The heat was literally on in the Sinnoh region's Mount Coronet Road Tunnel as a truck fire threatened to turn into an all-out disaster. The Hisui Foods box truck of driver Trent Maroun had caught fire and it was quickly spreading throughout the rig, being fueled up by its surprisingly flammable cargo of simple margarine. The situation was going south fast with the big rigs of drivers Ken Worth and Andy Austin stuck right behind the soon to be inferno but it had somehow gotten worse as Andy informed the others that his NQA Trucking rig was carrying a full load of ammonium nitrate, having been misinformed about the fertilizer's second use as a powerful explosive. With the fire certain to spread to the other trucks without action being taken, and firefighters delayed by a separate incident, the risk of the flames detonating the chemical and causing a massive explosion with enough force to destroy everything and everyone in the tunnel was growing with each moment.

With all efforts to extinguish the fire having failed Ken was about to make a desperate move to prevent the fire from spreading to Andy's truck. His GS Transport Truck #653 was sandwiched between Trent's burning truck and Andy's explosives-laden one and that gave him a plan. If the fire couldn't be put out then maybe he could just relocate it by using his big rig to push the burning one away from Andy's truck. There were many things that could go wrong with that plan but given the alternative was being blown to pieces it least seemed better than nothing.

"Okay, I've got a plan," Ken said to the other drivers. "I'm going to use my truck and just push Trent's rig away. It looks like there's no traffic coming into the tunnel now, they must be stopping it on the north end. If I can push that rig away it could at least buy us some time. If anyone has a better option, I'd love to hear it."

"I don't," Andy said. "But don't you think that's a bit risky?"

"How far are you want to push it?" Trent asked.

"Out of the tunnel, if possible," Ken said. "That rig is a goner but if I can get it out then it will burn up outside where the fire and smoke aren't trapped inside this potential oven."

"And what if it goes wrong and you spread the fire to your rig?" Andy asked.

"If we do nothing my truck is going to burn up anyway when that fire really starts taking off," Ken said. "I'd rather go down swinging than just sit around and wait to die either choking on smoke or being blown to tiny bits."

Ken and Fennekin both looked at Trent's truck. Fennekin was in awe for a second of how it was burning before he shook it off remembering the danger. Ken thought about how exactly he could push it. There were instructions for pushing a truck with another truck in his truck's operator manual but that was intended for extreme heavy haul operations that required double power and double breaking. That maneuver also required drivers in both trucks. He'd just have to wing it.

"Is there anything that could prevent your truck from free rolling?" Ken asked.

"It's in park and I set the parking brake," Trent replied. "It's a big yellow button on the dash, press it to release it like on all 750s."

"We've got undo them to have a chance to get that rig rolling," Ken said. "Buizel, water gun straight at the driver's door. Cool it off."

"Bui," replied the orange otter before blasting the door.

Ken, Trent, and Fennekin ran over to the burning truck with Trent quickly pulling open the cab and jumping up into it. Even with the door open the interior was radiating heat like an oven and he knew this would be his last time behind the wheel of this truck. He shifted from park into neutral only for the gearshift to break off in his hand as flames started shooting out of the center console. Trent dove out of the truck as the interior of his day cab truck ignited. He hit the pavement with a thud only to realize he forgot to turn off the parking brake. Suddenly a yellow flash leapt up over him straight into the burning cab.

Ken didn't even have to tell Fennekin what to do as the little yellow fox leapt up into the cab. Ken picked up on what the little guy was doing and smiled. Fennekin watched Ken drive their 750 Eeveeliner truck every day and almost knew exactly what every button on the dashboard did from radio presets to the lane departure avoidance system. As a fire type he had a higher tolerance to flames than the humans did but he still likely only had seconds to complete this task before the spreading fire made it impossible. Fennekin caught a glimpse of something yellow on the dashboard and leapt at it, pushing it with his paw. It was the parking brake button and the brakes hissed as they were released. The fox quickly jumped out of the cab just as more flames exploded up into it. Ken slammed the door behind Fennekin as he leapt out. He noticed the ice over the diesel fuel tanks was starting to melt.

"Vuplix," Ken yelled. "Put another layer of ice over the wheels and the fuel tanks. We've got to buy a little more time."

"Vul," the Alolan fox responded before racing around the burning truck to put another layer of powder snow ice on it.

"Buizel, follow us," Ken said.

Ken, Buizel, and Fennekin ran back to Truck #653. Ken leapt into the cab and pulled out a towel, wordlessly he gestured to Buizel to soak it with his water gun and the water type did so. Ken took his position in the driver's seat and fired up the engine. Fennekin took his spot in the passenger seat while Ken recalled Vulpix back into her Luxury Ball when she finished her work. He gestured to Buizel to hold back and take a position on the bunks at the back of their sleeper cab.

"Hold tight there Buizel," Ken said. "If the fire starts coming into the cab, I want you to use your water gun and try to put it out. Hopefully it won't come to that."

"Bui," Buizel replied.

Ken closed the door as he pondered how many health and safety laws he was about to break. He had looked ahead in the tunnel and noticed it was clear so he wasn't going to hit someone head on trying this. Fennekin looked up at him. They both knew this could be a one-way trip but at least it could stop the explosives from detonating. Ken took the white towel and tied it around his head to cover his mouth and nose, hopefully it would filter out any smoke if it started coming into the cab. He set the air conditioner to maximum cooling and pressed a button to make the system only recirculate the air already in the truck instead of pulling any from the outside. Ken rolled down the window and looked out of the cab.

"If I don't make it call my family and tell them I love them," Ken told Andy and Trent. "And whatever happens don't even think of moving Andy's truck one freaking inch until you get an all-clear from the firefighters or something."

Both of them nodded in agreement to do so as Ken rolled up his window and threw his truck into drive. He selected a low gear and inched up to the back of Trent's burning truck. The truck's bumpers touched before Ken mashed the accelerator. Truck #653's tires spun and smoked as Ken gave it everything it had. Trent and Andy stood back. Suddenly with a jerk forward the Hisui Foods truck started to move. That was all Ken needed and he shifted to get the best gear as his rig started pushing the burning one. Amazingly it was working and the two trucks were picking up speed as they started to move. Trent and Andy watched the two trucks vanish off into the tunnel, with Ken giving his horns two blasts as if to say "clear the way," and they breathed a sigh of relief that they would survive this. But would Ken and his team? The pair would have a fun conversation a few moments later when the firefighters finally arrived on the scene literally asking "where's the fire?"

With bumpers locked together the two trucks raced down the tunnel. The fire had now fully engulfed the cab of the margarine truck and it was smoking badly. The two trucks running together almost looked a satanic steam locomotive, spitting smoke and flames as it raced down the tunnel. The icy coating on the tires quickly broke off once the truck started moving and the layer over the diesel tank was melting fast. The fire was now starting to spread to the box truck's tires. Ken, Fennekin, and Buizel thankfully weren't having to deal with any smoke yet, with Truck #653's long nose give them a bit of gap between them and the fire. Getting the truck rolling again was cutting off oxygen to some of the fire but any benefits were canceled out by the wind over the truck accelerating the flames it could access. The Hisui Foods truck was going to burn to the ground but could they get it out of the tunnel first? Ken pushed the accelerator further toward the floor.

"Come on #653, give me all you've got," Ken said.

Buizel was holding on tight to Ken's bed. He looked at Fennekin confusedly but Fennekin shoot him back a friendly smile as if to say "yeah, this happens to us a lot." Buizel rolled his eyes, whatever this group did it still beat getting zapped by mischievous Pachirisus on Route 205.

Just when it looked like Ken's crazy plan was going to work without a hitch a loud bang echoed through the tunnel as the burning box truck's front left tire blew out due to the fire. The truck started sliding to the left and off Truck #653's bumper. Ken steered into it and kept the accelerator down to maintain what control he could but then backed off as the box truck crossed the center line, aiming not to spin it out. The burning truck slapped the opposite side of the tunnel, breaking off the ice on the fuel tanks, then ricocheted off it back toward the center. Ken was there to meet it as he accelerated and Truck #653 started pushing it again. There was another bang as the right front tire on the Hisui Foods truck blew out. Now the box truck was running on the rims and the wheels were sparking like crazy as they came apart. Ken looked ahead and saw a very simple but welcome sight: daylight. They were almost out of the tunnel.

"Just a little more," Ken said.

With a blast of smoke, the two trucks emerged from the tunnel. Ken immediately spiked the brakes, pulling back from the box truck as it went sliding away in front of his truck. The Hisui Foods truck didn't make it much further as the damage to its wheels thankfully slowed it before reached the toll booths. The truck came to rest in an open area as the fire started spreading again. Ken let out a mild laugh, the box truck would burn up but the tunnel wouldn't.

"Sweet Moltres on a motorcycle, we got away with that," Ken said. "Thank goodness."

Several helpful trainers saw the flaming truck and deployed their water Pokémon with a Staryu, a Crawdaunt, a Bibarel, a Quaxwell, and a Prinplup all quickly spraying at the fire. Three fire engines from a nearby community's fire department were also quick on the scene. The fire would be out soon but the Hisui Foods truck would be left a blackened, burned-out wreck by the time it was over. The mostly melted remains were barely recognizable as having previously been a truck.

A few hours later the rear doors on an ambulance opened with Ken stepping out and thanking the paramedics. He'd had a quick checkup to confirm he was still cleared to drive after the incident. He thanked the paramedics but there was another first responder stepping out of the ambulance; Officer Jenny. While Ken's move stopped the situation from getting worse it was still risky and he was given a warning for it. If that truck had hit the toll booths it could have easily spread the fire to them and made the situation worse, although given what would have happened with Andy's truck in the tunnel that likely would still be preferable. Ken's citation was just a slap on the wrist and carried no real penalty or risk to his licenses but he was advised to think carefully before making moves like that in the future. Fennekin, Buizel, and Vulpix had all gotten checked over by a crew from a Pokémon Center and also got a clean bill of health. The latter two were safely back in their Poké Balls.

Truck #653 sat off to the side getting attended to by a crew of GS Transport mechanics with their giant big rig-sized tow truck Chansey 11. Ken thought back to the last time he faced the mechanics and how it was the end of his time running with Truck #2,013. This time the news was better as Ken checked in with the mechanics, George and Meade. Fennekin was again at his side as they checked on their cargo.

"How is out big blue patient?" Ken asked.

"Well, you got lucky," George said. "Thankfully your cab didn't inhale any smoke so the interior is good to go. The front bullbars had some burn marks but they buffed out and the motors are still at full song."

"You're clear to go," added Meade. "Be careful with her. You pushed it pretty hard today. We brought some of the guys up from the Janko Mining Equipment company to look over the cargo and it's fine. No notable smoke got into the container so it's all still ready for the mine to use."

"Well, that's a relief," Ken said.

"Fen fen," added Fennekin, clearly just as happy as his partner to see their truck and cargo made it.

"We're going to head back to the garage in Eterna City," George said. "Good luck out there."

"Thank you," Ken said. "Safe travels."

None of the three truck drivers would get off unscathed although Ken's issues were minor in comparison to those of Trent and Andy. Trent would get demoted by Hisui Foods for his bad judgement in not stopping before entering the tunnel, but he would just be bumped back down to more local runs around his home in Jubilife City to make amends for a bit before going back up to intercity routes a few months down the road. The investigation into the fire would clear him of the responsibility for it, finding evidence of the cigarette in the intake that started it, and he would start moving back up the ranks faster after that.

Andy however faced bigger penalties, he was ticketed for mishandling of dangerous goods by taking the load into the tunnel and got his truck impounded while the police investigated why he wasn't told of the dangers his cargo could pose by his company. NQA Trucking called him up but rather than explain anything they fired him for the incident and tried to cover up everything as best they could. The rookie trucker was left sitting on the side of the road without a truck or a job. Trent tried to comfort him as Ken walked up to the pair.

"Well, I guess that's that," Andy said. "I've been working toward a job in trucking for two years and I made it all of a week then blew it all up, almost literally."

"It happens man," Trent replied. "We all get caught out sometimes and you got straight up misled. They'll nail the dummies who gave you bad info on that load."

"That's not much of a consolation when I'm still out of a job," Andy said. "No one in Sinnoh is going to hire me after an incident like this."

"Who says it has to be in Sinnoh?" Ken asked. "You'll end up down the proverbial totem pole for this but that doesn't mean you can't start again at the bottom and build yourself back up."

Ken pulled out his wallet and took a purple and white business card out of his pocket. He handed it to Andy who turned it over. It read "Rattata Express" and had contact information.

"Give my buddy Mickey in Kanto's Celadon City a call," Ken said. "He can help out with either a beginner spot or advice on where you can get one with someone else. Study up and build yourself back up, this isn't the time to quit."

Andy smiled slightly, maybe he wasn't done just yet.

"I've got to get rolling but I wish you both the best on the road of life," Ken said.

"We'll be alright," Trent said. "Life has its setbacks but every traffic jam eventually clears up. We'll get rolling again."

"Good luck on the ice road," Andy added. "You might need it."

"Thanks," Ken said. "I'll take any luck I can get right now."

Ken and Fennekin walked back to the truck before setting off again. For the operators of the Mount Coronet Road Tunnel they were well aware of just how close to disaster this day came. In the months that followed the tunnel would be upgraded with toll plazas and fire stations positioned on both sides of the tunnel to better control access to the tunnel by both traffic and first responders. An extra underground fire station would also be built at the center of the tunnel to assure firefighters would not be delayed in reaching an emergency again. All trucks entering the tunnel would also now have to pass through a thermal scanner that could pick up an issue like the one Trent's truck had and stop trucks like that from entering the tunnel. There would never be a repeat of this incident.

With the fire thankfully extinguished Ken and Fennekin were able to continue their run north. The delays at the tunnel doomed Ken's hopes of making it all the way to Snowpoint City in one day and he parked for the night in Chocovine Town to relax. The journey north would begin again the next day with the ice road already calling them north.

AUTHOR NOTES

I was going over real truck dashboards as part of the research for this chapter. I got lucky, the parking brake button really is a big yellow button on big rigs that is easy to find. I had guessed when I wrote the last chapter.