"Braviary, throw it down!"
A young girl's voice rang through the sky. Riding atop the lead Hisuian Braviary, a green-haired girl in a small felt hat and deep blue Diamond Clan attire guided the flock. Her twin braided pigtails fluttered in the wind.
"Yuuyaaa~!"
The lead Braviary's lavender flames flared brightly as a powerful psychic aura enveloped Regigigas. However, even with its immense strength, moving the colossal titan alone was impossible.
"Yuuyaaa~!"
One after another, the flock of Braviary joined in. Normally, these Pokémon roamed the skies in groups, but when the frozen tundra was in danger, they answered the Lord's call, forming a mighty aerial force.
Their combined psychic power didn't simply stack—it resonated, amplifying exponentially. Even an ancient giant like Regigigas could be lifted!
"Gugaahh?!"
Regigigas let out a startled roar as its feet left the ground. Before it could react, the Braviary hurled its massive body off the mountain's edge.
As it plummeted, the titan swung its arms wildly, but gravity took hold—
BOOM!
It slammed into the ground below, sending an avalanche of snow cascading in all directions.
"Sabi, thanks for the help," Irida exhaled in relief as she watched the green-haired girl land beside her. "If that thing stands up after that… then it's not a Pokémon. It's a monster."
"No need to thank me—we're all neighbors in the Alabaster Icelands. But…" Sabi suddenly tilted her head, her expression shifting.
"But what?" Irida frowned.
Sabi pouted. "Mmm… I think it's still gonna get up."
"You're kidding," Irida felt a chill—not from the snow, but from dread.
"Probably?" Sabi grinned, tilting her head again. "If it didn't get back up, Avalugg wouldn't have bothered coming all this way."
Irida buried her face in her hands. "Oh, come on… Sabi, you didn't just come because you thought it'd be fun, did you?"
Sabi quickly averted her gaze. "N-Nooo… I came to help my friends… But also… it is kind of exciting, right?"
Irida narrowed her eyes. "Right. Because that last part totally wasn't the real reason."
Summer, having regained some strength after Milotic's healing, approached them. "Sabi, right? Irida told me about you. Since you've studied Regigigas before, how did you stop it back then?"
"Ohhh, someone new! You're not from around here, huh?" Sabi crossed her arms, looking very pleased with her own deduction.
"Sabi?!" Irida scowled.
"Alright, alright!" Sabi laughed. "So last time, it wasn't like this at all. After barely defeating it, Akari sealed it using the three Plates that unlocked its chamber. Only then could we safely take the Plates from it."
"Wait… but we already destroyed the Plates!" Irida groaned in frustration. "Seriously?! First, the Plates wake it up, and now we need the Plates to seal it again?! Arceus, what were you thinking?!"
"Shhh, Irida!" Sabi put a finger to her lips, her tone mischievous. "You do know Arceus can hear everything, right? You might make it mad~."
"Then it can send someone down here to help!" Irida threw her hands in the air. "We've been fighting tooth and nail for ages, and what do we get?! More problems! This is ridiculous!"
"Uh, guys… It's moving again," Rei cut in.
Regigigas' massive hand gripped the edge of the crater, pulling itself back to its feet.
"See?" Sabi giggled. "Told ya~."
"Hey, Avalugg! You ready?!"
Standing atop the enormous Avalugg, a towering, shirtless man called out. His muscular frame was fully exposed to the freezing air, his blue hair wild in the wind. Unlike others, he tied his Pearl Clan robes around his waist, as if the cold didn't affect him at all.
"Uhh… Brin? Are we… really supposed to be standing on the Lord's back like this?" Guard Koh questioned nervously, shifting uneasily on the massive moving glacier beneath him.
Brin let out a booming laugh. "HAHAHA! No worries! Avalugg is gentle by nature. It only gets fierce when protecting its domain."
"But…"
"Besides! Koh, if you wanna win over your lady, you gotta show your heart! Be bold! Like my glorious muscles!" Brin flexed dramatically.
Koh fell silent, staring blankly at Regigigas instead. If only it were that easy.
"GUUUH!"
Regigigas roared, its fists radiating heat, preparing to fire a Hyper Beam.
"GRRRRRROOOHH!"
Avalugg bellowed in response, its jaw opening wide, gathering a blindingly cold energy.
Brin grinned. "Ooooh, haven't seen Avalugg go all out in a while!"
Meanwhile, Koh was shivering violently. "Brin… H-How… are you not cold?! My coat isn't working!"
Blazing heat met freezing cold.
The two beams clashed, warping the air itself.
Snow on the ground melted instantly, only to refreeze moments later, creating massive frozen spikes across the battlefield.
But unlike before, Regigigas was already exhausted. It couldn't sustain the Hyper Beam for long—
A fraction of a second's hesitation—
Avalugg's Ice Beam struck its chest head-on.
A howling frost overtook the titan, encasing it entirely in ice.
Watching from above, Summer finally understood—
This was how the tundra's frozen spires were created.
They were Avalugg's handiwork.
Irida let out a huge sigh of relief. "Okay… Now it has to be over. Right?"
"…Nope!" Sabi responded immediately.
Irida whipped around. "WHAT?! WHY?!"
Sabi squinted toward the frozen titan. Her sharp vision rivaled Braviary's, earning her the nickname "Hawkeye Sabi."
Even from this distance, she could see it.
Inside the ice, Regigigas' chest markings still glowed.
Tiny cracks were already forming along the frozen shell.
"Yup. Still alive. Super tough guy," Sabi hummed.
Summer frowned. They had to find a way to seal it properly. The Plates… He had two of them, but how were they supposed to—
"Yuuyaaa~"
A soft, otherworldly chime rang behind them.
A tiny, fairy-like Pokémon materialized in midair. Its round head was mostly yellow, with a red gem on its forehead. The rest of its small body was bluish-gray, its closed eyes giving it a wise, thoughtful expression.
"Uxie!" Irida gasped.
She had encountered it once before, when Akari took its trial in this very tundra.
Back then, it tested their knowledge with a series of riddles.
Irida stared at it, realization dawning.
"Wait… Did Arceus actually send help?"
Summer remained silent.
If so… then finally, they might have a real chance to stop this.
(End of Chapter.)