While passing through Fiery Path, Xinhai and his group encountered some wild Pokémon, but they never clashed with them.
Once, a group of Zubat had been startled by their footsteps. A small flock came fluttering out of a large cave, circling the tunnel several times and emitting piercing ultrasonic waves. But after sensing the faintly radiating powerful presence of Mightyena and Blaziken, they quickly flew back into the darkness.
Another time, as they passed through an area where the ground was visibly cracked and wisps of heat seeped out, several "rocks" suddenly moved—it was a few Geodude and Graveler curled into balls.
They seemed to have merely been resting here while absorbing geothermal heat. After being disturbed, they simply rolled aside to clear the way, silently watching Xinhai's group pass with their stone eyes, showing no intent to attack.
Xinhai was not surprised by their actions. Wild Pokémon naturally possessed the instinct to seek advantages and avoid danger.
As long as they did not enter those branching caves or display obvious hostility, most of the wild Pokémon living here maintained an indifferent attitude of leaving each other alone.
Of course, this was largely thanks to the long-standing "markers" left along the main passage by powerful Trainers or maintenance personnel, as well as the deterrence of regular clearing operations.
Xinhai was happy enough with that. Their main objective was to pass through the path as quickly as possible and reach the direction of Fallarbor Town. As he walked, he compared their route against the map on his Pokédex to make sure they had not taken a wrong turn.
After two or three hours of walking, Blaziken keenly detected a change in the airflow ahead—not the stagnant, stifling heat of the tunnel, but fresh air from outside carrying a trace of coolness.