After repelling Drake's surprise attack, the Team Rocket fleet was finally able to press on, crossing the last stretch of frozen sea and reaching the endpoint of their expedition-Ice Island. As the flagship's sturdy bow broke through the final layer of thick pack ice with a teeth-grating scrape and slowly drew up to the island's frozen shore, everyone was stunned by the sight before them.
This was an island made entirely of glaciers. As far as the eye could see, there was no vegetation, not a trace of soil, only an endless expanse of crystalline glaciers reflecting an eerie blue glow beneath the dim daylight. They took all manner of shapes, some towering majestically, others flat as mirrors, together forming an otherworldly realm of ice and snow. Howling winds ravaged the island without pause, carrying fine ice crystals that scraped mercilessly across everyone's faces like countless sharp little knives, bringing bone-piercing pain. The air was several degrees of severity colder than it had been during their encounter with Drake, and every breath seemed capable of freezing their lungs.
Amid the extreme cold, the landing party set foot on the frozen land the locals called the "Island of Death." Every step was exceptionally difficult, every breath accompanied by white mist. At that moment, the three orbs in their possession resonated more intensely than ever before. They no longer merely flickered faintly, but shone with dazzling light, like three guiding stars pointing the party's way through the boundless ice and snow-the source of those energy fluctuations lay deep within the island.
The party began the arduous trek toward the island's center and its tallest glacial mountain range. Conditions on Ice Island were more than a hundred times harsher than those on Fire Island and Lightning Island. The extreme cold drained the stamina