I wish my network were actually up!
Disclaimer: Phantomness does not own pokemon. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This no-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws. Do not steal my work.
Notes: <> For telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks
Chapter 4
“Well, well… what have we here? Wanderer Jacques has returned!”
Pryce looked up from his computer and nodded. However, what surprised him was that Jacques had brought another Wanderer and his pokemon. Bizarre… Jacques had been one of the last to leave Earth. So who…?
Well, he would go investigate.
When he got there, he saw Jacques leading a boy with black – black! Hair, and his Pidgeot up the stairs. What in Lugia’s name…
“Jacques Ketchum! What is the meaning of this?” Pryce stared. “Humans are not allowed in our world!”
“He’s half Wanderer, good Minister.” Jacques said. “He’s my son.”
“Your son? You mixed your blood with theirs?” Pryce sighed. “That changes things, then. What is to be done with him? He’s too old to begin proper training.”
“He’s only twelve-.”
“And you know that children train beginning at age eight, the royals even earlier, at four… well, we’ll see. First though, your report.”
“What about Ashura?”
“Ah, you gave him a proper name at least. I’m sure he can take care of himself for a few hours. Follow me.”
“I’ll see you later, Ash.” Jacques said, following Pryce down a long hallway.
Ash blinked. “All right, Father…”
He sighed. What was he to do now? They had teleported somewhere – presumably the same place where all the other pokemon had gone, but…
He sat down on a polished marble rock and began to fidget, before he remembered the rock and took it out.
He was surprised to see the other boy’s face. “Um… hi?”
“Ashura.”
“That’s me. I never asked your name before.”
Lips quirked in a smile. “Just call me Lance.”
“All right, Lance. Where am I?”
“Whirl Islands-slash-Blackthorn City.”
“That sounds…”
“I know, complicated, but our planet really has no name so we decided to call it that.” Lance explained.
“I see…”
“Ashura, there was something else I wanted to ask.”
“Yes?” Ash asked, surprised. “Oh! I suppose since you answered my question, I should answer one of yours.”
“You’re half-Wanderer.” Lance commented. “Your mother must have been an exceptional human.”
Ash twitched at the odd phrasing. “I loved mom.”
“I was not asking that. Forget I said anything.”
“Mm, Lance, where am I? I mean, well, what do I do now?”
Lance smiled. “Well, you can go on a pokemon journey – you’re limited to six pokemon though, no more, no less…. Since you’re only half-Wanderer. Full can have up to twenty-four, but you have to be careful not to stretch yourself out too thin.”
“Um, what?”
“Well, see, having pokemon here is different from having pokemon on earth. You become one with them. Your powers are theirs…”
“You mean I can use pokemon attacks? Cool!”
“Yes, except we usually learn it, and it will be more difficult for you since you’re older… I started at age three.”
“Three?” Ash knew he was staring. “I see. So how do you become one with your pokemon?”
“You’ll learn in class, I’m sure.”
Just then, footsteps sounded, so Ash told Lance he had to leave, and Lance nodded and the stone went blank.
“Ah, Ashura.” Pryce smiled. “Welcome to Whirl Islands.”
Ash bowed politely, not sure what else to do. Pryce nodded. “Follow me.”
They went down a long hallway to a room where three women in white robes sat. One had long green hair, wavy, one had blue hair pulled back in a ponytail, and looked slightly familiar, and the last had dark red hair.
“Marissa, Clair, Lorelei… I’m sure you three can adequately decide where to place him.” Pryce said.
The three women nodded.
Ash blinked, and then he was suddenly dressed in a robe like theirs. The only difference was that his was plain white, while theirs had different colored sashes. Green, silver, and light blue…
“You had a Pidgeot, so I doubt grass mastery suits you.” Marissa frowned.
“Dragon? Perhaps,” Clair frowned.
“Ice is close to dragon and water, but I sense neither within you… we shall find out soon enough though.” Lorelei nodded. “Close your eyes.”
Ash obediently shut them, and then suddenly sneezed a few seconds later. Something was tickling his nose, like feathers? Bizarre!
“Well, what think you?”
“Odd, very odd… two of them lit up… so he’s a dual type.”
“Can I open my eyes now?”
“Just a second, one more test…”
Ash finally opened his eyes, to find out now he had a sash of his own, it was a dark red with a brown stripe through the middle.
“Fire and flying, quite odd...”
“No matter. He can start classes with the rest of the children.”
“All right.”
“So… what do I do now?”
“I’ll show you to a room.” Clair smiled. “You’ll start classes tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Ms…?”
“Just call me Clair. I’m only three years older than you are.”
“Oh.”
Clair led Ash down a steely grey hallway, and showed him to a room. Inside, there was another boy, perhaps six years old.
“This is Mike. You’ll be sharing a room with him. He’s a electric-type in training.”
Ash nodded politely to his new roommate, who said that since he’d already claimed the left bunk and desk, Ash could have the ones on the right. Ash didn’t protest, and quickly settled in.
In the closet, he found six more sets of white robes and sashes, three pairs of white boots, and a dark red robe with brown accents.
“The colored robe is for dances and formal events.” Mike said. “You’re a really late bloomer, aren’t you? Or did you fail?”
“Late
bloomer.” Ash said, wondering what Mike meant.
“Ah, yes, Blackthorn Academy
gets a few each year. I feel sorry for you then.” Without another word, Mike
returned to his homework as Ash wondered what was going to happen next.
End Chapter
Completed 5/30/05
Yes, Ash goes to a version of training school…
Ash: Oh well
Lance: Romance later?
Phantomness: ^^
‘You know, before I met you, I thought fanfiction was doomed.’ Roxusama
I love that quote! ^^