The gang was having a think today. Ashlyn and Brock told Alain, Max and May that Misty's birthday was the day after tomorrow, and the gang agreed to send Misty a birthday present. Ashlyn made the suggestion to find some Water Pokémon from the Hoenn region. Max had an idea that they could give Misty a Huntail, Gorebyss and some Clamperls as presents.
"That is a good idea Max, but Misty has already got those," Brock pointed out, "I had a talk with her on the phone the other day and she told me a few days after she got back to Kanto from Mirage Kingdom, she captured fourteen Clamperls."
"What a catch," Max awed, impressed, "and I take it she evolved some of them?"
"She said that she evolved two of them into Huntail and two of them into Gorebyss, and the ten Clamperls are staying Clamperls because her sisters like them so much." Brock explained.
"So then that means that Misty and her sisters have all the water Pokémon there are in the Hoenn region then?" Max asked.
"Not really," Ashlyn replied, "Misty told me that she and her sisters don't have Spheal, Sealeo and Walrein. And they don't have Surskit either, which is part bug and water."
"Well Misty wouldn't want Surskit," Brock teased, "She told me that she saw a Surskit before, and of course it left her screaming. So Surskit is out of the question. But she would like Spheal, Sealeo and Walrein definitely."
"Okay then those three Pokémon will be her presents." Ashlyn decided.
"Question is where shall we go and look for them?" May questioned.
"I know where," Max answered, "there is a cave across the ocean from Mossdeep City called Shoal Cave and Spheal live there."
"Okay then that is where we shall go," Ashlyn decided, "We shall go to Shoal Cave and get some Spheals for Misty."
So the gang took a boat to get to Shoal Cave.
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But when they got Shoal Cave, they saw the police standing outside the cave.
"There must be trouble brewing about." Ashlyn said.
"Let's see what's going on." Alain decided.
The gang walked up to a police officer.
"Excuse me, officer, could you tell us what's going on?" Ashlyn requested.
"Well there have been reports of people causing trouble had been located in the Shoal Cave." The officer explained, "So no one is allowed to enter the cave until the situation had been solved."
The gang was disappointed especially since they wouldn't be able to get any Spheals for Misty's birthday.
Just then a pretty middle-aged woman, wearing a purple dress, came out of the cave.
"I don't believe it!" Max gasped, "that woman is Glacia. She's an elite four member of Hoenn and the master of ice type Pokémon."
"I wonder what she's doing here?" May asked.
"My guess is she's probably here to help with the problem that's happening here at Shoal Cave." Alain guessed.
"Remember when Phoebe helped out at that mine because it was home to ghost type Pokémon? Well Spheal are part water and ice type, which is a reason that Glacia would want to help them out being an ice type master." Ashlyn added.
The others agreed to that.
Just then Glacia noticed the gang. "Excuse me," she said, "are you kids by any chance Ashlyn, Alain, Brock, Max and May?"
"Yes, but how do you know our names?" Max asked.
"I heard about you guys and your Raichu from Phoebe," Glacia replied, "she also told me about how you helped her protect some ghost Pokémon from Team Rocket."
Brock was instantly right in front of Glacia, holding both her hands in his, "There was no way that I would allow Team Rocket to hurt such innocent Pokémon! I went in bravely and fought all those grunts myself!"
Max grabbed Brock's ear, "And I say that you're pretty brave to flirt shamelessly in front of Glacia." He pulled Brock away.
"OW! My ear! My ear!" Brock yelped.
Glacia and the others sweat-dropped at the scene.
"Well would you kids mind helping me now please?" Glacia requested, changing the subject, "I know that you will be a great help to me like you were to Phoebe."
"We would be glad to." Ashlyn accepted the request.
"Absolutely." May agreed.
"Let's do it!" Max added, "I would love to have an adventure with Glacia."
"This way we can see what's going on in the cave." Alain stated.
The gang agreed to go into the cave with Glacia.
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Glacia led the gang through the cave; she had been in Shoal Cave lots of times, so she knew the way through the cave without getting lost. It was quite chilly in the cave.
"Do you have any idea of what the disturbance in this cave is about, Glacia?" Ashlyn asked.
"I have two guesses," Glacia replied, "it's either because this cave is home to hundreds of Spheals or it's because of Shoal Salt and Shoal Shells."
"Shoal Salt and Shoal Shells?" May questioned.
"Shoal Salt is a special salt and Shoal Shells are special shells and you can only find them here in Shoal Cave." Glacia answered.
"What exactly are those things for?" May asked.
"They are used to make Shell Bells. They are special shell shaped bells that have the ability to heal the Pokémon, who wears it, after causing damage to a target." Max explained.
"Wow, then that must be the reason for this trouble then," Brock commented, "I mean I think anybody would want to get their hands on something as special as that."
"Yes, but that doesn't mean they can cause trouble and disturb the Pokémon who live in this cave." Glacia agreed.
The gang agreed with that and decided to just concentrate on stopping the trouble that was happening in the cave. Ashlyn had a funny feeling that Team Rocket is behind all this.
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Glacia and the gang were still walking around in the cave.
"This is weird. We have been walking in this cave for a while now and we haven't run into any Pokémon at all. Not even one Spheal." Max pointed out.
"You're right, Max," Glacia agreed, "Pokémon are always roaming around these parts. But now it's too quiet in this cave; something is not right."
Just then Tesla started to run ahead in front of the humans.
"Ah when Tesla acts like that, it means something wrong is ahead of us." Ashlyn explained.
"Yes let's hurry and follow them." Alain decided.
Glacia and the gang followed after Tesla.
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When Glacia and the gang caught up with Tesla, they had a nasty surprise waiting for them. They saw dozens of Spheals and all of them were paralyzed.
"Oh my gosh!" May gasped, "What on earth happened?"
Brock checked on one of the Spheals at once. "They've been paralyzed by Stun Spore attack." He revealed some stun spore powder on his hand.
"So whoever did this must have been a grass type Pokémon." Max suggested.
"Yes, but what should we do about the Spheals?" May asked.
Ashlyn got an idea, "I know what. May, do you have your Skitty with you?"
"Yes I do, why?" May asked.
"Call her out and tell her to use Heal Bell." Ashlyn instructed.
May had no idea what it was going to do but she did as she was told and told her Skitty to use Heal Bell. Skitty's body glowed a blue-green and then Skitty released a green-blue wave from her tail towards all the Spheals. The Spheals were soon healed from their paralysis.
"Wow, so the move Heal Bell can cure paralysis?" May asked.
"It does more than that. It can cure sleep, poison, freeze and burn as well as paralysis." Alain explained.
"Alain is right and the move refresh can do that too, except it doesn't cure Sleep and Freeze." Brock added.
"I am happy to see some trainers who know about how to heal a Pokémon," Glacia smiled, "but we need to sort out who did this."
"I agree, before any more Pokémon in this cave get hurt so let's go." Brock agreed.
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Soon enough, Glacia and the gang spotted Jessie, James and Meowth who had filled up ten bags fall of Shoal Salt and ten bags full of Shoal Shells.
"Can we leave now? I'm tired from all of this." James complained.
"Yep, we can leave now," Meowth confirmed, "We have plenty now."
Jessie sighed, "Thank goodness."
"Why am I not surprised to see that you three are the ones causing trouble in this cave?" Ashlyn questioned.
"Twerps!" Team Rocket gasped.
"Who are they?" Glacia asked.
"That's Team Rocket!" May replied.
"I take you three are responsible for making the Spheals paralyzed?" Glacia asked, glaring.
"Those annoying pipsqueaks were in the way," Jessie replied, "so we paralyzed to keep them out of the way."
"Your behavior is unacceptable," Glacia said, crossly, "I shall punish you both." She sent out two ice Pokémon to deal with Team Rocket; a Glalie and a Walrein.
Ashlyn took out her Rotom phone and scanned the two Pokémon:
[Glalie, the Face Pokémon. Glalie has a tempered ice body that doesn't melt even under a direct flame. It can freeze vapors in the air instantly.]
[Walrein, the Ice Break Pokémon. Walrein's two massively developed tusks can totally shatter blocks of ice weighing ten tons with one blow. This Pokémon's thick coat of blubber insulates it from subzero temperatures.]
"Team Rocket's in trouble now." Max said to the others.
"Glalie, Walrein Ice Beam!" Glacia ordered her two Pokémon.
Glalie and Walrein fired their Ice type attack and Jessie, James and Meowth were frozen solid at once.
"Tesla, Thunderbolt!" Ashlyn ordered.
Tesla used her electric type attack at Team Rocket and they were soon shot out of Shoal Cave, leaving the Shoal Salt and Shoal Shells behind.
"Another mining operation, failed." Jessie complained.
"Didn't think we would meet another Elite Four member." James commented.
"Well you should never mess with an ice queen." Meowth advised.
Team Rocket sighed in defeat.
"WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!!!" Team Rocket screamed as they disappeared across the sky.
DING!
"Everyone, I can't thank you enough for all your help." Glacia thanked the gang.
"You're welcome, Glacia." Ashlyn said.
"We were glad to have helped." Alain added.
"What should we do with all the Shoal Salt and Shoal Shells?" Max asked, who noticed the twenty bags.
"Ah we can take it to the people who make Shell Bells and they can sell the bells to trainers." Glacia replied.
"Let's go and see how the Spheals are doing now." Brock suggested.
Everyone agreed and when they got back to where the Spheals were, the Spheals were all healed up now thanks to Skitty's Heal Bell. And to everyone's surprise, one of them had evolved into a Sealeo.
"This is great to see that all the Spheals and the Sealeo are okay." Ashlyn said, relieved.
"Yes, but it was thanks to you and your idea of using heal bell, Ashlyn," Glacia said, "I wish there was some way I could thank all of you."
"Well the only thing we want is to catch some Spheals." Alain spoke up.
He explained about their friend Misty's birthday and their desire to give her some Spheals for a present because of her love for water Pokémon.
Glacia smiled, "I see, well since your friend loves water Pokémon so much I'm sure she would love and care for the Spheals."
Just then the Sealeo and eight Spheals walked over to the gang and the Sealeo spoke up.
"I know what this Sealeo is saying because I've learnt to understand ice type Pokémon," Glacia said, "it's saying that it will gladly be your friend's Pokémon and it wants you to capture the eight Spheals beside it because they're its siblings."
The gang agreed to Sealeo's request, and so Ashlyn caught the Sealeo and Brock, Alain, Max and May caught two Spheals each. As Ashlyn's Sealeo and Alain's two Spheals were going to Prof. Oak and Max and May's Spheals were going to Prof. Birch, they had to make sure to phone them and tell them about sending the Pokémon to Misty.
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Soon Glacia and the gang were out of Shoal Cave and they told the police what had happened. The police were happy to know that the disturbance had been sorted out now and they thanked Glacia and the gang.
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Now it was time for the gang to leave.
"I thank you kids again, and I wish you all luck on your journey." Glacia smiled.
Brock was instantly in front of Glacia and held both her hands in his, "You can thank me by letting me take you out to dinner first." He flirted.
Max grabbed Brock's ear, "Why don't you just put yourself on ice first?" He dragged Brock away.
"The ear! The ear!" Brock yelled in pain.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Glacia." Ashlyn said, changing the subject.
"And to you all as well." Glacia agreed.
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So the gang said goodbye to Glacia and left Shoal Cave by their boat.
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Pokémon Caught: Mightyena (Lela)(F), Marshtomp (Finn)(M), Shiny Blaziken (Hestia)(F), Kirlia (Miku)(F), Kirlia (Lancelot)(M), Swellow (Percy)(M), Linoone (Ziggy)(M), Grovyle (Kazuki)(M), Beautifly (Willow)(F), Shiny Milotic (Ula)(F), Crawdaunt (Sebastian)(M), Lairon (Hagane)(M), Sableye (Jacinth)(M), Shiny Flygon (Libelle)(F), Shiny Manectric (Damini)(F), Shiny Shelgon (Idris)(F), Torkoal (Shula)(F), Swablu (Alta)(F), Mawile (Trixie)(F), Clamperl (Coral)(F), Spoink (Sumire)(F)