Chapter 61 - The Crabominable and The Snow-Woman - Pt. 3

Today - Sevii, Two Island Marina, Two Island

The moon was high now, bathing the marina in a quiet, silver glow. Mia hadn’t returned yet, and Celeste was secretly relieved. Not because Mia could shut the party down—she did own the boat, after all—but because she might try playing matchmaker again.

“I told you a million times, Lori, that place wasn’t safe for a woman alone.”

Bruno and Lori were at it again, him claiming he wasn’t being a “knight in shining armour,” and her countering that she “could freeze any creep that came her way”. Delia sat in her place, finally interested and nodded at both, with the corner of her mouth twitching.

“Is that the misunderstanding you’re trying to use to teach us some lesson?” She eventually chimed in. “Bruno, no offence, but you were out of line thinking Lori couldn’t handle herself. But isn’t it a bit risky being alone, Lori?”

Luan had gone to the galley to get some tea now the hot chocolate had run out. Meanwhile, Celeste was checking on the Pokémon. Aria was on her back, groaning, while Powder and Lori’s Dewgong watched over her along with Luan’s Hoothoot. The little Vulpix tried to make her feel better by blowing her off with a blast of cold air, but this was Aria. If she wanted to be dramatic, she was going to be over the top. Pat, oddly enough, wandered over to Bruno’s Machamp and stared very intently at him. The Machamp, poor thing, didn’t really know what to do with that, so he just scratched his head and blinked back at the Slowpoke.

“Exactly, he was being a jerk,” Lori kept arguing as Celeste joined Pat. “Flashing that dumb grin at me like we were best friends. And the nerve—he didn’t even remember me from the gym.”

Bruno just laughed it off, unbothered.

The fairy lights above them swayed in the wind, casting dancing shadows. Celeste crouched by Pat, and for a second, thought her shadow was mesmerised by the Machamp too. She closed her eyes and banished the thought away.

Too many problems and weirdness were nagging at her, and she was doing a terrible job of ignoring them.

And speaking of her problems…

Luan reappeared, trailed by his Munna and Lunatone, who were floating teapot with cups. He glanced at Celeste briefly, and didn’t avert his eyes right away this time.

Little victories.

“Sorry for the wait.” He quickly turned towards Delia, gesturing for his Pokémon to put everything down. “Mia’s not big on tea. She only had some sachets of this ginger tea from when she was… uh… feeling sick a lot.”

Delia took the pot, smiling. “I like it. Keeps us warm.”

Celeste made her way back near the heater and tried helping Delia serve the tea. As usual, she waved her off, so she ended up back with Bruno and Lori. “So, what happened next? Did you ever find that Crabrawler?”

Lori nodded. Despite the squabbling, telling this story clearly made whatever was going on between her and Bruno better, if only just a little.

“Found her right where the sailor said, on that cliff.” She leaned back and let out a wistful sigh as she took over the storytelling.

—*——*—

“I hiked all the way up to the cliff-side, and though Bruno might joke that it wasn’t very high and I could’ve done it in minutes if I was fitter, trust me, it was horrible. It took me an entire hour to reach the top, and by the time I got there, Crabrawler was nowhere in sight. Two days later, I tracked her down again, this time near the beach on the outskirts of Lavender Town. That place was swarming with ghosts, and Crabrawler? She was right there, picking fights with them. I sent out my Snorunt to draw her away and battle, but instead, we ended up attracting a Froslass with maternal instincts. When we finally got rid of the Froslass, Crabrawler was gone again. It took a few more days of searching, but we finally picked up another trail.”

—*——*—

Two Years Ago - Kanto, Pokémon Centre, Lavender Town

Usually, the rational part of Lorelei’s brain won.

You don’t need a Crabominable. There are other Ice-Types out there. If you head back to Four Island during the festival, you might even catch something rare.

The sensible thing to do would be to cut her losses and head to the next gym. She could go to Cinnabar, win the Volcano Badge, and then bide her time around Sevii or the Orange Islands until the festival. Or maybe even take a trip to Johto—the mountains near Mahogany Town were supposedly crawling with Ice-Types.

As long as she didn’t have to hike.

Normally, that would have been enough to let go of chasing this Crabrawler. Yet…

“So you saw it in the woods south of here?” she asked a young trainer at the Poké Center, who had rushed in with his beat down Krabby in his arms a while ago.

He sniffed. “We didn’t even want to fight… I just wanted to see if Cray-Cray could climb trees like it…”

Lorelei flashed what she hoped was a comforting smile, but the kid just sniffled harder. She awkwardly patted his head. “Can you show me where on this map?” She gestured to the map on the wall, and the boy looked up at her with big, teary eyes.

“You’re… going after it?” he stammered. “Don’t, miss! It’s too dangerous. The woods are—” He broke off with a sob. “It’s not just the Crabrawler. There’re rapids, and all kinds of mean Pokémon like Vileplume, Victreebel, bugs… even a Tangrowth.”

“Rapids, huh?” she repeated, her lips slowly forming a smile. Water meant no walking or hiking. She blinked awkwardly at the crying boy again and tried to be nice. “I’ll get revenge for your… Cray-Cray.”

It didn’t help. He cried even harder. It took a few minutes to get to the exact location where he’d seen the Crabrawler. But, when Lori finally mounted Fractal, and set her course towards the woods, she felt a more primal kind of smile dotting her face.

A smile fuelled by the thought of her future Crabominable knocking the dumb grin off Bruno’s face when she challenged him again at the Gym.

“Let’s see if you forget me then,” she muttered, earning a concerned look from her Lapras. What could she say? Today wasn’t a day for her rational side to win.

—*——*—

“There would be water, so no need to track through the woods. I think that was what made me more excited. So, imagine my disappointment when the sea funnelled into the smallest stream. Too tiny for Fractal to go in…”

—*——*—

Two Years Ago - Kanto, Off-Route 12

Lorelei’s heels sank into the soft, muddy ground as she fought back a groan. Silver blinked up at her with a mix of confusion and concern in his eyes. She exhaled deeply, straightened up, and tried to look like she wasn’t completely out of her element in those woods.

Trying to make the best of it, she glanced down at her Snorunt. “Are you okay walking here?” It was a warm, humid day—far from ideal for her Ice-Type Pokémon, but none of her other Pokémon could handle the terrain any better. Silver chimed a positive note, and they trudged on in silence for about an hour until he stopped, trilling softly yet urgently.

Just ahead, they spotted Crabrawler furiously punching a tree. Bellsprout scurried past and Pidgey took flight, startled by the commotion. With each punch, a shower of berries rained down, yet the Crabrawler seemed unsatisfied.

Without hesitating, Lorelei motioned for her Pokémon to hide behind a bush. She had lost this Crabrawler enough times already and wasn’t about to miss her chance again. Holding a Pokéball, she whispered, “We’re going for a surprise attack. On my command, hit it with Chilling Water and then freeze it.”

Silver chimed in agreement, the air around them already growing colder as he prepared. Lorelei kept her eyes fixed on the Crabrawler, waiting for it to line up its next punch.

“Now.”

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Silver sprang into action with the molecules of water from that horrible humid forest, instantly forming droplets that trailed behind him before blasting onto Crabrawler’s back. The Pokémon screeched, staggering under the sudden cold, shocked and… excited.

Her Snorunt seized the moment. Immediately, he intensified the cold, turning the moisture into ice, binding Crabrawler’s pincers.

“Perfect,” Lorelei muttered, letting herself enjoy the sensation of her Pokéball metallic casing turning colder in her hands. Once the pincers were fully frozen and she was confident it wouldn’t be able to knock her ball away, she’d make the capture. “Just a little more…”

As she was about to do it, Crabrawler began to thrash, the ice cracking around its body.

“Hurry up,” she urged, though Silver was already escalating his efforts. Ice shards sprouted, creeping up to Crabrawler’s neck.

This was it. It couldn’t escape now.

Lorelei threw the Pokéball with a quick flick of her wrist. It soared in a perfect arc toward the immobilised Crabrawler and—got knocked away?

What? How?

Lorelei’s brows furrowed as she watched her Pokéball roll over the tree roots in confusion.

Then a familiar voice rang out from behind her.

“Amazing work, Dubs.”

Lorelei clenched her teeth so hard she tasted blood. This couldn’t be happening. She was about to make the capture. She was—

“Now use another Vacuum Wave to free it,” he continued, and Lorelei turned very slowly to face, surprise, surprise, Bruno, standing proudly behind a small Tyrogue, grinning.

Would she get arrested if she froze him?

As Tyrogue leaped into action, Silver looked back at her, his eyes filled with uncertainty, waiting for her next command.

There was only one choice. “Hit that Tyrogue with the same combo,” she ordered, standing up to confront Bruno and his Pokémon directly.

Bruno had the nerve to wave at her, still smiling.

“Now, Silver!” she raised her voice.

Only when her Snorunt unleashed another torrent of Chilling Water, Bruno finally stopped waving and his smile faltered slightly.

“Hey, this Tyrogue is with me. No need to attack like that,” he said.

Lorelei’s eyes twitched, but she felt a wave of cold calm wash over her as Silver’s icy breath hit the air. This time, there were no holds barred, nor any silly rules. This time, she was ready to show Bruno exactly what she and her Pokémon could do.

“Stronger,” she commanded, eyes right at Bruno’s.

The Tyrogue’s legs froze first, turning to solid ice. It looked at Bruno in panic, realising it couldn’t move.

Bruno blinked, then smiled. “You can get yourself free,” he encouraged, more than commanded, which seemed almost ridiculous to Lorelei. If she were any pettier, she’d laugh right in his face.

Unfortunately, his encouragement worked.

Not through some fighting bullshit like aura, but because Tyrogue began to thrash and spin, fighting the ice with motion. After a while, the ice had mostly cracked and water that Silver blasted barely clung to it.

“Focus on your Frost Breath,” Lorelei instructed her Pokémon. This was Snorunt’s most powerful Ice-Type attack. Even if it didn’t freeze the Tyrogue, it was bound to hurt.

“You really want a battle, huh?” Bruno said with his ever-present grin as he rubbed the back of his neck. Was he actually excited about this?

Tyrogue grunted to his trainer. Even moving, the ice was still gathering on its body. Lorelei didn’t bother answering him. Instead, she just crossed her arms, looking pleased with herself.

“Okay, not much of a talker…” he said, before deciding that clapping his hands was the way to go. “Let’s do this. Mach Punch, Dubs! Watch your steps.”

Steps? Lorelei glanced at the uneven ground, noting the bark and roots that jutted out. While she wasn’t too concerned about her Snorunt tripping, stance and footing were crucial for a fighter such as Tyrogue. She narrowed her eyes, focusing back on Silver, who continued to spit ice at his charging opponent.

“Protect.” She let her voice pierce the air.

Silver reacted swiftly, and Tyrogue’s Mach Punch thudded uselessly against the protective barrier. Lorelei smirked as she saw Tyrogue wince from the recoil.

Then, an idea struck her.

Behind the Snorunt stood a tree. High and sturdy. That would be perfect. Just as Bruno urged his Pokémon to keep attacking until the barrier broke, she readied herself.

“Drop it and dodge,” she instructed sharply. To an outsider, the command might have seemed odd, but Silver trusted her implicitly and responded without hesitation. The barrier fell just as Tyrogue’s punch came forward, causing the Pokémon to lose its balance and crash into the tree, its entire body shaking with the impact.

Great, but Lorelei wasn’t done yet.

She paused for a moment, assessing the situation as a flurry of leaves drifted down onto the struggling Tyrogue. Bruno was yelling some motivational nonsense at it.

She could end this with one more move.

“Headbutt, infuse it with Ice Shards. Before it’s up.”

Silver vibrated slightly as he prepared, ice forming not just around him, but shaping into a sharp, thorny crown on his head. This modified headbutt had secured her a win in the Vermilion Gym, and they had only improved it since. Dubs didn’t stand a chance, and it was beautiful.

There wasn’t much time for her to savour in this feeling.

The collision between Silver and Tyrogue was brutal and loud. Ice spikes pierced the Fighting-Type’s skin and Snorunt’s push slammed it back against the tree. The impact was so intense that large yellow berries began to drop around them. Finally, Tyrogue’s scream cut through the air with such fury that the air seemed to buzz before it collapsed into unconsciousness.

Rubbing her ears, Lorelei felt annoyed by the lingering buzz. Except… the noise didn’t fade. Her brain ticked. Tyrogue didn’t buzz. Fainted Tyrogue even less.

Her breath hitched as her gaze tracked up the tree trunk, to the dented bark and the dropping leaves, then back down to the yellow “berries” rolling toward her. Her eyes widened as she realised her mistake—those were way too big to be berries. And they had dark, beady eyes.

Kakuna.

And where there were Kakuna there were also—

The buzzing suddenly made a lot of sense.

“Run!” Bruno’s yell reached Silver before it did her. When she lifted her gaze again, Tyrogue was already gone, back to the safety of its Pokéball while her Pokémon was bounding back toward her. Above, the Beedrill they’d angered had their stingers sticking from beneath the canopy.

With no time to think, she quickly recalled her Snorunt and started running. Of course, backtracking through the unfamiliar woods while looking up—especially when you aren’t used to it—leads to tripping down. True to form, her feet tangled in underbrush, and twigs snapped beneath her weight.

There was a reason she kept to the water, after all.

As she struggled to get back up, much like the Tyrogue had done earlier, the sky got darker. Drills gleaming in sunlight made way to yellow and black striped bugs that eclipsed the day. And the buzzing… oh, that buzzing… it felt like it was the only sound left in the world. Lorelei could barely keep her thoughts straight.

Then, suddenly, she was yanked forward.

Bruno.

He had grabbed her wrist and was pulling her along. She tripped repeatedly, struggling to match his pace. Her lungs felt on fire and she was suddenly very aware why high-heeled boots were so ill-suited for this terrain.

As Lorelei stumbled again, a Beedrill swooped down inches from her. Its stinger cutting so close and sharp that she could feel the whiplash from the air.

Bruno didn’t give her time to process that madness. Instead, he seemed to sense her faltering, and without warning, tightened his grip. Suddenly, her feet weren’t even touching the ground anymore—he was carrying her.

She wanted to protest, to complain about personal space and unwanted contact, but another Beedrill’s close pass cut her off, leaving her only able to point and urge him to go faster.

He did one better.

Not that she would sing anyone praises for outsmarting some bug, but whenever the swarm began closing in again, he darted down another path, throwing them off with sharp turns that widened the gap between them and those horrible stingers. Despite the adrenaline, Lorelei couldn’t help but grimace at how much Bruno’s sweat was clinging to her.

Finally, he halted at the bank of a wide, rushing river, panting. He was tired, yes, but mostly unsure.

“Jump,” Lorelei told him, without a moment’s hesitation and already reaching for her Pokéball.

“Jump?” Bruno repeated, unconvinced.

But the encroaching buzz of the Beedrill left no room for debate. With Lorelei still in his arms, he took a step back, gauging the river, then—

Splash.

The rapids pulled them apart quickly, and Lorelei watched Bruno’s struggle against the water. Panic, worry, and a hint of regret painted his face. Almost like he preferred to keep running away on foot from the Beedrill.

What a waste of energy.

Remaining calm, Lorelei let the river carry her. She knew she was a competent swimmer, yet not strong enough to fight the currents. Knowing her limitations was part of what made her good. She didn’t succumb to despair easily. Quickly grabbing two of her Pokéballs, she released her Seel and Lapras. The Pokémon needed no instructions.

They swam toward her quickly, but she signalled for Fractal to get Bruno while she held onto Sorbet’s horn. The Seel alone was strong enough to ensure her safety, so it made sense to leave Fractal to manage Bruno, who was not only bigger but was having a tougher time with the current. They dodged rocks and maintained balance, and soon, both trainers were safely on the opposite shore.

Most importantly, when they looked around, there were no Beedrill in sight.

“That was… something…” Bruno said, shaking water from his hair like he was some glorified Growlithe. “The way your Pokémon came to the rescue. They’re cool.”

Lorelei scoffed. If he was trying to make an ice pun, she wasn’t amused. She brushed her wet clothes and adjusted her glasses, checking for any damage.

Bruno laughed. Entertained?

“Guess we’re even now,” he said with a nod. “I helped with the running, and you helped with the swimming. So, do I finally get to know your name?”

Lorelei stared at him, incredulous. “Even?” She could hardly keep the irritation from her voice. “After you ruined my catch?” Her cheeks flushed. “And don’t get me started on that unfair gym battle.”

“The… Gym? Saffron’s? I don’t remember seeing you there.” Bruno laughed again, and Lorelei clenched her teeth in annoyance. “Anyway, about Crabrawler, it’s bad form to catch a Pokémon using tricks. Master always says we should beat them fair and square in battle to prove our strength. You know, respect among fighters?”

“Bad…? I…?” Lorelei let out a long a tired exhale. “I don’t care about any of that,” she snapped, turning to walk away. “If not catching that Crabrawler means I never have to see you again, then fine. It’s all yours.”

How dare he? Not remembering her? And that lecture…?

Ugh!

Lorelei marched off without a word.

Bruno followed, with a lot of motivational coaching and fortune cookie wisdom.

—*——*—

Today - Sevii, Two Island Marina, Two Island

“Loori! The way you’re telling it… You’re making me look horrible.”

Lori arched her eyebrows. “Because you were horrible. You don’t just jump into someone’s catch like that…”

Bruno grinned, undeterred. “You know she wouldn’t have respected you if you caught her with tricks.”

“Yes, you’ve been saying that for two years….” Lori let out a half smile, but it vanished quickly. Celeste—and probably the others—just watched them, clearly at a loss for words. “Anyway, as I was saying, Bruno followed me all the way to the shores of Route 12 and—”

“Are you still mad about that?” Bruno cut in, his tone shifting to concern. “You’ve… been acting off all day. Or all year really…”

He reached into his pocket and picked up a phone, but said nothing.

Lori shifted, looking even more uncomfortable at the sight of the device, but didn’t acknowledge it. “Bruno… this isn’t the time… Can we just get back to the story? It’d be good for them to hear how we worked through our issues.”