Pokémon Padea Adventure: The Journey Continues

"Ouch—!"

A scream echoed across the snowy slope of "Frosty Mountain". Xiao Zhi was buried upside down in the snow, with only his two legs sticking out and kicking wildly.

"Ash!"

Xiaoqing and Pipa rushed forward and frantically pulled Ash out of the snow. Pikachu also emerged from a nearby snowdrift, shook the snow off its head, and looked helplessly at the equally disheveled Ash beside it.

"Are you alright?" Xiaoqing asked worriedly. "Take it slow. You don't have skiing skills to begin with. You can't become an expert overnight. Don't rush."

Xiao Zhi sat on the ground, patted the snow off his body, and grinned: "I'm fine, don't worry."

"How many times have you fallen now?" Piper shook his head helplessly. "How are you? Can you stand up?"

Xiao Zhi brushed the snow off his clothes, slowly stood up, and said, "No problem! Let's try again, I'll definitely do it next time!"

"Xiao Zhi," Xiao Qing pulled him back, "Don't rush, the more anxious you are, the more likely you are to make a mistake."

“But…” Ash rubbed his frostbitten face, “This alpine skiing competition is the pre-competition test for the Frostbite Gym! If I don’t pass this, I won’t even get to see the Gym Leader. I’ve finally waited until the end of the snow season, and if I get stuck here…”

“We know,” Piper interrupted him, “but if you just ski down like that, falling a lot won’t help. You need to find the right technique first! Why don’t we ask Gurusha again and ask her to teach us some more skiing tips?”

Ash took a deep breath to calm himself down. He looked at Pikachu beside him and said...

"Pikachu, don't be discouraged! Try a few more times, and I think we'll develop enough teamwork so that we can only lose our balance and flip over after going through a few consecutive turns."

"Pikachu, Pikachu..."

Pikachu gestured with its tail, waving it left and right, mimicking the action of using its tail as a ski pole to control direction during the skiing process.

Pipa, who was standing nearby, looked at it, pondered for a moment, and then said thoughtfully.

“I think… Ash, when you turn right, Ash swings his body to the left to maintain balance. Pikachu taps the ground to the right with its tail to control the direction of the skis. Similarly, when turning left, Ash and Pikachu switch roles, so there’s nothing wrong with doing things the other way around.”

"After all, the first half of the slide went smoothly at the beginning, which proved that the strategy was correct. The problem was in the second half of the slide, where there were many consecutive curves, and Ash and Pikachu did not coordinate in time."

"Pickup!"

Pikachu nodded.

"really."

After hearing Piper's analysis, Ash crouched down and carefully examined Pikachu's tail, which it used as a sled.

"After all, Pikachu only has one tail. I can maintain my balance by quickly twisting my body left and right. But for Pikachu to make a quick turn, it can only keep waving its tail left and right, which is much more difficult than me... How can I control a turn by making quick left and right movements?"

Xiaoqing also chimed in.

"That's right. Trying to lift the tail repeatedly in a series of bends, turn and then touch the ground, and move back and forth, can indeed cause the skis to flip over and stick into the snow if you turn the turn too late... If you had two tails and could work from both sides, it would be much better now."

“Pikachu…”

Pikachu lowered its head, looking somewhat dejected. Ash patted Pikachu's head and said...

"Don't be discouraged, we've only practiced for one day. With more practice, we'll definitely be able to do it. With a little more practice, we'll be able to react quickly!"

"Pickup!"

Pikachu nodded in response, but still had some doubts about itself, questioning whether it could do it, whether it was suitable to partner with Ash, and pass this pre-race test of alpine skiing!

Not far from where Ash and his friends were talking, a cold wind whistled across the snowy slope. Rhydon, Wailord, and Frostwolf were frolicking in the snow, rolling around on the slope. Frostwolf fluttered its wings, occasionally landing to join them, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Just then, a figure on skis slowly glided down the snow slope. Blue hair fluttered slightly in the wind, a bright yellow down jacket stood out, and a thick blue and red scarf covered the lower half of his face.

After gliding close, Gurusa stopped, with his skis tucked under his arm, and slowly walked towards Ash and his friends.

“It’s you, Gurusha…”

Ash and his friends, who were talking, also noticed Glussa approaching.

Gurusa glanced at Ash and Pikachu, who were taking a short break and panting heavily, and then at the energetic Whaleon in the distance, which was having a great time playing with its Felfin and Xiaoqing's Whale, and spoke.

"Ash, why don't you let the Spinecrosaurus give it a try..."

Ash followed Grusha's gaze and said hesitantly.

"Should we let the Liangjirosaurus try?"

Gurusha nodded and continued.

"That's right, the Rhyssoaked Dragon is an Ice-type Pokémon. The icy and snowy environment is its comfort zone. Its sense of balance and control in the snow is innate... and I also believe that it has enormous potential!"

After saying that, Ash looked down at Pikachu.

"Pickup!"

Pikachu patted Ash's trouser leg and nodded at him. Ash understood what Pikachu meant, and after a moment of silence, he finally made up his mind.

"Alright! Liangjilong, we're counting on you this time!"

Ash, holding his skis, walked towards the Spinecrophos and began his pre-match test with the Spinecrophos as his partner.

As for Ash and his friends, after leaving the Orange & Grape Academy, they came to Frosty Mountain and originally planned to challenge the Frosty Gym. Why did they switch to practicing alpine skiing instead...? This story goes back two days.

Two days ago, on "Frosty Mountain"—

Thick snow covered the entire mountain peak. The snow season had just ended, and there weren't many people climbing the mountain yet. Ash and his friends, dressed in thick winter clothes, trudged through the snow, step by step, toward the "Frost Gym" at the summit.

Along the way, the Rhyperior and the Whale were rolling around in the thick snow, sometimes diving into the snow, sometimes chasing each other, shouting excitedly. The two Ice-type Pokémon were chasing and playing on the snow slope, having a great time.

The snow they kicked up fell on Ash and Pikachu's heads, instantly turning them into snowmen.

"Ah Qiu! It's all done now..."

"Pikachu! Pikachu!"

Ash and Pikachu shook off the snow off themselves and said angrily.

"What are you doing, you Liangjiro?!"

"You too, stop fooling around, get out of here!"

Xiaoqing, who was standing nearby, also started scolding the wildly playing whale.

Pipa spoke up for the Liangzhilong and the others.

"Alright, Ash, Blue. After all, Spinelong and Wailord are Ice-type Pokémon, and Mt. Frost is their birthplace. No wonder they're having so much fun in this environment."

Having heard Pipa's reasonable words, Ash had no choice but to continue climbing. Along the way, Ash would occasionally mention Mimori, who had helped them.

"Speaking of which, we have to thank Ranger Mimolley. If she hadn't informed us that the snow season was over, we wouldn't know where we'd be waiting now."

"Oh, right! Don't forget, the list of people who need to be thanked also includes Chief Physician Mimosa and Teacher Huangbo."

Xiaoqing added.

"Due to the influence of the magnetic field in the Padia region, the information from Ranger Mimori about 'the end of the snow season and the opening of the mountain road' will be delayed in reaching your Rotom phone, Ash, and will not be able to notify you in a timely manner."

"To avoid wasting our time, Mimoli specifically informed Mimosa, who was acting as the principal at the academy. Mimosa then passed the information on to Teacher Huangbo, who was also in 'Beigu Town.' This is how we were able to learn about this information from Huangbo."

Xiao Zhi nodded emphatically.

"In short, I can finally challenge the eighth gym—the Frostbite Gym!"

Xiao Zhi clenched his fist and quickened his pace.

"Let's go, don't keep the curator waiting too long!"

At the top of "Frosty Mountain", Ash's figure gradually appeared on the horizon.

"We've finally arrived."

Ash exhaled a puff of white breath, looking at the snow-covered world before him.

"...This is where the eighth gym is located!"

At the top of the mountain, there is a building covered in ice and snow. The four large characters "Frost Dojo" are hung on the building, gleaming in the sunlight.

Ash took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and pushed open the door to enter. The gym was unusually quiet, with only a few scattered visitors. There was a staff member on duty at the front desk.

"Hello! I'm here to challenge the gym!"

Xiao Zhi stepped forward. The staff member looked up and smiled politely.

"Hello, trainers, thank you for climbing Mount Frosty and choosing our Frosty Gym for your gym challenge... However, our gym leader is not here right now. The snow season has just ended, and as a professional skier, she needs time to practice and recover during the long period when the mountain is closed during the snow season. This has always been her personal habit."

Xiao Zhi's smile froze.

"Then... how long will it take?"

"That's uncertain."

The staff member continued to answer.

"That depends on her training progress and physical recovery..."

A short while later, the gates of the "Frosty Gym" opened again, and Ash and his friends walked out of the gym dejectedly, looking at the white snow slope outside with mixed feelings.

"After the snow season ends, we still have to wait for the gym owner to finish training."

Xiaoqing sighed.

"It's been quite a rollercoaster ride."

Xiao Zhi's legs felt weak and powerless as he took his first step, and he became sullen.

Just then, in an open area not far away, at the highest point of a ski slope, a figure was adjusting her skis, seemingly preparing for the next skiing activity. Behind her, a snow moth followed, circling continuously above the snow.

The Liangjirosaurus, which was frolicking and playing with the walking whale nearby, suddenly raised its head and looked in the direction of the snow moth. It stared at the snow moth for a few seconds, then its eyes lit up and it ran off in that direction.

"Wait! Liangjilong, where are you going?"

Ash asked the beetle in confusion, who was running to the snowflake moth and excitedly circling around it. The snowflake moth also reacted, fluttering its wings and gently touching the beetle's forehead with its antennae.

The two Pokémon huddled together, rubbing their heads against each other and making cheerful noises, as if celebrating their long-awaited reunion.

"They...know each other?"

Xiaoqing exclaimed in surprise.

Grusha, the trainer of Felfin, looked up in their direction. Ash and his friends followed Spinecrosaurus and arrived in front of Grusha.

"Hello."

Xiao Zhi greeted him.

"I'm sorry, this Spinecrophos is my Pokémon. I don't know why Spinecrophos is interested in your Felfin. Please don't mind."

Faced with the sudden appearance of the Rhydon and Ash and his friends, Gurusa was taken aback at first, then nodded.

Xiaoqing stared at the snow moth for a moment, then asked in confusion.

"The Liangjilong left 'Frostmog Mountain' at a young age and fell through a hollow in the mountain to the lower level of 'Jinhui Mountain Path,' where it lived for a long time. Logically, it shouldn't have any companions it met here, right?"

"You mean 'Jinhui Mountain Road'?"

Hearing Xiaoqing's question, Guruxia's eyes lit up, and he immediately replied.

"My Snowflake Moth... oh no! I should say Snow Swallower. I captured my Snowflake Moth in the 'Jinhui Mountain Path,' a Snow Swallower that hadn't evolved yet."

“Jinhui Mountain Road! That explains it…”

Pipa realized what was happening and continued speaking.

"Now that you mention it, I remember Nurse Joy mentioning something about the 'Mischief Corps' on 'Mount Jinhui's Path'. It's a group of mischievous Pokémon that fell from 'Mount Frost' above, and they're an organization that deliberately causes trouble for passing trainers."

"Among the members, I remember there were Liangjilong, Snow Swallowing Worm, Snow Child, and Sneezing Bear."

Xiaoqing counted on her fingers.

"I captured the Liangjilong on my second trip through that area. At that time, I had gotten separated from Xiaoqing and Paipa, and the 'Mischievous Army' only had the Liangjilong left."

“That’s right! I also remember Miss Joey mentioning that…”

Gurusha also opened the memory box and continued speaking.

"Back then, when I passed by there, I was pranked by two Pokémon. One was a Frostwolf, and the other was a Spinetrooper. I heard that the other two Pokémon were also caught by trainers who were passing by. At that time, I got a Frostwolf, but that clever Spinetrooper didn't give me a chance to catch it. It seemed to have someone else in mind... Now I finally understand who the trainer it was waiting for was! It seems that everyone has found a good home..."

As it spoke, the Rhyperior ran affectionately to Ash's side and rubbed against Ash's trouser leg, seemingly introducing its trainer to Frostwolf.

This incident led to Glussa getting to know Ash and his friends. Ash was initially curious and relieved about this coincidence, but he was later unable to let go of the reality that he couldn't challenge the gym.

Gurusa recalled that Ash and his friends had come out of the "Frostbite Gym" and asked about it briefly.

"Are you here to challenge the gym?"

"Yes! But the receptionist said the dojo master is going to conduct post-winter training, so we have to wait until..."

Grosha, suddenly seized by a playful impulse, interrupted Ash and said something that turned Ash's sorrow into joy.

"It's quite a coincidence. Actually, I'm a staff member from the 'Frostbite Gym' pre-battle testing team. If you and a Pokémon can cooperate and successfully glide down this ski slope from the top of the mountain to the bottom, I'll find the 'Frostbite Gym' leader so you can successfully participate in the gym challenge."

"Is what you said true? That's great... By the way, what should I call you?"

In response to Ash's question, Glussa, with her skis on, slid down the slope, and Edelweiss following behind her, fluttering its wings, and said.

“Guluxia”.