Chapter 260 – The Affectionate Glaceon! The Adventure Resumes!

The Ice Stone radiated waves of chill, glowing with a cerulean blue light that completely enveloped the curious little Eevee.

The icy aura it released was so potent that even Articuno—who had already cleared away most of the lingering deathly aura—paused and looked over.

Bathed in the dazzling glow, a graceful silhouette gradually emerged—the newly evolved Glaceon.

"Wow… she's so beautiful…"

Liu Qiaoqiao sniffled as she stepped forward, drawn in despite the frosty aura still swirling around Glaceon. She reached out toward the adorable creature, unable to resist.

With a soft bluish coat, Glaceon's fur was elegant and sleek. The darker blue patterns on her head made it look like she wore a cozy winter cap. Her legs appeared adorned with four cute little boots, and the two long, ribbon-like strands flowing from her head fluttered gracefully in the wind—giving her the refined poise of a noble lady.

Honestly, how could a little girl like Liu Qiaoqiao resist such a temptation?

Even Zhou Xiaofei was itching to give this cutie a hug!

"Ah! So cold!"

Liu Qiaoqiao yelped and quickly pulled her hand back. The chill from Glaceon's body was so intense that it almost felt like she'd gotten frostbite!

"Buu~?"

Glaceon tilted her head in confusion at the reaction, then dove into Li Xiaoyu's arms.

Immediately, Li Xiaoyu's expression twisted in both surprise and dismay.

Frost began forming across her coat, and her teeth started to chatter.

"G-Glaceon… b-be a good girl…"

She gingerly patted Glaceon on the head. Despite the biting cold—colder than hugging a thousand-year-old block of ice—Li Xiaoyu refused to let go.

After all, this was her Pokémon. Letting go would only hurt the little one's feelings.

"Buu~ ee?"

Glaceon lifted her head, eyes widening as she noticed the frost building up on her trainer's clothes.

Realizing what had happened, she gave a thoughtful nod.

A moment later, the color began to return to Li Xiaoyu's lips, and the numbing cold slowly eased. The frost, however, would take a while to melt…

"Hah! A walking ice machine!"

"She can regulate her body temperature?"

Wang Tao caught on quickly, connecting the dots at once.

Su Bai's voice came through the orb with a chuckle.

"Exactly. Glaceon can control her body temperature—to some extent."

"Normally, she wouldn't freeze her own trainer on purpose. She probably hasn't mastered her powers yet."

"That said, if she did unleash her full chill, Li Xiaoyu would be an ice sculpture right now."

"Glaceon's body temperature can drop as low as -60°C."

"Oh, and a word of caution: never try to hug a wild Glaceon. One wrong move, and you'll be riddled with holes."

He glanced at the wide-eyed audience at the Pokémon Center, most of whom were utterly smitten with the elegant Glaceon.

"As a snow sprite Pokémon, Glaceon's fur might look soft—but it can instantly crystallize into sharp needles."

"Some wild Glaceon are so strong, they can even freeze the air around them."

"In short—this little lady's power is way beyond what her adorable looks suggest."

Though Glaceon appeared well-mannered and elegant, Su Bai knew that ice-types in general had… complicated personalities.

Articuno, after all, was anything but friendly.

"Counting your Umbreon and Jolteon, this makes three evolved Eeveelutions."

"Sometimes I wonder if you'll really be able to train them all properly."

As Glaceon snuggled against Li Xiaoyu, gently adjusting her temperature to comfort her trainer, Su Bai admired her rare talent while also expressing concern.

"With eight different evolution forms, each Eevee has a very specific role."

"Umbreon excels in support, Jolteon in speed and special attacks. Glaceon, though, has even higher special attack, topping at 130—but her speed is only 65."

"Her defense is impressive too, with a base stat of 110—even higher than Torterra's 105."

"But her HP is quite low… All in all, Glaceon is a challenging Pokémon to train."

Su Bai's concern was well-founded.

This wasn't a game where you could just allocate EVs and be done with it. In the real world, proper training had to be tailored to each Pokémon's strengths.

Li Xiaoyu might be blessed with the enviable "Eevee Physique," but she still had to work hard to train each one according to its unique traits.

Otherwise, she'd be squandering an opportunity most trainers could only dream of.

"Don't worry. That's what I'm here for!"

Ding Yue waved her hand proudly. "I'll hire every elemental-type specialist I can find! Xiaoyu's Eevees are in good hands!"

Their friendship, having just weathered a life-or-death crisis, had only grown stronger.

Li Xiaoyu was her bestie—and that meant Ding Yue's money was Li Xiaoyu's money.

Li Xiaoyu chuckled and nodded. "I'll train them myself, but… you, rich lady, are officially my research department. I won't be shy!"

While they were chatting away—

Articuno, who had been glancing over repeatedly, finally lost its patience.

"Brreee—yahh!"

With an impatient cry, the temperature on the mountaintop plummeted.

Its wings beat powerfully, whipping up a fierce snowstorm.

Massive snowflakes fell in sheets, covering the battlefield craters left behind during the earlier chaos.

The trainers at the summit were quickly buried under a flurry of hand-sized snowflakes.

Screams and laughter erupted as they scrambled in all directions.

"Mew! Mew!"

Mew giggled, floating in the air. With a cheerful wave to the retreating trainers, it vanished into the sky.

The expedition—delayed by Articuno—was now back on track.

"Articuno's temper really sucks, huh…"

Su Bai shrugged as he watched the comical scene unfold.

Still, considering these trainers weren't invited guests… Articuno had shown remarkable restraint.