Pokemon: A New Path

Hearing the sound, Naoki quickly turned around.

At the narrow entrance of the cave, a Pokémon resembling a fox stood, its fur a soft, light blue. The top of its head looked as if it were wearing a double-layered, woven cold-weather hat, with blue strands of hair extending forward like a braid. Its four legs were covered in dark blue fur, resembling a pair of blue boots.

'That's... Glaceon!'

Naoki realized that this Ice-type Eeveelution had been following him and Koraidon quietly, perhaps since they entered the cave.

'Henry was right—there really is a Glaceon living under Frosted Hand!'

Naoki's eyes lit up with excitement. The next step was to figure out how to capture this Glaceon.

He observed the Pokémon closely. Glaceon looked tense and alert, its eyes holding a hint of anger as it glared at them. To Glaceon, Naoki and Koraidon were clearly intruders in its territory.

Glaceon leaned forward, taking an aggressive stance, and issued a warning cry: "Bu-Yi!"

Naoki froze, about to explain that it was all a misunderstanding. But before he could react, Glaceon suddenly shifted its gaze upward, as if sensing something.

Naoki followed Glaceon's line of sight and saw a Froslass watching them from a small ice cave in the rock wall above. The Pokémon observed the scene below with a calm, calculating expression.

Its gaze drifted from Glaceon to Naoki and finally rested on the stone in the center of the lake, which was emitting white, icy air.

In the next moment, Froslass moved, a blue light flickering in its eyes.

Naoki saw the same blue light appearing on the surrounding stones.

"Bu-yi!" Glaceon cried out, quickly running forward.

Ice shards began to condense around Glaceon, forming rapidly and launching toward Froslass. Though the attack wasn't very strong, it was enough to interrupt Froslass's actions.

With a swift leap, Glaceon jumped from the cave entrance to the island in the lake, landing with all four paws on the icy stone. It stood firm, its stance a clear declaration of ownership, as it faced off against Froslass.

"Bu-yi!"

This stone was Glaceon's treasure, and it wasn't about to let anyone else lay claim to it.

Watching this unfold, Naoki quickly pieced together what was happening. 'The Froslass is competing with Glaceon for the stone containing ice energy!'

Whether it was an Ice Rock or an Icy Snow Rock, the stone's natural ice-type energy made it incredibly valuable to Ice-type Pokémon.

Despite the interruption from the ice shards, Froslass remained unfazed, its eyes calm and steady.

At first glance, Froslass looked like a graceful, kimono-clad woman, her appearance gentle and tender. But her actions were anything but gentle.

The Froslass coldly observed the scene below. She slightly raised her right hand, and a dark Shadow Ball began to form, swirling ominously around her. With a swift motion, she hurled it directly at Glaceon.

The power behind the Shadow Ball was intense. Sensing the danger, Koraidon didn't hesitate. It grabbed Naoki by the waist, leaping away from the island in the lake just in time to avoid the attack.

They managed to evade the blast, but Glaceon wasn't as fortunate. Determined to protect its treasure, Glaceon couldn't dodge in time and was struck directly by the Shadow Ball, sending its small body crashing to the ground.

Glaceon let out a pained cry, "Bu-yi..."

After ensuring Naoki's safety, Koraidon quickly turned its attention back to the island in the lake.

Froslass, however, wasn't done. Her eyes glowed with malicious intent as she unleashed a powerful shockwave, sending it surging toward the injured Glaceon.

Seeing this, Naoki shouted, "Koraidon!"

Koraidon moved in an instant, leaping to place itself between Glaceon and the oncoming attack. With its powerful arms, it shielded Glaceon, taking the brunt of the force as it roared defiantly, "Raao!"

The sheer pressure emanating from Koraidon was overwhelming, and Froslass faltered. Fear flickered in her eyes.

Froslass had never intended to provoke the human or his powerful Pokémon; her target had always been the Glaceon. But now, it was clear that the human had chosen to intervene, siding with the Glaceon.

Reluctantly, Froslass glanced one last time at the coveted stone on the island. Weighing her options, she ultimately decided it wasn't worth the risk. She turned and vanished into the shadows, retreating from the confrontation.

With Froslass gone, Koraidon turned to Glaceon, its expression softening into a friendly grin as it asked, "Raao?"

Glaceon blinked in surprise at the large Pokémon that had just protected it. "Bu-yi?"

Naoki watched the interaction with a sense of relief and happiness. Koraidon's response had been so quick that he almost believed it would have protected Glaceon even without his command.

But what mattered most was that Glaceon was safe.

Standing at the shore, Naoki called out, "Hey!"

Koraidon came over and ferried Naoki back to the island in the lake.

Naoki approached Glaceon, pulling a bottle of fruit milk from his backpack—a special blend designed to restore health. He offered it to Glaceon. "Drink this; it'll help you heal."

Glaceon stared at the bottle for a moment, then turned its head away, refusing the offer with a quiet "Bu-yi."

Instead, Glaceon trotted over to a corner, picked up a small stone adorned with snowflake-like patterns, and placed it in front of Naoki. After this gesture, Glaceon jumped back onto the icy stone at the center of the island, lying down and closing its eyes as if to rest.

"Just as cold as Henry said." Naoki mused, looking down at the icy stone with a smile.

Despite its aloof attitude, Glaceon had shown its gratitude in its own way.

Naoki found himself liking this Glaceon even more. It had strength, pride, and a sense of honor, all qualities that made it special.

But capturing this Glaceon wouldn't be easy. It was clear that ordinary methods wouldn't work with such a proud Pokémon.

Food didn't seem to work on Glaceon, and it didn't appear to enjoy fighting much either. After a moment of thought, Naoki decided to understand Glaceon's situation first.

He glanced at the ice stone beneath Glaceon and asked, "Is this stone your treasure?"

Upon hearing this, Glaceon, who had been resting with its eyes closed, immediately opened them, looking alert and defensive.

Seeing that Glaceon had misunderstood, Naoki quickly reassured it, "Don't worry, I'm not here to take the stone from you. I just happened to come across this place by accident."

Koraidon nodded in agreement, "Raao!"

Glaceon relaxed slightly, though still cautious. It gazed down at the ice stone beneath it, memories flooding back from the past.

Back then, it was just an Eevee. By accident, it had lost its way in the snowy mountains and stumbled upon this place. Here, it discovered the stone, and under its influence, Eevee had evolved into Glaceon. Since then, it had made this cave its home.

'Treasure.' This stone was indeed its treasure.

Thinking of this, Glaceon nodded slightly, "Bu-yi."

"Did that Froslass try to take this stone from you earlier?" Naoki asked again.

At the mention of Froslass, Glaceon's expression darkened with anger. Initially, the Pokémon living nearby had all been peaceful, uninterested in the ice stone. But one day, Froslass had appeared, determined to claim the stone as its own. They had battled many times since, but neither had emerged victorious. Glaceon was growing weary of this conflict and deeply resented Froslass.

Naoki noticed how much Glaceon valued the Ice Stone, and an idea sparked in his mind.

"If this stone is so important, Froslass won't give up easily. She'll likely return to try and take it again," Naoki said.

"Bu-yi." Glaceon's expression grew even more serious.

Seeing the opportunity, Naoki continued, "Have you ever thought about moving the stone to a safer place? Somewhere Froslass can't find it, so she won't bother you anymore."

Glaceon's eyes lit up at the suggestion. 'That's it! If I move the stone, Froslass will never find it again!'

But soon, Glaceon began to ponder. 'Where could I possibly take it that would be safe?' The snowy mountain was vast, and all the Pokémon here were Ice-types. Moving the stone outside might just attract other Ice-type Pokémon to try and steal it.

Seeing Glaceon deep in thought, Naoki spoke up at just the right moment, "Ahem, I might know of a good place to hide the stone. It's safe, and there are no other Ice-type Pokémon there."

Glaceon looked at Naoki with its deep blue eyes, clearly evaluating his offer.

Naoki's heart raced, wondering if Glaceon had seen through his intentions. At that moment, Koraidon nodded in agreement, "Raao!"

Glaceon shifted its gaze back to Koraidon, the Pokémon that had just protected it from Froslass's attack. Glaceon was intelligent and sensed something familiar about Koraidon. It felt strange, as though it might have seen them somewhere before, but it couldn't quite place where.

Unable to recall the memory, Glaceon asked, "Bu-yi?"

"Raao!" Koraidon nodded happily, affirming Naoki's words.

Naoki watched the exchange with keen interest. It seemed as though Glaceon was confirming with Koraidon whether such a safe place truly existed.

After a moment, Glaceon appeared to make up its mind. It looked down at the stone beneath it, then back at Naoki.

Trusting the human and Pokémon who had helped it, Glaceon nodded, "Bu-yi."

Naoki's face lit up with excitement. "Have you decided?"

Glaceon nodded again.

Seeing this, Naoki carefully placed the ice stone—almost as large as Glaceon itself—into his space backpack, right in front of the Pokémon.

With the stone safely stored, Naoki was ready to take both the Ice Stone and Glaceon back to his ranch.

The Ice Stone, like the Ice Stone, is an item that can help Eevee evolve into Glaceon. The only difference is that the Ice Stone disappears after use, while the Ice and Snow Stone does not. This naturally integrated stone contains a vast amount of ice energy.

Even though Glaceon has already completed its evolution, Pokémon are naturally drawn to places rich in energy. It is for this reason that Glaceon treasures the Ice Stone so much.

Reflecting on this, Naoki couldn't help but smile slightly. Looking at the Ice Stone in his hand, he realized that this trip had been incredibly fruitful. He had obtained Glaceon, the Ice Stone, and the Ice and Snow Stone—three valuable assets.

Naoki took out an empty red and white Poké Ball from his pocket and said to Glaceon, "The way back is a bit long, so why don't you rest in here for now?"

Glaceon looked at the Poké Ball, then extended its front paw and lightly tapped the button. In an instant, its body transformed into a red light and was absorbed into the Poké Ball.

When the Poké Ball stopped moving, Naoki let out a long sigh of relief. He had successfully captured Glaceon!

Although it wasn't exactly a typical capture—Glaceon had agreed to enter the Poké Ball because Naoki could help protect its Ice Stone—Naoki wasn't concerned. He knew that once they returned to the ranch, he would have plenty of time to bond with Glaceon until it fully accepted him.

After securing the Ice Stone in his space backpack and making sure he hadn't left anything behind, Naoki and Koraidon exited the cave.

As Koraidon slowly ascended into the sky, the entire Frost-covered Mountain gradually grew smaller until it disappeared from view.

Naoki glanced back at the tall, majestic mountain, reflecting on the day's events. He felt a renewed appreciation for the sense of security that Koraidon provided. Not only could it fly, run, and swim, but it was also incredibly powerful and had a gentle temperament. It was nothing like the ferocious Winged King that some had described. Aside from occasionally being a bit silly, Koraidon seemed to have no flaws at all.

'I'm so lucky to have encountered such a Pokémon,' Naoki thought gratefully. Thanks to Koraidon, his ranch had developed rapidly in just a few months. Without it, he would probably still be struggling to make money by fishing. The ranch wouldn't have the Miltanks or the Nacli Pokémon, and the living spaces for them likely wouldn't even be built yet.

At that moment, Koraidon seemed to notice Naoki was lost in thought. It tilted its head and looked at him, "Raao?"

Naoki snapped out of his thoughts and responded with a joyful smile, "Koraidon, I really love you!"

"Raao?!"

Koraidon's eyes widened in surprise. It knew that Naoki cared deeply for all the Pokémon on the ranch, spending each day tending to their needs. But this was the first time Naoki had expressed his affection so directly.

'Does this mean I'm the first Pokémon to receive such an honor?' Koraidon wondered. The thought filled it with happiness, and in its excitement, it began to speed up its flight.

Koraidon's agile form streaked across the sky like a red meteor.

Naoki, however, was caught off guard by the sudden burst of speed. Clinging tightly to Koraidon, he shouted, "Slow down! I'm going to fall!"