Theme Song: 'Upside Down' - Kaitou Saint Tail


"Innocence and Passion," moaned Author, as she sat at her desk in the dim light. The hand holding the biro jerked back and forth across the paper, drawing the kanji of innocence and passion intertwined over and over. She herself sat back in the chair with her eyes closed, until suddenly they opened with a snap. "Disbound!" she cried, as loud as she dared. The lines on the page, the separate drawings merged into one large scribble, glowed with a bright gold.

~*~

Ash and Pikachu sat under the tree staring warily upwards, the once pleasant sun seemingly hidden even though there was not a cloud in the sky. The warmth that the group of teens had been shading from had gone, unable to get to them on the chilled wind that had sprung up.

'Innocence…passion…' the wind rattled through the trees, repeating these two incantations over and over. Pikachu looked around warily. 'Disbound…' whispered the trees.

And somewhere very far away, two teenaged girls sat bolt upright on their respective sofas, clutching at their chests as they felt their lungs seize up…

The sound started softly at first – it could have been easily passed off as the faraway, playful call of a Pidgey fledgling; that is, if it hadn't been the only noise that they could hear.

As the noise grew louder, shriller and more desperate, Tracey and Brock looked at each other uneasily. Misty's mouth gaped open slightly and she held Togepi closer to her. Gary opened his eyes, joining Ash and Pikachu in their swooping visual search of the skies.

"This is freaky…" breathed Brock, backing away from the tree where his friends were collectively assembled, as if he expected them to spontaneously combust. The sound was evident now; the high pitched, shrill scream of a young girl in fear. All of a sudden, there was a universal gasp from Ash, Gary and Pikachu, as they saw a black dot seem to materialise in the sky above them, as far up as they could see.

The figure fell downwards towards them, screaming her head off as she plummeted. Everyone panicked, rushing to do something, but they misjudged the speed at which she was falling. Ash reached for Noctowl's Pokéball in a split-second movement, but before he could release the Owl Pokémon from it's confinement, the girl seemed to slow, and came to a peaceful stop, hovering above Brock's arms.

Unsure about what to do, Brock reached up and plucked the now silent girl out of the air. She had fainted. As they laid her on the ground, a green and red duffelbag crashed to the ground, landing at the base of a tree nearby, scaring the hell out of Gary, who was hanging at the sidelines, trying to look cool. Misty broke the silence as Gary edged up to the group.

"WHAT just happened?" she yelled, bluntly. There was silence; no one knew what to say, and Misty hadn't really expected an answer anyway. The five of them observed the new-comer quietly, as Togepi hid behind Misty's legs, and Pikachu sniffed at the girl inquisitively.

The girl looked no more than Misty's age…15 or so. She had a heart-shaped face and thick, mousy coloured hair that fanned out from her face like a cushion. She was petite, but had long legs compared to the rest of her body, whereas everything else about her, down to her fingers was small. She looked like a normal girl, wearing a pair of denim dungarees over a simple teeshirt with cartoons on it. But 'normal girls' do not tend to randomly materialise and plummet through the air, Misty reasoned with herself.

Suddenly, the girl's arm flicked upwards, and she groaned as she pushed her fringe back with the back of a limp hand to gingerly touch her throbbing forehead. They all backed away warily, as the girl opened her eyes. Initially, they flashed a dull blue colour, the likes of which they had never seen in eye colour in their colourful world, but then the seven observers watched as they shimmered gold, then silver, then faded into a more vibrant blue, not unlike the colour of Misty's eyes.

Erin sat up in alarm. She blinked. And the seven people surrounding her blinked as well. And the Pikachu sitting by her shoulder leant over into her line of vision, announcing her presence with a sympathetic 'chuuu?'

Erin screamed, and promptly fainted again.

~*~

Delia Ketchum cooed in a worried, motherly fashion.

"Misty dear," she said, "Could you get me a cold compress please?" In a few seconds, Misty reappeared at her side with a wrung out, damp cloth which Delia pressed over the unconscious girl's forehead.

Misty's brow furrowed slightly, as Mrs Ketchum continued to fuss around the still girl. Suddenly, she began to feel wary; not of the girl per say, but of the feeling of being watched. She whirled around to see that Gary was watching her with intense eyes from across the room, where he was leaning suffixed against the wall, near to where Ash was accepting a collect call on the vidphone.

"Placing. Call. Placing. Call. Placing. Call," chanted the electronic, female voice. Suddenly the screen shuddered into life, revealing an earnest looking face, framed with sandy brown hair.

"Ash?" asked a familiar voice. Gary turned and straightened up from the wall, and stood behind Ash with his arms folded, bending down slightly so he could see into the monitor of the vidphone. "Gary?" the voice continued. "Is that you two? I'm on a payphone and the monitor's really awful."

"Yeah, hey Rich," answered Ash, curiously. What's up? Where are ya?"

"Um, training in Mount Moon," replied Richie, absently , as he kept looking behind him. "Hey Ash, something weird just happened to me…"

"Lemme guess," Gary murmured sardonically, to himself, not really expecting Richie to be able to hear him. "Some weird chick just fell out of the sky and landed on you?" Richie's pale eyes widened considerably, and he nodded frantically, gesturing behind him to where a girl was perched on top of a boulder, babbling from fear and trying to keep a watchful eye on, and scramble away from a harmless baby Igglybuff that was cavorting in the grass nearby.

Ash sighed to himself, taking off his hat so he could run his hands through his spiky dark hair in exasperation.

"Anyway," continued Richie, returning to his soft voice and stature. "Since I'm not that far from Pallet, and I am far from my hometown, I was wondering if I could bring her to yours; it makes sense…" Ash nodded his approval, before throwing the receiver to Gary, and mouthing 'be nice to him' before jogging over to where his mother was leaning over the unmoving stranger.

Ash slotted in behind Misty, resting his hands on her shoulders, as his mother looked up at him expectantly.

"Richie's over by Mount Moon," Ash explained. "And apparently he had a girl fall out of the sky on him as well – she's babbling so much he can't understand a word she says and…" Ash paused, grinning as the humour caught him. "She's frightened of an Igglybuff…" Delia and Misty smiled.

"Well of course the poor dear must come here," Delia interrupted, before Ash could continue. Ash turned around and gave Gary the thumbs-up, who in turn relayed the message to Richie, and hung up. "Now Ash, if we are having more guests you'll need to go to the Pokémart for me, okay?"

"Yeah sure mom," murmured Ash, staring at the girl again warily. Gary wandered over.

"I'm going over to Gramps' lab for a while, check on my Pokémon," he announced. "I'll be back in ten minutes or so." Ash turned around to where Misty was fingering the pendant from around the sleeping girl's neck.

"Misty?" he asked. She looked up.

"Ash, she wasn't wearing this pendant a minute ago," she murmured, uneasiness creeping into her voice. Ash tried to shrug it off.

"C'mon, let's go to the shop," he laughed, grabbing the redhead with one hand, and the shopping list and yen notes his mother held out with the other.

Across the room, near to where Tracey and Brock were sitting on the sofa, Togepi shivered delicately, sucking herself into her shell unhappily. Pikachu nudged the egg lightly with her nose, pushed Togepi closer to the cushions of the couch. Turning around, she saw Ash waiting expectantly for her to follow him as he stood by the front door. For once in her life, Pikachu shook her head at him, and he shrugged, and left.

"Pika pi…" Pikachu whispered quietly as she curled up protectively in Brock's lap.

~*~

Erin's head was pounding. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. She could hear muffled voices and instantly thought of her younger siblings.

"Get out of my room," she growled suddenly. Brock and Mrs Ketchum, who were sitting near her, were taken aback, and looked cautiously at the now moving girl. "I don't wanna go to school!" Erin continued to moan, from somewhere deep in her sleep. Brock watched warily as her eyes began to blink open.

"Please don't scream again…" he begged. As her eyes opened wide, Erin gasped, scooting backwards on the makeshift bed, before stopping and holding her hand up to her protesting head.

"You-you have no eyes," she murmured weakly. Brock looked annoyed.

"My dear are you okay?" asked Delia, worriedly placing the back of her cool hand to Erin's throbbing temple. "Can I get you anything?"

"K-ketchum…" Erin managed to stutter, her eyes opening even wider. Delia looked confused.

"Do I know you, dear?" she asked. Erin's eyes glanced around the room. Delia. Brock. Tracey. Pikachu. What looks suspiciously like The Egg, her brain told her. But then again, her brain also told her this was very impossible…in fact it was so impossible, it shouldn't even have the slightest connection with the word 'possible'.

"I think I'm gonna faint…" she managed to murmur, lying back down weakly. Brock sighed impatiently.

"What. Is. Your. Name." Tracey asked slowly, in a patronising way complete with hand gestures. Erin stared at him, in a disgusted way at being treated like a three year old.

"My. Name. Is. Erin." she answered, sarcastically, swinging her legs around and sitting up.

"Erin?" Tracey repeated. "That's a weird name." Erin glared at him.

"At least I'm not a boy with a girl's name, Tracey," she snapped. Suddenly, she noticed the addition around her neck. "What is this?" Tracey however, couldn't get past the fact that this weirdo knew his name

"Course I know you," she murmured. "Delia Hanako Ketchum – Brock Takeshi…whatever; Slate? And Tracey Kenji Sketchitt…"

"When did Queen of the Undead awaken?" came a smirking voice. Erin sighed.

"Gary Shigeru Oak?" she guessed without turning around. Gary faltered slightly, before walking into her vision. "I watch you guys on…television…" Erin murmured. "And this has to be the most vivid dreams I have ever had…" Suddenly, she looked up, hopefully. "Where are Ash and Misty? Are they off making out? Please tell me they're off making out!" Delia giggled and Brock made a disgusted face.

Erin turned her attention back to the pretty, gem pendant around her neck. Brock bent down to look at it.

"It's pretty," he murmured. "Hey Trace, what is this? Amberite?" Tracey knelt down to study the gem. Suddenly, he gasped, and whipped a large magnifying glass out of his previously flat back pocket. Erin laughed.

"How do you people do that?" she asked, grinning.

"Don't move for a sec," Tracey murmured, as he observed the shining cyan stone. "There's some kanji scratched into the gem…"

"You're joking," sneered Gary, as Delia wandered off humming to dust something. "It's way too small to have legible kanji on it!"

"I'm a Watcher," Tracey answered in a preoccupied voice. "I notice these things. It looks like the kanji for, like, Purity…"

"Innocence?" suggested Brock. Tracey nodded.

"Yeah that's it, and there's a proper word on the back of the gem. Riny."

"My nickname," offered Erin, as a possible explanation.

"Well okay 'Riny'," sighed Brock, standing up. "Let's get your little friend over here from Mount Moon and see what on earth's going on."

Erin looked confused as she tucked the moderately heavy piece of jewellery underneath her top, reluctant to take it off.

"My…friend?"

~*~

Oh yes, thought Author, smirking as she watched the scene. Your little friend. And you'll have a lot more friends by the time the beginning of the beginning is done.

The paper on the desk was now clear once more. Author picked up the biro again, feeling an energy surge through her arm as the nib came in contact with the paper.

"Hope…" she began to moan to herself, as the kanji came unwittingly from the ballpoint of the pen…

~*~

The white painted door to the room opened, and three sets of eyes looked up expectantly as Ash entered the room holding a red and green duffelbag. He was followed by Misty, who was followed by the strange, and petrified girl that Richie was gently guiding forwards.

Suddenly, she grinned broadly, and her eyes lit up behind her glasses, watching the three boys in the room intently. Her gaze faltered, then concentrated on the middle boy who sweatdropped, pushing back a lock of dark green hair and his red, elastic headband. Karlie sighed, wistfully.

"I love dreams like this…" she smirked to herself, sinking down onto the sofa. Tracey was standing behind it, trying to back away, but by now the new arrival was latched onto his arm, staring adoringly up at him.

"Weird girls…" Tracey muttered.

"Hey guys-" started Richie, smiling around at the group. "This is, um, Karlie." There was a chorus of 'hellos' but Karlie remained gazing at Tracey in a passionate fashion. She had a pendant like Erin's but in a deep, warm orangey colour, that resembled amberite more closely. Karlie's hair was a few shades darker than Erin's, but no way near as thick. She was a few inches taller than her, but shorter than Tracey. She was really quite pretty, Tracey thought. If only she wasn't draping herself all over him…

"Lemme see your pendant," he murmured, clutching the small stone and inspecting it with the magnifying glass. The others watched expectantly. "Passion," Tracey deciphered, with a quirk of his eyebrow. He turned the gem over. "Kaz."

"Yeah I don't know where this came from," said Karlie, speaking quietly as Tracey let go of her necklace. Tracey smiled at her.

"Yeah we know. Gary?" he called. "Go get Erin down here, but for God's sakes do NOT go barging into the bathroom – that's all she needs right now!" Gary sniggered and headed up the stairs.

Karlie fiddled with the chain on her pendant. She noticed that the pendant was tightly close to her neck, and there was no way that it could have been slipped over her head, but there was no break in the chain, no catch where a normal necklace would have fastened. Her fingertips strayed from the chain as if it was burning her, as she realised that there was no way anyone could have put the pendant on her.

Then the implication of Tracey's words hit her, and she sat up straight on the couch, gazing up the stairs with her mouth slightly hanging open.

"Erin?!" She grabbed onto Tracey's arm. "By any chance, was this a girl around my age; a lot of hair; probably insulted you?" Tracey nodded warily.

"You've met her?" Karlie furrowed her eyebrows.

Outside, the trees began to be buffeted around by the suddenly strong word, and Pikachu's long ears picked out the words: "Hope…disbound…" in the seemingly pointless wailing of the airstream.

~*~

Maria sat by the stream, feeling surprisingly calm. She twirled her new accessory between her thumbs. Her pendant was identical to the others, but hers was a deep, deep green, verging on black unless the sun was shining on it. On one side was what looked like simply a scratched pattern, and on the other side her preferred nickname was etched: Mia.

She was around the same height as Karlie; maybe an inch taller. Sighing, and hugging her knees closer to her, Mia refastened her pair of hairclips that was holding back the front, dark brunette bangs of her hair. The only explanation she could think of was that she dozed off while talking on the phone, which was unlike her. It also wasn't like her to have such vivid, vibrant dreams, in which she could feel a summers breeze blowing pleasantly against her bare shoulders. Everything seemed so very…very…

"Real…" she whispered, as she stood up slowly. There was no sense staying still anyway, so she began to walk. It was a picturesque little route, with bright green grass under a bright blue sky and the road was nothing more than a sandy brown scar in the ground where no grass grew. It was just like a scene from Pokémon, Mia thought, smiling to herself.

Suddenly, Mia came to a complete standstill, and gasped. She had come to a clearing, and could see a large, grand looking house in front of her, with a huge, colourful sign hanging on the front, over the impressive entrance doors.

'IMITE HOUSE' the large sign announced proudly. Mia chewed on her bottom lip slightly as she caught sight of a flash of pink and turquoise.

"Duplica?" she murmured, to no one in particular.

~*~

Well that was three…who needed a 'protector' next? Author was startled as she saw Gary running out of the bathroom in Pallet with Innocence chasing after him, yelling swearwords in Celtic. She smirked. Well, Gary sure will if she gets hold of him, she thought.

Poor Gary, he's so lonely, Author thought, as she cleared the paper with the kanji of Hope on it, and picked up her biro again. Gary needs someone to teach him how to find his…soul.

"Soul…" she began to wail, her voice growing stronger, and her hand that held the biro sped quickly across the page, marking it with the angular kanji of the Soul…

~*~

"By any chance," began Karlie, slowly, after they had dragged Erin off Gary and placed her in front of Karlie. "Are you a mushy Sakashippy author from Fanfiction.net who owes me a Rivalshippy story?" A grin spread slowly across Erin's face.

"I do if you're Kaz," she smiled. Karlie matched the smile.

"Yup!" Erin mocked sighed.

"Just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder!"

"Where is that fic by the way 'Rin?" asked Karlie, accusingly.

"Can we focus?" butt in Misty, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa for a while.

"What's a Rivalshippy?" asked Richie, shyly.

And the trees outside wailed along with Erin and Karlie's laughter.

'Soul…disbound…'

~*~

Adding the finishing shading to Ash's hair, Rachel suddenly stopped, feeling her chest lock up. In alarm, she leapt from her sofa but couldn't cry out as it felt like her throat was on fire. She tried to scream, but the pain in and around her throat was too immense.

The school regulation, black and yellow, HB pencil rolled across the carpet of the empty room, and a breeze that had sprung up from nowhere ruffled the corners of the papers left on the sitting room table.