Chapter 255: Camping in the Snowstorm

"Delibird, could you deliver a message to Oranguru for me?" Natsume said, looking at the Delibird that hadn’t left yet.

"Tell them I’m planning to stay here to look for a Pokémon. I’ll head back once I’ve taken care of things."

"Delibird~"

Delibird chirped in acknowledgment before flying off in the direction of Oranguru’s cabin.

After watching Delibird disappear into the distance, Natsume looked up at the sky.

"The snowstorm’s getting worse. I should find a temporary campsite nearby," Natsume muttered to himself. He then pulled out a Poké Ball. "Come on out, Weavile."

The Weavile leader emerged from the Poké Ball, still somewhat wary.

"Relax, our battle is over. Here, have something to eat and regain your strength. You must be hungry by now," Natsume said, tossing a Pokéblock to the Weavile leader.

Sniff sniff~

Weavile sniffed the Pokéblock before eagerly devouring it. With food in its belly, the Weavile leader’s guard dropped significantly.

"Weavile, do you know a good place nearby to take shelter from the snow?" Natsume asked.

The Weavile leader thought for a moment, then turned and headed toward a small grove of trees not far away.

Mamoswine shook itself off, happily trotting around in the snow before settling beside Natsume. Clearly, being back in this environment excited it.

Natsume climbed onto Mamoswine’s back, holding Gardevoir in his arms.

"Let’s go, Mamoswine. Follow the Weavile ahead."

"Mamoswine~"

In the midst of the snowstorm, the Weavile leader’s figure flickered in and out of view. Mamoswine followed at a steady pace.

The storm grew fiercer, and soon, all that could be seen was a vast expanse of white. Gradually, a snow-covered forest came into view, with a frozen river running alongside it. On the other side of the river, a few villages were visible, though they were already within the borders of Frozen Bear Country.

"This scenery really feels like something out of a movie, traveling through a northern snowstorm," Natsume remarked.

"Weavile."

Weavile led Natsume and the others into the forest, eventually arriving at an underground entrance. It was a long, wide tunnel leading to an underground space, perfect for a temporary shelter.

"Alright, everyone, come on out," Natsume said, releasing the remaining Weavile and Diancie from their Poké Balls.

"Blaziken, take one of the Weavile and gather some firewood. Greninja, you and another Weavile go catch some fish from the river. Gardevoir and I will prepare the food."

Natsume pulled out the supplies he had brought from the farm, along with the Pokéblocks Yuki had given him. The Weavile stared hungrily at the food, their breathing growing heavier.

"Don’t worry, you’ll get your share soon," Natsume said with a smile.

"Greninja."

Greninja gestured, and two Weavile exchanged glances before following Greninja and Blaziken out of the cave.

"Natsume, what about me?" Diancie asked eagerly.

"Diancie, you can help me set up the tent," Natsume replied.

"Yes, Natsume~"

Mamoswine, with nothing else to do, lay by the cave entrance, staring out at the snowstorm. Its large frame acted like a wall, blocking the cold wind from entering.

Once everything was arranged, Natsume enthusiastically began assembling the tent he had brought. Gardevoir, meanwhile, started preparing the food. This wasn’t their first time doing this, so they worked quickly and efficiently.

Blaziken and the Weavile were equally efficient, returning shortly with a pile of firewood. Natsume arranged the wood into a crisscross pattern, and Blaziken ignited it with a burst of flame. The warm firelight filled the dim cave.

Natsume noticed claw marks and dug-out holes on the cave walls, likely left by wild Pokémon that had used this place before.

Greninja and the Weavile returned a bit later, carrying a few fish they had caught. Gardevoir took the fish from Greninja, using its Inner Focus ability to clean and prepare them for cooking.

"In weather like this, a hot bowl of fish soup is just what we need," Natsume said, sitting by the fire with a relaxed expression. "This is so comfortable."

"Weavile~"

The Weavile, however, were more focused on the Pokéblocks Natsume had given them, already munching away.

Natsume poked the fire with a stick. "Weavile, you came from across the river, right?"

The Weavile leader licked its claws.

"Weavile."

"Why did you suddenly migrate? Did something happen?" Natsume asked curiously.

The Weavile leader’s expression turned serious.

"Weavile!"

As the Weavile leader explained, Blaziken and Greninja listened with surprise.

Weavile said that the land they once lived in was now filled with an aura of death. A terrifying presence seemed to be awakening from its slumber. Feeling uneasy, they had followed their instincts and fled the area. They weren’t the only ones—many Pokémon living there had done the same. That’s why so many Pokémon had migrated to Towada Lake.

"An aura of death?" Natsume raised an eyebrow.

When it came to Pokémon associated with death, Ghost-types were the first to come to mind. But a Pokémon capable of affecting an entire region couldn’t be an ordinary Ghost-type.

"Death… Speaking of which, Diancie’s Diamond Kingdom is in that area, isn’t it? Wait, could Weavile be talking about Yveltal?"

Natsume suddenly thought of the legendary Pokémon Yveltal, often associated with destruction and death, counterpart to Xerneas.

He turned to Diancie. "Do you know anything about Yveltal?"