Started 5/2/04

Hi all! *waves*

Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This is non-profit fanwork, non-copyright infringing, and since I wrote it I own it under copyright laws.

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

Chapter 5: Taking Wings

 

            I won…

            It’s finally over! Now I wonder what my next mission is?
            Ash and Sabrina sat in a café eating fresh strawberry pie a la mode. Giovanni hadn’t called yet, but they were going back to Silph that night anyways, so he’d find out then.

            Ash hoped the man would be pleased. Giovanni could be scary if he got mad… but that was for the other, lower rockets. Like Sylvia…

            She had been _so_ stupid, revealing her identity as a Team Rocket agent on a televised talk show.

            What a waste… they had let her pose as a beginning trainer, to scout, but she had only gotten two badges before she blurted out her secret.

            It was all to get attention. Giovanni had conveniently disposed of her afterwards. Ash only knew because aneki had told him.

            He ate another bite of pie and sighed happily.

 

            < You did very well, little brother. >
            < Thanks aneki! >

            < It’s true, though. And I wouldn’t worry; you’ve completed your mission to perfection, haven’t you? >

            < Hai! >

            Pikachu ate a bite of the pie. Yum!

            “It’s good… waiter, bring us another pie.”

            Ash cut slices for all of his pokemon, and so all got a taste, even though a few didn’t like it very much.

            Still, it was sharing and equivalent ‘love’.

 

            Giovanni was waiting when they warped back to Saffron that night.

            “You did very well, Red.”
            “Thank you sir!” Ash saluted.

            “Well, from now on you’ll be quite busy. I expect challenge letters will be pouring into your mailbox like a flash flood, everyone wants to fight the champion.” Giovanni paused. “So…”

            “You want me to scout out their pokemon?”
            “Yes. If any of them have powerful pokemon, you are to alert me, and I shall dispatch a team to take care of it.”

            “I will do my best sir.”

            “Make sure you do.” There was a hint of a threat in that voice, and Ash nodded before he and Sabrina left.

 

            < Do you have another mission too, aneki? >

            < Not at the moment… > Sabrina smiled. < Red, don’t worry. Everything will be clear in about a year. >

            Red blinked, but nodded. * I believe aneki, why wouldn’t I? *

            < And have fun being a ‘normal’ trainer. > She quipped.

            Red gave her a peace sign back and smiled.

 

            The next day…

            Ash realized what Giovanni had meant as four challenge letters fell into his hand. He immediately flew off to fight the first trainer.

            Leonard trained electric-type pokemon. However, his Electrode and Voltorb were really weak, so Aerodactyl took them out quickly.

            A bit disappointed at the ‘boring’ nature of the first clash, Ash flew off to find the next trainer.

           

            Helen was a rabid fangirl. Ash realized this when instead of battling him, as he expected, she grabbed his arm and planted a wet sloppy kiss on his cheek.

            He panicked and Eevee conveniently turned into Jolteon and sent her fleeing from a barrage of Pin Missle.

            It was twenty minutes in a bush before Ash recovered enough to Teleport to Pewter to find the next trainer…

            At least Helen had dropped her purse, so he got all her money. He hadn’t even seen her pokemon, but from her T-shirt she must like Sentret.

            Well, Team Rocket didn’t need those.

 

            Frank had actually been a fairly worthy opponent… Of course, his three Miltank had been quickly taken care of; lucky Red’s new Skarmory had such high, high defense, and then the Graveler that followed had been Poli’s exercise partner for half an hour, as it chased the fast water type through a river and then was downed with a Hydro Pump to the head.

            Scizor had battled his Mysdreavus, neither type having a real advantage against the other, before Hypnosis and Dream Eater sealed the deal.

            And Venus had finished off the Tentacruel.

 

            Sabrina found him in a hiding in an empty (and relatively clean) garbage receptacle in Saffron during her afternoon walk.

            < And what are you doing in there? >

            < Aneki! It’s horrible! I was at the library checking out a new book on bicycle maintenance when all of these girls in short skirts acme running in and started saying how cute I was! And one of them tried to hug me! And then the rest of them followed! I barely managed to escape! I couldn’t even check out the book! >

            < That’s known as a ‘rabid fan base’. > Sabrina said helpfully.

            < So Helen was the same. >

            < Helen? >

            < I got a challenge letter from her, but… when I got there, she k-k-kissed me! >

            < She did? > Sabrina sounded amused. *And he’s only twelve… my, he’ll be a heartbreaker when he gets older. They must be desperate or something… *

 

            < I’m scared. > Ash sniffled.

            < Why aren’t you at home then? >

            < I’m afraid that there might be girls waiting for me there… >

            < Oh Red. > Sabrina sighed. < I’ll protect you. >

            < Honto ni!? >

            < I’ll do my best. Don’t worry, you know how tight security is! Giovanni won’t let just anyone enter. >

            < … Okay. >

 

            Koga was rather amused when Ash knocked on his door that night to ask about… girls.

            “So tell me, what brings this up?”
            “I’m being stalked.” Red muttered.

            “Ah, fame is a fickle friend.” The ninja master added, as he groomed Articuno.

            “What do I do?”
            “Asking you to lose a match on purpose is out of the question obviously.”
            “I just won! I don’t want to lose!”

            “And you unquestionably do not want a girlfriend at this time…”

            “EWW!”

            Koga waited while Red ran to the bathroom. A few minutes later, he looked flushed but somewhat in better spirits.

            “Staying here for the rest of your life is probably not a good idea either.”
            “How do I deal with them?” Red queried piteously.

            Koga snapped his fingers. “I have an idea.”

 

End Chapter!
So… what does our ninja master have up his sleeve?

Completed 5/6/04