Evolution Trials

The Ice Trial

~Glaceon, the Fresh Snow Pokemon. It can instantaneously freeze any moisture that's around it, creating ice pellets to shoot at its prey~

Hailey and Ellie noticed the temperature had started to drop as they made their way up to the next floor. It was even to the point where the remaining two had started to see their own breath as they exhaled.

The room they entered was completely frozen aside from the floor. Multiple ice pillars and crystals were scattered about the room. Like all the previous other rooms, the locked door was on the opposite side of them. Unlike the other rooms, however, they could clearly see where the key was. It was dangling above one of the ice crystals that were at a slant on a string attached to the ceiling.

"Doesn't look like any other pokemon are here," Ellie said as she looked around.

"Then all one of us has to do is climb up that ice crystal and grab the key," Hailey said. "The question is how can we get to it without sliding back down. We need something to create friction between our feet and the ice."

"Or...maybe we can try running up the ice really fast before we have a chance to slip." Ellie pondered aloud. Testing her theory, she dashed up the ice crystal as fast as she could. But she was only able to make it about halfway before her back feet slipped. In a panic, she used her tiny claws to try and grip the ice, but that only slowed down her descent back onto solid ground.

"Okay...that didn't work." Ellie shivered and got back on her feet.

Hailey hummed in thought as she looked around the room.

'The easiest way to make ice less slippery is by covering it with sand but there isn't any here. Do we have to make our own friction then?'

Her attention then went back to the ice crystal that they had to climb in order to get the key.

'By the way it's slanted, there could be a way to make stairs somehow.'

"I think I have an idea." she then said to Ellie.

"What is it?"

"Just watch."

Hailey then jumped up as high as she could and used Swift. The star-shaped projectiles stuck to the ice crystal, creating makeshift stairs about halfway up.

"There, that should be a little easier....at least for part of the way up," she said before slowly making her way up using the Swift stuck in the ice. Much to her surprise, Ellie followed closely behind her. She looked back at her in confusion.

"Did you wanna get the key?"

"No, this was your idea so you should be the one to get it," Ellie said. "I just wanna make sure that I can help if you slip and fall."

Hailey nodded and continued up until the makeshift stairs ended.

"I think that you were onto something when you tried to use your claws to keep from sliding all the way back down," she said to the other Eevee. Unsheathing her small claws, Hailey then jumped, digging them into the ice as much as she could before climbing up. Ellie remained sitting on the last star projectile, watching Hailey slowly ascend.

The key slowly became closer and closer as Hailey continued to climb. The key was an icy blue color that faded into white at the bottom.

'I'm almost there...'

Hailey tried to reach for the key but her other three paws had lost their grip on the ice, causing her to slide down. She closed her eyes waiting to collide with Ellie back at the halfway point but it never happened as she came to an abrupt stop. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was sitting on a star-shaped projectile. But she didn't remember her Swift coming up this high and she definitely didn't use Swift again. She looked down to see Ellie let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew. Glad I could make that in time," she said. "Are you alright Hailey?"

"Yeah...thanks for that," Hailey replied. Not wasting any more time, she resumed her climb, giving it one final push before finally grabbing the key from the string it was hanging from. Hailey then let herself slide back down as Ellie cheered.

"Nice work."

"Yeah...Thanks for the extra boost." 

The two continued to climb down until they were on solid ground. Together they went towards the locked door. Hailey quickly unlocked it and Ellie pushed it open.

The next room they entered was slightly colder than the room that they had left, causing Ellie to shiver. Hailey, however, didn't seem that affected by the low temperature.

A spirit of a Glaceon sat in front of a large rock that was completely made of ice. Ellie stayed behind as Hailey stepped forward to greet the spirit.

"Uh, hello."

"You've shown great resilience in your trial, young one." the Glaceon spirit said, stepping aside to allow a clear path towards the large rock. "You may touch the Ice Rock. Use your new power wisely."

Hailey nodded and walked towards the Ice Rock. She took a deep breath before pressing her nose to it.

Ellie watched as her last friend became engulfed in blinding light, growing in size and taking shape in the process, the necklace around her neck look increasingly smaller in comparison.

The light eventually died down, making Ellie the last Eevee as Hailey was now standing before them as a Glaceon.

"This is the top floor of the Evolution Tower." the Glaceon spirit replied. "The two of you must now ascend to the roof where you will reunite with the friends that have come with you."

"Wait this is the top floor?" Hailey questioned. "But what about Ellie? She hasn't completed a trial yet. What about her evolution?"

"There is no reason to worry for your friend. All will be made clear on the roof. Now go, everyone else is waiting for you."

Hailey looked back at Ellie worriedly but slowly nodded.

"A-Alright...if you say so. Let's go Ellie."

The last Eevee nodded as she walked with the newly evolved Glaceon. Their friends were just above them. Ellie couldn't stop worrying.