So, how’s life? *Waves*
Disclaimer/Notes: Please see Chapter 1
Chapter 6: Path paved with rubies
“Pidgeot, Sky Attack finale.”
Everett, leader of the Greenleaf gym, stared at his fallen Chikorita.
“No!”
The previous Pidgeotto cawed, taunting, as she flew flips in front of Ash.
“Oh, you’re going to get it…” Everett swore. “Meganium! Poisonpowder!”
“Do they all like this move?” Charlotte wondered.
“No idea.”
Everett’s Meganium ignored his orders and tried to Body Slam Pidgeot, but only a few feathers floated down to the ground.
“Now!”
Pidgeot glowed as she let loose Hyper Beam, sending Meganium and a lot of smoke flailing uselessly in midair.
Everett fainted.
Ash shrugged, took one of the badges lying on the floor, and exited.
“That was easy.”
“Quite.” Lance agreed affably.
Charlotte tossed him a Soda Pop, which he immediately drank. “So, one more badge?”
“Hai~!”
Charlotte ignored the trill as Lance rolled her eyes.
“What?” Ash asked innocently.
“Little brother, there is so much you don’t know, and yet… sometimes it just amazes me what you come up with.” Charlotte said truthfully.
“…What?”
“You’ll
understand later…”
A pout fixed itself on his
face, and he scowled, but then Lance splashed him with her water bottle, so he
ran after her while Charlotte giggled.
Who knew?
A week later…
“There was an elven maid of old…” Lance hummed.
Ash blinked as they climbed up the snowy mountain. “Lance? Where is that from?”
“You know, I honestly cannot remember.”
“That’s the problem. After a while, the memories blur into each other.” Charlotte said truthfully.
Fragments of dreams and reality whirled like dust in a storm.
Ash accepted the explanation, and quickly continued his fast trot through the slush. It was very muddy, and he was glad that his rubbers went up to his knees.
Charlotte brushed a few flakes off her blue ski suit and groaned.
“What’s wrong?”
“If the weather heats up any more, it will be rain, not snow that we face.” This came from the ersatz dragon master.
“… I get it.”
Charlotte whipped out two umbrellas. “Always be prepared!”
“Especially if one is hydrophobic.’ Ash added in subdued monotone.
“Heh.”
“So what’s our game plan now?”
“Seriously, I’m not sure. Just following Ash.” Charlotte said quite calmly.
Ash blushed. “Um… last badge, and then we decide?”
“Not foolproof, but it’ll work.” Lance commented, as she cleared away the last patch of snow. “Ah, there it is.”
A rickety sign proclaimed the residence of Vivian, the last Emerald gym leader.
“Any idea why she’s perched on a mountaintop?”
“Truthfully? None.”
“Must be a leader thing…”
“We resent that.” Both trainers said.
Ash winced. “But you’re not gym leaders… I mean, not really… er…”
Charlotte smiled as she tossed her Solar System badge up and down, watching the light sparkle on the stars. “I know.”
“Good.”
He yawned slightly. “Well, into the gym we go!”
They proceeded past the sign, and soon uncovered a small, one-room hut. It was empty, the door lying ajar.
“Strange…”
Looking around, he perceived that it was empty, and a light dusting of powder coated the floorboards.
“Stun Spore.” Lance said, taking one look.
“Are you sure?”
Lance rolled her eyes slightly. “Yes.”
“Do you think she was kidnapped then?”
“Unlikely.” Charlotte said. “The cabin is warded against teleportation and ghost pokemon.”
“Um…”
“Most likely she has just not been here for a while.”
Walking deeper into the hut, they discovered a few shards of pottery.
“She was mad and hurled these pots at someone…” Charlotte deduced. “And then she stomped out of the cabin. She hasn’t been back since.”
“But what about the Stun Spore?”
“From her pokemon. It sensed its master was angry, and retaliated as such.”
“Now we just follow the trail outside.” Lance finished, shutting the door. “She’s probably hiding out in a cave.”
“Oh.”
End Chapter
Started 2/2/04, completed 2/7/04