Chapter 3 - Control

" Crystal Pokemon?" Brock queried. The Pidgeot hopped from Jessie’s shoulder to his, and looked at the Riachu. The Flareon, who had been sitting on her haunches near James, spoke up.

" Yes, we’re the Pokemon that originate from this chain of islands."

The Vaporeon, sitting next to Meouth, cut in.

" Makes sense you wouldn’t know. You are the first outsiders to come to this island for 200 years."

The Riachu stood. " Allow me to introduce my friends. This is Tidal *Vaporeon smiles*, Ember *Flareon waves*, Inferno * Small red Vulpix by Brock sprouts a big sarcastic grin*, and Shadowcat * Black and white Pidgeot raises his eyebrows*. Oh, and I’m Aya. But you can call me Riachu if you want."

Aya extended her four-clawed paw to Ash. He, after a moment, shook it.

" Hi." Brock said. " I’m Brock * Shakes Aya’s paw*, This is Ash, Jessie, James, Meouth and…."

" Misty!" Ash cried as he spun around and ran to where she lay. The rest followed him. Aya saw tears spring to Ash’s eyes as he saw what the dragon had done. The puncture wounds from the Himalya’s teeth went straight through to the bone. Her ribs looked like they had been crushed. Tidal stepped foreword and sniffed Misty’s hair.

" She’s a water Pokemon trainer?"

Ash nodded, wiping away his tears. Brock knelt down and probed under her jaw for a pulse.

" Is she…" James began. Brock shook his head solemnly.

" Oh no…and it all our fault." Jessie said.

Aya looked to Shadowcat, who looked sadly up at Ash, then nodded. She tugged on Ash’s pant leg. He looked down at the little brown teary-eyed creature, who had her ears flattened against her head.

" I know a thousand apologies aren’t enough to save her. But…if you’d let us try…maybe we could give you something better." Aya suggested.

" What do you mean?" Ash asked.

She reached up for his hand. " Come here. Gather round everyone."

Ash, Aya, James, Jessie, Brock, Meouth and Pikachu stood in a circle around Misty, careful not to step in her blood. Aya placed her paw on Misty’s head, while

Tidal, Ember, Inferno, and Shadowcat did the same. Then they each shut their eyes and began concentrating. Soon their paws luminated different colors, and they seemed to lose all body weight as Shadowcat’s feathers raised from his body, Aya’s coat and tail seemed to float upward, as did Tidal’s and Ember’s. They separated, still keeping their paws extended and eyes shut. Misty’s body began to glow with soft white light as she was raised from the ground.

" Now!" Aya called.

Each spread their claws as a mass of thunder and lightening enveloped Misty, and blinding everyone else. When the storm cleared, Misty still lay on the ground, her wounds healed and the blood gone.

" W...What did you do?" Ash asked.

" Find out for yourself." Aya said proudly.

Ash and Brock knelt down and Ash shook her lightly.

" Wake up Misty, please, open your eyes."

She sat up slowly looked around.

" What happened?" She asked drowsily.

Ash and Brock smiled and high fived each other. Pikachu did a small dance for joy as Misty stood.

" Who are you?" She asked the five smug animals standing before her.

" It’s a long story."

****

" I...I think I see light up ahead!!" Jessie said joyfully. All five humans, plus Pikachu and Meouth, took off running, happy to again see the light of day. They had walked all night, following the lead of Aya and Ember. Inferno rode on Shadowcat’s back as he made a small circle around Ash and then landed. Misty had take quite a fondness to Tidal, and vise versa, as she had held the cute water Eevee almost the whole way through the cave. All of them stood facing the clear blue sky on the edge of a high cliff overlooking a beautiful crystal clear lake. As the sun peeked out over the horizon and reflected off the water, they could see a small town on another island. Shadowcat leapt off the cliff and make small rotations around Ash and Misty, who stood in front of the group. Misty’s eyes glittered with delight as she saw the way the sunlight added stripes of gold to the beautiful water.

" It’s wonderful…" She breathed.

" Yeah..." Tidal agreed. " It’s home."

Meouth was about to join the group at the edge when a strong talon pulled him back into the cave. He was held up on the wall by a muscular arm covered in red hide, and a pair of blue eyes bore into his soul. Unable to move his lips he remained silent with fear.

" I’ve been watching you." The creature hissed. " You are a member of team rocket?"

Meouth nodded.

" You like money…. and power?"

Meouth nodded more eagerly.

" I can give you all these things, plus a way home. What thesssse…humans don’t know is that the reason they are the first in 200 years is because once they go in, they never come out! Aya and her minions sacrifice the humans they save from me. I can save you….shall we make a deal?"

Meouth nodded again. The creature dropped him.

" Meouth, so they aren’t the good guys?"

" Of coursssse not!! I am! I’m the one who tries every 200 years to save the humans from this fate, and every 200 years they foil my plans!"

The dragon extended his claw to Meouth. " Money, Power, Home, deal?"

" Wait, meouth, what’s on your end?"

" All you have to do is help my…. friend, Felicia, and keep that Ketchum boy away from that girl! I need her to…I mean, she has secret ties to Aya’s scheme! That’s why they resurrected her!"

Meouth gasped. The dragon grinned.

" Do we have a deal?"

" Meouth, sure!" As soon as Meouth touched the dragon’s paw, he lost all control and free will. He stood like a zombie.

" Hahahahahahaha!!!!! You fool! You are now under my power!"

" Awaiting orders." He droned.

" You are to act completely normal, but do everything I say and everything in your power to keep those two apart! Ash is the only one who stands in my way!"

Meouth snapped out of it. " Yes, sir!" he saluted, then ran to the rest of them.

The Himalya dragon grinned and blew a sprig of flame from his nostril.

" Pathetic gullible cat." He said, picking some dried blood from his claws.

" Soon, the tenth and final generation of CrystalKeepers will die by the claw of the immortal dragon, and I will once again rise to power! Mwhahahaha!!!!"

And with that, the red dragon disappeared. Only to reappear, invisibly, hovering over the group admiring the sunrise, his wings folded over his chest blowing in the breeze like a leather cape. He saw Misty and scowled. Gliding through the air towards her, and began slithering around her like a hungry transparent snake.

" I was almost rid of you…" he hissed. " You see, you are a very important pawn in my game. Every heart has a weakness…. love, friendship, loyalty…it ties fools like you humans together by the flesh."

He looked straight into her eyes, though she saw right through him.

He laughed through his teeth.

" But now...I know your weakness. Aya cannot protect you forever. I intend to break your heart into a million free-spirited fragments…until I can get my talons on you and do it…" he breathed out smoke as his eyes glowed with hatred.

" (Slowly) Physsssssically. Hahahahahaha!!!!!! (Eagerly) Your blood will seep through my fingers, and all that knew you will try, but try as they might, they will never defeat me! Your friend’s stupid human emotion will run rampant…and I will finally get what I want without any work at all! I am Himalya, descendant of Sauron, and dentined ruler of all you see and more!! The ultimate Crystinate Pokemon!!"

He threw his muzzle back and laughed with insanity until blood dripped from his eyes like tears…and then he was gone.

***

To be continued….

(BTW- that’s pronounced Krist-an-ite, a complicated way to say crystal Pokemon.)