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The trail leading up to the caves is made of compacted gravel and I really don’t trust it. My concern is only increased by looking up and ahead. The caves we’re looking for are in plain sight, lava tubes in fact. But that’s not an issue, no, the issue is that it looks like something took a slice out of the side of the volcano.

Wela Volcano’s smooth slope has a piece cut clean off and the hill of igneous boulders down below is the result of what was sheared off. Just like cutting a piece of fudge cake and leaving it set to the side.

Ropes are anchored along the snaking path that branches out so that nearly every cave is accessible. Although some of the higher ones I wouldn’t approach without some kind of hiking gear.

When we finally reach the first one I can’t help but pull back from the intense heat billowing out of the tunnel.

“Alright,” Looking back at my team, “If you’ve got anything to cover your face, you'll be better off than me in here.”

Best I have on me is a pair of sunglasses, perfect for an already dark tunnel…

A hand passes me a bandanna, looking back Jane is pulling more out of her bag and giving the last one to Citro.

“Nice! Shall we?” I gesture to the cave mouth and Jane sticks out her tongue.

The tunnel is large enough that the jeep could drive through, however when I step around the slight bend I see a problem. Namely a local group of rookies having their lunch at the dead end.

“Sorry guys,” I wave at the three teens chugging water and granola bars, “Don’t suppose you’ve seen any Magby today?”

A boy with a top knot points up, “Some of the upper tunnel entrances go deeper in the mountain. It shouldn't be hard to find one near an active vent, just don’t fall in.”

The girl of the trio calls out, “Wait! Are you here for the fire festival?” The rest of our team steps around the bend, “Y'all should hurry if you want to earn enough points to get a prize this year.”

Naomi tilts her head, “Prize?”

Adjusting his glasses, the last boy releases his Tepig, “It’s like a carnival at the Wela Shrine near the peak. They have prizes beneficial for fire types. We’re doing the Treasure hunt challenge.”

Tying her black hair back, the girl gives a toothy grin, “Last year someone found a Fire Stone geode the size of a Raticate! He got the Crown for the year.”

That sounds like it would look badass on a shelf, “Well best of luck, and thanks for the tip.”

The next three tunnels show similar results, one Slugma, two more trainers and a really big hole I’d rather not risk exploring today.

Finally the fourth goes in far enough that we catch light glowing on the wall of the next turn. Thick smoke fills the cave ceiling however I can tell it’s getting siphoned off by a man drilled hole in the roof that’s also taking care of most of the heat. The heat is nearly unbearable, but I can just hear the sounds of sizzling, bubbling, and maybe something else.

“Naomi,” I step back to the group, “I can hear lava ahead I think, and maybe some pokemon. Can your Floette create enough of a breeze to clear the smoke?”

“No problem!” Her enthusiasm to be useful doesn’t go unnoticed.

We need to spend more time grinding out some training for her team.

The little sprite appears in a burst of blue petals and begins to twirl it’s flower, a gentle gust of wind begins to force up the smog obscuring the chamber.

Revealed is another Slugma, but it’s fighting off a Magby attempting to capitalize on the heat coming from a glowing orange vein in the rock. Actual magma can be seen dripping in a crack in the wall.

Dexa has bad news however, this is a male Magby, “We’ll you wanna try scaring it off and seeing if it leads us to more?”

Lacy shoots that down, “I don’t think we should head further down this tunnel with how thick the smoke gets.”

Naomi whispers, “It shouldn't be an issue for Delphi to keep blowing away the smoke.”

“Alright,” I peek at Lacy and see her eyes roll, “lead the way.”

With a flash of light, Naomi sends out her Mienfoo and Ralts, “Froosh, use Fake Out on the Magby. Lasura, use hypnosis on Slugma.”

While Ralts sends a swirl of blue petals to dance rapidly around the Slugma’s head, the ninja weasel does a flying roundhouse kick that Chuck Norris would approve of. The fire slug starts to get dizzy tracking the ethereal petals while Magby takes the hit to the chest and slams into the wall.

Mienfoo follows up her attack with an intimidating growl but I can see the little gal favoring the foot she didn’t kick with.

Magby takes off down the tunnel while Slugma collapses near the wall vein, it’s body slowly pouring down into the lava flow.

“Um...That won’t kill it, right?”

Citro snorts, “Nah, they swim in the stuff.”

Glancing back at the boy, “How’s your team looking for going further in?”

He shrugs, “I don’t think Boomer will like anything fire related, but my Noibat is good to go.”

Naomi returns her Ralts as she starts to wilt in the heat, the Mienfoo gets the burn on her foot healed by a cream Wattson had in her bag before also returning to her ball. With the heat picking up even more, Naomi lets out her Alolan Vulpix.

“Frost, use Icy Wind to help us in the tunnel.”

Sure enough as the spiky white tail starts to swish back and forth, I can spot little ice crystals drift out and gust ahead of us as it quickly melts.

I wouldn’t call the tunnel tolerable by any stretch, but we should manage to jog down another dozen yards or so before leaving for another. Two more turns, an accidental dead end, and we find the path coming to an abrupt end via a cave in, minus a small hole dug out near the side.

The first Magby is pestering another that seems to have fought off a retreating Diglett. Fortunately this one looks to be female.

Seeing as most of the other pokemon have had some sort of challenge today except the bugs for obvious reasons, I give my Tirtouga some time in the hot seat.

“Zilla, Aqua Jet into Razor Shell, then a point blank Water Gun!”

My blue sea turtle rockets forward in a spray of water with a slight spin in order to slam her shell into the two Magby!

The boy from before takes the impact and gets smashed aside while the target female makes a clean jump over my turtle. Zilla whips her head forwards and Water guns the male to unconsciousness.

“I guess I should specify next time. The other one Zilla!”

But the female isn’t taking this lightly, she dashes forward while coating her arm in flames.

“Withdraw and water gun!”

Zilla shields her face with her flippers to block the hit that shoves her back a bit along the smooth stone floor before she gives another shot of water. It barely clips the speedy little fire type and I know Zilla only stores so much water in her shell. I know this volcano air won't have any of that fancy water energy special focused pokemon pull from.

Magby follows up by spewing out a black cloud of smog.

“One more Aqua jet with a Smack Down this time!”

Zilla bursts through the smog in a spray of water vapor and whips her stone shelled beak into Magby’s face.

The little red, fire platypus stumbles on the ground.

I’m practically out of water but not the fight, “Bite!”

“BYyyy!”

A scream that definitely makes me feel bad escapes Magby as she struggles to free herself from the sharp turtle beak. Boiling blood drips to the cave floor while at the same time Zilla is suffering from the heated body of the fire type, her eyes shut tight.

Maybe Zilla can pull enough water to end it, “Brine.”

Sea foam bubbles from my Tirtougas mouth around the wound as Magby's cries become weaker, the little gal passes out from the pain.

It might have been a solid battle, but as my pokeball signals a successful catch I can’t help feeling a little bad.

Citro voices my thoughts, “I can see why commission hunting isn’t a popular job. It’s one thing if you're going to turn around and make it up to the pokemon, but this… I’d pass.”

“Well,” I pat Zilla on the head and return her as well, “That was definitely a bit more vicious feeling than normal.”

Jane sprays a bit of potion on the passed out male Magby and does what she can to wake it up without actually touching his heated body, which amounts to blowing in its ear. “Well that's also why most training is done through sparring or challenges or move practice.”

When the little guy starts to show movement she quickly backs off to avoid an ember to the face, “Let's get out of here.”

Making our way back out, I glance at Jane, “So what are you after here?”

She grins and points just ahead as a weird pokemon, wearing a skull on its head with the spine still attached, steps out of what we thought was a dead end earlier, “That!”

The charcoal grey wallaby turns towards us and growls from under its bone helmet, “Marrro!”

Once more Citro and Naomi take cover with Lacy as Jane sends out her Krokorok.

“This is it Crooky! Man to Man!”

Glancing at my dex app, “That Marowak is female, Jane.”

“Regardless,” she powers through as the two similarly sized pokemon square off, “Kick it off with a Sand Attack!”

The croc dips into a low spin and flings gravel into the face of his opponent who just lowers her head and shakes it off. With another growl, emerald flames ignite along the skull and spine bones and at either end of the large femur the pokemon wields like a club.

With a burst of speed Marowak charges forwards while spinning the bone, a wheel of flames comes crashing down.

Jane smirks without missing a command.

Crooky steps in blocks with both arms below the flames but roars from the pain.

“Payback and Power Trip!”

The croc lashes out and grabs hold of the Marowak’s club before leaping to tail slam the head of the armored opponent. It tries to fight back but Jane seems like she's giving no mercy this time.

“Foul play and Crunch!”

Marowak tries once more to take back her club but when she reaches with the other paw, Crooky chomps down on it. Then the sinister reptile starts using his hind legs to claw at Marowak’s belly.

The contest of strength seems to just barely edge out in the Krokoroks favor as he pushes them over into a roll on the ground, the whole time refusing to let the opponent go. She begins to smash her skull clad head against the croc but that just makes him more aggressive.

Jane risks stepping closer to the brawl, “Marowak, yield!”

Marowak flares enough flames to force Crooky to let go but just as she tries to smack him with it, the sand crocodile does a classic deathroll along the ground, dragging the howling Marowak with him.

When he stops he finally let's go with his jaws and pins both of Marowak’s arms to the ground, his tail wrapped over hers, his reptilian eyes glaring into hers.

After an intense second the flames along the bones flicker out without ever having had the chance to contact Crooky.

Marowak looks over to Jane and nods with a huff of breath.

Jane tosses out a dusk ball and it confirms the catch with barely a shake.

Looking at the girl who was just acting all intimidating, do a little happy dance, “You had this all planned huh?”

She snorts, “They swing flaming bones and wear skulls! How could I not want one?!”

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