(ACE) The FROST Team

The Pikachu had no idea what to say to the Ninetails after he growled. " It's Hikirio, Ark" Certainly the Ninetails was being stubborn and Jack still hasn't given a warning shot yet, but if Hikirio gets out of line, then Jack would have to put the Ninetails back into his place. "Can't say I'm sorry" Jack was getting irritated with Hikirio's attitude towards the Luxray. The Luxray however wasn't showing any signs of fear from the fire type. " I say we're running out of time, Say we bring Ark along and keep moving. If there is a passage up there they could be using it to get to us. Besides, isn't that how 'humans' collect Pokemon?" The Pikachu clearly didn't like Hikirio's attitude. Why does he hate humans so much and why won't he tell them the reason as to why? These questions had began raising up into Jack's head. Sooner or later Jack would end up revealing that he too has a human and then Hikirio would despise him for it."Shut your fucking mouth." Dal said towards the Ninetails in an angry voice.

As he waited for Dal to get done talking with Yuri, he often wondered how much further would he have to go to find his trainer. Jack was worried about him and that was one of the reasons why he came to Kalos. The other reason was to find a place safe away from the hordes of undead in Johto. Where could he be? Why haven't I been able to find him yet? This did bother him, but he needed to be strong and continue looking. "...right well, looks like I should be saying 'welcome to the team.'" Dal finally approved of the Luxray joining them. Now Jack had a thunder buddy to double the thunderbolt. "I'm Dal, and she's Yuri. She can't talk, so don't expect her to." The pikachu hated to admit it but since hanging around Dal and Yuri, he's grown quite attached to Yuri despite the events earlier. Jack however, needed to talk with Dal on how they should deal with him if he causes any problems with anyone. It would be a matter of time before Jack would have to intervene and keep the Ninetails from making a mistake.

"Besides, having me along could help keep Jack here charged in a fight. Or carry one of you if you got wounded. Not the human though.. No free rides there." Jack chuckled a little from Ark's comment, but truthfully most of Yuri's clothes are rather light and shouldn't really weigh much. "Naw, she's really light and tiny. It's probably the dress making her look bigger." Dal knew this because he has been by her side and Jack only knew from observation. On the other side of the blocked off tunnel the undead was moaning trying to get past the makeshift barrier. "Lead the way, buddy. Before those dead fucks somehow squeeze through the ice. Seems Dal was right though some of parts of their heads was sticking out of the ice trying to squeeze through. The Pikachu looked at the blocked tunnel and followed the collapsed ice up to a tunnel up above them. "Lead the way Ark. Dal, I'll watch our backs and check if anything is following us." The Pikachu said. Jack started storing up electricity again in case they was being tailed by the undead. "Alright, charged and ready to go." Electricity was sparking out of his cheeks ready for combat.

The Pikachu was fully charged and ready to take on anything that would come from behind. "You know Jack that could be a waste of energy if we got into a real fight" Jack was getting irritated at Hikirio's attitude. It was as if the Ninetails knew him, but he doesn't know how cunning Jack really is. The electric type was a hardened fighter and knew how to take any threat down without the use of his thunderbolt. Electricity was coming out of his cheeks, but he kept it under control. " But do as you wish" The electric type shook his head in annoyance, but if a warning shot it needed then Jack would on purposely miss to get Hikirio to straighten out with his attitude. As they started to walk through the tunnels again, Jack kept an eye from behind to see if anything was coming and so far nothing was following. The Pikachu was at the end of the pack serving as a spotter for the back. Jack began to wonder why the undead became more active during the day instead of the night. Soon he realized that it had something to do with the harbingers showing up and killing Spot, Cory and the Braxien.

Continuing on down the tunnel, Jack overheard the Luxray give some advice to the Ninetails. "You are right to fear the other paw, fear is good. It will keep you alive Hikirio. But do not let your bitterness and fear rule you as it seems to have done. Right now we have to trust each other to have one another's back when it counts. Otherwise you will find yourself alone when you truly need another to back you." Jack could say the same, but there's also something about fear that he knew as well. Though fear keeps you alive it also can work the opposite as well and lead to death if not careful. At least that's what Jack had known in the past. The Pikachu looked behind to check for any signs of the undead following and so far nothing was in sight. Then, he heard Dal striking up a conversation with Ark. "Right, so how'd you end up in this frozen hellhole? Looking for something?" This really got Jack to thinking about his trainer now and he isn't the only one looking for someone. Huh, so I'm not the only one looking for their trainer. Imagine that, maybe he's looking for the ranger he mentioned. The electric type thought to himself as they traveled along.

Jack started hearing noises in front of them other than the talking, but he couldn't tell what it was immediately since they was a bit to far from it. For now he just kept his mind on the conversation while looking back every so often. "So Ark, how did you and the ranger you was with separate?" Asking the Luxray was easy, but he dared not to tell Hikirio about himself otherwise he would have to deal with him sooner. Eventually he'll find out about Jack when the time come. If Jack was going to tell Ark about his trainer, he'd have to do it when Hikirio isn't around to hear. "Dal, I think I'm hearing something coming from ahead, but its real feint." As the Pikachu shifts his ears to listen to what's ahead, something did have him somewhat concerned. Right now though he'd have to be cautious getting closer. The noises of the undead coming from behind began getting more silent. It was a relief, but none the less they'd have to remain on guard. "Sounds like they're retreating I got a feeling though that we might find something ahead of us." The pikachu said.

"We weren't seperated by the undead. It was a.. choice that was made. He is now on his own path." Jack perked his ears up to what the Luxray said. Maybe Jack was left behind by choice, but he didn't want to think of it as being abandoned by his trainer. Another sound from ahead of them echoed through the cave it didn't sound threatening. "I can.. hear it to." The Pikachu wasn't the only one that could hear it. From the sound of it was making Jack could only guess it was either a piloswine or a swinub. Listening a bit more with Ark they was able to confirm what it was. "It's.. a Piloswine. Shouldn't be much an issue. They're common in these caves." From where Jack was, they was common at Mt. Silver. If his knowledge served him right a well placed brick break would bring a piloswine down quickly. Then remembering what Hikirio said about Yuri it was pretty much a valid point. Why did he bring her to this frozen cave and for what purpose. Jack felt maybe was for shelter from the storm raging outside earlier.

As they continued walking through the tunnel, the pikachu continued to think about his trainer. Most importantly that sharp sound that pierced through the cave near the entrance. It didn't sound like ice cracking or any living or undead pokemon. "I came hunting for food. Mostly. My ranger and I had a hideout in here when we watched the caves for people getting lost. There might be a blanket or jacket for Yuri to wear so she doesn't freeze at night." Speaking of food, they need to get something to eat after finding this hideout that Ark mentioned. "Alive or undead--can you tell?" The Pikachu started listening again just to be sure that the piloswine the luxray and himself heard earlier was either alive or undead. The sounds continued to echo on and luckily they didn't sound undead. "Thanks." Dal said to the Luxray as Jack continued to listen closely to the sounds.

Once they started getting closer to the source of the sound, Jack started noticing something shiny just ahead of them. What's that? Getting closer to it had shed some clue to where they are now. They must be near where Ark was talking about. "Wait, I recognize this logo." Just before he could let it slip, he realized Hikirio was with them and if he mentioned anything about his human, it would mean troube. Instead he remembered Dal's question about the piloswine either being living or undead. "It sounds alive, but better to be safe than sorry." Looking at Ark for a conformation on the piloswine, he also had to ask about the logo since he remembered seeing a ranger from Johto in the shop with the same thing. "Ark are you familiar with the Rangers in Johto by chance?" Asking the electric feline about it may also point him to his trainer so he could be reunited with him. Jack looked behind one more time to check for any undead following them. Again there was no sign of them following behind. "I think they gave up Dal. If they was to get through that blocked tunnel back there, they would have caught up to us by now and we would have had a big problem." The Electric type said as he looked ahead. "One thing did bother me though earlier, I heard a loud banging sound coming from one of these tunnels. It didn't sound like anything a pokemon would be able to do." Jack added giving his concerns to Dal.

"Familiar? Yes. Not to much though. Was made to learn symbols of most from different lands." Jack was surprised that most pokemon that was with rangers had learned about them. It was likely that Ark had been to Johto before, but Dal would know more since both the pikachu and the Gengar are both natives there. "Yuri and I are from Johto," Of course Jack would have asked Dal as well, but perhaps Dal might know something as well. "Its been there about a few weeks. Wouldn't be surprised if someone came through with it. Marked their direction. Might be wrong though" At least they know where they're at now and it seems to be on the right track. "We are definitely getting close." The Luxray had stated before asking Jack. "Why do you ask if I'm familiar? Aside the obvious here." Of course Jack had to remember when it was when he saw the symbol, but of course he had to be careful about saying it around Hikirio.

Then Dal had asked Jack something that the Pikachu had heard a while back. "...like, clanging? Or ice hitting each other?" The Pikachu shook his head no but it was definitely loud enough for him to hear it. "What kind of banging was it? Maybe it was another cave-in somewhere..." It could lead to that which might have happened near this area since the noise echoed through these tunnels. "What was the sound you heard Jack?" Thinking back to when the banging noise happened it was sharp enough for Jack to hear, but Yuri and Dal might have been unable to hear it. Then it hit him it was a gunshot and whoever had a gun must have used it without knowing what would happen, but Jack would have to make sure it wasn't anyone that would cause harm to them all. "That noise, it sounded like someone shooting something, but got carried away for a cave in to happen." Jack explained to them. Even though if he wasn't completely sure, it was enough to start wondering if his trainer is alive still.

Then there was Ark's question about why he asked if he was familiar. "I'll be truthful with you Ark, I'm owned by a trainer that sells goggles near Mt. Silver. I seen a human with that very symbol on his clothes and that's way I asked." Of course now Hikirio knows and this could make him act more differently towards Jack. The Pikachu would respond to hostility from Hikirio though if it came to it. Then he thought about it some more and needed to ask Dal if he met any pokemon rangers. "Hey Dal, when you and Yuri was in Johto, have you met any pokemon rangers there?" The Electric type asks