Another chapter!
DISCLAIMER: Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me under international copyright laws.

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

Chapter 4

“Ash? What are you doing?”

Said boy looked up guiltily, he had tried to sneak out of the house. Unfortunately, it was a bit difficult to do with seven teachers…

“Well?” Aya stretched, yawning.

“I… I wanted to go visit Sarah.”

“Ash, it’s 5 A.M. Go back to sleep.”

“But if I leave now, I can get back in time for my lessons!”

“…” Having no good reply to that, Aya made a hand motion for him to go and went back to sleep.

Ash got on his Strawberry horse and quickly rode towards Sarah’s lodging. He saw Sarah already waiting for him.

“Come on!”

In one hand she had a basket with a knife in it. “The best time to pick flowers is while there is still morning dew on them.”

Ash nodded and they began working.

By the time an hour had passed, Ash had to return home, so he bade her farewell.

Was he… in love with her? She was certainly interesting…

When Ash got back, he saw that a flock of pigeons had passed overhead, and his teachers were busily shooting them down with various degrees of finesse. Agatha’s ears were sharp to make up for her lack of sight, and several birds already had her arrows in them. Lance was just watching while he fanned himself, but Koga and Aya were participating.

Bruno and Bob and Surge were drinking wine on a flat rock.

“Do you need help?” Ash called.

“We’ve never taught you archery, and its safer if you don’t participate.” Koga called.

Ash nodded.

They had pigeons to eat for several days afterwards.

“Ash.”

Ash met Lance’s eyes uncomfortably. The thief sighed.

“You’ve missed two of my classes. Why? Do you not want to learn anymore?”

“I…I went to see Sarah.”

Lance cursed under his breath. “So. You think so little of the seven of us? You would rather spend time, _waste_ time, gallivanting around with some girl?”

“That’s not what I mean!”

“Do you not _care_ about what we’re doing for you?”

“I-I’m sorry…”

Lance turned his back on Ash. “Leave. I’m not keeping you here if you don’t want to learn.”

Ash heard the clicking sounds of the abacus in his ears as Lance turned his attention to numbers.

A guilty feeling settled in his heart.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been so callous… but he liked being with Sarah! It was a good feeling…

She was pretty too, with chocolate hair and emerald eyes and a spunky disposition. They had fun together, lots of it.

She liked to tease him, but he sensed no malice, so it was no problem.

“Hi Ash!”
“Hi Sarah!”

“Today let’s make a cake!”
“A cake? How?”

Sarah chuckled. “Your seven teachers never taught you how to cook?”

“Um… no, not really…”

“Well, let’s get started.”

It was an amusing day, he admitted. They got flour and batter all over themselves, to say nothing of the kitchen, but Brock just laughed and said it was fine.

It was nice of him.

It was different when he returned home later that night and saw his seven teachers conversing in hushed tones.

They did not look up to acknowledge his presence. His mom hastily came over and took him off to bed.

Was he… what was going on?

He slipped out of bed quietly as soon as she had gone into her own bedroom. Pressing his ear against the floor below, he listened to the conversation.

“I failed.”

“It was not your failure alone. He’s a hopeless child!” Surge slammed his fist into the table. “All that effort wasted!”

“One pretty face and he throws it all away.” Koga added softly.

Aya sighed. “That child… he’s too young, too immature. How can he deal with something like love?”

“We could pray its only friendship.” Lance added.

Bob coughed. “I think not! It’s too deep for that! If it didn’t interfere with his lessons perhaps we could allow it, but…”

Bruno shook his head.

Agatha sighed, echoing Aya’s earlier sentiments. “Still, if we break them apart, it will only make him hate us.”

“Could we wait for it to pass?” Koga concluded.

Aya shot him a half-glare, half-smile. “No, I don’t think that just vanishes… how much time _can_ we afford?”

“If more than a week passes, his skills will slip.”

“One week then.” Lance said grimly. “If he doesn’t find a way to resolve the situation, then we’ll resolve it for him.”

Ash tensed as he heard the slight rustle of cloth. Apparently, the others caught Lance’s meaning immediately.

“You will…”

“Hai? Do you think we can afford to lose to the Seven Swords, Agatha?” Lance queried. Ash could just imagine his eyes bright in that firelight with the creepy glow when he got serious.

“No.”

There was more rustling, he imagined his teachers getting up. “Then this conference is ended.”

Agatha’s voice…

He quietly tiptoed back to his room, and tried not to cry.

They wouldn’t really hurt Sarah, would they?

End Chapter

Completed 9/4/04