Ice Path
Jackson had just entered into the icy domain. Eevee stood on his shoulder, examining the entrance. Practically everything was made of ice.
"This is the Ice Path, huh?" Jackson questioned, looking about, before stepping on the floor, and feeling it, "You would need some serious spiked boots to cross this. How do normal trainers handle it here?"
Just then, a cool breeze came from within, causing the two to shiver. "It's so cold, I might just turn into a Glaceon." Eevee muttered.
"A what now?" Jackson questioned.
"One of my evolutions." Eevee explained, "You know I have multiple evolutions, right?"
"Yeah, I remember that." Jackson remember, hearing about the rant from Kris and Ethan before. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the dex, pulling up the name, and seeing a icy blue Pokémon that looked similar to Eevee, in a more grown-up state.
"Glaceon. The Fresh Snow Pokémon, and the evolved form of Eevee. By controlling its body heat, it can freeze the atmosphere around it to make a diamond-dust flurry."
"That's pretty impressive." Jackson stated, putting the dex away, "And this is just one of your evolutions?"
"Yes. As of right now, there are eight different paths I could take." Eevee explained.
"Eight?! Is that common?!"
"No. Most Pokémon have a single evolution line." Eevee explained, "Some have two or three different evolution lines, but an Eevee like myself has multiple paths to take."
"So you have endless possibilities, huh?" Jackson asked, thinking about it, "Well, we will figure out what path you want to take later. For now, let's go in and make our way to Mahogany Town, and try to find a Pokémon to join our team while we are at it." He stepped in as he and Eevee ventured in to the icy caverns.
(Insert 'Never Give Up' By SONAR POCKET)
Instrumental Opening
(Jackson stands at the top of a cliff, looking out into the vast landscape of the Johto region. He turns to the camera with surprise, grins, then draws his sword and swipes it across the screen, transitioning to white with the logo appearing.)
What tough heart! Once I decided that I'd keep up the fight
My road has never stopped unraveling
(Camera circles around Jackson as he runs along an open-plain path with his Eevee, who after a couple seconds, leaps onto his shoulder as he activates his Extreme Gear and shoots even faster onto the path.)
Carrying a small bit of pride
With my fists clenched
(The screen shows a brief image of Professor Elm, dropping papers from his clipboard, and smiling as he rubbed the back of his head. It shifts to a visual of Kris, Ethan, and their starters, with Ethan punching his fist forward, while Kris spun around with her arms out wide.)
I aim for the goal again step by step
Racing towards it with all my might!
(The screen shifts to Sonic & Tails, the former giving a thumbs up, while the latter waved his hands above eagerly. The screen shifts to Cypher, who glared at the screen with a Pokéball held close to his face.)
Sometimes it'll be a bad day
Where nothing goes the way I want it to
But even if the sky blurs through my tears
(Jackson is sitting by a campfire, his expression full of emotional pain as shadows of his past with red eyes creeped all around him. He curled himself into a ball as the shadow of his father appeared over his head.)
I'm sure my smiles will come back tomorrow
So it's okay!
(Shadows started getting blown away one large piece at a time, until light broke out around Jackson, who looked up to see his Pokémon all standing there, protecting him from his trauma.)
There's nothing out there to fear
I'll keep believing that 'I'm strong'
And get going!
(Silhouettes of the Gym Leaders appeared as the screen scrolled upwards through a gold, silver, and crystal colors behind them. It shifts to the emblem of Team Rocket, with darkened faces of grunts, with the four admins in front, holding their Pokéballs. Jackson readies his blade, as he tosses a Pokéball forward, which opens up and blinds the screen in a white light.)
'With you around, there's nothing to worry about now'
I felt as if the sky was saying that to me with a laugh
(Eevee leapt forward, unleashing a Swift attack from her tail, with Ledyba flying next to her, using his own Swift to join her's. Oshawott and Sneasel shoot through the Swift attack, unleash double Night Slash, slicing the stars, before dismissing their blades, and Oshawott angrily looking at the calm and collected Sneasel.)
With the sweat and tears I build up
I'm sure I'll come out dazzling
(Cyndaquil turns to face the Team Rocket logo, before unleashing his Flamethrower. Cyndaquil sighed in relief as Scyther flew over him, before slashing with his mantis claws like a swordsman.)
Even if I end up feeling anxious after it all
As long as I believe I can do it
(An Aeroblast and Sacred Fire came from the sky, shooting down at Jackson's team, but Jackson stepped in and unleashed several sword beams, countering the attacks and making them explode. He and his team endured the shockwaves and smoke from the explosion, before looking up into the distance, and saw the silhouettes of the Tower Duo flying over the two towers that represented each.)
These footsteps have taught me to
Always
Never Give Up!
(Jackson's Pokémon come to his side as he looked to them, before grinning eagerly, and the group leapt up into the air, taking on the new threat and the new adventure. The screen goes white before showing Jackson standing with his sword stabbed into the ground, his Pokémon companions surrounding him.)
Fifteen minutes later…
"Why is this happening?!" Jackson exclaimed, running through the cavern on his air shoes, Eevee holding onto him, as a swarm of Zubat and Golbat were flying right behind them.
"You ended up trying to capture one of those Zubat, but it screeched to call for reinforcement!" Eevee explained.
Jackson pulled out his dex, examining the opponents chasing him. "Zubat. The Bat Pokémon. Zubat remains quietly unmoving in a dark spot during the bright daylight hours. It does so because prolonged exposure to the sun causes its body to become slightly burned."
"Golbat. The Bat Pokémon, and the evolved form of Zubat. Golbat loves to drink the blood of living things. It is particularly active in the pitch black of night. This Pokémon flits around in the night skies, seeking fresh blood."
"Oh, sure. Zubat seem tame compared to what the info says on Golbat!" Jackson exclaimed, seeing a few of the Pokémon unleash slicing winds, and him countering with a gust of slicing winds from his sword, before spinning around and pressing onward.
"Rushing in this cave is causing the cold air to get underneath my fur!" Eevee pointed out, "Please, slow down a little! My paws are gonna get too cold to hang on!"
"Right, I got it!" Jackson replied, seeing a rope ladder ahead, leading to a different area upwards, "I see an exit. Hang on!" He deactivated his Air Shoes for a second, charging up the bottom boosters, before shooting himself high up, catching the rope ladder a couple feet from the hole leading to the upper level. He scurried himself up it, just barely going through as the Zubat and Golbat nearly got him. While they were persistent before, Jackson did see they weren't going up to where he was at now. They were safe.
"Close call." Jackson sighed, looking to his partner, who was shaking like a leaf, "Eevee, are you gonna be okay?"
"I…can't feel my…face." Eevee stammered.
"Sorry…" Jackson apologized, pulling Eevee from his shoulder, and cradling her, "I'm still being too rough with you. Maybe it would've been best if I put you inside your Pokéball."
"No, I don't want that." Eevee answered, "I'll be fine like this."
"Okay. Let's keep going." Jackson told her, and they pressed onwards.
The caverns did run deep, and there were plenty of Pokémon around, not just the bats, but furry little pig creatures, and Christmas-colored birds with satchels. Still, no signs of an exit in the place. Although, Jackson wasn't just looking for an exit.
"I'm cold…" Eevee moaned, "Why didn't we just go back down the previous route?"
"I just wanted to see what this cave had in store for us." Jackson answered, looking about at the completely icy area, "Lance did say that I should gain a new Pokémon to be a part of my team, so I might as well find one here."
"But we could've just gone down the previous route to find an ally, too." Eevee pointed out, "I can't stand being in this cold."
Jackson looked down at his shivering partner, worried. He had already made a pact just the other night to listen and understand her, just as she would listen and understand him. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable right off the bat.
He unzipped his jacket, and shoved Eevee underneath it, zipping it up just high enough for her face to stick out. She looked up at Jackson, who looked down at her, petting her head. "Is that a bit better?" Eevee looked down at the jacket holding her close to him, then back up, and nodded.
"Good. Let's keep on going for a while, then we'll turn back if we haven't found anything interesting." Jackson told her, and they continued on the path.
Unbeknownst to the two of them, they were being watched by someone hidden behind an icy stalactite. The beady eyes of this Pokémon narrowed as he watched them leave. He could tell they were new trainers, so why were they in such a place like this? Surely, there were better places to start for them.
He slowly followed them in the shadows, making sure not to show himself to the wandering duo. For a while, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and neither side chose to interfere with the other.
However, just as Jackson and Eevee descended down some steps, he stopped and looked back up as the Pokémon hid from view again. "You can't fool me. I can tell you are following us!" Jackson told the silent Pokémon.
"Who are you talking to?" Eevee asked, confused.
"The Pokémon hidden behind that icy wall." Jackson answered, pointing up at the top of the stairs. "Look, I can see claws sticking out into view."
The Pokémon seemed shocked at how easy he was to be discovered, but he quickly regained himself. He decided to play it cool, as he had always done.
He stepped out from behind the wall, revealing to be a small, weasel-like Pokémon with dark fur, a single feather on his head, three feathers sticking out in the place his tail should be, yellow opals on his forehead and chest, and sharp claws for his hands and feet.
"Wh-wh-who is that?" Eevee asked.
"Sneasel." the Pokémon answered, folding his arms across his chest, "That is who I am."
"Sneasel?" Jackson asked, pulling out his Pokédex. "Sneasel. The Sharp Claw Pokémon. Sneasel scales trees by punching its hooked claws into the bark. This Pokémon seeks out unguarded nests and steals eggs for food while the parents are away."
"That confounded contraption there isn't true." Sneasel calmly snapped, "I ain't a Pokémon who resorted to stealing eggs unless needed to."
"So you're not a thief?" Jackson summed up. "Pretty much." the Pokémon answered.
"Well, you do look cool." Jackson muttered, examining the Pokémon above him, "Are you strong?"
"Strong? I'm not only strong, but I can fight cooler than anyone I know." Sneasel answered.
"In that case, how 'bout a Pokémon battle?" Jackson suggested, "I'm sure Eevee and I can take you on."
"No thanks." Sneasel answered, surprising Jackson, "Givin' your look, I'd say you barely started out as a trainer, haven't you?" Jackson looked down at Eevee. This Pokémon certain had an eye of knowing the skill they had.
"Face it, kid. Your Eevee stands no chance in these caves." Sneasel told him, "I'm strong, but there are plenty of strong Pokémon in here who will tear you apart even worst than me." Eevee looked a bit fearful at this news.
"I gotcha." Jackson understood, pulling out Eevee and settling her on the ground, "In that case, how about you face me, instead?"
Sneasel was taken aback at this request, as he never even heard of such a thing. "Hold on. You, a human, want to face me, a Pokémon, in a battle?" he asked.
"Sure. I may not look it, but I'm a skilled swordsman." Jackson stated, reaching behind and pulling out his sword, "Wanna try me out?"
Sneasel was completely bewildered at this. Never, in his life, would he actually be challenged by the trainer himself to fight him. What's more, he seemed so confident in his skills. What could he possibly do against a Pokémon like him?
"Sure. I'll humor you." Sneasel decided, "Just don't say I didn't warn you when facing me."
Jackson placed his bag down, and placed Eevee in it. "You stay here and warm up." he told her, "I gotta battle to heat up!"
"S-Sure…" she stammered, shivering as she tried to bury herself in Jackson's bag. The trainer turned to Sneasel, pulling out his sword.
"A trainer…with a weapon?" the Pokémon asked, "Are you a hunter?"
"No…" Jackson answered, getting into a fighter's stance, "I'm just Jackson the Swordsman."
Sneasel raised his claws, making them glow as he prepared a Scratch attack. Both opponents narrowed their eyes at one another, sizing the other up. Then, after a few seconds, they leapt at one another.
Jackson went defensive as the Scratch attack struck, but the attack was more than just one strike of its claws. It turns out it was Fury Swipes, and Jackson blocked the attacks, before swinging his blade blunt-side, sending Sneasel crashing into the ground.
Jackson landed neatly on the ground, as Sneasel got up, asking, "You are pretty adept at fighting. And without talons to steady your feet on the ground."
"That's because I was taught by martial arts masters how to handle my footwork on all sorts of surfaces." Jackson explained, "Not just ice. Soft sands, waist-level water, steep inclines, and even on spiked floors!"
"What kind of bizarre trainer are you?!" Sneasel questioned, "No matter. You are still out of your league! Icy Wind!" He blew out a gust of freezing winds at Jackson, who saw that Eevee was behind him. If that attack struck, Eevee would get hit with cold air to add onto her freezing temperatures. Jackson turned to the attack. In a few slashes, he effortlessly cut the Icy Wind, causing it to vanish.
"I am not out of my league. Not in this battle, anyway!" Jackson answered, unleashing sword beams at Sneasel, who saw the attacks coming, and tried avoiding them. One hit him directly, and he got flung into the air. However, he spun around, caught himself on the icy wall, and shot back down. He then reached to his waist, and summoned out a purple energy sword, coming at Jackson, who blocked it. The force did make him slide on the ice, but he strengthened his legs not to slip as they came to a halt. Jackson shoved Sneasel off of him, and he landed neatly on the ground.
'An energy sword?!' Jackson mentally asked, 'Okay, now I am intrigued by this Pokémon. Very much intrigued. Time to blade things up a notch!'
"Agility!" Sneasel shouted, going into high speeds as he quickly dashed at Jackson, before dancing around him, attempting keeping the swordsman confused. However, Jackson spent time with speedaholics and evasive fighters before. He was able to tell where Sneasel was at all times.
"Time to end this!" Sneasel shouted, using both claws to unleash another Fury Swipes, trying to take down Jackson from behind. Jackson saw him coming, and with the slickness of the ice, pivoted himself around into a spin kick that struck Sneasel's side, and sent him flying, bouncing along the ground until he caught himself, and skidded to a halt. He held himself up for a bit, but fell to the ground, grimacing in pain. He raised his head, ready to get into the fight again, only to see Jackson's sword pointed at his face.
"Looks like I win." the trainer told the Pokémon.
For a second, Sneasel was bewildered. He never imagined a trainer to beat him so easily. Yet this guy was able to overwhelm him with great ease. He had never seen a trainer or Pokémon with such speed and reaction like him. He looked so cool doing it, too, which was something he was trying to learn to be.
Jackson retracted his sword and raised a helping hand to the Sharp Claw Pokémon, who took it, and raised to his feet. "I admit, I did not expect that from any one human." he stated.
"Well, you had me going with some of those moves, too." Jackson stated, "What was that move you used? The one where you created that purple sword?"
"Oh, that?" Sneasel asked, placing his claws together, and producing the said attack, "That's my Night Slash."
"Amazing. That makes you so much like a swordsman!" Jackson said in amazement, "Say, how about you join me? You are pretty cool, and I wouldn't mind teaching you some sword tricks that'll make you that much more powerful. What do you say?"
Sneasel was surprised at this request. Then again, he was defeated by this trainer, fair and square. And he was pretty chivalrous and humble, something he rarely saw in a trainer. If he could go with him, could he be that much cooler than before? By the feel he was getting from the trainer, he guessed 'yes'.
He folded his arms as he answered, "Guess it couldn't hurt to tag along. Wouldn't mind giving you and your Eevee some more coolness to add to your team."
"I-I-It's already t-t-too cool in here, th-thank you." Eevee shivered, her head the only thing poking out of Jackson bag.
"Oh, right." Jackson recalling Eevee's sensitivity to the cold, "Hmm…maybe going this way wasn't the right choice. She can't handle the temperature in here."
"I know a shortcut that'll lead us back the way you came." Sneasel told him, "I'll show you the way."
"Thanks!" Jackson told Sneasel, "I bladin' can't wait to see how strong you and Eevee will become! Let's do our best, together!" Sneasel snickered in response. Indeed, this trainer was something else, and someone he couldn't wait to work with.
"By the by, which way did you come from?" Sneasel asked as Jackson took Eevee out of his bag and placed her into his jacket again, giving her his body warmth.
"Blackthorn City. I was making my way to Mahogany Town." He answered, saddling his backpack.
"Seriously? I thought you came the other way!" Sneasel stated, "Well, I will send you the route you wanted to go."
"I really appreciate it." Jackson replied, smiling at him, as he followed the Sharp Claw Pokémon.
It took them several minutes of going through the area, Jackson keeping Eevee as warm as possible. During this time, Sneasel ended up explaining about himself. Although he was part of a group of Sneasel in the cave, he tended to be a loner, aiming to get stronger to be the best Pokémon in these caves. However, after facing Jackson, he realized how small he was viewing things, so he wanted to join Jackson in order to expand his horizon.
Just as Sneasel finished his story, Jackson started to hear voices. He stopped their party as he kept his ears out. "Hurry up, we gotta finish this up!" A male voice called out.
"What's the rush? No one is coming soon!" A female voice responded.
"You heard those noises deep in the path. Sounded like something strong around there!"
"Well, the charges are nearly in place. Once we set them up, we can leave."
'Charges?' Jackson echoed in his mind, narrowing his eyes, 'I have a bad feeling about this…' He waved to Sneasel to usher him forward quietly. The two of them, with Eevee snuggled in Jackson's jacket, looked over some iced stalagmites, seeing a pair of people there. They wore black clothing, including black caps. On their shirts, Jackson saw a red 'R' on them. They were rolling out cords with them to the entrance, which was a few meters from where the two stood.
"More humans?" Sneasel asked.
Jackson didn't think about them, but looked to where the cords were attached to. On the walls and even on the ceiling were plastic boxes with red lights. Jackson didn't need to be an engineer to know what those were. "Those are the charges?!" Jackson whispered, "Those are explosives!"
"Explosives?!" Sneasel echoed, "For what?!"
"Not sure, but I plan to find out!" Jackson responded, stepping out from behind the stalagmites, and charged forward at the pair, who attached the cords to machines with push levers outside the cave. They looked up as they saw Jackson approach them, demanding, "Who are you people?!"
"Great, I told you someone was there!" The man told the woman.
"Hey, did I say there was nothing to worry about?!" The woman responded, "He's just one boy!"
"You didn't answer my question!" Jackson barked at them, as Sneasel readied his claws, "Who are you people?!"
"You saying you've never heard of us?" The woman asked, "We are Team Rocket. We are the ones who will eventually take over the entire world!"
"A world-dominating crime syndicate, basically." Jackson sighed, "Geez, first Eggman, now these guys? Seems like you'll find them everywhere. Well, whatever…" He drew his blade, and growled, "Do you think I will let you guys get away now that I know who you people are? Think again!"
"Heh! You have no idea how foolish you are!" The man told Jackson, as the two pulled out Pokéballs, "Go, Golbat!"
"Koffing, I choose you!" The woman shouted. Both of them summoned out their Pokémon, and Jackson recognized the bat. The other one was a floating ball with a face on it, holes expelling fumes from it, an a deadly poison sign on its body. Jackson pulled out his dex, looking at the new Pokémon.
"Koffing. The Poison Gas Pokémon. If Koffing becomes agitated, it raises the toxicity of its internal gases and jets them out from all over its body. This Pokémon may also overinflate its round body, then explode."
"That gas is toxic." Jackson understood, putting his dex away, "Sneasel, we should take them on together!"
"Understood!" Sneasel answered, ready to attack.
"Golbat, use Haze!" The man ordered.
"Koffing, use Smog!" The woman followed up. Both Pokémon expelled fumes from their mouth and body, respectively, consuming the area in a black smoke.
"That won't work on us!" Jackson responded, gathering the winds into his blade, "Sneasel, together with me. Icy Wind!" The two expelled their windy attacks, combining them together to instantly blow away the double smokey attack.
"Unbelievable!" the man exclaimed, "This kid ain't normal!"
"Agreed. Let's do what we came here to do!" The woman responded, "Seal up the entrance so nobody from Blackthorn City can come here!" She and the man raced to the triggers, prepared to detonate the explosives.
"No you don't!" Jackson shouted, about to pull off a sword beam, intending to cut the wires. He unleashed two in quick succession, and the beams came at the wires.
"Koffing, sacrifice yourself to give us time!" The woman shouted, "Self-Destruct!" The Poison Gas Pokemon flew towards an area between the beams and the wires, glowing brightly, before detonating, canceling out Jackson's attack, and causing a shockwave that stopped Jackson and his Pokémon in their tracks. He looked up to see Koffing, fearful he might've killed its entire body to do that. However, the Pokémon was still intact, but fell to the ground, unconscious.
"You would do that to your Pokémon?!" Jackson questioned the Team Rocket female, as she called back the Pokémon.
"Pokémon are nothing but tools for our goals!" The woman replied, "And thus, we will use them in order to succeed!" With these final words, she and the man thrusted down the levers.
Jackson panicked as explosives detonated on either side of him in front, and he was forced backwards. Sneasel was sent flying, as was Eevee, jettisoning out of Jackson's jacket. Jackson was able to catch himself as more explosive started to trigger, and he caught both Sneasel and Eevee, and with his Air Shoes, launched them out of the way of the explosive and the walls and ceiling caving in. They made a good distance as they turned to see the results of what took place. A massive amount of ice chunks had now completely consumed the area surrounding the entrance.
"The pathway has been blocked!" Eevee exclaimed.
"How dare they do this to my home!" Sneasel growled, turning to Jackson, "Well, why don't you use your power and break open a hole in that?!"
"If only it were that simple." Jackson replied, "Cave-ins are no joke. One wrong shifting of rubble, and more of the Icy Path could cave in even further. Powering through would be a hazardous task. We have to carefully move them out of the way, and that can take hours, maybe days."
"D-D-Days?!" Eevee exclaimed, "I am not staying in this cave that long!"
"For a Pokémon like you, very true." Sneasel admitted.
"We need to head back to Blackthorn City. Let the authority know of the situation." Jackson told the two, "Oh, but before I do…" Jackson dug into his side, and pulled out a Pokéball, holding it to Sneasel, "Let's make our team up official."
"Right. That's gotta happen." Sneasel understood, "I hope you make me strong, Jackson." He poked his claw on the button of the Pokéball, and the red energy sucked his body into it. After a couple shakes, the ball clicked. Sneasel was officially caught.
It took a while later of backtracking, but Jackson eventually returned back to Blackthorn City, much to Eevee's relief. Jackson gave some hot food to Eevee from a restaurant, with Sneasel and Ledyba joining her, while he went to the nearby police force, explaining the situation. The person in charge was a female with light blue hair, named Officer Jenny.
"I see. So Team Rocket ended up making their move again." Jenny understood, "They had been rather absent for some time, since their boss, Giovanni, disappeared from public eyes."
"But it seems like they're back, huh?" Jackson questioned, "So…I was kinda sheltered, so I am not sure who Team Rocket is."
"Team Rocket is a crime organization who seek out rare and powerful Pokémon in order to use them for profit and as tools for their goal, which is…"
"…Basic world domination." Jackson understood, "Yeah, they gave me that picture."
"As to why they have resurfaced after all this time, I am not sure." Jenny stated, reading the document she wrote up from Jackson's story, "But if they are active, we must stop them. Thank you for the report, young man. I hope this is the only time you encounter them."
"Knowing my luck, I might get stuck in the middle of the conflict." Jackson muttered to himself, before saying out loud, "I'll try to do my best."
Jenny saluted the young man, and walked back into the office to file the report. Jackson saw the sky had grown dark, so Jackson went to the restaurant, paying for the food, with extra to buy himself a hot meal, before returning to the Pokémon Center.
"Eevee and Sneasel gave me the rundown of what was happening." Ledyba told Jackson, "Sorry I couldn't be of help in the Ice Path."
"It's okay. I didn't want you to get cold." Jackson replied, looking to Eevee, "Though, next time, I'll get some warmers for you, okay?"
"I would very much appreciate it." Eevee thanked him graciously.
"So what now?" Sneasel asked, "Where should we go next?"
Jackson thought about it for a moment. Mahogany Town was out of the question, and he didn't want to just stick around Blackthorn before facing Clair again, not in the state he was in. So that left him with one choice only.
"We have to double back and make our way to Violet City." Jackson told his team, pulling out his tablet and examining the map of the Johto Region, "If we went back the way we came, we can go to Cherrygrove City, and then to Violet City. That's where the next gym is at."
"Alright then!" Eevee answered.
"That's the plan." Sneasel understood.
"When are we leaving?" Ledyba asked.
"Tomorrow morning." Jackson answered, looking to the Pokémon Center they were nearing, "After that Ice Path, I could use a hot mocha."