Reuniting with Todd

After Ash obtained the Fog Badge from Morty, he and the others visited the Kimono Sisters, who held the old Japanese tea ceremonies. Misty became friends with the Kimono Sister's younger sister, Sakura because she and Misty had the same thing in common; being the youngest sister in a family of sisters. The interesting thing was that Sakura had an Eevee and her eldest sisters had a Jolteon, Flareon, Vaporeon and Umbreon. When Ash told them that he had the same Pokemon and a Espeon the girls were impressed and Sakura decided to have her Eevee become an Espeon.

After visiting the Kimono Sisters and leaving Ecruteak City, the gang made their way to Olivine City where Ash could get his fifth badge. They were now walking through a meadow, but Misty was staring up at the sky.

"The sky is getting dark." She said. "I think it's going to rain."

"I think you're right Misty." Brock said. "We should hurry and find shelter before the rain comes down."

"You know, it actually feels a bit cold here." Ash said. "If we do find shelter, I hope it comes with a nice warm fire."

Suddenly they heard the sounds of a camera clicking from the other side of some bushes.

"What was that?" Ash asked.

When they looked over the bushes to find out where the noise came from, they found out it was from their old friend Todd who they encountered in Kanto some time ago.

"Hey Todd!" Ash called out.

Todd stopped taking pictures with his camera and saw Ash and the others.

"Hey Ash, Tomo, Misty, Brock. It's great to see you guys again." He said.

"It's good to see you too Todd." Misty said.

"Yeah, we haven't seen you in a while." Brock added.

"So I take it you're in Johto to take pictures of this region's Pokemon?" Ash asked.

"Yes I am." Todd replied. "But what I really came here for was to take pictures of an Articuno."

Ash looked Articuno up on the Pokedex.

"Articuno, the Freeze Pokemon. A legendary bird Pokemon that is said to appear to doomed people who are lost in icy mountains."

"Articuno, huh?" Ash said. "I recall encountering it, Moltres and Zapdos in the Orange Islands."

"I remember seeing it too." Misty said.

"So do I." Tomo added.

"What?!" Todd gasped. "You mean you guys have seen all three legendary birds?"

"Yes. Tomo, Misty and I met them in the Orange Islands." Ash said. "Brock didn't see them because he wasn't with us when we saw them."

"Wow, what was it like seeing all three legendary birds?" Todd asked.

"Really cool, but also very dangerous." Ash replied.

"He's right." Misty said. "The three birds were fighting each other non stop and they nearly killed each other as well."

"Wow." Todd said. "It seems you guys ended up in some pretty dangerous adventures."

"We definitely have." Ash nodded.

Todd explained that Articuno was rumored to be sighted up in the snowy mountains and that he was going there to take a picture of Articuno.

"Do you mind if we tag along?" Ash asked Todd.

"Yes I'd love to see you take a picture of Articuno." Misty said.

"And I want a chance to see Articuno since I never encountered it in the Orange Islands." Brock said.

"Please say yes." Tomo begged.

Todd agreed; he thought it would be nice to travel with the gang again. Just then it began to snow.

"I know I said it was cold up here, but I didn't expect this." Ash said.

"I suggest we find shelter." Brock stated. "It doesn't look like the correct weather to continue going."

The others agreed with him.

Luckily there was a house nearby. The house belonged to an old man and an old woman named Marcello and Sophia, who were husband and wife, and the gang asked them if they could take shelter from the snow. The old couple agreed and gave them a hot drink.

"Thank you for letting us stay here." Brock said. "We can't really go anywhere while it's snowing."

"It's no problem at all." Sophia said. "But it is strange for it to be snowing though."

"My wife is right." Marcello added. "The weather around here never gets cold enough for snow even in winter. Besides it's not even winter yet."

"It does seem strange to have cold weather at this time of year." Brock noted.

"Hmm." Ash thought. "Maybe there's a chance this cold weather is being caused by something."

"What do you mean Ash?" Misty asked.

"I recall Prof. Oak telling me and my mom about strange weather during one of his research trips." Ash explained. "One moment the weather was fine, and the next there were rain clouds and it started to rain where he was but not in any other area. The source of the rain was a Pokemon using the move Rain Dance on the professor. Odds are a Pokemon is the cause of this strange weather."

"You may have a point Ash." Todd said. "I mean I've seen Pokemon create strange weather all the time myself. So this weather must be the work of a ice type Pokemon."

"Yeah, which one though?" Ash asked out loud.

Before anyone had time to think about Ash's question, there was a knock on the door.

"I wonder who that is." Misty said.

"Probably someone else wanting shelter from the snow." Brock guessed.

When Sophia went to see who it was, it wasn't a human needing shelter from the snow, but five little Pokemon. The five Pokemon were yellow with brown stripes and a little green sprout growing out of their heads.

"Those Pokemon are Sunkern." Brock said.

Ash looked Sunkern up on the Pokedex.

"Sunkern, the Seed Pokemon. It may drop out of the sky suddenly. If attacked by a Spearow, it will violently shake it's leaves."

Sophia placed the five Sunkern in front of the fire place to keep warm.

"It's good to see the wild Sunkern again." She said.

"You know these Sunkern?" Brock asked her.

"Oh yes wild Sunkern and Sunflora live around here." Sophia explained. "Marcello and I have known the Sunkern and Sunflora ever since we got married 50 years ago. And every year on our anniversary we have our pictures taken with them."

She showed the gang a photo album that had pictures of her and Marcello on their wedding anniversaries with the wild Sunkern and Sunflora.

Ash looked Sunflora up on the Pokedex.

"Sunflora, the Sun Pokemon and the evolved form of Sunkern. It converts sunlight into energy. In the darkness after sunset, it closes it's petals and becomes still."

"But because of this cold weather all the Sunkern and Sunflora have left." Marcello said. "And it seems that this year my wife and I will just have to take a picture with these five Sunkern."

After the Sunkern warmed up by the fire, they began to talk.

"Is something wrong?" Sophia asked them.

Ash used his psychic powers to understand what the Sunkern were saying.

"They're saying that they and the other Sunkern and Sunflora were attacked by the cold weather." He said. "And that they came here for help because the Sunkern and Sunflora disappeared after the snow started coming down."'

Brock decided that they should check out the area to see what's going on. He felt that the cold weather didn't seem right and the others agreed with him.

"If we sort out this weather, maybe the Sunkern and Sunflora will come back again." Todd said.

Sophia, Marcello and the gang all left the house to find out what was going on. The five Sunkern went with them in case they would be of use. Tomo was holding one of them because he had befriended it back in the cabin. Sophia and Marcello led the gang to the slope, where the Sunkern and Sunflora usually were. The snow was starting to get heavier.

"This weather is terrible." Misty said. She was trying to keep Togepi warm. "Where is it coming from?"

Misty's question was soon answered. A herd of little brown pig Pokemon were in the area and they were using different ice type attacks everywhere. Some used Hail, some used Powder Snow, some used Icy Wind and the rest used Blizzard.

"Ah so that's the problem." Todd said. "It's those Swinub causing the strange weather and it does make sense since they are ice-type Pokemon."

Ash looked Swinub up on the Pokedex.

"Swinub, the Pig Pokemon. It rubs it's snout on the ground to find and dig up food. It sometimes discovers hot springs."

"That's strange." Marcello said. "These Swinub aren't supposed to be here. Their home is up in the snowy mountain."

"What are they doing here?" Sophia asked. "And where are the Sunkern and Sunflora?"

"I see them, look!" Tomo exclaimed.

He pointed to the Sunkern and Sunflora covered in ice and snow.

"We need to do something." Brock said. "Otherwise bad things will happen to the Sunkern and Sunflora."

"I know just what to do." Ash said.

He released his Houndour and told him and Tomo's Growlithe to use Sunny Day. Houndour and Growlithe both glowed red and then they fired white orbs from their mouths into the sky. Then the sun shined brighter and the weather got warmer. The snow and ice began to melt and the Sunkern and Sunflora began to recover.

"Your idea using Sunny Day worked Ash." Todd said. "You are such a genius."

"And look." Brock said. "Since the weather is now warmer the Swinub have stopped using their ice type attacks."

The Sunkern in Tomo's arms jumped out of them, moved it's seedling towards it's mouth and blew into it. A soothing melody was played and then the Swinub fell asleep.

"I know that move." Ash said. "It's Grass Whistle; it puts the opponent to sleep."

"That was great Sunkern!" Tomo cheered.

Sunkern was happy with that comment.

"Okay, now that the Swinub have calmed down." Misty said. "What should we do with them?"

Suddenly a man ran up to them.

"Oh thank goodness." The man said. "Thank you for catching them."

"Oh my." Sophia said. "Are all these Swinub yours?"

"Oh no." The man replied. "These Swinub are wild Pokemon, but they were chased out of their home in the mountains and I came here to search for them."

He inspected the Swinub to see if they were okay. The Swinub woke up and were happy to see the man.

"Please excuse me sir, but who are you?" Misty asked.

"My name is Ranger Mike and I work in the snowy mountains." The man said.

Ranger Mike explained that trouble was occurring in the mountains; it seemed a fire type Pokemon was disturbing all the Pokemon in the snowy mountains.

"What fire type Pokemon is it?" Ash asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know." Ranger Mike replied. "Every time I do try to find out what it is, it quickly runs away before I have the chance to see it."

"No wonder the Swinub are here." Brock said. "Having a fire type Pokemon around would make any ice type Pokemon leave their home."

"Yeah but it can't stay like this." Ash remarked. "We need to investigate the snowy mountains to find out what the problem is."

Tomo, Misty, Brock and Todd agreed with Ash and they asked Ranger Mike to lead them to the snowy mountains. Ranger Mike agreed to let the gang follow him back to the snowy mountains.

Before the gang left, Todd took a picture for Marcello and Sophia with the Sunkern and Sunflora for their 50th anniversary picture. Then Tomo asked the Sunkern he had befriended if it would like to come with him. The Sunkern agreed and Tomo caught it. Now the gang and Ranger Mike went to walk up the snowy mountain with the Swinub.