Um… here’s the next chapter

Timeline: 7 years later

Warnings: OOCness on Ash’s part possible since he’s been living with a dark angel, come on…

Phantomness: Well, welcome to another chapter

Lance: Why am I your muse?

Phantomness: Because I kidnapped you from HQ and I can’t remember anyone else claiming you! *Grins* besides, you are my favorite character after Ash, or maybe you are my first favorite since Ash is kind of… dense in the Anime.

Emerald: Ahh…

Demented Yami – thank you! I thought the fic was cute.

Link Masters – ‘kay! ^-^

Charmeleon – well, many thanks for the criticism.

Tmp – no, actually, she didn’t. Lance is the guardian of the dream realm where all the pokemon were sealed into when the angels tried to kill her.

SS2 Megami-sama – thankies! ^-^

Chapter 2: Darkness unleashed

Lance stared at the news broadcast with horrified eyes. “No…”

“What is it?” Ash asked, climbing into his guardian’s lap even though he was technically too old for it. It was a cute gesture though.

“Ivy… you bastard…” She turned to Ash. “Somehow, she brought back three of the starters from the dream realm!”

“What?!” Ash asked, startled. He knew all about the dream realm, he lived in it most of the time. He loved all the creatures that lived there, sealed apart from the real world. But for Professor Ivy to steal them from their home…

“Let’s see… Charmander. Squirtle. Bulbasaur. She only has three, but she’s starting to clone them…” Lance shivered. “And if this continues, they’ll sacrifice another one. And I don’t want that to happen.”

“What can we do, Lance-chan?” Ash asked.

“I’m too old to be a beginning trainer, so I can’t get in legally. But Ash…”

Ash nodded as he got what she was trying to say. “I’ll do it.”

“You’ll be in danger, you know.”

Ash grinned as he touched his key of hidden shadows. “But I’m not completely defenseless. And I don’t want the poor innocent pokemon to die like that…”

“All right.” Lance said, placing a kiss on his forehead. “Go ahead and go. If you can, send all three of them back to the dream realm where they belong. If not, pick the pokemon you like and we’ll make you the Pokemon Master so you have power before we send them home.”

Ash nodded and focused, changing his normal flowing robes into jeans and a red jacket. His dark yellow wings vanished into nothing and a single poke ball appeared on his belt. “I’m ready.”

“Good luck, little one.” Lance said, giving him a hug.

“I’ll be careful.” Ash promised. With that, he climbed down from the roof and started walking to Pallet Town.

When he got there, the area was swarming with junior trainers. Ivy was flabbergasted and not sure what to do.

‘Aunt Ivy, can’t you just have a tournament?” Gary asked. Ivy nodded, pulled out a megaphone, and raised her voice. “Listen up, all of you! I only have three, starter pokemon, so there will be a tournament to get them! Only the winners may receive one!”

Many weak trainers groaned and left, but many more were still left. Ivy counted them all and then paired them off into matches.

Gary noticed that one of the trainers looked slightly familiar. Peering at the kid, he recognized the familiar brown eyes.

“A-Ash?” His friend had disappeared several years ago, after his father had been found dead. It was assumed that he had been kidnapped. Ash looked much younger than his age.

Ash looked up. “Oh. Hi, Gary.”

“Where have you been?! I thought you were kidnapped!”

“I was.” Ash replied.

“Woah! Did you escape, or something?”

“You could say that.” * Well, it’s part of the truth… * Ash was about to say more, but just then, Ivy paired him up with a trainer.

Gary waved goodbye as he clenched his own fistful of poke balls.

“Rattata, go!” The foolish boy shouted.

Ash casually closed his eyes and released Elementeon. She looked like an Eevee, but she had enough power to destroy a few cities if she so pleased.

“Rattata, Bite!”

Reflect… Ash whispered. “And then use… earthquake.”

Eterneon nodded and quickly knocked out Rattata. The same scenario played with three more Rattatas until a girl with a Pidgeotto came up.

“I’m Clara, and I’ll beat you!” She yelled.

“Elementeon… Thunderbolt.” Ash said in reply, frying Pidgeotto. “Next.”

Clara stamped her feet. “You’re cheating!”

“Who says? I just have better pokemon.”

Clara fumed and spat and sent out a Raticate.

“Guillotine.” Ash said. Well, that ended well.

Three hours later, he was feeding Elementeon a potion and glad that the annoying thing was finally over. He caressed her briefly with some shadow energy, which she absorbed, and looked over at the others.

Gary was almost done.

Ash kissed Elementeon’s head and waited some more. Gary’s Pidgeot was very well trained, as was his Noctowl. Amazing what he had done with the limited resources.

And yet, Ash still felt no remorse for all the creatures that lived happily in the realm of dreams. They were free and happy, and why would he deny them that?

Besides, if it hadn’t been for them, Lance-chan wouldn’t be here.

Lonnie burst into tears as Gary’s Pidgeot finished off her Raticate. It wasn’t fair!
Ivy looked bored. * How many are left… *

Ash turned to Gary and gave him a thumbs-up. Gary grinned back in return.

Finally, the last three remaining were declared.

“Ash, Gary, and May.”

May squealed and chose Charmander.

Gary was hesitant. “Ash… do you want to go first?”

“I’ll be fine.” Ash reassured his friend, so Gary took Squirtle and left Ash with Bulbasaur.

“Ash, what happened to you, after…”

“I’ll tell you later.” Ash said, after noticing May trying to eavesdrop. “It’s a long story.”

After a few minutes, they were walking down the Route towards Viridian.

“So, Ash… what happened after you were kidnapped?”

“Well, for one. I wasn’t.” Ash replied. “Oak deserved what he got.”

“What?” Gary asked, regarding his friend.

“After my mom died, that… he…” Ash paused and rolled up his sleeves, showing thin white scars on his arms.

“He…”

Gary stopped short. “Ash…”

Ash laughed harshly. “She saved me. She took me away.” He hugged himself tightly. “She helped me…”

Gary nodded and decided not to press the issue further. * Ash, I hope you’re okay… *

End Chapter!

Completed 1/25/04

No, I decided not to make Gary evil in this fic. I felt like I owed him after End of Misty.

So… I’ve decided to try and be nicer to Gary in my fics. At least, some of them…