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Chapter 116 - The Guardian's Challenge

Once they were done kissing, Rose backed away from Chris with a bright flush on her face, standing and fanning herself with a "whew!" kind of sound while clearing her throat as Chris stood alongside her, clearing his throat and tugging his collar. "B-Boy, doesn't feel so cold all a sudden." he chuckled. "Y-Yeah. Kinda hot." Rose laughed nervously before the two looked at one another and smiled. "Thanks for that. Hope it didn't hurt though. You sure your tongue isn't buggin' ya?" Chris asked. "N-No. It tingles a little, but it's fine." she assured with a wave of her hand. "Speaking of things tingling, you sure make a guy feel pretty good." Chris point out, glancing away with a slight blush and grinning as Rose gave him a curious look before flushing wide eyed. "G-Geez! Don't say that kinda stuff right now." she scowled, giving him an embarrassed nudge. "Sorry, sorry." Chris apologized with a chuckle before offering his hand. "Let's head back to the others. Now that we've had our fun I'd like to go over another idea I've had in mind while we're out in the open like this." Chris nodded, making the rabbit give him another curious look before nodding and taking his hand. Returning to land, Chris picked Rose up in his arms and carried her, making the bunny freeze up shyly as he made his way along. "Hey girls! Where you a....!!" he began to ask, only to find himself cut off when a snowball smashed into his face sending him flying back, causing him to fling Rose into the air before she landed on top of him with a thud knocking the wind out of his body. Panicking, the rabbit quickly climbed off as Chris curled up, clutching his stomach and trying to take in air as he coughed, groaning profanity in a winded tone. Meanwhile, Serenity poked her head out from behind a tree while Alicia poked her head out from behind the carriage, both showing an "oops..." expression as they revealed themselves.

"Y-You okay?" Serenity asked. "Th-That was mine. Sorry about that." Alicia apologized. "F-Fu..." Chris groaned, sitting up and letting out another cough. "I really landed on him hard..." Rose point out while rubbing his back. "I-I'll be fine." Chris assured before pushing himself up, coughing once more while rubbing his stomach. "Whoo boy... I always thought it was just an old saying but women really can leave ya' breathless." he sighed, the girls letting out a nervous laugh in response. "Just gimme a minute to breathe. I wanted to go over an idea I had for you girls." he point out while walking past, the group looking at on another curiously as he went to the carriage and climbed into the drivers seat, sitting back with a sigh before taking of his skates and putting his shoes back on, noticing Serenity had placed her skates on the seat next to him. "Ah, that's good. They won't get messed up." Chris nodded, holding them up and getting a nod from Serenity in response. "Go ahead and hand me yours too Rose, they really aren't meant for walking on." he instructed, the rabbit nodding before sitting on a nearby stump and removing her pair, giving them to Serenity to hand up to Chris. "Sorry again... Not mean for you to get hurt like that." she apologized. "N-No worries." he assured with a nervous laugh. "That was a pretty big snowball though... I take it the two of you were playing a game?" he asked, Serenity and Alicia looking at one another. "Eehhh... Sort of?" Alicia replied. "I guess could say that. We... Kind of play, kind of vent." Serenity confessed. "Vent?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow making the two sweat slightly before surprising both of them with a smirk.

"Well, if you're gonna have a fight between each other, at least that's a way I can agree with. You can't really get hurt that way." he nodded. "U-Usually, anyways. Long as you don't go overboard I guess snowball fights are alright." he affirmed. "Just try not to let others get caught in the crossfire next time you decide to do that. When someone isn't expecting it that kind of thing can actually be dangerous, as you found out." he reminded, the two nodding and apologizing once more. "So... You say have idea for us? Something to do?" Serenity asked. "Is it by chance something to do with a warmer location?" Alicia added. "If it's anything like that skating idea, I guess I'm game." Rose smiled as Chris took his staff in hand. "Well... You know how you girls have been so sick lately?" he asked, the group looking at one another and nodding. "And you know how you still have weird feelings going on inside ya?" he added, the girls blushing collectively and glancing away with an embarrassed nod. "I think you've got this stuff going on because I haven't done anything to keep you active really. Not in the way that I should." Chris explained as he climbed down and looked at the group. "Even though I do my best to treat you as if you were all humans, the fact is you're not, and that's something I think I should pay attention to and respect a little more than I have. You see, I've just focused on trying to make you girls relax, trying to make you lighten up on one another and stuff. I think the reason you're getting so sick lately and your emotions are all messed up is because I haven't given you girls any sort of the exercise you really need, I haven't given you any time to vent things physically and emotionally the way I should..." he went on while walking past them.

Optional track to LWR - Listen While Reading - It's A Challenge! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ISfifczkgM

"So... I've been thinking... Maybe it really would be best if I let you girls do a little training on the side." he point out, stopping at the edge of the ice. "It's all well and good to take life easy, it's fine to enjoy ourselves in more simple ways, but at the same time I can't let your health be put at risk by assuming a life without any kind of battling wouldn't do you any harm. I think it's because I haven't had you training yourselves right that you're all messed up the way you've been, so..." he paused before turning to the group, scratching his cheek while glancing away. "I think, as the one responsible for your well-being, I'm the one who should offer you that training." he explained. "What I mean is, I think we should see how well you girls do against me in a round of training. In our own one-on-one battle of sorts, or three-on-one I guess." he added, the girls looking at one another in surprise. "You want us to fight? Want us to fight you?" Serenity asked. "You're rather fragile you know, I don't think offering to go against me would be wise." Alicia point out. "I'm not that fragile." Chris scowled. "You were taken out by a snowball." Alicia reminded with a similar scowl. "I-I dunno. I don't really like fighting, remember? And fighting you..." Rose reminded, fidgeting nervously. "I know, I know. But it's really worrying me, the way you've been so sick and all. It'd make me happy if you'd just give it a shot. I don't want something REALLY bad happening to your health in the end. Everybody needs the right kind of exercise in life otherwise they go downhill, and I think you're already starting to fall because of the way I've let you girls live up til' now, so... Wadaya say?" he asked, the rabbit scratching her cheek and muttering "I dunno..." while Serenity and Alicia looked at one another.

"Really think it good idea? It really what you want?" Serenity asked. "Yeah, it'll do all of us some good I think to get some exercise." Chris nodded. "If you're uncomfortable landing hits, we can just work on your defense if you want Rose, toss a few attacks your way and have you dodge a few things. That works too." he point out. "So that means it's all of us against that Ninetales power then?" Alicia asked. "Yeah, that's the idea. It'd be nice to see how we compare to one another too I'd think. It might be kinda fun to see how well I do against all of you at once." Chris nodded with a smile. "So, wadaya say? You girls think you could take me on?" he asked with a smirk. "You're making this offer under the assumption I'd have an inclination to be involved..." Ninetales echoed in his mind. "Aw come on. You might even have fun too!" Chris assured. Blinking at him, the girls pointed at themselves thinking he was talking to them, only for Chris to shake his head and tap it, the girls letting out an "oohhh" and nodding as he looked at his forehead. "Lend me a hand. I'm responsible for their health you know, and that means you are too, all things considered. It's our job!" Chris grinned. "Come on mo---om!" Chris whined teasingly, the girls looking at one another with nervous smiles. "Again with that... You'll never stop putting that title over my shoulders, will you?" Ninetales grumbled. "Well lets see. You raised me, brought my family together. Saved my life a few times now..." Chris replied while counting his fingers. "Yeah, mother sounds about right." he grinned. "So, you gonna lend me a hand or what?" he asked, holding his hand out and waiting for Ninetales response.

Standing together in silence for a moment, Chris looked up at his forehead with a scowl while Serenity walked up. "I not think fox will le--aieee!!!" she shout, jumping back when a flame burst out of his hand in front of her face. "THERE we go! Thanks ma'!" Chris grinned. "Wh-What thank her for?! Fox try to burn me!!" Serenity shout, feeling the heat still tingling on her face due to the near miss. "At least it showed you've still got good reflexes!" Chris grinned before flicking his hand, making the flame vanish before holding his hand out. "That was satisfying..." Ninetales chuckled in Chris's mind. "That was kinda mean you know..." Chris lectured. "One should always take advantage of a good opportunity." Ninetales replied as Chris helped Serenity up. "Alright, she won't use anymore tricks so don't worry." he assured, Serenity showing a scowl. "I not know... If fox act like that, not trust her to fight with." she replied with her arms crossed. "In battle one should be prepared for tactics like that." Alicia point out, slyly working a vine through the snow and behind Chris before giving her vine yank, jerking his feet out from under him causing Chris to flip slightly and fall with a shout into the snow. "H-Hey!!" he snapped. "Ha! That what get!" Serenity point. "Thank y...!!" she added, smiling at Alicia and getting a smirk back from the snake, only for both girls to freeze and face away from one another with an agitated scowl. "Aw, so close." Rose giggled while helping Chris up. "For a moment there was some genuine appreciation there." Chris smirked. "At my expense maybe, but hey." he shrugged. "So then, you girls ready for a little exercise?" he asked. "I'll take you on. Just be wary of the fact that I'm both, bigger than you and stronger. To me you're like that of a feather now." Alicia smirked smugly.

"Oh ho, big words there." Chris grinned with a raised eyebrow. "Bigger they are, harder they fall though." he point out, causing Alicia to scowl. "I take on too." Serenity nodded with her arms crossed. "Good! What about you Rose?" he asked, looking at the rabbit as she fidget nervously. "F-Fighting huh?" she muttered, looking at the girls and Chris before looking down and poking her fingers silently. "I-I guess so... It's only because you're worried about us after all... I don't want you worrying. And if it helps keep us from going through all those sick spells again, then... Okay." she nodded. "Well alright! That's my tough lil' bunny!" Chris grinned, ruffling her head making Rose blush before pushing his hand away. "H-Hey!" she scowled, straightening her fur. "Aw, what? You're the same as Serenity?" he laughed, reaching out to the Pokemon only for Serenity to snatch his hand. "Not think about it." she warned with a scowl, not wanting her hair messed up again. "Bah, you're no fun..." Chris replied with his tongue out and a "Nyeeeh!" sound, Serenity responding the same way. "Alright then. Since it's gonna be you girls against me, each of you can use whatever moves and tactics you want to try and come out on top! I could give you some advice and tell you the a few good routes to go, but then again, that wouldn't be called training if your bodies AND brains weren't benefiting from our little session." Chris began. "I want each of you to give it your all, in your own ways, to take me down. And to sweeten the deal..." he paused before winking. "The one who manages to come out on top against me gets a real special reward. Something you'd better believe is worth fighting for!" he assured, all three imagining different things and grinning eagerly. "Well then..." he paused, taking a fighting stance as Ninetales aura started seeping out of his body. "Show me what you've got!" he grinned.

Optional track to LWR - Listen While Reading - The Battle Begins! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXffvJzpJjc

About to charge forward first, Serenity was outpaced by Alicia who rocket herself forward. "Ho! And here she comes!" Chris smirked, reaching his hand out as Alicia came close, only for Chris to shove her head down and jump over her like a football player. "Yaba-daba-doo!!!" he shout as his feet slid along her body while it passed beneath him before leaping from her tail, looking back as Alicia raised up and shook the snow off her head. "Really? I expected something more creative from your first attack!" he laughed, only for the snake to grin as roots shot up from where he stood before charging once more. "O-Okay!" he panicked, his feet trapped in place by the roots as Alicia used an onslaught of Vine Whip and Frustration combined against him. "N-Not bad! I take that back!" Chris nodded while jerking his body about and using his staff to dodge and counter her attacks. "Stop worming about!" Alicia shout, only for Chris to set the roots ablaze and leap away. "Looks like somebody caught hold of some TM's at some point!" Chris laughed. "Oh I've plenty of surprises." Alicia smirked, only for her fight with him to be interrupted when Serenity tackled him from behind. "Try fight me!" she grinned as Chris pushed her back and readied himself. "Excuse me?!" Alicia complained. "Not be slow! I want prize!" Serenity replied before charging at Chris. "Same thing twice? You should know better than to imitate...!!" Chris lectured, only to pause when Serenity vanished. "...Others?" he added, only to jolt when Serenity tapped his shoulder. "O-Okay then. Not ba...!!" he replied, turning to see she'd vanished again before tapping him once more, repeating this act several times.

"C-Come on!! Fight!!" Chris scowled, holding his staff in a defensive pose. "Fighting fun, but you know, I like music too..." Serenity replied. "M-Music?" Chris asked, only to freeze when Serenity appeared in front of him before unleashing a powerful Disarming Voice, causing Chris to shout and cover his ears before being sent into a dazed state. "L-Loud..." he groaned while stumbling about before Serenity giggled slyly and snapped her fingers, causing her Psychic to catch hold of him and lift Chris in the air. "What think? Not bad?" she asked, teasingly dragging her finger under his chin. "Y-Yeah, not bad..." he replied, shaking off his daze before smirking. "You're not the only one with moves like this though." he point out, Serenity letting out an "eh?" before Chris's eyes flashed, causing Serenity to jolt before staggering. "N-Not... Fair." she groaned as her eyes grew heavy, hr hold on him fading until he was on the ground again. "Hypnosis baby. Gotcha." he smirked as Serenity fell on her knees, looking up at him dazed as he slid a finger under her chin. "Shoes on the other foot." he teased before stepping back and releasing his spell causing Serenity to jolt and shake her head. "Alright, now how do you wanna do this?" he asked, turning to Rose making her jolt. Looking around nervously, she suddenly went wide eyed and pat her fist on her hand as if she'd thought of something making Chris tilt his head. Motioning for him to come at her, Chris blinked in surprise before smirking. "Alright then, nothing wrong with that either. Here I come!" he warned before racing toward Rose as Serenity stood and rubbed her head. "He's pretty good." Alicia point out while slithering up next to her. "I surprised he can use move like that." Serenity nodded. "Seems we've all got surprises left for one another. It's rare but Ninetales can indeed use Hypnosis." Alicia explained while they watched the two fight.

"Alright! Not bad! Keep it up!" Chris praised while repeatedly taking aim at the rabbit, swinging and thrusting his staff in her direction while using Quick Attack to keep up with her speed. "Those legs of yours really are awesome!" he added, suddenly caught off guard when Rose dodged and twirled about causing her ears to tangle around his staff, allowing her to yank it away and hold it with a giggle. "I've got good ears too you know!" she reminded, pointing them out as Chris blinked in surprise and whistled. "Ni--ice tactic!" he nodded before turning toward the others. "You girls too! Keep it up!" he added with a thumbs up. Turning back to Rose, he paused with a confused look when he saw his staff standing in front of him, having been stuck in the ground with Rose nowhere in sight. "E-Eh?" he muttered, blinking in surprise. Walking up to it, he looked around before taking his staff. "R-Ro...?!" he called out, cut off when the rabbit called his name from above, only for Chris to look up and find himself buried in a pile of snow as she bounced along branches above before hopping down next to him and shoving two sticks in the sides of the snow pile. "Gotcha!" she laughed as Chris shook the show off his head, looking like a tall snowman as he scowled. "Not bad... They're good at the bait game." Ninetales admit in his mind. "Yeah... I kinda feel like a Mankey." Chris thought in response. "Oh, that's normal." the fox teased causing his eye to twitch as he dug his way out of the snow covering his body. "Okay, you're pretty good at playing games with me." he admit, the girls grinning before pausing as he held out a hand and formed a ball of fire. "Now lets move on, eh?" he asked, the girls blinking with an "uuhh..." before he suddenly started launching his attack, sending Flamethrower shots in their direction making them panic and quickly scatter.

"Good!! That's it, on your toes!!" Chris called out. "W-W-Woah!! T-Time!!" Rose panicked, motioning the sign with her hands as well only to jump and shout as a blast flew past beneath her. "G-G-Grass type!! Grass type!! HEY!!" Alicia panicked as shots repeatedly zipped past her, the snake forced to duck and dodge and shape her body in different ways like a pretzel to avoid his attacks. Watching the girls dodge about while Chris fired at them, Rapidash rolled his eyes and grunt only to have a blast fly right past his face, causing his eyes to widen before relaxing and shaking his head in an "oh brother..." kind of way. Suddenly, Chris noticed Serenity vanishing again, only to appear behind him before unleashing a blast of her Stored Power forcing Chris to Protect himself as the power made impact, sending him stumbling back. "G-Good shot." he muttered before grinning and swinging his staff out, shouting "Payback time!" as he sent a blast toward her forcing Serenity to vanish again. "Whoo... Gotta stay on my toes." he sighed before noticing Alicia trying to come up while his back was turned, only to send another Flamethrower her way. "S-Stop using fire on me!!" she snapped as her body twirled about to avoid it. "Never said there were rules about which attacks we could use." Chris smirked before sending more blasts her way. Growing more and more agitated, Alicia finally let out a furious shout and attacked with a sudden massive Leaf Storm, causing Chris's eyes to widen with an "Ah geez!!" as the attack made impact, having no time to guard himself causing Chris to take the storm head on before being sent flying over the frozen lake, rolling and sliding along its surface before finally stopping as the attack faded away.

"W-Woah..." Rose muttered, poking her head out from behind a tree wide eyed. "N-Not bad snake." Serenity nodded, the two walking up to Alicia's sides as she pant with an exhausted look on her face. "Y-Yeah, well..." she replied, weakly catching her breath, the group looking in the distance as Chris stood nervously on the ice. "N-Nice counter!!" Chris shout, waving his staff before smirking. "Not enough to take me out though." he shrugged before suddenly swinging his staff behind himself and using his Flamethrower to propel himself along the surface. "My turn again." Serenity grinned, cracking her knuckles before using her Psychic to launch herself along the ice toward him. The two sliding along toward one another, Chris hurled his staff into the air just before colliding with Serenity, the Pokemon unleashing another blast of her Stored Power while Chris unleashed a massive Flame Charge against her, the two gripping each others hands tightly. "P-Pretty strong. I'd expect no less from you though." Chris praised. "Y-You too. That my master." Serenity replied before their energy caused a blast that sent them flying back from one another. Reaching out, Chris's aura caught his staff before it hit the ice, drawing it back into his grasp as Serenity sat up in the distance. "Guess we're a pretty explosive combination!" Chris laughed as Serenity smirked. "You know it!" she grinned. "Well? Aren't you going to get in on the match again?" Alicia asked back on land as she and Rose watched the two. "I-I dunno. I just liked having some fun. It's getting kinda serious." she smiled nervously. "So? This is your chance to earn his adoration in a new light. Don't you want him to focus on you more?" she asked, making Rose fidget shyly.

"Yes yes, fighting isn't your thing. But this isn't like the past. This isn't out of any sort of force. He simply loves you and wants to do what he thinks will help. The least you could do is show your respect and make this worthwhile for him, and for yourself. Stretch your legs a tad. I must say, it has me feeling rather refreshed." Alicia smirked. "I'll be back in the fight once I recover from that storm of mine. I encourage you to take the opportunity to be involved yourself before that happens. Really give him a show, make him respect you in a way he hasn't before." the snake coaxed. Looking up at her, Rose faced down nervously before suddenly nodding with a stern looking expression, grunting as she clenched her fists before launching herself toward Chris, using Bounce's to cross the ice before launching herself high into the air over Chris without him noticing. "So, what's your next plan?" he asked Serenity, ready for her attack only for the Pokemon to look in the air above him with a surprised look. "Y-Yo! Serenity? Focus!" he instructed, snapping his fingers before tilting his head with a confused look. "What are you...?" he asked, only to look up and freeze wide eyed as Rose plummet toward him using a combination of a High Jump Kick and Focus Blast in her leg that made it look as though it'd been engulfed in fire. "Oh shi...!!" Chris panicked as he held his staff up in both hands to defend against the attack, Ninetales aura engulfing the rod as Rose made impact with it causing Chris's legs to tremble as the ice around him shattered. "H-Holy...!!" he groaned, gritting his teeth as the rabbit showed a surprising look of determination, causing him to blink in surprise before she jumped back and stood in front of him, her leg shaking causing the rabbit to clutch it. "That's a risky move you know..." Chris point out. "Caught you by surprise though." Rose smirked.

"Can't deny it... You actually put everything into that." he nodded before grinning. "Nice job!" he praised with a thumbs up, Rose nodding before straightening up and suddenly launching toward him once more, using a combination of her Quick Attack and Dizzy Punch to unleash a flurry of close combat attacks against him, forcing Chris on his toes once more as he used a combination of his staff and the aura from his nine tails to defend against her blows. "F-Fast...!!" Chris muttered, inching and sliding back on the ice as Rose relentlessly pushed herself. After a moment, the two separated from one another, both breathing heavily as Serenity and Alicia watched in surprise. "Rabbit pretty good..." Serenity nodded. "W-Well, if you're gonna get serious too, guess I really can't hold back." Chris smirked before straightening up and closing his eyes, his aura suddenly bursting from his body before taking a tackle stance. "Get ready Rose! I'm not holding back on this one!" he warned, the rabbit blinking nervously before scowling and taking a defensive stance with a nod. Getting down on all fours, Chris set his staff aside as his aura further changed into a Ninetales shape around him, his eyes changing with a smirk. "Here I come!!" he warned before suddenly charging toward the rabbit, his hands and feet crushing the ice beneath him as he readied a powerful Giga Impact against her, letting out a ferocious Roar causing Rose to jolt yet maintain her stance. Suddenly making contact, a massive blast of energy shot out from where the two touched, with Chris having been abruptly stopped as Rose used a combination of Endure and Strength to halt his attack, gritting her teeth as she clutched Chris's shoulders, his head just inches from her torso.

"Y-You actually stopped me..." he groaned. "N-Not easy..." Rose replied as Chris slammed his hand down into the ice, pushing Rose back only for the rabbit to suddenly Retaliate and use a Low Sweep to knock Chris over before using Focus Blast a second time and sending her foot slamming down over him. "Not gonna happen!" he shout, catching her foot before it hit causing the ice around them to shatter and create a small crater of sorts before he tossed her aside and stood, his aura fading back to a more tame state while sighing in relief. "Whoo boy. You go girl!" Chris smirked as Rose stood, smirking back before wincing and flicking her hands with an "ow ow owww" from stopping him, her hands stinging and throbbing from the impact between them. "Yeah, that was gonna hurt a little... You still stopped me though, so major props." he nodded before feeling a dizzy wave rush through his head. "Whoo... Takes it out of a guy though." he laughed nervously. "Not forget me!" Serenity shout, suddenly charging toward him once more. "Oh, trust me I hav...!!" Chris replied, only to pause when he heard a crumbling sound beneath him. Because of their repeated impacts, Chris and the girls had caused so much damage to the surface around them that the ice had started shattering apart, with cracks spreading throughout the area around them. Panicking, he quickly snatched Rose in one of his tails and caught Serenity in another as she approached. "H-Hey!!" she struggled. "Time out!!" Chris shout before launching himself away from the crumbling ice, the surface splitting apart in all directions as he shot past his staff, catching it in another tail while hurrying toward land. Reaching it, he stumbled forward and dropped the girls in the snow, all three landing face first in the powdery surface before pulling their heads out and looking back at the exposed lake behind them, with the once solid ice having taken on a honeycomb pattern of solid surface drifting about.

"Wow... Not bad girls!" he praised. "I think it was Rose's impacts that did the most damage to the ice though, especially that crater she made when she flipped me around out there... You really are amazing!" he added, rubbing Rose on the head making her blush and poke her fingers. "Th-Thanks." she nodded. "I told you." Alicia point out while slithering up to the group. "Ah, ready for more?" Chris asked, standing and patting the snow off his clothes. "I think so." she nodded. "Well alright then! How about we start round two now that you've all got yourselves nice and limbered up? I'd love to see you girls go all out some more!" he grinned as they gathered in front of him with a nod. "This has been rather tame... Why not make it at least a little more worth my time?" he heard Ninetales ask in his mind. "Eh? I thought they'd been doing pretty good." Chris replied, looking at the girls as they readied themselves, Serenity and Rose patting the snow off their bodies while Alicia straightened her stance. "In their current forms there's a matter of fair play and that's rather boring... Why not see how they fare against my power in their other forms?" the fox asked. "Other forms?" Chris muttered before jolting when his Key Stone let out a sudden pulse, glancing at his staff. "You're telling me you're actually interested now?" he asked. "So long as it's a little more interesting, I suppose I could find a bit of... Fun, in the matter." Ninetales agreed. "I dunno, you know how I feel about Mega Evolution and all. It's supposed to be an emergency only thing." Chris reminded. "Their well-being isn't emergency enough?" the fox asked, Chris scratching his cheek and muttering in response. "I dunno..." he repeat, the girls looking at him curiously.

"...I guess it couldn't hurt, just this once." he nodded. "What not hurt?" Serenity asked. "Something wrong?" Rose added. "Cowering out?" Alicia smirked as he looked at the three before letting out a sigh and smirking. "Nothing like that... We've just decided to step it up a notch." Chris assured before stepping up to the girls. "You ready?" he asked. "Ready?" Serenity replied. "F-For what?" Rose added nervously, only for both to jolt when he tapped his staff down twice, causing his Key Stone to let off another pulse, followed by a pulse from their respective Mega Stones causing Serenity and Rose's eyes to widen. "Now do you understand?" he asked, the two nodding. "I want you girls to really give it all you got. Ninetales wants to stretch her legs too so we gotta make it worth her time." he smirked. "Well? Wadaya say?" he asked, looking up at Alicia. "It'd be a great chance to show what you can do too. See how you stand up to me and the others. Think you'll still be as big in comparison?" he smirked, the snake scowling at him. "So you'll change how you look, that doesn't mean anything." she scoffed. "I'll hold you to that." he nodded before holding his staff out, calling for Serenity and Rose to reach out causing their stones to flash. "Alright! Time to evolve you two!" he instructed, the two shutting their eyes tightly as their stones let off a bright flash that engulfed the two. Pulling his staff back, Chris stepped away while Alicia moved as well, watching as a cocoon of sorts enveloped them before shattering in an explosions of sorts, revealing both Pokemon standing in their Mega forms, looking one another over. "Oohhh... You really ARE pretty." Rose praised while feeling Serenity's skirt. "You look good too. Like legs. Ears neat too." Serenity nodded, the rabbit stepping back and looking herself over. "Okay, okay. You both look great. Now, lets see what you've got!" Chris challenged, the two facing him before smirking and taking fighting stances.

Optional track to LWR - Listen While Reading - A Mega Match! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7RJeGlLobo

With his aura bursting from his body once more, Chris faced his three opponents before taking the first move, unleashing a flurry of attacks using his tails like daggers, putting the three on the defensive as they dodged and blocked his tails. "Faster! On your toes!" he ordered as the three created a distance between themselves, only for Chris's tails to extend as though they were made of rubber and chase the girls around the area, Serenity repeatedly vanishing time and again while Rose used the trees like springboards to dodge his sharpened aura in a pinball form. Noticing Alicia heading toward him, Chris sent his aura's claw shooting in her direction, only for the snake to spiral around it making him jolt in surprise before the snake used her tail to spring into the air above. "You've left yourself open too much!" Chris lectured, yanking his claw back before sending it shooting toward her once more. However, instead of dodging his grasp, Alicia suddenly flipped repeatedly until she was rapidly spinning like a wheel as she plummet toward him, a bright energy showing before the snake sent her tail crashing down into his claw, splitting his aura in half as she continued falling forcing Chris to jump aside as Alicia made impact with the ground, smashing it to pieces sending snow and rock flying as Chris quickly stood and faced the snake, now standing in the crater she'd created with her tail. "Who needs a Mega form?" she scoffed. "I-Iron Tail, n-not bad." Chris nodded nervously. "Good breeding." the snake smirked proudly before glaring at him once more and charging forward. "You should know I'm the best!" she added, only to have her moment interrupted when Serenity sent Chris flying with a massive pink blast of energy.

"A-Again?!" Alicia snapped, only for Serenity to fly past her with a "nyeeeh!!" expression and take over the fight. "Aaagh..." Chris groaned, sitting up and shaking his head. "M-Moonblast... That one was intense." he muttered while standing right before Serenity collided with him, sending Chris sliding back and sinking into the snow as he struggled to stay on his feet, using his aura engulfed staff for defense once more. "Sn-Sneak attacks, that and bait are you girls forte it seems." he smirked. "It fun to be sneaky." Serenity grinned before suddenly vanishing and using Double Team against him, surrounding Chris in countless copies of herself, each holding another Moonblast, further fueled by a mixture of her Stored Power causing Chris to panic as he used his tails to rapidly take out her copies along with random bursts of Flamethrowers, only to repeatedly hit illusions. "Up here!!" Serenity shout before releasing her attack from above, forcing Chris to cocoon himself within his tails as her attack made impact before rocketing up toward the Pokemon with an Energy Ball in his aura's claw, the Pokemon jolting in surprise before being sent flying by his attack. "Gotcha!" Chris grinned as he fell back toward the ground. However, right as he was about to land, Rose took advantage and attacked using a combination of her Strength and Retaliation, delivering a powerful kick that sent Chris flipping and rolling across the ground before slamming into a tree, letting out a shout and groaning as he sat against the trunk. "O-Oops... Too much?" Rose muttered, Alicia blinking in surprise with a "Not bad" in response to the move. However, next thing they knew Chris's aura burst to life once more before he charged toward the two on all fours once more. "Oh sh...!!" Alicia panicked, quickly dodging one way while Rose dodged another, Chris sliding past between the two before changing direction and rocketing toward the two, using Ninetales abilities to create a fiery copy of himself that went after Alicia while he went after Rose.

"F-Fire!! Fire is deadly!! Fire!!" Alicia panicked as his copy slashed and charged toward her. "S-Scary!! Getting scary!!" Rose panicked as she started springing from trees once more, Chris doing the same and leaping from trunk to trunk after the fleeing rabbit. Suddenly sending his auras claw shooting toward her, he finally caught Rose in his grasp and slammed her down into the snow beneath him with a grin on his face, causing the rabbit to flail and panic while Alicia continued panicking as well due to the massive collection of fire tailing her. "B-Back!! Back back!!" she shout before dodging another swipe from the clone and suddenly gritting her teeth with a pulse of anger on her forehead. "I... Said... BACK!!!" she snapped before sending a powerful Twister toward the clone, engulfing it and turning the move into a swirling vortex of fire. With the Twister itself still under her control, Alicia sent the move speeding toward Chris as he leaned his face down toward Rose's, the rabbit panicking all the more only to freeze and let out an "eeeeee!!!" when he suddenly licked her on the cheek and grinned with a sly "gotcha!" that made Rose pause and blink at him for a moment before gritting her teeth. "D-Don't scare me like that!!" she snapped. "Ha ha, so...!!" Chris replied, only to be cut off when Rose delivered a powerful kick that sent him flying up, with Rose noticing the Twister and quickly dodging as Chris fell back down into it and rapidly twirled within, shouting in panic before the Twister essentially spit him out and sent Chris flying toward the carriage as it fizzled out, landing at Rapidash's feet with a groan. Looking down, the horse considered giving him another good kick, but instead tapped Chris's head with his hoof and grunted in a "you alright?" manner as Chris sat up and shook his head.

"Whoo... Not bad..." Chris muttered while standing and rubbing his back. "Ready to admit defeat?" Alicia smirked. "You've been getting beat pretty bad." Rose added, unable to resist giggling over their tricks against him. "I didn't expect you girls to work together against me... I figured you'd be bashing each other while trying to take me on." he point out while patting snow off his body and releasing his aura once more. "Well, the whole... Working together thing has been a tad coincidental really." Alicia point out. "Y-Yeah. I almost got sucked up in that swirly fire too." the rabbit added, giving Alicia a scowl. "S-Sorry! I was just focusing on him." the snake apologized with a scowl of her own. "They're not bad. It's just a shame they hold themselves back until the last moment." Ninetales echoed in his mind. "That was a descent tactic you had as well, creating a copy of yourself using the fire." the fox added. "Hard to tell I'm not one of your own huh?" Chris grinned. "Don't push it..." the fox replied in agitation. "Aww, come on. You know you're proud of me." he teased. "Alright then! Lets continue!" Chris ordered, Rose and Alicia nodding in response. "You know... Maybe working together isn't a bad idea..." Rose point out. "You've no interest in that prize of his?" Alicia asked. "W-Well, we don't even know what it is. And knowing him it might just be dinner alone or maybe something like those key chain thingies we got back in the village. Something like that wouldn't be so bad to share would it?" Rose point out. "Mmm... I dunno." the snake replied, glancing at Chris as he looked at the two confused. "U-Uhh. Continue?" he asked. "Then again, it's taking him down either way. How it's done wouldn't matter too greatly I suppose so long as he winds up beneath us." Alicia nodded with a slightly sadistic look on her face as she smirked. "You uh... Make winning sound kinda kinky." Rose point out with a nervous smile, causing Alicia to jolt and flush. "H-Hush! Do you want to try it or not?!" the snake snapped.

"Try... What exactly?" Chris asked, the two jolting and shaking their heads. "Nothing! Shall we continue?" Alicia asked. "Y-Yeah! I think we still have some energy left..." Rose nodded. "Good." Chris smirked before Ninetales aura began to rise up around him all the more. "I think this time we'll fight to finish it. Wadaya say?" he grinned. "I agree. I'm starting to feel famished." Alicia nodded. "Y-Yeah. Sounds good." Rose agreed. "Alright, bring it on you two!" Chris challenged before charging toward them. Looking at one another, Alicia and Rose nodded before charging as well, the two waiting until they were close enough before stopping at is sides making Chris jolt. "E-Eh?" he asked, about to react by aiming for Alicia only for Rose to knock him in the air with a Low Sweep, allowing Alicia to snatch him out of the air and use a combination of Coil and Wring Out to trap him in her body. "H-Heh, nice trick." he praised, only for his eyes to widen when the snake hurled him into the air with a loud snap of her tail giving Rose a chance to Bounce up high and start tackling him while airborne. "Together now huh?" he asked as the rabbit delivered countless punches and kicks, putting Chris on the defensive as he fell along with her. Once they were at the ground, Alicia caught both and flung them both back in the air like a spring, allowing Rose to continue attacking him repeatedly while keeping him off the ground and on guard. "O-Okay!! Enough of the bouncing!!' Chris finally snapped, suddenly sending his tails shooting into the ground below and using them like stilts before catching Rose in his auras claw and tossing her down to Alicia, the snake catching the rabbit in her coil as Chris lowered himself.

"Working together... Now that's something praise worthy." he smirked. "Alright, now try a different tactic. One less... Bouncy, maybe?" he asked, the two looking at one another before smirking and charging him once more. launching himself forward as well, Chris was ready to unleash another round of Ninetales power against the two. However, almost as if everything had suddenly gone into slow motion, the crafty and spiteful fox cut off her power from him at the last moment, causing Chris to jolt and his eyes to widen with a "Wha...?!" as his aura vanished, leaving him exposed to the duo's attack as Rose tripped him up and Alicia caught him before slamming his body into the ground. "W-W-W-Wait!! T-T-Time ou---aaagh!!!" he shout as Rose performed a final High Jump Kick against him, the powerful move making impact as Alicia quickly pulled away knocking the wind out of Chris and causing his face and eyes to twist in excruciating pain before letting out a groan and going into an unconscious state. "W-We did it!!" Rose jumped around excitedly. "Huh, I suppose working together wasn't so bad." Alicia smirked proudly. "The crafty worm's gonna get up again for more though so be rea...!!" the snake point out, believing they'd go into another round only to notice Chris lying still and groaning. "R-Ready? H-Hello?" Alicia asked, poking Chris with her tail. "H-Hey... Come on. This isn't a fair tactic." she scowled, lifting him with her tail only for Chris to fall back with a thud causing Rose to freeze with a pale and wide eyed look. "U-Uh oh..." she muttered. "H-Hey! Was that too hard?!" she panicked, raising Chris up herself and giving him a shake. "W-Wakey wakey!!" she shout. "N-Nine... tales..." he groaned in an agitated voice.

"Ninetales?" the two asked, looking at one another before facing him as he let out a hiss and came to, clutching his torso. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you that bad! I thought it wasn't all that effective! None of the other kicks were!" Rose apologized. "Th-The others weren't. Ninetales cut me off during that attack. I was wide open..." he explained before scowling. "Sly fox." he muttered. "Dumb human." Ninetales echoed in his mind. "What'd I do?!" he snapped. "You got cocky." she replied. "That, and I just felt like seeing you getting smacked around a little." she added with a chuckle. "Y-You sadist! Stuff like that could kill me!" he lectured. "K-Kill you?!" Rose panicked, suddenly getting teary eyed. "N-No!! Not kill me!! That is, I meant Ninetales could've! Not you!!" he assured. "S-Still... I-I don't wanna fight you anymore!" Rose replied. "I admit, it may be best for you to take a break after taking that blow without any defense." Alicia point out as Chris stood with his staff in hand, wincing from a sudden pain shooting through his body from his torso. "That ruins it for me too a tad. It's not fair, nor' any fun, to take you down in that kind of manner. Teaming up to trick you is one thing, but slamming you down when you're already helpless like that beforehand leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Victory's no good unless you're at your best." the snake added. Looking at the two, Chris let out a sigh and nodded before Rose cancelled out her Mega Form, returning to her normal state before walking up to Chris and giving him a hug. "I'm sorry, is it okay?" she asked, rubbing his stomach. "Y-Yeah. Don't worry. If there's one thing I can take it's a beating." he laughed nervously. "I can vouch for that." Alicia nodded. "You certain nothing's damaged? I grabbed you pretty tightly, and that slam wasn't very gentle either." she point out as the two looked him over, Chris having to assure the girls he was fine.

After a moment, Chris started looking around with a nervous and worried look. "One thing I don't get is what happened to Serenity...? I mean, my attack wasn't THAT strong and I didn't send her very far either. She should've sprung back from that in an instant." he point out, looking at his staff. "Her stone's still active, and I can understand you girls so she should be alright and close by." he added. "Oh yeah... I saw you hit her in the air and send her flying a little." Rose nodded. "She's not one to give up normally, I can give her that." Alicia added, all three looking around. After a moment, Chris started calling her name several times, only to get silence in response until he heard a loud "Here I am!!" response. "I heard her!! She's over...!!" Chris point out, only to freeze wide eyed and turn pale when he saw Serenity launch into the air from the forest with a colossal amount of power held above her head. "Th-Th-Th-That's a big, BIG Moon Blast!" Rose point out with her mouth agape. "The crafty thing must've spent all this time building up energy in hiding." Alicia added. "H-Hey! Hold up Serenity!" Chris shout, waving his hands. "I not hear you!! I gonna win!!" the Pokemon grinned. "You fool!! Tone it down!!" Alicia snapped. "I not let snake get jump on fight! I not help you too slow!" Serenity scoffed. "S-Seriously!! Wait a sec!!" Rose panicked. "You against too?! Teaming up not fair!!" Serenity shout. "It's circumstantial you idiot!! Pay attention to your target!!" Alicia argued. "I am!! That why I ready to attack!! I hit him with this, I win!!" Serenity grinned. "Get ready! Here come!! Now I get prize!!" Serenity laughed before pulling herself back, readying to toss the massive collection of energy toward the group. "Y-You hit him with that, he dies!!" Alicia shout. "Y-Yeah!! Hang on!!" Rose panicked, the two in front of Chris as he inched back.

"N-N-Ninetales!! This isn't some joke anymore!! Give me a hand!!" he panicked as Serenity suddenly hurled the colossal Moon Blast toward them. "Ooohh shhh....!!" Alicia panicked, rapidly slithering away. "Run away, run away!!" Rose shout, bounding off as Chris dashed through the snow. "G-Get goin' Rapidash!!" he ordered, the horse looking back with a scowl only to see the massive energy heading towards him, causing his eyes to widen with a "yes sir!!" expression and shout before quickly dashing off with the carriage, Rose jumping on the back while Alicia threw herself inside. "I win, I win!!" Serenity laughed, watching the group rush off as the energy finally made impact with the ground, creating a massive explosion that narrowly missed the carriage while sending Chris flying through the air and flailing about amid flying snow and debris. "Haaaah... That feel good. Let off lots of steam." Serenity sighed in relief, feeling as though she'd put all her frustration into her last attack as she lowered to the ground and looked around at the smoke covered surroundings. "Mmm... Maybe put too much into attack?" she muttered, continuing to look around before shrugging and calling for the others. After a moment, she finally saw figures coming up before her, and as the smoke cleared it turned out to be Rapidash cautiously trotting along, with Rose atop the carriage looking around with a "geez" while Alicia spotted Serenity and shout "You idiot!!!" from within the carriage. "Ah pssshhh." Serenity replied, waving her hand and rolling her eyes. "What? You just mad because I strongest. I get drop on him, get drop on all of you, so I win and I get prize!" the excited Pokemon grinned. "So, where he at? Want to know what I get!" she added, holding her hand out in a "gimme gimme" kind of way as Rapidash stopped and Rose climbed down.

"Well? Where he at? He in carriage? Big chicken!" Serenity grinned. "He's not with us!!" Rose snapped, causing Serenity to jolt in surprise. "H-Hey, not have to be that way. Just have fun." Serenity scowled. "You call THAT fun?! Look what you did!!" Alicia lectured while slithering out of the carriage, their surroundings now barren and charred from the blast. "We might've gotten a tad crazy but your move was ridiculous!" she added. "You not be sore loser! He want us to go all out, so that what I do! Now where he at? I win fair and square!" Serenity affirmed, the three along with Rapidash looking around as more smoke cleared. "H-Hey... Where is he?" Rose asked nervously. "I don't see a sign of him. I remember he was running alongside us for a moment then the blast hit." Alicia point out. "Oh not play game, he here." Serenity scowled before looking around and inside the carriage. "Come out, come out!" she grinned playfully, digging through the blankets and pillows. However, it didn't take long for her to find he'd really gone missing, causing Serenity to gasp with a "He not here..." before her Mega form cancelled out in a flash as she jumped out of the carriage. "He not here!! Where he at?!" she panicked. "That's what we'd like to know!! When your moronic move made impact he didn't have any of Ninetales energy protecting him!! The fox cut him off when we were fighting as a prank and after taking on an attack like that, who knows?!" Alicia lectured. "We tried to tell you he was exposed!!" Rose added, the two nervously looking around and scanning the distant area. Discovering this, Serenity suddenly went into a dumbfounded state, her arms limply at her sides as she walked along wide eyed looking around only to pause when she saw a sparkling object.

"H-Hey!! Look there!!" she point out, the girls jolting and facing Serenity before looking where she point, noticing the stones and Pokeball on Chris's staff glistening as it drift onto the shore. Rushing up, the girls gathered around as Serenity picked it up. "H-Here staff, but where he?" she asked, looking around over the lake. "Y-You don't suppose he landed...?" Alicia asked. "I-In THERE?!" Rose panicked, suddenly starting to hyperventilate and fan herself. "Y-You sent him into a frozen lake!!!" Alicia suddenly snapped, pushing Serenity back. "I-I not!! I-I mean... I not mean...!!" she panicked before facing the water as the frozen chunks of the surface drift about. Suddenly tossing his staff aside, which Rose quickly caught, Serenity slammed her hands onto the ground and started releasing massive pulses of energy throughout the lake, scanning the water for a moment before her eyes shot open, lifting her hands from the ground as they started trembling before the Pokemon let out a horrified and blood curdling scream, causing Alicia to jump back while Rose dropped the staff and covered her ears with a panicked shout of her own. "Wh-What?! Is he there?!" the rabbit asked, only for both, she and Alicia to be blown back when Serenity rocket out over the surface. Readying herself to take the plummet into the frigid lake, Serenity soared up high before launching herself downward, only to stop in her tracks when the lake suddenly froze over in a flash. "N-No..." she muttered before soaring down and making impact with the surface. "No!! no no no!!" she shout, attacking the ice with powerful blasts, only for it to remain solid as stone no matter her attempts to break through.

"Wh-What happened?! What's the deal?!" Rose panicked. "I-I've no idea! It just suddenly froze again!!" Alicia replied, Rapidash blinking in surprise from the entire lake suddenly turning to stone. In the distance, Serenity could be heard screaming as she repeatedly attacked the ice, even dipping into her Shadow Abilities to try and create a puncture through the surface as a combination of terror and rage welled up within her. Looking at one another, the two nodded with a grunt before quickly helping each other across the ice to where Serenity was. "He's beneath here, right?!" Alicia shout. "Get him out!! Get him out!!" Serenity screamed while launching another attack, sending her fist slamming into the ice. "We'll help!" Rose nodded before the two took a leap into the air together. Watching them, Serenity joined in and all three started landing blow after blow on the surface, Alicia repeatedly using her Iron Tail combined with Slam while Rose used her Endure and Strength to repeatedly land her High Jump Kicks on the ice, Serenity using a dangerous combination of her Shadow Blast and Stored Power alongside the two again and again in unison. After a moment, the group finally managed to shatter the ice, only to discover the lake had been frozen clear through to the bottom as the ice around them cracked and started ripping apart like an earthquake, and like an earthquake, the area around them started rumbling and shaking violently as the ice separated. "W-Where's he at?!" Alicia shout, looking down. "I don't see him!! Did we crush him?!" Rose panicked. Struggling to maintain their balance as they slid about, the girls jolt in surprise and their eyes widened as a blue-ish white light started glowing from below, and next thing they knew a column of light shot out from the splitting ice and into the sky above.

Optional track to LWR - Listen While Reading - A New Form Awakens! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0tqiS8Wg-4

"Wh-What's that?!" Rose panicked. "I-Is it him?!" Alicia asked. "I never see him make something like that!" Serenity replied, the three squinting due to the brightness of the column of light before it suddenly vanished. "I-Is it...?" Alicia repeat as the ice suddenly grew still, allowing them to look down toward the source of the column. Noticing the light continuing to shine far below, Serenity was about to fly down into the chasm only to shout and jerk herself back when the light shot up from the depths below, the others jumping back in defense as well before watching as the light stopped in the air above them. Remaining still for a moment, it simply hovered in place as she girls squint their eyes, only to jolt and shout when it let off another bright flash before slowly lowering down onto the surface before them. Watching with awe stricken expressions, their eyes widened as the light shrank and dimmed before finally exposing Chris, who now stood cloaked in an aura of blue and white, slowly opening his eyes to reveal a chilling aura radiating from the left eye before blinking in a dazed state. "Ch-Chris?" Rose called, reaching a hand out. "Y-You alright?" Alicia asked as he continued coming to, shaking his head before looking at the girls with a groggy "woah..." and rubbing his head. "I-It IS you!! You okay!! You okay, you okay!!" Serenity shout excitedly, jumping toward him and grabbing Chris. "You okay!! You ok-ka-ka..." she started stuttering as her eyes widened. "Y-You C-COLD!!" she shout, jumping away from him and rapidly rubbing her arms. "I-I'm wha...?" he asked, unaware of his tranformation as Rose and Alicia looked him over, the rabbit putting a hand on his arm before quickly pulling it back. "Yipes, you ARE cold." she nodded. "Usually that means a human is dead..." Alicia point out, looking him over.

"Uhh... ARE you dead?" she asked before looking herself over. "Or... Maybe WE are?" she asked. "D-Don't say that!!" Rose panicked, the three looking at one another nervously before circling Chris and curiously talking among themselves as he remained bewildered and dazed, raising his hand and looking himself over as well. "...Guess this means I'm feelin' blue?" he asked with a groggy laugh, the girls looking at him before sighing and responding with a collective "Yeah, it's him." and nodding together. "H-How on Earth did you manage this?" Alicia asked. "What IS this even? Does it count as an evolution?" Rose added. "Not like any evolution I see before. Not look anything like way we evolve." Serenity point out. "That's because it's not an evolution, not really." the group heard a voice echo, causing them to jolt and look around. "A-Anyways, we should get off the ice first, it's dangerous out here now. We'll take care of you once we're back at the carriage." Rose insisted, the girls nodding in agreement before helping each other back to where Rapidash waited. Once they were safely next to the carriage, they quickly jumped away from Chris, his frigid body nearly leaving the girls frost bit as they rapidly rubbed their arms and bodies for warmth. "S-Sorry." he apologized with a nervous smile before sitting against the wheel of the carriage with a plop, letting out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the help girls... Thanks alo...!!" he paused, suddenly about to sneeze with a repeated "ah" noise before letting it out, causing a sudden wave of Ice Shard's to fly toward the girls, forcing them to dodge with a collective shout of surprise before blinking at him. "Ah... Er... M-My bad?" he laughed nervously, the girls unsure of how to process his sudden change.

Trying to warm himself up, Chris cupped his hands together and started panting against them, only to realize he now had Frost Breath as he formed icicles on his fingers. "Th-The heck?" he muttered. "D-Doesn't that hurt?" Rose asked. "I-I actually don't feel it. Not much..." he replied, feeling the rest of his body. "I-I actually feel like I'm at a normal temperature... Am I really that cold?" he asked. "Touching you hurt now..." Serenity nodded. "Even with this device you still send a chill through me. You'll have to stay back until this... Whatever it is, passes." Alicia affirmed. Looking himself over again, Chris noticed the wheel behind him was starting to freeze over, causing him to jump away with a surprised "G-Geez!!" before standing. "Th-The heck?! Whadya do to me Serenity?! Was that really Moon Blast?!" he asked. "I-I not do it!! That was Moon Blast!! I not know what happen!!" the Pokemon panicked. "Y-You landed in the lake and then you came out like this..." Rose point out. Looking around, Chris found his staff and took it in hand, looking it over before the whole thing suddenly froze solid making him jolt wide eyed. "W-Wow..." he muttered, looking at the girls before facing the shattered lake. "I wonder..." he muttered before nodding and giving his staff a swipe, sending Ice Shards flying with each swipe before thrusting it forward and releasing an Ice Beam, the girls stepping back in surprise. "I-It's kinda like how the fire stuff works at least..." he muttered before facing the girls again, causing them to jolt nervously. "H-Hey, what's with that? It's still me! Just... Uh..." he paused, looking himself over. "Frozen... I guess?" he added with a nervous smile. "Y-You're surprisingly calm about this... Should I emphasize we can no longer TOUCH YOU maybe?" Alicia asked, causing Chris to glance away and scratch his cheek nervously.

"W-Well, somebody has to be the calm one." he replied. "Let horse be calm one!! This bad!!" Serenity snapped in Chris's face, causing him to jump slightly while Rapidash scowled with a "thanks..." kind of grunt. "Get rid of ice!! Do something!!" she ordered. "I-I don't even know how I did THIS!!" he reminded. "I can't undo something I don't know how I did in the first place!!" he affirmed, the Pokemon stepping back with a worried groan. "A-At least it's a pretty color." Rose point out with a nervous smile. "Would the lot of you relax?" they heard the same voice as before echo, followed by the sight of Ninetales aura appearing as the fox walked out from behind Chris and sat next to him. "Y-You know what... THIS... is about?" Rose asked. "Of course I do, it's a perfectly normal phenomenon for my species." the fox nodded. "P-Perfectly normal?! You're a Ninetales, the fire type of all fire types!! You don't just decide one day you'd like to change elements!!" Alicia argued. "Actually... We can." the fox assured with another nod. "Wait wait wait, you're telling me a Ninetales can be a fire type AND an ice type? There's no way. Those elements are like mortal enemies." Chris scoffed, waving his hand. "I know you think I'm not the brightest, but come on." he added. "That's very true." Ninetales agreed with yet another nod. No games!! No smart talk!! Explain fox!!" Serenity ordered with a finger in Ninetales face. "...You're dumber than he is." she sneered before her eyes flashed, suddenly flipping Serenity in the air causing her eyes to widen while blinking with an "eh?" before shoving her head into the ground like a scared Doduo making Serenity shout and struggle, Alicia and Rose looking at her with sweat on their faces.

"H-Hey, go easy on her. She's just worried." Chris point out. "Care to join her?" Ninetales asked, facing away with a yawn. "N-No ma'am." Chris sulked. "Good boy." she smirked before looking at the others. "Any of you feel like getting smart with me?" she asked, both girls shaking their heads. "Very well. As for your explanation..." she paused, her eyes flashing causing Serenity's head to finally pop free from the ground making her stumble back and sit with a plop, shaking her head and rubbing it with a groan. "Whenever my kind is exposed to the extreme cold, we tend to take on a different form than you normally see. We have the capability of changing into an ice type of being under the right conditions, and when he fell into the lake, there you have it. It was the perfect chance to awaken this alternate side of himself." Ninetales explained. "Normally we can't merely change forms like this however. It's a very slow, gradual process. Under most conditions my kind must breed and give birth in climates like this in order to bring about this kind of change. But there are cases in which we can adapt and take on the form you see before you... It took a lot of effort, but I managed to pull it off with him and there you have it. Having such a unique structure, genetically that is, makes him perfect for manipulating. He's like putty really." she point out. "I... Don't think I like how you worded that last part." Chris replied. "Oh come on, even they could tell you how easy it is to do so." the fox scoffed, Chris looking at the girls causing them to jolt and glance away innocently. "S-So is there a way to, you know, reverse it or something?" Chris asked. "Y-Yeah. It's neat, but it's bad if we can't get near him." Rose point out. "Why? because it forces you to show self control?" Ninetales asked, causing the rabbit to flush. "H-Hey!!" she snapped. "Watch your tone little bunny." Ninetales warned with a "settle down" motion with her paw.

"Normally this kind of change either goes one way or the other and remains that way for quite some time, if not forever. But in his case, it should just be a matter of will. There's something about his genetics that should allow for fairly simple elemental manipulation, at least to a small degree. Those humans weren't wrong when they likened him to our ancestral origin." the fox explained. "So... Think warm, get warm?" Chris asked. "To put it in the most simplest way possible, yes." Ninetales nodded. "Think warm!! Think warm!!" Serenity coaxed. "O-Okay, okay!! I'll try!" he smiled nervously with his hand up, the Pokemon taking a step back with a nod. "Alright... Warm huh? Think warm..." he muttered before closing his eyes. "Summertime... Beaches..." he began, raising his head. "Sunlight... Heat..." he added. Watching curiously, the girls remained silent while Ninetales watched as well, equally curious until his aura's color finally began changing, returning to the familiar look of a normal flame cloaking his body as Chris let out a sigh of relief and looked himself over, Ninetales nodding with a smirk. "Not bad, not bad at...!!" she praised, only to pause when Chris let out another sneeze and suddenly flashed back to his icy form. "...Ah, not so simple after all. Very well." she sighed before standing and facing away. "I'll leave you to get the hang of it then. I've given all the knowledge you should need." she added. "H-Hey! You could help a LITTLE more!" Chris argued. "Yeah! You know more about it than any of us!" Rose added. "You're the most reliable one here, surely you could spare a moment longer?" Alicia asked. "You really not care, do you?" Serenity asked.

Remaining silent for a moment, Ninetales suddenly looked back before showing a smirk. "Actually, there's little I know of this matter. I only know what little I do after having run into a few of my icy relatives long ago. You get around when you've lived as long as I have." she revealed, the girls eyes widening and their mouths gaping as the fox chuckled and slowly vanished, leaving Chris with a scowl and his arms crossed. "Doing this saved your life after the lot of you made another childish mistake, don't complain." he heard her echo in his mind, causing Chris to jolt before slumping with a sigh and nodding. "Okay, okay..." he replied before looking at his forehead. "Thanks for the save ma'." he smirked, the fox letting out a grunt. "I also did what I did to punish you. Don't make them fight again. You're putting an important matter at risk." she warned. "Wait... What? An important huh now? Why is training bad?" he asked. "Just see to it that it doesn't happen again. It's far too risky you fool." the fox lectured. "H-Hey! I'm not a fool! It was for their well-being!!" Chris continued to argue. "If you want to do something for their well-being, see to it they stay comfortable, not running about kicking and punching and throwing things all over the place. Just do as I say." Ninetales ordered, causing Chris to twitch an eye. "I'm telling you this IS good for them! Exercise IS goo...!!" he snapped, only to pause when Serenity called his name in a groggy tone. Turning back, the Pokemon had a sickly look on her face, covering her mouth and clutching her stomach causing Chris to freeze before letting out a groan. "Aw man... It's back?" he asked, getting a nod from Serenity before she ran behind the carriage.

"A-At least it's only h...!!" he sighed, only to pause once more when he looked at Rose and Alicia, the two looking just as bad off before shouting at him to turn around, causing him to jolt before doing as told as the two faced away from one another and went through their own bout of nausea once more, lacking a place to hide thanks to Serenity destroying the nearby trees and taking the space behind the carriage. Standing with a slump, Chris tried to think of warm thoughts again despite the sound of three women hurling behind him, Rapidash doing his best to look away and ignore what was going on while shuddering in disgust...