Chapter 15
The Pryce of Pride
'The time is now, the game's begun! Together we will fight as one!'
Lyam bowed and held the door open for Weiss, revealing an expansive room that, much like the outside of the gym, was plain and unadorned. It was about the size of a high school gymnasium, and what would've been the basketball court was instead a battlefield made of ice with a pool in the middle. Boulders presumably made entirely of ice littered the battlefield, and came up to about Weiss' waist. Instead of countless rows of seats surrounding the battlefield, off to her right was a small balcony that might've been able to seat fifty people if they crowded together.
Pryce had never much cared for audiences, but Pokémon enthusiasts were welcome to come and watch gym battles so long as they remained absolutely silent. There was an all-purpose, state of the art arena across town that served as the main gathering hub for trainers, but while Pryce had never personally visited the arena despite donating a substantial amount toward the building, mostly to insure it wouldn't be named after himself, Diana along with the other gym trainers were local celebrities there.
Weiss' entire body shook as she crowded the doorway, suffering brain freeze much the same way she suspected Ruby sometimes did. She had dreamed of this moment all her life, hard stories about the Mahogany Gym since she was a child, and it was as though she was standing on sacred ground. One of the lights even flickered on and off like her grandfather always said. "It's incredible," she breathed.
Lyam hadn't been lying about her not having to hurry, but she could've done with three more years of preparation when Pryce finally entered the room opposite of her, flanked by Diana, her younger brother, and half a dozen gym trainers she didn't recognize nor care about. Weiss had expected some sort of quip from Diana, but like the others, she remained solemn and silent as they climbed a set of rickety wooden stairs up onto the balcony.
The old man was hunched over and relying on his cane even more than usual today, but he was anything but feeble, and radiated a quiet power that Weiss had learned to recognize as a youth. Pryce wore the same blue coat and black trousers he had since he was a teenager, though thankfully not the exact same, as well as a tattered, hand-knitted white scarf. Weiss couldn't help but smile, recognizing it as the same make as her Papa's which had been red. Unless she was mistaken, they had both been made by her Nana.
"Well, don't just stand there," he barked. "You're letting out all the cold air!"
Weiss jumped and hurried into the room, taking her position in the trainer's box which was thankfully dirt instead of ice, though she had a feeling that would soon be changing.
Lyam also took his position on the sidelines at the exact center of the battlefield. It was customary for gym judges to be official referees from the Pokémon League, but gym leader's could designate anyone to be judges. In possibly his final gym battle against Nicolas Schnee's granddaughter, it seemed only fitting to Pryce for Lyam to decide the victor.
The former Schnee steward cleared his throat and spoke in a commanding voice that had once announced the arrival of world leaders, billionaires, and Champions into the Schnee manor. "This is an official gym battle sanctioned by the Pokémon League," Lyam cried. "Lady Weiss Schnee of Lumiose City challenges Master Pryce Willows of Mahogany Town. This will be a four-on-four regulation battle. The battle will conclude once all four Pokémon of either side are deemed unable to battle. Only the challenger may substitute their Pokémon, and may do so at any time. Do both trainers understand?"
Weiss nodded stiffly. "Understood."
"Let's just get this over with," Pryce muttered. "Go, Dewgong!"
Despite his age, the gym leader threw a Pokéball with impressive speed across the battlefield, and released an albino sea lion into the water. Dewgong were sometimes mistaken for mermaids in the wild due to the shape of their bodies and their large, almost human-like brown eyes, but their playful personalities belied strong jaws and a horn capable of breaking icebergs.
Weiss almost felt relief seeing Dewgong instead of Lapras. Both had mastery over water and ice, but the latter were also known to have psychic powers and even control over electricity. However, Dewgong was swimming laps in the small pool at a speed that belied its size, and Weiss knew from experience that along with being agile swimmers, the colder Dewgong's body temperature, the more energetic and powerful their species became.
Weiss could tell even from afar that Dewgong was incredibly well-trained even for a gym leader's Pokémon. It wasn't a species typically known for being particularly powerful, but she had learned very recently a hard lesson to never underestimate any Pokémon. As far as Weiss was concerned, this Dewgong was as dangerous as Pryce's Mamoswine or Lance's Dragonite.
"Froslass, I choose you." The ghost appeared beside her and floated out onto the battlefield. Pryce didn't react to her sudden appearance, and it seemed to Weiss that he'd already been looking in Froslass' general direction.
"Challenger!" Lyam called. "The battle will commence at your command."
Weiss took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "This is it," she said quietly. "Everything we've worked for these past several years all comes down to this." Weiss narrowed her eyes and pointed at the enemy standing in the way of her dreams. "Froslass, use Blizzard!"
"Aqua Tail!" Pryce countered.
The ghost summoned the full force of winter's fury between its palms and hurled it toward its opponent, but Dewgong struck the water with its tail, causing a massive tidal wave that froze instantly.
"Now use Hail!" Before the flurry could disappear completely, Froslass pointed the dwindling Blizzard toward the ceiling, creating dark clouds that spat out sheets of ice. It would have no effect on Dewgong of course, and could possibly even provide healing if it possessed the proper ability, but Froslass in Weiss' estimation had far more to gain from Hail being on the battlefield. Along with being able to turn invisible, Froslass' ability Snow Cloak made her nearly impossible to see even while corporeal.
"Dewgong, Ice Beam!"
The sea lion Pokémon raised its head out of the water and fired a jet of ice from its mouth exactly where Froslass had disappeared to. The ghost flinched from the impact, but otherwise didn't seem particularly bothered.
"Use Aurora Veil!" The ice bent around Froslass and she shimmered like the northern lights every Ice-type trainer had fallen in love with as a child. Several of the gym trainers let out audible gasps, remembering why they had chosen the Mahogany Gym as the place to master their craft, and even Pryce appeared starry eyed for a moment.
Weiss let out another deep breath, waiting for Froslass' shielding to take full effect. Aurora Veil was much like Reflect and Light Screen combined, increasing both physical and special defenses during hailstorms, and when combined with the evasive prowess of a ghost with Snow Cloak, made for a deadly combination of Weiss' own invention.
"Blizzard!" she shouted.
A wintry flurry engulfed Dewgong's beam of ice, and swallowed the sea lion whole. Weiss was just able to maintain enough of her composure not to leap for joy, but her reaction must have been visible because Pryce glanced away from the battle to watch her instead.
"Thick Fat, Hydration, and Ice Body," he said. "My Dewgong has been alive longer than your ghost has been dead. It's stored enough fat in its body to reduce the damage of both Fire and Ice-type attacks to a mild annoyance, the latter of which is already quad-resisted. Dewgong can't suffer status conditions while in the water, and after all these years of training, Hail now restores its health. Also, in case you've already forgotten, the colder its body temperature, the stronger Dewgong's attacks. Here, allow us to demonstrate. Dewgong, Sheer Cold!"
Weiss screamed as the temperature in the room plummeted to a depth she had never experienced in all her life. Her entire body ached and she lost the ability to see, breathe, or even think. The entire world became clouded in white, and it was only several moments after it subsided that she realized she wasn't dead.
"Froslass..."
She stared in disbelief at the block of ice housing her longest, most faithful companion. Ice-type Pokémon were supposed to be immune to being frozen, and ghosts had the added benefit of being able to phase through solid objects, but Froslass had an agonized expression on her face Weiss had never seen before from an undead Pokémon.
"Y-your cold," she realized. "How is that even possible?"
"That is the difference between our understanding of Ice-type Pokémon," Pryce said. "You thought your Pokémon were immune to Sheer Cold and being frozen?" He shook his head. "Only the hardiest of Pokémon can survive in below freezing temperatures, and even then, winter is often a cruel mistress. In my many expeditions to the north, I've seen more than one Dewgong, Lapras, or Walrein die from the extreme cold, or from the ice breaking and crushing them."
Pryce scowled at the painful memories old age had cursed him with. "Many years ago, the Pokémon League titled me 'The Teacher of Winter's Harshness'." He spat and glared at the teenage girl across from him. "It's foolish to think a human can teach anyone about winter, so consider that your first lesson courtesy of Dewgong. Ice may be beautiful, but it's often cruel, and is often unkind to unprepared fools like you."
The ice around Froslass shattered and she collapsed onto the ground unconscious. "Froslass is unable to battle!" Lyam cried, raising an arm in Pryce's direction.
Weiss called her name and started out onto the ice, but it was too slick and the hailstones too large. Due to the nature of the gym, the battlefield altering attack was more potent and would last longer than usual. With no other option, Weiss recalled Froslass into her Pokéball and said a word of thanks, as well as an apology. "That's twice now that I've let you down, and twice I've made the same mistake. I'm sorry, Froslass. I promise I won't make it again..."
Doing her best to put the previous battle behind her and focus on the next, she studied the battlefield and her opponent. Dewgong was near full health, but the quick transition from Ice Beam to the incredibly powerful Sheer Cold had left the sea lion breathless, and it wouldn't be long before it began showing the signs of exhaustion.
"Can't beat it with power," she murmured to herself. "Our best bet is to whittle its health down and let Dewgong wear itself out." She chose a white Luxury Ball from her belt. "Go, Glaceon!"
The snow fox emerged from the Pokéball with its chin held high and a crown of Never-Melt-Ice glittering atop its head. With a high pitched growl at Dewgong, Glaceon's fur bristled, becoming needles made of ice which grew in size the more that hailstones landed atop of her. Once again Weiss didn't have to worry about Hail harming her Pokémon, and just like with Froslass, Glaceon's Snow Cloak ability made her nearly impossible to see. And Aurora Veil despite not having done Froslass any good, would still be offering protection.
"Go, Glaceon! Use Iron Tail!"
"Aqua Tail, Dewgong!"
Glaceon darted for the pool faster than either opponent was expecting, and instead of another watery shield blocking the attack, the two tails collided, causing water and ice to fly in every direction. Glaceon landed inside the pool but the water turned to ice beneath her paws, allowing her to stand. Iron Tail shouldn't have been very effective against a Water-type attack, and only neutrally against Dewgong, but several of Glaceon's quills were stuck in Dewgong's tail, causing the sea lion to flail about and try to get them out.
"Underwater!" Pryce ordered. "Use Aqua Ring!"
The sea lion dived as commanded, a trail of needles floating to the surface in its wake. Weiss could just catch the slightest glow under the water as Dewgong attempted to regenerate its health and protect itself from further physical attacks.
"Now use Freeze Dry!" she commanded.
Glaceon took a deep breath, sucking in all the cold air around it, and parted the water as though it wasn't even there. The wintry air struck Dewgong, who cried out in pain as its watery shield turned against it.
"Clever," Pryce said. "Freeze Dry is super effective against Water-type Pokémon, and not only is Dewgong currently swimming, but it also just finished using Aqua Ring. Its abilities and Ice-typing might as well be ignored."
Again Weiss wanted to leap for joy, especially at the rare compliment from her idol, but didn't allow herself even the faintest smile.
"Ice Beam, Dewgong!"
"Mirror Coat!"
As Freeze Dry's power began to diminish, Dewgong unleashed a desperate beam of ice from its mouth, but Glaceon had already prepared itself and its body was still as a statue and became surrounded by a peculiar aurora that upon contact with the ice, redirected it back to Dewgong.
"Yes!" This time Weiss couldn't help herself, but across the battlefield, Pryce was unmoving.
"Headbutt!"
Weiss settled herself down and waited for Glaceon to be able to move again. Dewgong was slow moving through the water now, especially after taking its own Ice Beam at double the strength. "Use Iron Tail!"
The attacks collided and Weiss had little worry that Glaceon would be alright. Once again her needles dug into Dewgong, this time the top of its head.
"Horn Drill..."
The roar of an electrical drill filled the air, drowning out Weiss' hysteric screams of retreat. Icy quills scattered across the battlefield, and Glaceon flew through the air, crashing through several pillars of ice before mercifully coming to a halt.
"Glaceon!" The hailstorm had subsided somewhat, and ignoring the slippery surface underneath her, Weiss slid onto the icy field to check on her beloved snow fox, which beside Froslass spent the most amount of time outside its Pokéball with her.
"Glaceon is unable to battle!" Lyam declared. "The victor is Dewgong!"
Weiss stared in horror at the sea lion. Not only did it have two one-hit knockout attacks, but it had survived everything Glaceon threw at it, and still had more than enough strength to use Horn Drill. "H-how?"
"Your Glaceon is well-trained and one of the fastest we've battled," Pryce admitted. "The current Glaceon Kimono Girl, Zuzu I think her name is, was only recently promoted. There's always a few trainees here learning everything they can about their Glaceon, and several of my gym trainers have their own. Your strategy was clever, but you were overeager. The same trick won't fool us twice, and that's twice now you've given up the advantage in evasiveness to meet your opponent head on despite being less durable. Dewgong had little hope of hitting Glaceon with ranged attacks, and it'd only end up hurting itself with physical attacks due to Glaceon's bristles. You should've known I'd have a trick up my sleeve, or at the very least avoided direct confrontation."
A hailstone pelted Weiss in the back of the head as she shielded her injured and barely conscious Pokémon. Tears welled up in her eyes but only for Glaceon to see. "You were incredible, Glaceon," she said, straightening her crown. "You took Dewgong down to the wire, and now we'll be able to defeat him because of you. Take a nice long rest. You've earned it."
She returned Glaceon to her Pokéball, and with her chin held high so all could see her expressionless face, returned to her trainer's position, once again putting the previous battle behind her. She had two Pokémon remaining while Pryce still had all four, though she doubted Dewgong could withstand another assault.
Weiss had brought her four strongest Ice-type Pokémon, and a well-balanced team at that. Froslass had been her utility and Glaceon her mobility, which left her with power and defense remaining. The latter was slow and Dewgong was still capable of recovering its health, albeit a little at a time, though not necessarily its stamina. Weiss knew she shouldn't be thinking so far ahead, but in the back of her mind, she was well-aware that Mamoswine was still in Pryce's back pocket, and that his other two Pokémon would likely be something defensive and the other speedy to make up for Dewgong and Mamoswine's shortcomings.
The battle was far from over. All she had to do was defeat Dewgong and get momentum back on her side...
"Very well." Weiss retrieved another custom made white Luxury Ball from her belt. "Allow me to introduce you to the ace of my Ice-type arsenal. Go, Ninetales!"
She tossed the ball into the air and from within emerged a nine tailed fox with pale blue fur. The creature let out a melodic cry, and immediately the hailstorm returned with renewed vigor. The hailstones had no effect on her of course, or Dewgong for that matter, but once again Weiss' Pokémon practically disappeared due to Snow Cloak.
"Well, that's certainly not something you see every day." Pryce cracked a thin smile, following Ninetales' movements through the hail, admiring the rare beauty that few even knew existed.
"They were first discovered on Mt. Lanakila in the Alola region," Weiss said, suddenly thinking of Ruby, "but a few other colonies have since been found around the world. Mine came to me as a Vulpix from the Galar region, and was a gift from my sister."
"I look forward to seeing what she's capable of. You have the first attack."
She nodded and took a deep breath, the cold air burning her lungs. "Ninetales, use Dazzling Gleam!"
From the fox's many tails shined nine prismatic lights that trained themselves onto Dewgong, who quickly dived under the water. The attack caused a substantial splash, but several of the glittering projectiles appeared to make contact, if only barely. Weiss was anxious to finish the battle quickly in order to conserve her ace's strength, but she also didn't want to make yet another hasty mistake.
"Use Mist!" Ninetales exhaled from its nostrils a thick fog which settled over the battlefield, obscuring both trainers and their Pokémon. Weiss knew that both Sheer Cold and Horn Drill had atrocious accuracies, made even worse now by Dewgong's exhaustion. If she could continue raising her evasion and not get caught in another test of strength, Ninetales would surely win.
The pool of water didn't stir, and Weiss already knew her opponent was attempting to regain health with Aqua Ring. Ninetales, being efficient with her time, had already moved onto using Aurora Veil much like Froslass, raising its defenses.
"Calm Mind!" Ninetales closed its eyes and a blue sphere surrounded her, causing the aurora around her to shimmer brightly.
'That'll negate Dewgong's health regenerating,' Weiss thought to herself. Ninetales' defenses had been bolstered even further, but now so were her offenses.
"In your caution you've become idle," Pryce said, a shrouded figure across from her. "Instead of forcing me to react and you responding by raising your power, you've instead allowed Dewgong to regain a large portion of its health and stamina. A pity. I'd been looking forward to this battle..."
Weiss stared through the fog, trying to figure out what he meant, and finally saw the pool frozen over with a thick sheet of ice, and something glowing underneath.
"It's using Rest!" she cried. "Quick Ninetales, use Dazzling Gleam!"
Starlight emerged from the fox's nine tails and shattered the ice upon contact, causing the water to erupt like a geyser. Dewgong was still half-asleep and flying through the air, but an attack was already forming in its mouth. "Sheer Cold!"
"Get out of there!" Weiss didn't even have enough time for the words to leave her mouth before the room's temperature suddenly plummeted once more. She normally enjoyed the cold, and would go out for leisurely walks even on the coldest days of winter, but her body became numb and she found herself trying to crawl inside her coat.
When the blizzard finally subsided and Weiss' vision returned, she saw that where Ninetales had previously been standing, was an ice sculpture in perfect likeness of the nine tailed fox. "Ninetales!" she cried.
Pryce narrowed his eyes, ignoring the semi-talented actress. "Clever..."
A bright light surrounded Dewgong, and immediately it began firing Ice Beams in every direction. Ninetales reappeared on the other side of the pool, its figure barely a shadow in the fog and hail.
"Substitute." Pryce nodded approvingly. "Coming out from under the water, it's not surprising Dewgong couldn't tell the difference. A few years ago I might've caught it myself."
"Go, Ninetales," Weiss cried. "Use Hex!"
From across the battlefield, a black ring floated through the fog and surrounded Dewgong, and it cried out in pain before firing Ice Beams even more furiously.
"Confuse Ray and Hex," Pryce said to himself, sounding as though he might've approved. "A well-trained Pokémon, and a competent strategy at last." He took a deep breath and took a few steps backward. "Dewgong! Snap out of it and use Horn Drill!"
At the sound of his trainer's voice, Dewgong stopped firing errant Ice Beams and rammed its head into the ice surrounding the pool. Just as Weiss opened her mouth to order a retreat, the ground shook and the battlefield exploded.
Chunks of ice flew in every direction while hail continued raining down. Ninetales did her best to dodge the worst of the debris, but even her evasiveness and immunity to hail wasn't enough to protect her. The icy battlefield continued breaking until the pool of water spilled out, doubling in size, and the nine tailed fox suddenly found itself having to swim for land.
"Ninetales!" Weiss called. "Freeze the water with Blizzard!"
"Sheer Cold!"
A portion of the battlefield began to refreeze, but then winter arrived without warning. Weiss' snow blindness returned and her screams died over the howling wind. It didn't last particularly long, but when her vision cleared, the battlefield had been completely refrozen. The hail had stopped, but large spires had been twisted into existence by the water and wind, and nowhere was flat ground to be found. Even the pool had been frozen over, except for a small hole which Dewgong was peeking out of, breathing heavily and resting against the ledge.
"Ninetales..." Weiss whimpered.
She hadn't been completely frozen like Froslass, but her paws were stuck in the ice and she was shivering uncontrollably. Weiss wasn't sure if she'd ever seen an Ice-type Pokémon actually shiver before, nor could she remember a time Ninetales looked so pitiful. The nine tailed fox tried biting at the ice to free itself, but it was too tired and the ice too thick. As if admitting defeat to winter and inevitable death, it curled into a ball and made itself as comfortable as possible. If one was going to freeze to death, or starve, they might as well be comfortable. It was something all Ice-type Pokémon innately understood from the moment they were born.
"Ninetales is unable to battle!" Lyam declared.
Weiss wanted to cry watching her beloved Pokémon give up living, remembering the baby Vulpix she had received as a Christmas present all those years ago. She raised her Luxury Ball. "That's enough, Ninetales. You did your best."
The fox became enveloped in a red light and returned to its Pokéball where it'd be warm, but not before giving her trainer a sad, apologetic look. "I'm the one who's sorry," she whispered to the ball. "I couldn't have asked anything more of you, Ninetales. Thank you..."
*sniff*
She looked across the battlefield and saw Dewgong struggling to catch its breath while Pryce leaned on his cane, watching her closely. "You disappoint me," he said.
Weiss filched as though she'd been struck. People yelling at her or being cruel never brought tears to her eyes. It was all too common at home and in the affluent world of business and politics, but her dreams being crushed and being scolded by her idol made for such an exception.
"Disappointed, but not surprised," he added softly. "If you thought you could defeat me with Ice-type Pokémon, you gravely overestimated yourself. You have talent, of that there can be no mistake. As well as potential, but you have more pride than anything. Tell me, when Miss Rose gave her life to save you and your Pokémon, was it your pride that put her in that position to begin with?"
Weiss remained silent, her misty eyes cast to the ground.
"I thought so. You're not on the cusp of becoming an Ice-type Master. You might not even be an expert. What is an Ice-type Master if you don't also master Fire, Fighting, Rock, and Steel? How am I to 'master' Dewgong if I don't also master Water? What about Lance and his dragons that fly in the air or swim under the sea? I don't recall seeing too many of Froslass' ghostly powers or Ninetales' fey abilities. To master one Pokémon is to master all Pokémon, and to be a Master is to first admit that our Pokémon are the true Masters. We're nothing more than their students, and we never stop learning from them. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Sir..." she managed to say.
"I was a so-called 'Pokémon Master' before your parents were even born, but I dare say I wasn't half the trainer that I am today. A better battler? In that regard it's fair to say that the decrepit old man you see before you is a shell of his former self." The old man grimaced, better aware than anyone how the once mighty had fallen.
"Regardless, Red Ketchum isn't the greatest trainer in the world today simply because he's a brilliant tactician or even because his Pokémon are the strongest. Red can see the untapped potential in every Pokémon, and brings out their inner strength better than any trainer I've ever seen. That's how his Venusaur was able to defeat Gary Oak's Charizard, and why his Pikachu defeated Lance's Dragonite. That's also why my Dewgong just defeated three of your Pokémon in a row. I'm not a better battler than you. Not anymore, nor is Dewgong that much stronger. I just understand my Pokémon better."
"I-I understand."
Pryce smiled slightly. "Good. That means I'm not wasting what precious little time I have left. Tell me, what does it mean to be an Ice-type Pokémon?"
She tried to speak but found she had no answer. "Please, tell me, Master."
"Water is necessary for life and can adapt to almost any environment. There's well-over a thousand different species of Pokémon around the world, and the most common found in the wild is Water. Ice is the rarest and least adaptable, and I'm not even sure if there's a hundred different species. Ice has no resistances except itself, but it kills plants, freezes the ground, forces birds out of the air, and brings even dragons to their knees. Ice is harsh and unkind, but it's no crueler than floods in the spring, heatwaves in the summer, or strong winds in the fall."
"Adaptable..." she repeated quietly to itself.
"The word 'Schnee' means snow in old Kalosian, and right now that's what you are. People walk on snow and leave their footprints all over it. Turning something beautiful, unrecognizable. Try to walk over ice and you'll hurt yourself, and the worst anyone can do is leave scratches. Ice is brittle, make no mistake, but it's hard as concrete and cuts as well as steel after a lifetime of being tempered. Now tell me, which do you wish to be? Snow, or ice? Choose now, or leave my gym, and don't come back."
Weiss remained silent, staring at the reflective ice around her. Who she was had been staring at her in the face all her life. Absently, a hand touched her brow and traced a line down the side of her cheek.
'Scar...'
'Unsightly...'
'I told you, you were wasting your time,' she heard her father say, followed by even less savory things from throughout the years.
"Don't give up, Weiss!" shouted a familiar high-pitched voice.
Weiss' head shot up, and she found Ruby standing on the balcony with the gym trainers, flanked by Sakura and Yang on either side. "You can do it!"
"We believe in you!" Sakura cried.
"Kick Pryce's geriatric butt so we can get out of here!" Yang said, her voice muffled by a scarf and several layers of borrowed clothing.
Weiss didn't know how long they'd been there or how they could have possibly known the battle had started, but she blushed, suddenly ashamed for not wanting them to be there, and for ever thinking she could have won without them.
"Ruby-" She wiped her eyes. "Thank you..."
"Well?" Pryce asked. "I'm waiting for an answer. Don't make me wait all day. I could die of old age any minute."
"My name is Weiss Schnee," she said in a commanding voice. "I am every bit of the Ice Queen that I'm accused of being, but I've allowed my father to leave his footprints on me all of my life. It's only recently that I've allowed others to leave their footprints as well." She stole a glance at Ruby, Sakura, and Yang, but lingered on the caped-girl. "By defeating an Ice-type Master I'll become that much closer to achieving my goal, but I've recently learned that it's the journey that matters most, not the destination. Someday I will master Ice, but until then, I'll learn to be adaptable like Water, and hard like Steel. And I know the perfect partner to teach me..."
She retrieved another Pokéball, and held it with a steady hand. "Thank you, Master Pryce. I'll make Mother and Papa proud, and I'll also make you proud to call me Nicolas Schnee's granddaughter."
The old man smiled, the warmth from it warming the entire gym. "I already am."
Smiling herself, Weiss threw the Pokéball into the air and shouted in a regal voice a battle cry that would someday become world renown and feared by all that opposed her.
"Go, Empoleon!"
(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Pride comes before the fall, and while Weiss has had the most character development in the story, pride is what continues getting her into trouble. Underestimating Ruby and Ledian, and them defeating her was a bitter pill to swallow. Ruby defeating Morty and proving she's a better trainer than Weiss was willing to admit was humbling. The red Gyarados defeating all her Pokémon and killing Ruby was traumatizing and was a massive blow to her ego, but Weiss' pride was still intact even if it had been eroded somewhat. Even if she had doubts about defeating Pryce with only Ice-type Pokémon, there's no doubt she thought it'd at least be a fair challenge. Unfortunately she never stood a chance, and combined with her previous mistakes, her pride has finally been extinguished. Her Schnee dignity still remains, and I doubt ALL of her pride is gone for good, but Weiss is finally nearing the end of her character arc.
I had thought about having Weiss lose the battle only for Pryce to allow her one more Pokémon, or for Empoleon and Mamoswine to duke it out 1v1, but it was really important to me for Weiss to NOT lose the battle this way, and to see if Empoleon can come from behind with a victory. Despite preferring Ice-type Pokémon, Weiss' ace is a Water/Steel-type, and in reality is the perfect counter to Ice-types. When I started writing this story, I thought it'd be an interesting dichotomy for Weiss' two aces, Empoleon and Garchomp, to be a perfect counter to Ice-types and the other the WORST. The two compliment each other perfectly, but it's also a subtle sign that Weiss' goals don't necessarily align with her actions. Her starter is basically an "anti-Ice-type", and she likely wanted the pseudo-legendary for its power, and chose one quad-weak to ice. Just a little wrinkle that I thought was interesting, and I can imagine Weiss thinking taming a pseudo-legendary that's weak to Ice proves her mastery over it.
I'm sorry that Froslass didn't get a better showing, but you've already seen her battle and it was important to set the pace of the battle early. Glaceon did better, and I think it was a fair showing, but Ninetales was the one I really wanted to showcase as Weiss' Ice-type ace. It's powerful and fits Weiss' personality in my opinion, and I like to imagine her younger self snuggling with an Alolan Vulpix. I also wanted to show that when it comes to Ice-types, Weiss relies a lot on speed and/or evasiveness (the opposite of Pryce), while Empoleon and Garchomp are tanks (especially Empoleon). Pryce's Dewgong is no joke in the games and anime, and was his ace prior to Piloswine getting revived in the anime, but Pryce also has the advantage in experience. I liked the idea of Sheer Cold being strong enough to defeat Weiss' Ice-type Pokémon when they'd normally be immune, and it also having Horn Drill. Weiss is a very good trainer and battler, but Pryce is just on a completely different level, and Weiss made the mistake of trying to battle Pryce on his terms.
As for Pryce himself, I view him as being the prototypical Ice-type trainer. He's cold, though not necessarily cruel. To specialize in specific Pokémon types means having a certain temperament, and Ice-type specialists being calm, cool, and somewhat detached is a fitting trope in my opinion. They understand the harshness of nature better than possibly anyone, and they don't suffer fools or mistakes lightly. Ultimately, Pryce is a teacher, and what he teaches isn't necessarily kind, but it is necessary to becoming a Pokémon Master, or at least having a better understanding of Pokémon. Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy the coming chapters and the conclusion to the gym battle and Weiss' character arc.
All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with this story and wonderful readers such as yourself. God bless)