The next day was a bright and shining morning. Roshan crawled out first before standing up and he seemed to love the glowing of the beautiful morning.
Ingrid smiled as she saw her baby brother as she woke up before gasping. "Oh! I have to meet Nana to show her where Kenai is." She soon rushed off where Tanana was.
Kabutops came out of his Pokeball and soon went after his trainer.
Tanana was awake and she smiled softly.
"Sorry I'm late, Nana." Ingrid replied.
"That's okay, dear, now, tell me where Kenai is." Tanana smiled sweetly.
"He will most likely be at a river in the forest." Ingrid said.
"Lead the way, my dear." Tanana told her.
Ingrid nodded and then led the way for her grandmother of where the new bear of the forest was.
They came into the forest where a knocked out bear was in the river and they decided to move him to dryer ground. They soon saw him waking up.
"There he is, Nana." Ingrid told her grandmother.
"So, Kenai," Tanana smiled as she took out a damp rag for him to wash his face. "You've decided to join the living... Ooh, that's quite a bump ya got there. That must've been one heck of a ride down the rapids, huh?"
"Looks like it." Ingrid agreed.
"Tanana..." Kenai muttered before holding his head and gasped as he realized he had to tell her something, though there was a great difference between Tanana and her granddaughter.
"Kenai, honey, shh, shh, shh..." Tanana shushed him with an apologetic smile. "I don't speak Bear."
Kenai looked confused about why Tanana said that.
"Look here." Ingrid told Kenai and made him look into the water.
Kenai looked at her and then looked into his reflection only to see that he was in fact a bear. He looked at his paws and fur in overwhelment before wiggling his tiny tail and yelled out which made nearly every animal in the forest hear him and he was having a nervous breakdown.
"I don't think he's well." Ingrid told Tanana.
"He appears to be having a nervous breakdown." Tanana replied.
Kabutops soon tackled Kenai to make him go down to the ground and settle down.
"All right, all right, all right," Tanana told Kenai. "Kenai, listen to me... Sitka did this."
Kenai settled down, but felt confused.
"I'm surprised that the Great Spirits turned him into a bear," Ingrid told her grandmother after picking up her Pokemon. "It must be for a very valuable lesson."
"You might be right, dear," Tanana agreed with her granddaughter as she observed Kenai's new features. "Kenai is going to get a new perspective on things. Oh, do you see in black and white or color?"
Kenai growled since she was invading his personal space and didn't like being a bear one bit.
"Hey, don't blame Nana for this!" Ingrid scolded. "You got yourself into this mess. If you want to change, take it up with your brother's spirit animal guide."
Kenai didn't know how to do that.
"You'll find him on the mountain, where the lights touch the Earth," Tanana explained to Kenai as she drew a picture in the ground. "He'll help you make up for what you've done wrong."
"That's right." Ingrid nodded.
"But I didn't do anything wrong," Kenai said out of confusion only to see the elder woman had gone. "Tanana? Tanana! Tanana, w-wait, I didn't do anything wrong!"
"The Great Spirits disagree." Ingrid folded her arms and Kabutops copied her for emphasis.
"But what did I do?" Kenai asked. "I don't even know how to get there!"
"You'll have to ask for help." Ingrid replied.
"Oh, so you can talk to animals, but Tanana can't?" Kenai asked.
"The rules are complicated, but yes." Ingrid nodded.
They soon heard two voices.
"What happened to them?"
"I dunno..."
"Well, they were right here a second ago, and now they're gone."
Ingrid walked over with Kabutops as they saw two squirrels talking and one of them had fat cheeks. "Typical." The native girl sighed to herself.
"Hey, you!" Kenai's eyes widened at the critters. "You just talked!"
"Just back away, real slow like..." The first squirrel told the second one nervously since Kenai was a bear.
"How'd you do that?!" Kenai asked them which only scared the rodents away.
"You just scared them." Ingrid said.
"Are we there yet?!" A young voice asked before Kenai looked up to see birds flying in a V in the sky.
"Don't make me turn this formation around!" An older voice scolded.
"See?" Ingrid smiled. "All animals can talk."
"Even me." Kabutops added and Kenai could now understand him too which really surprised him.
Kenai looked so overwhelmed and a couple of moose overheard him, not seeming really scared of him as they were eating some grass.
"Those two aren't scared." Ingrid smiled.
Akito and the others soon arrived in the forest. Felicity looked a little better than last night as she followed after.
"Kenai, Ingrid, and Kabutops should be around here somewhere," Akito said as he took the lead. He soon saw the two moose. "Two meese!" he pointed out.
"It's mooses." Estelle replied.
"You're both wrong," Vincent came between his younger twin siblings. "It's just moose."
Akito and Estelle groaned. The two moose soon notice them.
"Hey, those are sure some smart kids." One moose said to the other.
"Smarter than you, eh?" The other moose chuckled.
"Hi." Akito greeted.
"You're not hunters, are ya?" The first moose asked.
"Nope, you're safe with us." Akito promised.
"Whew!" The moose sighed in relief.
"I've never met a moose up close before..." Felicity said as she came toward the two. "Do you know Bullwinkle?"
"'Fraid not." The first moose chuckled.
"So weird to talk to humans, eh?" The second moose said. "Also, those weird pets of theirs."
"Hey!" The Pokemon glared.
"They are called Pokemon." Akito and Estelle firmly told the moose.
"Is that Japanese?" The first moose asked.
"What're you talkin' about, eh?" The second moose replied. "You don't know Japanese!"
This caused for the group to groan.
Kenai soon came toward the moose which worried them since he was a predator and they soon got their antlers stuck together.
"I better help them with that," Akito sighed as he came toward the moose who seemed to be brothers. "Hold still, you two."
The moose struggled nervously, but soon held still, they urged him to hurry up because there was a bear. Akito stuck his tongue out as he soon got the moose out of their situation.
"There ya go." Akito told them.
"Gee, thanks." The second moose smiled.
"That's a good kid, maybe all humans aren't that bad." The first moose agreed.
"Yep," Akito said. "Not all humans are bad."
The others came over to the two moose.
"Don't worry about Kenai, he won't hurt you." Ingrid told the moose while Kabutops nodded in agreement.
"She's right, I'm not eating anybody." Kenai added which relieved the two moose instantly.
"So, what are your names?" Pupitar asked.
"My name's Rutt." The first moose replied.
"And I'm Tuke, eh?" The second moose added.
"Nice to meet ya." Estelle said.
"How's it goin', Bear?" Tuke asked Kenai.
"Don't call me that." Kenai groaned.
"Sorry, uh, Mr. Bear?" Tuke replied.
"His name is Kenai." Akito said.
"I mean, I'm not a bear," Kenai told the two moose. "I hate bears."
"Well, gee, eh?" Rutt chuckled. "You're one big beaver."
"No kiddin', eh?" Tuke laughed with him.
"Do you two believe in the Great Spirits?" Estelle asked.
"Heard of 'em, but I'm afraid we don't know about 'em touchin' the Earth, we've heard humans like her talk about 'em though." Rutt said, pointing to Ingrid.
"So, you don't know where we can find the spot?" Ingrid asked.
"Sorry, I'm afraid we don't, why do ya need to go there anyways?" Rutt asked.
"Because I'm not a bear, I'm a man!" Kenai told them. "I was transformed into a bear, magically! I-I was lifted into the sky, and... And..."
"Uh-huh..." Tuke blinked before coughing into his hoof. "You're crazy!"
"Oh, gesundheit." Rutt told him, thinking that was a real cough.
"He's not crazy." Ingrid told Tuke.
"Oh, uh, whoever said he was?" Tuke replied. "We understand."
"You do?" Teddy asked.
"Yeah, you see, we're not moose either." Tuke smirked.
"We're not?" Rutt asked.
"You're teasing, aren't you?" Vincent asked, unimpressed.
"Oh, no, no, really, we're like... We're like squirrels." Tuke replied with a smirk.
"Oh, yeah," Rutt smiled to the other moose who was his brother. "Well, he, he's actually the squirrel, eh? I'm more of a purebred wolverine? Look at these bicuspids..." he then growled.
"Oh, brother." Estelle's male Kirla better known as Derek sighed.
"You said it." Odette agreed with her twin.
"Ugh," Kenai groaned and face-pawed. "Why am I talking to a couple of dumb moose?"
"We're squirrels, eh?" Tuke smirked.
"Wolverine." Rutt snarled.
"I'll find it myself." Kenai complained, walking off one way.
"Uh, I wouldn't go that way, eh?" Rutt told Kenai.
"Why not?" Tuke asked his brother.
Kenai ignored them only to walk into a trap which a rope wrapped around his ankle and he was swiped up while hitting the ground, the moss on the nearby tree, and a boulder. The two moose watched this and eventually got bored and walk away.
"I think that's why." Teddy smirked.
Mismagius floated upward toward the branch and decided to loosen the rope around Kenai's ankle.
"I can get it." Kenai told them.
"You sure?" Mismagius asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Kenai replied.
"Well, okay." Mismagius shrugged and came back to the others.
Kenai soon saw a long branch on the ground. He tried to reach for it, and when he did, a certain cub in the woods was wandering around.
"Hey, is the coast clear?" The cub's voice asked.
"Koda, is that you?" Akito asked.
"Oh... Akito, it's just you!" Koda's voice smiled.
"What are you doing here?" Akito asked.
"I thought I could help, but I see this guy found the trap," Koda replied about Kenai's predicament. "I saw it from a mile away, he must be pretty embarrassed. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"You're right about the embarrassed part." Vincent said.
"He needs to get down," Koda said as he picked up the branch. "Let me help."
Kenai panicked as Koda was a little off-balance and accidentally hit him with the branch like a pinata. This seemed entertaining to the teenagers and the Pokemon.
"It's no use," Koda said after a while. "The only way to get down is to chew your own foot off."
"I don't need some stupid bear's help, I just need the stick." Kenai glared at the cub.
"Okay, here." Koda held it out.
"I think he wants to get it himself." Ninetails said.
"The white fox is right," Kenai replied as he glared at Koda, finding him to be very annoying. "Put it back, where you found it!"
Koda soon followed directions and put the branch right back down on the ground where it was before he moved it. He then decided to sit down to see how Kenai handling this by himself would work out with the teenagers and their Pokemon. While watching, the cub soon decided to tell them all a story.
"Boy, that tree is strong, huh?" Koda smiled as he sat with the others as time seemed to go by slowly for Kenai as he struggled for the branch. "You know, when I was little, I was really into climbin' trees. All kinds of trees. I climbed pine trees, oak trees, fig trees, maple trees, uh, birch trees, willow trees... My eyes were watering, and my tongue was swollen... And from that moment on, I was more careful about what I lick."
Kenai began to almost get the branch as it was just a few inches away. Koda soon got bored and shoved the branch closer.
"HA!" Kenai smiled as he finally got the branch. "See? It's all about using your head." he then put the branch in his mouth as he tried to get himself down from the tree.
"Oh, he's about to use his head alright." Kabu smirked.
There was then a snap which made Kenai drop the branch and hit his head against the ground.
"That was funny," Koda smiled. "Do it again!"
"Don't you have someplace to go?" Kenai groaned to him.
"Yeah, the Salmon Run, you should come." Koda replied before looking to Teddy, thinking he was a fellow bear.
"Um, okay." Teddy said.
"It's fine with me." Estelle said to Teddy.
"Thanks, Mama." Teddy smiled.
"How 'bout this?" Koda looked up to Kenai as he dangled upside down. "I get you down and we go together. Deal?"
"Yeah, Kenai, deal?" Akito added.
"Yeah, okay, fine," Keani replied impatiently. "If you can magically get me down, I'll go with you to this... This..."
"Salmon Run." Koda and the others said for him.
"Whatever," Keani replied. "But if you can't... You turn around, walk away, and never come back. EVER!"
"Promise?" Felicity asked.
"Yeah." Kenai replied.
"Pinkie swear." Koda held out one claw.
"Yeah, sure, fine, pinkie swear," Kenai linked his claw against his. "But this is a human trap, and you're just a dumb little bear. So there's really no way you're gonna be able to-"
Koda kicked the trap down with his back hind leg which then freed Kenai, and where he was sent flying out of the tree.
"That had to hurt." Akito winced for Kenai.
"Okay, so what I'm thinking is, we travel by day and sleep at night," Koda suggested. "My bedtime is an hour after sunset... Or I think it's..." he then sniffed the air before running off to hide. "RUN!"
"What was that about?" Odette asked.
"Good riddance!" Kenai scoffed as he rubbed his head before he also sniffed the air.
Denahi rushed into the forest, but hid behind a tree as he held his spear as he was going to hunt the bear, not knowing that it was his younger brother.
"Oh, no, it's Denahi." Akito whispered.
The kids went to hide with their Pokemon. Ingrid held Kabutops close as Kenai stayed where he was and then saw his brother. Kenai tried to talk with Denahi, but of course, his brother could only hear growls.
"Oh, this is bad." Pupitar whispered.
Denahi snarled as he was about to stab Kenai right in the chest as he believed that he was the bear who killed his little brother. Akito soon secretly used his super-breath to blow Denahi away from Kenai.
"Show-Off." Vincent whispered.
"It's a living." Akito defended.
Kenai soon took this as he opportunity to run. He blindly ran as he wasn't sure where to go, but he felt shocked that his own brother was going to kill him, but he didn't know that Denahi didn't know that he was the bear himself, and where he soon found a place to hide. The kids hid with their Pokemon, but once the coast was clear, they went to follow Kenai before he would get hurt, or worse.
"How are we all gonna fit in there?" Akito knelt down in front of what looked like an ice cave.
"Get in your Pokeballs." Ingrid told the Pokemon so it would be easier to get inside with them.
"You got it." The Pokemon replied as they then came back into their Pokeballs and the kids crawled as they went after Kenai into the ice cave to make sure that he was okay.
"Is he gone?" Kenai panted once he looked back and saw them.
"I think so." Estelle whispered. She then looked around with Felicity.
"This kinda looks like Morgana's lair." Felicity commented to Estelle.
"Only it's not surrounded by water." Estelle replied.
"Or wimpy sharks." Akito snickered.
Denahi was soon above the ice, walking around and that meant they had to be quiet or else he would find them.
"Guys?" Koda's voice whispered as he was revealed to be there.
Akito soon covered his mouth once he saw where Koda was. Koda muffled and wriggled in his grip. Denahi soon walked away for right now, leaving them alone to where they were.
"Hello?" Koda grunted to Akito. "I can't breathe!"
"Oops, sorry." Akito said as he let go of the bear cub.
Koda gasped once he finally caught his breath.
They soon came to a rock-covered dry area of the icy cave.
"Why is he chasing me?" Kenai whispered in heartbreak.
"That's what some of them do!" Koda glared in defense as it should've been obvious.
"But I never thought Denahi would try and hunt a bear." Felicity said.
"Yeah, well, lucky for him, he didn't find us," Koda smiled. "'Cuz, when I get in a fight, I go all crazy, and I'm a raging ball of brown fur!" He then moved all around in fights before he fell onto the ground by accident. "I mean, I don't wanna brag or nuthin', but I got some moves."
"Oh, really?" Kenai asked Koda, unconvinced.
Ingrid giggled a little as Koda was kind of funny and adorable.
"Yep, this first one, well..." Koda soon stood up on two legs. "This is a little thing I like to call... THE SLASHER!" he hen slashed the air before falling on his bottom. "And this one, I like to call..." he then stood up again and looked like he was in a karate stance. "THE FLYING FURY OF DEATH!"
"Uh-huh." Akito smirked playfully.
"He's coming back!" Kenai gasped.
"Where?!" Koda looked around before hiding.
"Typical..." Kenai shook his head with a scoff at the cub.
"Well, the next time we see him-" Vincent started.
"There is no 'we', okay?" Keani cut him off. "And I'm not taking the kid to any Salmon Run."
The Pokemon soon came out of their Pokeballs almost as though they overheard that.
"What?!" Koda yelped.
"But you pinkie promised him!" Teddy added.
"Yeah, well, things change," Kenai glared before leaving Koda. "See ya, kid."
"You can't just leave him!" Ninetails told him.
"Uh... Wait! Uh..." Koda tried to stop Kenai from leaving him forever before he looked a little sad. "The truth is... I got separated from my mom. And now, with this hunter around-"
"Kid, I've got my own problems." Kenai told the cub.
"Kenai, at least hear him out." Pupitar said.
Akito nodded, agreeing with his best Pokemon friend who was like a son to him.
"Aw, come on, please?" Koda pleaded to Kenai. "Can't we just go together? There's a lot of bears and a ton of fish, and every night we watch the lights touch the mountain, and last year-"
"Wait, wait, wait, what'd you just say?" Kenai asked.
"There's lots of bears and tons of fish!" Koda repeated with a smile.
"No, no, you know where the lights touch the Earth?" Kenai asked.
"Yeah!" Koda beamed. "It's at the top of the mountain right by the Salmon Run."
"You're kidding." Kenai deadpanned.
"No, he's right," Ingrid replied as Kabu nodded in agreement. "It's right next door."
Kenai sighed as he had to be forced to do this.
"I promise to help you escape from every trap you walk into." Koda told Kenai.
"I'm not gonna walk into any more-" Kenai glared until he then tripped over a rock and fell flat on the ground. "Traps."
"Sure." Teddy smirked.
"Come on, whatya say?" Koda asked.
Kenai groaned and glanced at the cub out of major annoyance. "You sure you can take us to where the lights touch the Earth?" he then asked the cub.
"Yeah, no problem!" Koda promised.
Ninetails soon got Kenai's ankle free from the rope.
Kenai groaned as he still glared at Koda. "If you slow me down-"
"I won't!" Koda replied. "I promise."
"All right," Kenai soon gave in as he lay down, turning his back at the cub. "We leave first thing tomorrow."
"Okay." Teddy yawned.
Koda breathed in relief, he looked back cautiously before going to join Kenai's side for the night.
"And keep all that cuddly bear stuff to a minimum, okay, kid?" Kenai glared at that as he asked Koda and then shoved the bear cub away to his own spot so he could sleep in privacy.
"My name's not Kid," Koda glared in defense. "It's Koda."
Kenai nodded and then lay back down to get back to sleep.
Koda cuddled down into the ground and turned over to get some sleep himself. "What's your names?" He then asked Kenai and the others he hadn't met.
Kenai groaned as he tried to ignore him.
"That's Kenai," Ingrid replied. "As for us, we're Ingrid, Estelle, Akito, Vincent, Felicity, and these are our Pokemon: Kabutops, but I like to call him Kabu for short, along with Ninetails, Pupitar, Mismagius, and Estelle likes to call hers 'Teddy'."
"I'm an Ursaring." Teddy said.
"And we're Odette and Derek, but as for what we are, we're Pokemon named Kirlia." Odette and Derek said.
"Interesting names you all have," Koda replied. "It's so nice to see humans who aren't monsters and can talk to animals."
"Those monsters are called hunters." Estelle said.
"My mom calls 'em monsters... So did my dad..." Koda replied, before sounding softer when he mentioned his father.
"What happened to him?" Teddy asked.
"One of the mon-...Hunters got him..." Koda replied softly. "It happened before I was born."
"That's terrible." Teddy frowned.
"Yeah..." Koda replied. "So it's always just been me and my mom... Of course, the other bears at the Salmon Run like Tug."
"That's good." Ninetails said.
Koda yawned. "I'm sure you guys will like it... Especially you, Teddy..."
"I hope so, Koda." Teddy smiled as he felt a best friend bond with the bear cub, even if he was just a Bear-like Pokemon.
They soon fell asleep. It was a good sleep for all of them and they would soon move the next morning. Estelle shivered as she felt quite cold. Akito woke up and noticed this, he then magicked up a pink blanket and wrapped his twin sister in it which made her smile once she felt warm and fell asleep much easier. He then smiled to this and then fell back asleep with the others. Everything seemed nice and quiet.