PMD: Explorers of Light and Shadow
Chapter 36: Sorceress of Ice
Crevice Cave was beautiful in a dark and creepy way. The ice crystals dotting the cavern acted like mirrors, reflecting our reflection when we passed by them. Because we were all so cautious and wary of enemies, the ice mirrors caused a little more than one accidents which ended with the crystal being shattered.
"You know, it'll be funny if these ice crystals reflected special attacks like this Mirror Shield does in "The Guardian Angel"" Priscilla commented as we passed by a whole room of crystals that made me woozy with all the reflections "Like if you breathed a Flamethrower on a crystal, it'll bounce back at you"
"Any special attack other than Flamethrower and Fire Blast would be better for this theory" I replied dryly "After all, these are still made of ice"
"No better time than now to try" The Eevee faced the closest sheet of reflective ice next to her and shot a single blade of wind via Vacuum Cut at it. The sharp gale cleanly sliced the sheet of ice in two, much to Priscilla's disappointment.
"They would of made excellent protective devices if they worked like I thought" Priscilla sighed "Although it could be possible with a bit of magic…"
"It'll take a lot of time, resources and spellbinding magic to make a Mirror Shield like you said" Ezra commented as she carefully stepped over a sharp spire of ice "You'll need to absorb the magical power away from a Mirror Coat, change the nature of the move so it only reflects special attacks and bind the magic onto a shield made of a certain material to stabilize the energy"
"That's… a lot of requirements" Priscilla replied uneasily "So I guess it'll be inconsiderate to ask if you can make one, considering your knowledge"
"No" The Absol shook her head "I mainly make medicine and do alchemy. I'm no blacksmith. If you want your mirror shield, you have to seek out a highly experienced smith"
"That reminds me of that story you told me once" I said to Priscilla "About that blacksmith Machamp who made boomerang throwing axes and javelins for the humans?"
""The Demon Dragon and the Radiant Blade"" Priscilla nodded "It was a story about how humans and Pokemon work together to conquer an oppressive kingdom bent on world domination. An incredible tale, to be honest"
After that, we continued moving forward silently. We didn't encounter too many wild Pokemon, since they were likely hibernating and waiting for the snowstorm to pass. What Pokemon we did encounter were usually Jynx, Zangoose, Prinplup, Vigoroth, Weavile and Altaria strangely enough.
"How can a flying dragon covered in cotton fur survive in a place like this?" Niko watched an Altaria soar high overhead. The ceiling of Crevice Cave was tall and covered in sharp icicles. A minor tremor would send a hailstorm of lethal ice falling on top of us.
"Maybe the cotton fur is keeping them warm" Priscilla dodged a Sneasel's Slash and sent it flying into a wall with Quick Attack "Don't ask me how they handle all the Ice-type Pokemon around here though"
"If I were them, I would get out of here the first chance I get" I commented, taking down a Nosepass with Force Palm before it could call down Rock Slide "Even if they could evade all the Ice types prowling around, I doubt eating any of them would do well for their bloodstream, considering how weak they are to ice"
"Yeah, I understand that" Niko watched an Altaria notice us and began to swoop down to attack. The Ampharos simply held out his hand towards it and an intense rush of lightning shot out, blasting the Altaria out of the air and sent it sprawling to the ground. Unfortunately, the dead Altaria tumbled nearby a sleeping Slaking, who rolled over and snored with great magnitude. Even the enemy Pokemon stopped attacking when they saw the Slaking. All of them glanced up and saw the icicles on the ceiling shake every time Slaking snored.
"Everyone step away and retreat quietly" Priscilla whispered to all the attacking Pokemon around us "If you don't want to be speared by a giant icicle, leave. Now"
All the enemy Pokemon retreated back to their caves and chambers in the darkness, leaving us alone with the snoring Slaking and several bloody carcasses of Pokemon.
"He's blocking the stairs to the next floor" Ezra hissed in annoyance "We have to fight him if we want to pass"
"But I heard Slaking is really strong. Among one of the strongest Pokemon in the world" Niko said uneasily "If it wasn't so lazy, it could of dominated the earth easily"
"Maybe we can exploit that laziness. We can try to push him off the stairs so we can pass without him noticing us" Priscilla suggested.
"Even with all of us pushing, I doubt it'll work" I replied, noting Slaking's extreme body fat and bulkiness. I doubted Niko's word on it being able to conquer the world on its own.
"Slaking weighs 287.7 Ibs. It would be impossible to move it without him noticing us" Ezra pursed her lips "We can TRY to kill it before it wakes up if all four of us gang up on it"
"Actually, I know the perfect way to get rid of it" I opened my bag and pulled out a Violent Seed.
"Focus Punch?" Priscilla smiled darkly.
"Focus Punch" I nodded and chucked down the seed, feeling its powerful effects coarse through my arms and mind instantly "Get ready to back me up in case Slaking survives this"
I approached the sleeping giant with Ezra, Niko and Priscilla behind me. I raised my arm and orange light began gathering in my fist, burning like fire. Before I could strike, the Slaking rolled over and nearly flattened me, forcing me to back away. When he landed on his back however, the force was enough to shake the ground.
"Silvin, back away!" Ezra grabbed me and pulled me back as a large icicle fell from the ceiling and crashed on the icy floor, shattering into dozens of pieces.
"Oh no. Oh no, no, no…" Niko stared in horror as the Slaking opened his eyes with a grunt and stood up, eyeing us with infernal anger in his pupils.
"RAAAHHHH! WHO DISTURBED ME FROM MY SLEEP?!" The Slaking roared, balling his hands into fists.
"I'll distract him! Everyone, go to the stairs!" I yelled and Slaking attacked, throwing down a earth shattering punch with Hammer Arm. I dodged and jumped on the beast's arm, but more icicles began shaking and falling from the ceiling. I climbed up the Slaking's arm and released my Focus Punch onto his skull, knocking down the giant hard. However, he survived much to my surprise and backhanded me towards the wall. I wanted to get up and continue my attack, but more and more icicles were falling from the ceiling and crashing on the floor. I had to leave now.
"Sorry to cut out duel short, but I gotta go" I bolted to the stairs leading down, but Slaking stopped me.
"Those icicles won't kill me, but they'll kill you! If you want to leave, you gotta get past me!" Slaking intoned and attacked with Brick Break, cracking a large dent in the ice wall. I darted around the ape Pokemon towards the stairs, but another crystal collapsed from the ceiling and shattered right in front of me, peppering me with icy shrapnel.
"One last trick, you puny brat!" The Slaking jumped and slammed the ground with his two feet, causing a shock wave with Earthquake. The tremor Slaking caused made all the crystals on the ceiling fall down at once. If I didn't make it to the stairs now, it wouldn't be long before an icicle impales me. Before I could escape though, Slaking grabbed my leg and held me high in the air.
"Food!" The Pokemon roared and his gaping maw approached my foot.
"Get your hands off him, you stupid ape!" Priscilla suddenly appeared atop the stairs and threw a Stun Seed into Slaking's chest, forcing him to drop me "Come on Silvin! Let's go!"
I ran down the stairs as fast as I could just as the last of the icicles dropped and Slaking buried under the debris with a great roar.
"That was close…" I breathed hard as me and Priscilla descended down the steps into the 4th underground floor "I can still feel his rotten teeth chewing at my foot"
"Luckily I saved you before that happened" Priscilla kissed me on my cheek "Next time, don't take something you can't handle on your own. We're here for you. I'm here for you, my lovely Riolu"
"Me too Priscilla. That's why we depend on each other so much, don't we?" I laughed lightly "Where's Ezra and Niko?"
"Up ahead. I was worried when you didn't come down right away, so I doubled back to find you" The Eevee replied, glancing around the cavern "Niko left an electric orb around here that should guide us back… Oh, here it is"
I followed Priscilla's gaze to a golden sparkling sphere of electricity nearby, which lit up when me and Priscilla got close. It sparked lightning excitingly, then zoomed off towards a pathway on the left. Me and Priscilla had to run to catch up with it.
"Niko! Tell your electric orb to slow down!" I yelled and Priscilla clamped my mouth with her paw, hissing in annoyance.
"Keep your mouth shut, idiot" The Eevee growled "We wouldn't want to wake up another Slaking"
Immediately, I regretted shouting and nodded in understanding. Priscilla released her hold on my mouth just as the electric orb slowed down and we caught up with Niko and Ezra.
"Oh, you made it!" Niko grinned with relief "I heard the sound of icicles crashing and a loud roar. I was afraid you died Silvin"
"I've taken tougher foes. Don't worry about it" I shrugged and Priscilla sighed "Anyway, what did we stop for?"
"A hermit lives here and his house has the staircase down" Ezra replied, cocking her head at the door made of ice in front of her "He says he wants to challenge us to a duel before allowing us passage"
I groaned "What Pokemon is he anyways?"
"An Empoleon. My name is Rudol, travelers" The icy door swung open and an Empoleon strode out, looking stern, powerful, focused and wise "I am the guardsman of the fifth floor of Crevice Cave, which serves as a checkpoint in this cavern. Defeat me in a battle and you may pass"
"Why are you doing this? Were you assigned to it by the boss or lord of this cave?" I asked and Rudol laughed a rich baritone laugh.
"Lord of this cave? Boy, this is no kingdom" Rudol crossed his flippers over his chest "I simply guard this checkpoint out of amusement. Many come here to rest before moving on, yes? That means many Pokemon for me to fight and increase my strength"
"So you enjoy battle simply for the fun of it? Not for absorbing their power or something twisted like that?" Priscilla asked.
"Simply that, lass. Battle is exercise and exercise allows for greater power. Power means you can protect the ones you love, right? So fight me and prove your strength. All four of you against me" The Empoleon turned his back on us and went into his house "Follow me. We need a better place to fight than here"
Seeing no other choice, all of us nodded and followed the Empoleon inside. Rudol's home was beautiful with all the ice furniture. A crystal clear chandelier had cold, sky blue flames providing light for the house and the entire floor was made of ice covered by a thin layer of snow, making it non-slippery. Rudol headed towards the back door, which was at the end of a narrow hallway with ice walls carved like wood.
"So all four of us against him? Doesn't sound too hard" Priscilla whispered to me as Rudol pushed open the door leading to his training yard "Especially since we have you and Niko with the type advantage"
"Don't get too confident. The fact he challenged all four of us at once means he's very sure about his abilities" I replied "Either that or he's very stupid"
"Let's hope he's the latter. I want to get out of here as fast as possible" Priscilla shivered at the cold air rushing through the cavern "It's f-freezing here…"
"No kidding. Let's wrap this one up quick so we can continue going" I agreed and we stepped out to the dueling grounds, which had beautiful and timeless ice sculptures lining the perimeter. For all Rudol's love of battle, he definitely had an eye for art.
"I make sculptures of every warrior that fights me" Rudol caught my gaze as he turned to face us four "If they defeat me, I make a sculpture of them in honor of their strength. If they gave me a good fight, but lost, I create a sculpture as a reminder to visit them sometime in the future for another duel. If they lost without putting any effort, well…"
Rudol gestured to some sculptures to his left, which had Pokemon frozen in expressions of horror "I depict them as sculptures for training purposes. It's the worse I could give them honestly"
We said nothing as the Empoleon fired a powerful blast of Water Pulse at five ice models and they broke into shards instantly "So let's see how your four do. Can you prove your power today or leave Blizzard Island in shame? Let's find out. Begin!"
Immediately, the Empoleon rushed towards me with an Aqua Jet, fins spread outwards with Metal Claw. While the others jumped out of the way, I held out my palms in front of me, meeting Rudol's attack with Force Palm. To my surprise, the Empoleon's Aqua Jet blasted right through my Force Palm and sent me rolling on the icy floor. I got up just as the others attacked Rudol from behind, Ezra and Priscilla distracting him with their physical attacks while Niko fired Thunderbolts from behind.
"You can do better than that!" Rudol swung his Metal Claw down onto Ezra and Priscilla, then formed a shield of ice to block Niko's Thunderbolt. The Empoleon ravaged forward with Aqua Jet instantly after, blasting aside the Absol and Eevee and heading straight for Niko.
"Niko! Move out of the way!" I yelled, but the Ampharos stood firm as his flipper glowed with electricity. Just as Rudol collided into Niko with Aqua Jet, the Ampharos slammed his face with Thunder Punch, sending him flying through the air. Rudol landed on his feet however, not even winded.
"Impressive. You actually managed to deal a heavy blow to me" Rudol praised as blood trailed down his mouth and onto his bulky chest "That means you're serious and I like it that way. Let's continue!"
Rudol breathed frigid cold air around him and all us backed away until the Empoleon emerged with a giant ice shield and lance. I realized that his Aqua Jets were even more deadly now since he can either shield bash us with his shield or impale us with his lance at unpredictable speed. We needed to end this now before he could get off too many attacks.
"Niko! Thunder Wave!" I called and the Ampharos discharged a wave of electricity straight towards Rudol, who blocked the Thunder Wave with his shield. To his surprise however, the shield began pulsing with intense voltage after absorbing the Thunder Wave and he was forced to drop it. Realizing he couldn't let Niko fire another Thunder Wave, he rocketed forward with Aqua Jet, lance first. However, Ezra jumped in front of the Ampharos and shielded both of them with Detect. Rudol slammed into Ezra's shield with great force, but couldn't break through and bounced off, regaining his footing.
"Rudol stop!" Priscilla yelled and pointed to something above the Empoleon's head "What's that number on your head?"
Following the Eevee's gaze, I saw a jagged blood red 3 above Rudol's head. When it counted down to 2, the gravity around us felt much more heavier and darker instantly. I glanced at Ezra, who's Perish Torc was glowing an ominous red hue.
"This is… Perish Song!" Rudol realized, then dropped his weapon "Miss Absol, I beg of you to release the curse. I surrender and will let you pass, but please! Do not take my life this way!"
"Based on his personality and actions, I know he'll hold to his promise" Niko goaded "Please Ezra. Don't take the life of an honorable warrior this way"
"Mmm" Ezra flicked her claw at Rudol and the sinister digit disappeared from his head. Emotionless as usual.
"Thank you so much for that" The Empoleon bowed with respect "I'm upset that our duel was cut short, but I'll hold to my word. You're allowed to pass through here and continue on. The stairs leading down are in my front foyer, nearby the front door. Fare thee well, travelers!"
Rudol waved us goodbye as we went back into his house and found the stairs leading down to the fifth floor, which was a checkpoint just like Rudol said.
"What a strange person. A man who lives for the enjoyment of battle and is honorable, straightforward and honest" I said as we sat down on the cold floor for some rest "It's funny how much you can figure out about a person just by fighting them"
"I heard a saying once: The best way to know a person is through fighting. Through battle, you get to understand not just your opponent's techniques, but also their personalities and upbringing" Priscilla said as she opened her treasure bag and crunched on an apple.
"Well, guess I saw that firsthand in this fight. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like we'll meet again very soon" Niko flicked his hand and another electric orb came to life "Did any of you guys feel a sort of lonely aura from him as well?"
Ezra nodded "He definitely excluded an aura of solitude. Tis but the life of a hermit though. I doubt we could of changed it"
"Perhaps. I just hope he finds a friend soon to keep him company" Priscilla glanced towards the path leading deeper into the cavern "Anyway, I'd say we had enough rest. Let's move on"
Moving deeper into Crevice Cave made the cave less beautiful and more scary. Howling winds roared through the air, freezing us to our bones and scaring us out of our wits. Every footstep was loud and clear, meaning we had no protection from stealth. Even if we so much as whispered to comfort each other, our voices bounces off the walls and echoed through the entire floor, making us known to the enemy.
"It has been a while since travellers have come this far" An unseen voice echoed through the cave, freezing all of us in our tracks.
"Who's… who's there…?!" Priscilla called, in a shaky attempt to be brave.
The voice laughed. It was feminine with an icy tone to it.
"I am simply known as the Sorceress of Ice. Or the Frost Witch. I go by many names" The voice said "The only other Pokemon who got past Rudol was a meddlesome Scizor and I froze him instantly! What will you do, travelers? Will you walk to the same fate as this Scizor, who was frozen solid for fifteen years? This is your only warning"
I felt a presence disappear as the voice faded away.
"Now that we know Scizor is here, we have to press forward to the end" I decided and Priscilla gasped.
"Silvin! She said she froze Scizor instantly! What chance do we have against her if she can incapacitate a legendary explorer so easily?" The Eevee cried "Let's turn back and leave everyone. We can't continue like this"
"Priscilla, we took on Primal Dialga and the Guild and lived. A sorceress who claims to be able to instantly freeze someone is no stronger than a wild god of time" I reasoned and Priscilla sighed.
"Can you please stop using Primal Dialga as a reason for your reckless behavior?!" The Eevee yelled, rage fueling her voice with power "Don't you remember? We nearly died fighting him! We'll never be so lucky again if we fight someone as deadly as him!"
"Guys, guy, break it up please" Niko stood in between us "I agree with Silvin that we should continue forward to rescue Scizor because I have a plan"
"You do? Please tell us" Priscilla's anger partially deflated, but she still shot me a withering glare, much to my sorrow "Tell me how to make Silvin's recklessness safe"
"Okay, you know how electricity generates heat?" Niko gestured with his hand, bringing his electric orb close to us. I could feel heat radiating off it when I got close. "I could sustain an electrical barrier around us to keep us safe from this witch's ice attacks. That'll allow us to get in close for Silvin to nail her down with his Fighting type attacks"
"Good plan. I'll forgive your ridiculously suicidal behavior for now" Priscilla's anger drained away and she took my hand "Sorry about that angry outburst. I just didn't want any of us risking death"
"I understand how you think, but we can't leave Scizor frozen here" I clutched the Eevee's paw, feeling her warmth coarse through my body "Besides, Niko and Ezra can keep us safe. What was that barrier that shielded you from Rudol, Ezra?"
"Detect. It's a Fighting type version of the move Protect" The Absol explained as she glanced around carefully for enemy Pokemon "I can use it to automatically evade a foe's move or form a impenetrable barrier. However, using it extensively can cause the move to fail, so I can only use it sparingly"
"How long can you keep it up for?" I asked.
"Mm… ten seconds at most and then the shield runs the risk of exploding" Ezra replied while tilting her head in deep thought "We should stick with Niko's electrical barrier and I'll only use Detect if this witch begins to overwhelm him"
"Alright then, at least we got a plan now" Priscilla stared ahead "Now we just need to get to the end. I'm assuming that's where this witch has Scizor frozen"
After ten floors of freezing cold air, dozens of enemy Ice types, a run in with a fearsome Mamoswine and a brawl with a herd of Zangoose, we finally arrived at the bottom floor of the cave. Up ahead was a crimson red Scizor frozen in a block of ice.
"There he is!" Priscilla glanced around the empty floor, but nobody was around "How are we going to defrost him though?"
"You won't be defrosting him. Because I'll freeze all of you solid first!" The same female voice called loud and clear throughout the floor. I looked up and all around us, but nobody was there.
"Show yourself! Are you this sorceress of ice we heard about?!" I yelled into the cold air and the voice laughed.
"So you didn't turn back after my warning! You're really hell-bent on saving this Scizor, aren't you?" Icy mist conjured in front of the frozen Scizor and formed a Pokemon wearing a ghastly white and blue kimono-like dress. It's face was covered by a mask made of sparkling ice, leaving only her mouth and eyes visible.
Priscilla gasped beside me "So the ice witch was a Froslass!"
"Ha ha ha!" The Froslass rose her arms into the air and conjured a miniature blizzard in her hands "So you recognize me. That means you know what I'm capable of, right?"
"Everyone, Froslass's breath is lethally cold at -60 degrees fahrenheit and she adores freezing the bodies of men and eating their souls" Priscilla warned us "Niko and Silvin, I'd advise you to steer clear and attack from a distance"
Froslass laughed again "Don't think my freezing ability applies only at close range. I froze this Scizor solid before he could even rush with Bullet Punch after all"
"Enough talking. Let's get this over and done with" I cocked my head to Niko "Niko, now's the time"
The Ampharos nodded and his tail glowed bright red. It sparked with golden electricity and suddenly, a wide barrier was around us. Froslass thrust her hand into the air and hail began falling from the sky. Priscilla's Prism Ruff plus Niko's electrical barrier fried or bounced the hailstones away, keeping us safe.
"I didn't use Hail for the purpose you think I did" Froslass shot us a devilish smile, then thrust her hand at us "Blizzard!"
A furious whirlwind of ice, snow and sleet whipped up in front of us, hammering Niko's barrier relentlessly. The Ampharos struggled to maintain the shield while we advanced forward slowly through the sorceress. Meanwhile, Froslass was whipping up more ice tornadoes, making Niko's job of protecting us incredibly hard. Priscilla tried throwing a Stun Seed at the witch to subdue her, but the seed flew away harmlessly in the raging winds.
"Shadow Ball!" Froslass put both hands in front of her and fired volley after volley of Shadow Balls, which crashed against Niko's barrier, weakening it down even more. Priscilla forcefully fed an Oran Berry into Niko's mouth to maintain the barrier as we got closer. Finally, we were face to face with Froslass, but before we could make a move to attack, the witch smiled at me darkly.
"Come here, little boy" Froslass rushed inside our barrier with surprising speed, showing no pain from the electricity. She grabbed me by the face and crushed her lips against mine, locking me in the kiss. I felt my energy drain away instantly and when she let go, I fell to the ground, unable to even pull myself up.
"What in the- How dare you!" Priscilla bashed into Froslass in a burst of fury, but forget she was a Ghost type. The Eevee passed through Froslass harmlessly and landed behind her with an angry growl. Before she could decide her next move, Froslass slapped Priscilla across the face with Wake Up Slap, leaving her staggering away.
"Don't leave your back so open like that, witch" Ezra's horn slashed twice at Froslass's back with Night Slash, marking two bloody cuts on the ghost's body. Froslass attempted to retreat, but Ezra headbutted her with Pursuit, sending her to the ground.
"Such a naughty girl, hitting an old woman like that" Froslass felt her wounds, then brought her bloody fingers up to her mouth, tasting her own blood "You deserve to be punished"
Froslass dashed inside the barrier again and slapped Niko in the face, knocking him to the ground. The electric barrier dissolved and the blizzards raging around us struck us from all directions, slicing apart our skin. Priscilla attempted to sneak attack Froslass from behind with a Stun Seed, but the witch backhanded it and it exploded in the Eevee's face, leaving her dizzy and cross-eyed.
"This is between me and the Absol woman. Stay out of this, girl" Froslass touched Priscilla's cheek briefly before knocking her out cold with Wake Up Slap again. Now, only Ezra was left standing against Froslass. Her white fur was covered in snow, but it protected Ezra against the blizzards roaring all over the floor.
"Why do you stay with worthless company like this?" Froslass kicked at my listless body "You could of become something more. Something powerful. A sorceress to rival no other!"
Ezra simply glared and stepped forward, her horn glowing with purple light.
"Why would you refuse such power? The power to make slaves out of men, ones who has shunned us for centuries!" Froslass slowly backed away from Ezra's approaching horn "The power to rule over others is something no person can refuse, yes?"
"I have no desire to rule, nor to turn men into my servants" Ezra replied coldly "The prejudice of male Pokemon to female Pokemon has long since past. Dwell in the pool of the past too long and you'll find yourself unable to escape it"
"Then what do you want? Say anything and I'll grant it, only if you spare me" Froslass pleaded, pressing her back against the cavern wall.
Ezra finally came face to face with the witch "Nothing. I only want to be a simple alchemist, living my days in peace. My companions, as idealistic and foolishly bright they may be, are still my friends. I want nothing less than to be with them"
"That is your answer?"
"Yes" Ezra swung her horn down at Froslass, but suddenly felt a cold sensation on it. She looked up and saw the sorceress holding her horn in place, frost spreading rapidly. Blood gushed slowly from Froslass's hand, as Ezra gorged it into her palm, but she didn't look fazed in the slightest. The Absol tried to rip her horn away from Froslass's icy touch, but the sorceress fired Ice Beam at Ezra's face, freezing her solid.
"Ezra!" I tried to get up and move, but all my energy was drained when Froslass kissed me. I could barely crawl, much less get up and attack.
"Well, that was unfortunate" Froslass removed her bleeding palm from Ezra's horn and pointed to the three of us sprawled on the ground "And now for the rest of you"
The blizzard grew stronger instantly and within a second, I found myself encased in a cube of ice, just like Scizor was. Beside me, Priscilla and Niko were also in ice cubes.
"Well, I was hoping to have better company than you five" Froslass sighed as she tapped each of our ice cubes playfully "But this will have to do. Fame will ride behind me as soon as everyone finds out that the great sorceress Froslass has defeated the legendary explorer Scizor and saviors of the world, Silvin and Priscilla. Ha ha ha!"
"And fame will ride behind me, as the man who defeated the "great" sorceress Froslass!" A new and familiar voice entered the cavern.
Froslass gasped and glared at the new entry "Who are you, vermin?!"
"You already know me. I am Rudol, warrior of Crevice Cave and guardsman of the fifth floor" The Empoleon glared back at Froslass "These explorers, while defeating me through a luck-based tactic, showed great potential and power. I cannot let their effort go to waste today"
Froslass laughed "Four against me wasn't enough to bring me down and you think you can take me solo? What a joke!"
Rudol simply smiled "We'll see about that. Begin!"
The Empoleon rocketed towards Froslass with Aqua Jet just as the witch summoned her blizzards again. She dodged Rudol's Aqua Jet and fired Ice Beam at point blank range, but the Empoleon powered through it easily.
"What?! How did you-" Froslass was struck across the face by Rudol's Metal Claw, leaving three long cuts across the witch's mask.
"I'm a Water and Steel type Pokemon. Guess what type I'm near-immune to" Rudol slashed Froslass's face again, tearing off the sorceress's mask.
"Water and Steel… No!" Froslass dashed away and began gathering darkness in her palms "What about this?!"
As Froslass's volley of Shadow Balls rushed towards the Empoleon, Rudol breathed cold mist in front of him, forming a thick shield of ice. The Shadow Balls crashed against the shield, making dents in the ice, but not breaking it. Rudol bashed the shield with his body and sent it flying towards Froslass. The witch shattered it with a Wake Up Slap.
"I am giving breathing room to you no longer" Rudol flew towards Froslass with Aqua Jet again and struck at her legs with Metal Claw, crippling the sorceress to the ground. Rudol grabbed Froslass by the neck and held her close to his face, mouth opening to reveal celestial blue energy.
"Make your peace. This Hydro Pump will be your end" Rudol intoned, glaring at the witch's hate-filled eyes.
"Curse you! I'll make you regret that you ever fought me!" Froslass screamed, clawing at the Empoleon's fins with no effect "Destiny Bond!"
Rudol unleashed his Hydro Pump milliseconds after she called down the curse and Froslass crashed through the icy wall on the other end of the room, her body being ripped to nothing. Soon, the witch's screams died down and silence reigned over the floor.
Rudol fell to his knees "Finally… over…"
A crackling sound made the Empoleon turn his head in surprise as everyone frozen by Froslass instantly defrosted, leaving broken chips of ice on the ground. Me and Priscilla ran to the cursed Empoleon while Ezra and Niko tended to Scizor.
"Rudol!" Priscilla handed the Empoleon an Oran Berry, but he gently slapped it away.
"It's no use. Destiny Bond… always makes sure its target falls…" Rudol fell to the ground, feverishly coughing "This is the end… for me…"
"Rudol… why?" I knelt over the dying Empoleon's body, struggling to hold back tears over his heroic sacrifice "Why would you do this for us?"
"Perhaps you couldn't hear me while being frozen but…" Rudol's voice, once proud, powerful and commanding, was now weak and far away "In our fight, I sensed powerful potential in all of you. You have potential to become incredible warriors, one that will change the world. Preserving your life is worth… sacrificing mine…"
"Rudol…" Priscilla sniffed, lowering her Oran Berry in her paw "We'll make sure your sacrifice is remembered. We'll do whatever we can to change the world for the better, no matter how minor"
"Thank… you…" The Empoleon's eyes were listless and distant "That's all I ever wanted to do… Change the world using my strength"
"If you can answer, please tell me" I said "Why were you cooped up in Crevice Cave if you wanted to change the world for the better?"
"I… I lost a very dear friend to me when I was a young Piplup. People may of called us lovers" Rudol replied weakly "I lost her because I wasn't strong enough. Out of shame… I locked myself in Crevice Cave and vowed to eventually become strong enough to avenge her and soon after, change the world"
"But you are amazingly strong now. Why didn't you leave the cave sooner?" Priscilla asked.
"The Pokemon who killed my friend were no common thugs. It was a large group, lead by someone with legendary power" Rudol coughed up blood "Where I was… there was a Time Gear. The group was after it…"
"Do you know who this Pokemon with legendary power looks like?" I asked. Someone who wanted to steal the Time Gears again sounded very worrying.
"I knew who he was now. He has a wisp of white hair… a cyan blue eye… blood red scarf and his body was pure black" The Empoleon's voice was getting further away by the second "His name was Darkr…"
Rudol's eyes finally closed for good and his breathing faded. Destiny Bond's curse finally took his life. Priscilla turned away, blinking back tears. I hugged her tightly and she softly cried into my chest.
"Answer me Silvin. Why… why do all the good people in the world have to die? You, Grovyle and now Rudol" Priscilla sniffed "Why, why, why…?"
"Shh, it'll be okay. Rudol's sacrifice was not in vain" I patted the back of the Eevee's head gently "Come on, let's get out of here and do what Rudol wanted us to do"
"O-okay…"
"Silvin, there's a warp panel further ahead that should teleport us back outside. Should we use it?" Niko interrupted.
"Yes, we should. Take Ezra and Scizor with you first to see if the snow is still heavy. We'll meet you out in a second" I turned back to the dead Empoleon as Niko walked off "Rudol, I'm sorry we can't bury you now. May you rest in peace, masterful warrior of Blizzard Island"
Not long later, we were sailing back to the mainland with Scizor now in tow.
"Thank you so very much for saving me. I'm sorry it had to come at the loss of one of your friends" Scizor apologized "May Giratina grant the Empoleon's soul freedom"
"I'll never get used to someone sacrificing their life for us" Niko's eyes held shame "I'm praying that none of us have to do it for each other. Even a mere stranger like Rudol… brings me to near tears"
"His fate was sealed the moment Froslass uttered the curse. We couldn't do anything about it" Ezra said bluntly "But… I admire him for his courage. May his soul find peace in Giratina's realm"
"So what will you do now, Scizor?" I asked "You've been frozen for fifteen years, so I'd imagine it'll be hard to get back to regular life"
"F-fifteen years?! I've been frozen for that long?!" Scizor's jaw dropped "Hopefully the Explorer Team Federation hasn't been disbanded…"
"No, it hasn't. Don't worry" Priscilla showed Scizor her treasure bag "I got this treasure bag from them not too long ago"
"Oh, thank the stars. I can return to my old team then" Scizor grinned "As gratitude for rescuing me, may I have your Explorer Badge? You do have one, right?"
"Of course. Here" I unpinned the Explorer Badge from my treasure bag and handed it to Scizor.
"I'll need a pen too"
Ezra gave the pincer Pokemon a pen.
"Thank you" Scizor drew a very distinct star-like pattern on my badge and handed it back to me "There. Now you'll be able to accept Special Missions, given by the Explorer Team Federation themselves"
"Uhh… thanks?" I was skeptical about the Special Missions thing since this was coming from a Scizor frozen for fifteen years, but I forced a smile "What kind of missions are these "Special Missions" anyways?"
"You'll have to find out yourself once you get one" Scizor replied simply, then stared ahead "It's a long way back to the mainland, eh?"
"Yeah it is. I'm going to get some rest to past the time" Priscilla pulled a blanket from her treasure bag and draped it around herself. She rested her hand on my lap and fell asleep instantly. Subtleness wasn't one of her strong suits.
"Well, guess I can't get some shut eye now" I sighed, then turned to the others "You three can if you want though"
A few hours later after nighttime darkness filled the sky, we finally arrived back at Treasure Town. Scizor bid farewell and thanks to us before disappearing into the gloom. The rest of us said goodbye to Lapras and headed back to Lush Prairie.
"I get what Zach, Henry, Aria and Eliana meant now" Priscilla said to me once we arrived in our tent and settled into bed "Never take me along to another snowy area. I've had enough to last a lifetime"
I laughed lightly "Something tells me we'll be back to another one of those sooner or later. It just comes with the explorer business"
Priscilla groaned "I suppose so. Let's get some rest now. Gotta be up and ready for the next day"
"Yep. Goodnight Priscilla"
"Goodnight Silvin. Sweet dreams"
Our team:
- Silvin, Riolu
Level 56
Moves: Focus Punch, Force Palm, Bite and Dig
IQ Level: **
- Priscilla, Eevee
Level 51
Moves: Wide Slash, Vacuum Cut, Bite and Quick Attack
IQ Level: ***
- Niko, Ampharos
Level 49
Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Punch, Signal Beam and Thunder Wave
IQ Level: **
- Ezra, Absol
Level 46
Moves: Night Slash, Pursuit, Detect and Psycho Cut
IQ Level: ****
I didn't take months to finish this time! I also just realized I forgot the "Our team" section in the last part, so here it is. Coming up next is the Surrounded Sea, where Silvin and Priscilla chance upon a new team member along with a mysterious egg. Favorite and follow if you want to be notified of when a new chapter comes out and review if you want to give me constructive criticism or praise. Until next time!