A mousetrap is an ingenious device, but it usually doesn’t work.

Disclaimer/Notes: See an earlier chapter

Chapter 4: I may like you as a friend, but I still want a badge

“Erika.”

“No.” Erika said, glaring at Ash. “Remember when we were training and your Cyndaquil beat all four of my grass pokemon? That’s a gym match right there. Also, you just helped save my city.”

“But I can’t get all my badges out of gratitude!”

“This isn’t gratitude Ash. You won fair and square.” Erika said. “Now, you’d better get to Pewter before they close the gym tonight.”

Ash gave up arguing with his cousin as she pinned the Rainbow Badge on him. “All right.”

“See?”

Charlotte had flown back to Houen as soon as the fiasco was over. Now, Ash was once again walking along.

Natu was getting more mature, a signal that she would most likely evolve to a Xatu soon. Then, Ash could fly.

Of course, he had all his cards, but if he just pulled them out in the middle of his journey, Oak would get suspicious.

Ash frowned. Professor Oak had been perfectly fine, but one could never tell if the old man was sincere or not.

Truly, he is a hidden enemy indeed.

Luckily, no one besides Erika knew who the saviors of Celadon were, so Erika kept her secret well hidden.

Ash walked through the gates of Saffron confidently, knowing that if Sabrina was in trouble, he could help his other cousin out.

He found her gym blocked by a Rocket, but on clever inspection, discovered that it was just a giant, breathing doll.

How clever of her.

“Keeps unwanted trainers away, I guess.” Ash said. “Looks like Silph Co. just an illusion. And look at all of those ten-year old kids wasting their pokemon’s energy and their time.”

< Smart of me, wasn’t it? >

Ash jumped, before realizing it was Sabrina’s voice. < Hi, Sabrina-chan. >
< I saw what you did in Celadon. It was very brave of you. >

< You did? Oh-. > Ash remembered something. < Of course you would! >

< I’ve always been watching you, card master. I will try to help you whenever I can. >

< Thank you, Sabrina. >

< No problem. I assume you want my badge? >

< I think it’d be cheap if you just gave it to me… >

< No, I’ll battle you for it. It should be a more even match since you’re not at full power, only about one fourth. >

< Okay! >

Ash stepped through the rocket decoy and found himself inside the gym. After avoiding two female junior trainers and beating a Channellers Gastly, he was in Sabrina’s main gym.

Sabrina was waiting, ruby crystals flanking her as she attacked without warning. Ash quickly upped his speed with the Arcanine card, as Natu threw psybeams at her to distract, and Sneasal froze some crystals with Icy Wind.

Cyndaquil fogged up the room with smokescreen, but it did not really help. The poor little fire fox was suddenly drenched with a Hydro Pump and panicked, using Flame Wheel.

Hey! That was me you hit! Sneasal screeched in the pitch dark.

Sorry!

“Gyarados! Dragon Rage!”

The attack from the card sucked up some of the smoke, while Dragon Rage did hit Sabrina, luckily, but not much damage was done. Sabrina calmly fired off two gigantic ruby arrows.

Natu ducked, glad for his small size, and pecked a crystal to shreds.

Ash shielded himself from the first arrow with shadows, and then used the Time card to freeze time.

Sabrina moved.

Ash frowned, before he froze.

“You forgot, Ash. Time is under the power of the moon.” Sabrina said, before she fired.

Ash returned to time with a horrible pain in his chest. “Forgot…” He coughed, before using Chansey to heal him with soft-boiled.

He noticed that sometime during the stressful ongoing battle, Natu had evolved. She was now pecking at Sabrina and doing a good job of annoying her, while Sneasal had frozen a wing with a well-aimed blizzard.

Ash merged the Cyndaquil and Typhlosion cards with his Cyndaquil, healing him while boosting his powers, before using Fire Blast.

Sabrina couldn’t move fast enough and was hit, before Ash finished off with Pidgeot and Xatu merged.

Favorites again.

Sabrina laughed as she detransformed into Skymew, before changing back, healed. “Well, the badge is yours.”

“YAY!”

Sabrina tossed him a box of chocolates. “Take those too, I’m sure Pika-chan will appreciate them when you find her.”

“K!”

“And good luck finding your mate.”

< SABRINA! > Ash shouted, turning purple.

Sabrina shooed him out, still chuckling. She looked perfectly well, unlike herself, but Ash wasn’t one to pry as he escaped.

That had been embarrassing.

Now, Ash sat by the front desk inside a center, waiting for Nurse Joy to finish healing his pokemon.

He waited.

I wonder, he mused, if she remembers me.

End Chapter!

Created 2/13/04, completed 2/20/04