When Destinies Collide

[Last Exile]

Oh well. Back from the beginning, I guess. ;) At least we have a better home now!

Chapter 1 - The Cold Light Of Day


Ash Ketchum looked up into the sky. It was a clear day, with a crisp, gentle breeze and a glowing sun showering down cascades of light that smothered the earth in their nourishing glow. But Ash wanted none of it. He wished that the sky was full of black clouds that stretched forever. He wished that no ray of light from the sun penetrated to the ground. He wished that it would rain and never stop. He wanted no light to penetrate his soul. He wanted to be shut away from everyone and everything.

And then he cried. He cried tears that had been holding back for days now. He couldn't hold the anger and sorrow that was wrenching his soul apart. It all erupted in the form of salty tears that flowed down his sombre face and sobs that burst out the ringing of a bell. Hard and bellowing. It was nothing like the normal Ash Ketchum, so full of life and happy. He would have been ecstatic with what he had achieved five days ago. He had taken a major step in his ultimate quest to be a Pokemon Master. But right now, that meant nothing to him. He had almost considered giving it up for good. Only his Pokemon prevented him from going that far. Pikachu had been instrumental in that. His yellow buddy was one of very few that could comfort him in his darkest hour. His Pokemon were all that kept him going. That and his mother. Otherwise he would have instantly fallen into oblivion for eternity. But considering the state Ash was in, that might have been preferable.

He wiped the conglomeration of tears and sweat from his shattered body and soul and sighed heavily. He gently trekked across the resplendent green fields of Pallet Town, going nowhere in particular. He wouldn't have known that his bare feet were walking across lush, velvety grass field. It felt more like he was walking along an endless array of hot coals, with no relief in sight. Almost everything hurt him now. Only the touch of his mother and his Pokemon could ease the pain. It hurt him just to be alive. But he knew he couldn't give up now. That would be the cowardly and selfish thing to do. He owed it to her to keep going. Many times Ash had come close to losing his Pokemon, especially Pikachu, but he kept searching for them until he found them again. Team Rocket had always been a thorn in his side, but now they had stabbed him right in the heart, and left it raw and bleeding. For Team Rocket took away from him the one person in the entire world he cared about more than anything. Misty.

Misty. Just the mere thought of her brought Ash crashing to his knees. He looked up to the sky again. A light blue colour. Cerulean blue. Just like Misty's home town, Cerulean City. Misty! Why was she gone?! Ash had tormented himself for five days about the sequence of events that would scar him forever. And still he had come no closer to understanding why things were like this. He should have been feeling on top of the world! For two years he had struggled through thick and thin on his latest leg to get to where he was, and finally he was reaping the rewards. He had been on his Pokemon journey for over five years now, and how they had changed him! When he started he was a clumsy, half-witted kid who wouldn't know the first thing about being a Pokemon trainer. Now he had a deeper connection with his Pokemon than people could ever hope to obtain, and he had the accomplishments to merit his talents.

But what did all that mean if he no longer had Misty? Misty had kept him going the whole time. Initially she was incredibly mean and brutish, very much the brat. Then again, so was Ash. Neither gave the other any form of kindness. But as time passed, things between the two of them healed, and all their past bickering seemed like child's play. They had become close friends and needed each other more than words could describe. Only Misty had stuck it out for the entire journey so far. Brock was there at the start, then he stayed in the Orange Islands with Professor Ivy, came back after rejection, helped them along the way again, then left again. It would have been folly of him to turn down that opportunity of a lifetime. A Pokemon breeding program made up of collaborations with the Laramie family, the Elm lab and the Oak lab. It was too good to refuse! Now Brock was finally able to live out his dream. Tracey was still working with Professor Oak and making groundbreaking discoveries of his own. It was just him and Misty.

Misty. Ash let himself slip away into his memories of the girl that would change his world forever. She was more than what she seemed. She was a beautiful soul. She wanted nothing more than to be the greatest Water Pokemon trainer of all time. And through their adventures, Misty had caught many different water Pokemon. She had an incredibly impressive team. All reflective of her generous and light-hearted nature, which masked the fiery and lively spirit within. Misty was really hard to handle in the early days, but after she became Togepi's trainer, all that changed. She wasn't in the mood to hit anyone or use that mallet of hers if anyone pushed her too far. She still had her intense moments, but she let her softer side come out too. And that seemed to have a positive effect on everyone, including Ash. And with every day that passed, Ash found himself wound up in the world of Misty Waterflower even more. Her shiny, lustrous orange hair was a real charm. The few times that Ash had seen her let her hair down, he went off the planet. She looked like an angel to him those few times he was lucky enough to see Misty in her true glory. Her blue eyes were mirrors to the incredible soul that lay within Misty's dazzling physique. Her voice and laugh were insatiable, and Ash longed to hear them whenever he got the chance. Her smile shone so brightly in the world that it was like a homing beacon for Ash. Forever drawn to Misty. Puberty had started to kick in for the both of them, and Misty's figure was reaching its peak. Her skin had a pearly glow that shone for miles, her voice was mellowing into a firm, sweet, seductive tone, and her chest had developed to the point where she became the attention of many young boys. Ash had to constantly fend them off. A daily trouble they both lived with. Ash's voice was no longer squeaky and high-pitched, but more deep and powerful, which led to more people respecting him. His black crop of hair became even more shiny and tussled. His own chest had now firmed up considerably, and his physique was incredibly muscular now. He was now 18 years old, and Misty was 20. Ash had begun to notice that Misty was beginning to look at him in a certain way. Just like he looked at her. Things seemed bright for the two. And after his latest triumph against the odds, Ash had finally summoned up the courage to tell Misty how he really felt about her. And then it happened. And now nothing would be the same.

[Last Exile]

"Incredible folks! The unbelievable has happened! Ash Ketchum has hung on to win the Johto League Championship Final!"
A massive roar erupted from the thousands of spectators that packed Silverstone Stadium. They'd never seen anything like it! The Astounding Mandy, and his awesome team of fully evolved Pokemon, with members like Exeggutor, Kingdra and Crobat had been beaten! And not only that, but by a team with only a few evolutions! Cyndaquil and the happy dancing Totodile were still in their starter forms, and his newly acquired Eevee had still yet to evolve. Bayleef had only just recently evolved from the Chikorita that simply adored affection. Noctowl's super powers were enough to outdo its smaller physique, and Pikachu was far stronger than a Raichu could ever hope to be. Against all expectations, Ash had triumphed. After years of pain and heartbreak, things were finally falling into place! His journey in Johto had led to so many adventures, personal favours and detours, that Ash ended up getting his eighth badge one month too late. That left Ash in an incredibly despondent state. He had no idea what to do next. He had his heart set on competing in Johto, and he would have to wait 11 months until the next championship. 11 months! It was too much for him to comprehend! And Brock's departure left him incredibly vulnerable. Ash had no intentions of quitting, but without a clear plan, he was left with no way to proceed.

Misty took it upon herself to bring Ash out of the slump. She convinced Ash to battle in the Indigo Championships again. She felt that with Ash's team being as versatile and mature as it was, contrary to popular opinion, Ash would be able to win it this time. She knew that the only reason Ash didn't beat Ritchie was because Team Rocket's attack left Pidgeotto completely exhausted and Pikachu sub-standard. Team Rocket had condemned Ash to defeat that time. This time, Ash would have nothing standing in his way. For 5 months, Ash trained harder than he ever did in his entire life. With Misty at his side, Ash reached new heights, and his campaign in the Indigo League was a glorious one! He was virtually untroubled until the grand final, and even then he only needed half his team to win it all!

But there was something bigger he desired. Johto. That was the prized jewel he needed to acquire. Johto was on another level completely. But with Chikorita's evolution, Ash's chances were vaulted. Bayleef was able to stretch possibilities to the limit and stunned even the most cynical critics. Ash was consistently strong through the minor rounds in his half. In the other half, Gary Oak was also doing incredibly well. Until he met the Astounding Mandy. They were an incredibly even match, and the battle went right down to the wire. Crobat versus Umbreon. Gary's team pretty much revolved around Umbreon, and it had been forced to beat two of Mandy's other Pokemon to get to this point. With a relatively fresh Crobat, Mandy won a cliffhanger. Gary was shattered. Even with his newly acquired maturity and respect, he was still incredibly egotistical and quite the bragger. Gary didn't take defeat in the semi-final well at all. Professor Oak, Gary's grandfather, was considerably disturbed by Gary's reactions and recent performances. Gary was an incredibly talented trainer. But he seemed to rely on Umbreon all the time. Oak didn't like it at all. He never had any type discriminations, but Dark Pokemon always unsettled him in a way. And Umbreon being the ultimate Dark Pokemon, Oak could only speculate what Umbreon was doing to Gary. That left Ash and Mandy in the final. Unlike their first meeting, it was a real nailbiter. It was even all the way. One Pokemon would win then be instantly defeated by the next one. And Ash had made a critical type mismatch. When it got down to just two Pokemon each, Pikachu was forced to go up against Exeggutor. Only Ash's Pikachu could ever have won that one. It drained itself of several hundred thousand volts in order to provide Ash with victory. The final battle was Bayleef and Crobat. It seemed Ash had lucked out, but Bayleef was something else. She never, ever gives up. And somehow she has beaten Pokemon you wouldn't even think she could. Ever since Bayleef beat a Scizor during the Celebi fiasco, Ash knew that Bayleef was one of a kind. She took all that Crobat dealt her, and despite her type weaknesses, she dealt it back even harder. As Crobat's shattered being fell to earth, deflating Mandy's hopes of glory, a new day was rising on Ash's career. All the pain, humiliation, loss and grief was worth it. He had already accomplished more than most ever would. He had now won three of the four leagues. In winning Orange, he won the right to fight Prima. In winning Indigo, he could now fight Bruno. In winning Johto, he now earned the right to face Agatha. Only one league was left. The Green League. And if he was able to win that one, he would then have the right to face Lance, and then he would then be fully qualified to face the Elite 4.

Days after winning Johto, Ash returned home to Pallet Town to catch up with his mother. He and Misty stayed with her for a few days, which allowed Dehlia to catch up on years she hadn't been there to see Ash grow up. It was something that always weighed her down, but with Misty as a friend, Ash seemed to be doing just fine. During that time, Ash and Misty made plans to qualify for the Green League. It seemed that it was the most difficult league of all. But if Ash was ever going to be able to defeat the Elite 4 and become a Pokemon Master, he'd have to win the Green League. Realistically, his team needed far more experience. As amazing as Cyndaquil and Totodile were, he needed fully evolved Pokemon. He knew that Bayleef would soon evolve into Meganium. And he knew that Eevee was bound to be something great. He was going to leave it up to Eevee to decide what it would evolve too. Any decision would be fine with him. After getting an updated Pokedex and catching up with Brock and Tracey, Ash was off. But as he left, Professor Oak gave him the GS Ball. Ash was stunned. He hadn't seen it since he gave it to Kurt over a year ago. Kurt had found that there was a time lock on the GS Ball, and that it was going to open in two weeks! Oak said whatever Pokemon inside would be Ash's. Ash was confused as to why he didn't give it to Gary. Oak made it perfectly clear that Gary was going along a path that disgusted him greatly. Apparently Gary had won the final of the Green League, and now he only needed to win Johto in a year's time to qualify to fight the Elite 4. He had a list of top trainers to battle meanwhile, and he was prepared to take a vacation for a few months too. Ash still considered Gary to be the fly in his soup, and vowed to win the Green League, beat the Elite 4 and become a Pokemon Master before Gary did. Oak gave Ash his vote of confidence. In saying that, he made it clear that he wanted Ash to accomplish the ultimate dream, and that Gary would only once he learnt the true meaning of being a Pokemon trainer.

And then it all went wrong. Sitting in the lush, green groves on the fringe of Pallet, Ash and Misty were taking their last break before departing to the Green League. Light pink cherry blossoms floated to the ground in the crisp spring breeze, and the golden rays of the mothering sun showered everything in its loving rays of light. Bird Pokemon were soaring gracefully across the azure blue sky. Misty was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans that hugged her figure perfectly along with her trademark yellow sleeveless top. She started wearing jeans ever since young boys spent too much time checking her out, and it got to the point Misty was bringing out the mallet again. But Ash was more than equipped to handle the situation as well. With some stinging words that sometimes couldn't be repeated ever again combined with a hyper-charged Pikachu, boys knew to glance and then move along. Misty was fine with boys liking her, but they were liking her too much for just one particular reason. Ash was still wearing his usual outfit, except he no longer donned the Pokemon League cap. He let his spiky black hair stand out for everyone to see. Although many teen girls spent too much checking out Ash's butt to notice, which left them facing the less pleasant side of Misty, which is a curse you never want to experience twice. They were just kids when they met, and now they were in the beginning of adulthood. Friendship brought them closer that anyone could imagine. And Ash was finally prepared to say what was in his heart. He walked up to the duck pond nearby and gently removed a water lily flower from the cool, crystal clear waters that reflected his figure just like a mirror. Ash smoothed out his hair just a little, took a deep breath, and braced himself. He walked over to Misty and presented her with the flower. "I thought you might like this, Misty."
Misty smiled instantly upon presentation of the flower. "Thank you Ash. It's beautiful." Misty loved water lilies when she was growing up in Cerulean City. It led to her affinity with water and her desire to become a Water Pokemon Master. She loved to spend many sunny days lying in shady groves, feeling the gentle kiss of spring breezes caressing her pearly face, as she laid down in cool, lush, emerald green grass, with creamy white lily flowers in her hair. Seeing Ash giving her the flower brought up all those memories in a flashing instant, and made her feel so high. She was about to place it in her silky orange locks when Ash let his right hand slowly slide up her neck, past her ear, into the silky tendrils and place the flower slightly to the left side of her head in just the right place. Misty rose up and slowly walked with a feminine grace to the pond that left Ash totally mesmerised. He felt he was in a dream at the moment, and he never wanted to wake up from it. Misty stared at her reflection with a look of pride in her appearance.
"Wow, Ash. You knew just where to place it."
"It's not too heard when you've got someone as beautiful as you are."
Misty froze. That comment revealed more than she expected. She had liked Ash for quite some time, but never knew if he felt the same way about her. She slowly swirled around with a starstruck look in her eyes that made Ash felt like his heart was going to explode if he didn't reveal all right now. The moment was right. And that look conveyed something only the two of them could understand. Ash felt himself lulling his eyes into their own dreamy look, showing Misty that the feeling was definitely mutual. Her heart began to pound and she could feel butterflies in her stomach. Ash's lungs were about to crush from the pressure building up in him. Something had to give.
"I mean...Misty, we've been friends for a long time."
"Mmmm. Quite some time."
Ash felt like he'd died and gone to heaven. Everything around him was melting away, leaving him aware of nothing but the angel standing in front of him. Misty felt like she was breathing underwater, feeling the cool caress of the liquid life all over her, and that Ash was the only thing left as everything else drained away. The two stared into each other's eyes for a moment that seemed to last for eternity. Ash's right hand slowly moved forward, shaking like an earthquake. Misty gently extended her own shaking right hand, taking Ash's strong, lightly tanned hand in her own smooth, graceful, slender fingers. That gesture conveyed more than a million words ever could, and both felt themselves slipping away.
"Misty, I care about you more than anything in the entire universe."
Ash didn't even recognise what he'd said until he'd said it, and felt like he was going to collapse with embarrassment. But all it took to relieve him was a gentle reply from Misty.
"Ash, I care about you in the same way."
This was it. No turning back now. Ash's dark brown irises stared into Misty's sapphire eyes, and the two of them locked in a gaze they couldn't get out of. They slowly moved toward each other, yet with a confidence they had never felt before. Ash leaned forward and Misty extended her arms invitingly. Their heads gradually stretched towards each other like sprouting plants, and their lips spread apart like flower petals at dawn. Then they met each others, and they felt ecstasy upon contact. Bliss that words could never describe. Years of confined feelings that were sheltered up for none to see, hear or feel were suddenly brought down to earth. The glass walls around them crashed into a zillion pieces, and they all melded from that moment. Ash let his right hand drift up to Misty's silky orange locks and let in linger there, enjoying every sensation that was invoked into his fingers, never wanting to let it leave there, while his left hand slid around her back, gently caressing her spine and massaging her shoulders. Misty let her left hand float like a butterfly and land in the midst of Ash's spiky black locks, relishing the stimulating response, while her right hand cupped round his neck, stroking it as if she were stroking a newborn kitten. Their tongues broke from their subdued positions and eagerly met each other halfway. The scene lasted for several minutes, but it seemed more like several lifetimes. Everything the two felt for each other was conveyed in that kiss. They finally parted lips, and lingered just a few centimetres from each other. Now that the two had revealed how they truly felt, the future was bright.

[Last Exile]

Then came a storm that tore Ash apart. Two figures in black clothing jumped from the shadows and snatched Misty away from Ash. The dream that was reality was now cruelly shattered in a second, and Ash felt like he'd been fatally shot.
"Ash! Help me!" Misty screamed her entire soul out as she felt herself being sucked into darkness. She longed to stay in the light. In the warmth. With Ash. With Ash! But all she felt was darkness, icy chills and Ash slipping away.
Ash reacted with a snap. "Drat! I can't use Pikachu on whoever these two are! Alright then! Noctowl! I choose you!" Ash threw out a pink and white Pokeball, and Noctowl materialised from the resulting white flash.
"Noctowl, use hypnosis!"
"Umbreon, block it!" One of the figures through out their own Pokeball, and an Umbreon came out. Ash then remembered how he felt when he first saw Gary's Umbreon. This one was terrifying! It was so black that no light seemed to reflect of it at all! As if it was nothing! The golden voodoo symbols looked like deadly poison that was about to suck up his soul and slowly eat away at it. And those blood red eyes conveyed pure madness with murderous intent. Ash shrank away in absolute horror as Umbreon absorbed all of Noctowl's attack, feeling no effect whatsoever.
"Umbreon, faint attack!"
Umbreon melted away into three separate beings in a transparent black film, then all lurched forward. Noctowl felt itself slipping away and was out cold. Ash was beside himself. Whoever these people were, they had Dark Pokemon that were like no other!
"I told ya this would be a sinch, Melvis! Now let's split! We got the girl, and that's all Gio wanted!"
"Why don't we nail the kid? This punk deserves it for what he did five days ago! I wanna blow his brains out and see them splattered all over the ground right now! Say goodbye to your prince, sweetheart!"
Misty screamed a bone-chilling scream, yet the figures were unaffected. The one with the gun aimed it at Ash's head, while Ash stood there, frozen like an ice sculpture, sweat draining form him like melted ice.
"Hey! Gio said we don't do him in yet! We've got BIG plans for him!"
"Yeah! Ash Ketchum will regret ever messing with Team Rocket!"
Team Rocket! Ash couldn't believe it! They were kidnapping Misty! After all he had done to get here, after he bared his soul, and after Misty and he had finally met in true intimacy, it was all falling apart! All because of five days ago! Ash remembered what happened then. Not only did he win Johto, but he also met Giovanni, the despised leader of Team Rocket, face to face. What followed next was something out of a move. If that girl hadn't shown up, Ash and Misty would surely have perished. That girl teamed up with Ash and they saved the crowds from the Rocket onslaught. Giovanni obviously wanted revenge. Immediate revenge. And he was doing it in the worst way possible!
'Bayleef, go!" The spicy, leafy grass Pokemon emerged in an instant. On top of Ash! Obviously in search of affection.
"Bayleef, Misty's in trouble!"
Bayleef snapped into action. She swung round to face the Rockets and fired out her Vine Whip, cracking the Rockets smack on their noses!
"That weed broke my nose! I'll get you punk! Go Houndoom!"
The hellish personification of fire and evil combined formed in front of Bayleef, scaring her more than anything ever could. Few things could ever scare Bayleef, but Houndoom was one of them! Houndoom spewed out a vicious Flamethrower, causing Bayleef to sprint to the side. Houndoom's fire is incredibly savage. If you get burned by it, the burns take weeks to heal. Bayleef could ill afford that, and fired out a few Razor Leaves as she skipped away from the blast. Houndoom quickly incinerated them, leaving Bayleef in a predicament.
"Return Umbreon, Houndoom!" Ash looked up into the sky. The Rockets were getting away in a balloon! And they had Misty! Ash was panicking like crazy. Noctowl was out cold, so how was he going to get that balloon?!
"Pikachu, give the balloon head the biggest Thunder you can!"
Pikachu didn't want to shock Misty, but this was a desperate time, which calls for desperate measures. Pikachu emerged from the bushes, skipped towards the fleeting balloon, powered up the zippy electric sacs on its cheeks, letting power flow as concentrated as it could, letting it erupt in a scintillating bolt of yellow fire, piercing the air like an arrow, heading straight for the balloon. The bolt then changed course and was sucked into the bottom of the balloon! No flash resulted!
"Sucked in, twerp! Everyone knows about YOUR Pikachu! As if we wouldn't have made this balloon electric-proof!"
Ash felt himself falling. Falling forever into nothingness. He stared up at Misty, who was leaning over the basket edge, unable to break the Rocket's grasp.
"Say goodbye lovers! The next time you see each other again, neither of you are gonna live through it!"
Ash felt himself falling to pieces. He held himself together for one last phrase.
"Misty. I love you!"
Misty deflated as soon as the words hit her ears and broke into tears. "I love you too, Ash! I'll love you forever!"
In those final moments, they conveyed feelings they would have for the rest of their lives in just those few seconds. Dates, surprises, sex, marriage, children, holidays, and all the intimate moments that only the two of them can understand because only they live them out. And they lived a lifetime of love in those few moments as Misty drifted away, while Ash was left on the ground, stranded and broken.

Ash looked up at the sky again. The sky that broke his heart. He knew what he had to do. He had to find Misty no matter what. He would win the Green League and become a Pokemon Master. But he needed help. He couldn't do it alone. He needed help on this one. Then he remembered the only other person in the world he could rely on...

Sakura.

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

*stupid sarcastic voice*
Oh, no, what's gonna happen?
*fake shriek*
Argh. Oh well. I'm guessing I gotta wait for new chaps now, or will they be appearing at the EZBoard?

Well, none the less, let's have another chapter, Triple C!

And now, to entertain the readers, my sig!

Argh! How long can it be? Must be a world record! GO ME!

Hey, that rhymes!

[Last Exile]

The Almight SuperSonicMewtwo: Hey, chill man! Everyone's taking it slow now that we're getting started again. I'll repost one every few days, but not all in one slab. So just be patient for a bit and you'll get it as it was. ;)

[Gavin Luper]

Hi CCC! Yeah, it's great now we have a better home. Aaah, so much nicer! I was going to take your lead and post chapters every day or two., but I decided that I want to get back to where I was, quick.

Oh, it goes without saying that I'll be reading this again.

Cheers!

[Last Exile]

Gavin Luper: Yeah, we need to build up a few replies so that we can still have some ego! After all you do need some, but just not a lot! ;) Anyways, thanks for replying and great to know you'll be reading!

PS. I was actually following your lead! ;)

[Gavin Luper]

Lol. You were following my lead? :D

Oh, and of course I'd be reading. You wouldn't think I'd ignore one of my fave fics!

[Last Exile]

Gavin Luper: Hey, I'm just being polite, mate! An essential part of being Australian! ;) And I'll be reading yours too, so don't you worry!

[Gavin Luper]

I didn't know us aussies were supposed to be polite! Damn!

Yeah, I just received you reply in LTL's topic. Well, I'd better stop spamming and raising your post count, ne?

[Lady Vulpix]

It's great to see this fic is still up. Will you re-post the chapters which were on the EZBoard now? I may be a bit anxious, but... well, I guess there is no but. :D

[Blastiose007]

a good fic and i will be around waiting for the next chapters

[Snakes N' Legends]

Once again, I have to say this. Good job, CCC. How many times have I said that? No, it is just that you move from one board to another and I keep doing this but I do it as a gift a gratitude. I have a question, CCC. How long are each of your chapters? They must be longer than 1,700 words.

[Gavin Luper]

1 700 words for a chapter is quite short really. Most of CCC's chapters are well above or roughly around 4000 - 5000 words at least. Just to give you an idea, tyranitar master.

Cheers mate!

[Snakes N' Legends]

Well, when I first started writing The Twin Terrors, I was told that each chapter should be at 1,700 words long. Of course I did go over but I focused on it at least being 1,700 words long.

[Last Exile]

Gavin Luper: Heh heh! ;) Say, are you into the AFL?

Lady Vulpix: Great to hear from you, Gabi! ;) Sorry I haven't emailed you lately, but I've been one of the walking dead lately. Still, that's no excuse. I'll be reposting those chapters at the rate of one every few days.

Blastoise007: Cool! A new reader! Welcome aboard, because that was hardly anything! ;)

tyranitar master: Yeah, it sucks we had to keep changing venue. Hopefully this will be a stable one. As for chapter length, I guess they range from 5000-10000 words.

[Blastiose007]

thanks i read gavins fics so i know by reading the first chapter that its going to be a good fic

[Last Exile]

Blastoise007: Well here's the evidence to support your cause! Here's Chapter 2, folks!


Chapter 2 ¡V Pierced Innocence


There were no words to sum up Sakura Avalon¡¦s devastation. After several years of chasing down the Clow Cards and creating her own to safeguard the existence of humanity, this was all she had. Not even the reappearance of the mighty magician Clow Reed, the creator of the Clow Cards, could help her, if he could reappear. And after a strange beginning which seemed sweet and innocent, Sakura quickly learnt that this was not just mere child¡¦s play. She had the ultimate responsibility placed on her shoulders. It was up to her to save the world from the Clow Cards. Or the world would be destroyed. 6 billion people wiped from existence in an instant, never to be seen again in this life. It was insane! When Sakura first discovered the Clow Cards, she was only ten years old. 10 years old! What the hell happened to her life?! She should have been allowed to have fun with her friends, party, experience teenage years to the full! Instead Destiny chose her. Of all the 6 billion people in existence, she was the only one who could capture the Clow Cards. 52 cards that Clow Reed created. The entities of the eight spectrums of magic. Each with their own abilities and personality. Clow Reed was forced to seal the entities as cards when they became too strong. He then sealed them in the Clow Book, and placed the mighty guardian, the legendary Keroberos, to guard the cards and to make sure they never escaped. Several thousand years later, on a normal spring day, her life was changed forever.

Thinking about that day always made her reflect on all that she had done. Sometimes she¡¦d laugh at how clumsy she had been like back then. But as time passed, Sakura was forced to mature, and fast! Acquired wisdom and magical powers that placed her amongst the strongest magicians of all time rained down heavily on Sakura. The cards quickly found out the Sakura was the one destined to capture them, and the challenges increased in difficulty daily. Even though some of her earliest captures brought her close to the edge, that was nothing compared for the ones that followed. Sakura¡¦s life was flipped upside down and changed daily. Every day she had to be aware. Was today the day that a Clow Card would finally emerge from obscurity? Which one was it? How would she capture it? And most of all, could she?! Sakura would be the first to admit that she was as lucky as hell. She captured several strong cards as she started this gig, and without them, she would have been mauled by capture 20! So many things fell into Sakura¡¦s life, and all followed the last. An ever twisting snake of possibilities that seemed to swallow up Sakura every time, forcing her to escape, handle it, and face the next one all over again. Sakura sighed heavily. All because of that one fateful day...

It was the usual day. Wake up late. Have breakfast if she ever had the time. Put up with daily trash talk from her brother, which never failed to spurn her. Roller blading at the speed of light in a desperate effort to make it to school on time. Sailing through Cherry Blossom Grove, letting the sweet and fragrant pink blossoms float gently to the ground all around her, as her reddish brown hair flickered in twenty directions at once while staying in place, her emerald green eyes lighting up so bright you could see them even in the Abyss, her cream white plaited skirt fluttering up and down like a hummingbird as she broke the sound barrier daily. In Cherry Blossom Grove, Sakura could always steal a few seconds of true privacy. Rejoicing in the beauty around her, letting the warm glow of the morning sun caress her young face. It was her private treasure that she always made time for. Nothing could ever take that away from her. Sakura was an incredible roller blader and still is. Wearing her customised red and yellow padding that somehow managed to endow her with both safety and style, Sakura stood out among the crowd every single time. Just one look at her, and you knew that Sakura was something else. One of those people that you consider yourself lucky just to see once every day. Her happy, innocent voice echoing across the grove and her sweet smile made you feel glad to be alive, even if only for a moment.

That wasn¡¦t the only reason Sakura bladed through Cherry Blossom Grove every day unless she was ultra late. It was a time where she was guaranteed to catch up with her brother¡¦s best friend: Julian. Putting up with Tori¡¦s smart aleck remarks and wise cracks was well worth it just to be near him for a while. Julian always spoke to her in a friendly tone, being completely honest and supportive of her. God knows what Tori thought about the whole thing. He loved to pay Sakura out about it any time he got the chance. It made her wonder why the heck Julian and Tori were friends. They were so unlike each other. Tori was a really tall, black haired brainy guy, who seemed way too slender to be real, making underweight girls look good in comparison on occasions, while Julian was a gray haired, glass wearing, sensitive guy. Tori was sarcasm personified while Julian wold have to be the epitimy of honesty. All the same, it was a dream for Sakura to be able to ride with them to school. She thought Julian was so cute. Every time she looked at him, her eyes would slightly lower, flashing the brilliance of her green irises, while her mouth would gape open in a daydreaming half smile. And every day, it would end the same. They¡¦d eventually get to school, leaving Tori and Julian to head into their school, which was right next to Sakura¡¦s. That always left Sakura gradually yet gracefully sliding to a halt, standing parallel to the primary school wall, her emerald green gaze fixed upon her crush, desperately wanting him to stay, yet knowing that the dream was about to end and reality was kicking in. Her gaze would always avert to eyes that were on the verge of watering but never opened up, while her top lip would lower down slightly, leaving her half smile replaced by a look of disillusionment. Moments like these made her feel on top of the world, but as Mercury Rev say in ¡¥The Dark Is Rising¡¦, ¡¥Dreams don¡¦t last for long.¡¦

Sakura was always a bright student. She was prone to daydreaming, but when she put her mind to it, stars flew. And she had the adoration of the entire 4th grade for her exceptional aerobic accomplishments. She was easily the best sprinter and relay runner in her age group. She was even faster than all the boys! And no one could hope to compare to her gymnastic prowess and her cheerleading skills. She was still the only one who could pull off a perfect back flip, and she only missed a baton catch once in a blue moon. One of those rare occasions was when she started having the dreams about the Clow Cards. How she was dressed in a pink and green costume, holding her magic staff with its trademark winged symbol, while Clow Cards were swirling around her left and right. A tiny teddy bear hovered next to hear, which she never feared, but still couldn¡¦t identify. Wings would form on her shoes, she would take a step back, look defiantly towards the mammoth Tokyo Tower, and jump. She never saw what happened next. The dreams always ended there. When she first reflected on it, she missed a baton catch, leaving her pearly white baton to land perfectly vertical on top of her head, stunning her completely and leaving her tongue sticking out. But she was always the jewel in the eye of all the students. She had many friends. Especially girlfriends. Chelsea, Nikki, Rita. But Madison Taylor would have to be her best friend for sure. They met up after school nearly every single day. They¡¦d collaborate on school projects and help each other out. Madison was a real brain. She was about the same height as Sakura. Her skin had a slightly more yellow tone to it, leaving it like a creamy off-white colour. She had black hair that reached back beyond her shoulders a bit, maintaining a hue perfectly between jet black and silver gray. And she had deep sky-blue eyes that were nearly as glassy and alluring as Sakura¡¦s. Madison¡¦s mother was the executive of a highly successful toy company, so Madison had a fairly lavish lifestyle, yet it didn¡¦t spoil her a bit. Money meant little to her at all. People were all the same. Sakura and the others were her equals. Her pet hobby was using her video camera. Her mother had access to the latest models, upgrades, innovations and so forth, so Madison had a collection of documentaries that would make even the most accomplished directors jealous. Madison had struck a deal with Sakura to videotape her for their independent study. Sakura had no idea how much that would affect what happened over the next 24 hours.

Sakura¡¦s dad was the archaeology lecturer at Readington University, and he was very hot property, being an accomplished researcher and a popular lecturer. Sakura¡¦s mom died when she was still very young, so Sakura didn¡¦t have too many memories of her. But they were all vivid. And she could always put a face to her since her dad and Tori had taken so many pictures of her when she was alive. Vanessa was an angel in many people¡¦s eyes. Sakura¡¦s grandfather had even gone so far to say how much she looked like Vanessa, and stunned Sakura by giving her a dress Vanessa wore when she was young. Seeing where her mom lived really gave Sakura more to hold on to. Her mom and dad were friends since they were young, fell in love in high school, and married shortly after. Only that could explain why Sakura¡¦s dad was still in his mid thirties, that Tori was sixteen, and that Sakura was around ten years old. Despite Tori picking on Sakura all the time, they were still a very close family.

[Last Exile]

Sakura returned home from practice, announced her homecoming, and noticed Tori and her dad weren¡¦t home. She headed straight for the fridge when she heard a strange bubbling sound. She whipped around in shock, heard nothing more, dismissed it as nothing, and carried on. Her eyes and voice lit up as soon as she saw the pudding for dessert inside, and her index finger elongated out to touch it. Then the bubbling sound returned. Sakura was really spooked now. She knew for sure that something or someone was inside the house. She grabbed her baton, hid for several seconds, strengthened her resolve, and headed with an intense frown on her face towards the source of the sound, in the basement, where her dad¡¦s library was. Sakura opened the door, and by then the intense look had melted into one of curiosity. She could still hear a faint bubbling sound, and as she moved down it intensified. She noticed no one was in the main section, meaning the perpetrator was just around the corner. She gripped her baton tightly, rounded the corner like a rampaging cheetah, and yelled out ¡§Hah!¡¨ in a commanding voice. But nothing was there! Nothing! Now she was really spooked. It was then she noticed one of the books was glowing. She reached for it gently. The glow subsided at her touch, as if she was meant to find it. She hesitated, then retrieved the thick red sleeved book from the shelf. It was labelled The Clow, and it had the same symbol on the front that appeared in her dream. She was unsure how to proceed now, as things were getting really deja vu. Then the lock protecting the book suddenly snapped open with a start, and Sakura began handling it like it was a hot potato, scared of what would happen next. When nothing came, she carefully opened the book. On the inside sleeve was ancient text, but what drew her attention were the contents of the books. There were no pages at all! Just cards! They had a maroon background with a rusty gold sun and moon bound by a ring surrounding them. Sakura identified the first card. The Windy. The figure looked like an adult male wrapped like a mummy in blankets and feathers, with striking wisps of hair elongating from his scalp. Sakura was mystified and totally taken in by them. ¡§Windy...¡¨ she spoke softly. As she walked away towards the exit, a wind began to rise from the floor behind her. For several seconds this happened without her knowing. Then the Windy Card glowed a brilliant white. A massive tornado was summoned beside her. She tried to shelter herself from the blinding light and fierce winds, and she looked on in shock as the cards were gradually sucked into the madness, zipping through the walls and floors, streaming out into the skies before they vanished from their golden streaks. Sakura dropped the book in pure fear. ¡§What just happened?¡¨ she whispered.

Then the book began to glow a blend of gold and white. Sakura screamed out in terror. There was no explanation as to what the hell was going on. A tornado comes out of nowhere, the cards fly through everything and only The Powers That Be know where they are! And now this! Sakura was frozen in a kneeling position, clutching the Windy Card like it was a safeguard from evil and shadowing her face. Out of the glow emerged a small figure. It was the animal from her dream! It did look a little like a teddy bear, but with its long tail and a powder puff ball on the back of it plus wings on its back snuffed out that thought. And considering the proportions, it looked more like a flying squirrel! Sakura then knew she didn¡¦t have to be afraid and slowly lowered her hands and faced the figure. The little guy opened his beady eyes an then began ranting in a voice you only hear on cartoons! ¡§HI DI HO DE HO DE! Thank you so much, little girl! I¡¦ve been stuck in there for like ever! I...¡¨
Sakura then snatched the squirrel from the air and began poking and stretching it. She had no idea what the hell it was! ¡§What are you?! Some kind of animal?! A squirrel?! A toy?! Where are the batteries?!¡¨
That snapped the little guy into action. ¡§I am not a stuffed animal! I am Keroberos, guardian beast of the seal of the Clow Book.¡¨
Sakura was absolutely stumped. Her expression had changed from glassy eyes to plain bewilderment. ¡§Guardian beast?¡¨
¡§You got it, sister! I keep the Clow Cards from causing trouble! See?! Heh!¡¨ When he turned around, he noticed there were NO CARDS in the Clow Book! NO CARDS! ¡§NO! MY CLOW CARDS! WHERE ARE THEY?! MY PRECIOUS CARDS!!!¡¨
The little guy began to sob severely, prompting Sakura to show the card in her hand. ¡§You mean this?¡¨
The little guy lit up instantly. ¡§AH! The Windy Card! Thank you so much! *sob!* So, where are the rest?!¡¨
Sakura knew this was going to end not so pleasantly! So she maintained a beaming face to play down the whole thing. ¡§Well, when I read the word Windy...¡¨
¡§Yeah?!¡¨
¡§...and this huge wind started blowing..."
¡§Yeah yeah?!¡¨
¡§..and they blew away!¡¨ Sakura sweated on her forehead like a dog in heat, threw back her arm and flashed a smile.
¡§Blew away!¡¨ And then they both started laughing at the same time. This lasted for several seconds and neither relented. Then realisation struck Kero smack in the forehead and his face melted from humour to outrage. ¡§WHAT?!?!?!¡¨

That¡¦s how it all started. Kero, as Sakura and anyone else that knew about him called him, then explained the Clow Cards to Sakura. He then demanded that since Sakura let the cards out, she would have to get them back. She understood that she was the one that opened the book so she was a little interested as to how Kero left the book unguarded.
¡§I just took a little nap!¡¨
¡§For how long?!¡¨ Sakura flashed those emeralds like venomous poison. So she let them out. He was supposed to guard the book, for crying out loud!
¡§30 years or so!¡¨ Then Kero went ballistic. ¡§I NEVER SAID BEIGN A CARDCAPTOR WAS EASY!¡¨
Kero chilled out and thought things through, coming to the conclusion that Sakura must have strong magical powers lying dormant within her. Kero obtained Sakura¡¦s name, then asked her to stand in the middle of the room. Sakura reluctantly obliged. Kero began to glow a rainbow of colours on his skin, and Sakura found herself in the middle of white empty space, too frozen by shock to move. ¡§This girl is the one chosen to get back the Clow Cards! Her name is Sakura! I command you to bestow her with your magical powers! RELEASE THE POWER!¡¨ The tiny key Kero was holding suddenly began to emanate even more intense white light, leaving Sakura shadowing herself from the onslaught. Meanwhile, the key grew in size to a magical staff.
¡§Sakura! Take the staff!¡¨
Blocking her eyes with one hand, Sakura reached out with her right and retrieved the staff. It then grew to its full size in an instant, materialising as a pink staff with two white wings and a rusty golden head on top.
Kero was beaming with a thrilled smile. ¡§ALL RIGHT! I NAME SAKURA...CARDCAPTOR!¡¨
Sakura shrunk back a little. What the hell and she just gotten herself into?!

And that was how it all happened. That night, Sakura faced her first capture. The Fly Card, a majestic all white bird reminiscent of a swan, except a thousand times bigger, emerged outside her bedroom window. Kero urged her to go on and capture that Clow Card, but Sakura was understandably scared out of her mind. This was too surreal! She quickly slipped into her roller blades and hit the streets, braving the terrorising winds the Fly Card generated just by flapping its wings! As soon as she appeared on the scene, Fly made a dash for her, and Sakura barely got out of the way in time. The resulting explosion flung her into the air, and only Kero snatching her pyjamas in his mouth to soften the landing saved her. Sakura sighed heavily. She thought this was a nightmare, but she couldn¡¦t wake up from it. This was for real! Kero triggered her into summoning the staff from her key, and she carefully withdrew the Windy Card from her pyjamas. Sakura still doubted whether she could pull this off, and that let Fly take another swipe at her. Sakura barely ducked the swipe, and things were looking pretty ominous. Kero begged Sakura to use Windy to bind Fly, but Sakura was too paranoid to do anything except flee! Fly was catching up quickly, and soon they¡¦d be in real trouble! Kero begged Sakura to come up with a plan. Sakura doubted she could, then a brilliant plan struck her mind. She raced forward, outpacing Fly and quickly generating speed. Fly took a shot at Kero and missed only by centimetres! Kero was spun 2 miles into the air from the impact and looked down in horror. Could she pull this off?! Had he made the biggest mistake of his life?! He cried out to Sakura, but she couldn¡¦t hear him at all. Fuelled by her high velocity, Sakura swerved up the side of the incline next to the road in a breathtaking maneuver. She managed to vertically travel up an 80-degree incline while travelling horizontally! Sakura then back flipped off the top of the incline and landed right on Fly¡¦s back, clutching on for dear life! One false move 5 miles in the sky and she would certainly fall to her death! Inner strength summoned courage to Sakura¡¦s brain, and steely resolve overcame her. She called for Windy, and the magic circle displayed on all the cards formed around her. ¡§Form a chain and bind Fly¡¦s wings! Windy! Release and dispel!¡¨ With a spin of her staff, Sakura slammed it right into the Windy Card. Windy emerged in a blaze of glory as a swirling being of intense wings and strong bindings. Windy circled its being around Fly over and over until it constricted into Fly. Fly was no longer able to move its wings and screamed out in terror, crashing towards earth at an incredible rate. Just before impact, Sakura leaped off, confident as ever, and brandished her staff and a massive scowl. ¡§I command you to return to you power confined! Fly Card!¡¨ Sakura flung her staff to the ground, and it stopped in mid-air as a card began to materialise from the resultant rainbow glow. Fly¡¦s being was sucked into the card despite all the struggling, and all was silent. Sakura fell to her knees in disbelief as the sealed Fly Card landed right in front of her.
Kero emerged next to her from the skies, prouder than he had ever felt before. ¡§You did it, Sakura!¡¨
Sakura began crying like a downpour for just a few seconds. She had held everything back inside her for so long tonight. All the questions. All the wonders. All the power. And what just happened?! It was like she was in the twilight zone! This couldn¡¦t be real. But it was. And Sakura was living every moment. ¡§I didn¡¦t think I could!¡¨ she sobbed through a choked voice.
Kero patted her on the shoulder with his tiny paw in encouragement. ¡§Well I did! And that¡¦s why I chose you kid!¡¨
Sakura was still in shock by the whole deal. This was just one card! Could she really pull this off? She still doubted herself immensely. ¡§I told you I can¡¦t be a CardCaptor!¡¨
Kero then began to laugh. ¡§What?! You¡¦re telling me you¡¦re giving up just because it isn¡¦t easy?! Ha ha ha!¡¨ Every laugh stabbed Sakura deeply and induced a scowl from Sakura¡¦s face. Why doesn¡¦t he take me seriously?!
¡§Besides, you captured the Fly Card! Touch it with your staff!¡¨
Sakura was really curious now, she had to admit. ¡§Why?¡¨ she asked cautiously.
Kero spoke in a sly yet indicative voice, ensuring her something amazing was about to happen, which just might convince her that she can do this after all.
Sakura smiled for the first time in minutes and spun her staff at it. ¡§Fly!¡¨ A warm white glow emanated from the card, and the two wings on the head of the staff materialised into actual wings! She was flying! Flying 5 miles above the city with no worries! Sakura began laughing and beaming that trademark smile and emerald treasures.
Kero flew up next to her. ¡§So how do you like flying?¡¨
Sakura couldn¡¦t contain he excitement building up in her. ¡§It¡¦s the best!¡¨
Kero looked at her and smiled back. ¡§I knew I could count on you, CardCaptor Sakura!¡¨
¡§Yeah!¡¨ Then Sakura¡¦s lips formed a grimacing, painful expression, realising what she just said. ¡§Wait! I haven¡¦t agreed to anything yet!¡¨

But from that day on, she was a CardCaptor. Five major events had happened since then, each more telling than the last. The first one happened the next day. Sakura was still getting used to having Kero around and learning how to keep him hidden from Tori and her dad. When she got to school that morning, she met Madison before the rest arrived. Madison told her that she had a video from last night that she just had to show Sakura. Sakura was a little stunned to say the least. Madison had never urgently asked her to see a video of hers. Something was up. Madison played the video to Sakura, who watched with the face of a stunned mullet. She couldn¡¦t quite make out the figures against the full moon in the sky, but she had a sinking feeling she knew who it was! Madison magnified the view, and the video showed Sakura and Kero flying up against the silhouette of the full moon in the night sky! Madison found out! Already! How was she going to explain this?! With every thought, she panicked even more and gasped even heavier.
Kero erupted from Sakura¡¦s backpack and jumped to the rescue. ¡§Sakura?! Are you okay?!¡¨ Then he really erupted, more intensely than Mount Etna! ¡§Okay Clow Cards, bottoms up! Where are you hiding?!¡¨ Kero then realised that there were no Clow Cards, and that someone else was watching him. Madison peered down to the camera with a puzzled look on her face, watched, then beamed back at Kero. ¡§It¡¦s you!¡¨

Since then, Madison was always ready to back Sakura up when needed. That and she became Sakura¡¦s costume designer. Madison felt Sakura needed battle costumes, and Kero actually agreed with her. So Sakura always ended up having all kinds of outfits for her showdowns with the Clow Cards. Her very first one was a red, blue and white ensemble, which actually suited her very well, but Sakura was more embarrassed than she had ever been in her entire life. And after that came the blue and white jester, the pink and white winged outfit, the futuristic yellow armor wear, the argyle nightwear, the Alice in Wonderland style one, the witch costume, the orange and green one, and on it went. And having Madison taping most of the captures always made things more interesting. But soon after Madison caught onto the ruse, a person entered her life that would change it forever. Li.

Li Syaoran. The same age as Sakura, but he acted more like he was a few thousand years old. Sakura first met her in the dream she usually had, except he was there instead of her, and she flipped out big time. That day, Li entered her class as an exchange student. When he was seated next to her, he walked up to her, gave her a piercing look with those solid, mystifying brown eyes of his and reduced her to rubble. She spent all morning sweating over him. Who was this kid? What did he want from her? Recess provided the answer, when Li deduced Sakura was a CardCaptor with his lason board, a magical device that can detect cards and CardCaptors, and he demanded that Sakura give him the Clow Cards. Right when Sakura thought Li was going to rob her, Tori appeared from the other school, climbed over the fence, shoved Li aside and warned him to scram or else. Li backed off as soon as Julian appeared as well, leaving a stunned Sakura pondering what was going on. Kero was very cautious of Li¡¦s arrival, and that afternoon Sakura was after the Thunder Card. During the ensuing onslaught, Li appeared. In the same costume he wore in Sakura¡¦s dream. His green cape perfectly covering his figure while allowing him flexibility, his green hat topping his precisely parted his crop of chestnut brown hair, his traditional ceremonial sword adorned with red jewels, and that piercing, mesmerising stare those brown eyes lured you into and never let you go from until Li chose to free you from it. He was an imposing figure. Confident, experienced, and incredibly sure of himself. His magical powers were very impressive indeed, and he showed no inhibitions in slamming Sakura for her inexperience, which infuriated Kero no end. Li¡¦s main fault was his arrogance, especially early on. Li assumed that he was the one who was going to pull this off, and the first few times he saw Sakura in action, he was clearly disgusted and made sure everybody knew it. But as time passed, Li gradually gained respect for Sakura, especially after Sakura was ale to capture the Fight Card. For that day brought about another significant change.

The arrival of Meilin, a poisonous girl that was Li¡¦s friend back home. When she arrived to Readington, bearing her braided black hair and those venomous red eyes that reminded one of a deadly snake, she made in impression instantly. Just seeing Sakura speak to Li was enough to induce Meilin into threatening Sakura, warning her to stay away from Li or else. Li couldn¡¦t help but sigh and moan. It was incredibly bewildering to see Meilin reduce Li to this state, but Sakura sure got the message after Meilin figured out Sakura was the CardCaptor. That night, Meilin tried to prove she was better than Sakura by taking on the Fight Card herself, despite having no magical powers. Her fighting skills and aerobic abilities were stunning, but she couldn¡¦t match Fight, and it took Li¡¦s arrival to save her. Li made it clear he wasn¡¦t going to play this like old times anymore, which really hurt Meilin. After the two of them were downed, Sakura summoned the Power Card, providing her with the strength to knockout Fight and seal it. From then on, Li gradually showed respect and appreciation for Sakura, even though Meilin didn¡¦t join the bandwagon.

The captures and cards gradually grew in difficulty, and Sakura was forced to mature and develop powers she never knew she had. Facing the prospect that her friends and family could be killed by these forces pushed her to the limit. It was a long, difficult road that took a long time and even more out of Sakura. And then came the Final Judgement, where Sakura was able to prove that she truly was worthy of being the possessor of the Clow Cards. That earned her the power to create her own cards, more powerful than the originals. That gave her the power to combat Eriol once he came to town. After even more trying times, Sakura was finally able to win that battle as well, but it would bring on the biggest challenge of her life. Li decided to leave Readington, and that left Sakura heartbroken, realising her true feelings: she loved Li. In a last resort, she tracked down Li and faced him with the facts:

Sakura looked in absolute shock. The Void Card had been defeated, but Li still looked to be devoid of any memory of her. How could this be?! The Void Card tried to steal everything in the whole world she cared about, and now Li doesn¡¦t even remember her! Sakura felt like crying forever at this point. How could Fate play her like this again? Was she a mere puppet to be toyed with for eternity?! Sakura knew she had one thing to say. But it may be too late now. Sakura threw caution to the wind like a child and went all out with nothing to lose.
¡§This may not mean anything to you now, Li, but I care about you more than anything in the whole wide world! I love you!¡¨!¡¨
¡§And I feel the same way about you, Sakura!¡¨
Sakura was floored beyond belief. Throwing caution to the wind and all her security in the hands of fate had rewarded her. Li did love her. He just never had the guts to admit it. Despite his enforced seriousness and outer hard shell, Li had his own soft core. Their first kiss was priceless. Seeing two young souls intertwined in their first taste of their passion for each other was a priceless moment. The graceful, glowing figure of Sakura and the muscular, imposing figure of Li locked into each other in a passionate kiss, eyes closed, lips melding, tongues meeting, hands massaging, their souls melting into each other¡¦s. It would bind them forever.

[Last Exile]

Everything had been fine for a while. The two of them were together and in the same school, seeing each other every day. Finally, the two of them graduated, leaving Sakura and Li with the whole world at their feet. Then fate would call upon them again. Five days ago, Sakura and Li decided to head out to Johto to see Ash Ketchum in competition. They liked his style and his views. It reminded them of themselves, so they decided to see their fellow comrade in his defining moment. Seeing Ash triumph under some of the most trying circumstances gave them a very good feeling indeed. They were incredibly drawn to Ash and Misty. They looked like two people they could get to know and trust. Sakura and Li decided they wouldn¡¦t mind meeting the two of them afterwards, when trouble struck. In the form of the usual suspects. Team Rocket! The dastardly villains chose their moment well. With the competition finally over and all the prized Pokemon sub-par and in need of treatment, they were ripe for the picking. Rockets swarmed all over the stadium, bearing machine guns, rocket launchers, and all kinds of equipment to retrieve Pokemon and Pokeballs. All the trainers jumped to the call of battle and called out all their Pokemon. The Rockets decided to play along and released all their Pokemon. Enhanced by genetic engineering and dark training, they were dastardly combatants, and proved more than a match for the competitors. A grueling battle followed, as hundreds of Pokemon faced off in single combat, striving to fell the other then track down more opponents. The carnage was mortifying! The battleground of the stadium was smothered in the blood and bodily fluids of countless Pokemon. Though none died, a horrible vibe of pain and agony shrouded Silverstone Stadium as the sun began to set. The situation was grim. Only Ash and Misty still had Pokemon that could battle. Sakura and Li felt completely repulsed by the horrors unfolding in front of them, and it took all their resolve to hold back from regurgitating.
¡§Li, this is horrible! This can¡¦t go on! We can stop this! We have to save these people!¡¨
¡§Sakura, I know. But dammit, if they find out about us, do you think these people will understand?! No one did back home in all the time we were there!¡¨
¡§How could they? They never knew what we were up to! Look, we can¡¦t let innocent people and Pokemon be ravaged, raped and devastated by Team Rocket! We had the power to thwart evil before! We can do it again! Li, I¡¦m helping them out! And you¡¦d better come with me!¡¨
The stare that shot out from Sakura¡¦s emerald eyes was so cold, icy and steely that it stunned Li into submission. He knew they had to help. But, heck, these people were going to flip! Ah, stuff it! Just do it man!
Sakura and Li leaped over the side of the wall and onto the battleground. They headed towards Ash and Misty, who were absorbed in battle. Ash was the first to notice them.
¡§Hey, who are you?¡¨
Sakura looked at Ash with complete honesty and with a look that emanated compassion and knowing all at once. ¡§Someone that can help. Trust us.¡¨
Ash was a little unsure how to proceed. Outside battling, he could really be lost for thought. That left Misty handling the situation. ¡§Ash, I think we can trust them. You got any Pokemon?¡¨
Sakura and Li shook their heads, reaching for their cards, Sakura for her staff and Li for his ceremonial sword. ¡§Magic.¡¨
Ash and Misty were stunned beyond belief. ¡§Magic? Are you serious?! Or are you having us on?!¡¨
Sakura looked at Li with an air of confidence. She withdrew one of her cards from her outfit and retrieved her magical staff. Summoning the wand, she spun it round and prepared to summon the spirit as the card exploded in a blaze of blinding white light. ¡§Time Card! Freeze everyone and everything here except for me, Sakura, Ash and Misty!¡¨. Time was summoned, and he instantly froze the entire stadium. No one was left moving except Sakura, Li, Ash and Misty. Sakura had a beaming smile of satisfaction on her face, one that lasted all the way from her childhood despite all she had endured in her life, while Li sighed heavily from exerting so much power, leaving Ash and Misty riveted to the ground they stood on.
¡§Okay! What just happened?! That was insane! You guys really are magic users! How?!¡¨
¡§We¡¦ll explain later! You¡¦re lucky we decided to let you know! We¡¦ve gotta get rid of these Rockets!¡¨ Li was always blunt and to the point when he was in battle, so you could forgive him for being so cold.
¡§Li!¡¨ At least Sakura was there to soften things up. ¡§You seemed like people we could trust. We¡¦ve been living with this secret for years. We¡¦ve desperately wanted to tell someone!¡¨
¡§Tell me about it! Sakura, you didn¡¦t have to stuff me in your bag for that long! Can¡¦t I even get an icecream around here or something?! You promised me! After all I¡¦ve done for you all these years!¡¨
Sakura felt a lump in her throat. ¡§Kero! What the hell are you doing out here?!¡¨ But it was too late. Ash and Misty had already seen it all.
¡§A talking flying squirrel?! That does it! Now I¡¦ve seen it all!¡¨ Ash didn¡¦t know what the hell was going on, but now he knew that there were other forces in this world than just Pokemon and Team Rocket. He hated not knowing what was going on.
Misty held him back with a gentle hand. ¡§Let them carry on, Ash. They know what they¡¦re doing! We would have lost if they didn¡¦t intervene! Trust them Ash. They¡¦re nice people with their own secrets and powers, just like us.¡¨
Misty had a good point. Ash relented. ¡§Okay. Sorry for being so difficult! Go ahead.¡¨
Sakura smiled back, blushing. ¡§Don¡¦t worry! This gig¡¦s still pretty screwy even for us!¡¨
Misty was a little unsettled. She had the feeling that Ash liked her, but she couldn¡¦t get over how beautiful Sakura was. It was like heaven followed her wherever she went and showered her with its glory. She felt a bit inferior in comparison.
¡§You know, Misty, we¡¦ve always wanted to meet you. You two are pretty cool! And Misty, I¡¦ve got to admit. You¡¦re really beautiful.¡¨
Misty blushed in reaction. Was Sakura for real? One look into those emerald mirrors of Sakura¡¦s soul and she could see the sincerity that Sakura sent out from them. She could see that Sakura was someone that she could trust and get to know.
¡§Um, thanks! Not many people say that!¡¨
¡§Probably because they¡¦re thinking it and getting hard down you know where,¡¨ replied Li.
¡§Heh, heh...¡¨ Everyone was a little unsettled about that. Heck, it was true. But, it was a shock hearing it though.
¡§Don¡¦t sweat it, Misty. Sakura and I have to put up with a lot of jerks like that too. Heck, the two of you look like a cool couple yourselves.¡¨
¡§Um, we¡¦re not...¡¨
Li didn¡¦t let Ash and Misty finish. ¡§Let¡¦s get rid of these jerks before Time wears off. Sakura, use Windy and Fire!¡¨
Sakura was a little confused. ¡§Okay. But why not just Windy?¡¨
¡§An aftermath of smoke would make it easier for people to believe that we managed to pull this off.¡¨
¡§Yeah. Sure.¡¨ Sakura retrieved both of them, spun her staff furiously, rammed it down on both of them, and both erupted in a blaze of glory. Windy generated a tremendous cyclone, and Fire proceeded to enclose the Rockets with an inferno. The resulting situation generated a massive explosion that shook the place for miles around. In a seething cloud of red blasts, Team Rocket were dispersed in all directions for several miles, leaving the stadium no longer defiled by their insidious presence. Smoke gradually cleared, leaving the four heroes having thousands of people cheering down on them.
¡§So much for keeping a low profile!¡¨ groaned Li.
¡§Oh no! Kero, hide!¡¨
¡§Only if you get me a super dooper sundae with double sprinkles and caramel!¡¨
¡§KERO!¡¨
¡§Promise!¡¨ Kero folded his arms in defiance. Sakura did the wise thing and buckled. ¡§Okay. But I swear I¡¦ll put you on a diet and make you exercise!¡¨
¡§Aw come on! Don¡¦t you remember how much weight I lost when I was in my true form?!¡¨
¡§It only took a few weeks to get it back!¡¨
¡§Why you monster!¡¨
¡§Just get in the bag before everyone sees you!¡¨
¡§Oh alright!¡¨ Kero ducked into Sakura¡¦s bag in a flash, dreaming of yet another dessert he managed to con Sakura into getting him.
¡§He can be a real handful you know!¡¨ said Sakura, holding her head, eyes closed, blushing and gaping, anime style when you get really embarrassed. ¡§You should have seen him when he was in his true form!¡¨
¡§I¡¦ll bet!¡¨ Ash and Misty had only seen a glimpse of what Sakura and Li could do. The four of them were off to an auspicious beginning. But they never saw the pair of eyes that saw them from above. A familiar face of ever itself watched from his special helicopter.
¡§Interesting. This could prove even better than Mewtwo ever was! Fat lot of good he proved! These four may be just what I need! I thought those two were nothing more than pests, but with these other two in the mix, Team Rocket may finally be where it belongs! In control of the world!¡¨ His groomed hand donned in an orange Armani suit stroked his playful Persian, which purred softly in reply.

¡§Li, stop worrying! No one saw us!¡¨ The two of them were now back in Readington, in the park near Sakura¡¦s home.
¡§Alright! I just get the feeling that someone was watching us! Sakura, I really mean it! I get the feeling we¡¦re being watched!¡¨
¡§Li, stop being so paranoid!¡¨ Sakura stretched out her hand and caressed Li¡¦s hawk-like face. ¡§Can¡¦t we just have fun and chill out for once?! We got the cards back, Eriol¡¦s gone, Clow Reed can rest now, and we¡¦ve got the rest of lives in front of us! Just cool it man!¡¨
Li¡¦s lips slowly formed into a sly smile, indicative he was thinking of something sneaky. ¡§Okay...¡¨ he started. He slid his hand around Sakura¡¦s supple waist, reaching up the back of her shirt and gently rubbing her back, letting his fingertips gently caress her spine.
¡§Mmm. Li! It¡¦s been a while!¡¨
¡§Too long.¡¨
¡§You said it!¡¨ Sakura teasingly flung her long crop of red-brown hair all over Li¡¦s face, smothering his vision, which she had been able to grow long once she got to high school, began to laugh insatiably, passionately slipped her tongue into Li¡¦s unsuspecting mouth, then slid her hands up Li¡¦s chest, showing no inhibition in playfully rubbing Li¡¦s solid pecs and sliding her right hand through the sparse, velvety hair adorning his chest while the other one met his neck, massaging it gently.
¡§Oh yeah. I could SO get used to this!¡¨ Li let his other hand slowly move down from Sakura¡¦s face down the outside of her shirt, making Sakura¡¦s heart pound harder than it ever did before, resting on her silky smooth stomach, proceeding to rub it back and forth, getting Sakura hot and bothered, making her sweat ferociously under her armpits and on her forehead, as well as salivating in delight.
¡§Keep it there for now and maybe later I¡¦ll really blow your mind!¡¨ she whispered seductively. Li complied eagerly.
Out of the bushes emerged two figures that they would never see. Both of them suddenly blacked out, falling to their knees, flailing uncontrollably, unable to resist their failing bodies. Sakura had no idea what was going on, except that she felt a horrible pain stemming from the back of her head, and that she couldn¡¦t see Li. ¡§Li? Li! Where are you?!¡¨
Li screamed out from behind her. ¡§Sakura! They¡¦ve got me!¡¨ His voice was so slurred and agonising that she could tell Li must have received the same treatment the Rockets gave her.
¡§Man, that was priceless! I told ya it was worth watching!¡¨
¡§Yeah, I could tell from your moaning, jerk!¡¨
¡§Shut your mouth! Let¡¦s get this jerk out of here! Maybe we should take a piece out of the girl!¡¨
¡§Keep it in your pants or I¡¦ll cut it off, I¡¦ll swear! The boss said no one touches Sakura or Ash! The boss has got something special for those two!¡¨
¡§Oh yeah! I remember! Real good!¡¨ They both broke off in sadistic laughter. Sakura finally whirled around despite the pain that was overriding all her impulses. She could see Li¡¦s despondent face. He was about to drift away. He looked up one last time, crying for the first time in all the time Sakura had known him, and choked out ¡§Sakura, I love you.¡¨
¡§Li, I love you too.¡¨ Sakura then fell flat, unable to move, forced to watch Li being handcuffed by the Rockets and beaten senseless as they flew away in their balloon. ¡§Sneak attack us, punk?! I¡¦ll give you a sneak attack! Be glad we didn¡¦t sneak attack her!¡¨
¡§I¡¦ll break you bastards limb from limb! Keep your filthy hands off her!¡¨
¡§Make me kid! Don¡¦t worry! Once we get Misty, the fun will really start!¡¨
¡§Misty?! What the heck are you talking about?!¡¨
¡§None of your business, punk!¡¨ The dastardly Rocket slammed Li smack in the forehead, sending him into an extended session in La La Land. Sakura could only hear Li¡¦s defiant screams, and she wept herself into sleep.

And that was how it had been. Tori and Julian found her beaten, her clothes ripped and tears all over her face. They could tell that she hadn¡¦t been raped, for no one got close to getting her pants off, but they could tell she¡¦d been through hell. Sakura eventually told Tori what happened, and he fell into a foul mood, while Sakura spent day after day crying in bed. Her heart was broken. She and Li were finally going to be something great, and he¡¦d been snatched away from her. Why?! What the hell did she have to do to get some light in her life?! After all the madness she¡¦d been through! She just didn¡¦t understand. She knew life was harsh, but Fate seemed to be out to mess with her whenever it could.
The door opened. Tori stood at the doorway. ¡§Listen squirt! Get your carcass out of bed, why don¡¦t ya? You think just crying all day and night is gonna help Li?!¡¨
Sakura felt all the hate and pain inside her well up at that moment, and she went straight for Tori, grabbing him harshly by the throat. ¡§Don¡¦t you dare talk to me like that again! You have no idea what just happened to me! You never will! And if you say one more thing like that, I¡¦ll rip your throat out!¡¨
¡§Sakura, cut it out!¡¨ Tori was unable to break her vice-like grips. Man, he should have listened to Julian! He said one day Sakura would get him back for all the hell he gave her when she was younger. He was so right!
¡§Sakura, I don¡¦t mean to upset you! But dammit, if you¡¦re gonna get Li back, you¡¦ll have to find him yourself! Team Rocket is way too big and secret for the police to ever find them or Li! You¡¦re doing this yourself! With your magic, you¡¦ll do it somehow. Don¡¦t take it out on me! Take it out on Team Rocket!¡¨
Sakura stopped dead, fell back to her knees and gasped in shock. ¡§I¡¦m sorry, Tori. But I don¡¦t know how I¡¦m going to do this! How can one person take on Team Rocket, for crying out loud! You saw what they¡¦re capable of!¡¨
¡§Make that two.¡¨
¡§Huh? Hey! You¡¦re not coming along!¡¨
¡§Not me, stupid! Ash! Ash is on the phone. Sounds like he¡¦s not too good either.¡¨
Sakura suddenly looked up attentively. ¡§Really?¡¨
¡§Yeah. The news said that Misty got captured too. If you¡¦ve got any brains, you pairing up with Ash and finding Li and Misty, even if I have to make you myself, squirt! Otherwise I¡¦ll never wanna know ya! I swear! Don¡¦t ruin your life, Sakura! Go with Ash and find them.¡¨
Sakura sighed. She thought all this madness was over once and for all. Now she was back in it again. ¡§Okay. I¡¦ll speak to Ash now.¡¨
Tori walked away, then looked back at her. ¡§Sakura?¡¨ he said sincerely, which stunned Sakura. Tori had NEVER spoken to her sincerely.
¡§Yeah?¡¨
¡§Be careful. For everyone¡¦s sake. You¡¦re too good a person to lose in this dark world.¡¨
Sakura smiled like a little kid getting her ultimate dream. It was a smile neither would never forget. In that moment, Tori and Sakura finally understood each other and broke beyond the idiocy. They truly respected each other then, and nothing could ever kill that off. ¡¥Thank you Tori.¡¨ She ran to him with that innocence, quickly pecked him on the cheek, then picked up the phone.
¡§Ash?¡¨
¡§Yeah, it¡¦s me.¡¨
¡§Ash, I heard what happened. I¡¦m so sorry!¡¨
¡§I heard what happened to you. You didn¡¦t deserve that at all. We¡¦re gonna get Team Rocket if it¡¦s the last thing we ever do!¡¨
¡§Okay. Meet me at Silver Lake in two hours. Ash, I swear. The two of us will get them! And we¡¦ll get Li and Misty back! I swear on my soul!¡¨
¡§Me too. Bring you magic stuff. We¡¦ll need it.¡¨
¡§And you bring your Pokemon. We¡¦ll need them.¡¨
¡§Okay. See ya.¡¨ Sakura hung the phone back on the hook. She froze for a moment, sighing heavily. She turned around to face Kero, who was hovering right next to her, a look of sorrow and sympathy in this face. In his hands was a bag containing the Clow Book, all the Clow Cards, her key, money from Tori, supplies and other odds and ends.
Sakura steeled up. ¡§Let¡¦s do this.¡¨
And so it began.

[Wolfsong]

Glad to see this back up. As I've said before the chapters are great. I eagerly await future chappys. Keep up the great work! Se ya later11

[Last Exile]

Nala98: Yeah, this thing seems to keep going back to the start because of all the moves and hacks and so forth. Congrats on becoming a mod! ;)

[Snakes N' Legends]

Another great chapter, CCC but there is one question I have to ask you. Your last chapter on EZboard contained symbols in certain part of the chapter. Well, actually the whole chapter. It seems to be happening again. My question is what is happening here? Are you having trouble transfering your fanfic to the forum? Okay, that is two questions but I am curious to know what it is wrong.

[Last Exile]

tyranitar master: Ezboard didn't have the proper code for quatation marks and exclamation amrks, so they got muddled up. I'm looking at it now here on vB and it seems fine to me. it also depends on what computer you have. Sometimes older models can't read the coding sequences properly.

[Blastiose007]

well i conclude tat it is sufficent evidnce good chapter and true Ezboard didnt have the proper coding

[Lady Vulpix]

Thanks, Ryan. :) As long as we don't lose contact, everything will be fine.

[Last Exile]

Blastoise007: Glad that's all cleared up. Cheers.

Lady Vulpix: I'll always make sure to touch base with you as often as possible. ;)

New chapter tomorrow. Today I feel so hellish I wanna go to sleep and wake up ten million years later.


NB. Also started the ideas of a follow up to WDC. But the plot and subject matter will only be mildly related.

I think I'll give you guys a little taste of what will come when that eventuates:


Four main characters:

Ash (Pokemon)
Sakura (CardCaptors)
Ami (Sailor Moon)
Gohan (DragonBall Z)

This one will be pure action to the extreme!

A few questions I need answers to:

1. Does anyone know Gohan's surname?

2. If Ami was to be living with one or two other Sailor Scouts at the time (flatmates, not lovers!), do you guys have any preference as to who they should be?

3. Can someone tell me what Mercury's Aqua Blue Rhapsody attack is like?

4. Did Gohan develop any new powers during the Majin Buu saga?

5. After Sakura made all the Clow Cards their own, how did the cards change? (I didn't get to see the second season. It hasn't been screened in Australia yet and may never be.)


I'm sure you guys would like to know what style of fic it would be and the basic plot and all, but I can't tell you now. Simply because I'm sure someone else would find out and lift the idea before I wrote about it. It will be a sequel to WDC, but completely different. They'll all be well into their adulthood then. Say, mid to late 20's.

Later! ;)

[Andrew]

Hey CCC! Ack! The big board move always is annoying eh!
Its all a bit dissapointing when you're really looking forward to the big battle and Crystal!

Just a few things, in the 1st Gym with Pikarat and Slowking, I think it needs a tiny bit of paragraphing there and with all your reposting, I'm getting these freaky symbols instead of " " The quotation marks and such...

And well I'm glad its back so I can see it again! Will Mei Ling make a comeback? Oh well!

Uh, and about your questions:

1) I don't have a clue!

2) The two scouts would have to be Jupiter and Venus because they get on really well! I always remember Rei pinching Ami... And Serena's too ditzy!

3) From what I'm guessing on the RPG Rom I downloaded, its like she twirls around, some watery stuff dripping from her hand, and she brings the arm up and pushes the arm at the opponant, and the screen goes a nice blue before circular bluey beams hit the opponant..

4) Who knows and cares ;)

5) Apparently Sakura turned them into Star Cards or something with the love of her heart ;)

Good work and I'll be awaiting!

[Gavin Luper]

Hey! Good to see chapter 2 up, though I am really just replying to answer your question, since I won't be reading til chapter ... 8. I'll reply after every chapter though, just for the hell of it.

I'm not really into footy, but i do follow it. Kinda. Why do you ask? Are you into it or not really?

Seeya whenever the new chapter comes! Cheers mate!

[PlatinumHawke]

Originally posted by Citrus Crush Chikorita
1. Does anyone know Gohan's surname?

--It's San.

2. If Ami was to be living with one or two other Sailor Scout (edit: It's senshi at the time (flatmates, not lovers!), do you guys have any preference as to who they should be?

--Setsuna, definitely Setsuna. The both have the most in common really. And besides, Puu just owns your soul for free.

3. Can someone tell me what Mercury's Aqua Blue Rhapsody attack is like?

--Look on some Sailor Moon pages on www.anipike.com I think Mercury Aqua Rhapsody starts off with her playing a harp, but I'm not sure...

4. Did Gohan develop any new powers during the Majin Buu saga?

--I'm not sure, it's been a long time since I read the manga. I know for a fact that he doesn't go SSJ3, only Goku and Gotenks do that...

5. After Sakura made all the Clow Cards their own, how did the cards change? (I didn't get to see the second season. It hasn't been screened in Australia yet and may never be.)

--Sakura gets a new wand, called the Star Rod, and uses a new spell to change them over. And interesting thing about the Star Rod, is how she gets it in the manga.

In the anime, Kaho uses the Bell she has, to give Sakura another chance at proving herself worth of the cards. So, Sakura uses Wood, and beats Yue, and gets her Star Rod.

However, in the manga, Kaho's Bell turns the Sealing Rod into the Star Rod, and Sakura uses Windy best Yue. Slight difference eh?

And I have to ask, if you're adding elements of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, what are you going to do with Hotaru, aka, Saturn?

[Lady Vulpix]

Interesting. Gohan is my favorite character from DBZ.

1. I think it's Son.

2. I don't know. Maybe Rei because they always do things together and, while sometimes they don't get on so well, it feels like they could be roommates.

3. Yes, she plays the arp (which apears as she moves her arms) and a huge wave appears behind her, and OZAndrew described the best quite well.

4. No, just the usual way Gohan's powers work (he becomes stronger the angrier he gets).

5. All that's been already said, plus the cards' back side and borders become pink and the symbol on the back changes from Clow's to Sakura's (the star).

[PlatinumHawke]

Originally posted by Lady Vulpix
Interesting. Gohan is my favorite character from DBZ.

1. I think it's Son.

*now remembers his DB info*
I made a mistake, ^^;;
Lady V is right, Gohan's surname is Son.

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

Ah, that chapter/s. I remember it, sort of.
Wait a minute, I didn't notice this before, does that mean the Li and Sakura, well you know before? It certainly seems like it.

[Last Exile]

Thanks for the help everyone!

Sorry I couldn't post the new chapter today! Been off colour yet again. I'll post it tomorrow.

[Last Exile]

Chapter 3 – Silver Nitrate

Ash sat by himself as he looked out across Silver Lake. Liquid silver reflecting the azure blue sky perfectly. The sky that held so much pain for him. And he could be sure that Sakura probably felt the same way too. He still couldn’t believe what had happened. He finally confessed to Misty, and after the best five minutes of his life in one amazing kiss that words were too pathetic to describe, he lost her. To Team Rocket, the personification of evil. The darkness that never ceased to plague his life. All of the time during his journey, he had to put up with their continual attempts to steal his Pokemon and destroy his life. Now they had by taking away from him the girl he loved. Letting his bare feet slip into the cool waters, it provided some stimulus to temporarily relieve him of his pain, which returned after the moment had passed like a fleeting dream, and was forgotten about. Was this what his life was meant to be? A struggle only to lose it all? He refused to believe that, but he couldn’t fathom anything to explain why things turned out the way he did. After all the people and Pokemon he had helped out over the last few years, this is what he gets in return?! He shook his head and sighed. Something better had to be around the corner. Could fate be such a bastard and give him a few moments of pure joy and happiness just to keep it from him forever? No. He refused to accept that possibility. Ash Ketchum does not let that happen to him. Somehow, he knew he’d get Misty back. Somehow.

But he had no idea how. He had no idea where she was, what Team Rocket were up to or how to find her. Yet somehow he knew he would. He had to! There was no way fate would just throw Misty into his life right when he became a Pokemon trainer and keep her there the whole way through. After all they’d been through! No way! He would get Misty back! Ash sank his head into the cool pristine waters, and prayed. For a sign. Any sign. Anything to get Misty back. At a safe distance, his six Pokemon lingered with each other, providing Ash with the space he needed. Pikachu and Bayleef kept a sharp eye on him though. Nothing was going to happen to Ash if they had anything to do with it.

Sakura gradually made her way across the fairgrounds. She had no concept of time or anything around her at the moment. Kids raced by her and she didn’t notice. Hawkers yelled at her but she heard nothing. An errant beach ball came from nowhere and hit her smack on the top of her head, but she just kept on walking. Everyone nearby looked on with concern. They knew that this young lady had problems so deep that she was temporarily detached from reality, yet subconsciously she knew what she was doing and she had to get to where she was going, and no one would even try to stop her. So Sakura walked for miles, all her thoughts focused on one thing: getting to Silver Lake. That was all that mattered for the next few moments. She had only a few things in her mind that she was sure of. To get to Silver Lake. To find Ash. And then team up with him to find Li. Ash wanted Misty, she wanted Li. She broke into tears at the thought of her. It hurt her even more than it did when she heard people talking about their mothers. After all that happened with capturing the cards, the Final Judgement, defeating Eriol, the defining moment in their relationship, and the intimacy through high school. They has reached such a significant point in their lives. Sakura was now a young woman with the world at her feet. But all her dreams were shattered like glass and all she cared about was snatched from her, leaving her so empty that words couldn’t describe the feeling. She still found it hard to believe that this has happened. Li was gone. They were about to get deep and intimate, then Team Rocket assaults her and takes Li away. Sakura dreaded what they might be doing to him. Everyone had heard rumours about what goes on inside Team Rocket headquarters. Executions, torturing, mind games, intense interrogations, initiations, upgrade tests, and so on. Sakura felt herself vomiting at the thought of all those things, Her Li being ravaged by Team Rocket. The pain in her heart was unbearable. It hurt her even to breathe. But she still plowed on with that spirit that gave her the Clow Cards and saved an unknowing world. She had a job to do. She had to find Ash.

And at last she found him. She emerged from stony paths that tore into her shoes into a field of gently matted out grass that flowed in the wind like locks of hair being whisked up by a gentle breeze. Birds glided across the sky against the silhouette of a clear sky and a bright warm sun. But that mattered little to her. The light of day felt so cold at the moment. She couldn’t feel the warmth at all. She had a purpose. To find Li. But she needed a way. A plan. Hopefully talking with Ash would give her a clue as to how they could to this. This wasn’t some mere video game you play for months and finally win. This was real life. One chance only, winner takes all, loser gets nothing but a lifetime of misery and heartbreak, and one mistake can cost you everything. Such an ominous task! To take on the crime juggernaut that is Team Rocket! Not even the police could even get close to finding a way to bring them down! Could two young people on the verge of entering adulthood find a way? Sakura sighed heavily, submitted herself to fate, walked up behind Ash, slid off her shoes and socks, seating herself next to him, sliding her naked feet into the cool, calm waters, while Ash still had his head buried in the water. Sakura gently rubbed him in the shoulder, rousing Ash from his sorrows.
“Huh? Sakura! Uh, how long have you been here?”
“I just got here Ash.”
For a moment the two halted, unable to speak, waiting for the other to break the silence. Ash’s brown-black eyes were emptier than champagne bottles at a wedding, while Sakura’s emerald green irises looked so fragile and fractured through the half-open eyes that held them inside. She emanated compassion for Ash while exposing her own soul, naked and torn, bleeding non-stop. Ash could feel warmth from Sakura’s soul and longed to give her some of his own to heal her wounds. The two lingered gently towards each other and slowly wrapped their arms around each others, assuring each other that they were among friends and that they could express any emotion they had been holding back. Ash whimpered softly against Sakura’s left shoulder, while she sobbed her own woes away as she rested her head against his right shoulder. Sakura let Ash sink into her long locks of silky brown-red hair, while he gently massaged the side of her neck to release the incredible amount of tension that had built up there. The two of them drew back a little, Ash’s eyes open wide, Sakura’s locked in the half-open gaze with her mouth slightly open, just like Ash’s. The two of them stared into each other’s souls, silently crying out for help.
“Help me, Sakura.”
“Help me, Ash.”
Both sobbed a little as they spoke and struggled to force the words out, as if they were walking on glass and their throats were like a wall of nails. Sakura extended out her slender, smooth right hand, each finger decorated with nail polish that glistened a stunning green, showing no signs of aging or scars. They were beautiful hands. They reflected Sakura’s childhood innocence that still managed to survive all the hurt and struggles she’d been through. Ash extended his left arm out. It was slightly tanned, with some muscle toning around the elbow joints, adorned with hair that was there yet didn’t grow to the point where it masked the glowing skin beneath. It was more like a compliment. Their hands met halfway. Ash couldn’t believe how soft Sakura’s hands were, and let his fingertips absorb every bit of invigorating stimulus they could, while Sakura rubbed his fingers, relishing their soft tone they maintained despite the muscular build Ash had acquired, and the gentle, sparkling feeling transmitted into her brain upon contact with the silky hair that adorned his hand.

“How heartwarming. I have an idea. How about I keep Misty and Li, while the two off you run off together and have a wonderful life? That way everyone’s happy!”
Ash and Sakura swung around, facing the source of the perpetrator. That moment was building up trust and understanding between the two of them. Things they would need when they would travel side by side in their quest to get their friends back. And it had been cruelly shattered. The perpetrator knew it, and revelled in it for as long as he could, voicing his sadistic pleasure in a light, sly snicker. Before them was a man. A tall man, adorned in a striking orange Armani suit that almost hurt the eye to look at, sleeked back brown hair that shone in the afternoon sun, hardened tanned skin, and those steely, cold, unfeeling, murderous black eyes. This was Giovanni. The dreaded leader of Team Rocket.
“Many have met me, though few live to tell the tale. Consider yourself lucky I don’t kill you now!”
The two of them jumped with a start and surged towards him.
“Where’s Misty? What have you done to her?!”
“You took Li! Where is he?! Tell me now!”
“Stop right there!” Giovanni cracked in a harsh tone befitting of a vulture, which made Ash and Sakura stop dead in their tracks. “There are six Team Rocket marksmen all aiming for your heads. If you even dare to touch me, they will not hesitate to shoot! You’ll be fish food if you dare try that again! Now listen up because I’m only telling you this once!”
Ash and Sakura were transfixed by Giovanni’s hypnotic gaze, frozen with fear and unable to move even if they wanted to. They stood there like statues, living for every
single word.
Giovanni smiled. He knew he could draw this out for as long as he wanted. He had all the coins. They had nothing. He made them wait for a few more moments in extreme anxiety, to the point where they were shivering from desperation and hope. Giovanni sighed and broke the silence at last. He averted his gaze solely to Ash.
“You two are really the pick of the lot! Ash! How many times have you ruined my perfect plans?! The St.Anne?! The Breeding Day Care Centre scam?! The Pokemon Fortune Telling scandal?! Mewtwo?!?! Yes! Time and time again you and that redhead show up when you’re not wanted, you insignificant little bug!”
Ash felt bile surging up his throat. This man hated him so much, perhaps more than anything, and he never knew he existed! Now that he had a face to tie to everything, he had something to centre all his ambition and anger onto.
“And you Sakura! Oh, the stuff you get up to! You stopped the Power Card from destroying the Zoo! I was about to claim that land! You stopped the Fight Card from beating all the martial art experts! I planned to establish my own system of fighting! And then you stopped the Firey Card from burning the Carnival down to the ground! I was going to make the mother of all amusement parks in its place! Aaargh! You and that annoying brat Li! Always there to help others, you useless martyrs!”
Sakura felt herself falling to pieces. How could someone hate her so much?! She felt so empty inside and her eyes were welling up, as were Ash’s. The hate emanating from this man was so sickening! How could someone be so evil?! He cared about nothing except power! He had no regard for human life. He had no empathy at all in those black pupils of his. Only hate. And desire to bring everyone to their knees and bow to him. This man truly could destroy the world as they knew it! Giovanni! Ash and Sakura held each other as they shook in revulsion.
“Look at you! Shivering like cowering rats scampering away from cats! You are completely despicable! I think I’ll just kill Misty and Li now!” He reached for his vidphone and began dialing.
Ash and Sakura began to cringe and crumble. They felt their hearts bursting and their brains were on the verge of exploding. The emotional strain was too much to bear anymore, and they collapsed to the ground in absolute agony. Both broke out in tears and couldn’t contain anymore, or it would kill them before they even started. “Please! Don’t! Don’t kill them!”
Giovanni slurped in delight. “Ah! That was delicious! You honestly thought I was going to kill them now?!”
Ash and Sakura looked up disbelief. Was this just a bluff?!
“You fools! Of course I wasn’t going to kill them! YET! Not until I’ve had my share on fun with the two of you! I will do unto you what you did to me! The two of you will suffer for your meddling! But I’m a man of honour. I believe in giving you a chance to win. So here’s my arrangement. There are eight Pokemon gyms in the Green League. I believe you were headed there Ash. And you will go there! You will defeat the Gym Leaders and then try to win the Green League! Every time you beat a Gym Leader, I will give you a clue to where the secret base is! A picture will be provided if you manage to win the whole thing! But that’s just half of the big picture! Sakura, I believe you may be interested to know that there are some new Clow Cards on the loose! Yes, indeed you are surprised! Catch them, and I’ll do the same in turn for you! Remember! You both have to succeed in your respective missions in order to find my base! And even if you do, that will only get you there! Beating my Rockets and escaping ALIVE WITH Li and Misty will prove to be a different kettle of fish altogether! So get to it! I give you one year to accomplish this, or the next time you see your lovers again they just might be corpses!”
Ash and Sakura instantly vomited at that comment. This was insane! But they knew they had no options. They had to go along with this or lose their friends for good.
“I look forward to monitoring your progress! The two of you shall prove to be quite amusing indeed! I’m sorry I can’t stay and chat, but I must leave you now! The consequence of being the leader of the biggest crime syndicate in the world, you know! Now remember! One year to the day! Or else! And I think you know what ‘else’ means!” And he proceeded to walk back towards the town. Ash and Sakura dared not follow. The snipers were bound to still be on guard.

“Ash, that man is so horrible! Imagine what he could be doing to Li and Misty right now! For a year! AN ENTIRE YEAR!” Sakura broke down into a downpour of tears and showed no signs of stopping. Sakura may be strong in spirit, but she is still incredibly fragile and only gives into anger when pushed beyond the limit. Otherwise she resembles the sweet, innocent girl she was at ten years old.
Ash put his hand on Sakura’s shoulder. She began to subside. “I know it’s horrible. And that this is wrong. But we can stop this! We’re the only ones that can! Their lives are in our hands, Sakura! Now we are going to go to the Green League. I’ll win the badges and the league, and you capture the cards! I know I can’t live without Misty...” Ash paused for a moment and sobbed a little. “...Misty...and you can’t live without Li.”
“Li...” The memory of him still burned brightly inside her heart. Sakura rose from the ground, picked up her bag and dusted herself off. “You’re right. It’s all we can do. We’ll have to trust each other. Only together can we pull this off. I’ll never give up, I promise! Promise me you’ll never give up, Ash!”
“I promise.” The two of them felt better than they had in days. With a plan now in hand, they had something to live for and to gain, and nothing to lose.
“Ah, Sakura! You could have let me out earlier!”
“Kero!” Sakura went into panic mode like a shot. “Get back in there before anyone sees you!”
“Sakura, no one’s around! Let him stay out.” Ash was amazed at the sight of Kero. “Heck, you ARE real!”
“Well, you should see me in my true form!”
“And when he eats pudding!” chirped Sakura, making Kero blush.
“Well, pudding is one of my fortes...”
“Hey! Why did you revert back to your diminished form?!” Sakura only noticed now what she hadn’t for days.
“These new cards seem to have a leash on the elemental cards, and they must be restricting their power. So I’m stuck in this again. Don’t worry, Sakura! I’ll be fine! Just do it, man!”
“Yeah!” Sakura smiled for the first time in days and flashed her emerald eyes in their true glory, looking Ash’s way with her hand outstretched and a sparkling smile gracing her face. Ash thought he was looking at an angel, then broke out into a smile himself, smoothed out his hair, and signalled for his Pokemon.
“Guys, we’re going!” Everyone returned to their Pokeballs except for Pikachu, who leaped onto Ash’s shoulder.
“Wow! He’s really cute!” exclaimed Sakura.
“Pika pi, pika chu!” chirped Pikachu in a happy tone.
“I AM NOT CUTE!” snapped Kero harshly.
“Hey, we didn’t say you were,” piped in Ash.
“The electric mouse here said I was!”
“Ah, Pikachu, could you loosen up on the cute thing?”
“Pika.”
“Relax, Kero,” assured Sakura. ‘I’ll get you some icecream for taking it lightly!”
“Well then again, what’s a little angst in compared to sweets?! Mm!”
And so Ash and Sakura set off on a journey that would end up affecting how their lives would end up.

“And so on you go,” mocked Giovanni from his office in the secret headquarters. “They honestly think they’re going to pull this off?! HAH! Ash, I’ll wipe that smile off your face and kill that young spirit of yours if it’s the last thing I do! Pikachu, you’ll wish you never saw that! And Sakura! So young, so innocent, so happy. So beautiful! I have to admit that one. But mark my words! Once I’m through with you, none of that will be left in you! You’ll be nothing more than soulless thespians once this is over!” he snarled. Stroking his Persian softly, he lifted his finger to Sakura’s face on the screen, and smiled so sarcastically you could smell the sulfur on his breath. “Mess with the best. Die like the rest.”

[Wolfsong]

Nice. This chapter si still as good as i remember. i eagerly reawait the old ones. Keep of the great work. Talk to you later. See ya!

[Snakes N' Legends]

Excellent chapter and the title fits at the beginning. You wouldn't know why this chapter is called Silver Nitrate until you read the first few sentences or am I wrong about that?

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

Same thing as my last post; the question I had.

So now, evil Gio wants to take over so many things in Sakura's home town.
Poor him, he never suceeds.
He needs to get used to losing.

[Last Exile]

Nala98: I'll keep them coming! ;) PS. Did your application to get into Martin university succeed?

tyranitar master: Well, I think intriguing titles enchance writing. I thought Silver Nitrate fitted the area, the mood and sounded cool. Guess it worked! ;)

The Almighty SuperSonicMewtwo: Yeah, he should learn the power of positive quitting! ;)

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

argh! you haven't answered my other question!

Wait a minute, I didn't notice this before, does that mean the Li and Sakura, well you know before? It certainly seems like it.

[Last Exile]

The Almighty SuperSonicMewtwo: Ok, this question is a bit muddled! But if you're asking about whether Sakura and Li were a couple before the kindapping, well, yeah.

[Gavin Luper]

EXPLOSION!

Wow this has taken off! I can't wait for the new chappies!

Cheers!

[Wolfsong]

Yep, I got in, and this is my fourth week here. I've already written one paper (still don't know how i did on it), Will have another assigned today, had 2 biology lab quizes (i only know what grade i got on one thugh 10/10) and one 50 point biology quiz (i got a 46/50). So i guess i'm doing ok so far. Thanks for asking.

And keep up with the great chapters. Have fun, and talk to you later

Bye!

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

that's not what i mean. i mean more than a couple.

[Last Exile]

Gavin Luper: Yeah, it seems to be doing well, as is your fic! Have a good one mate! ;)

Nala98: CONGRATS AMY! ;) Well done! You obviously deserve to be where you are now and I hope all goes well for you. Out of interest, do you now live on campus or is your home nearby? Because in Australia we don't live on campus.

The Almighty SuperSonicMewtwo: Ah! Now I see. Well, they weren't married. They were gradually heading towards it, for they had been together for eight years. But things were a little rocky just before the kindapping.

[Last Exile]

Chapter 4 ¡V Four Seasons In One Day


Misty Waterflower woke up with the mother of all headaches and feeling like she¡¦d been turned inside out. Her vision was incredibly blurred and the light that penetrated their eyes hurt her so much it made them water from the pain. So much pain. Her head was throbbing from a severe blow that she couldn¡¦t quite remember how she got it, and her lungs felt like they were breathing in pure smoke, leaving them raw and ravaged, though for all she knew she might have been breathing the cleanest air in the world. She slowly pushed her slim figure up from whatever she was sitting on. She had a hunch that it was brown, but apart from that she had no idea. Her senses were still incredibly deadened, and she wanted nothing more to go back to sleep, get away from the pain and drift into dreamland. But the pain gave her no chance whatsoever. She was staying up whether she liked it or not.

Sitting against something solid, which she made out to be a stone wall from the feel against her back and fingertips, as feeling slowly drained back into her battered being. Her blurry vision was gradually regaining its true clarity, but she might have rather been locked in the former. As her eyes began to clear out and blurs melded into straight outlines, she realised she wasn¡¦t in Pallet Town anymore. Her mind was sifting through the pain and piecing together random events that came back to her in flashes. A crimson R. An Umbreon. Ash¡¦s Noctowl. Guns. Male voices she didn¡¦t recognise. Ash¡¦s broken hearted screams. Her own despondent cries. Then it all came back to her!

She had been kidnapped by Team Rocket. She buried her soft face in her gentle hands and began crying gingerly. She remembered it all now. She remembered how Ash finally confessed his true feelings for her, and how the two of them shared a kiss so mind-blowing that it was the best moment in her life, hands down. The feel of his body against hers, the fire she felt wherever he touched her, the sensations that dazzled her mind when running her fingers through that velvety crop of black hair, the emotions and secrets hidden in those mysterious black eyes of his. It was so wonderful. She desperately tried to relive every single part of it, invoking the fire which still lingered where Ash had touched her, imagining the gentle longing in his breathing, and the melting sensation she felt when their lips met. She closed her eyes and let herself slip away. Here she felt safe. This was something that no one could take away from her.

For what seemed like forever, Misty was lost in her fantasy. She would stay there forever if she had to. But her dream sequence was cruelly shattered by the harsh rattling of metal. She was broken from her trance with a start. She wasn¡¦t in the lush green fields of Pallet Town, making out with Ash against the backdrop of a sunny day. She was somewhere else. She was cold, tired, in pain, and alone. She took the next few moments to study her environment more closely. She was surrounded by four walls of stone, all cold to the touch and unforgiving in the chill they invoked upon touch. Misty was suddenly aware of how the chill was rattling her, and she rose to her feet in an instant. The ground seemed to be made of solid concrete, but it was covered by at least a few inches of silt, dust and rubble. There was a window carved out of one of the smaller walls, but it was perforated by several steel bars, and only a few rays of light seemed to slip through, but that was better than nothing. At least some warmth and light existed in this place! Wherever she was! That made her think deeply for the first time in hours. Where was she? But such speculation seemed futile. She had no idea. There were no clues. She was truly alone.

Or so she thought. She heard that chilling rattle of metal again. It made her shudder, and she couldn¡¦t stop her teeth from rattling. She shut them with a start, realising her mistake. She had now revealed her presence, and furthermore, she had displayed her fear. Now the other person would know she was here and that she was afraid. Misty swallowed what felt like a gallon of sand, leaving her throat so dry, raw and scratchy that she felt herself gasp every time she drew in breath. Her heart began to thump so hard it felt like it was tearing through her chest, and her stomach felt like it was experiencing a nuclear meltdown, sending her stomach acids into overdrive and unsettling her system no end. Misty covered her face in fear and slid away to a corner, cowering from the perpetrator. Now she could her footsteps against that dusty concrete floor. They were so slow, and that heightened her tension no end! She began shivering so intensely she felt like was an earthquake, splintering her entire being, yet somehow she stayed together, all in place. Misty began to sob a little. This pain was horrible! Why didn¡¦t her perpetrator just end this?! He¡¦s probably just some sadistic bastard who wants simply to invoke fear and pain in me, and he¡¦s enjoying every minute of it! Typical Rocket bastards! Misty wanted to scream out and demand that it be ended, but her voice always died on her dried up throat. She was left completely helpless, and the fiery redhead hated being reduced to this! She began holding her hands and praying that if her end was here, that it be swift and painless. After five minutes of paradise, her life was falling apart by forces she had no power over. They had power over her. Her mind began racing over what would follow. Torture? Rape? Starvation? Thirst? Drugs? Poisons? She didn¡¦t want to know. She just bunched up in a heap in her corner, hoping for salvation. Then a familiar male voice spoke out. It was so raspy itself that she almost didn¡¦t recognise it, but as the light shone across his hawk-like face, she knew that she was in no danger, and relief flowed through her veins like the gift of life.
¡§Hey, Misty.¡¨ Harsh coughing followed. She could hear the male figure hacking up saliva and blood, from the look of it.
Courage finally spurred on her first word in a long time. ¡§Li.¡¨

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

argh! you're still not getting it!
okay, take the word that is much stronger than 'like'

add 'rs'.
understand? now, can you PLEASE answer the question?

[Last Exile]

Li Syaoran was barely standing upright. His legs felt like masses of quivering jelly, as if someone had ripped out his entire skeletal structure, robbing him of his supporting bones and leaving nothing but muscle and skin that fell instantly. Yet he hung on. He had wanted to give into despair from the moment he woke up, but one thought kept him going. Sakura. That sparkling and ever innocent face of hers beamed like a beacon in this hell-hole, providing him with a glimmer of hope. It was all he needed to keep going. Otherwise the harsh, aged beyond his years being trapped inside a young man¡¦s body would have given up long ago. Those sometimes cold eyes of his were so broken and flat. They say that a person¡¦s eyes are the windows to their soul. Right now, they showed that Li was hurting more than he had for the rest of his lifetime. The blow he had received against his back had been severe, and while he was sure he had no broken bones, his spine and back muscles were so bruised that it hurt like hell just to move them. His entire body was in complete agony, and his mind was a swirling miasma of scintillating thoughts and turgid ideas. He wanted something else to give him hope. Something to do. Someone to talk to, to rely on. And as soon as he saw Misty lying there after she had been brought in, tossed like a piece of rubbish against the wall, adding to her countless bruises, he knew he wasn¡¦t alone. If he was, he may not have had the courage to keep going. But with a fellow strong spirit with him, Li was compelled to live on. He knew that Misty would hang on in the faint hope that Ash would save her. He would live on in the hope that Sakura could save him. At least that was clear now. Despite the blood that surged from his float and spilled like red wine from an overflowing cup, staining the dust and silt it fell upon. He regretted putting Misty through those moments of terror, but he had no choice. His voice had only just broken through the pain barrier after hours of torment. He longed to talk to Misty, but his voice had been ravaged by thirst and had been drier than the Sahara in the middle of an African summer. Eventually some Rocket grunt had slid in some water, which tasted more like bitter bile, but he grimaced and swallowed the liquid. Anything to regain his voice. Communication with his only ally in this time of madness was essential to keep them going. And now they had taken that first step.
¡§Misty, I¡¦m sorry you had to go through that. But I¡¦m still so weak.¡¨ Li began spluttering in fits of coughing that rattled his lungs like the harshest of sandpaper. Misty gently reached out and touched his face, providing some shelter from the storm. A touch that worked better than a million words ever could have.
¡§It¡¦s okay. I¡¦m just glad I don¡¦t have to do this alone. Although I would rather wish you weren¡¦t caught up in this yourself.¡¨ She groaned and slowly picked herself up, straining against the cold stone wall for support, which ate at her being like creatures of the undead. Li leaned against her to provide some of his own healing. The presence of a friend worked wonders in times like these.
¡§Do you have any idea where we are, Li?¡¨
¡§None. But I know that we¡¦re in Team Rocket headquarters. You can hear the trademark slang and traits of the Rocket grunts. They come every now and then to check up on us. They left this water once. You¡¦d better drink it. Watch for the bitter taste though.¡¨
Misty complied without any inhibition. She couldn¡¦t remember the last time she had anything to drink, and her entire system was screaming for liquid fuel. Most of all her brain. It was feeling like a pufferfish from the strain, and Misty carefully lifted the steel cup containing the precious liquid to her lips. She could even smell the bitterness of the water now, but she forced herself into thinking she was drinking the sweetest water she would ever taste, and that it would refresh her soul forever. She put the cup to her lips, trying not to spill any, and let the water flow into her. It felt like water entering water, and her being went past the bitter taste, finding comfort in the fuel. Misty gasped in delight and licked her lips. ¡§Thank you, Li. That was wonderful.¡¨
¡§Under these circumstances, I guess so.¡¨
Misty lingered on the sensation of the precious liquid relieving her dried throat, then her mind floated back to the moments before she was captured. Panic began to surge in her veins.
¡§Ash! What happened to Ash? Did they get him?¡¨
Li shrugged gently. ¡§I don¡¦t know. But I don¡¦t think they did. When the Rockets kidnapped me, one of them wanted to have their way with Sakura, but the other told him to leave her alone, for Ash and Sakura were meant to do something else together. I have no idea what or why, but I know that they weren¡¦t captured somehow.¡¨
¡§Yeah, you¡¦re right! The Rockets said the same thing when they got me. I wonder how they are.¡¨
¡§Probably heartbroken, consoling each other and trying to figure out how to find us.¡¨
¡§Mm. I remember all the times Ash had Pikachu stolen from him. Ash would spend eternity looking for Pikachu if he had to.¡¨ Misty stopped on the thought of his Pokemon, and then thought about hers. Poliwhirl, the tadpole with legs that was way beyond its physical limitations and was drawn to her for good ever since she found Poliwag in the Orange Islands and rescued it from Team Rocket. Corsola, the perky coral like pink Pokemon, her most recent addition to her team, during their time in the Whirl Islands. Staryu, the crux of her team, and a symbol of her fighting spirit. Goldeen, the beautiful white and red goldfish, that always did her best while maintaining beauty. Just like her. And Togepi. Misty began sobbing on the thought of Togepi. She couldn¡¦t imagine how Togepi would be feeling now. Wondering where its mommy was and finding no solace. She hoped that Ash might have been able to comfort it. Togepi had grown to consider Ash a good friend too. Ash seemed to be the only other person Togepi felt safe with. Togepi. Her little baby Pokemon. It came from Ash¡¦s brush with Aerodactyl at the dig site in Kanto, chose her as its mother, and awakened a side in Misty that she didn¡¦t know that existed, or not that strongly. A warm side that began to mellow her aggressive and violent tendencies when pushed over the edge of her temper. She found a new joy in mothering Togepi. And now all that was gone. All she had built her life up around was gone. She had followed Ash just to get her bike back, but now she had a lifelong friend, and more importantly, maybe a life partner. She¡¦d come too far and experienced too much with Ash to lose it all now. She hoped that somehow Fate would straighten things out.

Li felt the same way. He came to Readington years ago to capture the Clow Cards, and was outraged at Sakura being made the CardCaptor and what he considered to be extreme incompetence. Having been bred from birth into the ways of magic, being an ancestor of Clow Reed, he was disgusted that someone with only a few days of experience was the one with this incredible responsibility. When he caught a card instead of Sakura, he made sure people knew he loved it, and the fact that Sakura didn¡¦t get it. Those facts really drove Kero around the twist time and time again. But once Li began to understand how Sakura lived, he began to see how she worked. Sakura was a normal 10 year old girl, for crying out loud! She had been flung into the deep end from day 1! Heck, if he was her, he¡¦d be just the same! Li began to secretly help her out. He used the Time Card to help Sakura defeat the Power Card and capture it, making her think she did it herself, when Li was the one who made it happen. As Sakura reached the end of her quest, she didn¡¦t mind if Li caught the odd card, and Li was amazed with Sakura¡¦s confidence and poise in capturing the stronger cards with her valuable experience. From the day that Sakura caught the Firey Card, the most powerful of the four elemental cards, by allying Windy and Water, two powerful attack cards, a feat not accomplished until then, Li had undying respect for her. The Final Judgement put the two of them through hell, and Li had almost been severed from Sakura¡¦s life forever. But somehow Sakura pulled through and earned the right to claim the cards as her own. And then followed the duels with Eriol, and the confrontation that lead to their love being recognised. Sakura was the salve and the balance to Li¡¦s harshness. Her innocence, beauty and happiness burned brightly in a world that was plagued by darkness and enforced responsibility, and he longed for her more than ever. No one was keeping them apart. Fate was pairing them up again, or else.

¡§Hmm, looks like they¡¦re awake now! Moving and talking too! Better let the boss know!¡¨
¡§He¡¦s already on his way down, moron! If you hadn¡¦t been bust eyeing the redhead, maybe you¡¦d have kept your mind on the job!¡¨
¡§Ah, put a sock in it! I had to cover your butt earlier, pal, so don¡¦t complain!¡¨
¡§Alright! Keep your shirt on!¡¨
Misty and Li were stirred from their private universes by the ramblings of Rocket grunts. Something was up, and they had better be ready for what happened next.
¡§Shut it! Here he comes!¡¨ The two Rockets stood like statues thousands of years old as Giovanni entered the hallway, donning the usual orange Armani suit, black shoes shiny as mirrors and bearing those burning black eyes of his that burned into anyone¡¦s soul.
¡§Thank you. I trust there were no problems in capturing these tow, Melvis?!¡¨
¡§No sir! All carried out as followed! We got these two easy, and the other two were left as you asked! Pretty easy job, sir! Hard to understand how these two screw us up all the time!¡¨
¡§Well, love can be quite a distraction for many strong people! Very well! You shall be rewarded for your efforts! Contact the doctors and surgeons. I heard they suffered some pretty nasty injuries. Don¡¦t cower like that! I know you had to use necessary thoughts! No need for excuses! Waste of time! We need them all bright and pretty for the presentation. So get onto it! Your bonuses will be deposited in your accounts shortly.¡¨
¡§Thanks, boss!¡¨ responded Melvis with sardonic pleasure. ¡§We¡¦re on it! Swell! Now I can get that toy and shut the kid up for once! What a pain!¡¨
¡§You said it, man!¡¨ piped in another Rocket. ¡§Now I can get the wife that holiday she wanted so bad! This one¡¦s been a long time coming!¡¨
¡§Yeah! About time those young punks got what they deserved! All the more for us I say! Hawaii, here we come!¡¨
¡§Aloha!¡¨
Sadistic laughter rattled through the hallways, chilling Misty and Li to the bone. What did these bastards know about love?! And why did Team Rocket hate them so much?! What did they ever do to them besides foil Jesse, James and Meowth?!
Giovanni smirked a little. Nothing like a morale booster to inspire greater efficiency among his troops. Yes, being the mastermind of the world¡¦s greatest crime syndicate had its perks. Time for the brats!

[Last Exile]

The door swung open like an iron lung, revealing Giovanni to Misty and Li, who were still weak from their experience and drained of energy.
¡§Well, nice to see the two of you getting along like a house on fire! I could say the same for your little friends!¡¨
Misty lit up at that comment. ¡§Ash and Sakura?! What do you mean?!¡¨
¡§The two of them were quite friendly when I saw them. Though I must say they weren¡¦t that pleased to see me.¡¨
¡§Who would, bottom feeder?¡¨ snapped Li.
Giovanni snarled and cracked Li on the jaw, flooring him instantly. ¡§One more word and I¡¦ll really do you in! Any more smart aleck comments will cost you dearly!¡¨ He smoothed his hair back, relished in scaring the hell out of the two, and continued his procession.
¡§Yes, they weren¡¦t pleased to see me. But they were interested to hear about the two of you!¡¨
Li picked himself up and stared Giovanni down. ¡§What did you tell them, you heartless bastard?¡¨
Giovanni smirked again. He could see the fear in Li¡¦s eyes as well as Misty¡¦s. Despite their show, they were afraid for Ash and Sakura more than they could ever admit.
¡§Simply that you are under my control, alive and well. Don¡¦t seem so surprised, you pack rats! I have no intention of killing you, YET! But we¡¦ll leave that for now! I made them know how much those two have meddled in my plans! You should have seen them quiver! Just like you are now! Pathetic wretches! You should have seen them beg for mercy when I threatened to kill the two of you! Oh, the looks on their faces were priceless! That snivelling Ash and that teary, glassy Sakura! So reliant on my every word! Delicious!¡¨
Misty began welling up so hard she couldn¡¦t contain herself anymore. ¡§Shut up! How dare you talk about them like that! I¡¦ll smash you until that smile of yours is ripped off your face!¡¨
¡§DON¡¨T YOU DARE TALK BACK TO ME LIE THAT, MISSY!¡¨ growled Giovanni. Boy, he was going to have a handful with these two! As if Ash and Sakura weren¡¦t bad enough! Misty didn¡¦t back down a bit. She still maintained that look of defiance and showed no signs of relenting. ¡§Admirable! Such courage is rare these days! However, a visit to our torture chambers could change that!¡¨ He could see doubt and fear creep into her expressions, which began to crumble into uncertainty. Good! Giovanni relished in reasserting his authority. He was the one with all the cards. He had to make sure they never forgot it. But hope. He had to give them hope. Or where would the fun be in all this?!
¡§Well, this will be fun! I decided to give Ash and Sakura a shot at getting the two of you back!¡¨ He loved seeing that glimmer of hope well up in their eyes. While Misty and Li surged with the feeling that hope provided them a while, Giovanni scoffed at it. He considered it a denial of reality and rational thinking.
¡§Ash will be heading to the Green League to win the badges and the League itself, while Sakura will have to track down some new Clow Cards.¡¨
¡§What?¡¨ Li was aghast. ¡§They¡¦re not looking for us? What are you saying?! I don¡¦t believe a word of it!¡¨
¡§Listen to the whole thing, boy, then you¡¦ll understand. When each wins a badge or catches a card, they will get a worded clue as to where this base is. If they complete the tasks completely, they will get visual clues. By then, they should be able to find this base. Whether they can escape alive, and with the two of you alive, is another matter! They have one year to complete their task! Fail, and the two of you die!¡¨
¡§One year?! Are you nuts?!¡¨ Misty and Li spoke as one. ¡§There¡¦s no way!¡¨
¡§Yes there is! I want them to feel pain for messing with my affairs! And they will! How you live here is determined by how well they do in their quest! If they do well, you shall live well! If they mess, up, it is YOU who will suffer! And they will watch you suffer! Yes, they¡¦ll do this! They¡¦ll do it just in the hope that they can save the two of you! Well forget it! They will NEVER succeed! Not that I¡¦ll meddle, because I WON¡¦T! But that I want them to hope, to live just for the moment to save you two, and when it comes, I¡¦ll snatch it away, leaving them empty and shattered forever, knowing true pain! And then they will die too! I find it amusing you think they could possibly succeed! They don¡¦t have a chance! Ah, youth! So impetuous! You think you can change the world! Hah!¡¨ And with a snap of his fingers, several Rockets entered the room. ¡§Get them prepared for the presentation! Take them up to the guest room for now. We¡¦ll get started tomorrow.¡¨

Misty and Li were left in the complete opposite to where they had been for the last 24 hours. They were in a room, lined with exotic carpets and art, diamond chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, golden embroidery covering the whole room, rich foods and drink adorning tables, and all kinds of amusement. They had no idea how to proceed. Did it mean anything? Was all of their hope in vain? They pushed that thought back. They had to keep going. For the sake of Ash and Sakura. The four were going to go through a year of hell for them in the hope they would all meet again. Ash and Sakura sounded like they were ready to do whatever it took. Misty and Li had to do the same, at least. So they filled their growling stomachs and relieved themselves of their woes, if only for a little while. How did it come to this? The world is a crazy place. Misty reached for a TV guide, handed it Li, and they flicked the screen onto the news, and flicked between it and sport events. One story caught their attention.
¡§Famed Pokemon Trainer Ash Ketchum has registered to participate in the Green League. Ash has won the other three leagues over the last six years, and if he should win this one, he will qualify to fight the Elite 4 for the title of Pokemon Master. For one so young to have this chance so early, it is truly incredible. An interesting note is that his usual companion, Misty Waterflower, is not with him. Authorities have been searching for her since five days ago, and consider her disappearance foul play. They are also searching for Li Syaoran, the academic and athletic whiz who graduated with the most impressive results ever recently. He and his equally capable partner, Sakura Avalon, were ready to enter any one of a number of prestigious universities when Li also disappeared from sight five days ago as well. Authorities believe the two kidnappings to be linked, and suspect that the sinister crime syndicate Team Rocket is behind this. Sakura has joined Ash in his quest for glory, but neither are saying much about the ordeal and what they hope to accomplish.¡¨
Misty and Li watched as they saw pictures of Ash and Sakura. They were heartbroken and so shattered. None of Ash¡¦s fighting spirit was apparent, nor Sakura¡¦s bright nature, innocence or charm. Or maybe they didn¡¦t want anything to show on the cameras or say anything to the press. Giovanni would make life difficult if that happened. Misty and Li then drifted into the sports programs.
¡§In one of the greatest games of all time, Newcastle United has scored an amazing 4-3 victory over the juggernaut that is Manchester United in the English Premier League. This result puts David O¡¦Leary¡¦s Leeds United to the top of the table with their 2-0 win away at Charlton. Arsenal maintained their high position with a 2-1 victory against the upgraded Fulham, while fellow new boys Bolton were clipped from top position with a 1-0 loss at home against perennial strugglers Southampton, giving them their first points of the season. Leicester City and Middlesborough also scored their first win of the season in 3-2 and 2-1 victories, while West Ham fell to last after losing to Middlesborough. And in the last play of the game, Chelsea has snatched a 3-2 win against Tottenham in the London Derby, while Liverpool beat fellow Merseysiders Everton in a 3-1 display, breaking their 2 game losing streak. It is still early in the season, but Leeds, Liverpool and Arsenal look to have the goods the challenge Manchester United for the title this season. With Manchester¡¦s defense undergoing shifts, walkoffs and the like, despite their high goalscoring, they¡¦re letting in as many as they score. This could be the factor that may cost them.¡¨
Even if you have no idea what is going in, in sport you could somehow relax and let yourself drift away. Misty reached for the music collection on display, and picked out a CD. ¡§Recurring Dream ¡V The Very Best Of Crowded House.¡¨ A group of New Zealanders that became the toast of Australia with Neil Finn¡¦s classic lyrics that had few equals. She put it on to the thirteenth track. One she had grown to love. Four Seasons In One Day. It seemed to describe the situation so well. And as they listened, Li seemed to appreciate the sentiment, so he let himself mingle with Misty as they found some solace amongst the chaos and pain, if only for a little while.


Crowded House ¡V Four Seasons In One Day

Four seasons in one day
Lying in the depths of your imagination
Worlds above and worlds below
The sun shines on the black clouds
Hanging over the domain
Even when you¡¦re feeling warm
The temperature could drop away
Like four seasons in one day

Smiling as the **** comes down
You can tell a man from what he has to say
Everything gets turned around
And I will risk my neck again, again
You can take me where you will
Up the creek and through the mill
Like all the things you can¡¦t explain
Four seasons in one day

Blood dries up
Like rain, like rain
Fills my cup
Like four seasons in one day

Doesn¡¦t pay to make predictions
Sleeping on an unmade bed
Finding out wherever there is comfort
There is pain
Only one step away
Like four seasons in one day

Blood dries up
Like rain, like rain
Fills my cup
Like four seasons in one day

[Wolfsong]

I live on campus, because it's too far for me to drive every day. It's two and a half hours from where i live. The only thing about it is that i'm in a freshman dorm and having to take freshman studies when i have enough credits to qualify me a senior..... (90 +)

Anyway another great chapter. Keep em a coming!

[Last Exile]

The Alimghty SupersonicMewtwo: *shows how off the planet I am these days* Yeah, they're lovers. They would have been lovers for six or seven years now. I thought Chapter 2 made it pretty clear. Maybe not. Oh well.

Nala98: Oh well, as long as you don't feel too homesick or alienated. Hope all goes well for you.

[Snakes N' Legends]

Very interesting, CCC. You know I like how you add music into your story or chapters. It makes it a little better. Well, great job!!!! (How many times have I said that already?)

[Last Exile]

tyranitar master: Yeah, I'm a music nut. But not for that mainstream crap. And well, a compliment is a compliment! So don't worry! ;)

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

k, just neveer read anything close to that on tpm...

oh, poor misty and li, they're suffering so bad. oh well.
*grabs popcorn*
more chapters please! *adds butter*

[Last Exile]

The Almighty SupersonicMewtwo: My my, the popcorn is being passed around! That's a good sign! ;) At least I finally managedto answer your question. Forgive my recent ineptness.

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

i happily forgive you, for in trying to tell you what i meant, i was able to build up a few extra posts, completely following the rules.

heh heh

Want some popcorn?

[Last Exile]

Chapter 5 – Fallen Angels

For days they had nothing in their future. It had been cruelly torn apart, battered and broken beyond recognition. Dreams burning up in stingy smoke, hopes flowing down the drain like blood spilling from lifeless bodies, staining the ground like a memory that never goes away no matter how much you wish it would. This was something these two young adults should never have been forced to live through. But this was the real world. And reality can be cruel. Very cruel. Hopefully you have the strength to persevere, to succeed, and to live on. Right now, Ash and Sakura seemed like they just might have what it took. But then again, their moods seemed to swing every single moment. Something as small and seemly insignificant as a contorted face or a stormy dark cloud, black and blasting torrential rain and thunder down on an unsuspecting populous, could send them into the depths of despair. On the other hand, the sound of a cheery voice from a young child, or a simple look from one of Ash’s Pokemon or Kero, a look that emanated years of friendship and understanding, could send their souls soaring higher than ever.

As the world does, they swayed back and forth. Such is the balance of power in the eternal fight between good and evil, while the chaos is somehow brought to order by the presiding forces of neutrality. For good and evil can’t exist without the other, yet they are complete opposites. Something else must exist to represent the most abnormal fusion in the universe. But being neutral right now would lead to feeling numb and detaching oneself from the situation. And that was something Ash and Sakura could ill afford to do now. For while the events of the lasts few days hurt them like hell, they needed to focus on the pain more than ever. It was an eternal reminder of what lies ahead. What they needed to do. It kept it real. For the pain they felt was sure to be mirrored or amplified by what Misty and Li were going through.

So Ash and Sakura needed to constantly remind themselves of the prime directive. The fiery, instinctive, energetic yet skilled Pokemon trainer and the spirited, loving, dreamy yet mature witch were going to rely on each other like the air they breathed. They were finished without the other. Team Rocket would kill the ones they loved without a second thought. That fact had killed something inside the two of them. Pizzazz in Ash’s actions, which were normally so brash, impulsive and flung him headfirst into pandemonium along with anyone else nearby, and the sparkle in Sakura’s eyes, which sprung out a shower of happiness, innocence, youth and dreams had begun to subside. Optimism was a source of hope in the time like this, but too much optimism could lead to getting too far ahead of oneself. This was no video game. This was really happening. Ash and Sakura had the lives of Misty and Li in their hands. And for one year, they would have to sweat it out together in order to have one shot at rescuing their loves from the clutches of evil. Any slipups, and Misty and Li would suffer the consequences. Giovanni would be watching their every move. As if they were in the nightmares worlds of Big Brother, Brave New World or Fahrenheit 451. Was this journey all in vain? No point in holding back. It was all or nothing. And nothing didn’t even bear thinking about.

Ash and Sakura walked hand in hand as they made their way towards Destiny City. It was called Destiny City because only very experienced trainers would bother to try out to qualify for the Green League. It was virtually the home stretch for many trainers, as they sought to win their last league before facing off against the Elite 4. Anyone walking by would have recognised the infamous young Pokemon trainer, and they would have been quite curious as to why another young woman besides Misty was at his side on his final leg of his journey. But by now news of the latest wave of Team Rocket attacks had spread across the continent, so many people were actually hanging out to get a glimpse of Ash and Sakura. People knew by now that Ash was definitely not the person who craved the limelight. He wanted nothing more than to accomplish his dream and have friends around. Was that too much to ask? It was for Team Rocket obviously.

At least Ash had Sakura. And Ash already had very high opinions of Sakura. That day at Silver Lake, when he caught a momentary glimpse of who Sakura really was. He saw Sakura’s true happiness, the aura that shone around her being that emanated from her soul, that insatiable lilt that reached out, sucked you in and held you hypnotised that always lingered in her voice, her pearly, luminescent skin that shone like the sparkly beaches of paradise, and those sparkly emerald eyes that were the portal to a soul so beautiful and mind-blowing that words were too pathetic to describe the feeling. And he could also see a ditsy, hilarious side to her. He saw a bit of himself in her. He felt sick inside that Sakura was reduced to a mere fraction of her true happiness. Ash silently swore that he was going to make sure that Sakura would regain that happiness, if it was the last thing he ever did. She was one of a special kind, and if she was lost too, then all of his hopes would slip down the drain into a never-ending ocean of despair, never to be seen again.

And conversely, Sakura had high opinions of Ash. He had such a strong, spirited will that somehow spurred out in full at Silver Lake. She could see the fire in his eyes, the power within that pushed him on whenever adversity stood in his way. She saw the special connection Ash had with his Pokemon. He viewed them as friends rather than pets that battled for him. He was full of empathy, just like her. And it came from pure, young honesty that somehow escaped being corrupted by the evils of the world. Just like her. She saw some of her own being in him. Horrified that someone as defiant and honest as Ash was wronged so deeply, Sakura felt sympathy well up in her, and she silently vowed to make sure Ash accomplished his dreams and that his true nature returned to him. In that moment, unknowingly, the two had bound themselves even closer in their private quest. It would be telling in the months to come. But for now, the two strode on hand in hand, letting touch from someone that cared and understood provide some relief to the mental anguish that raged within.

Ash remembered some things that Professor Oak had told him back in Pallet Town. He had forgotten at the time, but Oak had told him that he would meet up with Ash as soon as he got to Destiny City. Oak had something special to give him there and some advice to give. Advice he couldn’t give back then. Ash figured it was important, so he knew he had to reach Destiny City with haste. He didn’t want to keep Oak waiting. Plus Sakura had gotten word from Tori that he would be in Destiny City around the same time as Oak, so he had something for her too. So their pace had gradually increased as they made their way to the beginning of a chapter in their lives that would lead to true happiness or to the stinking bowels of oblivion.
“Ash, I didn’t know so you were so popular!” Sakura had only just begun to notice the intimidating hordes of people that circled round them for miles. Thousands of eyes burning in on them.
“It started ever since I won the Johto Championships. I wish they’d just cut it out personally.” Ash made it clear he was in no mood for unwanted attention. He could see news reporters and the like.
“Mm. Why did those reporters have to bug us like that back at Silver Town?! Couldn’t they give us some privacy, considering what just happened?! It still hurts, Ash! It’ll never stop hurting until it’s over! I hate others suffering for things I’ve been forced to do for the good of others! And I don’t want people prying into my life as if it were an open book everyone has to read!”
Ash put his free hand on her neck, gently stroking it, relaxing tense muscles and letting them assume their proper form. Sakura sighed in pleasure, relishing such a welcome sensation. “People want to know, I guess, because they care. If people stop caring, they begin to lose the battle. But I agree. There is a point to which people can learn things about others. We deserve to have some things kept to ourselves.”
“Remember what Giovanni said?! He said that if the media got word of what happened, he'd make Misty and Li suffer for it! I know what that man is capable of!” Sakura didn’t cry. She was too strong for that at the moment. She needed to be strong. If she began crying, she might never stop. Such was the hurt locked up inside her. Soon there would be time for release. Now it was time for resolve.
“I know. And I know you don’t want anyone to know about your magic!”
“They would fear me Ash! Because it’s something they don’t understand! People fear what they don’t understand and can’t control! They’d probably burn me at the stake or something! Yet they can see the magic in Pokemon. Why not the rest of the magic around them?!”
“Maybe they once did. Maybe their own personal experiences made them lose sight of it. We have to keep sight of it always, lest we give in to darkness.”
Sakura nodded and hummed in agreement.
“I wish things weren’t so dire. Otherwise I could spend forever looking at how beautiful this place is.” Sakura was right. Destiny City was on the horizon. At the centre of Destiny City was a marble statue of a Dragonite, countless millennia old, yet stronger than ever. The spirit of the legendary Pokemon lived on in this city and inspired anyone who came here in their epic leg of their Pokemon journeys. Greats like Lance, Agatha, Bruno and Prima had passed here before on their ways to greatness. And here it would start for Ash. In a town where buildings were glossed over with plants and bushes all over. People in Destiny City didn’t want to live in a concrete jungle. So they kept Nature close, and people living there felt far more relaxed and content than people in more urbanised areas. Pokemon thrived in these conditions. Kids spent hours every day playing with wild Pokemon, and if one liked them enough, it would stay with them, leaving new trainers in the making. It seemed like a great place to live, and an ominous place for experienced trainers. A town of green and dreams.

Ash and Sakura entered the Destiny City Pokemon Centre. It was a common meeting place, so there were plenty of trainers about as well as other people. This was where they were meant to meet Oak and Tori. Ash and Sakura waited in eerie longing, sitting against soft blue sofas, lying down next to each other. It was weird that Ash and Sakura didn’t mind being so close, but their reliance was 60-60-24-365, so they couldn’t leave each other’s side. Ash and Sakura let the comforting presence of their warm hands linger near each other’s, providing some quiet peace to heal the hell that waged war on their private universes. The radio in the centre piped up, causing many people nearby to swing round in curiosity.
“And now folks, we’ve got a treat for ya! Ben Folds, former lead singer of the American group Ben Fold Five, which split up last year, has returned with his debut solo album, Rockin’ The Suburbs! You’ve already heard Rockin’ The Suburbs for the last few weeks, and now it’s this weeks feature album here on Triple J! So here’s another track from the album. This one is the opening song, and it’s called ‘Annie Waits.’

Ben Folds – Annie Waits


And so Annie waits Annie waits Annie waits
For a call from a friend
The same
It’s the same, why’s it always the same?
Annie waits for the last time
The clock never stops never stops never waits
She’s growing old
It’s getting late
And so her forgot, he forgot but maybe not
Maybe he’s been seriously hurt
Would that be worse?
Headlights crest the hill
Shadows pass her by and out of sight
Annie sees in dreams
Friday bingo, pigeons in the park
Annie waits for the last time
Just the same as the last time
Annie says, you see?
This is why I’d rather be alone
And so Annie waits Annie waits Annie waits
For a call from a friend
It’s the same, why’s it always the same?
Annie waits as the last...
Headlights crest the hill
Who will be the one forever more
Annie, I could be
If we’re both still lonely when we’re old
Annie waits for the last time
Just the same as the last time
Annie waits
But not for me


Ash and Sakura sat up as soon as the song broke free from the speakers, hanging onto every single note and word until the last syllable and piano chord zipped out. In those four minutes, they found themselves thinking about their own scenario as Ben portrayed a scene of a woman who waited for a call to find true happiness, but it never came. Her dreams slipped by, her youth was gone, and still no release. It made the two of them feel a little scared. Was this what was in store for them? Were they doomed to fail, leaving them a lifetime of being alone, waiting for the one moment to bring them back to happiness, yet it never comes? The piano and Ben’s vocals amplified some hope and longing into the song, which never came to fruition, further reinforced as the piano and vocals turned sombre as verses melted away. The hope never went away, but it never was realised. Annie’s situation was so haunting. To think this was what some people will live through. Ash and Sakura realised that age had nothing to do with it. Nothing could prepare you for the prospect of living the rest of your life alone in the hope that one day, it will all end and happiness will return. But for some, it never will. And they’re forever stuck in that cycle, just like Annie.
“Hey, that sounded good!” said one trainer nearby, stroking her Flareon. “I always hoped ol’ Benny would still keep going after the band split!”
“Yeah! Ya never can beat the sarcasm and the personal stories that he writes! Heck, he may be a jerk, a self-confessed jerk, but man he’s good!” commented another.
“But only a self-confessed jerk could write Rockin’ The Suburbs! Everyone in my neighbourhood is still hung up on that one!” mentioned a third trainer,
“Well he finally decided to use guitar!” noted the first trainer. “Who would’ve thought it?!” The rest of them nodded in agreement.
Ash and Sakura looked at them in envy. Those trainers were probably looking forward to an epic adventure on the final road to the Elite 4. Yet all the two of them could think about was getting Misty and Li back. Nothing else mattered. Their hearts would stop beating without them in their lives. It would be like trying to breathe underwater. Impossible.

[Last Exile]

“So, my dear fellow yellow one, what do they call you around the ol’ gang, heh?” inquired Kero, dreaming of, obviously, pudding. A great big mountain of pudding.
“Pikachu!” sparked out Pikachu in a happy tone.
“Ah, nice name! Finally someone around here who can talk! At least I don’t have to pretend no more!” Kero began pumping his arms in delight, like he does when he’s about to get sweets.
“Pika pika chu!”
“What?! No Pokemon can speak human language?!” Kero began sobbing like a shattered kid who doesn’t get what he wants.
“Pika...chu chu!”
Kero looked at Pikachu as if he was nuts “Except for that talking Meowth! What talking Meowth? You’re having me on, aren’t ya Sparky?!”
“Pika chu! Pika!” Pikachu was a little confused. He was being honest, but the flying squirrel was taking no notice of that.
“Yeah sure! The day that I see a talking Meowth, I buy you a bottle of ketchup!” Kero folded his arms and sneered.
“PIKA!”
“Huh?! What’s grabbing your tail, Sparky?! Huh?! What the...?”
A Meowth, which looked like it had been beaten over a hundred times with an iron bar or something harsher, hobbled up to the two of them. It was crying gingerly and looked at them like a broken man through those puffed up black eyes.
“I can’t believe it! After all these years, after all we’ve been through, Jesse and James dumped me! Like that! Then again, considering how many times we’ve backstabbed each other, why am I not surprised?! It made a lot of sense! They got a big promotion for nabbing the two brats, and they kicked me out to get more of the bonus and the wage increase! Typical Jesse and James! And now ol’ Meowth had gotta fend for himself! Ah!” Meowth sighed as if he was ready to throw in the towel for good. “What am I gonna do now?! Maybe if I found that Pikachu, I could do something!” He sunk down to the floor in exhaustion, sinking in his sorrow like sinking into quicksand.
“Aw great! Here’s your ketchup, short circuit!”
“PIKA!” Pikachu lashed out at Kero with its tail, then began to power up its cheeks for a light attack. It didn’t like Kero’s attitude one bit.
Kero grabbed Pikachu’s tail and flung it back at him, nearly flinging Pikachu off balance. “Look! I gave you the ketchup! Don’t give me another of those damn shocks, or I’ll give it to ya I swear!”
“Pika!”
“Okay! That does it! Winner gets a pudding!” Kero and Pikachu began staring each other down Western-style, like they were in a showdown. Kero began pumping his fists, psyching his little body up while Pikachu began powering up his electric cheeks for combat.
“Pikachu? Is that you?!”
“Pika?” Pikachu swung round to meet the source of the familiar voice. He knew that feline voice anywhere! “Pika!”
“Hmm, he’s looked like he’s seen better days! Er, scratch the fight, Sparky! Hey there, kitty? Pudding?!” Kero whipped out the pudding cake from Sakura’s satchel, looking for any excuse to get some pudding without retribution.
“Thanks.” Meowth’s burnt paw carefully picked up a piece and savoured the sweet taste of every molecule of sugar, custard and fruit. “It’s been awhile since anyone was this nice to me!”
“Pika pika!”
“Well, shows ya what bums those two jerks are!”
“Kero!” Sakura then noticed the hastily opened package left dangling on top of her satchel. “I said NO pud...er, who’s that?”
“Oh, this guy? He a talking Meowth. In bad shape too!”
“Talking Meowth?” Ash woke up from his daydreaming and felt like he was in the twilight zone. “All right! What are ya up to this time, Meowth?! And where are Jesse and James”
“Don’t mention those two! I don’t ever wanna see those heartless cowards again after they kicked me off the team just to take the promotion for capturing the two twerps!”
Ash and Sakura looked at each other in blinding hope. Sakura grabbed him by his arms and began pleading at him. “Were they Misty and Li?! Please tell us! We’ve gotta know! Please!” Sakura began sobbing a little, coming across a lump of sand in her throat, making it so hard to breathe her eyes couldn’t stop watering.
“You mean the readhead? Yeah, it was her. And that brown haired magician too!”
“All right Meowth!” Anger that had been building up in Ash like a virus was now active and ready to infect. “Where are they?!”
“I don’t know! Jesse and James threw me out of the balloon after them and the two other Rockets got away with the two of them! Can you believe that! They threw me outta the balloon from a mile up! I can’t believe I actually survived that fall!”
“Well, I kinda know how you feel,” mentioned Sakura in a guilty tone. “Then again, I always did have the Fly Card to help out. Still, the Jump Card almost did me in that way.”
“Gee, I didn’t know things were that bad for ya, Meowth!” Ash looked at the feline he resented for so many years for his endless attempts to steal his best buddy in the world from him. But seeing him helpless as he was, Ash was compelled to help him.
“Nurse Joy! This Meowth needs help!”
“Oh dear! Chansey, prepare the emergency room! And a bed for this Meowth!” Nurse Joy began ministering her healing powers as she took Meowth into the dominion where many lives were rescued while some were not as fortunate.
“Sakura, this whole mess keeps getting weirder and weirder!” Ash began looking at the GS Ball Oak had given him. “I wonder what’s in this?! God knows how long I went around delivering this thing! Hope it’s something good! I could use a break about now!”
“Yeah!” Sakura was a little concerned herself. “I’ve been wondering about these new cards Giovanni mentioned. It takes a pretty powerful magician to create new cards. And I don’t like thinking what kind of cards were created if they fell into the wrong hands!”
“Yeah. Looks like maybe more people than just us and Misty and Li may get hurt in this fiasco.”
Sakura nodded in desperate tones. Team Rocket had gone so far as to expend their own. Could they even trust Giovanni? He seemed to be a man of his word. Except when it benefited him to betray it.
“I think maybe we should let Meowth tag along, Ash! Maybe he can help us! I mean, think about it! A Pokemon that can talk human language could be pretty useful on our quest!”
Ash bit his lip. He never really trusted Meowth. But Pikachu had mentioned that time he and Meowth had to work together to survive that time they got lost in the Orange Islands. Meowth did have a heart. He just got hurt badly early on in life and fell in with the wrong crowd. Ash sighed. This was getting nutty. And things were sure to get even crazier.
“Okay. Meowth’s in.”
“Pudding?” offered Kero.
“Better get someone before it disappears, Ash! Magic, you know!” joked Sakura, smiling for the first time in hours, which even managed to invoke a smile on Ash’s lips.
“Sounds good to me.”

Letting Meowth join the fold! Misty’s reaction would have been classic, thought Ash. Misty. Her very life in Ash’s hands. Such an enormous responsibility for someone so young. And Sakura had Li’s in her own hands. For now all they could do was wait and see how Meowth was doing. He will still in intensive treatment. And where were Oak and Tori anyway?! Ash and Sakura absolutely resented idle time! They had a job to do, and their loves’ lives were at stake! Sitting around doing nothing wouldn’t accomplish a thing! Except make them feel as helpless as newborn babies, and that was the last thing they wanted.
“Well, Ash, at least you’re early for once!” Ash knew that voice anywhere. Oak.
“Nice to see you, Professor Oak. Er, this is Sakura. Sakura, this is Professor Oak, the world famous Pokemon expert that started me on my journey.”
“Cool! It’s nice to meet the person who started Ash on the road to glory!”
“Um, I’m flattered. Though I don’t know whether I was that influential on Ash!” Oak never was one to grab the spotlight.
Ash broke in eagerly like a kid in a candy store. “So Professor, you said you had something for me?”
Oak got straight to business like a university lecturer. “Yes, Ash. Yesterday I got hold of a new Pokeball system. It allows you to carry 15 Pokeballs with you instead of 6! So now you can have all your Pokemon with you!”
“Wow! Professor! That’s great! You mean I can have Kingler, Muk and Tauros with me all the time now?! Plus I can catch some new ones without to send any back?! Great!”
“That means you can catch 5 new Pokemon without having to send them back. As for the GS Ball...” Oak could see Ash welling up with excitement.
“What’s in it, Professor?! You’ve got to tell me!”
“I don’t know, Ash. I honestly don’t know. But it’s something rare and powerful. I could tell from the energy contained within the GS Ball. The lock on the ball will break in a week’s time. Then you will know. Be sure to let me know. I’m eager myself to see what it is, considering how much time we’ve spent on that saga.”
“Sure Professor. Was there anything else you came here to tell me?”
Oak’s face hardened like steel. Ash knew he was getting pretty serious. “Ash, don’t be fooled. The Green League is VERY tough. Many trainers take years to even qualify, and more to be lucky enough to win! These Gym Leaders are the toughest breed of all! And furthermore, their Pokemon are a cut above the rest! For they have the ability to use attacks they normally wouldn’t! Water types using Electric attacks, Fire types using Water attacks. Be aware of this, Ash. These Pokemon have hidden powers you couldn’t dream of!”
Ash’s youthful optimism was shattered in an instant like glass windows by an errant ball, and a sullen look broke out across his worn out face. “So you’re saying I might not pull this off in a year?!” He then buried his hands and began crying uncontrollably. “Misty!”
Sakura began breaking down herself like a waterfall. “Li! No! Professor, there must be a way! We have to do this in a year! Please, help us! Anything!”
Oak felt like the world had fallen on his shoulders when he saw that look on Sakura’s face. Her eyes looked like they were falling out of their sockets and their emerald hue was barely alive at all, and her mouth looked like bits of frayed rope instead of luscious lips. She was an absolute wreck, as was Ash. These kids deserve better after all they’ve done for the world. I hope I’m doing the right thing!
“Which is why I really came here.”
Ash and Sakura stopped crying in a flash, held each other’s hand tightly and sat up as one, living for his every word like it was the air they breathed.
“Ash, I want you to have these.” Oak handed fifteen electronic modules to Ash. All the size of wristwatches.
“What are these?”
“They’re learning modules. Ash, these modules can help to awaken a Hidden Power within a Pokemon. Just like with these Gym Leaders.”
Ash felt a ray of light permeate his stormy world. He liked what he was hearing.
“In other words, they will learns attacks of an element they normal couldn’t perform! Ash, I know why you have to do what you’re doing! Take these. They will help you immensely.”
Ash felt a half smile slip across his cracked lips and let it linger like a sweet aftertaste. “Thank you, Professor. Thank you for giving me hope!”
“Ash, I truly believe you can do this! It won’t be easy, but seeing what you’ve done has made even the harshest skeptics change their views on you. So do it, my boy. Go get them back.”
Ash shook hands with the man that started it all, then Oak walked out of the centre. “I’ll keep in touch.”
“Guess I’d better start using these things”, figured Ash. He called his Pokemon out and began strapping the device onto each of them. “Just bear this for a while! It’ll give you all powers you didn’t have before, and they’ll make you stronger!”
All his Pokemon agreed to go through with this and let the modules enhance the power within. “You feel stronger, Pikachu?”
“Pika!” chirped Pikachu happily in reply.
“Great! Guess these things are as good as Oak said. I bet Pikachu learned something really cool!”
Kero began musing. “Yeah, but one of the others learned something a whole lot better.”
“You got that right.”
Everyone whirled around to the entrance to the emergency room. Standing there was Meowth, with no sign of the scars that ravaged his body before. His fur coat had its normal sheen restored and his golden charm was as shiny as ever.
“Lucky you found it when you did. Otherwise it would have been done for. I hope you can care for it well. Knowing you Ash, I know you will.” There wasn’t a Nurse Joy anywhere who didn’t recognise Ash Ketchum within five seconds.
“Thanks Nurse Joy.”
“Anyway”, continued Meowth, “I agree with my fellow talking comrade here. I reckon the leafy one over there was the one that really benefited from those modules.
“Mm,” nodded Kero in strong agreement. “Definitely. Bayleef is going to learn something really powerful soon.”
“Really?” Ash and Sakura looked at Bayleef intently. Bayleef still had that sparkle in her eyes that she had as a Chikorita, she had an invigorating spicy aroma permeating from the leaves on her neck, and her skin was a lush green that shone in the afternoon sunlight. They noticed that Bayleef was somehow different, but they couldn’t quite put their finger on it.
“Guess we’ll find out someday soon.”
“Lazy as ever squirt?!”
Sakura sighed heavily. “Oh no. Here’s trouble!”
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Tori had just entered the building. “Well, it’s nice to see you’re actually awake this early in a day, Sakura!”
“Tori!” Sakura really wasn’t in the mood for one of their regular showdown sessions.
“And that you actually made it one time for our meeting is even more miraculous! Must be the Bermuda Triangle or something! A Sakura from a parallel universe! Have you seen my real sister?!”
“Grrrrrrrr!” Sakura was fuming like Mount Vesuvius must have when it sent Pompeii into extinction. “Can you just get to the point?! Why are you here?!”
“Alright squirt, keep a lid on it. I came here to escort someone else you’ll need on your quest.”
“Hey Sakura.” Sakura’s heart missed a heartbeat for sure. She knew that sweet, mellow female voice anywhere.
“Madison!”
Sakura jumped up and eagerly embraced her lifelong friend. Madison still wore her silky black hair long, her sapphire eyes were as sparkling as ever, and she still bore her own trademark smile like a charm. Sakura laughed for the first time in days. She felt so carefree and safe in the presence of one of her best friends.
“Um, so why are you here?”
“Well, Tori told me what you guys are going to be up to. I figured that you could use my planning skills, my electronic equipment, my brainpower and my costumes as always! Sakura! Did you honestly think you’d capture more cards without me around? And without a costume?! Forget it!”
“Hey hey!” piped in Kero happily. “Nice to see you around here, partner!”
“Hey Kero!’ glowed Madison. “Guess what I’ve got!” She let Kero take a quick peek inside her backpack.
“CAKE! Lots and lots of cake! I’m in heaven!” Kero beamed in ecstasy.
“That makes one of us, at least,” mused Ash.
“I can help you guys out. You can’t do this alone. Oak asked me to personally.”
Ash and Sakura stopped in their tracks and listened like hawks scouring for prey. “Oak said that?”
“Yeah. He said that despite how strong the two of you were, he felt certain that you’d get into trouble sooner or later.”
Ash and Sakura sighed lightbulbs anime style. They hated to admit, but it was true.
“So that’s why I’m here! I’m coming along with you guys!”
“I’m not turning you down!” laughed Sakura. “Thank you, Madison!”
“No problem, Sakura! I wouldn’t miss this for the world!”
“I’m outta here, squirt” stated Tori as a mere formality. “Don’t take no wooden Indians.”
“Bye Tori!” Sakura had to admit that Tori could be nice at times. If he tried.
“So where are we headed first?” inquired Madison.
Ash looked on the map on the Pokedex screen. “This says that the nearest gym is in Zinc City. Guess we’d better go there.”
“Just as long as we’re finally mobile,” Sakura pointed out.
“Agreed, Sakura,” choked Ash. “I don’t want to be idle for a second longer. And you’re coming with us whether you like it or not, Meowth.”
“Hey, I ain’t complaining, Ashy boy,” mused Meowth. “I’m not letting that group of no good, backstabbing losers hurt anyone again!”
“Guess we’re off then.”
And off they went towards Zinc City, with their first goal in sight. With the addition of the learning modules and the presence of Madison and Meowth, things were looking up for once.

“Hmm. I didn’t suspect those two would tag along,” growled Giovanni like a wild animal from the security of his hidden base.
“Would you like them ‘removed’, my lord?” inquired the Rocket standing guard.
“No!” Giovanni licked his lips in delight. “Let them be. The game’s getting more interesting! Let them have hope!” He picked up a pencil and snapped it in half with minimum effort, sending splinters flying across the air. “For now...”



There! The repost continues! Sorry for the delay! ;)

[Gavin Luper]

Can't wait for chapter 8!

Oh, i just realised we have the same amount of views! I dunno why that was interesting :S.

[Snakes N' Legends]

Poor Meowth!!! Being betrayed by his own teammates. If I was in Ash's Place, I would take care of Meowth and never let him go. Also I would maybe find a way to get Meowth to learn pay day ... what, anybody or any thing can do something if they really try. So Madison and Meowth are part of the group. Poor Sakura!!! Who knows what costumes Madison has come up with for Sakura!! Great chapter, CCC. Keep it up!!!!!

[Last Exile]

Gavin Luper: Well, it is an interesting point! Good to see your fic is doing well. A question, if I may. Where in Australia do you live? Sorry if you said before, but with all my thesis work, I'm bonkers lately! ;)

tyranitar master: Sakura gradually did get used to those costumes. Besides, I think she actually liked the better ones. And some of them were created to stick her with the innocent young girl stigma, which grows weary quite quickly. Anyways, Madison ends up tending Meowth. I doubt Ash would be able to relate to Meowth for a bit considering their history.

[Wolfsong]

Another great chapter CCC. Keep up the great work. Anyway i can go home on the weekends so it doesn't bother me being here. In fact, i'm enjoying it here...

[Last Exile]

Nala98: Well, that's good to hear. If one gets along with their parents and can still see them when at university, that's a bonus. ;)

[Darkgel]

... Whoa.

I'm finally back and I find this masterpiece back where it was.

Keep it up, CCC!

By the way, if you wanna read my CCS Fanfic, PM me. I don't think we're allowed to advertise, are we?

[PlatinumHawke]

Originally posted by Citrus Crush Chikorita
tyranitar master: Yeah, I'm a music nut. But not for that mainstream crap.

Amen to that bruttha.
A big "gomenne" for not keeping up to date and reply, though I'm still waiting on the new chapters to be posted. I think you left off at around 20-odd.

And in a bit of news, I got my hands on the 6th CCS manga, which details the Judgement by Yue... and it is far different than the anime version.

[Last Exile]

Darkgel: Welcome back! ;) Well, if your fic is on TPM, I don't think you'll have Damian bothering you. So yeah, I'd love to read it.

Platinumhawke: Well, I really should respond to Glory's Long Road! But my mind's haywire these days with thesis work. Thanks for replying! And I'd love to see the CCS manga.

[Last Exile]

Chapter 5 – Fallen Angels

For days they had nothing in their future. It had been cruelly torn apart, battered and broken beyond recognition. Dreams burning up in stingy smoke, hopes flowing down the drain like blood spilling from lifeless bodies, staining the ground like a memory that never goes away no matter how much you wish it would. This was something these two young adults should never have been forced to live through. But this was the real world. And reality can be cruel. Very cruel. Hopefully you have the strength to persevere, to succeed, and to live on. Right now, Ash and Sakura seemed like they just might have what it took. But then again, their moods seemed to swing every single moment. Something as small and seemly insignificant as a contorted face or a stormy dark cloud, black and blasting torrential rain and thunder down on an unsuspecting populous, could send them into the depths of despair. On the other hand, the sound of a cheery voice from a young child, or a simple look from one of Ash’s Pokemon or Kero, a look that emanated years of friendship and understanding, could send their souls soaring higher than ever.

As the world does, they swayed back and forth. Such is the balance of power in the eternal fight between good and evil, while the chaos is somehow brought to order by the presiding forces of neutrality. For good and evil can’t exist without the other, yet they are complete opposites. Something else must exist to represent the most abnormal fusion in the universe. But being neutral right now would lead to feeling numb and detaching oneself from the situation. And that was something Ash and Sakura could ill afford to do now. For while the events of the lasts few days hurt them like hell, they needed to focus on the pain more than ever. It was an eternal reminder of what lies ahead. What they needed to do. It kept it real. For the pain they felt was sure to be mirrored or amplified by what Misty and Li were going through.

So Ash and Sakura needed to constantly remind themselves of the prime directive. The fiery, instinctive, energetic yet skilled Pokemon trainer and the spirited, loving, dreamy yet mature magician were going to rely on each other like the air they breathed. They were finished without the other. Team Rocket would kill the ones they loved without a second thought. That fact had killed something inside the two of them. Pizzazz in Ash’s actions, which were normally so brash, impulsive and flung him headfirst into pandemonium along with anyone else nearby, and the sparkle in Sakura’s eyes, which sprung out a shower of happiness, innocence, youth and dreams had begun to subside. Optimism was a source of hope in the time like this, but too much optimism could lead to getting too far ahead of oneself. This was no video game. This was really happening. Ash and Sakura had the lives of Misty and Li in their hands. And for one year, they would have to sweat it out together in order to have one shot at rescuing their loves from the clutches of evil. Any slipups, and Misty and Li would suffer the consequences. Giovanni would be watching their every move. As if they were in the nightmares worlds of Big Brother, Brave New World or Fahrenheit 451. Was this journey all in vain? No point in holding back. It was all or nothing. And nothing didn’t even bear thinking about.

Ash and Sakura walked hand in hand as they made their way towards Destiny City. It was called Destiny City because only very experienced trainers would bother to try out to qualify for the Green League. It was virtually the home stretch for many trainers, as they sought to win their last league before facing off against the Elite 4. Anyone walking by would have recognised the infamous young Pokemon trainer, and they would have been quite curious as to why another young woman besides Misty was at his side on his final leg of his journey. But by now news of the latest wave of Team Rocket attacks had spread across the continent, so many people were actually hanging out to get a glimpse of Ash and Sakura. People knew by now that Ash was definitely not the person who craved the limelight. He wanted nothing more than to accomplish his dream and have friends around. Was that too much to ask? It was for Team Rocket obviously.

At least Ash had Sakura. And Ash already had very high opinions of Sakura. That day at Silver Lake, when he caught a momentary glimpse of who Sakura really was. He saw Sakura’s true happiness, the aura that shone around her being that emanated from her soul, that insatiable lilt that reached out, sucked you in and held you hypnotised that always lingered in her voice, her pearly, luminescent skin that shone like the sparkly beaches of paradise, and those sparkly emerald eyes that were the portal to a soul so beautiful and mind-blowing that words were too pathetic to describe the feeling. And he could also see a ditsy, hilarious side to her. He saw a bit of himself in her. He felt sick inside that Sakura was reduced to a mere fraction of her true happiness. Ash silently swore that he was going to make sure that Sakura would regain that happiness, if it was the last thing he ever did. She was one of a special kind, and if she was lost too, then all of his hopes would slip down the drain into a never-ending ocean of despair, never to be seen again.

And conversely, Sakura had high opinions of Ash. He had such a strong, spirited will that somehow spurred out in full at Silver Lake. She could see the fire in his eyes, the power within that pushed him on whenever adversity stood in his way. She saw the special connection Ash had with his Pokemon. He viewed them as friends rather than pets that battled for him. He was full of empathy, just like her. And it came from pure, young honesty that somehow escaped being corrupted by the evils of the world. Just like her. She saw some of her own being in him. Horrified that someone as defiant and honest as Ash was wronged so deeply, Sakura felt sympathy well up in her, and she silently vowed to make sure Ash accomplished his dreams and that his true nature returned to him. In that moment, unknowingly, the two had bound themselves even closer in their private quest. It would be telling in the months to come. But for now, the two strode on hand in hand, letting touch from someone that cared and understood provide some relief to the mental anguish that raged within.

Ash remembered some things that Professor Oak had told him back in Pallet Town. He had forgotten at the time, but Oak had told him that he would meet up with Ash as soon as he got to Destiny City. Oak had something special to give him there and some advice to give. Advice he couldn’t give back then. Ash figured it was important, so he knew he had to reach Destiny City with haste. He didn’t want to keep Oak waiting. Plus Sakura had gotten word from Tori that he would be in Destiny City around the same time as Oak, so he had something for her too. So their pace had gradually increased as they made their way to the beginning of a chapter in their lives that would lead to true happiness or to the stinking bowels of oblivion.

“Ash, I didn’t know so you were so popular!” Sakura had only just begun to notice the intimidating hordes of people that circled round them for miles. Thousands of eyes burning in on them.
“It started ever since I won the Johto Championships. I wish they’d just cut it out personally.” Ash made it clear he was in no mood for unwanted attention. He could see news reporters and the like.
“Mm. Why did those reporters have to bug us like that back at Silver Town?! Couldn’t they give us some privacy, considering what just happened?! It still hurts, Ash! It’ll never stop hurting until it’s over! I hate others suffering for things I’ve been forced to do for the good of others! And I don’t want people prying into my life as if it were an open book everyone has to read!”
Ash put his free hand on her neck, gently stroking it, relaxing tense muscles and letting them assume their proper form. Sakura sighed in pleasure, relishing such a welcome sensation. “People want to know, I guess, because they care. If people stop caring, they begin to lose the battle. But I agree. There is a point to which people can learn things about others. We deserve to have some things kept to ourselves.”
“Remember what Giovanni said?! He said that if the media got word of what happened, he'd make Misty and Li suffer for it! I know what that man is capable of!”
Sakura didn’t cry. She was too strong for that at the moment. She needed to be strong. If she began crying, she might never stop. Such was the hurt locked up inside her. Soon there would be time for release. Now it was time for resolve.
“I know. And I know you don’t want anyone to know about your magic!”
“They would fear me Ash! Because it’s something they don’t understand! People fear what they don’t understand and can’t control! They’d probably burn me at the stake or something! Yet they can see the magic in Pokemon. Why not the rest of the magic around them?!”
“Maybe they once did. Maybe their own personal experiences made them lose sight of it. We have to keep sight of it always, lest we give in to darkness.”
Sakura nodded and hummed in agreement.
“I wish things weren’t so dire. Otherwise I could spend forever looking at how beautiful this place is.” Sakura was right. Destiny City was on the horizon. At the centre of Destiny City was a marble statue of a Dragonite, countless millennia old, yet stronger than ever. The spirit of the legendary Pokemon lived on in this city and inspired anyone who came here in their epic leg of their Pokemon journeys. Greats like Lance, Agatha, Bruno and Prima had passed here before on their ways to greatness. And here it would start for Ash. In a town where buildings were glossed over with plants and bushes all over. People in Destiny City didn’t want to live in a concrete jungle. So they kept Nature close, and people living there felt far more relaxed and content than people in more urbanised areas. Pokemon thrived in these conditions. Kids spent hours every day playing with wild Pokemon, and if one liked them enough, it would stay with them, leaving new trainers in the making. It seemed like a great place to live, and an ominous place for experienced trainers. A town of green and dreams.

[Last Exile]

Ash and Sakura entered the Destiny City Pokemon Centre. It was a common meeting place, so there were plenty of trainers about as well as other people. This was where they were meant to meet Oak and Tori. Ash and Sakura waited in eerie longing, sitting against soft blue sofas, lying down next to each other. It was weird that Ash and Sakura didn’t mind being so close, but their reliance was 60-60-24-365, so they couldn’t leave each other’s side. Ash and Sakura let the comforting presence of their warm hands linger near each other’s, providing some quiet peace to heal the hell that waged war on their private universes. The radio in the centre piped up, causing many people nearby to swing round in curiosity.
“And now folks, we’ve got a treat for ya! Ben Folds, former lead singer of the American group Ben Folds Five, which split up last year, has returned with his debut solo album, Rockin’ The Suburbs! You’ve already heard Rockin’ The Suburbs for the last few weeks, and now it’s this weeks feature album here on Triple J! So here’s another track from the album. This one is the opening song, and it’s called ‘Annie Waits.’

Ben Folds – Annie Waits


And so Annie waits Annie waits Annie waits
For a call from a friend
The same
It’s the same, why’s it always the same?
Annie waits for the last
Time

The clock never stops never stops never waits
She’s growing old
It’s getting late
And so her forgot, he forgot but maybe not
Maybe he’s been seriously hurt
That'd be worse
Headlights crest the hill
Shadows pass her by and out of sight
Annie sees in dreams
Friday bingo, pigeons in the park

Annie waits for the last time
Just the same as the last time
Annie says, you see?
This is why I’d rather be alone

And so Annie waits Annie waits Annie waits
For a call from a friend
It’s the same, why’s it always the same?
Annie waits as the last...

Headlights crest the hill
Who will be the one forever more?
Annie, I could be
If we’re both still lonely when we’re old

Annie waits for the last time
Just the same as the last time
Annie waits
But not for me


Ash and Sakura sat up as soon as the song broke free from the speakers, hanging onto every single note and word until the last syllable and piano chord zipped out. In those four minutes, they found themselves thinking about their own scenario as Ben portrayed a scene of a woman who waited for a call to find true happiness, but it never came. Her dreams slipped by, her youth was gone, and still no release. It made the two of them feel a little scared. Was this what was in store for them? Were they doomed to fail, leaving them a lifetime of being alone, waiting for the one moment to bring them back to happiness, yet it never comes? The piano and Ben’s vocals amplified some hope and longing into the song, which never came to fruition, further reinforced as the piano and vocals turned sombre as verses melted away. The hope never went away, but it never was realised. Annie’s situation was so haunting. To think this was what some people will live through. Ash and Sakura realised that age had nothing to do with it. Nothing could prepare you for the prospect of living the rest of your life alone in the hope that one day, it will all end and happiness will return. But for some, it never will. And they’re forever stuck in that cycle, just like Annie.

“Hey, that sounded good!” said one trainer nearby, stroking her Flareon. “I always hoped ol’ Benny would still keep going after the band split!”
“Yeah! Ya never can beat the sarcasm and the personal stories that he writes! Heck, he may be a jerk, a self-confessed jerk, but man he’s good!” commented another.
“But only a self-confessed jerk could write Rockin’ The Suburbs! Everyone in my neighbourhood is still hung up on that one!” mentioned a third trainer,
“Well he finally decided to use guitar!” noted the first trainer. “Who would’ve thought it?!” The rest of them nodded in agreement.
Ash and Sakura looked at them in envy. Those trainers were probably looking forward to an epic adventure on the final road to the Elite 4. Yet all the two of them could think about was getting Misty and Li back. Nothing else mattered. Their hearts would stop beating without them in their lives. It would be like trying to breathe underwater. Impossible.

“So, my dear fellow yellow one, what do they call you around the ol’ gang, heh?” inquired Kero, dreaming of, obviously, pudding. A great big mountain of pudding.
“Pikachu!” sparked out Pikachu in a happy tone.
“Ah, nice name! Finally someone around here who can talk! At least I don’t have to pretend no more!” Kero began pumping his arms in delight, like he does when he’s about to get sweets.
“Pika pika chu!”
“What?! No Pokemon can speak human language?!” Kero began sobbing like a shattered kid who doesn’t get what he wants.
“Pika...chu chu!”
Kero looked at Pikachu as if he was nuts “Except for that talking Meowth! What talking Meowth? You’re having me on, aren’t ya Sparky?!”
“Pika chu! Pika!” Pikachu was a little confused. He was being honest, but the flying squirrel was taking no notice of that.
“Yeah sure! The day that I see a talking Meowth, I buy you a bottle of ketchup!” Kero folded his arms and sneered.
“PIKA!”
“Huh?! What’s grabbing your tail, Sparky?! Huh?! What the...?”
A Meowth, which looked like it had been beaten over a hundred times with an iron bar or something harsher, hobbled up to the two of them. It was crying gingerly and looked at them like a broken man through those puffed up black eyes.

[Darkgel]

I remember this one. Good!

By the way, my fic's NOT in TPM. But I plan on to get it here. Just as soon as I rebackup Chapter 2, I messed up the files while writing the 3rd one.

[Last Exile]

“I can’t believe it! After all these years, after all we’ve been through, Jesse and James dumped me! Like that! Then again, considering how many times we’ve backstabbed each other, why am I not surprised?! It made a lot of sense! They got a big promotion for nabbing the two brats, and they kicked me out to get more of the bonus and the wage increase! Typical Jesse and James! And now ol’ Meowth had gotta fend for himself! Ah!”
Meowth sighed as if he was ready to throw in the towel for good. “What am I gonna do now?! Maybe if I found that Pikachu, I could do something!”
He sunk down to the floor in exhaustion, sinking in his sorrow like sinking into quicksand.
“Aw great! Here’s your ketchup, short circuit!”
“PIKA!” Pikachu lashed out at Kero with its tail, then began to power up its cheeks for a light attack. It didn’t like Kero’s attitude one bit. Kero grabbed Pikachu’s tail and flung it back at him, nearly flinging Pikachu off balance. “Look! I gave you the ketchup! Don’t give me another of those damn shocks, or I’ll give it to ya I swear!”
“Pika!”
“Okay! That does it! Winner gets a pudding!” Kero and Pikachu began staring each other down Western-style, like they were in a showdown. Kero began pumping his fists, psyching his little body up while Pikachu began powering up his electric cheeks for combat.
“Pikachu? Is that you?!”
“Pika?” Pikachu swung round to meet the source of the familiar voice. He knew that feline voice anywhere! “Pika!”
“Hmm, he’s looked like he’s seen better days! Er, scratch the fight, Sparky! Hey there, kitty? Pudding?!” Kero whipped out the pudding cake from Sakura’s satchel, looking for any excuse to get some pudding without retribution.
“Thanks.” Meowth’s burnt paw carefully picked up a piece and savoured the sweet taste of every molecule of sugar, custard and fruit. “It’s been a while since anyone was this nice to me!”
“Pika pika!”
“Well, shows ya what bums those two jerks are!”
“Kero!” Sakura then noticed the hastily opened package left dangling on top of her satchel. “I said NO pud...er, who’s that?”
“Oh, this guy? He a talking Meowth. In bad shape too!”
“Talking Meowth?” Ash woke up from his daydreaming and felt like he was in the twilight zone. “All right! What are ya up to this time, Meowth?! And where are Jesse and James?”
“Don’t mention those two! I don’t ever wanna see those heartless cowards again after they kicked me off the team just to take the promotion for capturing the two twerps!”
Ash and Sakura looked at each other in blinding hope. Sakura grabbed him by his arms and began pleading at him. “Were they Misty and Li?! Please tell us! We’ve gotta know! Please!” Sakura began sobbing a little, coming across a lump of sand in her throat, making it so hard to breathe her eyes couldn’t stop watering.
“You mean the readhead? Yeah, it was her. And that brown haired magician too!”
“All right Meowth!” Anger that had been building up in Ash like a virus was now active and ready to infect. “Where are they?!”
“I don’t know! Jesse and James threw me out of the balloon after them and the two other Rockets got away with the two of them! Can you believe that! They threw me outta the balloon from a mile up! I can’t believe I actually survived that fall!”
“Well, I kinda know how you feel,” mentioned Sakura in a guilty tone. “Then again, I always did have the Fly Card to help out. Still, the Jump Card almost did me in that way.”
“Gee, I didn’t know things were that bad for ya, Meowth!” Ash looked at the feline he resented for so many years for his endless attempts to steal his best buddy in the world from him. But seeing him helpless as he was, Ash was compelled to help him.
“Nurse Joy! This Meowth needs help!”
“Oh dear! Chansey, prepare the emergency room! And a bed for this Meowth!” Nurse Joy began ministering her healing powers as she took Meowth into the dominion where many lives were rescued while some were not as fortunate.
“Sakura, this whole mess keeps getting weirder and weirder!” Ash began looking at the GS Ball Oak had given him. “I wonder what’s in this?! God knows how long I went around delivering this thing! Hope it’s something good! I could use a break about now!”
“Yeah!” Sakura was a little concerned herself. “I’ve been wondering about these new cards Giovanni mentioned. It takes a pretty powerful magician to create new cards. And I don’t like thinking what kind of cards were created if they fell into the wrong hands!”
“Yeah. Looks like maybe more people than just us and Misty and Li may get hurt in this fiasco.”
Sakura nodded in desperate tones. Team Rocket had gone so far as to expend their own. Could they even trust Giovanni? He seemed to be a man of his word. Except when it benefited him to betray it.
“I think maybe we should let Meowth tag along, Ash! Maybe he can help us! I mean, think about it! A Pokemon that can talk human language could be pretty useful on our quest!”
Ash bit his lip. He never really trusted Meowth. But Pikachu had mentioned that time he and Meowth had to work together to survive that time they got lost in the Orange Islands. Meowth did have a heart. He just got hurt badly early on in life and fell in with the wrong crowd. Ash sighed. This was getting nutty. And things were sure to get even crazier.
“Okay. Meowth’s in.”
“Pudding?” offered Kero.
“Better get some before it disappears, Ash! Magic, you know!” joked Sakura, smiling for the first time in hours, which even managed to invoke a smile on Ash’s lips.
“Sounds good to me.”

Letting Meowth join the fold! Misty’s reaction would have been classic thought Ash. Misty. Her very life in Ash’s hands. Such an enormous responsibility for someone so young. And Sakura had Li’s in her own hands. For now all they could do was wait and see how Meowth was doing. He will still in intensive treatment. And where were Oak and Tori anyway?! Ash and Sakura absolutely resented idle time! They had a job to do, and their loves’ lives were at stake! Sitting around doing nothing wouldn’t accomplish a thing! Except make them feel as helpless as newborn babies, and that was the last thing they wanted.
“Well, Ash, at least you’re early for once!” Ash knew that voice anywhere. Oak.
“Nice to see you, Professor Oak. Er, this is Sakura. Sakura, this is Professor Oak, the world famous Pokemon expert that started me on my journey.”
“Cool! It’s nice to meet the person who started Ash on the road to glory!”
“Um, I’m flattered. Though I don’t know whether I was that influential on Ash!” Oak never was one to grab the spotlight.
Ash broke in eagerly like a kid in a candy store. “So Professor, you said you had something for me?”
Oak got straight to business like a university lecturer. “Yes, Ash.
Yesterday I got hold of a new Pokeball system. It allows you to carry 15 Pokeballs with you instead of 6! So now you can have all your Pokemon with you!”
“Wow! Professor! That’s great! You mean I can have Kingler, Muk and Tauros with me all the time now?! Plus I can catch some new ones without to send any back?! Great!”
“That means you can catch new Pokemon without having to send them back. As for the GS Ball...” Oak could see Ash welling up with excitement.
“What’s in it, Professor?! You've got to tell me!”
“I don’t know, Ash. I honestly don’t know. But it’s something rare and powerful. I could tell from the energy contained within the GS Ball. The lock on the ball will break in a week’s time. Then you will know. Be sure to let me know. I’m eager myself to see what it is, considering how much time we’ve spent on that saga.”
“Sure Professor. Was there anything else you came here to tell me?”
Oak’s face hardened like steel. Ash knew he was getting pretty serious. “Ash, don’t be fooled. The Green League is VERY tough. Many trainers take years to even qualify, and more to be lucky enough to win! These Gym Leaders are the toughest breed of all! And furthermore, their Pokemon are a cut above the rest! For they have the ability to use attacks they normally wouldn’t! Water types using Electric attacks, Fire types using Water attacks. Be aware of this, Ash. These Pokemon have hidden powers you couldn’t dream of!”
Ash’s youthful optimism was shattered in an instant like glass windows by an errant ball, and a sullen look broke out across his worn out face. “So you’re saying I might not pull this off in a year?!” He then buried his hands and began crying uncontrollably. “Misty!”
Sakura began breaking down herself like a waterfall. “Li! No! Professor, there must be a way! We have to do this in a year! Please, help us! Anything!”
Oak felt like the world had fallen on his shoulders when he saw that look on Sakura’s face. Her eyes looked like they were falling out of their sockets and their emerald hue was barely alive at all, and her mouth looked like bits of frayed rope instead of luscious lips. She was an absolute wreck, as was Ash. These kids deserve better after all they’ve done for the world. I hope I’m doing the right thing!
“Which is why I really came here.”
Ash and Sakura stopped crying in a flash, held each other’s hand tightly and sat up as one, living for his every word like it was the air they breathed.
“Ash, I want you to have these.” Oak handed fifteen electronic modules to Ash. All the size of wristwatches.
“What are these?”
“They’re learning modules. Ash, these modules can help to awaken a Hidden Power within a Pokemon. Just like with these Gym Leaders.”
Ash felt a ray of light permeate his stormy world. He liked what he was hearing.
“In other words, they will learns attacks of an element they normal couldn’t perform! Ash, I know why you have to do what you’re doing! Take these. They will help you immensely.”
Ash felt a half smile slip across his cracked lips and let it linger like a sweet aftertaste. “Thank you, Professor. Thank you for giving me hope!”
“Ash, I truly believe you can do this! It won’t be easy, but seeing what you’ve done has made even the harshest skeptics change their views on you. So do it, my boy. Go get them back.”
Ash shook hands with the man that started it all, then Oak walked out of the centre. “I’ll keep in touch.”
“Guess I’d better start using these things”, figured Ash. He called his Pokemon out and began strapping the device onto each of them.
“Just bear this for a while! It’ll give you all powers you didn’t have before, and they’ll make you stronger!”
All his Pokemon agreed to go through with this and let the modules enhance the power within. “You feel stronger, Pikachu?”
“Pika!” chirped Pikachu happily in reply.
“Great! Guess these things are as good as Oak said. I bet Pikachu learned something really cool!”
Kero began musing. “Yeah, but one of the others learned something a whole lot better.”
“You got that right.”
Everyone whirled around to the entrance to the emergency room. Standing there was Meowth, with no sign of the scars that ravaged his body before. His fur coat had its normal sheen restored and his golden charm was as shiny as ever.
“Lucky you found it when you did. Otherwise it would have been done for. I hope you can care for it well. Knowing you Ash, I know you will.”
There wasn’t a Nurse Joy anywhere who didn’t recognise Ash Ketchum within five seconds.
“Thanks Nurse Joy.”
“Anyway”, continued Meowth, “I agree with my fellow talking comrade here. I reckon the leafy one over there was the one that really benefited from those modules.
“Mm,” nodded Kero in strong agreement. “Definitely. Bayleef is going to learn something really powerful soon.”
“Really?” Ash and Sakura looked at Bayleef intently. Bayleef still had that sparkle in her eyes that she had as a Chikorita, she had an invigorating spicy aroma permeating from the leaves on her neck, and her skin was a lush green that shone in the afternoon sunlight. They noticed that Bayleef was somehow different, but they couldn’t quite put their finger on it.
“Guess we’ll find out someday soon.”
“Lazy as ever squirt?!”

Sakura sighed heavily. “Oh no. Here’s trouble!”
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Tori had just entered the building. “Well, it’s nice to see you’re actually awake this early in a day, Sakura!”
“Tori!” Sakura really wasn’t in the mood for one of their regular showdown sessions.
“And that you actually made it one time for our meeting is even more miraculous! Must be the Bermuda Triangle or something! A Sakura from a parallel universe! Have you seen my real sister?!”
“Grrrrrrrr!” Sakura was fuming like Mount Vesuvius must have when it sent Pompeii into extinction. “Can you just get to the point?! Why are you here?!”“Alright squirt, keep a lid on it. I came here to escort someone else you’ll need on your quest.”
“Hey Sakura.” Sakura’s heart missed a heartbeat for sure. She knew that sweet, mellow female voice anywhere.
“Madison!”
Sakura jumped up and eagerly embraced her lifelong friend. Madison still wore her silky black hair long, her sapphire eyes were as sparkling as ever, and she still bore her own trademark smile like a charm. Sakura laughed for the first time in days. She felt so carefree and safe in the presence of one of her best friends.
“Um, so why are you here?”
“Well, Tori told me what you guys are going to be up to. I figured that you could use my planning skills, my electronic equipment, my brainpower and my costumes as always! Sakura! Did you honestly think you’d capture more cards without me around? And without a costume?! Forget it!”
“Hey hey!” piped in Kero happily. “Nice to see you around here, partner!”
“Hey Kero!’ glowed Madison. “Guess what I’ve got!” She let Kero take a quick peek inside her backpack.
“CAKE! Lots and lots of cake! I’m in heaven!” Kero beamed in ecstasy.
“That makes one of us, at least,” mused Ash.
“I can help you guys out. You can’t do this alone. Oak asked me personally.”
Ash and Sakura stopped in their tracks and listened like hawks scouring for prey. “Oak said that?”
“Yeah. He said that despite how strong the two of you were, he felt certain that you’d get into trouble sooner or later.”
Ash and Sakura sighed lightbulbs anime style. They hated to admit, but it was true.
“So that’s why I’m here! I’m coming along with you guys!”
“I’m not turning you down!” laughed Sakura. “Thank you, Madison!”
“No problem, Sakura! I wouldn’t miss this for the world!”
“I’m outta here, squirt” stated Tori as a mere formality. “Don’t take no wooden Indians.”
“Bye Tori!” Sakura had to admit that Tori could be nice at times. If he tried.
“So where are we headed first?” inquired Madison.
Ash looked on the map on the Pokedex screen. “This says that the nearest gym is in Zinc City. Guess we’d better go there.”
“Just as long as we’re finally mobile,” Sakura pointed out.
“Agreed, Sakura,” choked Ash. “I don’t want to be idle for a second longer. And you’re coming with us whether you like it or not, Meowth.”
“Hey, I ain’t complaining, Ashy boy,” mused Meowth. “I’m not letting that group of no good, backstabbing losers hurt anyone again!”
“Guess we’re off then.”
And off they went towards Zinc City, with their first goal in sight. With the addition of the learning modules and the presence of Madison and Meowth, things were looking up for once.

“Hmm. I didn’t suspect those two would tag along,” growled Giovanni like a wild animal from the security of his hidden base.
“Would you like them ‘removed’, my lord?” inquired the Rocket standing guard.
“No!” Giovanni licked his lips in delight. “Let them be. The game’s getting more interesting! Let them have hope!” He picked up a pencil and snapped it in half with minimum effort, sending splinters flying across the air.
“For now...”

[Last Exile]

Darkgel: Well, hope it gets up soon. Hope you read the bit posted after you posted! ;)

[Wolfsong]

Another nice chapter. Keep up the great work.

Thanks again for helping me get those last few words for that paper... 7 words is a bugger when you think you've said all you could say.....

[Last Exile]

Nala98: And for the millionth time I say, your welcome, and thanks for making my day better! ;)

PS. I LOVE YOUR SIG! IT RULES!

[Gavin Luper]

Hey CCC! Or can I call you Ryan? Whatever suits you ^^ I've been eavesdropping on what Tara calls you :rolleyes:

Still can't wait for chapter 8! Oh, by the way, I'm from Western Australia. What about you? For some reason I keep thinking you're from S.A. but you're probably not :P

Cheers mate!

[PlatinumHawke]

Well, I'd love to scan off some of the manga... but:
1.) my scanner is down, since I removed the software for it, and
2.) the whole computer is down because I fried it during an upgrade. However, I will write up a synopsis if you like.

[Lady Vulpix]

As I said on both the UBB and the EZBoard, that was a GREAT chapter! It's good to know you're still working on this fic. :)
So, you helped Amy with her paper? That's great! I wish I could talk to you more.
Well, good luck with everything, Ryan! Keep writing and drop me a line when you can.

[Last Exile]

Gavin Luper: Hey, call me Ryan, mate! Feel free to. I think we can use the first name basis now. ;) And yes, I AM from South Australia! ;) And you're from WA? Nice! Always wanted to check out Perth. Seems like a pretty decent place to live. My mum's quite fond of it too. *breathes sigh of relief* I was praying that you weren't Victorian and/or a Victoran AFL supporter. Not that I have anything against Victorians. It's just that Victorians always diss South Australia at any opportunity the get. Guess you guys get it t

Platinumhawke: Hey, no worries! ;) A synopsis would be cool. I actually saw some CCS manga once, and it is fairly different from the anime. I agree with you there.

Lady Vulpix: Well, since I found that my lab computer actually has AIM capabilities, I just need to know when you are online, because I'd LOVE to talk to you! ;) Thanks for the praise! ;)

[Gavin Luper]

Hi! Well, I'm from WA, but I am a Collingwood supporter :P.

Oh well. We find out tomorrow if we win or not. I think we'll lose the grand Final by a goal >:(

Oh well. Get the rest of the chapters up soon, ok? :D

Cheers!

[RaZoR LeAf]

*is a secret reader*

I think i saw one or two chapters of this out of morbid curiosoity on the EZBoard, i didn't realise it was here as well.

I love the idea, CardCaptors is one of my favourite animes, i can't wait to see what cards Sakura has to capture.

[Andrew]

Hey CCC, looks like you're an AFL nut by the looks of it! ;) And well the Lions are going to win today! Apparently, I really couldn't care less about AFL... Queensland's not really an AFL state, cause we only have 1 team! lol! We're much more NRL, but I couldn't give a damn about that either! Not anymore that is!

Just dropping you a line, looks like you've sorted out that problem and you've gotten rid of that nasty lack of quotation ;) And well you're crusing along quite nicely and are you editing the chapters along the way if you found some grammar/spelling errors? And how do you deal with people walking past your PC and seeing Pokemon all over it! I'd just DIE!

Good work CCC, hope to see more!

[Gavin Luper]

BRISBANE ARE NOT GOING TO WIN!

I mean ... I don't think they will :D

Hey guys! Lol, I'm not that much into AFL either, but hey you gotta go for SOMEONE.

I don't really have much to say. Hi Oz! Hi Ryan!

CHEERS!

PS: Collingwood will win ...

[Last Exile]

Razor Leaf: Cheers! ;) And don't worry. I've got some cool cards lined up!

OzAndrew: Yeah, but since South Australia ain't a rugby state, I know jack about it. But I think the Broncos would be a bit hard pressed without Langer to beat Sydney. I have no allegiances in NRL whatsoever, but Brisbane aren't as polished as they were a couple of years ago.

Gavin Luper: Hey, don't worry about it. It's just a game. And Brisbane DID win. But it was one heck of a game! I thought Collingwood's tactics were a bit dirty, but they worked quite well.

[Last Exile]

Chapter 6 – Go With The Flow

The mood was actually brighter than it had been for a long time. Things could really only get better from here. Some say that there is no end to how far you can fall, while others believe that there is a point you can reach in your downfall, and you can only go up from there. Ash and Sakura seemed to be on the up, that was for sure. These were two kids that knew the pain of loss very well indeed, but they had always resurfaced from despair stronger and happier than ever. Ash and Sakura were two people that you could never snuff out. They were like candles that kept on burning even when the wick ran out or stars that burned brighter as time went on. They never ran out of reserves. They always had something left in the tank to keep them going. These were two souls that never quit. They kept going forward.
“And then down it went!” yelled Ash in triumph. “Drake’s Dragonite suddenly couldn’t stand any longer! It toppled backwards slowly like a crumbling castle, and the ground shook like an earthquake! Pikachu still managed to keep standing, and the referee announced me the winner! The first person to beat Drake in all the time he had been the Pummelo Gym Leader! I got a really cool golden trophy, and a photo of me and the six Pokemon that I used that day! Pikachu, Squirtle, Lapras, Tauros, Bulbasaur and Charizard! Placed next to the replica marble trophy that stands forever in the Palace of Victory for all to see! I actually managed to win the Orange League!”
“Wow, Ash! That’s amazing! I actually saw some of that battle, but I never knew it was that intense!” Sakura had been listening to Ash rave on about his accomplishments on his Pokemon journey so far, and she was loving every minute of it. “Say, where are the rest of that super six?! They must me great Pokemon!”
Ash sucked in a little for a while then perked up again. Sakura’s keen eyes noticed the slight, temporary change in behaviour, and she began to feel a little guilty. This caused her to console Ash.
“Ash, did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean to!”
Madison chipped in at that moment. “Sakura, I think what Ash is saying by his actions is that most of them aren’t with him anymore.”
Sakura gasped in shock then swung to Ash in haste. “Ash, is that true? Are most of them gone?”
Ash smiled and nodded his head gently. “Don’t worry, Sakura! They’re fine! I was always got to let Lapras find its family, so once we did, I obviously let it go. Charizard really wanted to be stronger despite its own awesome powers, so I left it with Lisa in the Charizific Valley to train with wild Charizard to achieve its dream. Squirtle went back to the Squirtle Squad, for they needed him as a leader and were lost without him. As for Bulbasaur, he missed everyone he used to know and didn’t enjoy battling that much anymore. So when the Venusaur from the Secret Garden came across our path one day, Bulbasaur said he wanted help nature and other grass Pokemon, and that he needed to ship up if he was going to do that. He thought letting Venusaur coach him would help, so I let him go. Winning battles isn’t all that’s about being a Pokemon trainer. You have to care for your Pokemon as well. My Pokemon are my friends, and I would never hold them back from happiness and their dreams. I don’t think a trainer has the right to, but you can wager that many do it anyway. I have to do what’s in my heart.”
Sakura let her lips slightly part and let forth a glowing smile without showing any teeth, as the afternoon sun split through a mass of puffy white clouds, showering beams of sunlight on her like the kiss of life, illuminating her to the point that Ash thought he was looking at an angel. Sakura reached for her star wand and began thinking about her own experiences.
“I know what you mean, Ash. I initially lost the Final Judgement, and Yue made me forget everything that had happened from the day I found the Clow Cards, as if it had never happened. I returned to a life so cold and empty, it made me feel like I was dead. All my friends, Tori, even my dad, spoke to me as if I was a corpse. It made me feel so sick inside. And I kept feeling someone was missing from my life. Someone that should be there but wasn’t. I went to a part of town I seemed to know, yet there was nothing there but thick growth. I was sure that someone lived there, but nothing was there.
Then out of the silence, voices called to me. Voices I remembered. Madison. Li. Miss Mackenzie. Then I remembered Kero and the Clow Cards. I returned to the Final Judgement, broke free of the Wood Card and resumed the fight. Miss Mackenzie used her special bell to give me one last chance to win, and I knew that I wasn’t prepared to lose everyone that I cared about. I called out an incantation that was suddenly in my mind, and the Clow Cards came back to me, stunning Yue no end. But most of all, my wand began glowing a brilliant white, and the end changed from a swan head to a five-pointed star surrounded by a ring with two small wings on the edges. I was then able to use the Windy Card to defeat Yue, and Yue sent me to Clow Reed after he judged me a worthy master. Clow Reed knew of the goodness in my heart, so he knew I was worthy of such an honour and responsibility. Clow Reed said that I managed to create my new wand through the power in my heart, a power that not even the sun and moon could touch. And the power in my heart that kept all my friends close inside me brought me back to give me a second chance. Doing what was right in my heart got me through that. So I know exactly what you mean.” Sakura then began laughing so sweetly that Ash felt his heart fluttering like butterflies on a crisp spring day. He was in complete awe of Sakura, her magical powers and the goodness in her. And Sakura seemed to be in awe of him, his Pokemon and the goodness in him. It seemed Fate had paired up the two of them for a reason. He couldn’t let someone like Sakura and her spirit be crushed by the foul evil that was Team Rocket. Ash had to do all he could to keep her spirit soaring. Seeing Sakura when she was sad or crying makes a person feel like they’ve wronged her deeply, even if they weren’t the one that made her like that. It was wrong. There are certain people that the world needs to stay bright, even in times of complete darkness. Sakura had managed to find the Light Card within her even when the Dark Card was about to swallow her up into eternal darkness. The world would be a dark place if Sakura’s heart was eternally broken. Ash to do all he could to keep her light burning. And if he had looked at Sakura that moment, he might have noticed that her emerald treasures were looking at him with pity and admiration, wearing to keep him safe him from harm and his brash spirit sparkly as ever.

“Whew! Those two are really getting along well,” mused Kero. “And thank heaven for that! I couldn’t stand seeing those two moping for another second!”
“Pika!” chirped Pikachu happily in agreement, his scarlet red cheeks shiny as mirrors and his brown eyes like stain-glass windows.
“Yeah! Even I gotta admit the twerp and the girl make the world look like a better place when they’re not in the dumps like yesterday’s trash!” purred Meowth.
“Pika pika!” shouted Pikachu at Meowth.
“Hey! I wasn’t paying him out! I didn’t mean it like that!’ Meowth knew what was coming as soon as he saw those red cheeks crackling just a little with that ferocious yellow fire.
“Yeah! Just take it easy! If you want me to, I’ll give him a light knock with the Xylon Warriors Dump Flip!” And Kero began posing karate-style, trying to pull of his favourite video game move for once, but as always, he messed it up at the critical moment when his left leg and right leg were 180 degrees apart, leaving him out of balance and falling over, accidently knocking Pikachu on the top of his head.
“PIKA!” Pikachu was erupting like the lava pits at Hawaii during the season of fire, and Kero knew he was in for it now!
“NO! Not that! Anything but that!”
Meowth began sweating like he was in the middle of the Sahara during an African summer, drenched in his own sweat in panic. “Get outta my way! Don’t fry me too!”
Pikachu let loose with a scintillating Thunderbolt, crackling through the air like boiling oil, spitting and sizzling the two unfortunate ones with yellow fire so intense and charged that they were considerably singed through like a Sunday roast.
“Hey, what’s going on?” wondered Ash. As soon as he saw the mayhem behind him, he knew what was going on. “Aw, not again! Can’t you cut it out for once, Pikachu?!”
“Um, Ash!” exclaimed Madison in a soft yet stern tone. “I think you’d better cool Pikachu off as well as Kero and Meowth before we all get grilled through!”
“Alright,” sighed Ash. “Totodile, give them all a blast of your Water Gun! Cool them down now!”
Totodile came out in an eruption of silky white light and gave them a rushing torrent of cool, crystal clear water that sprayed all over the three like a downpour during a storm. Pikachu began sitting on the ground, feeling a little guilty about losing his temper like that, while Kero and Meowth were gradually getting over their pains.
“Ah, that’s better! I thought I’d be burned permanently after that!”
“You said it, flyboy! This fur takes months just to grow back if it gets sawed off like that!”
Sakura noticed the smell of smoke in the air and swung around like she was in battle mode to see the aftermath of the argument between the sidekicks.
“Aw, not again! Kero, I thought you promised to stop trying that Dump Flip!”
“Sakura, I’m gonna get it one day, I promise!”
“Kero, just not now! Okay? I think stirring up Pikachu like that isn’t a good idea!”
Ash agreed in just a stern fashion. “Pikachu, calm down! We can’t have you getting all irritated every 5 minutes and zapping everyone! So just take it easy, okay? Save it for our future battles and when we rescue Misty!”
Pikachu sat up straight and flashed a cute little smile back at him. “Pika!”
Ash stroked his furry friend gently on his fiery scarlet cheeks. “That’s better!”
“Wow! I can’t wait to see that kind of action in battle, Ash!” commented Madison eagerly. “Imagine catching that kind of power on film! Now that would be a high-rating documentary!”
“Heh..” chuffed Sakura. She knew how unsettling it could be seeing yourself on film the first few times, so she bet Ash was going to get a shock of his own when that happened.
“Sounds good, Madison. You seem to catch a lot of good shots of wild Pokemon yourself!”
“Well, I try my best!”
Sakura then noticed how energetic Totodile was. “Ash, your Totodile is a real buzz! Look at that crazy dance it has! It’s pretty cool!”
“You should have seen how spooked out Chikorita used to get when it did the dance!” joked Ash. “That was affection she didn’t want!”
“I’ll bet!” laughed Sakura. “So how far away are we from Zinc City, anyway?! We should be close to there by now! Nurse Joy said that it was a 2 day walk maximum!”
“Well, there’s Zinc City now actually!” cited Madison. “We should be there in a few minutes!”
“Great!” shouted Ash like a child in a candy store. “We can get something to eat, then I can battle for my first badge! I want a triple cheeseburger and double fries and a large lemonade!”
“I want the largest serve of pasta they’ve got!” Sakura chirped, licking her lips, imagining the mouth-watering smell and dreamy taste of linguini with clams, her favourite dish.
“I want a big Caesar salad!” cheered Madison gleefully.
“And I want pudding! PUDDING” screamed Kero like he was about to enter Heaven.
“Are you nuts? After YOU got us fried? I’m the one who’s getting the pudding this time!” stated Meowth, rubbing his tummy eagerly, quelling the maelstorm inside.
“PIKA!” yelled Pikachu, obviously not happy with the way this argument was going.
“I don’t think so, Sparky! I was the one who offered to help you out, so I GET THE PUDDING!” yelled Kero like a raging lion, as if her was in his majestic true form.
“No way, chipmunk! Fat lot of good your help was! I GET THE PUDDING!” screeched Meowth like an alley cat pursuing its dinner.
“PIKA PIKA!” buzzed Pikachu, as small bolts of yellow fire began to dance on its tense, puffed-up scarlet cheeks again.
“Keep that up and NONE of you will get pudding!” scolded Sakura.
The three of them sunk down in shame, all wanting nothing more than that fluffy, sugary taste to linger and satisfy the nuclear state of their stomachs.
“BUT, if you’re good, you’ll get some ice-cream too!” promised Madison in an innocent, sweet tone.
The three little ones began dreaming of piles of desserts all for them. All for them!
“Slurp....” The three of them began drooling so much they looked like they were under hypnosis as a great big puddle of saliva began to form around their bare feet.
“Guys, wake up or you’ll never get out of that slop and get your pudding!” yelled Ash.
“AHHH!” The three jumped out of the puddle and began traipsing down the road, eagerly racing towards Zinc City, the first port of call on this wacky adventure.
“HEY! We’re the masters!” screamed Sakura.
“Don’t let ‘em get away!” yelled Ash as the trio of humans made haste in their pursuit to catch up with the sidekicks.

[Last Exile]

“Oh......”
A great big groan broke out from the six in unison as they made their way out of the restaurant and back on to the esplanade overlooking the seaside community that was Zinc City.
“I didn’t realise there was so much beef in one of those things!” belched Ash.
“Not to mention your onion breath!” growled Meowth.
“I will never underestimate the power of pasta like that again!” squelched Sakura. “I feel like I’ve been hit by the Pasta Card!”
“Pasta Card? What Pasta Card?!” lulled Kero.
“Joke, Kero” struggled Sakura.
“How can something as small as those anchovies be so strong?! I thought mice were stronger than those things!” gasped Madison.
“Pika?!” chirped Pikachu in bewilderment.
“Not you, Pikachu!”
“My kingdom for a toilet!” groaned Ash.
“There’s one!” Sakura’s discovery made every run faster than they ever had before.
“Um....” gulped Sakura.
“Unisex toilets?” gasped Ash in shock.
“You have got to be kidding me! There is no way I’m watching you four pee! No way!” screamed Madison.
“Use the stalls, then Just don’t make me use the same one a flyboy and Sparky here,” grumbled Meowth.
“Stupid Ally McBeal and their unisex toilets!” growled Kero, wishing he could take a swipe at those jerky lawyers right now.
“Pika...”

Half an hour later the six finally emerged, relieved of their worries.
“I should have listened to my mother!” groaned Ash like a Green Day song.
“I should have listened to MY mother!” grimaced Madison like a mangled Barbie doll, broken at the limbs.
“I should have listened to my dad!” moaned Sakura as if she was being humiliated by Tori for the umpteenth time, spreading the venom like never before.
“I should have listened to the pudding guide book!” growled Kero, acting as if he was in his true form.
“I should have listened to the apple!” screeched Meowth.
“Huh?!” Everyone looked at Meowth as if he was an idiot.
‘Pika pika...” Pikachu began hitting himself on the head, pretending he was as dumb as he was making out Meowth to be.

The six soon found out why the town was called Zinc City. It was virtually summer the whole year through in this region of the Green League, so you could always see people decked out in Hawaiian T-shirts, shorts and thongs, and smarting face zinc of any fluorescent colour imaginable. To fit in with the crowd, Ash, Sakura and Madison decided to get some of their own. Ash got some green zinc, which actually seemed to work well with him, but he almost ended up lodging the tube in his eyes, he was that clumsy. Sakura’s lemon yellow was a real stunner, but the team had to spend 5 minutes getting it out of her hair. As for Madison, she appropriately had no trouble applying her sea blue roll. Trust Madison to be the smart one, as usual.
“Madison, is they’re nothing you can’t do?!” stated Sakura in wonder.
“Yeah! Capture Clow Cards and train Pokemon!”
Madison knew just what to say in that situation, for Ash and Sakura perked up instantly.
“Well, let’s find the gym before it gets dark! I don’t wanna have to wait another day to get that badge! The sooner the better!”
“Right! So where is the gym, Madison?” inquired Sakura eagerly.
“Um, 50 miles from here?!”
“Madison, you’re holding the map upside down!” pointed out Kero.
“Oops! Sorry!” Madison’s cheeks flushed with fire engine red as blood raced up to her face in embarrassment. “Um, it’s down on the beach!”
“On the beach?!” Ash was left like a stunned mullet when he came to a bewildering conclusion. But the only place on the beach is that surfing shop over there!”
“Looks a bit big for a surfing shop though,” observed Madison.
“Let’s check it out, then. There aren’t many other places it could be around here!” beamed Sakura, getting into the spirit of things, doing her best to psych up Ash.
“Alright! Let’s win this!”

“Um, where is everybody?!”
The three of them made their way into the store, which was loaded with wetsuits, boardie shorts, surfboards with far out designs, but no people at all. They walked through to the back end of the store, then noticed the “Zinc Gym” sign right above them.
“Well, guess this is the place.” Ash was getting more spaced out by the second. Luas adorned the walls, palms acted as a wall, letting open air blow cool breezes through this hidden mecca. Four small fountains were spaced out around the grounds, all bearing dinky little surfers. And the battleground was made of glittering white sand! This was nothing like any other gym Ash had been to before.
“Feels more like a hidden retreat or a temple rather than a gym!” noted Madison.
“But it’s so nice! It must be really nice living here!” breathed Sakura. She loved summertime. Ever since Li took her to the seaside soon after they became a couple, Sakura was initiated into the other side of the weather spectrum, and she loved it. Sun, surf, sand. It was so her. Swimming in crystal clear waters. Finding pretty shells. Making sand castles. And lying down with Li. How dreamy it was. And this time, for quite a while, memories didn’t hurt her at all.
Her musings induced Ash into thinking about his experiences at beaches around the country. He had had a lot of fun in the regions off Vermillion City around Aoculupo Island, Cinnibar Island, the Orange Islands, and so on. And all those experiences made him think of Misty. At the beach, she was in her element. Water, sun. Misty felt like she was at peace at the beach, And seeing Misty decked out in her scarlet swimsuit was enough to make Ash go weak at the knees. It was actually nice to think of Misty for once. As so the two of them drifted into private universes and reminisced.
“Aloha, dudes!”
“AHH! Who’s there?” Sakura screamed in shock, jumped at Madison wrapping her arms around her, looking to Madison for shelter from the storm, and nearly knocking Pikachu and Kero over in the process. Meowth wasn’t so lucky.
“Ah, I think I swallowed some sand that time! Calm down, it’s only a hippie, for crying out loud! How scary can it be, emeralds?”
“Sorry! Surprises can just really send me into a spin!” apologised Sakura, feeling pretty stupid.
Ash just grinned. “You should see Misty around bugs!”
Meowth began grinning too. “Oh yeah! That redhead is SO paranoid about bugs! Just a little Caterpie can make her go ballistic!”
“Remember Azalea Gym?! ‘This isn’t a Pokemon Gym! It’s a torture chamber!’”
“Stop it, you’re making me burst, kiddo!” blurted Meowth.
“Gee, Misty must really be scared of bugs!” jeered Madison. “You should see Sakura when she thinks she’s heard a ghost!”
“Madison!” groaned Sakura, letting off a really big, anime-style sweatdrop.
“Well, nice to see some fine young spec-o-mines around here for once! Especially since that spiky brown-haired snotty kid and his Umbreon rocked through here! Man that was an armada of bad vibes, seriously!”
Ash’s heart leaped into his throat, instantly recognising who it was. “Gary!”
“That’s the kid’s name, alright. Gary Oak. That Umbreon left me surfing for a month just to clean out this place of that Umbreon’s bad vibes. Man, I still don’t know how that dude managed to win the Green League! Only one league to go before he can fight the Elite 4! That ain’t just, man! I swear somebody has got to teach that salamander a lesson!”
The hippie surfer posed in thought for a moment, then brought his attention back to the two trios. “And what might your name be, kiddo?”
“Er, Ash Ketchum.”
“Ah!” The hippie’s eyes lit up at the sound of that name. “I remember you! Ash Ketchum! The kid who’s won the other three leagues and on his way to his own glory! I still thank you for helping out our sweet little town back in Kanto!”
“Huh?! Kanto?!” Ash began thinking back to his experiences back in the Indigo League first time around, then he remembered! He’d seen this man before!
“Hey, you’re the guy that monitored those Snorlax!”
“Correct, my man! Time has not scarred your memory! I decided a couple of years ago to give it a rest! Traipsing the country isn’t exactly a piece of cake. If you know what I mean!”
“Yeah! I know what you mean!” Ash’s experiences had led him to months on end of walking. Hence his journey had already spanned several years.
“I decided to head to the sea. Being near the waves has given me a chance to relax and flow on.”
“You sound like Prima,” noted Ash.
“Ah, a fine young lady indeed is Prima! I say the same for these two young ladies also! I’m guessing you must be Sakura Avalon!”
“How did you know that?!” Sakura wasn’t used to having people recognise her as they recognised Ash.
“As I recall, you won the state title in the under 18’s 400 metre race, as I recall! Beat all the boys too! About time someone taught those young whippersnappers a lesson! Too much testosterone in those dudes!”
“Gee, thanks!” Sakura was actually quite flattered by his comment and decided to bask in it a little for once. “Well, I try my best! This is Madison! Madison Taylor.”
“Yes, I recall you won that documentary contest last year! Fine piece of art, that whale show you did!”
“Wow, I didn’t think many people remembered that one! You sure are something, mister!”
“Well age doesn’t mean much as to how much a person knows, if you ask me,” mused Ash. “It’s who the person is and what’s in their heart that matters.”
“A fine observation, my man! Indeed you are ready to ascend to greatness should destiny guide you in that way! Now, I presume you’re here for a battle? Am I right?!”
“Well, we unfortunately don’t have time to surf. We’ve got stuff that’s pressing, you know,” explained Sakura.
“Ah, the pressures of the world on youth! Okay then! How does a one on one sound, dude?!”
“Fine with me!”
“And I shall start with...” The hippie folded back a few locks of his white hair which covered his eyes from view, reached for a Pokeball, and summoned its inhabitant out. “Slowking!”
“Wha...!” Ash was absolutely dumbfounded. Just as dumbfounded as he was when he found out Chikorita had a crush on him. “Why didn’t I figure this one out? Chill out. Go with the flow. Of course he’d pick something like Slowking.” Ash paused for a moment. He knew that Gym Leaders never made a decision without having a good reason. This Slowking wasn’t what it seemed obviously. Ash would need a strong Pokemon against it, in that case. At least the hippie didn’t use a Snorlax, for Snorlax just might try to eat whatever Ash picked.
“Alright Pikachu! Let’s rumble!”
“Pika!” Pikachu propped up into the air and glided down to the ground like a sugar bat, with grace and agility.
“Sakura, I’m a little confused,” mentioned Madison. “That doesn’t look like a very dangerous Pokemon. Why did he pick that?”
“Looks aren’t everything,” quoted Kero. “I can feel considerable power emanating from it. It’s much more powerful than it looks. My true form surprised the both of you when you first saw it, right?”
“Kero’s right, Madison,” agreed Sakura wholeheartedly. “I can sense it too. The power within Slowking is quite formidable. Don’t underestimate it at any cost.”
“Okay. Camera’s rolling!” Madison wasn’t going to miss seeing a Gym Battle for the world!

[Last Exile]

“Okay Pikachu! Let’s start with a Thunderbolt!”
“Slowking, use your Disable. Calm the fiery one down.”
Pikachu began surging with its trademark yellow fire as it propelled flowing electrons to the surface of its glowing scarlet cheeks, which were flickering with tiny bolts of electricity dancing like children at play, carefree and innocent. Yet these bolts hid a power within that was far from innocent and carefree. Pikachu was ready to fire out the attack within half a second of the command, and commenced battle mode immediately. The smile on its face turned into a fierce scowl that was the last thing many of its opponents faced before they passed out. Those glowing brown eyes became as hard and cold as stone, cutting and gritty. His chest was puffed out and his fists pumped, drawing on every source of power in its body, preparing to release it all in once scintillating attack.
“Pika...CHU!” The yellow fire raced out of it like arrows flying from bows, and ever so deadly. It zinged into Slowking without mercilessly, ripping into cells, pulverising genetic material and cell walls, rendering them useless and leaving the wise one feeling like its skin had been ripped off, left smoking like burning grass, and still wisps of stingy, sooty smoke shot up from blackened cells, and was caught by the cool grasp of the afternoon breeze, sending it out of the stadium, leaving no evidence to linger to display the devastation Pikachu wreaked except Slowking itself.
“Great Pikachu! Give it another one!” encouraged Ash.
“Pika...Pika?!”
“Hey, is something wrong, Pikachu?” asked Ash
“PIKA...Pika????”
“What’s wrong?! Your electricity isn’t working!” moaned Ash.
“I told you this Pokemon was powerful!” stated Kero. “It’s been able to suppress Pikachu from using any electric attacks! Amazing!”
“How’s Pikachu meant to win without its electric powers, Kero?!” gasped Sakura. “It may really be in trouble now!”
“I wouldn’t give it out just yet, Sakura. Pikachu is a feisty one. He won’t give up. Keep the faith, Sakura.”
“You’re right. For once!” she giggled.
“Hey!”
The hippie was now ready to commence his own volley of his own arsenal. “Slowking, give Pikachu a taste of your Psychic attack and calm the little critter down.”
“Slow...” Slowking began to raise its hands in the air, then began waving them around like it was dancing, then began banging itself on its crown.
“Hey, what’s going on?” growled Ash. “Is this an attack or a dancing competition?’
“Strength shows its form in many ways, Ash. Don’t be so sure of yourself yet,” warned Kero.
“...king.” A swarming pulse of purple, pink and blue light began to glow around Slowking, bathing it in the midst of mind-blowing power, then it was released with only a simple flick of its wrist. It began warping through the room, bathing everyone in its glow and rippling its way towards a helpless Pikachu, with no way to combat such an attack.
“Pika!” Pikachu screamed as Slowking harnessed the awesome psychic wave to gain control of Pikachu’s body. Pikachu struggled to regain control, but all its vibrant efforts were in pathetic vain. Slowking gradually levitated Pikachu higher, until it was nearly pressed into the ceiling. Then Slowking let his arms drop, and Pikachu felt another space-like blue glow encompass it, and it was consequently flung into the ground in one motion like a defender sacking a quarterback. Pikachu was rammed hard into the sand, and felt the glass like granules eat into the soft skin of his face, leaving him grazed and incredibly rattled.
“Pikachu! Are you okay? Try to get up, please!” pleaded Ash.
“Kero, that was amazing! Ash is really in trouble!” swallowed Sakura.
“Mm. He needs to get his electric powers back soon. Or he’s finished and Ash is one step away from defeat.”
The hippie was already on the attack again. “Slowking, let’s perpetuate the flow and give the little guy the feel of a Surf attack.”
“Slowking,” gurgled Slowking before waving his arms frantically back and forth, shaking is belly back and forth like he was chilling out to techno.
“Pikachu! Use Agility and get away!” advised Ash.
“Sorry kiddo, but you can’t escape the Surf that way!” He was right. A frothing wave of chilling, icy sea water began to form right behind Slowking, and his body rose up to the top of the wave, letting him gracefully ride it in as the terrifying torrent of liquid closed around Pikachu, leaving the yellow electric mouse no escape.
“Pika!”
“Pikachu!”
Pikachu was ravaged by the torrent, left helpless to the ebb and flow, his body at the mercy of the rolling wave.
Ash began brainstorming for all he was worth. If Pikachu didn’t get its electricity back soon, this match would slip through his fingers before he knew it. “Hey wait! Why not go with the flow? Pikachu, relax! Go with the flow of the wave!”
“Pika?!” Pikachu didn’t understand at first, then he understood in a flash of brilliance. “Pika!” Pikachu let the tension flow away and felt himself become part of the wave, and before the scintillating one knew it, he was riding on top of the wave!
“Great stuff, Pikachu! Keep going, you’re doing great!”
“Well I’ll be! This kid actually figured it out!”
Pikachu found himself on top of Slowking in no time, and clutched around Slowking’s face, flashing a devilish smile.
“Okay Pikachu, you know what to do!”
“Pika! CHU!” The frustration and grief inside Pikachu was released in one mighty Thunder attack, ripping into Slowking like a knife through butter and cooking its goose good. This time Slowking wasn’t going to get up again. As the wave began to dissipate, Slowking was the first to hit the sand again. It began propping a little, swaying as if it were drunk, then toppling over like tenpins, its fight over.
“Yeah!” cheered Ash as he leaped into the air, pumping his fists heartily as he relished the thrill of winning a battle once again. “Pikachu, you’re the coolest!”
“Pika!” Pikachu managed to summon enough energy to leap into Ash’s arms and sink into his loving embrace.
“Kero! They did it!” exclaimed Sakura in joy.
“Yeah! He managed to break through the barrier! That’s some Pokemon all right!”
“Now that has got to be the coolest thing I’ve ever filmed in my entire life!” cheered Madison, psyched just to have been here to witness the spectacle.
“Well Sparky managed to pull it off! Looks like Ashy boy ain’t no slouch after all!” pondered Meowth. He then felt compelled to do the unexpected. He walked upright towards Ash and Pikachu and tapped Ash on the leg.
“Yeah Meowth?”
“I’d just like to say that you two rule, and I thank you for letting me join the group!”
Looking into that feline smile and those glowing eyes, Ash could see that Meowth was being completely honest. He hadn’t expected Meowth to be so forthcoming and warm. All past experiences had made him think harshly of Meowth, but over the last few days, Ash saw otherwise. Meowth was an abused soul who never got a single break in his life. And now that he had one, Meowth’s true personality was ringing true.
“Thanks Meowth! Glad to have ya!”
Meowth, for the first time in his life, felt he was truly accepted. Jesse and James were never truly honest in their acceptance of Meowth. Things always fell apart. But now he saw that those he considered twerps were so much more than he expected.
“Ash! You’re the best!” Sakura gang-tackled Ash to the floor in a burst of speed and laughter. “Thank you Ash! You did it! I can’t ever thank you enough!”
“Whoa Sakura! It’s okay! Thank Pikachu!”
“Pikachu, you rule! You’re the coolest!” And she began hugging Pikachu and smothering it with affection to the point that Ash was spellbound.
“Maybe I should introduce Sakura to Bayleef.”
The hippie came up to Ash and placed his gentle hand on Ash’s shoulder. “Well, my boy, you won! And so you deserve to! Many trainers come to Zinc City thinking they’re the hotshots who’ll storm the league, but very few ever come from here triumphant Ash! They forget what training’s really about and lose contact with life. You haven’t You’re still with the flow, my boy. You may get to the Green League yet. Heck, you’re the first person to win since Gary passed through here a year ago! Now that’s something!”
Ash was a little lost for words. “Um, well, I just do what comes to me naturally!”
“And that’s what it’s all about, Ash! Never forget that! As proof of your victory, and a memento to remind you of your triumph here, I present you with the Wavebadge!”
Ash had a blue, wave shaped badge placed in his hand and gazed at it in awe. It sparkled just like the ocean on a clear, sunny day and he could feel himself flowing with the waves.
“Whenever you feel down or losing your grip on reality, look at this badge and remember the rolling waves, son! I’m sure you’re Green League material!”
“I...can’t thank you enough!”
“You will by flowing on all the way to the Green League, then onto the Elite 4, then Pokemon masterdom!”
“That might be a while yet!”
“Mm. I know about your plight. You’ll find Misty, Ash. And Sakura, you’ll find Li.”
Ash and Sakura almost fell to the ground in total disbelief. How did he know, of all the people?!
Sakura raced to him with the desperation of one racing to the one thing they care most for in the universe. “What do you mean, sir? How do you know about Li and Misty? How?!”
“I got this note two hours ago from some slippery, dark fellow. I’ll bet he was a Rocket grunt. Sounds like it’s from the big man himself. I was directed to give this to you regardless of the outcome.”
Ash and Sakura gasped as one. “Giovanni!” They took the note and scrambled to decipher it.
“Well, I’d better be off. Got a wave to catch. And I daresay Slowking needs some recuperation with the delightful Nurse Joy, bless her soul! Flow on, dudes! See you at the Green League, Ash! I await your arrival!” And then the hippie grabbed a multicolour board and sprinted to the waves, returning to his element.
“He sure was something!” commented Ahs. “I hope we see him again!”
“Yeah!” agreed Sakura cheerfully like the song of a bird. “He was incredibly nice compared to your average Gym Leader!”
The two then focused on the note.
“Hmm. I think we’re meant to click this, Ash.”
“Okay.”
Ash flicked the switch. A projector image began to form in front of them. A mad dressed in a blinding orange suit, with slick, black hair and murderous black eyes. Giovanni.
“Well, well. You actually won your first gym battle in the Green League. Commendable, Ash! I admit it! You did surprise me! Your first task has been accomplished. For that, rewards are forthcoming for those in my possession.”
“Li and Misty?” whimpered Sakura. Not even someone as strong-willed as her could maintain a straight face in the face of true evil.
“Indeed. Amusing people, they are. Never a dull moment. Well, as I said, there is a resultant reward for your success. For the next three days, the three of them shall be given whatever they want as they live in the guest rooms.”
Ash and Sakura sighed a breathy relief and locked hands. Finally things were going right.
“However...”
That was one word they didn’t want to hear. The dream was slipping. Ash and Sakura looked back.
“You took your time getting there! You really could have gotten there in a day! And for that, there was a...penalty!”
The pause and resultant word made Ash and Sakura’s hearts swell in pain. They couldn’t believe what they just heard!
“What kind of penalty?!” demanded Ash.
“What on earth did you do to them?!” screamed Sakura.
“Well, I just happened to have some space in the ice compartment today, so they’ve been there for the last 5 hours. Been released just a few moments ago as we speak. Poor things!” Giovanni loved being able to reduce Ash and Sakura to tears as he rammed home the horrors the ordeals their loved ones were suffering. “They really did suffer! Had to give the boy some medicine in order to revive him! And as for the girl, she’s lucky she didn’t lose any limbs from the frostbite she got!”
Ash’s face shifted into that of a raging lion. “How dare you! You heartless bastard! This wasn’t part of the deal!”
Sakura rarely gets angry. But when she does, you don’t want to be around! She had only been this angry when she found the Illusion Card had mimicked her mother and that Yue tried to destroy her memories of the Clow Cards and her friends. “When I find you, you are in for it! No one hurts my friends and gets away with it!”
“Temper, temper! That may cost them dearly! And you wouldn’t want that after what they just went through, WOULD YOU?!”
Ash and Sakura shook their heads robotically, frozen by Giovanni’s gaze, victim to his every move and word.
“Good! I have no time for insolence! As I promised, three days they shall be free of such pains! Screw up just this much, and I promise you...they’ll get it! Stop whimpering! You sicken me! Now take your clue and go! Sakura, a Card will come! Be ready!” And in a red flash, he was gone.
Ash and Sakura gazed full of hope at the note as the image melted away.


It’s near a fan that blows
From winds so long ago


“What does it mean?” wondered Ash.
“Let’s just get to the next gym and hope a Clow Card shows up!” advised Sakura.
“Gang, we’re off.”
And silence followed. The party was over. The hard stretch begins.

“If you only knew, kids.” Giovanni looked at an old, yellowed photo of his early days as a Rocket. “Those kids will never see THIS one coming!”

[Snakes N' Legends]

Ah, everything is making ever more sense now. Some how Giovanni has a plan to get back those twerps in a way they will never suspect or I might be stating the obvious.

The return of the Hippie? Interesting but it is more interesting that Bulbasaur returns to the Hidden Garden. I haven't seen in which the episode where Bulbasaur is sent to Professor's Oaks house but I don't think he rejoins Venasaur. Of course I am still in the dark there,

Kero and his pudding!! Now there is something to laugh about. Keep up the good work, CCC.

[PlatinumHawke]

Well, the next time I get online (with mah ADSL) I'll field a few questions, that is, if you have any. And I just heard that the 7th CCS manga is out. Yippie! This one takes me into the "Sakura Card" arc.

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

soon, the new chapters will arise.
soon.
...
HURRY UP!

[Last Exile]

tyranitar master: Bulbasaur returned to Prof. Oak's lab because the grass Pokemon there were fighting, and Bulbasaur was able to keep them calm. Apparently he might return for the Johto League, but I'm not sure about that one yet. The battle lineups I've seen for Ash's first two rounds don't include Bulbasaur.

platinumhawke: Cool! Thanks for the offer.

SuperSonicMewtwo: Soon, soon! I hardly get online access these days. I'll post Chapter 7 in a few days, promise!

[Gavin Luper]

OK, we lost ... fair enough ... but Rocca's kick WAS a goal for sure, and Tarrant's was NOT touched!

But hey, who's complaining?

Keep the chapters coming, can't wait for chapter 8!!

[Last Exile]

Gavin Luper: No worries! I'll post Chapter 7 on Wednesday and Chapter 8 on either Friday or Saturday. ;)

[Darkgel]

Nice, once again!

Have you seen my fic now that it's in TPM? It's the pne called "About school, love and apocalypse". Nobody has replied yet...

Or is there a "Users can't reply to a fic unless the author says otherwise" rule now?

[Last Exile]

Darkgel: Thanks! ;) I did take a look at it, but I found it hard to follow. It was kinda confusing. A reason for the lack of responses may be that many people on TPM don't watch CCS, so they're unfamiliar with it.

[Darkgel]

...Hard to follow?

Why do you think that? And can you tell me on the fic's topic, or on PMs?

[Last Exile]

Chapter 7 - High And Dry

"I don't get it at all. I honestly don't," confessed Ash as the six comrades trekked towards their next goal, which was yet to de be determined as yet. They had pondered the first clue for hours now, and no one had any idea as to what on earth it meant. They were more stumped than a felled forest, as the sweet yet suddenly disturbing smell of sap fills the air. It isn't natural. And the heroes had no idea how to react or what they were doing next. For the last few days, they had a plan, something to work on. And with direction, things were finally falling into place. Ash had won his first badge, and they were given their first clue as to where the secret Team Rocket base was. Not even the world's greatest minds could figure it out if they had all collaborated. Giovanni was in control as always. Pulling Ash's and Sakura's strings like they were puppets. Sadistically he would toy with them, continually offering them hope and snatching it away before it could be fully appreciated. A never ending cycle of ups and downs. As if their current life experiences were nothing but waves. Ebb and flow. High and low. How ironic, considering Ash's first badge was the Wave Badge, given to him by the Zinc City Gym Leader, who happened to be the hippie he met in the very early days of his Pokemon journey. Resisting the flow right now could be fatal. So Ash and Sakura were left to the mercy of the waves, and hopefully the ocean of fate, titanic and ever changing, would wash them on the shore of their ultimate goal. Then perhaps the dream could be fully realised. Then maybe their lives could reach some form of stability once again.

It was weird for the two of them to be living this out. When you live out some of the most important days of your lives, when just a few decisions can determine your entire future in a moment, somehow it ends up being incredibly surreal that words can't describe it. Almost like deja vu. As if you know what's going to happen or what you're meant to do, but you don't know how or if you even will do it. It seemed so easy for them to run away from their problems, find solace in a comfort zone where no one could hurt them, and then the pain would go away. For a while. Then they would realise that they had failed in the worst possible way. They would have ended up being the ones responsible for Team Rocket killing Misty and Li. And that would haunt them forever. Their ghosts would always whisper in their ear, nagging like children who are immune and ignorant to the mechanisms of the adult world. And it would drive them to madness. They would never, ever recover, and slip into oblivion.

That was not an option. Ash and Sakura had to succeed. Yet living it out was like being a character in a book or a play. Every action you make is being directed by some unknown higher power, and while you feel it was your decision, somehow it was always going to end up like this no matter what you did or said, because it was fated. But such a view could crush whatever menial shreds of hope that the two heroes had left. This was not something two people so young, good and happy should be forced to go through. But the world is not as nice as you would like to believe. There is as much evil in the world as there is good. You just don't see it all the time. And in many countries, you're shielded from the truth, while billions of innocent victims live out their time on this planet in a living hell. To say it was a life is outrageous, as such a life never had a chance to be properly lived. To say it was an existence was more like it. Simply struggling to live one more day, to fight off Death, to keep on going in the hope that somehow things would get better, but that they may not live to see that happen. And maybe not even their grandchildren will. Ash and Sakura were fortunate to be living where they were.

But the world seems to make too much of physical pain and forgets how harsh the mental side of pain can be. How it sticks in your mind like superglue, never washing away and always staining your brain forever. At any random moment, the memories can come back and shatter you once more, or at least spoil a moment that you should have enjoyed. Living every day wishing it would stop, that there was an end, but that it may not come. That things in the world had gone too far. That forces beyond your control take hold of the reins and direct you mercilessly, as if you were nothing more than a slave. The world seems to care little for those who suffer depression or intense emotional trauma, mainly because they don't understand it, so they fear it because they can't control it, and they don't want to know about it, so they either dispose of it or ignore its existence by shielding themselves from the evidence. Such is the way that the media, pharmaceutical companies, prison systems, justice systems and the corporate worlds are orchestrated today. People are provided with means to think the world is better than it seems, while billions of innocents silently suffer. No one cares about the individual's personal, inner pain that only they can identify with. And such was Ash's and Sakura's plight. Only they knew Misty and Li had been captured by Team Rocket. Besides Madison, Kero, the Pokemon and the family, no one else in the entire world cared at all. And even then, only Ash and Sakura truly knew what it felt like. They were the ones living out the nightmare. No one else had any right to say anything about the situation, for they could never say they had been in this situation themselves. It would be utter lies. Lies that would coldly stab at their hearts and leave them bleeding and torn so savagely that silence would have been a far preferable option.

Silence had lingered for so long it felt like the six of them were like the walking undead. Someone had to say something to break the feeling. It was Kero who finally summed up the courage to break through the eerie ambience and provoke some form of light to break through the gloomy aura surrounding the group.
"Guys, I was just wondering. Where are we going anyway?"
It was a good point. They had been wandering aimlessly for half a day now. They vaguely remember Madison mentioning another Gym, but that had slipped through their minds like running water through their fingers. Lost and gone. Decayed and forgotten.
"Well," pondered Madison, "the nearest Gym is in Sodium City. But it looks like it could take several days to ever get there!"
Sakura began panicking immediately. "No! Not again! Remember what happened last time? Just because we weren't fast enough in Giovanni's eyes in reaching Zinc City, they threw Li and Misty in the ice box for 5 hours! I can't bear them living through something like that again! We've got to pick up the pace!"
Ash felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders as he summoned up a reply from the bowels of his soul. Why did he have to be the one to give the reality check to Sakura?! Damn it, why him?! Sakura didn't deserve any of this. She was too good a person! The idea of shattering Sakura's hopes once again made Ash feel so sick he wanted to throw up. He wanted to cut at his stomach and let all the poison festering in their drain out. All these little things were eating away at him, and while he tried not to show it, his stomach was more like a nuclear reactor on the verge of meltdown, his ribs felt so sore that they felt like they were about to snap apart like tree branches being ripped to pieces during a violent storm, and his brain felt like it was in the middle of no man's land in World War II, being blasted by gunfire, shrapnel and chemical warfare over and over, crumbling into a wasteland where nothing could ever grow again. That stench would linger, and you could always sense the death and destruction. Humans have that uncanny feeling about certain places. You know that something isn't quite right and that some terrible crime was committed there, so you never stay. Ash hit himself on the head again to snap himself out of it. He was going mad, and they had barely begun this journey. He still had 7 badges to go. Sakura needed to find 8 new Cards. He had to win the Green League. And then they had to find the Team Rocket base! All in 50 weeks! Already 2 weeks had passed since the day Ash and Sakura's worlds went away, drifting in limbo, waiting to be released back into reality or to fall into the depths of the universe, never to be seen again. Finally regaining his focus, Ash steeled himself for the unwanted deed. No one likes being the bearer of bad news. And it was the worse for wear that the receiver was Sakura. Shattering her made Ash feel like throwing himself off a cliff in guilt. HE pushed those thoughts into the back of his mind and did what had to be done.
"Sakura, I wish we could, but we don't have the resources! We have barely enough money as it is to survive this journey! I don't have my Charizard or Pidgeot to fly us around anymore, and Noctowl is way too small to do that! The Fly Card can only work for so long, so that's not a reliable option! And most of all, I'll never win the Green League if I don't get as much battle experience as I can! I know my Pokemon are strong, but that Slowking the hippie had made me realise what I should have known already. This is the cream of the crop. That first gym battle was the easing in. It'll get a lot harder from here on. I need my Pokemon to gain more experience to get stronger and evolve, or this whole journey will all be in vain!"
Sakura's emerald eyes shattered into a million pieces and tears began flowing from her broken eyes like wildfire, just a hint of the turmoil eating away at her own soul. "But this is insane! How are we ever going to pull this off! Whatever we do, Giovanni ends up finding new ways to torture Li and Misty! He's always laughing in our faces and destroying any chance we have! It's as if we're meant to fail!"
Ash almost felt like venting out all the toxins that were flowing through his veins, but that would make matters worse. He couldn't afford to lose Sakura as a friend now, or all was lost. That damn bastard! He was probably watching every moment like it was a reality TV show, and he was loving every second of it! Ash took a deep breath, calmed himself like doves floating on clouds, and reached out his hand as he spoke in a gentle, loving tone.
"Sakura, that's what Giovanni wants us to think! He wants us to be defeated. He wants to make us lose in return for defeating him. He wants us to be hurt forever and to never recover. He orchestrated this from the start and he'll do it the whole way. He knows that succeeding in this quest is on the verge of the impossible, but he wants us to have just enough hope of succeeding so that he can chew it up and leave. To build it up just enough to bring us down again and again. This is all a game to him. A game that is hurting our lives as well as those we love. And that's what he wants. For us all to feel pain that we can't purge from us."
Ash reached out his hand like a mother to a child and gently wiped away the tears that drowned Sakura's face. As soon as the tip of one of his fingers made the slightest contact with Sakura's face, her crying ceased immediately and her eyes shot out at Ash in wonder, focused on his every move and detail. Ash winced as his fingers removed the tears, as if they were slivers of broken glass, tearing through his skin and goring at the flesh underneath. As if thousands of vampires were eating at his souls greedily. Yet Ash refused to quit and kept going, absorbing the pain conveyed in those tears, relieving Sakura of years of demons and of toxins that were breaking down her soul with every second that passed. Sakura felt her heart beat so energetically and her soul soar like an eagle in the mountains, gliding endlessly without a care in the world. Ash saw the glimmer return to those emerald treasures and his lips twisted to form a small smile.
"But if we let him makes us think that, we'll never pull it off if we don't believe we can. And if we don't let Giovanni derive anything from our ordeals, we've already won half the war. Believe, Sakura. You're so strong I'm in constant awe of you. I'm hurting so much yet I can't even admit it until now. Being true to your feelings is an honest human reaction, Sakura. You're still feeling and still caring. Hold onto that and don't let it go. Just don't let Giovanni derive anymore sadistic pleasure from our trials."
Sakura felt so warm inside that she felt like she'd found the stairway to heaven inside her own heart, and all the light was slicing through the darkness just like when she found the Light Card inside her own heart, letting the real Sakura surface from the gloom once again. And that induced her to raise her own right hand to meet Ash's, which was still lingering near her left eye, holding it like an heirloom and smoothing out the kinks. Ash felt his heart jump a little and his breathing tighten as Sakura slowly massaged his hand like a mother administering a bandage to her child, with care and feeling transmitted in every touch as Sakura wrung out the tension that had been building up in his own being for the past week now. Sakura then raised Ash's hand towards her lips, then placed them gently between his knuckles and his wrist, administering a gentle, warm kiss that emanated the light and warmth from Sakura's soul into Ash's. Ash felt his lungs constrict and his brain was as light as a feather. Every single synaptic response to that gentle yet mind-blowing kiss was sending his body into overdrive. He couldn't believe that someone like Sakura was this strong. No one had ever had an effect on him like Sakura. Sakura even affected him in ways Misty and his mother never had. Sakura raised her left hand to encircle Ash's captive hand further, letting her lips slide up in a glowing smile that shot out beams of Sakura's true spirit. Ash felt like his heart was about to explode and all his thoughts and actions were focused on Sakura's every move. "Thank you, Ash," was what floated through the darkness enveloping his own soul and shattering it into pieces so tiny that it was gone, leaving his true being exposed to the real world once more. How could this girl have such an effect on him?! Sakura was no normal person. She was an angel. And then, maybe that wasn't good enough for her. All the buildup in Ash's being exploded out in a flash flood at that moment, and Ash fell into Sakura's arms, leaning against her left shoulder and sobbing uncontrollably. Sakura administered her silky cream hands to Ash's scalp and gently rubbed it as if she were stroking a cat, with care and enjoying every single moment. "It's okay, Ash," she rippled to Ash like a psychic wave. Her hands were like the gift of life, where everything Ash needed to know was answered with one touch.
The rest of the group watched the amazing scene unfold in front of them, completely spellbound.
"Wow! I can't believe this! Those two are really getting close! And I admit they actually look good together!" Madison's sapphire irises zoomed in on this telling moment in the journey. There was no way she was filming this. That would be sacrilege! She knew this was too sacred to tarnish with pathetic video footage of a moment you had to live to understand, so she just watched like a proud parent, ecstatic to see her best friend happy again.
"Pika Pika?" beeped Pikachu in a worried tone.
"Well, sure, Ash likes Misty and Sakura likes Li. But heck, Li could never console Sakura like that. He was too arrogant, cold and stubborn. His heart could work wonders in its own way, but not like Ash can." Kero looked on like a guardian, safeguarding his pupil from the storm and deriving satisfaction that only he could from the years he had known Sakura.
"Well, the redhead was quite a nice girl, I admit! But I tell ya, sometimes she was far meaner than Jesse could ever be! I think that Ash really needs someone like Sakura at his side now." Meowth had been down this road before. He'd been in love before, he'd been hurt countless times, he'd tried his best just to survive. But no one was ever there to console him when he needed it. And seeing such an event for the first time in his entire life was like a homecoming to him. Meowth never knew things like that existed in this world.
"I wonder what Li and Misty would think if they ever heard about this?" pondered Madison like a university professor formulating a new theory.
"Well, they might take it as friendship. Then again, they may see it as more than friends." Kero was a little uneasy now. This just might be the thing that Giovanni could exploit to his advantage and really drive the wedge home.
"But Ash and Sakura haven't know each other for that long! They're just friends!"
"And what if Giovanni managed to twist the truth to make Li and Misty think something else?"
Madison fell back as if she'd been shot dead, and her mouth gaped open in absolute horror. "We'd better not mention this to anyone else then."
"Yeah!" screeched Meowth. "I bet some scummy grunt's watching them right now!"
"HUH?!" blared the other three like a jazz orchestra at full steam, playing as if the end of the world had come, and they were the sign of the inevitable outcome.
"Giovanni's spy network is really discrete! For all we know, they're watching everything we do every moment!"
"That'd be right! This whole thing is becoming too much like a puppet show! I've had enough of this junk!" screamed Kero.
A rustling came from the bushes just behind them. "What was that?" yelped Madison.
"Pika...CHU!" Pikachu had an idea and pumped as much of that fiery yellow voltage it could into the figure hiding from view, leaving it open for all to see now as it fell down like ninepins.
"It's a Rocket grunt all right! And this is a camera that also relays as a transmitter! Once this baby records, the film develops for a few minutes, and a message gets sent to the boss. If it did, we're in for it now!" Meowth had spent too much time with the group to tolerate any more from the organisation that betrayed him. "Eat steel claws, YAH!" Meowth sliced through it like it were tin foil and ripped it to shreds in a frenzy.
"Pika!" Pikachu realised Meowth had suffered more than he had ever let on.
"We're lucky! This one was only 2 minutes from getting sent away! We'd better watch our backs if this quest is ever gonna amount to something!"
"This whole thing stinks to high heaven! I swear, we'd better not trust a thing Giovanni says from now on!" mused Kero. The flying squirrel had tensed up so much if he was set off, he could have destroyed the universe in a millisecond.
"So what are we going to do about Ash and Sakura then, Kero?" inquired Madison with the curiosity of a five year old.
"Let things go. They need each other now. And we're gonna keep it that way!"

"BLAST!" Giovanni mashed his fist into the mahogany table and growled like a lion on the rampage. "Those damn kids are onto me already! I would have thought I could have gone a few months before they figured that one out! Damn Meowth! I'll make him pay for that one! So you guys think you've got them covered, hey?! Think that! I have my ways! There's more than one way to skin a cat! Those two kids are mine!" Giovanni's fertile yet twisted mind began conceiving a more devilish plan for the unsuspecting heroes. "Ah yes! I'll keep this one handy!" He fingered the yellowed photo of his early days as a Rocket. Four other figures were also in the picture. He carefully and specifically fingered each one in a particular way. 'Hmm! Those kids have no idea, do they?! This one will be guaranteed to destroy them at any rate!"

[Last Exile]

"I've had just about enough of this stinking heat!" growled Kero. The six of them were grilling over like steamed lobsters, hard, dry, and verging on red.
"Yeah! I thought this was supposed to be spring! It feels like the most intense heat wave I've ever been in! And where's some water around here when you really need it?!" It was bad enough for most of them, but Kero and Meowth had additional problems. With heat as intense as this, their fur coats were like heaters in overdrive, warming their bodies way beyond the comfort zone and into heat shock.
"I've been in places worse than this and it's never been this hot!" moaned Ash. He would have taken the volcanoes of Cinnibar Island any day over this! He could feel the saturation in the air, which made it incredibly difficult to breathe, and his body was flooding with salty sweat so much that it was beginning to flood his eyes to the point where it stung so harshly that wiping it away hurt even more. "And how far away are we from this Sodium City anyway?!"
"The map says we should be there by the end of today." Even Madison was getting to the end of her tether. It was lucky for all of them that Madison had thought to bring some sunscreen, but even being decked out in a light white T-shirt and blue shorts wasn't enough to send her near boiling point. "And about time. We've been walking for at least five days now!"
"It's probably more!" grimaced Sakura, her head bowed in a desperate attempt to get her scorched eyes away from the sky. "And that's more time we've lost in our quest! At this rate, we'll never make it!"
"Sakura, don't say that!" Ash spun her round in a flash and left her like stunned mullet, quivering like she was in the middle of a blizzard from the shock. "We had an agreement, remember? We promised that we wouldn't let anyone stop us, and that Giovanni wouldn't get any more pleasure out of this that the minimum! If we give up now, we've failed on too many levels. You told me not to give up, Sakura. I'm not letting you give up.
"Okay. But if we have to keep doing this, we're in real trouble! We don't have to just find the cards and get the badges in one year! You have to win the Green League as well, and then we have to find the Team Rocket base too! It's so much in so little time!"
"It is. And we'll make it. Keep believing. We've both been in situations that we never gave up in. Even when we thought we'd never come through. But we did. Just believe. Keep that in your heart, and you'll never lose the light."
Sakura nodded with a simple yet glowing smile on her face. "Mmmm." Assurance was something she needed every now and then. They both did. Knowing that loved ones were living through hell every moment, and their lives depending on every action of yours was too testing for mere words to describe. And these two 18 year olds had to do that every single second of every single day. Without assurance, acceptance might follow, along with numbness and coldness, removing the feeling and the caring. And if that happened, they would surely be lost. So every now and then the two needed to let it out, to keep it real. Caring and feeling the pain. And assurance from the other to reach into that warm core in their hearts, to rekindle the fire and let it flow through their spirits once more. It was something that required more than friendship. It required a deep understanding of the other and a willing to be there no matter what. It bound the two so tightly that without the other they would fall apart and wither away in the sands of time, returning to the earth from which they came, with only the painful memories of those who remembered them to be left behind. So the two were there for the other on a moment's notice, every moment of every day.
"Okay, so have we come any closer to figuring how it's so hot out there?!" screamed Kero.
"Let me check the air temperature." Madison reached for a specialised thermometer, exposed it to the humid atmosphere, then watched in revulsion as the alcohol continued to rise. "Guys, it's 125 degrees out here!"
"That settles it! I'm not letting us die out here of thirst!" Sakura withdrew her key and chain from around her neck and held out her hand, beginning to recite the ancient spell.

Key of Clow
Power of magic
Power of light
Surrender the wand
The force ignite
Release!

Brilliant, life-giving beams of pure, heavenly white light shot out from the key and immersed the six in its mothering glow, as Sakura's key grew into her special star wand. Sakura grabbed it firmly with her right hand, retrieving a Star Card from her pockets, the specialised version of a Clow Card which provided Sakura's cards with stronger powers than the originals, then began to spin her wand expertly. "Rain Card! Release a shower on us to relieve us of the heat! Release and dispel!" Sakura thrust her wand into the Rain Card, summoning the spirit, who appeared as a jester hiding in a rain cloud. "Ha ha!" she began giggling, then she began releasing a steady flow of rain onto the six heroes, who sank to their knees and let as many drops as possible drench their parches bodies in the life-giving liquid. Their tongues let countless raindrops dance on the ravaged organs, returning the zest to them and letting the sweet, natural source of vitality quench their thirst and revive their spirits.
"Sakura, you're the best!" cheered Madison as she bathed herself in the relief.
"Yeah, but it still doesn't explain how it got that hot! I don't remember Sodium City ever getting this hot in recent times! Something's up!"
"Who cares? I'm just glad we're still alive!" Ash was dancing in the rain like a child at play, oblivious to the rest of the world and totally immersing himself in a simple yet pleasurable act.
"Ah! Now this cat is not one who hates the rain! My fur is relieved once more!" sighed Meowth.
'Pika!' Pikachu was rolling around, smothering himself in as much of the precious liquid he could like a puppy dog.
"Well, magic does have its benefits!" Sakura begin laughing that sweet, innocent laugh that signified her soul and nothing could ever destroy. It was part of who she was and could never be taken away from her. Ash stopped dancing and began watching Sakura rejoicing in the relief she had brought the group. What a girl, thought Ash. I wonder what she's like when she's capturing cards or when she battles!
Sakura began to pretend she was cheerleading, imitating spinning her baton, throwing it in the air, doing a back flip, gracefully spinning through the air like a ballerina, landing perfectly on the ground without making a sound, then catching the imaginary baton. Everyone began watching, entranced in her magical aura, seeing a master at work in her craft.
"Wow! This cat has seen a lot of things in his lifetime, but nothing like this! Despite all that's happened to her, this girl still doesn't let life get the better of her. And look at what I did. I gave up and joined the world's most disgusting crime syndicate. What did I do with my life? How can I be in the vicinity of such a person?"
Kero flew up to him and gave Meowth a light pat on the shoulder. "We all make mistakes. Don't get down over it. You're doing the right thing now. And that's what matters. You're welcome now, so don't berate yourself."
Meowth began to sink down a little and sighed. "Thanks. No one's ever understood before. You guys are so different from the rest."
"Well, when you've been around for several thousand years, you tend to learn a lot!"
"Hey! What happened?" Sakura suddenly stopped dancing as soon as she noticed that no more rain was falling. The Rain Card spirit began to dissipate back into card form, reforming in Sakura's hand.
"But I didn't summon it back! What's....Oh! I sense a card!"

Kero began meditating and searching for anything out of the usual. "Yep. It's a card alright."
"But...where is it?" asked Madison in bemusement. "I can't see it anywhere."
"Pika!" chirped Pikachu, pointing to the sky.
"Sparky here said to look at the sky. Hmm...Huh?! What's that?!"
Ash began to shake his head in disbelief. "Meowth, what are you on about?! There nothing up there except the sun and...and...Uhhhh!"
"There's your card!" Kero pointed up to the sky, where a woman with flowing, long red hair, born of fire, clothed in glimmering orange robes, burning red eyes scorching right into you soul and leaving it burnt to a crisp, as she sat in a golden chariot, glimmering so strongly it almost blinded you.
"Kero, I've never seen anything like it! What is it?!" screamed Sakura.
"I don't know! But whatever it is, it's stronger than any card I've met before!"
The six of them then felt the air around them heating up again, but more intensely than before. Sweat began to flow out like rain out of clouds during a downpour, as precious liquid evaporated away. It was so unbearably hot that only Sakura was able to stand upright, clinging her wand tightly, while the rest of the group collapsed to the ground in a heap.
"It's so hot! I...can't take much more! I'm going to faint!" croaked Madison.
"Ah! Where'd the rain go! My fur feels like it's on fire!" screamed Meowth.
"Piiiiika!" Pikachu could feel bolts of electricity dancing on its cheeks, sucking the life out of hi the electrons sought to escape his body.
"Sakura, you've got to do something!" whispered Ash as he began to slip away.
"Sakura, use your magic before it kills us all!" begged Kero.
Sakura reached for another Star Card and began to summon it. "Shield Card! Form a shield and protect us from the heat! Release and dispel!" The spirit emerged in a crimson red glow, encasing the six heroes in a protective dome, preventing heat from entering the safe haven, while cooling the air inside it.
"Sakura, you did it!" roared Kero.
"I bet I could beat that thing!" Ash spewed out. Totodile...!"
"Don't you even think about it, kid!" Kero was on top of Ash and mad as a hatter.
"What are you doing, Kero?! I was just trying to help Sakura!"
"You can't help her, Ash! Pokemon may be your domain of expertise, but this is magic! It's more powerful than you could possibly imagine! This is Sakura's domain! Let her do what she has to!"
Ash sunk down in shame and began crying. "I just wanted to help!"
"it's appreciated, but your Pokemon can't beat forces like this! These forces can destroy the entire planet given enough time! You have to trust Sakura!"
Ash nodded his head. Sakura had already come through twice in the last five minutes. He had to give her the benefit of the doubt.
"Now, what card can I use to defeat this card? It's too hot for Water, Earthy or Windy to handle! It thrives on light and lets out heat, so maybe I need to deprive it of something. Maybe..." Sakura bowed her head, deep in thought as her irises pupils widened, illuminating her emerald treasures even more. "That's it!" Sakura confidently reached inside her pocket, retrieving a card with her fourth finger and her thumb, her eyes closed as she spun the card round, revealing a beautiful woman dressed in dark robes, with touches of white on some of the designs. She bore a smile on her face, and she looked so noble and powerful that she would have passed for a paladin any day, and was more than worthy of being a queen. Sakura flashed open her emeralds, then began to spin her wand around until the pink rod was nothing more than a shimmering blur. "Dark Card! Come to my aid! Encase the card within your darkness and prevent it from escaping! Release and dispel!" Sakura thrust the star end of her staff into the Dark Card, and the mighty spirit appeared, the equal most powerful card she had. Dark flew through the air and began to remove all light from the sky, as she began to close around the perpetrating spirit and began to snuff her powers out. The red spirit began to scream as she began to disappear behind Dark's thick shadow, while the six were protected by Shield's dome.
"Return to your power confined!" Sakura screamed out as she thrust her wand out for the last time, and a card began to form at the tip of her wand in a brilliant swirl of rainbow colours, as the red spirit was drawn into the card, struggling every moment to escape her new prison, fighting a losing battle, as she was encased inside the card. It flew to Sakura, who had its identity revealed to her.
"The Sun Card! Kero, this explains why it was so hot and how it managed to make the Rain Card return to its card form!"
'Yeah! It's one of the most powerful cards I've ever seen! And it's not one of the originals! Which means..." Kero paused as if for dramatic effect, when he was really steeling himself for the awful truth. "...that someone has created new cards!"
"What?!" Sakura yelled in disbelief. That was the last thing she expected Kero to say. "But Kero, who could possibly have the power to create new cards?!"
"That is the question! It would take someone with extreme magical powers! But one thing's for sure! Giovanni knew about them, so whoever created them must be linked with Giovanni somehow! And such an alliance could prove very fatal!"
Sakura gasped in absolute horror, shaking like an earthquake, reverberating to the core of her soul. The stakes had been raised considerably now. This was more than just a quest now. An alliance had been formed not just to wipe out the six of them, but to take over the world, most likely! This was why they were being drawn into this whole mess! Giovanni and his ally wanted Ash and Sakura dead! Sakura had never faced anyone in her life who had wanted her dead, and imagining the feeling made her feel so sick. How could someone want her dead? Her! Sakura! She knew why Giovanni did, but having an unknown that wanted her dead made it ten times worse. Bile began to seep up into her throat, and the bitterness made her choke.

"Greetings!" boomed an all too familiar voice. Ash and Sakura wheeled round to face the hologram of Giovanni. "A very nice capture indeed, Sakura! You are indeed a worthy foe! I look forward to the day we finally meet again in person! And as always, a clue is forthcoming! But I must say! The two of you are taking your sweet time! Have you noticed you've been wandering around for 2 weeks now?!"
Ash and Sakura gasped in disbelief and began pulling at their hair. "2 weeks?! That's impossible!"
"No it's not, Sakura," revealed Kero. "Don't you remember?! We had faced the prospect of dying of thirst before, earlier in our journey, but before you did, with your last action you managed to summon the Water Card! She managed to keep the five of you alive, but you all desperately needed medical attention! An Officer Jenny managed to find you in time, and you were all taken to the local hospital. Don't you remember any of that?!"
"Of course you wouldn't!" smiled Giovanni. "Not after the amnesiac drugs I administered to your treatments!"
"What?!" Ash and Sakura felt lava flowing through their veins of to their heads and they erupted with a vengeance. "When we get you, we'll..."
"You'll what?! Kill me?! I don't think so! Even if you do make it that far! And remember! I have 2 'insurance policies'!" Giovanni gestured to two people who where thrown into the room.
"Misty!" cried Ash.
"Li!" cried Sakura.
The two were in a desperate struggle. Misty was covered in deep red burns that ate away at her soul and her hands were still a ghostly, corpse-like white. A cold, empty, unforgiving white. Her hair was losing its orange hue, slowly reducing to a sickly gray. Her eyes were reddened around the pupils, but her sapphire eyes still had that fire in them. And she still managed a smile from her ravaged lips. Li had lost most of the hair from his arms, and they looked so bony, as most of the flesh around them was wasting away. His hair was showing horrifying streaks of white, but those harsh, powerful brown eagle eyes of his were still as fiery and defiant as ever. Eyes are the windows to a person's soul. Their bodies were ravaged, but their souls were still fighting.
"Don't give up, guys," was all they heard before they were whisked away.
"Bring them back!" Ash and Sakura pleaded.
"No way. But, as I have said before, I relieve them if you succeed. For such a difficult capture, Sakura, a bigger reward is deserved. A week's reprieve they shall get, but remember. If I don't see another badge and card in the next two weeks, I will make them pay! And believe me! One day is all I need to crush them!"
"You can't crush them!" blared Sakura.
"And you can't crush us!" backed up Ash.
"Well, look here! Our two heroes are growing stronger! How cute! This will be amusing indeed! I haven't had this much fun in months! Ah, the two of you are more satisfying than anything else ever could be! Now then, the clue you shall have! Now go! Time's a wasting!" The hologram flickered out in an instant, and a piece of paper was left in its wake. Sakura retrieved it then read out the clue.

From whence you found electricity
Is were the base will be

"I don't get it!"
"Neither do I!" moaned Ash. "We're as clueless as ever! We'll have to play the whole thing out!"
"Then let's get to Sodium City pronto! I'm not giving that heartless bastard another chance to hurt Li and Misty, Ash! They're strong, but they don't deserve to be hurt like that! Li with white hair! Ash, it was awful!"
Ash could see the tears welling in Sakura's eyes. He reached for her hand and sunk down. "Seeing Misty so pale and dull was beyond words! This won't go on!"
"Well, good news, guys! Sodium City's over the hill!" announced Madison.
"Whew, what a relief! The three of us could use a bath!' growled Kero.
"WHAT?" Sakura was aghast. "We just fought for our lives, and saw our loved ones being tortured like crazy, and the one thing you want is a bath?!"
"We're dirty! We're itchy! We smell! We need rest! We need water! Why the heck not?!" screeched Meowth.
"PIKA!" buzzed Pikachu.
"I guess they have a point, Sakura" mused Ash. "We could use a break after all that. I think I'd better try out for the badge tomorrow. Tonight we rest and give everyone a break, including all my Pokemon. That way you can meet them all!"
"Sounds great!" Sakura lit up like fireworks on a summer night.
"That'll be worth recording for sure!" cheered Madison.
As the group made its way towards the promised land of Sodium City, Kero pondered a new threat.
"Who made those new cards? I sense something different about them! And something familiar! Could it be...No! It couldn't!" Kero pushed the thought to the back of his mind, then looked at Ash and Sakura. "Be careful, kids. You don't know what you're getting yourselves into. And Giovanni might use the two of you in the worst way possible!"

"I told you Sakura was strong!" It was an icy voice, devoid of emotion and bias.
"Patience, my friend." Giovanni smirked smugly and rubbed his hands eagerly. "The game is getting interesting!" Giovanni waved a little piece of film at the hidden figure.
"So you did see what happened! Expose it now!"
"No! Not yet. Let their hopes build up! A bombshell like this could wreck their spirits permanently! Let it build to something more catastrophic! Let it really drive a wedge between the four for good! And remember!" Giovanni fingered the yellowed photo once more. "We always have this trump card up our sleeve!"
"It seems there are many things I don't know about you," replied the shadow coldly.
"Likewise. But no mind. You want revenge just as much as I do. In that we have common ground! Don't you wish to have greater vengeance than the wrongs that Sakura wreaked upon you?"
"Yes!" replied the enigma, this time showing just the slightest hit of pleasure and evil. "Indeed I do. Sakura will regret the day she met me!"
"As will Ash!" seconded Giovanni.

[Gavin Luper]

WOOHOO! YEAH! Chapter 7 has been posted. The next chapter is a "new" one!

Can't wait, Ryan. Keep it up (as I'm sure you will but hey I always say that!).

Cheers mate!

[Snakes N' Legends]

Poor Ash. He wanted to help Sakura but Kero stopped him. I beat Pokemon power could help defeat the power of Clow Cards. Another thing who could want to hurt Sakura? Must be someone from her past because there is no one else that I can think of. Of course, I don't know everything about Cardcaptors. Keep up the good work, CCC.

[Last Exile]

Gavin Luper: Right on! I'll post Chapter 8 tomorrow so you guys can lap it up! ;)

tyranitar master: The mystery man has his reasons. All will eventually become clear. ;)

[mistysakura]

Nah, I think Clow Cards'd beat Pokemon, because they're only living creatures, with no magic or anything, but Clow Cards can use physical attacks with their magic. But I'd sure lke to see Pikachu vs. the Light Card or something.
BTW, really nice to see a Pokemon + CCS fic. i've always wanted to read one... see, even my username tells you that!

[Last Exile]

mistysakura: Yeah, the Clow Cards would win easily! The Earth Card would swallow up Pikachu in 5 seconds flat! And I'm thrilled to see you like the Pkmn + CCS fic concept! Thank you so much! ;) Hopefully you'll continue to read this fic!

PS. Love the name! It says it all! ;)

[Last Exile]

Chapter 8 - Secrets

Sakura slid her index finger across her newly captured card in a cat-like fashion. With grace, care and curiosity. A hint of concern could be seen on those lips which formed an otherwise calm face, unblemished by streaks of sadness or despair. Her concern was centred around the new card and Kero. Kero had been acting very out of character ever since they caught the Sun Card. Kero pondered over the design, the colours, and he even didn't pester Sakura for sweets either! It all made her wonder. Who created the new cards, and why? Clow Reed was in the next life, and there was no way he'd be able to make new cards. That meant it had to be someone who was presently alive. But who would have that kind of magic? And why was it bothering Kero so much? Sakura sighed. She hated not having the answers. Life was already incredibly messed up for her, and she didn't yet need another unknown to enter the ever-growing, mind-boggling equation.

After the events that transpired over the last few days, the radiant glimmer was slowly beginning to return to Sakura's eyes. That alluring, innocent look that could never be snuffed out, but reality could do much to quell it. Hope was beginning to surge in her heart, which gave her renewed confidence in herself, Ash and the entire quest. She now had the knowledge that she hadn't lost her touch, and that she could easily match the daunting forces of magic under any circumstance. Toying with the key around her neck, she sat back against the wall of their hotel room and sighed. Caressing her silky skin with her slender, creamy hands like a lover, she detected the lingering smell of salt. Travelling through the desert in order to get to Sodium City meant they had to also pass through the salt lakes. While the salt lakes were completely dried up and made for easy passage, vicious winds eternally whipped through the region like a swarm of locusts. Unforgiving and raging destruction upon anything in the vicinity. Sakura had managed to establish some form of protection with the Shield Card, but not even that kept them from the merciless sting of salt for long. She traced a fingernail across the light white film across her arm, deciding that a relaxing bubble bath would be in order. Running her slender fingers through the velvety locks of her reddish-brown hair like running bare skin against wet grass, she instilled a sense of calm into her being as she picked herself up from her bedroom floor and reentered the lounge room.

She entered to find Ash and his Pokemon sprawled out across the floor in a nice neat row, as Ash interacted with every single one in his own special way. Sakura stood at the doorway and watched in wonder, her lips parted in a smile of awe and admiration. Pikachu was as energetic as ever, buzzing with excitement and joy that things were finally going right in this quest as Ash gave his scarlet cheeks a soothing massage with his gentle palms. He moved onto Noctowl, the quiet, wise member of the team, who was more than what he seemed. Noctowl gave a soft, healing hoot as Ash stroked the plumage of his unique owl. Eevee gave cheerful squeals of praise as it received a stimulating back rub. Cyndaquil laughed as Ash gave her a light tickle on her tummy, as if he were tickling Misty. Totodile began doing his silly little dance after Ash gave him a teasing little flick on the snout and began imitating a duck.

Then he came to Bayleef. Ash and Bayleef had come a long way since their earlier days as Ash and Chikorita. Chikorita was always trying to prove how strong she really was, and as time passed, she was even bettering Bulbasaur, which contributed to his departure in a way. Hot-tempered and stubborn as hell, but more loving and affectionate than any Pokemon he'd ever known. She was as loyal to him as possible, and she refused to ever give up, her heart in Ash's hands. And one fateful day, in a mysterious underground lab, Chikorita was up against several electric Pokemon as she fought to free herself and Ash from the underground trap, and her monumental effort triggered her evolution. Ash found himself looking at a Bayleef, who bolstered his squad more than he could have hoped. Now she had the experience to match her iron will and soft heart, but Ash knew that he needed stronger Pokemon if he was ever going to win the Green League. Ash slid his hand from the back of her body in a single motion to her neck, and began rubbing her neck leaves, instilling a strong spice to permeate the brisk evening air. Bayleef leaned her neck in against Ash to generate more of the affection she craved, and Ash complied without a thought.

"So these are your friends!"
The whole group swung round like a feinting sword to meet the source of the comment, who turned out to be Sakura. Eager as a child in a candy store, she slid in on her knees to meet Ash's Pokemon face on at ground level.
"Look at them! I've never seen a cuter team assembled in my life! They're so beautiful! Oh, I have to hug them! Come here, cuties!"
Ash could sense the team was a little reluctant to comply, so he decided to break the ice gently. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Sakura. She's our new friend, so make her feel welcome! She's saved our lives more than once already!"
Sakura was already familiar with Pikachu, so the yellow mouse was more than willing to comply. Cyndaquil was the first of the rest to come forth and meet the new team member. Sakura and Cyndaquil both enjoyed Sakura playing with the end of Cyndaquil's snout, so the two of them hit it off immediately.
"You're such a sweetie!"
"Cynda!" Cyndaquil was always a sucker for flattery and began blushing immediately.
"Toto toto toto dile!" Totodile burst onto the scene with his funny little dance, sending Sakura into hysterics instantly.
Ash was compelled to explain. "He's always incredibly energetic, so he can't stop dancing all the time. Especially when he's around friends!"
"Don't make him stop! This is the coolest!" Sakura kept laughing that laugh that emanates right from the core of her soul, and Ash felt like he was in a dream world, solely focused on Sakura's sweet, innocent laugh. That untouchable laugh. Ash wanted nothing more than to heat that laugh over and over. He cupped his hands around his ears, magnifying the sweet sound that sent his system into shock, and he closed his eyes, picturing the angel that stood in front of him.

"Ah well, what a scene we have here! Cool Pokemon, Sakura's happy, and Ash is dreaming about something. Ah, now who do we have here?!" Kero glided in like a landing jet next to the leafy Pokemon in front of him.
"Now you're quite a stunning honey, if I do say so myself! And what's your name?!"
"Bayleef!"
"Well, I must say, you smell just as good as you look! Ah, finally a Pokemon of the female kind! I must say, I've been waiting quite some time to meet someone like you! Just look at those neck leaves of yours! Stylish arrangement indeed! And those sparkling eyes! Quite the eye catcher indeed! So, dear, may I?" Kero began puckering up eagerly.
Bayleef flatly responded with a crack of her Vine Whip, wrapping her vines tightly around the flying squirrel, proceeding to give him a thumping or two. "Bayleef! Bayleef!"
"Whoa, hold the phone! I just said you were nice! What else do ya want?!"
Bayleef began thinking to herself a little, then began chuckling a little. With a devilish plan in mind, she drew Kero in as she withdrew her vines back to her neck, and planted a big wet one all over Kero's face, leaving him drenched in saliva.
"Oh...my...god!" Bayleef let go of her hold on the orange squirrel, who proceeded to hit the floor in a head-banging stupor.
Bayleef began laughing to herself again. She was always a sly trickster, and she knew how to bend people and Pokemon right around her paws. She heard the creak of a floorboard behind her, and turned round to see a cowering Meowth facing her, hiding pathetically behind his paws.
"Okay, I get the message! I'll never think of kissing you! I got it! It was just a silly dare between the two of us! We was just playing Truth and Dare!" pleaded Meowth in a last resort.
Bayleef planted another big wet one on Meowth this time, and the cat was out like a log. "I should have made him say Truth!" were the last things that passed from his lips before he began snoozing like a newborn baby.

"Sorry about that, Sakura!" Ash was feeling pretty embarrassed now. Bayleef consistently left him feeling more stupid than he was at the beginning of his Pokemon journey. "She's pretty passionate!"
"Well, they had it coming to them!" Sakura began laughing again, but only in a short burst this time. It was still enough to leave Ash floored like a boxer who's taken one too many hits to the head. He was out for the count, feeling his heart leaping through his throat and into his mouth yet again.
"Bayleef!" Ash's ears pricked up as he heard the all familiar sound of four feet charging across the floor and towards Sakura like a freight train howling through the middle of a stormy winter night, powering down the home stretch, spouting steam into the sky and refusing to relent with its target in sight.
"Bayleef! Don't! Please don't!" Ash began to cringe as he knew what was coming next. "Sakura, watch out!"
"Huh?" Sakura turned around just before the flying green streak hit her like a rock. "Ahhhh!" Sakura felt the weird yet enjoyable sensation of Bayleef licking her face eagerly as she laid down on the floor, with the spicy green one right on top of her chest.
"I don't know whether to be angry or glad that just happened!" Sakura sighed in complete embarrassment, as if she was decked out in another one of Madison's bizarre yet stunning costumes.
Ash scratched his scalp, baring a grin in an attempt to mask the humiliation welling up in him, about to explode like an overripe pomegranate. "Sorry about that! Bayleef is REALLY affectionate, if you get my meaning! Now that she's bigger, you also tend to fall down more when she does that. Then again, even when she was a Chikorita she could still floor you with minimum effort."
"I think I'll have that bubble bath now!" groaned Sakura. But that was never going to happen until Bayleef would get off her. An angry Bayleef is far worse than the pleasurable affection could ever be, even if it came at the wrong time. "Training Pokemon isn't as easy as it looks!"
"I practically run on electricity now thanks to training Pikachu," mused Ash in a hope to perk up Sakura once again.
"Ha ha!" Again, the sweet laugh wafted through the crisp, spring evening air and reverberated through Ash's ears for what seemed like eternity. That prompted him to laugh as they shared a mutual feeling, and that was the first time Sakura heard Ash's real laugh. It was a strong yet spirited and joyous laugh. It was full of life and love. It came from that part inside of his soul that nothing could ever savage. The core that kept him going when all seemed lost. Now Sakura was the one who was left dazed by the other's laugh. She rarely heard Li laugh at all, if ever. There'd be days where he wouldn't even smile. And that was something that weighed down on Sakura a bit. She craved to have the smiles and laughter with her, but Li couldn't offer that. Yet Ash could. Despite his own hardships, that laugh and smile still rang through the misty fogs that clouded his soul in these dark times.

Sakura began wondering what it would have been like to be with Ash in the earlier legs of his Pokemon journeys in Kanto, the Orange Islands and Johto. To see his triumphs and downfalls. To see him make new friends and to lose them. Those quiet moments where you're just glad to be alive and to be where you are. Those nights alone in the wilderness, with friends at your side, wondering what the future had in store for you, wondering what others thought of you. Sakura was only beginning to see who Ash Ketchum really was, and she couldn't hide her infinite fascination. At that moment, if she hadn't been so caught up in a daze, she would have seen Ash looking at her in the same way, just as dazed as she was, and ever more fascinated with her. But the moment slipped away and was forgotten about. But not completely. Somehow, they knew, even though they didn't know it. And later on, they would remember. But for now, it slipped away into the mists of time.

"Ahh! Sakura slid her naked body into the warm depths of the bubbly water in the relaxing bath in front of her and let herself gradually sink down into the nexus of the body of water, enjoying the feeling of heat entering her body and the stimulation of wet skin. She smiled in pleasure and raised her arms back above her head. "The Bubble Card does have its benefits!"
She then turned to her guardian with purpose. "Kero, do you know who created those new cards? Because I'm sure that they couldn't have been created by Clow Reed."
"Mm. I honestly wish I knew. But I do know that it wasn't Clow Reed. These cards have a slightly different design. The main feature of these cards seem to be the planets rather than just the sun and moon. And I can't shake the feeling I get when I look at these new cards. I get the feeling that I sense something familiar about them. As if I know who created them." Kero was folded over in a mediating position as he floated in mid-air, pondering the taxing problem. "How do you feel when you look at these new cards?"
"Weird. It's not the same way I felt when I sensed a Clow Card. They felt warmer, somehow. These cards make me feel so cold. So pure and unfeeling. It's freaky, Kero. I've never felt anything like it before. Yet I also get the feeling that I sense something familiar about them too. I don't get it at all."
"Giovanni wouldn't have the power to make them. It would take someone with extraordinary magical powers. And if this person is working with Giovanni, they must bear an incredible grudge against you to form such an unprecedented and unholy alliance. It stinks to high heaven and worse than rotten fish in an alleyway. I fear the worst, Sakura. Be careful. Someone is out to kill you. That is for certain."
"Ohhh..." Sakura winced heavily at such a dark thought. Never in her life had Sakura ever faced the prospect of someone actually wanting to kill her. Defeat her, yes. Harm her, yes. Clow Cards and enemies were always out to do that. But to kill her?! To actually end her life?! For someone to twist a sharp, unforgiving knife into her tender, loving heart, slashing it open without mercy, letting the life flow out of her like red wine out of an overflowing cup, until her body fell lifeless to the floor?! For someone to fire a cold, deadly, unfeeling metal bullet into her brain, ending her amazing life in the blink of an eye? By poisoning her, leaving her body to be slowly eaten away at by savage, hungry, greedy toxins, oozing and stripping away her structure until she fell apart? To be struck by an intense beam of power that never ended, sucking the life out of every cell in her body, until her spirit could find no longer, leaving her to slip away into the unknown? How could someone want to do something like that to her? So cold, so unfeeling, so hateful, so wrong, so evil. She began shaking all over, as water began to spill onto the cold, white tiled floor. She could almost feel her body was a lifeless corpse, lying on the ground, never to stir again. She held her head in her hands to hide back the tears welling up in her eye ducts like a dam about to burst apart, leaving the floodgates to open up and destroy everything in its path. "Kero, promise you'll protect me! I don't want to die! I'm barely an adult yet! I've still got so much to give to this world! So much I want to do! Please, Kero, promise me!"
Kero was drawn into those emeralds and held in their pleading grasp. He couldn't resist the screams coming form inside her. He knew Sakura for too long to knock back something like this.
"I promise, Sakura. You gave me the power to assume my true form at will once you captured the four elemental cards. I'll do everything I can to keep you alive. Even if I have to die protecting you. You have my word."
"Kero!" Sakura's voice was heightening with desperation following those last few words. "You can't do that! I can't lose you!"
"Sakura, this quest is far more dangerous than you can possibly imagine. You have no idea how much you have ahead of you. To come out of it alive will require a miracle. And even then, it's entirely possible that not all of us will live to see that happen."
Sakura bowed her head in despair. She had never thought that she could actually lose friends of hers along the way. It was verging on the horrors of war. Perhaps this whole quest really was a war. And countless millions had been slain in wars of days gone by. Were they just to be its next victims? Sakura began crying softly. Not out of sadness or despair, but out of necessity. Releasing tension and pain that needed release. Toxins that had built up in her for days. Things that she needed to do away with as she cried away the pain inside her soul, and the thoughts of losing those that she loved. A pain she knew all too well.

"Sakura?" A voice came from outside as the door to bathroom slowly creaked open. "Are you okay?"
"Huh?" Sakura snapped out her trance and faced the perpetrator. Ash was standing in the doorway with a look of concern and compassion on his face. "Ahhh!" Sakura covered her breasts impulsively with her hands, then began growling like a mad dog. "What the hell are you doing in here?"
"Yeah, kid!" Kero zoomed over like an arrow and stopped one inch away from Ash's head, fuming like boiling water. "Didn't you mother ever tell you to knock before entering, or to not walk in on a girl bathing?!"
"Sorry! Sorry!" Ash fell to the floor, averted his gaze to the ground to hide his shock and began choking on every single breath. "I heard you crying, Sakura. I thought you needed help. Or a friend. I just wanted to help."
"Listen, kid. If Sakura needs your help, she'll..."
"Kero, go."
Kero swung round to meet Sakura's face, stony and marble-like. He felt a cold chill rush over him and began shaking as if a ghost was wrapping its undead being around him, sucking him dry. "But I..."
"Kero, go! Now!"
Kero hovered out, his head sinking into his chest, knowing that questioning Sakura once more would unleash the next world war. "Sometimes, even I don't get her."

[Last Exile]

Ash looked at Sakura in amazement. "Thanks," was all he could blurt out.
"It's okay. You were just trying to help."
Ash sunk down a little and began wincing slightly. "Why does Kero keep blasting me when I try to help you? Like earlier today?"
Sakura reached her hand out, raised Ash's head so that his striking black eyes met her glowing emeralds, and began drawing him in. "What happened today?"
"I wanted to help you fight the Sun Card, but Kero told me to back off. He said that magic was your domain, and that I couldn't help you even if I tried. But..." Ash stopped and slumped down again. "...I have to help others. It's what's in my heart."
"Hey, don't worry. I'm not as powerful as Kero makes out. I didn't capture all the cards myself, you know. I needed plenty of help from Li and others. Kero's being overprotective because he's my guardian. He knows that my life is in danger on this quest, and he's compelled to eternally defend me. So next time I need help, go ahead. I help others when they need it too, Ash. I wouldn't stop you from doing that."
Ash felt himself drawn into those emeralds once again, and this time they were matched with a half-smile. He felt he was looking at a cross between a mother and an angel. He couldn't believe the effect Sakura was having on him. He couldn't resist those eyes. He was helpless against them.
"Thank you. I'm glad you understand. Not many people do."
"I know. Even less people ever understand me. I have to keep so many secrets. People are too fearful of magic. It's around them every day in every way, yet when someone has the power to use it, they fear them and try to destroy them. If they found out, I'd be in for it."
She tensed up as soon as she felt the gentle stroking of Ash's hands on her bare shoulders. She stopped breathing momentarily, and her heart began beating so intensely she could feel every single beat thumping in between her breasts.
"You can trust me. I'll never let you down."
Ash proceeded to gently and ever so slowly massage Sakura's shoulders and back. He had received so many soothing, healing touches from Sakura over the last few days, he felt obliged to administer a few of his own. Sakura began to breathe heavily as she felt the tension flow out of her like streaks of light blasting from the sun out into the infinite realms of space. Calm returned to her being as she felt every synaptic impulse of pleasure and excitement registering in her brain. It felt so comforting to feel Ash's touch. But this time, it was different to any other time. She was deriving stimulation and pleasure from it. She was liking it, and furthermore, she desired it. She wanted Ash to keep touching her and to never stop. Her mind began twisting over a hundred different thoughts in a flash. I can't do this, she thought. What about Li? I love him, don't I? I can't let him down. He'd never forgive me. But, why do I like this so much? Why? Why is Ash getting through to me like Li never could? Do I...do I actually love Li?
Without even thinking, Sakura grabbed Ash's hand with her own, placing it right next to her thumping heart, right between her firm breasts, making Ash blush a strong crimson red across his cheeks as he felt hot blood rush up like wildfire. He couldn't see anything he shouldn't, he couldn't feel anything he shouldn't, but the touch was so exhilarating. He'd never felt anything so good in his entire life. Wait! Was that true? What about when Misty kissed him? Wasn't that better? That was when their love was finally realised. Didn't that mean more than anything to him? So why was Sakura, a girl he had only known for a few weeks, entering his thoughts nearly every single time and fuelling the fire in his soul like Misty never had? Do I really love Misty? Could I truly break her heart? Yet the sight of Sakura's flowing, silky back and the feeling he was getting from every single one of Sakura's heartbeats, and the sensation that his hands was just millimetres away from one of the most beautiful things in the universe was flooding his mind with so many emotions and desires that he couldn't think straight. He really liked this girl. And he was enjoying every moment of this.
Before he knew it, Ash had used his free hand to grab Sakura's own. Sakura spun her head around, watching Ash unbutton his shirt with her fingers. She watched every little button slip out like a key exiting a lock, revealing his bare chest. Sakura flushed so intensely at the sight of it that she almost choked on her nest breath, making her eyes water and her mouth salivate. She could see Ash's pectorals, not too big yet firm, adorned with soft, black hair. Not the prickly kind she had grown to know on Li's chest. Ash held Sakura's hand to his own heart, and Sakura felt every single one of Ash's heartbeats. Their eyes were melting into each other's and wouldn't let the other break away. Their hearts seemed to transmit what the other was feeling, and it was as if their entire life and consciousness was flowing back and forth between each other.
Sakura was the first to break the uneasy silence. "Ash, I promise to help you out when you need me, and I promise to defend you with my life."
Ash felt like he had been whacked from behind with a sledgehammer and that his head had fallen off, but he still managed to pull together one coherent sentence. "Sakura, I promise to help you out when you need me, and I promise to defend you with my life."
Sakura's eyes felt like they were going to explode, and her heart began racing so intensely that Ash's began matching hers beat for beat. Sakura began leaning in over the bathtub with an outstretched hand, releasing Ash's captive hand, and her face moving in. Ash felt himself rising up to meet hers, releasing Sakura's captive hand from his own heart, free to move up around her incoming head. Their heads were moving ever so closer, their eyes were beginning to slowly slide shut, and their lips were gracefully parting...

"Hello? Is anyone there?"
Ash and Sakura jumped slightly with a start. Who was that?! And why were they here now? It was a familiar voice. But why now?
"Ash? Sakura? It's Professor Oak. I found out you just made it to Sodium City, and Nurse Joy told me I could find you here."
Ash looked into Sakura's eyes and felt tears forming. He didn't want the moment to end. But it was gone. Lost. Destroyed. Dead.
"I'd better go answer that." Ash began sniffling softly as he regrettably picked himself up from the wet tiled floor.
Sakura reached out and grabbed his arm firmly. Ash turned round to meet her face. Sakura looked like she was about to fall apart, never to be put back together again. Her emerald eyes were glowing more intensely than ever. But now they were pleading, screaming out at him. Her mouth was wracked in agony, twisted and crumbling. Her arm was shaking in impatience. Her whole body was screaming out to Ash. Don't go, was what he heard. Every single cell was screaming it out to him. He felt it tear into every cell in his own body, imprinting into his own soul so deeply it would never wash off. He felt so sick inside. He wanted nothing but to be with Sakura right now. He felt his heart long for her so badly it was about to burst. He wanted to fulfill the longing he felt in her heart. But the moment was gone.
Sakura's eyes began to water, and it looked like for the first time in her entire life, those emeralds were shattering. Despite their resilience and luster, they fell apart like breaking glass, into a million tiny slivers on the cold, cold ground. A soft voice, so soft it could barely be heard, came from Sakura's wrenching mouth. "I...need...you."
Ash placed his other hand on hers and looked deep into her eyes. "I..." He didn't know how to proceed. How could he?! What was he about to do? Wasn't he in love with Misty? Yet here he was with Sakura. It felt so wrong, yet it felt so right.
"We'll finish this later. I promise." And Ash turned away. Sakura's head slumped onto the side of the bathtub in shock. What was she doing? She couldn't do this. So why did she want Ash? It felt like the two of them were destined to meet. Fate had made their paths collide. It couldn't be for nothing, could it? She began to gently sob as her head banged against the tub in total shock.
Ash turned back at the doorway. "You'd better put some clothes on. We've got company." His voice wasn't vibrant and happy. It was sad and cold. Yet it seemed to scream out to her. It seemed to say, I want to be with you. I want you. But I can't right now. Not now. Sakura remembered the look in his eyes when he made that promise. She saw sincerity in those eyes. Whatever she was feeling right now, she knew that Ash felt exactly the same thing. And this wasn't going to go away. They would have to face it. But for now, they couldn't. Sakura slipped out of the tub gingerly, dried her dripping, naked female figure ever so slowly with a fluffy white towel, then reached for a pink nightgown.

Ash opened the door in uncertainty.
"Ash! Good to see you again."
"Good to see you, Professor Oak."
Oak surveyed his surroundings keenly. He could see Ash's Pokemon all speaking amongst themselves, looking better than ever. He saw what looked like a squirrel with wings nearby, trying to rouse a sleeping Meowth. What was up there? He was curious to find out about those two.
Madison entered from her room, then noticed she wasn't alone. "Oh, hello. I didn't realise you had company."
"It's just Professor Oak, Madison. You can stay. We've got some group things to discuss."
"Okay." Madison sat herself down in wonder, reflecting over the countless possibilities, and pinning down a few details for a new costume she was making.
Sakura emerged from the bathroom in a pink silk nightgown. Ash felt his heart blowing up again so hard he could barely contain himself. She looked so warm and fuzzy over there. So much more than Misty ever could. How could he ever hurt this girl? Ash felt so guilty inside that his brain felt like it was turning inside out. He had to resolve whatever was happening between them soon. It was driving him mad. And if Professor Oak hadn't been studying his surroundings so intently, he would have noticed how Ash felt, and that might have given them away in a second. Madison looked over the couch arm at Sakura, and she could tell just from the look in Sakura's eyes that something was wrong. Madison rose up slightly, indicating she wanted to see if Sakura was alright and wanted to talk. Sakura swiftly shook her head, but it was so slight that only Madison could notice. Madison received the signal like a radio frequency, and proceeded to seat herself once more. She knew something was up, but for now she wouldn't say a word.
Oak broke the silence eagerly. "Well, have you opened it yet?!"
Ash and Sakura looked at him in bewilderment. "Opened what?"
"The GS Ball, of course! Don't tell me you forgot!"
Sakura began to explain. "Well, you see, we got lost in the desert, and we all ended up having to be treated in hospital due to heat stress and fluid loss. We're lucky to be alive, so we don't remember much from the last two weeks."
"Oh." Concern flashed across Oak's mind like a lighthouse beacon. I bet I know why. It would be just like him to do that. Oak secretly pushed back years of dark desires and rage to the back of his mind and held them captive once more. Don't think you'll get away without seeing me again in in this life, Giovanni. We will meet again. I made an oath. And I intend to keep it!
"So, er, would anyone mind explaining the flying squirrel and the Meowth to me? I'm a little confused!" Oak resumed his normal, deep yet slightly squeaky voice, and his usual good-heated nature returned to his face. No one noticed the transition except Kero.
There's something going on there too, mused Kero silently. This whole situation has more twists than the Maze Card! I'd give anything to know what his secret is.
"Meowth joined forces with us after Team Rocket dumped him," blurted Ash.
"From 5 miles high!" mewed Meowth, finally emerging from his stupor. "I still have nightmares about it!"
"Hey!" crooned Madison. "It's okay." Madison scooped up Meowth in her arms and began stroking him gently. Meowth felt the pain slowly slipping away with every single caress, lulling his eyes into Madison's sapphires. What a girl. I could get used to this. Meowth let a small smile break out across his ravaged face as he laid in peace on Madison's lap.
Sakura then filled in the rest of the gaps. "And this is Kero. He's my bodyguard and mentor."
"Well, it's nice to meet a fellow wise brainiac," chirped Kero as he hovered to the professor's eye level. "Been a while since I met one of those."
"A flying AND talking squirrel?!" Oak had seen more than he could handle lately. "I think I had too much coffee!"
"Listen gramps. I've been around on this planet for thousands more years than you have. So expect the unexpected. I would have thought someone like you would be like that."
"Erm, yeah. I just haven't been that much in contact with magic, that's all." Oak resented having things he didn't know, being a researcher. But, he'd come to accept that was the way the universe worked. "Okay, so are we going to see what Pokemon's in the GS Ball now?"
"Okay. Now's a good as time as any," pondered Ash. He reached for the distinct ball attached to his belt, then threw it out battle style.
"Go!"
A brilliant white flash erupted as the Pokemon inside finally found freedom. Freedom after countless years inside the ball. But this was no ordinary Pokemon. So the gang had to wait for half a minute for the glow to die down until the Pokemon was finally revealed.
Ash's jaw gaped wide open. Sakura fell to the floor in shock. Madison ended up stroking Meowth the wrong way, which made him shriek. All of Ash's Pokemon screamed out in awe. This was too incredible! Was this really happening?!
"A Green Dratini!"

Giovanni studied the Rocket grunt standing in front of his desk. Several dimly lit candles gave a soft hue to the otherwise dark confines of his office. Everything about the place spooked the Rocket big time, and Giovanni prolonged his agony. The paintings of screaming people, people dying, people in agony after loss. Ghostly classical music rippled so intensely that the whole room rumbled with the haunting, murderous melodies of a Berlioz piece. The grunt felt doom encasing him like a body bag. Giovanni's lips slowly parted in a devilish smile, revealing teeth that looked more like fangs. The grunt was glued to the spot he stood and couldn't move a muscle.
"I said to give the two brats daily workouts to keep them in shape! I didn't say to give them a whipping! Now how do you think that will sit with the other brats?! Don't you remember the plan? Or is your feeble brain too weak to grasp such a simple concept?" Giovanni was growling like a pack of wolves encircling their prey, ready to move in for the kill.
"No, sir. I did understand the plan."
Giovanni's right hand reached into his left jacket pocket instantly. "And that makes it worse."
A single gunshot rang through the room a second later. Giovanni's specialised pistol let a tiny wisp of smoke waft out as the grunt fell to ground, his brain hit dead centre, making sickly brain fragments fly and crimson tides of blood spill across nearby, dead instantly.
"And you! I thought I told you to not let the brats find out so much so early! Giovanni's face remained as cold and unforgiving as ever, the mask of a cold-blooded killer that is oblivious to all feeling imprinted on his face. Hence he saw no ripple of beauty or felt no sense of compassion for the quivering female grunt in front of him.
"But sir, you said to let them wander free! To gradually determine the structure of the base so they thought they might escape!"
"Gradually being the key word! You let them find out too much! You let them have hope too early! Too bad for you." Another gunshot rung out through the room as a second corpse fell the ground, right beside the second one.
"And you! I expect better surveilance from such 'experts'! How could you be so careless?! You let that half-witted Meowth find you!"
"Boss! The cat smelled the film! How was I know he knew all about our secret spy equipment? You don't give that out to anyone except the teams!"
"You know who's on those teams! Meowth was a former member! Incompetence is not tolerated!"
And without mercy, the third gunshot left a third body sprawled out on the floor, next to the other two.
Giovanni motioned up with his right hand. "Burn the bodies. Inform the families. Kill them if they're any trouble."
Several hidden Rockets flowed out of the room so inconspicuously that only a trained eye like Giovanni's could have seen them. Several medical staff dressed in blood red robes laid the bodies out on gurneys and wheeled them away to the incinerator. To become nothing but ashes. As if they never were.
Giovanni whirled round as the chandelier in the centre of the room slowly lit up. He faced a vidscreen, displaying a classroom filled with several hundred new Rocket grunts. All cold, emotionless and still. Not daring to anger the prime directive.
"That is how I treat the intolerant. Fail me, and that will be the last thing you ever see. But success is rewarded amply if you prove to be competent. Remember! I can replace you as quickly as those three! Failure is not an option!"
The Rockets remained expressionless, but inside all of them, all traces of hope and positive feeling were extinguished for good. They were in the big league now. Live or die.
The vidscreen faded into a single beam of light that zipped out. Giovanni motioned for the two remaining Rockets to emerge from the shadows as the chandelier went out again.
"Establish the spy network again. Make sure there are no hiccups this time. That squad takes a while to train. I don't want any more losses. We must make up for lost time."
"Do you wish for the brats to be summoned?"
"Not for the moment. But remain on standby. I will have need of them." And with a click of his fingers, they were gone.
Giovanni reached for the all too familiar photo. He dare not let anyone be present whenever he look at the photo. For one would actually see emotion on that face of his. Regret. Pain. Sadness. Loss.
"There are some things I do regret. Such is the price of power. The ends justify the means. But that doesn't imply the means are always pleasant." He sighed, a sigh of lost youth. If anyone were there to witness it, they would be so stunned, that the flawless image of Giovanni would be permanently shattered.
"The things we do." He began fingering the four other figures in the photo beside himself as if he were caressing them. "But that is all gone now. The future awaits. And beware, Ash, Sakura, you won't ever see this one coming."
"Who would've known the ice man could actually feel?" whispered an icy, emotionless voice from the shadows.
"Don't ever mention it to anyone, or it's your head."
"Really. I don't think you have that power. I could kill you in a second."
"Maybe. Maybe not. But no need for such things. We have a common goal. And things are falling into place again."
"Ash will have opened the GS Ball by now. This makes things more 'complicated' now."
"He never would make it without it. Remember. They must always have hope. Then right when they think they'll win and live happily ever after, we crush them! Forever!"
"Yes!" A slight hint of pleasure emanated form the voice now. "We will crush them! I will get you, Sakura! Revenge will be mine!"
"I do wish Clow Reed were here to see this!" mocked Giovanni. "It would have killed the man!"
"Yes. Indeed. He deserves no better." Slivers of hate now struck out.
"Patience, my friend. Evil always wins. The do-gooders will get their own." Giovanni shook the photo as if he were throwing a frisbee. "This is the deathblow!"
"Yes!" Pleasure returned to the mystery voice. "The truth shall set you free!"
Giovanni flicked on the speakers as he and the mystery voice broke out in laughter. But not normal laugher. Bitter, twisted, chilling, sadistic laughter that breaks the soul of anyone who hears it. Sadistic laughter that rang out through the entire base. Echoing all the way through...



Hope that chapter doesn't leave you too stunned! Just a point to clear things up. Ash didn't see any parts of Sakura's body that he shouldn't have during the bath scene. I don't know if I made it clear enough last time, but I'll make it clear now.

PS. Note that I'm changing my sig every few days with a new song of the moment. I've also changed the Advanced Trainer tag to Highly Evolved. My sig should explain why. Hope you like the changes! ;) And thanks for making this the first fic in the restart of TPM to crack 100 replies! Your support is highly appreciated! ;)

[mistysakura]

I wasn't too stunned about that, except the Prof. Oak bit. I always had this nagging feeling that Ash and Sakura would get together, it's how it always happens anyway. Well, I'm waiting for chapter 9, this fic is the 2nd best I've seen in ages, maybe even THE best. I don't know. It's just getting better and better, I think it'll beat Emotions soon. Right now I'm thinking, what about Misty and Li? ;)

[Last Exile]

mistysakura: Well, sounds like that chapter went down well with you! As Misty and Li, right now I'd think they'd be more inclined to killer each other! ;)

[Gavin Luper]

YAY! New chapter!!

Well, no real surprises there, only because I knew you created this fic to make the fantasy of Ash and Sakura's love come true, correct? Still ... I'm a supporter of AAML (well, not really, but I'd like to see it happen ONE DAY).

Still, this is very good. I like how you can so smoothly incorporate both CCS and Pokemon in one fic. Very well done. My only qualm is the paragraphing - the lack of double spacing makes it harder to read. Consider double-spacing each paragraph, then this fic would be UNSTOPPABLE!

Oh, and who is this mysterious person? Giovanni is very evil ... tsk tsk. The grunts should have all kicked him and run away! Although i don't think that would achieve much except their own deaths.

And that photo ... it may be interesting indeed!

Cheers!

[Snakes N' Legends]

I say it again but a green dratini? That might change things for Giovanni. Giovanni will have more to worry about now. No matter what Giovanni and this mysterious man plan to do, good will always triumph over evil. Keep up the work, CCC.

[Darkgel]

:o The yellowed photo...

The mysterious mage...

DAMN! I WANNA KNOW WHO OR WHAT THE HELL THEY AAAAAAAAAARE!

[Last Exile]

Gavin Luper: I like AAML too, but considering Misty is leaving after the Johto League and Kimi is entering the fold, it isn't as likely anymore, unfortunately! You obviously picked up as to why I wrote this fic. Well done! ;) The yellowed photo and the hidden figure are the key to why Giovanni is after Ash and Sakura. And as for double-spacing, no way! That annoys the hell out of me! I can't read double spaced fics. Sorry! ;)

tyranitar master: So goes the theory. But in the end, I don't think either triumphs. Neutrality prevails in the end, because if one of them prevailed, life would dull to those aspects and emotions would not exist because there was no anti for them. At least that's what I think.

Darkgel: Eventually. Can't blow a secret like that too early! ;)

[Last Exile]

Chapter 9 - Parabola

Ash felt rays of daylight stimulate his being, and opened his eyes to a new day. But under the circumstances, he'd rather have been asleep. Then again, maybe not. It wasn't that he hadn't slept well. He slept rather well for once. And that didn't help at all. For last night he had only been dreaming about two things: Misty and Sakura. All night his subconscious mind had tossed and turned between the two angels, and he was no closer to reaching a reasonable conclusion. A day ago everything was fine. He'd won his first badge, and Sakura had caught the first of the new cards.

Then came last night. He'd walked into the bathroom to console Sakura when he heard her crying, but he didn't realise she was bathing, and he nearly found himself caught in a sticky situation. Kero was about to mash the stuffing out of him when Sakura intervened and made her guardian leave. The two of them were alone. Ash and Sakura had found themselves being open and honest about each other. He was relating so well to her. They had known each other for a short time, yet their experiences, secrets, pains and desires were so similar. That was something he'd never found with Misty. Misty had her nice side, but that only emerged in between consistent armadas of rage. Sakura had no desire to toy with him. She genuinely respected him and wanted his friendship.

And then it happened. While Sakura was discussing her own secrets and fears, Ash felt himself drawn to Sakura. Looking at her silky smooth back, lightly glazed with water, it shimmered like diamonds, and Ash was compelled to help her in some form. In the last few days, whenever he was down, Sakura found a way to console him through touch. He liked that touch. He'd never felt a touch like it. It had the warmth and care of a mother, but it had the passion and desire of a young adult. It was insatiable. Wherever he touched her, he felt hole fire burn away the evils that plagued, freeing his soul of its constraints. All through simple but powerful touches. Ash wanted to give Sakura just that. So he ended up massaging Sakura's bare shoulders, and the effects were instant. He felt the tension drain out of her and calm return to her being. In that single moment, he had gained Sakura's trust. Sakura was placing her security in Ash's hands. They had pressed each other's hands close to the other's hearts, and were just seconds away from kissing.

Then Oak came over. And now he had an absolute mess to sort out. What had he done?! Three weeks ago, he confessed to Misty. And they had kissed. Misty actually liked him in return! And now she was gone. He'd get her back. But a year without her at his side. Not hearing her flirtatious voice, seeing her glowing face, her radiant eyes. She was a pain a lot of the time, but she was his best friend. And now, weeks after the kidnapping, he was having feelings for another girl. There was no point in denying it. He was drawn to Sakura like never before. This girl had made him fall apart the moment they met after the kidnappings. Eight years with Misty was what it took to get to where he was with her. But in three weeks with Sakura, he'd gone just as far. How could this be? Why did he feel this way? He had Misty. Or at least he did. Didn't that mean anything to him? Of course it did!

But there was something else, Ash realised. Sakura was relating to him in ways Misty never did. Misty had made several passes as older guys, while Sakura was nothing like that. Misty would tease Ash and snub him all the time, while Sakura listened, cared and wanted to know. Misty seemed to sometimes relish Ash's misfortunes, or she wasn't that dismayed by them at times. Yet as soon as Ash was beginning to lose it, there was Sakura. At his side and healing the pain. Sakura was on his mind all the time. She lingered into his every thought. The image of her naked body was imprinted in his mind. He hadn't seen anything that revealing, but it was still something that was being relived over and over in flashback. He'd exposed his bare chest to her, while Misty had never even made it to that point. He had to admit it. He wanted Sakura. He really liked that girl.

But what was really driving him around the bend was that look she gave him when he left to answer the door to let Oak in. It was a look that shot him dead like a harpoon in his heart, and he was slowly bleeding to death. Her eyes were as sparkly as ever, but those emeralds were about to shatter. Her mouth was so wracked with pain that she looked like her whole body was about to fall apart. Her whole body screamed out to him. He felt so guilty. How could he do this to her? Sakura had placed her trust in him in such an intimate moment. Was he about to throw that all away. He promised her that he would resolve this. But he was no closer to the answer. He wanted Sakura so much. But yet he wanted Misty. He couldn't have both. That could never be. Somehow through innocent touched and intimate moments, things had gone to the point where they were out of control like a sandstorm in the Sahara. It rages hell on everything in its path. And someone was about to get burnt. He was going to hurt the two people he cared about most in this insane universe. Ash buried his face in his pillow and began crying intensely. He needed release. Everything was building up in him like a pressure cooker which had reached critical mass. He wanted to hide himself from the world and stay in the safety of his comfort zone. Where he could toy with the idea and never approach it. But that would never be. He had to approach it. Now. And he asked himself the million dollar question: Do I really love Misty?

"Ash?"
The door to his bedroom opened slowly, and gentle footsteps followed. He knew who it was.
"Hey Sakura."
Ash didn't move from the confines of his pillow. He didn't want to look her in the eye. Then he'd have to look into those emeralds. Those insatiable emeralds where he felt safe and at peace. He'd be drawn to her again.
Sakura sat herself down on the bed next to the boy who was slowly taking control of her mind. Uncertain what to do, or what to say. She had to do something. Last night had to be resolved. Otherwise it would never go away. It would always stand between the two and break them apart. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and stretched out her hand to Ash's neck.
"Ash..."
Ash shivered at her touch and tried to wrench away from it.
"Leave me alone, Sakura."
"Ash, please. Talk to me."
Sakura touched her again, this time on his cheek. The fire on her fingertips burned his soul again, and he moved away again.
"Just leave me alone."
"Ash! Don't do this! You have to talk to me. You can't just pretend it didn't happen."
Ash's eyes flared up and he sprung up to a sitting position, meeting Sakura's crystal gaze. Sakura shrunk back in revulsion. She didn't see brashness, happiness or spirit in those eyes. She saw contempt and malice in those eyes that looked more like daggers.
"What would you like to hear? Just what would you like me to say?"
Sakura felt herself shaking like jelly. This wasn't the normal Ash. His voice was so spiteful and poisonous. Already she could feel the tears forming. Why was he being like this? Why was he being so hurtful? This wasn't like him. She held her head in her hands as she replied. "The truth."
Ash's anger fizzled into nothing in an instant. If that had been Misty, she would have been just as spiteful, and the two of them would have been at each other's necks. But Sakura wasn't like that at all. His aggressive response scared her. She wanted nothing but to know what was in his heart. Just like every time before. That trademark that Misty never had. She'd wrench the truth out of him, push him away or lie. Sakura was honest, open and leaving herself as fragile as ever. He saw the same girl he was looking at last night. About to fall apart, living on his every word. How could he be so hateful to her? Ash fell down next to her and wept.
"Sakura, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I just don't know what to say."
He felt her gentle hand wipe his tears away and raise his head to meet hers. And once again, those glittering emeralds were drawing him in from the moment they made contact.
"The truth, Ash."
Sakura was a bit firmer this time. She wanted an honest answer. No fudging. No lies. No mind games. Nothing like the way it was with Misty. He could run but he couldn't hide from this. He tried to look away, but Sakura held him by the neck and brought his head back to hers.
"The truth."
Ash felt so sick inside he wanted to throw up, but that would just be another excuse. He had no more excuses. He was caught in a corner. Trapped. He had no escape from the fact. He had to reveal all. Or he'd hurt this girl forever. And he could never live with that. No matter what the consequences were. Right now, he wouldn't handle something like that. So he looked deep into those emeralds, breathed in, and revealed all.
"Sakura, I like you. I really like you."
Sakura felt her heart skip a beat and her whole body simultaneously locked up. Her breathing was faster, more intense and bothered. She tried to calm herself but it only served to heighten the fire raising up in her. She didn't really expect him to say it. She knew that was how he felt about her, but she never thought he would admit it. Now she didn't know how to react. She had prepared herself for lies and rejection, but now she was facing truth and acceptance. They were feeling she had lost familiarity with recently, but now that they were being rekindled, she was at a loss. Two single tears flowed from her eyes down her face like raindrops slowly sliding down a window on a stormy day. She wasn't crying because she was being hurt. Quite the contrary. For the first time in a long while, she felt great. It extended far beyond the kidnapping. This went back for months. Months of silent pain and no ways to heal it. Now she had found someone who could do it in a moment.
Sakura raised her head slowly to Ash's and a serene smile formed on her lips. Ash could see the luster returning to those emeralds, which made him sweat like he was in a sauna. Sakura reached for Ash's hand and held it in hers. "Ash, I really like you too." Then she broke down. Small, broken fits of laughter erupted from her sobbing as she left the room. Ash wanted to reach out and comfort her, but he knew that now wasn't the time. She needed to be alone, or with a friend she knew longer. Like Madison. His time would come. For now, Sakura had her own issues to resolve. And Ash had his. He no longer had the need to bury himself in his sorrow in the pillow, so he continued to lie on his back, dreaming, hoping, and worrying.

Sakura's first instinct was to flee to the confines of her bedroom. She'd been open and honest. She was healing the pain inside her. But it still felt wrong in some way. Li. She'd known him and loved him for years. Even though it wasn't always returned, Li was still able to shatter his hard shell and let some light in. She had received love in return. But Sakura was still left longing. Hurting in ways that she kept silent. And she would have continued to do so if Madison didn't stop her in her tracks.
"Sakura." Madison's sapphires emanated love and compassion. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, Madison. I'm all right."
"Sakura, I saw you go into Ash's room. I heard some of what was said. Is there something going on between the two of you?"
"Listen, Madison. Nothing's wrong. Just leave me alone."
Madison went past Sakura's pleading and responded in a way only a true friend could. "Sakura, you're not a good liar. You're a good, honest soul. Don't start learning evils you'll never master. Ones that will destroy you."
Sakura ducked her head in shame into her hands, which became wet with her salty tears. "I don't know what to do, Madison. I don't know! Everything used to be fine. I knew what to do. Then the kidnapping happened, and I was forced to rely on Ash and he had to do likewise. We relate to each other so well, Madison. He gets to me in ways Li never could. He heals pain that has been hurting inside of me for so long. He nourishes parts of my soul that have been dying for a long time. I'm drawn to him, Madison. He's stuck in my mind and won't leave."
Madison raised her hand to Sakura's face and levelled it to her own. "You like Ash, don't you?"
Sakura moved back a step, sighed, then gently nodded her head. "Yes. I do. I really like him. I really like him!"
"And what about Li?"
Sakura began sobbing again, and Madison pulled her in against her shoulder. "I don't know. I was in love with Li so much, Madison, but I..."
"Was?" Madison noticed the all-telling past tense. "Sakura, is there something you're not admitting to yourself, or to us?"
Sakura shrunk back in revulsion. Did she just say that? Was it true? Then she realised that she did mean it. She'd denied it for a long time because she didn't want to believe it. She took a deep breath, and faced up to the fact she'd feigned off for far too long. "I don't think Li loves me anymore, Madison. And..." She paused momentarily, trying to steady herself. She felt like a tiny fishing boat about to be swallowed up by a whirlpool, but she still forced the words out. "I don't think I love him anymore."
Madison's mouth became twisted as she raised her hands to her head in shock. She couldn't believe it! For what must have been months, her best friend was hurting like never before, and she hadn't noticed a thing! Not one thing at all. She thought Sakura was fine. Now she realised it wasn't like that at all. Sakura was trapped inside a personal hell, and she was desperate for someone to release her before the flames consumed her for eternity.
"Sakura. How did things get so wrong? What happened?"
Sakura wiped away her tears and sat herself down on the plush green couch. Madison sat down next to her and held Sakura around her right arm. Sakura leaned against Madison's shoulder and began to expose the truth.
"I guess it all started happening about three moths ago. Li got word that his mother was unwell. The doctors didn't know if she was going to get better or not. Li didn't admit it, but it was really hurting him. He must have taken a lot of it out on himself privately, and he never told me anything. That was the first thing I noticed. He stopped trusting me in confidence with personal details like that. He told me to mind my own business. And that hurt. He didn't trust me. And you know how important trust is, Madison. That was the first thing that went wrong.
But there were more. Plenty more. When he touched me, I didn't feel fire. I felt cold, unforgiving, slivery ice that seemed to cut me open and leave me bare and bleeding. When he kissed me, there was no passion or love at all. It was all forced. It was almost violent. One time, he kissed me so harshly he cut my lip. He didn't even notice. The look in his eyes no longer had that warmth. They were like a hawk's talons. Razor sharp and cutting me apart. And when we were really making out, he wasn't caressing me like he usually did. It wasn't soft and sensual. It was rough and grating, like sandpaper. It wasn't love at all. It was primal and animalistic. I was glad that we never made love. If we did, it would have been on the verge of rape. Li was taking out his internal torment on me. I hadn't done anything to deserve anything like that. He stopped loving me. I think he might have even hated me for being who I was. I still loved him, but I hated what he was becoming. I actually hated him. And that's when I knew things were really bad. But I didn't want to admit it. Not for a minute. I thought I could fix things. But I didn't. Nothing changed. Then the kidnapping occurred, and I was left unable to resolve the pain inside of me.
Until now. Now I understand. Things weren't working between us. No matter what I tried. Wey, his guardian and mentor, tried to help him, but not even he had the power. We tried his friends. He snubbed them away. We tried his family. Nothing. Even his sick mother. He even turned away from her too. Li was turning his back on the whole world. He didn't want love. He didn't want companionship. And now I realise what has to be done."
"Sakura..." Madison had an idea of what was coming next, but she didn't want to believe it."
"I think Li was going to break up with me. For good. Even if he wasn't, I know now that I must leave him."
"Sakura..." Madison reached out for Sakura with her right arm and placed it on Sakura's shoulder. "I didn't know. I'm sorry. I should have noticed something."
"You shouldn't be sorry. I should have told someone. I didn't confide in my best friend. I was turning into Li. I can't let that happen."
"Then why are you crying?" asked Madison.
"Me?" Sakura looked at her aghast. "I'm not crying!"
"But I can hear someone crying right next to us. I'm sure of it."
Sakura let herself absorb her surroundings as if she were searching for a Clow Card. "Yeah, there is someone here crying. Behind the couch."
The two of them peeked over the top of the couch and located the source instantly.
"Ash!"

[Last Exile]

"What's wrong, Ash?"
Ash couldn't reply even if he tried. He was snivelling and weeping so much that he was in the middle of a flood of tears and his voice couldn't emerge from the murky depths.
"Did you hear us talking, Ash?"
Ash managed to nod his head between his endless sniffles. He was an absolute wreck. Something had really gotten to him.
"Did you hear the whole thing?!"
Ash nodded his head again. Sakura flared up like a swarm of angry killer bees and wrenched her heads around Ash's neck.
"How dare you! You listened into a private conversation! I just spilled my entire soul to my best friend and you heard every moment of it! Why I ought to...Huh?" Sakura then realised what she was doing. Her stranglehold on Ash was causing him to hyperventilate. His cheeks were puffed up like moons and his breathing was more like spluttering. Sakura loosened her grip on Ash, grimacing a little. She reacted to him just like he did to her a few minutes ago. And they both had no right to do that. Ash's aggressive reaction before reminded her of Li's worst moments and made her shiver with fear. Now Ash was shaking all over like a furless polar bear in the Arctic, afraid and alone in is private hell. Her outburst was just like something Li would have said. She hadn't realised how much Li's arrogance and abuse had hurt her.
"Ash, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." Sakura reached for his head and began to stretch his locks of hair back into place. She reached for several tissues and began wiping away the conglomeration of tears and other bodily fluids from his face with a loving hand. Disposing of them, she turned back to her fallen comrade. She knew that there were three particular features of herself that Ash couldn't ever resist. She decided to engage in two of them.
Sakura moved closer to Ash and applied her hand to the soft underlining of his neck. Lifting his head to hers, Ash opened his eyes to see Sakura's glowing emeralds and a firm, beaming smile on her lips. Ash was still hurting deeply, but now he felt safe inside those eyes. He felt more and certain he could trust Sakura.
"Thank you." He forced the words out of his throat like a rasp.
"Ash, why are you crying? Is it because of what I said?"
Ash nodded his head gingerly. He still didn't feel like speaking too much. His throat felt like a furnace.
"Ash, I'm touched that you care that much. Really, I am. But don't take it too hard. I'm fine. I've got friends I can rely on. I've got plenty of things ahead of me. And we will succeed in this quest."
Ash nodded his head gently again. Sakura sensed with women's intuition that there was more that lied beneath the surface, and that she had to find out.
"But that's not the whole story, is it?"
Ash looked at her like he had just been electrocuted. He couldn't believe Sakura knew that. And he began crying again. It triggered something personal inside him, and the memory hurt like hell.
"Ash, please. Tell me what's wrong." Sakura reached out to touch his face and wipe away his tears. Sakura's touch was gentle as a feather and so soothing. Ash's raging inner turmoil began to subside, and he began to regain his composure.
"Sakura, part of it is because of how Li treated you. I couldn't stand hearing what he did to you. It was wrong! I can't understand how anyone could do something like that to you. You're such a nice, caring, beautiful soul. How can someone be so heartless and abuse you like that? You shouldn't have to go through something like that. Not you. You're too special. I don't want to see your spirit broken. Ever. I need to see the glimmer in those eyes, the light from that smile and the spirit in your laughter. You're an angel."
He'd known her for just a few weeks now, but Ash's comments floored Sakura like a knockout punch in a heavyweight bout. Ash had such a high opinion of her. Maybe a lot of people did. But no one ever told her for real. Perhaps they all assumed that she knew herself. She didn't. But hearing it was mind-blowing. She realised that she had Ash's confidence and a whole lot more in her hands. Only she had the power to determine his true pain. She steadied herself and moved in closer, right next to Ash, wrapping her arm around him.
"So what's really troubling you?"
Ash looked at Sakura, staring right into those emeralds, imagining he was in the lush green fields of Pallet Town. A place where he felt safe. In the embrace of someone he could trust, he unlocked the secrets he'd kept inside himself for far too long.
"It's been on my mind for years now. I've liked Misty for so much longer than I ever let on. But from day 1, she was always paying me out, putting me down, making fun of me, hitting me, yelling at me, and intentionally driving me round the bend. She did it for so long. She'd flirt with other guys. She'd side with my opponents. She'd make me the scapegoat in dangerous situations. And while I could live with that, it hurt me. It hurt me a lot more than I wanted to admit. I loved her for so long, yet she never missed a chance to stick the knife in further. And now I realise something I didn't want to believe. I resent her for that. She did stick up for me in the end, but she continually messed with my mind as if I was a plush toy with no feelings. But I'm a real human being, and I have feelings. Once she finally mellowed enough for me to have the courage, I still wanted to have a shot at her, but I'd lost a lot of the passion I had for her. I didn't want her as much as I did in years gone by. So when I heard you talking about your troubles with Li, I realised that maybe there was something I didn't want to believe myself."
Sakura began gasping with her mouth wide open. She had a bad feeling she knew what was coming next, and she desperately wanted to throw up.
"I don't think I love her. It's not because she isn't beautiful, because she is. It wasn't her vices, because I could live with past issues. It was what she didn't do. She wouldn't confide in me her own personal secrets. I wanted to know so much more about her, but she never let me in. So I couldn't confide in her. I don't think she would have listened. She wouldn't comfort me in my darkest hours. I was alone. She felt the pain, but she didn't try to heal it.
And look at you. You barely know me. Yet you trust me implicitly. And not just out of necessity. Because you want to. You care about me and how I feel. You want to heal my pain. You want to know who I really am and what's inside my heart. You can tell me everything all I need to know with just one caring touch, while all Misty did was call me a big baby. I wanted someone like you with me. And now you're here. It's made me realise the truth. I don't love Misty anymore. I once did, but that's gone. I shouldn't have kissed her. It was a mistake."
"Ash..." Sakura was more shocked than she would have been by a Thunderbolt from Pikachu. She was used to having friends like that and living in a caring environment. She assumed the whole world was like that. But in one of the world's most beautiful souls, she found the opposite. She found a person desperate for love. She found someone who needed a caring friend. Who wanted the tenderness and passion. It seemed so insane, yet it was true. And as always, she found herself compelled to help him yet again. Ash looked like a spirited, tough nut on the outside. But on the inside, he was softer that a sponge cake. All it took was a gentle hand to his forehead, and Ash was relieved of his evils once more.
"Thank you. I love your touch. Misty never even gave me one of those."
"Li never did either, really. He was too proud and arrogant. He considered intimacy like that to be beneath him. So he snubbed it. But I never let go."
Ash smiled. He'd found a friend who he could truly relate to for the first time in his entire life.

"I don't need a camera for this moment! I've already got my own video feed!"
The harsh, vulture-like male voice ripped through the room like a bad smell. Ash and Sakura knew who it was. Giovanni. His eyes were like talons, picking away at them.
"That was such a tender moment! You two make me want to cry. NOT! Unfortunately, I can't say the same for these two."
The video feed from the holographic image that suddenly appeared in front of them switched to two other figures. Misty and Li. They were both looking healthier than they did last time, but they were both grimacing. The fire in their eyes was out and cold.
"Are you guys okay?" Sakura was genuinely concerned for the two, but she couldn't sense their true feelings until they began speaking back.
Li spoke first. "Sakura, I heard what you said. I was going to break up with you. I saw no other option. So...it's over." And Li walked away.
Sakura screamed back at him in anger. "Don't you have anything else to say?"
Li replied with a cold glare from those hawk-like eyes and rigid face. "No, I don't."
Sakura was heartbroken. It was finally happening. "You don't care at all, do you? You don't care! Did our love mean anything to you at all? Look me in the eye and tell me the truth."
Li looked back one last time. "I lost the passion for you quite a while ago, Sakura. I'm sorry. You deserve better. I just don't care anymore. Goodbye." And he walked away into the darkness. Sakura collapsed to floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She could handle the loss. It was Li's cold reaction that hurt her. Their love might not have meant anything to him at all. Yet it meant everything to her. Had she lived a lie for the last eight years? She didn't know. And that tore right through her heart and her soul, leaving her so shattered it was terrifying.
Misty broke the uneasy silence. "Damn Li. I swear one day I'll give it to him. Heartless bastard!" She then turned to Ash, a sullen look imprinted on her normally glowing face. "Ash, did you mean what you said?"
Ash ducked his head down. He didn't what to look at her face. It was too much for him. "Yes. It's true."
"Then why did you kiss me?"
"I wanted to believe you cared about me, if only for a little while. I wanted you to care!"
"But Ash, I do care about you."
"Really? You pay me out all the time, hinder my efforts, scorn my successes, side with my opponents, flirt with older boys right in my face. Do you think you can just do that and I won't feel a thing?! You hurt me. You hurt me so bad I don't think the pain will ever go away. I wanted you so badly, Misty. But every remark, every hit, every scorn, every put down, every action. You just rammed the knife in harder and harder until you killed the passion. You're a beautiful and wonderful girl, Misty. But you'd better be careful how you treat your friends. Or one day you might be left alone. Forever."
"Ash..." Misty was teary-eyed and left lost for words. She didn't know what to say. "I didn't know. Honestly, I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me?"
"You never cared. Why would you then?"
"I would have, Ash."
"Really? I don't believe you. Why start then? You already snubbed me a million times before."
"Ash, I thought we were just friends."
"Misty, you'll always be a close friend. But I wanted more. Couldn't you see that? Didn't you ever notice?"
"..." Misty was left speechless. Her tied back orange hair fell back in one motion, and her whole spirit seemed to flag with it. The truth was devastating. "I didn't. I'm sorry, but I truly didn't."
Ash gulped down what felt like raw sewage and looked at Misty, a young adult, shattered and left in a million pieces like razor-sharp glass. It would take someone brave and caring enough to put him back together again. "Then at least we know the truth. I don't love you. And you don't love me."
"Ash, that's not..."
"Admit it, Misty. You know it's true."
Misty hid behind her orange locks and nodded gingerly. She had to face the facts. She cared for Ash as a close friend. But not as a lover. She'd been too mean for that. She'd abused the importance of touch and compassion. She didn't have the maturity to accept the value of such things. She was still an incredibly flirtatious girl. And she was going to have to change fast if she wasn't going to make the same mistake again.
"Misty, I'll still come for you. You know I will. You'll always be a good friend."
Misty gently waved back in a half-hearted reply. "Goodbye Ash. I'm sorry."
Ash wiped his forehead and swung his hand down to the ground. He looked towards his Pokemon and knew what to do.
"I don't know about you, Sakura, but I'm not going to sit around and mope all day. I'm getting another badge, and you're going to capture more of those cards. They're still out friends. We owe them that."
Sakura nodded with a firm look on her face. "Agreed."
With a plan in mind, the two set off again. They had a job to do. That they knew.

"I really admire you on that one!" replied the shadow.
"I told you that after we met half-way with our disagreements, you'd see the true effect of my 'methods'!" smirked Giovanni.
"And very effective they are! You managed to split the four better than we could have hoped."
"Not quite. I sense that Ash and Sakura have become closer than expected. The loss of the previous feed was the lost link in the chain. We missed an important detail."
"Maybe not! Why not let it flower?"
Giovanni turned to the icy shadow. "And what exactly are you suggesting?"
"You want to drive them all apart?"
"I'd prefer to."
"What would hurt Misty and Li more than anything else? Wouldn't it just incense them if they found out Ash and Sakura became more than just friends?!"
"Yes. I see what you're digging at. And I love it! You take after my own black heart."
"Well, your methods do produce results. Give it time, and we create the dagger in the heart."
"And we always have this." Giovanni waved the yellowed photo he consistently gestured at recently.
"I would like to know what is so important about this photo. I see nothing but five kids! Although one of them does like you."
Giovanni sighed. Another rare show of emotion. "Indeed it is me. And that's all you're finding out for now. No one is letting this one slip until the time comes. And it will come."
"I'm patient. And the game is still in its infancy."
"Yes. Like a newborn baby. Dependent and incredibly fragile. Ash, Sakura, you're so predictable. We've got you wrapped around my little finger. And I'll be ready to snap you apart when the time comes. Ah. Hell hath no fury like lovers scorned." He laughed wickedly at the sight of the two heroes. "You do-gooders had best beware. You're in for the ride of your lives. And I'm the one controlling the driving wheel. Prepare to crash and burn."

[Wolfsong]

This chapter is great like usual... I haven't got much to say except keep up the excellent work, and thanks again for your help on the paper... I still can't believe the grade i got... I eagerly await the next chapter.

[Last Exile]

Nala98: Thank you so much! ;) I knew you were capable of getting those marks. It was just a minor bit of help, but thanks again.

[Gavin Luper]

Whoa.

That was still a bit shocking. Ash and Sakura, I knew they would get together in one way or other, but for Misty and Li to have heard that is really horrible. Although in a way it's better that it's all in the open. I wonder if Misty still DOES love Ash...? I know you made it quite clear that she didn't, though, but I want AAML to come true.

Not in this fic though, eh? ;)

Well keep it up, another great chapter, and I wonder who the kids in the photo are? They must be about Giovanni's age ... Professor Oak? Delia Ketchum? I wonder ...

Cheers Ryan!

[Darkgel]

...WHOA!

Great one, indeed! Another masterpiece by you. Incredible.

All those feeling descriptions... It kinda makes you feel the same way. Cope with the characters. And understand even more.

That damn yellowed photo... Wait. 5 kids... One of them Giovanni... and the other 4, who might they be? I think I got hold of 2 of them. I'll PM you with my suspicions...

And the shadowy figure... Who might it be? Is it a male, or a female?

I look forward for more of it. Good luck!

[Last Exile]

Gavin Luper: Misty still loves Ash in a way. It's part of why what happens in the future happens.

Darkgel: Thanks for the PM. I would have told you about the photo, but you specified not to, so I won't. I definitely won't reveal the shadowy figure. That person is instrumental to the plot.

[Gavin Luper]

Well thanks for being so cryptic, Ryan.

I spose I'll just have to wait.

[Snakes N' Legends]

Sakura and Ash? Misty and Lee? Those two couples are perfect. Sakura and Ash are always trying to accomplish something but they do make serious mistake. Misty and Lee are stubborn and Bull Headed. I never saw it before but re-reading this again made me see it more. The photo ... if I am right and I think I have read most of this story up to the interesting parts ... I think I know what that photograph is about, but I am only guessing. I will have to wait to find out if I am right.

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

Ooh, nice!
And sad! *fake tear wipe*
MORE CHAPTERS PLEASE!!

maybe Misty and Li will get together. That would be th obvious prediction, so then probably not...

[Last Exile]

Gavin Luper: Hey, chill! I can't reveal all the secrets just yet! ;)

tyranitar master: We shall see! ;)

SuperSonic Mewtwo: There will be a new one very soon. As for Misty and Li, only time will tell.

[Last Exile]

Chapter 10 - Fire In The Head

"You! You are the impossible!"
Misty rammed her fist without mercy into Li's stomach for the umpteenth time, knocking even more of the stuffing out of him. Li was on the verge of screaming out in agony, but he was too cold and hard to admit such weakness in his mind. So Misty kept pressing deeper.
"You worthless piece of slime! You insensitive little worm! You worthless piece of trash! Don't you care about anything else in this world other than yourself?"
Li sneered with bitter contempt, more bitter than bile, spitting into Misty's face. "Girls...you're all the same."
If Misty hadn't reached critical mass by now, the mother of all explosions was about to follow. "WHY you...!"
Misty grabbed Li's neck with both hands and proceeded to strangle the life out of him, her grip vice-like and metallic. "You are the most arrogant, ignorant, selfish, rude, cold, empty person I've ever met! How could you do that to Sakura? She's loved you for so long, and even though the both of you knew that it wasn't going to last forever, you just throw her aside as if everything that happened between the two of you over the last eight years meant absolutely nothing?! Do you take anything out of life at all, Li Syaoran? Or do you just pretend? If you did, you made Sakura live out an utter lie! You don't mess with love, Li! That is one force of the universe that you NEVER screw with!"
Li was spluttering and pleading for release. Seeing helplessness and fear finally penetrate from the depths of Li's stony hide, she released her hold on him like a switch, leaving him to fall to the ground like tenpins.
"So the brat finally has something to say, huh? Spit it out, you miserable wretch!"
Li slowly calmed his breathing and finally summoned the words. "I didn't mean to hurt her."
"But you did! You really did!"
"There are some things I don't understand about people, okay? Not everyone gets raised like normal people do."
Misty felt splinters of compassion scarring her fury, but she wasn't ready to let them bleed into her just yet. "And just what do you mean by that?"
"From the moment I was born, I was raised in the lineage of Clow Reed. Every single day I worked to further my studies, my fighting skills and my magical powers. I didn't do anything normal kids did. I didn't see the point of friends. I never understood what love meant or how it feels. I had a destiny to fulfill, and that was all that mattered. And when my dad passed away when I was young, I knew that it was up to me to carry on the tradition and make sure the lineage lived on."
Misty felt the fury leak out her and dissipate like steam. She felt pity for Li well up inside her and sat down beside him. Li was on the verge of crying, but not even then could he let the tears flow. "I'm beginning to understand. But if you were raised to be solely focused on your magical destiny, why did you fall in love with Sakura if you didn't understand what love was or care about anyone else?"
Li sighed, wiped the grime accumulating on his hair against his shirt, and continued.

"When I came to Readington, I came to take the Clow Cards from Sakura and capture the rest for myself. I was incensed when I found out that Sakura was the CardCaptor. But I swore that I would be the one that ended up owning all the cards. Every time I got the captured card instead of her, I loved it. Especially the first few times. I considered her to be more pathetic than anyone I had ever known. So seeing her fail and her dreams crushed was like music to my ears and food to my soul.

But then I lost the passion for seeing her lose or be in pain. Especially once Meilin came. I knew that I had to make sure Sakura did everything right. She was still green in the field, so I had to help her. The more I saw her succeed, the more my contempt fizzled down like a flat soda. Then came two captures that really changed my view on her. The day she caught the Firey Card, she was able to use two attack cards at once. Something that had never been done before. It takes someone with truly awesome powers to pull that off. I couldn't believe that she managed to do it. And after the break, we ended up fighting the Snow Card. She was able to command the Firey Card with such grace and confidence that she defeated Snow like it was nothing.

But what really hit me was how she reacted afterwards. She didn't even are about the capture. She was drowning in sorrow because she lost her watch in the fight. It was a gift to her from a friend. She must have treasured it so much. When I saw the sparkle in those emerald eyes die out and the painful tone in her voice, I felt horrible. I wanted to comfort her so much, but I didn't know how. I didn't know what to do in those circumstances. Most people know what to say to make someone feel better, but I didn't have a clue. And that hurt. That was when I really began caring about her. I failed to help her than day. Even though she got her watch back, I wanted to at least make her feel better. And I couldn't even do that."
Li turned to see Misty slightly teary-eyed. He was a bit surprised. Sure, his story was like a Shakespearean tragedy in a way, but why was she so moved by it? Did she know that feeling too? He began thinking that the last bit must have really gotten to her. And that only happens when someone knows how it feels. Li's mind began to burn with curiosity, but for now the flames had to be quelled until he finished his own story.

"When Sakura won the Final Judgement and became the new master of the Clow Cards, I felt no point in sticking around. She didn't need me anymore. She was too good for me. I didn't deserve her. Even though she considered me a friend, I didn't feel like I deserved that honour. But when I heard that Eriol came to Readington, I knew that I had to come back. I couldn't let anything happen to Sakura without me there. If anything happened to her, at least I had to be there to help her. So Sakura became a responsibility to me. I became more wrapped in her each day. When she converted all the cards into her own versions and met with Clow Reed to complete her destiny, I knew my time was up.

I went back to Hong Kong, but I let Sakura know how I felt about her before I left. Maybe I shouldn't have. But I did. And that got her thinking about how she truly felt about me. Meilin figured out wasn't going on and terminated our so-called 'engagement' without any malice. She knew that the two of us were more than friends, so she tried to induce Sakura into telling me how she felt. She kept trying, but someone always got in the way. And that was when the Void Card came. The card only Clow Reed knew about. Sakura lost all her cards to it, but by reasoning with it, she was able to liberate them and she sealed Void. But the price was losing the one thing she cared about most. Me. When everything returned to normal, she thought I had forgotten all about her. So she went all out now that she thought she'd lost me. She told me I was her Number One, her everything. Even if that meant nothing to me. But I remembered. Void had no power over me. So we were together at last.

We spent years together. But I was still a young, spoiled brat that was still so foreign to love and human emotion. Even after what I'd been through with Sakura. And once my mother passed away, that was the trigger. I began treating Sakura harshly. Like she was a possession that had to fulfill my every wish. I forgot what I liked about her so much and why I loved her. I forgot what a truly beautiful person she really was. I lost feeling the magic in her eyes, her voice, her smile, her laugh. All the trademark qualities that made her who she is. What did that say about me if I couldn't see anything in them anymore? That was when I knew that I had to end it. I couldn't put her through this anymore. She deserved better. I was going to break up with her. Then Team Rocket came. And I hated them for it. I wanted her to be free again. I didn't want her tied down with me. I wanted her soul to soar again. And that's why I had to break it off. I didn't want to be cold. I don't know what to say and I never did. I wish I wasn't such a cold-hearted bastard, but I am."
"No you're not," broke in Misty. She had listened to every word intently and now understood the history between them. She felt sorry for Li. He wanted to care so much. But if you don't learn when you're young, you may never learn. Li was one of those victims.
"Well, I've told you my story. Now tell me yours."
Misty snapped out of her illusion and back into reality like breaking glass letting the light in. "My story? I don't know what you mean?"
"Hey, I may be blind to some things. But I saw the way you reacted to my story. Especially when I told you about my youth. You somehow related to it. Didn't you?"
Misty sunk her head in shame. Yes, she had related to it.
"Feel like talking?"
Misty sat herself up again. "Beats silence."

"I ran away from home when I was young. Just before I reached my teens. I wanted to become a Water Pokemon Master and prove to my three sisters that I was worth something and better than they gave me credit for. One day I was fishing at a stream near Viridian City. That was when Ash showed up. He was being chased by a flock of Spearow and was fleeing for his life and to save Pikachu. He took my bike to get away from them, and I couldn't believe it. I found the bike later, trashed beyond repair. I finally caught up with him at the Pokemon Centre in Viridian City, and I was about to really let him have it. But how he cared about his Pikachu touched me. Ash really cared about Pokemon. He didn't see them just as things that battled. He thought of them as his friends. I still thought he was a complete moron. He was clueless as. But he had a really strong heart. I wanted to stay with him. But I didn't really have an excuse. So I used the bike whenever I needed one. And I think that hurt him. We argued all the time in the early days. If Brock hadn't tagged along, we might not have ever gotten along. But we did. I gradually forgot about the bike and our mishap of a first meeting. We had a lot of fun moments. And there were times I really hated him. Like when he was slamming perfume in Celadon City, making fun of my nice side during the Eevee brothers fiasco and my past during the Princess Festival. But then again, I made fun of him too. I dismissed Pikachu's victory against Giselle's Cubone as a fluke. I dumped all the chores in him. I scoffed at his misfortunes. I flirted with other guys and made Ash look bad.

Then I met Togepi. Ash found her as an egg in a dig site where people where looking for Pokemon fossils. When it opened, I was the first person it saw, she thought I was its mother. I was thrilled to have a Pokemon like me the way Togepi did. It made me mellow in a way as motherly instincts emerged to care for Togepi. So Ash and I argued less and got along better as a result. But we still paid each other out. That was never going to end, I guess. We had a spiteful beginning, after all. When Brock left and Tracey ended up joining the group, Ash and I had to grow closer to compensate. Our adventures strengthened my admiration for him. But I hurt him even more during the Orange Island saga. I flirted intensely with Danny then really got along with Rudy. I was faced head-on with the prospect of leaving Ash, and I realised I couldn't. He meant too much to me to throw away. And he won the Orange League, I found myself cheering him on like never before and rejoicing in his greatest triumph yet. It became an honour to be with him on his journey.

But when he came back to Pallet, he battled Gary one on one and lost. That hurt him deeply, and I intentionally spiked him into heading to the Johto League. He ended up saying farewells to Charizard, Squirtle and Bulbasaur. The team changed dramatically. But so did he. He longer had the old safeguard of Charizard or other experienced buddies to back him up. Except for Pikachu. He had to start from scratch with Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Noctowl and Eevee. And somehow he did it again. Johto and Indigo were now his. My admiration and caring for him was finally maturing into a proper form. So we finally confessed. Then Team Rocket came. And after I heard you talking before, I remembered how cold I had been to Ash all the time. I must have hurt him so deeply that words can't describe the damage. I abused him for far too long. When I had chances to take our friendship further, I snubbed them and rubbed it in his face. I should have been a better friend. And that's why it hurts. I could have been so much better. Ash and I could have been great together. But that's gone now."
Misty looked around to Li, and noticed that he was actually crying. Was this for real? He could see five salty tears running down his cheeks. Li had a heart. It didn't always show.
"Hey, it's okay," whispered Misty. She wiped his tears away and nestled him against his lap. "We've both made mistakes. We'll learn from them. We'll be better for it."
"But what about Ash and Sakura? Maybe they won't come after us now."
"Oh, they'll come. As lovers, we may have hurt them. But as friends, they'll always care."

[Last Exile]

"I've really done it this time."
Ash Ketchum felt like he was six feet under and ice cold. No ray of light stirred up energy in his being. No striking colour penetrated his eyes. He felt oblivious to everything around him. "What have I done? Sakura is trusting me with her life and Li's. I've pushed things too far. I know it. That night in the bathroom really did it. I didn't see anything I wasn't meant to. But that feeling! That feeling I got when she pressed my hand against her heart. I could feel every single heartbeat. It made me feel so good, I can't describe the feeling. Then I did the same to her. For crying out loud, we were about to kiss each other! I've only known this girl for a few weeks. I can't move on to her this quickly! Heck, I only just realised the truth about Misty and I. And Sakura has finally been able to sever her tie with Li. I just can't waltz onto the scene and carry her off. I don't truly know how I feel about her. But I like her. Dammit, I know I like her. But I can't screw this up. How do I manage this? I don't know what to do anymore. It's not like battling. When I'm battling, I'm in control. I know what to do. I don't know how to handle something like this."
He looked back at Sakura, who was walking a few steps behind him. She was talking to Madison, and they were both in good spirits. Then Sakura noticed Ash was looking at her. One look of his eyes snuffed it out like a candle, and she winced in reply. She felt guilty.
"Okay, so she played her part. But she wasn't fully to blame. I'm as much to blame as she is. Maybe I'm in the wrong even more than she is. I've got a responsibility as her friend. I can't let her feel that way."
He managed a half-smile. His lips tried to resist, but he fought back the instincts and let that soft side come out. Sakura's eyes widened as she found herself lost in that soft expression on his face, then she managed a sweet smile of her own.
"Yes. She doesn't hate me. She does like me. Things aren't bad between us. They're fine. But I'll be damned if I mess this up again. Ash Ketchum, you had better not mess this up. People's lives are at stake. Focus on the quest."
And there it was. The Sodium City Gym. Shaped like a salt cube out of a massive slab of rock, it glimmered in the afternoon sunlight. There were plenty of legends about the Sodium City Gym. It was another place where dreams fell apart like pillars of salt. And all that remained in the aftermath was the stinging sensation of an afternoon sandstorm whipping in your face like a raging tornado. But that never stopped this kid. Destiny was waiting for Ash. Inside would be the Gym Leader. His second opponent. Another he had to beat to get another badge, and another clue to the Team Rocket base. In the old days, it was just about the badge. Now it meant so much more. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to having some fun in the process. Far from it. Ash Ketchum was more eager for a battle than a kid at Christmas.

"Finally! Back in my element! This is where I'm meant to be." Ash strode like a soldier through the double doors that swung open at his arrival. Nothing was bursting his bubble. This was his time. He was unbeatable here. In battle mode, Ash Ketchum was a force to be reckoned with. Confidence sky-high and afraid of nothing. Anyone or anything in his way always got burned. Burnt like paper in a furnace. Reduced to stingy ashes. Black, crumbling ashes.
"He looks confident," stated Madison, whispering while her hand covered her mouth.
"Well, this is what he's good at!" chirped Sakura. She felt happy that Ash was finally up again. She didn't want to be a weight on his shoulders. Atlas could attest to the hellish experience of such a problem. She bowed her head down and reflected momentarily. "I'd better play this carefully. We've reached a critical point. Last night changed any possibility of the two of us just being friends. And he knows it too. Why did I do that? Why did I grab is hand and place it against my heart? He must have been swimming in hormones just at the sight of my naked back. And then when he felt my heart, he would have known how close his hand was to my breasts. That was foolhardy. I shouldn't have put him in that position. But it meant something to him, didn't it? If it didn't, why did he reciprocate? He feels for me too. He said it to my face just this morning. I can't place the feeling. We're more than friends. We're out of the comfort zone. We're in dangerous waters now, and if we don't navigate them properly, we'll sink into the whirlpool and be ripped apart." Sakura sighed heavily. She was so used to being in her own private universe. Where no one could hurt her, and everyone was her friend. Then the Clow Cards came. And now this. Her world was never going to be the same again. The day she met Ash Ketchum, their destinies collided. Who knows what's up the road for them?
"Sakura, are you okay?" Madison was standing in front of her, rousing her from the trance.
"I'm fine. Really." Sakura smiled gently and briefly flashed those emeralds. Madison found all the messages she needed.
"Good. Take it easy. You'll be fine. Things will work out."
"Will they?" Sakura stared Madison in the eye earnestly. "We're not kids anymore. We're adults. Things like this don't go away. They're either resolved, or left as a rift. Either way, the results aren't always pleasant."
"Sakura, Ash cares for you. You know that. And you care for him, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"So he wouldn't do anything intentionally to hurt you, and you wouldn't intentionally hurt him. Trust him, Sakura. He wants to trust you too."
Sakura looked at Ash, striding out towards the middle of the room. All the lights were off. No one appeared to be around. But none of that deterred Ash. He kept walking forward into the unknown without hesitation. Sakura beamed happily. She felt warmth building up in her eyes and a pleasant feeling in her stomach. She could trust him.
"Thank you, Madison." Sakura hugged her friend gently, enjoying the close proximity of a lifelong friend.
"So, is anyone even around here?" groaned Kero. "Typical! You come here for a battle, and the Gym Leader's never here! What the hell do you have to do to get a battle around here? Besides, I am dying to see my darling in action."
Sakura quickly broke her hug with Madison and whirled around to face her furry friend. "Kero, just who do you mean by your 'darling'?"
"Why Bayleef of course! Mmm! She is such a honey!"
Sakura proceeded to flick Kero right on the nose. Kero spun upwards from the impact, whirling around like helicopter blades, then sinking down like a feather.
"Sakura! Why'd you do that?"
"Grow up, Kero." Sakura sneered then turned back towards Ash, completely ignoring the flying squirrel.
"I don't believe this. Why does everyone have to pick on the squirrel? I swear the cat deserves more!"
"Hey! Shut your mouth for once, fly boy!" growled Meowth before sinking back into Madison's cradling arms. "Ahh! This is paradise! A cat could really get used to this!"
"Well, thank you!" beamed Madison, letting her sapphires shine.
"I swear I deserve better! Sakura should be cradling me."
"Kero..." Sakura's tone was firm but controlled.
"And I should get a nice rub down every day and night."
"Kero..."
"And some nice warm milk."
"Kero..."
"And pudding."
"KERO!" Kero found himself surrounded by Sakura, Madison and Meowth. None of them were impressed with his antics.
"I'll be quiet now. But I swear, if we weren't here, I'd have transformed and given you one, fur ball!"
"Can it, powder puff!"

"Well, here we are Pikachu."
"Pika." Pikachu was a little nervous. Pikachu liked the light. It hated being in the dark. It never knew what could be lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike at any moment.
"Now we can get another badge. Ready to win another one, buddy?"
"Pika!" Pikachu always piped up at the sound or thought of victory. He'd do anything to make Ash win.
"So, yet another challenger."
The scolding voice emerged from the shadows without mercy. Ash swung round in shock, Pikachu hiding behind him. Sakura stepped back and Kero swung himself into action.
"Alright, you coward! Show yourself right now before I get really mad! Now, before I come over there and whup your ***! You'd better not make me mad, pal!"
"How cute! An angry stuffed animal!" Lights flashed on from the ceiling, illuminating the room in an instant. Ash shielded his eyes from the intense glare as the room slowly dimmed back into visibility. He found himself in the middle of a battle field. All around him were cubes. Cubes of different sizes and patterns. Positioned delicately. An endless miasma of mathematical progressions. Ash couldn't tell whether he was in a Pokemon Gym or an art museum.
"Hmm! You look like Ash Ketchum! I've heard of you!" The source of the mysterious voice was finally revealed. It was a male in his mid twenties, with spiky blond hair, white skin burnt to a light brown, and snake-like brown eyes that leapt in for the kill. "So you're the guy that's won the other three leagues before reaching adulthood! Well, I must say it. I'm not impressed. I expected someone who didn't like a scrawny weakling out of primary school."
Ash was already burning up like the seething lava of the volcano on Cinnibar Island. "Quit babbling, why don't ya? I came here for a Pokemon battle, not an insult showdown!"
"Ah! Finally someone who likes getting straight down to business! I like skipping pathetic pleasantries such as small talk! You may not be such a squirt after all."
"Get to the point, will ya?"
Sakura began sweating lightly on her forehead. "What a creep. He reminds me of Tori."
Madison giggled softly. She noticed the resemblance right away too.
"Okay, kid! Listen up, because I'm only gonna say this once! Here in Sodium City, we have triple battles. We use three Pokemon all at the same time."
"Wait a minute!" Ash was already shell-shocked, and he hadn't even started battling yet. "Three Pokemon all at once?! Isn't that a bit over the top?"
"Only for wimps that can't hack it in the Green League! Play the triple or sell out and go home, lame-o!"
"Fine! I'll use three Pokemon. Pikachu..."
"Not so fast kid! You didn't let me finish! At Sodium Gym, you can only use a grass type, a water type, and a fire type. No other options."
"What kind of rules are those? You shouldn't force type restrictions on everyone? What if someone didn't catch one of those types?"
"Their problem! Now stop whining and pick your Pokemon before I kick the lot of you out!"
"This guy is really ticking me off!" snorted Sakura, as she began digging her nails into her wrists and pulling harshly at her hair.
"Hey! You're not kicking anyone out, you big ugly gorilla!" roared Kero.
"Why you little powder puffed..."
"Ahem? Can we battle now?" teased Ash. The Gym leader turned back and spat on the ground. He'd lost some of the psychological advantage there. Ash was back on even terms. Time to play ball.
"Anyway, my name's Silver. And I haven't lost a match since the last time it rained during the summer!"
"Didn't it rain here during the drought last year?" interrupted Madison.
"Ahh!" Silver wiped his grimy hair back and reached for his Pokeballs. These kids were the real deal. About time, he thought. I've had enough of easybeats in this town. "Pick your Pokemon, kid."
"Bayleef! Cyndaquil! Totodile! Go!" Ash threw all three Pokeballs into the centre on the battleground. They opened as they hit the ground, releasing the Pokemon inside in a flash of white. Bayleef surveyed her surroundings, glad to be out. Cyndaquil began flexing her muscles while Totodile began dancing happily, his stumpy legs nothing but a blur.
"Sorry, Pikachu. You'll have to sit this one out."
"Pika!" Pikachu accepted the fact, but he didn't like it one bit.
"Bay!" Pikachu's ears pricked up and he look towards the field. Bayleef was laughing at him. She never missed a chance to put him down. They were friends. But she was still vying for Ash's affection more than ever.
"Oh no! Not again!" screamed Ash as he heard that all-familiar sound of crashing feet. "Bayleef! Don't! Not now!"
Bayleef leapt into Ash's chest and sent him crashing to the ground like a stone column, sending reverberations around the gym. She then crawled up to Ash's face and began licking him eagerly.
"Bayleef, I love you, but, could we do this...some other time?"
"Bay!" Bayleef leaped off of Ash's face and raced back to the battleground, but not before sticking her tongue out at Pikachu.
"Pika!" Pikachu was getting incredibly upset. As if not battling wasn't bad enough. Now he had Bayleef scoring on him twice in one day. Something had to go right today.
Silver couldn't contain his laughter, and he made sure that Ash knew that. "Oh, how cute! Well, the hell with cute, I say! I choose you! Vileplume! Houndoom! Lanturn!" The three Pokemon emerged in front of their opponents. They were terrifying sights indeed. Vileplume may look cute and pretty, but her scowling was more than enough to indicate how truly poisonous she could be. Lanturn looked more like a killer whale, sparking his electric nose as he pleased, scaring the wits out of Totodile and Cyndaquil. But Bayleef wasn't scared.
Until she saw Houndoom. She shrank back as her neck leaves shook like crazy. Houndoom was about three to five times bigger than she was. Everyone in the room could smell the sulfur in its breath. Its horns were jagged and protruding. The scales on its back here harder than bone. Its teeth were razor sharp and almost as big as Cyndaquil's face, which was making her shiver. And those black eyes sliced right through you like bullets and bled the life out of you. Even Ash was afraid. He'd never seen a Pokemon like it in his life. Now he was concerned about the wellbeing of his Pokemon. He wasn't that fearful of Vileplume and Lanturn. He was sure his Pokemon could beat them. But Houndoom was a different proposition altogether. Careful planning would be required to win this one.
Sakura's face was frozen in an expression of shock and fear as she looked at Houndoom. She had faced danger before. But never like this. Now she knew how truly dangerous Pokemon battles could be. Her respect for Ash and his bravery was escalating with every moment that passed. But she could sense he felt uneasy. She knew just what to do.
"You can do it, Ash! Show that jerk who the real trainer is around here!"
Ash turned back to see his new friends a few steps behind him. Sakura was beaming brightly and cheering him on. Madison was with her there. Meowth was bracing his claws in anticipation, while Kero was immersed in a fake boxing match, swinging back and forth.
"Alright kid! Show that punk who's the boss!"
"Yeah!" Ash's confidence was vaulting from that volley. "Let's battle!"
Silver leaped out to his standing square and flexed his arms. "First to beat the other's three Pokemon wins!"
A referee stood poised on top of a cubed pyramid, safe from the armada that was about to be unleashed. "This is an official Sodium Gym triple battle! Let the battle begin!"
Silver wasted no time in initiating the conflict. "Vileplume, flood the field with your Petal Dance!"
"Vile!" Vileplume began jumping up and down like a kangaroo, with spring in its step and flapping its head back and forth. As she raged on, hundreds of pink petals were zooming across the field towards the trio of Ash's Pokemon!
"Dodge the petals, guys!"
Bayleef found it easy enough to simply deflect the petals away harmlessly with her vines, finding it quite amusing. Cyndaquil belched out brief fireballs of flame to incinerate any petals coming her way, while Totodile found it easy enough to continue his silly little dance to dodge the petals.
"Come on, Silver! Is that all you've got?"
Silver smiled a devilish smile. Ash instantly regretted what he had said. He should have known that this was just a warm-up!
"Houndoom, Fire Blast! Lanturn, Hydro Pump!"
The two Pokemon began sucking into the depths of their beings as Vileplume continued to flood the field with her petals. Lanturn began churning up the ground beneath it as if it were swimming while Houndoom kept snorting as it sucked deeper into its belly. Lanturn sparked his yellow nose for good measure then blasted out a rushing torrent of ice-cold water like a waterfall in the direction of Cyndaquil and Totodile, while Houndoom spewed out a seething Fire Blast, which spat and crackled its way through the tense air towards Bayleef.
"Get out of the way, guys!"
All three of Ash's Pokemon knew what was coming, and they were ready for it. Bayleef feinted left, away from the seething symbol of fire, which raged on like a wildfire, while Cyndaquil and Totodile were forced to break right to avoid the onslaught.
Silver licked his lips in delight. "Alright, they're split up! Houndoom, go after Bayleef! Lanturn, get the other two runts!"
Houndoom roared like a coyote during the full moon then began charging towards Bayleef, who was still fleeing for her life. Lanturn began to crackle with energy as he slid has way towards Cyndaquil and Totodile, who were running as fast as their little legs could carry them. And all the while Vileplume was still flooding the field with her Petal Dance, making Totodile have to spin through every direction every second. It was already beginning to take its toll, as the little blue guy was already beginning to pant.
Ash was stunned beyond believe. He'd never faced anything like this before. How was he supposed to handle this? His Pokemon were all split up, and Silver's Pokemon were all racing in for the kill. He knew that defense wouldn't cut it here. He had to attack before he lost all control of this chaotic battle. But how?
"C'mon kid, use their individual abilities to make them a force to be reckoned with together!" yelled Kero. He was outraged at seeing Ash's Pokemon fleeing like rats from ferrets. And he wouldn't tolerate seeing Bayleef being made to look bad.
A plan was beginning to form in Ash's mind. It wasn't that solid, but at this rate, anything was worth it.
"Head for the centre of the field, guys!"
All three Pokemon complied and turned back for the middle lane, running like Olympic sprinters, finally gaining some valuable ground on their opponents.
Silver's command was still telling. "Don't let them get away! Chase them down! Then use Flamethrower and Water Gun!"
Houndoom growled like a mad dog and charged down on Bayleef with renewed fury while Lanturn slid his way towards Cyndaquil and Totodile. The five of them were about to meet in the centre, and Ash had to react quickly before he lost his only chance.
"Bayleef, Light Screen! Cyndaquil, use your Agility! Totodile, protect Bayleef!"
"Bay!"
"Cynda!"
"Dile!"
Bayleef began to whip her vines in a snaking fury, lost in a greenish blur as a glowing transparent screen began to form in front of her, forming like a mirror and standing strong, glowing brightly in the dimly lit gym. Cyndaquil began racing and was lost in a flash, as she sped from spot to spot unseen in the chaos. Totodile raced up to Bayleef's side, still dancing happily while ready to defend his comrade.
Silver began pumping his fists as Houndoom and Lanturn sent forth their attacks with vigour and closed in on Ash's representatives. Flamethrower raced through the air like burning oil while Water Gun glided across the field like a projectile. Both scored a direct hit in the vicinity of Bayleef and Totodile, but the two of Silver's Pokemon found themselves facing the other's attacks.
"What the...? How the hell did that Bayleef get Light Screen up so fast? That's insane!"
Houndoom and Lanturn were in vehement agreement as they were immersed in the other's attacks. Water Gun ripped into Houndoom's wide open mouth and sent it into a coughing fit while Lanturn's nose and back were considerably singed through. Bayleef screamed out in triumph while Totodile began dancing even faster.
Silver was beside himself and ready to explode. "I'm gonna...hey? Where's that Cyndaquil?"
As if on cue, Cyndaquil emerged from the confines of her Agility, merely a few feet away from a stunned Vileplume, who immediately ceased her Petal Dance and began panicking so intensely from the shock she was frozen to the spot.
Ash's confidence was soaring as things were finally falling into place. "Cyndaquil, get Vileplume with your Flamethrower!"
"Cynda!" Cyndaquil flamed up her back immediately and spouted out a fearsome Flamethrower at the statuesque Vileplume. A searing flow of flickering fire ate its way through the raging chaos, smothering the plant in the red and orange flames.
Silver went for a counterattack. "Lanturn! Get that Cyndaquil!"
Ash was prepared for any reply. "Bayleef! Get Lanturn with Razor Leaf!"
"Forget it, you miserable worm! Roast that Bayleef good, Houndoom!"
"I don't think so! Put out its fire, Totodile!"
Pokemon responded to their orders immediately and prepared their attacks in the blink of an eye. Lanturn was about to go for Cyndaquil when it found itself under siege by a volley of Razor Leaves from Bayleef. Dozens of emerald green sickles sliced into his slippery skin and left him squealing like a piglet. Bayleef was buoyed by the team's newfound success and stepped up the pace. She was so immersed in her advantage that she didn't notice that Houndoom was coming from behind her with a Flamethrower attack. It was unlike fire attacks from other fire type Pokemon. This fire was pure red. It had a devilish tinge to it, making it all the worse. But in the chaos, it had forgotten Totodile, and received the shock of his life as it found its Flamethrower split into pathetic sparks as it was blasted by a well aimed Water Gun from the energetic one.
"Toto toto dile!" Totodile began doing his silly little dance again, happy to have played his part and ensuing success for the team. He then faced the unholy Houndoom, the spawn of hell, the devil incarnate. Totodile was a little intimidated by Houndoom's razor-sharp fangs and his demonic growl. He was used to having fun all the time. Being face to face with evil was not his kind of scene. Totodile knew Houndoom meant business. It was it or him.
"Dile!" Totodile flicked the pink spikes on his back and sprayed out a Water Gun attack right into Houndoom's face, soaking it through. Half of it went into Houndoom's mouth, and wisps of steam streamed back out of it. Houndoom began howling like a sick puppy, swaying from side to side like a drunken mule. Totodile proceeded to jump onto Houndoom's face and ambush it with a Scratch attack, slicing into Houndoom's bony flesh with vigour, leaving eyes strewed with streaks of blood, sweat and tears. Houndoom was incensed by the stinging sensation and went into a snapping frenzy. Totodile jumped off immediately and began dancing happily to his heart's content as Houndoom snapped randomly at thin air, as its eyes couldn't see through the mass accumulating over them.
The rest of the team was faring incredibly well. Cyndaquil had Vileplume roasting like a Sunday barbecue while Bayleef was draining the liquid from Lanturn's spark.
"All right guys! Finish them off with Body Slam and Tackle!"
Both Pokemon screamed as they charged in for the finishing blows. They rammed into their opponent's stomachs, knocking the wind out of them and leaving them to collapse in a pathetic heap like deflated balloons. Toppling over like tenpins, Vileplume and Lanturn were done for today.
"Alright! That was great guys! You're the best! Now get that Houndoom!"
Silver was irate and about to blow his top like Mount Vesuvius. "That does it! I've had enough of this crap! Return Lanturn, Vileplume!"
On the sidelines just behind Ash, Sakura was overjoyed. "All right! Way to go! They're really doing it out there! Ash's Pokemon are so strong, cool and cute! About time someone showed that bully what a jerk he is! Ash is some trainer!"
"And this is some footage!" Madison was capturing every moment on film. She got the taste for taping battles back in Zinc City. Now she was seeing a masterpiece in action.
"And my honey is just doing great out there! She is just too good!" beamed Kero as he couldn't hide his silly grin.
"Whatever, Kero," snapped Sakura.
"Aww..."

[Last Exile]

But everyone had forgotten about Silver in the excitement. He still had his trump card in play. Houndoom was just getting started. "Okay Houndoom! Let's show these squirts who's the boss around here! Turn up the heat with Sunny Day!"
Houndoom snarled in devilish delight. It loved using this attack. Houndoom began screaming harshly like a vulture encircling its prey, causing all of Ash's Pokemon to fall back in shock. Bayleef's eyes almost popped out of her sockets as her neck leaves began to tingle in fear and her heart began to pound like a jackhammer. Totodile slipped and fell as the noise snapped him out of his dance. Cyndaquil almost hit herself on the head with her snout as she retreated. Houndoom began howling to the sky, which gradually began to fill with light. Harsh, intense sunlight. Silver grinned as Ash and his compatriots fell to the ground as Sunny Day blinded them.
"I can't see! What going on? Are you guys okay out there?"
None of Ash's Pokemon could respond. They were so frozen with fear their lips couldn't move at all. Sweat began pouring down their foreheads and their legs were shaking like jelly. The tide was turning, and they knew it.
Sakura screamed out as the sunlight scorched into her emeralds like hot coals. "What is this? What just happened?"
"If this is Sunny Day, then I'd hate to see the heat wave!" moaned Madison.
"This is not good," mused Kero. "This is incredible. Ash is nowhere near winning this. Houndoom could easily beat all three of Ash's Pokemon. And Silver knew it."
Sakura was horrified. "Are you saying that Silver was just toying with Ash?"
"Not quite. But he was planning this. He was setting this up to crush Ash's spirit like an overripe plum."
"But this would destroy him! Ash has to win this! What about the consequences? He had his heart set on winning this battle!"
"Let's hope the kid pulls through. If he's as good as they say he is, he just might."
Sakura looked in horror. He could see the confidence slipping away from Ash's face. He'd never seen anything like this before. He thought this battle was over. But it was only just beginning.
"Now toast that Totodile with Flamethrower, Houndoom!"
Ash threw out a reply. "Water Gun, Totodile!"
Houndoom spewed out another scintillating rush of unholy fire, scorching its way like lava across the field. The ground beneath it blackened from the intense heat into nothing but ashes. Totodile spouted out another blast of ice-cold water, only to see it evaporate into pathetic wisps of steam on contact with the flames.
"Oh no! Sunny Day has made Houndoom's attacks stronger and Totodile's weaker!"
Totodile couldn't escape the blast now. He was smothered by the spawn of hell, roasted through so harshly his skin began to split from the intense heat. His eyes were so watery he couldn't see and his mouth was stuck open as the pain was too much to close down on his ravaged throat.
"Body Slam that little runt down, Houndoom!"
Houndoom roared savagely and leaped into action, cutting into the defenseless Totodile like a samurai sword, bruising his entire front body and leaving him writhing in agony on the floor. Bayleef began screaming in terror as her legs began to buckle while Cyndaquil cowered into a ball.
"Oh no! Totodile, return!"
Ash panicked as Totodile was returned to the safe confines of its Pokeball. What was going on here? He was that close to winning, and now it was slipping through his fingers like running water.
"Ash is in trouble! He just lost the best one against Houndoom!" shrieked Madison.
Sakura's mind lit up. "I know! I'll use the Water Card!"
Kero was defiant. "No way! You put that away, Sakura!"
"But Kero, Ash's Pokemon are going to lose! You just saw what happened to Totodile, didn't you?"
"This is his fight. You can't interfere. There will be times when you can help him. But not now. He'd be disqualified. He has to do it his way. We all lose sometimes, Sakura. If he can still win this, he will. You've got powers he couldn't fathom, and he's got powers you don't understand. Let him go."
"But Kero, I have to help him!"
"Just be there for him."
Sakura nodded gently. She knew what to do. "You can do it Ash! You're much better than that creep!"
Ash snapped into action with renewed hope. "She's right. This is still up for grabs. Bayleef could use this to her advantage! Bayleef, use Solarbeam quickly!"
Silver was prepared for this. "Get a Fire Blast ready, Houndoom!"
Bayleef stomped her feet defiantly into the ground and began soaking up the solar energy from around her. Her smooth, green body was immersed in a life-giving, warm glow of heavenly white light, as she focused every cell in her body on the task in hand. Her soul felt at rest as she let the energy flow. Her being was clam as she let herself flow with the light. And from her neck leaves erupted the mighty beam of light in a blinding white glow. She screamed in triumph as the cascading barrage tore through the air towards Houndoom in a split-second flash. As the beam collided with Houndoom, the ground around him exploded, as dust was flung into the air all round. Ash ducked for cover as the blast ripped by him. Sakura and Madison shielded their eyes as Kero hovered impatiently, waiting, hoping. The smoke finally cleared. Houndoom was groaning heavily, barely standing on its legs. But it was still standing. Silver smiled smugly.
Ash was aghast. "No! It can't be!"
Sakura was beside herself. "That's impossible! Nothing could have resisted that!"
An intense scowl melted across Kero's tense face. "Oh no..."
Houndoom smiled momentarily, making Bayleef curious. Then Houndoom opened its mouth, releasing the mighty Fire Blast. Bayleef was so shell-shocked in response that she could do nothing but wait for one second as the blast exploded all around her being and scorched her body so harshly her pristine green coat was reduced to a dull black as she was sprawled across the ground merely a few feet away from Ash as her body finally came to a stop. She was crying so bitterly that Ash was shattered.
"Bayleef! I'm sorry! You did so much for me today! I'll fix you up soon, I swear! Return!" Ash wanted to comfort her, but he had no choice. As Bayleef's shattered body was sucked into the Pokeball, he focused on his one remaining hope. Cyndaquil.

Cyndaquil was still cowering in a ball. She sneaked a quick peek then noticed she was alone. All alone against Houndoom. She prayed that Bayleef saved her from having to face it. But now nothing could save her from that. She had to fight now.
"Alright, Houndoom! This one's all yours! Crunch it!"
Houndoom looked back at Silver in gratitude. Cyndaquil began shaking all over in reply. She saw the look Houndoom gave. A look of sadistic pleasure. Houndoom opened its mouth as wide as it could, then snapped its jaws down in the blink of an eye. A massive blast ripped from Houndoom's mouth across the field towards Cyndaquil, as two black jaws emerged from thin air and clamped right on top of Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil felt her body being ripped apart and screamed out in agony. She winced softly as the jaws finally released her from their unholy grasp. She began to cry and winced even more.
"This is bad! Ash is about to lose!" Sakura began tearing at her hair while Madison began to lower her camera.
"This is horrible. I can't watch!"
Kero remained silent. "Come on, girl. I sense great power in you. You've got something inside of you. Let it out. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."
Ash was spellbound. Houndoom was blowing him to pieces single-handedly. He wanted to run now and never come back. But he couldn't abandon Cyndaquil. And Silver wasn't going to let him quit either. Silver was going to make him pay. He was going to crush every iota of hope and defiance left in Ash, and snuff it out for good, leaving yet another trainer broken on the wayside, maybe never to be put back together again. He had to try something. But nothing was working. Houndoom was so much bigger, so much stronger. He knew Cyndaquil was strong. But what did she have that could beat Houndoom?
"Crunch again!"
Dark jaws sliced into Cyndaquil's being once again, twice as cruelly as before. Cyndaquil screamed out so agonisingly that Ash fell to his knees in torment. He had to help her. Silver wouldn't let him retreat. He strained his mind for all it was worth. There had to be a way. And then he thought of one faint hope.
"Cyndaquil, use your Hidden Power."
"Cynda?" Cyndaquil looked at Ash in surprise, then thought about it. Yes. She did feel something inside of her. Something she felt ever since she was given that move. But she could never quite harness it. Now she could truly place it. She knew just where it was inside of her. It was the only thing left. The one thing Houndoom's couldn't tear apart. She focused her entire being on that core and let it flow. She felt the power flow in her veins through every part of her body and up to her mouth. The power was so unknown to her, yet she felt she could trust it with her life. She spat the ball out for all she was worth, as a ball of blue energy erupted from inside of her, scoring a direct hit on Houndoom's mouth. Houndoom swallowed the ball whole, then gasped in reflex. Houndoom had no idea what just hit it, but it felt really sick. Incredibly sick. It's stomach felt weird, and its legs were feeling incredibly weak. it opened her mouth to settle the issue once and for all, but it felt nothing. It barked lightly, then tried again. Still nothing. Houndoom then realised what had happened. The squirt had put out the fire in her. It was gone.
Silver was ropable. "What are you doing? Finish it! Come on! This isn't a picnic!"
But Houndoom could do nothing but sway from side to side. It was losing all control. The runt was about to beat her.
Cyndaquil looked at the swaying hound in front of her. What just happened? Was she really about to beat this beast. "Cynda?"
Ash couldn't believe it. "What...what just happened?"
Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. "Did she...did she just do what I thought she just did?"
Kero smiled eagerly. "Yeah! Cyndaquil harnessed her hidden power! Of Water!"
Everyone looked at Kero in awe. "What did you say?"
"Water. Cyndaquil's Hidden Power is Water!"
Ash felt sweetness and light welling up inside of him. "Cyndaquil? Is that what you can do with that?"
Cyndaquil still hadn't quite comprehended it herself. She was feeling a strange tingling on her skin and she couldn't place it. Then she felt it in her veins. She felt that special core flowing all throughout her, encompassing it in a mighty creamy glow. "Quil?" Then she began to glow so brightly the whole room was filled with the heavenly light. Ash, Sakura and Madison gasped in disbelief as Cyndaquil began to grow. She grew from the stout little mouse into a long, tall, slender mouse. Her back was twice as large and packed even more of a fire. Her feet her large and proppy. Her entire body was incredibly flexible. Her ears were triangular and her eyes her big and beaming. She was no longer a Cyndaquil. She was a Quilava.
"...ava" she hissed as she revelled in her evolved form.
Ash was ecstatic. "Quilava! It's you! It's really you!"
Sakura was going ballistic with laughter on the sidelines. "She evolved! That's amazing! She did it!"
Kero remain tight-lipped and smiled. "Nice going, girl. You always had it in you."
Quilava flicked a quick gesture of thanks to her friends, then swung back at Houndoom with an intense stare. Houndoom began to cower in shock. Silver was on his knees and pulling at his hair. Quilava smiled, then sprayed out a massive Fire Blast that was twice as big as she was. Houndoom was glued to the spot and watched every moment as the billowing bastion of fire screamed through the arena and cascaded into Houndoom with a bang. Houndoom screamed out in horror, causing Silver to yell in terror. Houndoom was left yelping in a pathetic heap on the ground. It was all over.
"Ash Ketchum is the winner!"
Ash couldn't contain his excitement as he raced out to the middle and met the soaring Quilava halfway. "Quilava, you rule! You're the hottest and the coolest!"
"Quil!" Quilava loved her new form. It made her so much faster, more comfortable, more powerful, more commanding. And more huggable. She nuzzled against Ash eagerly and began humming gently.
Ash felt Sakura land of top of him in a burst of laughter. "Ash, you are unbelievable! You're the best! And you too, Quilava! Oh, thank you Ash!"
Madison stood back filming the special moment while Kero hovered beside her and Meowth emerged from behind a pillar.
"Now that was some freak show! The kid did it! And how about that Quilava! She's a scorcher!'
"Well, she always had it in her, my man," commented Kero.
"You can say that again. I'll have her at any barbecue of mine in the future! Or in any tangle!"
"Speaking of which, I could use a nice slab of pudding right now."
"Give it a rest, Kero," mused Madison.
"Not again!" Why can't we have mud cake for once?"
"Well, then again..."
"Hehe. Like putty in my paws."
Silver wiped the sweat from his body and moved out to the middle. What transpired here today sure blew him away.
"Kid, I'll be the first to say that you sure are something. You're better than what they say about you. I thought I'd reached the top kid. But you sure showed me up. Now I realise that I lost sight of what I love about being a trainer. I lost my way. But you sure haven't. And it's with great pleasure that I present you with the Cube Badge!"
Ash managed to somehow reach past Sakura who was hugging him eagerly and Quilava who was nestled in even closer. He took the badge in his right hand and looked at it eagerly. "Each face of the cube is different," he noticed.
"That's right, Ash. When we all look at the same thing, we see it in a different way. And our paths are all different even if they lead to the same goal. You must always follow your own path and never lose sight of it."
"Thanks Silver. I'll remember that."
Silver then remembered something. "Almost forgot. Some shady guy showed up two hours ago and told me to give this to you."
Ash took the envelope in his hand and Sakura grabbed hold of it too. They knew what it was.
"Anyway, I gotta split. Good luck Ash." And Silver sprinted out of the gym down the road, probably to the nearest Pokemon Centre.
"Open it, Ash."
Ash opened it quickly, ripping the top off in one motion. The all too-familiar image of Giovanni popped up.
"I am rarely surprised. Today is such an occasion. I underestimated you, Ash. You're not that unlike me when I was your age. Maybe one day I'll tell you more. But enough of that. Rest easy in the fact your friends will be unharmed for the next two weeks. If you don't get in my way."
"Hurt our friends are you're toast, Giovanni," was Ash's reply.
"You have no power over us, Giovanni," jeered Sakura.
"Don't be so sure. There are many things you don't know about me. And I know more about you than you would dare to believe. You'll soon find out. Now go. And remember. Don't get in my way." Placing great emphasis on the last phrase, the image fizzled away.
"What did he mean by that?"
"I don't know, Ash. What could he know about us that we don't?"
"I don't know. Maybe he's just fooling with us. And he sure tried to make it clear to stay out of his business. Wonder what he's so burned up over?"
"Just read the clue. We'll worry about that later."
Ash unfolded the piece of paper gently.

An all too familiar tree
Is where you're bound to find me

"Another riddle."
"And still no closer to the truth."
"We are. In more ways than one." Ash smiled and showed his badge. "We'll show him yet. We're both strong."
Sakura gently nodded and helped Ash up, staying right beside him as he held Quilava in his arms.
"Better get to a Pokemon Centre after that fiasco."

"That was unexpected," hissed the icy voice.
"Expect the unexpected." Giovanni playfully toyed with the photo in his hands. "But even they could never expect this. And you'd better believe me, kids. You do want to know what I know. You do."

[Wolfsong]

another great chapter. Keep up te great work

[Last Exile]

Nala98: I will! Still got another 12 chapters in store before I have to write new ones. ;)

[Snakes N' Legends]

A three way battle? Must be an enchancement of the two on two battles. Misty getting angry at Li is the perfect setting. How about that gym battle? That was the most incredible gym battle ever.

"Expect the unexpected" from Giovanni? And I thought only Kero said that.

Well, keep up the good work.

[Last Exile]

tyranitar master: Yeah, I liked the idea of a triple battle! It took a long time to write, but it was worth it. Just the chaos and action that I wanted. And things are getting ridiculous between Misty and Li. Expect plenty more surprises involving those two. ;) As as for Giovanni, he isn't some dumb moron that got to the top by chance. He's a pro, and deserves to be protrayed as one, even if he is the closest thing to pure evil itself.

[Darkgel]

Whoa. I can't describe how cool this chapter was!

And I know next ones will be better. Keep it up!

[Last Exile]

Darkgel: Well, obviously that chapter was soemthing you quite liked! ;) I've still got plenty more in store, so don't worry.

[DarkBlastoise]

*from para. #3.* SAKURA!!! why SAKURA??? maybe he coulda round up a team of Ritchie, and other trainers....

[Last Exile]

Dark Blastoise: Because this is a Pokemon/Card Captor Sakura crossover fic. This is the way I wanted to write it. Besides, Ritchie ticked me off, and Ash never works well in a crowd. Only in a small group.

[RaZoR LeAf]

A 3 on 3 battle? Cool, It must have been very hard to write, having the perspective of six pokemon to write from, including both trainers and onlookers. Still, it was well written and enjoyable to read. When you first described the Gym Leader as having spikey yellow hair, my first thoughts were of Lt Surge. And With the Gym Leader so convinced of his own supirior pokemon it was very similar to Surge in the anime. Did you base him on Surge?

PS. Can't wait for another Clow Card. The Sun Card was cool.


EDIT - Or should that be hot? I dunno.

[Last Exile]

RaZoR LeAf: Yeah, challenging but fun. I actually didn't base Silver on anyone. I figured Ash could use a ruffling and a reality check, so I invented Silver for that purpose. There's a card capture coming up very soon. How to describe it is up to you, I guess! ;)

[Last Exile]

Chapter 11 - Forever Young

Ash was laid out on a couch in the waiting room of the Sodium City Pokemon Centre, patiently waiting for the moment that the local Nurse Joy would tell him his Pokemon were fine and that they could leave now. Sakura mingled with Madison during the wait.
"I really like this footage! It's so unique! Six Pokemon battling at once! The smaller team winning! Even an evolution! This is priceless!" Madison was always great at shooting footage, but her coverage of Ash's battle even impressed Sakura.
"Yeah! It's so cool! You captured all the movements, trainer commands and attacks! Even Cyndaquil's evolution! Man, that was such a beautiful moment!"
"Mmm! But Ash seemed pretty surprised. He mustn't have had many evolutions in his team before. At least not in his current lineup."
That was true. Pikachu and Noctowl were already evolved when Ash got them. Eevee and Totodile still hadn't evolved. He only just got his green Dratini. Only Bayleef and Quilava had evolved in his presence. And both against the odds. It seems circumstance can be just as important as the Pokemon's level. It seemed the Pokemon really had to want to evolve or need to as well as be experienced enough. But they were welcome evolutions. And with Cyndaquil's evolution, Ash knew he had a more formidable lineup. One look of that scintillating Flamethrower was all that was needed to get an idea of how powerful Quilava was.
Sakura looked over at Ash. He looked more determined and focused than ever. But he seemed alone. In moments like these he would have been chatting away with Misty or Brock. Instead he was just fiddling with Pikachu.
"Go on, Sakura." Madison read Sakura's mind like a psychic.
Sakura smiled back at Madison with an eager look on her face, then began to walk across the room.

Meowth bobbed from his hiding place. "I told ya, fur boy, but you just wouldn't listen! I said that the mouse would do better than the plant, but no! You had to let your brain go haywire over your 'honey'!"
Kero emerged from behind Madison and was clearly incensed. "Hey! We all know that if Bayleef hadn't pulled through to begin with, Cyndaquil would have been toast!"
"And without Cyndaquil we'd be stuck in this town for God knows how long! Bayleef Smhayleef! I swear that kiss had warped your already pathetic mind and made you into an even bigger dunce."
"Shut your mouth, you mangy kitten! Don't make me straighten you out!"
"Straighten me out? You couldn't straighten out a piece of string, you useless piece of fluff!"
"That does it! I warned you! Now you will see the real Keroberos!" Kero began to pump his fists, reciting the chant that would make him assume his true form.
"Kero, don't!" shrieked Madison in panic. "You can't do that in public!"
"Alright," groaned the wise one. "You got off easy this time, furball."
"And as for the both of you, NO CAKE TONIGHT!"
Kero and Meowth whirled round in complete shock, falling to their knees and begging for mercy.
Meowth began to whimper pathetically. "We'd be eternally grateful if you would forget this ever happened."
"Only if you patch up and behave for once, you two!" Madison didn't really mind their bickering. It was amusing at times. But sometimes it got a bit out of hand.
"Aw, Madison, you the best!" Kero flew up to her face with a dreamy look on his face.
"Madison, you are the purr-fect girl!" crooned Meowth as he slid onto her lap.
"That's better! Now I can work on Sakura's secret surprise!"
"Secret surprise?"
"Take a peek!" Madison opened up her satchel and exposed the contents inside.
Kero's eyes lit up in tandem like lighthouses. "Oh boy! Sakura is gonna go ballistic when she sees this!"
"Now that is something truly befitting of fine people!" mused Meowth. "Those two jerks Jesse and James could never come up with something like this."
"And what did they do?" inquired Madison keenly with those striking sapphires.
"Mainly stuff that was loony or cross-dressing."
"I see." Madison briefly visualised the possibility, then wiped it from her mind instantly in revulsion. "I don't wanna go there."

Sakura walked with a female grace towards Ash, who was sprawled across a plush red sofa in an exhausted state. His jet black hair was soaked with sweat, giving it a telling greasy tint. His jeans were all crumpled, with streaks of grime visible down the sides as dark patches showing out against the light blue fabric. His jacket was in a much better state, with the blue and white standing out very intensely, hitting your eyes like golf balls. And his eternal black shirt tugged in nicely against his chest. He was an intriguing sight. Not the cleanest, not the most imposing.

But Ash Ketchum was not what he seemed. He wasn't that tall, as most boys his age were taller than him. Sakura was actually about the same height he was, and she was about the median for her age. He didn't try to be a show-off or anything like that. He just acted natural. He let his talents and credentials speak for themselves. But he was a person that stuck out in a crowd. He has that razor sharp look and that fiery spirit that just shoots out at you and smothers you in it. There's something about Ash that attracts you to him like a magnet and you stick with him. He has a nice, unassuming, easy-going manner. But when circumstances demanded it, Ash could switch to steely harshness in the blink of an eye. And few could stand up to him in that mode. People underestimate Ash because he looks like a twerp. That doesn't last long.

Sakura then reflected on her own figure. She still had many features that were highlights of her appearance as a 10-year old, but reaching her sexual maturity had provided her with new ones. Sakura started wearing jeans when she turned 15, for her legs became longer than average, but definitely not out of proportion with the rest of her body. Teen boys began to hover around her like a bad smell, leaning over at all angles to get a prolonged look at her legs, and a few foolhardy jerks dared to attempt a peek up her skirt. Bad move. They always ended up hurting in the nether-regions, either from Sakura or Li. Sakura made it pretty clear that she wasn't in the mood for anyone to treat here as a sex object.

But that wasn't to say that she didn't like her body. She loved it. She just didn't want every boy within sight having wet dreams about her. She liked the way her butt was shown off in her jeans, she wore T-shirts that showed a bit of midriff to show that she was in shape and not overly slim, and her tops showed that she had a bountiful chest per se, without making it the centre of attention. All attention was focused on her face. Her emerald eyes had grew more brilliant with every day that passed, sucking you into a never-ending complex of mathematical projections, smothering you with green and leaving you refreshed and stimulated. Her lips were incredibly luscious and could easily make transition from one expression to another without difficulty. Her smile was from the heart and from the soul. It was gentle, sweet, full of life and happy. Seeing that smile made you feel so good you couldn't contain it. Her skin still had a lovely luminous creamy tone, protecting her from the effects of sunburn and accentuating the finer points of her figure. The marked difference from her youth was her hair. When she was young, she had it short and tied and the sides in mini-twirls. But as she gradually approached adulthood, she realised that just like her mother, her hair was something to be relished, for that red-brown hue was a treat for the eyes. Just a shot of sunlight on those heavenly locks and you were left dazzled by their allure. Growing it long was a sign of her ascension into adulthood. It enhanced the transition from the cute, innocent, klutzy little girl to the beautiful, glowing, empowered woman. Her long tendrils whipped in the wind so freely like fallen leaves in was enchanting. She treasured her body. It was the greatest instrument she would ever own, so she took care of it and wasn't afraid to let people know that she had a nice body and liked it. Nothing was going to get in her way of enjoying life.

"Hey Ash," she chirped happily.
Ash rolled over, left facing the dream in front of him. "Wow, you look like a picture today."
Sakura laughed softly in response. "That sound like something my dad would say."
Ash smirked and moved a little closer. "Well, I can't lie. You look sensational."
Sakura laughed again, moving her hand up to her head in humility. "Ash, you're making me blush!"
Ash strung out the experience for a couple of seconds, fascinating over the crimson flush permeating across the cheeks of that heavenly face. "Well, I don't think I can say that you don't. And you wouldn't like that either."
Sakura nodded with a slight smile. "That's true." The other feature that changed markedly was her voice. That young, high-pitched squeaky quality had given way to a more mellow version, adding soft, relaxing undertones. Ash felt comforted and drawn in by her voice like a bee to the hive, and the two slowly sat themselves down next to each other. Sakura slid off her trainers, giving her feet some welcome freedom and resting her entire body on the velvety texture of the sofa, relishing the soft, stimulating feel on her bare skin. Ash was compelled to remove his own trainers from his feet and mimicked Sakura's actions, wondering what it felt like. The synaptic stimuli activated upon the contact of his soft skin with the even softer texture of the sofa informed him with everything he needed to know.
"That feels good," he crooned, feeling like he was slowly sinking into a bath filled with warm water, slowly letting the words flow out of his lips.
"Glad you like it," she whispered back like a zephyr gently wafting its way across a grove in the middle of spring. So refreshing, so cool to the touch, so calm.
Sakura then sat herself up and looked Ash in the eyes. "That was a great win today, Ash."
Ash moved back a little in embarrassment. "Well, it was kind of lucky, though. And it was really my Pokemon that pulled it off. They all worked great together because they've been great friends for so long."
"Yeah, but if they didn't have such a great trainer urging them on and telling them what to do, maybe things would have been different."
Ash felt like he had just awakened from a dream once those words left Sakura's lips. The tone of her voice. It was sincere, yet it was playful, full of admiration and a hint of sensuality. He usually didn't notice things like that, but Sakura was really bringing that out in him.
"Now you're making me blush," blurted Ash from behind a silly grin.
Sakura's eyes lit up as she moved even closer. Ash felt like he wanted to move back away from her but he felt glued to the spot. Part of him wanted to move away, but another part wanted him to stay right where he was. He was completely hypnotised by those eyes, feeling hers mingle with his own, sending his mind into a spin and longing for an answer.
Sakura then gave Ash a tiny flick on the side of this face. Ash shot back in confusion, a little stunned. "Hey, what was that for?"
Sakura smiled. "Well, I can only tell the truth. Would you prefer a lie?" she replied in a mock version of Ash.
Ash perked up again and smirked as he gave Sakura a flick on the side of her waist.
"Hey!" she laughed teasingly.
"I think that might call it even," mocked Ash.
"Oh no you don't!" Sakura gave Ash a quick flick on the ear, and he replied with one on her arm. Each reaction provoked a laugh and another flick, and soon the two were going back and forth so quickly they fell on top of each other on the floor, laughing their heads off.
As they slowly picked themselves up from the floor, the two of them locked up in an intense gaze.
"You're funny, Ash," smirked Sakura.
"Not as funny as you," swooned Ash before heading in for another light flick.
"Hey!" Sakura was still eager for more and replied with a well aimed one on his nose.
"Okay! Here we go!" And the two of them were at it again.

[Last Exile]

"Ash Ketchum?"
The all-familiar high pitched voice of Nurse Joy wafted across the room and into the two's ears like symphonies.
"Yes?" Ash popped his head up from behind the sofa. Sakura followed three seconds later.
"Your Pokemon are all recovered now. They're ready to be picked up. And they're pretty eager to see you."
Ash and Sakura both lit up at the sound of those words then looked at each other with beaming smiles, then back at Nurse Joy. All of Ash's Pokemon zoomed past Nurse Joy like homing missiles towards the duo with the eagerness of kids at Christmas. Bayleef led the charge easily and her spicy aroma signalled her intent at getting there first.
"Bay! Bay! Bay!"
Ash was beginning to panic. "Bayleef! Take it easy!"
"Bayleef!" She jumped from five feet away, launching herself like a long jumper, soaring through the air with grace, and flattening Ash into the sofa on impact as she landed heavily on his chest.
"Bayleef, you're going to have to go easy on that! I think I almost broke something that time."
"Bay!" Bayleef began giggling then nuzzled in against Ash, making sure she scoped out that territory and that no one else even thought of going there.
"Hope she doesn't scare off the rest of the group!" joked Sakura.
"Wouldn't count on it!" Ash's words were quickly verified as Quilava soared above Sakura's head with pin-point precision, landing on Ash's right shoulder and hugging the side of his head. "Quil!" she swooned as she sent Ash into a series of nervous reflexes.
"Looks like you've got two suckers for affection now!" laughed Sakura.
Ash grinned sheepishly. He was struggling to keep his embarrassment from being exhibited as flushing cheeks. But that feeling turned into laughter when he saw Quilava leap from his shoulder onto Sakura's chest and nuzzling close to her.
"Hey!" Sakura shrank back a bit in shock, but that only made Quilava move closer, softly squeaking and smiling all the time. "What's happening?"
Ash began smirking so blatantly that he couldn't contain his amusement. "It seems Quilava really likes you too."
"Why me?"
"You were pretty nice to her when you first met her when she was a Cyndaquil, so she must like you in return."
Sakura looked down to the long fire mouse nuzzled in against her in awe. "Is that true, Quilava? Do you like me?"
Quilava eagerly nodded her head rapidly. "Quil!"
Sakura beamed happily at the thought. "Wow! She likes me! Cool! I've never had a Pokemon like me like that before." She wrapped her arms gently around Quilava and began tickling her lightly. "You're so sweet. I'd love to have a Pokemon as cute and strong as you are."
Quilava began to squirm and laugh in reply, generating even more laughter from Sakura. More of that sweet, soulful, insatiable laughter. Ash watched her intently, letting himself soak every single bit of every single laugh.
She is so nice, he thought. Even my Pokemon like her. Everything about her. It seems so wrong for me to not have met her earlier in my life. But then again, it would have been brief and I might not have seen her again. Now she's with me every day. Backing me up, helping me out, being the friend I always wanted. Whatever happens, I'm just so glad I met her. Ash was breathing deeply, inhaling and exhaling in a relaxed motion, his eyes focused in on the beauty in front of her.
"Pika!"
Ash was glowing the moment he heard that all-familiar voice he knew so well. "Pikachu!" He embraced his furry yellow friend heartily and held him close to his eyes. "You're looking better than ever, buddy!"
"Pika!" Pikachu was incredibly refreshed from his treatment, and it showed from his shiny yellow coat and his scarlet cheeks. Ash surveyed the rest of the team as they filed in. Totodile was doing his silly little dance with increased vigour. Eevee's eyes were like mirrors and drew out a smoothing of his fur from Ash's caring hand. Noctowl was fairly upbeat and moving his head in semi-circles as usual.
Then Ash looked to the GS Ball strapped on his belt. The ball containing a green Dratini. Ash stared at it in wonder. Most Dratinis were blue, if not all of them. Why was this one green? There must be something special about this one. Ash was actually pretty eager to use it, but Professor Oak advised against it momentarily. He said that he remembered some ancient legends referring to green Dratinis in an ancient society, and Ash might have one of them. Oak also remembered that the legends spoke of their powers and how they lived back then. Oak said that he would obtain the relevant materials and inform Ash as soon as possible. But due to the recent plague of Team Rocket, Oak didn't feel safe in sending the information electronically. It had to be in person.
And that reminded Ash. "Sakura, could you get Madison? We've gotta plan our next move."
Sakura nodded then looked over at Madison. "Hey Madison, we're having a group meeting."
Madison looked up from her handiwork, smiled then placed it inside her satchel. "Be there in a tick."
Sakura looked at Madison for a few moments longer. She could have sworn that Madison was working on something. But what? No mind. There would be time for that later. Right now, they needed to determine where they were headed next. At least they could plan out their travels to Pokemon gyms. What they couldn't plan was where to find the new cards. Sakura had already captured one. She looked at it closely, marking the design, the shapes on the back and the figure on the front. The Sun Card. It was an initiation of fire in her return to being a Cardcaptor. It had nearly killed them in the process. It had taken all of Sakura's skills just to keep them alive, and by placing her faith in the Dark Card, she was able to successfully capture the new card and save her friends from a horrible fate.
It seemed strange, but she welcomed the return to being a Cardcaptor. It was her secret identity that no one could mess with. She was the planet's hero without them even knowing. She had magical powers that enabled her to do good for this world. But what she could achieve was limited. The world wasn't ready to accept the concept of magic. Yet they were able to understand the magic of Pokemon. Why couldn't they accept both? Couldn't they see that there is magic in all life? Sakura sighed. Then again, many people saw Pokemon just as things to battle with. Only people like Ash understood that Pokemon were their equals and their friends. She was incredibly lucky. If anyone but Ash had seen her use her magic that day at Silverstone Stadium, she would have been toast. Her secret would be out, and everyone would have hunted her down out of fear. Because people destroy what they fear, what they don't understand, and what they can't control. She could do so much if people could just open up their hearts. But the world wasn't ready. Maybe it never would be. The thought made her cringe.
"Sakura?" Ash's voice snapped her out of her trance. "Are you alright? You looked like you were miles away."
Sakura looked and Ash and smiled. "I'm fine."
Madison sat herself down next to Sakura and opened up her satchel in anticipation. "So what's up?"
Ash began to look at the guide book the Nurse Joy from Destiny City gave him. It had all the information he needed to know. Apparently there were only 8 gyms in the Green League. You had to win at all eight in order to qualify for the Green league. He had already won two gym badges in the month they had been on their journey. But he still had a long way to go.
"We'd better figure out which gym we're heading to next. And we'd better tell Professor Oak. He said he was going to tell me about the green Dratini once he found the archives he was looking for, and he wanted to inform me in person."
"Guess we'd better figure out where the nearest gym is," posed Sakura.
Madison reached into her satchel and fished out a map of the Green League. She then proceeded to scan the areas near Sodium City. Zinc City and Sodium City had already been marked with red circles to denote Ash's gym victories. A blue circle was located halfway in between, marking where Sakura caught the Sun Card.
"Well, there's no gym that's actually that close by. The nearest gym is in Calcium City, and that one is located near the mountains of the eastern regions. We're in the south, so it'll take us a fair while to get there."
Sakura looked at Madison earnestly. "How long?"
Madison sucked her index finger for a moment and extrapolated the answer. "At least a couple of weeks."
Ash and Sakura shot up in shock. "A couple of weeks?"
"And that might be underestimating it. It could take us a month in reality."
"A month?" Sakura felt like her legs had caved in crashing to the floor like a ton of bricks. "A whole month?"
"Isn't that gonna cost us?" mused Ash. "If it takes us a month to get to each gym, we won't be able to make it to the Green League this year."
Sakura grabbed Ash's hand with haste. "What do you mean?"
"I checked the guide. It says the Green League is held in November every year. It's May now, so we only have about six months to get there."
"But I thought Giovanni said we had a whole year!"
"He was lying. He means this year only. So we have to not only win the Green League in November, but catch all cards this year and find the Team Rocket base by New Year's Day next year, or we've lost."
Sakura sunk her head in sorrow. "Are we going to make it?"
Ash clasped Sakura's hand gently, smoothing out the tension in it. "We'll make it. You can trust me on that."
Sakura placed her other hand on Ash's and smiled. "Mmmm."
Madison silently admired the scene in front of her. It made her feel great to see her best friend happy again after two months of misery. Those months had taken their toll on Ash and Sakura. But the two of them found comfort in each other, though they weren't sure where they were in the scheme of things. Madison knew where it would lead, but she wasn't going to mess with it. She knew it was best if she let the bond between the two develop naturally. But she would be there to lend a helping hand as always. She had quite a personal interest in this one.
"We'd better get going, guys." Madison's call summoned Meowth and Kero from their hiding place.
"On the road again. Think you can hack it, fly boy?" teased Meowth.
"Bring it on, I say!" yelled Kero. "Besides, there's nothing that pudding can't fix."
Both of them began drooling in the thought of it. "Mmm, pudding."
Madison sighed heavily. "You guys are hopeless." She picked up the two from their comatose state on the floor. "Worse than boys in a bar on Saturday night. Ugh."
"Those two are really hitting it off," joked Sakura.
"Oh yeah." Ash smiled at the thought then summoned his Pokemon back to their Pokeballs, except for Pikachu who positioned himself on Ash's shoulders.

"There should be a direct pathway to Calcium City not far up the road. And there's plenty of towns in between, so we won't have to worry about camping out," stated Madison as she fiddled with her map.
"Yeah," groaned Sakura. "There's something unsettling about these forests. I don't feel safe in them. I get the feeling I'm being watched."
"Wouldn't be surprised if Team Rocket were hiding in every single bush," moaned Ash.
"I don't think we're being watched right now," mused Meowth. "But I did get the feeling someone was spying on us back in town."
"How do you know that?" inquired Madison in bewilderment.
"Cat's intuition."
"Oh. I thought you were going to say you had some neat, state-of-the-art tracking device."
"Who needs that junk when you've got that talent naturally?"
"Good point. It's nice to have you around."
"Believe me, girl, the feeling is mutual."
Madison laughed as she began to stroke Meowth's back, which made him swoon in delight.
"Will we be able to fly at any point?" asked Ash.
Sakura shook her head rapidly. "No chance. We can't risk that during the day. Maybe at night, if it's not too windy. The Fly Card could give us a few miles a day, but that's it. It only works for a limited time and needs to recuperate. Kind of like Pokemon."
"I get you drift." Ash would have normally enjoyed spending months traipsing along the countryside on a journey with his friends. But things were far more important now, and such leisure could not be afforded anymore.
"Welcome to the cruel world, hey?"
Ash looked at Sakura and smiled. "It's not that bad. Especially when you've got people like you around."
"Ha ha!" Sakura was pretty flattered by that comment and made no effort to hide her elation. "Much better than having Tori around."
"Guess I'm lucky to be an only child."
"Oh, siblings are okay. Sometimes."
"He he." Ash giggled gently at the thought. He could imagine Sakura giving Tori a thrashing for yet another smart aleck comment while Tori would bag Sakura for being late, not getting homework done on time or for being a general klutz.
"Hey, what's that there?" Madison stopped in her tracks, forcing the others to pull up beside her. A blockade and a congregation of workers were just up the pathway.
"Looks like construction workers," noted Sakura tensely.
"What are they doing out here?" wondered Ash.
The trio walked up to the blockade and asked one of the workers what was up.
"Road's blocked off. Series of avalanches. You'd have to be suicidal to travel these parts. So we're blocking it off until it's safe again. These parts are pretty unstable these days. You'll have to take the other path. It diverts a bit more west though, so if you're heading east, it'll take longer to get to where you're going."
"We're going to Calcium City," informed Madison.
"Then it's going to take you at least a few days more to get there. Sorry."
The three sighed heavily. This was the last thing they needed.
"I bet Giovanni did this just to make it that much harder for us," moaned Ash.
"It'd be his style. He wouldn't ever let us have it easy on this journey," growled Sakura. "Oh, I've had enough of that jerk! When i get my hands on him I'll..."
"Take it easy, Sakura," assured Madison with a gentle hand. "That's just what Giovanni wants you to do. Don't let him get to you."
"Waaaaaaaaah!"
"See, you made that baby cry."
"Huh?" Sakura began looking around in wonder. "What baby?"
"I didn't see a baby," stated Ash as he surveyed the area.
"It isn't a human baby," motioned Madison.
"Yeah, it sounds more like a baby Pokemon. And it sounds familiar." Ash suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and went completely rigid. "No way! It couldn't be! It can't be!"
"Ash, what is it?" asked Sakura with desperation and wonder flooding her eyes that they looked like waterfalls.
"Pika!" Pikachu suddenly got that weird feeling too. He knew what it was.
"Aaaah! It can't be! No way! But it is!" Meowth had that sinking feeling too.
"We have to find it!" yelled Ash.
"Sounds like it's coming from over here behind this bush."
"I'll check," offered Sakura. She pushed back the bush, revealing the source of the crying. Ash, Pikachu and Meowth raced to her side then stared with mouths gaping in total disbelief.
"Togepi!"
"Toge?" Togepi stopped crying as soon as she heard a familiar voice. She turned around, and noticed familiar faces. Ash, Pikachu, Meowth. Especially Ash! She'd found them at last! "Pri!" Togepi ran with pattering little footsteps to Ash's leg and hugged it dearly.
"It's Misty's Togepi. I can't believe it! It must have run away after Misty was captured and tried to find us!"
"Imagine that!" shrieked Meowth. "And we've been travelling for about 2 months now. The poor thing must have gone through hell to find us!"
"Oh I'm sorry!" Sakura felt guilt flooding her system and she scooped up Togepi in her arms and held it close to her head. "I didn't mean to make you cry. Please forgive me."
"Toge?" Togepi looked at Sakura in wonder, not recognising this person. But she was incredibly attracted to this girl. She seemed so nice, so warm, so caring, so loving. So Togepi felt safe and let a sweet little smile break out across her face. "Pri! Pri!" Togepi then leapt from her hands and began hugging Sakura around her neck.
"Whoa! What's up with her?"
"Well Sakura," motioned Ash, "I think Togepi really likes you!"
"Really?" Sakura looked at the little white being in wonder, and her eyes became as shiny as mirrors. "She likes me? Me? Oh boy!" Sakura picked Togepi up gently and began to swing her round. "You're such a cutie! Such a sweet thing! Oh thank you!" Sakura began laughing and spinning faster, causing Togepi to laugh too, enjoying the funny game.
"In fact, I think you should have Togepi for now."
"What?" Sakura stopped spinning immediately and looked at Ash in shock. "But it belongs to Misty!"
"Someone has to take care of it. I've never been able to fully appreciate it. Madison has Meowth. You always said you wanted a Pokemon. Come on, Sakura, you're a natural. Togepi wants you. Have it. You deserve her."
Sakura looked at Togepi in awe, recognising the responsibility that had fallen into her lap, but she was so eager to take it on. "I'll do it! Togepi, I'll love you as a mother would!"
"Pri!"
"Ha ha!" Sakura began laughing again, enjoying her newfound friend.
"We'd better get it to a Pokemon Centre though," suggested Ash.
"Yeah," seconded Kero. "Two months in the wilderness. It's lucky to be alive."
"But she doesn't look that bad," noticed Sakura. "She looks pretty healthy. Someone must have been watching out for her."
"We need to find somewhere to spend the night anyway," proposed Madison. "There's a town a couple of miles from here, and it has a Pokemon Centre, so we can go there."
"Then let's go! At least Misty can rest safe in the knowledge that Togepi's okay!" Ash began to walk triumphantly down the road, beaming like he'd just won a gym battle.
"Hmmm!" Sakura looked at him in admiration. "That was so nice of him. I didn't think I could do this, but Ash went out of his way to make sure it ended up like this. He wanted me to have Togepi." She looked at him more closely. "And he is really cute." She was broken from her trance by a strange sensation.
"Something up, Sakura?" inquired Kero as he flew to her side.
"I think I sense a card."
"Here? I don't sense anything."
"Not here. But not far away either. It's a weak feeling, but I can sense it. It's nearby, that's for sure. But I can't quite place it."
Kero meditated briefly then nodded. "It's a card alright. I can't place it either. We'd better keep our guards up for now."
"And we'd better keep up with the rest of them." Sakura quickly ran down the road, breaking into stride with the rest of them, in high spirits as a golden sunset lit up the countryside, beckoning the heroes on.

"Sakura has sensed the second card," whispered the icy voice.
"And they found Togepi. Amusing little Pokemon. That will make them forget about their lost time for long enough," chuckled Giovanni.
"You want them to lose, don't you?"
"Far from it. I want them to win, then get that close to winning this quest, and then I will snatch it from them. They will suffer an all too familiar fate," Giovanni mused as he fingered the yellow photo. "History repeats itself."

[Wolfsong]

Another great chapter. I look forward to the next one. And thanks again. now i have time to study for my quiz on friay. ^^

[Last Exile]

Nala98: The chapter is kind of filler, I guess, but it did fling Togepi their way, so it kind of isn't filler! Glad to have helped you with that essay and good luck with your quiz! ;)

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

Ah, great story! Great to watch a relationship form naturally under an unnatural situation, to read about great gym battles, and to see someone has been paying attention to their minerals and elements!
Zinc, Sodium, Calcium? What's next, Uranium? I can imagine that, a power plant city, with nuclear power plants, and Giovanni tries to cause a meltdown...

Well, keep it up! I want to read about this next Clow Card! Wait, Clow Reed didn't make it, so it isn't a Clow Card at all, now is it...

[Last Exile]

SuperSonic Mewtwo: Hey hey! Howya doing?! And yes, the card is not a Clow Card, because Clow Reed did not make it! Indeed, but who did?! I know, but I'm not saying! ;) And as for the city names, the common theme is that they're all metals in their element form. Sodium doesn't last long because of its reactivity, and it has to be stored in paraffin oil. Potassium actually combusts in air.

[Snakes N' Legends]

Interesting, I read this chapter before but I didn't catch any part of Togepi. I guess a second time around does it. Great chapter, by the way, I was checking out the Serebii (?) Forum for fanfics and I caught your name there. That is interesting. It also is interesting that Damien Silverblade's name was there. Does half of TPM go to the Serebii (?) Forum Board?

[Last Exile]

tyranitar master: Fair enough! The first time I read cahpters 19 and 20 of Mist's fic, Lapras Valley High, I completely missed the bit about how Sal became a were-Pokemon. So don't worry. It happens! ;) And yeah, I recently registered at Serebii's site. And yes, it is the same Damian that is mod here. I do suspect many TPMers are also registered there. Also amkes you wonder if Damian would ever suffer a conflict of interest! ;)

[Gavin Luper]

Sorry Ryan! I didn't reply for ages because I wasn't online. But I read both chapters, both are very good. The gym battle was VERY long, but certainly interesting. Silver was a loooser.

Good to see that Togepi is back, and Sakura seems pleased to have a pokemon now. And if I don't find out who the other person is, and if Giovanni doesn't stop looking at the photo, I will KILL THEM BOTH!

Cheers!

PS: Where are you? You haven't been online for a while now. That I know of anyway.

[Darkgel]

Neat!

I bet that I know what follows from Calcium. Selenium?

Or maybe, Potassium, Lead, Cooper, etc...

[Last Exile]

Darkgel: The cool sounding metals, basically. Look up a periodic table of elements and you'll probably guess a few! ;)

[Last Exile]

Chapter 12 - Moonshine and Firesuites

Sakura tossed and turned like a sidewinder in the middle of the Sahara. She was nowhere near falling asleep tonight. Normally she was out like a light, but tonight she was so restless. She felt a burning sensation all over her body, as if she had been stung all over by mosquitoes. When she scratched where she burnt, there was no relief, yet there was no flare-up either. So she continued to burn in silence. She quietly moaned and winced as gradually her patience wore thin, with no relief in sight.
What was making her feel this way, she thought. Until a few hours ago, she was feeling just fine. Things were finally going her way. Ash had won his second badge and his Cyndaquil evolved into Quilava. She had gotten on really well with Ash at the Pokemon Centre. And then she found Misty's Togepi. What a cutie it was. Sakura felt her heart melt at the sight of it. So small, so dependent, so happy, so colourful, so carefree, so cute. It was a dream come true for her. She always wanted a Pokemon. Not necessarily to train, but just as a friend.
Then she got that feeling. The feeling she gets when she senses a card. But it was such a weak sensation when she first noticed it. She knew the card was nearby, yet it wasn't. It didn't make sense at all. That was at sunset. It was past midnight now, and the feeling had grown in intensity. Something was eating at Sakura, and she had no idea what.
She decided to compose her thoughts and focus in on the feeling. She was able to locate cards in her heyday simply by focusing her thoughts. Sakura closed her eyes, steeled her thoughts and blocked out all external stimuli. Calm swam over her being and her brain was solely focused on the feeling. She had an answer. It was coming from above her.
Sakura opened her eyes in expectation, hoping to see something magical right above her. But all she saw was the ceiling of the room she was in, dimly lit by the moonlight. She walked over to the window next to her bed and looked outside. It was a clear night, but the stars were very pale tonight. Sakura quickly noticed it was because there was a full moon tonight. And it was a big one. Incredibly white and luminous, it made the rest of the night sky look pathetic in comparison.
Then Sakura felt that tingling, burning feeling again as she looked at the moon. She felt herself waking from a dream and returning to reality. Something was up. The moon looked so bright and beautiful tonight, but looking at it made Sakura feel uneasy. As uneasy as ghosts make her feel. She began to shiver, not from cold, but from fear. Something didn't feel right about the moon at all. Could it be...no! It's the moon, for crying out loud. As if a card could actually mimic the moon! That was too outrageous to conceive. It must be the full moon making her feel weird. At least she wasn't turning into a werewolf.
Still, she felt incredibly restless and longed for release. Anything to take her mind off the burning sensations. Her eyes caught sight of Ash, peacefully sleeping, breathing in and out so quietly, laying perfectly still. It was incredibly comforting to see a close friend in such calm, and a smile broke out across her face. She gently walked to Ash's side and knelt at the side of his bed. Her emeralds eyes began to shimmer like a spray of water refracting light into a rainbow, and she watched him in wonder.
He's such a good person, she thought as she listened to his soft breathing, inhaling and exhaling in a consistent rhythm. So kind to other people and to Pokemon. So willing to help out. So generous. So feisty. So full of life. He looks so cute sleeping there. He doesn't seem to be that conscious of his looks. That lets his figure look natural. Just the way it should be. Muscular yet slim and with light sprinklings of hair that isn't prickly to the touch. And she reached out, running her hand across his exposed arm, enjoying the feel of his smooth skin and the silky hair. She ran her hand up to his face like running water, gently sprinkling her fingers on his forehead and his scalp. He is attractive in more ways than one.
Ash began to stir, even though Sakura's hand was so discrete. She instantly froze as she watched Ash's eyes lazily open. What now? She'd really done it this time. How could she explain this? If she moved away now, Ash might not suspect what just happened. But she couldn't. Her knees felt like they were sewn to the carpet and her brain seemed to disobey her, refusing to send her body into motion. So Ash saw Sakura right next to him as he rose from slumber.
Ash jumped to his pillow with a start and grabbed for his sheets, shielding himself. "Sakura? What are you doing?"
"Er..." Sakura began to panic, sweat pouring down her face like a waterfall. What could she say? Nothing that wouldn't make him think she was a freak or something. And just when she thought they were getting close. Sakura gritted her teeth and decided to bare all. Only the truth would set her free.
"I can't sleep. I've tried for hours, but I just can't. I've tried everything. I can't shake this burning feeling that's making me so restless tonight. Even the moon made me feel uneasy. Then I looked at you, and I finally started to feel calm. I watched you sleeping there, and the thought that you looked so peaceful made me feel good. I reached out to touch you to get a feel of that calm for myself. So I touched you. And I felt that calm. And then you woke up." Sakura flicked her hair over and buried her face in it. She didn't want Ash to see her humiliation. He must think I'm crazy. Why did I do that?
Ash felt a bit queasy. He thought he should have felt angry that Sakura touched him while he was asleep, but in actuality, he wasn't at all. He reached out and smoothed back Sakura's locks into shape. Sakura felt so stunned by Ash's gentle, caring reply that she felt like she was slowly being undressed by those hands, exposing her naked body and her soul to him. Sakura's eyes lost themselves in Ash's while her mind visualised what the sensation she was feeling from his touch.
"Actually, I wasn't sleeping that well myself."
Sakura gasped in shock. "Really? I...I thought I woke you. I thought you'd think I was sick or something."
"If you were anyone else, except my mom, I would have. I was having a bad dream. I don't show the signs physically. But in the depths of my subconscious, I was in hell."
Sakura picked herself up and sat down on the bed next to Ash, getting her eyes exactly level with Ash's. "What were you dreaming about?" she whispered like an angel floating with the wind. Ash's heart began racing and he struggled to compose himself. "I was dreaming about Misty. I dreamt of many of our earlier adventures. Then I began thinking of all the times that she began yelling at me and treating me like dirt. I felt like a was a little kid trapped in a corner, while Misty was a big giant towering above me, preparing to torment me. I felt so helpless and afraid I began screaming out for help, but it never got past my mind. I couldn't awake from the nightmare." He then picked up Sakura's hand, smoothing out the tension, making her heart swell. "Then I felt you touch, and suddenly I was free. I escaped the nightmare. And then I saw you. I was kind of shocked that you were right above me, but somehow it made sense. There are only two people in the world that can heal me with their touch. It used to be that only my mum could do that. But now there's another." He moved closer to Sakura, feeling part of his soul pour into Sakura. "It's you."
Sakura's eyes widened like endless green pastures. He doesn't think I'm crazy. That's a miracle! But not only that. He likes my touch. He yearns for my touch. I heard the way he said that to me. He was as calm and as peaceful as I've ever seen or heard him. He reached into the depths of my soul. I could virtually feel him in me.
"Thank you Ash. For understanding." Sakura took a gentle yet firm grip of Ash's hand. A warm, tender smile broke out on her face, revealing the happiness her soul was feeling.
Ash placed his other hand on hers and looked deep into those everlasting emeralds. "Thank you," he whispered with conviction, and he couldn't help but smile either.
Both of them sat motionless for several quiet moments, unsure what to do next, almost wishing for the moment to never end.
Ash came up with a solution. "I have an idea. How about you sleep in my bed?"
Sakura's head felt like it was going to explode. "What? What are you saying?"
Ash began to panic a little. Maybe she misinterpreted him. He had to fix this quick. "I mean, since we're both restless tonight, and each other's touch seems to make us feel better, if you have half of the bed, and I have the other, we'll sleep better in the knowledge that we're close and that we're not alone."
Sakura's eyes beamed like suns and her heart began to flutter. "Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Thank you Ash."
The bed was king size, so the two of them were easily able to take halves, and there was plenty of blanket for each. The two of them slipped into bed and slowly drifted away, but not quite. Ash still felt himself thinking about the bad times, and he couldn't quite get his thoughts away from them. He could also hear Sakura tossing and turning still. She still must have the burning sensation.
Sakura did have that burning sensation still. Being in the same bed as Ash wasn't helping. She turned over and looked at Ash's back, clothed by his green pyjamas. It looked so soft and smooth, she longed to be close to it. So without thinking, she slid over and propped herself next to Ash. Ash felt Sakura's arm slip over his shoulder partially and her firm breasts against his back and almost choked. But he found the touch calming. Just like before. It seemed weird that they acted this way around each other, but it didn't offend the other. It was just what they needed. And right now, the two of them needed to be close to each other. Smiles bigger than the Grand Canyon were fixed on their faces as Ash and Sakura slipped into peaceful slumber. Soon the only sound in the room was their gentle breathing, deep and steady.

Sakura slowly arose from her dazed state, refreshed and at peace. She rose from the bed with care, while the sheets stuck her for just a second, then fell back down like feathers. Yawning heavily, she rubbed her eyes and smoothed out her hair as she slowly adjusted to being awake. It was then she noticed that she was alone in the bed. Ash was no longer beside her. But that surprise didn't last long. Sakura found herself facing Madison, clad in a blue silk gown, bearing a glowing smile and piercing Sakura with her inquisitive sapphire eyes.
Sakura gulped. "Hey, Madison," she stuttered through laboured breathing.
Madison blinked slowly then proceeded. "Morning, Sakura. Sleep well?"
Sakura nodded gently. "Mm hmm. Quite well, actually."
Madison giggled softly, but Sakura could still make it out.
"What's up?"
"It's just that you're sleeping in Ash's bed, and I remember Ash sleeping in that bed too last night."
"Ohhh..." Madison never missed anything. Sakura felt like she was about to melt down form the inside and bowed her head in embarrassment, struggling to contain the scarlet red flush in her cheeks.
"You like him, don't you?"
Sakura looked up with a start. "Yeah. I do, Madison. I really do."
Madison sat down next to her friend, placing her arm around Sakura warmly. "Just be careful, okay?"
"We didn't do anything," she blurted in defense.
"Hey, I know. I heard you two last night. Believe me, Sakura. You're about as quite as a bulldozer."
"Ahhh..." Sakura smiled sheepishly.
"And I know that you're relatively experienced in relationships, Sakura. But Ash isn't."
Sakura bowed her head slightly in deep thought. She's right. Ash isn't that experienced.
Madison continued. "Ash was exposed to a far different environment than you were, Sakura. Your honesty is reciprocated with everyone you met. Even Li broke his hard outer shell and let you in. You were honest to him, and he eventually warmed to the fact. Ash and Misty didn't have what you had. You had the tenderness and the intimacy. They did nothing but bicker and hide their feelings for each other."
"Yeah, but I didn't tell Li straight away that I liked him. Li did it first. Then you and Meilin had to induce me into finally opening up."
"You only held back for a few months, Sakura. Ash held back for several years."
Sakura placed her index finger on her lips and pondered the fact. That was true. How would things be in such a situation? She couldn't imagine.
"Those two spiked each other over and over. Misty kept at her aggressive front while Ash never felt safe enough to come out of the 'baby' phase and simply retaliated. Those two had virtually everything happen to them before they finally opened up. You had several years of a true relationship with Li. All Ash ever had was one kiss just before Misty was kidnapped."
Sakura sunk into a flashback of years gone by. That auspicious first meeting with Li. How his yellowish brown hawk-like eyes penetrated right into her and left her a complete mess. How he continually put her down whenever she tried to capture cards. His general arrogance and his rudeness. But deep inside, he had a big heart. He was just private and sensitive. And eventually, she gained Li's respect and was allowed to enter his world. Years of bliss followed before the ugly end. But she didn't regret it at all. It was more than worth it, and she would learn from their mistakes.
"I guess Ash never really felt he gained Misty's respect. He always thought she had a low opinion of him, so he never felt safe enough to confide in her and trust her."
"Exactly, Sakura. You're not like most other people. You want to be open and honest with your thoughts and feelings. You feel less inhibitions with love because you've been there. Ash is still green in that area. You have to make sure you don't go too fast and scare him off. You're the more experienced one, so you've got a responsibility to him. Don't go cold turkey. Just nurture him, and try to induce him into making some of the moves. And you'll do fine. He likes you back, Sakura. You know that."
Sakura sank back into the bed like a collapsing pile of leaves, sinking into the silky sheets and feeling them flow over her. "Yeah. He does like me. And he is showing it. I'll be careful Madison. And thank you. You such a good friend."
The two girls warmly embraced in friendship.
"I'd better get ready for the day." Sakura rose up like a spring and almost floated back down. "Is Ash still around?"
"He got up a while ago. I think he was taking a shower."
Sakura flushed in light of a very telling previous incident she was sure to never forget. "Okay, I'd better check if he's finished yet." Sakura knocked on the bathroom door. "Anyone in here?'
No answer. Sakura opened the door and found nobody inside the bathroom. So she moved to the sink and began brushing her teeth, tidying up her hair, applying light shades of makeup and changed into a clean change of clothes. She chose a striking plain white top that almost hurt the eye to look at, but was an incredibly alluring colour and showed off an ideal amount of midriff, complemented by a pair of snug fitting light blue jeans. She added a yellow flower to her hair, matching with the current summertime period, put on white and blue sneakers and moved back into the bedroom. She immediately noticed Pikachu sitting on the bed.
"Hey Pikachu," she chirped happily.
"Pika?" Pikachu looked around in curiousity, then stood stock still in amazement. "PIKA!" Pikachu's eyes were glowing in awe of the girl in front of her.
"Are you okay, Pikachu," inquired Sakura with concern.
Pikachu replied by jumping at her gently. Sakura caught Pikachu in her arms in a reflex action.
"Pika!" Pikachu then struck a pretty pose.
"Oh, are you saying you like the way I look this morning?"
"Pika!" Pikachu happily nodded rapidly.
"Why, thank you, Pikachu! You're so sweet!" Sakura planted a gentle kiss on Pikachu's forehead.
"PIKA!" Pikachu began buzzing more energetically and his yellow coat glowed like a lighthouse beacon.
"Pri!"
"Oh, hi Togepi! Good morning!" Sakura scooped up her new companion lovingly and massaged her middle spike, which made her squirm with delight.
"Better get you some breakfast, hey?"
"Pri!"
"Morning guys." Ash entered the bedroom from the Pokemon Centre side, then stopped when he saw Sakura.. "You look good this morning, Sakura," placing incredible emphasis on 'good'.
Sakura almost felt embarrassed, then appreciated the compliment warmly. "Why, thank you, Ash." She winked back at him, making him feel that much better.
"Um, guys, I think you'd better come outside and see what's happening!"
"What's up?"
"You have to see it to believe it!"
Sakura, Madison and Pikachu followed Ash back out with haste.

[Last Exile]

"What the...AHHHHH!" Sakura screamed in total shock. Madison gasped in disbelief, while Pikachu nearly choked. "It's completely dark out here! Like it's still night or something."
"The stars are still bright, and the full moon's still out! It's like it's still midnight out here," shrieked Madison.
"But it can't be! We were asleep for hours!"
But it was. Everywhere they looked, the cloak of night was still wrapped around the sky, leaving only distant stars and the imposing, luminous full moon to be seen above. All around them people were walking into each other in confusion and itching for a fight while Officer Jennies were keeping the peace in the state of chaos. People were beginning to smash up windows, intent on looting, placing the town on the verge of a full-scale riot.
"Yawn, what's all the commotion? I was having such a nice dream about pudding mountains and when I finally get to eat them, I'm woken up," grumbled Kero in a groggy state. "I don't see...whoa! Oh whoa! Hold the phone! What do we have here?"
"Hey, what's up your nose, flyboy?" screeched Meowth. "You oughta lay off the...AHHHH! What happened? It's still dark!"
"Maybe we fell asleep for so long we missed an entire day!"
"Or maybe we slept so long that...IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!"
"That's it! It's the end of the world! Everyone for themselves! Women and children first!" Kero made for Meowth and bear hugged him in panic.
"It's been swell knowing ya flyboy!" muffled Meowth through his tears.
"Don't you think you're going a little overboard, guys?" Madison's reply was stern and annoyed. "It is not the end of the world, and if you keep it up, you'll start a riot!"
Kero's eyes lit up like diamonds. "A riot? Really?! Where? I wanna smash something!"
Meowth began salivating like he was at an all-you-can-eat buffet. "Yeah! Let's roll some cars over while we're at it! And maybe I can nab me a lifetime supply of cat food while we're at it!"
"I got a better idea! Let's nab a lifetime supply of pudding!"
"I'm with ya there! Let's get dangerous!"
"You said it, my man! RIOT!"
"CHA!" Pikachu lit up at the mention of pudding and ran to their side. "Pika pika!"
"You wanna join us? Sure thing, Sparky!" beamed Kero.
"This is it! With Pikachu on our side, no one in this town will be able to stop us!" roared Meowth in triumph.
"Charge!"
"Oh no you don't!" Sakura grabbed a firm hold of Kero's tail and yanked him back harshly. Madison caught Meowth by his whiskers, then grabbed his tail and hung him upside down. Ash latched onto Pikachu's zigzag tail like a lock and key and didn't let go.
Sakura virtually had steam coming out of her ears and looked like she was about to explode. "I can't believe you guys! There's trouble in town, people are scared of their lives, and all you think about is rioting and pudding?! You oughta be ashamed of yourselves!"
"Why?" asked Kero with a confused look on his face. "Nothing's more important than pudding."
"Kero!" Sakura twisted Kero's tail until he yelped in pain, then let go promptly. "Grow up, Kero! The three of you can really be a pain sometimes! Why can't you stop being typical males for once?"
"I resent that comment! That's an insult to us decent males that are a cut above those shaggy derelicts you so like to refer to!" hissed Meowth.
"Pika Pika!" backed up Pikachu.
"If that's the best males have to over, I'm converting to lesbianism," groaned Madison.
"Uhhh...It didn't have anything to do with me did it?" squeaked Ash. All this talk was making him embarrassed to be male, and the thought of Madison giving up on men completely made him pretty unsettled.
"No, you're a good representative. I was kidding anyway."
"Oh." Ash breathed a huge sigh of relief. At least his male pride and ways were intact and on the right side of the line.
"This posh talk is making me angry! And hungry! I want pudding!" yelled Kero.
"We don't care what ya think, girls! We're nabbing pudding right now, and there's nothing you can do to stop us!" screeched Meowth.
"Pika!" Pikachu sneered as the three of them turned off in search of the divine dessert.
"Huh?" Ash felt one of the Pokeballs around his waist beginning to move. A Pokemon was about to leap out by its own will. A white flash shot out like an arrow and materialised just in front of the three miscreants. Bayleef emerged from the milky white glow in her green glory, leafy and spicy as ever.
"Get out of our way, you walking hunk of weed trash!" hissed Meowth.
"Yeah! Not even a honey like you is gonna get in the way of us getting pudding!" jeered Kero.
"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu began to jeer and sneer at Bayleef with all his might, enjoying a shot at his rival for Ash's affection.
"Bay!!!!!" Bayleef's body began to burn a crimson red as her anger surged beyond all levels of control.
"Oh no! I think we did it this time, guys! She's really mad now!" whimpered Meowth. The three of them felt like their bones had fallen out of their bodies and fell to the ground like splintered masses of lime jelly.
"Bayleef! Bayleef! Bay! Bay! Leef!" Bayleef proceeded to whip the three of them over and over with her Vine Whip, never relenting and maximisng the pain. With her fury and her passion, it wasn't long before the three were cowering behind each other in fear.
"We'd be eternally grateful if you forgot this ever happened!" pleaded Meowth.
"Please honey! You know I always root for you! Spare me please!" whimpered Kero.
"Pikachu! Pikachu!" Pikachu tried to turn on his cute innocence to save his hide. But Bayleef would have none of it. She walked up to the three of them and planted a big wet one on each of them. Deep and powerful. The three were left so dazed and messed up they collapsed in a drunken heap to the ground.
"Okay! Looks like it's bottles to the ground for us, gang!" lurched Kero before he passed out.
"That was one too many hits from the bong," wretched Meowth as he stumbled down.
"Pika," swooned Pikachu as he slipped over into forty winks.
Bayleef laughed gently before charging down on Ash, giving him a big wet one and returning to her Pokeball without a command.
"Those three are getting really pathetic," moaned Sakura.
"I think they need to let off on the pudding! I think they're addicted! Maybe we should sign them up to Pudaholics Anonymous," groaned Ash.
"I'd say you're right about that," sighed Madison.
"Toge? Pri! Pri!"
"It is funny, Togepi, but don't you go doing anything stupid like those three!" beamed Sakura as she showered love onto her new friend.
"Pri! Pri!" Togepi jumped up and down slightly and nuzzled in close to Sakura.
"Ha ha!" Sakura was really enjoying being the parent for such a cute Pokemon. "You're such a sweetie. And so lovely." Sakura hugged Togepi affectionately, applying a gentle kiss to Togepi's forehead, making her squeal with delight.
"Looks like you're really enjoying being Togepi's mother," observed Ash.
"She's such a beautiful baby. I hope I have kids of my own as beautiful as she is one day!"
"Definitely!" beamed Madison.
"Well, you're both naturals are far as I can tell," smirked Ash.
"Heh heh." Sakura and Madison blushed in unison. Finally someone had something nice to say to them today.
"Huh?" Sakura felt a strange tingling on her skin. "I'm sensing a card."
"Really?" inquired Madison. "Where?"
"I feel it above me again. But this time, I can feel something coming from that way."
"Alright! I'll get my video camera ready!"
"Um, guys," interrupted Ash. "What are we going to do about them?" ash pointed to the three passed out morons on the ground.
"Ohhh..." winced Sakura. "Better take them with us."
"This is so embarrassing," complained Ash.
"Just pretend we don't know them," sighed Madison.
"Did anyone get the number of that truck?" lurched Kero in his dreams.
"Ahhh..." The three heroes let out a big group sigh.

"There's a card nearby, I know it! But I can't quite place it! I feel like it's right above me." Sakura was still at a loss as they emerged into a clearing about a quarter of a mile from town.
"Well, while you figure out where it is, you can get into your new battle costume," chirped Madison happily.
Sakura swung around with a start. "What? A battle costume? You started making those again?"
"Of course. Do you honestly think I'm going to sit and do nothing on this quest? And I'm definitely not letting you battle cards without style!"
"Oh man! Like I didn't suffer enough humiliation in the past!"
"Sakura, you looked great in those costumes, and you know it."
"I think a costume sounds like a great idea!" suggested Ash. "It'll give you a distinctive look and character when you battle."
"Ohhh." Sakura felt pretty low when Ash sided with Madison. But then again, they were right. Costumes made the moments more special and more memorable. They gave Sakura an edge, something to characterise her. And she had to admit, she did want to see how she looked in one of those costumes now she was fully developed.
"Alright! I agree! I'll wear the costume."
Madison's sapphires lit up like the stars above them and she began to giggle uncontrollably. "All right! I'll go get it!" She quickly retrieved the costume from her satchel and eagerly handed it to Sakura. "You are going to look so good in this!"
"I'll go in the bushes and change, then. And no peeking Ash!"
"Erm, I wouldn't even dream of it. Not in a million years."
"Hmmm," she hummed happily, making Ash blush. "And make sure those three don't," gesturing to the three mini heroes, who were still in a delirious state.

"You look amazing!" Madison screamed with delight as she zoomed in on Sakura's figure.
Ash couldn't hide the gigantic, beaming smile plastered across his face and the fluttering feeling in his heart. "She looks sensational!"
Sakura couldn't stop checking herself out in her new costume. It was designed like a cross between a dove and an angel, with slender, elegant wings stretching out from the back of the costume to give her better aerodynamic capabilities in the air, and adorned with silky, creamy white feathers. Madison had lightly covered the rest of the costume with a blend of golden and cream feathers to give her a more luminous look. It was decked out as a short skirt and a light shirt, giving her plenty of neck and chest room, revealing a slight amount off cleavage. Her costume shone so brightly in the moonlight she lit up like a beacon, and with a halo deftly placed above her head, tied back with golden wire, Sakura looked the part indeed.
"I have to admit, Madison, I like this one! It's so snug, flexible and colour-coordinated. And it really shows off my figure."
"Oh yeah," Ash whispered to himself. "It sure does."
"HIC! Oh boy! We didn't miss the party!" lurched Kero. "And Sakura is dressed up, alright! Man you look hot Sakura! I have to hand it to ya! You sure have grown up into a stunning young woman! HIC!"
Sakura flushed in embarrassment while Madison's elation turned to pure contempt. "Kero, cut it out! This isn't a party! Sakura's about to capture a card!"
"Card, party, who cares?" snorted Meowth. "As long as there's booze, women, action and pudding, what else do ya need?"
"Pika! Pikachu!" leered Pikachu like he was trying to speak through fifty gallons of beer.
"That's it! I'm not taking any more of your sexist macho trash!" roared Sakura. "You guys have been completely out of line today, and I'm not letting it happen for one second longer!" She summoned her wand swiftly and threw and out a card. She gripped her staff firmly and rammed it forward into the card in her fury. "Power Card! Come to my aid! Give your power to my wand! Release and dispel!" In a flash the spirit of the Power Card arose as a pink and red entity, decked out in apparel that looked more like a dancing girl from the Arabian Nights crossed with circus gear. But that was the beauty of Power. She wasn't what she seemed. As she empowered Sakura's staff, it began to glow a strong scarlet colour. As strong and scarlet as Sakura's fury. She raised her wand high and proceeded to smash the three trouble makers in the ground, making it shake on impact.
"Yeah! You show them Sakura!" cheered Ash.
"You go, girl!" roared Madison, not missing a second of this, even if it was the last footage she'd ever film.
"Now what do you three have to say for yourselves?" growled Sakura with the fury of a raging lion about to massacre its enemies. "You oughta be ashamed of yourselves!"
"Alright! We're playing games now!" jeered Kero, as dazed as ever. "Whacka Mole! I love that game! Betcha Meowth gets hit the most!"
"Are you nuts, flyboy?" screeched the feline. "Pikachu ain't going anywhere after how much pudding it pigged out on last night!"
"Pika Pika! Pikachu!" sneered Pikachu, not about to take trash from anyone.
"This isn't working," groaned Sakura.
"I've had just about enough of this and it's stopping right NOW!"
"Huh?" blurted Sakura in response to the mystery voice. As she swung around to face it, she was presented with the sight of Ash racing towards her in a infuriated state.
"Ash! What are you doing?"
Ash came to a screeching halt about five feet away from Sakura, leaped into the air, retrieved a mallet from his back and mashed it against the three morons with vigour. Soon the three looked like mashed up grapes in a winery.
"I think we should call it a draw!" rambled Kero before he passed out.
"Yeah! That way we all get pudding!" moaned Meowth as he fell over like a fallen tree.
"Pika!" lurched Pikachu before he tripped over himself.
Sakura felt a great big sweatdrop slide down her head. "Er, nice hitting Ash!"
Ash grinned sheepishly. "I'd had enough of that rubbish, so I decided to let them have it! Misty's not the only one that knows how to assert authority with the mallet!"
"Heh heh!" smirked Sakura and Madison in unison. Then Sakura whipped her head up to the sky. "I sense the card. It's a strong sensation now. I know where it is! Right there!" Sakura lifted her wand and pointed in the direction of the sensation. Pointing directly at the full moon.
"Huh? The moon? The moon is the card? I didn't think it was possible!"
"It would explain why it's been night for so long!" hypothesised Madison.
"Look!" Ash pointed his finger up into the sky. "It's changing shape!"
The luminous moon above them began to warp and ripple with psionic emanations and otherworldly powers. It slowly broke from its present form and began to swirl and bubble with a glowing white colour. And from the chaotic swirl a figure began to form, deriving some form of order from the chaos. The three heroes felt a gale force wind being sent their way and gripped nearby trees in order to stop themselves from being blown away. Leaves were ripped from branches and flew into their faces, generating temporary stings from the light yet whipping impacts. Dirt was flung into their eyes, which became watery from the silty annoyance. The figure above them materialised into a being of marble-like proportions. Cold and stony, with no form of emotion or expression permeating her figure. She was incredibly beautiful, with wispy locks of shiny silver hair, glassy liquid silver eyes, luminous pearly white skin, and dressed in cream white robes that barely touched her figure, fluttering like a bird in the night sky.
"This must be the Moon Card!" shrieked Sakura, gripping her wand firmly in an attempt to draw upon her resolve.
"She looks pretty scary!" whimpered Ash as he was left dumbfounded by the spirit above him.
Madison's mouth gaped wide open in absolute horror. "Watch out! She's throwing boulders at us!"
Hot white boulders were launched by the mighty swing of the Moon Card, swelling from miniscule moon rocks to massive meteorites that came crashing to the ground, kicking up stingy dust clouds and wreaking havoc upon the wildlife in the area.
"We'll be creamed if it keeps this up!" grimaced Ash.
"I've got an idea!" beamed Sakura. "Shield Card! Protect us from Moon's boulders! Release and dispel!" The red misty vapours of the Shield Card quickly surrounded the three heroes, absorbing the blows of the boulders and keeping the trio safe from harm.
"The Shield Card can't protect us forever!" stammered Madison through her nerves. "You have to attack it directly, Sakura!"
"It wants me!" yelled Sakura. "I'll draw it away from the two of you! Fly Card!" Sakura quickly shafted her wand into her trusty card, and wings quickly sprouted on the star end of her wand. Sakura quickly flew away from her friends, drawing the Shield Card with her, protecting herself from the onslaught and diverting the projectiles from her friends.
"Be careful, Sakura!" screamed Ash in desperation.
Sakura flashed a quick wink at Ash, which made him feel much better inside. She then proceeded to against the flow of the boulders, zooming in between any gaps she could find in order to get closer to Moon. But despite her incredible speed, she was making little progress. Moon knew it and intensified the onslaught.
"I've got to get past them soon or Shield will wear out, and I'll be crushed!" groaned Sakura. Then a flash of brilliance hit her. "Dash Card! Make us fly faster! Release and dispel!" The purple feline spirit of Dash quickly flowed into Sakura's wand, and Fly was propelled with such force that Sakura glided through the projectiles with ease.
"She's doing it!" beamed Madison.
"She's amazing," gasped Ash. The way she moved in the air. Her grace and elegance. Her power and her will. She was so beautiful. Just like the angel she truly was, with the costume to match it.
Sakura found herself on top of the stunned card, who was almost cowering in Sakura's wake. "Return to your power..."
But she never finished. Sakura watched Moon slip away and darkness envelop her. "What happened? I can't see!" Then she felt herself falling. Falling ever so quickly with every second that slipped through her fingers like sand in an hourglass.
"Where'd the light go?" screamed Ash. "Where is everybody?" Then he felt his heart in his mouth. Sakura! She'd stopped using the Fly Card in order to use her sealing wand. If she didn't summon Fly again quickly, she might be killed on impact with the ground! "Sakura! Use the Fly Card before you hit the ground!"
Sakura heard Ash's desperate words, and they triggered an adrenaline rush that propelled her into action. "Fly Card!" Sakura still couldn't see, but she knew that she was successful. She was that close to facing death. And Ash had the courage to help her. Fueled by gratitude and renewed passion, she focused her thoughts and honed in on the familiar sensation of Moon. Within a few seconds she located it and headed back into action. Moon revealed herself once more, and Sakura faced her opponent once more.
"The light's back! She did it!" Ash pumped his fists and leaped into the air.
"You go, girl! Teach that Moon Card a lesson it will never forget!" cheered Madison.
Sakura had a brilliant plan in her mind. It was time for things to return to normal. She retrieved another card from her costume and began her incantation. "Sun Card! Use your heavenly light to overpower Moon! Release and dispel!" Sakura flung her staff into the Sun Card with vigour, and Sun appeared in a blaze of red, orange and yellow flashes. Her figure formed out of the chaotic flames, revealing a spirit more beautiful and more powerful than Moon. Sun flashed open her fiery red eyes, flung back her luminous orange locks and rubbed her ruby red fingertips. Torrents of rampaging flames sizzled out from her fingertips and streamlined their way through the chilled air towards Moon. Moon was swamped by an armada of flame and heat, feeling her cold, sentient being fall apart. Her spirit was ravaged by the merciless flames as she felt her soul being ripped out of her by the searing heat. Her paralysed being crashed to the ground with a thud, and Sakura promptly zoomed back down on top of her, wand in hand.
"Return to your power confined! Moon Card!" Sakura shafted her staff out, and the five-pointed star began to spin rapidly. A rainbow flash in the shape of a thin rectangle formed right in front of it, and Moon's cold, white being was gradually torn apart and summoned into the warm, colourful rectangle. It the materialised into a magic card, and it floated in Sakura's outstretched hand. She had captured the Moon Card. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from her brow gingerly.
"Great work, Sakura! You're amazing!" cheered Ash and Madison in unison.
Sakura sunk to the ground in exhaustion, having faced her toughest capture ever.
Ash felt his brain explode, and every cell in his body was filled with the impulse to rush to Sakura's side, and he felt his body involuntarily comply to that thought. He gently wrapped his arms under Sakura's shoulders and helped her up. "Are you alright, Sakura?"
Sakura then felt life flow from Ash's spirit into her own. She then stood up tall and proud, gave the piece sign and showed off the Moon Card for the camera. "I'm just fine."

"You spiked the pudding? Oh, my man, you are the devil's own!" laughed the icy voice like the harsh cry of a vulture.
"I thought it provided some very entertaining results!" hissed Giovanni, his snake-like eyes burning. "Beats a lousy night movie!"
"Sakura succeeded again. I do hope you know what you're doing."
"Everything's going according to plan. Let's just sit back and watch." A devilish gleam flash across those snake eyes. "For the night is still young."
The icy voice laughed harshly again. "Yes! Indeed it is!"

"Come on, Madison, I wanna see the footage of my capture!" begged Sakura like a little child.
"Hey, it took some time to get the resolution just right. Plus I had to do a music dub."
Sakura's eyes widened. "Music dub?"
"Well I thought some battle music would be nice, and Ash had a very nice suggestion for tonight's battle. I think you'll agree it was just the one."
Sakura was overwhelmed with curiosity and flashed her emeralds at Ash. What did her pick? Ash felt those eyes move over him and their burning passion. He gave no clue away. He wasn't going to spoil the surprise.
The short film started. Sakura beamed as shots of her in the angel costume came into view. Then came the music. Light, gentle guitar chords mirrored by the high-pitched strings of violins. As Moon appeared, a gentle drum section entered with a soft rhythm and the sweet unique chords of rhodes, a special style of piano, filtered through. Sakura instantly recognised the song. It was one of her favourites. Ash liked it too?! The fact hit her so hard her heart leapt into her mouth and her breathing became short and laboured. She looked at Ash with such a sparkle in those alluring emerald eyes and a smile so sweet and womanly it made Ash's soul melt like ice, and he felt him slowly being sucked into Sakura's soul.
"You like this song?!"
Ash stammered with his reply, completely blown away by Sakura's response. "Yeah. I love this song. It's..."
"I know. 'Firesuite' by The Doves. An instrumental. The opening track to 'Lost Souls'."
"Yeah. That's right."
Madison promptly got up. "I'll watch from the other room."
Sakura moved her lips back together and slowly walked over to Ash, as if she was slowly floating towards him like an angel. On the screen, the boulders began to crash down towards the trio, as the violins grew stronger and the guitars grew more hypnotic. Sakura picked up Ash's hand in her own and began to stroke it gently, her emeralds penetrating into the core of his soul. Ash felt his mind slowly drift away, as his every thought and action was focused on Sakura.
"I know why you picked it Ash, but why do you like it?"
Ash took a deep breath and slowly opened his heart up to the angel in front of her. "When I listen to this song, I feel like I'm floating high in the sky, and that I'm somewhere where I feel better than I ever have in my life. Then the girl of my dreams appears. She's angelic and beyond imagination. We see each other and slowly move to each other. We can't stop looking into each other's eyes. And then..."
"You get up, hold each other and start to dance slowly to the sound."
Ash felt his heart explode. "That's right! How...how did you know?"
A tear rolled down Sakura's cheek as she kept staring into Ash's eyes. "Because that's what I always feel when I hear it. I see the boy of my dreams. In the same place, and in the same way. Just like you do."
She gently grabbed Ash and made him stand up. She guided Ash's arms to slip around her waist, and she wrapped her arms below his shoulders, just above his chest. Her right hand was perched on the back of his head while her left hand rested on his back, feeling the lively beating of his fluttering heart. Ash's fingertips could feel the butterflies in Sakura's stomach, and it seemed his touch subsided the feeling, making part of her soul flow into his. They couldn't stop looking into each other's eyes. Sakura's glittering, happy emeralds melded with Ash's beaming, ecstatic brown irises, and the two of them felt electricity and fire flowing between the two of them.
As they slowly began to dance to the music, the rhodes briefly took centre stage and the drumming stopped, the violins dimmed and the guitars filled in the spaces. Then all the instruments returned to the same hypnotic, heavenly sound, but this time the rhodes and the guitars grew more passionate and more hypnotic. At this point, Sakura was flying on her wand, zooming past boulders and soaring towards her target. But the two were completely oblivious to it.
"Ash, you're trembling." Sakura's voice was laden with peace, comfort, and hints of surprise.
Ash couldn't hide the trembling and the tremors in his heart, which Sakura felt on his back. "I'm afraid."
Sakura wrapped around him more tightly, and moved her face closer to his. Her alluring emeralds were virtually inside his soul now, and he felt warmth flow into him like sunlight.
"Don't be afraid, Ash. You're safe with me. I won't hurt you. And I know you won't hurt me. Hold me tighter."
Ash reluctantly wrapped his arms around Sakura's waist a bit more.
"Tighter Ash. Please, trust me. I'll never let you down."
Ash felt tears hanging inside his soul that just wouldn't fall. They stuck there, strong and true. He felt Sakura inside those tears, as if Sakura had latched onto his soul and would never let go. He then wrapped his arms tighter around Sakura, and moved his face closer to hers. Sakura felt those beaming brown irises melt into her soul and lock into it. She felt part of Ash drift away and meld with her own soul. Ash truly trusted her now. Part of Ash was in her now, and it would never leave her. The two slowly danced to the lilt of the soaring violins, the floating guitar and the whispering wind-like chords of the rhodes. And an aching began to enter the two of them. They had felt the other's soul. And they longed for more. They wanted to go deeper. To meld even more. To lock in an even more passionate and stronger embrace, as the rhodes suddenly took control again, and with it the two seemed to soar even higher, as on the screen Sakura soared back up again, summoning Sun and defeating Moon. Reaching the highest point of all and floating ever so gently, the two stopped moving, and looked deeper into each other's eyes. Sakura slid her hands up even more, both on the back of Ash's head, and leaned her head into Ash's tilting slightly sideways, her eyes slowly closing like a dream, her lips slowly parting. Moving ever so closely to Ash.
Ash wanted to speak, but his heart and soul stopped him. He knew what was happening. And he was going to let it happen. He trusted Sakura. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him. He titled sideways slightly and parted his lips. Sakura pressed her fingertips against Ash's neck as she pressed her lips gently with Ash's in a divine kiss. She probed deeper, extending her tongue as deep as she could, leaning in further and massaging Ash's own tongue. Ash felt all his worries and inhibitions slip away as he felt his hands involuntarily slip away from Sakura's supple waist, moving up past her firm, ripe breasts, feeling the soft, tender heartbeat. His left hand slipped into those silky locks while his right massaged her neck ever so gently and so slowly. His own tongue began to massage Sakura's in turn, and the two began to salivate more ever so gradually. Probing deeper into each other's souls and entwining even more, the two embraced even closer, pushing as deep as they could, massaging each other's tongues and soothing each other's lips. For what seemed like forever, they floated with the exotic chords of the rhodes, the gentle strumming of the guitar and the soaring violins. Finally their tongues drew back and their lips parted. They both opened their eyes and stared into each other again. Sakura smiled the happiest and most heartfelt smile of her entire life, and Ash felt his own lips doing just the same thing. Sakura nestled in against Ash's shoulder and Ash nestled in against hers.
"Was that how it always ended in yours?" asked Sakura dreamily.
"Always. The kiss was always the highpoint."
"Mine too."
The two hugged each other closely and slowly danced to the final wispy chords as the image of Sakura giving the peace sign and holding up the Moon Card triumphantly with a beaming smile and wink appeared on the screen. As if she was smiling at them.

[Wolfsong]

Another excellant chapter. I eagerly await the next chapter. keep up the great work.

[Last Exile]

Nala98: Will do! Glad you're feeling better and hope all the history assignment saga goes well!

[mistysakura]

Whoa. Another wonderful chapter... About time too. :D
I really love how you handle character relationships so well... and all the detail is just brilliant. I feel as if I were there watching.
Seriously, this fic rules, and it does beat emotions now (see earlier post) Waiting for the next instalment!

[M1ND G4ME]

Woah ive jsut stubled across this forum and have been reading for hours at a time! this stuff is just great! (I finaly finsihed now i have to wait like the rest of these people=/ ) but its a great fic.

But may i make a sugjestion? im sorry ive just been thinking about how cool it owuld be for quite a while. how about, when ash's about to beat the green league/or when he is walking into the rocket base have pikachu run out with ash's hat and have him put it on backwards(Classic) and everyone knows what the hat meen 8) it would be SO! cool *apoligies, its not my fic, but man i cant help it*lol

*hands over my ASB mallet* "go ahead, hit me" lol

~edit~
PS. how many chapters does your fic have?

[Snakes N' Legends]

Giovanni spikes the pudding? Ha, who would have thought of that? Ash is handy with a mallet, well I would expect him to after all this time. I just have to ask. Where is the clue? Sakura caught the Moon Card. Shouldn't she have gotten a clue yet? Another question I have to ask is what cards are in store? I know what the next card is but can you give any clues to the cards after the next one? I am not going to say because I am not going to spoil it for those who don't know what I am talking about. Actually, typing this myself is making me confused.

[Last Exile]

mistysakura: Now those are comments I like! I'm so glad this fic does that for you! ;)

gamewizard007: Welcome aboard! Nice to have you, and your suggestion is an interesting one. I'll take it on board. ;) I've written 23 chapters so far, but this fic will end up having 50-100.

tyranitar master: They're going to be things that are important in the world. Kind of like the more important powers that govern the universe. And Gio thinks he's given them enough clues. He think he made it pretty obvious where the base is.

[M1ND G4ME]

WooHoo! 100 chapters thats great! cant wait for the new chapters keep up the good work. ^_^

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

*mysterious invisible crowd goes AWWWWWWWWW!*
You seem to enjoy making them form perfect love, don't you? You're making a chain link, and sealing the links so they cannot seperate.
Spiked the pudding? I don't completely understand what that means, but i have a basic idea (probably some sort of testosterone pill or something).
Why didn't Sakura just make the wings on her back? How could she forget that she'd fall without Fly? The Heros and Heroines always make the stupidist mistakes... Wonder what blunder Ash will do at the next gym...
MORE CHAPTERS!!! More detailed descriptions, realistic storylines, and cartoony mallets!

[M1ND G4ME]

*hears the chanting;More Chapters,More Chapters,More...*
*starts Chanting;More Chapters,More Chapters,More...*
Great chapters so far. But i hate waiting dont make me mad or I'll bring out MyMallet lol jk
Cant wait to see more chapters but dont get mad at my being impationt lol...please


~GW7~

[Last Exile]

SupersonicMewtwo: Knowing you, I guess that was a compliment! ;)

gamewizard007: I'll post a enw one in 2 days, ok?! ;)

[Darkgel]

Great chapter! I remember this one. It was great!

Gio spikes the pudding? My god.

[Andrew]

Hey CCC, just dropping you a line! I'm sure your thesis was great! Its great to see that we're getting towards Crystal, best Gym Leader EVER :P The capture of the Moon card was excellent and great to see! And Ash and Sakura's love seems to grow, how does Madison feel about this all, she seems to be the bystander in this, and she knows everyone but Misty...

Hmm...

Great work CCC and can't wait for more!

[Gavin Luper]

Hi Ryan.

Sorry, I didn't have the time/energy to read Chapter 12 before now or even tonight, so I just read the first bit where Ash and Sakura can't sleep, etc etc.

Excellent writing as usual, I feel like this is starting to go somewhere very interesting. Also, I've heard a bit about Krystal, so I'm looking forward to meeting her!

Cheers!

- Gavin.

[Last Exile]

Darkgel: Yeah, well it's his style! ;)

OzAndrew: Cool man! Hope you did well in your Year 12 exams! ;) And yes, I do remember how Crystal got your juices flowing, as it did for all the readers, especially the males! ;) She'll be in Chapter 20, so you'll be reconnecting soon!

Gavin Luper: Yeah, I know the feeling. The lethargy of thesis work is finally beginning to subside for me and my shoulderblades are finally no longer in constant pain. I hope where this goes is to your liking and I can promise you you'll love Crystal! ;)

[pokemasterfrank]

Ha HA! I have finally finished reading "When Destinies Collide"...well...to the point you have stopped at. Very nice. I like the way you describe every scene so vividly. I almost picture everything in my mind. Very good...

Is your favorite word toxins? I think I've seen that word used here more that I've seen the or or in my intire life? lol.

Anyway, very nice work. Can't wait for the next chapter. *joins the cheering crowd of people calling for the next chapter...*

[Last Exile]

pokemasterfrank: Cool! More new readers! *claps his hands* I like readers to be able to visualise the scene. That's what makes the great novels great. I use toxins so much because I'm currently doing a Science degree and that word appears everywhere, so that's how it entered my vocabulary.

[Last Exile]

Chapter 13 – The Smell Of Fear

Mountains. Nothing but gray, crumbling, towering mountains littered the horizon like a rubbish tip. The sun barely managed to penetrate the gloomy fog-like accumulation of lower level clouds, so very little of her motherly magic illuminated life below. Leaving barren, empty ground for as far as the eye could see. No trees were able to grow here, so no birds were perching in branches and singing sweet mating songs. No rivers or lakes flowed through the area, so no water Pokemon were splashing happily while they swam in crystal clear pools of the life-giving liquid. Nothing but dull earth, occasionally touched by tiny little weeds that did nothing to brighten up the place. It was one of the most desolate and isolated places on Earth. And the three heroes were going to have to trek through these fields of gray for at least several days on end.
Sakura had been the most vocal against going this way. One sight of the place killed the lively sparkle in her emeralds, and her heart seemed to stop beating for a moment. Her mouth trembled like an earthquake registering 9 on the Richter scale, and words fled from her like scurrying rats. Every cell in her body told her not to go this way. She felt death and destruction all around. She’d do anything to avoid going there. She offered to use her magic as much as was required to go another way, but Ash and Madison blatantly refused. They couldn’t afford to have Sakura be seen using her magic during the day, and night travel was just as dangerous for far different reasons. You never knew what was lurking behind your shoulders, ready to strike out and rip the life out of you.
Sakura hadn’t lifted her head up since she left off an incredible groan and sunk her head in despair. She couldn’t tell why, but she just knew that they were asking for trouble. Ash and Madison were hardly keen to go this way either, but necessity gave them no choice. If they were to remain on time to make it to the Green League this year, they had to get to Calcium City before the start of June. The middle of summer. Which was hardly visible where they were. The allure of sun-drenched beaches with sparkling white sand, pristine, cool blue waters and lush, tropical vegetation, like those in Zinc City, seemed nothing but a dream to them. They’d been through harsh deserts that nearly killed them through heat exhaustion and thirst. They’d experienced a prolonged night which had unholy consequences. Now they were experiencing a nightmare of a different kind. Desolation. On a grand scale.

“Sakura, come on, snap out of it!” chirped Madison. But her warm words fell on deaf ears. Sakura didn’t hear a single thing. Her eyes were barely open, just enough to give her vision to navigate this horrid place, but closed as much as possible to prevent her from seeing more of the gray fields than she had to. She was used to the cool, gentle breezes in Readington that virtually kissed her as she skated down the cherry blossom grove leading to her school. She visualised the scene of gentle pink cherry blossoms being flung about in the air like confetti, giving off a scent so sweet it invigorates the spirit and brings a smile to your face. Sakura focused nearly her entire body on that place. A place where she felt safe, warm and loved.
It wasn’t warm words or violent sounds that roused her from her trance. It was a simple touch. She opened her eyes with a start, stopped dragging her shoes against the harsh, stinging gravel, and noticed Ash was holding her hand.
“Ash?” she blurted without even thinking.
Ash moved closer to her and let his mellow brown irises lock with those evergreen emeralds. “Listen, I know this a really bad place, and that this is the last place you’d want to be right now. We feel the same way too, but remember this. We’re not leaving you. You’re not doing this alone, Sakura. Madison’s right at your side.” He began to slowly massage the back of Sakura’s hand, making her next breath prolonged and pressured. “And I’ll be right here too.” He then smiled at the girl he couldn’t ever stop thinking about. The girl he’d do anything for. And right now, he knew a touch, a gentle word, reassurance and a smile were all that Sakura needed right now.
Ash’s healing touch sent ripples through her system that ate at her fears like wildfire, and the familiar beaming smile formed on her ruby lips. “Thank you, Ash.” Sakura then gripped Ash’s hand more firmly, longing for that closeness to remain and to eternally comfort her. Ash’s eyes flashed momentarily, signalling that all was fine. He wasn’t leaving her. Sakura hummed in delight and broke into stride once more.

“Can’t you turn that racket down? How can you listen to this goddamned voltageous chordage anyway?” Misty yelled as she tried to compose herself as she continued to swim her laps around the pool in the Team Rocket gymnasium.
Li groaned then cleared his throat to speak. “Listen Sakura,” he grunted between repetitions on the bench press, “I listened to your powder puff pop all day yesterday! How can you girls like all that soft crap? All those girls dressed up like they were twice their actual age, trying to blow peoples’ minds with their looks, guys looking like they’re pieces of soft meat, proclaiming that love is all that matters in this world, while establishing their own fashion labels? It’s a farce! You’re listening to manufactured crassness! I can’t believe someone as radical and free-spirited as you could be brought to you knees by that trash.” Li let go of the weights, which crashed to the rest, ringing a harsh metallic clang through the room, irritating Misty even more. Which no sane person in the entire universe would ever dare to do.
“And what about you? You and those guys that do nothing but scream, thrash and launch demonic vocals of every profanity in the known universe, bitching about how much your life sucks and blaming women or your peers most of the time! How truly pathetic! Marketing trash to screwed up teen males looking for just another cheap thrill while those losers suck in all of your money!”
Li’s panting finally subsided and he launched himself off the seat he was lying on, landing right beside the pool. “At least I don’t shred my waist until I’m am thin as a branch! How scrawny can ya get!”
Misty began fuming at the ears so intensely her cheeks flared a vicious crimson red, her blue eyes became the intimidating colour of a vicious storm and her mouth was slowly being covered with frothy foam. She leaped out of the pool like a cheetah chasing down its prey, grabbed Li’s throat with a violent swipe, threw him top the ground and began to choke the life out of him. “Don’t you EVER call me scrawny! This is my natural body figure, and I’ll have you know many guys like it a lot!”
“What, anorexics?”
Misty let out an animalistic roar and threw the both of them into the pool, holding Li underwater while she taunted him.
“I’m beginning to see why you and Sakura started to drift apart! You may be sensitive and sweet at times, but you sure are a cold-hearted bastard the rest of the time! She didn’t deserve to have you vent out on her! Why I’m gonna...”
Misty suddenly stopped dead, gasping for breath as Li’s hairy, muscular arms whipped past Misty’s soft, silky smooth arms and gripped her savagely around the neck. Misty refused to let go of Li, and Li replied by dragging her underwater. The two began to scuffle and kick at each other as if they were wrestling, churning up bubbles that flew into their eyes like slingshots. Neither was willing to let go, and the two slowly felt themselves sagging, as their bodies cried out for oxygen, but only water came in, making the strain on their beings reach critical mass. Misty and Li sensed that if they didn’t end this now, they’d both end up dead. Ash and Sakura would be slugging it out there for nothing. The two released their grips and shot to the surface like seals flipping up for fish. They wheezed heavily as they sucked in the precious gas, providing their spent bodies with the life force they required.
After several minutes of gasping, Li was first to break the silence. Misty’s words had opened up old wounds, and inside he was hurting so bad no words could describe his pain. But he had a counterattack ready to fire.
“Okay. So you’re right. But what about you, Misty? Look at yourself! You flare up every five minutes and act worse than a three year old who doesn’t get their way! You probably bashed, yelled, scolded and wrenched all the courage and admiration in Ash to the point he could hardly be honest with you at all! He secretly liked you for years! Why the hell do you think he waited so long? He didn’t even know if you liked him as a friend half the time! He probably wondered if one day you’d land him in hospital! Or the morgue!”
Li’s harsh verbal outburst savaged Misty’s heart just as severely as hers did Li. Her heart felt like it had stopped beating and she collapsed to the floor in a miserable heap. What have I done? Ash was my best friend in the whole world. And he couldn't even trust me to appreciate him being honest. What kind of friend was I? Half the time I just pointed out how stupid his mistakes were and put him down. No wonder I scared him off. I had my chance. And I blew it. Big time!
Misty softly cried into the cold white tiles while Li’s eyes felt like there were on fire, but he had no release. He didn’t know how. His heart began to ache from the fact. He wanted to let out all those years of harshness and regret, but he just couldn’t. He didn’t know how to cry. And so his emotions welled up in him once more, screaming for release, but never finding a way. So they sank back into the recesses of his soul like a slow poison, slowly eroding away at the good in him. If he couldn’t cry over something like this, how could he handle a true tragedy? What if Sakura was suddenly killed during a card capture? What would he do then? Li longed for release, but his brain burned in frustration, having never learned the simple yet essential act.

“That was entertaining. Just as good as Monday night wrestling,” chuckled the icy voice with the harsh sting of an Arctic wind.
Giovanni smiled. The smile of a cold-blooded killer deriving sadistic pleasure in his warped mind. “Yes. I had many kinds of tortures lined up for them. But then I realised how toxic these two can be. So I simply keep them together 24-7. It’s brilliant really! I have no responsibility for what happens to them that way! Just let them drive each other up the wall and watch the fights! I honestly don’t know how I do it.”
The door to Giovanni’s office opened with a light thud. Two Rockets walked in, masked by the dark atmosphere of Giovanni’s dimly lit room. But Giovanni knew those two anywhere. That girl with big hair, a conceited personality and more volatile than a shark. And that goofy, dim-witted ponce of a man. They were pitiful. But even Giovanni had to admit his new policy had whipped these two morons into shape. Morons was actually a title too low for them now. They were the epitimy of being a Rocket grunt. Giovanni was actually considering promoting the two. What irony. Two months ago they were the two he wanted to kill most! And look at them now.
“We’ve located the new mountain spring water facility, boss. It’s right where you thought it would be.”
Giovanni licked his lips like a viper and hissed in delight. “Excellent. It shall be a priority for the two of you to destroy this facility. Then we can increase out stranglehold on the beverage market to the status we deserve and hike up the prices on water usage. We’ll make a killing!”
The two Rockets smirked at the thought. Once they were disgusted by the thought. But now they loved it. They had the taste. An insatiable taste. Once you get your first taste of killing, there are three different responses. You’re either shocked so much that you never even think of doing it again, or you hold back the awful feeling in your stomach and get used to it, or you derive so much pleasure from seeing a person so desperate to cling to life and watch it slowly flow out of them, and you’d do anything to see it again and again.
“Our specially engineered Pokemon have wrecked the nearby area just as you had hoped. But the newly established facility is restoring the area.”
“Then it is imperative your strike is successful.” Giovanni put a slender finger to his lips, licked the tip slowly in thought, then spoke with the voice of a snake once more. “If anyone dares to interrupt, kill them.” He then waved them off without a second thought. The Rockets bowed in reply before they filed out of the room
“Do you honestly think those two could actually pull this off?” spat the icy voice.
“I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at their skills as of late.” Giovanni slowly rubbed his fingertips at the thought. They would become his ultimate pieces of the puzzle. They were just the two he had been looking for. And now he had them right where he wanted them. They were ready to assume their destinies.
The icy being hissed, pausing on the idea. “Then let the show begin.”
“A little Monday night wrestling never hurt anyone, though.”
“Indeed.” The icy being flicked on the TV screen.
“10 bucks The Rock wins tonight.”
“You’re on.”

It was still incredibly hard going for the trio. They were now into their fourth day of trekking through the dingy paths that led to Calcium City. They had long passed through the ashen fields which highly resembled the Fields of Asphodel from ancient Greek mythology. It was a place where people went if they weren’t good or bad in their lives. They spent eternity wandering through endless fields of gray, seeing nothing but shadows of themselves. In many ways it was hell, but not quite.
It was hellish enough for Sakura, though. The strong-spirited girl was beginning to show signs of strain. She’d put on a brave face for quite a while now, and even her light-hearted nature was beginning to slowly drift away. At times she seemed so distant that Ash had to shake her back into reality, and it scared all three of them. Sakura was used to living in a nice town, with nature all around her, friends all around and enjoying life to the full. Her sunny smile was something that virtually every student in Readington always looked forward to seeing. Now she was in the exact opposite. She had none of the stimuli that invoked life to flow through her. Her eyes were so dimmed you’d swear they had almost turned black. It gave the impression you were looking at a corpse, which made Ash and Madison more concerned with every moment that passed. Her skin seemed to be dimming to a ghostly white which you see painted across hospitals, office buildings and morgues. That shade of white that is so cold that no light reflects of it. A lifeless, deathly white. Ash and Madison were the only things that were keeping Sakura tied to reality.
But there was obviously something else making Sakura the way she was. She’d felt it the first day they entered this place. She was completely repelled from going this way, but they had no choice. The alternative was to lose a month of valuable time, which would almost snuff out their chances of qualifying for the Green League in time. So they took the dark way. Pikachu consistently had tiny bolts of electricity flashing across his scarlet cheeks. Even he could tell that something wasn’t right. It was as if something had been stalking them from the moment they came here. As if it was slowly biding its time, waiting for just the right moment, when their guard was down, and then it would strike. Even Kero and Meowth wised up and began taking responsibility again. Kero had been meditating non-stop for the last three days, solely focused on locating whatever it was that was following them, but he had no luck so far. Meowth utilised a secret pack that he’d managed to hold on to despite being expelled from Team Rocket. He had a variety of tracking devices, infra-red vision goggles, radios and the like. Combined with Kero’s mental powers, if anything was out there, those two were sure to find it. And Pikachu would be at the ready to strike it down.
But Sakura was their primary concern at the moment. Ash and Madison were tending to her every minute along the way, but their good intentions were beginning to fall short. Sakura’s smiles were beginning to become forced, and at times she didn’t respond at all. Her lips her frozen in a sullen frown and her brain couldn’t will her head to move up at all.
“Madison, we’ve tried everything, but nothing’s working anymore!” winced Ash. “What else can we do?”
“We need to get out of this place, soon. Or Sakura might slip beyond our reach.” Madison’s eyes spoke volumes in that moment, and Ash knew exactly how she felt. Sakura was a special soul. She didn’t deserve something like this. And if she did slip away, it would ruin the two of them. Sakura was more than just a friend to them. She was a hero that stood up against the face of evil. She was a person that drew a positive out of any situation. She lived life to the full and made everyone and everything around her happy. The world just wouldn’t be the same without her. It would lack that special magic that emanated from Sakura’s soul. That aura that fed into everyone else and made them feel better. That warm feeling you get when you see one of her smiles. That feeling your heart gets when you see the glimmer in her emerald eyes. Nothing would be the same without her.
Ash struck a serious pose as he continued to walk on, holding Sakura’s hand and keeping it close to him. Touch was one thing that kept Sakura alive. So Ash held her hand like it was the most important thing in the universe and never let go of it. “Madison, what does the map say? Are we anywhere near Calcium City?”
Madison fished out her map with a helping tail from Pikachu and studied it closely. “Judging by the scenery and the altitude from Meowth scanners, we should be really close to the top of the mountain. Once we’re there, I’d say we should be able to see Calcium City. We might be able to get there in a couple of days if we’re lucky.”
Ash’s face contorted with concern. “If we’re lucky?”
“We wandered around in those fields for about a week. It should have taken us only three days, but that fog was so intense. We kept wandering around in circles. And this is our fourth day on the mountain. Add two more days, and there’s the two weeks I predicted.”
“But three days left? Can Sakura actually last that long?”
Madison looked to her friend with an expression of pure sorrow. “She has to. We’ve got no other choice.”
Ash gripped Sakura’s gentle hand firmer and kissed it lightly. “Please Sakura. Just hang on for a few more days. We’ll make it, I promise. I swore I’d protect you no matter what. We both have to live through the whole process, Sakura. I can’t do it without you.”
Ash jumped as he felt Sakura’s hand grip firmly on his. He looked over to her and almost fainted when he saw Sakura looking up right at him.
“I’ll hang on. You can be sure of that. We’re both living through this. I made a promise too. And I’m not breaking it.”
Ash and Madison stared at Sakura in pure shock. Those were the first words Sakura had spoken in the last few days. And that was the first time she’d looked up for a week. For so long she’d been crying nearly all the time. Soft, gentle whimpering that even dogged her sleep. But now her face was clear of the salty discharge, and only that all familiar sunny smile and that alluring sparkle in her emeralds were left in its wake.
Ash perked up immediately. “Sakura, you’re getting better!”
Madison filled up with sunshine so much it was practically flowing out of her mouth as she beamed at her lifelong friend. "Welcome back, Sakura! We thought we’d lost you there for a moment.”
Sakura managed a weak laugh. “I wouldn’t leave you guys for anything. And nothing is tearing us apart.”
The three friends engaged in a great big group hug, warmly embracing each other, rejoicing in the fact that they were together and still alive.
“I wonder what’s brought about this change in me?” rasped Sakura. “I’m feeling pretty good right now.”
“Hey, you guys! Look what’s just up ahead!” cheered Madison.
The three stared hopefully to the distance and found their salvation. A few hundred yards in front of them the fog had lifted and colour returned to the environment. Light broke through to touch the ground beneath it. Life was present in all forms from that point on. Plants grew, the sounds of happy Pokemon could be heard for miles, and you could see all the way to the horizon. They had navigated through the ashen fields and dark mountains. It was surely going to be smooth sailing from now on.
“Sunlight.” Sakura’s soul seemed to soar at the sight of the mothering glow of the sun’s golden rays. “I have to feel it.”
“We’ve got you, Sakura.” Madison and Ash both moved under Sakura’s shoulders and carried her weakened being the rest of the way. Sakura slowly stretched out her arms to expose as much of herself of possible to the life-giving rays. Step by step, her friends carried her closer, and Sakura’s eagerness continued to grow. Finally the crossed the border between the two opposites and transcended into life.
“Ahhhh...” Sakura gave off a gentle moan as sunlight immersed her body like water and sent her body into waves of pleasure similar to an orgasm. It gave her such a boost on all levels that the sensation was invigorating, peaceful and erotic all at once. The soreness in her throat subsided and she was able to give off that heartfelt, soulful laugh that just hits you like lightning. Sakura was back.
The two lay Sakura down on a field of grass near a mountain lake which flowed down the mountainside, then laid themselves out either side to her. Madison craned her neck and looked to the horizon. “There’s Calcium City! We’ll be there before you know it!”
“Yeah!” Ash pumped his fists in triumph. “Badge number three, here I come!”
Sakura silently giggled at Ash’s actions. He can be a bit silly sometimes, but you have to like him for that. And you’ve got to admire his enthusiasm in general. She then felt a sharp pang come from her stomach followed by a weird groan. Ash and Madison simultaneously felt the same reactions from their bodies, and they knew what was up.
“I think we need some food,” suggested Ash sheepishly. “I think we’ve had it pretty tough lately.”
Madison reached for her satchel. “Well, we still have to ration if we’ve still got two days of travelling in front of us. We can have these sandwiches I made though.” Madison handed out a smorgasbord of sustenance to a grateful Ash and Sakura, then set some aside for herself. The trio nestled in against the grass, relishing the cool feeling of bare skin against lightly wet, lush green grass, and tucked in.
“Mmm,” crooned Ash as he drew in as much stimulus as he could. “These are your best yet, Madison! Brock would do anything to know how to make sandwiches like these.”
“I got a really good one this time!” beamed Sakura, licking her lips loudly and sucking down the juices slowly as possible.
Madison smiled at the two then continued eating hers. The scene lasted for several delightful minutes. Sakura finished her share much earlier than the other two. Ash still had about a third of his share left, and Madison was storing a few of hers away for later.
Ash then looked at Sakura. He could tell that she was still longing for sustenance, the way she was concentrating on her tongue, looking up to the sky dreamily, mimicking eating. He could have sworn he heard a soft “Ohhh...” emanate from Sakura’s lips. Ash suddenly felt guilt well up in him. Look at her. She’s still weak. I can’t bare seeing her like this. I want her to be happy. Ash then reached for his remaining eatables and handed them to a shell-shocked Sakura.
“Here, take these.”
Sakura gasped briefly and held her hands against her heart. “I can’t accept these, Ash. They’re yours.”
Ash moved in a little closer and reached for her hand, softly massaging her slender fingers. “I know, but you’ve been through a lot lately. You need to build up your strength again or you’ll take much longer to recover. I want you to feel better, and I want you to be happy. So have them.”
Sakura’s eyes welled up and her lips curved upwards in a soft smile. “Thanks.” She barely whispered the words. As if she couldn’t believe Ash had just done that for her. She was so taken back by his generosity that she almost felt too guilty to accept them. The rumbling in her stomach induced her to eat the sandwiches, and Sakura enjoyed every single moment of it. He wants me to be happy. She repeated the words over and over in her mind. He said that. She continued to gulp down the delectables while Ash watched her with a half-smile on his face. She’s happy. And that was all he needed to feel warm inside.

“Who’s up here?”
The three jumped with a start in response to the sudden voice. To Sakura and Madison it was unfamiliar, but Ash knew that voice anywhere, anytime.
“Officer Jenny?”
A tall, slender yet shapely woman appeared. She was clothed in a deep blue and red shirt, a short deep blue skirt, and light trainers. She wore a standard police hat on top of her aqua hair and a silver whistle around her neck. A Growlithe pup emerged beside her.
“Do I know you?” she lisped curiously. Then she recognised the people in front of her. “Hey, you’re that famous Pokemon trainer, Ash Ketchum! Are you here to qualify for the Green League?”
“Yeah!” Ash blurted happily before he even thought of saying it.
“It’s so cool to finally meet you. Hundreds of my cousins rave on about you! And you live up tales to the tales, I must say!”
“Heh...” Ash grinned sheepishly, hoping Sakura didn’t take offense. “I try my best.”
“You girls must be Sakura and Madison. My cousins totally dig the both of you!”
“Really?” gasped the two girls simultaneously.
“Any girl that can outrun the guys rules in our book, Sakura! And your fashion skills are a refreshing change to all that junk we’re usually forced to wear, Madison!”
Sakura tried to hide her embarrassment while Madison smirked. “I guess those designer clowns are regretting about signing me on! Guess that swimsuit edition must have done it.”
“Oh, it’s a goodie.” Then Officer Jenny remembered what she was going to say initially. “Just out of interest, why are you guys up in the mountains?”
“The original road from Sodium City to Calcium City got blocked by an avalanche, and the other route went too out of the way for our schedule. So we had to take this path,” explained Ash. “But then it got all fogged up and dead-like. We walked for eleven days through something that was too close to hell.”
Officer Jenny sighed. “So the rumours are true, after all.”
The trio suddenly gasped. “What rumours?”
“Something in the area is causing all the wildlife around here to degenerate. It started three months ago, and it spread all over the mountains. So a few weeks ago, we established this facility to help regenerate the area and to become a major supply for Johto in the future. We’ve found that the water from these mountains has the power to restore degraded areas to their former glory. And as you can see, we’ve successfully managed to regenerate half of this mountain. We’re hoping to get enough resources to heal the other side too. But I just can’t believe the problem has spread all the way to Sodium City. We’ve been monitoring this area for a month now, and I suspect there’s foul play.”
The trio gulped. Perhaps they’d spoken too soon. Maybe getting down the mountain wasn’t going to be as easy as first thought.
Kero tugged Sakura’s sleeve. “Sakura, Meowth and I sensed something a couple of hours before we got here.”
Sakura looked around her shoulder to face her furry companion. “Really? Any idea what it was?”
“We’re not sure. I sensed something but I couldn’t quite place it. Meowth managed to pick up something on the psy-wave emitter. Whatever it was, it had been hovering near us for some time. “ He cleared his throat and bared the news. “It may have been a card.”
Sakura gasped and almost choked. “A card was following us?”
“Yeah,” mewed Meowth. “We think it’s what caused you to be so sick. And who knows, it may be behind all the problems in this area.”
Sakura began to tremble uncontrollably, putting her hand to her mouth. “A card may be doing this?”
Kero flew up to Sakura’s face. “I thought you were almost gone back there, kid. Words can’t describe how good it feels to have you back to normal.”
Sakura blushed. “Thanks Kero.”
“But beware. If it is a card, we’d better be really careful. No card has ever managed to do something like this before. We’d better be on our guard at all times or we could get into big trouble.”
“Ohhh...” Sakura winced and began to tremble again.
“You okay, Sakura?” Ash and Madison were standing right behind her. Officer Jenny had gone off to check the facility.
“Kero and Meowth think that maybe a card is doing all this.”
Ash and Madison almost fell over in shock. “All this?”
Sakura nodded, the fear in her eyes making the others tremble. “We’d better be careful. This card could be the most powerful yet.”
“Um, could someone explain those two to me?” Jenny had reappeared and was pointing at Kero and Meowth. Sakura gulped and felt sweat pouring down her forehead like a rainstorm, and her brain felt every thunderbolt.
“We’ll explain later,” said Ash. “We have to find whatever is causing all this trouble in the area right away!”
“Hey, I got something on the tracker!” hissed Meowth.
“A talking Meowth?” gasped Jenny. “That’s a new one on me!”
“There’s several things being picked up on the left side of the mountain and in the valley below,” continued the finicky feline. “And they look to be Pokemon.”
Ash gulped. “Pokemon are behind this? What Pokemon would do that?”
Jenny reached for her dispatch radio. “This is Sierra 1. Come in Sierra 3, 4, 5. Do you see anything in the area?”
Jenny found everyone looking at her in bewilderment.
“We’ve got officers hidden around the valley and mountains for surveilance. If there’s something out there, they’ll find it!”
Several tense seconds followed before Jenny’s radio crackled with static again. “Sierra 1, this is Sierra 3! Yeah, there’s something out there, alright! And it’s spewing out fire like you wouldn’t believe! Can you get an idea on it, Sierra 4?”
“Negative, Sierra 3! How about you, Sierra 5?”
“I’ve got an angle. Give me a few seconds. Hmmm...Oh boy. We’ve got ourselves some Houndoom, folks! And they are not happy!”
“Houndoom.” The trio fell to their knees in fear. They remembered how awful it had been when Silver’s Houndoom had stared at them with its burning red eyes. But several of them all at once? This was not good.
Jenny swiftly replied. “Copy, Sierra 5! Good work guys! I’ll have some backup sent your way pronto!” She attached her radio back on her belt then tightened up her shoelaces. “Looks like we’ve got work to do! I’ve got a four-wheel drive just up the road. We should get there in a few minutes. Because knowing you Ash, I’m sure you’re wanting to help!”
“You bet I am!” roared Ash. “No Pokemon is going to mess with the environment if I have something to say about it!”
He’s not scared at all, thought Sakura is she looked at Ash in awe. Or he’s very good at hiding his fear.
The group began to walk to Jenny’s vehicle in silence, unsure what demonic forces were waiting for them.
Jenny broke the silence momentarily. “Say, is that Brock fellow still travelling with you, Ash?”
“Um, no,” Ash stammered nervously in reply.
Officer Jenny smirked. “Good. I would have really kicked his butt good if he dared to make a move on me.”
The trio giggled lightly.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” broke in Ash, “when did you start wearing trainers as part of your uniform?”
“Since five months ago. Honestly, who thinks that you can serve as an efficient officer if you’re forced to wear those damned high heels all day?! They’re bad enough to walk in, and they expect us to run in them too? No way! We all got those trainers or those boys in the office would really have got it good! And as if you could walk around these mountains in those things! I’d break my neck in five minutes maximum.”
“You go, girl!” chirped Madison.
“I always thought those high heels were unfair,” mused Ash.
“Well!” inquired Sakura. “Do we have a feminist in the making, Ashy?”
Ash’s heart almost exploded. She just called me Ashy?! He couldn’t believe it. Misty loved to mangle his name to her advantage. Duplica always teased him with Ashy boy. But hearing just Ashy from Sakura was something else. She said it in such a playful, flirtatious way. He didn’t know quite how to react or whether he wanted to hear it again. But as he thought of it, he liked it. It was something just he and Sakura had. It was nice.
“Nah, just a peoplist.”
“Sounds good to me!” smirked Jenny.
A sudden bang rocked the entire mountain top, and everyone fell over in an instant, clinging to anything to stay on level ground.
“What was that?” screamed Sakura.
“It sounded like an explosion!” shrieked Madison.
“An explosion?” whimpered Ash. “What could cause one that big?”
“It came from the facility!” roared Jenny. “We’d better check it out now!”
The group swiftly honed in the source of the disruption. They arrived to a scene of stingy smoke and scattered dust clogging the air.
“Maybe it was those Houndoom!” winced Ash.
It may have been that card, thought Sakura silently.
“Or maybe it was us two brainiacs!”
The group gasped. Someone else was here.
“Who’s out there?” roared Jenny, shifting into action mode. “You’d better come out with your hands up, or you’re in for it!”
“At leas they had enough brains to find the Houndoom,” joked a female voice.
“Yes, but they never suspected it was the water facility we were after,” sneered a male voice.
Ash suddenly stood up tall and firm, stunning the rest of the group. He knew those voices all too well. And they were the last two people he wanted to hear or see right now.
“You!”

[Snakes N' Legends]

Could Ash's old villians be returning? What is Giovanni up to? Will the Rock win his match against his unknown opponent?

Sorry, for asking all those questions but that shows how curious I am. Sakura calling him Ashy? Now that is a plot twist. Well, keep up the good work, CCC or can I call you CCC?

[Last Exile]

Hmmm, maybe. Sakura's nickname for Ash is a sign of affection, I couldn't resist! ;) And yeah, CCC is fine! ;)

PS. I finally learned how to create a link to WDC in my sig! Hopefully more people will come here too! ;)

[pokemasterfrank]

Hmm...either Jessie and James...or Butch and Cassidy...but I think the first cause I think it's very likely that B&C have already killed...so J&J.

I've think I've got the four in the pic!!! Professor Oak, Ash's mom, Ash's Dad, and Giovanni (of course)!

[M1ND G4ME]

SWEETCHAPTER! so misterious! cant wait to see the next one.
and when is ash gonna battle some wild pokemon?!?!? he needs more pokes

Shreak:"please excuse his outbursts he cant control himself."
Me:-_-;

anyways great chapter cant wait for more keep up the good work


PS: what did you meen frank?
I've think I've got the four in the pic!!! Professor Oak, Ash's mom, Ash's Dad, and Giovanni (of course)!
i dont understand what you said at all


Bye All:wave:

~GW7~

[Last Exile]

pokemasterfrank: You're partly right about the photo. Those that read up to Chapter 20 during the last TPM shift know who's in it.

gamewizard007: Thanks! And you might wanna take back what you just said about more battles. Ash gets too much for his money in the next chapter! (i.e. He's outnumbered big time!) Plus there's an incident. One that changes the fic big-time.

[Wolfsong]

I remember whose in the photo ;) , but i won't spoil it for the new readers:D . I remember this and he next capter more than i did any of the others... anyway, i'll keep checking back here..

[RaZoR LeAf]

Loved the Moon card, throwing rocks and everything, i was half expecting Sakura to use the Light Card, as she did the Dark to capture the sun. I wasn't really expecting her to use the new cards she'd captured (ie the Sun).

As for your rants about music i'll have to remember that bit about Li's trash (sorry, but i am forced to listen to that crap every day in college, and i hate it frankly). Shorter chapter than expected. I was waitng to flick straight into the next part where the culprits were revelaed, but no.. you leave us all on the edge of our seats again.:no:

Damn you..

[Last Exile]

Nala98: Yeah, this part of the story was a real turn for the group, wasn't it? ;) Thanks for your gracious comments yet again.

RaZoR LeAf: Hey, suspense is part of the fun or reading and writing! Otherwise it'd be boring, wouldn't it?! ;)

[mistysakura]

Just wondering, did you watch Cardcaptor Sakura or Cardcaptors? There seem to be elements out of both in your fic. But then it couldn't be CC... CC's too mangled up to be logical, and they'd never allow S+S. I mean, hiding Sakua's crush on Yukito? When did Chiharu and Yamazaki become cousins? Sorry about raving on like that (I hate Cardcaptors & Nelvana!!!!:mad:
Anyway, if it WAS CCS, then where'd the names come from? Weird.

Well, a good chapter as usual! It's so sweet! Can't wait for the next one!

[100FangCroconaw]

I WANT NEW CHAPTERS
I WANT NEW CHAPTERS
I WANT NEW CHAPTERS
I WANT NEW CHAPTERS!

[Last Exile]

mistysakura: Cardcaptors actually, but I had the brains to search online and ask around for what really happened. i.e. CCS, so I know the true story and the shippings and all. However, platinumhawke is going to try and send me every bit of CCS in the near future, which would be nice. Yeah, this was a sweet chapter but the next one isn't sweet at all. It's a major turning point, so be prepared for some heavy stuff. ;)

100FangCroconaw: Hey, calm down mate! Your opinions are appreciated and you being another reader is also appreciated, but just calm down! You kinda got Mist a bit mad yesterday with what you said so just tone it down a bit. Try and say what you like about the fic before going into the chant. Good to have you aboard and yes, a new chapter will be coming soon, but not yet. In a couple of days or so.

[M1ND G4ME]

hey just wondering but does cardcaptors still come on? i lost cable and came back they took cardcaptors off the channel. if it still comes on what channel (ei.WB,UPN,etc...)not number

[Darkgel]

LUCKY US MEXICANS, AGAIN!

We gots us a nice time out here with anime! We have seen, for the 3rd time, the Star Card Saga begin and end, and now we'll see the Void Card Movie! STRAIGHT FROM JAPAN, BABY!

Also, Fox Kids got Shaman King. Straight from Japan. One of the greatest anime ever.

Cool chapter, I remember what will happen next! Mwahahaha...

[Last Exile]

gamewizard007: depends what country you live in, I guess.

Darkgel: Yes, the next chapter is a big one, isn't it?! ;) But I'm pacing out the chapters for a good reason. I need to leave myself some time to start writing new ones, which will be more possible now that my Honours year is coming to a close. Chapter 14 will come in the next few days. I've been sticking to my one new chapter a week policy and will continue to do so.

[M1ND G4ME]

USA-Fl and i cant even find it on the tv guide

and just so you know. That one chapter a week rule thing stinks lol sorry but i think it does lol


Starts chanting "more chapters, more chapters..."

~GW7~

[Last Exile]

Chapter 14 - Spiders and Flies

"Of all the people in this world, it had to be you two!" groaned Ash. His fists were pumped so hard his fingernails dug into the flesh surrounding his wrists. His eyes had hardened like stone, completely devoid of emotion and feeling save one - hate. It was the hate in those eyes that Sakura saw when she looked at him, and one look at them made her shrink away in disbelief. She'd never seen that side of Ash. The one which rarely surfaces in people. Only when someone who has caused him pain far worse than words could possibly ever subscribe suddenly reappears when they're the last person you want to see. The person who manifests all the rage and anger that lays in you. The one person you despise most. For Ash, it was two people. "Jesse and James!"
The smoke finally lifted like a stage curtain, revealing the two sinister members of the organised crime syndicate Team Rocket. Jesse still had her trademark long poison pink hairdo and blood red lipstick, while James still bore a trimmed pale blue cut.
But there were three clear differences in the two villains from the last time Ash had seen them. First of all, they were no longer the slender weaklings they had once been. Both had obviously worked out a fair bit, for they both had far more muscular physiques. James's chest could hardly be contained by his shirt and his biceps were mountain like. Jesse's once thin limbs were packed with ample amounts of bulk, and her midriff, exposed by her short top, was hard as a rock.
The second main difference was their uniform. They no longer wore the milky white uniforms they skulked about in the early days. They now wore the standard black outfits. Blacker than a moonless night, completely swamped by gluttonous clouds that blocked out all light. And the crimson R on their shirts blazed so brightly it almost acted as a branding iron. It virtually seared right across at you and stamped on your chest, burning right into your heart and flooding you with fear. These weren't the uniforms of mere lackeys. These were the uniforms of true representatives of Team Rocket.
The last difference was in their eyes. Ash, Sakura, Madison and the rest of the gang did everything to avoid the gaze of those eyes. There was no trace of emotion or feeling left in those eyes, save hate, lust and evil. Their eyes were like acid. They ate away at you, leaving you scarred and hollow, feeling completely helpless and insignificant compared to the two people staring right at you.
Jesse smirked as those blood red lips contorted in a twisted smile. "Look who it is, James. It's the twerp. And look at him. How truly pathetic!"
James sneered in agreement. "Indeed Jesse. He's still the runt from Pallet that just can't hack it!"
"A clever rhyme indeed, James. And now he's got some new travelling companions. I guess those other two couldn't stand being around such a loser anymore!"
"Loser indeed. These new friends of his look even more pathetic than the other twerps that used to hang around with him! Takes some to know some, I guess."
Ash was literally fuming at all exits to his face. His skin was on fire and burned like the belly of a Charizard. His breathing became laboured and hastened. His eyes became viper-like and his fists were so pumped his wrists were beginning to bleed.
"Don't you ever refer to my friends like that again, or I'll mash the life out of you two so hard they'll be making Christmas stockings out of your remains!" He roared like a raging lion, primal and animalistic. Hell bent on wreaking tremendous pain on the two in front of him. Sakura and Madison stepped away from him as quickly as possible. They had no true idea what it was about these people that incensed Ash so much, save the insults they had just paraded. But one look into Ash's eyes told Sakura all she needed to know, and her face flared up into a harsh scarlet. These were people that had wronged him for years on end. These were the people that always tried to steal his Pokemon, and did whatever it took in their many attempts. And they were the ones that nearly killed Meowth.
"I know who you two are!" she boomed with the force of a nuclear bomb. Ash swung round with a start, stunned by the sudden surfacing of a side he hadn't seen in Sakura. A side that responds with absolute fury to those who have wronged her and her friends. A side that wreaks vengeance upon her enemies with passion. A side that is fuelled by the fiery nature of her soul. Madison and Kero had only seen glimpses of it in the past, but even they never knew this was in her. Ash and Sakura had now been pushed to the limits of their furies, and with their combined strengths, they were even able to induce fear in the hearts of the hardened Jesse and James. Gripping each others' hand instinctively, they eyed down the bastions of evil in a showdown of the two poles of humanity.
Jesse laughed. A sarcastic, bitter, contemptful laugh. "Well, well. The twerp has finally become a man. He's still a complete ponce, but he has become a man. I'll give him that morsel of respect!"
James smiled the smile of a snake. "But nowhere near a ponce as the girl next to him. What a spineless weakling she is!"
"And they're holding hands, James! How cute."
"I bet the twerp's finally got a girlfriend. Or maybe he didn't have the balls to satisfy the red-headed twerp!"
The memory of Misty and further insults to Sakura burned in Ash so intensely he couldn't take it for one second longer. "Well at least I'm not a self absorbed, egotistical, slimy gay bastard like you!"
Everyone gasped in shock at Ash's stinging words. He knew exactly what James's one weakness was. The one weakness he would never overcome: vanity.
"I AM NOT GAY! How dare you refer to a highly respected member of Team Rocket as a homosexual! You twerps will get hell for this, you hear?! You shall pay for that remark!"
Sakura saw the signs as Ash gripped her hand more firmly, and she decided to follow suit. "I'm sorry, pal, but I have to agree with Ash. There's no doubting it. It's written all over your face. You are most definitely gay."
"As gay as the nose on the face of it," jeered Madison.
"I don't think I've ever seen a gayer person in my entire life!" sneered Kero.
"Gay as," remarked Ash slyly.
James had reached critical mass within seconds. "For the last time twerps, I AM NOT GAY! I just act that way sometimes so chicks dig me."
Sakura, Madison and Officer Jenny couldn't contain themselves for one second longer and burst into intense fits of humiliating laughter that echoed all over the countryside.
"May I ask what happens to be so funny, girls?" growled James.
"Please, you think your act is attractive to us?" teased Sakura. "I'm more turned on by an 80 year old! At least he'd have the balls!"
"And your outfit is an absolute joke!" beamed Madison. "Did you make it while you were kissing yourself in the mirror?"
"You're about as attractive as a Muk! And even that's too good for a piece of trash like you!" laughed Jenny.
"You should have seen the costumes he used to wear!" screeched Meowth. "One time he dressed himself up as a ballerina!"
"Ewwww!" Gross!" mocked the female trio.
"Then there was the time he decked himself out as a princess!"
"Stop it, we're gonna puke!" the girls screamed.
"And then there was that gig he dressed up in a swimsuit and got himself a boob job!"
"Bleagh!" The whole group engaged in a fit of vomiting. None of them could contain themselves after that one.
"At least he might actually get laid for once that way!" jeered Meowth.
"Or at least he might finally pick someone up!" joked Sakura.
"Or maybe he was aiming to make love to himself!" sneered Madison.
"Ha ha ha!" The whole group exploded at the seams with laughter and made absolutely no attempt to halt in their relentless assault on James's ego. And it was showing.
"You will stop this insolence right now or you will pay for this! I mean it!" screamed the twisted one.
"Well, actually James, I've always wondered myself after I saw what you have as 'bedtime' material," commented Jesse innocently.
"Don't you start!" roared James in reply.
"Maybe you're not gay..."
"Yes?!" cheered James hopefully.
"But you're definitely at least bisexual."
"Why I oughta..."
"And you are always checking out schoolgirls and schoolboys."
"Jesse! I command you to..."
"It's pathetic really."
"Ohhh..." James gave up the ghost. He couldn't even convince his teammate otherwise.
Jesse then realised they'd been duped. "Nice try, twerps! You almost got us to beat each other up ourselves. But not quite! Now you'll regret you ever said that." She then diverted her attention to the back of the group. "And look at that, James! It's Meowth! The little furball actually survived! And now he's joined forces with the twerps. Trying to be a little goody two-shoes, now?"
"Keep it up and all that won't be mauled to pieces will be your shoes!" hissed Meowth, frothing at his mouth while brandishing his claws.
"You couldn't even hurt us if you tried, you useless ball of fluff!" rocketed James. "Now how about we do the motto before we run out of time?"
"Excellent idea, James!" laughed Jesse before slipping into their vanity once more.
"Ladies and gentleman of all ages!"
"We welcome you to Team Rocket's latest triumph!" boomed James like a megaphone.
"To inject the world with a bit of class!"
"To prove I'm definitely hetero as!"
"To squash you insects with the holster of our gun!"
"To establish a new world order when we've won!"
"Jesse!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"Wobuffet!" The blue blob who consistently looks like he's constipated jumped in to finish the lousy jingle.
"That was our best motto yet, James!"
"We just simply outdo ourselves each time, Jesse!"
"Could you repeat that?" blinked Sakura.
"Ah!" Jesse and James fell over in complete embarrassment before snapping back into action.
"That was the worst one yet," groaned Ash.
"I've somehow heard better from girls that look like her but are only half her age!" moaned Madison.
Jesse flared up like a fireplace. "How dare you call me old!"
"Oh please, girl! What is with that hair! That completely makes you look like a hag!"
"I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT!"
"I guess Jesse just evolved into an Umbreon," hissed Meowth. "And she looks even worse too!"
"You're next, furball!"
"Are either of you sexually depraved psychos ever going to explain just what the hell you're doing here?" blared Jenny.
"Gladly," mumbled Jesse. "We're here to destroy the water facility!"
"And you don't have a hope of stopping us!" remarked James.
"You're not here to kidnap Pikachu?" blurted Ash in complete shock.
Jesse laughed that acid laugh yet again. "Why would we want to kidnap that little rat? We have no need for it anymore! Not after the promotions we got for kidnapping the two kids three months ago!"
James sneered and flicked back his hair. "Honestly I don't know why we didn't think of it before! The boss loves us for that one. And he's having such a great time toying with the two of you."
As always, Ash was far too dense to condense all that information into something meaningful. But Sakura was onto them like a shot.
"You! You two were the ones that kidnapped Misty and Li!" Sakura gripped Ash's hand so tightly he began to wince as she blared on. "You bastards! You're the ones that started all this!"
"Watch what you say, girl!" sneered Jesse. "Just be glad I didn't decide to have my way with Li."
"You wouldn't," gasped Sakura, aghast and lived at the thought of another woman taking advantage of her former love.
"He has such nice chest hair, don't you think? Nice and prickly. Stimulates you in no time."
"Stop that talk right now!"
Jesse simply flicked her hand and carried on. "Even that scar on his buttock is cute! You'd just love to lick it, wouldn't you!"
"I said stop and I MEAN IT!" Sakura was reaching boiling point and ready to explode.
"And how about the size of his..."
"THAT'S ENOUGH! One more word and I'll break your neck, I swear!"
"Such a feisty one, isn't she Jesse?" sneered James. "Too bad I didn't have my way with her before we left."
"You wouldn't be standing here if you did!" growled Sakura.
"Although I have to admit Misty was a very fine specimen!"
Now it was Ash who was outraged. "You wouldn't dare!"
"Those perky nipples of hers are just so suckable, aren't they?"
"Don't even think about it, you bastard!"
"And the way her butt looks in her underwear is incredibly luscious, hmm?"
"If you laid even one finger on her, I swear I'll..."
"And the hair down there just makes you want to lick..."
"ENOUGH!" Ash was defiant in his replies, and with a raging Sakura at his side, he was ready to do whatever it took. "You two had better be prepared to take on the two of us, or you're history!"
"First look behind you," gestured Jesse.
The whole group turned around and almost collapsed with heart attacks from what they saw. Five wretched, disgusting, hellish Houndoom were right behind them. With sulfurous breath that made their insides turn. Fangs sharper than daggers, dripping with venom that made you tremble in submission. Fires so hot they would incinerate you in seconds, or leave you scarred for life at the least.
"We're in big trouble," whimpered Ash as he hugged Sakura as tightly as he could. Sakura's eyes turned watery, fearing the worst as she embraced her love. Madison headed for Officer Jenny while Kero and Meowth cowered behind the rest.
"This is it, comrade!" sniffled Kero.
"It's been swell knowing ya!" dribbled Meowth.
Then something inside Ash clicked. Something that made him resistant to fear. Resistant to pain. He was invincible in his mode and not even the hounds of hell could stop him. "We're not being beaten today, or ever."
"Wise last words, boy!" jeered Jesse. "But our work here is done!"
"While you are engaged in a life-threatening battle with the Houndoom, the water facility will be blown to pieces by the attached devices! And this whole area will waste away into nothing!" cheered James
"You wouldn't dare!" shrieked Jenny in disbelief. "The whole zone will be crippled without that facility!"
"That's the idea, dear!"
"Bye, losers!"
The two vanished in another puff of smoke, while the group turned their attention back to the Houndoom.
"This is your battle, Ash," pleaded Sakura through her teary eyes as she held his head in her hands, massaging his temples and his scalp, which made his blood burn and his heart thump that much harder. "Please save us, Ash."
"It's in your hand, Ash," begged Jenny. "All of the Green territories are relying on you!"
"Don't worry ladies! Ash is back! And Ash never lets losers like Team Rocket win! Let's get these Houndoom, Pikachu!"
"Pikachu!"
"Totodile, Quilava, Bayleef, Noctowl, go!" Ash threw out the rest of his fearsome five which materialised in a warm white glow.
"This is a life or death battle, guys! You can beat these vile bastards!"
Cries of defiance erupted from Ash's Pokemon before they engaged in fearsome battle.
"Pikachu, Thunder! Noctowl, Wing Attack! Bayleef, Body Slam! Quilava, Body Slam! Totodile, Water Gun!"
The mountain top erupted with energy as Ash's Pokemon faced off in the deadly battle. Pikachu's red hot scarlet cheeks sizzled with scintillating yellow fire which erupted with a bang from his electric sacs as he screamed, flowing into his opponent and roasting him over with a vengeance until even his outer skeleton was blackened to a crisp. Noctowl quickly swooped into the sky then rained down like a vicious hailstorm, crashing across the top of all five of the Houndoom with his razor sharp wings, slicing skin and bone with a vengeance, making them howl in tremendous pain. Quilava and Bayleef leaped in like karate experts and landed bone-crunching blows that knocked the wind out of their opponents, but not before they both received scintillating Flamethrowers in return. Quilava gritted her teeth and bared the horrific onslaught as blisters erupted all over her belly while Bayleef was instantly lit up with flames so red they instantly blackened her entire exterior, and she rolled across the ground in a frenzy to put out the deadly flames, and her efforts succeeded only in saving her life, as she and Quilava toppled from the severe wounds they received. Totodile scored a perfect hit on his opponent with a well aimed Water Gun, which rushed forward in a cool torrent of icy liquid that put out the Houndoom's fire for good, watching him crumple to his feet.
"Looks like we're down to three on each sides!" roared Ash. "Keep it up Pikachu, Noctowl, Totodile! We have to win!"
Pikachu raced in like a bullet and floored his opponent with a red-hot Quick Attack, but that only left him open to a vicious, toothy, devilish Crunch attack from the Houndoom, which tore open several deep gashes across Pikachu's front body, leaving the yellow electric mouse bleeding in agony in the stinging brown dust. The other two Houndoom teamed up and released a series of Flamethrowers that ended up trapping Noctowl in the blazing inferno and singed his wings to the point they sent shockwaves of unbearable pain through his system, and he fell to the ground on his head with such a thud he screamed out with such a squawk it made blood curdle. Only the brave, energetic Totodile was left. He sprayed a series of Water Guns on the remaining three Houndoom, but none of them scored a knockout hit. Weakened but as scorching as ever, they released a trio of hellish Flamethrowers that engulfed Totodile in such an inferno his whole tiny body was ravaged with painful blisters that exploded on contact with the ground, making him squeal in terror.
"If Totodile loses, we're out of luck!" whimpered Ash. "Eevee can't handle this and I don't know how to use Dratini!"
"What about your other Pokemon?" yelled Madison desperately.
"Professor Oak didn't send them over yet! He's waiting in Calcium City with them!" Ash began to whimper in disbelief before he turned to Sakura. "You can use your magic on these guys, can't you?"
Before she could answer, Kero butted in. "We can't! I tried to transform but something's swamping my powers! Nothing's working! No magic can help us now!"
"If Totodile loses..." Sakura didn't even want to think of what could possibly happen after than. The thoughts of what a Houndoom could do to a defenseless person weren't worth it even now.
Totodile stood his ground and looked around the area. He gasped at the sight of all his comrades downed by these demons, and he felt something inside of him snap. His happy nature dissolved in an instant. To bitter, pure fury.
"Toto!" Totodile pumped his fists and growled with such intensity the Houndoom actually backed off a couple of steps.
"Totodile?" blurted Ash. What was going on? Totodile would normally still dance crazily even at a time like this. But now he saw something completely different. Innocence replaced by experience. Potential replaced by power. And emotions vaulting.
"Dile!" Totodile was suddenly encased in a brilliant white glow, so blinding the Houndoom yelped as they fell to their knees.
"Ahhhh!" gasped the entire group as they realised what was happening. Totodile's tiny feet suddenly pumped out to five times their previous size. The scales on his back pushed out further with a vengeance. His claws extended out from his fingers and grew razor sharp, gleaming in the sunlight. His face blew up to a gigantic proportion. And those cute little eyes hardened into intimidating jewels. Totodile was no more. Croconaw was left in his wake.
"Totodile evolved into Croconaw!" cheered Ash. "That was amazing, Croconaw!"
"It's a miracle!" screamed Sakura. "We're gonna live!"
"Give those Houndoom a thrashing!" roared Kero.
"Blast 'em to the other side of the earth!" hissed Meowth.
Croconaw looked back at the group and gave them a hearty thumbs up as his blue coat rippled in the afternoon sun. "Croco!" He then turned to the remaining Houndoom, who were cowering in disbelief, howling like sick dogs pleading for mercy.
"Naw!" Croconaw spewed out a rampaging Hydro Pump that crashed across the mountain top like a flood, scooping up the Houndoom like a crane and flinging them against the rocks as they disappeared in the building waves.
"He did it! We won!" cheered Madison in relief.
"Croconaw, you're cool as!" beamed Ash as he ran out to embrace his watery friend while Sakura couldn't hold back the tears as her smile beamed in the golden sunlight.
"Alive! Yeah!"
Ash called back his Pokemon, including Pikachu, to their Pokeballs. Everyone was going to need a big treatment this time.
"Hey, what's this?" blurted Ash as he felt his shoe contact with something hard, making his little toes flash with temporary pain. He picked it up and fingered it, shivering at the cold touch. "Metal?"
"Hey, look over there!" gestured Kero. The group followed his lead and shrieked in horror. A pile of twisted metal and rubble was lying where the Houndoom went down. Several crimson R's were littered on several parts.
"Those Houndoom," gasped Madison, grasping her silky black hair at the roots and shaking like an avalanche. "They were robotic! And Team Rocket made them!"
"Team Rocket are the ones trying to destroy all the wildlife in this area!" sizzled Ash. "I swear, when I see those two again, or Giovanni, I'll tear them limb from limb!"
"And I'll be right there with you Ash!" blared Sakura as she nestled in against him.
"Hey where'd Officer Jenny go?" blurted Kero as his light white wings flapped faster.
"Here's a note," noticed Madison, scooping it from a rock beside her.


Your attack on the Houndoom is sure to be a success. I was able to disable most of the explosive devices Team Rocket implanted on the water facility, but two detonated before I got the chance to disarm them. I've gone to round up construction workers to fix the problem before it's too late. I'll be back no later than half an hour.

Jenny

[Last Exile]

"She'll be back in about a quarter of an hour, I'd say."
"Well, at least we'll finally get off this mountain," groaned Sakura.
"You said it, kid!" roared Kero. "Huh?" His whole body began to shiver as he spluttered uncontrollably, retching and gasping for breath.
"Kero?" screamed Sakura as she raced to his side with panic.
"I'm ok, really. Meowth, have you got a reading on any of your gizmos?"
"Let me see." Meowth activated his remote devices and quickly scanned all of them with a keen feline eye. When he reached the psionic wave emitter measuring device, he locked up like a statue and gasped in horror.
"Kero, the reading's off the scale! Something's close, and it ain't good!"
"What's close?" demanded Sakura. "Huh?" Sakura felt a dark presence wash over her, and for just a moment she didn't feel a thing at all. Her heart stopped beating, no blood flowed in her veins, her lungs stopped breathing and her whole body went cold.
"I think I sense a card," she winced as she struggled to regain her composure.
Ash and Madison shivered as they felt the same dark presence pass over them. "What is it? I feel as if the life in me is being drained out!" they shrieked.
"It's coming form over there!" bellowed Kero like a mass organ, pumping out with the fury of ten thousand rampaging Tauros.
The sky above them was suddenly swamped in a thick mass of pure black clouds, and only minimal rays of light penetrated through, providing the group with just enough light to see. A cold, icy wind whipped into their faces and made their blood freeze. Ash began to shake like a quivering mass of jelly. Sakura couldn't stop wincing and her mouth was overflowing with saliva. Madison's hair was beginning to fall out as she kept wrenching at her roots. Kero and Meowth watched in horror as they saw fur gradually falling from their bodies. A bang rang out from just in front of them, and a dark swirling mass began to form in front of them. Sakura found herself being hugged by Ash and Madison all at once and embraced them both in panic as a dark figure emerged from the chilling air. No face, no hands, no feet, no nothing. All that formed was a black robe more chilling than a graveyard and a scythe, made from pale brown wood but brandishing a shiny silver blade which shone across the figure's robes like gold, revealing a pair of fiery red eyes.
"That must be..." stammered Sakura, "the...the...the..."
"Death Card?" whimpered Ash.
"Yeah," gulped Madison.
"It's coming this way!" yelled Kero as the robed figure raced towards them, bearing down on them with its blood red eyes that froze you in their gaze while that silvery scythe sliced through anything in its path.
Only Sakura and Kero were able to resist the deathly stare that was sure to doom those trapped in it. Sakura's brain raced with panic as she realised what could happen to her beloved friends. "Duck!" she screamed as she shoved Ash and Madison to the ground while Kero managed Meowth. Death's scythe glided over them, missing by a whisker. All five of them shivered and trembled at the proximity of the silvery blade, feeling the life gradually being sucked out of them.
"I'm beginning to feel weak," gasped Madison as she looked at her hands. Ash and Sakura choked at the sight. Madison's creamy hands had dissipated to a deathly pale white. Wrinkles were beginning to form and flesh was beginning to waste away. Ash felt at his face and whimpered as he felt his cheeks and his jaw having virtually nothing between them. Sakura felt her heart drop dead as she saw her beautiful locks of red-brown hair beginning to fall out.
"You have to get the card now, Sakura!" pleaded Kero. "Before it gets us all!"
Sakura quickly summoned her wand then fuelled her anger into summoning her magical aides. "Firey Card! Release and dispel!" Sakura was surrounded by swirling red and orange beams of light as the fire angel swiftly materialised in front of her. Her wispy glowing locks flickered across her face and fire burned all around the bottom half of her being. She took one look at the black robed figure a few feet in front of her and raced for it like an arrow shot from a bow. She scorched through the air with such intensity that for just a moment, the heroes felt their hearts soar and their bodies warm as Firey ripped into Death. As soon as she contacted the robes, Death rammed his scythe into her. The fire around the Fire Card's robes dissipated in an instant and her eyes were drained of all colour as her being was sucked back into card form.
"What...what happened?" Sakura's eyes were almost pure white as she gazed in horror at Death. He'd just been able to cast away one of her strongest cards without much effort, and desperation flooded her veins as her emeralds were sinking away.
"Windy!" Sakura quickly summoned another card with her Star wand, and the swirling cream and gold entity of Windy emerged in a flowing instant. Racing around Death and closing in on him with a spherical prison, one touch of the scythe made the Windy Card's normally proud face shrink to nothing as his spirit was ripped apart like a knife through butter, returning to card form.
"Sakura, try a card that is an inanimate object!" screamed Kero.
"Lock!" Green streaks of light glowed over the group as the swirls ripped across the sky and formed bars so hard no prisoner could ever break them. But a touch of the scythe made the metal crumble like sand, and Sakura found herself holding the Lock Card in her trembling hands.
"Nothing's...working. What can I do? I can't lose now!" Sakura felt tears flooding down her face and congestion in her nose. Hot flushes ripped through her veins only to be nullified by the chill winds Death generated. Sakura felt herself sinking deeper into her soul, into her past experiences, about those she thought she'd never have, through endless possibilities as her entire life flashed across their eyes. Words escaped all of them as sniffles were all that could be heard. The group embraced each other for what they thought was the last time, then one thought encompassed Sakura's brain, and hope flooded over her being like never before. The glow was restored to her emeralds, the fire returned to her hair, her skin regained its light glow and confidence emanated across her entire being. Everyone shrunk back as Sakura reached for the card that would save them all.
"Mirror!" Sakura called for a card that had never failed her, one that knew who she was. One that had been her. One that could be anything. Mirror emerged in a lend of green and white flashes before forming into a flowing woman with incredibly long locks, silky robes and clasping a mirror. Mirror took one brief look at Death then felt her being transform into pure nothingness. All that remained of the beautiful woman was a black robe containing an unseen entity clasping a silver scythe and burning red eyes. Death made a lunge for Sakura with the scythe before he realised what had happened, and Mirror copied every single move he made. Realising too late his fatal mistake, Death tried to hold back, but his scythe drove right into Mirror, and her scythe drove right into him. Both spirits screamed out in agony as Mirror returned to her true form, collapsing at Sakura's feet, clasping her mirror while her body convulsed. Death fell to the ground without making a sound and didn't move at all while the fire in those red eyes began to die out.
"Are you okay, Mirror?" pleaded Sakura.
"I'm fine. Seal Death now. I'm proud of you, Sakura," she whispered like a gentle breeze before she returned to card form. Sakura put Mirror back in her pockets, clasped her staff firmly and struck it out at the limp being of Death.
"Return to your power confined! Death Card!"
The rainbow glow at the tip of her wand signalled the formation of the card that would be Death. Death's black being was slowly being sucked into card form and confined to a place where he would never hurt anyone or anything again. But as the scythe was being sucked up, it refused to disintegrate, and to Sakura's horror, it flung itself from the ground right at her, embedding its unholy powers deep into Sakura's heart.
"AHHHHHHHH!" screamed Sakura as she felt life draining out of her so fast she couldn't react. Her body began to go limp, colour drained from her and all she could do was scream as her soul was being ripped apart and her being slain.
"Sakura! No!" shrieked Madison, frozen to the spot, completely mortified at the sight of her best friend being slowly sucked away from her, almost feeling her own being drain out of her sapphire eyes.
"Sakura!" screamed Kero as he raced to her side, but an invisible barrier stopped him. A barrier Death erected. He was defiant and refusing to lose, ready to take Sakura now when he seemed gone, then to kill them all.
"NO! Get away from her!" screamed Ash with all the fury of Hell as he found his body involuntarily running towards Sakura, heartbroken at the sight of the one girl he ever truly cared about being sucked away. She deserved better. She was the most decent soul she ever knew. She wasn't dying now if he had anything to do with it. Ash found his own life flashing in front of his eyes, imagining life with Sakura. Love. Marriage. Kids. Intimacy. Beauty. Ash wanted it all more than anything. And he wanted to have it with her. And not even Death was going to stop him!
"Ash! Don't! He'll kill you!" screamed Madison as she saw Ash leap like a long jumper towards his flailing love, Sakura's heart pierced by the unholy instrument of Death. She gasped in total disbelief as Ash's body continued to soar, not held back by Death's barrier.
"It's impossible!" roared Kero. "Ash broke through the barrier! But how?!"
"The kid just might do it!" whispered Meowth. Paralysed by the sight of an angel dying and his new friend ravaged by an invisible barrier, he focused his body on one thing. "Do it, Ash!"
"I won't let you take her away from me!" screamed Ash as he rammed is hands at Death's scythe and ripped it away from Sakura's hard in one amazing motion. Ash stared triumphantly into Death's eyes as the spirit began to sink away into card form, the red eyes fizzling away like fireworks. Brilliant for a moment then gone.
"You'll never have power over me. Or her!" screamed Ash. "Ever!"
The flashes of rainbows and black swirls finally ended as a thin, slender card fell into Sakura's limp hand. The figure of Death was sprawled across the Death Card in an intimidating pose. Ash took one brief look at it, then turned to Sakura.
"Sakura! Can you hear me?"
No response came from her blue lips. Ash desperately reached for her wrist and placed his ear against her mouth. His fingers pressed hard against Sakura's icy cold flesh, and he winced in pain that he struggled to resist, then a weak thump came through.
"She's got a pulse," he whispered. "But she's not breathing! Hang on, Sakura, please!" Ash grasped Sakura's nose shut with his left hand, opened her mouth with his right hand and blew precious life into her battered being. He reached to his side, blew out, then breathed in more essential oxygen into her. He kept at it and refused to give up. He didn't know how long he'd been at it, and he didn't notice Madison pulling up behind him, grief-stricken and drenched in tears. Kero fell to his knees as Meowth tried to hold the little guy together. Ash kept breathing and breathing into her. Pressing his warm lips against her icy cold ones. Breathing life from him into her. Tears raced down his cheeks as hope began to slowly drain from him. He thought it may be in vain, but he refused to give up. His lungs burned as his brain began to falter, but he kept going.
Then a faint cough rattled Sakura's ravaged body.
"Sakura?" gasped Ash in hope.
"Ash?" whispered a weakened, yet smiling Sakura. She could barely move a muscle in her body, but she did everything she could to give everyone the one signal they needed.
"Sakura!" Ash wrapped his arms around her back and held her close. Sakura slowly felt life drain back into her, and heat from Ash's body slowly removed the chill from her soft muscles.
"Sakura!" Madison dived to her face and Kero came alongside Sakura's emeralds. "You're alive!"
"I wouldn't leave you guys. Ever." She turned to Ash and smiled again. So sweetly despite her condition Ash's heart swelled. "And I'd never leave you. Ever. I made you a promise. I keep my promises." Then she sank back.
"She's still breathing, but she needs help quick!" whimpered Ash.
"What happened here?"
The group turned round with frozen hearts to the confused face of Officer Jenny. Their beings soared at the sign of salvation.
"Sakura was stabbed by someone," blurted Ash weakly. "Help her, please."
"You all need medial attention! Medics! Help these people! We have one on the thin line! Now! Get them to Calcium City in the choppers pronto!"
The heroes never remembered the next few minutes. Ash and Madison passed out while Meowth scooped up Kero before he knocked off into semi-consciousness. Medics raced them to choppers and tore through the night air to Calcium City. The black clouds broke away as the full moon shone true on this fateful night. Someone was watching over them. Something divine had happened here tonight. An angel's life had been saved. By another angel. The ever-gruelling battle of spiders and flies had failed to claim this holy life on this cursed night.

"That was priceless!" hissed the icy voice. "I couldn't have hoped for more!"
"Nor I!" smirked Giovanni as his snaky eyes revelled over the scene emitting from his screen. "The damage to the water plant will be too much for the current owners to pay. Now I can buy it over! The water grid will be mine!"
"And those three have lost more valuable time! Sakura will take days to recover from that!"
Giovanni turned to the hidden figure, revealing only a cold set of silver eyes. "I gather you actually liked that more than I did!"
The icy voice laughed bitterly. "You have no idea how long I waited for that!"
"She could have died."
"I never would have let that happen! I have plans for her!"
"As do I. And for the boy." Giovanni pressed hard on an intercom button. "Tell Jesse and James that they're to report immediately to my office. I have a little promotion waiting for them. If they're willing to provide me with a few executions tonight!"
Giovanni and the hidden figure looked at each other then laughed so harshly like dying vultures that rattled through the intercom and all over the hidden base that every Rocket, even the most seasoned grunts and the most hardened executives trembled at the sound. That was the sound of true evil. Even they could never reach that point. And for a moment, they felt worse than they had in their entire lives.

[pokemasterfrank]

WOW! Didn't expect that to happen...Sakura almost died there...I wonder what torture Giovanni has planned...

I first though J&J were going to kill Misty and Li...actually...I still do...but I got this feeling that they could be going to attack Ash and the gang...

Very nice! Can't wait for the next chapter!

[Last Exile]

pokemasterfrank: Yes, it really did shock a lot of people when it first came out! But as you'll find, it happened for a reason. And J&J will return later in the fic. They're Giovanni's new and improved hitpeople.

[M1ND G4ME]

WOW GREAT CHAPTER!!!!!

now im confused i thought that i was going to find out who was in the yellow photo wasnt i? but oh well i can wait.

i wonder if j&j are after Misty and li too i dont think theyd go after ash and company remember? hes toying with them but hey your the righter and im the eager reader wanting ....



"more chapters...more chapters...more chapters..."

[ZeldaFan20]

This chapter, as well as the rest of the story was great, but there's something that confuses me. In the Cardcaptors series it was Windy who was portrayed as a girl and Firey was a boy. But, then again, this is YOUR story so....who am I to judge. Anyway, your story is great. Keep at it!!!

[Snakes N' Legends]

The Return of Jessie and James? I knew it would happen. That's because I read this before. The Death Card? This shows that Giovanni's Ally is a power sorcerer. Probably a Dark Sorcerer. You reflect the Japanese Anime into this one a lot. The whole thing with James. Though I never saw it, he did fall in love with that lady at the festival but that probably doesn't mean anything. Keep up the good work, CCC.

[PlatinumHawke]

*sits down with his CCS manga*
Still waiting for new chappies.
It'd be interesting to see elements of the manga thrown in as well. You have to ph33r the kawaii-ness of Tomoyo, especially when she's so in love with Sakura.

The only bad thing about the manga is the icky icky Sakura and Syaoran shipping...

[mistysakura]

Yep, you're right. Windy was definitely a girl in Cardcaptor Sakura, and you can't really tell if Firey's male or female.

As usual, great chapter!

P.S. If anyone's annoyed by my anti-cardcaptor rantings sorry, but CCS really rules.

[ZeldaFan20]

Actually, I KNOW Firey was a boy. I could tell by the features.

[Last Exile]

gamewizard007: The photo saga will be revealed soon. In, say, 2 chapters. Okay? ;)

ZeldaFan20: Cool! New reader! :) Well, I honestly thought that. I still think Firey is a girl. I'm willing to be changed on Windy though.

tyranitar master: Yeah, James is pretty freaky. He gets worse with every episode. It just ticks me off that he's such a wimp!

platinumhawke: Yeah, do know I am considering that. I am aware of that part and it will weave itself into the story at some point.

mistysakura: No worries! I agree that Nelvana did tone it down way too much. PH is trying to get me some CCS so hopefully soon I'll know what you're talking about. ;)


MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!

I have now begun to co-write a fic with Mist, who writes the fic Lapras Valley High. The title of our fic is 'This Fic IS Big Enought For The Both Of Us!' It's going to be the two of us playing brother and sister in a crazy adventure in a world of Pokemon crossed with Australia. I just posted the first chapter. Basically I will write the odd chapters and Mist will write the even ones. Hope you guys can check it out and give us feedback and comments! Link to the fic is in my sig.

Andf thank you for all you replied! You've really turned out in numbers for the last few chapters! *hugs you all* Thank you so much! :)

[Wolfsong]

Sorry its taking me so long to reply. I've just been stressed with all the tornados and a paper due and all that. Anyhow, another interesting chapter. I'm remembering now. This and the last one were pretty much the main ones i remembered. Keep up the good work, and i'm also reading the other fic as well.;)

[RaZoR LeAf]

Hmm. Death Card, Moon Card, Sun Card.. i recognise these cards from a certain pre-existing set. Mainly because i had the same 3 in my CC RPG.

Nice chapter though, you pictured Death exactly how i have pictured it before. A formless black cloak with a scythe, no skeletal hands or anything. Also you really went for the evil Rockets here. Giovanni, Jessie, James.. simply evil.

I can't wait for Ash to battle this new look J+J!

[Last Exile]

Nala98: Hey, no problem. That's completely reasonable. That tornado situation would have flipped out anyone. As I said on AIM, I'm just glad you weren't hit by them. Hope all goes well with your assignment! ;)

RaZoR LeAf: Hmm, weird! Because I never read your RPG, so that is a freaky coincedence. Obviously I got the horrific nature of the Death Card across, which was cruical to that chapter. As for J&J, they will return, more sinister than ever, because these two have something really low planned.

[100FangCroconaw]

The death card almost killed Sakura.That makes it look really evil.And I wonder who Giovanni wanted for J&J to execute but I'll pm you with my suspisions.....

[Last Exile]

100FangCroconaw: Well, that's Death for you! ;) I'll be interested in hearing your suspicions.

[Last Exile]

Chapter 15 – Blood, Sweat and Tears

Madison woke up feeling like she’d been turned inside out ten times and that the whole world was upside down. Drug-induced sleep was definitely not her cup of tea. It had been three days since that night, the night that still haunted her dreams like a stalking butler. Ready to twist the knife in and to murder the life and passion in her. The night Sakura had faced the Death Card, and had its fatal scythe rammed deep into her heavenly heart. Death seemed certain from that point on, but a heroic act by Ash had stayed the fatal blow on the one they all considered to be an angel. He resisted the cold, chilling touch of Death and pulled the silver blade out of Sakura’s heart with the fury of all the devils in Hell. He was going to do whatever it took to keep her alive.
And that was exactly what happened. Sakura, the brown-red haired angel, with green emerald eyes that lured you into a lush paradise, skin more pearly and luminous than the full moon, a voice of a soul so young and innocent, a laugh so sweet and evocative, and a smile that was the perfect antidote to all your evils, lived.
Madison focused on that smile as she made her way to the sink in her hospital room. She slowly turned on the cold water tap, turning it all the way over and over until it could be turned no more. She let the icy, glacier-like water run through her fingers for a moment, absorbing the cold, unforgiving chill into every cell of her body. As if it were to return her to reality. She cupped her hands and gradually gathered the elixir of life in her hands, then flung it against her face with one swift throw. It felt as if shards of ice were hitting her all over her face, but she welcomed the feeling. It made her feel alive. It made her heart beat faster, it made her lungs work harder, it made her erogenous zones stimulated, it returned some of the glimmer to those sapphire eyes and her jet black hair. Her mind felt like it was emerging from the depths of a murky pool, drenched in all kinds of filth that couldn’t be described, which washed away with a rush of that icy water.
Madison then looked into the dull gray mirror above the bone white sink and examined herself closely. She reached for a comb that was a colour of dried up leaves, a brown that was one step away from being devoid of colour. Barely alive and without joy. She ran it through her black locks as slowly as possible, prolonging the act from necessity. Anything to avoid the waiting. Smoothing out the kinks with a careful hand and massaging her scalp with a light fruity lotion, she took some faint form of pleasure that her hair still maintained its shine even at a time like this. But she reflected on it for only a moment. Any longer, and it would be an absolute insult to the holy memory of Sakura.
She then realised she was still in her night clothes. Hardly fitting for being out and about in the day. She reached for the clothes lying on a rusted chair next to the cold sink, and unclothed herself in front of the mirror. She then looked at her reflection and stood there for a minute, not saying or thinking anything. Just admiring her body. Madison was a bit shorter and thinner than Sakura, but she was hardly scrawny or anorexic. She had a natural look that was unfortunately devoid in those people liked to market as the ‘ideal look’. Her skin had a nice creamy, even yellowish off-white to it. Her feminine features were well developed now that she had reached the peak of her sexual maturity. She was no longer the little girl that flew away for hours on end as her best friend fought to return the magic that had escaped and to safeguard the world. They were just ten years old then. Young, carefree and innocent. No more. Madison was a woman. She was no longer cute. She was beautiful. She had reached the stage of her life where she was being thrown right into the world, experiencing the good and the bad. And she knew more than enough about both extremes. She knew all too well.
I am beautiful, she thought. Privately she’d always been a bit jealous of Sakura, as she was the person who always got the most attention and the popularity. But in her own way, Madison was an incredibly beautiful soul as well. She stood transfixed, watching the reflection of her naked body for countless moments, and treasuring the fact she was alive, healthy and beautiful. This moment would remain in her mind forever. A moment where nothing in the world could touch her. No matter what happened to her in the future, she’d always have this to hang onto. That private moment where you’re at peace with yourself and nothing will ever take that away from you.
“I am beautiful. Sakura, soon you’ll be looking in the mirror and seeing that in yourself. I long to see it. Just one of those moments we take for granted. Come back to us, please.”
Madison bent down to the sink and wept. Soft whimpers were emitted for her mouth as salty tears raced down the cold, bone white sink, which froze her forehead to the point she couldn’t take it anymore. She placed a gentle hand to her forehead, letting warmth flow back into it, relieving her of that ache. She then focused on Sakura’s smile as much as possible as she dressed herself. Anything to take the pain away. Anything to be in a better place, in good times.

Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing. In many ways they are. But they always have this cold white paint plastered all over its walls. A white that doesn’t reflect light at all. So you’re left deprived of one of life’s essential stimuli. People that go without light for years suffer terrible consequences. Their skin turns into a ghostly white, wrinkles form like wildfire, your hair turns into white ashes and your bones become as brittle as sand.
Hence they had a feeling of death around them as well. This feeling dogged Madison as her lively being slowly strolled down the seemingly endless hallway. With every step she took, it felt as if she was still as far away from her destination as when she started. After several minutes of feeling shadows all around her and a strange crushing feeling in her lungs, she finally reached the ward station. She sighed and looked for familiar faces that she knew were somewhere around the place. Where was anyone’s guess.
A person could really go mad in here, she thought. And hospitals are badly in need of funding already. How can this be a place of healing if you don’t let it?
The evidence was stamped out right in front of her. Four familiar figures were sprawled out like corpses across seats in the waiting room, completely oblivious to anything happening around them. Ash was lying almost perfectly still across an entire sofa, his hands swinging back and forth like a pendulum, while his hair glistened darkly with the tell-tale signs of oil, from not having washed his hair in the last few days. Pikachu was lazily spread out on all fours, picking at the carpet he was lying on. His shocking yellow coat was definitely much paler, his scarlet cheeks were nothing near that, and tiny little bolts of electricity flickered back on forth from his cheeks like a bad dream that wouldn’t go away. Kero sat next to him, with a face so despondent it disarmed you of all happiness. He was sitting in a slouching position, his back curved almost like a U-turn, his arms drooping like dead fish on a hot summer day, and his tail flipping from side to side randomly and without purpose. Meowth’s face was completely hidden in the carpet as he lay beside Kero. His claws were barely there and continually toying with his whiskers with such little energy it was almost hypnotic. Deadly hypnotic. The whole room smelt of death. And sweat. Lots of sweat. Madison wondered when these guys last had a shower. She was almost put off by the smell, but she gradually accustomed to it. Almost too well. It didn’t bode well to adjust to this room. But Madison wasn’t in much of a mood to be happy. She needed to grieve. They all needed to grieve. There are people who had lived such full lives you couldn’t grieve for them if you tried. Because there was no sorrow in their deaths. We don’t mourn the loss of those who have died fulfilling their destinies.
Sakura was different. One day, people would remember her forever. Maybe she’d be on a stereo in every house. Maybe she’d be a tall statue in a main city park. Maybe she’d be quoted in just about every book in the world. But not yet. She had barely lived. She had a great deal of living left to do. To rob her of that at the tender age of eighteen was a crime. To snatch all the promise, hope and optimism when it was all ripe and ready for the taking. She had to live. She was bound to touch so many lives. What would a world be like without her? It was unthinkable. Maybe not even worth it. She had to live.
Madison then became aware of the music the four were listening to, and noticed they hadn’t even seen her enter the room at all. They were completely absorbed in the music. It was a very drawn out, solemn, heartbreak piece. As if you were slowly drowning in whiskey or something. As you were floating on an eerie organ, harsh drumming, intentionally dull base and ghostly, slow, hypnotic male vocals from the people all at once, drowning in heartbreak and sorrow and piercing you all the way to the core of your soul. Looking to the windows, she noticed that it was raining heavily outside. Bucketing down without mercy. They may as well have been drowning.
“What song is this?” she finally asked, feeling a desperate need to break the otherwise silence.
Ash slowly turned his head towards Madison and managed a weak smile. “Hey Madison. You look nice.”
Madison flushed internally, but showed no visible signs of it. “Um, thanks. I think.” She was almost tempted to say that they looked like they’d seen better days from habit, but that was the ultimate insult right now, so she didn’t dare.
“You’re listening to a song called Any Day Now by a British band called Elbow from their debut album Asleep In The Back. It just suits the mood. We could all use something like this now.”
“Mind if I stay here for a while?”
“Go for it. We’re staying right here until news of Sakura’s transfusion comes through.”
Madison opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. There was nothing left to say. So she sat herself down between them all, spread herself out, laid her head back on her arms, and let herself be hypnotised by the song. What else could they do? Sure, those guys needed a wash, but right now they couldn’t even manage that. Snapping them out of this trance could be fatal to the extreme. Doing anything else would be empty and without any passion or heart. Madison lulled back in slipped away into the soothing melody which was left on repeat. She actually liked it very much. It was indeed the one thing she needed to hear right now.


Elbow – Any Day Now

What’s got into me?
Can’t believe myself
Must be someone else
Must be

C: Any day now
How’s about getting out of this place
Anyways
Got a lot of spare time
Some of my youth
And all of my senses on overdrive

C x 5

(Music only break)

C x 2

C x 4 including this bit in between each time:

Don’t play Coltrane
You will sleep at the wheel
Eyes on horizon
Don’t sleep at the wheel

C x 12


For five hours, that was the only thing the five of them focused on. Thankfully it was a six minute song, so they only listened to it fifty times. But it didn’t feel it. It was something that they could associate with. Something that made them feel better. For they had a lot of spare time, some of their youth, and all of their senses on overdrive.

A door to the room suddenly flung open, and it roused the five with a start. Two white figures moved over to them and switched off the stereo with a simple flick.
“I presume you’re the kids waiting for Sakura Avalon.”
The five of them rose as one, filing right in front of the voice with sudden hope flooding their veins.
“The transfusion was able to stabilise her vitals.”
“So she’ll be waking up soon?” pleaded Ash.
“I’m sorry, but there’s something that’s preventing that.”
“What?” Ash collapsed like he’d had his heart ripped out and writhed in agony on the floor.
“But you said here vitals were stable!” shrieked Madison, grabbing on of the figures by their coat and shaking them, letting out all the fury pent up in her for days on end.
“Easy now, kids. I know how bad this is. I lost my wife after a three year battle with cancer. I know what it feels like.”
Madison instantly released her grip and bawled into her hands uncontrollably. The words from a few moments ago had doused nearly every bit of hope left in them, and they were close to running on empty.
“We’re working around the clock to find out what’s wrong. She seems fine, but something keeps gradually destablising her and we don’t know why! I swear to you we will find out what’s happening. You kids are too young for this. I swear I’ll get her back to you guys. Everyone on this ward does.”
“Can you really promise that?” Ash shot a stare to the two doctors that left them defeated. It was a look of pure desperation. One in absolute need of a miracle. One drenched so deep in sorrow he might never surface again.
“I don’t know. This world too crazy for all of us in the end. But I swear we’ll do everything we can. This one is too precious to lose.”
As they turned away, one looked back. “You can see her if you wish.”

[Last Exile]

It felt more like a funeral position than a visit. The five of them filed into a room so pale and devoid of life it made them sick to their stomachs. So cold, so unfeeling, so lifeless. The battered being of Sakura was lying amongst bone white sheets, with invasive tubes down her mouth, her nose and her wrists. Her face was locked in a single expression. Her eyes her locked shut but her mouth was open slightly. Not in pain or screaming, but as if she was in awe of something. As if she was being born all over again. That look on her face filled them all with hope once more. Somehow, they knew she would live and wake up. That was all they needed to know.
They each took turns sitting beside Sakura, talking to her face and whispering into her ear while holding her hand. It felt colder than usual, and they were willing to do anything to make it feel warmer. It helped somehow. Even though they knew she couldn’t hear them, it helped them. That look on her face did more than anything else could have.
“It’s all my fault,” whimpered Ash as he sat beside his newfound girlfriend.
“No, it’s not,” assured Kero with a stroking paw. “You saved her from certain death.”
“But the Houndoom came for me,” he spluttered hopelessly.
“They came for us all, kid,” shot Meowth. “We’re all in this together, and we all know the risks. This isn’t a fairytale or some kid’s game. This is real life. Bad things will happen. She has a dangerous part in this too, and she knew it. We’d all be dead now if it wasn’t for her bravery. She saved our lives.” He then moved to his face level and looked him straight in the eye. “And you saved hers.”
“But it wasn’t enough. I swore to protect her!”
Madison gripped Ash by his neck and moved her face right next to his. “It was enough, Ash. You saved her. She is going to wake up soon, because of you. You did more than enough. She will wake up.”
She spoke with conviction which tore through Ash like a knife through butter.
“But I...I...” Ash broke down and covered himself in his hands.
“We know, kid, we know,” consoled Kero as the group moved close to him and consoled him in their own way. Pikachu moved to his lap and began to stroke Ash gently, generating a faint smile from his sorrowful face.
“Thank you. You guys are the best. We have to make it easier for her somehow. She's done so much for us.”
They began to sit in silence, wanting to say something but unable to.
“Are we going to stay here?” asked Madison.
“Not if this room stays silent,” groaned Kero.
“I vote for some more Elbow,” mewed Meowth half-heartedly.
That was something they all agreed on. This album certainly was an anthem to heartbreak and sorrow. Madison put it on to the second track, Red, and they sat back against each other, as touch somehow combined with the music to ease their pain once more. Courtesy of emotional piano, moving violin and cello, strumming them all over the spectrum of emotion.


Elbow – Red

Come as you are sweetheart
Come as you are
You know you’ve got nothing to prove
I’ll put you to bed
You can let it all go
You’ve been playing too rough lately

(You burn too bright
You live too fast
You can’t go on too long
You’re a tragedy starting to happen) x 2

Just as you are
Perfect just as you are
I’ll give you all the time you deserve
Don’t make those promises
Don’t tell me again
That dust is gonna settle your nerves

(You burn too bright
You live too fast
You can’t go on too long
You’re a tragedy starting to happen) x 8


The door to the room slowly opened.
“I’m sorry, but visiting time is over,” whispered a female voice of a nurse.
The five all rose slowly and filed out silently, not making a single sound.
“I think the doctor wanted to see you in his office. Down the hall, eighth door on the left.”
They were there in a flash.

“We think we have found what the problem is.”
“What is it? Please tell us!”
The doctor retrieved something from his pocket and laid it out on the table.
“It looks like a tooth,” mused Madison.
“You’re telling us a tooth is causing all this?!” yelled Ash.
“This isn’t just any tooth! It’s a tooth from a Houndoom!”
The mention of that dastardly Pokemon brought the groups’ hearts to a stop instantly and they almost collapsed from fear. Houndoom is a Pokemon that can strike fear even into the most hardened of people.
“I thought that Houndoom could only cause severe burns,” mentioned Madison in wonder.
“Normally. But this tooth didn’t come from any Houndoom. It came from a rare breed. One we found only a few years ago. And it wasn’t a naturally occurring breed.”
The ominous reply flattened the five of them and left them gasping like beggars in the middle of the desert. “So what are you saying then?” stuttered Ash.
“This breed was genetically engineered. And not just by anyone. By Team Rocket.”
That was the one thing that could have incensed the group at a moment like this. And indeed it did.
“Team Rocket?!” screamed Madison. “Can’t those bastards just leave us alone?”
“I swear I’ll get them! They are in for it!” yelled Ash with renewed passion.
“Before we get ahead of ourselves, I’d better explain what this means for Sakura.”
The group quickly seated themselves again, living on the doctor’s every word.
“The tooth contains a severe poison that only acts when the victim is close to death. It eats away at the body and prevents attempts of revival, as it causes unique antigens to be produced and to associate with the blood in her body.”
“So what does this mean?” asked Madison, with a sense of foreboding evident in her voice.
“Sakura needs a transfusion from a person that has been bitten by a Houndoom of that breed.”
Ash sunk his head down in disbelief. “And who do we know that would have been bitten by one of those things?! This is a nightmare. I wanna wake up!”
“Excuse me, boy, but what’s that mark on the back of your neck?”
Ash briefly felt the back of his neck and instantly recognised what was up. “Oh, that. This is a scar I got when I was really young. I never found out how I got it though.”
The doctor began to examine it keenly, sending a wave of bewilderment over the group.
“Hmmm. Acid green edges, deep protrusion, chronic scarring, white centre...Oh my. This is a miracle!”
“What is?” blurted Madison without thinking.
“It appears Ash here has been bitten by a Houndoom.”
Ash reacted so harsh he spluttered all across the room and the rest of the group fell back in shock, mouths wide open and eyes bulging.
“You mean that Ash can save her?” asked Madison with a sudden hope illuminating her sapphires.
“That’s exactly what I mean,” replied the doctor proudly.
“Do it, kid,” encouraged Kero. “You did it once, you can do it again.”
“It wouldn’t be the same without her,” explained Meowth.
“Pika. Pikachu,” squeaked Pikachu with such buggy little eyes that Ash was helpless to them.
Then Madison grasped his hand and held it with both her hands. “Ash, I’m begging you. Sakura is something special and doesn’t deserve an untimely death. You can stop that from happening. Please save her.” Madison broke into a downpour of tears as her head fell into her hands. Ash moved closer to her, rubbed her shoulders then wiped away her salty tears with the tender tip of his forefinger.
“Of course I’ll do it. I’m ready.”
The doctor’s face momentarily lit up with pride and warmth, then assumed a necessary stern expression which sent shivers through the group as if ghosts were passing right through them.
“But, due to the unusual case we have here, we have to undertake an unusual procedure.”
“What kind of procedure?” asked Ash confidently.
“The antigen in your blood needs to be maintained at a certain pressure, otherwise it will disintegrate. So minimal time outside the body is required, along with blood acidity, oxygen exposure and so forth.”
“Meaning?” asked Madison as if someone had tried to explain astrophysics to her.
“We need to transfer Ash’s blood directly from his heart to Sakura’s heart. And without anaesthetic. It would destroy the antigen.”
Ash’s hands collapsed directly onto his heart while Madison flared up uncharacteristically. “Straight from his heart? And no anaesthetic? Are you insane?!”
The doctor sighed. “I wish I had something better to say, but it’s the only way. Or Sakura will die.”
Madison turned to Ash desperately. “Ash, would you? Please?”
Ash’s response was soft and warm. “If I can ward off Death, then I can handle this.”
Madison laughed gently, the first time she had laughed in days.
“Okay son,” bellowed the doctor like an organ at a church. “I’m briefing the staff now. We’ll do this operation in half an hour. You need to get prepped. And son?”
“Yeah?”
“It will hurt. Terribly. I wouldn’t blame you if you stopped at any point.”
“No matter what I say, don’t stop. Don’t stop until you have all the blood Sakura needs. Got it?”
“You’re the boss.” The doctor walked out his glass door and down the hall.
“Are you sure Ash?” asked Madison hesitantly.
“Pika pi. Pikachu,” chirped Pikachu with worry flooding his normally happy nature.
“Hey, don’t worry guys,” assured Ash. “Just a walk in the park.”
He seemed confident, but inside, he was more scared than he’d been in his entire life.

“Okay son. Let’s do this.”
Ash broke out into a heavy sweat as he knew the needle was about to be inserted into his heart. Like a dagger, yet it would become a tool of life. Desperate to avoid that thought, he focused on the best moment of his life. That first kiss he had with Sakura. When their bodies were mingling in ecstasy, exchanging passion and heartfelt secrets with the locking of their tongues.
A sharp screech filled the room. Ash could feel the needle pierce his skin, which didn’t hurt much at all initially. But as it moved deeper, he began to cringe heavily.
“Easy son, it’s almost there.”
Ash began to whimper a little. It was an incredibly sharp needle, and wide enough to suck up blood. He could feel tears accumulating in his eyes, and drifted back to the kiss. The feeling of Sakura’s hands sliding up and down his back and his neck. The fire he felt on those fingertips which invigorated his soul. The warmth and trust he felt in that fire. He was more than willing to confide in her.
“Okay. Initiate the pump.”
Ash felt a weird feeling in his chest. A throbbing sucking which pounded upon his heart right from the start. Ash felt like it was about to explode and clutched at it.
The doctor moved his hands away. “Easy son. You can’t fight it. It will hurt, but remember the cause.”
Yes, the cause. Anything to fall into the gaze of Sakura’s emeralds, to melt into her soul. A world which was beyond imagination, where he felt truly at home. To feel her amazing touch. To confide his feelings in her. To hear the spirit in her heavenly voice. Ash gritted his teeth and gripped his fists, focusing on that kiss as hard as he could. But the pain. So much pain.
“25% of quota.”
Ash began to grind on his teeth and felt as if they were falling apart. He knew he had made significant ground, but there was so much pain. His head felt like it was swelling now, and his veins were bulging.
“50% of quota.”
Ash moved back to the kiss. The goodness in her that rubbed off on him. That angel that lit up his life and understood him better than anyone else in the whole world. He’d do anything for her.
“75% of quota.”
Ash’s heart began to throb so hard he could barely breathe. His brain racked with the drainage as his body tried to resist the outflow. Then Ash let out a mighty scream releasing all the pain left up in him. It reverberated across the entire floor, and inside the waiting room, Madison and company raced to the emergency ward, horrified by the scream right to the core of their hearts.
“We’ve got it. End the pump.”
Ash felt air enter his lungs once more and his throbbing subside. He felt painkillers flood his system and release the tension within.
“I’m proud of you kid.”
Ash smiled through gasps. He’d made a difference.

Any day now, Sakura would wake up. It had been two days since the transfusion. Ash had been placed in the same room as her recovered, and on the third day, he was finally able to move about again without hindering. It felt good to have control of his own body again. He constantly looked at Sakura with patience. He could see the colour returning to her system, he could feel the fire of her soul. He could even see a few minor movements. He knew the time was coming.
Today he could see both her hands moving. Flooded with hope, Ash raced to her side and kneeled on top of her bed.
“Well, it’s good to have you back Sakura.”
No reply.
“I can’t tell you how much we’ve missed you all.”
No reply.
“Well, maybe this song can. At least from my point of view.”
Ash placed a CD into the stereo next to him, playing a Jeff Buckley tune he’d become really attached to lately. Dream Brother.


There is a child sleeping near his twin
The pictures run wild in a rush of wind
That dark angel he is shuffling in
Watching over them with his black feather wings unfurled


Ash moved closer to Sakura and began to mimic singing.


The love you lost with her skin so fair
Is free with the wind in her butterscotch hair
Her green eyes blew goodbyes
With her head in her hands and your kiss on the lips of another
Dream Brother with your tears scattered round the world

“We all miss you so much, Sakura. And I’ve gone through hell without you.”

Don't be like the one who made me so old
Don't be like the one who left behind his name
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
And nobody ever came...

Ash felt like he was drowning in the guitars and moved even closer to Sakura. “These past few months, I’ve met someone I’ve connected with more than I considered possible. A person I want to be with every day. There when I wake up in the morning, and the person I see at night. To be there at my triumphs and downfalls. To share myself with. And I want to be there for you, Sakura. We help each other. I know we're meant to be."

Don't be like the one who made me so old
Don't be like the one who left behind his name
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
And nobody ever came

Don't be like the one who made me so old
Don't be like the one who left behind his name
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
And nobody ever came
Nobody ever came


“Because I love you, Sakura.” Ash moved in and firmly pressed his lips against hers, relishing the warmth and the sweetness, reliving their very first kiss. He moved back up and closed his eyes, picturing that heavenly scene.
“I love you too Ash.”
Ash opened his eyes with a start and couldn’t hide his elation. Sakura’s body slowly rose from the bed, swirling those brown-red locks of hers and then flashing her alluring emeralds. Words escaped him, and Sakura gently nodded, not even trying to hide her own smile. They both just knew. The two of them moved closer and warmly embraced for a few moments, relishing in touching each other once more, then breaking back and gazing deep into each other’s eyes, recognising the longing and the truth. They moved closer, arms closing in, eyes shutting, hearts pounding.

I feel afraid and I call your name
I love your voice and your dance insane
I hear your words and I know your pain
Your head in your hands and her kiss on the lips of another
Your eyes to the ground and the world spinning round forever

Sakura plunged her tongue deep into Ash’s throat as they tightly embraced, bringing their hearts as close to each other as possible, sending fire all over their bodies with their hands that slipped all over their heads, their necks and their backs. Losing track of time and all around them as Jeff reached a swooning finale.

Asleep in the sand with the ocean washing over...

[pokemasterfrank]

Very nice...did Ash always have that Houndoom bite...or did you just add it...

But that seemed too simple though...just finding that Ash had the Houndoom bite...but it wouldn't have fit otherwise...oh well...

Another great chapter and can't wait for the next...

[Snakes N' Legends]

That chapter was emotional and it was great. Although there were a few parts that I didn't agree with .. the ending for one of them. I am not into romantic novels but did you have to make Ash and Sakura french kiss each other? I probably shouldn't be judging your fanfic by that but anyways you did a great job on this chapter.

[Last Exile]

pokemasterfrank: Yes, that whole saga hasn't been solved yet. After the next two chapters you'll understand

tryranitar master: Yeah, I know it was a soppy ending but hey, they deserved it after what they'd been through. And why did I put a French kiss at the end? Because I like the idea of French kissing, sue me! It's what most adult couples do! But hey, no sweat. Things will get rockier soon, don't you worry.

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

A little odd, don't you think? I think i heard somewhere if you felt a needle go into your heart, you'd pass out from pain...

Ash is a good person. Sakura is too. I don't like the way Jessie and James talk now. Keep up the good chapters, though.

FYI, BTW: I'm not exactly allowed online often now, so don't expect me to appear as quick as i did. but i'll still come here to read.

MORE PLEASE!!! espcially stuff featuing sakura, she is now officially my favorite character.

[Snakes N' Legends]

Ryan, may I call you that? I apologize for my rude behaviour. Regardless of what I think, it is your story. It doesn't matter if I don't like really mushy romances (Mild ones are okay.) I apologize for any inconviences that I might have made.

[ZeldaFan20]

:o Now I'm REALLY jealous! When you write, your chapters have an exceptional flow of detail. Even I can't get MY FanFic to sound like that. How do you do it? Can you give me some advice? Look over my FanFic, The Bittersweet Reunion, and give me some pointers.

[mistysakura]

Another great chapter. Am I the only one here who likes sappy stuff? Seems like it. This chapter is just... how do I describe it? Bittersweet, I guess, but also a bit... gruesome? Gosh, I've got to do better if I'm gonna write my own fic, which I am doing right now, and won't be on the board anytime before 2003 (procrastinating... a whole month, 2 chapters.) I guess it's because the last thing I put here was a total disaster - anyone who read it will agree with me. Now that I look back at it, it just looks plain bad, and I think this one (not WDC, my fic) will turn out to be like that as well. Any pointers? Gosh I'm jealous.

[100FangCroconaw]

A great chapter as always. How could team rocket genetically breed houndoom?Me want an answer to this.

[Andrew]

Excellent work CCC! Simply excellent. Poor Sakura, poor lass, terrible to see her unwell again, after Team Rocket attacking her. But I have a few niggles, such as how quickly Ash was diagnosed, or how quickly he was prepped for surgery. And how they pierced his heart... wouldn't that need stitching? Hmm?

But I absolutely loved the capture of the Death Card, in all its nasty being, the evolution of Totodile, Jessie and James, and the attack on James's Sexuality! CLASSIC! But I would like to know what Pokemon they have now. If Jessie got too pissed off with Wobbuffet as such. Hee.

And Officer Jenny leaving a note and all, it seemed out of place, very much so. But well good work CCC, I can't wait for the next chapter again!

[Last Exile]

SupersonicMewtwo: Actually, no. In the army medics are forced to do that because there's no time for anaesthetic and such. They have special needles designed to pierce organs such as the heart and the lung without disruption. This was done in the best war movie ever made, Three Kings, where Major Archie Gates (George Clooney) and Chief Elgin (Ice Cube) had to stick a needle valve into Troy Barlow's (Mark Wahlberg) lung because he was shot in there and it was being crushed as a result. As for Jessie and James, they've changed. You'll soon see why. And don't worry, I know you'll still be reading. ;)

tyranitar master: Yeah, no worries. First names is cool. It is going to be a bit mushy here and there, as true romance is, but it will also be painful and gritty, as true romance is.

ZeldaFan20: 18 years of abuse throughout the education system, 15 by a father that was worse than not having one, radicalisation by mid 20th century literature, heroes such as Orwell, Huxley, Bradbury, Harper and Kesey, heavy doses of Japanese animation, a mother that surpasses all the rest, my Year 12 English teacher (he taught me the meaning of detail), a passion for music that isn't mainstream, verging on narcotic, especially when it comes to Radiohead, Powderfinger and Gorillaz, my belief that religion is a sham and my desire for beauty. I.e. You don't wanna know. But don't worry. I'm fine. ;) I'll look over your fic soon. I can't tonight because of time restrictions.

mistysakura: I'm into sappy and gritty stuff in equal doses myself. You need both to appreicate the good things. As for writing, write from the heart. Be natural, be yourself. I'm sure you're better than you give yourself credit for. I think that writing something realistic is really important too. Mist adheres to that policy strongly, which is why she's so good now. So let it flow and you'll do well. ;) Similar advice for ZeldaFan20, I guess.

100FangCroconaw: I think that's the completely wrong question. I think it's more of a case of what Team Rocket CAN'T do. They created Mewtwo so I doubt altering Houndoom genetics would be too hard for them. Similar stuff has been done by crossing bee species.

OzAndrew: Hey mate! Hope Schoolies week went down well! ;) Our dear Sakura will have it better now, don't worry. J & J have some surprises up their sleeve, and a favourite of yours will be making her entrance soon. ;)

[Last Exile]

It's here, don't despair.

Chapter 16 – The Twist

Ash spent a few moments lingering in the embrace of the girl he was more entranced by than anything in the universe. Sakura was an eternal miracle to him. She’d come that close to being plucked from this life, but destiny had given her a second chance. Ash felt his lungs burn as Sakura hugged him so tightly he almost couldn’t breathe, but he didn’t care. The warm feeling of her skin against his, the apricot tinged smell of her body, the silky lilt of her voice and the alluring gaze of her eyes were just like heaven to him.
“I thought I’d lost you,” Ash choked. “I really thought that was it.”
Sakura caressed his blushing face with her gentle hand and smiled. “Ash, I’d never leave you. Or the rest of the group. I made a promise, remember? I promised to stay by your side no matter what. I’m in this for the long haul. Besides, that whole Sleeping Beauty scene was too good to miss.”
Ash grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. “Well, I missed you so much. I’d do anything for you.”
“I know.” Sakura took Ash’s sweaty hand in her own and began to slowly massage it. Ash felt a soft wave of calm come over him and let out a soft sigh, feeling his troubles slip away in an instant.
“You have no idea how much I’ve missed that.”
“I think I have a fair idea,” giggled Sakura.
Ash softly laughed back in reply and let himself fall into the gaze of those emeralds once more.
“I could get lost for forever in them,” he swooned hypnotically.
“And you’d want to, wouldn’t you?” whispered Sakura like a gentle breeze, laced with playfulness and seduction.
“Oh yeah. I’d be just fine with that.”
Sakura smirked then sat up straight. “So where’s the rest of the group?”
“They’re in the waiting room. Do you want to see them? They’ll be over the moon once they hear you’re better.”
Sakura sat back against the head of the bed and closed her eyes in deep thought. Madison. How she must have suffered as she wondered whether her best friend would even live. Likewise for Kero. Those two felt responsible for Sakura’s wellbeing if anything ever happened to her, so those two needed to know. Pikachu and Meowth would probably perk up at the sight of her. They can be clowns at times, but they’re still cool. And she remembered Togepi. Her newfound friend and a new responsibility. Everyone had forgotten the little miracle in their worries on the mountain, and Sakura was hoping with all her heart that she was alright.
The creaking of the door to her room made her sit up again, ripe with anticipation. From the confines of the outside world came the all-familiar face of a lifelong friend.
“It’s true! She’s back!”
“Madison!”
Madison firmly kissed Sakura on the lips for a split second then held her friend in a strong, warm embrace of friendship that was stronger than steel. “You had us so worried, Sakura. We thought you were gone for sure.”
Sakura gently rubbed Madison’s back in reassurance. “I’m fine. Believe me. Nothing’s ever going to take me away from you guys. I won’t let that happen.”
Madison broke out of the embrace and smiled as she met Sakura’s gaze. “I know, Sakura. But the Death Card. It lodged its scythe of death right into the core of your heart. How you survived that is a miracle. But then again, considering you’re already a miracle yourself, why should I be surprised?”
Sakura blushed a deep crimson across the top of her cheeks and above her tender lips. “Madison, you’re embarrassing me!”
Madison’s sapphire eyes glittered and her silky black hair shimmered as she continued to look upon her best friend in the universe. “I can’t lie. It’s the truth, Sakura. Anyone else would be dead now. Even we were affected by Death for a while.”
Sakura’s face quickly shifted into a look of concern. “Death affected you? How?”
Madison was quick to reply. “I’m not sure, but for a while we all passed out. Maybe Death tried to take us all with it once you finally succeeded in sealing it.”
Sakura’s worry increased immediately. “I didn’t mean for you guys to get hurt. I’m the one who’s responsible for capturing the cards. You guys aren’t meant to get caught up in this mess.”
Madison looked Sakura right in the eye. “Sakura, you were that close to dying. If Ash hadn’t done what he did, you’d be gone for sure.”
Sakura suddenly shivered all over at the mention of Ash’s name in that context. “Ash? What did he do?”
“Don’t you remember, Sakura? He ran straight to your side and wrenched Death’s scythe out of your heart. I don’t know how he did it, but he did. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing you. Not even Death could turn him away from helping you. He’s hooked, Sakura. As smitten as anyone could possibly ever be.”
Sakura’s mouth fell wide open in pure shock. “Ash did that for me? Really? I didn’t know.” She slid her hands across her face in an attempt to bring some clarity to her buzzing head. She still couldn’t comprehend the fact. Ash risked his life to save her. That takes something pretty special.
“And that’s not all he did, mind you,” chirped a familiar squeaky voice.
Sakura’s face lit up at the sight of another familiar figure. “Kero!”
The little guardian beast hovered on the tiny wings that propelled his squirrel-like body, and he floated right to Sakura’s face.
“Sakura, I’m sorry this happened to you. I should have been able to help you all these weeks. But I’ve been pathetic. I lost self-control when you needed my help against the Moon Card. And I couldn’t help you against Death. I’ve been a total letdown. I’ve hardly fulfilled my responsibilities as your mentor and bodyguard lately. I’m sorry,” he uttered as his wings sagged and his head fell down in shame.
Sakura couldn’t help but smile. “Hey, I forgive you. You being here now matters most.”
Kero stared at her in shock for a moment then exploded in joy. “The super girl is back!” he roared as he wrung his tiny arms around Sakura’s neck. “Oh, I missed you, Sakura! Don’t ever do that to me again.”
“I’ll do my best to avoid disaster. But it’s hard to do in my line of work.”
“Anyway, my friends and I have a little something for you,” gestured Kero at the open door.
“Hey Pikachu! Hey Meowth!” beamed Sakura at the two special Pokemon that entered the room.
“Pika! Pikachu!” chirped the electric mouse as his coat shined a happy yellow and his eyes were like diamonds.
“Sparky, Furball and myself would just like to say that we’ve been miserable without you, and we’re over the moon that you’re back!” mewed the feline one. “And we’ve got a surprise for you!”
Sakura looked on eagerly. “Really? For me? What is it?”
“Guess!” dared Kero.
“Um, flowers?”
“No.”
“Cards?”
“No.”
“Brandy?”
“What?” The three mini friends jumped with a start at the mention of that forgettable incident. “Hey, we’re over that aren’t we?”
“Yeah, but I honestly don’t know what you guys have. And forgive me for asking but where is Togepi?”
“Good question,” mentioned Meowth. “Because that’s the surprise!” Meowth moved his arms from behind him, jumped onto the bed and revealed the gift.
“Pri!”
“Togepi!” Sakura scooped up the miracle in her arms and held her close to her face. “You’re here! How are you?”
“Pri!”
“I’m so happy that you’re safe! I was worried about you! Oh, I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there for you. I’m never leaving you again, okay? I swear it!”
“Toge pri!”
“I’m just glad to have you here!” Sakura planted a big tender kiss on Togepi’s forehead, making her squeal with delight.
Sakura then turned to the rest of the group. “Thank you guys. Thank you all. I can’t tell you enough how much it means to me you’ve all been here for me.”
Madison smiled brightly. “No problem. But remember, Ash was the one who really pulled through when you needed help most.”
“Twice for that matter. He may be a twerp, but he’s the best twerp you could ever find,” hissed Meowth.
“Twice?” Sakura’s gaze fixed on the group with increased intensity. “What are you talking about? I thought you said Ash saved me from the Death Card.”
“There was the Houndoom’s tooth too. You know, the scar on the back of your neck?”
“Scar?” Sakura quickly folded her right arm back to her neck and felt it carefully, locating the oddity in mere seconds. “Oh, the scar! That one. Wait, that was from a Houndoom’s tooth? I don’t remember being bitten by a Houndoom on that mountain.”
“It didn’t happen on the mountain,” explained Madison. “It happened when you were very young. Don’t you remember anything?”
“No,” blurted Sakura in bewilderment.
“Your parents never told you?”
“Nothing. I never knew.”
“Sakura, that tooth released a venom that stopped all attempts to bring you back to consciousness. We couldn’t revive you.”
Sakura’s eyes widened and her hands fell to her lap. “What?”
“You needed a transfusion from someone that had been bitten by a Houndoom themselves. And it just turned out that the only other person around who had been, without knowing, mind you, was...”
“Ash!” realised Sakura instantly. “He...he gave me his blood?” she stammered in disbelief.
“Not only that. He had it taken right from his heart to your heart, staying conscious the whole time. It was the only way the materials in his blood could be safely transferred to you. You should have heard the scream, Sakura. Ash went through ten minutes of pure hell for you.”
“He did?” she gasped, her hands cringing around her neck.
“That scream reverberated through the entire hospital. No one could avoid the pain in that scream. Ash doesn’t talk about it at all. Maybe he didn’t want to sound like he was bragging. Maybe the experience still hurts him. Maybe his body’s still recovering. But one thing’s for sure. Ash Ketchum laid himself on the line twice for you, Sakura. It may have taken 2 weeks to get you back, but it’s been worth it!” blurted Madison as she broke down, falling into Sakura’s lap and crying softly, releasing emotion she hadn’t been able to for days. Sakura placed her hand on Madison’s head and massaged her scalp and lingered on the silky black hair, then realised an anomaly.
“2 weeks? I’ve been unconscious for 2 weeks?! No wonder you guys were so worried! And think of all the time we’ve lost! We’ve gotta move!”
“You need rest, Sakura. You only just woke up. You’re not going anywhere until you’ve properly recovered, got it? You nearly died. We’re not going to let that happen again. We are never placing your life in jeopardy again, got it Sakura Avalon?”
“Yeah,” nodded Sakura gingerly.
“Then from the bottom of her heart, Madison Taylor thanks you eternally!” she beamed as she embraced Sakura once more. “Visiting time’s over, guys. We gotta go.”
“Sleep well, Sakura. It’s good to have you back,” whispered Kero.
“Pika pi!” chirped Pikachu.
“Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” joked Meowth.
Sakura kept a serene smile on her face as her friends walked out of the room, then came silence. A strange silence that made her feel incredibly uneasy. Ash had risked himself twice to save her. The fact was unavoidable. And why wasn’t he willing to talk about it? Was it humility, pain, something else? Sakura didn’t know what, but she knew for sure she wasn’t going to find out if she just kept lying there thinking about it when it would come to no end save frustration. She sighed and sank back into the warm, soft confines of her bed. Feeling the soothing feeling of her back against the mattress, Sakura spread her body out and slowly slipped away into serene slumber. As she did, a voice spoke out in a gentle whisper. But Sakura was already asleep by then.
“So it’ll be ready in time?”
“As you requested, sir. We’ve got everything all worked out.”
“Good.”

Sunlight lightly wafted through the filters covering the windows to Sakura’s room, splitting into several mini sunbeams that surrounded her in a ceremonial like fashion. One single beam cascaded right onto Sakura’s eyes, and the imminent chemical reactions sent shockwaves throughout her body. Her eyes slowly slid open as her being slipped back into consciousness. Rubbing her eyes and straightening out the kinks in her hair with gentle flowing fingers, she welcomed the new day with gratitude, happy just to be alive.
Then she noticed something was amiss in her room. More to the point, her bed. She was completely surrounded by an arrangement of flowers. Flowers of all kinds and colours. Roses, orchids, azaleas, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, lilies, palms, ferns and cherry blossoms. Just like the ones that lined the main road she skated on every day to school. Soft, pink and fragrant. She could detect the delightful hint of cherry blossom in the air around her and sucked it in as if it was an elixir of life for her. She then let her emeralds lose themselves in the flood of red, white, blue, purple, pink, orange, yellow and green. She was surrounded by things she loved and things that were full of colour and life. Someone must have gone out of her way to do something like this for her. And she had a feeling as to who it was.
“Do you like it?” whispered Ash as he emerged from the foot of the bed.
“I love it,” swooned Sakura. “Thank you. You did this all for me?”
Ash nodded eagerly. “Anything to make you feel better and to get you out of her faster.”
“Ashy, you’re such a sweetie,” replied Sakura, letting the lilt of her voice be laden with hints of vivaciousness.
Ash almost choked and blushed deeply. “Thanks. It was nothing, really.”
Sakura raised her right hand slowly and began to do a curling gesture with her second finger. “Come here, Ashy.”
Ash burned up with passion again to the point even his heart felt like it was on fire. He couldn’t describe the feeling he had whenever she called him Ashy. It didn’t have the sarcasm of Duplica, the harshness of Misty or the simplicity of his mother. It was genuine, heartfelt and flirtatious. Ash knew she was drawing him in, but he wanted to be drawn in. He had no problem with Sakura having power over him in that way. He trusted her with his life and his soul. So Ash gently moved a fern aside and rose up to the side of the bed, sitting himself down in the middle, just inches from Sakura’s body.
It was Sakura’s turn to start blushing. She couldn’t believe the sight in front of her. Ash was wearing only two pieces of clothing: a loose fitting white shirt in the style that people in their mid 20’s wear and a ski tight pair of jeans. Ash had left most of his shirt unbuttoned, so Sakura was seeing a fair bit of skin, and she was even getting a bit of chest. Those blue jeans accentuated his butt and his hands and feet looked so dreamy slipping out and laden with a light sprinkling of that shiny jet black hair. They were smooth and without any form of corns, bunions or the like. His other four toes looked so tiny in comparison to the big one, and there was a fascinating symmetry between the hands.
“I’m right here, Sakura,” whispered Ash as if he was speaking it right into her ear. Sakura felt a shiver move up her spine and her lips began to shake.
“Ash, why didn’t you tell me about what you did?”
Ash’s face shifted to a look of pure confusion. “What?”
“About how you saved me twice. The others told me. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Ash’s face sunk away from Sakura’s gaze immediately. He couldn’t face those emeralds right now. The only thing he could do was cry. Tears ran down his face so fast they were like shards of razor sharp glass to Sakura’s heart. She moved right in front of him and raised his head gently, making him meet her gaze.
“Ash, what’s wrong? Please tell me. I need to know.”
Ash hastily wiped away the remnants of his tears and began to speak through a wall of nails. “Sakura, when I wrenched that scythe out of your heart, for a moment Death was in my mind. It consumed my every thought and tried to stay me instead of you. After that scythe was out, I looked at my hands, and they’d turned bone white. All the hair had fallen out too. I thought I was about to die. Then I passed out just after the forces arrived.
When I woke up, I realised I was still alive, but I knew you hadn’t pulled through yet. I felt miserable the whole time. I don’t want a world without you in it. I’d rather be dead.
Every moment I wished you would wake up. It was all that kept me going. For some reason the Death Card had stayed in my mind. It toyed with me and tortured me every moment. Only thinking about you could make it go away. I don’t know how many times I thought about letting it go, Sakura. So many times I was about to. But I hung onto the hope you would wake up. That was what saved me.
When the doctor told me about the transfusion, I was willing to do whatever it took. And when it started, I was doing OK. Then once a significant amount of blood had left me and entered you, Death made an attempt on me. It wrenched at my heart and left me writhing on pain so intense I couldn’t take it. My mind was going insane and I just wanted to rip my heart out. Then I thought of our first kiss. How beautiful that moment was, how beautiful you were that night. I completely immersed myself in it. And that was when Death finally stopped. I’d pulled through, but only just.
That’s why I couldn’t speak to you. Death’s somehow inside of me. And it won’t go away.”
Sakura gasped in complete horror and shrunk away, repulsed at what had happened to him. Did more innocent people have to suffer because of who she was? It wasn’t fair. Madison, Kero., Tori. They’d suffered in the past because of her duty as a CardCaptor. Now that she’d truly found love, was Ash to suffer for it?
She looked around the room with haste and located her clothes. She reached for the pocket of her jeans and drew out the Death Card. She looked at the bottom of the front. No writing. It hadn’t been properly sealed. That was why Ash was being haunted by Death.
Sakura fumbled in those pockets for her marker pen, wrenched it out and carefully wrote out her name. Sakura. Meaning cherry blossom. She looked at Ash, who was beginning to gasp severely. She watched in horror as Death resisted being sucked out of Ash’s body. Ash grimaced as Death tried to keep its claws attached to Ash’s brain, but Death’s spirit finally lost its grip, and Death was now confined to the thin card.
Sakura began to water at her eyes and leaped onto Ash, hugging him tightly. “I’m sorry you had to go through that! I’m sorry you had to experience any of this.”
Ash held back her hands and looked straight into her emeralds. “You’re alive. That’s all that matters. You’ve cured me now. All is forgotten.”
“So you’ll forgive me?”
“What’s to forgive?”
Sakura laughed through her tears and held Ash close to her, relishing the fire she felt at his touch, the invigorating smell of his deodorant mixed with sweat, satisfying the desire that consumed her soul.
Sakura broke the embrace and locked Ash into her gaze. “When I was unconscious, I remember one thing. Being in a dark place, cold and alone. Without you to comfort me. It would show me you at a distance, going through hell, longing for me, yet it would deny me access to you. I couldn’t comfort you when you needed me, and I couldn’t comfort you. For two weeks I’ve been in agony without you, Ash. I’ve longed for you more than I could ever convey with words. It made me realise that I do want to be with you always. And that...” Sakura took a deep breath, moved close to Ash and whispered in his ear “I love you.”
Ash began to feel warmth flood through his veins like liquid gold. “I love you too, Sakura. More than life itself. More than the air I breathe.”
Sakura returned to meet Ash’s liquid eyes with her shimmering emeralds. “I know, Ash. I knew how sincere you were when you told me yesterday, Ash. We will be together. The forces of evil, led by that dastardly Giovanni, desire to tear us apart. I say that will never happen. I will be with you for eternity.”
Ash clasped Sakura’s hands firmly and smiled. “For eternity. I give you my soul to protect for forever.”
“And I give you my soul to protect for forever.”
The two lovers fell into each other’s arms and locked in an embrace stronger than the forces of evil. In love that stretches beyond life and death, that links two souls for forever.
Sakura broke the silence like a light breaks the dark. “When I was in the dark place, a song kept playing in my head. One of feminine longing and of pure desire for one’s soulmate.”
Ash felt himself melt away. “Play it for me.”
Sakura reached for the stereo and switched the CD inside to the last track. Ash’s body began to shiver as Sakura slipped her hands around Ash’s neck and began to swing back and forth, smiling and swooning at him, pumping her chest back and forth, puckering her lips, flicking her hair and sliding her hands all over her body. Ash just sat as still as a statue and let himself be mesmerised by the angel in front of him as “Milk” hummed out into his ears and drowned him in Sakura.


Garbage - Milk


I am milk
I am red hot kitchen
And I am cool
Cool as the deep blue ocean

I am lost
So I am cruel
But I'd be love and sweetness
If I had you

I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you
I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you

I am weak
But I am strong
I can use my tears to
Bring you home

I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you
I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you
I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you

I am milk
I am red hot kitchen
I am cool
Cool as the deep blue ocean

I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you
I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you

I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you
I'm aching
I'm aching for you

I'm waiting
I'm waiting
I'm waiting for you.


Ash fell onto the bed and held Sakura in his arms. “The wait is over. We’re together. Forever.”
The word echoed in each other’s minds as they melted into each other in a luscious kiss that went on and on. Tongues, caresses and sensual sensations sent them into a dreamworld.

Sakura stood at the entrance to the hospital with the entire group around her. Her doctor walked up to her and shook her hand proudly.
“It’s been nothing short of a miracle. You’re inspiring, my dear.”
“And thank you for making it happen.”
“Well, thank you, but I thin Ash deserves most of the credit.”
Ash smirked as Sakura’s hand tightened on his own in reply.
“Well, I wish you kids well on your journeys, but before you go, I have to tell you something I just found out from this DNA analysis I did on the teeth.”
“Is something wrong with Sakura?” shrieked Madison.
“No, no! It’s just a side project I did out of curiousity. What I mean is, I compared the two teeth and, well, as crazy as it seems, Ash and Sakura were bitten by the same Houndoom?”
Ash and Sakura felt themselves explode like atom bombs. “What?”


“You knew that, of course, didn’t you?” hissed the icy voice like a ravenous panther.
“Of course,” smirked Giovanni. “And I’m not the only one.”
“Really? Do tell.”
“Those two will have many questions now. They will need answers if they are to properly pursue this quest. And they don’t know it yet, but they already know the one person who can answer them all.”
“Really?” said the icy voice, swelling with anticipation. “Tell me!” it hissed.
Giovanni spoke into the shadows, and the shadow laughed so harshly Giovanni broke out in unison.
“Are you serious?”
“Deadly serious. Those two are about to find out more than they bargained for. I’m just giving them the kick start they needed.”
“And from that you will bring about their downfall?”
“Yes, I will use it to fuel their downfall.”
“Delicious!”
“Isn’t it! Dinner? I need something solid after executing those pathetic excuses for Rockets!”
“How can I refuse? With something red!”
“Yes, red. Full-bodied and bloody. We are more alike than I considered possible, friend.”
“Yes. Once I wouldn’t have even called you anything near that. Now I do freely!”
“And you will be rewarded. You moment of vengeance will come.”
“Yes! Sakura will be mine at last!”
Horrible shrieks of laughter rattled across the Rocket base as hundreds of grunts made for the confines of the bunks and smothered the sound away, while executives blared classical music to drown it out. It was something that strikes fear into anyone and anything.

[ZeldaFan20]

:yes: Victory!! Another great chapter! The end part especially leaves me cold. What did he mean when he said he "executed" those "Rockets?" Was he talking about Jesse and James? I guess it's pointless to ask since it would probably spoil things.

Anyway, if you still want to check out mY fanfiction, I just posted a new chapter, so give it a look and tell me what you think.

[Snakes N' Legends]

Good chapter. I remember what happens next but for those who haven't gotten that far, I won't say. There is one thing I could never understand. How was Ash able to save Sakura? That death Card was very powerful and it would have killed him but how did he survive it? How did he wrench the scythe out of Sakura's heart? Those questions might never be answered but it will make wonder how Ash beat the odds when he saved Sakura's life from a card that would probably killed them both.

[Last Exile]

ZeldaFan20: Nah, not Jesse and James. They're too good to kill now. Gio considers them to be worthy of higher positions now

tyranitar master: Ah, I see your brain is very functional indeed! ;) The fact that Ash was able to fight the Death Card is very important. There is an explanation for it, but that will be coming a long way down the track.

[mistysakura]

yeah, I ahd the same question as tyranitar master. this chapter seems like a filler... but that usually means it's going to turn out to be important... now I'm confusing myself.

thanks for the advice, btw!

[Last Exile]

mistysakura: Hmm, I thought it was important still because it really provided the opportunity for Ash and Sakura to get closer, plus it leads into the whole past thing.


I hope people notice this is a new chapter. Oh well. Life goes on. Just strange that only 3 people have noticed in a week. So i'll wait a few more days until I post Chapter 17

[ZeldaFan20]

:wave: Okay! But don't wait TOO long. I'm on the edge of my seat!

[100FangCroconaw]

Hi. That chappy was very good.How was death able to get into Ash when the rest of it was in the card?

[PancaKe]

I FINALLY caught up on this! Woah man you write intensly.

The thing about your writing as I was telling you on aim a few days ago is that u write very emotional stuff. Emotional as in love. You write about how everything is expressed in love, how remembering love can bring people back etc. And Ash now seems like a sensative wuss a bit but he's actually quite brave. You've really captured the emotions and moments in their young lives.

Personally I reckon that guy with Giovanni is his gay lover or something. Who uses a "wand" to make "magic" with Giovanni ^^;;; just try ignore that if you're very young.

SEriously the death card was way harsh, but the whole tooth thing was a bit of a co-incidence. I should know better though. Everytime I question your writing skills you always come up with more stuff later to back up what you've written so I'm sure you'll back up the tooth thing fine!

Anyway rock on Ryan!

~Mist

[Last Exile]

ZeldaFan20: No worries! Wait is over now! ;)

100FangCroconaw: Well, Ash had to touch the Death Card's scythe in order to save Sakura. When he did, part of the Death Card transferred into him as a result.

Mist: Aw shucks Tara! :) That's quite a wrap, even from you! ;) As for 'Mr. Shadow', gay lover of Giovanni he is not. But that was a funny suggestion! :D The tooth thing is actually about to be resolved. This chapter should begin to explain things.

Okay people, the wait is over! Chapter 17 is here at last! ;) It is quite short but fillerish it is not. There is a major plot twist that begins with this chapter, so read with care!


Chapter 17 – Amnesiac


“As if we hadn’t had enough controversy along this whole journey. Now this!” winced Sakura. Her severe brush with Death had been taxing on her body and soul, and she just wasn’t in the mood for any more bad news or surprises.
“It’s freaky. The possibility of that occurring are virtually non-existent,” pondered Madison, sucking the tip of her second finger. “Houndoom attacks on humans are really rare, and the fact the two of you were bitten by the same one is just too coincidental.”
“So what exactly are you suggesting?” queried Ash, seeking that familiar look in Madison’s eyes. A glimmer that comes in the moment you come to the grand solution, when all is clear.
“Do the two of you know when you got those bites?”
Ash scratched his head in deep thought, ripping sharp fingernails through his sleek black hair and digging into his scalp with a vengeance. “Well, I’m pretty sure I got it when I was really young. When I was three years old.”
“Yeah. Me too!” chirped Sakura excitedly, then she felt a lump in her throat, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. Her mouth fell open in shock while Ash’s eyes seemed to expand out of their sockets while his fingers began to twitch uncontrollably.
“Same Houndoom, same time in our lives, this is freaky! How could this possibly be?” shrieked Sakura. “Madison, how?!”
“Well, do either of you remember how you got these bites?” she wondered.
“I don’t quite remember everything,” groaned Ash, signalling it was connected to a bad memory. “I remember that I was at a big party. Both my parents were alive then. I remember having a pretty good time by all accounts. I remember somebody brought a Mankey because the Mankey knocked over the salad bar.”
“You remember something that abstract that happened fifteen years ago?” blurted Madison in bewilderment.
“Hey, it was really funny! A whole bunch of Pidgey flew over to try and get the food, then a whole bunch of other Mankey showed up, and there was a big fight, so none of them ended up with any food because they beat each other up too much!”
“I can imagine!” laughed Sakura heartily. “It’s funny, you know. I actually have a dream like that sometimes. I swear it feels so real.”
“Anything else, Ash?” stated Madison.
“Well, now you mention it, I was playing with a young girl, about my age. She had kind of reddish hair...”
“Misty?”
“Not Misty. I didn’t know her until I was ten. This girl had some brunette tinges in her hair. She had really striking green eyes, eyes that sucked you in and made you feel loved. A smile that just made you feel so good and a laugh that was just...insatiable.” Ash felt his heart stop beating and gasped so hard his brain felt like it had exploded. Sweat began beading down his forehead ferociously and his whole body locked up in a pose of pure shock, his eyes locked in on Sakura, making her shrink back in discomfort.
“Ash, you’re making me nervous. Why are staring at me like that?”
Ash hit himself, blinked his eyes and sank into his hands. “No. It can’t be. I’d remember something like that. No way!”
“What is it, Ash?” inquired Madison with caution.
“I think that girl...was Sakura!” he blurted before he began to shake like a nervous wreck.
Sakura felt her heart leap into her mouth and her legs give way, falling to her knees like a toppling statue. “Me?! But it was just a dream. The Mankey and Pidgey. The party. The Houndoom that come out of nowhere. And that energetic little boy with messy black hair, striking brown eyes, pale white skin...” Sakura gasped and placed her hands to her mouth. “Like...you. I think you’re right. It wasn’t a dream. It really happened.”
“So you’re saying that the two of you once knew each other?” screamed Madison in total disbelief. “But how could you forget something like that? If you guys were friends when you were little, how did you forget?”
“I remember waking up in a hospital,” mused Ash, as if living a flashback. “I remember that my parents were really upset. They said I’d nearly died, and that it was a miracle I’d lived. That’s when my dad began to change. He got angry all the time, then one day he left and said there was something he had to do. I never saw him again. So I tried to forget it all. And I did. Until now."
Sakura nodded her head gingerly and sat next to Ash, letting him nestle against her chest and neck, cradling his head in her arms. “That’s virtually the same thing that happened to me. My dad and brother were relieved to see me revive, but my mum was still really worried. It was the only time I ever saw her like that. And that’s when she began to get really sick. Soon after, she passed away. My dad gradually recovered, and Tori had visions of her all the time. Whenever I asked about what happened, they’d suddenly change the subject or just ignore me. I never knew what made her slip away.”
“Yeah,” blurted Ash in agreement. “Same deal with my mum. She never talks about my dad. I think she knows, but it always make her really upset, so I learned not to press her on that issue. I think something really bad must have happened to him, so I figure he must be dead.”
Sakura raised Ash’s head gently to her eye level and let herself swamp him with her emeralds. “You lost a parent too?” she whispered softly, exposing a pain that always scarred her, never truly healing.
Ash flinched when he saw that part of her that was hurting eternally over the loss of the parent she never truly knew. He knew it all too well. “Yeah. Right on. I know that one.”
Sakura felt tears welling up in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Ash, finding comfort in his warm embrace. “I didn’t know, Ash. I’m sorry.”
“Hey, I’m sorry. I should have known too. I mean, your mother must have been amazing if she gave birth to you.”
Sakura blushed deeply. “She was. Everyone had nothing but praise and admiration for her. But I have so few memories of her. I was so little.”
“Do you love her?” asked Ash earnestly, moving back from the embrace and touching the tips of his fingers softly against Sakura’s cheek.
“Of course I do.”
“Then you’ll always remember her. I think there’s a lot of her in you. You live her every day. You’ll be fine.”
Sakura smiled happily and fell into Ash’s arms again. “Thank you, Ash. You’re the first person that’s ever understood.”
“I know. You can count on me.”
“This all raises some interesting questions,” pondered Madison thoughtfully, her sapphire eyes as hard as marble. “If you knew each other, wouldn’t your parents have met at some point?”
Ash and Sakura broke their embrace immediately and looked at each other in desperation, a need for answers burning in their eyes.
“I can’t ask my mum. It would bring back too many bad memories for her,” groaned Ash.
“My dad tries not to show it, but he still hurts,” sighed Sakura. “I can’t ask him.”
“Then who does that leave?” wondered Madison, straining her brain for the elusive answer. “Someone else must be able to tell us. Someone that knew you and your parents back then.”
“Well, Professor Oak has been friends with my Mom and I for all my life, so he might know something,” realised Ash in a flash. “And he’s here in Calcium City! He said he wanted to meet us. Something about the green Dratini.”
“Should we ask him?” pleaded Sakura with eyes that looked like breaking glass. Ash couldn’t avoid their gaze. They closed in on him and drew him in so deeply he couldn’t refuse.
“I certainly will. I want answers. There are things I’ve left unanswered for far too long. If our parents knew each other, then there’s something we’ve been hidden from. Maybe even more.”
“I’ll call Professor Oak and organise the meeting,” offered Madison, leaving the two alone.
“Are you OK?” asked Ash earnestly.
“Yeah,” sighed Sakura. “It’s just so much to comprehend. So much about my life I never knew. And we knew each other when we were young. Were...were we meant to be together? Even back then?”
Ash stopped dead at the thought, and held Sakura’s hands in his own.
“Maybe we were,” he replied ominously. “Maybe we were.”
“Whatever the truth is, I’m glad we’re together again. I want you in my life. I don’t want you leave again,” whispered Sakura, her voice saturated in desperation.
“I wont leave you. Ever. If you won’t leave me.”
“Of course I won’t.”
The two leaned forward and extended their tongues out, latching onto each other’s mouth in hungry fits of love and lust, engaging in a deep kiss while their hands slid all over their bodies.

Outside, the smaller members of the group voiced their own concerns.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” growled Kero. “There are way too many coincidences between the two. Something’s up. I mean, how did Ash resist the Death Card to save Sakura? Who created these new cards? And what’s with this genetically modified Houndoom?”
“It might have something to do with that new member of Team Rocket,” suggested Meowth.
“What new member?”
“No one knows. Whoever they are, they arrived just before I got kicked out. Gio kept it all top secret. But whoever they are, I suspect they have magical powers. The boss seemed really keen to recruit someone with magical talent to extend the capabilities of Team Rocket.”
“There aren’t many who have such powers, Meowth. And who would dare side with Giovanni?”
“Someone who’s got a score to settle, maybe.”
Kero gulped at Meowth’s blunt, ominous reply. “Then we had better watch ourselves very carefully. I get the feeling we were meant to find these things out. Maybe this whole thing’s a setup.”
“I think it’s for certain. But we have to play along. Or the other two kids are dead. Gio doesn’t let anyone ever spoil his plans. It’s his way or no way.”
“OK. We play along. But we’d better be on our guard. This is a deadly game, my friend.”
“I think that’s the whole point.”

[ZeldaFan20]

:wave: I can definitly say that I'm NOT disappointed. This chapter has a lot of suspense in it; I love it!

I myself have a pretty good idea what happened to Ash's Dad,...........but I won't say anything, because my theory might either be wrong or it would give the whole thing away.

Anyway, keep it up. You're REALLY turning some heads here!

[Snakes N' Legends]

We are almost to the chapter where you stood, Ryan. Well, when I last read it. Good chapter, Ryan. It is interesting that Meowth knew about this stranger and he didn't tell either Ash or Sakura. Keep up the good work!!!

[PancaKe]

And of course you begin to explain things once again. You have a nasty habbit of doing that. You'll make something up really bizarre then you'll find a really good way to explain it to make everything seem normal again. Anyway there's a nother bad things about finally catching up. U actually ahve to wait for chapters. :P

Anyway good chapter. I know you're going to explain that even more.

~Mist

[Andrew]

Ah CCC, finally we're coming back to the Gym Battle, and I can't wait to see Delibird vs Kingler ^^ or Crystal, and that excellent gym.

Now onto this chappie eh? You do know I'm joking about OrangeVapour Shipping eh? :P But this chappy certainly clears up a lot of those mysteries and produces a heap more which leaves the reader going - Ah... then DAMMIT?!

Ash's Dad in this is certainly not Giovanni which is deduction through the fact he was around before the attack and the like. But I felt sorry for poor old Sakura's mum. Oh well, and I want to see Tori again cause we saw so little of him the series, but maybe I'm being hopeful.

And that scene with the Mankeys and Pidgeys was excellent but the Sakura and Ash knowing eachother earlier sure was wierd, with their families being so close you would have thought they're remembered eachother earlier.

But poor Madison, she' becoming more and more of a doorstop, the only ones not kissing and can talk are Kero and Meowth. How's that for conversation? But I think Meowth knows a lot more than he's been telling. And Kero, bah, I'm waiting for one of the Pokemon to get really impatient with him and twack him.

Plus Ash having part of a card within him, why doesn't Sakura use her Sealing wand to draw it out, or will it suck ash in too to make the "Ash Card ;)" which could be funny. Could Sakura put anything she wants in Card Form? "Pudding! I command you to return to your power confined!" That way she could carry pudding and have it never go off and always ready for dispelling ;)

Oh well, good work! Looking forward!

[mistysakura]

Oz, I think the sealing wand can only seal stuff that's supposed to be in card form. 'The Pudding' would've been funny though.
CCC, this has been a really good chapter, worth waiting for... but I'd rather not ;) Suspense... yeah, and poor Nadeshiko. My brain's on overload (too much stuff building up, but it's the hols now! I'll have a better mind then), so I just can't work out anything. Guess I'll just have to wait.

[Darkgel]

This is the last chapter I read before the crash or before I got kicked out. I can't remember. The thing is this is a great one, keep it up.

[Last Exile]

Chapter 18 – Knives Out

“Where...am I?”
Sakura felt herself sitting against something solid, but there was nothing behind her. She was surrounded by pure darkness. Not even one golden ray of light permeated the chilling barrier. Yet she was in the light. She could see her own body. But she was in the middle of nowhere, and all alone. Madison was nowhere in sight, or Kero. Not even Ash. How could he not be at her side now? When she needed him so?
“This isn’t real, is it? It’s a dream. That why I’m alone. But...I haven’t had a dream like this since...since I found the Clow Cards.”
Sakura felt a solid lump lodge in her throat and tighten her breathing. She was having an intense dream. One that seemed very real. The dreams she had when she was just ten years old were a vision of the future. Of things that did happen to her. But they weren’t always clear. True clarity only came as the event came closer. Bits and pieces would fall into place. As if the grand design for her life was slowly unfolding. The idea her entire life could be nothing but a game of chess, where she might be nothing more than a pawn, was horrifying. She hated having some unknown force controlling her. This was her life. She wouldn’t let someone manipulate her as they pleased.
“There’s a figure sitting on a chair. He’s holding a glass of some kind. There’s something at his feet, but I can’t make it out. In front of him are two people, on their knees. Are they in pain? Or are they bowing to him? Weird. Wait! Is that a gun? Oh no, he’s going to shoot them! Get out of the way! Save yourselves!”
BANG!
“AAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Sakura screamed out in horror as she heard the distinctive sound of the speeding bullet lodging in flesh and ending the miracle of life. Someone had died. Her eyes bulged like bombs and her hands shook like jackhammers. “What’s going on? What kind of future is this? And there’s me! I’m wearing a new costume. I look really angry. How could I be that angry? It’s as if I’m looking at something I couldn’t hate more. Yet I’m not afraid. I’m confident. I’m holding the new cards. All eight of them. They all have those mystical planetary designs on the back. What are the rest? And where are my friends? Where is everyone?
“Ohhh...” Sakura tossed and turned semi-consciously with fury, flinging the silky sheets she was resting below back and forth, banging her head against her soft, fluffy white pillow and moaning in pain as she grasped against something solid. She wrapped her hands around it tightly and didn’t let go. She took comfort out of the simple touch against this unknown object. It felt warm and welcoming. It tore through the turmoil in her and instilled a sense of calm. Feeling serenity wash over her like a wave on a tropical island, she let herself be overcome by the feeling and freely submitted herself to the unknown outcome. Anything to escape her dream.
“Wake up, Sakura. Wake up.”
Sakura’s eyelids slowly slid open, revealing her lustrous emeralds. Rubbing her face softly with her gentle hands, she let out a strained yawn and faced the source of the familiar voice.
“Ash.” The single word floated off her lips like she was floating on clouds and never coming down. A feeling that made all her troubles slip away in an instant. She flicked her hair back in a carefree manner and faced her newfound love. As she stared at him in a daze with her lips curling upwards in a heavenly smile and her skin glowing with the help of the morning sun that came through the window in front of her, she realised her hands were wrapped around Ash’s waist. Blushing in embarrassment for a moment and shrinking away, she then looked up and saw that Ash was just sitting there with a half-smile on his face and not flinching at her touch at all. Relief flooding through her veins, she nestled in against Ash on top of him as he continued to lie on the bed. Ash let out a soft swoon of pleasure in reply as he began to caress Sakura’s scalp, running his fingers through those flowing, soothing brown-red locks and massaging her head with his fingertips.
“You looked like you were in so much pain. What happened?”
Sakura opened her eyes, and her emeralds temporarily flushed an acid green, revealing the pain inside of her. “I had a dream, but it was more like a nightmare. I was in it, but I couldn’t make out anyone else. The figures seemed familiar somehow. It seemed so real. Someone was sitting in a chair while two other figures bowed to him. And there was a gunshot. I could hear the sound of a direct hit. Someone had been shot. I could hear that person dying. Only for a moment, but it was horrible. The sound of blood flowing out of the wound, desperate gasps for air, painful wracks. I couldn’t bear it.”
“Easy now.” Ash held Sakura’s head in his arms and kissed her softly on her forehead. “You’re safe now. Nothing can hurt you here. I won’t let anyone do that.”
“Can you?” croaked Sakura. “Do you think after all we’ve been through, you can still make that promise?”
“I swore to protect you and you swore to protect me. It still stands. I don’t care about the consequences. To hell with them. You’re the one thing the matters.”
Sakura sat up and raised her head to Ash’s. “So you’re willing to even die if it means I live? You’re ready to throw it all away...for me?”
Ash sighed heavily, fighting back the thought and forcing out the words like bitter gall. “Yes.”
“You’ve only known me for a few months, and you’re ready to end all you lived for because of me?” she snapped suddenly, rousing Ash with a start.
“Sakura, what are you talking about? Where’s this coming from?” he gasped, feeling sweat run down his neck and his heart beginning to rip out of his chest.
“This is what always happens. Everyone I get close to gets hurt in the end. Tori, Julian, Madison, Kero, Meilin, Li. So much pain and misery has come because of my destiny. I don’t want anyone to suffer anymore. It’s too much.”
“Sakura, you haven’t hurt me at all. You’ve healed me. You’ve made me a better person. You’re the one that makes me complete. You’re the one I’ve dreamed about since I was just a kid. Please, don’t leave me now. I need you. I need you,” he whimpered as salty tears scorched their way down his oily skin.
Sakura felt a tight pain in her chest and struggled to continue. “What if it’s you that was shot? What if you die and it came to nothing? I won’t let that happen. I can’t let you get hurt.”
“I freely accept that possibility. As long as I’m with you now.”
“And what would I do without you? A whole lifetime mourning what would have been? Another corpse on the way to evil’s victory? A prologue to my own painful death? This isn’t a dream anymore, Ash. It’s for real. There are forces that wish for us to be together, but there are those that wish to tear us apart. Please, I can’t let you get hurt. Not you.” She fell into Ash’s lap and sobbed heavily, snivelling and breaking up in a complete mess.
Ash’s blood heated up and he took a firm hold of Sakura’s face, raising it back to his face. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying. I will never leave you.”
“Ash, what if...”
“No ifs! No buts! I will NEVER leave you. I swear by my soul.” He stared deep into Sakura’s emeralds, pouring out his entire soul for her to see, making her gasp in awe.
“You’re ready to accept eternal damnation in order to stay with me? How can I let you do that? How could you think of such a thing? Nothing is worth that! I can’t let you do that.”
“We’re worth more than that. Wouldn’t you do the same for me?”
Sakura stopped cold and paused on that single thought. Would she? The answer came to her and warmed her soul, restoring her happy nature. “Yes,” she choked in joy. “I would.”
“Then please trust me.”
“Trust’s not that easy anymore.”
“I trust you.”
“Am I worth it?”
“I think so. Everyone else seems to think so.”
“Then I let you. And I trust you.”
Ash wiped away the salty conglomeration staining Sakura’s face and moved close to her. “Sakura, you have powers I may never understand. As do I that you may never fathom. We have to accept that. You can’t seek to understand and control everything. The universe isn’t made that way. You have to leave yourself vulnerable to its random ways and hope things turn out for the best.”
Sakura smiled and locked her tongue deep into Ash’s mouth. “You’re right. I’m okay now.”
That wasn’t completely true. She trusted Ash, She believed him. But from that moment on, until it did happen, she would wonder who those figures were.

“Where is that kid?!”
Professor Oak groaned like a ravenous lion, his impatience growing exponentially with every second. His lips were sucked inwards forming a tight scowl and his fists were clenched.
“I go out of my way despite my busy schedule to help that kid, and he doesn’t show! He was the one who really wanted to meet. They were the ones that wanted help. Or maybe I should just face the facts. So much like their parents, those kids.”
“Sir, here’s the book you wanted,” chirped a sweet, familiar female voice that could be heard in any major city.
“Ah, yes! Thank you very much, Nurse Joy.” Professor Oak wiped his hand across the front of the dark green book, seeming to take some sort of meaning from the touch.
“The ways of the ancient are mind-blowing indeed. What life must have been like back then.” He gently perused over each fragile page with a eye that gleaned for detail at the speed of light, with hawk-like precision and wisdom that comes not from age but from experience and from the good in someone. “And Ash could have one of these amazing beings. Who would have known what that kid was in store for when he left on his first Pokemon journey eight years ago? He was such a half-witted, clumsy, vain squirt. But he sure did have heart. More than anyone I’ve ever known. And still does. Except for that girl he travels with now. Now she’s something else! I bet all the boys would want her bad. She’s too good for them though. Ash has no idea how lucky he is. Or how lucky Sakura is”
He then paused at a picture, as a colour sparked a vivid memory in his mind, flashing every detail across his eyes in an instant, evoking a pained response. “And yet, they have no idea how unlucky they are. They were just young kids when it all happened. Why does Fate enjoying tormenting the righteous so? The things that we went through, that we saw. Oh dear.” Professor Oak retrieved a tissue swiftly from his pocket and rubbed it against his forehead as if he was grating wood with sandpaper.
“So what’s all this about a green Dratini?”
“Say what?!” Oak jumped with such a start he dropped the book on his left foot and hit himself on the head with his elbow. “Who said that? How the hell could anyone know about that?! I found it only a few days ago. Lousy media scum!” He brushed his head then turned to face the woman next to him. “Oh, Nurse Joy. It’s just you. I thought you were a reporter. And...oh great,” instantly realising what he’d let slip.
“Um, you found it? I thought Professor Elm was the one.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Haven’t you seen today’s paper?” Nurse Joy handed him the current edition of the Calcium City Chronicle. The headline on the front page read: “Highly respected Pokemon researcher discovers ancient Pokemon!” The article featured a photo of a perturbed Professor Elm and nothing more than pure speculation.
Nurse Joy gestured at the article and a painting above her workbench. “Professor Elm vehemently scoffed at the claims. He didn’t even have a clue what those reporters were on about. So you’re the one that found it?”
Oak sighed heavily in frustration. “Not exactly. I found it inside a special Pokeball five years ago. I gave it to Ash Ketchum, one of the two famed Pokemon trainers from Pallet Town. Kurt and I spent years figuring out what it was for or anything. It drove us around the bend for what seemed like forever. Until three months ago, when Kurt noticed the magnetic seal was breaking. The ball would finally open. And out came the green Dratini. Ash has it now, but he hasn’t used it yet. He doesn’t know of the powers that it possesses. It is something that can’t be taken lightly. And, er, if you don’t mind, can you keep this quiet? I can’t have anyone knowing just yet. The kid’s gone through some pretty rough stuff lately.”
“Sure,” replied Nurse Joy with a sweet smile on her sincere face. “I wouldn’t want the green Dratini to get hurt either. I’ve always liked the idea of them since I read about them when I was little. I’m looking forward to seeing it. I’m patient. I just worry about what others might think. Speaking of which, did you hear about those attacks on the water reservoir on the old mountain?”
“Sure did,” replied Oak harshly. “What a nightmare. Mechanical Houndoom, poisoned grounds, the reservoir almost destroyed. And the girl that was nearly killed in the attack.”
Nurse Joy choked momentarily as if hot ashes were being forced down her throat then forced out the words. “I know. That Sakura Avalon girl. Such a beautiful, sweet thing. Thank heaven she lived. I just wonder who instigated this whole mess. It’s been years since any kind of criminal activity on this scale has occurred. Not since Team Rocket...”
“There’s you answer,” replied Oak bitterly. “They’re back, and with a vengeance. I’d say their leader, whoever he is, has reached his boiling point. His lust for power has reached new bounds and he’ll stop at nothing to get it, by any means possible.”
“Remember what happened last time the nation was under siege by Team Rocket?” gulped Nurse Joy.
“Oh, I remember,” replied Oak half-heartedly. “I remember all too well.”
Nurse Joy briefly bowed her head in a private form of salutation, then snapped into her usual friendly manner once more. “Well, I’d better get back to work. Got trainers with Pokemon that need treatment after battles at the local gym. Have a nice day, Samuel.”
“And you too, Joy.” Oak sat back against the plush blue sofas set out across the room, fixated on the memory of years gone by and things that were but shouldn’t have been. Regret, pain, hope, truth, destiny. “Those kids. So much like their parents. Dahlia, Frank, Natasha, Samuel. What happened?”

“Why don’t you tell us?”
Professor Oak lurched forward with a start and felt as if his heart had exploded. He sincerely hoped he didn’t just hear who he thought he heard. He turned to his side and felt his lungs constrict like they were weighed down by lead. For standing in front of him were the people he didn’t want to hear what he had just said. Ash Ketchum and Sakura Avalon. Both looking at him as if someone had stepped on their graves and looking at him in hunger and desperation.
“Oh no,” he groaned. “Not this. Anything but this. This wasn’t meant to happen.”
“It happened,” growled Ash. “And don’t even think of pretending it didn’t. So you’d better play along, Professor. We’ve got some questions and we know you can answer them.”
“And what might those be?” joked Oak as he wiped his sweaty forehead in panic.
“What happened to my dad? You obviously knew him,” scowled Ash, anger flowing from his eyes like a raging lion.
“What happened to my mother? And how did you know my parents?” slammed Sakura as she grabbed the front of Oak’s shirt with all she could muster.
“Take it easy, kids! I’m the only one who can answer those questions. But not here. We need somewhere private.”
“How about the lake? Private enough for you?” sneered Ash with a fury and emptiness Oak never knew to exist in him.
“That will suffice. In fact, it’s quite appropriate. I’ll explain everything when we get there. It’s about time you kids learned the truth. We’ve all been in denial for far too long.”
And with the air of a person who’s about to do something that they don’t want to do but know they have to do despite the consequences, Oak led the two lovers to the serene parklands, where the past and present would finally collide.

The park in Calcium City was certainly a place were many retreated for a moment’s pause. Fields of emerald green offset by the crystal blue lake, azure skies and peace in the middle of urban life. It was a rarity that many who passed through there cherished. Pidgey masticated the plentiful foliage while Ratatta foraged for scraps. A haven for Pokemon as well as for people. It made Sakura feel at home. It made her think of the placid lake she skated by so often on her unintentional daily flirtations with being late for school. Moments when she truly felt alive and in her element. Anyone who happened to catch even a glimpse of her in that mode could attest to that.
Seeing Sakura walk around reliving the glories of her childhood made Ash feel warm inside as he watched the heavenly beauty slowly grace across green grass lightly littered with dew. His body temporarily was free of tension and of worry as he watched his heart’s desire daydream with an insatiable smile and a warmth that could melt even the hardest of hearts. Something he never came close to on his previous journeys. Instead of the arguing and spite that denied the truth between him and Misty, he could now open up to Sakura. He felt so at peace in her. He had found himself divulging secrets about his past that he’d never told anyone before. It wasn’t a case of just liking Sakura. It was beyond that. He loved her. And he needed her. Just as she needed him.
Oak welcomed the few minutes of calm before the storm he knew to be released upon the revelation of the truth. I knew this day would come, he thought. In two ways. Firstly, I should have known I could never hush up the truth. How could I ever convince myself that it would never surface? I should have known. It is a bitter truth that will change everything. And I know why I’ve kept it secret. Because I’ve dreaded the day, for the bearer of bitter news can be the harbinger of doom.
But, something good has come out of this. These two. They’re in love. If only their parents could see them now. I’ve waited sixteen years for such a day. This is the spanner in the works for a certain someone. This was what he had counted on not happening. He was right about many things. But he was very wrong about this. May justice finally fall upon him and strike him down for good.
“Better now, Sakura?” chirped Ash innocently.
“I’m great, Ashy,” she crooned as she sank down next to Ash and nuzzled in against his shoulder. Ash smiled in response and nestled against her head. Oak struggled to contain himself from breaking this moment. He knew too much was at stake. This was one of very few things that were in their favour right now.
“So, Professor,” started Ash in a prolonged fashion that made Oak shiver in anticipation. “It is time. You know something we want to know.”
“Please tell us,” whispered Sakura. “We need to know the truth about our parents. Please.”
The glint of sadness made Oak’s heart stop beating for a moment. Just like her mother, he thought. She was always so happy. But in those instances you saw her sad, you felt worse than you ever would in your entire life. It’s the same with Sakura.
“I will,” he sighed. “But I must ask you how you came across this in the first place. I need to know what you know first. Then I can fill in the gaps. This isn’t easy, believe me. Your parents and I have dreaded this day for a long time, yet longed for it also.”
Temporarily taken aback by Oak’s comments, Ash found himself lost for words. This was a side of Oak he’d never seen. It wasn’t Oak the scientist, Oak the researcher, Oak the figure of empathy for Pokemon and people alike, Oak the grandfather of his rival, Oak the mentor. Now he could see that Oak had borne a burden that had weighed Oak down for nearly as long as Ash had been alive. It was Oak the guardian.
Sakura summoned up the courage to break the silence. “As a result of being attacked by Team Rocket and the Death Card, I had to undergo intensive surgery and treatment in order to survive. It was found that I had a Houndoom tooth lodged in my neck. It was preventing me from regaining consciousness. It was also found that Ash had a Houndoom tooth lodged in his neck. Hence Ash was able to give me a blood transfusion that saved my life. I regained consciousness a few days later.
When we left the hospital, the doctor that was assigned to me had found the Houndoom that bit me was the same one that bit Ash. It was such an unlikely event to be possible under any circumstance, except if we knew each other. I remembered that when I was two, I was injured and that my parents seemed so worried and out of character. Ash recalled having the same thing happen when he was two. Then I remembered that a boy that frequently entered my dreams about times when I was little. I realised it was Ash. Then Ash realised the dreams he had about his infancy and a red-haired girl meant I was the girl in his dreams. Meaning we knew each other when we were very little.”
Oak slapped his hand harshly on his face. “The Houndoom tooth! Of course! How could I have forgotten about that? How important that day was. Oh dear. I think I’d better start filling the both of you in. And I’d better start from the beginning.”
Ash slid his arm up to Sakura’s and gently took hold of her soft, creamy hand. Sakura released a gentle breath of pleasure then firmly took hold of Ash’s hand. “We’re ready, Professor.”
Oak sighed heavily, releasing years of pain and regret in a single moment, then unfolded the tale. “When I was in college, I met both your fathers. Sakura’s father was already becoming a prominent archaeologist, and Ash’s father was a whiz in the field of psychology. He took a particular interest in Pokemon psychology, and developed an understanding of Pokemon that inspired me to further my own research and to take a more humane approach in my studies. In his youth he was a formidable Pokemon trainer too. I knew you would follow in his footsteps, Ash. You’re so much like your father. You have his fighting spirit, his jet black hair, his piercing brown eyes, his big heart.
Soon after, I met your mothers. Dahlia and Natasha were both well-known and sought after models. Dahlia was an expert in evening dress while Natasha was always the head of parades of revolutionary fashions. They did it only for a few years, but amassed enough money to support the two of you for the rest of your lives.
When your mothers fell pregnant with the two of you, they both devoted their lives to raising you both. Dahlia enjoyed no longer being in limelight and relished the relative peace of Pallet Town. Natasha loved the area too. For a while, we all lived in Pallet. It was quite something, really. The five of us were quite a team. Inseparable, we were. Could see us at every family gathering, special occasion, weekend, you name it. We were the Fantastic Five.
One other thing was that Natasha still seemed too good for this planet. The idea of her being confined to home didn’t seem right to me. But one day I found out a secret about your mother not even Samuel knew about. Sakura, your mother possessed magical powers too.”
Sakura gasped in complete shock and looked to the skies in wonder. “My mother was... a magic user too?”
“She was. And very talented too. But not strong enough to open the seal of the Clow Book. She had perceived that her second child would possess the possibility to inherit the power to fulfill her destiny. Your mother did all she could to guarantee that you would become the one, Sakura. She worked so hard.” Oak stopped for a moment and wiped the sweat off his forehead swiftly.
“And it was then that things began to change. One day we received a letter from an old friend from our high school days. He was the head of a very large corporation as it turned out. He demanded that the five of us separated and never converged again. The demand was outrageous! And furthermore, puzzling. Why would someone want to break us up so desperately?
“The answer came on Natasha’s 25th birthday. At the party that you two relive in your dreams, a savage Houndoom appeared from out of nowhere, ruthless and crazed. It went straight for the two of you, and were it not for Frank and Natasha, the two of you would surely be dead. It was one of the rare occasions Natasha used her magic in public. I was the only one who knew, of course. Frank was a particularly competent athlete too, so they were able to save you from the Houndoom by some miracle. It fled before we could retaliate.
“We were all sent into a spin by the event. Why would a wild dog suddenly turn on you two for no reason? As it turned out, a second letter came just after the attack. The man warned us that we had been folly our think we could save our children from the forces of evil. He warned us that this time we would suffer the consequences, and that he would one day renew his quest to destroy the two of you.
“Frank and Natasha were the ones who didn’t take the news well. In a wild scene, Frank left home immediately in search of the one who wished to cause us so much pain and misery. For a few months, he reported on his travels, and it seemed he had actually located the one. He knew who it was, what he headed and why. Two days later, Ash’s father disappeared. Not to be seen for months. Until one day, a black van raced through town and dumped a large container at your doorstep. Inside was Frank’s body. He had been murdered.”
Ash felt himself choke and fall to the ground in bitter sobbing. He now knew the truth. His father had perished while trying to do the right thing. His father was gone. The father he didn’t know. Who he may never know. Sakura felt her throat constrict and she held Ash close to her, letting him rest against her lap as he let out years of waiting and longing. Years that would never be fulfilled.
“Immediately after, Natasha fell victim to a mystery disease. We forked out any amount to get the best in the business to determine what was wrong with her, but nothing could be found. It was a nightmare. The one that lit up our lives was wasting away. Fortunately her pain was brief. She slipped away with a red sunset in that harsh summer of ’91. An autopsy found one strange feature. Her digestive system contained a deadly poison called foxglove. It has a sweet taste but is fatal in high enough doses. We knew what had happened. Someone had poisoned you mother, Sakura. She was murdered as well.”
Sakura felt as if she’d been run through by five people at once and collapsed in a seizure-like fashion. She thrashed upon the ground and whimpered in agony. “Mother, mother.” Ash moved next to her and held her close to him. His touch soothed her pain, but she couldn’t hold back the tears that flowed from her longing for the mother she wanted and dreamed about so much.
“You said you knew who killed them, Professor,” growled Ash. “Who did this?!”
“I want the answer right now!” roared Sakura. “No one deserves to get away with that and live!”
“Give you one guess,” was all Oak needed to say to give it all away.
Ash clenched his fist and shook with fury. “Giovanni!”
“That’s right, Ash. The leader of the word’s most prolific crime syndicate, Team Rocket. He sensed that there was a power in the world that could prevent him from achieving his plans of world domination. He knew that the two of you were the only people who could stop him. He killed your parents to remove those that you drew strength from. He let you live this long to provide himself with a challenge. He has a certain code of honour despite his ghastly ways. He believed in providing you with a fair chance. He wants every thrill he can muster from your pain. He grows fat off your fear and hatred. He’s set this up for a win to him. He wants you dead and he’ll never rest until it happens. Only you two, with the combined Power of Pokemon and magic, and with your love, will ever be able to stop him. That is where the hope lies. Your love binds the two of you and makes you stronger. You two were meant for each other. Your parents knew it would end up that way. So I urge you to be strong and to continue your quest. Giovanni’s failing is his pride. He believes he can’t be beaten. But your love can beat him. Remember that at all costs!” He rose from the grassy ground, wiped the dirt from his jeans and moved off. “We’ll meet again tomorrow at the Pokemon Centre to discuss the green Dratini. There are some things you need to know about it. Things that may determine the course of your future. But for now, I know you need some time to yourselves. You’ve been through something you’ve never had to. I just hope you can forgive me and the others. We’ve always looked out for you. We just wanted the best for you both. I pray that we haven’t failed.” And with that, we walked off down the pebble path back to the city centre, burdened as ever, knowing the hell he had unleashed.
“But I could not tell you everything. Not yet. It could break you. Too much is at stake.”

“You did go through with it, didn’t you?” yelled Li, his eyes as scathing and hawk-like as ever, yet Misty stared down that gaze equally with her stormy blue eyes, cold and unforgiving.
“You bet I did. Do you honestly think I’m going to let Ash and Sakura get away with that?! The hell I will!”
“Listen Misty! Giovanni’s using you! He knows how much you resent them. He knows that you’d feel betrayed by their love for each other. It hurts me too, okay? I wish I still was with Sakura. I think about it every day! But I know it’s over. I blew it. And so did you. Accept the facts and let them be. You’re a good person, Misty. I don’t know you as well as others may, but damn it, I know that underneath your attitude, your metallic skin, that you have a heart. Don’t do it.”
“It’s done, so don’t waste your breath. I hope those two burn in hell. They were probably in love from the start! They betrayed us, Li!”
“That’s what Giovanni wants you to think! How can you be so gullible?! Don’t you think he’s hiding what we need to know most?”
“I don’t care. I want them to feel pain. They must feel pain for the pain they caused me and you.”
“I won’t support you in this, Misty.”
“I don’t want your support and didn’t ask for it! So stop nosing about in my business and stay out of my way!”
“Don’t ever threaten me again, Waterflower! Or I will hurt you.”
“Just shut it, Li! I don’t care about anything right now. They must hurt. Look me in the eye and tell me a part of you doesn’t want to see them hurt.”
Li stepped back and strained his mind, as if he was blocking out the inevitable. It still rang home and left him defeated.
“I can’t. I want them to feel pain too. Sakura was supposed to be with me. I blew it, I know. But not with him!”
“So what makes me different from you then, Li? Aren’t you just as metallic and attitude as I am?”
“I am. So be it then.”

“Everything’s changed, Ash,” whispered Sakura painfully as they laid beside each other on their hotel bed on top of satin sheets and warm pillows.
“Not us, though. We’ll stay together no matter what.”
“I’m with you there,” she swooned happily, embracing him around his chest even tighter.
“I just wish...”
“Let it go, Ash. It’s over. What’s done is done. We can’t change it. But we can change the future. We will avenge our parents. Giovanni will fall. I won’t stop until his dark presence is removed from this planet. He’s hurt too many to hurt any more. I won’t let him.”
“And I won’t either. Together we’ll stop him.”
“But things have changed.”
“They have. They have,” echoed Ash in a sombre recognition as they held each other close to the other’s hearts as Radiohead’s Amnesiac CD played “Knives Out”, strengthening their resolve and aiding their healing. Things had changed. The truth hurt, it was bitter and harsh and would scar them forever, but it had set them free. Now they could end the cycle of evil. If they had what it takes. Love could save them yet.


Radiohead – Knives Out

I want you to know
He’s not coming back
Look into my eyes
I’m not coming back

So knives out
Catch the mouse
Don’t look down
Shove it in your mouth

If you’d been a dog
They would have drowned you at birth
Look into my eyes
It’s the only way you know I’m telling the truth

So knives out
Cook him up
Squash his head
Put him in the pot

(guitar and base length)

I want you to know
He’s not coming back
His body is frozen
Still there’s no point in letting it go to waste

So knives out
Catch the mouse
Squash his head
Put him in the pot

[Andrew]

Ooh CCC, Congrats once again on your Other Anime Modding! Go you, but the thing is now, we're the baby mods of TPM ;)

Ah, Sakura's dream is a nice bit of forboding to the future! And she got all 8 cards, good for her! But so far we have Moon, Sun, Death, is there going to be a life card? I can't think of any others either ^^;

Gee Ash and Sakura's love's blossomed, makes you wonder if he feels anything about Misty.

He was such a half-witted, clumsy, vain squirt LOL! I loved Prof. Oak's dialouge between him and Joy!

And Sakura's Mum being Magic, I would've thought she'd left a message behind for Tori and Sakura, or a Video or something... But its terrible that Frank and Sakura's mum were killed. Bad Giovanni! Bad! *Twacks him with rolled up newspaper*

But Li's first words to Misty confuse me greatly... Its bad to see them so bitter, but well, after one's dear love gets with someone else its sure to get bitchy. Oh well, hopefully it'll all work out.. Although I have a feeling Misty will wreak her vengance at the most critical time... and perhaps Madison or Sakura could look after her Pokemon...

*Shrugs* Great chapter CCC, I can't wait for more!

[Snakes N' Legends]

I never liked Giovanni. This whole evil thing caused me to form the Twin Terrors. I can't remember where you call the Team Rocket organization Terrorists ... but if your sense of reality hadn't caused me to figure out anything, I wouldn't have created the Twin Terrors. Good chapter, Ryan.

[Lady Vulpix]

Wow, it's great to see this chapter again! I still think it's an excellent piece of work. One of the best chapters of WDC.
So... does this mean new chapters will be up soon?
I failed my Networks exam, so I'll be really busy this week, but I'll keep an eye on this fic in case you post again. Never quit writing, "Rayn", and congratulations on your promotion!

[mistysakura]

What the heck is going on? Samuel+Natasha... what the, Sakura doesn't know her dad's name???????

Okay, if it was a mistake, Sakura's dad's name is actually Fujitaka/Aiden *wince*, but if it's not, I can see something huge coming up...

This chapter was shocking! (Not in a bad sense, don't worry.) Murdered? Don't know about Frank, but whatever did Nadeshiko do to deserve it? She was perfect.

And that dream. It was really nice of you to use Sakura's dreams again. i won't try to guess who the people are, because I'm such a bad guesser, but I'm full on supportive of that idea.

I thought that Syaoran'd be the one to betray first. This surprised me. I guess he has a bit more sense in his head.

Am I the only one who thinks the romance was a bit overdone?

[Last Exile]

OzAndrew: Misty's revenge is near. She's got something planned for those two. And Oak, well, he's a work in progress. ;)

tyranitar master: Yikes! Now that's something you don't hear every day! ;)

Lady Vulpix: Your support is always valued, Gabi. :) Sorry to hear about your Network exam, but you'll recover, don't worry. ;) A new chapter should be up within a week. I think we may have made it to Chapter 20 once before the TPM shutdown halted progress.

mistysakura: It's getting crazy and is about to get a lot crazier! :D As for overdone romance, expect spanners in the works to appear soon. ;)

[ZeldaFan20]

Once again, I salute your creativity! Another great chapter! It certainly shoots my whole "Boss Rocket=Ash's Dad" theory out the window, but it's still great.

There's still one thing that's been bugging me ever since I started reading this story: I know that Sakura is supposed to have TWO guardians, Kero Beros and Yue, but I haven't read anything about Yue being in this story. Did I miss him somewhere in the previous chapters or will he pop up soon?

[Snakes N' Legends]

Ryan, did I say something to upset you? I am speaking the truth. Your truthful reflections of the Pokemon reality (and calling Team Rocket Terrorists) help me form the terrible duo The Twin Terrors. That does sound odd, I know. I apologize if I caused you to be upset in any way.

[Last Exile]

ZeldaFan20: He'll show up soon. ;) But certain people will regret it.

tyranitar master: Whoa! Whoa! Back up a moment! There's been a BIG misunderstanding here! I meant that in a positive way. As in it's flattering that you started writing because of this! Chill, man, chill! ;)

[Last Exile]

It's that time...

Chapter 19 – Green Is Good

Sakura felt herself stirring as sleep suddenly drifted away from her body like a zephyr. Gently and unnoticed. Her eyes slowly opened and she felt the comforting presence of someone lying next to her. She knew his touch and his smell reasonably well by now. With Ash lying next to her in a semi-asleep state, as if daring her to lean over and kiss him, Sakura gladly let herself be reeled in. Reaching over his messy yet vibrant mop of black hair, she pressed in against his soft yet solid face and kissed his cheek, sliding her arm under his back and holding him close to her as her other hand flicked at those striking tendrils of jet black. Ash let out a stifled yawn then slowly turned over, the two lovers’ faces meeting just millimetres from the other.
“Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” joked Sakura.
“I think you’re referring to yourself there, Heaven,” whispered Ash in a dazed yet ecstatic state.
“Heaven? Where’d that come from?” swooned Sakura with surprise.
“It’s my pet name for you. You love to call me Ashy. And you’re my idea of Heaven. So I like think of you as Heaven.”
“You know, if I wasn’t falling in love with you, I’d think what you’d just said was pretty stupid. And for you, that’s saying something!” she giggled as she flicked Ash’s ear, who recoiled in fake pain.
“But...?” he replied keenly.
“Since I am falling for you, I consider it the sweetest thing anyone ever said to me.”
“Well thank you. I’ll see if I can improve upon that by the time today’s through.”
“You can try. And I’ll love hearing every bit, Ashy!” she teased as she spun on top of Ash, lowering her face to his as her arms rested across his chest then wrapping around against his back as she pressed her lips against Ash’s passionately and plunged her tongue into his mouth as deep as she could. Ash fell completely victim to her sudden outburst of affection and could do nothing but receive every bit of it. He then regained control of his senses and raised his hands to Sakura’s back, slowly rubbing up and down the smooth, shapely curves of her back, tracing the indented skin that detailed the length of her spine. Sakura let out a soft moan of pure pleasure that reverberated into Ash’s throat and made him salivate, making their kisses wetter as they enjoyed the intimacy of the moment.
Sakura eventually slipped her tongue back into her mouth and withdrew from Ash’s, momentarily caressed his temples then smiled, her emeralds flowing right into Ash’s soft, milky brown irises and mesmerising his every thought, making his brain feel like it was swimming in ambrosia, as the narcotic feeling overpowered every cell in his body.
“So, are we going to go for a big badge today, Ashy?” she swooned like a siren.
Ash stifled a soft chuckle then smiled back. “I really should. We’ve stayed far too long in Calcium City. We need to get back on the road again and head to our next destination, so today’s the day. It’s the thing I’m itching for. Aside from your warm affection, of course.”
“Good thinking, Ashy. You just scored yourself a little more.” Sakura slipped her silky hand through Ash’s tussled and brazen black locks of hair, making him hum thankfully in reply.
“So are we going to see Professor Oak again?” pondered Sakura. “I think he had something to say about that green Dratini. It is pretty rare. Having a Pokemon like that on your team and learning how to use it could be a real bonus!”
“Yeah, it sure would be! I know I’ve come a long way, but even I’ll admit I’ve been too soft. I’ve had my Pokemon for quite some time, but most of my battles have only been against Team Rocket, back when they were lame and pathetic. It’s a thrill to now have Bayleef, Croconaw and Quilava. It would be even better to have them in their ultimate forms. But only when they’re ready. I’m not forcing them to do anything they wouldn’t want. I need a really strong team if I’m ever going to be a Pokemon Master. That I know.”
Ash sighed heavily, almost as if he’d conceded the fact that he’d taken life too softly and that his mistakes were coming back to haunt him in the form of failure. He wasn’t showing it that much, but a receptive person to emotion like Sakura could tell he felt that his dreams of glory were slipping away in his view, and that it was hurting him. Sakura rested her hand against Ash’s cheek and roused him from his sombre state.
“Listen, you may not be the best yet, and it may be a long time before you are. But you will get there one day. You have the heart and the talent. A rare combination of both. And I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”
The glimmer in her emeralds hypnotised Ash in a frozen instant. In that glimmer he saw her sincerity, her devotion and her undying affection for him. She’d known him for just a few months, yet she was willing to give a part of herself to him. There was no greater gift than that.
“And I promise to be there for you always. Now and for eternity,” he replied softly.
“Eternity’s a long time,” stated Sakura cautiously.
“It’s only a second to me when I’m with you.”
“Mmm.” Sakura smiled so sweetly before she embraced Ash tightly that he couldn’t help but feel warm inside. He was willing to give a part of himself to her. He couldn’t ever say the same for Misty. She’d been his friend but never trusted him to return her feelings for him. That hurt him deeply, but he’d been as stubborn as Misty in his denial of the truth. But now he had someone to be honest with.
“We’d better get going,” blew Sakura as she rose from the bed, stretching her arms out and letting her hair flicker around her like a vixen.
“Coming, dearest,” replied Ash as he reached for his hat. “Let’s go, Pikachu!”
“Pika!” replied a familiar yellow face that appeared from the side of the bed.

“Look at them!” growled Misty like a wounded animal. “Cuddling, caressing, kissing! It’s disgusting! I swear they are going to pay!”
“If you say so,” spat Li without even thinking.
Misty’s cheeks flared a deep scarlet and she braced her pearly yet dripping teeth. “Watch your mouth, Li! Don’t think you can just shrug me off just because I’m a girl!”
“And don’t think you can look down on me and slam everything I do just because I’m male,” replied Li calmly and coldly. “You’ve never even tried to understand guys, yet you think you know it all. News flash, Misty. You don’t and never will. So grow up for once. Now wonder Ash never returned your secret affection. You’re just scared of being rejected, so you don’t trust anyone. What’s a life without risks?”
Misty replied swiftly by ramming her fist into Li’s face like a sledgehammer. Blood erupted from his nose like lava from a volcano as he fell to the ground in a state of numbness.
“When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it! Until then, shut your mouth, you heartless bastard! What would you know about feelings? You’re so cold you lost one of the most amazing women in the world. And what do you have to show for it? Nothing!”
Li choked as the painful memories of Sakura rained down on him like an avalanche. She’d hit a nerve that connected with everything that he held dear. And it was showing.
“And some friend you are to Ash. Look at what you’re about to do! You’re about to hurt the one person in the world who ever really gave a damn about you! Is that how you repay the kindness of others, Misty? If so, no wonder you’re still alone! With your attitude, you always will be, and you deserve to be!”
Li’s barb stung Misty right where it hurt, and she couldn’t fire any reply in retaliation. No infuriated outbursts. No putdowns. No lies. No physicality. Nothing. She was completely disarmed by one single comment.
Eventually something slipped onto her tongue. “He betrayed me. And he did it with her. They must both pay.”
“Get over it, Waterflower!” scorned Li with renewed vigour. “He was going to leave you anyway. That moment you shared was fake and you knew it. And how would the two of you ever worked out anyway? You wouldn’t! The lies, the secrets, the dishonesty. It would have torn the two of you apart. Let him be happy, Misty. Let him find his peace. And find your own.”
“Believe me, Li, I am finding my peace,” Misty replied slyly. “This is my first step to healing.”
Li stood up despite wobbling about a bit and shot Misty an acid stare. “If you dare hurt Sakura, I’ll kill you. Got it?”
“Your threats are empty, Li. You’re nothing but a little fly!” shunned Misty as she filed away to her quarters. “As I have felt pain, so will Ash and Sakura. I swear it.”

Professor Oak wiped the conglomeration of sweat and grime from his forehead with a wrist that felt more like sandpaper than a tissue, and gasped yet again in continual disbelief. As he patiently waited inside the lobby of the Calcium City Pokemon centre, hands folded on his lap while his fingers couldn’t stop fidgeting on the cover of the book he was holding, he once again tried to bring some rationale to what he had just found out. It just didn’t seem possible to him. His mind felt like a stormy grey rather than the soft yellow and aqua colours than adorned the room he was currently in. While he was sitting on a nice, plush sofa that was actually relieving his lumbago quite well, it felt more like he was sitting on a bed of nails. Every hair on his weary body was standing on end. The telltale signs of age were beginning to show on the accomplished Pokemon researcher.
For decades he’d been holding a dark secret inside of him. After all this time, he’d revealed part of it to Ash and Sakura. They had to know. He was banking on their love to pull them through this. Giovanni had caused those two far more pain in their lives than they ever deserved. Their only crime was being the children of the people Giovanni despised most. It had such a pathetic religious ceremonial significance to it. The Bible, one of the most ignorant, sexist, contradictory and fictional pieces of literature in history in his opinion, was littered with stories where sinners had their punishments exacted on their children. The Egyptians when Moses lead the Jews out of slavery. King David when he seduced Bathsheba after arranging for her husband to be killed in battle. King Ahab after having Nezerath stoned simply because he wouldn’t hand over his vineyard when Ahab had no right to take it. He had no time for religion. They were all too literal and discriminatory. He considered it important to live out Christian morals, and no more. There was no point in reciting literature if you didn’t take in the meaning. Or stories which were cruel and unjust. He particularly hated the stories in which women were abused or treated as nothing but sexual objects. Especially the one where when a man’s concubine was murdered by sex offenders, then the men of that town kidnapped and raped all the women in the next town despite any intervention from God. After all he’d read about and seen in his time on Earth, and had his doubts about higher powers. He believed there was one. He simply wished not to pick which one. If six billion people debated about it so widely, how could the majority of the world be destined for hell? There was no justification for it whatsoever. He had no time for religion.
“Those kids,” he thought somberly. “They don’t deserve this at all. Yet there is hope. Those kids are stronger the Giovanni banks on. He’s far too sure of himself. And no one could know that better than me. And this green Dratini! How is it that Ash is the one that was destined to be its master? There are divine forces overseeing this saga somehow. Those kids may experience hell, yet they get heaven at other times too. They bear charmed lives. Such beautiful souls. They might be able to do what I never had the courage to do. Yet I wonder. How did this come to pass?” He smoothed back his wispy grey locks back onto his slightly cracked scalp and sighed heavily.
“We ask ourselves that same question, Professor,” replied the voice he’d been waiting to hear all day.
Oak turned around and smirked at the sight that was his only hope in a dark modern world. “I may be wise to some extent, Ash, but not even a seasoned veteran in the game of life like myself can answer the theological mysteries you wish to have the answers for.”
Ash snickered softly in a forced reply. “I know what you mean.” He sat himself next to Oak while Sakura placed herself next to him, nudging against his side and looking over his shoulder, her arm wrapped around his chest, providing the calm he needed.
“So did you find out anything about the green Dratini, Professor?” inquired Sakura hopefully, her slender palms gripping Ash’s shoulders firmly, making him tense up consequently.
“I have,” came the expected reply. “I’ve had to verify some sources with Madison. She's still chasing down an old book I’m still very keen on examining.”
“So that’s where Madison’s been,” pondered Ash as he looked into his lap. “I wondered where she’d disappeared to.”
“Anyway,” continued Oak. “The green Dratini is a special breed of the Dragon Pokemon. It is cited many times in ancient scriptures, particularly those found in the ruins of the ancient city, Pokemopolis. It’s quite intriguing, really. Apparently the green Dratinis were born during a time when humanity has facing extinction at the hands of some unknown force of evil. The references aren’t very clear. But what is clear is that the green Dratinis were created to protect humanity and the world from destruction. The green Dratinis quickly evolved into Dragonites, and their powers were described as being beyond your wildest dreams. I can’t say for sure what they were capable of. The text Madison is tracking down is the only known piece of literature that contains such material.
But what I do know is this. The two of you have been given this Pokemon for a good reason. I’ve been noticing certain instabilities in various public sector groups lately. The police are rumoured to be under the veil of corruption, the government is buckling under public pressure, the armed forces are involved in constant sporadic battles. Something is up. And I believe it is Team Rocket that is responsible for the mayhem. Giovanni is growing impatient. His contacts and moles in all the various administrations aren’t meeting his demands as he would hope for. So he’s upping the ante. There’s talk of civil unrest, coups, even war! Your quest isn’t just to save your friends now. Giovanni is hungry for control of the world. He will do anything to accomplish his dream. The fate of the world now rests on the shoulders of the two of you. And this green Dratini may be your most powerful ally.”
Ash and Sakura stared stock still in amazement at Oak, completely frozen like ice sculptures. Ash could only manage to gulp in cowardice while Sakura trembled like an earthquake.
“We...we are responsible for the world?” she stuttered.
“Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know. I don’t wish to pressure the two of you, but I know Giovanni. The two of you have set back so many of his secret operations. You may have thought of Team Rocket as a sideshow circus act because of Jesse and James, but they were the lowest rung of the ladder. Team Rocket is the most powerful crime syndicate and terrorist group in the whole world. They don’t tolerate resistance. They have no mercy or compassion in their empty vessels. They kill, murder, rape, torture, and destroy without mercy. They are animals. They are the embodiment of all that is bad in humanity. The two of you are no longer in a dreamworld. More like a nightmare. The two of you have powers that defy this organisation like only you could. If the two of you continue to grow in your powers and as a couple, you will succeed. But make no mistake. It will be hard, taxing, and may cost you your lives. It’s your decision.”
Ash choked momentarily, looked at his hands as if searching for a sign, then stared at Sakura in hope of a source of salvation. Sakura felt her heart constrict for a moment, as if the force of humanity was crushing her system like a vacuum, then simply smiled and nodded. It was a look of support, of assurance and of love. One that conveyed eternal support and admiration. It was so simple yet complex. It contained everything Ash needed to know.
“Okay, we’ll do it. The world is more important than anything. Who are we to decide the fate of six billion people?” he joked.
Oak smiled firmly. “Then I wish you well. I must be on my way. I’m required at a conference in Strontium City. I’ll keep in regular contact with you. Let you know about any important developments. Well, must be off.” Oak rose with the air of a person who was too happy to leave and walked out of the centre without a second thought. “And may God have mercy on my soul,” he gasped privately.

“I knew Team Rocket were monsters, but I thought that they would never be that sick and inhumane,” shuddered Sakura, forcing the words out of her lungs like forcing down stingy cough medicine.
“Well, it’s up to us. We’ve saved the world before. Another time shouldn’t be too hard on us,” smirked Ash.
“You’re taking this incredibly well,” gasped Sakura in shock. “Oak just told us that Team Rocket are planning war against the planet, and you’re shrugging it away like a fly?”
“Well, you want to live, don’t you?” shot Ash like liquid nitrogen, freezing Sakura all over with its harshness and its sincerity. Her cheeks faded to a ghostly white and her lips joined in a sombre yet emotive gesture.
“Yes. Anything to keep living. And anything to be with you,” she replied as a cool breeze flickered her hair in the wind, soothing her worries with a simple touch.
“And I feel exactly the same way. I’m not leaving this planet until I’ve had a full life and one I’ve shared with you. And I’m not letting six billion people die if I can do anything about it.”
Sakura perked up at the sound of those words as warmth began to flood through her veins, restoring a light touch of colour to her skin, giving it a pearly luminescence. “Me neither. Nothing has changed. The stakes are higher. We just need to get stronger.”
“And by sticking to our original goals, we will. You’re capturing new and powerful cards. My Pokemon are stronger than ever. Those are our players in this deadly game. We’ll maximise our chances by whatever means are required.”
“And get our friends back.”
“And get our friends back.” Both flinched at the memory of people they once held so dear. Ash felt his eyes water at the thought of Misty, the red-haired wonder that pushed him on with her eternal defiance and her watery soul. Sakura’s thoughts reflected on Li, the arrogant yet sensitive and fearless boy whom she fell for so deeply, only to have what they had torn away by change and tragedy. But they refused to regret. Regret is a fatal emotion. One must not spend their lifetime reflecting on what could have been. They must press on and live out what they have.
“And it starts with me getting a new badge! Let’s find the gym in this city and chalk up another victory for the Dream Team!”
“You said it! Let’s go, Ashy!” Sakura jumped on top of him and began to ruffle his already ruffled crop of jet black hair with vigour in a teasing manner.
“Hey! Cut it out!” pleaded Ash in fake pain. “That’s one thing I’ll never overcome!”
“Am I good? I’m good!” beamed Sakura.


PS. This chapter was not intended to offend anyone that actually likes and respects the Bible. That comment was just a personal view of mine.

[Snakes N' Legends]

Ryan, I am sorry if I didn't quite understand what you meant in a earlier response because you reacted in a way I didn't expect.


tyranitar master: Yikes! Now that's something you don't hear every day!

When you wrote this, I thought you were upset by my mentioning of me writing the Twin Terrors by your reference of Team Rocket as Terrorists.


Ryan, did I say something to upset you? I am speaking the truth. Your truthful reflections of the Pokemon reality (and calling Team Rocket Terrorists) help me form the terrible duo The Twin Terrors. That does sound odd, I know. I apologize if I caused you to be upset in any way.

I reacted back in a way that seem so what apologizing ... thinking that I had done something wrong.


tyranitar master: Whoa! Whoa! Back up a moment! There's been a BIG misunderstanding here! I meant that in a positive way. As in it's flattering that you started writing because of this! Chill, man, chill!

I didn't realize that you were in a positive attitude here.

As for this chapter, it was this chapter I was refering to.


Team Rocket is the most powerful crime syndicate and terrorist group in the whole world.

That line brought the creation of the Twin Terrors aka the Duo Terrorists. It also reminded me that no matter what the story is that there is always true evil.

I do have a question. When did you start writing When Destinies Colide? Sorry for being too personal, good chapter though. I remember the part about the Green Dratini. Awesome though. Keep up the good work.

[mistysakura]

Yeah, Green is good. Green rules.

This chapter was kinda short... Where did Pikachu, Kero-chan, Meowth and Togepi go? They didn't all go off with Madison (isn't that a boy's name? Weird...), did they?



He betrayed me. And he did it with her.

Just sounds fishy, hey, Misty doesn't know Sakura! So what does she mean?

btw, the comment on the bible makes a lot of sense. I don't see how people can defend this book, but they do somehow. i never understood why if the bible wasn't meant to be literal, that God or the authors would mislead people. If it waas the latter, then how can the Bible be 100% the word of the Lord? don't get it.

Okay, I'd better shut up before I turn this topic into another religious debate. The comment was real, andmade me feel really close to this fic. Loved it.

[Last Exile]

tyranitar master: Started around mid-2001 I think

mistysakura: TR has their ways. Giovanni would know how to let L&M know about A&S.

[ZeldaFan20]

:yes: Great chapter!! Is Misty REALLY gonna get even with Ash? I hope she will change her mind soon.

Yue's coming? Great! I can't wait!

[Ace Blaze]

I just started (and finished) reading this story today. I admit that I don't normally like crossovers, but you've got me like a Magikarp on a Super Rod. This is probably the first Ash and Sakura fic I've ever read (and I've read a LOT!). I hope to see the Green Dratini in action soon (maybe, oh, say, in the next chapter...)!

[Ultra_Poke2000]

AWSOME!!! this is a great fic, first good cross-over ive read! i cant wait 4 the gym battle! Im gonna add this to my list of all time fave fics, which currently only has about 3, including yours! update ASAP!!!

[Last Exile]

ZeldaFan20: Well, she's pretty ticked off, so I doubt it. ;) It's one of those I so wanna now but really regret it later kind of situations.

Ace Blaze: The concept came when I tried to visualise them as a couple. I liked the idea so much I started writing this. Good to know you appreciate the concept too! :)

Ultra_Poke2000: Will do! :yes: Thanks for joinging the party!

[100FangCroconaw]

Sowwy me didn't weply for so long.

Very good chapter as always. I noticed one spelling mistake.
While Misty and Li were talking,You wrote "Now wonder Ash never returned your secret affection."It was supposed to be "No wonder Ash never returned your secret affection."
Anyways, once again, nice chappy.

[Lady Vulpix]

I've already told you I loved this chapter. Now I'm wondering... are you working on the next one?
By the way, if you check the Battle Range you'll see a message from Tara.

[Last Exile]

100FangCroconaw: Hey, no worries! I know you're out there! ;)

Lady Vlupix: Thanks for that Gabi! Appreciated! :)

Wait is over. As a treat for the New Year, here's a new Chapter! ;) And I know that some certain people are VERY keen to get back to this one! :D Yes, Andy and all the other males out there (come to think of it I think the females liked her too), she's back! Crystal is here at last! :yes:

Chapter 20 – Crystal

Calcium City stood before the duo like a picture out of a storybook. They stood at the entrance spellbound by the magnificent craftsmanship in front of them. The entire building was designed in the form of a giant skeleton. Its piercing, pure white colour penetrated their hearts with its brilliance and made them swell. Every little detail had been considered in the construction of this masterpiece. They found themselves ascending a slight slope which had a curved shape, and after trailing the strange line in the centre of the path, they realised they were walking on the tongue. And they were about to walk through the mouth.
Sensing the importance of what they were about to do, Ash and Sakura froze in front of the pathway leading into this mysterious gym, as their minds drifted far away from the teeth that composed the imposing door in front of them.
“This is kind of creepy,” groaned Sakura.
“Don’t like skeletons?” queried Ash softly.
“Not really, but it’s more about what they remind me of,” she mumbled, her hair standing on end and her body shivering like a cowering mouse.
“And what’s that?” gulped Ash, not too keen on hearing what Sakura was referring to. Like Sakura, Ash was easily frightened. Not by what he sees, but what he can’t see. The two of them could withstand anything they could put a face or name to. It was the fear of the unknown that was one of their main weaknesses.
“Ghosts,” blurted Sakura, smothering herself against Ash. Her white mini-top left her supple stomach pressing against Ash’s shirt. The proximity of her body combined with one of his own worst fears made the acid in his stomach lurch from its containment and up his throat. He swallowed it before it got the chance to enter his mouth, but the feeling of acid eating away at the thin layer of mucus lining his digestive system and then scarring the flesh underneath made him cringe.
“Ash! I’m sorry. Are you OK?” Sakura’s eyes were flooded with concern and guilt, and she placed her hands on Ash’s face, calming his tense body in a waking instant.
“I’m fine. You startled me, that’s all,” he choked weakly. “Plus I’m not that crash hot about ghosts either.”
“Pika,” announced Pikachu, stating his own distaste for ghost Pokemon.
“Toge,” chirped Togepi from the safe confines of Sakura’s arms. She’d been carrying the adorable Pokemon with her all morning, yet it had managed to stay asleep the whole time. Togepi’s head spikes turned outwards and her eyes slid open. “Toge? Pri!” it chirped happily, comforted by the sight of her new trainer.
“Mmm.” Sakura smiled sweetly at Togepi and rubbed her forehead gently, making Togepi giggle from the ticklish sensation. Following it up with a pat on the front spike, Sakura induced Togepi into another series of blissful and innocent chirps that calmed the duo immensely.
“You’re amazing, Sakura,” blushed Ash, stunned by the skill with which Sakura handled such a young and fragile Pokemon. “I doubt even Misty could be that gentle with Togepi. She really likes you.”
“Really?” blushed Sakura in reply, her cheeks a deep scarlet flush. “How can you tell?”
“They say that you know how well trained a Togepi is by how happy it is. Togepi is so thrilled and happy that it’s got to be because of you. You’re bringing out the power in her. Maybe she’ll evolve soon.”
“Yeah?” Sakura looked at the young miracle she held in her arms and embraced it warmly. “Thank you for entering my life. I’ll never let you down. Ever. I’ll be a mother to you like no other.”
“If she’s not flipped out by this place, then we’ve got no reason to,” roared Ash. “We’ve got nothing to fear! We came here to win a badge and that’s what I’m going to do!”
“Yeah! You go, Ashy!” beamed Sakura, punching her arms into the air like a cheerleader.
“Heh!” grinned Ash sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his shoulders humbly. “Ready for a big battle, Pikachu?”
“Pika pi!” squeaked his eternal companion.
“Then let’s go!”
“You’re not going anywhere without me!” laughed a familiar feminine voice.
“Madison?” replied Ash in a confused tone.
“You made it!” piped Sakura like an innocent little girl. “We’re gonna have a blast!”
“First you’d better listen to what I’ve got to say to you,” stated Madison, hinting that she was hiding something from them.
“Okay. Go ahead,” sighed Ash.
“Since you’ve been through so much, I guess it’s not surprising you forgot these.” Madison reached into her satchel are gleefully retrieved several Pokeballs from inside.
“What are these?” inquired Sakura curiously.
“They’re Ash’s other Pokemon. Remember what Professor Oak said? The new Pokedex system allows a trainer to carry 15 Pokemon at a time. So since you guys never remembered, I asked Oak to get them for us on your behalf.”
Ash felt his lungs dry up as if he’d had the wind knocked out of him. “Thank you, Madison. I...I don’t know what to say.”
“Just win a badge, already why don’t ya, you lovable clown you?”
“Hey!” scowled Ash.
“She’s just fooling around!” Sakura pointed out. “Besides, we’re all clowns sometimes. Especially you. But that’s just one of the things I love about you,” she swooned, intentionally winding Ash up into battle mode with the right lures, and finishing it off with a flutter of her eyelashes and winking her lustrous emerald eyes.
“If that comment came from anyone else but you two, I’d be irate right now,” scowled Ash venomously.
“But?” whispered Sakura, almost regretting what she’d said, thinking she had actually offended him without intending to.
“Since it’s you two, I know it’s in good humour. Lighten up, you two!”
“Hey, we’re walking into the middle of a skeleton. I’ll lighten up once we’re out of it,” winced Sakura, her mouth crinkling like brown leaves.
“Wonder what kind of Gym Leader would build a gym like this?” mused Madison, sucking the end of her index finger. “A skeleton could mean that this Gym Leader likes to use Ghost Pokemon.”
“Oh, great,” groaned Ash. “They are so hard to beat. They’re also so wacky. I was lucky I even managed to beat Morty back in the Johto League. I’d hate to think of what some Green League Gym Leader would have in store here.”
“Or maybe the skeleton’s here to represent Calcium City because of the bones,” hypothesised Madison.
“Some tribute,” moaned Sakura. “You’re supposed to attract challengers, not scare them away.”
“Maybe the Gym Leader only wants serious trainers to come here,” suggested Madison, trying to calm Sakura’s shivering body with her warm sapphire eyes. “And Ash is still here.”
“These Green League Gym Leaders are really different to the ones I’ve faced in the past,” choked Ash. “That guy in Sodium City still gives me the creeps.”
“Mmm hmmm,” agreed Sakura. “I was scared for you and your Pokemon. I thought you were about to get massacred for real.”
“Thanks,” smiled Ash firmly. “It’s nice to know you care. Unlike another redhead I once knew.”
Sakura smiled back at him but didn’t reply at all. She still felt a bit uncomfortable whenever Ash mentioned Misty. It was clear he still felt a lot of pain in connection with her. Ash had been travelling on his Pokemon journey ever since he was ten years old, and now he was eighteen. He’d been a friend of Misty’s for eight years. But that would depend on your definition of friend. Ash’s descriptions of Misty reminded her of Meilin when she first came to Readington. Sakura would never forget her, so she had some way to determine what Misty was like. Yet when they had briefly met at Silver Stadium, Sakura had a nice impression of Misty. She seemed so nice. And Sakura thought Misty was beautiful. Misty seemed to feel inadequate around Sakura for some reason, and Sakura thought it was because Misty thought Sakura was more beautiful than her.
It didn’t really make sense to her. Perhaps it was because Sakura had never met anyone that really hated her. Even Li’s initial bitter and cold manner towards her melted into admiration and affection. She’d never really experienced jealousy. Sakura sometimes thought she must have had a very privileged childhood. Not in financial terms, but in the way she hadn’t seen the worst of what this world had to offer. Sakura ran her soft creamy fingers through her long reddish brown hair and sighed. No longer was she that innocent girl racing around at night with Madison and Kero in pursuit of Clow Cards as if it was just a game. She was an adult now. There were forces that were out to destroy her. And she had to be strong. For her own sake, as well as for Madison, Kero and Ash. The stakes had been raised in this deadly game. She couldn’t throw it all away now.
“So where are Kero and Meowth?” inquired Ash, wiping sweat from his forehead with a raspy wrist that tore away at his skin like sandpaper.
“Kero and Meowth are resting in the pockets of my satchel,” explained Madison. “They’re not feeling too good this morning.”
“Let me guess,” groaned Ash heavily. “Too much brandy in the pudding?”
“Mmm hmmm,” sighed the two girls in reply.
“You’d better not have indulged yourself, Pikachu,” warned Ash.
“Pika pi! Pika – hic!” squeaked the energetic yellow bundle of energy.
Ash hit his head with the palm of his right hand in shame. “Oh brother! We have got to do something about this. Where’d they get the brandy, anyway?”
“Somehow, I get the feeling we don’t want to know,” deduced Madison.
“Yeah. I don’t think we should go there,” agreed Sakura. “And how long do we have to go yet? We’ve been climbing stairs for about fifteen minutes now! Are they trying to kill us before we reach the top and use or remains as additions for this place or something?”
“Chill, Sakura, chill!” soothed Madison, grabbing Sakura’s shoulders and stroking them gently. “We’ll find out soon enough. I get the feeling it’s going to be a long day at the office.”
“10-4,” agreed Ash solemnly. “And I thought the Sodium City Gym was warped. This place looks more dangerous than the one inside the Cinnibar Island volcano.”

“Well, we’re finally out of the bones,” breathed Madison in a huge sigh of relief.
“Not really,” observed Sakura. “The ceiling to this place looks like backbones of a really large dinosaur.”
“At least we don’t have to climb anymore stairs,” winced Ash. “I think I lost my legs halfway up.”
“I would’ve thought the Gym Leader would come and introduce themselves by now,” buzzed Madison. “This is getting a bit irritating. Where are they?”
“Personally I’d like this battle to start already,” grunted Sakura. “If the Gym Leader thinks they’re gonna have the advantage over my Ashy just by making us climb a really long flight of stairs, they’re wrong! Aren’t they, Ashy?” she winked, smiling brightly, flashing her emeralds and embracing him eagerly.
“Uhhh, yeah, sure!” sizzled Ash, pumping his fists like pistons. “Bring it on! I want a Gym Battle with the leader of this gym and I want it NOW!”
“Finally!” growled a hidden voice.
“Huh?” Ash, Sakura and Madison huddled close together. Pikachu leapt to the ground and charged up his internal electric sacks. His scarlet cheeks began to spit out blinding blue bolts of sizzling electricity across his yellow body in anticipation of danger. Sakura silently reached for Ash’s hand in order to assure him of his talent and to comfort him. Ash closed his hand upon hers, softly rubbing hers and conveying his gratitude for her support. Ash scowled like a wounded animal as he waited for the predator to emerge from the shadows.
“Bet it’s another freaky guy like Silver!” growled Ash. “I eat jerks like them for breakfast!”
“Or maybe some sick and twisted psychos like Jesse and James!” bellowed Sakura. “Scum like them make me ill! I’ll tear them apart like they were tin foil!”
“Sorry to disappoint you three, but no psychos and freaky guys here thankfully!” laughed a sparkling female voice. “Only a sane, crystal-like girl in her twenties!” Out of the shadows emerged a slender, shapely figure. It was a sultry woman, dressed in a flowing ocean blue top that was partly translucent and aqua flare jeans. Her skin was a brilliant pearl white and her eyes were a startling clear blue, very much like crystal. Her hair was and endless stream of long, flowing red-orange locks and her lips were lightly layered with cherry lipstick. Her figure seemed to meld with her clothes that virtually every curve of her body seemed to leap out at you. Her breasts pounded out of her chest like diamonds and the shape of her nipples imprinted upon her top as clear as the break of dawn. She maintained a sincere, honest half-smile that lured you in like she was hypnotising you. She liked who she was and was a testament to what is good in humanity. The trio found themselves lost for words. Privately they all lusted after her in their own way, but none of them would admit it.
“Crystal’s the name. It is pure, brilliant, inspiring, peaceful, strong, beautiful and eternal. As am I. And I welcome you to the Calcium City Gym,” she chirped, bowing ceremoniously.
“Thanks,” blurted Ash. “Love the scenery.”
Sakura promptly hit Ash firmly on his back, making him splutter.
“Hey! I was referring to the skeleton, not her!” yelled Ash.
“Look, I’m drawn in by her too. But don’t let your guard down, Ash!” warned Sakura. “You have to be able to resist things in life as well as to be drawn in. Desires are to be satisfied only when the moment is right. Now is not the time to quench lust, Ash. For any of us. We came here to win a badge. Remember that.”
Ash sighed, releasing tension and primal urges in that simple act. “Thanks, Sakura. I’m so lucky to know you. I swear I’ll marry you some day.”
“Huh?!” screamed Sakura in complete shock, stripped bare by that single comment and confused as how to feel. But the moment passed before she knew it, and Ash was focusing on Crystal.
“So what’s the deal with the skeleton?” asked Madison keenly. “It’s quite scenic, but it’s not something you’d usually find at a gym!”
“Oh, that,” beamed Crystal. “This is the skeleton of an ancient Dragonite. It’s believed that this was actually a green Dragonite, one of the guardians of the ancient world. Calcium City may look somewhat modern, but there’s plenty of history around too. Some buildings around here date back to ancient times. This Dragonite was the guardian of the ancient Calcium City. So we preserved its skeleton as an eternal reminder of the mighty warriors that protected Earth way back then. It’s actually quite an attraction for visitors to Calcium City. And whenever there’s a Pokemon battle here, I appropriately change the surroundings.” With a simple clap of her hands, the large room changed from an eerie bone white colour to brilliant shades of blue, aqua, turquoise, violet, indigo, silver and green. The skeletal structure of the Dragonite changed into the armada of colours, leaving the trio flooded in a mesmerising wave of narcotic colours.
“That’s pretty cool,” blurted Ash. “Best Gym I’ve seen in a long while. Possibly ever.”
“It’s so pretty! It’s like you’re in an aquarium!” swooned Sakura.
“Crystal seems like a nice girl,” agreed Madison, taking in every inch of her surroundings. “I think this will be a really good battle.”
“So, Ash,” continued Silver with that insatiable half-smile of hers. “I’ve heard plenty of your successes in the Indigo, Orange and Johto Leagues. You are quite a formidable trainer indeed. I heard of how you managed to defeat Silver as well. It’s been quite some time since anyone was able to cut Silver down to size. That guy gives me the creeps too. So I’m quite thrilled to have a battle with you, Ash. You proved your metal by making it up here and controlling you fear. You have earned the right to battle me indeed.”
“Great!” Ash licked his lips in hungry anticipation as he switched into battle mode, clenching his fists and letting his eyes flicker like those of a falcon.
“It’s amazing to watch,” gasped Madison.
“Ash has the soul of a true fighter,” swooned Sakura. “Just like me.”
“Six on six battle okay with you, Ash?” dared Crystal defiantly.
“Six on six?!” Ash’s voice reverberated through the gym like an earthquake. “Are you serious? I’ve only ever been in one six on six battle! And that was against Drake! What’s up with this?”
Crystal smirked like a Siamese cat, flickering her eyelashes playfully and giggling softly. “I guess you don’t know much about how things are done in the Green League, Ash. If you ever make it to the Green League, every battle you’re in is a six on six. If you’re ever going to be ready for the Elite Four, you need to be able to win against any time, at any place, at any time. And we try to make sure any trainers on their final run are ready.”
“Well, if that’s true, I do need the practice then,” conceded Ash.
“Oh, there’s one more rule,” piped in Crystal. “For every third of the Green League area you pass through, you can’t use any of your Pokemon at more than one Gym.”
“What?!” screamed Ash. “You’ve got to be kidding!”
“Are you out of you mind?” roared Sakura. “It’s up to the trainer as to which Pokemon that will battle for them.”
“True,” continued Crystal. “But if you use the same Pokemon over and over, you’ll never win the Green League,” she concluded with a sense of doom hanging over those final words.
“How so?” spluttered Ash, his oily black hair streaking out at all angles.
“The final battle in the Green League is dependent on a coin toss. Flip a coin fifteen times. The number of time tails comes up is the number of Pokemon you have to use in a battle. So it’s very real that you would have to use more than six in the final.”
Ash felt a sharp pain in his stomach and could hardly breathe. He heard Pikachu squeak out in disbelief like a crying baby. He knew that the Green League was going to be tough, but he now saw that he was going about this the wrong way. If his Pokemon team wasn’t solid all-round, he’d be a goner. What if the coin toss ended up as fifteen tails? He’d have to fight a fifteen on fifteen battle! He didn’t even have that many Pokemon! He’d been living in a dreamworld for the last eight years. Now reality had hit him face on. He had to grow up fast or else.
“Okay then. I understand. Thanks for pointing out the rules.” Ash sighed as he released all his Pokemon, who were rapt after being released from the confines of their Pokeballs.
Ash ran his fingers through his hair to steady himself then broke the news. “Well guys, Pikachu isn’t allowed to fight in this one.”
Bayleef hid a light giggle, Quilava silently smirked and Croconaw simply fidgeted his paws. The stellar trio had no idea what was in store for them.
“The same goes for you too, Bayleef, Quilava, Croconaw. I’m sorry, but it’s the Green League rules. You’ll have to watch this one.”
Bayleef shrieked like a banshee for a few seconds, then stomped on the ground and grunted. Her neck leaves began to flick a spicy aroma across the stadium. But this one was very overpowering. It was a million times hotter than an Indian curry. It filled your every sense and left you raw and burning. Bayleef was furious, to say the least. Quilava flamed up her back flames and singed any spice coming her way, and randomly spat out a wisp of flame in disgust. Croconaw bared his razor sharp fangs then laid himself out on the ground, softly pounding his fists as if here were doing his silly Totodile dance.
“Guys, I’m sorry,” pleaded Ash. “Don’t be mad with me. You guys are the best to me. I’d use you all the time if I could. Please.” His eyes were about to water and his lip was quivering like a feather. Bayleef extended out a vine from her neck and softly touched his cheek. Quilava rose up for a moment and flashed a bright smile. Croconaw gave him the thumbs up in his usual show-off way.
“Thanks guys. I couldn’t be here without you.” Ash left the trio to their own devices and began to sort out his team. “So who do I have? Noctowl, Eevee, Heracross, Kingler, Tauros, Muk, Phanpy, Larvitar, Dratini. Nine others. I have to use six of them. I need a diverse team, but one with power and experience too. Okay." Ash stretched his arms, sized up his Pokemon, then Crystal. “What kind of Pokemon would she use?”
Madison’s face lit up. “Since her name’s Crystal, maybe she has some Ice types. The skeleton could mean she has a Ghost type. Maybe the mystery of crystal could represent Psychic or Dark types. Ice comes from water, so maybe she has a Water type. And even metals are found in crystal. Chromium makes ruby red. So maybe she has a Steel type in there too.”
“Thanks, Madison. Brains barely begins to describe you.” Ash could hypothesise no more. He had to make a decision now.
“Okay. My team will be Noctowl, Heracross, Kingler, Muk, Larvitar and Dratini.”
Crystal flinched at the mention of Dratini. Ash and Sakura were both momentarily fascinated by the reaction.
The six Pokemon Ash selected his choice in triumph. Noctowl began hooting happily while spinning his head around. Heracross then zipped off towards Bayleef and sucked up a huge whiff of her scent, making Bayleef giggle in delight. Kingler shifted his way towards Croconaw, muttering something which seemed to perk up the energetic one, and the two were soon comparing jaw and pincers. Muk made a beeline straight for Ash and tackled him to the ground in his usual affectionate way. Larvitar consoled Phanpy and Eevee while Dratini began chirping away with the other three members of the youth brigade.
“Um, Muk, could you not do that next time? Bayleef might get angry,” winced Ash.
Crystal licked her lips in anticipation. There was a certain glint that suddenly appeared in her eyes. Ash and Sakura saw it at once and almost backed away at the sight of it. For some reason, Crystal seemed to be interested in them from the moment he heard the word Dratini leave Ash’s lips.
“A nice diverse team of Pokemon, Ash. Very competent indeed. But let’s see how they fare against my all-star team!” Crystal pulled a Pokeball that was coloured a strange mix of sky blue and white. The Pokemon inside emerged in a blinding flash of white light, before the flash began to merge into a form. Wings sprouted from the energy waves, followed by claws, a beak, snow white feathers and a red suit, almost like a Christmas suit. A simple “Deli!” revealed the Pokemon’s identity in an instant.
“A Delibird,” mused Ash. He’d seen how sneaky and slick this Pokemon could be before. Delibird doesn’t look that strong at all, but it’s quick, sly and deceptive. Its Present attack is a mixed bag of tricks. If it works well, a Delibird can keep on fighting for a long time.
“Hmmm. I’m not really sure who to use against this Pokemon. Noctowl, Heracross, Larvitar and Dratini are all weak against Ice types. Muk wouldn’t be able to hit Delibird much realistically. And Kingler isn’t that agile. But it does have stamina, resistance against Ice attacks and has beaten Flying types in the past. I would have liked to use Quilava against Delibird, or maybe Pikachu. But rules are rules.” Ash pumped his fists and pointed towards his collective team. “Alright, Kingler! You’re up! Let’s get off to a good start!”
Kingler raised his fist in salutation and shifted his way into the battlefield. His eyes were gleaming like stars. Kingler was itching for a good fight. His pincers were clamping up and down so fast they were almost a blur. His leg movements had also become more coordinated and faster too. Ash didn’t have much concern anymore. He had complete faith in his Pokemon. Standing side on, snapping his gloves and ruffling his hair, he was ready for action. He thirsted for it as much as he thirsted for Sakura. He then thought of the angel that had entered his life and saved his soul when he needed it most. So sweet, happy, loving, selfless, understanding, empathetic, beautiful and insatiable. Her effect on Ash was narcotic. Every moment of every day he longed for her to be at his side, to feel the soft, flowery whisper of her breath, to stare for eternity into those endless emeralds eyes that were the door to a world beyond his wildest dreams. As his mind lingered on her, Sakura came up behind him and smiled.
“Go for it, Ashy! You’re better than the best!”
Her voice. What a stimulus it was. It made his body surge like electricity and his blood was like lava erupting from a volcano. He swung round and blew her a kiss, pashing his mouth against his palm and then slowly swinging it out like a zephyr.
“I’ll do this for us. Be with me now.”
Sakura caught it and planted it against hers. She mimicked the sensation of feeling lips pressed against hers and swooned. Ash smirked and then swung back into battle mode. His eyes were like falcons, swooping in towards their prey and moving in for the kill. It was almost like bloodlust. This was more than just any battle. This was an essential path towards preserving the future for all.
“It’s victory time!”

[Ace Blaze]

VERY interesting! I like the way you use descriptions like a magnate! I hope that you update soon, unlike the last time ;) .

[Ultra_Poke2000]

This is gonna be a great battle! however i did find one error:
"“So, Ash,” continued Silver with that insatiable half-smile of hers." should have been
"“So, Ash,” continued Crystal with that insatiable half-smile of hers."

other than that, this is absolutly perfect! cant wait for the battle!

btw, TODAY IS MY BIRTH DAY!!!!!:D

[ZeldaFan20]

:yes: Great!! This should be a very interesting battle! I can't wait for the next chapter!
Just a friendly reminder, though: try to be a bit more careful with the errors, 'kay? Other than that, don't quit!

Ultra_Poke2000: By the way, Happy Birthday!

[Ultra_Poke2000]

thanx zeldafan! your the only one who has said that when i posted it so far!:D cant wait for the gym battle!

[Andrew]

Yay! Its back, back again ^^ Crystal's back, tell a friend! Hee, I had to steal Eminem's lyrics. Naughty me! I'll be reading and replying as a new train of throught comes up.

That skeleton's damn freaky, for a start, I say its bad Feng Shui or whatever it is lol.. But it was a good bit of forshadowing into the character's souls. But so far Madison's still Ms Information and Carry It. Poor her.

Ooh if Togepi evolved, another nail in the coffin for Misty! Methinks she'd go utterly psycho on Sakura and Giovanni would provide the ammo to do so. But well methinks Li will be the glad wrap holding back her hatred for the time being, but it won't be long before it breaks.

Ah, some good old references to Mei Lin and Morty's battle ^^ Will we ever see Mei Lin at all?

But Ash and Sakuras' references they yelled out were pretty inappropriate and nothing more than Ego Boosting that I don't think they indulge in too much which was offputting.

But Yay! Crystal! She's really really really cool ^^ The description of her was excellent too ^^ Its simply amazing.

Now the Pokemon's reactions were nice too ^^ But Ash telling Muk that Bayleaf would get offended, poor Muk :( Doesn't it deserve a hug? But Yay for Delibird ^^ Delibird's one of my favourite Pokemon ^^ Go it! But Kingler seems really really powerful now ^^

But gee CCC I can't wait fo this long awaited battle ^^ Its bound to be great! Great work and good luck writing the next chapter!

[100FangCroconaw]

Hello. VERY NICE CHAPPY!Hmm, I wonder what pokemon Crystal will use?I'm guessing Ice types.Also, nice description of Crystal.

[mistysakura]

Yay, new chapter! Happy New Year, everyone!

This was a pretty good chapter. My comeputer's gone psycho on me, it's deciding that it doesn't want to show the first letter of each sentence. Stupid thing.

I hope we get to see Meiling. She's one of my favourite characters. The battle looks like it's going to be interesting! Six on six, and all new Pokemon. Way cool. And the green dratini's going to be used. I wonder what powers it'll have.

[Last Exile]

Ace Blaze: Soon, soon

UltraPoke2000: Thanks for pointing that out. unfortunately I don't have the time to be as thorough with grammar and stuff like that these days.

ZeldaFan20: I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the vote of sonfidence! ;)

OzAndrew: Well, I've decided what to do with Madison now. It will shock people most definitely. Crystal is a mixture of fantasy and bitter reality. You got the fantasy bit in this chapter obviously. ;)

100FangCroconaw: Yeah, no brainer! But she uses more types than just ice. You'll know soon. Thanks for the compliment on Crystal.

mistysakura: Meilin will appear. But some people will wish she hadn't.