Chapter 93: Articuno in the Snowstorm

Chapter 93: Articuno in the Snowstorm

A few days later, Ron and his companions arrived at a snowy mountain. Rosa tightened her warm coat and said, "Ron, do we really have to go to White Snow Mountain? It's freezing cold."

Ron and Ruby also tightened their warm coats. Ron said, "We finally got a tip that someone saw Articuno here. We have to give it a shot."

Yesterday, Ron and the others met a father and daughter digging for hot springs at the foot of the mountain. From them, they heard the rumor that Articuno had been seen on White Snow Mountain. Ron vaguely remembered something like this happening.

Ron also guessed that this Articuno was likely still a juvenile. Otherwise, it wouldn't be living on such a small mountain. The three legendary birds might not be the strongest among legendary Pokémon, but they still have their dignity. Staying on a small mountain isn't typical behavior for a legendary Pokémon.

Ron planned to try his luck and see if he could capture this Articuno. At the same time, he wanted to test Zeraora's abilities. Zeraora had been a pleasant surprise for Ron, with its exceptional comprehension and swift combat skills.

"There's a Pokémon Center over there!" After walking for a while, Rosa shouted excitedly.

Ron and Ruby looked over and indeed saw a small wooden house standing ahead in the snowstorm. Ruby said, "The snow is getting heavy. Let's rest for a while and continue our search later."

Ruby's suggestion made Rosa raise both hands and feet in agreement. Seeing Rosa's face turn red from the cold, Ron said, "Yeah, let's rest first. We can ask Nurse Joy if there's a snowmobile to take us up the mountain later."

The three quickly entered the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy smiled when she saw them. "It's rare to see visitors. I didn't expect anyone to come to White Snow Mountain in this weather."

Rosa immediately huddled near the fireplace and complained, "I really didn't want to come. But Ron and Ruby insisted on checking out the Articuno rumor."

Ron and Ruby sat by the fireplace, smiling sheepishly. Nurse Joy poured each of them a cup of hot cocoa and said, "White Snow Mountain has a deep connection with Articuno."

"Really?" Ruby asked excitedly.

"Articuno is considered the guardian deity of mountain travelers. That's what the locals call it. According to legend, many people have seen Articuno on White Snow Mountain. I've also had several near-death mountaineers suddenly appear at the Pokémon Center's doorstep. It's possible that Articuno really does live on the mountain."

Ron nodded, took a sip of hot cocoa, and said, "It sounds plausible. Articuno does like to live on snowy mountains. It's hard to spot, but if there have been sightings, there could be one living here."

"What do you think, Ron? Are you going to try to catch it?" Rosa asked.

"I'll give it a shot. If I can catch it, great. If not, at least I'll get some battle experience with a legendary Pokémon." Ron seemed quite relaxed about it.

After all, he knew that ordinary Poké Balls couldn't capture legendary Pokémon unless the Pokémon was willing. Old, powerful legendaries were definitely out of the question, but a juvenile one was worth trying. Who knows? He might succeed.

Nurse Joy didn't say much. She took Ron and his friends' Pokémon to heal them.

After a while, the snowstorm eased up a bit. Ron asked Nurse Joy if there was a snowmobile available. Nurse Joy said Officer Jenny had borrowed it to get supplies, so there was nothing she could offer.

With no other options, Ron and his friends had to rely on their own feet. After they left for White Snow Mountain, Nurse Joy picked up the phone, dialed a number, and said, "Yes. Ron is heading to White Snow Mountain to try to capture Articuno."

On the other end of the line, a high-ranking League official rubbed his temples and said, "Lance, you should head over there. You know the situation with that Articuno; it's related to Ho-Oh. With Ron's current strength, having two legendary Pokémon and a recently caught suspected new legendary, if he uses them all, he will definitely capture that Articuno."

Lance shook his head helplessly. "What can I do if I go now? Do you think I can talk him out of it?"

"No matter what, give it a try."

"Alright, I'll head over." Lance reluctantly got up to leave.

"Wait, your Dragonite is too slow. It'll take days to fly there. Let Mew send you." The League official suggested.

"Alright, I also want to see how strong this Mew is." Lance smiled, then left the meeting room to find Mew and have it take him to White Snow Mountain.

Back to Ron and his friends. They were beginning to feel lost on the mountain. The snowstorm grew stronger, reducing visibility to less than 200 meters.

"Ron, let's head back and rest. We can come back after the storm passes." Ruby realized something was wrong and quickly suggested.

Ron smiled wryly. "I'm all for it, but can we even find our way back?"

Ruby and Rosa looked back, but all they saw was an endless expanse of snow. Their tracks had been covered by the storm. They were officially lost.

"Tyranitar, Dig!" Ron had no choice but to send out Tyranitar to dig a cave large enough for the three of them to rest in. Facing the snowstorm head-on was too dangerous.

As soon as Tyranitar appeared, it shivered. Its Sand Stream ability seemed insignificant against the power of nature. It quickly dug a cave in the rock wall. Ron and the others hurried inside, and Tyranitar blocked the entrance with a large boulder to keep the snow out.

"What a lousy day," Rosa complained. "Ron, is your luck used up? Is that why it's all bad luck now?"

Ron frowned. "If it were all bad luck, we would have triggered an avalanche the moment we climbed the mountain."

Rosa stuck out her tongue and stopped talking. Ron took out a small stove from his backpack. "Tyranitar, a little fire, please."

Tyranitar spat a small flame to light the stove, warming the entire cave.

Ruby stretched his hands toward the warmth and teased, "Ron, your backpack is like a treasure chest. You have everything in there."

"Being well-prepared is the key to traveling, isn't it?" Ron laughed.

He really couldn't help it. That one-minute tenfold draw had given him too many items, a mix of everything. That's how his backpack got the nickname "treasure chest."

"The snowstorm seems to have stopped," Rosa suddenly said.

Ron listened carefully. Indeed, the howling wind seemed to have ceased. He signaled Tyranitar to remove the boulder. Outside, the snowstorm had stopped where they were. Further out, it continued to snow lightly.

The reason for this sudden calm was an Articuno perched at the entrance of their cave, staring at them. Within a three-meter radius of Articuno, the snowstorm seemed blocked by an invisible barrier.

Ron's eyes narrowed as he took out an Ultra Ball from his belt. "Articuno, let's battle!"

Articuno's response was a long, resonant cry that echoed across White Snow Mountain!