Hey everybody! This story is getting a lot of views so I just wanna say, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
And, can you please check out my new story, Porygon's Path. The idea of a Porygon may not be to everyone's taste, but I promise the story will be great!
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"I can't see through this snow!" I just about heard Bolt shout, "We can't get home!"
A blizzard had kicked up out of nowhere. Unfortunately, we had travelled to Tiny Woods to pick some fresh berries, only to find that the snow had started to fall. Heavily. Being under the canopy of trees, we did not see it until it was too late.
This proved a great excuse, however, to pay a visit to our friend Mateo. He lived in the centre of the forest with a large pack of Raticate and Rattata. As we approached, a group of young Rattata ran to meet us. Their spirits did not seem to be brought down by the icy oblivion that lay on the other side of the trees. Squeaking and hopping with excitement, they led us towards a large hut made out of wood and leaves. This must have been built recently, as the wood was still dry and fresh.
"Bolt! Axel!" roared a familiar voice as we stepped into a small cloakroom-like space. The lumbering mass of muscle greeted us warmly with handshakes on the doorstep, before ushering us into the main room. The smell of roasting berries hit us, along with incenses of pine and lavender. At the centre of the room, were countless fires, each under the watchful eyes of several careful Raticate. It was obviously coming up to diner time: wooden tables were being set up in large squares around the room, each being equipped with plates. Nearly all of the Raticate's nests had been moved into this structure. It gave a sense of community to the once primitive groups. Mateo also had his own quarters, a spacious room at the back of the dwelling. He led us there so we could talk.
"Nothing's really changed around here" he confirmed to us.
"Oh, apart from a giant hut in the centre of the clearing!" I laughed.
"Well, yeah, but I meant behaviour wise. Everything has been normal. Do you two have any new information?"
"We now know the culprit's name" added Bolt, "It is Prometheus"
"You don't mean like…"
"Yes. THE Prometheus"
"Oooh man! I didn't even know that story was true!"
"We need to stop him, but we have no idea where he is, or how"
"Well if you need information, my scouts say that the legendary bird, Articuno, is behind this blizzard"
"How do they know?"
"They heard her cry from up on Mt. Freeze. A few minutes later, the snow started falling. It's a no brainer really" Mateo put his head in his hands, "Though getting up that mountain will be no piece of cake, trust me, I've tried"
"I'm not too keen on snow or ice myself" I said, shivering.
"Come on! We need to find the reason for this weather! Do it for Vena!" Bolt squeezed my hand.
"You really know how to use something against a guy!" I nodded.
"Well if you're gonna go, at least wait till morning!" insisted Mateo.
"Morning? Is that all? I was going to wait till next week…" I murmured, tapping my foot on the floor.
"Hey, I'll train you if you want! You know to get a better chance!" Mateo shouted proudly, his monstrous hands covering his entire hip.
"That would be great!" Bolt smiled, "Really great"
"Well before we do anything, lets eat!" I think my stomach prompted me to say that, but I couldn't care. Anything to postpone the climb up the dreaded icy mountain.
"Five more press-ups!" Mateo barked. He had put on some wristbands and Mightyena tags. Every time he shouted something at us, the muscles in his neck would bulge.
It had been decided that we would be accompanied by three Raticate. They were training with us, running round tracks and doing press-ups. Mateo had a training room under the hut, filled with all manner of equipment. The moment he stepped down here, the Mateo we knew had vanished. In his place was a cruel and relentless weight lifting machine. He had no concern for our health, only that we weren't lifting enough. My strengths seemed to lie in the power category, while Bolt's was his agility. According to Mateo, a well balanced team couldn't go wrong. The three Raticate were notably larger than many of the others that resided here. Each had large incisors, filed to sharp points and fur that was bright and healthy. After an hour of nonstop exercising, Mateo decided that we were done. He then introduced us to our travelling company.
The first was Skeetrus, whose teeth could chew through solid metal. Around his neck was a blue loop of fabric, a Power Band. On his back was a large sack, for carrying treasures and equipment alike.
Next was a female, Attrus. She was an expert thief, able to slide something out of your hand without you even noticing. Her footsteps made no sound and her hair was slicked back to help her hide. She had much narrower shoulders, making it easy for her to get into small gaps.
The final member was a familiar face. A male, Lerrus. He wore a red Special Band around his head and was proficient in that type of attack. Also a master marksman, he could hit a Caterpie with a stone from 100 metres.
Mateo caught me staring at Lerrus and decided to enlighten me.
"Lerrus is the Raticate that you first encountered here in tiny woods. The one that tried to take your bone"
After he said this, I instantly recognised him.
"He has been training hard to make sure nothing like that every happens again"
Lerrus nodded at me, regret in his eyes. I nodded back and smiled. I forgave him.
"Why is it so c-cold?" I shivered.
"It is Mt. Freeze…" answered Bolt, almost oblivious to the temperature.
The snow was falling heavier and heavier, even finding its way into the intricate cave system that led in and out of the mountain. It was cold no matter how far into the core of the mountain we ventured. The road ahead of us was blocked by fallen rocks.
"There is no way past. A bit further ahead is another path leading outside" Attrus warned me, "We are about three quarters of the way to the top. Be careful of any rocks"
"Oh great!" I moaned, "Can this get any worse? First those Zangoose and now an even longer climb and a chance of being crushed by oversized pebbles!"
"Who are you calling an oversized pebble?"
Looking closer, the fallen rocks were actually slightly blue. They shook, then sprouted stubby legs and began shuffling towards us. They stopped in front of our crew and turned. There were about ten in total, each sporting a large red nose-like rock. Lumpy arms extended from their bodies and a pair of slit eyes opened above their noses. Their voices seemed to hum at a single melodramatic pitch. If my memory served me correct, they were Nosepass.
"What are you here for?" one asked.
"We are here for an audience with the great Articuno" Lerrus stated.
"On what terms?" asked another Nosepass.
"To seek a reason for this harsh storm" Bolt added formally.
"Then follow us. Your reasons appear to be of a true nature" The Nosepass at the front of the crowd turned and led its followers along the once blocked path. It was either freeze outside on a longer path, or tail this mysterious group further into the mountain. We chose the latter.
"Articuno used to reside in the Frosty Forest, but due to a plague of Ditto, she had to find a new dwelling. And where better the in Mt. Freeze?" As well as being a stealthy thief, Attrus was also quite the story teller.
"Why would she move away just because of a few Pokémon?" I asked, "I've read Ditto have lived in that forest for generations!"
"You don't understand. When I say plague, I mean PLAGUE. As in everywhere" She shook her head, "Ditto are strange creatures. They can turn into anything they see. That forest was vacated a long time ago"
"How long ago was that?" Skeetrus rumbled, "As far back as I remember Articuno has been up here"
Attrus tapped the side of her long nose, "Only a few years. It was kept on the quiet, but I know my surroundings. Rumour has it, that…"
"We are here" Interrupted the Nosepass, gesturing to a great metal door. Not wanting to be in the company of this strange band any longer, we quickly approached the door. The Rock Pokémon had been muttering to themselves this whole journey and I was not one for the secretive type. Bolt sprung to mind.
The door was a standard plate, with a rim running the perimeter. Skeetrus raised a tough paw and tried pushing it open. It wouldn't budge.
"No good. Frozen"
"Here, give us a stick, Skeetrus" Bolt said, reaching out a mitt. The rat pulled a small wooden beam from his pack and placed it into the outstretched paw. Handing it to me, Bolt winked. He rubbed his cheeks for a moment, then placed a static paw on the wood. It burst into flame, catching the Raticate by surprise. We set it on the floor by the door, hoping for the ice to melt.
"Doesn't look like it's getting anywhere" said Lerrus awkwardly, looking at the crackling stick.
"Needs more power than just a small flame" Attrus moaned.
Suddenly, Lerrus' eyes flashed. He scuttled to where the mountainous form of Skeetrus stood and rummaged around in his pack. He brought out a orange-tinged disk and handed it to me.
"This is a TM Flamethrower. We need to use it to melt through the ice, but you are the only one of us who can learn it"
"How do I use it?" I asked.
"Place it on your forehead" he answered simply.
Doing as I was told, I touched the edge of the disk to my forehead, closed my eyes and waited. After a few seconds of nothing I was about to give up, when a sudden warmth began to engulf me. It swirled around my body, licking even the coldness of my feet. My fingertips began to tingle and I felt burning for a moment, before I felt the heat channel itself into my throat. I breathed heavily and sensed the fire in my mouth. Although it was hot, it did not pain me. My breath was hotter than usual, the effects of the new move. I opened my eyes and focused them onto the burning stick on the floor. Taking a deep breath, I expelled fire from my mouth with such force, that I slid on the ice. The burning timber got the full blaze, and exploded into hot embers. The ice around the door had already began to melt. It was creating puddles on the floor.
I stepped back and admired my handiwork, oblivious to the amazed features of the rest of my group. Lerrus clapped a small hand on my back.
The blizzard howled as the heavy door swung open and I instantly felt the cold rush of air freeze the burning sensation in my mouth. We were almost at the peak. Only a few stone steps lay between us and a meeting with the great ice bird Pokémon. We heard her before we had put a foot on to the first step. Snow covered statues of ice type Pokémon decorated the sides of the walkway: Snorunts huddled together, their stone smiles carved intricately with precision and emotion. Beyond these, were three Smoochum statues, partaking in a game of ring-around-the-Roselia. Each of their eyes seemed to glisten with ice, creating a childlike aura. Finally were two Sneasel locked in an epic combat, whose claws were so sharp, snowflakes seemed to tear in two upon contact.
At the end of the stairs, was a large figure, shrouded in a heavy snow that blocked all vision. A smaller figure hopped out from within the snowy cloak.
A purple bivalve shell appeared before us, large points strutting out from its side. Many craters were visible on the almost impenetrable barricade: a thin divide was heavily set between the two separate shell parts. From within the shell came a piercing voice.
"Empress!" it called towards the billowing cloud of cold, "You have some Pokémon here to see you"
The swirl of icy air remained the same.
The purple shelled creature opened its clasped encasing. In it was what looked like a black pearl. It had sorrowful eyes and a drooped mouth. For a Cloyster, it was unnaturally sad.
"I am Shard. I do apologise for her highness' mood. She hasn't been feeling herself lately. In all honestly, none of us have. She is the driving force of us ice types. The emotion behind each and every one of us"
"What happened to her?" Bolt questioned.
"It's her brothers. The three Birds are so close, but recently the other two have been acting differently"
"Differently?" I asked quickly. If things were as I thought, many Pokémon could be in danger.
"Ignoring Empress, committing mindless act of violence, that sort of thing"
Mindless. A nod from Bolt confirmed my suspicions.
"Well we didn't come up here for nothing. Our prime reason was to find the reason for the blizzard, but I guess we know that is due to a sulk. Now we know the situation, it is our duty as a Pokémon Rescue Team to help" Bolt's hands were on his hips.
He turned to Empress, who was still sulking in her cloud of ice.
"Team Voltskull is at your assistance if ever you need it, your highness"
The snowy cloak did not move. As we turned to leave, a shrill cry rang out across the peaks of nearby mountains. The whirling snow covering Empress had vanished. In its place was a truly beautiful sight. A majestic bird stood tall, her pastel blue plumage contrasting effortlessly with the falling snow. Puffing out her white chest, she stood proud and immaculate, like an angel among the clouds. Her long tail coiled round her feet and shone with a bluish hue in the light of the sun. on top of her head was a crest comprising of three short feathers. They looked like crystals of ice and created a crown like effect. Her eyes were deep red and sparkled like rubies. She opened her beak and for the first time, spoke.
"It is not of my nature to ask for assistance, but this matter is out of my hands. My brothers have been acting unnaturally. I need you to put a stop to it. I will send word by Delibird if anything comes up. Good luck"
And with that, Empress spread her wings and soared off into the snowy sky.
"Would you look at that…our first major job" Bolt murmured, mesmerised by the soaring form of the Articuno, now far in the distance.
Sorry it has been so long! If I'm honest it was me being lazy, but these words seemed to fall straight out of my head and onto the page. The break restored my imagination, but I will post regularily again from now on.
Trakyan- thanks for pointing that out I had not realised!
Thanks for checking out this story! Much appreciated!