Pokegirl Origins - Unova

by SocomSeal

Pokegirls. Humanoid monstergirls who live to battle and need human contact to stay sane. In this world some use pokegirls as tools, but many form close bonds with their partners. This is the story of one tamer and his journey. Inspired by the Moemon Project. Generation 5 - In which the old faces off against the new.

33. Chapter 33 - The Frozen World

Explosions rocked Opelucid City, thick, roiling black clouds of smoke rising between the skyscrapers. In the streets, panic reigned. People fled, gawked, screamed. Through the destruction came the patter of feet and shadows flashed through the smoke, beams of energy lancing into the sides of buildings and blasting gaping holes to shower the cowering civilians below with chunks of masonry. And behind it all, comfortably isolated on a rooftop far away from the devastation… stood a man, his figure obscured by strangely shaped and extremely heavy clothing. And he laughed.

Nicholas was borne out of the gym at full speed, Jade not having cared to slow in her eagerness to obey her Keeper's order. At least she hadn't caused any damage in her haste. Because Drayden's Salamence already had. The doors they'd passed through were hanging open, torn from their hinges by the furious dragon and her Master.

Who themselves were nowhere to be seen. Nicholas pulled himself from Jade's grip and took a few steps into the outside world, listening to the sounds of the chaos filling the city. He growled softly. "Kalmiya. I expect you to get over yourself and do your job. Give me a full overview of the situation here. Now."

His pokedex crackled as the hologram projector came to life and then a three-dimensional map began to build in midair. "Yes, Master," Kalmiya replied in a clipped voice, her suppressed anger evident but forced back at his command. "I am seeing a large number of enemy forces pushing through the city. Handheld radio units are in heavy use. This is a fully coordinated attack. Civilian casualties are-" Her voice cut for a moment before she continued speaking. "I am seeing little directed effort from enemy forces towards fleeing civilian groups. Infrastructure, on the other hand, is a clear target. Many buildings have already been structurally… compromised. Emergency services are being stalled by debris. It appears to be Neo Plasma's clear intent to cripple the city, and they are moving quickly."

"Where is Drayden."

"Moving rapidly to intercept the leading wave of attackers, Master," Kalmiya replied. "Enemy forces appear to primarily be composed of fast-moving pokegirls, and while positive identification is difficult with only visual contact, I would guess that the majority are Liepard and Bisharp."

"Fits," Nicholas muttered. "Bisharp were in heavy use by Ghetsis' Shadow Triad. You've got a direction for Drayden?"

"Yes, Master."

"Give it to me and continue to monitor the situation." Nicholas said as Fiona burst from the gym, Cathy not far behind her. "We're covering his back. There's no way that Neo Plasma came here without expecting Drayden to respond. He's walking into a trap."

"Leader Drayden will be making first contact with enemy forces in five… four…"

"KIANA! MELODY! Take point, and your sisters will follow!" Nicholas roared, slamming his hand against his belt to punctuate his words. "We GO!"

Some distance away, a masked man ran, talking into a handheld radio as shadows dashed past. Other humans could be seen running behind him, smoke and fire lining the streets they left behind, and as they emerged into an open intersection the leader pulled up and pointed towards the buildings along the edges of the space. One of the shadows alit next to him for a moment, revealing a lithe purple-furred feline pokegirl, before she sprang in the direction her Master had indicated.

An eerie roar echoed past the Neo Plasma members.

Suddenly the Liepard was gone, a beam of surging orange and white lancing from a nearby street and impacting the ground beneath her feet before exploding out in a roiling ball of flame that sent the pokegirl's body flying through the air. The tamers whirled, the leader yelling into his radio as Drayden's Haxorus burst into view and she lunged for the invaders with her eyes glowing red and a roar shaking her throat. Above her the Salamence dove, her wings flashing out as she scattered another pair of pokegirls and suddenly the entire enemy group was on retreat, blasts of energy harrying Drayden as he and his harem appeared in hot pursuit.

"Enemy contact in six blocks. Five-" Kalmiya was saying in Nicholas' ear before she paused. "The enemy forces are- Master, they are reversing course. Quickly."

"Did Drayden intercept?"

"He… Yes, Master. He has indeed intercepted his target and it would appear they were anticipating his intervention."

"It's no fun when I'm right," Nicholas muttered to himself. "All forces collapsing on Drayden?"

"It's impossible to tell exactly from their movements, Master-"

"Well give me a guess then!" Nicholas retorted. "Stop giving me excuses and DO WHAT YOU DO BEST! They're using radios, aren't they? Intercept their communications! You're in a modern city FULL of signaling equipment!"

"I- Yes, Master," Kalmiya replied. "All groups appear to be pulling back to the east."

"Give me a specific location as soon as you can," Nicholas snarled, changing direction and shouting to the others. "I want to be racing them there, not chasing behind. MOVE!"

A Bisharp raised her blades, scattering a volley of shadow before being blown away with a scream as Drayden's Hydreigon swooped in and sent a staccato burst of glowing aura blasts into her body. The slowly depleting group of Neo Plasma dove down a new alley to avoid a wave of sand that washed through the streets behind them, a Flygon sweeping past and wheeling around to come screaming down the narrow alley in pursuit. And through it all, the fleeing figures shouted into their radios, desperately relaying their position to anyone who would listen.

Kalmiya heard them. But so did someone else.

"Hahaha! We have him now!" the strangely dressed man laughed, holding his hand towards the open plaza below him that the Neo Plasma forces were luring Drayden to. "Ready!"

Shrapnel filled the air as Drayden burst onto the scene, a screaming woman in Neo Plasma's uniform flying out from the blast and crashing to the ground to lie still. The Haxorus appeared first, her taloned feet catching the railing above the plaza and instantly crushing the wrought iron to the ground as her eyes darted about the open space. A fountain in the center burbled, water pattering down in the momentary silence.

Suddenly a half dozen forms were leaping at her, the Haxorus rearing back in surprise as the shadows around her turned to pokegirls and Liepard sank their teeth into her skin.

Her opponents did not last long. Drayden's Haxorus roared, her claws flashing out, and then the ambushers were flung away, the Haxorus whirling her entire body around and bringing her tail slamming into two unlucky enough to be in the way. One managed to dodge and grabbed onto the Haxorus' tail, using her grip to lunge forwards with a yowl that quickly turned to pain when her target returned the bites she had taken with one of her own. Powerful jaws drove the Haxorus' fangs deep into the back of the Liepard's neck as the dragon continued torquing her body around and released her bite to send the unfortunate feline pokegirl flipping end over end until she smashed through the wall of a building.

The ambush had served its purpose as a distraction, however. Drayden's Haxorus hadn't been able to focus on the others rising against her and two different forms appeared, one springing along like the Bisharp but without any metallic shine to her body and the other levitating through the air towards the beleaguered Haxorus. Two beams of crackling ice lanced out, and for a moment it seemed they would find their target. Then Drayden's Salamence dropped from the sky, slamming to the ground in front of her Alpha and unleashing a roaring stream of flame that almost seemed to come alive as it raced out to meet the incoming attacks.

Nicholas staggered when the shockwave of another explosion tore through the streets. "That one was bigger," he gasped. "Kalmiya?"

"Leader Drayden is engaging the main Neo Plasma force, Master," Kalmiya reported. "There are Ice-types among the attackers."

"For once in my life can I please be WRONG?" Nicholas swore. "LOCATION!"

"A nearby plaza, Master."

"Big, and open, and easy to surround a target trapped inside," Nicholas hissed. "Status report?"

"All Neo Plasma forces are-" Kalmiya had begun to say when Nicholas saw a masked figure darting out into the street ahead of them. The enemy tamer was running in the same direction they were and hadn't seemed to have noticed the threat behind them. Their loss. Melody's voice shattered the windows all along the avenue until the shockwave hammered the running figure and they fell.

"Are collapsing on Drayden's position, I can see that," Nicholas cursed. "We break through! Come on!"

It was the attack on the League all over again. Drayden's pokegirls cut large swathes from the encroaching crowds but the sheer number of bodies kept the pressure up. The man himself stood firm, snarling under his breath as his harem lunged and wheeled around him to meet the onslaught. The same dragons that Nicholas had faced, but none of the same individuals. Those had been pokegirls in training. This was Drayden's harem.

A piercing cry echoed over the battlefield as a shard of ice sneaked past the defenses and buried itself into Drayden's Altaria's breast, the flying girl dipping slightly and in that momentary lapse the Neo Plasma forces were pushing their advantage, an excited roar rising as even more projectiles sprayed for the wounded dragon.

Which evaporated as a bellowing ball of flame flashed through the space between the recovering Altaria and her attackers. Jade crashed back to the ground, digging in her heels to stop her momentum after launching Kiana through the sky, and beside her Adalinda slammed her hands against the stone tiles which began to shift and bulge until writhing green vines broke the surface. Cindy crouched next to the Serperior, holding her spinneret to the surging green and coating it in her silk so that as the vines burst from the ground beneath the crowd's feet their arrival was accompanied by a crackling surge of electricity that felled anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby.

What few enemies remained after the combination attack were bulled aside by Melody, the Seismitoad charging through the sparking vines without care and clearing the way for Nicholas and the others to run to Drayden's side. Kiana had landed from her impromptu flight and blitzed her way around the perimeter faster than any of the attackers could acquire her as a target to rejoin them. "You're late," Drayden growled when Nicholas ran in and turned to go back-to-back with the Dragon-type Gym Leader, directing his harem to cover the weakened side they'd just plowed through while Drayden's dragons solidified their positions facing the plaza. "Thought you'd run."

"Oh, I had. Just didn't know exactly where I was running to at first," Nicholas breezed. The crowd of enemy pokegirls was already closing in again. "Got a plan?"

"Yes," Drayden snarled, raising his voice as he did. "DRIVE THESE INVADERS FROM OUR CITY!"

Nicholas chuckled and was turning to analyze the battle when he noticed that things had slowed. Most of the Neo Plasma forces were hanging back, a few holding the attention of Drayden and Nicholas' pokegirls but the rest… "Hey, are they giving up? Not willing to continue against two?"

Drayden's eyes picked out a shifting point in the crowd making its way towards them and they narrowed. "No."

"Leader Drayden."

Nicholas swiveled to see the crowd parting to allow an older man in what seemed to be an extra bulky winter coat to come forwards. "Who is…?"

"You're strong indeed. Ice doesn't even seem to faze you," the man said. As he spoke the Neo Plasma members broke their encircling formation, running to form up to either side of this figure instead. "And look who's come to join him. The thorn in our side."

Nicholas frowned, but he didn't have to wait long before a hiss through his radio was giving away this man's identity. "Zinzolin, of the Seven Sages!" Kalmiya hissed. "So he's finally showed his slimy face!"

"Zinzolin, was it?" Nicholas called to the man. "You're a wanted man, you know."

"Oh-ho, I am well aware," Zinzolin chuckled. "But there are no International Police here. They are busy being exactly where we wanted them." Another angry noise from Kalmiya. "I hadn't expected to see you here, 'Champion', but it doesn't matter. Even you won't be able to stop what is about to happen."

"Yeah, that's why you've called a ceasefire?" Nicholas asked sarcastically. "All bluster."

Zinzolin's teeth flashed as he grinned wide and threw his arms to either side. "HAHAHA! Hardly! Now!" Zinzolin's arms rose towards the sky. "Witness the majesty of Neo Plasma's technology!"

The scene fell silent, returning to only the background noise of the chaos in the city, and Nicholas snorted under his breath. "What-" he began, but his retort died in his throat. There was another persistent noise rising in the distance. A low thunder rumbling past the buildings and as he turned it was to see a massive shape appearing over the skyline. It looked like… A bowsprit, a keel, the hull of a sailing vessel but with huge thrusters running down the midline to keep it in the air. Wide stabilizers extended to either side of the ship itself and smaller thrusters burned along them, maneuvering the airship slowly into position high above the city.

Suddenly a hatch under the bow was opening, the long barrel of some kind of cannon extending and pointing down. Before Nicholas or Drayden could react the weapon fired, a beam of crackling white lancing down and impacting the ground somewhere off in the distance. Instantly a rolling cloud of white smoke ballooned from the impact point to join the black that still burned.

Nicholas covered his face as the white cloud burst from between the buildings and crashed over them, but as it did he realized it wasn't smoke at all. It was a frigid mist, ice melting on his skin and sapping the heat from his body. He could feel the temperature around them plummeting and through the mist he could hear the sound of the Neo Plasma forces retreating. "Drayden-!"

"We hear you're hiding something, Leader Drayden," Zinzolin's sneering voice called from within the fog. "Something we need to awaken the true power of the being that powers this weapon. You wouldn't happen to have it on you, would you? No?" Zinzolin's laughter grew as the beam's intensity seemed to increase and frost raced across the ground. "Pity. Maybe if you had, I'd have called this off."

Nicholas clearly felt a sudden and explosive surge of power from above them and lifted his head to see the cannon of the airship beginning to glow. "SHIT! TAKE COVER!"

There was nowhere to hide. They were in the middle of an open space, and quick as thought, the crackling beam became a maelstrom of energy that slammed into the ground and instantly scattered in every direction. Ice consumed the buildings closest to the impact point before racing out along the streets and over every surface, a powerful gust of wind blowing the mist away just for Nicholas to see an avalanche twenty feet tall bearing down on them. It was too fast. There was no escape.

Fire sparked from within the group.

With a screaming roar an explosion of flame threw itself in front of the approaching storm. Kiana's flames poured from her body as she finally projected them just as well in this instant as she'd ever held them in her hands, meaning it was a wall of fire that met the wall of ice and mist exploded from the impact, shooting into the sky and to either side of the group the Arcanine was desperately trying to protect. But although the ice slowed, it did not stop. It inched ever closer, almost seeming to be laughing at Kiana's feverish effort. It was inevitable, the power pumping into the earth seemed to say. You cannot stop me.

And the Arcanine couldn't. Not alone. But she was not alone. Not when the dragons joined her, every one of Drayden's harem lining up at her shoulders and adding their flames to hers.

With their help the wall of ice was held at bay, held back from the group until the power spewing from the airship cut off. Only then did Kiana let her flames dissipate, stumbling a bit but catching herself as her tongue lolled out of her mouth and her wild eyes darted across the frozen city around them.

Drayden was frozen still, not by the cold that was crashing into them now with Kiana's flames gone but by the sight of the buildings, even the tallest skyscrapers covered in ice. "How can this be…"

Nicholas turned when he heard laughter to see Zinzolin wandering up, his pokegirls deactivating their protective barriers and cracking through the icy crusts that had formed around them. In contrary to Kiana's flame, they had chosen to simply withstand the ice alongside their Master. "I truly can't stand this cold. Look at me!" the man laughed, shaking even within his heavy winter gear. Attire which made so much more sense now. "I'm shivering, I'm suffering, but I'm alive! This bitter cold is proof of my very existence! Now, Leader Drayden," he called, holding out his hand, "won't you tell me where to find that artifact you're protecting?"

Drayden slowly turned his head to fix Zinzolin with a burning stare. "Never."

"Humph." Zinzolin brought his hand back. "That's what I thought you'd say. At this point, I'd love to threaten you with another volley of ice, but the weapon currently needs some time to recharge… We need the artifact to fix that. A shame. It won't be enjoyable in this cold, but I guess we'll just have to search for it."

Drayden growled and took a step forwards, his foot slamming through the crusted frost coating the ground. "You will not get past me while I still stand."

"Oh? Won't we?" Zinzolin asked. "How many people do you think were in the streets when the Kyurem cannon fired? You had your overwhelmingly powerful pokegirls to protect you… What did they have?" When Drayden stiffened Zinzolin stuck his hands in his pockets and began walking away. "Which will it be, Leader Drayden?" he called back mockingly. "Which will you go to save?"

"Drayden-" Nicholas began. "Hey. Drayden." The other man wasn't moving so Nicholas turned to Kiana instead. "Kiana," he called softly, wandering over and gazing at the panting Arcanine. When she also didn't seem to respond at first he gave her a smile. "Ada's a Grass-type. Melody and Jade are Ground-types. That new girl you like, Silla, she's a Dragon-type," he said, reaching out to give the straining muscles of her shoulder a squeeze. "I've never really thought about it, but this harem is rather vulnerable to ice. Now why would I have never seen that as a problem?"

Kiana blew air from her open mouth, a sort of half-cough as she caught her breath. "Because… I protect my pack, Master," she panted, finally turning to him and even though her entire body was shaking after her exertion she did not let it stop her standing proud. "I will always protect them."

"I couldn't protect them." Nicholas turned to see Drayden staring at him. "I swore. No more will suffer in our Lady's name. And now they- my city." His eyes rose to the frozen buildings, and the airship that was slowly moving away above them. "Kyurem. They said they'd captured Kyurem, harnessed her power to do… this. They're going for the heart."

Nicholas' lips thinned. "Go. I'll stop them."

"I'm counting on you, Hero of Truth," Drayden breathed, shaking himself before running for the frozen streets with his dragons around him.

Nicholas turned back to the still recovering Arcanine beside him. "You protected them," he said softly to her. "We need to protect something else now. We need to get back to that gym and protect the crystal Drayden showed me. Can you do that?"

Kiana's jaw finally closed for the first time since the airship had fired and she gulped air, holding her breath for a few seconds before letting it all back out in a wracking cough. "I… I can, Master."

"Good. Because Zinzolin brought Ice-types and I'm expecting to see more Bisharp." Nicholas turned and began barking orders. "Travelling formation! Jade in the air, the rest of you in your positions! Let's MOVE!"

They were too late. By the time the group made it back to the gym it was to find the lobby devastated, one of the gym tamers twisted unnaturally over the receptionist's desk and a half dozen pokegirls crumpled wherever they'd fallen during the battle. "Zinzolin didn't do this," Nicholas hissed, hurrying to the man's side but stopping before he touched the body. "This brutality… this is the Shadow Triad. BE CAREFUL!" he yelled to the others. "These are ninja, and I highly doubt they're above trapping the place!"

Cathy pushed him out of the way and gingerly touched her fingers to the man's neck, bracing for a booby trap and relaxing when nothing happened. "He- He's alive!" she blurted out, eyes widening when she felt the weak pulse under the man's skin. "We need to-"

"We need to secure this building," Nicholas growled. "It's quiet, and I know we weren't that slow." He turned to scour the lobby. "This one put up a hell of a fight. Where are the rest of the gym tamers. Where are the Shadow Triad."

Fiona was slowly walking through the lobby, glass from the shattered observation windows crunching under her hooves, when she paused. Shifted slightly, listened to another crunch. Raised her eyes to the broken windows themselves, and inched her hand closer to her hilt.

The blade that whipped from the shadow next to her found only the legendary's glowing sword, Fiona whirling with a snarling battle cry and striking back to cleave through the hidden pokegirl. Her blade finished its swing covered in blood and the keening scream from her target brought the lobby alive, a dozen figures erupting from the shadows to fall on Nicholas and his harem. Cathy squawked when the man she'd been hovering over suddenly spun, two blades sinking into her arm before the Shadow vaulted past her head and dashed out the door.

"The windows!" Fiona cried, parrying another strike against her and slashing out to chase the Bisharp away. "They were broken from within! THE ENEMIES ARE HERE!"

Nicholas stumbled back when one of the crumpled pokegirls jumped to her feet, revealing itself to be another of the Shadow Triad that was lunging towards him with a short dagger held cocked in his hand. The edge glanced off the hastily erected shield of aura Nicholas formed but that, too, allowed the ninja an easy path to escape and as Nicholas lowered it to stare about he saw the third sprinting past where Adalinda was embroiled with another Bisharp, a large bag slung over the ninja's shoulder.

"Son of a bitch," he snarled, taking a step before looking around the lobby. Bisharp. So many of them. Blades everywhere, harrying his pokegirls, and his eyes flashed. "KIANA!" he roared, grabbing at his belt and snagging the two most vulnerable pokegirls' pokeballs. "COOK THIS ROOM!"

Adalinda and Cindy vanished into red, streaming back to their pokeballs as Nicholas ducked and reformed his aura barrier an instant before the Arcanine sent a roaring firestorm through the lobby. Cathy hissed in pain when the flames licked at her skin but the rest of the pokegirls withstood it just fine, Melody and Fiona countering the blaze with their water while Jade just let it wash over her armor. The gathered Bisharp were not so lucky. They screeched, falling in the flames until the lobby was back the way it had first been. Silent. Still. This time, with truly unconscious pokegirls littering it.

Nicholas lowered his barrier again once Kiana let up and sprinted for the doors. "I need, I need- FUCK!" he whirled, finding Fiona and flinging Adalinda and Cindy's pokeballs towards Kiana. "Clear the gym, all of you! FIONA!" He locked eyes with the legendary. "With me."

They burst onto the frozen streets and Nicholas cast about, pausing when he saw the three ninja standing waiting for him.

"It was just as we suspected," the leader said. "The hiding place was the Gym. Well thought out. If Drayden isn't there, it's locked down tight. If he is there, he's the strongest guard we could possibly face. But even he can't be everywhere at once."

Nicholas slowly stepped towards the three. "No. But I'm here in his stead."

"Yes. You are," the leader replied, "and while we would love to punish you for what you did to our Lord Ghetsis a year ago, that time is not now. Now, it is time for us to take our leave." Nicholas growled as he watched one of the ninja secure the bag to his body. "But do not fear, Nicholas." The leader flicked his hand and a number of small black spheres appeared between his fingers. "We will meet again. We have been waiting to take our revenge. And let me tell you… a year has been a surprisingly long wait."

Quick as a flash the leader flung his hand towards the ground, thick black smoke exploding from the objects he threw and Nicholas coughed, waving his arm to clear the smoke as quickly as possible. As it dissipated he managed to catch a glimpse of something flashing past and once the air cleared he zeroed in on a figure fleeing to the west. "THERE!" he roared, taking off in pursuit. The ninja glanced over his shoulder when he heard Nicholas' yell, turning to run faster across the frozen rooftops with the bag bouncing against his back. As Nicholas ran Fiona centered herself, her body beginning to glow, and with a cry leapt to the sky to follow.

Nicholas just ran, listening and feeling the pitched battle raging overhead. Fiona's sword danced as she pressed the cloth-wrapped Accelgor who protected her Master, her hooves as sure as anything even on the slick roofs she fought upon. The chase was nearing the edge of Opelucid when Fiona finally found an opening and her dancing blade managed to slip past the Accelgor's guard, ripping through the cloth covering her body and sending the girl herself to fall screaming to the street. Nicholas slid around a corner to see Fiona leaping past, unopposed, her sword coming up and seeming to elongate as her horn glowed the same as it had when she'd given her pledge. Then it sliced out, flashing through an ice spire that the Shadow Triad had been leaping towards. The man fell, crashing to the ground and before he could recover Nicholas was on top of him, pressing the ninja into a corner so he couldn't run. "Finally," Nicholas gasped. "Got you."

The masked ninja sneered, slinking back when Fiona slammed to the ground next to them, her hooves shattering the ice she landed on. "Heh heh… You don't really think you can take the artifact back, do you?"

"I think the answer is obvious," Nicholas growled. "You're done. Trapped. Hand it over."

"I hate to admit it, but… you're a strong Tamer," the man chuckled. "You got me. But aren't you curious where the other two are?"

Nicholas felt his heart sink. "Running in fear?"

"Not quite." Nicholas yelped when the ninja flung the bag at his face, juggling it before he looked up to see the Shadow had escaped to the peak of another nearby ice spike. "There's your prize, 'Hero'. Why not take a look?"

Nicholas slowly opened the bag, staring in at the jumble of office supplies before looking back up at the smirking Shadow Triad. "Where is it."

"Aww, is it not in there?" the ninja laughed. "How unlucky! I guess I don't happen to be the one carrying the artifact. I was just buying time for the others to escape! What a shame for you." He danced back, giving Fiona a jaunty salute as he did. "That was fun, 'Hero' and pokegirl. Cheerio, bye-bye, whatever."

Neither Nicholas or Fiona moved as the cackling ninja disappeared, standing there while silence fell over the frozen city once more.

.

.

"Here! I've got an opening over here!" Elizabeth strained, her muscles bulging as she dug her bleeding fingers into the slight gap she'd found and pulled. With a scream she managed to rip a chunk of ice away from the frozen window, allowing Nessa to quickly throw her shoulder under the newly made hole and lock her body in place while rescue workers replaced the Nidoqueen and forced supports in to keep the creaking building from collapsing.

All around the city similar scenes were in progress, the vast majority of Nicholas' harem joining with the city's emergency services and a massive presence from the International Police to rescue as many civilians as possible from the epicenter of the ice cannon blast. Despite relatively warm temperatures Opelucid was only slowly defrosting, and progress seemed to be working from the outside of the affected area inwards instead of happening everywhere simultaneously. This had left most of the city still coated in a layer of ice, and while there had been attempts to speed up the melting process, not even concentrated flames from multiple pokegirls had been able to put a dent in the thickest of Kyurem's ice. Because of this the area at the epicenter was still completely frozen over and slowing the rescuers' efforts to a crawl. Even still, those who were trapped in the compromised buildings were the lucky ones. The bodies frozen in the streets were a grim reminder of the still-rising death toll from Neo Plasma's attack.

But while Neo Plasma's destruction gripped Opelucid, Plasma's empathy did as well. Anthea and Concordia had arrived just that morning, causing a minor incident by appearing at the beleaguered city with nearly every single one of their reformed Plasma members and dozens of unpartnered pokegirls, but once things had been clarified they had set to work providing relief. Whether that was by manning the field hospitals, running shelters and soup lines for the survivors, or even rebuilding the city, the two women intended to fix Plasma's shattered public image. The news coverage they were already receiving seemed to be a step in the right direction.

So as many worked to save the victims of this attack, some worked to prevent the next. Neo Plasma had made their statement – Unova would freeze. Not if its defenders struck first. As long as they could find their target.

"It's a giant flying boat," Nicholas hissed. "What do you mean nobody knows where it's gone?"

"There are no sightings reported in the past two days, Master," Kalmiya replied, her avatar giving him an apologetic smile. "This airship flew into Opelucid, flew to the east, and has not been seen since."

"Well maybe that's enough," Nicholas muttered, poring over the map of Unova that Kalmiya was standing on. "Left to the east. Right? Hasn't been seen. So it's not near any of these cities." He jabbed at the various settlements east of Opelucid. "That thing was flying pretty high, well above the buildings here. That would mean it would be able to be seen from farther away. So what's the distance you'd need to be to not see a giant fuck off ship floating through the air?"

Kalmiya cleared her throat. "The airship would have had to have flown at least seven hundred meters in the air to safely clear the Opelucid skyline. I would assume its travel altitude is higher than even that, though if it is truly modeled after a sailing vessel then true high-altitude flight is unlikely, and the closer to the ground it flew then the easier it would be to avoid detection. That would mean… I would estimate that it should have been visible within a fifty to seventy-mile radius, Master."

"Seriously? Meters and miles?" Nicholas griped. "Pick a measurement system and stick with it."

"Sorry, Master. Two thousand feet in the air, fifty-mile radius minimum."

Nicholas began thoughtfully drawing circles around major cities with his finger. "Fifty miles." As he worked his way across the map his finger began to slow. "They couldn't have gone towards the interior. Look. Fifty-mile zones overlap everywhere. Maybe slipping somewhere in between but…"

"…The most likely direction is north," Kalmiya finished for him. "Into the wilderness where there would be nobody to see them."

Nicholas leaned back with an annoyed snort. "North, huh. Maybe even north and east, into the mountains. The wilderness. Damn we're stupid. We already know where they've gone."

Kalmiya lifted an eyebrow. "We do, Master?"

"Zinzolin said something about how the weapon they're using Kyurem to power needed time to recharge," Nicholas said. "That's why they attacked Opelucid. They came here looking for Tirakan's heart, though all they seemed to know was that it was some kind of artifact of power related to Kyurem. I'm not going to pretend I know what would happen if Kyurem and the heart were brought together, but I know what I would be doing if I was in Neo Plasma's shoes. Or more specifically, their scientists. I'd be running tests until I could form a proper hypothesis." He reached over to jab the space near Lacunosa Town. "The Giant Chasm. It was somewhere out here, right? The middle of nowhere, far from prying eyes, and according to Drayden rather hard to access. Naturally defended, the place Kyurem was entombed and so undoubtedly infused with her essence – where else is better to run tests on the crystal you just acquired?"

"Makes perfect sense to me," Cassidy replied, Marin grunting in agreement nearby. "Alpha?"

"Makes sense to me as well," Dahlia replied. "Bea was the one who explored those caves, right Marin?"

"She and Elaine," the Sharpedo replied. "I stayed above with Aria and Midna."

Dahlia nodded. "If Master is going to find Neo Plasma then he'll need her with him."

"Bea and Elaine are too valuable to the rescue efforts here," Nicholas said quietly. "As are Sohn, Lili, and just about anyone else I can think of wanting with me to face an eternal one of ice. That's the entire problem. Kyurem's power is what is being fought right here, in Opelucid, and anyone I take off of this battlefield to help me on the other is someone who isn't saving lives."

His words brought silence over the small assembly until someone else stepped forwards. "Elaine. Sohn," Kiana growled. "They are Fire-types like me, Master. Why did you tell me to stay with you? Why am I not out there helping them too?"

"You and your harem haven't had the time to train with the others," Nicholas replied without looking at the Arcanine. "To… put it bluntly, Kiana, you are not as strong as they are. You'd just get in the way."

Instead of taking offense Kiana smirked at him. "You're saying my harem does not belong on this battlefield, Master? Is that what I am hearing?"

A pause. Then Nicholas turned to look at her, and the others standing silently behind their Alpha. "This isn't like a gym battle, Kiana," he said quietly. "This is real. It's bad enough that I had to have you all risk your lives backing up Drayden I'm not about to-"

"It's no gym battle. But it's our Master's battle all the same," Kiana growled. "That makes it ours. And not even that alone." Kiana turned to nod at where Fiona stood, the legendary's hands curled atop the hilt of her sword as she rested it point-down against the floor. "Our journeys have been tied together since Fiona came to you, Master. She has witnessed our growth. We have witnessed hers." Kiana turned back to him. "She may not be of my pack, but she is still one of us. Her battles are our battles. Her triumphs are our triumphs." The Arcanine stepped forwards. "You say we are not strong enough. We disagree. Perhaps we are not as strong as them." Kiana looked directly at where Cassidy sat. "We will just fight harder. Than any other."

"I don't believe Master doubts your will, Kiana," Dahlia said curiously. "Do you have an issue with my Beta?"

Kiana glanced at the Venusaur. "I have no issue with your Beta, Dahlia," she replied easily. "I did not intend to challenge you."

"Mm, no issue with my Beta, but you have some issue with Cassidy herself," Dahlia observed. "Cassidy?"

The Alakazam shifted in her chair. "Hem. I had a slight disagreement with… Alpha Kiana some months ago, my Alpha. I have not pursued the matter."

Dahlia's fingers slowly tapped down against her leg. "Yet?"

Cassidy stiffened. "I… will not be pursuing it."

"That's good," Dahlia said with a smile. "Our newest sisters deserve all of the respect we have given to each and every harem our Master has built through the years. Kiana?" Dahlia turned to look at the Arcanine. "Has there been a satisfactory resolution to this disagreement Cassidy mentioned?"

Kiana blinked slowly. "I am willing to concede my grievance if you are asking me to, Alpha Dahlia."

"I think that would just be the best for everyone, wouldn't it?" Dahlia breezed. "Thank you, Alpha Kiana. Our Master chose well when deciding the Alpha of your harem."

"And yours," Kiana rumbled.

"If you're quite done being pokegirls?" the Master in question called in a bored tone. Nicholas was pretending to inspect his fingernails while he waited for the two to have their interaction. "I'd like to get back to talking about who is and isn't coming with me to root out Neo Plasma."

"I'm not, actually," Dahlia replied while a vine lightly slapped Nicholas on the leg. "You don't want to take them, do you."

"Kiana would be great by virtue of what she is," Nicholas said. "The others? I'll need pokegirls who I don't have to think about. The Unovan girls are strong, yes," Nicholas said, looking to Kiana, "but you're all just hitting that first peak of your potential. Right at that point where your energies are stabilizing but before you've started truly pushing yourselves. That vulnerable point where my instruction as your tamer is most vital. I can't give that to you if we're assaulting an airship."

"You say they haven't pushed themselves, and that's true," Dahlia agreed. "I said they deserve the same respect as any of the others, and that's true too. They just haven't had their chance yet. Instead of being given respect," she said, a slight smile teasing at her lips as she gazed at Kiana out of the very corner of her eye, "they should be taking it. And what better way to push themselves than to face a real fight? The rest of us did, in one form or another. We've all stood beside you as you were the hero of the day. Now it's their turn. You're not going to take that from them, Master. Right?"

Nicholas growled under his breath. "The difference is that every other time I had no other choice," he said. "You were kidnapped from us in Celadon. You were a continent away when I first discovered Rocket was still active in Johto and then Archer attacked Goldenrod while I was visiting Bill. When the cults went into action in Hoenn you were once again too far away to respond in time, leaving it up to me and the pokegirls I'd found along that journey. Sinnoh I wasn't meant to be a major part of things at all. But it's different here." He looked at the other watching eyes. "I have you all with me. You've stood with me to fight against these threats, against me, against Unova, against Sabrina. I can't demand that of the new girls. They're with me expecting a gym challenge, not a battle for their lives."

A loud thud. Jade had landed and she took a heavy step forward to stand more with Kiana. "I joined my Keeper expecting nothing," she said. "Whatever his battles would be, I would fight them. The only thing I desired was to live in his service."

"I just want to sing with you," Melody asserted as she stepped out as well. "I'm fine with whatever song that will be."

"I mean I thought I knew what I wanted when you first chose me," Adalinda added, joining the growing group around Kiana, "but I've come to realize there's a lot more to you than what I first expected. I can't just pick and choose what parts of my tamer I like best. Just as I can't pick and choose what parts of myself I would prefer exist." She gave him an amused smile. "You're not just science or taming, Nicholas. So neither am I."

"I'm just glad to be spending time with my friend," Cindy muttered, slinking in with the others as she did and refusing to react when Adalinda gave her a good-natured pat on the abdomen. "I like it here.'

Silla's heads were holding a fervent conversation with each other until one glanced over to see her standing alone. "O-Oh!" the Zweilous gasped, stumbling forwards with her first head swiveling from the group to Nicholas and back to the second again. "I- Er, um, we?" she stammered, slamming her mouth shut when the second head growled softly. "We're here for… our Weyrleader," the second head grumbled, shooting glances at the first as it nodded rapidly. "You're the only thing we agree on."

Kiana spread her arms with her harem standing around her. "Alpha Dahlia says we should be taking the respect we deserve. If we'll just get in the way here, Master, then let us prove ourselves somewhere else."

Nicholas shot looks at the other pokegirls gathered about and his scowl deepened when he saw the approval coming from all of them. "Maybe I won't take any of you," he sniped, turning to Fiona instead. "This is Fiona's fight in the first place."

"And just as it is mine, it is theirs," Fiona replied immediately, gazing back at him calmly. "Alpha Kiana and her pack are just as much my sisters as you are my Lord. There will be many standing between myself and Kyurem, will there not?" A smile from the legendary. "I would wish for no others to be my vanguard."

"Guess that's that," Dahlia laughed as Nicholas was reduced to cursing under his breath. "We'll need to get you there fast. Might I suggest Ashley?"

"Why not just leave it all to Jade?" Nicholas retorted sarcastically. "If this is supposed to be allll them…"

"Because Ashley is multiple times faster than Jade is," Dahlia replied brightly, completely ignoring the man's attitude. "You'd like to maybe get there before the big evil ice dragon finishes powering herself up, wouldn't you?"

"Wouldn't you like to get there before… yes, of course I would, dammit," Nicholas grumbled. "Fine. FINE! Ashley will take me, Fiona, and the Unovan harem to have their moment against a terrorist organization." He rubbed at his face. "By the creator it sounds so asinine."

"I have been coordinating with the International Police Porygon during this entire conversation, Master," Kalmiya said. "They are organizing a response team to assist you."

"Mhmm. And it will be ready… in three to five business days," Nicholas said. "This isn't the first time I've witnessed the efficiency of the IP and for some annoying reason I have a feeling it won't be the last. We can count on them for backup, but I'm not counting on them to be there when we arrive."

Kalmiya frowned. "Unfortunately from what I am seeing, Master, you are correct."

"It would have been really nice to not be charging in there on my own," Nicholas sighed. "Oh well. We'll make do."

"I will see what I can do, Master."

"Eh?" Nicholas blinked at the Porygon-Z. "No, I was just bitching to myself. I wasn't telling you to try and speed up the response team."

"I will see what I can do," Kalmiya repeated.

"Okay. Sure. Whatever." Nicholas shook himself and turned to the waiting pokegirls. "No time to waste for us. Let's find Ashley and move."

.

.

The wind from Ashley's wings blew the undergrowth about as the Pidgeot came in for a landing and deposited Nicholas under the trees. "You're sure you don't want to be closer, Master? From what Bea described I can easily find my way into the chasm…"

"I don't want to risk being right," Nicholas said. "This Neo Plasma is smart. As smart as Giovanni's Rocket in some ways. All it takes is one sentry spotting a Pidgeot flying in and they go on high alert." He smiled and gave Ashley a pat on the chest when she ruffled her wings and puffed up slightly with a pout. "I'll still be relying on you for overwatch, Ashley. It will be your sharp eyes enabling Kalmiya to control the flow of battle."

"Who cares if any of them see me…" Ashley muttered, pulling away and extending her wings again. "If all they see is a quick flash… But I guess the point is if they see anything at all…" She was still grumbling to herself when her wings pumped and she took off into the air, climbing until Nicholas could barely make her out as a tiny speck in the sky.

Nicholas settled back against a tree while he listened to Kalmiya give directions through the mountains. The Giant Chasm was close, very close. They'd landed just on the other side of a ridge that bordered the area. And while the stealth he wanted to maintain meant the fewer bodies moving the better, there was one who had every reason to be walking beside him.

Fiona materialized from the pokeball and found where Nicholas leaned. "My Lord."

"Fiona," Nicholas replied. "It's time."

The legendary nodded. "An… odd experience, that pokeball. Not entirely unpleasant, but very strange. It was much like when I am able to slip deep into meditation." She gave him a small smile. "It gave me the opportunity to focus my thoughts. So many of them seemed to return to you."

Nicholas chuckled. "There are techniques and tricks to sense beyond the container, if you're interested. We can explore them after your triumph."

"I have heard of some of it. I have also heard the device is now linked to my self? A nigh irresistible connection?"

Nicholas frowned. "You mean the recall feature, yes, I just press a button and it will pull you back inside."

"May I have the pokeball, my Lord?"

"Sure," Nicholas replied with a shrug and handed it over. "I'm not about to trigger it randomly during this battle-"

"I did not expect you would," Fiona replied, even as she let the pokeball fall from her hand and her hoof shattered the casing. "But any distraction from my duty, my purpose, no matter how unlikely, must be removed." She smiled at Nicholas. "What if the enemy managed to lift it from your care? As we have seen, they are crafty opponents."

"Such a thing would be extremely unlikely," Nicholas agreed, gazing at the shattered pieces of the pokeball when Fiona stepped off of it. "But at the same time I can not deny that it is a possibility. These people are known for doing precisely that, after all." His hand drifted for his belt. "I will pay special care during this battle that it does not happen to me."

"We go?"

"We go," Nicholas agreed quietly. "Kalmiya says there is a way past this ridge in that direction."

"I am seeing a lot of ice on the ground, Master," Ashley's voice reported to him as the two walked. "Like… way more than what Alpha Bea described."

"We're a few days closer to winter. At this elevation snowfall should be relatively common," Nicholas said, though each of the pokegirls listening knew he was just being facetious. "Of course, if this was snowfall, then we'd be seeing signs of it as we walked… And it would have been in the weather reports for the area… And the ambient temperature would have needed to dip below freezing more than once in the last week…"

"Or Kyurem's power would had to have grown," Fiona stated. "And she would have needed to be returned to this place."

"That is the running theory, yes," Nicholas replied.

They stepped through the trees as the ground fell away, revealing a vast, rough landscape of plunging cliffs and broken peaks. Unnerving, in stark contrast to the natural slopes and time-worn features of the mountains around them.

"I can imagine that the name of this place isn't just due to its size," Nicholas breathed, gazing across the low valley before them. "The way it is shaped… I could see giants pulling and tearing at the earth, scattering chunks about as if they were small stones. Humans and pokegirls alike are not welcome here."

"Yet here is where we must go," Fiona murmured.

"Yeah. We need to find that airship." Nicholas let his gaze linger on the lines radiating from the center of the valley, the way the trees bent and the broken earth seemed to run out from a single point. "I suppose we head for the ice."

The air grew colder as they descended into the valley and soon Nicholas was beginning to see signs of Kyurem's influence. A dried riverbed, its banks made of solid rock that looked to have been split apart. Bare trees, their leaves long since dried and scattered as if winter had already come to this place. Then the ice. The frost on the scenery, then pronounced films of ice in the shaded places, and then the ground itself crunched beneath their feet, the skeletal trees and shattered stones around them heavy with small icicles.

"Any sign of the airship itself?" Nicholas whispered. There was a stillness hanging over the valley that felt like it shouldn't be broken. "Ashley?"

"No, Master," the Pidgeot reported, wheeling her way overhead. "But I am seeing heavier ice structures towards the far side of the valley."

"Yeah. Find the source of the ice, find Kyurem," Nicholas grunted. "What about any movement around us."

"Not that I can see."

"I could have sworn I'd been sensing the occasional living thing," Nicholas muttered. "Wild pokegirls maybe. Good that it's not Neo Plasma at least."

Fiona had her hand on her sword and a slight frown on her face. "We continue forwards, my Lord?"

"Mhmm."

"For some reason I am… wary, of doing so," Fiona mused. "There is something here."

"Something beyond Kyurem?"

"I can not say," Fiona said. "But my instincts are telling me to be alert."

"I'd be a fool to ignore your instincts." Nicholas looked around the empty frozen landscape. "Let's advance, but slowly. Carefully."

They were passing a large jumble of frozen rocks when it happened. Something moved in a cranny, the hiding place invisible due to the ice casting strange shadows and suddenly a figure was lunging for them, its feet completely sure on the ice that Nicholas and Fiona had to so gingerly cross.

The surprise attack put Fiona on the back foot, her sword slashing out to meet a strike from their ambusher but only just fast enough to match it. She was immediately being pushed back, her hooves scrabbling against the ice as she fought to find her footing while being constantly harried by the attacker. Nicholas was scrambling away himself, staring at the figure pressing Fiona back, her blue fur, the gleaming white blades in her hands…

"ANNABETH!"

The Samurott's blade was in the process of breaking Fiona's guard when she heard the yell – in surprise she pulled back, leaving Fiona to stagger and pull herself back into a defensive position. "How do you-?" she began, blinking at the pokegirl squared up against her before whirling and letting her jaw drop in shock. "Wait you- Champion Nicholas?!"

"What in the world are you doing here?" Nicholas exclaimed. "Where's Hugh?"

"Master Hugh is back that way, we- we heard voices, I came to investigate," Annabeth stammered. "I thought… we thought you were Neo Plasma, I am so sorry-"

"No harm done," Nicholas interrupted, taking a glance to make sure Fiona had fully recovered. "I still want to know why you're here."

"Master Hugh can explain," Annabeth replied quickly. "I admit that I don't quite understand it myself, but it worked. I think. If you're here then he was right…?"

"Right about… I'll just get a straight answer from him directly," Nicholas sighed. "Can you take me to him?"

"O-Of course," Annabeth said. "He's just this way…"

Nicholas gave special attention to the Samurott's feet as she walked, nodding to himself when he saw the distinct footprints she left in the ice. "You're emitting water to what, melt the ice? Form a rough surface you can grip properly?" When Annabeth glanced back at him he gestured down. "Your steps. I saw how you weren't slipping around."

"Oh. Yes, Sir." Annabeth turned back towards their destination. "Ice is just frozen water, after all. I learned how to form ice a long time ago. The ice here is different, almost… alive, and it resists me, but by adding my own water I am able to at least shape where I step."

"Not bad."

Annabeth's cheeks darkened ever so slightly at his praise. "Thank you, Sir. You are very kind."

"I nearly chose an Oshawott back when I visited Aspertia, you know," Nicholas said. "I don't regret bringing Ada into my harem whatsoever, but from what you have shown me I am sure I would have been just as pleased with a Samurott instead of a Serperior."

He watched Annabeth's tail twitch as the Samurott fought to maintain her composure. "I am flattered, Sir, but I am-"

"Completely satisfied with your current tamer, I am aware," Nicholas breezed. "I'm not trying to steal you away like the bastards we each fight, only give you the praise you are due." He chuckled. "You could say that's become my primary strategy as a tamer. Properly flattering pokegirls. It's been working so far, at least."

Annabeth turned, walking backwards as she gave him a massive grin. "Revealing your true intentions so easily, Sir?" she teased. "Just another tool for you to use as you manipulate us?"

"I say nothing but the truth," Nicholas replied with a smile. "If the truths I say draw the pokegirls around me closer, make them more willing to push themselves, more excited to grow stronger… Well, then I'd say I'm just doing what any other tamer attempts to do. But better." He gave Annabeth a wink. "You are an excellent Alpha and intelligent fighter, Annabeth. As the only Samurott I've truly interacted with during my time here in Unova you have singlehandedly defined your breed in my mind. And what you have shown me is outstanding."

A giggle slipped past Annabeth's lips, her face growing bright red when she realized what she'd done and she immediately whirled away to hide her glowing face from Nicholas. She was unable to still her tail, though. "Y-You and Master Hugh should become very good friends," she stammered, her tail swinging back and forth at high speed. "T-Teach him a thing or two about flattery."

Nicholas laughed. "He's young. He'll learn." His smile widened when he heard a tiny squeak from the Samurott as she imagined her own tamer saying all the things that had made her feel so happy.

They found Hugh taking shelter under a copse of ice-covered trees and before the man could more than get to his feet Annabeth was smothering him, her giggles leaking out now as she planted kisses all across Hugh's face. "Whuh-ah-pfff-" Hugh sputtered, quickly losing his balance and crashing back to the ground with the Samurott excitedly nuzzling him. "Annabeth! What in the world are you- Where did this-?" He looked up as Nicholas walked into view and had much the same reaction Annabeth had, which meant his open mouth became an easy target for the Samurott's affection. "ChampiOUFGH!"

Nicholas burst out laughing at the scene. "Can't say I was expecting to see you out here, Hugh," he said, nodding at the other pokegirl curled up nearby with an annoyed look on her face. "Kino, was it?"

The finned tentacle parting the Eelektross' hair down the back flicked up in way of greeting. "Yes. Hello." She let out a grumbling sigh. "Now, Alpha? Really?"

Hugh managed to pull himself free of Annabeth's clutches with a gasp. "Y-Yeah," he stammered, "now, Annabeth? In front of…?"

"It's his fault I'm feeling like this, Master," the Samurott said, continuing to rub up against him even as Hugh managed to bring her to a standstill. "He wants to know why you came here."

"It's my fault but I'll explain why in a moment," Nicholas said. "What are you doing here, Hugh? More importantly, what in the world convinced you that this was where you needed to go?"

"Erm… Well," Hugh began, "after I arrived in Mistralton I started searching for Neo Plasma. You'd said they were up here so I looked, going from city to city but nobody had any information. I was on my way to Humilau when… I saw the news." Annabeth settled back slightly when she felt Hugh's resistance slack, the man's eyes moving to the ice all around them. "I couldn't believe it was real. It couldn't be real. But it was. It happened. And… when the reports talked about the flying base I realized why I hadn't been able to find any trace of Neo Plasma yet. They weren't near any cities because they had no reason to be. Not unless… Not until the city was their next target."

Nicholas nodded. "Fair assumption. I came to the same one. But why here?"

"Well, um, I was gearing up and checking weather reports when I noticed another news story," Hugh explained. "You know how those sites are like watching you on the internet and stuff, giving you ads and all that based on where you are and what you look at… Well, reading about the freeze on Opelucid while in Lacunosa made a story pop up about the ice legends of Lacunosa. And I read that one, and then there was another, and I read that… And I started thinking, you know, I had no clue where to go. That flying ship could go anywhere. But the ice, and it was close… So I found my way here."

"And what were you going to do if you were right, huh?" Nicholas sighed. "You and three pokegirls – I assume your Flygon is here, even if you're keeping her out of the cold – against Neo Plasma's entire base?"

"Erm… Well…"

"Look. Hugh." Nicholas stepped in and separated the man from Annabeth, pulling him aside and ignoring the Samurott's quiet whimper. "You heard a news story about a weapon that froze an entire city. Let me tell you what happened on the ground. People are dead." Hugh swallowed. "The amount of power Neo Plasma is harnessing is obscene. And it's just going to get worse. You made a smart guess, but you should have thought more about what you were charging into. This wasn't something you could do on your own, no matter how strongly you feel. This is beyond you. Go home."

"I…" Hugh breathed, his expression wavering, before Nicholas watched the younger man's face set. "I've been chasing something beyond me for years now," he whispered, jaw and fists clenching down. "I've been fighting Plasma because I can't go home. Not without an answer. Win or lose, I need to find Rena." He lifted his eyes to find Nicholas'. "So what if I can't do it on my own. I'm not alone. I have Annabeth, Kino, Sandra. And now you're here. You wouldn't be here if Neo Plasma wasn't, right? So now that I know they're here…" He turned to stare out across the frozen world. "I'm not leaving until I find them."

"That's good," Nicholas said quietly. "Hold onto that feeling. Now give it to your pokegirls."

Hugh glanced back. "Huh?"

"I got Annabeth hyped up while she walked us over here," Nicholas explained. "I know you, Hugh. You weren't going to run. So I gave you a little help." Nicholas' eyes flicked towards the Samurott for a moment. "She's full of energy, energy that she doesn't know what to do with yet. When she saw you she wanted to share it with you, that was the kissing, the touching, the affection. But that energy can be anything. It's a tamer's job to direct their pokegirls' energy, to give them focus. Annabeth is your Alpha." He gave Hugh a tiny grin. "Get her focused in the right direction, and all that energy she's bursting with will empower your entire harem."

Hugh stared at him. "You… You were testing me?"

"Teaching you," Nicholas replied as he took a step back. "You're a fine tamer, Hugh. The fact that your pokegirls have stood with you is a testament to that. I'm helping you learn what it means to be a great one."

"…I don't know what direction we need to go," Hugh whispered.

"Neo Plasma has a weapon that creates ice," Nicholas said, raising his voice to the entire group. "It's powered by the eternal one, the legendary pokegirl called Kyurem. In ages past she terrorized human settlements as a freezing presence, but in the present day her power had been drained, and she slumbered here, in the Giant Chasm. Until Neo Plasma dug her up." He glanced at Hugh. "The strongest ice…"

"…will be where Neo Plasma is hiding," Hugh breathed. His eyes turned deeper into the valley before moving to match Annabeth's. "They're here. All of them, not scattered groups or individual sympathizers. That flying ship was their main base. If there is anywhere Rena will be, it is here." He took a few steps to stand in front of the Samurott, her posture shifting to match the look in her Master's eyes. "I'm not leaving until I find her."

"We," Annabeth growled, her hackles lifting as the giddy excitement she felt began to shift into something else entirely. "We are not leaving, Master. Not until she has been rescued."

Hugh jumped when a hand thumped down on his shoulder but it was just Nicholas giving the younger man an approving smile. "And we are not leaving until Neo Plasma's weapon is destroyed," he said. "We fight together."

"…Together," Hugh breathed.

"Can't say this is what I was expecting. But it's good to know I won't be charging into Neo Plasma alone." Nicholas clapped Hugh on the shoulder again. "And neither are you."

.

.

POKEDEX UPDATED

Tamer: Nicholas Topolski

Badges:

Basic Badge

Insect Badge

Bolt Badge

Quake Badge

Toxic Badge

Jet Badge

Legend Badge

Harem:

Kiana, Arcanine (Alpha) – Level 52

Adalinda, Serperior – Level 50

Jade, Golurk – Level 50

Melody, Seismitoad – Level 50

Cindy, Galvantula – Level 51

Silla, Zweilous – Level 50

Non-Com Harem:

Kalmiya, Porygon-Z – Level 35
Cathy, Miltank – Level 72