Chapter 95: Articuno in the Snowstorm
A few days later, Ryan and his group reached a snowy mountain. Rosa tightened her coat and said, "Ryan, do we really have to go to Mount Silver? It's really cold."
Ryan and Ruby also tightened their coats. Ryan said, "I finally heard someone saw Articuno here. I have to give it a try."
Yesterday, Ryan and his group met a father and daughter digging for a hot spring at the foot of the mountain. They heard the rumor about Articuno on Mount Silver. Combining Ryan's hazy memory, it seemed to be true.
Ryan also suspected that this Articuno was probably still a juvenile, otherwise it wouldn't be confined to this snowy mountain. Although the legendary birds weren't particularly powerful among the legendary Pokémon, they still had the dignity of a legendary. However, it definitely wasn't the style of a legendary to stay in this small snowy mountain.
So Ryan decided to try and capture this Articuno. It was also a chance to test out Zeraora's abilities. Its arrival was indeed a pleasant surprise to Ryan. Its exceptional learning ability and swift combat prowess truly impressed him.
"There's a Pokémon Center over there," Rosa exclaimed in surprise after walking for a while.
Ryan and Ruby looked over and indeed spotted a small wooden building standing in the snowy wind ahead. Ruby said, "It's snowing pretty hard. Let's go get some rest and then go up the mountain to look for it later."
Rosa agreed wholeheartedly. Ryan glanced at Rosa, whose face was red from the cold, and said, "Okay, let's get some rest first. I'll ask Nurse Joy if she has a snowmobile or something to take me up the mountain."
The three of them hurried into the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy smiled upon seeing them and said, "You're rare visitors! I didn't expect anyone would come to such a high place like Mount Silver."
Rosa quickly huddled by the fireplace, complaining, "I really didn't want to come. But as soon as Ryan and Ruby heard about Articuno, they insisted on coming to see it."
Ryan and Ruby smiled sheepishly as they sat by the fireplace. Nurse Joy poured each of them a cup of hot cocoa and said, "Mount Silver has a deep connection with Articuno."
"Really?" Ruby said excitedly.
"Articuno is the guardian of those who travel the snowy mountains," Nurse Joy said. "That's what the locals call it. According to legend, many people have indeed seen Articuno on Mount Silver. I've also heard of many cases of climbers on the verge of death suddenly appearing at the door of the Pokémon Center. Maybe there really is Articuno in the snowy mountains."
Ryan nodded, took a sip of his hot cocoa, and said, "It's probably true. Articuno does prefer to live in snowy mountains. Although it's difficult to spot, since there have been sightings of Articuno, it's possible that one lives on Mount Silver."
"What do you think, Ryan? Do you want to capture it?" Rosa asked.
"Let's give it a try. If I can, that's great. If not, just consider it a battle with a legendary Pokémon and gain some experience." Ryan began to be more open-minded.
After all, he knew that ordinary Poké Balls couldn't capture legendary Pokémon unless they were willing. Mature legendaries were definitely out of the question, but a young one like this was worth a try. Who knows, maybe he could capture one?
Nurse Joy said nothing, took Ryan and the others' Pokémon, and went to treat them.
After a while, the wind and snow died down a bit, and Ryan asked Nurse Joy if she had a snowmobile. Nurse Joy said Officer Jenny had borrowed it to buy supplies, so there was no other way.
Ryan and the other two had no choice but to walk. After Ryan and the others left for Mount Silver, Nurse Joy pulled out her phone, dialed a number, and said, "Yes. Ryan, the one you asked me to keep an eye on, has already gone to Mount Silver. I heard he's going to capture Articuno."
On the other end of the line, the League Champion rubbed his head in frustration and said, "Lance, go there. You know the situation with Articuno; it was Ho-Oh's order. With Ryan's current strength, two legendary Pokémon at his disposal, and a suspected mythical he recently obtained from somewhere, if he uses all of them, he'll definitely capture Articuno."
Lance shook his head helplessly and said, "What's the point of rushing over now? Do you think I can convince him?"
"Whatever, let's try."
"Okay, I'll go." Lance stood up helplessly, preparing to leave.
"Wait, your Dragonite is too slow. It'll probably take several days to fly there. Let Mew take you there," the League Champion said.
"Alright, it's a good time to see just how powerful Mew is," Lance said with a smile. He then left the meeting room, ready to find Mew to take him to Mount Silver.
The scene shifted to Ryan. Ryan and his companions were beginning to feel lost in the snowy mountains. The wind and snow were gradually intensifying, reducing visibility to less than 200 meters.
"Ryan, let's go down the mountain and rest. We'll come back when the wind and snow die down," Ruby said, sensing something was wrong.
Ryan smiled wryly and said, "I absolutely agree, but can we still find our way back?"
Ruby and Rosa looked back, only to see a vast expanse of snow behind them. The path they had previously traveled was now obscured by the wind and snow, meaning they were now lost.
"Tyranitar, dig a cave!" Ryan had no choice but to send out Tyranitar, telling it to dig a cave large enough for the three of them to rest. Otherwise, braving the blizzard head-on was too dangerous.
Tyranitar shuddered as it emerged, its sandstorm abilities proving too weak against the might of nature. It quickly carved a hole in the rock face, and Ryan and the others quickly entered to escape the wind and snow. Tyranitar used its ability to block the cave entrance with a huge rock, minimizing the snow's entry.
"What terrible weather," Rosa complained. "Is it possible that your good luck, Ryan, has run out, so all that's left is bad luck?"
Ryan's face darkened. "If it's all bad luck, then there's going to be an avalanche the moment we go up the mountain," he said irritably.
Rosa stuck out her tongue and didn't respond. Ryan pulled a small camping stove from his backpack and said, "Tyranitar, can I borrow a light?"
Tyranitar breathed a small flame, lighting the stove and warming the entire cave.
Ruby reached out her hand to absorb the warmth, jokingly saying, "Ryan, your backpack is like Doraemon's pocket! It's got everything."
"Being well-prepared is the key to travel, isn't it?" Ryan laughed.
It couldn't be helped; that one-minute gacha streak had yielded so much, a plethora of all sorts of items. So Ryan's backpack earned the nickname "magic pocket."
"The wind and snow seem to have stopped," Rosa suddenly said.
Ryan listened carefully, and indeed, the whistling sound of the wind and snow seemed to have vanished. He signaled to Tyranitar, who broke the rocks at the cave entrance. The wind and snow outside had indeed stopped, but only where Ryan and his group were. Further out, the wind and snow, though lighter, continued to fall. The reason the wind and snow had vanished near Ryan and his group was because an Articuno had landed at their cave entrance, staring intently at them. Within the three-meter range of the Articuno, the wind and snow seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to reach the legendary bird at all.
Ryan's eyes narrowed, and he pulled out an Ultra Ball from his belt and said, "Articuno, come and battle me!"
In response to Ryan, Articuno let out a long cry, echoing throughout the entire Mount Silver!
(End of Chapter)
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