I woke up as the sun began to rise, to a warm, wet feeling on my face. Along with a familiar scent that has met my nose many times before.
"Ah, shit." I mumbled. Carefully, I slipped out of my embrace with Melanie, and hurried to the bathroom for something to stop the nosebleed. Generally, waking up with one is a warning sign of severe weather, at least for me.
My haste seems to have had another side effect. I heard movement, and it wasn't long before Melanie came in.
"Zee? What happened?"
"Nosebleed," I said, "I'll be fine in a couple minutes at most. You might wanna go ahead and get dressed, so I can change you back to normal."
"Alright. So, are we gonna have severe, today?"
"That's pretty likely, yeah. I just hope it won't be anywhere near as bad as…ya know." I got the nosebleed under control, and it wasn't long before it stopped. I threw the tissue I grabbed into a nearby garbage can. Then, after washing my hands, I returned Melanie to her normal self. Once that was done, we returned to the outside world, after I picked up my clothes from yesterday.
Melanie brought me my bag so I could get what I needed for the usual routine. While I was busy, I heard Lexie knock on the door. Melanie told her that I was in, for right now, and that I would be out shortly.
Although my aunt didn't know it, my bag was made much bigger, internally, because of the System. However, from what I can tell, I'm running low on clean outfits. I've also lost two shirts, so far, because of blood and damage.
Once I had my stuff, I started through the rest of the routine, as usual. I could already hear the wind outside. A quick check of the radar showed the storm was strong, but not one to really worry about. It would only stop us from going out for a while.
As we were going down for breakfast, there was a bright flash through the northern windows. A loud boom followed close behind. Considering our past experiences, we were the only ones to take a formation the moment we heard the explosion. We all relaxed, once we figured out it was just a bit of c-t-g (cloud to ground) lightning.
"Zeryph, could we talk for a moment?" Kaorah drew my attention. I waved the others on, since we'll catch up. As they headed back to the rooms, Kaorah and I went over to the dining room windows. Not close enough to be a risk, of course.
"It's about yesterday, or to be more specific, Mewtwo." Kaorah said. That's…definitely concerning. She wouldn't get serious like this unless there was a reason. I don't think it's related to relationship reasons, either.
"What's wrong?"
"Yesterday, after the battle, I didn't tell the entire truth. It wasn't just that we didn't want to give up. Mewtwo, he seemed…unusually aggressive." That's…not good.
"Did you see anything strange?" I asked.
"No, other than, hmm…yeah, brief flickers of red. In his eyes, I mean. I didn't say anything at the time, because he was there." What Kaorah has just told me is very worrying. It means that we're all going to have to be extra careful in the future. Things like that are warning signs, at least to me, that Mewtwo's control might be slipping. Before we came to Cinnabar, he didn't have that problem. Uh, not that I know of, anyway.
Now though…I'm definitely worried. If I'm remembering right, the events of the first movie are…very soon. In fact, I believe it starts immediately after the battle in Viridian City. If Mewtwo is showing signs of going shadow, then…well, I don't want to think about it. Especially if I'm the only thing keeping him from going over the edge.
But then again, if that's the case, I'll be the only one who can bring him back. I just hope that we don't have to hurt him, or…or worse.
"Thanks for…telling me." I said to Kaorah. "We…we might have to prepare contingency plans, just in case he really does lose it. Problem is, finding his trigger before it happens. Although, I think I have a pretty good guess."
"What's that?"
"I think I might be the only one who can keep him anchored. If something bad ever happens to me, he's going to lose it."
"Well, we're just gonna have to make sure that doesn't happen." Kaorah said. "Come on, we've got training to do, and I think I want to run a Dungeon again."
"Hah, sure. Let's go find the others." It didn't take us too long, of course. And, once we had, I opened a portal for us all to step through. Our starting room, this time, was inside what seemed to be a…small cabin, surprisingly. Or some sort of base nestled into a mountain. Honestly, I'm not quite sure which, but the howling wind from outside was certainly a concern.
The windows were closed off, covered by metal shutters. I brought up the dungeon's objectives, and what I saw was concerning.
[Dungeon Started]
[Objectives: prepare yourselves, and survive to the end]
[Rewards: Environmental hardening (Ice), 5,000 EXP, and beginner tomes for Ice magic.]
[Failure conditions: freeze to death, and/or, run out of supplies]
[Failure penalties: restart from the beginning. This penalty is negated if you find a checkpoint.]
"We're in for a tough one today, everyone." I said quietly. I started to go through the cabin supplies while I was talking, packing everything that we might need. As well as searching for something to wear, and a way to open the windows.
"Zeryph? What's wrong?" Mewtwo immediately picked up on my tone. We're going to be traveling through a blizzard, based on the Dungeon info and the wind I'm hearing. I motioned to the windows, and when we found a way to open them, his expression shifted. What we could see outside, pretty much confirms my guess. A wall of white, so…in truth, we can't really see anything.
"Aw, hell." Kaorah sounded…very unhappy. I'm not surprised, she never does well with the cold. Absolutely hates the winter, regardless of the fact Christmas is a thing. Or...whatever it happens to be called in this universe, if it even has an in-universe name. Guess I might have to ask around for that one.
"That's what I was thinking, when I read the objectives." I voiced my agreement.
"We have to go…through that?" Melanie asked.
"Unfortunately, yes. The objectives mention checkpoints, I'm guessing there's places to stay. We've got supplies, but we fail if we run out. Also, if we complete this, apparently, we get environmental hardening." I said. At the very least, that…whatever it is, will help us when we get to Mt. Silver later. As well as with the colder climate in Sinnoh.
"I'm not staying out for this. I won't last nearly as long as the rest of you will." Evan prepared to return himself, as he was speaking. "When you reach a safe spot, let me back out so I can stretch."
"No problem bud. Kaorah, if you want, I can do the same for you." I know she hates the ball, but she might prefer it over the mess outside.
"I'll at least try, since you're gonna have winter gear for us. But if I start getting too cold, I'm going in a ball. I'd rather pick that option, than freeze my ass off in a blizzard. Besides, I think Lexie should be warm enough if she stays near us."
"My body heat isn't high enough to work for others nearby, sorry to say. You'd have to be touching me to get any benefit, but it won't work if the area is too cold." Lexie has a point. If we had a teammate with Flame Body, that might've worked. But, as it turns out, we most certainly, do not. "The best I can really do is help Zeryph keep warm. He's more important than the rest of us."
"Yeah, and…much as I might hate the…the Master Ball…" Mewtwo sighed. "We may not have a choice. Zeryph, if any of us show signs of freezing, return us, right away. It's better than risking a death."
"You're right." I said, as I started to get some gear together for everyone. "If you feel too cold, tell me right away. We do not want, or need, to risk hypothermia. I only hope those checkpoints are placed properly." It goes without saying, that night time will be even worse.
Before too long, we were all heavily bundled, and with what I had gotten, we would be able to go for a while. Lexie was dressed the lightest out of all of us, since being a Fire-Type meant the cold wouldn't be as bad. But, she would still have a limit for how long she could sustain it. Once everyone confirmed they were ready, I prepared to open the door.
"Alright everyone, let's go. Remember what I said, and most importantly, do not get out of visual range. Mewtwo, make sure we stay together as well as you can manage." If he has to be returned, we lose the ability to stay together as easily. I pulled the locks open, then slid the door to the side. I winced as the cold sucked the heat from the room, and I was blasted with a frigid breeze.
There's not really any way for me to tell what the temperature actually is. I stepped out into the deep snow, which crunched as my weight settled onto it. I felt myself sink, almost up to my knees. This made things much more difficult, as it would greatly slow our pace.
I signaled with my hands that the snow was deeper than we were expecting. Slowly, the others stepped out into the snow. As it was too deep for her, and with her white fur, Solais had to be returned early. Kaorah hissed, but she toughed it out anyway. The cold likely burned for her, so it's no surprise that she's uncomfortable.
Cerise also had to make an early return, much like Solais and Evan did. Her body wasn't going to be able to handle the cold, much like with Evan. Melanie was the only one who didn't sink, as she wasn't affected by gravity the same way the rest of us were. Mewtwo had managed to replicate it, to a point, but he still sank into the snow. As for Lexie, the snow melted slightly. Which, while fine, would eventually become more of a problem when the water started to cool her down.
"Come on, we need to move. If we want to make it to the first stop before nightfall." My voice, muffled by the scarf covering the lower half of my face, was barely audible over the wind. Slowly, we began to move to the north, along the path that I could see on the map. Fortunately, the stops seem spaced just well enough that we can make it before the cold starts to get to…most of us.
The other big threat is night time. We can't really tell, visually, what the time is. I have my HUD set to track it, but it's likely that it flows differently here, to what we're used to. About half way to the cabin, Kaorah began to slow down. She was already tiring, the cold already beginning to get to her as she started to shiver. Even if she was up against me or Lexie, she likely wouldn't warm up fast enough. We made the decision to return her to her ball.
Fortunately though, the same didn't happen to anyone else, until the light of our first stop was able to break through the low visibility. Melanie had begun to slow down, and with her powers waning, she began to sink into the snow like the rest of us. I made the decision to sweep her up into a carry, letting her snuggle against me for all the warmth she could get.
Even I was starting to be affected by now. But, the light of the cabin was enough of a push to make us keep going. Until we reached the doorstep, and made it inside. The howling wind became muffled as the door was shut. I let everyone out, those who were returned anyway. They began to stretch, and we stripped out of our gear. Based on the time, that part of the trip had taken until noon.
And that was just the first part. While it would be easier if we had transport, that would take away from what the dungeon's purpose is. Although, I guess calling it a survival challenge would be more fitting. After taking a short while to rest and warm up, we got our gear back on and continued. I made sure to keep track of time, and Mewtwo brought up a bubble around us, mostly to help keep the warmth in. He would only be able to for so long, with the blizzard beating on the shield.
Even with holding up a shield, he seemed unusually distracted. Normally, he would be constantly on guard, especially with low visibility around us. At first I thought he might've been holding a mental conversation with one of the ladies, but his expression says otherwise. Lost in thought, perhaps, but I don't know why.
"Hey, everything OK?" I asked. "You seem rather distracted all of a sudden."
"Huh?" He blinked. "Yeah, sorry…just, thinking, is all. I'll talk with you later, we've got other things to worry about right now." I let out a muffled sigh. Ever since we got to Cinnabar, he's been acting off. I think it might've even been going on longer. Since our Darkrai encounter, in fact. Plus, there's what Kaorah told me this morning, too. I'll see about asking the other ladies, and Evan…see if they've noticed, too.
We reached the second stop, just after nightfall. The temperature had dropped, just as I thought it would. While the others were busy setting up some space to sleep, I found somewhere to sit down. I closed my eyes, and as I bowed my head, the world flickered and faded. When I opened my eyes, it was to a moonlit courtyard, under the light of Lua.
I felt the gentle press against my defenses, and I allowed him in. Mewtwo faded into existence, by the tree.
"Hey…sorry about…earlier. I'm just…I don't know." Mewtwo sighed. I walked over and wrapped my left arm around him, then leaned against his right side.
"It's because of Cinnabar, isn't it?" I asked.
"Yeah.Even though I already told you about…her, I still don't feel quite right." The world around us faded, becoming the massive balcony of Dragonsreach, under Skyrim's night sky. "I looked into it and there's…a lot of missing pieces to my memory." I gave him a raised brow. That doesn't sound right, he shouldn't be missing anything, unless…
"You don't think you might've gone-"
"Shadow? I…I certainly hope not. Worst of all is one from around the time of my…birth." Mewtwo's eyes widened. "Oh…oh no. Could I have really done…? But…that's…that's not possible, is it? I don't think I could've--" I pulled him into a side hug, interrupting what he was saying.
"Hey, it's OK. You're here now, and you're very much in control." I said quietly. "I don't think you have the capability of going shadow."
"Are…are you sure?"
"Quite sure, sweetheart." I reached up and gently rubbed his right cheek with my hand. I felt the warmth from what I'm sure is a blush, forming on his face. "I think you're too nice to be capable of it. And, you've got me, now. If you ever feel like you really need me…just tell me. I'll be more than happy to just…sit down and listen."
"Well…thanks." I felt him lean more against me, and I shifted it into a proper embrace. I closed my eyes and smiled softly. I felt him slowly return it, making sure not to hug me too tightly. "Hey…after the…gym, do you maybe want to…"
"Go on a date?" I asked. "Heh, sure. Ya know, I was wondering when you would ask." I reached up and lightly booped his nose. "We should really work on that confidence of yours. It's great in any other situation, but you get me one-on-one, and…where does it even go?"
"I, uh…I don't-"
"Oh, it's fine. I think it's cute." I interrupted him, and I saw his blush deepen. "Let's get some supper, and then some rest. We've got another hike ahead of us, tomorrow. We need you rested, more than anyone." I said.
We both returned to the outside world. I made a mental note to let Mewtwo see more of Skyrim, later on. Had his focus not been on me, I would've been glad to show him around. Skyrim was a favorite for a very long time. Almost one thousand hours of game time.
Lexie was starting on supper for everyone. She had just begun to set things out, something simple tonight. Looks like she's making some steak and cheese stuff. Haven't had a Philly in a pretty good while, so I can't wait to find out how well she does. Because she hasn't made one before, I started to help out. While we were busy, the others sat down on the cots that had been set up.
As usual though, Evan was the only one not getting a sandwich, his preference for berries still holding out over other choices. Although, he did accept some lightly toasted bread. I will say, he does get sausage in the mornings now, at least. I guess his appetite hasn't adjusted to his evolution, yet.
After his supper, he wished us all a good night, before returning himself so he could rest. He had figured out how the ball works, so nobody had to let him in or out anymore. In fact, if he's figured it out, I'd be surprised if he doesn't teach the others how to, as well. I know that it wouldn't work for Mewtwo though.
Speaking of Mewtwo, first chance I get, I'm transferring him to a Cherish Ball. Only issue is getting my hands on one. Actually, that's pretty easily solved. In fact, why not do that now? Well, after supper of course. On that note, we're almost done. It didn't take long for Lexi and I to put the sandwiches together and serve them.
As everyone started to dig in, I pulled up the cross-world market, and bought a Cherish Ball. Now, all we would need is a trade terminal to make the transfer. And, also, check to make sure the Master Ball doesn't have a tracker on it for any tampering.
"Hey, Mewtwo." I got his attention. "First thing, when we're out of this dungeon, I'm getting you a ball transfer." I held out the Cherish Ball so he could see it. "This, should be much better than the one you've been stuck with."
"Hey, I recognize that. Aren't you supposed to be unable to get those?" Lexie asked.
"Yeah, but, with the market…I'm able to get it, regardless." I asnwered.
"A…Cherish Ball? That's…something special, right?" I don't blame Mewtwo for not knowing.
"Very special. In fact, normally, it's reserved for event-exclusive stuff. Mystery gift stuff, in fact." Mythicals, in almost every case. There are a few exceptions, mostly for the ones who have to be caught. Like Arceus and Darkrai, so it's not used for them. Instead, someone like Zeraora would be in a Cherish Ball, rather than caught in battle.
"We can worry about this when we're done with this mission. For now, everyone- get some rest. We've got…at least one more day of travel. We're getting up very early tomorrow, and moving out at dawn." I told them all. Sure, it's much earlier than most of them usually get up. But at the same time, the sooner we get done, the sooner we're out of this cold.
As the early hours came around, Lexie and I were the first ones up. We began to work on a light breakfast, while also gently shaking everyone awake. Kaorah wasn't too happy, being woke up so early, but she got over it fairly fast when she smelled breakfast. As the other ladies began to get up and stretch, Evan let himself out so he could do the same.
Following our breakfast, we geared up and moved out. Because the sun hasn't begun to rise just yet, the world outside was still dark. As a result, the moment the door opened, a wall of frozen air slammed into us. I winced, though the face coverings I was wearing would take some of the cold off. The snow crunched under my boots as I stepped outside. Our trail from yesterday long gone, covered by the blizzard overnight.
Though it was dark, small lights shined through the blizzard, marking our path forward. Mewtwo was the next out, and one of his shields flared to life, cutting us off from the stronger wind and the flakes of snow. Though it was still cold, his shield made it significantly easier. Lexie was the only other one to come out, as the others chose to return themselves. This was decided during breakfast, as it would be much safer to travel as a group of three.
"Let's get moving. The sooner we make it to that cabin, the better." We started to move, as I was talking. My voice was somewhat muffled, but our proximity made it easier for them to hear me.
"Here's hoping that our next survival thing like this is…less intense." Lexie said.
"Knowing how things normally go for us, that's very unlikely." Mewtwo responded. He's right, too. At at least we didn't end up in a desert…this time anyway.
"Yeah, could've been a desert…or a flood…or even a volcanic region."
"Goodness…well, hopefully, the System will make a change so we can choose between this and a proper Dungeon." Lexie said. "Still, I think a desert or volcano would've been much worse than this…but at least we'd be able to see."
"Unless there was a sandstorm, in the former case."
"Yeah, you're right. Sand isn't good for my fur. But it's still not as bad as something sticky."
"You mean marshmallow?" Mewtwo asked.
"Ugh, yeah…melted marshmallow is simultaneously the best, and the worst." Lexie said. I started to zone out, and focus more on our walk. A small thought, and the system supplied us with a bit of music to fit the current situation. "Cold Front" from the Calamity Mod. Well, it's the extra music add-on, specifically, not the main music mod itself.
It's the theme for the blizzard, which…considering our current situation, I thought it would be appropriate. Better than just having to constantly listen to the howling wind. The world around us had slowly begun to light up, too, as the sun started to rise. Not that we could see it, of course. It breaks through just enough for us to get at least some light.
A glance at the map showed that we were actually getting near the next stop. The light from it shining through the low visibility. With it getting near, we picked up the pace, and it wasn't long before we were stepping inside. That one didn't take as long as I thought it would, which means that either the distance wasn't as long, or, we were making good time.
More likely to be the latter, since it was just three of us to worry about. Because of that, we didn't have to take a long break, only taking enough time for Mewtwo to rest so he could shield us again. The moment he gave myself and Lexie the signal that he was ready, we moved out.
As we were moving, the snow slowly started to let up, until it became very light. Despite that, the wind was still blowing, but we had good visibility now. Well, so long as the blizzard doesn't kick up again, which it likely will. With the wind letting up, Mewtwo can let his shield down for a bit.
"Huh, if we'd know it would've cleared up, we could've gone as a larger group." Lexie said.
"Maybe, but it won't last." Mewtwo said, as he dropped the shield. "We do have some time, at least. Let's make the most of it, by picking up our pace. We might not be able to stop for lunch though."
"If we don't stop, then we'll make our next stop by nightfall. If it's the last stop, then we can try to push past it and make it to the end. But, that is going to be risky." Lexie said.
"We've been given an opening, it would be good to exploit it. Come on, let's go, while things are mostly clear." I said. We picked up our pace, as much as we could manage with the heavy snow on the ground. "Just remember, don't work up a sweat. It'll only work against you in the long run."
"Kinda wish we had someone with cloud nine, or Rayquaza and his Weather Lock." Mewtwo and I nodded, silently agreeing with what Lexie said. Wouldn't help with the snow on the ground, but it would take care of everything else.
[Break]
It was early evening by the time we made it to our next stop. Our decision to skip the lunch stop had paid off, somewhat. From here, we could see the endpoint. A building, just barely visible along a sheer cliff of what looked to be solid ice. If we decided to make a night time trip, we could pull it off, but we risk dealing with a much stronger cold.
I let everyone out so they could stretch, as soon as we were in the cabin. I showed them all what I was able to see, before Lexie and I started on supper. While we were working, I put forward the idea to make a night trip, so we could wrap this up. There was a majority vote, in favor of getting it done now.
Melanie was the one most against going at night, with Cerise and Evan agreeing. Melanie had a good reason herself, being the team healer. Which meant she had to worry about all of us, more than if she wasn't a healer. She was worried about me, most of all…for obvious reasons. Lexie assured her that she'd take care of me.
Following supper, the others slowly returned themselves, one by one. Melanie was the most reluctant, more than Kaorah, even. Lexie and I both promised Melanie that I would be OK. It was that, and some extra convincing, before she finally let herself be returned. When it was just myself, with Lexie and Mewtwo, we began to gear up again.
With the temperature dropping into the negatives, we began to move. Lexie snuggled up to my left side as best she could while we were moving. Though my coat is designed to trap heat in, it would only be able to last for so long without extra warmth nearby.
I tucked my hands into my sleeves, then put the ends into my coat pockets.
"Man, the temperature now makes the Crown Tundra feel warm." Lexie said, mostly to herself but I still caught it.
"Well, at least we'll be better prepared for that when we get to it." I said.
Within the second hour, the cold began to really set in. Mewtwo pressed himself up to my right side as much as he could, but I had him move so that he was on Lexie's other side. A shield flickered to life, Mewtwo's attempt to keep the heat in as much as possible. By the fourth hour, I'd begun to shiver slightly. Resulting in the pair shifting in order to keep me warm as much as possible.
We were half way by this point, and the weather was starting to show signs of picking back up. The wind from the east was being lessened by our position, as we were now under the flow from the cliff, rather than in it. And as the blizzard began to strengthen once again, our visibility didn't decrease as much. It didn't last for long, as the wind shifted, and began to blow from the north.
The other two huddled closer around me, and Mewtwo strengthened his shield. By the sixth hour, we could no longer see. Our only clue was the bright, white beacon shining through the darkness. We picked up our pace, and the warmth Lexie was putting off had slowly begun to fade.
Mewtwo's shield had started to slowly wane, as well. He was getting tired, mainly because he hasn't needed to hold a shield up for this long. Until now, that is, and it definitely shows. Our goal was much closer, and that was enough motivation for him to keep holding on. As we got closer, the door slid open, its sensors detecting us in the snow.
Just a few minutes later, we stepped through and into a place that was warm. Beds were set up for all of us, and I let everyone out. Well, everyone who would've wanted out, anyway. Melanie and Kaorah both hugged me from either side, soon as they were able. Solais nuzzled one of my legs, before rearing up in order to try a hug, herself. I quickly caught her so she wouldn't fall.
"I told you I'd be OK." I said.
"It'll be a wonder if you don't catch a cold." Melanie said.
"Yeah, or worse." Kaorah added.
"Yeah, but at least we're done here." I had already dismissed the notice for Dungeon completion. The EXP was just 500 less than what I needed for Level 7. The elemental hardening had also been added to our stats, and it would come in handy. Maybe not for Blaine, but it'll certainly help us with the cold in the future. Description also says it grants Ice-Type resistance, too, which is a major bonus for Kaorah.
By the time we returned to the outside world, it was just past midnight. Which confirms that the day/night was different in the dungeon, but passed at the same rate as out here. While it meant we did miss a couple days, that's not really a problem.
Lexie wanted me to lay with her for tonight, so I obliged. I didn't really need a blanket because of the fact that she was snuggled up beside me. She was quick to fall asleep, tired from the long day we'd just been through. Plus, we were in a proper bed again, and not in a small, uncomfortable cot.
Tomorrow, would be our battle with Blaine. Kaorah's gonna have a ball with it, I'm sure. She could very well sweep the Gym, if I were to allow her. Course, we are gonna be fighting in a volcano, so, she's gonna be somewhat limited. We don't want to use Earthquake with a Volcano near us. In fact, that's the sole reason she didn't use it in the training battle the other day.
As I drifted off to sleep, I prepared to enter my mindscape to plan out our battle tomorrow. Ash and the others should also catch us, in the morning. Looking forward to it, even if tomorrow is gonna be a busy day.