Crabominable was covered in thick white fur that kept out the cold, and its design might have been based on the Abominable Snowman of the mountains.
It was a Fighting-type and Ice-type Pokémon. They usually lived on snow-covered mountains far from human settlements, such as Glaseado Mountain in the Paldea region.
Crabominable's fist-like claws naturally fell off under certain unknown conditions, and these claws were several times tastier than ones lost in battle.
Back then, Luo Mu and Luxray had followed Quilava and found a pair of claws.
Though they were reminded of the joy of that windfall, Luo Mu and Luxray didn't recklessly rush over to fight Quilava for the claws.
It wasn't that they wanted to act like gentlemen and disdain taking advantage of the situation. Rather, beside Crabominable claws mysteriously left on the ground, there was usually a Pokémon lying in wait.
Luo Mu and Luxray stayed quiet as they crouched in the bushes, playing the ambush predator. Quilava spotted the claws and first sniffed them with its peach-pink nose. A visible look of bliss appeared on its dark face.
Quilava looked around, making sure nothing else was eyeing the claws. Its eyes brightened. It leisurely licked its own fur, then cleaned the dirt from its peach-pink hooves.
Quilava planned to eat the first claw while looking as elegant and handsome as possible, then take the second one with it to court a female.
At that moment, from the bushes beside the claws, which were taller than a person, a pair of enormous claws crept soundlessly out of the grass. They resembled the claws on the ground, but looked much newer. Quilava remained happily absorbed in its anticipation of the delicious meal, cleaning itself without the slightest suspicion.
Luo Mu and Luxray still didn't move.
This was a fight between wild Pokémon, and he usually preferred to observe quietly from the sidelines.
Every so often, on a whim, he might step in and interfere.
Crabominable's fists drew closer and closer to Quilava. Perhaps it could no longer hold back, or perhaps it thought victory was assured. Ice covered its fists in the space of a few breaths. It looked like Crabominable planned to secure victory with a single Ice Punch.
However, the icy chill was what alerted Quilava just before the blow landed.
Quilava let out a terrified cry and ducked as hard as it could. Crabominable's heavy but slow punch swept past Quilava's scalp at the very last moment.
The cold left a layer of frost on Quilava's head. With a scream, Quilava fled without hesitation.
Its strong limbs gave it plenty of power and speed. In the blink of an eye, it had vanished into the distance.
Crabominable slowly glanced at its missed punch, then could only retreat into the bushes in frustration and wait for its next prey.
"That should do it."
Luo Mu kept his voice low, but when he and Luxray stood up from the bushes, he made no effort to hide what they were planning. Crabominable naturally noticed the commotion.
Crabominable thought it was having a pretty lucky day. Two more prey had taken the bait so soon.
As usual, Crabominable crouched in the bushes and waited for Luo Mu and Luxray to approach.
Suddenly, countless dazzling specks of light appeared beneath Crabominable. They rose from underground, and within a few breaths, they had gathered densely enough to form a radiant pillar of light.
From far away, a dazzling pillar of light shot skyward from halfway up the mountainside, drawing plenty of attention.
"So sudden!?"
Luo Mu and Luxray stopped and exchanged glances, but didn't move.
The pillar of light lasted only a little over ten seconds before gradually fading. Now in its Terastallized form, Crabominable stood with its back to a sparkling Terastal Crystal, swinging its fists with a whoosh. It felt as though its body was brimming with power.
On the Terastal crown atop Crabominable's head, Terastal Energy formed a massive fist. It had Terastallized into the Fighting-type!
At that moment, Crabominable felt stronger than ever. There was nothing left to fear!
"Meow!"
Luxray called out to Luo Mu, whose pocket had suddenly begun to glow.
Luo Mu looked at his pocket and pulled out the Terastal Orb inside, which was shining with a mysterious glow. "It's charged up?"
He blinked, spared Crabominable a moment of silence, then said without hesitation, "Terastallize, Luxray!"
At his words, Luxray stepped forward to face Crabominable. The Terastal Orb Luo Mu had tossed into the air shone above its head, releasing Terastal Energy.
Crystals enveloped Luxray, then burst apart in a spray of glittering fragments. After a crisp cracking sound, Luxray's body gleamed like a cut gemstone. It let out a mighty Snarl at the crescent moon hanging overhead, and its immense pressure sent the birds roosting in the trees on the mountain flying in fright.
On the mighty Luxray's Terastal crown, a giant light bulb hovered.
Terastal type: Electric-type!
Crabominable sensed trouble the moment Luxray roared at the sky. Its hot-blooded excitement was doused in an instant. It wanted to make a run for it, but the crystal behind it kept releasing Terastal Energy, trapping it within the energy-saturated area.
Crabominable stared with wide, fear-stricken eyes and raised its fists as if it wanted to surrender.
Luo Mu burst out laughing. He was tempted to crack a joke—"Are you seriously kidding me right now?"—but in the end, he said nothing of the sort. He simply ordered, "Thunderbolt!"
Golden lightning writhed like a raging serpent. Empowered by Terastal Energy, Thunderbolt tore through the air, engulfing Crabominable and the Terastal Crystal behind it.
In an instant, dazzling golden light illuminated most of the sky.
"We'll gladly accept these claws."
Luo Mu suppressed the urge to drool and cradled the enormous pair of claws from Crabominable as if he'd found a treasure.
Seeing how undignified he looked, Luxray could only shake its head helplessly, though it failed to notice the glistening drool at the corner of its own mouth.
Luo Mu had already treated Crabominable's injuries and Paralysis after it left its Terastallized state.
It lay quietly in the bushes nearby, enjoying a baby's sleep.
The Terastal Crystal disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
Terastal Crystals that formed at random in the Paldea region usually lasted about a whole day before fading away.
But Crabominable's Terastallization, Luxray's Terastallization, and the Terastal Orb in Luo Mu's hand—which had charged up again—had used up all the Terastal Energy inside the crystal.
Without its Terastal Energy, the crystal naturally disappeared.
"Meow."
Luxray picked up the two crystal fragments from the ground in its mouth and handed them to Luo Mu.
"Thanks." Luo Mu took the Terastal Shards Luxray had picked up and looked them over. Sure enough, they were Fighting-type Terastal Shards.
Just looking at them made his liver ache. He remembered when Pokémon Scarlet and Violet had first come out, and how he'd farmed six-star Terastal raids night after night just to change a Pokémon's Terastal type.
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