Chapter 251:The Research Team in Danger During the Blizzard

"Hey hey!"

Delibird pointed to a note tucked inside its tail-like pouch.

Yuki took out the note, while Oranguru packed some berries for Delibird.

Delibird is a kind-hearted Pokémon. They love collecting food and often share it with people or Pokémon in distress. There are frequent news stories of Trainers surviving thanks to Delibird's help. Because of this, if someone in trouble encounters a wild Delibird, they often seek its assistance.

"What does it say?" Natsume asked curiously, watching Yuki.

Yuki folded the note and said, "A research team has lost their way in the blizzard. To make matters worse, the Trainers responsible for their safety have lost their battle capability. In this kind of weather, a group of people without the means to protect themselves could be in serious trouble if they run into a Pokémon raid."

She finished the tea in her cup. "Looks like my break is over."

Yuki pulled out her phone and reported the situation to the base.

Natsume spoke up, "I'll come with you to check it out."

Yuki put her phone down and smiled at Natsume. "If you're coming, that’s a huge help."

"No problem," Natsume replied, turning to Delibird, who was now packed with berries. "Point us in the right direction."

"Hey hey~"

Delibird extended its wing, pointing outside.

"Got it," Natsume nodded. "Let’s go."

As soon as Natsume finished speaking, everyone in the treehouse vanished in an instant.

"Swablu?"

Swablu looked up, confused, and glanced around, searching for Natsume and the others.

Oranguru smiled gently at Swablu. "Don’t worry. They’ll be back soon."

Deep in the woods near the border of Towada Lake...

"Everyone, stay calm!" shouted a middle-aged man in thick mountaineering gear. "And whatever you do, don’t wander off! It’s normal to encounter situations like this in the wilderness. We just need to wait for rescue."

This group was part of the National Pokémon Geography Research Team. Hokuto was the leader of the expedition. The team consisted of professional researchers, as well as tourists who had paid to join the trip. Of course, they also had two professional Trainers responsible for their safety. Unfortunately, both Trainers had recently been incapacitated by a Golem that had appeared out of nowhere. One Trainer had already passed out, while the other had suffered a leg injury.

Professor Shoma, looking at the conscious but injured Trainer being carried by a Machoke, asked, "Takumi, what do we do now?"

Takumi glanced at his phone and sighed. "We’re in trouble. The signal’s gone. There must be Magnemite or something nearby interfering with it. Our only hope now is that Delibird finds someone to help us."

"You can’t just leave our fate to a Pokémon!" one of the tourists snapped, clearly panicked. "You’re a professional Trainer, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you be doing something? I’m freezing to death here!"

"Yeah, we paid a lot for this trip. The least you could do is keep us safe!" another added.

The group was a mix of people from various backgrounds—video bloggers, students, corporate elites, and more. Some had joined hoping to capture a rare or powerful Pokémon under the protection of the national team, while others were simply there for the adventure.

Takumi sighed. He hadn’t expected to run into such a strong Golem out here. He estimated that the Golem’s strength far exceeded that of most Regional-level Gym Leaders’ main Pokémon.

The snowstorm was growing fiercer by the minute.

"Alright, let’s dig a snow cave," Takumi suggested. "At least it’ll keep us warm."

"I’ll handle the digging," one of the researchers said, pulling out a Poké Ball. "Come on out, Sandslash!"

"Sandslash~"

"Sandslash, help us dig a cave."

Sandslash nodded and quickly began carving out a snow cave. Everyone huddled inside, their thick clothing providing some relief from the cold.

Grrr~

Hokuto’s stomach growled loudly. With the shelter in place, the group began to calm down a bit. Hearing Hokuto’s stomach, one of the girls in the group pulled out a pack of seasoned chicken legs and handed it to Professor Shoma. "Here, Professor. You should eat this. I can hold out a little longer."

Professor Shoma waved his hand. "We don’t know how long we’ll be stuck here. Save the chicken legs for when we really need them."

"It’s fine," the girl insisted, showing her backpack. "I’ve got some more food in here."

Seeing this, Professor Shoma relented. "Alright, I won’t refuse then." He took the chicken leg and unwrapped it. The savory aroma immediately filled the air.

Just as he was about to take a bite...

Whoosh~

A red-haired head suddenly appeared, dangling upside down from the cave entrance.

"Ah!" Professor Shoma yelped, instinctively flinging the chicken leg in surprise.

"Sneasel!"

It was a Weavile!

The Weavile deftly caught the chicken leg mid-air.

"Oh no!" Takumi’s face paled as he saw the Weavile. He quickly threw a Poké Ball. "Stoutland, Protect!"

"Stoutland!"

Stoutland emerged in a flash of red light, positioning itself at the cave entrance. At the same time, the Weavile used Swift.

Bam~

An explosion echoed, and white smoke filled the cave.

"Stoutland, use Thunderbolt now!" Takumi commanded.

Outside, in the midst of the blizzard...

Natsume and the others appeared in a flash.

Zap~ Boom~

A bolt of lightning shot out from the cave entrance, streaking across the sky.

Gardevoir, standing beside Natsume, raised its hand and cast Light Screen.

Natsume watched as the Thunderbolt exploded in front of him. "That was close."

"Sneasel!"

Around the cave entrance, aside from the Weavile perched on the edge, three more Weavile appeared. They immediately noticed Natsume and his group.

The Weavile all looked up at the sky. The strongest among them was level 43, while the weakest was level 38.

Natsume observed the Weavile and pulled out two Poké Balls. "Weavile, huh? Alright, Blaziken, Greninja, you’re up!"