The snowfall thied, and white fkes filled the sky, making the distant ndscape blurry and indistinbsp;

  The air was heavy with snow and howling wind, redug visibility to less than teers. Naoki and Koraidon hadn't been walking for long when the harsh blizzard overtook them, making it impossible to tell which way they were going.

  "Which way is east… and which is west?" Naoki muttered, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to stay warm.

  He tried to determihe dire by looking for the sun's position, but the sky was nothing but an endless sea of gray. Not only was the sun hidden, but eveh ahead was lost to the swirling snow.

  A headache began to creep in as the biting cold seeped through Naoki's yers of clothing. He was used to warmer, more humid climates—this kind of weather was unbearable.

  "Raao…" Koraidon shook off the accumuting snow on its head, then g Naoki with , as if asking, "What to do ?"

  The freezing wind howled through the valley, adding to the already miserable ditions. Naoki squi the snowy trail ahead and sighed. "I think we've lost the inal path."

  "Raao?" Koraidon tilted its head in fusion.

  "We 't keep going like this," Naoki said with a shake of his head. "You might be fine in this weather, but I won't make it if we keep pushing forward."

  He looked toward the cliffs in the distaheir steep walls cutting through the snowy expanse like jagged teeth.

  "Let's head toward the cliffs. If we're lucky, we might find a cave where we wait for the snow to stop."

  "Raao!"

  With his mind made up, Naoki and Koraidon ran toward the cliffs. They pressed on along the cold rock face, snow g beh their feet with every step.

  After some time expl the foot of the cliff, Koraidon's eyes brightened, and it let out a cheerful cry.

  "Raao!"

  Not far ahead, it spotted the entrao a cave, partially blocked by snow. Excitedly, Koraidon dashed over and stood at the entrance, waiting for Naoki.

  Naoki jogged to catch up, brushing snow off his shoulders. He peered ihe cave, relieved to find no signs of other Pokémon—just a quiet, natural spabsp;

  The cave wasn't deep, but it would do. It seemed like a natural formation, not the ir of any Pokémon. Naoki gave Koraidon an appreciative nod and stepped inside, grateful for the shelter from the relentless storm outside.

  As they settled in, the snow outside tio fall heavily, with occasional gusts of wind blowing through the entranbsp;

  Naoki sighed in relief and shook off the snow ging to his clothes. From his travel bag, he pulled out a pact campfire stand and a small pot. He pced a few pieces of charcoal iand and carefully lit them, shivering slightly as he worked with his cold fingers.

  Ohe fire crackled to life, Naoki retrieved two bottles of water and a bag of noodles from his backpabsp;

  Koraidon sat he cave's entrance, using its rge body as a shield to block the wind and snow from reag Naoki.

  "Just hang on a little longer," Naoki said, warming his hands over the small fire.

  "Raao~," Koraidon responded, its tone soft and reassuring.

  Before long, the water began to boil.

  Naoki pced the noodles into the boiling water, adding seasoning from his travel pack. After a few mihe aroma of the soup began to fill the cave.

  "Alright!" Naoki said with satisfa.

  He pulled out two bowls, evenly divided the noodles and poured the hot broth over them. A simple but f bowl of noodle soup was ready.

  As he admired his work, the information popped into his head:

  [Hot Soup Noodles (B-)] A humble dish, but perfect for warming both the body and spirit on a cold winter day.

  Effect: Cold resistance prote, level 2. Grants moderate prote from extreme cold for 2 hours.

  Evaluation: Omitted.

  "Two hours, huh?" Naoki muttered.

  Though the dish wasn't perfect due to the simple ingredients and rough preparation, two hours of warmth was good enough in this harsh enviro.

  Naoki looked up to see Koraidon eagerly gulping down its share of noodles, tilting its rge head back to drain the bowl.

  He quickly finished his own portion. As the warmth spread through his body, Naoki let out a fortable sigh.

  "It's not so cold anymore," he murmured, feeling the biting chill of the wind and snow outside losing its edge.

  Naoki thought briefly about using this opportunity to explore the area. Maybe he could locate Freezington Vilge. But as he sidered the uable snowfall and the two-hour limit on the noodle's warming effect, he decided it was safer to stay put.

  "If the warmth wears off before we find the vilge, we could end up irouble," Naoki reasoned.

  With that, he and Koraidon sat by the fire, basking in its heat.

  ...

  The miretched on, and the outside world remairapped in a dull gray haze. Without sunlight, Naoki had no way to tell if it was day ht.

  The only way he could track time was by how long the warm feeling from the noodles sted.

  When the first batch of noodles wore off, Naoki cooked two more bowls, this time taking his time and adding more ingredients.

  [Hot Soup Noodles (B)] Improved cooking teique! Increased warmth and fvor.

  Effect: Cold resistance prote, level 3. Grants advanced prote from the cold for 6 hours.

  After finishing their upgraded meal, Naoki sighed, gng toward the cave entrance. "Looks like we're spending the night here."

  "Raao~," Koraidon chirped tentedly, showing no signs of pint.

  Just then, the g sound of footsteps echoed from outside the cave, muffled by the heavy snow.

  Naoki turoward the entrand saw a figure approag—a man bundled in yers of thick clothing, looking like a walking bear. He carried a hat glowed warmly against the storm.

  The old man hurried into the cave, his ntern casting light across the dim space. Spotting Naoki and Koraidon, he quickly shrugged off a thick-down coat and draped it over Naoki's shoulders.

  Naoki blinked in fusion.

  "You're not from around here, are you?" the old man asked, his voice kind but firm.

  Koraidon tilted its head, matg Naoki's puzzled expression.

  "Uh… no, we're from the Paldea region," Naoki replied, still processing the sudden kindness. "Who are you?"

  The old man chuckled. "I figured as much. Traveling through the Tundra without proper clothing is dangerous. Even hiding in a cave isn't enough—you'd likely freeze to death before m."

  The man then introduced himself. "I'm a vilger from Freezington. A few ho, my partner Pokémon, Altaria, spotted you wandering through the snow. I returo the vilge to grab supplies and came to find you."

  He tilted his head slightly, looking over his shoulder as if expeg someoo follow him inside.

  It was only then that Naoki noticed a bird Pokémon standing nearby. It had a sky-blue body, and its fluffy feathers looked as soft as cotton.

  Hearing its owner's voice, the cheerful little bird—an Altaria—fpped its wings happily, its feathers boung lightly in the cold air.

  Naoki smiled, finally pieg together what had happened.

  The old man and his Pokemon had e to rescue them from the blizzard!

  Though Naoki didn't feel like they were in immediate danger, he still felt grateful. "Thank you very much."

  "Chirp!" The Altaria let out a happy trill, hopping ih excitement.

  The old man gave a warm chuckle. "e back to the vilge with me! The snow's only going to get worse, and the temperature will drop even more. It'll be too dangerous to stay here."

  "Thank you so much!" Naoki said, touched by the kindness.

  Sihey were heading toward Freezington Vilge, Naoki packed up his supplies. Koraidon helped him shake the snow off their things before they followed the old man down the snowy path.

  Guided by the Altaria flying above, Naoki and Koraidon mao stay on the correct path this time. The snow tio fall heavily, but they made steady progress.

  Before long, they emerged from the swirling storm and spotted a small, peaceful vilge led in a quiet valley, surrounded by snow.

  "This is Freezington Vilge," the old man said proudly. "I don't know where you're headed , but you're wele to rest here before tinuing your journey."

  Naoki nodded gratefully. "Thank you very much. By the way, what should I call you?"

  The old man smiled. "Just call me Ryan. e o's get you and your Pokémon io warm up."

  Ryan led Naoki and Koraidon to his home, ushering them toward a cozy firepce. As soon as they sat down, the warmth from the fire began to melt away the lingering chill from their bodies.

  Naoki felt a wave of gratitude wash over him. 'The people here are so kind,' he thought, touched by their hospitality.

  Just then, a kindly old woman with silver hair appeared, carrying two cups of steaming tea on a tray.

  She smiled warmly. "Here, have some hot tea to warm up."

  "Thank you!" Naoki said, taking a cup.

  tally, the warming effect from the hot soup noodles had worn off, but with the fire crag in front of him and a hot cup of tea in hand, Naoki felt perfectly fortable.

  The old woman sat down beside them, her eyes full of kindness. "My husband is a bit of a rescuer at heart. He's always helping travelers lost in the mountains."

  Naoki nodded, smiling. "Mr. Ryan is a very good person."

  At that moment, the Altaria perched itself on the windowsill, tilting its head curiously as it watched them from across the room.

  Notig Naoki's gaze, the old woman chuckled softly. "That Pokemon was rescued by my husband as well. Poor thing had hurt its wings and fallen into the snow. It was almost frozen when he found it."

  She looked fondly at the Altaria. "We back to health, thinking we'd release it o recovered. But the little guy decided it didn't want to leave us."

  "Ever sihen, it's stayed with us, helping my husband rescue lost travelers from the mountains."

  The Pokemon seemed to sehat the old woman was talking about it. With a happy flutter of its wings, the Altaria flew into her arms, letting out a cheerful, melodic chirp.

  Just then, Ryan emerged from the ba, having ged out of his heavy outdear. Now, without his bulky clothes, he looked surprisingly lean and eic, a sharp trast to his earlier bear-like appearanbsp;

  Outside, the snow tio fall heavily, making it impossible for Naoki to ve. So, they all sat around the firepce, chatting to pass the time.

  When Ryan learhat Naoki had traveled all the way from the Paldea region, his eyes widened in surprise.

  "Paldea? That's really far!" Ryan excimed.

  Naoki smiled. "It's not too bad. It only took three days by boat. If you want to talk about far pces, though, I think the Kantion is the farthest."

  Ryan chuckled and nodded in agreement. His gaze shifted to Koraidon, who sat tentedly beside Naoki. Although Ryan admitted he wasirely up to date with modern times, he still reized a trainer when he saw one.

  "So, you're traveling around the Gar region?" Ryan asked, his brow furrowed slightly in fusion.

  He paused for a moment, his puzzlement growing. "Most trainers head north to the big cities, but you ended up here in this remote little vilge. What brings you all the way to the Tundra?"

  Notig Ryan's fusion, Naoki gave a small smile and expined, "Actually, I'm not here fhtseeing. I came to the Tundra because I'm searg for the King of Bountiful Harvests."

  "The King of Bountiful Harvests?" Ryan muttered, rubbing his in thought. "I remember hearing something about that... What was it called again? Crayons?...hmm"

  Naoki stifled a ugh. "I think you mean Calyrex—the King of Bountiful Harvests."

  Ryan scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Right... Calyrex. My memory isn't what it used to be."

  His wife, standing nearby, gave him an affeate but exasperated look.

  Ryan's wife chimed in, recalling a story from her childhood. "The King of Bountiful Harvests… I remember my grandmother telliories about it. She used to say that if children misbehaved in the fields, the King would e and take them away." She chuckled softly. "But looking back, I think it was just a way to scare kids into behaving."

  Naoki houghtfully. As he suspected, although the vilgers knew of Calyrex, they treated it as nothing more than an old folktale.

  Faith in Calyrex had faded over time, and without belief, its power had weakened. Naoki khat Calyrex depended on the faith of people to maintain its strength.

  Without faith, the King of Bountiful Harvests—Calyrex—had grown weak, causing his loyal steeds, Gstrier and Spectrier, to abandon him.

  The reason for his downfall? It seemed likely that the Gar royal family had take for his deeds, just as they had take for Za and Zamazenta's role iing the dark force, Eternatus.

  Naoki fell into deep thought.

  The game never delved into these details, but based on the royal family's behavior, it seemed possible that in their effort to maintain trol and bolster their image, they took away credit not only from Za and Zamazenta but also from Calyrex.

  As time passed, kingdoms rose and fell, and so did the King of Bountiful Harvests—fotten by the people he once protected. His name faded from the hearts of the people, buried by history.

  Faith, the very source of Calyrex's power, dwindled. And as his power faded, Gstrier and Spectrier abandoned him, leaving the once-mighty king alone.

  Naoki felt a wave of flig emotions—sympathy, curiosity, and sorrow.

  At that moment, the snowfall outside finally ceased.

  "Look at that! The snow's finally stopped!" Ryan excimed with delight.

  His wife smiled warmly. "If you're not in a rush, why don't you stay in the vilge for a while? The snow-covered sery here is quite beautiful."

  "You're wele to stay with us!" the old woman added. "It's usually just the two of us here, so having some pany would be a real treat."

  Naoki smiled and bowed slightly. "Thank you both very much."

  Suddenly, the cheerful Altaria chirped happily and fluttered its wings.

  Ryan grinned. "Why don't you let Altaria show you around the vilge?"

  Naoki chuckled. "Thank you, Altaria."

  "Chirp!" Altaria responded, happily bobbing up and down.

  With Koraidon by his side, Naoki strolled through Freezington Vilge, taking in the sights.

  The vilge was small, home to about twenty households. In the ter of the vilge, plots of farmnd grew hardy, cold-resistant crops.

  Snow-covered paths ected the houses, winding through the vilge like white ribbons.

  As the snow cleared, vilgers emerged from their homes, bringing life back to the quiet streets. Farmers could be seen hauling goods in carts pulled by Piloswiheir fur thid well-suited for the cold.

  Naoki smiled at the tranquil, picturesque se. It was hard to believe that such warmth and vitality could exist in a pce this cold.

  As Naoki tinued walking, Altaria suddenly took off from his shoulder, flying toward the farmnd. It perched on a high mound of snow, chirpiedly.

  Naoki tilted his head. "What is it, Altaria?"

  Altaria hopped in pce, and something clicked in Naoki's mind. He remembered a small detail from the game.

  Curious, he brushed the snow off the mound. Beh the snow y a broken stoatue—weathered and fotten.

  "Just as I thought..." Naoki murmured, brushing more snow away.

  Before Naoki could say anything else, Koraidon stiffened beside him, its gaze fixed on something in the distanbsp;

  "Raao…" Koraidon murmured, its tail flig as it locked eyes with the figure.

  Naoki followed Koraidon's gaze, looking beyond the broken statue.

  Uhe branches of a snow-covered piree stood a mysterious Pokémoe, elegant, and radiating a majestic aura.

  Naoki's breath caught in his throat. His heart pounded as he and the Pokémon stared at each other across the snowy expanse.

  Time seemed to stop.

  "It's…Calyrex!" Naoki whispered, awe washing over him.

  However, as he took in the sight of the legendary king, airely inappropriate thought popped into his mind.

  "hat a big head!"