Unlike previous traversals, the first thing Summer felt this time was a biting cold. The howling wind whipped fiercely, and the snowflakes hitting his face made it impossible to open his eyes.
Heat rapidly escaped from his body. Summer hugged his chest tightly, shivering uncontrollably. It wouldn't be long before the cold claimed his life.
Thankfully, he still had his Pokémon. The fierce blizzard was kept at bay by Hatterene's protective shield. Summer quickly brushed off the accumulating snow to prevent it from melting and soaking his clothes, which would lower his body temperature even further.
Ogerpon, wearing its Hearthflame Mask, raised its flaming thorn stick, providing precious warmth in the freezing cold.
Ursaluna held everyone close, using its large body to retain heat.
"Phew, you all really helped out," Summer said gratefully, rubbing his hands. Then, with a tone of apology, he added, "Are you all okay? I'm sorry for making you endure such harsh weather so suddenly."
The three Pokémon expressed that it was no problem. They had received a lot of care from Summer, so he shouldn't apologize.
"I understand," Summer nodded emotionally.
This space-time distortion location could be deadly. Without his Pokémon, the consequences would have been dire.
"Alright, let's find shelter or a cave to hide in first. Being exposed to the snow will drain our energy too quickly. We'll move again once the snow stops."
Everyone agreed. Hatterene, the main defense against the cold, estimated that the shield could last for a maximum of three hours. They needed to make the most of that time.
Summer noticed they were on a mountain path. With the heavy snow blocking their view, they had to be extra careful to avoid falling off a cliff.
"Roar!"
Ursaluna growled, offering to find a cave. Its keen sense of smell was its proudest advantage.
"Alright, I trust you, Ursaluna."
From what Summer knew, Ursaluna's keen sense of smell had helped people in ancient Hisui find treasures buried in the soil.
Hatterene blocked the wind and snow, Ogerpon provided heat, and Ursaluna searched for a destination. The three Pokémon coordinated perfectly. After some time, a cave finally appeared before them.
"We finally found shelter. Let's go inside," Summer said joyfully, happy to let everyone rest.
The blizzard was so fierce that snow filled the cave entrance. Summer planned to move deeper inside when Hatterene showed a curious expression, sensing a faint emotion from the depths.
Hearing Hatterene's report, Summer wore a puzzled look and murmured, "A Pokémon or a human? But since we're heading to the same place, we'll eventually meet. Let's be careful."
The group entered the cave. Despite the warmth from Ogerpon's thorn stick, the deeper they went, the colder it felt to Summer.
After about five minutes, with the aid of light, Summer finally saw what Hatterene had sensed: a little girl, shivering under a tattered cloth.
Though deep in the cave, frost had formed around her, looking very eerie.
"Ogerpon, bring the thorn stick closer."
Summer decided to help the girl, who was on the brink of death and their only potential source of information.
Under the firelight, the girl gradually stopped shivering.
"Cold problem solved. Next is food," Summer thought, then looked at Ursaluna. "Ursaluna, can you dig a hole in the ground for me?"
Ursaluna understood, knowing Summer would use his special ability.
With a strange green glow, an apple tree sprang up, laden with large fruits. Satisfied, Summer said, "Everyone, dig in."
Then he picked an apple, approached the unconscious girl, propped her up, and crushed the apple, feeding her the juice.
The apple juice, containing water and sugar, along with the rising temperature, increased her chances of waking up.
"Hatterene!"
Having eaten five apples, Hatterene approached Summer. Since he decided to save the girl, it would help too.
Mystical waves emanated from Hatterene's claws, the light entering the girl's body, restoring her strength.
Her once blue-purple cheeks turned rosy, and her stiff body relaxed as she seemed to fall into a peaceful sleep.
But in her sleep, the girl's expression turned painful. Sweat formed on her forehead as she began to breathe heavily. She suddenly sat up and shouted hoarsely, "Run! Sister!"
"Are you okay?"
A gentle voice sounded beside her. She turned her head, hoping to find a savior, but her expression quickly turned to terror. She cried helplessly, "Ah! Pokémon... don't eat me... sister, save me!"
She grabbed the tattered cloth, sitting on the ground and retreating rapidly until her back hit the cold rock wall, her heart nearly stopping.
Summer quickly understood from her expression that this must be an ancient time when people still feared Pokémon.
The three Pokémon exchanged looks. Were they that scary? They were just big, had sharp claws, and one wore a ghostly mask.
"Don't be afraid. They're my friends. They won't hurt you," Summer assured her, offering a bright red apple in the firelight. "You must be hungry. How about an apple?"
"An apple..." The girl swallowed. Hunger overcame her fear. Living in the snowy mountains, she rarely saw such fresh fruit. She ran over and devoured the apple hungrily.
"So sweet..." She ate and cried, sobbing, "Sister, I wish you could taste this too..."
Patiently waiting for her to calm down, Summer finally asked, "My name is Summer. Can you tell me yours?"
"Shulan."
Summer's kindness made the girl lower her guard, understanding that he and his Pokémon had saved her.
"Okay, let me introduce my friends. This masked one is Ogerpon. Despite its scary mask, it's very cute."
Ogerpon removed half its mask and looked at Shulan. Indeed, it was the cutest.
"This is Hatterene. It healed your weak body."
Hatterene bent down, smiling, trying to change Shulan's impression.
"Lastly, this is Ursaluna. It looks a bit scary but is very gentle."
Ursaluna waved its paw slightly, greeting without approaching Shulan.
"I'm sorry... you saved me, but I showed such fear..." Shulan's tone was full of apology.
"It's okay. You just woke up from a coma," Summer said. "Shulan, do you live nearby? How long does a blizzard usually last?"
"It won't stop." The girl's eyes were filled with pain and despair. She whispered bitterly, "It's been three months... my parents and sister disappeared in the snow."
"No one can leave this Glaseado Mountain."
(End of the chapter)