Ch. 9
Again we were transported underground as the Magnagate gate closed once more. The familiar gold monuments paving the way towards another dungeon were there. The soft sound of water dripping into a body of water could be heard. The air here was cold as the pond nearby glowed mysteriously.
"Thank goodness. Looks like everyone made it in," Espeon said.
"If we keep heading in from here, we should end up at the glacier. Be on your guard, folks," Umbreon warned.
"Shin? You can decide who's gonna go, right? We're counting on you," Virizon said.
I went towards the gold monuments to gather my thoughts on the dungeon ahead.
We've come pretty far in. Would grouping together the same way we did during the Telluric Path be okay? Maybe break into a group of four and two? If we were to do that, then who would be the odd couple out?
In the end, I was about to decide to continue forwards using the same group formation when Silvy came up to me.
"Hey Shin. Have you decided on how to pair us up?"
"I think I'll just have us stay evenly with two groups of three. Virizion will go with us while Dunsparce goes Umbreon and Espeon."
"OK. If it's you, we'll be alright. Shouldn't we get going?"
"You're right. Let's set up the group and get moving."
The Glacier Underpass was even colder than Telluric Path. Since we were traveling beneath the snow and creveasses, it was only natural. Only the plant life here gave light to this dark place. The light would dance on the ceiling or wall whenever it was reflected by pools of water, giving this place a rather surreal feel to it.
"I wonder who made this path to the glacier?" I pondered.
"Whoever did it, they sure made it easier for us to get to the glacier," Silvy said.
"It is rather mysterious. Let's proceed with caution. We don't know what lies ahead," Virizon warned.
There really wasn't much difference between the Telluric Path and the Glacier Underpass. The only real difference was its residents and the environment's temperature. For the most part, the residents were mostly the same from the Great Glacier. Additionally, there were two others that resided here, Piloswine, the Swine Pokémon and Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokémon. Piloswine was a Ground and Ice type that was covered entirely in light brown fur. The only visible parts to it were its pink nose, floppy ears and tusks. Zorua, on the other hand, was a Dark type that was difficult to handle. Its real form was that of a small fox with a raven colored coat and jet-black mane. It had crimson tipped feet, eye lids, brows and the upper half of its spiral head of hair was laced in crimson. It had the ability to appear disguised as an entirely different Pokémon. This often led us to be wary as to how to approach any Pokémon that challenged as it could very well be a Zorua in disguise.
Traveling through the Glacier Underpass went faster than the Telluric Path. Maybe because our excitement motivated us to move faster than usual or perhaps it was that the underpass was short in length. As we progressed further, it was noticeable that we were travelling further underground but we were still moving forward. Silvy was the first to notice we were nearing the exit.
"I think we've come pretty far in, but…"
Before Silvy could finish her thought, Dunsparce, Espeon and Umbreon had caught up with us and joined our group.
As we described the events that occurred to us we made our way through here, Dunsparce came back from scouting up ahead.
"Hey, everybody! There's a light coming from over there!" Dunsparce yelled.
We all turned our heads to each other and our faces lit up.
"Sounds like it could be an exit!" Umbreon said.
"Let's go!" I said.
We followed Dunsparce to where he found the source of light and sure enough, it was an exit. We all walked together outside and what we saw stunned us. We rushed forward to get a bigger picture of what we saw.
"Wh…what is this?!" Silvy said.
What mystified Silvy, all of us, was the sight of a gigantic crystal palace. The light glittered against it as we stared at it briefly. There didn't appear to be any part of the palace that wasn't filled with jagged crystals.
"Wh-what's with this place? At first I thought we'd made it outside, but… When you look carefully, this doesn't seem to be…" Dunsparce, dumbfounded.
"This can't be-!" Umbreon said.
"It is surprising, isn't it? That is definitely sunlight, and yet we still appear to be within the structure," Virizon said calmly.
"Virizon is right. It seems this whole chamber is covered with a layer of ice. In other words, we're right now…actually inside the glacier," I announced.
Everyone was shocked over Virizion and my announcement. It was obvious that we've come a fair way into the Great Glacier itself, and that only added to the mysterious magnificence of this geographical feature, for sunlight was still pouring in through the translucent ice.
"In-inside the glacier?!" Silvy yelled.
"Yes. It looks as though the glacier is hollow inside. Look up," Virizon said.
At Virizon's urging, everyone looked up towards the dome. Light was playing with the crystals as sparkles could be seen darting between our eyes.
"It's sparkling… It's a ceiling of ice," Silvy said in awe.
"The light from outside is being reflected by the ice. This whole place is covered in ice. It's like a giant dome of ice," I explained.
"And…that thing in the middle… What could it possibly be?" Espeon wondered.
"Are those pillars of ice? It's like a whole bunch of ice pillars were stuck on top of one another in one big…" Silvy started.
"Well, it's almost like… It's almost like a big…" Emolga started.
"A palace of ice…" I finished.
"A palace of ice… Shin and Dunsparce may not be too far from the mark there. And there… There inside that ice palace…could be the legendary Great Crystal that I've been searching for. I have to thank you all. It's all because of you that we've made it this far. I am so grateful for that," Umbreon said wholeheartedly.
"Goodness, Umbreon. Are you going soft on us? Besides, it's still far too early for any thanks or celebration!" Espeon teased.
"That's right. The real adventure is just about to begin, isn't it?" I said confidently.
"There could still be tons of treasures to be found! Let's get moving already!" Dunsparce said impatiently.
"You're right about that. But I'm grateful anyway. Thanks, everyone. Our adventure is finally reaching its peak! Let's not back down now!" Umbreon said.
As Umbreon hoped, perhaps within the crystalline ice palace ahead is the Great Crystal? That was what we intended to find out as we made our way to the palace.
There wasn't an easy way to get to the Glacier Palace. From where we were staring at it, a nearby path led down and towards it, so we followed it until we've arrived at the base of the palace.
"It's amazing how the ice here actually had paths and stairs that lead to upper levels…" Umbreon observed.
What he was referring to was the stairs that took us to a higher level of the palace. There wasn't any entrance at the base, only stairs. When we climbed as high as we could, the path laid before us was neither treacherous nor mangled. There were cracks in the ice, some even leading to pitfalls that fell into an abyss. We observed the ice formations as we walked towards an entrance at the far end of the path.
"Just look at this place. Ice crystals everywhere you see and everything looks beautiful because of how the light reflects of it," Silvy admired.
"Look, look, everyone! There are broken pillars of ice here!" Dunsparce pointed out.
We all looked over the edge and can see what looked like ice in the shape of pillars, broken.
"Do you think this is because of old age?" I asked.
"I don't believe so. Something must have fallen and collided with it for it to be broken in this way," Espeon observed.
"If that's the case, we must be wary of everything above us," Virizon warned.
With Virizon's warning in our mind, we hurried towards the entrance and began our ascent of the Glacier Palace.
The inside of the Glacier Palace wasn't as marvelous as its exterior. Pitfalls could be seen in everywhere and cracks tended to lead towards chasms that plummeted one to their doom. Since this palace was made of ice, if one was not careful, slipping was a definite possibility and that spelled danger for all of us.
"Watch your step. Don't want any one of you falling now," I cautioned.
"Kyaah!"
No sooner did I finish warning everyone about the floor when Silvy slipped and fell on the cold ground.
"This is why I warned you to be careful. Here, take my hand, Silvy," I offered.
"Thank you."
She took hold of my hand and I brought her back to her feet. She asked to continue holding on to me as we proceeded further in and I happily accepted. I took her hand in mind and could feel her warmth in our palms. Her face was flushed as she stared at the ground for a bit. I assumed she was looking to make sure she wasn't going to trip again. Everyone else stared with a smile at our antics.
Before long, we were ascending the palace at a good rate. There wasn't much conflict here, but I had hoped that we would not see any at all; Pawniard, the Sharp Blade Pokémon, Tirtouga, the Prototurtle Pokémon and Palpitoad, the Vibration Pokémon were residents of this palace along with Piloswine and Zorua. Pawniard was a small Pokémon with blades placed on its torso, head and arms on a black and crimson body. Tirtouga was a large blue turtle with a black shell that had six round depressions. Palpitoad resembled the stage of a frog that was about to lose its tail, only it did not have arms and had bulbous orbs on its head and sides.
Every now and then as we continued towards the top of the palace we would see Tirtouga using their shells to glide on the ice. This warned us of how fast some of our foes could travel so we were careful when we came to corners and intersections that allowed our enemies to ambush or approach us at alarming speeds.
As we continued climbing, we eventually came upon another path similar to the one that allowed us to enter Glacier Palace. Just like down below, there were pillars here only these were supporting the ceiling above us. These pillars themselves looked to be far newer compared to the ones we saw previously.
"Look, everyone. None of these pillars are broken or appear to be old," Dunsparce commented.
Indeed, the pillars themselves appeared to have been perfectly sculpted as their base had rings for decoration and farther above was a carved jewel, appealing to the eye.
"These look new compared to the ones down below. They have designs to reinforce that this place really is a palace," Umbreon said.
"If that's the case, then we must be getting closer to something important," Espeon added.
Everyone nodded in agreement and we reentered the palace. The interior we entered seemed much more intact than the floors beneath us. It was if deterioration was beginning from the base and was slowly, but surely, ascending to the upper echelons of the palace. Another that was noticeable was the decrease in temperature. Even our surroundings looked more frozen than the lower levels. Although it wasn't much of a bother for us, it was still something to note as we pressed on.
"Hah…hah… Hah…hah…"
"You OK, Dunsparce?" Virizion asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It seems a little hard to breathe in here, but…"
"You know, I've been thinking the same thing… Maybe it's because we've come up so high?" Silvy pondered.
"Hmm, I wonder about that. I don't really believe we've come so far up as that…" Espeon refuted.
"Everyone! Come take a look at this!" Umbreon exclaimed.
We all followed Umbreon as he hurried forward in a fervor. What he showed us left us dazed.
"They're-!" I started.
"They're floating?! The chunks of ice are floating in the air!" Dunsparce finished.
"That's not all. There are other things floating here and there," Umbreon pointed out.
"So then it's true!" Espeon concluded.
"Looks that way. We can't just chalk it up to a baseless rumor anymore!"
The legendary Great Crystal that has only been a story up until now… But now that we've come here, it's finally starting to feel like it could be real…
Something sparkled in the corner that caught Silvy's attention.
"Huh? Did anyone see something flash…"
She walked up to where she thought the object was.
"Oh, it's reflecting the light back. What is this thing?"
"There are more of them over this way, too. They're so clear and beautiful…" Dunsparce noted.
"Aren't these…Frisms?" Espeon observed.
"Frisms?" I aksed.
"That's right. They are an incredibly rare kind of treasure."
"Did you say…TREASURE?" Dunsparce yelled.
"That's right."
"But what a shock. I've never seen this many of 'em in one place before," Umbreon said.
"Well, this discovery alone has surely made the trip worth it!" Espeon said happily.
"Isn't this great, Silvy?! We're surrounded by all this treasure!" Dunsparce exclaimed.
"Heh heh! And they aren't just valued for their beauty, you know. Silvy, can I borrow you for a moment? Do you see that large opening on one end of the Frism? Would you try saying something into that opening?"
"Into the hole? Sure."
Silvy then turned around and spoke into the nearest Frism.
"Umm… We are…the Starlight!"
'…are the Starlight! ..re the…th…'
"Whoa! The Frism kind of echoed?!"
"Oooh! And now the clear part turned cloudy white!" Dunsparce said.
"What is that? That white part, Espeon?" I asked.
"That is Silvy's voice…frozen in crystal."
"M-my voice?!"
"That's right. Now, why don't you try warming up the Frism?"
"Warming it up? But how…"
"You could try touching it, or even just blowing your breath on it. The white crystal should melt. Go on. Try it."
"OK."
Silvy then drew her face close and gently blew at the white part of the Frism. The frozen part of the Frism then began to produce sounds.
'Umm… We are…the Starlight!'
"That's Silvy voice!" Dunsparce.
Wow! So it's like a voice recorder! To think that human technology could occur in nature…Amazing… I thought in wonder.
"Is that really my voice? Sounds kinda strange… But these things are really cool!"
"How about it? Now do you understand why Frisms are such special treasures?"
"Yeah. I love these things!"
"How about we take some of these Frisms home?" I offered.
"Yeah! We can give some to Emolga for staying behind!" Dunsparce added.
"Yeah. Good idea! He's gonna love this! Of course it would be too greedy of us to take them all… But we should definitely take some!"
"Well then, let's each collect one," Espeon said.
All of us quickly went towards the Frisms and began playing and imagining what we could do with them. All of us were quite excited over the Frisms, except for one.
"Huh? This Frism…"
"What's up, Virizion?" Espeon asked.
"This Frism…is already white."
"It's true. That must mean it has a recording already," I said.
"It probably just picked up the sound of the ice creaking or something… But we might as well check it out, right?" Umbreon said.
"Can I do it this time?" Dunsparce asked eagerly.
"Be my guest. Go ahead, Dunsparce," Espeon obliged.
"Thanks!"
Just as Silvy did, Dunsparce approached the Frism and warmed it with his breath. The frozen part of the Frism began to produce sounds.
'…I…I'll leave…this Frism behind me…'
The moment the Frism began repeating the words left behind, Virizion was visibly shocked by the voice that was speaking.
"This is…a Pokémon's voice!" Espeon exclaimed.
'This will be…the record of my adventure. I've decided to leave this Frism here as a record proving that I reached this Glacier Palace. And I leave this Frism, and my voice, for you. Um… So, let's see… I'm really glad that I've come this far. Seeing solid objects floating in the air… Standing inside a hollow glacier… And this fantastic palace of ice! It's been like a dream. Everything seems to sparkle here. And every last thing is amazing.'
"This… This means someone made it here before us, doesn't it?" I asked.
"Huh? Virzion… What's the matter?" Silvy asked.
Silvy noticed the solemn expression Virizion was making as she stared at the Frism. When she pointed it out, everyone noticed, too, the tears in her eyes.
"…Virizon! Are you… Are you actually crying?" Umbreon tentatively asked.
"What? Virizon's crying?!" Dunsparce remarked.
The cool, collected Virzion is… Then that must mean this voice can only be…
"Umbreon… I…I know…this voice… It's Keldeo."
"What? Keldeo?!" Espeon gasped.
"You mean…THAT Keldeo? The one who sent that letter saying you weren't friends anymore? But didn't his letter say he never went to the Great Glacier? So then why is this recording here?" Silvy wondered.
"I don't know… Let's listen to the rest of the message, shall we?" Espeon said.
'…I say all that, but this adventure has definitely been one big trial after another. But the fact is that I could overcome all those obstacles to come here today. And this adventure of mine isn't over yet. I fully intend to keep traveling this path, to keep delving further into the unknown. If you are playing back this recording and listening to my voice now, you must be another adventurer who has overcome the challenges to reach this spot. And if you are, then you must be feeling it… The same thrill of exploring what lies beyond—in uncharted territory! What I am about to see… And what you will soon discover… They may be the same thing, or they may be completely different. But regardless of what is waiting for us up ahead, the heart-pounding thrill that wells up inside of us…that will never change! So I'm off! I wish the best to you, fellow adventurer who might be listening to this message! … … …'
"That seems to be the end of it," I said.
"I'm sure of it. That voice was Keldeo's. The Keldeo that I knew… The bright and friendly Keldeo… The way he used to be…" Virizion said tearfully.
"So Keldeo actually made it…to the Great Glacier. But I don't get it. What was the meaning of that letter he sent you? 'The truth is that I never even intended to go to the Great Glacier. I just wanted an excuse to get away from you. We aren't friends anymore. Just forget about me.' Isn't that what he said in his letter? But if Keldeo really did come to the Great Glacier, could that letter have been a fake?" Umbreon wondered.
"No. The hoofwriting in that letter…it was definitely Keldeo's. I think that letter was real," Virizon said.
"The Keldeo who speaks in this Frism and the Keldeo who sent you that letter… No matter who I look at it, they seem like two totally different Pokémon," Silvy noted.
"But if both of them are the real Keldeo, then it must've been after recording this Frism that Keldeo changed…" I added.
"…That's it. He changed after seeing whatever lies ahead..." Silvy said as she stared at the path leading further in.
If something did happen to Keldeo, then the truth…might be straight ahead of us.
"If we continue on our path, we may just discover the truth. Will you be alright, Virizion?"
"Yes. Thank you, Espeon. I'll be fine. I'm sorry for making you all worry. Let's go ahead," Virizon said resolutely.
"How is everyone doing?" I asked.
Everyone was resting and responded saying they were alright. Only Virizion seemed to have a distant look as she stared at the ground, lost in thought.
"Do you think we'll find Keldeo?" Dunsparce asked.
"Hard to say, but I do think we'll find some sort of clue about him," I said.
"I wish there was something we could say to Virizon…" Silvy said.
"She'll be okay. Anything we say may just make her feel worse," I commented.
"But look at her, she's lost in between hope and fear," Espeon interjected.
"Shin is right, though. Any hope we try to instill may raise her hopes and then crush her if we find neither Keldeo nor clues of his whereabouts," Umbreon argued.
"I think it's still worth a try. We can't just leave her like this. We're her friends after all," Silvy insisted.
At this simple revelation everyone couldn't help but lower their gaze in shame. We had forgotten the value of friendship in an attempt to shelter Virizion. As friends, we had to believe in each other and at least try to help each other.
"OK, Silvy. You seem to understand much better than the rest of us, so why not comfort her? I don't think any us could reach her like you can."
"Is it okay, Shin?"
"I think we can all agree that you are the better choice. After all, we tried to dissuade saying something to her."
"OK! I'll talk to her then."
Silvy began walking towards Virizion and Espeon sat down to take Silvy's spot.
"Do you think they'll be alright, Shin?"
"I think so. Silvy understands how valuable a friend can be. She is, after all, the one who got through to her in the beginning. If anyone can cheer her up, it's her."
"You have such faith in her."
"I do. She's helped many Pokémon, even me. Silvy is very dear to me err…dear to all of us in Paradise. None of it was possible without her."
"Hehehe. She really is appreciated by all of us."
Espeon was only teasing, but it was true that we all appreciated her efforts. After Silvy spent some time cheering up Virizion, everyone had rested enough to continue forward. With renewed spirit, Virizion asked to lead everyone forward and we happily accepted. She took out any Pawniard and Zorua that came before us and we supported her when Tirtouga stood before us.
It wasn't long until we came upon an empty room that acted as a rest area. We decided to take a quick breather before resuming our march.
"Hah..hah...I think we're getting close to the top. Though it really is starting to get harder to breathe," Dunsparce said.
Dunsparce was having difficulty breathing but he wasn't letting that slow anyone down. As I sat down to rest my feet, I took note of everyone's expression.
Strange. Everyone looks fatigued and have difficulty breathing. Everyone. Even Vrizion is showing signs of weariness, though she's trying not to let it show. But why aren't I tired? I mean, I'm just resting my feet but my breathing is normal and relaxed. Something is wrong here and I'm the only one not affected. Why is that…?
I didn't have much time to think about why I was different as Virizion said we had rested enough and asked us to press on. The path eventually led us outside once more. The top of the glacier wasn't that far above us so we had definitely traveled a good distance above ground.
"Seems we're really close to our destination," I said.
"How can you tell, Shin?" Silvy asked.
"Look at this arch. Look how detailed and grandiose it is. Haven't you noticed that the higher we've climbed, the less ruined the pillars are? Compare this arch and pillars to the ones we saw where we first entered,"
"Now that he mentions it, these pillars look almost as if they were sculpted today. Nothing seems to be broken or fractured," Virizon noted.
"If that's the case, then we can't be far from whatever treasure is up ahead!" Dunsparce elated.
"Then we must hurry on then," Espeon encouraged.
"I hope the Great Crystal really is at the end of our journey," Umbreon hoped.
Everyone had renewed energy from speculating about what it was waiting for us beyond this arch. Virizion took the lead and guided us through the arch.
"…Huh? Everything suddenly got dark. Everybody alright?" Silvy yelled.
"Yeah, we're fine," Umbreon responded.
"I'm alright, too," echoed Virzion. But…"
Grrrrrrn grrrrrrn.
"Uh… What was that?" Dunsparce said nervously.
Grrrrrrn grrrrrrrn.
"It sounds like…something being dragged along…" Espeon concluded.
"Everyone… Watch out!" I cried.
"Waaaaaah!" Dunsparce cried in surprise and terror.
"I-it's huge! What is it? What is this thing?!" Umbreon said, more surprised than afraid.
"It's a Golurk! That noise must have come from this Pokémon's feet dragging along the ice!
Just as we were recoiling from the shock of Golurk's, the Automaton Pokémon, imposing size and appearance, Espeon quickly turned to see more foe's approaching us from behind.
"They've got us surrounded!"
A couple of Cryogonal, the Crystallizing Pokémon, had snuck up behind us and, along with Golurk, had boxed us in in a triangle formation. All three of these adversaries were leering at us in a menacing way, advertising their intentions.
"Here they come!" Silvy warned.
ROOOOOWAAAARRRRR!
Golurk's bellowing challenge reverberated within the chamber we were trapped in. Stalagmites, sprouting from all directions, were shaken. Great pillars, outlining the room, resisted the shaking of the air while at the same time seeming to restrain the stalagmites from sprouting beneath our feet. The entire room quaked beneath that voice that rang a challenge. All of us had to cover our ears in order to prevent us from losing our hearing.
As if the ending of the roar was the signal to begin the fight, the Cryogonal made the first move. Given their deep blue coloring and their form of a snowflake, they were obviously of the Ice type and attacked by using Icy Wind. Their beads that seemed to indicate where their mouth supposedly was swayed as cold wind was blown from behind us, causing everyone to scatter and avoid being caught in the blizzard.
Dunsparce and I landed near each other; Umbreon and Silvy were side by side when they landed; Espeon and Virizion were behind each other as we all faced the enemies before us.
"Umbreon and Silvy! Quickly go to Golurck and distract it. The rest of us will handle the Cryogonal!"
""Right!""
Everybody agreed to the division and answered in a united yell. Since Golurk was both a Ground and Ghost type, I sent the two that would have the greater advantage against our giant adversary. Only Virizion had a slight advantage against the Cryogonal but we still stood on equal footing besides that. The four of us charged at the Cryogonal and this sudden charge caused the Cryogonal to flinch from the sheer intensity we gave off as we approached them rapidly.
"Dunsparce! Dig underground!"
"I'm on it!"
Taking my cue, Dunsparce began to dig underground and wait for an opportunity to strike. I knew Ground type moves would have no effect on Cryogonal due to its Levitation ability but there was a way to go around it. Sending out a Thunder Wave, Cryogonal's movement was restricted. Taking this chance, I jumped into the air and shot out an Electro Ball. The force of impact slammed Cryogonal onto the floor long enough for Dunpsarce to emerge and resend Cryogonal into the air. No moment was wasted as I was falling back to the floor. I kicked Dunsparce into his Rollout move and then he slammed Cryogonal into a stalagmite, breaking it and leaving it unconscious.
Virizion and Espeon themselves were having trouble landing any hits on their Cryogonal. Cryogonal must have known that letting Virizion get in close to deliver a Double Kick would mean instant incapacitation so it was doing its best to keep them at arm's length. Espeon was doing her best to land hits but Crygonal would fly to evade her attacks making it difficult to approach and hit it.
"Let us help!" Dunsparce said.
He tried to immobilize Cryogonal with his Glare, but Cryogonal dodged the line of sight and narrowly avoided being paralyzed.
"Everyone, keep him occupied for a few moments! I have an idea!" Espeon cried.
""OK!"" "Understood!"
Virizion, Dunsparce and I tried our best to keep Cryogonal's attention as Espeon crouched down and focused on an attack. I didn't know what it was Espeon was trying to do, but all I could do was believe in her.
"Watch out!" I yelled.
I pushed Dunsparce out of the way when I saw Cryogonal release an Ice Beam at him. I managed to push him away, but…
"Argh!"
My left foot was caught and frozen in place. I tried my best to release it but it wouldn't budge. Cryogonal did not miss this chance to finish the job and unleashed another Ice Beam.
"Shin!"
Dunsparce moved quickly and got in between me and the attack, taking the damage. The attack made him lose his balance and that gave the attack the chance to launch him into pillar. By some fortunate chance, the Ice Beam did not freeze him over but did leave a burn on the impact sight.
"Dunsparce!" I yelled helplessly.
"No!" Virizion cried angrily.
Vrizion began charging at Cryogonal but Dunsparce's voice snapped her out of her rage.
"I'm OK! I was just knocked out for a bit. Don't count me out yet! Help Shin, Virizion!"
"Yes…"
Virizion was glad and surprised that Dunsparce was okay so she only agreed weakly. She quickly came to her senses and came next to me. Using her Double Kick's strength, she smashed the ice binding me and I was set free.
"Thanks."
"Thank Dunsparce for giving this opportunity."
"Everyone, keep Cryogonal in one place. When I yell, get out of the way!"
Espeon's voice brought us back to reality and we nodded at each other as we rushed to help Dunsparce. It was three against one as we surrounded Cryogonal. Cryogonal could not decide who to target as he readied an Ice Beam. Deciding to hit us all from above, Cryogonal was about to rise into the air when,
"Now!"
All of us jumped away from Cryogonal and this caught him off guard and left it rooted for a moment. That moment was all she needed as her attack was unleashed. Invisible force attacked Crygonal and the sheer force grounded and incapacitated him. This was Espeon's Future Sight. Future Sight allowed the user to predict a Psychic type attack that hit its target from virtually nowhere at a later time. After casting Future Sight, Espeon could have returned and helped as the attack only required the user to cast it and nothing more. It was the move itself that determined at what point in time to attack. She must have cast multiple Future Sights in order to be sure she wouldn't miss or her staying was to prevent Cryogonal from attracting his attention and nullifying her attack.
"Let's go and help Silvy and Umbreon!" I said.
We ran towards where Umbreon and Sivly were battling Golurk. Judging from their tired expressions, they were struggling against Golurk's might. We arrived not a moment too soon.
"Shin! Thank goodness you're safe…" Silvy said, relieved.
"I'm okay Silvy, we'are all OK. How are you two doing?"
"Not good. Nothing we throw at it seems to inflict significant damage," Umbreon responded.
"That cant' be right. You two have a type advantage. He's a Gohost and Ground type. As suh, a Grass and Dark type should be able to deal damage!" I said, confused.
"If this is true, then this Pokémon is quite the adversary to withstand critical blows," Virizion observed.
"Do you have any suggestions, Shin? You seem to be well versed in this giant Pokémon," Espeon asked.
I may have revealed too much of myself, but it can't be helped. We'll need to work together if we're to defeat it.
"I don't necessarily have a plan. I just know its weaknesses. If we focus our attacks while evading's its responses, then we should be able to defeat it. Between the five of us, there's no way we can lose."
"That's right! We're Team Starlight!" Dunsparce cheered.
"He's right."
"Indeed."
"Hehehe. We'll absolutely do it."
"Shin and Dunsparce are right! Who are we?"
""Team Starlight!""
Our team cheer raised morale and reenergized for the fight against Golurk. Following my instructions everyone began by evading Golurk's moves and attempting to surround it. If we couldn't evade, then some of us would intercept by drawing Golurk's attention in order to redirect the attack. This strategy kept us from incurring damage and allowed us to inflict at the same time.
Even still, Golurk was still an imposing Pokémon to gaze at and fight. Standing at nearly 3 meters tall he resembled a gigantic golem. Its head was morbidly smaller than the rest of its body and its eyes looked to be painted on like the same cream colored markings on its on arms and torso. The earth colored armlets were located on its arms and legs while a simple bandage shaped strap was on its chest as if placed as a last thought.
Despite being tall and big, it could still move swiftly due to its abilities deriving from being part Ghost type. To emphasize its Ghost attributes, Golurk punched vainly in the air but the fist suddenly turned dark and a ghostly fist shot out seeking a target.
"Look out!"
Umbreon noticed that the fist was heading straight towards Espeon despite her best efforts to avoid it. Umbreon pushed Espeon out of the way right before it was about to make contact and took the brunt of the blow.
"Umbreon!"
Espeon quickly rushed to his side as he recovered from the blow.
"Don't worry, Espeon. It didn't hurt as much as you think. I'm a Dark type, after all."
"Yes, even so I'm still relieved."
Relieved to see he was OK, Espeon regained her focus and attacked using her Psybeam. The damage only made Golurk angrier.
"RROOOOWAAARRR!"
Its rage was bellowed out for all to hear and after finishing, Golurk raised both its arms as if going to slam the ground.
"This isn't good…!"
My fears came true as Golurk slammed the ground with both his fists, causing an earthquake. All of us were thrown off our balance and fell awkwardly to the ground. Pieces of the ceiling fell on our heads and only increased the damage taken from Golurk's Magnitude attack.
"Don't let him use Magnitude again! Any more uses and the ceiling can fall on us! Even the ground can collapse beneath us!" I warned.
Sensing the urgency in my voice, everyone knew how dangerous it was to let Golurk smash the ground.
"Virizion! Let's attack it together!"
Silvy signaled Virizon to attack in unison and they both unleashed a Leaf Tornado and Magical Leaf respectively. Golurk raised its arms defensively but could not absorb all of the damage safely. Using this brief window of where Golurk was defending Espeon unleashed her Psybeam and managed to catch Golurk from behind. As Golurk staggered forward, Umbreon sprang forth from his position and attacked using Faint Attack. Again, Golurck was caught off guard and this time staggered forward. Dunsparce did not miss his chance and used Rollout to finally push Golurk over and it fell on its bottom, becoming vulnerable.
"This is it! Attack together!" I cried.
Everyone was preparing to attack in unison when it became dark once more. In an instant the room went completely dark and then was lit once more. Everyone was here…except our opponents had disappeared.
"Is everyone OK?" I asked
"Yeah, looks like we aren't too badly hurt," Silvy said.
"Phew… Looks like we managed to scare them off," Umbreon declared.
We all nodded at his statement. Just as we were beginning to relax, a very cold breeze blew in the room.
"Was that…wind?" Espeon asked.
"Wind? In here? This dome is completely covered in ice… Meaning we're basically indoors, right? So how can there be wind?" Umbreon pondered.
"Well, even if it is a dome, look at the size of it. Maybe it's natural that there's some air movement?" I voiced.
"I felt it, too. That wind. It was just a faint breeze, but…" Silvy began.
"A-and me! I felt like it was blowing toward the path ahead…" Dunsparce said.
"Then I'd say that path leads to the peak," Umbreon deduced.
"If we keep climbing up this path, maybe we'll find something. Let's check it out," Silvy said.
Everyone agreed and we all began walking towards the opening in front of us. It wasn't long before Dunsparce once again showed signs of fatigue.
"Hah… Hah… Hah… Hah…"
His breathing was getting heavier and heavier until he had finally collapsed.
"Dunsparce! You OK?" Silvy said.
"…Yeah. I'll be fine. Sorry for holding everyone up," Dunsparce reassured.
Dunsparce tried his best to reassure everyone with a smile. We could only accept his response, despite the reality of his condition. He didn't want to hold everyone up from reaching our goal so he was doing his best to press forward. We would only betray his bravery if we gave up, so we pressed on.
"Hah… Hah…"
"Hah… Hah…"
"Wheeze… Wheeze… Aren't we…there yet?"
Just like Dunsparce everyone else were beginning to show signs of difficulty breathing. I should be just like them, but I wasn't.
That's odd. Why is everyone suddenly out of breath?
"Virizion!"
Virizion had also succumbed to exhaustion as she, too, collapsed just like Dunsparce.
"E-everyone!"
Following Virizion, everyone else was also collapsing from exhaustion.
"Why is it…so hard to get any air… Why…" Espeon thought feebly.
"I don't…know… Shin… You're…OK?" Silvy asked weakly.
"Yes, I am."
"That's…great… But no one else…can seem to move…"
"You've got to be…kidding me… We finally made it this far…only to…" Umbreon said in frustration.
"But…it's too… I just…can't…" Espeon began.
Everyone then suddenly passed out.
"Everyone!" I cried out.
Everyone had passed out leaving me to only watch helplessly.
"Wh-what should I—"
The hallway had also begun to lose light just as I was panicking on what to do, only adding to my anxiety.
"And now it's suddenly gone dark?!"
I looked around in a panic, wondering what to do when suddenly light began to return. I couldn't even feel relieved about that as my ears caught the wind making noises. That noise was coming directly above and what I saw terrified me.
"Ahhh!"
Crash
The ground quaked as the Pokémon before me landed from unknown heights. This Pokémon had a fearsome visage as it stood staring at me with its yellow eyes devoid of pupils. His body took the shape of a mighty T-Rex of prehistoric times with steel colored skin and deformed pale blue wings protruding from his back. Icicles were coming out from the ends of his wings indicating the wings themselves were as stiff as ice. His tail seemed to be missing but in fact was only a small stump only to inform the viewer of its former length and girth. He began to arch back and then his dragon shaped head opened his mouth to let out an ear piercing roar. The V shaped horns with a yellow stripe down the middle even seemed to shake at his majesty. Yes, this fearsome Pokémon was known as Kyurem.
He-he's huge! Is he an enemy?! Not now! Not when everyone is-! Fine! I'll take him on alone if I have to!
I took a determined stance, against his presence. As if noticing my defiance, Kyurem let out another powerful roar. This roar seemed to send the small amounts of snow covering the ice rushing forth. The snow then began to turn into a miniature blizzard as it blinded me.
"Ahhh!"
The world then turned completely white. I thought I was trapped underneath the snow he blew towards me until I opened my eyes. What I saw was the room where we fought the Cryogonal and Golurk. Somehow or another Kyurem transported me back to the room. Everyone else was behind me as well, still unconscious.
"Wh-where-?!"
"Mm… Ugh…"
Silvy started to let out moans, indicating she was beginning to wake up.
"…Silvy!"
Then everyone else began to stand once more, albeit with some effort.
Everyone is-!
"Isn't this…where we were fighting before?" Umbreon asked, confused.
Could he…have saved everyone?!
"Y-you… Who are you?" Espeon questioned.
"I am the one called Kyurem. I am he who is master of this place."
Everyone had shocked expressions at this revelation.
"K-Kyurem?!" Virizion gasped.
"The Kyurem…known since the ancient past? THAT Kyurem?!" Umbreon said in amazement.
"The path you seek is one that none may tread. You cannot approach that forbidden place."
"Forbidden?" I asked.
"A great power fills that place. A power even I cannot approach. I have foreseen your coming. The moment you entered that place you would have become unable to return."
"W-wait… You said you'd 'foreseen' us… You mean…you knew we were coming here? Even before we did?" Silvy asked.
"That is correct. I know the coming of all things. What happens in every land… What fate awaits the world… All of this is known to me. And here, here in this Glacier Palace… …I have watched over that future…since days long gone and forgotten."
This Pokémon… This Kyurem…can see the future? And the fate of the entire world?!
"The path ahead is closed to you. There is no further adventure for you here. Turn back," Kyurem said grimly.
"…Alright. We weren't prepared. I never thought we would be wiped out so easily. I give my word. I won't try to go any farther. But in return…would you tell me one thing? The Great Crystal… Does it truly lie ahead?" Umbreon asked tentatively.
"…It does. It is the power you call the Great Crystal…that makes the objects in this Glacier Palace float."
"That's all I needed to know. Thank you," Umbreon said.
"Please let me ask one more thing. I think…a Pokémon called Keldeo may have come here…" Virzion asked worriedly.
"…He did not."
"What? He never got here?!" Silvy said, surprised.
"You are the first Pokémon to have come from the outside and made it this far."
"… … …"
"Enough."
That was all he said before crying another powerful roar. In an instant, he had disappeared in a flash of blinding light. In his place lay a large chest. Although his physical presence had vanished, his voice still echoed within this room.
"You have done well to overcome so many trials and come so far. Your effort is worth of praise. Before you lies your reward. Take what you find within and go."
Another roar shook the room and when it ended, the room lay silent. This probably meant he had left to some other part of the palace.
"But… If Keldeo never made it this far… What could have happened to him?" Silvy wondered.
"Whatever it was, it must have happened somewhere between here…and the spot where we found that Frism," Espeon theorized.
"I was so sure Keldeo made it here… I mean, he was strong enough to get through the Great Glacier all by himself!" Dunsparce said.
"So what could have…" Umbreon began.
"That's enough."
"Virizion…" Silvy said.
"I know it's odd that Keldeo never came this far, but… Speculating about it isn't going to give us any answers. And the message we heard from the Frism that Keldeo left… It still doesn't change the letter he sent me."
"Virizion…" Espeon said disappointingly.
"No, Espeon. It's not what you're thinking. I'm not just giving up. You don't need to worry. But along the way here today… I realized something. The voice from that Frism… That voice was undoubtedly Keldeo's. The Keldeo who wrote that letter may have been cruel, but…the Keldeo who spoke those words hadn't changed at all. When I relized that, I finally noticed… Ever since I got that letter from Keldeo… Ever since I read those words… …I stopped believing that there was any such thing as a real friend. But the one who first planted that doubt in my heart… It wasn't Keldeo. It wasn't anyone else. The one responsible for that doubt in my heart…was…me. I'm the one who lost hope after seeing that letter. I'm the one who decided to give up after reading it…and I'm the one who made myself into the bitter Virizion you first met. There are still a lot of questions that I don't have answers to. Maybe I'll find the truth somewhere else someday. But that's why I've decided…that I'm going to try believing again…you know?"
""Virizion!"" Silvy and I said happily.
"I've been so miserable to everyone for so long. But meeting you all…and being able to come here together… It helped me remember how it feels to trust other Pokémon. That is all thanks to you here. I'm so grateful to you all. Thank you… Thank you so much…"
Overcome by her words, Virizion began to weep. All of us were happy at Virizion's revelation. We were glad she had finally overcame the darkness in her heart.
"That's wonderful, Virizion!" Dunsparce cheered.
"Yeah. We're glad to have you on the team! Virizion's breakthrough alone is enough to call this adventure a great success, I'd say!" Silvy said cheerfully.
"I agree. Plus, we made it through the Great Glacier! And we learned some fascinating things about its insides!" I said happily.
"I most certainly agree, Shin!" Espeon joined.
"I got to see a castle made out of ice! I guess they called it the Glacier Palace, huh?" Dunsparce added.
"And I got to confirm that the Great Crystal really does exist. Though I would've really like to see it for myself…" Umbreon said.
"The Frisms were definitely the big success for me! My Frism is gonna be my greatest treasure from now on!" Silvy declared.
"And we're gonna give one to Emolga, too!" Dunsparce said.
"Of course! He'll love it!"
"Emolga sure is going to have fun with his Frism," I said wryly.
"Now all that's left…"
Umbreon had gathered our attention and motioned towards the chest.
"…is to find out what's in that Treasure Box…and head home, huh?"
"Yup. And we should do it fast. We don't want to make Kyurem mad at us! Shin? Why don't you open the Treasure Box? Go on." Silvy said.
"You want me to do it? Is that alright with everyone?
""Yes.""
"By all means."
"Please."
"I don't particularly mind."
With everyone's blessing, I walked towards the chest and opened it.
"Wow!"
Silvy's eyes were sparkling as she saw what the contents of the Treasure Box were. Inside was a Life Seed, a Protein bottle, five Silver Spikes, a Black Key, a Gold Scope, and five thousand Poké dollars.
"Woo-hoo! What a haul!" Dunsparce yelled excitedly.
"Not bad! Now it's time to head home," Umbreon said.
"Yeah! Everyone… This is it! Our adventure to the Great Glacier…is officially over!" Silvy declared.
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
"Now we'll take our treasures… And we'll take our memories…and go home to Paradise!"
Silvy then turned to me but was still talking to everybody.
"Our first big adventure is… A GREAT SUCCESSSSSS!"
""YEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!"""
And that was how…the curtain closed on our adventure to the Great Glacier. We all returned to Paradise. And waiting there for us were all the Pokémon of Post Town and our dear friends from Paradise. Everyone was eager to hear our stories of what we had seen at the Great Glacier. And so that night, everyone from the town packed into the inn's restaurant and stayed until morning, full of cheer and excitement, whiling away the night with tales of travel and treasures.