Hello everybody!	3 December '01
Here's the fourth chapter of my fanficci! And I'm very proud of it; it's one 
of my best. Although
you could say it's kind of an 'in between chapter', it is of importance to 
highlight the following
ones. But before I start, I want to thank a few people:

-Maura  (congratulations with ur new website!)
-CJetstar14
-StarBeenie
-Nova S.
-Aika (keep up the great fan arts!)
- and Ashia

Thank u all so much!!!! ^_^

Anyways, I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter!
Have fun and read on my friends!

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"The Power of Two"

Chapter 4	Unexpected events

Sunlight peered into a pastel-yellow room and saw a redhead girl brushing 
her hair. She was
already changed in her yellow top and jeans and her face glowed after being 
soaked in water
and soap repetitively. Outside the sun shone brightly in a sapphire sky, its 
ripples of light
touching a lush emerald landscape skirted in pearl-white sands and jet-black 
rocks. White
washed stones made up short walls fencing in wide terraces of well-kept 
emerald lawns. Early
morning birds completed the whole scenery with a beautiful serenade.
Just as the girl busied herself with putting her hair up in a trademark 
pigtail, another girl with silky
brown curls entered the room, smiling sweetly at the sight of Misty up and 
standing all by herself. It seemed that the lovely redhead teen had fully 
recovered from her accident and Maura was glad for it, her maternal 
instincts relieved.
Misty smiled at the older teen girl,
"Good morning Maura, have you slept well?"

"Very well, how about you?"

Misty grinned and picked up her brush: "I've never slept better…"
She suddenly noticed that Maura had some brightly colored fabrics draped 
over her arm, her
other one carrying a sewing kit.
"Maura?" Misty noted, pointing at it all, "What's all that?"
The addressed teen blushed, tightening her grip on her sewing kit.
"Well, yesterday night I've done some sowing and I…I wondered if you would 
like to try it?" she
shyly questioned, pushing forward her creation.
Misty stared at her, a faint blush tinting her own cheeks, "Do you like 
designing clothes?"
Maura's face shimmered, her whole aspect glowing with delight.
"Oh, it's my life! But I've never had a good model to try my designs and 
you're perfect!"
She looked at Misty, her dark eyes pleading: "Please, would you try them on 
for me?"

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

In the lobby, Ash was starting to get impatient. It had already seemed like 
hours ago when
Brock had suggested that they should all have breakfast together in the 
hotel's restaurant and
Maura squealed in delight, suddenly turning and running up the stairs, 
shouting something about
fetching Misty and leaving both boys behind.
"Geez, do they really have to take so long?" Ash growled, addressing Brock 
while rubbing his
stomach.
The Pewter City Gym leader couldn't help but chuckle in amusement.

"And what's so damn funny!"

"You are. And you call me impatient, while this is already the fifth time in 
a minute that you've
once again started whining."
Ash narrowed his eyes, his arms crossed.
"I can't see how you can be so calm, so relaxed. You know girls! Those two 
could take another
five hours!"
Brock grinned and looked at the door. "Five…Four…Three…Two…" He leaned back 
in his chair
with his arms crossed confidently over his chest. "One."
As if by magic the door suddenly opened and the two mentioned teen girls 
entered the spacious
lobby. Maura, dressed in a short-sleeved purple blouse and a white skirt 
walked in front, a proud
smile on her face as she pushed Misty forwards.
Both boys blinked as they saw her.
She didn't look anything like the old tomboy they knew.
The teen pokémon trainer wore a short, sea green dress of a light cotton 
that swished above her
knees as she walked. Dozens of hand sewed, colorful fishes decorated the 
edge of the skirt and
the sides hugged her slender waist and well-formed hips tightly. Misty's 
shining, bright red hair
was partly pulled back with pretty green hairclips and her eyes shimmered 
joyfully at the
expression on Ash's face.
"All set?" she smiled sweetly.
His handsome features relaxed into a grin.
"Sure thing!" he replied, standing up and offering is arm.

"May I have the pleasure of accompanying Miss. Waterflower to the breakfast 
room?"

"But of course, my handsome sir!"

Giggling, she placed her arm in his and together they walked off towards the 
dining room,
closely followed by a bright smiling Brock and Maura.

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

After a strange but delicious breakfast Ash rubbed his stomach in content. 
"Don't know if I can
digest this stuff, but it sure feels good!"
He glanced over at Misty who was feeding Togepi little morsels of food from 
her plate, a lock of
hair falling in her face in process. Ash sighed.
~She's so pretty~
Smiling, he leaned over and gently flipped the lock from her face. She 
looked up in shock, her
blue eyes widening in surprise as a blush crept up her face.
"T-thanks..." she stuttered clumsily, knocking over her bowl of fish-soup.
At that moment, Maura caused a welcome diversion by picking up a new topic.
"You know guys," she stated, lifting a mouthful to her lips,
"You've come here the right time, you know?"
Ash frowned at this sentence, all of it sounding too familiar. Brock and 
Misty however, were lively
interested in the tale. As Maura explained about the legend and Prince 
Gialu, Ash tried not to
think of Clarissa. He felt guilty towards both her and Misty.

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

In a dark room a mysterious yet familiar figure smiled gleefully at the 
events he witnessed
unfolding, the images being reflected in the silvery liquid of the seeing 
pool.
Dancing on the surface a teen girl with bright red hair and intense blue 
eyes listened carefully to
an old legend told by her friend, HIS legend as the matter of fact…
"Good, so now you know…"
His hand hovered over the image of the teen girl's lovely face, wishing for 
a single touch of her
velvet skin.
"…my sweet, beautiful Queen…" he breathed ever so softly.

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

"You have got to be kidding me"

"C'mon Misty, pleeeeeeease???"

Misty stared at her curly haired friend in disbelief, shaking her head in 
definite negative. Maura
had just told her, in great delight, that the annual Bride's competition was 
to be held today and
that she had just received word from the people chosen to select the worthy 
candidates wanting
for Misty to compete, for they had noticed her sparkling appearance.
Her!? In a pageant?! No way.

"No way!"

"Why not? It is a great honor to be selected, and on such short notice!"

"Why not?! Look at me!"

Maura looked at her up and down, a serious expression on her lovely face. 
She then sighed and
placed her arms on Misty's shoulders, looking at her intently.
"Misty, I see a beautiful young woman with a pure heart, the sea in graved 
in her soul. That's
why I think you really should go for this…"

"Maura…" Misty sweatdropped, blushing.

"I mean it Misty. Please, do it for me"

Misty felt Maura's dark eyes pleading her yet again and growled in defeat.
"All right, all right…"
Maura squealed in delight and leaped in the air, her brown curls bouncing. 
She then quickly
grabbed Misty by the arm and bolted out of the room, leaving the surprised 
teen-girl only to
splutter in weak protest.
"We will have to do a lot of shopping" Maura stated happily as they raced of 
the stairs, Misty
holding on for dear life.
"Of course, I'll make your gown myself and then we'll put your hair up, I've 
got just the style for
the occasion, you'll see! Oh! And of course we mustn't forget your nails… 
And your make-up! But
we can't overdo it; you already have such an exquisite little face… My my, 
this is going to be
fun… Hmmm, I wonder which colors will… Hmm… Oh! Yes, of course, that's it! 
Yes, that will do
nicely… Hmmm… aha… yes…"

And so she continued, dragging Misty along. The redhead teen groaned in 
dismay as she fought
for balance while tripping continuously over the un-even ground.
~What have I gotten myself into?!~

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

Upstairs, in the private pavilion of the hotel, a raven-haired teen girl 
with ruby eyes sat once
again in front of her mirror, this time with a broad smile on her face.
~This time, you will not throw yourself in my way again, little girl…~ she 
thought with
satisfaction, brushing her silky black hair with an ivory comb.
She smiled at her reflexion in the mirror.
Tonight was the annual Bride's competition and she, Clarissa, was the only 
one worthy of that
title. Her parents had been so thrilled to have their only daughter chosen 
as one of the
candidates and Clarissa had promised not to disappoint them. She was going 
to win.
Her own plan was to make sure that Ash would notice her tonight and 
completely forget that
redheaded bimbo whom he was so openly enamored with. It was simple. As 
conceited as it
sounded she knew she was beautiful. Hair darker than ebony, a rosy cream 
complexion, eyes the
color of rich sienna wood, toned musculature… How could he resist?
And of course, his affection for her would gradually increase with her 
newest yet-to-achieve
title… Clarissa's smile broadened.
Yes, soon victory would be at hand.
~After tonight, Ash Ketchum, you'll come to realize that you have no choice 
but to choose me. ~

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

The dark figure crouching over the Seeing Pool turned his head away in 
disgust, shuddering.
"By the Great Titans of the Sea, they really take ANYONE these days…"

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

Night fell over Gialu Island.
In the boy's room, Ash and Brock were getting ready.
With an appalled look on his face Brock fumbled his bow tie as he looked 
into the mirror. In one
of the chairs in the hotel room his younger buddy busied himself with tying 
the laces of his new-
bought shoes, disgust set deep in his dark brown eyes.
Both boys looked at each other for a moment and then sighed in increasing 
self-pity.

~This is going to be hell…~

Sitting comfortably next to Togepi, Pikachu observed the whole scene with an 
amused grin on
his mouse-like features, recalling what had happened a couple of hours ago.
Maura had suddenly bolted into their room round mid-day, flushed and with 
sparkling eyes.
She had snatched both boys from their comfortable positions and dragged them 
downstairs,
ignoring any protest they could manage. In the main hail she had explained, 
in a heated manner,
that tonight was the annual Bride's competition and that they should get 
into town to buy new clothes
for themselves, for it was a formal occasion.
Pikachu, who had followed them downstairs had snorted, vainly trying to 
smother a laugh.

~Ash and Brock in formal clothes??? WHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah right! When HELL 
freezes over!~

But he had underestimated Maura.
Upon their negative spluttering her beautiful eyes had flashed dangerously 
and both boys visibly
shrunk, lamely accepting the certificates for the fanciest men's shop around 
and promising new,
formal clothes around eight o'clock.
In truth, the new clothes had done their wonders. With the help of the 
friendly store-lady both
Ash and Brock were looking very handsome.
Brock was perfectly fitted up in dark mid-night blue and gray, really giving 
the impression of a
true, dignified Gym leader. With some gel he had brushed back his spiky 
hair, so it didn't look
quite so unruly.
Ash, however, almost looked to good to be true.
Fully dressed in black; shirt, pants, shoes, coat, his hair brushed and with 
a silver chain around
his neck he seemed more like the man from every girl's fantasy, which the 
night would probably
prove. (*blink, blink*)
"Now I remember why I don't like wearing these clothes, they're damn 
uncomfortable!" Brock
complained, tugging at his sleeves as he double-checked himself in the 
mirror.
Ash didn't respond.
Absently flipping back a couple of jet-black locks from his face he remained 
seated, his thoughts
drifting once again to Misty. He wondered what she would be wearing tonight. 
Letting his
imagination wander freely he pictured a thousand or more Misty's, all 
dressed in the most
exquisite, most revealing gowns.

"Thinking about Misty again, hmmm?"

Ash blinked several times as if awakening from a deep trance and then looked 
up, finding his
long-time friend with a knowing smirk on his face.
"I wasn't-…" he started, but was cut short by Brock who laid a fatherly hand 
on his shoulder.
"Ash, it's okay," he stated calmly, " I think about Maura all the time…"

"Is that so?" a sweet voice suddenly exclaimed from behind him.

He whirled around in surprise to face a lovely teen girl with silky brown 
curls wearing a sleek
purple gown. Slim spaghetti straps draped over her shoulders, a long slit 
revealing most of her
right leg. A simple strip of purple velvet with a sparkling, tear-shaped 
charm hugged her throat.
Brock felt his mouth go dry at the sight of his beautiful girlfriend.
"Need a bucket, Brock?" Ash drawled smugly, happy he could take some 
revenge.
"Ehehe…" was all the stunned teen could pronounce, his eyes never leaving 
the lovely vision in
front of him.
She giggled at his reaction, quickly fixing the lapels of his tuxedo. 
Without further warning she
then quickly drew a bottle of 'Swiss Army' from her purse and aimed it at 
both boys.
They never had the chance of escaping the sudden waft of perfume heading 
their way as it hit
them full force.
Ignoring their exaggerated coughs and groans Maura calmly stated:
"C'mon guys, it will be starting soon, let's go!"

"Where's Misty?"

A sly smile appeared on the girl's lovely face.
"You'll see her soon enough…" she voiced mysteriously.
"Huh?" both boys uttered in unison.
Maura snickered, gracefully accepting Brock's offered arm as they headed 
downstairs.

"You'll see…"

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

:: sings in a drawl tune:: CLIFFHANGEEEEEER!
Hehehe, okay, maybe not THAT of a cliffhanger, but it's one! =_='
Okay, before I leave y'all I want to make clear that I wasn't advertising 
'Swiss Army', I just like that scent on men... Oh, and this has been on my 
mind too; I know it sounds like I'm exaggerating with Ash being handsome the 
whole time and 'every woman's fantasy', but just imagen that when he grows 
up, he becomes a bit like Drake the Dragon Master, and HE is most DEFENITELY 
CUTE! ^_~
Ans no complains like 'why is Ash fully dressed in black'! I like black!
Black is what makes the man!

Please tell me what u think, it is of great importance to me!!!
Lots of luv and if I dun write another chapter soon:

***!!!MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!***

Best wishes for the holidays!
Luv, Angel Kitten