Beginning Author Notes

Sorry, guys. So much happened in the past month or so it delayed this chapter far more than usual. It doesn't help that major battles need more time and care to be produced. Doubly so since this one features both Ash's and Winter's battle with Heather.

In any case, it's here now, and I hope it was the worth the wait.

Disclaimer: Pokemon is copyrighted to Satoshi Tajiri and Game Freak (characters, concept, and creatures). The content I claim ownership of includes everything involving the Tenla Region, its mythology and history, native Pokemon, NPCs such as Gym Leaders and Elite Four, and among other things. I also own the original characters that appear in this story.

Schooled

Having received a call on Winter's Pokegear from Heather, Ash and his posse got dressed and headed over to the Fimbulvetr Town Academy. Winter guided them to Heather's office, where they found her humming a loud tune to herself and grading papers. Heather wore the same outfit as the other day with the addition of a beret and an overcoat.

"Hey, guys," she greeted while giving them a fleeting glimpse. A couple of more seconds, and she stopped, turning around to fully face him and crossing with her legs, an innocent expression plastered on her face. "So. What do you need?"

"W-What?!" Ash took all of one second to run up to Heather and get into her face. "Y-you know exactly why we're here! What's all this about?!"

Heather grinned impishly, patting Ash on the head to placate him. "Oh, I'm just pulling your leg. Thanks for the reaction, by the by, I'll be treasuring that for some time." She stood up, ignoring the exasperation on the young heroes' faces. "Gym Battle. I know. I'm raring to go myself. Who's up first?"

Winter stepped up. "Me, sister."

"Cool," Heather remarked with a grin. Then May slapped her forehead with her palm. Heather cleared her throat. "Uh, no pun intended there."

Heather escorted them to the ice battlefield held in a section of the Fimbulvetr Town Academy. Bleachers lined every wall, and two of the walls bore large viewing windows. A versus screen hung in the middle of the ceiling. As Ash and the others went to sit, Winter took her spot on the challenger's podium, hands on her lap, and looked down at the battlegrounds to study what about it could tip the odds in her favor.

"Yo, Winny!" Heather called out to her on the other side. She jabbed a thumb in the direction of one set of viewing windows to see her class hurrying to watch. "You don't mind if my little tykes take some notes, right?"

"Not at all." Winter ran her hand through her teal tresses, her other hand upon her heart. "In fact, I'm flattered. Two sisters, two maidens of the snow, duking it out before a live audience. Our battle may be the stuff of legends. In town at least." She grinned at her adoptive sister, holding up a fist. "Nevertheless, we intend to reign supreme! No matter the cost!"

Heather placed her hands on her hips, leaned a little, and tossed her a dry look. "Way to steal my thunder, show-off."

That threw Winter for a loop. "Wha—"

"My follow-up was supposed to blow—" Heather threw her hands up to imitate the bloom of an explosion. "—your mind at its grandeur! All of your jaws should've hit the floor at its greatness!"

Winter pursed her lips together, suppressing a smirk. "Sister, I can't help it. This is how I am at the onset of a battle."

"Ugh. Fine. Scene-stealer." Heather adjusted her beret. The time for fun and games was over. She snapped her fingers. "Lights!" The main lights dimmed, allowing the blue lights to cast an azure sheen over the battlegrounds. "Versus screen!" A single panel featuring static images of Heather and Winter appeared on-screen. "Ambience!" The vents hissed, releasing a storm of snow, finally giving the Ice-type Gym an appropriate setting.

Dawn pulled at her coat and pressed her legs together tighter. "An artificial blizzard?! Oh, come on, Heather!"

Heather snapped her head in Dawn's direction at lightspeed, eyes contracted. "Oh, you think that's 'stupid,' do you?!" When Dawn rapidly shook her head, Heather let a series of titters roll out. "Oh, lighten up! Geez. Jenkins?"

Jenkins, who Winter recognized as a teaching assistant, nodded at Heather's subtle command. He took up his spot on the referee's stand. "This is an official Pokémon Gym Battle between the challenger Winter Isolda and the Gym Leader Heather Isolda. A winner is declared when all three of their opponent's Pokemon are defeated. Only the challenger can make substitutions. Now, bring out your Pokemon!"

"Let's start off a good note, Weavile!"

"Here we go, Cryoxide!"

With six, small hind legs on the base of its tail, Cryoxide stop resting its bodyweight on its bulbous chelae and stood up straight, showing its purple underside and white segments resembling a ribcage. The rest of its body matched the snow flying around. With a hiss, Cryoxide aimed its stinger at Winter's Weavile.

Ash took out his Pokedex and scanned Cryoxide. "Yikes."

"Cryoxide: The Monoxide Pokemon and the evolved form of Corsenic. With twice the amount of poison its pre-evolved form possesses, a Cryoxide can easily quell even the angriest of Tauro, Rhyperiors, and Fearows. Cryoxide also creates monoxide-induced blizzards to capture prey."

Brock stiffened up. "I thought it looked familiar."

Heather pushed her glasses up the incline of her nose. "Winny, you go first."

"Much appreciated. Weavile, Swords Dance." Per her command, several blue glowing swords circled Weavile and crossed together. Weavile then glowed red, showing Swords Dance did its job in raising its attack power.

Heather pouted. "Oh, that's classy."

Winter cracked a smirk. If her sister was in the mood to talk, she planned to take full advantage of that. "Screech next!"

"Oh, no you don't! Drill Run!" Even with those short, spidery legs, Cryoxide had the power to sprint away from the oncoming sound wave and go into a jump. Extending its claws and tails to make itself more streamlined, Cryoxide span rapidly and launched itself at Weavile. The Dark/Ice type intercepted the Drill Run with its own claw but was propelled into the waiting ice wall.

"Fight back, Weavile! Metal Claw!"

Weavile peeled itself off the wall and sprinted with glowing, now metal claws. As Weavile lumbered toward Cryoxide, it crouched down and scraped its claws across the ground, sharpening their edges. When the Ice/Poison-type was within striking distance, it sprang up with its gleaming claws outstretched.

The Metal Claw scored a direct hit, sending the icy scorpion into the opposite wall along with a message neither Weavile nor Winter would be taking this lying down. "Our first blow!" Winter praised. The climb up this steep mountain had begun.

"Get up, Cryoxide. The party has yet to begin!" Getting up, Cryoxide dusted itself off and faced Weavile once more. "Blizzard!" Heather ordered. Cryoxide released several hisses, summoning a ball blue and unleashed a powerful blizzard that streaked toward Weavile.

"Icicle Crash!" With the swipe of an arm from the Sharp Claw Pokemon, a series of icicles were fired, cutting through the Blizzard, and heading straight to Cryoxide.

"Block with Poison Jab!" Heather commanded.

"(Got it!)" Cryoxide yelled back and began to whack at flying icicles with its claws every time one came close.

When there were no more incoming icicles, Heather told Cryoxide to use Drill Run again, and it responded in swift kind. Winter told her Weavile to use Metal Claw, and the two Pokemon clashed and held their ground for several seconds before pushing each other back to end their clash.

"Consecutive Metal Claws!" The Sharp Claw Pokemon growled, charged, and repeatedly swiped at its target with its gleaming claws.

After Cryoxide dodged and endured some hits, Heather then shouted, "Throw it off and hit it with Poison Jab!" The Monoxide Pokemon dodged the next few Metal Claw attacks, and when Weavile threw back its arm for yet another slash, the Cryoxide drove its glowing stinger in its face. A stream of glowing poison coursed from the point of impact all the way down to Weavile's toes.

Winter gasped. "Oh, no! Weavile's poisoned!"

"That it is," Heather said proudly, "Another one!"

"Get away, Weavile!" Winter ordered. Instantly, Weavile swiped its still-glowing claws at Cryoxide's oncoming stinger and knocked it away. It summoned the strength to grab the Ice- and Poison-type and throw it halfway across the battlefield to create some breathing room.

Winter chewed her on bottom lip. "Cryoxide won't be going so easily. Tenacious little thing."/i "Weavile, Screech. We'll whittle it down."

Heather cracked a smirk. "Glacial Break."

Like with Drill Run, Cryoxide made itself streamlined and coated itself in an aura of blinding, blue light. As Weavile reared its head back, Cryoxide rocketed itself in the form of a spinning icicle. As the loud soundwave was unleashed from Weavile's mouth, the Monoxide Pokemon continued its course and eventually hit its mark, sending shards of ice and mist in every direction as Weavile yelled in pain.

"The power!" Ash shouted, shooting up from his seat.

May held her hand over her mouth. "What kind of move was that? It was so powerful!"

Ash took out his Pokedex and checked its database for a move named 'Glacial Break.'

"Glacial Break: Physical. A damage-dealing Ice-type move. Glacial Break will cause the user to receive recoil damage equal to ⅓ of the damage done to the target. This move has a 10% chance of freezing the target."

When the aftermath settled, Weavile was seen on its legs, panting heavily as the poison continued to eat away at what little of its stamina remained. Heather could hardly contain her triumphant grin. "It's almost down! Cryoxide, Glacial Break again!"

Winter still had hope. After recoil damage and what Weavile did before, Cryoxide had to be ready to fall too. "Metal Claw to intercept!"

The two Pokemon clashed and held it once more, but an aura of purple ghosted Weavile's own whole body, weakening it. With a hiss, Cryoxide pushed forward with all its might and drove the Pokemon into the ground. Then, sparks of light blue snaked all up Cryoxide's own body. It swayed, tried to stand its ground, but the recoil sapped the rest of its energy, and it too fell down.

"Cryoxide and Weavile are unable to battle! This round ends in a draw!"

Both trainers recalled their fallen fighters. Heather immediately sent out her next choice, "Come on out, Jynx!"

Winter swallowed as a reflex when Jynx appeared and swayed a little in her spot. She tugged at the collar of her turtleneck as she thought, "I know that Jynx. It needs to go down as soon as possible." She withdrew her next Poke Ball and tossed it out. "You're up, Walrein."

Once both Pokemon and trainers were ready, the referee threw his hands up. "Begin!"

"Jynx, use Mean Look!" Heather shouted without warning. Just as quickly, Jynx summoned a dark purple cloud right above her that formed into an eye with a black pupil. Walrein glared back defiantly even as the strange eye crafted a similar aura about its bulky body.

Without options, Winter decided to gamble a little bit. "Sheer Cold!" A light blue field of energy formed around Winter's Walrein, and with a roar, it willed the field to expand, adding another layer of ice to a place already frozen. Jynx crossed her arms in front of her face, bracing herself as she met Sheer Cold head-on. The energy field drove her all the way to wall nearest to her trainer, burying the Human Shape Pokemon alive.

Although Winter was more than to content to wait it out to see if Jynx survived, Heather had other plans. "Now, use Perish Song."

Humming. When it started, crimson and black soundwaves stretched from one end of the battlefield to the next. It was a death knell to all whom heard it, for this kind of dark and foreboding humming was never a good sign. Walrein screwed one eye shut and groaned as black static appeared over its body.

Feeling the anxiety begin to well up, Winter gently grabbed the railing. "Figured that was next."

"Of course!" Heather gave her younger sister a deliberately goofy smile as Jynx dug its way out, eager for more.

"That's pretty weird," May said, watching the battle resume, "Heather can't switch out, so why use Perish Song? Her Jynx is going down no matter what."

"She must be confident her last Pokemon can take on Winter's," Brock said, "but that assumes Walrein can't beat Jynx before the countdown."

The corner of Ash's mouth twitched with excitement at the prospect of a sudden death match. "This might be a quick one then."

After watching her Walrein expertly take another attack, Winter then said, "Walrein, you're on a timer now, but I chose you to fight Jynx for a reason. She can't take your hits."

Jynx huffed and crossed her arms. Heather chuckled nervously in response, dropping her guard. "You're offending her."

That's exactly what Winter wanted. "Iron Head!"

As the Walrein used its flippers to shoot it forward, a flustered Heather exclaimed, "Heart Stamp! Hurry!"

Jynx's full lips glowed a vivid pink before she blew a kiss that summoned a pink heart made of energy. Even though it blocked the way, Walrein was a juggernaut that did not yield such a parlor trick. It pierced through the Heart Stamp and drove its skull right into Jynx's face.

Once Jynx fell flat on her back and Walrein cooled down after Perish Song's black static reared its ugly mug, Winter then commanded, "How about this? Earthquake."

"Jynx, get up!" Heather yelled, alarmed.

Walrein raised its front body and slammed it down with enough force to shatter every and all ice made by Sheer Cold. The lights flickered, Winter's friend screamed and nearly fell out of their seats, and Jynx was sent aloft before crashing back down to Earth. This time, the Ice/Psychic-type struggled to even sit up.

"Not only is your Jynx a glass cannon," Winter said, finally feeling calm enough to let go of the railing, "it's a one-trick pony too. Fall before my Walrein's full might! Iron Head!"

As silver light poured from Walrein's head, the black static appeared again, delaying its attack. Seeing that, Heather retorted, "That doesn't mean anything if it can't survive sudden death! Get up, Jynx! Heart Stamp!"

"Earthquake!"

Both Pokemon locked glares and prepared their moves, but the song of death hit its final note and cut their battle short. Both of their eyes went blank, and they collapsed in a heap. Jenkins threw his arms up for the second time today. "Both Jynx and Walrein are unable to battle! This round also results in a draw!"

"Another one?" Ash adjusted his hat uncomfortably. "Sheesh, they're even."

Gary leaned forward, eyes glued to the final Poke Balls both girls took out. "The last one will determine if they're as equal as we think."

"Well, sis," Heather said, tossing hers up and down, "I can't front. You really have grown into something serious."

Winter smiled demurely. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you."

"Alas, it's not over yet. You want my badge? Beat this guy!" Heather threw it out, and the behemoth known as Monizzar was summoned to the battlefield. It calmly surveyed the status of the battlegrounds before nodding to itself.

Winter watched Monizzar exercise its arms in preparation, a bead of sweat sliding down the side of her face. "There you are, Monizzar." She held up her Poke Ball to her lips and whispered, "Beartic, you're my last hope. Let's close the book on this chapter." After transferring all her hopes and wishes to it, she threw. "Go!"

After Beartic was released, Jenkins gave the signal. "Begin!"

Winter hardened her gaze. "Here we come, Permafrost Princess. Try to stop us. Bulk Up!" Flexing its body, Beartic's was surrounded in a crimson aura, causing its muscles to thicken for a few moments.

"Hammer Arm!" Monizzar charged forward, arms upraised and glowing whiter than its hairs, and swung them like clubs. Beartic backpedaled to avoid the hits, their sheer force blowing air with every miss.

"Superpower!" Time to match might with might. Muscles activated once again, Beartic caught Monizzar's Hammer Arm, the ice below them cracking on the spot.

Monizzar and Beartic locked hands and engaged in a contest of pure upper body strength. Each ice monster stared the other dead in the eyes, grunting and roaring as they stood their ground and tried to muscle their way to superiority. With a primal howl, Monizzar took a powerful step forward and slowly began driving Beartic back.

"Ice Beam right in its face!" Per her command, Beartic opened its mouth and fired Ice Beam, coating the Ice/Fighting-type's entire face in ice. "Now Shadow Claw!" As Monizzar staggered back, Beartic closed the gap and swiped with a blackened claw, shattering the ice and sending Monizzar flying.

But, the mighty ape caught itself midair and landed on its feet with a thud. With a howl, it pounded its chest, no worse for wear. Winter chewed on her bottom lip, thinking she needed more power to wear it out. "Bulk Up!"

As Beartic raised its stats, Heather pointed at it. "Now's your chance, Monizzar! Glacial Break!"

"So, that's its fourth move!" Gary shouted, shooting out of his seat.

Monizzar sprinted forth, enveloped in a bright white aura as ice spiraled around it. Every step shook the platform Winter stood on and increased her heartrate. "H-Here it comes, Beartic! Superpower again!"

The icy behemoths clashed once again except, this time, Monizzar came out on top much more quickly. Beartic screamed as it was sent flying, rebounding off an ice wall.

Heather belted out a triumphant laugh. "Keep up the pressure! Stone Edge!" The Powerhouse Pokemon clapped its hand together and summoned a ring of floating stones before willing them over to the prone Ice-type.

"Defend yourself! Please!" A worried Winter cried out. Taking a deep breath, Beartic pushed up and then focused on each sharp stone and used its bulky arm to bat them away one-by-one.

"Hammer Arm!"

Monizzar crossed the space with shocking speed, one arm geared back. When the blow thundered against Beartic's gut and sent it into the ceiling, Winter went deaf. A void emerged in her being, stealing all of her emotions – she had no poetic lines to spout, her ice-cool demeanor melted, and her determination shattered. Although Beartic survived its crash-landing, she deemed its survival futile.

"End this, Monizzar. Blizzard!"

Using Winter's favorite move to pick off the defiant Beartic confirmed what Winter dreaded the most: she was not ready yet.

"Beartic is unable to battle! The winner is Monizzar, and the victory goes to the Gym Leader, Heather!"

Defeat, a bitter taste, turned Winter's mouth drier than a desert and numbed the rawness in the bottom lip she chewed when things fell apart. Yet, she was a woman of class and dignity, so she put up her usual expression and met Heather halfway on the sidelines as Ash and his friends surrounded them.

"Hey, Winter?" Out of nowhere, Heather snatched off her cap and ruffled her hair. It did manage to wrest out a laugh or two from Winter. "You did your best."

"She's right, you know," Ash said, "There's always next time! That gives you a reason to train harder and get better."

"Yes." Winter accepted her cap back and turned away from everyone. "If you'll excuse me, nature calls. Be right back," she said, hoping she didn't walk off too fast to rouse suspicions.

In the bathroom, Winter stood hunched over a sink and gazed at her reflection, but she did not see what her family saw. She did not see what her friends saw. Instead, she saw exactly what she described to Master Silverplien: a weak girl bogged down by emotional baggage and shortcomings as a trainer. Her eyes roamed critically from one feature to another and cataloged it in her brain. "All that time, and you're still not ready. You're so pathetic."

"You quit too easy."

Winter whipped around so fast she almost fell over and had to use the sink for support. Standing there was Heather, leaned against the wall by the entrance. Winter gulped down the nonexistant lump in her throat. "W-Why are you here? Ash is waiting!"

"Oh, I told him nature called me too." Heather peeled herself off the wall and crossed the space between them, forcing Winter to look up to her taller sister. "Look, Winter, I only pretended to act myself, so your friends wouldn't worry. You may have had them fooled but not me."

Winter fought back the urge to bite her lip yet again and instead released a wry chuckle. "That obvious?"

"Call it family intuition." Heather then gripped Winter's shoulders firmly. "The point is, Winter, you quit too easy. Beartic still had a bit of fight left in him, but you chose to leave him at our mercy because things didn't go your way. Winter, you're not weak. All you've been through and here you are. I mean it when I say you're better than you think you are."

"B-But…"

"Nope, nope!" Heather slapped her hand over Winter's mouth. Then, she pulled her into a hug and whispered tenderly, "No more of that. Take some time to think over our battle and come back for a rematch."

Winter slowly snaked her arms behind Heather, blinking away unshed tears. "O-Okay…"

She broke the embrace and started towards the door with Heather following. Before she turned to go back to the battlefield, Heather grabbed her arm. "Hold on. This way first."

"What about your Gym Battle?" Winter asked as she nonetheless complied.

"You see how many girls he hangs with? I think he knows by now we take long bathroom trips." Heather led Winter back to her office. After closing the door, she asked, "Is Shiric still a part of your rotation?"

"Yes."

"Think he's closing to evolving into a Shirit yet?"

Winter paused to contemplate. Shiric was a longtime member but a seldom used one at that. "Maybe."

"Ooh, a maybe." Heather released one of her dramatic, exaggerated gasps. "Wait. Don't tell me he doesn't count. Oh, for shame, Winny!" She chuckled at her sister's loss of words. She then walked over to a marionette's head carrying one of her many berets and took the Mega Earring off it. In the drawer right below it, Heather removed a Mega Stone. Walking back over to Winter, she held out both items to her. "Here, take it."

Winter slowly accepted her older sister's gifts to her.

"If and when that happens, you'll have a Mega Shirit ready to go." Heather shrugged. "Seems like I have no need for it."

A slow smile appeared across Winter's features as she held the two gifts close to her heart. "Thank you, big sister."

"Oh, can I borrow Snover, Shiric, and one of the twins?"

Winter figured that was the least she could for her role model. "Sure thing, sis."

Ash paced on the sidelines and only stopped when the Isolda sisters returned. "What took so long? Does it really take fifteen minutes to go to the bathroom?"

Heather's expression turned blank as Winter tossed her sister a knowing look before sniggering to herself. Heather then looked at May, Dawn, and Misty. "I'm guessing he doesn't understand."

"No," they responded immediately.

Ash blinked. "Understand what?"

"Never mind." Heather glimpsed to the display windows and saw that her class long left. "Ash, you're up, and it looks like you no longer have a crowd."

Ash never cared about limelights or audiences in the first place, just the battle itself. "Doesn't make any difference. I give it my all no matter what!"

"Sure thing, hotshot."

Ash stood on his side of the battlefield. Winter's crushing loss mattered little to him; in fact, all it did was add fuel to the fires of resolve burning deep within him. He quiet frankly experienced tougher challenges like Pyramid King Brandon and Drake of the Orange League. All he had to do was show prove it again even with his fresh set of Pokemon.

"This is an official Pokémon Gym Battle between the challenger Ash Ketchum and the Gym Leader Heather Isolda. A winner is declared when all three of their opponent's Pokemon are defeated. Only the challenger can make substitutions. Send out your Pokemon!"

"Rockler, I choose you!"

"Snover, you're up!"

"Now, begin!"

"Snover, open up with Grass Whistle!" Heather shouted. Hand glowing green, Snover brought it up to its mouth and blew, creating a stream of high-pitched music that wafted slowly to Rockler.

Ash saw her game, trying to use passive attacks to control the flow of battle like with her Jynx. He refused to fall prey to such tricks. "Rockler, dodge and use Quick Attack!" Rockler responded with a caw, absorbing white light and then releasing it in a streak behind him. Even at top speeds, he dodged the Grass Whistle and was closing in on Snover.

Heather smiled as an idea for a counterattack sprung into her head. "Protect yourself with Blizzard, Snover!" Raising its arm up, Snover summoned a mighty snowstorm. Rockler plowed right through the minefield and immediately began to slow down from the freezing wind and stinging ice. By the time he made it through, he had lost a lot of his speed. "Let's try this again, Snover. Grass Whistle!"

The Snover repeated what he had done before – it motioned music toward the momentarily helpless Rockler. This time, it swept right past Rockler, whose eyelids dropped and flying slowed to a halt. It gently fell to the floor, napping without a care in the world.

Ash pounded the railing of his podium with his fist. "Dang it!"

"Way to go, Snover!" Heather grinned at the sight of her defenseless foe. "Now blast him with Magical Leaf!"

Snover fired a series of speedy, glowing leaves from its hand that hacked and slashed into Rocker's tough body, their collective power throwing him to the ground below Ash's podium.

Ash hung over the edge of the railing and shouted, "Wake up, Rockler!"

A quick snore and Rocker jerked back to wakefulness, immediately taking flight. "(I truly apologize for napping on the job!)"

Heather pouted and pushed her glasses back into place. "Well, that didn't last long."

"Alright, now let's show them a Rock Throw!" Ash commanded with a confident grin. Rockler created a few glowing rocks around him and flung them all in different intervals to keep Snover and Heather guessing.

"Avoid them all, Snover!" Snover hopped along the battlefield with surprising speed and finesse, keeping calm as it dodged and rolled around each and every rock that came. However, the inevitable happened a second later – the biggest rock rocketed over and speared Snover dead on, sending it sliding across the floor. Snover struggled to stand after that. "Come on, Snover, I know you can still fight!"

Ash took the momentary break to see about his fighter. "How're you feeling, Rockler?"

Rockler looked at his master determinedly. "(It's not over until I drop. Simple as that.)" By this time, Snover was back on its feet. "(My opponent will fail. Not I!)"

"That's the ticket!" Ash gushed, "Quick Attack!"

"Slow it down. Magical Leaf."

Rockler burst into a mad dash as Snover pelted it with glowing, sharp leaves. A more prepared Rockler endured the hits and continued its course with not a drop in speed.

"Switch to Blizzard!" This attack, however, stopped Rockler cold. It tried to power through, flapping its wings without rest, but ice slowly encased him. By the time Blizzard ended, he fell down, trapped in an icicle. "That's better! Now use Seed Bomb!" Swinging one arm, Snover tossed over glowing seeds that detonated on impact, throwing Rockler on its back.

When the Rock/Flying-type struggled to rise, Ash grew worried. "Rockler! Are you okay!?"

Rockler groaned and sucked in air in regular intervals. Then, he laid his head against the floor as a white glow enveloped his body. "(Yes. Allow me to take a quick breather.)"

Ash searched his memory for any battle that involved the move Rockler was using now. Seeing some of the scrapes and bruises on its body vanish, he finally recognized it. "Wait. Is that Roost?'

"It trades one weakness for another. Magical Leaf!"

Rockler sat up, pushed off using its talons, and flew off; however, its efforts were in vain – Magical Leaf followed his every move, gradually gaining ground, until the leaves hit their mark. Rockler cawed in pain, taking more damage thanks to its temporary loss of the Flying type.

"I grow weary of this, Snover. How 'bout a Blizzard to finish that off Rockler?"

"No, you don't! Rockler, with all your strength, Wing Attack!"

Rockler's flight pattern travelled in zigzags, fighting through the pain to stay aloft, but he willed his wings to illuminate with power and forged right into the eye of the snowy storm. The cold needled his whole body, so he focused his remaining strength to his eyesight and his wings. He spotted Snover's shadow, and in one last lunge, zoomed through the Blizzard and nailed Snover with a Wing Attack. Both Pokemon crumbled in the same heap, swirls in Snover's eyes as Rockler lied there motionlessly.

"Rockler and Snover are unable to battle! This round results in a draw!"

"What's with Heather and forcing draws?" May finally pointed out.

"To be fair, all the Pokemon Heather's using in this battle are mine," Winter replied, legs crossed and hands folded in her lap, "so that may have something to do with it."

Ash recalled Rockler and whispered his appreciation, putting the Poke Ball away. "If Gary's and Winter's battle told me something, I need to be ahead fighting Heather's last Pokemon." He looked down at Pikachu. "You're up. Show 'em what you're made of!"

Pikachu stood on his hind legs and gave Ash a thumbs-up, then leaping onto the battlefield on all fours. Gary grinned. "Now, he's thinking. Pikachu should be able to tip the odds in his favor."

"Snorunt, go!" Heather said, releasing her own Pokemon.

In an instant, Snorunt had materialized and was hopping around the battlefield in interest. It was momentarily distracted with his observations, taking the sight of the new environment, the couple of humans, and the strange Pokemon with the weird-looking tail.

"Begin the battle!"

Ash quickly called out an attack before Heather could. "Use Quick Attack, Pikachu!" Upon command the yellow mouse rushed off, leaving a blur.

"Stop Pikachu in his tracks with Frost Breath!" Heather retorted. Perched on its little toes, Snorunt inhaled deeply and blows out snow with sparkling blue wind at Pikachu.

Just as the Electric-type was about to land a hit, the deceptively quick and powerful Frost Breath blew Pikachu back to his starting position. "No, Pikachu!" Ash shouted, suddenly panicked.

"Thattagirl! Now give him an Ice Shard, Snorunt!" Heather ordered. Snorunt complied instantly, forming and launching a fine blast of ice that flew through the air at blinding speed.

"Dodge and use Iron Tail!" Pikachu leapt to the side to avoid the Ice Shard and charged as his tail turned metallic.

"No you don't," Heather said, "Snorunt, Frosh Breath!"

Ash shouted in reply, "Move around! Don't stay in one spot!"

Pikachu used his incredible speed to strafe left and right repeatedly, causing Snorunt to miss Frost Breath every time it attempted. When the Electric-type crossed the space between them after another successful dodge, Pikachu swung his tail and sent Snorunt skidding back.

"Let's keep this up! Thunderbolt!" Ash called.

"Double Team!"

At his trainer's order, Pikachu jumped into the air as sparks flew from his red check. Crying out his name, Pikachu released a stream of electricity, but Snorunt made many copies of itself in a straight line, the Thunderbolt hitting a dud instead of the real thing.

"Ice Shard, Snorunt!" Heather commanded.

"Iron Tail!"

Both Pokemon sprang into action. Snorunt fired three Ice Shards in quick succession, hoping to snipe the still-airborne Pikachu out of the air, but the Electric type used his tail to smash the ice aside like it was nothing. The last one was deflected, this time straight at Snorunt, slamming into her with amazing force, sending her rolling across the ground.

"Sno…" Snorunt groaned, stopping her roll with effort and trying to ignore the pain.

Heather gritted her teeth at seeing the Ice-type in such bad condition. "This isn't good. Ice Shard!"

"Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" replied Ash.

Snorunt summoned ice particles in front of her mouth and fired it as a projectile, and Pikachu retaliated by unleashing a strong Thunderbolt that tore right through the oncoming Ice Shard, turning the tables.

"Bide!" Heather cried out. Snorunt screwed her eyes shut and braced for impact. The Thunderbolt landed, the shock producing a smoky explosion, billowing outwards and flinging ice destroyed by the blast wave everywhere. When the dust settled, a wheezing Snorunt stood in her same spot.

"I heard that Bide, Heather. It won't work if Snorunt can't handle this next move!" Feeling victory on the horizon, Ash smiled at the sight of Snorunt's helplessness. With equal calm, he ordered, "Pikachu, finish with Volt Tackle!"

Charging ahead, Pikachu generated enough electricity to cloak his whole body and then some, rapidly closing the gap between himself and a rooted Snorunt. In one, last powerful lunge, Pikachu rammed into her, but that wasn't the finishing blow. Snorunt finally unleashed its stored energy in the form of a burst of light. Pikachu screamed in pain as the Bide returned his own power. Ash's gasp of disbelief was downed out by the noise while Heather stood there with a smug smile. After the aftermath cleared, both Pokemon lied entangled like the two before them.

"Both Snorunt and Pikachu are unable to battle! This round results in a draw!"

"Even Pikachu too…" Dawn mumbled in concern, bringing her knees closer to her chest.

Ash stomped his foot. "Man!" Despite the knockout, his Pikachu managed to return to the podium with the remainder of his energy.

"We Isoldas use nothing but premiere Pokemon. We can turn around a loss just like that," Heather declared, recalling her sister's Snorunt, "Sure, we may be tied right now, but it's how you finish that matters. You want my badge? Show me you deserve it by winning with the odds against you!"

With that said, Heather sent out her final warrior: a humanoid Pokemon that resembled a pale, youngster garbed in tattered, ice blue robes two sizes too big. The ridges in its eye mask of bandages brought to mind the pointed ends of snowflakes. Ash took the time to scan the new specimen.
"Shiric: the Snow Child Pokemon. With its body temperature less than -160 degrees, whenever Shiric touches a surface, it could freeze instantly.

"Shirit's pre-evolved form, huh?" Gary commented, "Ice and Normal."

After putting away the Pokedex, Ash took out his final Poke Ball. "He might not be my best, but he'll still get the job done! Gouzatile, I choose you!"

After Gouzatile was released, Heather quirked a brow. "A Fire-type? You claim it's not your best, but it's a Fire-type? Whose leg you trying to pull?"

Ash's response was caught in his throat at the nasty glare Gouzatile sent his way.

"Begin!"

"Gouzatile, Slash!" Ash called immediately, once again cutting Heather off before she could speak. "I have to take control if I want to win!"

"Use Power-Up Punch!" Heather commanded in reply

Gouzatile crouched lower to the ground and slithered forward at amazing speed, claws elongating. But, the Shiric curled the fingers of his right hand into a fist and swung right as Gouzatile lunged. The Fire type snarled from the dull pain coursing in its jaw as he landed back on his feet.

"Ember!" Dauntless, Gouzatile unleashed a spray of hot embers and ultimately returned the favor as Shiric mewed in discomfort.

"You alright, Shiric?" Heather asked concernedly. He replied with a nod, shaking off his shock. "Perfect. Now use Hail!"

Holding his arms out, Shiric's body glowed light blue as he released an ominous hum, reminding Ash of Jynx's Perish Song. A thick fog formed, increasing the speed of battleground's ambience. Once Shiric stopped casting Hail, large balls of hail flew down and pelted Gouzatile.

"While it's distracted, Power-Up Punch again!" Shiric then leapt into the air before coming down on the still-recovering Gouzatile.

"Dodge it!" Ash ordered, and Gouzatile easily slipped away as Shiric's attack smashed into the ground. "Now use another Ember!" Gouzatile summoned another burst of embers from his mouth. It hit hard, driving the Shiric back a few paces.

"Stay strong, Shiric! Slow it down; Icy Wind!"

"Dodge and Slash!"

Shiric opened its glowing mouth and shot out an icy burst of wind, but the Fire-type scuttled away with astounding swiftness and then came back with a fierce Slash attack. Cringing, Shiric continued to fire one Icy Wind after another, but each attack was dodged easily even as Gouzatile continued to swipe at it.

Heather gritted her teeth as Gouzatile steadily wore down Shiric's stamina. "Shiric, Ice Lift! Keep it away!"

Upon her command, a section of the ice the Pokemon stood on broke off, forcing Gouzatile to back off or be carried with it. Meanwhile, Shiric, who stood in the middle of the floating platform, was at last given the break Heather wanted.

"Ice Lift?" Misty parroted, "Never heard that before."

"It's the signature move of Shiric's line," Winter explained, eyes on the battlefield as the break in action caused Gouzatile to accept more Hail damage, "You ever heard of Magnet Rise? It's basically an Ice-type version of that; it lets the user get off the ground and enjoy the benefits being airborne for a short while."

Gouzatile, meanwhile, tried to catch up to Shiric and his floating platform, but Shiric expertly willed it away with equal speed. All this did was waste Gouzatile's precious energy as Hail continued to damage him. Ash squinted his eyes, noticing Shiric was becoming less and less visible amid the hailstorm. That's when it clicked. "Shiric has Snow Cloak?!"

"Congratulations!" Heather began clapping enthusiastically. "This is how Winter' Shiric deals with Fire-types. Victory by attrition! I'm just mimicking her. All rights reserved."

Gouzatile's frustration held all the power of a wildfire, so much one could practically see the flames roaring in his eyes, ready to ignite anything that he came in contact with. He was winning, and then they pulled out this cheap parlor trick. "(Why you… Get down here!)" In a fit of rage, Gouzatile's sharp teeth turned orange as fire swirled in his mouth. He jumped at the platform and bit down on it, releasing the pent-up flames. Hissing steam joined the howling winds and grey fog.

Ash grinned in anticipation. "All right, Gouzatile! You learned Fire Fang! Now you can—"

"—Sit there and take this Icy Wind."

Ash's moment of pride vanished when he realized Gouzatile's haste left him wide open. Shiric hopped off his Ice Lift and unleashed Icy Wind at the Salamander Pokemon. The attack drove him through the platform and into the damaged battlegrounds. Gouzatile struggled to rise, and when it did, Hail put him back on his stomach.

Ash formed a fist at his side. He beat Marina in convincing fashion and wanted to do the same with Heather. His streak of good luck could not end like this. "We can't lose! We won't lose! Gouzatile, Fire Fang!" His impassioned order gave Gouzatile a second wind. The Fire type raced forward, mouth brimming with fire burning hotter than ever.

"Power-Up Punch," Heather commanded calmly. Shiric formed a fist as light surrounded it and jabbed as Gouzatile Pokemon struck, the both of holding the power struggle. Yet, Heather's confident demeanor never waned. "I've used it twice, Ash. That makes three."

Punctuating her words, Shiric's punch landed squarely on Gouzatile's face, forcing the Fire-type all the way to the opposite wall. Eyes flung wide, Gouzatile released a breathless scream as he collapsed to the cold, hard ground. "No! Gouzatile!" Ash cried in dismay.

"(I-I…)" The Starter Pokemon coughed, getting up with difficulty. Gouzatile limped forth, breath coming out in hoarse wheezes. Battered and bruised, its defiant glare was the only thing Ash still recognized about it. "(I will… prove myself… I will… prove them wrong… I… will…)" Talking stole the last of Gouzatile's strength, and he collapsed unconscious.

"Gouzatile's unable to battle," the referee announced, "Shiric is the winner, and the victory goes to the Gym Leader, Heather!"

Gary leaned all the way back in the bleachers, raking his hands through his hair. "This woman schooled all three of us."

"Heather forces you to think on your toes and keep track of moves used in the heat of battle," Winter explained, gripping the edge of her coat, "all while passive moves like Perish Song, Hail, and Power-Up Punch put your back against the wall. And that's before she decides to outright overpower you."

Over on the sidelines, Heather and Ash exchanged handshakes as the former stated, "Well-played battle, Ash. I'm sure you'll be back."

Ash nodded. "You bet I will. We'll be back stronger than ever."

"Might I recommend heading to the Ifrit City Gym?" Heather said as Ash's friends surrounded them, "Some time away will do you both good. Who knows? Maybe Sojiro over there can help you prepare for the rematch."

"I think that's what I'll do," Ash stated.

"Just don't be too hard on Sojiro," Heather said, "He's new to the position after having it dumped on him unceremoniously by the Pokémon Association."

Brock released a drawn-out but empathetic sigh. "And the business side of being a Gym Leader rears its ugly head…"

"I think I'll stay in town," Gary announced, "I'll just train by the Niflheim Maw. I'll probably be gone by the time you guys get back."

"It's cool, Gary." Ash walked over and lightly punched his longtime rival's shoulder. "Don't fall too behind now. I need someone up front to make me push myself."

Gary snorted. "If I get too far ahead, you won't catch up."

"U-Um…" Winter's soft voice caught Gary's attention. "Gary, may I ask something that's been on my mind?"

"Yeah?" He replied unsurely.

She then asked, "What's this 'Ashy-boy' name all about?"

There was an outburst of laughter Heather made zero attempt at controlling. It was a high cackle, piercing the cold air. "W-What kind of stupid name i-is that?!" She shouted between laugh, doubling over.

"Time to go." Ash left the room all too quickly.

Ending Author Notes

The next chapter will be one of the rare times the focus won't be on Ash or a member of his crew. Instead, we'll be checking up on the Dream Team (Aaron, Jacob, and Ian) who are a little farther ahead of them. Don't worry; there's a reason I'm doing this.