Six chuckled as he heard Raul sigh, as the Mexican elderly ghoul steered the War Bus through the snow-covered wasteland, the heavy-duty treads crunching over the frozen ground. Rebecca, sitting near the passenger seat, belted out the Pokémon theme song with absolutely no shame, her voice carrying over the hum of the engine.
Raul groaned from the back.
"Chica, if you're gonna sing, at least stay in tune."
"Shut up, Raul!"
Rebecca shot back, smirking.
"This is a classic!"
Boone adjusted his rifle, shaking his head but not bothering to stop her. Roger, sitting cross-legged on one of the seats, actually joined in, his voice eerily perfect as he sang along.
"I wanna be the very best… like no one ever was…"
Six tapped his fingers on the hologram table working on his Pip-Boy, humming along as they rolled through the Mojave, searching for new Pokémon—formerly terrifying wasteland creatures—to add to their growing collection.
Ahead, a pack of near frozen Yao Guai prowled near an abandoned Red Rocket station, their thick, mutated fur coated in ice.
Rebecca grinned.
"Looks like we found our next catch."
Six reached for a Poké Ball from his Pip-Boy inventory, smirking.
"Let's see if they can handle a proper battle."
As the crew geared up for another round of wasteland Pokémon hunting, Rebecca threw up her arms.
"To be a master… Pokémon master!"
Raul sighed.
"Dios mío… I miss the days when Deathclaws just wanted to eat us, not get shoved into little red balls."
Six tapped a few buttons on his Pip-Boy, activating its newly integrated Pokédex function. A soft beep sounded as the scanner locked onto the pack of Yao Guai, analyzing their biological structure and categorizing them as Pokémon.
📟 Pip-Boy Dex Entry:
Frost Yao Guai -The Mutant Bear Pokémon
Type = Ice/Fighting
These hulking predators are the result of severe radiation exposure, turning them into relentless killing machines. Despite their aggressive nature, a well-trained Yao Guai is fiercely loyal to its trainer. Their powerful claws can tear through metal, and their frozen fur provides natural resistance to the elements.
Rebecca leaned over, reading the entry.
"Mutant Bear Pokémon? Damn, that's metal."
Six smirked.
"Yeah, and soon they'll be my Mutant Bear Pokémon."
Roger, who had taken an interest in the Pokédex function, added.
"It even registers potential typing. This one's Ice/Fighting."
Boone grunted, keeping his rifle trained on the pack.
"Still looks like a giant angry bear to me."
Six cracked his knuckles, pulling out a Poké Ball.
"Let's change that."
With a flick of his wrist, he launched the ball at the nearest Frost Yao Guai. The battle was about to begin.
The Poké Ball soared through the frigid air, striking the creature's thick hide before bursting open in a flash of red energy. The mutated bear snarled as its form was momentarily engulfed in light, struggling against the strange force trying to contain it.
For a moment, the ball wobbled violently in the snow, its red light blinking.
One wobble.
Two wobbles.
Three—
The ball suddenly burst open, and the Frost Yao Guai let out an earth-shaking roar, furious at the attempt to capture it.
Rebecca sighed.
"Welp, guess we gotta wear 'em down first."
"Figures."
Six muttered.
"Swiper, you're up!"
He tossed another Poké Ball, releasing his Deathclaw Pokémon into the field. The massive hybrid creature landed with a heavy thud, flexing its claws as it eyed the enraged Yao Guai.
The two predators locked eyes, their breaths misting in the cold air.
Raul leaned back against the War Bus, arms crossed.
"A Pokémon battle with a Deathclaw and a mutant bear in a nuclear winter wasteland… Yep, this is officially the weirdest thing I've ever been part of."
Boone didn't look away from his rifle scope.
"Just another day with Six."
"Swiper."
Six commanded.
"Hit it with Dragon Claw!"
His Deathclaw-Pokémon hybrid let out a guttural snarl before lunging forward, its claws glowing with eerie energy as it slashed at the Yao Guai.
The Yao Guai roared in defiance, its thick, ice-coated fur absorbing part of the impact, but the sheer force of Swiper's Dragon Claw sent it skidding back through the snow. Frost and dirt kicked up in its wake as it dug its claws into the ground to steady itself.
Roger studied the Pip-Boy Dex.
"That thing's Ice/Fighting, so it's got some serious resistance… but Swiper's got the edge in raw power."
"Then let's test it."
Six said.
"Swiper, follow up with Earthquake!"
Swiper stomped the ground, sending a violent tremor rippling through the battlefield. The snow cracked as the earth beneath shook, causing the Frost Yao Guai to stagger. The impact sent a shockwave of force through its body, forcing it to let out a guttural snarl.
Rebecca punched the air.
"Oh-ho! Now that's how you battle!"
But the Frost Yao Guai wasn't down yet. With an enraged howl, it surged forward, frost forming along its claws as it launched an Ice Punch straight into Swiper's chest.
The hit connected, and for the first time, Swiper let out a pained growl, ice spreading across its armored hide.
Raul winced.
"Damn, that bear hits like a freight train."
Boone grunted.
"Better put it down before it gets another shot in."
Six nodded.
"Swiper, shake it off and use Fire Fang!"
Swiper snarled, breaking free from the ice, and its maw ignited with burning embers. With a lunge, it sank its flaming teeth into the Yao Guai's shoulder. The mutant bear roared in agony as fire met ice, steam hissing from the wound.
The two titanic beasts wrestled in the snow, one powered by relentless wasteland fury, the other by the unbreakable will of a Pokémon.
The battle raged on, but Six could see it—Swiper had the upper hand.
"Alright."
He said, pulling out a Great Ball this time.
"Let's try this again."
He wound up and hurled it at the weakened Yao Guai.
The red light engulfed the beast once more.
The ball hit the ground.
One wobble.
Two wobbles.
Three—
Click.
The ball locked.
Silence.
Then Rebecca let out a victorious whoop.
"Hell yeah! We got ourselves a goddamn ice bear!"
Six smirked, picking up the Poké Ball and holding it up.
"Welcome to the team, Frosty."
Raul shook his head.
"This is either the dumbest or most amazing thing I've ever seen."
Six clipped the great Ball to his belt.
"Both."
With another powerful Pokémon added to their growing roster, the hunt continued.