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[Toriko: Hunting With Legends!]
"So Rika is on Glaseado Mountain…"
Hikaru received Rika's contact, and learned that Paldea's strongest Gym Leader wanted to battle him.
Seven days and seven nights of training had reached its final stretch.
This snow mountain—wind and flurries drifting through it, as if everything were coated in frosting—was the final destination of this training.
"Grusha… the Ice-type Gym Leader. In the difficulty order of Paldea Gyms, is he the seventh or the eighth?"
"Grusha was originally Paldea's snowboarding champion. However, he suffered a severe injury in an accident during a run, and chose to retire."
"Even after recovering from the injury, he could have continued his snowboarding career. But he retired because he felt he could no longer achieve results that satisfied him."
"After retiring, he chose the path of becoming a Pokémon Trainer, climbing steadily until he ultimately became the Gym Leader of Glaseado Mountain."
"Whether as an athlete or a Gym Leader, Grusha is extremely strict and serious. He values results over process, and he holds both himself and challengers to high standards."
"But during that time, he froze his once-burning heart, and became a cold, distant person."
Hikaru replied to Rika:
"No problem. I'm already advancing through Glaseado Mountain. In a cold place, preparing for a grand evolution. Then, in one breath, I'll fly off the mountain toward Tagtree Thicket."
"Climbing a mountain only takes one day. From today's sunrise, to today's sunset, to tomorrow's dawn. You ask why I'm so fast? Because I've got the secret technique Rock Climb. Rock Climb!"
"Is the snow mountain cold? It's fine. After all, my homeland is even colder."
Hikaru had already led his partners out of North Province (Area Two).
Climbing the towering Glaseado Mountain, experiencing cultivation in the harsh winter—yet although Glaseado Mountain was snowing year-round, compared to Sinjoh, it still wasn't enough to impress.
A Blizzard Wall of fierce, perpetual storms sealed Sinjoh away from the outside world. Only a few months out of the year did the wind and snow abate. Fortunately, the forests of Sinjoh retained the last warmth—otherwise, the brutal snowfall would have destroyed everything on that land.
Humans, Pokémon, ruins, history—everything.
"Gah-tor!"
"Doreee~"
In the grand marching climbing party, Torterra and Lilligant were the ones growing more and more energized, as if they had returned home—light, quick, and joyful.
They were both Pokémon that were weak to Ice, yet their ecologies involved living in cold environments, which was quite interesting.
Especially in snowy mountain terrain.
Lilligant's ice-blade-like feet unexpectedly shone here. Long ago, a deep mountain habitat had given her remarkably developed leg strength.
And Torterra was even more so. Despite being 4× weak to Ice, it lived in snowfields and wetlands. In slightly warmer places, it would actually feel out of sorts.
Victini got tired of flying. Hugging its little backpack, it curled up under the small tree on Torterra's back and fell asleep, snoring softly—completely unfazed by the falling snow.
"Sinnoh and Hisui Pokémon are weird in one way or another. Like Garchomp—4× weak to Ice—yet in Sinnoh it lives in snowy mountain regions."
"But this climb also includes Fire-type partners, so we're not that afraid of blizzards."
"Geno…"
Genesect hovered midair, not in UFO mode, but in its transformed form, surveying the wide expanse of snow.
Warm power gradually flowed through its body. Genesect's headlight-like eyes lit up. It looked ahead, and suddenly sensed something. Flames gradually surged along its legs as well.
Snow began to melt under the flames, becoming thin streams. They didn't flow far before the cruel wind and snow froze them again.
"Is that Blaze Kick?"
Hikaru saw flames burning around Genesect's legs, yet it showed no discomfort at all. Clearly, those flames were pouring out from within it.
The modifications from Flow-Tech might have stimulated Genesect's potential as well.
Blaze Kick was originally a move only that distributed "Red Genesect" could use.
But in Generation VIII it was made more widely available, so even ordinary Genesect could learn it via TM.
This move also had a lesser-known battle effect: it more easily landed critical hits.
"Even while climbing a snowy mountain, there are chances to learn new moves."
Of course, Raifort didn't come along this time.
Although that tomb-raider lady had previously said she'd follow to the end and witness the capture of the Treasures of Ruin, in her words, "There's nothing good in the ruins on Glaseado Mountain." So she refused to climb Glaseado Mountain and said she'd go ahead to Tagtree Thicket to wait.
She wanted to confirm the location of the "Dusty Shrine." That shrine was hidden beneath forest and cliff. Supposedly it lay deep on a small island within some pond.
In the snowy mountains, however, Chien-Pao was the most excited of all. The surroundings were packed with frigid Ice-type energy. For it, this was basically coming home to its happiest place.
These days it had been exhausted from Entei's special training!
But at least all that getting beaten up hadn't been pointless!
"Chien-Pao learned Sheer Cold, and has practically been promoted into the ancient Paldea god in charge of Sheer Cold. I hope this 30%-accuracy move can change its fate of getting bullied every day…"
"Chien-Pao has a bright future too."
At the very front of the party, Marshadow, Riolu, Kubfu, and Charcadet had already run far ahead.
There were many Ice-type Pokémon on Glaseado Mountain, so battles could break out in the blink of an eye!
The little ones practicing martial arts smashed rocks and cleaved ice ridges, carving through everything in their path!
However, the most important thing about entering Glaseado Mountain this time was to level up the little bug.
"Look, that's a Baxcalibur! Its power level is—cough. On Glaseado Mountain it's a very rare, extremely strong Dragon-type Pokémon. Its typing is Dragon and Ice! It's the same type category as Kyurem!"
Yes, its category was direct—an Ice Dragon Pokémon! And it was also a Generation IX pseudo-legendary, though its presence felt a bit… low-key.
"Its Ability is Thermal Exchange. When it's hit by a Fire-type move, its Attack rises, and it can't be burned."
That Baxcalibur quickly noticed Hikaru and the other Pokémon trespassing into its territory. It immediately realized this group was terrifyingly strong and that it definitely wasn't their match, but this was still its turf getting invaded!
Shouldn't it at least say something?
So the huge Baxcalibur scanned the group… and then!
"ROAR!"
You, the white-haired little bug!
You! Come out and 1v1!
Hikaru narrated, "Baxcalibur's nostrils sprayed icy white vapor. The ultra-low-temperature cold air it exhaled from its mouth could freeze even scorching magma into ice in an instant!"
"Heh, taking it easy… so you got chosen, huh?"
"But be careful. This one isn't weak to flames. Steel, Rock, Fighting, Dragon, Fairy… those will be more effective."
"Me-la~!" Larvesta wriggled forward, declaring its stance!
Bug is strong. Even if I haven't evolved yet, don't look down on bugs!
Not weak to Fire, so what?
Bug will make it see the true power of flames!
A bug's flames can reach 3000 degrees! Just like that Veluza bubble—after all, long ago I lived at the foot of a volcano too!
So which is stronger, the power of a volcano or the power of a snow mountain?
Blazing fire.
A whole world burning red.
That is Larvesta!
Tap.
The sun gradually sank. The light wasn't warm, but as it shone on the snow it dyed the world with a faint layer of gold.
Footsteps crunched quickly over the snow. On the western side of Glaseado Mountain—facing toward the direction of Casseroya Lake—strong firelight rose, and faint battle sounds carried over.
Grusha immediately determined that the newly appointed Steel-type Elite Four member should be here.
But why was there the aura of flames?
As an Ice-type Gym Leader, he was unusually sensitive to fire. After all, if academy students challenged him, they generally brought Fire-type Pokémon.
Of course, he also taught them one important lesson: even if typing gives you an advantage, the gap in strength does not disappear.
It wasn't as if pulling out a Fire-type Pokémon guaranteed victory over his Ice-types.
Type advantage was something the academy and early Gym Leaders taught. But more advanced content was the cruel reality.
"I'm just saying, you're really impatient. I'm still putting my team together…"
Rika followed behind Grusha, shaking her head helplessly.
She heard that guy had come up the mountain, and she instantly perked up. Sure enough, the passion buried in Grusha's bones hadn't completely cooled.
Grusha said, "Since I'm the one who proposed this exchange test request, if I stayed on the summit and waited for him to come to me, that would be too rude."
"It's fine. As long as it's on the snow mountain, it's the same wherever we battle. Glaseado has many caves, many climbers, and Pokémon Centers as well. No matter where you are, you can always find a place to battle and rest."
"Ms. Rika, you won't declare my evaluation a failure just because I battled outside the Gym, will you?"
Rika said, "Of course not. It's a special case. I'm not the kind of person who's completely inflexible."
Her gaze shifted forward.
"Alright, looks like we've found him."
"This kind of sudden debut does feel like the first appearance of a manga character."
"If he threw in a couple of meaningless poses too, it would be perfect."
Hikaru sensed visitors nearby and turned his head. Sure enough, on slightly higher ground, Rika and Grusha appeared.
"Uh… Rika, aren't you cold?"
Rika was still dressed in her usual work outfit, while Grusha was bundled up in warm gear. Hikaru almost thought something had gone wrong with the mountain's weather.
Hikaru said, "You're a Ground-type Elite Four member, aren't you weak to Ice? Is that legal?"
"Was that supposed to be a joke?" Rika pressed a hand to her forehead, looked Hikaru up and down, and immediately went a bit speechless. "And you have the nerve to say that to me? You're barely wearing anything yourself."
Hikaru said, "That's different. As a martial artist, my cold resistance is pretty high. And I've got Fire-type Pokémon with me."
"Mm, we're just one step away now."
Hikaru glanced at the little bug. During the climb, Larvesta had entered full chain-battle mode, and it was now in that surging, unstoppable phase.
Its growth kept rising. It had defeated many Pokémon. It was only one last step away from evolving.
"I'm Grusha. The Gym Leader of Glaseado Mountain. Nice to meet you."
Grusha stepped forward, staring at Hikaru, finding it difficult to believe.
In terms of age, Hikaru looked much younger than him.
Even a bit younger than Rika, perhaps? Among the Elite Four, he should be the youngest?
Then Grusha looked at the many Pokémon beside him… he didn't recognize most of them.
Training and battling with so many Pokémon on a snow mountain—when it came time to battle, which one would he send out?
As Grusha thought this, he also thanked Hikaru.
"Thank you very much for accepting my request."
"Just as I said, I want to know what result I can obtain on the road of being a Pokémon Trainer. After seeing you, I'm even more certain of that."
"So young, yet already an Elite Four member—moreover, the final boss of Unova's challenge facility. Your strength should be unquestionably powerful."
"Don't say it like that." Hikaru looked at Grusha. "Aren't you the same? Before becoming a Gym Leader, you had no Pokémon battle experience at all, right?"
"I know about you. You're also a battling genius. Given time, you'll definitely become extremely strong. So let's start quickly."
"Since this is an impromptu test, it shouldn't matter what type I use, right?"
Hikaru looked at Rika to confirm.
Rika considered it. "It really doesn't matter. Even if you don't use Steel-type, it's fine. Though Fire also counters Ice, so in terms of advantage, nothing changes."
"After the test, don't forget to battle me too. You seem to have met a new companion."
Rika looked at Kubfu. She had never seen this Pokémon, and even after thinking carefully, she had no memory of it.
As for Marshadow, it was already hidden in the shadows. Rika didn't notice it at all.
"It looks like it's Normal or Fighting-type? Even though it's small, it feels… very strong."
Hikaru said, "This is Kubfu. A very rare Pokémon. It's training in martial arts with me in order to become a divine messenger that purges the world's evil aura."
"Punch!" Kubfu nodded, taking a deep breath.
The results of seven days and seven nights of training—what were they really?
Only by going all out against a true powerhouse could it be proven!
"Then I'll serve as referee first. I'm really looking forward to this Pokémon's performance."
"Then watch closely." Hikaru smiled slightly.
At that moment, Victini woke up atop Torterra's back and let out a huge yawn.
Ahh! It's almost dark already? How is it already dusk?
The snow mountain looks like it's coated in honey—so red, so red!
Victini looked at the humans in front of it, and suddenly realized this was the prelude to a battle. So under the confused looks of Rika and Grusha, it began rummaging through its little bag and took out a miniaturized V-Wheel!
Battling? Battling? How about a lottery draw!
Hikaru nodded. "Then I'll trouble you to draw."
Grusha was extremely puzzled. "Draw what?"
"V-Wave is a special seasonal energy current that exists in the world. It can influence the power of certain typed Pokémon to some extent. Pokémon whose typing aligns with today's wave will shine brilliantly today."
"Ti-ni!"
Under Grusha's confused gaze, and Rika's curious gaze…
Victini's wheel began to spin!
Whirrrrr—thunk!
Today, Ice-type Pokémon will shine brilliantly!
"It's Ice-type. Your luck is very good today. Today's battle is favorable for you."
Just like before, Victini only performed an ordinary fortune draw and did not fully release V-Wave.
Without using V-Wave amplification, Ice-type Pokémon would be a bit luckier today. But since this was a snow mountain—home field—having an advantage was normal.
Hikaru nodded. "Then let's begin!"
Grusha felt his heartbeat accelerating. When the wheel stopped, he felt… an illusion of becoming stronger?
But was it really an illusion?
This state… during his usual training, it occasionally appeared. When it did, his condition was excellent, and no challenger could withstand him.
This was—this was that feeling!
"Although I don't know what's going on, my current state is extremely good."
"A long-lost emotion is surging up. Right now, I feel like I can bring out 120% of my strength."
"Maybe I'll crush you with overwhelming advantage. As an Elite Four member, what kind of strength do you truly have?"
"If you lose, then I win!"
Although Grusha's last sentence sounded slightly strange, Hikaru understood. The "win" he meant was his "life going forward."
A young Gym Leader who would devote the rest of his life to battling, with extraordinary talent in Pokémon battles—defeating an Elite Four member was a way to prove his strength, and also a way to find a new goal for the remainder of his life.
"The battle rules are 5v5. When all of one side's Pokémon lose the ability to battle, that side is judged defeated."
"Then, battle start."
Rika waved her hand and, full of interest, declared the start of the match.
Grusha's expression grew extremely serious.
Normally, his lead in battles was Frosmoth, mainly to observe the challenger's level. But now the one being tested was himself, and his opponent was an Elite Four member—
"Ice-type defenses are indeed weak. Then what about offense?"
A small, clawed Pokémon appeared on the snow!
An oval golden-yellow gemstone was embedded in its forehead. It had a crimson crown, collar, and tail formed from broad feathers, and each ear had a single thin feather as well.
Its body was dark gray, its eyes were red, sharp teeth showed at the corners of its mouth, its palms and toes were white, and it possessed razor-sharp claws!
"The Sharp Claw Pokémon, Weavile."
"Oh. A Pokémon with a very snowfield sort of vibe."
The Generation IV evolution of Sneasel, introduced in Sinnoh, celebrated as an Ice-type fast attacker. In certain eras it caused havoc—a little monster, an assassin, a primary attacker, a Swords Dance sweep engine. It had many titles.
It had 120 Attack and 125 Speed.
Although Grusha's representative Pokémon were Cetitan and Altaria, his team included two relatively rare Pokémon that ran counter to his usual style. The first was Weavile, and the second was Alolan Ninetales.
At the moment, it looked like Grusha didn't have that Ninetales yet.
Hikaru asked, "Have you been to Mount Lanakila in Alola?"
Grusha replied, "No, I haven't. Why?"
Hikaru said, "That mountain is amazing. It's the highest peak in Alola. It towers into the clouds. It's a sacred place. You can go see it someday."
"Mm, that's beside the point. Now, I'm going too!"
"Come on, Kubfu!"
The first one sent out wasn't Larvesta.
But the little bug consciously stayed to the side to spectate. That way it could leech experience.
It wasn't time for bug to go show off yet, Larvesta thought.
"Aerial Ace!"
Grusha looked at that gray-white little bear and immediately judged it as a Fighting-type or Normal-type Pokémon!
If so, use Flying to deal with it!
Weavile smirked, swinging its claws, drawing white streaks through the air at extreme speed!
It slashes the opponent by teasing it with a nimble move, and the move will never miss!
But a guaranteed-hit move… is it useful?
Kubfu neither dodged nor avoided. It steadied its mind and breath, and smelled the scent of ice.
Intense true qi surged violently across its body!
"Punch!"
A Dark-type aura—so vicious and wicked!
To crush the evil aura in the world, we start with you!
Grusha's expression—an iceberg that never melted—suddenly changed.
"Back!"
Hikaru said, "Correct judgment, but it's already too late."
"First one: Dynamic Punch."
Kubfu's true qi suddenly condensed into substance. It stamped the ground hard!
No Guard, Dynamic Punch!
Large swathes of snow were melted and blasted away by surging Fighting-type qi. Weavile desperately tried to evade, but the giant qi-formed fist could not be avoided!
Kubfu charged forward, and with one punch slammed into Weavile's chest—light and shockwaves exploding violently!
The infamous Sharp Claw Pokémon went flying with a bang from the explosive fist. Kubfu pinned it down and smashed it straight into a frozen rock slab behind it!
Rock Plate kill!
The first test Pokémon was crushed with overwhelming force!
Utterly stunned.
Frozen in place.
Today's condition… is it good?
Ice-type… favorable?
Grusha's body stiffened. He slightly turned his head and looked at the defeated Weavile, and for a moment he couldn't speak a single word.
His mind went completely blank.
(End of Chapter)
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