Ash meets Ashura…
Disclaimer: If I owned pokemon, Pikachu would not exist. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me. Don’t take my work!
Notes: <> for telepathic communication, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks
The story thus far: Ash found a mystical poke ball, which turned out to contain his past self, ‘Ashura’. Team Aqua kidnapped him but Delia rescued him. Misty was stranded on an island somewhere.
Chapter 5
“Who are you?” Ash repeated.
The boy sighed, pushing spiked black bangs out of his eyes. “Ashura.”
“You look just like me!”
“I *am* you, I’m your past self.”
“Huh?”
“I was trapped in that poke ball until you freed me.”
“WHAT?!”
“Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?” Ashura grimaced. * He’s still an idiot, but at least he’s getting better… good. *
“You can’t be me! I’m right here! I mean, both of us can’t exist!”
“That’s the whole point. I’m you and not you at the same time. You’re my reincarnation…” * although it pains me to say, you could have ended up a lot better… *
“I can’t be you!”
“Why not? I have a Raichu, which you’ll recognize if you take a good look at.”
“That means nothing! You’re my… cousin or something! Yes, that’s it! I’ve got lots of cousins!” * Even though I don’t know most of them well… *
“Deny it all you want, Ash, but soon the truth will come for you.”
“Even if you are me, why are you here?”
“To warn you.”
“Warn me about what?” Ash asked sarcastically.
“I’m here to warn you about Misty.” Ashura said quietly. “Take my words for false if you will, but she will betray you…”
“Oh. Well, she’s gone now.”
“I’m glad… since you’re in no danger, it’s my time to leave.”
“Wait!” Ash called, but before more could be said, Ashura vanished in a flash of white light. Ash rubbed his eyes.
Must have been a hallucination…
He looked around. Nope. No Ashura.
“All a dream.” Ash said, and then went back to training. Besides, why should he care about Misty?
For all intents and purposes, she was still stranded on that island. Hmph. It served her right for being such a pain!
Ash nodded and went back to his house.
“Mom?”
“Yes, Ash?”
“I’m leaving for Vermillion tomorrow, to get the next badge. Gary’s already got six and I don’t want to lose to him!”
“All right, Ash. Take care!”
“I will!” Ash promised.
He packed his backpack with plenty of food this time, not wanting to get stranded on another island. Who knew what might happen?
In any case, he would be fine.
Ash headed off for Vermillion; a quick surf there on Gyarados. Once he had reached his destination, he thanked and recalled the water serpent.
“Now let’s see, Diglett’s tunnel… oh, a map! Excellent!”
Ash followed the map to a cave. Entering, he looked around for Digletts, but there were none to be seen.
Shrugging, Ash waited…
And waited…
Until he got impatient and used Bulbasaur’s Sweet Scent move to draw a wild pokemon to battle.
Wild Dugtrio appeared!
Bulbasaur
used Razor Leaf!
Enemy Dugtrio used
Sand-Attack!
Bulbasaur’s accuracy fell!
Unfortunately for the ground-type, a second razor leaf was enough to dispatch the Dugtrio. Ash threw a poke ball. Dugtrio was caught!
“Great!” Ash said, checking the level on his pokedex. “This should be good against Surge.”
Bulbasaur nodded.
“Well, girl, shall we go? You’re fine, right?”
Of course! It takes more than a Dugtrio to beat me! He didn’t even deal any damage!
“That’s good.”
After healing Dugtrio at the Center, Ash went to the gym to challenge Surge.
“Raichu, go!”
“Dugtrio, Earthquake…” The battle was blessedly brief.
Surge groaned but surrendered the Thunder badge.
Ash hugged the Dugtrio. “Good work!” The mole smiled back.
Maybe being a trained pokemon wouldn’t be so bad… maybe… who knew?
The future was not set in stone yet.
Ash pondered whether or not to hit Celadon City next. It might be a good idea, but… well, Pidgeot and Charmander could take on Erika’s pokemon easy.
Where had all those water-types come from though?
It was still a mystery.
Rain started falling as thunder crackled and snapped in loud booms overhead. Ash ran for the Pokemon Center. He had no desire to get drenched!
Still… how weird!
He couldn’t stop thinking about Ashura’s words…
Misty wouldn’t deliberately hurt him would she? Why would she have any reason to? It made no sense!
What if it hadn’t been a dream though?
Would she really do such a thing?
It must have been dangerous. Still, past lives were things of mystic, not real, live pokemon training. Magic didn’t exist!
It *must* have been a strange dream.
Oh well, people thought about dreams, right? Nothing wrong with that! Besides, Ashura had looked kind of cool.
Maybe it was a dream of the future and not of the past? That could be. Who knew? Ash certainly didn’t.
He healed his pokemon at the Center, fixed himself some instant ramen, and went to bed. No more strange dreams tonight…
End Chapter
Completed 12/10/04
Ash: Ugh, I’m so naïve.
Phantomness: At least you’ve lost some of your stupidity.
Lance: *nods*