1.Ash's Story (Part 2: Johto)

Chapter 66: Glacier Badge

Mahogany Gym waited beyond the street that had hidden Team Rocket's base only hours earlier. The souvenir shop still had broken boards and police tape near its door, but the Gym stood open, cold mist curling from beneath its entrance like winter breathing out.

The field beyond the first doorway was covered in shining ice, with pale blue walls, frozen pools, and sliding paths that reflected every light above us. Lillie hugged the special Egg case against her coat while Togetic floated beside her shoulder, and Espeon tested the edge of the ice with one careful paw.

"Oh wow," Lillie said. "An Ice-type field."

"Well, Lillie sure is an Ice-type lover," I said with a small laugh. "But I have to admit, this place is actually cold."

Pikachu shivered on my shoulder, then pressed against my neck for warmth. "This floor is freezing. I don't want my paws on it any longer than necessary."

"I know," I murmured. "We'll be careful."

Togetic drifted closer to the Egg case. "I can stay beside Lillie while everyone slides around."

Espeon pulled the paw back from the ice and flicked the tail sharply. "It is slippery enough to send someone into a wall before they can correct themselves."

The Gym Guide stood near the entrance with his hands tucked under his arms. "Pryce is a veteran who has trained Pokémon for about fifty years. His attacks will make you shiver in this freezing Gym. Are you ready to keep a hot fighting spirit against ice?"

"I think so," I said, then stepped onto the first patch of ice.

My feet shot forward before my pride could prepare itself. I slid across the floor, crashed into an ice block, and sent the block gliding into another one with a loud frozen clack. Pikachu jumped from my shoulder just before impact and landed on the block above me.

"Ash!" Kris called, hurrying to the edge. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said, sitting up while Pikachu stared down at me. "This Gym sure is tricky."

East crouched beside the ice path and studied the blocks. "It is a movement puzzle. Once you start sliding, you cannot stop until you hit something. We need to choose where each slide ends."

"That sounds like something Pryce would design," Reisa said softly. "One bad step can carry you all the way to the next wall."

Lillie smiled at the field despite her worry. "It is beautiful, though. Even the puzzle feels like part of the battle."

East called out routes, Kris marked safe angles, and Ethan slipped twice before pretending the second fall had been intentional training. Lillie kept the special Egg protected while Togetic flew beside her, and Espeon stayed near the wall, placing each paw carefully for better grip.

The first puzzle forced us to move ice blocks into stopping points before sliding forward. One bad push could send the next person into a wall or force us to repeat the route.

"This is annoying," Ethan said after sliding past the correct opening again. "I respect it, but I hate it."

Kris drew a quick map with arrows. "I think he wants us to plan the whole slide before we push off."

"Then getting to Pryce is part of the challenge," Lillie said.

Pikachu tapped the ice with his tail, then dragged one paw across its slick surface. "Once you start moving, every mistake carries you farther."

"That is exactly the problem," I said.

The second room opened into a broader puzzle with Skier Diana waiting beside the path. She sent out her female Jynx, and I chose Typhlosion, whose flames made the air shimmer around him.