Not All Arrogance (A Gary Oak Love Story) Part 18~The Legend of the Ice Titan
Amy, Gary and Duplica stood eagerly on the ferry's deck as it approached the sunny resort of the Seafoam Islands. Gabriel and Ditto seemed equally glad to learn that they would be getting to chill out on a beach for a day or two. Amy was surprised that Gary was willing to take a few days rest from training, but decided not to comment and ruin her good fortune.
"I can't wait to try out my new swimsuit I got in Celadon!" Duplica said as she happily clapped her hands together. Amy giggled.
"And I can't wait for Amy to try outher new swimsuit from Celadon," Gary grinned. Amy elbowed him in the side, blushing furiously. As the ferry docked, the group raced toward the platform and prepared to disembark for some sand, surf and sun.
When they got off the ferry and headed for the hotel, Amy glanced up at the Twin Mountains that took up the sky at the north end of the island. They were tall, and Amy could see some snow at the top that wasn't obscured by clouds. She found it amazing that a place so hot and sunny could have snow anywhere on it, even though she knew that the higher you are the colder it gets. The mountains were almost identical, and apparently they held a sort of almost religious sway over the people on the island evoking many myths and legends. Amy was hoping to hear quite a few before she had to leave and if she could convince Gary and Duplica she knew she'd love to get a closer look as well. Actually, even if they refused she could always fly over on Selene and be back within an hour if she wanted to. It wasn't THAT far away. In any case, when they reached the glistening sand-white building decorated in palm trees and red flowers, all thoughts of snow left Amy's mind. This was like a mini paradise! They walked across the white marble floor decked with beautiful red sand rugs towards the check in desk. A lady sat behind it smiling, a cute blue bird Pokémon on a perch beside her. Gary told her who they were and how Prof. Oak had called ahead. The lady nodded and pulled up the information on the computer.
"Be sure to check out our fine restaurant and lovely pools!" the bird Pokémon squawked. Amy jumped.
"I-it just spoke!" Amy stammered.
The lady grinned. "Yes, this is Polly, my Chatot. It's very good at mimicking sound, but that's all he does. He isn't really talking. The manager taught him to say that for the guests, most people get a kick out of it."
"I'll say," Duplica laughed as Ditto squealed its name and transformed into a Chatot as well.
"Chatot!" squawked Ditto.
"Ditto!" squawked Chatot.
The trio and their Pokémon then headed up to their rooms. They had two suites, one with two double beds for Amy and Duplica and one with a queen-size bed for Gary. Amy decided to chalk up the bigger bed to having Prof. Oak as his grandpa. The rooms were beautiful, done up in pastels and sandy tropical hues. Ditto and Gabriel were jumping from bed to bed as Duplica took a shower. Gary was showering in his own room and Amy was flipping channels on the TV. She had grown up in a world of cable, so satellite TV was a whole new world of wow for her. She was perfectly entertained seeing about 3 seconds of every show possible, from Cooking with Combuskin to the Lifestyles of the Elite Four. In the middle of her channel surfing frenzy Amy stumbled upon a program for Seafoam Island activates, a channel specific to the hotel.
"When you aren't checking out the beach, be sure to visit the fairgrounds in the valley between the Ice Cave Mountains!" said a woman with bright yellow hair and a microphone on the screen. She was standing in the middle of a carnival with shops, games, a Ferris wheel and other rides in the background. "All week there'll be laser shows and fireworks at night and entertainers from all over the Kanto region coming to participate in the Festival of the Ice Titan!"
Festival of the Ice Titan? Amy thought puzzled. It was then that Duplica came out of the bathroom, hair wet and seeming refreshed. She had a towel wrapped tightly around her. Amy looked respectfully away as Duplica pulled on her clothes. "Hey, the TV says there's a festival going on this week up by the mountains, we should check it out."
"A festival? Cool! What's it for?" Duplica asked as she finished pulling on her clothes and plopped down beside Amy.
"Apparently it's called the Festival of the Ice Titan."
"The Ice Titan?" Duplica asked confused. Amy shrugged to indicate that she had no idea either. She then headed into the bathroom for her own shower. The bathroom was done up in white marble. Amy dropped her clothes by the sink and climbed over the rim of the whirlpool tub, pulled the white curtain closed and turned on the water. The water pounded down in hot waves, and Amy felt pure bliss as grime washed off her.
*
20 minutes later Amy got out of the shower, feeling completely rejuvenated. She grabbed a towel, wrung out her hair and then wrapped the towel firmly around her before stepping out of the bathroom. One look in the room she ran back into the bathroom blushing furiously.
"GARY GET OUT OF HERE!" she yelled through the door.
"SORRY!" Gary yelled back and made a show of making lots of noise opening the door to his suit and slamming it shut. Duplica was still snorting with laughter as Amy came out, carefully.
"That was not funny!" she snapped as she grabbed her clothes and began getting into them. They were a pair of dark blue capries and a sky blue sleeveless top. After Duplica had calmed herself they let Gary come back in. Duplica had already explained the festival and Gary said he wanted to check it out as well.
"But we can't get there in time for lasers today, it's the other side of the island, we should probably just hit the beach till dark and then-" Gary started but Amy shook her head.
"We can make it, if we ride Selene," Amy said with a smile.
"You think she can carry all of us?" Duplica asked with a small frown.
"She's a Dragonair, and a big one, she could carry us and more," Gary said smirking. "That's a good idea Amy, let's go!" Amy grinned in response as Ditto and Gabriel shouted their own agreement.
*****
So, only a few minutes later they were outside the hotel. It was pretty deserted, with only a few tourists taking pictures. Amy released Selene who was indeed big, about four meters long. None the less, it did seem a little precarious putting three humans on her back considering that the secret of Dragonair flight is a little obscure. Its wings are on the sides of its head, but really there isn't any logical way for them to hold up its body.
Amy got on first, with Gary behind her and Duplica in the back. Gabriel and Ditto had been put inside their Pokeballs to save Selene their small weight at least. Besides, Gabriel tended to wander so it was probably best to prevent the possibility of him falling off the dragon Pokémon.
They took off into the sky and headed for the mountains. Amy was thrilled to be in the air again and didn't even try to look down, eyes trained on the horizon. Gary was hugging her around the waist and buried his face in her hair. She felt awkward, but didn't say anything, not because she couldn't think of anything to say but because they were going to fast the words would have been snatched out of her mouth by the wind.
They saw the fairgrounds up ahead and did a wide loop around them before setting themselves down. Amy hopped off and hugged her Pokémon happily. Gary got down as well and then they both helped a very shaky Duplica down as well.
"We got up in the air and I suddenly remembered I was afraid of heights!" she whined and Amy stared at her.
"Are you serious?" Amy gaped and Duplica nodded glumly, still shaking.
"HOW DARE YOU FLY HERE?!" came an angry yell from behind them. The three turned, confused. There was an old man shaking a cane at them. A young man with rippling biceps and spiked blond hair was holding him back.
"Calm down grandpa, they're probably tourists. They wouldn't know all the traditions-" but the old man cut the young man off, a small crowd was forming to find out what the commotion was about.
"YOU'VE CURSED US ALL! THE ICE TITAN! YOU'VE ANGERED THE ICE TITAN!" the old man hollered.
"Grandpa, calm down, really, shh, you're making a scene," the young man said, flushing as he pulled the man back. A girl with short brown hair came over and took the old man's arm gently.
"Come on grandpa. I'll take him Tory," the girl told the boy.
"Thanks sis," he said with a smile. She took the still raving man away. Tory approached Amy, Gary and Duplica, who were standing stunned. Tory seemed apologetic. Amy returned Selene to hear what he had to say. He laughed awkwardly. "Hey, um, sorry about my grandpa, he's a little senile. My sister Jess will take care of him though."
"It's okay," Amy laughed a bit too, but not much.
"Why'd he say we've cursed you all?" Duplica asked seriously. Gary raised his eyebrow at her.
"He's senile, didn't you hear the guy?"
Amy shook her head. "Even delusions have a basis on something."
Tory nodded. "Yeah, it's just a legend around here that during the Festival of the Ice Titan, if the ice titan sees anything flying through the air between the mountains he'll get angry and let loose a torrent of snow and ice that would cover the island and spread across the Kanto region, killing all life and so it will remain for 100 years. But that hasn't happened yet and plenty of tourists have accidently flown between the mountains before, nothing to worry about," he laughed.
Gary joined in his laughter. "People sure get crazy about myths."
Duplica frowned. "Well maybe the Ice Titan just hasn't happened to notice yet, or maybe he'd be more mad if it were a certain type of Pokémon, or a really big thing, or something that makes a lot of noise, maybe it isn't just anything, maybe only specific things in his air space make him mad and that thing hasn't come by yet."
"You and my grandpa would have a lot to talk about when it comes to that," Tory snorted, causing Duplica to flush brightly.
"All I'm saying is that sometimes myths are true!"
"Since when?" Gary snapped. Amy decided to intervene a little.
"What IS the Ice Titan anyway?" Amy asked Tory.
"It's said that the Ice Titan is the legendary bird of ice, Articuno. He's supposed to control all the snow and ice of the world," Tory explained.
"And so he lives in one of the most tropical areas in the region?" Gary scoffed. Tory grinned.
"Yeah I know, but these are the highest mountains in the region, and so the top of them is the coldest part of the region if you can believe it. Actually, Kanto has a pretty mild climate all over, except for in the Seafoam and Cinnabar islands. We're all tropical, except for the tops of these mountains." Tory said looking up. The others following his gaze. The mountains did seem extremely high from here, and were eerily beautiful as the setting sun reflected off them. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself!" Tory mentioned with a start. "I'm Tory, my sister and I live nearby with our grandpa. We help co-ordinate this festival every year."
"Oh, I'm Amy, this is Duplica and Gary," Amy explained.
"Gary OAK, grandson of the famous Prof. Samuel Oak," Gary elaborated with his trademark smirk, causing Amy to suppress a groan and the urge to slap her forehead in disgust.
Suddenly there was a flash of light and Gabriel popped out of his ball. Amy picked him up. "And this is Gabriel, my Cubone!"
Tory stared. "What's wrong with his arms?" Tory asked, obviously indicating Gabriel's long blades that replaced his paws.
"Oh, we had a little accident with a prototype transfer machine, some Rockets, and Sneasel DNA. But it's fine, Gabriel doesn't mind, and now he can use ice moves!" Duplica explained. Tory blinked.
"I've got to hear this story."
"Okay, we'll tell you in line for the Ferris wheel. Oh wait Duplica you're afraid of heights right?" Amy said looking at her pigtailed friend.
"Oh, only when there's nothing supporting what I'm on besides air, and if we're moving really fast." Duplica giggled nervously. Amy sighed, and then smiled.
"To the Ferris wheel then!" she announced and they headed over as the three explained their little adventure in Saffron, which led to the rest of their Rocket exploits, and about Lance. When they neared their turn in line, Duplica let slip that Lance had gone to Cinnabar, and so Amy also mentioned to Tory and the rest that she wondered if Lance had succeeded in stopping Team Rocket, they hadn't heard anything about it in quite a while.
"I'm sure he's fine! It's LANCE we're talking about!" Duplica said certainly.
"He's only one guy Duplica. Sorry to say it, but when we get to Cinnabar I'm going to start asking around," Amy said biting her lip.
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea, if there are Rockets around then you could get captured like you were before if you start asking the wrong questions. Besides, what if you're recognised there?" Tory pointed out.
"Then we're going to get our badges first, then ask questions. That way we won't have any reason to stick around," Gary said flashing a grin. Amy shook her head in disbelief, but smiled all the same. They didn't speak any more of it and soon they were on the Ferris wheel. Gary and Amy were in one seat, Duplica and Tory were in another. The sun set as they were going around and all the carnival lights came on. It was really beautiful. Gary slipped his arm around Amy's shoulders and she leaned against him, blushing but strangely comfortable with the situation.
After the Ferris wheel Duplica squealed to Amy that Tory asked her to go on a date with him tomorrow down by the beach and she wanted Amy and Gary to double date with her. They obviously agreed. The four of them went down to the field by the lake then and watched as first a cloud of white dust was sent into the air, and then laser beams were traced over it in extremely fast speeds, creating animations of Pokémon running, swimming, flying, battling etc. Amy couldn't believe how amazing it was and wondered at human technology. Then Gary pulled her close to him. Amy glanced over at Duplica and Tory who were actually making out. Right there. She glanced at Gary and saw that look in his eyes. She quickly tried to figure out what to do in this situation, but was surprised when Gary leaned in for a single closed lip kiss. Then he drew back, smirked, and turned back to the show. Amy stared, shocked that she felt a bit... disappointed.
*****
Duplica parted from Tory unwillingly, only after he promised to be at his front door (he'd given them his address) right at 10am the next morning. They were well outside the mountain valley before Amy dared release Selene again for a quick ride back to the hotel.
In their rooms, Amy and Duplica watched some more TV. They were watching Duplica's favourite soap opera that she hadn't seen in forever, PokePals, so Gary retreated to his own room to watch Pokémon battles or something presumably. During commercial breaks Duplica gushed about how Tory seemed fascinated by her flower shop that her grandparents owned, and how he surfs, and how he smiled so cutely, and how he was an amazing kisser, and how he actually believes Articuno exists, even if maybe he's not the ruler of all snow and ice and won't really ever destroy Kanto and how and how and how... it seemed to go on forever until the show came back on and she fell into rapt silence.
Amy decided to avoid another bombardment of fun Tory facts once the show was over by telling Duplica that she would be retrieving Gary now that the soap opera terror had finished. She opened the door.... and found Gary on his stomach on the bed in boxers watching TV. Amy flushed and covered her eyes.
"What the hell are you doing in your underwear?" she whined, backing through the doorway.
"It's hot in case you haven't noticed. And anyway, this is pretty much the equivalent of what I'll be wearing at the beach tomorrow, are you going to close your eyes that whole time too?"
"Maybe. I was going to invite you back in now but if you come you'd better have some clothes on!" Amy snapped before closing the door again and sighing.
"Well that was hilarious," Duplica said with a grin. She had been collapsed in a fit of silent giggles since Amy used the word 'underwear'. Amy threw a pillow at her. Gary did come back for another program, but then retired to his own room. They fell asleep easily as it had been a long day. Tomorrow though, would be a hell of a lot longer.
*****
The next day they picked up Tory on Selene and headed over to the beach, Tory's family owned their own private lot. They wore their bathing suits under their clothes, which they tore off after releasing their Pokémon for some fun in the sun. Tory said Jess might come by later in the day; she liked to sleep in though, so it wouldn't be for a while.
In any case, they had a great time. Selene took them on underwater rides; the other Pokémon splashed in the waves and they all played on the beach. Ditto and MiniDit were really starting to hit it off, and they all had a beach volleyball game. Total fantasy day. Amy couldn't remember ever having such relaxing fun in a group like this.
When the sun started edging for the west though, they changed into their clothes again to head for the fair grounds. Jess never did show up, but Tory said she probably headed for the Festival instead. They were right, she was there. Unfortunately though, this new trip to the fair was one that sort of ruined the fun day.
*****
After greeting Jess and making some minor peace with the grandfather who seemed to have relaxed a little now that it seemed pretty certain that if Articuno actually extracted revenge if it saw someone go through his air space he would have done something by now. Jess ran the concession stand, but Tory freelanced so he could take them around to all the other rides and games. Tory was experienced and quickly won Duplica an armload of stuffed animals from the games he knew weren't rigged, or from games where he knew the rig and could exploit the weaknesses of it. Gary of course found it more difficult and quickly found himself in a fit of rage trying to knock over a set of glasses. He threw ball after ball at them. Amy told him she really didn't need a stuffed Phanphy but he wouldn't listen. Apparently, now it was 'personal'.
"Gary come on, I would really rather go on rides then watch you not knock glasses down," Amy said with a groan. Tory and Duplica had run off nearly a quarter of an hour ago after Gary's 10th try and refusal to let anyone else have a go for him. He also refused to listen to Tory's advice for some reason. Gary seemed about to snap something back at Amy, but was interrupted by an explosion from above. Everyone looked up and some people screamed as a huge airship flew overhead. There was a huge red R on the side of the black craft.
"I'm willing to bet that's Team Rocket," Amy said, eyes wide.
"They sure know how to be subtle don't they?" Gary said with a wince. Flying beside the ship and firing hyper beams was Lance on a Dragonite.
"Oh hey, that's Lance!" Duplica's voice came over Amy's shoulder. She and Tory were back.
"You mean the Dragon Master?" Tory said squinting up.
"Yeah, I wonder what's going on?" Gary said as the fighters headed for the mountains.
"Maybe I can find out!" Amy piped in and released Selene. She jumped aboard and before she could take off Gary jumped on behind her. They climbed into the air beside Lance who looked surprised to see them.
"What are you doing here?" He asked in a shout as Dragonite continued to shoot the airship.
"Could ask you the same thing," Amy replied.
"Oh, well, Team Rocket found out I was on their tail so they're moving their boss out of the area."
"And he used this big a ship with a giant red R on it?" Gary shouted disbelievingly.
"I know, he's not known for being very subtle, he likes his luxury."
"Right," Amy said with a sigh.
"So you're trying to shoot him down?" Gary asked as Selene altered her movements to avoid getting in Dragonite's line of fire.
"Well, um, actually Dragonite's mad because the boss insulted his power and now I'm not exactly in control anymore," Lance said with a short laugh. Amy and Gary stared.
"You're kidding," Amy said slumping forward a little.
"I wish," Lance sighed. "Dragonite's in an Outrage now, so there's little I can really do. I mean, I'd recall him but then I'd fall so..."
"Well that must suck," Gary said as they passed between the mountains. Suddenly there was a loud cry and a blast of ice beam came straight at the group passing. The airship sped up and got away, but Lance and Dragonite got a full blast, and began to fall. Amy and Gary darted down and Selene tried to catch them, though they really dragged the pokemon down. Dragonite groaned, eyes blazing, and recovered to pursue the ship again, Lance dazedly riding. Gary and Amy were ready to pursue as well, but just then a great blue bird with sparkles of ice surrounding it flew into their line of vision.
"Arti-Articuno," Gary whispered.
"I think we're in trouble," Amy said softly. Articuno let loose another blast and then they were flying for their lives.