[That makes sense, but I'm broke.]
[I'd rather have an Eiscue than an Avalugg.]
[Honestly, I'd take a Swinub over either.]
Su Feng chuckled wryly. Avalugg's popularity was lower than he'd expected, but it was understandable. While Avalugg was undeniably strong, it wasn't exactly family-friendly. Its massive size and constant dripping of icy water made it a poor fit for most households.
Looking around, the lake was shrouded in thick fog, and the snow was falling harder, reducing visibility to almost nothing. It was clear that continuing the livestream in these conditions wasn't feasible. Besides, aside from Eiscue and Avalugg, there didn't seem to be any other Pokémon in the area. Su Feng decided it was time to leave and find shelter from the storm.
"Eiscue, I'll come back to visit you someday. And if you meet a human you like, don't hesitate to go with them."
He patted the little Eiscue's icy head, saying his goodbyes.
"Guga~"
The Eiscue looked at the Pokéblocks in Su Feng's hand, clearly reluctant to see him go.
Su Feng smiled and handed over the remaining Pokéblocks for the Eiscue to share. A larger Eiscue, likely the leader, stepped forward to accept the gift and bowed politely.
"Well then, goodbye." Though he said it, Su Feng doubted he'd ever return to this place.
As he turned to leave, the Eiscue leader tugged at his leg with its foot.
Su Feng paused. "Is there something else?"
The Eiscue leader gestured to another Eiscue, which waddled off and returned moments later carrying a translucent, frost-covered stone radiating intense cold.
"An Ice Stone?" Su Feng's eyes lit up.
The Eiscue leader nodded, offering the stone to him. After a moment's hesitation, Su Feng accepted it. Ice Stones weren't particularly useful to Eiscue, so gifting or trading them for more valuable resources made sense.
Feeling it was only fair, Su Feng pulled out a jar of high-quality Ice-type Pokéblocks from his backpack. The Eiscue leader's eyes sparkled—while the Ice Stone was just a fancy rock, the Pokéblocks were both delicious and beneficial.
Handing over the jar, Su Feng waved. "Now I really have to go."
The Eiscue leader didn't stop him this time, as it only had the one Ice Stone to give.
Just as Su Feng was about to leave, he felt an inexplicable presence nearby. His hair stood on end as he spun around, but there was nothing there.
Frowning, he asked, "Combusken, Haunter, did you sense anything just now?"
"Kee?" Haunter looked puzzled.
"Cha." Combusken shook its head.
Even the Eiscue leader gave him a confused look.
Su Feng sighed. "Guess I'm just imagining things."
Shaking off the unease, he left the snowy forest with his two Pokémon. The Eiscue watched until he disappeared from view.
"Guga~" The Eiscue leader waved, and the group formed an orderly line, marching away.
About five minutes later, a faint, translucent figure emerged from the trees. It had a small, yellow head with a red gem in the center, a gray body, and two long tails swaying in the wind. Its eyes remained closed, and its furrowed brow suggested deep thought.
If Su Feng had seen it, he would've recognized it immediately: Uxie, the Being of Knowledge.
"That human… he carries Arceus's presence," Uxie murmured, gazing in the direction Su Feng had gone.
"Is Arceus up to something again? Why doesn't it tell us anything?"
Uxie pouted, clearly annoyed.
"Well, if you're not saying anything, I'll pretend I didn't see it either."
With that, Uxie's form shimmered and vanished into the icy lake.
As Su Feng made his way out of the forest, he explained the Ice Stone to his viewers.
"This ice-like rock is called an Ice Stone. It's incredibly rare and can trigger evolution for certain Pokémon, elevating their life form to the next stage."
"There are many other items like this in the world, each with unique effects. Some can evolve Pokémon, while others enhance their abilities in battle."
"For example, the Pokéblocks I gave to the Eiscue, or Potions used to heal Pokémon—they're all items with different uses."
This was the first time the audience had heard about Pokémon items.
Su Feng added, "If you ever come across strange stones or unique gems, hold onto them. They might be worth a lot someday."
[Why wait? Can't I sell them now?]
[Wait, I found this black gem-like thing once. Even experts couldn't identify it. I kept it because it looked cool.]
[My Pokémon and I found a stone with a leaf imprint on it. Is that the kind of thing you're talking about?]
[I'm going outside right now to look for weird rocks!]
[Oh no, I saw this yellow stone once but thought it was fake. Did I miss out on a fortune?]
[Maybe go back and check if it's still there?]
[Great idea! Logging off now!]