It was two days later that the meeting with Pryce was set up for. It would take part in one of the big League buildings up on Mt. Silver, which was convenient for us. This time of year the traffic on the road up to the stadium area was practically dead, so it was a nice peaceful drive up the mountains.

Papa was a bit grumbly about this though.

“I still think we should have just told him to meet us in Viridian. I don’t get why we have to drive all the way up the mountain.”

“Nice views?” I asked almost cheekily and Papa shot me a look in the rear view mirror but he focused on the road.

“Because this is Pryce we are talking about. He likely refused to step foot on Kanto soil, and likely for good reasons.”

“Ugh. We’re not even at war.”

“Some people never let the war leave them. You know that dear.” Mama replied simply, her quiet surety making Papa frown and grumble, almost like an annoyed puppy to be honest.

This was the third time this conversation had played out. I just settled in. I had my adult team with me, and Baby.

Honestly I was just bringing baby to fuck with Pryce. That and I figured the mountain air might be a nice treat for her.

None of my Dragon boys and girls would really appreciate it, and Mimikyu was working on another project.

Elizabeth and I had taken him to the arts and crafts store a few days ago, and he'd picked out a bunch of very white stuff…

I was pretty sure I was going to get Vulpix or Ninetales Mimikyu soon. I didn’t say anything to him telling him I had my suspicions, better to let him surprise me.

Finally we pulled up to the plateau and drove through the same village I’d stayed at during the Conference.

Pulling into a parking lot in front of a large building built into the mountain.

The Indigo League Headquarters. Or at least one of them? They seemed to use Head Quarters rather liberally.

Either way we all climbed out, and Baby who’d been sitting in my lap looking around barked as she jumped out and ran around a bit.

The parking lot was empty enough she was safe as she looked around. “Vul!”

“Yeah it’s cold huh?” I was shivering cause yeah it was chilly now. Snow was all over the place, which Baby ran over and jumped in to wiggling around and then barking fox laughs as she came leaping out of the snowbank a moment later.

“Feel better?”

“Vul!”

“I guess you like the cold a lot more than how warm it was in the car.” I said laughing as she came trotting over and then looking around.

“Vulpix?”

“Just some boring stuff. You can stick with me, or rest in your pokeball, if you want?”

“Vul.” She denied and then walked around over to Papa sort of sniffing at him, and then at Mama before circling all of us.

Fair enough.

We headed in, and after a quiet conversation with someone that came out into the lobby we were led inside the building into a large conference room.

“Please make yourselves comfortable here. Do you need anything? Coffee? We have some donuts as well?”

“Coffee.” Papa grumbled, and Mama just got water. I was good though and instead settled into a chair with Baby climbing up right after to look over the table and then decide it was boring. She had experienced human homes enough times now this one wasn’t anything new.

She curled up in my lap and looked at me.

“Bored already? You sure you don’t want to rest in your pokeball?”

“Vul.”

I nodded, and instead realized I needed to do something so I pushed the chair back a bit and then started spinning.

“Pix!” She rose up in my lap, shocked at what was happening and then started fox-giggling as we spun around.

I kept going until I was getting a bit dizzy so I slowed down and the two of us just sort of spun woozily for a bit.

“Vicky, please don’t make yourself, or Vulpix sick.” Papa asked, and I giggled, but stopped spinning us around.

I was just starting to get bored when I heard it.

Noise from the door.

I hurriedly. Pushed my chair around until I was facing the wall and then adjusted Vulpix.

The door opened.

“So you’re here.” A gruff grumpy familiar voice called out.

I slowly spun the chair around, still petting Vulpix.

“We’ve been expecting you. Mr. Pryce.” I said, sinisterly as I pet Vulpix’s head and spun the chair around slowly.

He looked at me confused for a moment. No one gets my great references of course.

“Hm.” He grunted and moved in. Behind him was…

“Oh, hey Lance.”

“Victoria.” He greeted me and then looked at Vulpix.

“Huh, they really are white.”

“Yes. Ice Types. For now.” I said, even more sinisterly than I had with Pryce, and then evil laughed.

For some reason everyone ignored my evil laughter as they shuffled in, and I was surprised that Lance wasn’t the last person I recognized.

“Oh, it's smoker guy.”

“Ms. Ferrous. Mr, and Mrs. Ferrous. Good to see you again.” The League guy… The Habitat guy? I forget his name. Was here, and I could smell the cigarette smoke on him…

And then in walked someone I had never met, but still recognized.

“Lorelei.” I said and the red haired woman nodded at me.

“Victoria Ferrous. It is good to meet you face to face. I’ve been told I’ll be facing you in battle sometime soon. I look forward to it.”

I nodded, but before I could speak Pryce interrupted.

“Let’s pass the chatter, and get to the point.”

“Pryce.” Lance said, just his word and the old man went silent glaring at Lance before huffing and taking his seat.

“I suppose most everyone knows each other, but I guess allow me to do Introductions.” The smoker guy said coughing lightly as he tried to break up some of the tension.

“I’m Richard Brushfire, Chief of Ecology with the Indigo League. This is Champion Lance, Elite Four member Lorelei, and Gym Leader Pryce. On the other side of the table is Mr. and Mrs. Ferrous, and Victoria Ferrous.”

“Just Haruka is fine.”

“Victor.” Papa grumbled out, glaring at Pryce a bit.

Who just ignored him and looked at Vulpix. Lorelei was also rather focused on Vulpix who was ignoring them and stretched out on my lap comfortably.

Richard Brushfire, smoker guy I guess was his name… I probably knew that. Coughed to break the tension again. “We are here following a rare legal option Gym Leaders have, by Gym Leader Pryce, so… To be short the law allows Gym Leaders of the Region to put themselves at the top of any breeding sales for certain types. I’ve been assured by the Ferrous Clan that Ice-Type Vulpix will be up for trade eventually.”

Ah. I understand now.

“Is that what this is all about?” Papa said, grumpily. “This could have been handled by a letter.” He said, pointing out an obvious problem.

Brushfire coughed and then spoke up before anyone else. “While that is true, considering the tension between the Johto-Kanto league at the moment. When Gym Leader Pryce requested to implement this requirement, it caused some issues… Technically this law doesn’t apply to out of region Gyms. So there is no legal requirement for the Ferrous family to comply.”

“And that’s why we’re here… You want us to comply?” Mama asked, her eyes narrowed like a cat.

“As the chief of Ecology, I was brought on due to the introduction of new Pokemon to regions, and because of my previous interactions with your family. Such as they are.”

“Well it sounds like we don’t have to do it, so no. Shall we leave?” Papa asked, rising up and this time it was Lance that coughed.

“If I may, Mr. Ferrous?”

“Champion.” Papa grumbled, but he did sit back down.

“I understand how awkward this situation is, but I wish you to understand that this isn’t just a matter of selling a Pokemon to another person. This is the first time this law has been implemented across our regions. It’s the first time if it is accepted we can set precedent to how cross-region laws might be implemented… How the tighter connection if not unification of the regions might work.”

Pryce I noticed looked sour over what Lance was saying… Ah.

“So you want us to accept.” Mama said, not looking very pleased. “A Johto Champion trying to benefit a Johto Gym Leader…”

This content has been misappropriated from novelbuddy; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Yes. I am here to speak, but I’m not alone.” Lorelei nodded at Lance.

“As you all know, I’m a Kanto native, technically from the Orange Islands, but that is part of Kanto. I also came to try and urge you to consider this. Believe me, I wish I could put myself at the top of the list especially after seeing such a cute Ice Type.” She offered her eyes locked onto Baby who was now napping as I petted her ears.

“The League believes this is a win for the peace factions between our regions. Another direct show of how peace benefits us all.” Brushfire explained and Lance nodded pleased.

“There is a problem here.” Papa said, looking from me to the group. “We aren’t really breeding them yet. We don’t have any eggs or something to complete the trade. If we agree today it could still be years before we get an egg as we settle them in.”

“That is true.”

“Or if they even come out as Alolan Vulpix. We’re working on setting up their environment to try and make sure of it, but it wouldn’t be the first time pokemon adapted to the region.”

“Indeed, but it usually takes a generation or two before that.” Richard offered. “This has been brought up to Gym Leader Pryce, and the request was still submitted.”

Pryce looked annoyed at it even being mentioned, but…

I shrugged.

This was all kinda silly wasn’t it.

“We don’t know the price yet. He’d still have to pay for the egg right?” I commented, and everyone looked at me but I was given a nod so I continued. “So is there even a point in talking about it before we figure out if he can even afford one?” I asked sweetly. So sweet, Chocolate wouldn’t melt in my mouth I was sure.

Mama and Papa looked at me, which I caught out of the corner of my eye, but my eyes were locked on Pryce.

Lance, Lorelei, even Richard all shifted to look at the grumpy old man.

“I’m more than wealthy enough to afford an egg.” He grumped.

“Maybe.” Papa offered relaxing back as he grinned like a dog. “But this isn’t just any egg. It’s unique. A pokemon that can’t be found in the region, a pokemon that can’t exist in the region in fact. What price would the Blackthorns put on a Dratini egg I wonder, Champion?”

“Priceless.” He said instantly, despite the frown on his face.

“That is not relevant here. The Blackthorns don’t trade their dragons. You do trade the Vulpix, so this is pointless.”

“I think it’s very relevant.” Papa said, then Mama spoke up, right in time.

“So the real question is… What can Gym Leader Pryce offer for such a priceless Pokemon?”

I settled back as Mama and Papa double teamed the old man, and started throwing out insane numbers, more to each other than him, but Pryce was turning more and more red.

I could see Lance looking uncomfortable. This wasn’t what he wanted to happen. Lorelei was looking a little disheartened too as she was looking at Baby as if the dream was out of her reach.

Which fair.

It was kinda true though. Pryce didn’t have anything I wanted… Did he? I mean a Lapras… No, best not to try for that, they were still super endangered even if I wanted to ride one super bad.

But he didn’t really have anything I couldn’t just go get myself. The wonders of a bit of anime knowledge, and a Dragonite…

“I’d have to sell half the mountain for that!” Pryce cursed and I looked up…

Half a mountain was kinda tempting… No Vicky if you owned it you’d probably have to be responsible for it or something, besides it was in Johto so that wouldn’t work.

Besides after Alola I was kinda mountained out. Stupid giant mountains, full of twisty pokemon paths. Making it impossible to find the stupid Ice Rock…

“There is something.” I said, interrupting the heated discussion Mama and Papa seemed to be having fun throwing up more and more absurd offers. My voice cut through that as everyone looked at me.

“What?” Pryce grumbled, definitely irritated.

“There is something I went looking for in Alola but couldn’t find, but I’m still looking for it. It’s… Well I call it an Ice Rock.” I leaned over and looked Pryce in the eyes. “In your mountains in the coldest places, did you ever find a rock that seemed to exude cold. It can be quite big. It might be covered in Ice despite nothing else being like that.”

Richard I noticed perked up and looked at me with laser-like intensity, but no one else in the room seemed to pick up on what I was talking about.

Ugh. That guy was too sharp.

“A rock?”

“Well maybe calling it Ice Boulder would be more accurate. You ever seen something like that? Just getting close to it might have given you a strange feeling.” I added. Pryce was looking at me, his face never shifting, he was obviously thinking, but I couldn’t tell if he recognized it or not.

“And if I found this Ice Rock I’d give it to you?”

“No, I don’t want to move it.” I said, shaking my head.

“I’ve never heard of anything like this.” Lorelei offered. “Can you tell me why you want to find it? Where it might be, or-”

“I might.” Pryce said and everyone looked at him, Richard especially was barely stopping from saying something. “What’s that worth?”

“Enough to ensure a Vulpix egg ends up in your hands. As long as access to the Ice Rock is allowed.” I offered, and he blinked his eyebrow rose.

“Just access?”

“Just access.” I said back. “If it’s an Ice Rock.”

“I found a cave when I was younger. Deep, and as I went deeper it got colder and colder, which isn’t how anything like that works. I thought it was a powerful Ice Type at first. And there were a few Ice Types, but they were just enjoying the safety. In the middle of the cave was a boulder covered in ice. It’s where the cold sprang from. I took a sample, but it turned out to be nothing, and I never had time to return.”

“I’d want access.”

“That won’t be up to me. I don’t own the mountain. You’d have to speak to the League.” He said almost smirking at his own words.

“Silver?” Lance said the first to pick up on it. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

“Yes.” Then Pryce smirked. “Of course you already would have access to it as a Conference winner, so my side of the job is done. Just access, was what you wanted, correct?”

“You still have to show me where it is, and it has to be what I’m looking for.” I reminded him, and then I glared. “And if it’s not since you wanted to be a jerk. The price is four times what my parents last quoted for an Egg.” I snapped and Pryce winced visibly. Then I got up.

“Vicky?”

“What?” I asked, already heading for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“You think I’m going to wait. Come on old man. We’re going there right now.” I said and everyone looked at me like I was crazy.

“You don’t just head out to Mt. Silver without preparation.” Pryce grumbled and I just looked at him.

“I have a Dragonite, Arcanine, and Blissey. Lance looks like he wants to come, so that’s two Dragonites, and I think Ms. Lorelei was interested in the Ice Rock as well. So that’s two Ice experts…. Is that not prepared enough for you old man? Do we need to get your wheelchair or something too?” I teased, definitely being mean, but Pryce was kinda a jerk.

“Tsk.”

“I’d be happy to come along!” Lorelei said, and then looked at Lance.

“I will assist. This is getting interesting.” He nodded, accepting the offer I’d thrown out.

“Fine.” Pryce grumbled rising up. “We’ll need to start from Blackthorn. It’s where I set off.”

“That won’t be an issue.” Lance assured them, and I looked at Mama and Papa….

“Sorry. But this is an Ice Rock.” I said, Papa knew what I was looking for but…

“I was really looking forward to the money.” Papa said, pouting. And Mama was pouting as well.

“I could have expanded the field.”

“We have lots of money!” I reminded them but they were totally in their heads about trying to get every penny from the old man.

I just rolled my eyes.

“I’ll head back home after this if it all works out. Okay?”

Mama looked up still pouting at me, but then she shifted and I realized she was messing with me.

“Be safe Vicky. And Champion Lance. If anything happens to my daughter under your watch…”

“I understand. Mt. Silver can be dangerous, but I don’t believe Victoria would have anything to fear even on her own. With all four of us, nothing will happen.”

“It’s the four of you that concern me.” Mama said, glancing at Pryce.

“Bah. Think what you like, Kantonese. I swear.”

“Johtan.” Mama responded and the man nodded as if proud of that.

“Whatever! Gonna go on an adventure! Let’s go! Right Baby?”

“Vul!”

—---

We set off from the Plateau, Lorelei riding with me, and Lance offering a flight to Pryce, but he just scoffed and teleported away with his Cloyster…

What a jerk. Whatever Dragonite ride!

We took off, and once again I was comparing Lances Dragon to mine.

The size difference was interesting, Dragonite was less chonky, but her muscles meant her shoulders were broader.

Thankfully Lances Dragonite seemed like a happy guy as we took off and soon both dragons were chattering away at each other as we blasted through the cold air above the mountains.

“This is amazing. I can barely feel the wind.” Lorelei called out, and I nodded, turning to look at the older woman.

“It’s how they move so fast. They part the wind in front of them! So they’re able to move really fast. Even a Pidgeot has to deal with wind resistance.”

“Indeed.” Lance said and I was surprised at how clear his voice was. “Dragonites can also combine their ability. Multiple Dragonite flying together will move even faster with less energy than a lone Dragon.” Ah! They’d combined the wind parting together so we were basically just sitting next to each other on a park bench for all the wind was hitting us. I hadn’t known they could do that!

“It’s too bad there aren’t any Ice Dragons.” Lorelei commented, laughing but I just caught myself from arguing.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the Baxcalibur line, but they existed. And there was the Legendary, but that didn’t really count. Like Volcanion who was the only Fire/Water type.

I glanced up and Lance was looking at me, but I ignored him, instead looking down at Baby.

“What do you think?”

“Vuuuuuul!” She shouted into the sky quite enjoying the flight over Mt. Silver.

—--

“Took you long enough.” Pryce grumbled as we landed at the Blackthorn Pokemon Center.

“You went ahead without offering to Teleport anyone else.” Lance reminded him, and Pryce just grumbled as if ignoring that fact.

And then Lance offered a ride, and Pryce despite looking irritated did in fact climb on board Lances Dragonite.

“Ugh. These dragons don’t get any more comfortable. Never thought I’d be forced to ride on the back of one again.”

“If I remember correctly we pulled you out during the last war saving your life. As I recall the story told to me.”

“And with how uncomfortable these dragons are, I’d have preferred to stay and die!” He shouted like a grumpy old man.

Yikes. I decided to just try and ignore the reference to the war. The war against Kanto and my home cause… Yeah.

Best to just… It happened, and it’s over. Yeah.

But for now! The Ice Rock! One right here in Kanto! If only Pryce wasn’t lying, or just mistaken… I hope he wasn’t.