//------------------------------// // Sheer Cold, Part 3 // Story: The World's Greatest Team of Six // by CassandraMyOCisBestpony //------------------------------// "FLUTTERSHY!!!" cried Applejack, as Fluttershy disappeared under the ice with a splash. "Oh, I know! A lasso!" suggested Pinkie Pie Applejack looked ashamed, "I don't have any rope." * Everything was black for Fluttershy, except the rays of light poking through the hole in the ice - which was getting further away with each second. While some ponies would be flailing madly, Fluttershy's natural instinct was to freeze, and freeze she did, stiff as a board and sinking towards the bottom of the lake. In her mind she was screaming for help, and crying at the sting of the frigid water. Her wings felt like they weighed a million pounds, and her legs refused to kick. She felt it getting harder to breathe by the second and her mind starting to blur. Applejack, Pinkie. Be safe for me, ok? I'm sorry I couldn't go further with you. Say hi to our friends for me. The light is pretty, and it looks warm. I'm glad I got to see one last nice thing. Wait, something's blocking the light. It looks like it's coming over here. That's a..what is it again? Totodile? Where have I seen that before? Totodile began tugging and pushing her, but she was oblivious to its attempts Up on the surface, Masquerain was rubbing its wings together nervously. Finally, it started towards the frozen lake, but Pinkie blocked its path, "You can't go down there. It won't do us any good if you get wet too." Masquerain glared at her. "Masquerain, look at th' water" said Applejack, "there's bubbles comin' up from th' surface. That means Fluttershy's still breathin'. She's gonna be ok, I promise. Pinkie Promise?" She looked expectantly at Pinkie Pie, but the pink pony said nothing. "Pinkie, didn't ya hear what I said?" * Totodile continued to struggle, but Fluttershy was too heavy for it to lift. Doesn't it belong to somepony important? A friend? Yes, that's it, it's...it's Pinkie! And she's trying to save me! With one last burst of energy, she kicked her hind legs and aimed herself for the light above. Finally she reached the surface, breathing in the air with huge gulps. "Fluttershy, we're gonna get you outta there!" called Applejack, "what do we do now, Pinkie?" "We have to, um....c'mon Pinkie..." she clenched her teeth and tried to drown out the overwhelming panic so she could remember the procedure her instructor had taught her. "We need something spiky to clamp the ice...wait, I know! Gummy 2, use your teeth!" Totodile bit down on the ice and held fast. Fluttershy quickly grabbed hold. "I can't pull myself up!" "Yes you can, Fluttershy! Kick your legs, and get your shoulders out first!" Fluttershy kicked as hard as she could, and sprung out of the water, landing sideways on the ice. "Good! Now roll towards us!" She rolled to the edge of the lake, and the two ponies rushed to her aid, quickly hoisting her onto Applejack's shoulders. "IT'S COLD!!!" she cried, the air thawing out the nerves that had gone numb, sending a huge cold shock through her body. "I know, sugarcube, I know." said Applejack. Pinkie removed Fluttershy's soaking jacket and tossed it aside. She draped her own over Fluttershy. Masquerain landed on Fluttershy's back and wrapped its antennae around her. "Thanks you guys" she whispered, "sorry for the shaking." "Shiverin's good, honey. Keep shiverin', and don't fall asleep on us, alright?" "I w-won't." "Here it is, Mt. Jagged." declared Twilight, "Past here is Lavaridge town. Now, we've climbed a mountain before, and this one, while less steep, presents its own set of challenges, such as..." Rainbow cut in, "Uh hello? Wings." She flexed hers for emphasis. "Think you can lift the both of us?" "Please, I can lift three hundred pounds with each of these babies...not that I need to" she added, responding to Rarity's glance, "now hop on and let's go." She helped Rarity onto her back, and grabbed hold of Twilight by the waist. "Be on the lookout for Fire Pokemon" advised Twilight, "There are some good ones around here." "They're not going to shoot fire at us, are they?" asked Rarity uneasily. "Probably not." "Let them!" declared Dash, "I could use the dodging practice." "Please do control your brazenness, you're carrying delicate cargo" said Rarity. "Alright, alright. We're halfway to the top and haven't had any accidents, so will you both just relax?" "Rainbow, stop!" cried Twilight. "Twilight, I promise, nothing's gonna happen to you." "Not that, look!" She pointed at an outcropping where a small, six-tailed foxlike Pokemon sat, licking its paws. "That's a Vulpix, it'd make a great addition to my team!" The three of them dropped onto the ground, spooking the Vulpix and sending it running into a nearby cave. "Well, that's the end of that" said Rainbow "I don't think so!" she hurried into the cave after the retreating Pokemon. "Should we go with her?" asked Rarity. "You go ahead, I don't do caves. Not enough space to stretch out my wings." Rarity shrugged, and hurried into the cave to catch up with her friend. Pinkie and Applejack galloped through the forest as fast as their legs could carry them, Applejack keeping pace with Pinkie in spite of being laden with Fluttershy. The snow was growing deeper, and the sky had gone a darker shade of grey. But Applejack kept them on point, assuringly reminding Fluttershy of this. The pegasus felt too weak to talk, but she gave an acknowledging smile. Suddenly, the wind picked up, and the snow turned to ice, knocking them off their feet. "Fluttershy!" Cried Applejack, hurriedly retrieving her friend. "Look!" Said Pinkie, "there's no storm over there!" About a quarter mile in the distance, white fluffy snow drifted to the ground, with little wind interfering. "This aint no ordinary ice storm, is it? I bet it's a Pokemon's doin'." "Take Fluttershy and get to Pewter City!" instructed Pinkie, "I'll keep this Pokemon busy, whoever it is." "But-" "P-please Applejack" rasped Fluttershy, "she'll be fine." "Pinkie, you come back alive, or I'll tan yer hide." "Pinkie Promise. See ya soon!" Applejack galloped off into the distance, and just as Pinkie thought, the assailant revealed itself and started to sneak up behind Applejack. "Hey you!" called Pinkie to the hovering Pokémon. It turned around, allowing Pinkie a clear view at it. She gasped “No...way! It's...It’s an ice cream cone Pokemon!!! I gotta have this one! We just have to catch it, Gummy 2!” “Vani-ni-ni!!!!” Cried the wild Vanillite, firing off an Icy Wind. Totodile and Pinkie shivered, but both were used to the cold. “Gummy 2, use Bite!” Vanillite flinched, and Pinkie took advantage. “Now double dip with a Water Gun!” “Vanilll!” Vanillite was visibly shaken and exhausted, and Pinkie knew she had a window of opportunity. “Pokeball, go!” When the Pokeball tapped against Vanillite, it sucked the small dessert-like Pokemon in and rocked three times, before finishing with a pinging sound. “Woohoo!” cheered Pinkie. This called for a "new Pokemon catching party," but she knew it would have to wait - Applejack's tracks would soon be buried by the snow, and that would make it a lot harder to catch up. "There it is!" Said Rarity , pointing at an outcropping where the wild vulpix stood. "Sableye i choose you!" "Sableye!" "Use..." She was about to order a will-o-wisp but then remembered an important fact Twilight had mentioned - fire types couldn't get burned. "...night shade!" Sableye fired off a talon of dark energy. Vulpix was knocked back into the wall, but righted quickly. It barked a very shrill cry, causing Sableye to recoil in shock and disappear into its Pokeball. Taking advantage of Rarity's dumbfoundedness, the Vulpix leapt off of its perch and retreated further into the cave, with Twilight chasing after. "That was Roar," she explained, not bothering to check if Rarity was following her, "even the toughest of Pokemon can't help but flee from it." "Don't leave me behind, Twilight!" Called Rarity, quickening her pace. Applejack's pace broke into a sprint as she crossed the threshold into Pewter City and spotted the town's Pokemon Center. Fluttershy bad been quiet, but Applejack could feel her continued shivering, and the steady movmement of her chest as she breathed. As she burst through the doors, she cried, "Nurse! My friend fell into a lake! She needs help an' fast!" "O-ok" said the perplexed redheaded nurse behind the counter, eyeing up the strange visitors,"erm, is she a Pokemon or a human?" "Neither! She's a pegasus pony" "A what? No, never mind, we don't have time to lose. Chansey!" "Chansey!" two rotund pink Pokemon waddled over with a gurney, and gently placed Fluttershy on it, wheeling her into the back room. "They were born to treat the sick and wounded" said the nurse assuredly, "they'll know how to help your friend." Having finally caught up to the wild Vulpix, Twilight took her turn at trying to catch it. "Misdreavus, Hypnosis!" The ghost Pokemon's eyes glowed red, and Vulpix fell into a deep sleep. "He can't Roar if he's asleep" she explained. "Now use Hex!" "Miiiiis!" Pokeball go!!!" Twilight's Pokeball rocked back and forth, but between the major damage she had dealt and status condition she inflicted, she was feeling confident. Indeed, the Pokeball pinged shut, confirming her catch. "Bravo, Twilight. I can't wait to see what that lovely Pokmon can do. Twilight grinned, but her victory was cut short by a startling yell, "Twi, Rarity! We have a situation!" Rainbow Dash's voice echoed through the cave. Startled and concerned, the two ponies raced back to the entrance to see what the matter was. "Team Aqua" growled Twilight. Rainbow and her exhausted-looking Happiny were surrounded by several stripe-shirted grunts. "HEY! Leave our friend alone!" yelled Rarity. "So kind of you to come and find us, instead of making us look for you" sneered one, "your friend here refused tell us where you went. My guess was the hairdresser's." The other Aquas laughed. "That tears it!" snarled Rarity, "Timburr, I choose you!" "Timburr" "Fine, you wanna play rough? Spheal, get out there!" "Spheal, Spheal." "Spheal, use Ice Ball!" "Timburr, Bulk up!" Rarity's Pokemon flexed its muscles while using its wooden beam as a shield. The ice ball shattered against it, protecting the Pokemon from some of the damage. "Now use Wake-Up Slap!" Knowing the second Ice Ball was imminent, Timburr waited its moment and rolled to the side. It charged Spheal in a zigzag pattern, winding up for a swing like a baseball player, and finally landing a devastating whack, knocking out Spheal in a single blow. "This isn't over" snarled the grunt. Suddenly, Timburr began to glow. "Twilight, what's happening?" asked Rarity worriedly. "A miracle of the Pokemon world." replied Twilight, "girls, this is evolution. Timburr's glowing form began to grow, until it was almost as tall as Rarity. Its arms and legs had fused into enormous muscle masses, and its wooden board replaced by an iron girder. "GURDURR!" it declared. "Oh... my" said Rarity, taken aback at first, but her surprise was soon replaced with confidence "You, Team Aqua, are standing between me and a deluxe spa treatment, and I'm not too happy about that. Does anyone else want to try my patience?" Before any of the Aquas could speak up, there came a slow, steady applause from someone in the crowd. The grunts parted to allow Sylvia to step through, as she continued clapping. "Well aren't you proud of yourselves? You've been doing some training in your time away. I don't know what you freaks are, but you're pretty serious about Pokemon training, aren't you?" "Are you trying to provoke me?" asked Rarity. "Not you, her." Sylvia pointed to Twilight, "you're the ringleader. I want to take you down myself." "Twilight'll kick your flank!" said Rainbow, "you're gonna be sorry." "Rainbow, please" said Twilight, "we're not looking for any trouble, and we swear, we won't harm the ocean." "That's what all the Team Magma shills said. Why should you be the first one we believe?" She took out her Pokeball and threw it in Twilight's direction, "Sealeo, round up the prisoners!" Twilight sighed, "Misdreavus, guess we're fighting." "Miiiss!" "Sealeo, Icy Wind!" "Misdreavus, Hypnosis!" Misdreavus' eyes glowed and it began to conjure up the blue light, but the Icy Wind collided with it and broke its concentration. "Now Sealeo, use Water Gun!" Misdreavus shuddered as the cold water hit it, but it held on. "Misdreavus, Confuse Ray!" Misdreavus shot a beam of purple light at Sealeo, causing it to stagger back and forth, almost toppling over in its clumsiness. "Sealeo!" yelled Sylvia, "End this right now with Sheer Cold!!!" "Oh my" said Rarity. "Don't worry" said Twilight with a grin, "Sheer Cold is a one hit KO move, yes, but it's incredibly difficult for a Pokemon to pull off without the utmost concentration. No way a Pokemon can do that while they're confused. She turned back to the battle, only to see that Sylvia was wearing a grin on her face, much too large for someone who'd ordered an attack with no chance of hitting. "Very true," she said, "unless of course, I remembered that you like to use Confuse Ray, and prepared for that by having my Sealeo hold a Persim berry under the tongue. Now, Sealeo! Take all of them out with your Sheer Cold!" Panicking, Twilight cried "Misdreavus use Astoni-" before she could finish, she and Misdreavus were instantly and completely encased in a block of ice. Her friends and their Pokemon tried to rush over to help her, but they too froze before they could take a single step.