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The 12 Elements of AshMas, Volume X

Type: Dragon
Shipping: DruddigonShipping

One-Shot 1: The Rough Skin Realization

Ash, Iris, Cilan and their Pokémon were taking a break on their journey through the Unova Region, having lunch on the side. Suddenly, a roar diverted their attention on food. "What's that?" startled Ash. The Pokémon who sat to eat stopped and turned.

"It's gotta be close by!" the Connoisseur advised. Boldore stood in front of where the sound came from, shielding the Pokémon behind it. That's when a Druddigon emerged out of nowhere, barreling towards the picnic table, not the Pokémon.

"Druddigon!" yelped Iris. The trio bailed before Druddigon crashed into the table… except it stopped before it did. The trainers looked on, concern etching their faces. Pignite recognized Druddigon and confronted the Cave Pokémon.

"Pignite?" wondered Ash. Seeing Pignite's stance to Druddigon, Iris had an inkling.

"Does that Druddigon seem familiar to you?" she questioned. Their questions were answered when someone they knew came by.

"Druddigon!" a young woman called. Everyone turned to the sound where Emmy emerged. Druddigon came back to Emmy while the rest watched.

"It's Emmy!" noticed Cilan. Ash, Iris and the Pokémon gawked to their friend from a long time ago.

"Ash!" gawked Emmy. "Iris! Cilan! What's going on?"

"Lunch?" shrugged Ash. "You hungry?" Druddigon growled for some food.

"I'm kinda famished a little," Emmy giggled. She joined the kids while Druddigon ate with the Pokémon.

"So, what's going on twith you and Druddigon that has you meet us?" asked Iris.

"I'm learning about Druddigon's original home which is near here," Emmy started.

"That's right!" remembered Ash. "You traded one of your Pokémon for Druddigon. Still, why come here when Druddigon's happy with you back home?"

"Well, it could be anything like something Druddigon lost after being captured," Cilan pondered.

"That's what I was thinking and I heard about caverns around here," Emmy added. "So, there's a chance we could find Druddigon's original home." To Iris, a Dragon-Type Pokémon's home was something she wanted to find.

"If it involves Dragon-Type Pokémon, I can do it!" she cheered. Ash, Cilan and Pikachu sighed to Iris' snap desire.

"And she calls me a little kid for something like this," Ash muttered.

"I see your point," Cilan hummed. After lunch, the group pursued a lead Emmy found on Druddigon's path.

"You've been so anxious to come here if it's this important," she believed. Druddigon growled in agreement. Iris seemed confident that Druddigon knew the location.

"Druddigon knows where he's going," she advised. "He even said that we're nearby." Ash and Cilan had huge doubts.

"Does Iris even know what Druddigon said?" muttered Ash. Soon enough, there was a giant cave entrance.

"Apparently so," Cilan hushed. The Cave Pokémon entered the cave first before Emmy and the traveling troupe.

"From all we know, it's possibly an item that was left behind when he was captured," Ash guessed.

"Maybe…" pondered Iris. They ventured into the cavern before Cilan brought out a flashlight.

"To think, I've never traveled down a Druddigon's Cave before." he awed.

"Hey, one step closer to achieving my goal," Ash smirked.

"And how, Ash?" questioned Iris. She shrugged her shoulders. "Such a little kid." Suddenly, Druddigon stepped on the ground which began to collapse. Druddigon fell before Emmy reached out.

"Druddigon!" she cried as she clasped Druddigon's wing. Both began to fall as Ash grabbed Emmy's hand to keep her from falling but the weight was too much and all three fell into the hole.

"ASH!" cried Cilan. "EMMY!" Pikachu raced down the hole, jumping off the walls in the small hole.

"DRUDDIGON!" yelled Iris. At the bottom, Druddigon began to rise as he peered to Ash and Emmy as Pikachu reached the three. That's when he saw Emmy on Ash as they began to stir. When Emmy opened her eyes, she found Ash face-to-face with her… and that's when she felt her lips on his. She was kissing Ash. She pushed herself off.

"I-I'm sorry!" she yelped. Ash brushed off the kiss.

"You alright?" he asked. Emmy nodded.

("You seem alright yourself,") Pikachu squeaked. Ash petted the Mouse Pokémon as Emmy checked on Druddigon.

"Did you get hurt?" she asked. The Cave Pokémon growled confidently. "I guess. A fall like that's nothing." Eager to know, Iris called down the hole.

"ASH!" she yelled. "EMMY! ARE YOU HURT!?" Even still hurt from the insult, Ash chose to return the call.

"WE'RE FINE, IRIS!" he shouted back.

"OKAY!" replied Iris. "IT'S TOO HIGH FOR US TO CLIMB DOWN!"

"THAT'S OKAY!" voiced Emmy. "WE'LL WORK OUR WAY BACK UP!"

"SOUNDS GOOD!" the Connoisseur accepted. "WE'LL MEET YOU UP THE PATH!" With ideas made, Ash, Emmy, Pikachu and Druddigon proceeded on. Emmy looked ahead to Druddigon who led, sensing the path going forward. Periodically, she turned to Ash, a boy she inadvertently kissed. Pikachu saw Emmy's behavior and wondered about it.

("Something wrong?") he asked. Emmy blinked as she heard and turned to Pikachu.

"Are you asking if I'm alright?" she guessed.

("I am,") the Mouse Pokémon confirmed.

"Don't worry about Emmy, Pikachu," Ash assured. "After all, Druddigon has her protected." Druddigon stopped and sniffed the air.

"Did you find Iris' scent?" asked Emmy. Druddigon huffed before going down the path. A little while later, they came across a nest. Druddigon picked up a broken eggshell which his his zigzagging colors. The Cave Pokémon closed his eyes. Seeing the egg, Emmy realized what it was. "That's… your Pokémon Egg?" Druddigon growled somberly.

"This has to be the home, then," Ash determined. Then, Druddigon found a Dragon Fang. He held it up. "A Dragon Fang?" Then, a tear. Ash, Emmy and Pikachu gasped.

"That must be… Druddigon's parent," Emmy realized. "Or… what remains." She came up to Druddigon and hugged her Pokémon. "I'm so sorry, Druddigon…" Ash and Pikachu watched as Druddigon hugged his trainer back.

"There comes a time when we move on," Ash muttered.

("I wouldn't move on without you, Ash,") Pikachu promised. Emmy approached Ash and Pikachu with a few tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Ash, thank you for joining me and Druddigon," she sniffled. "I can now help Druddigon move on with me. He wanted to see his parent again but since a long time passed…" Ash and Pikachu understood as she hugged the pair. Druddigon came to the small group and handed the Dragon Fang to Emmy. Then, he grabbed Ash's wrists and have him hold the Fang as well. With the Cave Pokémon's work, Emmy's hands were on top of Ash's hands on top of the Dragon Fang. "Druddigon? Is there… something you're telling us?" Iris, Cilan and Axew arrived to see Druddigon's work.

"Wait, what's this!?" she gawked. Ash's and Emmy's eyes locked on each other. Like magnets, Emmy's face reached Ash's to where they kissed. Ash stood frozen while his cap was nudged off his head. Iris balked to the sight.

"A sight to behold!" chuckled Cilan. "A Dragon-Type trainer and a trainer with a dragon-like heart. I see them growing some dragonfruit in between."

"Hey, who's side are you on!?" stammered Iris. After the time in the nest, everyone exited the cavern. They began to breathe fresh air after the trip inside. "That smells so good…"

"It does!" sighed Ash. Emmy reached Ash's side before holding his hand.

"So, how does it feel to be loved?" she wondered.

"Give me time to understand," he shrugged. Iris grumbled to the sight of Ash and Emmy together.

"I was the one who trained Emmy on training Druddigon," she growled to herself. "I was the one who showed Ash who was a little kid. How did he still end up with her!?" Ash was the one who lost to Emmy before, but Emmy was the one who lost her bottled feelings. Druddigon will recover from missing who was his Pokémon caretaker but Iris won't be getting her thoughts out of the cave she dug herself.

End of DRAGON
Next up (by coin toss): ROCK

(And we begin the 10th Volume. Deadline for the next poll comes after ROCK so get those votes in!)