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 4

 

            “Jasmine!”

            “Hi Ash.” Jasmine said tiredly. “How’d you get here? I mean; the lighthouse should be barricaded…”

            “Flew up on Noctowl.” Ash said. “I came to help if I can…”

            Jasmine gave him a tired smile. “Could you keep watch? Amphy and I need sleep.” She stifled a yawn.

            “Sure.” Ash looked around. “What am I watching for?”

            “Any dragon pokemon or ghost pokémon. Wake me up if you see one and can’t defeat it.”

            “Okay!”

            Ash took his position in front of the telescope and moved it around. He could see Mount Silver, and Ecruteak looked abandoned… strange how the Olivine lighthouse was still standing, but beside it and the Pokemon Center, nothing was left.

            So it was true…

            He snapped out of his musings as he spotted a Haunter. Pikachu climbed off his shoulder and looked outside, cheeks already sparking in preparation for a Thunderbolt. Anger burrowed in his bowels even as he ordered the attack.

            Why were the Elite Four attacking the cities?

            Worse, Gary had sworn that it wasn’t him with the Porygon who helped Ash hack into the League system. It was some other trainer with a Porygon that looked like him… it was… Green?

            Green had been League Champion Challenger under Red, and his picture did look an awful lot like Gary’s. He was slightly taller but that was all…

            Ash shivered. It was too scary. Green and Red were like slightly older, more powerful versions of him and Gary.

            He watched as Pikachu finished off the Haunter and Jasmine returned a few hours later with sandwiches for both of them. She sighed. “It’s like a war.”

            “I know.” Ash frowned. “Jasmine, do you think this is my fault?”

            Jasmine blinked at Ash, wondering if he had gone mad. “What?”

            “I mean… I couldn’t stop them!”

            “Oh Ash, none of us could…. It’s not your fault.”

            “Thank you.” Ash smiled tiredly.

            “It’s nothing! I’m glad I took that nap. It made me feel a lot better.” Jasmine smiled. “Maybe you’re just stressed. Would you like me to give you a massage?”

            “Sure,” Ash replied, grateful for a chance to relax. He took off his jacket and jeans and lay down on the bed, as Jasmine began to work out the knots in his back. This felt good! He hadn’t gotten a massage in forever…

            His breathing slowed and deepened and Jasmine smiled. When the last of the knots were done, he returned the favor for her as best he could.

 

            Jasmine bit back a moan, reminding her self that it was just a favor and that she did not like Ash in that way. Not at all! He was kind of cute, but she could do better… except Morty was gone.

            Morty was gone… the ghost trainer she had secretly been in love with… and there really were no other available guys here…

            Ash wasn’t so bad. He was Orange champion after all…

            How could she be thinking of romance at a time like this?! The whole region and more was in danger!

            Jasmine forcibly derailed those thoughts as she sighed. Ash had finally stopped, thank goodness, or in her distracted state she might have done something she would regret later…

            Ash grinned innocently and poured himself another glass of Moomoo Milk. With a yawn, he drank it and than took another look out the periscope. There seemed to be a large amount of Krabby gathering on shore… and a few Kingler…

            “Jasmine?”

            “What is it, Ash?”

            “Um… what about water types?”

            Jasmine reluctantly stood and plodded over to the viewing portal. “Oh dear…”

            “What are we going to do?”

            “Well, we have your Pikachu and my Ampharos. If it’s a fight they want, it’s a fight they’ll get!”

            Ash applauded her courage, but he knew that pokemon could run out of PP and he hoped they wouldn’t…

            Oh well. There was nothing else to do…

            Sitting here like sitting ducks was NOT an option!

 

            “What are we going to do, Ash?”

            “I wish I knew.” Ash sighed. “Let’s make a good stand then, as best we can.” With that, the two trainers ran down the tower to the base and opened the door. Instantly, the Krabby charged.

            Ash released Pikachu and Jasmine her Ampharos, and they set off. Instantly bolts of static electricity crawled over every available surface in a grotesque matrix, frying all the Krabby and Kingler. Ash took advantage of this opportunity to net himself a Corsola that had somehow become entangled in the fray.

            Perhaps this would not be so bad.

            The Krabby all retreated to the water, but the two trainers decided they would be back. So first order of business was to reinforce the lighthouse.

 

            “We’re lucky.” Jasmine said, as they piled rocks and furniture against the door. Luckily, there were no windows other than those on the top floor. “This place is fortified with enough food for a year or so.”

            “Weird! But good.” Ash added. “Why is that?”

            “See, the lighthouse must always be lit to guide ships in the storms, and even if everything else is washed away, it remains.” Jasmine explained. “In the past hundred years, several times, everything but the Lighthouse was wrecked. People would take shelter here and then rebuild the town once the storms were over.”

            “That explains it…”

            “Yes.” Jasmine sighed. “It serves us well.”

            “What happened to everyone else in Olivine?”

            “There are some people in the Center, but everything else was ruined in the typhoon that came by a week ago.” Jasmine explained. “Normally, our weather institute scientists can predict it, but this time, there was no warning…”

            “Oh no!”

            “I know.” Jasmine sighed. “It’s terrible…”

            “I wish I could help more.”

            “No matter what, Ash, we must keep this lighthouse standing! It signals reach as far as Vermillion in Kanto!”

            “Oh.” Ash said, amazed. He hadn’t known about that. They would need communications…

            There was much he had left to learn about this new life, it seemed…

           

End Chapter

Completed 12/22/05