Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, Pokemon Ranger, or the characters in this story.
Chapter 11: Crysta Cave and Pamurph
"Thank you Ollie, we'll have to head back to the Ranger Union to drop these shards off and then go over to Shiver Camp since there might be a gem there that can make these black shards, which are called Shadow Crystals, to become weak once their darkness is absorbed." I said.
"Wow, that's amazing! I hope you guys find that gem! Goodbye, Kellyn and Luana, have fun in Shiver Camp!" Ollie said.
"Goodbye guys, it was nice to see you two!" Elaine said.
"Bye guys, I'm glad you two paid us a visit, Crysta Cave is extremely cold from what I heard, so I'm glad you two have those thick jackets!" Barlow said with a smile.
"Goodbye everyone, it was great to see you all! Luana and I will try coming back once the mission is over!" I said as Luana and I waved goodbye to everyone while our Partner Pokémon hopped on our shoulders as we headed outside, we saw the Staraptor was patiently waiting for us.
"Thank you for your patience Staraptor, we both appreciate it." I said as Staraptor nodded.
I climbed up on Staraptor first and helped Luana up along with making sure our Partner Pokémon were safe.
"Okay Staraptor, when you're ready, let's head to the Ranger Union!" I said to Staraptor as it flew towards the Ranger Union, we were there within no time as we all got off the Staraptor.
"Thank you Staraptor, you've been a great help!" Luana said as we all waved to Staraptor, shortly afterwards, it nodded and flew off.
Luana and I headed into the Ranger Union and found Chairperson Erma talking with the receptionist.
"Excuse me Chairperson Erma, we're very sorry to disturb you, but we received these small Shadow Crystals from some Team Dim Sun machines that were being studied at the Ranger base. We decided to hand them over to you before we headed to Shiver Camp. We wouldn't have been able to get them if it wasn't for everyone at the Ranger base!" I said as I handed Chairperson Erma the small bag.
"That's no problem at all dearies. Thank you very much, I'll give the Vientown Ranger base my thanks! I'll have Vatona and Nage examine these shards right away. Enjoy Shiver Camp!" Chairperson Erma said as we waved and headed outside of the Ranger Union.
After we exited the Ranger Union, Luana and I walked down to the pier and decided that since we had our partner Pokémon, we were ready to capture a Floatzel when we noticed one come out of the river.
"Perfect, there's a Floatzel! Do you want to catch it?" I said.
"I do! I've never caught a Floatzel before so I have to study its attacks first and then take my time to capture it!" Luana said as she smiled at me.
Luana started doing loops around the Floatzel and after avoiding its bubblebeams for a short while, she was able to capture it. The Floatzel then went back into the river while it waited for us.
"Capture complete." Luana said as she winked at me, making me blush as we all got on the Floatzel.
"Okay Floatzel, please take us to Crysta Cave!" I said as the Floatzel started to swim in the river, I could feel water splashing around me while Luana got close to me in case she fell off.
After a few minutes, Luana and I could see the entrance to Crysta Cave as it was marked on our Stylers. When we entered the cave itself, it was a drastic drop in temperature, thankfully we had the jackets on as we got closer to a small pier while there was another one in the distance.
"Thanks Floatzel, please wait here for a bit." I said as we all got off the Floatzel.
We looked around the small area and saw a Jigglypuff floating around, we've caught every Pokémon we've encountered so far, but we weren't able to get a Jigglypuff!
"Luana, you know how when you or I catch a Pokémon it shows up on our Styler information? We should catch that Jigglypuff! Would you like to catch it? It looks so happy floating around!" I said as the Jigglypuff continued to float around us.
"I'd love to capture a Jigglypuff!" Luana said as she started making loops around the floating Pokémon, its only attack was when it landed and made small notes appear with Hyper voice. After a few quick loops, Jigglypuff was captured and added to our Pokémon caught as we released it shortly afterwards.
"Bye Jigglypuff! See you soon!" We said as we waved to the Jigglypuff as it waved back.
Luana and I headed back to the Floatzel and climbed on it as we decided to go to the other pier that was farther away. After we jumped on the pier, we released the Floatzel.
"Thanks for the help Floatzel, goodbye!" I said to the Floatzel as it waved and slowly swam away.
Luana and I started to walk a bit deeper into the cave, this small area had lots of ledges and steps which were rather helpful. We also saw quite a few Pokémon that we haven't caught before such as Sealeo, Jynx and Swinub. I went to get the Sealeo and Luana ran over to the Jynx.
The Sealeo started to use ice beam as I started making loops around it, but eventually, it got tired which allowed me to capture it. As I looked over at Luana, I saw that the Jynx was using musical notes and using ice beam while Luana was making loops, however, she used her Buneary to give her Styler more power and she was able to capture the Jynx.
"Great work Buneary, thanks for the help!" Luana said as Buneary jumped up and down happily.
"Nice job Buneary, that capture was pretty good, Luana!" I said as Pachirisu hopped up and down in agreement.
"Thank you Kellyn, we should capture that Swinub too, then we'll release these Pokémon!" Luana said.
"I agree, I heard Swinub love to tackle so make sure to sneak up on it." I said as Luana and I got closer to the Swinub that was near the back of the first section of the cave. As we got closer to it, Luana and I could feel cold air coming from the back of the cave.
"Luana, keep Buneary safe, we're most likely getting close to Hia Valley. Pachirisu, stay in my jacket, you'll feel warmer than being on my shoulder." I said as Buneary and Pachirisu went inside our jackets to get warm.
"Thanks Kellyn, I'm surprised by how small this cave is, though that's a good thing. You can catch that Swinub if you want." Luana said, smiling.
I smiled back as I walked over to the Swinub and started making loops around it, it started to use ice beam and tackles in order to break the capture line. However, I was able to capture it quickly and after our Stylers updated the details of the Pokémon we caught, we released them and headed into the cave.
When Luana and I went into the next area, we saw an old bridge that looked like it would break if both of us got on it at the same time.
"This bridge probably hasn't been worked on for a while, I'll go first Kellyn." Luana said as she tested the bridge with one of her feet, the bridge held firm despite how damaged it was. Luana walked across the bridge and eventually made it over to where the cave's exit was.
"Come on Kellyn, don't be afraid!" Luana said as I started to walk across the bridge.
I felt colder and colder, even with the jacket on and I began to tremble violently. I saw Luana and noticed that she was shivering, I continued to walk across the bridge and trembled horribly.
"P-pachi-r-risu, go over t-to where L-Luana is." I said as I started to walk slower and slower. Pachirisu didn't want to come out of the jacket, so I had to gently remove him from the jacket as I continued to tremble more and more.
"Pachi-r-risu, this c-cold started t-to get m-more unbearable, i-if I were to collapse on t-this bridge, y-you would get i-injured. P-please go o-over to L-Luana." I said as Pachirisu looked sadly at me, but he shook his head as he went over to Luana while she looked at me, concerned.
"K-Kellyn, try making it across, y-you can do it!" Luana said as she started to shiver a bit more.
I slowly started to continue walking across the bridge and with Luana cheering me on, I was able make it across, afterwards, I didn't feel as cold as when I was on the bridge itself.
"I told you that you can do it! You're not trembling anymore, which is good, you really had me worried. When we reach Shiver Camp, we'll have to ask Pamurph for soup or a blanket and see if we could take a quick rest." Luana said.
"Thank you Luana, the trembling stopped which is something that I thought was strange. I think it's the work of Team Dim Sun, let's head out of this cave and head to Shiver Camp!" I said as Pachirisu hopped into the jacket.
When we exited the cave, we saw some Swinub and a Piloswine, we slowly approached the Pokémon and I captured the Piloswine after avoiding its ice beam and multiple tackles, with Luana and our Partner Pokémon cheering me on. After I caught the Piloswine, I released it as it went with the Swinub to a small cave nearby. When the Pokémon left, we heard someone laughing, Luana and I turned around to find a Team Dim Sun admin by the Crysta Cave opening, laughing as he held a Miniremo.
"Hahah, I knew Rangers would try to come to Shiver Camp, so I had some Pokémon on a couple of ledges blow some cold air on that foolish Ranger. I was hoping he would be frozen solid but it didn't work." The Team Dim Sun admin said, continuing to chuckle while he started typing for a Pokémon to come and attack us.
After a few moments, we heard the roars of two Mamoswine. The Pokémon were quite formidable as we started making loops around them, with them using ice beam and causing small tremors in order to damage our Capture lines. After having Pachirisu paralyze both of them, we continued to make loops around them and successfully captured them, enraging the Team Dim Sun admin as his Miniremo malfunctioned.
"Hmph, you managed to capture my Mamoswine, time to leave!" The Team Dim Sun admin said as he ran into Crysta Cave.
"Thanks for the help Pachirisu! Nice work Luana, you did an amazing job!" I said as I gave Luana a kiss.
"T-thanks K-Kellyn, you did really great yourself. Good work Pachirisu!" Luana said, blushing as she gave me and Pachirisu a hug.
"Thanks to our teamwork, we were able to catch two Mamoswine! We're about to reach Shiver Camp, let's go see Pamurph!" I said, smiling as Luana and I jogged a short distance from Crysta Cave to Shiver Camp.
As we entered Shiver Camp itself, it was just as expected, a small and relaxing place where the houses looked like igloos. As we looked around, we couldn't help but wonder which house was Pamurph's, since we saw a Ranger Depot at the edge of the small camp, we decided to head inside and ask the Operator where Pamurph's house is.
"Hello there Rangers, welcome to Shiver Camp's Ranger Depot! Do you need a Styler recharge?" The Operator said.
"Hi, our Stylers don't need a recharge, we were wondering if you know where Pamurph's house is?" Luana and I said simultaneously.
"Ah yes, Pamurph's house is in the center of the camp! You two are on a mission, right? Stay safe!" The Operator said as she waved to us.
"Thank you, we will!" We said as we waved back and exited the Ranger Depot.
Luana and I walked over to Pamurph's house and right when we were about to see if anyone was home, the door opened, the man looked almost identical to Murph except looking a bit older.
"Kellyn, Luana! It's nice to meet the two of you. My son, Murph talks highly about the two of you, he says that you're both amazing Top Rangers! You two must be cold, please come in!" Pamurph said as we both entered his house.
The interior of the house was simple yet elegant, on the left-hand side, there was a stove and a small cooler by the back wall and a sink next to it, with a small kitchen area for preparing food. There was also a door leading to a bathroom on the right-hand side and a heater in the corner and in the center of the room was a large table with 4 chairs.
"Thank you for inviting us into your place, it's very cozy. One of our friends, Sven, found a black shard that is believed to have come from a Shadow Crystal and we were told that a gem can actually absorb the darkness of that black shard." Luana said as Pachirisu and Buneary both got out and sat together by the table while Luana and I both sat down on the chairs as Pamurph took a seat as well.
"Thank you Pamurph, your home is very nice. We were informed this gem could be found in Almia Castle, while another gem was in Boyle Volcano. How could we get to Almia Castle or the gem?" I said, wondering how to travel in this weather. We certainly couldn't fly there as we haven't been to Almia Castle and the harsh winds would hurt the Staraptor.
"You're welcome, I'll prepare some hot soup for the both of you while I tell you the story of the Blue Gem and how to get to it." Pamurph said as he went over to the cooler and took out some vegetables and broth and started to chop up some vegetables. After he finished, he let them simmer on the stove while he came back to the table and told us about the Blue Gem.
"Long ago, there lived three sons and a king, they all lived in Almia Castle before it became abandoned and derelict. The three sons each wanted to become the new king and take over the throne but two of them were selfish and vicious, the king sent one of his sons to Boyle Volcano, while he sent the other one to a place near the Haruba Desert, called the Hippowdon Ruins. The third son lived with the king as he got older and older and each of the sons had their gems put in a secure location guarded by a Pokémon. The Blue Gem is in Almia Castle, though I'm not too sure where, I do know that recently, some of our Pokémon researchers said the entrance has large chunks of ice covering it. I also know you two will need an Empoleon to cross the lake and there are whirlpools and ice caps scattered around the lake as well. That's all I know of the Blue Gem, I apologize I couldn't be of more help." Pamurph said.
"Pamurph, you've helped us out a lot, now we know where to find the Blue Gem!" Luana said excitedly.
"Exactly, plus, now we know how to cross the ice lake. We'll have to find a Pokémon that can deal with those chunks of ice." I said.
"Hmm, I think a Ninetales would be able to melt that ice easily, I heard that there's a Ninetales in Hia Valley that lives by itself. You guys should go and capture it, that Ninetales is very friendly and has helped us out by clearing ice covering the entrance before. Ah, the soup is finished!" Pamurph said as he went over to get five bowls of soup and three spoons and put them on a tray.
"Thank you Pamurph, we need our energy, this soup looks great!" I said as I ate the soup.
"Thanks Pamurph, this soup will definitely warm us up!" Luana said as she started eating.
"Good, I hope your Partner Pokémon enjoy the soup as much as you guys do!" Pamurph said happily.
Within no time, Luana and I finished our soup while Pachirisu, Buneary and Pamurph weren't even halfway done. Once our Partner Pokémon and Pamurph saw that we were finished with our food already, their eyes grew wide.
"Wow, the both of you ate faster than Murph! Do you two want more soup? I made more than enough!" Pamurph said.
"No, we're fine, that soup was delicious, but thanks for asking!" I said.
"We're full, thank you Pamurph, that soup was really good." Luana said.
"You're welcome, when you two come back with the Blue Gem, come back for some more soup before you guys start heading back to the Ranger Union." Pamurph said as he waved.
"Bye Pamurph, we'll be more than happy to come back for some soup once we get that Blue Gem!" I said as Luana and I waved while we exited Pamurph's home with our Partner Pokémon in our jackets.
Luana and I headed out of Shiver Camp and started looking around for the Ninetales' den, as we were walking around, we noticed a Piloswine that was near a small den, Luana decided to capture the Piloswine and after dodging its ice beams, it was captured. After Luana captured the Piloswine, a Ninetales emerged from the den.
"Look Kellyn, that's the Ninetales that Pamurph was talking about! Even though Pamurph says it's friendly, I don't want to startle it. Let's approach it slowly." Luana said as I smiled at her and nodded.
We both decided to slowly walk up to the Ninetales and as we walked forward, so did the Ninetales, yet when we didn't walk forward, it didn't move at all. This Ninetales seemed like it was copying us. Luana and I noticed that the Ninetales was smiling as it walked up to us and sat down.
"Ninetales, do you want me to capture you?" I said.
The Ninetales nodded as it sat still, I immediately started making loops around Ninetales and I was able to quickly capture it.
"Capture complete!" I said enthusiastically as the Ninetales started jumping up and down with joy.
"Now that we've got a Ninetales and a Piloswine as our Friend Pokémon, it's time to head to the Ice Lake!" Luana said as we continued walking in Hia Valley.