Ron the True Fan: (looks at messages) …Take?
Takeshi Yamato: (winces at the tone) …Yeeeeeeessssssssssssss?
Ron the True Fan: …Cue the rage music, please.
Takeshi Yamato: You want hilarious rage music or death metal? I have Hall of the Mountain King for the Former, and DOOM Eternal OSTs for the latter…
Ron the True Fan: BOTH.
Cameran Castle, Kingdom of Rota, 0947 hours local time, Day 194 of Ash Ketchum's Pokemon Journey
48 hours wasn't enough to wrap his head around the idea of Max being here…two years early?
He hated time travel. He'd gone through it WAY too many times to keep track.
Let alone being his 'master'. Sure, it was an old title meaning 'teacher', but 'coach' worked better for his method.
"You still confused?" Kyoji asked as he approached Ash from behind. "It's been two days, man."
"I wasn't expecting him until I went to Hoenn." Ash said. "In the…other timeline…he was 8. Smart as a whip-"
"Still a kid." Kyoji cut off. "Even trainers in Ransei don't start off until they're at least 13. Heard here it's 14, but with all the Shadow Pokemon, I suppose basic firearms training is a requirement."
Ash almost felt that boxy Rocket machine pistol and the one he started out wih double in weight as a reminder of just how fucked up this timeline was.
He didn't need reminding everything had gone to hell.
(In the back of his mind, that was enough to start the cracking)
"Well, look on the bright side. At least he hasn't changed all that much." Kyoji said, trying to lighten him up. "And you get to teach him again."
"What little I did. His sister was my ready apprentice, if you could call it that." Ash admitted. "May…she looks older then she is."
"Meaning?" Kyoji queried.
"Well, you've seen Misty's chest-"
"I have a pretty good idea where you're going." the Ranseian cut off with a laugh. "...Her too?"
"As usual, it was her that fell first. Sweet girl." the time traveller said. "I hoped she'd get over it and hook up with that Drew guy for a while-"
"Your vow is stupid." Kyoji deadpanned. "Just saying."
Ash gave him a look. "You didn't fuck up." he said, surprising Kyoji with his uncommon cursing. "I was too busy thinking about Misty being my girlfriend to consider those two Rocket spies to be a real threat to the Latis."
"And what, realistically, could you have done even if you DID know?" Kyoji snapped, getting a look of surprise from Ash. "Kept a watch on them the entire time you were there? They'd've moved in a lot later and did it anyway, probably killing BOTH Latis and destroying the city. And that's if they DID accept your help. From what little I got from Sabrina, Latios was an arrogant son of a bitch."
Ash wanted to protest this. He really did. …Realistically, he couldn't. Kyoji had a point. The only way to stop them would have been to kill them and for a boy turning 12, the thought of pragmatic preemptive killing in defense of another never even appeared as an option.
Misty and Brock didn't know about Latias until after Latios was kidnapped.
He did everything he realistically could.
Why hadn't he thought of that?
…Because Brock and Misty never said it. Misty was a gym leader, youngest or not, but said nothing. Brock also said nothing because Ash put up the front of normality.
He still should've told them. Even if they DIDN'T believe him, they still would've been better prepared and ready for what happened.
"Damn that Ranseian bastard!" the creature that posed as Sabrina spat as the cracks almost vanished, even as they put up that last line of 'reasoning' to preserve their work.
"Patience." the King snapped. "We have time."
He was furious, but not stupid.
Rash actions would attract ALL of Arceus' attention. And the wrath of God in all its' fury was not something they wanted to deal with.
They wouldn't survive it.
Indigo Plateau - 1036 hours local time
"Security has to take top priority." Taggard stressed as he looked from his king's itinerary. A visit to Kanto was the first thing he had to deal with to renew the agreement with the URN remnant regions for the continued assistance of the Kingdom of Rota and the Lucario Kingdom. Considering Cipher's brazen attack not five months prior, the obsessive guardsman wasn't wrong to insist on it.
Lance Wataru wasn't impressed. "Cipher was lucky." he insisted.
"Your ADZ has been a joke for DECADES." Taggard retorted, referring to the air defense zone around Kanto as a whole. "You have no radar, no AA defenses. They slipped in and nearly destroyed the one hope we had to survive! UNFUCK THIS!"
Lance bristled at the demand. He wasn't wrong. But he would've been served better by being more tactful.
"We know Ash won't bother changing the terms of the agreement, which would make the visit short and pointless." Lance said, using something to his advantage. "But we do have something he will be interested in."
"Hmm?"
"He won the most recent Indigo Conference by default." the champion said, smirking. "That means he has the right to challenge the Elite Four."
"And you'd use this as an excuse to reunify Johto under your rule peacefully." the politically-savvy guard said dryly.
"Exactly. There's an old law about using Pokemon battles to determine the fate of a city in old Nihon." Lance elaborated. "Why not use the Johto League?"
"I object on the grounds you're using MY KING as a political pawn." the guardsman retorted.
"I'm not using him as a pawn, just taking advantage of what he'll already be doing." the champion retorted. "Under those same laws, I am allowed to designate a champion for my cause."
Lance could practically read the old man's thoughts: 'bastard' practically radiated from his glare.
"And in a month or so, you have bigger fish to fry." Lance added, rubbing it in. "Didn't Ransei send an open invitation to Ash?"
The rage almost seemed to manifest.
"And that's when he started swearing." Lance said, a smile on his face.
"You're lucky Ash is the one you have to please." Lorelei said as Arania looked through the itinerary for Ash for the next month, as provided for them by the now-pissed off royal guardsman. "At least we don't have to redecorate."
"He's going to be visiting Ransei in two months, then seeing the 'installation of governors in Orre'?" the ex-Rocket said, confused. "I thought they were just managing it until the Orreans could install a proper local government."
"The last time that happened, Cipher took control of the region." Lance retorted. "We're in no shape to do anything about it ourselves, Ransei has Ferrum to deal with and no one wants Unova to take charge."
There was still too much of the ancient Orrean Empire with its' death cult-dedicated-to-Yveltal culture in the people. That would only fade with time and a proper hand.
And they didn't want to repeat this after 2000 years.
"You're seriously just going to use Johtoan law to your advantage?" Ariana asked. "The League won't open for another six months. The moment the other gym leaders figure it out, they'll probably find some loophole-"
"There isn't one. And it's still a big risk." Agatha said, sitting in a darkened corner. "If Ash wins, Lance gains control of the territory, no questions asked. But if he loses-"
"Then the gym leader gets to take control of Blackthorn." Lance said. "Clauses and balances. I could regain the city, but I'd have to prove my worth. But can any one of you say Ash CAN'T beat them?"
No one in the room needed to say how unlikely it would be for Ash to lose. He destroyed two gyms and forced Giovanni into retirement. No one in Johto was remotely close to Giovanni's level save Clair and she was, for lack of a better term, in Lance's pocket due to being his cousin.
"When are you going to tell Ash?" Lorelei asked.
Lance's grin turned shiteating. "I don't need to tell him." he said.
Violet City, Kikyō Prefecture, Johto Region - 1547 hours local
The Pidgey wore the ridiculous hat of the URN postal service, which was supposedly long-defunct. But Faulkner Hayato wasn't going to argue as he took the letter, which had… Lance's handwriting.
"He can't seriously be making another overture." the birdkeeper muttered. Johto was never going to be reunified through anything but burning the countryside to the ground.
'To Faulkner Hayato, Gym Leader and shogun of Violet City and Kikyo Prefecture.' it read. Count on Lance to be diplomatic. 'I regret to inform you that I have elected Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, Prince of Rota, as my Champion for right of-'
Faulkner stared at the letter dumbly for a few seconds as he processed this. 'For the right of a duel to determine the fates of our holdings in a battle of skill. Fight hard. You're going to have to. Signed, Lance Wataru, lord of Blackthorn, daimyo of Kanto, consort of Ho-Oh.'
The flying master dropped the sheet. Ash Ketchum destroyed two gyms in Kanto, demolished part of Orre just to take down Cipher, practically instigated civil war in Ferrum and dealt with the crisis in Shamouti.
He forced Giovanni into semi-retirement, given he was looking after his son Silver in Johto…
And now Lance designated him his champion.
Faulkner attempted to delude himself for a minute. He was ruler of the prefecture, someone who bested electric trainers arrogant enough to think themselves the rulers of Violet!
…That delusion lasted an instant alone. Ash had done in six months what took most trainers FIVE YEARS to do and beat Giovanni. Faulkner was nowhere near Giovanni's level.
And Ash's starter was a goddamn Pikachu who went toe-to-toe with Legendaries.
He promptly ran into the study, attempting to find a loophole to prevent Ash from using his Pikachu at all.
Azalea Town, Hiwada Prefecture, Johto Region - same time
Bugsy Tsukushi looked at the bird warily before accepting the letter. The Weedles and other bugs under his care were terrified, but relaxed once the bird flew away.
Azalea bordered the Illex Forest, mythological and historical home of Celebi and thus was all but immune to attack. After all, every ruler of Azalea could beseech Celebi for her aid and undo any victory of her enemies…a superstition Bugsy allowed to be maintained.
Regardless, he opened the letter. 'To Bugsy Tsukushi, Gym Leader and shogun of Violet City and Kikyo Prefecture.' it read, Bugsy recognizing the handwriting of Lance Wataru. 'I regret to inform you that I have elected Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, Prince of Rota, as my Champion for right of a duel to determine the fates of our holdings in a battle of skill. Fight hard. You're going to have to. Signed, Lance Wataru, lord of Blackthorn, daimyo of Kanto, consort of Ho-Oh.'
The lord of insects was confused. Ash Ketchum? He remembered a Grimsley Ketchum, now long dead thanks to the Ho-Oh of Orre. Was this his son?
Well, he had nothing to be concerned about. If Lance himself was coming… well, he was no match for him.
This Ash Ketchum would probably rely on his father's name to achieve victory.
Cianwood City, Tanba Prefecture, Johto Region
Chuck Shijima barely noticed the Pidgey, but his attention was caught by the letter.
And all he did was laugh as he read it.
He had only become ruler of Tanba Prefacture because no one else was worthy of the job and even then, he didn't want it!
Maybe this Ketchum boy would relieve him of the responsibility of rulership.
He wasn't going to argue!
Ecruteak City, Enju Prefecture, Johto Region
'To Morty Matsuba, Gym Leader and shogun of Ecruteak City, Enju Prefecture, I regret to inform you that I have elected Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, Prince of Rota, as my Champion for right of a duel to determine the fates of our holdings in a battle of skill. Fight hard. You're going to have to. Signed, Lance Wataru, lord of Blackthorn, daimyo of Kanto, consort of Ho-Oh.'
Morty wasn't even amused by it. Lance was always plotting something.
And who the hell was this Ash boy? He knew of Grimsley Ketchum, the gambling Unovan Elite Four man who burned in the corrupted fires of a Shadow Ho-Oh.
Was this his son?
That was a new low to sink to. Using the son of a famous man as an inexperienced champion.
Well, he wasn't going to argue over taking over half of Johto. Lance was going to marry Whitney before the league opened and when that happened, he was risking Goldenrod AND Blackthorn.
Lance was an idiot.
Olivine City, Asagi Prefecture, Johto Region
Jasmine Mikan sipped on tea as she looked at the letter. Lance was certainly bold, sending this Ketchum boy. Olivine would endure and the status quo kept, though.
Steel had beaten all comers before. When Goldenrod made a play for Olivine once, they were defeated. Azalea was pushed back. Olivine was eternal.
Let this boy come. He would learn the power of steel.
But part of her looked forward to simply being a little girl. Being the shogun of this place drained her. How she hated and envied the Waterflowers of Cerulean for their more carefree lives.
Mahogany Town, Chōji Prefecture, Johto Region
'To Pryce Yanagi, Prefecture, Gym Leader and shogun of Mahogany Town, Chōji Prefecture, I regret to inform you that I have elected Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, Prince of Rota, as my Champion for right of a duel to determine the fates of our holdings in a battle of skill. Fight hard. You're going to have to. Signed, Lance Wataru, lord of Blackthorn, daimyo of Kanto, consort of Ho-Oh.'
"Arrogant youngun." Pryce spat as he read the note. "The boy's going to have to prove himself in more ways then just his name."
He met Grimsley Ketchum. Gambled a lot. But his boy was going to have to do a lot more then ride on the name of his father.
Or else the ice would make him like those Galarian idiots who tried to find a passage that did not exist. The cold was without mercy.
And as ice was without pity, so was he.
Pallet Town, Kanto Region - Day 195, 1120 hours local time
Nothing like a mass teleport to make one sick.
But Ash recovered quickly, used to these things. And what did he see in the ocean beyond?
A fin, gliding through the waves. What the hell was a Sharpedo doing here? Those never came close to Kanto.
"Looks like he settled in nicely." Kyoji said, smiling at the sight of the shark. "I caught him in Selen. Lonely guy. Just wanted a friend."
"A friend?" Ash asked, incredulously. "Aren't Sharpedo super aggressive?"
"Only when defending their territory." Max answered for them. "Other then that, they're friendly. But petting them is a bad idea: there is no Sharpedo without Rough Skin."
"And that makes a sad sea shark." Kyoji said as the fin continued its' patrol. "How many sea sharks are out there, just wanting a friend?"
Ash, amused, decided to meet the shark. After all, there was nothing wrong about meeting a new Pokemon, as he walked down the hill. "Max, go see Professor Oak about your starter!" he said.
"What about you?" he called down. "You're my master-"
"I'm your guide, not master!" Ash protested. "Once you have your starter, I'll start showing you how to do things!" With that, he ran towards the waters.
Kyoji smiled. A MARKED improvement. More cheerful, more alive.
"I wouldn't call this an improvement."
Kyoji jumped at the voice of Sabrina Natsume, who also shocked the other girls, even as a Natu nested on her head, making her look somewhat silly.
"Damn it, Sabrina!" Neesha snapped.
"Sorry. Just wanted to drop in and see how all of you were doing." Sabrina apologized. "Lacus is fine, by the way."
Having to tell Lance about her was… not a good thing. She was still at Indigo Plateau, giving intel on what few Cipher cells remained.
Back to the point. "So, why is this a bad thing?" he asked, even as Max went inside to see Profressor Oak.
"He might've vented - I picked that up from your memories - but he hasn't confronted it. Hasn't truly healed." Sabrina said. "And he can only confront it when his soul is properly fused."
"Properly?" Kyoji asked.
"Only Arceus and Giratina can do that." Sabrina answered as she looked at her 'mothers', all groaning from the teleporting fest. "And I've noticed something in his surface thoughts."
Peer too deep and you die, because Ash had seen the realm of the dead unfiltered. It beared repeating. Anabel came with him for protection, after all. But they could still get his surface thoughts.
"What is it?" Kyoji asked, now VERY concerned.
"I think that thing that had control of my body is in his head."
Kyoji stared. "The thing that made you…well, a scary woman that was grooming Anabel to be her next host?" he asked. "Is IN HIS HEAD?"
"Likely locked up behind psychic barriers created by Arceus after the King of Pokelantis incident." his girlfriend said as they heard Serena vomit. "And I'm not entirely sure the King was removed, either."
The King of Pokelantis was a serious problem.
And Ash probably had TWO of those things in his head, held back by a psychic barrier designed to hold in ONE being.
"You're sure?" Kyoji asked.
"I'm not. And I'm not willing to risk looking into his head." Sabrina said. "But I heard more then his voice."
"Well, that's just fucking great." Kyoji exclaimed. "We have that thing that took you over and probably an ancient tyrant, too!"
A distant CHOMP got their attention before they heard Ash cry out, getting them to look out to sea, finding Sharpedo latched onto Ash's head like an oversized sea Gible, with the Chosen of Arceus stumbling like a comedian up the hill with the Sharpedo still latched on.
The two could not help themselves. They laughed.
"Shar!" 'Friend!'
"Yes, I can be your friend, but LET GO OF MY HEAD!" Ash demanded as he ran up the hill. "You're so freaking HEAVY!"
Sharpedo's eyesmile faded for a moment. "Shar." 'Not my fault.' he groused.
"I can't stay up much longer-" Ash's arms flailed before his ass hit the ground, the weight disappearing as the shark was returned to a pokeball.
"Looks like you met Sharpedo." came Kyoji's voice, right before Ash noticed him standing in front of him, offering a hand up.
The Pallet Town trainer took the offered hand and was pulled up. "I didn't know you had a Sharpedo." Ash said.
"Caught him during my mission in Ferrum. He wanted a friend." the Ranseian said. "I know that feeling all too well."
Ash shook his head. "I'd gladly be his friend, but he surprised me." he said, before chuckling. "Like Gible did back in Sinnoh."
Kyoji then opened the ball, unleashing the shark once more, homing in on Ash's head.
CHOMP!
Serena watched as the Gibles all formed up, orbiting her in the Gible Races.
"If that was on the ocean, you'd be in trouble." Misty said, thoroughly amused. "Of course, these are Gibles, so…"
All of her personalities watched the sharks orbit, all with one thing on their mind.
'WHY MUST THEY BE CUTE?!' they and Astral Serena demanded. 'Ash never told me he had one! Why didn't he show me his Pokemon?! HOW IS GIBLE CUTE?!'
Robin in particular just stared, almost hypnotized by the fins moving so fast. "We don't have these in Orre…" she said, watching the Gibles do the thing.
Inside, Max just looked over all the Pokeballs. So many of them…
"Picking one of you would free you from this shelf…" he muttered to himself.
"Who do I look like?" Max jumped at the offended voice of the Pokemon Professor Master himself. "Juniper? Those two leave the Pokemon in their care on a shelf. I leave their balls on the shelf: all of them are outside, where they belong, to walk and live freely. They're going to spend time with those things all too intimately."
Max faced the man who gave Lance the objective of reunifying Kanto, inspiring many others to follow suit, before bowing at the waist. "I apologize, Professor!" he said, before Oak laughed.
"Relax. Just don't make that mistake again." the old man said before looking over the ball racks. "I could give you the usual Kantoan starter, but those don't seem your type."
"You're right. I'd prefer a Hoennic Pokemon as my starter." Max said as he stood back up. "I'm just not sure which one. The official starters are…kinda overrated."
A massive crash outside made them stop as Oak gave the young man a look. "I think Ash's Sceptile heard you." he noted. "But he'll get over it."
'For my sake, I hope he does…' Max said, knowing that the Treecko line festered grudges for decades and returned the favor after potentially CENTURIES. There was a Treecko colony in Hoenn whose leader was over 2000 years old and only just NOW showing signs of aging.
They disappeared about a year ago.
"So, if not the usual starters…" Oak started. "What?"
A good question.
It required careful consideration, planning, thought and…
Oh, who was he kidding?
He saw the emblem for Hoenn on a shelf and randomly picked a ball. "This one." Max said.
"You're in for a shock, son." the old man said, smiling at some unknown joke.
"I'll risk it." Max said. "Ash didn't have a choice with his starter, did he? Look how well he turned out!"
Oak's smile did not fade. It just became almost Gengar-esque.
"Pedo!" 'You really ARE the Chosen of Arceus!' Sharpedo said, latched onto Ash's head. "Shar…" 'Rude comment aside…'
"I was gonna fall over!" 'Ash protested. "And you're a sea shark, not a land shark! You might hurt yourself!"
Sharpedo's eyesmile reminded all of Gible. It was almost criminal how affectionate the species was.
Ash's shredded gloves were a sign of what would be needed to give him what he wanted. They were due for replacement after what happened in Orre, anyways.
But that wasn't his problem.
"Something wrong? Sharpedo knows about your time travel thing." Kyoji said.
"It's not THAT. It's…" Ash trailed off. "He bonded with a few Pokemon in Hoenn. I figured one of them would be his starter then. I just don't want to ruin that experience."
"Come on, Dad. There's no reason to be depressed." Sabrina said. "We've had enough of that to last a lifetime. Two, in your case."
"Sharpedo!" 'The Chosen of Arceus might suffer a hard life, but that doesn't mean you have to be mopy and depressed!' the shark cried. "Pedo!" 'Embrace life with a chomp!'
Ash gave the shark a look. "…Are we sure you and Gible aren't related somehow?" he asked. "You both REALLY like to bite."
"Shar!" 'No idea. But I like Gibles! They know how to communicate!' the big shark said.
"Ash!" came the voice of Max as he came back outside, ball in hand. "I got my starter!"
Pikachu, walking up, sighed. "Pika." 'It's never gonna be the same.' he said.
Then Max opened the ball, revealing a small, white Pokemon with green, bowl-cut hair and what looked like horns.
The Feeling Pokemon, Ralts.
A familiar one. The one Max heard in Hoenn. Ash never forgot a Pokemon.
The stupified look said it all.
"See?" Kyoji said, clapping him on the back. "Faith. Manages."
Destiny was kind. But also cruel.
Greenfield showed that. Greenfield would show it.
And hopefully, in six months time, Giratina would deal with the things in Ash's head after Ash put the Unown back where they belonged.
A debt was due. BIG time.
While this was all going on, overlooking a hill, Mei looked over the plainness of Pallet Town.
How could the Neverborn Legendary, Eighth Son of Arceus, incarnate here, in this… boring place?
Even Ransei's most humble villages were never lacking in activity. This place was lethargic, calm, lazy.
It was a miracle, she decided, that Ash ever left to take up his destiny.
"You're an arrogant one."
Mei looked behind her, finding a little girl with a sunhat on her head, wearing what looked like a traveling tunic mixed in with a sundress.
"And you are?" Mei demanded.
"Yellow Ketchum." the girl answered. "Ash's baby sister."
…Why was she BLOND? Her parents were both dark haired.
"Random genetics." Yellow said, answering the unasked question.
Mei turned away from her. "You're an empath." she said. "A lesser psychic who cannot communicate with minds, but can feel."
"I awoke in my mother's womb to the feelings and memories of everyone around me." Yellow said. "I am a grown woman in a child's body. I don't get to act my age much thanks to that."
Her ego should have been crushed by that. The priestesses had seen the folly of such things and every child was doomed to insanity and early death. All but the monster known as the King of Pokelantis.
"Mimey helped keep me from drowning." Yellow said, answering her questions. "Shielded me from it. It was his fault I ended up like this. Too much psychic energy for a little fireworks display." she smiled. "I don't blame him. He was excited. He loves children, especially babies. I can't blame him for that. It would be like blaming the sun for a sunburn."
"Well then, child-who-is-not, explain my arrogance." Mei requested. "Explain how I find this lethargic place… impossible to be the birthplace of the Chosen of Arceus, the Neverborn Legendary?"
"You're comparing it to a Ranseian village." Yellow said. "First mistake."
Mei would grant the old child that one. "And the others?"
"We don't revere Arceus with the zealotry you do." Yellow stated. "You find it impossible for those who are not pious enough to have a god-child born among them. If that is what Ash is."
Mei struggled not to snap. Now she had met him, felt his presence, it was impossible to deny! Those attuned to the power of the gods recognized them for what they were! Only the blind would deny it!
"Wouldn't know. I'm not attuned." Yellow said, almost bored. "But I've seen a god before. And lived with it."
"Your brother."
"No. A tainted god. Maybe you'd like to hear the day my family was destroyed, Priestess of Arceus, would-be consort of my brother, by the hand of the Blackened Phoenix of Orre?" Yellow asked. "How my mother took its' head as a warning to any god that would come to hurt her family?"
Mei blinked. "The Ho-Oh of Orre?" she breathed. "Your mother killed a god?"
"Listen well, priestess." Yellow said. "And know a tale of how a mortal killed a god with nothing but motherly fury. A tale the day my father died and my brother burned."
Entry 88: Johto Shogunite
The gym leaders of Johto serve a triple role: to defend their fiefdom, to test any worthy challenger and to command their cities and villages.
A return to the old shogunite was necessary with the collapse of the URN and the fracturing of power. 'Shogun' roughly translates to 'general' and 'governor' in Galarian, with an unmistakably male tone, but with the rise of the Hisuian Warden Irida in the Age of Tajiri to shogun of what would become Kissaki Prefecture in Sinnoh, it became a unisex term.
To challenge a shogun to a battle is not a wise move. They will send out their finest Pokemon to destroy your own and will fight you in battle in person, but the rise of Pokemon battles in popularity made this more and more uncommon.
Ron the True Fan: I must rage. Rage is the mind focuser. Rage allows me to fic until the Gibles need rest. I will feed on my rage, I will use it until only exhaustion remains.
Takeshi Yamato: Jeez, Dune much?
(Massive Gible emerges from the sands with a smile)
Ron the True Fan: If it works. …Gib-sign!
Takeshi Yamato: …Fair enough. Still, people, stop feeding Ron's rage with requests for more! Let the man REST for a few months!
Ron the True Fan: Especially since he wants me for other things. But that's about as likely as Frank Herbert's Dune series getting a truly accurate adaptation AND a Pokemon adaptation with Gible as shai-hulud. Or shai-hu-Gib, in this case.
Takeshi Yamato: Still. Let this fic sit for a few months. Don't ask Ron for more chapters. Enjoy what you have so far.
Ron the True Fan: We all know that's never going to-
(CHOMP!)
Ja Ne!