The third…

DISCLAIMER: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me.

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

I was wondering to introspect or not. Think I still will…

Will probably also do some flashbacks because there are incomplete bits in Wanderer.

Chapter 3

Lance got to his feet, brushing himself off. “Well now, where to next?”

“We’re still on the ship Lance.”

“Hai, hai, I know that! Perhaps you’d enjoy going out and having dinner with some nice young lady?”
“Lance, that’s cruel…”

“Is it?” Lance fanned himself idly, although not watching the gold letters on the black paper flash as he did so, since he could not. “Why not?”

Ash sighed. Frustration welled up inside of him, but he quelled it with a glare. It wasn’t _Lance’s_ fault!
He deserved it in any case.

“Do you remember Sarah?”

Ash blushed. “I…”

He had only been twelve… that year…

*****************Enter the Flashback********************************

“Ow!”

Agatha put down her staff, sighing. “I am only asking you to dodge, Ash. Is that so difficult?”

Koga and Aya looked up from where they were playing chess on a blanket perhaps ten yards away.

“You seem to be unable to concentrate.” Aya commented. “It’s only been a few days, but what has happened?”

“I bet he fell for someone.”

“Brother! He’s only…”

“What? Twelve, almost thirteen? Well, who says he cannot fall in love that early? So who is she, Ash?”

Ash shook his head.

“You won’t say?”

Agatha coughed. “I believe we were in the middle of a lesson.”

Ash gritted his teeth as she swung at him and he began dodging high and low, occasionally flipping out of the way. During this session, he was not allowed to fight back, so he could only evade…

But if it made his skills better, well…

He would get better!

Afterwards, before Lance took him away to practice sai, Agatha took his arm. “Ash, who is she?”

“I… she… she’s one of Brock’s sisters.”

“Oh?”

“Yes… she’s… my age, and I…”

“Ah, do you think we would care about that? However, if her presence is on your mind and interfering with training, then…”

“I… I’m not trying to!”

“I was saying,” Agatha continued, “But please try and keep your mind on your lessons, hai?”

“Hai!”

Ash turned and nodded. Seeing Lance waiting for him with his sai, he went to him and their lesson began.

Lance was uncharacteristically silent, but Ash didn’t notice, really. The lesson went quickly, and then it was off to find Koga for his swordsmanship lesson.

“Sarah!”

“Ash!”

Ash stared at her in disbelief. “How did you get here? Don’t you live miles away?”

“Oh Ash, you’re so silly! I came with Brock!”

“You did…”

“I missed you.” She said honestly. “Now, is your training done?”

“No,” Ash replied. “I wish it were.”

“Honestly, Ash! You’re like a robot. How can you bear it?”

“What-what do you mean?”

“Don’t you get it? Your teachers have a plan of their own. Why do you think they are teaching you?”

“I…because they chose to.”

“You are _so_ naïve!” Sarah laughed. “Why don’t you ask them?”
Ash’s temper began to build. Why was she teasing him for no reason? “Fine! Maybe I will!”

He quickly shook her off and went back to Koga’s lesson.

“Now, you’ve already learned the exercises, so today we will just do sparring.” Koga told him. “Where were we?”

Ash nodded as he gripped his sword.

The metal still felt odd in his hands after all that practice with bamboo, but… well, he just had to adjust to the weight difference.

“Hold on.”

Ash stood still as Koga tied the leather guards on his body. They wouldn’t be that much protection, but it was much better than flimsy cloth.

“Ready?”

“Hai, Teacher Koga.”

“Let’s begin.”

There were two flashes of light as two swords flashed as one. Metal hit metal, dancing and weaving and trying to avoid the tips.

It was not going badly, actually.

At the end of the session, Ash sighed.

“Are you ill?” Koga inquired.

“No, no… I… Teacher Koga, could you tell me why you are all training me? I… I want to know.”

Koga looked uncomfortable, and glanced at the others.

What to do? Tell or not tell?

“I… Agatha, should I?”

“Go ahead.” Agatha sighed. “He was bound to ask eventually. Why should we keep it a secret any longer?”

“Very well.” Koga let out a breath. “It’s not that difficult to explain. We made a bet with Blaine of the Seven Swords of Kanto.”

“… A bet?” Ash inquired. “But…”

“We promised to find and train Giovanni’s child for ten years.”

“… Oh!”

Ash felt a weight lift off his chest. Well, so what was wrong with that goal? It was fine, then. He’d tell Sarah later.

“Now, can you concentrate?” Surge chided.

The lessons continued… but after a few days, another problem appeared…

End Chapter

Completed 9/3/04