This could turn out to be a pretty long series…
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me.
Chapter 8
Lance soon regretted his kind intentions. Misty was a real headache to travel with. As a princess – or close enough, she demanded princess style treatment. If it hadn’t been for his quick wits, he would be in serious debt right now. Well, luckily innkeepers don’t care who you are, as long as you pay well…
However, after six days of horseback riding, they were at Cerulean. This place grated his nerves, but he’d leave ASAP.
Lance was surprised when a small black blur hurtled out of a tree and hugged him tightly.
“I missed
you!”
“Ash? What are you doing here?
I thought you were at home with your other six teachers!”
“I missed you!”
“How did you get here?”
“You know how Surge went on a trip to the Vermillion grasslands and brought back some wild horses?”
“… Yes…”
“Well, he gave me my own. Her name’s Strawberry! Isn’t that nice?”
Lance cast a sideways glance at the roan. “I see… she’s one with higher speed than most, is she not?”
Ash grinned and nodded.
“Well then, follow me and don’t run off on your own. You will only get into trouble if you do…”
At the gate, the guards were reluctant to let them in. Misty stamped her little foot at them, but they just laughed.
Lance sighed. “Guess I’ll just have to do this the hard way…” He stopped when he watched both men fall over with grimaces of pain as Ash put his sai away.
“Show off.”
“What?”
“Oh well, you’re still a child either way.” They continued on inwards. More guards came running. These were dressed in plate armor and carried spears, unlike the men at the gate who were only wearing blue jackets to identify them as guards and no arms.
“Ash, what did you bring besides the sai?” Lance asked, as he casually disarmed several of them quickly with his folded fan.
Ash reached into his jacket and pulled out his two-tailed whip, knocking one guard over. “This.” He made another whirl and a second guard went flying.
“Good enough.”
Misty stared at Ash with awe.
They ran for the main hall, where King Fernando and his ministers were.
“Here!” Lance said, shoving Misty inside, as he picked Ash up and whistled. Ash gasped as they went flying through the air, only to land safely on horseback. “Woah…”
“Don’t’ say anything, just hang on! We’re getting out of here!”
They took the secluded trail, not the main road this time.
About four hours riding later, a bandit showed up.
He was a pot-bellied man with a large gourd of wine on his back, and he carried a giant hammer.
With a yell, he charged.
“Can’t be that good, I hope,” Lance said, as he busily dodged. He specialized in agility, not power, and one good hit could take him out. He struck out with his folded fan, hitting the man in the neck.
Omar rubbed his sore neck where he had been jabbed - it hurt! That kid… He ignored the child still clinging on to the horse, dismissing him as not worthy of a threat.
Ash took careful aim with his sai and threw one.
Omar screeched as it was embedded in a fleshy part of his back.
Lance snapped his fan open, waiting, before Omar staggered and fell facedown. Walking over, he withdrew Ash’s sai and carefully wiped it clean of blood before handing it back.
Ash looked a little nervous. Sure, he had sparred before, but this was different.
“Hush, hush. Take a few deep breaths.” Lance said, taking out a bottle half full of water and holding it to Ash’s lips.
Ash drank slowly, but clung to Lance when they rode back that night, just to be safe…
He was scared.
Life went on, but six months later…
“Her again?”
“We saved her life once, must we twice?” Aya asked, busy polishing her trident.
“We can’t just leave her to die.” Bob spoke up, rushing out with butcher knife unsheathed. Agatha followed to keep an eye on him.
It was metaphorical significance only!
Misty was busy running from a man on a bucking black horse that seemed intent on trampling her.
‘We should applaud that man should he kill her.” Koga mentioned. “It would dispose of one Cerulean brat.”
“Yes.”
Ash was silent.
He didn’t like Misty. He couldn’t explain it, as it was just a kind of twitchy feeling…
Of course, they had all taught him about the History, how Indigo had fallen to the Cerulean Invaders.
Now, they oppressed the people and taxed heavily, stole women, killed children, burned villages…
What a waste of life!
Misty screamed.
Unfortunately, at this moment, the horse succeeded in bucking its rider off and the man broke his neck.
Pity the poor fool.
The horse went crazy, tramping everything in sight, rearing and snorting.
“That’s a pretty good horse.” Surge remarked. Getting up, he headed outside, and within a few moments, had calmed it down.
He gave it a good washing with vinegar, water, and a good brushing. The horse was as good as new.
Misty was not.
She had broken a leg. Agatha expressed regret that it had not been her head or chest, but Delia was kind-hearted and bandaged her up.
Two days later, the Cerulean minister and thirty armed men came.
“You saved her life again! How can we repay you?”
“We don’t need your money.” Agatha declared.
Ash was hiding behind Koga and Aya. They felt evil… those men…
One man spotted him. “Is the boy your son?”
“Y-yes…” Delia murmured, afraid.
“Very well! When he is sixteen, he shall be married to my daughter!” The minister declared happily. “Isn’t that a great reward?”
“Y-yes…”
She couldn’t’ say anything against it…
Misty stamped her foot. “I don’t want to marry him! He’s too stupid!” Secretly though, well…
Ash was about to talk, but Koga whacked him lightly, warning him not to speak and incur the wrath of these malignant dogs.
Stupid invaders…
End Chapter
Completed 8/27/04
Ash normally carries two sai in his jacket and his two-tailed whip. Anything else might be heavy/obvious
Lance can use a fan as a weapon, but he doesn’t like to fight, preferring to rob people… his sai are ‘last-ditch’ weapons.