I’ve already down CCA as het, what about a slightly different one as shonen-ai? I _will_ not blatantly plagiarize my work so do not worry!
Disclaimer: If it wasn’t evident before, I don’t own pokemon! It belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. CCS belongs to CLAMP and Kodansha. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me.

Title: Of Cards and Catastrophes

Not related to CCA, AU… or, this could be my second rewrite of CCA. *Laughs*

I use <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Started 7/17/04

Ash = Red, Red is a nickname… he is currently 12 years old.

Episode 1: So it all begins anew…

The twelve-year-old boy looked around warily, waiting for the thumping sound to repeat itself.

It was.

It sounded almost rhythmic, perhaps a bit… fuzzy, if that was the word, muted. But even a burglar wouldn’t keep stomping in rhythm, right?

What was going on upstairs?

As far as he knew, he was the only one home. His dad was still at work in Rustboro’s Devon Corp, and there weren’t any pokemon, right?

Red reached for Ralt’s poke ball and cautiously snuck upstairs. However, the only difference he perceived was… a book.

Yes, it was a book.

Hold thought right there. Books didn’t glow, so maybe it was a psychic attack of some sort!

“Ralts, use Confusion!”

Ralts nodded as he fired off the attack.

Nothing happened to the book or the glow.

With a tentative look, Red pulled on his black gloves and opened the book.

A deck of cards fell out.

They were interesting cards, a pretty dark red color on the back, little gold squiggly patterns, and on the front, there were pokemon.

They looked like mosaics.

“Kakkoii…”

But why was the book glowing? Oh wait, the glow had died down…

With a shrug, he closed the book and carried it downstairs, where the light was better, and proceeded to examine them.

Ralts poked one with his nose. < This one’s a Ralts! >

“Cool!”

But after some more examination, Red decided that maybe he should call his dad and ask, so he did.

He did not expect Cypress to come home immediately.

“Are these real?”

“What do you mean?”

“These cards are worth a fortune, Red! Where did you find them?”

“In our attic?” He asked vaguely.

“That’s wonderful!”

“Dad, what’s going on?”

“These cards,” Cypress said excitedly, “Hold the answer to the world’s existence! And you found them! Listen carefully, Ash, this is what you must do…”

Ash paid attention, shocked that his father was addressing him by his real name. It must be very important then…

“If someone else found these cards, it could lead to catastrophe, but I won’t let that happen. Now I want you to pick out seven cards, the seven that _you_ want, and then I want you to read off all their names. I will give you further instructions afterwards.”

Ralts and Ash blinked, but they did, sorting through their cards and finding the brightest ones, with their eyes closed.

Ralts… Kyogre… Absol…Flygon… Spheal…Tropius…Mawile…

“Ready?”

“Hai!” Ash said, as he read them off, still wondering what his father was doing. In an instant, a wind kicked up. The seven, which had been laid out in a circle in front of Ash, stayed, but all the other cards blew away.

“Dad? What’s going on?”

“Shh!”

Red stared as his dad ducked into the adjoining room.

A blue glow began to shine from the book. Solidifying, it formed into a boy, clad in a white robe and pants trimmed with silver, as a pair of steel, jagged wings wrapped around him.

Golden eyes stared blankly at him from beneath a fringe of flame hair.

< You have opened the book of the Houen cards… so you must be the new Chosen… >

“Me? Chosen?”

< It was you that opened the book, was it not? >

“H-hai!”

< Very well… then in order to prevent destruction in this world, you must capture all the Houen cards that have been scattered to the four winds. I shall guide you. Close your eyes, boy. >

Ash nodded, as he felt… warmth? Yes, it was warmth filling his body, and it felt nice…

< By the blood and the shadow and the night that falls during the dark of the moon, I proclaim you Chosen of the Houen card set. >

Ahs rapidly snapped back to reality when he felt something… pressure… against his lips? WHAT!?
“What are you doing?”
< I am merely completing the required ritual, Chosen. There is no need to feel squeamish. >

Ash blushed. * A guy just kissed me! My first kiss… Dad, I can’t believe this, and what is he thinking?! *

The second thing his eyes were drawn to was the strange circle on his hands… and the tattoos right under his eyes, in gold.

It sure looked awfully cool, but…

“What’s this?”

< Magic seals so you can do magic and capture the escaped cards. I am your guardian, and you can call me Lance. >

“… Oh…”

That was when his Dad walked in.

“Excellent!” Cypress said. “It worked! Congratulations, Ash?”

“Dad, what is going on?”

“Ash.” Cypress said. “You will become the most powerful trainer in the world if this succeeds. Trust me, I only want the best for my son.”

Lance floated over to Ash. < Shall we begin then, Chosen? >

“Er… okay…”

He had no idea just what he was getting into.

End Chapter

Completed 7/17/04

I’ll try not to make it like CCA as much.