" Hey Misty."

" Yeah?"

" Are you sure we're going the right way?"

" Yeah I think so. Why?"

" Because I don't think we're supposed to be walking on a large boulder."

Misty stopped in her tracks and looked down. Sure enough, the ground beneath them wasn’t ground at all—it was a giant, flat boulder. Her face paled as she realized Ash might actually be right for once.

“Uh… okay, maybe this does seem a little off,” Misty admitted, her voice tinged with nervousness.

Ash crossed his arms, looking smug. “See? I told you we shouldn’t have taken the shortcut!”

“You didn’t tell me anything,” Misty snapped, glaring at him. “You just followed me like you always do!”

Pikachu, perched on Ash’s shoulder, tilted its head curiously as the “ground” beneath them rumbled ever so slightly.

“Misty… do you feel that?” Ash asked, his voice wavering.

Misty paused, her eyes widening as the faint vibration beneath her feet became more pronounced. “Uh… yeah. What is that?”

Before either of them could figure it out, the boulder beneath them shifted—and roared.

“ROOOOOOOAAAAAAR!”

Ash and Misty screamed in unison as the “boulder” they were standing on rose up, revealing itself to be the broad, craggy back of a gigantic Onix!

“It’s an Onix!” Ash yelled, scrambling to stay upright as the enormous rock snake began to move.

“I CAN SEE THAT!” Misty screamed, clinging to Ash’s arm. “What do we do?!”

“Uh… uh… Pikachu! Thunderbolt!”

“PIKA-CHUUUU!” Pikachu unleashed a crackling bolt of electricity, but the attack seemed to barely faze the massive Onix. Instead, it whipped its tail around, nearly knocking Ash and Misty off their precarious perch.

“That didn’t work!” Misty shrieked, clutching Ash tighter.

“Okay, new plan: RUN!” Ash yelled.

“Run WHERE? We’re ON it!”

The Onix roared again, clearly displeased with its unexpected passengers. With a sudden jerk, it threw them off its back. Ash and Misty tumbled through the air, screaming, before landing in a pile of leaves at the base of a nearby tree.

Ash groaned, pulling himself out of the leaves. “Ow… that could’ve gone better.”

Misty sat up, her hair and clothes covered in leaves. “Ash Ketchum, I swear—if we survive this, I’m never letting you choose a shortcut again!”

“I didn’t choose it!” Ash protested. “You were the one leading!”

“Because you wouldn’t stop whining about being tired!”

Their argument was cut short as the Onix loomed over them, its glowing eyes glaring.

“Misty,” Ash whispered, backing away slowly.

“What?”

“Run. Now!”

Without another word, they bolted, Pikachu racing ahead of them as the ground shook beneath the Onix’s pursuit.

“I told you we should’ve gone through the forest!” Misty yelled as they ran.

“And I told you we should’ve stayed at the Pokémon Center!” Ash shot back.

“PIKA-PIKA!” Pikachu cried, clearly fed up with both of them.

As the chase continued, Misty glared at Ash. “When we get out of this, you owe me big time.”

“Fine!” Ash panted. “But only if you stop leading us into giant Pokémon territory!”

" A... Are you... H...h... Happy n...n...now?* Ash chattered, shivering as Pikachu buried himself into Ash's shirt.

Misty shot Ash a look. " Of course not!"

" W... Where n... N... Next?"

Misty shivered slightly. " Uh.... W... We c...can t...t...take she..lt...t...get in tha...that c..c...cave." she pointed to a small cave.

" L..let's.... H...h...hurry t...t... there."

Ash and Misty stumbled toward the cave, their teeth chattering as the cold winds howled around them. Pikachu nestled deeper into Ash’s shirt, its little body shivering despite its warm fur.

“C-C-Come on, Ash, m-move faster!” Misty urged, hugging herself tightly to stay warm.

“I-I’m t-t-trying!” Ash stuttered, his breath visible in the freezing air. “B-But my l-legs f-f-feel like icicles!”

They finally reached the small cave, and Misty immediately huddled against the wall, rubbing her arms for warmth. Ash collapsed next to her, pulling Pikachu out of his shirt to check on it.

“Pika…” Pikachu squeaked, looking miserable.

“Great idea, Misty,” Ash muttered, trying to catch his breath. “This cave is just as cold as outside.”

“Well, excuse me for not finding a luxury hotel in the middle of nowhere!” Misty snapped, her face red from both cold and frustration.

Ash sighed, pulling his jacket tighter around him. “Do we even have anything to start a fire?”

Misty rummaged through her bag with shaking hands. “Nope. Just my clothes, some snacks, and—wait…” She pulled out a Poké Ball and blinked. “Staryu!”

Ash frowned. “Staryu? What’s it gonna do? Make water icicles for us to play with?”

Misty rolled her eyes. “It knows Rapid Spin. If we’re lucky, it can generate enough heat to warm us up a little!”

She tossed the Poké Ball, and Staryu appeared with a flash of light, its core gem glowing faintly.

“Staryu, use Rapid Spin to warm up the cave!” Misty commanded.

The star-shaped Pokémon began spinning rapidly, creating a faint breeze that gradually grew warmer. Misty and Ash huddled closer together, feeling some of the chill leave the air.

“Okay, I’ll admit it,” Ash said, holding his hands out to the spinning Staryu. “That’s actually kind of smart.”

Misty smirked. “You’re welcome.”

They sat in silence for a moment, soaking in the little warmth they had. Pikachu let out a contented sigh and snuggled into Ash’s lap.

“Still,” Misty said, breaking the quiet, “next time, we’re packing better supplies. I’m not doing this again.”

Ash chuckled weakly. “Next time, we’re staying at the Pokémon Center until spring.”

“Deal,” Misty replied, smiling slightly.

“Pika…” Pikachu yawned, finally looking relaxed.

As the cave grew cozier thanks to Staryu’s efforts, Misty glanced at Ash. “By the way… whose idea was it to take the mountain path again?”

Ash turned red and looked away. “Uh… no comment.”

“Thought so,” Misty muttered, shaking her head.