Securing the Poké Balls containing Murkrow and Chimecho, Yuga continued his ascent up Mt. Chimey with Floette and Absol.
The higher they climbed, the more Pokémon appeared in the forest, but there seemed to be no good catches among them.
Yuga kept his Insight ability active, hoping to identify a few higher-quality Pokémon, but it seemed that his luck had been exhausted by encountering Murkrow and Chimecho – he didn't come across any high-quality Pokémon.
As they approached the volcano summit, the vegetation grew sparser, and the encountered Pokémon shifted to predominantly Fire types.
Among the most common Fire types on Mt. Chimey were Slugma and Magcargo. Since Yuga had neared the mountaintop, he occasionally spotted Slugma and Magcargo sluggishly crawling along the path.
Apart from these, he also saw some Numels and Torkoals.
However, the quality of these Pokémon wasn't great, so Yuga didn't bother with them.
While walking, Yuga suddenly spotted a green-quality Houndour. He quickly chased after it with Absol and Floette.
Given the chance to capture a decent Pokémon, Yuga didn't want to let it slip away.
But this Houndour seemed incredibly timid. As soon as it saw Yuga, it fled rapidly. Normally, Houndours had fierce and audacious personalities, but this one was an exception.
This particular Houndour was quite fast. Despite Yuga and his team efforts to catch up, they couldn't quite close in. Of course, Yuga was the main reason for the delay, as Floette and Absol were faster than him.
Fortunately, they were near the volcano crater, and the sparse vegetation allowed them to keep sight of Houndour.
As they pursued, Yuga and his team came across a cave entrance. Houndour darted right inside and disappeared.
Upon reaching the cave entrance, Yuga, Floette, and Absol found no sign of Houndour, only darkness and a sense of foreboding within the cave. The eerie atmosphere gave Yuga a slight chill.
The cave entrance was taller than Yuga himself, and he could faintly detect the scent of sulfur emanating from within.
"Do you think this could be Houndour home?" Yuga asked Floette and Absol uncertainly.
Floette and Absol exchanged glances, then shook their heads, indicating they didn't know either.
"Should we go in and take a look?" Floette and Absol both stared at Yuga, seemingly saying, "We'll follow your lead."
Ultimately, Yuga couldn't just let the duck escape his mouth again. Clenching his teeth, he decided to enter.
"Let's go, we're heading in."
With those words, Yuga stepped forward and entered the cave, with Absol and Floette following closely behind.
Perhaps due to the proximity to the volcano, the cave was quite dry, and a faint, hot breeze seemed to circulate through the air.
If this was indeed Houndour dwelling, it did fit the profile – a Fire type like Houndour would find this dry, hot environment suitable.
However, as they ventured deeper, Yuga found something odd. The tunnel was gradually widening, and the light grew brighter. Houndour, a small creature, didn't seem to require such a large cavern.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the tunnel ahead suddenly vanished, replaced by a large, domed chamber. Below them was not solid ground, but a rolling pool of molten lava.
Within the circular magma pool, the fiery magma emitted bubbles as it churned.
The pool wasn't entirely composed of magma; several stout rock pillars emerged from the depths. These pillars were covered with Houndours, including the one Yuga had been chasing.
As Yuga, Floette, and Absol footsteps echoed in the lava chamber, all the Houndours turned their heads to look at them.
Feeling awkward, Yuga said, "Uh... hi there. Sorry to disturb your rest. We'll just be on our way."
As Yuga turned to leave, the Houndour they had been chasing earlier muttered something to the other Houndours atop the pillars. As a collective response, all of them got up and began snarling aggressively, baring their teeth at Yuga group.
Yuga used his Insight ability to check the levels of these Houndours; they ranged from level 15 to 25, not exceptionally high.
But their sheer numbers were overwhelming – Yuga counted a total of twelve, all of them exuding an intimidating aura. It would be quite challenging to handle them with just Floette and Absol.
"We mean no harm. I just want to capture that Houndour. We don't intend to hurt it," Yuga tried to soften his voice, hoping not to provoke these Houndours unintentionally.
However, despite Yuga explanation, their attitude remained unchanged. The Houndours continued to glare menacingly at Yuga group, maintaining their aggressive stance.
Absol positioned itself in front of Yuga and emitted a low growl, confronting the Houndours.
Seeing that his explanation was falling flat, Yuga thought that using force might be the only option – though going all-out against the whole group wasn't feasible, so he'd have to challenge their leader individually.
"Which one of you is the leader? How about we make a bet? Your leader comes out and faces my Pokémon in a one-on-one battle. If I win, you let me capture that Houndour," Yuga proposed, pointing at the Houndour they had been tracking.
This particular Houndour wasn't tall or aggressive like the others; it seemed a bit timid. Ordinary at first glance, it stood out to Yuga with his Insight ability activated.
The other Houndours emitted orange or yellow glows, but this one radiated a distinctive green light.
Pausing for a moment, Yuga continued, "If I lose, the three of us will be at your mercy."
Yuga last statement had a rather confrontational tone.
If he won, he could take that Houndour with him. If he lost, he'd let them do whatever they wanted to him. What did "whatever they wanted" entail? Tear him apart or devour him?
Although Houndours were known for their wicked personalities, they weren't savage enough to resort to such extremes.
However, it was clear that these Houndours didn't sense the cheekiness in Yuga words. A Houndour, bigger than the rest, stepped forward, seemingly accepting Yuga challenge.
This Houndour appeared to be the leader of this group of around a dozen Pokémon. It was also the highest-levelled one Yuga had seen among them, at level 25.
"There isn't enough space here. Let's go outside for the contest," the Houndour leader nodded. It then leaped down from its pillar and walked toward the cave entrance.
Other Houndours followed suit, descending from the pillars and trailing behind their leader, all heading towards the cave exit.
As they passed Yuga, he could even feel the scorching heat radiating from their bodies – a result of living in a magma environment for extended periods.