The group of 10 people started making their way up the Wela Volcano with Olivia leading the group, as she is the most familiar with the terrain of this volcano. Julian, on the other hand, is at the back, making sure that no wild pokemons ambush them from the back.
He can also keep an eye on the people in front of him and identify if anyone gets hurt or prevent them from being left behind as climbing a steep rocking mountain is not an easy task and with all the equipment these people are carrying, there will be one or two who will need to stop and catch a breath.
Not even halfway up and the leader of the group was already having a hard time, as he is an old man. Julian had no other choice but to stop Olivia and the others so that the old man could catch his breath and restore some of his stamina.
The old man felt sorry and apologized to the group, but they weren't bothered by him. Some of them were very glad that the old man got tired because they were not faring well any better.
The group rested for fifteen minutes as all of them replenished their energy. All the berries that Julian carried with him came in handy, as they helped a lot in this situation.
The group continued their way up the mountain and Julian got to know these people a little better, some of them who were young and energetic were university students who came here with their professor to do a field study while the older ones were professors and well-known names in their field. This group consists of three very well-known professors/scientists and five university students who are either working as their assistants or joined in for their final assignment.
The two young girls in the group were very chatty with Julian as they fawned over him making the young men jealous of him but they could understand why these girls who were also aloof and cold to their approach changed their attitude to a complete 180 degrees in front of Julian.
Julian is an extremely famous pokemon trainer known for his extreme good looks and his strength. Most girls would change their attitude in front of him.
The trek toward the volcano's top was long and exhausting, but it was also filled with danger. They encountered several wild pokemons who attacked them without blinking and were very aggressive toward them.
Olivia and Julian had to step up and chase these pokemons away. Every few minutes they would encounter a wild pokemon that would ruthlessly attack them. If not for Julian and Olivia, this group of geologists would have been seriously hurt.
Once they finally reached the top of the volcano, the geologist group rested for a while and then started to prepare their equipment. They wore heat and fireproof uniforms and gave one each to Julian and Olivia as well.
Though Julian really doesn't need a fireproof uniform, he still wore it to not look weird in front of these people.
As they were preparing to go in, Julian had a frown on his face as he thought of something. Olivia, being a very attentive person, noticed this and asked him.
Olivia "What happened? You seem worried?"
Julian "No, I am just confused as to why we encountered so many wild pokemons and why each and every one of them acted hostile toward us"
Olivia "Indeed, now that I think about it, this is not normal at all. Most of these pokemons would never approach humans and would rather run the other way. Even their numbers were a little too much. I have never encountered so many pokemons on my way up the volcano before. Something is not right here"
Julian "Do you think it is related to the volcano eruption? These pokemons might have lived inside the volcano but made their way out of there as they sensed it was about to erupt"
Julian asked.
Olivia gave it some thought and nodded her head.
Olivia "This could be a possibility, but I don't know. I never claimed up the volcano when it was close to erupting. This is my first time."
She answered.
Julian didn't say anything and just nodded.
He watched as the geologists finished their preparation and were ready to enter the volcano. They all carried a special device in their hand while the young ones also carried some containers for storing samples.
Olivia once again took the lead and led all of them into the volcano, Julian as before walked behind the group to keep them safe.
As he walked over to the opening of the volcano, he looked down and saw the massive boiling mass of lava bubbling up and releasing gasses into the air.
Even with the suit he was wearing, he could still feel the temperature rise a little.
Julian 'I have a feeling that this is not going to be a simple visit. Something is definitely going on here and I think I know what.'
Julian thought to himself. By now, he is very self-aware of his situation. He has the protagonist curse.
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