Ashline rides again!
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks!
Chapter 2
“So, do you have any pokemon at all?” Lance asked, as they sat in front of the fountain in Phenac City Square.
Ashline looked offended. “Of course I do!”
“Well, I was just wondering… did they defeat you then?”
Ashline colored. “Y-yes… my poor Pikachu was no match for their weird pokemon…”
“… Weird pokemon? They seemed perfectly normal to me.”
“You can’t tell? They were glowing with this black light!”
Lance frowned. “Really?”
“Really! I’m not making this up! Besides, you knocked them out before…. Well, before they could attack with that special move!”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s rumored that Team Snagem uses a machine to make special pokemon called Shadow Pokemon… and they are stronger than normal pokemon, because they know a move called Shadow Rush.”
“My, my, you have done your research…”
“Er, it’s just that they were talking about it while I was in the sack…”
“That explains a bit.” Lance said thoughtfully. “So… does Team Snagem really steal pokemon?”
“Yes, and then they turn them into Shadow pokemon!”
“I wonder how…”
“Well….” Ashline frowned, “I don’t know…”
“You’d better go heal your Pikachu at the Center first.”
Ashline nodded and ran to the Center. A few minutes past, she returned with healed pokemon. However, to his surprise, Lance noticed that she had three poke balls.
“I thought you only had Pikachu?”
“Er… I got knocked out before I could use my Butterfree or Pidgeotto…”
“I see…”
“Wait! Three?”
“Yes, I only see three poke balls on your belt…”
“Oh no! Oh no! This is terrible!”
“What’s wrong now?”
“I should – I should have four! They’ve stolen the Drowzee my father gave me for my birthday!”
“… This is a problem.” Lance remarked dryly. “Do you know where they might have taken it?”
“Well, they steal trainer’s pokemon and then after they turn them into Shadow pokemon, they probably give them to their agents.”
“Wonderful… and of course we have no idea of knowing which agent may have your lost Drowzee…”
“No,” Ashline sniffled.
“I suppose we’ll just battle all the ones we run across then,” Lance said. “So how long are you planning to stay in Orre?”
“I can’t go home until I get Drowzee back! It knows how to Teleport me home.”
“… Well, that’s wonderful…” Lance sighed. “They couldn’t have gotten too far, right? Let’s look around and see if there are any Team Snagem agents in this town…”
They began walking through, admiring all the pretty fountains. There did not seem to be any trainers around, but after asking an old woman, she said that all the trainers were either at the Colosseum or the training school…
“Where to first?”
“Um… Training School sounds safe. Let’s hit the Colosseum.”
“All right…”
At the receptionist’s desk, she said that the challenge had already started, but if they wished, they could buy seats to watch for only seven dollars. So Lance and Ashline paid and went inside.
They watched several trainers fight – it was rather boring, they all used the same pokemon – Cacnea, Sandshrew, Geodude, Lotad, the occasional Zigzagoon or Skitty…
Orre really was a region bereft of wild pokemon…
Afterwards, they left the ring.
“Did you see anything?”
Ashline nodded.
“Well, what did you see?”
“There was a pokemon with a black aura!”
“Which one?”
“… I forgot.”
Lance cast his eyes heavenwards and prayed for Lugia to give him mercy. “But it wasn’t your Drowzee?”
“No…”
“Then it’s none of our business. Let’s head to the next town.”
“Lance, we can’t just leave them here! Aren’t you the Leader of the Elite Four?”
“Yes… what does that have to do with anything?”
“I thought you were a hero. I heard about how you saved a lot of wild pokemon in Kanto. Why can’t you do the same here in Orre?”
“I have no jurisdiction in this area, Ash…”
“Don’t call me that!”
“Why not? It’s a cute nickname…”
“But… but we’re not even that close yet!”
“Fine, fine… I’ll go take a look at the ‘shadow pokemon’ you say you saw…”
Ash nodded.
“But in return, you’ll let me call you that cute nickname, ne?”
The Pallet
trainer flushed. Fine! She would not be selfish! She would do her best to save
the pokemon!
“It’s a deal…” She muttered
through gritted teeth.
“I knew you’d see it my way.” Lance smiled, as he walked towards the registration desk. “When is the next tournament?”
“Oh, in half an hour. Would you like to register?”
“Yes…”
“Wonderful!” She smiled. “Well, in half an hour, just walk in through those doors. The battles will begin immediately.”
“Thank you.”
“That was easy.”
“They don’t even check for trainer I.D. here…” Lance frowned. “And there’s no gym badge system… I wonder… no wonder there’s havoc everywhere. I wouldn’t be surprised to see street fighting…”
Ashline shivered.
“Don’t worry, you have your pokemon to protect you.”
“Um… if I get scared… er, will you protect me?”
“Sure, whatever you want.” Lance smirked. “Why?”
“You’re a better trainer…”
“Oh?” The Dragon Master smiled. * This ought to be an interesting vacation… Well, who knows? *
End Chapter
Completed 7/10/05
Ash: *Fuming*
Phantomness: *Cackles*
Shoyko: *Eats a lollipop*