"Piloswine," Ash said, examining the Ground/Ice Pokémon before he and his friends (well, Sven was more of an ally). Each one had brown hair and a snout like a pig.
Wendy observed, "But they're not running in circles. I think they're just aggressive. Sven and I can catch them."
"No." Ash stepped before them, along with Dawn. "Let Dawn and me battle them." It was time to show Sven that they weren't useless.
Ash drew a pokéball and tossed it forward. "Chimchar, I choose you!"
Ash's Fire monkey Pokémon appeared, beaming, and announced, "Chimchar!"
"Piplup, help out Chimchar!" Dawn said, releasing her own Pokémon. "Use Bubble Beam!"
"Flamethrower, Chimchar!" Ash ordered.
"Chim!"
"Piplup!"
The two Pokémon unleashed their attacks, but before they hit the Piloswine, a new Pokémon jumped in and took the hits for them.
"What?" Ash and Dawn inquired.
"Pika!" Pikachu said, pointing forward.
Before them, Mamoswine shook its tusks and rubbed its enormous feet on the ground, yelling, "Mamo!"
"Mamoswine!" Wendy and Sven said. Instantly, they aimed their Fine Stylers.
Piloswine and the Mamoswine charged for the group, but before they tackled them, a shadowy figure appeared between them.
"Dark Void!" Darkrai lifted its arms and released a group of shadowy rings that captured the Piloswine and Mamoswine, putting them to sleep. "Just until the corruption's lifted," Darkrai added. With those words, its blue eye glowed, and Ash, Wendy, Sven, Dawn, and their Pokémon vanished.
While Darkrai transported them, the group barely caught a glimpse of Almia Castle, surrounded by shadowy corruption, and then a figure that resembled the Aura Pokémon, Lucario.
The image faded, replaced by a village with igloo-shaped houses set against a backdrop of a snowstorm.
Ash and his friends crashed before Shiver Camp's Ranger Depot, Sven on top of them, and Darkrai vanished, but not without saying, "Help."
The Depot's door opened, and out stepped Brock, holding his hands up to his face. Wind and snow blasted it, and he yelled, "Guys!"
"Brock!" Ash's group said, untangling themselves and standing.
"Hurry!" Brock gestured them inside, and the others nodded, sprinting into the Depot.
What on Earth had just happened? Ash was eager to demonstrate teamwork to Sven, but then Darkrai appeared. It had transported them, and now they were there. What was Darkrai trying to tell them, and why did it flash the image of Almia Castle before them?
The inside of the Depot looked like any other, except for the storm blowing on the other side of the windows.
The Operator behind the desk, wearing a heavy coat, bowed to Ash, Dawn, Sven, Wendy, and their Pokémon. "Welcome to the Shiver Camp Ranger Depot," she mused. "You must be the rest of the group the Ranger Union sent over."
"We are," Ash said, brushing snow off his coat. He glared at Sven. "And we were getting ready to prove ourselves to Mr. Hotshot there when Darkrai appeared."
"The King?" The Operator's jaw dropped. "Wow, I'm jealous."
Wait, King? What was she talking about?
It seemed that even the others couldn't believe it, as they stopped what they were doing and focused on the Operator.
Chimchar hopped onto Ash's backpack, and Piplup jumped into Dawn's arms.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" The Operator blushed and hooked her fingers. "I meant to tell you guys in the morning."
"Darkrai's the King?" Ash's jaw dropped. "You mean the King of Olde?" Before he knew it, his friends surrounded him. The wind whistled outside, and while Ash was cold and tired, he listened.
The Operator giggled. "Well, I guess I have no choice now." She clutched her hips. "He left Kellyn in charge of the Luminous Crystal, so he could return to Almia Castle and train, according to Ms. Winter. She's the Elder of Hia Valley. Lives at the base of Ice Lake."
Ms. Winter? An appropriate name, considering the area, but that was beside the point.
"You guys should visit her in the morning on your way to the Castle," the Operator continued. "She's been lonely since her husband passed." Her eyes landed on Sven and Wendy. "The Union told me to take care of you guys tonight." She gestured at the door behind her. "Kellyn is still asleep, but Brock and I set up your guys' quarters."
Ash had so many questions, but they didn't erase the fact that Darkrai messed up his and Dawn's attempt to prove their usefulness to Sven. They would've had it under control with the Piloswine and Mamoswine, right?
Sven cringed and said, "No, that can't be true," to the Operator. Why did he look jealous? "The King died a thousand years ago."
"But his corruption remained," the Operator corrected. "Ms. Winter will explain everything."
Ash still wasn't sure if he 100% believed her, but if it was true, did that make Kellyn a…?
It looked like Sven had some competition himself, but Ash was too worn out to fight with him anymore that day.
He and Pikachu yawned, and then Ash asked Wendy, "Wendy, could we save the battle plan for the morning?"
She looked deep in thought and nodded, answering, "Sure. I think we all need to sleep on this. At least Darkrai got us here, though."
True, but now Ash had to think of another way to convince Sven.
He brainstormed on the way to the quarters, relaxing when Brock and Dawn joined him, saying, "Wait for us."
Back in the Depot's lobby, Wendy gripped Sven's muscular arm, leaving the Operator to say, "Oh! I nearly forgot!" She bent over and soon stood again, handing them a folder. "These came from the Pueltown Depot today. Gentle—they're fragile."
Another flustered look crossed Sven's face, but Wendy grinned. "Thank you so much." She accepted the folder and squeezed Sven's arm. "We're going to figure this out, Sven, but you need to give the Pokémon Trainers a chance."
He sighed and lowered his head, facing Wendy. "But I'm worried about you, Wendy."
"Don't be," she sweetly encouraged. "Everything is okay."
Wendy's words seemed to echo throughout the night; Ash even heard them right before he found himself in what looked like an iced-over throne room. Was he inside Almia Castle? How did he get there from the Ranger Depot quarters? The vision reminded him of the one the Alamos Town Darkrai gave him, warning him of Palkia. This didn't look like a nightmare, though.
Ash stumbled around the room, slipping on the ice, and stopped before a dusty table with a shelf behind it. He picked up an old painting and blew on it, flinching.
The dust glittered and expanded, revealing a lively throne room with people and Pokémon.
Golden figures, children and adults, danced, but four figures stood before the throne.
The tallest, a man wearing a jeweled crown, put his foot down and pushed two of the figures (one red and one yellow) toward the exit.
"Whoa, what's happening?" Ash asked himself and Pikachu.
"Pikachu," his Partner replied.
As soon as the two figures vanished out the door, the golden figures broke, revealing the man sitting on his throne, his head in his hands.
Shadow energy surrounded him, but the Lucario figure Ash had seen before rested its hand on his thigh, softly saying, "Car."
The man yelled and shoved the Pokémon away.
"Hey!" Ash rushed to the man, but flew right through him, ending up on the other side of the throne.
"You're kidding me!" Ash argued, clenching his fist. "Pikachu, try Thunderbolt."
"Pikachu!" Despite his effort, Pikachu only succeeded in shocking Ash, who coughed and grumbled to himself.
The man held his head again, the shadow energy consuming him into a cocoon.
"Car!" Lucario reached for him, but fell backward when the man's cocoon pulsed and faded, revealing a shadowy being with a white plume and a striking blue eye.
"Darkrai," Ash said. No way.
"You're trying too hard," the Pokémon explained in his head. "Force does not replace what you must learn: teamwork is more than winning. I never learned this, and look what happened."
Ash stepped back, his eyes fixed on the vision. But that Sven!
"Just… listen," Darkrai ordered. With those words, the vision changed into a whirlpool, and Ash spun through it, hugging Pikachu.
He woke with a start in his bed, drenched in sweat, and took deep breaths.
The snow still fell outside, but it had slowed to a shower instead of a blizzard.
Ash checked the remaining five beds in the quarters, clustered in pairs. He and Sven were one cluster, Brock and Dawn another, and finally, Wendy and Kellyn.
Ash crawled out of bed and sauntered to the room's back window, looking outside at the fresh snow blanket, houses, and trees. He then glanced at Sven, who held something close, and turned onto his side. What was it?
While Ash understood Darkrai's warning, he couldn't make amends with Sven until he knew what was bothering him.
And the only way to do that was not to fight, but listen.