Note: This chapter was rewritten on January 27, 2021. There aren't any major changes to the plot, but it is highly recommended that you reread it if you read the old version of the chapter.
The old version had 2,503 words, and the new version has 3,442 words.
Chapter 3: Goh and Aerodactyl! Frost Cavern!
It was morning in Dendemille Town, and Ash, Goh, and Chloe were enjoying a wonderful breakfast in the Pokémon Center. After breakfast, they planned on making their way to Anistar City through Route 17. While Ash and Pikachu were still eating, Goh was attempting to bond with his Aerodactyl, but bonding was not as easy as Goh had thought.
"Come on, Aerodactyl!" Goh stated as he attempted to wake up the giant Pokémon. After hearing about Goh's wish to bond with it, Aerodactyl merely shrugged and fell asleep. Goh remembered that he caught Aerodactyl by calming it down, but Aerodactyl seemed to be uninterested in Goh's efforts to bond with it more. Defeated, Goh approached Ash and sat in a chair near to him.
"Ash?" Goh asked as he looked at his Aerodactyl. "How do you bond with a Pokémon? You're really good with this kind of stuff. Aerodactyl is just ignoring me now."
Ash, who still had food in his mouth, happily replied, "Ve N Vedure!"
Goh confusedly looked at Ash and asked, "What? The food in your mouth makes it hard for me to understand. Can you repeat it?"
Quickly, Ash swallowed the food and repeated, "Have an adventure! Try to show Aerodactyl your goal! If you want to achieve your goal, both of you need to work together!" Pikachu nodded its head at Ash's words while he was licking ketchup from his fingers. It was a strange sight to behold, but it would be a foolish choice to pry the ketchup bottle from Pikachu's fingers. Unfortunately, Goh learned the hard way back at the Cerise Laboratory. After that incident, he was sure to stay far away from Pikachu while he was eating ketchup. Sometimes, he even had bad dreams on what happened that day. He was glad that Chloe and Eevee were already far away from Pikachu.
"Show Aerodactyl my goal?" Goh muttered to himself. His goal was to catch Pokémon to understand them. "If I could catch Pokémon with Aerodactyl, then maybe he'll understand and want to bond with me." Goh thought as he pulled out his Rotom Phone to look for nearby sites with lots of Pokémon. After searching for a while, Goh exclaimed while looking at the screen, "There's a place called the Frost Cavern just north of here! It's the perfect place to catch new Pokémon with Aerodactyl! I'm going to go there now!"
"Awesome," Ash said as he stood up. "I'm full, and I think Pikachu has enough ketchup. Let's go there! I'll tell Chloe." Before Ash could run to alert Chloe about their change of plans, Goh grabbed his arm and looked at Ash with a serious expression.
"Ash. I want to do this alone. I want it to be me and Aerodactyl trying to catch Pokémon," Goh calmly spoke as he looked at Ash right in the eye. He had a determined expression on his face, and it was clear that he wanted to bond with Aerodactyl. Aerodactyl was his Pokémon, and it was his duty as a trainer to take care of Aerodactyl.
Ash hesitated for a second, but he ultimately nodded. "I understand, Goh," Ash agreed with a smile on his face. "You and Aerodactyl have a good time, Goh. I'll tell Chloe that you'll be out, and I'll train with my Pokémon, while we'll wait for you here. When are you coming back?"
"By nightfall," Goh responded as he walked back toward the Pokémon Center. "Since I'm exploring a frozen cave, I'm going to go in and get some supplies first. Then, I'll leave as soon as possible!"
After Goh came out wearing a warm jacket and a helmet with a flashlight tapped on top of it, he found Ash, Pikachu, Chloe, and Eevee waiting for him outside.
"Goh? Do you have to go? We were planning on going to Anistar City today," she said with a concerned expression on her face. "Also, I don't think it's a good idea if you're going alone."
Goh gave Chloe his most supportive smile. "I'll be fine," he spoke while fine-tuning the straps of the heavy helmet on his head. "It shouldn't take too long, and it would be quicker if the journey was me and Aerodactyl. I promise to come back by the end of the day." After thanking Ash for his support, Goh trudged toward the sleeping Aerodactyl.
Once Goh reached his Pokémon, he gently shook Aerodactyl awake. "Aerodactyl," he kindly stated. "We're going on a journey. Just you and me! We're going to the Frost Cavern to catch Pokémon. It'll be an exciting adventure! Can I please ride you?" He said the last part with a nervous expression. Aerodactyl glared at Goh and appeared to be thinking about Goh's request. Aerodactyl liked Goh a little. He was a trainer with a good heart, and the thought of battling some Pokémon excited him. He nodded at Goh and saw his trainer's face light up. Goh quickly hopped onto the Fossil Pokémon and declared with his hand in the air, "Alright! Follow my lead to the cave. Then we'll catch more Pokémon!"
As Goh and Aerodactyl descended near the entrance of The Frost Cavern, Goh realized how cold his surrounding was. Fortunately, his jacket made him warm and cozy, and Aerodactyl didn't seem too bothered by the cold. Goh peered into the cave and switched the flashlight on his helmet on. He pointed to the cave with the index finger on his left hand and asked Aerodactyl, "Are you ready to enter the cavern? I can't wait to see what kind of Pokémon can be found in it!"
As they walked into the cavern, they realized how large it was. It appeared to be small from the outside, but it was much larger on the inside. Goh squeezed his eyes as he searched for Pokémon, while Aerodactyl stood by waiting for something to happen. "Come on!" he thought. "Where are you, Pokémon?" Suddenly, his eye caught a movement in the shadows, and he turned his head to see a Bergmite hiding behind some ice.
"Alright! Aerodactyl, prepare yourself!" Goh exclaimed as he gestured toward the Bergmite. "Use Rock Slide!" Aerodactyl faced the Bergmite and released a powerful Rock Slide attack. The Bergmite panicked, and it received the full blast from the attack. "Pokéball! Go!" Goh said as he threw a Pokéball from his left hand.
Upon catching it, his Rotom Phone yelled, "Excellent!" and later said:
"Bergmite's data will be added to the Pokédex!"
Goh hugged his Aerodactyl. "Thanks to you! We got a new friend!" he spoke as he jumped up in excitement. Yet, Aerodactyl wasn't as enthusiastic as Goh. He was disappointed that catching Pokémon was that easy. Goh was wasting a powerful Pokémon like itself on the menial tasking of catching. Before Aerodactyl could lie down and rest, Goh ran forward, shouting "I see another Pokémon! Come on!" Aerodactyl sighed and followed Goh. It hoped the next Pokémon would be better.
"Woah! A Vanillite! It really does look like ice cream," Goh cried out as he pulled out his phone to scan it:
"Vanillite, the Fresh Snow Pokémon. Vanillite is created from ice crystals that are illuminated by the morning sun. Its breath is 58 degrees below zero."
"Rock Slide again, Aerodactyl!" Goh ordered as he pointed toward the Vanillite.
"Aero!" Aerodactyl roared as it shot rocks toward the Pokémon. Vanillite attempted to dodge the rocks, but there were too many of them. One of the rocks sent it spiraling into the wall.
"Pokéball! Go!" Goh yelled once more as he tossed another one of his Pokéballs toward Vanillite. Vanillite was instantly sucked into the Pokéball, and the Pokéball dinged after it stopped shaking.
"Vanillite's data will be added to the Pokédex!" Goh's Rotom Phone resonated.
Aerodactyl was disappointed. Vanillite wasn't much of a challenge even though it was smart enough to dodge unlike Bergmite. This didn't feel like an adventure at all, but he continued to follow Goh as they walked deeper into the cavern.
Eventually, they stumbled upon a large part of the cave. There was a huge gaping hole in the ceiling, and light was flooding in from it. "It's beautiful," Goh noted as the sunlight illuminated the cavern's room. He didn't need his flashlight to see clearly anymore, and he turned it off temporarily.
Goh began searching for more Pokémon, while Aerodactyl noticed a cozy place to lie down beneath the sunlight. It was about to rest and sleep, until he heard Goh exclaim, "A Pokémon I have never seen before!" He opened one eye and saw that the Pokémon looked like a large snowflake. Goh brought out his phone and scanned it:
"Cryogonal, the Crystallizing Pokémon. Created in snow clouds, Cryogonal make ice crystal chains and use them to capture prey."
Aerodactyl yawned and used Rock Slide on Cryogonal before Goh could issue the command.
"Crygon!" Cryogonal uttered as it saw the incoming rocks. It suddenly glowed, and its body was covered by a multi-colored see-through glass wall. The attacks slammed into Cryogonal, but it appeared to not do as much damage as before.
"It used Reflect!" Goh noted as he watched the Cryogonal. "Aerodactyl! Use Iron Head!"
Aerodactyl got up from its spot and charged toward the Cryogonal. Cryogonal was slammed backward, and it moaned, "Cryogonal!" from the damage. Even though Reflect minimized the damage, it still was injured the Pokémon greatly.
"Okay!" Goh shouted as he saw his chance to catch it. "Pokéball! Go!" As the Pokéball captured Cryogonal, Goh's phone exclaimed, "Great!" and followed up with:
"Cryogonal's data will be added to the Pokédex!"
Aerodactyl flew back to its spot, feeling even more sour. Goh only seemed to care about catching new Pokémon, and his trainer used him like a tool for catching Pokémon. He was upset with Goh, and he decided he would catch no more. He was about to fall asleep, until he heard a loud roar. Instantly, his eyes snapped open, and he sniffed the air. Something big and powerful was approaching, and this changed his demeanor. Had he finally met his match?
"What was that!?" Goh cried as he looked around to pinpoint the source of the sound. Suddenly, a large figure emerged from the shadows. It was tall and white, and the lower part of its mouth was covered with ice. Goh stepped back in shock as he pulled out his phone:
"Beartic, the Freezing Pokémon. Beartic's frozen breath can create fangs and claws made of ice. It lives in frigid northern areas."
"Beartic!" Beartic roared as it scowled at Goh and Aerodactyl. Aerodactyl was sleeping in its territory, and it wanted to get rid of him. The Beartic shows its ferocious claws and charged toward the two.
Goh warned while he grabbed a Pokéball from his backpack., "That Beartic looks strong! Let's catch it! Use-" However, Aerodactyl was impatient with Goh. He wasn't going to listen to his trainer, and he launched a Dragon Breath attack at Beartic. It was a direct hit, but it did little damage to Beartic.
"Wait! Aerodactyl!" Goh shouted with worry. "What are you doing? Dragon type moves are weak against Ice types!" Beartic roared in fury and launched an Icicle Crash attack toward the Aerodactyl on the ground.
"Fly up and dodge it!" Goh spoke as he pointed up toward the sky, but Aerodactyl still refused to listen. He charged forward with Iron Head, and he was thrown backward by Beartic's attack. Aerodactyl crashed into a wall and groaned, "Aerodactyl!" The attack was super effective, and Beartic was edging closer and closer to the injured Aerodactyl.
"Aerodactyl," Goh grieved as he watched his Pokémon struggled to get up. He didn't know why Aerodactyl wasn't listening to him anymore. Part of him wanted to recall Aerodactyl and use Cinderance instead, but he promised Aerodactyl that it would be the two of them. "What should I do?" Goh thought as he looked at his Aerodactyl. He was about to pull out Cinderace's Pokéball, until he saw a glint of determination in Aerodactyl's eye.
"I remember that look. Cinderace had that expression once," Goh reminisced while he slowly put the Pokéball away. He remembered how Cinderace wanted to use Ember as a Scorbunny and how he didn't respect his Pokémon's wish. Then, he remembered how he listened to Rabbifoot and how they overcame Flygon and Milotic by working together. Goh nodded to himself. He knew what to do. He was going to trust his instinct, like Ash would have done.
He thrust himself between Aerodactyl and Beartic. Beartic stopped in confusion, and Aerodactyl was shocked by Goh's sudden and dangerous action. "I won't let you hurt my Aerodactyl!" Goh proclaimed as he faced Beartic. "We have been together a lot, and I'm not going to let you harm him!" Aerodactyl was stunned by his trainer's words. Goh still cared for him, even when he didn't listen to him.
"Aer!" Aerodactyl yelped with awe. He previously thought that Goh didn't care, but he was wrong. His trainer was willing to protect him from any danger, and Goh didn't look flinch. Beartic growled at Goh and charged toward him with Superpower. He closed his eyes and waited for the attack to hit him, but he was surprised to find himself flying in the air.
He looked up and saw that Aerodactyl picked him up! "Aerodactyl" Goh said with tears of joy forming in his eyes. "You rescued me!" Aerodactyl boomed in response and gently placed Goh onto the ground nearby. The Beartic was even more furious, and it roared even louder. Goh turned to face his Pokémon. "Please trust me, Aerodactyl," he stated with a confident expression. "Let's defeat Beartic, together!" Aerodactyl looked at Goh and nodded.
"Alright!" Goh shouted after seeing his Pokémon's approval. "We'll show you our power, Beartic! Use Rock Slide!" Aerodactyl summoned numerous stones and sent them flying toward Beartic. Beartic looked at the incoming rocks and used Icicle Crash to counter the rocks.
"Quick! Charge forward and use Iron Head!" Goh exclaimed as he thrust his hand forward. Aerodactyl flew toward Beartic, skillfully avoiding the rocks and icicles and surprised Beartic with the attack. The attack caused Beartic to fall to the ground. It was now panting, but it looked even more angry.
"Bear!" Beartic bellowed once more as it charged forward with Superpower.
"Great job!" Goh said as he gave a thumbs up. "That was super effective, and Beartic is starting to become reckless. Now, use Dragon Breath on the ceiling."
Aerodactyl looked confused for a second, but Goh looked at him with a stern face. Aerodactyl decided to listen and launched a Dragon Breath towards the ceiling. Chunks of ice began to fall, and Beartic looked up as they crashed onto it. "Bear!" Beartic screamed in pain. It was trapped underneath the ice, but it was still trying to claw its way out. Soon, it broke through the ice and glowered at Aerodactyl.
"Finish it with Rock Slide!" Goh commanded as he pointed toward Beartic. Aerodactyl tossed the rocks, and they slammed into Beartic. The impact threw Beartic onto the floor. It groaned, "Bearrr" as it tried to get up.
"It's weak enough! Pokéball! Go!" Goh said as he threw a Pokéball toward Beartic. Beartic entered the Pokéball, and it began to shake. Aerodactyl and Goh stared at the Pokéball as it shook. "Please let it be captured!" Goh thought as he watched the ball. The ball suddenly stopped moving.
"Alright-" Goh began to say, but the ball exploded and Beartic came out. He frowned and gawked at the Beartic, "What! It still has strength!" Beartic furiously looked at Aerodactyl and roared once more. The cavern then began to change. Clouds were forming, and the wind was picking up speed. "Oh no!" Goh exclaimed as he struggled to keep the snow out of his face. "It's using Blizzard!"
The storm was getting stronger and stronger until Goh couldn't see Aerodactyl anymore. "Aerodactyl" he shouted with fear. A Blizzard in a cave could be dangerous, and Goh was getting more and more worried. As he stumbled blindly in the storm, he tripped and bumped into something.
"Bear!" he heard, and he hesitated for a second. He slowly looked up to see an outraged Beartic looming over him. "Aerodactyl!" Goh screamed as he attempted to crawl away from the Pokémon. Beartic lifted its arm and prepared to attack Goh. Suddenly, Aerodactyl came and blasted Beartic with a powerful beam of energy. Beartic crashed onto the floor, and the ground beneath it cracked. Goh was in awe as he looked at the tumbled Beartic. "That's Hyper Beam!" he marveled. "You learned a new move!"
"Aerooo" Aerodactyl screamed as it flew around the fallen Beartic. Goh looked at it and nodded.
"I understand! Pokéball! Go once more!" he shouted as he chucked the ball at the fallen Beartic. Once again, the ball shook, and Goh was sweating as he looked at it. His heart was beating faster and faster, until he heard a ding and his Rotom phone's voice:
"Beartic's data will be added to the Pokédex!"
The blizzard began to dissipate, and Goh rushed over to Aerodactyl who was panting from the battle. "Awesome job, Aerodactyl!" he cheered while he hugged the Fossil Pokémon. "That was a great battle! I can't wait to tell Ash and Chloe!" Aerodactyl looked at Goh's joyful exprssion. He realized that he was wrong about Goh's goal. It was true that Goh could get carried away with catching, but he still cared deeply about his Pokémon. Old and new.
"Aerodactyl!" Aerodactyl happily voiced. While Goh looked at Beartic's data on his phone, he noticed how late it was.
"Aerodactyl! We must get back! Ash and Chloe are probably worried about us!" he suddenly said. "Let's fly out of that hole in the ceiling!"
Goh climbed onto Aerodactyl's back, and the trainer and Pokémon prepared to make their way back to Dendemille Town.
"Where are they?" Chloe worriedly said as she peered into the dark sky. "It's been hours, and we still haven't seen them."
"Wait!" Ash exclaimed as he stood up. "I think I see something! Look!"
Chloe and Ash saw a large figure in the sky approaching them. As they looked carefully, they realized it was Goh and Aerodactyl!
"Goh!" Chloe and Ash shouted at the same time. Goh waved back to them, and Aerodactyl slowly descended in front of the two.
"Thanks, Aerodactyl," Goh laughed, and Aerodactyl smiled in response.
"Awesome!" Ash said as he looked at Goh and Aerodactyl. "Your bond has gotten stronger!"
Goh took off his helmet and replied with a smile, "That's right! I can't wait to tell you guys about today! It was crazy!"
As Goh was explaining what happened, the trio walked into the Pokémon Center to prepare for the night. For Ash and Chloe, the day was a regular one, but for Goh and Aerodactyl, the day was an important test to their friendship. Together, they triumphed over the Beartic in the Frozen Cavern, and they have gotten a lot closer as a result. Tomorrow, the three will make their way to Anistar City to learn about the Sundial and its connection with Mega Evolution. Little did they know that something sinister was brewing and that the Sundial would play an important role in the future of the world.
This chapter marked an important development for Goh and Aerodactyl. He is learning how important a bond between a trainer and his Pokémon can be. Ash will have chapters focusing on him, specifically him and his Farfetch'd. To those who are wondering, Greninja will make a return. If the return doesn't happen in this Kalos arc, it will happen in a future Kalos arc.