900 Valley

As Articuno spotted Yuga and Cynthia, its eyes turned crimson, and it emitted a sharp cry. Its wings flapped, unleashing a surge of icy blue energy directly at the two.

In a critical moment, Chimecho appeared in front of them, and a massive barrier of light blocked Articuno's icy onslaught.

After waking up, Chimecho's defensive capabilities had improved significantly. During their time protecting the Pokémon on the island, its Light Screen had been spread thin due to the large number of Pokémon it was protecting, weakening its defenses.

Now, all of Chimecho's power was concentrated, and its Light Screen solidly blocked Articuno's attack. Of course, another reason was that this Articuno was weaker than the previous Zapdos.

Even so, this legendary Pokémon was enough to cause chaos for Yuga and Cynthia.

The surge of icy blue energy clashed with the Light Screen, creating a spectacular display as if water had splashed against a solid wall. The surrounding snow was sent flying in all directions.

Taking advantage of this moment, Yuga and Cynthia quickly rolled away from Articuno's attack. At the same time, Gengar and Mismagius emerged from Yuga's Shadow Space, while Lucario and Togekiss appeared by Cynthia's side.

This Articuno had completely lost its sanity and attacked Yuga and Cynthia without restraint. The two had no choice but to counterattack.

Gengar and Mismagius flanked Articuno from both sides, using their Will-O-Wisp to try and inflict a burning status on it.

However, before the flames could get close to Articuno, the legendary bird released a series of icy whips from its body, deflecting the Will-O-Wisp.

Once the flames were extinguished, the icy whips lashed out towards Gengar and Mismagius. Fortunately, their quick reflexes allowed them to evade from being struck.

Even though these icy whips were formed from basic Icy Wind move, Yuga's Gengar and Mismagius didn't dare to be careless, despite being Elite level Pokémon.

On the other side, Lucario swiftly ran across the snowy ground, circling around Articuno and positioning himself behind it. Meanwhile, Togekiss, with its agile flying ability, drew Articuno's attention.

Seizing the moment, both Pokémon launched massive Aura Sphere. However, just as the Aura Sphere were about to hit Articuno, its iridescent barrier flickered, and their attacks seemed to dissipate harmlessly.

Articuno, perhaps annoyed by Togekiss's rapid movements, suddenly grew even more agitated. It opened its mouth and spewed countless ice shards, instantly burying Togekiss in a waves of ice.

Although both Togekiss and Articuno were Flying-type Pokémon, the colossal size difference between them left Togekiss looking tiny. It disappeared in the onslaught of ice shards.

Gengar's response was swift. Utilizing its ability to move in and out of shadows, it instantly appeared beneath Togekiss, catching it before the ice could completely engulf it.

Despite the direct hit from Articuno's attack, Togekiss remained conscious, though in severe pain.

Seeing Togekiss injured, Yuga shouted loudly to Cynthia, "It looks like there's no way to communicate with this Articuno. Let's retreat for now."

Cynthia nodded in agreement. Given the commotion they had caused, attracting more Pokémon would only become more troublesome.

Both of them gestured to their Pokémon to retreat quickly. Several of their Pokémon began to move away from Articuno at high speed.

However, Articuno was unwilling to let them go.

Gengar held Togekiss and quickly flew backward, while Lucario sprinted on the snowy ground. Articuno, on the other hand, released a blast of icy breath, attempting to deal with them all at once.

Gengar threw Togekiss in his hand in the direction of Cynthia, and turned invisible to avoid the blast of Ice Breath. Cynthia used the Poké Ball to retract Togekiss the moment it flew in front of her.

Lucario, running swiftly across the snow, managed to avoid the icy breath with a timely somersault.

Unfortunately, Mismagius wasn't as fortunate as Gengar and Lucario. When the icy breath came towards it, it attempted to dodge but was not quick enough. Instead, it had to face the attack head-on using Mystical Fire.

A collision occurred between the fiery ring of flames that Mismagius released and the icy blue energy torrent. In an instant, the flames were submerged by the energy torrent, and Mismagius was engulfed as well.

Fortunately, the Mismagius special defense was decent enough that it didn't immediately lose its ability to battle after taking the Ice Beam. However, it was immobilized due to the injury.

Not far from Mismagius, Lucario saw it falling and leaped high into the air, catching Mismagius. Using its Agility move, Lucario evaded another incoming Ice Beam.

When several other Pokémon approached, Cynthia recalled Lucario into its Poké Ball, while Yuga held Mismagius close and entered the Shadow Space once again.

As they fled, Articuno unleashed another surge of energy, which Chimecho managed to block just in time. The icy blue energy scattered, and Yuga and Cynthia's figures were hidden amid the dissipating energy.

Seizing this opportunity, Chimecho used its Teleport move to carry them away from the immediate danger.

Boom! Boom!

The sound of two heavy objects hitting the ground echoed as Yuga and Cynthia found themselves in a new location.

Yuga brushed off the snow from his body and stood up, scanning the surroundings. He realized they had landed in a valley.

Strangely, there was no blizzard in this valley, which left Yuga astonished.

"Strange, there's no blizzard here!" he exclaimed in surprise.

Cynthia, hearing Yuga's words, was also surprised. Despite the raging snowstorm outside, there was no wind here, and the snow on the ground was only shallow.

"Could it be because of the terrain?" she wondered aloud.

This valley, not too large but not too small, was surrounded by steep cliffs and towering peaks, making it a challenging place to discover. However, it was clear that this valley was still part of the Snowpeak Mountains, as Chimecho's Teleport had not taken them beyond the mountain range.

Yuga shook his head. "Unlikely. This valley, while sheltered, isn't enough to block out such a massive snowstorm. We can still see the storm outside."

Just then, they heard the sound of water nearby, and to their surprise, ripples appeared on the otherwise calm surface of a nearby pond.

Despite the freezing weather, the pond hadn't frozen over.

From the water emerged a blue Pokémon.

This Pokémon gave the two of them a brief glance, snorted dismissively, and then leisurely slipped back into the water, paying no attention to their astonished gazes.

The Pokémon appeared quite old, with its light blue fur showing signs of turning white, and its once-sharp claws now looking worn and shedding. Its eyes were cloudy and lacked any luster.

Most notably, the gem on its forehead was dull and lifeless.

Yuga's keen eye ability provided data on this Pokémon:

...

Type: Water

Ability: Cloud Nine

Gender: Male

Potential: Indigo

Level: 87

Moves: Aqua Jet, Aqua Tail, Water Gun, Psychic, Hydro Pump, Disable, Zen Headbutt, Aqua Ring, Amnesia, Soak, Wonder Room, Scald, Psybeam, Hail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Safeguard, Rain Dance, Calm Mind, Substitute, Brick Break, Hypnosis, Focus Blast, Freeze-Dry, Ice Punch, Iron Tail.

...

The mystery of the disrupted weather outside was solved: Golduck's ability was Cloud Nine, allowing it to suppress the weather within a small area. As a Champion level Pokémon, it was indeed quite powerful.

Seeing Golduck disappear from view, Cynthia spoke in a solemn tone, "This Golduck... is very strong!"

Despite this Pokémon's appearance indicating great age and a lack of the typical aura of a powerful being, trainers as perceptive as Yuga and Cynthia could easily detect something was amiss.

One oddity was the presence of only this Golduck in such an idyllic mountain valley. In the Snowpeak Mountains, known for their challenging terrain, having only one Pokémon reigning over a territory seemed peculiar.

Cynthia understood Yuga's point. "The fact that the weather isn't affecting this valley is related to this Golduck, isn't it?"

Yuga nodded. "Exactly. This Golduck has three possible abilities: Damp, Cloud Nine, and its hidden ability, Swift Swim. It's not surprising for it to have Cloud Nine, which nullifies the effects of weather conditions."

As Golduck disappeared underwater without showing hostility, they found a place to rest. However, they soon noticed signs of recent human activity in a cave within the cliffside.

Cynthia looked at the still-smoking campfire and said with a serious expression, "There are other people in this valley, besides us. It's even possible that they're the ones who provoked Articuno."

Yuga nodded in agreement. Those people might have sought refuge in this valley to escape Articuno and its followers.

As they contemplated this, they suddenly heard voices and footsteps from outside.

"I wonder when we'll ever get out of this cursed place," a deep, despondent voice said.

"Exactly! We don't even have proper food. Eating these berries every day makes me want to puke!" another voice, sharper this time, complained.

Berries were a type of fruit that grew in icy environments and were favored by many Ice-type Pokémon. They were also a key ingredient in crafting high level Ice-type Energy Cubes.

"Don't say that. Thankfully, there are still berries here. If it weren't for that group of Pokémon finding us, we might have starved to death by now," the previous deep voice said.

"Yes, yes, you're right! You have a positive attitude. If you like, you can stay here forever! You can eat all the berries you want!" the sharp voice retorted sarcastically.

"Enough, quiet down!" a stern and rugged voice commanded.

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

The two previous voices suddenly became respectful.

"Boss, what if we return that thing to those Pokémon? It's not what we were looking for anyway. We could act like we never found it," the sharp voice cautiously suggested.

"Shut up! We've taken their money, so we'll deliver the goods. Let's wait and see. We'll find a chance to leave eventually. We've lost so many brothers just to get our hands on this, and there's no way we're giving it back!" the stern voice declared.

"Yes..." The sharp voice became subdued.

The mountain valley was very quiet, and the conversation of the three individuals was clearly audible to Yuga and Cynthia inside the cave. As their footsteps drew nearer, the hearts of Yuga and Cynthia began to race.

These three individuals and whatever they were talking about had caught the attention of Yuga and Cynthia. They exchanged quick glances, fully aware of the potential danger.

The cave they were in was small and offered no hiding places. Venturing outside would mean a direct confrontation with the three newcomers.

As the three people entered the cave, they were met by Yuga and Cynthia sitting inside with serious expressions. The surprise was evident on their faces.

Yuga and Cynthia took a closer look at the three newcomers. The person in the middle appeared to be the leader, tall with a stern face and sharp, piercing eyes. The one on the left had an average build and an ordinary face, while the person on the right seemed slightly leaner and had a gloomy expression with cunning eyes.

What puzzled them was that these three individuals were dressed similarly to the ones they had encountered earlier who had perished in the snow.

"Who are you? How did you end up here?" the person on the left, the one with the sharp voice, demanded angrily.

"Who are you?" Yuga responded, feigning confusion.

Before the person on the left could speak further, the one in the middle, who seemed to be the leader, silenced him with a glance. He asked calmly, "Young man and young lady, are you here on an adventure as well?"

Yuga nodded, putting on a hesitant expression. "Yes, we are. We came to explore this mountain, but the Pokémon here have been acting strangely. They chased after us, and we ended up here without realizing it."

Yuga then appeared somewhat regretful. "We should have been more careful."

He continued with a question, "Are you gentlemen in the same situation as us? Do you know what's wrong with these Pokémon?"

Yuga's acting was seamless. He portrayed himself as an inexperienced young adventurer, while Cynthia remained quietly in the background.

The person in the middle, introduced as Billy, found a place to sit along with his two companions, Satoshi and Midori. Billy nodded in response to Yuga's question. "Indeed, we also arrived here unintentionally, much like your situation."

He then introduced himself and his companions. "I'm Billy, and these are my two brothers, Satoshi and Midori. May we know your names?"

Yuga maintained his act, appearing somewhat shy. "I'm Aota, and this is my cousin, Shiina."

Yuga and Cynthia had become somewhat known names, especially Cynthia, whose reputation had spread among people in Sinnoh region. To avoid any unexpected situations, Yuga decided to use aliases for both of them in this unfamiliar encounter.

Cynthia, not accustomed to handling such situations, left the interaction to Yuga. She remained quiet and observant, trusting Yuga to take the lead.

Billy, hearing Yuga's words, smiled and said, "So it's Aota and Shiina. By the way, we have some freshly picked Sitrus Berries here. Would you like to try some?"

Yuga politely declined, waving his hand. "No need, really. You've already worked hard to pick these. We have our own supplies."

He then revealed a standard backpack from behind his back, not wanting to arouse suspicion by showing their advanced space backpack provided by the temple.

Billy, appearing somewhat embarrassed, said, "I might have been meddling too much. Our things got lost on the mountain, and we thought you might be in the same situation."

Yuga could see through Billy's act. Losing their belongings might be true, but he was also carrying a package on his back, likely containing what they had mentioned earlier.

The group fell into a silent meal. While Yuga and Cynthia nibbled on their bread, they kept a watchful eye on the three strangers. It was clear to both parties that they were pretending, trying to play innocent while assessing each other's true intentions.

As time passed, night fell, and the valley grew even quieter. In the dimly lit cave, the crackling of the fire was the only sound.

In the dead of night, while everyone appeared to be asleep, a Gengar emerged from the shadows, silently approaching Billy, who was lying in the corner. It shook its head slightly, and two more Gengar joined in, conveying their message in silence.

Unbeknownst to these three Gengar, Yuga's Gengar had its head peeking out of the Shadow Space, fixating its cold gaze on the trio for a while before smirking and retreating back into the shadows.