Hey everyone! I am still looking for someone to take over my TV Tropes page, all you gotta do is ask and I'd be happy to help out however I can! So anyone who is willing to do this for me, I would be so very appreciative!

I love writing this story and I love all of you, my readers. Anything we can do together to make it more popular and more alive I think would be amazing. And I'm sure most of you agree!

Also, I want to say a huge thank you to "Dimension Distorter" for offering to take up the task of making up a Wikipedia page for this story.

The guy is incredibly gracious to do this, something we will all benefit from, and I am very grateful to him. I hope all of you can join me in feeling the same and wishing him well in this big task! He has already started it so please check my profile for the link! He and another fellow has undertaken the task together and they could always use more help so if you're interested, please feel free to jump on board!

Also, if anyone knows someone who likes doing free commission work, wouldn't it be cool if this story could also become a graphic doujin!

Oh! As a reminder, I have a Discord server and my own story channel on there. So if anyone wants to come on and discuss things about this story, share ideas or just fellowship on my channel with fellow fans, message me on here and I will give you an instant invite right to it. It is also a better way for me to give replies than via PM's on here.

Now, let the good times roll! Thank you all and may the Good LORD bless you!

Disclaimer: I do not make any profit from this work whatsoever and I do not own Pokémon.

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The Greatest There Was or Ever Will Be: Episode Sixteen

The Legend of Ice: Awoken...

"Come on... you guys... don't... give up!"

Panting and drenched from head to toe, with only her head and shoulders being immersed above the water, Misty kicked and paddled her feet hard against the strong current pushing against her.

Sweat was shining upon the small part of her upper body that wasn't submersed in the cool water of the violent river she and her Pokémon were training in. With her hands grasping tightly onto the large, rectangular, wide rock in front of her, the orange haired girl fought to keep herself above the water. She was wearing black spandex swimming shorts and a light blue neoprene top, also meant for water.

The hot sun shining overhead, beaming down on the rushing river that was south of the equator, only made Misty's pants that much more pronounced. As if she were breathing in hot steam, so thick was the warm air around her.

Gathered on either side of the Water Pokémon enthusiast were all of her Pokémon. To the right, in order, was Horsea, Tentacool and Staryu. To the left, Starmie and Seaking were spaced only a few inches apart.

Against the raging current of the cool, frothy river, Misty had a death grip on the rock that was very much her lifeline. She also had a small, ten pound rock tied to her left ankle, which was floating out behind her by a rope that was tied to it.

Struggling against the added resistance, amidst the already fierce current, Misty ground out words of encouragement to her Pokémon. Each one was also bearing stones that were wrapped around their various appendages, only heavier and larger than Misty's.

"I know... this is hard... you guys but-" She fought to keep her head up and spat out some water that went into her mouth. "We have to... do this... if we want to get better!"

"Horse... Horse... Horsea!" The aquatic equine beside Misty struggled against the rushing water and also the heavy, large rock tied to his tail. That, combined with the body weights that he and all of his partners were wearing - which Misty borrowed from Ash every day - made the effort that much harder.

Turning her head to her Pokémon, Misty watched Horsea fight and she felt pride swell in her heart for him.

The little Water-Type was determined and had a fierce resolve to get strong. While Horsea was a little shy and timid most times, when he was training it was like he became an entirely different Pokémon. He was fierce, strong willed and had a proclivity to never give up. Regardless of how tough things got.

Shifting her gaze beyond Horsea, she looked at Tentacool and felt the same assessment for the dual-type jellyfish.

Tentacool had a reputation, in general, for being rather "run of the mill Pokémon" that didn't possess a lot of overt potential or skill. They were seen as one a dozen Water-Types that most all water enthusiasts owned at least one of.

Misty could tell that such classifications bothered her own Tentacool because he was a slightly touchy Pokémon. Always determined to push himself the hardest during training and begrudging of anyone that even remotely appeared to look down on him.

At the moment, he was trying to prove everyone - including himself - wrong and that he could be great in his own way. A feat he accomplished by having two fifty pound rocks tied to each of his tentacles. Rocks in which Ash and Brock had to carry over from the nearby forest around their campsite for Misty to use.

Next to Tentacool, Misty looked at Staryu as she grasped onto the wet, rough surface of the rock with a fierce hold.

Staryu, like his fellow Team Misty compatriots, had a very big rock tied to its body by a rope that was cinched around the starfish's center.

Even though Staryu and Starmie were often believed to be emotionless Pokémon because they had no face, Misty knew them well enough to say that such a thing was definitely not the case.

Staryu and Starmie - while captured around the same time by Misty when she was on a beach vacation with her sisters in Vermilion - each had a sort of big sibling, rivalry type of relationship.

While the two of them looked out for one another and defended the other, Misty knew that Staryu had a fierce desire to keep up with Starmie. She believed this was due to the fact that the latter was evolved and since the former was not, it caused Staryu to feel like it had to push itself twice as hard to prove how good of a Pokémon it could be.

Likewise, when Misty looked over at Starmie, she could see why those feelings were present.

While Staryu had a fifty pound rock and a body weight harness strapped to itself in the raging current, Starmie was decked out much the same. The only difference was that its own rock weighed about eighty pounds and took Ash and Brock carrying it over together just to make use of it.

The youngest of the Waterflower sisters could understand why Staryu battled with feelings of inferiority, even though she always tried to assure the Water-Type of how proud she was of it. After all, she felt much the same, growing up in a family with three older sisters.

Starmie, while not as abnormal and outright powerful as Ash's own, had two things going for it that Staryu perceived as a definite edge over itself.

Starmie was extremely quick and its durability was quite impressive. It could move at a very high rate of speed and perform accurate attacks, all at once, while taking a relatively sound beating before finally giving up.

Two traits that were very similar to Ash's own Starmie; whether it be from training or a natural gift, no one knew.

Misty had noticed, over the time in which she had been traveling with Ash and experiencing new things along with her Pokémon, that Starmie had taken some form of a leadership role amongst the others.

Between Staryu, Tentacool, Seaking and Horsea, Starmie had begun showing similar skills of leadership as Pikachu did among Ash's own growing team.

During times of training, like now, Starmie seemed to have a proclivity for pushing its fellow Pokémon on and any time they were ever involved in a multiple battle - like in training - Starmie was the first to push the others on passed their limits.

It was partially due to this that Staryu most likely had feelings of competitiveness against Starmie. Misty really didn't mind it because they never faught and in many ways, she suspected it made both of them train harder. Especially Staryu.

Panning her strained gaze to her last Pokémon, Misty watched as Seaking strongly swam against the current. She too had a body weight harness strapped around her colorful scales and also had a big rock tied to her tail fin for added resistance.

If Misty's other Pokémon were all fiery and full of passion and aggression, in their own ways, Seaking was like the calming influence of her Water-Type team.

While she was willing to train hard and battle valiantly whenever called upon, Seaking was definitely a more gentle spirited and peace loving soul. In fact, if Misty let her out in a pond, stream or any other body of water, she was content to simply swim around all day in leisure if allowed.

Feeling fatigue really starting to set in, Misty turned her face forward again and stared down the length of the river while narrowing her eyes in determination.

"No! I can't... give up!" She kicked her legs behind her even harder. "I have to keep... pushing myself! I'll never... become... a successful... Water Pokémon Master... if I don't push myself!"

Meanwhile, up on dry land in the small roadside forest area that they had decided to camp in the night before, Giselle was in the midst of some fierce training of her own.

Dressed in her blue sports bra, black spandex shorts and white cross trainers, with her long, dark brown hair tied back into a tight ponytail, the former top student of Pokémon Tech had sweat dripping down her face.

Running from one rock marker to the next, about ten yards apart, the brunette sprinted as fast as she could next to one rock before quickly dropping to the ground. As soon as her hands touched the soft, green grass beneath her, she immediately began doing full push ups. A mix of normal width, wide width and close diamond tricep ones.

After doing a set of ten for each variation - grunting with strain as she finished the last four - she stood back up and then sprinted to the other rock. Then, as soon as she reached it, she picked up the rather hefty rock and began doing power squat reaches with it.

Quickly finishing her set of twenty, she carefully placed the rock down with a straight back and then ran over to a nearby tree. Jumping up, she grasped onto a low hanging but thick branch and held onto it after grabbing hold.

As soon as she had wrapped her hands around the smooth bark, she began doing twisting oblique ab lifts; exhaling through her mouth on each twist, at the height of the move, while tightening her core to get the most work out of it as possible.

She did a total of fifteen before jumping down and then running back out into the clearing. Once she arrived at one of her rocks again, albeit the lighter of the two, she picked it up and began running in place. As she did, she used the rock as a weight and brought it from side to side, above her waist, while using her abs to get her knees above her navel.

As the aspiring young female Trainer sweated, panted and fought against the soreness in her legs, the tiredness of her arms and the tightness in her chest, she looked toward the river that Misty and her Pokémon were training in.

Shifting her gaze a little farther to the left, at an end that was just shallow enough to walk in without needing to swim, she saw her own two Pokémon enduring their shared time of hell.

Graveler and Marowak were both currently wading through the chilling, aggressively rushing water. The former had it up to his lower half, right where his legs ended, and the latter was pushing through water up to his chest.

Both the Rock and Ground-Type Pokémon had expressions of discomfort and pain on their faces as they waded through their natural enemy. Though if that wasn't bad enough, each one also had body weights strapped to them. Weights in which were adjusted to be so heavy, they could barley move. Yet even still, they managed.

As they waded through the water, both of them were using their own unique, respective attacks to try and hit two large boulders on the other side of the river.

Graveler was forming a variety of different sized rocks above his head using Rock Throw and would then toss them at the left boulder. Likewise, Marowak would repeatedly toss his bone club at the other one.

What made it hard, however, was that Giselle had used mud to paint targets on each boulder. Targets in which they both had to hit while trudging through the very water they hated more than anything else.

As Giselle watched her Pokémon struggle through the water and try to hit the targets on the other side of the bank, she thought about both of them for a few moments. Silently reflecting on what her only two Pokémon were like and how they had grown since she had joined Ash on his journey.

Even though she had technically obtained Graveler and Marowak through Pokémon Tech when she reached a certain level of "Trainer status" in her course work, Giselle didn't care. She had come to develop a bond with both of them that was the same as any Trainer that captured their Pokémon normally in the wild.

Graveler was the type of Pokémon who's rock solid body and general typing was about as different from his personality as one could get.

While a lot of people would assume that all Rock-Types were stubborn, hardheaded and emotionless - much like the rocks they personified - Graveler was not. In any way shape or form.

Giselle's second Pokémon was sensitive and had a strong bond of affection with not only her but also Marowak as well. Not only that but Giselle had seen Graveler grow a bond of sorts with even Brock, Ash and Misty's Pokémon.

Even though the six limbed Rock-Type was generally a sensitive Pokémon when it came to matters that weren't serious, he still possessed a strong desire to get strong and push his limits.

This, Giselle suspected, was mostly because Graveler wanted to please her and make her happy. Something in which made her heart warm to know that her soft, gentle natured Pokémon was willing to push and train so hard just to help her achieve her dreams.

Marowak, on the other hand, was the polar opposite of Graveler.

The Ground-Type loner Pokémon was about as perfect of a representation of what his species was known to embody as any other.

While Marowak was a loyal, dedicated and good hearted Pokémon that would fight to the bitter end for those he cared about, he also had a strong serious side that controlled his personality more often than not.

Giselle found oftentimes that if they were all sitting around relaxing and either enjoying a meal or just pleasant relaxation, Marowak could easily recluse into himself. Not surprising really since his species were very well known for being the type of Pokémon that typically preferred being alone in the wild.

Nevertheless, she wasn't going to let that become the normal for Marowak. Which was why she so frequently pulled him into anything they did as a group; to make him more sociable and not descend into the atypical "loner isolation" of his breed.

Marowak had a very strong training ethic as well. Giselle surmised that this was because he had some kind of tough, serious, cool Pokémon image he was always trying to keep up and that lead him to push himself hard during training.

Focusing on her own training though, Giselle thought about her family for a split second and then frowned slightly. Her facial expression soon changed to reflect the fire and intensity within as she started to bring her knees up a little higher and moved the rock in her hands faster.

"I will... prove to them... that I can be... a great Trainer!"

Meanwhile, across the roadside campsite, near the river and some ways off from Misty, Brock was doing his own training. Although, having already done his workout, he was doing a training very particular to himself alone while still dressed in his workout clothes. Namely, a pair of gray workout shorts and a dark red tank top.

The training that the eldest of the Stone siblings was partaking in, at present, was that in which would hone and better his overall skills as a Pokémon Breeder. That being, for the current moment at least, the Pokéfood preparation talents Brock already possessed but was eager to refine.

He had been surprised, upon going over the cookbook that had once belonged to Mr. Fuji's wife, that there were quite a few recipes that could be modified to in some way benefit Pokémon.

There was one recipe, for instance, that called for a meal in which proteins, carbs and healthier fats were found present in the dish. When Brock stumbled across it and read the ingredients, such as the way it was mixed and prepared, he began wondering to himself if he could somehow replicate the recipe for Pokémon.

The squinty eyed teen knew better than many normal Trainers and people in general just how difficult it was to make good, healthy and safe Pokémon food. Food in which not only aided in their growth and satisfied each individual Pokémon's unique nutritional needs (especially in regards to type and species specific aspects) but was also enjoyable to eat.

Pokémon had a very wide palate and there were about as many different flavor combinations and dish options as there were Pokémon themselves. From dry food, sweet food, spicy, smooth, hard, sour, exotic and mild; the ranges of Pokémon food types really were vast.

Even more so than that, oftentimes a Trainer or Breeder had to know just the right way to a mix a certain kind of food together to give their Pokémon the real boost they needed to grow and develop in just a particular way. Much like how Brock's Pokémon, as well as each of his friend's own, were all on very unique diets. Ones in which supplemented their special dietary needs.

On top of having the old cookbook Fuji had given him spread out on a rock in front of his cooking station, Brock also had two other books placed on two different rocks on either side of it. Books in which specifically went into great detail about Pokémon Breeder specific subject matter.

Also laid out in front and around the enthusiastic young Pokémon Breeder was his whole collection of traveling cookware. From pot to pan, spatula to knife, every piece of cooking material he had was currently in use.

Also laid out on a rock beside of him was every manner of spice, berry and other miscellaneous food ingredient he had on hand. Which was what was needed for all of the different Pokémon food that he and Ash, or both together, prepared each day on the road for all of their Pokémon.

In amongst the midst of the ingredients he was currently experimenting with were also a few different types of berries that he had managed to find earlier that day, in the forest nearby.

Since the general environment around Fuchsia City and its surrounding areas always stayed so warm all year long, being so far south as it was, there were a few different, unique berry types to be found in said area. Types that could not be found farther up north where cold weather and snow would always inevitably move in.

Of course, there were some people, mostly those in other regions, that thought Kanto in general was a place berries just couldn't grow well in. Some said it was the type of soil predominantly found in the region or mayhaps even the weather but Brock knew this to be poppycock. Nothing but passed about rumors in far off places about a region that the ones who spoke the rumors wouldn't know for sure unless they visited themselves.

Even though Kanto may not have been as rich in a wide array of berry types as some other regions, many different kinds could still be found if one knew where to look or chanced upon them. And even then, they could be grown as well if proper care and time was taken to do so.

As Brock examined a bright, small green berry that one of his books clearly described as being a Lum Berry, the intensely serious young man measured it up carefully on the portable cutting board beneath him. Then, with a small, sharp knife in hand, he lined up his cut just right before splitting the berry down the center.

While the green liquid that was its lifeblood spilled out onto the board, Brock prepared to cut the two pieces into smaller sections. However, his attention was suddenly drawn to the sound of his own Pokémon hard at training behind him.

Looking back, he saw the sight of Onix, Graveler, Zubat and Vulpix all training together near the riverside.

Focusing on the Pokémon that Suzie had put into his care first, Brock took a break for a moment and just watched Vulpix train. And as he did, he could only smile proudly as he took in the heartening sight awaiting him.

Vulpix had been very well cared for, well-groomed and coddled by Suzie, that much had been for certain soon after he took over being her Trainer. In fact, Vulpix had been somewhat prissy and a little bit spoiled when she first joined him.

Brock knew, soon after seeing this, that he had to be careful how he worked and trained with Vulpix, lest he ruin her trust and push her away. With that in mind, he had started her out on an easier, milder training routine than the aggressive, intense one his other Pokémon were undertaking.

Simply put, he mostly had Vulpix working on her moves and doing light physical training; which was like a watered down version of the routine his others followed. Of course, for her own enjoyment as well as his betterment as a Pokémon Breeder, Brock still groomed her on a very regular basis. Much like how Suzie herself had kept Vulpix very well groomed when she had her.

Brock found that it really wasn't until after a short time had passed that Vulpix seemed to slowly change her attitude towards harder training. What made him believe this was the case lie in the fact that Vulpix was indeed a strong, capable but also proud Pokémon. She had a vanity to herself that she didn't want tarnished.

Interestingly enough, Brock had caught Vulpix looking Pikachu's way more than once when she was out of her ball, specifically during training. The way she watched the powerful and determined Electric-Type perform training routines that were so brutal and intensive they seemed almost cruel, Brock believed left a lasting impact on her.

He wasn't really all that surprised in one way. Pikachu was indeed a very special Pokémon, some would even say a freak and abnormality of his species. In that way, as in so many others, he mirrored his own unique, different and some also might say odd Trainer, Ash. Whom, for all of his passion as a Trainer and good heart as a person, still seemed an oddity amongst people. An outcast some might say, especially among those his own age.

Pikachu trained in ways that even Pokémon larger and stronger than him would struggle with, in their own right, and he pushed himself with the same zealousness for perfection that Ash did. Regardless of how healthy or unhealthy such a mentality might have been.

Brock believed that Pikachu's strong, determined and passionate ethic truly had come to inspire Vulpix, much like it had several of the other Pokémon. He also believed it might have driven her to think about what all she could accomplish outside of just how glossy and well-kept her fur was.

But, in another way, Brock also believed there was more to it than that. In his own opinion, he had begun thinking that Vulpix was beginning to become a little smitten with Ash's first Pokémon.

This was a theory he adopted by observing the general reactions of Vulpix around Pikachu. Such as how she would prefer to hang closer around him when training was over, how she liked to eat in view of him and also how, at certain times, Brock would catch her just staring at Pikachu. When she thought the electric rodent wasn't looking of course.

Either way, seeing Vulpix train now really put a proud flame in Brock's own heart. This came from watching the kind of hard and arduous work she was currently putting into the task.

Wearing a heavy set of body armor, Suzie's former Pokémon was in the river and paddling against the current, doing all she could to stay above the water.

Then, as the Fire-Type struggled to swim in the element she hated more than any other, Vulpix fired attacks like Ember or Fire Spin at one of the large rocks on the bank.

The reason she was doing such an extreme type of training was to build her resistance against water, for one. It was also meant to increase her strength, dexterity and flexibility; made possible by the body weight and submersion in the cool running water. It also helped to add power to her Fire-Type attacks by needing to launch them full power at something big, solid and unbreakable while being immersed in cold water that naturally made it far harder.

When she got tired, Brock watched her swim over and jump up onto the shore, pant in exhaustion for a few moments, and then work on running and body slamming, tackling and rushing the same rock. This worked her endurance, resistance, all out power and even her pain tolerance.

Sure, that kind of training messed up her fur but if she was okay with it, so was Brock. It gave him more time to brush her afterwards and practice his grooming skills.

Panning his gaze over a little more still, he set his eyes on his own Graveler. Whom was also training in the river as well. Not outside, but actually in the river, much like Giselle's Graveler and Marowak.

As he watched, Graveler would submerge himself into the deepest part of the river and then use his mass to sink to the bottom. From there, the determined but water hating Rock-Type would focus on using moves like Rock Throw to form large boulders in his four arms. A feat made far harder by being completely submersed in his counter opposite element.

As soon as Graveler would form a rock in hand, he would then rush up to the surface and anxiously leap high into the air and far above the river below. Then, with a powerful toss, he would throw the rock he held.

The difficulty of the training wasn't settled at simply that though because as soon as he tossed the rock, Graveler would form and toss several others high into the air as well. From there, he would tuck into a roll using Rollout and shoot off after them; his goal being to smash each rock before it could hit the water below.

Brock watched his Pokémon succeed at doing this before finishing his Rollout by landing over on the riverbank for a quick break between rounds.

As he saw this, the teenager smiled at the determination of his Pokémon.

Graveler was the type to always put his best foot - or rock - forward anytime he had the opportunity to. Even from the time Brock first captured him as a Geodude at Mt. Moon, Graveler had always possessed a natural tendency to want to test his limits and battle as hard as he could.

Even though most Gym Leaders typically used at least three Pokémon in all their battles, Brock himself never really found himself with the chance or luxury to have that option. After all, caring for so many little siblings meant that he didn't have much time to leave home and go search for Pokémon. So, he always had to make due with Onix and Graveler, then Geodude.

It was because of that dependency he had always placed on the two of them that Brock believed made Graveler such a focused and dependable Pokémon. One that always wished to test his mettle and lay it all out on the line for his Trainer.

Graveler had showed his loyalty many times over and Brock knew he could always depend on him. In a total opposite from Giselle's own Graveler, which was still a good Pokémon in its own right, Brock's was a lot more focused when it came to battling and training. Meaning, simply put, that his Graveler wasn't as soft and peaceable as the one belonging to the brunette.

Even still, Graveler wasn't as intense, serious or no nonsense as Onix was. And as Brock shifted his gaze to the largest of all his Pokémon, by far, he got to see in action why that statement was so true.

Since today was a mix of high intensity, move based and type disadvantage training, Onix too was training in the river. Only, his own version of water training was a bit more complex than some of the other water hating Pokémon's routines.

The large rock snake Pokémon would go from sitting on the bank to diving straight into the water of the rushing current. Then, from under the water, he would tunnel himself down into the riverbed and dig a path from one end of the river, all the way to the other. The trick here being that he had to focus on tunneling a passage under the riverbed, all while fighting off the feeling of water surrounding his body on every side.

Then, after he tunneled up to the opposite side of the river, Onix would explode out of the water and up onto the bank in order to give himself a respite. Though, instead of resting, he had another form of training he had to do during his active rest.

Since the area they were in had massive rocks and boulders, all along both sides of the river, Onix would hurry up to one and wrap his body around it. Then, using nothing but sheer strength, he would seek to crush the boulder into pebbles.

Afterwards, Onix dropped himself back into the water and repeated the same routine as before. Once he came back to the other side of the river, the long, wide and lumpy Rock-Type would focus on the thick swath of trees that made up the forest they were encamped around.

In order to train his agility and speed, he would take off into the forest and try to travel as quickly as possible in-between all the large trees surrounding him. Making it his goal to avoid hitting as many - if not all - of the trees that he could.

As Brock watched his Pokémon train in-between cutting up the berries for the new recipe he was working on, the spiky black haired boy thought about the time he first met and captured Onix.

Amazingly enough, he had also met the Rock-Type serpent in Mt. Moon, the same as Geodude. Incredible considering that Onix were not known to inhabit the area but regardless, that was where it took place.

He was just a boy, shortly before his father left and his mother, Lisa, died. Brock remembered exploring Mt. Moon with Solidad - being that they were still rather young, no more than ten - when a room they were in started to cave in.

Solidad had managed to get out in time but Brock ended up getting trapped. He spent almost two hours alone; trapped, scared and with no one around to help him. It was in that time of desperation that one of the walls had given way to a great shaking and collapsed.

To his fear, Brock saw Onix roaring in the hole he had made, his imposing form making him appear as though he were a monster. It was in that time that the future Pewter City Gym Leader thought he would certainly meet his end.

His surprise was great though when, instead of harming him, Onix had taken pity on the poor lost boy in the cave. Once the fear had passed and given way to silence, Brock had awkwardly introduced himself to Onix and explained what had happened to him.

It was then, only a short time after that, in which Onix helped Brock escape by smashing through the caved in entrance that had formerly been sealed off.

From that time on, after Onix rescued his life, Brock and the towering rock snake became close friends. He would go back to Mt. Moon, regularly, to visit with Onix and get to know him better.

Brock never found out how and why Onix had ended up at Mt. Moon but he didn't question it. After all, he had made a great friend through that very same strange stroke of happenstance and then, after Flint, his father, left and Brock decided to become a Gym Leader to help provide for his family, Onix chose to help him by becoming his first Pokémon.

Not only that but through his time knowing Onix at Mt. Moon, he had also met Graveler, then Geodude, and captured him shortly after Onix became his Pokémon.

Onix himself, to describe his personality, was stubborn and headstrong; he refused to give up no matter the circumstances. He was also a proud Pokémon in his own right, which was one reason why Brock had decided to undergo Ash's training regimen with his four Pokémon.

Even though he had been reluctant to do so at first, their encounter against Rocket Commander Rykon and his insanely powerful Rhydon had changed Brock's mind on the subject.

Though he wanted to be a Pokémon Breeder, the squinty eyed teen had learned a harsh lesson that day in Team Rocket's hidden base below the Game Lounge. Knowing how to groom one's Pokémon, cook for them and care for them was indeed important.

On the other hand, part of being a good Breeder was also in knowing how to make your Pokémon strong and well-prepared as well. A lesson which Brock and Onix had learned the hard way when Rykon and Rhydon so thoroughly trounced them that day.

Brock also knew, the more he watched Onix train, day by day, that the Rock-Type remembered that defeat very well and was determined to never have a repeat of it. A determination which he knew kept his Pokémon training as hard as he could now days.

Turning his head fully, until he was facing forward and in front of the berries he was chopping up, Brock looked toward the forest directly ahead and caught sight of Zubat.

The small, Flying/Poison-Type was flitting around amongst the trees. The only thing visible of him being his blue skin color and the silver metallic shine of the bodyweight suit he had on.

Zubat's training was primarily targeted at honing his speed, agility, endurance, overall flight performance and sensory skills in the day hours. After all, being that Zubat were part of a species that typically hated sunlight, overcoming that disadvantage could become a major advantage in battle.

The bloodsucking mammalian Pokémon had a training style that was arduous and intense, albeit simple. Basically, when he wasn't sparring with the other Pokémon, training his moves, working on attack combinations or doing any of the other wide array of things that Ash's general training program covered, Zubat spent a lot of time building on his physical abilities.

By flying with a heavy bodyweight suit strapped to himself, Zubat's wing strength, dexterity and speed had been marginally improving. Brock also had him, with some brainstorming assistance from Ash, doing obstacle dodging training.

This either consisted of Zubat flying through a congested flight space - as he was now in the forest - or being out in the open. During the present moment, he was making use of the tree branches, vines and other natural obstacles to practice on his dodging skills, his reflexes and his reaction time.

When Zubat trained out in the open however, it became much tougher. This was because, during those particular sessions, he was training right out in the sun during broad daylight. Which was something that Zubat and his brethren usually attempted to avoid at all cost when in the wild.

When he trained out in the light of day, completely exposed to the sun overhead, Brock would either throw objects at him - like sticks, stones and anything else he could find - or allow his other Pokémon to assist.

This usually consisted of Graveler or Vulpix using attacks like Rock Throw or Ember to try and hit Zubat as he flew up in the air. Taking the combined inhibitors of his weighted bodysuit and fighting against the blinding bright light of the sun, Zubat was usually given all he could handle in only a half hour of such training. But, it paid dividends and that was all that mattered.

One other thing Brock usually had Zubat do was work on the leg strength that almost all trainers of Zubat completely overlooked.

Given that Zubat didn't technically form legs until it became a Golbat, most people thought that the skinny, spindly sticks a Zubat had were practically worthless. Though, Brock knew this to be false.

This was namely because, for simple evolutionary reasons, what Zubat possessed in the way of "weak little sticks" were actually the same things that later became their legs as a Golbat.

Brock theorized, due to this, that if Zubat were to do more focused training on his pre-evolved, sticky appendages, they would be that much stronger when he finally evolved into Golbat.

With that being the case, every day Zubat would work on trying to hop, jump and move on his legs, still while wearing one of Ash's training bodysuits. He would even work occasionally at dodging some attacks from his partner Pokémon.

The progress was slow going and in the beginning, he could barely even move on them without falling down but, slowly, Zubat had started to improve in his use of them over time.

One of the things Brock liked so much about Zubat was that he was a very close and affectionate Pokémon. And that was really true too since one of his favorite places to perch was on Brock's shoulder when everyone was just relaxing.

Even still, as a bloodsucking Pokémon, Zubat had his cravings and Brock was never any happier for the unique recipe he had worked up for his Pokémon than he was now.

It had become rather evident that the harder Zubat trained, the more insatiable his "thirst" would become. Which was why Brock was glad that the food he prepared for Zubat was specially made to satisfy his bloodsucking urges in every meal.

This was due to the Tauros blood that was already mixed into the special food pellets Brock made sure to stock up on in every town they visited. A food which was made special for just those very same types of vampiric Pokémon in the world.

As Brock observed Zubat flitting lithely around the forest while he himself worked at improving his cooking and Breeder skills, in another part of the riverside area, Ash Ketchum was in the midst of his own murderous regimen.

Hanging from a tall tree by his legs, a shirtless Ash was crunching himself up into almost a full sitting position, before slowly lowering back down to a total straight-legged posture at a gradual four count. Then, reversing course, he would explode up, only to repeat the same action down again.

What made his own efforts that much more intense though was the fact that in his hands and held against his stomach was a rock that weighed about a good fifteen pounds extra. And anyone watching from below could see the effort it took by the grimacing of his face, the redness of his body and the sweat pouring from his face, chest and arms down to the grass.

"Twenty... five... twenty... siiiiix!" Panting and gasping, he stopped mid-rep and focused on the leaves above his head, attempting to focus his attention on something else. "Come on! You've got this Ash... you've got this!"

However, just when he was about to make it all the way up, the extremity of the workout finally got to him as he actually felt one of his lower abdominal muscles start to cramp and seize up.

Gasping in pain, he dropped the rock and by extension, also became unwrapped from the tree branch and fell toward the ground. Luckily for him though, he managed to land on his side instead of his head which, even though painful, spared him any serious injury.

As he sat where he was and rubbed his sore stomach, Ash grimaced and shook his head. "That was a little too much training for one day... the swim and run really took a lot outta me..."

He then looked toward the left, where most of his Pokémon were training away from all the others, and watched while rubbing his lower belly.

Vee was training nearest to his location, having returned to the on-hand team of his trainer. And if the training of Ash's friends were all considered intense, that of his own was practically insanity.

Vee was also wearing a bodysuit of weight, though it had two large rocks tied off to either side of it that were bigger than he was. The hardy survival rope, which Ash and Misty had borrowed from Brock for the day's training, was thick and strong. The rocks attached to Vee's suit were also given quite a bit of play, via the ropes, so that the small Pokémon could travel a ways without being held back too much by them.

Even still, Vee did have to contend with the large rocks. Tied down with heavy weight on his body, the multi-evo Pokémon ran around in the open area while performing each of his moves with as much power as he could. Then, at random points, he would stop altogether and run forward until the ropes were pulled tight.

From there, he would struggle with all of his strength to pull on the small boulders holding him back in an attempt to move them.

Afterwards, Vee would switch to one of his three evolutionary forms and worked his moves in much the same manner. The only difference was that in his other forms, Vee would use the same rocks anchoring him as targets to direct his lightning, fire and water based attacks at. Pushing himself as hard as he could before collapsing from exhaustion and then getting right back up to go again as soon as possible.

Ash then looked on a little more and saw his second Pokémon also training its heart out.

This Pokémon happened to be Diglett, whom Ash had decided to keep with him to do proper training, even after totally changing his line up again.

Since the little ground mole was far more restricted physiologically than other Pokémon were - being that he could never fight outside of the ground - Ash had to be creative in how he trained Diglett. So, with their options somewhat limited, he had to improve upon all the skills and strengths that Diglett did have access to.

One of these things was, obviously, his speed. Even though Diglett were already famous for the speed in which they could surface and disappear below ground, as well as dig, Ash knew that all things could be taken a step farther. That was one way in which he helped improve Diglett's abilities.

Taking further advantage of the many rocks in the area, as well as more of Brock's rope, Ash had tied four big rocks to Diglett. He did this by tying all four together onto one main line and then tying that main rope around Diglett's body. With the added weight, it made tunneling far harder.

Diglett would start by going under the ground and then tunneling paths all throughout the area they were in, no more than a few feet down. The focus of that part of the training was speed, nothing but speed. How fast he could make tunnels with four large rocks trailing behind him and slowing him down.

Afterwards, it was time to test his endurance, stamina and the depth ratio of his digging capabilities. This was accomplished by Diglett tunneling beneath the ground in one hole and then burrowing as far beneath the earth as he could go.

Now, a lot of people might have labored under the delusion that it was an easy feat for Diglett to dig deep beneath the earth. In all actuality though, that was not the case at all.

Diglett were accustomed to mostly tunneling near the surface and when they dug at depth, it was typically only to their dens under the earth; which was usually around thirty to forty feet deep. In all reality, the farther down Diglett dug, the harder it became for them.

Given that Diglett were not the most powerful Pokémon in the world and their ability to move objects far heavier than themselves came from moving the earth around the object to manipulative it, it took a greater amount of the strength they possessed to dig too far down into the earth.

This was mostly due to the fact that the farther one tunneled beneath the earth, the thicker and harder the soil would become. Oftentimes, it would also mean coming across large rocks or even whole bedrock slabs that a Diglett just wasn't equipped to smash through with the brute force of their heads.

For Ash's Diglett though, he turned all of that up on its head. He purposefully had him burrow as far under the earth as he could. The point being to shift and move as much heavy, compacted and solid dirt as possible to increase his overall strength and stamina. He even had Diglett purposefully smash and bash himself against those very same impassable rock barriers just to build upon his raw power and durability.

Another form of training Ash had his newest Pokémon undertake was that which involved coming up underneath of rocks that were marginally larger than himself. Then, from there, he would work on transporting those rocks across a certain distance to increase his speed, strength and resistance when above ground.

Lastly, when they were near a water source like they were today, Ash would also have Diglett work on tunneling a path down into the water, through the river bed and up onto the other side, much like Brock's Onix did. The point of this was, naturally, to increase the little Ground-Type's resilience to water.

Aside from that, he had Diglett drill on each of his moves as well. The combat ones were usually done during team sparring with the other Pokémon.

Looking in another direction, this time to the other side of where he was sitting, Ash saw his third Pokémon training.

This one, as a point of intense focus, was none other than Haunter; a.k.a., "Black Fog". He who was one of Ash's undoubtedly strongest but also most delicate Pokémon. One in which, to this day, Ash was still attempting to build better bonds with every time they were together. In order to deepen their relationship.

The once traumatized and dark Pokémon had experienced a pleasant change since his days at the now demolished Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town.

While it had only been a short time since he had joined Ash, the black colored Haunter had apparently been learning to fit in well with his other Pokémon back home. And even though the progress had indeed been slow going due to the giant Ghost-Type's tragic past, sordid history and his major trust issues, Ash had learned from Professor Oak that Haunter was slowly learning to adjust.

Apparently - and to Ash's great relief - a bond of sorts had definitely been forming between Gastly and Haunter. Whether this was because they were both Ghost-Types was not exactly clear. Though, in Ash's mind, he assumed it was because they were both very unique Pokémon with equally tragic pasts... at least in their own ways.

Haunter was a long-lived Pokémon that had seen much tragedy, despair and wickedness in his time on the earth. Gastly, likewise, was also very long lived and had spent an exceedingly long period of his life seemingly trapped in time.

Even during his travels to discover his heritage, Gastly never really felt like he belonged anywhere or fit in. Then, when he returned to Maiden's Peak and began disguising himself as Artiana, the Maiden herself, it seemed to be that he only lost himself that much more. But at least in his case, unlike that with Haunter, he had Artiana keeping him company all that time.

Of course, Ash also theorized that a reason why Gastly and Haunter were so close might have had something to do with the fact that they were both unique members, cousins as it were, of their own species.

Haunter was a mutated and unusual type from his evolutionary line. A mutation due entirely to the gift Arceus had once bestowed upon him that his anger and hatred had corrupted and thereby caused his own form to become twisted.

Likewise, Gastly was a hybrid species; most likely the first Ghost and Psychic-Type Pokémon ever. An ancient offspring in modern day from two Giant Pokémon of a bygone era.

But, even with all of their similarities, Ash had a feeling that possessing unusual characteristics, abilities and features just pulled hearts together; people and Pokémon alike. A sentiment Professor Oak shared.

This thought came from the fact that Gastly and Haunter also apparently got along well with Dragonite and Tentacruel. Two Pokémon whom were also, in their own ways and mostly due to their respective monstrous sizes, considered abnormal by every definition of the word.

Either way, Ash was glad to know that Haunter had been getting along so well with the others back home but still, he wanted the two of them to forge a deeper bond themselves. A bond that surpassed even what they had now. Which was why Haunter was with him at present.

As he watched the giant spectral Pokémon train, Ash was once more captivated by how powerful Haunter truly was.

Since he was technically a gaseous Pokémon made of ectoplasmic, ghostly energy of sorts, physical training for Haunter had been taken from the table long ago. Even back when Ash first put his training regimen together.

Haunter's training was still predominantly focused on using all the moves he knew and expending as much energy as possible. In order to improve his speed, ability, accuracy and stamina, the formula had to remain the same. He had to push himself, every day, even to the limits of his own great power and then go beyond that.

The time in which Haunter was with the others back at Professor Oak's had definitely been good to it for more reasons than just companionship. He also had constant sparring partners, especially where Gastly was concerned.

Something Ash had also been pleasantly surprised to see when he received Haunter back was that the mutated Ghost-Type had very slowly been learning to overcome his intolerance toward the sun.

It was a gradual process and he still didn't like to be right out in the light, but the messy haired boy was happy to see that Haunter would at least stay in the sun for a few short moments before retreating to the shade of a tree or whatever else he could find.

As he watched the dark colored Pokémon train in the shadows cast by the tree line nearby, Ash saw that Haunter was indeed working himself to exhaustion. And this came in the form of him using moves like Shadow Ball, Night Shade and Psychic; moves in which he could effectively expend his energy by without an opponent.

Haunter put them to use in devastating effect on the environment around him. Using large, rocky boulders, big trees and even the very earth itself as a target, Haunter would use multiple huge, powerful blasts of Shadow Ball to decimate every rock he could see.

When his eyes glowed dark red and twin beams of crimson, spectral energy shot forth from them, Haunter would grunt with effort and direct them either at a large tree or at the ground itself. If it was a tree, he tried to knock it down, though if it was the ground, he attempted to leave as deep a crater as possible.

Psychic was a move that really succeeded in draining Haunter. This was owed to the way in which he used it. As an example, after destroying a pile of rocks, knocking a tree down or cratering the earth, he would then use the powerful effects of Psychic to reverse the damage he did.

With intent eyes that were aflame with a mighty blue glow, Haunter would lift the pieces of the destroyed rocks into the air. Then, using a massive amount of concentration, focus and even more energy, he would attempt to put the rocks back together again.

In a very similar way he did likewise with the trees. Lifting it up, Haunter would psychically levitate the tree back into place and connect the roots into the ground again before situating it exactly as it had been before.

When it came to the craters he formed with Night Shade, Haunter would merely concentrate on using that same cerebral power to cover the craters up again.

Typically, using Psychic in such a manner would leave even a powerhouse like Haunter actually drooping in fatigue. But, even through the exhaustion, he would only take a small break and then go right back to repeating what he had just done. The only difference being that he used a new tree each time; mostly to prevent from shocking the same one over and over again.

As Ash watched his supersized Haunter unleash his awesome power on his surroundings to further increase said power, he once more found himself thankful that he didn't have to feed the giant Ghost-Type.

It was just another one of those things that the messy haired boy, as well as Professor Oak, assumed was an unfortunate side-effect of Haunter's mutation. Not only could he most likely never evolve and was locked out from any other abilities he could possibly have, Haunter also no longer ate anything.

Ash himself, being a young man that absolutely adored food, had a difficult time understanding how any being - person or Pokémon - could exist without the joys of eating. But, in the same respect, he had also never been a Ghost-Type Pokémon born with a unique gift to sense other people's emotions that had then been corrupted and triggered a total mutation throughout his whole body. A mutation and corruption caused by great personal tragedy on top of it all.

Hearing the sound of loud grunts and gasps of heavy exertion, Ash diverted his attention and laid eyes on his first Pokémon. The same one who was, at present, probably training hard enough to put most Pokémon into intensive care if they were not properly prepared.

Off at a different location of the riverside area they had decided to stay at the night before - quite some ways away from the main road - Pikachu was in the midst of some extremely intensive training of his own.

Decked out in his training bodyweight as usual, the small Electric-Type was currently making use of almost every one of his skill sets as he trained.

Standing amongst a section of the open field near the riverbank that had big and small boulders spaced out here and there, Pikachu took off running using Quick Attack. As he shot off in a blur of silver and white, he used the boulders like roadblocks to test his speed, agility and evasive maneuverability.

As he ran in, out and around all the rocks, Pikachu would purposefully come close to them but then veer away with a sudden, fast burst of agility, barely missing said boulder by mere centimeters.

He treated the boulders in the field like a maze and continuously sped through, over and around them while moving as fast as the heavy weights on his body would allow.

After clearing his way through the self-made gauntlet of big, small and medium sized boulders, Pikachu spun around immediately after clearing the last boulder. Then, with his face firm and his eyes set into a fierce scowl of determination, he growled his name and took off back into the field of rocks again, once more going as fast as possible.

This time however, as soon as he came within close enough distance to the nearest rock - a medium sized specimen easily three times his size - Pikachu narrowed his gaze and put on a burst of speed. He was now hurtling headlong at the small boulder while trailing a stream of silver energy behind him like a small rocket.

"Pika... Pika... CHU!" With a powerful, leaping surge forward, the pint sized Pokémon slammed himself straight into the rock, back first as he twisted in mid-air.

Amazingly enough, the combined force and speed of his tackling charge allowed Pikachu to smash straight through the rock. As it flew into dozens of small pieces, he rolled out of his tuck and landed on the ground.

No sooner did his feet touch though and he was already shooting off at the next cluster of rocks. However, instead of repeating the same move, he jumped at the first one and within seconds of his feet touching the hard surface, he catapulted himself off of it and onto the next one.

Pikachu started jumping from rock to rock, landing on the side of each one and then shooting to the next. He moved so quickly that he looked like a yellow blur, which was compounded by the use of Agility.

Afterwards, Pikachu jumped skyward off of the last rock and did a pretty backflip move through the air; demonstrating the contest-style grace that Ash's coordinator training (courtesy of Solidad's lessons) had been affording he and all of his many teammates.

As he did a tucking roll backflip high in the air, Pikachu suddenly broke out of it and then dropped headlong at the nearest rock below him, this one even bigger than the last. As he did, his right paw was cocked back and began glowing, signifying the impending use of Mega Punch.

With another strong cry of his name, Pikachu slammed his glowing appendage into the rough, hard surface as soon as he met it. The battle of wills between rock and Pokémon didn't last long though since it too shattered under the force of the attack.

Without stopping, he blurred from rock to rock like a streak; utilizing moves such as Mega Punch and Iron Tail to attack and in some cases, shatter, the boulders around him.

He even made use of some of his electric attacks; like Thunderbolt, Thunder Shock, Charge and Thunder, to hit the rocks. Treating them like targets as he made use of Focused Lightning to bust them into rubble.

Eventually, Pikachu took off running toward the tree line and upon reaching it, he leapt up onto the nearest one and scrambled up its bark surface. Then, after he was at the top, he tested his speed and agility once again by hopping, running, leaping and jumping from tree to tree, as fast as he could.

Leaping from the last tree after a short time, Pikachu landed next to the river itself and then hopped out onto the water. However, instead of going into the water, Pikachu utilized his electrical power in a unique way.

Essentially, he caused small pads of electricity to form under his paws and then, using them like stepping stones, Pikachu leapt from place to place across the water's surface like he was still on dry ground.

Since the river was so disturbed by all the training Pokémon in it though, he didn't stay long and soon hopped back onto the bank. Then, without breaking his pace, he ran back to the same area he had started training in at the first and stopped.

There was no time for breaks unfortunately because as soon as the panting, fatigued Pokémon stopped, he used Double Team and created several identical copies of himself. Copies in which he put to immediate work as he started sparring and fighting against all of them.

For the next hour, Ash, his friends and all of their Pokémon trained in just such a manner. Pushing themselves to the absolute, harshest and brutalist of limits without a moment of respite.

After they finished with single training, Ash, Brock, Misty and Giselle's team gathered together in a huge group and started to do partner sparring. Some fighting multiple opponents and some one on one. They would also interchange with members of the other teams, in order to really round out their training experience by battling against different types and skill sets.

Pikachu would battle against Onix, Horsea would take on Diglett, Cubone sparred against Starmie, Brock's Graveler fought Giselle's, Vee went against Vulpix, etc,. Then, after sparring for a time, they would switch partners and continue, the process repeating itself over and over again.

While they fought and sparred against each other (all while still wearing their body weights, or at least the ones who had them on) they also touched on their type disadvantage training.

This was accomplished by having two types square off that possessed moves and abilities the other was weak to. Then, purposefully, they would take turns hitting each other with the attacks in question until the one either finally gave in or had enough and passed out.

Of course, for Ash's Pokémon, training until unconsciousness or at least, until the desire to collapse presented itself, was quite a regular occurrence. And typically, that was a mercy when faced with the alternative; which was suffering immense post-workout pain that they would all feel in abundance after training was over.

By the time the long workout regimen was finally over, Ash released his Pokémon of their weights and allowed them to practically fall to the ground in exhaustion for a well-deserved break. Meanwhile, he assisted his friends in doing the same for their own Pokémon and once he had finished collecting, shrinking and putting away all the weights, he moved on to helping Brock make and serve the food to all their famished partners.

By the time that was over, Misty and Giselle finished cleaning up and bathing farther down the river and had just returned to the campsite. While Brock prepared all of their food, he and Misty got together and moved on to the last training related matter of the day.

"Alright... you ready?" The orangish redhead asked as she stood back up from rifling through her red bag, now holding a Poké Ball in hand.

Standing near the same fire that Brock was using to cook a delicious smelling vegetable and wild berry stew (berries in which they had found in the area the evening before) Ash nodded.

"Yeah, let's do this. Better now than never."

With that, Misty nodded and pointed the ball at the ground while saying, "Psyduck, come on out!"

In a burst of blue and white showers of light, the youngest of the Waterflower sisters watched her newest Pokémon materialize on the grass. As he did so, the dopey looking duck looked around with his webbed hands habitually held up to his head.

"Psy Ai Ai?"

Smiling, Misty knelt down and spoke as nicely as possible. "Psyduck, over here."

As the water duck turned to face his new trainer, Psyduck tilted his head and blinked. "Psy Ai?"

Smiling as well, Ash knelt on one knee and rested an arm on it. He wasn't wearing the top part of his tracksuit, only the black shirt beneath. "Hey Psyduck, are you ready to start your training?"

Turning back to the black haired boy, the Water-Type blinked at him too. "Psy?"

"Yeah Psyduck," Misty spoke with a smile and clenched fist. "Me and Ash are going to train you together and help make you super strong!"

As confused as ever, the perpetually perplexed Pokémon could only stare at her. Which made Misty look at Ash as she stood up. "Now that I think about it though, how do we start? Psyduck isn't exactly a... well... 'normal' Pokémon." She made air quotations to punctuate her statement.

"Well," The amber eyed Trainer put a hand to his chin and looked thoughtfully down at Psyduck. "We obviously can't do anything with Psyduck until we get his headaches under control. Trying to get him to do anything before then would be a waste of time. I think the perpetual headaches is what causes him so much confusion anyway. Or at least... that's my theory."

The side ponytail wearing girl scrunched her face up a little. "Yeah I agree, I can't hardly focus on anything when I have a headache either. How are we supposed to help him get over his headaches though?"

Giselle, at that moment, came up to join them and nodded while putting her hands to her hips. "Misty is right Ash." The intelligent brunette looked at her boyfriend. "You know as well as I do that Psyduck's are known for their chronic headache issues right up until they evolve into Golduck. Very few, if any, ever get over the problem. At most, they learn to adapt and train around it."

He nodded at her exposition but maintained his cause regardless. "Yeah I know Giselle but I refuse to believe that these headaches aren't curable. I get that they're just a premature manifestation of the psychic powers a Psyduck can fully control after evolving into Golduck, but still."

Ash looked back down at Psyduck. "It has to be torture living with a headache all the time and if I could help Pikachu learn how to shatter boulders with his electricity, and Charmander to swim, I know we can do this."

"Right," Misty nodded in understanding. "But how? That's what I'm saying, how do we do it? Even if they sold headache medicine for Psyduck, I wouldn't want to keep him doped up on poisonous medicinal drugs forever. Maybe natural stuff but not drugs."

He shrugged. "I suggest we try some stuff. See what works. But first, I wanna scan Psyduck with the Pokédex and find out some more info about him."

With that, seeing as how Misty was in agreement, Ash pulled his black and red Pokédex off of the clip on his side and activated it while pointing it at Psyduck. Soon, Dexter's robotic voice spoke in a monotone to give them the information they required.

"Pokédex Entry No.054

Psyduck: the Duck Pokémon

Always tormented by headaches. It uses psychic powers, but whether it intends to do so is not known.

This Psyduck is a male and possesses the ability; Damp.

Its moveset is comprised of the following: Scratch, Tail Whip, Water Gun and Fury Swipes. It also has access to the hidden Psychic-Type moves, Confusion and Disable. Unfortunately, as with all Psyduck, it can only use these moves when under extreme mental duress that activates the aforementioned psychic abilities."

After the handheld Pokémon encyclopedia was finished giving the details of Psyduck to the listening Trainers, Giselle looked at the small yellow Pokémon and shrugged. "That actually isn't a bad list of moves and Damp is a good ability."

Misty nodded in agreement but then sighed. "Yeah but even his normal moves are basically worthless if we can't get these darn headaches under control."

Ash put the Pokédex away and nodded as well. "Right, so let's start thinking up ways to help him."

With that, all three of them began doing some deep thinking over what possible solution they could try to cure Psyduck's headache condition.

Eventually, Misty snapped her fingers and smiled. "I've got it! Why don't we try doing a hot and cold compress? You know, like you do with a sore muscle and the brain is a muscle after all."

Giselle looked at the other girl and smiled as well. "That's a good idea Misty and it just might work too!"

Ash apparently agreed and ran off to get his black and red backpack from over at the sitting log where all the others were at. "Yeah we'll try it! I think I've got some in the med supply kit in my pack!"

A short time later, they had a warm compress sitting on a rock near the fire to get hot while Ash was down by the river, dunking the cold one in the cool water to get chilled. However, when he didn't get it as cold as he wanted, Ash pulled it from the water and frowned before an idea struck him.

"Hey I know!" He then looked back to where all of his Pokémon were resting with the others after eating. "Vee! Will you come over here for a second please?"

The cute little fox-like Pokémon flicked his ears upward when he heard Ash's voice and then stood up before running over to him. When he arrived at his side, the boy looked down at the special little Eevee and asked.

"Hey Vee, could you change into Vaporeon please and use a low powered Aurora Beam on this compress to get it cold?"

Blinking at the strange command, Vee tilted his head but did as requested anyway. "Vee!" He then jumped back and focused on his Water-Type form before beginning to change.

As the white flaming light of evolution started to overtake him, Vee began morphing and shifting in shape and size before, in mere seconds, he was presented in the graceful, sleek form of Vaporeon.

"Va!" He barked while Ash put the compress on the ground and then stepped back. "Okay Vee, let it rip!"

Focusing on the small object in front of him, Vee opened his mouth and formed a much smaller ball of multi-colored, freezing cold energy in it than he normally would. All of his power control training now being put to the test.

Then, with a vocalized, "Vaaaa!" He shot a small beam of Ice-Type energy at the compress.

Ash quickly held out his hand to stop his Pokémon after only a few seconds and then carefully reached out to touch the compress. Finding it cold to his liking, he smiled and picked it up. "Thanks Vee, that's good!"

He then ran back over to the campfire where Misty, Giselle and Psyduck were waiting with Vee following behind, changing back to normal on the way.

"Alright guys, here, let's try this!" He then went up to Psyduck and held the compress out to the duck. "Psyduck, we're gonna try and help you get over your headaches. Will you let me try this?"

Psyduck looked up at Ash and blinked for a moment or two before giving a simple nod in reply. Having been given permission, the boy knelt down and gently placed the cold compress on the yellow water bird's head.

"This might be a little cold Psyduck... just bear with it at first." He warned as he carefully situated the compress onto the Pokémon's head. Although, if Psyduck felt the cold, he certainly didn't show it and just stared blankly ahead as usual.

"Okay... now we wait a few minutes and try the warm compress." The young Ketchum sighed as he sat down on the big rock with Giselle and Misty that was near the fire pit.

"Hope this works," The brunette said as she put her hands on her chin and looked at Psyduck.

After about ten minutes of boring nothing, Ash stood back up and removed the now less cold compress from Psyduck's stationary head before moving over to the fire pit and grabbing the one that had been heating up near the fire.

Finding the temperature satisfactory but not too hot, he went back up to Psyduck and laid it upon his head before taking his seat next to the girls again.

Once more, the waiting game ensued and for another ten minutes, all they did was wait. Finally though, when time was up, Ash removed the compress from Psyduck's head and then knelt down and looked at the Water Pokémon intently. He was quickly joined by an anxious looking Misty and Giselle.

"So... how do you feel Psyduck? Is the headache gone?"

There was silence that met the question for a few moments before Psyduck placed his hands back to his head and quacked. "Psy. Psyduck Psy."

Sighing, Misty stood up and frowned. "I'm no Pokémon Whisperer but I think that's a no."

Ash sighed as well and sat back on the ground with the compress in his hand. "Well... it was at least worth a shot. Guess back to the drawing board."

Giselle, whom had been very thoughtful for a time, suddenly gasped and smacked her right fist into her left palm. "Oh! I might have an idea!"

The other two looked at her and Ash sat forward. "Really? What is it?"

The pretty brunette only winked and waved her finger at him. "Oh you'll see! I think this will work perfectly!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A short time later, Giselle was sitting behind Psyduck near the fire with the Water-Type sitting between her legs on the ground. Her fingers, meanwhile, were busily and thoroughly rubbing, kneading and massaging Psyduck's skin through the soft, feathery down that covered his body.

As she gave the small, bipedal duck a very deep tissue massage into his upper back, shoulders and even his head, Ash and Misty stood around her looking somewhat confused.

"Really?" The younger girl questioned with a disbelieving eyebrow quirk. "You think a massage will make Psyduck's headache go away?"

Giselle shot the orange haired Gym Leader a look and retorted back. "Yes, in fact, I do!" She then focused on digging her fingers in deeply to Psyduck's shoulders while grunting in effort.

"I... used to get... massages... all the time... with my mom and... sisters!" Psyduck remained unfazed and still as stone while Giselle massaged him. The only movement was the slight rocking his body did as she put more force into her movements.

"You see..." She stopped the deep tissue massage for a moment and just focused on gently and softly rubbing her fingers across Psyduck's scalp in a light scratching motion.

"Muscles can carry tension and stress deep down in the fibers. The stress can be emotional, physical or mental but the results a lot of times are the same. Stress and tension in the body can lead to pain, illness, injury and even mental ailments; like headaches."

She then started to press her fingers into certain points all along the front, side and back of Psyduck's head. She also did the same to his neck, shoulders and back, all while breathing deeply with her eyes closed.

"I learned from getting massages with my mom and sisters..." She began while switching from pressing into Psyduck's muscles, releasing the pressure, lightly rubbing the area and then pressing into the same spot again. All while only using her thumbs to move them in mostly a clockwise circle when rubbing.

"That getting massages to release and relieve the muscles of stress doesn't just feel good, it can also help heal your body of a lot of ailments. There are also pressure points in people and Pokémon's bodies that can effect all kinds of different functions in the body and with the right kind of stimulation, you can manipulate those points to relieve pain, cure illness and just alleviate stressful tension."

She opened her eyes again and went back to deeply working Psyduck's muscles under his downy feathers while sweating at the brow from the effort it took.

"That's why deep tissue massages are so great, they can really stimulate those pressure points and the muscles around them! I always loved how relaxed and rejuvenated massages made me feel and a lot of times they even helped make me feel better if I was feeling bad. So this might help with Psyduck's headaches too!"

Misty still appeared a little skeptical but Ash just shrugged. "Makes sense. I know if my mom had a headache and I rubbed her neck for her, or if her feet hurt and I rubbed them, it would usually always help make her feel better. This could work too I suppose."

They continued to wait for Giselle to finish her massage and then, once she was finally done, she just sat back and panted while looking at Psyduck. "There! How do you feel now Psyduck?"

The sitting duck remained quiet for a time, motionless still, before he finally turned his head and looked back at them. When he did, his hands went up to his head once more and he blinked. "Psyyyy Aiiii... Duck."

At that, Giselle fell flat back in defeated exasperation while Ash and Misty smiled slightly and sweatdropped at the forehead.

"Well..." Ash began.

"At least his muscles are loose enough for some training if we ever get his headaches under control..." Misty finished with thin eyes.

"Hey," Brock suddenly spoke as he walked up while wiping his hands off on a rag. "The stew is on now so maybe I might be able to give a possible solution."

"Yeah?" Ash and Misty both questioned together while Giselle sat up and tiredly looked at the older teen.

"Go for it," She sighed with throbbing arms. "I'm dead tired and all out of ideas."

A gleam came to Brock's perpetually squinty eyes as he smirked and replied confidently. "Oh trust me, I all but guarantee this will work!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Uhh... Brock, are you so sure this is a good idea!?" Misty called up in concern to her friend. Whom was currently standing high up in a tree on a big branch near the campsite.

"Yeah I agree Brock, this really doesn't look safe!" Giselle agreed without a second's hesitation.

"Don't be silly, I'm all but willing to bet my best cooking pot that this will work!" The eldest of the Stone siblings yelled back as he stood on the branch with Ash beside of him and Psyduck in-between them.

"I don't know Brock..." The younger boy said in slight nervousness as he stared at the ground, a long way down. "This seems kind of crazy, even to me."

Looking at the one whom had helped get Psyduck up the tree, Brock smiled and knelt next to the small Pokémon. "Don't worry Ash, I'm training to be a Pokémon Breeder remember? I read about this in one of my books once."

Ash glanced down at his friend with a raised eyebrow while holding onto the tree with one hand to make sure he didn't accidentally slip and fall. "Was it a book on Pokémon headache relief or the best way to become a quadriplegic?"

Ignoring his younger friend, Brock looked at Psyduck and explained. "I read that going with gravity by suspended inversion, or hanging upside down for prolonged periods of time, can help to relieve spinal pressure and thereby headaches too. The book said that, theoretically, the practice could work on Pokémon and people alike."

Ash blinked down at him before deadpanning. "And why can this not be done down on the ground... safely?"

The other boy looked up at him and smiled. "Well because it also said that the higher up you were when upside down, the more force gravity had to pull down on your spine."

The Trainer hoping to enter the Indigo Conference just sighed. "I really hope you're right and that book wasn't just written by some nut."

Brock decided at that time to try his idea and looked back at Psyduck. "Okay so here's what I'm gonna do Psyduck. I am going to grab you and then very carefully lift you upside down. Hopefully this will work and you won't have these really bad headaches anymore!"

The blank looking water fowl just looked at Brock before tilting his head, a seemingly very common thing for him to do. "Psy?"

With all of that said, the brown haired teen grabbed Psyduck around the middle and then stood up while holding him carefully. Then, just as carefully, he slowly began turning the Pokémon he now held around until Psyduck was soon turned completely upside down in his grasp.

Soon enough, Brock was in the position he had earlier projected in his mind; with Psyduck being held carefully in his arms while inverted totally upside down. Brock had him out over the branch too so essentially, if he happened to slip and fall... well, here was to hoping that Psyduck could spontaneously learn to fly.

"Ohhhh boy..." Misty's voice was full of dread as she watched the precarious sight above them while Giselle stood nervously beside her. "Something tells me this is going to end up very badly."

As they stood up atop the tree branch and time continued to lapse on by, Brock asked of the Pokémon he was holding upside down. "So Psyduck, how are you feeling? Headache gone?!"

Showing that he would have done wonderfully as a test dummy since Psyduck hadn't so much as moved once yet, he blinked a time or two before quacking back. "Psy Ai Duck Duck!"

Before Brock could think to reply though, he and Ash suddenly felt the gut lurching sensation of the tree limb dropping down slowly. That was immediately followed by the faint but heart stopping sound of wood cracking and splintering.

Feeling his belly turn to ice, Ash turned his head around, almost as if in slow motion, and reluctantly looked back at the base of the limb. Seeing a deep, dangerous crack forming in the wood, his eyes widened and his heart all but halted completely.

"Brock..." He spoke slowly while reaching his hands out hesitantly and timidly for anything else at all to grab onto.

Knowing what was happening, the teenager in question swallowed a deep lump in his throat while sweat broke out on his brow. "Yeah Ash..."

There was another nasty crack, this one louder. "I just wanted you to know before we die..." Ash closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. "This was a really... really bad idea!"

The other boy would have nodded in agreement but he was too scared stiff to move. Down on the ground, the two girls were panicking.

"What do we do?! What do we do?!" Giselle fretted.

"I don't know!" Misty yelled back in despair. "If we try to help the branch might break completely!"

Up on the branch itself, both Ash and Brock were precariously positioning their weight in such a way that it didn't add anymore strain to the already weakened branch. Brock was still holding Psyduck upside down but as they waited for the break and inevitable fall to come at any time, it never did.

Peeking an eye open, Ash looked and saw they were still aloft. Which caused him to sigh in shaky relief. "Maybe it won't break after all..."

Brock nodded nervously but at that very same time, they both saw a Pidgey suddenly fly in and flutter close to the branch as it looked for a place to perch itself.

Seeing this, both of their eyes widened and Ash called out urgently to it. "No! No Pidgey! Please no, don't land on this branch!"

Brock, for his part, nodded fervently and looked back. "Yeah right over there is an even better branch! Please go over there, don't land here!"

The small bird continued to flutter and flap its wings as it stared at the two fretting humans. However, instead of heeding their warnings, it just descended down and perched neatly upon the very edge of the branch.

"NOOO!" Ash, Brock and the two girls on the ground all yelled in tandem. Fully expecting the branch to give way at any second.

Fate apparently liked playing with their emotions though because even with Pidgey's added weight, it still held. Seeing this, Ash and Brock, along with the two girls, sighed in relief again.

"Man..." The black haired boy panted. "If the fall doesn't kill me then all this excitement will give me a heart attack."

Brock nodded as he sweated at the brow, his arms getting tired from holding up Psyduck but not daring to so much as shift one inch.

Soon, the same Pidgey eventually took off into the air again, which had the two boys sharing a look of relief between them before nervous laughs escaped their lips.

The laughter was abruptly cut short, unfortunately, when the branch finally snapped free of the tree trunk and let go. For a split second, it was like time slowed and gave Ash and Brock just enough of a moment to realize what was happening.

Sadly, that also came with the sickening drop in their stomach that followed just before both of them went crashing to the ground along with the big branch. Misty and Giselle could only look on in terror; the former gasping and the latter screaming and covering her eyes.

As the branch hit the earth and a cloud of leaves shot up into the air from the impact, the two boys lay groaning on the ground in pain. Ash was laying back against the branch with his arms tossed up over it and Brock was kneeling butt-up on the grass a short ways away. His elevated arms were holding Psyduck up just enough off the ground to keep from hitting his head.

"I think... I broke... my butt..." The tracksuit wearing trainer coughed as he reveled in the sensation of not being dead.

"Yeah... well I think I broke my stomach..." Brock wheezed back as he lay where he was, his stomach throbbing in pain from the impact of the hard ground.

Seeing both boys were alive and seemingly okay, Misty and Giselle ran up to them in a panic.

"Ash! Brock! Are you both okay?!" The former called out as she ran up to them and stopped near Brock while Giselle ran over to help Ash up.

"Well... okay is a pretty vague term..." The aforementioned young man in question groaned as his girlfriend helped him to slowly stand and then worriedly looked him over. "Does feeling like you just got run over by a stampede of Tauros pass for okay?"

"Or hit in the gut by a Hitmonchan..." Brock grunted as he stood up as well after Misty took Psyduck from him.

"Are you okay Psyduck?" The Cerulean City Gym Leader asked in concern for the portly water bird she now held in her arms.

Looking up at Misty as if nothing had just happened, Psyduck only blinked at her and replied with a nasally. "Psy Aiiii Duck."

"Well..." Ash walked over with a slight bend in his spine, which he tried to correct with Giselle's help as he kept attempting to stand up straight. "I wanna know how his headache feels."

"Yeah Psyduck, tell us, do you feel any better?" Brock asked hopefully as he rubbed his stomach.

As with the other times, the Water-Type in question merely looked at him and tilted his head to the side while his hands moved back up to cradle it again.

Knowing what that meant, all of them sighed and hung their heads, Brock most of all. "Well... so much for that idea. Sorry guys."

Ash, whom had managed to stand up straight again, looked at Psyduck and frowned in deep thought. "Man... there's just gotta be a way to do something!"

Giselle put her hands on her hips and sighed. "I know you want to help Ash and it would make a big difference in Psyduck's training but you're trying to fight nature. His species naturally battle with headaches until evolution, it isn't like you can just go inside of his head and take them away."

At her words, an idea suddenly struck Ash like one of Pikachu's Thunderbolts as he turned to look at her with wide eyes. "Say that again Giselle! What you just said, say it again!"

Blinking in confusion, she slowly repeated herself. "I said it isn't like you can just go inside of Psyduck's head and take away the headaches."

Smiling brightly, he turned around and held his arms out. "Aha! Yes of course! That's it! I think I know how to get rid of Psyduck's headaches now!"

His friends looked at him all oddly with Misty being the first to speak. "And... how do you expect to do that?"

Turning his grinning visage to her, he pointed at the Pokémon in her arms. "Psyduck gets really bad headaches because the psychic power inside of him just can't be controlled yet, right?"

She nodded to his somewhat rhetorical question, not really understanding what he was getting at. "Well, if Psyduck suffers from headaches, which takes place in his head and is being caused by untapped psychic energy, then why not use psychic power to get rid of his headaches!"

All three of his friends appeared equally at a loss as to what he was getting at and Giselle narrowed her eyes a bit to show her confusion. "I don't understand Ash. What are you talking about?"

Misty nodded in agreement. "Yeah how can you use psychic energy to alleviate Psyduck's headaches? Especially if his own dormant psychic power is causing them?"

Brock crossed his arms. "And it's not as if any of us are necessarily psychics like Sabrina. But even if we were, we saw firsthand how dangerous powers like that can be. I'm not so sure how safe meddling around in someone's head with psychic abilities really is. You could really hurt them."

The boy with the z-marks on his cheeks merely shook his head and endeavored to explain his plan. "No guys listen. If we had a Pokémon with psychic power go into Psyduck's head and maybe like... I don't know... place a barrier or something around the part of his brain that is causing the headaches, it should stop them."

He walked up to Misty, whom still held Psyduck, and pointed at the rotund duck's head. "The part of a Pokémon's brain that allows the use of Psychic-Type moves obviously exists in Psyduck since he and his evolved form, Golduck, can use them too. So we know his headaches aren't stemming from natural causes like with normal Pokémon and people."

Ash turned to look at Giselle and Brock. "That also means that his headaches are probably centered around one particular area in the brain. If we had a Psychic Pokémon use their powers on Psyduck and go into his head, they might be able to place a protective cocoon of sorts around that part of the brain. It would still allow the rest of it to work and function normally but that part of the brain in particular would have a barrier of psychic energy around it to keep out the headaches."

The other three appeared to be in a mutual state of surprise, amazement and still even a bit of perplexity. Though, it was Brock that spoke on the matter first.

"Well okay Ash, that might work. But you have to consider doing something like that carefully because even if it worked, putting a barrier of another Pokémon's psychic energy on Psyduck's brain could be dangerous. Or at the very least it could stunt his own psychic growth by blocking off that part of his brain."

His younger friend nodded. "Yeah I know. But I was thinking on calling back home and talking to Gastly about doing it. He has the ability to use really strong Psychic-Type moves and he's good at it too. That and he also has good control. I mean, he made those psychic disguises for us and they worked really well."

His three friends shared a look amongst each other but Giselle eventually shrugged and dropped her shoulders. "It's worth a try I guess, what else do we have to lose?"

Misty looked down at Psyduck and then nodded. "Yeah. I don't want Psyduck to continue suffering with headaches, even if it is technically normal for his species. After what Gastly did for us, I trust him to at least try."

"Alright, awesome!" He smiled at his slightly older female friend and gestured at the Xtransceiver on his right wrist. "I'll go sit by the fire and make the call to the Lab. If any of you wanna join in with me, feel free."

Giselle followed her boyfriend as he started making his way back to the campsite. "I'll go with you, maybe we'll get to talk to Salia!"

"Me too," Misty took up the rear while still holding Psyduck in her arms.

Brock though, for his part, spun around and snapped to attention. "Crap! I need to check my stew!" He then ran off to the fire, where he had a large pot suspended above it by two portable roasting poles that he always carried in his pack.

As the oldest of their group tended to the bubbling pot of vegetable berry stew, Ash sat down on the same rock from earlier next to it. He was soon joined by Misty and Giselle on either side of him, the former placing Psyduck between her legs.

Looking up as they heard Brock give a loud announcement of, "It's okay! Stew is fine!" Ash and the two girls smiled in amusement before he turned his attention to his Xtransceiver and prepared to make the call home.

A few seconds later, the semi-large screen on the portable tech device was lit up with the outgoing call symbol as it rang. Then, after about five rings, the screen shifted from black to an image of Salia's face; whom was sitting in front of the video chat computer in the main room of the Lab.

As soon as she saw them, the chocolate haired teenager smiled brightly and greeted the trio happily. "Hi guys! How are you!"

"Hey Salia!" Ash waved at her and then had to make room as Misty and Giselle moved their faces in front of his.

"Hi Salia it's so good to see you!"

"How are you fitting in at Pallet Town?"

The only male in the call had to force his head back into the camera's view and Salia giggled at the excitement of the ones she had come to see as friends.

"It's going great, really great! Professor Oak has been teaching me a lot and I've been really happy working with the Pokémon too! Getting to be around my old Butterfree every day is a huge plus as well and Ash's mom is so nice!"

The boy with the mother in question blinked at that. "Did you just say my mom?"

Salia nodded, still smiling. "Yep! I've been going to visit her a lot and she is so sweet and nice! Your mom is also a fantastic cook Ash, I almost feel bad for you that you aren't able to have any of it right now!"

His stomach growled as she said that. A reminder of his hunger and also the thought of his mother's home cooking. Although, he managed to hide it well as he smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well that's awesome Salia, I'm glad to know you're fitting in so well! Hey, is Gastly around by any chance? I'd really like to talk to him if I can."

The brunette glanced over her shoulder into the lab and then looked back at the computer monitor. "Yeah I think so actually." She then smiled in amusement. "He and Professor Oak were working on poetry earlier so he should still be here. Give me a minute and I'll check!"

She then got up and disappeared from view for a time. Ash, Misty and Giselle waited for about five minutes or so and then finally, she returned to the screen.

"Hey! Sorry about the wait guys, I found him! He was just finishing up doing a new haiku with the Professor and I didn't want to bother them. Here he is!"

She then moved out of the way as the gaseous form of the ever-grinning Gastly filled the screen. "Why if it isn't my great and fearless Trainer; Ash Ketchum!" The dramatic sounding Ghost-Type shifted his gaze to the two girls with him. "And the beautiful Lady Giselle and ravishing Mistress Misty! Isn't this a pleasant surprise! How may I be of assistance!"

Ash and the girls sitting on either side of him smiled at the spectral comedian's exuberant greeting but their eyes were soon drawn to the blue, floral print robe Gastly was wearing.

"Umm..." Ash pointed and fought back a laugh. "Gastly, what are you wearing?"

His Pokémon didn't even need to look as he simply let out a ringing laugh. "Oh-hahaha! So you noticed eh? Well I figured that since I endeavored to join in on old Sam Oak's poetry sessions, I might as well look the part!"

Giselle looked like she might laugh aloud but she settled for only a small giggle. "And the robe is supposed to help with that?"

Gastly winked at her and then laughed boisterously again. "Well it certainly cannot hurt! Now-" He floated a bit back away from the monitor so they could see him more clearly. "Why did you summon me? Do you need some more..." He looked conspiratorially from side to side. "Help?"

Before they could answer, he suddenly poofed into existence a sowing machine and a lamp hovering beside of it. "Maybe a new outfit! Disguise? Wardrobe? Fancy left sock?! Speak up now they're all half-off! Or maybe you need me to-"

In another poof of smoke, the lively Ghost-Type was dressed like a gangster in a black striped suit and a black brimmed hat. "Off a poor, wretched soul eh? I worka quick and I don't tella nobody! You pay now, halfa now and halfa later! I get the job done a-good eh!"

Misty looked down and fought back a laugh while Giselle giggled again. Ash only rolled his eyes in amusement while, in the background in the lab, they could hear Salia laughing. Which only fueled the big clown of a Ghost-Type.

"Or maybe what you really need is..." In another illusionary fashion change, Gastly was dressed like an accountant with a green brimmed hat and a calculator in front of him that had a mess of receipts spewing from it in large white rolls.

"Sound financial advice from the Gastly & Gastly CPU firm!" The small, beadily thin glasses he wore and the half drained coffee mug next to him only added to the theme. "But act now! We have a special free consultation deal going from exactly two and a half seconds ago until the middle of next year on the first foggy Monday of May! First person to call gets this free, one of a kind, limited edition t-shirt!"

He then materialized a shirt into existence next to him that had the image of him grinning goofily printed onto the front. There was also a caption under it which read, "Gastly Rocks!" in big white letters with smaller ones under it in the same color. "The real comedy tour coming to you in coffee shops and shady back allies everywhere!"

Shaking his head and allowing a few chuckles to escape his lips, Ash finally got the slapstick Ghost-Type's attention. "Gastly, I really do need your help with something important. That is..." He looked away and grinned in a way that he knew would grab Gastly's focus immediately. "If you think you can... it might be too hard even for you."

"Oh-ho?! I think not!" The loud and soulful Ghost Pokémon announced passionately. "Nothing is too hard for my mighty ghostly powers! Why I can move any mountain, drain any ocean and slip a banana peel under any heel! You just tell me what it is and I'll do it for only half the rate of the rate I usually charge on the days when I rate up my rates!"

Chuckling once again at his own poor choice of joke and word usage, Gastly became a little more serious (if that was even a word he knew) and focused on his much younger Trainer.

"But, for the sake of my valiant and stout hearted Trainer, I might just do it for free. Now tell me what the new mission is O Mighty Captain!"

Becoming serious, Ash undertook to explain the situation with Psyduck and his inquiry as to whether or not Gastly could do what he had planned to help the Water-Type.

By the time he was done, the hybrid Pokémon was surprisingly silent for a short time before eventually, he spoke. Albeit, somewhat slowly, as if trying to decide what to say.

"I suppose... it could be possible, yes." He gave a small forward nod of his gaseous body but then became unusually serious. "Though your friends are right Ash. Using psychic power to manipulate anyone's mind can be very risky, whether it be human or Pokémon."

He then looked at Psyduck via the screen and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "I do understand why you wish to do this. I am going to say that it may be possible for me but only because I have so many years of experience manipulating psychic energy. However, it will take time and I request that you either send Psyduck here or bring me to you so that I can work out how it will need to be done first."

His tone actually became grave and serious. "Horrible things can happen if one meddles with the brain and is inadequately prepared. I will need to study and examine Psyduck for a time and gently probe his mind with my powers before I attempt to do what you are asking."

Ash nodded and then looked at Misty. "Would you be okay if I sent Psyduck to the Lab for awhile so Gastly can do what he needs to do?"

His first friend that he had met on his journey gave a small, firm nod. "If you think this will be best Ash then I trust you. We're training Psyduck together and the fact remains that if he can't get over these headaches, not only will he keep suffering but we won't ever be able to train with him until he evolves. And that will take an extremely long time if we can't train him to get stronger."

She then looked down at the Pokémon in her lap. "Psyduck, you heard what Ash and Gastly were talking about but it's your decision. Do you want to go stay with him and Ash's other Pokémon for awhile so he can maybe help get rid of your headaches?"

The pot bellied duck looked at the screen of Ash's Xtransceiver and then back up at her before, surprisingly, he actually gave a coherent response. With a nod of his head, he gave his answer. "Psyyy Duck!"

Giselle raised her eyebrows. "Wow, I guess he wants to get over his headaches just as much as we want to help him."

With that decided, Ash looked back at the screen and nodded. "Thanks Gastly, I trust you and know you'll do your best. Can I talk to Salia again please?"

Gastly nodded and then shifted away from the monitor so the brunette young woman could take over the call again. "So what do you need from me Ash?"

Gesturing at Psyduck, he explained. "You heard what we talked about. I'm gonna send Psyduck to you for Misty and just tell Professor Oak what we're doing please. I know he won't have any issues with it but I still want him to know."

She nodded as he finished speaking. "Of course, I understand. Just send him over and I'll take care of it on my end."

Smiling in gratitude, Ash thanked her and Gastly once again before saying goodbye, along with Misty and Giselle. Then, as soon as the call was ended, Misty went over to her bag and grabbed Psyduck's Poké Ball before kneeling down and smiling.

"Okay Psyduck, you take care and we'll see you real soon." Getting nothing but a nod from the simpleminded Pokémon, she returned him to the ball and then stood back up before handing it to Ash.

Reaching to the clip on his side, Ash got out his Pokédex and opened it before placing the ball on the Poké Ball shaped teleporter pad. Then, after following the proper prompts on the lower touch screen and confirming the transfer process, the ball began glowing white before it promptly vanished.

Once that was finished, he put away his Pokédex again just as he heard Brock call out. "Okay! Stew's ready, let's eat!"

Stomach growling again, Ash smiled and ran back to his friends. "Alright I'm starving! Save a big bowl for me!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was late that night, almost midnight, when Ash stirred in his sleeping bag near the fire. A fire which they had all decided to keep going through the night; both for warmth and also so the outfit he habitually wore and had washed earlier that evening could get dry for the next day.

Rolling over to his side - careful to not stir Pikachu or Vee, whom were sleeping in the bag with him on either side - Ash got up onto his elbow and rubbed his sleepy eyes.

As he looked around the campsite where all of his friends and their Pokémon were sleeping close together, he took in the nighttime atmosphere that was illuminated by the soft orange glow of the fire.

The young man nearly jumped though when he heard a sound near the fire but once he looked, he saw that it was just Vulpix. Whom had just finished spitting a small burst of flames onto the fire to revitalize it before padding over to Brock.

With the added and rejuvenated light given off by the revived flames, he watched the fox Pokémon settle down at the foot of her Trainer's sleeping bag and curl herself into a ball.

Onix was sleeping in a curled up position that almost encircled the whole campsite and everyone in it. Brock's sleeping bag was right up against Onix's rocky body and Graveler was near his head, curled into a tight ball as he slept. Which, from the current angle Ash had, made the Rock-Type Pokémon look like an actual big boulder and nothing else.

Panning his gaze further on, he saw Zubat sleeping upside down off of Onix's chin. Misty's red and white floral pattern sleeping bag was closer to his own and since her Pokémon were all Water-Types, they slept in their Poké Balls.

Giselle's pink sleeping bag was on the other side of Ash's, across from Misty, and she had Marowak sleeping inside of it with her. Graveler, much like Brock's, also looked like a big rock at present as he slept at the head of his Trainer.

The raven, messy haired boy blinked his eyes again and then looked down at the ground right next to his sleeping bag. Almost right near his head was a small hole that he knew Diglett was sleeping down inside of.

Not seeing Haunter anywhere though, Ash turned to look toward the river a short ways away and spotted the huge, black Ghost-Type hovering near the water's edge. From where he was at, the rookie from Pallet could tell his Pokémon was watching the moon, which was hanging full and high in the sky above.

Carefully slipping out of his sleeping bag, Ash quietly walked over to the river. His bare feet were padding along the wet midnight grass while he wore only his black t-shirt and a pair of black sleeping shorts.

"Watching the moon huh?" He said casually after arriving and standing beside the giant Ghost-Type. Haunter saw him and cast his eyes down toward Ash before looking back up at the moon again. As per usual though, he said nothing.

Getting comfortable as he sat down on the grass, ignoring the moisture that seeped into his shorts as he did so, Ash looked up at the moon again. "I always used to like watching the moon when I was at home too. I still do it on the road now sometimes but it's hard to beat the view I always had of it from the roof of my house. The rural area I live in outside of the town of Pallet has got a pretty sweet view of the wide open sky."

He then tilted his head back a bit as he stared at the huge lunar sphere in the otherwise dark night sky. One that was only dotted by a few stars here and there.

"You know... I always found that the moon was pretty nice to stare at if you were thinking about things. Me..." Ash frowned a bit and sat forward. "I thought about my dad a lot."

Haunter looked down at his Trainer slightly as the boy continued in a low tone. "I would always think about what he was like... if we had anything in common, if we acted the same and shared similar traits. I'd think about what he was doing, where he was and if he was looking at the same moon wherever he was. Then I'd end up thinking about why he never came back home and..."

Ash smiled sadly as he looked down at the clear running river in front of them. "I don't know. I guess sometimes I wondered if something happened to him or if he got married and had another family. Then I'd always remind myself that he was still sending mom money every month for us to live on, even though he didn't know about me. But it would still make me wonder why he never came back home..."

He then sighed and looked out across the river again. "But now days, when I have time to just stop and think, I think about... about some of the bad things I've done."

That got Haunter's attention as he looked fully down at his Trainer. Ash though, only looked up and gave a slight smile at his Pokémon. "Come on Haunter, you saw my memories when we connected the first time through the Star Mark, I know you did."

His eyes shifted back to the water and became more serious again as his face settled into a frown. "Sometimes... when I get really angry... this feeling... this energy just comes over me. It's so powerful and overwhelming, like a fire gets lit in my belly and my brain goes all fuzzy."

He narrowed his gaze a little bit. "When I've gotten like that and lost control... when that... when that other presence comes over me... it's scary. I totally lose myself and feel like I'm taking a backseat in my own mind. It's like I'm being thrust out of my body and watching things happen through a really hazy fog."

Drawing his knees up to his chest, Ash rested his arms on them and kept looking at the somewhat dark river current as the light from the moon reflected off of his pensive eyes.

"I really can't remember much during the times it's happened but I do know I did things... really, really horrible things. I know the people I did it to technically deserved it but still... to know you're capable of such destructive, horrific things and can't control it... it's scary."

He tightened his hold on his knees. "Seeing the looks on my friend's faces when I come out of it... seeing the fear and worry they had for me... then looking around and seeing what I did... it scared me. It still scares me. I think about what I'm capable of and what happens if I lose control, even one time."

The solemn faced boy looked up at the moon again. "I never asked to be who I am... Arceus' Chosen One. I never asked for this strange other side... this energy that's inside of me. I guess I've accepted who I am but sometimes I find myself wondering if I ever really had a choice, you know? If I could have chosen a path for myself or if my destiny was always planned out from the time I was born... before then even."

He sighed and rubbed a hand across his neck. "I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining or anything, because I'm not. I have a great life and I know it. I have great Pokémon, great friends, a wonderful mom, Professor Oak and the others back home... and I feel really fortunate to be good at what I do and that Arceus herself cares about and believes in me so much. It's just... sometimes I guess it all can feel a bit overwhelming."

Leaning back on his hands, he took a deep breath and released it. "I know I just have to be strong and face everything that comes my way with strength and bravery. I gotta have faith Arceus is always watching over me and not think she made a huge mistake. I have to focus on being the best son, friend and Trainer I can be. But yeah... it can be hard."

He frowned once again, only slightly this time. "I think the hardest part is just the memory thing. Knowing what I did when I lost control, never knowing if or when it'll happen again and always trying to make sure I don't let it happen anymore. I guess the scary thing is just... when it happens... when I feel that... dark side, taking over... I..."

He glanced back to the moon once more. "Sometimes I actually... like it. Some part of me, deep down, loves the feel of that kind of raw power coursing through my body. Knowing that the ones I'm directing it towards have done horrible things and are about to pay for it... it feels good. And I think that's what scares me the most."

He finally looked toward Haunter again, whom was staring at him with enwrapped attention. Then, smiling ever so slightly, he continued on.

"I think I know... better than anyone else what you're going through Haunter. What you've done, the feelings that come with all those bad memories... knowing what you're capable of, wanting to change but not being sure if you can... feeling like you never really had a choice to begin with..."

Seeing the surprise in the giant Ghost-Type's eyes, his smile grew just a little bit. "Yeah... I can empathize with all of that Haunter. You and me are the same in a lot of ways and I guess that's why I..."

Ash looked down and rubbed the back of his neck again. "I guess that's why I want to help you so badly. I know the pain you feel, in my own way, and I want to help you overcome that. I want to help you heal because I know if you can do this, I can too."

He then stood up and looked at the levitating Pokémon that once garnered such fear and despair. "I know it's going to take time Haunter but don't ever forget, you aren't alone anymore. You have me, my other Pokémon and everyone else. We're not just your friends, we're your family now too. And family helps one another, through thick and thin."

He then smiled again, softly. "You don't have to isolate yourself Haunter, you're a part of this family now and I love you as a member of that family. Don't forget that, okay?"

The young Trainer turned and stretched his arms out while yawning. "Welp... it's super late and I'm exhausted. I think I'm gonna head back to bed now."

Beginning to walk away, he suddenly stopped and then looked back at the still stunned looking Ghost-Type. Smiling once more, he bid his final words of the night. "Goodnight Haunter... I love you."

Ash then went back to the campsite and crawled into his sleeping bag, leaving a shellshocked Haunter in his wake.

The young man was only in his sleeping bag for a few short minutes before he started to get heavy eyed due to the warmth of the fire. Also, the comforting glow it gave off and the two rhythmically sleeping Pokémon next to him, Pikachu and Vee, helped in lulling him to sleep as well.

This was just beginning to happen when he suddenly noticed a long shadow slowly settling over his sleeping bag. He didn't panic though or freak out because he could distinguish the shape of the shadow by the fire light and recognized it was Haunter.

Intrigued but not moving, Ash pretended to be asleep but still watched with one eye open as the shadow slowly, hesitantly, started moving around. Even though he couldn't see what was happening, he had a good idea.

Sure enough, with a slightly awkward aura around him and more than a little nervousness, Haunter had quietly ghosted over and was now right next to Ash's sleeping bag. Then, deciding to take the plunge, he started to settle himself down.

Contrary to popular belief, while Ghost Pokémon couldn't technically sleep in the normal sense of the word, they could go into a hibernation-like state that was very similar to sleep. From said state, they would then recharge their energy and restore themselves like sleeping did for normal people and Pokémon.

At present, Haunter was settling himself down on the outside of Ash's sleeping bag. Just far enough away to be out of the direct light of the fire but still casting his shadow over the boy nonetheless.

Then, as he finished situating himself until he resembled a big wall of shadow eclipsing his Trainer, Haunter slowly closed his eyes and gradually went into hibernation state.

Though he didn't see it, Ash could still tell what had just happened and all he could do was smile to himself as sleep finally began to take him. Before long, the content young Trainer was out like a light with Haunter's shadow somehow helping to comfort him into that deep sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, at almost six sharp, Ash and his friends were walking along a cliffside highway on route to the commercial end of Seafoam Islands.

"It sure is a beautiful day," Misty observed as they walked on the path reserved just for pedestrians while cars sped up and down beside of them on the road.

"Yeah and it sure is getting busy," Giselle commented as she watched a car fly by.

Ash, whom had Pikachu on one shoulder and Vee on the other, looked back. He soon found that he needed to speak up over the roar of cars on the one side of the path and the lapping of ocean waves on the other, far down below the side of the cliff.

"Well we are in-between Fuchsia City and the Seafoam Islands now so I'd be surprised if traffic didn't start picking up."

Brock nodded in agreement and pulled at the straps of his backpack. "I'm just glad we stopped off in Fuchsia City this morning to resupply. I was running low on some of my cooking ingredients and we needed stuff to make the Pokémon's food as well."

Suddenly, Giselle pointed as they rounded a bend and called out. "Look! There's the bridge from the mainland to the island!"

Following her gaze, sure enough, she was right. Stretching across the water a short ways away, from one end of the mainland to the island across the ocean, was the massive, arched bridge that connected both points.

"Wow look at that!" Misty exclaimed. "It's so huge!"

And indeed it was. The bridge was a gleaming, silver symbol of human ingenuity. With massive steel columns extended down into the deep ocean water beneath and high, arching beams of finely fashioned metal above, the Seafoam Bridge was a true testament of man's inventive ability.

With a spring in their step, the four traveling friends made their way swiftly to the bridge and then passed the checkpoint. There, two officers were collecting tolls in two separate booths from the people in cars driving onto the bridge.

After getting onto the pedestrian path that lead across the bridge, they started the long trek leading from the mainland to the island on the far side. Luckily enough, the road they were using was mostly free of a lot of foot traffic, which allowed them to reach the island in only about ten minutes.

Once they finally got off the bridge, the four Pokémon Trainers immediately walked onto the road that had a sign pointing to the city located on the island.

As they got onto the aforementioned road and began following it, they admired their surroundings the whole way. In fact, it was Misty that commented as they ventured further into the island's interior. "Everything is so clean, neat and well-kept here."

And indeed, that was true too. There was no trash to be seen littering the road or in the jungle-like terrain off to the side. The roads and foot paths themselves looked very well maintained, the trees and bushes along the path they were on appeared to be cut back - so as not to get in people's way - and even the smell of the air felt clean.

"It is nice around here," Brock agreed as he looked around while they walked. "You can tell the community here on the island keeps everything nice for tourists."

If they were impressed at just the roads that lead into the city then they were soon left in astonishment as they actually came into the town of Seafoam itself, only a short while later.

All the buildings and shops were neat, well painted and clean; not so much as a single abandoned establishment or shop in sight. The streets were just as clean and tidy as the roads, there were trash cans on almost every corner and the signs were all clear, straightforward and easy to read.

"Look at how busy this place is..." Giselle observed as she looked at all of the cars driving up and down the streets. As well as the people filling the sidewalks and just the general hustle and bustle going on all around them.

"It's not really surprising this time of year when the rest of Kanto is getting hit with cold fronts," Brock began explaining as they walked up to a crosswalk near a street intersection that read Corral Avenue and Sealine Street. "People want to get away from the winter and down here it never gets as cold."

Seeing a car go by that had surfboards strapped to the top and also several people walking around that had on beach wear and other touristy outfits, Ash smiled. "I don't know but I hope the water is warm this time of year."

"It should be," The squinty eyed teen replied. "Granted it won't be as warm as it is in the middle of summer but it should still be comfortable."

As they got onto one of the main streets that lead down through the heart of the city, the young group of travelers took in the sight of all the shops and restaurants on either side of the street, stretching for several blocks straight ahead.

Not only was there a souvenir place at practically every third shop but there were also vendors set up on the sidewalk. Each one peddling things like jewelry, beach items, clothing, seashell trinkets and other tourist apparel.

They ventured through the main streets of the city for a short time, taking in the sights and sounds around them, before eventually getting onto a street that lead down to the harbor and beach access areas.

As they made their way toward the outer lying rim of the island, that was when they started seeing all the homes, beach houses and even mansions that were dotted along the coast.

Certain areas they passed through seemed to be designated for just normal housing, while others looked like they were meant for rental beach housing alone. Even still, when they passed through the area of the island that was reserved for the mansions and rich people, their jaws remained almost permanently agape.

"Dang... talk about posh..." Ash commented as they walked passed a huge, white, three story mansion that had three extremely expensive cars in the driveway and a huge water fountain in the lawn. A fountain which had statues of golden Magikarp lining the basin.

Misty and Brock both nodded in agreement but Giselle remained oddly silent, awkwardly so. And even though Ash found it a little odd, he said nothing. Though, her strange attitude remained the same the entire time they went through the wealthy end of the island.

After they walked passed the area of the island with all the housing, they ventured through the harbor; where several boats and yachts of varying sizes and shapes were anchored at port. However, no commercial ocean liners or fishing boats were seen, save for just a few of the latter.

Soon, Ash and Co. got closer to the beach itself and saw piers lining the waterside where passerby's, fishermen and people looking through pay telescopes were staring out over the ocean. From where they were now, Misty sighed and took a deep breath of the sea air.

"Ahhh! I love the smell of the ocean!"

Giselle looked around and then hummed in thought. "I wonder if there are any public changing areas nearby? I need to get changed into my bikini."

As they approached yet another crosswalk that lead across the road to the sidewalk that connected to the beach itself, Ash looked around with a hand over his eyes to shield it from the sun.

"Hey, over there!" He pointed across the road and down on the beach where a small changing facility could be seen. "I see one!"

With a destination in mind, they ventured across the road and down onto the beach. After going to the changing facility and finding the correct sides, the four of them separated for a time and went to change into their beachwear.

Ash and Brock finished up first and came out dressed in simple trunks and nothing else. The former had simply converted his black and red track pants into the shorts/trunks combo they could become by unzipping and removing the legs. Meanwhile, Brock had donned himself into a pair of dark grey trunks.

As the two boys stood outside of the changing area at the front and waited on the girls, Ash stretched and enjoyed the feel of the warm sun beating down upon his slightly tanned skin. "Man this beach weather feels great, I am so ready to hit the waves!"

He then looked down at Pikachu and Vee in front of him and grinned. "What about you two? You ready to get wet!"

Pikachu and Vee both chirped and yipped excited replies but then Ash became a little thoughtful as he looked around at the crowded beach they were on. A beach which was full of people.

"You know Brock... we might have to go and find a more isolated spot of beach on the island, if there is one. This place is too crowded for me to release those two from their Poké Balls and not cause a panic."

Knowing exactly which "two" his friend was talking about, Brock looked around and then nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right. If you did it here everyone would run screaming from the beach."

Ash crossed his arms and tried to think of a way around the issue but right then, they suddenly heard a scream from the women's side of the changing room.

Whipping around at the sound of the scream, Ash tensed up and felt concern flood his being. "That was Giselle!"

He and Brock then took off with Pikachu and Vee for the women's end of the changing facility. Upon arriving, they saw a man with long dark hair, a beard and black sunglasses charging out of the changing area. He was dressed in tan shorts and a blue floral print island shirt.

A few seconds later, Misty (whom was fully dressed in a red two piece) ran out as well with Giselle right behind her. Only the brunette was wrapped in a long white towel and nothing else.

"Hey what's wrong?!" Ash called out as he and Brock ran up to their two female companions.

Misty, whom appeared completely red in the face she was so furious, pointed after the fleeing man. Which all the people on the beach were watching with mixed expressions of confusion and slight concern.

"That pervert was hiding in one of the dressing stalls and had a camera under Giselle's side, watching her change!"

Brock and Ash spun around but the black haired boy immediately took action as he angrily pointed at the fleeing voyeur. "I don't think so! Pikachu use Quick Attack and then Thunderbolt after you catch him!"

Smirking at the prospect of getting some action, Pikachu gave the man a few more yards of a head start before widening his stance. Then, in an explosion of speed that sent sand flying in a cloud, the small Electric-Type shot off down the beach in a blur of white and yellow. Kicking up a wall of sand on either side of him as the sheer speed of his charge almost knocked a few beachgoers off their feet.

Within seconds, he was upon the fleeing pervert and zoomed around in front of him, halting the man in his place as Pikachu stopped just three feet in front of him.

As the bearded lech lurched to a stop and saw the small little Pokémon glaring up at him, he smirked and let out a smug laugh. "What are you gonna do rat? Bite me on the ankle?! Ha! Get out of my way before I step on you!"

The foolhardy pervert's laughter was abruptly cut short as Pikachu disappeared in a blur of speed and the very next instant, had his head buried into the gut of the man.

Eyes bulging and mouth gaping open, his laughter was turned to gasping as spittle flew from his mouth. The man felt like his internal organs had just been violently shifted back toward his spine as he teetered on his heels and went to fall over.

However, before he could hit the ground, Pikachu landed first and crackled his cheeks before unleashing a bolt of low powered thunder at the foiled voyeur.

As the bolt of weak electricity hit the man, it was still powerful and bright enough to be seen by most everyone nearby on the beach. Luckily for him though, Pikachu only zapped him for a few moments, lest he fry his brain to mush.

After the electrical attack ended, the man dropped to the sand with blackened singe marks all over his body and smoke rising up off his half charred beard. The camera he had used to film Giselle was lying fried next to his outstretched arm and all he could do was open his mouth and release a puff of smoke.

"Okay... I give up..." He gasped as his body gave phantom spasms of pain from the electricity still coursing through his body.

Ash and the others quickly ran up to him while the black haired boy called out with a big grin. "Great job Pikachu! I think that was a new record!"

Turning to his trainer, Pikachu held up a peace sign and chirped triumphantly back. "Pikachu Pi!"

As they all crowded around the singed and smoking changing room voyeur, Misty sneered down at him. "Ha! That's what you get for being such a disgusting pervert! You gross, hairy, peeping creepo!"

Giselle, who had her towel wrapped firmly around her frame, glared disapprovingly down at the twitching pervert. "You should be ashamed of yourself spying on women like that! You're just pathetic, you're totally pathetic!"

At that moment, they suddenly heard a whistle blowing from somewhere behind them and turned back to see an Officer Jenny running their way with her Growlithe trailing behind her.

"Alright! Alright what's going on?! Everybody break it up! Break it up!"

She ran up to them and stopped next to Ash and Pikachu, looking down at the near unconscious man in the sand before snapping her head up and glaring at the kids.

"Okay who did this?! Using Pokémon to attack beachgoers and start fights is illegal and I'll take anyone to jail for breaking that law! Now fess up!"

Even Brock knew when to keep his sappy love spiels to himself in the face of an angry Officer Jenny, though Misty quickly attempted to explain. "You don't understand Officer Jenny, this man is a pervert!"

The blue haired woman stopped and blinked. "What? Explain what you mean by that!"

Holding her towel tighter against her body, Giselle spoke up as she looked at the female officer. "We were in the changing rooms and this guy was in one of the stalls spying on me with a camera! See?!"

She then pointed down at the ruined camera in the sand that Pikachu had destroyed. Ash, meanwhile, attempted to explain things from their end.

"He was trying to get away after spying on my girlfriend so I had my Pikachu chase him down and stop him, Officer."

The blue haired enforcer looked down at the man and glared. "Is this true?!"

Wanting nothing more than to just get taken far away from the scary little Pikachu that had fried him, the man gave a jerky nod and stammered back. "Y-Yes! J-Just please t-take me away from that l-little yellow m-monster!"

Frowning in disgust, Jenny pulled out the handcuffs from her side and held them up. "Then in that case you are under arrest for disturbing the peace, invasion of privacy and illegal voyuerism!"

Growlithe then jumped at the man, growling and baring his fangs to ensure he didn't try anything, while Officer Jenny knelt down to roll him over and handcuff him. Though they had no reason to worry, resisting arrest was the last thing on his mind.

Ash and his friends smiled in satisfaction as the busted voyeur got what was coming to him and when Jenny stood up, she looked apologetically at them.

"I'm sorry I accused the four of you. There was a disturbance and when I came and saw your Pikachu with a man laying on the ground, I thought you were just a bunch of troublemakers. You have my apologies though, you four performed a great public service by getting this degenerate off the beach. Thank you!"

As she stood up and directed the shaky man to his feet, Ash suddenly had a thought and then asked of the pretty female police officer.

"Excuse me Officer Jenny, we have a lot of Pokémon with us that we would like to let out on the beach but it's too crowded around here. Do you know of any place on the island that's a little more private?"

Jenny looked at him and then thought for a few seconds before smiling. "Actually, I do. There's a beach on the southern end of the island that no one hardly ever goes to. It's mostly because that beach is in the same direction that the second of the Seafoam Islands is in."

She raised her hand and finished her explanation. "The waves are always a lot rougher for some reason and the water stays colder there than it does on this end of the island. So, the tourists mostly avoid it. Only locals typically go there and it isn't often."

Sharing a look with his friends at the promising sounding location, Ash nodded and then glanced back to Officer Jenny. "Thank you Officer Jenny, we'll try it out!"

She gave a smile in return. "You're welcome. If you just go back up onto the road and get on Conch Street a few blocks down, it'll take you all the way to the other side of town. From there you'll see a city limits sign and a little beyond that, you'll find a beach access road that goes through a small strip of forest. That's where you'll want to go to get back on the beach."

After thanking her again and then seeing Officer Jenny march the handcuffed voyeur up the beach, Ash looked back at Giselle and nodded toward the changing room. "Why don't you go get changed and then we'll head out to the beach Officer Jenny told us about?"

She smiled and readjusted the towel further up her chest. "Yeah, now that Pikachu took care of that dirty old pervert, I can change in peace!"

She then knelt down and gently rubbed Pikachu behind the ears, softly smiling and thanking him for what he did, before making her way back over to the changing area again. Misty went with her, just to be safe, while Ash put his hands on his hips.

"Well, that was enough excitement for the day, right Brock?" Not hearing a reply though, he looked over at his older friend and saw the squinty eyed teen staring at where Officer Jenny had just been.

Since he was facing away, Ash didn't know what he was doing until he saw Brock mumbling. Deciding to see what he was doing, the confused young man glanced at his friend's face and saw a dopey, drooling expression taking up residence on the former Gym Leader's visage. All the while, he just murmured in a lovestruck tone.

"Wow... Officer Jenny... so pretty... so pretty!"

Sweatdropping, Ash face faulted to the sand and groaned. "Ugh... all we did was trade one pervert out for another!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After about an hour of traveling through the commercial area of the Seafoam Islands, Ash and his friends soon came out at the end of Conch Street on the far outlying reaches of town. Right in front of them was the city limits sign that Officer Jenny had told them about and as they walked passed it, all they could see was forest and jungle stretching out before them.

"Hey look at that," Giselle (whom was dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a black top to conceal the black bikini worn underneath) pointed in the distance. Right up to where the road got rocky and sandy, like it wasn't maintained anymore up to that point.

"It looks like that might be the access road to the beach Officer Jenny was telling us about."

With only one way to know for sure, they walked up to the end of the road and then looked into the forest stretching ahead. Seeing what looked like a path leading through it, the four of them stepped onto said forest road and began trekking their way into the jungle-like terrain.

As they pushed through the thick, untamed wilderness that resided outside of the city proper, the four friends found that the path was not nearly as well kept as the ones in and around the city, as well as the commercial beach areas.

When they finally came to the end of the jungle trail (though only after fighting vines that tried to slap them in the face, roots that tried to trip them up and thorny bushes that nearly pierced their flesh) they begun smelling the scent of salt air again. As well as also hear the sound of waves slapping against the seashore.

When they broke out into the open, just beyond the last bit of enclosed path, they were greeted to the sight of a wide beach spread out before them.

The sand on the beach was almost the same color as what was found on the other end of the island, only it was just a shade lighter and appeared white. The water of the ocean before them, however, was noticeably different.

This mostly meant that, whereas the water on the other end of the island was mostly calm and gentle, the waves on the beach before them was quite a bit more volatile and choppy. The waves were also a little wilder and not nearly as contained. Even still though, it wasn't terrible, like the water and waves would be in a storm.

The biggest difference between the beaches on both sides of the islands was the people on it. Or, in this particular case, the lack thereof. That was because, aside from the four of them, the beach was completely deserted; as far as the eye could see.

"Whoa!" Ash allowed a grin to split across his face. "This place is totally deserted! Awesome!"

Misty shared an enthusiastic smile with her friend. "Those waves aren't that bad, I've seen rougher water on my trips to the Vermilion City beach with my sisters!"

"Come on, let's see how it feels!" Giselle suggested excitedly before taking off onto the white sand toward the water. Ash, Misty and Brock quickly followed and Pikachu and Vee joined the sprint.

When they finally reached the water's edge, each of them quickly found why the beach remained so deserted. Upon touching his foot into the first wave that lapped up onto the side of the beach, Ash promptly withdrew it and skipped back.

"Wow! Wooo that's cold! Cold cold cold!" Running back onto the dry sand, Ash looked and saw his friends and Pokémon doing the same thing.

"That's almost painfully cold!" Misty hissed as she hopped around and then tried to bury her feet as far into the warm, dry sand as she could.

Giselle went for impatience and reached down, rubbing the tops of feet and the very bottom of her shins with her hands. "That feels like winter cold temperatures at any of the beaches up where we're from!"

Pikachu and Vee were both trying to make their fur stand back down after it had shot up from the unexpected cold and Brock shook his head while staring at the water. "Yeah I can definitely see why no one comes here to get in the water now."

Ash sighed and then looked at his friends. "Well, just because we can't get in the water doesn't mean we can't hang out and just enjoy relaxing on the beach, does it?"

The three of them shrugged at his suggestion with Misty saying simply, "That's fine, I don't care. I could just lay out and tan."

Giselle nodded in agreement. "Yeah that works for me too. At least it's only cold in the water."

With that decided, they all slipped their packs off their shoulders and went about pulling out some beach blankets to lay out on. Afterwards, they released all of their Pokémon so they could enjoy the day as well.

Ash, for his part, saved two Poké Balls for last and walked up to the shoreline with them in his hands. Looking down at the one in his right hand, he smiled and enlarged it.

"Okay girl... it's time to let you out and stretch those wings!"

With that said, he tossed the ball skywards and it snapped open. From the small red and white ball came a massive explosion of white and light blue energy that gradually went higher and higher and took form and shape. Then, at last, the mammoth, towering form of Dragonite herself appeared out in the waters of the ocean.

As the monolithic Dragon-Type appeared and fully materialized, she let loose a loud cooing sound that resembled a jet engine roaring across the sky. "OOOOOO!"

Putting a hand above his brow and staring up at the giant dragon that was now looking around and trying to figure out where she was, Ash smiled and shouted while waving his arms. "Hey! Dragonite! Down here girl! Down here!"

Shifting her attention downward, Dragonite caught sight of her Trainer far down below, standing at the water's edge. As soon as she saw saw him, she cooed in joy and then lowered herself down until Dragonite was able to get on all fours; her massive body easily spanning more than the length of a cruise ship in her current position.

As she got herself into a position where she could get her face near him, Ash laughed and held his arms out, happily embracing her giant snout once she was close enough.

"Oh I missed you too girl!" Wrapping his arms around as much of her nose as he could get, Ash smiled and embraced her warmly. "I missed you too... I missed you..."

The giant Dragonite closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of the intimate reunion with her Trainer. As they shared in the tender moment, Giselle and the others just looked on and smiled softly at the sight.

After they were finished sharing their reunion, Pikachu and Vee bounced over to say hello while Ash put his hands on his hips and stepped back.

"So how's everything been going back home Dragonite? Are you happy, do you like staying there?"

The draconian goliath eyesmiled at her Trainer and nodded with her big head still resting on the beach. "Oooo! Ooooo! Dragoooo!"

Glad to hear that she had been doing so well, Ash grinned in a playful manner. "You still training hard every day?! Cause you know, I'll find a battle for you to fight in one day!"

Once more, Dragonite smiled and gave a nod that churned up large waves around her head. "Ooooo!"

Laughing in amusement, Ash reached out and lightly patted her nose. "I know girl, I know. Now hey, you might wanna move back a bit." He held the other Poké Ball up that had been in his left hand, winking as he did. "We got one last member of the family to bring out here!"

Understanding who he meant, Dragonite stood back up in the ocean and moved to the side a bit, each step causing the water to churn up with frothy white waves. Though if the cold bothered her, she didn't show it.

As soon as she was out of the way, Ash threw the last ball into the air and watched it pop open to expel the same massive quantity of energy as Dragonite's Poké Ball did earlier.

As the Pokémon that had been contained in the ball materialized into existence near Dragonite in the ocean, Ash stepped back and laughed. "Yo! Tentacruel! What's up buddy?! Good to see you!"

The giant, multi-legged, mutated Pokémon from Porta Vista looked down at the young Trainer from Pallet Town. Though, unlike Dragonite, he didn't make any noises and he didn't immediately show any outward signs of affection like Dragonite did.

"Ummm... how are you Tentacruel? Doing okay? Everything alright back on the home front?" Ash awkwardly shifted from side to side. "Is everything alright?!"

However, in a move that surprised him somewhat, Tentacruel suddenly reached out with one massive tentacle and carefully wrapped it around the boy's body. Then, gently and with a focus on not using too much strength, Tentacruel pulled Ash out over the ocean and up to his giant face.

As he raised the boy up until he was level with the mutated Water/Poison-Type's giant, dark black eyes, Tentacruel just stared at him intently for a time.

Ash, for his part, stared back at the skyscraper sized Pokémon, doing his best not to blink and hold his gaze. Even though he didn't really know what was going on, he had a feeling he needed to do what he was doing, so he held Tentacruel's gaze.

Eventually, the evolved form of Tentacool slowly upturned his eyes until his massive visage was displaying what could best be described as a big eyesmile. Then, in a rumbling tone that practically shook the water below, he finally greeted his Trainer.

"TENTACRUEEEEL!" He then brought Ash forward and all but smushed the boy against the soft, spongy black skin of his face; almost like he was hugging him. "TENTA TENTA TENTACRUEL!"

"Oooh! Oomph! Ooomph! Ahhh! Tenta-cruel! I'm! agh! Glad! To see! You! Too!" The black haired, amber eyed boy gasped as he was continuously slammed into the soft, bouncy surface that comprised Tentacruel's face.

As the poor rookie was repeatedly face smashed over and over again into Tentacruel's cheek in some strange variation of a hug, Brock watched with a hand over his forehead and laughed.

"Wow! It really looks like Tentacruel missed Ash after all!"

Misty and Giselle giggled with the former saying in jest. "Yeah I hope he doesn't accidentally ink Ash!"

After the messy haired boy was finished getting all but pulverized by his Pokémon, Tentacruel carefully set him back down on the beach. As soon as his feet touched the sand, he wobbled around with swirls in his eyes and then collapsed to his backside.

"Yeah... r-really good to s-see you t-too Tentacruel..." He stammered woozily while laying on his back, which garnered laughs from the others.

Eventually, he regained his senses and stood back up before looking at both of his Giant Pokémon again. "So hey, you two! Since that roadside clearing we stayed at last night was too small for you two, I figured we could spend some time together here on this deserted beach and maybe do some training too! I'd also really like to see what you both have learned so far! How about it, wanna demonstrate?"

Dragonite and Tentacruel looked at one another and then back down at him before nodding. With that agreed upon, Ash and his friends, as well as all the other Pokémon, moved back some distance away from the water so they could be as far away from the impending battle zone as possible.

Once they were all back a safe enough distance, Ash cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled. "Alright! You can start whenever you want to!"

The two monolithic Pokémon turned and squared off against each other in the midst of the ocean. Tentacruel's face was obviously unreadable but Dragonite looked calm and serene.

Finally, seemingly at the crash of another wave to the shore, the battle began.

Tentacruel's tentacles moved at speeds far exceeding that of which they were capable of months prior at Hutber Port. They moved like multiple wriggly, powerful serpents, each one seemingly with a mind of its own.

Dragonite didn't move at first though. She simply readied herself and tensed up her muscles, flexing her wings as she watched the mass of tentacles approach.

Then, just before any could reach her, she suddenly lunged to the side in a quick movement not befitting her huge size. The quick pulse of her wings allowed the air current to help carry her but as soon as she avoided the initial strike, she turned the tide and went flying at Tentacruel at equally impressive speed.

However, just before she could reach her fellow giant and bury a fist into the side of his head, Tentacruel displayed a rather impressive increase in his speed as well and simply dipped his whole body beneath the waves and vanished from sight. The movement was not just quick but also caused a violent churning of waves to form from his fast submersion.

"Wow look at that speed!" Giselle gasped in amazement. "They're both a lot faster than before!"

At that moment, just when Dragonite reached where her sparring partner had just been, several tentacles began exploding up out of the water at rapid speeds. Like columns of dark grey stone erupting from the deep blue itself.

Demonstrating another impressive improvement in her skills, Dragonite jumped up and took to the air with one, single strong flap of her mighty wings. This was so impressive mostly because of the speed in which she executed the evasive maneuver.

Shortly after Ash captured her, it typically took a little bit for Dragonite to get her massive form off the ground and into the air. It usually took several pumps of her wings to do so.

Now, however, she had jumped and ascended into the sky with relative ease and grace. Unfortunately, the higher she went, the higher the tentacles chasing her went too.

Narrowing her eyes, the supersized Dragon-Type showed just how agile she had become by using quick and fast aerial maneuvers in the air to avoid the flexible, lightning quick appendages.

Twisting, turning, dodging and feinting, Dragonite showed that even the big guy (or in this case, girl) in the ring could move fast. For every tentacle that came her way, she smoothly dodged it and occasionally even smacked one away with either her arms, tail or even one of her wings.

However, Tentacruel showed just how much he had grown too when he suddenly erupted from out of the ocean and launched himself high into the sky. As water in cascades rained down off of his massive form, Tentacruel soared up towards Dragonite at admittedly impressive speeds.

Once he was high enough, Tentacruel brought two powerful tenta-arms up and around over his head and down toward Dragonite. She reacted quickly though and brought her own arm up, grunting from the force of the impact as both tentacles slammed against it and tried to break her defense.

It turned out to only be a decoy though because at that moment, Tentacruel's other tentacles all surged forward and wrapped around her midsection and wings.

Trapping Dragonite's arms and wings to her sides, Tentacruel ended up suctioning to her like a magnet on a fridge and then twisted around until he was attached to her back. His tentacles were now binding her tightly like the world's largest coil of rope.

Unable to stay aloft anymore, Dragonite started falling back toward the now wild and turbulent ocean below. However, on the way down, she struggled and fought Tentacruel's tight binding and tried to free herself

Seeing the predicament Dragonite was in, Giselle gave voice to it as they all watched with enraptured fascination back on the beach. "This might be it! Tentacruel has her wrapped up really tightly!"

At that same time, both Giant Pokémon finally hit the water. Tentacruel took the brunt of the fall but that was not really an issue since he could fold and compress his jelly-like body if need be.

The side-effect from the impact though was a massive wave that was churned up as soon as they hit. Luckily enough for Ash and the others though, the two battling Pokémon were far enough out in the ocean that the wave had lost a lot of its height by the time it finally reached the shore.

Even still, it washed up far higher on the beach than most of the other waves were able, especially since it was still low tide.

Back in the water, Tentacruel kept his death grip on Dragonite's body, refusing to let up on his squeezing pressure for even a minute. The Dragon-Type giant was a fighter though and she too refused to give up.

Even though Tentacruel had her wrapped and pinned up, she struggled, fought and thrashed around like mad. Rolling in the water, throwing her body up and down, jerking herself backward and forward. She even managed to flip herself up using mostly her tail and then started tossing herself in wild, random directions across the surface of the ocean.

Every time she stood up, Dragonite would throw herself forward and roll through the waves. Then, while on her back again, she would thrash powerfully to try and get Tentacruel off of her. Even still, the stubborn, jumbo sized jellyfish refused to let her go.

As the two titans of sheer power and size rolled, crashed and thrashed around in the open ocean, the sea itself looked like it had turned into a dark, swirling, volatile battlefield.

The sand and sediment from the ocean floor that was getting stirred up had begun turning the water murky and foggy. That paled in comparison, though, to the huge and unnaturally large waves that their tussle was consistently creating and spreading out in all directions.

"It's like watching two giant monsters going to all war together!" Brock exclaimed in amazement, which the others nodded in firm agreement to.

Eventually, Dragonite managed to stand back up with Tentacruel now working to get his tentacles up to her throat and choke her out. However, she wasn't about to give up and in a show of spontaneity, very much like Ash would do, she took desperate actions to do so.

Since her long tail hadn't been captured and cinched down, she forced it to sling up behind her like a whip and smack Tentacruel in the back of the head.

The force was powerful enough that they could all hear the resounding smacking sound it made and also saw how Tentacruel was jolted forward by the force of the hit. Even still though, he refused to let go and tightened his hold on Dragonite.

She also refused to give in and continued pummeling Tentacruel with her tail, over and over again. With every brutal pounding of the giant jellyfish, Tentacruel's eyes started narrowing in pain and his concentration slowly began lapsing.

Sensing that her attacks were starting to have an effect, Dragonite increased the force of her tail strikes and brought it up from further down so she could hit harder.

After doing this a few more times, Tentacruel's hold on Dragonite began relaxing just a little bit. Fortunately for her, it was all she needed to have with such massive strength on her side.

Using a powerful flexion of her arm muscles and the muscles in her back that controlled her wings, Dragonite gave a roaring cry of, "DRAGOOO!" And then let her inner power explode forth.

Since Tentacruel was still a little distracted from the multiple hits he had taken to the back of the head, he was not ready for her sudden explosion of power and that caused him to lose his hold on her completely.

As the giant Water-Type's tentacles loosened, Dragonite freed her warms and wings by thrusting them outwards. Then, as the tentacles that had been wrapped around her started to fall away, she reached back and grabbed two of them.

Then, as she flexed her muscles again with a sign of visible strain on her face from the effort it took, she started to chant her name and summon all her inner might.

To the shock of everyone watching, as the massive female Dragon-Type began pulling on the tentacles she now held over her shoulder, Tentacruel also started to get drawn forward. Amazingly enough, even as he fought back, his other tentacles in the ocean soon began leaving the water as Dragonite quite literally started to lift the other Giant Pokémon over her shoulder.

Then, with a loud cry of her name and a final hard jerk using her brute force strength, she ballistically tossed Tentacruel over her shoulder and high into the air.

The mutated, evolved form of Tentacool went soaring high through the sky above; his massive form appearing to blot the sun out for a moment at the apex of his ascent. Then, when gravity finally started to catch up with him, the multi-legged Water-Type commenced to falling straight to the ocean below.

"Watch out everybody!" Ash yelled as he backed up with his hands out, eyes going wide. "When he lands it's gonna churn up a huge wave!"

With the forewarning given, all of them grabbed their beach towels and packs and fled as far up the beach as they could with their Pokémon in tow; almost until they were back at the tree line bordering the beach.

The run for cover proved to be a good idea since as soon as Tentacruel hit the water, a gigantic wave, several feet high, rose from the ocean around the impact zone and began racing towards the coast.

When it finally hit, the fast and powerful wave slammed onto the shore and ate up the length of the beach like a Snorlax devouring food. The frothy, angry surge of water rushed up the dry ground; turning wet the sand that had not been touched by water in countless years. Luckily, Ash and the others were far enough back that the water did not reach them.

When the violent turbulence of Tentacruel's landing finally passed on, both Giant Pokémon were seen standing opposite from one another again in the midst of the ocean.

The two of them were staring each other down intently, neither one moving, while the sea water around them continued to angrily roil and churn. The battle had forced up a lot of sediment from the ocean floor beneath and it had turned the water muddy, murky and black.

Finally, Ash ran back up close to the shore again and yelled out, "Okay guys! That's good enough! Really, that was amazing, you can stop!"

Once their Trainer called out to them, Dragonite and Tentacruel stopped staring each other down and then looked at him on the beach.

"I can tell your training has really made you two a lot stronger, that fight was amazing!" He yelled again with hands cupped to his cheeks. "Keep up the great work because it's going great!

Dragonite eyesmiled modestly and rubbed her massive arm behind her head while Tentacruel merely nodded, inwardly pleased at the praise.

"Alright, come on in and relax!" The coal haired Trainer instructed. "We're just gonna hang out here on the beach and rest, you two can join us! Let's just spend time together relaxing!"

Apparently liking the suggestion, Dragonite and Tentacruel both moved to the shore and then, as soon as they reached the beach, the former walked up on the sand. Finding a large enough area to lay down on her side, she did so and settled on the warm sand to relax her massive form.

Even Tentacruel, for his part, got out of the deep part of the ocean and moved onto the beach, dripping a rain of water from his underbelly like small waterfalls as he did so.

Eventually, he himself found a place that was near the others but still close enough to the water that the waves could splash in and keep his underside wet.

Once he found that ideal spot, Tentacruel lowered himself down until his tentacles were mostly splayed out around him. His body was predominately laid in the shallows of the beach so his absorbent body could stay moist. Which, being a jellyfish, was a must for Tentacruel.

With both of Ash's Giant Pokémon gathered around them on the beach in comfortable positions, he and the others went about setting up their little sunning area again. Laying their towels out, situating their packs and getting comfy themselves, Ash, Brock, Misty and Giselle settled themselves down for a relaxing break while their Pokémon all laid out near them as well.

Even Haunter found a place to get comfortable and that was under the shade that could be found getting cast by the big shadow that Dragonite's laying form created. Which meant that the abnormally large Ghost-Type was able to relax himself very close to her chest, near her chin. Not that the gentle giant minded being used for shade.

Over the next two hours, they all simply took their time relaxing and enjoying the peace and tranquility of the deserted beach. Ash himself found it amusing to lay back on his towel and watch Pikachu and Vee play in the sand while Diglett dug tunnels through the strange new terrain he wasn't used to.

Misty's Starmie, Staryu, Horsea, Seaking and Tentacool were lounging in the shallows of the water near Tentacruel and were having their own little Water-Type powwow. Which was something Ash was happy to see since it allowed Tentacruel to have more interaction with others outside of his own Pokémon back home.

Misty's Tentacool, quite obviously, was a big part of the little gathering since the much smaller jellyfish used to be a part of Tentacruel's pod back at Porta Vista in Hutber Port's coral reefs. In ways, they were both family and Ash knew having time to be together like they were now had to have been appreciated by both of them.

Both of the group's Graveler, Marowak, Zubat, Vulpix and Onix mostly stayed near their Trainers since they didn't like being in water unless they had to train in it.

As for Ash and the others, when they weren't relaxing they were just conversing casually about random topics and spending time with their Pokémon. Ash himself built a neat sand castle with Misty, Giselle, Pikachu, Vee and Diglett. Marowak even joined in at the brunette's insistence to keep making him more social.

After that, Ash went and sat with Tentacruel and talked with him for awhile before doing the same for Dragonite. That way he could ensure that he was spending quality time with them, just like he wanted.

After all of that, the time eventually came for he and Brock to set up their portable cooking equipment and feed all the Pokémon. This time around though, Misty and Giselle helped Brock make the food for all of their Pokémon while Ash focused on making the special meals for his own.

It took him somewhat longer than usual since he had to also prepare Dragonite and Tentacruel's food. Recipes that called for him to carefully add the crucial amounts of Enigma Berries (of which he always kept on hand in his pack) to the food of both Giant Pokémon. After all, if not for the special berries, the flavorful, nutrition-packed food he made for Dragonite and Tentacruel would have never been enough to fill their massive bellies.

In fact, it was when Ash was making both of their own food after preparing Pikachu, Vee and Diglett's that he found himself thankful for two things. The first was him being glad that he had sent an Enigma Berry to the Lab back home shortly after capturing Dragonite. This was after he had found out how he needed to prepare her food to satisfy her enormous hunger using said berry.

Since Enigma Berries could grow overnight, one was all he had needed to send back to the Oak Ranch. Apparently, the Professor had planted the first one in an enclosed little fence behind the lab and that was where his own supply came from. Similar to how, if needed, Ash could plant one of his own precious Engima Berries along the side of the road at night and then awaken the next morning to one or two new berries having grown overnight. Once more proving false the erroneous rumor that Kanto soil was ill-suited to growing berries.

The second thing he was thankful for came to him as he chopped up the berry in question that he needed to add to Dragonite and Tentacruel's large brown pellet food as the final ingredient. And that thing was Professor Oak and probably Salia now as well.

Ash found himself very thankful that both of them were so willing to go through all the extra trouble just to prepare his Pokémon's special food for them every day. Something he knew wasn't easy with all the other obligations they had to tend to every day. Which made him appreciate it all the more.

Once they were finally done feeding all of their Pokémon, the four of them decided that it was time to eat something themselves. However, instead of them making food, they decided to just do the easiest (and laziest) thing and go into town to eat.

That decision found the four of them returning all of their Pokémon soon enough, packing up and then heading back into Seafoam City. Only once Misty and Giselle had thrown a pair of blue jean shorts on to cover their bikini bottoms of course.

Afterwards, they all slid on the flip flops that they each kept a pair of in their packs and left the beach. It took awhile, almost half an hour, but eventually they made it back into the tourist town of Seafoam and found a place to eat.

The shop was simple. Just a small sandwich stand squeezed in-between a souvenir shop and a screen printing t-shirt place. The four of them took their time eating; enjoying the surprisingly good food, warm temperature and watching people walking up and down the street beside the outdoor patio area they were seated at.

Once they were finished eating, they decided to head back to their own private beach but along the way, they had to go passed the crowded beach areas that were full of people. It was at that time, when they went passed a pier that stretched out into the ocean, the four of them overheard two older men that were talking loud enough for them to hear.

"Come on ya old coot, you're never gonna see it again 'cause you didn't see it in the first place!"

The first man that spoke was addressing his white haired companion, whom had himself slightly bent at the shoulders while looking out through a pair of high-powered, stand up binoculars that were found on almost every pier in the area.

"Oh yes I did! I told ya I did!" The elderly man with his eyes glued to the binocular telescope yelled back as he swiveled the blue magnifying device this way and that. "I saw it flyin' across the sky, pretty as a shot!"

His friend snorted and crossed his arms. "All you saw was a fancy mirage over the water, a trick of the waves and the sun as them sailors say!"

The bearded, wrinkled old man looking through the telescope pulled away to look back and shake his fist. "No I saw it! I did!"

"Bah!" The other one flipped his hands downward. "That Pokémon ain't been seen round these parts for years! Since before our granddaddies was born! And you know it!"

Curiosity getting the better of him, Ash suddenly stopped and walked over to the two men with his friends soon following behind, also curious.

"Excuse me sir," He began as he stopped before both old timers. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but did you just say you saw a Pokémon of some kind?"

The doubter of the two threw his arms up and shook his head. "Gah! Here we go! Now look what ya did, got a bunch of poor kids all interested in your craziness!"

The bearded man glared at his companion before looking back at Ash and nodding, his face becoming excited. "Yes indeed I did youngin! I saw a rare, mythical Pokémon that ain't no one seen in years! But I did! Yes sir, I saw it right here in this very spot, with these very binoculars!"

He tapped the telescope in question while Giselle asked politely. "What kind of Pokémon did you see sir?"

Looking up, the man smiled fondly and began to reminisce. "It was about two weeks or so ago now. I come out here to this very pier almost every evenin' to watch the ocean but on one night when the moon was high in the sky, that's when I saw somethin' I'll never forget!"

He then turned and gestured at the ocean out in front of them. "On that night, the clouds were hangin' pretty low but as I looked out at the moon above, I saw a Pokémon I won't ever forget flying across the sky! Right beneath the cloud line and in the light of the moon!"

He then gestured with his hands grandly. "It was big, biggest bird I've ever seen! As soon as I saw it appear, I ran over here to this telescope and got a real clear view!"

Turning to them again, he continued gesturing with his hands. "It was blue, like a light blue the color of real cold ice! It also had white feathers, white as snow, around its belly and a sharp, dark blue crest on its head. Its wings were long, like the size of long flags on a pole and its tail feathers were even longer! They trailed behind it, floatin' almost like they were dancing on the breeze!"

He then looked up again as his eyes went distant. "But the most amazin' thing was the way it seemed to leave a shine of... of sparkles behind its tail feathers. Like small little snowflakes of ice! I swear it was the most beautiful and graceful thing I ever did see. I watched it until it flew for a ways and then went up above the clouds and vanished! Like a ghost in the night!"

"Wow," Misty breathed in awe. "Do you know what it was?"

The old man smiled at her and nodded as his friend rolled his eyes and looked away. "Well I didn't then but after I saw it, I went to the library here on the island and got myself a book on Pokémon right here in the Seafoam Islands!"

He then held his hands out for dramatic effect. "I searched and searched but I couldn't find any Pokémon even closely matchin' it. Then, one day, I came across a section in the book talkin' about the myths and legends around the Seafoam Islands and I found it! I'm totally sure now that what I saw... was Articuno!"

Their mouths all dropped open at that and their eyes widened as they announced together, "Articuno?!"

He nodded. "Yep! I'm tellin' ya, I saw it!"

The other old man shot back. "And I'm tellin' you, ya didn't see anything! Now you're lyin' to these kids!"

The passionate believer glared at him. "I told ya for the millionth time, I know what I saw!" He then looked back at the four friends and smiled apologetically. "Sorry 'bout that kids, my old friend here thinks I've just been huffin' the old Tentacool ink. But I'm telling ya, I know what it is I saw and I ain't tellin' no stories!"

"Do you have any idea where it went?" Brock asked with a fair amount of amazed interest.

The old man shook his head. "Unfortunately no and I've been coming out here every day just to hope to see it again... but I never have."

"So you have no idea where it might have went?" Giselle asked.

"Well..." He put a hand to his chin and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I know in local legends, it says that the second of the Seafoam Islands was supposed to be a nestin' place of Articuno."

He then held a finger up. "Problem is, that island is dangerous to go to and even more treacherous without a guide. The waters around it are freezin' cold and rough and the island itself is mostly made up of a bunch of underground caves. I've heard it gets real cold down in them tunnels and dark too. They give guided tours but only through a few of the surface level caves."

He then frowned intently "There are whole levels far below that no one's ever been into and lived to tell about. It's dangerous, that's why no one knows for certain whether or not Articuno lives there."

The other old man snapped back. "That's because it isn't ya old fool!"

Turning away from Ash and the others, the bearded one yelled back. "Don't tell me what I have and ain't seen, ya grumpy old codger!"

As the two old men began bickering and fighting back and forth again, Ash pulled his friends aside and had them walk a little ways off before stopping and looking at them excitedly.

"Guys this is it, I know what we can do!"

As if knowing what her first real friend was about to suggest, Misty sighed and dropped her head. "Oh here we go..."

Ignoring her exasperated comment, Ash smiled. "Let's go to that second island and see if we can find Articuno!"

Silence was what initially met his announcement but Giselle eventually answered him. "Umm... are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, we've heard from more than one person now that the second island is really dangerous."

Brock nodded. "And how would we get there? We'd probably have to charter a boat of some kind, which would be expensive. And if we didn't do that then we'd probably have to find some way to get involved in one of those big group tours to the island."

Misty spoke up then. "Yeah and you know from what we've been told Ash, the tour groups that actually go into the cave on that island never go too far in because of the danger."

Brock interjected. "And I wouldn't be surprised if they only do those tours at certain times. Maybe even only during the summer holiday months. Besides, that beach we were just on is in the same direction as that island. You felt how cold the water was there, maybe they wait for it to get a little warmer in the summer before taking people?"

Giselle frowned a little. "And we don't even have the proper caving gear Ash."

The black haired boy looked amongst his friends and then sighed. "Guys look, I understand how you feel, I really do. And you're probably right on everything you said. I'm not an idiot either, I know that even if we went, we'd probably never actually find Articuno. It's just..."

He rubbed the back of his head and sighed again. "I promised Professor Oak that I would do my best to help him with his research by using the Pokédex to gather as much info on Pokémon as I can on the road. Why do you think I always scan every Pokémon I catch and evolve? Or when I actually get a chance to scan a wild one or a Pokémon in battle? Which I know isn't often but still."

He then looked at his friends once more. "Professor Oak is like my grandfather, I love him and respect him. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be who I am today as a Trainer. Legendary Pokémon are one big mystery and if I even had the chance to get to see and scan one up close and personal, it would do wonders for the Professor's research. And for the whole world in general."

Ash then looked over the ocean and his voice became forlorn. "Professor Oak told me once that Mythical Pokémon like Arceus aren't even thought to exist and Legendary ones like Articuno haven't been spotted in forever, so they're slowly fading into myth as well. If I have a chance to prove otherwise, then as a Pokémon Trainer and a Pokémon Researcher in-training, it's my obligation to do so."

He then looked back at his friends again. "I'm not asking you guys to do this if you really don't want to. And I won't make you worry by going on my own. If you really don't want to, we won't. I just wanted you to know why. This isn't about thrill-seeking, for me it's about doing something worthwhile."

The three of them remained silent for a time after he finished speaking. Not one said anything immediately, they just looked down in deep thought.

Eventually, Giselle looked up and, after looking at the other two, she looked back to her boyfriend. "Ash... we've done a lot with you and we have taken all kinds of risks. It would be completely insane of us to consider doing something like this with you."

Believing he had received his answer, Ash nodded and was just about to concede when she continued. "But... we are your friends. We care about you, very much, and if this is something you feel so strongly about then... I don't see how I can hold you back. That would be wrong, to me, and I just can't do that. If you really want to try this then... I'll risk it with you."

Misty, having looked up as well, seemed to be in agreement. "She's right Ash. I think this is kind of crazy as well but I understand why you're so passionate about it. I'm with you too, as always."

Brock took that time to give a slight smile as he chuckled. "And I am the oldest here. I suppose it'd be kind of irresponsible to let you kids just go wandering off by yourself someplace like that."

After Brock was done speaking his playful jest, even Pikachu and Vee chirped their own agreement to go, which made their Trainer smile and kneel down to gently rub their heads. "I know you two are always ready to do anything."

Standing up when he was done, Ash took the time to look at each of his friends. "A guy really could never ask for better friends. Thank you, all of you. I promise that if we get into this and it seems too dangerous, we'll back out. I don't want to endanger any of our lives needlessly over this."

Brock put his hands on his hips. "Well, I guess we'll need to check into seeing if we can even get a boat out there in the first place. Then maybe also look into seeing if there is a place around here that might somehow end up selling caving equipment. Better to be prepared."

Ash nodded in agreement. "We don't need a boat, I'm pretty sure I already have the travel plans figured out. You're right about the caving gear though. It's a long shot but maybe a shop around here sells some since they do guided tours in that cave."

With a general plan of attack laid out, per say, the foursome set out into the city again and started looking for a place that sold caving equipment. It was a mission that took a little while and asking one of the other shop owners but after being on the search long enough, their efforts finally paid off.

They ended up getting pointed to a shop down near the harbor that sold caving equipment and also served as the location for where guided tours of the second island were gathered together. Since that was the case, they were able to learn from the nice man that ran the shop all about their hidden endeavor.

The man's name was Steve and he was a reasonably fit, older, neatly groomed grey haired gentleman that had lived in Seafoam his whole life. Sailing boats, ocean diving, navigating, deep sea caving and just about every other thing a man who lived on the ocean could do, he had done.

Apparently, he had been giving guided tours on and around the second Seafoam Island most of his life and had even taken on, trained and employed younger expeditionary enthusiasts to help him run his touring business in the summer.

Unfortunately, they also learned that he only gave such tours in the summer months. The reason being, from what he said, was due to how harsh and dangerous the second island could be during the winter months.

According to Steve, the waters around the island were even worse and more turbulent in the winter and the water itself was far colder than usual. This was for reasons that apparently no one understood in the first place since the ocean water around the rest of the Seafoam Islands area were always perpetually warm.

It was only the water in the general direction of the second island that was always freezing cold, especially in winter. And apparently, the cold acted like a ring of sorts that encircled the entire island for a few miles in every direction. Very unusual indeed since the cold water only remained up to a certain point and then turned warm again.

Also according to Steve, concerning why he only gave tours in the summer, was the fact that in the winter, the caves below the island itself were all but impossible to traverse.

He explained to his young patrons that during the summer time, he and his younger staff would only take people onto the island itself and then into the caves just a short ways down. There were large surface tunnels and rooms in the upper part of the cave that were generally safe for people to traverse in the summer time.

The tunnels were big and small, some you could stand up in but others you had to crawl through. The big cavern rooms were mostly areas where the tourists could see all the natural splendor of large stalactites, the beautiful sleek gray stone of the ancient cavern walls, the occasional stream of water passing through a room and even small waterfalls found here and there.

The tours were mostly broken into two different groups. The one was a general tour, in which people of all ages, shapes and sizes could see the big upper caverns via easily accessible, safe tunnels that didn't require any athletic ability or fitness to traverse.

The second tour mostly offered the same sights, save for a few extra rooms. The only difference was that it was considered a little more "extreme" and required a certain level of mild athleticism and fitness to partake in the activity. Mostly, the ability to crawl through narrow passages, climb up or slide down rocks, rappel down small drops and the like.

Steve had revealed though that in the winter time, many of the passages and rooms they gave the public a general tour through would flood with freezing cold water. Obviously, that also included the more hard to reach passages and rooms.

From what Ash and the others had gathered from the elderly tour guide, there were whole lower levels to the Seafoam Caverns that had never been explored by any human being.

In some of the passages and caverns in the upper level, there were water channels that lead down into the cave system further via tunnels that filtered said water through them. The only problem, from what Steve said, was that the water in those tunnels were well below freezing temperature.

This quite naturally meant that as much as explorers wanted to chart the rest of the vast, mostly unknown cave system, the freezing water proved to be an insurmountable task.

It was, in fact, the legendary icy waters in the cave - keeping humans from being able to go any further down into it - that had lead to the rise of the myth that Articuno itself lived in the Seafoam Caverns. That the legendary bird used its freezing powers to keep the waters of the cave impossible for man to traverse. Thus, making the perfect hiding spot.

Nevertheless, Ash and his friends were committed to at least seeing the second island, if nothing else, and purchased some reasonably priced caving equipment from Steve.

Ropes, headlamps, glow sticks, waterproof caving boots, picks, rappelling hooks and eco-safe paint to mark their way in a cave. They even purchased a set of warm thermal clothing that he also sold due to the perpetually cold nature of the second island.

All the equipment wasn't overly pricy (Steve had even been nice enough to give them a discount) and most of it was small enough that they were easily able to fit it into their large travel packs. Unfortunately, Misty's red bag just wasn't big enough to hold all she had bought and that meant she had to finally purchase a travel backpack for herself like her friends.

What was fortunate for her, though, was that she had been able to find a pack that was red, just like her old one. Even still, she tied her old bag off to her new one for extra storage purposes if nothing else.

Before they left, Steve had a training area in the back of his shop where he gave rappelling lessons to tourists and the new employees he hired to give tours. Being the nice fellow that he was, he offered to teach them how to rappel down off of a large rock wall he had set up. An offer in which they gladly took him up on.

It took about an hour for each of them to get comfortable with the newly acquired skill but when they finally left Steve's shop at around two in the afternoon, they felt ready to try their luck.

Luckily, the story they had told the older man about their desire to explore Mt. Moon after leaving from their "vacation" in the Seafoam Islands had been bought by him. Steve never suspected their real motives and they didn't divulge them, for rather obvious reasons.

With everything they needed now on hand, the four of them left the city and headed back across the island to the private beach they had been to earlier. Upon arriving, they were glad to see it just as empty as before but as they ventured up to the water's edge, Misty asked.

"Ash, now might be a good time to ask... what's your grand plan to ferry us across this freezing cold water to the second island?"

Looking back at the orangette, Ash smirked and pulled a Poké Ball from the belt on his side. "I've got some transportation ready to go that's even better than a boat."

He then threw the ball into the air once they reached the water's edge and it snapped open, releasing a massive burst of energy from within that soon took the form of Tentacruel.

As the gargantuan jellyfish appeared in the shallows of the cold ocean water (not that it bothered him) Misty blinked widely. It took a few seconds of silence but eventually, she spoke in a deadpan with a small head tilt. "Huh... okay, that could work."

Ash then yelled up to his Giant Pokémon. "Tentacruel! There is an island we really need to go to across the ocean! Is there any way you could please take us there?!"

Tentacruel looked down at his Trainer and considered his request for only a few seconds before nodding. "TENTA-CRUEL!"

After receiving the thundering reply, Ash smiled in gratitude and thanked his Pokémon. However, before they could go any further, Giselle spoke up.

"Wait a minute guys, if where we're going is really gonna be so cold, why don't we change into our winter clothes and that thermal wear we bought? I'm not a big fan of stripping down on a cold island, I'd rather do it where it's warm."

Brock nodded. "That's a good idea, let's do that."

Ash and Misty formed a joint consensus and then, after telling Tentacruel to wait, they all went back up into the jungle just beyond the beach. Separating, the two girls went off one way to change and the two boys did likewise.

A short while later, they all emerged from the tree line dressed in completely different outfits.

Brock had on a pair of dark brown snow pants and a thick blue snow coat. He wore blue gloves on his hands and on his feet, he had on the waterproof caving boots they had all purchased. Meanwhile, under his outer wear, he had on the black thermal shirt and pants Steve had also sold them.

Ash was dressed in black snow pants and jacket with matching gloves, while on his own feet were the same pair of brown caving boots. He too had on his own black thermal wear.

Misty and Giselle were dressed in an identical fashion. They both had on snow pants, jacket and gloves, like the boys. Only, Misty's pants were light blue, her jacket was red and her gloves were the same color. Giselle's pants were pink, like her gloves, but her jacket was white.

Both girls also wore the same brown caving boots and thermal wear. However, since their thermal was in the women's line of design, the color of both sets were pink instead of black. Not that anyone could see.

As they came back together, Misty fanned herself and panted. "Okay, let's get across that water to the island because if I stay on this beach much longer dressed in these clothes, I'm gonna die from heat exhaustion!"

Falling into firm agreement with Misty, they all headed back to the water quickly while cinching their packs down to their jackets tightly. Pikachu and Vee were both riding on Ash's pack instead of his shoulders.

Once they arrived at the water's edge and told Tentacruel they were ready, the oversized Water-Type reached down with his tentacles and gently grasped onto the much smaller humans. Then, just as carefully, he brought them all up to him out across the water and placed the young Trainers upon his head. Right in-between the two ruby like gems set into his cranium and above the smaller third one that was closer to his eyes.

As soon as they were placed onto Tentacruel's head and could see the cresting ocean waves in the water far below their current height, Giselle breathed out slowly to get the nervousness from her belly that came from being so high up. Brock himself appeared to be in the same position.

Ash and Misty, on the other hand, looked quite comfortable. Ash, quite naturally, because he had been in such a position before and Misty, for her part, because she was sitting on top of a giant version of one of her all time favorite Pokémon.

"Ohhhh this is so incredible!" She practically gushed like a fangirl as she laid down and hugged the soft, spongey, yet firm blue skin of Tentacruel's head. "I've always loved Tentacruel since I was a little girl and now I'm riding on top of the biggest one in the whole world! Thank you so much Tentacruel for letting us do this!"

The serious and no nonsense dual type Pokémon felt his blackened cheeks try to turn the faintest shade of red as the girl on top of him hugged his head. Ash, on the other hand, sighed and took a moment to enjoy the view.

"Man... look at this guys... you can see a lot from up here!"

Misty and the others did as he suggested and looked out at the horizon from the tower that was the top of Tentacruel's head. And indeed, Ash's words were true.

From where they were now, they were able not just to see most of the first island, city and all, they were also able to see the Seafoam Bridge and the mainland that lead back to Fuchsia City. Though there was still some of the large island they could not see; even from the top of Tentacruel.

"Wow..." Giselle breathed. "That really is an amazing sight..."

The others nodded in agreement but then Ash looked over and addressed the older boy to his right. "Hey do you wanna pull out that map of yours Brock? It should hopefully point to what general direction the second island is in."

The squinty eyed teen removed his pack and fished out his map from inside of it before opening it to the section that showed the Seafoam Islands.

"Hmm..." Brock followed the map with his finger and then looked out into the distance of the ocean behind them. "Well, the map shows that the second of the Seafoam Islands is out in the ocean, a ways away from the main one. We know this beach is facing in a pretty direct straight shot to the second island so I suggest we just head due south. We should be able to spot it no problem, especially from up here on Tentacruel."

Ash nodded and then looked down and lightly patted Tentacruel's head. "Alright buddy, you heard him! Turn around and just start going straight!"

The monolithic Water/Poison-Type turned around and then began heading dead ahead into the vast, open expanse of the ocean laying stretched out before them like a great blue canvas.

As Tentacruel ventured farther and farther into the water, his body began sinking gradually lower until eventually, when they were almost a full mile out from the shore, he was now a full half shorter than he really was.

Even still, with half of himself submerged in the great, vast deep of the ocean surrounding them on all sides, Tentacruel was still quite a ways away from having his head touching the water.

Looking over the side, Brock shook his head and whistled in amazement. "That's incredible. We have to be at least a mile out and the depth at this point must be very deep. Yet Tentacruel isn't even touching the water yet with his face, amazing!"

Misty and Giselle both nodded in equal terms of amazement but Ash, for his part, kept his eyes on the horizon for any sign of the island they were looking for.

After being at sea on the head of Tentacruel for a time - until even the Giant Pokémon himself was eventually down in the water and only his eyes were visible, meaning that he was now swimming along in the great depths beneath - Misty finally spotted something and put a hand over her eyes

"Hey! Look! I can see something!"

Everyone looked in the direction she was staring and caught the noticeable sight of a small island beginning to appear in the distance. Seeing this, Brock smiled and looked down at the map. "Okay guys, I think that's it!"

Ash patted his Pokémon's head at that. "Straight ahead Tentacruel, keep heading straight ahead!"

For the next few minutes, Tentacruel continued swimming toward the island but as they got closer, they could feel and see the water below getting rougher. So rough in fact that even Tentacruel started to have to fight to continue pushing himself through the angry waves.

"T-The water... has really gotten... b-bad!" Giselle stammered nervously as she grasped onto Tentacruel's head tighter due to the turbulence they could feel building below them.

"Stay strong Tentacruel, you're almost there!" Ash encouraged with an intense look on his face as he watched the island that was now so close, they could make out the rough, rugged features of the large rocks that seem to make up the island itself.

Grunting with the force it took to push through the surprisingly rough, choppy waters, Tentacruel kept his focus and continued pushing on. And as he did, the ride for the others on top of him only became more shaky and tremulous.

"I didn't think Tentacruel would have this hard a time getting through the water!" Misty yelled as the waves pummeled the side of the Pokémon's head who was ferrying them.

"Well that man Steve did say the waters were rough this time of year!" Brock shouted back over the roar of the raging water around them.

"I don't see how a boat or even a normal sized Pokémon could get through this if it wasn't the right time of year!" Ash shouted as he kept an arm to his face in order to block as much of the freezing cold water from spraying up into it as he could. Pikachu and Vee were, by this point, holding onto their Trainer's pack as tightly as they could.

"And the water is so frigidly cold!" Giselle hissed as she was forced to move further up Tentacruel's head after a splash of water came up and landed on her leg. It felt much like liquid ice had landed on her.

After fighting for a few more moments, Tentacruel finally managed to break passed the angry barrier of waves and turbulent water that was trying to keep them from the island.

As he approached the rocky shore, Tentacruel raised himself up a little since his tentacles finally found purchase in the sandy bottom below. As he did this, he extended his head forward and down so that his Trainer and the others could jump straight down onto the island and not into the freezing water in the shallows.

As soon as they jumped carefully down and landed on the sandy, rocky shore, Ash turned around and called up to his Pokémon. "Thank you Tentacruel, you did a great job!" He then pulled out his Poké Ball. "Come back and have a good rest, you deserve it!"

After returning the gigantic jellyfish to his ball, Ash turned back around and looked at the island before them as he put it away. "Well guys... we're finally here."

Giselle looked around at the large space that the island occupied. It was large indeed but still nowhere near the size of the main, commercial island itself.

"Wow, it's a lot smaller here on this island than the other one was."

Misty nodded in agreement and took in the sight of the rather rough, unrefined and wild look of the island they had stepped onto. The jagged, big, ugly rocks that could be found practically everywhere and even the island itself was just made of dull, light grey rock

"This island isn't very nice either," Misty acknowledged astutely while her head continued to swivel this way and that.

Ash stepped a few paces forward and looked straight ahead, where he saw a large opening in the massive rock just a short ways up a small incline. There really was no path to the entrance of the cave and there were a lot of big and small rocks in the way leading to it. Which only further solidified the fact that this island was anything but commercial like the other.

"Look you guys, that must be the entrance to the Seafoam Caverns." He pointed out as he started carefully making his way over to it.

Misty, meanwhile, rubbed her covered arms and shivered. "I'm so glad we're wearing warm clothes! It's so cold here!"

Arriving at the entrance of the cave, Ash squinted his eyes and tried to peer into the darkness beyond. "Yeah well steady yourself before you come over here then because it's cold as heck by this entrance."

He could smell the scent of cold air, moist rocks and water as he stood looking into the darkness of the cave. He could even hear the faint sound of water coming from inside. Placing his hand against the rock wall outside of the entrance, Ash could feel the cold seeping through his glove.

Pulling it away just as his friends joined him by the entrance, Ash looked back at them and nodded. "Well, this is it."

He then pulled his pack off his shoulders and put it on the ground before kneeling down and going for his headlamp. As he searched for it in his pack, he advised. "I think it's gonna be really dark in there. I recommend you guys get your headlamps out and flashlights too."

The other three did as their friend suggested and got their own headlamps out of their packs. Then, with flashlights in hand as well (which Steve had not sold them) they each prepared themselves by adjusting the lamps on their heads.

After that was done and their packs were also firmly readjusted, Ash looked down at Pikachu and Vee. "Why don't you two get into the top part of my pack? You'll stay warmer in there than if you remain out in the open riding on my shoulders. It'll be safer that way too."

The small Electric and Normal-Type both nodded and chirped their agreement before jumping up onto their Trainer's shoulders. From there, Giselle unzipped the top pouch for Ash and both little Pokémon hopped inside. Then, once they were comfortably situated with their heads sticking out, she zipped it back up to secure them.

Turning to his friends again, Ash looked among each of them with a serious expression on his face before nodding. "Alright..." Reaching up, he turned on his headlamp and then did the same to his flashlight. "Let's do this you guys."

With that said, all four brave and courageous young Trainers stepped, one after the other, into the darkness of the Seafoam Caverns. Ash was in the lead and as the mouth of the cave swallowed up him first, with Brock bringing up the rear, they each said a silent prayer for Arceus to keep them safe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Whew, talk about dark and cold!" Giselle said with a shiver to her tone as she and the others walked down a long, gradual incline that seemed to go into the recesses of the earth without end.

"Yeah, I can't believe how wet it is." Misty commented as she turned her head to the cave wall that she had her hand on for support while they walked down the slightly slippery, rocky pathway.

Smelling the crisp, cold, yet clean air filling his nostrils and hearing the sound of dripping water from the ceiling, as well as running somewhere far below, Ash nodded in agreement. "I'm just glad we have these headlamps."

He tilted his head upwards to look at the glistening ceiling above while keeping his flashlight pointing forward for the others' benefit. Seeing the light from the headlamp illuminate what was otherwise pitch dark blackness seconds before, he looked ahead again at all the thick shadow his flashlight was giving light to.

"This darkness is intense. I couldn't imagine being lost in here without any light. I don't know how some Pokémon can live this way."

Before anyone could reply, the sound of flowing water became louder and within seconds, they all came out of the passage and saw themselves standing in a big cavern room. The ceiling was high, there were stalactites hanging from it and the walls but the oddest thing was the floor.

After they all had a chance to pan their flashlights and headlamps around the sizable room, they settled the focus of the light down to the floor. A floor in which was now submersed in what looked like at least two or three feet of water.

What was more, there appeared to be at least three large tunnels on different ends of the cavern. Two were on one wall in front of them and the other was on the wall to the far left. And from all three of those tunnels came the source of the water in the entrance cavern. Coming in the form of underground rivers that flowed steadily and without ceasing.

"I see this is what Steve meant about water flooding these caves during the summer time," Brock observed as he shone his light toward one of the tunnels. "Those tunnels are acting like canals that feed the water, most likely, throughout this whole cave. And I'd bet anything that in the summer time, all this water probably isn't here."

"It looks so deep too," Giselle commented as she knelt on the mostly dry incline they were on and looked at the water more closely. "And I bet it's really cold too."

They all suddenly heard a loud gasp and it caused them to turn around and see Misty as she stood up and pulled her hand back into her chest.

"Misty what's wrong?! What happened?!" Ash asked in concern as he moved over to her.

"The water!" She shivered and put her glove back on. "It's freezing to the touch, there's no way we can walk in this! Even with the clothes we have on, it'd soak right through!"

Giselle panned her light around and then turned to look at Misty. "Then how do we explore this cave? The entire floor is covered with all of this water."

The former Cerulean Gym Leader shook her head and finished adjusting her glove. "I don't know, I just know that I'm not becoming a human popsicle! I hate to say it but Steve was probably right, this time of year just isn't the right time to explore this cave. It's not possible!"

Giselle looked up toward the cave ceiling at that time with her flashlight and squinted her eyes. "Are those... lights up there?"

Brock looked upward as well and saw what she was talking about. Dotted here and there throughout the cave roof were large black ceiling lights. Of course, at the moment, they were all off.

"Huh, you're right Giselle, somebody did put up those lights." He then moved his own flashlight around a little and spotted each light up on the ceiling. "It's probably the light source they use to illuminate this cave during the touring season."

"That doesn't answer my question though," Misty looked at the others. "What do we do about this cold freaking water? We can't explore any part of this cave as long as that's an issue."

They all thought for a time and Ash especially had his brow furrowed in thought as he looked down at the icy cold water illuminated by his headlamp.

After a few minutes passed by though, he snapped his fingers and smiled. "Hey that's it! I could always see if the Pokédex teleporter function works down here and if so, I could always send back maybe like... Diglett temporarily, and have one of my Gyarados sent here. Then we could just ride it through this cave. They're far more immune to the cold than we are so it'll be a piece of cake with one of them here!"

Brock and Giselle looked like they were at least considering the idea but Misty was quick to shoot it down. "No! No way, I don't think so! Huh-uh!"

The other three looked at her strangely as Ash raised an eyebrow. "Uhh... can I ask why?"

She turned away for a moment and crossed her arms, seeming to be in a deep confliction with herself for a time, before finally turning around again and sighing. "Because I... I'm afraid of Gyarados..."

No one knew what to say for a moment but when Giselle did, it was slow and gentle. "But... Misty... Gyarados is a-"

The other girl quickly cut her off though with a curt, "I know! Okay?! I know! Gyarados is a Water-Type Pokémon and I should be comfortable around it but I'm... not."

Ash made sure he was careful and easy as he asked. "Can you tell us... why, maybe?"

After staying silent for a few moments, she sighed once more. "When I was a little girl, before my parents died, my father had an old Gyarados. One day, while they were out caving, which was a favorite pastime of theirs, I was at the gym being watched by my sisters."

Misty then closed her eyes. "My dad's Gyarados was asleep in the pool in the gym with its head resting out of the water. I was little and didn't really know what I was doing so I... crawled into Gyarados' mouth out of curiosity."

All eyes widened at that while she continued. "Gyarados woke up and got startled when it felt I was inside of it. It closed its mouth and almost swallowed me. If it wouldn't have been for my parents coming home right then, I probably wouldn't be here right now. After that I... I just couldn't get over this fear that comes over me any time I'm around a Gyarados."

Ash blinked at her. "But... Misty... I have six Gyarados. You've never acted strange around them before."

She sighed once more. "That's because I've always tried my best to control myself around them. Unless it was life threatening, I never had a reason to get close to them on my own so I could keep my distance. With a choice, I really don't want to ride on any Gyarados. Regardless of who's it is."

Her friends left it at that but Ash turned around and put his hands on his hips. "Well... then we need to find another way to traverse the cold waters in here. Only... how is the question."

Giselle nodded in agreement. "We can't walk through this water, that's for sure. For one, it would soak right through even our warm clothes, as Misty said. And since the water is so dark, we could easily fall down any kind of hole we can't see."

The four of them stopped and just thought for a time. None of them knew what to do as they stood amongst the relative chilly darkness of the large cavern with water running all around them.

Eventually, however, Ash snapped his fingers and smiled. "I think I have an idea. Granted, it's a little odd and may not work but it's better than nothing."

He then looked at his friends. "Bear with me here guys but... what if we let Haunter help us?"

Brock blinked. "Uh, Ash, you know Haunter isn't a Water-Type Pokémon that can swim."

The younger boy nodded. "Yeah I know but I'm talking about his psychic powers. Haunter has massive reserves of energy and I've never seen him run out yet. What if we asked him to levitate us through this cave with his psychic power, that way we won't touch the water? Haunter floats so that's no issue either."

The other three shared a look with each other but Brock put a hand to his chin and hummed in thought. "As crazy as that sounds, Haunter might be able to pull something like that off. He is incredibly strong, like you said Ash, so he might be able to keep us in a psychic bubble of sorts to get us through this cave."

Drawing the uniquely colored and designed Luxury Ball from his belt clip and then enlarging it, the young man smirked. "Well, we'll only know if we see, won't we?"

He then summoned the Pokémon that they needed to inquire about getting assistance from. As he did, the ball snapped open and from the bright flash of energy materialized Haunter himself. In all of his tall, imposing, dark colored splendor.

"Hey Haunter!" Ash called up to his ghostly, black as night Pokémon; his headlight only managing to illuminate the Ghost-Type's face. "I have a favor to ask! Do you think you could use your psychic power to levitate me and my friends through this cave? The tunnels are full of water that's too cold for us to walk through."

Haunter looked around at the water filled cavern around them and the tunnels that lead away from the room; his eyes adjusting far easier to the darkness than the humans he was with.

Finally, Haunter looked back at his Trainer and gave a small, simple nod. Seeing this, Ash smiled and turned to his friends again. "Well I guess he can do it. You guys still up for trying?"

Brock and the two girls gave simple nods of agreement, which allowed him to look back up at Haunter. "Alright then Haunter, our lives are in your hands, do it!"

With that said, the hyper-sized ghoulish Pokémon looked at the four young Pokémon Trainers intently. For what seemed like a far longer period of time than it actually was, Haunter merely stared at them with his powerful yellow eyes.

After a few seconds passed, his eyes glowed blue just once while he focused hard on using enough of his power to do what he needed to do and no more. Truly, it was a test of Haunter's ability to control his great power since too much would easily be able to kill all four fragile humans.

Suddenly, Ash and the others noticed a ring of blue energy starting to form around them and as it grew larger, the ring morphed into a sphere. That sphere in turn began condensing and becoming thicker until it soon appeared as though they were all trapped inside of a big blue bubble of pure psychic energy.

"Wow!" Giselle voiced in awe. "It looks like we're in a big ball of some kind! Or a bubble!"

Misty looked down and gingerly stepped on the energy beneath her feet, surprisingly finding it to be solid. "This is cool but strange. It feels like a solid floor beneath me but I expected it to be spongy and weak."

Brock reached out and touched the surface of the dark blue wall of psychic energy that was now encasing them all. "This is truly amazing you guys. For psychic power to be so advanced that it actually takes such a strong physical form like this is incredible. Not even Sabrina came close to doing anything like this and she performed some astounding illusions."

Ash nodded in agreement but then watched as Haunter actually started shrinking himself down and slowly passing through the sphere of energy to get inside with them.

Seeing this, Giselle moved back a little to make room for Haunter and blinked in surprise. "I didn't know Haunter could shrink himself."

Her boyfriend looked at his Pokémon as Haunter fully emerged inside of the bubble and then took up a levitating position in the center of the space. "Yeah it surprised me a little the first time I saw it too. I think he needs to be in here with us to maintain this sphere and he wouldn't fit at his normal size."

Ash then turned and found himself relieved that their lights could still shine through the psychic bubble and into the dark cavern beyond. As he searched with both sources of light that he had on him, the messy haired boy hummed in thought.

"Haunter, why don't you take us down... that tunnel, straight ahead." He pointed his flashlight at one of the large passageways that was almost dead ahead. "Let's see where it leads."

Nodding at his Trainer's request, Haunter carefully directed the psychic bubble with his power and lifted it off the ground before moving it out across the cavern floor and over the icy water below them.

"Whoa that's weird looking..." Misty murmured loud enough for the others to hear as she looked down at the black, icy water passing below them.

"Yeah but amazing too, no doubt." Giselle looked over at the redhead and then glanced beyond Ash's shoulder. As she did, she saw that the floating ball of energy that was ferrying them was now approaching one of the tunnels that shot off from the main entrance cavern.

"Here we go guys..." He spoke cautiously and wearily as Haunter took them into the high, wide tunnel and down a long, mostly straight passage. One that was just as dark and full of water as the cavern they had just come from.

"This tunnel is pretty big," Misty commented as she looked around at the reasonably sized passage Haunter was leading them down. Their lights were illuminating their immediate surroundings with every direction they turned in the bubble.

Brock looked down and pointed. "Yeah and look down at all the water flowing through this passage. Arceus only knows how deep it is, no wonder these tunnels can't be explored this time of year. No one could get through all this frigid cold water."

Ash nodded. "I just wonder how far this tunnel goes and if it intersects with any others."

Giselle looked nervously up at Haunter. "Well I hope that Haunter doesn't suddenly lose his energy and drop us. I'm not in the mood for an ice bath."

Her boyfriend shook his head. "Don't worry. Haunter is very powerful, it'll take him a long time to drain his energy to that point, trust me."

After that, the four of them were ferried down the long, dark, watery chamber of the cave passage; the only light being what was on their heads and in their hands.

Eventually, they came to a two-way junction and Misty looked from right to left as Haunter's psychic bubble just hovered in place. "Wonder which way?"

They looked back and forth a few times but soon, it was unanimously decided to go down the right passage and so they did. Though, as Haunter traveled down the new way, the water level below became noticeably higher.

"Ummm... guys?" Giselle blinked and looked down. "The water has really risen all of a sudden. It looks almost in line with our feet."

The others looked down and saw that the brunette was indeed right. However, as Haunter continued on, the level stayed about the same and didn't raise or lower at all.

Soon, the passage came out into a room that was smaller than the entrance cavern but no less impressive. As they shone their light around the chamber from inside of the protective bubble encasing them, they saw several eye-catching sights.

"Hey look at all the stalactites hanging from the ceiling!" Giselle announced as she pointed at and illuminated several large, pointed columns of solidified mineral hanging from the ceiling above. Many of which were dripping water to the soaked floor below.

"I can see some stalagmites as well," Brock added as he pointed to different parts of the floor where spires of the same mineral were jutting up through the water filled cavern. Some being quite impressive in size.

"You know it's hard to imagine just what all could be seen in this cave if it wasn't for all the water," Ash commented as he looked this way and that.

"I can see why no one comes in here at this time of year though," Misty replied. "You just can't see much with all the water everywhere."

They didn't stay in that room for long though as Haunter eventually took them to the other end of the cavern, where yet another passageway was awaiting them.

As they continued to explore the Seafoam Cave in the psychic bubble of energy - with their lights being the only thing giving off illumination - they quickly discovered just how vast of a maze the network of cave tunnels really were.

They passed through rooms that were big and small. Through tunnels that were narrow and wide and a few passageways that were exceedingly difficult for Haunter to squeeze them through. They also went through some of the rooms that had small waterfalls in them just as Steve had said.

Each path they took through the eternally dark, water filled cave was just as confusing and maze-like as the last. In many ways, it felt like being lost in an actual underground maze made of rock instead of hedges.

About an hour and a half passed from the time they entered the cave to present and in that span, it felt like they had been through every passage and room they could find. Yet, even for all of their exploration, they never found so much as a shred of evidence that a Legendary Pokémon had ever been present.

To be sure, their lights had picked out Pokémon in the cave. Such as Zubat and Golbat hanging from the dark ceilings above. They also managed to spot, in the dark waters below the bubble with their lights, a few Magikarp and some Tentacool as well.

There were most likely other types of Pokémon in the cave as well but they remained in careful hiding to avoid being seen by the humans in the strange floating sphere.

At one point, when Haunter brought them to a halt in yet another room that was smaller than all the others, Misty sighed and sat down on the thick floor of the manifested psychic bubble.

"Well that's it... we've been in here for almost two hours, going from tunnel to tunnel and room to room, and we still haven't so much as seen one single shiny blue feather or any other sign that Articuno was ever in this cave."

Giselle looked around the cavern and nodded. "Yeah and I'm still hoping that we aren't lost or haven't been wandering in circles."

Brock shook his head at that though. "No, we haven't been wandering in circles. I counted at least two times where one of the tunnels we took seemed to lead us further down into this cave. I think, if anything, we've been venturing deeper into the depths of the island."

Ash seemed to agree as he reached back towards his pack to feel Pikachu and Vee's fur to make sure they were still warm inside of it. "Yeah I think you're right Brock. I've felt it get colder too so I think we have been going farther down. It's just hard to tell because of all the disorienting darkness."

Misty stretched her legs out and then looked up at him. "So what do we do now? At this point I can't really tell any difference between these tunnels and rooms anymore, they all look the same. A bunch of water, rock formations, Zubat and darkness."

She shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, it's cool but once you've been wandering through perpetual cold darkness, it all blends together."

Ash turned his head and allowed the light from his headlamp to search around the small cavern they were levitating in. Eventually, he spotted a small little island to one side of the room that was above the icy cold water level.

Pointing at it, he made a suggestion. "Let's go over there and rest for a bit. Give ourselves time to find out our next move and let Haunter rest for awhile too."

With that said, the evolved form of Gastly levitated the bubble containing the four Trainers over to the small, rocky platform Ash had spotted. As soon as they arrived, he lowered them to the ground and allowed the bubble to dissipate.

With their feet now touching solid ground, Ash smiled up at his Pokémon. "Thanks Haunter, rest up for a bit while we decide what to do next."

The giant plasmic Pokémon gave a stoic nod and then Ash turned his attention to his friends. "So... what do you think we should do now?"

Misty sighed. "Honestly Ash? We might just be better off leaving and giving up. I mean, we've been all over this cave so far and haven't seen one single sign of Articuno. In any way."

Giselle looked at her boyfriend. "I hate to say it Ash but this might just have been a bust. We tried and at least we got to see if it was true or not for ourselves, instead of going by hearsay."

The messy black haired boy sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "You guys are right. At least we tried. I suppose we can just stay here and rest for a bit and then try to find our way back out."

Brock nodded while Misty looked around the cave again. "If we can..."

Deciding on their next course of action, the four talented young Pokémon Trainers sat down on the rocky little island and huddled closely together while they rested. In order to share some warmth and heat.

However, as they sat in the relative blackness of the cave with only their lights to keep them from being in pitch darkness, Ash happened to look over to his left, near the cave wall closest to him.

As he did so, he also allowed his headlamp to illuminate the dark water below and watched the direction in which it flowed. As he watched it though, he soon noticed a rather strange discrepancy in the flowing pattern of the water in the room they were currently in.

To his eye, it seemed as though most of the water was flowing in from the tunnel they came through and then down through another tunnel at the far end of the room. But, when he panned his light over to the wall nearest him, he noticed that the water was also flowing toward the wall itself.

Shuffling over to the very edge of the dry platform to get a better look, Ash reached up and adjusted his headlamp so that it directed a more focused beam of light at the wall in question.

As he carefully stared at the wall with his light shining down towards the floor, he noticed that the water was indeed flowing to the wall, though only in one particular area. When he examined the rest of the length of the cave wall, the water was simply flowing up against it and then getting pushed away.

Feeling a little bit of excitement alight in his belly, he focused on the anomaly that gained his attention and saw that the water along that particular length of wall was actually going up underneath of it and disappearing. The area in which this was happening was only about five feet in diameter, versus the whole almost twenty feet of that entire stretch of wall. But, it was enough of an abnormality that it grabbed his attention.

"Hey guys!" He said excitedly. "Come over here and check this out!"

At his urgent tone, all three of Ash's friends rushed over to him and looked around. "What is it Ash?" Brock asked in concern as he swiveled his head this way and that to see whatever had caused his friend such a start.

Instead of answering, the boy just pointed. "There. Look at the wall where my light is shining."

They all did so and after a few seconds of staring at said wall, Misty looked over at him and quirked an eyebrow. "What are we looking at again?"

Standing up, Ash brushed the front of his coat off and then explained with a smile. "I think there's a tunnel behind that wall or something. See the way the water is actually flowing up underneath of it instead of around it?"

The three of them looked again and it was Giselle that spotted it first. "Wow hey you're right! Do you really think there's something behind the wall?"

The young man shrugged and put a hand to his chin. "It's hard to say but it could be. I think there's only one way to find out." He then looked at his friends seriously. "We could have Haunter try and destroy this section of the wall and see if there really is anything behind it."

Brock's thin eyes seemed to narrow in deep concern. "I don't know Ash. That would require an explosion from some kind of an attack and being that we're in a cave, it could cause a cave in"

Ash looked at the wall before them again and then hummed in thought for a few moments. "Well... what if he erected a psychic barrier around the section of the wall that might give way? If he did that then the shock of the attack would be absorbed by the barrier and not ripple out into the rest of the cave."

They all looked at each other and then Giselle shrugged. "It's worth a try I suppose."

Looking up at his mega-sized Ghost-Type after that, Ash spoke to him. "You heard all that Haunter. Do you think you could do it?"

Instead of giving a reply of any kind, Haunter just floated over and examined the portion of the wall that his Trainer was speaking of. In this, it only took a few moments before he turned back to Ash and gave a small nod.

Making a gesture for his friends to back up, which they all did, Ash watched on intently as Haunter floated in front of the wall and stared at it. He did this for a few seconds before his eyes glowed blue once and then a shield of psychic energy formed into existence around the solid parts of the wall; just outside of the section that Haunter was about to try and destroy.

Once he was sure that he had a stable enough barrier up, the powerful Pokémon brought his spectral hands close together and began forming a dark ball of energy between them.

Then, as soon as the ball of ghostly energy had reached its fully powered apex, Haunter released it at the wall. As soon as it hit, a powerful explosion sounded off but was luckily contained only to the intended impact zone; thanks to Haunter's psychic barrier.

Ash and his friends had to cover their faces as the Shadow Ball hit and exploded, feeling shards of rock and dust flying through the air and showering over them in the process.

As soon as the immediate aftereffects of the blast settled down, they looked ahead with their lights pointing the way. Then, with the dust cloud slowly dissipating, they saw a huge hole in the wall that was once solid rock.

"It worked!" Ash pumped his fists into the air. "I was right!"

Giselle walked back up to the side of the rocky platform they were standing on and looked down into the new passageway that Haunter had just created.

"Wow, look at this you guys." She pointed at the opening and, when the others came up to see, their lights merged with hers to give them a clear view of what lay beyond.

The passageway in question sloped downward gradually until it eventually fell straight down a steep passage, one in which their lights couldn't see. Water was also flowing steadily down the passage and disappearing into the hole that they could just barely see.

Even more so than that, they could all feel a much stronger burst of cold rushing up to meet them from the new passage. So much so that they all had to step back and grab at their arms.

"Brrr that's cold!" Misty shivered. "It's like the temperature just dropped massively!"

Ash looked up at Haunter then. "Do you think you can form that bubble around us again and take us down that tunnel Haunter?"

His giant Ghost Pokémon looked down at him and nodded in assent before focusing on the four of them. In no time at all, he formed the protective psychic bubble around them once more and lifted it off the ground.

After merging himself inside of the bubble to more easily control it, Haunter guided it toward the new passage he had just revealed. Within mere moments, they were venturing into the yawning darkness beyond with only their headlamps providing any visual cues whatsoever as to what lie ahead.

However, just when they finally came up upon the tunnel that shot straight downward, the slope of the drop-off took even Haunter by surprise and it caused the bubble of psychic energy to suddenly plummet downward at an alarming rate of speed.

Falling down and getting thrust back into the wall of their protective barrier, Ash and his friends could only grasp onto whatever they could - even each other - as they shot down into the invisible abyss below like a terrifying water slide.

Their lights served them little use now since all they managed to see was rushing blurs of the tunnel ceiling above and the arcs of splashing water crashing up against the bubble on all sides. The yawning mouth of darkness ahead they continuously sped through; happening at speeds too fast to properly register any thoughts except for immediate panic.

"AHHHHH!" Came the tandem yell from all of their mouths as the violent, pitch black ride sent them rushing through the invisible unknown. Violently twisting, turning and shoving them around at sharp angles and throwing the four of them into each other and all around the bubble.

Haunter, whom was fighting to stay in the center of the makeshift protective sphere, focused on keeping the bubble strong and intact throughout the treacherous ride. Knowing all the while that if he failed, the humans trusting him could very well perish.

Ash, for his own part, desperately tried to keep himself from tumbling around too much inside of the bubble. Mostly to avoid hurting Pikachu and Vee in his backpack but also being mindful about the egg in it which Mr. Fuji had given to him.

After zipping through the water tunnel for what felt like several long and stomach churning minutes, they all saw a light ahead at the end of the dark tunnel and then, just as it burst forth into the light, they all had to shut their eyes.

Opening them again only seconds later, they all blinked and found themselves hovering in the air for a short time. Unfortunately, none of them had any time to register where they were before the bubble suddenly dropped downward again, sending all four of them hurtling into the top of it as it did so.

With one final yell of terror escaping their lips, they fell like a stone dropped from a bridge until finally meeting the end of their treacherous journey. Although, when they did hit bottom, it was into a deep pool of icy blue water instead of hard, unforgiving ground. As evidenced by the eruption of water that shot skyward upon their landing.

After their senses slowly returned to them and their heads gradually cleared from the dizzying disorientation - which had followed most of the ride down through pitch black darkness - all four kids blinked and focused their swimming vision on the sights around them.

Amazingly enough, they found themselves now inside of a large ice and snow covered cavern. One in which was so bright from the pure white snow clinging to the floor, walls and ceiling that it gave full illumination to the cavern. It was as if lights were strung up in the huge room; that was how bright it was.

The ceiling above was high, very high up off the ground, and the walls were spaced apart from each other almost a hundred feet on every side. The white snow contrasted with the blue patches of ice found here and there and, from the ceiling, hung large icicles. There were also large, pointy spires of ice jutting up from the ground.

Looking around, they also found that they were currently floating atop a small pool of water that was being fed from the waterfall behind them. A fall of chilling ice water which poured forth from a large hole in the cavern wall, almost all the way up near the ceiling.

Looking ahead again, Misty blinked and then rubbed her eyes. "Are my eyes still not working right from that dark tunnel we were just in or am I actually seeing a cavern filled with ice and snow right now?"

Ash, Giselle and Brock all nodded dumbly with the black haired boy answering in a voice of pure astonishment. "No I'm seeing it too... this is incredible..."

Haunter took that moment to levitate them out of the pool and, seeing as how the ground was only covered in a thin layer of snow and not water, he allowed the bubble to descend. As soon as it met the floor, he dissipated the energy and allowed the four Trainers inside to feel the crunchy white surface beneath their feet.

Before he did anything else, Ash quickly took off his pack and lowered it to the ground so he could check on his Pokémon. "Pikachu! Vee!" He asked worriedly. "Are you both okay?!"

The little yellow and brown furred duo emerged from the top portion of the pack and chirped with smiling reassurance up to their concerned Trainer.

"Pika Pi!"

"Vee, Vee!"

Smiling as well, though in relief, Ash breathed out a sigh and pulled them both into his arms and out of the backpack. "Oh thank Arceus! I'm so glad I didn't crush you!"

After embracing his Pokémon, Ash grabbed his pack and stood back up. Though he allowed Vee and Pikachu to remain on the ground so they could curiously sniff and examine their surroundings.

Which, to point out rather humorously, they did indeed do with Pikachu sitting up on his haunches and looking around the icy cavern in wonder; one ear cocked to the side.

"Pika?" Was all he could say as he took in the unique sight of all the ice and snow around him.

Vee, meanwhile, sniffed at the snow but quickly pulled his nose back after feeling how cold it was. With a head shake and a disdainful sounding, "Vee!" He made his mind up that he didn't care for the powdery substance and quickly scaled Ash's leg until he was sitting on his left shoulder.

"This is amazing..." Giselle breathed, still in a tone of awe. "Who would have thought something like this could be found under the Seafoam Islands?"

"Yeah it looks like some kind of a winter cave you'd find in really cold places that get a lot of snow." Brock commented as he looked around. "But this is really weird because we're in the south region of Kanto right now, which never gets snow. And for an underground cave like this to get so much of it, and ice too? Really weird..."

Misty looked at Ash then and her bright green eyes appeared deeply thoughtful and questioning. "Ash... you know what this could mean right?"

The black haired boy nodded seriously and looked back at his first traveling companion. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing from the moment I saw this place."

Giselle, speaking about the unspoken Mamoswine in the room, looked at her boyfriend as well. "You don't think this could really mean... is it actually possible that Articuno might be here?"

It was on everyone's minds of course. But talking about it and realizing the long shot possibilities of seeing a Legendary Pokémon was far different than being put into a situation where you might actually see one. And at the present moment, all of them were feeling the same way.

"Well... let's look at the facts for a minute." Brock said with an even, calm tone. "We're probably around four levels down in this cave from the surface level, from what I've counted so far. We're also in the south sea of Kanto, which is known for its predominantly warm climate year round. There is no discernible reason for us being here in this situation and yet..."

He gestured around. "We're in the middle of a snow and ice filled cavern. I can't personally think of any natural reason why this would be the case unless something influenced it."

Giselle blinked. "But would Articuno actually go out of its way to turn this whole level of the cave down here into practically a snow-filled icebox?"

Ash, on his end, shrugged. "That's impossible to answer Giselle. No one knows hardly anything about Legendary Pokémon so we don't know what Articuno's roosting behavior is actually like. I know normal Bird Pokémon will alter their immediate surroundings around their nest sometimes to feel more comfortable. Maybe Articuno, as a rumored Ice-Type Pokémon, did this to feel more at home."

He then looked around the cave again. "If Articuno really did do this, I think it's more than enough evidence to support the belief that it's definitely an Ice-Type Pokémon. This place is too cold and covered in snow for it to be any other type."

Misty rubbed her shoulders through the winter coat she was wearing. "Yeah well there's still no telling where it might be in this cave if Articuno is even still here. We don't have any idea how expansive this part of the caverns could be."

Ash nodded. "Yeah but at least we can explore on our own now without Haunter, there's no water flooding anywhere that I can see."

Brock crossed his arms. "We're already this far. Might as well go a little farther. Who knows what we might find?"

With that being said, they set out from the big cavern they were in and headed toward the sizable looking tunnel on the other side of the room. After Ash returned Haunter of course and allowed Pikachu to jump up onto his other shoulder.

After walking through the long, wide tunnel at the end of the cavern, they almost immediately had to turn left since the pathway halted at a large pile of rocks that had fallen from the ceiling.

As they made their way through the snow and ice covered tunnel, Ash reached up and switched his headlamp off. "We can turn our lights off guys, it's bright enough down here with all the snow that we don't need them."

As his friends followed his lead and did the same, Misty commented while looking around. "I can't imagine how powerful Articuno must be to turn everything down here into a frozen tundra like this."

"I was thinking the same thing," Brock agreed as he looked at the long, pointed icicles hanging from the ceiling. "This is nothing short of an amazing feat of raw power."

"Well it is called a Legendary Pokémon for a reason." Giselle reached out to feel the cool ice wall to her right. "So I'm not really surprised. Though I admit that this is really impressive."

After walking down the ice and snow lined tunnel for a time, which lead them around a few turns and twists, they came to the end of the passage. Although, just as they were about to turn and go down the next tunnel to their right, they were all surprised to suddenly hear voices talking.

Not knowing who could possibly be down in the belly of the earth with them or what was going on, they quickly pressed themselves against the wall with Ash in front. Looking back at his friends, he nodded in a silent signal and then peeked around the corner to see what was happening.

His eyes quickly widened though when he saw, standing about mid-ways down the next passage, two Team Rocket Grunts in their very distinctive outfits.

Looking back at his friends quickly, Ash whispered urgently. "It's Team Rocket!"

Their eyes widened collectively as Misty hissed back. "Team Rocket?! What the heck are they doing here?!"

He shook his head and then went back to peeking around the corner, only this time his friends did the same thing. As they did, they managed to overhear both Grunts talking to one another.

"Man I swear this whole thing is just a big freaking waste of time!" One complained with his arms extended out on either side of him.

The other nodded with crossed arms. "Yeah I agree. This whole thing about finding that big stupid bird is nothing more than a wild Pidgey chase. I don't know what the Boss was thinking sending so many of us out here to these Arceus forsaken caves. If Articuno was actually down here, I'd take my freaking hat off and eat it!"

The one who first spoke just nodded as well in agreement. "It's a total waste of manpower. After that crap that went down at the Game Lounge, sending so many of us on stupid missions like this is just pointless. We should be with the others, getting ready for that operation on Silph Co."

His comrade sighed. "Yeah. Well, anyway, we should be getting back to base. I don't want that witch barking insults at me again if we show up late."

With that said, both grunts turned and started walking down the opposite end of the tunnel. Ash and his friends shared a look between them for a few seconds but with a single silent nod shared between them, they came out from around the corner and started quietly following the Rocket agents.

They followed them all the way to the end of the tunnel and then down another one that suddenly veered left. Staying a healthy pace behind all the while, Ash and Co. trailed after the two criminals for some time. Going down different icy tunnels, navigating through maze-like passages and passing many other tunnels that lead to Arceus only knew where.

As they followed behind the Grunts at a far enough distance that they wouldn't be heard, Giselle whispered. "I'm kind of glad we found these guys because these tunnels are so vast, we might never have found our way otherwise."

The others nodded in agreement just as they finally stepped out of the tunnel they were traversing and into a huge cavern. The cave itself was still covered in snow and ice but there was a large underground river stretching out before them that took up the largest part of it.

They stayed behind at the entrance but watched the two Grunts make their way down to the water's edge where two black, slick jet skis were waiting.

After the two men mounted the machines and turned them on, they soon sped off down the river without either jet ski making very much noise at all. As soon as they were out of sight though, having disappeared into a tunnel far down toward the end of the cavern, Ash and his friends hurried up to the snowy shore next to the river.

"Come on guys, we need to follow them! This isn't just about Articuno!" He said urgently while reaching for Haunter's Pokéball.

"But Ash!" Misty reached out and grabbed his arm. "We don't have Gastly with us and that means we don't have our disguises either!"

He pulled his arm from her grasp and looked at her seriously. "Misty this is important! Team Rocket is obviously here looking for Articuno too and on the chance it's actually here and they find it..." He shook his head. "Well we just can't let that happen! If Articuno really is here then we need to do whatever we can to protect it and not let Team Rocket get their filthy hands on it!"

The orange haired girl looked at him sympathetically. "I understand Ash but we don't have any way to disguise ourselves and you know as well as I do how dangerous going up against Team Rocket without them is. Our families could end up paying the price!"

Gritting his teeth, the young man looked down at the icy water and clenched his fist. Though, Giselle took that moment to raise her finger. "Hey wait a minute! I think I might have a solution!"

She then knelt down quickly and took off her pink backpack before opening the top part and riffling through it. After a few moments of this, she withdrew four black pieces of cloth and cheered in triumph. "Got them!"

She then zipped her bag up and tossed three of the four things in her hand to the others. "These are balaclavas and they cover your whole head and face, save for your eyes. Some of them leave the nose uncovered but these are made of a special breathing material so even the nose gets covered up."

She held hers up and unfolded it. "I bought these back at Steve's shop. I got them just in case it was colder than we expected since they cover the whole head and face. Which is a place on your body where heat easily escapes from."

She then took off her headlamp and, since her hair was already pulled back, kept it lifted while she slid the cloth covering over her head. A few seconds later, she adjusted it around her head and face and then looked up; revealing that Giselle's eyes were the only thing visible. Which, thereby, completely concealed her features.

"The added benefit here is that they can also serve to totally conceal your identity too. Go ahead and try them on!"

Not seeing any reason not to do so, Ash and the other two put on the head coverings and after they were finished, they looked at each other.

"Wow..." Misty blinked as she stared at Ash and Brock. "If I didn't know you two already, I'd never be able to tell who you were without the masks off."

Ash had to say he agreed as he looked at his now concealed friends before settling his eyes on Giselle. "Great idea!" He praised. "This'll work perfectly!"

He then held up Haunter's ball and enlarged it. "We need you again Haunter!"

After the Luxury Ball popped open and Haunter emerged from within it, Ash quickly pointed to the tunnel that the two Rockets had just sped down. "Haunter we need you to encase us in another one of those psychic bubbles and take us down that tunnel after Team Rocket!"

Without waiting for additional instructions, Haunter did as requested and formed a protective barrier of energy around Ash and his friends. Afterward, he started quickly making his way down the length of the underground river to the tunnel Ash had pointed out.

Finally in pursuit of Team Rocket, the boy looked back toward his pack and spoke. "Pikachu! Can you do me a favor please?"

The pointy eared Electric-Type popped his head out of his Trainer's backpack and flicked his left ear. "Pika?"

"Your ears are a lot better than ours, try and listen to find which direction those Rocket Grunts went please!" Ash made that request just as Haunter brought them to a fork in the way inside of the water tunnel.

Pikachu jumped out onto Ash's shoulder and strained his ears to try and discern which direction the Rockets had went. Eventually, his eyes opened and he pointed down the left tunnel. "Pikachu Pi!"

Haunter turned and directed the bubble carrying them all down the passageway Pikachu pointed out, moving at a fast pace as he did so.

As they moved down the tunnel while hovering a good four feet above the water, Giselle looked at the walls and ceiling of the waterway. Noticing how they were all a smooth, light blue color with what appeared to be wavy lines engraved into the rock, she sighed a little wistfully.

"I wish we could take our time more. The tunnels and stuff down are a lot more pretty and nice to look at than the ones closer toward the surface."

Ash looked back and nodded. "I know Giselle. But if we don't stop Team Rocket somehow then this could get bad. I don't want to think about a group as evil and horrible as them getting their hands on a Pokémon like Articuno if it really is down here."

Haunter continued guiding them down the watery tunnel after that. It seemed almost as though it would have no end after all the turns, bends, twists and strange directions the tunnel took. It was like a labyrinth since they passed several side tunnels and offshoots connected to the main river channel they were traversing. If it wouldn't have been for Pikachu and his advanced hearing, they probably would have gotten lost several times over.

Eventually, the river began narrowing after yet another bend in the way and when it did, they finally spotted both jet skis parked beside of a platform that rose up out of the water on the right side of the wall.

"Look! They stopped here!" Misty pointed as Haunter levitated them over to the ledge and settled the bubble down upon it.

As soon as his Pokémon released the spherical barrier keeping them in, Ash stepped forward and looked ahead. Seeing a somewhat larger tunnel that veered off to the right directly ahead of them, he looked back at his friends and became serious.

"They went that way you guys." He then looked up at Pikachu on his shoulder. "Listen buddy, you're pretty distinctive and stand out so stay inside my pack with Vee and don't come out until I tell you guys too, okay?"

Pikachu nodded in understanding and then jumped back down into the top half of his backpack. After that, Ash returned Haunter and nodded to his companions. "Alright, let's go."

They then set off down the tunnel Ash had pointed out and followed it for some ways. There wasn't as much snow as it was in some of the other tunnels they'd been in up to that point but the ice looked like polished glass on the walls and ceiling.

Soon, they saw an end to the tunnel and more importantly, heard quite a bit of activity going on up ahead. When they came out to the exit, they saw a huge snow and ice cavern awaiting them. A giant chamber that was almost as big as the one they'd fallen down into earlier via the waterfall.

There were several tunnels in this cavern that lead off to parts unknown and the center of the room itself was actually a gigantic rock slab, covered in snow, that ascended high above the surface level for several feet. What appeared to be naturally formed steps, of a sort, lead up to the huge platform.

What really caught their eye though were the numerous black uniformed Rockets that were crawling all over the cavern, especially up on the raised platform. From their position down on the ground, it also looked like Team Rocket had a bunch of crates and other equipment stacked and scattered around the elevated platform.

Their attention was soon drawn to a man and a woman up on the snowy rock that were dressed in warm looking versions of the normal Team Rocket uniform. This mostly comprised of thick black pants and white boots, as well as heavy looking black snow coats with white hoods hanging down behind their heads. The atypical bright red "R" symbol for the organization they served was emblazoned upon the chests.

It was quite plain to see that the man and woman in question were probably in charge. At least by the way she barked out orders and commands in a way very reminiscent of how Jessie spoke to James and Meowth.

The man had light green hair that was parted at the middle of his forehead so it hung on either side of his face. The woman, meanwhile, had long blond hair that was styled into a rather unique design.

Namely, while the front of her hair was parted in much the same way as the man's, her hair at the back was pulled into two long, separate sections and hung almost to her backside. It looked like she probably used quite a bit of styling conditioner to make the two long ends stick out completely straight and poofy at the end; almost looking like the legs of a Blaziken.

The woman's face was quite smooth and flawless, easily to be considered beautiful, and her eyes - unlike the dark ones of her male counterpart - were a light amethyst color. She also wore, to complete her distinctive look, a pair of pink, triangular rings in her ears that were quite sizable in appearance.

Ash soon moved toward the edge of the tunnel and kept himself mostly hidden as he peeked out into the cavern farther to get a better look.

His friends soon joined him in pressing themselves against the wall and peered into the snowy cavern in the same way. And just in the nick of time too since the blond woman up on the platform called out in a commanding, sharp and harsh tone.

"Alright you worthless bums! Hurry up and gather around up here! It's freezing cold and we'll never get out of this Arceus forsaken cave if you don't put your pathetic hides into high gear and show some initiative!"

The green haired man spoke up as well, his voice sounding like he was a pack a day smoker. "You heard her boys! Get your butts up here and make it snappy!"

All the Grunts in the cavern quickly assembled until they were standing in the center of the large platform and right in front of a big computer monitor. The hefty piece of tech was plugged into what seemed to be some kind of portable generator and atop the monitor was a strange looking satellite. Undoubtedly a very powerful one if it was able to penetrate through hundreds of feet of solid rock above.

"Okay, listen up!" The blond woman and her green haired companion walked over and stood in front of the computer, arms across their chests as they stared intently at the gathered operatives.

"Boss Giovanni put Butch and myself in charge of this operation and until we've turned every rock and icicle upside down in this cave, we're not leaving!"

She then crossed her arms behind her back. "As you know, the Saffron City operation is coming up soon and that means we need to have our job done here and be back at headquarters to prepare for the operation. It also means that we need to pick up the pace!"

She then gestured at the computer as the man known as Butch walked over to turn it on. When he did, the screen came to life and showed a detailed mapping of what must have been the Seafoam Caverns.

The screen itself was green and there were dozens upon dozens of white lines all over the monitor; crisscrossing one another in some places. There were also four distinct levels with the white lines on them, each one directly above and below one another.

"As you know, we've spent the last two weeks here tracing out and mapping every waterway, tunnel and infernal rock in this cave." Her gloved finger traced the screen and the images on it. "Using our ground piercing satellite and radar, we've been able to provide ourselves with a distinct reading of practically every inch of this cave, spanning all four levels."

She then turned back to the assembled men and glared. "Yet somehow our target has continued to elude us! How is that possible?!"

Without waiting for an answer, she pointed at the Grunts. "I'll tell you how! Because all of you are lazy, worthless and pathetic worms that aren't giving this mission your full effort! That is the only plausible and reasonable explanation!"

One man timidly raised his hand. "M-Maybe it's just because the Pokémon we're lookin' for ain't really here... u-uhh m-miss Cassidy ma'am!"

The woman, now named Cassidy, shot a venomous glare at the man who spoke. "Oh really? Is that what you think?" She then walked up to him and got straight into the now fearful looking Grunt's face. "Well if that's how you feel then why don't you be the one to tell the Boss that all of the resources he's put into this venture has been a bust. Hmm?"

The Grunt waved his hands and shook his head. "N-No ma'am! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

Cassidy held his gaze for a few moments before snorting in disgust and turning away, causing the man to breath a sigh of relief as she did. However, that relief soon turned to fear when she snapped her fingers and commanded. "Dispose of him!"

With that, the two Grunts beside of him (possibly even his own friends) grabbed the man under the arms and immediately started hauling him down off the rock. All the while, he kicked his arms and legs and pleaded desperately. "No! No please! Please no! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorryyyyy!"

No one made a move to help him though, not even a twitch, as he was drug down off the platform and into a nearby tunnel. Ash and his friends watched the Grunt disappear with aghast on their faces until they finally could no longer hear his shouts.

"Now!" Cassidy yelled out as she turned around, getting Ash and his friend's attention as they looked back up toward her. "If we don't have anymore weak links trying to sever the chain..."

She trailed off but her point was made clear; no one made any further attempt to open their mouths. Satisfied, she nodded. "Very well. Now with all of this being said, I expect each of you to get back into those tunnels and turn over every rock, pebble and clump of snow you find! We aren't leaving until we either find the target or can conclusively say with certainty that it isn't here! Now get going you worms!"

With those words spoken, all the men immediately began scattering in order to do as she commanded.

Turning away and leaning back against the wall, Ash looked at his friends. "Guys... we've gotta find Articuno before they do. I can't even think about the possibility of it falling into the hands of someone like that."

Giselle nodded in full agreement. "I agree Ash. That woman is terrible and if she's willing to just off one of her own people, I don't want to think about what she'd do to Articuno if they actually found it."

Misty held her hands up. "But how do we find it?! You saw that monitor, they've literally searched the whole cave system and haven't found it. How the heck can we hope to do it?!"

Brock crossed his arms thoughtfully. "It's possible that Articuno simply isn't down here. All the searching Team Rocket's done for it and even our own has been based on nothing but random speculation. We don't actually know anything for a fact at this point."

Ash was just about to reply and mention that maybe Brock had a point but right when he was close to speaking, he stopped and stared down the tunnel they had just come from. Blinking as he did.

"Hey..." He started slowly. "Did you guys... hear that?"

His friends looked at him as Giselle shook her head. "Heard what Ash?"

He continued to stare down the tunnel for a few seconds before speaking. "I thought I just... heard something. I don't know what but it was-" He went silent once more as he stiffened up and turned his head to the side. "Wait, I heard it again!"

At that point, his friends became a little concerned for him as Misty stepped toward her friend and reached for him. "Ash we didn't hear anything. Are you sure you're okay?"

Instead of answering, the young man suddenly took off down the tunnel without saying another word. This left the other three standing and staring after him in confusion before their minds finally caught up with them and they gave chase to the fleeing Trainer.

"Ash what are you doing?!" Brock called out to his friend, trying to stay as quiet as possible since they were not very far away from the cavern full of Rockets.

"Yeah Ash slow down!" Giselle implored as they finally reached the end of the tunnel where the underground river was at.

"Sorry guys but I can't!" He finally responded as he stopped by the edge of the water and looked out into the distance of the cave. His eyes were locked onto the dark blue water that was slowly passing through the icy tunnels and cave passages that he could see dotted along the way which they had come earlier.

"I just feel like... something is calling to me." He shook his head. "I know it sounds weird but I have to go and find it, I just know this is important!"

He then turned and looked at the two jet skis that were parked in the water next to the ledge they were standing on. Without revealing what he was about to do, the messy haired young man ran down and jumped from the snowy ground they'd been standing on and onto one of the aquatic vehicles.

As he started examining the fast moving jet ski and the console pad that turned it on, his friends ran down next to the water's edge with wide eyes.

"Ash! What in the name of all my sisters' ridiculously small bikinis are you doing?!" Misty demanded as she watched him mess around on the jet ski like he'd lost the mind his unruly hair rested upon.

"What does it look like?!" He replied back while familiarizing himself with the vehicle. "I'm gonna take this thing and find the source of whatever's calling me!"

Giselle blinked widely, like she couldn't believe what he was saying. "You mean you're gonna steal it?! You don't even know how to drive it!"

He merely snorted back. "Please! Gimme a break Giselle. Stealing something from a group of lowlife thieves is hardly a crime and besides, Moe taught me how to drive his boat, remember? This can't be any harder than that."

Misty put a hand to her forehead and murmured something about crazy kids from Pallet Town when the jet ski suddenly roared to life and Ash looked up, smiling triumphantly, as he looked at his friends.

"Look, Haunter isn't fast enough and I just know I need to get wherever I'm being lead quickly. You guys coming?"

The three of them shared a look before Misty just sighed and threw her hands up. "Ah what the heck, let's do it!"

She then ran down and hopped on the other jet ski. "I drove one of these once when my sisters and I went to the beach in Vermilion City!"

As she turned it on, Ash patted the seat behind him. "Come on Giselle, hop on!"

With some trepidation, the brunette hurried down and carefully climbed on the back of the black jet ski with Ash. Misty, meanwhile, looked up at Brock on the ledge. "Get down here Brock, I'm driving!"

The older boy did as she said, not questioning an ardent water enthusiast, and quickly hopped on the back with her. After that, Ash slowly started to back up the streamlined vehicle, getting used to the controls as he did. Misty followed behind, albeit a little smoother but not by much since she too was getting used to the unique type of jet ski the Rockets used.

After they got used to the controls of the vehicles they had "liberated" from Team Rocket, Ash turned his around in the water and faced it in the direction they had come from earlier.

"Okay Giselle, hold on. Misty-" He looked over at the redhead that pulled her jet ski up next to his. "Stay close to me and try to keep up."

She nodded and then Ash looked forward again. As he did, it was as if an invisible force suddenly began pulling him in the way he needed to go.

And so, without questioning whatever it was, he took off in the fast vehicle and kept it slow at first until he became used to the speed. Then, once he was comfortable enough handling it, Ash opened up the throttle and sped down the underground river with Misty following just close enough behind that the spray of his jet ski didn't blow back into her face.

As he sped down the river they'd just come from, Ash kept his eyes moving to and fro, looking at each side tunnel they passed along the way. As if he were waiting to make an abrupt change in heading at any moment.

They stayed on course down the main channel of the river for some time but then suddenly, Ash felt a strong urge pull him to go down the tunnel that was coming up directly to their left.

"Hang on tight Giselle!" He yelled over the motor and spray of the waves as the amber eyed boy turned sharp and shot down the tunnel he felt a pull towards.

Hanging onto her boyfriend's waist very tightly, Giselle looked back and saw Misty following behind them with Brock holding onto her own waist just as tightly. In fact, he seemed so unnerved at being on the back of such a fast moving vehicle, speeding down a narrow underground tunnel, that the teenager's face was scrunched up into a humorous mixture of fear and anxious constipation.

And indeed, there seemed to be plenty of reason to feel that way. Unlike the main river channel they'd come from, the waterway in this new tunnel was much narrower and smaller. Additionally, the twists, turns and objects in the way were far more numerous.

Ash had to pay extra close attention to his driving and their surroundings the farther down the tunnel they went. Large spires of ice covered rock jutted out of the water at random intervals and there were places where icy stalactites jutted down from the ceiling so far that they had to duck under them to avoid getting scraped in the head.

What was worse, the winding and twisting pathway of the water tunnel would make very sudden and sharp turns. It would also veer around sudden bends so fast that if Ash and Misty were not careful, they would either run into the walls or toss Brock and Giselle off into the icy water.

It seemed as though the path they followed would have no end to it. Through the long, twisting water tunnels and occasional patches of darkness they passed; only to come out into the light of more ice frozen walls.

For Ash however, it seemed to be as if he were in a form of trance; as it were. When they reached intersected areas and had to choose a new way to go, it was as if he had been there before and knew exactly where to go.

And so, on they sped. Through the vast recesses of the Seafoam Caverns on their stolen jet skis; passing along a vast network of labyrinth-oriented tunnels that seemed as though they would truly never come to an end.

At long last however, after passing through yet another long and winding, narrow tunnel that seemed to be just wide enough for them to pass through, they came out into a larger room. The first relatively open space they had come into in well over fifteen, if not twenty minutes.

The cavern they came out into could only be described as being quite large concerning its height. Meaning that, while the ceiling was high, the width of the cave was shorter by comparison. It was also shaped into a distinctive arch shape that begun at one wall, stopped at the tip of the ceiling, and then dropped down to the other wall.

The cavern itself had no place to disembark from the jet skis since it was all water but the walls and ceiling were thickly coated with snow and ice. What was more, there flowed an impressively large waterfall at the end of the cavern. One in which cascaded down its heavy volumes of water until they met the flowing river beneath and turned into thick white spray.

"Ash this is a dead end," Misty observed rather plainly as she drove her jet ski up to float next to his.

However, the young man simply stared at the powerfully flowing waterfall that began up near the ceiling. Then, after a few seconds of silence, he shook his head. "No... it's not."

The messy haired, amber eyed boy then drifted his aquatic vehicle a little closer up to the mightily falling waterfall. One in which was so forceful that he could feel the spray on his face; even several feet back as he was.

As he stared up at the torrential wall of falling water, his eyes remained locked onto it. Almost as though he could spot something invisible that no one else could see. In reality though, he was only listening intently since he had just heard that same strange, whispering voice speak into his mind again. Though who it was he was still not certain because it did not sound like Arceus.

Without looking back at his friends, he soon spoke in a sure way that seemed to leave no room for argument. "There's something on the other side of that waterfall."

His friends looked at it more closely but all they could see was the dark blue curtain of water that was falling like a powerful sheet to the icy river below.

"Are you sure?" Giselle asked with a little doubt. "I can't see anything behind that waterfall."

He gave a simple nod in reply but said nothing else as he drove up even closer to the cascade of water. Worrying that he was about to do something crazy, Misty yelled to him. "Ash don't even think about going into that thing! It'll drag you down under the torrent and you'll drown!"

Shaking his head, Ash reached for Haunter's Poké Ball and enlarged it. "No I won't. Watch."

He then released the long-lived Ghost-Type from his Poké Ball again and as soon as Haunter appeared, Ash looked up at him. "Haunter, you see that waterfall?" He pointed in its direction. "I think there's a hidden tunnel or something behind it. Can you use your psychic power to pull the water away long enough for us to see?"

The spectral Pokémon looked at the waterfall in question for a few moments and then narrowed his eyes at it. As he did so, those same bright yellow eyes began glowing blue. Then, with a pulse of power, he extended his psychic energy out toward the waterfall until it was shrouded in a light blue glow.

From there, the ghostly hands protruding from Haunter's sides made a side-waving gesture; as though parting a screen in two. From this action and in a simultaneous manner, the water of the roaring falls seemed to cleave in two. Like a knife descending through bread hot from the oven.

As this occurred, the waterfall split itself in two and pulled back like a curtain during a grand finale. This incredible display of a subversion of nature's will allowed the four assembled kids to see a wide, gaping tunnel descending into the recesses of the cavern just beyond the waterfall. Nothing could be seen but blackness in the newly unveiled passageway but the sight alone was enough to cause them to stare in fascination.

"I can't believe it!" Misty was agape in her disbelief. "There was actually something behind that waterfall!"

Brock, ever the deep postulator, hummed in thought. "No wonder we couldn't see it. That waterfall was so powerful that it concealed it perfectly and anyone who would have tried to get through it would have been drowned."

Ash, for his part, felt the pull strongest now of all. "Come on guys, we need to go down that tunnel. I'm really feeling that strange pull more than ever now."

Being of one accord that this strange influence over their friend had lead them well enough thus far, the other three could find no reason to argue.

With a silent consensus given, Ash drove his jet ski toward the newly revealed passageway while Giselle wrapped her arms tighter around his midsection; out of anxious fear of the unknown more than anything else.

Soon, both stolen jet skis had passed under the parted waterfall and into the dark tunnel beyond. Haunter followed after them and then, as soon as they were all clear, he ended the psychic hold he had over the waterfall and allowed it to return to its normal pattern of flow.

Now in the midst of utter darkness again with the sound of the waterfall behind them filling the cylindrical passageway, Ash flipped the lights of his jet ski on and bathed the tunnel in light. Misty did the same behind him and then, with illumination guiding their way, they started to slowly venture down the mysterious waterway.

The passage, it soon became apparent, was completely straight. Not even once did it curve, turn or twist in any other direction. Although, the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere felt like it had suddenly dropped several degrees.

"Brrr it's so c-cold all of a sudden!" Giselle shivered and pressed herself tighter to Ash. Their breath was even visible out in front of them, in the form of steam, with each inhale and exhale they took.

Just when Ash was about to answer her though, all of them heard a sound just up ahead. A sound in which greatly resembled that of the waterfall they had just come through a short time prior.

"Do you hear that?" Misty asked with a blink as she tried to peer down into the darkness that their lights had yet to illuminate.

"Yeah..." Ash narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "I can hear it... come on, let's see what it is."

They then continued on down the long, chillingly cold tunnel. No one spoke a word while they did and thus, it allowed them to hear the sound of mighty thundering; much like water falling in vast quantities from a great height. A sound that grew so loud, it was all but deafening.

Finally, they reached the source of the great tumult. And sure enough, as the lights of the jet skis shone upon the end of the passage, they found themselves staring at the backside of yet another waterfall. Though this one seemed even bigger and mightier than the first.

"So it was a waterfall," Brock observed. "I was all but willing to bet that was it when I started hearing the sound."

Ash looked up and to the side at Haunter; whom had followed beside them down the tunnel. "Can you do the same to this one too please Haunter?"

With nothing but a small nod, the giant Ghost Pokémon focused on the waterfall blocking their way and did much the same as at the first. Only this time, due to the sheer size and volume of the crashing wall of water - far greater than the first - he had to focus even more of his power into accomplishing the task.

Inevitably, nature once more heeded to the raw power of Pokémon as, like the slow beginning of a great impending reveal, the waterfall began to pull away in an arc for the intrepid young travelers.

When it did, all of them had to cover their eyes due to the sheer brightness of light that hit them from beyond. So bright was the light that it took several long moments just for the spots behind their eyelids to finally clear.

When the immediate pain of being thrust from darkness into light faded, they opened their eyes again slowly and looked into the distance to see what awaited them. When they did, their eyes enlarged, their mouths hung agape and their hearts skipped a few beats.

There, sprawled out before them like an actual painted canvas, was a massive cavern; easily the biggest by far. It was a huge expanse of underground majesty that almost seemed too great of a shame to be hidden from the world above.

The cavern was completely covered in snow and ice. From the walls that stretched at a vast distance from one another on every end, to the ceiling high above and every space of visible rock in-between.

The snow was as pure and white as that which fell on a northernmost tundra plain, wholly untouched by humans. The ice itself was such a deep, clear sheen of blue that at some places, it seemed to reflect the light of the snow like mirrors. Yet, in others, the ice was so transparent and clean that one could see straight through it like glass.

There were stalactites of pure ice and snow growing from the ceiling - as well as stalagmites jutting from the water beneath - that would most likely break any record of size found in most other caves. Some were so thick in size, even Brock could hide behind or duck beneath one and not be seen.

Even the water filling the cavern itself was like pure rainwater from the heavens that had fallen into the cave and formed a pool of pure, pristine beauty. The water was so clean and unsullied, it appeared to glow with a light blue, sparkling shine.

Looking around, they saw waterfalls, of all different shapes and sizes, flowing out of small and large cavernous holes in the walls at all ends of the magnificent chamber. Pristine, pure falls that fell into the majestic lake of water beneath and sent shining sparkles of droplets ascending into the air.

To cap the wondrous visual spectacle of nature, like the crowning jewel of all of it, was a small island of snowy rock that jutted out of the water. Almost in the exact center of the cavern.

Slowly, almost as though in a trance from the sheer beauty and splendor awaiting their mortal eyes, Ash and his friends floated forward into the majestic cavern with a gentle idling of the jet skis they were astride. Haunter followed and as he did, the waterfall returned to its original, free flowing state again.

"This..." Misty, whom was already a great lover of water, appeared near to tears as she took in the sight of the purest, cleanest and most pristine aquatic pool that she had ever the honor of laying eyes upon. From the shining surface of the underground lake itself to the cascading falls all around, the fiery and quick-tongued redhead appeared at a true loss for words.

"This is... beyond anything I could ever even dream about..." She finally said in naught but a whisper.

"I know... this is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen..." Giselle's voice was in synchronization with the awe that was on her face.

Ash, however, appeared to have his attention focused on the island in the center of the cavernous lake. And with that fixated focus on what he already knew was the destination they had been seeking all along without even realizing it, came the desire to reach it as quickly as possible.

Increasing the speed of the jet ski a few ticks, Ash carefully pulled the water traversal machine up beside of the large, snow covered rock that rose high up out of the icy waters.

With Misty and Brock on their jet ski beside of them, Ash cut the engine and allowed the stolen vehicle to slowly drift up until it was touching the side of the frozen island. Then, after thanking Haunter for his help and returning him, Ash carefully stood up and climbed onto the seat so he could look at the top of the rock.

"I think I can reach it you guys, lemme see!" He then reached as high as he could and grasped his hands around at the snowy surface of the rock wall.

After grunting and straining for a few moments to find some handhold to begin pulling himself up, Brock suddenly spoke. "Hey Ash, hang on!

With Misty's jet ski now parked beside the one Ash had been using, the older boy climbed over onto it and then maneuvered himself around until he was standing on one of the foot platforms of the vehicle.

Kneeling down, carefully then so as not to fall into the icy water beneath, he looked up at his friend and gestured. "Get down here on my shoulders Ash. I'll stand up as much as I can afterwards and the added height should allow you to reach the top."

The younger boy smiled gratefully at the older and then nodded before grabbing onto the wall a little tighter and stepping down onto Brock's shoulders. From there, the teen gave a heavy grunt and managed to stand up straight, the added height giving Ash enough leverage to reach the top.

As soon as his fingers dug into the light salting of snow that was covering the shelf, the young Trainer managed to utilize his upper body strength to pull himself fully up. Once he did, Ash looked forward in order to see what was up on the high rock platform.

What greeted his sight left the messy haired Pokémon lover completely speechless.

There, situated almost at the very opposite end of the small, ice and snow covered island... was a nest. And not just any nest either but a large nest. The largest, as a matter of fact, he had ever seen.

The nest in question looked identical to what a bird would make - albeit a very large bird - and was almost a perfect circular circumference in shape. The nest itself was made of what looked like aged and also new brownish and black colored wood; which strongly resembled driftwood.

What was more, there were also, scattered about the large nest, what appeared to be large strips of seaweed and other similar vegetation that could typically be found floating at sea. Strangest of all, at least to Ash, was the fact that the whole nest seemed to be covered in a thin sheet of white snow. Even a bit of ice as well.

"Ash! What do you see?!" Giselle called up to him.

Shaking himself from his stupor at the sound of her voice, he hurried back over to the edge and looked down at them. "Guys hurry, you need to see this! I'll help you up!"

Getting down onto his belly, Ash then helped his friends climb up onto the snowy platform; first helping Giselle and then doing the same for Misty and Brock.

Once all three of them had joined him up on the level surface, they looked around until Brock laid his eyes on the nest at the far end of the small island. "Hey is that..." His voice trailed off then and his face soon portrayed the shock he felt as he fully realized just what he was staring at. "No way! Is that really what I think it is?!"

Misty and Giselle both appeared equally stunned with the latter saying shakily as she walked closer toward it. "That... that's a nest..."

Misty, whom was approaching cautiously on the other side, nodded rigidly. "It's a really big bird's nest..."

Ash walked up to examine it closer as well with Brock beside of him. "I know that..." Stopping just in front of it, he knelt down and looked closer at the unique, snow and ice encased nest. "When I saw this up here I could barely believe my eyes."

At that, Misty reached out to touch the side of the nest but when she did, she quickly pulled her hand back just as quickly. "Ouch!" A hiss of pain left her lips as she started rubbing her gloved hand with her other one in a fast motion.

"Misty what's wrong?!" Ash went from fascination as he examined the nest, to concern for his friend as he shot up and went toward her.

Still grimacing lightly, the young redhead looked at him. "Whatever you do, don't touch it. That nest is extremely cold. I felt almost like I had drawn frostbite on my whole hand as soon as I touched it."

Her friends appeared stunned and amazed when she said this, leading Brock to look down at the nest again in wonder. "Incredible. This thing has got to be incredibly cold for it to all but freeze Misty's glove covered hand like that."

Having an idea, Ash reached for his red and black Pokédex that he kept clipped to his side and then pulled it out. "I have an idea. Dexter can scan objects that are in its database as well and it can give temperature readings too. Mostly it's used for Pokémon and their attacks but it might work for this too. Professor Oak told me about this feature that most Pokédex have back when I was studying with him."

He then activated the device and as it slid upward and open, he pointed the scanning lens at the nest. After that, he input a few key commands on the touchpad keyboard as it scanned the nest. Afterwards, they heard the robotic voice of Dexter speak once the scan was finished.

"This type of nest is not registered in my data banks. Origin of creation; unknown. Pokémon species belonging to nest; unknown. This object's temperature is precisely ten degrees below zero."

At that, all eyes widened even more as Giselle practically stammered. "T-Ten below zero?! No way!"

At that moment, Ash's eyes caught sight of something laying in the nest and he carefully reached out to grab it, making sure he didn't actually touch the nest.

Soon, he pulled his hand back and in it, he held a long, beautiful, bright blue feather. One in which had a beautiful sheen to its surface and felt cool to the touch.

Holding it up with a visibly shaky hand, Ash spoke without taking his eyes off the feather he now held. "Guys... do you know what this is?"

There was silence that greeted his question for a time as they all just stared at what he held in his hand. It was as if they were seeing a star falling from the sky in slow motion and were unable to take their disbelieving eyes off of it.

"It... it can't be..." Giselle whispered in a small voice. "It just... can't be..."

Brock slowly shook his head. "I know what I'm seeing but... my eyes just can't believe it."

Misty, for her part, reached out and gently ran her finger up the length of the feather; feeling how cool it was but also the soft smoothness of it. Even through her glove. "Is this really...?"

Ash already had the Pokédex out though and was scanning the feather, all while trying to keep his shaky hand steady. He felt the excitement in his belly give a whole new leap too as Dexter soon spoke again.

"This feather is of unknown origin. Pokémon species; also unknown."

It was as if that single reading from Dexter was enough to solidify what all of them had been thinking. And at that, Ash closed his eyes for a moment. Then, after taking a few seconds to compose himself, he opened them again and said in a steady voice.

"This feather... belongs to Articuno."

His friends stared at the feather still but none made any attempt to say anything immediately. There was really no point. Ash was right, they all knew it. After all, how couldn't he be? All the signs pointed to the nest and feather belonging to that same Legendary Pokémon in question. It just took time to actually process and believe that it was really true.

That moment of silent reverie and astonishment was soon ruined though by the sound of loud engines roaring like a Beartic establishing its dominance.

Turning around quickly, all of them looked back across the large cavern toward the waterfall passage they had entered through earlier. The sound they heard became louder and louder, leading them all to come to the same conclusion that several vehicles were speeding their way.

Within seconds, their concerns were proven true as one jet ski after another suddenly erupted from out of the waterfall passageway with powerful propulsions of the engine. Each one was identical to the two they had stolen but Ash and Misty had apparently undervalued their power since the jet ski's proved more than capable of cutting through the waterfall without wrecking. Like knife slicing through warm butter.

To all of their shared dismay, they watched the jet ski's emerge until twelve of the sleek black vehicles were barreling through the cavern toward them. Each one had two, if not three Rocket Grunts mounted on the back of them.

In no time at all, the dozen jet skis had made it to the island in the middle of the cavern and immediately, their engines were cut. Seeing and hearing this, Ash quickly put the feather into his deep winter pants pocket and clipped the Pokédex back to his belt as he and his friends took defensive, fully ready positions in front of the nest.

While they were hoping that the Rockets might have had a little difficulty getting up onto the platform, no such luck was present since they saw several grappling hooks coming up to latch onto the sides of the island.

Within mere seconds, around thirty Team Rocket Grunts were standing on the opposite end of the small, snow and ice covered island. All of them were looking at Ash and his friends across the relatively short distance from them; each with varying degrees of surprise and suspicion. Because of the black masks they were wearing to conceal their full faces, the kids' identities remained a mystery to the villainous group.

Eventually, after several long moments of standing in silence with no one speaking a word, like a face-off, the line of Grunts suddenly had to part as two people started to force their way through.

"Out of the way! Get out of my way! Stand aside!"

A distinctive male voice quickly followed the female one as he supported her authoritative commands. "You heard her you goons! Move aside, come on! Get going!"

Finally, the speakers came into view and Ash and the others saw the same blond woman and green haired man from earlier make their appearance. The ones they vaguely recalled as being named Butch and Cassidy.

As soon as they saw them, the unique looking man and woman (whom were most definitely the commanders of the operation) stared at the mask-wearing strangers and narrowed their eyes. Cassidy, who appeared to be above her companion in terms of authority, pointed at them before speaking harshly.

"So you were the ones that stole those two jet skis of ours! I never would have suspected children." She then smirked with a condescending gleam in her eye. "I don't know how you kids got down here or how you managed to find us and steal two of our vehicles but, I suppose I should thank you."

The long haired blond gestured at the cavern around them. "How you found this place and we were unable to all this time does make me curious. But it really makes no never mind. You lead us here and for that, you have my appreciation. Even if it was foolish, dumb luck."

Misty finally spoke, never more glad for the masks they were wearing than she was now. "How did you find us here?!"

Butch looked at Misty and sneered, his smoker's voice serving to be just as annoying as the sneer on his face. "Heh, our jet skis have built-in homing devices in them. Once we found out two were missing, we were able to just follow the signal right to this location."

At that, all four of them felt like kicking themselves for not considering such a possibility earlier. Though, Cassidy gave them no such time as her voice hardened and she put her hands on her hips. "I don't know who you kids are but you shouldn't have come down here or gotten in our way. And you definitely shouldn't have stolen from us, Team Rocket!"

Giselle shouted back to her. "We know why you're down here and we won't let you steal Articuno!"

Butch and Cassidy appeared surprised their top secret mission was known by four children but the former only smirked. "You're not normal kids that just found your way down here by mistake are ya?" He pointed. "You were spying on us, weren't you brats!"

Cassidy, only now seeing the nest that the kids were standing in front of, stepped forward with an excited gleam in her eyes. "The nest! So it really does exist! Articuno is down here after all!"

She then looked at Ash and his friends again before glaring. "My comrade is right. Spying on us was bad enough, stealing from us was foolish and now standing in our way is suicide. Now that you know why we are here, we cannot let you live!"

Misty snorted back. "Yeah right, you wouldn't have let us go anyway! We know how horrible and evil your organization is!"

Cassidy gave a small, silky and feminine laugh at the younger female's words; her eyes glinting dangerously. "Smart girl. Too bad you had to get your snotty noses involved in something that didn't concern you."

At that, Brock himself spoke up. "Look! Articuno isn't even here and it might not have been here in a really long time either! This was just its nest at one point, it doesn't mean it still is!"

"Maybe, maybe not." The green haired man crossed his arms. "But given that we've been hearing reports of recent sightings of it around this area, we'll take our chances. We're gonna set up shop for it right here in this cave and then, if it shows up, that elusive freaking bird will finally be ours!"

Cassidy smirked at them again. "I tell you what. Since you were gracious enough to lead us right here to its roost, we'll let you live long enough to see Articuno in the flesh. Then, after we capture it, we'll let that sight be the last thing you ever see. And if it doesn't show up..."

Her lip curled up nastily. "Well then, at least you'll get a few more precious hours alive."

Giselle quickly fired back. "No deal! You guys are terrible!"

Cassidy and Butch both smirked at that. "Well of course we are!"

The former then struck an exaggerated pose and smirked again. "Prepare for trouble..."

Butch did likewise and smirked as well. "...and make it double!"

Both of them stepped forward then, stagger-stepped from one another and spoke in tandem. "Here's our mission, so you better listen!"

Cassidy then lunged to the right with her arms in the air like a dancer. "To infect the world with devastation!"

Butch then lunged to the side with one arm tucked into his chest and the other extended into the air. "To blight all people in every nation!"

The admittedly beautiful and agile young woman then performed a backflip and landed in a single-legged pose with her arms up and pointed to the side like an arrow.

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

The short green haired man did a jumping flip in the air, spinning several times, before landing in a similar pose as her. Only with his arms pointed in the opposite direction.

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

Cassidy stepped down into a forward lunge with her arms splayed behind her gracefully.

"Cassidy!"

Her partner mirrored her pose on his own side, facing the opposite direction.

"And Butch, of course!"

The lead female Rocket stepped up out of her lunge into a wide stance with her hands on her hips; though she was turned slightly away from Ash and the others.

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night!"

She finally turned to face them, smirking all the while, as Butch did the same and finished the motto.

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!"

As soon as they finished the motto, Ash and his friends were just left staring at the two posing Rockets with thin eyes and sweatdrops running down the back of their covered heads.

"Well... guess it's my mistake thinking they were actually a serious threat..." Ash deadpanned.

"They're just like Jessie and James..." Giselle whispered, unimpressed and now thoroughly nonplussed after hearing the image-shattering motto.

Misty's eye twitched. "It was just like a cheap knockoff of their motto..."

"I think those two are just cheap knockoffs of Jessie and James..." Brock stated blankly.

Cassidy (not having heard anything they said since they were mostly whispering) stepped forward and pointed.

"Now you know that any attempts you make to withstand us will be utterly hopeless! Surrender your futile thoughts of resisting our unstoppable might and your end will be short and sweet!"

Standing strong, his friends resolutely doing the same behind him, Ash stepped forward two paces and responded passionately.

"I would rather die than see Articuno fall into your filthy hands! As long as I'm still breathing, Team Rocket will never get their hands on that Pokémon!"

His friends all nodded sternly, fiercely, and spoke in tandem. "That's right!"

Butch scrunched his face up and grunted. "What's with all these bratty kids standing up and thinking they can resist us, the mighty Team Rocket?! First it was those snot-nosed meddlers that went down with the St. Anne and then those no good rotten teenagers that took down our base in Celadon!"

Cassidy sneered and crossed her arms. "The only difference is that these brats are going to end up like the ones on the Anne. Dead and sunk beneath the icy waters of this cavern!"

She then held her arms out and directed all the men gathered around she and Butch. "Get rid of them!"

With that said, all the Rocket Grunts stepped forward with sinister grins on their faces and pulled out a Poké Ball from their belts; each. Then, with synchronized tosses, the snapping open of several balls and the light that came from within filled the audible airspace and illuminated the small island in colors of white and blue.

Before long, a small armada of Pokémon was lined up before the platoon of Rockets. Raticate, Zubat, Golbat, Ekans, Koffing, Grimer and others materialized upon the snow dusted ground of the platform.

Unfazed, Ash spoke back to his friends. "You guys ready?"

Each one nodding and giving stout replies, he pulled out a ball from his side and enlarged it. "Then let's send these cowards back where they came from!"

With that said, he and the others released their own Pokémon onto the scene. Ash chose Haunter, Brock picked Graveler and Zubat, Giselle chose Marowak and her Graveler and Misty picked Starmie and Staryu.

At the sight of Ash's scary and very intimidating looking Pokémon, all the Rockets assembled seemed to be either unnerved or in shock at seeing such a strange and abnormally large Haunter.

Once they overcame their surprise however, Butch just smirked. "Now that's a unique Pokémon indeed. I'd say it'd make a nice present for the Boss."

Cassidy shared in his sneer by laughing. "Oh it will. I'll have fun prying its Poké Ball from its Trainer's cold, dead fingers." She then turned serious and pointed. "But enough talk, it's time for action. Now, all of you, attack!"

With the order given from their commander, the men all shouted and ordered their Pokémon to charge. However, Ash and his friends stayed calm right up until the large enemy force was upon them.

Finally, all four young Trainers called out together, "Go!"

And with that, the great face-off began. With bursts of sludge, slicing strikes of wind from wings, gleaming fangs, poisonous barbs and bursts of toxic gas, the Rocket's Pokémon all attacked as furiously and savagely as they could.

Unfortunately for the much larger horde of villainous opponents though, the far smaller group of Pokémon they were attacking was much stronger, much more well trained and far more powerful.

As one group of Grimer and Ekans swarmed Starmie and Staryu, both Water-Type cousins took off at fast speeds and utilized their much greater agility to avoid every ball of sludge and every hail of venomous barbs that came their way.

Spinning around in a wide and fast arc, Starmie made use of its sturdy body to smash himself into several of the Ekans. Then, flipping up and spinning away again to avoid retaliation, it counterattacked with moves like Swift, Water Gun and Bubble Beam.

Staryu did the same to the group of Grimer that were attacking it. However, since the pre-evolved form of Starmie was smaller, it also meant more speed. This allowed Staryu to blur in, out, around and even through its opponents without any of the much slower Rocket Pokémon even being able to keep up. Much less attack accurately.

This allowed Staryu to attack with quick, decisive moves like Swift, Water Gun and even the occasional Psywave to send its opponents reeling. Staryu even made use of Minimize to shrink itself at certain points, thereby making Misty's fastest Pokémon even harder to hit.

Near Misty, Giselle was in the midst of a fierce battle against her own chunk of "Rocketmon". Her Graveler and Marowak were working like a well-oiled machine; showing not only how much stronger they had become under the harsh training they daily endured but also how solid their teamwork was.

For the both of them, they had a mixed group of Rocket Pokémon attacking so they stuck together and fed off of each other's strengths. Graveler would make use of his hard body and incredible resilience to shield Marowak from certain attacks and then the Ground-Type would return fire with a well-placed bone strike of some sort or even a hard, charging hit from the tough skull cap that was atop its head.

Likewise, Marowak would help keep Graveler on his toes and whenever an attack drew too close, he would either alert his partner quickly or outright push him away with a hard shove from his club.

This, in turn, allowed the four armed Rock-Type to pick out one or several opponents and then brutally attack. This came in the form of him either curling into a ball and smashing his several hundred pound self into a group of foes like bowling pins, or tossing large rocks at them with pinpoint accuracy and burying said enemies beneath shattered rubble.

Beside Giselle, Brock's own Graveler and Zubat were battling just as hard as their friends. They were also working like a team and as they fought, both of them showed the increased power they had attained after Brock joined in on Ash's training program.

While Brock's Graveler was a lot like Giselle's in that it made solid use of its brute force, powerful strength and rock solid form, his Zubat was more like Misty's Staryu.

Even though his only Flying-Type Pokémon was going up against several other Zubat and even Golbat, it was easy to see from any point of view that Brock's was far superior in terms of training and technique.

All the other Zubat and Golbat were far sloppier and much less graceful in the air but since Brock's was used to flying around in the heavy body weights that Ash's training routinely called for, it made him look like a speeding Pidgeot amongst sleeping Slowpoke.

When one or even a few of his pre-evolved cousins got close, Zubat would simply speed elegantly around them and then come in from another angle to strike one. Doing so by either using his wings, body mass or air attacks.

Even the Golbat couldn't hope to catch up to, no less beat, the smaller bat Pokémon. If he was able to put his fellow Zubat to shame by flying circles around them, he made the heavier and more awkward Golbat look like grounded Caterpie.

Aside from flying in, out and around them and leaving the Rocket's Golbat dizzy from trying to keep up, he also succeeded in causing some of them to attack each other.

When one or more would get close enough to attack, he would simply veer away like a blue blur and leave the assaulting Golbat to either smash into or hit one another with their own aerial attacks.

Of course, even though smaller, Brock's Zubat was also able to take his bigger kin by surprise more than once and managed to smash his compact, speeding self into their backs, sides or midsection at random intervals. Or even strike one with a quick but effective move like Wing Attack or a well placed and nasty Bite.

Thus, while Brock and Misty's two Graveler worked like steamrollers to decimate the enemy forces in large swaths - especially when using the nigh unstoppable Rollout - Zubat caused their aerial foes to drop like stones to the ground. One after the other.

Marowak, Starmie and Staryu obviously had their own important roles to play as well since, no matter what Rocket Pokémon came up against them, they merely cut down said foes quickly with what would have looked like genuine ease to anyone observing from the outside.

While the battle raged on atop the elevated island that Articuno's nest resided on and multiple attacks were thrown back and forth amongst both groups of viciously fighting Pokémon, Ash's one and only fighter was easily holding his own by himself.

It seemed as though all the rest of the small army of Rocket Pokémon had decided to converge upon Haunter but the comparison was as a giant being attacked by tiny little insects.

Without any effort or strain on his own part, the powerful Ghost-Type was able to simply float in one place and fight the enemies rushing at him. Using his strong psychic abilities, Haunter easily captured several of them at one time in an unbreakable telekinetic grip and then either tossed them away or bashed them against the ground and into unconsciousness.

Those he didn't grab with his psychic power he was able to just as easily put down by firing off one of his strong Ghost-Type attacks. Such as Night Shade or Shadow Ball. Ghoulish, energy based attacks that were so so large and powerful, they were able to take out multiple opponents in one shot.

The battle was fierce and the fighting intense but it was short lived to be sure. In only a matter of minutes, all the Rocket Grunts were left gaping in shock and even fear as all of their Pokémon were soon left laying in unconscious and utterly beaten heaps.

With Ash and his friends' Pokémon all standing tall and strong, Cassidy and Butch could only stare in disbelief.

"No way! That can't possible!" The green haired man yelled in vehement denial.

Cassidy's shock, however, quickly turned to anger as she growled. "You meddlesome and foolish little pests! I am going to make you regret the day that you ever crossed paths with us!"

She then pulled out a Poké Ball from a deep pocket in the thick winter coat she was wearing and shot a look at her partner. "Well?! Don't just stand there like an idiot! Help me!"

Snapping to attention, he quickly nodded and took out a Poké Ball himself. "Right!"

With that, she looked back at the children opposing them and smirked. "We'll show you brats never to mess with Team Rocket!" She then tossed her Poké Ball and yelled. "Tentacruel!Goooo!"

In a burst of bright light and stars, the evolved and multi-tentacled cousin of Tentacool appeared on the snow covered ground. Butch soon followed suit by smirking and flipping his hair.

"Alright! Let's show these upstart brats what real power is all about!"

The ball he threw soon snapped open and out came the heavily shelled, evolved form of Shellder. Its small, round, black face was leering and grinning in that atypical way of its species and it quickly took a position next to Tentacruel.

As the rest of the beaten Team Rocket Grunts returned their defeated Pokémon to clear the way, Misty suddenly stepped forward and spoke seriously. "You boys leave this to me. I want to see just how far me and my Pokémon have come."

She then looked at Giselle and smirked through her mask, though no one could see it. "You wanna help me? It'd be like our battle against those rich girls back in Saffron City and the other one we had!"

Respecting that Misty had been mindful enough not to use her name, the brunette nodded back and smiled; even though it too couldn't be seen. "Yeah, let's show how far we've come since we started training so hard!"

Ash and Brock merely shared a look between them and then nodded before stepping back and ordering their Pokémon to back away as well.

With the decision made, Giselle chose Marowak to battle for her while Misty called both Starmie and Staryu back and pulled out another ball. "I need to get this handsome little guy some more battle experience so..." She smiled and then tossed the Poké Ball out that she had in hand. "Tentacool go!"

With both girls' Pokémon chosen, Butch and Cassidy shared a condescending laugh. "Well this will be over quickly."

The mint haired man added to his female companion's jibe. "Once we crush them, we'll toss these annoying kids into the icy water and take their Pokémon for ourselves!"

Cassidy smiled in a twisted manner. "Agreed! Now Tentacruel, use Bubble Beam!"

Butch followed suit by yelling, "Cloyster use Water Gun!"

Their Pokémon demonstrated that at least they were better trained and more adept than the ones belonging to the nameless Rocket Grunts. This came in the form of both attacks being quickly executed and sent speeding toward their targets.

However, Misty and Giselle were already prepared and ordered their Pokémon to quickly get out of the way; which they did so swiftly. Marowak jumped out of the way of the blast of water and Tentacool showed surprising speed by leaping to the side with his two tentacles and avoiding the spray of bubbles that had been coming his way.

"Now Marowak use Bonemerang!" Giselle commanded while Misty followed suit. "Tentacool use Poison Sting!"

Both of their Pokémon executed their attacks quickly but Cloyster merely snapped its shell closed and caused the bone club to hammer off of it harmlessly. Tentacruel, meanwhile, easily parried the attack of its younger kin by using the same one to cancel it out.

"Use Focus Energy and charge Cloyster!" Giselle wasn't about to let the failure of one attack stop her from making another.

Misty wasn't either since she commanded firmly, "Now Tentacool use Supersonic!"

As Marowak took off running at his opponent while cinching up on the bone club now back in his hands, he chanted his name and began glowing red in a sign that his internal energy was building.

Tentacool did the same as the small red gem in the center of his forehead gleamed and sent several concentric rings of sonic energy at his evolved opponent.

However, neither Cassidy or Butch looked bothered by the incoming assault since the latter merely smirked. "Guess we'll have to show them the hard way, huh Cass?"

"It would be my pleasure," She responded arrogantly.

When Marowak got in close to Cloyster, he raised his now glowing red club and, with a bellow, started raining it down upon the hard shell of his opponent. Whom had withdrawn into its shell yet again before the first hit could even land.

Simultaneously, the rings of yellow sound waves quickly reached Tentacruel but the effort was for naught. On Cassidy's command, her Pokémon used Screech and emitted an ear-splitting shrieking noise; who's own sound waves cancelled out those of Supersonic.

At the same time, while Marowak was bashing away at Cloyster's shell, Butch gave an order with a smirk still plastered on his face. "Cloyster use Spike Cannon!"

Opening its impenetrable shell just as Marowak was about to thrash his club against the hard surface again, Cloyster's grinning face appeared just as his rounded, dark colored head glowed. Then, before Marowak could react, Cloyster fired a vicious assault of dozens of sharp energy needles at him.

Not prepared for the sudden counterattack, Giselle's Pokémon took the full brunt and went flying back through the air; landing with a hard thud onto the snow covered ground several feet away.

As soon as this happened, Cassidy raised her hand and laughed in cruel amusement. "Tentacruel use Acid and then Hydro Pump!"

From the blue jellyfish's mouth was spat a glob of thick, purple acid that Tentacool had to lunge to the side to avoid. Tentacruel followed that up immediately though by firing off a powerful and torrent-like blast of water from its mouth.

This ended up being too fast in coming for Tentacool to avoid and thus, the two-tentacled Pokémon was sent careening back across the white powdered, rocky platform. The water blast he was caught in threw him far back and almost right next to Marowak.

Ash and Brock grimaced as they saw this but the two Rocket commanders only grinned in perverse joy and cackled in boastful amusement. Misty and Giselle, to their credit though, remained calm under the tense moment of the stressful situation.

"Tentacruel! Make that little bone loving loser of a Pokémon feel the wrath of its superiors! Use Hydro Pump!"

Just as her Pokémon did as commanded and launched its high-powered water attack at Marowak, Butch ordered Cloyster to use Spike Cannon again; this time on Tentacool.

However, just before the blast of water could strike Giselle's Pokémon - whom was just starting to stand back up - Tentacool performed an unexpected maneuver that surprised everyone watching.

Rolling up into what would be considered as a standing position for it, Tentacool lunged at Marowak and wrapped his two tentacles around his battling partner. Then, with a hard jerk backwards, he tossed Marowak behind him and out of the way of the powerful water jet while Tentacool himself fell back. This, luckily, caused Hydro Pump to pass right over top of him as well.

It was at that same parallel moment in time, unfortunately, that Cloyster took aim at the now unprepared Tentacool and finally fired a volley of sharp needles at him.

It seemed, initially, that Misty's Pokémon was about to sustain the full brunt of the attack. However, just before they could hit, Marowak suddenly jumped in front of Tentacool with his bone club raised in front of him. Then, at fast speeds, he started twirling it in hand like it was an industrial fan.

This incredibly fast rotational pattern made all of the poisonous barbs impact against the solid bone and bounce off, causing the sound of loud pinging to fill the chilly airspace.

"Thanks for the help!" Misty said gratefully as she looked over at the brunette after Marowak saved her Pokémon.

"No problem!" The chocolate eyed beauty responded back with a smile. "That's what friends are for right!"

Cassidy curled her lip up in disgust. "Enough with the cutesy friendship crap! This is a battle, not a filthy love circle!" After that, she snarled a bitter command to her Pokémon. "Tentacruel use Poison Jab on that weak little Tentacool!"

Butch gave her backup by calling out in his gravelly tone to Cloyster. "Use Withdraw and then Tackle!"

As both Rocket Pokémon took off in a fast charge at Tentacool and Marowak - Cloyster withdrawing into its shell and taking off in a rapid spin while Tentacruel sped forward with a single raised tentacle that was glowing a toxic purple - Misty and Giselle both shared a look between them.

"What say we work together?" Giselle smirked, which was returned by Misty as she nodded. "You read my mind!"

The former Cerulean City Gym Leader looked to her Pokémon then and held out her hand. "Tentacool! Wrap your tentacles around Marowak and then toss him!"

Knowing that he could trust the other Pokémon he trained and worked with on a regular basis, Marowak allowed Tentacool to wrap his tentacles around his body. Then, with a fast, three-sixty spin in place and a surprisingly hard toss, the jellyfish Pokémon launched Marowak across the length of the big, icy rock that held Articuno's nest.

However, instead of tossing him at Tentacruel, whom was closer, he threw Marowak at Cloyster; the heavily fortified Pokémon still spinning fast through the air while tucked tightly into its shell.

The toss was powerful enough that it defeated the rate of speed Tentacruel had been approaching its pre-evolved cousin at; which meant Marowak reached Cloyster first. This also meant that, because Butch's Pokémon was elevated a short ways off the ground while spinning through the air, Marowak passed right underneath of his opponent.

Just as he came within an almost direct line of Cloyster's midsection while sliding underneath of it, Marowak put his bone club behind him and used it as a springboard. This launched the Ground-Type straight up into Cloyster's bottom half with both feet and launched the evolved form of Shellder straight up into the air.

Immediately after doing this, Marowak narrowed his eyes up at his now skyward bound opponent and tensed his legs before jumping up after it.

Within seconds, Giselle's Pokémon was level with Cloyster up in the air. Due to the sudden dramatic shift of now being airborne, the shelled Pokémon opened itself up, only to see Marowak looking at it.

Cloyster only had enough time to widen its eyes in surprise before Marowak turned in midair and smashed his club into the side of his enemy's hard shell.

The force and effect of the hit was immediate. Due to the strength with which Marowak hit it, Cloyster went spinning back down towards the ground at a fast rate of speed. Yet, unfortunately for Tentacruel, that trajectory was perfectly in line with its own planned path of attack concerning Tentacool.

Because of this, Cloyster ended up providing for both of them a nasty surprise as it slammed into Tentacruel and knocked both of them completely off course and straight into the snow covered ground.

As the two Pokémon hit the snowy terrain and skidded across its surface, one atop the other, Giselle and Misty both cheered.

"Alright! Nice one!" Ash's girlfriend complimented passionately.

The redhaired girl looked at her only female friend and winked. "Watch this then!"

She focused on Tentacool afterwards and then flicked her eyes toward the now jumbled up Rocket Pokémon. "We need to make this count Tentacool! Time to show Tentacruel that evolution doesn't matter!"

The youngest of the Sensational Sisters then clenched her right fist. "Get in closer and use Poison Sting!"

Giselle followed suit behind Misty and also issued a command. "Marowak follow Tentacool and use Bonemerang on Cloyster!"

At once, both Pokémon took off across the icy and snowy ground toward Butch and Cassidy's Pokémon. Unfortunately for the aforementioned Rockets however, Tentacruel and Cloyster were still laying jumbled up together on the ground. Quite literally too since the former's tentacles were wrapped around the latter's shell like a knotted up ball of string

Being that Tentacruel was presently defenseless with no use of its tentacles, Cloyster was the only one capable of doing anything. Realizing this, Butch growled in frustration. "Cloyster use Ice Beam and stop those annoying little runts!"

Having had its shell open ever since getting tossed into Tentacruel, Cloyster saw Tentacool and Marowak getting close to them. So, feeling a sense of urgency, it quickly formed a beam of ice between its shell that it prepared to shoot at them.

Giselle was quick witted though because she called out in a hasty rush. "Marowak! Get Tentacool wrapped around your club and then toss him at Tentacruel!

Misty's face morphed into an expression of surprise for a moment but she quickly fell in step with Giselle's plan and turned her attention forward again. "You heard her Tentacool! Wrap your tentacles around Marowak's club!"

Without breaking their headlong rush, Marowak dropped his club down in front of Tentacool and, leaping forward without stopping, the Water-Type jumped onto it and curled himself around the long bone with his tentacles.

All this happened in seconds and just as Cloyster prepared to shoot the beam of ice, Marowak reared back while running and then threw his bone club that had Tentacool wrapped around it at Tentacruel. Giving a loud, "Wak!" as he made the throw.

His toss was much like one who threw a javelin and that meant Tentacool went speeding in a straight line toward Tentacruel. At that same moment, Cloyster fired its Ice Beam attack at Marowak since Tentacool was now out of range. However, the tide had turned.

Without breaking stride, Marowak narrowed his eyes at the incoming beam of ice and then, just before it could hit him, he powerfully leapt straight up into the air; avoiding the icy attack by mere seconds.

In tandem with his leap, Tentacool had reached his evolved cousin via the bone club he was still wrapped around. Thus, as soon as it reached Tentacruel, not only did it hit Cassidy's Pokémon in the head but Tentacool jumped off and latched itself onto the bigger Pokémon; using his two tentacles to wrap himself tightly around the other jellyfish's face like a squishy living mask.

At this time, Marowak's club was circling up through the air and, while he was in midair still, it flew back and landed perfectly in his hand. This came just at the right moment because, while clear of Ice Beam, Marowak wasn't done yet.

While he was still airborne several feet above the elevated island, Giselle's loyal loner Pokémon raised his club into the air and then tossed it earthward with a heavy grunt. A sound in which demonstrated the force with which he had tossed the weaponized bone.

Cloyster looked up and saw this but, just as it went to tuck back into its shell for safety, the club ended up getting stuck in-between both sides of the shelled Pokémon; right in the midst of Cloyster being mere seconds away from fully snapping itself closed.

Finding itself unable to close its shell due to the extremely dense, calcified bone club that was now stuck in the top of its shell - like a wrench in the middle of two gears - Cloyster struggled and strained with all of its might to shut its shell. Though each attempt was for naught.

Landing on the ground only a few feet from Cloyster, Marowak was on his enemy with eyes narrowed behind his skull cap just as Giselle smirked and yelled out. "Marowak use Rage and let Cloyster have it!"

In mid-run, the Ground-Type started to growl under his breath as his whole body became suffused by a bright red glow. Then, with a strong forward leap, he actually jumped straight inside of Cloyster's pried open shell and landed right in front of the heavily armored Pokémon's small, circular, black inner body.

The typically smirking face of Cloyster was instead turned to fear and distress as Marowak, with an angry bellow, commenced to brutalizing the weak, delicate and defenseless inner parts of Cloyster. Utilizing an all out savage onslaught of claw swipes, headbutts and even forceful jumping kicks.

Butch, who by now had wide eyes and a stunned expression upon his formerly smirking face, yelled irritably. "Cloyster what are you doing?! Get out of there! Don't let that little wimp do that to you!"

The assault continued on Misty's end too and she gave an order to Tentacool; whom was still holding tightly to Tentacruel's face and refusing to let go. "Tentacool! Use Acid and shoot it into Tentacruel's face!"

Looking his evolved form straight in the eyes, Tentacool built up a gooey discharge of purple, acidic waste and then shot it straight into Tentacruel's face from his mouth. Which was located just underneath his tentacles like all members of the Tenta family.

As the thick, goopy substance splashed into Tentacruel's face, it also covered his eyes, effectively blinding it and causing the larger jellyfish to begin to panic. And, since Tentacruel had finally managed to stand up after getting untangled from Cloyster when Tentacool was launched into it, the larger Pokémon began stumbling backwards.

Taking full advantage, Misty gave another order. "Tentacool detach yourself from it and then use Poison Sting and Bubble Beam!"

Doing as told, her Pokémon released the hold he had on Tentacruel's face and landed back down on the ground. Then, in rapid succession, he first used Poison Sting and then Bubble Beam as a double assault on his older cousin.

The combination of that attack caused Tentacruel to stumble back even more under the heavy assault of both, the poisonous needles, as well as the rapid popping bubbles that soon followed.

At that time, Marowak had just finished beating on Cloyster and then leapt out of its mouth; grabbing his bone club along the way and yanking it free with a hard tug. Then, landing on both feet beside the now dazed Water-Type, Giselle's battling partner slammed his club into the side of Cloyster's shell; which sent it rolling towards Tentacruel again and smashing into it once more.

As Tentacruel fell to the snowy ground and Cloyster lay hunkered and beaten up inside of its shell, both girls shared a look and then smiled.

"You ready to end this?" Misty asked with a smirk.

"You know it!" Came the other girl's enthusiastic reply.

Then, together, they pointed and called out simultaneously. "Marowak/Tentacool! Use Bonemerang/Bubble Beam!"

The two soon-to-be victorious Pokémon quickly executed both attacks. Marowak gave a swift and strong toss of his one and only weapon of choice while Tentacool, beside of him, was just about to perform his own attack.

However, right as he was building up the energy needed to expel the voluminous spray of bubbles that Misty had called for, the red gems on Tentacool's head glowed instead. Then, as if his whole body had suddenly become alight with power, Tentacool started to chant his name while narrowing his eyes.

Everyone atop the icy platform just stared at Tentacool in wonder but soon, they all heard the sound of what resembled a great wall of water rushing up.

Turning at the sound, Ash and his friend's eyes went wide as they spotted a large wall of icy water that had come from below, now standing tall over their heads. This being a shock that was mimicked by Butch, Cassidy and the rest of the Rocket Agents around them.

Looking back, Misty saw that Tentacool appeared to be controlling the wave since the three gems in his head were still glowing and he appeared to be laser focused on whatever it was he was doing.

Realizing what was happening just as Marowak's thrown bone club struck Cloyster's closed shell and returned back to him, Misty looked back at the wall of water and spoke in awe. "I... I think Tentacool just learned how to use Surf!"

Giselle nodded in agreement as she too looked at the wall of icy water being held in suspended animation before them. "I think you're right! Water-Type Pokémon can use Surf in different ways and I think Tentacool's lower end psychic abilities just matured enough that it allowed him to subconsciously learn that move!"

As if to prove the assumption correct, Tentacool suddenly reared up onto both tentacles, raising to his full height, as he chorused out his name and the gems on his head glowed once more.

With that single action, the towering wall of icy water came crashing down onto the snowy island that Articuno's nest laid upon. Luckily though, Tentacool was controlling it with his minor psychic abilities and that caused the wave to arc in a spectacular fashion - like a bridge stretching over the sea - so that it went over the heads of Misty and the others; as well as the nest.

Unfortunately for them, Cloyster and Tentacruel were not so lucky. The powerful wave of freezing cold water soon slammed upon the island and did so right on top of the two grounded Pokémon. This completely covered Butch and Cassidy's partners from view and also caused both of them, as well as the rest of the Rockets nearby, to run for the farthest cover on the platform. All to avoid getting swept up in the powerful current and knocked down off the island, into the freezing water below.

Sadly for Tentacruel and Cloyster, this wasn't the case and they in fact did end up getting washed off of Articuno's perch and into the underground lake that awaited as retribution for their defeat.

Seeing their Pokémon fallen into the chilling waters below, Cassidy and Butch ran up to where they had been swept over the edge. All the while, they stepped upon snowy ground that was now sloshy wet from the fierce and powerful aquatic attack.

"No Tentacruel!" Cassidy yelled in a mixture of shock and anger that her Pokémon had been defeated.

From beside of her, the green haired man merely looked stunned and aghast at the radical turn of events. "Cloyster! How could this happen?!"

With a growl, the furious blond returned Tentacruel; whom was now laying unconscious and floating face-up in the pristine, below freezing water. Cloyster was bobbing in a similar manner next to it.

Turning back around as Butch did the same, the female commander of the operation turned her fierce, dagger-sharp glare onto Misty and Giselle. So furious was she in fact that her other hand had balled up into a fist and shook.

"You... you snotty nosed, bratty, meddlesome and intolerable little worms! I swear you will pay for this! We will destroy you! Slowly make you suffer and then throw you into the waters in this cave so that you can drown and freeze to death while you do so!"

She and Butch stowed their Poké Balls away as the latter frowned and threatened in his gravelly tone. "You won't beat us that easily!"

Suddenly, the other Rockets all closed in on either side of Butch and Cassidy with a new round of Poké Balls raised. Likewise, the two of them also produced two new balls as well.

Smirking, Cassidy gave the young heroes across from them a nasty sneer and then laughed mockingly. "You might have gotten lucky in that battle but there are far more of us and we have many more Pokémon than the four of you! And now we will show you why you don't mess with Team Rocket! By crushing you with all of our Pokémon at once!"

Misty and Giselle took a step back with the former sweating nervously. "If we're all gonna have to go through this again, it might not end so well a second time!"

Giselle nodded in agreement but, at that moment, Ash and Brock stepped forward again with their own Pokémon moving up to stand in solidarity next to Marowak and Tentacool.

"You can do your worst!" Ash called out firmly. "As I said before, we won't let you succeed, ever! We'll stand and fight every single Pokémon you have!"

Brock agreed with a quick head nod. "That's right, you won't beat the four of us working together!"

Giselle and Misty, their nervousness abated, strengthened their courage and resolve. The brunette clenched her own fists and steeled her fortitude. "We beat you once and we'll do it again!"

Misty pointed and glared at the large line of Rockets. "Yeah we beat your sorry butts and we'll keep doing it until you finally learn your lesson and leave these caves! You disgusting, sick, twisted freaks!"

Cassidy sneered again and raised her new Poké Ball, an action mimicked by everyone else, including Butch. "Brave words for little wimps that are about to get flattened under the titanic force that is us! Team Rocket!"

However, just as they were all about to release their Pokémon, everyone in the cavern was stopped by the mysterious and strange sound of what felt like something coming. Something that sounded very big.

For several moments, time appeared to pass slowly as both good and bad sides of the current confrontation just listened and looked amongst the cavern for the source of the sound. And as it grew louder, so too grew all of the curious and anxious minds at just what was coming their way.

Finally, with a pull in his gut that felt like someone had physically turned him around, Ash slowly spun himself on his feet until he was facing the farthest wall of the cavern. Which was on the side that was in correspondence with the back end of the nest.

As he did so, his three friends mimicked him and even all the Rockets in attendance stared hard in the same direction. All eyes were locked onto a large waterfall at the back of the cavern; one in which fell from partway up the wall and spilt its sub-zero essence into the lake below.

With all human and even Pokémon eyes trained on the waterfall - where the sound was now known to be coming from - there seemed to be but a moment of peace before the falling cascade of water appeared to explode outward.

From out of the icy chilled falls emerged a truly mighty shape. A form, a figure in appearance, that seemed to be what one would only see in artistic renderings or in ancient drawings of times long since lost to memory.

Majesty was its name and splendor seemed to radiate from the great living spectacle of wonder that emerged from within the pure, clean falling water. The sight itself, at its immediate presentation, was a mighty sight to behold. Indeed, it seemed naught but an illusion. A trick of the eyes or of the light reflecting and casting cruel, false vision upon the human senses.

From out of the mighty, thundering falls emerged a great creature, a bird for any lack of a more honorable description. A Pokémon of long since forgotten and distant legend that was claimed to be nothing more than a myth now.

The bird was large in size, compared most especially to any normal species of Flying-Type. It had wings that boasted a more than reasonable expanse and the color of the feathers that adorned it were as the bluest sapphires; they even seemed to gleam.

The mighty avian's chest was covered in soft looking, downy feathers that gleamed like purest snow and the tail feathers that streamed behind it were like silken blue banners caught high in a morning breeze.

Atop its head was a crest of a dark blue tri-shape. It looked to be some form of ice but that was not its true substance. Though, for all attempted postulations of what it could be made of, no doubts were to be had that the crest seemed to crown the mighty bird. Like the royalty that it in every way appeared to uphold.

As the great and mighty bird emerged from within the waterfall and sent water droplets flying in all directions like diamond showers, it flapped its powerful wings once and began soaring throughout the expanse of the large cavern.

The splendorous and awe-inspiring Pokémon flew gracefully in a small circle around the cavern, as if scanning from above whom had trespassed upon its home. As it did this, what was similar to a rain of pure, glittering, snowy light trailed out in the wake of its long, streaming tail feathers and lingered in the air behind it for a short time.

Then, as it came close to making a full revolution throughout the cavern - all while being watched intently, wide eyed and with not so much as one blink from anyone observing - the bird of legends opened its beak and let loose a sound. One that reached down into the very soul and caused all flesh to break into immediate bumps of uncontrollable excitement and fear.

"AAAAAAR!"

The shock and awe on every face was plainly detailed in every way. None more so than among Ash and his friends. In fact, their eyes were trained exclusively to the sight of the legendary bird with their faces slack and mouths hung partly agape.

"I can't..." Misty began with Giselle finishing. "Believe it..."

Brock, as well, made his own astonished attempt at speaking. "It has to be a trick... there's just no way..."

Ash, however, was probably the one most at a loss for words. For, in all of his ways, the young man was nothing but an extremely passionate lover of all things Pokémon. Thus, seeing a legend from ancient tales soaring in the air above him, right before his very eyes, caused all manner of awestruck amazement to pass through him.

In the moment of his fascination, he could only utter one word; and shakily at that. "A-Articuno..."

The slew of Rockets on the other side of the small island felt a similar thrill of excitement but, for Butch and Cassidy, it was tainted by dark desire.

"I can't believe it, the Legendary Pokémon Articuno itself! Presented right before our very eyes!" Cassidy clenched her right fist and allowed a fanatical, uncontrolled gleam of selfish desire to burn hot in her eyes. "We must capture it! Now is our chance!"

Butch, whom was still more than a little shaken up at the sight, shook his head and spoke in a tremulous reply. "R-Right, right! Yeah you heard her boys!" He called back to the amazed, though visibly intimidated Rockets around them. "Use your Pokémon and bring down that big ice bird!"

Ash's friends all finally tore their eyes from Articuno upon hearing that and gasped. Though, it was too late. Summoning what little courage they had, the men all released a second round of Pokémon. Many were identical to the ones seen at the first, though they came by different owners' hands this time around. And some were new contenders entirely; such as Hypno, Drowzee, Sandshrew and even a Sandslash or two.

As the second rank of Rocket Pokémon filled the small, raised island en masse, Cassidy raised her hand and yelled. "Everyone... ATTACK!"

Ash went to run forward but he was quickly grabbed from behind at his pack by Brock, yelling in a mixture of worry and anger all at once. "NO! STOP!"

All the Rocket Pokémon prepared to unleash their numerous attacks and then, just as they locked onto the airborne Ice-Type Pokémon, Articuno suddenly veered its course gracefully and began dive-bombing downward, toward the snowy platform, at unbelievably fast speeds. Almost to where it became a white and blue streak that the eyes had trouble following.

The Zubat and Golbat launched a combination of attacks like Air Cutter, Swift and Supersonic. The Koffing and Wheezing shot inky, toxic black gobs of poison via attacks such as Sludge and Sludge Bomb.

The Ekans and Arbok likewise utilized signature moves of their species like Poison Sting and also Toxic. The few Hypno and Drowzee, meanwhile, were attempting to use psychic power via Psywave, Psybeam and other such telekinetic attacks in an attempt to bring down the Legendary cerebrally.

In a general manner, all the Pokémon at the command of the many Rocket Grunts also used some manner of long range attack to bring down their target.

Soon, the entire airspace was filled with the bright, varying lights, sounds and shapes of multiple attacks; each one rising up like a wall to meet the rapidly descending Legendary.

Seeing this, Ash grew fearful and yelled. "Articuno! Look out!"

In a similar manner, Misty leaned forward and sweated nervously. "That's way too many attacks! No Pokémon could hope to dodge them all!"

However, just before the two opposing forces could meet, Articuno suddenly stopped and then pulled back. Extending its mighty and beautiful wings out on either side of its large body, the Ice-Type bird gave a loud, shrill but yet still majestic screech and then flapped them forward a single time. Although it only took once.

With that one flap of its mighty wings, the Legendary Bird of Kanto caused an unreasonably powerful and massive gust of wind to form; churning into existence like the gale from a tornado.

The sheer force of the windstorm was powerful enough that, even though they were not in the line of fire, Ash and his friends slid back a short distance. Their arms were even lifted up in front of their faces for protection from the violent gust that was throwing up and tossing around powdery snow, as well as shards of ice.

The brunt of the invisible wall of wind made impact with the combined salvo of attacks that Team Rocket's Pokémon had unleashed at Articuno

In a display of unbelievable force, the single counter from the mighty Legendary completely overcame all the synchronized attacks of the other Pokémon. Not only driving each one back but also redirecting them in full speed at their wielders.

When the large number of energy and elemental attacks collided with the unintended targets, a powerful explosion rocked the small island and sent black smoke shooting up into the chilled, cavernous airspace.

Wide eyed in amazement as she uncovered her eyes, Giselle blinked widely and her voice shook. "A-All those attacks...were defeated... so easily..."

Brock, who was sweating in total amazement, shook his head slowly. "That... that was just one Gust attack. I've never seen one so powerful before..."

When the smoke cloud lifted, it revealed several of the Rocket's Pokémon now laying unconscious and down for the count. The few that remained, however, were staring at the hovering Articuno in complete fear; an expression and feeling shared by their respective Trainers.

Even Butch and Cassidy appeared to be at a loss for words at what had just happened and the former gave voice to it as he stepped back in growing concern. "Cassidy... I think we made a big mistake..."

Before she could give a reply, Articuno lifted its regal head and gave another loud cry of, "AAAAAAR!" Just as it flexed its wings out powerfully again.

As it did this, a forceful and intense burst of snow, ice and freezing cold air suddenly came into existence and exploded outward.

At this, the air all around the island platform became so cold that everyone broke out into immediate and violent chills (even through their warm clothes) and a mixture of snow and ice even began forming thinly on everyone. Though, luckily, not being Articuno's target meant that Ash and his friends were mostly spared the worst of it.

This was not so with the Rockets and their Pokémon however, for they received the full brunt of it. As the seconds ticked by, the unleashed combo of snow, ice and chilling wind turned into a full on, violent and howling blizzard. One in which was so intense and overwhelming, the host of villains became completely obscured by the wall of raging white.

"What is this?!" Misty yelled over the loud howling of the sudden snow storm.

"I think..." Ash called back. "This is Articuno's... Blizzard attack!"

Sure enough, the snow and ice storm continued to rage, seemingly with no end in sight. However, just when the four young Trainers started to feel as though the cold would become overwhelming at any second, the storm gradually began calming.

It took time and even longer for the visibility to become restored but once the small island had returned to some state of normalcy, there was an thicker covering of snow and ice on everything.

What was more, to the shock of Ash and his friends, not only were all of the Rocket's Pokémon now utterly defeated but several of the Grunts were even laying half-buried in mounds of snow. Butch and Cassidy, as well, were thoroughly covered.

After a short time passed, the two commanders of the nefarious mission came back to their senses and shook themselves into lucidity.

Quickly scrambling up out of the snow they were encased within - their bodies so cold that they had trouble moving at first - Cassidy looked at the aloft Legendary and growled under her breath.

"E-Everyone!" She finally yelled in a voice that trembled from the cold of the snow and ice clinging to her uniform. "R-Retreat, now! T-This operation is a f-f-failure! R-Retreat!"

Immediately, all the Rocket Grunts hurriedly scrambled as fast as their frozen bodies could move and pulled themselves from the snow. Then, after hastily returning their frozen and unconscious Pokémon, all of them fled in terror from before the Legendary that had just soundly beaten them in mere seconds.

In frantic panic, all of the Grunts practically threw themselves off the island and back onto their jet skis down in the water. Butch and Cassidy, meanwhile, went to follow suit but right before reaching the edge, the latter looked back and pointed at Ash and his friends.

"You had better hope you never cross paths with Team Rocket ever again! This will never be forgotten!"

With that threat delivered, she and her male comrade jumped off the island and landed on the two jet skis that Ash and his friends had stolen. Then, with all haste and urgency, the criminal squad of Rockets turned on their aquatic vehicles and quickly sped across the length of the underground lake; disappearing through the same waterfall passage from whence they came.

As they watched the last of the Rockets disappear out of the cavern, Ash and Co. were left in stunned states of stupefied awe.

"It's... over... just like that..." Misty still couldn't believe her eyes. "All of those Rockets were defeated... so easily..."

Giselle trembled, though not entirely from the cold. "This is the power of a Legendary Pokémon... no book or class could ever describe it adequately..."

Ash, for his part, could only stare up at Articuno; whom was still hovering up in the air with gentle flaps of its wings. It was staring out intently over the expanse of the vast cavern. As if daring the villainous intruders to come back into its home.

When several tense moments like that had passed, the great bird slowly turned around and looked down at the only remaining humans left in the cave. Well, four humans plus two Pokémon since Pikachu and Vee had finally emerged from out of Ash's backpack after hearing the jet skis speed away.

As soon as they saw Articuno staring down at them, each one of the kids froze in immediate fear. Even Pikachu and Vee appeared trepidatious and unnerved as the sharp, piercing red eyes of the fierce Legendary stared without blinking at them all.

Then, in a gesture that caused the four young travelers to shiver in terror, Articuno slowly descended down to the ground with precise, controlled, graceful flaps of its mighty wings.

When its long, sturdy legs finally met the ground for the first time, the Ice-Type Legendary stretched up to its full, regal height and continued to stare at them. Though, in only a few seconds, the large bird began walking their way with its wings now folded into its sides.

Ash and his friends remained completely still and dare not move so much as a muscle. Even when the terrifyingly powerful Legendary drew near until it stopped and just stood still, a few feet away, no one moved an inch.

In one of the most tense moments of their young lives, the four of them just looked at Articuno without speaking, or hardly even blinking. The renowned bird in question, however, looked at them with those same intense, predatory eyes. Though no visible emotion of any particular kind could be seen in those deep eyes and that caused them all to feel even worse fear.

It was only after this dragged on for some time that Ash, whom was by now tired of just standing still like a statue, waiting to be either smashed or polished, decided to do something. And so, with that decided, he spoke softly to his friends.

"Guys..." His voice was a whisper. "Articuno can't see our faces. Let's slowly take our masks off and let it see how we look. Maybe that will help it make up its mind about us..."

Deciding to go with their friend's suggestion, Brock and the two girls nodded and then slowly began reaching up to the full masks on their faces, Ash leading the way. Then, as they started to pull them up, Articuno watched them closely, not even blinking or twitching a single tail feather.

Ash was the first to get his mask off with the others following suit close behind. Once their faces became exposed, Articuno finally did blink and when it did, the powerful Pokémon tilted its head to the side and allowed a small cooing sound (of all things) to rumble in its throat.

"Arrrr..."

In a move afterwards that had Giselle, Misty and Brock tensing up again, Articuno slowly walked forward once more until, to their shared worry and concern, it stopped in front of Ash; now only about a foot or so away.

From the extremely close angle, the native born Trainer from Pallet Town could see every detail of the Legendary Pokémon. From its beautiful, pristine white and blue feathers to the crest that rested upon its head like an icy crown. Even the long, trailing tail-feathers that lay sprawled out behind it on the pure, white snow Articuno had just made were visible in detail.

Ash could feel a coolness radiating from the body of the majestic bird but it wasn't overwhelmingly freezing or overpowering. Though, to his great surprise, Articuno slowly extended its beak out to him and then stopped; only inches away from the young man now. Its eyes were staring deeply into his own and he, unable to do anything else, simply stared right back. Red meeting amber.

"What's about to happen..." Giselle whispered to Brock, whom could only reply back in the faintest of whispers; as if afraid moving too much would draw the attention onto him. "I don't know... but don't move or it could put Ash in danger..."

Even as he stared into the fierce and piercing red eyes of Articuno, Ash didn't move; he barely even blinked. His breath was slow and steady and though he found the intense gaze of the powerful Legendary intimidating and unnerving, to him it felt like there was some unshakable connection that was holding their gazes together.

Slowly and without realizing what he was doing, Ash reached up toward Articuno with his right hand and as he did, the white Star Mark pattern on his palm started to appear.

While he reached out toward the Legendary Pokémon - as if in a trance with his eyes now staring distantly into Articuno's own, neither one breaking the other's gaze - his friends immediately became wide eyed in worry and shock.

"Ash!" Misty hissed. "What are you doing?! Didn't your mom ever tell you to look but not touch?!"

However, he continued to reach ever so slowly towards the blue and white feathered bird of legends. The mark on his hand glowed ever brighter still until, at last, it made contact with the cool, smooth surface of the dark colored beak of the unmoving Pokémon.

As soon as this took place, a bright light emerged from the space between where hand and beak met and as it did, the light grew and expanded outward until it was not only shrouding Ash and Articuno, the same occurred for Brock, Misty and Giselle.

As the pure, white light suffused them and seemed to spin, twist and encircle around the four young Trainers and one Legendary Pokémon, all was still and at a total hush. It seemed, as it were, that the very air itself had become weightless and the likeness of a cloud; so was the gentle aura of the light.

When it finally started to fade and grow dim, all gradually returned to normal and soon left Ash's friends looking at each other and wondering what had happened.

Ash himself, on the other hand, was still staring at Articuno as the last of the light seemed to fade from within his very own eyes. After this, he blinked and took a step back; shaking his head and then rubbing his fists over his eyes as if to clear the last of the blinding light from his still sensitive retinas.

What came next, however, caused all of them to almost jump back in shock and their eyes to widen to the size of the Poké Balls they carried. For, as if from a disembodied specter, they heard a soft and feminine voice speak; seemingly into their very minds.

"Truly, I must thank all of you for helping to defend my home."

All of them instantly began looking around for the source of the voice but, once again, they heard it speak in the exact same manner as before. "If you are looking for the speaker of the voice, I am right in front of you."

Each of them looked at Articuno, whom was now staring at them passively and calmly, showing no aggression whatsoever. There was, in fact, silence that reigned for some time until Giselle pointed with a shaky finger.

"D-Did I just hear Articuno... t-talk?!"

The mighty and majestic bird looked at the brunette and dipped its crowned head. "Indeed you did young one. If it is not my voice then I assure you, it could be no other. You are not losing your mental sanity, as I am sure you must now be thinking."

Misty's eyes were still like dinner plates. "B-But... but! How can we hear you talk?! You're a Pokémon!"

Shifting its attention to Misty, the bird seemed to give a soft trill of amusement before speaking without audible words again. "Oh dear girl, there is far more to the mysteries of this world than you could possibly comprehend."

Articuno then turned its attention to Ash; whom was just staring at the Ice-Type Legendary in a manner that conveyed his own amazement at the situation. Soon, in a voice that seemed to grow softer and somehow, gentler, the mostly unknown Pokémon addressed him.

"I have known you would come for some time now, young Chosen One. Though I found myself anxiously in waiting for when that time would be, and how."

Finally, his tongue seemed to loosen and Ash managed to gather together a reply. "You... you knew I was coming? How?! And how do you know who..." That line of questioning seemed to fall away though since he quickly understood how Articuno knew about him.

Sensing that he had already picked up on the rationale behind their meeting, the Legendary Pokémon of the ornithological variety nodded and blinked once. "Yes. Mother Arceus made all of us very aware of you long before you were born, young Chosen. I have waited long to meet you."

Hearing this as well, Giselle and the other two shared a look with each other; the expressions on their faces saying it all. While Ash had indeed told them who he was and of his so-called "destiny", hearing it was one thing. Meeting a Legendary Pokémon - one that could talk of all things - and hearing it speak to their friend of the very subject matter they had heard about, added a whole new weight to it.

Even still, Articuno continued on. "I had been asleep for some time and was awoken shortly before you came here. I did not know how we would meet, or when, but I had a feeling the time was at hand. I wondered if whether or not my reemergence to the world and the subsequent humans that sighted me around this island would draw you here, and it did."

A level of distaste entered into the Legendary Bird's telekinetic tone. "I do wish that my awakening had not attracted the attention of those villainous and vile humans that have been stalking the cavernous recesses of my home. Though, if it allowed us to meet, I suppose it is of no consequence."

Ash was still flabbergasted, though to a gradually lessening degree. His friends, however, appeared stunned beyond all belief even now.

"So..." He slowly began. "You said you had been asleep... why? And why did you only now awaken?"

Articuno blinked at him and then seemed to settle in a little more with its wings getting firmly tucked into its sides. "I awoke because it was my time. You must understand young Chosen that at different times throughout history, we Legendaries have went to sleep. Not all at one time, though rarely that is the case. We recluse ourselves away from humanity and the world; usually in order to rest or to hide from humans that relentlessly seek to hunt us down and capture us or use us for our power."

Giselle, whom seemed to find her voice as she came to some manner of comprehension with the present situation, asked; albeit meekly. "S-So... when was the last time you awoke?"

The dignified and regal avian looked at Giselle, which made her lock up nervously again. Though, Articuno's voice remained soft and gentle. "A little over ten years ago. Shortly before young Ash was born. Some of us went to sleep at that time but others have been sleeping for far, far longer. Others of us are awake even now but remain in hiding."

Losing his nervousness and trepidation of the Legendary, slowly, Ash asked in a more relaxed tone. "Have you ever had any interactions with humans before? You know, good ones?"

The Ice-Type bird nodded as its disembodied voice spoke into their minds again. "Indeed I have, many times in fact. As a lower Legend, I have more interaction with humans than those of my brethren whom deal with worldly matters and the balance of nature. I have helped save humans lost in dangerously treacherous, snowy mountains and in other matters, I have also assisted my fellow Pokémon."

There was a small pause before Articuno continued. "The last human I had personal interaction with occurred before you were born, young Ash. He was a kind and respectful man known as Noland."

At that, the bird with the beautiful plumage looked up and its voice seemed to take on a fond undertone. "I came across him when he was lost on a mountaintop in the middle of winter, right here in Kanto. My it was many years ago now. I saved him from freezing to death and afterwards, we struck up a sort of friendship if you will."

Articuno looked back at the kids again. "He was curious of me and made no attempt to try and capture me. I could sense he had a good and kind heart and for that reason, I met him every now and again on that mountain in warmer seasons when he came back to train upon it. For he was a Pokémon Trainer you see."

The Legendary blinked its ruby eyes once. "Even though I could not speak to him as I do to you now, he always had plenty to say to fill the silence. Which was fine for me, usually I do not entertain much in the way of company. As I am sure you understand."

Misty, finally, found courage enough to ask. "How are you talking to us like this anyway? It feels like some kind of... telepathy."

Articuno looked at her and then glanced back to Ash as it tilted its head. "It is the Star Mark on young Ash's right palm that is allowing us to speak right now. The Aura that comes from it has opened a temporary telepathic link between us. If you were not with Ash, you would be unable to understand me."

Misty, Giselle and Ash blinked and then nodded in equal states of awe as they all looked at the mark upon his palm. Brock, however, raised his finger and asked. "If I may ask Articuno, why did you allow Team Rocket to stay in these caves for so long if you knew that they were here?"

The blizzard creating Pokémon looked Brock's way and then blinked. "Rarely do I reveal myself to humans, especially ones such as those. And yes, I knew of their intentions for me. I did not feel pressed to take action against them because these caverns are vast and treacherous. I did not foresee them finding me here and they most likely would not have, had the four of you not come."

Ash and his fellowship had the decency to look a little guilty but Articuno made a trilling sound in her throat again that sounded vaguely amused. "No young ones, do not feel guilty. For it was of Mother Arceus' will that you came here. Just as it was of fate's design that you bravely withstood those villainous humans and drove them away. Of which I am highly grateful for."

Giselle, ever the curious one just like her boyfriend, showing why she was the top student at Pokémon Tech, tilted her head in a rather cutely confused manner.

It was quite her usual motif to make just such an expression when in question about a matter. Something Ash actually found rather adorable since it reminded him of a certain white haired beauty in one of those "manga" book series that he read every now and again as a child during his free time.

When Giselle tilted her head due to confusion or an important question suddenly striking her, it reminded him almost perfectly of a sweet, bubbly and lovable barmaid character in that particular series.

Of course, it had been many years since he read it last and he couldn't remember the title of the series or the name of the fictional girl in question. All he could remember of it was that the story followed a group of young wizards that worked for a special establishment and could use their own varied forms of what they called "magic".

This establishment in question was one in which hired out those very same young individuals to take jobs for it as "members" of that outfit. Very unique and at times dangerous jobs that usually consisted of helping the citizens of the fictional kingdom that the series itself resided in.

Even though Ash couldn't recall many details about the "manga" in question, as such comics were called, it had been one of his favorites growing up. What with the constant slapstick comedy and (to his own hidden shame) all the sensual scenes - for some reason called "fanservice" - that he always took secret pleasure in reading. Not that his mother ever knew of course.

Regardless, the very same beautiful, admittedly buxom, white haired barmaid in the unnamed manga that Giselle so reminded him of at times had always been his favorite. Thus, when his girlfriend unwittingly portrayed the fictional beauty in times such as now, it always amused him to some degree. No matter how serious the situation was; much like the present moment.

Soon enough though, she gave voice to what was on her mind. "Excuse me Articuno but... how exactly did Team Rocket even get down here into the lower levels of these caverns? The surface rooms are all full of freezing water right now and someone we spoke to today said that the passages that lead down to these levels were always flooded and impossible to traverse. How did they get here then?"

The mighty and majestic avian Pokémon looked at the smaller human and its wisened tone answered her question knowledgeably.

"There are many secrets to this island young one. Secret ways and entrances even into these very caverns. Some of which are accessible only by way of underwater passages. My assumption is that they somehow located one of these passages under the turbulent waters that defend this island. For some of the waterways in this place are deep and they connect to and are fed by the sea at certain places."

Articuno tilted its head down to the white plumage under its chest. "Such a way would have been most impassable for yourselves but with the strange metal machines you humans possess, especially of the wicked sort that were just here, such things are sadly not beyond their reach."

She nodded in understanding but then Giselle asked again. "Are the tales then about all the other Legendaries true? And if so, are there anymore in Kanto? Like Zapdos and Moltres? And are they all asleep?"

The beautifully graceful bird looked at the brunette once more and replied in a tone belaying far more than it was willing to divulge. "Unfortunately, young ones, there is much I am unable to tell you, save for this. In time, some of you here may indeed be given the answers to all that you wonder."

Articuno looked at Ash then, as if silently communicating without words that he would indeed be the recipient of such knowledge if his course stayed true and right. Afterwards, she tarried on a little more.

"Though I can tell you that if you have believed in and seen me, indeed does the same remain true for my kin. Though I cannot speak on behalf of themselves, that is beyond my authority to do so. In this, mystery must remain in the misty pathways of your journeys, young ones."

Articuno then straightened itself up a little more and began stretching its wings outward. "Now, I do believe that it is time for the four of you to return to the world above. Your purpose here has been fulfilled."

Misty sighed deeply at that. "It's gonna be a long way back..." She then put her hands on her hips and gave a soft glare at Ash. "You better remember how to get us topside again Ash! Because I definitely don't!"

Smiling nervously, the messy haired boy held his hands up and chuckled. "Course I do Misty, gimme a break!"

Suddenly, Brock called back to them from over at the edge of the icy island, where he had walked over to and looked down into the water below. "Uhh... guys? That might be kind of hard to do." His face became grim as he turned to face his friends. "Team Rocket took the jet skis we used to get here."

At that, Misty's eyes widened. "What?! You're kidding!"

Giselle gasped and held her hands over her mouth. "That means we're stranded here! How can we get back if we can't safely travel through the water?! Haunter may be too tired to get us all back to the surface!"

Articuno spoke then, the female sounding voice of the Legendary calm and soft. "Do not be in distress young ones, I will take you back to the surface myself. And through paths far safer than that which you used to get here."

All of them looked at the Legendary Ice-Type in question as to what was said but when Articuno lowered itself down, as if to roost, it looked back at the children and blinked its scarlet eyes. "Come, climb upon my back and I shall fly you out."

At the offer from a Legendary Pokémon, of all things, to willingly ferry them out of the cavern, their eyes in unison widened and their expressions displayed their surprise. Although, it was Ash that gave voice to the disbelief among them.

"Are you serious Articuno? You really want to fly us out of here?"

The Legendary Bird trained its sharp eyes on the young man and gave the simplest, yet most sincere reply. "For you young Chosen, indeed it would be my honor. More so still because you have, all of you, proven your hearts pure in your actions today."

Before any of them could take the Legendary up on its offer though, Ash suddenly had something jolted back to his memory. "Oh! That's right! Man I almost forgot, we can't leave yet!"

He then removed the pack from his shoulders and set it down, opening the top pouch just enough that Pikachu and Vee had room to hop out. "Guys I want you to meet Articuno properly real quick!"

With that, the small Electric-Type and his recent pack companion smiled and gave chirps of agreement as they hopped out of the backpack. Afterwards, Ash stood up and placed his pack back upon his shoulders while looking at his friends.

"Before we go guys, I think we need to let our Pokémon meet Articuno."

Brock, Misty and Giselle all smiled in one accord with the idea and nodded before reaching for their Poké Balls. Seeing this, Articuno felt a warm burst of affection for the caring young Trainer from Pallet and stood up to its full height once more.

Soon, they released all of their Pokémon from the confines of their Poké Balls. Ash released Haunter, to join Pikachu and Vee, while Brock let out Zubat, Graveler, Onix and Vulpix. Misty, meanwhile, released Starmie, Staryu, Horsea, Seaking and Tentacool. Giselle, likewise, did the same for Marowak and her own Graveler.

As soon as all of their Pokémon were materialized onto the raised, island platform that the nest resided upon, each of them, from Onix and even to Marowak, looked in awe upon the splendorous form of their Legendary kin. Ash, at the helm, smiled and gestured back at all the Pokémon. "Articuno, these are all of our Pokémon. Without them, we would have never stood a chance against Team Rocket."

He then gestured up at Haunter; the typically stoic and unreadable Ghost-Type's face actually showing his own form of reverence and respect for the mighty Legendary in their midst.

"This is Haunter. He actually helped get us here most of the way by ferrying us through the caves in a psychic bubble he made."

Ash then knelt down and fondly rubbed the heads of Vee and Pikachu while smiling. "And this is Vee and my first ever Pokémon, Pikachu! They had to stay in my backpack because of the cold and also since I didn't want Team Rocket seeing them and tracing them back to me. But-"

He gave a small chuckle. "They're super tough little guys and really good, loyal friends."

As if to prove his point, both Vee and Pikachu looked at Articuno with bright, mirthful eyes under the gentle hands of their Trainer and chirped enthusiastically.

"Pikachu Pi!"

"Vee! Vee!"

Ash smiled again and then looked at the Legendary Ice-Type a little sheepishly. "I have two others with me but they kind of wouldn't fit in this cave."

Giselle then stepped forward and gestured at her own Pokémon with both hands. "And this is my Graveler and Marowak! They really fought hard against Team Rocket and showed how brave they are!"

Brock was next and pointed at his own Pokémon. "This is my Onix, Zubat, Graveler..." He then stooped down and picked up the small little Fire-Type Suzie had sent with him. "And this is Vulpix!"

The cute little Fire-Type eyesmiled and cooed from her Trainer's arms in greeting to the Ice-Type Legendary. "Vuuul! Vulpix Pix!"

However, she quickly caused Brock to grunt as she kicked herself out of his arms and then padded across the compacted snow in order to sit next to Pikachu with Ash. Something in which had the squinty-eyed teen staring in confusion for a moment as she sat herself down close to the Electric-Type and cooed softly to him.

Pikachu, for his part, just looked at her and blinked for a moment, left ear tilting to the side as he somewhat confusedly returned the greeting. "Pika?

Brock (whom was now no longer in question as to why Vulpix had so suddenly left his arms) as well as Ash, Giselle and Misty all smiled knowingly at Vulpix's overt display of sweetness to Pikachu.

In her desire to seemingly always be near him, the elegant little vulpine was slowly making her growing interests known in Ash's powerful first Pokémon. Of course, whether the young Electric-Type noticed it or not, like the humans of the group did (and even some of the other Pokémon) remained to be seen. Even Articuno appeared to be in genuine amusement at the display.

Misty, at last, finally stepped forward and gestured to her own Pokémon. "I'm training to be a Water Pokémon Master so all of mine are Water-Types. This is Staryu, Starmie, Seaking, Horsea and Tentacool.

After introductions were finished, Articuno looked amongst all the assembled Pokémon and cooed. It was a soft sound; low, harmonious and gentle. It was also apparently a greeting call since all of the Pokémon returned it in their own ways and even gave small bows of respect to the regal Legendary.

Afterwards, Articuno spoke fondly in once more telepathic speech that the humans could understand. "Truly I say that by seeing these brave, strong and valorous Pokémon I call my kin, their stature speaks stoutly of your own prowesses and of the humans they call companions. Not as mere Trainers but more importantly, as humans of kind and compassionate hearts whom these Pokémon love."

She scanned her eyes over all of them once more. "Though each of them are indeed young still, for this I can see by looking at them, they are all filled with great promise."

At that, Pikachu bounded up to Articuno and smiled at the Legendary as he sat on his haunches and commenced to speaking while making gestures with his paws.

"Pika! Pikachu Pika, Pika Pika. Pikachu Chu Chu, Pikachu Pika Pi Pikachu!"

In their own tongue, common and Legendary both talked for a short while together. As they did, Ash and his friends looked on in mystery; wondering amongst themselves what was being said.

Eventually, Articuno looked up again and stared at Ash. "You and this Pikachu were indeed fated for one another young Chosen One. For in him I sense very great power that only with you will it be unlocked to its truest potential."

Articuno then looked at Haunter and trilled softly. "Mother's heart was often grieved by your fate, O Stricken One. It does her heart and mine as well good to see that the pain and darkness that once festered in you is now being replaced by love and peace."

Haunter had nothing to say, as usual, but merely bowed his head in acknowledgment of those words. Then, afterwards, she looked amongst everyone again and spoke once more.

"This meeting has been most pleasant and enjoyable but night will soon descend in the outside world and I would have you returned to it before then. Come, let us depart."

Ash and his friends agreed with the Legendary's stated opine and returned their Pokémon before walking up to the avian Ice-Type. As they approached, Articuno knelt down again and lowered its wings while speaking reassuringly as they stopped and looked at the great bird.

"Do not be afraid young ones, come. I will safely return you to the world waiting above."

Ash, being the first to do so, felt comforted by Articuno's words and knew he could trust the Legendary. So, with no further ado, he walked up, reached out and finally made first real contact with the large bird's feathery form.

As soon as his hands touched the light blue feathers that covered Articuno like a silken pelt, he marveled at the coolness that met his skin. It wasn't freezing, nor unbearable, but resembled that of a cool evening in autumn.

With Pikachu and Vee having ran up and climbed on top of his backpack, Ash took the full plunge and mounted the patiently waiting bird. As he sat down on the soft and pleasantly cool surface of Articuno's back, near to its neck, the young man smiled and shook his head.

"When I was a kid I always used to dream about things like this... now I can't believe its actually happening!"

Afterwards, he looked down to Giselle and smiled, holding his hand out to her. "Come on Giselle, it's really not bad at all!"

The brunette glanced nervously at the large bird once and then back at Ash before swallowing down her fear and slowly approaching it. Once she was within reach of Articuno, she extended an arm up and grabbed onto Ash's outstretched hand, allowing him to help pull her up until she was sitting behind him.

"Ooh!" A quick squeak of surprise left her lips when she felt the coolness of Articuno's feathers meet her lower half; even covered as it was. "It's cool! It actually feels cool!"

In amusement, Articuno looked back and in its eyes appeared a glint of humor. "I am not known as the Legendary Bird of Ice for nothing you know."

With that, Misty climbed on behind Giselle and Brock did the same until he was seated at the very rear, nearest to Articuno's streaming tail feathers.

Both former Gym Leaders passed through the same initial moment of awe as Ash and Giselle. Not just at the coolness emitting from Articuno's body but also the fact that they were now actually seated upon a real Legendary Pokémon.

After giving the four young Trainers on its back a chance to grow accustomed to the experience, Articuno slowly rose up out of its roosting position and did so effortlessly. As though a group of humans and two small Pokémon were not presently mounted upon its back.

This was something which gave them all the more reason to marvel at the Legendary Pokémon since, while large indeed, it wasn't massive by any right. Let alone seemingly big enough to carry four people at one time.

As it rose up to full height, Articuno fanned its magnificent wingspan out and then looked back a little at the ones it was about to ferry through the air. "Ash, grab on tightly to me and as for the rest of you, hold tightly to each other!"

He quickly did so and grabbed the feathers at the base of Articuno's neck; though not hard enough to pull any out. Pikachu and Vee settled themselves down in the back of his pack and his friends grabbed onto one another in turn; starting with Giselle wrapping her arms around his waist, Misty grabbing hers and Brock following suit in the rear.

After that, they all held on tight as Articuno began flapping its mighty wings slowly. With each flap of its wings, it was as if twin gusts of cool air were blown into the surrounding airspace and puffs of powdery white snow were sent into the air like sand by a desert storm.

Eventually, the Ice-Type Legendary Pokémon started to lift off the ground and gradually climbed higher and higher until soon, it was several feet off the ground.

Seeing this, all of Ash's friend grabbed tighter still onto each other just as Articuno turned around and faced the direction that went exactly opposite of the entryway into the cavern.

Starting off at a slower speed for the sake of the humans on its back, Articuno began to fly across the open airspace of the large cavern; leaving its small island nest behind and steadily increasing speed as it went.

Looking down, Ash and his friends saw the clear, pure and freezing water of the cavern far below and not for the first time, their grips were reassured to maintain a definite insurance against plummeting into said icy waters.

However, when Ash looked ahead, he saw Articuno rapidly heading toward the far wall and the same large waterfall on high that she had come through earlier.

"Hey! Articuno!" He called down to the Legendary they were currently astride. "We won't make it through that same waterfall you came through earlier! We'll be knocked off!"

However, the crimson eyed bird replied telepathically back up to him. "Have faith and fear not young one, you are not in danger!"

Even still, Ash grabbed tighter onto the Legendary and instinctively lowered himself down while he felt his friends all doing the same behind him. Then, when they were only a few yards away from the rushing waterfall, Articuno suddenly put on a high burst of speed and practically bolted straight at the roaring falls.

Closing their eyes as the spray of the falling water began meeting their faces, Ash and Co. could only hope for the best. But Articuno, within mere seconds of hitting the waterfall at full speed, suddenly tucked its wings up and behind it.

Doing this caused Ash and the others to become protectively encased by Articuno's large wings until they were temporarily shrouded in darkness. On the outside though, the powerful Legendary simply passed straight into the icy falls like a sharp javelin being tossed through the finest cotton.

With grace and elegance to spare, Articuno passed through the other side and broke no stride in immediately unfurling its wings so it could flap them again.

As vision was restored to them, Ash and the others looked around and saw that they were indeed now on the other side of the falls. As evidenced by looking back and seeing the opposite end of the waterfall now facing them.

Looking forward again, they saw the astounding sight of a brightly lit and large tunnel now surrounding them on all sides. Articuno had passed through the waterfall and into a hidden passageway. Though not just any mere passage.

The tunnel in question was not only big enough to hold Articuno's large form and greater wingspan but it was also brightly illuminated by (what appeared at least to be) glowing blue ice crystals.

These crystals lined every inch of the passageway, in a complete three-sixty from ceiling, wall to floor. What was more, the shining illumination of the ice crystals seemed to catch brightly the sheen of Articuno's glossy feathers and reflected it off the walls back to them.

Their eyes beheld the glow of the icy crystals and their faces were slack in amazement. As Articuno flew on, gracefully, through the long tunnel; smoothly shifting ever so slightly in accordance with each turn, curve and rounding of the ice crystal passage, Ash asked aloud for all to hear.

"Hey Articuno, what's with the ice crystals hanging everywhere?!"

Seamlessly following the tunnel that had been traversed by it many, many times before, Articuno replied back simply. "I have traversed the caverns beneath this island for many countless years young one. In that which I dwell, so too it takes on the characteristics of that which I embody. I am the living personification of the harshness of a winter snowstorm but I also reflect the beauty and fragility of ice."

One eye shifted to look back at him. "These lower caverns in which I have dwelt have taken on the image in nature of my own form. You experienced the danger and treachery of a storm on your way to me but now, you see the beauty that is in what I embody. As it is with all Legendary Pokémon."

Rounding a slight leftward curve that then shifted straight upwards, gradually, the Legendary Ice and Flying-Type finished its brief explanation. "Some call snow and ice the bearers of cold death and bitter desolation. But it is also the representation of the beauty of a world at rest in winter, restoring itself for the spring to come. As well as the cleansing of all impurities that come when snow falls and blankets the land in pure white."

Ash blinked in wonder at the saying for a moment, which was mirrored by his friends, before he settled for a smile and looked around again. "You know... I can see it!"

Suddenly, the passage took an even sharper course straight upwards and as it did, Articuno called back. "Hold tight young ones!"

With their grips as firmly secured as possible, the dual type Legendary began a rapid ascent straight upwards, in an almost perfectly vertical line. The light of the crystals were still shining brightly about them but thus far, they could only either see each other's backs or Articuno's neck; in Ash's case.

Finally, after flying upwards for what felt like forever and having been traversing the crystal-lined cave passage for even longer, Ash looked up and saw the end of their voyage rapidly approaching in what looked like a cave opening dead ahead.

Seeing the unmistakable sight of fading daylight directly above, he grasped even tighter onto the bird beneath him and then, within seconds, Articuno broke the plain.

With a screech of emergence, the Legendary Pokémon of old shot forth into the outside world and continued to ascend straight into the air.

After climbing into the now free, open sky for a short few seconds, Articuno righted itself and leveled out, allowing the humans it was carrying to sit normal straddle upon its back once more.

Looking around, Ash saw that they had finally reemerged into the surface world once again and as he took in the new surroundings, the black haired boy saw the open ocean spreading out for miles on all sides.

The sky was just starting to turn a faint reddish orange as evening set in and faint white clouds dotted the expanse of space in one of a kind patterns all throughout the visible heavens.

Looking down, Ash also saw what he knew to be the entirety of the second Seafoam Island laying directly below them, far below. He could, from his vantage point in the sky, see that they had emerged through a well-hidden cave hole. One which was situated directly in the center of two halves of the rocky island that folded in on each other and almost hid the hole from view.

The hidden passage was on the furthermost south side of the island but given that there was no way by land to walk around the island to reach that area, the only other way was by sea. Although, because of how turbulent the waters around the island were and how difficult it was to even reach it in the first place, he figured that no one would ever sail to the south side anyway. Especially since there was no land to make birth at, along with the fact that the actual rock of the island looked slick and near impossible to climb.

All in all, in Ash's mind, it was a perfect place to have a hidden second entrance that went almost directly to Articuno's nest.

Taking several deep breaths of the fresh, outside air that now abounded around them, Ash looked back at his friends and saw them now staring in wonder out over the sea. Especially Misty, who's eyes were glued to the sight of the slowly setting sun casting the calm ocean waters to flaming rivulets of fire.

As if sensing their amazement, Articuno took off and now that it was no longer confined by the tight spaces of a cave, its wings could freely extend without concern and the open sky happily greeted the magnificent bird's gentle and rhythmic wing beats.

Soaring across the sky above the open ocean, Articuno's bright blue feathers was illuminated by the setting sun and the distinctive, long streaming feathers that trailed behind it seemed to cast sparkles of snowy light in its wake.

On it flew, treating Ash and his friends to the amazing spectacle of seeing the world and the ocean below from the vantage point that only a natural and winged master of the air could give them.

The four young Trainers had traded in any sense of fear at flying bareback on a Legendary Pokémon and allowed it, instead, to be replaced by expressions of wonder, amazement and awe at everything they were seeing.

Pikachu and Vee both emerged fully from Ash's backpack and climbed around until they were both able to sit comfortably upon his lap and watch the visually amazing spectacle firsthand.

Looking down, Ash smiled and wrapped his arms around them. "Pretty cool huh guys!"

Pikachu and Vee both looked up at him and gave twin replies that were matched in enthusiasm.

"Pika!"

"Vee Vee!"

Laughing, Ash looked forward again just as Articuno veered downward and took them closer to the water.

"Hey look at that!" Misty pointed down towards the ocean and her voice was excited. "I see a school of Seaking and Goldeen!"

They all looked as well and, sure enough, there swimming beneath the waves was a large school of the aforementioned Water-Types of both evolutionary lines.

At that, Articuno got even closer until they were soon flying fast and level above the waves. As they went, the Legendary Bird of Ice allowed its wings to lightly graze the water in-between flaps while the kids straddled upon it looked down in amazement at the ocean passing rapidly beneath them.

Vee became a little too curious when he poked his head over Ash's arm and ended up getting lightly sprayed in the face, which caused him to pull his head back in and rapidly shake it in annoyance. This, of course, only caused both Ash and Pikachu to laugh.

Finally, Articuno started to climb into the air again and it kept going until, soon, it was so high up that they could see across the ocean on all sides.

"Look guys!" Brock pointed. "I think that's the main Seafoam Island over in the distance!"

They each looked in his direction and indeed, where the spiky haired Gym Leader was pointing, they saw the unmistakable sight of the island city of the main Seafoam Island. From where they were, they could literally see everything.

From the harbor where the ships were docked, to the large oceanside homes at the wealthy end of the island and even the central hub itself where the bulk of the city lay. They could also see the beaches on all sides of the large island, including the isolated southern end that they had set out from before. Since nighttime was approaching, all the lights in the city of Seafoam were also just beginning to turn on and bathe the island in manmade illumination.

"I think I can see the mainland from here too, and the sea bridge!" Giselle pointed beyond the main Seafoam Island and there, indeed, was the mainland in the far distance. Along with the bridge that connected the island to Fuchsia City's sea highway and coast.

"But what's that bridge then?" Misty asked as she gestured to another bridge that was on the far western side of the island, in a direction they had not before been.

The bridge in question was far longer than the one on the northern side of the island that connected Fuchsia's mainland to Seafoam. The bridge seemed to stretch out from the island and then far across the ocean, down to a very distant end of the coast. All the way into the west, practically, until visibility became unclear.

"Oh that's the sea bridge that connects Seafoam to the western half of Kanto," Ash answered as he stared in the same direction.

"You know about it Ash?" Misty asked as she turned her head to look at her friend.

"Yeah," He affirmed with a nod. "The sea bridge we used is shorter and connects Seafoam to the eastern block of Kanto by Fuchsia City. The oceanside highway isn't long and the bridge itself in distance is about the same."

As Articuno hovered gracefully in the air and allowed them to look around, Ash kept explaining. "Back home, Pallet Town has its own harbor where cruise ships and other boats come into port. There's also a sea highway that takes you way into the east, all the way around the coast until you come to a sea bridge."

He pointed. "That big one there, the one you see now. It goes way across the ocean and extends out passed where Vermilion Bay meets the sea. Eventually, the bridge meets up with Seafoam Island." He pointed to where the bridge in question finally met up with the island itself. "Right there."

He then shrugged. "Me and mom never came here before by that way but I know about it. It's pretty cool."

Seeing as how the young man had finished giving his small geographical explanation of the area around his homeland, Articuno turned itself to the left and flew downward again. This time, the Kanto Legendary of Ice made a sharp veering to the south and decided to give the Trainers on its back a longer flight through the sky; though it remained at mostly the same level of height.

As he and his friends flew peacefully and calmly through the open sky that was slowly turning to evening; seeing the vast blue depths of the ocean below stretching out before them and the smell of the salt air rising up to meet them, Ash leaned down and spoke to the Legendary ferrying him.

"Hey Articuno, I have a question!"

His voice was of a need to be louder over the rush of the wind but since Articuno had been telepathically speaking to them, it was able to respond in the same decibel of voice. "Yes young one?"

"The stories surrounding Legendary Pokémon usually always put them originally in the regions that they came from. I've heard you, Zapdos and Moltres referred to as the Legendary Birds of Kanto but is that true? Some people say that Kanto has no Legendary Pokémon myths!"

As it flew out beyond the second of the Seafoam Islands, Articuno spared a small glance back and replied to the boy's inquiry. "You must understand what the human definition of a Legendary is young Chosen One. In the terms of many humans, a Legendary Pokémon and a Mythical Pokémon are one in the same. But in true origin, this is not so."

Articuno then took a wide, curving, leftward arc that saw them climbing into the air again. "Legendary Pokémon are Pokémon of great power and strength, usually of only one or no more than a few in number throughout the world. They are Pokémon who's power and the feats they can accomplish thereof have earned themselves Legendary status among humans. Such as myself and my two siblings. Because of our own lore, we are called by your race the Mirage Trio.

We have many different places that we may call home in the world but myself and the other two prefer our nests here in Kanto and the Orange Islands. Rarely have we traveled abroad in many years."

Reaching the level of the clouds again, the Ice-Type Legendary continued. "Mythical Pokémon are those of my kin that deal with forces of nature and other such elemental properties. In those cases, their existences are interwoven with the realms of nature that they govern. These particular members of my family are so ancient and mighty in the minds of humans, even ancient ones, that their existence is merely speculated upon. They have been unseen for ages and thus, their legend has become myth."

Giselle then spoke up loudly from behind Ash. "If I may ask Articuno, I always heard that Legendary Pokémon are genderless and therefore unable to breed! Yet, you sound female, why is that?!"

"Most of us are unable to breed, yes, myself included." Articuno informed. "Though we each have our own distinct voices and personalities. We are genderless, as you say, though only by the perspective that we cannot bear young. That does not mean, however, that we do not hold certain characteristics that are specific to the male or female sex."

Giselle nodded in understanding but felt not the need to say anything in reply. After all, what could she really say to such a thing in the first place.

For the rest of the time after that, the four of them simply sat back and enjoyed the peaceable and pleasant ride that the Legendary Pokémon was kind enough to treat them to.

On they rode, into the setting sun and a little beyond. Articuno took them up into the clouds several times and allowed them to experience, first hand, the cool and misty sensation that only passing through full, white puffy clouds could give someone.

At times they would fly for awhile up amongst the vast ocean of fluffy sky cotton; though some of the clouds were a slight shade of gray with the accumulation of rain that had yet to fall. Amazingly too, from up at their height, it seemed as though the setting sun was casting the forest of clouds into colors of orange and red that were a true spectacle to the eyes.

At points, Articuno would also take them down into the open sky where they were able to see the ocean in all of its vastness stretching on into eternity. The sun as well was casting its fiery shadow upon the surface of the waves and caused them to give off a bedazzling glow. Like liquid fire that made peace with the water itself to create such a wondrous sight.

Sadly, all things must come to an end, mostly that is, and thus was true for their memorable time upon Articuno's back. Therefore, with the sun still just barely hanging on in the sky, the majestic bird started to fly them to the shore; a distance that seemed great by sea but through air only took minutes.

On Ash's instruction, Articuno flew them to the southernmost end of the main, commercial Seafoam Island and, soon, she (as the four of them had silently decided to begin thinking of the feminine sounding Legendary) flew gracefully down to the same deserted beach where first they had set out from.

As the beautiful and glorious bird of ice finally touched down upon the soft sand of the beach, close to the gently lapping evening waves, Articuno lowered herself to the ground and allowed her passengers to disembark.

Once their feet were on solid ground again, Ash stepped back and smiled up at her as she raised herself to her full height again. "I really want to say thank you, Articuno." He began earnestly. "For everything. Getting us out of the cave and for taking us on that ride, it was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced."

His friends echoed his gratitude in their own words, even Pikachu and Vee in their own unique Pokélanguage from atop Ash's shoulders. This, in turn, caused Articuno to coo fondly at them and blink her eyes.

"You are most welcome young ones, it was my own pleasure. You did me a great service in standing up against those vile humans and for that, I shall be forever grateful."

At that, Misty asked. "Will you go back and live there again? Knowing that Team Rocket has found where you live?"

Articuno shook her head. "No, I shall not. It was my custom in former times to migrate from place to place and, as I said earlier, I have other places that I call my roost aside from that island. I shall venture to the nearest one tonight, under the cover of darkness."

"Where will you go?" Giselle asked in a mix of curiosity and concern.

Looking at the brunette, Articuno blinked again before replying in amusement. "Ah, young one, that I cannot reveal to you. Perhaps we shall meet again there when it is time and if your path leads you to it."

At that, Ash stepped forward and closer to her. "Does that mean... we may or may not see each other again?"

The mighty Ice-Type Legendary looked down upon the boy that she was already forming a warm spot for. Quite in the contrary to her icy (literally) nature.

"Dear one, you must understand..." She paused for a moment before continuing in a wisened and vague manner. "In this world, some things are set in the stonework of time before they are even begun. Some paths are intertwined forever and others are merely mingled for a time before separating."

She then looked amongst he and his friends collectively. "At present, you and your companions have a strong bond that cannot be broken, this I can see. However, even your current shared paths may be joined for only a time. Indeed, it may be many seasons and for several moons in the future yet untold."

She blinked her red eyes once, sagely. "Though you must remember. Life and the ways we wander have a mystical way of going in directions we never foresee. Some here among you may stay forever bound upon this shared path that you now tread and it is possible that, for a few, it may even permanently join. Though it is also possible that your paths may diverge as life's unique design beckons each of you away onto your individual adventures."

She then leaned down and got close to Ash's face, the right of her great red eyes looking into his amber ones intently. "But remember this. From the time before you were born, our paths were already intertwined dear one. Just as those of the Pokémon you call your friends and companions were much the same."

Ash looked at Pikachu and Vee and shared a smile with them before looking back at her as she continued. "The shared path you travel with the friends you have with you now may someday diverge indeed, even though your bonds remain strong. But as for you and I, our own destinies were intertwined from the very beginning. As you will find with others in the future perhaps."

Her voice took on a warmer tone to it as she continued to stare at him without so much as blinking. "I feel certain that we will someday meet again." At that, she rose up again and pulled her face away. "Though I believe that you have much to do and see and accomplish before that time comes."

She raised her wings out once and then folded them again. "You have but only begun on your path young one and there is much that awaits you in this vast world. You will grow, you will experience many things and you will mature with time and with trials. Never lose the pure heart that beats within you, never lose sight of who you are and maintain the strong bonds that you form with people and Pokémon alike. For those ties will allow you to succeed and grow strong and successful in all that you do; more so than anything else."

Articuno nodded her own head slowly. "But I guarantee that when we next meet, you will be a different person than you are even now. And who knows what the future has in store for that meeting?"

Ash nodded to her words, letting all of them sink in, before looking to the ground in thought. Then, after several long moments, he looked up again and asked. "Will I... meet anymore of you? You know... Legendaries I mean?"

She was silent for a time herself, not so much as blinking or even moving, before at last speaking. And even then, her words were mysterious and shrouded in secret.

"To this, I cannot say, for I do not have the gift of foresight to see into the future. And even if I did, I would not feel so inclined as to tell you. However, I can say that with a destiny as vast and rich as yours young one, there is no telling what you will experience and see in days to come. This, unfortunately, is all that I can tell you."

Though hoping for a little more, Ash really couldn't say he was surprised at the reply. Regardless, he smiled and was just about to reply when, a thought hitting him, he held his hands out and exclaimed, "Wait a minute! I just remembered something!"

He then looked up at Articuno and clasped his hands together pleadingly. "I know this may be too much to ask and if so, I totally understand but... would you please allow me to scan you with my Pokédex?!"

He then held his arms out to the side and explained. "As you know, I'm a Pokémon Trainer. When I left my hometown after getting Pikachu and becoming an official Trainer, the Pokémon Professor of this region that helped prepare and teach me for my journey, Professor Oak, gave me a Pokédex!"

Reaching to his side where his Pokédex was always clipped onto the cloth belt of his track pants, Ash withdrew the small, black and red device and held it up for the Legendary to see.

"This basically allows me to scan and catalogue all the Pokémon I meet on my journey for information; both for Professor Oak and for the Pokémon research world in general. Since all individual Pokémon are different, even ones from the same species, scanning them allows us to learn more about Pokémon and even unlock certain mysteries surrounding them."

He gestured at himself. "I don't wanna just be a Pokémon Trainer. Someday, I would love to follow in Professor Oak's footsteps and be a Pokémon Researcher myself! That's why I always scan every new Pokémon I meet if I have the chance and if I'm not in the middle of a battle."

His face became pleading again. "I know you may not want to and again, that's fine if you don't but... I would really appreciate it if you did let me scan you. If not for me then for Professor Oak. He's like a grandfather to me and without him, I wouldn't be half the person I am now. I love him like family and I know this would really make him happy and help his research out big time if you allowed me to scan you."

As if in amusement, the large bird seemed to trill in reply, like she was laughing. "Be my guest young one, I do not mind in the least."

With that, and with an excited group of friends behind him, Ash beamed at Articuno and then shared a big smile with Pikachu and Vee. Afterwards, he gave several thank you's to the easygoing Legendary before opening his Pokédex and pointing the video camera and sensor at her.

As he did this, the small green light on the righthand corner of the Pokédex switched on and began blinking as the powerful little device came online. Soon, the intelligent, robotic voice of the highly knowledgeable and semi-sentient cyber organism, known simply as "Dexter", sounded from the handheld device in a crisp and sophisticatedly educated tone.

At the same time, the camera and sensors locked in on Articuno and, with Dexter's first words, a picture of the Legendary - appearing exactly as she stood now - materialized onto the small screen of the Pokédex. Ash's friends gathered round to listen.

"Pokédex Entry No.144

This Pokémon appears to be none other than the Legendary Ice-Type bird of Kanto; Articuno. While often having been described as a mythical legend associated only with the Kanto region, this Pokémon is claimed to have been spotted around the world.

It is one of three other Legendary Bird Pokémon; the others being Zapdos and Moltres. Both of these birds are supposed to be of the Electric and Fire-Type natures but this is scientifically unverified. Together, with Articuno, they are known as the "Mirage Trio".

Ash and the others found themselves suddenly wishing that Dexter was less robotic and more lifelike since the current groundbreaking moment was somewhat strange coming from a soulless machine that could feel no emotions. Nonetheless, the mini-supercomputer went on without stalling a word.

"Since this Pokémon has never been scanned before, not much is known about it. The new incoming information from this scan shows that this Pokémon is indeed Articuno after processing all known artistic renditions of it in the database.

External scan shows that this Pokémon is of the Ice and Flying-Type natures; as was speculated but now confirmed. Physical details has been saved to database via photo imagery and specific height and weight measurement information will now be available after the scan."

There was a sound like a computer or printer scanning something that emitted from the Pokédex before, finally, Dexter's voice spoke again while Articuno remained still in place.

"This Pokémon is exactly six foot seven inches tall and has a weight of one hundred and twenty-two pounds. Internal scan shows..."

Once more there was a pause as Dexter seemed to process all the new information that one scan had revealed about the Legendary Ice-Type. At last, he spoke again.

"This Pokémon appears to possess an extremely cold internal and external temperature. Articuno is now confirmed to be a genderless Pokémon and possesses the ability Snow Cloak. It also seems to know the moves; Gust, Ice Shard, Screech, Mist, Mirror Coat, Ice Beam, Agility, Reflect, Roost, Blizzard and Sky Attack."

No other detailed information is available to be provided at this time."

"Well... I imagine you already got enough to make several of Professor Oak's days." Brock commented astutely after Dexter finished speaking. He and the two girls were still staring over Ash's shoulder at the Pokédex.

"No kidding, I bet he'll be over the moon to hear about this Ash!" Giselle agreed enthusiastically.

Misty lightly thumped his shoulder. "Yeah you actually got to meet and then scan Articuno of all Pokémon! Not many people could claim that, especially Trainers as early into their career as you. Lucky!"

Ash could only look down at the image of Articuno that was still on the screen of the Pokédex and nod in agreement. That very picture, as well as the information collected about the Legendary that would be used in future research and scientific study by Professor Oak - and who knew how many potential others - had the young man feeling some small manner of pride in knowing that he was responsible for it.

It was at that time Articuno finally spoke again. "Well young ones, the time has come and I must now depart before the night has truly fallen. It will take time to reach my other roost that is nearest here and I would rather fly under cover of darkness when few eyes are looking skyward."

With that, Ash put his Pokédex away and slowly walked up to her again. "Well... I really hope to see you again Articuno. Meeting you was like a dream come true for me."

"Me too," Misty said with a smile as she stepped up to Ash's one side and Giselle on his other. "And me! It was wonderful meeting you Articuno!"

Brock bowed his head respectfully. "I never would have thought an ordinary Gym Leader from Pewter City would ever get the honor of meeting a Legendary Pokémon and I'm even more grateful you flew us here. Thank you Articuno."

The icy natured bird gave a fond look to the four of them and bowed her mighty head a bit herself. "It was my own pleasure meeting four such special and stouthearted young humans as yourselves. I hope to see you all again as well."

She looked at Ash specifically as she said that, though for only a quick and brief moment. Pikachu and Vee both took her attention however as they each chirped words of parting up to her in their own manners of doing so.

"Pikachu Pi!"

"Vee! Vee Vee!"

Looking at the two smaller Pokémon, Articuno nodded in acknowledgment of them. "Indeed. I can sense you are both special and very fine Pokémon yourselves. Make sure to look after young Ash here and take care of one another always."

They both nodded in the affirmative; especially Pikachu, whom raised a small fist to her and nodded with a serious gleam in his eyes. "Pikaaaachu!"

Articuno took a second longer to just stare at the yellow Electric-Type; her keen red eyes gazing intently at him. Almost as if she were studying him, sizing him up and seeing something about the young Pokémon that she didn't put into words.

Regardless, she eventually looked away and then unfurled her great wings. After that, Articuno slowly began ascending up into the air with mighty thrusts of her powerful wings. Powerful, yes, though no less graceful by any means. Even the sand itself was hardly stirred by her taking off.

Finally, as the Legendary Bird of Ice began climbing into the sky above their heads, she called down to the four young Trainers with the last bit of the telekinetic link that remained between them.

"Farewell young ones, take care of yourselves and mind the steps you take on the road before you!"

And so, with that spoken, she turned and flew higher and higher into the air until, in seemingly no time at all, Articuno was fading into the darkening sky beyond. However, as they all stood there simply staring after her for a good long while, each of them heard her give a long, musical and beautiful trill.

"ARRRRROOOOO!"

This came just as the gleaming stars left in the wake of her long, trailing tail feathers faded into sparking bursts of diamonds against the moonlit sky.

When the majestic Legendary was finally out of sight, Giselle sighed and smiled serenely. "This was one amazing day..."

Misty nodded in agreement. "One I won't soon forget, that's for sure."

Brock, turning then, looked back toward the small swath of island jungle that separated them from the populated city of Seafoam. The very way in whence they had come when beginning their journey to the second of the islands, earlier that day.

"Well guys, I guess we should head back now. It's getting dark and it might take a little longer to traverse that overgrown path through the jungle that leads back to the city. I think I saw a Pokémon Center there earlier today so we should be able to get a room or two for the night if it isn't too busy."

Misty turned to follow him while putting her hands behind her head. "Oh a room and a soft bed sounds great after everything that happened today! And maybe a nice, warm shower too and a bite to eat! Getting these warm winter clothes off will be nice too since I'm already getting hot being back on this beach."

Giselle, for her part, stopped for a moment and looked back at Ash. "Are you coming?" She asked of her boyfriend.

He simply looked back at her for a moment over his shoulder and nodded. "Yeah, catch you guys up in a second!"

After she turned back away and followed Brock and Misty up the beach, Ash looked at the place in the sky where Articuno had flown off to. Somewhere out there, far over the ocean toward the south.

Then, with an idle hand, he reached into his right pants pocket - deep as it was for the winter trousers he was wearing - and pulled out, gently, what he had been carrying within them.

As he pulled it out and held it up toward the moon above between his thumb and index fingers, Ash gazed for a time at the feather he had found back in Articuno's nest.

The feather was as light blue as that which adorned the Legendary itself and it seemed to still hold the same shiny, beautiful sheen to its surface as when it had been attached to her. What was more, the feather was cool to the touch and soft as could be under his fingertips. Much as it had been when his own hands had rested upon Articuno's back while she flew them all out of the caverns and through the sky.

As he stared at the feather under the light of the emerging moon with Pikachu and Vee doing the same, Ash smiled softly to himself and nodded.

"I take this as a promise Articuno that someday... we will meet again."

Episode Sixteen: End

Outro Theme Song ~ "Gotta Catch Em' All" from Pokémon Season 1: Indigo League