After another stretch of travel, Paul had finally arrived near Snowpoint City.
As he approached the city, the weather became increasingly unpredictable—one moment it was a clear sunny day, and the next, a raging blizzard. In response, Paul wrapped himself in a thick winter coat.
In the vast snowfield, there was a peculiar area where the gravitational pull differed from the surroundings. Paul and his Pokémon stood there, gazing skyward at a Pokémon soaring effortlessly through the air.
"Buzzz~"
After long and rigorous training, Electabuzz had finally achieved the ability to fly freely under Ninetales' standard gravity field—without relying on external enhancements.
Electromagnetic energy surged around its body, allowing it to manipulate the magnetic field at will. A look of pure exhilaration was plastered across Electabuzz's face.
The reason was simple—Paul had promised that once Electabuzz could freely maneuver in Ninetales' normal gravity zone, he would allow it to evolve!
The mountain climate was fickle, and before Paul knew it, snow had begun to fall.
First a light flurry, then moderate snowfall… and soon, it had escalated into a full-blown blizzard.
Yet even the biting cold couldn't smother the flames of excitement burning within Electabuzz.
"Buzzz~"
Electabuzz descended from the sky and eagerly approached Paul, grinning as it looked up at its Trainer with pleading eyes—
"My dear Trainer, it's getting late… isn't it about time you let me evolve? Hehe~"
Paul shoved his hands into his pockets and gave a small nod.
"Sure—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a chilling wail suddenly echoed through the skies.
"Woooo… Woooo…"
The eerie cries came from all directions—sometimes distant, sometimes near, their volume fluctuating unpredictably like ghosts whispering in the wind.
Through the heavy snowfall, shadowy figures flickered in and out of sight, moving as if part of a spectral parade.
The thick snow drastically reduced Paul and his Pokémon's visibility, making it impossible to gauge the number or nature of these figures.
In a situation like this, ensuring their own safety was the top priority.
"Stay alert."
Paul's voice was low and commanding.
Immediately, all of his Pokémon encircled him protectively, eyes scanning the surroundings with heightened vigilance.
"Ursaring, use Foresight! Ninetales, set up Sunny Day! Everyone else, be ready to attack!"
The signs were clear—they were being targeted by Ghost-type Pokémon. Identifying their numbers and positions was crucial before making a move.
Though Ninetales' Sunny Day couldn't fully counteract the snowstorm—whether natural or summoned by the Pokémon—it could at least clear a localized area, allowing them to regain visibility.
"Ursaa~"
A crimson glow flickered in Ursaring's eyes, acting like a scanning device sweeping across the battlefield. In an instant, the ghostly figures lurking beneath the snow vanished without a trace.
The parade of a hundred ghosts had turned out to be nothing more than a fleeting illusion.
At the same time, Ninetales' Sunny Day flared to life, bathing the surroundings in radiant light, scattering the snowfall.
And just like that—everything fell eerily silent, as if nothing had ever happened.
Had they all just imagined it?
"Buzzz?!"
Suddenly, Electabuzz let out a horrified cry, its expression was of pure shock.
It pointed toward the spot where Paul had left his backpack—but now, it was gone!
Whenever Paul trained with his Pokémon, he always left his backpack in a safe spot at the edge of the battlefield. But now, it had vanished.
Electabuzz knew better than anyone how important that bag was. Inside were the two Electric Amplifiers—the essential items required for its evolution!
Without them, wouldn't that mean… it couldn't evolve at all?!
In an instant, Electabuzz's entire world crumbled.
Paul quickly pieced it together—this was a coordinated attack.
A group of Ghost-type Pokémon had deliberately used the blizzard as cover to steal backpacks from passing Trainers.
A sense of foreboding crept into Paul's mind. He turned to glance toward the snow-covered mountain in the distance, where he thought he saw a dark silhouette flash past.
But when he blinked, it was gone—as if it had been nothing more than a hallucination.
"Experienced thieves… I'll track them down later and take it back."
Paul patted Electabuzz reassuringly.
He prided himself on his quick reflexes—the moment danger struck, he had immediately ordered a defensive stance, used Foresight and Sunny Day, and yet…
The fact that they had still been successfully robbed meant that these Pokémon were no amateurs.
"Buzz~!"
Hearing Paul's words, Electabuzz's despair instantly transformed into rage.
Whoever took that bag will going to face the full wrath of its thunderous fury!
Paul, however, remained composed. He pulled out his PokéNav and glanced at the map before speaking in an even tone.
"First, we head to the nearest town or Pokémon Center to rest."
Their backpack had enough supplies to last until they reached Snowpoint City. But now that it was gone, finding shelter and replenishing their resources took priority.
As for letting those thieves off the hook? Not a chance.
That bag contained invaluable items, including the special badge his brother had given him.
Stealing from him?
They just signed their own death warrant.
Despite the outward calm on his face, Paul was seething with anger beneath the surface.
Recalling most of his Pokémon, he took Electabuzz and continued down the snowy path. Before long, he spotted a Pokémon Center, partially buried under layers of snow.
Stepping inside, Paul soon found himself sitting beside Nurse Joy, warming up by the fire.
After listening to his account of the robbery, Nurse Joy let out a sigh.
"So… you've encountered those Froslass too?"
Paul's expression sharpened.
"Too?"
Nurse Joy's voice turned somber.
"This mountain near the Pokémon Center is called Snowpoint Mountain. It's home to many Ice-type Pokémon, but among them, there is a tribe of Froslass."
"They used to be relatively harmless, but in the past two years, they've started ambushing travelers—stealing their backpacks."
"Many have fallen victim to these attacks."
"But strangely… after taking some of the food and a few small items, the Froslass always return the bags to the Pokémon Center shortly after."
"Because of that, no one has treated it as a major crisis—yet."
At that moment, Nurse Joy's gaze turned peculiar as she looked at Paul.
Paul's eyes narrowed.
"Stealing food is understandable, but what about the items?"
Paul's sharp gaze locked onto Nurse Joy as he posed the question.
"The legend goes that this mountain once held many Evolutionary Stones. However, human mining angered nature, causing this place to become a land of eternal snow, covered in ice and snowfall year-round. Eventually, people were forced to abandon the excavation efforts."
"Two years ago, the Evolutionary Stones on the mountain could no longer support the evolution of Snorunt. As a result, Froslass began stealing items in hopes of finding a Dawn Stone to allow Snorunt to evolve."
Nurse Joy explained, her eyes reflecting a hint of sorrow.
"I see."
Paul nodded thoughtfully. He glanced at the brightly lit room before standing up and walking toward the communication device. After pressing a few buttons and receiving no response, he asked;
"Excuse me, is the power out, or is the communication device broken?"
"My apologies."
Nurse Joy smiled apologetically before placing a plate of food in front of Paul.
"You must be hungry. Please eat something first."
"...So, when do you plan on returning my backpack?"
Returning to the campfire, Paul picked up a familiar-looking piece of food, taking a bite as he coldly stared at Nurse Joy.
"If you don't mind waiting here for another day, I'll prepare food for you—"
"Food… heh… You mean you're offering me my own food?"
Before she could finish, Paul interrupted with an expressionless look.
"What do you mean?"
Nurse Joy's face showed a mix of surprise and confusion as she stared at Paul, completely lost.
"Thunderbolt!"
Paul's response came in the form of a golden bolt of electricity.
"Aaaah—!"
With a startled cry, Nurse Joy was sent flying by the electric attack. The air around her shimmered and distorted, revealing her true form—
A Froslass!
The moment Froslass revealed itself, the surrounding environment changed as well.
The once warm and brightly lit room transformed into a crude, patched-up shelter, its walls in disrepair, and the communication device now clearly broken, its screen shattered.
Everything from before had been an illusion created by Froslass!
"Yiiinnoo"
Knocked down by the attack, Froslass looked at Paul in disbelief. It had never imagined that its flawless disguise would be exposed so easily.
"Thunder!"
Now certain that his target wasn't human but a Pokémon that had stolen his evolution item, Electabuzz showed no mercy, unleashing a full-power Thunder attack.
BOOM!
Froslass swiftly dodged, and the lightning strike blasted the nearby wall apart, revealing a snowstorm raging outside.
Its ethereal body lifted into the air as it darted outside, vanishing into the snow.
"Chase!"
Paul took a quick look around the Pokémon Center. His backpack was nowhere to be found—only a small portion of his food remained.
Grabbing what he could, he turned and followed Electabuzz into the blizzard.
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