A month went by since the defeat of Team Flare. During that time, those who were admitted into the Geosenge center were finally able to leave. Multiple media outlets covered the story of Team Flare's demise along with the strange flower-like structure that stood in the center of Geosenge. It took a while for the houses that were destroyed by the appearance of the Ultimate Weapon to be repaired, but thanks to the efforts of the Lumiose Construction Company, Geosenge was back on its feet.

As for the Ultimate Weapon, Mathilde took it upon herself to see to its removal after having been called by Diantha for the task. In a display of power that left those present without words, Mathilde and her Lucario uprooted the Ulitmate Weapon into the air and simultaneously destroyed it with a blast of destructive aura that had enough force to level a city. Everything was being made right again which meant that Kalos could finally begin to heal from the traumatic experience it had gone through.

During this time, Seth took it upon himself to capture an abundance of new team members, bringing his total up to the required amount as stated by the rules of Allie's competition. Seth breathed a sigh of relief as he looked over the list of his latest captures. Satisfied with what he saw, he pocketed his holocaster and looked up at the entrance to Snowbelle City. This was the final hurdle he needed to get over before he could enter the Lumiose Conference.

A smile rested on Seth's face as he thought of the moment he'd shared with Allie just weeks prior. He could still feel the warmth of her touch and the softness of her lips. Everything was still fresh in his mind which fueled his drive to complete his badge hunt. Seth breathed in the cold air and trudged into the winter wonderland that was Snowbelle City. The entire city was laden with snow so thick it was a wonder why anyone would ever choose to live in such a cold place.

Fortunately for Seth, he was able to purchase warmer clothing for his journey to his final gym challenge. When he finally reached the gym, Seth stood amazed at the location chosen for it. It was at the base of a massive, imposing mountain, a fitting representation of what his final challenge would be. With his team ready for action, Seth stepped up to the daunting structure, watching as the double doors automatically opened for him to enter. Stepping inside, it felt as though nothing had changed.

The temperature remained as bone-chilling as it was outside, something he should have anticipated seeing as his final challenge was an Ice-type leader. Standing in the center of the icy arena was a rather burly looking man with a large belly. He had on an open, heavy blue jacket and wore black snow pants with matching boots. He had a fierce looking mustache to go along with his snow white hair. The large man's gray eyes opened as soon as he heard the doors and fell upon Seth, excitement gleaming in his eyes as he saw the confidence with which Seth carried himself.

"It's been a while since I've seen a challenger walk through those doors. Each of them came in here determined to earn my badge and while many succeeded, it took others several times to finally overcome this trial. There's fire in your eyes young man, I can practically feel your heated determination from here! But will it be enough to melt this iceberg?" Wulfric asked him, a grin spreading over his face as he kept his gaze on Seth.

Seth couldn't help but grin at Wulfric's question. He was more than ready to take him on. He'd been preparing for this challenge during the time he'd spent capturing new companions. He'd made up his mind that he was going to win no matter what. This was the final stop before the League which meant that he'd be one step closer to what he desired most. As if to answer Wulfric's question, Seth reached down to his belt and grabbed the first sphere from it and primed it.

Wulfric gave Seth a knowing smile before making his way to the opposing side of the arena. After calling the judge to the center of the arena, Wulfric reached for his first choice and after asking the name of his challenger, nodded for the judge to begin.

"This is an official gym battle between the Snowbelle City gym leader, Wulfric and the challenger, Seth Da Silva! This will be a three on three battle. Only the challenger will be allowed to substitute Pokémon! Seth will have the honor of making the first move. Now, if both sides are ready, you may send out your first Pokémon!" declared the judge.

"Prepare yourself Seth, this will be your toughest battle yet! Aurorus, prepare for battle!" Wulfric shouted powerfully as he drew back his arm and thrust his prehistoric partner into battle.

The long-necked sauropod towered above the arena, it's neck reaching partway to the ceiling as it looked down upon the battlefield. Though it was known to be a gentle beast, it was also imposing due to its sheer size. The moment it appeared, a snow storm overtook the battlefield, creating a hazardous environment from the start.

"So that's how it's going to be? Fine by me!" Seth exclaimed with a grin. "Tyrantrum, en garde!" roared Seth as he thrust his first choice into battle.

A deafening roar heralded Tyrantrum's arrival, shaking the arena from the soundwaves that resulted from it. The Despot Pokémon snarled viciously upon seeing his opposition. Though the hail pelted against his rocky frame, Tyrantrum didn't so much as flinch despite the slight damage that he was gradually being dealt.

"Both sides ready?" The judge asked, getting a confirming thumbs up from both sides. "You may begin!"

"Tyrantrum, use Stone Edge!" Seth commanded.

"Blow those rocks away with Flash Cannon!" Wulfric countered hastily.

Tyrantrum raised a massive leg and slammed his foot on the ground, the force of the blow shaking the arena as jagged stones began jutting out of the ground and racing toward Aurorous. The Tundra Pokémon reared his head back and then launched a thick beam of concentrated light toward the oncoming threat, blasting through the stones one by one before they reached their target. As he drew his neck back, Tyrantrum was already upon him, his head glowing with a silver outline as he rammed into his ancient prey.

Aurorus roared painfully as he was sent sliding backward after being headbutted. In retaliation, the behemoth launched a frigid beam of energy towards Tyrantrum, clipping him on his side, causing him to stumble and nearly collapse, halting his course of action entirely. Regaining his balance, Tyrantrum snarled at his adversary and bared his fangs, wincing a little as he was pelted with more hail. With a challenging roar, Tyrantrum rampaged forward.

"Head Smash!" Seth called out.

"Don't let him get any closer, use Ice Beam!" Wulfric bellowed with excitement.

Tyrantrum's body began to glow with a bright blue light as he went full steam ahead toward Aurorus who began firing blast after blast of freezing energy his way. Tyrantrum avoided several as he closed in and then ducked his head down as he neared, plowing through a close range Ice Beam and ramming into Aurorus at full force, the impact leveling the sauropod, sending him crashing to the ground after the explosive impact. Though some fight was left in him, Aurorus didn't have time to even attempt to push himself back up.

Before he knew what hit him, Tyrantrum was over him, fire flickering in his jaws as he opened them wide after Seth gave the command to end it. It was over the moment Tyrantrum's teeth clamped down on Aurorus' neck with a fearsome Fire Fang. The judges hand went up the moment the smoke cleared after the fiery blast that accompanied the attack.

"Aurorus is unable to battle! Tyrantrum wins the round!" The judge declared.

Wulfric returned Aurorus and smirked. He knew it would be a tough fight, but he hadn't expected the battle to end as quickly as it had. To say that he was impressed with the obvious care and training Seth put into his team would be an understatement. Given the challenge that was set before him, he knew that it was time to kick things up a notch.

"I can see that you've raised that Tyrantrum exceptionally well! It's quite a force to be reckoned with which gets me even more pumped for this next match up. Let's see how you handle one of my strongest Pokémon. Avalugg, to battle!" Wulfric hollered, launching his next sphere onto the battlefield.

The great ice beast roared fiercely as he materialized into view. The amount of power emanating from it was enough to give Seth pause. It was strong, that much Seth knew. While he'd equipped Tyrantrum with what he needed to deal with his weaknesses, what he felt coming from Avalugg gave him cause for concern.

"Be on your guard, this one looks tough," Seth warned Tyrantrum, who gave him an affirmative nod and a snort.

"Let's see how you handle this! Avalugg, use Icicle Spear!" Wulfric shouted powerfully.

"Plow through it with Iron Head!" Seth countered fiercely, knowing that Tyrantrum wasn't exactly the most agile of his team due to his size and mass.

While he was essentially a massive target, he was also very tenacious, able to withstand most physical blows without so much as flinching. As the hail continued to pelt his scales, Tyrantrum stampeded forward as Avalugg assaulted him with a torrent of sharp spears of ice that shattered against his hardened scales. Gritting his teeth in pain, Tyrantrum withstood the assault long enough to close the distance, only to have played right into Wulfric's hand.

"Gyro Ball!"

Avalugg suddenly began spinning at breakneck speeds like a top, smashing into Tyrantrum with devastating force. The blow sent Tyrantrum crashing into the arena floor with a loud thud. The judges hand shot up swiftly as he saw that Tyrantrum was down for the count.

"Tyrantrum is unable to battle! Avalugg wins the round!"

I knew it was a long shot, but that Avalugg is far stronger than I expected it to be. Tyrantrum doesn't usually go down that easily, so to see it lose that quick means that I really have my work cut out for me here. Looks like I've got no choice then...

A beam of crimson light ensnared Tyrantrum's unconscious form and absorbed him back into his spherical home. Seth silently thanked his dinosaurian companion before clipping him back onto his belt and reaching for his next choice.

"Pyroar, stand by!"

The Royal Pokémon exploded into battle with a penetrating roar that echoed off the walls of the gym. Knowing why she was released, she instantly crouched down, her tail swaying to and fro as she waited for her trainer to give her the order to attack. It had been a while since she'd been put through her paces and now she would get that chance.

"A Pyroar eh? I welcome the challenge! Show us just how tough she is!" Wulfric exclaimed, crossing his arms as he awaited his opponent's move.

Seth fixed his gaze upon Avalugg who didn't seem to be wary of his adversary in the slightest. It was almost as if he were confident that he would win in spite of the disadvantage presented by the current scenario. Seth knew better than to leave everything up to type advantage, however, he needed to take Avalugg down here if he was to have any shot at earning that badge. Seth could spot the necklace hung about Wulfric's and couldn't help but be suspicious. If Avalugg wasn't going to be his final choice, then what was?

"Pyroar, use Flamethrower!" Seth commanded.

"Counter it with Flash Cannon!" shouted Wulfric.

The two explosive blasts met in the center, canceling each other out the moment the two beams made contact. Though vision was obscured for a moment, Avalugg could just make out Pyroar as she pounced, her tail coating itself with iron as she slammed it down hard upon Avalugg's head, guiding it into the ground. Jumping away, Pyroar planted her feet and began gathering flames into her mouth again before launching another stream of fire at the icy behemoth. Avalugg didn't move an inch. Instead he began to spin once more, diverting the fire away from him as he used Gyro Ball as a defensive measure as he spun toward Pyroar.

The defensive maneuver quickly reverted to the offensive as Pyroar was sent careening across the icy arena, forcing her to extend her claws to stop herself from crashing into a wall. The attack certainly took her by surprise, making her more cautious of her foe than she already was. Seth had to admit, Wulfric's Avalugg was amazing to say the very least. It managed to defeat Tyrantrum with little difficulty and was now making sport of Pyroar, one of his stronger teammates. He could only imagine what Wulfric's best was capable of. He was going to find out one way or another.

"We're not going to get by that Avalugg if we don't give it all we've got Pyroar. So dig in and use Overheat!" Seth cried out in determination.

Pyroar planted her feet and reared her head back. Sparks flew as intense flames gathered inside her maw. As Wulfric watched her power up, his excitement began to boil over.

"Now that's more like it! I was wondering when you'd show me more of that fire burning in your eyes. Let me have it! Show it to me!" Wulfric said in a commanding tone.

A powerful beam of superheated energy exploded from Pyroar's jaws, the heat alone causing steam to rise from the icy arena floor as it rocketed toward Avalugg. Locking eyes with the beam, Avalugg braced himself for the inevitable while waiting for Wulfric's command.

"Mirror Coat!"

Seth's eyes went wide as Avalugg's body began to glow with a myriad of colors. The blast struck with full force, causing Avalugg's feet to scrape against the ground as he was pushed backward. Finding a firm footing, Avalugg managed to absorb the blast and reflect it back at Pyroar with double the intensity and speed. Pyroar sailed through the air in a flash and smashed into the back wall, falling into a heap on the ground below shortly after.

"Pyroar is unable to battle! Avalugg wins the round!" The judge declared as Seth made his way over to Pyroar who was just coming around after being flattened.

"You gave it your best shot girl," Seth reassured her, gently stroking her chin, earning an approving purr from the feline. "Now it's time to get some rest..." Seth finished, returning Pyroar to her ball.

Clipping it to his belt, Seth took a deep breath and reached down to the last choice he had decided on prior to the match. Putting his trust in the teammate in his hand, Seth stared Wulfric and Avalugg down with confidence before shouting, "Pupitar, en garde!"

Bursting from her pokéball, the Hard Shell Pokémon wasted no time leaping a few paces away from her iceberg-sized foe. Glancing back at Seth, she wanted to know what possessed him to send her into the fray with such a beast. She thought she would have been used eariler as that was the initial plan. She was just now figuring out that Seth had changed course. After a short discourse with Seth, she realized that she was the last Pokémon standing among his chosen teammates, putting more pressure on her than what she had been previously used to.

What Seth had in mind was anyone's guess, and with the challenge presented before her, she hoped it was good enough to overcome it. Deciding to trust her trainer's judgement, Pupitar turned to face her opponent with a more determined look. Wulfric narrowed his eyes as he saw the pupa standing across from Avalugg. While it was small in stature, Wulfric knew enough about the durability and power of Pupitar to know that it posed as much, if not more of a threat than Seth's previous two combatants.

"Avalugg, be on your guard. Pupitar may be small but they are not to be underestimated. Give it all you've got and use Icicle Spear!" Wulfric commanded with excitement.

"Time to fly Pupitar, get movin'!" cried Seth powerfully.

Using the compressed gas that was inside of her solid shell, Pupitar discharged it from her body, propelling herself into the air to avoid the oncoming barrage of thick icicles headed her way. Puptiar forced herself to the left in the air as an Ice Ball zipped by her small frame, crashing into the ceiling above her.

"Iron Head!" Seth roared as Pupitar swerved away from another Ice Ball as she zipped around the perimeter of the arena before launching herself high above the arena to avoid an even larger Ice Ball.

With another ejection of gas, she shot toward Avalugg, coating her body in steel as she angled her head toward Avalugg's body. As she closed the distance, she could feel the shell start to crack under the pressure from the speed she was traveling, light spilling from the cracks as she drew near her target. Before she made contact, the light exploded all around her, the pieces of her shell bursting apart the moment her body made full contact with Avalugg who grunted in pain as his head was slammed into the arena floor.

Seth and Wulfric looked on as a much larger beast rose to a stand. Her armor-like hide was an olive green shade and spikes of varying size jutted out of the back of her head, neck and shoulders. She had a long tail with a small ring of spikes surrounding the tip of it. Each of her arms had three claws. Her eyes were fixed on the foe beneath her for a brief moment before she threw her head back and gave a victorious roar that rattled the arena, starting a vicious sandstorm that quickly overtook the field. Seth couldn't keep himself from grinning as the judge declared Avalugg unable to continue.

Pupitar had shown signs of getting close to evolving. Ever since he'd begun training her again after the incident with Team Flare, she'd learned to control her body with greater ease. She had gotten stronger, and now, all of her efforts were finally paying off. Wulfric flashed Seth a grin as he returned Avalugg and clipped him to his belt. Gripping the last teammate he had in store for this match, Wulfric hefted the ball into the air once before thrusting it onto the battlefield shouting, "Abomasnow, let's show them our passion!"

The Frost Tree Pokémon landed with a grunt onto the arena and shot Tyranitar an intimidating glare, its mere presence causing hail to fall yet again, intermingling with the sand that blew around the arena. Seth's brow furrowed as Wulfric reached for the necklace around his neck and opened it, revealing what Seth had suspected all along was a keystone.

"It has been an honor facing a worthy opponent such as yourself. Since you've come at me with everything you have, it's time for us to do the same!" Wulfric proclaimed, activating the power of the stone which reacted with the one hidden within Abomasnow's fur.

Before Seth's eyes, the great snow beast began to transfigure itself into a more terrifying monstrosity. The sprouts on his back transformed into massive shafts of sharp ice. His fur became much shaggier as well. Seth stared down the final obstacle between him and the Iceberg Badge. As imposing as Abomasnow was, that new bulky form came with a major drawback, one that Seth was going to expose and take full advantage of.

"Looks like we've got a few new moves to test out, so why don't we start with this one? Tyranitar, Fire Punch!" commanded Seth.

"Oho? Coming at us directly are we? It's a bold decision but it's also very foolish! Abomasnow, Wood Hammer!" Wulfric countered.

Tyranitar snarled and stampeded toward Abomasnow, her claws igniting with consuming fire. Closing the gap between them, Tyranitar swung hard only for her strike to be met with adversity as Abomasnow's strong arm slammed into hers, locking them into a stalemate as they exchanged multiple strikes before being forced apart after both sides landed successful strikes, pushing both combatants back several feet. Abomasnow launched a volley of verdant spheres which slammed into Tyranitar and sent her stumbling backwards, almost toppling over.

"Wood Hammer!" Bellowed Wulfric as he continued his assault.

Abomasnow charged forward and drew back his arm as an emerald light shone about it. Tyranitar planted her feet and drew back her fist, a light blue aura surrounding it as she baited Abomasnow in closer.

"Focus Punch!" Seth countered with a fearsome shout.

Tyranitar evaded Abomasnow's arm and threw the full force of her weight into her punch and slammed her fist into Abomasnow's chest, the force of the blow blasting Abomasnow across the arena, barely missing Wulfric as he flew by and crashed into the wall. The burly forest monster struggled to push himself up after being struck by such a powerful blow.

"It's been a while since anyone's knocked Abomasnow around like this. I have to say, I'm impressed! Abomasnow, we're not out of this yet, use Synthesis!"

"Of course he'd know that," Seth muttered, watching as Abomasnow recovered some of his stamina so he could continue the fight. "Careful Tyranitar, he's not out of this yet! Dark Pulse!" Seth commanded hastily, not wanting to give the adversary anymore time to recover.

Abomasnow stood his ground as the blast barrled toward him. Steadying himself, he began drawing in power after having healed a sufficient amount.

"Blizzard!"

With a mighty battle cry, Abomasnow unleashed a howling snowstorm that overtook the entire arena. Visibility was near zero as the gusting winds blew snow and hail within an already raging sandstorm. When the attack had subsided, Tyranitar was frozen from the neck down.

"Let's finish this shall we? It's been a fun match but this is where it ends! Abomasnow, Energy Ball!"

The great frosty beast opened his mouth and formed a bright green sphere of energy in front of him which began expanding more and more as Abomasnow fed power into it. With a powerful shout, Abomasnow released the massive orb in an effort to put the final nail in this match's coffin. Seth, knowing he had no other choice, bet everything on the last card he had left to play. "Hyper Beam!"

Tyranitar opened her maw and light crackled within her throat. The spikes on her tail began to light up, followed by the spines that lined her back, shoulders and finally her head. Sparks flew from her jaws as a sphere of bright orange energy formed. With a mighty, earth-shaking roar, Tyranitar unleashed a monstrous beam of orange light that tore apart the arena in a straight path, consuming Abomasnow's attack and washing over him. The arena shook from the blast that followed and when the smoke cleared, a trail could be seen leading up to a pile of rubble just behind Wulfric.

Abomasnow's head poked out from the top, revealing that he was indeed down for the count. The judge's hand shot up into the air to declare the end of the match.

"Abomasnow is unable to battle! Tyranitar wins the round which means that the winner of the match is Seth Da Silva!"

Seth breathed a sigh of relief as the match concluded. Returning Tyranitar, he quietly thanked her for her hard work and then placed her back onto his belt. Walking to the center of the arena, he met Wulfric who reached out and firmly took Seth by the hand.

"That was an amazing battle Seth! I had a good feeling about you and you did not disappoint. It is with great pleasure that I bestow upon you the Iceberg Badge!" Wulfric announced, "you've earned it!"

"Thanks Wulfric, it was an honor to do battle with you," Seth replied, taking the badge in hand and placing it into his badge case.

After Wulfric wished him luck in the Lumiose Conference, Seth exited the gym and took off on Staraptor's back toward home.