*WASTELAND*
~~~ Chapter One - One of the Tarnished ~~~
Grey gloom dawned.
Ash stood at the edge of the cliffs of Cerulean City -- or what
was left of it -- wondering, again, for the uncounted-eth time,
if he should just end his misery and jump. The jagged rocks
below would catch him, give him the release he had been seeking
for six long years.
His foot, of its own violation, slid towards the drop point.
Far behind him, he could hear the distant voices of the Firedogs
shouting at him. He ignored them. It would be so easy to jump,
he thought. For a brief moment, he felt at peace. _Jump,_ a
tiny inner voice whispered seductively. _Do it. Jump._
"Ash?" a voice called from close by, urgent and soft.
No. He couldn't. Not while he had unfinished business.
He stepped away from the ledge, with one wistful last look at
the ocean pounding the rocks below. He turned to see Rain
standing there, one hand on a slim hip, staring at him with a
sharp, piercing green gaze. "Oh Ash," she murmured with pity in
her voice. "Not again."
He walked past her without saying a word, as had become his
usual habit. They had been lovers once, true, a relationship
that had grown out of the friendship they'd shared as children.
But he had grown to loathe the pity and the worry in her eyes
every time they'd come together. So he'd ended it, but he still
saw the emotions he hated in her face.
Oak, too, was watching him, but there was no pity or empathy in
his sharp-eyed gaze. "Next time, just jump," he called
tauntingly, folding his arms arrogantly and smirking at his
leader. "Save the rest of us the trouble, and pass the
leadership of the Firedogs on to someone else."
Ash paused, turned slowly. "Like you?" he asked quietly. A
deadly silence fell as the other Firedogs sensed the
confrontation looming in the air, and encircled the two
combatants.
Sudden, stark fear flashed across Oak's face, and his arms fell
to his sides as he realized he'd become trapped in a Duel
Circle. The last fool to Challenge for right to reign had died
in screaming agony, torn apart by Ash's champion. He had to get
out of this, and fast.
"N-n-no, of course not," he stammered, ducking his head in
submission. "You are the Pack Leader."
Ash smiled, baring his teeth in a way that had nothing to do
with humor. "Right," he said softly. "The Firedogs are _mine_."
With that, he spun, and continued to walk towards the caves the
Pack members lived in.
His gathered followeds, still in silence, parted ranks to let
him pass. Then, as a whole, they turned their backs on Oak,
leaving him standing, fuming.
"Why must you push him so, Oak?" Rain asked quietly. "You know
he could tear you apart, or turn the Pack on you." She
sighed. "Things were usually simpler before you joined us.
There are times when I wish he'd left you to the tender mercies
of the armies, or the Silver Snakes."
"_I_ wish he had!" Oak raged, screaming at her in his need to
let out his frustration. "He's insane! Look at the way he
walks to the cliffs every day, right up to the edge. Look at
how many times he's thought about leaping off the cliff into the
ocean! He can't even decide if he wants to live! How can we
let someone like that decided if we want to live?! Why doesn't
someone just walk up behind him and push him off? We don't need
an indecisive, suicidal leader! We need someone to make all the
decisions! We need a new leader!"
"You'd best watch what you say so loudly," someone hissed in
malicious glee. The girl everyone had come to call Flame
detatched herself from the main body and approached Rain and
Oak. "Ya just got yerself out of a Duel Circle, and yer mouth
is gonna talk ya right back in. Ash hears a lot, you know."
Oak snorted contemptuously. "Ash knows this and Ash'll do that.
Yeah right! You know what? Fuck Ash!"
At that moment Ash spun, and lightning flashed from the grey
clouds, illuminating his eyes a demonic white. An unholy howl
split the air as Oak's words died into the stillness. From the
caves burned two red eyes, and a huge, lithe figure darted out
of the Leader's Cavern.
Rain groaned and covered her face with both hands as Flame
giggled in insane joy. "Now you've gone and done it," Rain told
him.
Red flames sparked from nowhere. Oak screamed as a long tongue
of fire lashed out and laced him across the face. Ash
materialized as if by magic in front of Oak as he fell to his
knees, clutching his face and howling in pain.
Black eyes watched him coolly. "Rain," Ash said emotionlessly.
With pain and something more undefinable in her eyes, Rain
reached into a pocket. "Go," she said softly, and tossed the
pokéball. A star-shaped pokémon erupted from the sphere, and
looked questioningly at its mistress. "Cool his burn, Staryu,"
she ordered.
Ash watched impassionately as a thin stream of water splashed
across Oak's face. The pain-filled whimpers died away as the
cool liquid soothed the blistered skin. "Don't try my patience,
Oak," he said very quietly. "That was a warning. Leadership is
mine. Don't push me, or I'll hand you right back to the
Snakes. Is that understood?"
Oak wiped the tears from his eyes. "Understood," he ground out.
"See that you don't forget the moment my back is turned," his
leader warned softly. "Else next time the burn will be worse,
and in a much nastier place."
"Understood," Oak repeated again through clenched teeth as Ash
turned away once again.
The black-haired Firedog Leader leapt onto an outcropping of
rock and lifted his face to the wind. "Hear me, Firedogs!" Ash
suddenly shouted, and all heads instantly swivelled to pay him
undivided attention. "Two years ago I made a promise to you.
That promise is going to be fulfilled. Two years ago, I swore
that those of you with blood oaths sworn out against the armies
and the Rockets would get the chance to make good. Firedogs,
tomorrow morning, we go forth, using the weapons we've been
stockpiling, and the pokemon we've been training, and we _repay
them all for what they have taken!"
Rain shook her head as she knelt beside Oak and applied a
cooling gel to his cheek. "This is the end," she muttered as
she worked.
Flame appeared on the other side of him, her red hair waving
like a banner in the wind. "No," she cackled, looking up with
obsessive admiration at Ash on the rock, surrounded by howling,
rejoicing Firedogs. "This is just the beginning."
From the direction of the Leader's Cavern, the same unholy howl
mingled with those from the humans, and lit the air on fire.
**** ****
~~~ Chapter One - One of the Tarnished ~~~
Grey gloom dawned.
Ash stood at the edge of the cliffs of Cerulean City -- or what
was left of it -- wondering, again, for the uncounted-eth time,
if he should just end his misery and jump. The jagged rocks
below would catch him, give him the release he had been seeking
for six long years.
His foot, of its own violation, slid towards the drop point.
Far behind him, he could hear the distant voices of the Firedogs
shouting at him. He ignored them. It would be so easy to jump,
he thought. For a brief moment, he felt at peace. _Jump,_ a
tiny inner voice whispered seductively. _Do it. Jump._
"Ash?" a voice called from close by, urgent and soft.
No. He couldn't. Not while he had unfinished business.
He stepped away from the ledge, with one wistful last look at
the ocean pounding the rocks below. He turned to see Rain
standing there, one hand on a slim hip, staring at him with a
sharp, piercing green gaze. "Oh Ash," she murmured with pity in
her voice. "Not again."
He walked past her without saying a word, as had become his
usual habit. They had been lovers once, true, a relationship
that had grown out of the friendship they'd shared as children.
But he had grown to loathe the pity and the worry in her eyes
every time they'd come together. So he'd ended it, but he still
saw the emotions he hated in her face.
Oak, too, was watching him, but there was no pity or empathy in
his sharp-eyed gaze. "Next time, just jump," he called
tauntingly, folding his arms arrogantly and smirking at his
leader. "Save the rest of us the trouble, and pass the
leadership of the Firedogs on to someone else."
Ash paused, turned slowly. "Like you?" he asked quietly. A
deadly silence fell as the other Firedogs sensed the
confrontation looming in the air, and encircled the two
combatants.
Sudden, stark fear flashed across Oak's face, and his arms fell
to his sides as he realized he'd become trapped in a Duel
Circle. The last fool to Challenge for right to reign had died
in screaming agony, torn apart by Ash's champion. He had to get
out of this, and fast.
"N-n-no, of course not," he stammered, ducking his head in
submission. "You are the Pack Leader."
Ash smiled, baring his teeth in a way that had nothing to do
with humor. "Right," he said softly. "The Firedogs are _mine_."
With that, he spun, and continued to walk towards the caves the
Pack members lived in.
His gathered followeds, still in silence, parted ranks to let
him pass. Then, as a whole, they turned their backs on Oak,
leaving him standing, fuming.
"Why must you push him so, Oak?" Rain asked quietly. "You know
he could tear you apart, or turn the Pack on you." She
sighed. "Things were usually simpler before you joined us.
There are times when I wish he'd left you to the tender mercies
of the armies, or the Silver Snakes."
"_I_ wish he had!" Oak raged, screaming at her in his need to
let out his frustration. "He's insane! Look at the way he
walks to the cliffs every day, right up to the edge. Look at
how many times he's thought about leaping off the cliff into the
ocean! He can't even decide if he wants to live! How can we
let someone like that decided if we want to live?! Why doesn't
someone just walk up behind him and push him off? We don't need
an indecisive, suicidal leader! We need someone to make all the
decisions! We need a new leader!"
"You'd best watch what you say so loudly," someone hissed in
malicious glee. The girl everyone had come to call Flame
detatched herself from the main body and approached Rain and
Oak. "Ya just got yerself out of a Duel Circle, and yer mouth
is gonna talk ya right back in. Ash hears a lot, you know."
Oak snorted contemptuously. "Ash knows this and Ash'll do that.
Yeah right! You know what? Fuck Ash!"
At that moment Ash spun, and lightning flashed from the grey
clouds, illuminating his eyes a demonic white. An unholy howl
split the air as Oak's words died into the stillness. From the
caves burned two red eyes, and a huge, lithe figure darted out
of the Leader's Cavern.
Rain groaned and covered her face with both hands as Flame
giggled in insane joy. "Now you've gone and done it," Rain told
him.
Red flames sparked from nowhere. Oak screamed as a long tongue
of fire lashed out and laced him across the face. Ash
materialized as if by magic in front of Oak as he fell to his
knees, clutching his face and howling in pain.
Black eyes watched him coolly. "Rain," Ash said emotionlessly.
With pain and something more undefinable in her eyes, Rain
reached into a pocket. "Go," she said softly, and tossed the
pokéball. A star-shaped pokémon erupted from the sphere, and
looked questioningly at its mistress. "Cool his burn, Staryu,"
she ordered.
Ash watched impassionately as a thin stream of water splashed
across Oak's face. The pain-filled whimpers died away as the
cool liquid soothed the blistered skin. "Don't try my patience,
Oak," he said very quietly. "That was a warning. Leadership is
mine. Don't push me, or I'll hand you right back to the
Snakes. Is that understood?"
Oak wiped the tears from his eyes. "Understood," he ground out.
"See that you don't forget the moment my back is turned," his
leader warned softly. "Else next time the burn will be worse,
and in a much nastier place."
"Understood," Oak repeated again through clenched teeth as Ash
turned away once again.
The black-haired Firedog Leader leapt onto an outcropping of
rock and lifted his face to the wind. "Hear me, Firedogs!" Ash
suddenly shouted, and all heads instantly swivelled to pay him
undivided attention. "Two years ago I made a promise to you.
That promise is going to be fulfilled. Two years ago, I swore
that those of you with blood oaths sworn out against the armies
and the Rockets would get the chance to make good. Firedogs,
tomorrow morning, we go forth, using the weapons we've been
stockpiling, and the pokemon we've been training, and we _repay
them all for what they have taken!"
Rain shook her head as she knelt beside Oak and applied a
cooling gel to his cheek. "This is the end," she muttered as
she worked.
Flame appeared on the other side of him, her red hair waving
like a banner in the wind. "No," she cackled, looking up with
obsessive admiration at Ash on the rock, surrounded by howling,
rejoicing Firedogs. "This is just the beginning."
From the direction of the Leader's Cavern, the same unholy howl
mingled with those from the humans, and lit the air on fire.
**** ****