Chapter 530: Ice Gym Battle (2)
~Third POV~
[Sinnoh Region, Snowpoint City – Gym]
On the field, the terrain was a jagged graveyard of ice. Azure's Rotom hovered unsteadily, its plasma flickering, while Magmortar's cannons were rimmed with frost. Across from them, Candice grabbed two Poke Balls from her belt.
Candice shouted, her voice echoing, "You're good, Azure! Really good! But the gym leader of Snowpoint doesn't melt under pressure! We're just getting to the 'Extra Cold' part of the show! Abomasnow! Froslass! Let's go!"
*CRA-A-ACK*
Two Poké Balls burst open. A massive, pine-covered Abomasnow materialized, its roar shaking the icicles from the ceiling with its held item [Icy Rock]. Simultaneously, a graceful, kimono-clad Froslass drifted into the air, her eyes glowing with a ghostly, predatory light, holding her held item [Froslassite]. Immediately, the air grew even more turbulent…
*WHOOOOSH*
A fresh gale of snow and ice crystals whipped up as Abomasnow's Snow Warning ability took hold, resetting the Hail that had just begun to fade. Candice yelled, clutching a stone set into her dynamic glove, "It's not over! Froslass, transcend the frost and winter! Mega Evolve!"
*FLASH*
A blinding prismatic light erupted from the Froslass. Her silhouette shifted, becoming more ethereal, her ice-ribbons lengthening and glowing with an eerie, violet specter-light. Mega Froslass let out a high-pitched, haunting wail that sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the audience.
Gengar muttered in the stands, her playfulness replaced by a sharp focus, "Oh, this is bad. She's going for the sweep."
Platinum called out, forgetting her neutrality as a commentator for a split second, "Azure! Look out!"
Candice commanded, throwing her hand forward, "Double Blizzard! Let's end this now!"
The two Ice-types inhaled deeply.
The temperature in the gym plummeted to near absolute zero.
*FROOOOO-OOOOM*
A twin vortex of screaming white frost engulfed the battlefield. It was a localized extinction event. Azure's Magmortar and Rotom, already pushed to their limits, didn't stand a chance. The white-out was total.
*Thud*
When the snow settled, both of Azure's Pokémon were encased in blocks of solid ice, their eyes swirled into faints.
The referee statue called out, "Magmortar and Rotom are unable to battle!"
Azure didn't flinch. He calmly recalled his fallen friends, whispering a "thank you" to their Poké Balls. He reached for his last two spheres.
He knew this moment was coming. Azure said calmly, his voice cutting through the wind, "You're good, Candice. Now, let me show you the flame that never goes out."
He tossed the balls as he declared, "Infernape! Kleavor! Battle stations!"
*BOOM*
A burst of fire and a crash of stone. On the left stood Kleavor, the Axe Pokémon, with his held item [Muscle Band]. Its obsidian blades glinted like dark diamonds, and its multifaceted eyes locked onto Abomasnow with primal intensity. On the right stood Infernape with its held item [Expert Belt].
Candice grinned, though a bead of sweat finally formed on her brow. She commanded, "He's a Fire-type in a blizzard, Azure! Logic says he's at a disadvantage! Double Blizzard again! Don't let them breathe!"
The Mega Froslass and Abomasnow are prepared to unleash the storm again. The air began to crystallize into deadly shards.
*Shooooo*
But Azure grinned. He commanded, his voice dropping an octave, "Infernape, use Blaze. Right now! No holding back!"
Candice blinked as she muttered, "Blaze? But your health isn't—"
She didn't finish the sentence. Azure didn't wait for a pinch. He didn't wait for his Pokémon to be on the verge of fainting. The Blaze EX ability, Infernape's own latent potential, didn't follow the rules of a standard battle…
*WHOOOOOOOSH*
A pillar of crimson and gold fire erupted from Infernape. It wasn't a mere flare; it was a volcanic eruption.
The heat hit the stands like a physical wall, forcing Platinum to shield her face…
*HISSSS*
The Hail didn't just melt; it vanished. The ice pellets turned to steam before they could even hit the ground.
The arena, moments ago about to be attacked by a Blizzard, was suddenly evaporated into the heart of Infernape's fire. Candice shouted over the roar of the flames, her eyes wide with shock, "What is that power?!"
Gengar cackled, her red eyes glowing, and cheered, "That's the 'King of Embers' style! Look at the temperature gauges, Princess—they're redlining!"
Candice gritted her teeth.
The sudden shift in weather was a tactical nightmare. Her jaw dropped, commanding, "Froslass! Don't let that flame spread! Freeze it! Use your Spectral Ice!"
*Wooooosh*
Mega Froslass drifted forward, her eyes glowing a deep, necrotic purple. She reached out with her ribbons, and a wave of absolute-cold energy surged toward Infernape. This wasn't normal ice; it was infused with ghost energy, capable of freezing the intangible…
*Crackle*
It began to creep up the pillar of fire, turning the very flames into brittle, glowing statues of orange glass. Maylene gasped, "She's freezing the fire!"
Platinum observed, her voice trembling with awe, "It's a stalemate of elements!"
Candice grits her teeth, seeing the scene. She commanded, "Abomasnow, Froslass! Don't let the weather change the outcome! Double Blizzard! Freeze that fire!"
*WOOOOOSH*
The two Ice-types combined their efforts. Mega Froslass exhaled a breath of absolute zero, infused with spectral energy, while Abomasnow roared, unleashing a localized tundra. The twin gusts of white-blue frost spiraled together, a massive, swirling vortex of ice aimed directly at the burning monkey.
Azure roared, "Infernape, burn through it!"
Infernape let out a primal scream. It didn't use a move; it simply released a wave of heat that expanded outward, meeting the Blizzard head-on.
*Screee—CRACKLE*
The sound was agonizing—the sound of fire meeting ice at impossible temperatures. Mega Froslass's spectral ice was legendary; it could freeze the very wind, turn intangible spirits into statues.
It began to coat the outer edges of Infernape's fire, turning the flames into jagged, frozen sculptures of orange light. It was a terrifying sight—fire frozen in time.
Candice yelled, "It's working! Froslass, push harder!"
Azure smirked as he commanded confidently, "Not quite! Infernape, keep them busy. Kleavor, you have the opening. Strong Style: Stone Axe!"
While the elemental struggle dominated the center of the field, the obsidian warrior moved. Kleavor didn't just run; he blurred.
*SHING*
The air groaned under the weight of the Strong Style strike. By channeling more power into the move at the cost of speed, Kleavor's axes began to glow with a dull, earthen light. His Hidden Ability Sharpness hummed, amplifying the cutting edge of his stone blades to molecular precision.
Candice frantically switched targets upon seeing the incoming attack. She yelled, "Abomasnow, intercept with Wood Hammer!"
The massive forest king swung a glowing green fist, but Kleavor was a master of the hunt. He pivoted on a dime, his jagged feet carving ruts into the ice-turned-slush.
*THWACK-CRUNCH*
The axe descended. Stone Axe didn't just hit; it cleaved.
*THWACK*
The blow landed squarely on Abomasnow's shoulder, the force sending a shockwave through the floor that cracked the ice underneath. Jagged shards of stone—sharp as glass—erupted from the point of impact, embedding themselves in the ground around the Ice-type like a field of caltrops.
The giant Pokémon groaned, staggering back as the Strong Style power threatened to buckle its knees, "Aboma!"
*K—BOOM*
Jagged stones—the secondary effect of Stone Axe—erupted from the ground around it, pinning the giant in place. Candice called out in panic, "Abomasnow!"
Meanwhile, the battle of wills between Infernape and Mega Froslass reached its breaking point. The spectral ice had encased Infernape's lower half, but the monkey warrior grinned, his teeth bared in a fierce, primal joy.
Azure's fingers danced in the air, directing his team like a conductor as he commanded, "Now, Infernape! Break free into Fire Punch Close Combat."
Candice stammered, "In the ice?!"
Azure roared, "Now!"
*CRACK*
The frozen fire shattered. Infernape's muscles surged. With a roar that sounded like a backfiring engine, "INFERNAPPPPE!!"
Infernape burst through the icy shell Froslass had created, his body a blur of motion. The sheer speed of his strikes was impossible to track with the naked eye. He was a golden-furred thunderbolt.
*BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM*
He struck Mega Froslass four times in the span of a second, the [Expert Belt] around his waist glowing as he targeted her weaknesses.
Froslass took the hits, her spectral body flickering…
*Wooosh*
… but she was fast—she tried to fade into the shadows to avoid the final blow. Azure ordered, "Predict it! Fire Punch!"
*HISSSS*
Infernape's fist glowed with white light. He didn't aim where Froslass was; he aimed where she was going to reappear.
*POW*
The move is related to the force of a wrecking ball. Froslass was sent tumbling backward, her kimono-like body trailing frost.
Platinum noted, her voice hushed with awe, "They're perfectly synchronized."
Gengar nodded, floating over to pat Platinum on the head, much to the girl's surprise as she said cheekily, "Spot on, Princess! And look at Kleavor. Those stone shards he left behind? That's the 'Stone Axe' effect. Every time Candice tries to move her Pokémon, they're stepping on literal daggers."
Candice was sweating now, despite the cold. She looked at her two Pokémon. Abomasnow was panting heavily, the stone shards stinging its hide, and Mega Froslass was struggling to regain her flight.
Candice shouted, her competitive spirit reaching a fever pitch, "I won't lose here! Abomasnow, use Giga Drain on Kleavor! Froslass, use Shadow Ball on Infernape! Let's go all out!"
The green pulses of energy snaked out from Abomasnow's palms, reaching for Kleavor's life force. Simultaneously, Mega Froslass conjured a massive, swirling orb of purple shadows, launching it at the flaming ape.
Azure commanded, "Kleavor, Detect!"
The mantis-warrior's eyes flashed red. He stood perfectly still, his obsidian blades crossed. The Giga Drain tendrils lashed out, but Kleavor moved with a supernatural grace, swaying just inches out of reach of every single vine.
*Wooosh*
It was as if he knew where the attack would land before Candice even called it. Azure grinned as he instructed, "And for the Shadow Ball... Infernape, use a Strong Style Flare Blitz!"
Maylene shouted from the stands, "In this heat?! He'll take massive recoil!"
Azure said, his voice a low growl, "He doesn't care! Finish it!"
Infernape didn't just use Flare Blitz.
With Blaze EX still active, he became a miniature sun. The flames turned from orange to a searing, brilliant white. He launched himself like a rocket.
*BOOOOOOOOOM*
The Shadow Ball hit the wall of fire and was instantly vaporized. Infernape didn't even slow down. He traversed the distance across the Gym in a heartbeat, a trail of scorched earth following in his wake.
*CRASH*
He slammed into Mega Froslass. The impact was so violent that the shockwave shattered the remaining ice sculptures in the stands. A dome of white fire expanded outward, lighting up the entire Gym.
Candice cried out, "Froslass!"
As the smoke began to clear, a shadow loomed over the staggering Abomasnow. While Infernape was dealing the finishing blow to the Mega, Kleavor had moved in. He wasn't bothered by the heat or the smoke.
He was a predator, and his prey was cornered. Azure commanded, "Agile Style X-Scissor into Strong Style Stone Axe!"
*SLASH-SLASH*
Kleavor's blades crossed in a glowing green 'X', striking Abomasnow's chest with blistering speed. The giant Pokémon gasped, its defenses shredded by the rapid-fire strikes. Then, the finale.
Kleavor raised his right axe-arm high. The weight of the world seemed to settle into the stone blade…
*THOOM*
He brought it down with a roar that sounded like a mountain collapsing. The Strong Style Stone Axe hit with such force that it buried Abomasnow into the Gym floor. The ground erupted in a geyser of rock and ice.
*THUD*
Silence fell over the Snowpoint Gym.
The steam hissed as it rose toward the ceiling. The smell of ozone and burnt wood hung thick in the air. As the mist slowly dissipated, the results were clear.
Mega Froslass lay on the ground, reverted to her base form, with spirals in her eyes. Beside her, Abomasnow was slumped in a crater of its own making, completely unconscious. Azure's Infernape stood in the center of the ring, his fur matted and smoking, his chest heaving. The white-hot flames of Blaze EX died down back to a steady, rhythmic flicker atop his head.
He looked exhausted, but his eyes were triumphant. Kleavor stood beside him, nonchalantly cleaning an obsidian blade with his other axe, as if he hadn't just leveled a giant. The referee statue called out, his voice slightly shaky, "Froslass and Abomasnow are both unable to battle! The winners are Azure Sky and his team!"
Candice stood frozen for a long moment, her hands still raised as if to command Pokémon that could no longer hear her. Slowly, she let them fall to her sides. A long, slow breath escaped her lips.
She whispered, "Wow. That... that was something else."
Up in the stands, Platinum let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she exclaimed, "Incredible. The sheer density of the strategy... he didn't just win; he dismantled her entire field presence."
Maylene nodded, her expression one of deep respect as she added, "Azure plays a different game than the rest of us."
Gengar did a little flip in the air, cackling as she boasted, "That's my Boss! Told ya he'd melt this ice box!"
Azure walked across the field, his heavy boots echoing. He met Candice in the middle. The Gym Leader looked up at him, a genuine smile breaking through her shock. She asked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a shimmering, diamond-shaped badge and TM, "You're in a hurry to get to Lake Acuity, aren't you? You've more than earned this and the TM. The Icicle Badge. And more importantly, you have my permission to enter the Lake's perimeter."
[Item: Icicle Badge
Rarity Item: A+
Type: Key Item
Description: A Gym Badge, commonly referred to as simply a badge, is an item that serves as proof of a Pokémon Trainer's victory in a battle against a Gym Leader at a Pokémon Gym. With this badge, Ice-Type Moves are increased by 12.5%, and controlling Pokémon is easier for the Trainer to command.]
[Item: TM Avalanche
Rarity Item: -
Type: Technical Machine
Description: A Technical Machine used to grant memory knowledge of how to perform the move [Avalanche].]
Azure took the badge, the cool metal a sharp contrast to the heat still radiating from his skin and TM as he replied, "Thanks, Candice. You pushed us hard. That Mega Froslass is a nightmare to deal with."
Candice laughed, wiping a bit of soot from her forehead as she exclaimed, "Not enough of a nightmare, apparently! But seriously, Azure... stop them. Don't let Team Galactic take the spirits of the lakes."
Azure's expression hardened. Platinum and Maylene walked down from the stands, the former looking refreshed despite the cold, "Azure, that was truly remarkable. The way you integrated the Hisuian styles with modern abilities..."
Azure nodded to her as he replied casually, "It's going to take everything we have to stop the Galactic Bomb, Platinum. No more holding back."
Candice turned to Maylene as she said, "Hey, Maylene! Since these guys are heading into the thick of it, why don't you come with us to Lake Acuity? Two Gym Leaders are better than one if Team Galactic shows up with their commanders."
Maylene's eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "I'd be honored! My Lucario is itching for a real fight after watching that."
Azure looked toward the exit of the gym, but his gaze drifted further north, toward the looming shadow of the Snowpoint Temple. A strange sensation tugged at his mind—a memory of the lore he knew and the reality he now inhabited.
Azure said, causing them to pause, "You three head to the Lake."
Platinum asked, a hint of concern in her voice, "You're not coming with us immediately?"
Azure replied sternly, his eyes narrowing, "I need to check the Snowpoint Temple. There's something there—an ancient resonance. If Team Galactic is planning to capture the lake trio, they might be looking for a backup power source or a distraction. I need to confirm that 'He' is still sleeping."
Maylene tilted her head, "He?"
Azure said, the name carrying a heavy weight, "Regigigas. If Galactic gets their hands on the Colossus, the bomb will be the least of our worries."
The gravity of his words settled over the group. The victory high faded, replaced by the grim reality of their mission.
Platinum said, her voice regaining its noble steel, "I understand. Maylene, Candice, and I will secure Lake Acuity. We will protect Uxie with everything we have."
Azure said calmly, "I know you will."
He looked at his partners. Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder, Eevee scrambled up to his head, and the little Pichu (Mew) tucked itself safely into his jacket. Gengar floated over, settling into Azure's shadow, while Rotom zipped into his phone.
Azure commanded, "Let's move out!"
As they exited the gym, the group split. Platinum, Maylene, and Candice headed toward the outskirts of the city, flanked by their Pokémon, their silhouettes disappearing into the snowy haze toward the lake.
Azure turned toward the massive, ancient structure of the temple. The wind howled, sounding almost like a warning. Azure asked coolly, "Gengar, you ready for a little grave-robbing? Or rather, 'temple-inspecting'?"
Gengar's voice turned uncharacteristically serious as she asked bluntly, "Keke! If there are no mean ghosts, I'm in! But Boss... The energy coming from that place... It's old. Really old. Ancient old."
*Thump-thump-thump*
Azure muttered, stepping into the deep snow, his boots crunching with a rhythmic, "I know. But in this world, the past never stays buried for long. And besides, it's about time we add a few Legends to battle Cyrus."
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter!