It suddenly got colder as we went more and more north. Char was keeping us warm with what heat he radiated from his tail. By now we only moved at night to throw everyone off our trail, and if we slept during the day it was only for an hour before we had to move again.

Squirts nose started running and each time I felt his head with a vine or I snuggled to him to keep him warm he felt hot like he was running a fever. Immediately Char ruled it a cold and pretended to stay away from him. The lack of sleep made him less sassy and Squirt was in no mood for sass. Even I was tired and would yell at Char for saying or doing something stupid. All would be quickly forgiven.

Tonight the moon was high in the black canvas lighting the snow around us in a pale light. Char's tail melted the snow around us. I couldn't help it, I had to stop and take it the view around me.

Char and Squirt stopped when they knew I wasn't following.

"I wish I could see it all in the day…I bet it's beautiful." I said to nobody in particular.

They both put a hand on my bulb and pushed me forward. My eyes stared at the ground. My feet were red and numb from the snow. Were they feet? Maybe they're paws…

I stopped to stare at my feet longer.

Yeah…they're paws.

"Are you okay?" Squirt coughed.

I looked at them and nodded. "Yeah. We have to keep moving. Sorry…" And then we continued.

We continued through nothing but snow and trees and nothing.

Through trees and nothing I saw a Pokémon standing. It was white and black with piercing eyes. The three of us stared at each other.

And then it turned and ran away.

"Was I hallucinating?" Squirt finally uttered.

"If you were then we all were." Char whispered.

I looked behind us for signs of Pokémon. To the east I saw the rays of light reaching its fingers across the black canvas. "We have to keep moving. UP another mountain."

Char coughed and wheezed. Now I had two sick Pokémon to take care of.

"Do you two just want to stay behind?"

Squirt shook his head. "No way." He declared as strong as he could.

We started up the hill.

The mountain wasn't as tall as we thought it would be. We quickly reached the top.

Squirts stomach growled. He laughed. "We should stop to at least eat."

I nodded smiling. I could use something to eat.

A whirlwind of snow blew around us as the wind picked up revealing a sheet of ice underneath. The fingers of light reflected off and blinded us.

"Turn back! You cannot pass!"

I growled, not because this mysterious voice was a possible enemy, it was because I wasn't in the mood to be held back again! After months of nothing bothering us.

"I'm gonna pass anyway!" I shouted, not knowing in which direction I should shout.

The voice turned hard, "Fine, so be it."

The brightness of the ice dimmed from snow suddenly returning.

"All right, Linda! Nice going!"

I felt proud of myself. In the back of my mind there was a nagging feeling, something was off. Unlike Moltress this Pokémon just let us pass without a fight. It was just too easy.

Char started marching forward. For a Pokémon with a cold he somehow had a lot of energy.

I turned to look at Squirt's progress. He was looking around for the mysterious Pokémon.

There was a flap of some wings and then Char's screams. When I turned he was gone, up in the air, held by a blue Pokémon.

"Get me down! Get me down! Get me down!" His sentences ran into each other. The bird dropped Char on a snowy tree and flew down in front of me. I didn't feel Squirts presence behind me. He probably ran to either hide or help Char down.

"Were you the one that challenged me?" The voice was one of a wise woman.

"Yes I did. Who are you?"

She spread her wings. "I am Articuno, warder of ice! I shall destroy anyone who hurts the forest! Let us begin the fight." Without warning she flew at me and struck the tip of my bulb. The force blew me back.

"Linda!" Squirt was only a few branches up and Char couldn't get down from fear.

"Get Char down. I've got this!" It was a lie, I knew it and I'm sure they knew it too. Articuno dive-bombed me from behind. Quickly I wrapped my vines around her neck and held on for dear life as I was taken to the air.

I used the vines to slowly make my way to her belly.

"Get off of me you brat!" Articuno screamed, shaking her body and flying in zigzag patterns. She flew close into Char. Instinctively he let out his most powerful flamethrower attack but instead of getting her he got me.

I let go and hit the ground with a thud.

I groaned, my whole body felt the vibrations of hitting the ground at such a high altitude. Higher than this Pokémon body was meant to be dropped from.

Articuno stood over me, getting ready for the kill shot. "Any last words?"

I prepared to strike, and sucked in air.

"Stop!" The voice was unknown and somewhere between and adult and child's. The black and white Pokémon with piercing eyes leaped out in front of me from, what seemed to be, nowhere.