Chapter Sixty-Seven: Avalanche and the Legendary Pokémon!

Zhao Fang was bored. On snowy days, few trainers liked to venture outside, except for those specializing in ice-type Pokémon. The streets were blanketed in white, and apart from the occasional glimpse of an ice-type Pokémon darting swiftly across the snow before disappearing, there was little else to see. Zhao Fang had camped in this spot for three days. During that time, aside from touching his fossil each night, he spent most of his days holed up in his tent. Fortunately, he had bought plenty of Pokémon food, so there was no need to trek back to Kanaz City. During these days, Zhao Fang had spotted an exceptionally rare Pokémon—a Froslass.

When he first saw this extraordinary Pokémon, Zhao Fang wondered if he was hallucinating. After all, Froslass’s evolution was notoriously difficult. Once he confirmed its existence, he considered whether it belonged to another trainer, then lost interest and moved on.

"Day four... I wonder if it’s ready yet." Zhao Fang rubbed his hands together, dug through the snow, and retrieved his fossil, pressing his palm against it.

The words "The fossil is absorbing the energy of ice and snow; its internal reserves are nearly full" appeared before him, filling Zhao Fang with delight. Judging by this, it wouldn’t be much longer before the absorption process finished. He wondered what changes would occur from leaving the fossil of the Aurorus buried in the snow for so long.

If Aurorus could shift from a rock-ice type to an ice-dragon type, Zhao Fang would be overjoyed. The combined ice-dragon attribute was a privilege reserved for legendary Pokémon like Kyurem. With his golden finger, Zhao Fang could cultivate his Aurorus into a unique variant, perhaps even rivaling Kyurem itself.

Yet before revival, Zhao Fang couldn’t make any promises. Pokémon resurrected from fossils always carried the rock attribute; exceptions were exceedingly rare.

After burying the fossil once more, Zhao Fang opened his Pokémon encyclopedia and checked the messages sent by Professor Otajumaru. The battle format for the league tournament had been revised following the latest discussions. Most rules remained unchanged, but the biggest shift was the removal of the four-move limit, replaced by unrestricted combat.

"This new rule seems much more flexible," Zhao Fang mused, stroking his chin. With unrestricted combat, there would be no limit on moves, meaning his Gyarados could keep Splash as a permanent move.

As Zhao Fang contemplated future battle strategies, a sudden thunderous roar erupted behind him, like a muffled thunderclap. He quickly turned to see a massive white wave crashing down the mountainside with overwhelming force.

"My—Gyarados!" Zhao Fang exclaimed, instantly recognizing the natural disaster: an avalanche.

He released Gyarados from its Pokéball and frantically dug through the snow. Everything else in the tent could be sacrificed, but the fossil had to be saved. He could replace other items, but if the fossil were swept away, Zhao Fang doubted he’d ever find it again.

Clutching the fossil, Zhao Fang hurriedly mounted Gyarados, urging it to dash sideways away from the avalanche’s path. All he could hope was that the avalanche wouldn’t arrive too quickly.

After gaining some distance, the avalanche thundered down, engulfing Zhao Fang’s tent and toppling a swath of trees. The disaster arrived with breathtaking speed and departed just as quickly, losing momentum at the foot of the mountain and piling onto the ground.

"My goodness, the power of nature is truly awe-inspiring... How terrifying must those legendary beasts be, who can command such forces?" Zhao Fang gazed in wonder at the snow-clad mountain, feeling small beneath its immense power.

Surveying the deep snow before him, Zhao Fang leapt off Gyarados and buried the fossil anew. He’d noticed it hadn’t finished absorbing energy, so now was the perfect opportunity to let it soak up more.

Just as Zhao Fang finished burying the fossil, he looked up to find a pair of icy blue eyes fixed upon him. Startled, he stepped back, finally taking in the full appearance of the creature before him.

The noble aura and distinctive features instantly revealed its identity: Articuno, one of the legendary Three Birds.

Zhao Fang stood frozen with shock. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he’d come face-to-face with Articuno. A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind, but before he could even consider how to establish a bond with this legendary Pokémon, Articuno soared into the sky. Each beat of its wings sent snow swirling thicker and faster across the landscape.

"The legends are true after all..." Zhao Fang hurriedly pulled out his encyclopedia to record Articuno’s information.

No sooner had Articuno vanished into the clouds than the encyclopedia reported a successful identification.

"Articuno, the legendary bird Pokémon that commands ice..." As the device relayed its description, Zhao Fang began to suspect that the snowfall over Kanaz City was Articuno’s doing.

If Articuno, one of the Three Birds, possessed such power, how much greater must Groudon and Kyogre be? And if this world resembled that of Alpha Sapphire, where Groudon and Kyogre could revert to their primal forms, the disasters they could unleash would be unimaginable.

But what had Articuno come here for?

Zhao Fang pondered the question, then glanced ahead. Above the spot where he’d buried the fossil, a small snow mound glowed with an icy blue light.

"What is this..." Zhao Fang murmured in surprise.

He paused, rubbing his hands together for warmth. Though Articuno’s purpose was unclear, it seemed to be offering Aurorus a little assistance. Zhao Fang decided to wait and see.

He waited for over an hour. If not for his thick clothing, he surely would have caught a cold. The glowing snow gradually faded, and Zhao Fang hurriedly dug up the mound, reaching for the fossil.

"A fossil brimming with the power of ice and snow, awaiting the moment of revival." Reading this appraisal, Zhao Fang broke into a joyful smile. The days of waiting were finally over.

Now, it was time to welcome the third member of his team.

"Aurorus... I’ll raise you well." Zhao Fang caressed the fossil, grinning with happiness.