8:16 P.M June 26, Friday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event)

Events: The Preliminaries for the Joint Kanto and Johto Indigo Summer League have concluded; 105 Trainers and their Pokemon have advanced from Bronze to Silver. The celebrations finish tomorrow when the Summer Round Robin Cup will begin, to crown the best of each Tier among those that advanced. Rhea started her journey on the 9th of June—she’s been a Trainer for 18 Days (17 Officially;18 since getting Maya and Nova).

A shiver ran down Rhea’s frame while pressing against Mallory’s front. Amira’s fingers tightened around her back on the opposite side; the chill of the arctic cavern environment was unlike anything she’d experienced when preparing for her journey with her father.

Her numb and slowed mind was reminded of the stories she’d heard of Mt. Silver as Amber’s hot breath tingled her bare back; the Fire Fox was doing her best to warm them up in the frigid tunnel.

Rhea took deep, controlled breaths, tucking her head against Lori’s neck. There has to be a powerful Ice-Type Pokemon here…

The ice around them wasn’t normal; Ice-Type energy leaked out of the illuminated crystals. It wasn’t strong enough to harm a Pokemon’s defensive matrix but more than enough to generate a far more hazardous environment to travel through.

Her father told her stories about the youngest of the Articuno in Kanto that made his home at Mt. Silver’s peak—a Dragonite may have been the Boss of Mt. Moon, but Articuno was its god. The Cruel Pokemon was well-known for his dislike for humans, and unlike the two older female Articuno, he didn’t even try to hide his presence, which only enhanced the bone-chilling atmosphere he radiated as a warning.

Amber’s hot breath tingled Rhea’s bare back as she continued to circle them, drying their bikinis and wet skin. Only a few minutes had passed since they’d exited the river, and her wandering mind was beginning to focus on their predicament.

Nova, Alice, Holly, Miky, and Roxie exited her pokeballs soon after they’d huddled together, settling in around them to help warm their Trainers. Her Eevee’s fluffy fur was warm as she laid atop them, trying to act as a miniature blanket; her worries soon redirected Rhea’s concerns, though.

You’re right, Nova. If we got here, then that Plasma guy should be able to find us, too.

Pressure shook Rhea’s chest as she coughed. “H-Hey,” she shivered, “we need to find a-a place to … a warmer, safer place…”

“Yeah,” Amira mumbled, fingernails pushing into Rhea’s skin as her muscles tightened. “We should—hold our Pokemon to our chests—keep your hands under your armpits, too.”

Mallory whimpered; she’d been coughing a few times to rid her lungs of the lingering liquid that had filled them. “I—where do we go? We’ll freeze to death here…”

“No, not with Amber,” Rhea encouraged. “She can keep us warm—we just need to get away before that Plasma guy comes … comes looking for us.”

“Mmgm … okay,” Mallory hugged Rhea closer, causing her wet bikini and soft breasts to compress against her collar bone. “You’re so warm, though … I don’t wanna get up.”

Roxie chirped with concern atop Amira and Lori’s shoulders, nuzzling her Trainer’s ear.

“I know,” Lori whispered. “I’m just complaining … It makes me feel better. Let’s go.”

Amira and Lori’s arms unwound around Rhea’s side and back as they untangled themselves to get to their feet; Nova hopped off before jumping into Rhea’s arms—her silky hair comforting Rhea.

Alice used the wall nearby as a platform to reach Rhea’s shoulders and nuzzled her way past her damp hair to settle behind her neck, patting her chest to let her know she was here, too. Holly and Miky did the same for their Trainers.

Thanks, Alice, Nova … We’d be dead without all of you. Thanks for the support.

Mya cuddled against her spirit from inside her pokeball, and Nova happily chimed that they were a team.

Their attention was soon snatched by Amira as she led the way forward, Amber in her arms; the Fennekin’s ears hadn’t reverted to their tuft state, angling them to allow the radial heat to project outward. “We should use a Mud Move when we—mmgh, it’s freezing,” she choked, puffing out a stream of air.

Rhea hadn’t even thought of it. “You’re right,” she mumbled, stumbling forward as her legs locked up from the chill. Catching herself, she swallowed, looking back at Mallory. “It can help trap our body heat.”

Nova was confused and concerned at the suggestion but pushed the discomfort down at her explanation; if it was to protect her, then she’d even get dirty.

Amira nodded. “Yeah, we just … wow…”

The redhead stopped at the opening at the top of the circular tunnel they’d climbed up through, seemingly stunned by what she found.

Rhea walked up beside her and looked out, mind clearing of thought as the sight came into focus. The walls were smooth, showing various shades of blue from the mineral deposits within them, and crystal clear pools of water gently rippled from some kind of force that pushed the liquid in a specific direction.

What appeared to be a roughly made pathway had been fashioned from their current location to follow streams of water, running down both sides of the passage; glowing crystals illuminated the area on all sides, growing out of the stone surrounding them.

Rhea’s bare feet pawed the rough floor beneath her; it was textured enough to provide grip while not being too sharp to cut their skin. “Wow … do we go up or down?”

“Whatever’s warmer,” Lori grumbled, moving in to press against Rhea’s shoulder for a little extra warmth. “Up to get out, right? We need to get out of this place…”

Amira shook her head, quickly brushing back her damp locks as Holly helped to keep them out of her face, acting as a scarf for her Trainer. “I don’t think there is a way out—it may look like it goes up, but I bet it just curves back down.”

“Muk,” Lori rubbed her throat before returning her fingers to Roxie’s soft fur, being careful of her sharp rocky neck collar. “Let’s just go up—maybe it’s a little warmer.”

“Sure,” Amira sighed, leading them on again.

Rhea grimaced while looking back at the trail of water and disrupted dust their path made. “He can track us … Does that mean we should just keep moving?”

“We need to to keep warm,” Amira paused, frame shuddering. “There’s not much we can do if he has his Pidgey with him—it’s stronger than all of us, and with his guidance … We’re dead.”

Mallory’s teeth were chattering, and she seemed unable or unwilling to respond; the three of them fell into silence.

Rhea smiled down at her little Eevee as she pressed the side of her head against her neck, tail wrapping around her right side as she felt Rhea getting colder on that side. No, there’s nothing you three can do right now. We just need to keep warm and get away from that Plasma guy. You’re doing great.

She felt for her Pokemon as they sent more signals of inadequacy, unable to do more for her like Amber was doing for Amira; it wasn’t a secret that Amira was doing the best out of them.

You all have your own strengths! Rhea encouraged. No! Stop that, Nova.

Nova flinched as Rhea stumbled, looking down to glare at her.

You’re not a failure because you can’t become a Flareon. I love that you can be a Glaceon; it’s not bad that you can become an Ice Type. Actually…

An idea brightened Rhea’s quickening mind. “Amira!”

Her voice carried surprisingly far, echoing down the hallways and causing a few screeches from what she assumed were Zubat further in. “Shh,” Amira chided, “we don’t know what else is here. What?”

Mallory’s shivering body shifted to look at her, jaw too tight to respond; she seemed genuinely miserable and frightened.

Swallowing the little bit of saliva in her mouth, Rhea coughed a little while inhaling the cool air; there did seem to be a slight breeze that pushed against them from further up the tunnel. “What if Nova makes an ice wall behind us—to block off the guy? I mean, he can already follow our trail, so it shouldn’t give anything away. Right?”

Amira’s dry lips pulled in, glancing back the way they’d come. “I don’t … Umm, yeah, that could be good, but make sure there’s small enough openings for air to get through. We don’t know exactly where most of it is coming from.”

Nova’s ears perked up at the suggestion, but she had her own concerns.

Rhea was happy to give her doubting Eevee something she could do. I know I’ll be cold if you leave my arms, but Alice can help to keep me warm still, and we need to stop him from following. Can you make it as thick as you can and join us again?

Her little bundle of fluff pressed her ear against her chest and groaned; Rhea picked up on the Eevee’s vibe, which touched her heart. She was unsure if she should leave her side for even a second; she was excited to have something her Glaceon form could do but felt if she left, something terrible could happen, and she wouldn’t be there to protect her.

Alice and Mya’s assurances that they’d be here in her absence and Mya’s statement that this was something only she could do out of their party motivated her to give it a shot.

A new idea formed as Nova jumped down and Alice took her place. Wait, Nova, seal off the entrance that we used to get here! It’ll be easier to do than this giant cavern.

Nova’s serious pink eyes showed her resolve as she nodded and ran back, pulling Rhea’s energy away to transform; Rhea couldn’t be more proud of her stalwart Pokemon.

Her lips soon fell as they continued to hike up the gradual rise to the sharp turn a few dozen meters ahead of them, stepping around shimmering ice crystals that were large enough to run clean through their bodies.

Am I actually helping any of you…

Alice’s soft ear gently slapped her cheek, causing Rhea to give the flinty rabbit a sad smile. I’m sorry … I know I shouldn’t be sorry, she sighed as Alice rubbed her chest comfortingly. I’m just cold thinking … We’re partners. We all help each other.

Mallory’s rigid movements worsened as they rose; she really seemed to do poorly with the chill, even while her Pokemon were doing their best to warm the Unova girl up.

Nova reported that she was sealing off the entrance when the three of them made it to the end of the corridor; round the bend was an opening, showing a dazzling, high view of a deep cavern below.

None of them could speak; out of everything Rhea thought they’d find, underground ice-like trees were not among them.

They were near the ceiling of a colossal underground valley of sorts, and giant pillars rose out of the ground to support the weight of the large open space.

A pool of glistening teal water flowed around the small islands showing the gnarled, twisting tree-like structures; cuts were naturally fashioned in the trunks, projecting bluish-white light, and globes of iridescent bulbs floated around the faintly dark blue petals of its high, clustered branches.

Ice clusters bigger than any she’d ever seen rose out of the walls, water, and ground all across the area in a glorious field of radiance. Across the ceiling were long, luminous chains that left much of the dark stone dotted like falling stars stretching out of space.

At the center of the vast space was a gargantuan shard of pure ice, reaching below with swirling frost that partially obscured a figure within, but Rhea couldn’t have mistaken the shape inside for anything else—an Articuno larger than any she’d seen in social media was trapped in the sheet.

The mist slowly fell to the lake, curving into patterned currents of the projected wind that swayed around the trunks of the trees.

“No way…” Amira whispered in awe. “This is where my mom would always go?”

Rhea was too stunned to do anything but experience the magical sight below them.

Fields of frozen flowers could be seen around the trees, actual flowers frozen in place for all time, expelling various lights that illuminated the area in rainbow colors. It gave Rhea the sensation of a solemn graveyard built to honor someone precious. It was magnificent yet held a sorrow she couldn’t explain with the radiance of a pure and holy figure at its center.

Mallory coughed, breaking the magic of the place. “C-Can we d-do the mud—the mud thing?” she asked, body shivering violently.

“Yeah … Yeah,” Amira whispered, clearing her throat and turning back to her. “Alice has Mud Sport. Doesn’t she?”

Rhea nodded, taking one last look at the view and path ahead of them; stairs were built into the cavern, allowing them to descend. “Yeah.”

Nova said she’d finished her seal and was coming back; she tried to make it as thick as she could, but her transformation was ending soon. Rhea could feel how tired she was after using as much of her personal energy she could rather than take Rhea’s. She wanted to scold her Eevee for trying to do everything but didn’t want to shatter her determination.

Thanks, Nova. Come back, and you can fall asleep in my arms while warming me up.

Her little fluff ball gave an internal chirp, happy to be of help and proud she could actually use a bit of her own energy now to help Rhea. It was something to note—Mya couldn’t do that yet, but Nova could.

Rhea sat Alice down, folded her arms under her armpits, and closed her eyes as Miky returned to his pokeball to be replaced by Gables. Cover us up, Alice!

Her little Buneary and the Frog Pokemon dumped mud over them; surprisingly, it was warm, which helped quell Rhea’s shivers.

Once they finished, Rhea wiped away a bit from her eyes, nose, and lips. “Thanks, Alice, Gables … hey,” she giggled as the bunny jumped into her arms and snuggled against her chest again.

Mallory was still shivering, but a small grin moved her cheeks. “Heh—we’re really in the mud, huh? Now, uh … let’s hope we don’t fall to our deaths,” she mumbled, glancing to their side at the railless edges of the wide staircase.

Alice communicated that she knew Nova would take her place soon, but she just wanted to hear her heartbeat a bit more in her arms. Mya huffed, feeling left out since she was too heavy for Rhea to carry around for an extended time.

Sorry, Mya. You can cuddle next to me when we sleep.

The Mawile was content with the compromise, and they began walking down the steps; they didn’t make it two before Nova came running back, breathing a little heavily with her ears lowered.

Alice used Rhea’s shoulder to position around her neck again, and to Rhea’s surprise, Nova didn’t even hesitate to enter her muddy hug; the Eevee’s head fell limply against her breast, breathing out a hot puff of air.

Amira hugged Amber tighter against her chest; the mud was already drying from the Fire Fox’s radial heat. “Was it pretty exhausting for her?”

Rhea shook her legs out a bit, trying to stop them from cramping and keep the blood flowing. “Yeah, she just kept blowing Icy Wind against the sides, trying to focus it to make a thin sheet before using it as a base—it was fast, but she did her best.”

“Thanks, Nova,” Amira said, moving over to rub her head. “Anything we can do to slow him down is good. We should get going.”

Mallory was already descending the stairs, careful to remain in the center and conscientiously choosing her steps. “Uh … Yo, Amira, what is this place? Did your mom build it?”

The two of them swiftly followed the Unova girl; Rhea could hardly tell what color her hair was under the brown mud coating her back.

Amira hummed, coughing as a tickle likely scratched her throat. “I can’t say … All I know is that my mom said she’d explain it to me if—when I was able to make it here on my own. She thought I should wait until I was Silver-tier, but…”

Rhea giggled, eying how perfect the steps were crafted compared to everything else in the natural cave. “But you wanted to prove you could do it?”

“Stupid, I know,” Amira whispered, forehead furrowing. “We wouldn’t be in this mess if I wasn’t selfish and stupid…”

“Yo, c’mon, girl!” Mallory hissed. “Ease up on yourself … Plasma’s a cancer; no way we knew they’d have an OP here—Cryogonal’s sack, it’s cold here! Naa, I’m good, Gabs—just gotta let out a scream, but I can’t—ya know?”

Rhea glanced down at Nova; she’d fallen asleep, breathing deeply against her bust. “I get that … Do you think this is why that Plasma guy is here?” she asked, looking up at the large crystal jutting out of the ceiling.

Amira followed her gaze. “Mmh … How would they know about this place? It’s hidden and guarded by a Platinum-tier Cloyster that’s bulky enough to even outlast Trainers of similar rank … This is a Master’s area, and I don’t see any Masters in Kanto giving up this location.”

“Nu-uh,” Rhea instantly replied, making Mallory slow and look back at her. “I don’t think this is a Master’s area.”

“No?” Amira asked, eyebrows pulling together. “What do you mean?”

Vision wandering, Rhea shook her head again. “My dad told me all sorts of fun stories about places around Kanto … My brother can’t stop talking about the fun things Kate and he find, too, but I’ve never heard about this place. I know tons of secret locations around Kanto, but this isn’t one of them, and it would be big talk in our little village … It’s beautiful.”

Mallory hummed, continuing their path to the foot of the vast underground area and its multiple paths that led to various spots. “You’re saying this is something only Amira’s mom knows about?”

Rhea shrugged. “I can’t say for sure … Probably only those in her group.”

“Good point,” Amira whispered before Rhea caught a lump drop down the girl’s throat. “Mom was always a bit different when we came here.”

Her gaze lifted to the star-like threads above them before moving to a colossal cavern to their left, showing a bright light that obscured what lay beyond. Massive pillars rose out of the ground in the rugged terrain. “In what way?”

A long puff of air shot through Amira’s nose, focus returning to the massive Articuno encased in ice. “Kind of melancholy … I don’t know, bitter maybe? At the same time … No, maybe it wasn’t bitter,” she mumbled, swallowing and coughing again. “A bit wistful, I guess.”

“Wistful?” Rhea mumbled, studying what she could about the aura of the area.

She wasn’t the most adept at this kind of aura examination, but it certainly seemed to represent a heavy atmosphere. There was a mournful yet beautiful elegance and hopeful touch to the scene, which pulled at Rhea’s heart.

A stream of visible air pushed through Lori’s lips as she scanned the shimmering water’s gentle tide. “I’d say there’s something bitter about this … It’s pretty, but … I don’t know; it’s angelic and sorrowful. A broken heart with the hope for grace reborn.”

Amira’s confused red irises shifted to Lori. “A broken heart with the hope for grace reborn? Where did you get that?”

Rhea looked at the Articuno in the center with the solemn, brilliant trees surrounding it. “I can see it … frozen flowers, blooming for the torn apart. Your mom’s close to the Legendary Birds, isn’t she?”

“I guess?” Amira’s full lips shifted to the side while studying the solitary figure, trapped in time before them. “She’s never spoken about an Articuno like this, though, and she can’t be any of the Articuno I know of in Kanto.”

Lori paused, looking back at the way they’d come. “You sure … By the way, have you two heard anything? I haven’t. Is he going to chase us?”

Rhea followed her gaze; the mud was starting to harden across her body, and the chill was setting in again. “Maybe he can’t get past Nova’s ice wall … Umm, I don’t think this Articuno is from Kanto, either. It’s bigger than any of the Kanto Legendary Birds … Probably a lot older. Do you think she came through an Ultra Wormhole during the Ultra War?”

Amira's chest puffed up and out as she sighed, rubbing Amber’s soft neck as the fox studied their environment. “How should I know? My mom rarely ever talks about the war … A lot of memories hurt her, I think. Maybe she is from another dimension,” she whispered, looking up at the majestic bird. “She’s as big as Lugia.”

On second glance, Rhea nodded, trying to compare the size to what she’d seen in videos and from her mother’s research books. “The female Lugia, right—the one your mom talked about?”

“Yeah,” Amira mumbled. “Umm, you two think we should get more mud?”

“Please!” Lori shivered.

Gables responded by jumping down, and Lori put Roxie next to him. Rhea gently sat Nova’s sleeping body next to the Rockruff, allowing the two to huddle against each other with Amber and Holly as Gables and Alice sprayed more warm mud over their bodies.

When finished, they gingerly picked up their Pokemon; Nova gave a sharp quake as the mud touched her fur but snuggled closer to Rhea, releasing a low moan in her sleep. Thanks, Nova … I know not being able to transform has been rougher than you let on. Be patient with yourself.

Mya and Alice gave their own comforting words, doing their best to not sour the moment by being annoyed with one another.

Rhea licked her dry lips before sputtering as mud entered her mouth. “Yuck … bleh!”

Amira and Lori giggled but retreated into their own minds as they continued down the steps.

Rhea’s focus shifted to her Pokemon. Alice, Mya … I know both of you are going through your own rough patch. I don’t know why you’re always at each other’s throats, but I’m proud you two can set it aside when needed. If you need help, let me know. I’m here for both of you.

Alice’s small chest released a rumble that transferred to Rhea’s neck as she curled around it; she said she didn’t like Mya’s attitude, not giving anything more into the disconnect, and Mya did the same. They may not like each other, but they’ll work together if it means helping her and Nova, which was heartwarming.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Rhea looked up at the long path to the cave entrance near the ceiling; the Plasma guy still hadn’t shown up, and it had been more than thirty minutes since they’d entered the caving system.

Is he really coming after us? Maybe something’s changed.

Amira drew their attention to the walkways, one particular path that stretched out ahead of them. “We should take cover behind those big trees; it will give us a full view of the stairs to see if he’s going to follow.”

“Mmh,” Mallory nodded, voice a little scratchy. “We planning on spending the night down here because…” she groaned, turning to stare at all the ice that filled the area.

“Unfortunately,” Amira sighed. “He should be forced to leave in the next few hours, but we need to be sure he’s gone.”

Rhea carefully shifted her neck around to stretch it out, Alice holding tight to not fall off. “When the Rangers start investigating, they should see our supplies and send out a rescue party.”

“Nice!” Lori grinned. “Yeah, that should work … Umm, so Amber’s our fire?”

Amira’s hiss pulled their focus. “Again, unfortunately, the Rangers aren’t going to have it easy … Cloyster won’t let anyone else come in here, and I see why now,” she muttered, looking up at the Articuno. “They’ll probably need to call for a Master Trainer or for reinforcements to restrain him.”

Mallory’s smile instantly fell. “Okay … which means? We aren’t staying in here for days?! Please tell me no!” she cried.

Rhea’s brow furrowed, lips pulling in while glancing between her teammates. “Ah … I get it. If the whirlpool is the only way out…”

Lori’s face turned ashen. “I … didn’t think about that … I can’t get back up that thing—I nearly died just coming down.”

Gables rubbed her mud-slicked back.

The Unova girl wasn’t having it, though. “Nuh-uh, Gabs! No way I’m going back into that water … gah, I might as well freeze to death without getting wet … Muk.”

Amira slowly nodded, starting their path along the smooth, rocky way to the closest colossal tree. “Be honest with me, Rhea; do you think you could get back up that whirlpool?”

Rhea shifted Nova in her arms, remembering their spiraling descent into the underground waterway. “By myself … unlikely. If I had Serenity or Gables, and I prepared myself a bit, probably.”

The redhead’s jaw tightened, glaring at the floor. “Not the answer I was expecting … You’re better at swimming than me. I doubt I could do it, even with Serenity and Gables.” A shiver ran down her frame. “It was hard enough getting to that opening—I thought I could hold my breath longer, but I was panicking too much.”

Rhea’s eyes creased with concern. “I was panicking, too. Don’t blame yourself.”

“Right?” Lori’s growl ended in a moan. “I’d be dead without you two … shot in the head, blown to bits against that cliff by that Pidgey, or drowned … I’m the useless one here.”

Amira snorted, a sad smile softening her mud-caked features. “I guess it’s rough on all of us. Truth is … I’ve never felt so scared.”

Rhea moved closer to press against her shoulder as tears came to Amira’s eyes. “Me, too. I’ve heard stories from Masters but actually seeing a gun pointed at you—knowing there’s nothing you can do but run and hope you don’t die … It’s different experiencing it.”

Mallory closed in on Amira’s other side, sandwiching her between them. “Yo, it sucks … Heh, I was more scared of the water than the gun, to be honest. Plasma’s kind of a normal thing in Unova, and I’ve been around plenty of murderers, but nature … nature scares me.” Her purple irises lifted to the Articuno. “Legendaries scare me.”

The last bit caught Rhea’s attention. “Legendaries?”

“Mhm … Mythical Pokemon, Legendaries … I don’t know … It’s hard to talk about. She’s dead, isn’t she?”

Rhea looked up at the impressive Articuno encased in the ice above them. “Yeah … I’m sure of it—if not barely alive. From her aura, if she exited, she’d die. There’s … wait…”

She slowed, breaking skin contact with Lori.

“What?” Amira asked, following her gaze.

Alice rustled at her neck, trying to translate Rhea’s thoughts and emotions.

Now that she was calming down and focusing, Rhea sensed a malignant force inside the Articuno; it was challenging to find it beyond the mass of Ice-Type energy surrounding them, but it was certainly there—a Poisonous-Type energy she’d never felt before.

“She’s infected with something … I think the perma-ice is the only thing keeping her on the edge of death. Why would she willingly suffer?”

Mallory squinted. “Suffer … Are you sure?”

Amira turned her body to look at Rhea. “My mom would know all of that—is it incurable, then?”

“Incurable?” Lori whispered, vision pulling in as she reflected on something.

Rhea took a few more steps forward, trying to hone her aura sensing; it was hard, and it only became apparent for a second—as much as she tried, she couldn’t part the veil again. “I … think so? It was only for a moment, but I think she’s still slowly dying—is she hoping your mom can find a cure to rescue her?”

“I don’t know,” Amira mumbled. “Maybe. It sounds like something my mom would…”

They jumped as a loud shattering of ice echoed through the halls—the Plasma member was onto them.

Mallory flinched but was the first to respond, face hardening. “Let’s go! The trees, right?”

Rhea couldn’t help but worry as they ran, leaving globs of mud behind them. “Our trail!”

Holly returned to her pokeball to be replaced by Serenity; the Feebas shot back, firing streams of water at the patches to clear off the walkway.

It put a slight smile on Rhea’s lips. Amira, always thinking ahead.

Making it beyond the nearest root, which was larger than all of their bodies combined, they took shelter behind it as the Feebas cleaned up their path; he may still be able to follow the trail of water, but Serenity sprayed more liquid down other ways, likely on Amira’s suggestion.

It took longer than Rhea expected for them to see the small figure of the man reach the top of the long staircase above them; Serenity had plenty of time to complete her mission.

Unexpectedly, he wore some kind of jacket, a helmet, and a duffle bag over his shoulder—a powerful assault rifle was in his hands, its barrel pointed at the ground.

Mallory hissed as they retook cover behind the roots. “Muk! He actually found that thing? Yo, Amira, how bad is it?”

“That rifle?” Amira asked, lifting an eyebrow as she pressed further into the network to an inner crevasse that would block out all sight from the outside. “A pistol will break past even a low Silver-tier Pokemon’s Protect … A specially designed assault rifle with the proper bullets could handle Gold-tier Pokemon.”

Rhea took a heavy breath and cleared her throat. “There’s nothing much we can do but try to hide here—should we go further into the trees?”

“Probably,” Amira muttered, glancing at the pitch-black area they were at the mouth of. “We can’t go anywhere else, and I bet he’s going to use the riflescope to scout out from the high ground.”

Mallory quickly nodded. “Yeah, I saw that in a movie once! You think he has that heat vision stuff? He could see our body heat trail or whatever!”

Amira suppressed a laugh. “That kind of stuff is fiction. Are there heat scanners? Yes, but even Rocket doesn’t have something that precise … Well, that I know of,” she mumbled. “In any case, we can only do what we can. Let’s hide in the tree; maybe we can find a spot closed off enough that we can block off when Nova finishes resting. It should warm up if we can seal off most of the entrance like an igloo.”

“Good plan,” Rhea smiled, feeling better after getting things under control. The mud was helping to repel the Ice-Type energy, if only by a bit with its Ground-Type. At least they had a chance at escaping his attention now, and every minute they bought was another minute closer to rescue.

Please, someone, anyone, help us!

Rhea felt her heartbeat easing as twenty minutes passed; they entered the dark stone-like tree, keeping track of every twist and turn until they made it to a glowing area of pure ice—inside was a sizeable bluish-white egg—she recognized the object in an instant. “An Articuno egg?”

“What?” Amira and Lori asked in unison.

Stepping forward, Rhea’s eyes followed every inch of the radiant egg inside the ice; it all made sense now. “This is a nest … My mom told me stories about Legendary and Mythical Pokemon eggs at bedtime when I was a little girl. Articuno eggs need an environment like this to grow and survive … Their mother encased herself in ice to give them the time to hatch.”

“How many?” Mallory asked, a sharp quiver running down her frame while studying the item. “Is there an egg in every tree? That’s like … eight Articuno eggs!”

“Is that even possible?” Amira asked. “I thought it took centuries for Legendaries to be fertile enough to lay eggs.”

Rhea nodded. “Normally, yes, but the hatching time is also extremely long and requires specific conditions … These eggs are probably ancient.”

“Oh no,” Lori’s lower lip tucked under. “Plasma’s here to try and take all of these eggs, aren’t they? If they get their hands on eight Articuno they can corrupt … That’s huge.”

A voice in the shadows behind them made Rhea’s heart stop, the ice around them seeping into her veins as she turned; the large, scraped-up man stepped out of the shadows, rifle raised. “Corrupt? Where do you get the right to call our ideals corrupt?”

Rhea hadn’t even heard him—Alice hadn’t heard him; the boots he wore seemed to have some kind of noise suppression technology built into them by their sleek design.

Amira took a deep breath before stepping forward. “True … We don’t know much about Plasma. Help us understand.”

The man snorted, shifting the barrel toward her while shifting his shoulders to get a better position on his duffle bag. “I would have, had not you wasted so much of my time. I’m sorry…”

“Amira!” Rhea dove left, tackling the redhead as the sharp echo of the rifle fired.

Serenity shot out a spray of water, but it was too late; Rhea felt something strike her neck, breaking the skin as she took Amira to the ground—it didn’t hurt, disbelief flooding her mind.

The man dodged the jet of water, taking aim at Mallory, yet in the second his finger twitched, a 5’8” Houndoom dashed out of the shadows, horned head smashing into his back and forcing the air out of his lungs. He gasped, back arching as a loud crack resounded in the chilled air, sending him bouncing across the stone floor.

Rhea’s lips parted in disbelief as she fell atop Amira’s chest, causing the girl to wince and cough. “Atreyu?”

A sinister growl rumbled in her brother’s Houndoom’s throat as he sent a jet of blue flames at the fallen rifle, leaving a trail of steaming, black stone and turning the gun to molten metal. The space was instantly warmed as the Dark Pokemon’s glowing red eyes returned to the screaming man; a portion of the inferno licked against his hand, charing his flesh.

Atreyu was quick as lightning, pounding on top of the man, sharp teeth ripping the bag away from him before his barbed tail cut a line up his jacket. The Houndoom searched the assassin for more weapons, intense red irises scanning every inch of his person. Hot breath penetrated the pained man’s eyes and burned his throat, which forced him to keep it closed.

The Houndoom’s large front paws crushed his arms, pinning them in place; within seconds, he’d concluded there wasn’t anything else he could use to harm them.

A silver aura illuminated the Houndoom’s tail as he jumped to the man’s side; the tip cleaved through both of the man’s minimized pokeballs, forcefully cutting off the energy and bond he shared with his Pokemon.

He gasped, clutching his chest while shifting to the side in panic and distress; Rhea had no idea how it felt to have your Pokemon forcefully ripped away from your spirit other than what she’d heard, which was horrifying.

Tears came to Rhea’s eyes as her brother’s caring Houndoom jogged over to check her shoulder. Nose burning, she blinked back the liquid threatening to slicken her cheeks. “Sabin’s here? Where’s my brother?”

Atreyu’s concerned eyes shifted to her; Alice, Mya, and now a rousing Nova were fussing over her.

“Rhea,” Mallory gasped. “You’re bleeding—how deep is it?!”

“Huh?” Rhea rolled to her side to get off Amira, glancing at her shoulder. “Oh … It only grazed me, I think … Umm … No, I’m fine!”

“How’s that fine?” Amira asked, voice quivering a little as she got up to check on her. “You … You tried to take a—why’d you do that?!”

Rhea fought past the pain, laughing now as tears fell down her cheeks. “I’m fine! I’m just … I’m happy you’re okay. Sabin … Atrayu, where’s my brother?”

The Houndoom lifted his head up to the ceiling, and Alice translated—he was above, battling both the Cloyster and the Pidgeot with his Aerodactyl; he set Katelin off to get help in case there was more Plasma around. Atreyu, his strongest Pokemon, wasn’t there to protect him—he sent Atrayu to save her as he battled two powerful Pokemon seeking to kill him.

Lips quivering, Rhea reached out to hug the stalwart Houndoom as he nuzzled her ear in concern; Alice, Nova, and even Mya couldn’t hold back their own tears—the nightmare was over. Her brother was there to rescue them.