I love writing…

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

Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon: it belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This is non-profit fanwork, no copyright infringement is intended, and since I wrote it its mine and so stealing would = plagiarism.

Phantomness: I like Janine

Lance: I noticed

Ash: Are you pairing her up with me?

Phantomness: No, but you did need some friends, don’t you?

Chapter 7: Seize the Day

Having Janine around as his fake girlfriend did wonders. Most of the fangirls had vanished during the last two months.

She was a friend, but Ash wasn’t even thinking along the lines of romance, and neither was she. There was so much of life left for them that they threw themselves into each new day with excitement.

Chase the dream, Carpe Diem.

Right now, she was teaching him hand to hand combat, both unarmed and with weapons. It was difficult, but he was still young and could learn. Sometimes they trained with Koga also, when he wasn’t busy doing his job, well…both of them… gym leader and Rocket member.

It was almost like having a real father.

Ash grinned as he finished the kata. “Yes!”

“You finally got through all of it without any mistakes?”

“Hai!”

“Good work.” Janine said. “Hmm… what should we do now?”

“Well, I’m going to shower and then I have another challenge letter to answer.”

“Best of luck to you then, I would accompany you but I have a lesson history with my father.”

Ash nodded. “Very well, I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”

Janine and he bowed to each other before exiting the dojo, and then Ash made good on his promise.

He found Otis waiting by the entrance to Cerulean City.

“Well, I’m ready to take you down, _Champion Red_!” Otis yelled. “Prepare to be crushed!”

Ash rolled his eyes, as the Otis and his Beedrill charged.

Let’s see how he fares…

His speed had improved thanks to the training, he was still nowhere near Janine’s level without some outside help, but he was getting there. At least he was fast enough to avoid the blind charging.

Otis glared. “Stay still!”

“You’re the one attacking me. That would be completely wasteful to my health.” Red mentioned, teleporting and then releasing Vulpix.

Vulpix yawned, and breathed out a flamethrower. A crispy trainer and pokemon emerged.

Otis spit out some cinders and glared. “I’m not losing that easy! Come back, Beedrill! Raticate, Hyper Fang!”

“Vulpix, Quick Attack.”

Vulpix dashed away from Raticate and it followed, trying to bite her, when she rammed into it with Quick attack.

Then, the resourceful girl used Confuse Ray.

Bellsprouts went around Raticate’s head as he tried to figure out where his opponent was.

Vulpix darted in and used another Flamethrower.

Unfortunately in this case, the burn condition cured confusion and Raticate ran after Vulpix. Fortunately, Vulpix was running faster and Raticate’s HP ran out due to Burn status before Vulpix was caught.

Ash beamed. “Great!”

“WHAT?!” Otis roared. “Feel my wrath then! This is no mere pokemon! Face my Nidoking!”

“…” Ash closed his eyes and began humming the pokemon league’s anthem. Vulpix use Roar, switching Nidoking for a freshly caught Bellsprout, and finished it off as well.

“You dare to mock me?!”

“You’re the one acting all overbearing and stuff.” Ash said, as Nidoking appeared and was switched again, this time for a Pidgey.

Apparently Otis hadn’t trained all his pokemon evenly. Vulpix only used Bite once before Pidgey fainted.

Otis burst into loud cursing as he once again released his Nidoking. Ash took a quick glance, saw he had no other pokemon left, and recalled Vulpix.

Espeon daintily blew Nidoking away with Psychic. Spitefully, Otis tossed the money on the ground and then stomped off.

Curses continued to ring through silent air.

< Someone really needs inner peace… > Ash muttered as he collected the cash.

< Do tell. > Espeon nodded.

< Did you sense anything abnormal from him? >

< No, but I scanned just in case. He’s just naturally anger-prone. >

< Okay then. Let’s go home. >

Espeon nodded and teleported the group back to Saffron, where the pokemon ran around in Silph’s three layers of underground gardens.

Most of the rockets were elsewhere, Silph being too prominent to risk government inspection. Of course, some inspectors could be persuaded to look the other way. Money was always a good motivator.

Greed and humanity were always linked.

Janine was still in ‘class’, so Ash practiced his left-handed punches in the practice hall. It was always hard…

But he would learn and get stronger. Koga taught that both the body and mind had to be in tune for a good trainer to exist.

Sabrina ‘nee-chan said something like that too.

Well, he wasn’t going to argue.

After a thirty-five minute workout, Ash knelt by a wall, closed his eyes, and meditated.

It was well to calm down.

Calmness did not cause rash actions. Words spoken in anger often brought more harm to the speaker…

So he had to stay in harmony with himself.

Janine entered the hall a while later and sat down a few feet away, also keeping her eyes closed.

She liked meditation, it required less energy than some of the pokemon test skills her father taught. Not that that was a bad thing, she just didn’t like being tired all the time. But she was getting better. They were both improving.

The future posed no real threat at the moment.

End Chapter

Complete 5/6/04