Title: The Great Escape
Authoress: Neph Champion
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Neph bows*
Idea: Before leaving Johto with his Mother Ash/Satoshi receives a Pokeball from his best friend. This is why he had to leave.
Summary: This is why it is so dangerous to be associated with Legends.
Pairing: Lugia/Delia, pre-romance Lance/Ash
Theme: The Dragon's Secret
Notes: "Italics" for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a Pokémon talks
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An explosion rocked the quiet of the city, sending many near the Dragon's Cave for cover. Overhead flew Lugia, the Guardian Beast of the Sea, panting in fatigue; he flapped his wings hard, trying to speed up. He glowed as he neared the ground, shrinking in size, "Rayquaza! I need help!" He called, as he landed in human form, already running toward the flaming house.
"I am on my way Lugia," already there was a green blur shooting down from the stratosphere.
"Delia!" Lugia shouted as he reached the house.
A young redhead leaned out of a window from the second floor, "Ash and I are up here!" she called, "We're trapped!" she coughed from the smoke, covering her mouth.
Lugia's eyes dilated, "What about Sato-chan? Are you two alright?"
"We won't be if you wait much longer," Delia replied, her voice weakening.
Lugia didn't reply, he broke the front door down by ramming it with his shoulder several times, using his momentum and weight and ran through the living room, almost reaching the stairs when an electric net was thrown over his tall frame, "What?"
"Now we've got you Lugia!" came a sinister male voice, chuckling as he came out of the dark shadows.
The man was dressed in black pants and boots with white gloves and a black jacket with a red capital "R" emblazoned on the front.
"…You!" Lugia growled as he panted in pain.
"Me," the man agreed, "Madam Boss will be so pleased that we've finally caught you."
"Tyson." Lugia snarled, his lips lifting to reveal rather sharp canine teeth, "You really don't care if you kill my wife and son in this fire?"
"Who cares about the bitch and brat?" Tyson asked, a wide, dark smirk on his face, "No one will care, since Team Rocket will now have the Great Guardian's power at our beck and call!" Tyson's sinister, gleeful laugh sent a wave of fury through Lugia.
Lugia's eyes glowed as he started powering an Aero Blast, knowing that it would likely destroy the house, "Tyson, you disgust me…" his voice was calm and fueled with an ice cold fury.
Tyson stopped laughing in surprise, "Really?" he harrumphed, "I thought I was your best friend."
"You're crazier than I thought if you think that I would still believe that after what you've done today," Lugia replied, his voice so cold it could turn water to ice in seconds. He brought up his hand; a ball of yellow glowing energy hovered before the Legendary Pokémon's hand ominously. 'I'm sorry that I'm about to destroy our home, Delia…'
Tyson's eyes widened, "Y-you wouldn't!"
"I would," now it was Lugia's turn to smirk, "Aero Blast."
The glowy ball of energy became five beams which then merged into one, blasting Tyson out the door, and almost completely demolished the front of the small house.
That was the moment a man with red eyes and spiky green hair streaked with gold and red ran passed the critically injured man and into the house that was now about to fall down. "Rin!" He shouted as he ripped the net off the other, "Are you alright?"
Lugia shook his head, "I will be, but we have to get Delia and Satoshi out before this place collapses on top of us!" He ran the last few feet to the stairs, adrenaline the only thing keeping him on his feet, and bolted up the steps, taking two, three at a time.
He heard coughing coming from their son's room; that must be where Delia had sequestered herself and their son. Before he could reach the door though, the roof caved in, "Delia," he called, raising his voice as much as he dared, "You'll need to jump out the window, I can't get to you; the door's blocked."
"Alright," Delia shouted back as she tried not to panic, "What about Ash? You haven't taught Ash how to fly yet."
Lugia took a deep breath, "You both need to jump!" with that, he turned around and raced back down the stairs.
Line
"Ash come on," Delia urged the six almost seven-year-old as she pulled him to the, thankfully already open, window, "You heard your father, we need to jump."
"But Mama, I'm scared," Ash jumped as he heard yet another part of the house fall, "I don't know how to glide even!"
"Ash, we have no choice!" Delia pulled her panicking child close as there was another loud crash somewhere in the now half destroyed house, "We have to jump or we won't survive this. Do you understand? You don't want your father to be sad do you?" she asked.
Ash shook his head frantically, whimpering in fear, "No!"
"Then you need to be brave Ash. Can you be brave for me, for your father?" Delia coaxed as she opened the window as far as it would go.
Ash dried his eyes as best he could, "I'll try…"
Delia nodded as she looked out the window, smiling when she saw the small crowd gathering below, Shuoh and Lugia were right under the window, with their friends behind them. "Your father will catch us Ash."
"Delia, jump!" Lugia called.
Delia sat on the windowsill and turned pulling her legs out. She pushed her feet against the side of the house and let herself fall into Lugia's arms. She looked up when she landed, "Come on Ash, your turn!" she called.
Ash pulled himself up onto the windowsill, tears streaming down his cheeks again.
On the ground, a redheaded ten-year-old pushed to the front, "I'll catch you Sato!" he called.
"W-Wataru-sama…" Ash whimpered, he screamed as he lost his grip and fell out the window.
"Satoshi!" shouted Wataru in fear, watching as his best friend plunged towards the ground head first. He sprinted to just under the window from ten feet away, ignoring the glow that signified Ash's transformation.
"Lance!" called Delia in terror as she watched his spectacular catch of her now Pokémon son.
Three weeks later: Goldenrod City Train Station
Delia hugged Lugia, "You're leaving right after the train leaves right?" she asked tearfully.
"Unfortunately," Lugia agreed, closing his eyes, "I'll be spending all my time around Earthia."
"Rin…" Delia whispered, using the name he'd given her when they'd first met.
"Hm?" Lugia hummed, pulling back to look down at his wife, "What is it?"
"Will we ever see you again?" she asked, closing her eyes as he bent down to kiss them away.
"What does your heart tell you?" he asked, leaning in to give her a goodbye kiss.
"…Yes," Delia opened her eyes and pulled away, letting Ash hug his father one last time, "My heart says yes."
"Then we will," Lugia smiled sadly as he wiped his son's tears away, "Chin up Satoshi, this won't be the last time we see each other."
"…I'll miss you Papa," Ash sniffed, "I wish we didn't have to go to Kanto…"
"Me too, Champ," Lugia flicked Ash's nose, "And I'll miss you too, but what happened three weeks ago just proves that you aren't safe in Blackthorn.
"All aboard!"
Delia and Lugia looked towards the conductor, "I guess it's time…" the wife whispered, "I'll miss you too Rin."
"And I you Delia, Aisai," Lugia replied as Delia pulled away, her hand sliding slowly out of his.
"Wait!" called a voice frantically. They all turned and saw Lance running up to them, "I'm not too late am I?" he panted.
"No, we can wait another minute, but not any more than that," Delia replied.
"Oh good," Lance muttered as he turned to Ash, "I don't want you to leave… But Lugia-sama is right…"
Ash nodded, "I'll miss you, Wataru-sama."
"And I'll miss you, Sato," there were tears in Lance's eyes as he started to dig in his bag, "Where is it…?"
Ash blinked, half in confusion, the other in curiosity as he watched his best friend rummage around in his pack.
"Ah-ha, there it is!" Lance hefted a Pokeball triumphantly a second later. "Here, keep this, and only use it if you need too…"
"What's in it?" Ash asked as he took the ball.
Lance shrugged, "I don't know, but it came from one of the clans on the continent. "Keep it to remember me by."
"…Okay," Ash agreed holding the Pokeball tightly in one hand, his stuffed Dragonite tucked firmly under his other arm.
Lance turned when he heard, "Last call!" from the conductor. He leaned down and gave Ash a kiss.
"Don't forget me, Okay?" he asked.
"I won't!" Ash almost cried as his mother pulled him onto the train.
Lance and Lugia waved as the train left the station.
Lance turned away, "The time has come, it's for the best I know it," He took a deep breath, "Who would have guessed that you and I… somehow today… We'd have to say… Goodbye…" [1]
(End)
[1] Lyrics from The Time Has Come; which is also the suggested soundtrack to listen to while reading, my recommendation is the Pokémon Live version.
Also: I chose Rin as Lugia's human name because it means companion. I chose Shuoh to be Rayquaza's name because it means Dragon, and I couldn't find a name that meant sky or wind.
So, it's done. I think this has been in my head since I first came up with the idea of Ash and Lance being Dragons, also, I finally figured out just what exactly is in that Pokeball, but you'll find out if I ever reveal it in the main fic.
I hope you enjoyed this, feel free to leave a review.
Neph