Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. I claim this on-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic as my own.

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

Lance: Interesting

Ash: Where am I?

Phantomness: You’ll show up later! Work hard, my muses!

Chapter 2

 

            Blaine began explaining. “Three years ago, I met Giovanni and we became friends. We swore that our children would be as brothers. Then, four days ago, I was on my way to visit him in Viridian, but when I arrived there, all I found were a few of the soldiers of the Cerulean Army drinking wine amidst burning houses. Well, I killed a few of them before they spilled that Zachary Brewer the dog general had kidnapped Giovanni’s wife and child. I tried to find him, but he wasn’t in Kanto, so I came here. I saw him heading in this direction but night was falling, so I deduced he must have come to the Tin Tower.”

            “He isn’t here.” Sage Masa declared. “Why would we of the peaceful nation shield the soldiers of the invaders?”

            “Before he became a general, and sold his soul for money, Zachary Brewer was your son!”

            Sage Masa colored. “How did you know?”

            “Why wouldn’t you shield him?”

           

            “However, his son is clearly not here.” Agatha spoke, gravely. “So you wounded us for nothing.”

            “I admit that I was hasty and hot-tempered. I would like to absolve my guilt…” Blaine bowed and turned to leave.

            “Hold on! Just by saying a sentence, you’re going to leave us here?” Surge snapped.

            “What would you want me to do? I already lost to you.”

            “Then give us your scimitar as proof.” Agatha intoned.

            “I can’t do that! That would be asking you to give up your staff.”

            Agatha slammed said weapon into the floor. “Fine! A year from now, we’ll meet here and fight again.”

            “I’d only lose again.”

            “Well, you’re known for your skill at gambling, and I daresay that’s something we can’t defeat you in.” Lance said smoothly. “Up three, weight four, twist to the underworld fire for five…”

            Blaine’s eyes widened as Lance snapped his folding fan closed, holding a sheet of folded paper. “How interesting…”

            “Well, Lance, I doubt my pick-pocketing skills are as good as yours.” Blaine muttered. * When did he? *

            Sure, he had been hit in battle, many times, but… he had been keeping that paper in a pouch around his neck, and he hadn’t even felt the removal, so if Lance had been holding a weapon instead of just a folding fan he would have been dead…

            Not a nice thought.

           

            “Then why don’t you set the conditions for our next match-up?” Bob yelled.

            “Very well then. As we both know, Giovanni’s wife and son were kidnapped. I propose that ten years from now, we will meet here. Whoever has found and trained his son will win.”

            “So this tests our teaching skills?”

            “What if Giovanni’s son is dead?” Aya mused.

            “Then we’re gambling on luck…” Blaine smiled.

            “Very well then.” Agatha pronounced. “We accept this proposition.”

            “Then I will see you in ten years!” Blaine said, before he ran out.

            Surge caught him with his whip before he could escape.

            “Here.” Agatha tossed him a bottle. “The antidote. The poison kills in one hour, and you’re time’s running short. So take it now.”

            Blaine muttered his thanks and then exited.

 

            “I believe this is an unfair contest.” Koga pointed out. “We do not even know what his wife and child look like.”

            “That is true, but we shall not lose.” Bruno gave an apathetic grunt at this announcement.

           

            Meanwhile…

            King Fernando looked fondly at the woman fast asleep next to him. She was beautiful. Long, glossy black hair and high cheekbones highlighted her lovely complexion.

            Her name was Catherine.

            She was also Giovanni’s widow.

            He cared not for the fact she was pregnant. He would claim the child as his own, being sterile. She was only a month or so in… it could be passed up as early birth.

            He had loved her ever since she had saved his life barely two weeks before. Dressed as a common soldier to spy for rebels in Kanto, he had nonetheless been attacked by Blaine. But she had saved his life when he had collapsed in the kitchen of her simple house.

            Her husband had been sleeping, drunk on plum wine. It was a common enough happening.

            She was beautiful and his savior. Why wouldn’t he love her? And so, he had chosen her to be his queen.

            Catherine was drugged on opium now, fast asleep. She needed rest after their harrowing journey on horseback.

            She was his, no matter if she protested or no. He doubted she would though. He would provide well for them.

            Much better than that poor peasant! Giovanni had not even been a very good fighter. He had wielded a spear with energy but not with much skill… that much the soldiers had reported when they left him for dead with two arrows through his torso.

            It was fine. Catherine was his now. She liked riches; she was just that kind of a woman. Her husband was dead either way.

            He had given her a lovely bracelet of sapphires and she was happy.

            The child would be his too, to mold as he would. Ah, life was good…

            He slept well that night.

 

            Somewhere else…

            Delia tucked her six-year old into bed. “Now, now, Ash. Sleep well.” Heaven knew he wasn’t hers, she had found him floating in a basket of reeds, next to the slow river that wound through Pallet, but no matter. She had always wanted a child of her own.

            Ash yawned, his abnormally gold eyes closing.

            Gold eyes were supposed to represent something, power? Maybe, but all she wanted was a peaceful life for herself and her son.

            Her son. No matter what the other few villagers gossiped about, he was her son. The other families all lived a good distance away, and there were only a few. It didn’t matter… she was happy where she was.

 

END Chapter

Completed 8/26/04

Notes: The Seven Stars of Johto have been together for about six months at this point in time.

Delia is not Ash’s biological mother. His real parents are unknown as of now.

Blaine is a kind of wandering fighter…

Pokemon do not play a big role in this fic, as you have seen. They might exist, but only as legends… or gods, depending.