Hmmm… no, I don’t own pokemon.

Disclaimer: Pokemon is not mine. *Sighs despondently.* But I want it! Too bad Nintendo says no…

Destiny, etc. are mine though!

Notes: <> indicates telepathy, ** indicates thoughts, and italics indicates translated pokemon speech! *Jumps up and down excitedly*

Ranma – hi! We kind of need Teresa… however, don’t worry, she will eventually be forgotten once and for all. ^_^

Xaero – well, thank you!

Guy – Nelvana is the company that dubbed Card Captor Sakura into *shudder* Cardcaptors. They did the worst possible job imaginable.

Digifan1 – hah, female confrontation is very fun to write! *Cheers*

Episode 99: Confronting the darkness – again

After the battle, Pika-chan once again reminded Ash of what he had to do.

Ash sighed. “I am so not looking forward to this, Pika-chan.”

“I know, but… it has to be done.”

Ash cast a look at Crystal, who was playing with her charmander. He sighed. * I know I have to do this, otherwise she might get hurt, but I don’t relish the thought. *

Teresa looked up from where she was working on a pile of dark green cloth in her room as Ash walked in. “What is it?” She had chosen not to watch the battle.

“Teresa, I think there are some things you haven’t told us.” Pika-chan said.

“Like what?”

“Like how you can use dark magic even though the influence of the magician has worn off?” Ash asked, holding up the Dark Rattata card.

“What’s it to you?” Teresa asked.

“It means a lot to me, because I cannot allow you to do this!” Ash said.

“Oh, and you’re going to stop me?” Teresa asked, as she stood up, eyes blazing. “I have my own magic too! But you never pay any attention to me! You only care about Crystal!”

“That’s not true!” Ash protested.

“Oh yes it is! And I’m sick and tired of being tossed aside! First Charlotte, now Crystal! Both of them trying to take you away from me!”

“What are you talking about?” Ash asked.

“You know what I’m talking about.” Teresa hissed, as she formed a ball of dark energy in her hands.

Ash summoned forth his wand. “Stop this, Teresa!”

“No.” Teresa said, before she flung the energy at him.

Ash froze. However, he was saved when Skymew’s poke ball popped open and Sabrina appeared, taking the brunt of the blast for him.

“Sabrina!” Ash said, shocked.

Sabrina shook out her wings and turned to face Teresa. Forming a bow of energy in the air, she fitted an arrow to it and let fly.

Teresa shrieked as the arrow pierced her heart.

Sabrina next formed a wave of ruby shards and flung them at Teresa, pinioning her to the wall of the pokemon center. She turned to Ash.

“Should I kill her?”

“No!” Ash said, sounding shocked.

“But what else can be done?”
“I don’t know…”

Teresa snarled and struggled. Ash gasped, the arrow wound had already vanished, like it had never been.

Teresa’s eyes dilated to red. “That was a bad thing to do.” She hissed, as she freed herself.

“She has fallen into darkness. She can no longer be saved.” Sabrina intoned as she shielded herself and Ash with a ball of glowing crystalline red light, causing Teresa’s dark thunder attack to bounce off.

“Sabrina’s right.” Pika-chan said. “You can’t handle this on your own.”

“Who said I was alone?” Ash asked as he reached for his dimensional communicator.

Charlotte’s face appeared on the screen. “What is it?” She asked. “I’m kind of in physics class right now…”

“I need your help! It’s urgent! And I’m not in a position to talk now.” Ash said as he threw a bolt of lightning at Teresa.

“What is it?”

“How do you seal someone’s powers?”

“Use Lock.” Charlotte said. “Or Erase.”

“I don’t have any of those!”

“Think of a pokemon with sealing qualities!”

“Okay!” Ash said. He began wracking his brain for an answer.

“Please hurry.” Pika-chan said, as she breathed a wave of fire at Teresa, who looked slightly singed but otherwise undamaged.

“I’m trying!” Ash said as he thought hard. Charlotte cut the communications. * He has to handle this on his own. *

“Aha! Porygon!” A flash of light surrounded the card as the wings on Ash’s staff touched it. The pokemon resolved itself in a flash of light, across from Teresa.

“Porygon, use Conversion2!” Porygon nodded and converted Teresa’s magic-type from dark to normal.

“Now, use Psybeam!” Porygon nodded and the rings of energy slammed into Teresa, who shrieked. They formed into invisible seals, covering her and locking her magic, now weak since it was a new type, indefinitely.

Teresa fainted.

Ash slumped tiredly on the ground, leaning on his staff.

Sabrina smiled at him, before the wings surrounded her and Skymew appeared. Ash recalled Skymew.

Pika-chan shrunk back into her small form. “You did it, Ash!”

Ash nodded. “My head…”

Pika-chan fed him a Super Potion.

“Not bad.” Lance commented.

< He did well. I would never have thought of using Porygon. >

< You’re a pokemon, dragonair. >

< Still! >

< I know. His creativity is one of his good points. >

< Oh? What are his bad points, then? >

< He’s too naïve. >

< That can be good at times. He still hasn’t figured out your identity. >

< Neither has Sabrina. That’s good. I was afraid she would, but she was too busy fighting Teresa. >

< Ah. >

“Key that hides the power of the darkness, show thy true form before me. Your master under the seal of contract Lance commandeth you, Release.” Lance’s key glowed and changed into a staff, with the sun and moon surmounted by stars.

Lance drew a card out of her pocket.

“Shadow, you’re up.”

Shadow nodded and headed off to attack.

Ash was shopping for snacks with Pika-chan in a crowded store when he noticed something disturbing. Two girls were standing against a wall, their shadows dancing on it. Suddenly, the two shadows blended and formed a hooded figure with long, grasping hands.

“Watch out!” Someone shouted, as they pushed the two out of the way. It was a boy with spiky brown hair in a green and yellow suit.

The shadows reached out, grasping at nothing.

Ash quickly ran into the empty men’s restroom.

“Key that hides the power of the stars, reveal your true form before me! Your master under the seal of contract Ashura commands you, Release!” The magic circle appeared beneath his feet. Ash quickly grabbed his wand and was about to head out when Pika-chan stopped him.

“Ash! If you go out there like this, people will recognize you!”

“Oh…” Ash said, drooping.

“But not to worry!” Pika-chan said, as she reached into his backpack and pulled out a costume.

Ash sighed and changed. It was a dark purple jumpsuit, paired with a purple feather mask that covered his face. There was also a glittery golden bandolier that went across one shoulder, and a short lighter purple hooded cape. Ash slipped the getup on and headed outside.

“Remember, light against darkness.” Pika-chan reminded him. Ash nodded.

“Clefable, create an illusion to fool the people!” Clefairy nodded and coated Ash and Pika-chan in an illusion of emptiness.

The Shadow paused and turned to face Ash, before it reared up, much as Wave had done before.

“Clefable, use Flash!”

Clefable nodded. It put its hands together and made a metronome sign, before letting off a huge flash of light.

The Shadow shrieked and began to melt away.

“Oh no you don’t!” Ash said, as he trapped it with his net of thunder. “Who sent you?”

There was no reply.

“Here, let me analyze.” Pika-chan said, as she hopped over to the trapped spirit. But as she did, her own shadow touched with the mass of shadows that it was, and it escaped.

“Darn.” Pika-chan said.

Ash sweatdropped. * Never mind then… *

“Oh well, you have a battle tomorrow, better get ready!”

Ash nodded.

End Episode 99! Reviews are very welcome! Flames will be used to create the Song, who will sing Nelvana to sleep, Nevermore.