Articuno flew low to the ground and fired Air Slash.

*BOOM* A small building exploded, fortunately all the people had already evacuated.

A small group of trainers, including Roark, were attempting to stop the rampaging legendary, but they weren't having much luck. Their pokémon fired attack after attack into the sky, but nothing touched Articuno. Any flying types they sent out were promptly smacked down by its Ice Beam. Even the gym leader's pokémon were unable to stop it. All in all, they were doing little more than slowing the freeze pokémon down.

Jason didn't waste time wondering why it was attacking Oreburgh, "by the time that strategy works, Articuno will have caused far too much damage. We need to find another way."

Cap and Katana looked at him in confusion, but Jack knew exactly what he meant. The two brothers concentrated on the Aura around them. It didn't take them long to find Articuno, its aura was the brightest by far, but communicating with it was another matter. The legendary pokémon's mind was surrounded by an impenetrable mental barrier, and after several tries at both battering it down through sheer force, and slipping through nonexistent cracks in the wall, they were forced to give up.

Jack and Jason were equally astonished at the strength of Articuno's mental defenses. Jack stated what was obvious to both of them as their concentration reentered their bodies, "it's uncanny; non-psychic types, even legendary ones, can't usually maintain a mental shield that strong," Jack suddenly switching from silent telepathy to audible speech caused Cap and Katana to jump.

Jason, having returned his focus to his body already, replied verbally, "yes, we may have underestimated Articuno severely. If we can't communicate with it though, then we'll just have to chase it off somehow."

This train of thought got derailed by an Air Slash exploding not five feet away. Realizing that this was a time for action, Jack whipped up a blast of Psychic and knocked the wind out of Articuno (literally), while his brother hit it with Aura Sphere.

The freeze bird pokémon immediately locked on to them as a threat and fired Ice Beam. Jason dodged the attack with ease, but Jack had to use Agility to avoid it. He then charged up and launched a powerful Thunderbolt which, unfortunately, only clipped Articuno's wing.

Enraged, Articuno fired two extraordinarily large Air Slashes, showing everyone exactly why it was called legendary. Jack and Jason struggled to shift the projectiles with Aura, but to no avail. Cap and Katana just managed to tackle them out of the way before...

*BOOOOOM!* Shrapnel flew everywhere, the place where they were standing was now a sizable crater, and Articuno was nowhere to be seen.

The four friends wearily picked themselves up surveyed the area. There were smoking craters in the road, chunks of ice everywhere, and several small buildings had been demolished. The damage was though, for the most part, repairable. Jack then noticed that people were looking at them in shock, and something else...

He decided to high-tail it back to the pokémon centre.

Once there they got healed up, then quickly packed their bags and left the city quietly. Once Oreburgh was out of sight, Jack called a halt. The four friends set up a small campfire to cook something to eat. While they looked for sticks and twigs, Jack and Jason discussed matters that had been on jack's mind for a while now.

"Did you see it Jason; the way they looked at me, like I was some sort of freak."

"I'm sure they were just amazed at your prowess in battle, and worried about the hit you and I almost took."

Jack looked deeply distressed, "no, that wasn't it and you know it. They radiated fear, you must have sensed it, they were afraid of me."

Jason shook his head emphatically, "no, no, they weren't afraid of you! They were just scared that Articuno might come back."

Jack looked more miserable than before. In little more than a whisper, "I read their minds."

A look of shock crossed Jason's face, followed closely by a look of despair.

"I read their minds!" Jack continued, shouting in anguish now, "and all I found was fear! Fear of me... a freak, that's what they called me in their minds. A freak," having said this, Jack fell to his knees and wept.

Cap and Katana heard his pained cries and rushed over to comfort him. As soon as Katana saw him on the ground crying, she threw her tough, tomboyish demeanor out the window. And while Cap and Jason stood around feeling helpless, she knelt and hugged him (minding her blades).

"hush, hush, it's alright Jack, it's alright. You're not a freak, you're a boy. You have friends here, and a Father in Heaven who love you."

After a while Jack's sobbing slowed down and finally stopped. He got up and, eyes still red from crying, took charge of the situation.

"Alright, enough standing around. Cap, Katana, go get the camp site in order. Jason, this firewood isn't going to help me pick itself up. What do I pay you people for?"

The three pokémon were glad that Jack was back to... well, not normal exactly, but at least working would help him forget. They greeted the return to work with a perfectly synchronized, "YES JACK STORM, SIR!"

Jack froze and turned around slowly, "did you all rehearse that?"

"NO JACK STORM, SIR!"

"Well I don't believe you," having said this, he turned on his heel and walked back to the campsite with a bundle of sticks.

After lunch, Cap and Katana volunteered to go find some berries, while Jack and Jason talked about... stuff.

"Alright, so where do we go from here?" Jason asked unfolding a map.

Jack looked at it for a while before deciding, "we'll go north," he pointed to a town marked on the map, "to Eterna City. It says that there's another gym there."

Jason looked a little anxious, "do you really think it's wise to visit another human city so soon after..."

Jack fiddled with a bit of grass, "yeah, well, about that... we really need to talk."

"You're right about that," Jason agreed, sitting down on the grass.

Jack sat down beside him, "I'm sorry I broke down on you this morning."

"That's alright, I guess it would have shocked anyone to be..."

"Yeah, that," Jack interrupted. "Look, I don't want people to be afraid of me, but the problem is that they have every right to be."

"Are you kidding me?" Jason laughed and ruffled Jack's hair, "you're nothing but a big softy that's what you are."

Jack couldn't help but laugh too as he pushed his brother's paw away, "oh I'm a softy am I..."

The lucario's eyes widened, and with amazing agility he somersaulted backwards, came up standing, and bolted for safety. However, he soon realized that his brother was still on the ground, laughing his head off.

"Oh ha ha, very funny," Jason sat back down, looking a little sheepish. "What about Articuno though, I still want to get to the bottom of that."

"Me too," Jack assumed a thoughtful look, "but I don't see what we can do about it right now."

Jason got back up, "I say that we move out for... what was it again?"

"Eterna City," Jack reminded him, getting up as well. He then shouted, "Cap, Katana, we're going."

The two green pokémon soon returned with a sack full of berries, and the team then set out for their next destination.

Jack: I'm not happy about you making me look like a crybaby.

Me: Don't be so sensitive, and can't you even let me tell them what we decided?

Jack: Oh fine, and thought it was a fairly good chapter anyway.

Me: Alright, Jack and I had a good long talk, and we have come to an agreement. He'll have a say in what I write, and a short section at the beginning and/or end of chapters to speak his mind. Neither of us will tell the other what to do, and neither of us will tear down the other's thoughts or opinions. And that's about all...

Jason: Excuse me.

Me: Oh yeah, and Jason will be entitled to a soft bed and a three hot meals a day, for as long as I use his name in my story.

Jason: Thank you very much.

Me: Don't mention it.

Jack & Jason: We already did!

Me: . . .

Me: See you next chapter, please read and review.