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The cold, powerful Blizzard slammed into the protective barrier that Onix had raised.
In just an instant, the barrier began to shatter into fragments, dissipating into the raging storm. Almost immediately, a second barrier was raised, followed by a third...
"This is bad! We can't hold on much longer! Onix, dig a big hole beneath us right now!"
Seeing that the barriers wouldn't last much longer, Liam hurriedly ordered Onix, whose Protect had already been broken, to dig through the ice beneath them.
This way, he, Lorelei, and their Pokémon could retreat into the ice cave and avoid the merciless storm outside.
"Roar!"
Onix responded to the command, turning around and slamming its head into the frozen ground.
The ice instantly cracked and shattered, but the impact made Onix visibly tense, its expression darkening. As a Rock/Ground-type, it despised such a freezing environment, but in a life-or-death situation like this, it had no choice but to endure.
Onix continued ramming into the ice repeatedly. Soon, the surface collapsed, forming a deep pit right before Liam.
"That's enough, Onix! You've done great—come back now! Everyone, get inside!"
Seeing that the hole was deep enough, Liam quickly retrieved the exhausted Onix into its PokéBall and called out to Lorelei and the rest of his Pokémon.
Outside, the Blizzard raged on. He had no idea if the wild Dewgong and Seel would survive, but he had no time to worry about them.
He swiftly recalled Weavile, Nidoking, Scyther, and Arcanine—all of whom had already had their Protect broken—back into their PokéBalls.
Lorelei did the same, recalling her Slowbro and Cloyster, before leaping onto Lapras' back. With a swift glide, Lapras slid down into the ice cave.
Another sharp cracking sound rang out—the sound of another shattered Protect barrier. Arbok lowered its head, panting heavily, while Garchomp quickly raised the final barrier.
"Arbok! Hurry, get inside! Garchomp, you too!"
Liam called out urgently to Garchomp, who was still holding the barrier.
"Chaaa!" "Gaaaar!"
Arbok hissed in acknowledgment, turning to slither into the ice cave. As it did, its thick tail coiled around Liam's waist, dragging him inside along with it.
"Garrr!"
Seeing that Liam had made it inside, Garchomp no longer maintained Protect. The barrier shattered instantly, and the raging Blizzard roared in from all directions.
Garchomp's entire body shuddered, but it immediately exploded into motion with blinding speed.
A white blur flashed, and in the next instant, Garchomp had already darted into the ice cave, just as the storm howled past the entrance.
"…Arbok! Not so tight!"
Liam lay on the icy ground, exhaling deeply now that Garchomp had made it inside safely. He then reached up and smacked the tail still wrapped around him, his voice strained.
The intense squeeze was making it hard for him to breathe.
"Chaarbok…"
Looking a little guilty, Arbok loosened its grip and slowly withdrew its tail, shifting side to side slightly in an awkward motion.
"You okay, Lorelei?"
Now able to breathe freely again, Liam turned to Lorelei, who was still sitting on Lapras' back.
She shook her head, indicating she was fine. But then, her gaze turned toward the entrance, still swirling with snow and wind. Her expression darkened in concern.
"What even is that blue bird Pokémon? How is it this powerful?! That move—it's obviously Blizzard, an Ice-type move, but how could it be this overwhelming? This defies all logic!"
Clearly, Lorelei was just as stunned by Articuno's strength.
Liam hadn't expected Articuno to be this strong either. Wasn't this the same legendary bird that could be easily beaten in the games?
This didn't match up at all!
That wasn't just the power of a move—it had changed the entire weather. This wasn't a move's strength anymore… it was a full-on natural disaster.
"If I'm not mistaken, that blue Pokémon we just saw should be a legendary Pokemon of the Kanto region, Articuno, one of the three Legendary Birds. It's said to live deep inside snowy mountains… But I have no idea why it's here or why it attacked those wild Dewgong and Seel. There must be some deeper reason behind this."
Liam shared his knowledge and speculations with Lorelei.
Lorelei's eyes widened in shock. She pointed at the cave entrance with a trembling finger, her voice rising in excitement.
"A-Ar-Ar-Articuno?! The legendary Ice diety?! I've heard stories about Articuno since I was a child! Back in the Sevii Islands, we worship Articuno as our guardian deity! Oh my god! This is the first time I've ever seen a real Articuno! This is amazing! If I could catch it—ohhohohohoho…"
The more she spoke, the more excited she became. Eventually, she clutched her own face, completely lost in fantasy. She was even drooling slightly, though she didn't seem to notice…
"Hey! How about we figure out how to survive first? Catching a Legendary Pokémon? Yeah, right."
Liam was completely speechless. They were barely holding on to their lives here, and she was thinking about catching Articuno?! Did she have a death wish?!
These urgent missions were always bad news… Next time, never again! Liam thought to himself.
"You don't get it! I'm going to be the strongest Ice-type Trainer in the world! Articuno, the legendary Ice Pokémon—it has to recognize my potential! It will definitely choose to become my partner and walk with me on the path to Ice-type mastery!"
Lorelei puffed up her chest confidently, pointing a finger right at Liam's nose as she spoke with conviction.
"Yeah, sure. If we keep hiding here, in a few hundred years, they'll dig us out as frozen prehistoric humans. Let's focus on actually getting out of this alive first, alright?"
Liam dragged a hand down his face, completely exasperated.
"Hmph! What's there to be scared of?! Once the Blizzard stops, I'm going out to face Articuno head-on! I have to prove my strength to it! I'm from the Sevii Islands—we've worshipped Articuno for generations! I know Articuno won't hurt me!"
Lorelei declared with absolute confidence, her eyes shining with determination. She wasn't just saying it—she actually meant to fight Articuno!
Liam's expression froze. He had no idea where Lorelei was getting this insane level of confidence—what made her think she had a chance to win?!
He was just about to try and talk her out of it when, suddenly, the Blizzard outside stopped. Just like that.
No warning, no transition—it simply ended.
Before Liam could even react, Lorelei had already leapt onto Lapras' back. In a flash, she slid out of the cave at top speed.
Her voice echoed from the entrance:
"Oh mighty Articuno, the Legendary Ice diety! I am Lorelei, a proud daughter of Four Island from the Sevii Islands! My dream is to become the world's strongest Ice-type Trainer! Will you join me on this path to greatness? I swear—hey! Hey! I wasn't done talking yet! Don't attack! Wait—not with your beak—ahhh! Lapras, use Ice Beam!"
"Woooo~!"
No need to ask—battle had already begun.
Liam shook his head with a sigh. Then, he released Scyther, swinging himself onto its back before turning to Garchomp and Arbok.
"Looks like we have no choice—we're fighting. This is a Legendary Pokémon, at least as strong as that giant Dragonite we fought before, if not stronger. We can't afford to hold back. We'll have to go all out—otherwise, we might not make it out of this glacier alive."
"Gaaaar!"
"Chaaaa!"
Garchomp and Arbok responded with fierce determination, their eyes burning with fighting spirit. They were ready.
"Let's go!"
Woosh!
With a powerful leap, Scyther carried Liam out of the cave, Garchomp and Arbok right behind him.
The final showdown was about to begin!