Midsummer Nights
By Trish.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or Puck. Lu is co-owned with Mia. I do own the storyline and Callie, Flory, Poppy, Poptart, and any other character. The lyrics in the title come from "Wake Me Up When September Ends," by Green Day.
A/N: If you can't cope with alternative storylines outside of the series then don't read. The whole point of fanfiction is to be found in the motto of the site 'Unleash your imagination and free your soul.' Write what you want to see. Don't flame stories that go against your beliefs or the series. That's immature and childish. Just don't read them. I don't believe in some 'ships' but I certainly don't flame them. It is a free world.
ooo
Chapter Twenty-One: Drenched in my pain again.
The small cruiser sped its way through the turquoise waters of the Archipelago with its cargo of sun seeking tourists. The person at the helm was a twenty-four-year-old brunette by the name of Maia. Raised in a seafaring family, she had earned her boating licence at eighteen and had a detailed knowledge of all the islands in the Archipelago. She had set up her own business in Pummelo, offering day cruises and charter boat hire to tourists. Wanted a secluded beach for a romantic rendezvous? Maia knew. Wanted to see the island where Cleavon Spielbunk shot his latest Hollywood blockbuster? Maia could take you there.
Today, she was taking a group of young tourists out to find an ideal beach to snorkel, swim and sunbathe without the crowds.
A delighted squeal was heard from one of the bikini clad girls. "Oh my gawwd, isn't that, like, the cutest little island? It looks, like, totally deserted!"
Maia looked to where she was pointing. The small island's peak was dominated by a rocky outcrop which towered above the trees before ending in gentle slopes and pristine white beaches. It looked like the perfect spot to stop…however the skipper felt that something was not quite right.
There were no wingulls or taillows darting about, no spheals or seels basking on the sand. Sailors are a traditionally superstitious lot, and Maia was no exception. She could see the birds giving the island and the immediate area a wide berth. They only do that if there is great danger or some great menace...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the girl who had pointed the island out. "Oh Maia, can we stop there for the day?"
"Look, I think we should search around a bit more before deciding to pitch anchor for the day," Maia began.
"But why? It looks good enough to me."
The skipper was afraid she might have to argue further with them when one of the group spoke up.
"The skipper's right. I think we should look around a bit more," he folded his arms. "There's some evil feeling about that place. I don't like it."
Maia gave the guy a grateful smile and started up the engines to take them as far away as she could.
How right they were. For hidden in the depths of a cave in that rocky summit, a red haired Fae plotted the destruction of humankind.
ooo
PummeloIsland
Trish was trying to take a nap as the doctors prescribed, and as ordered, and enforced, by Drake and Jenn as well.
But try as she might, the girl just could not drop off to a proper sleep. Jenn had even peeked in on her and told her off for not being asleep as the Goddess had ordered. Trish had told her that her mind was just too active to go to sleep properly. Satisfied with the answer, the blonde left to go and bug Drake for fun.
The truth was, Trish was too afraid to go to sleep. The knowledge that Lu had made three attempts on her life haunted her constantly. If she went to sleep, there was the possibility that Lu might try again. And because she would not be awake to defend herself, he might very well succeed.
When she did sleep, it was filled with nightmares about the Hound and the recent attack by the Absol. Plus little voices would taunt her that Lu was going to kill her anyway, so why bother getting better?
Trish sighed as she turned over yet again and cuddled her treasured stuffy puppy. Sometimes she wondered if it would have been better if she had not come back.
ooo
Meanwhile, Jenn was busy helping setting a table in one of the garden gazebos. The faint perfume of the many roses that covered the trellises scented the air. Shannon, Ben, Mia, Puck, Chris, Jaime and Callie were joining her, Drake and Ash for a leisurely barbeque lunch.
"Mhmm something smells good," Shannon remarked as she came out laden with bread rolls. Drake who was at the barbeque, grinned at the girl as he turned over a hamburger patty.
"We've got a choice of hamburgers, steak, chops, or chicken," he noted. "And if you can't find anything in there you like, too bad!"
"Does Trish know about this?" Jenn asked. "If she did she'd be totally complaining that she's missing out on a ton of shrimp an tha barbie."
"Please, stop!" Mia groaned, "Abusing accents should be a crime."
"I don't think it was abusing, so much as mixing accents that don't belong together in any way possible," Chris smirked, "What accents were you going for anyway? Because I think you missed."
"It sounded like what would happen if you had an Australian imitating someone from the Bronx," Ben shook his head. "Definitely not music to the ears."
"ANYway," Jenn grumbled, "I think Drake was trying to say something before y'all interrupted him."
"Now she insults the south!" Shannon laughed.
"Well, kids, when it comes to Trish and a barbeque, things have already been taken care of," Drake smirked. "I've arranged for a butler to take some of this up to her, so she can have some as well."
"You're organised," Shannon laughed.
"Either that or he's too scared of what Trish might do if he didn't," Jenn said slyly.
"Do you want to eat charcoal for lunch instead?" the Orange Crew Leader threatened.
"Do you want me to tell Trishy on you if you do?" the blonde retaliated.
"Gee you two get on so well," Mia raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure Trish must be pleased that the two most important people in her life are the 'best' of friends."
"Aww, she knows we're only playing," Jenn grinned. "Drakey here really loves me, because everyone loves the Goddess."
"Do I?" The Orange Crew Leader raised one dark brow. "It depends on how you really feel about me."
"Oh you know I really love ya," the blonde assured him. "Not like that of course."
"Of course," Drake agreed. "Otherwise we'd both have to start planning our funerals. Cause of death, mauling by tiger."
"No thanks," Jenn wrinkled her nose. "Not only is it a totally messy way to die, but I might ruin my designer threads."
"We totally can't have that," Shannon smirked.
"Of course not! Do you know how much I paid for this outfit!" Jenn shook her head, "My Visa card almost had a stroke."
ooo
After a satisfying lunch, the group relaxed and chatted while watching the pack of Growlithes frolicking together on the lawns. Hamlet, Ophelia, Mac and Beth had made friends with Drake's Growlithe and the Fire puppies were currently involved in a game of chasings.
"Say, Jenn, why don't you let your new Pokémon out to meet the others?" Ash suggested as he sipped some wine.
"Because I did that earlier," Jenn picked a piece of lint from her pants.
"You did not!" The Grand Master chastised. "I just gave you Kigali earlier today."
"Okay, okay! You don't have to go all growly like that," Jenn stood up and whistled for her two Pokémon.
Mac and Beth's ears pricked up before the two came bounding over to sit by their mistress's feet.
"Okay guys…"
A snort from Beth.
Jenn rolled her eyes. "Okay, guy and girl. Better?"
Beth wagged her tail.
"Anyway, you two, there's someone new that I'd like you to meet." Jenn unclipped the new Poké Ball from her belt, maximized it and threw it. "Come out, Kigali!"
The red energy formed into the small Absol puppy. Kigali blinked at the bright sunshine, then shrank back a little when she saw the two Growlithe.
Beth trotted forward and sniffed the newcomer intently. Her tail wagged and she gave the young one a gentle lick. Mac soon added his approval too, with a welcoming lick.
Hamlet, Ophie and the other Growlithe ran up then, to inspect the puppy. Kigali was then fully accepted into the group and the Pokémon ran off to play. Jenn noted that Kigali stayed close by Beth's side.
"Awww they're getting along so well," Shannon beamed. "I loooooove Growlithe. They are soooo cute!"
"Really?" Ben raised an eyebrow as he waved over a hovering butler and whispered in his ear. The man nodded and walked back into the house.
The brunette slapped her boyfriend's arm, "Really! You'd better not be making fun of me!"
"I would never," Ben said seriously, and Shannon smiled at his sincerity.
The butler returned a few minutes later with a brown wicker basket adorned with a huge red bow. Ben took the basket, thanked the servant and turned to Shannon. "This is for you, sweetie. I think you'll like it, but I wouldn't drop it if I were you!"
The brunette's eyes widened and she gingerly took the basket off her boyfriend. "Oooh thank you so much," she squeaked. "It's heavy!"
"I wonder if it's a bunch of diamonds," Jenn rubbed her hands. "That would be totally awesome."
Ben's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "A basket full of diamonds? You've got to be kidding me! There no way in the world that I could afford that, I'm not that rich!"
"What would I want with so many diamonds anyway?" Shannon giggled. "I don't wear jewellery."
"Open the basket," Jaime urged impatiently. "I wanna see!"
The cover lifted with a slight squeak, and Shannon peered into the depths. A small pink tongue tickled her nose. "Oooooh Benny," she whispered as she carefully withdrew a small chubby Growlithe puppy with a blue bow around its neck. "He's sooo adorable!"
"Don't forget his brother," Ben grinned, pleased she liked his gift.
Shannon's eyes grew wide as saucers. "You gave me two puppies!" she squeaked. She handed the puppy to Jenn then threw her arms around her boyfriend in a tight hug. "Thank you so much! How can I ever thank you enough?"
Chris chuckled. "I guess someone's gonna get lucky tonight!"
"CHRIS!" Both Shannon and Ben turned scarlet and Jaime whacked him on his arm.
"What?" Chris asked, rubbing his arm.
"So what are you gonna call them?" Mia asked as she lifted the second puppy out of the basket.
Shannon looked thoughtful. "I don't really know, I can never think of really good names. Maybe I'll ask Trish later on, she's good with names."
"Onto it," Drake grinned as he drew out his cell phone and punched the speed dial. "Hey, hon, enjoyed the lunch? Good. Listen, Ben just gave Shan two male Growlithe puppies as a present. She wanted to know what you would suggest for names." He listened for a while before turning to Shannon.
"Trish suggested you call one Julius and one Caesar. Got to keep up with the Shakespearean theme."
"Oooh I like that!" the brunette beamed.
"She also said that Ben must really really love you. After all you've only been dating, what a month and he's already giving you large presents." The two blushed as the others laughed.
Drake turned back to the cell phone. "Yes, she loved the name, and yes they both blushed. Yes, honey, you are good."
"Shut up, Chris," Jenn said warningly.
"What!" The Scot defended himself, "I was going to ask for another hamburger."
"You haven't even finished your first," the blonde pointed out.
Drake hung up and slipped the phone back in his pocket. "That's enough bickering from you two, I think we should enjoy this little get together."
"You bet," Mia hugged Puck, then looked at her boyfriend with a solemn look. "Then we have to get back to business."
"That's very true," the chestnut-haired Fae frowned. "As long as Lu is on the loose, none of us can really relax."
"Puck's right," Callie sighed. "Not only is he overly ambitious but he's also a bit of a maniac. Couple that together and you have a very powerful and dangerous foe."
"And we already know what he's capable of doing," Mia shuddered. "I don't think he'll stop at anything to get his way."
"True," Callie agreed. "But Puck and I are more powerful in magic than he is. Plus we have the Chosen One on our side. His powers are untold and mostly unknown."
Ash reddened slightly as all eyes turned on him. "Hey you wouldn't know either if you were in my place. It's not as if being Chosen One comes with a job description. I never asked for it in the first place!"
"So if we all work together and come up with some sort of strategy, we can defeat Lu?" Shannon asked with hope in her voice.
"That's the idea."
"We should work out all the facts as we know them," Drake folded his arms. "The main thing is that Lu is out to destroy Puck for ruining his plans."
"So far, his only real target has been Trish," Chris frowned.
"Hey," Jenn glared at him. "I totally disagree with that. That Lulu freak has done stuff to me too!"
Chris nodded sincerely, "Like I said, so far the only real target has been Trish."
Jenn made a face, "Okay, Drake, you're off my poopie ookie list. There's a newcomer for that position."
"Oh, like I'm scared," Chris scowled.
"Not yet," Jenn smiled sweetly.
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a promise," Jenn picked up her Absol. "Isn't it cheeky, pookie poo?"
The Absol, unsure of what to do, just snuggled against her human.
"If only such emotions could be used against Lu," Ash sighed, "Then the world would be safe."
"First it turns to Ash," Shannon grinned, "Then it's saved."
"People, we're getting off track!" Mia stood up, her hands on her hips, "Don't make me force all of you to pay attention. We have to make a plan against Lu."
"He's surely making plans against us," Puck nodded in agreement.
"Yes," Callie frowned prettily and folded her arms under her chest, causing Chris to grin dopily. "But as to what he is planning, we cannot ascertain."
"Well I'm ascertainly certain he's planning something big and evil," Jenn narrowed her eyes. "And whatever it is, we have to be ready for it."
The wind blew coolly over them, as if agreeing with the blonde's statement. The group then noticed the clouds that were gathering over the horizon.
"Looks like a storm is brewing," Ben said, "I hope it won't be a bad one."
"Or a magical one," Shannon shivered.
"I would not worry of that," Callie said nonchalantly, "Lu does not have much sway over natural forces and weather. He graded quite weakly in that area."
"Yeah, pitifully weak," Puck smirked.
"I do not see you making the weather bright and sunny, brother dear."
"One mustn't interfere with naturally induced weather patterns, sister dear," Puck chastised. "Or don't you recall Master Pairfene reminding us of that?"
Callie was about to reply when Drake gently interrupted the two, "I think we should move things inside." He gestured to the flickers of lightning that accompanied the approaching storm.
The group moved as one to help the servants clean up the barbeque. By the time all the food was indoors, and the barbeque closed up against the elements, the storm was even closer. A cooler wind began to blow more frequently, and the scent of rain was upon them.
Jenn stood on the patio, overlooking the whitecaps that formed due to the wind. She shivered, and rubbed at her bare arms. The cool air made goose bumps rise on her arms. She only hoped that the Faes' confidence in their ability to defeat Lu was not misplaced.
ooo
The day arrived for the Pokémon League Tribunal's hearing into Gary Oak's conduct arrived. As it concerned the Indigo League, calls were made to the Gym Leaders who were currently in the Archipelago for the celebrations, and arrangements to fly out those who weren't. Because the incident occurred in Pummelo Stadium under the auspices of the Orange League, Drake and the senior Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy for the Islands would be present. As Pokémon Grand Master of the overall League, Ash would be chairing the panel.
The hearing was held on the first floor of the Orange League Headquarters. This level was composed of various conference rooms and board rooms, used for press conferences, special meetings and hearings.
Gary Oak was made to wait in an adjacent room with a League Official in attendance. The Viridian Gym Leader was confident that the panel would acquit him of any wrongdoing. After all who would dare punish the Great Gary Oak, grandson of the world's foremost authority on Pokémon?
The official must have been alerted via his headset, for the man rose to his feet and opened the door. "It's time to go in Mister Oak."
The room was set out with a single desk with microphone facing a long u shaped row of tables. This was where the panel sat, each partition equipped with a microphone. A large video screen was set up behind them. A League secretary sat slightly apart from them, ready to type a copy of the proceedings into a waiting laptop.
Behind the single desk where Gary was to sit, were rows of chairs for spectators and journalists. A few reporters were busy scribbling notes as he was escorted to his seat.
Once everyone was seated and quiet, Ash opened the proceedings. "This League Tribunal hearing is called today for the purposes of looking into the misconduct of Viridian Gym Leader Gary Oak during a public match."
"The charges brought him are as follows: aggravated assault and battery against two Pokémon, personal conduct unbecoming of a League Gym Leader and tarnishing the Kanto League." He looked Gary square in the eyes. "How do you plead?"
Gary was rather gob smacked. He never thought that the Loser could sound so professional. He quickly recovered and shot back with "How do I plead? What a stupid question! Not guilty of course! How dare you haul me before a panel!"
Ash was not impressed, neither were the other panel members. "Mister Oak," the Grand Master said coolly. "I might remind you that these League Tribunals are appointed by the law to prosecute misdeeds and misconduct by League trainers and personnel. These hearings are to be taken seriously and I would insist on them being treated as such. No one is above the law, not even you."
Officer Jenny from the Orange Islands then spoke up. "And if you continue to insist on being such a jerk then we can haul you before a criminal court. I can assure you that they will certainly not tolerate such behaviour."
"Why should I listen to you?" the chestnut-haired Trainer sneered. "You're just in your position because you have tits and look good in a skirt."
There was a shocked gasp from all the female gym leaders and Gary suddenly felt himself unable to speak. Looking around he saw Sabrina glaring at him. She had used her psychic powers to silence him.
"Enough!" the Grand Master barked. "I don't want to hear another word out of you. You are not to speak until I ask you to. Got it? Good." Gary could only nod.
Video footage of Gary kicking Umbreon and the Absol were shown to the panel members and the Head Nurse Joy gave them copies of the medical report on Umbreon's injuries and the x-rays which showed faint evidence of past fractures.
Ash then read out from the official rulebook the requirements and responsibilities of being a Gym Leader. "As a Gym Leader you are a public role model to all the Pokémon trainers out there. You are supposed to be the embodiment of the ideals of the Pokémon League. Those ideals are to bring out the very best in you and your Pokémon. To bridge our two worlds with friendship and teamwork."
ooo
The panel deliberated for half an hour in the adjoining room before returning. Gary was relaxed and smirking for the press, flashing his best smile at the lady reporters. A tap on his shoulder from the official next to him alerted him to the fact that the tribunal was seated.
"Gary Oak, the tribunal finds you guilty on all counts. You are hereby stripped of your status as Viridian City Gym Leader, as well as any pokémon used for said status, and banned from training and owning Pokémon for one year. You will also be listed in the Pokémon Abuser Archives for ten years. "
There was a rumbling to the crowd, and flashes from cameras began to go off all around. Gary could only sit there, stunned. How was this possible? He was…he…
A waiting bailiff motioned for Gary to stand, and he when he did, he was even more surprised to feel his arms being pulled behind him as handcuffs were slipped on.
"It's a formality, sir," the bailiff, who was a woman, said in a slightly smug tone. The cuffs were tightened, almost painfully, "I hope you don't mind being led away by someone who has tits and wears a skirt."
Gary gritted his teeth and forced his expression neutral. This incident would do nothing to help his inheritance.
ooo
Ash tapped Surge and Drake to give the press conference, while he went back to his temporary office to make a phone call.
The Professor picked up on the second ring. "Hello, Professor Oak speaking."
"Hey, Professor, it's Ash." The screen flickered before showing the elderly visage of his long-time mentor and friend.
"Hey Ash, good to hear from you! How's Misty?"
"She's fine, Professor. The baby's completely healthy and developing as it should be."
"Good to hear," the researcher smiled. "Now how can I help you?"
Ash slightly clenched his fist under the desk. This was going to be difficult. How could he tell the world's foremost authority on Pokémon that his own flesh and blood had been convicted of wrongdoings against the very same creatures? How could he tell the man who advocated love and kindness towards these special animals, that his grandson had abused his?
"Well, Professor, we held a tribunal hearing for Gary today."
"Oh? Yes…I saw what happened during the match. I was very disappointed in him."
"He was…uh…found guilty of misconduct and abuse of his Pokémon. He's been stripped of his title as Viridian City Gym Leader, banned from owning and training Pokémon for a year, and listed on the Pokémon Abusers List for ten." The last part came out in a bit of a rush, Ash being unsure of his mentor's reaction.
"…I see…"
"I'm sorry, Professor," Ash apologized quickly. "The panel voted unanimously for the penalties and I didn't know what else to do…"
"It's okay, Ash," the professor said gently. "You did what you had to do. As Pokémon Grand Master, you have to put the welfare of the entire League above any personal feelings or obligations." He sighed. "Gary has to learn, like the rest of us, that he's not above the law. I sometimes wonder if he was spoilt too much when he was younger. I wonder if that's why he began to go wrong…"
Ash was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going. He didn't want to be involved in matters which were private family affairs. "Anyway, I'd better be going, Professor. But I thought I should let you know before this breaks in the press. They'll most likely be wanting to speak to you."
"Maybe I can sic Muk on them."
ooo
Gary sat fuming in a chair in another room, still handcuffed and with two burly security guards flanking him, as Kanto League officials removed his Pokémon, the keys to the Gym, and his Pokémon license. How dare they do this to him! How dare they jeopardize the nice fat inheritance he was certain to get from his old Gramps.
In his mind, there were two people completely responsible for this humiliation. Ash and Jenn. His former childhood friend and his ex-girlfriend. If Jenn hadn't bit him on his butt, he would never have challenged Ash like that.
If Ash hadn't cheated in the match, Gary would have won. The Great Gary Oak never cheated, unlike that Loser. He had always suspected that his rival must have cheated to get this far.
Damn that loser, damn that blonde bitch. Damn them to hell. They will pay for this.
ooo
When Drake and Ash returned to the villa later that afternoon, Jenn was waiting for them. She had decided that now was as good a time as ever to cure Trish of her Absol phobia by introducing her to Kigali.
To relieve the very probable tense reaction, she had phoned Shannon and asked her to bring over her two brand new puppies. Jenn knew that her best friend loved dogs, and she was sure that if Trish was made to see that Kigali was just like any other playful puppy, things would be alright.
Jenn wanted Drake to be there too, so he could reassure Trish and he would also be the first to be 'mauled' by her if things went wrong.
"Hey guys," she greeted the two men as they entered.
"Hey Jenn," Drake grinned as he shrugged out of his suit jacket which was taken by the waiting butler, as was Ash's. "What's up?"
"I'm waiting for Shan to get here with her puppies to show to T. Then I'm going to introduce Kigali to her at the same time," the blonde explained.
"Good idea," the Orange Crew Leader nodded. "Shows that Kigali is just like any other canine pokémon puppy."
"But isn't it a bit too soon to be doing this?" Ash frowned slightly. "It's only been a week since Jenn attacked her."
"That was not me," the blonde corrected. "Okay, so it was me in Absol form, but it totally wasn't me if you know what I mean." She frowned. "Then again, now I'm not sure what it is I meant."
A mischievous glint came into Drake's dark eyes. "Like, whatever?" He mimicked her perfectly. Ash went into fits of laughter.
Jenn glared at the Orange Crew Leader. "Do you want to be killed now or later?"
"Now, now, Jenn. Trish won't like you if you do that to me," Drake smirked.
"I've been her best friend before you were her boyfriend! And besides, what she doesn't know won't hurt her," Jenn countered smugly, then looked distressed, "Oh it was terrible, Trish! Ho-oh came down out of the sky and just snatched Drake up." The blonde smirked at Drake, daring him.
Drake was about to say something when Shannon came running into the foyer. The girl panted and waved her hand in front of her face. "Whew! It's hot out there!"
"Just a little," Drake grinned.
"Well we all know what an Orange Islander's version of 'little' is," Jenn rolled her eyes, "Don't we, Shannon?"
"Uh…I just want to help out Trish with her dog fear," Shannon motioned to her puppies, then winced a little. "I feel like I interrupted something important just now."
"Oh don't worry about those two. You just stopped another verbal tennis match between Drake and Jenn," Ash said dryly.
"Over what?"
"The usual," Ash shook his head, not masking the humour he felt at the situation, "like who is more important to Trish. Best friend or boyfriend."
"You two are silly," Shannon grinned at the blonde and the Pummelian. "You know that you're both just as important to Trish. In fact, if she knew you two were squabbling again, she'd bang your two heads together to knock some sense into you!"
"That sounds like something she would do," Jenn said wryly. "Speaking of recovering tigers, how about we go and see her?"
ooo
The four entered the bedroom, to find the Australian just waking up from her nap. "Hey guys, what brings you here?" she yawned as she struggled up to a sitting position.
"The girls want to show you something," Drake informed her as he sat next to her on the bed and put his arm around her shoulder.
"Oh?"
Shannon grinned and whistled. Two pudgy Growlithe puppies came bounding into the room. "Meet Julius and Caesar."
Trish chuckled. "So you did use those names! And they are soooo adorable!"
The puppies, of course, knew that they were the ones being talked about, and so went to greet the human who had so wisely praised them. They scrabbled at the side of the bed until Drake reached down and lifted them both up. The Fire puppies proceeded to jump all over Trish's lap and attempted to lick her face.
"Down boys," the Australian laughed as she tried to fend off their licks. "You're absolutely adorable but I don't need my face washed at the moment."
"I've also got a brand new Pokémon," Jenn announced, fishing the ball from her pocket.
"Oh? Did you catch it or did someone give it to you?"
"Ashy gave it to me," the blonde beamed. "Meet Kigali, my newest little cheeky pookie poo!" The Poké Ball opened and the flash of red energy soon formed into the small Absol puppy.
As expected, Trish froze up at the sight of the Absol. Drake quickly gave her a reassuring squeeze and took her hand in one of his. "It's okay, it's only a baby."
"A b…baby?" she managed to squeak out of a suddenly very dry throat. "That's not a baby, that's a horse!"
Jenn frowned and looked at Kigali. The poor thing was barely the size of an adult house cat, "Yes, it's just a baby. It hasn't learned any bad manners or adult instincts. If I didn't know first hand where this little girl came from, I'd say she's just like any other normal puppy."
"Go on Trish," Shannon coaxed. "Go ahead and pat Kigali."
"Yeah," Jenn chimed in, "She won't bite, I promise."
Her friend shot her a look which clearly said that she was going to be one dead Jenn if she was wrong.
Little Kigali could sense that this new human was a good person and liked animals. She could also sense that this human was terribly afraid of her. She remembered what Beth had told her.
Be gentle with her, even though you yourself are little. Make slow motions around her so you don't startle her.
So Little Kigali did make slow gentle motions. Once Jenn had placed the puppy on the foot of Trish's bed, the little Absol made very gentle, but very slow motions. Almost as if mimicking the rocking walking motions of a chameleon, the Absol slowly inched her way towards the now startled looking Australian.
"Jenn…are you sure she's okay?"
Jenn, who looked torn between being alarmed at the puppy's slow movements and laughing at them, rubbed at her temples before patting Little Kigali between the shoulder blades.
The little absol was startled and stumbled over a fold in the blanket, and fell flat on her face. She looked up, blinking in surprise, and looked up at Jenn.
"You're silly," Jenn picked up the absol and scratched the puppy under her chin. "You didn't have to walk slow like that!"
"Well better slow than bounding all over me," Trish said wryly.
The blonde sat down on the bed next to her friend, Kigali in her arms. "How about you pet her while I hold her? Maybe that's better."
Trish hesitated as she looked at the puppy and Drake again gave her a reassuring squeeze.
Kigali remembered another thing that Beth had told her. Looking soulfully with your eyes is a very important thing to master. Many humans will not be able to resist you if you can master this move. The Absol puppy tried to look as soulful as she possibly could.
It seemed to work. "Awww, I'm sorry, little one," Trish said apologetically. "It's not that I don't think you're cute, but I'm just not...too…fond of large dogs at the moment. And I know you're not large yet," She gave Jenn a short look that said 'I know what you were going to say,' and then flashed a small smile at the puppy. "I guess you're here to help me over that fear, right?"
Kigali wagged her tail and gave a soft whimper. Trish slowly reached out one hand and rested it gently on top of the Absol's head before scratching behind the ears softly.
The puppy's tail thumped on Jenn's lap happily. Kigali began licking Trish's hand. She liked this human, she was nice.
"See Trishy, Absols aren't so bad!" Jenn beamed.
"Only when they're former humans turned Pokémon who've gone feral."
"Hey, I totally used to resemble that!" the blonde rolled her eyes and her friends just grinned.
Trish gently ruffled the shaggy fur on the Absol puppy's head. "Well, with this little one's help, I should be able to get over my fear."
Kigali yipped in agreement and Jenn grinned. "That's because she's Absol-utely adorable!"
"OY!"
ooo
A few days later…
Gary plonked himself down in a comfy chair, glass of wine in one hand and the cordless phone in the other. Ever since the tribunal, the chestnut-haired trainer had been stewing over the indignation and humiliation he had been put through. Drama that was all due to two people; Ash and Jenn.
Plotting his revenge, he soon realized a way that he could get back at both of them at the same time. Misty. The redhead was known to have a volatile temper and had never really tolerated the attention her husband received from other women. And being in the late stages of pregnancy, you had the perfect combination for an explosion.
Of course Ash, being the dumb loser he was, had never really taken notice of all his female admirers, and thus could never have been accused of being unfaithful.
Gary planned to fix that.
When the redhead in question answered the phone, Gary smiled to himself. Showtime. "Misty, how are you doing? It's Gary here."
"Gary? What are you ringing for?" There was a puzzled tone in her voice as Gary had not been a frequent caller to the Ketchum household of late.
"Misty, Misty, is that a way to greet an old friend?" the chestnut-haired Trainer said smoothly. "I know I haven't been in touch lately, but things have been rather busy."
"Yeah, they have."
"Anyway the reason why I called is that there's something about your husband that you should know."
Her voice was instantly guarded. "Like what?"
"Well, has he been around a lot lately?"
"No, but that's due to work and some situation that Puck's got everyone into. So he's decided that it would be safer for him to stay at Drake's villa and not put me or our unborn child in danger."
"Ah, but that's what he wants you to think, my dear."
"What do you mean?"
"He's been keeping company with another woman."
"What! With Trish?"
"What?" Gary blinked in surprise. Maybe being pregnant has affected her brain. "No way! Drake may be easygoing and all, but he's not that laidback that he would let another guy stay at his place if he was after his girlfriend! Not her. I'm talking about one person: Jenn."
"Jenn." The tone was flat and cold, and Gary was pleased that Misty already disliked the girl. It would make his task of ruining Ash's marriage so much easier.
"Jenn has been around Ash quite a bit lately," the chestnut-haired Trainer continued. "And they might shrug it off as simple random encounters. But were they really random? Think about it." And he hung up.
ooo
Misty stared at the phone in her hand and frowned. Now that was a strange phone call…
She went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of juice, before sitting down on a comfy sofa in the living room. One of the things she hated about being pregnant was the almost constant backache from carrying the baby. The redhead felt she now knew what her mother must have gone through with her and her sisters.
Ash and Jenn…could it be true? Or was Gary telling a great big fat lie designed to turn her against her husband? Misty didn't know what to believe.
To be fair to Ash, in all the years she had known him, he had never been much of a skirt chaser – unlike Brock, or even Gary himself. Now there was a guy who couldn't talk about being faithful. Pokémon was Ash's main focus and obsessions, for a time there she had thought he would be oblivious to anything but the pocket monsters.
She reddened slightly at the memory of the time she complained to Daisy about Ash not taking any notice of her as girlfriend potential. 'What do I have to do to make him notice me? Dress up as a Pikachu?' she had grouched.
Not that Ash wasn't interested in girls as a teenager. On the contrary, he took great delight in pointing out the 'real' girls as compared to the tomboy redhead she was.
The Adult Ash still didn't take much notice of the females that swarmed around them, saying that they wouldn't want much to do with a married man. He obviously didn't know the female mind well.
Even though Ash had many female friends, Misty didn't consider any of them to be a threat, except for a certain blonde American girl. Ash genuinely enjoyed being in Jenn's company, and there was a certain spark between those two which Misty couldn't work out.
But the amount of times that Jenn had been around her husband had definitely increased since their arrival in the Orange Islands. There had been that fall into the surf, the fall off the cliff, Jenn taking care of the Pokémon Ash, the leather jacket, and a few other incidents. And now Jenn was staying at Drake's villa as well as Ash.
Was the Orange Crew Leader helping an 'affair' along? But after a moment, she dismissed that thought. Drake wouldn't help someone else cheat when he went off his brain when it was thought that Trish was cheating on him with Danny.
But still, Misty couldn't help but worry about Ash. There was no telling what that blonde American girl might do if she could get her hands on him.
ooo
The blonde American in question was chatting with Trish in the 'Sick Tiger's Room' as the group had dubbed it, when her cell phone rang.
Who could that be? she wondered as she fished the sleek silver device from her pants pocket. "Goddess Incorporated, you date him, I'll rate him!"
"Jenn, it's Misty."
Jenn blanched. Though it was a cute way to answer the phone, she knew how nutsy Misty was. She'd really have to start checking her caller ID. Of all the people, it would have to be the Mistress of Paranoia. Since when Jenn rate celly talky chatty status with Misty? "Yeah."
"Stay AWAY from my husband!"
Jenn winced and held out the phone for a moment. Then she heard Misty still going on, and she reluctantly held the phone back to her ear.
"…and I know you're staying there at Drake's place, as is Ash. Don't think that I don't know that you're there to try and lure him into your arms!"
"Who wrote your script!" Jenn's blood boiled as she listened to the rant. "Because whoever did missed out on one important thing." She held the phone out like a stage microphone, "I DO NOT WANT ASH! I HAVE MORALS! I DON'T DATE MARRIED MEN!"
Jenn caught Trish looking up at her with wide eyes, and she held the phone back, breaking in on Misty's retort. "Seeing as how you missed the global memo, I'll fill you in. I'm not staying here to shack up with Ash. I'm here to watch over Trish! Or did you miss out on the OTHER MEMO that was full of the 411 on how SICK SHE IS!"
"Well he's never around at home and he's always near where you are!"
"Wah, wah, wah! Practicing mimicking your baby, Misty? Ash isn't staying here because of me!" Jenn couldn't believe her ears. The woman was a total nutcase. "He's staying here to keep Lu, the potentially homicidal maniac, from hurting or killing you just to hurt Ash. Or would you like to see you or the baby in danger? Because if so, Drake can send Ash packing back to you." She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the hot anger she felt inside.
Jenn jumped slightly when she felt a gentle touch on her arm. She looked to see Trish gesturing for the phone with one of her 'don't you start arguing with me' looks.
"Hang on, Pissy," she barked at the redhead. "Someone else wants to talk to you."
Trish took the phone off the fuming blonde and placed it to her ear. "Misty? It's Trish here. I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between you and Jenn."
"You been eavesdropping?"
"It's a bit hard not to overhear when you two are screaming down the phone at each other," the Australian said dryly. "Thing is, you need to calm down. Jenn is telling the complete truth. She offered to stay here to help look after me until I get back on my feet. And it's not a trait of hers that has just cropped up, she's always been there for me. She's more than a best friend, she's like a sister to me."
Silence on the other end.
"And I can't believe that you would accuse Ash of being unfaithful. You, of all people should know better than to do that! You've known him since he was ten, and in all that time have you ever known him to stray? No."
Despite her anger, Jenn allowed herself a small smile. If Misty thought that was the end of the conversation, then she'd be wrong. From the sounds of it, Trish was just warming up. Her best friend could, when in the mood, embark on a marathon rant when she was worked up about something. The best way the blonde could think of describing it was to liken their tempers to volcanoes. Jenn's could be very explosive and very sudden, like Vesuvius. Trish was more like Mount Kilauea in Hawaii. A more gentle and less spectacular volcano. But the potential for a fiery explosion was still there. The thing was, no matter how mad the Australian was, she still was nice and polite. When Jenn was mad, all nicety and politeness went out the window. She let them have it!
"Whereas you, you hit on at least two other guys during your journeys."
"I have never done that!"
"Yes, you have," Trish continued. "First of all you threw yourself at Danny even though he was only being gentlemanly to you. Then, and I can't believe you even liked him as he is such an obsessive maniac, Saturday Night Fever Rudy!" The Australian threw up her free hand in disgust. "I mean, mega ewww or did that Satanic Egg suck all the sense out of you at the time?"
"Do NOT insult my Togepi! It was always nice to me!"
"It doesn't matter now, does it? What matters is that you are unjustly accusing two people of something they're not doing. You're doing the same thing as Drake did when he believed Rudy's story that Danny and I were having an affair."
"Well what I know isn't a story. It's true and the proof is in Drake's villa!"
"Mud once flung, sticks. Whether it is true or not. You don't know what it's like to have your reputation tarnished in the media over a lie! I should know. And one more thing – you should thank your lucky staryus that you have such a great husband in Ash. I've never seen a man so concerned about the protection of his wife and unborn child from the likes of Lu. I KNOW what that murderous maniac is capable of, I nearly DIED at his hands – what more proof do you want that both you and the baby could be in danger?" She narrowed her eyes. "Oh and finally, you think it was rude of me to eavesdrop? Well it's also rude of you to go RIFLING through your husband's phone book for Jenn's number! Goodbye!"
Jenn grinned at her friend as she shut the phone off. "Grrr…the tiger has some teeth."
"I try."
The blonde cocked her head slightly to the side. "However you're still too nice and polite to people. Ya gotta be more dirty."
"Oh."
Jenn patted her friend's arm. "Don't you worry, I'll make an American out of you yet!"
"Er…thanks."
ooo
When Ash's cell phone rang, the dark-haired man sighed. It had been a very busy day, with problems all over the place. If it wasn't the press calling or otherwise harassing him about Gary's recent hearing, it was questions from Puck or Callie about how humans deal with magical displays.
Without looking at the external caller ID, Ash picked up the phone and pressed the little green button, "Ketchum."
"Ash."
He immediately set down the papers he was looking at, "Misty, how are you?"
Strain laced Misty's tone, "Not so well. I – "
"Is the baby okay? Are you okay? Did anything strange happen?"
"…No, nothing really peculiar." A pause. "I just miss you."
Ash smiled, "I miss you too."
"When are you coming back?"
"As soon as this is over," Ash winced at his wife's low groan. "I promise, just as soon as Lu is caught, I'll be back faster than you can say Psyduck."
"Or lucky staryu," Misty muttered.
Ash's brow knitted in confusion, "Or lucky staryu's, if you want."
"No, I don't want," Misty said quickly, "I just want you back and in my arms."
"I promise," Ash said, "It'll all be over soon."
"I hope," Misty said, though she sounded a little happier. "Bring me back something?"
Ash laughed, "We're in the same city! You sure you want a souvenir?"
"No, just you," Misty said, and she sighed, "And soon, okay?"
"Okay," Ash said, "I'll call later tonight, okay?"
"Okay," Misty said, "Love you."
"Love you, too." Ash said, and reluctantly hung up. Something nagged at the back of his mind. It wasn't out of the ordinary for Misty to call out of the blue, but her tone at the beginning of the call concerned him.
Right now, though, he could only hope that something could be done quickly about Lu.
ooo
A few days later…
Drake, Jenn, Ash, Shannon and Ben were talking in the living room, when the doctor came in from making his regular check-up on Trish.
"So how is she doing?" the Orange Crew Leader gestured for the man to take a seat.
Dr Campbell, who was a man in his mid-forties, smiled and sat down. "She's doing well, but not as well as I would like."
"What do you mean?" Jenn enquired.
"With the level of medication and therapy she's been receiving, I would have expected Trish to have made a near full recovery by now." He frowned slightly, "But she's still at the halfway mark. It's as if her recovery has hit a plateau and levelled off."
"So she's not getting any better?" Shannon squeezed Ben's hand anxiously.
Dr Campbell shook his head. "No, and it may well be that this is as fully recovered as she's ever going to get. Naturally, I hope that isn't the case."
"Is there a reason why?" Drake was looking slightly anxious.
The doctor shrugged apologetically. "Who knows? The human body is a very delicate and intricate mechanism, like a hi-tech machine. Sometimes you can put it back together and it works like brand-new. Other times you can fix it but it's never quite the same. It's different for everyone. It could be that something inside of Trish's body is irrevocably damaged, or maybe the brain has been traumatized beyond its limits." He paused. "Or it could be that something is holding her back from a full recovery."
Jenn frowned slightly as she heard this. What could possibly be holding T back? Knowing her best friend, she wouldn't tell them if there was. The blonde decided to pay her friend a little visit after her nap and try to find out. If anyone could get Trish to confess something, it was Jenn!
ooo
An hour later, Trish was sitting up in bed with a book when Jenn poked her head around the door.
"The sleeping tiger riseth!" the American girl wisecracked as she came into the room. She glanced at the book her friend was reading and saw the words 'Sherlock Holmes' emblazoned across the top. "You're not reading THAT puppy book again, are you?"
The Australian chuckled. "Of course not! I would be in serious need of some therapy if I was!"
Jenn grinned slyly. "I already think you are in serious need of therapy, Tah."
"It takes one to know one," was the swift retort.
The blonde decided to get down to business. "The doc gave us your latest prognosis."
"And?"
"You have 3 days left to live," Jenn deadpanned.
"Suuuuuuuuuure," Trish stuck her tongue out. "The doc told me I was doing okay."
"Keyword: okay," the blonde wagged a finger. "Not better as it should be. That's what the doctor wanted to talk to us about. He's getting worried that you're not doing as well as you should be." She fixed her best friend with a narrowed blue eyed gaze. "And the Goddess demands to know why."
The dark-haired Australian looked taken aback. "How should I know why? There's nothing wrong with doing okay. It's a natural fact that some people take longer to recover from illnesses and injuries than others. You of all people should know that I've been through a lot of illnesses lately."
"True," Jenn agreed. "But you should be a lot better than this. You don't want to be stuck in here for the rest of your life when you've got Drake to take you out to ritzy restaurants, and you've got me to go shopping for fun things!"
"Jenn, I'm not a paraplegic…"
"Then get out of bed! Show the world you're still with the rest of the living population," Jenn held up a hand to ward off the upcoming protest from her friend. "I'm not telling you anything new, but Drake lives in a high social circle. You gotta be seen out and about with him to keep your hold on him. It won't be just the tabloids thinking Drake's a free agent if he keeps turning up alone when he goes out. You're going to have to deal with a lot of gold digging, social ladder climbing skanks."
"I think Drake's pretty good at keeping those hussies at bay himself.."
Jenn rattled on as if she hadn't heard her friend, and most likely she'd missed Trish's muttered retort, "And more importantly, how else are you totally gonna help us kick Rudey's and Lulu's big ole butts if you're stuck in bed? For one thing, you know how fun it is to take down the bad guys, and for another, I'm not going to save any for you if you insist on still being sick."
"I have never insisted that I was sick!"
Jenn arched an eyebrow. "Then why are you still in bed?"
"This is not something that can be fixed easily!"
"Uh huh."
"It isn't!"
"Whatever you say," Jenn stretched and walked out of the room. "I gotta go check on my new pokémon addition. I'll catch ya on the flip."
Once the door had closed, Trish sank back against the pillow, "Honestly. That girl is like a hurricane in human form."
ooo
Jenn made her way to the back gardens where Kigali was romping with the Growlithe pack of Drake's two, plus Hamlet, Ophie, Mac, Beth, Julius, and Caesar. Drake, Ash, Shannon, and Chris were watching the Pokémon play as the butlers served lunch.
"So how's my newest little baby doing?" Jenn asked as she slid onto a garden seat beside Shannon.
"Oh she's getting on just fine," Ash informed her. "In fact she's been spending so much time with the Growlithe that I think she might think herself to be one as well. I'm sure I saw her trying to imitate one of the moves earlier."
"Oh great," the blonde sighed. "Does that mean I'm gonna have a confused Absol?"
"Like Trainer, like Pokémon," Chris smirked from across the table.
"You know, I had been having a good day, but now I have good and bad news. The good news is that Drake, from now on you are permanently off my shit list. The bad news is that Skirt Boy has taken that position," Jenn glared at the Scot.
"It's a kilt, not a skirt!"
Shannon rolled her eyes. "How many times have we been through this routine already?"
"Do you mean today or the whole week?" Ash shook his head.
"And it's gonna continue," the blonde smirked, "as long as Christina insists on wearing a skirt."
"It's a kilt!" Chris growled out, "A national icon of pride!"
Jenn snickered.
"Gay pride is not what I meant!" Chris defended his national icon. "A kilt is not a skirt!"
"Did you know your accent gets heavy when you get pissed?"
"Children," Drake raised his hands for quiet. "How about we move onto a different subject? Maybe something with more significance? Like perhaps a psychotic Fae that happens to be hot for our spilled blood?"
"He started it," Jenn glared.
"I did not," Chris glared back, "Maybe if you were less ignorant of other cultures, we wouldn't be having this discussion!"
"Excuse you! I am not ignorant of other cultures!"
"You sure fooled me."
"Oh go stuff it up yair haggis."
"See? Ignorant." Chris smirked, "And bad accent attempt, too."
"So, did you manage to find out from Trish the reason why she's not getting any better?" the Orange Crew Leader ignored the bird Jenn was flipping Chris with and talked loudly in an authoritative tone.
Jenn sighed, "Er…not really."
"No, she was too busy trying to figure out if Australians walk upside down."
"You are such a jerk!"
"Okay, that's enough," Ash said loudly, "Let's set aside this argument for later. Preferably after we catch Lu and Rudy." He looked at the two with a hard gaze. "Okay?"
"Fine," Jenn muttered, picking up Kigali and stroking the soft white fur.
"Yeah," Chris grumbled into his beer.
Ash looked back to Drake, "I believe you were going to say something."
"Thanks," Drake shook his head. "And I thought it was difficult teaching pre-teens how to care for pokémon. Anyway, what was Trish's answer to your questioning, Jenn?"
The blonde frowned slightly. "That it wasn't something that could be fixed easily."
"Anything else?"
"Like what?"
"Well if you can't get any more information out of her than that, then what hope do the rest of us have?" Shannon slumped.
Jenn shifted slightly in her seat. "Ah…actually I left before she could explain further," she admitted sheepishly.
"Jenn!"
"What?" she shrugged. "At least I got her to admit something was wrong."
"Yeah but we need to know what exactly is wrong so that we can help her," Drake countered.
"I'd like to see you guys do better," Jenn sulked.
"Awww, we know that you always try your best," Shannon soothed the older girl. "Especially when it's to help your friends."
"Oh I do!" the blonde beamed.
"Well Shannon, how about you and I go with Jenn to talk to Trish later?" Drake suggested. "We're the closest to her, maybe she'll open up with all of us there."
"It's worth a shot," Shannon smiled. "Anything to help Trish recover completely."
"Yeah, and the first thing I'm gonna do is drag her shopping," Jenn nodded. "I hate going shopping alone and no one else really enjoys bopping around the mall like the three of us, right Shan?"
"Oh yes," Shannon looked momentarily weary at the thought of shopping with Jenn, "It's a treat."
The blonde was oblivious to the momentary wearisome of her friend and nodded, "You know it!"
ooo
Trish was surprised when, two hours later, Drake, Jenn, and Shannon trooped into her room, along with Kigali and the Growlithes. "Hello…so to what do I owe the pleasure of so much company at once?" she asked as she put down her book.
Kigali saw an advantage, so hopped up on the bed and crawled onto the girl's lap. Trish looked down at the Absol puppy and grinned. "Making yourself comfortable, eh? And here I was trying to read…"
"Not anymore," Drake smirked as he sat next to her, putting one muscular arm around her.
"So why are you three all here at once? Are you just being companionable or have you three decided to gang up on me for something?"
"Yes, we're here to beat you back into good health," Jenn deadpanned and cracked her knuckles.
"Eww," Shannon complained, "That noise is gross!"
"I'd rather hear nails down the chalkboard," Drake agreed.
"I can arrange that," Jenn held a manicured hand by the wall, poised to drag the nails down the smooth surface.
"NO!" Trish yelped out, "I hate it when you do that! You don't even need a chalkboard."
"Okay, for the sick and tired, I'll relent," Jenn smirked, "But know that the threat is always there."
The other three exchanged wry looks.
"I think I'll take my chances," Drake shook his head in amusement, "However we really came to see what's going on with my sweetie pookie poops."
"Are you trying to make me relapse?" Trish grinned at the pet name anyway. "And don't you have more important things to do than to visit the sick and infirmed?"
"Oh, well there is a huge sale down at the seaside Louis Vuitton outlet," Jenn made a moue of annoyance at Drake, "But the old guy wouldn't let me go."
"I'm not old," Drake protested, "And besides, I told you Henry would extend the sale especially for you."
"I know," Jenn said, "but it's fun to fight off the other shoppers."
Trish shook her head, "And this is supposed to make me feel better?"
"But of course!" the blonde said with wide eyes. "Drake and I don't bicker for just anyone ya know."
"Riiiight." A raised eyebrow. "It's great to see that you two get on so well."
"Oh we do!"
Trish looked at Shannon. "How have you been putting up with those two?"
"Just barely," the brunette wisecracked and received twin glares in reply.
Drake then sobered up and drew his girlfriend closer to him. "Seriously though, we came here to find out what's troubling you. Jenn told us that you said that it wasn't something that could be fixed easily."
"She told you!"
"Hey, it wasn't as if it was some deep dark secret like you killed somebody!" Jenn protested. "Besides, it's for your own good. We're worried about you."
"She's right, you know," Drake dropped a kiss on Trish's forehead. "We don't understand why you're not getting any better. And we want you to get better. We miss not having you with us."
"Yeah!" Shannon nodded.
Trish was silent for a moment before sighing once. "I'm the reason why I'm not getting any better…"
"Okay, Drake," Jenn wagged her hand at him, "Pay up. I won the bet."
Trish's eyes widened. "You bet on me?"
Drake flushed, "It wasn't that sort of a bet…"
"Yes it was," Jenn said quickly, "Sorry, T, but he owes me a hundred dollars."
"DRAKE!"
Shannon only shook her head, trying to hide a laugh.
"That's all I'm worth? A measly hundred dollars?" Trish rolled her eyes, "If you're going to bet, then make it a good one."
The Orange Crew Leader hugged her tight. "You know you're worth more than all the money in the world." Trish blushed. "Besides, you wouldn't have liked it if I had bet my whole fortune on it and lost."
"True," the girl conceded.
"I would have totally loved that!" Jenn smirked.
"I just bet," Drake rolled his eyes before looking at Trish again. "So you should really be sore at Jenn and not me. She's the one who bet the problem was with you, not me. Not nice of a best friend is it?"
"Hey, she would do the exact same thing to me," the blonde protested. "I know T, and she's no angel. Besides, best friends can do that sort of thing. I can get away with a lot more things like that than you can."
"Sure you can…"
"Uh, guys…" It was Shannon. "We're getting off track here."
"Again," Trish rolled her eyes.
The two looked sheepish. "Uh yeah, so you were saying, Tah?" Jenn grinned weakly.
"I was saying that I'm the one who is holding myself back from a full recovery. Why I would do this to myself, I don't know but that's what's happening. And how can you fix that?"
Shannon propped her chin in her hands. "Well, can you try to describe how you're feeling?"
Trish was silent for a moment. "I guess a lot of it is fear," she finally said. "I know that Puck and Callie have set magical wards around this place to protect us from Lu. I also know that the Pokémon are on the lookout for him. But he still terrifies me."
The Australian shuddered at the thought of the evil creature, "He's tried to kill me three times. Three times! That Fae wants me dead and I don't think he's going to stop until he succeeds. I'm almost too scared to go to sleep just in case he tries again. And when I do go to sleep, it's full of nightmares of the Hound and Lu. It's almost as if he's taunting me that he's going to win anyway so why bother fighting?"
She sighed and leaned back against Drake. "Then there's a sense of guilt…"
"Guilt?" Shannon looked confused. "Whatever for?"
"For surviving," Trish said simply. "By all rights, I should have died that night on the moor. It's a miracle that I'm still here at all. And sometimes I wonder…if things wouldn't have been better if I hadn't come back…"
"What do you mean?"
The Australian looked down at her hands for a minute before raising her head and looking her friends steadily in the eyes. "I feel that by surviving Lu's attack, I've put all you guys in danger. He'd be as mad as hell that he failed and so, will take it out on one of you. While I was lucky enough to survive, he's going to make sure that his next victim doesn't." She paused. "Sometimes I wonder if I had died, if that would have satisfied his blood lust and he would leave everyone alone..."
Jenn jumped up and hugged the girl tightly. "I love you, but that's gotta be the dumbest reason for survivor's guilt I've ever heard. It's only natural to fight for survival. Look at Drake. He's survived for centuries."
Drake frowned at the blonde, who only grinned wickedly.
Trish returned the hug. "Thanks."
"Besides, if anyone's to blame for what happened to you it's so completely me," the blonde frowned. "It was only after I escaped from Lu that your big bad happened. Because of me, he took it out on you."
"But it's not your fault," Trish protested.
"Sure it is," Jenn shrugged, "I just told you why. Look at it closely and you can see it's true."
"It's neither of your faults," Drake interrupted firmly before the argument could go any further. "What we are dealing with here is one very disturbed Fae who will stop at nothing to get his own way. Therefore anyone and anything that gets in his way, he's going to destroy."
"True…" Trish conceded.
"He is really insane," Jenn said thoughtfully. "A shame since he's pretty hot."
"I think you're just about worse than Brock," Drake rolled his eyes. "Though I guess if you think Lu is good looking then that certainly explains why you date guys like Gary."
The blonde's blue eyes flashed angrily, "Hey, I'll have you know that guys like Gary have a lot of positives about them."
"Name one," Drake said flatly.
"Other than being hot?"
Drake raised an eyebrow.
"Their bank accounts are usually very positive," Jenn said smugly. "I am quite the spoiled one and I need a guy who can support the lifestyle I want."
Drake whistled low, "You are really something else."
"I know," Jenn said, taking the Orange Crew Leader's words as a compliment, which, of course, they weren't.
Shannon spoke up, "The thing that matters at the moment is to help Trish get better. Once that happens, we can concentrate on capturing Lu."
"I do want to get better," Trish nodded. "But…I just don't know how to fight…myself, as that's what it comes down to."
"Maybe we can ask Puck and Callie to help us get inside your head," Drake gave her a gentle squeeze. "Together we can fight it."
"Yeah," Shannon nodded. "We can do it!"
"Get inside your head, eh?" Jenn raised an eyebrow. "Hey maybe then I'll get to see how really disordered your mind is."
"Compared to yours," Drake smirked, "I'm sure it's a cakewalk."
"Yup," Jenn nodded absently before catching the insult. "Hey!"
"She's so quick on the uptake," the Orange Crew Leader grinned at the other two.
"Hey, watch it," Trish mock glared at her boyfriend. "That's my best friend you're insulting here…"
Jenn smirked at Drake. "See? Best friend over boyfriend every time."
"However, you have to admit it's true sometimes," Trish finished, causing Jenn to gape.
"Hey!"
The Australian chuckled and gave the blonde a quick hug. "Oh you know I still luv ya."
"True."
"Anyway, it's mean of you to expect me to take sides, when you're both just as important to me." Trish folded her arms.
"I just like beating him at things," Jenn shrugged.
"So you'd be willing to go through with it tomorrow if we can arrange it?" Drake asked.
"The sooner the better," Trish said. "The quicker I can get rid of this, the quicker we can find Lu and put a stop to this once and for all."
ooo
The Fae in question was livid. Lu stalked around the cave on the remote island, cursing at the top of his lungs, conjuring up glass objects and smashing them against the walls. Was the whole world against him? Why was everything going wrong? His perfect plan for domination of the Fae world had come undone due to that meddlesome Puck and his equally vexatious sister Callie. Then his infallible plan for revenge against Puck was unravelling slowly before his eyes.
First of all, his hold over Puck's ladylove Mia had been broken somehow by the reversal of the spell on her ring. Then Jenn had refused to help him, and escaped after finding out his plans. He had failed to kill Trish via slow and painful death from illness, and he had failed to turn Drake permanently against her. He had failed to kill the Australian twice more, on the moors and that night in the hospital – and she was one of the main keys to his plan's success. He had failed to completely humiliate Jenn by turning her into a real Absol, that damn Chosen One had saved her.
Damn him. Damn her. Damn them all to hell. They were going to pay for tangling with Lucius.
ooo
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in postings but I've just spent a month holidaying in Europe. Nice break from work and it was just what I needed. I'm back now and back to work and writing. I will say that come December and through to February I should be getting more writing done. Work is always very quiet around that time.