Survival Test

Maria after her failed attempt to find a Ralts and the battle with Kalyx that opened her eyes and showed she had much to learn about being a trainer decided to head to Azhure Point to find Kalyx's mother and seek her advice and guidance. She knew she had the bond with her pokemon to get far but she needed to get better at using strategy in battle, she knew she would not get far if she backed out of fight out of concern for her Pokemon. Maria shivered even in the thick furry coat she was wearing as she walked through the snow she knew getting to the Gym was going to be hard. Nao was shivering on her shoulder as they made their way through the ice and snow. "Nao are you okay?" Nao looked at her trainer her little teeth chattering. "Vee Eevee ee." (I'm fine just a bit cold) Maria smiled. "Well we have not run into any dangerous Pokemon yet." She said cheerful even though her teeth were chattering and her hands were numb in her gloves. Her eyes glowed with a rainbow of color using her aura sight to detect any Pokemon through the snow that made it hard to see two feet in front of her.

Maria blinked as Glaceon ran off, it had taken off so quickly that she did not even have a chance to get her Pokedex out to scan it. "Nao do you think I should go after it?" She asked her little Pokemon petting her. Nao's ears twitched and she nodded smiling. "Vee Eevee!" She said excitedly jumping off Maria's shoulder and bounding slowly in the direction Glaceon went following its scent. Maria giggled at her Pokemon's excitement and followed after her she had snow boots with good treading but she was not going to go to fast who knew when the ice could crack.

Nao ran faster as she despite the swirling frigid wind tracked Glaceon's scent the tiny Pokemon leap over a frozen branch and went on a frozen pond she was okay at first but the ice started to crack. Maria stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the ice begin to crack. "Nao! stay right their don't move!" Nao nodded staying still as Maria pulled a Pokeball from her belt. "Go Spinarak!" The small spider Pokemon appeared in a flash of green light. "Spinarak Spin!" Maria ordered. "Spinarak use String Shot on Nao and try to pull her off the ice and onto to the frozen log." Spinarak nodded and shot sticky webbing at Nao and started to slowly retract the web after a few minutes she was safely on the log Maria instantly ran to her Pokemon. "Nao oh are you alright you scared me.." She picked her up and hugged her tightly. Nao nodded teeth chattering. "Eevee..." (I'm fine thanks to you and Spinarak) "Spin Spin." Spinarak said seeming to blush but maybe Maria was just seeing things. (Aww it was nothing.) XD

Both Nao and Maria's eyes widened as they took in the sheer size and girth of Manoswine she had never seen one up close and to say the least she was a bit scared out it, but that was a normal reaction she knew how vicious one could be if you provoked it. Nao shivered on her shoulder and Spinarak scuttled behind her leg. "Umm well..I-I came here to..get stronger..y-you see my battling is severely lacking..I-I was told to see you to do that.." Maria said stammering but it was not clear if it was from the biting cold or fear it was more likely then not BOTH. XD

Maria winced at her biting words her shivering had stopped for now. "I am aware how dangerous this place was I have heard the rumors but I needed to come here I am a rookie and umm your daughter told me to come here and find you..she said I needed to work on my battling I got the bonding and loving my Pokemon down but that is not the only part of being a good trainer." Maria was well aware it had been foolish to come here during this season, but she was determined to get strong she felt that it was a test of survival the fact she got this far even with Glaceon leading her in the right direction showed she had drive. Nao seemed to not be afraid of Mamoswine anymore it was hard for the excitable little fox like Pokemon to not be in a good mood. "Eevee vee Eevee!" She said to Glaceon. 'Its nice to meet you I'm Nao!'

Maria thought about the question the fear of Mamoswine vanished when she saw how calm the huge Pokemon was she did return Spinarak to his Pokeball he was not used to the frigid climate and did not have fur like Nao to keep warm. "Yes I will stay here as long as it takes till I get stronger I came ALL this way and I am not going to back down now." She said determination burning in her eyes, the climb up here had already increased her endurance so she thought she was up for anything. Nao shared her trainers passion by giving an excited. "Eevee Eeevee!"

Maria nodded. "I know its not gonna be easy but I knew this path was a tough one, that is why my big brother did not want me to be a trainer." Her brother still did not approve of her path in life but she was to stubborn to listen to him she wanted to prove him wrong and pay off their bills that were piling up. "I will not give up on my dream no matter what!" Nao smiled glad her trainer was so ready and raring for this training.

Maria took her offered hand and climbed onto Mamoswines side. "Thanks." She said with a light smile keeping the hood of her jacket up she also zipped it up to not feel the bitter cold as much though it was hard. It was good that Ibrixses offered her a ride because she did not want to end up in the freezing cold water if the ice cracked underfoot dying of hypothermia was NOT a pleasant way to go out.

Nao had no issue keeping up with Glaceon despite how small her legs were she had no trouble keeping up with one of her evolutions she knew Maria wanted her to be an Umbreon but she herself did not care what she evolved into.

Nao followed Glaceon's example doing the same every few steps she had no desire to nearly fall in the frozen water once again, the cold was not bothering her anymore due to how easily Eevee were able to adapt in harsh climates such as this.

Maria nodded in understanding, brushing a stray lock of her raven black hair out of her eyes. "Yeah, I know I should have had Nao test the ground before we went on that frozen pond, luckily I had Spinarak to pull her off the ice before she fell through." She said closing her eyes she was unable to even think about what could have happened to Nao IF she fell into the freezing water.

"I see well if I did not run into your Glaceon me and Nao would've been goners..we be buried in snow and nobody but Pokemon would have found our frozen bodies." She shuddered at the mere thought of such a fate.

Nao sniffed then her ears twitched. "Ee vee..Vee.." She heard something but she was not sure if it was anything deadly but there could be ANY dangerous Pokemon hiding in the snow but she decided to keep close to Glaceon watching her step.

Maria rubbed the back of her head. "Well I guess I was worried about Nao for nothing but before I did not know of you Lapras so I guess you understand my worry Nao is my starter Pokemon and I care about her safety and well being above my own." She said as she watch the snowflakes blow in the frigid wind she found the snow and ice to be beautiful but she knew it could be just as deadly. "I guess I am not cut out for this I just came here recklessly and just overlooked the dangers." She then closed her eyes as the snow stung them.

Maria smiled. "Well I'm glad that Glaceon was around its not like I have any Pokemon that are ice types and can handle this harsh climate but Nao is doing better in the cold then Spinarak." Because Nao of course had fur and Spinarak did NOT so she'd naturally due better in cooler climates such as Azhure Point, while Spinarak was better suited to the warmer woods and forests.

Nao continued to keep close to Glaceon sniffing every few steps and listening to the sounds around her making sure that they were not caught off guard by hidden Pokemon but she was my no means as good as the ice type stage of her evolution at such things.

Maria nodded. "I know they will learn to adapt to different climates with training and I know by the time I challenge you for your badge I will be ready for it, but I think Nao has already gotten used to this harsh climate..and yeah she was a tad harsh but its not like none of the things she said were true, but she could of been a lot more err nice about but she is young so I get why she is like that." She said with a light smile, it was a bit odd hearing a teenager comment about someone being young when she was BARELY fourteen years old.