Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.
Hi all,
Here's the first of three chapters for the day. Sorry for not updating in a while, but I have been dealing with a severe writing slump and lack of motivation, which has interfered with editing and my posting on fanfiction. I will update my other stories this week as well.
Chapter 37
The icy wind howled through the shattered windows, carrying with it a bone-deep chill that no normal winter could match. Lucas's breath came in ragged puffs, visible in the frigid air. His fingers had long since gone numb, and violent tremors wracked his body.
Articuno filled the sky outside the shattered window. Each beat of its wings sent another wave of arctic air crashing through the ruined house. Frost crept along the walls, ice crystals blooming before Lucas's eyes. The legendary bird's presence was suffocating, an otherworldly pressure that made breathing hard.
The text above its head revealed it was Level 130. The number burned in Lucas's mind, incomprehensible in its magnitude. He'd thought Professor Oak's Charizard was the pinnacle of power, but this... this was something else entirely. What hope did his fledgling team have against such a raw, primal force?
Max stood between Lucas and certain doom, hackles raised and electricity crackling through his fur. "Kid!" he growled, determination etched in every line of his small frame.
Meowth, ever the opportunist, inched towards the nearest exit. "Well, would you look at that? Max has this all under control. I'll just be on my way—"
"Hold it," Lucas rasped, his voice barely audible over the howling wind. "Try talking to it."
Meowth's eyes widened, darting between Lucas and the looming threat outside. "Have you seen those eyes? That ain't a Pokemon looking for a chat. That's the face of someone who wants to turn us into Popsicles!"
A pained groan cut through the chaos. Bill stirred on the floor, fresh blood trickling from a nasty gash on his forehead. He blinked owlishly, gaze unfocused as he took in the apocalyptic scene. "Huh. Don't see that every day."
Lucas gaped at the researcher's nonchalance. "That's all you've got? We're about to be erased from existence by an angry legendary!"
Bill's bleary eyes drifted to Meowth, brow furrowing in confusion. "Did... did that Pokemon just talk?"
"Damn it," Lucas muttered. So much for keeping secrets in the face of oblivion. He almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. Here he was, staring down death for the second time at the hands—or talons—of a legendary Pokemon. Who else could claim such a dubious honour? Maybe if he survived this, Arceus would see fit to upgrade his cheat codes even further.
Morbid curiosity prevailed over self-preservation. If these were his final moments, he could at least answer his burning question. Lucas activated Insight to see the power of a legendary Pokemon.
Species: Articuno; Freeze Pokemon
Gender: Female
Status: Wild
Favourability: (Arceus) Revered: 28900/32000 (25% stats)
Favourite Food: Ice Evolution Stone
Condition: Perfect
Level: 130
Next: [67%]
Exp Cache: [0]
Stats obtained from EV's [100/100]
Current Level Potential Met: Yes
Special Ability: Frost Ex
Attack: 293 (235)
Special Attack: 331 (265)
Defence: 418 (335)
Special Defence: 431 (345)
Speed: 293 (235)
Luck: 262 (210)
Moves:
Reflect: 100%
Agility: 100%
Ancient Power: 100%
Roost: 100%
Hurricane: 100%
Mist: 100%
Ice Shard: 100%
Ice Beam: 100%
Snowscape: 100%
Haze: 100%
Freeze Dry: 100%
Blizzard: 100%
Mind Reader: 100%
Sheer Cold: 100%
Description: ?
Hidden Stats
Intelligence: 10
Endurance: 15
Energy: 15
Aptitude: 10
Affinities
Ice: 100%
Normal: 100%
Psychic: 100%
Rock: 100%
Flying: 100%
Traits
Inherent (Can be passed onto offspring)
Ice-type Aptitude (Master) - Increases ice-affinity training by forty percent.
Defence Aptitude (Expert) - Increases defence stat training efficiency.
Special Defence Aptitude (Master) - Increases special defence stat training efficiency.
Special Defence Boost (Master) - Massively increases special defence stat potency.
Defence Boost (Expert) - Sharply increases defence stat potency.
Ice Elemental (Master) - Massively increases the power and effectiveness of ice-type moves.
Recovery: Passively regenerates its condition over time.
Perfect Conditioning - The energy and endurance stats massively improve the Pokemon's condition.
Unyielding - Unaffected by stat-reducing moves.
Blessing of Arceus: Shares a bond with the God Pokemon, which improves its stats significantly.
Legendary Potential: Born with hidden stats surpassing ten.
Learned
Legendary: Has broken through the threshold of level 100.
Energy Control: It's more efficient with its energy consumption, requiring less to execute a move.
Energy Assimilation: It can use elements from the natural world to boost the power of its attacks.
Energy Materialisation: It can freely manipulate energy to execute flexible attacks outside of its move set.
Aerial Master: It has complete control over its body in the air, allowing it to move faster and more fluidly.
Stormbringer: It can produce enormous snowstorms through atmospheric manipulation.
Sacrifice: When it's in danger, it can massively increase its power by sacrificing some levels.
Breeding Type: D
Breeding Conditions
Same Species: 25%
Egg Group: Ice -25%
Egg Group: Other -50%
Same Level: 10%
Base Compatibility:
Type A: 8%
Type B: 51%
Type C: 24%
Type D: 90%
Type E: 6%
"I never stood a chance," Lucas breathed, the words forming ice crystals in the air. "Its stats are insane."
Even without its impressive stats, Articuno's traits alone would make a normal Pokemon unstoppable at the same level. He filed away the learned abilities, a sliver of hope kindling that he might survive to put that knowledge to use.
Articuno had a unique special ability different from the games, but it was devoid of description. More surprising still was the breeding information. The idea of an Articuno egg, carrying even a fraction of its power, was mind-boggling. The ultimate dream of any Pokemon Breeder would be to hatch an egg from a legendary Pokemon.
Movement snapped Lucas back to reality. Articuno's massive form settled on the snow-blanketed ground, its piercing gaze locking onto him through the shattered window. "Articuno!"
Lucas scrambled backwards, his Pokemon clustering protectively around him. "What did it say?"
Meowth's eyes darted to Bill before he scurried to Lucas, whispering, "She says she feels Arceus' presence on you."
Lucas blinked, stunned. "What? But why—"
Articuno screeched again, cutting him off. Meowth translated, his voice low and urgent. "She's pissed about some new legendary being born. Says she doesn't need competition from a human with Arceus' favour."
Was this how legendaries acted? Like superpowered toddlers throwing tantrums?
"I have nothing to do with Arceus anymore!" Lucas protested. "I haven't even met the God Pokemon!"
His words fell on deaf ears. A sphere of crackling ice-energy coalesced before Articuno's beak, promising annihilation.
"Get out of—" Lucas started, desperate to save his team.
A streak of blinding pink collided with Articuno, sending it tumbling to the ground. Its half-formed ice sphere, now untethered, spiralled skyward before detonating in a dazzling shower of crystalline shards.
Lucas's eyes locked onto a fleeting vision—a diminutive feline form, its body brimming with psychic energy. For a heartbeat that seemed to stretch into eternity, Mew's sapphire gaze met his own, before the mythical Pokemon vanished like a mirage in the arctic wind.
Then reality snapped back into focus.
Articuno's enraged shriek pierced the sky. The legendary bird exploded upward in a flurry of snow and ice. Its massive wings beat furiously as it pursued the Mew, and vanished into the storm.
Lucas slumped to the floor, heart hammering. "I can't believe we lived through that."
"Interesting," Bill chuckled weakly, blood still trickling from his forehead. "I don't know how to feel, having already made peace with death."
"Consider it a once-in-a-lifetime event you hope never repeats," Lucas replied. Ashe pressed close, her warmth a blessed contrast to the biting cold.
"We need to relocate to your bunker," Lucas said, gathering Ashe in his arms as he stood. "Before we freeze or Articuno returns."
They stumbled outside, the world a white-out of swirling snow. Icarus and Icaria led the way, their keen eyes cutting through the murk. Every step was a battle against the elements, but the lighthouse loomed ahead, a beacon of safety.
Lucas breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the lighthouse without incident. Inside the bunker, Lhe had Ashe start a fire while he attended to Bill's wounds. "Once this is over, we'll take you to Rifure Village. Head injuries can be serious."
"So," Bill winced as Lucas cleaned the gash, "how exactly can Meowth speak?"
Lucas sighed. "I was hoping you would forget that. I won't lie—it's not something I fully understand. Some kind of unique ability, I think."
Bill nodded. "It's possible. Other Pokemon have unique abilities that have never been seen before, or have mutated from an existing one."
They didn't sleep for the rest of the night, listening for signs that Articuno had returned. Even though it felt safe in this bunker, they were confident she could destroy it if she wanted to.
They took the time to get to know each other better. Lucas wanted to inquire about the project he had been working on with Red Ketchum but decided against it after further consideration. He didn't expect Bill to tell him anything, and he might even become suspicious of him. He would learn everything he needed to know once he had access to the floppy disc.
The following morning, Lucas went outside to check on the situation. Surprisingly, the storm had already passed, despite predictions that it would last at least a few days. He suspected it was related to Articunos' fight with Mew and her subsequent departure from the area. He tried to get reception with his cell phone, but there was nothing but static.
The cell phone towers in the area must have been damaged, so he couldn't call for assistance. But he would be able to return to the village if the road conditions permitted it. He went back inside and began preparing for them to leave. Bill wasn't strong enough to walk a few miles to the village, so he built a makeshift sledge for him to lie on.
Before leaving, he had Icarus and Meowth collect the ingredients from the island required to complete the adventurer's guild missions he had undertaken. It would be a shame not to do it while he was here, and he didn't want to suffer the penalty for not completing them. Meowth complained about the task but stopped when Lucas told him he could keep the monetary reward for himself. Lucas was only interested in the points he would receive to advance his rank, not the pokedollars.
Meowth rode Icarus to the island and started harvesting the ingredients. Lucas could have almost walked over to the island because Articuno had frozen the water between it and the mainland, but he was still leery of taking such a risk.
They set out late in the morning. The road was difficult to navigate because it was covered in several feet of snow, but it was manageable. Max was tasked with pulling the sledge, and he did not appear to notice the extra weight. When they were about a mile into their journey, they noticed some Pokemon calling out from the trees. The Eevees spotted Bill and rushed towards him.
Bill sat up on the sledge, a delighted expression on his face. "My babies."
Lucas observed the Eevees clustered around their trainer. He noticed that none seemed to be above level twenty. They probably didn't train much or fight often. Or perhaps they were a different group of Eevees than the ones Misty had mentioned earlier.
"Can you translate for me, Meowth?" Bill asked. "I want to know what happened to them."
"It will cost you," Meowth said. "One hundred pokedollars."
"Meowth!" Lucas scolded him.
"What? Don't get in the way of my negotiations, partner."
"Can't you communicate with them over the bond?" Lucas asked.
"I only got these Eevees earlier this year," Bill explained. "So, we haven't developed a strong enough bond."
"How many Eevees do you have? This can't be your first group."
"I raised five groups of Eevees in total," Bill proudly stated. "The older ones are staying with my sister over the winter holidays. She is a Pokemon researcher and is currently studying them."
The man was rather obsessed with the species. He imagined there were stranger hobbies, but how many Eevees did five groups of Eevees add up to? There were seven in this group, so if the total number of Eevees in all groups was the same, it would be thirty-five. That was an incredible figure for such a rare Pokemon. Not only that, but it was inconceivable that someone owned so many Pokemon in the first place, outside of Pokemon Breeders.
He examined the Eevees and discovered that they all had good parameters. Whoever was producing the eggs was doing an excellent job. He had been curious about their evolution conditions for a while, so he looked through their evolution tabs to see what they required. All possible evolutions were present, as was the method for evolving them.
Lucas frowned. He noticed some conditions were similar to those in the game, but with a few additional steps. Furthermore, the conditions varied slightly between each Eevee, making it difficult to replicate their evolutions. It's no surprise that there was little consistency outside of the Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon evolutions. To reproduce the result, you would have to be extremely lucky to get two Eevees with the same conditions.
"Where do you get all these Eevees from?"
"I have a supplier, but they are extremely exclusive. Are you interested in getting some Eevee? I could put in a word for you, but buying even one will be expensive."
"I would like that."
If he could obtain some Eevees, he could evolve them into rarer evolutions. What if he made them produce eggs? He may be able to pass on specific traits to their offspring that will make them more appealing to customers and boost his reputation as a Pokemon Breeder.
Bill agreed to Meowth's price, and the feline Pokemon started translating for the Eevees. They explained what happened from their point of view.
The Eevees grew worried when Bill didn't appear after a day since entering the lighthouse. He wouldn't leave them for so long, so they knew something had happened to him. They dug a hole in the ground to get under the fence protecting their habitat and attempted to enter the lighthouse. But the metal door was too strong to break open, so they headed for the village to get help instead.
A strong Sneasel attacked them along the way, so they sought refuge in a small cave. They were forced to wait several days while the Sneasal searched for them. Then the storm came, and they had to wait it out. They had just emerged this morning and returned to the road when they spotted Bill.
"I am glad you found them safe and sound," Lucas commented. "I'm surprised that you haven't evolved any of them. They can better protect themselves with a more diverse range of moves."
Bill shook his head. "They are my companions, and I don't want them to fight if I can help it. I prefer Eevee over any of its evolutions because they are so small and cute."
"That is only your opinion," Meowth said. "But what do they think about the matter? It doesn't look like all of them agree with you. Maybe you should listen to them more."
Bill's eyes widened, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. He looked at his Eevee with newfound concern. "I... I hadn't realised they felt that way. Have I been so blind? Could you help me understand what they truly want?"
Meowth nodded. "Of course."
As they approached the village, curious villagers emerged from their houses, their faces a mix of concern and relief at the sight of Bill and his Pokemon. They reserved rooms in the inn while the village doctor was called to examine Bill.
The doctor, an elderly man with kind eyes, examined Bill thoroughly. "You're lucky to be alive. I recommend you get a more thorough examination in the city. Head injuries can be tricky."
The next morning, they prepared to depart. A villager offered them transport in his carriage. Two muscular Tauros stood ready, pawing at the ground impatiently, their warm breath forming clouds in the cold.
The Tauros' powerful legs easily broke through the snow-laden road, their strength a testament to the hardy Pokemon. The journey passed in a blur, and soon the city came into view. Upon reaching the city hospital, they disembarked, and a nurse came out to meet them with a wheelchair. Bill turned to Lucas and Meowth, gratitude shining in his eyes.
"Before you leave, could you stay in the city for a while?" he asked, one hand absently stroking an Eevee's ear. "There are some things I'd like to give you, as thanks for your help."
Lucas agreed and decided to pass the time by treating his Pokemon to an extravagant meal. After their ordeal, he believed they deserved it. The encounter had left them in a state of shock, realising how powerless they were in front of a legendary Pokemon. He hoped they didn't dwell on it too much. Max appeared to be the only one unaffected by it. Sometimes, simplemindedness has its benefits, as he had already forgotten the encounter.
He chose a restaurant that offered private rooms and served both humans and Pokemon. The entrances were much wider to accommodate all sizes of Pokemon, and the establishment was popular, with a large number of customers.
Lucas browsed through his menu as he ate. After obtaining the Divination skill, he had been tempted to use it on his professions and skills, so he had an idea of what to prioritise next. Although he wanted to focus on levelling up his Skilled Breeder skill first, there was always the possibility that his other skills would be just as helpful, or more so. The only reason he hadn't done it sooner was that he only had a few skill points to upgrade skills at the moment. But he was curious, and he didn't want to wait any longer to learn more.
Although it cost him twenty thousand pokedollars to use divination every time, it didn't discourage him. He was going to sell one or two more batches of growth potions at the auction house before he looked at cooperating with the Kanto government. It would more than compensate for the pokedollars he spent now. Consider it an investment in which he wasn't surprised by new features he felt he should have acquired sooner.
First on the list was his trainer profession and its skills. He wasn't interested in learning about the skills because they were nearly maxed out, and he decided the investment wasn't worth it. But he was curious about the profession's progression. He could look five levels ahead, to level eleven, as it was currently at level six.
Lucas spent twenty thousand pokedollars and grabbed his guidebook to check out the new information. He would gain two new skills: one at level seven and the other at level ten.
The level seven skill was called Commander, which would allow him to give orders to two Pokemon simultaneously. It would be useful if he were engaged in a double battle against a trainer or was being attacked by multiple Pokemon.
The second skill was overpowered. It was called Pokemon Bonds, and it would give his team a 1% boost to their stats for every level. It might not seem like much at lower levels, but it would significantly boost his Pokemon's stats at higher levels, in addition to the bonus they received from favourability gains. It also allowed him to earn twice the favourability points from every interaction with his Pokemon.
He had no idea how many battles he would have to fight to reach level ten in the trainer profession, but he expected it to be a lot, given how long it had taken him to reach level six.
The breeder profession came next, and it was arguably the most important of the four that he now had. First, he spent the pokedollars to get a preview of the skills he would learn from levelling the profession.
When he reached levels seven and ten, he would gain access to two new skills, just like the trainer profession. The level seven skill was called Pokemon Compatibility, and it increased the likelihood of breeding two Pokemon, which was extremely useful when he wanted to produce an egg with two Pokemon that weren't compatible. It would be especially useful for breeding two different species, which received a harsh penalty that lowered the chances of success significantly.
The level ten skill was known as Eggsperience, a funny name for a powerful ability. It allowed him to raise a Pokemon's level while they were in their egg to a certain extent, as well as train their stats at each level. He wondered if there was the possibility of evolving Pokemon in their eggs at higher levels, like Professor Oak was researching at the moment with the Pichu. Something to look forward to if that were the case.
Lucas' train of thought was interrupted by the ringing of his phone.
"How's it going, Brock?" Lucas asked.
"Lucas, did you make it through the storm alright?" Brock asked.
An image of Articuno appeared in his mind. "I got through it fine."
"When are you going to return?"
Lucas noticed a hint of anxiety in his voice. "What's wrong?"
"I got a call from my sister," Brock explained quickly. "My father discovered that I am sending them funds and is demanding that they hand them over to him. I need to get to Pewter City, but I wanted to let you know first."
"I'm going to be finished here in a few hours," Lucas said. "I will travel straight to Pewter City from here so we can confront him together. Wait for me at the tower."
"Thanks, Lucas. I will see you soon."
Soon after, he received another call from Cassidy, the mayor of Viridian City, asking when he would be available to lead her team to the mines.
"Two days," Lucas told her. "I will be in Pewter City until then, but my schedule is clear."
"Okay then," Cassidy said, before pausing. "I received a visit from a representative of the church regarding you."
Lucas rubbed his face. He shouldn't have been surprised that the church continued to meddle in his life. "What was it about?"
"They asked me to expel you from the city because of your association with Miss Kuroi."
"I see. Did you agree to their request?"
"Hell no!" He could hear the aggravation in her voice. "First of all, it was worded more like a command, which really annoyed me. I don't take orders from anyone. The church doesn't have any say in how I run my city. Secondly, the priest was creepy and acted all polite, but he was giving off some strange vibes. I didn't want to deal with him, so I kicked him out of my office."
The person sounded familiar. "Was his name Zero?"
"Yes! The bald dude kept bowing to me and delivering this religious sermon. Have you ever run into him before?"
"On one occasion, but once was enough."
"I don't blame you, but I don't think he will go away easily. You must remain vigilant, as he's likely to try something else."
Just what he needed. Zero was in Viridian City, causing trouble. Perhaps he should send Salem after him, but he wasn't sure he could live with the guilt, even if he didn't feel much. After the stunt Zero pulled at the arena, he wasn't feeling particularly charitable.
"Did you enjoy yourself in Cerulean City? How was the storm?" Cassidy asked.
Lucas paused. "It was bloody cold. How did you know I was in the city?"
"Whoops. I gotta go. I will see you in two days."
Lucas hung up, uneasy with the end of the conversation. Why would she want to keep track of him? Was she concerned he would back out of the deal or try something else shady? He didn't think she was stupid enough to reveal what she had been doing by accident, so she must have done it on purpose. He shook his head, deciding to leave the mystery for another day.
He continued to research his profession and skills. If he were honest, all the skills were useful, but he was limited by the number of skill points he had. One thing worth noting was his Pokemon Friendship skill, which he had been ignoring since using it on Max for the first time. While its ability to help befriend Pokemon at a certain level was useful, it wasn't something high on his list of priorities. If he hadn't used Divination on it, then he might have completely ignored it forever, which would have been a tragedy.
The second level of the skill unlocked a new ability that would be vital for his Pokemon Breeder aspirations going forward. The ability was called Pseudo Bond, which would allow him to form a lesser bond with the Pokemon he acquired, but he had no intention of raising himself and placing them in his team.
The lesser bond provided him with no benefits in comparison to the actual bond, such as stat gains from a Pokemon's favourability. But as long as it's favourability remained high, the Pokemon would obey his commands and not go rogue. There were still plenty of other ways to improve them, such as by giving them potions and access to excellent training facilities.
This was how he planned to have a large number of Pokemon for the sole purpose of breeding them to produce eggs. He didn't have to devote too much time to them and could hire others to train and care for them. He imagined that other Pokemon Breeders used the same strategy, albeit without the benefits he had.
He envisioned eventually having his massive breeder facility with everything he needed in one location. It would vastly outstrip Gloria's property in Viridian City, demonstrating his power and influence. However, it would most likely cost millions of pokedollars to set up, so he still had a long road ahead. It simply demonstrated that he couldn't be content with his current wealth and needed to keep earning more.
Bill called him to say he was finished at the hospital, and Lucas told him the name of the restaurant. The man appeared in his private room fifteen minutes later, with the gang of Eevee following behind him, and ordered himself some food.
"Here is the encryption programme that you need to install on the computer," Bill said, handing him a floppy disc. "You should be able to read the information that Red Ketchum left behind after that."
"Cool," Lucas replied, pocketing the disc. "What about the computer I have to use? Does it have to be a specific one?"
"Yes. I don't know why Red wanted it that way, but he had me design a specific computer just to read the floppy disc."
"Where can I find it?" Lucas asked.
"It's on Cinnabar Island."
Lucas grimaced. "Well, shit. It's going to take me a while before I can go there."
Bill shrugged. "It's your problem now."
"Does it have a teleport tower?"
"No, but the next item I give you may help with that issue."
Bill handed him a metallic watch that looked and worked just like any other one. Lucas examined it closely but discovered nothing unusual about it.
"What does it do?"
"In the simplest terms, it's a portable teleport tower," Bill explained. "It allows a Pokemon to teleport a human without having to rely on the towers."
Bill showed him the hidden mechanism to activate it. Lucas removed his old watch and put on the new one instead.
"This is amazing," Lucas said. "Did you design this?"
"Yes. It's only a prototype, but it has been tested robustly, so there shouldn't be any issues," Bill said. "As long as the Pokemon has the range, and has seen the place before, they should be able to teleport there. It's unlikely to be available to the public anytime soon, if at all. I believe the government would consider the device dangerous in the wrong hands."
"I can imagine."
"Don't get caught with it because I will deny all knowledge of my involvement. Keep it secret."
Lucas nodded. With this device, he could travel anywhere, as long as the Pokemon had enough energy. Now all he needed was a Pokemon that could teleport. He said he wasn't going to add another Pokemon to the team anytime soon, but maybe he could add an auxiliary team member, where it was used solely for travelling.
The best option would be a stronger Pokemon with a level higher than thirty, to ensure that they had the necessary energy requirements. Where could he find one of those?
So, what do you think? Lucas heads to Pewter City next. How are he and Brock going to confront Brock's father?
Patrons get access to advanced chapters for all of my stories. Read my profile for information on how to join if you are interested.
Thanks for reading.