The Dragon Saga Alpha
Part Ia: The Sparks Fly
By: Quokka07
julie@grantronics.com.au
http://quokka07picz.homestead.com/1.html
http://quokka07.cjb.net
http://jgquokka07.cjb.net

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!


~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~
He could feel the heat rising within him.

It was unimaginable. Fury like he'd never felt before. Anger, sadness and a sense of power.

It felt so *wrong*.

For one thing, he souldn't have the heat.

For another, the million degree flames should be scortching him now. Not comforting him. He shouldn't
even be standing here.

He sould be dead.

But did it matter?

With somethig that could have passed as a laugh, if anyone was alive to hear it, he let go of the
massive fire ball.

The very air seemed to crackle, making him feel powerful and in control.

"The death of the world begins NOW!"

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"ASH KETCHUM!"

"Wah?"

Behind him he could hear the giggling of his classmates that weren't his friends.

In other words, the whole thunder class.

"Oh, so glad you're finally awake," his teacher sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasam. "I hope I
didn't disturb you're little nap?"

"I wasn't asleep, Miss, really," he said quickly.

"Since you've been in trouble too many times, I can't just let you off without a punishment..." she said,
totally ignoring his comment.

'Oh, no,' he moaned inwardly.

"But.."

'Yes?'

"I'll let you off again if you can show me the new attack you've been learning," she finished with
satisfaction.

He dropped his face onto his desk with a nice 'thump'. He wouldn't be able to do the attack. Not after
the accident. The last time he tried the attack, he fainted and didn't wake up untill five hours later.

Around him, the class just howled with laughter.

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"Alright, Ash," Miss Risdon started. "As you know, you have to succsefully preform the 'Shock Ball'
attack."

"Where should I aim?" he asked, stalling for time.

A boney finger pointed to the ground, "On that rock."

He was now wearing a tight black shirt and loose black pants. His training outfit.

He bowed to his teacher.

"Just do it!" she yelled.

"Nike," he muttered.

Luckily, Miss Risdon didn't hear him. If she had, he would have been magicarp food.

He sighed then stared to concentrate. The electricity he was building up showed as his hands
crackled with its power. Then, acting on a sudden urge, whirled around so he was facing his class and teacher
before he let the ball go.

Ash smiled faintly as the people who'd given his so much greif in the past fell to the ground with
self-satisfing thumps. This was the last thing that went through his mind before he too keeled over, the effort he'd
used in his attack finally catching up to him.

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"Ash."

"Mmm," he groaned.

"Ash! Oh, c'mon, Ashy, open your eyes and I'll give you something that'll make ya feel better," the
voice continued.

"Who?" he asked, still waking up.

"Ahh, silly. It's me, Misty. Remember? I'm your best friend. Your *only* friend at this school," she was
giggling now.

"Huh? Misty?!" He bolted into an upright position, now fully awake, and instantly regretted it. "Outch."

"Oh, poor little Ashy!" now she was laughing like crazy.

"C'mon, Mist," Ash said, pouting. "Cut me some slack here. I just fried my class and Miss Risdon?!"
he yelled suddenly rembering.

"Uh huh. You sure did!" Misty flung her arms around her best friend. "Oh, Ashy, I"m so proud of you!"

"Y-You are?"

"Mmm, of couse. I didn't know you had it in you."

"Me either."

"And everything would have been perfect, but Miss Risdon wants you punished," her voice quavered
a bit when she said that. It was as if she was feeling Ash's pain.

"What does she wanna do to me?" he asked.

"She's going to give you ten lashes with the thunder whip," now, instead of laughing, Misty was crying
freely.

"What?! She can't do that!" Ash yelled fiercley.

"I'll bet that she knew you were going to say that," Misty murmered.

"Why?"

"Because she also said, and I quote: 'Ten lashes with the thunder whip or he's out of my class'.

"Out of the class? She can't do that either! Aww, *damnit*, Dad'll kill me, Mist!" he cursed.

"Oh, I know, I know," Misty sobbed. "I'll be back in a few hours. Try to make your desision by then."

"See ya, then, Mist," Ash said quietly, already deep in thought.

"Yeah, see ya."

And he was alone.

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"Honey, I'm home!"

"Hi, Misty!" he greeted, with forced cheerfulness.

"Aww, why the low face, Ash?" she asked. She'd always been able to see right though him.

"I've made up my mind."

"Oh! Well, don't keep me in suspence! What is it?"

"Do you really wanna know?" he asked.

"Your leaving. That's it. Your leaving 'cause you can't stand me and wanna go home, even though your
Dad'll kill you as soon as he finds out," her tears were already visiable on her cheeks and in her eyes.

"Misty, Misty, Misty. I'm taking the whip. I'd never want to leave here," he said, patting her shoulder
with one hand and holding her hand in his.

"But why?"

"Well, for one; I don't want to leave here, for two; I'd like to live just a little longer, so going home's not
an option, and three; I'm *way* to stubborn and have *way* to much pride to back down from Miss Risdon."

"Oh, Ash, you fool," she said and threw her arms around him.

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"We are gathered here today to punish a Mr. Ash Ketchum of Miss Risdon's level 9 thunder class for
crimes against his teacher and classmates."

A collective 'oooh' was herd from the crowd.

"Now, may Ash come forth."

He was now clad in his pair of black pants. Even his feet were bare, which didn't help him as he was
lead across the burning pavement to a small stage that had been built and used often, but never for an occasion
like this one.

Misty was among the crowd. He could see her, her tears sparkled on her cheeks.

'She has to be the only one out there who doesn't want me to be whipped,' he thought sadly.

"Tie him up!" the director announced.

And he was.

"Get the thunder whip!"

And it was.

"ONE!" the director and the entire crowd yelled in usion, except for Misty, as the crackling leather
straps were brought down against his back.

"AARRGG!" he screamed.

It hurt. A lot.

"TWO!"

Another lash on his naked skin, another yell from the fifteen year old boy who was being punished.

"THREE!"

Three angry red welts scarring the supple flesh of a young unknowing child.

"FOUR!"

Pain, beyond all imaginable pains racked through his body and mind.

"FIVE!"

Blood, now flowing freely down his back, staining his pants and spilling crimson onto the concrete
that burned his feet, adding to his pain.

"SIX!"

Suddenly his vision went black, and before his blind eyes he saw the face of a monster, a devil.
Someone who wouldn't hesitate to do this to him time and time again. In his mind that was dulled by the pain he
saw his father.

"SEVEN!"

He now knew what pain really was, but it was just a small tase of what was hell.

"EIGHT!"

Old memories came flooding back to him. One's that were best left forgotten now resurfaced. His
father, beating him with anything he could find, using a knife with a rzor sharp blade to stab him of slash him;
whatever he wanted, and, lastly, the accident. Being used as a punching bag, a toy, then the sound of his
bedroom window opening. And feeling his father push him out, falling two stories to land on his head. He was
only nine and a half at the time.

"NINE!"

Waking up in a hospital. Being told he'd been in a coma for eight months and that he had brain
damage. Hearing that his father'd been arrested and was in jail, that he couldn't go on his pokemon journey
anymore, because it was too unsafe.

"TEN!"

Being told months later that his father was bailed and coming home.

The blackness that enveloped him was blissful.

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"Ash, please wake up."

A voice. He racked his mind. Misty's voice!

"Just open your eyes, Ash. Please. For me?" she pleaded.

"Misty," he croacked, his beautiful brown eyes were bloodshot and dark bags were under them.

"Oh, Ash," she moaned, eyeing the ten fresh red marks that criss-crossed his back, and ignored the
older scars. "Your always so noble."

"I'll be OK, Mist, I always get throught," he consloed.

"So noble," she continued, completly ignoring him. "Damnit! Ash, Why do ya always have to wear a
happy-face mask? Just tell me when you're in bloody pain. Just tell when what you're feeling. Just tell me when
you need a bit of damn help, would ya, just once in a while?!"

"Calm down, Misty," he soothed, pushing himslef into a sitting position on the bed. "Come sit down."

When she obeyed, he gently rubbed her back, wincing at the pain that he imaged in his own back,
and placed he head in his lap.

"You just need to rest. So do I. Why don't you stay with me tonight? C'mon, I'm asking for you're help
here..."

"I'll stay."

"Good. Now, you'll see, we'll all feel a bit better once we've had a nice long nap, and after I can get
these damn wounds cleaned," he said. "Now, sleep."

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

^You must seek the power elements of old,^ dozend of chanting voices echoed in his head.

*Do what for the what-a-whats?* he answered.

^The power elements of old.^

*What are they? And where do I get them from?*

^You will discover new powers. You will battle new elements. You must find the power elements of
old.^

*But from where?!*

^Everywhere.^

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"Mmm," Ash mumbled as he awoke from the strange dream. Suprisingly, he found himself in a sitting
poistion on the school's sick-bay bed that he knew so well.

But even more of a shock to him was that his best friend, Misty, was asleep with her head resting in
his lap, and one of her hands resting against his bare chest.

His cheeks grew uncomfterbly hot once he realised this.

"Be quiet, Ashy. I *am* trying to sleep here!" Misty murmured.

"But, we, ahh... have to get ready for class."

"Oh, gosh. What's the time?"

"Thirty minutes 'till the bell goes."

Twenty minutes later, the two were ready and walking owards their classes. Thunder Level Nine for
Ash, and Water/Ice Level Eight for Misty.

"See ya, Mist," Ash called as she turned into her class.

"Try not to get into *too* much trouble, Ash," she answered.

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"Yo, Ashy boy!" Richie yelled as he saw Ash walk in the classroom door.

"Whadda ya want, Pruneface?" Ash answered tiredly.

Richie slapped Ash on the back, knowing fully that Ash had just been whipped yesterday, and that
touching his back would hurt like hell.

"OUCTH! Bloody hell, Pruneface, what are you trying to do? Kill me?"

"Naww, Ashy, I'm just glad you could come back so soon. I missed ya!"

With that he slapped Ash again. This time, without thinking, he gathered a small ball of fire and threw
it at Richie's feet.

"YEOW! OH, HOT, HOT, HOT! TURN IT OFF ASH!" Richie yelled while dancing around the flames
under his feet.

"Ash Ketchum!?" a commanding voice yelled from across the corridoor.

"Ahh, practicing?"

Miss Risdon just looked at him strangely. "With fire?"

"Uhhh, yeah. I hear it's great for leveling up your thunder skills! Read it in a magazine somewhere..."
Ash draped an arm lazily across Richie's shoulders, like as if they were the best of buddies. "Right Richie, ol'
buddie ol' pal?"

When Richie didn't answer straight away, Ash heated his hand up to very high temeratures and
squeezed one of his enemy's shoulders, sending a charge of unbearable heat onto Richie's skin.

"Umm, yeah. Of couse. I was helping Lil' Ashy here and it just got bit out of control," Richie quickly
muttered.

To anybody else, it would seem really fake and they would see through the act straight away. Miss
Risdon didn't even think it could be fake. Perhaps she was so suprised that Ash could actually do fire attacks,
or maybe it was that Richie was one of her favourite students. Whatever it was, she just blinked as she walked
away.

"Weird."

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"Now, class, today we're going to be moving onto a new topic. We'll be studying history. Yes Claire?"

"What are we focousing on today?"

"I'll be getting to that, Claire. Now, as I *was* saying we'll be focousing on the Beginning of Pokemon.
*Yes,* Claire?"

Claire shrunched up her freckle-covered nose. "I was wondering weather we'll be needing a new text
book?"

"I'll get to that. Today we'll start with learning the birth of Pokemon. It started with two Pokemon. A
Dragon called Babiru and a dog called Mistugo. Mistugo was evil and Babiru was good. Babiru and Mistugo
were super powerful Pokemon and had all the elements. They were fighting and no one was winning so they
gave a litlle of their powers to make a Dragon and a Dog for every element to help them fight. Still, no one was
winning, so each seperate elemental Dragon and Dog made some Pokemon of their element to help fight.
*Still* no one winning, so the Dragons each mde a charm, a ring, a necklace that held some power. They say
that one person is supposed to be called on when that Dragon team to help when it looks like the Dogd are
winning. That person is ment to collect all the items from the Dragons. Yes, Claire?"

"What were the items called?"

"Oh! The Power Elements of Old."

"What!?" Ash's head snapped up from where it had been resting on his desk. 'My dream!"

"Yes, Ash? It's not like you to participate in class talks," Miss Risdon asked him.

"Miss..."

"Yes?"

"How will the person know that they're the person?"

"Thinking it might be you?" the teacher laughed.

Ash didn't answer.

"Well, I guess Babiru will tell them."

"How?"

"In a dream."

'Oh. My. God.'

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"Misty! Misty! Misty?"

"I'm in here, Ash!" she called from the other side of the room.

"How was your day?"

"OK."

"Umm...Misty?"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to see the dream consultant in town, OK?" Ash said, nervously fiddling with the corner of
his jacket.

"Huh? Can I come?"

"I guess."

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"Ash Ketchum. Miss Loskon will see you now."

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"Calm, be calm. Now, tell me, Ash. What was it that concerns you?" the lady asked.

"Umm, I think that I'm suppoed to save the world from some bunch of evil dogs."

"Why do you think this?"

"Are you familiar with the story of the beginning of Pokemon?"

She nodded.

"Well, I was told it today. But *yesterday* I had a dream."

"Tell me of it."

"I heard this voice. Real deep. Sort of echoing in my head..."

"Mmm?"

"And it said; 'You must seek the Power Elements of Old.'"

"That *is* strange. I'm going to put you to sleep. Now. When you wake up tell me everything."

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

^Ahh. Back again.^

*Who are you? Are you Babiru?*

The voice souned suprised. ^Yes, I am.^

*Am I the person who's supposed to help you beat the dogs?*

^Yes.^

*I need to hurry then.*

^No, don't. 'Slow and steady wins the race.'^

*But I need to help!*

^No, the war is far from over. You must be ready in around a year.^

*And if I don't?*

^Then the war and the world is over.^

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

"So, Ash, what did your dream tell you?"

"That I had to not rush. I'm the one who has to sve the war and the world and Babiru was the one
talking to me."

"Wow, Ashy, that's pretty heavy stuff..." Misty commented.

"I'll say," he answered.

"Do you think you're up to it?"

"I'm not sure Mist," Ash sighed. "But I'll sure as hell try."

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

Ash spent the next week researching Babiru and the dragons. He learned that he must first collect the
electric Power Element from Mistuyo, the Thunder Dragon. He pestered Miss Risdon to take the class to the
Rakto Mountains as part of their topic in class. Suprisingly, she agreed.

~>~>~>~>~>~>~<~<~<~<~<~<~

OK! That's the end of part 1a! see you next time for part 1b! Yeah!

See me pokedex fic for more info on the new pokemon, and my *fic* site for pics.

Please R&R

~Quokka07