Whispering Darkness Part 9 By Crysta Disclaimer: Nintendo and Gamefreak owns everything 'cept Alandra, Crysta and Orchid City. ********** Charizard hit the floor, defeated. There was silence. Then, Crysta stood up and pointed a flag in Ash's direction. "Charizard is unable to battle. The winner is Ash." Alandra looked shocked. Then she smiled. "Return, Charizard." Alandra's brown eyes locked with Ash's hazel ones. Then, she held something out to him. Crysta nodded. "Is that.?" Ash said. "Yes Ash, it's the Orchid badge. Proof of your victory. Be proud of it, you're the first to beat me in five years." Alandra released the badge into Ash's hand. Ash grinned. "I did it!" he yelled. Crysta grinned. Then something went off. "Ring ring ring ring ring ring phone call, phone call!" "Ack! That mobile!" Ash pulled out the phone and answered it. "Hello, Ash speaking. Oh, Lance, I wasn't expecting to hear from you yet. The League?. Oh yeah, when's the meeting?. That soon?. Well, I know I have to be there but you could have given me a little more warning!" Crysta, Tracey and Misty listened to this one-sided conversation with interest. Finally, it sounded like it was coming to a close. "OK Lance, see you soon!" Ash turned round, to four pairs of eyes watching him. Two were brown, one were blue and the others green. He grinned sheepishly. "That was Lance, the Dragon trainer. The League's in two weeks." "Talk about your timing!" Crysta said incredulously. "Let's get back and train." Tracey said. They set off back for the hotel. ********** Ash settled down on the couch, book in hand. It surprised him he was able to read a book like this, most books he couldn't stand for longer than five minutes. Misty was doing something in the bathroom. "There's a lot of noise coming from Crysta and Tracey's room." Misty mused as she walked out, towelling her hair dry. Ash looked up. "Sounds like they're having fun. Maybe we ought to ask them to keep it down." "It could be us someday, so I wouldn't." Misty sat down next to him. "Guess so. Just tune it out." ********** It was Crysta and Tracey's angry cries that awoke them that night. It was about 10:30 pm. Crysta and Tracey, they'd assumed had been in their room. Turned out Tracey had took Crysta out. But now they were not going to get any sleep. They listened with interest. "MARRIL! How could you?!?!" Crysta's voice screamed. "Marril, I'm ashamed of you!" Tracey reprimanded. "Now, Return Marril! And stay there!" Crysta sounded calm. Calmer that Tracey. That was hard to do. "You too Marril. I'm ashamed that you'd do such a thing." Ash looked over at Misty. She shrugged. "Maybe they trashed the place while they were out." "Maybe." Ash rolled over and turned the lamp off. "'Night Misty." "Goodnight Ash." She said. ********** "What was that Marril thing about last night?" Ash said the next day. Crysta and Tracey looked at each other, then looked away, embarrassed. "We're ashamed of them They knew better." Tracey said. Crysta nodded. "Maybe it was our mistake, leaving them in at that time, but nonetheless, there's gonna be a lot of Marrils around here." "Your Marrils are expecting? Geez, and we thought that noise was you two!" Misty said. Crysta and Tracey blushed. "Marrils tend to become a little.. uh, loud, during the mating season." Tracey said. "Which is female?" "Mine." Crysta shrugged. "It's hard to tell a Marril's sex. Pikachus and Raichus? No problem. Marrils? Get me an expert." "We should have checked before leaving them in. Both she and I knew that it's the Marril's breeding season." Tracey's eyes were to the ground. Crysta was looking away. "I thought they were in their pokeballs?" Misty said. "That's what we always think about your Psyduck. Same thing." Tracey nodded. "Crysta's fixed the clasps." "Bit late now." Crysta said. "Still, it might be fun to have a few more water mice around." "I'd love a Marril." Misty said. "They're real cute!" Tracey whispered something to Crysta. She nodded. "When Marril's babies are born, maybe you can have one, if you promise to take good care of it." Tracey told her. Misty grinned. "Of course I will!" "Good. Average litter size for Marrils is six. That leaves five to be homed." "I'm sure Brock would take two to breed." Ash said. Crysta nodded. "Assuming we can tell which are male and female." "Oh yeah." Ash frowned. "The League's coming up soon. We'd better get training." "Oh the times to get pregnant! Marril's incapacitated, so me and Tracey have switched Marrils for the duration of the League." "Fair enough." "I don't want Marril to get hurt. Not when she's with child." Ash nodded. Misty stood up. "What are you two gonna be like if you're facing each other, if Crysta gets that far?" Ash and Crysta looked at each other. In unison, they said "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." ********** ".This is getting old." Butch glared at her. "Let's get to the point! We want his Pikachu and your Mew!" "You're Raticate's toast!" Crysta yelled. "Mew, go! Thundershock!" "Meeeew!" Raticate was toast. "Oh no! Drowzee, go!" Cassidy threw the pokeball containing their other pokemon. Crysta groaned. "This is all I need! Be careful of its Hypnosis attack!" "No way! I'll handle this!" Pikachu said. "Drowzee, Metronome!" The ticking sound annoyed Crysta and the others. They clutched their ears. Mew, however, kept the pace. "Chu! Stop it!" Pikachu yelled. Mew smiled. "Meeew!" Mew released an attack. Butch and Cassidy were blown away, along with Drowzee and Raticate. "What, was that?" Ash picked himself up, and held a hand out to Misty. Crysta dusted herself down. "That? That was Metronome. The attack? Well, I think it was Aurora Beam." "That's one tough Mew. It should get you through the League." Tracey said, climbing to his feet. "I hope so." ********** "Oh, not another rock!" Misty groaned, stumbling again. Crysta shook her head. "Be careful. I've just fallen over a Geodude." "Tough rocks." Tracey stumbled. Crysta caught hold of his arm. "Enjoy your trip?" she inquired. Tracey caught on. "Oh it was wonderful! I'll send you a postcard next time." Ash rolled his eyes. It was an old joke, and he remembered using it when he was younger. "Don't roll those eyes at me Ash Ketchum!" Crysta barked. Ash smiled. Crysta had the best eyesight of the lot of them. That could be useful or a pain. "I'm looking forwards to getting a sit down." Tracey groaned, rubbing his bruised knee and tripping again. Crysta groaned. "Tracey, for crying out loud!" "I can't help it! Thank goodness for that, there's Cerulean City." "Again." Misty sighed. "Back to Lily, Daisy and Violet." "The Waterflower sisters? Cheer up Misty. It could be worse." "Example?" Misty said, glaring at her. "You could have one of these two for a brother." "Good point." Ash and Tracey looked hurt. "What's so bad about having me or him as a brother?" Ash said. "You're both a little immature." "Hey!" Ash and Tracey yelled together. Crysta sighed. "Ash, Tracey, it's a well known fact that girls mature a lot faster than boys. I may be two years older than Tracey in my physical state, but mentally, I'm four years older than him." "How delightful for you." Tracey sulked. "That makes me six years older than Ash." Tracey cheered up a little. Ash's face fell. Crysta laughed. "Cheer up, I'm kidding." She ruffled his hair and skipped ahead to talk to Misty. Ash smiled. "I think she's taken a fancy to you Ash." "You know she's in love with you Tracey." "I meant as a brother." "Oh. That's no big deal. Misty does the same with you." "Yeah." Tracey shrugged. "You know, I think Ash sees you as a sister." "Tracey does the same for you." Crysta replied. She absentmindedly fiddled with her jacket. "Maybe it's time he learned the truth. Ash, I mean." "You've been hiding something from him?" "I'll show you. Get rid of Ash and Tracey first." "OK." Misty turned to Ash and Tracey. "Can you guys give us a moment?" "Sure." Tracey and Ash walked on ahead. Crysta pulled Misty aside. "Enough masquerading. I can't pretend to be something I'm not any longer." Before Misty's eyes, Crysta's form changed. She was a normal human girl, with a striking resemblance to Ash. Soft hazel eyes shone from under the dark hair. It was only for a second. Then Crysta gave a cry of pain and reverted back to her original form. "It's no illusion. And it comes from the pokemon abitity, Transform. My shape has been trapped into this form. But I'm training to become the real Crysta again. I want to tell Ash so bad, but he'd feel so hurt." "Huh? You've lost me." "OK. I look like Ash in my true form, right?" "Right." "That's because we share a common family member." "Whaat?" Crysta groaned. "Hello? Me, Ash, one mom, one dad, same family." "You mean.?" "Yes. I'm not faking that sisterly love for Ash. It's real. I know I have to tell him someday. Preferably when I can hold the shape." "I'm sure he'll be thrilled. Shocked, but thrilled." Crysta smiled. "Maybe change is for the better." She slid a glove on. It was similar style to Ash's. Taking a box out, she opened it and held the stone. Misty gasped. "A thunderstone?" Crysta nodded. "I'd love it if Sparkle would evolve into a Raichu, but if she doesn't want to, I won't force her." Misty smiled. "Ash did the same with Pikachu. He let Pikachu choose to evolve or not." "Obviously he chose not." Crysta's tail twitched. Ash and Tracey walked back to them. "Everything ok?" Tracey asked. Crysta nodded. "Sparkle, come on." She released her own electric mouse. The yellow pokemon looked up at her. "Pika-chaa!" [Crysta!] Crysta bent down, and held the stone out to Sparkle. "I found this. I would love it if you would evolve, but if you don't want to, you can stay the way you are, and I won't mind. I want you to make the choice that will make you feel happy." Sparkle sniffed the stone. Crysta watched, waited. Sparkle smiled, and nodded her head. "Chaa!" [Yeah!] Crysta smiled, and held out the stone. Sparkle took it in her little paws. She began to glow. Crysta stood and watched. Sparkle's outline changed, became larger, a longer tail, shorter ears. The reaction ended, and Sparkle had changed. "Raichu!" she said. "Sparkle!" Crysta hugged her new Raichu to her chest, smiling. "I'm glad you're happy, Sparkle." "Raichu! Rai, chu, Raichu!" Crysta was shocked. "Aaaah! Raichuuu!" she gasped. Raichu stopped. "Uhh. Now I know what you feel like with Pikachu." Crysta shook her head. "Thanks Raichu!" "Chu, rai, raichu!" "How sweet. Come on then, let's go!" Crysta began to walk. The others followed her. Misty frowned. "Maybe I should visit Daisy, Lily and Violet after all." "Can't hurt." Crysta said. "You've not met my sisters." "Ah well, be thankful you have siblings." "Why? I'm happy being an only child!" Ash said. Crysta turned away, hanging her head. "If only you knew." she whispered. To Be Continued.