Hey everyone. This is a fair warning: this is an emotional chapter as it deals with a sudden life and death situation—just a heads up.


The further the twins traveled along the Nappalchan Mountains, the more challenging it became. It had been two weeks since they entered the Mountains, and already, they felt weary. For the time being, their reward would be the pokemon lodge nestled in the center of the Mountains.

Yet the pokemon lodge was projected to be two and a half to three weeks away. Between the twins and the lodge were two ranger outposts known as Charlie and Delta. Each one would supply the twins with the necessities they would need to get through to the pokemon lodge.

"I wonder why they built a pathway through the Mountains?" Jason asked.

Kristine pulled out her handbook and showed the geography of Inventum to Jason.

"See the Nappalchan Mountains way up north?" she pointed out. "They're massive. Remember the mountains we passed when we entered the Cheron Forest? Or the Rugged Pass even? It's all extensions of the Nappalchan Mountains."

"So you mean to tell me we've technically been in the Nappalchan Mountains our entire time being trainers?"

"Eh, that's one way of putting it. From where we started, the only way to avoid it is if we headed south or west. But neither path is a good idea because we'd be doing laps all over Inventum getting badges. But if we headed west from Saint Brandon instead, we would have avoided the Nappalchan Mountains altogether, with Richland Port being our last stop. But that would mean we have to traverse through a desert and fight gym leaders known for challenging the most advanced of trainers."

"Dad was out there in the Barren Wastes. Just saying."

Kristine stopped. "You really think he would want us to go out there right now instead of taking literally the same path he took when he was our age?"

Jason also stopped. "Well…no…now that you put it that way."

"Exactly! Let's just get through these mountains, and we'll be looking good heading down the east coast."

The twins continued onwards through the Nappalchan Mountains. However, the beautiful scenery became less apparent as the twins traveled along the narrow passages and corridors through uneven terrain.

Later that afternoon, Kristine took to her handbook as the two ventured along.

"Interesting," Kristine muttered as she was reading an entry in the Nappalchan Mountains.

"What's that?" Jason became curious.

"There have been sightings of articuno deep in the Mountains," Kristine replied.

Jason looked to his left, where an entire range of snow-capped mountains lies before him.

"So, somewhere over there is an articuno nest…" he pondered.

"Probably," Kristine replied.

Jason and Kristine spent the rest of the day thinking about the possibility of articuno living in the Nappalchan Mountains, as well as the chances of seeing one up close. They made camp that evening and continued after training the next morning. After two more days of traveling through the Mountains, they were feeling weary once more. But they had to look forward to Ranger Outpost Charlie, which was only a few days away.

Every day was the same routine. The twins released all of their pokemon, while Jason would release Magikarp at any safe water source he could find, and they would commence training. The twins saw progress made in their pokemon each day. Riolu and Machop continued their non-stop fighting, but they became stronger and more rugged in the process. Jolteon and Pikachu were both mastering their lightning attacks, while Ralts and Espeon honed their psychic abilities.

Swellow and Fletchinder would soar through the Mountains each morning. They would even make the twins jealous now and again, leaving them thinking what it would be like to see through the eyes of avian pokemon.

Snorunt practiced her ice-type abilities, while Jolteon helped her perfect Double Team. Even Magikarp made progress with his jumping abilities. At one point, he jumped right out of a nearby stream and flopped on the ground before Jason was able to put him back in.

Seeing their pokemon enjoy the environment and enjoy the chance to get out and aspire to train and become stronger every day helped ease the feeling of weariness for the twins. Jason and Kristine even let some of their pokemon out from time to time to travel with them, and that helped strengthen the bond between them and their pokemon. They came to realize that their pokemon were in this just as much as they were, and their pokemon's desire to overcome the challenges of the Nappalchan Mountains helped inspire the twins to do the same.

This soothed the process of reaching Outpost Charlie, marking the next step in the trek across the Mountains. Unlike the first two outposts, Outpost Charlie resided atop a hill as the twins had to climb a set of stone stairs that spiraled around the hill. Once they walked inside, they noticed three rangers in the lobby.

"Hey there," a female Ranger with short blonde hair greeted. "Welcome to Ranger Outpost Charlie."

"Hey, thanks!" Kristine replied. "We're heading east. It's nice to get some rest once in a while."

"Well, you're making progress, that's for sure," another female ranger, who had jet black hair, added.

"So why are you all on top of a hill?" Jason asked.

"Outpost Charlie serves as an observation post for this section of the Nappalchan Mountains," the male Ranger explained. "Outpost Delta is our twin, technically, set up the same way we are. Outposts Echo and Foxtrot, opposite of the central pokemon lodge, are also the same."

"We're really in the middle of the Mountains, aren't we?" Kristine snickered.

"Technically speaking," the woman with blonde hair replied. "Welcome to the toughest part of the Mountains. It'll be at least a month before you get to Outpost Foxtrot, where you'll be out of the storm, so to speak."

"So enduring a thunderstorm and being under Froslass's illusion is just a warm-up?" Jason said lightheartedly.

"We've heard about that froslass," the woman with black hair said. "Hope she didn't cause you any harm."

"Nah," Kristine replied. "She just spooked us, that's all."

"Well," the male ranger spoke up. "Now that you're here, you wanna see something really cool?"

Jason shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

The male Ranger led the twins to the back of the outpost, where there was a balcony leading right over the edge of the hill.

"Woah," Kristine muttered in complete awe. The twins overlooked the vast mountain range, where they could see for miles upon miles.

"It's like we're on the edge of the world…" Jason spoke, seeing how far the mountain range extended. It seemed like it never ended.

"Come over here," the male Ranger signaled the twins to approach the rails.

Jason and Kristine approached the Ranger and stood next to him.

"See that hill over there?" the Ranger pointed ahead. "That's Outpost Delta. It'll take about a week to get from here to there on foot."

"Yet it feels like it's within our grasp," Kristine said.

"Try looking even further," the Ranger continued.

Jason looked past the distant hill and saw a vague object nested in the mountains far away.

"Is that the Pokemon Lodge over there?" he asked.

"Sure is," the ranger confirmed. "You're about two weeks away, give or take."

"And to think that's the halfway mark…." Kristine added.

"More like the 40 percent mark," the Ranger corrected.

"Halfway sounds much better," Kristine smiled.

The ranger smirked at the comment. "We're all on high ground for a reason. We keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, such as distress calls or any emergency really. We even have a chopper on standby at the pokemon lodge."

"I see," Jason said.

"Anyways," the ranger turned around and proceeded back inside. "You're free to hang out here for as long as you like. Go ahead and take the second room to the left in the hallway."

"Thanks!" Kristine replied.

The twins spent a few more moments outside.

"And to think, we gotta go back down and walk through all of that," Jason said.

"Looks intimidating, huh?" Kristine replied.

Jason shook his head. "It reminds me what it takes to be a pokemon trainer. That's the challenge right there. We have to do it!"

Kristine smiled. "You're right. Although f they just had a zipline from here to the pokemon lodge, I wouldn't mind that."

"That would actually be awesome," Jason contemplated briefly.

The twins stepped back inside a moment later. They still had an entire afternoon to kill before dusk, and they spent that valuable extra time resting. Then, at night, they made dinner for themselves and fed their pokemon outside the building.


By dawn of the next morning, the two prepared themselves for the day ahead.

They only saw the blonde ranger out front, but they could stock up on fresh supplies before continuing forward.

"Safe travels, you two," the Ranger said before the twins departed. "We have excellent weather for the next several days, so there shouldn't be a problem getting to Outpost Delta."

"Okay, thanks!" Kristine acknowledged before she and Jason headed out.

They took one more look at the horizon before proceeding downstairs.

"How long from here to there?" Jason asked. "A week?"

"Give or take," Kristine said. "Most of these Outposts are about a week apart."

"Well," Jason smirked. "Let's get to work."

The twins found a nice training spot with a nearby pond below. After the morning routine, they continued along the path, passing by the occasional green flag. They trekked past jagged ridges as they realized they entered the heart of the mountain range.

"All of those beautiful mountains we've seen since we were little," Kristine mentioned. "And here we are, in the middle of them."

"Yeah…" Jason looked around his surroundings.

The twins walked through a path that cut right between a pair of ridges on their left and right.

"This is amazing," Kristine gazed all around her.

"Isn't it?" Jason completely agreed.

The scenery mesmerized the twins. The ridges made them realize how small they were compared to the world around them. Yet, at times, they felt like they could take the world on.

The path led the twins past the ridges, curving by a cliff that overlooked more of the mountain range. Jason and Kristine spent a moment sightseeing.

"And to think we haven't seen a wild pokemon in a while," Kristine recalled.

"Yet there's got to be thousands of them," Jason assumed.

The ground suddenly shook beneath them.

"What's that?" Kristine held on to the rails before the cliff. "An earthquake?"

"I don't think that was an earthquake," Jason replied, doing the same.

The shaking stopped a moment later. Then, they heard a loud noise like something was smashing out of the mountain below them.

"Is that…" Kristine stopped in the middle of her sentence, looking at a massive pokemon burrowing its way through the mountains.

"Onix…" Jason finished her sentence. They looked on as the giant rock snake pokemon carved tunnels into the mountains below.

"We should keep an eye out for things like that," Kristine suggested. "We don't want an onix blasting out in front of us."

"You got that right," Jason smirked at the comment.

The two continued onwards as the path sloped down. They spent the night at a flat area underneath a jagged cliff that sheltered them from the cold.

Every day was the same routine: commence training, travel, take a lunch break, travel some more, and make camp in the evening. The further the twins traversed through the mountains, the more the routine became cemented into Jason's brain. His pokemon even followed his lead.

Kristine observed Jason day after day. Where she thought he needed to take it easy, he wanted to keep going. It was as if he became a robot, automated with his actions. He wanted to cover a lot of ground every day. He wanted to train hard every day. Because to him, the reward was getting out of the Nappalchan Mountains. That was the prize that he saw, and he was intent on reaching that goal.

Kristine desired the same goal. But she thought that Jason had become consumed by that goal. He worked tirelessly every day. While he had come to realize he needed to be sympathetic to his sister and their pokemon at times, he kept pushing himself every day to take that extra mile. During the twins' journey to Outpost Delta, it seemed as if Jason lost all awareness for his own safety.

The trip between Charlie and Delta was long and weary for the twins, yet Jason kept pushing himself. By the time they got to Outpost Delta one evening, Kristine was exhausted.

"You're going to have to give me some time to climb these stairs, Jason," Kristine spoke, standing before the staircase that spiraled around the hill hosting Outpost Delta, just like Outpost Charlie.

"All the way, Kristine!" Jason said as he walked up the stairs. "You can do it!"

"Yeah…" Kristine sighed and attempted to follow her brother.

Kristine was amazed to see how much faster Jason was going than her. He looked back at her several times, trying to slow his pace for her.

He has to be exhausted too, she contemplated. This whole no quitting mentality is really getting to him.

Suddenly, Kristine slipped on an uneven cobble.

"Agh!" she felt her adrenaline kick in. She managed to grab onto the rails to prevent herself from falling onto the stone stairs or even falling them.

She looked to her left to see Jason running down towards her, skipping steps as he tried to come to her aid.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Kristine maintained her balance and took her hands off the rails. He could've just hurt himself there trying to get to me, she thought. His own safety is irrelevant to him!

"Kristine?" Jason tried to get her attention.

"Yeah yeah," Kristine brushed herself off. "I'm fine."

"Do you need any help up?"

"I'm okay, Jason," Kristine gave a light smile.

"Okay," Jason acknowledged.

The twins continued up the stairs side by side, eventually reaching Outpost Delta.

"Welcome to Outpost Delta!" greeted an older individual with slick gray hair and a goatee. "Heading east or west?"

"East," Kristine simply replied.

"Nearly halfway there!" the man said. "Well, sort of. Only if you look at the Lodge as the center point, and not so much the distance."

"So we've been told," Jason chuckled.

"Anyways, take the first room on the left," the man continued. "Both of you look exhausted."

"Gotcha," Kristine smiled. "Thanks!"

The twins headed to the first room on the left within the nearby hallway. Jason was the first one inside, while Kristine made sure to shut the door after she walked in.

"Hey Jason?" she addressed.

"Yeah, sis?" he turned around to face her.

"I know the Nappalchan Mountains are a challenge that you want to overcome, and I think I want to reach that goal just as much as you do," she said. "But I see you pushing yourself too hard. So, please, just be aware of your own safety, okay?"

"I'm sorry if I concerned you in any way," Jason sincerely responded. "But I love this! The training involved and the challenges ahead! Kristine, the Nappalchan Mountains are notorious to all trainers, and we're making progress! We're actually doing it!"

"Yeah," Kristine smiled and sighed. "We are doing it, and I'm happy about it. I just want you to be concerned about your own safety just as much as you are for mine. The way you ran for me earlier looked like you were about to tumble down just to reach me."

She then took a deep breath and continued. "I know my brother well. You will do whatever it takes to get through the Mountains. You will sacrifice everything to make sure I am safe, as well as our pokemon. Just please look after yourself because I can't be the only one doing that."

"I'll be careful, Kristine," Jason replied. "I'll try to take it easy from time to time."

"Please do," Kristine said.

She wondered if Jason actually listened to her. She had hoped that he would consider her words. She used the bathroom to change into her white t-shirt and green pajama bottoms before going to bed, while Jason changed in the bedroom.

The two fell asleep. It didn't surprise Kristine that Jason fell sound asleep first while she was still wide awake.

I don't know why she thought. But I have a bad feeling about what's to come.


Kristine managed to fall asleep sometime later. By dawn of the next day, Jason was the first to get up. Kristine got up shortly after, only to see that Jason was almost ready to head out for the day.

"Give me some time to get ready," she said to him. "In the meantime, you should relax."

"Sure," Jason acknowledged. He sat down at the nearby round table while Kristine got up and went to the bathroom with her backpack.

Jason sat there, fiddling with his thumbs. He wanted to get out there already and move onto the pokemon lodge. He then browsed through his pokedex, examining the moves and abilities of all of his pokemon.

A short while later, Kristine came out, ready to go.

"Let's hit it!" she said.

"Alright!" Jason shot right up.

The two proceeded out to the lobby of the outpost.

"Projections say easy weather from here to the center," the man addressed before the twins left. "But bad weather can quickly move in, and we can't predict the weather if it's too far out. So be careful out there."

"Will do!" Kristine replied. She and Jason then proceeded out the door.

The twins walked back down the stairs. It took them longer than usual to find a nice training spot. They eventually found a flat area with several small rocks and a nearby stream. They released all of their pokemon for another round of training.

Kristine saw that Jason was still energetic and hard working. He was still pushing himself, even though he was working to motivate all of his pokemon. She also observed how Machop and Riolu were skirmishing as usual.

"That's it," she muttered to herself with a smile. "If Jason were a pokemon, he'd be a fighting pokemon. But what would that make me?"

Espeon then came up to Kristine. "Espeon!" she greeted.

"A psychic type!" Kristine concluded. "It would make sense."

After another round of training and perfecting moves, the twins recalled their pokemon before moving on. After making camp that evening, the twins had a quiet evening where they could get a lot of sleep in before heading out the next day.

Jason was the first one to gear up and head out. As soon as Kristine walked out of the tent after getting dressed, she saw her own breath before her. She then embraced the chilling temperatures outside.

"My, it's cold outside!" she spoke as Jason stood there, gazing at the mountains before him.

"Just another day in the Mountains," Jason replied.

"Right."

"Shall we get started on the training?"

"Under this weather? Maybe we should give our pokemon a rest for once."

"But it's sunny outside."

"Jason, it's freezing. I'm wearing a sweater, and I'm freezing!"

Jason sighed. "Alright, sis. We can delay the training."

"It's not a big deal," Kristine assured him.

The two packed up and continued down the path.

"You should at least zip up your jacket," Kristine suggested. "You need to keep yourself warm."

"I'm fine, Kristine," Jason said. He sneezed a second later.

"Bless you," Kristine generously said.

Jason sneezed again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kristine asked.

"I'm fine, sis," Jason insisted.

He sneezed again.

"Normal sneezes come in pairs!" Kristine started to become concerned. "That was three sneezes!"

Jason sneezed once more.

"Four sneezes!" Kristine corrected herself.

"It's nothing," Jason continued to insist he was okay. "Must be allergies or something."

"Allergies?" Kristine looked around her. "There's nothing here that could give you allergies."

"Kristine, I'll be fine," Jason looked at her.

"Alright," she let it go. "Just looking out for you, bro. That's all."

The two continued down the path. As the day progressed, Jason felt weary. During lunch, Kristine saw that Jason's eyes were turning red. They continued onwards after lunch and made camp by nightfall.

"You should sleep in," Kristine suggested. "I think you have a bug. You need to get rid of it."

"Right," Jason replied.

"Here," Kristine reached into her backpack and showed some supplies to Jason. "I have cough medicine and medicine that will help you sleep. Take them."

Jason took the pills from his sister. She handed him a canteen of water.

"Take lots of water," she continued. "We'll be bottling them up as much as possible. We'll also keep them separate, so I don't get sick."

"Gotcha," Jason acknowledged.

The two went to bed shortly after. Jason woke up in the middle of the night with a sore throat and struggled to get back to sleep. He tossed and turned as he sweated throughout his body. Eventually, he wore himself out before going back to sleep.


The next morning, Jason woke up drowsy and fatigued. Yet, he still pushed himself to get up and get dressed before heading out of the tent.

Kristine woke up moments later and realized Jason was already up. "Oh geez."

She walked out, still in her pajamas, to attempt to confront Jason and tell him to come back in. She was quickly reminded of the freezing weather, making it unbearable for her feet. She quickly retreated in.

"What am I going to do with him?" she muttered. "He's going to get really sick!"

Kristine quickly put her clothes on before heading back out.

"Jason!" she got his attention. "Get back here, get inside, now! I will get dressed, go out, have Fletchinder make a fire, and I'll prepare soup."

"Uh…" Jason stopped before Kristine's authority and complied. "Okay." He then proceeded inside.

"I should do that more often," Kristine spoke to herself, feeling accomplished.

As Jason went back inside, Kristine called out Flechinder to light a small fire outside to prepare soup for her and her brother. Then, moments later, she walked back inside.

"Here," Kristine offered Jason a bowl of soup.

Jason gladly took it. "Thanks, sis."

"Anytime," Kristine smiled. "Let's take it easy today, okay? Take it nice and slow. We need to neutralize your cold. We don't want it to be worse."

"Gotcha," Jason nodded.

"Good."

After their morning soup, the twins packed up once more and headed back onto the path.

Jason felt worse and worse throughout the day. He kept sneezing, and his sore throat ached to no end. He felt dizzy at one point, prompting Kristine to call an early lunch. They traveled with frequent resting breaks, resulting in not much ground covered for the day.

"You picked up the cold in the absolute worst time," Kristine said.

"It's not like I decided to get one," Jason defended before sneezing.

"I know," Kristine sighed. "It's just that we're still four or five days from the pokemon lodge, and they have the stuff to heal you up in no time."

"I don't think what I have is just a cold," Jason leaned against a rock.

"Let me feel your head," Kristine placed her hand on Jason's forehead.

"No, I don't think you have just a cold," Kristine agreed. "Feels like a fever. Okay, we're making camp here."

Kristine did most of the work setting up the tent for the evening. She prepared more hot soup while Jason rested inside the tent.

"We just need to get that fever down," Kristine said. "Have some soup."

Jason took the bowl. "I'll get through this," he assured her.

Kristine smiled. "I know you will."

Jason's condition worsened throughout the night. He was sweating profusely, and he began coughing uncontrollably. His coughing kept Kristine awake as she became worried over his well-being.

Jason had a tough time staying asleep. His whole body ached, and his legs felt restless. In addition, he was coughing so frequently and hard that his throat strained. Kristine started to wonder if Jason was coughing up mucus or worse.

It'll get better, Kristine assured herself. Jason's tough. He's going to get through this. Maybe the illness is trying to exit his system.

It was a long night for the twins. Jason's sickness was unrelenting on him, and he struggled mightily to get to sleep. Kristine wasn't sure what to do. She didn't know if she should comfort her brother or just let him cough it out and hope for the situation to get better in the morning. She believed she did all she can to help suppress Jason's illness. While she occasionally thought this was something far more severe than a fever, she purged those thoughts with positivity, constantly reassuring herself that everything will be fine.


Dawn finally rose. Kristine was sound asleep, but Jason was awake, only getting a few hours of sleep the previous night. He lifted his head, but it felt heavy. He also felt dizzy with everything rocking back and forth before him.

"We have to keep going…" he muttered. "I can't let us down like this…."

He got up and changed his clothes as quickly as he could while Kristine was still asleep.

"All the way," he pushed himself. He stumbled his way out of the tent.

Kristine woke up sometime later. She looked to see that Jason had gotten up again.

"Do I have to corral him inside every morning?" she seemed annoyed.

Kristine quickly got dressed and headed outside.

"Jason! Inside! Now!" she commanded.

"Yeah…" Jason turned around. He looked awfully sick to Kristine.

He coughed profusely, using his right arm as a shield.

"Jason?" Kristine spoke calmly. "Please, let's get you some more soup and meds. Come on."

He clearly looked out of place to her. In fact, she wasn't sure if he was fully aware of his surroundings. Something was really off.

"Right…" Jason stumbled forward. He wasn't even walking straight. His feet weren't set right.

"Oh, dear…" Kristine began to approach him.

Jason continued to stumble towards her, one thumb up in the air. "I'm fine!"

Then to Kristine's fears, he suddenly fell flat on the ground.

"Jason!" Kristine gasped. She ran over to her brother's side and got on her knees before turning him over on his back.

"I'm not fine…," Jason finally admitted. "I'm sorry…."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Kristine tried to remain calm and keep Jason calm. But in her mind, she was freaking out.

Jason coughed some more. Kristine moved Jason's right arm to cover his mouth. When it became apparent he no longer had the strength to move his arm, she tried her very best to remain calm.

"Oh my gosh…" she muttered. She also saw that Jason was trembling all over the place. Whatever sickness he had was beginning to overwhelm him truly. She knew that this had the potential to kill her brother.

Jason also began wheezing. It seemed like he was getting worse by the second.

"We're getting you back inside!" Kristine decided.

Suddenly, Jolteon sent himself out of his pokeball.

"Jolteon!" Jolteon ran over to Jason's side, concerned for his trainer.

"Jolteon?" Kristine looked right at him.

Jolteon faced her. "Jolt! Jolteon!" he barked.

Ralts then projected herself out of her pokeball.

"Ralts!" she walked over to Jason's side.

Swellow and Riolu did the same thing.

"Rio!" Riolu howled before running over to Kristine. He knocked at Machop's Pokeball.

Machop then came calling, sending himself out. "Machop!"

Riolu and Machop were careful to lift Jason, balancing his body as they carried him inside the tent.

Even Magikarp let himself out of his pokeball, projecting right from Jason's belt.

"Karp karp karp!" Magikarp flopped.

"Magikarp!" Kristine ran over to Magikarp and picked him up.

The rest of her pokemon projected themselves out of their poke balls. Espeon, Pikachu, Fletchinder, and Snorunt stood by her.

She then proceeded back inside the tent. She saw Riolu and Machop scrounging through her and Jason's backpacks, frantically searching for something that could help Jason.

"Jolt!" Jolteon walked inside the tent, alongside Ralts.

Kristine saw that her and Jason's pokemon were taking control of the situation. She had to step up and be a leader, for Jason's sake. But, first, she had to control her thoughts. She feared losing her brother, but she knew she had to make sure that doesn't happen.

Kristine walked over to her backpack and kneeled next to Machop, gently placing Magikarp aside.

"First thing we need is a potion," she said. She reached in to grab a pink canister with a white label and attached an injection cap.

Kristine grabbed Jason's wrist. "It's gonna hurt a bit," she said before injecting the potion into Jason's veins.

Jason didn't even flinch or make a sound from the entry. He was that weak.

"I need some room," Kristine looked at Jolteon, Ralts, Machop, Riolu, and Magikarp. "Machop, bring Magikarp out. Everyone else, stay outside."

"Machop!" Machop complied and lifted Magikarp. Machop stumbled his way outside, not because of Magikarp's weight, but because Magikarp was almost as tall as him.

Jolteon, Ralts, and Riolu, however, failed to comply. Even Swellow walked inside.

"Guys, please…" Kristine pleaded, but Jason's pokemon insisted they stay.

"Okay then," Kristine turned to her brother and felt his forehead.

"Still burning hot," she muttered. She pulled out some medicine and a water canteen.

"Take it nice and slow," Kristine put the pills in his mouth and leaned the canteen towards him.

Jason made no effort to grab the canteen, making it harder for Kristine to place it by his mouth. She then tilted it over.

"There we go," she calmly spoke. "You're going to be fine."

Kristine then zipped up Jason's sleeping bag. "We need to get to the pokemon lodge!" she addressed Jason's pokemon. "We need to pack up and move out as soon as possible!"

She walked outside the tent, passing by Jolteon, Riolu, and Ralts, before seeing Machop struggling to hold onto Magikarp.

"Karp karp karp!" Magikarp flailed back and forth in an attempt to break free.

"Machop!" Machop tried to hold onto him.

"Give Magikarp to me, Machop," Kristine said, walking over to Machop.

"Machop," Machop had no problem handing Magikarp over.

"Magikarp, it's going to be okay," Kristine tried soothing him. "We're working to move to the pokemon lodge, okay?"

"Karp," Magikarp calmed down.

"Okay, first thing's first," Kristine addressed. "Fletchinder, fly towards the direction of Outpost Delta, and seek any help that you may find!"

She then turned to the tent. "Swellow!"

Swellow came out and approached Kristine. "Swellow?"

"I need you to fly to the pokemon lodge and get help!" Kristine issued.

"Swellow!" Swellow complied.

"Stay at the Lodge until they ask you otherwise," Kristine continued. "As for you, Fletchinder, fly to the lodge once you seek help unless you are asked otherwise."

"Fletch!" Fletch nodded.

"Go!" Kristine commanded.

Swellow and Fletchinder took off in opposite directions.

"Machop, head in there and help Riolu carry Jason out!" Kristine turned to Machop.

"Machop!" Machop ran back inside. A moment later, he walked out with Riolu, carrying Jason in his sleeping bag.

Jolteon and Ralts walked out of the tent. Kristine quickly packed up her and Jason's belongings. Ralts carried Jason's backpack around her back as it nearly touched the ground.

"Let's keep moving!" Kristine commanded. She and all their Pokemon proceeded back on the path.

"Oh no…" Kristine looked overhead and saw that a storm was approaching. "Can this get any worse?"

The group stopped on the path for a moment.

"We have to keep going," Kristine declared, determined to get her brother to safety. "We have to find shelter!"

The group moved onwards in the direction of the coming storm. Kristine felt the winds pick up and the cold temperatures drop even lower.

"It's not just a storm," she realized. "It's a blizzard."

The formation moved quickly. The sky suddenly became gray. Then, the snowfall began, dotting lightly all over the place.

"We need to move, or we'll be in big trouble!" Kristine alerted.

Jolteon and Espeon sniffed the ground, looking for any signs of a nearby shelter.

"Jolt!" Jolteon pointed his nose to the left, off the path.

"Did you find something, Jolteon?" Kristine asked.

"Jolteon!" Jolteon ran in that direction.

"Let's follow him!" Kristine said. The group walked out of the path and traversed through a field of jagged cliffs.

They passed by a yellow flag, followed by an orange flag. The snow picked up, and when Kristine passed the red flag, she knew she would have trouble getting back onto the road. But she needed to find shelter in the meantime. She needed to keep her brother alive.

The winds were howling. Kristine began to wonder where Jolteon ran off to; he was no longer in her sight. Then, just as she began to worry, she could barely make out a small cabin ahead.

"Thank goodness!" she breathed a sigh of relief. She and the pokemon quickly proceeded to the cabin, where Jolteon sat next to the door.

"Jolt!" Jolteon barked.

Kristine pushed the door open with one arm and walked inside. It was a small cabin, with the cabinets, table, and chairs coated in dust. It appeared that it had not been used in a while.

She wiped the dust away on the table with her right hand. "Put him here!" she told Machop and Riolu.

Both pokemon placed Jason on the table. He was unresponsive.

"Please, Jason!" Kristine grabbed his left wrist, feeling for a pulse. It felt faint to her.

"Here, Machop," Kristine handed Magikarp to him. She took out her backpack and reached for another potion, injecting it into Jason's wrist.

"Please!" Kristine began to tear up. "I need you. Please don't die on me."

Jason remained unresponsive. He made no effort in even nudging. He was too weak to do anything.

Ralts proceeded forward, stepped up on one of the chairs, and placed her hands on Jason's chest.

"Ralts!" Ralts began using Heal Pulse.

Kristine could look on to see tears rolling down Ralts' face. All Pokemon locked their eyes on Jason. Whatever Jason was facing, Kristine had the feeling this was the moment. This was the moment Jason would live or die, and the pokemon sensed it.

"Ralts!" Ralts used Heal Pulse once more.

Kristine pulled out another potion and prepared it with an injection cap. She feared this was it. This was the moment her brother would pass on. But she wanted to do everything she can to fight it because she knew Jason would do the same for her. She didn't want to fail him. She wasn't going to, no matter how many potions it would take.

Suddenly, Ralts began to glow.

"Ralts?" Kristine stepped back.

Jason could hear a voice in his mind. It sounded like the voice of a small girl.

Please don't leave us, Jason! The voice pleaded. Please don't leave us! We need you.

It's too much, Jason replied. But I can't stop. I won't stop.

Ralts, enveloped by a bright white glow, transformed into something more elegant and open. She was slightly taller and more nimble, her hair only covering one of her eyes. She jumped down from the chair and placed her hands on Jason once more.

"Kirlia!" the newly evolved pokemon cried and let out a massive purple pulse that briefly covered Jason's body.

"Kirlia…you evolved…." Kristine began to take the injection cap off the potion. She gazed at Kirlia. The beautiful pokemon had a white body that extended out, resembling a tutu with three tufts on each hip. It covered her green legs, and she had two round horns on her head that curved, resembling hairpins for her ponytails at each side.

No, you won't die, a more mature voice spoke to Jason. It sounded like a teenage girl to him. No one in here will let you.

Jolteon then used his front paws to power his head over the table, looking right at Jason.

"Okay…" Kristine spoke softly. She pulled a chair over and sat down next to Jason.

She looked over at Kirlia, who seemed intent on making sure Jason would stay alive. Just moments ago, she was shy but more introverted and creative than anything. She was one to stand back and only be called upon when asked to. Now, Kirlia seemed to be more assertive. It showed how much she cared for Jason.

"Everything's going to be okay," Kristine whispered and gently grabbed Jason's hand. She rested her head on the table beside Jason. She heard the howling winds outside as snow and ice slammed against the cabin, but she felt something of much more significance: Jason's pulse.

It was then Kristine could close her eyes in comfort. The brunt of the real storm had passed. Now all they have to do is wait out the blizzard outside.


"That snowstorm came in pretty fast!" Nurse Joy observed, watching the snow and winds outside from the comfort of her counter at the central Pokemon Lodge.

The main lobby was packed with dozens of trainers and other individuals. Once the storm rolled in, everyone in the immediate area flocked here for shelter.

"Reports indicate it was part of the system that originated far north," a male Ranger next to her replied. "It gathered more strength and speed than we originally forecasted. It's a natural occurrence, not one created or altered by pokemon."

"Surely there are some trainers trapped out there," Nurse Joy looked on.

The ranger agreed. "We're working with the Outposts to determine how many trainers are out there. We believe there could be as many as twenty enduring the storm as we speak."

"That's twenty too many," Nurse Joy replied. "I hope they can manage to find shelter and be okay."

Suddenly, the glass doors opened, inviting in the howling wind. Swellow swooped right in, flying just over the heads of several startled trainers, and stopped just short of Nurse Joy.

"Swellow! Swellow!" Swellow seemed to be in distress.

"What's going on?" Nurse Joy asked, observing Swellow. "Oh my, you're exhausted and shaking. You must be freezing, flying out there!"

"Swellow! Swellow!" Swellow frantically chirped. "Swellow!"

"Must be someone's swellow that was sent for help," the ranger replied. "Let me patch in with the Outposts and see if they can shed light on this."

Just then, the ranger heard a call from the radio behind him.

"This is Ranger Outpost Delta to Central Pokemon Lodge. Do you copy?" the ranger from Outpost Delta called in. "Ranger Outpost Delta to Central Pokemon Lodge, do you copy? Over!"

The Ranger walked over and reached for the phone next to the radio. "This is Central Pokemon Lodge," the Ranger replied. "I read you loud and clear! Over!"

"We have a situation," Delta Outpost explained. "A trainer's Fletchinder came flying in just moments ago. It appeared to be in distress. I know of a trainer who may have had one who passed by here a few days ago and was heading in your direction. I was wondering if you have any information that could explain some things."

"I was going to ask the same thing," the ranger replied. "We just had a swellow come in. Any idea if you know they belong to the same trainer?"

"Same trainer? No." Delta Outpost replied. "But two trainers? Yes. I believe I've seen two trainers traveling together with those pokemon, heading towards Central Pokemon Lodge."

"Must be an emergency," the Ranger concluded. "Thank you, Delta. We'll take it from here. Over and out."

"I'm going to take this Swellow in for treatment!" Nurse Joy stated.

"Alright," the ranger acknowledged. He then pulled out his handheld radio from his pocket and pressed a button, holding it before his mouth.

"This is Ranger Diego to all personnel on hand," he addressed. "We have an emergency, repeat, emergency that requires a possible high priority rescue. Meet me in the briefing room in five, fully ready to go. This is not a drill."

Moments later, the Rangers throughout the pokemon center grabbed their gear in their quarters, putting on protective gear and arming themselves with pokeballs and other rescue equipment. After their briefing, they took to the back of the pokemon lodge, where they stored a large half-track vehicle inside a garage. It appeared to be an old model that was refurbished and modified throughout the years to serve the rangers' purpose.

The half-track accelerated out of the garage, carrying six rangers inside. They headed down the road leading west from the Pokemon lodge. With not much information to go on, they still set out, knowing only that two trainers were heading in their direction in need of assistance.