It has been several months since the rest of the students shunned Tina and, unfortunately, the only changes have been for the worst. To avoid conflict, she'd taken to barricading herself in her dorm; constantly studying during the day (except for the few hours that she spends playing with Taja and Kezme, or in class) and training just prior to sundown.

It was the date of the December field trip, and she was dreading the hour that she'll have to interact with the people who shot her down.

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It was early that morning, about half an hour before Tina would usually wake up, when the telephone sounded with that annoying "Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring! Phone call! Phone call!" Tina groaned as she dragged herself over to the vid-phone.

"Hello?" she yawned, annoyed already with whoever had forced her to awaken from her sleep.

"My, aren't we energetic this morning?" sounded a familiar voice on the other end, snapping her awake.

"Grandpa?! Why are you calling?" Tina was beyond surprised that he'd found time in his schedule to call her.

"Just to say Happy Eighth Birthday… And give you some bad news…"

"Like what?"

"Well… I got a letter from your parents a little while ago… It would seem they've been invited to attend a lecture on the migration patterns of Spearow, so…"

"They're not coming on the field trip?" Tina cut him off, trying not to cry. Her parents had been caught up in business before, but they'd promised to chaperone this trip, no matter what.

"I'm afraid so. So sorry, Tina, I'll come with you, if you want."

"PROFESSOR!!!" called a frantic voice from somewhere in the background. "We need some help with the Gyarados, NOW!!!"

"Just a moment!" Professor Oak shouted to his assistants, turning his attention back to the vid-screen. "Now, when should I be at the school?"

"Your aides need your help," Tina replied as cheerfully as she could. "I'll just go alone."

She hung up the phone without saying goodbye and started to get dressed. She wiped a tear from her eye as she packed her bags for the trip. "It's… not like it'll be the first time…"

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She was only outside of her dorm for a moment when something struck her in the back. Turning sharply to see what it was, she was knocked backward when someone plastered her in the face with a snowball.

"Have a seat, reject!" laughed a familiar, cocky voice.

Tina didn't know what to think. Even after all these months, she hadn't been able to figure out why Tyler and the other students hated her. She cleared the snow from her eyes and stood up, brushing herself off as she walked toward the bus.

{Give him the cold shoulder,} she thought, not looking back. {Just ignore him and he'll go away…}

She couldn't have been more wrong. In fact, Tyler decided to sit right next to her on the bus, just to make sure she heard everything he said.

The ride seemed to take an eternity, and Tyler grew more and more unbearable with every passing mile. The conversation topic of the day seemed to be just how different she was; how weird she was. Even listening to the other kids talk about her didn't answer any of Tina's questions; if anything, it made them more confusing.

{Why am I different?} she wondered to herself, cursing whatever it was that made her seem odd. {What is it about me that's so strange?}

After an hour or so of name-calling and enduring the paper wads thrown at her, the bus finally stopped at Tundra Falls. At one time, there had been a waterfall there that was said to have been as beautiful as shining crystal. The climate of the land changed, turning cold and bitter, and the waterfall was transformed into a cascade of ice that was more brilliant and clear than the purest diamonds.

The frigid temperatures and high winds couldn't take away from the magnificence of the falls, the frozen lake and the stream that still lead out to sea. The teacher went to sign in at the lodge as the children filed off the bus into the ice-covered wonderland. They all found themselves breathless at the sight of the falls… well, all but one, anyway.

"There's nothing here but snow!" Tyler complained, pulling his backpack onto his shoulder. "I could've stayed home if I wanted to see that!"

If anyone but Tina heard him, they certainly didn't show it, as they just picked up their packs and walked towards the cabin, but she took that as the most offensive thing he'd ever said.

{That moron!} she thought to herself as she pulled out a camera from her pack. {We're in the most beautiful place anywhere, and all he can think of is himself!}

Just the same, she decided to ignore him. Pretending as if she hadn't heard him, she pulled Taja's Pokeball from her pocket and called her out.

Peering over her shoulder, annoyed by the fact that she'd succeeded in ignoring him so far that day, Tyler decided to try one last thing to get her goat.

"Think fast!" he called out as he grabbed her camera and tossed it to one of his friends.

"Smile!" she jested, pretending to take Tina's snapshot, then tossing the camera back to Tyler.

Tina tried to grab at the camera strap as it flew over her head, but missed and fell face-first into the snow. "That's not mine! Give it back!"

Taja, trying to help her friend, snatched at the camera herself, but missed and fell into the icy powder beside Tina.

"What do you say, Jean, should I give it back?" Tyler asked his friend with a cruel snicker.

"Make her run for it!" she suggested, gesturing to the ice-capped lake with her thumb.

Tyler nodded, drawing back his arm and hurling the camera as far as her could. It hit the ice with a dull ker-CLUNK and skidded along the surface for a few yards, right into the center of the lake.

He turned back to Tina with a smirk. "Go fetch."

Standing and dusting herself off with an annoyed sigh, Tina headed toward the lake.

Taja noted something and began tugging at Tina's pant leg. {There's something wrong with the ice! Don't go out there!}

{I have to get that camera.} By now, Tina was halfway out onto the lake. Taja hesitantly followed, stepping lightly. Her fears were realized when there came a sharp CRACK from the ice below Tina's feet. Without any further warning, the ice gave way, dropping the young trainer into the frigid waters.

The undercurrent was deceptively strong, tying itself around Tina's ankles. It dragged her down and pulled her away from the hole in the surface. Tina's lungs felt ready to collapse as she fought her way up to the underside of the ice.

{Even if I knew where that hole was,} she thought as she started pounding frantically on the ice, {there's no time! I'll have to try making a new one!}

On the topside of the ice, Tyler and Jean had already run away, not wanting to be around when the ski patrol showed up. Taja, however, stayed right above the source of the pounding, trying to attract as much attention as she could, all the while, giving Tina words of confidence. {Keep trying, Tina! You'll find the weak spot!}

Tina's already small amount of air had all but run out. The pounding from below the surface grew fainter and the length of time between each knock became longer and longer. After only a few seconds, the panicked beating under the ice stopped altogether. Taja felt as if her heart had been torn out as her best friend sank into the icy darkness…