Vatonage. Kellyn couldn't believe he had actually done it; however, he still didn't fully understand how he had channeled the power, especially since he was the least princely material on the team. He almost wondered if there was a way to transfer Vatonage over to Ash; he had been chosen more than Kellyn.
The thought bombarded him. Kellyn would hold onto Vatonage until after the mission—and then talk to Darkrai about choosing someone else. He was a Ranger, not a prince.
Ash yelling at Sven snapped Kellyn out of his trance. "Good morning, Sven!"
Oh, so he had woken up. Hopefully, he had changed his mind about Pokémon Trainers now. Kellyn couldn't tell because Sven's face was blank. He was probably still in shock like him.
Ash didn't push Sven that time. Instead, he gestured toward Kellyn and said, "I think we're ready for Almia Castle now."
Kellyn wished he could disappear into the void.
The team waited until late afternoon to go to Almia Castle, hoping to catch J off guard, and spent the day developing a battle plan while letting Sven rest a bit more. His foot was still sore from getting caught in the chair, and he seemed to have caught a slight cold from the cold exposure. He fixed that by bundling up in layers before they left Ms. Winter's.
While they were preparing to leave, Ms. Winter said, "Now, you kids be careful." She approached Kellyn and, like a mother, tightened his coat and scarf. "I'll see you when you get back." She released Kellyn and rested her hand on Sven's Luxray's mane, telling him, "I'll look after your Luxray, Sven."
"Achoo!" Sven sneezed, sniffing. "Thank you, Ms. Winter."
Kellyn and his team would have taken the Luxray if Sven had been a Trainer or if they hadn't been crossing an icy lake. It was too cold for Luxray to swim. Kellyn didn't need another case of hypothermia. Sven was still a little embarrassed about getting rescued again two days in a row.
The Sinnoh trio left Ms. Winter's cabin first, then Wendy, Sven, and Kellyn.
As he was leaving, Kellyn noticed a picture sitting on a dresser, hidden behind a lamp. It was an ultrasound, but Kellyn never saw a picture of a child elsewhere in Ms. Winter's cabin. Not that it was his business, but he wondered something and would ask after the Castle.
As the sun sank lower on the horizon, Kellyn and the others returned to Ice Lake and stopped at its edge, examining Almia Castle in the distance—still mysterious and hidden.
A splash sounded, and Empoleon hopped out of the lake, landing before the team. "Empol!" it announced, approaching Kellyn. "Empol!"
"Hello, Empoleon," Kellyn said. "We're back as we promised."
"Empol!" Empoleon raised its wings as two more Empoleon emerged from the lake, joining it. It seemed like they had their own powwow before Kellyn's team arrived. They were prepared just like them, but Kellyn still felt nervous.
Wendy soon met eyes with her Staraptor and said, "Are you ready, Staraptor?"
"Star!" Staraptor lifted into the sky and tucked her feet. A cold wind chill passed through her feathers, but she looked as ready as ever.
"We'll meet you on the other side," Wendy added.
"Star!" Staraptor turned and soared across Ice Lake toward Almia Castle.
"All right." Wendy faced Kellyn and Sven. "Ready, Kellyn and Sven?"
Kellyn wasn't, but as long as they followed the plan, they would be fine.
The three Rangers each chose an Empoleon and set their Capture Stylers, yelling, "Capture on!"
Three spinning tops shot out and circled each Empoleon. Sven bent his knees as he drew his loops, and Wendy stood tall.
"Vatonage!" Kellyn shouted. However, his Capture Line didn't turn golden that time. Why? He thought he was balanced.
While Kellyn managed to catch Empoleon, it did not get the extra Vatonage buff. What did he do wrong?
No, Kellyn couldn't give in to negative emotions. He had to stay focused. "Capture complete," he said, inhaling, but still feeling his chest tighten.
"Capture complete," Wendy and Sven said after him.
Kellyn turned to Ash, Brock, and Dawn. "All right, Ash, Brock, and Dawn, I've crossed this lake before, so I'll take the lead. Dawn, you ride with Wendy, and Brock… you ride with Sven. Ash, you'll ride with me."
"Right," Ash said, excitement in his voice.
Sven clutched his hips when Brock gave him a nervous look. "Don't worry, Brock. I may not be a great Staraptor flier, but I can ride an Empoleon."
"I trust you, Sven," Brock said, gesturing toward his knapsack, "and I have everything ready in case something happens."
A moment of silence passed, and then Kellyn asked, "Are you guys ready to storm Almia Castle?"
"We are," they replied, and Kellyn nodded.
"All right." He gestured at Ash with his head. "Come on, Ash."
With Blu hovering nearby, Kellyn's Empoleon dove into Ice Lake and reemerged at the surface, offering its back to him and Ash.
Kellyn jumped onto it first, then helped Ash and Pikachu. "Wrap your arms around me," he ordered, "and make sure you don't let go. Empoleon is fast."
"Right." Ash hugged Kellyn's waist, and Pikachu embraced Ash's neck.
Sven and Wendy's Empoleon also jumped into the lake, and they, along with Dawn and Brock, climbed aboard.
Sven looked at Wendy, who said, "I'll be fine, dear." She still needed to be careful, though. Therefore, Kellyn would watch from afar.
"Blu," he said, peering up at him, "you know what to do. If you see a whirlpool, flicker your feathers so we can jump over it."
"Blue-Bird!" Blu said, seeming to salute with his foot.
Kellyn moved to the front of the group, focusing on Ice Lake's ice blocks, and took a deep breath. Almia Castle, then he would ask Darkrai to transfer his power. "Let's do this thing," he said, kicking Empoleon's sides.
"Empol!"
And just like that, the siege began.