Pokemon Paldea [267-268] (Patreon)

Chapter 267: Frost's Breath, the Frozen Forest

Perhaps it was exactly because it added this particular flavor of cream that Alcremie was able to arrive at an answer uniquely its own, rather than merely imitating other pastry chefs' work.

In the meantime, Alcremie must have gone through countless trials and experiments before finally presenting the finished cake to Lucas.

Lucas had heard a bit from the Luxray and Oranguru about how, while he was away at work, there was a Pokémon diligently toiling in the kitchen.

He picked up his knife and fork, determined to offer earnest feedback, cut off a small piece of cake, and savored it carefully.

The first sensation on the palate was still the same as in Kalos—meticulously crafted chocolate crunch—but the very next moment felt completely different.

How to describe it? This was a cream flavor that belonged solely to his own Alcremie—

A cloudlike, ultra-fluffy mouthfeel; a rich, creamy aroma with a hint of cheese-like savoriness. Two tastes and textures that ought not to coexist had somehow fused together like a miracle.

Pair that with the top-quality Berries Alcremie had specifically selected from the ones stored in the pantry, bringing clean sweetness and abundant juice.

In a sense, Alcremie's revised chocolate cream cake now stood on the same tier as that patisserie's in Kalos.

But if he added his own personal bias—

"One hundred points!!!"

Lucas's eyes lit up faintly. He scooped up the delighted Alcremie and spun around with it.

"Alcremie~"

Since it had also evolved while being spun, Alcremie loved this; it raised its little hands, laughing happily and adorably.

The Applin placed beside the cake poked its head out curiously, eyeing the cake with longing. But under Serperior's care it knew it couldn't sneak food without permission, so it could only stare plaintively at the cake, hoping Lucas would notice what it wanted.

Fortunately, after he finished doting on Alcremie, Lucas immediately noticed Applin's pleading look. He forked up a tiny piece of cake and said helplessly, "You can only have this much to taste, okay? If Serperior finds out I fed you something other than honey milk and apples, she'll whip me with her vines."

Applin's eyes sparkled as it nodded furiously, then ate the cake with bliss written all over its face. A joyous squeal followed.

"Chiu-chiu-chiu—!"

So good—!

Seeing this, Alcremie's heart felt full of happiness. No one dislikes having their food recognized and praised. Surrounded by a sense of accomplishment and joy, the aroma wafting from Alcremie grew even richer.

In the room's corner, Oranguru swayed its fan, the corners of its mouth lifting slightly.

After all these years, it had finally gotten the work environment it had always sought.

…

May 23, within Naranja Academy.

"Cloyster, Icicle Spear!"

"Match Cloyster's tempo, Ursaring—Ice Punch!"

Cloyster moved with unnervingly swift motions, shell gaping open as it fired multiple razor-sharp, chilling icicles like a machine gun. Ursaring, light on its feet, advanced in long strides, swinging a fist frozen by icy mist.

Their target, Annihilape, had both feet frozen solid and couldn't move.

Even if it swung its fists desperately enough to barely shatter the icicles, Annihilape could only watch as Ursaring's Ice Punch landed squarely on its face, knocking it out cold.

As for Jolteon, it had already been taken down by Cloyster's dense, post-Shell Smash Icicle Spear barrage.

This outcome made Arven look like he'd struck gold, and even Nemona was surprised by how reliable Cloyster was.

Penny plopped down on the ground, hugging her Jolteon that had already been healed by Comfey, and pouted. "This buff is way too much. An unbalanced game is total garbage!"

Eri sighed, then—under Ursaring's startled gaze—walked over, shattered the ice encasing Annihilape with two punches, and took it to the Comfey for treatment.

Ursaring, who had been about to help melt the ice with Fire Punch: That ice block… even Annihilape itself couldn't break it, right?

Watching from the side, Lucas raised a brow at Arven hugging Cloyster in delight. This evolution really was different—Cloyster's Ice-type moves were even more biting and frigid than those of ordinary Ice-types.

Looked like those ruins might indeed be connected to Regice.

Shellder, not weak to begin with, had soared in strength after evolving. With its Ability and Shell Smash, it became Arven's sharpest spear—overall second only to Mabosstiff.

Arven's overall team strength had finally caught up with the pack.

Since that was the case, it was time to move a certain plan up the schedule.

With that thought, Lucas clapped his hands, gathered the four students, and announced his next arrangement.

"We've been practicing in a vacuum for so long that you must have noticed how, because you're too familiar with each other's styles and Pokémon, your battles have become homogenized, right?"

"Even though Cloyster's debut gave you that long-lost freshness today, that feeling will fade in a few days. To be blunt, I think it's about time."

His gaze swept across the four, each with their own subtle expressions, and Lucas continued:

 "There's only a week left before we depart for Blueberry Academy. Now, I'll announce the final trial of this special training. Complete it, and it means you're ready to face the powerhouses' tests at Blueberry Academy."

Penny and Arven swallowed unconsciously, terrified that Lucas would suddenly declare the final trial was to beat him in a double battle.

Nemona and Eri's expressions were resolute—no matter the challenge, they would break through it with hard work!

Without keeping them in suspense, Lucas pointed at the four and said outright, "For the final trial, stick with your current pairings—and go clear the Montenevera Gym."

Nemona & Eri: We're going straight to the sixth gym? What a challenge!

Arven & Penny: We're taking on Montenevera Gym? For real?

Seeing Penny and Arven's uneasy faces, Lucas smiled slightly. "You're already far different from who you were before. Relax. As long as you use what you've learned these past weeks, you'll absolutely bring back the Montenevera Badge."

"A friendly reminder: the previous Gym Leader there is Ms. Tyme, who taught you a lot about double battles. The current leader is her younger sister, Ryme, who specializes in Ghost-type Pokémon."

"You might be able to get some intel on Ryme from Ms. Tyme. That's it for today's training. Head back at noon and rest—your Pokémon are tired too."

After Lucas left, Arven and Penny exchanged a look. Somehow, as long as they didn't have to fight Lucas, challenging Montenevera Gym didn't seem so bad.

Maybe this was a fair compromise.

Since training was scheduled only for the morning, there was no need to stay at Naranja Academy afterward. Lucas rode Dragonite home.

…

Over the farm, he had Dragonite stop before landing. Frowning at the empty sky, he realized something was off.

Leaving early in the morning, he hadn't noticed: where had the ever-dutiful Corvisquire that guarded the farm's skies gone?

With how food-driven they were, and how he'd heard Corvisquire often fought over the ten patrol slots, they shouldn't have failed to show up.

Or did they think his pay was too low and decided to strike for a raise?

Unlikely—there'd been no signs at all. Yesterday he'd even given Three Scar a bath and medicine for its shedding chest.

After a moment's thought, Lucas patted Dragonite's back and said gravely, "Let's check the forest where the Corvisquire live."

"Bwooo~"

Dragonite nodded lightly, banked, and beat its wings toward the indicated direction, whipping up strong winds.

The Corvisquire' forest was only about ten kilometers from the farm. If Dragonite were a supercar, one tap on the gas sent them "whoosh" through the sky. Soon the forest and the lake where Lucas and Arven had once fished came into view.

"This doesn't look good."

The lake was completely frozen; thick frost and snow covered everything. Some trees were even frozen solid into ice. On one icy branch, Lucas spotted a rook also frozen along with it.

Back at the farm the sun had blazed overhead, but here the sky was packed with heavy snow clouds. Bitter wind drove the falling frost and snow.

This weather defied common sense. Only a Pokémon could bring such conditions on the cusp of summer.

And it was likely very powerful.

He didn't know how long it had taken, but freezing half the forest and the entire lake would require great strength.

"Drago!"

The antennae atop Dragonite's head twitched. Locking onto the forest's northern side, it pointed and called Lucas's attention there.

It sensed a strong concentration of Ice-type energy in that direction, and there seemed to be signs of battle.

"Let's go take a look," Lucas said gravely.

…

Even though summer was near, the temperature here was near freezing. Bitter wind, falling frost, and a raging stream of cold like a frost dragon's breath filled the air.

All of it made Three Scar's already sluggish thoughts—dulled by the environment—slow down even more.

It blinked with all its might to clear the snow from its eyes and barely see its surroundings. On the ground in the distance lay scattered, frozen Fletchlings and Fletchinders; even its rival hadn't escaped.

Pathetic. Fire-types were supposed to counter Ice-types.

As for its side—Three Scar didn't need to look to know its kin had been wiped out and their defensive line had collapsed.

Three Scar felt its own body gradually freezing. To avoid falling asleep, it struggled to keep its mind active, even letting it wander.

When had things turned out like this?

About a month ago, the Fletchinder flock occupying the other half of the forest started clashing frequently with the Corvisquire, though in the past the forest's resources had been abundant.

From around then, the trees ceased bearing tasty Berries. Other foods became scarce as well.

When the Fletchinders couldn't find food from the Corvisquire, the fighting stopped. The shortage forced both flocks to ignore each other and focus on foraging elsewhere.

Afterward, they forged a curious bond with that farm. The Berries each Corvisquire earned by working, plus what the flock found outside, barely staved off hunger and kept the flock going.

Just when Three Scar thought life would continue like this, disaster struck.

It was a strange Pokémon—its body gleamed with metallic luster, its gaze dull rather than lively like the Corvisquire', vacant like the Slowpoke occasionally seen at the forest's edge.

The strange Pokémon carried an ice-blue sphere. Frost poured from it like a dragon's breath, freezing the lake they drank from with ease.

Power like that—Three Scar had only seen it at the human's farm.

Because of the threat, Three Scar spoke with the Fletchinders for the first time. From them, it learned the intruder's origin.

It had been buried deep under the forest. While digging for seeds to eat, the Fletchinder flock had unearthed it.

They also learned why the trees bore no fruit—the sphere the strange Pokémon carried constantly leaked cold, affecting all the forest's trees.

Since the thing didn't move, the Fletchinders had left it alone—until this morning, when it seemed to have recharged and began to act.

The creature's power was overwhelming. The Corvisquire and Fletchinders had to join forces, and still—this was the result.

With its consciousness seeming to freeze, Three Scar felt regret for the first time. If it had gone to the farm for help first, would things have ended differently?

Anyone—please, save us.

Three Scar prayed from the heart. It didn't mind what happened to itself—at least save the kin sealed in ice.

A voice—not loud, but as if sent by heaven to answer Three Scar's plea—rang perfectly clear in its mind.

"Moltres, Flamethrower."

Blazing light and heat brought warmth to this frigid world—and hope.

Three Scar strained to lift its head and saw that sacred figure in midair. With every beat of its wings, bright, burning feathers scattered brilliant embers, and the gold-tinged red flames stirred Three Scar's heart.

With Moltres' mere presence, ice and snow melted, as if spring had arrived early in this domain of frost.

For the first time, the fearless Three Scar realized the Moltres they used to tease was so handsome—so effortlessly captivating.

Above Moltres, Lucas rode Dragonite, staring in astonishment at the Pokémon below that spewed frost like a storm.

It looked very much like Delibird—but not quite.

Metallic sheen over its body, and a spherical device spewing frigid streams—its identity wasn't simple.

"Is that… Iron Bundle?"

Lucas's tone turned serious. Iron Bundle was a Paradox Pokémon from the future—why was it in the wild forest near Los Platos?

On the way in, the whole forest had looked tragic. Not just the frozen Corvisquire and Fletchinders—many innocent wild Pokémon had shared the same fate.

Chapter 268: The Sacred Bird of Spring; Using Iron Bundle to Build an Ice Cellar?

On Dragonite's back, Lucas frowned at Iron Bundle's lack of reaction—even with a massive hole scorched into the ground nearby by Moltres' warning shot.

Iron Bundle looked like a robot modeled after Delibird. The hollow, bulbous tail Delibird had was replaced by a spherical device connected via a transfer hose.

The device kept spewing frost, freezing swathes of trees and soil with ease.

From the look of it, Iron Bundle wasn't so much attacking wild Pokémon as simply remodeling the environment. To Iron Bundle, the Fletchinders and Corvisquire had just rushed in on their own and gotten themselves frozen.

He guessed it wanted to create a habitat suitable for itself. Many Paradox Pokémon were like that—their mere presence altered modern ecosystems and posed an unprecedented threat to Pokémon survival.

Three Scar and the others were frozen; if this continued, lives would be at risk. He couldn't let Iron Bundle run amok any longer. Subdue it first, then decide what to do.

Decision made, Lucas quickly ordered Moltres below, "Be careful not to hurt the wild Pokémon. Moltres—Heat Wave!"

Moltres shot Lucas a helpless look. He sure knew how to order a bird around. But it had been caught by him, after all. Fortunately, this Iron Bundle wasn't as strong as Raging Bolt; it had the leeway to fight without collateral damage.

"Skree!!"

Moltres let out a piercing cry. Wherever it passed, frost and snow melted—then evaporated into white steam.

With a beat of its fiery wings, the steam around it was driven by scorching winds. Precisely controlled, Heat Wave roared at Iron Bundle.

At the same time, Lucas patted Dragonite's back and, looking up at the snow clouds, said, "Sunny Day—rewrite the weather completely."

Along with the returning sunlight, dense embers exploded across Iron Bundle's body. Heat Wave clashed violently with the frigid stream from its sphere, and billowing steam shot skyward!

Iron Bundle had no intention of attacking living creatures, but it wouldn't just stand there and take hits. The ring of blue electronic eyes locked onto Moltres the instant it was attacked.

A torrent of precise data scrolled through Iron Bundle's eyes.

Assessment: hostile lifeform has Fire/Flying dual typing; highly powerful. Ice combat will be disadvantageous.

[Assessment—switch combat mode. Prioritize Water-type offense.]

Slits opened under its feet, high-pressure water jets lifting it into the air. It darted about at blistering speed, baiting Moltres into misjudging and preventing it from taking aim.

Catching the moment calculated in its model, Iron Bundle aimed the sphere at Moltres—

[Hydro Pump—fire!]

A raging torrent burst forth, forming a ferocious dragon of water that lunged for Moltres' vital spot.

Iron Bundle's electronic eyes watched the water-dragon calmly. As it raised the sphere, its body shifted, silently tracking Moltres' evasive flight.

[Assessment: current weather "Sunny Day" reduces Hydro Pump's power, but it will still inflict heavy damage.]

Lucas raised his hand slightly. A competent Trainer wouldn't let Moltres sit and take it. "Hurricane!"

Even under Sunny Day—where Hurricane was harder to control—he wasn't aiming to hit Iron Bundle, only to block the Hydro Pump.

Moltres beat its wings, conjuring a raging gale. The violent airflow became a wall of wind that Hydro Pump couldn't penetrate.

Seeing that, Iron Bundle's eyes flickered again.

[Warning: unit just reactivated. Excess energy expended to create proper environment. Energy reserves insufficient to break hostile's defense.]

[Change tactics—go all in. Freeze the hostile and the gale together!]

[Blizzard!]

The sphere spun at maximum speed. The transfer hose glowed icy blue as a howling blizzard erupted straight toward Moltres!

A roaring gale, a brutal frost—this was the same extremity of cold that had frozen the lake and forest.

"Again—full-power Heat Wave."

Moltres swept its golden-red wings. Sunshine seemed to gild it with a halo. Fire and storm danced wildly; under its control, a terrifying Heat Wave descended.

Extreme cold and blistering heat collided. Energy from both sides poured out like it was free. The clash birthed a vast bank of steam that blanketed the view.

Gradually, the blizzard from Iron Bundle's sphere weakened, then was completely overwhelmed by Moltres' legendary stamina. Scorching winds raked Iron Bundle's chassis red-hot.

Its movements grew sluggish, as if unable to withstand the heat. Finally, its head drooped, and it went limp.

[Warning: hostile lifeform's strength exceeds projections. Unit damaged. Reserves depleted. Mobility lost. Forcing shutdown.]

…

"Poke-poke…"

Lucas gingerly prodded the now-dark Iron Bundle—it seemed to have lost the ability to fight.

And during that final clash with Moltres, its energy had clearly been running low.

"Gaa-gwa!"

Now fully recovered, Three Scar glared at Iron Bundle and squawked a stream of obvious insults.

This time Lucas could oddly guess what Three Scar was saying—serves you right, that's what you get for wasting your energy freezing the lake and forest.

He soothed Three Scar with a gentle stroke of its feathers. He understood how it felt to walk the line at death's door. But the priority now was to seal Iron Bundle in a Poké Ball—before it rebooted and caused more trouble.

He took out an Ultra Ball and pressed it to Iron Bundle's head.

Might as well use a better ball to be safe.

Perhaps because Iron Bundle had shut down, the capture faced no resistance at all—not even a wiggle. A perfect catch.

How to put it… Perfectly catching a Paradox Pokémon felt weird.

He picked up the Ultra Ball, shrank and locked it, sighed, and looked around.

Led by the Fairy-type Comfey, the farm's Grass-types Dragonite had called over were rushing healing with Grassy Terrain for the Pokémon freed from the ice.

In the sky, Moltres made no attempt to conceal its divine might—like a small sun, it melted every frost and snow in the forest and on the lake.

The newly revived wild Pokémon gazed up at Moltres with pilgrim-like reverence. The Corvisquire who had once teased it now felt deep shame for their past mischief.

As for the Fletchinder flock that held the opposite half of the forest, also Fire/Flying-types, they nearly prostrated themselves at the sight of the legendary bird.

Lucas felt that once the healing was complete, he might actually witness a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix.

He'd returned to the farm at 1:00 p.m., reached the Corvisquire' forest at 1:05, and flattened Iron Bundle at 1:15.

But cleaning up Iron Bundle's mess, plus all the injured Pokémon across the forest, took an all-nighter.

The sky gradually shed the night's depths; a faint pink crept over the eastern horizon.

The colors grew richer, as if a painter poured pigment over a canvas, dyeing the heavens a vibrant orange-red.

The sun rose, bathing Moltres—who had melted ice and snow all night and returned spring to the forest—in light like a golden cloak.

Led by Three Scar, the Corvisquire' flock, and by their chief, the Fletchinders' flock, took to the sky of their own accord. Circling beneath Moltres, they trilled sweet calls, as if voicing their devotion.

Moltres beat its golden-red wings, scattering dazzling embers with every stroke.

It understood—they were offering fealty.

Very well. From now on, this forest would be under Moltres' protection.

As if inspired by grace, Moltres raised its head and cried. The sound seemed to pierce distance and reach every corner of the forest.

And then—a miracle.

The Fletchinder chief and Three Scar, bathed in sunlight, burst into brilliant white light. Their bodies grew under the holy glow and rapidly transformed.

Lucas's eyes widened in shock. "They're… evolving?"

The Fletchinder chief became a full raptor, the red feather on its head flaring high. As a hawk, its legs were thick and powerful; when it flapped its strong wings, embers fell from the gaps in its feathers—like a miniature Moltres.

The famed Route 1 bird of Gen VI, Gale Wings—Talonflame.

Three Scar's change was even greater—a complete rebirth.

The deep-blue plumage vanished, replaced by pitch-black armor that seemed to swallow light. Its size surged from under a meter to over two—twice Talonflame's bulk.

Three Scar now resembled a knight in English plate, exuding a reassuring weight. Its typing had become the superb Flying/Steel.

Its name: Corviknight. Unrivaled in Galar's skies—but this was Paldea. Lucas already worried that before Three Scar could showcase its new majesty, it might get chased off by a certain hammer-wielding loli.

Under their flocks' excited eyes, the newly evolved Talonflame and Corviknight flapped their wings. Meeting Moltres' gaze, they bowed without hesitation.

From now on, this forest would tell the legend of a sacred bird who brought spring and melted the snow.

…

On May 24, Lucas signed off with the foreman on the farm's fully paved roads. Flagstone paths now crisscrossed the farm, making vehicle access easy and keeping Pokémon from getting covered in mud on rainy days—saving Lucas plenty of headaches.

After more than twenty days, the roads and wiring were done. Aside from having some workers install street lamps across the farm, Lucas began surveying locations to dig an ice cellar.

Typically, ice cellars go under a building, into a cave, or as a big dug pit.

Lucas's farm sat on a plain with no surrounding mountains, so the only option was to dig down.

After careful consideration, he chose to put the ice cellar beneath the warehouse, planning a structure like a basement plus a single-story room.

While he was at it, he'd expand the warehouse and connect it to the ice cellar so crops could be moved freely between them—no worries about summer heat accelerating spoilage.

Originally, Lucas planned to have Swampert help dig, but the foreman said an ice cellar required precise measurements and tight construction to prevent cold loss and rapid temperature rise—accidents he couldn't risk.

So Lucas followed the foreman's advice and left it all to the crew. He'd just pay the bill.

After finishing with the foreman, Lucas called Sada and relayed everything about Iron Bundle. Even she was perplexed by why it appeared in the forest. Based on what Three Scar's side described, they arrived at a tentative conclusion—

Iron Bundle might have appeared in Paldea long ago and, after some incident, was buried beneath the forest to slowly recharge. Once the Fletchinders dug it up and it finished recharging, it began remodeling the forest to suit itself.

Sada's slightly heavy voice came through the receiver. "In fact, traces of Paradox Pokémon still exist in a few places in Paldea. For example, there are sightings of Great Tusk in the Asado Desert."

"As for handling Iron Bundle, I personally suggest trying to communicate with it. See if it's a special case like Raging Bolt before deciding whether to return it to Area Zero."

Lucas nodded. He'd thought the same. If Iron Bundle was controllable, then a Pokémon strong enough to freeze a lake and forest was exactly the Ice-type he'd long sought.

But if it wasn't controllable, he wouldn't keep such a danger on the farm. At most, he'd have it use that frost-spewing sphere to cool the ice cellar.