.
After another night's rest at Lorelei's house, Natsui and Sabrina returned to One Island under her guidance.
According to the oral traditions passed down by the elders here, Moltres resides somewhere on this mountain peak.
Its flame-like glow is like a bright lantern, clearly visible even in the dark of night, which is how the mountain got the name Mt. Ember (Lantern Fire Mountain).
After a long hike, they arrived at the foot of the mountain. Natsui looked up towards the summit.
The lower half of the mountain was still lush and green, full of shrubs, but the higher they went, the scarcer the vegetation became. After reaching the midway point, it turned into bare, rocky ground!
And the smoke that occasionally seeped out from the cracks in the rocks made Natsui a bit suspicious.
No matter how he looked at it, this place didn't seem very "dormant."
Especially when they followed a path called Kindle Road up the latter half of Mt. Ember, the scent of the forest disappeared, replaced by a faint smell of sulfur in the air.
Even through the soles of their shoes, they could still feel the heat radiating from the rocks underfoot.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Natsui turned to look at Lorelei.
"So... are you sure this is really just a dormant volcano?"
"This..." Lorelei looked around, also starting to doubt her own eyes. "I haven't been up the mountain in a long time either. I didn't expect the changes to be so drastic. Compared to last time, it really is... maybe... probably... hmm... seems a bit hotter."
In truth, Natsui himself understood that there was no clear line between an active, a dormant, and an extinct volcano.
An active volcano can fall silent, a dormant one can erupt, and a dormant one can naturally reawaken; they are not immutable states.
Otherwise, why would the heat-loving Moltres choose to live here!
Just then, he glanced back and saw Sabrina more than ten meters behind him. She was out of breath and drenched in sweat. Clearly, climbing such a high peak was both hot and exhausting for her.
In fact, due to her lack of exercise, this kind of physical activity was quite taxing on the psychic's body.
But despite this, she hadn't said a word and hadn't used her psychic powers to assist her ascent, instead doing her best to keep up with Natsui's pace.
With a slight smile, Natsui was about to go back to meet her, but his eyes inadvertently fell upon Sabrina's figure.
Because the sweat had soaked through her clothes, it perfectly outlined her beautiful form. He could even see her cup size quite clearly!
However, perhaps his gaze was too brazen, as Sabrina seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up.
Fortunately, in that split second, Natsui demonstrated the powerful reflexes of an Indigo Conference Champion, retracting his gaze with lightning speed and responding with a big smile.
He even managed to speak, proactively showing concern.
"Are you tired? How about we rest for a bit?"
As expected, Sabrina didn't notice Natsui's thoughts and gently shook her head.
"No need, let's keep going up."
Seeing her being so stubborn, Natsui couldn't help but advise, "I think we should rest for a while. For someone like you who doesn't exercise much, suddenly climbing a mountain like this... it's best to know your limits. Otherwise, your legs will definitely be killing you tomorrow!"
Seeing that Sabrina was somewhat moved, Lorelei said, "If you want to rest, there's a hot spring not far ahead, Ember Spa. It's very helpful for relieving fatigue. The island residents, especially the elderly, will go there for a soak whenever they have time, just to relax!"
Hearing them say this, Sabrina hesitated. After a moment's thought, she finally nodded in agreement.
The main path disappeared here, leaving only a winding mountain trail.
They continued along the path, but when they reached Ember Spa, they were all struck silent by the sight of the boiling, steaming hot spring water.
The three of them stood side by side, staring at the hot spring for a long time. Finally, Natsui couldn't take it anymore and turned to look at Lorelei.
"This water has to be almost 100 degrees, right? Are you sure the residents of the Sevii Islands come here to soak in a hot spring, and not to make soup or boil themselves?"
Lorelei: ...
She shot Natsui a look, wanting to say something, but was at a loss for words.
"This shouldn't be... why did it suddenly become like this?"
"Could the volcano be about to erupt?" Sabrina asked.
Lorelei shook her head firmly. "The volcano definitely won't erupt! I'm guessing a recent earthquake in the sea must have caused this change!"
The heat wave was scorching; it was clearly hotter here than anywhere else.
Since it was impossible to rest, they had no choice but to continue deeper into Mt. Ember.
After walking for a while longer, even the small path disappeared.
Lorelei led them, winding left and right through the loose rocks, finally arriving at a cave blocked by a giant boulder.
Looking at this well-hidden cave, she said proudly, "Don't be fooled by the people who climb this mountain every year. This is a secret that only I know. If Moltres really exists, I believe it must be on the peak on the other side of this cave!"
Natsui followed her gaze and saw that the boulder at the cave entrance was huge, almost completely blocking it, leaving only a narrow gap. It looked like only a small child could pass through sideways.
Natsui was about to have Gardevoir handle it, but Sabrina stepped forward to the giant rock first.
She stretched out her hands, and in an instant, her psychic power erupted, slowly moving the boulder to the side.
However, it was clear that even for her, moving such a massive rock, nearly three meters tall and weighing several thousand pounds, was a bit of a strain.
Fortunately, Sabrina didn't need to move the boulder completely, just widen the opening enough for them to pass through.
Rumble!
With the entrance half-open, before they could even enter the cave, a cool mountain breeze blew out from within.
The feeling was like standing under an air conditioner; it was incredibly comfortable.
After the three of them had entered the cave one by one, Natsui looked around and realized that it seemed to be naturally formed, with no signs of artificial excavation.
The inside of the cave was not only cool but also a bit damp and slippery. Due to the darkness and humidity, a lot of green moss grew on both sides!
After climbing and traversing another few dozen meters inside the cave, they reached the other side.
A strong sea breeze blew past, rustling their hair.
Below them was a cliff. Standing here, they could already overlook the entire One Island. They could even catch a glimpse of the distant Two and Three Islands!
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