Scene 5 - Articuno

Kenta looked at the specialized Poké Ball in disbelief. Dark aura emanated from the ball. He had no idea that anyone could catch a legendary Pokémon. Had he thought it were possible, he would have tried to do it himself. But instead, it was this evil man who captured a legendary Pokémon. This evil man that tried to have Kenta and his Pokémon frozen was able to capture Articuno.

Kenta feared what would come next. Surely, the man wouldn't let Kenta leave without a fight, and Kenta's Pokémon were no match for what the Blizzard King was capable of. Not just that, but if the Blizzard King decided to use Articuno against him, Kenta knew that he wouldn't be making it out of the cave alive. Kenta had to fight back though. There was no use running away like he would prefer, as the Blizzard King's Pokémon could move on the ice with no issue, and they'd catch him in a matter of seconds.

"What are you gonna do, boy?" the Blizzard King asked. "I'm not going to enjoy finishing you off, but unfortunately, you saw me at work, and nobody gets to see me at work."

"How about this," Kenta said quietly while trying to stand up. "We have a Pokémon battle! You see, I'm a great Pokémon trainer from Pallet Town. Maybe you've heard of me! The name is Kasuga Midori!"

The Blizzard King didn't react to the name.

"Alright. Well then. If we battle, and I win, then I want your Articuno."

The Blizzard King laughed to himself. "You can't be serious? Why would I risk my money for some pitiful battle? What would you have to offer me that's of equal value?"

"If you beat me, then you can run free. I won't tell anyone what I saw today. My lips are sealed. We could both benefit from having Articuno, so I gain nothing by telling people," Kenta said. He was bluffing, but he was hoping that the Blizzard King wouldn't know that. "You don't gotta kill me, so that won't be on your mind."

The Blizzard King truly didn't want to kill the boy. He would be comfortable with killing an adult had he been forced to, but taking away the life from a child was a different story. He hoped that he wouldn't have to stoop that low. He now had a chance to earn the kid's silence without killing him. There was zero chance that he'd lose to the boy, as his Pokémon were clearly much weaker. This boy piqued his interest.

"If I beat you, and you make it out of here on your own, and you tell anyone, I'll hunt you down, and I'll put you on ice," the Blizzard King said with a sneer.

Kenta pulled his two Poké Balls from his belt and extended his arms out at his side. He withdrew his fainted Wartortle and Charmeleon. What the Blizzard King hadn't realized up to this point was that Charmeleon's tail was keeping the small room lit. Now with Charmeleon gone, everything went black again.

"Let's do this!" Kenta shouted before throwing two of his Poké Balls forward. There was a quick flash of light, and then Pokémon materialized onto the icy floor. The Blizzard King had no idea what the boy had chosen, and now the mystery of what waited for him on the other side of the darkness made him slightly nervous. He was sure he could handle it though.

"Abomasnow, whip up a storm."

His Pokémon stepped forward. He couldn't see in the dark like he could through a blizzard. It didn't make any difference to him though. He still used his attack like he normally would. He did fear accidentally striking his master though.

Kenta put up his arms and shielded his face from the violent wind. An Ice-type move. If my Poison-type theory is correct, then that means that both of my Pokémon are weak!

"Bulbasaur, fight back! Use Take Down!" Kenta ordered. He looked through the darkness and tried to find the ghostly form of his other Pokémon. He then whispered, "Haunter, I need you to do something."

Bulbasaur charged forward with no idea where he was going. As the storm picked up and became stronger, he knew that he was headed towards the middle, and if the eye of a blizzard was anything like the eye of a hurricane, it meant that he'd be safe. He bounded through the storm, ice crystalizing over his bulb, but then he did it. He reached the middle. He breathed deeply, taking solace in the fact that he was safe. But little did he know, Abomasnow stood right above him. Luckily for him, Abomasnow was also unaware of Bulbasaur's presence.

"Stop your attack," the Blizzard King ordered.

Abomasnow did as told, and he lowered his arms. Bulbasaur then realized how close the Pokémon was, and he clenched, hoping that Abomasnow wouldn't find him.

The Blizzard King tapped his boot against the ground, letting the metal noise clang off of the walls. He did it repeatedly. Kenta had no idea why he was doing it, but he stood still, hoping that Haunter was still able to do what was asked of him.

"Where are you at, boy?" the Blizzard King asked. "Don't tell me that you ran away."

Kenta didn't reply. He tried to hold his breath, as the sound of a needle dropping would be able to be heard in the small silent room.

"He's still here," the Blizzard King said. "Leaf Storm!"

"Bulbasaur, use Poison Powder now!" Kenta shouted.

Before Abomasnow could wave around his body and start sending a flurry of leaves around the room, Bulbasaur leaped forward. He attached himself to Abomasnow's foot, startling the large Pokémon. Then, he took in a deep breath before unleashing the purple powder from the tip of his bulb. It shot into the air and engulfed Abomasnow, sending the Ice-type into a coughing fit.

"Abomasnow!" the Blizzard King shouted.

Kenta then changed his focus, trying to find Haunter once again. The Ghost-type could easily see through the darkness, so he knew that the Pokémon could do what Kenta asked of him. Out of the four Pokémon in the room, Haunter had the advantage. Kenta just hoped that he wasn't going to get up to any of his tricks and stick to the plan.

"Haunter-haunter-haunt!" the Pokémon's voice cried out from the darkness.

"I hope that's good news!" Kenta exclaimed. "Haunter, use Hex!"

"Enough games!" the Blizzard King shouted. He was hoping to save what remaining supplies he had so he could make a swift exit, but he had no choice. He pulled a flare from his pocket and lit it, illuminating the room.

Haunter wasn't attempting to attack either of the Blizzard King's Pokémon, but rather, the ghostly Pokémon was holding his sharp claws over the Poké Ball with the dark aura. It giggled to itself as it sucked away the aura.

"Get away from that Poké Ball!" the Blizzard King shouted. "You're going to leave me no choice, boy! Abomasnow, use Hammer Arm!"

Although Abomasnow had taken a lot of damage from the poison that now ran through his body. He still managed to look down at Bulbasaur and swing his massive arm. He smashed it into Bulbasaur's face, sending the Pokémon flying all the way back to Kenta. The trainer caught the Pokémon and held his limp body.

Kenta shook his head. The wind from Blizzard and the power from Hammer Arm were simply too much. He let the red light of his Poké Ball withdraw Bulbasaur, his first-ever Pokémon. He was now left with only Haunter, who had at times been hard to handle.

"Put down that Poké Ball, or I'll be forced to hurt you!" the Blizzard King commanded.

Kenta didn't move, and Haunter continued to smile while using Hex on the Poké Ball.

"I said put it down!" he yelled again. "Abomasnow, use-"

"A-bo," his Pokémon cooed, cutting him off. He stumbled backward before falling down. The poison had done its job, and Abomasnow had fainted.

"No," the Blizzard King muttered. He withdrew Abomasnow and then pointed at Haunter. "Cloyster, Hydro Pump! Blast it into oblivion!"

"Use Curse!" Kenta shouted while running forward. He slid across the ice and jumped, taking the Poké Ball from Haunter to allow him to attack. Haunter floated through the air while forming black energy in his claws. The energy took on the form of a large nail. He laughed maniacally before shoving the nail into his mouth, piercing the back of his throat. He belched, unleashing ghostly powers from his body. The ghostly powers wrapped around Cloyster, making the Pokémon close its shell to try to defend itself. It didn't work, and the aura seeped through.

"What did you do to my Pokémon?!" the Blizzard King asked.

Kenta didn't answer. He just held Articuno's Poké Ball in his hand. He looked at the Poké Ball and grinned. He believed that Haunter was able to get rid of whatever dark powers the ball had before. But he could feel the energy radiating from the ball. He wasn't sure how, but he knew that he needed to release Articuno if he wanted to win this fight.

"Put," the Blizzard King said through gritted teeth, "the ball down now."

Kenta held it high.

"Don't-"

And then he threw it directly at the ground below him, causing an explosion the likes that are only seen in battles held at league conferences. It was powerful enough to knock Kenta and Haunter back, but the Blizzard King and Cloyster remained where they stood.

Kenta smacked against the wall, his head hitting its icy surface. His vision suddenly blurred, and he fell to the ground. He felt at the back of his head, feeling something wet. He was unsure if it was blood or water, but he couldn't bother to care right now.

The room had become much brighter. The force of the explosion managed to blow a hole in the ceiling, which let in light. They were very deep into the cavern, so the sight of the light was only a tease. Kenta still saw no easy way out.

Kenta was still yet to see if what he did worked. He figured that either 1) he had accidentally killed Articuno or 2) he had successfully set it free. He tried to focus, and he looked out onto the ice where the light was starting to dim. Articuno came into view from the smoke. It appeared healed from its wounds, glancing back towards Kenta and smiling. It stood up straight and let its long tail flow across the room.

The Blizzard King stomped his feet. "I don't think so! I'm not finished with you yet! Cloyster, use-"

But he stopped. He looked at his Pokémon, who was usually motionless, but there was something even more motionless about it than before, if that was even possible. Cloyster fell over, landing on its side. It didn't bother reopening, as Curse had done its job.

"No! No! No!" the Blizzard King started to shout repeatedly. He didn't relent, but that didn't stop Kenta from standing back up.

Kenta limped to Articuno's side, holding onto the back of his head. His speech was now slurred, but he was sure that the Blizzard King still understood what he was going to say. "Your finithed!"

The Blizzard King stopped stomping. He glared at Articuno and then Kenta. "I've wrestled with Beartic bigger than you! I'll take you down with my bare hands!"

"Ha! Bear hands!" Kenta laughed. His vision blurred. He looked at his hand, confirming that he had in fact been bleeding.

The Blizzard King rushed forward. He reached out his arms to try to grab Kenta, but the trainer was surprisingly fast for having suffered a concussion.

"Sucker Punch!" he yelled. The sound of his own voice rang through his ears, and he winced.

Haunter raced to the front of Kenta and then jabbed, hitting the Blizzard King directly in the beard and knocking the man silly. Articuno followed with a screech. It flapped its wings, releasing vicious winds, which circled around the room and then erupted out of the Seafoam Islands. Although he probably weighed two-hundred and fifty pounds, the Blizzard King was lifted from the ground, and then tossed upwards. He blasted from the ceiling and disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Everything went silent, and the Blizzard King didn't come back down. Kenta had heard of people being shot off into the clouds by Pokémon attacks and surviving, but he wasn't sure if that was just an old wive's tale to try to assure young trainers that it was safe to go on adventures.

Kenta looked in awe at the Pokémon and then he cringed before looking at the ground. "Did we just kill a guy?"

Articuno screeched, breaking Kenta's train of thought. At this moment though, almost anything could. Kenta's head was pouring blood, and he was starting to lose consciousness.

He looked at the legendary Pokémon and smiled before stumbling to the side like someone who had too much to drink. "Hey, Artichoke! You wanna join with me and my cute ghost friend?! We can battle Koga and beat the ninja boy!" he exclaimed loud and proud. However, he wasn't even capable of looking at the Pokémon. "What do you say?!"

Articuno responded by flapping its wings and screeching.

Kenta couldn't take anymore. He collapsed, and all went black.

Kenta woke up a few days later in the hospital, his head bandaged. No one knew how he got to the hospital, but someone, or something, dropped him off in a bloodied mess at the front. All of his Pokémon had sustained heavy damage too, so they were transferred over to the Pokémon Center where they were healed in a matter of days. After they had recovered, Nurse Joy took them to the hospital, where they'd wait patiently for Kenta to come back to consciousness.

"You're awake," a familiar voice said quietly.

Kenta opened his eyes as widely as he could. Koga stood over him. "What happened to you?"

Kenta didn't answer immediately. He tried to sit up, but a pain shot through his body.

"Take it easy," Koga said. "Don't stress yourself. What happened?"

"I was about to ask the same thing," he said. He finally was able to get himself to sit up before examining the room. "The last thing that I remember was paying a lot of money for an Alola Cola. I was headed off for the Seafoam Islands."

Koga folded his arms. "Whatever happened, it must have been intense. You're concussed, and your Pokémon were not in good shape. The only Pokémon that was in healthy condition was Haunter. I'm glad to see you're awake though."

"Crazy," Kenta muttered.

Koga sighed and then handed him a water bottle. "Drink a lot of water and get some rest. I've never had this much trouble from a challenger before. I have to go. Don't leave your bed unless the nurses say it's okay."

Koga left, leaving Kenta alone with his Pokémon. They all knew what happened, but they had no idea how to tell their trainer about it.

He smiled. "I think that Articuno wouldn't appreciate it if we told people about its home. Let's make a promise to never tell anyone's secrets, okay?"

The Pokémon were relieved that their trainer wasn't actually suffering from memory loss. They all nodded, cheered, and then jumped on the bed, making him shout from pain.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

And so concludes this story (actually there's a post A/N scene after the review area (stolen from UKEagleClaw)). Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, then I recommend reading my other stuff! This was a short entry into the small Pokémon world that I've been building. Kenta, while not a main character, is definitely important and influential on one of my main characters. For more of Kenta's story, please read Healing in Hoenn and Kickin' It In Kanto!

REVIEWS:

UKEagleClaw - "Great chapter. Liked how you described the first half with Kenta unable to find a way out and then his interaction with the Blizzard King while trying to escape giving commands to his Pokémon was nicely handled. Liked the repetition of the 'He was embarrassed' and overall Kenta's personality and how you have developed him. Great work!" - Yeah, I really like writing for pathetic characters. And as far as I'm concerned, Kenta was a pathetic rookie trainer. I even tried to hint at this in HiH.

Scene 6 - ?

Kenta was unable to catch an Ice-type Pokémon like he had intended to. In fact, he forgot why he went to the Seafoam Islands to begin with, as an encounter with a madman will do that to a person. He returned to Fuchsia City once again, empty-handed, but there was no way that his training was going to stop.

Unless it was for a fishing break.

After another failed attempt at catching any Pokémon in the Safari Zone, he decided that he had no choice but to relax. He had been under a lot of stress from various sources in the past week, and he wanted nothing more than to simply do something that required no thought.

He put together his fishing rod, threading his line across his pole and into the reel. He cast his line and took a seat on the edge of one of the small ponds in the Safari Zone. He looked out at the water, which was still as glass. He sighed and then laid his head back, looking up towards the sky, which was without a single cloud.

"Maybe I'm not cut out to be a Pokémon trainer. Maybe I don't belong at the Indigo Plateau," he mused. "Maybe I'd be better off as an assistant or something. There's no way that I'll ever win a conference." The image of one of his rivals, a small girl with a bobbed haircut, flashed in his mind. Every time that they met, she mocked him for being weak. He had cracked it up to rival-speak, but now he saw it as a simple warning. Maybe she didn't want him to embarrass himself.

Come to think of it, she loved to fish too. Kenta looked at his rod, which had started to twitch. His eyebrow perked up, and he slowly sat forward, looking towards the pond. The water was no longer still. Something had taken his bait, and something was starting to stir.

"Oh, yeah," he muttered. Please don't be Goldeen. Please don't be Goldeen. Please don't be Goldeen.

Whatever it was then pulled violently on the bob, yanking it underwater. Kenta responded by grabbing the fishing pole. He pulled back, and the two began to play a game of tug-of-war. Kenta was done losing though. Not this time.

With a loud shriek, he heaved and pulled the bob out of the water, bringing the Pokémon along with it. The Pokémon took into the air and sparkled off of the sun. Kenta looked up and smiled. This Pokémon, while not immediately, would change the course of his journey.