1Someone once told me that I was special…but then they said "in that way"...and acted like it was a bad thing. I don't want to be special anymore... -James

THE LIGHT WITHIN

ch.2:Training?

The large cabin was a deep brown color and looked intimidating. It looked to be two or three stories tall. However, it was only one story.

An old woman used binoculars to look out her window, focusing on two boys walking down the path.

" Those are the two earth cauldron warriors? Ehehehehe! They'll snap like a twig with just a flick of my finger. Those two cowards won't last more then a few days!"

She hobbled over to the cabinet her long gray hair flowing over her green clammy skin. She shook it off and opened the cabinet door looking through the potions and.

" Ah this job is going to be the easiest thing I've ever had to do." She cackled opening up a small green bottle and smelling it's contents. Her crooked smile widened, as she gulped the whole thing down.

The change happened gradually, it started at the tips of her hair changing them to a soft brown color. Then her skin changed to a dark tanned color. Her spine straightened, and she lost any excess fat. Her eyes turned a soft blue. She looked years younger, and extremely good looking.

"Humph...I can get used to this."

She cackled, the sound completely contradictory to her looks. " Oh, this was far too easy. That 'warrior trainer' was a pushover, a bimbo!" She looked down. "Though she did have nice legs, heehee. And now that I look like her, that fairy warrior won't know the difference! HeeHeeehehehee!"

Her eyes turned to the road once more, the boys drew closer. " Giovanni this will be a cinch, you'll rule the world and I won't even have to kill those two. Without any training they'll be completely useless! Heehee!"

Ash and James walked up to the path and paused looking nervously at one another. They continued, without a word. This is too weird...it has to be a dream... The confidence Ash had felt earlier at being a cauldron warrior had faded, it just felt like a dream. And James? James from Team Rocket who enjoyed stealing or attempting to steal pokemon was supposed to be helping him? No way...

" Ash," How strange it sounded to actually say his name and not twerp or brat or… "Do you think this is real?"

Keeping his suspicions to himself, Ash shrugged, " I don't know."

" Well, to be certain. When we see each other tomorrow how about we both say something to know that this is all real. Or at least that we're both having the same exact dreams…"

" All right. What should we say?"

" Well, one could say cauldron and the other could reply with warrior. So we know for certain that this is more than… just a dream."

Ash nodded, "Okay."

They arrived at the cabin, and James couldn't help the nervousness that over took him. Ash reached out to knock on the door when it opened before he could touch it revealing a tall, slender young woman with long brown hair.

Man, this is the kinda of thing I'd expect to find in Brock's dreams…Ash grinned.

" So you two are the cauldron warriors I'm supposed to train?" She asked, and looked at them with hard eyes. "Well stop gawking, and you stop grinning like a dummy. Get inside. Go on."

The pair walked into a giant with equipment all around that must be used in training. Cabinets of all sorts lined the walls. The lady motioned to two metal chairs in the middle of the room, and the two at in them quickly James tapped his finger on the chair arm, and Ash looked around him, still grinning.

" So you two are cauldron warriors, eh?" She looked at them again, and then laughed. "Well what a sorry two we've got here...horrible really "

" Hey!" Ash shouted standing.

" Hey nothing, young man. Now you'll shut your mouth and stay seated while I decide if you two are worth the effort." The lady sneered, and Ash though still angry complied. " Do either of you really think that you can defeat...anything? Fight whatever may come your way?"

She waited for an answer, but got none. This was going so well for her. Just as I planned…

" Neither of you are strong enough, brave enough, or half good enough to be a cauldron warrior. Not to mention the fact that you both have no confidence in either yourself or what your supposed destiny is..."

" But the fairy said…" James argued.

" The fairy says a lot of things that aren't true. She does enjoy playing with mortals' minds, they're so fickle and naive after all!" The lady laughed again. " She…She probably sent you as a joke to me! And God is this FUNNY!" Her laughter became so hysterical that it echoed off the gym walls, Ash turned red.

" No! It wasn't a joke! And…and James and I can beat any evil that gets in the earth cauldron's way!"

James looked on, trying to believe Ash and not this woman and her harsh words... words he heard often. Not strong, not brave, not good... but I'm trying to change...

" Listen to me!" She shouted. " You're an unworthy, conceited, little brat who only wants to glorify himself and making himself look better than anyone else!"

Ash started to shake, his knuckles white from holding on so tightly to his chair arm. It felt like he'd been kicked in the gut, a hard realization hitting him.

She changed her gaze to James. " And you! You're nothing, you're a cowering, idiot who has no purpose, no reason for being here but to waste oxygen!"

James ran, his emotions getting the better of him. His chest felt like it would explode from the way his heart threw itself against it. It felt like he was dying... Well it'd be better that way wouldn't it?

Ash stood slowly trying to control his rage, "You are the ugliest woman I have ever met! And you can go burn in friggin' hell for all I care!"

He wanted to say more, so much more...but he was afraid he might try to attack her. Ash left in an angry huff, glaring at the woman the whole way out.

James struggled to keep his emotions in check. He could feel tears in his eyes.

" Damn, crybaby." He cursed at himself, and sighed rubbing his eyes.

Ash finally caught up with James. For a while, they walked in silence, not even looking at each other.

" That lady was totally out of line!" Ash burst out, "What right did she have to judge either of us? Now I know that saying is true, that looks can be deceiving. God, she was a real witch."

" Yea..." James sighed, "D'you think..."

"What?"

"D'you think some of the things she said...were right?"

Ash frowned thinking of his doubts about what was said about him, "I...I don't know."

The fairy stared in amazement into the cauldron's clear liquid. She had watched the whole scene take place, but still couldn't believe it. What in all good things... She trusted her friend with all her heart, this was completely unlike her.

Looking back into the cauldron she spoke softly.

" Show me why this happened!"

The liquid in the cauldron changed it got darker and darker until it was the color of black oil. The fairy hit the top of the liquid in frustration and some of it spattered on the ground below her.

" Why won't you show me why this has happened?"

And to her surprise she got an answer. " I have…"

" What? You…you don't talk…you never have before. Why would you now?"

Nothing.

" So, you like making jokes huh?" The fairy turned to see Ash and James standing in the doorway.

" No, don't believe anything that she told you. It was all a lie!"

" I thought she was your friend. If she were why'd she laugh at us and yell at us that way…" The sadness in his own voice, surprised Ash.

" I don't know, I don't know what just happened. She's never acted like that before. She's one of the kindest people I know, but from the moment she opened the door I knew something was wrong…I just can't figure out what."

" Wait how do you know all this?" Ash asked.

She gestured to the white cauldron. " It shows me most anything in this dream world that I would want to see."

" Then why don't you use it to see what happened?"

" I tried but the liquid only turned black. I don't know why it won't show me…"

" A witch." James said.

" Huh?" Ash looked at James.

" The lady might actually be a real witch. Y'know with magic spells and stuff like that…um…it'd kinda explain how she looks exactly like you're friend. She could've done a spell or something." James explained.

" Yes, it…it does make sense and I'll bet Giovanni was behind it. He probably hired her to come do this for him. I can't believe I hadn't thought of it before. The black must represent evil." The fairy realized.

" Way to go James!" Ash said, with a smile.

" Thanks." James grinned sheepishly.

Suddenly, the room began to flicker.

" Our time is up. You'll both be waking up soon. Remember I'll contact you again when it's time to start your journey." She told them, flickering herself.

" Wait! What about our training?" James asked

" You'll have to learn as you go. It'll be tough but you're both strong, you'll get by."

" Learn as we go?" James frowned.

The room was now flickering more and more. Ash felt as if he was being pulled out by some unknown force. At the last moment Ash could faintly hear James yell, " Remember! Cauldron. Warriors."