Just as Roy was hesitating whether to let the Misdreavus unleash five consecutive Shadow Balls to test the waters, the blizzard that had been blowing towards them suddenly stopped.
The Piloswine that were originally walking towards them stopped about 20 meters away.
What's going on?
"Roy?"
Hearing someone call his name, Roy realized the voice was coming from a group of Piloswine.
He wondered which acquaintance might be here in this desolate, Snowfield.
Immediately afterwards, more than ten middle-class Piloswine dispersed, making way for a passage large enough for one person to pass through.
Roy spotted a figure in a wheelchair emerging from the passage cleared by the Piloswine.
Roy recognized the little old man sitting in the wheelchair at a glance.
"Pryce?"
How did they get here?
The moment Pryce appeared, Roy knew they were saved.
The one that caused the snowstorm was the Swinub in Pryce, which was just one level away from reaching the Champion level.
Pryce waved his hand, indicating to Roy and his female companion not to worry, these Piloswine were his Pokémon.
Are all of those dozen or so Intermediate King level Piloswine Pryce's?
When Roy saw that the person who came was Pryce, he stopped being wary and had the Chandelure stop its Stockpile -Flamethrower.
A great battle ended before it even began.
But the next moment, Roy's pupils dilated.
Pryce... he stood up!?
To Roy's surprise, Pryce stood up from his wheelchair and slowly walked to Roy.
Seeing Roy's surprised expression, Pryce nodded in satisfaction.
He was able to stand up thanks to the Sacred Fire of Roy's Chandelure.
After Roy left, Pryce placed the Sacred Fire inside the glass dome on his lap every day.
The Sacred Fire of the Chandelure has restored feeling to his legs, and he can now walk without a wheelchair for short periods of time. However, he will have to return to the wheelchair for longer periods of time.
But he was already very satisfied with this; he had never imagined that he would be able to stand up again one day.
Seeing the satisfied expression on Roy's face, Pryce returned to his wheelchair.
Cynthia was somewhat confused. She looked at the mysterious old man in the wheelchair in front of her and then at Roy beside her. The two of them obviously knew each other.
Roy didn't introduce Pryce to Cynthia first, but instead reassured her that he was one of their own.
Seeing that the crisis was over, Garchomp felt the icy ground beneath its feet. Its body, which was four times weak to Ice type attacks, couldn't withstand the wind and snow.
Cynthia then Garchomp and Spiritomb into their Poké Balls, leaving only Glaceon to follow along.
Roy looked at Pryce with a strange expression, and Pryce returned the same look. Then the two of them asked the same question.
"What are you doing here?"*2
As he sat back in his wheelchair, Pryce stared straight at Roy.
"First, tell me, you brat, what are you doing here?"
"Would you believe me if I said I traveled from the future?"
Time travel?
Roy did not hide anything from Pryce, and told him that they had traveled from the Space-Time Rift in the Ruins of Alph to the Sinjoh Ruins here.
After leaving the Sinjoh Ruins, they appeared in the northern Snowfields, where they met each other.
"The Sinjoh Ruins?"
Upon learning that there was a mysterious ancient Sinjoh Ruins on the vast Snowfield, Pryce's expression became puzzled.
He had wandered alone in this Snowfield for decades without seeing any Ruins, but Roy's sudden appearance here meant that the other party was not lying to him.
"Is it that Ruins in Violet City recently?"
Like Clair's grandfather in Blackthorn City, Pryce also reads the newspaper every day to keep up with the current situation.
He was naturally aware that a Ruins had appeared in Violet City.
However, that happened a month ago. The news was subsequently blocked by the Pokémon League, and it is said that many Prosecutors were stationed around the area, making it impossible to see the buildings inside the Ruins.
He himself had no interest in any Ruins, so he didn't pay any attention to them.
I never imagined that the Ruins would be involved with Roy.
"Yes, it's the Ruins of Alph. Okay, I'm done talking. Now it's your turn to tell me, how did you end up here with a bunch of Piloswine?"
"Me? Of course I brought the Swinub and the Piloswine here to train their skills."
Pryce spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, without the slightest hesitation.
What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.
Are you bringing Swinub and Piloswine here to train their skills?
Looking at the vast expanse of white Snowscape around him, and thinking about how his Dragapult had been frostbitten by the fierce wind and snow just now.
Did Pryce simply bring his Pokémon to train?
The Snowfield that could cause Dragapult to freeze was actually just Training Ground Pryce's skills?
Roy gained a completely new understanding of Pryce's strength.
Looking at the Piloswine in Pryce's arms and behind him, and knowing that it was not an enemy, Roy actually had a good impression of this kind of Piloswine with brownish hair that looked silly.
He has no problem with Swinub and Piloswine withstanding wind and snow, after all, their Fluffy appearance makes them look very resistant to the cold.
The question is, can Pryce withstand it?
"You? Trained with them?"
Pryce nodded. "Then what else?"
Although the northern Snowfields are unsuitable for human habitation, they are a perfect place for him and his Pokémon to train.
Moreover, it's quiet here; nobody comes here at all.
It's practically a natural Training Ground skills.
Etc?
Only then did Roy realize that just as the wind and snow were about to reach Pryce, they were actually blowing away from Pryce in the surrounding directions.
But Roy soon realized that it was the Swinub that was exerting its strength.