Lorelei's Gym – Outer Circle: The Frozen Garden
The blizzard swallowed him whole.
Skylar stepped into the Frozen Garden—and immediately the wind howled around him, biting through his clothes and numbing his skin.
Visibility was barely a few meters.
Everything was ice.
Walls of crystal spires towering overhead.
Bridges slick with frost connecting broken paths.
And somewhere deeper within, wild Pokémon stirred—watching.
Waiting.
Skylar pulled out two PokéBalls from his belt.
He needed the right companions for this.
"Come on out."
Arcanine appeared first, his massive body already steaming against the cold.
A living furnace.
Skylar knelt.
"I need you to keep us warm, big guy. Not too much—just enough."
Arcanine growled softly, flames curling from his nostrils in agreement.
Next—
Gardevoir emerged, her body shimmering slightly against the snow.
Skylar smiled.
"I'll need your psychic senses. Something tells me this place isn't just about walking straight."
Gardevoir nodded solemnly, eyes narrowing.
Skylar wrapped a scarf tighter around his face.
"Let's move."
They plunged into the labyrinth.
The first hour was pure survival.
The ice underfoot cracked without warning.
Snowdrifts hid pitfalls deep enough to snap ankles—or worse.
Skylar used Arcanine's low-level heat aura to gently melt treacherous patches ahead of them, creating safe paths.
Gardevoir used Psychic to probe weak structures and sense movements beyond walls.
Together, they advanced carefully.
No words.
Only trust.
Then came the first ambush.
Out of the mist, a pack of Sneasel charged.
Fast.
Vicious.
Their claws glittered with Ice Shard attacks.
Skylar reacted instantly.
"Arcanine—Flamethrower, circle!"
A spinning wall of fire erupted around them, forcing the Sneasel back.
Gardevoir lifted two with Psychic, slamming them harmlessly into snowbanks.
The others hesitated—then fled, melting into the storm.
Skylar didn't pursue.
It wasn't about winning every fight.
It was about getting through.
The maze twisted on.
Bridges coated in ice forced them to cross one at a time.
Frozen pillars fell without warning, triggered by hidden pressure plates.
Skylar had to balance speed and caution, sometimes using Gardevoir's Telekinesis to stabilize collapsing walkways while Arcanine carried him across on his back.
Once, a shard of ice broke free from above.
It should have crushed him.
But Gardevoir's Protect flared just in time, the energy shield deflecting the deadly spear.
Skylar gasped—then grinned fiercely beneath his scarf.
"This is what we've trained for."
Deeper still, the challenges grew crueler.
Glalie prowled the mist, firing Blizzard attacks that froze solid whatever they touched.
Arcanine countered with concentrated Heat Wave bursts, carving temporary safe zones in the storm.
Gardevoir layered thin psychic shields over Skylar's boots and jacket—Aura Threads—to keep the frostbite at bay.
Hours passed.
Fatigue clawed at Skylar's muscles.
But he pressed forward, heart steady.
He wasn't the reckless kid from Mt. Moon anymore.
He was a trainer who trusted his team.
Who adapted.
Who endured.
Finally—
After crossing a narrow bridge over a frozen gorge, they reached a gate of glistening blue crystal.
A single plaque hung above it, carved in ancient glyphs.
Gardevoir tilted her head—then translated telepathically into Skylar's mind:
"Only those who do not yield to the storm may pass."
Skylar exhaled, breath misting.
He placed his hand against the door.
It shimmered—
And opened inward.
Beyond it—
A calmer world awaited.
Clear skies.
Brighter ice.
The second trial.
Skylar turned to Arcanine and Gardevoir, smiling through the cold.
"We made it."
Arcanine barked happily, tail wagging.
Gardevoir bowed gracefully.
Skylar's heart swelled with pride.
"One step closer."
"One step stronger."
"One step to becoming the person they believe in."