I’m trying to think of an ending but one isn’t coming yet…

Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon, it belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This is non-profit fanwork, written by me for my sake, and don’t take it. It does not infringe on the aforementioned companies copyrights either.

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

Chapter 9: Konoha

Ash watched as another trainer lost to Janine. The Fuschia city gym was a pretty tricky one…

Especially since first you had to find the leader(s). That was no picnic because of the Voltorb traps…

The invisible walls…

The sections of the house that collapsed strategically…

And don’t forget the vanishing rooms…

Pity the pour soul who tried!

“I’m only standing in for my father for a week.” Janine explained. “He is off doing solo training in the mountains.”

“I see.”

Janine nodded as her Crobat escorted Jimmy out.

The kid was close to tears, poison was very powerful, especially poison combined with confusion…

Ouch!

Ash personally thought the worst combination was Paralysis plus Confusion and Attraction on top of that.

It rendered the opponent almost enable to attack. Of course, it also required three turns to set up, or too if the pokemon were fast.

Still, it was good to use.

He groomed Eevee’s already dirt-free floor as he mused on certain random things.

The flash of blue light heralded Sabrina’s arrival.

< Hi, aneki! >

< Hello Red. > Sabrina said. < I came here to deliver something. >
< ? >

< Happy birthday. > Sabrina said, pulling a cake and candles out of midair. Ash’s eyes widened.

< Oh wow! I was so busy I completely forgot! >

< Enjoy. You don’t turn thirteen every year. >

Janine smiled. * I’m glad I remembered… *

The small group of three enjoyed the cake and Ash opened his presents, finding a useful scroll on potions from Janine and a stuffed Pichu doll from Sabrina.

He hugged them both and thanked them fervently, as they smiled.

Who needed romantic love when you had such good friends?

Lance snapped his fingers, the area around him disintegrating.

Maxie’s jaw was literally on the ground.

“Looks like it wasn’t such a good idea to capture me, Team Magma.” Lance said. His golden eyes sparkled brilliantly.

“So, how about a lesson to teach you not to tangle with the Elite Four?”

Maxie had no time to reply to that, before the ice and energy overwhelmed him.

The Dragon Master smirked, vanishing again.

< Can’t catch me… baka… >

Lugia was waiting when he returned home.

< You did well, Chosen. >

< Yes. >
< What of Team Rocket? >

< I see no darkness yet. Also, they stopped the experiments early when they realized it actually weakened the pokemon. >

< So they are not _as_ evil. >

< You could say that, Lugia-san. >

It was foggy.

Ash stared at the window outside. His fame had finally died down for the most part, letters being sporadic and infrequent.

So much the better…

Team Rocket had only conducted three raids, only three trainers had actually possessed decent pokemon.

What a pity.

“Why are you wasting your time like that, Red?” Janine asked. “Come have tea with Father and I?”

He didn’t have anything better to do, and tea wasn’t so bad, so Ash followed. They sipped green tea quietly and didn’t really talk as they sat around the table.

Still, it was better than moping.

Things weren’t so bad.

Sabrina yawned as her Alakazam thoroughly defeated some wizened old lady’s Gengar.

True, ghost _were_ strong to psychic but all of the Kanto ghosts were part poison, which was weak to psychic.

A pity, it might have been a challenge.

Agatha looked absolutely flabbergasted. * I lost? She’s a psychic and I’m a ghost master, but! *

“This is all you have?” Sabrina asked nonchalantly.

Agatha coughed. “Well, I’m not the best trainer…”

Lance looked annoyed as his cell phone rang. “You lost? I’ll be there in a minute then…”

He collected the blades he had dropped, stuck them back in subspace, and made a mental note to practice the Dragon Dance again later.

A few minutes later, he appeared in front of Sabrina. “You called?”

< I challenge you. >

“For what?”

< Just for fun, > Sabrina commented.

Lance shrugged. < As you will… >

Within a flash, his Aerodactyl had KO’d both her Mr. Mime and Alakazam. Sabrina looked much like Agatha had minutes earlier.

There really was a difference in skill level there.

Lance recalled his fossil dragon with a grin. “Nice battling you, but I have business to take care of now.”

< Who… >, Sabrina mused, as he vanished. < He wasn’t just psychic, I can see that… >

< He could become a dangerous enemy to Team rocket. >

End Chapter!

Completed 5/6/04