Episode 114! An even number, all right!

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon or CCS. But I own Destiny, Pika-chan, Eterneon, etc.

Notes: <> indicates telepathy, ** indicates thoughts, italics indicates pokemon talk that is now in English.

LANCE IS A GIRL. She is Crystal. Oh, and Lance is 17 years old. She just looks older…

Apologies on not updating faster, however I was bedridden with stomach flu, an insane amount of homework, and the SATS. Please keep that in mind. And I still had to endure school under these conditions.

Xaero – hyper candies? May not necessarily be a good thing.

Digifan1 – hai!

SS2 Megami-sama – okay!

Ranma – really? *Starry eyes* I’m so proud…

Aragorn the Ranger – Hehehehe

Jarzard – Hehehe, you take Spanish too? ^_^

Psychic Sabrina – well, thank you! Luna is always fun to write. As for the POV stories, I think I’ll wait until a few more stories go up, they might make more sense then.

Episode 114: Enlightening the stars

Ash woke up, feeling fuzzy. * Where am I? Oh… * His memories from the night before began flooding back in. * Why, Crystal? You never explained… but I’ve defeated you, right? *

Ash blinked around blearily and noticed Pika-chan and Sabrina’s faces. Sabrina actually looked kind of worried, while Pika-chan was practically humming with nervous energy.

“Pika-chan?”

“You’re awake!” She cheered.

Ash rubbed his head. “Where am I?”

“Indigo Plateau.” A voice said. Ash blinked and saw Crystal, no Lance, his mind automatically corrected, standing there, dressed in a dark blue robe with silver dragon scales running all over it.

“Hi.” Ash said.

Pika-chan blinked at him.

“Are you feeling all right?”

Ash nodded. “Did you use the Wand of the Water Guardian on me?”

Lance shook her head. “No, I used something called chi transference.”

Pika-chan and Sabrina shot each other glances out of the corners of their eyes.

< Did she say chi transference? >

< I’m pretty sure she did. >

< Doesn’t that require -! >

< Yes. >

< Oh dear. He’s not going to take this well. >

Lance served Ash some waffles and maple syrup. When he had finished eating, she sat down next to the bed with her two guardians.

“I suppose you want an explanation now?”

“That would be nice.” Ash said.

“Very well. I’ll start from the beginning…”

“Whenever something odd happened, I usually felt Clow’s aura.” Ash said. “Was that you?”

Lance nodded.

“But isn’t your magic moon-type?”

“Moon is very close to darkness. Indeed, some say they are one and the same.” Lance said.

“Clow knew that. He used sun, moon, and darkness to create his cards.” Pika-chan spoke up. “But why were you attacking Ash? He’s already the Kanto card master!”

“There are two reasons.” Lance said. “The first is because of Ash’s new magic power is Star.”

“My magic?” Ash asked; trying to remember what Pika-chan had told him what seemed like ages ago.

“What was the old chant for Clow’s key?”

“Key that hides the power of the elements, reveal your true form before me. Your master under the seal of contract Ashura commands you, Release.”

“But your new staff…”

“Had the power of ‘Star’!” Ash said.

“The Clow cards were created using ‘Darkness’, but your new staff was ‘Star’.”

“So that’s why Ash had to change all the pokemon cards!” Pika-chan said.

“But during the final judgment he used Articuno.” Sabrina said softly.

Luna sniffed daintily. “That’s because of the Mirror of Moonlight.” She said. “Ash used it during the Final Judgment, so it gave him the boost of moon energy he needed to defeat Sabrina.”

“So you knew I was going to use Articuno against Sabrina?”

Lance shrugged. “No, I didn’t know, but Clow did, so he planned it all out beforehand.”

Sabrina looked miffed.

“You see,” Lance continued. “If you had continued to use the regular pokemon cards, they would have eventually run out of dark energy and become normal cards. Just pieces of paper.”

“So that’s why you caused all those strange things to happen!” Ash said.

Pika-chan nodded. “That explains it. The card needed to be changed in a magic-friendly environment.”

Sabrina nodded and closed her eyes as she accepted the reasoning.

“So what’s the second reason?”

“Actually, it was kind of for me.” Lance said. “Ash, I need you to get something. I believe you have two of the magic wands that make up the Triple Devastation?”

Ash nodded and went to get them.

Lance picked up the water wand. It immediately began to glow a warm blue color. Ash’s eyes widened.

“You’re the second guardian?”

“Yes. Charlotte is the first, for fire. I’m the second, for water and ice. And you’re the youngest, for thunder.”
“That’s why the channeling process he tried during the League finals worked!” Pika-chan said triumphantly. “You were predestined so the two of you could work together.”

“Very observant, Pika-chan.” Dragonair said.

Pika-chan beamed and ate a chocolate.

“As the second guardian, I was under enormous pressure.” Lance said. “You see, before you came into power, I had to carry darkness as well as moon energy inside of me.”

Ash winced.

“But wouldn’t that just make you powerful?”

“Kind of. But having more than one magic type is usually hard to maintain.” Lance said. “Fortunately, I have been able to transfer half of the dark magic to you.”

“How? Where? When?” Ash asked, looking slightly panicked.

“Relax. Some of it was when we channeled and used magic, but most of it was just by being close to you. You were so energy drained that your chi would automatically absorb any free-floating magic energy in the atmosphere. I gave the rest of it to you last night.”

Ash’s head snapped up. * Last night? That doesn’t sound good… *

< Don’t worry. She didn’t jump you, if that’s what you’re worried about. > Pika-chan said cheerfully.

< Pika-chan! Be a bit more delicate! > Sabrina said.

< Why? You’re the one known for that, not me. >

The two guardians began glaring at each other. Luna, sensing a catfight, quickly threw a bowl of chocolate pudding to Pika-chan.

“Yay, pudding!” She said, forgetting the argument.

Luna sweatdropped. * What a glutton… *

“Don’t worry. Nothing happened.” Lance assured him. Ash relaxed visibly.

“So… not to be rude or anything, but what happens now?”

“You’re on your own, mostly.” Lance said. “The three guardians usually don’t stay together unless it’s needed.”

Ash looked down. * I hate to admit it, but I’ve actually kind of grown used to her company… *

“Um…”
“What is it?”

“I still kind of need to go capture the Johto cards, and I was wondering if…”

“He wants to know if you’d like to come along.” Pika-chan said.

“Really?”

Ash nodded. “We’re friends, Crystal – I mean, Lance.”

“It’s okay. You can keep calling me Crystal.”

Ash smiled. “Besides, don’t you need to keep an eye on me since you’re the older guardian?” He turned on the bambi eyes.

“I suppose, if you put it that way…”

“Then its’ settled. We’re going.” Dragonair-chan said.

“Yep! Unless…”

“Unless what?” Ash asked, blinking.

“You’re already the League Champion, but if you’d like to fight the rest of the Elite Four, I could arrange that.”

“Really? Cool!” Ash said, eyes lighting up. “Sounds great!”

Lance nodded. “Rest well. I’ll arrange for you to fight Lorelei tomorrow.”

“Okay!” Ash said happily.

“One more thing. You don’t look surprised seeing Espeon and Dragonair. Why? I know that you expected the decision maker for my Moon card set to be Staryu.”

“I don’t know.” Ash said. “Staryu wouldn’t be right for you.”

“I see…” Lance said, lightly. “All right then.”

Teresa scowled. Her eyes flashed angrily as she put down her binoculars. * How dare Ash run off without telling me! And with Crystal too! I know I shouldn’t have left the two of them together! *

As she got angrier, dark energy collected in her body.

A dark aura formed around her. Her eyes turned an eerie red again. A pair of dark green wings sprouted from her back and she flew off.

“DIE!”

Ash barely avoided a bolt of dark energy. “What? TERESA?!”

“Not again.” Lance muttered. “Release!” She selected a card and threw it into the air. “Lock!”

A ring formed around Teresa, disabling her.

Ash looked scared. * What can I do? Wait… darkness is weak to light, so I can use… *

“Eterneon, go! Use Heaven’s Glow!”

Eterneon nodded and sent off the beam from its jewel. Teresa screamed as she began dissolving into smoke.

“Keep it up, Ash! If you stop now the darkness we will win!” Pika-chan cried. “We thought we cured her so many times, but she was always dark! You cannot let her live! It will only cause more destruction in the fturue!”
“Ash! You’re the only one who can seal her!” Lance added.

“This is your duty.” Sabrina intoned. “Your feelings cannot interfere. She cannot stay. It is meant to be that way.”

Ash nodded. A single tear trickled down from his eye as Teresa was completely incinerated, but he could do nothing about it. That night, Ash slept with Lance because he was too scared to sleep alone.

End Episode 114!

DIE TERESA! I hope that makes all the anti-Todd/Teresa fans happy! (Tmp, ^_^())

Flames will be used to broil flamers.

Reviews make me happy! *g* Save a plotbunny!