Meanwhile, Kenai stared into the water and poked his paw into the water as the salmon swam by, carefreely. Ingrid seemed to be sitting and talking with a panther while the others just sat around, not sure of what to do.
"Does this mean we fail the adventure?" Felicity frowned.
"...Maybe Nita and Micco will come turn around..." Akito spoke up. "...They have to..."
"Maybe." Vincent said.
"I know that Estelle's right." Ingrid told the Panther.
"I'm sure she is, you are wise and powerful in your own way," The panther told Ingrid. "And I should know about power."
"So you have the Element of Power?" Ingrid asked.
"Yes, I do," The panther replied. "My name is Koi."
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Ingrid smiled.
"A pleasure to meet you as well," Koi replied. "I should also warn you."
"Yes?" Ingrid asked.
"It may be a bit hard to find Alya the Bear," Koi advised as he gave her his mark. "She may be where you would very least expect her to be, but I cannot tell you of where she is."
"I understand." Ingrid nodded.
"You're doing very well," Koi told Ingrid. "The Great Spirits really appreciate it."
"Thank you, Koi," Ingrid said as she hugged the panther. "This has been a big adventure and experience for all of us, even if Nita made the wrong choice as I feel she would be better with Kenai than this Atka person."
Koi nodded before vanishing. Ingrid let out a small gasp, but stayed strong as she remembered what Koi had told her, along with the other animals she had met so far, except for the bear she had yet met who was supposed to be the final piece to her puzzle.
"Kenai?" Koda soon spoke up as he sat beside his big brother. "Did you give Nita the amulet because you loved her?"
Kenai heaved a sharp sigh before answering that question. "It was a long time ago."
"We can tell that you still love her." Vincent told Kenai.
Kenai glanced back softly.
"And there's nothing wrong with that." Vincent then continued softly.
"Yeah, she's still with you, in here," Koda said as he put his paw to Kenai's heart. "I can tell."
"It doesn't work that way." Kenai sighed.
"Well, if you do love her, shouldn't you tell her?" Koda asked his big brother.
"It's a little more complicated than that," Kenai told him as he set down the bear cub, patting him on the head. "Anyway, it's over."
Akito, Estelle, Felicity, and Vincent began to look a little disappointed from that.
"Hey, I promised you we'd be the first two bears to Crowberry Ridge," Kenai then decided to change the subject. "Pinky swear, remember? How about first thing in the morning we rustle up some more berries? Sound good?" he then smiled at Koda before he decided to walk off.
"It can't end this way." Mismagius said.
"I don't wanna believe it." Kabutops replied.
Teddy pouted as he felt the most sad for Kenai's situation, especially since Koda was very down about it.
Koda climbed up to the rocks and he decided to have a little prayer to himself. "Mom, Kenai is so sad. It's all because of me," he then said. "I'll be okay on my own. Tell the spirits to change Kenai back so he can be happy." he then finished before he decided to walk off.
The Great Spirits heard Koda's request and knew that it wouldn't be wise to leave a bear cub alone and had a different idea.
"I'm sorry, Koda." Ingrid whispered softly.
Teddy, Kabutops, Ninetails, Tyraniter, and Mismagius frowned as they felt bad as well.
The next day...
"Jeez, he's really out, eh?" Rutt's voice said as Kenai was still asleep before he slowly began to wake up.
"Yeah." Tuke's voice replied.
"Maybe we should throw some water on his face." Rutt suggested.
"Why don't you just stand there drooling, eh?" Tuke smirked at his brother. "That should do it."
"Trample off." Rutt scoffed from that.
"Hey I think I saw him move." Tuke said as he saw Kenai waking up.
Kenai began to slowly wake up before seeing his two moose friends.
"Rise and shine, Bear Boy!" Tuke smiled.
"Yeah, not time to 'hydroplane' yet, eh?" Rutt added.
"It's hibernate, you hoofer." Tuke corrected his brother.
"That's what I said." Rutt shrugged.
Kenai groaned as he soon sat up and started to wake up for the day.
"Hey, we saw Smallish Bear and the humans and their Pokemon friends last night, eh?" Tuke said.
"Yeah, we tried to stop them, eh? But they wouldn't listen to us." Rutt added.
"What?" Kenai asked. "Where were they going?"
"Uh... Oh. To get Nita, eh?" Tuke replied. "Smallish Bear said he was gonna bring her back for you and the others went with him."
"Bring her back?" Kenai asked before knowing where to go. "No, no. If he steps foot in the village, the hunters will get him." he then panicked for his little brother as he dashed off.
"Aw, gee..." Rutt and Tuke said together in concern as Anda and Kata came beside them.
In Nita and Micco's village, it was time to get the wedding back on track. Micco sighed to himself as he sat in his space while Nita was getting ready with the help of their aunts and where they were in their usual arguing antics.
"Almost there." Siqiniq said.
"And now for the final touch, a beautiful bead necklace." Taqqiq smiled as she brought out a bead necklace to her niece.
"Oh, no, you don't. Not this time," Siqiniq argued as she brought out a shell necklace. "This is much more appropriate."
"Yeah, and that doesn't match anything she's wearing." Taqqiq glared.
"And what makes you think those beads do?" Siqiniq scoffed.
The two decided to stop arguing before they brought out their necklaces to their niece to cheer her up.
"Nita, what would make you happy?" Taqqiq soon asked.
Nita sighed softly and turned away from her aunts as she just felt too low to answer them and where both of the aunts could tell she wasn't happy.
"Once again, we are ready," Chief Chiltkoot smiled as he came to see his daughter. "Are you, my daughter?"
Siqiniq and Taqqiq looked concerned as they came beside the father of the bride.
"Yes, Father." Nita replied without looking at him.
Chief Chiltkoot could tell there was something wrong since his daughter didn't sound happy. Siqiniq and Taqqiq looked concerned as well, but Chief Chiltkoot made them go wait outside so he could sit and talk with Nita. "I would expect a bride to be smiling on her wedding day," The man said softly to his daughter. "Is there something wrong?"
Nita sighed as she looked up at him. "Daddy, I'm so confused," she then explained. "I thought that when I burned the amulet, the bond would be broken, but in my heart, I..." she then touched her heart as she started to see that Estelle was right before. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I can't marry Atka."
"Nita..." Chief Chiltkoot started.
A high-pitched scream was soon heard which startled both Nita and her father.
"There are a couple of bears in the village!" A woman's voice cried out.
Nita, Micco, and Chief Chiltkoot poked their heads out as the villagers panicked.
"Calm down!" Akito's voice called out. "They're not gonna hurt you!"
"Yeah!" Estelle's voice added.
A group of village kids began to chase after a familiar-looking bear cub.
"Koda?" Nita asked once she saw the bear which was one she knew all too well. "Wait! Wait, don't hurt him." she then cried out.
Koda soon ran through baskets of fish, knocking them down on the ground.
"No, our fish!" Another villager called out.
"Koda, this way!" Teddy called out to the bear cub.
Koda then rushed over to the Ursaring while the villagers tried to catch him.
"This is not good." Ninetails said.
Teddy soon brought Koda over and they ran off together as the villagers tried to get them both.
"Teddy, please be careful." Estelle whispered, even though her Pokemon was a full-grown Ursaring, she still worried about him, like when he was a shy, quiet little Teddiursa.
"Congratulations, Sis, you've now become an official mom." Akito remarked.
The villagers still chased Teddy and Koda before they climbed up a tree out of fear and desperation. Teddy soon tried to think of which attack to use out of fear.
"Oh, guys!" Estelle yelped as she began to run out.
"Estelle!" The others cried out.
"Stop it!" Estelle cried out as she ran towards the tree to save Koda and Teddy, feeling like a protective mother, especially for her Pokemon. "They're just little bears! They never did anything to you!"
"Little? Have you seen the size of one of those bears?" One of the villagers asked.
"Just please stop!" Estelle cried out.
"Don't make me use my Fury Swipes!" Teddy threatened as he sat with Koda as the villagers tried to get them since they were wild bears.
"What do we do?" Mismagius asked.
Feb 16"Think... Think... Think..." Akito stopped to himself.
Eventually, the villagers felt more scared as they ran off just as Kenai rushed out with a roar.
"Okay, Koda, get ready to jump!" Teddy told his friend as they sat in the tree as he knew what Kenai was doing.
"Okay!" Koda replied.
Kenai soon ran through the village, scaring away some villagers until he came to the tree.
"Go!" Teddy then told Koda before they both hopped down and the bear cub ended up on Kenai's back.
"Teddy!" Estelle cried out before she hugged her Ursaring with relief.
"Get your spears!" Atka soon told the other men from the village as they ran towards Kenai.
"This is really bad." Estelle said.
They soon heard two familiar words shouted out.
"Looks like we might get a helping hand." Akito then told Estelle.
"Don't worry, bears," Micco vowed as he grew in size yet again. "I'll help you out of here."
Kenai and Koda were happy to see Micco.
"Hey! What the...?" Atka gasped.
"Step off of those bears!" Micco glared as he began to protect Kenai and Koda.
"Micco, are you insane?" Atka asked.
"Maybe these bears don't want to hurt you," Micco firmly told Atka. "I won't let you hurt them."
"Then you're a traitor to your people for defending the animals like this," Atka glared. "Maybe you should go too."
"Good luck trying to beat me," Micco glared back. "Especially if you wish to marry my sister."
"And besides you'd have a hard time beating him when he's that size." Vincent told Atka.
"Are you working with the bears too?" Atka glared.
"Working with the bears?" Vincent repeated. "You're talking crazy, man!"
"I don't see why you should defend wild animals that could hurt and kill you," Atka replied firmly. "They deserve to die."
"No, they don't!" Estelle told him.
Kenai and Koda soon took their time to get away once Micco began to keep them safe.
"You will not hurt the animals," Ingrid narrowed her eyes. "Not when I'm around. Roshan, stay safe."
Roshan then scooted away as his big sister soon stomped out firmly towards Atka.
"I've been with the animals for a long time," Ingrid glared. "My best friends are a mammoth, sloth, and saber-tooth tiger and I won't let you hurt them ever again."
'Whoa, I've never seen Ingrid like this.' The Fudo siblings thought to themselves.
"Back away, little girl." Atka told Ingrid.
"You'll have to fight me if you want those bears if that's what you really want." Ingrid challenged as she narrowed her eyes at him.
Akito and the others were surprised to hear Ingrid challenge Atka.
"Micco, I must help you help the animals and our friends." Ingrid decided.
"You sure, kid?" Micco asked her.
"Yes, there's a lot more to me than meets the eye," Ingrid replied. "Especially in the safety and rights for wild animals."
"Alright." Micco nodded.
"Atka, you are no better than a mighty predator if you wish to hunt for sport and not care about the animal in danger." Ingrid glared.
"I don't want to have to fight a child, but you're not making any sense," Atka glared back. "We're hunters, we hunt animals to survive. You will understand when you're older."
'Yeah and killing an animal he thinks is dangerous without actually knowing about them makes so much sense.' Akito thought to himself sarcastically.
"I'm sorry, Atka," Ingrid said firmly as her eyes seemed to flash yellow. "But I might have to ask you to leave."
Akito gasped a bit from the eye color change.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Estelle asked her twin brother.
"That that reminds you of when we helped Balto and Aleu and we first met Ingrid?" Akito guessed.
"Then I believe we have the same thought," Estelle replied. "After all, we are twins."
"True." Akito nodded.
"I'm sorry, Atka, but you can't hunt these animals," Ingrid glared. "Even if it means you have to kill me too."
"I know you wouldn't kill a child... You wouldn't harm one... If you do, you're no better than the predators you dislike," Micco told Atka. "And you would never be a proper fit for my sister with that kind of attitude."
'He's right.' Vincent thought to himself.
"It's your choice, Atka," Ingrid glared. "You can kill us and kill the bears which makes you more of a monster than any of the animals, or you can sit down and think about what you're doing and maybe think that not all bears are bad news and neither are the animals."
The Spirit Animals soon seemed to come beside Ingrid from that, except for the bear who she had not yet met.
'I hope he makes the right choice.' Felicity thought to herself.
Atka just narrowed his eyes at Ingrid. Ingrid glared back.
Micco soon shrunk down before coming to the kids. "Where did Kenai and Koda go?" he then asked them.
"I think they ran far into the forest," Estelle frowned. "They must be scared to death of Atka."
"We better go check on them." Akito said.
The group soon ran off after Kenai and Koda while Ingrid would take care of Atka. Unfortunately, there were still other hunters after Kenai and Koda.
"Wait, you guys!" Nita called out to the kids which made them stop and look over to see her. "I'm coming with you!"
"Alright." Estelle nodded with a smile.
"Let's go then." Micco told his sister.
"Yes." Nita agreed.
"Oh, Ingrid, Kabutops, be careful." Felicity whispered as they ran off then.
Kenai and Koda began to try to climb away from the hunters. The hunters glared and one of them soon threw a spear against Kenai's back as they climbed up a rock wall together and where that caused Kenai to growl and glare at the hunters.
"Follow me!" One of the hunters roared out while climbing up the rock wall.
Kenai soon shoved down a boulder from the rock wall to make the hunters go away, but they dodged it as they climbed up as carefully as they could. Kenai and Koda soon made it up to the top of the wall and began to run, but there was a dead-end which was bad news for them. Kenai soon took Koda over to a perfect place to hide him.
"Please stop this!" Estelle cried out.
"Ah, Estelle." Akito frowned in concern for his sister's unhappiness.
"Stay low." Kenai whispered to Koda as he hid his little brother before running off.
"Kenai." Koda frowned.
One hunter grabbed a torch and began to go after Kenai as he went to find someplace himself to hide.
"This can't be good for the Great Spirits." Akito said as he climbed with the others.
"Atka should stop them." Vincent replied hopefully.
"Yeah, I mean it's not like he would be crazy enough to keep on with hunting Kenai and Koda." Felicity said. She then yelped as she nearly fell.
"Gotcha!" Akito said as he took her hand.
"Oh... Thank you..." Felicity sighed in relief. "You guys are just like my own brothers and sister... Even if we are cousins."
"That's true." Vincent nodded.
"Akito, are we almost to Kenai and Koda?" Felicity soon asked.
"Yeah, I think I see them up ahead." Akito replied.
"That's good and at least none of the hunters have found them yet." Felicity said.
"Come on, this way." Akito gestured.
They all soon ran off together to go look for Kenai or Koda before the hunters would kill them and where, unfortunately, the hunters caught up.
"Oh, no..." The young group groaned to themselves.
"I'll hunt you and skin your fur off to make a nice rug for my home so I can make Atka proud," The hunter glared. "People will know the name Long Shadow."
"Long Shadow...?" Estelle repeated. "...Akito, isn't that a name from one of the other Justice Leagues aside from the Super Friends?"
Akito soon took out his cards to check. "Yeah, you're right!" he then said. "I can't believe it! Apache Chief and Long Shadow are both from ancient times!"
"But that's impossible," Vincent said. "How could both of them be from ancient times, now Apache Chief that makes sense, but Long Shadow? No way."
"I dunno..." Akito replied. "But I feel like we might get an answer sometime later."
"Right now, we better stop Long Shadow." Estelle suggested.
"Right!" The others replied in a Power Rangers fashion.
Long Shadow soon went looking for Kenai and Koda, holding his torch close. Koda then hid away as he saw Long Shadow coming his way which startled him. Luckily, Long Shadow didn't see him as he went further focusing on finding Kenai. Koda soon wandered out once he thought the coast was clear.
"There you are!" A hunter's voice said as he grabbed a hold of the bear cub.
Koda yelled out and struggled. Teddy growled at that as Koda roared out for help.
"Uh-oh." The other Pokemon gulped.
Teddy growled as he came towards the hunters.
"Teddy, no!" Estelle cried out for her Pokemon.
The hunters smirked at Teddy as he came to them.
Akito soon saw something before smirking a bit before smirking at the hunters. "I wouldn't touch that cub or that, uh, big bear if I were you!" he then called out to them with high confidence.
"Oh, yeah?" The first hunter smirked back.
"And why not?" The second hunter added.
"Because I think they might be unhappy about that." Akito replied.
"Who's they?" The hunters asked.
Akito then pointed up bravely. The two hunters soon looked up to see Rutt and Tuke looking angry and protective as they showed up before the hunters got nervous and decided to let Koda go. Rutt and Tuke soon jumped off from where they were and landed on two branches. The group winced a bit from that as that didn't go as smoothly as planned, but luckily, it would get better.
"Nice move, eh?" Tuke glared at Rutt.
"Gee, eh?" Rutt replied.
The branches then broke off with them on it before landing on top of the two hunters and trapping them.
"Our heroes." The two female moose smiled.
Rutt and Tuke laughed at that as they shared a high-hoof with each other.
"Come on!" Koda called out as he crawled onto Tuke's back. "We have to find Kenai!"
"Wait for us!" The group called out as they went after the bear cub and group of moose.
Kenai kept going until looking back to see he was still being followed and soon made his way through a narrow path.
Long Shadow looked around and soon crawled out as he came after Kenai. "This will probably make Atka respect me... It'll make everybody respect me..." he told himself as he went after the bear. "And no bunch of kids and mutants are gonna stop me."
Kenai soon hopped all around to get away from Long Shadow as he felt scared.
Eventually, back with the others, it looked as though Ingrid was able to talk Atka down into not hunting or killing.
"I had no idea how insightful you were..." Atka said to Ingrid. "I suppose you and Micco are right."
"Well, animals have feelings just like we do; they care for their families." Ingrid said.
"I... I'm sorry..." Atka said softly. "...But what if they hurt us first?"
"I'm afraid we can't help nature, but maybe when someone who cares and loves animals tries to tell you something, you should listen to them." Ingrid replied.
The Spirit Animals all smiled from that as they felt proud of Ingrid, especially Tokala.
"This may not look good for Long Shadow then." Atka said to her and Micco.
"We have to stop him." Micco said before shouting. "'Ineck Chock'!"
Ingrid looked up as Micco grew in size. Micco then bent down and held out his hand for the girl.
"Thank you for listening, Atka." Ingrid said as she climbed into the giant man's hand.
Atka nodded from that as Micco decided to walk off with her in his hold as they went after the others to go help Kenai and Koda.