A New Journey - Ash Ketchum {2}

Chapter 88 - Freeze Frame

As the group trudged through the snow-covered path leading to Snowtop Mountain, Emma's Pikachu and Togepi huddled close to her for warmth. Ash's Pikachu perched on his shoulder, his ears twitching at every sound in the crisp mountain air. Molly, bundled up in a puffy pink snowsuit, held tightly to Ash's hand, her eyes wide with excitement at the prospect of seeing the legendary Articuno.

"Are we there yet?" Molly asked for the umpteenth time, her breath forming little clouds in the chilly air.

Ash smiled down at her, adjusting Molly's scarf with his free hand. "Not yet. But we're getting closer."

Molly smiled as she reached to the snow on the ground. "Hey, I've got an idea," Ash said, his eyes lighting up with inspiration. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his trusty Pokédex, pulling an image of Articuno. Then he unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt. "Noctowl, I choose you!"

With a flash of light, the shiny Noctowl appeared, its golden feathers gleaming against the snowy backdrop. It hooted softly, turning its intelligent eyes to Ash.

"Hey, maybe Golbat can help find Articuno too," Brock suggested as he unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt. "Golbat, I choose you!"

With a flash of light, the Bat Pokémon appeared. Ash held up the Pokédex, its screen displaying the majestic image of Articuno. "Noctowl, Golbat, take a good look at this picture. We're trying to find Articuno. Can you fly ahead and see if you can spot any signs of it?"

Noctowl and Golbat nodded, their keen instincts kicking in as Ash gestured for them to take flight. With a powerful flap of its wings, Noctowl launched into the air, gliding gracefully against the pale blue sky. Golbat followed suit, darting through the air with rapid, enthusiastic flaps.

Molly reached to the snow and started to create a snowball with her gloves. As Molly began to pack the snow into a perfect sphere, Emma's maternal instincts kicked in. "Careful, Molly," she said gently. "Remember to keep your gloves dry, or your hands will get cold."

"Okay, Emma!" Molly chirped, carefully shaking the excess snow from her gloves. She held up her perfectly round snowball proudly. "Look what I made!"

Ash smirked. "Not bad." Molly threw it on him, hitting his coat. Ash laughed, brushing the snow off his coat as the Pikachu laughed and jumped off of his shoulders. "Oh, so that's how you want to play it?" He scooped up a handful of snow, shaping it into a ball. "You better watch out, Molly!"

Molly squealed with delight, ducking behind Emma for protection. "Emma, save me!"

Emma chuckled, her breath visible in the cold air. "Oh no, you started this little snowball fight. You're on your own, kiddo!"

As Ash and Molly engaged in a playful snowball battle, Todd pointed to the mountain. "Look! Noctowl is coming back!"

Ash and Molly stopped but the little girl was giggling and hit him in the face with the ball she had.

Ash playfully wiped the snow from his face, laughing along with Molly as Noctowl descended gracefully from the sky. "Anything, Noctowl?"

Noctowl landed on a nearby snow-covered branch, shaking its feathers to dislodge the frost that had accumulated during its flight. It hooted softly, a hint of disappointment in its eyes as it turned to face Ash.

Ash's shoulders slumped slightly. "No luck, huh?"

The shiny Pokémon shook its head, ruffling its golden plumage. Todd frowned, "But I saw it fly this way. It's gotta be up on that mountain someplace."

"I don't see how we could get up to that mountain to check it out," Misty said

"It'll be tough," Brock said. "Snow Top Mountain's icy all year round."