Hello darlings and fellow fanatics! 	11 November '01
Angel Kitten here, with another chapter to my fanfic!
I'm very sorry for the delay, but there have been many events lately 
(including my B-day on the 9th of
November) to slow me down…
Anyway, here it is!
Have fun and read on my friends!
Luv, Angel Kitten

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THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO MY BEST EMAIL-PAL MAURA

Maura, thanx for all ur support and long letters, this third chapter is 
dedicated to u with a little surprise in
it, hehehe, u'll see!!!
All my luv, Angel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The Power of Two"

* Dedicated to Maura*

Chapter 3	Clarissa

Underneath a blue sky, surrounded by the calm sea, a small boat drifted 
forth, heading for a new
destination. Although Misty was gradually improving health, she had 
apparently swallowed a great deal of
seawater, causing her to remain weak and silent. Thus Ash, Brock and the 
curly-haired captain thought it
was best that she would get some medical treatment as soon as possible in 
one of the surrounding
islands, the nearest one happening to be Gialu Island. Gialu Island, as the 
map informed them, was
situated in the precise midst of the Legendary Islands. It was a mysterious 
place, rich with ancient
traditions and old legends and famous for its large quantities of rare 
pokémon.
"Rare pokémon?" exclaimed Brock excitingly, after hearing this from his 
new-found friend, "Did you hear
that Ash?"
He turned to witness his buddy's reaction, only to find him sitting quietly 
next to his redhead friend,
keeping a sharp eye on her every move. His loyal pokémon Pikachu lay curled 
up in his lap, now and then
opening one eye to gaze worriedly at the sleeping redhead girl, whom it 
reckoned as its second master.
Brock sighed tiredly as he softly voiced:
"You know Ash, staring at Misty the whole day isn't gonna make her any 
better you know…"
"Mmm?" Ash mumbled absently, carefully picking up a strand of silky orange 
hair from Misty's face and
tucking it behind her ear gently.
Brock quickly had to smother away a fatherly smile as he noticed how gentle 
and doting the usual argue-
happy teen was being towards his longtime female companion, despite the fact 
that he was always calling
her bossy and annoying, and a runt…
"Ash, I still really think-…" Brock began, but his curly-haired friend 
suddenly placed a gentle hand on his
shoulder to silence him.
"Shhh, let him be. He has had a rough day…" she whispered in a low tone so 
that Ash couldn't hear.
The Pewter City Gym leader gazed at the genuine worry plastered on his 
buddy's face and then nodded in
understanding, turning to her. She smiled at him and he grinned back, 
captured by her dark, radiant eyes.
He had already noticed that her whole aspect was given an additional glow by 
the beautiful expression of
those eyes, the color and shape, the eyelashes so remarkably fine... A world 
of goodness radiated around
the girl and to him she was an angel, sent to him from above.
She caught him staring and giggled, saying: "By the way, we haven't been 
formally introduced; my name
is Maura, and yours?" (SURPRISE Maura! Hehehe…^ _~)
Brock smiled and frankly extended his hand, "My name is Brock, and it's a 
pleasure…"
She grabbed his hand and their eyes suddenly met, to lock immediately for 
what seemed an eternity.

*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

Not far away, on Gialu Island, a teenage girl with black hair and ruby eyes 
seated herself in front of a
grotesque mirror. Opening a drawer she took out a brush and some combs, 
winking at her reflection.
With precise movements and accurate counting she began to brush her shoulder 
length hair carefully,
detangling every located knot with immense patience and care.
Outside the sun shone brightly and the peaceful sound of the sea softly 
bathing the shore entered her room,
the girl oblivious to it all as she was currently absorbed in a less than 
perfect strand of hair.
After she finally was content with the act of brushing her hair, the brush 
was replaced by a wealthy supply
of make-up. Just as she began to apply a light, creamy blush on her 
well-formed cheekbones, a voice
suddenly startled her.
"Clarissa? CLARISSA! Would you come over here for a minute?"
The addressed teen growled in ever annoyance and slung down her former 
occupants. Slouching to the
door that led to the main hall she yelled impatiently:
"What?!"
Quick steps announced someone mounting the stairs and suddenly her mother 
appeared in the doorway,
carrying a box stuffed with clutches and healing herbs and making a rather 
nervous impression.
"Clarissa, honey, quick, go down and secure our new guests!" she demanded, 
almost threatening to fall
over under the weight.
A touch of confusement flew over the girl's face as she fixed her eyes on 
the box.
"Why the clutches and healing herbs mom?" the black-haired teen questioned 
curiously.
Her mother sighed and carefully placed her burden on the floor.
"Maura has just arrived with three friends, she said that they were caught 
up in the storm a couple of
hours ago and one of them is injured and very weak…"
"Oh…"
Well, don't just stand there child, do as I told you!"
Mocking she slumped down the stairs, preparing to fake a radiant smile to 
the new guests, as usual.
Her parents owned the hotel, the only one on the island, and although they 
had plenty of maids, chefs
gardeners or any case plenty of people to secure any job, they still made 
her run about like Cinderella, for
they wanted her to gain some experience for the future.
Clarissa scoffed at the idea.
As if she'd ever take over this desolate old place!
Jumping the last step and reaching the reception hall she scanned for the 
new guests. There were four,
her mother had said, and of them was injured…
A small frown knitted her brow in annoyance as her ruby eyes encountered 
none of the sort. The girl then
sighed and raked a hand through her ebony hair in exasperation. Her mind 
drifted back upstairs, to her
room, where her make-up laid waiting. She had it half in mind to turn and go 
back when a tap on the
shoulder startled her.
"Erm, excuse me miss, but my friend here needs treatment and fast!" a 
masculine voice suddenly broke
her frame of thoughts.
She whirled around to locate the speaker and stood dumbstruck, finding 
herself staring at an exceedingly
handsome teen with jet-black hair and dark brown eyes. A well-trained 
Pikachu stood on the boy's broad
shoulder and dozens of unknown badges decorated the inside of his coat. It 
was obvious that he was a
pokémon trainer. Behind him she spotted Maura and another new guy about 
nineteen with spiky brown
hair. Turning her attention back to her addresser she suddenly noticed he 
was half dragging, half carrying
a seemingly unconscious girl to the center of the room, his arm around her 
slim waist protectively.
A deep gash in the girl's forehead was bleeding profoundly and it was 
obvious that she was in need of
medical treatment.
~So she's the injured one…well, better help her first then~
Beaming brightly at the teenage boy she said: "Of course sir! Let me just 
take her and I'll…"
She made a grabbing motion towards the unconscious teen, but he took an 
involuntary step back,
tightening his grip on the redhead girl. Eyes narrowed, he said coldly: "No 
thank you, I can carry her
myself. Just show me the way please."
Clarissa made a slight bow both in apology and understanding, her face 
relaxing in a gracious smile.
"As you wish…"
The boy stared at her in confusement, a slight blush tinting his cheeks.
She quickly winked at him and then made a motion for Brock and Maura to 
follow them, an evil smile
adorning her rosy lips.
~Jackpot! ~

*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

Ash paced around his room restlessly, almost wrecking the carpet after he 
had been repeating the act for
almost an hour straight. His jet-black hair stood on end and his eyes 
flickered feverishly, the teen
pokémon trainer's mind torn with new, strange emotions. Following his own 
trail continuously in the thick,
fluffy carpet he dug up various memories from the past week, the earliest 
dating back on Clarissa's first
appearance in the reception hall. The scene where Clarissa had bowed and 
smiled at him, later adding a
seductive wink continuously replayed itself in his mind. And than the one 
two days ago, where Clarissa
had served their dinner. Ash had caught his eyes straying her back 
continuously, not able to keep his gaze
from the short skirt she was wearing that showed of her well-formed legs. 
And she had smiled at him
sweetly, her ruby eyes piercing. Ash bit his lip.
He couldn't bear the thought that he might be falling in love, not with her…
From one of the soft, comfortable beds the loyal Pikachu watched his master 
with avid interest. A week
had gone by swiftly since they had first set their first step on Gialu 
Island. A slight smirk crossed its small
features as it observed Ash almost digging a hole in the floor in 
exasperation.
The observant pokémon could half guess what was going on in Ash's mind, one 
of it's hidden special gifts.
For one thing he knew that his master was concerned about Misty. The local 
doctor had promised some
pills and draughts and a week rest, shooing them out of the room. Ash had 
been most reluctant on leaving
Misty's side, hissing sharp curses on their way back to the hotel and often 
had Pikachu caught him trying
to sneak to the local hospital, which was only a couple of blocks away. 
Pikachu smiled briefly.
Ash's worry concerning Misty didn't head him at all, in contrary…
No, he thought, moving around uneasily, what REALLY concerned him was: 
Clarissa
A look of distaste flew over Pikachu's mouse like features as an image of a 
black-haired teen with ruby
eyes entered its head. Yes, Clarissa…
'Never judge people with the first impression', humans like to say, but with 
pokémon's these things lay
slightly different. They have a keen sense which can tell them what a human 
is all about and Pikachu
didn't like what his senses told him about Clarissa at all!
Ambition combined with cruelty and a strong self-love was a dangerous 
combination indeed, meaning this
girl could destroy everything that lay in her path reaching her goal 
unceremoniously.
This was what concerned the electric pokémon the most. He knew Clarissa's 
goal.
And, he also knew who lay in her path reaching it…

A sudden knock on the door startled both trainer and his pokémon, the latter 
feeling a sudden strong urge
to lock the door as its master reached for it and turned the knob.
"Hi Ash, wanna come for a stroll?" a familiar dynamic voice exclaimed, 
confirming the pokémon's worst
expectations. He looked up to find Ash with a blush on his cheeks, his face 
painted with pleasant surprise
as he reached for his jacket, which was slung to the wall.
~Oh, NO, you can't be thinking- ~
SLAM.
Door closed.
Pikachu frowned in ever annoyance as he jumped of the bed.
~Fine, FINE, go ahead with your 'Miss Clarissa', just lock me in here for 
five hours and later you can wash
that wet spot out of the carpet YOURSELF! ~

*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

"You know Ash," Clarissa moved easily alongside the handsome black-haired 
teen as they continued their
walk to the beach, "You've come here the right time you know…"
She paused, letting his curiosity sink in.
"How so?"
Clarissa smiled at him, her most sweetest smile, but he frowned, meaning it 
was getting kind of annoying
to walk with someone having an eternal smile plastered on her face the whole 
time. Sure, he thought she
was pretty attractive, but still, couldn't she at least whack him on the 
head once in a while, or argue with
him, like Misty did? Misty… He suddenly caught himself longing for her. He 
missed her. It had already
been a week since he had last seen her face and it was almost like he had 
forgotten the way she looked
like. Ash sighed, trying to picture her in his mind, but suddenly Clarissa's 
annoyed voice broke his trail of
thoughts.
"Ash! Ash, are you listening to me?"
"Er…yeah"
"Well, I said you've come here the right time and then you said 'how so' and 
then I…"
"Yeah, yeah, I know that! Now why have I come here the right time?" he bit 
out.
She seemed surprised at his reaction, but then continued: "Well, for 
instance, do you know about the
Legend of Gialy Island?"
"Nope"
Clarissa's smile broadened and he looked away in annoyance.
"I'll tell you then…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"In the depths of the sea Prince Gialu awaits his bride, the girl with the 
sea in her eyes.
Time will not head him, for it is invented by humans and thus has no value 
to him.
Will the day come that he finds this special maiden; he will drag her down 
to his undersea and marry
her, with or without her approval.
With his Bride's special powers, Prince Gialu can awaken the Great Titans of 
the Sea and create disasters
to this planet, which can cause complete destruction.
The only way to prevent these misfortunes lies within the hands of the 
beautiful maiden herself, for only
she has the unique ability to do so.
But she can not do this alone; only reunited with her soulmate and true love 
will she be able to defeat her
evil husband before it is too late…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ash had silently listened; he was fascinated by the legend.
"We here at Gialu Island have made it an tradition to choose a bride each 
year, in honor of Prince Gialu"
Clarissa continued, without further invitation: "The whole week there will 
be party's, festivals and pokémon
competitions. But at dusk of the last day of the week, the chosen Bride has 
to go to Maiden's Peak with
thirteen bride maids. There, she has to recite old writings and bless the 
Island in Prince Gialu's name, for
then she's that year's Queen of the Sea. When that's over, the Queen of the 
Sea points out her one true
love and after that, there's this huge Ball, the highlight of the week, 
where the Queen of the Sea and her
true love have the first dance and then it's over!"
Ash stared at the black-haired girl in wonder as she slowly began skipping, 
humming a song in her mouth.
"I am so happy, for I am one of the candidates for this year's bride!" she 
suddenly exclaimed, her eyes
sparkling joyfully as she looked at him expectantly.
Ash grinned: "That's cool!"
She suddenly grabbed his hand, pulling him into the bushes.
"And I think…" she said, her gaze never leaving his as she fondly toyed with 
his hair: "I think I already
know who my true love will be…"
Ash's eyes widened in surprise and he opened his mouth to say something, but 
she quickly placed a finger
on his lips.
"Shhh, don't…" she whispered, her hand softly tracing his cheek as she 
pulled him closer, the gap between
her lips and his lips becoming smaller.
Ash wanted to push her away, to run, but he didn't, he couldn't, he…
"Ash? Ash!", a voice as sweet as a silver bell suddenly shouted.
The teenage boy recoiled sharply at hearing the voice he would have 
recognized between a million and
turning his head away from Clarissa's searching lips he suddenly saw a teen 
girl wearing a lithe, bluish
dress standing in the middle of the road. Her bright red hair floated around 
her shoulders and her blue
eyes sparkled with pure joy as she started running towards him.
Ash stared at her, a strong love filling his heart.
"Misty…" he softly whispered and then reached out to her, his face full of 
delight.
"Misty!"
"Ash!"
She leaped into his waiting arms and he hugged her tightly, inhaling the 
lovely scent from her soft hair.
"I've mist you so much Misty…" he said hoarsely, wishing this moment could 
never end.
"Me too, Ash." she whispered in his ear, her arms around his neck in 
response.
He then lifted her up in the air and spun her around, until she was dizzy 
and laughing so hard that tears
where coming out.
From a distance, two figures watched the laughing couple with broad grins on 
their faces.
Brock smiled at his two best friends. He couldn't explain it, but there was 
something so indescribably right
about the two of them cuddling each other, loving each other…
"Don't they look perfect together?" Maura breathed softly in his ear.
Brock averted his eyes from the cuddling couple to gaze fondly at his 
girlfriend.
"Just like you and me…" he said softly, putting his finger on the tip of her 
nose.
She smiled at him and pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"Yes, just like you and me…"

*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

Clarissa stood dumbstruck, staring at the object of her affection hugging 
the re-appeared redhead girl as if
he hadn't seen her in ten years. Pure jealousy rushed through her body as 
Ash spun the lovely teen around
and later kissed her on her cheek, a genuine smile on his handsome face. The 
girl laughed and had kissed
him back, her eyes sparkling bright as diamonds with pure joy. They then 
both walked of, arms around
each other, just leaving her standing there.
A slight rustle startled her and she suddenly felt something warm and wet at 
her feet. Screaming in disgust,
she started to run, tripping over the uneven ground.
"Chaaaaa…" a little voice squeaked in relief.

*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*

WHAHAHAHAHA! Dun u just LUV the end?! I enjoyed myself very much writing 
this chapter, especially in
creating Clarissa, the man-stealing gal! I hope all u guys liked it and of 
course especially u Maura!
If u have any questions, comments, ideas feel free to mail me at: 
angelkitten63@hotmail.com
Bye for now!
All my luv, Angel Kitten