Masked Man

Mask of Ice

Mask of Ice is the main antagonist of the Gold, Silver and Crystal Arc in the Pokémon Adventures manga. He serves as the leader of Neo Team Rocket after Giovanni disbands it after the events of the Yellow Arc. He is responsible for the kidnapping of Silver and Green when they were children.

In the Manga

History

Years before the series began, Mask of Ice's real identity, Pryce, the Gym Leader of Mahogany Town, was an expert on Ice-type Pokémon, giving him the nickname 'Pryce of the Eternal Ice Walls'.

He used to be friends with Professor Oak, Agatha, Kurt and the Day Care Couple. However, one fateful night, Pryce's two favorite Lapras died in an avalanche just before their baby Lapras was born. Overwhelmed with guilt and distress, Pryce became cold and distant from his friends. His friends unsucessfully tried to console and remove the guilt from his heart.

It was then Pryce found out of the existence of the Time Travelling Pokemon, Celebi. But in order to aid in the capture of Celebi, Pryce used an alter ego of the Mask of Ice and manage to suceed in capturing Ho-Oh. Using Ho-Oh, the Mask of Ice kidnapped Silver, Green, Carl, Sham, Will and Karen when they were children to utilize their potential although Will and Karen came to the Mask of Ice for the fun. In an attempt to capture Celebi in Illex Forest, the Mask of Ice was beaten to near death due to Celebi having the advantage in its Time Vortex.

The Mask of Ice barely escaped death but fell into a temporary coma. Taking advantage of his comatose state, Green and Silver managed to escape from the Mask of Ice's base in the Hoenn Region, but not without stealing the feathers of Ho-Oh and Lugia. This act triggers the wrath of the Mask of Ice who unsuccessfully tries to hunt his former subordinates down.

Between these events, the Legendary Beasts, Suicune, Raikou and Entei attacked the Mask of Ice and manage to free their master from the evil man's control. However, as a result, the three beasts were trapped in ice and inside the time vortex.

It was then that the Mask of Ice caught wind of a special Poké Ball Kurt planned to make that can control time with Lugia and Ho-Oh's feathers needed to make the capture net. But without Ho-Oh or Lugia around, the Mask of Ice was unable to retrieve the feathers.

Gold, Silver, and Crystal Arc

After obtaining the feathers, the Mask of Ice ventures to Azalea Town to find Kurt, who uses apricorns to make Poké Balls, and forces him to make the special Poké Ball, the Time Capture ball. He then travels to the Ilex Forest shrine, and captures the time travel Pokemon, Celebi. When Gold goes after him, he manages to break apart the Mask of Ice's mask with his pool stick, his identity of Pryce is revealed. Pryce then goes into the crack in time to save his La Prus and La Pris. When a song reminding him of his past begins to play, Pryce tells Gold to cherish the time he has with his Pokemon, he releases his grip from the ledge and falls deep into the crack of time.