"I still can't get over how you look now," Sneasel said, loping alongside Monferno as they travelled towards Snowpoint. "It's… you know?"
"I don't, not really," Monferno replied, sounding a bit embarrassed. "I've looked in a mirror, but I've been trying to focus mostly on how I'm just… you know. Me."
"I guess, but still," the Poison-type said. "And it's kind of in that direction too. It's like with Grotle. He evolved, and now he's more of what he was – but in his case, his evolving made him a bit slower so he had to rework everything."
"Thanks, it's not like I'm here or anything," Grotle muttered.
Pachirisu giggled.
"What I'm getting at is – do you feel different in how you move?" Sneasel went on. "It'd be a shame if evolving made it so you had more trouble in Contests."
"I haven't noticed anything like that," Monferno shrugged. "If I do, though, Dawn's going to pick up on it, right?"
"Yeah, good point," Sneasel agreed. "And if she doesn't, someone else will."
"What are they talking about?" Dawn asked, curious, and Ash refocused slightly.
"Huh?" he said.
"What are they talking about?" Dawn repeated. "I thought I'd give them all an opportunity to have a talk."
"Oh, right," Ash said. "They're mostly talking about how Monferno's changed, and whether he's got a new style now or if his old one will still work."
Dawn nodded her understanding.
"That's an important consideration when a Pokémon evolves," Cynthia said. "With Monferno, he should be more or less the same unless something he was doing revolved specifically around his small size, but there's no major change in body plan and his weight and size haven't increased all that much. That's a relatively easy adjustment. He does have a new Type now, which might affect things, but it should mostly just make him better at Mach Punch and maybe a bit more flexible – personally I wouldn't expect many problems."
"Oh, huh," Koraidon said, curious. "Now I think about it, I have bigger problems when I go into my two-legged fighting mode than Monferno has had from evolving, right?"
She glanced at Ash, then Cynthia. "Is that right?"
Ash translated that, as well, and Cynthia nodded.
"That's how I'd assess it," she agreed. "A change in body plan is always going to be a potential risk factor, though with a Pokémon whose body plan has been changed by evolving it's usually going to be helpful for them to rely on instincts."
"Instincts…" Ash repeated. "So, like how – uh… Charizard could fly just fine moments after he evolved, because that's part of what evolving is?"
"Yes," Cynthia agreed. "But of course it's always a bit more complicated than that, because instincts don't usually cover tactical thinking, and they don't cover learned reflexes either."
She frowned, visibly thinking of an example.
"Let's say… Togetic," she said. "Obviously that's one where I have personal experience. A Togepi can move around in unusual ways by curling up and rolling, which is a natural way of moving, but it's also something that I trained my Togepi in to make him better at it. Which means that when he evolved, if he tried to use that learned skill he'd be misled by it – while he didn't have any learned skills relating to flying, even though he could fly straight away."
"I think I get it," Dawn said, nodding her understanding.
"I get it too," Latias agreed. "Though… I'd never actually need to know it directly, just as part of helping other Pokémon."
"Or knowing what to do if the other Pokémon evolves in the middle of a battle," Ash pointed out.
Zorua stood up from his place on Koraidon's feathers.
"Snow," he said, pointing, and Ash looked ahead.
So did his daughter, who looked thoughtful.
"What do you think I should do, Dad?" she asked. "I know we're up in the mountains and it's meant to be snowy sometimes, but that looks like a really nasty blizzard coming towards us!"
"I guess… make the blizzard less bad?" Ash suggested. "Then we can find somewhere to wait and let it snow for a few hours."
"Got it!" Koraidon agreed, and let her Ability activate.
The sun shone brighter, but – strangely – nothing happened about the blizzard, and a moment later they were all surrounded.
"What the-!?" Koraidon yelped, sounding personally offended. "Dad, what's going on?"
Cynthia sent out her Roserade, at about the same time as Dawn recalled those of her Pokémon who might have trouble in the cold weather.
"Weather Ball," she said.
Roserade swirled her flowers around, then produced a ball of light and fire.
"Now that's interesting," Cynthia frowned. "I wonder…"
"Traveller, do you require shelter?" a Froslass asked, drifting through the hail towards them. "There is a cabin nearby."
She pointed. "I will lead you to it."
Ash was already frowning, then focused in the same way he focused to see through Latias's illusions or invisibility, and the cabin turned transparent.
So did the hail.
"No there isn't," he said. "Why are you trying to trick us? This hail is an illusion!"
"I – what?" Froslass said, startled. "How could you-"
"Partly because Koraidon's Oricalchum Pulse didn't make it go away, partly because Roserade's Weather Ball was Fire-type, and partly because I can see through it with Foresight!" Ash replied. "So stop trying to trick us, because it's making Koraidon and the others uncomfortable – then explain why you were trying to trick us!"
Looking quite lost, Froslass dismissed her illusions.
"Phew!" Koraidon said, then realized that now she could actually see how hot she was making it, and turned her weather-affecting ability off again.
"This is the part where you explain what that was about," Pikachu said helpfully.
After the first minute of explanation, Ash did feel a little bit more kindly disposed towards Froslass.
A little bit.
"I guess I can see why you panicked," he admitted, thinking about the tale of the missing Snorunt. "Because, if one of the Pokémon who relies on me to keep them safe – one of my kids – got in real trouble like that, I might just do the first thing that seemed like it might help."
"I don't think you'd have been quite that bad, Ash," Latias said. "I've seen what happens when you and your Pokémon are in danger. You don't do something like this."
"Well, yeah, but I remember panicking," Ash replied, tapping a hoof on the ground. "So, uh, I can see where the desperation comes from? I just… it's more like, doing a thing before thinking about it, because you're so anxious that doing things properly seems like it wastes way too much time. Maybe that's the best way to put it."
"Though I think I should ask," Cynthia put in. "Froslass, do you understand why what you were aiming to do was wrong – not just on a moral level, but on a level of outcomes?"
Froslass blinked.
"I don't actually know what you mean," she said.
Cynthia didn't need a translation for the expression Froslass had, and she tapped her hand against her chin for a moment.
"How do I put this…" she said. "Okay, so – your plan was to lure us somewhere, and take someone hostage, until the rest of us came back with your son Snorunt who got taken by poachers. Is that an accurate description of your plan?"
Froslass nodded slightly.
"Well, then," Cynthia went on. "First problem – unless you'd managed the extraordinary luck of running into a group where at least one of the humans could understand Pokémon or at least one of the Pokémon could translate for humans, you're stuck with a situation where you can't even explain the problem to the trainers in the group."
"Yeah!" Koraidon agreed, suddenly. "That's right, isn't it! That's not actually normal, I'm just way too used to travelling with Dad and also with Lucario. And Max I guess."
Cynthia raised a finger. "Secondly, you could easily have targeted a group that's too weak to actually help you out. You're a strong Pokémon yourself, but you can't actually take part in the rescue mission if you're keeping your hostage hostage."
Another finger. "Thirdly, you actually did target a group that's too strong for you to keep them prisoner. That's something else you didn't think of."
"I guess so," Froslass said.
"She guesses so," Lucario passed on.
"But let's assume that you managed to pick a group that's strong enough to help out, that can understand what you want from them, but which can't just defeat you and free the hostage," Cynthia said. "Why wouldn't they help you out anyway?"
"Because humans are dreadful!" Froslass protested. "They'd never help me out without being forced!"
"I'm not sure I should translate that," Lucario said.
"It's all right," Cynthia replied. "I'm fairly sure she's either saying that humans would never help out, or that she didn't think of that. Which is it?"
"The first one," Lucario provided.
Cynthia nodded.
"So… why wouldn't they just leave you with your hostage and run away?" she asked. "Not staying on the mountain and not helping you out?"
Froslass looked like she'd been struck between the eyes with a Wake-Up Slap, which was an unusual but not impossible appearance for a Ghost.
"I didn't… even think of that," she admitted.
"Which is because you think of humans as being nasty, but that's not something that's really deep, right?" Ash asked.
He waved a hoof, trying to express the point he'd just realized. "Because… you thought humans were bad because of the poacher who betrayed you, I guess, but it isn't something that means you assume humans are terrible people in all ways. Though… actually, Cynthia, were you going to say this? That… that doing what you did means that there's people who would have helped you who might not. Like, powerful Pokémon and trainers who would help someone in trouble, but not someone who just… tried to trick them like this."
"I was going to get to that, yes," Cynthia agreed. "That's what I mean by it being a bad idea on a consequential level – the outcome isn't actually good for Froslass. It's a bad idea, even without considering that it's not a nice thing to do."
Froslass was silent for a long time.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I – but – what should I do? Snorunt is in trouble!"
Lucario translated that, and Dawn looked thoughtful.
"I wonder…" she said. "Absol would be able to solve this, right, Ash? But you don't have him on you right now."
"Right," Ash agreed.
"And what we're trying to do is to find someone who…" Dawn said, her voice trailing off, then sent out Samurott. "I assume you were listening?"
"You thought correctly," Samurott said. "There's the possibility that he will have left the mountains by now, but it sounds like he's an independent operator. He won't have anything like a cloaking field or similar, so he's probably moving around by snowmobile."
Ash translated that, and Dawn nodded to herself.
"Then we need all the searchers we can get," she said, rummaging in her bag. "We need to cover as much space as we can in the air."
Cynthia brightened.
"Does this mean you're actually going to show me?" she asked.
"Yes," Dawn confirmed. "I said it would have to be the kind of situation where it was necessary, and this is that situation."
So saying, she put her Celestica Flute to her lips, and blew a soaring melody. It rose into the air, resonating with the sky, and something about it made everyone else listening fall quiet.
Cynthia smiled.
"How long does it usually take?" she asked.
"With Braviary, not very long," Dawn replied. "He is psychic, I assume that was involved. Though the first time I called him I did have to prove my worth."
"What are you talking about, exactly?" Froslass asked.
"Oh, our trainer's a time-travelling hero who saved the country and possibly the universe," Monferno explained. "I haven't seen this bit myself, though."
There was a loud, avian cry, and they all turned to look.
Lord Braviary approached out of the north, wings spread majestically in the air, then did a quite visible double-take before shaking his head and focusing on flying instead of appearance. He circled once, twice, then touched down.
"Um," he began. "Which of you used the flute? Because I don't recognize either of you but what with Lord Arceus Himself standing there I am willing to concede that a new blessing could have taken place without my knowing."
"I'm not Lord Arceus," Ash protested. "Though I guess I am his son, so… I get why you're confused? And, there hasn't been a new blessing, Dawn just… still has it, I guess."
"That's certainly what I hope," Dawn replied, holding up the flute. "Your ancestor, the Lord Braviary of the time, challenged me when I was going by the name Akari. Do I need to do that again or is it just sort of assumed that it still applies?"
"You're Akari?" Lord Braviary repeated, then stopped and examined the group again. "Okay what. I thought I knew all the Noble Pokémon, how is there a Lord Pikachu and Lady Latias? I've never heard of either of those?"
"That bit was me," Ash admitted. "I didn't actually mean to do it, though… look, uh, Dawn actually asked your help so we can look for a kidnapped Snorunt…"
He glanced at Cynthia. "And an interview would be nice too, I guess?"
Cynthia gave him a thumbs-up, still smiling.
With Garchomp, Rowlet, Braviary, Latias, Koraidon and Ash himself all helping to search, along with a somewhat bemused Froslass following Ash and Staravia giving Koraidon a tow, the friends spread out quickly to search the mountain for the tell-tale sign of a snowmobile.
"This is just… really confusing," Froslass said, as Ash rose higher into the air to get a better look. "I didn't know there were many Pokémon that could just… hover. Are you psychic?"
"Not at the moment," Ash replied. "Uh… hang on a second… Sandshrew? Do you see any sign of where something doesn't look right?"
The Ice-type emerged from her Pokéball, then leaned out over Ash's back.
"You'll catch me if I fall off, right?" she checked. "We're quite high up."
"Yeah, I can do that," Ash agreed.
"Not at the moment?" Froslass asked. "What kind of answer is that?"
"Surely you've heard of Pokémon that can change Type?" Pikachu asked. "Why is it such a strange idea that my trainer would be one of them?"
"...everything you say raises more questions," Froslass muttered. "And it's not like I was lacking them. Did that Monferno say your friend had time travelled? What's a Noble Pokémon? Who is Lord Arceus? And what did asking the Samurott have to do with anything?"
Sandshrew giggled.
"Sorry," she said, changing sides so she could look off Ash's left side instead of his right. "But, uh, it's actually kind of funny to be on this side of this. You know, the side where I'm the one who knows all the answers to this completely absurd sounding set of questions."
"Some of those are things I can't really answer," Ash admitted, then frowned. "...hey, Pikachu, is it me or does that look like a snowmobile? It's, uh, to the front, and then left a bit."
"It looks like it to me," Pikachu agreed.
He made a curious noise. "So, now we know, do we tell the others? Or go down and help?"
Ash glanced to the side, at Froslass. "How many Pokémon does this poacher have? Or does he not have any?"
"He's got a Glalie, I don't know if he has any others," Froslass replied.
"Then… okay," Ash said. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt into the sky! Let's let everyone else know we've found him!"
"...Ash," Pikachu said, not using Thunderbolt. "That could just be someone else on a snowmobile. Let's get closer first."
"Right," Ash realized. "Though, uh, if we're dealing with a Glalie…"
He juggled his Badge case with Confusion, getting out the Heat Badge, and changed colour and Type. Then he used Extremespeed, blurring across the sky and leaving a whoosh of wind in his wake, and Sandshrew stifled a gasp.
"That was really fast!" she said. "And, I think we left Froslass behind."
"Right," Ash realized, a bit embarrassed. "But – that's a Snorunt in that cage on the back of the snowmobile! That must mean we're right!"
Pikachu's cheeks sparked, and he threw up a Thunderbolt as a signal, then Ash dropped out of the sky and landed in front of the snowmobile with a wham.
"Stop!" he said.
"What the heck?" the man asked, hitting the brakes on his snowmobile, and skidded to a halt. "What kind of Pokémon is that?"
He looked contemplative. "Looks rare… not sure how I can fit it into a cage, but I bet I could truss it up to carry on the back. Glalie!"
A Glalie emerged from their Pokeball, and Ash frowned.
"Hey, Glalie?" he asked. "Why are you working for this guy?"
"...he makes us a lot of money?" Glalie said, sounding confused at the question.
He tilted his head. "Do I actually need a reason apart from that?"
"It'd help!" Pikachu said.
A moment later, Latias appeared in a flash of gold light.
"It took me an embarrassingly long time to remember I could teleport," she admitted.
"A Latias?" the poacher asked. "This keeps getting better and better! Glalie – Ice Beam!"
"Safeguard!" Ash replied, and Latias shielded herself from the Ice attack. "Sandshrew, Iron Head! Pikachu, Iron Tail that cage – Latias, Mystical Fire!"
"What, are you some kind of trainer too?" the poacher asked, then pointed. "Gyro Ball!"
Glalie spun around, deflecting both attacks, but that meant he couldn't block Pikachu as the Electric-type smashed open the cage with his tail.
"Weren't expecting that, were you?" the poacher asked, then looked around with a scowl. "Your mouse might have freed-"
Cynthia's Lucario arrived by way of using Force Palm, piledriving Glalie into the ground with a crash, and Ash glanced up to see that Garchomp and Braviary were both overhead. He could see Koraidon, as well, coming closer with Staravia having just stopped towing her, then he returned his attention to the poacher.
Who was looking very nervous.
"...you don't have any other Pokémon, right?" Ash asked.
"Actually that makes a lot of sense of why he'd need to use trickery, now I think of it," Pikachu mused.
Koraidon landed with a thump, shaking herself out, then beamed.
"That was fun!" she said. "Landing in snow is more fun than I thought, even though it's cold. We should try again!"
She coughed. "Um. What are we going to do with this guy, Dad?"
"I guess find out where the nearest Officer Jenny is?" Ash asked. "Unless he vanishes in a flash of blue light or something, then maybe Walking Wake and Iron Leaves will be by later…"
"Yes, I suppose you could say it's cultural," Braviary said a couple of hours later, frowning. "It's just something I was taught a long time ago, and it makes sense."
Ash repeated that, and Cynthia nodded.
She made a few quick shorthand notes, then checked over what she'd already written.
"Do the Noble Pokémon stay in touch with one another?" she asked. "Either directly, or through Wardens?"
"That's actually part of what I do," Braviary told her. "I fly around and contact the other Nobles, including carrying messages for them. It means I have to commit the messages to memory…"
After Ash translated that, as well, Cynthia checked through her notes for a second time. Ash left her to it, and overheard the conversation between Snorunt and Froslass.
"Why are some humans horrible and other humans not horrible?" the younger Ice-type asked.
"It sounds incredibly obvious now that I think about it, but it's because… some Pokémon are and some aren't," Froslass replied. "That poacher was horrible, but so was that Glalie, and I was really ready to think humans had to be bad but I never even considered applying the same thing to Pokémon."
"How do you know to turn up when you do, when Dawn or someone else uses the Flute?" Cynthia asked.
"Honestly, the way I understand it, the other Ride Pokémon just hang around their wardens unless there's someone else who has the right to call them," Braviary replied. "But I, personally, have… feelings about where I should be. It's not very insistent until the flute is actually sounded, and I've never experienced it personally before, but there's a family story about it."
Ash repeated that, then held up a thoughtful hoof.
"This is like… I think you talked about how legends work, once, Cynthia?" he asked. "About how they're… stories, so they're more fun to pass down, but they still carry truth."
"That's right," Cynthia agreed. "A story can last a very long time, while factual information can vary because it's not so easily remembered. It's much more obvious when the point of a story changes because that's just how our minds work – they're not infallible, but it's better to have some source than no source."
She looked very pleased. "And then there's my situation, where I've got so many primary sources I'm spoiled for choice!"
AN:
Because the Flute had to get used at some point.