Finally, plotbunnies revive after months of inactivity

 

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Timeline: 2 weeks

 

Chapter 7: Glitter Lake

 

            Badges are pretty and they glow like the sun.

            Anyways, Ash had just finished fighting Rose Waterflower, the Cerulean City gym leader. Green hair?
            Well, their family was quite strange.

            Shrugging, Ash looked at the fallen Staryu and Starmie. He couldn’t say he felt pity for them.

            Eevee was happily glowing with Jolteon’s energy. Transforming forms didn’t hurt her much, the cards helped drain away the strain of genes activating and deactivating quickly.

            Smiling, Ash hugged his little pokemon.

            Peace.

 

            Life was getting better, he decided.

            They went boating.

            It was great fun, listening to the lapping of the waves against the timber while Ai chan and his pokemon played on the deck.

            Yes, it was…

            On boats, it was sometimes more peaceful. No worries, unless a storm blew up or someone fell overboard.

            Companionship? It was always welcome in Ash’s world.

            “Spaghetti?”

            “Thank you.” Ash said, taking the bowl and blowing on it, picking up the fork with his hand while he spun the strands of pasta around and began eating.

            Plump meatballs glowed in a chunky tomato sauce.

            It was all very good.

 

            “Ai?”
            < You called? > She was still a spirit, and ghostly, but semi-solid, if that made any sense.

            < Play with me? >
            He felt more than heard the ghostly echo of a laugh. < What would you like to play? >
            < Monopoly! >

            Ash pulled the board out of his backpack and set it up, as Ai sat down cross-legged next to him, and Flygon flew down and also took a place. They rolled the dice and the game began, occasional shouted comments sticking up into the air.

            “Darn! I wanted Kentucky Avenue!”

            Tough luck! Flygon laughed.

 

            Ai rolled the dice, and frowned as she landed on one of Ash’s railroads. < So I owe you? >
            “Fifty.”
            It was a mock interpretation of the business world in bright pieces of paper and dice. Monopoly was always fun, especially when it got competitive in the later stages of property ownership.

            Ash smiled broadly, as he landed on another railroad. “Oh! I don’t have Pennsylvania yet! Yay!”

            < You will probably get the railroad monopoly. >

            < Maybe! >

            Flygon stretched, moving his piece to a green square. I buy Pacific Avenue.

            “Hmm….”

            The game rolled on for several hours, until the waning daylight made it impossible to play on the deck.

            They simply moved inside the cabin and continued. It was fun.

 

            One ray of light in a storm, on the lake, a lighthouse stood guard, a bulwark against the weather.

            The lighthouse keeper, one Martin, was sweeping the tower.

            To his horror, he discerned by way of telescope a little craft being tossed up and down in the lake, sails buffeted by the strong winds.

            “Good god!”

 

            Martin ran to his radio and turned it on, hoping that the foolish sailor was still alive.

            No response. Static crackled on all the airwaves.

            “Oh no…”

 

            However, in the bleakest hour of the night, the sea suddenly cleared miraculously.

            To his shock, Martin saw a dragonair.

            Of course! They could control weather. So it was a trainer…

 

            Ai peeked over his shoulder as Ash hugged the Dragonair card.

            The male looked anxious to return to his mate Storm, but that was obvious. Still, he submitted to the praise, before vanishing in a glow of shadow.

            How do shadows glow?

            “Not bad!” Ash said, smiling as Ai checked him over for injuries. None. That storm had taken quite a lot of magic to call up, but he looked fine.

            He still had to work on endurance though. That was a given.

 

            “So, what now?” Ash asked. “Vermillion City gym?”
            < It all sounds good to me. >
            < Great! Here we go! >

 

            The boat lifted into the air, yes, the air, as it flew to Vermillion.

            They landed in the dead of night, found a camping spot, and set up. The next morning, it was off to Surge’s gym.

            A badge waited.

            Perhaps even more adventure? Who knew? The future was a blank page to be written on in the ink of life.

 

End Chapter

Created 3/11/04, completed 3/12/04