The group trudged back to the cave through the sand and snow. A cold wind was now blowing in from the sea, nipping at the flesh. Scarlet was completely silent, just looking to her feet with a sad expression on her face. Shadow walked a few yards in front of everyone, followed by Marco, Frankston and Leafwood, and behind them, Tara and Alpharm. Tara shivered and rubbed her arms as another cold gust attacked, and Alpharm looked to her. For a moment it seemed as if he was going to put his arm around her, but instead he spoke.

"We'll be back soon. Don't worry."

Tara returned his reassurance with a faint smile.

"What do you think we saw back there?" Marco asked Leafwood. However, it was Frankston who answered.

"It was a peculiar power...I don't think it was anything that could have come from a Pokémon on its own. We may be dealing with something supernatural."

"And I remember the days when things seemed so innocent and wonderful!" replied Marco, forcing a faint laugh. He had a fleeting memory of jogging through the woods outside his hometown, his laughter filling the air as a small Cyndaquil ran alongside him.

As the group continued to walk, something rustled in the bushes among the forest trees. The group immediately froze.

"Willis...?" called Frankston. There was no reply, just more rustling. Without thinking, Marco picked up a stone from the cold sand, and threw it into the bush. There was a small yelp, before a yellow point stuck up from the leaves.

"What the heck is that?" exclaimed Tara.

"Show yourself!" commanded Marco. As though obeying, the bushes rustled once more, and a small yellow cone-shaped creature rolled out. It had a black inner body, its yellow hide resembling a coat, beady blue eyes and a large set of teeth.

"Hey, that's a Snorunt!" smiled Marco. Scarlet withdrew her Pokédex.

"Snorunt. The Snow Hat Pokémon," came the electronic voice, "Snorunt live in cold regions and usually travel in groups of four or five. If seen late at night, it is said that snowfall will arrive by morning. Snorunt are also known to be very mischievous."

"It's a cutie!" giggled Tara. Snorunt smiled a cheeky grin.

"Go, Quilava!" shouted Marco, throwing Quilava's Pokéball into the air. In moments, he was in battle with Snorunt.

"Quilava, use your Ember attack!"

Quilava glared at Snorunt, the flames covering its body burning brightly. It opened its mouth and shot a fireball at Snorunt. Snorunt jumped out of the way in time to take any great damage, but its feet were singed, making it stumble and fall over upon landing. It bounced to its feet unsteadily, and snowflakes began to spray from between it's pearly teeth. The flakes grazed Quilava.

"Quilava, you okay?" asked Marco to his Pokémon. Quilava shook its head and nodded. "Okay then, Take Down!"

Quilava scraped its paw on the ground before charging head-on at Snorunt. Snorunt jumped again, but so did Quilava, ramming into Snorunt in mid-air and knocking it into a nearby tree. The Snorunt groaned, trying to get to its feet.

"Finish it with another Ember!"

And another Ember certainly did finish it, as Snorunt lay unable to battle at the bottom of the tree.

"Pokéball, go!" cried Marco, throwing the ball. It bounces off Snorunt, who was sucked inside. The ball barely wriggled for a moment, before stopping.

"Nice catch!" commented Leafwood, as Marco paced over to pick up his new friend.

"I've always wanted a Snorunt!" he laughed, snuggling the Pokéball.

"Come now," grumped Frankston impatiently, "We must get back to the cave."

Later in the day, as the sun was about to begin setting, the group sat round a fire (courtesy of Quilava) pondering on what they had saw that day. While Leafwood stood examining the depictions on the wall.

"Where do you think the Solrock went?" asked Tara.

"It looked as though it was heading to the top of the mountain..." rattled off Frankston. Marco moved from his cross-legged sitting into a more comfortable position. His Snorunt lay snoozing in his lap, recovering from its rather brutal capture.

"Perhaps if one of us had tried to catch it..." he began, but Frankston interrupted.

"I very much doubt such a Pokémon could be captured easily. Not all is as it seems."

In the background, cutting off all other noise, Leafwood gazed at the picture of the sun and moon shapes clashing, and something in his head suddenly clicked.

"Everyone..." he began in a commanding voice, "We have to get to the other side of this island now..."

His eyes moved to the picture of the dilapitated landscape.

"...Or I think something bad is going to happen."

With little argument (well of course, some from Frankston), the party sprung to their feet and raced out of the cave exit, with Leafwood in front leading the way.

They ran for longer than it had taken to get to the east side of the island before reaching a similar peninsula on the west coast. As expected, atop a rock was a crescent moon shape. The group stopped in front of it. On the way, they had all figured out Leafwood's basic thoughts, so little explanation was needed.

"I think if the Solrock and the Lunatone battle, we're going to be faced with something worse than the two."

"What'll we do then?" said Tara, trying not to panic.

"We'll have to move this Solrock, or capture it..." thought Shadow aloud.

"Perhaps a Pokéball will still recognise this as a Pokémon!" said Frankston, taking a Pokéball from his pocket.

"I hope this works..." whimpered Scarlet. Alpharm was silent from behind his uneccesary sunglasses.

"Pokéball, go!" cried Frankston, tossing the ball at the moon-shape. To their dismay, the ball bounced off the rock and tumbled into the sand, rocking feebly.

"What are we going to do now?" sobbed Tara, her voice trembling.

"We need to think..." muttered Frankston in reply. However, Scarlet's shaking voice came from behind the group.

"We...don't have...time..."

Looking round, the group saw Scarlet gazing up at the sky, and their eyes immediately darted to where her gaze was situated.

Solrock was descending from the mountain.