With the current strategy in place, the number of wild Pokémon charging from the snowy mountains began to drop sharply. Apart from a few stubborn ones still charging blindly, most of the rest were already starting to scatter.
This brought a wave of relief to Rex and the other trainers—now that the worst was over, as long as the defenses on the other flanks held, Icirrus City would officially survive this onslaught.
After a little more time, the only ones left in Rex's sector were the unconscious Pokémon scattered across the frozen field. He immediately had Jumpluff begin healing them.
Once they had rested a bit, the trainers in his area started moving out to support the neighboring sectors where battles were still ongoing.
Rex's Pokémon had stood out during the fight, performing just as impressively as Brycen and his Beartic.
"We did it—we actually made it through!"
"Yeah! We held the line!"
"Emboar, you were incredible!"
Cheers rang out, echoing across the snow-covered fields, marking the victory in Icirrus City's defense.
As momentum swung in the defenders' favor, the pressure on the wild Pokémon intensified. Eventually, their survival instincts kicked in, and they scattered in all directions.
Once the final few collapsed and could no longer charge forward, the great horde came to an end—leaving only the wounded in its wake.
Now that the crisis had passed, Nurse Joy began organizing volunteers to treat the injured Pokémon and trainers.
"You're Rex, right? Layton just wouldn't stop singing your praises earlier," Brycen said, approaching with Layton and Rocky in tow. "I've never seen him so impressed."
"Can you blame me?" Layton chuckled. "He was a huge help in this battle!"
"He's not wrong," Brycen nodded. "We all saw how well you fought. You were a key player out there."
Many of the trainers Brycen had been assigned were either inexperienced or retired—he'd had to carry much of the fight himself. His Beartic had taken heavy damage, and the rest of his team wasn't in great shape either.
If Rex hadn't dealt with his own wave of attackers so efficiently—and then gone on to assist elsewhere—the defenders would've faced much steeper losses. Some might not have made it out alive.
"Master Layton, Rocky, Brycen… you're giving me too much credit. We only won because everyone gave it their all."
Rex didn't deny his contribution, but he also wasn't about to take all the glory for himself.
"Alright, enough with the modesty," Layton said, waving it off. "Brycen, do you have any idea what triggered this whole thing? Why did the wild Pokémon attack?"
"I don't," Brycen admitted. "The moment I saw the horde, I flew back to coordinate the defense."
Hearing that, Layton's expression turned serious.
The battle might've been over, but the mystery behind it remained. Until they figured out what drove the Pokémon from their mountain homes, Icirrus City wouldn't be safe. Those displaced creatures would likely start competing with lowland Pokémon for resources—possibly causing an even greater ecological crisis.
"Master Layton, I'll head up the mountain and investigate. I need to find out what's going on."
Brycen didn't hesitate. His mind was already made up.
"Go ahead—I'll take care of things here."
Layton accepted immediately and began organizing the clean-up effort with the All Star trainees, collecting both injured trainers and Pokémon. He also secured the more severely wounded mountain Pokémon in Poké Balls so they could be properly treated and eventually returned to their habitats—once the cause of this crisis was resolved.
"Brycen, I'm coming with you."
Rex's voice rang out.
There was no reason for him to stick around now that the horde had been driven off. Whatever had caused this mess interested him—and he was strong enough to lend a hand.
"…Alright."
Brycen didn't argue. After what Rex had just done, he knew this wasn't someone who needed babysitting.
Together, the two of them soared toward the mountains.
Rex lay flat against Swellow's back, scanning the terrain below. Unfortunately, the snow-covered landscape revealed little. Everything was a vast, white blur.
The higher they climbed, the colder it got. Snow began to fall more heavily, and visibility dropped fast.
Eventually, after circling for a while, they found something—just outside a mountaintop cave, two Pokémon were locked in battle.
One was horned and colt-like. The other had massive, icy wings.
It was Keldeo versus Articuno.
The intensity of their fight had stirred up the massive snowfall and unleashed a pressure that radiated across the mountain—explaining why the native Pokémon had fled in terror.
"That's Keldeo… and Articuno? What are they doing here—fighting like this?" Rex muttered.
He only needed a moment to confirm it with his Pokédex, though he already recognized them on sight.
Keldeo's regular form resembled a small foal, with a cream-colored body and a head that looked oversized for its size. It had red mane, blue horn-like crests that flared out like lashes, and a blade-shaped horn on its forehead.
Its Resolute Form was more imposing—the horn longer and segmented, the crest replaced with triangular blades, and new, multicolored feathers in its mane.
Keldeo was said to run across oceans and rivers with ease, skimming over the water using jets from its hooves. It had learned the art of battle from Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion—and had honed its skills through constant training.
It was said that after surviving countless trials, Keldeo could awaken its inner power and transform—coating its horn in energy sharp enough to cut anything. In this form, it moved with such speed that only afterimages could be seen.
And right now, it was going head-to-head with the Legendary Bird of Ice itself.
(End of Chapter)