Ash, Pikachu, Brock, and Dawn were on the road heading to Jubelife City so Dawn could enter her first contest. After meeting with Nando the traveling bard the group was more inspired then ever to achieve their dreams of competing in the Grand Festival or the Sinnoh League.
"That Nando guy was really great! It's fun meeting new people and Pokemon on your journey," Dawn commented happily.
"Yeah next to battling it's the best thing in the world. Making new friends with both people and Pokemon. You never know what kind of people your going to bump into," Ash replied.
"Pika Pi!" Pikachu agreed.
"I wonder who we'll meet next and what kind of adventures are in store for us," Brock mused as the group entered a small clearing. They didn't know it, but they were about to meet someone who would change their lives forever.
They had just started across the clearing when the wind started to pick up and a strange humming filled the air. They all screamed as the force of the wind pushed them down to the ground. Ash grabbed Pikachu with one hand and held his hat down with the other. "What's going on?"
"I don't know! There's nothing in the guide book about sudden windstorms and humming!"
"Look up there!"
Everyone looked into the sky as a purple tear opened up in the sky. There was a flash of light and they saw the outline of human being emerge and land safely on the ground. The tear closed up and the wind died down along with the humming. They got to their feet and looked at one another wondering what had just happened. Then they at the person who had just appeared out of thin air.
"That was some ride, I'll be sure to tell Jack when I get back that he needs to work on his exit points. Still I wonder if I made it," the girl asked as she stood up. She was a bit taller then Brock and willowy. She was wearing knee high white boots, a short white skirt, snowflake earrings, and a white blouse with snowflake buttons with a white backpack with a strange symbol on the flap. It looked like a dragon eating its tail. Dangling from the girl's neck was a strange iceberg shaped pendent with a glowing indigo jewel in the middle. The girl herself had pale skin, crystal blue eyes, and long pure white hair that was held up in a high ponytail with a snowflake clip. The girl was lovely. She turned to face them. "Hi."
"Hello there my snowflake beauty! My name is Brock and I want to be your boyfriend!" Brock said as he rushed over to do his flirting thing. His sudden movement startled the girl and she reacted immediately.
"Repulse the Monkey!" she said thrusting her hands into Brock's chest halting him in his tracks. She then rolled onto her back and flipped him causing him to fly through the air and land in a bush. "Oops sorry about that!"
"Hey what was that for?" Ash asked as he hurried over with Dawn and Pikachu. He knew that Brock's flirtatious nature was annoying, but he had never seen anyone use martial arts on him.
"I'm sorry about your friend really it's just that he startled me so I reacted. Besides I have a boyfriend already. I hope I didn't hurt him to badly," she said.
"You don't need to worry I have a hard head. Sorry about that I didn't mean to flirt with a taken woman. My name is Brock."
"I'm Dawn."
"I'm Ash Ketchum and this is Pikachu. We're from Pallet Town. Who are you and where are you from? Do you know anything about that weird weather that just occurred," he asked.
"Your Ash Ketchum? Then that means I'm in Sinnoh yes I made it to the Pokemon World and I am so glad your speaking English! I mean I can speak Japanese, but it hurts my tongue. Speaking English and Icelandic is much easier," the girl said with relief causing everyone to look at her strangely.
"Uh are you okay? You seem a little out of it."
"Pika Pika!"
"I guess I do sound pretty strange and what I'm about to tell you three I'm sorry four will confuse you, but rest assure everything I tell you is the complete and honest truth. My name is Crystal White and I'm seventeen years old, I'm from Reyvecheik Iceland and I'm the Xiaolin Dragon of Ice. That weird weather you just experienced was the result of my friend Jack's universal transport sending me from my Earth to yours."
"What?!"
"Why don't we sit down and eat something and I'll explain everything," Crystal suggested and so a few minutes later Brock had laid out some lunch and they were listening to Crystal explain how in her world they were a very popular anime show with their own toys, card game, and tons of fanfics about them. They didn't believe her at first until she showed them the starting for Pokemon Diamond and Pearl on her Xiaolin Cell Phone. "This must be a shock for you. I'm sorry if I scared you."
"I think it's cool that were a TV show in another world! Just think millions of fans will be watching me when I compete in my first contest!" Dawn exclaimed excitedly.
"Yeah it is cool, but does this mean that our lives are already dictated?" Brock asked.
"Yeah I was wondering the same thing. Am I the result of just someone's imagination?"
"I don't think so Ash. You have memories of your early life that no one who watches the show is aware of and I doubt anyone could just make up your life. I get the feeling the creators are just psychically linked to this world and just animate what happens," Crystal told him gently as she munched on a fish sandwich.
"Your probably right. So are you going to tell us more about your world Crystal and tell us why you came to our world?"
"Pikachu."
"I was just getting to that. In my world were not as technological advance and we don't have Pokemon. We still have fantastic animals and lots of other cool things. People live their lives trying to make their dreams come true. However just because we don't have fantastic creatures wielding the powers of the twelve elements doesn't mean there aren't people who can. In our world the balance between good and evil, Xiaolin and Heylin, is kept by warriors who are connected to the twelve chi elements."
"Elements? Chi? What are those things?" Dawn inquired.
"Well chi is the energy inside everything. Elements are the forces of nature that you can find everywhere in the world. When the twelve elements come together in one spot their known as a Kung Site, but more about that later. Think of the twelve elements like your Pokemon types. My friends and I each have an element. Omi is water, Kimiko fire, Clay earth, Raimundo wind, Jack metal, Jermaine gravity, Dagwood wood, Lu lightening, I'm ice, Stacey flare, Auara light, and Callie darkness."
"Wow so all your friends have powers like you? Neat! Do you have a picture?" Ash asked.
"Here this was taken only three months ago," she said handing them a photo of twelve kids in robes waving at the camera. An older looking man with a strange green lizard wrapped around his neck was also in the photo. In the background they could see a beautiful temple. "Those are my friends and that man there is my mentor and friend, Master Fung. The lizard you see wrapped around his neck is actually a mystical dragon named Dojo Konochocho of the Northern Cho Cho clan."
"Wow a real dragon neat! Hey how come those two are wearing black robes and have different colored sashes then you?" Dawn asked
"Because they are Shoku Warriors and I'm only a Wudai level. There are at least six ranks in the Xiaolin martial arts. Novice, Apprentice, Wudai, Shoku, Master, Grandmaster. It takes about a year of hard training to rise from one rank to the next."
"I get it your sash color is similar to getting a badge."
"So I have a few questions for you Crystal. What is the history of your martial arts, where do your powers come from, what kind of responsibilities do you have?" Brock questioned.
"Yeah and what's a typical day like for you at your temple and I would love to know a little more about you and your life before you started training," Dawn added.
"Most importantly I think we want to know why you came here in the first place," Ash finished up with Pikachu agreeing with him.
"One at a time please I don't do well under rapid fire. I'll answer all your questions in order. I think I'll give you cliff notes version of our history. Millenniums ago their was a an highly advanced group of people who created a peaceful empire by using the Kung sites wisely. They were known as the Ancients and for centuries their people lived in peace until an evil tyrant destroyed everything. The first Dragons used their powers to defeat them and left behind their legacy in a set of secret catacombs. Centuries later a man named Xiaowei discovered them and masters all twelve elements becoming an avatar. His wives mastered the secrets of using chi energy to heal. Both passed their secrets to their son Dashi who formed the Xiaolin Dragons and since that day there has always been a group of Dragons ready to fight for the side of good. As for where my powers come from that's easy. The Kung Site pulsates the twelve chi energies, which then pass through the three conduits where they are magnified to their full potential before connecting to people who demonstrate characteristics of that particular element."
"As for responsibilities that's easy. My duties include stopping Heylin forces from taking over the world, protecting the Kung Site hidden underneath our temple, and finding and guarding the Shen Gong Wu Dashi created."
"Shen Gong what?" the trio asked confused.
"Shen Gong Wu are mystical items of great power. Dashi created them by turning chi energy solid. Each Shen Gong Wu has a different power and with them a person can do great good or cause harm. Dashi used them to defeat one of our greatest enemies a Heylin Witch called Wuya. After defeating her he hid them all over the globe so they could uphold the balance between good and evil. Since the fighting resumed they've activated making it so anyone can use their powers. It's the duty of the Xiaolin Dragons to gather them and bring them back to the Temple."
"Sounds like an awesome adventure! Can we see a Shen Gong Wu in action?" Dawn asked.
"Maybe after I finish answering your questions. You asked what a typical day for me is. I get up early each morning and after breakfast I do a ton of chores before we start training, which can last for hours sometimes. After lunch we have two and half-hours of school because a warrior must be a master of not just their body, but their mind as well. We get an hour to work on our homework and then we have time for our hobbies or if we want to we can have a date. Whenever a Shen Gong Wu activates we drop everything and hop to it."
"Before I came to the Temple I lived with my mom, dad, and grandfather in a two story penthouse suite. Don't look at me like that please I'm not loaded my parents just happen to own and run a successful five star hotel is all! Back home my room is covered with awards and trophies I won from spelling bees, debates, school government, and sports like ice hockey and ice-skating. Still it was a lonely life. I didn't have any friends and I spent most of my time alone either reading or working on my rock collection. I want to be a geologist like my grandfather was."
"Why didn't you have any friends? I mean you seem like an awesome person with a great personality," Dawn pointed out.
"Yeah who wouldn't want to hang out with a beauty such as yourself? You're smart, funny, and obviously talented. What possible flaw could anyone find with you?"
"Trust Brock, trust. I have a difficult time trusting people and sometimes trusting myself. Does a person like me for me or are they using me because of my brains and talent? Am I really good enough for my boyfriend Omi or am I kidding myself? Trust is something I've struggled with all my life. I'm getting better at trusting people, but its still a struggle."
"Hey I understand how you feel. Trying to find the right people to trust can be a challenge, but in the end its' worth it to have friends right Pikachu?"
"Pika Pika!"
"Thanks Ash that's really nice of you to say. Now to answer your question the reason I came here was because I'm on a mission. You see three months ago when we named Rai and Lu our Shoku warriors. Since then we've been training really hard and keeping an eye on evil. About a month and half ago Master Fung issued both of them a challenge. Come up with new elemental attacks. The only problem is everything they thought of had already been done. So on our one weekend off from training Jack shared with us his closet obsession with all things Pokemon. We watched every episode, (except the ones that have been banned) all the movies, and played all the games. That's when we decide to try and learn Pokemon moves. The problem with that is watching is not the same as first hand experience. So after looking at some ancient scrolls that confirmed our theory that Dashi had once created a Wu to travel between the Earth dimensions we decide to come here for ourselves. Problem was the Wu had been lost for centuries and even Dojo didn't know where it was located. Not to be discouraged we pooled our resources and built our own gateway here. After several days of testing we drew straws and I was chosen to come here first and make sure everything was safe."
"I can't believe twelve teenagers were able to create a machine that allows a person to cross dimensions. So when are your friends coming and how are you going to get back?" Brock asked curiously.
"Getting back in no problem. There's a recall button on my Xiaolin Phone that can send me home anytime I want. As for my friends well they have to keep Master Fung busy for a few days because we didn't tell him about this little adventure. Once everything's squared away they'll come. It could be only a few days in my world, but weeks might pass here. I'm not worried. So that explains everything about me and why I'm here. Now I have a favor to ask of you. I wish to travel with you and observe the Pokemon and their moves first hand. I promise to pull my weight and help around camp. In exchange I could teach you some martial arts so you know how to defend yourself when ever you encounter bad guys."
"Sure that would be awesome. We love to have you join us Crystal. We were just saying how the more friends you make the better the journey is," Ash told her.
"Pikachu!"
"It would be so cool to have another girl in the group! We can stay up all night gossiping and doing each others hair!"
"We don't mind you joining us on our journey, but are you sure your prepared for it? I mean after all you said that you come from a world without any Pokemon."
"Please I've saved the world from darkness twice over, gone on many quests, and helped solve the mystery of my boyfriends origins. You think I don't know how to pack for a journey in a world where there are fantastic creatures that can wield elemental abilities? First off I'm wearing my Xiaolin robes underneath so I can train or fight in comfort at a moments notice. Second take a look at my bag," Crystal instructed them as she removed first a beautiful arm guard that looked like a bunch of mirrors, a wicked looking mace and set of blue armor.
"What are those things?"
"This is my Elemental Wu, the Mirror Deflector. When I wear it it's powers increase mine to their fullest potential and when combined with my Wudai Weapon, the Shayera Mace, which produce a sonic shockwave, I'm nearly impossible to beat. The armor is for when I get involved in Showdowns for Wu. This is only the tip of the iceberg."
"There's more stuff in that small bag? How can that be when this stuff should take up all the space?"
"An old monk trick that allows you to carry more things then you would expect. I also brought some food, a first aid kit along with a small portable bathroom that can shrink for easy carry, my mat and blankets, a book to read plus my geology equipment and of course six Shen Gong Wu to protect me. You wanted to see them well here they are," she said pulling out six objects from her bag. They all stared at the seemingly innocent objects.
"This is the Compass of Erised, which can lead you to your heart's desire. Perfect for finding your way if your lost or missing someone. Next I have the Falcons Eye, which can see through solid objects, a handy object if your trying to locate bad guys, this is the Third Arm Sash and you can probably guess what it does from the name. Now this is my favorite Wu. The Horn of the Blizzard, which creates an icy storm every time it's blown. The Silver Manta Ray is a mystical transport for air or sea we can use if we get to tired to walk and lastly the Tongue of Saiping, which allows the user to talk with animals. I thought if I'm coming to a world with Pokemon I would want to communicate with them," Crystal finished up as everyone took a turn examining the Wu.
"A mystical device that can communicate with Pokemon? This I got to see. I say it's time for Crystal to meet the rest of our family. Come on out Starly and Aipom!"
"Piplup I chose you!"
"Bonsly time to come on out!" A few seconds later all the Pokemon were out of their pokeballs and eagerly chatting with Crystal who had put the Tongue of Saiping to her lips and saying it's name. It glowed brightly for a second and then she started talking with them in their own language. It was strange to watch a person talk like a Pokemon.
"I wonder what she's talking about with them," Ash mused as Pikachu joined the others. He watched Crystal scratch the Pikachu behind the ears and not get shocked.
"I'm sure she'll tell us as soon as she's done. I can't wait to hear what she's learned from them," Brock mused.
"I hope she let's us use her Shen Gong Wu sometime! Maybe learning martial arts will help me as a Coordinator!" Dawn exclaimed as Crystal finished talking with the Pokemon.
"Thank you for letting me talk to these guys. They have a lot to say and enjoyed the chance to chat with a human. You've done a great job raising these rowdy males. I can't wait to test my skills against them especially Pikachu," Crystal admitted as she packed her bag again.
"Males? Then our Pokemon are boys, all of them? Wow I guess I never thought of them having a gender before. Most of the time it's next to impossible to determine gender ever for a breeder like me."
"You can usually tell gender by their demeanor, their voice, and if you look closely enough at their eyes. I explained my mission to them and they are eager to help. So I thought we could get started. There's about an hour before sunset. Do you want to have a quick battle or start your training?"
"Why not both? Me and Pikachu vs. you. If you want you can use your Shen Gong Wu to help you out. You ready for the fight of your life?"
"Bring it on!" Crystal said grabbing her right shoulder and pulling off her clothes revealing her robes underneath. They were red with black cuffs and a light blue sash with a slit on her legs, white shorts underneath, and black shoes with netting that reached up to her knee. Reaching behind her she took out the Horn of the Blizzard. "You get the first move."
"Right Pikachu quick attack!"
"Pika, Pika!" Pikachu cried as it dashed off towards Crystal at super speed. The Xiaolin Dragon of Ice just stood there calmly waiting for the attack. Right before Pikachu struck she reacted. Cupping her hands she pushed them foreword shouting "Iron Bear Claws!"
Pikachu was at a loss for what happened next. One minute he was rushing at Crystal the next he was stopped in his tracks and flying through the air. He landed on his feet and for a second wobbled. The attack had created three small cuts on his chest where she grabbed him. "Pikachu are you okay?"
"Pika," Pikachu assured Ash he was fine just surprised.
"I hope I didn't hurt you to much Pikachu. If you want we can call of the battle," Crystal suggested, but one look from Pikachu told her he wanted to continue. "Alright come and get me."
"Right Pikachu use thunderbolt!" Ash commanded startling his friends. Why would he launch an attack that could seriously hurt someone?
"You think a thunderbolt is going to stop me? I've seen Lu fire a much powerful attack when she's sick. Horn of the Blizzard Ice!" The silvery horn blared and swift and powerful icy wind filled the air making contact with the thunderbolt and freezing it. Before anyone could react Crystal shatter the ice and sweep kicked Pikachu ending the battle. "That was fun, but I hope Pikachu is okay. I didn't really want to hurt him."
"Pikachu will be okay once he gets some potion. You were awesome the way you used your martial arts to defeat us. I can see now why you would want to come here and get stronger."
"Yeah I never seen someone go toe to toe with a Pokemon in battle and win like that! But why didn't you use your ice powers? Were you afraid you would hurt Pikachu?" Dawn asked as Brock finished administering the potion.
"That and I was exhausted from the trip. I need time to recover. I'm afraid the only martial art lesson I can give to day is how to meditate and a few blocking techniques."
"It's a start. Why don't we begin now?"
After assigning them each an element they started meditating. Ash was lightening and was a little embarrassed to be paired up with an element that was usually a girl's. Dawn became light and Brock was earth. They quickly got the hang of meditating and after a few tries they all managed to do a simple block. After that it was dinner and bed with the boys sleeping outside and the girls in the tent.
The next morning after breakfast they all packed up camp and got ready to continue on their journey for Jubelife City. "I can't wait until we get there. My first contest is going to rock and with your help Crystal I know I can win."
"Yeah and just think afterwards you can watch me and Pikachu win my first Sinnoh League badge at the Oreburg Gym. It great that while your learning from us and the Pokemon will be learning from you to."
"You certainly have made quite an impact on our little family. This journey just got a whole lot more interesting."
"As Master Fung would say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I say I just took that step when I came here. Now are you guys coming or what? Adventure awaits us!" Crystal said laughing as the four of them started once again on the road to adventure.