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.

49. Chapter 49: The North Wind

A/N: Believe it or not, I'm back! I've had an eventful few months and it's been great. I lived in another country that limited my Internet access for a while but it was great inspiration for writing. I'm really looking forward to moving onto the rest of these chapters! Thanks for your patience!

For those of you who have been waiting on a response to PMs or reviews, expect a response very soon! Due to the long wait time in this chapter I opted to put all my energy into getting it out for everyone. I hope it's a good Christmas present (albeit a barely late one)!

"Suicune…" Ash marveled at the sight of the North Wind manifest, his friends alert even as they remained at rest. Dazed shuffled to his side, appearing utterly nonplussed (no doubt she'd sensed the Beast's arrival for quite some time) and Nidoking lumbered to his feet, a wary glint in his beady eyes. His thick, muscular tail swayed gently from side to side in the dirt.

The Beast towered over them all, its imposing nature softened by its serene presence.

The crisp air grew colder and colder, yet never quite crossed over into the realm of discomfort. Ash closed his eyes and felt whatever tension remained at the sudden appearance of the Beast drain away as the fresh air, clean of any impurity, filled his lungs. It appeared to have the same effects on his friends as well: they grew more alert, more alive.

He met the sun-filled eyes of Suicune. An exchange took place, a meeting of two individuals. Nothing needed to be said. With a simple glance Suicune comprehended him on a level that very nearly terrified Ash, as though it easily knew him better than he knew himself.

Yet Ash saw as well. More than he would like, perhaps more than he should.

Cool rains extinguished the blazing tower and stole its heat away in a roar of steam, the gentle, restless presence that loped across the land in search of a tranquility it could never know, Awakening in a shape that was not its own yet was and knowing that its own nature had changed irrevocably, burnt to ashes in the fire along with its friends and siblings -

Ash squeezed his eyes shut. Tears welled as loss weighed heavily upon him, centuries of life which filled his mind in an instant.

Joy at running faster than the wind with its siblings and the simple pleasure of watching pollution and rot purged from a crystalline pond. The screams and howls of burning men and pokemon that haunted it even its new life, a stain impossible to expel. Innocence lost as it lived on and on and on beyond mortal years, proud of its purpose and new life yet always so aware that it had died truly so long ago. Interest as it found another that walked the path of its siblings.

He could hear the keening echo of the North Wind's mournful howl, the chimes of bells in his ears…

It was through his own power that he broke the connection and returned to the waking world. Nidoking helpfully supported him and he whispered thanks to his brother. Ash reeled from the enormous weight of the North Wind's life, yet he raised himself to a sitting position as he met Suicune's burning eyes once more.

Suicune was old. Old and tired, its spirit fatigued in stark contradiction to the vigor in its limbs. It had been stretched thin, Ash thought. It had felt its spark of life abandon it, suffered its loss keenly through suffocating lungs and boiling flesh. Suicune had walked both sides of the divide and stood apart from the cycle now. Perhaps that was the nature of its apotheosis.

The Beast waited with the patience of an immortal. His team was tense, though Ash knew they could tell Suicune meant no harm. It wasn't beholden to the chaotic, primal nature of the Birds - it had been mortal once, and knew the terror of witnessing a force you had no control over, could not run from.

At last he smiled and allowed himself to lay back against the cool mossy stone he'd been relaxing against all night. Nidoking deflated and immediately curled up next to him again in a massive pile of muscle, hide, and spines (though he never quite took his eyes off the Legend in their midst). The others followed suit, even if most seemed as stunned as Ash.

"Would you like to stay for a while? I was just thinking about practicing a little..."

Suicune laid elegantly not too far away from Ash and his team then, nearly invisible save for its burning eyes and the pale moonlight which reflected off its shimmering crest and snow-white streaks of fur. Ash's team drew closer as he withdrew the glossy silver flute from his bag and closed his eyes as he placed the instrument to his lips.

He embraced the tune of the Song as it filled the air, eager to be set free into the world, and held back a grin as he heard a low howl whistle through the air to match him with the Song's complementary notes - Lugia's Song and Suicune's, born from Ho-Oh's yet subtly different in all the ways that counted, melded into a gorgeous harmony that seemed to resonate with the world itself.

Ash thought that perhaps Suicune's howl was a little less mournful than before.

XX

When Ash awoke, the Beast was long gone. He felt a distinct sense of loss at its absence, as though a long-forgotten friend had reappeared in his life for but a moment before they parted ways again. The only sign it had ever been there at all was a particularly heavy dew that coated them all, Torrent's uncharacteristic perkiness, and the pile of sodden ashes that was all that remained of their campfire - no matter how hard Infernus tried to ignite the remaining tinder, it steadfastly refused the fire's touch.

He eventually had to recall Infernus before his friend decided to unleash an Overheat in their campsite. That just wouldn't have ended well for anyone.

From there breakfast was a simple affair. His team got their usual fare of processed food packed with enough nutrients, vitamins, and protein to support their powerful bodies (with their favorites berries added for flavor) while he stuck with a simple Trainer Meal. It wasn't much in the way of flavor but it got the job done.

Besides, anything was better than the black broth that Surge and Bruno loved. He was still only half-certain that Surge was joking about it being made from Grimer sludge…

Ash fought down a shiver at the memories of the black tar sliding down his throat (he'd had to fight the urge to wretch every time) and turned his mind to happier thoughts as he gathered the team and took the first steps of the day, an insulated thermos full of coffee in hand. It still wasn't his favorite but he'd learned to appreciate during his brief stay in Ecruteak. That didn't stop him from wincing as he swallowed the bitter drink. Sugar wasn't something he saw as necessary but it was absolutely an acquired taste.

He absentmindedly smiled over at Bruiser as his friend plodded along at his side. Today it was just him, Aron, Plume, and Seeker out - the day was unexpectedly overcast with heavy clouds, though only a few raindrops had fallen. It was a comfortable weather and just dark enough that Seeker could comfortably latch onto Bruiser's back without being irritated by the sun. Ash had given Bruiser one of his blankets to drape over the Zubat just to be safe.

"We should be able to make it to Mt. Mortar by tomorrow afternoon," Ash mentioned to Bruiser, who glanced over at him with some interest. Bruiser had always had an appreciation for mountains and other rugged lands, probably from living in the rough landscape of the Fuchsia territories for most of his life. He'd definitely appreciate the chance to explore the caverns. "From there it'll just be two days or so to Mahogany."

Bruiser nodded and looked off into the distance, pondering something or another. Ash didn't attempt to distract his friend from his thoughts and instead fell deep into his own as they walked down the simple path of dirt and stone. The forest was already dark and foreboding despite its proximity to Ecruteak, heavy clusters of ancient trees adding an imposing air to the route.

The terrain would only continue to get rougher and rougher as they approached Mt. Mortar and crossed the border into Mahogany's territory. Mahogany's lands were famed for possessing some of the most difficult terrain in Johto to navigate - the territory wasn't particularly developed and Mahogany Town was the only settlement of note. The only other inhabitants were a handful of scattered villages heavily isolated from the rest of Johto. It was said that some hadn't encountered an outsider for centuries.

Ash didn't mind. It had been too long since he'd been inconvenienced by something as mundane as hills and forests. He'd longed for these simple challenges. Hoenn hadn't been particularly harsh so far, although he knew the mountainous regions around Mt. Chimney could be tough to traverse. The northeast was wild as well, especially around Fortree.

He couldn't complain about the lack of traffic either - he'd only encountered three trainers so far, only one of whom was in a mood to battle. She'd been handled quite well by Bruiser - though her magnificent specimen of a Hitmonlee had been skilled enough for Bruiser to draw on Rampage to secure victory.

Not many trainers had reason to visit Mahogany Town except to challenge Leader Pryce and it was still a little early for that. Ash had heard the Lake of Rage to the north of Mahogany was fairly popular for advanced training due to its isolation, but it was vast enough that it would be easy to pick a nice, lonely spot to train at while he waited for his friends to arrive.

A cool breeze swept in from the north and wrapped around the group soothingly, tearing Ash out of his musing. Ash squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment and smiled as the rain picked up just a tad, though never enough to be an inconvenience. Seeker squeaked and burrowed deeper under the blanket into Bruiser's warmth - she clearly didn't appreciate it quite as much as he and Bruiser did.

He relished the refreshing touch of the wind and smiled. Maybe Suicune wasn't as far off as he'd thought…

Why had it sought him out? He couldn't help the thought. The Beasts had met him at the Burned Tower, but that had been different. They had a story to tell there. It was their home, ruined and ravaged as it was. But Suicune didn't have to seek him out afterwards. Did it have a reason or was it simple curiosity?

It was difficult to divine the motives of something as enigmatic as one of the Beasts. They were a tad less inscrutable than other Legends - they had been mortal once, after all - but at the same time that lent them an air of mystery. They weren't as simple as the Birds' unrelenting primality, though he thought the Beasts might be somewhat less alien.

Why, why, why?

This thought and others would capture his attention as he walked, though ultimately overshadowed in the simple freedom of traveling again. Of choosing when and where and why to go.

He'd missed this.

XX

"Yes, finally! Great job, Torrent. Just like that!" Ash cheered as Torrent's scarlet glare stabbed deep into the large orb of rippling water, perhaps three feet across with little bulges pulsating randomly throughout, which hung in the air through the Kingdra's sheer force of will. He admired the sight for a moment, a light grin on his face as Torrent attempted to use his focus to flatten the foamy ball into a flat disc. It began to flatten, compress…

A flurry of dancing white beams smashed into Torrent's pet project and froze it solid in less than a second. Ash and Torrent's startled, furious gazes fell onto Sneasel, who snickers quickly died down as he saw the look on Ash's face. The little dark-type hissed, raised his hackles and fur up until he looked more like a fluffy black ball than a lithe fighter, and darted to avoid the Water Gun that Torrent hastily spat his way.

Victory was clear in Sneasel's yowls and he easily scurried to clamber up a particularly tall tree to avoid the eminent game of Hunt the Sneasel...only to screech as a flash of light and pop heralded the arrival of Infernus. He frowned down at Sneasel, who hung limply by his scruff in Infernus' clawed grip, and tossed him as deep into the woods as he could manage. When Ash heard the snarls of Sneasel abruptly stop (coincidentally in time with a dull thunk that sounded like something hitting a tree), Infernus nodded for Ash and Torrent to continue.

"Thanks," he waved at Infernus, though the Magmortar didn't seem particularly interested in his gratitude. Infernus just waited impatiently for them to continue. Ash had sent all the others aside from Nidoking (he knew better than to try to get his friend to leave him alone out here), but Infernus had steadfastly refused to leave. He seemed as invested in Torrent's training as Torrent himself.

Ash thought he was just eager to see his strongest rival in the team advance his skills at long last. At least he knew Infernus would make sure Torrent's training would go interrupted. Sneasel had grown mature enough to avoid interfering with training sessions most of the time, but every now and then he'd get in a playful mood and those old instincts would raise their ugly head…

He studied the frozen remains of Torrent's most recent attempt with idle curiosity as he nudged the chunks of ice with his shoe. They'd stopped by a small stream for the night specifically to get Torrent started on his water manipulation. Technically he and most water-types could do it from birth - scientists posited that they had evolved some level of psychic control over water that was hardwired into them from birth in order to assist them in the wild. Refinement of that base ability led to certain techniques such as Surf and Whirlpool being possible.

But without refinement, without the honing of that natural ability, he would only ever be able to use it in such limited ways that he had trained extensively for (or had the raw knowledge dumped into his brain by a TM). Ash saw the potential for something much more...flexible. Something that could use water manipulation to adapt on the fly. Shields of water summoned without a thought from puddles on the ground, only to be converted seamlessly into a blade to sweep the opponent's feet out from under them or douse some elemental effect.

It would be ridiculously circumstantial in most cases, but thankfully Torrent had the raw might to utilize Rain Dance. Draining, certainly, but Torrent grew stronger every day. With practice Ash had no doubt that he would grow to fit everything Ash had envisioned and more. Torrent had never failed him yet.

Aside from the obvious uses, Ash was mostly excited because Torrent would finally have a little more to rely on than simple projectiles like Hydro Pump, Water Gun, and Dragon Pulse, or the devastating yet exhausting power of Ice Storm and Draco Meteor. He would have nuance once he mastered this skill. Not only that, he would finally have a reliable defense outside of overwhelming offense - when Ash had been competing against Gym Leaders, Torrent's natural armor from his scales had been enough to weather nearly any attack with ease. With the caliber of opponents Ash faced now ranging from the overwhelming force of Masters and Champions to the divine wrath of the Legends...well, Ash would like for all of his friends to be as well-protected as possible.

That reminded him that he needed to track down a Protect TM somewhere. Steven would probably be a good place to start, but he'd check at Indigo Plateau first. It wasn't especially rare. Someone was bound to have it.

"You didn't get to finish, obviously," Ash waved his hand at the frozen chunks that littered the ground. Torrent's eyes flashed murderously in the direction Infernus had tossed Sneasel, though Ash was pleased to see him offer Infernus a slight nod. "But I thought I felt something right before Sneasel froze it. A slip in control. Resistance."

Torrent hovered to face Ash and looked at him oddly at his words. Ash didn't think twice of it and continued after a moment or two of thought. "It was like the water resisted what you were doing to it. The hovering looked like it strained you a little bit, but it was manageable. Something you did then was making it resist," Ash muttered. Torrent, Infernus, and Nidoking hung onto his every word. He gestured to the gently trickling stream that ran by just a few feet from them. "Can you try it again? I'm close."

His friend nodded. Torrent's levitating figure sagged just a bit and brushed the muddy banks of the stream as the effort to draw water in a stable sphere stole his attention away, but he was well-practiced. They'd spent hours on this exercise already.

Ash waited until the water had settled before he motioned for Torrent to continue. Torrent's eyes glinted red in the fiery light cast off by Infernus as his will exerted itself. Before their very eyes the sphere began to flatten, expand at the edges, compress, and move beyond Torrent's ability to maintain.

Torrent rumbled deeply enough to rattle Ash's teeth and tossed his head in irritation - it was perhaps the most frustration Ash had seen in him in a long, long time. He had taken himself too seriously since evolving into a Kingdra to admit that kind of vulnerability.

"The compression," Ash breathed. He repeated it brightly and Torrent's attention jerked onto him. "Liquids don't like to be compressed," he recited from memory of the short physics 'cheat sheet' Steven had provided him - the former Champion had drawn it up based on things he thought might be useful to Ash. It wasn't that detailed and Ash was certain it had simplified things greatly so he could understand them, but he remembered that trend. "Instead of compressing it first, try flattening it out immediately from the sphere. I think we're going to have to work with the water. It has its own nature. It acts a certain way and we're going to have to accommodate that."

With that in mind, their next attempts went a little smoother. It wasn't a magical success by any means, but their patience had been bolstered by the surge of hope. It took time for Torrent to learn to apply the knowledge. Within three or four additional attempts Torrent had managed to train himself out of attempting to compress the water, and by the seventh he'd pulled off a flat disc that wavered and bubbled relentlessly but hung unsteadily in the air.

Just as Ash began to congratulate Torrent a cold breeze flew in from the north. He shut his eyes and allowed a soft smile to slip onto his face as the whistling gale wrapped around him like an embrace, the long fatigue of the day wiped away in an instant. Infernus snarled and Ash felt his light and heat dim. The thick and pungent scent of smoke filled his nostrils.

When he opened his eyes the immense shape of Suicune stood before him. He was startled yet again by the sheer size of the Beast - even as it sat on its pale haunches it effortlessly towered over even Torrent and Infernus - though the solace it brought with it overcame that. Ash allowed his eyes to fall shut and tossed the physical world, including the majestic sight of Suicune, aside.

Something deep inside him was at peace, and enough of Cynthia's lessons had seeped in for him to reflexively question himself. Why, why, why?

It was plain as day to him as he focused inward instead of outward. Suicune's nature complimented his own - it soothed the burning Fire in his blood, conducted his Lightning, and resonated with the stasis of Ice. Water and wind were fluid malleable things, and it was easy for them to adapt to whatever they encountered.

He chased those thoughts further and further, on the precipice of something huge. Something instinctual warned Ash that he was so, so close to filling in the last bits of a puzzle. There was just a handful of blank spaces left, the center of the epiphany, and Ash didn't hesitate -

For one moment - perhaps less than that, the space between moments - he Saw like he had with Cynthia in the Hale Mansion. The physical world bled away, little more than a tarnished mirror of the Truth he could almost taste.

The interwoven, self-destructive forces that threaded through his being, the presence of his brother and shadow Nidoking, the fierce loyalty of Infernus and the spark of Fire carefully kindled within, the stalwart and commanding force of Torrent, and the infinity of the North Wind stormed before him, the light of Death and Rebirth and all that lay in between burning and he fell into those eyes -

Fractals upon fractals upon fractals upon fractals upon fractals upon fractals…

He was Suicune and he was everywhere. Ash was the wind that brushed his skin, the gales that whipped across crystalline lakes and disturbed their placid surface, the rains that dowsed wildfires and brought renewal and relief to the suffering.

He was the one who had suffered the greatest in the Brass Tower, whose lungs filled with hacking smoke and whose eyes had watched the siblings what-would-be-Raikou choke and scream as the flames licked her flesh and seared away the rest of her life and all the potential that lay within, what-would-be-Entei collapse in agony as he fought to use his inborn tolerance of heat to save everything he could before exhaustion took its toll for those lives preserved.

He had persevered through the agony through no will of his own. The water in his flesh had boiled in the fires of the Brass Tower, his eyes had burst, his skin had blackened to a crisp. When Ash's siblings had succumbed to the burning, splintering beams and smoke, Ash had survived for what felt like an eternity. His siblings had fought to the bitter end, railing against fate. When he realized there was no escape, he had accepted death. He had embraced the peace it brought, the escape from life's suffering it offered.

Ash was the last to be remade through the Rebirth offered by Sunlight, yet his apotheosis had been easiest. He had accepted his fate.

That was what he was. The wind and rain that had extinguished the Brass Tower, and with it the peace it offered. Raikou was born to strike, to set into motion change and inspiration. Entei was born to action, to continue its mission in life to save those it could and destroy those that could not be saved. He was a restorative force, born to counteract the destruction and change that ran rampant.

Ash lost himself in the simple awareness, that absolute confidence that despite his mortal core, he knew what he was. He was not like the other Concepts that manifested in this world, but he shared their certainty in his purpose: The North Wind.

A soft, damp nose nearly as large as his head pressed against his head and Ash found himself in reality once again. The intuition and awareness dumped into his mind in that brief instant left his head pounding and his vision danced. Nidoking rushed to support him under his heavy shoulder. Someone was laughing. It was a wild noise, a manic cackle that threaded its discordant insanity into everything that heard it.

It was him.

He chuckled (screamed) at the simple awareness of how miniscule he was, how limited he was in the face of something like Suicune. A human mind - not his, not yet - could not comprehend the scope. The North Wind and everything it was, everything it represented, in the flesh...how did you define that? How could a brain evolved for finding food and living hope to make sense of that? He could still feel what it was like to be the wind and rain and his last memories of burning to death and his brain pounded in his skull.

Ash howled again at the plain realization that he was broken now. The simple sight of Suicune-in-Truth had broken him! Oh, not quite. He had mastered Fire, Ice, and Lightning. The Song resonated in him still. He had not broken, not like any other human would have shattered underneath the weight of it all, but Suicune had cracked him for a time. He was brittle now. The lightest touch and...

The Truth of all things would break him. There was a Oneness to the universe, a unity that was alive and only evident when you abandoned your tiny fragment and looked at another insignificant fragment of infinity like the North Wind, yet another facet of the universal gem...it was so clear!

His skull felt as if it would crack - he was about to break but he could not break his stare from the Truths laid bare from the mere sight of what Suicune was in truth, of the infinities and limits and the utter lack of meaning such a mighty entity held in the grand scheme of things when there were other Concepts out there, infinities that would consume him mind, body, and soul if he -

Suicune's physical paw pressed into his chest and stole his breath away. An unnatural calmness, a manifestation of the North Wind's Concept - that peace which made up its very nature - purged him of his curious mania.

In the matter of seconds Ash was sent reeling as his thoughts were forcefully slowed and corrected - the chaotic frenzy slipped away and Ash was left with the cold embrace of sanity. Half-gleaned visions, sensations, sounds, and a thousand things he'd perceived with senses beyond the physical settled peacefully into his memory and he stared off into the clear sky littered with stars.

He was on the ground, he slowly realized. His back was covered in dust and mud and uncomfortable proddings of small, rounded stones that laid around the riverbank. Ash felt a little nauseous but pulled himself up on shaking arms, the urge to vomit never far from him. His vision still swam and he gratefully took one of Nidoking's arms. Nidoking and Torrent had come to him to offer their help, but he shook his head at Infernus before the Magmortar could strike the mighty Beast that had only just removed its massive paw (almost as large as his entire chest) from him. Ash could feel that his entire body was soaked with cool water from their brief connection.

Was this what Lance had experienced when he and Moltres had communed at Mt. Ember?

"Thank you," Ash spoke clearly now that he had regained control of himself. Something deep within him wanted to babble on madly about the North Wind and Sunlight and all other manner of things but he held his tongue. He could parse through the brief glimpse into the Truth he'd gleaned later on - he was in reality now and reality was where he would stay. If he lost himself to that again without Suicune around... "I don't know how long I would have been stuck like that without you."

Suicune's burning eyes glanced away to the side - a peculiarly human gesture, Ash thought - and he smiled as he leaned into Nidoking. "I'm fine, guys," Ash directed to the rest of his team before they could emerge from the shadows. Almost all of them had found their way here, aware that something had gone terribly wrong. "Thank you, though. Go back and rest. I'll catch up in a few minutes."

The Beast waited for the others to depart before it set its fiery gaze upon Ash. It was all they needed to understand one another.

Ash smiled at the ancient creature. The communication was straining on him, but he understood Suicune well enough to know his next words would be surprising, but not unwelcome. Rebirth was a solitary fate.

"Would you like to join us? We won't be in Johto long, but we'd be glad to have you alongside us."

A gentle breeze swept through the clearing, trickles of rain carried with it, and the brief connection they'd held yesterday became a bond in true.

They sat like that for a time. To be honest, Ash was mostly waiting for Nidoking to calm down. He didn't think he'd try to attack an entity like Suicune, but it never hurt to be safe when it came to Nidoking. At the very least he decided to wait for his massive friend's labored heart rate to steady.

As the insistent calm kept his mind at rest, Ash allowed it to resonate with him. The Song hummed within him at its compliment and Ash relished the sensation as it spread pleasantly throughout his chest. With Suicune's presence his near-shattering at the sight of things he wasn't ready for could hardly trouble him.

He couldn't help but wonder how dangerous it would be for Suicune to travel with them forever. Ash could feel its own aura resonate with him, but as he relaxed and fell into a contemplative trance he knew it wasn't just softening the Concepts inside him. Its peace pervaded everything - Suicune was complete in a way that no human or pokemon could hope to be and it shared that completeness with them all.

The longer he was around Suicune the stronger the effect would be as it filled him. Ash's hunger would vanish away - why care to grow stronger, or hunt glory or strive to be better when you were complete? Humans pursued things because they wanted them. They were incomplete by nature. Suicune was whole and wanted other things to be as well. Its nature was not like Raikou or Entei's - it was not born to change.

If he spent the rest of his life with Suicune, Ash suspected he'd never find the motivation to achieve anything at all.

During the long stretch they sat together, an awkward silence tense in the air, an errant thought came to Ash.

"Would you like anything to eat?"

Suicune blinked. The winds steadied and its ribbon-like appendages nearly fell flat in surprise. Even the cool water froze in place within its crest. Ash shifted a little uncomfortably as the Beast cocked its vast head at him. Its fiery gaze seemed to sear deep into him, though Ash could practically feel its own hesitance, especially when Ash reached into his pack and proffered a few of Sneasel's favorites, Rawst berries, to Suicune.

It wasn't like Sneasel was going to need them anytime tonight since he was passed out - he knew the consequences for interrupting training. Ash had only made them clear...fifty times? A hundred? It was easy to lose track.

He placed the Rawst berries just a few feet in front of Suicune. It might be awkward if Suicune thought it would have to eat right out of Ash's hands (he was about one hundred percent sure Eusine wouldn't have given Suicune that choice). Ash certainly wouldn't want to do that if he were in Suicune's figurative shoes…

Especially if Eusine were the one offering. The man's obsession with Suicune was outright unhealthy. Ash silently resolved to never tell the man that Suicune had accompanied him.

At last the Beast stepped forward and snatched the berries up in its jaws - Suicune was so massive that the berries were barely a light snack for it. Ash watched it chew uncomfortably, absolutely fascinated. He had to wonder what Professor Oak would do to be in this position. Knowing the Professor, he would be better off not mentioning this unless he wanted to be interrogated for literal hours.

Suicune swallowed after what seemed like an eternity. Its demeanor during the entire experience could best be described as awkward, although it was hard to imagine the magnificent creature in such a way.

When was the last time it had eaten?

Ash didn't know much about Legendaries, but he got the feeling that they didn't need to eat. They sustained themselves. As eternal forces their existences were intrinsic. Timeless. They were above such petty, mortal concerns such as eating.

Suicune had been mortal, though. Its siblings as well. It just made Ash wonder all the more. When had Suicune last cared to eat? Decades ago? Centuries, even, when it had first been reborn? The Beast seemed wholly unfamiliar with the action, like it was relearning a long-forgotten habit.

It had finished the bite, though. Suicune wasn't entirely comfortable and didn't ask for more, but it also seemed rather content as it laid by the peaceful stream. Torrent's eyes followed its every action worshipfully - it was the same look he'd had with Lugia, Ash recalled. The thought brought a slight quirk to his lips.

They rested there for a long time before Ash felt that familiar itch beneath his skin. Suicune was at peace but he couldn't let himself turn down this opportunity.

"Do you want to battle?" He asked hopefully. Infernus perked up, smoke fuming from his cannons - if anything, his lack of ability to generate fire only inspired him more. Suicune glanced at Ash, amused, and shook its mighty head before it settled its snout beneath its paws.

He was disappointed, but accepted Suicune's decision - it wasn't like he was surprised. What would Suicune even get out of facing his team?

Not a challenge, certainly. Ash was proud of his team and confident in their abilities, but he wasn't stupid. They could each train for centuries and achieve literally nothing against the Beast.

The memories of seeing what Suicune truly was, the force behind the physical mask it wore, sent Ash shivering. No, they would never defeat something like that.

Ash sighed and turned to Torrent. They'd had a nice break, but even if Suicune itself had joined them that didn't mean they could slack off training. "Alright, let's get going. Are you ready?"

Torrent nodded, and they began their long hours of work.

XX

Ash grinned as he read the message he'd received from Lance overnight.

Ash,

Is it just me, or do you have an uncanny knack for stumbling your way into historical events? Imagine my surprise when I heard you just so happened to be in Ecruteak when the Crystal Bell rang not once, but twice! What an enormous coincidence. You'll have to tell me all about that coincidence when you stop by Indigo Plateau.

Speaking of which, Sabrina stopped by not too long ago and we had a good talk. I'll get you up to speed when you arrive. It's not vital, but it would be good for you to know about our current natural disaster phenomenon.

You're taking on Clair soon, right? Let me know how it goes so I can dig up the battle footage from her gym. The rest of us have already put our bets down. You'll be proud to hear you've been given pretty good odds. Make sure to stop by the Wataru compound while you're in Blackthorn. You'll be welcomed as an honored guest.

Cheers!

Lance

A bit of tension drained from his shoulders as he closed out of the message. He'd been a tad nervous when he saw that Lance sent him something, but it had been a massive relief to see how lighthearted. It hinted at a few serious matters, but nothing too bad. Ash was just happy that the hesitant barrier between them seemed to have broken down - Lance sounded back to his old self, although it'd be impossible to know for sure until he arrived at Indigo Plateau.

His lips curved up into a smile at the thought of arriving at the ancient citadel. It had been beautiful the few times he'd visited and he was honestly eager to make his way there - Karen had spoken pretty highly of his lodgings. Of course, what he was really eager for was to challenge the rest of the Elite Four. Most would probably be out on business at any given time, but he'd be spending a fair bit of his trip there. At the very least he wanted to consult them about a few things.

He swallowed down the rest of his meal in a frenzy and glanced around their campsite. It was still fairly sluggish - he tended to rise a little earlier than most of his friends. With how hard they worked he wasn't going to begrudge them a little extra sleep. Only Nidoking and Dazed had awoken. Well, he supposed it wasn't fair to say Dazed had awoken when she didn't sleep in the first place.

Ash laughed at the mental chuckle he got in response and then started at the sound of an unpleasant grinding noise that sounded somewhere between an industrial compactor and the whir of a buzz saw - he rolled his eyes at the sight of Aron not far away, tucked between Oz's furry body and the gargantuan, sleeping heap of vines that was Tangrowth. If it weren't for the grinding it would be nearly impossible to find the small steel-type.

As for the grinding...well, Ash wasn't surprised to see that Aron was snacking on a little chunk of scrap metal that Ash had tossed him last night. His jaws rhythmically closed and clenched, his rasping tongue wrapped around the tiny mass that had been about the size of Ash's fist. It was now more of a pebble.

What Ash hadn't expected is that Aron would have done most of the work in his sleep. His sky-blue eyes were shut and his stubby little legs kicked wildly in his dreams. Ash glanced over to Dazed curiously as he snagged the little pebble out of Aron's mouth - no point risking him choking.

Dazed's eyes quirked.

The Iron Child dreams of flight. I believe the Plume has spent too much time with him.

"Who knows, maybe he'll have more luck than Sneasel," Ash commented as he sent a pointed look at Sneasel's unconscious form cuddled up by Ash's sleeping mat. He'd tracked down where his friend had landed after Infernus tossed Sneasel last night - Sneasel was perfectly fine, but after he'd woken up from the KO he'd apparently decided to just admit defeat and curl up to sleep out in the woods.

Naturally, Ash wasn't going to leave him out there. He'd already gotten his lesson, so when Ash had turned in for the night after nearly four additional hours of training with Torrent he wasn't about to let Sneasel sleep in the woods. Torrent hadn't joined him. The Kingdra was determined to spend a little more time out there, though Ash was certain he was nearly as tired as Ash himself.

He frowned. The campsite was set in a small clearing and most of his friends were immediately obvious - there wasn't much room for so many pokemon to hide. Plume had found a particularly sturdy tree to roost in, though it was nearly sagging now beneath the hundreds of Pidgey and Pidgeotto that had joined her the moment dawn had broken. Bruiser and Seeker sat beneath another tree nearby the puddle of Aron, Oz, and Tangrowth.

Infernus was safely in his pokeball, of course. He'd been in a foul mood since Suicune had showed up.

As for Torrent… Ash turned to Dazed. Nidoking's nostrils flared and his beady eyes glinted with interest as the psychic allowed her mind to brush against theirs.

He is nearby. Shall I show you to him, Friend-Trainer?

"Please," Ash said. He'd be lying if he claimed he wasn't a little concerned. It wasn't healthy to be out training all night - Torrent would probably be wiped out for the next few days. Ash hoped he hadn't pushed himself too hard trying to impress Suicune or something.

It didn't take Dazed long to guide them there. Ash didn't take long to recognize the area - they were just a little downstream from where Ash had been training with Torrent last night. He looked behind him and grinned at Nidoking's blatant interest, though it was buried under a little annoyance as more and more mud from the soft riverbank clung to his feet and tail.

The gears started turning in his head. They'd ignored this area last night because it had been a little wider than they'd needed - Torrent had kept drawing a little too much water than he needed, stalling any progress he could have made until they moved.

And then a crash dragged his attention, and Ash sat stunned at the sight. Torrent stood just fifty feet or so downstream, seemingly fresh as he'd ever been. He levitated without an inch of sag or a modicum of unsteadiness. If anything, he seemed more invigorated than he had when Ash left.

Ash wasn't blind. It was hard to ignore the likely cause of Torrent's unnatural stamina, particularly when it sat nearly ten feet high, its brilliant crystal crest adding yet another five feet to its height. The mere sight of Suicune whispered to something deep inside Ash, urging him to kneel and prostrate himself before the North Wind - it was only proper, after all.

He did not. Ash observed for a few minutes, eyes wide at the sight of Torrent tearing smooth orbs of glass-like water from the cool stream and shaping them into several different forms fluidly. Sphere, disc, blade, screens, and more exotic by the minute…

It was a far, far cry from mastery. These were only the basic exercises he'd read about. Torrent still took time to manipulate it compared to the instinctual manipulation that would result from experience.

Yet this placed them weeks ahead of where they should have been. Ash couldn't help but stare. Torrent had an edge because of his incredibly power and force of will, but this was unreal.

The unbelievable pace became a little more believable when Torrent lost his focus and the sphere splashed to the ground - or it would have, if it didn't seamlessly flow back into a pristine sphere, so still and frozen it appeared almost like a mirror - in front of Suicune. The Beast appeared entirely disinterested, yet the water flowed through the exact same motions Torrent had attempted. Yet to compare the two was almost profane. There was a certain beauty to the movement that Torrent lacked. Whereas Torrent had to focus, the water seemed to want to work with Suicune. The Beast put forth literally no effort.

Not a surprise, but it was beautiful all the same. Ash watched spellbound, only for it to be broken when Torrent finally tossed his head and saw him.

"Don't stop on my account," Ash raised his hands up. Torrent dipped his head to him and turned back to Suicune, who hadn't reacted whatsoever beyond a slight flit of its sun-filled eyes over to him. He had absolutely no doubt that Suicune had been aware of his every movement and breath since he'd woken up. "I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright. Keep it up. I'm going to get everyone's meals ready before they wake up."

His gaze trailed over to Suicune questioningly. The Beast's timeless stare washed over him and he felt very small for a few moments. At last the Beast gracefully inclined its lupine head. The sunlight scattered off its crest beautifully, and even the dew on Suicune's damp fur shone like diamonds.

Ash felt a big, dumb smile stretch across his face as he turned away.

What kind of food would Suicune like?

And more importantly, how was he supposed to keep feeding something nearly the size of his entire team combined?

XX

Mt. Mortar traditionally marked the border between Ecruteak and Mahogany. It was a dominant feature of the landscape, a towering mass of sheer cliffs, jagged spires, and a massive heap of blackened stone that made up the mountain proper. The sparse green of a thinning canopy of trees littered the broad structure of Mt. Mortar, providing cover for various caves and other living spaces for pokemon to lurk. He admired the sight which was only made all the more beautiful by the golden light of the sinking sun cast all over the mountain range.

Originally he'd expected them to have been able to reach the foothills of Mt. Mortar by yesterday night, but a certain Legendary had slowed them just a tad. Suicune certainly could have kept up with any pace they set (Ash suspected it could have literally appeared anywhere in the world in the course of an afternoon) but Ash and his team couldn't help but be lulled into a peaceful saunter across the land, a refreshing breeze and occasional droplets of cold rain with them the entire way.

Suicune most often lurked in the woods near the trail, its massive shape hidden perfectly in a pale mist. If Ash wasn't aware of its presence he would have been entirely blind to its inhumanly graceful movements - the trees and brush itself seemed to respectfully sway out of Suicune's path.

Fortunately they only encountered a few harried trainers, most of whom were exhausted from the journey through Mt. Mortar and were in no mood to battle. Ash had just exchanged respectful nods with the dusty teens (and a smile and potion for an exhausted rookie practically dragging his Cyndaquil alongside him).

He grinned at Nidoking, who took a measured look at Mt. Mortar as he plodded to Ash's side. "What are the odds we run into an ancient artifact, one-of-a-kind pokemon, or Legendary?"

Nidoking snorted and allowed his tail to sway back and forth, obviously uncomfortable with the thought. He did toss his head in Suicune's direction, which drew a barking laugh from Ash. "You've got me there," Ash shook his head. He spared a glance for the direction he knew Suicune to lurk, though he wasn't surprised to see that it seemed to have vanished. Without Suicune's presence the gales and light rain had already begun to recede. The first rays of unhindered sun began to grace them, the unfamiliar heat nearly unpleasant after the cold peace of Suicune's rains.

No surprises there. Suicune was of the wind and rain. The dank, musty air of a cavern was practically its antithesis. Ash attempted to imagine Suicune's powerful form striding through the closed, claustrophobic walls of Mt. Mortar and his brain failed to even picture it.

"Looks like we're on our own," he mentioned to Nidoking. The poison-type nodded and tensed more than he had since they'd left Ecruteak - Suicune's protection had allowed Nidoking just a measure of calm, though he'd never relax entirely. Ash sighed. It had been nice to see Nidoking let loose for once.

Oh well, they'd have plenty of time to talk on the way through. Ash was going to have just him and Nidoking for a while. Mt. Mortar should take them just under twelve hours to get through, but he planned on sleeping about halfway through. They wouldn't be taking any obscure routes, but Ash wanted to make sure Seeker got plenty of time in her natural habitat. It offered her a freedom she could never have on the surface.

With that in mind the two set off to clear the last mile or so before they could enter Mt. Mortar. He felt a warm tingle in his gut the closer they knew.

He'd missed this.

XX

Mt. Mortar wasn't like the other mountains he'd explored, or even Granite Cave. It certainly had its fair share of underground tunnels, crevasses inhabited by wild pokemon, and labyrinthine passageways. There was no disputing that - no mountain of this size wouldn't have all sorts of fascinating little spots to explore and uncover. Some went underneath the mountain in an intricate network, filled to the brim with sun-shy creatures like Zubat, Paras, Rattata, and even a few Misdreavus that sated their hunger by frightening the travelers who frequently explored the mountain.

They'd stayed far away from Ash, lingering just on the edge of his perception with their watchful shadows.

No, what Ash found most striking was that the majority of the mountain's area was represented in a truly gargantuan cavern. Mt. Mortar was primarily hollow beneath its craggy shell of heaping rock walls that rose to a height of over five hundred feet. What dominated the interior of Mt. Mortar's main level was a vast waterfall that roared like a beast as it poured over the rocky edge high above him. The waterfall sucked up nearly all the light that poured in from countless gaps and wedges dug into the sides of the mountain by wild pokemon or eroded away by the elements. Other than the scant light reflecting off the mist sprayed up by the waterfall as it crashed into the dark lake below, a constant rumble of thunder that bounced forever off Mt. Mortar's sheer walls, it was entirely black in the mountain.

A grin played across Ash's face as he turned to where Nidoking stood next to him, barely visible in the dying sunlight that poured in behind them. Nidoking chuffed and scanned the area, though he'd have better luck detecting any threats with his very rudimentary Earth Sense that they'd been working on. Nidoking weren't famed for their eyesight - it was part of the reason they tended to be so aggressive defending against perceived threats.

"I'm not going to use any light sources. We'll adjust pretty quickly," Ash said offhandedly as they took their first steps into the blackness, eyes locked on the first of many luminescent arrows the League had placed to guide people through Mt. Mortar. He grunted as he stumbled on a stray rock that jutted out of the worn cavern floor and had to grin thankfully to Nidoking when his friend immediately steadied him with his blunt claws.

Nidoking looked pointedly at him and Ash's cheeks heated a little as he barely managed to catch himself off a small stalagmite that shot up just in front of his feet. "I might let Seeker out a little earlier than I intended to help us navigate," he said. Ash made a point to walk a little more carefully and dragged his feet a little more than usual so he wouldn't trip so easily. That would just be humiliating.

Ash could help fight off Legendary incursions, explored secret places human eyes hadn't seen in centuries, and had battled some of the strongest trainers in the world by the time his rookie year was over. Throw a little stumbling block - literally, in this case - in his way and he would fall flat on his face.

At least the media weren't here to catch that. Or Gary. He hoped that Gary hadn't seen that news report that had mentioned Ash using his name in his battles against the trainers around Ecruteak - he knew for a fact the other boy would find some way to mock him with it.

"Let me know if you hear anything I should know about," he instructed. Nidoking grunted softly and dipped his head in acknowledgement. Ash hid a smile. His friend was still a little wound up - it was just how he was - but Ash could see a newfound ease in which he walked. There was a tad less weight on his shoulders, Ash thought.

He couldn't help but feel the same. It was always nice when it was just the two of them.

XX

Ash panted as he scaled the rocky wall by the waterfall. Sweat poured down his face and dampened his clothes. It felt good and pleasantly chill in the moment, but he knew that as soon as his body cooled down from the exertion he'd regret it - Mt. Mortar wasn't exactly warm. The cold never really bothered him that much, but that didn't mean he would enjoy it.

His arms trembled as he scaled the last few feet - Ash couldn't even remember the last time he'd felt his forearms. They burned like he'd never felt. He was immediately jealous of Bruiser, who had already reached the top with ease. Climbing was a joke for a Machoke capable of shattering boulders with his bare hands. To be honest, Ash was more worried about the rocky path they'd chosen to climb than Bruiser...all it would take was a careless moment and Bruiser was liable to tear a chunk of the rock right out of the cliff.

This wasn't exactly what he'd had planned today, but Ash couldn't help but grin madly as he pushed his body harder and harder to make this last ascent. It hurt, completely different from his normal running with Steven, but it was a pleasant sort of satisfied soreness.

Seeker flitted around his head, constant wingbeats stirring the air around him, and squeaked happily. She'd been cheering him on the whole way up with her chirps and chattering. Ash waved at her and collapsed for a moment, relieved at the feeling of solid ground beneath him. It was cold and a little wet, but he couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment.

Bruiser knelt by his side with his reptilian smile. His leathery skin stretched taut atop his face as he offered Ash a helping hand up, which he happily took. Bruiser's grip was steady - he wasn't even winded from the climb, naturally - and spoke of immeasurable strength and even deeper care.

"Thanks!" Ash gasped, every breath raw and uneven. He leaned heavily against Bruiser for a moment as he turned to look down at the cavern - it was almost pitch black, but his eyes had adjusted over the long hours he'd spent walking with Nidoking and the rest of his friends through the pitch-black passageways. It was beautiful. Pale silver rays cast off from the moon penetrated through various cracks and faintly illuminated the vastness of the silver lake. Trickles and ripples went through the smooth surface, warnings of the various pokemon that lived within. Above him lay the rounded dome of Mt. Mortar and the thousands upon thousands of Zubat that clung to it. They shied away from him, but with every movement he could feel the sensation of countless eyes rapt on him and his team.

The air hummed thick with the buzzing of bug-types that skimmed across the edge of the water or flitted to and fro in the darkness.

Tangrowth waddled up behind them and Ash felt his thick vines fall loose from around his waist, though the grass-type was sure to squeeze in one last hug before he let go. Ash laughed and patted Tangrowth's closest vines, which had already begun to poke and prod curiously at Bruiser.

The support from Tangrowth's vines was the only reason Ash had considered taking up Bruiser's challenge to take an 'alternative' path. Well, that and the fact that it was the only way Nidoking wouldn't have a panic attack. It felt good, though. The support had been slack, just enough that Ash had been reassured he wasn't about to slip out and fall.

Ash brushed off his clothes with one hand and used the other to stroke Seeker as she landed lightly upon his shoulder, claws hooked into his clothes. He could only just barely feel the points of her claws beneath his shirt. "Enjoying yourself?" He asked as he finally reached a point to where his clothes could be called dirty instead of filthy. That was good enough for now.

Seeker chittered something into his ear. At the sound of soft footsteps, he whirled around and stared at the newcomer. He wasn't sure what he'd expected. A trainer, perhaps? In the silence of the vast cavern it would have been easy to tell Ash and his team were exploring.

What he hadn't expected was a short Machop, perhaps two and a half feet high and more than capable of breaking bones with a light tap. It paid no attention to any of them except for Bruiser, who it stared worshipfully at. Without any hesitance it dropped to its knees and grunted something at Bruiser. Seeker watched raptly. Her ears twitched like mad.

Ash stayed silent as the quiet communication of grunts and nods were exchanged between the two members of the Machop line. Bruiser seemed more bewildered than anything. His beady eyes were narrowed to nervous slits and he glanced between the Machop and Ash constantly. He shifted from one foot to the next but as time went on he seemed to grow a tad more confident beneath the Machop's pleading eyes. Bruiser grunted something, then the Machop seemed to notice Ash for the first time. The short fighting-type measured him for a moment then shook its head - Bruiser notably relaxed at that, and seemed a little more willing to hear the other out.

He didn't need Dazed to tell him what was going on. She might streamline the process, but he'd many months before he'd even had the opportunity to communicate with his friends psychically.

"You should teach it," Ash said quietly to Bruiser as he moved to stand by his friend's side. Bruiser exhaled when he drew close. The Machop watched him hopefully. He sent a reassuring smile to the little fighter, which it hesitantly returned. "That's what it wants, right?"

Bruiser slowly nodded and locked his stare onto Machop. Ash scratched his chin (and tried not to think about all the dirt and dust he'd just rubbed all over himself). "It's getting late and I could use some rest after that climb," Ash pointed out to Bruiser. "We can set up camp here for the night if you want to help Machop. It's a beautiful view," he admired the view of the rest of the cavern, all the more beautiful for the darkness that only hinted at the hundreds of rock formations and the stalactites that hung from the ceiling like long fingers.

He found himself wishing Steven was here. The former Champion would probably be able to tell him everything about these formations: what kind of stone they were, how long they took to shape, the history of Mt. Mortar's formation... Steven was a treasure trove of knowledge.

After an eternity Bruiser nodded. It was with a degree of hesitance, but Ash knew his friend well enough to know it was more lack of confidence in himself than any reluctance to help Machop. Ash grinned and clapped his fist to his chest. Bruiser smiled back and repeated the gesture, the noise loud enough to echo off into the cavern.

"Go have fun," Ash waved Bruiser off with Seeker into the blackness where Machop waited impatiently. "We'll be waiting for you."

With that, Bruiser lowered his head to Ash once more and strode confidently off after Machop. Machop stared at Ash for a moment, bewildered, but shook its confusion off and led Bruiser and Seeker to wherever it wanted them to go.

He turned back to Tangrowth and laughed. "I think he'll do pretty good. How about you?"

Tangrowth, who had been busy trying to reach his vines up to poke at the innumerable Zubat huddled under a rocky outcrop above, gurgled happily. Ash wasn't entirely sure he'd noticed any of what just happened…

Oh well. He pet Tangrowth's nearest vine absentmindedly as he relished in the grass-type's company and began to set up camp for the night. Ash was a little more exhausted than usual after the long day (maybe he'd gotten a little too used to Suicune's refreshing presence) and he had the sneaking suspicion that he'd collapse into bed the moment he had his mat rolled out.

There were worse things in life than falling asleep surrounded by family.

XX

He winced as the sun's light reached his eyes for the first time in nearly a day. It was still early enough for it to feel like a personal attack on him - he wished he had been able to brew his morning coffee, but no such luck in the cave. Ash wasn't that reliant. No need to start a fire in there. It would probably irritate the eyes of anything that lived in Mt. Mortar.

Speaking of things that lived in Mt. Mortar…

"How'd your training session go?"

Bruiser jerked to attention. He'd been staring off into the distance before. Right now he was the only one of Ash's teammates released (except for Plume, who scouted the skies above) so that they could have some one-on-one time. It could be hard to find that as his team expanded. Ash had the sneaking suspicion it would be a nightmare trying to work Anorith into his team by the time the fossil pokemon was prepared. Working with the fossil pokemon always took up a ton of time early on as you trained appropriate behaviors and thought processes into them.

They were born in a wilder time.

He grinned as Bruiser offered him a light smile and a beat of his fist on his chest. "That good, huh?"

Bruiser's powerful chest rose and fell in a distressing wheezing sound that Ash knew to be his laughter, though it was replaced by a more thoughtful expression as they continued to meander along the path. Mt. Mortar marked the beginning of the sloping Mahogany territory, so Ash was already starting to see hills upon hills upon hills.

"What did you teach Machop?" Ash inquired. He doubted it could have been too much - they'd had perhaps four hours together while Ash had sat with the team and spent some quality time with them before falling asleep for another eight hours. Bruiser had made his way back at some undetermined point while he'd been asleep, Dazed had told him. Regardless, twelve hours was too little to teach anything advanced.

The fighting-type frowned for a moment before sparks shone in his eyes. Ash grinned as Bruiser made an exaggerated punch forward (though the force was still such that wind whipped across Ash's face) and tiny licks of flame trailed along with the blow, though it quickly dispersed. Ash fought back the urge to sigh at the loss of the little cinder - even such a small flare had stoked the Fire within him.

"You started teaching him Fire Punch?" Bruiser nodded at Ash's question, pleased that he'd understood. Ash hummed. "That's useful in a cave."

Bruiser's reptilian smile widened then tapped one of his thick, clumsy fingers to his forehead with a look of intense concentration. Afterwards he pressed his fists together, then squeezed his eyes shut as a peaceful air fell over him. From there he went into a few well-trained movements that Ash recognized as being born from Bruno's training. Bruiser had practiced the sets every day with the Fighting Master and proceeded to drill them every day since.

"Thinking and meditative aspects?" Ash received yet another wide grin that showed off Bruiser's pointed teeth. He laughed back, starting to get into the little game. "How does it feel to be the master this time?"

His friend frowned at that and shrugged his massive shoulders. Ash didn't miss how uncomfortable the question had made him. "Maybe not master," he corrected to make Bruiser a little more at ease. "Tutor? Teacher? Older student passing on a true master's lessons?"

Bruiser huffed with laughing eyes and nodded after a moment of deliberation. Ash looked ahead and chose his next words with a little more care. "You will be a real master one day," he said with utmost confidence. "Maybe we can come back here and find that Machop again when you think you'd be ready to pass on your own techniques. I know you liked it!"

Ash chuckled at Bruiser's awkward shrug and took a moment to appreciate the rising green of the trees as they grew thicker and thicker around them. Bug-types buzzed and sang somewhere in the distance - there was probably a lake or something nearby. They were everywhere in Mahogany's territory, growing more and more common the closer you got to the Lake of Rage.

He'd overheard from some trainers in Ecruteak that the highest mountain in Johto (at least outside of Mt. Silver and the Ore Mountains) wasn't too far off from Mt. Mortar.

Mt. Quena, perhaps? Apparently it was absolutely full of bug-types that used it as a breeding ground, although it was surrounded by a canyon with wild winds that kept humans and most pokemon far, far away.

As he and Bruiser walked peacefully through the idyllic forest, he began to wonder if he could find some more opportunities for Bruiser to teach other pokemon. It would take a blind man to miss Bruiser's lighter steps and the contentment that practically burned off him. Perhaps he'd reach out to Leo and the other rookies he'd met at the Slateport festival? He'd enjoyed giving them pointers.

Had the Slateport festival really been less than two weeks ago? Ash shuddered. It felt like years had gone by since he'd been plucked from Slateport into Greenfield and Molly's dream world. So much had happened…

He absentmindedly twisted the little Unown tablet laced around his neck. It was comforting in a way, even with the fear that the wrong want would bring the swarms pouring out of their container. But his own will had sealed them away. They wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

It made him wonder if he'd done the right thing by keeping them from the League. Oh, Ash had no doubt that they couldn't be used properly - no human or pokemon could control themselves enough to keep the Legendary power of the Unown in check - but who was he to keep them? He wasn't blind. He knew their danger and would respect that. But he would never feel ready to hold onto this burden.

Maybe they should just be buried deep under the earth or chucked into the deep sea trenches.

Ash sighed and fiddled with the slightly bent bill of his capto distract himself. Plume had really done a number on it with her affectionate nips - he was starting to get worried that it would just snap off if she did it anymore. The practical thing to do would be to retire it and replace it. It was already frayed and faded from the innumerable experiences it had been in alongside Ash. Give it another year and he'd probably be having to tape it together…

But that was just the thing, wasn't it? It had been on this whole journey with him. The first steps out from Pallet Town with Jonathan and Amelia, the evolutions of his friends, the St. Anne and Game Corner and every other time he'd faced the Rockets. Fire, Ice, Lightning, and Mewtwo.

One day he'd have to retire it, but not today.

As he relaxed, Ash became very aware of something. Or, rather, the lack of something. He'd thought of Mew's shadow and there had been nothing. No rush of icy flame pulsing in his veins, no mocking laughter, nothing.

And that disturbed him more than perhaps anything else. What was Mewtwo doing?

XX

"All better," Ash declared as he finished cleaning dirt, chips, and smudges off Aron's dome-like head. It shone brightly in the bright sun of early morning and he waved Aron off to go play with Tangrowth with a chipper grin. "Anyone else?"

Sneasel shot into his lap and immediately curled up into a ball, his head and lanky arms hanging over Ash's pants as Ash rolled his eyes. The dark-type had already gotten brushed this morning. Nobody else seemed to need anything, though, so he went ahead and started brushing him again. His thick fur was difficult to disentangle at the best of times, especially given Sneasel's habit of sprinting randomly off into woods, so Ash didn't mind getting a head start. At the very least he could start picking out some of the twigs, bark, and clumps of dirt that had gotten stuck.

"What would you do without me?" Ash casually scratched behind Sneasel's feather, then the scent glands on his cheeks that wild Sneasel used to mark territory. His friend grumbled happily and rolled over to expose his belly, though Ash steered clear of that particular trap.

The rest of his friends were either eating, taking a moment to relax in the warm sunlight, or stared blankly off into the distance as they tried to wake up. Dazed was the only one truly alert. It was a bit of a process for everyone else.

Well, then there was Suicune. Ash sighed as a brisk breeze rushed through the clearing. All thoughts of battle, all of his anxieties, all of his ambitions were wiped clear of his mind as Suicune's unassailable serenity washed over him. He just embraced the simple pleasure of brushing Sneasel. What else could he need?

Suicune had arrived late last night. Ash wasn't sure where it had been while he'd explored Mt. Mortar, but it had seemed a little antsy. It had at least eaten a little (well, as little as something as massive as Suicune could eat comfortably) but even the Song had only brought it a measure of peace. Its bright eyes had followed him all night, even as he fell asleep beside Nidoking.

Those sun-filled eyes were what he had awoken to as well.

He glanced over to the Beast as he groomed Sneasel. It watched for a long time - minutes, even, which counted as an eternity whenever a peaceful Sneasel was concerned - and Ash's blood ran cold when it at last turned its stare away and began to clean its hind leg with long licks of its tongue, which appeared to be formed of the same substance as its crystalline crest. Ash couldn't help but stare at the sight. It seemed almost… wrong, yet wondrous all at once. The fact that he saw this wondrous creature lower itself to his mortal level filled him with satisfaction and discontent all at once.

It seemed to do it more out of interest than anything. There was no way Suicune actually needed to groom itself. Its appearance was effortlessly pristine every time Ash had met the Beast. Its movements were clumsy, borne out of curiosity instead of habit. Everything about Suicune's attempt was wrong. Its licks were unsteady and trailed in uneven stripes down its dew-studded fur. It nearly shook as it tried to remember what it was to be mortal…

He paid it as little attention as he was able.

Sneasel groaned and stretched with every brush, eyes shut contentedly, and made Ash's task so much easier.

XX

"Thank you for traveling with me," Ash bowed his head to Suicune and Torrent did the same. He took one last chance to admire it. The Beast of the North Wind stood before him proud and regal as ever, its presence for once unshrouded by wind and rain. Its crystal crest shone like brilliant diamond before him, the running water within it flowing uninhibited. The grey clouds that flowed from its back drifted into nothingness as ever, and even the northern wind eternally at its back whipped its 'ribbons' towards Ash.

The Beast bowed back. It wasn't so dramatic as Ash's, and he never would've expected it to be. What he received was a slight bend in its knees, the faintest incline of its crest, and it sent his pulse pounding to receive such recognition from Suicune. The rest of his team (save Infernus) offered deeper respect back, but Ash knew it was only tertiary to Suicune. This was between it and him above all.

"I don't know how long I'll be in Indigo," he admitted. Suicune's eyes burned. "But you're welcome to join me wherever and whenever. It's been an honor."

An uncharacteristic warmth broke through Suicune's regular serenity, and Ash felt something stir in his gut. On impulse he took a few steps forward, and after a brief glance from Suicune, he was daring enough to place his bare palm on its crest -

He felt the running water, pure beyond any mountain spring, form and shape to his skin.

Smoke and fire and panic, slower and slower and slower until a final peace took him and stole the fire from his belly. Blackness became an unbroken white light, then a rainbow, then comprehension!

Ash sagged away, breath caught in his chest. He grinned at Suicune, and leaned close to the North Wind to whisper his one request…

XX

Mahogany Town was, above all else, plain. It was a simple settlement situated in the silent forest that flourished at the feet of several tall mountains. A few Pidgey and Noctowl cooed in the light, but Ash's barest impression was that the village was a quiet, sleepy place. Full of history, knowledge, and tradition but it wasn't plain to the normal outsider. Its inhabitants were used to being undisturbed and kept their beliefs hidden under a veil of thin politeness to outsiders.

The outer fringes of Mahogany were far less well-developed, particularly the areas outside the long, winding river that marked the oldest parts of Mahogany from the more recent additions. Small blocks of apartments and homes, short towers full of offices that just barely broke above the heavy tree line, and large estates built in the traditional styles similar to Ecruteak sprawled across the land. Rows of trees and small parks full of benches, fountains, and shrubbery were absolutely everywhere - it almost felt as if he were still out in the wild. It felt as if he would end up miles outside of Mahogany if he took a single wrong turn. While the interior was more developed - the town hall and Mahogany Gym loomed high, a few large market areas bursting with activity as people and pokemon skittered to and fro across the cobbled streets, and a massive medical district that serviced both humans and pokemon across the entire Mahogany territories - it was even more disorienting.

Vast stretches of ancient trees and hedges divided each section and the canopy rose high above most buildings. Ash spotted a few ancient fortresses that had been left to crumble in the middle of the city, though outside of the few intact ones an attendant patiently waited for anyone interested in exploring. He was completely mixed around as the streets took turns and loops that made no particular sense...Ash swore he'd walked about five times as long as he needed to. The buildings were all extremely similar in appearance and in particular some of the older buildings, even old forts and preserved estates, held little to no decoration. They were plain and cookie-cutter, seemingly designed to be blend together and be as easy to build as possible.

Plenty of wild pokemon wandered around, as much citizens of Mahogany as the humans that lived there. Small Bellsprout and even a handful of Tangela (he'd absolutely have to release Tangrowth later) waddled around in the parks, completely unbothered by the humans that walked briskly through the paths or relaxed on the bench. There were a handful of Lickitung that grouped together and slept lazily in the many patches of sunlight that penetrated through Mahogany's low canopy. A small pack of chattering Aipom clung across a row of trees with a few Spearow that watched greedily for any scraps of food dropped, though the Aipom seemed to find plenty of amusement in snatching the crumbs up with the grasping fingers of their tail before the avians could finish their swoop.

Ash grinned at the sheer rush of it all - for such a small town everyone was constantly moving. Rugged travelers arrived through the gates or on large flying-types every few minutes, dirty and weathered from their hard living on the fringes of society. A few bright-eyed young trainers took in everything with as much interest as Ash, though it was plain as day that some were uncomfortable with the hard demeanor of the Mahogany folk.

"- officials have continued to evade questions about the Greenfield Disaster, although our reporters on the scene have confirmed that the League appears to still be investigating. Our agency has approached the Indigo League for an official statement and have received no response. Sources within the League have been tight-lipped, citing regional and national security concerns, but some have claimed that the Champion will hold a press conference later this month in hopes of addressing the public."

He tuned the report out as he walked to Nurse Joy. To be honest, he was just happy that his name hadn't been brought up at all. It was getting a little tiring.

"Hello, mister! How are you today?" Nurse Joy was all smiles as he approached. Ash smile was a little strained back. It was always a little adjust to being back in human cities after some time out on his own. He couldn't help but struggle to find his way back into the rhythm of it, to adapt to that cadence he didn't have to worry about with pokemon.

"I'm fine," he shrugged his shoulders. Nurse Joy didn't seem too put off by his gruffness. She probably saw worse from all the hermits and nomads that tended to live out in the wilds. "I'd just like a room for a few nights."

Her bright white smile was starting to make him shift uneasily. Did it ever let up? "Absolutely! All I'll need is your I.D. and I can get that room set up for you immediately!"

She took his card and scanned it without ever dropping her smile. Nurse Joy just stared and stared and stared. He was starting to wonder if he should release one of his friends. Or wave a hand in front of her face. Was she broken?

Finally she handed his card back. Still staring. "I hope you have a lovely stay, Mr. Ketchum!"

Ash nodded silently and checked the little key she'd given him before he started to leave so he could check out his room. He wasn't expecting much given how plain the outside of the Pokemon Center was, but it didn't have to be luxurious. After he battled Leader Pryce today he expected he'd only be here another day or so to explore Mahogany Town. Then it was off to the Lake of Rage to explore and find a suitable training ground. He had plenty of new ideas to work on - it would be an ideal spot for Torrent to continue honing the groundwork that Suicune and Ash (mainly Suicune…) had laid on his water manipulation.

"- continue to be puzzled by the bizarre appearance of the Legendary Beasts of Johto in Ecruteak and the subsequent ringing of the Crystal Bells in the Tin Tower just days later. The Rainbow Sages were not available for comment, and Gym Leader Morty could only offer a few theories on why they'd finally broken their long seclusion. Since the sighting of the Legendary Beasts, many in Ecruteak City have begun to leave offerings and perform rites seeking their favor in hopes for protection in these troubling times.

Within Johto, Kanto, and even Hoenn and Sinnoh many have begun to proclaim this a new age. Several individuals have emerged pointing to the strange weather patterns in the last year, unusually large emergence of psychics and increased evolution rates in pokemon, and the Greenfield Disaster as evidence for the return of the Legendaries. They have failed to gain much traction thus far, but there is a small but fervent group of people coming to share their beliefs.

Here we have an interview with one such self-styled prophet who has been active in the Seafoam Islands, Haukea. She has declined to share much of her background, but has gained a reputation as a powerful public speaker who has the support of the Seafoam natives …"

He frowned and glanced at the grainy image on the television at the mention of Seafoam. Normally he'd dismiss anything the average person supposed about the Legends, but it was worth a look when a nest of Articuno was concerned.

The interview took place on one of the beaches outside the Seafoam Caverns. It wasn't the best quality, but he could at least recognize the sheer cliffs that dominated the area and the beach's pale sand. He paused at the sight and allowed his full attention to fall upon the subject of the interview. She was flanked by two Jynx that seemed utterly intent upon their trainer. Something about their rapt stares didn't sit right with him - it wasn't the normal fond look a pokemon would offer their trainer, but something more intense. Worshipful.

Her hair was long and trailed nearly down to her waist in a fine black sheet that made a nice contrast to the blinding whiteness of her skin - it was nearly translucent in the pounding beach sunlight. When was the last time she'd been in the sun?

She was pleasant to look at, Ash considered, though something unpleasant lurched in his stomach as the sight of her. He wasn't one to care much for appearances, but he couldn't help but study her more closely. Something was wrong about her. He wasn't one to ignore his instincts.

The woman (Haukea, he remembered) didn't seem particularly special in her features. They were nice enough, he supposed, a plain, harsh beauty that told Ash she cared nothing for her appearance. But something radiated from within her, exhibited in her pale eyes that were flat and hard. A confidence beyond Masters, a sharp brilliance that could pick you apart with a glance. It made her stand out far more than mere looks could allow.

She brushed her plain white robes that flowed down her frame, and Ash's eyes caught on a single detail that filled his blood with Ice. His breath left his chest in a frozen fog despite the warmth inside the Pokemon Center.

Upon her neck and extending over her throat towards her jaw, normally hidden by her voluminous, flowing robes, laid a hauntingly familiar shape: a long, pale shaft with a seemingly infinite number of filamentous, crystalline barbs extending out from it. Each crystal was a pale white and looked horribly painful as the barbs brushed against Haukea's marble-white skin.

A Feather!

He had only seen Feathers of Moltres before - the obsidian frame licked by golden flame - but he had mastered Fire, Ice, and Lightning. All of them belonged to him, and they held no secrets from Ash.

Haukea bore a Feather of Articuno on her throat.

XX

With the unsettling revelation of another human marked by a Legend (and he didn't even want to know what kind of person would be favored by Ice of all things) Ash decided the natural solution was to seek out the Mahogany Gym. It was nearby the Pokemon Center, though Ash had to carefully follow the map and ignore the side-glances the locals offered him. They moved past him without a word.

Ash didn't mind.

He wasn't all that impressed with the exterior of the Mahogany Gym. It was a simple, plain building just as unremarkable as the other major buildings in the town. Ash thought it was perhaps thirty feet tall with a curved red roof atop the bright white walls. To be honest, Ash would have mistaken it for a warehouse if it wasn't for the sign outside.

Oh well, he could care less about what it looked like. All Ash needed was a good battle.

The inside was just as drab as the outside. A middle-aged man was engaged in a quiet, frenzied conversation with another man of average height that demanded Ash's attention. "Yes, Leader Pryce. We'll take care of it!"

Ash's approach drew the older man's attention. He turned away from the attendant and measured Ash and Sneasel with a flat stare. His eyebrows were pale and bushy and their slant vaguely reminded Ash of one of his disapproving teachers back in Pallet.

"Ash Ketchum?" Gym Leader Pryce asked briskly. Ash nodded. The man's lips twisted into a hard smile and his wrinkled fingers grasped tightly around the wooden grip of his smooth, pale blue cane that brought thoughts of icicles to Ash's mind. "Excellent. I suspected a powerful trainer would arrive during meditation, but I hadn't dared hope - never mind," he corrected himself. "Two-on-two?"

He smiled back at the no-nonsense nature of the man. Ash could certainly appreciate that and quickly nodded back.

"Follow me," Gym Leader Pryce demanded and took off without checking to see if Ash was following (although Ash noted the attendant watched them both with awe) and he took little time to chase Leader Pryce into the battlefield.

"You have a nice arena," Ash complimented as they entered. The frozen air that wafted against his face and set his skin into a shivering frenzy fueled the Ice within him and he breathed out in simple pleasure. It was a beautiful battlefield. A thin layer of ice and powdery snow that drifted from the ceiling coated the ground within the lines, built to mimic the natural conditions in the frigid winter. Dozens of rock towers dotted the landscape, draped in sheets of ice, and offered cover and potential tactical advantages to astute trainers.

Leader Pryce paid him little mind. "Of course," he declared. "We are the final test before trainers challenge Blackthorn's legendary trainers. We can't afford to be anything less than the best."

Ash grinned at that. Leader Pryce certainly took pride in Mahogany's status. "I can't wait to test it out."

His opponent hummed in response, clearly not interested in talk as he approached the trainer's box. The tell-tale pale shimmer of psychic barriers flared as Leader Pryce settled. Ash casually took his position and awaited

"I will release first! Prepare to face the Winter Trainer!"

The title stoked the fire in Ash's blood and he felt a savage laugh belt out of him. The Winter Trainer - well, the full title was 'The Teacher of Winter's Harshness' - was a title everyone in Indigo knew. Ash didn't know the man's deeds by heart, but he'd heard whispers of the vital role he'd held in the Last War. Apparently he had been placed just under Blaine in the National League's counterattack.

He wasn't disappointed when Leader Pryce released a massive creature that howled furiously upon its release. The Abomasnow's pale purple eyes darkened with fury upon the sight of Ash and it howled again, smashing its massive fists upon one of the ice pillars hard enough to shatter it into tiny little shards. Swirls of frost filled its shaggy white fur and drifted across the arena in the form of a gentle haze.

Leader Pryce offered nothing else. He simply rested his hands upon his cane and allowed a hard silence to fall over them, broken only by the frozen wind that whipped across the arena.

"Let's go, Oz!" He shouted as the Electabuzz materialized. Her fur sparked madly with electricity, her eyes narrowed at the sight of Abomasnow. As she windmilled her arms to build power, he was struck by the realization that this would be a short fight. Both looked at their opponents like they were about to tear them limb from limb.

"Begin!" The Winter Trainer rapped his pale blue cane against the floor and Abomasnow immediately shot into action. It howled like a beast and shot forward on four legs, eyes locked on Oz with a predatory gaze. She whirred furiously and squared herself. Oz punched and Ash's hair stood on end as a massive Thunderbolt discharged from her fist towards Abomasnow. The lance of lightning crackled forth with a gigantic boom of thunder, though Abomasnow's savage eyes gleamed with a hint of sanity in its blind rage as it threw itself behind one of the icy pillars.

Oz's body pulsed with electricity. Even as Abomasnow kicked up more and more ice and snow into the air, obscuring the battlefield in a pale storm of frost, she shone like a golden beacon in the fog. Ash's nostrils were filled with the bitter tang of ozone as little arcs of electricity pulsed erratically off her stocky form. Her eyes narrowed to violent slits as she scanned the arena for Abomasnow -

"Behind that one!" Ash pointed out to Oz as a shaggy white beast appeared as if from nowhere in the snow. It howled and its massive hands shattered the ice wherever they lay as it closed in faster and faster on Oz and reared its massive head back to spit a bone-chilling gale directly at Oz. The Blizzard went wide as Oz easily dodged the wild attack, and Ash could feel her satisfaction as a thunderclap rang above the din of the snowstorm.

The world went white, Oz and Abomasnow's massive frame outlined in shadow, a stark contrast to the whiteness of the blizzard.

Then the Lightning Bolt struck home.

Abomasnow couldn't even scream as Oz's mighty lance of electricity struck it directly in the chest - it twitched and convulsed madly for a few moments, nervous system utterly overwhelmed, before it began to struggle to its feet on unsteady, shaky legs. It glared furiously at Oz, but before it could rally Oz had already fired off a brilliant blue bolt into its chest. The Thunder Wave did its job and Abomasnow fell back to its knees, briefly overwhelmed.

"Press the advantage!" Ash commanded as Oz sagged. Lightning Bolt was exhausting at the best of times and it wasn't easy to follow up so quickly with a Thunder Wave powerful enough to put down a beast like Abomasnow. It was already recovering, albeit noticeably slower than before! "Get in close!"

Oz didn't ignore his advice. She snarled and shot forward in a Quick Attack that bowled her into Abomasnow. The massive ice-type grumbled and made a slow grab for her as it was sent sprawling, but its clumsy fingers failed to make contact. It stared, surprised as it went straight through Oz, then awareness filled its eyes.

The real Oz, who had split off from her momentary use of Double Team while Abomasnow was disoriented, roared as one of her thick fists smashed into the back of Abomasnow's head with a Thunder Punch. Her victim seized again, a soundless scream clear as day to Ash, and flailed wildly in agony (and a frenzied desire to slam Oz's face into one of the ice pillars, Ash imagined).

Ash nodded, pleased that Oz had already put some distance between Abomasnow and herself. As weakened as it was, Abomasnow was still a physical powerhouse. It didn't have the focus to pull off an advanced technique like Blizzard, but a single blow from its thick arms would seriously hurt Oz, if not outright knock her out.

Abomasnow began to rise once again (Ash was beginning to seriously wonder how much damage it would fight through) but was recalled in a flash of red light. He didn't miss how Oz relaxed immediately, no doubt relieved she wouldn't have to summon up the power for another Lightning Bolt to put Abomasnow down for good.

"My apologies, that was a poor showing on my part," Leader Pryce frowned from across the arena. He leveled an inscrutable look at Abomasnow's pokeball. "I suppose it was good for her to meet a foe she couldn't simply overwhelm. She's become rather sloppy of late. I assure you that my final ally will not go down so easily," the old man promised.

How could he say no to a challenge like that?

"Great job! Enjoy your rest, alright?" He called out to Oz. Her thick coat of fur sparked and fluffed up at the compliment, and she whirred happily before she was recalled. Ash didn't think she had the juice to keep going, at least not without straining herself too much. He needed her in proper shape for their training over the next few days.

Leader Pryce allowed him a moment before he raised a worn, weathered pokeball that looked ancient. It had an entirely different design compared to the modern, streamlined versions that Professor Oak had helped innovate. The pokeball wasn't quite one of the ancient apricorn balls, but it was clearly more heavily inspired by them than modern pokeballs. Its release button was actually on the top, like the stem of an apricorn, and the ball was entirely white.

"My oldest friend. He's been with me since the beginning," Leader Pryce looked fondly at the gargantuan heap of muscle, fat, and fur that materialized before him. The beast of a Mamoswine towered above the ice pillars that seemed rather flimsy compared to it. Ash thought it was at least eight feet tall, probably closer to nine or ten. Mamoswine was so muscular it looked nearly like a ball, the massive power in its body evident even beneath the thick coat of fur that would easily absorb even lightning or flame.

Twin tusks jutted out from near its face. Each were large enough to impale about ten of Ash and tapered to a sharp point that could tear through rock. Its old, ancient eyes were set in a patch of blue skin and regarded Ash kindly. The gigantic creature dipped its head ever so slightly to him and a slight thrill ran through Ash.

This was what he was looking for.

But who to release? It wouldn't be a good fight for Sneasel. He just didn't have the firepower to take Mamoswine down. Ash wasn't even sure his claws could penetrate Mamoswine's fur, let alone his fat layers.

Bruiser would probably win, but Ash didn't think it would be a particularly enjoyable fight for Bruiser. Either him or Mamoswine would probably suffer some serious damage, and he thought it was more likely to be Bruiser. He could get a little reckless in Rampage and it would only take one solid hit from something like Mamoswine to take him out. He could ignore pain in Rampage, but that didn't mean he actually had a stronger defense.

Infernus was out (he'd already proven himself more than capable of taking down a Mamoswine back in the Dandra Tournament on the way to meet Bruno) and so was Torrent. As strong as he was, Ash found his odds against Mamoswine practically nonexistent. Mamoswine would charge right through Ice Storm and be on Torrent before he could blink. Being up close with a physical opponent like Mamoswine was Torrent's worst nightmare. Nidoking would be overwhelmed by Mamoswine just like he had been by Michael's Snorlax and Mamoswine wouldn't be stymied at all by Dig.

A grin came to his face. Ash thought he had the perfect counter.

Dazed manifested in a flash of light. She idly rubbed her jeweled pendulum against her flawless white mane as she assessed Mamoswine.

The Stalwart would like to offer his thanks to you for your services in dispelling the Dream as well as his hopes that you find this battle satisfactory, friend-trainer.

Ash blinked, surprised, but laughed. "I hope you enjoy the battle too!"

Mamoswine's giant nose twitched and his eyes curved up as he pawed the ice. Dazed readied her pendulum, the focus already leaping madly in her fingers, as Pryce gave the order to begin the battle.

Their opponent did nothing. He simply watched and waited.

Dazed awaited Ash's command, but he sent her a thought to mirror Mamoswine for now. He wanted to see what the mighty ice-type had up its figurative sleeves. At first he thought it truly was doing nothing, but then Ice stirred within him as the temperature dropped and dropped and dropped…

Friend-trainer, I will not be able to function for long in this environment.

Of course. He sent a brief surge of admiration towards Mamoswine and Leader Pryce for the subtle environment alteration. It would only favor Mamoswine and had started a war of attrition that Dazed could never hope to win. Oh well. They'd just have to win in another manner.

Dazed immediately picked up on the various plans that rapidly took shape in Ash's thoughts. She was skilled at interpreting his frenzied stratagems and picked the most important bits with ease.

She vanished.

Mamoswine didn't twitch. He seemed utterly oblivious that Dazed had done anything at all, and his kind eyes simply settled on Ash as his tail twitched.

Dazed materialized at an angle behind Mamoswine (appearing directly behind was too predictable) and a brilliant rainbow-hued Psybeam burst forward from her trembling pendulum in a blazing stream that shot directly into Mamoswine's thick flank… and did practically nothing. Mamoswine's leg twitched, but other than that the ice-type didn't react.

Ash and Dazed had just long enough to share a moment of confusion before both of the pillars that Dazed had teleported between exploded in a shower of splintered stone, heavy chunks of rock, and sharp shards of slick ice that showered Dazed, though most of it was caught on a shimmering shield of psychic power erected in front of her. Ancient Power, maybe? But how?

By the time Ash and Dazed recovered, Mamoswine was gone. Ash barely caught it disappearing into the icy floor with some variant of Dig that let it tunnel through rock, earth, and ice seamlessly. He barely caught the effortless smoothing of the ice floor as it repaired itself. It was like Mamoswine had never existed.

He mentally questioned Dazed if she could still sense it.

No, friend-trainer. It has vanished. I felt a brief surge of darkness beneath the ground. Both factors muddle my senses. I will be able to sense it if it returns above ground.

Curse, perhaps? He couldn't think of any other ghost or dark-type techniques that Mamoswine could wield off the top of his head. It was a common technique for Mamoswine. By filling their bodies with ghostly energy it provided them with an imperfect defense against psychics and enhanced their bodies somewhat, though the pain and focus it required left them relatively immobile.

Ash shuddered at the thought of willing allowing the dark-type power into his body again. The sensation of Sneasel pouring his power into him back in Greenfield was indescribable. His shoulders itched with a phantom agony.

If that was the case, Mamoswine certainly wasn't likely to surface. It had completely negated Dazed's mobility advantage. Teleportation wouldn't help her get underground.

The snowy arena left his vision hampered, but Ash's keen eyes didn't miss little shrp bits of rock and ice arising all over the arena to act as miniature spears - Stealth Rock. Dazed immediately caught it as well thanks to their link and her eyes flared a fiery blue as she began to sweep the Stealth Rocks away. They would make her teleportation ten times as hard to use if she had to worry about getting stabbed wherever she appeared.

Ash had the unsettling feeling that she was going to desperately need her teleportation for what was coming.

I must agree, friend-trainer.

They were proven right when Mamoswine made its move. The entire arena shook violently as Mamoswine unleashed an Earthquake beneath the surface - it was only a brief pulse, one that Dazed easily avoided by teleporting into a safe spot just a little bit above the ground. By the time she landed the pulse had passed, but it was only the beginning.

She immediately threw up several barriers as the battlefield itself started rising, each pillar wrenched from its earthen prison by the silver glow of Ancient Power that suffused the battlefield. Ash felt a sense of dawning horror as he realized this was what it was like to fight Tangrowth.

Several massive chunks of icy rock erupted around Dazed and hurled themselves at her, though she was quick enough to shatter them with a well-placed bit of psychic force. As she shattered and blocked them, desperately fighting for the chance to break out of the sudden onslaught, the winter storm strengthened until Ash could feel the frigid winds whipping through the psychic barriers.

Dazed couldn't survive up there. As long as Mamoswine was protected beneath the earth he was invincible - Dazed didn't have the firepower to break through, at least not when she couldn't sense where it was.

Then he eyed the gaping chasms ripped in the battlefield…

They couldn't get to Mamoswine, but maybe they could force Mamoswine to come to them. Dazed's eyes shone as she found a brief moment of respite (though more pillars were being torn apart to be hurled into her direction) and her pendulum flicked and leapt in her hands as her Poison Gas technique filled the air and poured deep into the tunnels dug by Mamoswine.

It didn't take effect immediately, and Dazed had to perform the technique several times over the next few minutes into the different chasms to ensure they were properly covered. All the while she maintained countless shields for split seconds, teleported when she couldn't block, and was visibly exhausted.

She was doing great! Just a little longer…

As one last pillar shot into Dazed, barely deflected by an expertly placed barrier, Mamoswine erupted from beneath the Hypno in an eruption of ice and dust. Dazed stumbled back, a shield all that had spared her from Mamoswine's Bulldoze, and for just a moment she had a moment of respite as Mamoswine wheezed and shook - between the Curse and poison it hadn't had an easy time of it. Its body was strained, the effort behind controlling the battlefield like it had only making it worse.

There was a chance for victory here, albeit slim. Mamoswine was still in far better shape than Dazed, who was showered in dust, exhausted by the cold, and bruised all over. For all the attacks she managed to block plenty others had managed to pierce her guard or broken through her shields.

But there was no chance that she would win through physical force - an old, exhausted Mamoswine was still a juggernaut. It would be a stretch if Curse hadn't completely faded yet, but the ghost of a chance was still a chance.

He couldn't help but appreciate Dazed's telepathy more and more as she instantly picked up on his plan.

Mamoswine met Dazed's eyes and their plan went into action. The ice-type was frozen for just an instant in a psychic prison, then Dazed's pendulum began to sway. It radiated gentle red waves of power that wrapped around Mamoswine in a seductive embrace that slowly teased at Mamoswine's mind. Wasn't it tired of fighting? It was so hard to stay awake. A brief rest would do it a world of good. Mamoswine would be so happy if he just closed his eyes…

Ash grinned wildly as the ice-type's eyelids slowly lowered. His hulking frame slowly lowered to the ground and light snores echoed from his twitching snout. Ash and Dazed both relaxed, though both kept a wary eye on Mamoswine. How to finish it…

Fiery red tendrils pulsed from Dazed's pendulums next. They latched upon Mamoswine and slowly began to fill Dazed with energy as she devoured the mighty creature's dreams. Her eyes squeezed shut as she focused all her strength into stealing away Mamoswine's bit by bit -

"Sleep Talk!" Leader Pryce seemed all too pleased at the situation. A knowing smirk that Ash didn't like one bit flashed across the old man's face. Dazed instantly snapped out of Dream Eater, but it was too late. Mamoswine, his body trained for countless years to react to that specific command even in his sleep, reacted. In the blink of an eye he charged forward blindly and shattered Dazed's hasty barrier without any semblance of effort.

His job done, Mamoswine returned back to his rest. Both trainers recalled their pokemon (Ash was going to have to pamper Dazed tonight after a hit like that) and Ash stared dumbly at Dazed's pokeball. It wasn't as if it was the only time he'd lost recently, but the sheer swiftness at which the battle had shifted had taken him by surprise.

He really thought he had it in the bag there…

"Very good," Leader Pryce's stony demeanor shattered like glass upon Dazed's defeat. Some of the harsh lines that defined his face receded as his wrinkled face stretched into a smile. "Brutal with a sense of elegance. You remind me of several trainers I've faced over the years…"

Ash dipped his head and let thoughts of Dazed's defeat slip from his mind. "It was a great battle."

Leader Pryce chuckled and tapped his cane against the ice as he ventured over to Ash. "Indeed. My blood hasn't pumped like that in quite a while," he reminisced. Leader Pryce's eyes shut peacefully. "Hmm. You're quite the trainer, but I suggest you take a few lessons with Koga when you meet him next. A bit of misdirection could go a long way."

"I'll do that," Ash said. He wasn't about to turn down advice from someone as respected as Leader Pryce. How many people could boast over fifty years of active training experience? Most lasted less than ten before they transitioned into regular trainers in service of the League, contracted out to assist in industry or performing jobs that required the presence of skilled trainers. To be a combat trainer for decades was an achievement Ash dearly hoped to emulate. "I'll actually be heading to Indigo Plateau once I beat Claire. Maybe I'll meet him then."

The Winter Trainer's smile grew. "Such confidence! I wish you against the best against Leader Claire," he shook his head. "She possesses a... difficult attitude, but she's an excellent trainer. I think she'll provide you with the fight you've been looking for. But yes, consult Koga," Leader Pryce chuckled. "He's quite talented at the traditional Fuschian arts."

That brought a thought to Ash's head. "I thought Mahogany was supposed to be a ninja town like Fuschia," he frowned. "How'd the Gym here end up specializing in the ice-type?"

"We've left those traditions long behind us," Leader Pryce stroked his bare chin. "We think it's strange Fuschia has clung so fiercely to those ideals...and they say Johto is fiercely traditional!"

"As for specializing in the ice-type…" Leader Pryce settled in a metal bench set aside for spectators and patted the seat beside him, which Ash was all too happy to take. "Why wouldn't we? We were a ninja village, true," he acknowledged. "How else could we hope to survive against the terrifying might of the Wataru? Misdirection, assassination, and the shadows were our saviors. Our village is hidden in the mountains and leaves of our forest. In ancient days it was nearly invisible to passing dragons. Ancient lords of Mahogany saw the threat and sent many of their Guardians - an old term for trainers," he explained at Ash's confused expression, "into the Ice Path. We collected hordes upon hordes of Sneasel, Delibird, Swinub, and even Jynx to act as our protectors. We hid from the Wataru and Blackthorn, and when they attacked us we would steal into their lands and take our revenge. Eventually we settled upon a... compromise."

"And?" Ash prompted, enraptured with the story. He could only imagine how terrifying it was to live in the shadow of Blackthorn. Dragonite were mighty today in the era where nearly every pokemon could become a force to be reckoned with. In an age without sophisticated training methods and access to the global supply of pokemon they would be monsters. A Dragonite could cross the world in a day. They could arrive to burn your fields, your home, and your families in mere hours. Every shadow overhead would be a potential death sentence.

Ash listened intently as Leader Pryce continued. "We would fill our forests and mountains with traps and turn it into a death sentence. Mt. Mortar was impassable for Ecruteak in the west, Violet would never dare to tread north. We offered security. Blackthorn was unassailable and could strike unhindered, and we weren't faced with the prospect of the Drake's displeasure. A mutually beneficial arrangement."

Leader Pryce chuckled at Ash's eager face. "It's not often I have the opportunity to meet a young man so interested in our history. The days are slow this early in the season. Sit here a while and keep an old man company and I'll fill your head with everything you want to know."

He wasn't sure he'd ever nodded so quickly.

And with that, the rest of the day was spent in the Winter Trainer's company. It was a fine way to pass the time until the rest of the Pallet trainers arrived.

A/N: It's finally here! I know it's probably not as long as it should be given the long wait, but I'm happy to get started again! Now that I'm settled in at home I've been able to work on Traveler every day, which I'm pretty happy about.

Happy Holidays! Fitting the Ice-type Gym chapter was released on Christmas, right? By the way, if you don't know who Haukea is you should REALLY check out my story Traveler: Recollections Chapter 4 and it should clear things up!

Sorry again for leaving you wonderful people on a cliffhanger back in August! Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter!

Also, what did you think of Ash's small freakout with Suicune? I tried to make it a little clearer than in my original version, but I know the way I wrote that scene can be a little difficult to make sense of. Basically it can be seen as somewhat similar to the concepts behind Lovecraftian horrors where their true nature drives people mad. Ash has experience with Legends and his mind has been fortified by his contact with Mewtwo so it didn't truly drive him mad, but seeing Suicune's true nature was too much for him since he lacked any preparation.

Almost forgot one last note! Recently I've been getting tons of anonymous guest reviews who have been concerned about my pat re on. If you have concerns or would like to discuss it with me, please PM me or leave a review with a account so that I can talk to you! I'm very open to your concerns but I would like to have a dialogue instead of only being able to have the conversation go one way.

Thanks again everyone! I hope you enjoyed and I wish you a wonderful start to 2020! Can't believe I've been writing this story for the better part of a decade now.