Traveler

by The Straight Elf

Ash Ketchum has been determined to become the best since he was a toddler. He has his eyes set on a charmander, but a twist of fate led him to the humble Nidoran. Note: Mix between anime and the games.

7. Chapter 7: The Caverns

A/N: I altered my style a bit this chapter, so tell me if you like the change or not. This chapter came out pretty good, at least in my eyes, so I hope all of you like it as well. Remember to review, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Ash casually leaned over the side of the ship, staring at the deep blue waves. They'd been travelling for two long days and he had gradually gotten more comfortable on the ship. A small storm had rocked the boat for most of the first day, but after that the ocean had been mostly peaceful.

While being on the boat didn't make his fists clench or his teeth grit anymore, he still couldn't wait to get off of it. Aside from being quite dull, he just wasn't comfortable around the ocean. Too many bad memories.

He sighed and pulled himself up, barely noticing how cold the steel bar was. The boredom was the worst part of this trip. Most of the passengers kept to themselves, and he could only talk to the small crew so many times before they had to go off and work.

Captain Stewart talked to him more than any of the others, and Ash found that he quite liked the old sailor. The Captain had apparently been quite the powerful trainer at one point, although he never challenged any of the Leagues. He still had a gyarados and a few other pokemon that he wouldn't say anything about to prove it.

Still, the Captain had been busy for the last few hours. Ash looked down at Nidorino, who was anxiously pacing around him. His friend still hated the ocean with a fierce passion and rarely accompanied Ash to the deck. But he was acting more stressed and nervous than usual right now.

"It's alright." He said soothingly, crouching down to his friend's level. Nidorino just looked up at him with wild eyes before beginning to pace again. "We're safe."

Nidorino grunted softly and shook his purple head. Ash sighed and patted his friend again. "Do you want to go back into your pokeball? I'll be heading inside soon anyway."

Ash was somewhat surprised when Nidorino shook his head again, but didn't question his friend's decision. He shrugged it off and returned to his former position. Watching the ocean was calming, even if it left his heart pounding and his face pale if the waves grew too strong.

He watched the ocean. The sun was hidden behind a thick layer of clouds, so everything appeared gray and dull. It matched the temperature perfectly.

Then he noticed something. Something far away was moving, but he could barely see it. Still, from the distance he could see it from it had to be quite large. Ash felt a sinking sensation in stomach as it slowly drew nearer, but didn't do anything yet. He didn't want to cause any alarm if he couldn't actually tell what it was.

Ash thought about releasing Plume to go and check it out, but eventually thought better of it. There were too many things that might try to attack her. Plume would be more than capable of defending herself, but he didn't have access to anything that could help her if she got injured.

So he waited for another two minutes, eyes locked on the approaching creature. It finally grew near enough that he could make out massive, looping coils and a large, open mouth. That's when Ash's blood froze.

"Gyarados!" He shouted. Everyone had to be warned. Ash knew that none of his pokemon had the firepower to stop a gyarados. Nidorino had thunderbolt, but that alone wouldn't stop one of the great sea serpents.

Panic ensued the moment he spoke the dreaded word. Two burly sailors quickly ran over to him, dropping their previous tasks the moment they heard him.

"Where?" One grunted, his hand on a pokeball. He remembered that the sailor's name was Briant. Ash pointed at the looping coils of muscle and scale that were quickly drawing closer. Both sailors grew pale. "Damn it! Astley, go get the Captain. We don't have the power for this."

The shorter of the two nodded and ran off. Ash glanced down at Nidorino before turning to the sailor. Nidorino was shaking a bit, but his eyes were hard and ready for battle.

"What do we do?" He asked. The huge man looked down at Ash with worried eyes.

"You have any electric-types?" He asked. Ash noticed that his hands were shaking a bit as the man gripped onto the iron bars.

Ash shook his head. "Nidorino knows thunderbolt, though."

Briant gave a tight nod. "Good. Get ready to use it. The Captain can drive it off, but he might need a distraction. Go to the middle of the deck. It's not safe to be on the edge."

He nodded and followed Briant's instructions. Ash noticed that his entire body was shaking a bit in both fear and anticipation of the coming battle. While he doubted that he would contribute very much to this fight – Captain Stewart's gyarados and whatever other pokemon the older man had would be the main players – this would be the first time that he fought a gyarados.

Soon enough, Captain Stewart ran out of the cabins and onto the deck. He was surprisingly swift for his age, and had a hard look that was unfamiliar to Ash. Stewart had two pokeballs in his hands and quickly spotted the gyarados that was making its way towards them. It would reach the boat very soon.

"Everybody that isn't a trainer get inside!" The old man roared, his voice easily overriding the strong winds that had suddenly begun to form. He looked over at Ash. "You! Do you have any electric-types?"

Ash shook his head. "Nidorino knows thunderbolt."

"Good!" Stewart shouted, a wide grin suddenly forming on his aged face. "Use it the second it gets close enough. I'm gonna lay a surprise for this beastie!"

"You heard him, buddy." Ash muttered to Nidorino. Nidorino resolutely nodded and tensed, more than ready for the fight to come. The trainer just watched the gyarados get closer and closer. Soon it was near enough that he could discern its features.

A few seconds later, it was in range. Nidorino tensed and briefly became surrounded by a massive aura of arcing electricity. It then focused onto his horn before blasting through the air towards the ominously advancing gyarados, who had just begun to rear its massive head back in preparation for the attack.

The massive bolt of electricity struck the gyarados in the massive plates that armored its underside. Gyarados roared in pain as electricity coursed through its body, but its sheer power managed to resist the bulk of the attack. It then ducked underneath the water in order to avoid any more such attacks.

Ash fought down the burst of adrenaline that flooded his veins and grinned over at Nidorino. "Good job! You know what to do when you see it again."

Nidorino grunted in response and squared himself in an attempt to keep more stability. Ash glanced over at the Captain, who had just thrown two pokeballs high into the air.

They opened, releasing two long, serpent like pokemon into the water. The larger of the two was clearly the gyarados that the Captain had told Ash about. It was an ancient, monstrous specimen of the breed. Its scales were heavy and plated, but scarred from innumerable battles. The fins surrounding its gaping mouth were torn, but that didn't detract from the twenty five foot long beast's terrifying appearance.

As for the other, it was much like the gyarados in size, but it was far less bulky and was slim. It was still larger than most pokemon Ash had seen, but it had an incredible beauty to it that Ash hadn't seen in any other pokemon. Its tiny, almost unnoticeable scales changed color as it moved. Ash didn't know what it was, but the elegant creature seemed far too perfect to ever use in battle.

"Gira! Find that damn gyarados and use giga impact! Tora, calm that thing down!"

Ash watched in awe as the two massive serpents began to follow their orders. The gyarados dived down into the water, its size and bulk splashing salty sea water onto the deck as it did so. The other pokemon began to glow a vivid pink, slowly sending pulses of pink energy into the water and the air.

He stared at the mysterious pokemon for a few more seconds before walking over to Captain Stewart, who looked oddly calm for the situation. Ash stumbled when the boat began to rock – he didn't know what the two gyarados were doing, but it was causing the sea around them to explode upwards. The remnants of a hyper beam blasted out of the sea, carrying a good amount of water with it before the bright orange beam dissipated.

"What do you think of the battle, kid?" Stewart asked with a grin. The Captain was casually leaning on the side of the cabins, his former seriousness gone and replaced with childlike glee. "Wish it were above water. Battles between gyarados are incredible."

"It's impressive." Ash said with a small smile. A sudden cyclone erupted out of the water, slamming into the side of the ship. It barely knocked the ferry to the side, but it did completely drench Ash. He sighed before continuing. "What's your other pokemon? I've never seen it before."

Stewart laughed and took his pipe out of his mouth, blowing a great deal of smoke into the air. "That, boy, is a milotic. One of the rarest pokemon in the world as well as one of the most powerful. I think of milotic as a sort of counterpart to gyarados. I'm lucky enough to have the pair - I looked for its pre-evolution for sixteen years before finding it. She was worth every second of it."

Ash nodded, but flinched when the two gyarados suddenly exploded out of the water only twenty feet away. He shielded his eyes from the sea water, but Stewart just calmly watched and smoked his pipe. The trainer quickly returned to watching the battle.

The Captain never gave Gira any orders. Gira seemed experienced enough to battle incredibly well on its own. Ash noticed that it was slightly slower than the other gyarados, but the other's attacks barely seemed to scratch the thick armor of scales Gira possessed. Gira's own attacks seemed more refined – it bit right in the small chinks between the gyarados' armor.

"This shouldn't take too long." Stewart said, breaking the silence. "That gyarados is just a baby. Probably just evolved – its scales are thin and its pretty tiny. Gira is just playing with it."

While he wasn't sure he could call anything that enormous tiny, Ash accepted the old sailor's words. Stewart seemed to be a Master when it came to water-types, or at least have the knowledge of one.

Ash watched the battle for a few more minutes, in awe at the sheer endurance and power of the gyarados. They had both done damage to each other that would instantly knock out and badly injure any other pokemon, but neither seemed willing to stop.

It wasn't until the other gyarados used hyper beam, blasting the thick stream of bright orange energy straight into Gira's armored hide and blasting Gira into the sea, that Stewart gave any orders.

"Gira, use thunder. Tora, get up here."

The milotic elegantly floated out of the water somehow. Ash wondered if it was part dragon or psychic. It landed heavily on the deck besides them and nearly took up the entire length of the ship, although Tora took up less room when she coiled up.

Tora gave out a low, keening cry as she placed her scaled head near Stewart. The old sailor grinned and patted her gently before turning his focus to the battle. Gira had just pulled itself out of the water and was arcing with electricity.

"Won't that hurt Gira as well?" Ash asked.

Stewart shook his head. "Gira's a tough old bastard. He has some resistance to electricity now. It'll hurt, but it won't knock him out."

Ash was satisfied with the explanation and watched carefully as Gira released an incredible amount of electricity into the water, sending the amplified attack straight into the other gyarados. The gyarados roared and thrashed wildly for a few seconds before falling unconscious. It slowly sank into the water. Gira roared his victory before slowly swimming back to the ferry.

"Good job, Gira." Stewart said lazily. Gira roared in response. Ash unintentionally backed away when he saw the gaping maw and the fangs that were longer than his arm. "I'll be sure to get you something special once we hit land."

Gira seemed satisfied and patiently waited to be recalled. When Stewart did, he turned to Ash. "Kid, you should get your Nidorino and head to your cabin. Clean up is going to take a while."

Ash nodded and did as the Captain said. Nidorino followed right behind him as he walked back to his room, hoping that it hadn't gotten any water in it from the battle. The deck was completely flooded, but the rest of the ship had seemed pretty secure.

It turned out that he was lucky. While there was a bit of water that had drained into the halls, his cabin was completely dry. Ash sat down on his bed and pulled out the pokedex. There wasn't much to do, and he wanted to look over the pokemon that frequented the Seafoam Islands.

XX

The rest of the journey was thankfully uneventful. It took another two days for them to arrive at the small group of islands, but it wasn't quite as boring. The gyarados attack had been the talk of the ship, and Stewart had let him see Tora and Gira again afterwards, along with his third pokemon, which was a wailord that was larger than the ferry. Ash was amazed at how strong all of them were. They were old, but hadn't lost any of their strength.

He had learned quite a bit about water-types as well. Stewart had taught him a few things about seadra that the pokedex hadn't mentioned – apparently they could learn to levitate in the air after extensive training, although Stewart didn't recommend that Ash try it unless he had a few months of down time – and told Ash that he might find one of the rare Dragon Scales in the Seafoam Caverns or at one of the small markets at the Islands.

While he didn't plan on evolving Torrent yet – he wanted Torrent to grow more powerful and get some additional experience before he evolved – Ash wouldn't mind having the Dragon Scale. They were incredibly rare and were only found in dragonite or the other fully evolved dragon lairs, and he would jump at the chance to obtain one.

Ash felt quite a bit of relief when he saw the four islands from the boat. He didn't have quite as much trouble with the ocean anymore, but it still made him anxious and he wanted to get back onto land the second he could. His pack was ready and he was practically jumping as the ship neared the small harbor.

As they drew mere minutes away from disembarking, Ash fought his way to the front of the line and listened to Captain Stewart as he spoke to them. The Captain was precariously perched atop a crate and seemed perfectly comfortable shouting instructions at them.

"Now that we're nearly at our destination, I have to tell you a few things!" He shouted over the wind. "We're staying here for four days. We're leaving at eight in the morning on the fifth day, so don't sleep in. You can either come back to the ship to sleep or find somewhere on the island. If any of you trainers are interested in heading into the Seafoam Caverns, wait and talk to me after the rest leave."

Ash groaned when he heard he would have to stay aboard. He slipped through the crowd to the empty area near the Captain, who nodded at him in greeting. Stewart leapt down from his perch, not showing any discomfort from the shock of the fall.

"I'll go ahead and tell you what to do." He said, taking his pipe out of his mouth. "Anyways, the entrance is pretty easy to find. But buy a thick jacket and plenty of things to keep you warm." Stewart warned. "The Caverns are the coldest place in Kanto, and it's the Ice Time at the moment."

"The what?"

"The Ice Time." Stewart replied with a shrug. "It's what the locals call it when the entire cave system freezes over. Normally only the bottom levels are frozen, but for a few months every year the entire cave freezes. It means that there are more ice-types running around, but it's dangerous as hell. Be careful in there and make sure you have enough food. Do you have a fire-type?"

Ash nodded. "A magmar."

Stewart grinned. "Good. Don't try to use it in battle – the water-types will hurt it badly – but using it to keep you warm is a good idea. You'll go through hell in there, but it's worth it. By the way, you need to go to the Pokemon Center and tell the authorities you're going in."

Ash nodded his thanks and went to rejoin the rest of the crowd. He really was glad that he would be able to get off the ship early. Dry land would be a great relief.

A few minutes later the ship docked. Ash was amongst the first of the passengers off. He felt a quick surge of glee when he landed on the wooden dock – he was finally on solid ground, if not land. The trainer quickly escaped the area before the other passengers could clog it up.

He glanced around the island once he was away from the dock. The Seafoam Islands were small and isolated, but they served as an important way station between Fuschia and Cinnabar. They were tropical, but the air was rather chilly and held none of the warmth that he had expected, likely due to the "Ice Time". It was incredibly bright, however.

The resort area that they had landed it was rather small. Ash thought that he might like to return sometime when it was actually warm. None of the locals or tourists seemed to notice how cold it was, however. Many were either laying out on the beach or frolicking in the shallow water. He shuddered just from watching the display and found his attention drawn to a small herd of slowpoke that carelessly slept on the beach. A few were awake and lazily dipping their tails into the river in search of food. Ash frowned when he saw an odd looking man with a lab coat and distinctively large nose watching the slowpoke with a strange look in his eye as he scribbled down notes.

His hand almost went to his pack in order to withdraw a pokeball, but he thought better of it. Ash didn't want to disturb the herd, and he expected that such an action would annoy the locals. Besides, in a few hours he would be in an environment full of far more powerful pokemon.

Ash walked around for a bit and took in the sights. The area appeared to be an ordinary tourist trap – huts full of gaudy jewelry and brightly colored souvenirs littered the area. Quite a few people were stopped at them, either examining the wares or buying them.

He turned away and looked for someone he could ask for directions. It didn't take too long, and he quickly found a helpful local who gave him directions to the Pokemon Center. Ash thanked the tall, shirtless man and followed his instructions.

The Pokemon Center wasn't too far from the beach. It was unlike many other Pokemon Centers in that it had a similar style of architecture as the buildings around it. If it hadn't been for the large insignia emblazoned upon the building and its distinctive size he never would have noticed the difference. It was wide and flat and only appeared to be a single story, and was built with simple plaster walls.

Ash walked in after taking it in. He casually pushed the door open, but gasped when the air of the Pokemon Center hit him. It was freezing and he wished he had a jacket. There were quite a few people lingering in it and talking and laughing to each other. Ash thought that it might be the busiest Pokemon Center of its size that he had encountered.

Before he talked to the Nurse Joy casually leaning on the counter, he followed the sign that would take him to the room where he could speak to Professor Oak and see about that zubat that had been taken from the dead Rocket grunt's belt. He hadn't even thought of it for more than a month, but he'd been thinking about his venture into the Seafoam Caverns a lot during the sea trip and realized that Plume wouldn't be able to do anything in the Caverns.

While she would probably take whatever cold temperature there was better than he would, Plume wouldn't be able to stand up to anything that had access to an ice-type move. The cold would weaken her to begin with, and an actual attack would easily defeat her. In addition, she probably wouldn't have room to maneuver in a cave.

Since he liked to have something that could scout, Ash had decided to check on the zubat. If it was rehabilitated, great. He would be able to meet a new friend. If not, he could just keep Plume in her pokeball.

Ash felt a little nervous as he punched in Professor Oak's number. The large screen was black as the Pokemon Professor was called, and Ash patiently waited until it finally flickered to life. He looked at the small room the screen revealed curiously. He recognized it as Professor Oak's main computer room. It was rather comfortable looking, and had windows that Ash could see out of. Professor Oak wasn't there.

He frowned, but the Professor entered the picture a few moments later. Oak had on his usual lab coat and outfit, but his graying hair was bedraggled and far messier than it ordinarily was. The Professor's eyes were red and tired, and he squinted at Ash for a few seconds before recognizing him.

"Oh, hello, Ash!" Oak exclaimed. He stood up a little straighter and a grin stretched across his tan face. "It's been a long time. How is your journey coming along?"

Ash grinned. "Great! I've already got five badges and I'm heading to Cinnabar for my sixth."

"I'm impressed." Oak commented. "Your mother told me how far you'd gotten, but I'm afraid that I forgot. What are you doing in the Seafoam Islands? Do you need something?"

He nodded. "I took a zubat from a Team Rocket grunt. It was taken away for rehabilitation. Do you know where I could find it? I'm heading into the Seafoam Caverns and I want something that could help me navigate."

Oak's grin faded with Ash's news. "I heard about the St. Anne. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Ash grunted, not wanting to discuss it. Oak seemed to understand the signal and continued, his tone becoming lighter as he moved away from the grim subject.

"Anyways, I've actually been holding that zubat for you." Oak said, leaning onto the table that held the screen. "The League sent it over just under two weeks ago. She's in good shape, but be careful with her. The zubat is terrified of everything. She'll do whatever job you need done, though. Give me just a minute to send her over."

Ash thanked the Professor and found a comfortable seat to wait in while Oak prepared to send his zubat over. He was a bit worried that the zubat wouldn't be able to function well if she was as timid as Oak claimed, but supposed that she would still be a better choice to have in a cave than Plume.

That was when Ash realized that he would have to send Plume's pokeball over if he wanted to use Zubat. Trainers that had more than six pokemon on them had their seventh locked until their ID was given authorization to have more, which only occurred when the trainer proved themselves powerful and responsible enough to care for the additional pokemon.

He pulled Plume's pokeball off of his belt and released her. Plume squawked out a greeting as she was released and gently pecked his bag. She scanned the small, brightly lit room in confusion before cocking her head and looking up at him.

"Hey, Plume." He said with a grin, although he felt a bit of guilt at leaving her behind, no matter the reasons or logic in doing so. She lightly chirped. "I'm about to explore a cave. It's full of ice-types, and I'm afraid you're going to get hurt."

Plume shook her head and shrieked in an attempt to convince him otherwise. Ash felt the guilt grow more, and he found himself kneeling in front of her.

"Look, I'm going to have to send you to the Oak Corral. It's only for a few days, and I promise I'll get you back the second I can." Ash said with a pained look on his face. "I really don't want to, but you won't be able to fight well against the pokemon we'll be fighting. I just don't want you to get hurt."

The pidgeot turned her head away from Ash, trying to ignore him. Ash continued to apologize until she finally looked at him again, although it was clear that she was insulted. He sighed and tried to stroke her head. Plume grudgingly allowed it, although she refused to look at him while he did so.

Professor Oak finally arrived, a plain pokeball in hand. Ash sighed and stood up.

"Just put your pokeball in the transfer machine and they will trade places." Oak explained. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of your pidgeot."

Ash tensely smiled and stood up. "I'll get you back as soon as I can." He promised Plume. She just looked at him stonily. "Bye."

He recalled Plume and felt a hard pang in his chest as he placed the pokeball of his second friend into the transfer machine. It glowed for a moment before disappearing, replaced by Zubat's pokeball. Ash noticed that there was a lump in his throat as he took the new pokeball and examined it.

It had no markings, and was completely indistinguishable from any other. Ash sighed and put it onto his belt. He wish he had another spot to put it. There was just something wrong about putting it in Plume's spot.

"Thanks." He said to Professor Oak. The older man just smiled and nodded, although his face grew a bit more serious.

"Be careful in the Caverns." Oak warned. "I explored them once in my youth. I have confidence in you, but they are treacherous and the wild pokemon are more aggressive during the Ice Time. Try to avoid the deeper levels, and good luck."

Ash nodded his thanks and prepared to leave. Before he cut the connection, however, he had one last thing to say to Oak. "Hey, Professor, could you tell my mom I said hi? I don't think I'll be able to call her a while."

The Professor smiled. "Of course. She's coming over for lunch later. I'll tell her then. Stay safe, Ash."

He smiled at the Professor. "I will. Bye, Professor."

Ash cut the connection. He smiled at the blank screen before turning around. The pangs in his chest at leaving Plume were slowly weakening, although he was sure that he wouldn't forget his friend. He looked at Zubat's pokeball once more before leaving the room. It was time to get on with his journey.

XX

A Nurse Joy smiled at him as he approached the counter. She was tanner than the Nurse Joys he had seen elsewhere and her uniform was also thinner and less restrictive. An assistant and a chansey stood next to her, but the assistant was speaking to another trainer.

"How may I help you?" She asked. Ash noticed that she had a different accent than the ones on the mainland. It was a bit sharper and caused her to speak noticeably faster.

"I was told that I needed to tell you if I wanted to go into the Caverns." Ash replied. Nurse Joy frowned and leaned forward, casually resting on the counter.

"I can't let you enter the Caverns right now unless you have more than three badges or can defeat my friend here." Nurse Joy said, nodding at the tall trainer speaking to the assistant. The man grinned and looked at Ash, baring his teeth. "The Caverns are dangerous during the Ice Time, and I need to know that you won't be getting yourself killed."

Ash grinned and withdrew his pokedex. He quickly went to the section that held his trainer ID and showed it to Nurse Joy, revealing to her that he had five badges. She sighed.

"I guess I can't stop you. But be careful," she warned, "right now the pokemon in there will be much stronger than they are normally. They are dangerous, far more so than the average pokemon that you have come across. Some will be aggressive, and all will be more than ready to fight you off. Make sure you buy more than enough supplies – the Caverns can be treacherous. Try to leave markers so that you can find your way out."

He nodded his understanding and his thanks. Nurse Joy sighed again and pulled a small ticket from her pocket.

"By taking this you understand and accept that the Pokemon League of Kanto is not responsible for your safety for however long you stay in the Seafoam Caverns." Nurse Joy said in an official monotone. "You understand the risks that you are taking and agree not to blame the Pokemon League of Kanto should you be injured in the exploration of the Seafoam Caverns."

Ash took it without hesitation and thanked Nurse Joy again. She looked towards the tall, fierce looking trainer that was talking to the assistant as Ash left. "You'd better head to the entrance. He doesn't look like he'll wait long."

Before he exited, he heard Nurse Joy speak to the trainer again. "I really hope he's not one of the unlucky ones. We need to get the badge limit raised – we get too many cocky young trainers that get trapped and lost in those caves."

He ignored the comment and headed to the marketplace that he had seen a little past the Pokemon Center. It wasn't very big, but it looked to have all of the necessary equipment that he would need from the quick glance he took at it.

When he got to the small market, it was packed. There were several dozen vendors, all hawking their wares at small booths for high prices. Ash was jostled and shoved around as people bustled through the market, but managed to find his way to someone who sold the equipment he would need.

"How may I help you?" The somewhat overweight man asked Ash as he approached. He had the same accent as Nurse Joy, although it was much thicker. "I offer everything any trainer could ever need in order to brave the dangerous Caverns: heavy coats, rope, ice heals, gloves – you name it!"

Ash nodded at him and looked around. The booth was small, but filled to bursting with plenty of things. He found several things that he wanted over the next few minutes. Although the vendor's hawkish eyes made Ash feel a little awkward, he found a thick coat, equally thick gloves, and several of the ice heals – potions modified to quickly warm pokemon – as well as a thick coil of rope and a small ice pick. He already had plenty of potions, pokeballs, and revives.

"How much is this?" Ash asked, his voice slightly muffled behind the stack of items he was carrying. The vendor quickly glanced over the items before responding.

"That would be four hundred and eighty seven." The fat man grinned, apparently quite glad that Ash had purchased so much. Ash sighed at the high price and forked the necessary bills over. "Thanks for your business, kid. Have fun in the Caverns."

"Thanks." He muttered before transferring most of the equipment into the storage compartments in his pack. His pack implemented similar technology to that of the pokeball – although he kept important things like his sleeping mat, a pokeball, and other necessities ready for access at all times, everything else could be transferred into the three storage compartments. They didn't have infinite space, but it let him carry much more than he normally could.

With that, Ash left the bustling market and retreated to a more isolated spot in the wide, open streets. He leaned against a wall as he looked at the small ticket that Nurse Joy had handed him. It was slightly crumpled from being shoved into his pocket, but was readable.

The ticket gave him instructions to the entrance as well as giving him permission to enter. Its instructions were fairly simplistic – it gave him a list of roads to take and where to go after that. Apparently the entrance was somewhat hidden in order to dissuade people that weren't strong enough to enter from finding it.

Ash carefully folded the ticket before beginning to follow the instructions, keeping it ready as a method of reference. He wasn't always the best at following directions, but it wouldn't take him too long to find his way. It was a pretty small island, after all. Besides, he had great motivation to do so.

XX

His trip across the small island took him far away from the small town that dominated the east coast and through the wild part of the island. After thirty minutes he had left even the roads behind, and another thirty minutes later he had made his way through the light foliage and reached the western coast of the island.

The island was beautiful. Despite the chilly weather and strong winds, the vegetation was still lush and green. Ash had to admit that he liked the coast more, however. Even if it was next to the ocean it was a majestic sight. Tall, jagged towers of rocks guarded the coastline, and the beaches were full of herds of slowpoke. He only encountered one group of trainers, all of whom had pale skin and wild eyes. They didn't speak to him and barely acknowledge his existence as they passed him by.

It only took a few more minutes to find the massive beach that held the hidden entrance to the Caverns. The beach took up almost the entire length of the western coast, periodically dotted with large clusters of stones. Ash released Nidorino as he entered it. The island's forests might have few wild pokemon, but the beaches were full of coastal pokemon. He didn't want to be caught off guard.

He was thankful that they weren't aggressive. The few slowbro that led the herds watched him with slightly more awareness than their slowpoke brethren, but made no move against him. The slowpoke only watched him dumbly – when they realized that he was there at all, that is.

Ash followed the beach until he found a large hill of weathered stone. He recognized it as the entrance to the caverns and casually walked to it, easily stepping over a lone slowpoke that was belly-up in the coarse grey sand. It was apparently involved in a staring contest with a particularly large boulder.

Soon enough he found the area where the stone began to form a sort of funnel. He stepped into it, but a light cough distracted him. Ash nervously snapped towards the source of the sound, but relaxed when he saw that it was the tall trainer from the Pokemon Center.

"Hey, wait up!" The trainer said as he stood up from a long, flat stone bench and walked towards Ash. "I've got to take that ticket. Your name's Ash Ketchum, right?"

Ash nodded and handed the ticket over to the man. The trainer looked Ash over for a moment before speaking.

"My name's Will. Anyways, I'm just here to give you a few tips before you go into the Caverns." Will said easily, leaning against the tall wall of stone. Ash listened attentively.

"Rule number one: keep warm. I can't tell you how many people have gotten frostbite from that cave. Some people die. Rule number two: be prepared at all times. This is the Ice Time, and every pokemon in those caves is powerful, aggressive, and mean right now. Ice-types are going to be in the higher levels, and they can take out your pokemon in a hurry if you aren't careful."

Will frowned. "You should know the other rules. They're common sense. Leave markers, leave when your supplies get low, don't antagonize wild pokemon. None will try to injure or kill you unless you do something that means you deserve it, but they'll do their best to drive you out. Stay in the upper levels if you can, and be careful."

"Thanks." Ash said, making sure to burn those tips into his brain. He didn't want him or his friends to get hurt.

The older trainer sighed. "Just be careful. Those Caverns are dangerous this time of year, and I don't want to have to call your family if something happens to you. Anyways, good luck."

"I will." Ash promised. "And thanks."

"Don't mention it." Will said, waving his thanks off. "Anyways, have fun. I'm out."

With that the older trainer left the small stone funnel and began the long trek back to the town. Ash watched his retreating back for a moment before withdrawing his coat and gloves and getting the rest of his supplies ready.

He looked down at Nidorino, glad that his friend was a good choice to go into the Caverns with. His friend might be a native of forests and plains, but he was more than tough enough to take whatever this Cavern threw at them.

Ash had a grin on his face as he and Nidorino walked further into the stone funnel. This would be the greatest challenge he had faced yet, and he couldn't wait to conquer it.

XX

His first thoughts as he entered the Caverns proper mainly revolved around the fact that he should have bought another coat. The air was freezing, and he immediately felt the icy air chill his bones. Ash just stood still for a second and got slightly used to the cold temperature.

Nidorino fared much better. Pokemon were naturally resistant to all sorts of things that humans couldn't take, but Ash hadn't expected Nidorino to seem as though he were barely chilly. His friend was casually sitting next to his foot, more than ready to protect him. The cold didn't even faze the pink creature.

Ash's teeth chattered a bit and he couldn't focus for another minute. He slowly adjusted to the temperature, only aware of Nidorino patiently waiting for him to toughen up. When he was finally ready to continue and had quashed the desire to leave this forsaken, freezing cave and retreat to the gloriously hot – relatively – air outside, he looked around.

The cave was much larger than he had expected. It wasn't cramped or a tunnel like Mt. Moon, but was actually a cavern – the stone roof raised high into the air, and he could see a few rays of sunlight shining down through holes in the thick roof. Ash almost felt guilty now – Plume would have plenty of room to fly, although he realized that the bitter cold would harm her much worse than any of his other friends.

He pushed the thoughts out of his mind. Ash couldn't do anything about that, and he could at least make a new friend while Plume was being pampered at the Oak Corral. Speaking of his newest partner, Ash pulled the pokeball off of his belt and got ready to release Zubat.

"Be nice." He told Nidorino as he reached into the pack, withdrawing some of the pokemon food he bought. "This is that pokemon we got off of the…the grunt. She's apparently terrified of everything, and I don't want to scare her."

Nidorino grunted and caused his barbs to recede. The poison that had been dripping off of them was quickly absorbed into his friend's skin, leaving no trace of it. Ash smiled at the diminutive stance his friend took, the powerful, aggressive posture receding. His friend almost looked like an abnormally large Nidoran.

He released Zubat. It was tiny, but its long, thin legs made it look slightly larger. Its purple wings doubled its size, and its ears were as large as its body. Ash saw it helplessly land on the cold ground, apparently able to ignore the freezing stone. Zubat opened its mouth, showing four small fangs and shrieked. A second later it froze tensed up, ready to fly away. He guessed that it had seen him with its echolocation.

"Shh." He said, kneeling to the ground. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Zubat looked no different. Ash slowly inched closer to it, hands up in a placating position. The pokemon might not be able to actually see him, but hopefully it would understand what he was doing. He stopped moving closer when Zubat bared her fangs, doing her best to appear intimidating.

"Look, do you want some food?" He asked slowly, trying to soothe the frightened pokemon. "I know you must be hungry."

He smiled when Zubat slowly crawled over using the tiny hooks at the end of its wings. The pokemon was extremely cautious and looked ready to flee at any instant, so Ash set the food down and backed away a little. Since Zubat didn't seem bothered by the cold, he assumed that the dry food being set on the stone floor wouldn't be a problem.

When Zubat gingerly began to chew on the small pellets, crushing it with its small fangs before gulping it down. Ash let Zubat become comfortable eating before talking to the tiny bat.

"See?" He said. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to be your friend."

Zubat froze and looked at him with a cocked head. It relaxed a moment later and returned to eating the food. Ash got the feeling that it was about to try and flee.

"Look, if you want to go back to the Oak Corral, I'll let you. I understand that Team Rocket did some pretty bad things, but I just want to be your friend."

The pokemon finished the dry food before looking up and cocking her head. Ash patiently waited. Nidorino just stayed still.

Finally, Zubat slowly made her way over to him. It was cautious and Ash could tell that she didn't quite trust him yet, but it was a start. At least she felt somewhat safe around him.

He slowly raised a hand and tried to pet Zubat. She shrank back, but didn't try to flee as he gently petted his newest partner. Eventually she relaxed and leaned into his gloved hand, causing Ash to smile.

"Hey, do you mind helping me with something?" He asked. Zubat cocked her head and looked up at him oddly, her ears twitching. "We're in a cave system, and I think I'll need your help to navigate in some areas. I won't ask you to battle, but could you help me out when I need it?"

Zubat nodded. Ash grinned and scratched behind her ears. "Thanks."

That got one problem out of the way. He didn't have a permanent light-source aside from Infernus, and he didn't want to keep his most temperamental friend out in this cold for very long. While Infernus could take it, Ash remembered that magmar had a habit of trying to heat up cold surroundings. Additionally, the fire-type would be slow and sluggish in this environment.

He scratched Zubat's ears one last time before telling her that he was about to put her back in the pokeball. Zubat didn't seem to mind, so he went ahead and did it. While he didn't ordinarily tell his pokemon when he was recalling them, he figured it would be best to do so with the timid Zubat.

When Zubat was back inside her pokeball, Ash stood up and looked around the cavern. Most of it was stone, but in the center a large, thick layer of ice bridged the cavern. Ash looked at it with distrusting eyes. He definitely wouldn't be walking over it.

Ash spotted a large opening in the stone wall on the other side of the cave. It looked as though it would take him deep into the cave system. He looked over at Nidorino and nodded towards it. "Let's go."

He was glad to get moving. It helped to keep some of the cold at bay and let him think about something besides the unpleasant temperature.

The walk over to the gaping opening only took a minute. Although he was careful to avoid the sections of the floor slick with ice, this area seemed to be quite dry. Ash knew that he would not be so lucky on the lower areas.

Ash glanced down the dark tunnel and released Infernus. He didn't want to be going blind into the cave and wanted to save the small lantern he had bought for a more desperate time. If everything went to plan, he would be in the Caverns for three or four days before leaving. Something was sure to go wrong in that amount of time, so the lantern would be a last resort.

Infernus didn't roar when he was released, and seemed far more subdued than usual. He looked at Ash with an annoyed look and blasted a small spurt of flame after a moment, temporarily warming the area.

"Sorry." Ash said. Infernus slowly nodded, the cold already beginning to slow him down and weaken his body. "But I need you to light the way through that tunnel. I promise that I won't call you out anymore unless I really need you for something."

The magmar seemed far more happy about staying in his pokeball than he had before. Ash figured this would be the only time that Infernus wouldn't mind staying out of battles.

Infernus groggily stepped forward into the tunnel, a little unsteady. He grew more comfortable as he continued, but slowed down. Ash followed right behind him, although he gave Infernus plenty of room to swish his tail.

Suddenly, Nidorino growled. Ash looked down at his friend curiously and saw that Nidorino was staring up and was baring his fangs. He felt his body tense as he looked up at the cave ceiling, paling when he saw that there was a gigantic mass of small, furry bodies huddled together on the stone.

He had walked straight into a huge number of zubat. They didn't seem to be aggressive, but it was the fact that they were right there and he hadn't noticed them that mattered. Ash got ready to run down the tunnel, but a large bat that fell out of the midst and landed on the floor blocked him. It was a golbat, and it was hissing at him.

Ash's desire to run faded. If the golbat wanted a fight, it would get one. He knew that his friends could take on this entire colony. It would be difficult, but they could do it. Numbers didn't mean much in a confined area and a massive flamethrower.

Golbat stretched its huge wings out and menacingly stepped towards Ash in an odd sort of stumble, but the fangs kept Ash from being scornful. Then Nidorino growled and stepped forward, squaring himself and preparing for battle. Infernus did so as well, despite his sluggishness and the cold that weakened him. Ash felt a momentary burst of pride and happiness over how loyal his friends were.

It stumbled back a little and hissed again, but Infernus stamping his foot and flaring up seemed to make the golbat realize that fighting them wouldn't be a good idea. Golbat hissed at them one more time and flew up to the ceiling, taking its place in the mass of zubat huddled together for warmth.

Ash grinned at his friends. "Thanks." He hoped that they could solve most of their disputes like that. While his pokemon were strong, they couldn't take a dozen battles with the hundreds of zubat and golbat that probably lived in these Caverns.

Nidorino grunted in reply and Infernus just let the flames he had ignited die down. Ash felt a stab of pity for the fire-type, who looked positively miserable at the moment, but knew that he needed Infernus' help.

So they continued, Ash making sure to keep the pace up. Hopefully it would keep Infernus from cooling off too much and would let Ash return him sooner.

It only took a few more minutes for them to emerge from the dark tunnel and into a huge cavern that positively dwarfed the opening one. Ash could see that huge holes in the ceiling illuminated most of the cavern. While it was still quite dark, he was able to see well enough.

Ash looked around a bit more, looking for a route through. Most of this room was ice, but a few rushing currents seemed to be too powerful for ice to form on them. He saw the odd zubat flying around, but they seemed few and far between. Every now and then he saw a glimpse of another pokemon moving in the darkness, although he judged that most either had homes to keep them warm or were able to survive underneath the ice.

He turned back to Nidorino. "Well, this looks like it'll take a while. Let's get going."

Nidorino growled in approval and followed Ash as he set off to explore the area.

XX

He eventually got used to the cold. Ash didn't ignore it, and the icy bite made his hands and toes painfully cold, while a light ache all over his body kept him wary of the weather. If it weren't for his heavy coat and gloves, he was sure that he would have had to leave the freezing cave system. As it was, he knew that he was underprepared.

Infernus saved him many times. Few golbat or zubat were willing to antagonize the fierce, powerful fire-type, although the ones that did were quickly defeated. His most valuable function was to use his immense power to heat the air around Ash and his high body temperature helped to keep Ash from freezing. Ash released him every hour or so.

Nidorino had eventually been worn down from the intense cold, although he had more of a resistance to it than Ash did. The constant battles with aggressive wild pokemon such as seel, krabby, and staryu eventually caused Ash to recall him.

The pokemon in this cave were just as aggressive as he had been warned. Although he had an easy time with them – they were unusually powerful, particularly for how young they seemed, but had no sense of tactics aside from ambushing and then attacking him – he knew that they were just the beginning. He had only had one battle with an evolved pokemon so far – a huge, vicious dewgong that had burst out of the ice and tried to blast them with an ice beam – but it had been horribly difficult. It had taken Brute to finally take it down, although the dewgong swam away before Ash could try to capture it.

Torrent loved this cave. As a water-type, he was highly resistant to ice, even though he couldn't stay in it for extended periods of time. But these Caverns were his chance to shine, and the seadra had taken full advantage of the fact. Ash was using him the most thanks to the plentiful supply of lakes – some of them hadn't frozen over for some reason, although they were littered with chunks of ice – and Torrent had quickly begun to fight off and intimidate even the most aggressive of the weaker pokemon.

Bruiser was his main pokemon for land. Ash figured that the fighter needed more experience, and the fighter was surprisingly durable against the cold and effective against pokemon that attacked him on the land such as a surprisingly enraged slowpoke, several moderately powerful psyduck, and the krabby that seemed to be everywhere.

Dazed only saw a little bit of use – just to hypnotize the more powerful pokemon or to knock any attacking colonies of zubat out with a single psychic attack – and she seemed more than happy to stay in her pokeball. Her species lived in temperate or warm areas, not icebergs.

Zubat saw a surprising amount of use. He didn't dare use her in battles – she would probably try to fly away or hide behind him – but she served well as a scout and was able to guide him through particularly tricky areas. She saved him a lot of trouble with both the environment and with other zubat. They seemed more content to remain huddled together and warm when they saw her with him. Ash still hadn't nicknamed her, though. Zubat still seemed a little nervous around him.

He had begun to cycle his pokemon out over the two days he had been traversing the Caverns, going deeper and deeper into them. None were out too long, since the strengthening cold was draining even for them. Ash wasn't sure how much deeper he could possibly go – he had gone steadily deeper into the earth the entire time, and soon the cold would become so powerful that he would be forced back.

Ash still had plenty of rations, however. He didn't need that much food, and neither did his pokemon. They'd gotten used to not having quite as much as they'd like during his travels, although Ash made sure that they all had enough to be comfortable. The team needed to be in great condition in such a dangerous area.

The trainer had gotten lost several times, sometimes losing several hours before Zubat and luck set him back on the right track. He had remembered the tips given to him and had Nidorino frequently gouge huge carvings into the stone walls with his incredibly sharp and powerful horn. Ash hoped that would be enough, although he was doing his best to memorize every section of the immense cave system as he travelled through it.

As of now, he was in a particularly confusing area of the cave. Zubat was clutching to his back, lightly jabbing him with a claw in order to direct him through the proper route and Bruiser plodded along behind him, the tunnel to thin for them to walk side by side. He hated these areas – sending Zubat ahead to discover the safe way made it simpler, but the fact that anything could be waiting on the other side of a curve made him anxious.

He sighed in relief when they finally emerged from the tunnels, which were lit by his small lamp. Ash carefully turned the lamp off and placed it back into the storage compartment before continuing out of the tunnel.

The trainer's eyes widened in surprise when he stepped into the cavern. In itself, the large room wasn't particularly impressive. What was impressive was the fact that a huge number of psyduck congregating in it, practically filling the entire room. He estimated that there were around thirty.

This wouldn't be so surprising anywhere else. Psyduck always congregated in large groups, usually led by a golduck. Safety in numbers and whatnot – they were practically defenseless on their own if their headaches peaked. While they would exhibit powerful psychic abilities during such a time, they were in so much pain that they were unable to react to other danger.

He just didn't think that they would do the same in an environment like the Seafoam Caverns. The only psyduck he had seen in the Caverns were in small groups of three or four, so he'd assumed that it was the standard.

They didn't react to his presence – most stared into space with a vacant expression eerily similar to Dazed's. Ash ignored that little tidbit and looked towards Bruiser. His friend nodded and stepped forward, ready to protect Ash if the psyduck tried anything.

Ash also got ready to release all of his pokemon. While psyduck weren't very dangerous, all of the ones he had encountered in the Caverns were far more powerful than their mainland counterparts. In such a large group, they could be very dangerous.

Unfortunately, he couldn't turn back. He had upset quite a few seel when he passed by earlier, and he had heard them calling for reinforcements. Ash wasn't sure that they wouldn't try to hurt him when he went back – they had been furious, far from the usual for the normally docile seal.

He tried to creep around the large group, who took up the entire center and only left the edge for him to move in. Once or twice one of the pained psyduck walked into him, knocking them down. Those incidents made Ash hold his breath and get ready for the fight of his life, but the psyduck didn't seem to notice. Instead they just looked at themselves in confusion, quacking a few times as they wondered why they were on the ground.

Ice crunched underneath Ash's shoes as he moved around the flock of psyduck, but they didn't attract attention. Ash thought that he and Bruiser would get out unscathed when a loud, angry cry alerted him to a new danger.

He nervously turned and was faced with a golduck stalking towards him, red eyes burning with rage and claws outstretched. It cried out again and faced Bruiser, who matched its stance. Zubat clutched harder onto his back. Ash winced a bit as her sharp claws jabbed his skin, but he ignored it as best he could. He had bigger things to worry about.

Before the battle began, Ash took notice of the golduck's appearance. It was smaller than most of its kind, but was still dangerous. Instead of the small bulk that most golduck needed to battle each other, this one was lithe and thin looking. Nevertheless, Ash could still see the powerful muscles working beneath the feathers that were so thin and small that they looked like flesh.

It was blue, and had webbed hands and feet. Golduck had small claws, but they looked extremely sharp. A long tail emerged from its rear for swimming, and overall its body was extremely hydrodynamic. The duck cried out at him again before it suddenly focused on Bruiser with glowing eyes, alit with psychic power.

Ash immediately recalled Bruiser, sending out Dazed instead. Bruiser had no chance against a psychic attack, not with the kind of cold they were facing. Dazed looked at him in annoyance when she felt the cold, but quickly returned her focus to Golduck.

He took one of his ultra balls from his pack. Ash wanted to catch a pokemon while he was in the Caverns, and this golduck seemed more than powerful enough to make a good addition to his team. The dewgong had been his first choice – it had knocked out half of his team – but the golduck would be just as good.

Dazed prepared herself as Golduck used some sort of psychic attack on her. Ash grinned as she casually dispersed the attack into nothingness, her psychic powers far too formidable for Golduck to stand against. She leveled a cold glare at Golduck, her eyes glowing in preparation.

"Hypnosis." He ordered, his blood beginning to pump and make him forget the cold. Dazed began to slowly wave her pendulum, opting to use her natural abilities instead of the skill itself. Her natural abilities worked more quickly than the skill did, but could be disrupted if the victim had a strong enough will to close its eyes.

Her pendulum rocked through the air, attracting Golduck's attention with every swing. Ash smiled as he saw the power it gave her. Dazed had left him for a few minutes yesterday as he set up camp, and when she emerged she held the pendulum in her hand. She showed it to him, and he was able to tell it was made from the weathered stone of the Cavern.

He thought that this fight would be over before it began, but Golduck managed to break Dazed's spell and attack with a blast of water. Ash recognized it as a hydro pump.

"Disable!" He ordered, wanting to make sure Golduck didn't have access to its attacks. Water and ice-type moves seemed more powerful than they normally were in these Caverns. Ash couldn't let Golduck keep using the amplified power.

Dazed resolutely took the attack, using her power to direct some of it around her. Ash could still see that it hurt her, but the effect was dampened somewhat by her barrier. She held her own and quickly focused her power. Dazed's eyes glowed bright as she enveloped Golduck in a blue aura. Golduck froze, unable to do anything for a short amount of time.

Disable wasn't a move Ash had used often. He'd used it a few times against trainers with devastatingly powerful pokemon, but normally he was able to either overpower them or outmaneuver them. It locked them in place in its basic form, and Ash heard that at its more advanced stages it was able to make a pokemon forget its moves for a while as well as immobilizing it.

"Hypnosis." He repeated. Dazed quickly took advantage of her opponent's helplessness, lulling Golduck to sleep with her swaying pendulum. Ash grinned when he saw Golduck's eyes slowly droop before shutting altogether.

When Golduck collapsed to the ground, the psychic energy of the disable no longer suffusing his body, Ash carefully threw the ultra ball at it. He realized that this was the first time that he would ever use one of the powerful tools, despite the fact that he had received them nearly two months ago.

The ball hit Golduck once before transferring the water-type into it. Ash watched with held breath as the powerful ball rolled around. Apparently Golduck didn't want to be caught. He suspected the struggle would be much more frantic had Golduck been awake when it was captured.

"Get ready ." He said to Dazed. Thankfully, their caution proved to be unnecessary. The ultra ball proved to be too powerful for Golduck, and it shuddered for a moment before glowing. A moment later it had been transferred to the Oak Corral.

It was then that Ash remembered the psyduck. He had ignored the catatonic creatures for the battle – they wouldn't pose a threat unless he directly attacked them – but now realized that some of them were beginning to stir. Two were already up and staring at Ash with blank eyes that seemed to have just a bit of malice in them. Ash knew that psyduck weren't as stupid as they seemed, and felt a little nervous.

"Zubat, let's go. Dazed, good job. You did great."

Dazed turned around and seemed to smile at him with her sleepy eyes before he returned her. He quickly edged into the small, jagged opening of the tunnel behind him, watching the psyduck all the while. More were beginning to stand up, and he was rather glad the exit was so close. None followed him, although several psyduck's eyes were beginning to glow a bright blue.

He quickly retreated into the dark tunnel, ignoring the fact that it was even more freezing than the psyduck room. At least that had been warmed a bit by the flock's body heat. This tunnel was safe, but it brought the deep chill in his bones back. His adrenaline was beginning to fade.

Once he was far enough in, he let Zubat leap off of his back and begin to look around. He heard her shriek a few times in order to use her echolocation. Since he didn't feel her slam onto his back in order to hide, he assumed that there wasn't anything else in the cave.

Ash released Infernus when he had made sure there was enough room. He leaned against one of the wet cave walls as his friend was released, bringing heat back into his body. Infernus growled and swished his flaming tail around, quickly heating the air up.

He nodded at his friend, sorry that Infernus had to suffer but glad that he was here. "Thanks, Infernus."

Infernus gave a deep rumble from his chest in response, making all of his flames flare up a bit before relaxing. The magmar liked these tunnels more than the caverns, Ash had noticed. They heated up faster, making it better for both of them.

When he noticed that Infernus was beginning to tire, Ash returned him. He was going to give Infernus whatever he wanted when they got out of these caverns. The fire-type had made all of this possible.

Ash gladly relaxed in the warm air for a while. He noticed that it dissipated unusually fast, but chalked it up to being in the bottom of a huge cave system. There couldn't be much more to go before he hit the bottom. The trainer only had one day to travel before he had to make his way back up, and he dearly hoped that he would be able to reach the bottom level.

Zubat landed on his back, apparently done scouting. Ash smiled and let her lead him through the darkness, avoiding anything that might make him trip or fall. He might be miserable and cold right now, but he thought that this was worth it.

He stepped forward, beginning his journey to the bottom of the cave.

XX

Ash had thought that the pokemon on the upper levels were powerful. They were, especially for their age, but they didn't hold a candle to the monsters that lurked on the bottom levels.

A single dewgong knocked out Nidorino, Dazed, and Bruiser. It was only through Torrent's sheer ferocity and protectiveness that it was fought back, and even then they only managed to fight it off. Ash quickly revived his friends and fled the area, knowing that he was too close to his goal to leave now.

He got into several more battles, all just as heated as the first one. Ash and his friends quickly adapted to fighting the pokemon, relying on Dazed's psychic techniques to weaken and render the powerful creatures that attacked them without hesitance helpless and then focusing all of their attack power on it. They had defeated massive dewgong, kingler, and golduck with the strategy. All of them had become much tougher thanks to the intense cold and powerful pokemon.

Ash did notice that the golbat and zubat colonies were nowhere near as aggressive or powerful as the water or ice-types. They would generally shy away from Ash, and when they did attack they were easily dispatched.

The trainer was thankful for that – he didn't know how well they could protect themselves from an entire colony of empowered zubat and golbat.

Even as the pokemon increased in power, the terrain did in difficulty. The upper levels had hardly been a breeze, but they were neither as cold nor filled with dangerous obstacles. Ash had been forced to find alternative ways to get to the small, jagged outcroppings of rock and islands that let him continue. Torrent just wasn't powerful enough to force his way through the strong currents with Ash on his back.

Despite the difficulty, Ash continued. He was still fine on rations, and his pokemon were tough enough to keep on going. Ash wasn't sure why he was so concerned with reaching the bottom of the cave system, but supposed it was just another challenge. It was part of his personality to seek out the greatest challenges he could and overcome them, so perhaps that was it.

Right now he was taking a break on a particularly large island that had small holes and thin, cracked ice everywhere. It was only a few hundred feet from the next area, but he wanted to take a break before continuing. Nidorino was huddled up to him and serving as a sentry. Ash had seen a few cloyster hanging around the shores earlier, so he wanted to be ready. His team hadn't fought a cloyster before, so he had been thinking of strategies to battle one.

Infernus wouldn't do much unless his flames managed to heat up the insides of their shells. Nidorino could freeze them or send lightning coursing through the shells, or else he could just have his friend test and see just how strong his horn was. Dazed could probably force them away or give Ash time to escape. Bruiser could probably pry them open or push them away.

Then he heard something he had come to dread: the mournful cry of a dewgong. He instantly shot up, but felt the little blood left in his face drain away. Ash quickly released Dazed and Bruiser.

Ash heard the call again, but this time he heard another one crying out in response. He felt the strong urge to curse and snapped his attention towards the returning call. The trainer tensed up and prepared to run.

A positively gigantic dewgong was pulling itself up onto the island. No dewgong was small, but the ones in the Caverns dwarfed the average one. Ash gritted his teeth when he saw it begin to pull itself towards them. Three seel followed it. They were probably its pups.

Then he heard the distinctive sound of an ice beam. Ash dropped to the ground and saw a beam of cold energy pass over where he had been. He shivered as the icy air hit him, but got ready to command his pokemon.

That's when he realized that three more dewgong, almost as large as the first, had appeared. They also appeared to be very angry and very powerful. Each was surrounded by at least one seel pup that innocently followed its parent. Ash grimaced – mothers were always the most dangerous.

Combined with the fact that he could barely take one of these things down, Ash realized that this wouldn't be a victory for him. All that could happen was that either he or his friends would be hurt.

So he returned all of his friends, frantically shoved the pokeballs into his pack, and took off towards the entrance into the deeper level of the caverns. His legs, tired from the climbing, travel, and cold, felt like lead as he sprinted, but he managed to make it to the oddly smooth, ice entrance.

The wind was painfully cold against his face and left the sensation of needles when he finally stopped. He was completely winded from his short sprint and his lungs screamed at him for putting them through that. Ash only paused in his wheezing to glance behind him. The dewgong hadn't bothered following him. It looked as though they didn't think he was worth the effort.

Ash just rested for a few minutes, only pausing to release Infernus. His friend knew the process by now and set to warming the area up, slowly restoring feeling to Ash's body. He didn't know how long they stood there, but by the end he felt almost normal again.

"Thanks." He told his friend. Infernus just beat his tail around and nodded before Ash recalled him. His friend looked completely miserable by the end, despite warming up the area. Afterwards, Ash released Nidorino.

Nidorino looked him over to make sure he was fine before butting his head against Ash's cold leg. Ash smiled. "Good to see you too, buddy. I think this is the last chamber. Are you ready to go?"

His friend growled and nodded in response. Ash smiled and looked around. They were in a hall of ice, which was curiously reflecting some unseen light. He was confused by the fact that the heat Infernus had generated was already gone, as well as that the ice hadn't even begun to melt.

He frowned, but had to appreciate the sight. Despite how cold it was – he was already feeling his extremities tingling – it was majestic. Ash shook his head and walked down the hallway, wondering where it would take him. It almost didn't seem natural – the hallway's walls were smooth ice, although the floor was the ordinary weathered stone he had grown used to.

Ash's frown grew, but he began the walk down the long hallway. It went down as long as he could see, which gave him more evidence that this wasn't altogether natural.

The two walked down for several minutes before seeing the end of the tunnel. It shone with the dim light that seemed to pervade each of the caverns. Ash didn't bother looking at it again for a while – he was too busy staring at the seemingly sculpted ice walls. They seemed to release thin wisps of cold mist, although it quickly diffused into the air.

Eventually they reached the end. When Ash stepped through, his breath was stolen. Not from any shock – he couldn't see anything yet – but due to the fact that it was so crushingly cold. It made the room that he had just come from seem positively warm.

Despite the brutal cold, Ash continued. It wasn't as though he could go backwards. Not when those dewgong were riled up and hunting him. He glanced down at Nidorino to see how he was doing. Nidorino was shivering, but wouldn't let Ash see any more than that.

He walked out onto the edge of a huge cliff. Ash was careful – slick ice completely covered the ground – as he moved closer to the edge and looked out over the room.

It was massive, far beyond anything he had ever seen before. While no larger around than any of the other main caverns, the cave opened up all the way to the sky, which appeared high up in the air. Ash could actually see the sky for the first time in days. He stared at it with glee for a few moments before the cold snapped him back to reality.

He looked down, expecting to see the standard setup of the caverns: thick coverings of ice with a few rocky crags. What he saw was far different.

There was no water. Only a massive sheet of ice that was so thick that it appeared completely flat – not even the huge islands or spikes were visible. A single small doorway down on the icy field to his right looked to be an exit, something that he had wished for for days. But that wasn't what grabbed his attention.

Ash saw a huge, upraised sort of structure. It was open, but it had steps leading up to it from the ice that were painstakingly carved from the ancient, tough stone. They were covered in ice that appeared blindingly bright thanks to the sun's rays. The structure seemed to be a sort of shrine, albeit one covered with frost and partially hidden by swirling, icy mist.

The structure was impressive and positively huge, but even that wasn't what grabbed his attention.

A creature slept on the shrine. It was covered in a swirling shell of pale mist, hiding all but its form from Ash's view, but from what Ash could discern it appeared to be a bird. He saw that it was larger than any bird could physically be, and seemed to have fine, icy-blue feathers that released the obscuring mist.

He just stared at it with rapture for a moment, drawn in by the beauty of the bird. Even if he couldn't actually see it, the barest hint of its form and the power it exuded even without moving drew his attention.

Ash looked down at Nidorino to see what he thought, but his friend seemed to be kneeling. He completely ignored the horrible cold in his awe, only moving when Nidorino had risen again. His friend's eyes were far away and unseeing of the world around them.

"Let's go, Nidorino!" Ash said, excited and hoping to get a better look at the creature. He turned to his right and saw a long flight of slick, icy steps that would take him down to the ice level. Nidorino seemed uncomfortable with it, but carefully followed.

He was careful on the steps. Ash didn't want to have gotten through the Caverns just to fail now. Although there were a few close calls, he grew nearer and nearer to his majestic goal. It was all he could really focus on. The ordeals he had faced coming here, the cold that only seemed to be magnified with every step he took – those things were trivialities in the face of the mysterious raptor in front of him.

Ash neared the bottom of the painstakingly carved stone stairs when he suddenly tripped. He cried out in surprise as he fell down the last four stairs, wincing as he impacted the icy stairs and then the perfectly smooth ice, which sent him sliding. The trainer rubbed some of the pain out of his limbs, although he was more focused on the loud echoes his surprised cry had sent throughout the cavern. Nidorino quickly leapt down after him, nimbly avoiding the same fate he had.

He eventually came to a stop. Nidorino carefully walked over to him and nudged him to see if he was alright. Ash smiled and reassured his friend that he was fine, but the sudden howling of wind that hadn't been present before cut him off.

The trainer glanced over at the source, shivering as the temperature in the room seemed to drop another ten degrees. Ash's eyes widened when he saw the mist that surrounded the strange bird slowly dispersing throughout the room, carrying even colder temperatures with it. He could barely see through it as it covered him, but it soon swept past him, leaving only a thin layer of it behind.

He covered his eyes and face as best he could with his cold glove as it swept him by, but removed his hand when the temperature warmed slightly. Ash heard a haunting cry that made him think of ice and winter. It carried an air of power with it, sending a chill through Ash yet again.

Ash looked up and saw that the great bird had awoken. It stood up on legs larger than his and outstretched its wings, showing off its true size. The bird called out again, sending another chill throughout the cavern.

It was massive. He had known that it was huge, but Ash hadn't thought it would be nearly double his height. The bird's wingspan had to be at least twenty feet, and its long, streamer-like tail gave it another ten feet in length. Its tail flapped gently in nonexistent wing, sending out waves of cold with each movement.

Its body was simply huge, mostly consisting of large feathers the color and consistency of ice. They released a freezing aura that he could feel from here, similar to the overall feel of the Caverns but far stronger. He saw that the feathers on its chest were much lighter than the rest, more like soft snow than ice.

The wings appeared to be made of ice. Its feathers were thin but looked to be sharp and smooth. The frame for the gigantic appendages seemed to be made of partially clear but strong ice. Each feather reflected the dim sunlight that reached the heart of the Caverns, making the bird seem to sparkle and flash with every small movement.

Large talons gripped the icy stone, tearing light gouges into them. They were supported by light blue legs that were far larger than Ash's one but seemed perfectly sized in comparison to the rest of the bird's huge body.

Its head was just as large as the rest of its body, but the crest drew most of Ash's attention. The eyes were closed at the moment, and thus unnoticeable. But the crest was impressive – three massive, perfectly formed shards of ice that gave the bird an even more majestic presence, almost as though it were royalty of a sort. A small, delicate, perfectly formed beak was currently open as it cried out its haunting melody.

The bird filled the air with its song one last time before opening its eyes. They made Ash step backwards and have the urge to run. Its eyes were glowing. Not the familiar glow of psychic power, but a glow of icy energy that consumed its eyes, revealing an ancient power that Ash couldn't hope to match.

Ash recalled Nidorino and took another step back, getting ready to run. The great bird suddenly placed its attention onto him, glowing eyes burning with some emotion Ash couldn't fathom before it suddenly shrieked.

Its earlier cries were nothing compared to this. The shriek caused the temperature throughout the room to lower and froze Ash to the bone. Ice throughout the room slowly cracked underneath the sheer power of it, and Ash thought that his body would be torn apart and frozen by the cry.

Although every movement Ash took as he slowly backed away burned his muscles and body, he stood strong against the powerful cry, despite the pain and power behind it. He edged towards the door that was only a hundred feet away, ready to sprint at a moment's notice. Although the bird was majestic and powerful and beautiful beyond belief, it was clearly too dangerous and too powerful.

His mind was too fuzzy and tired to really think about what the bird was, although he knew that he wouldn't be finding it in his pokedex. All he cared about was getting away and out of this thing's way.

The bird suddenly launched itself far up into the air with a single beat of its powerful wings. It shrieked again, cracking more of the ice, and stayed aloft in the air for a few seconds as it stared at Ash with eyes that glowed with primordial strength. Ash noticed that snow had begun to fall in the cavern, despite being hundreds of feet beneath the surface.

It shrieked again in what Ash recognized as anger or annoyance. The eyes flashed with more power as it suddenly flapped its wings, sending a huge wave of icy air flecked with chunks of ice and snow towards Ash. Ash supposed that it didn't like being awoken from its slumber before he took off towards the small exit.

He only looked back once. The wave of air added another foot of ice to the area of the cavern floor where it hit, healing all of the damage done by the cries. Ash shivered as he dumbly realized what that would have done to him and took off.

Ash heard another haunting cry before feeling the bird's presence approach. It was moving incredibly fast, and he didn't have to see it to know that it was nearing him quickly. He could feel the air that was infinitely colder than anything he had felt before approaching him, carried by the bird's huge, frozen body.

The trainer glanced back again, flinching when he saw the bird diving towards him. A roaring blizzard that had come out of nowhere followed behind it, adding thick layers of snow and ice onto what already existed. Ash quickly finished the last dash to the small entrance, not stopping when he reached the safe area.

He could still hear the angry cries of the bird as he sprinted in, and the air around him continued to get colder and colder. It was painful to breathe, and his legs felt as though they were about to give out from underneath him. Surges of adrenaline continued to push him forward, however, and slowly the cries of the bird and the freezing blizzard it carried with it quieted and eventually disappeared.

Ash still heard the cry of the bird – it was omnipresent, haunting the entirety of the Caverns now that he realized its existence, the singing emanating from the air and stone itself. It was weaker now, though. Barely noticeable unless he focused on it.

The tunnel he had entered was bright in comparison to the rest of the cave system – there were small cracks in the surface high above that let a bit of light into the tunnel. It was much like the long hallway he had taken into the bird's resting place, although it was made of carefully carved stone instead of ice. The tunnel had had an upward slant.

He also noticed that it was steadily getting warmer the longer he continued. Ash stopped sprinting when he felt he couldn't keep it up any longer and dropped to a slow walk. While he wanted to just stop and take a breath and give his frozen lungs a break, he knew he couldn't. His entire body was freezing and numb, and he had to keep moving.

While the air was getting warmer, it still wasn't enough. Ash paused and collapsed against the wall before fumbling with Infernus' pokeball. It took a while – frozen fingers weren't dexterous – but he eventually got his friend out.

Ash sighed in relief as Infernus emerged. The magmar seemed surprised that the temperature was so warm – it was about as warm as the upper levels, a nice contrast from the frozen tombs he had been traversing for the last day – and quickly set to work heating the area up.

"Thanks, Infernus." Ash said gratefully. Infernus just snorted and waved his tail around some more. They both enjoyed the heat for a few more minutes. It seemed to come much easier in this tunnel than anywhere else in the cave – Infernus had to work less to get more, and the air remained heated without his constant effort.

He stayed in the wonderfully warm air for a long time, enjoying the feeling of actually being warm for once. While he could feel the bird's influence freezing the air around him, he and Infernus inhabited a warm bubble that defied the great bird's presence. Ash sighed when he realized that he had to get a move on. His body felt warm and comfortable, and he had mostly recovered from the bird's power.

"Thanks." He repeated. "You just saved my life."

Infernus snorted again before Ash recalled him. Although it was warmer than the rest of the cave system, it was still too cold for the magmar. Icy environments and Infernus just didn't mix well.

Ash released Bruiser and Zubat in Infernus' place. Zubat quickly attached herself to his back while Bruiser just looked for something to battle.

"We're safe." Ash said as Bruiser looked down the long hallway. "I just don't know if we will be in the future."

Bruiser nodded, but looked somewhat disappointed at not having a chance to battle. Ash didn't share his disappointment. He'd had enough of battling for a few days. All he really wanted to do was find a warm, soft bed and sleep until he had completely forgotten the deep freeze of this cavern.

They continued walking up the hallway, all three of them growing more and more happy and carefree as the chill slowly lessened, giving just the hint of truly warm air. While Infernus had provided plenty of welcome heat for Ash over the past three days, it just wasn't the same as natural warmth.

As they walked up the long, narrow hallway, Ash thought of the bird. Now that he wasn't half-dead from the numbing cold and frozen air of the bird's chamber, he knew what it was: Articuno, the Bird of Ice and one of the three legendary birds of Kanto. It was spoken of only in ancient myths and legends, renowned for its power over ice and unnatural might, which matched those of the other birds.

While he was a bit annoyed over the fact that Articuno had tried to turn him into a frozen statue, his sheer awe at the great bird overshadowed it. He couldn't believe that he, Ash Ketchum, a trainer of less than a year, had already seen one of the fabled legendaries. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most people – less, in fact, since the vast majority of the population never saw a legendary at all.

Aside from his awe at seeing one of the birds so highly regarded amongst the people of Kanto, Ash was amazed at the bird's strength. It was more than just a pokemon; Articuno seemed more like a force of nature than a mere bird of exceptional size and with control over ice. It was an extension of ice itself, frozen air and water given an avian shape, a winged creature whose wing beats carried blizzards and unnatural cold in its wake.

Ash focused on his encounter with the legendary bird for the rest of the time they spent walking through the long hallway. It wasn't too long of a time – ten to fifteen minutes, perhaps – but it felt like an eternity as he constantly thought of Articuno. He could barely believe that he had actually seen Articuno, or that he had survived its ire.

But the first glimpse of sunlight breaking into the tunnel tore him from those thoughts, instilling a deep sense of glee in its place. He slipped past Bruiser and took off as fast as he could in his eagerness to escape the Caverns.

His motions disturbed Zubat, who seemed to have fallen asleep as he walked, and she gave a small hiss of annoyance as she nearly fell off. Ash slowed down a bit and felt a bit guilty at disturbing his small friend, but he awkwardly managed to pat her as he jogged.

He stopped just before he entered the actual sunlight. Aside from realizing he could actually feel a breeze coming from the exit – it carried a light scent of salt with it, but not nearly as much as the Caverns did – he remembered that zubat weren't supposed to be in the sun. Their bodies were just too sensitive to the sunlight, and if they stayed in it for more than just a few minutes their skin would become lightly burned.

Zubat was too timid and terrified of everything as it was. She had warmed up quite a bit towards him – she was happy to be around him and let him pet her, and she even got along with his other pokemon relatively well – but he knew that the fragile bond they had developed hinged upon him keeping her safe. The bat could be tough, but her general personality was just too timid for him to put her in harm's way.

"Sorry." He muttered to her. "I forgot that you didn't like the sun. I'm putting you back in your pokeball, alright?"

His scout gave an understanding cry in response. Ash took that as his cue to return her. He looked back towards Bruiser, who looked just as gleeful to return to the surface as he was.

"Well, what are we waiting on?" Ash asked Bruiser with a grin. Bruiser perked up, his eyes almost manic at the thought of escaping the Caverns. "Let's get out of here!"

Ash suddenly took off, running as fast as his tired legs would let him. Bruiser wasn't far behind, his massive bulk barely inhibiting his speed as he followed Ash with short, choppy steps. He grinned widely as he felt the light and warmth of the sun hit his face for the first time in days.

He didn't even look at his surroundings for a moment. He just basked in the feeling of finally being away from those forsaken Caverns. It wasn't a hot day – it would have been fairly cold if he had arrived from anywhere but the heart of the Seafoam Caverns – but it felt incredible.

Eventually his eyes opened. He continued to enjoy being away from the Caverns – even though the conditions had grown steadily better as he left through the hidden exit the feeling just didn't compare to knowing that he had finally escaped – but he realized that he had to focus.

He was standing on a large patch of stone. The tunnel was small and almost unnoticeable, just a small, smooth cut in the earth's surface that was half-hidden by the immense boulders that covered the area. Grey sand and herds of slowpoke lazing in it dominated the landscape before him, and the cold ocean seemed incredibly calm.

Ash turned backwards and noticed that Bruiser still seemed to be relishing the fact that they were out. He looked up and saw that the tunnel led into a huge hill. It wasn't quite a mountain, but it was as close as the Seafoam Islands were going to get.

The trainer stepped away from the patch of sea-weathered stone and into the grey sand, which crunched underneath his cold, wet shoes in a way that was wonderfully different than the way snow or slush did. He found a small stone to sit on and called Bruiser over. Ash wanted his friend close.

He pulled his PokeNav from one of the storage compartments – he hadn't wanted it getting messed up during his venture into the Caverns – and activated it. When all of the covers had opened, he squinted at the screen that was dimmed by the sun's light. Ash fiddled with it for a while before getting to the map.

Ash selected the Seafoam Islands' map and quickly found his location. It showed that he was at the very southern tip of the island, not too far from the small town he had arrived at. He smiled when he saw that he didn't have to walk far and stood up. The trip would only be thirty minutes or so unless there was particularly rough terrain.

"Bruiser!" He called out. His friend had walked away and was curiously examining a slowpoke. The slowpoke was belly up in the sand and had its head submerged under the sand. Bruiser was carefully poking it, seemingly putting all of his focus into the task.

Bruiser looked back at Ash and stood up, not embarrassed in the least. Ash just laughed. "We aren't too far from the town. Let's go."

His friend nodded and took his position by Ash's side. Ash was tired, but he was too excited to really notice it.

With that, they set back to the small seaside town. It would be a short journey.

XX

When they arrived nearly an hour later – it turned out that they had to find their way around a few cliffs – Ash went straight to the Roaring Wailmer, although he returned Bruiser before entering the town. Ash could go to the Pokemon Center tomorrow. Right now he just wanted to talk to Captain Stewart and take a very long, very comfortable sleep in the bed that he hadn't been nearly grateful enough for.

He didn't have to show his ticket to the sailor that stood by the ship with a bored expression on his face. The man recognized him and waved him aboard, only glancing up from his magazine once.

Ash found Captain Stewart fairly quickly. The older man was lazily sprawled out on a long, reclining chair. He was reading some sort of book, but Ash didn't look at the title.

"Hey, Captain." He called out wearily, too tired to care about how he sounded. The Captain grinned widely and stood up, tossing his book to the side.

"Glad to see you back, kid!" Stewart laughed. He pulled out a cigar and lit it before saying anything else. "Were the Caverns everything you heard?"

Ash thought for a moment about the brutal cold, dangerous terrain, monstrous pokemon, and the powerful raptor slumbering in the heart of the crucible. As he thought about the cold, he realized that he was still wearing his jacket. He took it off and slung it over his arm before answering.

"Yes, it certainly was." He replied drily. "I went to the deepest levels. Just one of the pokemon down there managed to knock out half of my team, the cold was so intense that I had to use my magmar every hour or so just to stay alive, and I had to spend hours trying to find safe paths."

Stewart's grin grew wider. "That sounds about right." His brow furrowed. "Wait, you went to the deepest levels? What did you find down there aside from the pokemon? I only went down until I couldn't bear the cold anymore and nearly had Gira defeated by a dewgong and a pack of seel."

"I saw Articuno." Ash said bluntly, his eyes far away as he recalled the experience. "It was just around an hour or two ago, in fact."

Stewart chuckled. "Nice joke. Now, really, what did you see? Any water stones or just a bunch of ice. I know a few guys that have gone down there before, but none that went down during the Ice Time."

"I saw Articuno." He repeated. "It was sleeping on some sort of shrine. I think that it's the cause of the Ice Time – I could feel it everywhere."

"You aren't kidding, are you?" Stewart asked dumbly, taking his cigar out of his mouth and staring at Ash. "Where did you see it?"

"At the very lowest level of the Caverns, or at least I think so." Ash replied. "It was just in this huge cave that opened up into the sky. I accidently woke it up, and it tried to attack me. I ran into this weird hallway, though, and found my way up to the surface. People must have made it a long time ago as a short cut."

Stewart listened in wonder. He sighed and shook his head after a while. "Do you remember where that entrance is?"

Ash nodded. He doubted he would ever be able to forget it, although it might take him a while to find the exact area again.

"Well forget it." Stewart ordered firmly. "Don't tell anyone else about it unless you know that they won't tell anyone else. Don't even talk about Articuno except to people you can trust. Those caverns are dangerous, and if you tell the world that Articuno dwells within you'll get all kinds of idiots and crazies trying to find it."

"I get it." Ash replied, perfectly understanding Stewart's position. He hadn't been planning on telling many people anyways, not if it meant disturbing Articuno's rest and forcing the legendary to find a new place to roost. Besides, he would never tell the location of the hidden entrance. If somebody was going to see the great bird, they would have to go through the same trials that he did.

Stewart smiled. "Good. You're a lucky one, kid. I've only seen a single legendary in all my years of travelling – a Latias, and that was only a glimpse while I was in Altomare. But seeing Articuno close up…I envy you."

Ash couldn't recall what a Latias was, but got the gist of it. He suddenly yawned, causing Stewart to laugh again. "Go sleep, kid. Three days in those caves must have been damn hard. Enjoy your rest."

He nodded thankfully and staggered to his cabin, the exhaustion finally hitting him after being staved off for hours by a constant supply of adrenaline. Ash released Nidorino, Dazed, Bruiser, and Zubat before he collapsed into bed. They all looked incredibly happy to be on the surface again, but he didn't have much time to watch them before he was lulled into unconsciousness.

XX

The next day was a lazy one. Ash woke up late – he had slept through the rest of the day he got back and most of the morning of the next – and hung around the ship for an hour or so, eating all of the food that he could get his hands on. Captain Stewart eventually kicked him off the vessel, telling him that he needed to have some food left over for the voyage to Cinnabar and that Ash should go explore the town.

He didn't bother looking around the town at first. Ash went straight to the Pokemon Center, realizing that he hadn't called his mother yet and that he needed to get Plume back.

Ash hoped that Plume had gotten over some of her anger at him. He knew that she was a prideful pokemon, and probably thought that him sending her to Professor Oak meant that he saw her as weak, but he hoped that she would realize that it was just because she would have gotten hurt.

The trainer wasn't looking forward to sending back Zubat. She had proven to be a valuable friend, and he didn't damage her already fragile emotional state. Zubat had only just begun to really trust him; Ash could only hope that that trust wasn't damaged by him sending her back.

Nurse Joy looked a little surprised when he stepped into the Pokemon Center. Ash saw that Will was nowhere to be found. The older trainer was probably preparing someone else to go into the Caverns.

"So you're back." She said as he walked up to the counter. "How were the Caverns? Were they what you expected?"

Ash shivered. "It was a lot more than I expected. I should have taken another two jackets."

The nurse smiled. "Sounds about right. Anyways, what do you need?"

"I just need you to check up on my pokemon. It got pretty cold and I'm not sure how well some of them took it." He replied, taking all of the pokeball's but Zubat's off of his belt and placing them on the counter. Ash had to snap out a steadying hand to keep Dazed's ball from rolling off the counter.

Nurse Joy called out for her assistant. The teenager came out from the back room a moment later and took the pokeballs after Nurse Joy gave her instructions.

"They'll be ready in about ten to fifteen minutes." She said. Ash thanked her and went to the Transfer Room. No one else was in it, so he didn't have to wait on a line like he had feared. The Pokemon Center was just as busy as it had been when he first arrived.

He quickly punched in Professor Oak's number. The machine hummed for a minute as it activated, the black screen slowly coming to life. It made one last noise before suddenly cutting on, displaying the same room Ash had seen last time.

Professor Oak wasn't in the room, so Ash took the time to release Zubat. The small pokemon squeaked as she was released before flying to her ordinary position. Ash didn't even wince at the slight pain he felt when her small, sharp hooks grabbed onto his shirt. He'd gotten used to it over the time they spent in the Caverns.

"Hey, Zubat." He whispered, taking care not to scare the flighty creature. Zubat hissed back at him in a friendly manner. "I'm just telling you that I have to send you back to the Oak Corral. We're going to be in the sun a lot, and you wouldn't be able to come out of your pokeball."

Zubat hissed in a somewhat less friendly manner, her hooks jabbing harder into his back. Ash just frowned; he could detect the undertone of fear in her hiss. It was higher and more piercing than her usual squeaks and hisses.

"Shh." He said soothingly, reaching around his back to lightly pet Zubat. "I'll see you as soon as I can, alright? But you'll just be stuck in your pokeball for the next few days or weeks, and I'd rather you be outside."

His friend hissed again. Ash sighed and glanced at the screen. Professor Oak still hadn't arrived yet, so Ash still had some time.

"I promise that I'll see you soon. You're a good friend. I wouldn't just leave you. Come on, Zubat, I just need you to trust me, alright? I'm not going to forget about you."

Zubat's hiss was a little bit lower this time, and Ash felt that he was making headway. He didn't want Zubat to become distrustful or angry at him. Ash really did like the little bat, even if her meekness could be a little difficult to work with at times.

"You know what?" Ash asked. He felt Zubat shift around on his back. "I never nicknamed you, did I? You're a part of the team now – one of our friends. Do you want a nickname?"

His friend clutched a little tighter and squeaked in what Ash assumed was agreement. Ash realized that he would have to get Zubat off of his back when he was talking to her from now on. It made her much more difficult to interpret.

"Is that a yes?" He asked, just to be sure.

Zubat squeaked again.

Ash had been thinking of a nickname for his newest partner ever since he had first released her. He had narrowed it down to a fairly narrow list, and he started off with his favorite. Perhaps it wasn't the most creative, but Ash thought it fit Zubat. At least her main role for the team, anyways.

"How about Seeker?" Ash questioned. Zubat squeaked in the same tone again, which Ash assumed was satisfaction. If she didn't like it, he was sure she would lightly jab him with her small hooks. "Alright, then. Seeker it is."

The newly dubbed Seeker squeaked again. Ash smiled and scratched her ears and spoke to her some more for the next few minutes. He started to grow tired of waiting, but after a while a red-faced Professor Oak appeared on screen, panting and sweaty.

"Oh, hello, Ash!" The Professor wheezed out. Ash returned the greetings and patiently waited for the older man to recover. When he did, Oak continued. "Sorry about the wait. I was out in the fields with your pidgeot. She's been a great help in managing the rattata."

"I'm glad she could help." Ash said with a grin. "Plume's actually what I came to talk to you about. Could you send her over? I'm going to be on a ship for the next few days and I don't want Zubat cooped up in her pokeball the entire time."

Oak nodded. "Of course! I actually have her with me right now. You know what to do."

Ash whispered a goodbye to Seeker before returning her, promising the zubat that he would see her again soon. Seeker squeaked a goodbye before she was returned.

He carefully placed the pokeball into the transfer machine. Oak did the same with Plume's pokeball and a moment later the balls had been switched. Ash took Plume's ball from the machine and clipped it onto his belt. While he was sad that he had to send Seeker away, he was ecstatic to have one of his first friends back.

"Before you leave, could you tell me how your trip into the Caverns went?" Oak questioned. "Gary was thinking about heading into them for a little extra training in a few months."

Ash took about five minutes to tell his experiences to Professor Oak, although he left the part about Articuno out. He didn't think the Pokemon Center was secure enough, although he knew that he would tell Professor Oak about the legendary sometime in the near future.

"I see." Oak said, scratching his chin and reclining back into his chair, deep in thought. "Perhaps I can get Gary to wait until the Ice Time is over. If I'd known it was that dangerous, I'd have done my best to stop you from going in."

"I would have found a way to get in anyways." Ash said confidently, a little bit of spirit breaking into his answer.

Oak frowned, although his eyes showed that he was amused. "I'm sure you would have. Telling you not to do something never did work out very well. Anyways, have you talked to your mother yet? She's been very worried about you."

Ash shook his head, a bit of guilt worming its way inside of him. "I'm calling her right after this. I just wanted to get everything ready beforehand."

The Professor sighed. "I won't keep you then. Send my regards to Gary if you see him. He hasn't called me in a long time."

He frowned, but didn't get a chance to say anything before the monitor cut off. Ash sighed and punched in his mother's number. He didn't want her to be worried about him.

XX

After a long conversation with his mother about his experiences in the Caverns – he had made sure to keep most of the dangerous bits out of the story, although he made clear that it wasn't an easy journey – Ash left for the markets. He wanted to see if they had found any Dragon Scales.

An hour later, he walked away from the busy marketplace empty-handed. Ash was a little disappointed that he couldn't find the item, but figured that there were plenty of opportunities in the future. But while he had been shopping, he realized that he should probably get Golduck from the Oak Corral and meet him. The Cinnabar Gym was known to be difficult, and he didn't want to use Golduck without knowing that the pokemon would obey him.

Ash transferred Bruiser over to Professor Oak. The older man didn't seem to have a problem about having to work with Ash twice, apparently glad to see Ash after more than three months.

Once he had Golduck, Ash went out to the forest. He had to search a while for a clearing sufficiently large enough to comfortable hold all of his pokemon, but he got lucky and found one on the northern end of the island. There were two tasks he needed to complete before he could relax with his friends.

First, he had to talk to Plume again. Ash just hoped that she hadn't harbored a grudge against him. Plume had her pride, and he probably hadn't done that pride a favor.

Second, he had to meet Golduck and feel out the newest addition to his team. Golduck had seemed far more aggressive than any of his pokemon outside of Infernus, so Ash wasn't sure if the water-type would be under control by the time they reached Cinnabar.

Ash didn't hesitate in either of his tasks. He first let out all of his pokemon aside from Torrent, Plume and Golduck.

Nidorino grunted and looked up at the sun, basking in the rays that he hadn't felt in several days. He stayed like that for a while before taking Ash's side, receiving a pat on the head as greetings from Ash.

Dazed had a similar reaction, albeit more subdued. She nodded at Ash once before exploring the clearing, experimentally glancing up into the sun now and then.

Infernus, however, went wild. He seemed prepared to freeze for a few minutes as he saved Ash's frozen body from dying, but froze when he realized that they were no long in the Caverns. A moment later Infernus began roaring and stamping his foot on the ground, sending flames cascading in all directions and causing the earth around him to bubble and crack in Infernus' glee.

Ash just smiled and stepped away from Infernus. The fire-type had suffered greatly for him in the Caverns. He wasn't about to take away Infernus' fun.

After a few minutes, even Infernus had calmed down. Ash put a hand on Plume's pokeball, unclipping it and returning it to its normal size. He almost hesitated, but quickly threw the ball into the air and released Plume before he could think about it anymore.

Plume shrieked out her arrival, drawing the attention of the rest of his friends, before taking to the skies. She began to circle over the clearing, letting loose piercing cries. Ash could feel her keen eyes glaring at him.

Nidorino didn't seem to like that. He tensed up and gave a deep, rumbling growl. Ash placed a calming hand on his head, carefully avoiding the horn that was beginning to leak poison.

"Don't hurt her." He said to his best friend. "She has a reason to be made." Ash turned his gaze to Plume, who was still circling high in the sky. "Plume! Come down. I want to talk to you!"

His friend shrieked again before slowly coming down, losing altitude at a lazy rate. Ash patiently waited with his arms crossed, knowing that he had as much time as he needed. Plume was just a bit upset.

She finally landed, carefully slamming into the ground just a few feet in front of him. Ash met her fierce gaze calmly, undaunted by the bird's sheer size and power. Nidorino growled at Plume and tensed up.

"Calm down, Nidorino." Ash commanded. He turned back to Plume. "It's nice to have you back. How was the Corral?"

Plume shrieked at him and beat her wings. A bit of charred earth and soot left over from Infernus' celebration was whipped up and thrown at him, but Ash didn't particularly care.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

His friend shrieked at him in annoyance and stepped closer on her talons, but a growl from Nidorino and the smell of charged power in the air kept her back. Ash frowned.

"Look, those Caverns were brutal. There were ice pokemon there powerful enough to take out half the team. We got lost several times. We encountered Articuno and nearly froze to death. How would have you helped out? All that would have happened is that you got hurt, and I really don't want that to happen."

Plume's puffed out chest seemed to deflate a little, but she still seemed a little angry. Ash sighed and continued.

"Do you think I liked transferring you? You're one of my first friends. I like Seeker, but she can't replace you." Plume's chest puffed out again, and Ash stepped closer. "Listen, I just traded you to keep you safe. You're strong, but you couldn't battle against those ice-types, not when they were given a power boost."

The bird preened under his praise and Ash smiled. He meant everything he said, but he did have to embellish it a bit. Plume's vanity was the best way to approach her, although it was usually kept in check by her loyalty and friendliness.

"I promise that I'll never leave you unless I have to. This was just a bad area. There isn't another place in Kanto I can think of where you'll need to leave." He said, pressing his position. Ash gently stroked Plume's smooth crest, making her lean her head forwards.

She had no objections to him touching her, and seemed pleased enough with him, so Ash assumed that he was forgiven. He hoped that he didn't have to be separated from his friend for a long time.

The group relaxed for a while, enjoying the chance to actually communicate and see each other instead of hurriedly moving along in the hopes of not freezing to death. Infernus was particularly pleased – he was practically dancing around the clearing, sending small bursts of flame through the air around him with every movement. Ash had Plume blow any that managed to gain a fuel source out, although most died on their own.

After an hour of messing around and relaxing, Ash finally remembered Golduck. He had a frown on his face as he called over his friends.

"We have a new teammate." Ash announced. "Dazed, you remember him. Nidorino, you probably got a glimpse of him. He's a golduck and, if he's as aggressive as I remember, we might have some trouble with him. Get ready to battle."

Nidorino growled. Ash saw an arc of electricity travel up his horn before dissipating. Dazed's eyes began glowing, clearly ready to battle the powerful golduck.

Ash stepped back and released Golduck. The large blue creature seemed annoyed at being released, but quickly scanned the surroundings. When it saw Ash, its eyes glowed a bright blue and it spit a fast, powerful blast of water at him.

He flinched and ducked, but it turned out that there was no need. Dazed had erected a barrier of shimmering blue energy in front of him a split second before the powerful water gun hit. Ash slowly looked up and saw that Nidorino and Infernus were attacking Golduck. The others were forming a circle in order to keep the combatants from escaping.

Dazed continued to stand by him, maintaining the psychic barrier with minimal energy. Ash just watched as his friends battled Golduck. They only had a little bit of trouble battling the powerful water-type and it also gave Ash a chance to appraise Golduck's skills.

The first thing he noticed was that Golduck seemed much weaker than it had inside of the Caverns. Granted, he hadn't gotten many chances to actually see its capabilities, but Golduck just didn't have the power it had previously displayed. It was reacting slower, had less power behind its attacks, and could only use its psychic abilities a few times before it was exhausted.

Despite its lessened power, Golduck held its own against the combined might of Nidorino and Infernus. It spit water at Infernus, dodged several of Nidorino's thunderbolts, and did its best to viciously attack both of his friends. Golduck took as many hits as it dealt out, but it seemed to have no battling instinct other than to attack relentlessly.

It was Infernus that took the frenzied Golduck out. While Nidorino drew its attention and dueled it in a battle of claw and horn, Infernus attacked it from the rear and wrapped his large, hot hands around Golduck's torso. Infernus roared and flared up, sending flame blasting out from all over his body.

Golduck squirmed and bit and kicked, but the flames eventually knocked it out. Infernus casually dropped his defeated foe to the ground and belched flames into the air as a sign of his victory. Nidorino just grunted and curiously stood over Golduck.

Ash complimented his friends on their work before withdrawing his pokedex and scanning the unconscious Golduck.

"Golduck, the Duck Pokemon." The calm, mechanical voice said. "Golduck is the fastest swimmer among all pokemon. It swims effortlessly, even in a rough, stormy sea. It sometimes rescues people from wrecked ships floundering in high seas. When it swims at full speed, its forehead begins to glow.

This Golduck knows the moves: Water gun, confusion, water pulse, aqua tail, zen headbutt, and hydro pump. Its ability is Damp, which enables it to have a resistance to explosions and fire-type moves. Electric attacks will be amplified."

Ash could definitely make use of its move pool. While not as formidable as it had once seemed, Golduck still had a fair bit of power backing him up. Coupled with its impressive move pool, he was sure that it would be a good opponent for Blaine. Its ability had a few perks, but he was ambivalent about it. Water-types already resisted fire. That weakness to electricity was a huge hole, but Ash could work around it in most cases.

The trainer checked Golduck's gender. It was a male.

He walked over to the fallen Golduck and kneeled beside him. Ash put his pokedex up and gave Golduck a revive. A few seconds after the white powder fell into Golduck's mouth, the pokemon stirred and began to pull itself up with its strong arms.

Ash stepped back and gave Golduck a little space. Nidorino and Infernus took their places by his side. He nodded at Dazed, who took the signal to flank Golduck and prepare to disable and hypnotize him.

Golduck wearily stood up. It looked ready for battle, and its eyes glowed with its fury when it saw Infernus. The water-type quickly spit a powerful water-gun at Infernus, but Dazed disabled it the moment afterwards. Infernus flared up the instant before the water hit him, converting some of the water gun into steam and taking only a little bit of damage.

Infernus roared and stepped forward. His fist erupted in flame and the bad-tempered pokemon prepared to take his vengeance on Golduck.

"Infernus! No!" Ash commanded, leveling a stern look at the aggressive fire-type. Infernus growled and looked as though he might ignore Ash, but another command caused Infernus to acquiesce and return to his former position. "Thanks. We don't want to hurt him."

The magmar snorted at that, which Ash ignored. Ash stepped forward and placed his hands up in a gesture of peace. Golduck glared, but he was still locked in by Dazed's disable and couldn't do anything.

"Calm down. I don't want to hurt you." Ash said placatingly. Golduck glared and began to move a little. "But if you keep on trying to attack us, I'll just have my friends knock you out again. I have all the time in the world, and I just want to be friends."

Golduck growled and waved his arms a little. He quacked angrily when Ash just stood there staring at him. Ash could tell that the disable would wear off in just a few moments. The psychic lock was already beginning to fizzle out.

"So, are you going to calm down?" Ash asked as the disable finally wore off. Golduck tensed and prepared to fight, but a deep growl from Nidorino convinced him otherwise. "Like I said, I just want to be friends. If you come with me, I'll make you a lot stronger."

Unlike most pokemon Ash had met, this statement didn't draw much interest from Golduck. He seemed almost insulted by the remark and stood up much straighter. But he did glare and nod at Infernus. The fire-type roared at the challenge and spit a massive flamethrower into the sky, causing small, burning embers to float down around them.

Ash grinned. It looked like he had a way to get Golduck to cooperate. "You want to battle Infernus?"

Golduck quacked and nodded, never letting his gaze drift from Infernus. Ash's smile grew wider.

"Then let's make a deal. I'll let you battle Infernus, but under a few conditions: I won't be commanding him, and if you lose, you have to cooperate with me and join my team. If you win, I'll take you back to the Caverns and release you. Deal?"

An unholy gleam entered Golduck's ruby eyes and they began to glow with psychic power. Golduck nodded and prepared for battle. Ash nodded at Infernus and let the fire-type square up. Ash and the rest of the team moved far away from the fierce battle about to take place.

When the rest of the team had moved to safety, the battle began. Golduck quacked angrily and went for the obvious way to defeat the powerful magmar – his psychic power.

Golduck's eyes and head glowed brightly, providing a bright spot that stood out even in the powerful rays of the sun. An aura of blue energy enveloped Infernus, and Golduck's eyes surged with even more light.

Infernus roared angrily and threw off the psychic attack, his body too powerful for the attack and his rage too bright. He seemed to remember Golduck's improved resistance to electric attacks and didn't bother blasting the water-type with a flamethrower. Instead, Infernus blew a huge cloud of thick black smoke from its mouth, small embers mixed in with the gas.

Ash could still see Infernus even as he moved into the obscuring cover of the smoke – Infernus wasn't built for stealth, not when he constantly had flames blazing from his body and licks of fire trailing him in combat – but it was still harder to discern him. He heard Golduck squawk in anger and heard sizzling sounds.

Suddenly, the smoke was blasted away by a burst of flame. Ash coughed and covered his mouth as some of the smoke drifted over to him, but turned his attention to the battle when it passed. Infernus seemed to have blasted the smoke away with a small explosion of flames, but had turned to fire spin in its stead.

Infernus flared up and released a twister of flame towards Golduck, which curled around and trapped the water-type in a vortex of swirling flame. Ash could barely see through the inferno and was very glad that most of the grass and vegetation had already been burned away. He looked towards Plume and nodded at his friend. She quickly took off and began blowing out flames that had the potential to spread. The trainer looked on at the battle curiously, surprised at the strategy Infernus was using.

He hadn't used fire spin very much. Infernus was generally capable of powering through most foes, and the fire-type generally had a strong aversion to using the camouflage afforded to him by the flames. But it looked like Infernus disliked Golduck enough to override that quirk.

Infernus roared and flared up as Golduck blasted him with a hydro pump. He was hurt by the attack, but his almost supernatural stamina allowed him to survive the attack. The fire-type suddenly disappeared into the flames, his body allowing him to stalk unseen through the blaze.

Golduck quacked in surprise and suddenly formed a ball of blue energy in his hands, which he threw onto the charred ground. It formed a massive wave that exploded outward when it hit the ground, slamming into the fire spin and weakening the flames' power.

But Infernus had dodged the attack and suddenly appeared behind Golduck, leaping from the vortex of flame and slamming a burning fist into Golduck's back. Although the flames didn't badly hurt Golduck, the sheer force behind the blow sent Golduck sprawling to the ground. Golduck quacked and shot a high-powered jet of water at Infernus, but it did little other than to slow the fire-type down.

Ash grinned when Golduck was consumed by a massive flamethrower, Infernus' rage fuelling the hot flames. It wouldn't hurt Golduck, but it would weaken the proud pokemon. Infernus quickly pressed his advantage and slammed a burning foot onto Golduck's chest, pinning the water-type beneath his weight.

When Infernus pulled his large foot up and prepared to slam it down and send an eruption of flame and lava blasting up from beneath Golduck, Ash drew the line. He snapped his attention to Infernus and called out for him.

"Infernus! That's enough!"

Infernus obeyed him almost instantly this time, extinguishing the flames that consumed his body and caused the heat waves that made his appearance shimmery and indistinct to die down. Plume blew out the fire spin, which was easily gotten rid of thanks to Infernus no longer powering it.

After Plume blasted the rest of the flames out, she fluttered over to Ash and took her place beside him. Ash smiled at her, glad that she hadn't held a grudge. A moment later, however, he stepped forward until he was just a few feet away from Golduck.

"Good job, Infernus." He said with a grin. Infernus roared and seemed quite pleased with himself. Apparently the fire-type had little love for Golduck.

This fight did make Ash realize that he was wasting Infernus' potential. He had just been using him as a nigh unstoppable juggernaut for the month or so that they had been travelling together, using him as a battering ram that defeated opponents through sheer power and ferocity. Ash had actually somewhat forgotten about the cunning and other abilities that Infernus had displayed, as well as the strategic use.

To be honest, Ash was disappointed with himself. He'd let both Infernus and himself down. He would just have to remedy that in the coming days. But for now he focused his attention on the ash-covered Golduck, who had pulled himself up on tired arms.

Golduck retained his pride. He ignored Infernus' celebrations and stood up as tall as he could manage. The water-type looked Ash straight in the eye, pride bent from the crushing defeat but not broken.

"Are you ready to be part of the team?" Ash asked with a grin. Golduck snarled as best he could, although his defeated appearance ruined the effect. "We made a deal. I'd expect a golduck to honor it."

The water-type stood up even straighter, eyes blazing with anger. He quacked and nodded, bowing his head a bit in acknowledgment.

"So are you going to cooperate?" Ash questioned. Golduck slowly nodded, although it looked extremely difficult for him to do. "Good. I promise that I'll make you as strong as I can."

Golduck quacked in response, seemingly unconvinced, before walking away and turning his back on the rest of them. Ash shook his head in annoyance. While Golduck had acquiesced to join the team, it didn't seem like he would be very close with the rest of them.

Oh well, Ash thought as he looked at the rest of the team. Now that the drama had passed, they had returned to their former activities. There would be plenty of time to try and work that arrogance out of Golduck later. For now, he just wanted to relax.

XX

The next morning found them on the ship as it disembarked from the port. Ash stood with Nidorino by his side, watching the familiar town slowly fade away as they moved farther and farther away from the Seafoam Islands.

While Ash couldn't say that he would ever miss the Caverns or the trials within, he had grown fond of the island and appreciated the strength the Caverns had imparted upon him and his pokemon. After facing the icy depths of the Caverns, he was sure that he could do anything. It had made them all tougher, both physically and mentally.

He had kept Golduck, although he got Professor Oak to bring Bruiser to the screen so that Ash could apologize and explain his reasoning. Bruiser seemed far more understanding than Plume had and accepted Ash's reasons, although he still seemed disappointed. Ash promised to bring him back soon, though.

Golduck was responding better to Ash, although he had a fierce rivalry with Infernus and disliked the others. He respected their power but hated them for it at the same time. Ash hoped that he could reach the water-type and make him a bit more amenable over the trip to Cinnabar.

Captain Stewart promised to help Ash with the unruly Golduck in his off-time and gave Ash permission to let the water-type swim alongside the ship. Ash hoped that the physical work could make Golduck happier and more receptive to his outreaches.

As the small outline of the Seafoam Islands finally vanished from Ash's view, he turned away and looked towards the direction of Cinnabar. The Seafoam Islands had been an important part of his journey and had posed difficulties that he wouldn't forget, but he was excited to move on and test his strength against new challenges.

Ash had a grin on his face as he thought of Blaine, the old, experienced battler that would be his next challenge.

Cinnabar Island awaited him.