Chapter 243

Chapter 243: Chapter 243

By the time evening approached, Mike had collected all the footage he needed.

He put away the drone, checked that his cameras were secure, and turned toward Froslass.

"Well, I think that’s everything for today. We’re going to head back now. See you another time."

Froslass nodded and took Snorunt back into their cave.

Mike returned to the Pokémon Center, where he delivered the dinner he’d brought back for Nurse Joy and Blissey before heading to his room for a shower.

Once he’d washed and changed into comfortable clothes, he sat on the bed, transferred the day’s recordings from his cameras to his tablet, and began editing.

The first thing he did was compare the footage from the three different recording devices.

Under ordinary weather conditions, the image quality was almost identical.

All three cameras produced clear, detailed recordings, and the differences were relatively minor.

The situation changed dramatically, however, when Mike reviewed the footage of Gengar rescuing the two Trainers from the canyon.

The drone’s recordings and the portable camera’s footage were both disappointingly unclear.

The blowing snow had obscured most of the scene, and the two humans were only clearly visible when Gengar moved close enough for the camera to capture their faces.

The difference became even more obvious when Mike reviewed Froslass’s Blizzard demonstration.

All three devices had been recording at the same time, but as the snowfall intensified, the drone and portable camera rapidly lost visibility.

Their images became increasingly blurry until almost nothing could be distinguished through the storm.

Mike’s own camera, on the other hand, had captured everything clearly.

Even when the blizzard had been at its strongest, its recordings remained sharp.

Mike examined the comparison with obvious satisfaction.

’As expected of a camera enhanced by the System.’

Its ability to withstand almost any environment without suffering damage was already impressive, but being able to maintain such excellent image quality in conditions like these made it even more valuable.

He soon set the comparison aside and began concentrating on editing the video.

This episode had a specific purpose: he wanted viewers to understand just how dangerous the Pokémon living on Mount Coronet could be.

Although he was using Froslass as his main example, the footage should still give people a clear idea of the kinds of hazards they might encounter while traveling through snowy mountains.

Besides, it had been quite a while since Mike last uploaded anything.

He couldn’t keep neglecting his System tasks, and building up a larger reserve of Viewership Points would certainly be useful if he needed to purchase something unexpectedly in the future.

As Mike became absorbed in his work, the room gradually grew quieter.

Glameow, who had been playing with her red ball of yarn, began moving more gently.

Even the little chimes from the Soothe Bell around her neck became softer.

Gengar, Beedrill, and Rotom also lowered their voices while chatting.

Snivy glanced toward Mike from her hammock, noticed how seriously he was working, and quietly closed the short-video app on her phone.

She opened her novel-reading app instead and settled down to enjoy a good story.

Hattrem had already fallen fast asleep on Mike’s lap, breathing softly without a care in the world.

Mike continued working until the editing was complete.

He recorded the narration, added it to the appropriate scenes, and carefully watched the entire video from beginning to end to check for any obvious problems.

Finding nothing that needed changing, he finally uploaded it.

With his work finished, Mike set the tablet on the table and stretched his aching neck.

A series of crisp popping sounds followed, leaving him feeling considerably more comfortable.

"Ahh, that’s better."

He looked around at his Pokémon before carefully lifting the sleeping Hattrem from his lap.

He placed her on the bed, tucked the blanket around her, and let out a tired yawn.

"Glameow, time for bed."

Glameow immediately picked up her red ball of yarn in her mouth and padded quietly over to him.

She settled down beside Mike, rolled onto her side, and gently tugged at the hem of his clothes with one paw.

Mike smiled and stroked her head.

"Gengar, could you turn off the lights?"

Gengar obediently switched them off.

"Good night, everyone."

...

While Mike slept, his fans finally received the notification they’d been waiting for.

After several days without a new upload, another video from Mike had appeared!

Naturally, countless viewers opened it almost immediately.

This time, the video’s central subject was a Froslass.

In Paldea, Manryo was relaxing on his sofa with Sylveon lying comfortably across his lap.

He opened the video and began watching quietly while occasionally stroking Sylveon’s fur.

...

At Sinnoh League headquarters, Aaron was sharing an evening shift with Lucian.

Aaron had been lounging on the office sofa when the upload notification appeared. He immediately brightened and called across the room.

"Lucian! Mike uploaded another video!"

Lucian looked up from his work, removed his glasses, and rubbed his tired eyes before putting them back on.

He walked over to the sofa, sat beside Aaron, and switched on the projector.

Aaron opened a bag of potato chips and offered some to him. Lucian accepted without hesitation, taking a handful as the video began playing.

"I wonder what this one’s about," Aaron remarked while eating. "Judging by the title, it doesn’t look like a regular episode of The Wide World of Pokémon."

"If everything went according to plan, it should be the Mount Coronet safety video," Lucian replied, remembering his conversation with Mike.

"I asked him to make something that would remind Trainers how dangerous the mountain can be."

"That’s perfect." Aaron leaned back comfortably against the sofa. "If it works, we’ll have a lot less paperwork to deal with."

...

Meanwhile, Cynthia was away on business in Kalos.

She was resting on her hotel bed when the notification appeared on her phone, and she immediately opened the new video.

Garchomp stood quietly in one corner of the room with his eyes closed, resting beside her.

On the screen, Froslass drifted through the snowy mountainside.

The first half of the video focused on her ordinary daily life.

She searched for food, gathered supplies to store near her home, and drove away other Pokémon that wandered into her territory.

The footage was peaceful and informative, much like the usual episodes of The Wide World of Pokémon.

But the atmosphere changed considerably during the second half.

Several humans appeared in Froslass’s territory, and she responded without hesitation, using her powers to drive them away.

A violent blizzard erupted almost instantly.

Snow filled the entire screen, and the camera’s view became increasingly blurred until Froslass was little more than a pale, humanlike silhouette moving through the storm.

Her figure drifted in and out of sight, appearing and disappearing amid the swirling snow.

The effect was deeply unsettling.

The blurred image, her almost human shape, and the way she seemed to vanish and reappear without warning made the scene resemble something from an old supernatural story.

Many viewers found themselves remembering frightening tales their parents or grandparents had told them when they were younger.

According to those stories, mysterious creatures lived high in the snowy mountains.

They captured unsuspecting travelers, froze them into blocks of ice, and carried them back to their homes.

Some versions even claimed that these creatures would descend into human villages in the middle of the night.

Watching Froslass drift through the blizzard made those stories feel uncomfortably believable.

The video clearly demonstrated just how frightening a Pokémon’s abilities could become in the right environment.

The enormous storm she had summoned was powerful enough to resemble a natural disaster.

The humans caught within it gradually began suffering from the cold before finally turning around and fleeing.

And controlling the weather wasn’t the only dangerous ability Froslass possessed.

The scene changed to show her approaching a Snover.

Froslass gave a gentle cry, and almost immediately, Snover’s behavior changed.

The little Pokémon appeared completely captivated by something and began following her without hesitation.

After these demonstrations, Mike’s narration began.

"Hello, Trainers. The wilderness can be dangerous, but snowy mountains are even more hazardous. Apart from the usual dangers of wild Pokémon, some species living in these environments possess abilities that can dramatically alter the conditions around them."

"For example, the Froslass you’ve just seen is capable of changing the weather almost at will. She can also create illusions that deceive other Pokémon, as demonstrated by the Snover that followed her a moment ago."

"When I first encountered this particular Froslass, I was actually caught in one of her illusions myself."

Mike briefly recounted how he had met Froslass, explaining how she had disguised her frozen cave as a warm, inviting house filled with delicious food.

He then continued with the main safety advice.

"Snowy mountains are very different from the wilderness most of us are familiar with. The weather is unpredictable, visibility can change in an instant, and some of the Pokémon living here are capable of making those conditions even more dangerous."

"If you need to travel through a snowy mountain, please avoid provoking the Pokémon that live there. And if you encounter strange sights or sounds, don’t automatically assume they’re harmless."

"I’ve put together a few basic safety rules based on the dangers travelers are most likely to encounter. Please keep them in mind."

"First: Don’t blindly trust anything that suddenly appears in front of you and seems out of place in a snowy environment."

"For example, if a cozy little house suddenly appears in the middle of a blizzard, or someone offers you a table full of steaming food in a remote mountain pass, stop and think before approaching."

"Remember, there’s no such thing as a free hot meal in the middle of a snowstorm."

"Second: Keep your curiosity under control."

"Don’t feel compelled to investigate every unusual thing you encounter. Something as harmless-sounding as a mysterious singing voice could lead you into serious danger."

"Third: Don’t provoke the Pokémon living on snowy mountains."

"If you can avoid disturbing them, do so. And if a wild Pokémon suddenly threatens you or attacks without an obvious reason, turn around and leave the area as soon as it’s safe."

"You may have unknowingly entered its territory."

"Fourth: Don’t panic when the weather suddenly changes."

"Sometimes, extreme weather is caused by Pokémon rather than natural conditions. If you’re caught in an unexpected blizzard or another dangerous weather event, contact emergency services as soon as possible and seek help."

As Mike’s narration continued, the scene changed again.

The sky had been perfectly clear a moment earlier, but snow suddenly began falling.

Froslass appeared in the center of the screen, floating with her arms spread wide as countless snowflakes descended around her.

The snowfall rapidly intensified.

Visibility deteriorated before the viewers’ eyes, and the surrounding landscape disappeared beneath the violent storm.

Even Froslass gradually became little more than a pale silhouette in the swirling snow.

Then, as though she had suddenly noticed the camera, she turned toward it.

Her figure began drifting closer.

Slowly, steadily, she approached through the blizzard until her face filled the screen.

The image went completely dark as Mike’s delivered one final warning.

"Above all, remember this: snowy mountains are mysterious places, but they can also be deadly. Please be extremely careful."

The video ended.

...

"What do you think?" Aaron asked, turning toward Lucian.

"It’s good. Very good, actually."

Lucian handed the bag of potato chips back to Aaron before explaining his thoughts.

"Mike really knows how to make an impression. Take that scene where Froslass appears as a barely visible figure wandering through the blizzard. It looks genuinely frightening, almost as though she’s searching for someone."

He leaned back slightly.

"That’s the sort of image people remember. Even after they’ve forgotten the details of a safety announcement, they may still remember how frightening that scene looked."

"And when those people eventually travel through snowy mountains themselves, they’ll be more likely to recall the video and become cautious. If they follow the advice Mike gave, fewer accidents should occur."

"That means less trouble for us, and more importantly, safer journeys for them."

Aaron nodded with obvious satisfaction.

"So Mike’s basically done our work for us, huh?" He grinned. "Does that mean I can get off work early?"

Lucian slowly pushed his glasses up his nose.

"How’s Kleavor’s training coming along?"

"Pretty well," Aaron replied casually.

"Good. Because your battle with Bertha is coming up soon, and that’s when Kleavor and Ursaluna will make their official debut."

Lucian looked directly at him.

"If you perform poorly, believe me, the boss lady will make sure you understand exactly why everyone calls her the boss lady."

Aaron immediately pictured Cynthia’s expressionless face.

Then he imagined Garchomp standing beside her with a murderous look in his eyes.

A shiver ran down his spine as he stood up from the sofa.

"I’m going to train right now."

"Don’t leave League headquarters," Lucian reminded him. "I might need you at any moment."

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

Aaron left the office, closing the door behind him.

Lucian returned to his desk and took out his phone, sending Mike a message to thank him for the video.

Almost immediately afterward, another notification appeared.

It was from Cynthia.

[ReallyWantIceCream: Coordinate with the League’s regional offices to promote Mike’s video. We should use it to help reduce the number of accidents occurring on Mount Coronet.]

Lucian stared at the message.

He sighed.

Then he typed a short reply.

[IDontWantOvertime: Understood.]

So much for having less work.

...

In Paldea, Sylveon raised his head from Manryo’s lap and looked up at him with concern.

"Sylveon—"

[Mike won’t be in danger, will he?]

Manryo noticed the worry in Sylveon’s expression and smiled, gently stroking his head.

"Don’t worry. Mike probably knows that Froslass pretty well. This looks like something they arranged together for the video."

Reassured, Sylveon relaxed and settled comfortably across Manryo’s lap again.

...

Elsewhere, the viewers who had finished watching the video were already discussing it enthusiastically in the comments.

[ChubbyVaporeonIsAdorable: That’s terrifying... The way Froslass appeared in the middle of the blizzard was seriously creepy...]

[Mitchell Standage: After watching this, I’ve decided to cancel tomorrow’s climbing trip. I’d rather climb an ordinary mountain than risk going anywhere near a snowy one.]

[hector lyng: Actually, the number of people who get into trouble on snowy mountains is extremely high. One reason the reported figures can appear lower than in other places is that many victims are never found.]

[Jambo: I can confirm that. It’s incredibly easy to lose contact with people in snowy mountains. I’ve heard that certain areas have unusual magnetic fields that can interfere with communications.]

[Jambo: I nearly had a serious accident on a snowy mountain myself once. In the end, an Abomasnow found me and brought me safely back down.]