Summary: 6 years later, Ash meets the idiot kid (Zackie) who tried to capture Pikachu in Johto. Zackie, now confident of his *cough* abilities, challenges Ash to a match for Pikachu and loses badly. Thwarted, Zackie attempts to take away Ash’s happiness, but soon discovers how difficult that is.

Pairings: Championshipping

Disclaimer: Pokemon does not belong to Phantomness, it belongs to Nintendo, Game FREAK, 4Kids, etc. this is a work of fiction. Destiny is mine, and so are other new things and characters.

Notes: References to the CCA and other series. <> Indicates telepathy, ** indicates thoughts, and italics indicates translated pokemon speech. Characters will be referred to by the incorrect gender at times, this is intentional, part of the plot. Example: I may refer to Lance as ‘he’ even though she is a girl.

 

Ages: Ash is 17, Lance is 24

 

Title: Moon frost/meetings

           

            “Sir?”

            Grand Champion Ash Ketchum looked up from where he was grooming his Ninetails. “What is it?”

            “Another challenger, sir?” His secretary said a bit defiantly. * Who does he think he is? *

            “Oh?” Ash raised his eyebrows. “Very well. Did he beat the Elite Four?”

            “Well, no, sir, but…”

 

            “But what?”

            “The challenger was quite insistent.”

            Ash elegantly rose from the couch and was out the door in an instant. “Tell him I’m busy. You know that standard protocol insists for them to defeat the Elite Four first.”

            “But sir!”

            Ninetails growled, and the woman moved back. The elegant fox pokemon surveyed her through half-slitted eyes, before growling, a clear warning to leave. Having no other choice, the secretary left.

            “Where did that little brat run off to?” She muttered to herself.

            Another growl from Ninetails was heard.

            “All right, all right! Sheesh!” She said. * If I didn’t need money this badly, I would have never taken this job! *

            Ninetails yawned. With a personality like that I’m surprised she even got this job. Why doesn’t master just fire her?

 

            Lance looked up from his paperwork as a semi-familiar girl stormed in. Now where had he seen her before?

            “Yes?” He asked.

            “I want to quit my job.” The girl said.

            “And your job is?”

            The girl glared. “I’m Secretary to Ash Ketchum.”

            “Oh, I see.” Lance said smoothly. “You wish to leave your position.”

            “I just want to get as far away from that stuck-up little prick as possible!” She fumed angrily.

            “All right then. Dragonair, escort her out.”

            “Wait! Don’t I get some compensation?”

            “You will receive your regular paycheck, no more, no less.”

 

            Ruby turned on her heel angrily. “You’re just all a bunch of selfish bastards! I can’t wait to get out of here!”

            There was no response from the Dragon Master.

            Puzzled, Ruby turned around… just in time to see Lance’s eyes glowing an eerie silver color.

            His fingers formed a series of complex seals before he finally smiled. “Henge no Jutsu.”

            Ruby shrieked as she found herself shrinking. Soon, a pink Rattata stood in her place.

            Lance laughed softly, a chilling, cold sound. “Never insult the Grand Champion in front of me.”

            Ruby attempted to speak, but found that her voice was gone.

            “Now…” Lance said. “Let’s see, I seem to be forgetting something.” He pulled a vial of water from his desk and tossed it over her. “That ought to do the trick. You’ll never be able to change back into a human again.”

            Ruby fainted.

 

            When she awoke, she saw a pair of concerned brown eyes.

            “You okay?” Zackie asked.

            Ruby recognized the boy who had wanted to challenge Ash earlier. She shook her head.

            “What’s wrong, little guy? Are you hungry? Here, eat this.” Zackie said, handing her a rice ball. “Bellsprout doesn’t like ‘em.”

            Ruby chewed on the rice ball meditatively as she considered the situation she was in. If what Lance had said were true, she would never be able to become a human again. Hopefully, he was only lying.

            But she really wanted revenge on Ash now.

            And Zackie would help her achieve it.

 

            After a while, Zackie turned to Ruby.

            “Want to stay with me? You don’t look like you have a trainer.”

            Ruby nodded.

            “Great! I’m going to challenge Ash Ketchum and take his pikachu. Will you help me?”

            Ruby bobbed her head up and down very enthusiastically.

            “Wow! Thank you!”

            Zackie grinned. “Let’s go train!”

 

           

            “You can come out now, you know.” Lance said, not looking up from her paperwork.

            Ash stepped out of the shadows, his cloak of darkness vanishing. “How did you know?”

            “Your aura gave it away.”

            “Aw…” Ash pouted. “Ok.”

            “I got rid of the secretary for you.”

            “Thanks, Lance.” Ash said. He sat down on the desk. “So, how is the paperwork going?”

            “Not good.”

            “Aw…” Ash said.

            “However, you can make it better.” Lance said.

            Ash grinned and kissed the Dragon Master.

            “Better?”

            “Hai.” Lance said. Ash blushed cutely and perched on the edge of the desk as he watched Lance finish filling out the forms.

            “That’s an awful lot for pokemon abuse…”

 

            “I know.” Lance said. “The problem just keeps getting worse. I’m thinking of using Suicune to destroy the ones who are not pure-hearted.”

            “……”

“… That would eliminate a lot of the competition.”

            “I know.” Lance shrugged. “Still, it is better than letting the poor innocents be abused, is it not?”

            “I suppose…”

            “Ash, Ash. Is Destiny in control now or is it Hope?”

            “Well... Destiny.”

            “Point and case right there.” Lance said, signing another form. “Or I could flood them out with Lugia, or freeze them with Articuno, or have my Dragons do something…”

            “You have something against a lot of trainers.”

            “They abuse their pokemon. And I’m not the one who hunts them down with dark lightning, am I?”

            Ash pouted.

            Lance grinned and finished the last two stacks quickly. “Let’s go do something more interesting.”

            “Okay!” Ash cheered as he followed the trainer.

 

            Ruby panted, as she ran one lap. How could this be so hard? So she’d never been a pokemon trainer, or a pokemon, for that matter, but still…

            “Hey little guy, you have to run six more laps.”

            Ruby nearly fainted. *WHAT?! This is outrageous! *

            On the third she collapsed, surrendering to the blissful darkness. * How can pokemon stand this…. *

 

            “Baka trainers.” Ash said as he methodically polished his poke balls until they shimmered with a rainbow hue.

            “I know.”

            “Zackie still wants a Pikachu… I think that’s why he’s challenging me.”

            “So if he wins he can steal Pikachu?”

            “Legally, yes.”

           

            “I hate these rules.” Lance said. “But we need to keep our positions.”

            “Stupid bureaucrats. They don’t know a thing about pokemon.”

            < No, they don’t. But they have all the money, so they want to run the league. >

            < I hate them! > Ash burst out. < Have you seen what their scientists are doing? >

            < Yes, in my dark mirror. Trying to create new pokemon species by splicing DNA from the old ones. >

            < It’s cruel, and they’re using dark magic to do it, even though they don’t know. >

            < We’ll have to stop it. >

            < Now? >

            < No, it’s not time yet. Fire is still standing. When she falls is when we attack. >

            < Hai! >

 

            A smile curved Ash’s lips as his eyes flashed golden.

            Lance smiled back as she summoned her dark mirror, the black surface glowing dimly, framed by silver. “It’s here with me again.”

            “Yes… nobody has stolen it.”

            “So I hold the key to the dark power myself.” Lance said, as the mirror vanished.

            Ash smiled and gave Lance a hug.

 

 

            Elsewhere…

 

            Ruby woke up to find herself in a poke ball. From the gentle hum outside, she assumed that she was in the healing center.

            Ow….

            Soon, she was returned to Zackie’s belt. And the rigorous training began anew.

 

            Three weeks later.

            “Ash, I challenge you!”

            Ash shrugged his shoulders and continued eating his ice cream as Zackie jumped out of a pine tree. “As you wish.”

            “And if I win, I can claim one of your pokemon!”

            “Go ahead and take your best shot.”

 

            Zackie smirked. “Victreebel, go!”

            “Looks like your Bellsprout evolved.” Ash commented. “Still… it won’t help much. Ninetails, Flamethrower.”

            Ninetails yawned as Victreebel attempted to evade the attack, with minimal success.

            “Fire Spin.”

            Well, so much for Victreebel.

 

            “ARGH!” Zackie complained.

            Ash walked off, ignoring his ranting. * Bakayarou… *

            “Heh…”

            “Aneki!” Ash said, looking up and seeing Charlotte sitting in a tree above his head.

            “Hi, managed to get away from my job long enough to come see you for a bit.”

            Ash grinned. “Cool.”

            “Yep, looks like you’re doing well though.” Charlotte rubbed her eyes and yawned.

            “Tired?”

            “Balancing is hard work.”

            “I know.” Ash said sympathetically.

            “It’s not that bad, don’t worry.”

            “Okay!”

            The three trainers linked hands and walked off together.

 

End Chapter 1

Started 6/4/03, completed 1/3/04

Henge no Jutsu = transform technique. Naruto. ^_^