Last time on Explorers of Prehistory...
An exploration team called Team Vampire arrived at Yuki's inn to purchase supplies for their expedition to find the Cave of Dreams, led by Vlad the Crobat and followed by his siblings Dram the Golbat and Akasha the Zubat. Though Yuki is perfectly fine with Vlad and Dram going out into the tundra, she requests that they not take the very young Akasha on their journey into the dangerous wilderness, to which Vlad reluctantly agrees. The next day, the survivors of Tiny Island's destruction were preparing to set out to the local pier so that they could get a boat ride to the mainland. However, the happy mood was destroyed when Yuki stopped their departure with a frantic report that Akasha and her own apprentices, Crystal and Storm, had gone missing. Putting on his detective hat, Ace the Sceptile was quick to put together that the trio of younglings had gone to search for Vlad and Dram, who Yuki has admitted likely perished in their search for the Cave of Dreams...
What will happen next? Find out now!
"Why are we doing this again?!"
For once, Venom actually managed to voice the opinion of almost everyone. Just this morning they had been set to go down to town and head to the mainland, but now they were hiking through the Arceus-Forsaken tundra, off on a mission that Yuki herself admitted often proved fatal to those who dared to brave it. So, why where they running off to die?
Because they were nice Pokemon, no matter how much they wished they were not.
Ace had tried to dissuade the others from following him - he was the cop here, not them - but they insisted for some stupid reason. Maybe it was that sad look Yuki had given them. She did seem pretty depressed.
Of course, not nearly depressed enough to be walking into this frozen world of death to find her own dang kids!
"I'm not a fighter," the Froslass had said, "and I'm not as fast as the children. I'd never be able to catch them. You have experience with exploration and fighting dangerous Pokemon! You can save them!"
Venom would very much like to know how she had known about that whole "experience with exploration and fighting dangerous Pokemon" bit. She hadn't just been addressing Ace, she had been addressing all of them. How had she know about that?
Venom wished he had asked that question while they were still at the inn. Now, they were about three miles away from civilization, instead of being on a cozy ship to the much warmer mainland. Why, oh why did he have to say yes?!
Oh, yeah, because he was a nice guy.
Ugh...
The snow began to fall harder across the island. It was so white that they could barely see a thing beneath the shroud of cold that blanketed the land. It was so white that everyone had to ask "How much more white could it be?" to which the world around them seemed to reply "None. None more white."
It didn't take long for them to realize that they really didn't have a plan, and that would likely get them all a little bit deader than they were now. As such, they took a break in a forest of pine trees and got to thinking.
"Why are we doing this again?"
Ace sighed. "Because it's the right thing to do, Venom." He cast a cynical gaze at the Arbok. "I don't know why you're complaining. You volunteered, remember?"
"Don't remind me..." the Cobra Pokemon sighed. "Alright, alright, what's the plan?"
Ace pulled a map out from his bag. "Yuki was kind enough to give us this map," he explained, opening up the map. It was a well-detailed map, completely accurate to Icicle Island's landscapes, courtesy of the Gligar Cartography Company, with mountains, lakes, towns, and big red X's marked wherever explorers had searched and failed to find the cave of dreams. About two dozen X's dotted the mountain in the center of the island, with only a few dotting the surrounding areas.
"Oh, well!" Kiara hissed sarcastically. "This really narrows it down!"
"You volunteered, too!" Ace retorted, silencing the Persian.
Aero sighed. If they started fighting now they'd all be doomed. "Alright, let's focus," she half ordered/half begged. "Where should we start?"
"Well, where was Team Vampire heading to?" Cotton peeped.
Ace shook his head. "I don't know," he said, "and neither did Yuki. Maybe Akasha knew something. They seemed to be pretty sure that they'd find the place. Then again," he added reluctantly, "a lot of explorers have healthy - or unhealthy doses of confidence."
"So, what you're saying is, basically, we have no idea where to look," Kiara said bluntly.
"Yeah. Pretty much."
Kiara made a sour face. "That's it. I'm out of here." She turned and began to walk away.
"What?" Aero cried. "But what about the kids?! They could die out here!"
"We could die out here!" the Persian snapped bitterly. "I don't even know these kids that well! I just got off some dingy and onto this frozen pit, and now I have the chance to go to the mainland where it's warm and safe! I am not running into that wasteland without any idea where I'm going to find some stupid kids and freeze to death!"
Well, she did make a good point there. Out of the frying pan and into the fire - or the freezer in this case. They had gone from one horrible situation to another, only this time it was voluntary.
Still, morality ruled the day.
"Well, we can't give up," Ace declared. "We gave Yuki our word that we would save the kids."
"No," Kiara corrected, "we said we'd look for them. We've looked for them, and we haven't found them."
"So, you want us to leave three kids to freeze to death out here?" Aero asked angrily.
"That's not what I'm saying!" Kiara snapped back.
"We can't just leave them," Venom growled.
"Gramps is right!" Aero shouted. She blinked, and ran what she just said through her head. "Gramps is right..." She repeated.
"What?" Venom asked irately.
"Sorry, it's just... Well, I never thought I'd actually agree with you on something."
"W-whatever..."
Cotton peeped up. "I-I think we should keep looking for them," she said. "I mean... it'll be dark later on, and then it'll be very cold..."
"I know... but..." Kiara gritted her fangs. "It's not our fault that those kids were dumb enough to come out here alone! If they freeze they don't have anyone to blame but themselves! It's common sense!"
"So, that's what your common sense is telling you?" asked Ace with a cynical tone.
"Yeah, it is."
"So, what is your conscience telling you?"
Now Kiara was really angry. "I don't care what my conscience is telling me!" she hissed. "I don't have a conscience!"
"Well, then," Ace said with a long sigh, "go, then. Leave. We'll find the kids ourselves. Have fun on the mainland."
"I think I will," Kiara sniffed, "thank you very much."
Just as Kiara was about to turn and walk away (really, she was) when they heard the sound. A crunching sound, like something was moving through the snow and ice.
Cotton's eyes went wide and she hid behind Aero. "The...The tree...!"
"What?" Aero asked, surprised.
"I saw it move!" Cotton squeaked.
The tree did move - again. A pair of bloodshot yellow eyes opened up, glowing with malicious intent. A pair of furry white and green arms sprouted from the side of the beast, slowly standing up on a pair of massive legs.
"Intruders!" the Abomasnow roared, raising his fist, a massive appendage as wide and hard as a tree trunk, and slamming down at Venom's head. "Wood Hammer!"
Venom managed a peep before the fist flame into him, smashing him into the snow with an incredible amount of force. The other Pokemon gaped; Cotton began to whimper. The Abomasnow grinned behind his fir beard, and then frowned.
"S-Strength..."
Venom snarled and hissed as he slowly pushed his head out from the snowy pit, pushing Abomasnow's fist on his head. That Wood Hammer had been painful, but not too damaging to a Poison-type. However, that didn't change the fact that it hurt and the Yeti Pokemon was going to pay for that one. With a roar, Venom shoved the fist back, and leaped right for the beasts throat. "Poison Fang!"
The Arbok landed his hit, sinking his razor-sharp fangs into the Grass/Ice-type's throat. The beast howled with pain and fury, grabbing Venom and hurling him off before rubbing his bleeding, festering throat. He glared angrily at the intruders and roared again, his voice raspy with fatigue and pain.
Every pine tree in the clearing shook and stood up. Before the Pokemon knew it, they were completely surrounded by a roaring horde of Abomasnow. The wind grew harsher and louder, the snow picked up, and solidified, and before anyone knew it sharp, solid pieces of hail began to pelt the ground.
The Pokemon all gritted their teeth and raised their arms, second mouths, claws, and heads, knowing full well by this point that they were about to fight. "Should've left an hour ago," muttered Kiara, shaking her head.
"Oh, shut up!" was the general response.
Hollering like rapid Mankey, the Abomasnow charged.
"My, my. They seem to be in a pickle."
The Roserade lowered her spyglass again, her expression neutral beneath her silk scarf. "It seems they need our help."
"M-maybe we should help them..." her companion, a tiny Pokemon with a vaguely humanoid green body and a skirt made of lime and lemon-colored petals.
"Indeed we should," the Roserade agreed.
"Why?" her second companion, a blue and white serpentine creature asked.
The Roserade shot a glare at the Dragon-type. "Because, we're the good guys, a fact that I seem to have keep reminding you. We are also the very best, and the very best do not simply ignore such a challenge," she said coldly. "Come along. A pack of barbarians is no match for us, regardless of any silly type-advantage."
"Yes, Rosa..."
The battle was as brutal as you'd expect.
Abomasnow are seven-foot tall (give two or three inchs), two-hundred ninety-eight point seven pound Grass/Ice-types. Their physical strength and stamina was quite impressive, and their ferocity as well. The wild, feral ones were territorial as well, quick to attack anyone whom they perceived to be a threat. To make matters worse, their mere existence induced hail-storms, which made them a terror to fight and an annoyance at a picnic. However, they were wonderful hosts at dinner parties they kept the champagne nice and cold, and the hailstorm outside could be kind of musical if you listened to it long enough.
Every Pokemon was a blur of motion as they battled their foe. Even the normally timid Cotton was helping where she could, biting the ankles of any Abomasnow that drew to close to her, leaving them howling in pain and open to Aero's Brick Break.
They could fight, but it was an uphill battle all the way. Ace had nothing that was useful against an Ice- or Grass-type Pokemon despite his superior skills, and the only ones with moves that were more or less super-effective against their foes were Venom and Aero, who both fought like the devil himself was after them, biting and punching every Abomasnow that came near them.
Despite their courage, however, it was only a matter of time before they were overrun completely.
"Brick Break!"
"Poison Fang!"
Aero smashed her bruised fist into her foe's knee, causing him to howl out in pain until Venom sunk his fangs into the beast's throat, silencing him. He collapsed to the ground in a heap, along with a dozen other of his kind, all moaning in the thralls of unconsciousness. Two more took that one's place, however, forcing Venom and Aero to leap back when they unleashed a fierce burst of Frost Breath at them.
"H-Hyper Fang!"
"Leaf Blade!"
"Night Slash!"
Another Abomasnow roared as it leaped at Ace, only to take a Leaf Blade to the chest, a Night Slash to the neck, and a Hyper Fang (not an arrow) to the knee. The beast stumbled back, wounded and angrier than ever. He roared with hatred as he stomped forward again. The entire pine forest seemed to have come together to end the lives of these four Pokemon, all of them rushing for the quintet.
"Mmm... Sludge Bomb."
A rancid blob of seething poisons sailed through the air, splattering against the Abomasnow's face and sending him toppling to the ground, hissing in pain.
Almost every head whirled to the source of the daunting blow. Standing on top of a small snowbank was a trio of Pokemon; a Roserade, her rosy hands still raised in the air, poising dripping and hissing from the buds, a rather smug-looking Dratini and a tiny, meek-looking Bellossom. "Hello," the Roserade said, pulling down her red scarf and flashing a cheeky grin at the Abomasnow.
It had the exact effect that you'd expect it would. Howls of rage filled the air, nearly blowing everyone's ear drums, and the beasts charged, breathing gales of frost and ice at the three girls, all of whom were weak to Ice-type attacks. None of the girls flinched in the slightest as the beasts drew closer.
It was all over in mere seconds.
"Sunny Day!" the Bellossom shouted. She shot a burst of light into the air, clearing through the clouds and unleashing the full rays of the sun, shining down onto the land, causing the snow and ice to shimmer brightly. The Abomasnow, unused to such brightness and surprised that their hailstorm was gone, screamed unhappily as they covered their eyes.
"Fire Blast!" the Dratini snarled, breathing a massive, kanji-shaped fireball into the midst of the Grass/Ice-types. A massive explosion ripped through the glen. Fire, ashes and smoke flew through the air, accompanied by a hideous explosion.
The party was hurled back by the force of the attack, the heat searing their ears and the noise making their ears ache. It felt like it lasted an eternity, but in reality it merely lasted about five seconds. The explosion faded, along with the roar, and silence mercifully fell.
The smoke faded away. The party slowly winced and groaned as they pushed themselves off of the snowy ground, beaten but alive. The same could be said for the Abomasnow, only ten-fold. The Grass/Ice-types were strewn about the clearing, their pine fur burned clean off by the tremendous force of the boosted Fire Blast. The heat had been so intense that it had actually melted a large hole in the snowy ground, revealing the actual dirt that lay beneath the snow. So, it did exist!
"Tut, tut," a familiar voice said. "That's all done."
The Roserade walked through the clearing smoke with a small grin. She held out a rosy hand to the surprised - and delighted - Captain Ace. "Captain," she greeted.
Ace gave a relieved sigh. "Team Rose," he said, "am I glad to see you."
Author's Note:
You ever see that comic with a Snover sitting on a picnic blanket with teary eyes as everyone ran away because it caused a hail storm. That gets me every time right in the heart. Poor little guy...
Bottom line, have a dinner party with Snover. It'll make him feel better.
Anyways, looks like we've got another exploration team on our hands, Team Rose! Will this all-girl team be able to help our heroes find Team Vampire and the kids? And what the heck is their story, anyways? Well, you'll have to keep reading if you want to find out!
Keep reading to find out! If you like this story, please review and let me know!