The Ice Stone vein was not going anywhere. There was no reason to rush into an unexplored passage on empty stomachs, so Aaron and the others settled around one of the fire pits first.
A large pot hung over the flames, packed with beef, chicken, vegetables, and the prepared ingredients they had brought with them. The rich aroma quickly filled the cavern, and Aaron's appetite immediately caught up with him.
He filled a bowl with steaming meat soup and took a long drink.
"Damn... that's good."
The hot, savory broth spread warmth through him almost instantly. In weather this cold, a bowl of thick, piping-hot soup felt better than sex.
Grant and Ryan burst out laughing when they saw the blissful look on his face, but neither of them disagreed. They filled their own bowls and dug in just as enthusiastically.
By the time everyone finished eating, night had fully fallen. It was already past seven.
Grant checked his watch and stood. "Aaron, Ryan. Time to go."
Aaron nodded and got to his feet. Grant called over the two expedition members responsible for detecting Ice Stones, bringing the scouting group to five people in total.
With powerful lamps in hand, they headed deeper into the cave.
...
Aaron walked through the narrow passage with Frog Boss at his side, while Grant, Ryan, and the two technicians followed close behind.
The military-grade lamps flooded the tunnel with enough light to make it nearly as bright as day. Broken rock littered the ground, forcing everyone to watch their footing as they made their way farther inside.
After roughly half an hour, the passage finally opened into another enormous cavern.
Everyone slowed.
Ancient ice covered much of the cavern, glimmering like crystal beneath the lamps. Jagged formations rose from the frozen ground while the glacier itself reflected the light in pale, almost dreamlike shades.
Then the detectors came alive.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
One of the technicians stared at his screen, excitement immediately spreading across his face.
"Aaron, Grant, Ryan—we've got Ice Stone energy!"
He pointed deeper into the cavern.
"Straight ahead."
Grant and Ryan both brightened and immediately started forward.
Aaron did not.
A faint sense of unease had already settled over him.
Beside him, Greninja stiffened.
"Grenin..."
Aaron's eyes narrowed.
Then came a sharp crack.
CRACK!
More fractures raced across the frozen ground ahead, sounding like glass breaking one piece at a time.
"Move!"
The ice beneath Grant and Ryan suddenly gave way.
Both men lost their footing as the frozen shelf collapsed beneath them.
"Frog Boss, get Ryan!"
Aaron was already moving before the words had fully left his mouth.
He shot forward, caught Grant by the collar with one hand, and hauled him away from the collapsing ice. A moment later, Aaron launched himself several meters onto solid ground with Grant still dangling from his grip.
Greninja moved just as quickly on the other side, intercepting Ryan before he could disappear into the opening.
The two technicians stood frozen.
One slowly looked at the other.
"Holy shit... is he even human?"
Neither of them seemed to have an answer.
Aaron had crossed the distance faster than they could properly follow, grabbed Grant one-handed, and cleared several meters while carrying a fully grown man.
That was not exactly normal human athleticism.
Grant apparently agreed.
Still recovering from being hauled around by the collar, he stared at Aaron as though seeing him for the first time.
"Aaron... answer me something."
"What?"
"Are you actually human?"
Aaron gave him a flat look.
Grant gestured vaguely at the gap behind them.
"You just grabbed me with one hand and jumped across that like it was nothing!"
Aaron rolled his eyes.
"You already know I'm a Psychic."
Grant paused.
"Even Lily can fly around and toss Pokémon with telekinesis," Aaron continued. "My powers are just a little stronger. Is that really so unbelievable?"
Grant rubbed his still-buzzing head.
"Right. Right..."
He nodded seriously.
"I forgot you're a freak."
Aaron stared at him.
Where are your manners?
His mouth twitched.
I should've left you down there.
Before Aaron could decide whether to say that aloud, a tremendous roar shook the cavern.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The fractured glacier below exploded outward.
Chunks of ice flew in every direction as something enormous forced its way up from beneath the frozen surface.
Grant's expression changed.
"That's... Avalugg?"
Then he saw its full size.
"What the hell? Why is it so big?"
An enormous Pokémon emerged from the shattered glacier, its massive body resembling a living block of ice supported by four thick legs. Pale crystalline armor covered its back and sides, gleaming beneath the expedition lamps.
There was no mistaking the species.
Avalugg.
But this one was anything but normal.
An ordinary Avalugg stood around two meters tall. This one was roughly twice that size, towering nearly four meters above the broken ice like a small building.
Aaron immediately focused on it.
Its information panel appeared.
[Name: Avalugg (Mutated)]
[Gender: Male]
[Nature: Adamant]
[Type: Ice]
[Ability: Ice Stone Body — After consuming Ice Stones over a long period, Avalugg developed a new Ability. All damage it takes is reduced by 40%.]
[Base Stats Total: 514]
[Level: Class Champion (Mid Stage)]
[Potential: Class Champion]
[Known Moves: Body Slam (Perfect), Ice Fang (Perfect), Avalanche (Master), Skull Bash (Master), Recover (Master), Rapid Spin (Master), Icy Wind (Master), Double-Edge (Master), Crunch (Master), Iron Defense (Master), Powder Snow (Proficient), Take Down (Proficient)...]
[Description: Avalugg, the Iceberg Pokémon. Its frozen body is harder than steel. After consuming large quantities of Ice Stones over time, it underwent a mutation that made its body even tougher.]
Aaron's expression slowly became serious.
Another mid-stage Class Champion.
And judging by that Ability, this one was built to take a beating.
...