DarkerShining
Well-Known Member
Griff4815: Thanks for your reply! I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter. I hope you'll like the rest of the story as well, if you continue reading. And if you have any thoughts you'd like to share, or think there's an aspect of my writing where I could improve, feel free to let me know!
Hey everyone! Things have been kind of hectic lately, a lot has been going on. However, at least I've managed to finish a new chapter for you all!
So, I've been thinking about why it's been taking me so long to write these recent chapters, and there are probably several reasons for that. However, I think one of the main things I need to do in order to become more efficient, is to somehow get back into the mindset I had when I worked on earlier chapters of this story: It doesn't have to be perfect. After all, I'm doing this to improve my writing.
This story is now up to fifty chapters, and I guess I should be proud of myself for having gotten this far. Plans and details have changed along the way, but I'm pretty pleased with how the story has turned out so far. Sure, there are probably some elements that could've been even better, but hey, no story is perfect. Just giving this story a proper conclusion will be a big victory for me, and seeing as the story is around 2/3rds done, I'm getting closer to that point.
I've been thinking about what I want to do with the next few chapters, and I think I've got some ideas about what I should be focusing on.
Anyways, for now, let's continue on with the story! I hope everyone is enjoying it so far, and if anyone has any thoughts they'd like to share, feel free to let me know! Here's chapter 50!
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Chapter 50: Be careful out there in the cold, okay?
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Another new day had begun in Fenix Town, and a few of the rescue teams were currently gathered in the town plaza, as Stella and Bow had an important message for them. Blitz and his teammates were among the Pokémon in the crowd that were listening to Stella and Bow's explanation about the vision that the stars had shown them last night, revealing to them the location of one of the crystals that still had yet to be retrieved. Unbeknownst to them all, there was also a certain Elgyem listening in on Stella and Bow's explanation, observing them from a hiding spot with a pensive expression.
"Wow, it never even crossed my mind that one of the crystals would be hidden so close to the place where I used to live," Frosty the Beartic commented, stroking his icicle beard. "I hope that villain didn't mess with the place…"
"I'm afraid I don't know too much about the current state of Mt. Frostbite," Stella replied, looking over at Frosty. "I know there is definitely a crystal there, but it was… difficult to tell exactly what was going on…"
"It was snowing, a lot!" Bow added, raising her arms.
"Was it like… a blizzard?" Frosty asked, looking somewhat concerned.
"I don't know," Bow responded, shaking her head. "But… for a brief moment, I thought I saw something moving inside the flurry of snow… I don't know what it was, though…"
"… I see," Frosty replied, nodding his head.
"Well, whatever the situation is, whoever decides to take on this mission ought to be very careful out there," Stella explained, crossing her arms. "If you are not an ice or fire type Pokémon, I recommend seeing Couture. She should be able to provide you with something to help you stay warm in the colder parts of this region."
"And, um, when making your usual preparations for going into a mystery dungeon, you should choose your items carefully so you're prepared for any situation," Bow added, looking around at the various teams. "Don't forget that!"
"All right, I believe that is all," Stella said, looking over at Frosty once more. "Since you're familiar with the area, would you mind taking it from here?"
"Don't worry about it, Stella," Frosty responded, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'll gladly answer any questions these other guys have about Mt. Frostbite!"
"Thank you," Stella replied, smiling back at Frosty. "Well, I guess we'll be heading home, then."
"Good luck, everyone!" Bow said, happily smiling and waving at the rescue teams, before she and her mother headed home.
After the two of them had left, the other rescue team members turned to Frosty.
"So, this Mt. Frostbite is close to the village where you used to live, right?" Mirage asked, looking over at Frosty.
"That is correct," Frosty responded, nodding his head. "It's quite the impressive sight."
"I'm guessing there's a mystery dungeon within Mt. Frostbite?" Sera asked, raising a paw.
"Yes, that's right," Frosty responded, nodding his head.
"How big is it?" Azure asked, grinning.
"Um… I don't actually know the answer to that one…" Frosty replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I've never actually explored the whole thing… I can tell you that it is divided into multiple sections."
"Multiple sections…?" Regina the Servine inquired.
"Yeah," Frosty replied, nodding his head. "They're in the area both outside, and inside of icy caves within the mountain!"
"Yikes…" Regina said, wincing.
"You said it," Frederick commented, turning his head in Regina's reaction. "Not a place I would want to visit…"
"The mushroom also agrees with this sentiment," Cordyceps said.
"Speak for yourselves!" Azure shouted, grinning. "That place sounds awesome!"
"I assume that this place is mostly inhabited by ice-type Pokémon?" Sting buzzed in, looking over at his teammate.
"Well, obviously," Frosty responded, shrugging his shoulders. "There are some really tough ice-types there."
"I'd expect as much," Blitz commented.
"Also, aside from the wild Pokémon inhabiting the dungeon, there's also this Absol who lives on the mountain," Frosty said, smiling. "If something happens that would affect the village, he would come down from the mountain to warn everyone!"
"Ooh, really?" Chiaki responded, looking up at Frosty. "Maybe… he'd be willing to help us find the crystal?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he would, if you happened to meet him while making your way up the mountain!" Frosty replied, nodding his head.
"That would be really great!" Chiaki responded, smiling at the thought.
"So, anyways… Who will be heading there, anyways?" Frosty asked, looking around at the gathered Pokémon.
The various rescue teams exchanged looks, and began trying to work out which teams would go on the mission. Frosty obviously wanted to take part in the mission, which Sting had no objections to and so decided they would indeed go. Regina decided against going, feeling that she and her teammates wouldn't be able to get through a mystery dungeon full of ice-type Pokémon. Calder and his teammates also decided not to go. Megara felt confident in being able to handle the mission since her fire-type attacks would be super effective against ice-types, while Cordyceps was against going since he was part grass-type, and thus like Regina and Floretta, wouldn't have good odds against a bunch of strong ice-types. In the end, Mirage made the decision for the team, deciding that they would indeed go, much to Cordyceps' dismay.
As at least two of the higher ranked rescue teams had now volunteered to go, some of the other rescue teams followed Calder and Regina as they and their teammates headed for the HQ to look for other missions. Blitz and his teammates discussed the situation amongst themselves for a few more moments, before making their decision.
"So, we're going?" Azure asked, grinning excitedly.
"Yeah," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "I mean, we've helped retrieve the five crystals that have been found so far, so I feel we might as well keep going..."
"Yes!" Azure exclaimed, happily jumping into the air.
"My fighting type attacks will be super effective, right?" Chiaki asked, smiling at Blitz.
"Yes, they will," Blitz responded, nodding his head again. "However, I have a feeling this won't be an easy one… So, don't let your guard down, okay?"
"Understood!" Chiaki replied, saluting with one paw.
"Uh, it looks like the other two teams are already headed for the HQ," Sera pointed out, looking over in their direction. "Shouldn't we be getting ready too?"
"Right," Blitz responded. "So, let's make our preparations."
----
After a quick stop at a few of the shops and services in the town plaza, the group made their way to the HQ and headed through the green curtain to see Couture. The Leavanny was humming to herself as she worked on something, as the five younger Pokémon stepped into her room. As she put down what she was working on and turned around, she greeted Blitz and his teammates with a friendly smile.
"Ah, hello there!" Couture said, smiling brightly. "Wait; let me guess, you're planning on heading to Mt. Frostbite, aren't you?"
"Yes, we are," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "I'm guessing Sting and Mirage's teams have already been here?"
"That is correct," Couture replied, picking up a red scarf. "They needed something so their non-ice and non-fire-type Pokémon could stay warm during their mission in the colder part of this region, so I gave them the perfect thing for the job!"
"Those scarves will keep us warm, then?" Chiaki asked, curiously looking at the scarf Couture was showing them. "Like, the entire body?"
"Of course," Couture responded, winking. "These are special, high-quality scarves, specifically made for these types of missions!"
"Ooh, I like the sound of that!" Azure commented, grinning.
"So, how many would you like?" Couture asked, looking over the group.
"Uh, I'm not going, so they only need four," Frederick said, tilting his head slightly. "I wouldn't last long against a bunch of powerful ice-types, so…"
"Ah, right," Couture responded, looking down at the scarf. "These won't actually protect from attacks from ice-type Pokémon, by the way. It may possibly reduce the damage you'd take just a little, though."
"Good to know," Blitz replied.
Couture quickly picked out four red scarves, and held them out to Blitz and his team. Chiaki stepped up and accepted the scarves from Couture.
"Thanks!" Chiaki said, smiling.
"I'm just glad to help!" Couture responded, smiling back.
Chiaki helped Blitz and Sera put their scarves on, before handing one of the remaining two scarves to Azure and putting on his own scarf.
"They look good on you!" Couture commented, nodding her head in approval. "Well, I guess you're all set for your mission now?"
"I certainly hope so," Blitz responded, glancing down at the treasure bag he was carrying. "I tried to pack a good variety of items…"
"I'm sure we'll be fine!" Chiaki replied, grinning.
"Yeah!" Azure said, nodding. "Let's get going!"
The five of them thanked Couture once more for her assistance and said good-bye, before heading into Kala's room. Kala was in her usual position, snoring lightly while hugging her pillow. Sera walked up to try to wake the sleepy Abra.
"But you'll still take the damage…" Kala muttered in her sleep as Sera began shaking her shoulder. "… I'll set two cards face down, and end my turn…"
"Kala seems to have a lot of interesting dreams, doesn't she?" Chiaki commented, tilting his head. "I always find myself wondering what exactly she's dreaming about…"
Kala soon opened her eyes slightly, glancing at the rescue team.
"Oh, hey there…" Kala said, yawning as she sat up. "So… What can I do for you today…?"
"We're headed for Mt. Frostbite," Blitz explained.
"Ah, you too, huh…?" Kala responded, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, about that… I can't send you directly to Mt. Frostbite…"
"You can't?" Azure replied, staring at Kala incredulously.
"I'm sorry…" Kala responded, looking over at the map. "However… I can send you over to this mystery dungeon here…"
Kala hovered over to the map, and pointed to a mystery dungeon marked on it.
"The Snow-Laden Path… if you go through this mystery dungeon, you'll end up in a village…" Kala explained, moving her finger over to the village as shown on the map. "From there… You can get to Mt. Frostbite…"
"I see," Blitz responded, watching the map. "So, we have to go through the mystery dungeon that leads to the village where Frosty lived before moving here."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Azure asked, looking around at her teammates. "The other two teams already have a head-start! We should get going too!"
Kala had slowly floated back down onto her pillow, and seemed to have dozed off again.
"Good luck, you guys," Frederick said, smiling at his teammates. "Be careful out there in the cold, okay?"
"We will," Sera responded, nodding her head and smiling back.
"Yeah, so don't worry about us!" Azure said, grinning. "We'll be back with that crystal before you know it!"
Azure stepped forward and affectionately patted Frederick's head.
"See you later, buddy," Azure said, still smiling. "I'll tell you all about our adventure when we get back, okay?"
"Okay, Azure," Frederick responded, nodding his head. "I'll wait for you guys at the café."
Blitz stepped up to Kala, and shook her shoulder again.
"Kala, we're ready to go," Blitz said, glancing at Sera, Chiaki and Azure as they walked up to join him.
"Hmm…?" Kala replied, opening her eyes and lifting her head slightly. "Ah, right…"
Kala sat up for a moment, before floating up into the air as she prepared to teleport the four of them to their destination. In a flash of green light, they were sent off to their destination. Her job done, Kala laid back down onto her pillow. Realizing that the others had left, Frederick left the room, being sure not to make much noise so he wouldn't disturb Kala. He then left the HQ to head to the café, where he would wait for his teammates' return.
----
Chiaki looked around his surroundings in awe as he and his teammates arrived in a location covered in white snow, glittering in the sunlight that shined on it. His teammates also admired the beautiful sight, approaching the entrance to the mystery dungeon. Chiaki bent down and scooped up some snow in his paws, taking a moment to examine how it felt in his paws. He wondered if he had come across snow before, at some point before he lost his memories. Or maybe this was the first time? He wasn't sure.
"You know, if we didn't have work to do, it would've be fun to play in this snow," Azure commented, poking at it with her foot. "Then again, I guess this snow isn't in the right state for making snowmons…"
"Building snowmons, huh?" Sera said, looking over at Azure. "Not the suggestion I expected from you. I would've thought you'd suggest a snowball fight!"
"Well, how would you and Blitz throw the snowballs?" Azure responded, glancing down at Sera's paws. "Seems to me like Chiaki and I would kind of have the advantage there…"
"Uh, guys?" Blitz said, drawing the attention of his teammates. "We should probably get going. After all, getting through this mystery dungeon is only our first objective."
"Ah, right," Sera responded, nodding her head. "I guess we should get going if we want to be home before it gets too late…"
"Not to mention that the other two rescue teams are already ahead of us," Azure added. "We might miss out on all the action if we can't catch up!"
Chiaki continued to absent-mindedly stare at the snow, until his teammates called him over to the entrance of the mystery dungeon. The four of them exchanged looks, before stepping through the entrance into the maze. Snow-covered trees made up the walls of the labyrinth they found themselves in, and there was also snow on the ground, as expected.
"This way, everyone," Blitz said, pointing his paw towards one of the paths.
Blitz led the group down the path he'd pointed out, Chiaki briefly looking down at the paw prints they all left in the snow as they moved. They all kept an eye out for items and wild Pokémon as they searched for the stairs to the next floor. As expected, it seemed most of the wild Pokémon in the dungeon were ice-type Pokémon. However, they also came across a few deer-like Pokémon with dark brown fur and a yellow flower growing at the top of their heads as they went through the first few floors of the dungeon.
Being part normal-type and part grass-type, the winter form Deerling were also weak to fighting-type and fire-type attacks just like the ice-types were. While his Fire Fang attack would be effective against their current opponents, Blitz was still reluctant to use it.
"Take this!" Azure shouted, as she rolled at high speed into an ice-type Pokémon resembling a small, snow-covered tree, slamming it into the ground.
"We're doing pretty well so far," Sera commented, smiling at her teammates.
"Yep," Azure responded, shaking off some snow. "I'd say this is a good workout before we get to the main mission!"
"I hope there's a Kangaskhan Rock we can use in the village," Blitz said as he put an Oran berry they had just picked up from the ground into the bag. "We've managed to hold on to our most important items so far, but we're running out of space for extra items…"
"I guess we should keep working hard so we can get a bigger treasure bag soon, huh?" Sera responded.
"We certainly should," Blitz replied, nodding his head.
The group continued making their way through the dungeon, dealing with any wild Pokémon in their way. Oval-shaped pig-like Pokémon mostly covered in fur and Pokémon resembling small snow-covered trees with arms were the two most common encounters throughout the dungeon, even as some of the other encounters on later floors changed. About halfway through the dungeon, they stopped coming across Deerling, and a brown reindeer-like Pokémon with a round tail and a black orb on each of its yellow antlers seemed to take their place.
The wild Stantler proved to be a bit more of a challenge, with their hypnotic abilities and limited psychic power. However, with a bit of teamwork, they were able to take them down without much issue.
"We should be getting close to the end now…" Blitz said, looking around as they arrived on yet a new floor.
"I wonder what new friends we'll make this time," Chiaki commented, smiling.
"You sure there will be time for that?" Azure asked, following behind Chiaki. "I mean, I don't think we'll be in that ice-type village for long."
"At most, I'd say we'll only have time for a short break," Sera said, glancing at the two Pokémon following behind her and Blitz.
"So… No time for getting to know the Pokémon of the village, then?" Chiaki asked.
"Well, considering Erebos' actions up until now, it might be a good idea to talk to the Pokémon of the village to ask if they've noticed anything out of the ordinary," Blitz said, looking around for wild Pokémon nearby. "We might be able to get some more important information before heading to Mt. Frostbite that way."
"Oh, right," Sera responded, nodding her head. "Good idea."
The group continued moving through the remainder of the mystery dungeon's floors. As they finally reached the final set of stairs, they found themselves back outside, at the entrance of the ice Pokémon village. It had also started to snow by the time they exited the dungeon. The four of them exchanged glances, before heading into the village.
----
It was a small village, with several wooden cottages with snow-covered roofs. A few of the younger ice-type Pokémon were out playing in the snow, while a few of the older Pokémon were standing around, talking about their own things. Blitz and his teammates looked around as they walked further into the village, looking for someone who looked like they might know something useful. Chiaki looked excited as they explored the village, catching a few glimpses of the Pokémon there going about their lives.
"Look, it's another rescue team!" someone shouted.
Some of the younger ice-type Pokémon came running up to the rescue team, curiously looking at the four of them.
"Ah! Um… Hi," Blitz said, blinking a few times.
"Are you guys really a rescue team?" a dark-furred Pokémon with sharp claws asked, as she curiously looked at each member of the team.
"We are!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head and smiling.
"Whoa, really?" the Sneasel replied, tilting her head slightly.
"Hmm… Are you guys heading to Mt. Frostbite too, then?" a small pink humanoid Pokémon with blond hair asked. "… You don't look as tough as those other guys."
"T-T-The Pokémon on Mt. Frostbite are r-r-really strong," a small, gray Pokémon that looked as if it was wearing a yellow coat said.
"Hey, we can handle this no problem!" Azure stated with a confident smirk. "Even if none of us are fully evolved yet, we're still really strong!"
"Strong enough to stand a chance against the Pokémon on Mt. Frostbite?" the Smoochum asked, still seeming a bit skeptical.
"Um… We'll see," Blitz responded, briefly touching the yellow rings on his forelegs together.
"S-S-Something isn't right…" the Snorunt said, still shivering.
"With the wild Pokémon within Mt. Frostbite, you mean?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.
"H-H-Huh?" the Snorunt responded, blinking a few times. "Y-Y-You already heard?"
"Can you tell us more about it?" Sera asked, smiling sweetly.
"Um… T-T-The elder…" the Snorunt uttered, taking a breath before continuing. "S-S-She should be able t-t-to tell you more t-t-than I could…"
"Ah, is that so?" Blitz asked, looking over at the Snorunt. "Can you take us to her?"
"Y-Y-Yes, I can!" the Snorunt responded, nodding slightly. "F-F-Follow me!"
The Snorunt began to skip away, Blitz and his teammates following closely behind. Chiaki briefly stopped to wave good-bye to the other young ice-type Pokémon, with a few of them waving back and wishing the rescue team good luck. As they headed towards the home of the Pokémon that the Snorunt referred to as the town's elder, Chiaki looked over at Mt. Frostbite, which was visible in the distance. There was a crystal hidden somewhere on that mountain, and soon he and his friends would be climbing up there to look for it.
Sting and Mirage's teams had probably already started making their way through the mystery dungeon. Sting's team had Frosty, who was familiar with the area, while Mirage's team had Megara with the type advantage. Chiaki wondered how far the two teams had made it by now, and what obstacles they were facing at the moment. They would know soon enough, though.
Once they had spoken to the so-called elder, they would begin their own exploration of the mystery dungeon within Mt. Frostbite. A beautiful and hazardous place of ice, and with Erebos' forbidden magic present, there was no doubt that a chilling adventure awaited them there…
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End of Chapter 50
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Hey everyone! Things have been kind of hectic lately, a lot has been going on. However, at least I've managed to finish a new chapter for you all!
So, I've been thinking about why it's been taking me so long to write these recent chapters, and there are probably several reasons for that. However, I think one of the main things I need to do in order to become more efficient, is to somehow get back into the mindset I had when I worked on earlier chapters of this story: It doesn't have to be perfect. After all, I'm doing this to improve my writing.
This story is now up to fifty chapters, and I guess I should be proud of myself for having gotten this far. Plans and details have changed along the way, but I'm pretty pleased with how the story has turned out so far. Sure, there are probably some elements that could've been even better, but hey, no story is perfect. Just giving this story a proper conclusion will be a big victory for me, and seeing as the story is around 2/3rds done, I'm getting closer to that point.
I've been thinking about what I want to do with the next few chapters, and I think I've got some ideas about what I should be focusing on.
Anyways, for now, let's continue on with the story! I hope everyone is enjoying it so far, and if anyone has any thoughts they'd like to share, feel free to let me know! Here's chapter 50!
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Chapter 50: Be careful out there in the cold, okay?
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Another new day had begun in Fenix Town, and a few of the rescue teams were currently gathered in the town plaza, as Stella and Bow had an important message for them. Blitz and his teammates were among the Pokémon in the crowd that were listening to Stella and Bow's explanation about the vision that the stars had shown them last night, revealing to them the location of one of the crystals that still had yet to be retrieved. Unbeknownst to them all, there was also a certain Elgyem listening in on Stella and Bow's explanation, observing them from a hiding spot with a pensive expression.
"Wow, it never even crossed my mind that one of the crystals would be hidden so close to the place where I used to live," Frosty the Beartic commented, stroking his icicle beard. "I hope that villain didn't mess with the place…"
"I'm afraid I don't know too much about the current state of Mt. Frostbite," Stella replied, looking over at Frosty. "I know there is definitely a crystal there, but it was… difficult to tell exactly what was going on…"
"It was snowing, a lot!" Bow added, raising her arms.
"Was it like… a blizzard?" Frosty asked, looking somewhat concerned.
"I don't know," Bow responded, shaking her head. "But… for a brief moment, I thought I saw something moving inside the flurry of snow… I don't know what it was, though…"
"… I see," Frosty replied, nodding his head.
"Well, whatever the situation is, whoever decides to take on this mission ought to be very careful out there," Stella explained, crossing her arms. "If you are not an ice or fire type Pokémon, I recommend seeing Couture. She should be able to provide you with something to help you stay warm in the colder parts of this region."
"And, um, when making your usual preparations for going into a mystery dungeon, you should choose your items carefully so you're prepared for any situation," Bow added, looking around at the various teams. "Don't forget that!"
"All right, I believe that is all," Stella said, looking over at Frosty once more. "Since you're familiar with the area, would you mind taking it from here?"
"Don't worry about it, Stella," Frosty responded, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'll gladly answer any questions these other guys have about Mt. Frostbite!"
"Thank you," Stella replied, smiling back at Frosty. "Well, I guess we'll be heading home, then."
"Good luck, everyone!" Bow said, happily smiling and waving at the rescue teams, before she and her mother headed home.
After the two of them had left, the other rescue team members turned to Frosty.
"So, this Mt. Frostbite is close to the village where you used to live, right?" Mirage asked, looking over at Frosty.
"That is correct," Frosty responded, nodding his head. "It's quite the impressive sight."
"I'm guessing there's a mystery dungeon within Mt. Frostbite?" Sera asked, raising a paw.
"Yes, that's right," Frosty responded, nodding his head.
"How big is it?" Azure asked, grinning.
"Um… I don't actually know the answer to that one…" Frosty replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I've never actually explored the whole thing… I can tell you that it is divided into multiple sections."
"Multiple sections…?" Regina the Servine inquired.
"Yeah," Frosty replied, nodding his head. "They're in the area both outside, and inside of icy caves within the mountain!"
"Yikes…" Regina said, wincing.
"You said it," Frederick commented, turning his head in Regina's reaction. "Not a place I would want to visit…"
"The mushroom also agrees with this sentiment," Cordyceps said.
"Speak for yourselves!" Azure shouted, grinning. "That place sounds awesome!"
"I assume that this place is mostly inhabited by ice-type Pokémon?" Sting buzzed in, looking over at his teammate.
"Well, obviously," Frosty responded, shrugging his shoulders. "There are some really tough ice-types there."
"I'd expect as much," Blitz commented.
"Also, aside from the wild Pokémon inhabiting the dungeon, there's also this Absol who lives on the mountain," Frosty said, smiling. "If something happens that would affect the village, he would come down from the mountain to warn everyone!"
"Ooh, really?" Chiaki responded, looking up at Frosty. "Maybe… he'd be willing to help us find the crystal?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he would, if you happened to meet him while making your way up the mountain!" Frosty replied, nodding his head.
"That would be really great!" Chiaki responded, smiling at the thought.
"So, anyways… Who will be heading there, anyways?" Frosty asked, looking around at the gathered Pokémon.
The various rescue teams exchanged looks, and began trying to work out which teams would go on the mission. Frosty obviously wanted to take part in the mission, which Sting had no objections to and so decided they would indeed go. Regina decided against going, feeling that she and her teammates wouldn't be able to get through a mystery dungeon full of ice-type Pokémon. Calder and his teammates also decided not to go. Megara felt confident in being able to handle the mission since her fire-type attacks would be super effective against ice-types, while Cordyceps was against going since he was part grass-type, and thus like Regina and Floretta, wouldn't have good odds against a bunch of strong ice-types. In the end, Mirage made the decision for the team, deciding that they would indeed go, much to Cordyceps' dismay.
As at least two of the higher ranked rescue teams had now volunteered to go, some of the other rescue teams followed Calder and Regina as they and their teammates headed for the HQ to look for other missions. Blitz and his teammates discussed the situation amongst themselves for a few more moments, before making their decision.
"So, we're going?" Azure asked, grinning excitedly.
"Yeah," Blitz replied, nodding his head. "I mean, we've helped retrieve the five crystals that have been found so far, so I feel we might as well keep going..."
"Yes!" Azure exclaimed, happily jumping into the air.
"My fighting type attacks will be super effective, right?" Chiaki asked, smiling at Blitz.
"Yes, they will," Blitz responded, nodding his head again. "However, I have a feeling this won't be an easy one… So, don't let your guard down, okay?"
"Understood!" Chiaki replied, saluting with one paw.
"Uh, it looks like the other two teams are already headed for the HQ," Sera pointed out, looking over in their direction. "Shouldn't we be getting ready too?"
"Right," Blitz responded. "So, let's make our preparations."
----
After a quick stop at a few of the shops and services in the town plaza, the group made their way to the HQ and headed through the green curtain to see Couture. The Leavanny was humming to herself as she worked on something, as the five younger Pokémon stepped into her room. As she put down what she was working on and turned around, she greeted Blitz and his teammates with a friendly smile.
"Ah, hello there!" Couture said, smiling brightly. "Wait; let me guess, you're planning on heading to Mt. Frostbite, aren't you?"
"Yes, we are," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "I'm guessing Sting and Mirage's teams have already been here?"
"That is correct," Couture replied, picking up a red scarf. "They needed something so their non-ice and non-fire-type Pokémon could stay warm during their mission in the colder part of this region, so I gave them the perfect thing for the job!"
"Those scarves will keep us warm, then?" Chiaki asked, curiously looking at the scarf Couture was showing them. "Like, the entire body?"
"Of course," Couture responded, winking. "These are special, high-quality scarves, specifically made for these types of missions!"
"Ooh, I like the sound of that!" Azure commented, grinning.
"So, how many would you like?" Couture asked, looking over the group.
"Uh, I'm not going, so they only need four," Frederick said, tilting his head slightly. "I wouldn't last long against a bunch of powerful ice-types, so…"
"Ah, right," Couture responded, looking down at the scarf. "These won't actually protect from attacks from ice-type Pokémon, by the way. It may possibly reduce the damage you'd take just a little, though."
"Good to know," Blitz replied.
Couture quickly picked out four red scarves, and held them out to Blitz and his team. Chiaki stepped up and accepted the scarves from Couture.
"Thanks!" Chiaki said, smiling.
"I'm just glad to help!" Couture responded, smiling back.
Chiaki helped Blitz and Sera put their scarves on, before handing one of the remaining two scarves to Azure and putting on his own scarf.
"They look good on you!" Couture commented, nodding her head in approval. "Well, I guess you're all set for your mission now?"
"I certainly hope so," Blitz responded, glancing down at the treasure bag he was carrying. "I tried to pack a good variety of items…"
"I'm sure we'll be fine!" Chiaki replied, grinning.
"Yeah!" Azure said, nodding. "Let's get going!"
The five of them thanked Couture once more for her assistance and said good-bye, before heading into Kala's room. Kala was in her usual position, snoring lightly while hugging her pillow. Sera walked up to try to wake the sleepy Abra.
"But you'll still take the damage…" Kala muttered in her sleep as Sera began shaking her shoulder. "… I'll set two cards face down, and end my turn…"
"Kala seems to have a lot of interesting dreams, doesn't she?" Chiaki commented, tilting his head. "I always find myself wondering what exactly she's dreaming about…"
Kala soon opened her eyes slightly, glancing at the rescue team.
"Oh, hey there…" Kala said, yawning as she sat up. "So… What can I do for you today…?"
"We're headed for Mt. Frostbite," Blitz explained.
"Ah, you too, huh…?" Kala responded, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, about that… I can't send you directly to Mt. Frostbite…"
"You can't?" Azure replied, staring at Kala incredulously.
"I'm sorry…" Kala responded, looking over at the map. "However… I can send you over to this mystery dungeon here…"
Kala hovered over to the map, and pointed to a mystery dungeon marked on it.
"The Snow-Laden Path… if you go through this mystery dungeon, you'll end up in a village…" Kala explained, moving her finger over to the village as shown on the map. "From there… You can get to Mt. Frostbite…"
"I see," Blitz responded, watching the map. "So, we have to go through the mystery dungeon that leads to the village where Frosty lived before moving here."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Azure asked, looking around at her teammates. "The other two teams already have a head-start! We should get going too!"
Kala had slowly floated back down onto her pillow, and seemed to have dozed off again.
"Good luck, you guys," Frederick said, smiling at his teammates. "Be careful out there in the cold, okay?"
"We will," Sera responded, nodding her head and smiling back.
"Yeah, so don't worry about us!" Azure said, grinning. "We'll be back with that crystal before you know it!"
Azure stepped forward and affectionately patted Frederick's head.
"See you later, buddy," Azure said, still smiling. "I'll tell you all about our adventure when we get back, okay?"
"Okay, Azure," Frederick responded, nodding his head. "I'll wait for you guys at the café."
Blitz stepped up to Kala, and shook her shoulder again.
"Kala, we're ready to go," Blitz said, glancing at Sera, Chiaki and Azure as they walked up to join him.
"Hmm…?" Kala replied, opening her eyes and lifting her head slightly. "Ah, right…"
Kala sat up for a moment, before floating up into the air as she prepared to teleport the four of them to their destination. In a flash of green light, they were sent off to their destination. Her job done, Kala laid back down onto her pillow. Realizing that the others had left, Frederick left the room, being sure not to make much noise so he wouldn't disturb Kala. He then left the HQ to head to the café, where he would wait for his teammates' return.
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Chiaki looked around his surroundings in awe as he and his teammates arrived in a location covered in white snow, glittering in the sunlight that shined on it. His teammates also admired the beautiful sight, approaching the entrance to the mystery dungeon. Chiaki bent down and scooped up some snow in his paws, taking a moment to examine how it felt in his paws. He wondered if he had come across snow before, at some point before he lost his memories. Or maybe this was the first time? He wasn't sure.
"You know, if we didn't have work to do, it would've be fun to play in this snow," Azure commented, poking at it with her foot. "Then again, I guess this snow isn't in the right state for making snowmons…"
"Building snowmons, huh?" Sera said, looking over at Azure. "Not the suggestion I expected from you. I would've thought you'd suggest a snowball fight!"
"Well, how would you and Blitz throw the snowballs?" Azure responded, glancing down at Sera's paws. "Seems to me like Chiaki and I would kind of have the advantage there…"
"Uh, guys?" Blitz said, drawing the attention of his teammates. "We should probably get going. After all, getting through this mystery dungeon is only our first objective."
"Ah, right," Sera responded, nodding her head. "I guess we should get going if we want to be home before it gets too late…"
"Not to mention that the other two rescue teams are already ahead of us," Azure added. "We might miss out on all the action if we can't catch up!"
Chiaki continued to absent-mindedly stare at the snow, until his teammates called him over to the entrance of the mystery dungeon. The four of them exchanged looks, before stepping through the entrance into the maze. Snow-covered trees made up the walls of the labyrinth they found themselves in, and there was also snow on the ground, as expected.
"This way, everyone," Blitz said, pointing his paw towards one of the paths.
Blitz led the group down the path he'd pointed out, Chiaki briefly looking down at the paw prints they all left in the snow as they moved. They all kept an eye out for items and wild Pokémon as they searched for the stairs to the next floor. As expected, it seemed most of the wild Pokémon in the dungeon were ice-type Pokémon. However, they also came across a few deer-like Pokémon with dark brown fur and a yellow flower growing at the top of their heads as they went through the first few floors of the dungeon.
Being part normal-type and part grass-type, the winter form Deerling were also weak to fighting-type and fire-type attacks just like the ice-types were. While his Fire Fang attack would be effective against their current opponents, Blitz was still reluctant to use it.
"Take this!" Azure shouted, as she rolled at high speed into an ice-type Pokémon resembling a small, snow-covered tree, slamming it into the ground.
"We're doing pretty well so far," Sera commented, smiling at her teammates.
"Yep," Azure responded, shaking off some snow. "I'd say this is a good workout before we get to the main mission!"
"I hope there's a Kangaskhan Rock we can use in the village," Blitz said as he put an Oran berry they had just picked up from the ground into the bag. "We've managed to hold on to our most important items so far, but we're running out of space for extra items…"
"I guess we should keep working hard so we can get a bigger treasure bag soon, huh?" Sera responded.
"We certainly should," Blitz replied, nodding his head.
The group continued making their way through the dungeon, dealing with any wild Pokémon in their way. Oval-shaped pig-like Pokémon mostly covered in fur and Pokémon resembling small snow-covered trees with arms were the two most common encounters throughout the dungeon, even as some of the other encounters on later floors changed. About halfway through the dungeon, they stopped coming across Deerling, and a brown reindeer-like Pokémon with a round tail and a black orb on each of its yellow antlers seemed to take their place.
The wild Stantler proved to be a bit more of a challenge, with their hypnotic abilities and limited psychic power. However, with a bit of teamwork, they were able to take them down without much issue.
"We should be getting close to the end now…" Blitz said, looking around as they arrived on yet a new floor.
"I wonder what new friends we'll make this time," Chiaki commented, smiling.
"You sure there will be time for that?" Azure asked, following behind Chiaki. "I mean, I don't think we'll be in that ice-type village for long."
"At most, I'd say we'll only have time for a short break," Sera said, glancing at the two Pokémon following behind her and Blitz.
"So… No time for getting to know the Pokémon of the village, then?" Chiaki asked.
"Well, considering Erebos' actions up until now, it might be a good idea to talk to the Pokémon of the village to ask if they've noticed anything out of the ordinary," Blitz said, looking around for wild Pokémon nearby. "We might be able to get some more important information before heading to Mt. Frostbite that way."
"Oh, right," Sera responded, nodding her head. "Good idea."
The group continued moving through the remainder of the mystery dungeon's floors. As they finally reached the final set of stairs, they found themselves back outside, at the entrance of the ice Pokémon village. It had also started to snow by the time they exited the dungeon. The four of them exchanged glances, before heading into the village.
----
It was a small village, with several wooden cottages with snow-covered roofs. A few of the younger ice-type Pokémon were out playing in the snow, while a few of the older Pokémon were standing around, talking about their own things. Blitz and his teammates looked around as they walked further into the village, looking for someone who looked like they might know something useful. Chiaki looked excited as they explored the village, catching a few glimpses of the Pokémon there going about their lives.
"Look, it's another rescue team!" someone shouted.
Some of the younger ice-type Pokémon came running up to the rescue team, curiously looking at the four of them.
"Ah! Um… Hi," Blitz said, blinking a few times.
"Are you guys really a rescue team?" a dark-furred Pokémon with sharp claws asked, as she curiously looked at each member of the team.
"We are!" Chiaki responded, nodding his head and smiling.
"Whoa, really?" the Sneasel replied, tilting her head slightly.
"Hmm… Are you guys heading to Mt. Frostbite too, then?" a small pink humanoid Pokémon with blond hair asked. "… You don't look as tough as those other guys."
"T-T-The Pokémon on Mt. Frostbite are r-r-really strong," a small, gray Pokémon that looked as if it was wearing a yellow coat said.
"Hey, we can handle this no problem!" Azure stated with a confident smirk. "Even if none of us are fully evolved yet, we're still really strong!"
"Strong enough to stand a chance against the Pokémon on Mt. Frostbite?" the Smoochum asked, still seeming a bit skeptical.
"Um… We'll see," Blitz responded, briefly touching the yellow rings on his forelegs together.
"S-S-Something isn't right…" the Snorunt said, still shivering.
"With the wild Pokémon within Mt. Frostbite, you mean?" Sera asked, tilting her head slightly.
"H-H-Huh?" the Snorunt responded, blinking a few times. "Y-Y-You already heard?"
"Can you tell us more about it?" Sera asked, smiling sweetly.
"Um… T-T-The elder…" the Snorunt uttered, taking a breath before continuing. "S-S-She should be able t-t-to tell you more t-t-than I could…"
"Ah, is that so?" Blitz asked, looking over at the Snorunt. "Can you take us to her?"
"Y-Y-Yes, I can!" the Snorunt responded, nodding slightly. "F-F-Follow me!"
The Snorunt began to skip away, Blitz and his teammates following closely behind. Chiaki briefly stopped to wave good-bye to the other young ice-type Pokémon, with a few of them waving back and wishing the rescue team good luck. As they headed towards the home of the Pokémon that the Snorunt referred to as the town's elder, Chiaki looked over at Mt. Frostbite, which was visible in the distance. There was a crystal hidden somewhere on that mountain, and soon he and his friends would be climbing up there to look for it.
Sting and Mirage's teams had probably already started making their way through the mystery dungeon. Sting's team had Frosty, who was familiar with the area, while Mirage's team had Megara with the type advantage. Chiaki wondered how far the two teams had made it by now, and what obstacles they were facing at the moment. They would know soon enough, though.
Once they had spoken to the so-called elder, they would begin their own exploration of the mystery dungeon within Mt. Frostbite. A beautiful and hazardous place of ice, and with Erebos' forbidden magic present, there was no doubt that a chilling adventure awaited them there…
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End of Chapter 50
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