Part 6! Shadow smiles and hands out cookies to the ones who did review. Then, she pulls out a scythe and begins to chase those who didn’t.

Disclaimer: Shadow will personally guillotine anyone who sues her. Because it is obvious that I do not own pokemon... Get the picture? I do have four versions of the game, but… Oh yeah, Destiny is mine, Tempestwolfe is mine, the Aqua league is mine…

Notes: <> indicates telepathy, ** indicates thoughts, and italics indicates pokespeech! Oh yeah, Gary is nice in this fic, because I feel bad for killing him off all the time, plus I like Blue from pokemon adventure. Why did they call him blue? Gary is his name in the Chinese version…

Ages: Ash & Gary are 16, Misty is 18, and Brock is 23

Part 6: The Orange Island gym challenge

Three years later…

Ash and his pokemon had trained, learned, loved, experienced every emotion on the spectrum, nearly died more than twenty times, gained insight and life lessons, cried, laughed, played, and otherwise lived with each other and now knew each other so well that even telepathy was rarely needed to communicate.

Now, it was time for Ash to begin his rise to greatness. After all, to make an impact in the world of humanity, you usually needed power, fame, and money. And that could easily be achieved in one way. Winning the League Championship of any of the leagues.

Ash stared at a short list. “Indigo, Orange, Aqua, Fire, Johto, Shock, Jolt, or Houen.”

< That’s it? > Sunny asked from his shoulder.

< Hey! There are two dedicated to electric pokemon! > Ash’s new pichu, the one that had been hatched from his old Pikachu said.

< That’s right, Pichu. > Tempestwolfe said from his perch on the plush carpet near Ash’s chair.

< Which one do you want to enter in? > Pichu asked in her sweet voice.

Ash rubbed his chin. “Well, Indigo is the most popular, but I’m not sure. If I did that, I’d have to fight Misty and Brock again…”

< But you still have your badges! >

“Still, I can’t bear the thought of seeing them.” Ash said, as a brief flash of pain registered in his eyes.

Sunny decided not to say anything that might provoke the young trainer. Even if he had all his memories and experience, he was still considered to be a teenager by human standards.

“So it would be better if I tried Orange League. You only need four badges anyways.”

< It’s all the same to me. > Sunny said.

< Why not? > Tempestwolfe asked. < How far away is it? >

< But couldn’t you do the Johto league, since it’s closer? > Houndoom questioned with a puzzled look.

“Well, the Indigo and Johto championships are in a month. It would be too suspicious if I got all the badges so quickly.”

< Ah. I see. >

“Well, then, I guess I’d better get ready.” Ash said. “First, I need to change my appearance. Then, I need to modify my pokédex. Pichu, could you please put this in the control center, third slot up, press the red button?”

Pichu nodded, took the pokédex from Ash, and scampered off.

Ash closed his eyes as magic swirled around him. After a few seconds, the clouds of smoke parted, revealing a fourteen-year old boy with shoulder-length ice blue hair in a ponytail, and dark green eyes, dressed in a pair of black jeans and a bright yellow t-shirt, plus white gloves and a pair of black sneakers. His eyes shaded by a pair of sunglasses.

< Looking good! > Vaporeon said as she whistled.

< Yeah! I love the ice affinity. > Lapras put in.

Pichu came back in with a blue pokédex. < Ready! >

“Okay, let’s go.” Ash said. He quickly packed his blue backpack with food and camping equipment. Six poke balls stayed the same size, while the rest shrank to the size of beads and created an eight-stranded white beaded chain, which composed his poke belt. In the center were a flower-shaped charm of glass balls, and a small gray box.

Pichu hopped onto Ash’s shoulder. Sunny and Vaporeon stayed out too, but the rest of the pokemon went into their poke balls. Ash grabbed a light gray jacket as well and tied it around his waist. Then, his eyes flashed blue and they reappeared on the first island, where the Mikan Gym was.

Cissy blinked as a figure appeared in her gym, resolving itself into a boy with three pokemon.

“Hello?” Cissy asked.

Ash smiled. “Hi! I’m here to challenge you!”

“Okay, cool.” Cissy said. She signaled her brother to bring her poke belt over. “Here at the Mikan gym, we use a series of water tests to compete for the badge.”

From the ceiling, bubbles began to drift slowly.

“Seadra, I choose you! Use water gun!” Seadra nodded and began splitting the bubbles in half with its stream of water.

Ash blinked. * That’s it? I expected something else… oh well. *

“Sunny, use pin missle!” Sunny nodded. She immediately began shooting needles through all the bubbles.

Ash smirked to himself.

Cissy blinked. “Okay, then. On to the next test… here at this gym, we use exercise to justify a pokemon. Let’s see if you can hit these.” Orange flying disks began to spin crazily around the room. Seadra immediately started blasting them down with its water gun attack again.

Ash shrugged. “You’re up, Vaporeon! Ice beam!” Vaporeon nodded. Her eyes flashed brightly as each disk shattered into fragments. Soon, they were all gone. Ash smiled at Cissy’s startled look.

“Well, what’s next?”

“I can’t believe it!” Cissy said. “We’ve tied twice! Oh well, the last test determined if you get this badge or not.”

Ash shrugged. Compared to some of the training he and his pokemon had gone through, this was relatively simple.

“We’re going to surf out to that buoy!” Cissy said, indicating a floating green flag in the water, quite far out. “Blastoise, I choose you!”

“Fine by me.” Ash said. He decided against riding Vaporeon, and threw out a third pokemon.

Cissy gasped as she saw it. It was an elegant dolphin-like pokemon, pale blue, with three silver stripes on its back. It also had an extra pair of pectoral fins. Ash grinned. “Delphinis, do you think we can do this?”

Delphinis chirped and whistled, indicating its answer.

“Okay. Cool! Let’s start.”

The referee raised his flag. “Ready, set go!” Before he blew the whistle.

Ash and Delphinis immediately shot off into the water. Cissy and Blastoise followed closely. Soon, they were neck to neck.

“Delphinis, jump.” Ash said. Delphinis nodded, and began jumping great distances instead of surfing. Ash smiled as he grabbed the flag.

“Done!”

Cissy sighed, but had to admit he was good, so she gave him the Coral Eye badge. Then, she called all the other orange island gym leaders to warn them.

Ash smiled at his pokemon. “Great job!” He said.

Pichu squeaked from his head. Ash rubbed her head. “Tired, Pichu?”

< Yes! Very tired! > Pichu said. < And I’m hungry too. >

“Don’t worry, I brought food.”

Pichu happily shocked Ash. Sunny playfully picked Pichu up and trotted off. Vaporeon yawned.

< So, what’s for dinner? >

“Well…” Ash pulled out a white cloth, before setting a bowl of pink liquid on it. Silver smoke rose from the bowl, before it reformed into a pot of porridge.

“Anything you want.”

< Yay! > Ash released all his pokemon and fed them (it took a while), before setting up his tent and sleeping bag.

Ash stirred the embers of the fire moodily as he watched the moon.

< Ash? Are you okay? > Pichu inquired.

“Pichu, you’re supposed to be asleep!” Ash whispered back.

< Couldn’t sleep. >

“I’m remembering the past.” Ash said. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the memories. “It’s not very pleasant.”

< Is there any way I can help? >

Ash smiled a little bit. “Actually, yes.” He scooped Pikachu, no, Pichu up and began humming a soothing lullaby. Soon, Pichu fell asleep.

Ash fell asleep soon afterwards.

End part 6!

Created 11/4/02, completed 12/18/02