Jackson's current team:
Leafeon: Iron Tail, Sunny Day, Leaf Blade, Solarbeam
Weavile: Icy Wind, Metal Claw, Ice Punch, Night Slash
Dewott: Night Slash, Swords Dance, Razor Shell, Water Pulse
Quilava: Aerial Ace, Swift, Flamethrower, Flame Wheel
Scizor: Bullet Punch, Razor Wind, Agility, X-Scissor
It was a couple days after the attack on Team Rocket and their hideout. Jackson was in the Pokémon Center lobby, looking at the tablet on the information on a certain someone after the events he went through.
"Giovanni." Jackson read the name of the person in the article, "A former gym leader of Viridian City, he used his position and his level of power as a guise to hide his true role as the leader of the criminal organization, Team Rocket, leading in acts of theft, illegal selling of Pokémon, and hostile situations. However, thanks to the efforts of a young trainer named Red, he dissolved Team Rocket and went into hiding. His whereabouts are still unknown to this day."
"If he doesn't want to be found?" Leafeon asked, "Then why is Team Rocket trying to look for him?"
"Maybe they feel lost without their leader with them? Like lost Mareep without their Ampharos to lead them around." Lyanne compared, "Either way, I can't believe that Cypher's father is the former leader of Team Rocket."
"I can believe it." Leafeon argued, "After all, he has been a major pain to all of us."
"Even so, after hearing that, I kind of feel a bit of kinship with him." Jackson pointed out, "It doesn't mean I don't hate him. It just means that I can empathize with what he has to deal with."
"Nevermind Cypher, though." Leafeon dismissed the conversation, "We should focus on the next gym leader."
"Right. The teacher of Winter's harshness, Pryce." Jackson recalled the name of the gym leader and his title, "He is a very difficult gym leader, according to the trainers around here, especially the ones who have tried and failed multiple times to fight and beat him. He uses Ice-types, but apparently throws a curveball Pokémon into the mix; A Stantler."
"That is rather unusual." Leafeon muttered, "Why would he use that in his team?"
"Well, Stantler are technically a reindeer, which is Christmas-related." Jackson recalled, "So I guess there is some sort of connection between them and winter. Either way, we need to ready ourselves for all situations. I already decided on my team for this match." He stood up as he, Lyanne and Leafeon walked to the door outside.
"We should also get coats before going inside the gym." Lyanne suggested, "I don't know about you, but I really don't like the cold."
"Since you are a Dragon-type, it would make sense." Leafeon agreed.
"Right. Let's go into the winter jacket shop nearby, and then, take on the gym!" Jackson told the team, and they exited the Center, going to their destinations.
(Insert 'STAND UP' by Twill (full version))
Music Intro
(Traveling through shining golden tunnel of energy, leading out into space with many world, all of which different colors, with the central world being the Pokémon world. The logo 'Jackson in Johto' appears on screen, before the camera passes through the arch of the 'n' from 'in, going into the world, through the clouds, where the glowing shadow of Ho-Oh can be seen, to the sea, where the shadow of Lugia is flying beneath the waters, before reaching the shoreline, getting blinded by the sun.)
Yeah, stand up boys!
Come on, face forward
(Jackson stands up, with Quilava at his side, followed by Dewott, Weavile, and Scizor, all of which expressing their unique personalities to Jackson.)
The call enveloping you is your guide
Step towards tomorrow
(Dewott gets angry at Weavile for trying to act so cool, while Jackson rolls his eyes before he, Quilava and Scizor took off ahead, with Weavile following behind, ignoring Dewott, who panicked and ran to not be left behind.)
Yeah, stand up girls!
At the end of what's more than real
(Leafeon rises up with Lyanne as Jackson and the boys pass by. The two look to one another, before giggling at the sight of the boys, before looking to the sky.)
We'll grab a light that's been covered by thick clouds
(Camera goes up into the starry sky, where a ball of light was slowly falling down, with the image of Gardevoir inside, her eyes slowly opening up as she looked up.)
How we spend our days before isn't good enough
(Camera passes by still images of all the companions and gym leaders that he has met or will meet in the future, including Cypher at the end of the pictures, while Jackson, Lyanne, Leafeon, and the rest of his current team walked along the bottom of the screen.)
At full speed
We can blast through
Even the highest wall
(Team Rocket suddenly appears, with the four admins of Team Rocket standing together, with the images of their ace Pokémon at their side, and the satellite system right above them.)
Stand up for your dream!
(Jackson draws his sword, while Lyanne turns into her Latias form, and the rest of his team ready to fight together.)
Be enthusiastic at what you do, no matter what it is
(Jackson rushes forward as he slashes his blade against Team Rocket grunts, followed by a spin kick, sending them flying, while Leafeon leaps up and unleashes a forward somersault Leaf Blade, taking out their Pokémon.)
Push your way through to make an opening
(Weavile unleashes an Ice Punch as Dewott throws a Water Pulse at a different direction, followed by the pair unleashing simultaneous Night Slashes. Quilava leaps through their attack, going into a Flame Charge.)
No matter how far
The answer you're seeking is
Stand up for your dream!
(Scizor flies in, striking with a couple Bullet Punches before firing a Hyper Beam. Latias flies above him, unleashing a Mist Ball, sending it ahead. The attacks all created an explosion that consumed the scene in smoke.)
Even if my feeling show weakness
Your voice that I hear close by
(In the burning Ecruteak City, a serious Jackson raced along the path with Leafeon and Quilava at his side, towards the two towers, where a deranged Ho-Oh and Lugia were at, unleashing Aeroblast and Sacred Fire onto the city.)
Gives me courage and strength
I can go the distance
(Jackson leaps high, landing on Latias's back as they flew off, with the rest of the team leaping with him before encased in a stream of their signature colors, before the screen turn white, with a crystal blue Pokéball with a gold and silver sword crossing behind it the only thing remaining.)
Moment's later, Jackson, Lyanne, and Leafeon arrived at the front entrance to the gym, with Jackson wearing a semi-thick green and black jacket, while Lyanne had a poofy-thick red and white jacket with a red knitted beanie cap.
"You guys ready?" Jackson asked, to which the pair nodded. He turned to the gym and called out, "I am Jackson Alpphire of Ecruteak City, and I am here to challenge the gym!"
"You may enter in!" a young man's voice called out, and the door opened up before them. All of a sudden, they were introduced to a gust of freezing air that made the group brace themselves against it. After the air passed, they looked up to see that the interior had ice all the way down its pathway to the gym. Lyanne shuddered from the cold, Leafeon shook herself to regain herself, and Jackson walked in first, determined to endure and push forth.
He led the team through the icy halls, finally reaching the open area, where he saw the gym was a pure ice field. A path was made for others to walk along to either watch or take their position on the battlefield. It had smooth icy areas on the field, while there were stalactites and jagged parts on the ice designed for Pokémon to gain footing. There was even a small hole in the center, where Jackson notice an underwater area for another form of terrain to deal with in the field.
On the other side of the battlefield, Jackson saw the person he assumed was Pryce. He was elderly, with a fixed stern face and short white hair. He had a blue long jacket with a high collar and a white scarf draped over his shoulders going down in front of him, a brown v-neck vest underneath followed by a white turtleneck, gray pants, brown shoes, and a cane with a brown top and a sort of ice-looking stem to it.
"I've heard a lot about you, boy." he addressed Jackson, "You were responsible for stopping Team Rocket and their infernal radio waves." They had been a rather pain for me in my gym, that I couldn't safely open it up until the conflict was resolved."
"I just did whatever I had to do." Jackson answered.
"Hmph! Regardless..." the old man continued, "I do not plan to go easy on you just because you stopped them. Ordeals like that are part of your life. I, too, have seen my fair share of suffering throughout my life. As your elder, let me teach you what harshness I have endured and overcome."
Jackson thought about his words, before looking down, his eyes shadowed. "You have no idea what kind of suffering I had been through, sir." he told him, "From what I learned, age is irrelevant when it comes to overcoming stuff like what you're talking about. It's through being with Pokémon and training with them that allowed me to overcome and improve. So I'll show you how much it took for me to get this far!"
Pryce looked at Jackson's determined face, before closing his eyes, stating, "I can see the strength in your eyes. I will gladly test your resolve, as the Winter Gym Leader, Pryce!"
They made their way to their positions, with Leafeon at Jackson's side, and Lyanne standing on the sidelines. Once they were in their positions, the referee stepped forth, and called out, "The Mahogany Town gym battle will now commence! Each trainer is allowed four Pokémon each! The battle will be decided when one or both sides are unable to continue. In addition, only the challenger is allowed to switch his Pokémon out. Trainers, select your Pokémon!"
"Allow me to take over and start with something welcoming, but dangerous." Pryce started, "Delibird, go!" He tossed out a ball, and out came a red and white penguin-looking Pokémon with a white satchel under its wing.
Jackson pulled out his Pokédex, examining the Pokémon. "Delibird. The Delivery Pokemon. Delibird carries its food bundled up in its tail. There once was a famous explorer who managed to reach the peak of the world's highest mountain, thanks to one of these Pokémon sharing its food."
"I get the feeling it has more strength than just in its kindness." Jackson muttered, recalling Lance's Dragonite, and how the Pokédex said how it was more kind than what it was assumed. "Okay, Dewott! Let's go!" Jackson called out his Discipline Pokémon to the battlefield.
"Time to put this battle on ice!" Dewott declared.
"Let the battle begin!" the referee shouted.
"Dewott, Swords Dance!" Jackson ordered, and Dewott summoned blades around him, which danced about, boosting his attack strength.
"Delibird, give him a Present." Pryce ordered. Delibird dug into his satchel, and pulled out a golden ball of energy, before tossing it at Dewott.
"What's this about a present?" Dewott asked, before the move fell in front of him. It suddenly detonated, causing the Water-type to be sent flying in pain.
"That's not the kind of present I was expecting!" Jackson stated.
"A present can either give you great joy or great pain." Pryce told him, "You mustn't expect every gift to give you pleasure."
"Jackson, Present is still a risky move. It could either damage or heal the target." Leafeon explained.
"Dewott, you okay?" Jackson asked.
"Yeah, but I don't want another one of those from that crazy bird!" he answered.
"Dewott, use Water Pulse!" his trainer ordered, and he unleashed a compressed ball of water at his target.
"Delibird, Ice Punch!" Pryce ordered, and Delibird hastily rushed in with a wing of ice, punching the Water Pulse, and making it vanish. "You're gonna have to do better than that, young-." Pryce was interrupted as Dewott suddenly got in close to Delibird, who panicked as Jackson shouted, "Razor Shell!", which he immediately responded by summoning a crescent blade of water that he uppercut slashed Delibird into the air. Pryce was taken aback by this sudden attack, but Delibird was able to react, and start flapping its wings as it held itself in the air.
"I might need to pick things up." the old man stated, "Icy Wind!" Delibird opened his beak and shot a gust of freezing wind down at Dewott, who endured with all he had, but his feet were starting to get frostbite.
"Dewott, into the water!" Jackson shouted. Dewott looked to where the hole in the ice was at within the Icy Wind, and raced towards it, diving into the water. While it was still cold in the water, he was able to deal with it better than the attack he came out of.
'He should be safe underwater.' Lyanne told herself, 'But it still will be a problem once he comes out with Delibird able to react once he comes out.'
"Keep a sharp eye, Delibird. Pryce ordered, "We cannot allow him to get the jump on us again."
"Dewott..." Leafeon muttered.
"Dewott, ready yourself!" Jackson called into the water, "When you feel the timing is right, use Night Slash!"
Dewott heard Jackson's voice, and understood. He prepared both of his scalchops with the purple energy blades, ready to strike. 'I ain't use to being underneath the ice like this. The usual option is to leap out of where I came in. But that Delibird ain't no Doduo. It's smart. So I gotta use one Night Slash to break through the ice, followed by another to strike at it! Let's do this!'
Dewott swam to a different area underneath the ice to get the jump on Delibird, before launching himself forward, swiping the ice with one of his energy blades, breaking through it, and readied his next attack.
"Aerial Ace!" Pryce shouted. Delibird turned to where Dewott came crashing out of, and shot forward, surrounded by a stream of wind. The two made contact with one another, causing Dewott to struggle against Delibird's attack, before they canceled each other out, causing the pair to land on the ice again, Dewott making sure he had footing to keep himself from slipping.
"Shoot, that was so close!" Leafeon grimaced.
"Delibird is pretty strong. I underestimated it." Jackson muttered, "How does it have that kind of strength?"
"Allow me to educate you, young man." Pryce explained, "My Delibird has been trained well, but the reason behind its extra strength is his Hustle Ability."
"Hustle?" Jackson echoed, "Oh, right! It sacrifices a bit of accuracy in order to gain a ton of strength!" He mentally noted, 'But because Aerial Ace can't miss, that nullfies the cost. Even so, I have to wait for the opportunity that he doesn't use that move in order to get that opening I am looking for.'
"Delibird, give him another Present." Pryce ordered. Delibird summoned out a ball of energy from his satchel once again.
"Dewott, run straight at him!" Jackson called out.
"Are you nuts?!" Dewott asked.
"No risk, no reward." he assured his Pokémon. Dewott decided to believe in his trainer, and dashed forward.
'He's gonna take the Present head-on?!' Lyanne gasped.
"Hopefully it pans out." Leafeon muttered.
Delibird saw Dewott launch at him, and fired off the Present attack. The orb hit Dewott in the face, and it looked like for a moment it detonated like before. However, a second later, the attack ended up glowing on the Water-type's body, healing of his wounds.
"Drat. It failed." Pryce muttered.
"It was a healing Present!" Leafeon stated with glee.
"Dewott, Night Slash again!" Jackson shouted, and Dewott readied his scalchops again.
"Ice Punch!" Pryce countered, and Delibird swung his ice-induced fist, swinging it at Dewott, who swung both energy blades, striking with both on Delibird as he passed him. He came to a halt, sheathing his blades, as Delibird's attack faded away, and he crashed to the ground, spirals in his eyes.
"Delibird is unable to battle! Dewott is the winner!" the referee shouted.
"Nice one, Dewott!" Leafeon cheered.
"Just as I figured." Dewott huffed, walking back to him.
"Delibird, return." Pryce said as he pulled out the Pokéball and placed him back in. He pocketed it as he looked to Jackson saying, "You and your Pokémon are rather amazing. I can see the trust, the risks you take, and the belief in one another."
"And we're only getting started." Jackson responded.
"As am I." Pryce responded, pulling out the next Pokeball, "You'll soon find yourself dealing the unexpected! Go, Stantler!" He threw out a ball, and out came the reindeer-looking Pokémon.
Jackson pulled out his dex again, examining the Pokémon. "Stantler. The Big Horn Pokémon. Stantler's magnificent antlers were traded at high prices as works of art. As a result, this Pokémon was hunted close to extinction by those who were after the priceless antlers."
"Dewott, let's go forth with Water Pulse!" Jackson called out, and his partner shot a compressed ball of water.
"Dodge and use Secret Power." Pryce ordered. Stantler dodged around the attack, and started to glow pink as he charged. Dewott couldn't dodge in time, and got struck by the attack, knocking him flying. His body emanated the glow of Stantler's attack, and his body suddenly became encased in ice.
"What happened?!" Jackson gasped, "That wasn't an Ice-type move!"
"Secret Power is special, as its affects can change depending on the environment." Pryce told Jackson, "And in my frozen gym, the effect can cause my opponent to be equally as frozen. Stantler may not use Ice-type moves, but he can still freeze you in your tracks!"
The ice-encased Dewott landed on the ice, sliding around uncontrollably as he was bounced about the stalactites, going back towards Stantler eventually. "Jump Kick!" Bryce called out. Stantler leapt into the air, before coming down with his front hooves glowing. He struck the frozen Dewott with his attack, causing him to be shattered out of the ice, the damage quite heavy on him.
"Dewott, come back!" Jackson shouted, pulling out Dewott's ball and putting him back in his ball, and returning him back in while he was in midflight. Jackson put the ball away, looking at the Stantler and his trainer behind him. 'Dewott would not stand a chance against that kind of power. Stantler moves quite well on the battlefield, despite it being ice. Fortunately, I know how to deal with that.'
"Scizor, let's blade things up a notch!" Jackson called out his Bug/Steel-type partner onto the field, who floated for a second before touching his toes on the ice.
"I am ready to unleash my blades, sensei." Scizor told him, readying his pincers.
"That won't be enough to defeat me." Pryce told him, "Stantler, Confuse Ray!" Stantler summoned out balls of purple energy from his antlers, before firing them off at Scizor.
"Block by gathering the winds!" Jackson called out. Scizor understood and started to create mini tornados around his body, which destroyed the Confuse Ray orbs.
"What?" Pryce looked amazed that Scizor could block the attack in an unorthodox way.
"Now, Razor Wind!" Jackson shouted, and Scizor channeled the wind into his claws, before sending sharp blades from both claws at Stantler, who couldn't avoid in time, and got knocked back by the attack.
'Yes! All that hard work is paying off!' Lyanne mentally stated, giving a fist pump.
"That's something I had not seen before." Pryce noted, "But it won't faze me. Use Jump Kick!" Stantler leapt into the air, before coming down with glowing front legs.
"Meet it with X-Scissor!" Jackson commanded, and Scizor flew up at Stantler with glowing pincers, cross-slashing with them to unleash the energy upon contact. There was a detonation, and Stantler was falling to the ground as Scizor's arms were still crossed, enduring what he could. Both managed to land on their feet, with Stantler a little wobbly, but still regaining himself.
"Let's stop him in his tracks. Use Secret Power!" Pryce ordered. Stantler glow pink again as he charged at Scizor, ready to freeze him again with the move's special ability.
"Scizor, fly up!" Jackson called out. Scizor flew up to the sky, avoiding the Secret Power attack, floating out of his range.
"Leap up and use Zen Headbutt!" Pryce ordered. Stantler pivoted on the ice and bounded up to where Scizor was at, his antlers glowing with psychic energy. Scizor turned and crossed his arms to endure the attack, knocking him in the air.
"He's vulnerable! Bullet Punch!" Jackson called out.
"Time to meet your end!" Scizor called out, before diving down and unleashing a multitude of rapid-fire punches with his glowing pincers, peppering Stantler until one final punch to his face sent him crashing to the ground. He reappeared, with spirals in his eyes.
"Stantler is unable to battle! Scizor is the winner!" The announcer called out, as Scizor flew down in front of Jackson.
"An incredible display of power, Scizor." Jackson complimented his Pokémon's last attack.
"You taught me well, sensei." Scizor replied, placing his pincers together and bowing to him.
"Come back, Stantler." Pryce told his partner, putting him back in his Pokéball. He closed his eyes as he gathered himself, before snapping his eyes open, declaring, "No more games! You are gonna feel the true Winter's harshness! Dewgong, go!" He tossed out his next Pokémon, which was a seal-like Pokémon with a mermaid-like tail and a small horn on its head.
Jackson pulled out his dex again to read the Pokémon's info. "Dewgong. The Sea Lion Pokémon, and the evolved form of Seel. Dewgong loves to snooze on bitterly cold ice. The sight of this Pokémon sleeping on a glacier was mistakenly thought to be a mermaid by a mariner long ago."
"Jackson, I get the feeling he might be getting more serious." Leafeon told Jackson.
"Agreed. Better stay on our toes." Jackson understood, "Scizor, let's keep the battle going!"
"Understood, sensei." he replied.
"Dewgong, Dive!" Pryce ordered. and the Water/Ice-type leapt up and into the water from the hole formed by Dewott's attack.
"Scizor, fly!" Jackson called out. Scizor took to the sky once more, but just as he did so, Dewgong came crashing out of the ice underneath, and struck Scizor with his tail before he could leave, striking him into a boulder of ice.
"So fast!" Leafeon gasped.
'The momentum he has in the water is incredible!' Lyanne mentally exclaimed.
"Scizor, regain yourself and use X-Scissor!" Jackson ordered. Scizor was able to get onto his feet again, and flew at Dewgon with glowing claws.
"Frost Breath!" Pryce ordered. Dewgong inhaled and shot a sparkling blast of icy wind from his mouth that looked more pinpoint than Icy Wind. It struck Scizor, striking him hard and feeling like it was seeping past his defenses.
"Scizor!" Leafeon gasped. Scizor was able to gain his ground, and blast right around the Frost Breath attack, going into Dewgong with the cross-slash, knocking the Pokémon away.
"He got him, but..." Jackson noticed that Scizor ended up taking some consecutive attacks from Dewgong. Meanwhile, the Sea Lion Pokémon looked like it took a heavy blow from Scizor's attack..
"He'll just have to take him out quickly." Leafeon told Jackson, who nodded in understanding, before they heard Pryce call out, "Rest." They were surprised to see Dewgong close his eyes, and fall into a sleep that healed the injuries from Scizor's attack. "He's healed from sleeping!" Leafeon gasped.
"But he is vulnerable." Jackson noted, "Not sure if he has a plan to counter that, but let's try taking him out while he's sleeping on the job. Razor Wind!" Scizor concentrated as he gathered up winds around him.
"Sleep Talk." Pryce ordered. Dewgong started to mutter, before exhaling a stream of icy wind at Scizor, strong enough to bypass his winds, causing him damage to his body, striking critical spots again. Scizor clenched his teeth in pain of the freezing attack, falling to one knee as his claws glowed and the winds dissipated.
"Scizor!" Jackson called out.
'Dewgong can use Sleep Talk!' Lyanne noticed, 'Meaning he can use moves while in his sleep! That's a difficult challenge for Jackson.'
"Scizor, you holding up?" Jackson called out.
"Just barely, sensei." Scizor answered.
"Even when the frozen tundra puts my Pokémon to sleep, they will still act to overwhelm my opponents." Pryce told Jackson, "That is one of Winter's harshest lessons. Sleep Talk!" Dewgong muttered in its sleep again, before jumping up and diving into the water.
"He's using Dive!" Leafeon recognized.
"Scizor, fly up and ready for an attack from underwater!" Jackson called out. Scizor got to his feet and flapped his wings, taking to the sky, before turning around to face the icy surface. Dewgong broke through the ice, leaping up at its target. Scizor instinctively unleashed the Razor Wind he had stored up, and fired it at the leaping Dewgong, hitting him as it flew. However, he was still able to keep flying towards him, and butt him in the gut, causing him to gag in pain. The two fell to the ground hard, while Jackson and Pryce looked on at what happened. Dewgong was able to rise up, and had woken up, looking about until he saw Scizor, who was on his back, passed out from the damage.
"Scizor is unable to battle! Dewgong is the winner!" the referee called out.
Jackson looked upset at the epic loss, but regained himself as he put Scizor back in his Park Ball. "Nice going, Scizor. You did what you could. We'll do better next time." He put the ball away, and pulled out Dewott's ball. "Alright, Dewott. Let's go!" he tossed out his partner onto the field, who looked pretty banged up from his battle with Stantler.
"Already back out? Okay, who wants some?!" Dewott panted.
"Scizor got beaten by this guy." Leafeon told him, "Want to redeem for his sake?"
'With water mobility and resistances to both attacks, Dewott should have a better advantage over Dewgong than Scizor did.' Jackson told himself, 'He's still hurting from the last battle, but I believe in him.' He waved a hand before as he shouted, "Dewott, Swords Dance!" Dewott gathered up energy swords around his body, boosting his physical attack.
"Use Frost Breath!" Pryce ordered, and Dewgong shot a stream of freezing air at his opponent.
"Slice the wind with Razor Shell!" Jackson called out. Dewott used the watery crescent blades from both scalchops to slash away the Frost Breath. However, because of the freezing attack, Dewott's blades ended up getting frozen over, startling him.
"Now, Dive!" Pryce followed up, and Dewgong dove into the water.
"Not this time!" Jackson told himself. "Dewott, use those blades, and break the ice!"
"Got it!" Dewott declared, taking a small jump and slamming his iced-over Razor Shell attack to shatter the ice below him, opening up more of the field access to the underwater. Dewott went into the water after his attack, seeing Dewgong at the bottom of the pool, and shot back up towards him. Dewott swam out of the way, avoiding the oncoming Dive attack.
"You're relying on Dewott's fighting capabilities in the water." Leafeon told Jackson.
"Dewgong, pursue him with Dive!" Pryce ordered.
"Use Water Pulse!" Jackson called out. Dewott created a compressed ball of water and shot it at Dewgong, striking him from behind, stopping his attack.
"Dewgong, Rest!" Pryce reacted, and Dewgong fell asleep while in the water, his body restored from its damage. "Now Rest Talk!" Dewgong started to mumble in his sleep.
"Dewott, you got to take him out, now!" Jackson called out, "Night Slash, and dance with blades!"
"Oh, heck yes!" Dewott declared, summoning out twin Night Slash blades with his scalchops, before swimming at Dewgong, who unleashed Frost Breath at Dewott. He swam around the attack, before getting in close to Dewgong, and started slashing in fluid motions, taught by Jackson and his sword-training. His back to back slashes were making it difficult for the sleeping Dewgong to get away from. Finally, he ended by slashing right through the opponent, before dismissing his blades, placing his scalchops back on his hips. Dewgong floated to the surface, unconscious from the consecutive attack.
"Dewgong is unable to battle! Dewott is the winner!" the referee announced as Dewott got out of the water, scrambling onto what remained of the ice field again.
"Impressive work!" Leafeon praised him.
"Hah...hah... That was nothing." Dewott answered with an exhausted expression on his face.
"You overdid it on the dance with blades, huh?" Jackson noticed, "Do you wanna call it quits?"
"Heh... And let Weavile mock me for giving up?" Dewott asked, turning to see Pryce return Dewgong to his ball, "Not a chance."
"Well, we gotta be careful, anyway." Jackson warned him, "From what I heard from trainers, Pryce's last Pokémon is gonna be the toughest, due to its ability to change the terrain at will."
"I'm still figuring out what that means." Leafeon muttered.
"You impressed me with your Pokémon's skills." Pryce commended Jackson's Dewott, "You certainly trained them well. But I wonder if you are able to handle this. Piloswine, go!" He tossed out a ball, and out came a mound of fur with visible floppy ears, white tusks, and a pink nose sticking out of it.
Jackson pulled out his Pokédex for the new Pokémon. "Piloswine. The Swine Pokemon, and the evolved form of Swinub. Piloswine is covered by a thick coat of long hair that enables it to endure the freezing cold. This Pokémon uses its tusks to dig up food that has been buried under ice."
"Heh. That mountain of mass?" Dewott asked, "Suddenly, I feel like I got my second wind. And it can run circles around that thing, especially with not a whole lot of surface to move around!"
"Don't underestimate any Pokémon, Dewott." Jackson told his partner, "But let's go all out! Razor Shell!" Dewott summoned out his crescent blades and dove into the water, swimming towards Piloswine.
Pryce didn't say anything, but watched Dewott get in close. Then, just when he leapt out of the water, his blades ready, he called out, "Freeze-Dry!" Piloswine opened his mouth, and blasted a wide spray of freezing energy that hit Dewott and the water's surface. All of a sudden, everything froze up, including Dewott, who crashed to the ground, the ice around him shattering upon impact, and his face revealed with spirals in his eyes.
"Dewott is unable to battle! Piloswine is the winner!" the referee declared, while Jackson and Leafeon looked equally as frozen in shock from what just happened.
'That's incredible!' Lyanne gasped mentally, her mouth gaping open, 'He not only blasted Dewott, but also froze the entire field solid again!'
Jackson returned Dewott to his ball, muttering, "At least you allowed us to know how powerful that attack was. I heard Freeze-Dry was special as it did super-effective damage against Water-types, but to freeze the water on the ENTIRE field?!"
"That explains the terrain alteration, but I was expecting something grander based on what people said." Leafeon muttered.
"I'll have you know my Piloswine will be far more superior than what you think it will be." Pryce told Jackson, "In fact, I would go so far as to say he is the strongest in my team. He and I have been together for a long time."
"Good thing I have no problem sparing with veteran foes." Jackson answered, pulling out another ball, "Quilava, let's do it!" He tossed out a ball, and out came his Fire-type partner.
"My time to burn up the track?" Quilava asked, igniting his flames.
"Let's give him a warm welcome. Flamethrower!" Jackson ordered, and his partner spewed out flames that jetted to Piloswine.
"Counter with Freeze-Dry!" Pryce ordered, and Piloswine send another icy blast that canceled out the flames. "Now, Hail!" the gym leader followed up, and Piloswine squealed as it summoned up gray clouds over the battlefield, causing small bits of hail to fall from the sky. The hail started to sting Quilava as it hit him.
"Another weather phenomenon." Leafeon muttered.
"Quilava, don't let it get to you! Use Aerial Ace to get in quick!" Jackson called out.
"You got it!" he replied, charging forward in a stream of wind, flying towards Piloswine.
"Earthquake!" Pryce ordered. The Ground/Ice-type raised its front feet and slammed the ground hard, causing breaks to form all around the ice across the field. Quilava tripped up and fell over from the attack, before the ice shattered all about the place, nearly causing the Fire-type to fall into the water, had he not rolled out of the way. Jackson and Leafeon gasped as they saw that the solid ice field was now a series of glaciers that scattered about the field.
"My goodness!" Leafeon gasped.
"Now we see what they meant by a terrain-altering Pokémon." Jackson understood, "Shattering the field to create glaciers, and refreeze it again for a solid surface. Quilava, keep calm and use Flame Wheel!"
"On it!" Quilava answered, overcoming the hail damage, spinning into a flaming wheel that spun towards Piloswine, bouncing along the glaciers towards him
"Ice Shard!" Pryce called out, and Piloswine sends shrapnel of ice streaming at high speeds towards Quilava, peppering him with it. He started to evade and get around the attack, until he had a clear opening, striking the Swine Pokemon with the attack, making him skid back, while Quilava backed off, looking injured by the attacks he endured so far.
"Flamethrower, again!" Jackson called out, and his partner sent more flames at Piloswine, who took the hit, but was able to endure, despite the super-effective damage. "How is it that tough?!" the trainer gasped.
"I'll let you know." Pryce answered, "My Piloswine was given a rare ability in the form of Thick Fat."
"Crap..." Jackson and Leafeon muttered together, realizing what this meant. Fire-type moves would be halved thanks to that ability. A perfect ability for an Ice-type.
"Jackson, I can still keep hitting him with flames, regardless!" Quilava called back.
"I know. Let's keep it going! Flamethrower!" Jackson called out, and Quilava shot more flames.
"Ice Shard!" Pryce called out. Piloswine shot more ice shards at Quilava, some intercepting the Flamethrower and weakening it slightly as it got closer, while others struck their target, peppering him and sending him falling in pain from the attack. Piloswine took the Flamethrower attack, and was still able to keep moving, as Pryce called out, "Now, Freeze-Dry again!" Piloswine unleashed a wide-range blast that froze up the field again, taking Quilava with it. He ended up frozen in place, unable to move.
"Quilava, heat up and break free!" Jackson called out. Quilava tried to use the flames in his body to melt the ice covering him.
"Earthquake!" Pryce ordered, and Piloswine send another earth-shattering shockwave along the ice, shattering it into multiple glaciers. Among this, Quilava was forcefully shattered out of the ice, taking the full blow of the super-effective attack. He half-fell into the water, his upper-half on an iceberg, spirals in his eyes.
"Quilava is unable to battle! Piloswine is the winner!" the referee announced.
Jackson gritted his teeth as Leafeon looked sympathetic towards Quilava. Meanwhile, Lyanne looked sad at Jackson's second loss in a row, as she thought, 'He really wasn't ready to adapt to this. With the constant shifting of attacks and environment, not to mention the bulk behind Piloswine, it made it difficult for Quilava to take him out. Now what's your last choice?'
Jackson returned Quilava to his ball, looking at it as he said, "You did your best. That's all I can ask for." He pocked the ball, looking to the difficult opponent, thinking.
"Well, Jackson?" Leafeon asked, looking to him.
"It's a risk, but I know you don't mind them, right, Leafeon?" Jackson asked, looking to her.
"Indeed. Let's put the lessons you put into me to the test." the Verdant Pokémon told him, leaping onto the field, ready to fight.
"So your last one is Leafeon, huh?" Pryce asked, "I am interested if such a grassy Pokémon can handle the harshness of Winter."
"You will find that even the greenest of plants can bloom when given the right amount of moisture and sunlight." Jackson responded, seeing the Hail vanishing.
"Let's see you try that. Hail, once more!" Pryce called out.
"Sunny Day!" Jackson retaliated. Both Pokémon unleashed their weather altering-attacks, the sunlight and hailstorm clouds swirling around above, trying to overpower the other. However, Leafeon concentrated hard, and her sunlight won out in the end.
"Impossible!" Pryce gasped.
"Leafeon has defied expectations." Jackson replied, "Leaf Blade!"
"Keep up with me!" Leafeon called out, dashing at high speeds across the field with her Chlorophyll ability, before getting at Piloswine with a swing of her tail. It sent the big guy skidding backwards, moaning in pain.
"Ice Shard!" Pryce ordered, and Piloswine started firing off speedy shards of ice at Leafeon, who began dashing from iceberg to iceberg, using her speed and her surrounding for cover and evasive maneuvers.
'Leafeon's so nimble on her feet!" Lyanne told herself, 'I didn't think she would be so mobile on the slippery ice!'
'The Frosty Forest and Mt. Freeze back in the other Pokémon world allowed us to deal with terrain issues, and stabilize our traction on slippery areas.' Jackson told himself as Leafeon moved about the field, before shouting, "Leafeon, Solarbeam!" Leafeon began gathering energy quickly from her tail, before firing it from her mouth at Piloswine.
"Freeze-Dry!" Pryce ordered, and Piloswine blasted freezing air to counter the Solarbeam. However, after a bit of a struggle, Leafeon's attack overpowered, and he got blasted back, crying out in pain.
"We're not done yet!" Pryce called out, "Hail!" Piloswine summoned up storm clouds that swallowed up the sun, and begun sprinkling hail onto the battlefield, stinging Leafeon.
'He's reverted the weather back in his favor!' Lyanne exclaimed mentally.
"Now, Earthquake!" Pryce called out. Piloswine reared its front legs to slam on the ground
"Don't let the weather get to you!" Jackson called out, "Jump high!"
Leafeon bounded to the highest stalactite of ice, leaping high into the air before the Earthquake destroyed the area. She was going in an arch at Piloswine. The hail was thicker, but she endured as she fell towards him.
"Ice Shard!" Pryce called out.
"Spin Dash Iron Tail!" Jackson retaliated. Piloswine shot the ice bullets at the falling Leafeon, who went into a front roll as her tail became metallic, going into a buzzsaw blade. Her attack parried the Ice Shards, and Piloswine was helpless once again against her attack, and got slammed by a hammer slash from her Iron Tail. The impact caused the fur on the Pokémon's face to rise up, revealing its pained eyes, and the ground broke underneath him, the ice shattered, causing him to fall into the water. Pryce was shocked as he knew how thick the ice was at Piloswine's feet, thanks to the number of Ice-type moves that froze at that spot. Leafeon spun back onto a sheet of ice, sliding a bit until she came to a halt, and looked to see the Ground/Ice-types head sticking out of the water, unable to move.
"Piloswine is unable to battle! Leafeon is the winner!" the referee announced, "The victor is Jackson Alpphire of Ecruteak City!"
Jackson cheered in victory, while Lyanne jumped and down, applauding at Jackson's win. Leafeon leapt across the field, getting back to Jackson as he crouched down and rubbed her head, saying, "I am so proud of you!"
"It was a team effort." Leafeon commended, "Quilava was able to weaken him enough for me to finish the job."
"True that." Jackson agreed, "The team did an excellent job."
Pryce returned Piloswine to his ball, telling him, "You put up an amazing effort, old friend. It seems we still have more to learn." He put the ball away as he, Jackson and Leafeon went around the battlefield to meet one another, "It would seem I underestimated the strong will and determination you and your Pokémon have. It was shown in the battle you gave me. Despite the pain you and your Pokémon had dealt with, they pushed forth and gave the next one after a chance to surpass what I had. With that kind of willpower, you can surpass many obstacles."
"Thank you sir." Jackson thanked him.
"Here is your proof of your victory; The Glacier Badge." Pryce pulled from his coat a hexagon badge that looked like a snowflake. Jackson did the routine like he did before: flicking the badge into the air, doing a pirouette spin on the frosty floor, and came to a halt as he caught the badge.
"That's our seventh one!" Leafeon stated.
"Yeah. One more to go." Jackson replied, looking at the badge, and knowing who his last opponent was. The one he first attempted to beat on his journey; Clair of Blackthorn City.
Pryce closed his eyes as he smiled, before saying, "When the ice and snow melt, spring arrives. You and your Pokémon will be together for many years to come, through thick and thin. Cherish your time together."
"We will." Jackson replied, looking at Leafeon, turning to Lyanne, "Let's go get warmed up. I was heated up from the battle, but now I'm a little cold." Lyanne giggled at Jackson's statement, before they thanked Bryce for the challenging battle, before leaving.
Jackson's team was in recovery as he and Lyanne grabbed some hot cocoa, warming their bodies up again. "This is so warm and comforting." Lyanne sighed, "Especially I couldn't cheer for you in that gym. I thought my throat would go stale."
"Sorry. If only you could talk normally." Jackson wished, "But at least we can talk to one another like this." He took another sip, and put his cocoa down, the whip cream on it giving him a mustache. Lyanne saw this and stifled a laugh. "What's up?" he asked.
"Just enjoy seeing your new facial features." she answered. Jackson looked to the reflection on the napkin holder near him, and blushed at the whipped cream mustache, before licking it off. "So, now that we defeated the gym, where are we planning to go next?" she asked.
"Once we're rested and recovered, I have to prepare for my eight and final badge in Blackthorn City." Jackson answered.
"The place where you attempted to get your first badge, right?" she asked, recalling Jackson's story.
"Yep. But before that..." Jackson took another sip of his cocoa, his whip cream mustache resurfacing again as he said, "I think I need to get a definitive sixth Pokémon in my team."
"A definitive one?" Lyanne asked, stifling the urge to laugh from Jackson's facial feature.
"Yep." he replied, reacting to the disguised Pokémon's laugh by wiping off the mustache with a napkin, "Ledian is still being trained by Bugsy. I do plan to have him back eventually, but I want to have another Pokémon on me just in case. Tauros is taking care of the Miltank ranch, and I already set the red Gyarados loose. I think I should go search for my final Pokémon around this area."
"I get it..." Lyanne understood, calming her laughter as she looked to him, before suggesting, "You know, I've been with you all this time. I don't mind if you would-."
"Out of the question." Jackson intervened, "I'm not gonna capture you. I'll choose a different Pokémon, okay?"
"Okay. I was just suggesting that." Lyanne replied.
"Thanks, but I'm gonna do it my way, okay?" he assured her, pulling out his tablet, and looking up the map, "I'm thinking maybe we should head to Mt. Mortar. I think I'll get my next Pokémon there."
"Sounds like a plan." Lyanne answered, smiling at him, "I can't wait to see who your last Pokémon will be."
"Me too." Jackson replied, smiling back at her.
Inside the caves of the said mountain, several scenes could be shown. One was an open area that had a opening to the sky above, and a small Pokémon flying about, looking at the sky above. In the darkness of the caves, a Graveler rolled by as near him, a pair of menacing red eyes glowed, looking about the place. In an unknown area, which didn't even look like it was in the cave, a sinister figure in black with a white head was floating there, its blue eyes glowing with an unending vendetta and rage. And finally, in the stars, a figure was hidden within light, which had the appearance of a woman. A familiar figure of a Pokémon Jackson once knew.
All four of these unknown Pokémon would play a part in Jackson's claim for his sixth companion. Only one of them would be that new partner.