I chose to write this chapter partially because I wanted Brock to have a chance getting a Magcargo. I always thought he should've caught one in the Johto Saga because, obviously, he was a rock-type Gym Leader before.

Besides, there was a heatwave striking my country, so it was weirdly good timed while I was working on this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 42: Some Like it Hot

We returned to Mahogany Town the day after we watched the Kimono Sisters' performance with a flying taxi and continued our journey to Blackthorn City on foot. We had a large mountain to cross since the city was located far in the north-east of Johto. It was basically an isolated place, which was suited for Trainers who wanted to become dragon tamers. Some were saying it was part of a challenge for future dragon masters.

Mountains up in the north were known to be cold and covered in snow, but the area where we currently were in was actually warm, even close to hot.

"I can't wait to get my hands on the final badge!" Ash commented eagerly. "This will be a piece of cake!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu chirped happily from his shoulder.

"Ash, this might be our toughest Gym", I told him. "Clair is a dragon tamer master like Champion Lance. They are even cousins who live in the same city and they train regularly together with their dragons."

"You became so talkative now, Ashley", Misty giggled.

"Togi togi!" Togepi chirped from her arms.

"I love talking about dragons and dragon tamers", I replied. "I can't help it."

"Clair is known as the Blessed User of Dragon Pokémon", Brock spoke up before he became love struck. "I can't wait to be blessed by her beauty and elegant battle style while controlling powerful dragons!"

"Brock is certainly boiling over with love of a woman he hasn't met yet", Misty sighed tiredly. "But I'm sweating like crazy. It's hot here."

"It's probably because there are volcanos around this part of the mountain", Brock said as he snapped out of his trance. "And I read in the guidebook that there's lots of hot springs here."

"That explains the humidity…", Ash mumbled and used his hat to fan himself.

I had to take off my jacket because I was also sweating like it was in the middle of summer, even though it was close to the end of August. "N-No wonder…some say this is the Path of Challenges…"

"T-The heat is brutal…", Brock gasped as he too was getting affected by the heat.

"N-Need water…and shade…", Misty groaned in defeat.

I rubbed my eyes when I thought I saw some magma coming out from nowhere. It turned out to be half a hallucination. The magma was actually a Pokémon.

"Magcargo…"

"Hey, that's a Magcargo over there", I called out, pointing at said Pokémon that slithered across the rough terrain.

"A Magcargo?" Ash repeated and picked up his Pokédex.

Magcargo, the lava Pokémon. Fire and rock-type. The evolved form of Slugma. Its brittle shell is just skin that has cooled and hardened and occasionally spouts intense flames that circulate throughout its body. It breaks easily with a slight touch.

Magcargo stopped in its movement and stared at us with big eyes. A small puff of fire came out from its round shell. I didn't know if it was for intimidation or it just wanted to ease the pressure.

"Whoa, guys, look around!" Brock gasped. "There are tons of Magcargos here!"

He was right. Wild Magcargos were crawling on the walls and rested on cliffs, but now they had their attention on us. They didn't have an aggressive behavior, so we were probably safe.

"Thank goodness they are not bugs, or else I would've been out of here", Misty commented.

"Cargo…", the wild Magcargo in front of us yawned before it crawled into a small cave.

"The Magcargos are watching us, but they seem friendly", Ash commented.

"Pika pika."

"They probably know we mean no harm and they're letting us walk through their territory", I nodded.

"Let's keep going in a calm and quiet pace", Brock suggested.

I couldn't help but get fascinated by the sight of wild Magcargos. None of them behaved like they wanted to kick us out of the mountain, but looks could be deceiving. You never knew if they were going to swiftly change mood like an Ursaring.

It didn't take long before we reached an area of the mountain where the air felt a lot cooler. I could finally breathe in fresh air. "What a relief."

"Yeah, we made it out without melting into goo", Ash nodded.

"I need a river to cool down in", Misty sighed in relief.

"We better check our water supply when we get out of here", Brock suggested. "We don't know yet how much water has evaporated-"

We stopped in our tracks when we stumbled upon a tiny issue… Or rather a huge issue.

"What is that huge Magcargo?" I gasped in surprise.

There was another Magcargo, three times larger than the ones we just saw, lying in the middle of our path snoozing. The worst part was it was blocking our path.

"I've never seen a Magcargo this large in my life", Brock said in awe.

"But it's blocking our path", Ash muttered.

"How do we get past this without waking it up?" Misty wondered.

"We could've tried giving it a Chesto Berry, but I know we don't have any berries on us", I said.

"Magcargo, wake up and go sleep somewhere else, please!" Ash shouted at the sleeping Pokémon. "We need to get past you!" His loud voice actually woke the huge Magcargo up. "I'm sorry, but we're in a hurry and need to get through here and you're blocking our way!"

"Cargoo…", the huge Magcargo glared at us like we were annoying Beedrills buzzing in its ears. The air got warm as it emitted a heatwave from its body.

"Guys, run for it!" Brock yelled.

We ran away when Magcargo's cheeks expanded while preparing a Flamethrower. We ducked down to dodge the fire breath as it flew right past us.

"Hey, that was uncalled for!" Ash yelled.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu growled back.

"Magcargoo!" Magcargo screeched and fired another Flamthrower, forcing us down to the ground.

"It sure has a bad temper after being waken up rudely", Brock coughed as he spit out some dirt.

"Everyone gets cranky when somebody wakes them up in the middle of their sleep", I pointed out.

The huge Magcargo yawned and actually fell asleep in the middle of the path. There was a tiny space where we could probably get through, but we didn't want to wake the Pokémon up and get roasted.

"I've had it!" Misty growled and grabbed a Poké Ball. "I'm sweaty and stinky and I just want to get out of this forsaken place! Poliwhirl, I choose you!"

"Poliwhiirl!" Poliwhirl grunted as he came out from the Poké Ball.

"Mag…?" Magcargo woke up and glared at Misty's Pokémon, knowing a battle was about to begin. "Cargo!"

"Poliwhirl, use Water Gun!" Misty commanded.

"Poliii!" Poliwhirl sprayed a large Water Gun at Magcargo who withdrew inside its shell. The water bounced onto the hard surface and sizzled as it got evaporated.

"It didn't do a thing!" Ash gasped.

"But water-type moves should be four times super-effective against Magcargos!" I said.

"Margoo!" Magcargo came out from its shell and pounded its body to the side of the mountain. Loose boulders rolled down the cliff and toward Poliwhirl.

"That's Rock Slide!" Brock warned.

"Poliwhirl, dodge the boulders quick!" Misty shouted.

Poliwhirl jumped up and bounced between the boulders without getting hit once. The boulders piled up on the path with Poliwhirl standing on top of it. Before we even had a chance sighing in relief that Misty's Pokémon didn't get buried, Magcargo jumped up from behind and expanded its magma-like body.

"It's preparing a Body Slam!" Brock gasped.

"Dodge it again, Poliwhirl!" Misty yelled.

Poliwhirl dodged the incoming Body Slam, so Magcargo ended up striking the boulders. Magcargo recovered after the failure and breathed a Flamethrower at Poliwhirl. The water Pokémon screeched in pain and crashed to the ground having bruises and scorch marks.

"Oh no, Poliwhirl!" Misty gasped. She handed Togepi to me so she could attend to her fallen Pokémon and helped him sit up. "Poliwhirl, are you okay?"

"P-Poli…", Poliwhirl whimpered sadly.

"You did your best today, Poliwhirl. Thank you", Misty praised him before she recalled him to his Poké Ball.

"Cargoo!" Magcargo growled, but didn't show any more aggression like it knew the battle was over.

"That Magcargo is like the king of all Magcargos", Ash commented.

"Pika", Pikachu nodded.

"I think there's a term for these huge Pokémon…", I mumbled and rubbed my forehead, trying to remember which book I read about large Pokémon.

My thoughts were rudely interrupted by a laugh that obviously sounded like the person wanted to mock us. A boy around our age stood by a cliff looking very cocky, even cockier than Ash whenever he felt like a big person.

"I watched your battle since the beginning", the boy cackled. "You are such an embarrassment losing against that titan Magcargo with those poor moves!"

"Titan…?" I repeated hesitantly. It almost sounded right, but it was probably still the wrong terminology.

Misty got offended by the boy's comment. "Who do you think you are judging my battle techniques?! Who are you?!"

"Cool it, sis! You are talking to none other than-", the boy jumped down the cliff, but he misjudged his calculation and ended up falling face down to the ground.

"Hey, you okay?" Ash asked concernedly.

The boy quickly got up and brushed the dirt off his face and clothes. "Yes! Like I wanted to say, you are talking to none other than Egan the Fire Prince!"

"Okay then, Fire Prince!" Misty frowned sarcastically. "Tell me what I did wrong, if you are so smart."

"Easy; you ran away from the battle before it was over", Egan retorted. "Only cowards run."

"What?! That wasn't running away!" Misty spat back furiously.

"I agree", I nodded. "Misty knew her Pokémon had enough and she prioritized Poliwhirl's health."

"Losing is for whiners", Egan said arrogantly. "Let me show you how a real battle is! Magcargo, I challenge to a batt-"

The wild Magcargo apparently had enough of us talking loudly and interrupting its sleep so it crawled into a cave. Egan panicked. "Hey, come back here! I want to finish our business I started!" He glared angrily at Misty. "This is all your fault! You disappointed it so much you pushed it away!"

"Then go run after it if you want to battle it!" Misty shouted.

"I will…after I learn your name, loser!"

"Well, if you are the Fire Prince, then I hate to extinguish your fire! I am the future Water Princess and master of water-type Pokémon, Misty! The Cerulean City Gym Leader to be!"

"You think Misty found her match?" Brock commented.

"Her what now?" Ash reacted strongly at our friend's sarcastic words.

"You?! A Gym Leader?" Egan looked like he couldn't believe it before he laughed. "You're a Gym Leader and your Poliwhirl couldn't even defeat a titan Pokémon? You're a big joke!"

"Well, joke's on you if you can't defeat that Magcargo either", Misty retorted.

"Fine! I'll be back after I catch that Magcargo and challenge your water Pokémon to a battle with my fire Pokémon!" Egan promised.

"I'll be waiting for you!" Misty nodded. "And I'll show you a lesson about water Pokémon!"

"I'll do the same with my fire Pokémon!" Egan retorted before he rushed after Magcargo. "Magcargo, wait for me!"

"That argument almost got heated", Brock said.

"Yeah, I was sweating just by watching and listening", I nodded, glad to see it didn't escalate.

"Togi?"

"You guys think we'll see him again?" Ash wondered.

"He might be a cocky brat, but I can tell he's passionate about Pokémon", Misty said. "He'll come back, I'm sure of it."

"Let's go now before that Magcargo changes its plans and blocks the path again", Brock suggested.

"Yeah, I need to walk off the steam after that kid's arrogance", Misty muttered after she took back Togepi.

I grabbed my thermos strapped on the side of my backpack and drank some of it to rehydrate. It was mostly lukewarm and it was understandable considering we had walked through a very warm area.

The rest of the walk was calm until Egan ran out of a cave a few meters from us. "Hey, guys! Have you seen the titan Magcargo come past here?"

"No, we didn't see it", Ash replied, shaking his head.

"Pika pika."

"Well, the Fire Prince who seems to be so smart failed to capture it", Misty said sarcastically, which clearly angered the boy.

"Are you making fun of me?!" Egan exclaimed angrily.

"I'm only stating the truth", Misty retorted.

"It's behind you, Egan!" Brock yelled.

The huge Magcargo came crawling out from another cave. We recognized it because it had a deep cut on its shell which it had when we first stumbled upon it less than thirty minutes ago.

"Aha! So it was here!" Egan forgot about Misty and turned to the wild Pokémon. "Magcargo, hold it!"

"Mag?"

"I challenge you to a battle and I'll even catch you! Battle me!" Egan demanded as he grabbed a Poké Ball from his pocket.

"Cargoo!" Magcargo immediately turned aggressive, waiting for the boy to make a move.

"Watch closely, Misty, 'cause you'll never get a second chance!" Egan said.

"Get on with it, maestro", Misty sighed.

"Go, Flareon!" Egan threw his Poké Ball, calling out the fire Eeveelution.

"Flaaareon!"

"A fire-type Pokémon against another fire Pokémon?" I tilted my head with a confused expression.

"Egan must have some kind of strategy against that Magcargo", Brock spoke up. "Although, Magcargo's dual rock type is an issue."

"But Flareon might have an advantage in speed", Ash pointed out. "Magcargo's movement is slower than a canine Pokémon."

"Pika pi."

XXXXXXXXXX

It first appeared like Flareon had a huge advantage against the wild Magcargo thanks to its Flash Fire ability that absorbed its Flamethrower, but it still got defeated by Magcargo's strength with its other moves. I didn't enjoy watching the battle because Egan pushed his Pokémon too far, not considering its health.

When Magcargo realized the battle was over, it crawled away to find another place to take a nap. Egan picked up Flareon and cradled it in his arms. "Flareon, you okay?"

"Flaar…", Flareon whimpered in pain.

"You did what you could, return", Egan recalled his Pokémon to its Poké Ball.

"You were…really close catching it", Ash tried comforting the sulky boy.

"Y-Yeah, great battle", Brock joined the pity party.

"That was not a good battle", I glared at Egan. "You pushed your Flareon too hard and didn't even consider its health!"

"Flareon knows where his limits are, so stay out of it!" Egan retorted.

"It's the Trainer who should know when a battle is over!" I yelled back, not really thinking twice about my behavior.

"Hey, calm down, Ashley", Misty stepped in and held me back.

"Hmrph!" Egan frowned and turned away. "Go ahead and laugh!"

"Okay", Misty giggled, which agitated the boy.

"You actually laughed?!"

"But don't they say that laughter is the best medicine?" Misty replied calmly. "That's the best way getting the steam out when it gets too hot."

"Uh…", Egan trailed off and thought twice about it. "Maybe… Wait! What am I saying?! Of course the answer's no!"

While I cooled down, those two heated up again with their argument.

"Hey, hothead! We're just trying to help you, okay?!"

"I never asked for any help, 'specially from a water girl!"

"I said you need help because you're a one thickheaded Trainer!"

"Take it back!"

"Now, now, kids!" Brock hurried to jump in and separated Misty and Egan before an actual fight would break out. "I think our blood sugar has gotten low after this heating battle, so how about we have some lunch?"

"That's a great idea! I'm starving", Ash nodded.

"Pika pika!"

"I almost forgot my stomach is hungry too", I commented just as I felt my empty stomach rumbling for food.

"Yeah, I think we need a rest", Misty nodded after she managed to calm herself down. "Will you join us, Egan?"

"Well, it'd be kinda rude of me rejecting your invitation, so…", his stomach answered for him. His cheeks flushed up in embarrassment.

"Sounds like your stomach did the talking", Misty giggled.

"Who asked you?!" Egan snapped back.

We found a clearing with a good view of a forest in the direction of our destination. Brock and I prepared lunch while Ash and Misty set up the utensils. Egan called out Flareon and treated it properly. Seeing the way he took care of his Pokémon made me rethink my statement from before. Perhaps he got way too much into the battle that he really got lost in the heat like how Ash did sometimes.

"Lunch is ready!" Brock called out while he stirred the soup. "Get your bowls, guys!" He poured soup in each bowl before we sat down on rocks and started eating. I bit into a piece of broccoli and hummed in delight. I wasn't a fan of broccoli before, but Brock's cooking had this magic that he made it taste lovely.

"Yummy like always, Brock!" Ash complimented him.

"This soup is perfect for a summer day even as a hot dish", Brock replied while he poured soup for himself.

"It tastes good", Egan commented.

"Cargoo."

We snapped our heads at the portable cooking gear and saw a wild Magcargo had crawled to our little camp. It was a normal sized Magcargo, which disappointed Egan.

"Well, looks like we have a visitor here", Brock chuckled at the intruder. "Guess you were attracted by the scent of my soup."

"Magcargoo."

Brock grabbed a food bowl meant for Pokémon and poured some soup in it before he put it down in front of the wild Pokémon. "Here you go. I hope you'll like it."

Magcargo licked the soup and smiled widely. "Cargo cargo!" It immediately started eating like it had been starving for days.

"Brock's cooking attracts all kinds of Pokémon and they love it", Misty giggled while she fed Togepi with Pokémon fodder.

"Brock is a cooking wizard", I giggled after I finished my first plate of soup.

Egan sat aside with his Flareon while it had some of Brock's fodder. Misty walked over to him while the rest of us stayed by the camp gear. I got seconds and finished it with a big smile. Ash and Brock got seconds before Brock gave the leftovers to Magcargo.

"Magcargo cargo!"

"Happy to see you eating with such great appetite", Brock chuckled after he took the empty bowl.

"Cargo", Magcargo crawled over to him and stared at him with big Growlithe eyes.

"It looks like Magcargo wants to go with you, Brock", Ash commented.

"Pikachu pika!" Pikachu nodded.

"You won a Pokémon's heart…by food", I giggled while I cradled Misty's Togepi.

"It's actually called winning somebody's heart by their stomach, Ashley", Brock corrected me, chuckling sheepishly. "Wish I had the same effect with the ladies." He crouched down in front of Magcargo and held out the unused Heavy Ball he got from Kurt months ago. "Magcargo, will you come with me and explore the world and taste all kinds of delicious food?"

"Mag!" Magcargo nodded delightedly.

With that, Brock touched the Heavy Ball against Magcargo's forehead. The capture device reacted at the Pokémon and opened up. Magcargo transformed into red energy and swirled inside the Heavy Ball before it closed itself. The button blinked red thrice and stopped after it confirmed the safe capture of Magcargo.

"Congratulations, Brock!" Ash and I smiled.

"Thanks, guys", Brock smiled proudly.

Misty, Egan and his Flareon walked back to us after they finished having a private conversation. "It's a good thing it wasn't that other Magcargo that got lured by your food, Brock", Misty giggled.

"I think it would've made a mess and ruined our lunch", Ash chuckled. "It's got quite a temper."

"And I'm ready to face its hot temper once again with Flareon, but we're gonna battle like water!" Egan announced determinedly.

"Flaaar!"

"Like water?" I blinked confusedly.

"Just like water, I'm gonna adapt and conquer the titan Magcargo!" Egan exclaimed.

"Sounds like you taught Egan a good lesson, Misty", Ash praised the redhead.

"And I know he learned from it", Misty nodded proudly.

And that was so true. Straight after lunch, we went and found the huge Magcargo. Egan and Flareon battled it again, but this time they had a whole different strategy which was very effective against wild Pokémon. Flareon weakened Magcargo enough for Egan to catch it. Team Rocket showed up out of nowhere, like always, and attempted to steal the Poké Ball with Magcargo inside of it. Misty's Poliwhirl rescued it and together with Magcargo, they sent the evil guys away with a fire and water attack combination.

It was very impressive seeing two elements opposite of each other working together. This was something I was going to bring along and learn all kinds of type combinations in my future battles. I might need that experience for the upcoming Gym battle against dragon Pokémon.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's party:

Cedric the Pupitar (male)

Mystic the Togetic (male)

Victor the Houndoom (male)

Lily the Espeon (female)

Queendra the Seadra (female)

Poseidon the shiny Gyarados (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's Pokémon at the Lab:

Trica the Furret (female)

Wanda the Gyarados (female)

Aria the Lapras (female)

Hikaru the Ampharos (male)

Axel the Scyther (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's roaming Pokémon:

Crystal the Suicune (genderless)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's party:

Pikachu (male)

Bayleef (female)

Cyndaquil (male)

Dunsparce (male)

Heracross (male)

Phanpy (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:

Tauros (male)

Ivysaur (male)

Snorlax (male)

Kingler (male)

Poliwrath (male)

Wartortle (male)

Shiny Noctowl (male)

Croconaw (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's roaming Pokémon:

Entei (genderless)

XXXXXXXXXX

Misty's party:

Staryu (genderless)

Psyduck (male)

Togepi (female)

Poliwhirl (male)

Lanturn (female)

Corsola (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Misty's Pokémon in the Cerulean Gym:

Goldeen (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Brock's party:

Geodude (male)

Onix (male)

Crobat (male)

Pineco (male)

Magcargo (male)