Unknowingly, the snow on the mountain had stopped. The temperature around Naoki dropped slightly, but thankfully, the effects of the [Cold Resistance Prote] had not yet worn off.

  It had beehree hours since he left the ranch, which meaill had more than two hours before the prote ended.

  'That's plenty of time,' Naoki thought.

  Koraidon was flying leisurely through the air. Although the snow had ceased, the sky remained overcast, with no trace of sunshine. Occasionally, a few Delibirds flew by, fpping their wings.

  Naoki's attention was drawn to their tails. Acc to his knowledge, the tails of Delibird were hollow and used to store and transport food.

  These frigid Pokémon were always busy carrying food back to their s at the top of cliffs, where their chicks eagerly awaited.

  Unlike mgressive Pokémon that might attack humans, Delibird were known for their kindness. They had a habit of sharing their food, not just with other Pokémon but also with humans. It was on for Delibird to give part of their food to people stranded in the snowy mountains, often saving lives.

  It was said that many people in distress in the mountains each year were rescued thanks to the provisions brought by Delibird.

  Delibird were quite endearing, and for many trainers, they made excellent panions. Naoki recalled a special episode where a Delibird raised by the masked man Pryce had an impressive record, eveing a legendary Pokémon like Ho-Oh.

  At that moment, Naoki suddenly sensed someog him. He turned around and saw a Delibird flying behind him.

  Notig that it had been spotted, the Delibird waved its red wings at him and then sped up, ing alongside Koraidon. It used its wings to take out two berries from its tail and offered them to Naoki.

  "Um?"

  Naoki was slightly stunned by the gesture. For a sed, his mi bnk, but then he realized why the Delibird had dohis. Covered in snow and wearihin clothing, he must have looked like someone in distress to the kied Pokémon.

  The thought made Naoki smile.

  The Delibird chirped enthusiastically but, without waiting for thanks, turo fly away, likely to tihering food.

  Seeing this, Naoki quickly called out, "Wait a minute, Delibird!"

  "Bibi?"

  The Delibird paused in mid-air, fused. It turned around and g Naoki and the massive Koraidoh him. Suddenly, it seemed to realize something—it had only given two berries, and surely that wasn't enough for both of them!

  For a Pokémon as rge as Koraidon, one berry wouldn't even begin to satisfy its appetite. But the Delibird had only found five berries today, and now it had already given away two.

  It was difficult to find food in the snow, and the Delibird hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed. After a long pause, it took out another berry from its tail and offered it to Naoki.

  Seeing this, Naoki smiled and shook his head.

  He gently returhe fruit to the Delibird and said, "Thank you so much for the food, but we don't . You should keep it for yourself!"

  "Bibi?"

  The Delibird tilted its head, a bit fused.

  Naoki noticed the tail it was holding, and from the outside, he could see that there were only two berries left ihis Delibird is so kind,' he thought, 'It gave away most of its food just like that.'

  Given that fruit trees don't grow in snions, these fruits must have been gathered by Delibird after flying long distances.

  He sidered this for a moment, then took out some of the food he had brought along from his backpack. He had saved these items—honey buns, berries, Lucky Pudding, and ham sandwiches—t back to the ranch.

  Since he had plenty, Naoki decided to give some of it to the generous Delibird, even helping it by pg the food into its tail.

  "Bibi?!"

  The Delibird looked asto the ued bounty.

  Naoki smiled warmly and said, "I have plenty of food, so these are for you!"

  "Bibi."

  Just then, Koraido out a cry, reminding Naoki that they were nearing their destination.

  Naoki waved goodbye to the Delibird, "Goodbye, Delibird!" He refocused his attention on the unique Sancha Cliff ahead of him.

  ...

  Sancha Cliff was a very special formation, resembling the hand of a Pokémon. For this reason, it was he Frosted Hand by the people of Paldea, making it one of the "Ten Sic Spots of Paldea," and one of the region's most celebrated ndscapes.

  Koraidon slowly desded onto the cliff. Naoki jumped off and began surveying the area from the top.

  Here, he saw several Snom and a few Frosss. However, because he ecifically searg f, these Pokémon didn't capture his i.

  After sing the area, Naoki found no trace of G.

  He pondered briefly, then mounted Koraidon again and said, "Let's check below!"

  "Raao!" Koraidon cried out, spreading its wings and gliding down from the Frosted Hand.

  They soon desded into the valley at the base of the cliff. This pce was also bed in snow, but being surrounded by tall cliffs, the temperature here was slightly warmer than above.

  The valley was filled with tall pirees and some cold-resistaation.

  he trees, Naoki noticed several Sawsbud Deerling in their winter forms. The Pokémon were aware of his prese, being docile creatures, they merely watched from a distahout approag.

  Naoki didn't pay much attention to the surrounding Pokémon. Instead, he focused oask at hand, raising his head to firm that he was still fag the Frosted Hand. Then, he began to search the area carefully.

  It wasn't long before he spotted a cave hidden behind an inspicuous snow pile.

  Naoki's eyes lit up. 'This must be the cave where Henry said G otted!'

  He moved toward the cave, initially intending to rush straight in. However, he remembered how Henry had been chased out of a cave by an angry Beartic, so he stopped at the entrand cautiously peered inside.

  The cave appeared vast, with no visible end, and it seemed to branch off into multiple paths.

  "Koraidon, do you sense any powerful Pokémon nearby?" Naoki asked.

  Koraidon she air carefully, then shook its head, "Raao."

  'No?' Naoki thought. 'Does that mean the Pokémon living in this cave is out?' With the ret snowfall, it ossible that the Pokémon had left to search for food.

  "Let's go in and take a look first," Naoki decided.

  They ventured deeper into the cave. As they progressed, Naoki realized just he ahe cave was. The exterior had been deceiving, but i felt expansive and almost foreboding.

  The deeper they went, the more the atmosphere ged. Soon, they reached a fork ih.

  Naoki paused at the fork, p which dire to take. After a moment of sideration, he randomly chose a path and tihe cave was eerily quiet, the sound of his and Koraidon's breathing amplified in the silence. If he listened closely, he could evehe faint sound of water dripping somewhere in the distance.

  Suddenly, Koraidon stopped and looked toward a downward-leading fork ih ahead.

  "Raao?" Koraidon murmured.

  Naoki was slightly taken aback. "What is it? Did you find something?"

  Koraidon s rge head and took the lead.

  They walked for about ten minutes, navigating a long, narrow, and dark passage. Eventually, the space ahead opened up, revealing a hidden underground cave.

  The sight before them was breathtaking. Stactites, resembling ice es, hung from the cave's ceiling, and not far ahead was a deep blue ke emitting a chilling mist. In the ter of the ke y a small isnd, atop which stood a crystal-clear ice rock.

  Koraidon's eyes were drawn to the ice rock. It could feel an immense ice-type energy emanating from it.

  Naoki also gazed at the ice ro wonder. 'What could that be?' he wondered.

  He urged Koraidon forward, and the Pokémon leaped onto the isnd in the ke.

  Just as Naoki was about to examihe iore closely, a cold, high-pitched cry echoed from behind him.

  "Bu-yi!"