Parts of this fic were spliced from earlier-written portions of a different fic that wasn’t posted, just so ya’ll know!

Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing n fanfiction belongs to me!
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks!

Does this chapter make no sense? This should have been the prologue. Oh well!

Chapter 2

It was Serebii who first brought up the idea of creating guardians. The Staff of Paradox rested comfortably in her hands as she enunciated her idea.

< So tell me, why is this necessary? > Moltres asked, snappishly. She and Zapdos weren’t doing too well romance-wise, and it was showing.

< Because, we’re not going to want to keep an eye on the world all the time. > Serebii yawned. < So why not create someone to do it for us? >

< I don’t like the idea of one guardian. > Suicune frowned. < One could possibly become corrupt. >

< Fine, we could have two. >

< Still… what if they disagree on one aspect and spend the rest of their lives fighting it out? We would need a tiebreaker of some sort. >

< Fine! Three guardians. > Serebii nodded. < Anyone object? >

Several of the legendaries still looked iffy about the whole idea, but on the whole, no one complained.

After all, Serebii was the daughter of Change, and the oldest legendary.

In the beginning, there had been three pokemon. Change was a silver goat with black horns, red eyes, and red hooves. Creator was a white sheep with golden horns, blue eyes and translucent blue hooves. Change was a rainbow phoenix with one black eye and one white eye. However, all these pokemon were the children of one legendary pokemon. Angel. Angel had been a white eagle with red eyes, but it had sacrificed itself to the demon pokemon Ravana to bring life to earth. When it had died, it had been reborn as the three separate pokemon.

Destroyer and Creator mated and created Spirita and Spiritis. Spirita was an ice-blue pony with a gold mane, tail, and hooves. She was a union of two opposite elements, lightning and ice, one light, the other dark. Spiritis was the same way. He was a strong horse with fiery red fur, contrasting with his emerald green mane and tail. Around his neck hung a garland of purple and yellow flowers. Together, Spirita and Spiritis were the guardians of the Wreath of Scales. The wreath balanced out opposite elements, so that for every fire pokemon there was a water pokemon, for every flying a ground, etc.

Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno were all Change’s children. Moltres had been born from the ashes of a dead fire sprite, which Change had loved, when a single one of his crystal tears had landed on them. Moltres got her fiery temper from the sprite, and her boosted power. She was twice as strong as any other fire pokemon at her level. Moltres guarded the Diamond Flame, a single tongue of clear fire. It was formed from the tears of the fire sprite, which had been her mother.

Zapdos had been the child of a mortal woman, who happened to be a thunder master. Phoenix had been smitten by her beauty and strength, so he had wooed her in human form. Because of the woman’s strong power though, she had not died after giving birth. Instead, she had been transformed into the legendary bird Thunderclap. Thunderclap was a water/electric type, the water magic boosting the electric. Zapdos guarded the Shield of Reflection, which had been Thunderclap’s weapon when she was still a human.

Articuno hadn’t even been a bird. She had been a mermaid who Change had adored. However, she didn’t love Change back, and she argued that their elements would contradict each other. In rage, Change had cursed her. She was transformed into the legendary bird Articuno. Her ‘warm’ feelings, love, affection, and sympathy, had been frozen into nonexistence. To make it more effective, a memory purge had rid her of her former life. On a chain around her neck hung a single ice crystal. It was suffused with ice energy. It kept her chained to Change, while granting her unique ice powers at the same time.

Lugia was the child of a different legendary pokemon, Hydragon. Hydragon had been a lovely female water/dragon type. She and the legendary pokemon Dragonite was a pair and Lugia was their progeny. Lugia would become the father of the ice guardian.

Honou came from a fire fairy. It had been stronger than the sprite that was Moltres’ mother, so it had not died. In appreciation, Change had given her electric powers as well. The fairy became Phoenix. Together, Honou and Phoenix guarded the Phoenix Feather. It could grant magic to fire masters, of varying types, but only once.

Honou gave life to the three legendary cats – Entei, Raikou, and Suicune.

Lugia gave life to the wolves – all the many varieties that ran through the wilds, sometimes keeping the cats company, sometimes not.

Serebii created the Eevee chains, mostly for amusement’s sake, but also for mutability. After all, the ability to evolve into almost anything was quite useful.

The stage was set. It was time for the guardians to be born.

Once set into motion, Serebii’s will, could not be undone. As Change, Destroyer, and Creator all were dead or slumbered, she was the most powerful legendary.

And so it began.

Charles and Madeline were a happy young couple. Then, they had a daughter named Charlotte, a weak little girl. Sickle cell anemia, the doctor said. There was nothing to be done, as it was genetic. Both her parents had been carriers, and the 1/4 chance had the rolled unlucky die for her.

She had pale skin, pale eyes, and pale hair. Charles had been blonde-haired and blue-eyed, but Charlotte’s hair was white with only the barest hint of color in it, and her eyes were a bleached-looking purple.

Such a weak girl couldn’t possibly be sent on her pokemon journey!

Moltres was in despair. _This_ was her Chosen? She didn’t look like she’d live to see her teens, much less her twenties when the other guardians would be grown and be ready to battle! She had to do something!

To help her out, Moltres created the Sun spirits.

When Charlotte was eight, she discovered a book in the library. Inside resided many spirits, spirits of light and fire and the like. They infused themselves with her body and made her stronger.

Later, they would change her hair to raven-black, her eyes to stormy blue, and her blood to burning flames.

That would make her a proper Chosen.

But for now, they just waited for the child to grow up.

Thomas and Elizabeth Vongard were not exactly happy either. They had wanted a son. Instead, they got a daughter.

She had big blue eyes, innocent, and sparkling blonde hair, but…

They wanted a boy!

Catelyn, as she was named, grew up, always feeling unwanted. In self-defense, purely, she began spending more and more time alone in the woods, instead of at the fancy parties her parents took her to.

That was where she found her first pokemon, a wounded Dratini.

The poor pokemon was near death, covered with toxic sludge from a pickle factory nearby, that dumped its refuse straight into the stream.

She didn’t know what to do, all she could do was hold the Dratini to her chest and pray that it would live.

Oh, Dratini lived, but more than that. That day, the Viridian Power – the power to heal pokemon’s wounds, and read their thoughts – was presented to her; it unknowingly opened up a new doorway.

No longer would she have to stay at her parent’s beck and call. They were already planning her engagement to some rich old man.

Sacrifice the daughter to grow your own fortunes, ne?

It did not matter. That was the day Catelyn became Lance.

They had to die, never mind the fact she was only nine. No, they had sinned and they must pay the price.

Blood lust, foreign but so warm, embraced her, staining her hair crimson and transmuting her eyes to furious gold.

The wings grew out for the first time the night of the metamorphosis, freezing cold feathers, soft but deadly. Articuno’s wings…

She flew, and Lugia welcomed her home.

Delia Ketchum always knew her adopted child, Ash, was special. He was so sweet and good; it just wasn’t natural. Innocence permeated his every pore.

She was not surprised when she discovered he was Change’s child.

Still, Ash was so innocent that she had to protect him. And she did.

She was the perfect mother, kind and warm and nurturing.

When she died, murdered, he saw the darker side of humanity and unleashed the power within him.

Destiny.

A child forced to grow up sooner than he should, dark wings of black sorrow and anger swept around him.

He would make them pay!

How dare they!

Those blasted humans…

And so it was… and so the legend begins…

End Chapter

Completed 11/9/04

Lance: …

Phantomness: I know, I know. You don’t like it.

Shoyko: *laughs*

Kairo: Well, it could be worse

Pika-chan: *eating a strawberry*