"Charmander, use Flamethrower!"
Facing the Crystal Onix's Rock Tomb, Mateo's Charmeleon dodged and then abruptly opened its mouth. The next second, a powerful jet of fire shot out, blasting the Crystal Onix!
Normally, a Fire-type move against a Pokémon with the Rock type should only deal half damage, but to Mateo's surprise, after being hit, the Crystal Onix actually let out a pained cry!
Huh!?
Although it wasn't double damage, compared to Cloyster's attack earlier, this attack had clearly had a significant effect!
Strange, why did that happen?
Mateo scratched his head, completely baffled.
This Crystal Onix could use Rock-type moves and was immune to Water-type moves, yet it seemed to have lost its original resistance to Fire!
And what was even more incredible was that after the Flamethrower dissipated, perhaps because of the high temperature, the Crystal Onix's body had turned a fiery red color!
Could it really be the embodiment of the god of glass, which is why it's vulnerable to fire-type moves!?
Although Mateo was extremely puzzled, the Crystal Onix was already counterattacking with a charge!
With no time to think, he pointed a finger forward and shouted, "Charmeleon, dodge quickly, then use Fire Spin!"
However, although Mateo gave the command, he wasn't a professional trainer seasoned by years of battle. He failed to seize the moment and missed the best opportunity to dodge!
Fortunately, in the nick of time, the Charmeleon reacted quickly on its own, leaping just in time to evade the Onix's powerful charge. It then puffed out its cheeks and shot out a vortex of fire that spun rapidly towards the Crystal Onix!
The Fire Spin spun faster and grew larger, eventually forming a fiery tornado that completely enveloped the Crystal Onix!
Roar!
The Crystal Onix let out an even more pained cry. But when the fire tornado vanished, it hadn't collapsed. Instead, it stood tall, its entire body glowing with a red light even more brilliant than before!
Under the sunlight, with the flames reflected in its crystal body, it looked dazzlingly beautiful!
Seeing this spectacle, Mateo's body shuddered. He stood there, staring blankly at the Crystal Onix. In that instant, it was as if his mind had suddenly opened, and he had an epiphany!
The courtyard became exceptionally quiet. So as not to disturb Mateo, no one made a move.
In fact, it wasn't just him; even Natsui and Sabrina were admiring this rare sight.
A long time passed before Mateo finally came back to his senses. His previously exhausted expression was gone, replaced by a face full of joy. "I see now, this is the feeling! I think... I've found what I was looking for!"
With that, he looked at Natsui, bent down, and gave him a solemn bow.
"Mr. Natsui, thank you so much for your help this time!"
"Don't thank me," Natsui said, waving his hand nonchalantly. "I didn't really do anything. Besides, didn't you also make the accessory for my Articuno? Now, we're even."
Unexpectedly, Mateo shook his head, his face serious. "Compared to the item I crafted for you, the inspiration I've received this time will benefit me for the rest of my life and could even change it completely. The two are vastly different. How can they be compared!"
Natsui hadn't expected him to be so adamant. He didn't say anything more and simply accepted the gesture.
Just then, Mateo extended a hand to Natsui. "Mr. Natsui, please excuse me, but I must leave. My inspiration is overflowing, and I can't wait to get back to my shop and start creating new works!"
Natsui reached out and shook his hand firmly.
"Then you should hurry back. I wish you the best in becoming an outstanding master craftsman soon!"
"Thank you, and I hope you become an outstanding Pokémon trainer!"
The two exchanged a smile. After Mateo had eagerly left the inn and his figure had completely disappeared from view, Natsui finally turned to look at Sabrina.
"Well, since that's all settled, it's time for us to get moving too!"
Sabrina nodded and went back to her room to pack. When she returned to the courtyard, she couldn't help but look back one last time at the rooms she and Natsui had stayed in.
These few days had been simple but wonderful. Every little moment had been fulfilling and happy.
No matter what kind of journey she would experience in the future, or what beautiful places she would go, the memories of these few days would surely stay in her heart forever!
...
Beneath the white clouds, a Charizard carrying a man, a woman, and their backpacks soared rapidly through the sky.
The sunlight shone on its body, casting a small, blurry shadow on the sea hundreds of meters below.
Because they had been delayed for a few days on Sunburst Island, Natsui didn't wander around anymore. Instead, he and Sabrina followed the map's navigation and headed straight for the next Gym island.
After leaving Sunburst Island, they flew for several hours, finally seeing land again in the evening.
Looking out...
Amidst a lush green forest, a massive volcano stood on the island, its peak piercing the clouds. The volcano was so large that it took up three-quarters of the island's land!
This is an island formed entirely by a volcanic eruption!
"So this is Navel Island?" Sabrina said with a half-smile. "I wonder if it's an active volcano, and if there's a risk of it erupting. It looks quite dangerous, anyway."
Knowing she was alluding to the Mt. Ember incident, Natsui deliberately pretended not to understand and didn't take the bait.
Some things just get worse the more you try to explain them. If someone who didn't know the situation overheard, they might actually think I caused the volcano to erupt!
Hmph, I refuse to take the blame for being a 'volcano killer'!
The closer they got, the larger the volcano appeared.
When they landed on a beach and walked into the only village on the island, Natsui discovered that compared to Tangelo Island or Sunburst Island, the population here was extremely sparse. As the only human settlement on the entire island, it didn't even seem to have the scale of a town.
Because the layout was scattered, and consisted of single-story, tile-roofed farmhouses, the whole village seemed very quiet. They walked for a long time before finally seeing a few elderly people tending to their vegetable gardens in some of the yards.
Seeing this, Sabrina couldn't help but feel some doubt. "Are you sure we're in the right place? It's so remote. Is there really an official Orange League Gym here?"
"Don't worry, this is the right place," Natsui nodded and explained. "Although most Gyms are dedicated to promoting local development and choose to build their facilities in bustling cities, some people, because of their personality or for other reasons, prefer to set up their Gyms in sparsely populated places like this, precisely to avoid being disturbed by ordinary people!"
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