Part 163! Searching for Piloswine!

Disclaimer: Not mine.
Notes: <> indicates telepathy, ** indicates thoughts, and italics indicates pokemon talking, if there is any.

Zapdos Articuno – I understand your predicament…keep the author happy with reviews n’ she’ll be happy to oblige.

Ranma – hehehe, thanks!

SS2 Megami-sama – k! You’re right, that other fic of mine will probably turn out to be a disaster and show once again why I don’t write AAMRN.

Blackness44 – hi! *holds up purring Shoyko* He’s doing great!

Tmp – I believe Ash will have to fight Pryce again. S/M = part of CCA

Alanzia – I see

DrigerVulcan46 – heh, looks like someone else doesn’t like the anime…

Psychic Sabrina – I think Sabrina/Morty is cute…that would be Lance commenting there… guessing Luna was in shock! No, Charlotte’s not evil. The daemons aren’t really controlled by anyone. They’re just leaking in on their own since Lance isn’t doing her job very well…

Episode 163: Ice-cold Pryce? Well, let’s see…

Ash called out Pidgeot, and hopped on her back, while Lance released Aerodactyl.

“Come on.” Ash said.

“Are you sure about this?” Sheila asked.

“Well, we have nothing to lose but time.” Pryce said reasonably. Ash had kindly released Fearow and Murkrow for them to ride.

“But flying makes me sick…”

“Aw, don’t be a wimp.” Pryce said. “”Let’s go.”

Sheila gulped as they dropped down into the canyon…

Soon, they were on the floor. Sheila looked quite purple and blue. Ash sighed and released Blissey to cure here. 5 minutes later, the sizeable group set off.

< I don’t sense anything yet. > Pika-chan sent.

< Neither do I,> Luna said. < Do you think it’s shielding? >

< Well, I can’t let Sabrina out… >

Lance closed her eyes. < Let me see… Piloswine is an ice type. Hold on a second. I’ll do a quick scan. > Her eyes glowed blue again for a second, and then returned to normal.

< Great, I think I’ve found him. >

< We’re following you. > Ash said, smiling.

Lance took off running, and Pryce and Sheila followed. Soon, they saw Piloswine frozen inside a huge brick of ice, in an underground cave.

“Piloswine!” Pryce gasped.

Ash pulled out a pokemon card. “Entei, go! Use Fire Blast!”
Entei roared and nodded, his intense flames cutting through the ice like butter.

“Piloswine is still frozen internally though…” Lance told him.

Ash was about to have pika-chan shock him, but Luna shook her head.

“Ash, Piloswine is part ground, remember? Electricity won’t do any good.”

“Oh…”

“Well, in that case…” Ash said. He released Rapidash and Flareon. “Okay, use Flamethrower!”

The two pokemon turned the heat up on Piloswine. About five minutes later, it finally awoke, despite being covered in soot.

“Piloswine, Rest.” Pryce said. Piloswine smiled, closed his eyes, and went to sleep to heal up.

And so, everything ended well.

“So, Pryce, can I battle you for the Glacier Badge?” Ash asked.

“Very well. We can battle at the gym tomorrow.” Pryce said. “I’m sure you and your pokemon are exhausted from the events today.”

Ash hid a smile. * Compared to pokemon cards, this is pretty easy. *

That night, the two travelers were staying at the pokemon center when Ash tensed. * Another pokemon card. *

Pika-chan whispered into his ear. “You’ll need a costume with a mask to hide yourself.”

“I know.” Ash said.

“So, what are you going to wear?”

“Let me check.” Ash spent a few minutes digging through the costumes before he pulled one out and got dressed. He had baggy black pants tucked into black combat boots, an electric blue t-shirt, a black jacket with three blue lightning bolts on it, and a black mask. His hair was tied up with a dark blue ribbon.

Lance smiled. “Okay, let’s go.” She was wearing a black vest over a dark blue flared skirt and top. Over her eyes was a blue mask with little dragon wings on it, and from the back of her skirt came another pair of little black dragon’s wings. She had blue boots and black gloves.

“So, where’s your costume from?”

“I made it, of course, unlike you, there was nobody following me around when I was the card captor.”

“Why am I the only one of the three who got stuck with a photographer?”

Lance shrugged elegantly.

They teleported out of the pokemon center and headed off to search for the pokemon card.

“Well, whatever it is, its good at blending in with its surroundings.” Ash said after a few frustrated minutes.

“Can’t you just hone in on the aura?”

“I’m trying, but it’s not working.”

“Did you try the key chant?”

“Didn’t work.”

Ash sighed. “Well, I’ll just have to wreak some havoc then. Hitmontop, go!”
Hitmontop came out of card form and began spinning and twirling.

“Okay, Hitmontop, give it a Triple Kick!”

Hitmontop dived into the darkness. Soon, scuffling sounds were heard. Ash and Lance quickly ran towards the sound.

They saw Hitmontop chasing a fast pokemon. It was just a blur as it ran past.

“Ampharos, go! Use Cotton spore to slow it down!”

Ampharos nodded and dropped the pokemon’s speed, allowing Hitmontop to land a devastating kick to the head.

“Great.’ Ash said. “Under a new seal of contract, your master commands you, return to your true form, pokemon card!”

*FLASH*

A white Ash card appeared on his head.

Ash took it off. “Smeargle…”

“Seems like it.” Lance said. “Let’s go.”

They changed back into regular clothes and snuck into the pokemon center.

The next day, Ash headed back to the Mahogany Gym.

“Seel, go!” Pryce said.

“Sunny, I choose you!” Ash said. “Thunderbolt!” Seel fared not well, and the same fate befell Dewgong.

“Piloswine, go!”
Sunny looked concerned. * That Piloswine looks awfully strong… *

Ash sensed her discomfort and nodded. She was recalled in a flash of light.

“Fire type would be good.” Ash said to himself. “But Pryce seems like he has something up his sleeve…”

Indeed, Pryce was smiling.

“Well, he said a magmar beat him before, might as well try.” Ash said. He drew the Magmar card out.

“Magmar, Fire Blast!”

“Piloswine, use that new move you learned! Sheer Cold!”

“What?” Ash asked. All he saw was a blinding flash of silver light and the next thing he knew, Magmar had been KO’d.

“New ice-type move that was just developed.” Pryce said. “It’s a one-hit KO.”

Ash gulped.

< Ash! There’s got to be a drawback. This probably has pretty low accuracy. You can still beat Pryce! > Lance sent.

< All right, thanks for believing in me. >

< Why wouldn’t I? >
Ash felt a tad more reassured. “Okay then… Pidgey, go! Mud-Slap and then Sand-Attack!”

Pidgey began flinging mud and sand at Piloswine, causing him to growl as it got in his eyes.

You’re annoying me!

I don’t care!
Fine, just wait until you’re frozen solid!

I highly doubt that will happen.

Oh yeah?

“Piloswine, Sheer Cold again.” Pryce said. “Sorry, Ash, but this time, your affection for your pokemon is definitely interfering with your analytical faculties.”

“Are you sure?” Ash asked.

Piloswine nodded and charged up the attack, but he missed Pidgey.

“Eh?!”

“Pidgey, give him a Wing Attack!”

Pidgey nodded and beat her wings against Piloswine’s sides, causing him to flinch.

“You’re not doing enough damage though. Piloswine, Blizzard!”

Blizzard missed completely, all the accuracy lowering technique had paid off.

“Okay, Pidgey, Mirror Move!”

Pidgey nodded, formed a little clear shell in front of her, and created a Blizzard, which hit Piloswine straight on, freezing it solid.

Pryce stared in disbelief. * In all my challengers, I have never run into anyone who froze MY pokemon, it was always the other way around. *

Ash grinned.

“All right, then. I confer on you the Glacier Badge.” Pryce said. “Please take this also.”

Ash took the Icy Wind TM and left. The group headed for the Ice Path, where they would go to reach Blackthorn City.

End Episode!

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Shadow will be in MEXICO over spring break and therefore not be updating. I will put up a few extra chapters to make up.