//------------------------------// // Getting Back On Track // Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Champions // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// With their journey to the Crystal Empire nearing completion, the group was now trodding through the snow, on their way to the train station. "Ahh!" Spike cried as the snow slammed into his face, "So...cold!" He teeth chattered while Peewee crawled into his jacket, trying to keep them both warm. "How much further?" Flash asked Twilight, who could barely see with her glasses fogged up. "I don't know!" She called back as they pulled themselves up over a ridge, only to glance down and see a orange light glowing in the blinding snow. "What's that?" It was coming from the base of the mountain, Doc taking out a pair of binoculars before seeing what looked like a small airport area just big enough for a small jet to land on. Beside it was a building that had a large platform, along with a train track. "That's it!" He yelled, "The station!" Everyone sighed in relief and began to head down, the warm light acting like the end in sight, ready to relax and let the train do the rest of the work. Within an hour, they finally reached the airport and found it was fenced off. The snow in this area wasn't as heavy as up on the mountain, allowing them to see more than two feet in front of their face. They walked around the fence, finding an opening and quickly running to a tunnel that was connected station to the airport. Walking inside, they all let out moans as a wave of heat struck them. They quickly shut the door before heading inside, soon finding the station's main hub. The group now saw it was like your run of the mill train station, benches along the walls, magazine racks and a glassed off ticket counter. And behind that counter was a slightly overweight man wearing a white shirt under a blue vest...and was currently fast asleep. "Hello?" Cadance said, but the man remained dead to the world. She walked up to the counter and knocked at the glass, "Excuse me!" "Who? What? Where? Why?" The man yelped as he shot up, turning to the group, "Oh!" He let out a long yawn and rubbed his eyes, "Welcome. Sorry for that." "It's fine," Cadance replied, "We were wondering when the train to the Crystal Empire will be arriving." "The Crystal Empire?" the man responded, blinking at the woman before saying, "I'm afraid that train is strictly off limits to all but those with special access passes." "You mean like this?" Cadance took out a card with her face on it, which she pushed through the gap in the glass. The man took it and his eyes went wide. "My apologizes professor," he instantly replied before turning to the clock. "The train should-" He stopped, now staring at the clock with blinking eyes. "Problem?" Flash asked as the ticket man turned back to them. "The train should have been here an hour ago." This made everyone raise eyebrows, the man sighing, "This isn't the first time I've fallen asleep here, but usually the train's arrival wakes me up. If I've been asleep this long..." "The train didn't show up," Doc finished, the man nodding before reaching under the counter and taking out a radio. "Station one to Crystal Express. Crystal Express, please reply." He waited for a moment, but the radio only gave the static reply. "Come in Crystal Express!" Again, no reply. "That can't be good." "Has the Crystal Express ever been late?" Twilight asked, "If it's a new line, it'll probably take time for them to get used to their schedule." The man shook his head, "No, the train's never been late. It's driver's like clockwork." He hummed for a moment, "it's possible they had to stay at the empire for something. That would explain why the radio isn't reaching." "So you're saying to just wait?" Spike asked, the man nodding again before telling them that he would continue to try and contact them. Seeing this, the group took a seat on one of the nearby benches and waited, Cadance taking out the journal she had found in the hidden tomb they had discovered with Rocky along with the book she could use to translate it. Twilight grabbed a magazine while Doc decided to head out onto the platform, Flash and Spike deciding to follow him. It was still snowing, but the roof over the platform gave them a little protection. "Why are we out here?" Spike asked as Doc looked down at the platform. "I wanna see how they organize the train," Doc replied as he followed the platform and saw it split into two. One line continued straight ahead while the other curved slightly to the left before going straight again. Eventually, both lines connected to a turntable. "Ah, that's how it works." "How what works?" "The train comes down the tracks and stops at the platform. Once the passengers are unloaded, the train goes down one of those two lines and unhooks the coaches before using the turntable to turn around. Then it uses the other track to drive ahead of the coaches before coupling back up again to pull it back down the tracks. I'm betting there's an identical setup on the other end." "Huh," Spike imagined this and nodded, "That's actually pretty cool." Flash nodded in agreement. "Hopefully we'll be able to see that happen soon enough." A chilling wind swept over them next, making them shiver and run back inside the station, where the ticket man was still trying to contact the train. "Now I'm really getting worried." he grumbled, "The train's never been this late, and even if it was, they would have sent a message to me." "Is there any way you can get in contact with the Crystal Empire?" Cadance asked as she put the books away. "They said they were going to try and get a communication system online when I left." "I can send an email," he replied. "But it could be hours before someone on the other side sees it. The radio's the only direct communication method I have here. The only other way to find out anything about the city is to actually go to the Empire." "Well, we can't really do that without a train," Twilight added. She then noticed a look appear on the man's face. "Are you saying there's a way to get to the empire without the train?" "There's one," he replied, "Well...two." They exchanged glances at this, hearing the hesitation in his voice. This was confirmed when the man took them outside and showed them a shed that housed a pair of dirt bikes. "You can't be serious," Flash told him. "These were used to help in the line's construction," he responded, "They have special tires that'll let you blow through the snow as long as its not too deep or frozen over." Flash and Doc walked over to the bikes and looked them over, seeing they were fully fueled and with a turn of the key they revved up. "Okay...this could work." Doc commented before noticing some spotted helmets, knee and shoulder-pads and goggles that were apparently resistant to fogging up or freezing over. They suited up, Springer climbing in front of Flash as Twilight asked, "You sure this is a good idea?" "We're just going to make sure everything's okay," Flash replied, "It's not like we'll be in any danger or anything. What's the worst that could happen?" "You crash," Twilight instantly chimed, "Or get attacked by a wild Pokémon, or accidently find yourself getting caught in an avalanche, or-" "We'll be fine," Flash interrupted, revving the engine as the bike shot out into the snow. Doc followed after him, the pair now driving onto the tracks. "Remember to turn right at the track split!" The ticket man yelled before the two disappeared into the snow, "Oh, I hope they heard me..." "I'm sure they did," Cadance chuckled before noticing Twilight crossing her arms, along frown on her face, "Hey, relax....I'm sure they'll be fine. Even if there is something out there that might try and attack them, they shouldn't have too much trouble fighting it off." "Yeah!" Spike added, "Flash is one of the strongest trainers ever! With his Pokémon, there isn't gonna be a thing out there that could pose a threat to them!" "Unless it takes them by surprise and attacks before either of them has a chance to counter it." The three sighed, Cadance knowing Twilight was likely overthinking the situation. "Tell you what, why don't you come help me finish translating the journal?" Cadance told her. "I'm sure that'll keep your mind off this until they get back." Twilight nodded and headed back into the station, the ticket man turning to Cadance. "Is she okay? She seemed a little upset by that other guy leaving." Cadance shined a big grin at this, "She's just worried. And understandable. Even if she doesn't realize it yet, it's only natural for her to worry about the someone she cares about." The man hummed at this, only for Spike to speak up, "Why wouldn't she realize it? Of course she cares about Flash." Cadance laughed with a shake of her head before going inside, the man following while Spike and Peewee shared a glance. "Am I missing something?" Peewee just shrugged and told him to go back inside, Spike doing that while wishing he could have gone with Flash and Doc. The pair and Springer continued to ride down the tracks, glad the snow in the area hadn't gotten too deep so their bikes could roll through. They soon found themselves about to ride into a canyon with two large walls on either side, one wall having a group of trees atop it. Doc was riding ahead and signalled Flash to stop, Flash asking, "What's up?" "It might be a good idea to push our bikes through this. The sound might cause snow to come loose on the top of the canyon walls and cause an avalanche." Flash nodded and got off, Springer staying on so he didn't have to trod through the waist high snow...waist high for him. They pushed their bikes through the canyon, both staring at the two walls, "See anything that might make the train to stop or go back?" Doc shook his head, "No. But that doesn't mean its not there." Flash nodded and turned to Springer, "Make sure to keep your senses out buddy. If you pick up anything, make sure to let us know." Springer nodded with a bark as the boys kept pushing the bikes, the Riolu closing his eyes as they trudged through. They continued through the canyon, but even as they got halfway, there was no sign of anything. But as they did this, up in the trees beside the canyon, movement caused the branches to shift and crack. The noise was picked up by Springer's ears, making him zero in on the area with his aura, "RI!" He pointed upward, the boys following his gaze. "Pick something up?" Springer nodded, the trio now staring up at the trees. They continued watching, but the trees remained still, Springer now losing a lock on the aura. After a minute, Doc continued to push the bike, "Well, whatever it was, it seems to be gone now. Come on, We don't want to be out here to long." Flash agreed and pushed the bike up until they reached the end of the canyon. Once there, they got back on, revving the engines as they left. But at the very top of the canyon, a pair of eyes stared out from the trees, glaring at the fleeing figures. A look growl came next, the being now making the trees shake once more. Back at the station... "What's this section? Twilight as she pointed at a part of the text, Cadance glancing at it before looking back at another book. "I'm not sure," she replied, "That image doesn't have a translation in this book. But I think it's something about a...spear of some kind." Twilight blinked at this, thinking back to the tomb. She opened her mouth to tell Cadance, only for the sound of doors opening rang out. They turned around to see a group of people running into the station, all moving over to the ticket booth. Spike soon found himself pinned against the wall by the number of people while Twilight and Cadance had to pull their legs in close. "Who are all these people?!" Spike groaned. "My guess? They're probably heading to the ski resort." Cadance responded. "That could be a problem," Twilight added as the ticket master spoke up. "Everyone, please listen. Your train may be late." This caused a loud moan from the people as he continued, "The cause is being investigated, but for now, please stay calm and we can get everything sorted out." The crowd instead decided to yell at him, all asking for their train tickets while Twilight looked out at the tracks, a frown gracing her face. Cadance saw this and smirked, "I'm sure the Crystal Express will show up with Flash any moment now." "I hope you're right." Cadance nodded and waited a few seconds before saying, "You really care about Flash, don't you?" Twilight blinked at her words, Spike also hearing it as Twilight spun around and said, "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" She then saw the big smile Cadance was showing, making her raise an eyebrow, "What?" Cadance giggled at her response before shaking her head, "Oh...nevermind." She glanced back at the book, Twilight and Spike staring at her before shrugging. It wasn't long till they got back to work, though it was now more difficult with the now lack of space they had. And as they did this, Twilight's eyes glanced back at the tracks again and again, wondering how Flash was doing. Meanwhile... Flash and Doc continued to ride through the mountains, now arriving at an area of the track that split in two. One went around a mountain in front of them, while the other went the other way. "Which way did he say to go?" Flash asked, glancing between the two. "Right," Doc replied, both now riding the right track. A few minutes in, they found the mountain pass getting narrower, just wide enough that the train could still get through, but the pair now chose to ride single file. Trees could be seen to their left and right, atop raised areas of snow covered earth about a meter high. And as they turned around a bend, they came across something that made them pull to a sudden stop: A dead-end. Stopping their bikes and killing the engine, they stared at the dead-end, now seeing that they were at the base of a small mountain, more like a large hill, that was covered in snow and trees. They stared at the tracks and saw they went straight ahead, disappearing through a large mound of snow that leaned against the front of the mountain. "It's a tunnel," Doc commented as they got off their bikes. Flash walked up the mound of snow, getting to the top before digging, his fingers soon brushing against something. Pulling the snow free, it revealed the top of a stone arch. "Definitely a tunnel," Flash added before turning to Doc. "You think this is what caused the train to be late?" "Only way to find out. We need to clear the tunnel." Doc replied, Flash coming down with a big grin. "Easy. Leave it to me." he took out a Pokeball. "Viper, I choose you." The ball opened and in a flash, the Vipeacon appeared. "Vi!" He hissed before shivering, quickly letting his fire flow to keep him warm. "Sorry, but we need your help." He pointed at the tunnel, "Can you use Flamethrower to clear this?" Viper gave him a smirk that said, 'Who you asking?' and then took a deep breath before shooting out a streaming of fire. Within seconds it melted, uncovering the tunnel. "Nice one bud." The snake let out a happy hiss before all four walked inside, only to find everything inside was completely pitch black. "Hello?" Doc called out, "Anyone here?" There was no response, Viper then taking a second to spit out a fireball that illuminated the tunnel. The light lasted a second, but it was enough for them to see. "The train!" Halfway down the long tunnel, a stream train could be seen. It was silver in color and had a snow plough on the front, the train looking like it was made out of crystal itself. Behind it, five long coaches of different colors were saddled to the back. "So that's it," Flash turned back to the entrance. "The train's late because the tunnel was blocked." "But why is it still here?" Doc asked before moving around the engine. "Shouldn't it have just reversed and headed back to the empire?" But as he said that, he saw that there was no light at the end of the tunnel. "Unless both ends are blocked off..." "Both?" Flash replied, "What are the chances that could happen?" "I don't know," Doc shrugged, "But if the train's been stuck here since entering the tunnel, the fact that none of the people riding it have called out is very concerning." Flash nodded before both moved to the cab of the engine, only to see it was empty. They went to the coach next, now reaching out for the door. But as he tried to open it, he felt the chilling bite of a cold door handle, "Urgh...its stuck!" He turned to his Vipeacon, "Viper!" He nodded and slithered up, the flames around his neck exploding and heating the air around the door. Within a minute, the door had defrosted and Flash was able to open it. And as they did, they were greeted to a very worrying sight. Three men and a woman were sitting on the ground, all looking like they were asleep. The four were surrounding a Pokémon Flash had never seen before, but looked an awful lot like a Pyroom. This one was bigger, roughly three and a half feet tall. It almost looked humanoid with the stem now looking like a head with an actual yellow body beneath it. It was wearing a red diaper-like clothing around its waist and it had the same feet as Pyroom, also having arms, but instead of hands on the ends, it had round orbs like its mushroom head that were also red with white spots. Like the humans, this Pokémon appeared to be asleep, but had a pained expression on its face. "Whose that Pokémon?" Flash asked as he took out his Pokedex. Name: Mushroast Category: Spicy Pokémon Type: Fire/Grass Info: The evolved form of Pyroom. It has an internal flame sack in its head. When angered or threatened, it will unleash a wildfire that burns anything around it. Doc then leaned down and put his hand on one of the humans, grimacing at this, "They're ice cold." "Viper!" Flash called out, Viper nodding and igniting his entire body's fire holes. Heat filled the air, quickly warming the coach, making the five sleeping occupants stop shivering before their eyes began to open. "What?!" The woman yelped, "What's happening?!" She opened her eyes, now looking up at the pair, "Who are you?!" "Flash Sentry. And this is Springer and Viper." "Ri/Vi." "You can call me Doc. We came to see why the train was so late, and found you trapped inside this tunnel. What happened?" "I wish I knew," one of the men replied, "We drove into the tunnel and by the time we realized it was blocked, the whole train was inside. We pulled to a stop and before we could reverse, the other end was suddenly blocked off too." He then turned to the Mushroast, "You okay buddy?" "Mush," it moaned as the man picked him up. "Poor thing," the woman added, "He tried to melt the snow, but every time we got close to being free, more snow would come down and block it off again. Eventually, he ran out of steam and couldn't even build up enough heat to keep us all warm." Flash and Doc exchanged a glance, "We...didn't have that problem." Doc let out a hum, "Maybe because we melted the snow from the outside?" Flash shrugged back, making Doc look back at the others, "I suppose that doesn't matter. Let's get you all out of here. Think you can get this train running again?" The woman turned to Viper, "If your Vipeacon is willing to start the fire." Viper nodded as they all got up. "I'm Emily by the way, the train's driver." They nodded, Viper's flames showing she was a green skinned woman with black hair. She then gestured to the others, first pointing to the red skinned man with black hair that was holding Mushroast. "That's James, my fireman." She then gestured to a blue skinned man with black hair, "This is the ticket-man, Edward." He nodded before she gestured to a brown skinned man with gray hair. "And this is our train's snack vendor, Toby." After saying their hellos, Emily, Flash, Viper and James headed to the engine. Once there, James started shovelling coal into the firebox. "We're ready," he said as Viper pointed his mouth into the box. "Vee...KEN!" He unleashed a blast of fire, filling the box seconds before James shut it, allowing the coal to ignite and start creating heat. "That's it!" Emily exclaimed, "The engine's starting to heat up!" She then grimaced as a thought went into her head, "I just hope the water in the engine hasn't frozen. It could take a while for it to heat up and become steam again." And as they were getting the engine going, Doc was looking over Mushroast. "He's fine," he assured the others. "Just tired. Probably best he stick near Viper until he's strong enough to make his own heat." They nodded back before Doc and Mushroast headed out. As they did this, Doc stared at the exit of the tunnel. And as he did, he swore he saw some movement. "What was that?" Flash turned to him from the engine, "You okay?" "I thought I saw something," Doc replied. "Saw what?" Flash asked, but Doc just shrugged. "Whatever it is will have to wait," Emily told them as smoke began to escape the train's funnel. "We've got steam. Let's get out of here." Doc nodded and was about to climb up, only to go back down. "Wait!" he lifted Mushroast onto the cab and then ran toward the exit. "Where are you going?!" Flash asked. "We left our bikes near the track! If I don't move then, the train will crash into them." Emily nodded as Doc ran out the hole in the tunnel and saw the bikes. He quickly pushed one of them far from the tracks. But as he returned to move the other one, he felt a shiver down his spine. "Hmm?" he muttered before spinning around, only to gasp. He leapt to the side, a large chunk of ice now flying down and smashing into the bike. "WHOA!" He yelped, his voice echoing into the tunnel and catching his friend's attention. "Doc?" Flash turned to the tunnel and jumped down to run for the exit. Back outside, Doc was laying in the snow, then rolling over to see his destroyed bike. He glanced back up and saw the cause of the bike's destruction. "Frostorge..." Up on the ledge to the side of the tracks, the giant Ice-type stared down at Doc with a loud hiss. The Bigfoot Pokémon then leapt up before coming crashing down, its feet on either side of the tracks. "Frost!" It roared before turning to the tunnel and letting out another roar, a large cloud appearing above it. "That's...Avalanche!" Doc gasped as he got up and yelled to the others, "GET OUT OF THERE!" Flash heard this, but before he could reach the exit, the clouds opened up and a blast of snow shot out. Raining down, the entrance was instantly blocked by another pile of snow. "So that's it," Doc added as he picked himself up. "That's how the tunnel was sealed before." He saw the Frostorge turn to him with a long glare. "Frost!" It opened its mouth as another chunk of ice appeared, then fired it at Doc. He leapt out of the way, the Ice Shard hitting the ground and exploding. Doc looked up at the other bike, only for Frostorge to fire another Ice Shard and hit the bike. The machine exploded and knocked Doc flying back, crying out as he hit the ground. "Augh!" He groaned as one of his Pokeballs rolled free, Frostorge now summoning another Ice Shard. But as he did this, Doc saw the Pokeball and kicked it, unsure if it actually had a Pokémon in it. The ball opened up, releasing the red energy that faded to reveal Flitanium. "Nice! Steel Wing!" "Fly!" It squawked before charging at Frostorge, slashing him with its extendable wing. The blow made the Bigfoot groan, staggering back before roaring again, the cloud reappearing and unleashing a barrage of snow at Flitanium. Both he and Doc quickly found themselves getting buried, Doc unable to think as everything up to his knees were freezing. Flitanium quickly took to the air and flew over to grab Doc's shoulders, lifting him up out of the snow. "Thanks," he told him before looking down at Frostorge as it continued to roar at them. Glancing at the tunnel, he let out a sigh, "No choice. Flitanium, get us back to the station." Flitanium squawked and changed directions, Doc frowning as he watched the tunnel move further away. "Sorry Flash, but I'm gonna need help if I wanna save you. Just hold on." "Oh come on!" Flash yelled as he pushed against the snow that now blocked the tunnel exit. "What happened?" Emily asked, only to see the tunnel now blocked again, "Oh no..." "I don't know," Flash growled, "This snow happened after Doc said something about a...Frost..." His eyes went wide, "A Frostorge. That's what Doc said." "A Frostorge?!" Edward yelped before gulping, "That would explain why the tunnel's been blocked." "That Frostorge trapped us in here!" James cried, Toby grimacing. "Not for long!" Flash told them before glancing at Viper, "Flamethrower!" "Vi!" Viper took a deep breath before exhaling a large stream of fire, instantly melting the snow wall. Everyone smiled at the sight, only to go wide-eyed as they saw something appear in the soggy snow hole. "Frostorge!" Flash yelled, seeing the Ice Dark-Type standing where the hole was. "Frost!" It roared before the cloud appeared above it again, causing the snow to crash down and fill the hole. "Hey!" Flash exclaimed as Viper started using Flamethrower again, melting the snow. But on the other side of the wall, Frostorge was continuing to use Avalanche on the other side. This happened again, the Fire and Ice moves going back and forth before going into a perfect harmony, with the wall neither melting or increasing in size. But eventually, Viper had to stop and catch his breath whilst Frostorge kept freezing the tunnel. "We're trapped!" Toby screamed, now looking like he was about to cry. Flash let out a sigh, telling Viper to stop. He then glanced back at the others, "Don't panic. Doc's still out there. I'm sure he's on his way to get help. We'll just have to hold out until then." They all nodded, Viper still gasping for breath. Seeing this, Flash turned to Mushroast, the Pokémon still down. "I just hope Doc hurries..." Back at the station again... A train had finally arrived, but this one wasn't from the Crystal Empire, instead being the Ski Resort. Twilight, Spike and Cadance watched as the recent arrivals clambered into the coaches before the whistle blew and the train pulled away. "At least now there's more room." Spike commented as he sat back on a bench and stretched out his legs. Twilight just stared at the fleeing train, showing a glum frown. Cadance then slung her arm around her, "Don't worry, I'm sure the Crystal Express with show up with Flash any moment now." "You said that earlier," Twilight replied while still staring at the tracks. "And I'll keep saying it until it happens. Just relax, will you?" Twilight rolled her eyes and turned away, only to hear a voice. "HEY!" She glanced up at the sound, now seeing Doc flying down with Flitanium. He looked absolutely drenched and frozen, Flitanium gliding over as they landed and Doc almost collapsed. "We got a big problem!" They took him inside to heat up, Peewee using his fire attacks to warm and dry him as he explained everything. "A Frostorge?!" Cadance asked, "What's a Frostorge doing so far down the mountain? They usually make their homes in caves near its top." "Well this one decided to live near the base and is determined not to let that train out of the tunnel. And now Flash and his Pokémon are trapped with all the train staff." "It would explain why they didn't pick up," the ticket master added, "The radio signal probably couldn't get through the mountain." "So what do we do?" Spike asked, Twilight adjusting her glasses at this. "Obviously, we're gonna go save them and stop that Frostorge." They all nodded, the ticket master promising to contract the Crystal Empire and tell them what had happened. The four then walked into the snow, Twilight letting out Owlicious and Shine. She leapt onto her Rapidash while Cadance and Spike climbed aboard her Owlolar. Flitanium grabbed Doc's shoulders and the two Flying-types took to the air again, Shine now galloping through the snow. The four all stared down at the tracks, each thinking about the inevitable battle they were gonna have with Frostorge. "Hold on Flash," Twilight whispered as Shine used her Psychic abilities to keep them from falling through the snow. "We'll be there soon." Back in the tunnel... Viper was still trying to heat the train up as best he could. "Vi..." he hissed as he ignited his body, filling the train coach with heat. The humans all sighed as the cold was temporarily driven away while Mushroast scarfed down a packet of crisps. Viper then cut the flames as Springer passed him his own packet. "That's it Viper," Flash told him. "You and Mushroast need to eat as much as you can. Us being hungry is a lot better than you being hungry and unable to make any fire." Emily nodded, "You too Mushroast. How you feeling?" "Mush," it replied before taking a deep breath and letting out a burst of fire that filled the coach. Emily nodded again as Toby shivered and turned to Flash, "How much longer do you think your friends will be?" "There'll be here," Flash responded before turning to Springer and seeing him shake, "But maybe it'll be better to have you in your Pokeball." Springer turned to his and shook his head, "Springer..." "Ri!" Springer barked back, instead rubbing his paws together to keep warm. Flash shook his head and sighed before asking, "Why is that Frostorge doing this?" "Who knows," Edward replied, "Maybe it just doesn't like the sound of the train?" "It does make a lot of noise when it comes out of the tunnel," Emily added, "Maybe Frostorge lives near here and can't get any peace." "We've been doing this route for almost two months," Toby pointed out. "Why is it only complaining now?" Flash was about to reply, only to see Viper's flames now growing even weaker. "Come on guys," he shivered before turning to the blocked tunnel exit. "Hurry up..." Outside the tunnel... The Frostorge was now staring at the cave, squinting its eyes at the snow. It knew at the first sign of the snow melting, it would use Avalanche to block it up again. But as it did this, he turned to the tree covered ridge to its right, staring at the trees with a low hum. For a moment, it swore it saw a dim flash of light, making it smile. However, that smile quickly faded when it heard a noise coming from behind it. Turning around, it was greeted with the sight of Twilight riding Shine while Owlicious and Flitanium flew down carrying the others. "Remember us?" Doc asked while Flitanium squawked, Frostorge glaring at them and preparing to use Avalanche. But before it could, Twilight and Shine galloped up as the teen yelled, "Mystical Fire!" Shine quickly carved a flaming circle before shooting a blast of fire. The missile slammed into the Frostorge, exploding and pushing the Bigfoot Pokémon back. "Frost!" It roared as Flitanium flew up next. "Air Slash!" He extended his wings and gave them one mighty flap, launching a blade of air. But before it could hit, the Ice Dark-type clutched its fist as it glowed white. It threw the punch into Air Slash, dispelling it before opening its mouth and forming an Ice Shard. The beast then fired it at Flitanium, the Steel Flying-Type barely managing to dodge it, only for it scratch his wing. "Tay!" He flinched while Owlicious flew overhead. "Can't we help?" Spike asked, Owlicious hooting in agreement. "I'm afraid Owlicious won't be much help," Cadance replied, "His Psychic attacks will do nothing, and his Flying-type moves will do next to nothing." They frowned while watching the others fighting back, Doc and Twilight leaping from their Pokémon as they charged to do battle. And while this happened, Flash could hear the sounds of a battle. "I think my friends are here!" He got up and despite still being cold, he ran out the coach with his Pokémon following. They ran up to the wall, listening for Twilight's voice before turning to Viper, "This is our chance! While it's distracted, burn it down buddy!" "Vi," Viper nodded before taking a deep breath. "Vee...CON!" He unleashed a stream of fire at the snow. It started to melt, but before it was even halfway through, the stream stopped. "Vi..." he started panting as his flame went out. "Viper!" He leaned down to his Pokemon, seeing the snake lean down. "Oh buddy...I'm sorry I pushed you." He glanced back at the snow, "Darn it. There's gotta be some other way to get out of here without bringing the place down on us..." "Body Slam!" Twilight ordered, Shine leaping at the beast. Seeing this, Frostorge prepared an Ice Shard, but Doc then yelled, "Iron Head!" Moving much faster than the other two, Flitanium shot down and slammed his head into Frostorge. It roared while staggering back, allowing Shine to smash her hooves into its face. Frostorge cried out and threw a Mega Punch, hitting Shine and knocking her back before using Ice Shard to hit Flitanium. And as this happened, Owlicious continued to fly above as Cadance turned to the tunnel. "I have an idea. Owlicious?" it glanced back at her, "Use Psychic to unblock the tunnel and free the others." Owlicious nodded and turned back to the tunnel, his eyes glowing along with the snow. The pile began to shake and slowly unclog itself from the tunnel, only for Frostorge to turn to the cave. He saw the snow moving, growling before looking up at Owlicious. "FROSTORGE!" It roared at the top of its voice, an extra large Ice Shard appearing in its mouth before firing it at the Owlolar. "Look out!" Spike yelped, Owlicious dropping the snow and beginning evasive maneuvers. He dodged the large Ice Shard, but Frostorge then fired several more, these hitting his wing. "OWL!" He screamed before starting to tumble, Spike and Cadance now holding on for dear life. The others saw this and gasped, Owlicious now beginning to fall, the four crashing into the nearby trees. "NO!" Twilight cried, only to turn and glare at Frostorge. She went wide-eyed for just a second, now seeing a sad frown on the beast's face, only for the teen to growl, "Dazzling Gleam!" She yelled as the pony unleashed a blast of rainbow light, hitting Frostorge all over. "Steel Wing!" Flitanium flew down with glowing wings, slashing them into Frostorge. But as the Bigfoot Pokémon staggered back from the blow, it let out a roar, causing a cloud to appear above it that started expelling snow. "Fly!" He yelped as he felt the frozen water slam down onto him, causing several parts of his body to freeze over. "Tay..." he whimpered as he tried to move his wings, but the hinge was stuck. "Look out!" Doc yelled, Flitanium looking up in time to see Frostorge throw a punch, smacking the bird flying. Twilight then ordered Shine to use Mystical Fire again, hitting the Pokémon again before glancing back at the trees. Over in the frozen forest, Cadance, Spike, Owlicious and Peewee all groaned as they began to pull themselves up out of the snow. "You okay?" Cadance asked the others, getting moans in response. Cadance stood up and dusted the snow off of her, then saw a flash of light through the trees that came from the battlefield. "Come on. We have to help the others." Spike nodded and pushed himself up, only to look up as he saw another flash of light. This one wasn't from the battlefield, instead coming from the branches of the tree. "Did you see that?" Cadance turned to him with a raised eyebrow, only to see another glimmer of light. "Now I did." She glanced at the tree, now seeing another light to her left. Then on her right and another at the very corner of her vision. The pair kept spinning around as they saw more and more light coming from the trees...only for a light to hit the ground. "Hmm?" Cadance whispered as she saw a branch next to where the light had come from, looking up to see it had crashed into the snow. Walking up to it, she reached down to brush it away, revealing the source of the light. At first, they thought it was a snowball. But then, they noticed it had a face and three spikes coming out of it. "A Snocicle?" Spike asked as Cadance picked the little guy up. "Hello there," she replied, only to see Snocicle let out a whimper. She shined a calm smile at it, "Don't worry. We're not here to hurt you." The Snocicle blinked at her, only for its body to start glowing. "What's it doing?" Spike asked, Cadance humming before looking up at the trees. As she did this, several flashes of light occurred. "Could it be?" She stood up as more lights began to glow, "That would explain a lot." Spike blinked at her, only for Cadance to hand him the Snocicle, "I know what's going on." "Air Slash!" Flitanium fired a wind blade while Shine unleashed another Dazzling Gleam, both attack slamming into it. Frostorge crossed its arms and endured the attack, then swung them apart before a ring of lights appeared around it that morphed into rocks. "That's Stone Edge!" Twilight yelped before Frostorge fired them, the rocks slamming into Flitanium and Shine. "NO!" And as this happened, Flash could hear this friends in trouble. "Ragh!" He yelled, punching the wall. "If only we were out there! We could help!" Viper heard this, slithering up to his trainer, "Vi!" He took several deep breathes. "Vi..." he tried to build up as much fire, only to feel his flames still be almost silent. as he could. "Mush!" He turned to Mushroast, the Spicy Pokémon showing a determined glare. Viper nodded back, Flash turning to them before smirking. "You'll help us?" he asked the Mushroast, the Pokémon nodding back. "Nice. If you work together, you might be able to do it." He turned to the wall, grabbing a rock and sticking it into the snow barrier. "Both of you, fire at this spot." They nodded and each took deep breaths, building up as much power as they could. "VI/Mush...PEACON/ROAST!" Both fired at the spot Flash had pointed out, hitting the rock and melting the snow. Within seconds, they both felt themselves growing close to stopping, but neither allowed themselves too. Outside, Frostorge kept firing attacks at its opponents, now noticing the snow melting. At least, not until it was too late. "Frost?" He turned to see steam coming off the wall, which slowly began to melt. It prepared to use another Avalanche, only for Flitanium to use Iron Head, slamming into its back. "FROST!" it yelped, the snow wall now fully melting, the group then running out of the cave. "WE'RE FREE!" Emily joyfully screamed. "Fresh air!" James cheered before a growl made them turn to Frostorge, who was picking itself up. "You wanna go?" Flash asked, "That's fine with us." Springer cracked his knuckles while Viper snapped his jaws, Flitanium and Shine getting behind them. "Let's go ugly!" Frostorge growled under its breath, about to charge as it let out a roar. "Frost-" "EVERYONE STOP!" yelled a sudden voice, making everyone turn to see Cadance and Spike up on the ridge, Spike holding something in his hands. "A Snocicle?" Twilight said as she saw the Pokémon in Spike's hands. The Snocicle then floated out of Spike's grip, heading down to Frostorge, circling it while speaking to the evolved form as it landed on Frostorge's finger. "What's going on?" Flash asked as Cadance and Spike slid down the wall. "There's a reason Frostorge's been attacking, and why it stopped the train." Cadance pointed back up at the trees that ran along the ridge. "Those trees are filled with Snocicle, who are all about to evolve." To prove her point, the Snocicle glowed for a second before it died down. A similar light could then be seen coming from the trees. "I once read that Snocicle need to remain absolutely still for a time before they evolve. But if the train were to fly out of that tunnel..." "The wind it generates would be enough to lift them into the air," Twilight added. Cadance nodded and turned to Frostorge, moving over to it while the Bigfoot Pokémon. "I'm guessing that area is somewhere that the Snocicle have gone to evolve for many years now." Frostorge nodded, Cadance humming in agreement, "I'm guessing building the train track so close to this area has messed with the natural cycle of the land." The group exchanged glances at this, Emily asking, "So...what do we do? Do we have to move the train-line? There isn't another area around he that can support one that doesn't involve a massive detour." Cadance frowned at this, only for Doc to speak up. "How often does this migration happen?" Everyone turned to Frostorge, who frowned before holding up a finger. "One...once a year." Frostorge nodded. "Then I don't see why the train can't stay. If we just have a little warning, then neither side can cause each other issue." "I get it," Twilight nodded. "If the train line is told the Snocicle are there, then they can stop the trains until they evolve." "And I'm guessing the evolution only takes a day," Flash guessed with Frostorge nodding. "So once a year, the trains stop for the day so the Snocicle can evolve. I don't see how that can't work." "What do you say, Frostorge?" Emily asked. "If we wait for the Snocicle to all evolve, will you let us keep running our train?" Frostorge glared at her, only to turn to the Snocicle. It nodded back, making Frostorge to give it a glum frown, only to nod back. "Frost." it replied, nodding again as the others smiled. And so, the conflict having been resolved, Frostorge allowed them to melt away the snow trapping the train. As they did this, the others headed up the ridge to return the Snocicle back to the tree. "There you go," Spike put the Snocicle on a branch, the Pokémon smiling back before getting comfy. Everyone glanced around at the Snocicle filling the trees, happy they hadn't ruined their special day. They all stayed quiet as they watched them rest and gather their strength, until finally they all began to glow and keep glowing. "It's happening!" Twilight cheered as the Snocicle began to grow and change shape, the branches holding them all breaking. They fell down, most crashing with many loud thuds as the light from the evolution began to fade to reveal a bunch of Stompice standing where the Snocicle had landed. "Stomp!" They all cheered, happily jumping from side to side. Frostorge even smiled and moved over to congratulate the newly evolved Stompice before turning to the others, nodding as if to say thanks. They all nodded back before Frostorge turned back to the Stompice, gesturing for them to follow, the group doing so as Frostorge lead them further into the woods. "Where do you think they're going?" Spike asked his sisters. "Stompice and Frostorge make their homes atop mountains," Cadance glanced around and saw all the snowy mountain range. "This place is perfect for them. They'll live here happily, as long as we human continue to respect nature." They all nodded, remembering that this world didn't just belong to them. It also belonged to the Pokémon, who had every right to be there as them. A little later... "Well," the ticket master laughed when they got back to the station, "You all certainly had an adventure." "We sure did," Flash replied, "It was crazy." "But we've all come out of it a little wiser," Doc added, "Now we know about the Snocicle's migration, the train can run along that area without causing issue as long as we don't disturb them." "I'll make sure to mark this time of year when we get to the empire," Cadance chimed in, "It might be the same day, but it'll probably be better to have this entire week be the time to watch out." The others nodded as Emily walked into the station. "We're all fueled up and ready to go," she told them. "Ready to finally see the Crystal Empire?" "You kidding? Of course we are!" Flash cheered, the rest doing the same as they ran into the first coach as the train's whistle blew. And as they got comfortable, the train pulled away and headed down the tracks. Everyone watched as the snowy environment flew past them, the train weaving between the mountains. Now that they weren't freezing, they were able to enjoy the beautiful sights around them, soon arriving back at the tunnel the train had been trapped in. "Look!" Twilight gasped, making everyone look out the window and stare up at the ridge. There the Frostorge and Stompice were staring down at them. They saw Frostorge staring at them, only for the train to enter the tunnel without issue. They all sighed in relief as they left the tunnel, happy nothing else bad had happened. Toby came around and offered snacks, the group happily taking some and enjoying them as the train continued through the mountain range. And as the train rolled between another pair of mountains, Cadance gestured to the others to come over to the window. "There it is," she whispered, the others following her gaze, "The ice mountain." It was exactly as she said. A mountain that from a distance, looked like it was entirely covered by snow. But instead, it was made of ice that protected the city and all those within it. If it had been snowing, which Cadance said it usually was, then the entire thing would be almost invincible. And within that mountain, the long lost Crystal Empire was waiting for them. They continued to marvel at the sight until the train rolled toward a smaller mountain that stood in front of the ice mountain. By looking ahead, they saw there was a large opening in the side that had the tracks running into it. They could only sit there in excitement as the train rolled into the tunnel, the darkness overtaking them. "Glad to see they managed to fix it up," Cadance chuckled, "This tunnel was a complete wreck when we first found it." Everyone else saw that the tunnel looked like a perfectly sculptured passageway that appeared brand new, though they guessed that it actually was. Then the train shot out of the tunnel, a blinding light hitting their eyes. And when their eyes adjusted, they were met with the most beautiful sight they had every seen. They were inside the ice mountain, which was as hollow as Cadance had told them, and they could actually see the outside word as the sun shined down and illuminated the place. But the real incredible sight was the city that the mountain was guarding. As Cadance had told them, it was a city made entirely out of crystal. A ring of normal earth, which was covered in grass, that surrounded a round crystal ground. Built atop the crystal floor were hundreds of houses made entirely out of different colored crystals, and in the very center of the city, a large castle that had been carved out of a beautiful silver crystal spire. Cadance smiled at the sight and then looked back at her friends, who were staring at the city in absolute amazement. "Yeah, that's the expression I had when I first saw this place. I think that's the expression everyone has." "It's beautiful..." Twilight whispered while the others just nodded in agreement. They had all expected it to be beautiful, but actually seeing it in person made them realize they had far underestimated the sight of it. They could only stare in amazement as the train rolled closer toward it, the group wondering what they would see when the train stopped and they could get out and explore it themselves. Only time would tell what adventures were awaiting them in the Crystal Empire. As the journey continues.