Chapter 117: The Polar Ice Gym's Double Battle!

After Su Hao's group dealt with the ambush by the Weavile group, no other Pokémon blocked their path during the rest of the journey.

Departing at five in the morning, the four arrived at the entrance of the Polar Ice Gym halfway up the mountain at about eleven in the evening.

The intense physical exertion from a whole day of climbing made Daigo and Mu Xia want to enter the Gym to stay and rest immediately.

The battle-hardened Captain Roger was a bit better than them, only slightly out of breath.

"Is... *pant*... this... *pant*... what a special ability... *pant*... user is like?"

Mu Xia, who was about to collapse on the ground, looked at Su Hao, who had a rosy complexion and steady breathing, and couldn't help but ask.

Not to mention the two university students, even an experienced person like Captain Roger would feel very tired after climbing such a long distance.

But Su Hao hadn't even broken a sweat after climbing for a whole day, and now he looked like nothing had happened. Mu Xia suspected Su Hao could even do it again.

"Physical enhancement is also a part of Aura Power," Su Hao lied through his teeth.

Nowadays, he could physically go toe-to-toe with Elite-level Pokémon, but as far as Su Hao knew, when Qin Gang and the others awakened their Aura Power, their physiques didn't become this strong.

The only suspect was the system; now, even his base stats were displayed on the panel.

Although there was no reason for it, Su Hao suspected that the system had done something when it made him awaken his Aura Power!

The Polar Ice Gym was built halfway up Ice Feather Mountain. The scale of this Gym was not as large as the multiple building complexes of the Rising Sun Gym or the Water Boat Gym.

Walking through the main gate, one could see two Ice-type Pokémon on duty; they were likely the Gym Leader's Pokémon.

Su Hao guessed that this was a defense set up to prevent attacks from wild Pokémon.

Pokémon: 【Sandslash (Alolan Form)】

Type: 【Ice + Steel】

Gender: 【♂】

Ability: 【Snow Cloak】

Level: 【35】

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Pokémon: 【Ninetales (Alolan Form)】

Type: 【Ice + Fairy】

Gender: 【♀】

Ability: 【Snow Cloak】

Level: 【35】

An Alolan Sandslash and an Alolan Ninetales, both were Elite-level Pokémon.

"Woo~!"

The Ninetales, which was holding its head high on alert, saw Su Hao's group and called out to an old man.

The temperature on Ice Feather Mountain was extremely low, and even Su Hao had to wear cold-weather gear to stay warm, but the person who came out was dressed thinly. His graying hair was styled backward with hair gel, and his muscular build didn't look like that of a man in his seventies or eighties.

The old man scanned them and said slowly, "Oh my, oh my, it's been a long time since we had guests. I suppose you must be here to challenge the Gym."

The old man's name was Zhao Xuecheng, and he had served as the Gym Leader of the Polar Ice Gym for over thirty years. Because the Polar Ice Gym was in a remote location, very few people came to challenge it.

Now that three people had arrived at once, he was still a bit pleasantly surprised.

"Yes, the three of us are here to challenge the Gym, and this is the person who led us up the mountain."

Su Hao first pointed to himself, Daigo, and Mu Xia to indicate that the three of them were here to challenge the Gym, and then pointed to Roger to say he was the lead captain.

"Hmm, I can tell, because young Roger often stays here when he climbs the mountain."

Zhao Xuecheng nodded, and after finishing, he spoke slowly again.

"It's late. Young Roger, you know the way, so take these three young students to the guest rooms to rest."

"Alright, Elder Zhao."

"Thank you, Gym Leader Zhao." x3

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Roger took the three to the guest rooms, explained that there was one room for each person and that everything was prepared, and then signaled for everyone to rest early.

Su Hao had climbed the snowy mountain for a day, and even though his physique could still hold up, his mental exhaustion was quite severe.

He said goodnight to Daigo and Mu Xia next to him and walked into the guest room.

The guest room was a single room, and there was brand-new bedding in the cabinet next to it; one just needed to take it out and shake it to cover up.

Because the space was too small, Su Hao didn't let Carbink and the others out. He finished tidying up and lay on the bed to rest.

Ever since he had left Yangcheng, the voices in his dreams hadn't appeared again. He had a good night's sleep.

"Ring ring~"

The alarm clock rang at seven in the morning. Su Hao, who had slept well and was full of energy, opened his still-drowsy eyes, fumbled to find his clothes on the quilt, and put them on.

After putting on his cold-weather gear, Su Hao took his toiletries and prepared to go out to find a washbasin.

If there wasn't one, he would have Milotic and Incineroar boil a pot of hot water, which he could also share with the three people still sleeping in the rooms next door.

Walking into the courtyard, Su Hao saw Zhao Xuecheng picking vegetables in the vegetable garden he carefully tended.

"Gym Leader Zhao, good morning."

Su Hao walked over and greeted Zhao Xuecheng.

"Hello there, young man, up so early?"

"Wait a moment, I'll finish picking the vegetables and then we'll have breakfast."

Zhao Xuecheng's face, weathered by time and covered in wrinkles, revealed a very kind smile.

"Sorry to trouble you, Gym Leader Zhao. Let me help too."

"Good!"

Su Hao admired Zhao Xuecheng.

According to the information Su Hao had looked up, Gym Leader Zhao Xuecheng was once a Heavenly King-level Trainer in his early years.

Later, due to a battle to wipe out the remnants of a stubborn clan decades ago, most of the Pokémon in his main team suffered irreparable damage and eventually passed away one after another.

Unable to stay idle, Zhao Xuecheng brought the descendants of his main team to Ice Peak City to serve as the Gym Leader, a position he had held for over thirty years.

The Shenzhou Alliance had sent people many times to say that they could renovate a larger Gym in Ice Peak City, but Zhao Xuecheng had never agreed.

As an old hero who had made great contributions to the Alliance, the Alliance also felt guilty toward him, so they eventually left him be.

"Gym Leader Zhao, why can these vegetables still survive in such extreme cold weather?"

While picking vegetables, Su Hao asked Zhao Xuecheng next to him with curiosity.

"Thanks to the power of the Pokémon..."

"I see..."

After Daigo and the others woke up one after another, Su Hao relied on Incineroar to let everyone wash their faces with hot water.

After washing up, the group ate a delicious, steaming breakfast and then arrived at the Polar Ice Gym's battle field.

The battle field was made of a huge block of ice.

Su Hao asked Zhao Xuecheng with some concern if there was a risk of this battle field melting.

Zhao Xuecheng said that this battle field could not be melted by fire.

Many years ago, the Shenzhou Alliance specifically requested Suicune, one of the three legendary Pokémon worshipped by the Alliance, to communicate with Articuno, the legendary Pokémon living on Ice Feather Mountain. ===== CHAPTER 118 =====