HxH : Pokemon Master

Located in the Republic of East Gorteau, Flame Rock Island is separated from the mainland and lies just a bit further east from Heavens Arena.

Despite its seemingly small size on the map, the island is quite vast.

While not among the Six Continents' Top Ten Tourist Destinations, it remains a popular travel spot, with annual visitor numbers even surpassing some of those top sites.

The peculiar reason for its exclusion is that most people who visit aren't tourists, many intend to relocate permanently, primarily the elderly, thus disqualifying them from tourist statistics.

Flame Rock Island is aptly known as the "Island of Volcanoes and Fossils."

Its most famous features are indeed its volcanoes and fossils.

The island hosts several small volcanoes, collectively called the Chimney Mountain Volcanic Group. Thanks to abundant geothermal resources, the island boasts numerous hot springs available for public use.

Unlike Mount Kila, which is a single massive volcano, Chimney Mountain comprises multiple smaller ones. Eruptions from these volcanoes are rare and minor, never threatening inhabited areas, making the island extremely safe.

Its landmark, Crimson Rock, coupled with the unique volcanic group, creates breathtaking scenery.

Comprising mostly small towns rather than urban centers and due to a long-standing perception, it's widely regarded across the Six Continents as the ideal retirement destination.

The island's wealth of fossils and rich history particularly appeal to the elderly, fostering a warm and harmonious community where retirees enjoy leisurely days soaking in hot springs, playing chess and basking in the sun—a stark contrast to bustling cities like Heavens Arena.

Beyond retirees, another group frequents the island: those involved in archaeology.

This includes archaeologists, paleontologists, historians and even some ruin hunters. Though Flame Rock Island isn't particularly large, it possesses the richest fossil resources among all regions of the Six Continents, accounting for nearly one-third of the total.

Unlike Earth, where fossils are merely remnants of ordinary prehistoric creatures, Hunter x Hunter fossils are bizarre and varied, reflecting the existence of beasts, magical creatures, and rare animals.

Consequently, a significant portion of the Six Continents' archaeologists and paleontologists have taken up long-term residence on Flame Rock Island.

***

"So, the rumors about the Dark Sonata originated from these fossil-rich areas?" Akira asked, surveying their surroundings and pressing for more details.

Akira and Pyon were currently in Flame Rock City—the largest and only city on Flame Rock Island.

Though called a city, it resembled more of a large town.

The architectural style of Flame Rock City matched the temperament of its elderly residents, consisting mostly of old-fashioned wooden villas. The buildings were uniformly low, typically one or two stories, with three-story structures being rare.

Most houses were painted in vibrant green or red hues, reflecting the older generation's fondness for bold, traditional colors.

Though originally bright, the buildings had gradually taken on a thin layer of gray over the years from accumulated volcanic ash, carried by the wind from the volcanic slopes and settling across every corner of the island—a constant reminder that this was, indeed, a volcanic island.

"Right. According to the records, there have been reports of eerie music occasionally emerging from one of the excavation sites" Pyon explained, recalling her gathered information.

"Since collapses sometimes happen in fossil-rich areas due to digging, even deaths doesnt draw much attention. If the Dark Sonata were hidden here, it would be easy to overlook." She added cautiously.

"Though I can't guarantee it's definitely here" acknowledging her conclusions were based on circumstantial evidence.

"Still, I appreciate it. You went through a lot of trouble gathering all this information—it must've been exhausting" Akira said with a sincere nod, meaning every word.

The details Pyon uncovered showed her considerable effort. Even if they didn't find the Dark Sonata, he wouldn't complain, she had volunteered her assistance.

"It wasn't too bad" Pyon murmured, lowering her head slightly, even her rabbit ears drooping as if shy.

Having just arrived, the two weren't in a rush to head straight to the site.

Instead, they decided to explore Flame Rock City first.

***

"Don't miss out! Premium glassware—only 10,000 Jenny each!"

"Freshly unearthed tooth fossils—polished to perfection! A must-have for collectors!"

"Dragon's Beard Grass, harvested once every decade! Limited stock—get yours now!"

As Akira and Pyon turned a corner, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares drifted in with the wind. This was the designated marketplace of Flame Rock City, where countless stalls sold local specialty goods.

The bustling scene reminded Akira of the Samok Desert market, though their styles differed greatly.

The Samok Desert had a scorching climate, with vendors using large white cloth sheets for shade and selling local desert products like multi-ball cactus and dried sandworms.

Flame Rock Island, despite its volcanic clusters, enjoyed one of the most temperate climates on the Six Continents due to its coastal location and rarely erupting volcanoes.

Temperatures remained comfortably within human comfort ranges year-round, making it ideal for retirees.

Thus, locals didn't need elaborate shade.

Instead, the stalls on Flame Rock Island had their own unique style: many vendors set up shop on small, red, orange-hued rocks, known as Crimson Rock.

Crimson Rock was one of the island primary rock formations, said to make up over half of all rocks on the island, appearing almost everywhere, even within towns.

The stalls were often just cloths spread over these rocks, with goods neatly arranged on top.

Most Crimson Rock stalls were small, about half a meter tall, serving an aesthetic purpose.

A few larger ones had carved steps for customers to browse.

Noticing Akira keen interest, the knowledgeable Pyon smiled and explained.

"Those are the local Crimson Rocks. I've heard the larger the rock, the harder it is to secure a spot to sell goods on it."

"Oh? Why is that?" Pyon words only deepened Akira curiosity about the Crimson Rock.

Even with plenty of open market space, most chose to set up on Crimson Rock, while others seemed forced to settle for ordinary ground.

"This traces back to the island's history. It's said that when people first discovered this place, they were awestruck by the Crimson Rocks" Pyon elaborated.

"Even under layers of volcanic ash, the fiery red hue of the rocks remained undimmed. At the time, people were so astonished they thought they were looking at an island perpetually ablaze.

Only after testing did they realize it was merely an illusion caused by the rocks' vivid coloring. But people reverence for Crimson Rock never waned. Later, driven by the belief that business should be 'flourishing and prosperous,' countless vendors chose to set up shop on Crimson Rock.

They believed it would bring them booming sales.

Over time, selling on Crimson Rock became an unwritten custom of Flame Rock Island.

The larger the Crimson Rock, the more sought-after it is. Renting a spot on one for a single day is said to be exorbitantly expensive. Thus, the position of a stall often reflects the price and quality of the goods being sold. The larger the Crimson Rock, the better and more precious the items sold on it, and naturally, the higher the price."

Akira finally understood why people preferred selling on the Crimson Rock.

This unique local custom meant that not only were the stalls peculiarly arranged, but the items sold also carried strong local characteristics. There were various glass products made from volcanic ash—bowls, cups, jars, and even finely crafted figurines.

As a volcanic island, Flame Stone Island had no shortage of volcanic ash, leading locals to develop numerous derivative industries, such as cement and glass production.

However, the most famous was undoubtedly the medicinal herb industry.

Rich in nutrients, volcanic ash fostered the growth of many medicinal herbs and plants, making the island one of the primary sources of herbs across the six continents.

Thus, many elderly residents worked here cultivating herbs, selling their harvests to tourists or specialized buyers.

Under Pyon guidance, Akira understanding of this "Island of Volcanoes and Fossils" deepened.

Pyon was like a walking encyclopedia.

Whenever Akira grew curious about local customs or culture, Pyon could provide precise answers. Volcanoes, elderly residents, fossils, hot springs, and medicinal herbs—these elements inevitably reminded Akira of Lavaridge Town from the Pokemon world.

They matched perfectly!

Though there were still many differences—at least here, people didn't have to enter someone house to mine for fossils. There was no Meteor Falls nearby, nor any Pokemon Gyms. But the resemblance was striking.

***

From the moment he arrived, two new Incubation Bars quietly appeared in his mind.

This was only the second time two Incubation Bars had surfaced simultaneously!

After learning more, Akira felt their appearance was hardly surprising. In such a unique place, it made perfect sense for two Pokemon to be incubating.

As for what kind of Pokemon they were? Akira didn't even need to guess.

On Flame Stone Island, which held roughly a third of all fossils across the six continents, the Pokemon being incubated were undoubtedly two Fossil Pokemon.

With so many fossils here, it was entirely plausible for two fossil Pokemon to emerge at once.

Honestly, Akira wouldn't have been surprised if even more appeared.

A quick glance around the market revealed fossils on nearly every stall, except for a few dedicated solely to medicinal herbs.

Stalls without a few fossils would hardly dare call themselves vendors of Flame Stone Island.

Fossil Pokemon weren't rare—there were over a dozen known species, ranging from powerful to useless.

These were Pokemon that once thrived in the world but later vanished, only to be revived through technology or other means from their fossilized remains.

Some, like Aerodactyl, were formidable, while others, like Archeops, were notably weaker.

Archeops had decent base stats—140 Attack, 112 Special Attack, and 110 Speed, totaling 567. But unlike other Pokemon, Archeops' weakness lay in its ability.

It possessed one of the worst abilities in the entire Pokemon world—Defeatist.

When HP is less than half, both Attack stats are halved.

This is just as terrible as abilities like Slow Start for Regigigas or Truant for Slaking.

Akira mind was racing, wondering which two Pokemon he would get.

Aerodactyl would be great—it can Mega Evolve later with immense potential.

Cradily would also be nice, especially with the Storm Drain ability, making it a solid fit for his Sandstorm Team.

He recalled that in the Pokemon games he used to play, Roxanne, the Rock-type Gym Leader, had a Cradily like that.

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