"Todd? Isn't that Todd?"
The young man holding a camera before them was an old friend of Ash and his companions. Of course, that friendship belonged to Ash's previous life; they had once fought side-by-side and forged a deep bond.
"Ash! Long time no see. You seem to have grown so much taller!" Todd Snap certainly remembered Ash, though he hadn't expected the boy to change so much in such a short time.
"Yeah. What about you? How have you been lately?"
"Great, of course! I've taken quite a few Pokémon photos. Take a look!" Todd brought out his album to share with the group. It was filled with a massive collection of Grass-type Pokémon photos.
"I want to see! I want to see!" Molly Hale slid down from Meganium's back and scurried into Ash's arms, eager to get a look at the album.
Todd immediately noticed the Meganium and raised his camera, the shutter clicking rapidly. "Ash, is this Meganium yours?"
"Of course. Isn't she beautiful? A real lady," Ash replied. He was incredibly proud of his Meganium, sounding like a doting father who had raised a daughter to be elegant and refined.
"She really is stunning!" Todd praised him sincerely. As a photographer, he had seen countless Pokémon, but Ash's Meganium was breathtaking. "Lately, I've been fascinated by the unique charm of Grass types, but the one I want to photograph most right now is Articuno!"
Todd's words were startling. Articuno! It was one of the Three Legendary Birds, standing on equal footing with the Three Legendary BeastsSuicune, Raikou, and Entei. It was a Pokémon of legend.
"I heard reports of people spotting Articuno around here recently," Todd explained. He had come specifically to track it down after hearing the rumors.
"Ash, Molly wants to see Articuno!" Molly seemed particularly enthusiastic about legends.
"I want to see it too!" Misty added.
Since everyone was in agreement, they decided to search for Articuno together. Just as they made the decision, a few snowflakes began to drift down from the sky.
"Pika?" One snowflake landed right on Pikachu's nose.
The group looked up and saw a bright, shining speck appearing through the clouds, plummeting toward them.
"Is that a meteorite?"
"Whatever it is, run!" Ash grabbed Molly and pulled her away, giving the reckless photographer Todd a shove as well.
The group had just scattered when the object slammed into the earth. Dropping from a great height, it carried enough force to smash a massive crater into the ground. If Ash hadn't pushed Todd, the photographer would have been crushed beneath it.
"Ash, thanks!" Todd gasped.
The object clearly wasn't a meteorite; it was a block of ice. And inside the ice was a frozen Sunkern. It was frozen solid, yet the ice hadn't even cracked despite the impact.
As a Pokémon Breeder, Brock was immediately concerned. "This is bad! We need to perform emergency first aid! Ice is super effective against Grass types!" He reached out to grab the ice block, but Ash stopped him.
"Brock, we're in the middle of nowhere. Where are you going to take it? Just boil a pot of water!"
Brock nodded quickly and soon had a pot of boiling water ready. Normally, if a Pokémon were frozen, Fire-type moves could thaw them, but since Sunkern was a Grass type, fire could easily injure it. Hot water was the better choice.
Brock understood the logic; he placed the ice in a basin and poured the hot water over it. As the ice melted, the water turned lukewarm. Sunkern soaked in it like it was a hot spring, looking thoroughly relaxed. It seemed it was going to be fine.
The group eventually released it, knowing many of its kind lived nearby.
"Ash, why do you think that Sunkern was frozen?" Todd clearly had his own theory but wanted Ash to confirm it.
"Todd, let's go. Let's find Articuno." Ash didn't just want to see Articuno; he wanted to capture it if their compatibility was high enough.
The group set off together, with Todd joining the party. They searched in the direction the Sunkern had fallen for two whole days. They eventually left the forest and arrived at the foot of a mountain that pierced the clouds: Mt. Snowtop. It was the highest peak in the area. They had indeed seen a shimmering, crystalline figure fly toward the summit.
Up here, heavy snow covered all vegetation, creating a magnificent winter landscape. Ash had already helped Molly into warm clothing. Any higher, and the rest of them would need cold-weather gear as well. The climate of the Pokémon world was truly peculiar.
A flash of blue light signaled Ash's Aura Power, and he discovered something interesting. The Jigglypuff that had been following them since the Kanto region was also frozen here.
"I was wondering why I hadn't seen it in a while. So it was here!" Brock remarked.
Todd was focused on his goal. "Could this Jigglypuff have been frozen by Articuno too?"
Regardless of the cause, they had to save it. They didn't need to be as careful with Jigglypuff as they had been with Sunkern. Ash simply had Quilava use its flames to melt the ice.
Todd, impatient after searching for so long, rushed forward the moment the Pokémon was free. "Jigglypuff, did you see Articuno? Tell me, where did it go?"
The little Pokémon, annoyed by the interrogation, didn't hold back. It unleashed a flurry of Double Slaps, leaving Todd's face swollen.
"Haha, Jigglypuff is so strong!" Molly rushed over to hug it. "Ash, I want to catch Jigglypuff. Can I?"
Catching Jigglypuff? Misty and Brock's expressions changed instantly. As cute as Jigglypuff was, it was their nightmare. It loved to sing, and every time it did, everyone fell into a deep sleep. When it saw them sleeping, it would get angry and use its Marker Pen microphone to scribble all over their faces.
However, Ash was no longer the person he used to be. "Meganium, use Safeguard!"
A shimmering veil extended from the pink petals around Meganium's neck, enveloping everyone. Safeguard was a miraculous protective move that prevented the team from suffering status conditions. In the real world, its effects were even more potent.
Jigglypuff began to sing. This time, however, everyone listened to the entire song in peace. Not a single person fell asleep. Jigglypuff was overjoyed to finally have an audience and happily agreed to be caught by Molly.
Ash smiled and handed her a Poké Ball. As for how they would get along in the future, he couldn't say, but he believed Entei's "daughter" could certainly handle this Jigglypuff.
"I caught a Jigglypuff!" Molly declared, mimicking Ash's victory pose.
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