"Webley. What do you mean this Pokémon isn't suitable for sale?"

"Jan, has this really not happened to you before? You've been in the business long enough, surely you've had to release them on multiple occasions." Webley sits back in his chair, coolly staring at me. "Really Jan, it's a valuable Pokémon but the paperwork we'd have to go through even if it could be sold would be barely worth the sale price. And it's not like you're unsuccessful as it is." I glare at the middleman as he makes his point, angry at being forced to concede.

"Ugh. So say we release it, I'd at least like to have the ball back." Both our gazes shift to the sphere sitting in its diagnostic cradle then back to each other.

"Well, we have to ship it somewhere remote to release it. Like I said, the thing's not safe and we open ourselves up to a massive amount of liability if anyone save the original trainer-i.e. you-uses it and it turns on them." With that quirky smile on his face only brokers seem to be able to manage, he continues, "Which edition is that ball, anyway?"

I sigh. "Mark one, they really don't make them like they used to, which is why I'd really like it back. The ball's almost worth more than the Pokémon." Webley opens his mouth to respond, and, guessing what's coming, I cut him off. "Assuming, of course, we could actually put it up for sale." He quirks an eyebrow, then looks at the diagnostic readout and taps a few buttons.

"Sorry, this thing may be a work of art by today's standards, but that Pokémon's not getting released without totalling the ball."

I grit my teeth. "Great. So all this was for nothing." Turning to leave, I twist the doorknob, using its mass to steady my shaking hands, when I catch a glimpse of Webley's face in the glass. He looks ready to say something, and I glance over my shoulder.

"Jan. What happened out there anyway? You arrive here limping with half a dozen rare Pokémon, five of whom will fetch fantastic prices, and all you care about is that one of them is too wild to do anything with." Moments of compassion are rare enough for this hard-nose Pokémon dealer that I feel obliged to return to my seat. Favouring my injured leg I brace myself on the arms of the chair and meet Harry Webley's gaze across the mess of paperweights and forms that adorns his desk.

* * *

The cold was hard on Shen. It was annoying to have to keep his Poké Ball near my body during this expedition, but I figured it was worth it to stay in the Dragonair's good graces. Fumbling with my belt after securing Shen near my chest I checked to make sure that the other two balls were held fast to my waist.

Reassured that I was ready to brave the elements, and my pants weren't going to fall off the instant I stood up, I snapped open the tent flap and stepped out into the early morning snowfall. Jeorg grunted when he saw me, and quickly bundled up the tent onto the sled. Brushing snow off my head I belatedly put up my hood and pulled my scarf over my mouth and nose before struggling into my skis. By the time I was upright again the guide was ready, and, seeing my assent, manipulated his weathered face into a smile. He kicked off, glided through the powder, and started our little team off on the day's journey.

With Jeorg blazing the trail ahead of me, the only other member of our party was his Piloswine towing the supply sled behind me. At every stop he assured me that the little Pokémon wouldn't wander off, but I still felt less secure than I had during the day in which Hessman's Abomasnow had done the hauling. When I expressed these sentiments to Jeorg he calmly reminded me that Hessman had slipped on ice from snow my Rapidash had melted, and that continuing had also been my idea when we could have left on the chopper that came to pick him up.

Whatever. I needed to catch at least a few more rare Pokémon to make this trip worth my while and I wasn't going to do that huddled on a helicopter waiting to be taken to "safety".

Quickly the day settled into the usual rhythm, I slid along in Jeorg's trail, assisting myself with poles from time to time. Time passes quickly when the focus of your existence is getting from point A to point B. One moment I was staring at his rear with snow billowing around me in the early dawn air, and the next moment I was staring at his face with slightly less snow blowing and the daylight coming down from directly above.

"Mr. Paulus, it is time to eat." He stated in his standard monotone, and quickly moved to remove some sustenance from the sled. As I was munching on a snack bar I really should have consumed hours ago, I looked around, examining what could be seen through the light snow.

"Jeorg, those trees over there, are they common nesting places for Pokémon?" The copse was small, but fairly dense with pines and with no other shelter in sight it would be the obvious place to find the creatures that inhabit this desolate place.

"Hrmm ... I -" he began in a mumble while preparing lunch.

"Yes? This should be a prime location. Is it?"

Gruffly, "Mr. Paulus, I have seen Pokémon take shelter in such trees."

"Perfect. We shall head there after we eat." I took the food he handed me and grabbed a bar of chocolate from the sled. It was hard as a rock but I devoured it hungrily. Soon, we were on our way once more, Jeorg at the lead, bee lining for the copse while I trailed behind.

When we were within a few hundred meters of the pines I stopped our party and reached into one of the bags on the sled. With binoculars in hand I held my breath to avoid fogging up the lens and peered at the trees. "Nothing so far."

Jeorg answered with a grunt and said, "Mr. Paulus, if you're going to take a closer look I'd just as well stay here. You're going to use that fire Pokémon of yours again, and I don't want to suffer the same fate as Hessman." Lowering my binoculars, I arched my eyebrows at him.

"Very well." Then, ensuring that my two Poké Balls were at my belt, I reached into my jacket and handed Shen to Jeorg. He nodded, tucked it into his pocket, and I swung my pack from the sled to my back. Mentally, I went through my checklist: The bag ensured I have a ready supply of Friend Balls and Potions, I had my Pokédex, and my Pokémon were ready for battle.

With one last wave at Jeorg, I started trudging through the knee-high snow. First I mulled over the rare Pokémon that have been sighted in these parts, any of them would fetch a fine price from a discerning collector or trainer pressed for time. Then, with the thought of success firmly ensconced in my head, I went on autopilot once more. Without skis the trip took quite a while and despite my concentration by the time the darkness between the trunks loomed in front of me I was out of breath.

Hands on my knees, I was waiting for my strength to return when I sensed motion in my peripheral vision. Slowly, I rose. Deep in the shadows was a large boulder that hadn't been there before. I moved slightly to get a better view, and the form shifted as well. I saw a slight gleam, and in a smooth motion I pulled out my Pokédex and set it on silent.

"Mamoswine, a Twin Tusk Pokemon. Its impressive tusks are made of ice. The population thinned when it turned warm after the ice age. While rare it is well documented." The glowing text illuminating my face reassured me the unfamiliar Pokémon was worth capturing. Again I reached down, this time towards my belt. I thought hard. Rapidash would be ideal, but Alsvid had already seen a lot of action this trip.

Silently, I flicked the second Poké Ball out onto the snow. As the iron-clad form appeared I spoke softly, "Serek, finish him off fast, use Steel Wing." The Mamoswine's curiosity had gotten the best of him. It was too late for it to run. The Skarmory collided with the huge Pokémon with an audible thump and quickly flipped around to wait in the air just outside the group of trees. We both looked on in interest as the Mamoswine grunted and glared at us. Thick blood-almost maroon in colour-was running down its hide from the long gashes where the razor edges of Serek's wings had sliced deep. "Huh, he's tougher than we thought, but a few more of those should do the trick."

Serek sped towards the Mamoswine, cutting again with the leading edges of her flight surfaces. This time the wild Pokémon showed more of a reaction. It visibly staggered and replied with a glob of mud flung at the avian tail, doubtless gathered from some warm den under the trees. My Pokémon shrieked, and the wild one reciprocated with an alarming bellow, but she flew directly back, fulfilling my orders. "Serek! Stop! Use Flash Cannon instead!" I screamed, heart beating fast. This was the first Pokémon in a long while to actually pose anything of a challenge.

The Skarmory began arranging her mirrored feathers, focusing the diffuse light bouncing off the snow at the enraged beast when it began to charge. The huge tusks were pointed directly at my Pokémon. However, the Mamoswine had started his charge too far away. Serek twisted in mid-air and moved out of danger in a neat twirl. My laughter at the outsmarted Pokémon was cut short, however, when it showed no sign of stopped after its motion carried it through where my bird had been. It was headed directly for me. I threw myself to the snow, hoping that such a well-studied if scarce Pokémon wouldn't be capable of harming a human on purpose.

I got out of the way, but it was close. Dazed from the fall, I picked myself up from the snow. Flecks of blood coated my hand where I'd pressed it to my back in the process of regaining my footing. I began to feel ill, but a more logical part of my mind quickly assured me that I didn't hurt quite badly enough for that to be my blood. I looked closer and indeed the viscous fluid was almost brown, the Mamoswine had trailed blood from the long, thin wounds every time its heart beat as it thundered past.

I glanced around, trying to locate the duelling Pokémon. A momentary panic as Serek was nowhere to be seen, but I was quickly relieved. My avian had taken to the sky. She was taking advantage of the fact that our target had left the cover of the trees, and was adding the sparse sunlight filtering through the clouds to the diffuse radiance of the snow. Her body clicked into alignment. The mirror-sheen surfaces reflected and focused what light they could gather, directing energy toward the Mamoswine.

The beam of coherent radiation impacted on the creature's hide, stunning it as it was turning around to attack again. One of its tusks began to glisten with liquid water. Its coarse fur turned from brown to black and began to smoulder. I smelled burning hair, and the beast collapsed. A few snowflakes-the initial phase of another attack-fell slowly from its intact tusk. Serek glided down and landed near the unconscious Pokémon, both of our gazes looking it over. A Friend Ball from my pack followed soon after, compressing the beast in a burst of energy before it flew back into my grasp.

Turning to Serek, "You did well." I patted her once on the wing, plating unyielding before my palm. Taking in the flecks of blood covering her body, I glanced at the mud on her tail. The injury didn't appear to be severe enough to warrant the use of an expensive Potion. "Do you want to go back into your Poké Ball or stay out for a while longer?" She cocked her head at me irritably and poked lightly at my stomach. "Ok, ok, I guess the weather isn't pleasant for you either" I said as she was converted to energy and stored in the red sphere.

It took a good half an hour to trudge back to where Jeorg was sitting, drinking coffee that was amazingly still warm. "Mr. Paulus, how was it?" he queried without looking up from his drink.

"Quite satisfactory, thank you." I stood for a second before I realised that he wasn't going to pour me coffee, snorted, and got my own cup from the thermos. We were silent for a while before I heard his gruff voice once more

"So, Mr. Paulus. Now I've seen all your Pokémon, eh?"

"Indeed." I paused. "What about them?"

"I've been wondering why you only have three. Most of the trainers that hire me like to keep a full belt, even if some of their Pokémon are too useless to ever leave the balls."

The way he spoke with such scorn about his clients piqued my interest in the guide for the first time. I decided that he wouldn't take the truth badly. "These three are the only ones that weren't worth selling."

Again that rough, cracked smile. "None of this about friends for life, eh. What about that Dragon and the steel Pokémon you just used. Don't tell me those aren't worth something."

I returned his smile. "Ah, Shen was my first Pokémon. I've had him since I started out on my own and he was a Dratini. He's too good at catching others for me to get rid of." Jeorg's smile grew larger as I explained myself, "Also, I promised my Dad when he made me a gift of him that I'd love him forever or some other such nonsense. Dad's irritated at my life choices enough as it is, I don't want to alienate him completely."

"And the bird?"

I sighed, breath creating a fog. "That one's more mundane. I found a whole flock of them a few years back, Alsvid-my Rapidash-took down the whole bunch and the price they fetched fell so low that I decided to keep one, figured it'd bring me enough in future profits to warrant it. And before you ask, Alsvid I caught as a Ponyta when I was still into this 'be the very best' nonsense. They're ludicrously common where I come from."

"I see" Jeorg grinned one last time, then smothered it as he stood up. "Mr. Paulus, we've got to make it to the next river by the time we stop for the night or we won't get to Snowpoint City on time." I nodded, slid on my skis, and we started off while the sun was still high in the sky.

Long after I saw the first star though a break in the clouds above Jeorg's shoulders, we finally stopped for the night next to a depression in the endless plain. "This is it?" I said softly, my voice carrying in the clear, freezing air.

"What'd you expect, foaming rapids? Mr. Paulus, look how cold it is." He spat, the liquid crackling when it hit the ground. Jeorg grumbled, and hunched over the sled as he erected the tent. I helped Jeorg set it up and stock it with our mummy bags, lights, and food while he returned his Piloswine to its Poké Ball.

Dinner was prepared by torchlight inside the tent. We slurped down our chemically-heated mush mostly in silence, but eventually what little conversation there was moved to our employment. Jeorg spoke of past clients, an interesting subject to be sure. His company serves adventurer-wannabes that like to think an extended arctic expedition is a terrible challenge. Trainers, and especially specialty workers like myself are rarities. This is why he paired up with Hessman, a hotshot trainer in his prime, to protect the fools' pets against wild Pokémon. Jeorg turned quiet after Hessman's name came up, obviously still holding his fate against me.

I hope that he recovers quickly, I don't want to be stuck here in an extended lawsuit.

Finally, Jeorg opened his mouth again. "I know we're quite cut off up here in the north, but I didn't realize that selling Pokémon was common enough anywhere to support someone such as yourself. The other trainers that use my services drive me crazy with their babble about kinship with Pokémon, and last time I took a trip down south I recall it was taboo to even inquire into purchasing a Pokémon."

Intrigued by the sentiment, I answered him. "Well, Sinnoh is behind the curve as far as Pokémon markets go. It's been a decade since my home, Johto, eliminated the criminal groups that had been stealing Pokémon for years by deregulating the trade in Pokémon. It turns out that if it's legal, people would rather buy from a registered dealer thank the black market if they're too lazy to catch Pokémon themselves."

"And that's where you come in. Mr. Paulus, I can see why so many people have a problem with your choices."

"Hah, those hypocrites. Most of the biggest complainers don't even catch most of their Pokémon. Once in a while the firm I sell through gets sued by some activist nut job. Nine times out of ten all we have to do is check where the plaintiff got their Pokémon and the suit is dropped."

Jeorg grunted, finished the last of his meal, and replied, "Well, it mustn't be pleasant to be hated because of your employment, whatever the positives."

"It pays the bills. It does so very effectively, in fact." That was the last word said. Jeorg quickly zipped himself into his mummy bag, and I checked that my Poké Balls and belt were safely in my backpack, with Shen's ball tucked against my side for warmth. Then I squirmed deeper into my bag and was instantly unconscious.

An indeterminate time later I awoke to the pressure in my groin. Jeorg was still snoring next to me, and there was no light filtering through the tent canvas. Irritated at losing sleep, I tried to get more rest. A seeming eternity later I swore quietly and freed myself from my sleeping bag. After slipping on my boots I grabbed my light inner coat-I wouldn't be outside for long-and let myself out of the tent. Just before closing the flap, I rushed back inside, covered up Shen with the material of my blankets, and grabbed my pack. You can never be too careful in the wilds.

Outside it was silent, cold, and clear. For the first time in days I could see the moon, but soon the bite of the air overpowered my attention to the scene's beauty and I trudged through the snow back the way we had came, the crunch of my footsteps the only sound under the stars. I detected a flicker of motion out of the corner of my eye and inclined my head. Nothing caught my eye, a rogue cloud must have obscured one of the brighter stars. With no other illumination it was easy to notice such things. Growing cold even during this momentary pause, I shivered and continued to walk away from the tent, working my muscles briskly to keep the blood flowing. Finally I decided I was far enough from the camp and river, and began to relieve myself.

Sighing as a fog billowed up from the ground at my feet, I ignored more flickers of motion. I was wondering why the wind was fast enough at high altitudes for clouds to move the clouds that fast while it was nonexistent down here when I heard a crunch behind me. Irritated now, I pulled my backpack to my chest to see what had fallen out, but all the pockets were tightly closed. With the pressure in my innards gone, I turned around to return to my bed. Instantly I froze.

A scant twenty metres away stood a gleaming blue form. Even though I had all my equipment strapped to my chest, there was no need to consult literature to identify the wingéd mirage. It was a moment I'd dreamt of when I first started in this business, a confrontation with a legend. The bird cocked its head at me, and daydreams of days gone by flooded my mind, fantasies before I realized that capturing slightly more mundane Pokémon paid better, and involved far less paperwork. Despite the part of my mind rebelling at the thought of the bureaucratic hell I would go through when it was time to divest the creature, my hand acted of its own accord. Before I knew it Alsvid's Poké Ball was tight in my grip.

My eyes travelled over the thing's sleek blue form, taking in the brilliant crest and glorious tail that curled around the Articuno like a thing alive in itself. There hadn't been a confirmed Articuno sighting for years, and the last half-reputable one was recently revealed to have been mostly a delusion imprinted onto the observers by another legendary. I was lucky even to see the Pokémon, but that wasn't enough. I knew what I was going to do.

Alsvid appeared beside me in a rush of red light. Sensing the Articuno's unease, I quickly ordered my Rapidash into action. "Alsvid, Swagger, the thing shouldn't be able to escape if it's confused enough." I said calmly, not wanting to break the moment, but knowing the magic of the moment had been shattered with the bird's cool demeanour.

I watched as my quarry puffed up its ice-blue chest, now visibly disoriented. Feathers every which way, the Articuno looked, for the first time, dangerous. Quickly, I ordered a Fire Blast. The asterisk impacted directly on the body of the confused legend, staggered it slightly but the beast collected itself instantly. Streaks cleared from my dark-adjusted eyes just in time to see the air congeal around Alsvid before locking into place. The crystallized water vapour tore at my Pokémon, causing her to scream out before the sound was silenced by the frost.

Both of our eyes wide with horror, I looked on as the flames on my Rapidash died down and were extinguished. Quickly I whipped around and glared at the face of the Articuno. No longer was it at all confused, our eyes locked and I saw the ferocity of a cold, blue fire in the huge pupils past the curve of its beak.

This Pokémon wanted me dead. A rock fell in my stomach-in the past century even most of the Pokémon in these remote corners of the world had been pacified, the gene pool altered to ensure the safety of humanity. But this bird was not even thought to exist on this continent, and nothing had been done to alter its wild nature. For the first time in a decade I felt a shadow fall over me, something worse than the cold freezing my joints.

The air between me and my predator began to gleam, I felt the very air I forced into my lungs begin to rip me apart with tiny shards formed from my breath, when suddenly, relief. On my hands and knees in the snow I tilted my head to see Alsvid in front of me, taking the Articuno's attack. Forcing a grin, I prayed that desire would for once triumph. Alas, the next thing I felt was the impact of my Pokémon's body upon my legs. Seeing me pined to the ground, the bird screamed, broadcasting its hatred across the frigid tundra, but for the moment occupied. I had to act, soon it would come to finish the job.

Ripping open my pack, which had come to rest on the snow in front of me, I tunnelled through to the bottom. My belt hit the snow, followed by a torrent of unoccupied green Friend Balls. Finally I had my talisman in hand. Tearing my bag in the process, I held the purple sphere aloft. I hoped that after all this time it would carry out its intended function more reliably than it had lent me luck. Twisting my body as far as possible, I threw the ball with all my remaining strength.

My eyes followed its path, one starlit gleam moving retrograde to a constellation of whirling ice. Suddenly I was warm again, the shards projected by my foe had sliced into Alsvid, loosing her heat and fluids to the night. Arm still extended in the final stage of my throw, I despaired. The damage to my Pokémon was too great to be cured out here in the wilderness, the Rapidash needed a Pokémon centre, and fast. Eyes crusty with frozen tears, a strange relief began to mix with my remorse.

It was a second before I could identify the source of my relief. I was still alive. The fact hit home with the return of the Master Ball. Both impacted with a seemingly titanic force, sapping the last of my strength and pushing me down onto the snow. Purple sphere held in a death grip, I lay in the maelstrom of blood, tears, and Poké Balls for what seemed like an age.

It must only have been a few minutes later when Jeorg came running. He took in the scene quickly, grabbed the sole red ball from the mess littering the ground, and returned Alsvid to her home. Thus freed, he dragged me through the compacted snow back to the sled. Propped up on a crate of supplies, I gazed at my bloodied hands while the guide fumbled with the satellite phone. The Pokémons' blood crusting on my fingers was a strange contrast with the blue of my skin, and the palatinate fruit of my labour.

"We need the chopper here now!" I heard Jeorg scream, before I slipped onto the wooden beams making up the sled.

* * *

Huddled with my hands on my head, shivering despite the warm Goldenrod day, I feel a hand come to rest on my shoulder. I sit up, gazing at Webley. He averts his eyes and returns to the seat across from me.

"That's all you remember?" He mumbles, looking distraught.

"Well, except for a short period of lucidity in the Snowpoint city Pokémon centre, when they told me they couldn't do anything for Alsvid - yes." I take a deep breath, calming myself. "I was airlifted to Eterna where I woke up the next week. By that time they'd fixed Alsvid up to as good a condition as she's ever going to be in and nursed Shen back up to health from the exposure damage."

"And your Rapidash ...?"

"Not good, she's going to live and be able to function, but no more battling." Webley winces, and joins me in staring at our toes.

"I can see why you want something to come of this ... you really should have used a Friend Ball." We're silent for a long while, neither of us comfortable with examining the coulds and should apparent in my retelling.

"Webley, you know I always use them, which is why this is such a shock. I had no choice, if it had resisted a normal ball I wouldn't be here talking to you."

"Yes, I'm extremely sorry for pestering you about that. I'd forgotten that you're so adamant about optimizing profits you've insisted on the Friend Balls since day one." He licks his lips. "I should have known this wasn't an ordinary trip when you entered the door looking wretched." Webley's face returns to its accustomed grin for the first time since I'd begun my story but quickly slips back into a neutral expression when I do not return it. He rotates his office chair and starts tapping at his keyboard. By the time I recover enough from the memory to think about asking what he's doing, he's facing me again. "Sorry, I ran the full diagnostic again. There's no way to remove the Articuno from the ball while keeping either. Also, we can't apply the Friend Ball conditioning procedures to it, it's been compressed for too long."

"Well -" I begin, but Webley cuts me off.

"I'm sorry Jan, I understand your situation but there's no way out of this. We can't transfer the bird to another owner legally, and the ball will be useless once we release it." He sees my distant expression, and, misunderstanding it, continues, "Look, I won't charge you for my services this time around, and the other five Pokémon are great specimens, they'll fetch almost as much as the Articuno and the Master Ball would combined. You won't come out of this with nothing to show for it."

"That's great Harry." I state, looking him in the eyes, "I've made my decision." Again, the middleman grin.

"Well, at least we've solved this problem. I'll take care of these for you" He says, gesturing at the six spheres sitting on his desk, "and I'll make out a cheque to Jan Paulus for the amount I'd usually charge for my services."

Staring meaningfully at the five green Poké Balls sitting together on the other side of the desk, I begin, "You're great Webley, thank you for taking care of those."

"Those?" He inclines his head, questioning.

"Yes, don't worry about the sixth one" I say, scooping it out of the diagnostic array.

I see an idea crystallizing in his mind. Drolly, "Jan, you know you can't do anything with it, there's no black market to speak of for Pokémon these days."

"I know, Webley. I'm going to keep it."

Fin





------------------------------------------------Chapter End Notes:I made use of italics in key sections of the text to provide emphasis and hint at the tone of voice the speaker used, however I think I missed a few instances when formatting the story within the forum, so I apologize for any lost meaning.

As I said above, I have disdain for large amounts of the canon (read: movies) and as such when the canon contradicts itself I chose the version that fit with my intpretation of the world better. The most obvious example is the contradiction in the portrayal of Articuno in The Power of One and in later episodes. I chose to believe the latter as I found the film quite ludicrous in every way, and it fit better with my story. However, this said, if you read anything that you feel blatantly contradicts the canon please point it out in a comment, I'll look it up and probably fix it.

On the subject of alterations, the title is very much a working title, if you have any better suggestions please make yourself heard. But please post it with a review or another constructive comment. The same with the references, if you think something sticks out of the text because I tried to hard to reference another work or concept, please point it out and I will smooth it over. Editing is the most imporant phase of writing.

And lastly, a continuation. The story ended where it did mainly because I can't think of a decent continuation that wouldn't result in a terribly derivative work that's basically a standard "trainer gets pokemon, trainer trains pokemon" "story" set in my adaptation of the Poké-verse. As such, this work is meant to stand by itself. There are quite a few unanswered questions that I hint at, and I'd love the opportunity to flesh out the world, but as it is I'm perfectly happy in leaving the story its current length.

Thank you for wading through all that, this being my first story I'm sure it's not that great (I haven't had the chance to read any of the other ones posted, I basically signed up and started writing the introduction). Again, I implore you to read this an leave constructive criticism. Anything that helps me hone my writing and gets me back to efficiently working on my other works is very much appreciated.

-LittleDragon