Episode 113! Triple numbers, yippee!

Disclaimer: WAAAAAH! I want pokemon! But I have to content myself with Destiny, Charlotte, and Pika-chan…

Notes: No, Lance is not a male. Lance is a girl. Lance goes by the name Crystal while she travels with Ash. ** Indicates thoughts, <> indicates telepathy, and italics indicates pokemon talking.

Note: Ash is now 14; I didn’t mention his birthday though.

Ranma – I meant flamers…

Xaero – sorry, I don’t do bloody, gory stuff. Besides, how the heck do I championship if I kill one of them off? That’s more of the original CCA tune. You could check out that fic perhaps.

Digifan1 – Hehehehehe

Aragorn the Ranger – interesting tactic you’re trying here

SS2 Megami-sama – ok! And I’d like a link to the ficcie so I can see it when it’s up.

Jarzard – um… humor? Me? *Laughs* those two are usually not compatible. However… ‘How to Catch a Star’ might be considered humor?

Psychic Sabrina – thank you for the e-mail! I like Sabrina as well, and I’m glad you like the fic. Yay, someone else thinks Lance is a girl! ^_^

Episode 113: Facing the bewitching moonlight

“What? You’re going to Pokemon Tower?” Pika-chan demanded.

“I have to do this!” Ash said. “I mean; I can’t just neglect my duties! Can’t you see how this dream is driving me crazy?”

“Yes…” Pika-chan said. She sighed. “But you can’t bring the others. It will be too dangerous.”

“I know.” Ash said. “They’re still sleeping.” He pulled out a pokemon card. His eyes flashed briefly as it was activated and the glow of teleport surrounded them.

“Kadabra?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t even use your staff. Your magic is really getting stronger.” Pika-chan commented.

“I guess the potion yesterday helped…”

“Let’s start climbing.” Pika-chan sighed as they walked inside.

Just then, Ash’s communicator rang.

Ash turned it on. “What is it?”

“Ash, be careful. It will happen tonight.” Charlotte said, before she turned off the portal communications.

“What?” Ash asked. “Hey, don’t just give me a cryptic answer!”

Pika-chan shocked the magical item, trying to make it work. Instead, it short-circuited. She growled. * This is not good… *

Meanwhile…

Lance woke up, as a Bubblebeam smacked into her face. < They already left! > Luna called.

< What? >

< Don’t worry, you can teleport there. >

< Right. > Lance said. She quickly dove into a bush, with her backpack. When she came out, she was dressed in her normal Dragon Master outfit, but she still looked 12 years old. She touched the key at her throat and turned to Luna and Dragonair. < Are you two Ready? >

< Yep! >

< Let’s go! >

Ash and Pika-chan cautiously climbed up. When they reached the top, it was already four in the afternoon.

*Huff, puff*

“How did this get so tiring?” Pika-chan asked as they trudged up to the top floor.

“Maybe we’ve gotten out of shape?”

“Impossible! There must be a spell or something that’s making it so hard for us to do anything!”
“Very good.” A voice said. “Time, come back.”

There was a brownish-golden flash of light.

“I knew it!” Pika-chan said triumphantly. “Somebody was using magic on us?”

Ash shaded his eyes. “Who?” He asked, trying to peer into the dark recesses of the room. * Not Teresa, is it? *

“Me.”

Lance stepped out into the light, dressed in her Dragon Master outfit. “Crystal!?” Ash demanded. “How?”

Lance smiled. “Crystal is such a pretty name, but it’s not my real name…”

“Ash! Be on alert! You’ve been blinded to her aura!” Pika-chan yelled. Indeed, a faint flickering aura began to surround Lance, steadily growing stronger. Silver and black light mixed together.

“It feels just like Clow’s aura.” Ash gasped.

Two flashes of light appeared. Two pokemon appeared next to Crystal – an Espeon and a Dragonair.

“We have a part to play in this as well.”

Lance held a key out in her hand.

“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?!”

“Isn’t that the leader of the Elite Four?” Pika-chan whispered. Ash nodded frantically.

“Correct. I’m also the master of the moon card set.” Lance said. “But enough of this. Dark!”

A card hovered in front of her and cloaked the area in darkness, obscuring any light that had been visible, even the sun and the moon.

Teresa fell asleep. So did everyone else.

“What have you done?!” Pika-chan demanded.

“I have called darkness down.” Lance said. “You would have fallen asleep, like everyone else, Ash, but your magic has grown stronger.”

“How long will everyone sleep?”

“Forever.”

Lance raised her staff and sent a bolt of blue energy into Espeon, who jumped up and fired off a beam of purple psychic energy at Ash and Pika-chan. Pika-chan quickly transformed into the ‘Eternal Winged Pikachu of Greatness’, wings protecting them from the attack.

“Not bad.” Lance said, as a second stream of energy headed for Pika-chan. Pika-chan opened her mouth and shot a burst of fire at Luna, but Luna’s attack cut through it like a knife through butter. Pika-chan went flying and crashed a few feet away.

“Grr…” Pika-chan growled softly as she tried to stand.

Another beam headed for them. However, a wave of ruby shards protected Ash from the attack. On the ground were two halves of a broken poke ball.

Sabrina stood there ready to fire more of them. “C-Clow? But…”

Lance shook her head.

“My turn.” Dragonair-chan said, jumping down. She opened her mouth and a wave of blue shards headed for Sabrina, who counterattacked with her own ruby fragments.

Sabrina winced as several made it past her shield of protection.

“Your master is not strong enough to support you yet.” Dragonair taunted.

“It’s not Ash’s fault!” Pika-chan spat.

The guardians stood up and prepared to fight again.

“STOP!” Ash said. He turned to Lance. “I don’t understand! You’ve always helped me before… why are you attacking me now, Crystal?”

“If you wish to learn the answer, you must defeat me.” Lance replied, as a bolt of blue energy formed from her staff.

Ash gasped, remembering his dream. * That means… to defeat her; I need to change all the cards I haven’t changed yet! *

He quickly drew them out of his pockets and threw them into the air.

“Cards created by Clow, accept this new star power and take on your new forms! Your master Ashura under the seal of contract commandeth you, Release!”

White energy surrounded all of the cards, turning them into ‘Ash cards.’ Ash sighed and collected them back. The shield of cards deflected the beam of blue energy back at Lance, but she simply waved it off and it vanished.

“You’re still missing two though…” Lance’s voice interrupted.

Ash looked up and saw Missingno still floating there by itself.

< But there’s only one. > Pika-chan said as she dodged a blast of fire. < Think, Ash, think! >

“Missingno… is darkness…” Ash whispered. “So to counteract, I need light…”

Lance didn’t reply, but she gathered more energy in her staff and threw it at Ash.

“Poliwrath!” Ash said, dousing the flames with the water/fighting type. * But light? How? *

He jumped out of the way as another bolt headed for him. “Articuno! Become a reprimanding chain!”

Articuno nodded, and flew towards Lance, but Lance blasted it away with a few bolts of fire thanks to Entei. “You can’t use the trick you used on Sabrina to defeat me!”

Sabrina scowled, but turned her attention to the Dragonair she was fighting. Victory was still uncertain.

“Light…” Ash whispered, as he shielded himself with Protect. His mind quickly ran through all the Kanto pokemon. * No, it’s not one of them… *

< Eevee? > Pika-chan suggested.

Ash gasped. * No, not Eevee… Eterneon! *

< We will help. > Pika-chan said, as she used Zap Cannon to freeze Espeon so it wouldn’t attack.

< Yes. > Sabrina added as she pinned Dragonair with a wave of ruby shards.

“How? Making a card takes so much energy…”

“We will enter your staff and stay there.”

“B-but…” Ash said, “You’ll get hurt!” He burst into tears. Pika-chan licked his cheek while Sabrina put an arm around him.

“No. You have the invincible spell.” Sabrina reminded him.

“It will be all right.” Pika-chan whispered.

Ash nodded slowly. “It will be all right…” Sabrina and Pika-chan dissolved into energy and entered his staff, as it changed to a sixteen-pointed golden star, with a silver moon and red-gold sun underneath it, with long white wings extending from the star. The staff itself was dark blue.

Ash closed his eyes. * Last time I created a card without sealing it was Destiny, and I was unconscious, but I know I can do this! They’re all counting on me! *

“Shimmering stars…” Ash whispered, as a shape began to form. “Grant me your energy… create newly a spirit… noble and free… with light and darkness… weave a tapestry… moonlight and sunlight… renewed in thee… Eterneon!”

There was a humongous flash of light, and then the light-type eevelution formed, glowing brightly with energy.

“Eterneon, use Light Ray!”

The jewel on Eterneon’s forehead glinted like a star as thousands of tiny stars shot everywhere, destroying the darkness and ripping it into little bits.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief, heedless of how tired he was. His staff reverted back to normal as Sabrina and Pika-chan reappeared.

“You did it, Ash!”

“I should be thanking you for your support.” Ash said, hugging each in turn. “Thank you so much, Pika-chan, Sabrina!”

“You did well.” Lance said, smiling. “But it’s night right now.”

“Oh.” Ash said. “Missingno!” The glitch pokemon once again covered the sky in darkness. Ash smiled, tiredly, before he fainted.

Lance walked towards him. Sabrina and Pika-chan quickly blocked him.

“Don’t you dare hurt him!” Pika-chan said.

Sabrina nodded as she formed a crystal sword in one hand.

Espeon and Dragonair stirred and woke up.

< She’s not going to hurt him. > Dragonair muttered. But the other guardians didn’t’ seem to notice or hear.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt him.” Lance said, smiling, as she reverted back to her true form and picked Ash up. “I’m taking him to the Plateau.”

The two guardians looked suspicious, but nodded and followed her there. It was a quick trip via teleport.

Lance put Ash to bed and served tea. “I’m not answering any questions until he wakes up.”

“Darn.” Pika-chan said. Just then, she noticed the wide assortment of snacks. She automatically glomped them as she grinned toothily.

Sabrina sighed.

“What a glutton.” Luna said, as she poured herself some honeyed tea.

“What did you say?” Pika-chan demanded as she threw a candied apple into Luna’s mouth and stuffed it in.

Luna gulped and turned blue.

“Uh-oh…” Lance said. “Luna’s kind of like Spinel Sun, not that sugar tolerant.”

Luna chirped and began dashing around, eating all the candy.

“See what I mean?”

“THAT’S MY COOKIE!”

Luna yawned and shot a ruby beam at Pika-chan, who glared and retaliated with a thundershock. Soon, the area was covered with food.

Lance sighed. * At least she’s been diverted now… *

End Episode 113! *Smiles* did you like it? This was so hard to write! Drain immensely… Flames will be used to toast pancakes, and reviews make me hyper and happy!

Question: I have two first-person vignettes from Lance and Charlotte’s POVs on my computer, short little stories that sort of deal with the Triple Guardianship. Should I post them?

And…

Dragon’s Mastery will take a bit before it goes up, so please be patient!