Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me. This work belongs to me under the international copyright law so it’s _mine_! Taking it is plagiarism.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Chapter 3: It’s really family business we’re talking…

“Articuno, Blizzard!”

*Shoom* There went all the dragons.

Bob decided to go for the direct route and… pulled out a smoke grenade and tried to sneak in under the cover!
One wonders where he got his hands on that…

*Clink*

A sudden metallic sound sounded in Bob’s ears as something icy cold pressed against his throat. It felt sharp. * Uh-oh… *

“I’d suggest you not to move.” Lance said pleasantly. The smokescreen vanished, revealing Lance pressing a blade against Bob’s throat and ready with another ready to plunge between his ribs.

“Damn! You’re taking this way too seriously!”

“Says the one who attacked me first… do you not understand the meaning of the word ‘No’?”

“Fine! But you’ll regret this in the future!”

“Whatever…”

Lance stepped back, letting Bob go. He turned his back contemptuously and waited. The boy would surely take offense at this.

He was not disappointed.

“KIYAH!”

Lance caught Bob’s leg as the boy attempted a flying kick, and then took him down. “Pathetic…but you’re wasting my time, and I don’t like that. Wrap!”

Strings of cerulean blue color appeared out of midair and tied Bob up. Lance tossed him into the ocean, hearing the splash, and walked into Sky Pillar.

That was mildly entertaining.

Bob spluttered, but didn’t drown completely. A fishing boat found him a week later, dehydrated and sick, but not dead. Oh wells.

Served him right…

Ash was training by himself near Pallet when a cloud dropped overhead. It resolved into a draconic shape as Lance jumped down and recalled his Dragonair.

“Hi.” Ash said, slightly wary.

“Could you pass a message for me?”

“Huh? Oh, well, I guess I could…”

“Tell your grandfather I’ve kept my end of the deal. Bob won’t be any shape to try Dragon Mastery for at least a year.”

“K, I will.” Ash said, making a note in his handy-dandy day planner. * That’s interesting. I didn’t think grandfather was such a stickler for fire. Am I ever glad I chose it! Still, it was Bob’s fault for being stupid. *

“What happened?”

“Oh, I stopped him before he could enter the shrine to take the test, he attacked me, I fought back…” Lance let the implied threat trail off.

He wasn’t a Master for nothing. Even if he seemed a pushover, he wasn’t!

Red eyes narrowed slightly as they caught his meaning. Ash nodded politely. “Hai. Well, I will see you around Lance.”

“You’re competing at the tournament aren’t you? Good luck!”

“You too.” Ash conceded. * Not that he’ll need it, if the rumors are true. *

Lance waved farewell as he took off.

Ash delivered Lance’s message to Blaine, as he had promised to do. * But what is our half of the bargain? I wonder… *

How odd… why did they need outside help with a family matter? Was Bob that much of a nuisance?

Hmm…

Maybe he should ask?

Two weeks later, the tournament began. In any case, if Bob had wanted to try his luck, he would most likely not have made the cut.

The Masters gathered, all dressed in white robes that were quite conservative, but each one wore thin, energy bracelets denoting their affinity.

Misty was not seen when he scanned the crowd. Ash waved to his cousin Flannery, and grinned when she waved back.

Nice to see some of his family here showing off, it was.

“Ow!”

The rock-type master who had plowed Ash into the ground huffed and walked on without so much as an apology.

Fiery sparks began to burn in Ash’s eyes as he stood up.

“I challenge you!”

“Beat it, punk, I ain’t got no time for the likes of you. I’m challenging the Dragon Master. Need to save my energy, so get out of the way.”

“Hmph. I bet you couldn’t even beat me.” Ash retaliated.

“Oh yeah? You’re asking for it!”

Their bracelets glowed in unison as a barrier of space formed around them. Battles were always fought in some area known as ‘Void’, therefore preventing property damage on earth, but injuries and exhaustion and energy loss remained.

“One-on-one.” Javier scowled. “Shall we?”

His pokemon partner, an Onix, appeared next to him.

Ash was unfazed as Ninetails took her place by his side. “Let’s begin.” The battle joined as the two attacked.

Earthquake.

Confuse Ray shot straight into Onix’s eyes, as Ash formed his weapon, a simple blade of fire, nothing fancy. Still, Javier gave a howl when Ash attacked him directly to the weakest spot.

There is one place on the chest, below the sternum, between the ribcage and not low enough to be covered by the abdominal muscles.

That was where Ash hit. A gurgle came from the man’s lips as the blade sank through his flesh. It hadn’t hurt as much, the extreme heat cauterizing the wound, but…

Ash flicked the blood off as he pulled out. “I think I win.”

“Onix, Self-Destruct!”

Interesting. He must have been at least level four, to teach cross moves. Onix normally couldn’t learn Self-Destruct…

Pity the effort was wasted.

Ash used a variant of Safeguard as he and ninetails concentrated. The barrier deflected the attack, not completely, but enough.

Yes…

Brushing bits of rock off his body, Ash watched passively as the Void deactivated, sending them both back to the real world.

His bracelet glowed once, as the information was sent to the Masters database. No one knew who ran it, but the legendary pokemon had more than a hand (or paw or wing) in the affairs. After all, they regulated Mastery to some extent.

He would do his family proud at this tournament though.

End Chapter

Completed 11/3/04

Lance: Is this a romance?

Phantomness: I haven’t decided yet.

Kairo: Decidedly unhumorous…