Force is not always good. Therefore, trying to force someone’s hand is worse. Let this be a lesson…

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 7: Liar, liar, world on fire

The next night, Anton made a televised broadcast. He explained how three trainers in the Smoky Island Chain were the ones actually causing the pollution. Of course, it was all a desperate lie, but the equally desperate public bought it, and that day, hundreds of trainers and their water pokemon headed there by sea routes, while the air swarmed with more.

They began attacking the barrier.

Inside, Charlotte, Lance, and Ash sat in a triangle.

“Those liars have done this to us. We should retaliate.”

Ash nodded. “All we asked was to be left alone. It is not our problem.” He scowled. “Anton that bastard…”

Lance cleared her throat. “Shall we use Celestial Revoking?”

“No. That would do more good than harm to them, and they don’t deserve it.” Ash retorted. “Let’s open the gates to the dream realm.”

“Only temporarily?” Charlotte asked, as the Scales of Fate appeared in her hands.

“Yes.”

“Let’s do it.”

The three trainers all exchanged smiles, before each laying a hand on one of the three plates. A ball of energy formed on each, one red, blue, and yellow.

“Summon phoenix to open the gates of the dream realm.”

“Summon dragon to open the gates of the dream realm.”

“Summon thunderbird to open the gates of the dream realm!”

The three wisps of power rose from each of the guardians.

All of a sudden, as predicted, the gates to the dream realm burst open, as vortexes of purple and sea green opened all over the area.

Pokemon swarmed out, destroying and killing everything in their path.

Anton screamed as he and Delia hid in their house from the carnage.

It was horrible. Cries of pain and despair echoed from the rubble around them. Nobody knew where all of those pokemon had come from, with nothing on the minds but annihilation.

A few were actually spared, but those were either chance occurrences or the above said trainers were lucky.

The rest were cannon fodder.

Ash watched impassively as he heard the shrieks. It was nothing to him.

After all, they needed to get rid of the cause before they could heal the poor pokemon.

Those poor, poor, pokemon… They were always abused and mistreated by trainers.

Well, most of them anyways.

Some were lucky. That was why some trainers had been spared. Most of the gym leaders…

Sabrina and her pokemon did not hide in their gym, but as the watchers, they simply waited until this horrific event was over.

Claire and her dragons migrated to the sacred cave, where they knew they would not be harmed.

Jasmine and her steel types went to the mountains for refuge, along with Bugsy, Falkner, Whitney, and Morty.

Pryce and Sheila had nothing to fear either. They waited.

Erika moved in with Koga and his family temporarily. Safe haven.

Unfortunately, some of the others were not as lucky…

Charlotte smiled, a strange sense of justice filling her veins as she watched Rachel’s gym torn apart on Cosmos Island. “Revenge… so fitting that Eterneon was the one who finished.”

“Jealous?”

“Not really. I’ll tell the story some other time.”

Ash nodded in acceptance. They all had hidden parts.

He was not an exception.

She could keep her secrets. He kept his, after all. And he knew Lance had her own. They could be dangerous weapons in the hands of the wrong people.

Ash yawned and pulled a thick woolen blanket over himself.

“I’m taking a nap.”

“Good idea, Ash.”

Charlotte went outside as she summoned Moltres and her babies to her aid. “Make the fire fall from heaven upon the unjust…”

Moltres squawked happily. About time, Chosen! Come on children!

Yay!

We’re with you mom!

Yeah!

A comet of legendary phoenixes flew towards the islands where civilization still was rooted strongly in the soil.

Die! Unworthy ones! Zapdos shrieked.

Articuno howled as the winter blizzards attacked like mad, even areas that had been reduced to arid desert.

And the trio watched.

After all, the pokemon had already moved. And now thier personal favorites were razing the land.

Charlotte added two dollops of honey to her coffee and yawned slightly, before downing the caffeine-filled drink.

Well, the jolt of potion hit the system wonderfully and she snapped awake.

“You okay?” Lance asked, slightly concerned.

“Hai… I’m fine! Just a little disoriented.”

“How many cups have you had today?”

“Hm… this is my eighth cup.”

“Not too bad then.”

Charlotte laughed. “In a few days, we’ll be ready to recreate again.”

Ash nodded as he snuggled into Lance’s embrace.

We’ll build earth again, yes, for all the pokemon… and hopefully, this time, the lesson for the humans will stay learned…strange. I wonder what life would have turned out, if they had never taken me away from home, so many years ago…

Well, no use pondering that now. I have my duty, my love, my hope, and my peace.

That is all I need.

End Story

Completed 2/9/04