Episode 88! 8 x 11 episodes!

Disclaimer: Of course I don’t own pokemon! *Holds up flamethrower* But I’d like to! *Holds up cage of rabid Squirtles* so I will now walk into Nintendo and try to claim it! *Holds up Pikachu net and Bulbasaur Super-Strength Sleep Powder TM*

Notes: <> indicates telepathy, ** indicates thoughts, italics indicates translated pokemon speech. Yatta!

Lance (Crystal) is a girl.

Episode 90: Tale of the White Wizard

“The White Wizard?” Ash repeated.

“Who?” Lance asked. * I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a mage who was named that… *

“Make yourself comfortable.” The channeller said. “Sit down.” She indicated that they step inside the square. Hesitantly, they did.

Nothing happened.

“So, who is the white wizard?” Lance asked.

The Channeller looked in her general direction. “I am getting to that. Please wait.” She said as she sat down, cross-legged. “It’s a long story.”

“Well, we have plenty of time.” Ash said. Pika-chan hopped onto his head and chirped.

“Very well. A long time ago, there was a young boy by the name of Ryuuki…”

Let’s see what Teresa’s doing!

Teresa smiled as she took a picture of a surfer posing with his Dewgong. “You’re pretty good at surfing!”

“Oh, I know. Around here, they call me the Surfer King.” He replied, smiling charmingly at her. “But you can call me Patrick.” He winked.

Teresa felt herself blushing. Mortified, she tried to look away.

“You’re very pretty.” Patrick said. “Would you like to go out with me?”

Teresa blinked. * I like Ash! But… *

“Of course she will!” Scarlet piped up.

“Scarlet!” Teresa said, glaring at the Rattata. Scarlet looked satisfied with his handiwork.

< Come on; take a break! >

< Oh, all right… >

“Your Rattata can talk? That’s cool, man.” Patrick said. “I’ll see you tonight at six, okay?”

“Okay!” Teresa said. Inside, she felt all fluttery. * I’ve never been asked out before! This is so cool! *

Back to the story, which I’m sure most of the readers will find more interesting…

“Ryuuki was the only son of Professor Yuuki.” The Channeller continued. “He was always a bright, young, boy. He was the top of the class in every grade. However, there was one flaw…”

“What?” Ash asked, a bit interested.

“He was deathly afraid of pokemon…”

“WHAT?!”

“But pokemon are everywhere!” Lance said. “How did he survive?”

“He almost didn’t.” The Channeller said. “He attempted suicide four times. However, on his fourth try, which involved jumping off a steep, jagged cliff near the Seafoam islands, he was rescued by an Articuno.”

“An Articuno…” Ash said. “Then he must have been really special.”

“He was. The Articuno told him that he had potential. A tremendous potential for performing miracles.”

“And he was so shocked that he accepted?” Lance asked.

“Quite right, young lady.” The Channeller said. “The Articuno took him to a mysterious city that no one knew about. There, he lived in harmony with the native pokemon for fifty years, before he returned.”

“At that time, there was civil war brewing in Kanto.”

“Ryuuki didn’t know what he could do. His faithful pokemon Clefairy stood by his side as he went from town to town trying to pacify the people.”

“I hardly need to tell you that the attempts failed miserably.”

“Ryuuki despaired. What could he do? His heart was shattered when he discovered that his father had been killed. The blame was traced to a group known as Team Vicious.”

“Sounds like the precursor to TR.” Ash said.

“They operated like Team Rocket, only in a much more brutal fashion.” She continued. “They had no qualms about killing, burning, pillaging, and torture.”

< Thank goodness TR has changed. > Pika-chan sent.

Ash nodded fervently.

Lance blinked. * Weird… *

“A hysterical Ryuuki mounted his Clefairy and headed for Lavender. Now, Team Vicious was located in a tall building that once stood where this tower stands right now. He fought his way in like a man possessed. With his magic, he cut down and destroyed almost the entire base, before he ran into the leader of Team Vicious.”

“The leader was named Ryuusei.”

“Shooting star?” Ash asked, eyebrows going up.

“Indeed. You are wise, young one.”

Ash blinked. * Not really… a guy named shooting star? *

“She was as fair as a rose in May. Ryuuki wavered in his quest at that fatal moment. He didn’t know if he could cut an innocent young woman down.”

“Oh, it was a girl.” Lance piped up.

“His Clefairy had no conscience to tug at and immediately let loose a barrage of Doubleslap.”

“Ryuuki felt like he was frozen.”

“As a matter of fact, he was. She had released her Jynx and frozen him to the floor. He was trapped.”

“She smiled before she decapitated him.”

“That’s the end of the story?” Ash asked, looking a bit disturbed.

“But then why is his grave here?”

“I was just getting to that.” The Channeller said sounding very annoyed. “As I was saying…”

“Ryuuki didn’t die immediately. He had enough presence of mind to release the rest of his energy in one explosive burst. The shock waves wiped up the whole town. A landslide started in the nearby mountains, and Rock Tunnel was created.”

“When a few brave explorers made it to what is now Lavender town, they discovered his body. It was still in perfect condition. But on his chest lay a white book. It contained his story therein.”

“So the world pronounced him a lost hero. They built pokemon tower here, and buried all the pokemon that Team Vicious had killed. On the top floor they placed Ryuuki’s grave. It was an honor.”

“Nobody remembers this story nowadays.”

“Then how do you know?” Lance asked.

“I have guarded his tomb for many years. Soon, a new child will come and take my place, protecting the final resting place of the White Wizard.”

“But how did he get the name White Wizard?” Pikachu asked.

“For his pure heart, and his magic.”

“Oh.”

“I wish you luck.” The Channeller said as a staircase of marble appeared behind her. “Be careful! Evil spirits lurk upstairs.”

“We will be.” Ash promised.

He and Pika-chan started up.

The Channeller turned to Lance. “You are a strange one.”

“What do you mean?” Lance asked.

“He doesn’t know who you really are.”

Lance narrowed her eyes. “Oh?”

“You cloak yourself in illusions and deception. Your magic is strong, even stronger than his, but you do not take advantage of it.”

“He’s my friend.”

“He will not stay that way.”

Lance didn’t reply and stalked off.

“Come on, Crystal!” Ash said. “We’re almost there!”

“Wait up!” Lance said.

Ash and Pika-chan nodded. Ash pulled out some apples and they both munched as they waited for Crystal to catch up.

Lance came up, puffing slightly.

“Let’s go!” Pika-chan said.

They continued up the stairs.

“Are there really evil spirits?” Ash asked looking around.

“I hope not.” Lance said. She shuddered.

But at the very top of the staircase, a ghost lurked…

End Episode 90! *Cheers loudly* Flames will be used to forge Little, to shrink Nelvana to ant size. Then, I’ll stamp the evil company under my feet! C&CC are very welcome! *Smiles*