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Akari runs back and forth across Firespit Island for days, only heading back across the sea to sleep at night, and to cool down. The Pokémon there do not seem willing to participate in her research. The environment doesn’t want to cooperate with her either, and she is certain that at this point the smell of stale sweat is putting off the Pokémon that she is trying to capture.
Surprisingly, the Alpha Ninetales disappears inside her Poké Ball easily, but this just leads the other inhabitants of the island to get angry, and chase her until she retreats back to the ocean and Basculegion.
It takes a while for her to realise what’s going on – it’s breeding season for Magmar, and there are a lot of little Magby running around. The babies are tiny, barely able to walk, and yet they chirp loudly if they sense Akari’s presence, alerting their parents to the danger. It’s rather annoying, not just as they are disturbing her research, but because the combined sound of both family members is grating and loud.
After a few hours of catching barely anything worth talking about, fighting off violent Magmar mothers with Samurott’s help, and stuffing her face with berries, Akari takes a break. She finds a little alcove within the volcano’s outer walls, and sidles in. She strips off her gi, puts her scarf in her bag, and removes her headscarf so she can redo her ponytail. She longs for shorts and a tshirt and maybe some ice cream, but those things are long since lost to her.
As she finishes her hair, she looks up, coming face to face with a Magmar who looks just as surprised to see her. She blinks, slowly, too scared to move lest she be burned to a crisp. But the Magmar doesn’t move. Akari lowers her head, something she’s watched the Magmar on the island do over the last few days. Unlike the others, this Magmar doesn’t have any babies huddled around its feet. When she raises her head and looks into its eyes, she can see that they are full of sorrow. This Magmar has lost its babies.
Carefully, Akari gets to her feet. The Pokémon backs up a few steps, but doesn’t run away. From here, Akari can see all around her – there are some more Magmar a little while away, terrorising a poor Geodude with their Magby by their side. But the Magmar that stands in front of her doesn’t go anywhere. It stands still, and without truly thinking, Akari throws a Great Ball at it. Its surprised face disappears quickly as it’s absorbed, and the ball shakes three times before a little celebratory puff of smoke emerges from the top.
Akari reaches down to pick up the ball. That’s that done, she supposes. This Magmar is better off with her than here on the island, surrounded by the misery of seeing all the others and their babies. She’ll add it to her team – it can replace the near-evil Aipom she caught not too long ago. One more Pokémon down, only… who knows how many still to go.