Chapter 1080: Furfrou and Stoutland

Yuga observed the swiftly moving shadows with a calm demeanor. They moved lightly, making no sound even in the stillness of the night.

"Sneasel!"

The sudden shout revealed the identity of the intruders: a group of Sneasel.

The shout was also a signal. Soon, Yuga heard rustling sounds all around as the hidden Sneasel emerged from the snow and surrounded the entrance to their cave.

Without any cover, Yuga could finally see the Sneasel clearly. Their small bodies crawled across the snow, and the white moonlight highlighted their black fur.

In contrast, the Abomasnow blended perfectly with the snow and moonlight, making it difficult for the Sneasel to spot it guarding the cave entrance.

"Sneasel!"

Another sharp, urgent cry signaled the Sneasel to attack. They rushed towards the cave entrance like flying arrows, their footsteps crunching on the snow.

"Roar!!!"

Just as they were about to enter the cave, the Abomasnow roared in anger and swept its arms, sending all the Sneasel approaching the entrance flying. Their sharp, pained cries filled the air.

The Ice-type Pokémon inside the Frost Cavern were highly alert. The Sneasel's cries immediately woke them. They were a vulnerable group in the Frost Cavern, and their alertness was a result of their struggle to survive.

They recognized the cries as coming from the bullies—Sneasel.

These Sneasel didn't originally belong to the Frost Cavern. They had appeared one day and started bullying other Pokémon for food, especially targeting the weaker ones.

Food was already scarce in the Frost Cavern, making life difficult. Since the Sneasel arrived, it had become even harder, with some days passing without any food.

Inside the cave, the Ice-type Pokémon huddled together, shivering, unsure of what was happening outside or why the Sneasel were making such distressing noises.

Sneasel are extremely tenacious and cunning. Once they target prey, they will pursue it relentlessly, even for days and nights if necessary. If the prey proves too challenging, they will retreat.

Initially, the Sneasel were very fierce. After being attacked by the Abomasnow, they aggressively clawed at it, showing no fear.

Abomasnow were common in the Frost Cavern, and the Sneasel, relying on their numbers, had attacked Abomasnow before.

Abomasnow preferred to live alone. Even though they were strong, they had to avoid confrontation with the Sneasel, who were known for ganging up on their opponents.

The Sneasel's previous success in bullying Abomasnow made them confident against Yuga's Abomasnow, even though it was much larger than the usual ones.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Seeing the Sneasel's arrogance, the Abomasnow used its Wood Hammer attack, turning its arms into giant hammers. The green light illuminated the night sky.

The Sneasel cried out again as they were struck by the hammers, tumbling far across the snow. They quickly scrambled away from the Abomasnow, shrieking.

Today, they had met their match!

The Sneasel's leader quickly signaled a retreat.

Seeing the Sneasel fleeing, Yuga didn't pursue them. He only planned to stay here for the night, so there was no need to chase them down.

Although Yuga needed to recruit Ice-type Pokémon for a system task, these Sneasel were of poor quality and strength, with only a few having yellow-aptitude. He wasn't interested in them.

However, amidst the chaos, Yuga directed the Abomasnow to capture one of the yellow-aptitude Sneasel. He needed to understand why the Sneasel were attacking here.

He didn't remember being targeted by Sneasel, and the poor Pokémon inside the cave had even less reason to be targeted. Sneasel were known for not giving up until they got what they wanted.

Yuga took out a flashlight from his backpack and turned it on. The blinding light shone on the Sneasel's face, making it shield its eyes, feeling like it was going blind.

This demon!

Sneasel are naturally fearful and averse to bright light.

Looking at the Sneasel caught in the Abomasnow's hand, Yuga thought it looked too weak, barely having any flesh on it.

It seemed the Sneasel were also struggling! Yuga thought silently.

The captured Sneasel was very cooperative and revealed everything Yuga wanted to know.

It turned out that the Sneasel had an insider.

When Yuga had previously sent Pokéblocks to the Ice-type Pokémon in the Frost Cavern, there was a Delibird among them that was actually an insider for the Sneasel.

Yuga remembered the Delibird and initially thought it had left the cave simply because it wanted to leave. He didn't realize it was actually informing the Sneasel.

Knowing Yuga had a lot of food, the Sneasel came in groups under the cover of night.

The captured Sneasel also revealed the origins of their group.

Originally, they lived in the Sather Plateau. There, they had their own territory and ample food.

But one day, a group of Beartic came into their territory, and the Beartic were much stronger than the Sneasel.

The Beartic forcefully drove the Sneasel away and took over their territory. Left with no other options, the Sneasel were forced to leave the Sather Plateau and relocate to the Frost Cavern.

The Frost Cavern was far more barren than the Sather Plateau. Within days of arriving, the Sneasel were starving, so they began to raid the food of other Pokémon in the area.

Despite their large numbers, the Sneasel couldn't gather enough food, even though they raided daily, resulting in them becoming quite thin.

When Yuga learned that the Sneasel were from the Sather Plateau, he had an idea. He needed a guide, and having a local lead the way would save him considerable effort.

Moreover, he was a bit envious of the Beartic. There might be targets for his mission among them.

The fact that the Beartic had taken over the Sneasel's territory was not his concern. Such events were common in nature, where the strong prey on the weak.

The Sneasel agreed to guide Yuga without hesitation, as he promised to provide all their food during their time together. To them, having enough to eat was more important than anything else.

Seeing the Sneasel's willingness, Yuga gave it an energy cube as a joining reward. The Sneasel eagerly ate the cube and let out a satisfied burp.

After eating, the Sneasel's body began to warm up. It had been a long time since it had a full meal, and the sensation of being full was wonderful.

The night passed quickly.

The next morning, Yuga mounted Absol and, with the Sneasel, set out for the Sather Plateau.

The snowstorm from the previous night had dissipated, and the orange light of the sunrise illuminated the snow-covered Frost Cavern, offering a breathtaking view.

With the storm gone, Pokémon began to emerge from their shelters to find food. The Sneasel from the previous night did not return, and the Sneasel was unconcerned about its companions not coming to rescue it.

Such things were normal in wild Pokémon communities. They couldn't risk the safety of the entire group for one individual.

Yuga's strength was simply too overwhelming for them!

With the snowstorm cleared, Yuga's progress was much faster. After three hours, they finally exited the Frost Cavern and arrived at the Sather Plateau.

The Sather Plateau stretched endlessly. Compared to the snow-covered Frost Cavern, the scenery here was completely different. There were no strong winds or swirling snow, only vast stretches of yellowed grasslands.

Only the distant mountains had a hint of white.

Yuga marveled at the wonders of nature. The Frost Cavern had just endured a snowstorm, while the plateau was calm and peaceful.

Despite the peaceful atmosphere, the temperature was still quite low, and Yuga found it somewhat uncomfortable, adjusting his coat.

In contrast, the Sneasel appeared completely at ease. The morning meal had put it in a good mood. As an Ice-type Pokémon, the cold temperature on the plateau was perfect for it.

On the vast plateau, Yuga saw groups of Swinub and Piloswine grazing on the grasslands. This sight was unique and not seen elsewhere.

Compared to the Frost Cavern, the Pokémon density here was much higher. Every distance covered revealed large groups of Pokémon, with Swinub and Piloswine being the most common. Other frequent Pokémon included Digletts, Dugtrios, and Sandshrews.

Yuga wanted to capture a few, but he didn't find any suitable ones along the way. Most were of red and orange quality, with yellow ones being rare.

Yuga speculated that the harsh environment might not support the development of many high-quality Pokémon.

According to a friend of Ogata, the tomb of the Aegislash was located in the northwest of the Sather Plateau, with a lake to the east and a snow-capped mountain to the north.

Based on Yuga's description, the native Sneasel quickly identified the destination and led Yuga to the area it suspected, which matched Yuga's description of the environment.

After about three hours of walking and having lunch, Yuga finally saw a large lake from a distance.

The blue lake, like a gem set in the Sather Plateau, was connected by a river flowing down from the snow-capped mountain, resembling a ribbon.

The lake and river were likely the life sources of the Sather Plateau. Yuga saw many Pokémon gathering at the lake and along the riverbanks drinking water, including Swinub, Piloswine, Mismagius, and Pidgey. Spheals, Walrein, and a few Seakings were also visible in the lake.

Not finding the desired Pokémon, Yuga was about to direct Abomasnow to search for the tomb at the base of the snow-capped mountain when he noticed a Stoutland and a Furfrou with two young Furfrou, two young Hardier, and a Lilipup drinking water by the river.

Importantly, the lead Stoutland and Furfrou were of green quality, while the other Furfrou, Hardier, and Lilipup were of yellow quality.

The quality of these Pokémon was significantly higher than that of the other Pokémon in the area.

Probably to adapt to the Sather Plateau's environment, the three Furfrou had very dense fur, quite different from the pampered Furfrou in the city. Their long fur was almost comparable to the Stoutland's.

Stoutland, Lilipup, and Hardier, living in extremely cold environments, have evolved thick fur to adapt to the cold.

The fact that Furfrou's fur could rival the Stoutland's indicated its abundance.

Although Yuga didn't find the target Pokémon for his mission, he immediately decided to capture this family.

The yellow-quality Furfrou, Hardier, and Lilipup could be treated with Potential Potion back home, with some risk of failure, but not all would fail.

The leading Stoutland and Furfrou were at a high level, close to the Quasi-Elite level, so Yuga did not act recklessly. He wanted to avoid alarming the other Pokémon drinking water, which could lead to a collective attack.

After the family finished drinking, Yuga followed them from a distance.

After leaving the river area, the family found a cluster of low plants bearing unknown fruits. They ate their fill before continuing their journey.

After they left, Yuga approached the plants and picked up a fallen fruit. After biting into it, his face twisted instantly.

Yuck! This is too sour! Yuga quickly spat out the fruit.

While some Pokémon enjoy sour flavors, this fruit's sourness was excessive, masking the slight sweetness. It was surprising that the Stoutland family could eat it.

This also indicated that food on the Sather Plateau was indeed scarce. Pokémon like Swinub and Piloswine that eat anything might manage due to the abundant grass, but Pokémon like Stoutland and Furfrou that don't eat grass might struggle.

After the Stoutland family completely left the river area, Yuga finally decided to act.

However, both the Stoutland and Furfrou had keen senses of smell. As Yuga got closer, they detected his and Absol's presence. Of course, Absol's conspicuous size also contributed.

Upon learning that Yuga intended to capture the Stoutland family, the Sneasel was very envious. After eating the energy cube Yuga provided, it wondered what it would do without Yuga in the future!

How wonderful! I also want a permanent food source… No, I mean, a master who provides for me! The Sneasel silently envied in its heart.

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(End of Chapter)