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Chapter Four: Enter the Fray

“This is the tool to end all wars, Darnéy. Give the order. The world is ready. It is time to awaken the Marble King.”
— Administrator [REDACTED] to Chancellor Darnéy Scyther of the Kingdom Senate.

Wind whipped by Kida’s face as the world shook. Snow and ice bit into her fur after being kicked up by the Aggron’s heavy steps. Down and down Calur carried her, barreling forward with gravity through anything that stood in between them and the bottom of the mountain. Solid ice and rocks shattered against his worn, steel armor— the Aggron was faster than a Graveler shooting down a mountain slope. He might have rescued her from the avalanche, but no matter how fast he ran, Calur seemed to be losing his ground to the new threat. She squirmed in his embrace, peeking out from his grip, and saw the gates of hell open up on the slopes above.

She heard the howls: terrible and loud, scratching at her ears the entire time during the chase. Above the wind and the Aggron’s loud breathing, she heard them. Ringing through the empty, cold mountains of Saltus Valley, the howls only grew louder and increasingly ominous with each passing second. Not even the screeches from the protesters she put down during the riots in Cobalt Town last month were that loud or persistent. However, she wanted to fight. Dying to these demons wasn’t an option.

Snow and fragmented rocks blistered her face from Calur’s race down the slope. Kida looked back and saw them. Their horrendous howls matched their dead, rotting appearance. They weren’t Pokémon. Not anymore. However, the defining features of the demons were not their necrosis, but the ice that coated and jutted out from their putrid skin.

A decayed Blastoise lead the charge with a broken shell and canons. A roar blasted from its cracked, frozen jaw and echoed through the mountains. Beside the roaring tortoise, a Rapidash, Shiftry, and several others, each in various states of decay stampeded through the thundering snow. Kida saw just why Calur ran instead of fight.

“A-Almost there, Kida! I see the bottom!” Calur screamed as they went careening towards the earth. Wind blew in her face, making her fur whip back and fourth. She opened her squinting eyes just in time to see an obstructing boulder shatter instantly with a single thrust of Calur’s arm, clearing the path down the slope. Kida wasn’t sure if the Aggron was even running any more and simply surfing the frozen gravel down to the ground. Her heart pounded furiously, threatening to burst from her chest if it kept up.

Snarls echoed behind and the beast’s icy forms leapt through the air, bearing down on the two fleeing Kingdom warriors. They were catching up to them, seemingly propelled by the strength of Erebus itself. Calur took one look behind and swore quietly before looking down. The pack was far more vast than they both could imagine; they wouldn’t be able to fight them all.

“Alrigh’ Comm’ander! Hang on! Time to go!” Calur shouted at the top of his lungs. Kida didn’t have time to process what he meant before he squeezed her cold, wet, and bruised body to his chest and jumped into the air. They flew for a split second until gravity acted and without delay, they crashed to the slope. Ice and rock split under his weight and soon the slope transformed into a crude slide of frozen gravel beneath them. Kida simply tucked her head down and silently said good-bye.

Efang... Terminance... Jack... I’ll miss you guys...

Air was knocked from her lungs at the sudden lurch of Calur’s steel-plated back slamming against the slope. All around her, she saw nothing but snow spraying up around them in glorious blasts of white powder. Calur curled his body to protect her from the snow and to decrease his friction. Kida’s mouth hung open— there was no way this was happening. Calur had always had a reputation as a bulky fighter, but not a rescue strategist. Yet despite being outnumbered and nearly outrun, Cal hadn’t fought back, but instead thought up another life-saving plan.

Kida sat on his rough stomach as she looked out over his curled, armored knees. Chased by bandits in an underground lake, sure. Surviving lethal poison clouds, done. But this... Sliding a fellow soldier down a mountain face while escaping hellish monsters ... This is new...

Snow and ice peppered her fur, but compared to being entombed in it, this was nothing. Kida glanced back at the rapidly disappearing mountain heights and saw no trace of the demons. They had outrun them for the brief moment. We... We did—

“Whoah! HOLD ON!” Calur suddenly screamed.

Kida felt herself and Calur launch upwards, leaving the earth in an explosion of rock and snow. They were airborne, hurtling through the air in a long arc over the jagged slope, and rapidly approaching terminal velocity. All in all, she had faced worse odds. Digging her claws into his steely chest, she felt his thick arms surround her as their arc through the air began to decompose. Don’t worry, Cal. I’m holding on... Just get us down in one piece, please...

Mist whipped by them and wind tore at her grip, threatening to rip her away from the only being who could keep her alive. Sound whistled over the chinks and groves in Calur’s armor, piercing her ears the way nothing had before. Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to worry any longer as her world exploded in a surge of shattered ice.

Impact occurred in a flash of pain and sudden panic when she couldn’t feel her legs. Gasping for pained breaths, she rolled off the motionless Aggron. Her battered body slid down the side of the crater their impact created at the foot of the collassial mountains. Above her, frozen clouds rumbled at their actions, sending chunks of powdered ice down to baptise them into Saltus Valley’s cruel worldscape in rage. Dazed, legs weak, and her stomach threatening to turn itself inside out, she crawled on all fours over the flattened snow to Calur’s limp head.

“C-Cal...?” No answer greeted her wobbling question. Grunting, she pulled herself up on her elbows and lightly tapped the dented steel on his cheeks. “C-Cal?! ...C-Come on, big guy... Wake up, Calur...” She felt the overwhelming urge to cry, but found she couldn’t. Instead, she just placed a despondent paw on his face.

“... Kalitka? ... W-Why is your paw on my face?” Calur’s gravelly voice echoed through the rumbling valley.

“Cal!” Kida nearly squealed, embracing the top portion of his head in an unsoldierly fashion. The battered Aggron groaned and shook his head, freeing himself before he sat up.

“Oy! That’s gonna leave a bruise...” Kida could plainly see why. On his back, several of his rigid, steel plates were dented inward. All along his body, he bore the scars of their harrowing escape from the mountain heights. Calur shook himself off and a flurry of powdery snow fell from his dented armor. “But bruises heal in time, doncha worry, Comm’ander!”

The next several minutes were blank for the Zangoose, most likely spent leaning against Calur’s study frame while she gasped for breath and rationalized what just happened. She had been trapped beneath the snow on the mountain after the avalanche that occurred after the sky fell. Kida groaned, rubbing her temples with her paws. It was nearly surreal, no matter which way she looked at it. But, nothing in her dizzy head could make sense of the tree-like figure quickly closing in on them.

It took her a moment to realize the figure as Terminance. The odd but loyal tree had somehow survived the fall as well.

“It is truly good and right that I have seen you both again. I feared for your lives, especially when you ascended that mountain. ... Calur? ... I take it you are alone with Kalitka?” The Trevenant’s dry voice was sudden and it quickly locked in Kida’s attention. She was glad that Terminance had survived as well, but she needed answers. Groaning, she lifted herself up and dusted her fur off.

“Cal? Terminance? ... What happened to the others? Geraz? Efang? Everyone else?” She said stiffly, trying to take control of the situation again and avoid another breakdown.

The Trevenant stiffened, his woody body trembling. She looked to the Aggron and that marked the second time she had ever seen the Aggron cry.

“Get back on track, Kalitka. What happened after you evaded these ‘demons’ on Mount Ferlan?”

The Zangoose growled, her arms rattling against her restraints in the stiff, iron chair. Her interrogator eyed her impassionately, tapping the table impatiently with his metal claws. She saw his lack of patience, but wasn’t about to satisfy him or his Kingdom bosses.

“I am telling the story. You’ll hear what I want to say, Bisharp...” Kida hissed, putting extra emphasis on his species’ name. He flinched slightly, a reaction she had hoped to garner. However, instead of ordering or forcing her to talk, he simply sighed while lifting up the icy-blue Frism. The mystical, recording device sparkled in his claws. Kida watched intently as the interrogator whispered to it.

“Prisoner is uncooperative. Will resume interrogation after prisoner has been reasoned with.” With that, his claw tapped the frozen device and the mystical recording device’s round opening immediately froze over, sealing away everything Kida had said so far forever.

Kida glared at the Bisharp harshly while she squirmed in her bonds. Her Zangoose claws had managed to slice through the ropes holding her, but not the chains around her wrists she was still working on. A sharp, metallic clang echoed through the chamber and the fatigued Zangoose looked up to see the Bisharp officer lock the dungeon door shut. Silence hung in the air following the action as the guard quietly walked over to her, a sharpened blade raised. As soon as he was directly in front of her, his face staring into hers coldly, the claw dropped.

However, not a hair on her body was cut.

“... No one else is listening, Kida” the guard said with a wry smile, retracting the blades on his hands.

Kida remained resolute for a long while, her glare not wavering until one of the Bisharp’s hand gently brushed out a tangle in her fur. At that point, her stony facade faded.

“Thanks, Kaiser... “ she whispered, a genuine smile spread across her face.

“No problem, Kida... Never thought I’d see you here, to be honest. Thought you and Jack would be beyond capture, you know?” he whispered, turning his head towards the door every few seconds.

“Kaiser... Is it—” she began, but never got to finish.

“Before you ask, no,” he grunted, as he fiddled with the lock for her chains before letting go in frustration. “I can’t get you out of here, Kida. It’s through sheer luck I managed to get myself assigned to your interrogation, but I can’t do anything else at the moment except keep up the facade and hope something opens.”

The room had been dark before, but now Kida thought it went even darker. What little hope she had of escaping this ordeal faded further into the abyss. Sighing, the Bisharp eventually looked up at her again.

“Listen... I know the impetus behind your and Jack’s actions... I know most of the story. I know you’re not traitors. They’ve got an execution date set, Kida. I’m trying my best to find out more, but—” Kaiser’s whispered explanation was interrupted by a swift rap on the thick wooden door. A metallic tap, but not like Kaiser’s blades. Kida’s eyes widened, if her suspicions were right, things were about to get much, much worse.

From the other side of the sizable door, a voice sounded out in protest, demanding it be opened. While muffled, the tone was unmistakable. Bringing a hand to his mouth to signal silence, Kaiser put on his facade of the cold, passionless guard and she swiftly resumed her role of the bitter, betrayed squad leader. With a deep breath, the Bisharp pulled the deadbolt open and swung the door open for the visitor.

It was him. Instantly, her body was filled with a rage that shook her small frame.

“Thank you, Officer,” said the new voice, dripping with privilege and money.

“Lieutenant, sir. Not officer. I’m ... from the Army,” Kaiser stiffly corrected, an uncertain, bitter frown on his face hid more.

“... You will address me as ‘Governor’ not merely ‘sir,’ understood, Officer?”

A tense moment passed as Kida watched Kaiser’s mouth twitch under his helmet. “Yes, Governor...”

Kida jerked violently against her bindings, desperately trying to break free. An impassioned rage burned from her heart at the mere sight of the creature before her. Her claws extended behind her back, vainly trying to slice through the linked metal as the sniveling, aristocratic rat with wings walked towards her. A sneer was firmly etched into his metal beak.

“Hello, Kalitka.” He glanced down at her bindings, clucking disapprovingly. “Freedom really doesn’t suit you, my dear. Chains really are the only way to go for the likes of you.”

She said nothing in retort, insteading opting to silently fume in her rage towards the bird. Her head hung low, refusing to meet his gaze.

“Hmm... I really don’t like that attitude of yours. Seems three years of playing fugitive haven’t helped it at all.” One of his wings pressed under her chin, holding her head up to his level. “Tell me, Kalitka. Do you fear me now?”

This time, she reacted. Kida coughed once and then immediately spat straight in the Skarmory’s face.

“Not at all, Richelieu.”

The one thing Jack hated more than snow was being lost. Now, both those hatreds were being put to the test. Together, he and Sir hiked through the white substance that blanketed absolutely every uncovered inch of Saltus Valley. Rocks stuck to his sore, cold feet as they walked on and was putting his military training to the test.

“Sir? Do you even know where we are going?” Jack asked, huffing for breath behind the Ampharos. Sir twisted his head back at him and glared.

“Quiet your mouth, Cloud-Breaker. We are on treacherous territory. Walk the path and watch your steps cautiously. Erebus and evil do not sit idly while we wag our tongues,” Sir snapped back, slipping in yet another old saying into his words. Jack groaned and bit his tongue, barely hissing in his irritation. Despite the heart-to-heart they had the night before, Sir had not told him anything on what their plan was going forward. Only that the he had it in mind to melt the entire valley. Such a plan was strange, even by Jack’s standards.

The Golduck paused where he stood, legs knee-deep in the thick snow. “Sir, considering I am a vital part of this plan of yours, I am politely asking to know what we are doing...” Nothing.

“Sir!” Jack was running once more now, kicking aside snow furiously until he faced the resolute Ampharos. “Tell me what we’re marching off to! Please! I refuse to go a step further unless you reveal our destination!” Sir stared at him incredulously, folding his arms across his chest. Wind whipped about them both on the highroad, driving more snow over their feet.

“I thought you trusted me, Cloud-Breaker? Apparently, this was not so. And, is it not a military strategy to not confide in one being a plan in its entirety?” The Electric-type shook his head in mock disappointment. “From your stare, it seems like you never learned of it. Well, Cloud-Breaker, unfortunately it means it is wiser for you to know little until we get to where we need to—”

“No!” His roar echoed through the valley and Sir stiffened. Jack panted hard, looking for some way to follow up his defiance. The ice-axe in his hand rose to be level with the Ampharos’s face, yet even as he did so, Jack felt a sensation of falling and failing. It was like he was threatening his parents or friends— someone beyond his capacity for violence, despite barely knowing the Pokémon.

His eyes glowed with an inner rage and power coursed through his body. He had given up everything. There was a choice he made back outside the caves to follow the Ampharos instead of searching for his squad. He had made the choice that claimed to be morally correct—helping the helpless restore their home from the wrongs committed against them. And he had taken the bait completely like a floundering fish.

“ What is the plan, Sir?! Tell me!”

“The Palace... The heart of its evil enterprise—”

Suddenly, the rocky path collapsed and a blast of energy pulsed through air, rippling it as if it was water.

It happened without warning; one invisible explosion triggered the complete destruction of the path. Like a leaf, Jack’s body crumpled in the wind and flew in a long arc through the air. Snow provided little cushion for the Golduck as he slammed into the ground, skidding across rocks, fallen trees, and black ice. However, it didn’t hurt nearly as much as before from his fall from the sky. Groaning, he felt his training begin to kick in and the pain being ignored. Jack rose to his feet; his precious axe still gripped tightly in his bloodied hand.

In the first few seconds, he noticed two key things: Sir was still alive, albeit in worse shape than he was in, and that the enemy responsible for the invisible strike was approaching. A black cylindrical being floated above the rubble and ice. White carvings on its body glowed menacingly while its head made a strange series of hollow clicking noises before moving closer to the two injured travelers. Jack swore. There was no escaping its line of sight—its head was encircled by ten wide, orange eyes.

However, it looked different from any Claydol Jack had ever seen before. The black, stone-like skin was pierced from within by jagged shards of ice and its enigmatic head twitched erratically.

“Frostbitten... Don’t get infected...” Sir wheezed from beside him, coughing up a spot of fresh blood onto the pristine snow.

Nodding, Jack stood in front of the fallen Ampharos and held his axe tight. The deranged Claydol let out a grating screech that drilled into Jack’s ears. Cringing, Jack managed to look up to see that the floating Pokémon had vanished from atop the ruined path.

Huffing, Jack slowly turned in a full circle, his webbed feet crunching in the dirtied snow. The Claydol was gone, but he knew that it wasn’t. All around them was the gentle quietness of the frozen landscape, but nothing else. He wanted to scan more for the elusive assailant, but Sir’s wounds were more pressing. Gnarled, barren trees stood in a silent watch all around them as Jack bent down to examine Sir’s injuries.

“Shoulda seen that coming... Gah! Bit my tongue hard back there...” Sir groaned, leaning up slowly while spitting out another wad of blood onto the snow.

“Come on, Sir. Let’s see it...” Jack urged, tugging at Sir’s paws that he held over his stomach.

The Ampharos was battered, but the old Pokémon was conscious and definitely capable of hissing curses through his clenched teeth. Jack moved aside his paw and saw the worst of the wound. Fortunately, it was only an ugly splotch of discolored skin across his white stomach and a few minor cuts along his body. Jack dug in his pouch and dropped two Oran raisins in Sir’s paw.

“Thank you, Cloud...” Sir suddenly tensed. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Jack searched the older Pokémon for a sign of discomfort, but found nothing new. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, his gaze fell on Sir’s wide, fearful eyes as they rapidly darted from Jack to his left. Without a word, Jack realized what the Ampharos was trying to communicate.

Gripping the ice-axe in one hand, Jack stood up and spun around to face to irritate Claydol. Focusing, Jack brought his other hand to the handle as the sharpened pick began to glow a dark, watery, blue as fluid energy rushed from his body to the axe.

“Grraaaa-AHHH!” Jack yelled as he swung the axe up towards the cylindrical Pokémon’s floating head. The creature’s orange eyes glowed and a wave of mind-squeezing pain came over him, trying to throw off the arc of his attack. It was too little, too late for the enemy.

Craaack!

A agonized screech nearly blasted Jack’s eardrums asunder. Barely managing to keep his eyes open, Jack saw his aim was true. Out of the ten pink eyes surrounding its wide head, only nine remained functional. Deeply embedded in the center of the cracked, crystal eye, the axe trembled in Jack’s grip. Yanking it back, it was forced out of the Claydol alongside several fragments of stone.

Without missing a beat, Jack planted his feet firmly on the snow and held his free hand at the ready. He closed his eyes while the red jewel on his forehead glowed bright with power. Moisture condensed out of thin air in his palm and swirled rapidly under the same bluish glow of his gem. Once Jack opened his eyes again, the Claydol was fuming under its own anger and waves of energy radiated out from its damaged socket.

As Jack sucked in a breath, the floating statue charged towards him. For two tense seconds he waited on stand-by as the swirling ball of water grew even larger in his hand. When he could see the glowing, curved lines along the Claydol’s body, his gem flashed and he launched the water from his hand. From its sphere shape, it rapidly expanded into a tremendous surge of water that slammed into the enraged Pokémon.

Almost instantly, the stone monster was hurled back and bobbled weakly in the air. Each limb of its body barely dangled from its floating form. Visible cracks spread along its ice-ridden body like faults in the earth and corrupted psychic energy leaked from each one in a violent torrent of mauve.

It was then the skirmish turned for the worse. Jack didn’t even have time to suck in a breath or cheer in victory when the statue Pokemon’s body suddenly glowed with a white light. Like a deadly machine, its floating arms whirled around itself, creating a whirring noise as they sliced through the air. Jack brought up his arms to protect his face, but that didn’t stop the stoney hand from shooting towards the weary Golduck.

Several dozen pounds of rock slammed into the Corporal’s chest and knocked him clean off his feet. But it didn’t stop there. Almost instantly after the first, another detached limb socked him hard, and before he landed, its next swing around nailed his stomach. Again and again, the arms whipped about the Frostbitten Claydol and pummeled the duck. Until finally, one hit sent Jack spinning across the rough snow and left him gasping from his bruised chest.

Tiny flecks of blue feathers peppered the ground as the Claydol’s Rapid Spin soon lost its velocity. A low grumble filled the forest as the infected Pokémon dizzily floated towards its two victims. Jack’s vision tilted and he could just make out the Ampharos getting to his feet despite wheezing heavily thanks to his wounds.

“Go back to Erebus... Go back! Tell it to take all you demons back!” Sir screamed at the Claydol, but to no avail. Whatever sentience it may have had before the Incident was gone; it was now replaced by mindless, feral urges of preservation and to kill. Electricity crackled in between Sir’s paws as he faced the approaching, floating statue. The ice jutting from the black stone in its body glowed a bright blue as a white beam shot forth.

Sir nimbly sidestepped the attack while a tree trunk shattered behind him. Electricity blasted from his paws and enveloped the Claydol’s body. However, despite the ferocity behind the blast, the Frostbitten Pokémon hardly seemed phased by the attack. Sir’s determined glare fell away to one of despair as their enemy shrugged off the attack and shot another white beam at the Ampharos.

Sir moved, but not fast enough. The icy ray of energy bit into his left side and caused him to double over in the snow. Jack groaned and lifted himself up on his shaking arms. His vision went white from the sudden surge of pain and he promptly collapsed again onto his bleeding stomach.

Sir was still standing, but barely. The Ampharos hobbled out of the way of the Frostbitten Claydol’s blasts, but grew weaker with each pass. Jack could see exhaustion wrapping its deadly tendrils around his legs as they slogged through the snow. However, the old ‘mon’s eyes still burned with the fierceness Jack had come to expect from him.

“The Frost has taken you, friend! But not I! Let your tired soul walk in paradise and leave us, please!” Sir pleaded as his paws glowed with another, desperate attack. Tears of both exhaustion and heart-wrenching sadness welled up in his eyes.

Just when the Claydol seemed most determined to finish off its pesky targets, it paused in midair. All but one of its orange eyes flickered around its head. Its head twitched and shook slowly while a low groan emanated from its stone body. Jack could see it clearly. Somewhere deep in its infected brain a small ember of civility was stirred by Sir’s words and burned against the icy, primal clutches of the Frost.

“AAGHH—YA!” Sir screamed. The bright red ball of unstable energy in his paws flared as Sir lunged forwards. The glowing sphere launched from his paws and an instant later, struck the Claydol directly at its floating body.

The air rippled as the following concussion threw all three Pokémon away from the epicenter. Jack’s usually racing mind was quiet as he flew back another few feet into the snow. Fading in and out of consciousness, Jack only faintly heard the low din of the aftermath from Sir’s powerful Focus Blast.

Grunts and blasts continued to make the ground shake and vibrate beneath his limp body. While he wondered how he was still alive, Sir and the Claydol still seemed to be fighting for who got the chance to live a little while longer. His breathing was faint; his chest barely moved against the frozen ground. Instead of the roaring battle raging just beyond, his unfocused eyes locked on the gentle swirling flakes of snow that danced in the air. Tainted a light blue, Jack faintly thought that they matched the color of his skin as they landed on his prone form.

There seemed be more yelling and roars—or rather, voices, but Jack was unconcerned with that. In his damaged state, he didn’t care for what Sir, the Claydol, or the possible others did. All that mattered to him now was breathing, his cold axe still clutched in his hand, and the whirling snowflakes falling from the fractured sky above.

His dazed gaze followed the snow all the way up from where they spawned. Barely registering the bursts of wind and minute explosions rumbling the ground from the battle beside him, he tried to squint to see the sun. What remained of the icy cloud covering did its job at blocking the sun’s light from entering Saltus Valley, but Jack smiled. He could see it, faintly, through the icy wisps of frozen vapor. Its heat was a long way gone, but just the faint rays of light that trickled through were enough to cause his cold heart to leap in his chest.

In that moment, Jack knew he had made the right choice. Even though he was likely in the same dangerous place when he first fell through the clouds, some small piece of his heart was content that he had made this odyssey through the ice. Even if it ended here, he at least brought light back to this dark and frozen valley.

As he took in the beauty of the far off noon, silence reigned. The tremors of battle ceased as abruptly as they came. Jack blinked, the quiet briefly snapping him out of his dreamlike trance of the snowflakes.

Footsteps crunched in the snow as Jack raised his sore head slightly. Except they weren’t Sir’s feet standing in front of him. These feet were green and featured impressive claws. Before he could react in alarm, an equally green reptilian head bent down and filled Jack’s view.

He squirmed in the snow, but a pair of oddly gentle claws forced his bruised body to stop. A low groan of protest formed in Jack’s throat, but it was quickly silenced by a terse hiss.

“Quiet now, Golduck... Be still. Give us a few moments and I’ll have you right as rain.” The sounds of a bag opening and items being shoved around were heard by the gasping Golduck.

Slowly, Jack was able to look up at the voice. “W-Who? ... Where’s Sir?” Jack grunted, but the green claw pushed him back down and hushed him.

“Rest, man. Your friend is fine. Elliot has got him under treatment. To be honest, that old Ampharos would have handled things just fine without us.” The Pokémon smiled cheerily down at him.

Breathing deeply, Jack let himself relax. Despite knowing nothing about this band of Pokémon who came to their rescue, he felt at ease knowing that Sir had survived and the Claydol was defeated.

“By the way, so you can thank me later, my name’s Blade the Grovyle. We’re a freelance exploration squad called Team Emerald. We were hired to investigate Saltus Valley. What’s your story, Golduck?”

End Chapter Four

Description
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Chapter Four: Enter the Fray

“This is the tool to end all wars, Darnéy. Give the order. The world is ready. It is time to awaken the Marble King.”
— Administrator [REDACTED] to Chancellor Darnéy Scyther of the Kingdom Senate.

Wind whipped by Kida’s face as the world shook. Snow and ice bit into her fur after being kicked up by the Aggron’s heavy steps. Down and down Calur carried her, barreling forward with gravity through anything that stood in between them and the bottom of the mountain. Solid ice and rocks shattered against his worn, steel armor— the Aggron was faster than a Graveler shooting down a mountain slope. He might have rescued her from the avalanche, but no matter how fast he ran, Calur seemed to be losing his ground to the new threat. She squirmed in his embrace, peeking out from his grip, and saw the gates of hell open up on the slopes above.

She heard the howls: terrible and loud, scratching at her ears the entire time during the chase. Above the wind and the Aggron’s loud breathing, she heard them. Ringing through the empty, cold mountains of Saltus Valley, the howls only grew louder and increasingly ominous with each passing second. Not even the screeches from the protesters she put down during the riots in Cobalt Town last month were that loud or persistent. However, she wanted to fight. Dying to these demons wasn’t an option.

Snow and fragmented rocks blistered her face from Calur’s race down the slope. Kida looked back and saw them. Their horrendous howls matched their dead, rotting appearance. They weren’t Pokémon. Not anymore. However, the defining features of the demons were not their necrosis, but the ice that coated and jutted out from their putrid skin.

A decayed Blastoise lead the charge with a broken shell and canons. A roar blasted from its cracked, frozen jaw and echoed through the mountains. Beside the roaring tortoise, a Rapidash, Shiftry, and several others, each in various states of decay stampeded through the thundering snow. Kida saw just why Calur ran instead of fight.

“A-Almost there, Kida! I see the bottom!” Calur screamed as they went careening towards the earth. Wind blew in her face, making her fur whip back and fourth. She opened her squinting eyes just in time to see an obstructing boulder shatter instantly with a single thrust of Calur’s arm, clearing the path down the slope. Kida wasn’t sure if the Aggron was even running any more and simply surfing the frozen gravel down to the ground. Her heart pounded furiously, threatening to burst from her chest if it kept up.

Snarls echoed behind and the beast’s icy forms leapt through the air, bearing down on the two fleeing Kingdom warriors. They were catching up to them, seemingly propelled by the strength of Erebus itself. Calur took one look behind and swore quietly before looking down. The pack was far more vast than they both could imagine; they wouldn’t be able to fight them all.

“Alrigh’ Comm’ander! Hang on! Time to go!” Calur shouted at the top of his lungs. Kida didn’t have time to process what he meant before he squeezed her cold, wet, and bruised body to his chest and jumped into the air. They flew for a split second until gravity acted and without delay, they crashed to the slope. Ice and rock split under his weight and soon the slope transformed into a crude slide of frozen gravel beneath them. Kida simply tucked her head down and silently said good-bye.

Efang... Terminance... Jack... I’ll miss you guys...

Air was knocked from her lungs at the sudden lurch of Calur’s steel-plated back slamming against the slope. All around her, she saw nothing but snow spraying up around them in glorious blasts of white powder. Calur curled his body to protect her from the snow and to decrease his friction. Kida’s mouth hung open— there was no way this was happening. Calur had always had a reputation as a bulky fighter, but not a rescue strategist. Yet despite being outnumbered and nearly outrun, Cal hadn’t fought back, but instead thought up another life-saving plan.

Kida sat on his rough stomach as she looked out over his curled, armored knees. Chased by bandits in an underground lake, sure. Surviving lethal poison clouds, done. But this... Sliding a fellow soldier down a mountain face while escaping hellish monsters ... This is new...

Snow and ice peppered her fur, but compared to being entombed in it, this was nothing. Kida glanced back at the rapidly disappearing mountain heights and saw no trace of the demons. They had outrun them for the brief moment. We... We did—

“Whoah! HOLD ON!” Calur suddenly screamed.

Kida felt herself and Calur launch upwards, leaving the earth in an explosion of rock and snow. They were airborne, hurtling through the air in a long arc over the jagged slope, and rapidly approaching terminal velocity. All in all, she had faced worse odds. Digging her claws into his steely chest, she felt his thick arms surround her as their arc through the air began to decompose. Don’t worry, Cal. I’m holding on... Just get us down in one piece, please...

Mist whipped by them and wind tore at her grip, threatening to rip her away from the only being who could keep her alive. Sound whistled over the chinks and groves in Calur’s armor, piercing her ears the way nothing had before. Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to worry any longer as her world exploded in a surge of shattered ice.

Impact occurred in a flash of pain and sudden panic when she couldn’t feel her legs. Gasping for pained breaths, she rolled off the motionless Aggron. Her battered body slid down the side of the crater their impact created at the foot of the collassial mountains. Above her, frozen clouds rumbled at their actions, sending chunks of powdered ice down to baptise them into Saltus Valley’s cruel worldscape in rage. Dazed, legs weak, and her stomach threatening to turn itself inside out, she crawled on all fours over the flattened snow to Calur’s limp head.

“C-Cal...?” No answer greeted her wobbling question. Grunting, she pulled herself up on her elbows and lightly tapped the dented steel on his cheeks. “C-Cal?! ...C-Come on, big guy... Wake up, Calur...” She felt the overwhelming urge to cry, but found she couldn’t. Instead, she just placed a despondent paw on his face.

“... Kalitka? ... W-Why is your paw on my face?” Calur’s gravelly voice echoed through the rumbling valley.

“Cal!” Kida nearly squealed, embracing the top portion of his head in an unsoldierly fashion. The battered Aggron groaned and shook his head, freeing himself before he sat up.

“Oy! That’s gonna leave a bruise...” Kida could plainly see why. On his back, several of his rigid, steel plates were dented inward. All along his body, he bore the scars of their harrowing escape from the mountain heights. Calur shook himself off and a flurry of powdery snow fell from his dented armor. “But bruises heal in time, doncha worry, Comm’ander!”

The next several minutes were blank for the Zangoose, most likely spent leaning against Calur’s study frame while she gasped for breath and rationalized what just happened. She had been trapped beneath the snow on the mountain after the avalanche that occurred after the sky fell. Kida groaned, rubbing her temples with her paws. It was nearly surreal, no matter which way she looked at it. But, nothing in her dizzy head could make sense of the tree-like figure quickly closing in on them.

It took her a moment to realize the figure as Terminance. The odd but loyal tree had somehow survived the fall as well.

“It is truly good and right that I have seen you both again. I feared for your lives, especially when you ascended that mountain. ... Calur? ... I take it you are alone with Kalitka?” The Trevenant’s dry voice was sudden and it quickly locked in Kida’s attention. She was glad that Terminance had survived as well, but she needed answers. Groaning, she lifted herself up and dusted her fur off.

“Cal? Terminance? ... What happened to the others? Geraz? Efang? Everyone else?” She said stiffly, trying to take control of the situation again and avoid another breakdown.

The Trevenant stiffened, his woody body trembling. She looked to the Aggron and that marked the second time she had ever seen the Aggron cry.

“Get back on track, Kalitka. What happened after you evaded these ‘demons’ on Mount Ferlan?”

The Zangoose growled, her arms rattling against her restraints in the stiff, iron chair. Her interrogator eyed her impassionately, tapping the table impatiently with his metal claws. She saw his lack of patience, but wasn’t about to satisfy him or his Kingdom bosses.

“I am telling the story. You’ll hear what I want to say, Bisharp...” Kida hissed, putting extra emphasis on his species’ name. He flinched slightly, a reaction she had hoped to garner. However, instead of ordering or forcing her to talk, he simply sighed while lifting up the icy-blue Frism. The mystical, recording device sparkled in his claws. Kida watched intently as the interrogator whispered to it.

“Prisoner is uncooperative. Will resume interrogation after prisoner has been reasoned with.” With that, his claw tapped the frozen device and the mystical recording device’s round opening immediately froze over, sealing away everything Kida had said so far forever.

Kida glared at the Bisharp harshly while she squirmed in her bonds. Her Zangoose claws had managed to slice through the ropes holding her, but not the chains around her wrists she was still working on. A sharp, metallic clang echoed through the chamber and the fatigued Zangoose looked up to see the Bisharp officer lock the dungeon door shut. Silence hung in the air following the action as the guard quietly walked over to her, a sharpened blade raised. As soon as he was directly in front of her, his face staring into hers coldly, the claw dropped.

However, not a hair on her body was cut.

“... No one else is listening, Kida” the guard said with a wry smile, retracting the blades on his hands.

Kida remained resolute for a long while, her glare not wavering until one of the Bisharp’s hand gently brushed out a tangle in her fur. At that point, her stony facade faded.

“Thanks, Kaiser... “ she whispered, a genuine smile spread across her face.

“No problem, Kida... Never thought I’d see you here, to be honest. Thought you and Jack would be beyond capture, you know?” he whispered, turning his head towards the door every few seconds.

“Kaiser... Is it—” she began, but never got to finish.

“Before you ask, no,” he grunted, as he fiddled with the lock for her chains before letting go in frustration. “I can’t get you out of here, Kida. It’s through sheer luck I managed to get myself assigned to your interrogation, but I can’t do anything else at the moment except keep up the facade and hope something opens.”

The room had been dark before, but now Kida thought it went even darker. What little hope she had of escaping this ordeal faded further into the abyss. Sighing, the Bisharp eventually looked up at her again.

“Listen... I know the impetus behind your and Jack’s actions... I know most of the story. I know you’re not traitors. They’ve got an execution date set, Kida. I’m trying my best to find out more, but—” Kaiser’s whispered explanation was interrupted by a swift rap on the thick wooden door. A metallic tap, but not like Kaiser’s blades. Kida’s eyes widened, if her suspicions were right, things were about to get much, much worse.

From the other side of the sizable door, a voice sounded out in protest, demanding it be opened. While muffled, the tone was unmistakable. Bringing a hand to his mouth to signal silence, Kaiser put on his facade of the cold, passionless guard and she swiftly resumed her role of the bitter, betrayed squad leader. With a deep breath, the Bisharp pulled the deadbolt open and swung the door open for the visitor.

It was him. Instantly, her body was filled with a rage that shook her small frame.

“Thank you, Officer,” said the new voice, dripping with privilege and money.

“Lieutenant, sir. Not officer. I’m ... from the Army,” Kaiser stiffly corrected, an uncertain, bitter frown on his face hid more.

“... You will address me as ‘Governor’ not merely ‘sir,’ understood, Officer?”

A tense moment passed as Kida watched Kaiser’s mouth twitch under his helmet. “Yes, Governor...”

Kida jerked violently against her bindings, desperately trying to break free. An impassioned rage burned from her heart at the mere sight of the creature before her. Her claws extended behind her back, vainly trying to slice through the linked metal as the sniveling, aristocratic rat with wings walked towards her. A sneer was firmly etched into his metal beak.

“Hello, Kalitka.” He glanced down at her bindings, clucking disapprovingly. “Freedom really doesn’t suit you, my dear. Chains really are the only way to go for the likes of you.”

She said nothing in retort, insteading opting to silently fume in her rage towards the bird. Her head hung low, refusing to meet his gaze.

“Hmm... I really don’t like that attitude of yours. Seems three years of playing fugitive haven’t helped it at all.” One of his wings pressed under her chin, holding her head up to his level. “Tell me, Kalitka. Do you fear me now?”

This time, she reacted. Kida coughed once and then immediately spat straight in the Skarmory’s face.

“Not at all, Richelieu.”

The one thing Jack hated more than snow was being lost. Now, both those hatreds were being put to the test. Together, he and Sir hiked through the white substance that blanketed absolutely every uncovered inch of Saltus Valley. Rocks stuck to his sore, cold feet as they walked on and was putting his military training to the test.

“Sir? Do you even know where we are going?” Jack asked, huffing for breath behind the Ampharos. Sir twisted his head back at him and glared.

“Quiet your mouth, Cloud-Breaker. We are on treacherous territory. Walk the path and watch your steps cautiously. Erebus and evil do not sit idly while we wag our tongues,” Sir snapped back, slipping in yet another old saying into his words. Jack groaned and bit his tongue, barely hissing in his irritation. Despite the heart-to-heart they had the night before, Sir had not told him anything on what their plan was going forward. Only that the he had it in mind to melt the entire valley. Such a plan was strange, even by Jack’s standards.

The Golduck paused where he stood, legs knee-deep in the thick snow. “Sir, considering I am a vital part of this plan of yours, I am politely asking to know what we are doing...” Nothing.

“Sir!” Jack was running once more now, kicking aside snow furiously until he faced the resolute Ampharos. “Tell me what we’re marching off to! Please! I refuse to go a step further unless you reveal our destination!” Sir stared at him incredulously, folding his arms across his chest. Wind whipped about them both on the highroad, driving more snow over their feet.

“I thought you trusted me, Cloud-Breaker? Apparently, this was not so. And, is it not a military strategy to not confide in one being a plan in its entirety?” The Electric-type shook his head in mock disappointment. “From your stare, it seems like you never learned of it. Well, Cloud-Breaker, unfortunately it means it is wiser for you to know little until we get to where we need to—”

“No!” His roar echoed through the valley and Sir stiffened. Jack panted hard, looking for some way to follow up his defiance. The ice-axe in his hand rose to be level with the Ampharos’s face, yet even as he did so, Jack felt a sensation of falling and failing. It was like he was threatening his parents or friends— someone beyond his capacity for violence, despite barely knowing the Pokémon.

His eyes glowed with an inner rage and power coursed through his body. He had given up everything. There was a choice he made back outside the caves to follow the Ampharos instead of searching for his squad. He had made the choice that claimed to be morally correct—helping the helpless restore their home from the wrongs committed against them. And he had taken the bait completely like a floundering fish.

“ What is the plan, Sir?! Tell me!”

“The Palace... The heart of its evil enterprise—”

Suddenly, the rocky path collapsed and a blast of energy pulsed through air, rippling it as if it was water.

It happened without warning; one invisible explosion triggered the complete destruction of the path. Like a leaf, Jack’s body crumpled in the wind and flew in a long arc through the air. Snow provided little cushion for the Golduck as he slammed into the ground, skidding across rocks, fallen trees, and black ice. However, it didn’t hurt nearly as much as before from his fall from the sky. Groaning, he felt his training begin to kick in and the pain being ignored. Jack rose to his feet; his precious axe still gripped tightly in his bloodied hand.

In the first few seconds, he noticed two key things: Sir was still alive, albeit in worse shape than he was in, and that the enemy responsible for the invisible strike was approaching. A black cylindrical being floated above the rubble and ice. White carvings on its body glowed menacingly while its head made a strange series of hollow clicking noises before moving closer to the two injured travelers. Jack swore. There was no escaping its line of sight—its head was encircled by ten wide, orange eyes.

However, it looked different from any Claydol Jack had ever seen before. The black, stone-like skin was pierced from within by jagged shards of ice and its enigmatic head twitched erratically.

“Frostbitten... Don’t get infected...” Sir wheezed from beside him, coughing up a spot of fresh blood onto the pristine snow.

Nodding, Jack stood in front of the fallen Ampharos and held his axe tight. The deranged Claydol let out a grating screech that drilled into Jack’s ears. Cringing, Jack managed to look up to see that the floating Pokémon had vanished from atop the ruined path.

Huffing, Jack slowly turned in a full circle, his webbed feet crunching in the dirtied snow. The Claydol was gone, but he knew that it wasn’t. All around them was the gentle quietness of the frozen landscape, but nothing else. He wanted to scan more for the elusive assailant, but Sir’s wounds were more pressing. Gnarled, barren trees stood in a silent watch all around them as Jack bent down to examine Sir’s injuries.

“Shoulda seen that coming... Gah! Bit my tongue hard back there...” Sir groaned, leaning up slowly while spitting out another wad of blood onto the snow.

“Come on, Sir. Let’s see it...” Jack urged, tugging at Sir’s paws that he held over his stomach.

The Ampharos was battered, but the old Pokémon was conscious and definitely capable of hissing curses through his clenched teeth. Jack moved aside his paw and saw the worst of the wound. Fortunately, it was only an ugly splotch of discolored skin across his white stomach and a few minor cuts along his body. Jack dug in his pouch and dropped two Oran raisins in Sir’s paw.

“Thank you, Cloud...” Sir suddenly tensed. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Jack searched the older Pokémon for a sign of discomfort, but found nothing new. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, his gaze fell on Sir’s wide, fearful eyes as they rapidly darted from Jack to his left. Without a word, Jack realized what the Ampharos was trying to communicate.

Gripping the ice-axe in one hand, Jack stood up and spun around to face to irritate Claydol. Focusing, Jack brought his other hand to the handle as the sharpened pick began to glow a dark, watery, blue as fluid energy rushed from his body to the axe.

“Grraaaa-AHHH!” Jack yelled as he swung the axe up towards the cylindrical Pokémon’s floating head. The creature’s orange eyes glowed and a wave of mind-squeezing pain came over him, trying to throw off the arc of his attack. It was too little, too late for the enemy.

Craaack!

A agonized screech nearly blasted Jack’s eardrums asunder. Barely managing to keep his eyes open, Jack saw his aim was true. Out of the ten pink eyes surrounding its wide head, only nine remained functional. Deeply embedded in the center of the cracked, crystal eye, the axe trembled in Jack’s grip. Yanking it back, it was forced out of the Claydol alongside several fragments of stone.

Without missing a beat, Jack planted his feet firmly on the snow and held his free hand at the ready. He closed his eyes while the red jewel on his forehead glowed bright with power. Moisture condensed out of thin air in his palm and swirled rapidly under the same bluish glow of his gem. Once Jack opened his eyes again, the Claydol was fuming under its own anger and waves of energy radiated out from its damaged socket.

As Jack sucked in a breath, the floating statue charged towards him. For two tense seconds he waited on stand-by as the swirling ball of water grew even larger in his hand. When he could see the glowing, curved lines along the Claydol’s body, his gem flashed and he launched the water from his hand. From its sphere shape, it rapidly expanded into a tremendous surge of water that slammed into the enraged Pokémon.

Almost instantly, the stone monster was hurled back and bobbled weakly in the air. Each limb of its body barely dangled from its floating form. Visible cracks spread along its ice-ridden body like faults in the earth and corrupted psychic energy leaked from each one in a violent torrent of mauve.

It was then the skirmish turned for the worse. Jack didn’t even have time to suck in a breath or cheer in victory when the statue Pokemon’s body suddenly glowed with a white light. Like a deadly machine, its floating arms whirled around itself, creating a whirring noise as they sliced through the air. Jack brought up his arms to protect his face, but that didn’t stop the stoney hand from shooting towards the weary Golduck.

Several dozen pounds of rock slammed into the Corporal’s chest and knocked him clean off his feet. But it didn’t stop there. Almost instantly after the first, another detached limb socked him hard, and before he landed, its next swing around nailed his stomach. Again and again, the arms whipped about the Frostbitten Claydol and pummeled the duck. Until finally, one hit sent Jack spinning across the rough snow and left him gasping from his bruised chest.

Tiny flecks of blue feathers peppered the ground as the Claydol’s Rapid Spin soon lost its velocity. A low grumble filled the forest as the infected Pokémon dizzily floated towards its two victims. Jack’s vision tilted and he could just make out the Ampharos getting to his feet despite wheezing heavily thanks to his wounds.

“Go back to Erebus... Go back! Tell it to take all you demons back!” Sir screamed at the Claydol, but to no avail. Whatever sentience it may have had before the Incident was gone; it was now replaced by mindless, feral urges of preservation and to kill. Electricity crackled in between Sir’s paws as he faced the approaching, floating statue. The ice jutting from the black stone in its body glowed a bright blue as a white beam shot forth.

Sir nimbly sidestepped the attack while a tree trunk shattered behind him. Electricity blasted from his paws and enveloped the Claydol’s body. However, despite the ferocity behind the blast, the Frostbitten Pokémon hardly seemed phased by the attack. Sir’s determined glare fell away to one of despair as their enemy shrugged off the attack and shot another white beam at the Ampharos.

Sir moved, but not fast enough. The icy ray of energy bit into his left side and caused him to double over in the snow. Jack groaned and lifted himself up on his shaking arms. His vision went white from the sudden surge of pain and he promptly collapsed again onto his bleeding stomach.

Sir was still standing, but barely. The Ampharos hobbled out of the way of the Frostbitten Claydol’s blasts, but grew weaker with each pass. Jack could see exhaustion wrapping its deadly tendrils around his legs as they slogged through the snow. However, the old ‘mon’s eyes still burned with the fierceness Jack had come to expect from him.

“The Frost has taken you, friend! But not I! Let your tired soul walk in paradise and leave us, please!” Sir pleaded as his paws glowed with another, desperate attack. Tears of both exhaustion and heart-wrenching sadness welled up in his eyes.

Just when the Claydol seemed most determined to finish off its pesky targets, it paused in midair. All but one of its orange eyes flickered around its head. Its head twitched and shook slowly while a low groan emanated from its stone body. Jack could see it clearly. Somewhere deep in its infected brain a small ember of civility was stirred by Sir’s words and burned against the icy, primal clutches of the Frost.

“AAGHH—YA!” Sir screamed. The bright red ball of unstable energy in his paws flared as Sir lunged forwards. The glowing sphere launched from his paws and an instant later, struck the Claydol directly at its floating body.

The air rippled as the following concussion threw all three Pokémon away from the epicenter. Jack’s usually racing mind was quiet as he flew back another few feet into the snow. Fading in and out of consciousness, Jack only faintly heard the low din of the aftermath from Sir’s powerful Focus Blast.

Grunts and blasts continued to make the ground shake and vibrate beneath his limp body. While he wondered how he was still alive, Sir and the Claydol still seemed to be fighting for who got the chance to live a little while longer. His breathing was faint; his chest barely moved against the frozen ground. Instead of the roaring battle raging just beyond, his unfocused eyes locked on the gentle swirling flakes of snow that danced in the air. Tainted a light blue, Jack faintly thought that they matched the color of his skin as they landed on his prone form.

There seemed be more yelling and roars—or rather, voices, but Jack was unconcerned with that. In his damaged state, he didn’t care for what Sir, the Claydol, or the possible others did. All that mattered to him now was breathing, his cold axe still clutched in his hand, and the whirling snowflakes falling from the fractured sky above.

His dazed gaze followed the snow all the way up from where they spawned. Barely registering the bursts of wind and minute explosions rumbling the ground from the battle beside him, he tried to squint to see the sun. What remained of the icy cloud covering did its job at blocking the sun’s light from entering Saltus Valley, but Jack smiled. He could see it, faintly, through the icy wisps of frozen vapor. Its heat was a long way gone, but just the faint rays of light that trickled through were enough to cause his cold heart to leap in his chest.

In that moment, Jack knew he had made the right choice. Even though he was likely in the same dangerous place when he first fell through the clouds, some small piece of his heart was content that he had made this odyssey through the ice. Even if it ended here, he at least brought light back to this dark and frozen valley.

As he took in the beauty of the far off noon, silence reigned. The tremors of battle ceased as abruptly as they came. Jack blinked, the quiet briefly snapping him out of his dreamlike trance of the snowflakes.

Footsteps crunched in the snow as Jack raised his sore head slightly. Except they weren’t Sir’s feet standing in front of him. These feet were green and featured impressive claws. Before he could react in alarm, an equally green reptilian head bent down and filled Jack’s view.

He squirmed in the snow, but a pair of oddly gentle claws forced his bruised body to stop. A low groan of protest formed in Jack’s throat, but it was quickly silenced by a terse hiss.

“Quiet now, Golduck... Be still. Give us a few moments and I’ll have you right as rain.” The sounds of a bag opening and items being shoved around were heard by the gasping Golduck.

Slowly, Jack was able to look up at the voice. “W-Who? ... Where’s Sir?” Jack grunted, but the green claw pushed him back down and hushed him.

“Rest, man. Your friend is fine. Elliot has got him under treatment. To be honest, that old Ampharos would have handled things just fine without us.” The Pokémon smiled cheerily down at him.

Breathing deeply, Jack let himself relax. Despite knowing nothing about this band of Pokémon who came to their rescue, he felt at ease knowing that Sir had survived and the Claydol was defeated.

“By the way, so you can thank me later, my name’s Blade the Grovyle. We’re a freelance exploration squad called Team Emerald. We were hired to investigate Saltus Valley. What’s your story, Golduck?”

End Chapter Four