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Chapter 5
How much time does it take a broken heart to heal? Ash wasn’t sure, but it had to be longer than two days.
He’d stayed in his room for that long, trying to think of something else other than his old pokemon, but it was so hard!
He’d tried calling Oak to see what had happened to them, but had only gotten the answering machine. What if they were in trouble?
I wish I may, I wish I might, have a wish I wish tonight… and I wish this never happened!
However, wishing will do me any good. I have to move on, and get stronger, so this sort of thing doesn’t happen again…
Exeggutor was teaching Ash how to withstand psychic attacks now. He had no intention of ever getting manipulated again.
It took several months of intensive training, but finally, he could throw off Psychic with ease, see through illusions…
And he was happy enough, really.
The Exeggutor had been true to their word – they had sent him a Gyarados and a Bayleef just last week, and today had netted a Primeape.
It was nice to be appreciated. He had saved their lives after all…
Apparently the Exeggutor would hypnotize and capture whatever wandered into their forest… although how a Gyarados had gotten there was anyone’s guess.
By the time his training was complete he had also gotten a Vaporeon, a Dragonite, much to his surprise, a Lickitung, a Parasect, a Xatu, a Nidoking, and a Bulbasaur.
That was enough.
He declared their debt paid, and they thanked him. So what if he hadn’t caught these pokemon himself?
They were still his, and obeyed without question. It must have been the remnant of the Hypnosis used to subdue and capture them in the first place…
He would have his revenge eventually though, but for now, he was just preparing…
He could wait.
Blue eyes sighed in exasperation as the owner downed a beer. “So no news at all?”
“Listen,” The bartender shook his head, “There’s no one matching that description anywhere. The red hair would stand out too much.”
“What about white hair?”
“Nope, no white-haired people either.”
Justin plunked a five-dollar bill on the table and then exited. Still no luck… he had spent the last five months searching tirelessly for Wataru, or Lance, as he called himself now, but he had never found him.
It irked him to no end…
Perhaps he felt slightly guilty and wished to apologize, or simply beg for mercy…
The trainer walked down a dark alley, absentmindedly whistling.
“Hey pretty boy,” A voice slurred, “Put down your cash and poke balls now…”
“Never!”
“Rapidash, trample him flat!”
“Gyarados, Hyper Beam!”
Before Justin could react, someone else did – and the drunkard and his Rapidash both went flying.
A boy, dressed in jeans and a red-and-white jacket, with a pokemon league cap upon his head, stood upon the back of a proud Gyarados.
“What are you doing, wandering around at night like this?”
“Shut up!” Justin barked. “You’re younger than I am!”
“I just saved your life too,” He remarked. “Hm. Stupid rich people. Goodbye then.” With that, he and his Gyarados soared off.
…. Who was that rude kid?
All right, so maybe he was a bit intrigued, if nothing else…. This could be interesting…
He was kind of cute.
Justin blinked. And where had that thought come from? He certainly wasn’t gay, was he? Well, who knew?
With a sigh, he returned to his bar crawling duties, still trying to find Lance.
“Why on earth would I be in a bar, Hakuryuu?” Lance asked, as he groomed his Dragonair. She purred beneath his caresses and did not dignify with a verbal reply.
“Once one-track mind, always a one-track mind, I suppose…”
They were idiots, all of them. No matter. Justin could waste his life away if he so wished. The Dragon Master could not be found unless he willed it.
Lance closed his eyes for a second, smiling. “Oh…” How interesting….
It seemed that Justin was starting to develop some sort of a crush. Wonderful!
He silently nudged Ash’s consciousness to seek out the dragon trainer again, if only to yell at him for being so careless. This ought to be interesting…
Death is not the end, it is, in a way, but in another, tis not, for a guardian…
No matter.
Lance turned back to his grooming. He was sure Ash was more than capable of dealing with the situation, and if it furthered his revenge, so much the better!
You won’t see me coming till I strike… and what you see, is not what it seems… none can break my Dark Illusions…
Enjoy life while you can, Justin… I do not wish your death.
“Again!”
< Master Ash, you’ve already broken it twelve times in a row. If you don’t rest, your eyes will burn out. >
“What?!”
< Yes, it’s very unfortunate. > Exeggutor said. < It’s late Master, and you should get some rest. >
“All right…”
Ash climbed into bed in his hotel room and promptly fell fast asleep. His poke balls were resting in a small pile in the bottom of his backpack, but woe to the thief who tried to steal them!
They were coated with layers and layers of illusions, caused by confusion and hypnosis and Psybeam. Only a very experienced psychic, ghost, or dark trainer would be able to actually see the poke balls…
Well, that was all.
< Who are you? > Exeggutor asked suspiciously as a presence materialized in the room moments after Ash had fallen asleep. He got ready to use a Confusion attack.
The figure smiled, the only visible features the glowing golden eyes. < Now, now, that’s no way to treat a guardian… >
< Who are you? I demand an answer! >
< As you wish… > the darkness slowly lifted, revealing a man with long, crimson hair and golden eyes. Silversteel glittered over his body as he smirked.
< You are-! >
< The Dragon Master, the Dark Angel, only child of the Dragon of the Seas. I mean him no harm. Stand down. >
< I don’t trust you. >
< Not many do. > He replied easily. < I’m giving him a gift. >
< A gift? > He asked suspiciously.
< Yes. > Lance’s eyes glittered for a few seconds as a lattice of silver threads danced over Ash’s body, before they vanished. < He’s brilliant, but without magic, there is only so much he can do. I’ve unlocked his abilities, although they will remain dormant until he requires them. Still, now he will have the energy of the Dream Realm and not fear running dry and burning his life force away in his training. Take care of him. >
Exeggutor stared as Lance vanished.
End Chapter
Completed 5/17/05
Thank god that the Finals are over!