The flow of blood seemed to slow to a halt, as if even the thoughts inside one's brain had frozen solid. Everywhere the eye could see was nothing but a world of ice and snow.
The beams of light emitted from the badges froze midair.
The night sky before dawn hardened into a curtain of ice.
The ground beneath their feet became a vast field of frost-white snow.
Even the final warmth lingering within Soffan Island's volcano was extinguished completely.
The moisture in the air turned into falling snow, drifting gently toward the earth. Rhombus-shaped ice crystals reflected indescribable rays of light, casting the surrounding world in colors beyond human description.
The island beneath their feet had become solid ice.
When Logan extended his hand, a single snowflake landed softly in his palm. Under the warmth of his skin, it slowly melted into a drop of water.
He stared at it quietly.
"…Is it snowing?"
The words carried genuine confusion.
The roar of ocean waves had disappeared without anyone noticing.
Looking toward the edge of the island, Logan saw that the boundary between sea and land had been completely frozen. The incoming waves were trapped mid-motion, like a sculpture carved from ice, silently narrating the magnificence of nature.
High above, Lugia was still resisting Lance's control.
But its enormous wings had already been completely frozen over.
Frost crept across its body like parasitic vines, spreading relentlessly, as if determined to turn even this legendary Pokémon into a frozen statue.
The sky itself froze into a mirror.
The earth became an endless frozen wasteland.
The ocean hardened into something resembling an ice age.
Even light—something without physical form—and even a Legendary Pokémon had been frozen into visible, tangible existence.
"This power… surpasses even nature itself."
A phrase suddenly surfaced in Logan's mind.
—Frozen Earth Across Ten Thousand Miles.
He lifted his head and looked around in every direction, but he could not find the source responsible for freezing everything.
This was not a purely natural phenomenon.
It had been deliberately released.
A blizzard summoned by a Pokémon using a power Logan did not yet understand.
Yet the trainer and Pokémon controlling it had done so with astonishing precision. Instead of unleashing the storm all at once, they had allowed the cold to seep quietly into every corner of the environment—like moisture nourishing the earth.
And only after filling the entire space with that invisible power did they freeze everything in a single instant.
Such delicate control.
Turning frost into something gentle like a spring breeze while freezing the entire world.
This terrifying strength was unlike anything Logan had ever witnessed.
Even Giovanni.
Even Lance.
Neither could compare.
—Master.
That word instantly appeared in Logan's mind.
Only a true master could wield power like this.
Perhaps there were only a handful of such people in the entire world.
Compared to this power, Articuno's frost seemed like childish play.
Lorelei's reputation as an Ice-type master looked like nothing more than a cheap trick.
Absolute power.
Absolute ice.
Absolute cold.
In this moment, Logan could think of no other word besides "Ice" to describe the breathtaking spectacle before him.
"Who is it?!"
Flying beside Lugia atop Zekrom, Lance roared in fury.
But beneath his rage was unmistakable panic.
This freezing power was clearly aimed at Lugia.
Because he was so close to it, Lance was caught in the aftermath as well.
Zekrom's jet-black wings, once as solid as steel, were now coated in pale blue frost. The generator-like tail behind it spun slower and slower, as if foreign debris had clogged the mechanism.
Logan remained alert.
Someone capable of wielding such terrifying power had chosen to attack through stealth.
That alone was unsettling.
A hidden enemy was always more terrifying than one standing in plain sight.
Compared to such a figure, Lance and Giovanni suddenly seemed insignificant.
At least they were visible.
An unseen enemy was far more dangerous.
Yet while Lance panicked and Logan stayed on guard—
Giovanni smiled.
He lifted a headset to his ear.
"…Lt. Surge. Did you find him?"
"Boss! My Magnemite network detected him!"
Surge's voice responded through the communicator.
Giovanni closed his eyes briefly.
Then suddenly gave an order.
"…Rhydon. Rhyhorn. Rock Blast!"
"Hm?"
Logan had been observing Giovanni carefully.
He immediately shifted his attention to the direction Giovanni was facing.
BOOM!!!
A massive rock in the distance exploded violently, as if several tons of TNT had detonated beneath it.
The boulder shattered instantly.
And at the moment it broke apart—
A figure shot upward into the sky.
"…That's… a Delibird?!"
The airborne figure stabilized in midair, revealing its true form.
It was indeed a Delibird.
Tiny in size.
Compared to the colossal Lugia, it looked utterly insignificant.
Even among bird Pokémon, many would be larger than this one.
From its size alone, it was obvious that this Pokémon was not meant for riding.
Yet standing atop its back—
Was a masked man.
He wore a cloak resembling that of the Grim Reaper.
A strange mask covered his face.
Messy straw-like hair spilled from beneath it, giving him the appearance of something straight out of a horror film.
Standing steadily on Delibird's back, his posture looked eerie and unnatural.
When Logan saw this bizarre figure, his eyelid twitched.
The man's attire strangely resembled Logan's own alternate identity.
And the moment the masked man appeared—
Green, turned pale instantly.
Her eyes filled with terror.
As if the sight of him had awakened a nightmare.
Her body swayed, and she nearly collapsed.
The masked man hovered in the air with Delibird.
His mask faced Giovanni below.
Although his expression was hidden, Logan sensed that the man was furious.
Without saying a word, the masked man pointed toward Giovanni.
Delibird flapped its wings—almost comically like a rooster.
But what appeared next was anything but amusing.
A massive black blizzard engulfed the entire sky.
After unleashing Blizzard, the masked man ignored Giovanni completely.
With absolute confidence, he ordered Delibird to pull a gift box from its sack and throw it toward Lugia.
BOOM!!!
A tremendous explosion erupted in the sky.
Smoke and shockwaves spread across the heavens.
Through the thunderous blast, Lugia's cry could still be heard.
Logan did not possess Yellow's unique ability to hear the voices of all living things.
But even he could sense something within Lugia's cry.
Fear.
Lugia had encountered this masked man before.
And it feared him.
As the smoke cleared and the black blizzard faded—
Rhydon, standing before Giovanni, had turned completely into a frozen statue.
Not only could it no longer fight—
If someone struck it with a hammer, its body would likely shatter into fragments like brittle ice.
Giovanni's suit was covered in frost.
His eyebrows had frozen into icy clumps.
He looked like a snowman.
Despite losing a Pokémon in a single attack, Giovanni did not appear surprised.
"…This guy… is ridiculously strong."
He cursed under his breath.
"Beedrill!"
Giovanni immediately recalled all of his Pokémon except Beedrill.
Grabbing onto Beedrill's body, he shot into the sky toward the masked man.
The masked man glanced at Lugia.
Then looked at Giovanni rushing toward him.
Seemingly aware of Beedrill's terrifying strength, he hesitated briefly before giving an order.
Delibird turned sharply.
Leaving behind a streak of frost in the sky—
They fled into the distance.
"Don't run!"
Giovanni and Beedrill pursued them immediately.
Within seconds—
Both figures vanished beyond the horizon.
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