What a desolate place. It’s useless. Featureless. Barren of anything save the person he’s traveling with and the whipping snow.[break]

It’s not all that different from how he sees the world anyway. Big buildings, scorching deserts, urban jungles. It’s all the same in the end. Backdrops for him doing his job, or letting someone else do theirs. So long as he can rest his head at the end of the day, the details like when and where don’t matter. Much of what the Beast says goes in one ear and out the other. The language of Beasts is too refined for a dog.[break]

“Why do you want it, Frosty?” He asks after letting his superior finish. One might think he’s trying to endear himself to the younger man with a pet name. It’s nothing so sweet as that. He simply remembers people by their hair color, so he hits on one of the boss’s actual names. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.[break]

“Those guys back at the meeting were all doom and gloom about how many big bad monsters the League has.” He observes as he trudges through the snow. It’s a perfect field for a duel, the more he thinks on the matter. Shame no one in Hoenn sword fights.[break]

“You think this Cubey guy’d side with Rocket?”

“Uhuh.” Like all the other people that tower above him in the pecking order of Rocket, Hitoshi takes this beast’s word as gospel. Acknowledged as a proper human, Mint’s words are internalized. Lower than Yumi’s words in order of importance and operation, but still there. Still present. Still a page of proverbs in this dog’s creed.[break]
“That sounds like exactly the kind of guy you’d want on your side.” The dog makes an observation many a human would be too self-conscious to serve. Hurricanes do not side with people. Tsunamis don’t care about wars. Infernos do not discriminate in who they burn.[break]
Yet still…stranger things have happened, surely.[break]
Strange things such as a red bug existing out here amid the desolation. The doublade falls. A Scizor rises and cries in its place. Hitoshi releases his Ceruledge, Jubei. Hitoshi insists, loud as a monsoon, that the creature’s namesake is the finest swordsman to ever live. A warrior from an age where pokeballs and these creatures did not make man lazy – where by and large they had to be agents in their own destiny instead of entrusting their fate to these appointed champions.[break]
Jubei is well-trained. It could be said his master and he are of the same mind. Ruthless, efficient dispatching of targets. That’s their way. Its blade flares and pierces the Scizor’s chest. Like all beasts of the wild, the bug is strong – but not strong enough. Jubei is a perfect counter.[break]
As the dog goes to trot along, he hears the strangest sound behind him.[break]
Scizor is still breathing.[break]
“Huuuh…” Instinct sends his hand into his sleeve. Instinct pulls out a pokeball. His neurons and nerves guide the throw that sends it to the Scizor. He doesn’t know why he captures the creature. Why he even cares, but he does.[break]
He picks up the ball and moves on.[break]
“The hell’s something like that doing out here?”

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD CUFANT APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] MALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] HEAVY METAL
[attr="class","wildtabox"]ROCK SMASH	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]SUPERPOWER
[attr="class","wildtabox"]STOMP	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]HIGH HORSEPOWER
[attr="class","wildtabox"]WHIRLWIND	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]mint frost Hitoshi Inoue

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD LAPRAS APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] MALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] WATER ABSORB
[attr="class","wildtabox"]SING	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]WATER PULSE
[attr="class","wildtabox"]CONFUSE RAY	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]ICE SHARD
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]mint frost Hitoshi Inoue

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

BOTH OF YOUR CAPTURE ATTEMPTS ARE SUCCESSFUL!

“Hoopa? That’s a dumb name.” The dog calls it like he sees it. “But being able to make portals sounds cool. And strong. Strong and cool.” Teleporting sounds useful, being able to appear behind someone, strike out at them from angles they don’t expect…[break]
He’s mostly just along for the right, but when Frosty asks that question, he nods at his Ceruledge.[break]
“Jubei here is fiery.” The creature slashes at the ice as they near a frozen lake – or maybe just a place where water has built up. Pokemon capable of navigating the ice break their way through. Even here, in this Pokemonmade frozen hell, life finds a way. Standing near the shore, freezing his butt off, something pokes him in the back.[break]
Turning around, he sees some big blue thing looking down at him. He senses no hostility from this creature. No malice. Nothing but…[break]
Love. Compassion. What a weird creature.[break]
“The hell do you want?” He asks the creature, who seems to recoil at his words. “…go on, we’re doin’ bad guy stuff over here. You don’t want any part of this.” The Pokemon sighs and shakes his head.[break]
“Alright, what do you want?” The creature points a flipper down at his pokeball. “…ya want help getting out of this frozen hellhole? That it?”[break]
His language takes the creature aback, but it ultimately nods.[break]
“…fine.” He pulls out a ball and offers it to the Lapras, letting them jump inside the ball by pressing the button with a flipper.[break]
“I swear, Frosty. Pokemon are weird.”

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD SEALEO APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] FEMALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] THICK FAT
[attr="class","wildtabox"]ROLLOUT	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]POWDER SNOW
[attr="class","wildtabox"]SWAGGER	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]WATER GUN
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]mint frost Hitoshi Inoue

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD CRYOGONAL APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] GENDERLESS	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] LEVITATE
[attr="class","wildtabox"]AURORA BEAM	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]SLASH
[attr="class","wildtabox"]ICE SHARD	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]RECOVER
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]mint frost Hitoshi Inoue

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

YOUR CAPTURE ATTEMPT WAS SUCCESSFUL!

"Well..." The dog's voice trails off as he hears the click of the pokeball. "...this one must be busted if they think I'm kindhearted. I'll just get 'em back to open sea and then let him go. Seems like the right thing to do." An odd sentiment. If he was the heartless creature he likes to pretend he is, sometimes, when fantasizing about samurai movies, he'd just leave it to rot. But he doesn't.[break]
No point in dwelling on any of that. They have a task to do. Someone has to deal with this ice. Chop it up. Deliver it back to the lab for samples. Hitoshi nods at his boss. He can't even remember the guy's name, he just knows that he's important. Important enough for Yumi to listen to him.[break]
"You heard Frosty, Jubei." He commands Jubei. Jubei may as well just be a sword at this point. An extension of his will. That'd be easier for everyone involved. His blade cuts into the ice. It becomes superheated. It skids against the ice...[break]
And the blade comes away having made not a single scratch on the ice.[break]
"This cubey guy must be tough as nails." The dog grumbles. "C'mon, Jubei! You can try harder than that!" The blade cuts again, and again, and again. Nothing.

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD DELIBIRD APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] MALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] VITAL SPIRIT
[attr="class","wildtabox"]PRESENT	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]DRILL PECK
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]mint frost Hitoshi Inoue

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD STEELIX APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] FEMALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] SHEER FORCE
[attr="class","wildtabox"]HARDEN	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]ROCK THROW
[attr="class","wildtabox"]DRAGON BREATH	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]AUTOTOMIZE
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]mint frost Hitoshi Inoue

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

YOUR CAPTURE ATTEMPT WAS SUCCESSFUL!

"Bigger than the meteor, huh? Man. What I'd give to fight that thing. Heck, or have it fight with me." Nothing but the barking of a dog - a creature who little understands the implications of his own words. On some level, he knows that path is not one meant for him. He will only ever serve one person. If anything, be that a god or even Rocket, tried to get between him and that person, he would turn his blade upon them - would fight the world for her.[break][break]
"Tch...this sucks. So nothin' in the whole world can melt this flame, Bossy?" He doesn't catch his own words nor draw attention to his new epithet for the person in charge. It's merely his mind on some instinctual level trying to incorporate the orders. It's far from a perfect attempt, but his heart is in the right place. Maybe that old Lapras was onto something.[break][break]
Jubei tries. Arceus help him, when it's his turn again, he tries. His flame blade strikes against the ice, working in the up-down criss-cross pattern of a sawblade. Nothing seems to work. Perhaps they collect slivers, or slivers of shards, or shards of shards, but nothing here looks like true progress to him.[break][break]
"Meeeeh..." He finally declares in frustration, sitting down out of frustration. Munenori, his Gallade, teleports into view with a massive Steelix in tow. The creature has been thoroughly knocked out - hunted into submission by the psychic swordsman's keen edged blade. An impressive feat. As if to give himself a consolation prize, Hitoshi pulls out a ball and gives it a weak throw at the unconscious steel snake.[break][break]
"Hope you're havin' fun at least." He says to the boss.