On Route 217, Barry and I were hit by an enormous blizzard. And by enormous, I mean, we couldn't see anything but white in front of us within a 10 foot radius. Terrible icy winds pounded us in the face like a bully, the winds were so strong, they pushed us back like a bulldozer, as if the blizzard was trying to prevent us from getting to Snowpoint City.

We trudged through the deep snow, pushing on and on. I hoped that we could find a rest house to catch our breaths. But with the snow blowing furiously around us, we couldn't see jack-shit. However, we weren't cold due to my body heat.

"You know Vinny, I'd rather you burn me than me being frozen to death in this harsh cold!" shouted Barry over the blizzard.

"Yeah. I guess so!" I shouted back.

"I'm glad you're my friend, Vinny! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be where I am as of today!"

"Thanks Barry! I appreciate it!"

Suddenly, I saw a light in the distance. It was a rest house!

"Barry! Look! We're saved! There's a rest house up ahead- OOFT!" I tripped over something in the snow and toppled over, face-first.

"Vinny! You good?" shouted Barry over the howling of the blizzard.

"Mm-mm! M mm m mm m mm-mm!"

"What? I can't hear you!"

I lifted my head up from the snow. "I said, 'Barry, I think I found an HM!'!"

"Really? What is it?"

"I can't read it! Let's go inside and see!"

So we entered the rest house and put the HM on the table. The guy there said that it was his, but we could have it. Strange. I read the label on the HM: This is an HM, or Hidden Machine. It is a very rare technique and is one out of 8 Hidden Machines that can be obtained. This particular HM contains Rock Climb, as you can see on the sticker. When taught to a Pokémon, the Pokémon will be able to climb very rocky walls. However, the Snowpoint City Icicle Badge is required to legally use this HM outside of battle. The next city, luckily, was Snowpoint City, where both Barry and I would get that very badge. I gave the HM to Barry, because why would I need an HM to climb walls?

We exited the house and continued north, fighting more trainers until we reached Acuity Lakefront. Large rocky walls led up to Lake Acuity. Good for Barry, 'cuz he had the HM.

We both walked into the calm, blizzardless city of Snowpoint. I "turned off" my body heat and Barry and I walked around for a bit.

The gym was located right in the middle of the town. I walked in first and Barry followed behind, getting excited. I told Barry that I would take on the gym first and he seemed fine with it. So, that's exactly what I did, and quickly, too. The whole gym was basically a giant ice puzzle, which I defied the rules of. I basically concentrated my fire power into my feet and simply just walked on the ice, no problem. They'll probably fix it later with a Zamboni, I thought while fighting some trainers that were there. Soon, I made it to the gym leader, Candice who had a Snover, Sneasel, Medicham, and Abomasnow on her team, all of which I easily defeated. Medicham, I actually defeated with Fearow. After the battle, Candice admitted defeat and gave me the Snowpoint City Icicle Badge and TM72, Avalanche. I exited the gym and let Barry take on the gym.

While Barry was challenging the gym, I went to walk around Snowpoint City, taking in the atmosphere. I walked up north to the Snowpoint Temple, but there was a lady there blocking the entrance and said that only the 'chosen' could enter. I trudged slowly away through the thick snow and headed towards the Pokémon Center to heal up and the Pokémart to stock up on items. After that, I walked south towards the harbor. I looked out into the distance at the iceberg-filled sea and then up at the sky. I stood there for a long time, just staring at the beautiful, star-dotted sky until Barry came out from the gym with his new Icicle Badge and then we walked to the rocky wall at the Lakefront. Barry used Rock Climb, but I just ran up the rocky wall like a boss. We entered the lake where Jupiter was standing. Barry and I shook hands and he flew off somewhere, probably continuing his journey. I faced Jupiter.

"Huh? Oh, it's you. The one who ruined our plans back in Eterna. What do you care about our work? Why do you follow us around, you annoying brat?"

"One reason. I'm vindictive, in search of my father's killer."

"But what good will that do you? They say, an eye for an eye, but for what? What satisfaction do you get out of it? It's not like you'll be able to see your father again. He's dead! Long gone! What will you gain from it?"

"Satisfaction that the killer's blood is on my hands. If any of you had anything to do with the one who murdered my father, then..." Malice and rage surged in my eyes, and Jupiter took a step back. "I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU. I don't care about your shitty plans. But if you either try to achieve world domination, or had anything to do with my father's death, then kiss this world goodbye."

"Ha! You hit the nail on the head! Of course we're trying to achieve world domination. But..." She started to walk away. "That's nothing of your concern. Leave Team Galactic alone, or experience a world of pain. I've warned you once before, but I won't warn you again. Got it? Good." She exited Lake Acuity.

I thought about what Jupiter said. An eye for an eye, for what? What good would it do me? I thought about it for a while, and realized that it all fit together so perfectly. Team Galactic was evil. The organization who killed my dad was obviously evil. If I eradicated the whole world of evil, then... I didn't know what then. There was no then, I didn't want to think about it too much. I decided to follow Jupiter to Veilstone City where I would get rid of Team Galactic once and for all...

...or so I thought.