When Destinies Collide

[Ultra_Poke2000]

great chapter! that Ivy character sounds evil. *shudders* and those weird powers they are supposed to have.... anyway, this was a great emotional chapter and an awsome prelude to the gym battle. keep it up!

[Last Exile]

SilverMachop: That's the job of the author!

UltraPoke200): Oh, she is, all right!


And just a quick note:

Your generous votes resulted in 13 awards for this fic in the Winter Fanfic Awards!

**handshakes the guys, hugs and kisses the girls**

Love you all! I will continue with support like this!

And make sure to check out This Fic once it gets going again (Tara is currently working on the next chapter, and she topped the Fanfic Awards with 16! God bless her! )

TTFN! Ta Ta For Now! Hoo Hoo!

*bounces away like Tigger*

[Jon UKX]

I was wondering about the sequels to WDC, will Ash and Sakura still be in it, will the new main characters(Gohan and Ami) fall in love with each other AND would Yugi(from Yu-Gi-Oh) and someone from either the Gundam series or Zoids be good characters in WDC(just imagine Yugi and Sakura!)

[mr_pikachu]

Hey! Leave Yugi out of this! That's MY idea! Of course, I'll mention and thank Citrus Crush Chikorita for the inspiration, but I've been working on a fic with him, along with some of the Pokemon cast! He's mine, ya hear me? MINE! ...Okay, that sounded wrong, considering I'm a guy. But still...

[Last Exile]

Yugi ain't in it, don't worry! Besides, Yu-gi-oh ahs enver screened in Australia at all. Won't until later this month.

Ami (Sailor Moon) and Gohan (DBZ) will be in the sequels along with Gary. They all have major parts to play. Because the sequels take on a far more sinister twist.

[ZeldaFan20]

Really? Sailor Moon? I LOVE Sailor Moon!! Oh, and DBZ isn't so bad either. I can't wait to know how THOSE will turn out. You've definitely got me interested !

[Andrew]

Goddamn, as if I use the "Most Useful Non-Fic Topic" lol. I don't read the updates CCC! You should know that! I rely on people going "PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ MY FIC!"

Anywho Meowth was awfully funny at the start of this chappie, we need more of his sarcasm and fun antics of "Kero, Meowth, Pikachu, Dratini and Togepi". I'd love to see The Flower Card join them in their fun. Like to get into a club and such they somehow release the Flower Card and get into a club using her appearance. lol. She's one of my fav cards.

So like we don't see much of the cards eh Does Li have his cards or does Sakura hold them all? And I have a feeling Yue has something to do with the new cards, or the McKenzie Family. And Lance. lol.

But why on earth was Madison stammering? She's a strong girl, I'm sure she can take care of herself with like throwing old tapes at people. lol. Ash's blowup about not having magic or special powers was really peeving me off. He basically blew up at nothing, but that is Ash. When the spotlight ain't on him everyone else suffers. And Crystal wasn't being negative towards him or anything. Damn you ash. Damn you *Shakes fist*

But Madison, she's starting to feel like a cardboard cutout with no real character development, we haven't had a Madison-Centric chappie in like ever. I think perhaps we should see how she'd fare alone in a recconissance mission in saving the others, or just on a day out alone. *Pouts* Darn Ashy. Go Maddy. If I were her I'd be the one chucking the hissy fit over not having powers, not ash.

*Vent over* And paragraphing, um, double space every now and then please, it just makes it a tad easier to read and keep concentration. But god Ash, is the world revolving around you! Sure the gravitation force of yourself caused you to whack yourself, but its your own damn fault. How dare you try to hurt Sakura.

But how nice of you Sakura, my fav female character You're so fine Sakura, go you! You're so good for taking back Ash, you're so nice and forgiving.

And Ivy eh, the description reminded me of "Batman and Robin" you know with that bitchfight between Poison Ivy and Batgirl? Anywho, right now all that's stuck in my head is batman.

Nahnahnahnhahnahanah BATMAN!

A nice chapter CCC, its a bit jerky in places and I know it seems I'm doing nothing but bitching but well yeah. Its a good chappie though. And congrats on the awards! And most votes too! Lol!

[100FangCroconaw]

I'd have to say nce chappy.And congatulations on getting most votes!But isn't it strange, You got more votes but Mist got more awards.

[mistysakura]

When Mist wins, the votes are usually pretty close. When CCC odes, it seems like he's so much ahead of everyone else.

This chapter, although a bit of a filler is actually pretty good. We haven't been seeing Tomoyo/Madison much, have we? Time for some character development, I think. She seems a bit dull to me.

Otherwise, it's surprising how you used the adjectives you usually save for Skaura to describe Ivy... evil clone-ish sort of character, so far.

[Last Exile]

Okay, develop Madison more. Got it.

I actually did have two major twists planned for her, but I think I'd better accelerate her involvement.

Thanks for the tips and the support.

[mr_pikachu]

5 days... without update... can't take it... *collapses*... Please... must... have... update... need... update... *dies*


Moral of the story: Don't leave your readers waiting for 5 days for an update! You might lose them! (literally!) Hey, maybe I should take that advice sometime.

[Last Exile]

I'd just like to say this now before people go crazy

I'm taking my studies VERY seriously this year

Real life takes top priority

So if it means at some point new material won't come for a month, then so be it. This is reality

That is all

Rock on!

[mr_pikachu]

GAAH! A MONTH-LONG CLIFFHANGER! *tears out hair*

But you know, you're right. You can't exactly live on the forum, can you? I mean, there's sleep, for one thing, and some of us have jobs and school! Perfectly understandable. Nevertheless, I wish we weren't at a nail-biting part during the hiatus... but that's life. Whenever you get a reasonably good chance, I'd love to see an update! Whether its tomorrow or a year from now, I'll still be checking almost daily! It's a good fic, and you've been working your @$$ off, so you deserve a break. I guess.

[PancaKe]

I expected something like this to happen. Your studies are really important and I hope that I can be focused on my studies in uni. Good luck in your studies, I dont mind waiting if it means you're geting somewhere in life.

Cya l8rz

rock on

~Mist

[Lady Vulpix]

I second Tara's thoughts. Which doesn't mean I won't be missing your writing a lot, but I know wht having no free time feels like. I hope everything goes great for you. Please check in every now and then to let us know how you're doing, and write more when you can.

[Wolfsong]

Finally caught up again. Keep up the great work. I hae to go in a little bit, but talk to ya later.

[Snakes N' Legends]

As the great George Lucas once said, "A famous filmmaker once said that films are never completed, they're only abandoned."

How that quote relates to this situation? I don't think Ryan or CCC would abandon WDC but to make it a fanfic that will be remembered for generations of TPMers, each chapter has to be delayed. If he didn't (almost said she), then she would struggle with school and fanfiction. Even I try not to do that.

[mistysakura]

It's alright, if you posted updates, say, every three days, I'd be worried that you didn't have a life.8)

[Last Exile]

Well, I've got some work done on the new chapter, and I've decided to stop playing my Gamecube. Now that I've cleaned out Sonic Adventure 2, Super Smash Brothers Melee and Pikmin to the nth degree, I think it's time to take a break after 5 months of obsession.

And does anyone know where Mist is?!

Anyways, new material shall appear sometime in the near future, depnding on how my creative juices flow.

Once again, thank you all for your support now and in the Fanfic Awards. You guys are great.

[Chris 2.1]

hey CCC, i started reading the fic and i've caught up! I didnt like the name 'the green league' at first, but i really like Sakura, and her coupled with ash can only spell...erm...trouble!

brilliant concept, and a brilliant writinf style. I'll check back here for chapter 26.

[ZeldaFan20]

Hey there, everybody! Sorry for not posting, but I've been super busy. I just got Pokemon Ruby AND Sapphire around St. Patrick's Day and I LOVE them (except trying to find that stupid Feebas is getting way past frustrating !!)!!!! Anyone else get the games yet?

[Last Exile]

ShinyMarill: Cool, welcome to the fold! Love the avatar!

ZeldaFan20: Well, I'm actually guilty of playing Pikmin too much recently since I managed to get hold of a heavily discounted copy. I want them, but they're way too expensive. I can't afford to shell out 400 bucks for that. That's why I'm hoping my entry in the Cheez TV Competition pulls off for me!

I've got some of 25 done, but lately I've been obsessed with Pikmin (I'm trying to do the 9 day challenge, and so far I've done the first four days successfully!) and busy with work. So I'll see what I can do in the next week or two.

Rock on Comrades!

[PancaKe]

I'm still breathing Ryan ^_^ I haven't seen you online for a long time. You should come online more Ryan because you should. Also keep checking your emials becuz I email you and you should email back. Hope your uni is going okay too.

~Mist

[ZeldaFan20]

Well, I don't own a Game Cube, so I've never played that game. However, I'm hoping to get one so I can get Zelda: The Wind Waker (my user name says it all ).

Anyway, take all the time you need; I've been super busy myself this past week.

[Ultra_Poke2000]

*throws life saver to this fic*

this is starting to fall into neverland. post soon, so it doesnt happen any more! cant wait for chapter 25! ive never played picmin b4, so i have no idea what its like. cya!

[Jon UKX]

Hey CCC (or can I call you by your first name) hope chapter 25 is going well though I have a questions on how Gohan, Ami and Gary have a role in the sequels and if Ash and Sakura are in WDCII or not.
I have this image that I made that is the cover of WDCII but it's far too big to be shown here so can you PM me your e-mail address so I can show you.

[Chris 2.1]

Oh, i prefer dunking Pikmin in water ^___^;;; i never got much from the games apart from the amazing graphics. I play Tony Hawks instead...I'm just a sk8er boi, la la la la ...

but yea, i'm lukin 4ward to Chappie ... 26? thats right, iinnit? Oh yea...school...I have to do revision and 28 pages of work for 2morro...*whimper*

glad you like the avatar. It's shnazzy

[Last Exile]

Okay, update

I have been busy. however, Chapter 26 is slowly forming. It's not an easy one to write because there are major changes for every character involved in this chapter. It is a gym battle chapter, but a lot more happens. I've clocked it at 9 Word pages so far and it's still nowhere near done. As I said, this is the chapter that changes everything.

To be fair, I'll give you a preview.


*Coming Soon*

The group is ready for an assault on the Strontium City Gym Leader, Ivy. But can they halt the evil woman's reign of terror before they lose their minds? Can Madison and adjust to their dangerous new roles? Will Crystal risk everything she has to help a friend in need? Will Ash find hope where there is none in a battle he surely can't win?

And will Sakura do the unthinkable for the one she loves?!

All will be revealed in:

Chapter 26 - Two's Company, Three's A Crowd

[SilverMachop]

Two's company, three's a crowd, huh? Personally, I think Ash's Snorlax is a crowd by himself.

Well, you've got me worked up for the next chapter. Sounds like an entire army is going after our heroes! And due to what? A gym leader with more psycological damaging powers than the Blair Witch! Eeep. Yet I'm rooting for Ash, for he has Heracross and Sakura, and you can't get any better than that.

Anyways, just for a suggestion on your signature, CCC, I think another great punchline would be 'On the fourteenth day, God revealed himself to be "Weird Al" Yankovic, and he parodied all of them mercilessly.' I'd also curious if he'll somehow get a song in this story, but most likely not. Oh, well.

May the Force be with you! No worries, mate!

[Last Exile]

Thanks for the advice, mate!

Well, two things:

1. I'll be quite inactive here for 6 weeks. i've got teaching practice, so I will have very little time for things beside that. But, I will give you some new material soon. I'm considering splitting the Ash vs. Ivy battle over two chapters, because it's very large and features many interesting sub-plots and developments. Stay posted.

2. I ran into the path of a moving car yesterday and got hit. Thankfully it was only doing 30k/h so I didn't break any bones or die. *whew*

Rock on!

[ZeldaFan20]

It's great to know that you're okay! From what I've heard, getting it by a car is not pretty . My car got bumped a couple of times in the past, but there was no damage done (except to my nerves).

[SilverMachop]

Originally posted by Citrus Crush Chikorita
2. I ran into the path of a moving car yesterday and got hit. Thankfully it was only doing 30k/h so I didn't break any bones or die. *whew*

Woah, dude, that's just as bad as what your characters are going through. I'd say that is karma retribution.

Glad to hear you liked my suggestion, not-so-glad to hear I'll have to wait that long, but very glad to hear you're all right. Myself, I'm going to have to get myself hit by a car, so I have an excuse for my slow writing.

May the Force be with you!

[Demon]

WHEW!!
Just finished reading. all at a stretch

Great Fic. Keep It Up!!!!

[Last Exile]

Demon: Well, that's one hell of an effort! Welcome man!


Well, it's been a long time coming. Since the chapter was getting far too long, I'll split it into two big chapters. Here we go!


Chapter 26 – Two’s Company, Three’s A Crowd

He knew he should be making his way towards Strontium City. But Ash couldn’t will himself to. The image of Ivy burned a hole in his heart and destroyed his courage. Normally Ash would have no reason to worry. But the mental image Ivy projected into his brain, coupled with Crystal’s damning prediction, he felt fear flood his veins, its deathly grip taking hold of him and refusing to let go.
He knew he should be able to tell Sakura about it. But something prevented him from doing that.
Pride.
Ash Ketchum’s strength and weakness. His pride kept him going when others would give up. But it also tended to continually land him in hot water. After all he’d been through, couldn’t he learn to trust?
That wasn’t the issue though. The issue was the shame. Ash never forfeited unless he had no choice. He hated to lose and to admit being inferior. He had admitted his feelings of weakness when compared to Sakura. But that still didn’t make him feel any better. He wanted to make Sakura proud of him. His skills as a Pokemon trainer were all he had to brag about.
How could he face Sakura after admitting he was about to throw it all away?

Sakura sat against a palm tree, sipping at a chilled glass of water while rubbing Pikachu’s soft belly, who gave a warm squeak in reply.
“Feeling better, Pikachu?”
“Pika!” Pikachu nuzzled in against Sakura’s stomach, resting his head into her lap. Sakura smiled and stroked him across his striped back.
“You’re nice,” she whispered. “You’re a great being. And you’ve got a great trainer.”
Pikachu’s lit up like diamonds at the mention of Ash. “Pika-Pika!”
“You don’t mind me and Ash, you know, being a couple, do you?”
Pikachu shook its head and smiled like a little boy stuffed to the brim with sweets.
Sakura planted her lips briefly on Pikachu’s forehead. “Thank you.”
Pikachu began to squirm with laughter for a bit before he suddenly looked around. “Pika pi?”
“Huh?” Sakura then followed suit, then felt the same concern Pikachu did. “Where is Ash, anyway?”
Right after she let those words leave her lips, she felt a ripple of power sure right through her. It felt like someone was turning her inside out. The sheer force of the blow left her dizzy and unable to think straight. She fell to the ground, nauseous, her eyes seeing blurred images that she couldn’t comprehend. Her lungs felt like they were gradually being crushed and her heart was going faster than a Formula One racing car. All before she gave in to the convulsions.
Pikachu felt panic overcome it and could think of only one thing to do: yell. “Pika!”
Madison came sprinting to Sakura’s side, her face contorted in shock. “Sakura, what’s wrong? She’s shaking!”
A spluttering Crystal came limping from behind her, blood trickling from her lips. “It’s Ivy.”
Madison felt even more disbelief weigh her down. “You too?”
“It’s as I feared. Ivy is no ordinary woman. She’s using telekinesis to probe into the minds of those she considers a threat.”
“But how? Why?!”
“I think Giovanni bought her out. He wants her to take us out. We’ve probably come along further than he figured we would. So Gio has raised the stakes.”
Madison gulped then placed her hands on Sakura, who was whimpering from the pain of the convulsions.
“Sakura needs help fast. How can we help her?”
“You’re helping her now,” explained Crystal, pointing at Sakura, who was showing some small signs of improvement. “But she needs more love. Love and care from others is the only antidote to Ivy’s ill will.”
“Ash.”
“Exactly.”
“But…where is he?”

Ash had no idea where he was going. His feet carried him as far away from the she-devil as far as possible. Anything to escape the image of Ivy, taunting him, never giving him release.
“Run, Ash, you little wimp. You’ll never escape me!”
And then came the laughing, the laughing! Anything to get it out of his head. It buzzed in his skull and he felt like cracking it open against a tree. It was driving him insane.
“Help…”
Ash felt a jolt of clarity through his system, as refreshing as the first breath of life.
“Sakura. She’s…in pain.”
His resolve returned in a heartbeat. His arrogant, fiery nature returned like the rising sun. Ash was back, and mad as hell.
“Leave her alone, Ivy!”
“Make me, Ash. You know what I want.”
“You’ll get it. I’ll come. And you’ll regret ever crossing me, Ivy! I’ll make you wish you were dead!”
“Good, Ash! Come, come.”
Ash let his fury force him on. If he resisted, Ivy won by destroying Ash’s dreams. If he dared to fight, Ivy won by instilling fear and hatred into his soul. The poisonous smile of Ivy’s burned into his brain like industrial-strength acid, making him even more determined to fight on.
“I grow invincible off your hate, Ash!”

“Look, it’s Ash!”
Madison’s spirits soared as Ash raced towards Sakura’s weakened body, sporting a multitude of scratches and blood across him.
“What happened to you, Ash? You look like you got beaten up or something.”
“under the influence of Ivy, I ran into a tree, buried myself for 3 minutes, fought with a Ratatta and jumped into a prickly bush.”
Crystal scowled with enough spite to kill the sun. “She’ll pay for this. Quick, Ash. Give a gentle touch to Sakura.”
Ash simply nodded before kneeling beside Sakura, his eyes barely able to see through the condensation accumulating. He gently laid down on top of her, cradled her in his arms like a newborn baby, gently pressed his wet lips against hers as tears dripped down from his dreary face onto hers, held her close and whimpered.
“You shouldn’t suffer for me, Sakura. I’m the one Ivy wants. I swear, if she hurts you permanently, I’ll kill her.” Stunned at what he said, he wiped his hands then looked down at Sakura again, her face so peaceful yet so cold. He held her closer, pressing his chest firmly against hers in his warm embrace, tracing his trembling fingers through her gorgeous, silky red hair and clasped them against her scalp.
“I’d do it, Sakura. I would. My love…it’s like an incurable disease. It can’t be beaten. My love for you will never go away. I would do anything for you. Anything.”
“I know.”
A mini-shockwave reverberated through Ash, leaving him ravaged and vulnerable to Sakura’s hands.
“Don’t move. Just lay here for a bit. I wanna enjoy this. And carry me afterwards. I’d like that,” she whispered in his ear, her tongue nicking his earlobe.
Ash responded by holding Sakura tighter, letting Sakura’s hands slide up his shirt before resting on his back. Ash cradled Sakura’s head in her arms so that their faces were as close to each other’s as possible.

“Feeling better?”
“Much better.” Sakura continued to embrace Ash warmly from behind as he carried her on his back, resting her head against his shoulder, while Pikachu sat on the other shoulder, whistling a little silly tune to keep the mood up.
Crystal smiled, watching the two in action. “You’re both doing well. You’ve gone further than most of Ivy’s challengers.”
Ash’s smile melted away a little. “What?”
“Ivy mentally taunts her future opponents as they make their way to Strontium City. So most people don’t even have the nerve to face her once they know she can read their every single thought. As for those that try…” Crystal’s voice trailed off suddenly, and her eerie silence spoke more to the group than words ever could.
Madison summed up the courage to speak, but the fear in her voice was more than evident. “So, are you saying that even though Ash passed this test, it doesn’t mean anything?”
Crystal shook her head gently, her trademark serene smile placed on her lips. “I don’t think so. Ash is something else. He was able to beat me, so I think he’ll be more than competent against Ivy.”
“But?” inquired Sakura, still pressing in like hot iron to pry open the last bit of information.
“You’ve never seen her in battle before.” Crystal wiped her forehead and exhaled heavily. “I went up against her once. It ended up being a tie. My Pokemon needed an entire month to recover. I lived on edge for that month. It was like part of me didn’t exist from then on. Ivy has that effect. She seeps away the good in you and leaves you empty.”
“A month?” Ash was beginning to feel a little queasy and he grasped at his stomach. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
Sakura tightened her loving grip. “Look, you’ll be fine. We believe in you. I believe in you.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. Stuff like this never used to scare me at all.”
“Maybe it’s because you have others to consider,” suggested Madison in her evermore pleasant, understanding tone.
Ash remained silent. It was the truth. He did have others to care about. The fate of others were relying on his every action. And he hated it. He wasn’t the type to be tied down. He needed to be wild, free, impulsive, act on instinct. But now he had to plan, consider, be cautious and restrictive.
“How did it come to this?” he said, sighing like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

Strontium City.
The City of Rainbows.
Where Dreams Become Reality.
Rainbows. They appear during a fairly heavy shower, right when the sun is just beginning to break through. The light where there is darkness. The birth of something sweet and pure in the middle of chaos. Something to refresh the body, mind and soul. Seven colours that rip through the sky and stream right into your heart, making you realise that even in your darkest hour, there is something in this world that is beautiful and unaffected by the chaos around it. More to the point, it is born from the chaos itself. A contradiction that produces one of the planet’s most amazing natural miracles.
“It’s beautiful,” whispered Ash, on the rare occasion his outer shell let his heart lifted by the beauty around him. Ash was always one to observe and to see what others wouldn’t but he was quite the loner in the end, even with his friends around him. Basically, Ash hated being dependent. Now, the idea was a fact of life, so he was gradually accepting it, though begrudgingly.
Sakura smiled and nestled her face against Ash’s neck, still clinging to him around his neck and back. “It makes you feel like you’re warm inside, hey?”
That was how he felt. She could relate, and he loved her for that. He had to let someone get close to him for once. He responded by tightening his backward grip against her waist in a firm yet loving way. Sakura’s hairs stood on end, her breathing almost halting as she hummed softly, feeling some of the pain within her drift away, if only for a while.
“You’re still hurt?” said Ash, his lip twisted over as he turned his head back to meet hers.
Sakura nodded. “She’s in my head.”
Ash didn’t reply for a moment. He knew what she meant. Ivy. Again the poisonous woman was hurting him and those he cared about. It made his blood boil, searing like hot oil. He’d never really hated anyone before, except for Giovanni for ruining his life. But now he knew true hate. Ivy was torturing the one person he cared about most. He was feeling the pain of seeing the one you love hurt, and it was something he didn’t want to feel again. If felt like the air he was breathing in was dead air and gave his lungs no relief. It felt like his heart was a great lump of lead, filling him with bitterness and grief. Ivy was responsible for all this. The venomous snake-eyed, fiery-haired hell spawn. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve this. But Ash was a fighter. He didn’t lose. In Ash’s mind, losing wasn’t an option.
“I’m sorry.” He paused for effect, not really knowing what to say next. She’s in my head too. She went after me from the moment we left for this place.”
“I feel weak. Like, I’m all empty inside.”
Sakura’s words stung Ash’s skin like slivers of ice, making him shiver with anger. “I won’t let her hurt you again, Sakura. I promise. I’ll make her pay!”
He spat out the last bit with such vengeance that Sakura felt the shockwaves in his system on her hands. “Ash, I have faith in you. Beat her for me.” She then pressed her face against his, brushing his neck with her wet, tender lips. “For us.”
Ash felt steely resolve flow through him like ice-cold water, as refreshing as the first breath of life, lighting his spark once more.
“For us.”

“So you’re actually going to challenge Ivy?” The Nurse Joy of the Strontium City Pokemon Centre eyed Ash with a look of surprise and concern.
“Yeah, I need to beat to beat her in order to get halfway to qualifying for the Green League,” replied Ash, not letting curiousity get the better of him for the moment.
Joy’s face then changed to an expression of pity. “Well, don’t take this personally, but this is the last place you’d want to come to for a Gym Badge.”
“Okay, I know no one’s beaten her before. But I beat Crystal fair and square, so I think I stand a fair chance against Ivy.”
Joy looked as if her heart had jumped up into her throat. She looked towards Crystal, who nodded firmly.
“I see.” In an instant Joy’s demeanor undertook a complete reversal. “Well, I should give you some advice then. Ivy does 2 on 2 battles. One grass, one poison. I advise that if you’ve got a Rock type and non-Fire type that can use strong Fire type attacks, use them.”
Ash summed up the situation for a moment, considering what he had on him.
“What about Larvitar and Dratini?” suggested Madison thoughtfully.
“Perfect,” replied Joy.
“Wait, not Larvitar,” protested Ash. “He’s still feeling weak after that last Gym Battle!”
“I can give it a proper treatment and make sure it’s right and ready!” assured Joy. “I’ll have a look at Dratini and the others too. If you’ve come all the way from Calcium City, it’ll be sure all your Pokemon need a refresher.”
Ash groaned. He wasn’t keen on taking someone as young and fragile as Larvitar to take on a woman as insidious and toxic as Ivy. But he was running out of options, unable to even escape the mental projections of this woman. She haunted him like the Furies of Greek mythology. They haunt a person every single moment of every single day, driving them to the point of insanity. Ash felt Ivy’s mental voice and the image permeate into his brain once more, grating at his nerves like metal files against plastic. Scratch, scratch, scratch.
“You know, that Nurse Joy is a real pain. I don’t know why you put up with her at all.”
Yeah, why do I, thought Ash. His nerve was failing him.
“Mocking you with every single word. How dare she tell you what to do!”
Yeah, she is quite patronizing with me. I’m the one that knows my Pokemon best, not her.
“Everyone’s telling you what to do, Ash. Especially women! Your mother, never forgetting to let the underwear drop and never greeting you on the rare occasions you come home. Misty, the bratty redhead who always smacked you around, put you down at any opportunity and snatched the Togepi at hatching point that was rightly yours. Crystal, escorting you around as if you don’t stand a chance by yourself out in this world. And Sakura, my god, what about her! She’s always snapping at you when you make a single yet rare mistake, hitting you, arguing, yelling, screaming, chastising, berating, pummeling…”
“Screw the lot of you!” blared Ash, lips foaming, fists clenched, eyes narrowed like falcons one second away from clutching their prey.
Everyone present backed away in complete shock as if a nuclear bomb had just ripped through them. No one could find a word to say. What had just happened was so uncharacteristically Ash.
“I’m battling Ivy now, and I don’t need any of your help! Larvitar and Dratini are already fresh anyway. I would have picked them regardless of any advice. I’m going now.” He paused momentarily before firing his final deadly salvo. “And none of you had better follow.”
And with that, Ash stalked away, possessed with pure rage. Intent on one thing only. Beating Ivy…and killing her.

“That…wasn’t Ash.”
Sakura sobbed through a mountain of tears, feeling so desolate and betrayed she felt completely hollow. Crystal stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Sakura’s shoulder.
“I know. He’s being coerced by Ivy. It’s been going on for a while now. Ash has been pretty strong up until now but he’s beginning to unravel. If he bursts in with rage as his only weapon, he’ll be shot to pieces.”
“That would destroy him! We can’t let that happen.”
“Then we’ll have to break every rule in the book to make sure Ivy doesn’t beat him. I doubt Ash can beat her, for I’m sure she cheats and lies her way to victory. What we need to do is gather evidence for the Green League to prove that Ivy is dirty. Proving any potential links to Team Rocket would also help.
“So here’s what we have to do. Sakura, I’m going to need you to secretly film the battle. Your magical powers should be able to mask you from Ivy finding you.”
Sakura nodded, finding her ever-growing strength breaking through her wall of despair. “Alright. I’ll do what has to be done for my Ashy. But, why aren’t you getting Madison to do this? She’s better at doing this.”
“Madison has a harder and potentially more important job. And I’ll need your help on this one too, Meowth.”
Madison stood firm and determined. “Whatever it takes to make Sakura safe and happy again.”
“Anything for the dynamic duo,” seconded Meowth heartily, baring his sharp claws. “So what’s the job?”
Crystal involuntarily paused before speaking, hinting at the magnitude of the job. “You must hack into the Team Rocket database.”

Ash had no idea which way he was going or what he was doing, only that he had to find Ivy. The clarity of Ivy’s messages increased as he drew closer and closer to the Gym. He knew nothing except fury. He wanted nothing except to beat that vile ***** and slay her like the vile beast that she was. Hate consumed all his thoughts. He cared nothing for Sakura, Pikachu, his friends, his Pokemon. He could only think of one thing.
Beat her and kill her.
Before he knew it, his straining legs had carried him to the place he was looking for. If it wasn’t for the mental projections he was being fed, he wouldn’t have thought that this was the Strontium City Gym. From the description of the city, he thought it would be a rainbow-like place to honour what the city was really about.
This was not what he saw in front of him. The building was average height but very wide. It was made of pure marble, except this wasn’t its natural colour. It was an equal mix of an insidious dark purple and the most venomous of lime greens. What intrigued him most was the roof. It wasn’t made of marble, but of glass! Currently the roof seemed to be open. Countless ivy vines had wrapped around every pillar, step and wall of the building. It almost looked like an ancient ruin, if it weren’t for the sickly, eerie combination of purple and green. It was almost…hypnotic.
“Well, Ash, you found you way here quite easily. I applaud your bravery. Very few dare to enter this place anymore. Now do come inside.”
The front double doors swung open ever so slowly. Every moment they gradually swung back to the side filled Ash with impatience. He felt like oil that had been heated too long and was about to combust. He was so full of rage that it had fully consumed him. He was in the exact state Ivy wanted him to be in.
“I guess I should go in. The sooner I go in, the sooner I get to slay the *****.”

Sakura sat in silence, unaware that the rest of the group had gone to their respective duties. She needed to concentrate, to concentrate hard. Experience earlier in life and with Kero had taught her that she had the power to locate someone, but only if she was familiar with them. She knew Ash well enough to locate him mentally. In fact, she’d done something that the two of them had never done before.
During Ash’s match against Crystal, she had mentally communicated with Ash.
When she had done it, it surprised her more than it did Ash She couldn’t believe she possessed such a power. With that power came great responsibility. She had to control her urges to pry into other peoples’ minds. She’d love to be able to be in an eternal mental link with Ash, to gossip endlessly with Madison, to joke on with Kero, but that was nothing but pure fantasy. She wasn’t a little girl anymore. She was a female adult. She was a woman at last. She had to take life seriously from now on. But she also had to retain the ability to dream.
She dreamt of eternity with Ash. The thought was just so amazing it made her heart swell. And now that evil **** Ivy was warping Ash’s mind.
Two can play at that game, thought Sakura. It takes three to tango, and she was sure she could do it better than Ivy. Sakura was never one to concede defeat. With her, there was always hope.
“Okay, here goes.”
She took a deep breath then slowly exhaled. Placing her hand against her heart, she slowly inhaled and exhaled, her glittering emeralds hidden behind her eyelids. Her lips remained firm and emotionless. She blocked out all external stimuli and focused on one thing and one thing only: Ash.
Ash. Part of her felt complete contempt for him. His outburst really hurt her. Slashed at her like a samurai sword ripping open her stomach, leaving her lying on the floor, bleeding and unable to stop the pain. But what kept her hate from consuming her was her pity. Her pity for Ash. Whatever caused Ash to act like that was due to Ivy. That vile ****. She would pay for that. She was trying to destroy the man she loved.
And hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!
With that extreme thought, an explosion of pain ripped through her brain. Initially, Sakura tried to resist it, but she quickly identified the source of the pain. It was Ash’s pain. The rage, the bitterness, the sorrow, the shame he felt. She had managed to find him. Now she had to get to the Gym.
“I’ll find you, Ash,” she promised herself. “I’ll find you and bring you home. I won’t let that ***** destroy you.”
Clutching the magic key dangling around her neck, she stormed out of the Pokemon Centre and made haste to reach Ivy’s Gym as quickly as possible.

“So we finally meet, Ash.”
Ivy’s insidious smile burnt Ash’s skin like industrial strength acid. It burned and couldn’t be washed away.
“I know who you are, Ivy,” he replied coyly. “And your badge is as good as mine.”
Ivy laughed sharply. “Confidence. They all have it. And no one leaves with it. Your soul is mine, Ash.”
“I won’t lose to a **** like you,” spat Ash. He was unafraid. He was ready to speak his mind with no inhibition whatsoever.
“Well then, let’s cut the small talk and get to it.” Ivy came down a small flight of moss-covered stairs and stopped in the middle of a clearing. Now that Ash was preparing to battle, he noticed how crude and vile the Gym was. Poison ivy had crept its way around all the plant life in the Gym and bent all of them to its will. Yellow drops of what looked like acid seeped onto the ground, which fizzled and hissed every few seconds. The grassy area cleared out for battling was nothing like the normal green seen in everyday life. It was a twisted brown, like that of a dying tree. The mere sight of the Gym twisted Ash’s stomach in knots. Everything about this place made him feel sick and only served to fuel his rage. He had to end this madness. He had to beat Ivy or no one ever would.
But beating Ivy wouldn’t be enough. No. He had to kill her.
“Two Pokemon each, no time limit.”
“Fine,” sneered Ash. “The sooner we start the sooner you lose.”
Ivy simply shrugged her shoulders and smiled her twisted smile once more. “So many have said that and yet here I still stand, undefeated and resolute.” She then flicked her hand out and revealed her right arm. Ash shook at the sight of it. Her nails were painted a lime green while her skin didn’t exactly resemble normal skin. It almost looked like…tree bark. And her blood vessels where showing so clearly. But they didn’t look like blood vessels at all. They looked like…vines. Ash gritted his teeth harshly. What was Ivy? Was she even human?
“I shall start with my Muk,” Ivy whispered like a murderess, gesturing with her hand.
From the side, a great big blob of sludge began to make its way onto the field. Ash gulped. This Muk was unlike any he’d ever seen, not even his. Sure, Grimer and Muk were born from industrial waste, but this wasn’t possible! This Muk had a yellowish brown colour, like pure rubbish. And where its body touched the ground, it fizzled and was eaten away as if Muk’s skin was acid.
Ash pumped his fists and assumed his hardened battle mode. “Fine. I’ll go with Phanpy!”
Ivy’s eyes lit up in surprise. The kid’s going with Phanpy? I thought he was going with his Larvitar. Hmmm, this kid’s smarter than I thought. He intentionally thought one thing to trick me while he was always planning to use the other! The brat may have won that little battle, but that can’t possibly save him.

“Are you sure this way is safe, Meowth?”
“It’s the only way in, Madison. This vent is the only entry that isn’t guarded or monitored by security. Just a little bit longer and we’ll make it in.”
Madison continued to squirm her way through the cramped, cold, metallic confines of the heat vent. “Which way now? We’ve hit another fork.”
Meowth reached for the flashlight attached to his tool belt. “Take the left. Once we do that, just follow the path down, take the grate out, then we’re in.”
Madison sighed. “Okay. I just get the feeling that something’s watching us and waiting for the one moment to take us out.”
“Don’t talk like that!” hissed the feline. “You’re making us both nervous. If that was the case, why wait until now? We know what we’re doing. Just get me up to the front and I’ll take care of the grate.”
“Okay.” Madison drew her hands back as far as she could, shuffled a little to the side, and stretched Meowth past her. Meowth quickly clawed his way down the home stretch, flashed his steely claws and took an almighty slash. The meek grate fell in two and fell to the floor below.
“Phew,” sighed Meowth before crawling his way out of the vent, sliding out and landing on his feet.
“Hey, Meowth, can you give me a hand as I get out?”
“Sure.”
Madison squeezed her way out, reaching for Meowth’s paws as she slowly slithered her way out of the teeny crawlspace.
“Yuck. I’m glad I don’t wear dresses anymore.”
“For sure. Now, we’re in the east corridor. The computer room should be five doors down on the right.”
“That great big metal one?” posed Madison. “But that one’s got a key card lock.”
“Oh boy,” groaned Meowth. “Time to crack out the decoder.”
“Better be quick,” added Madison. “We only have ten minutes at most to pull this off. If we’re found, we’re mince meat. I doubt Ivy would even be so kind as to turn us into the police.”
“Don’t wanna think about it, girl. Let’s get cracking.”
“Alright. You wire it up and I’ll decipher the encryption code.”

Sakura’s lips were pressed together like hot irons. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, but it didn’t hurt her. It made her feel alive. She knew what she was going to do.
She was going to save Ash.
Then kill Ivy.
Ivy. The image of that…thing…burned in her mind like an aneurysm, ready to explode at any moment.
Find Ivy…and kill her.

“Make your move, Ash.”
“Phanpy, Rollout!” Ash’s command came with his usual flare and brazen defiance, a reaction that shocked Ivy. Phanpy squealed happily before flinging itself into the air and spinning itself so fast its entire body was one great moving blur, churning up dead grass and dust into a great big cloud of filth. Phanpy tore across the field with haste, gaining speed as it charged down on the bulk of sludge that composed its opponent.
“Hit it with all you’ve got, Phanpy!”
Ivy’s response was colder than ice. “Muk, use Sludge Bomb!”
Ash gulped as he heard Muk coughing and hocking up all the filth it could muster. If Phanpy wasn’t quick enough, it would get the full force of an attack that would leave it close to losing. Ash knew all the odds were up against him. He was fighting a losing battle. But if there was something he had learned in life, it was that even when there was no hope, somehow you could still pull through.
“Phanpy, attack its mouth!”
“What?” spat Ivy like an angry snake. “You bastard! You’ll pay for that! Muk, wrap yourself around that little Phanpy after your Sludge Bomb goes off!”
Ash froze. He felt as if his entire life force had been ripped out of his body at that very moment. His Phanpy was about to be engulfed by that blob of acidic muck. He had seen what it had done to every living thing in this Gym. If Muk got hold of his Phanpy, Phanpy was toast. Ash didn’t even want to think what would have happened to his Larvitar. It had a tough skin but was still fragile from its former sickness. It would have been finished in half a minute.
But Phanpy was tough, hardened. Ash had been at the moment it emerged from the egg he won in the Extreme Pokemon competition in Exeter. That was a moment that could be denied. In essence, Ash was Phanpy’s mother. He felt maternal instincts for Phanpy he didn’t feel for anyone else. Phanpy was his responsibility every moment of every day. If he let harm come to it, fatal harm, it would virtually kill him. Ash gulped again. He knew he couldn’t order Phanpy to move back. All he could do now was hope.
The moment of impact came. Phanpy rammed its mighty ears and sturdy trunk into Muk’s face, not holding back one bit. Muk replied by belching a disgusting ball of yellow-green acidic sludge, fizzing and steaming like over-pressured cola, right into Phanpy’s spinning body. Then something unexpected, but perhaps should have been expected. The sludge ball burst immediately upon impact with Phanpy, a significant portion of it being flunk right towards Muk’s face. Muk seemed to absorb no damage, then out of the blue its flabby arms reached for its eyes and screamed as if it had been shot.
Ivy was furious, her face ready to explode. “Muk! What are you doing?!”
Ash instantly recognised what was going on. “Its eyes! They’re the weak point! Phanpy, hit its eyes with your trunk!”
Phanpy shook its body violently, recoiling from the acid that had stuck to its skin. Baring its teeth, Phanpy charged with the will of Ash behind it, going as fast as its tiny feet allowed it to. It leapt with its ebbing strength and swung its mighty trunk back and forth. Two smacks scored direct hits, one each for Muk’s two eyes. Phanpy’s snout gathered part of the sludge blocking Muk’s eyes, making it squeal in terror. Muk screamed in excruciating agony as black goop began to flow out of its eye sockets.
“Damn you, Ash Ketchum!” hissed Ivy, her red hair waving around her head was on fire. The unnatural motion of her flaming hair flickering like the little flames of a raging bushfire made Ash’s throat cringe. She was mad enough and insane enough to kill. She had the makings of a person completely devoid of reason and emotion, save hate and anger. “My Muk can’t see you, but it can still hear you! One grab and your Phanpy is done for!” She then glared towards the direction of her battered battle toy. “Get it, Muk! At any cost, win this battle!”
Ash felt more scared than he had ever felt in his entire life. At any cost. Those words made his blood freeze. Ivy didn’t care if her Muk died in battle. All she cared about was winning. And she was willing to kill his Phanpy in order to do it. The look in her eyes made his stomach twist over so many times he lost all feeling down there.
His Phanpy was in dire peril. What could he do about it?
“Forget it, Ash. You have no hope.”
“There is always hope, Ash. Believe in yourself.”
Ash almost fell over in shock. He’d heard a voice inside his head. A different voice. It was the last person he expected. Sakura. She was back.
“How are you doing this?”
“The people I care about are always near me. The love we have for each other creates this bond.”
Ash felt guilt cramp up inside him. “Listen, I’m sorry about…”
“Forget it. I forgave you the moment you said it. Now you have to save your Phanpy. You know how.”
“I do. Thank you.”
Ash took a deep breath and summoned all his nerve. “Phanpy, run!”
Ivy snickered insidiously, her lips foaming at the ends. “You can run, but you can’t hide.”
“I’m not afraid of you, you sneaky *****.”
“That from a little twerp like you? Oh well, I guess you’ve spent your whole life letting bitches wind you around their little fingers, haven’t you?”
Ash kept his mouth shut for once. He knew the only thing that mattered was to outdo Ivy on the field and ignore her cheap shots. His Phanpy was depending on him.
On the field, Phanpy was just staying out of Muk’s reach. Its sludgy, acidic body made it easy to glide across the field despite its heavy body. Phanpy’s light body and fleet feet made it achievable to keep up the pace, but barely. Muk’s acid continue to burn away at its pale grey skin. With every second the fiery liquid ate away at its resistance, the harder it was to keep going. Phanpy was tiring, and it would soon fall into Muk’s fatal embrace.
Ash couldn’t bear it anymore. “Phanpy, please, keep going! I know you can do it. You have to! For both of us!”
Ivy cackled like the crow of Death. “Give it up, Ash! You can’t win!”
Phanpy let out one almighty squeal and its feet suddenly began to go faster. The tip of its trunk began to glow white. Suddenly its whole body was going white. A miracle was happening right in front of Ash’s eyes and he could hardly contain his excitement!
“I can’t believe it! This is incredible!”
For Ivy, it was like the tolling of the bell of doom.
“Damn you.”
Crashing through the deadened glades was the mighty figure of Donphan, angry as hell and intent on revenge. Its trunk was now covered in a black line of hardened skin. Its whole body was toughened up. And spouting out from underneath its trunk were two mighty ivory tusks, glistening like the whitest of teeth. It was a force to be reckoned with.
“Donphan! Take Down!”
Ivy never had a chance to reply. Donphan immediately swung round, not losing a single bit of its speed. Crashing through the wasteland, it homed in on the acid blob with all the force it could muster. Muk felt the full force of the mighty blow and was flung all the way from the battlefield, straight past Ivy and into a blistered oak tree. Muk’s bulk splintered the pathetic tree into a thousand splinters, like a shower of nails. Muk’s flailing body slid down the trunk and didn’t even stir. Ash felt tears rain down his face. He was getting a sick feeling the one thing he never thought possible in battle had happened.
He had killed a Pokemon.


Next time on WDC...

Ash is in over his head. But is everything as it seems? Is Ivy up to something far more sinister? What will Madison and Meowth find out in their daring mission? And what will be the reprocussions of Sakura's actions when the battle takes a turn that no one could have seen coming?!

Stay posted for the next installment of WDC!

Chapter 27 - The Time Wizard

[Jon UKX]

Three words: Oh My God! Ivy is evil with a capital E.
Anyway, I didn't Ash was capable of killing a pokemon and would his pokemon liscence be taken off him? It seems that all the female gym leaders in the Green League have a certain evilness in them. Will Sakura kill Ivy (Hopes she does)? and who is the Time Wizard? Too many questions, so little time.
Keep up the good work CCC (or Ryan if I can call you that).

[Snakes N' Legends]

Man, and I thought Teresa from Mist's Lapras Valley II was evil. Compared to Teresa, Ivy is a whole lot worse. Ivy might be able to control Ash's mind but Ash has a little more spunk. So Meowth and Madison are going to hack into the Team Rocket Database? Ash killed a pokemon? I don't think he actually meant to, well that's my opinion. Sure, both Ash and Donphan wanted revenge but not at the cost of killing a Pokemon. I am also curious about this Time Wizard? Could it be the rare and powerful Celebi? Or is Sakura's Card magic interfering with the match? Or is it one of Ivy's tricks to win the match? Well, keep up the good work, CCC.

[Lady Vulpix]

Wow! Every part of that chapter was as excellent as it was intriguing! And the end was shocking, but I guess I'll have to wait until next chapter to see what happens. You always bring surprises, like this chapter itself and the fact you've posted it right when I thought I wasn't going to hear from you for a while. How are you doing? Is your course still keeping you busy?
Oh, you know how to say Ash in Pikachu language!
But since when does it take 3 to tango?
Anyway, I hope to hear from you soon, know how your things are going and if you could read chapter 12 of my fic it would be great, even if you don't like it. I've also posted a story at the Battle Range, but you're not in it. I said you were too busy, which is the truth. I hope we get the chance to talk more soon.
See you!

[SilverMachop]

“I grow invincible off your hate, Ash!”

Forget his, ours should be enough to make her a god!

Everyone present backed away in complete shock as if a nuclear bomb had just ripped through them.

Ah, darn. I would've thought that you would play 'Christmas At Ground Zero' for a music break, but ah well.

“My Muk can’t see you, but it can still hear you!"

That's a lot like Harry Potter 2; though I never thought a Pokémon reenactment would be with Muk (Baslisk) and Phanpy (Harry). Anyway, did you plan that, or was that only for the sake of being able to beat a Muk? Just curious.

Donphan immediately swung round, not losing a single bit of its speed. Crashing through the wasteland, it homed in on the acid blob with all the force it could muster. Muk felt the full force of the mighty blow and was flung all the way from the battlefield, straight past Ivy and into a blistered oak tree. Muk’s bulk splintered the pathetic tree into a thousand splinters, like a shower of nails. Muk’s flailing body slid down the trunk and didn’t even stir.

Not to critize your writing, CCC, but if Ash's Donphan can kill the shock-absorbing blob known as Muk, then does that mean anything around Donphan's size will die too from a Take Down?
Well, maybe the Muk's not dead yet, just faking it. And he's probably not mortally wounded either, just getting better (hard to tell with a Muk). But if he did die, then he's better off, since no Pokémon wants to be Ivy's Pokémon.

Ash is in over his head. But is everything as it seems? Is Ivy up to something far more sinister? What will Madison and Meowth find out in their daring mission? And what will be the reprocussions of Sakura's actions when the battle takes a turn that no one could have seen coming?!

Uuuuhh...let's see.
Question Number One: In my view, Ash looks like he's winning right now, so not everything is as it seems. One evolution and Muk goes down, and Ivy's going to have to bring out a very strong Pokémon if she wants to KO Donphan in one hit.
Question Number Two: Something far more sinister? I doubt it. She's so cocky and prodding when Ash is away, then when he fights her, she loses her cool almost immediately. Unless she tries to use a R/S Pokémon (which Ash has no info about), then she's done for.
Question Number Three: Uhhhh...they'll uncover Ivy's illegal collection of MP3's? ...Most likely not.
Question Number Four: 'A turn that no one could have seen coming?!' Well, CCC's good at that.

Chapter 27 - The Time Wizard

Ah, I see. Ash uses the Time Wizard in Attack Mode, uses its time-travelling power to change his Pokémon (Dratini) into Thousand Dratini (otherwise known as Dragonite), and Ivy's now time-exhausted Pokémon gets creamed by the wrath of Ash's mighty Thousand Dratini!
...Okay, maybe not. But it was a clever guess, right?


Well, CCC, another masterpiece chapter is completed by you. As usual, it gave me the sense of suspense, the adreneline for action, and the emotional enragements and enjoyments! Bravo! Well, have fun writing and enjoy life! May the Force be with you!

[ZeldaFan20]

First of all, I don't think that the next chapter will have anything to do with Yugi-oh.

Second, I agree that a Donphan isn't strong enough to kill any Pokemon----let alone one HUGE Muk.

Finally, This chapter certainly is a thriller!! I can hardy wait for the conclusion of the battle!!

[Last Exile]

Jon UXX: Well, as my prelude suggested, all is not as it seems. You'll know soon enough.

Snakes'N''Legends: I'd almost swear you're psychic, mate! You're so damn close it's scary!

Lady Vulpix: Wow, great review yet again. Well, cliffhangers are essential in my opnion. It stimulates some good creative thinking. As for my course, my actual teahcing started today. My class with the Year 10s went like an absolute blur. But my supervisor for them, Karma, thought I did quite well. I thought I was lousy! Oh well. I didn't start with the year 8s or 9s today because my main supervisor wasn't here today. Supervising the year 8 relief went fairly well, but the year 9 class was an absolute disaster. I managed to break up some of the misbehaviour but that class is nearly 100% brats. They just don't know when to quit. I can bet when i start for real with them tomorrow, 3-6 of them are going to the SPC. I had to report one guy to another teacher because he kept trying to feel a female student, plus he made a couple of sexist remarks which really riled me. Apparently he's on notice. Wow, this job is stressful but fullfilling as well.

SilverMachop: As Blaine would put it, totally wrong! But you did successfully deduce I'm a Yu-Gi-Oh junkie. The Time Wizard is my favourite card, because it can turn a battle around in a flash, and it just looks so cool. Besides, it's the only card that actually says anything! Seeing Joey beat Mai and Rex Raptor with it was hilarious! But the ending to this battle will be pretty screwy, you can be sure.

ZeldaFan20: Yep, you definitely know nothing is as it seems! Hopefully the next chapter will still surprise you!