Summary: Desperate for attention, and yet… its all dross. The real gold lies within yourself, you don’t need the mirrors… (Pokemon Zensho-verse)

Championshippy

Dross is usually false gold.

Disclaimer: Don’t’ own pokemon, it belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. Um… I am not making any profit, and no copyright infringement is intended. This is mine under the international copyright law. *Whistles innocently*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics for a pokemon chatter.

This takes place in the Pokemon Zensho manga. If you haven’t seen it, it’s basically like Red version of the pokemon GB game. I raised Ash and Gary’s ages from 10 to 13.5.

Timeline: Takes place right after Zensho manga ends… to a few months later… have also taken liberties with unmentioned portions of the Zensho manga.

Ash/Gary: 14, Lance: 18

There shall be championshipping later.

Chapter 1: Recognition (Finale)

Ash smiled in some relief as his pokemon were all entered in the Hall of Fame. True, he had beaten Gary, but his friend wasn’t holding a grudge. He still wondered how he had made it with only five pokemon.

Charizard (his starter), Raichu (who loved acorns), Lapras (from Silph), Alakazam, and Jigglypuff.

People might laugh at Jigglypuff, but she had helped him catch Articuno.

Completed, Ash was shown to his new quarters in Indigo Plateau.

“Sugoi…” Ash said, liking the simple yet elegant décor.

“Very nice, isn’t it?” Lance asked. “You’ll be living here for at least six months each year.”

“Honto ni?”
“Hai. I’ve been here for almost three years. But Agatha’s been here for at least ten years. At first, there was just her. Later, we became the Elite Four.”

“I see…”

“Now that you and Gary are both here… we have two Champions to defend our League.”

“I see! Hope I don’t disappoint!” Ash said.

“I don’t think you will.” Lance said, as he left.

Approximately 5 months later…

“Go! Charizard!”

Charizard roared, downing the opponents… all three Butterfree fell.

Ash dusted off his hands, once again glad for his black gloves. “Well, there we go! Another one down.”
Gary sighed. “Did they really get past the Elite Four or are they sneaking in?”
“Hmm…”

Ash took a peek into the Elite Four’s section of the building. Lance was grooming his Dragonite, Lorelei was swimming, Agatha was burning incense in front of six graves at the same time… and Bruno was lifting weights.

As was to be expected, of course…

“I don’t see a challenger for them?”

“Me neither, but there’s a huge line outside our rooms.”

Gary snapped his fingers. “No one cares about dethroning the Elite Four, but everyone wants to be a Champion! So they’re all taking the short way and challenging us!”

Ash groaned. * More work… *

He recalled Charizard, threw out Raichu, and took out another Swimmer. Gary’s Pidgeot and Blastoise knocked some sense into a Hiker and a Cooltrainer.

This could take some getting used to…

So much for searching for Mewtwo and completing the pokédex, they didn’t have the time! At least not yet! But one more month or so, and then they could take off. Thank goodness!
Mewtwo…

Ash touched the Master Ball he still held, a present from Silph’s president after saving the company from Team Rocket, with Sabrina’s help. Sabrina… he hadn’t seen her, only a few times at official functions. The same went for Misty and Erika.

Ash wasn’t sure if he liked them yet, wasn’t he too young for this?

Of course!

But then… he had had some kind of a crush on May, Gary’s sister, but now it was gone.

So maybe he was too little.

Maybe.

Lance came in with a tray of lemonade and cookies. “I brought sustenance. It looks like you two need it.”
“YAY!”

Gary wasn’t as enthusiastic as Ash, but free snacks after a lot of tiring battles? Hell yeah! He grabbed two cookies and a glass while Ash did the same.

“Thank you, Lance!” Ash said, between bites of chocolate chip.

“Well, since you are taking on all the challengers, I might as well make it a little easier, ne?” The Leader said. “Enjoy.”
Ash took the tray as Lance sauntered back to his room.

“Nice!” Gary said, grabbing another cookie.

Ash smiled. “Yep.” * I wonder if he made these himself? * They were pretty tasty cookies.

And it was a nice gesture.

Lance closed the doors, inlaid with dragons, quietly, before turning back to his Dragonite.

Still children, ne, Master?

“Yes, of course. What else would they be?”

I feel sorry for them.

“Chasing Mewtwo will be dangerous, certainly.”

And one might die?

“That’s possible.” Lance pulled up his shirt, revealing what looked like three claw marks across his ribs. < Lucky I was Chosen. >
< Lucky! I should say so! What made you do something like that?! >

< Lugia’s orders? What can I say, I have an obligation to my guardian after all. >
< Well, that I understand. >

Lance chuckled as he unclasped his cloak and draped it across the back of a chair. “Well, I’m going out to get dinner.”

See you later, Master.

End Chapter

Completed 4/6/04, created 4/5/04