Despite not holding any grudge against Keldeo, Articuno had grown weary—it just wanted to go back to sleep in its cave. So it began to fight more aggressively.
Each flap of its wings unleashed a flurry infused with Articuno's core power, sweeping down relentlessly on the galloping Keldeo. The icy snowflakes stuck to Keldeo's hide, forming thick layers of frost that steadily slowed it down.
Fortunately, Keldeo's Water typing gave it strong resistance to Ice-type moves. When it began circulating its innate Water-type energy, it was able to shake off the encroaching frost and recover.
"So cold…"
Rex shivered as he felt the surrounding temperature plummet. Waves of chill pierced into his body. If he weren't a martial artist now, he wouldn't have been able to endure standing this close to a battle between legendary Pokémon.
Brycen, on the other hand, looked unfazed—he had trained on this mountain for years and had long since developed resistance to the cold.
As both Pokémon unleashed their full strength, the falling snow thickened. Even from a short distance away, Rex and Brycen could barely make out two blurred silhouettes darting through the whiteout.
"Hey, Brycen… you've trained on this mountain so many times. You never noticed Articuno lived here?" Rex asked, filling the lull with conversation.
"Not once," Brycen replied with a sigh. "This place is massive. I've only ever explored tiny sections of it at a time."
He looked genuinely regretful. Articuno was a legendary Ice-type, a dream encounter for a specialist like him. Even if he couldn't catch it, just having Beartic spar against it a few times would've been invaluable training.
"Well, you know now," Rex grinned. "Articuno doesn't seem all that hostile. Maybe if you keep visiting, it'll warm up to you."
"Haha, you're right about that."
Far above, Articuno suddenly felt a chill—not from the cold, but a bad premonition. With growing irritation, it intensified its attacks and released a Dry Freeze.
The Dry Freeze was a devastating technique—extra effective against Water-types. Articuno had been saving it to catch Keldeo off guard, and sure enough, the exhausted colt was caught unprepared. One misstep, and it was frozen solid.
"Reeee!"
Satisfied that Keldeo was incapacitated, Articuno immediately withdrew its presence and returned to its cave, ignoring the now-frozen opponent.
The ice wouldn't endanger Keldeo's life—it was more of a punishment. Once it recovered enough strength, it would be able to break out on its own.
With the clash finally over, the blizzard began to subside. Sunlight pierced through the cloud cover, casting a golden glow over the snow-laden peak. Rex and Brycen squinted against the warmth of it.
"Rex," Brycen said, standing up, "Articuno and Keldeo are done. I'm heading back to help coordinate the return of the mountain Pokémon. Are you coming?"
"You go ahead," Rex replied. "I'll help Keldeo first."
This was a perfect chance to build rapport with the legendary Pokémon—no way was Rex going to pass that up.
"All right. Be careful. If anything happens, contact me or Master Layton immediately."
Confident in Rex's strength, Brycen gave a few parting words before soaring away on his Noivern.
Once Brycen was gone, Rex approached the large ice sphere encasing Keldeo. When he touched the surface, the bitter chill nearly numbed his fingers.
"Blaziken, I'm counting on you—use Flamethrower!"
He released Blaziken and directed it to begin melting the sphere.
But this ice wasn't normal—it contained traces of Articuno's origin energy. Even at full power, Blaziken's flames could only melt it gradually, bit by bit.
"Huh? What's that?"
While waiting, Rex noticed a shimmering glint in the snow nearby. Curious, he walked over and dug it out.
It was cold to the touch—almost like holding solid ice.
"A feather… from Articuno?"
The moment he saw it, the name popped into his mind. A beautiful, crystal-blue feather, undoubtedly lost during the earlier battle.
Even a single feather from Articuno was a rare treasure. It held lingering traces of the legend's power—an incredible boon for any Ice-type Pokémon. Prolonged exposure to the feather could enhance their mastery over Ice-type energy.
Crack!
Just as Rex was admiring the feather, a loud crack snapped his attention back—the ice sphere had mostly melted, and now large fissures were appearing.
Keldeo suddenly burst out of the weakened shell. Its breath was shallow, and its movements sluggish—it looked exhausted, and deeply frustrated by its defeat.
"You all right, Keldeo?" Rex asked.
"I'm okay. Thanks…" Keldeo responded quietly, clearly downcast.
"Don't feel too bad. Articuno may be stronger now, but you've still got time. Keep training—you'll surpass it one day."
"You're right… I'll keep pushing forward. I have to master Sacred Sword—I won't let Cobalion and the others down."
Rex's pep talk had the desired effect. For a young Pokémon like Keldeo, a few encouraging words were enough to lift its spirits.
Deep in the cave, Articuno still kept a faint awareness of the outside world. Sensing that Keldeo had broken free, it finally relaxed, letting its mind slip into peaceful rest.
As for the lost feather? Articuno didn't particularly care—it had more. Let the human have it.
(End of Chapter)