Really, I must be insane. Now I’m writing pokemon fanfic based on the Count of Monte Cristo. Well, I love the book…

 

Disclaimer: I own neither pokemon nor the count of Monte Cristo, as one belongs to Dumas, the other to Nintendo. ‘nuff said. New characters, attacks, etc, are mine.

Pairings: Woo boy, a whole lot… Lance x Delia, Giovanni x Delia… I’ll list others later as they come up, k, k?

 

Characters:

Lance Dragyn = the Count of Monte Cristo/his many aliases

Delia = Mercedes

Giovanni diRocketti = Fernand Mondego

Bruno = Caderousse

Charlotte = the mad priest/prisoner

Zackie = Danglars (Zackie is the kid who wanted to steal Ash’s pikachu)

The rest of the characters will be decided later…

Monsieur Andrews = Morrel

Gold (from pokemon special) = Villefort

Silver = Jacopo

 

Prologue: The Beginning

 

            A ship was pulling into port. As the custom demanded, the man at the watchtower signaled the arrival of one ship, the Dragonite, belonging to one Monsieur Andrews. On its deck were perhaps ten or twenty sailors, chatting and laughing, glad that the journey was over.

            “I’m glad we returned to our fair port of Marseilles.” One spoke.

            “Yes, Zackie, indeed you were so seasick that it is amazing you pulled through after the crew caught the sleeping sickness.” Another remarked.

            One young man sat silently near the helm of the ship, watching as the coast approached swiftly.

            Soon, a little skiff pulled up alongside the Dragonite. “How did this journey fare?” Monsieur Andrews inquired.

            The young man who had before remained silent advanced towards the side of the ship. It could be seen that his hair was of a bright hue, as golden as coin, and that his piercing blue eyes saw all. He was calm and resolute, with the air of a man well accustomed to danger, but strangely enough, an air of sadness seemed to pervade him.

            “Why Lance, what occurred on this journey?”

            “Terrible misfortune.” Lance replied. “We lost our brave Captain Danny off the coast of Navel Island.”

            “He fell overboard?”

            “No, he was stricken by the sleeping-sickness, indeed, he and one other, third mate Rudy died, we gave them back to the sea.”

            “Alas, alas, they were good men.” Andrews said. “But come, I am delaying the landing of my ship.”

            He rowed the skiff back to the dock, and the Dragonite dropped anchor.

 

            “Tell me, will you dine with me to-night?” Andrews inquired.

            Lance smiled a bit wistfully. “I would, but there are two I would fain to see.”

            “Ah yes, your father, and the fair Delia. Yes, by all means be on your way.” Andrews said. He laughed, something of a remembrance, after all, having young children of his own, he knew what to expect in the future. “What a wonderful thing it is to be young.”

 

Meanwhile, in another area of the town…

 

            “I don’t understand.” The black-haired man whispered.

            “What don’t you understand?” Delia demanded as she stared at Giovanni incredulously. “I don’t love you!”

            “Oh yeah?” Giovanni taunted. “I may only be your cousin, but I have a right to stake my claim! I suppose that if I wore the bright blue and white of a sailor you would think twice before rejecting me.”

            Delia frowned. She was a young woman, barely reaching seventeen in years, but with a soul of pure gold. Her hair might be plain brown, but it shimmered with luster, and her large brown eyes were wide and piercing – and adorable.

            “And of what do you speak of, Giovanni, my cousin?” Delia asked, an edge entering her voice.

            “Only thus. Why have you broken the sacred promise of our people to intermarry and not mingle with the foreigners?”

            “It is not a promise, only a custom.” Delia said. ‘I have already given my heart to another, I cannot possibly give it to you.”

            “But what if he is dead?”

            “Then I shall kill myself.”

            “And if he is unfaithful? What then, hmm?”

            “My Lance is faithful to me alone.”

            “What if he has forgotten you?!” Giovanni demanded. * This is much more difficult than I first assumed… but I must have her! *

            “He will not.” Delia was interrupted by the sound of a voice calling for her. “See, here he comes now!”

            A gloomy cloud settled itself over Giovanni diRocketti’s countenance, and he scowled.

 

            As the door opened, the two lovers shared an almost desperate embrace.

            “I missed you so much.” Delia whispered.

            Lance stroked her hair as he smiled. “Hush. I will never forget you, love…”

            Giovanni cleared his throat. This was getting too close for his comfort.

            “And who is this new acquaintance?” Lance inquired, smiling.

            “My cousin Giovanni, dear to me in heart as a brother. You shall be friends.” Delia said. Lance inclined his head respectively, but Giovanni only shuddered.

            Friends? How could… how could Delia be so blindly naďve? Them? Friends? Hah! He’d rather tear out his own throat first!

            Lance frowned. “I did not expect to find an enemy when I returned, Delia.”

            “An enemy! Nothing of that sort! Giovanni, be polite!” Delia scolded.

            Giovanni reluctantly took Lance’s hand, but then quickly dropped it, as if he had been burned, and exited quickly.

            “Now.” Lance said. “We can discuss our plans for the wedding…”

            Delia smiled fondly. “Yes, we can…”

 

           

            At the local bar, Giovanni was quickly drinking himself into a stupor, accompanied by Bruno, when Zackie arrived in a foul mood. The black-haired clerk was literally steaming from the ears.

            “Ah, Giovanni, what has happened?”

            “Oh, that is easy enough to tell!” Bruno exclaimed. “Giovanni has been rejected by the one he loves!”

            Giovanni scowled and looked deeper into his wine glass.

            “Tell me, Giovanni.” Zackie said, lowering his voice. “Is it true that Lance is the only obstacle to your success – that is to say, your marriage to the beautiful Delia?”

            Giovanni looked at Zackie with wild hope in his eyes, and nodded.

            “Well, it just so happens that I have received some very interesting news. Apparently, the Dragonite stopped briefly at the Isle of Dreams before it came back to port here at Indigo.”

            “Isle of dreams is where the Emperor is imprisoned, is it not?” Bruno asked as he tossed back another glass. “This Spanish wine is excellent, amazingly good, wonderful,” He slurred his words slightly.

            “Precisely.” Giovanni said.

            “Well, my plan is thus.” And as Zackie bent his lips to Giovanni’s ear, Bruno, as if sensing some danger, attempted to dissuade them from what they were planning, but after assurances of only a joke, the affair was concluded.

            After all, he reasoned, what harm could a prank letter do?

End Prologue

Completed 6/9/03