Mt. Pyre

After Gardevoir gave Metagross a dose of Life Dew as well, Steven prepared to leave.

"Chen Shi, I'm heading back. I had a really great time today."

"Thank you for the information. It'll be a huge help to us."

Chen Shi smiled without saying much else. "You're welcome to visit anytime."

"Get in touch whenever you need anything."

Steven readily agreed. After saying goodbye to Grandpa Chen and Grandma Chen, he climbed onto a Skarmory and left.

The two elders were rather puzzled. How had these two boys suddenly become so close after going out together and having a battle when they came back?

Still, neither of them asked any questions.

It was good for young people to spend time together, especially with someone as gifted as Steven.

Back home, after arranging Togepi's training, Chen Shi flipped through the Metagross raising manual Steven had sent him.

A Shiny Beldum flew around the room, seemingly inspecting its new home.

The Stone family arguably understood Metagross better than anyone else in the world.

The manual described in detail what to feed it and how to train it at every stage, from Beldum to Metagross.

There was no telling how many wrong turns this would save Chen Shi from taking.

After finishing it, Chen Shi fell into thought. The manual also explained in detail that, at the Beldum stage, all it needed was to keep eating and grow naturally.

Aside from Pokéblocks, its regular diet also needed to include various precious ores.

Some of these ores increased Beldum's body density, while others made its body lighter or more agile.

But Chen Shi didn't have to worry about that. Three large trucks had just driven into the Chen Family Farm.

They carried ores sent by the Devon Corporation, already sorted into categories. All he needed to do was feed them to Beldum on schedule.

Chen Shi turned his gaze to Beldum, which was flying haphazardly around the room, and couldn't help feeling relieved.

Granted, this little fellow didn't have much fighting ability yet. All it could do was ram into things, putting it about on par with Dreepy before.

Fortunately, Beldum could evolve into Metang at level 20, once it reached the intermediate tier.

That was much better than Dreepy.

After evolving into Metang, it would have decent fighting ability and could take part in all sorts of training and battles.

With plenty of resources invested in it then, Chen Shi believed he would soon have a silver Shiny Metagross.

Putting down the manual, Chen Shi looked at the Togepi Pokémon Egg secured on his desk. Something crossed his mind, and he chuckled.

Then he took a sheet of stationery and began writing.

Beldum was a little puzzled, unable to understand what its Pokémon Trainer was writing.

Why had he started grinning like an idiot halfway through?

He looked like some kind of creep.

At noon, Chen Shi returned from running errands.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw his grandfather beckoning to him.

Chen Shi walked over, looking puzzled. "What is it, Grandpa?"

"Is something wrong?"

Grandpa Chen said, "An old friend contacted me and asked me to look after his granddaughter."

"Go and bring his granddaughter back for me."

Chen Shi agreed immediately. "Sure. Where is she? I'll go pick her up."

"At Mt. Pyre. Take your grandma's Gengar with you. Gengar knows the way."

"Gengar!"

Gengar grinned as half its body emerged from Grandma Chen's shadow, waving at Chen Shi.

"Mt. Pyre?" Chen Shi exclaimed.

"Does anyone actually live in that creepy place?"

Grandpa Chen replied irritably, "You'll know when you get there. Gengar will show you the way."

"Gengar!"

Gengar patted its little belly as if to say to leave everything to it.

Then it dove straight into his shadow.

Seeing this, Chen Shi had no choice but to agree.

"Then get going now. Have Salamence fly you over, and try to be back tonight."

As he spoke, Grandpa Chen handed him a Poké Ball.

"All right, then." Chen Shi reluctantly agreed.

The hill behind the farm.

Chen Shi found Salamence putting Drakloak through special training.

"Big Sis Salamence, Grandpa wants you to take me to Mt. Pyre."

"Sorry for the trouble, but I'll need you to come with me."

Chen Shi took out the Poké Ball his grandfather had given him and showed it to Salamence.

Seeing her own Poké Ball, Salamence didn't hesitate. She lowered herself, signaling for Chen Shi to climb onto her back.

But just as they were about to leave, Drakloak grew anxious.

"Drak?"

Hey, what's going on? Why aren't you taking me?

"I'll be back tonight. What would you come along for?"

Drakloak refused to back down, insisting on going with him.

"Fine, fine, you can come too." Unable to withstand Drakloak's pitiful gaze, Chen Shi could only agree.

Hearing that, Drakloak happily spun in a circle.

It leaped onto Salamence's back and lay down beside Chen Shi.

Salamence slowly beat her wings and flew in the direction Chen Shi pointed.

Soon, Chen Shi felt them picking up speed, the wind blowing his hair straight back.

The Dreepy on Drakloak's head cried out excitedly. The faster they went, the happier it became.

Chen Shi was a little speechless. No wonder it liked being fired off as a Dragon Dart.

With enthusiasm like that, wouldn't it demand to be launched several times a day once Drakloak evolved into Dragapult?

He wondered whether Drakloak would be able to take it in the future.

Chen Shi entertained the mischievous thought.

Drakloak seemed to sense something and turned its airplane-shaped head this way and that. Finding nothing amiss, it lay back down.

It also loved the feeling of flying at such incredible speed.

Chen Shi couldn't resist looking down and inwardly exclaimed at how absurd this was.

That's freaking Mauville City down there, right? Isn't this a little ridiculous?

You're the real Dragonite, aren't you?

Just over an hour later, Salamence brought Chen Shi to the foot of Mt. Pyre.

"Thanks for the effort, Big Sis Salamence."

Chen Shi patted Salamence's neck, then recalled her into her Poké Ball.

Mt. Pyre in the Hoenn Region, much like the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town in Kanto, was the burial place of many Pokémon.

Most of them had belonged to Pokémon Trainers.

Some had unfortunately died in battle, while others had reached the end of their natural lifespans and been buried here by their Pokémon Trainers.

That was precisely what had drawn so many Ghost-type Pokémon here.

Over time, the place had become a paradise for Ghost-type Pokémon, which often came out at night to scare people.

As a result, aside from Pokémon Trainers coming to bury their companions and people hoping to catch Ghost-type Pokémon, practically no one visited this creepy place.

Drakloak, however, seemed very fond of it, looking curiously here and there.

Once they arrived, Gengar jumped out of Chen Shi's shadow and led him onto the steps up the mountain.

As they climbed, a thick layer of fog gradually blocked the sunlight overhead, casting everything in a gray haze. The temperature was dropping, too.

Along the way, Chen Shi saw several people coming down the mountain, their faces filled with sorrow.

Chen Shi understood why. He left them alone and simply followed Gengar in silence.

Before long, they reached the mountainside. After leading him through several twists and turns, Gengar brought him to a rock wall.

Gengar felt around the wall. Soon, delight appeared on its face. With a tug of its chubby little hand, a dark passage opened before Chen Shi.

"Gengar!"

Gengar pointed at the passage, signaling that this was the place.

Looking at the eerie, terrifying passage before him, Chen Shi's mouth twitched. After a sigh, he followed Gengar inside.

Gengar