Chapter 1083: The Ice Cave on the Snowy Mountain
The Sather Plateau is dotted with numerous snow-capped mountains, with the entire eastern side covered by endless ranges. These mountains experience constant snowfall year-round, creating a harsh environment. The primary reason humans on the Kalos Continent have not expanded eastward is due to the formidable barrier posed by the Sather Plateau and these endless snow mountains.
While the Sather Plateau is a known region to humans, many parts of the deep snow mountains remain forbidden zones, unexplored by human feet.
No one knows just how vast these snow mountains truly are! The severe climate and challenging environment, coupled with human limitations, mean that only the fringes of these mountains have been explored.
If it weren't for the invention of spatial backpacks, humans wouldn't even have been able to thoroughly explore the edges of these endless snow mountains.
Guided by Sneasel, Yuga rode his Absol at full speed towards the northeastern edge of the Sather Plateau, where the Sneasel tribe's original territory was located.
Along the way, Yuga continued to use his keen eye to observe the Pokémon they encountered. Unfortunately, in such a barren place like the Sather Plateau, it's incredibly difficult for highly talented Pokémon to thrive.
The Pokémon here tend to appear in large groups. At times, Yuga even saw tens of thousands of Pokémon migrating together in search of food.
The seasonal changes on the Sather Plateau differ from the outside world. Although it was not yet late summer outside, the vegetation here had already withered. If the Pokémon on the plateau didn't start migrating now, they might not even find roots to eat when autumn arrived.
Autumn on the Sather Plateau is equivalent to winter in the outside world, but with even harsher conditions. The temperature is lower, the snowstorms are stronger, and food is scarcer.
Even with large groups of Pokémon passing by Yuga, he still couldn't spot a single highly talented Pokémon. The Drilbur he found outside his tent that morning could be considered the only "good find" among many "bad ones."
After nearly three hours of running, Yuga finally arrived at the foot of the snowy mountain that Sneasel had mentioned. Gazing at the towering mountains, Yuga had a moment of hesitation.
It looked incredibly cold!
In the face of nature's overwhelming power, humans are truly insignificant. If it weren't for the system's cheat, Yuga wouldn't dare to take this risk. In the snow mountains, getting lost would make food and warmth the biggest issues.
Luckily, with the system backpack, Yuga had already prepared enough food and supplies. Plus, he could always refresh the system's trainer shop for berries, so he wasn't at risk of starving in the snow mountains.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the withered grassland gradually disappeared, replaced by the white snow underfoot, signifying Yuga's official departure from the plateau into the snow mountain range.
Once in the snow mountain range, Sneasel became exceptionally excited, jumping off Absol's back and quickly bounding through the snow. The snow seemed to make Sneasel even faster, allowing it to run across the snow without leaving footprints.
After passing through a long snowy valley and two relatively low snow-covered mountains, Yuga stopped at the foot of the target snow mountain.
Compared to the endless snow mountains, this mountain was on the very edge, which made sense, as the Sneasel tribe, with their poor survival skills, wouldn't have been able to survive further into the mountains.
Absol's climbing ability was exceptional; it could easily scale rocks. If it weren't for the thick snow, Yuga suspected it could even sprint up the mountain.
Sneasel had an even easier time; this was its birthplace, and it climbed the mountain more nimbly than a monkey climbs a tree.
Yuga, on the other hand, had a tough time. Once on the snow mountain, he didn't dare to ride on Absol anymore, as being thrown off accidentally would have been disastrous.
He had to trudge up the mountain himself.
The journey revealed little plant life; occasionally, there was a lone Aspear Berry or Sitrus Berry tree, with only a few leaves left, likely plucked bare by some Pokémon.
Yuga had good physical fitness, but climbing a snow-covered mountain was exhausting. He thought about having Charizard fly him up, but Charizard didn't like the cold, hiding in its Pokéball and refusing to come out. Dragonite felt the same way!
The only consolation for Yuga was the consistently good weather since morning. There was no wind or snow, and although the sun provided little warmth, its bright rays made Yuga feel cozy enough.
By the time he reached halfway up the mountain, the terrain began to level out, allowing Yuga to switch from "climbing" to "walking." According to Sneasel's directions, their original territory was in this area, just around the bend.
But before they could take more than a few steps, two Beartic appeared out of nowhere, directly crossing paths with Yuga and his team.
As the saying goes, enemies meet with intense hostility, especially when there's a score to settle!
As soon as Sneasel saw the two Beartic, it charged at them furiously, only to be knocked away by a punch from the male Beartic.
The two Beartic, one male and one female, were likely a pair.
Despite its submissive demeanor around Yuga, Sneasel was a fierce fighter. After being punched away, it immediately got up and charged again.
Unfortunately, Sneasel was far outmatched by the Beartic, let alone taking on two at once. Before Sneasel could be severely beaten, Absol intervened, easily knocking out both Beartic with a single swipe each.
Seeing Absol's prowess, Sneasel's admiration knew no bounds. Both were Dark-type Pokémon, and Sneasel felt it could learn a thing or two from Absol, especially its Night Slash.
Sneasel was a vengeful Pokémon, and even though the Beartic were already unconscious, it didn't forget to kick them a few more times to vent its anger.
Leaving the Beartic where they lay, Yuga followed Sneasel toward their original territory. Beartic have thick hides, so they wouldn't freeze to death anytime soon.
After several twists and turns, Yuga finally reached his destination: a valley on the snow mountain.
The valley was filled with large and small Aspear Berry trees, all heavily laden with fruit. The abundance of food explained why the Sneasel tribe had chosen this place as their territory.
Unfortunately, it now belonged to the Beartic.
Seeing its former home occupied by Beartic, Sneasel immediately wanted to charge down but was held back by Yuga.
Sneasel looked at Yuga in confusion, thinking that with Yuga's strength, dealing with a group of Beartic should be a piece of cake.
"Know your enemy and yourself, and you'll win a hundred battles." Yuga shook his head slightly and said, "Let's watch for a bit longer." Reluctantly, Sneasel stayed by his side, refraining from acting rashly.
The valley was full of Beartic. Some were strolling in pairs, others were napping on rocks, and still others were playing with their cubs…
In addition to the Beartic, there were many Cubchoo, who were happily digging up a small white-leaved plant from the crevices of rocks. They seemed to be having a great time.
The plant the Cubchoo were eating was a type of fern unique to the snow mountains, growing only beneath the snow. It was highly nutritious for young Cubchoo, helping them through their early growth stages. This plant was also a favorite food for many Ice-type Pokémon, including Sneasel.
After observing the scene, Yuga believed he had figured out why the Beartic tribe had taken over the Sneasel tribe's territory. The place was indeed ideal for the Beartic tribe, offering a safe environment free of predators and abundant food.
However, after using his keen eye, Yuga dismissed his initial thought. The reason was simple: the Beartic here were too high-level for the snow mountain's edge.
Not only was there a high-level Beartic deep in the valley, but several others were at the pseudo-Elite level, caring for the cubs. A group of high-level Pokémon like this shouldn't be found on the outskirts of the snow mountains, and it was unlikely they took over the territory simply for the good environment.
Given this situation, Yuga was hesitant to confront them. A battle between high-level Pokémon could cause significant disturbances, potentially triggering an avalanche—a risk not to be taken lightly.
Moreover, with the large number of Beartic present, facing their combined attack would be challenging, again increasing the likelihood of an avalanche.
The environment here was quite different from the Snow Peak of Mount Coronet. Near the Snow Peak, the terrain was either steep cliffs or flat plains. The cliffs couldn't hold much snow, and the plains had stable snow, reducing the risk of avalanches.
The real danger was in places like this, where the terrain was neither too steep nor too flat, allowing snow to accumulate easily and making it prone to sliding.
"Let's sneak in and take a closer look," Yuga suggested to Sneasel, suspecting that there might be more to the Beartic tribe's move to the snow mountain's edge.
"Sn-Sneasel!" Sneasel nodded obediently.**Chapter 1083: The Ice Cave on the Snowy Mountain**
The Sather Plateau is dotted with numerous snow-capped mountains, with the entire eastern side covered by endless ranges. These mountains experience constant snowfall year-round, creating a harsh environment. The primary reason humans on the Kalos Continent have not expanded eastward is due to the formidable barrier posed by the Sather Plateau and these endless snow mountains.
While the Sather Plateau is a known region to humans, many parts of the deep snow mountains remain forbidden zones, unexplored by human feet.
No one knows just how vast these snow mountains truly are! The severe climate and challenging environment, coupled with human limitations, mean that only the fringes of these mountains have been explored.
If it weren't for the invention of spatial backpacks, humans wouldn't even have been able to thoroughly explore the edges of these endless snow mountains.
Guided by Sneasel, Yuga rode his Absol at full speed towards the northeastern edge of the Sather Plateau, where the Sneasel tribe's original territory was located.
Along the way, Yuga continued to use his keen eye to observe the Pokémon they encountered. Unfortunately, in such a barren place like the Sather Plateau, it's incredibly difficult for highly talented Pokémon to thrive.
The Pokémon here tend to appear in large groups. At times, Yuga even saw tens of thousands of Pokémon migrating together in search of food.
The seasonal changes on the Sather Plateau differ from the outside world. Although it was not yet late summer outside, the vegetation here had already withered. If the Pokémon on the plateau didn't start migrating now, they might not even find roots to eat when autumn arrived.
Autumn on the Sather Plateau is equivalent to winter in the outside world, but with even harsher conditions. The temperature is lower, the snowstorms are stronger, and food is scarcer.
Even with large groups of Pokémon passing by Yuga, he still couldn't spot a single highly talented Pokémon. The Drilbur he found outside his tent that morning could be considered the only "good find" among many "bad ones."
After nearly three hours of running, Yuga finally arrived at the foot of the snowy mountain that Sneasel had mentioned. Gazing at the towering mountains, Yuga had a moment of hesitation.
It looked incredibly cold!
In the face of nature's overwhelming power, humans are truly insignificant. If it weren't for the system's cheat, Yuga wouldn't dare to take this risk. In the snow mountains, getting lost would make food and warmth the biggest issues.
Luckily, with the system backpack, Yuga had already prepared enough food and supplies. Plus, he could always refresh the system's trainer shop for berries, so he wasn't at risk of starving in the snow mountains.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the withered grassland gradually disappeared, replaced by the white snow underfoot, signifying Yuga's official departure from the plateau into the snow mountain range.
Once in the snow mountain range, Sneasel became exceptionally excited, jumping off Absol's back and quickly bounding through the snow. The snow seemed to make Sneasel even faster, allowing it to run across the snow without leaving footprints.
After passing through a long snowy valley and two relatively low snow-covered mountains, Yuga stopped at the foot of the target snow mountain.
Compared to the endless snow mountains, this mountain was on the very edge, which made sense, as the Sneasel tribe, with their poor survival skills, wouldn't have been able to survive further into the mountains.
Absol's climbing ability was exceptional; it could easily scale rocks. If it weren't for the thick snow, Yuga suspected it could even sprint up the mountain.
Sneasel had an even easier time; this was its birthplace, and it climbed the mountain more nimbly than a monkey climbs a tree.
Yuga, on the other hand, had a tough time. Once on the snow mountain, he didn't dare to ride on Absol anymore, as being thrown off accidentally would have been disastrous.
He had to trudge up the mountain himself.
The journey revealed little plant life; occasionally, there was a lone Aspear Berry or Sitrus Berry tree, with only a few leaves left, likely plucked bare by some Pokémon.
Yuga had good physical fitness, but climbing a snow-covered mountain was exhausting. He thought about having Charizard fly him up, but Charizard didn't like the cold, hiding in its Pokéball and refusing to come out. Dragonite felt the same way!
The only consolation for Yuga was the consistently good weather since morning. There was no wind or snow, and although the sun provided little warmth, its bright rays made Yuga feel cozy enough.
By the time he reached halfway up the mountain, the terrain began to level out, allowing Yuga to switch from "climbing" to "walking." According to Sneasel's directions, their original territory was in this area, just around the bend.
But before they could take more than a few steps, two Beartic appeared out of nowhere, directly crossing paths with Yuga and his team.
As the saying goes, enemies meet with intense hostility, especially when there's a score to settle!
As soon as Sneasel saw the two Beartic, it charged at them furiously, only to be knocked away by a punch from the male Beartic.
The two Beartic, one male and one female, were likely a pair.
Despite its submissive demeanor around Yuga, Sneasel was a fierce fighter. After being punched away, it immediately got up and charged again.
Unfortunately, Sneasel was far outmatched by the Beartic, let alone taking on two at once. Before Sneasel could be severely beaten, Absol intervened, easily knocking out both Beartic with a single swipe each.
Seeing Absol's prowess, Sneasel's admiration knew no bounds. Both were Dark-type Pokémon, and Sneasel felt it could learn a thing or two from Absol, especially its Night Slash.
Sneasel was a vengeful Pokémon, and even though the Beartic were already unconscious, it didn't forget to kick them a few more times to vent its anger.
Leaving the Beartic where they lay, Yuga followed Sneasel toward their original territory. Beartic have thick hides, so they wouldn't freeze to death anytime soon.
After several twists and turns, Yuga finally reached his destination: a valley on the snow mountain.
The valley was filled with large and small Aspear Berry trees, all heavily laden with fruit. The abundance of food explained why the Sneasel tribe had chosen this place as their territory.
Unfortunately, it now belonged to the Beartic.
Seeing its former home occupied by Beartic, Sneasel immediately wanted to charge down but was held back by Yuga.
Sneasel looked at Yuga in confusion, thinking that with Yuga's strength, dealing with a group of Beartic should be a piece of cake.
"Know your enemy and yourself, and you'll win a hundred battles." Yuga shook his head slightly and said, "Let's watch for a bit longer." Reluctantly, Sneasel stayed by his side, refraining from acting rashly.
The valley was full of Beartic. Some were strolling in pairs, others were napping on rocks, and still others were playing with their cubs…
In addition to the Beartic, there were many Cubchoo, who were happily digging up a small white-leaved plant from the crevices of rocks. They seemed to be having a great time.
The plant the Cubchoo were eating was a type of fern unique to the snow mountains, growing only beneath the snow. It was highly nutritious for young Cubchoo, helping them through their early growth stages. This plant was also a favorite food for many Ice-type Pokémon, including Sneasel.
After observing the scene, Yuga believed he had figured out why the Beartic tribe had taken over the Sneasel tribe's territory. The place was indeed ideal for the Beartic tribe, offering a safe environment free of predators and abundant food.
However, after using his keen eye, Yuga dismissed his initial thought. The reason was simple: the Beartic here were too high-level for the snow mountain's edge.
Not only was there a high-level Beartic deep in the valley, but several others were at the pseudo-Elite level, caring for the cubs. A group of high-level Pokémon like this shouldn't be found on the outskirts of the snow mountains, and it was unlikely they took over the territory simply for the good environment.
Given this situation, Yuga was hesitant to confront them. A battle between high-level Pokémon could cause significant disturbances, potentially triggering an avalanche—a risk not to be taken lightly.
Moreover, with the large number of Beartic present, facing their combined attack would be challenging, again increasing the likelihood of an avalanche.
The environment here was quite different from the Snow Peak of Mount Coronet. Near the Snow Peak, the terrain was either steep cliffs or flat plains. The cliffs couldn't hold much snow, and the plains had stable snow, reducing the risk of avalanches.
The real danger was in places like this, where the terrain was neither too steep nor too flat, allowing snow to accumulate easily and making it prone to sliding.
"Let's sneak in and take a closer look," Yuga suggested to Sneasel, suspecting that there might be more to the Beartic tribe's move to the snow mountain's edge.
"Sn-Sneasel!" Sneasel nodded obediently.
Here's the revised translation:
---
Yuga put away his Absol and summoned Gengar and Mismagius from the shadow space. They each picked up Yuga and Sneasel, and their figures gradually faded from sight.
The infiltration went smoothly. Gengar and Mismagius completely concealed their presence, and under Yuga's command, they stayed far away from the high-level Beartic, so no one noticed them.
After a lap around the valley, Yuga didn't find anything unusual.
Could I have guessed wrong? Yuga couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Just then, Mismagius, holding Sneasel, tugged at him.
"What's wrong?" Yuga asked Sneasel in a low voice.
"Sneasel, Sneasel..." Sneasel whispered into Yuga's ear.
Following Sneasel's guidance, Yuga spotted an ice cave in a corner deep in the valley. According to Sneasel, this ice cave didn't exist before, meaning it was dug out after the Beartic arrived.
That's strange. Beartic are not cave-dwelling Pokémon. Their thick fur and fat layers are enough to protect them from the wind and snow, so they usually just find a corner to rest in and don't need an ice cave.
"Let's go check it out," Yuga said to Sneasel.
There were two high-level Beartic guarding the entrance to the ice cave. To avoid drawing their attention, Gengar and Mismagius used Hypnosis together. The two Beartic, already drowsy from boredom, started snoring under the influence of the Hypnosis.
Thus, Yuga and Sneasel, with the help of Gengar and Mismagius, successfully entered the ice cave.
The interior of the ice cave was entirely made of solid ice. Perhaps because there were already two high-level Beartic guarding the entrance, there were no other Pokémon inside.
When they reached the deepest part of the cave, Yuga and Sneasel discovered that a small part of the mountain's interior was actually hollow. It had originally been solid ice, but the Beartic had excavated it to create a nest in the mountain's core.
The nest was empty, but the ground was covered with Beartic eggs.
Seeing the eggs, Yuga grinned. He couldn't do anything to the Beartic and Cubchoo, but stealing a few eggs would be a piece of cake!
Activating his Divine Vision, Yuga immediately spotted several high-quality Pokémon eggs.
But the Pokémon eggs could wait. Yuga had found an ice pillar in the mountain's core. The pillar itself wasn't particularly remarkable, likely left by the Beartic to support the mountain.
However, at the base of the pillar, there was a circular hole, from which cold air continuously emanated, nourishing the Pokémon eggs scattered on the ground.
"Sneasel, Sneasel!"
Sneasel ran to the edge of the hole, took a satisfied breath of the cold air, and excitedly waved at Yuga. If it wasn't for the fear of making too much noise and alerting the Beartic outside, Sneasel might have jumped up with joy.
They had lived here for so long and hadn't realized there was such a treasure trove in the mountain's core. If they had discovered it earlier and benefited from the cold air, they wouldn't have been so easily driven out of their territory by the Beartic.
Yuga leaned over the edge of the hole and looked down, discovering that there was another layer of space below them. Judging by the size of the hole, the Beartic, with their large bodies, wouldn't be able to descend.
With Gengar and Mismagius' help, Yuga and Sneasel successfully reached the lower space. However, as soon as they entered, Yuga was struck by the intense cold; it was much colder than the layer above.
Sneasel, on the other hand, looked entirely comfortable.
While on the upper level, Yuga couldn't see clearly due to the thick fog. But now that they were below, the entire space became clear. The fog was the result of an excess of Ice-type energy, which explained why Sneasel was so delighted to breathe it in.
The space was vast, filled with ice pillars. These pillars were the reason the space had remained stable within the mountain for so long.
Yuga tapped one of the ice pillars and found it extremely hard; his fingernail couldn't even scratch it.
The cold was so intense that even Gengar and Mismagius didn't want to stay outside and returned to the shadow space. So, Yuga released Lapras.
"Oh..."
As soon as Lapras emerged, it let out a cheerful cry and began swimming around, flapping its fins.
Continuing deeper into the space with Sneasel and Lapras, Yuga started seeing large chunks of Never-Melt Ice, some even taller than him.
On the market, a small piece of Never-Melt Ice the size of a thumb could sell for tens of thousands. Yuga couldn't even begin to calculate the value of so much Never-Melt Ice.
However, Yuga didn't take all the Never-Melt Ice, only selecting a few large pieces to store in his system backpack. After picking about a dozen pieces, he stopped.
He wanted to leave some for the Beartic. Although they couldn't come down here, the mere presence of the Never-Melt Ice would greatly benefit them, making their efforts to take over Sneasel's territory worthwhile.
Unfortunately, despite the abundance of Never-Melt Ice, Yuga couldn't find any sign of a Frozen Heart Stone. He even wondered if the original owner of Aegislash had found the Frozen Heart Stone here.
But Yuga didn't bother to ask Aegislash to confirm. It didn't matter; after all, it wasn't destined for him.
As they reached the deepest part of the space, Yuga, Lapras, and Sneasel were greeted by a scene that left them all in awe.
(End of the chapter)