Episode 148!

Disclaimer: Come on, have I ever claimed to own pokemon? Have I?

Notes: ** indicates thoughts, <> indicates telepathy, and italics indicates translated pokemon speech. That’s it!

Lance is a girl and her name is Crystal.

Ash is still catching the Johto cards.

SS2 Megami-sama – I did update Rocket Child, didn’t I?

Elizabeth – thank you!

Link masters – I think Ash is selectively clueless…

Jarzard – thank you!

Tmp – I figured it would be interesting.

Blackness44 – egg? *Peers at it*

Air Slyph – I doubt Zachary will show up again, hehehe…

Ranma – true, that

Digifan1 – ok!

Psychic Sabrina – I think I’m confused now… I have no idea if Zachary was in the anime! I took the name from a list of names on my computer. Yes, but not traded pokemon. They will not listen. Speaking from very painful experience, they will not obey if 11 or higher without Falkner’s badge. Um, the attack actually hurt Ash. And Zachary is meant to be hated!

Episode 150: The Shining Lapras

“Go! Geodude!”

“Vaporeon, use Surf now!” Ash said. Vaporeon twitched her tail in a salute and drenched the Geodude. Poor thing had no chance.

“Oh no! Geodude!” The Hiker lamented.

Ash collected his money. “Well, let’s keep walking, Crystal.”

Lance nodded and sprayed herself with Repel. * I don’t want to be attacked today… I’m tired. *

“Are you okay, Crystal?”

“Just kind of tired…” Lance said. Her eyes were a bit blurred.

< Ash! Quick! Do something! > Pika-chan said.

Ash blinked. < What? >

Just then, Lance teetered and crumpled to the floor. Ash immediately bent down next to her. “What’s wrong?”

“She’s feeling the energy drain!” Luna said. “She was so busy keeping up the protection wall around our campsite for the past few nights that she’s almost out of moon energy!”

“But how? I didn’t know!”

“Three nights ago, there was a group of dark mage pokemon trying to attack, but she used the Protection Wall spell to keep them away!”

Ash looked upset. * So it’s my fault! *

He quickly mixed up a Moonglow potion (used to replenish moon energy) and tipped it down her throat. Then, he gave her a good dose of chi as well.

“I’m sorry, Crystal… I let you get hurt.” Ash whispered.

About half an hour later, Lance revived.

“You’re okay!” Luna cheered.

“I’m so sorry!” Ash said. “I couldn’t even sense that there were dark pokemon all around us!”

Tears started trickling out of his eyes.

Lance reached up and wiped them away. “You’re still inexperienced, Ash. It’s not your fault.”

“But I made you run out of energy! And if Pika-chan hadn’t noticed, you could have died!”

Lance stroked Ash’s hair softly as he cried against her chest. < Shh… calm down. Worrying over the past won’t help. >

Ash cried himself out until the sun rose.

“Come on.” Lance said. “Let’s go.”

Ash nodded and followed her. They were partway through the cave when they heard roars.

“Sounds like a Gyrados…” Ash said, listening.

“No, it’s not.” Lance said. She snapped her fingers and a faint sparkle of blue dust surrounded them.

Ash stared.

“I’m the Ice Guardian, Ash. I can talk to water, ice, and dragon pokemon. I can also talk to the elements.” Lance said.

She walked over to the body of water close by and whispered a few words in an arcane language. Bubbles rose to the surface quickly.

“What is it?” Ash asked.

Lance shook her head. “The water is confused. Something is wrong.”

“But what?”

“Let’s go find out.” Lance said. “Tempest, I choose you! Let’s Surf.” They climbed on the dragonair and began surfing off.

On the way there, Lance explained.

“Every week, a Lapras comes to this cave. Usually, it is a young female who is quite willing to become a trained pokemon. Trainers often wait for the Lapras to appear so they can capture it.”

“So what’s wrong?”

“This week, there are an unusually large number of trainers. They are battling amongst themselves. They were crowded so thick that the water could not pass them all at once.”

“So something’s up?” Ash asked.

“Yes…”

“Let’s go see.”

Ash muttered an invisibility spell under his breath, and then the two vanished.

*CRASH* *BANG* *CRUNCH*

Rocks began falling from the roof of the cave.

“I take it that this was not a good idea.” Ash muttered as they surfed through the wreckage.

Lance shrugged.

Soon, they came to a small island. There were about fifty to a hundred trainers crammed into it, and a few in the water too. And there, in the middle of the underground lake, was a Lapras.

But this one was shiny.

“Elekid, go! Use Thunderwave!”
“Oh no you don’t! I’m going to capture that Lapras! Jynx, put that Elekid to sleep with Lovely Kiss!”

“Grr! Why are all of you distracting me!? Tangela, Flareon, go!”

As the trainers fought amongst themselves, the island began breaking into pieces, but almost nobody noticed.

The trainers in the water were also arguing.

“I saw the Lapras first!”

“No, I did!”

“Thomas is the one who knew that the golden lapras would be coming today! He ought to get it!”

“Not if I get there first!”

“A wild pokemon doesn’t belong to anyone!”

Powder Snow and Water Gun attacks flew every which way.

Lance nodded to Ash, and they surfed over to the Lapras, still invisible.

Shh, Lapras, don’t worry. Ash said, as he began putting ointment on it. We won’t hurt you.

We’re trying to help. Lance added.

The Lapras looked tiredly at them. Help me…

*SLAM*

Ash couldn’t mask a cry of pain as a Snorlax rammed into him. Apparently, a trainer had sent her Snorlax out to capture Lapras.

Ash’s eyes glowed pure red for a second, and the Snorlax flew into the air, on fire. There was a horrible scream as the flaming pokemon crashed into the island.

“Quick! Get in the water, everybody!”

All the trainers began jumping into the water or rolling on the ground, trying to stop the flames.

Lance’s eyes glowed bluer and suddenly, whirlpools opened up, sucking many unfortunate trainers into their watery depths.

How dare you do this to a pokemon just because it has special colors! You will pay for defiling this sanctuary!

A waterspout grew out of the water, sending more trainers crashing into the ceiling.

“AAAAAAAAAAH! LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!”

Ash shook his head. * Too late. * At a whispered command, Zapdos flew out and began driving away the trainers with electric shocks.

When the air and water were finally cleared, the two were left alone with Lapras.

Ash was still glowing softly.

“Ash… snap out of it.” Lance whispered.

Ash’s eyes refocused and he shook himself, as he felt his transformation into Destiny seep away. “Did I?”

“No, you didn’t hurt me.” Lance reassured him.

“Just making sure… after last time…”

Pika-chan and Luna fussed over the two Chosen.

“What’s going to happen to you now?” Ash asked the shiny Lapras.

This was a bad idea. I will return to my herd. Lapras said. Thank you for saving me, guardians. I could not have survived without your help.

Lance drew a sign in the air with her fingers. There was a pale flash of dark blue and than a flash of light blue. “Go in peace, water’s child.”

Lapras nodded and swam off, vanishing into the distance. There was a stream beneath the Union Cave that led out to the ocean.

Ash waved. < Goodbye, Lapras. >

< Goodbye, thunder’s guardian. I hope we meet again. >

And so, the two Chosen exited the cave and headed on their way to Azalea.

End Episode 150! This took 3 days to write because I was so stuck with writer’s block…

Anyways, drop a review!

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