Midsummer Nights

by Trish

The third instalment to the Midsummer Series. Chapter Thirty Nine now up.

29. With Courage You Can Set Things Right

Midsummer Nights

By Trish.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon (unfortunately), nor Puck. Ashura the Mew has been borrowed with permission from Dragoness. The storyline and other characters belong to me. The lyrics from the chapter title come from The Power of One, by Donna Summer, title theme from Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power Of One.

A/N: Dedicated to Jenn.

ooo

Chapter Twenty-Eight: With Courage You Can Set Things Right

Jenn looked over at the Fae, "Don't do what?"

"Don't use that book," Puck said, "It might…" He frowned and studied the book from where he stood. "That's not a magic book, Jenn."

"It is!"

"It's not real," Puck looked relieved, "It doesn't hold any magic."

"It is too real!" Jenn said forcibly, "It's as real as I want it to be!"

"Don't encourage her, brother," Callie murmured into her brother's ear. "If she believes enough, it could become real. That is how mortal magic works."

He took a breath and sighed it out, "I'm sorry, Jenn, but I didn't know how familiar you were with that book."

"Oh very!" Jenn said perkily, then blinked and looked uncertain.

"You okay, Jenn?" Trish asked with concern. "You don't look so well."

"I'm fine!" The chipper tone was back in her voice, "I just got a little light-headed." She looked down at the open book and brightened, "Here it is! Summoning Belthazor."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Trish looked uneasy, "What if it goes wrong?"

The others knew that she meant: What if something actually comes through?

"Don't worry about it," Jenn said calmly, "Belthazor is just the sweetiest!"

"The…sweetiest?" Ash said slowly.

"I'm gonna be sick," Chris looked ill, "It's just too much."

"I'll need some candles," she looked over the page, "And some ingredients for a potion."

:What's the best thing to do: Ash asked Puck.

:Teleport her to Lu's lair and let her blow up his cavern when this spell backfires.:

:Be serious, brother: Callie chastised.

:I am! Anyway, I didn't invite you in to this conversation, sister: Puck said with annoyance.

:Well you didn't start the conversation,: Callie said:Did he, Chosen One:

:Play nice, kids: Ash said:Why don't we just let this go? There's not much she can do since she doesn't have magic.:

:All humans have some magic: Callie informed him, :It's just not as easily accessed as it is for Faes.:

:You mean since magic is as natural to us as breathing: Puck was definitely annoyed.

:Your sarcasm is not lost on me, brother: Callie said:But Ash needs to know that there could be a slim chance of her even summoning something.:

:She's gone.: Ash said.

:She's been long gone: Puck said:What else is new:

:No, I mean she went to the kitchen and took the book with her.:

"She what!" Puck yelped.

The others were looking at them with a mix of amusement and annoyance.

"Done with your little conversation?" Chris asked, "Or should we let you carry on?"

"No we're done," the Fae said quickly. "Perhaps we should go into the kitchen and see what Jenn's doing."

"Good idea," Drake looked uneasy. "Jenn and magic are two things which should never ever be put together."

"Drake!" Trish scolded half-heartedly. She shared his opinion but still felt as if she should stand up for her best friend.

"Do you want to risk Jenn possibly blowing this place up?" the Orange Crew Leader led the way into the kitchen.

"No," Trish admitted while crossing her fingers that it wouldn't come to that; but with Jenn you never knew.

They found Jenn with all the necessary ingredients and candles set up on the kitchen table with the book spread out in front of her.

Shannon was impressed. When Jenn was inspired she really moved fast.

"Hey guys," the blonde grinned. "You're just in time to see me weave my magic!"

"I don't know if I want to see this magic show," Chris muttered before he was shushed by Shannon.

"Now everybody has to be quiet or else I can't concentrate," Jenn ordered.

Chris would have made a crack that the blonde could never concentrate anyway but a glare from Trish silenced him.

Cheerfully, Jenn lit the candles, one black and one white. She turned to Puck, "This would be so much easier if I could use fire power instead of matches!"

She giggled, then held her hands dramatically near the candles. Looking down at the large green book, she began to recite, "Magic forces, black and white..."

Puck shivered as a chill ran over his arms. This sounded familiar...

"...Reaching out through space and light..."

Callie tapped her brother's shoulder, "Doesn't this sound like the spell to summon Darius?"

Puck's eyes widened as a white column of light had appeared beyond Jenn. "It is."

Darius, a notorious ancient demon who had a short temper, but enough insanity and power to back up any threat. He was currently under lockdown back home, but anyone who knew the spell could free him. It wasn't that often that any spell from home would be known by mortals.

"...Be he far or be he near..."

In the blink of an eye, Puck silenced Jenn by momentarily freezing her vocal cords. The blonde looked stricken, but Callie wasted no time in extinguishing the candles. The column of light faded, but not without the rumbling of muttered cursing.

"What's wrong?" Trish asked Callie.

"Oh nothing," Callie said calmly in her lilting tone, "Just averted a major disaster."

Puck rolled his eyes. Leave it to a sister to speak nonchalantly about something more dangerous than a hundred of Lucius on his most insane days. He unfroze Jenn's vocal cords and the blonde rubbed her temple.

"I don't feel so good…" she mumbled before she suddenly collapsed to the floor to the horrified gasps of the onlookers.

"Puck! What did you do to her!" Trish yelped before rushing to her friend's side and kneeling down. She checked the girl's pulse quickly before breathing a sigh of relief.

"I just froze her vocal cords with telekinesis, that's all," Puck said weakly.

"Telekinesis on vocal cords?" Mia shot him a look. "That's not what Darth Vader did to his opponents is it?"

"Nothing like that!" Puck said quickly, noting the sudden dangerous glint that came into Trish's eyes. "I just gave her temporary laryngitis so she couldn't summon ultimate evil, that's all."

"Is Jenn okay?" Shannon asked in a fearful tone of voice.

"She's just fainted," Trish reassured her. "Drake, could you pick Jenn up and place her on one of the cots please? I'll bring an icepack or else she might end up with a nasty bruise."

The Orange Crew Leader obliged and Trish followed him out of the room. When she was out of earshot, Mia leant towards Puck.

"You are so lucky that she's okay, otherwise Trish would have killed you."

"Mia, she almost summoned something very bad," Puck defended himself, "We're lucky that she didn't!"

Mia glared at him.

Puck sighed, "Oh yes, I'm lucky and avoided being killed by Trish. Don't I know it."

"That's better," Mia said with satisfaction.

"So what exactly did you mean by 'averted a major disaster,'" Ash asked warily. "Or do I really not want to know?"

"Jenn almost summoned Darius," Puck explained. "He's an ancient demon who's imprisoned back home. He's a hundred times more insane and more powerful than Lu. We didn't think that anyone outside the Fae realm knew that spell."

His listeners all turned pale. "Then how did Jenn know it?" Jaime squeaked. "I thought that book wasn't real!"

"It isn't real," Callie said as she scanned the open book. "But these spells are loosely based on real magic. A changed word here and there, coupled with belief, can make things happen. Whether or not the spell caster knows this is another thing."

"Jenn wouldn't intentionally summon evil," Trish said as she walked back into the room with Drake. She had overheard the end of the conversation. "Even though she likes to think she's evil, she really isn't. I know Jenn and she would never hurt one of her friends or family. Not deliberately."

"I'm not so sure about that," Chris said wryly, rubbing the back of his neck. "My neck and ribs say just the opposite."

"She underestimates her own strength sometimes," the Australian shrugged.

"Well I say that we should grab that book and burn it," Jaime looked scared. "It's too dangerous to leave around."

"We can't do that," Shannon objected. "That's Jenn's property. How would you like it if someone took something of yours and destroyed it? And imagine you found out about it after the fact!"

"But we can't risk her keeping it," the Canadian rebutted. "If she could almost summon an evil demon once, she can do it again! My gran always says that you should never meddle in things you know nothing about."

"Is there a way that you can fix things so that she can still keep the book and yet not have any of the spells actually work?" Trish asked Callie.

The Fae looked thoughtful, "Yes there is," she said and as she spoke the words shimmered and reformed on the pages. "They will still read like spells but no matter how she changes the wording, it won't unlock any real spells."

"That's a relief," Chris sighed. "Honestly that girl is a walking disaster. Causes nothing but trouble." He shrank back at the withering glare sent his way by a certain Australian. "Oh you know it's true! I don't think being an Absol had anything to do with her being a disaster. I think it's a natural thing."

"Even though you may be right," Trish said, "Let's try to be a little kind, okay?"

"Why must you always stick up for Jenn?" the Scot grumbled. "Every time someone says something bad about her, you bristle up like a momma bear with a sore head."

"That's what best friends do," the Australian shrugged.

Chris looked at Drake. "You do realise that when you get married to Trish, you'll be getting a two for one deal? You'll be stuck with Jenn for life!"

"Hey what about me?" Shannon pouted. "I'm like the little sister she never had!"

"Yes, don't forget Shannon," Trish grinned and hugged her younger friend.

"Of course we haven't forgotten you, Shan," Drake reassured the girl. "But the rate you and Ben are going, you're going to be my sister-in-law before too long. So I'll be stuck with you for life anyway!"

Shannon blushed.

The Orange Crew Leader winked at the brunette then turned back to Chris. "Yeah, I know that, but I don't really mind having Jenn around all the time."

"Plus you also know that trying to block her from visiting would never work!" Trish smirked.

"That too."

"So are we all prepared to fight Lu or is there stuff that still needs to be done? Jaime asked.

"All that needs to be done is to give every Pokémon an Item to boost their strongest power," Ash said.

"Then what?"

"We wait until Lu strikes."

"Just as well Jenn's not conscious then," Shannon grinned, "She hates waiting and the suspense it causes."

"She would have been full of complaints," Chris groaned. "Thank Lugia that we were spared."

"Chris!" The brunette glared.

"What!" the Scot said defensively. "Don't tell me you're sticking up for Jenn as well! Trish is bad enough. Why are you so loyal? She's completely insane!"

"That's what's so great about her!" Shannon beamed. "She makes me laugh."

"So laughter is the quickest way to a person's heart," Chris rolled his eyes.

Puck look confused. "I thought it was food…"

"That's only for men," Mia told him. "Women are different."

"Mia, I know that much!" Puck said defensively.

"I didn't mean it like that," she laughed. "I only meant that there are different ways for people to enjoy each others companies."

"Human terms are so baffling," Puck said and his voice was laced with consternation.

"Tell me about it," Chris muttered, "You think you've got it all figured out and that's when you realize you don't know jack."

"That's for sure," Ash agreed, then seemed surprised by the flabbergasted looks he got. "What? It's not all peaches and cream being Grand Master. Things aren't instantly easy once you get the big office with the corner window view."

"Even with all the deputies and assistants you get to boss around to do your work?" Chris raised an eyebrow. "I'd say that being a CEO would be a piece of cake!"

"Having lots of staff helps, but I still do a lot of the work myself," the Grand Master said. "It depends on what type of boss you want to be. Some like to have all the work done for them. I prefer to have a more hands on role myself, as does Drake."

The Orange Crew Leader nodded. "I love the work anyway, and the employees respect you more when they see that you're prepared to work just as hard as they do."

"Sure being Grand Master or Orange Crew Leader may sound like a slacker job," Ash grinned. "But then again the buck stops with you. You have to make some hard calls and hard decisions, and if things go wrong then you cop the blame."

"Plus there are always Trainers out there who want to knock you off from the top spot," Drake added. "So on top of everything else you have to constantly train with the Pokémon."

"I never really thought of it like that," Mia tilted her head. "I mean all we ever hear about is the oodles of money, the parties. We never hear about what really goes on."

"That's right," Ash nodded. "And as much as I love making small talk, we really should get out to distribute those items."

The items the two men had gathered were all attached to leather strings like pendants. "Frees up the Pokémon's paws or claws and lessens the risk of them dropping it," Drake explained.

Ten of the Dragonite were given Nevermeltice to boost their Ice moves, while the other ten were given Dragon Fang to increase their Dragon type moves.

Ash carefully fastened a Light Ball around Pikachu's and Poppy's necks.

Poppy sniffed the item quizzically. 'Pi?'

"This will help to double the strength of your special attacks, sweetie," Ash explained.

The Pikachu beamed. 'Pika! Pikachu Pi Pikakaka!'

"I'm guessing Poppy likes that idea," Jaime smiled.

"You bet," Ash grinned. "She wants to fry the baddie to a crisp."

Mewtwo stared at the item Trish was holding up. :I am not wearing that.:

The Australian sighed. "So a Twistedspoon is not my idea of fashionable jewellery either, but it increases the strength of Psychic moves. Espeon and the two Mews will be wearing them too."

:I quite like it: Ashura the Mew giggled and did a back flip. :It's quirky like me. Look I'm Mew-ri Geller:

"Oyyyyy" the rest groaned, but Gengar found it funny.

Wearing the Spell Tag, the Ghost Pokémon laughed so much he was rolling on the floor, clutching his sides.

"It wasn't that funny, Gengar," Ash told his friend.

"Anyway," Trish turned pleading puppy eyes on Mewtwo. "Would you please just put this on? It will make you even more powerful than before."

The Psychic Pokémon sighed and relented, for he was a sucker for puppy eyes. Mew knew this and used it to her advantage every so often. :Fine. But just this one time.:

"Thanks Mewtwo!" the Australian beamed. "I promise that I will never tell anyone else about this."

:Good: the Psychic Pokémon sighed. :Otherwise I may have to wipe your memory.:

ooo

Soon all there was to do, was to wait for Lu to strike; which in many respects was the hardest thing of all.

The men were all gathered around the Playstation console, playing fantasy battles and racing games to pass the time.

Puck and Callie had withdrawn to another room to meditate. Callie explained that it was an excellent way to help concentrate their powers for the final battle.

The four girls were gathered in the great room. Trish was building a 3D jigsaw puzzle of Neuschwanstein Castle with Shannon. Jaime was attempting to sketch stuff as was Mia.

"Do…you think that we're going to be able to beat Lu?" Jaime broke the silence.

Trish paused with a piece of the 'paving' in her hand. "I don't know for certain, I doubt if anyone can. But we have a pretty good chance with Puck, Callie, Ash, Drake, some powerful Pokémon and all the Legendaries. If we lose…all we can say is that we gave it our best shot."

"I guess…" the Canadian fiddled with her pencil. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared about this whole thing. What will happen if we lose?"

"Lu takes over the world and kills us all," Mia said glumly.

"But I don't wanna die!" Jaime's eyes went wide. "I'm too young and haven't done everything I wanted to do yet!" She chewed on the end of the pencil. "I'm also a little afraid of death itself. Aren't you guys?"

"What about death that scares you?" Shannon spoke up as she put a piece into place.

Jaime shrugged. "I guess it's the whole fear of the unknown. What really happens when one dies? Where do you end up? Is there really a Heaven or a Hell? No one's ever come back to tell us what it's like. Then there is the whole thing about never seeing your family again."

"If no one's come back then the afterlife must be a wonderful place," Trish grinned then sobered. "Seriously though, death is a journey that everyone must make at one point or another; and most will die alone. And as for never seeing family again, I know I've always liked to believe my grandparents were still watching over me." She wrinkled her nose. "It's the possible pain factor of death that scares me."

"Me too," Shannon agreed. "I just want to fall asleep and never wake up."

"That would be ideal," the Australian admitted. "However, after my experiences with Lu, I think he definitely won't be so obliging."

"Very painful?" Jaime squeaked nervously.

"Excruciatingly so," Trish told her. "Of course I was wearing a tightly laced corset at the time, but that's how I felt."

"At least there's no chance of any of us wearing those," Mia quipped. "Unless Lu has a corset fetish."

"Don't give him any ideas would ya?"

ooo

The guys were also making small talk while playing the Playstation games.

"Think we can do it?" Chris asked, a little nervous. He wished desperately for a cigarette but he had run out.

"I hope so," Ash said as he took a sip of soda. "It will all come down to the following factors on the day; Who has the greater strategy and who has the greater will to win."

"As long as we don't lose our nerve and don't give up," Drake added.

"Easier for you guys to say and do," Chris complained. "You've both been in 'almost the end of the world' disasters. Me, I try to stay as far away from them as much as possible, and now I'm stuck smack in the middle of one."

Ash was about to answer when there was an almighty crash of thunder and a splintering of glass, followed by the terrified screams of the girls.

Without hesitation, they ran for the room the girls were in. The Pokémon looked at each other, unsure of what to do, then as a group followed the humans. The two Mews flashed out of sight with a quick teleport.

Mewtwo sighed, then followed suit by teleporting in the general psychic direction the two Mews had gone. When he reappeared, he found himself in a room that was currently very windy, very rainy, and very much occupied by a large palm tree that had fallen into the room through a wall that had previously held floor to ceiling windows.

It was also empty of any humans that were female.

Ash looked around with something akin to frantic worry. "What the hell happened?"

Drake ignored him and called out for his fiancée, "TRISH!"

Chris looked around a little calmer than the others. Or perhaps not calmer, but more realistic. He was the one to find the note and called out to Ash and Drake.

"What is that?" Drake asked, unable to keep the slight tremor of worry from his voice.

"Looks like Lu left a calling card," Ash said grimly.

The note was written in brightly glowing green letters that were printed neatly on the one wall untouched by rain. Ash read the note out loud.

Chosen One, If you wish to see your loved ones alive, go to the stadium for the final battle. I will be awaiting you. Bring your little friends with you, if you wish, even though it will not help you.

Lucius

Drake gaped at the words, which faded soon after Ash stopped reading them. He turned to the Grand Master and Ash winced at the agony that crossed the Orange Crew Leader's face. "What do we do?"

Ash looked at Drake. He had to answer the man honestly. "We go, we fight, and we win."

"What if we don't?" Chris had asked it, not with a hint of his earlier wariness, but with blunt frankness.

"That's not an option," Ash said simply, "We're not only fighting for the world anymore. Lu just made it personal."

ooo

The guys discovered that though Trish, Mia, Shannon, and Jaime had been taken by Lu, Jenn hadn't. To add to the mix was the fact that she'd kept on sleeping through the palm tree crashing through the window and the screams of her best friends.

"So what do we do?" Chris had asked, "Do we just leave her or try to wake her up?"

"We can't force her to wake up," Puck had answered easily, though his voice was tight with anger for Lu. "If we do, it could harm her."

Normally Chris would've cracked a joke, but not even he had the desire to joke at a time like this. Instead he had nodded and followed the Fae out of the room, with Drake trailing behind them. Ash had stayed behind for a moment and instructed Flower Mew to watch over Jenn.

"I know that you'll be a little pissed if you sleep through this final battle, but Puck said that we can't wake you." Ash had told the sleeping blonde. "Besides, no one knows what you'll be like when you wake up. You'll either be really pissed, confused, or as weird as you were when you passed out."

After leaving instructions for Flower Mew to inform Jenn about what had taken place if she happened to wake up while they were gone, he had left with the others. Mew and Mewtwo would teleport them inside the Stadium, and then the final battle would begin.

ooo

Ashura, more affectionately known by the humans as Flower Mew, hovered over the sleeping human. He was planning on taking a little siesta, since the darkened room made that an oh so desirable thing to do, when he heard the human making little groaning noises.

He cocked his head and looked at the human. She had raised a hand to a head of dishevelled hair and was blinking blue-grey eyes. Even though the room was dark, he could see what colour they were. An odd colour, almost like muddy water.

He hovered there for a moment, watching her watching him with a confused look in those blue-grey eyes. She blinked once, then again, and he giggled.

The blonde's eyes widened and she gave a little shriek.

Though he wanted to giggle more at her fright, he calmed himself and spoke to her telepathically:Don't worry, Jenn, I'm a friend. I'm Joanne's Mew.:

"Y…you are?" She looked confused, "Where am I?"

:You're in your room at Drake's villa. Are you ready to go:

"Go where?" She sat up and rubbed at her head, "Oh, ouch."

:Does your head hurt:

"Yeah, like only a lot."

:Want me to heal you:

She opened her eyes and looked at him, "Can you?"

:Sure! It's part of what I can do. It's the least I can do: He smiled reassuringly at her.

She didn't seem to need to think on it, "Please!"

The cat-like Pokémon hovered closer and concentrated. He searched and found the irritated nerves in her mind. He used his powers and soothed them. A brilliant blue glow surrounded her head and in seconds he had halted her headache in its tracks. He floated away from her and she opened her eyes and smiled brilliantly.

"I've never felt better!" She beamed her happiness and swung her legs over the side of her bed, "But hello, what am I wearing!"

She was wearing a conservative skirt and t-shirt outfit, which she looked at with a mix of disgust and annoyance. "Time to get out of this." She ruffled her hair, "And to take a quick shower."

:You may want to skip the shower and just throw on a pair of jeans and hurry: the little mew said:Lu's taken Trish and the other girls.:

Jenn stumbled in shock, "He WHAT!"

:Lu launched a surprise attack on the villa and kidnapped all the girls while the guys were in another room.:

The blonde's eyes were wide. "Don't tell me he got Callie as well…cuz if he did then we're sunk like the Titanic."

Flower Mew shook his head. :Nah, just all the human girls.:

"Except me, obviously," Jenn grabbed her favourite pair of blue jeans and rushed into the ensuite, closing the door slightly. "How come he didn't grab me as well?" her voice floated out.

:He was probably in a rush: Flower Mew shrugged. :He did leave a note for the Chosen One though.:

"What did it say?" Jenn came out of the bathroom dressed in her jeans and the t-shirt. Her hair had been pulled back into a messy ponytail. She knelt down and rummaged around under her bed for a pair of sneakers.

:That if he wants to see the girls alive, then to come to the Stadium for the final battle.:

Jenn quickly pulled on her sneakers, then jumped up. "So that's where the rest are at?"

:Yup. You ready:

A grim smile was on the blonde's face. "You bet. That Lulu is gonna get his ass so thoroughly whipped when I get there. No one, and I mean no one, ever hurts my friends."

ooo

The scene that greeted the pair when they teleported was grim. The hurricane was still going on strong, with gale force winds and driving rain. On one side of the stadium was Lu, flaming red hair blowing back in the fierce winds. Next to him were the girls, held completely hostage within a dome of crackling magic.

On the opposite side stood Ash, Drake, Puck, Callie and Chris, with the small army of Pokémon behind them. The Dragonites were lined up and bellowing with anger, and hovering above them were Mew and Mewtwo, as well as the Legendary Birds and Lugia.

"Or maybe not so whipped," Jenn bit her lip as she looked at her captive friends. She caught Trish's eyes and mouthed 'Can you move at all?' and hoped her friend would understand.

Her heart sank when the Australian shook her head. Trish had looked momentarily surprised to see the blonde, and Jenn felt frustration when she tried to remember how they all got to this point. Hadn't they all just been coming back from…from…She couldn't remember. All she could remember was taking a couple of pills that Trish had given her. What had they done to her? She felt like she'd lost a lot of time between then and now. How had she lost time?

The blonde shoved that thought away. Whatever the pills had done was in the past. The important thing was getting her friends out of harms way so that Ash and Drake could do what they had to do. Jenn could tell the two men were holding back. The girls were too close to Lu.

But what could she do to help? She had no magical powers, thanks to Puck (and she was this side of tempted to tell him "I told you so!" but she'd have to save that for if they got out of this mess alive and in one whole, healthy piece.), and she had no Pokémon. What could she do?

An energy blast pummelled a hole into the ground next to her, sending up a spray of rock and mud, and the blonde was tossed back by the blast. She fell against the ground, pain blossoming along her left shoulder, but she ignored it and tucked into a roll. Jenn got up as fast as she could and cursed herself out. 'Idiot! If Trish saw you, then duh and a half, so would Lu! They're practically holding hands, they're so close!'

Lu had turned an angry gaze towards her and an idea flashed through Jenn's mind.

Diversion. Ash and Drake needed a diversion. Maybe she couldn't fight, but she could diverse. Or whatever.

:Need any help: It was Flower Mew.

"What's your name?" Jenn had started to run to the right, behind a stand of palm trees. Rain lashed around them here, but the wind had lessened so it wasn't hard to stand against it.

:Flower…:

"I mean, tell me what Joanne calls you."

:I…Ashura.:

"Okay then, Ashura, I have a plan and I need you to help me with it," She levelled a look at the hovering catlike Pokémon. "Capisce?"

The blue Mew gulped nervously, but hovered a little closer.

ooo

Jenn's appearance hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone else. Once Lu turned his focus on her, Drake, Ash, and Chris had seen the blonde take up a place behind a stand of five palm trees.

"Is that Joanne's crazy mew with her?" Chris narrowed his eyes. "I can't tell from here."

"It is." Ash said.

"But how can you tell?" Chris was trying to look around the palm trees. "They're way over there and…Oh, right. Freaky Chosen One thing?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah. Freaky Chosen One thing."

"Ah, well, we can't all be freaky," Chris said sympathetically, "But what do you think she's doing?"

"I think she's scheming," Ash said grimly. He looked up at the Legendary Birds, who were currently pummelling Lu with various attacks. He looked over at Mewtwo, who was levelling him with a look. "Can you teleport over and see what she's doing?"

:She's plotting a diversion.: The Psychic Pokémon looked bored at Ash's reaction:Ash, I'm psychic, plus she's telling this to Ashura, who is relaying it to me. Don't look so surprised.:

"I'm not surprised you know about it. I'm surprised she's planning that!"

"Planning what?" Drake was looking anxious. His fiancée was in a tight spot.

"Jenn's planning a diversion," Ash said, "So we can get to the girls."

"Well once you get to them, then what?" Chris said, "How are you gonna get them from that dome thing?"

"We can do that with no problem," Callie said calmly.

Chris felt his apprehension fading as she said it. She was so soothing to listen to. Maybe after all this was over, she would go on a date…

"We shall see," Callie turned teasing eyes towards him and he flushed.

"And stop thinking so loudly," Puck said grumpily, "You're broadcasting your thoughts louder than a rock concert."

Mew giggled, but Chris flushed deeper. Why did he have to be surrounded by psychics!

"We've got bigger things to worry about than teasing Chris," Ash said, "Mewtwo, go on over and keep Lu from hitting Jenn with energy blasts. Let her taunt and tease him and keep him out of our hair. I'll tell Flower Mew to inform Jenn that you're going to be there to protect her."

:Yes, sir: Mewtwo said mockingly, then vanished from sight.

"He's not dangerous, is he?" Drake asked. "Mewtwo, I mean."

"Not anymore," Ash said, then added under his breath, "At least, I don't think so."

"Let's go!" Drake said hurriedly, "We have to save the girls!"

Lu's attention was back to the guys, before Jenn yelled out a taunt from behind the palm trees. Then the Fae got as red in the face as his hair and threw more energy blasts towards her. A pair of palm trees fell with a resounding thud and Drake winced.

"The landscapers are going to have a field day," he bemoaned the trees.

"Oh, no, Drake," Chris said as they rushed towards the girls, "They're gonna love you. You'll keep them financially secure through the next three or so generations."

"Thanks, Chris," Drake muttered. "Your words bring me so much reassurance."

"I thought so," Chris grinned.

They crossed the distance quickly, running under the protection of the Legendary Birds, while Lu was busy running after Jenn. Chris looked over and saw the blonde successfully dodge an energy blast, momentarily surrounded by a blue glow provided by Mewtwo.

"I hope she can continue to keep that up until we can get the girls away from Lu," he muttered.

"Jenn's always liked to say that she's just as good as Lara Croft, Buffy or Xena," Drake shrugged. "This is a chance for her to prove it."

Ash frowned as he watched Jenn dodge another blast. "I just hope that she manages to keep one step ahead of him. Despite Mewtwo's shield around her, Lu's out to kill. If he wants to kill her, he will."

"I don't think we need to be reminded of that fact," Chris snorted. "Now how about getting the girls out of here?"

Puck and Callie joined hands and concentrated. A bright blue glow surrounded the dome, briefly obscuring the girls from view. When the light had died down the dome was no longer there and the girls were blinking and rubbing their arms as if released from bonds.

Mia cried out and rushed straight into Puck's arms, the Fae holding her tight. Drake swept Trish off her feet and into his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously. "He didn't touch you or hurt you in any way?"

Trish shook her head. "I'm okay, Lu just tied us up with magic so we couldn't move."

The Orange Crew Leader kissed her forehead. "I am not letting you out of my sight again."

"Are we ready?" Callie asked in her lilting tone. They all nodded and a warm lilac light enveloped them and they found themselves back at the opposite side of the Stadium. Dragonite trumpeted happily when he saw Trish back safe and sound.

"Good to see you too, Dragonite," Trish grinned at the big Pokémon as Drake put her down.

"Perhaps you girls should go inside the Stadium," the Orange Crew Leader said. "You'll be safe there from the battle."

"Heck no!" Trish frowned, a stubborn look on her features. "I'm staying right here, mister. That freak has done so many things to me that I would like to repay the favour!" She waved towards the palm trees where Jenn was engaged in a game of cat and mouse with an enraged Lu. "And with my crazy but thoughtful best friend out there, there is no way I'm leaving!"

"Neither are we!" chorused the three other girls.

Ash and Drake exchanged resigned looks. Not only was there no point in arguing with them, but there was no time either.

Mew floated over to the two men. :It is time to call on all able Dragon and Psychic Pokémon to fight.:

Ash nodded. "You're right." He opened the telepathic link he used to communicate with all Pokémon and sent out the prearranged coded signal that would call them for battle.

:You must also unleash the full powers granted to you as the Chosen One: the little pink mew advised the Grand Master.

"My…full powers?" Ash looked confused. "I thought I was limited to psychic abilities and an unerring ability to find trouble."

Mew giggled and tapped him gently on the nose with her tail. :No, it is much more than that. As Chosen One, the Fates have granted you untold powers in order to save the world. The powers are fully realised only when you are ready for them. You, my dear Ash Ketchum, are ready.:

"But…how do I invoke them?" the Grand Master looked perplexed. "I only knew the spell to invoke the Jewel of Coni Neume because you gave me the spell and I memorised it."

More giggles from Mew. :You do know it, Chosen One, for it has been with you since birth. Focus and listen to your inner heart.:

"How am I supposed to focus with all of this noise!" Ash ground out.

:Patience, Chosen One, you can do it.: Mew seemed very confident in him.

Ash sighed, but closed his eyes. Almost instantly, he was assailed by a swirl of power and he staggered back a step. He could feel someone walking towards him and he held out a hand, "No. I'm okay."

He opened his eyes and saw Mew looking at him with a satisfied expression on her cute little face.

:I told you so.:

Beside him, he heard Trish gasp and he looked at her. "What?"

"Your eyes…"

"They have a golden glow to them," Drake said in a hushed tone.

Ash would have questioned their observations if he hadn't felt the rush of the power that filled him. It filled him from the tips of his fingers, down to his toes. "I almost feel like I can't hold it all in."

"You're not meant to hold it in," Callie said, "You're meant to wield it against great evil."

"Then let's do that," Ash looked up at the approaching dragons with a golden gaze. "Let's get this done."

ooo

"You cannot run from me forever!" Lu screamed, "I will find you and when I do I will take extreme pleasure in killing you!"

"You couldn't catch a cold, you idiot!" Jenn taunted back, taking momentary refuge behind a tall statue of Dragonite in flight. "You'll never catch me!"

A green flash of energy sheered off the statue Dragonite's wings. Jenn darted out of the way as the huge wings crashed to the ground. Bits of stone flew past her, once again deflected by the blue glow provided by Mewtwo.

'I'm gonna owe him big time after this,' Jenn thought, 'Maybe I can send him a fruit basket or something.'

:I do not accept fruit baskets.: Mewtwo's voice boomed through her mind and Jenn stumbled. Another green glow almost hit her and the blonde yelped.

"Don't do that!" Jenn said in a frustrated tone, "You almost got me cooked!"

:I do not accept fruit baskets.:

"Fine, fine, maybe a gift card, or something."

:I do not…:

"A gift card was all I was saying, geeze." Jenn got up and dusted herself off. "The least you could do is come out of hiding and actually fight."

"You mean to fight like you do?" A voice purred behind her. "That would not be wise. You are not the world's best fighter."

Jenn spun around with wide eyes to see Lu leaning against the trunk of a palm tree. The upper half of the tree was gone, sheared off in an earlier attack.

"Speechless?" Lu walked towards her, "The world could only be so lucky."

"You are such an asshole!" Jenn snapped out.

Lu's response was to form a green energy ball in his hands. At this range, not even Mewtwo's shield would help. The evil Fae smiled thinly, evilly, and advanced closer.

Jenn knew she had no room to move and the nearest cover was the Dragonite statue, but not even that would provide any shelter. The base of the statue was ornately carved and would more than likely fall if hit with Lu's shot.

Still, Jenn ran for cover as Lu threw the energy ball. Green energy raced for her, covering the ground twice as fast as she ran, and she could hear a crackling sound of the energy as it advanced on her.

Then a sudden wrenching feeling overcame her and without warning, her surroundings blurred, reformed, and she was held in mid-stride and hovering very close to Trish and Drake.

She blinked her confusion, two quick blinks, and asked, "What the hell just happened?"

Whatever held her up let her down and the sudden rush of adrenalin vanished and left her feeling very tired. She sank to the ground, not feeling the mud seeping into her jeans, and was suddenly surrounded by people hugging and chastising her at the same time. Jenn felt a rush of claustrophobia envelop her. Too many people were far too close.

"I think you should let her up and get some air," Ash's voice was full of humour.

The group of people parted and Jenn no longer felt so claustrophobic. The blonde slowly got off the ground and grimaced at the mud on her clothes. "Is everyone okay?" she asked as she dusted off her t-shirt. She glared at the swipes of mud that she spread over her shirt. It was a lost cause.

"We're all fine so far," Trish answered. "Are you okay?"

"Yah, I'm fine," Jenn managed to look smug. "Twinkle toes never even touched me, thanks to Mewtwo. Plus he saved me again just now by teleporting me over here." She looked dismayed. "Tell me it wasn't Mewtwo that teleported me over! I'd really owe him then cause I don't think a fruit basket would cover that."

"Actually it was Ash," Puck grinned.

"Ash?" the blonde blinked. "How did he do that? Did he use Espeon?"

The Pokémon in question spoke up telepathically. :No, the Chosen One didn't need to use me. He did it by himself.:

"No way," Jenn breathed. "Ash doesn't have superpowers."

:He does now: Mew giggled. :Look at him, Jenn. Doesn't he seem a little different:

Jenn tilted her head slightly as she studied the Grand Master. Trish suppressed a grin as she noticed that her best friend's gaze strayed much lower than necessary.

"He still seems the same to me," the blonde joked, then frowned. "Except that his eyes are glowing gold." Her own blue-grey eyes widened, "His eyes are glowing! Aww, man, this goes way beyond fruit basket territory."

:The Chosen One has come into complete possession of all his powers: Mew beamed like a proud parent. :He has fully matured into the Chosen One he is meant to be.:

"Complete with glowing eyes? That's just freaky." Jenn said, "I mean, helpful around Halloween, but for now it's freaky."

Ash flushed a little under the scrutiny.

"Just another thing to add to his list of Freaky Chosen One Things," Chris quipped.

:Ash won't always have golden eyes: Mew informed them. :They will only become that way when he invokes his powers.:

"Oh good," Jenn sighed. "I'd miss seeing those sexy mahogany brown nummy eyes."

Mew giggled and Ash flushed a rosy pink.

Jenn flushed a matching hue when she realised what she had just said. "I didn't mean to say that out loud." She sighed with some annoyance and thought, Geeze, idiot. Open mouth and insert whole leg. Le sigh.

"Not that it would have made any difference if you had just thought it," Trish grinned. "You're surrounded by psychics."

"Well they shouldn't be eavesdropping on my thoughts without permission," Jenn retorted.

:We're not eavesdropping when you're broadcasting your thoughts so loudly: Mewtwo grumbled. :You think so boisterously, it's as if you're shouting.:

"Hello, why don't you try thinking over this noise in my head," Jenn said saucily.

"Jenn, whatever the voices say, don't do it," Chris chipped in.

"Chris," Trish said warningly.

"What?" Chris said innocently, "I'm just saying, is all. Don't listen to the voices."

"Actually, since they're saying to choke him, I guess it would be in his best interests if I didn't listen," Jenn said sweetly, to which Chris glared at her.

"Har dee har har," he said with a glare.

"As much as I love the banter," Ash broke into the conversation, "We have a battle we're trying to win. The Legendaries are getting a little tired."

They all looked up and saw that he spoke the truth. While they were still attacking Lu with everything they had, their attacks were getting a little slower and more spaced out.

"I sure hope we can win," Jenn said, feeling a little uneasy. "If the Legendaries are gonna be out of action soon, then we're out of luck. We don't have that many powerful Pokémon other than the Mews and Mewtwo."

"Oh I wouldn't worry too much," Trish said casually. "Look behind you, Jenn. The cavalry has arrived."

The blonde looked back to see the air was filled with flying or levitating Pokémon. Dratinis, Dragonair, Dragonites, Vibravas, Flygons, Altarias, Salamences were all hovering above the stadium, bellowing or roaring in turn. Powerful Psychic Pokémon levitated amongst them.

"Wow," Jenn breathed. "Who let the dragons out?"

"These aren't my dragons. They're all wild Pokémon," Drake grinned.

"Aw man," Jenn groaned. "If there are that many out there, how come I can't ever find one!"

Trish grinned and tried to suppress a giggle. Trust Jenn to make light of a tense situation.

"That's easy," Chris smirked. "They all know you're coming and they hide until you leave."

Jenn glared at the Scot, "Don't make me go Absol on your ass."

"Ooh, I'm shaking," Chris said it lightly, but looked beyond her at the dragons. "They're amazing."

Jenn arched an eyebrow. "I'd say it takes one to know one, but I'm considering where the compliment came from."

Chris shook his head. "Don't expect me to ever compliment you."

"If I promise that I won't, will you go away?"

He gave her a quick hug, "Aww and never annoy you again? Of course not."

Mewtwo looked annoyed:You two realize that there are psychics up there, too.:

"We haven't forgotten about you," Trish said reassuringly.

:Good.: The Psychic looked mollified. :The only reason I decided to help at all is because of the Chosen One. You lot seem to forget there are other Pokémon besides the Dragon ones.:

"It's only because the Dragon Pokémon are so rare in the wild, and they look so majestic," Trish soothed. "There are lot more Psychic Pokémon around and this is a really rare chance to see all these Dragon Pokémon in the one place. We know that you Psychic Pokémon are just as important."

Jenn rolled her eyes. Trust her friend to be diplomatic and smooth things over. She would have just let Mewtwo sulk or teased him into a sulk.

:I heard that.: Mewtwo glared at the blonde. :Trish is much nicer than you.:

Jenn rolled her eyes again. "What else is new? She's always nicer than me."

Suddenly, a small blue blur rocketed towards Jenn. Her eyes widened as the blur slowed and hovered in front of her. "Tamu!"

The little dragon cooed and wrapped itself around her neck. The baby Pokémon nuzzled her cheek and Jenn scratched it along its neck. "You silly little thing! You are nothing but trouble."

Drake coughed. "Guys, we're getting off track again." He turned to the Grand Master. "So what are your orders?"

Ash was silent as he surveyed the situation. Surely Lu was getting tired and a little weak from the constant attacks from the Legendaries. And he had a fresh army of some of the most powerful Pokémon in the world at his command.

Dragon Pokémon, as he well knew from his battles against Drake and Lance, were notoriously difficult to beat. They were able to learn different elemental attacks and use them with a superior flair.

Psychic Pokémon were also very difficult to fight against. One Psybeam from a well trained Psychic was usually enough to knock out an opponent in one go. Plus they had the Confusion attack which often resulted in the opposing Pokémon hurting themselves.

He turned around with a look of pure determination on his face. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. Dragons, all those to my left are to use only Hyper Beam attacks. All those to my right are to use Dragon Breath attacks in tandem. In other words, while the ones who are doing Hyper Beam are recharging, you will attack."

The Dragon Pokémon bellowed and trumpeted their agreement. The noise was deafening.

"What about us?" Jenn asked in the following lull. She rubbed Tamu between his eyes. She hadn't had to calm the little dragon after the bigger ones roared. The little guy was calm.

Ash turned to her, "You guys are going to take cover."

Her jaw dropped. "What?"

"You heard me," Ash said firmly. There was not one ounce of teasing or friendliness in his tone. "You will go into the Stadium with Trish, Shannon, Jaime, Chris, and the younger Pokémon and take cover. It's not safe out here."

Tamu gave a little nervous noise and Jenn reassured him, then surprised Ash. "Okay. Let's go guys."

Ash's jaw almost dropped, "What? No fighting?"

Jenn shrugged and Tamu clung a little tighter at the movement. "I figure you guys can take Lu down to a level I can actually fight him at. If lil' Tamu was older and more evolved, you can bet I'd have been out here."

"Oh, quick, someone place bets," Chris said, "Because this much from her, I don't believe!"

"I'm almost willing to place one," Trish said teasingly.

"Oh hah hah," Jenn said, "Anyway, we're going in. Anyone else who wants to come and have something to drink or eat can follow me." The blonde started walking towards a large set of steel doors that led to the veritable labyrinth that lay under the Stadium.

There was a small stampede and Jenn turned around. Almost all of the dragons and psychics, as well as Articuno, were behind her.

The blonde's eye twitched, "Okay let me be a little more specific. Anyone not in the deadly fight to the bitter end against Lu can come with me. Everyone else has to help out Ash and Drake and the good Faes against Lu. You can come to the party after you win the battle."

They turned back to the fight with a little more gusto and a few embarrassed looks. Ash just shook his head.

"Come on guys," Jenn said as she led the way indoors, "I've got a few things in mind to make and I know that Stadium has a killer kitchen."

"There's four killer kitchens," Drake called out after her, "Four!"

The doors closed behind the group with a telekinetic clang, but not without a few backwards glances from Trish and Shannon.

Then the battle was on.

Lu sneered at the four who remained. "You should have joined them while you could, especially you pathetic humans. What makes you think you can beat me? You are nothing."

Ash smiled thinly. "We'll see about that. Hyper Beam and Psybeam."

As one, the army of Pokémon responded to his command in a blinding flash of light.

ooo

"Jenn, how can you possibly eat at a time like this?" Trish stared at her friend who was stirring up a batch of cookie dough.

"For one thing, there's nothing else to do. For another, I'm hungry for cookie dough," Jenn shrugged. "I hate suspense and I have to do something to do to pass the time. I'll go nuts otherwise."

"It's too late for that," Chris smirked, "You're already nuts."

"Aww, that's sweet!" Jenn smiled, "You do know that it takes one to know one."

Chris just shook his head.

Trish sighed deeply and the blonde reached over and patted her friend's arm. "Drake'll be fine."

"I hope so," the Australian sighed. "It sucks that I'm in here and he's out there. What if he is hurt or killed? I won't get a chance to say goodbye."

"He'll be all right," Chris reassured her. "You couldn't kill him with a ton of bricks."

"Same with Ash," Shannon grinned. "Except for that time when a chandelier dropped on him. He kinda died then, but he came back. Look at how many times he's nearly died other than that time when he did die, but only for a little while."

Jenn waved the spatula at the brunette. "Shannon! That's not very reassuring!"

"Actually, it is," Trish smiled. "I know that there must be something that we can do to help!"

"Like what?" Chris asked. "We don't have any superpowers or powerful Pokémon."

The Australian's eyes gleamed. "Wait a minute…if Lu is feeding off the world's fear…why can't we help Callie and Puck re-energise with just the opposite?"

Jenn looked baffled. "Like…."

"Think, guys!" Trish was getting excited. "Think of the all good things that you enjoy about life! Think of family and friends, think of all those you love. Let's beat Lu at his own game!"

Jenn looked a little dubious, "Think happy thoughts, you mean? Like Tinkerbell is gonna let us fly if we do?"

"No, nitwit," Chris said, "Like we'll be able to live if we do. Even I understood what she meant."

"Hey, just because not all of us think coherently doesn't mean you can take it out on everyone."

Chris stared at her for a moment then shook his head. "I so did not understand what you just said."

"That even gives me a little headache," Trish admitted, and Shannon and Mia nodded in agreement.

"Fine, I'll just think happy thoughts," Jenn muttered and nibbled a spoonful of dough.

"You'll be thinking Jenny Craig if you eat that all by yourself," Chris teased.

"Shut up, double A," Jenn said sourly.

"Ain't nothing anonymous about my drinking, babe," Chris said proudly, "At least I can hold my alcohol. You couldn't hold a drink if it was a glass."

"Guys, happy thoughts!" Trish said merrily. "Like the time Drake and I went down to the beach at night for that long stroll."

"Or the day I got my first Pokémon," Shannon mused with a happy smile.

Jenn said dreamily, "Or the day I happened to walk in on a buy one get one free sale at the Louis Vuitton counter at Saks."

The others stared at her.

"What?" Jenn said, "Nothing in the world can beat that. The happiness at that thought alone should defeat Lu in one fell swoop." She sighed happily. "Buy one get one free and Louis Vuitton in the same sentence…It's love."

A sudden tremble ran around them and the merriment ceased.

"I guess your happy thought didn't work," Chris said.

"Maybe it did," Mia said, thinking of Puck, "Maybe that was the final throw down."

"What do you think that was?" Jaime asked.

"Solar beam," Trish said, thinking of Drake and Dragonite.

"Seismic toss," Jenn said, thinking of Ash and Charizard.

"A combination," Shannon said with a nod.

ooo

Actually, none of the girls had been right. The noise had been the sound of Lugia landing very hard in the centre of the Stadium after being hit with a surprise attack from Lu.

Luckily the ceiling had been retracted and the large water bird did no damage to the structure itself. The adjustable floor of the stadium had been built to withstand large amounts of destruction. It was also safe.

Articuno had flown down to check on it, but Lugia was already struggling to his feet. Nothing seemed to be broken or bleeding, but the great bird swayed a little. Lugia would have to be careful or he would go down.

Ash swore under his breath as the large Legendary once again took to the skies. "They're really exhausted. There's no way he would have been taken by surprise if he was at his full strength."

"So what do we do?" Drake asked as he gave another command to the Gym's Dragonites. "We can't risk any of the Legendary Birds being killed. That would just throw the whole world into more chaos."

The Grand Master gritted his teeth. "We pull them out of the battle and hope that we don't need them anymore."

"Do you think we're getting anywhere?"

Ash was silent as he looked over the battle. The Pokémon were lined up in rows and rotated after a few consecutive attacks. The row would fly up above the rest and take their place at the back while fresher Pokémon took their place.

"Lu's gotta be hurting," he said finally. "There is no way in the world that any mortal or non-mortal could withstand such constant and powerful attacks. He's only one and we have a army of thousands."

Ash turned to Callie and Puck. "Is there any way that we can find out what state Lu's in?"

Callie looked to her brother, who looked tired, "I could do a spell."

"Callie," Puck protested, but shook his head. "Don't make it anything too taxing on you."

"I won't," she said gently. She was also tired and hoped that Lu was equally as tired. It did not do to have an enemy who could stand so strongly against them. "Chosen One, I got the idea after seeing you and Chris playing video games."

Ash looked a little confused, but stood back as she performed the quick spell.

Before their amazed eyes, two small horizontal bars appeared in the air above Lu in red and green tones.

"What's this?" Puck shot a confused look at his sister.

"The top bar shows power levels, and the bottom shows health status," Callie explained. "I noticed on all the games they have these things. So I thought why not use it for Lu?"

"Great idea," Drake grinned. "And by the looks of it, Lu's as tired as we are, if not more." He spoke the truth for the power level and the health level were mostly in the red.

The Grand Master drew a deep breath. "Just where I want him." He turned to face the others and there was a twinkle in his eyes. "Let's win this."

ooo

"Do you think it's safe to go outside?" Mia fidgeted with a pencil. She was really anxious to find out if Puck was alright. After being apart from him for two long years, she really didn't think she could learn to live without him again.

"I don't think so," Trish said, listening to the sounds of battle raging above their heads. "It seems to be still going on."

"I hope they're okay," Shannon fretted. "I didn't think it would take this long to beat him. One Fae against everyone else? I thought it would be over in a matter of minutes."

"You obviously don't know Lu at all," Jenn said. "If you went what he put me through, you wouldn't write him off as a lightweight."

Everyone cringed as there was one loud explosion that rattled the fixtures and lights.

"What the hell was that?" Chris gasped as he uncovered his head.

"Hopefully nothing bad," Mia muttered then jumped up from her seat. "I can't take this anymore. I have to go and see that they're okay."

"You go right on ahead," Jenn said and snuggled in on one of the leather sofas. "I'm staying right here."

"What?" Chris gaped, "What's wrong with you!"

"Sorry, Kiltmaster, I just don't feel particularly suicidal right now."

"Calling me Kiltmaster sort of qualifies you," he growled out.

"Whatever."

Trish looked from Chris to Jenn and back, "She's just a little worn out."

Jenn looked up from the pillow she was laying on. "If I had fire power, I'd be out there right by his side. I don't, so I'm not out there. "

"You were a pretty good distraction," Shannon said helpfully.

"Thanks," Jenn said and snuggled back into the pillow.

"Some friend," Mia muttered before running from the room.

Trish sighed out before running after Mia. Chris, Jaime and Shannon followed.

When they finally caught up to Mia, she was frantically pushing against the steel doors that led to the floor of the Stadium.

"Got…to…get this open!" she moaned as she pushed with the weight of her shoulders. The doors didn't budge.

"How are we gonna open them?" Chris asked. "We don't have a key or any strong Pokémon with us."

Trish walked over to the left wall and pressed a button. The doors slowly swung open with a metallic clang.

"Never mind," the Scot chuckled. "Let's go see."

Jubilant but tired Pokémon were standing or sitting on the ground, roaring and bellowing with joy.

The group managed to push through all the creatures until they reached their friends who were standing a few feet away from a hunched over figure on the ground with Mewtwo and Dragonite on either side. Lu.

All looked exhausted and a little grubby, smudges of dirt on their clothes and face. Trish enveloped Drake in a tight hug and the Orange Crew Leader hugged back.

"OMG, you guys did it!" Shannon squealed and clapped her hands.

"Yeah, we did," Ash gave a tired but satisfied smile. "But he sure put up a hell of a fight."

The Fae in question raised his head and glared defiantly. "You think you have stopped me? Not if I can help it!"

Mia's eyes widened in horror as she saw what Lu was doing. Without a second thought she threw herself in front of Puck. "NO!"

A loud shot.

A puff of smoke.

The screams of friends.

Burning pain.

Then everything went black.

To be continued….

ooo

Author's Note:

The attacks and the items I used come from the Prima Official Guides for Pokémon Emerald and the Official Master Pokédex.