Now bring on the angst!

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

Chapter 4

“Hey.”

Ash looked up, scowling when he saw Red. “Oh, it’s you.”

“No need to put on the long face. I’m not about to take your Orange Island Championship title away from you.”

Ash blinked. Then, he relaxed. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad. “So I’m your clone.” He said.

Red nodded.

“D-Do you hate me?”

Red shook his head. “That would be like hating myself, right?”

Ash laughed, and nodded. “I suppose you’re right. But I just feel kind of diminished. I mean, I thought I was someone special and here it turns out I’m just the clone of someone who’s better than I am.”

“Still, you’ve done the best with what you have, right?”

“Of course!”

“Then that’s all that matters.” Red grinned. “Besides, I was Indigo League Champion in my day.”

“Ahh…. So I was wondering something.”

“Shoot!”

“… Why don’t you have a Pikachu? I thought you would, since you know…”

Red’s expression drooped, and Ash felt bad bringing it up. Finally, Red sighed.

“Pikachu fell in love with another trainer’s Pikachu and ran away to be with her.”

Ash gasped. “That’s terrible!” He felt a bit better now that his Pikachu had chosen to stay with him and not rejoin its relatives in the wild.

Still, as he and Red got to talk, he discovered that it might be nice to have a male friend who was his age.

Brock was too girl-crazy and strange!

The Elite Four were none as pleased. However, deciding that discretion could sometimes be the better part of valor, they set up camp on Cerise Island.

“I hate this.” Kanna was not generally prone to whining, but with the strange state of affairs, the others could sympathize.

“I want to kill mine.” Wataru hissed, his fingers sharply tipped in silver.

Kikuko shook her head. “Perhaps tis better this way, for the world to believe we are weak. Then, we can strike…”

Shiba started. “Surely you’re not thinking…”

“If the material composition of the gym badges has not changed in all this time, there is a possibility that it will work.” Wataru said thoughtfully. “And if even in Johto they are weak, then twice the badges…”

“Would mean twice the power.”

“You’re still going on about that? We haven’t even made sure the world is at peace yet?”

“This is our contingency plan, Shiba.” Kanna said. “But I would not dare venture out into the world now.

“I suppose I shall have to do a bit of exploring.” Wataru released his Ptera and climbed on. “I shall send you any information I find. If the cloning labs were the worst of the taint, then we need not prepare for war just yet.”

“Understood, Leader.” Two voices chorused.

Shiba just sighed.

Natsume, Itsuki, Karin and Matsuba had found their own Island. It was Lightning Island, home to Zapdos, but the legendary bird had graciously allowed them to set up shelter there, as he normally haunted the Power Plant.

< I do not like this. >

< I hate this. >

< Now, now… > Matsuba and Karin tried to placate Natsume and Itsuki, who both looked rather peeved. But it was to be expected…

Erika could not shake the feeling that someone was watching her as she mixed her perfumes. Surely she could not be the clone of such an ungraceful lady! No, she was the true Celadon City gym leader and that was that!

Erika glared at what her Tamamushi Gym had become. She took deep breaths to steady herself, even as she readied an arrow on her bow…

Vileplume exploded out of her poke ball, and attacked.

Gloom was no match for Vileplume, and she stepped over the fallen body of her double – not dead, as that would be too troublesome – and shooed out all those worthless giggling girls. It was a pity most of her true followers were old or dead, but she’d do the best with what she could.

Katsuya and Sakaki sipped tea as they calmly watched the legendary pokemon run around. Sakaki was quite itching to capture some of them, but it would be a show of bad faith and besides, he really did not want to die again. Katsuya was thinking about soaking in one of the hot springs.

“….” Why are you here?” Brock asked. Wataru raised an eyebrow.

“I am challenging you for a Boulder Badge, of course. After all, as I am no longer League Champion, I suppose I will have to work my way up.”

It did make sense, but as Brock watched his Onix crumple under the Gyarados’s assault, he twitched. Talk about overkill…

Misty, Surge and Erika all fell within the same day. Four badges glittered on Wataru’s jacket as he walked into what had once been Kyou’s gym. He frowned as he saw a pair of eyes watching him.

“You can come out now, Aya.” He said quietly.

Aya sighed. She landed next to him and dropped a quick curtsy. “Kyou doesn’t know I’m here.”

“I’m surprised you left him and Anzu alone.”

Aya flushed slightly. “You know why we did what we did, and Anzu is wonderful, it’s just that… the gym has always been my home…”

“Yes, Kyou has Anzu and Green to ground him, and you do not. Does Koga suspect you are not his … sister?”

“No.” Aya shook her head.

“And where did you put your clone?”

“… That would be telling.”

“I shall not pry then. I’m only here for the badge.”

“The Cerise Plan… all right Leader. I’ll take you to Koga.”

“Many thanks.”

Whee, end Chapter!

Completed 7/27/06

Yes, I know there is no Aya in the manga. Pity, I liked her, so she shows up in the manga-verse stories I write often. And I like Janine. And yeah, Janine is Aya and Koga’s daughter. Go ahead and be squicked.