Hi!

Disclaimer: Shadow owns Charlotte, Destiny, *shudder* May, etcetera. Me no own pokemon.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics for translated pokemon speech.

Chapter 14: Pieces

Charlotte sat meditating in front of a mirror in her room, as Moltres’s image appeared in the clear glass.

< My Chosen. >

Charlotte inclined her head. < What to do about this new threat? >

< Do not worry, my Chosen. I shall help you. We all will. > There was barely concealed scorn in Moltres’s raging tones. < Serebii is foolish. Eldest of all, she should be wise, but her age muddles her thinking. >

< I-. >
Moltres cut her off. < Not yet, my Chosen. The action has not yet begun. Be calm, though it is not in our nature, as the fiery spirits. But we shall wait and strike. >

With that, Moltres withdrew, leaving Charlotte to stare at the faintly smoking mirror.

“So be it.”

Ash paced around in his room irritably, sparks flying every which way in the air around him, as the elements snapped and crackled and sparked.

His cards flew around him in dizzying patterns, their white colors shimmering through the air.

Ash smiled. At least they were loyal. Like his pokemon. Like the other two guardians.

Not like Serebii.

“I hate you…” Ash whispered, brokenly. “I hate you for what you’ve done to us…”

“I hate you…”

Lance concentrated, as the air around her dropped about thirty degrees Celsius. Ice began to form around her.

“Release.” She whispered, and the shell exploded outwards, downing about forty shadow creatures.

“Annoying things…”

< Impressive. > A voice spoke.

Lance turned to glare at Serebii. < This is your fault they’re all attacking. >

Serebii raised an elegant eyebrow. < Oh? >
With a scowl, the ice guardian swirled her cape around herself and vanished from the realm of time.

Help! A voice cried, startling Ash out of his reverie. He looked out the window and saw one of Jolteon and Sunny’s baby Eevees drowning.

Ash quickly jumped out the window and within a few minutes, had swum back to shore with the baby Eevee.

Why did you swim out so far, little one?

I got pulled out there by the water. Eevee replied.

Oh. The ocean is a dangerous place. You must be careful.

I’ll try to be. Eevee said, as Sunny came over, thanked Ash, and retrieved her cub.

Ash returned to his room, before he decided that continuing his brooding would be a waste of time, so he took his cards and went down to one of the lower rooms to practice.

It was going rather well, he spent almost a week in the dream realm before Lance forcibly dragged him out and forced him to get some rest and food. Not that he minded, really, Lance-chan was a very good cook.

“Pika-chan! Match Thunder!”

Pika-chan looked a little annoyed, but nodded and fried the fifth Pidgeot the opponent had sent out.

Ash wondered how he had managed to get the Orange Island badges with five Pidgeots.

Of course, the answer was revealed a few seconds later.

“Ursaring, go!”

It was a dark Ursaring.

“Interesting.” Ash mused. “The only way for a normal trainer to control a dark pokemon is to soul-bond, which is often a disaster. I wonder how you entered the dream realm anyways. No matter.”

Pika-chan nodded and transformed into her other form, ‘Eternal Winged Pikachu of Greatness’.

“It evolved!” Fred gasped.

Ash ignored him. “Pika-chan, use Eternal Thunder. Just once.’

Well, the Ursaring had no chance. Against normal trainers, dark pokemon almost always had the upper hand. Considering Cissy, Rudy, and Danny’s training styles.

But against a magical guardian, it was really no contest.

Fred angrily stormed out, wondering how his special pokemon had lost.

“Baka.” Ash said, tapping his poke ball. “He doesn’t know the consequences of the soul-bonding.”

“Apparently not.” A rather jovial tone sounded.

Ash jumped several feet in the air. “Gah! Drake, don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Sorry. So, how’s the current reigning champion?” Drake asked.

“Ok.” Ash said, as he consulted his list of trainers still waiting to fight him. “They’re all here right now?”

“Most of them, yes.”

Ash shrugged. “Bring on the next one.”

“Just don’t tire your pokemon out.” Drake warned.

Ash smiled a bit hollowly. “Don’t worry about that.”

Mignon nervously clutched the teddy bear her father had given her tightly as she stepped onto the challenger’s platform.

The league champion was kind, but she didn’t really want to fight him.

Still, she had gotten a long spiel on family honor from her father, so now here she was, battling someone she didn’t even want to battle.

“Nervous?” Drake asked his girlfriend.

“Yes, I mean, he beat you for crying out loud!”

“I’d dismiss it as a fluke, but he’s been doing pretty well.” Drake said. “Be careful. He often uses pokemon you don’t expect.”

Mignon gulped as the battle started.

“I’ll start off with you.” Ash said, talking to himself as a pokemon appeared in the arena.

Sneasal yawned and stretched, opening his blue eyes. Fine by me.

“Um… Cyndaquil, go!” Mignon said, deciding to play type advantage. “Flamethrower!”

Ash smiled and closed his eyes. “Go ahead, attack on your own. I know there’s more than one attack in your arsenal that can finish this quickly.”

Sneasal nodded and canceled out the Flamethrower with an Icy Wind attack, before using Surf.

One floundering Cyndaquil later, the first match was over.

Mignon gulped. * Not good… how was I to know his Sneasal knew Surf! *

Graveler and Bayleef fell as well, before Mignon finally managed to down Sneasal with her Machamp.

“Well, in that case… Alakazam, I choose you.”

The card materialized and nodded, before Machamp fell over with a Psychic.

Mignon gasped.

“Oh no! You must not fail me, Sableye!”

“Interesting.” Ash mused. * Houen pokemon. Oh well. Hmm, can’t use normal or fighting types, and Alakazam can’t stay out there for too long. But if I do a good enough attack I can finish it off quickly. *

“Alakazam, Seismic Toss!”

The psychic genius nodded and threw Sableye into the ground. The pokemon panted and staggered to its feet.

A Shadow Ball careened into Alakazam.

“Recover.” Ash said. “Then use Mega Punch.”

Sableye teetered on the brink of fainting, before it used Moonlight and then followed up with another Shadow ball. Ash sighed.

“Trying to drag this out won’t help. Alakazam, use another Mega Punch.”

*Crash*

Mignon shakily recalled her pokemon. * Not good… *

“Dugtrio, go! Fissure!”

Alakazam fell, as did the Squirtle Ash sent out next. Mignon took a few deep breaths.

3 to five…

“How do I win this…” She whispered nervously, fiddling with her pokédex. Dugtrio preened and waited for its next victim.

Houndoom appeared and started off with Roar, switching Dugtrio for… nothing?

Ash blinked at the empty space.

“You didn’t pick a sixth pokemon?!”

“Er,” Mignon stammered. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“Mignon! You can do it!” Drake cheered.

“Ulp. Flygon, go!”

“Dragon/ground?” Ash mused. “So its still weak to ice.”

Houndoom used Flamethrower, but little damage was done.

“Flygon! Sandstorm!” Mignon said, taking advantage of the momentary lull.

Houndoom went blind, but didn’t panic. Instead, he curled up with Defense Curl and waited for the storm to die down.

Flygon released two Dragonbreath attacks in this time, before the raging stopped.

“Now.” Ash said. “Fire Blast.”

“Idiot!” Mignon said. “It won’t do anything!”

Ash smiled. As the fire blast connected, Flygon’s wings suddenly turned to glass, and it fell to the ground.

“Now use Hydro Flare to finish.” Ash said.

Flygon fainted.

Sandslash fared no better against Ash’s Vaporeon, and Ash was happy when he exited the stadium.

End Chapter!

Started 10/21/03

Completed 11/3/03