Unknowingly, the snow on the mountain had stopped. The temperature around Naoki dropped slightly, but thankfully, the effects of the [Cold Resistance Protection] had not yet worn off.
It had been over three hours since he left the ranch, which meant he still had more than two hours before the protection ended.
'That's plenty of time,' Naoki thought.
Koraidon was flying leisurely through the air. Although the snow had ceased, the sky remained overcast, with no trace of sunshine. Occasionally, a few Delibirds flew by, flapping their wings.
Naoki's attention was drawn to their tails. According to his knowledge, the tails of Delibird were hollow and used to store and transport food.
These frigid Pokémon were always busy carrying food back to their nests at the top of cliffs, where their chicks eagerly awaited.
Unlike more aggressive Pokémon that might attack humans, Delibird were known for their kindness. They had a habit of sharing their food, not just with other Pokémon but also with humans. It was common for Delibird to give part of their food to people stranded in the snowy mountains, often saving lives.
It was said that many people in distress in the mountains each year were rescued thanks to the provisions brought by Delibird.
Delibird were quite endearing, and for many trainers, they made excellent companions. Naoki recalled a special episode where a Delibird raised by the masked man Pryce had an impressive record, even defeating a legendary Pokémon like Ho-Oh.
At that moment, Naoki suddenly sensed someone watching him. He turned around and saw a Delibird flying behind him.
Noticing that it had been spotted, the Delibird waved its red wings at him and then sped up, coming alongside Koraidon. It used its wings to take out two berries from its tail and offered them to Naoki.
"Um?"
Naoki was slightly stunned by the gesture. For a second, his mind went blank, but then he realized why the Delibird had done this. Covered in snow and wearing very thin clothing, he must have looked like someone in distress to the kind-hearted Pokémon.
The thought made Naoki smile.
The Delibird chirped enthusiastically but, without waiting for thanks, turned to fly away, likely to continue gathering food.
Seeing this, Naoki quickly called out, "Wait a minute, Delibird!"
"Bibi?"
The Delibird paused in mid-air, confused. It turned around and glanced at Naoki and the massive Koraidon beneath him. Suddenly, it seemed to realize something—it had only given two berries, and surely that wasn't enough for both of them!
For a Pokémon as large as Koraidon, one berry wouldn't even begin to satisfy its appetite. But the Delibird had only found five berries today, and now it had already given away two.
It was difficult to find food in the snow, and the Delibird hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed. After a long pause, it took out another berry from its tail and offered it to Naoki.
Seeing this, Naoki smiled and shook his head.
He gently returned the fruit to the Delibird and said, "Thank you so much for the food, but we don't need it. You should keep it for yourself!"
"Bibi?"
The Delibird tilted its head, a bit confused.
Naoki noticed the tail it was holding, and from the outside, he could see that there were only two berries left inside. 'This Delibird is so kind,' he thought, 'It gave away most of its food just like that.'
Given that fruit trees don't grow in snowy regions, these fruits must have been gathered by Delibird after flying long distances.
He considered this for a moment, then took out some of the food he had brought along from his backpack. He had saved these items—honey buns, berries, Lucky Pudding, and ham sandwiches—to lure Glaceon back to the ranch.
Since he had plenty, Naoki decided to give some of it to the generous Delibird, even helping it by placing the food into its tail.
"Bibi?!"
The Delibird looked astonished at the unexpected bounty.
Naoki smiled warmly and said, "I have plenty of food, so these are for you!"
"Bibi."
Just then, Koraidon let out a cry, reminding Naoki that they were nearing their destination.
Naoki waved goodbye to the Delibird, "Goodbye, Delibird!" He refocused his attention on the unique Sancha Cliff ahead of him.
...
Sancha Cliff was a very special formation, resembling the hand of a Pokémon. For this reason, it was named the Frosted Hand by the people of Paldea, making it one of the "Ten Scenic Spots of Paldea," and one of the region's most celebrated landscapes.
Koraidon slowly descended onto the cliff. Naoki jumped off and began surveying the area from the top.
Here, he saw several Snom and a few Froslass. However, because he was specifically searching for Glaceon, these Pokémon didn't capture his interest.
After scanning the area, Naoki found no trace of Glaceon.
He pondered briefly, then mounted Koraidon again and said, "Let's check below!"
"Raao!" Koraidon cried out, spreading its wings and gliding down from the Frosted Hand.
They soon descended into the valley at the base of the cliff. This place was also blanketed in snow, but being surrounded by tall cliffs, the temperature here was slightly warmer than above.
The valley was filled with tall pine trees and some cold-resistant vegetation.
Near the trees, Naoki noticed several Sawsbuck and Deerling in their winter forms. The Pokémon were aware of his presence but, being docile creatures, they merely watched from a distance without approaching.
Naoki didn't pay much attention to the surrounding Pokémon. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, raising his head to confirm that he was still facing the Frosted Hand. Then, he began to search the area carefully.
It wasn't long before he spotted a cave hidden behind an inconspicuous snow pile.
Naoki's eyes lit up. 'This must be the cave where Henry said Glaceon was spotted!'
He moved toward the cave, initially intending to rush straight in. However, he remembered how Henry had been chased out of a cave by an angry Beartic, so he stopped at the entrance and cautiously peered inside.
The cave appeared vast, with no visible end, and it seemed to branch off into multiple paths.
"Koraidon, do you sense any powerful Pokémon nearby?" Naoki asked.
Koraidon sniffed the air carefully, then shook its head, "Raao."
'No?' Naoki thought. 'Does that mean the Pokémon living in this cave is out?' With the recent snowfall, it was possible that the Pokémon had left to search for food.
"Let's go in and take a look first," Naoki decided.
They ventured deeper into the cave. As they progressed, Naoki realized just how large and deep the cave was. The exterior had been deceiving, but inside, it felt expansive and almost foreboding.
The deeper they went, the more the atmosphere changed. Soon, they reached a fork in the path.
Naoki paused at the fork, pondering which direction to take. After a moment of consideration, he randomly chose a path and continued. The cave was eerily quiet, the sound of his and Koraidon's breathing amplified in the silence. If he listened closely, he could even hear the faint sound of water dripping somewhere in the distance.
Suddenly, Koraidon stopped and looked toward a downward-leading fork in the path ahead.
"Raao?" Koraidon murmured.
Naoki was slightly taken aback. "What is it? Did you find something?"
Koraidon nodded its large head and took the lead.
They walked for about ten minutes, navigating a long, narrow, and dark passage. Eventually, the space ahead opened up, revealing a hidden underground cave.
The sight before them was breathtaking. Stalactites, resembling ice cones, hung from the cave's ceiling, and not far ahead was a deep blue lake emitting a chilling mist. In the center of the lake lay a small island, atop which stood a crystal-clear ice rock.
Koraidon's eyes were drawn to the ice rock. It could feel an immense ice-type energy emanating from it.
Naoki also gazed at the ice rock in wonder. 'What could that be?' he wondered.
He urged Koraidon forward, and the Pokémon leaped onto the island in the lake.
Just as Naoki was about to examine the ice rock more closely, a cold, high-pitched cry echoed from behind him.
"Bu-yi!"
...
"You've made it this far, so you definitely know what button to hit next, right? 😉 Show some love, trainers!"