My target, the leviathan Articuno, flew about the chamber, encircling the small island in the lake below. Although deadly, there was a quiet beauty in the sparkling frost that danced around her and the crystal on the cavern walls. Since failing to finish Blaine and I in a single blast, she has become more passive. Occasionally she swept passed us, trying to gauge how much of a threat we are, her voiced screeching out as she was as lost for answers as we were. I grew impatient with the lack of progress being made to ensnare the beast. However, admittedly, it granted us time to plan our next avenue of attack.
"We're doomed," Blaine commented bleakly. Although I will never admit it, part of me agreed with him. My colleague resigned himself to this fate and leaned against the wall. Quickly, though, he leapt away, shivering.
"There must be a way to beat it. It is, after all, just a Pokemon." I furrowed my brow, letting my eyes trace its movement around the room. A graceful flier. No doubt she will make a brilliant exhibit.
"It may just be a Pokemon but it's one that's responsible for the entire Antarctic region!" It bemused me that hopeless people tend to argue against hope.
"Which Pokemon do you have on you?" I asked him.
"Er. I have Charizard, Magmar, Arcanine, Rapidash and Ninetales. Why?"
"We need to attack her."
"You SAW what she did to our fire! How do you think we're meant to do anything? If Articuno can freeze flames, we don't stand a chance," Blaine spluttered out.
"I'll distract her by throwing another Pokeball," I explained, gripping the metallic sphere tightly. "We must move fast, though. Summon your Pokemon." I spied the bird preparing to swoop out of the corner of my eye. Not the best plan but it was the only viable option left. If a stand-up fight is impossible, one must fight dirty.
The red glow of the Pokeballs release mechanism was cast around the chamber as the region-renowned Fire Pokemon of Blaine were loosed onto the snow, casting an orange hue over the snow they didn't melt. Six pairs of eyes stared intently at me, waiting for my move. With a small nod to my partner, I sent the ball flying through the air towards Articuno.
Realising what the device was, the avian glided through the air in an attempt to evade the snare of the ball. A delicate spin and careful flapping of its wings helped achieve this and the ball slipped dangerously far from its target. Ordinarily I would be angry that my technology was proving so ineffective but today it was only the supporter of another tactic. The small latch opened, threatening to swallow the legendary creature. Adrenaline coursed through me, realising this was my chance to tame the Titan of Ice.
"Fire Blast!" Blaine commanded his troupe, all of which promptly shot roaring flames toward the frosty bird. Too concerned with freeing itself from the traps of the Pokeball, Articuno paid no heed to the wave of fire until it seared her down. Embers snaked through the air as the attack enveloped the bird, scorching its wings. A smile graced my lips as droplets of melted frost hit the water below.
Grappling with the searing heat and the persistent trap, Articuno too fell from the air. Snowflakes flew like dust from its perch as the bird collided with the island floor. The bone-chilling sound of flesh on stone reverberated around the alcove, causing Blaine to cringe. I smirked grimly at the shape of my fallen prize.
"She's mine," I uttered in a hushed voice.
"I'm not so sure," Blaine commented, noting the movement from the now-mountain of fire on the rocks below.
"She took five of the strongest Fire Blasts I've seen to date. She's smouldering." I cursed myself for complimenting this person's creatures but confidence soothed those wounds.
"Oh my…" escaped my lips. The fireball that was Articuno once again took to the sky. Could nothing keep this Pokemon down? The flames dripped from the bird's form as though mere sweat from a marathon runner's brow. Although they did not achieve the desired result, the attack left its mark: scorch marks decorated its wings and the hair adorning its chest was frayed from burns. Despite the injuries, the bird's visage trembled with a cold rage.
"Whatcha propose we do now?" Blaine asked, his voice shaking.
"Try not to be frozen is a good bet," I responded, watching Articuno carefully. There had to be some way that we could beat this Pokemon. We were humans and it was just a collectable.
Opening its beak, Articuno sent another thin crystal beam towards us. It narrowly missed my head but the message was clear. Behind me, the wall was crusting over with ice from the impact of the frozen string. My companion's eyes traced the attack without blinking. His Pokemon's faces were mirror images of his own; each vividly showcasing their feelings about the situation.
"Don't think we should run yet?" Blaine asked nervously. How could he ask that? Is he going soft on me?
"No! We cannot give in! There's something, I can feel it."
"I hate to disagree but we're going to die here if we don't do something fast!"
The frozen beast reared its head once again. My body stiffened, anticipating the impending doom. There was no time to react; nowhere to run. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as the air around me chilled to sub-zero temperatures. Frost twinkled in the air against the light from Blaine's team and the Ice Beam approached my heart at lightning speeds.
For the second time, the icicle cord twisted and contorted, leaking into my robes. A mixture of cold and wonderment evoked shivers in even the farthest reaches of my body. I realised, after the beam had disappeared entirely, that the Ice Treasure had again protected me from certain death. Why was this happening? Was it the key?
"How did you survive that?" Blaine gaped at me.
"I…don't know," I admitted, mind racing to draw connections.
"That little ball. That's the second time it's protected you from an attack, isn't it?"
"I think so."
"If it can stop her attacks, maybe it can be used to stop her?" Blaine suggested.
"But how? You saw how she reacted to brandishing it in front of her." Again, hopeless people fighting their hope.
"Maybe it's a weapon? D'you know if it…does anything?" Blaine mused.
"Could that really be the case? I haven't seen it do anything that looked like attacking" I asked, incredulously studying the ball, realising how little attention I had actually paid to it.
I waved the orb around again. Nothing. The small glint of energy inside the sphere winked at me, taunting me with its secrets. Anger boiled my blood, creating the awkward sensation of being improperly cooked.
"Throw it at her?" Blaine offered only to receive a scowl from me. We would be giving away our only defence.
"Are you mad?"
"What could we lose form trying?"
"Our only insurance policy against her attacks." It was a gamble. If I tried and failed, we would have to retreat or face death. However, if Blaine were right, it would be the fastest and most effective way to not only claim Articuno but also her siblings too.
"Just try it, she'll be back soon." Blaine was eyeing the bird, which was flying around the antechamber, casting its chill over the lake.
"But what if we're wrong?" I was not keen to relinquish the only progress I had made so far.
"If we don't try it, we've got to leave now. There's no option. She's bound to hit us sooner or later."
"Ver-Very well." My voice shook. If this failed, all my work was for naught. I gripped the orb tightly and my knuckles shone white. My knees were quaking and my breath was ragged and unsteady. My eyes fell shut; I tried to visualise the avian being captured by the supposed Pokeball. This was it: death or glory awaits.
Drawing a long breath in, I released the orb. It hurtled through the air toward its target. My nails dug into flesh as I clenched my fists so tightly as to draw blood. Everything around me turned to darkness. All that remained was the glittering blue of the bird and the identical colour of its treasure. Finally, after an eternity, they met.
The scene that followed was a breathtaking mixture of anguish and radiance. My heart leapt as the Ice Orb paused in the air before its liege, a vacuum effect pulling at me from across the room. Cyan rays of light snaked through the air, entwining around the creature. Shrieks of shock and desperation pierced the rock walls themselves. Feathers cascaded through the air to the water as Articuno flapped its wings frantically to escape the clutches of the ball.
"It's working!" Blaine called excitedly over the pained cries of the legendary bird.
The energy ensnared the creature's feet, dragging it into the invisible depths of its construction. I watched, heart beating faster, as thin cords of ice penetrated the cavern walls. Rocks shattered, creating a snowfall of shards of rock and ice. The cuts and scrapes from falling rocks were meaningless. All that mattered now was the Pokemon struggling to break free from its confines in front of me. Its elegant tail swiped through the air, fighting invisible foes. I looked into the bird's eyes; pain and sorrow shone through. At last, my vengeance had begun. You, Articuno, will feel the pain I endured for so long.
A blinding flash spread throughout the island. My eyes stung as I tried to blink out the light. A smile danced across my face and an electrical charge passed through my entire body as I saw a little glass ball resting at my feet. The light of ice inside the treasure was coiled into a circle. With a trembling hand, I retrieved my conquest. One third of the puzzle was mine.
And it seems that the Treasures of lore were not to tame the birds, but to enslave them.