The Odyssey crested the final swells of open water, the outline of Frostveil Isle growing sharper under the first light of dawn. Cyrus leaned against the rail, Ditto perched on his shoulder in its seagull form, wings twitching nervously. The warm morning breeze carried the scent of salt, but there were strange shards of cold that prickled his skin. Ice, floating lazily across the waves. Warm water. Ice.
"Fantastic," Cyrus muttered. "We discovered prehistoric monsters. Great. And they're still stampeding after the aquatic equivalent of chickens...those poor defenseless Magikarp never had a chance."
He gestured at the flickering golden flashes in the water — shoals of Magikarp. And, weaving among them, dull gray flashes hinted at something more intriguing, more purposeful: shoals of Feebas, drifting like forgotten jewels in the sunlit currents.
"Nature," he added dryly, "clearly has a sense of irony."
Then he saw it.
A colossal shape just below the surface, half-hidden in the rolling mist, moving with a deliberate grace that defied its size. Ice clung to its back in jagged sheets, drifting as though it were naturally shedding frozen fragments into the warm water. Its long neck and curving body broke the surface briefly, revealing the unmistakable silhouette of an Arctoness — the pure ice version of the Galar fossil Pokémon, scaled to the proportions of a lake monster. Multiple heads lifted in unison, scanning the horizon, sending floating ice tumbling around it.
Cyrus blinked. "Right. Okay. Ice in tropical water. Check. Prehistoric climate control. Check. An of course I didn't bring a parka. Ditto your gonna have another job this trip"
Ditto, still pretending to be a seagull, tilted its head and squawked — or something approximating a squawk. Meltan clicked its body against his pant leg, tiny electrical sparks jittering across its surface. Charcadet puffed flames nervously, tiny embers sputtering across the railing. Even Gengar, semi-transparent and phasing in and out of the crates nearby, leaned forward, eyes wide with cautious curiosity.
The Odyssey's hull scraped closer to the coral-studded beaches, warm water lapping over submerged rocks. Shadows shifted beneath the surface, silhouettes of coral heads and something far older. Omanyte moved with a slow, hypnotic pulse of its tentacles, digging through sand and picking off tiny crustaceans. Nearby, Pyukumuku clung to jagged rock formations, absorbing the brine and filtering detritus from the water, entirely unconcerned with the approaching humans.
Corphish scuttled in neat rows, snapping claws at anything that dared cross their path, while Anorith darted like miniature predators, hunting insect-like Pokémon and weaving in and out of the shallow waves. Shellder were everywhere, their shells clamping down on unsuspecting mollusks, ignoring the massive ship looming over them. Cyrus leaned closer to the railing, snapping a few notes on his scanner.
"Oh, brilliant," he said. "Omastar feasting on Shellder. You're welcome, nature. Really teaching my team about the food chain." He gestured to a lone Omastar, its tentacles writhing as it devoured a particularly plump Shellder in the reef, sending bubbles streaming up to the surface. "Delicious. Educational. And slightly horrifying."
On the sand, Kabuto scurried with surprising speed, navigating the rocks and tidal walls with practiced efficiency. Cyrus grinned. "Kabuto: nature's little vacationers, scuttling around like they own the place. Which, honestly, they do."
Further inland, the forest's edge hinted at life more substantial. Fronds shifted as though a Torterra lumbered through the undergrowth, thick shell moving beneath the trees. Taller shapes swayed above, the long necks of Alolan Exeggutor towering like prehistoric sentinels, their heads silhouetted against the pale sky. From somewhere farther inland, a piercing cry echoed — high, jagged, unmistakable: Aerodactyl, its shriek bouncing across the cliffs and distant hills, asserting dominance before even being seen.
Cyrus' eyes scanned the horizon. "Amazing. Fossils, predators, filter-feeders, and crustacean chaos. And yes, they all apparently read different chapters of the same survival guide." He tapped a finger against his scanner. "I swear, the Pokédex is going to be furious about this."
Ditto fluttered from his shoulder and morphed into a miniature Sharpedo, fins cutting the air like a sleek knife, then returned to seagull form. Gengar leaned against a crate, half-grinning in approval, the ghost Pokémon clearly entertained by the display of chaos below.
The water ahead darkened. Shapes moved in fluid harmony, almost theatrical. The Dunklevish group appeared first, sliding through the water like sleek, predatory sculptures. Six of them, eyes bright, muscles rippling beneath armored spines, following — no, chasing — the scattering shoals of Magikarp.
"Ah," Cyrus said, hands on the railing, "and here our fishy horror show continues. Dunklevish: aggressive, aquatic, terrifying. And apparently very, very picky eaters." He jabbed a finger toward the golden Magikarp. "Ladies and gentlemen, they're after the McNuggets of the sea. Enjoy the show."
One Dunklevish surged upward, brushing close enough to send salt spray across the deck. Meltan arched and sparked nervously; Charcadet's flames flared in response. Gengar hovered closer, translucent eyes wide.
Cyrus' voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "I call this the 'fish stampede,' everyone. Amazing. We discovered prehistoric monsters. Great. And they're stampeding after the aquatic equivalent of chickens, yet again."
The ship crested a shallow reef, coral and barnacles glittering beneath the morning sun. Warm water, but chunks of ice drifted across the surface, bobbing like unnatural icebergs. Cyrus' gaze followed the currents, and there it was again: Arctoness, gliding like a guardian along the coast. Its enormous body moved with deliberate grace, and the floating ice seemed to trail naturally from its back, as though it generated or carried the frozen fragments.
Cyrus squinted. "Oh, perfect. Ancient monsters with built-in refrigeration have come to see me off. Great for the climate, bad for my toes."
Charcadet hissed in agreement. Meltan clicked and scuttled nervously along the railing. Ditto fluttered closer, as if asking: Are we sure about this?
Beaches revealed more prehistoric life. Omanyte flicked in and out of tide pools, Pyukumuku clung stubbornly to rocky edges, and Corphish darted along the sand, claws snapping at invisible targets. Shellder clamped down on small crustaceans, while Omastar feasted in the reef — an elegant, cruel ballet of predator and prey. Kabuto darted along the sand and rocks, following tidal lines and occasionally disappearing into small holes.
The forest beyond the beach shifted ominously. Leaves rustled as shadows moved beneath them. Tall forms, impossible to fully discern, swayed among the trunks. Alolan Exeggutor fronds moved gently, and the rumbling of a heavy shell suggested Torterra traversing the terrain. Above, Aerodactyl cries punctuated the morning air, distant but sharp, sending shivers through the crew.
Cyrus grinned despite himself. "And the fun part? We haven't even set foot on land yet."
The Odyssey crested the final stretch toward the beach. Warm sand glinted beneath the shallow waves, ice shards from Arctoness' wake bobbing in the current. Cyrus' team assembled at his side, ready for observation.
"Alright," he muttered, adjusting his pack. "Ditto, you're the lookout and potential Parka. Meltan, try not to electrocute anything edible. Charcadet, keep the fire to a minimum. Gengar, do not phase into Omastar's lunch."
Ditto saluted by flapping its tiny wings. Meltan sparked nervously. Charcadet flicked a flame reluctantly, Gengar floated with a ghostly smirk.
Cyrus watched the waves, a hand resting on the railing, scanning every movement. Dunklevish streaked behind the Magikarp, shoals scattering, silver flashes cutting the water. Feebas wove through like forgotten jewelry, Omanyte tentacles stirring sand, and Kabuto darted over rocks with methodical speed.
He exhaled. "This island… it's alive. Every inch of it. Prehistoric predators, filter feeders, tropical icebergs, and apparently some kind of ghostly sidekick approval committee."
Ice drifted across the water in slow, deliberate motions, the Arctoness moving along the coast as though inspecting intruders. Cyrus squinted. "Alright, Arctoness, welcome committee noted. Can you… tone it down a little? My data logs are already screaming."
The crew began lowering the boarding ramp. Cyrus felt the sand beneath his boots for the first time, warm yet interspersed with cold shards from the drifting ice. He moved closer to the reef, eyes scanning every curve and crevice.
"This," he said aloud, mostly to himself, "is going to be both amazing and absolutely terrifying. But at least my sarcasm is fully operational."
The island stretched ahead — beaches giving way to dense forests, hints of unseen predators, and the soft ripple of distant water movement where something far larger than any human had left its mark.
"Okay," he muttered, gripping his pack, "welcome to Frostveil Isle. Try not to die, team. And remember — everything here is either watching, ancient, or very, very hungry."
Ditto morphed briefly into a miniature Sharpedo, gliding across the sand like a tiny scout. Meltan clicked nervously. Charcadet's flames sputtered. Gengar leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
Cyrus chuckled. "Perfect. Let's meet our prehistoric neighbors and hope they appreciate sarcasm."
The island waited. The reefs shimmered. The beaches teemed. And far off, in the mist, something ancient watched — ice clinging to its back, Arctoness' enormous form cutting through warm waters as if the island itself breathed around it.
Cyrus grinned. "Alright, universe. I see your challenges. And I accept. Bring it."
The universe heard and responded to Cyrus, as the moment he thought that a roar so loud it made is whole body tremble was heard.