Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Pokemon, its characters, locations, or names. All of them, with the exception of the original characters, belong to Nintendo
Credits: The original fan fiction Shadow League was based off, Pokemon Master, was written by Acey. I retrieved permission before starting this the first time.
A/N: Oh, hey, yeah. I decided to stop going through to see what changed, since...well, it took more time doing that then anything else. . I'm sure no one read those anyway.
Anyway, I'm finally getting back in the swing of things, and I still have yet to edit my NaNo novel, though it'll probably be Feb when I get to that. I'm also considering rewriting League Team now, while I have a psychology book, but meh, we'll see.
Warnings: The pairing in this is RivalSibling. This fanfiction has a lot of violence and gore, not to mention some language, and implied rape/sex. Not for kids, that's for sure.
- - -
Chapter 12: Fighting for the Crystal
Ash stared at the building, shielding his eyes to look at the multiple floors that made up the school. Lance had left him several minutes previous, having decided to stay behind so he wouldn't be in the way; he wouldn't be allowed in anyway. "I do hope you're up to this," Misty said, frowning when she saw a few students wondering around the area, laughing amongst themselves.
He laughed. "Like, totally!" Ash replied, his voice squeaky, "As long as I don't have to use my element, everything will go fine...if I use it, they'll figure out who I really am and probably kill me."
"That reminded me of that one girl I used to know that would use 'like' whenever she talked," Paran giggled, getting a smile out of Ash.
"Blame Misty's sister, I took it from her." Pushing the glass front doors open, he smirked. "Won't this be fun..."
- - -
"Hello, welcome! You must be new students." the secretary said, smiling at them warmly, "What're your names?"
"I'm Misty, this is Paran, and that's May," the redhead replied, nodding to the respective Masters. Writing the names down, the woman quickly looked up at Ash.
"And what's your name?" she asked, and he mouthed silently, realizing they hadn't thought about making a new name for him. He cleared his throat.
"Well, I'm..."
"Nellie." May said, biting her lip, "His...her name is Nellie." They looked at her, a few of them with questioning expressions.
"Aha, Nellie!" Scribbling it down, the secretary made a face. "What was with that 'his'?"
"I was thinking of someone else," the brunette said quickly, covering up her mistake as best she could, ignoring the glare she was getting from Ash. When the secretary shrugged, clearly mulling the answer over, Ash leaned over, elbowing her.
"You nearly blew it, you idiot!" he hissed, "And you lot were worrying that I'd ruin the whole plan?" May shoved him away, scowling, when the secretary turned back to them.
"Who, exactly?" she asked, and the Ice Master sighed, looking at the Shadow Master. He was quietly admiring the glass statuette that sat on the counter, tracing the delicate lines that ran around it. She smiled.
"Nellie's brother," May replied, noticing that his eyes shifted, the subtle change barely perceptible. The secretary looked at her curiously. "You might know of him, actually. Probably heard about him at one time or another."
"Really? Someone famous?" Paran intervened then, seeing her chance to get in on the conversation.
"Oh yes," the Fire Master said, "of course. He's the Shadow Master." Ash froze, slowly turning his head to stare at them, bug eyed. The room went quiet; it became obvious that her statement had been heard by most if not all the students mulling around.
"You...don't mean Ashura, do you?" the woman asked. May looked at Ash, wondering if it could be any more obvious that he was struggling to keep his cover unblown, as he bit his lip nervously. She nodded, and a bunch of the girls squealed. "That is so cool! Could you get me his autograph? I love him!"
Ash eyed the groups warily. Perhaps I should just make a run for it, and hope for the best, he thought, when one of the taller students approached him. She looked to be about seventeen years old. "Hey, I'm Autumn," she said.
He gripped Pikachu tightly, getting an annoyed squeak from the creature. "Uh...hi?" he replied.
Autumn leaned against the counter, looking at him curiously. "So, Nellie..." she started, smiling slightly, "Is your brother as cute as everyone has been saying he is?" Ash squirmed uncomfortably, chewing on his lip again.
"I really don't know anything about that." Seeing that the situation was getting increasingly awkward for the dark-haired man, Misty put a hand on his shoulder.
"We must be going. Things to do, people to see," the Water Master hastily said, waving a hand casually, "You know how it is." Autumn blinked.
"I could show you around," she offered. May glanced at her thoughtfully, and nodded.
"Yes, that'd be nice. Thank you." She pulled Ash toward the staircase as Autumn took up the lead.
"Oh, hey! What Element are you Nell?" Autumn asked, climbing the steps. Ash screwed up his eyes, giving himself a mental kick before he gave her the answer that would blow the whole plan apart.
"Electric," he said, worrying the sleeve of his kimono, pulling at the cloth. "By chance, you've ever heard of something called the Forbidden Crystal?"
"Yes, of course, we all do." Pointing at the sign at the top of the stairs as they passed it, she looked at them. "It's kept up on the top floor, in the lab."
"Could we maybe go there?" Misty asked. She nodded.
- - -
"DAMMIT, not now!" The doors on all sides of them flew open, and several handfuls of League Trainers and Masters flooded out. "I should have known! It was too quiet up here for a school!"
"What're they doing here?" Paran asked, as the horde circled them. Misty shrugged, shrinking back when one made a grab for her. Autumn huddled in the middle, in the protection of the four Masters. Several girls ran out then, and down the stairs; they had been held captive until the group had arrived, apparently.
"Who cares why they're here!" Ash barked as the enemies attacked them. He dodged away from the rest, drawing several Trainers with him. Desperately, he let a shield of black electricity form around him, reflecting the numerous elemental attacks, as he fought off the physical ones.
He cursed loudly when he heard cloth ripping, and heard the telltale snap that told him that his disguise was utterly ruined. This is pointless! he thought, letting his shield explode out to hurt the surrounding League minions, and ran. "Ash!" Misty called after him, frowning.
Autumn followed, escaping from the fighting.
- - -
Tossing his bag down, he rummaged through it hurriedly, pulling his normal clothes out. "Dammit, dammit, dammit, I'm going to kill them later." Peeling the kimono off and pulling his boots off, he dressed in his own outfit. "That's better."
"Nellie!" a voice called from the hallway. Ash looked up, alarm in his eyes, and dove to hide.
"No Autumn! Don't come in here!" he yelled. Ash slapped a hand against his mouth, groaning; he had used his normal voice, rather then his enhanced one. The teenager entered, a frown on her face.
"That doesn't sound like you, Nellie," she said, and he banged his head against the desk he was hiding behind. "Where are you?"
"That's because I'm not actually a girl! She never existed." Ash peered up over the top, rubbing his face with his cloak, trying to remove the make-up that had been applied earlier. "I'm-"
"Ashura!" Autumn finished for him, staring in awe at him. Forcing a smile, Ash stood, smoothing out the wrinkles. He sat down to pull his boots on, when she edged around to get a better look. "You really are as cute as everyone says you are."
He paused, flushing in embarrassment. "I'll take that as a compliment, I think," he said, quickly putting his hair up into a ponytail after he made a half-hearted attempt at straightening it. "Ah, that's better."
"You're going to fight off those bad guys?" she asked, hugging him tightly, looking up.
"Well, I would...but I need to be out there to do so, really." Her cheeks flamed red. She moved away from him. Walking past her, he slipped out of the door quietly, his eyes glinting from the prospect of the oncoming battle.
- - -
Screams erupted amongst the League, as a wave of blue-black electrical energy washed over them, most of them falling over. Rolling onto their backs, they looked around hastily, looking for the source. "If you don't get up and leave now..." Ash started, glaring down at them menacingly.
The weaker ones of them scrambled up, running down the hall and the stairs, shouting and yelling; the idiots stared at him numbly, mouths hanging open, shuddering. "Go, Miltank!" a sudden voice called, and the cow pokemon appeared out of a flash of light.
"Seadra!" Misty ordered, releasing her sea-horse pokemon, "Water Gun attack!"
"Seeeaaa!" Shooting a powerful stream of water out of its mouth, the attack knocked the normal-type across the hall. Ash took hold of the trainer by the front of their shirt, hauling them to their feet roughly.
"I could have sworn I just said to leave. I suggest you get out of my sight, before I tear you limb for limp apart," he growled. A few more of them whimpered, fearing for their lives, and ran off. The one that Ash held wiggled, freeing their self from his tight grasp, and joined the others that were fleeing. Only a handful remained.
"Ash, go see if anyone is hurt, would you?" May asked, "We can take care of the rest of these fools." He gave the Trainers a warning glance, before finally nodding to May, and walking around the huddled group. Autumn followed after him, running to catch up.
- - -
"Ohhh, can I have your autograph?"
"Why do you wear all black and blue? Why not white or red or pink or purple..."
"Why is your Pikachu that colour?" Patting the air to silence the yapping girls, he sighed. He knew he should have expected to be questioned when they found out he was around. They stared at him with wide eyes. "One at a time! I can't answer three things at once!" he said, "And someone go get me paper and a pen."
Ash waited until the ones that ran off returned with his requested items, and pulled a chair out to sit behind the table, crossing his legs at the ankles under it. "Now," he said, "who's first?"
He went pale, immediately regretting asking the question, as the shouting became almost overwhelming. "ME!" most of them screamed at him.
Sighing, he started signing the sheets, his tongue between his teeth. The students waited impatiently for him to finish, dancing about in antsy anticipation. Wiggling the pen thoughtfully, he looked up. "Name?"
It would prove to be a very, very long day.
- - -
"So you need the Crystal? What for?" Autumn asked, as the small group walked toward the elevator. They had managed to save Ash further misery from sitting and signing more papers for hours – it had already been a little over an hour when they managed to get to him – by using the excuse that they were in a hurry and had to be going.
"Yes, I need it if I plan on getting Bonded," the Shadow Master replied, tagging the up button impatiently. The doors open, and they piled in. "Do you know where exactly it's kept?"
"Of course!" she snickered, and they waited in silence as the elevator hummed quietly, and dinged when they reached the tenth floor. They followed the young girl to a door marked "F.C." Unlocking it with her electric key, Autumn let them go in before following.
Staring around in amazement, Misty moved out of the way, letting Ash get past her. He approached the pedestal that stood in the middle of the room, the single light shining above it. "Oh my god..." May whispered, "It's so...small. I expected it to be bigger then that."
"So did I." It was a dark-as-night black, snowy white swirling through its depths like a snow storm on an otherwise clear night. The light reflected off of the smooth surface, the facets sparkling.
"It's so beautiful," Paran said. Ash delicately picked up the stone, weighing it in his hands, a small smile flitting across his face. Misty looked at him.
"Ash, how are you supposed to use that?" she asked, and he shrugged. He wondered the same thing.
"How should I know?"