YAY! The fic has finally revived! ‘Reborn the plotbunny’ has worked again! Started 5/23/03

Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon to Star Wars. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics, while Star Wars belongs to George Lucas and Co. this is non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic that belongs to me because I wrote it.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Chapter 3: Sploosh

A hard, cold light glittered in his eyes as Ash opened up his ‘secret box’. Inside was a single necklace, a red stone on a gold chain, passed down from his mother, the dream had confirmed.

It was time to leave.

He still burned when he thought of what Violet had done to him. Well, he would make her pay, but first he would make his escape.

“Let’s go.”

Torchic and Mudkip hopped onto his shoulders as he slipped out into the night silently, the snores of the ‘host’ family filling his ears. The necklace twinkled and Espeon stepped out gracefully, her tails waving.

You called?

Ash smiled, remembering a little more. Yes… Catelyn could summon, couldn’t she? She had started teaching him before he had left, and then he had dreamed about her for a few years but then the dreams had stopped coming…

< Espeon, I need to get out of here. >

< Of course… >

Espeon’s eyes glowed, and Ash found himself on the bridge of a luxury star-cruiser known as the S.S. Anne, dressed in black and gold.

< Wow… >

< Full service wish. > Espeon teased. < It’s the quickest way off this planet either way, and they’d never think to look for you here. Your passport and papers are in your right pocket, your room is 213, and I think that’s it. You’ll find your luggage there too. >

< Wow. >

< Enjoy! > Espeon winked. < Oh, and as for Cat? Do try and be open-minded, she may not be what you expect. >

Ash nodded, and went to mingle.

He didn’t find her, but he did feel refreshed, finally away from the stifling air of the family. Yuck.

A few minutes later, a televised news broadcast came on. Ash idly paid half-attention to the news, and then gasped.

Was that- no! It couldn’t be!
Ahs stared in disbelief at the screen.

“What are you looking at?” Giselle asked, simpering. She tried to hang on his arm, but fell off.

“… Cat?”

No! It couldn’t be her, could it?
Ash gaped in disbelief.

But… but… the aura felt right, even through a T.V. that was lifeless…

He felt his hands unconscious clench into fists. What had happened to her?

What had happened to him?

It would be no easy task to go back to normal. In any case, life hadn’t been normal.

But he needed to find her. Now.

The key glinted slightly, and he smiled, retreating to his cabin to begin the journey.

“Magic to cards, cards to key…” He said, and the familiar white light shot outside. She would be waiting for him.

After all, he already had the complete set of pokemon. Now, he used it to find her again…

Humming to himself, Ash pulled on his black gloves and willed for the ship to go faster.

They headed for Indigo.

Two days later, the ship pulled up. Ash slipped through customs quickly, and then headed for the palace.

Yes… that would be the right place, wouldn’t it?

The guards were laughable, they didn’t even see him as he melted into the shadows and slipped past them.

It was quite easy.

He stepped through the door, as she looked up.

Actually, it wasn’t that bad…

Ash admired the way the dark lights sparkled off her steel wings, and the lovely black of her armor, before he sighed. “Hello, Catelyn.”

“You escaped, finally?”

“Hai.”

“That’s good.” She said absentmindedly, as she got up and placed her arms around him.

It wasn’t quite the same, they weren’t little kids playing together anymore, but it was still nice.

Besides, they could not just go back to the way things were before. That was just not possible. Too much had happened.

But they could try. Yes, they could try, because what else could be done? It wasn’t as if he had anywhere else to go.

He smiled as she held him.

< What now? >

< Well, we could just kill him. >

< Could we? >

Lance smirked, as she stepped back. < Have I ever shown you the Dragon’s Dance? >

< No. >

< Well then, it’s high time you took a look. >

Ash stared, mesmerized, as she took the blades in hand and began.

It was life and death, fire and water and ice and lightning, all in a series of fluid movements. She moved too fast for the eye to see normally, and only with lots of focus could he actually see every single move. But it was a dance of death, because when she actually fought, every movement held a blade and every one hit its target without fail.

She was the Dragon Master after all, so of course she would know this move.

It was so pretty.

End Chapter

Completed 5/29/04