A Snowy Night Brawl and the First Hints of the Cocoon of Destruction

The biting cold wind blew under a velvet-black sky as thick clouds obscured most of the moonlight. In the dim glow of the night, a shadow darted swiftly through the forest, heading straight for the Pokémon Center in Snowbelle City.

Inside a cozy, heated room...

"Ka-kah~~"

The mischievous Gengar leaned over Johan's sleeping figure and unceremoniously ran its tongue across his face.

"Mmph!"

The familiar numbing sensation jolted Johan awake. He instinctively reached for the bedside table, rubbing his face groggily.

"Ka-kah~~"

Gengar, ever the prankster, pulled a Cheri Berry out of its mouth and plopped it into Johan's hand.

Crunch!

Still half-asleep, Johan sat up, squinting at his phone.

1:30 a.m.

"Gengar... what now? It's the middle of the night—"

"Ka-kah! Ka-kah!"

But Gengar didn't waste time explaining. Instead, it tugged insistently at Johan's arm, urging him to get up.

Recognizing the urgency in Gengar's actions, Johan quickly shook off his drowsiness. Although Gengar was often a troublemaker, it knew its limits. If it was waking him up like this, something serious must have happened.

Johan glanced around the room.

Aside from Vulpix curled up on his arm, none of his Pokémon were anywhere in sight.

"Something happened?" Johan asked, a hint of tension creeping into his voice.

"Ka-kah!"

Gengar nodded emphatically.

Johan sprang into action, swiftly throwing on his clothes and scooping up the still-sleepy Vulpix. He followed Gengar, leaping out the window and landing in the snow.

The icy air hit him like a slap to the face, instantly clearing the last remnants of sleep from his mind.

"Oowu?"

Still half-asleep, Vulpix opened its eyes and looked around in confusion. It quickly realized they were now in a snowy forest.

Gengar floated ahead, motioning for Johan to follow.

As they ran, Gengar explained the situation.

Earlier, it had taken the rest of the team out for their usual nightly "meet-and-greet," a playful way of asking local wild Pokémon for "gifts." Everything was going fine until they stumbled across something unusual—a group of poachers, taking advantage of the recent influx of people in Snowbelle City, had set their sights on a herd of Abomasnow.

When Johan arrived at the scene, he found his other Pokémon hiding in a thicket, observing the situation in a nearby valley.

The rustling of trees and occasional grunts echoed faintly through the forest.

Tinkaton clutched its hammer tightly, glancing at Johan with determination.

"Cha!"

But Johan held up a hand, signaling for it to wait.

Abomasnow, known as the "Ice Monster," typically lived reclusively in snow-covered mountains, rarely venturing into human territory. Their peaceful existence made them prime targets for greedy poachers.

Johan guessed the recent snowfall, brought on by Articuno's earlier appearance, had lured the Abomasnow out of hiding, making them vulnerable.

Johan closed his eyes, focusing his aura.

Aura... expand!

A wave of energy rippled outward, revealing the presence of several Abomasnow facing off against two poachers. The situation was tense; the poachers held a small Snover captive, using it as leverage to keep the larger Abomasnow at bay.

Johan breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

This wasn't an overwhelming force—it was just two poachers with their Pokémon: a Heatmor and a Bisharp.

"This might actually be manageable," Johan muttered.

He quickly devised a plan and signaled his team to move into position.

"You'd better be careful with that Snover," said the taller of the two poachers.

"We need it alive to sell, and we don't want these Abomasnow going berserk."

"Relax," the shorter one replied, tightening his grip on the struggling Snover.

"Let's just capture the rest of them before they get any ideas."

Before the poachers could act, a sharp crack echoed through the forest as Kubfu slammed its fist into a nearby tree, snapping it clean in half.

"Who's there?!"

Both poachers spun around, momentarily distracted.

In that instant, Gengar materialized behind the shorter poacher, its menacing grin glowing faintly in the dark.

"Ka-kah!"

The poacher froze, terror coursing through his veins as a large boulder shot out of the bushes, slamming into Bisharp and knocking it backward.

At the same time, Dragonair unleashed a torrent of water, sweeping Heatmor off its feet and dousing its flames.

"Oowu!!"

Vulpix fired an Ice Beam, freezing the poacher and the captive Snover in a block of ice.

The taller poacher barely had time to react before Johan appeared, landing a solid punch to his jaw.

Thud!

The poacher crumpled to the ground as Johan flexed his fist.

"All that martial arts practice finally paid off," he muttered with a grin.

The defeated poacher groaned, reaching for another Poké Ball, but Gengar's leering face appeared before him.

"Ka-kah!"

The poacher's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed in a heap.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Johan released the frozen Snover and handed it a few Pokéblocks to calm it down. The Abomasnow herd quickly gathered around, their leader embracing the rescued Snover.

"Go on," Johan said gently, watching as Snover nuzzled its mother.

The Abomasnow leader stepped forward, bowing slightly in gratitude before retreating into the snowy woods with its herd.

Before leaving, the Abomasnow left behind several gifts: berries, small chunks of ice, and crystalline snowflakes.

Johan examined the icy crystals, recognizing them as fragments of Everstone—rare materials often used for evolution.

"They're such genuine creatures," Johan murmured, watching the Abomasnow disappear into the forest.

"Poachers like these don't deserve to exist."

Not long after, Officer Jenny arrived on a snowmobile, flanked by a small team of officers. To Johan's surprise, she wasn't alone.

"Johan, meet Looker," she said, introducing the weary-looking man beside her.

"Hello, Johan. I'm Looker, with the International Police."

Johan raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Nice to meet you. I'm also a 'looker.'"

The detective froze for a moment before stammering, "Er, I mean—that's my codename!"

Despite the awkward exchange, Johan was well aware of Looker's reputation. Known for his relentless pursuit of justice, Looker had dismantled numerous criminal organizations, including remnants of Team Galactic and the Seven Sages of Team Plasma.

"I've been tracking these poachers for a while," Looker explained, glancing at the unconscious men.

"They're part of Argus Steel's crew—the airship thieves."

Argus Steel?

The name jogged Johan's memory.

Wasn't that the father-daughter duo from Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction?

Johan handed the situation over to Looker and Officer Jenny, eager to avoid entangling himself further.

"Thanks for your help, Johan," Looker said sincerely.

"Don't mention it," Johan replied, gathering his team.

"We'll leave the rest to you."

As they left, Gengar lingered for a moment, staring into the darkness.

"Ka-kah?"

Something in the shadows caught its attention—a faint, green, cell-like entity watching silently.

Unnoticed by all, the tiny green creature observed them with a mix of curiosity and recognition before vanishing into the night.

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Powerstones?

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