[Silver]

Buka enjoyed the silence as he moved through the waves. At first the water was calm and peaceful, but it became more rough and hazardous as he approached his destination. He was glad to be taking this trip alone so that he didn’t need to watch out for anyone else. He didn’t know anyone who was as strong as swimmer as himself, after all.

He knew he was getting closer to the island when a chunk of ice floated by. The water was cold enough now not to melt it on contact. He could feel how cold it was, but he was able to ignore it so long as he kept moving. The motions of swimming could keep him warm.

[Silver]

A school of Seel swam by and Buka was pleased to find out they had better things to do than worry about what he was doing here. In the tropical waters, he fit right in, but rarely was a warm water dweller like himself found in such a cold place.

The ice patches became more sturdy and frequent, so Buka knew that he was almost there. It would soon be time to take a deep dive and swim under the ice to his destination. He had been here once before, so he remembered the freezing trek.

Many adventurers might be nervous about the trip he was currently making, but he felt fine. He just wanted to get it done so that nobody would have to worry about it any more. That’s likely why they chose him for this particular adventure in the first place. He didn’t fold under the pressure.

[Silver]

A chunk of ice filled with sleeping Spheal marked the point where he needed to dive. Buka didn’t mind swimming underwater, but he was already chilled just thinking about how cold it was down there. They really needed to get a Cloyster or a Dewgong on the team so he didn’t have to run all of the water missions by himself.

Buka took a breath to steady his mind and dove into the dark blue water below. He effortlessly swam through the weak currents that the area was known for. It was just as he remembered. Other Pokémon swam by, but none paid him any mind. They had busy lives and more important things to do than to care what he was doing.

[Silver]

Ahead he could the water churning. Nobody would dare swim near it and the schools of fish Pokémon disappeared. It was only him, now. He approached the whirlpool with determination. When he got to it, he charged through, using every bit of his strength to push past the swirling water.

By the time he got to the other side, Buka was upside down and disoriented. He swam in a loop before he managed to figure out which way he was going. Away from the whirlpool, for a start. He just had to hope that his inner compass was leading him the right way.

[Silver]

The water was so still and featureless that he had a hard time deciding whether or not he had already been here. He normally had a very good sense of direction, so this feeling was unique for him. He had to trust his instinct and go the way he thought was right. His instincts were usually pretty good, so he wasn’t too concerned about the outcome.

Eventually, his resolve was rewarded. He could see a rocky surface through the water. All he had to do now was get there and push back up to the surface. Seeing as he seemed entirely alone in these waters, he didn’t see anything stopping him from pulling that off. It was what was on the land that he considered being concerned about.

[Silver]

Buka was focused on the landmass ahead when he felt something hard slam into his side. He was so shocked by it that he didn’t even know how to react. He whipped himself around in the water and faced his aggressor. At first, he thought it was a literal rock, but it turned out instead to be the rocky headed Relicanth.

Buka was surprised for more reasons than one. Not only did there not seem to be any other Pokémon around, but Relicanth were so uncommon that he had never met one before. This one clearly was not interested in a polite introduction. It lashed its tail and charged forward to slam him a second time.

[Silver]

This time, he knew it was coming, so Buka was able to dodge out of the way. He really didn’t want to take another hit. The first one hurt enough. He narrowed his eyes and quickly decided which technique would be ideal for his surroundings.

A Take Down was tough and easy to pull off, but he couldn’t see it hurting the thick rocky skin of his opponent. He clearly couldn’t drop an Earthquake in the water, so he settled on his most powerful water move. He used his fins to draw up mud and silt from the water around him and sent it crashing down into the Relicanth.

[Silver]

Apparently, the fish wasn’t interested in a fair fight, because at the first sign of retaliation, it darted away. Buka would never attack an opponent as they retreated, but he did watch to make sure that it was gone for good. He felt relieved that he wouldn’t have to continue the fight, but he kept his guard up against future attacks. That blow he took earlier ached as he headed on.

The rest of the time it took him to reach land was uneventful. Once he was close enough, he began to surface at an angle. He timed it just right so that he popped out of the water just near the beach where he could climb onto the island. The island itself was tiny, home to only a single, dismal looking cave.

[Silver]

Buka’s fins felt weird against the sand as he pulled himself onto land. He had spent so long in the water that it was strange to be out of it. The weirdness didn’t last for long, though. His body was made for this kind of thing. His eyes, however, were taking their sweet time to adjust to the sunlight. He squinted for the entire time he traveled between the water and the cave.

The cave was unnervingly cold inside, colder even than the water that led to it. The walls and floors were caked with sparkling, clear ice. Buka moved slowly but deliberately across the ice. It was a confusing maze of tunnels and pitfalls, but he knew the way. He had been here before, and though it was a long time ago, rocks rarely changed.

[Silver]

Years ago, Buka had wondered why the cave was so devoid of life. Not even the toughest Ice types would brave the frigid wasteland. There was something eerie about the place, something powerful. He now knew well that the secret at the heart of the cave was what kept others away. Many might think him mad for braving it not once, but now twice. It was simply the price he would pay for those he cared about most.

Finally, he found the heart of the cave. A freezing chamber coated in perfectly smooth, clear ice. At its heart was a strange structure that upon closer inspection very well might be alive. Buka entered the chamber and bowed before the structure.

“Please, awaken,” he said. “We need your help.”

[Wild Pet Found]