Post by Matkin22 on Mar 18, 2009 6:57:05 GMT 12
This is an exclusive preview for AdvanceShipping Inc. of what will be the sequel to Final Challenge. I am writing this at the same time as Road to the Championship, but it will not be posted on Fanfiction.net until that story is completed. That will likely be several months away minimum.
So here it is, an exclusive sneak peak at the sequel to Final Challenge, the story that will show the adventures of the daughter of Ash and May, Alex: The Lost Ones. Any and all feedback you can provide on this is much appreciated.
Chapter One: The Journey Begins*
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Her hands moved slowly, automatically, barely noticing the soapy water on her arms, or the dish in her hand. Lowering it slowly into the steaming water, she wiped off her hands and looked through the window into the backyard. Catching sight of her pale reflection, she touched a hand to her face and sighed ruefully.
May had aged beyond her 28 years. Though the raw beauty in her face had not diminished, she looked haggard and careworn. Drew’s betrayal, compounded by losing Ash in such an unfair way... tears welled up in her eyes as the painful memories were revisited, their last moments together...
But it hadn’t ended that day. For before he had left, Ash had given her one last gift, a gift that spoke of his fathomless love for her, though he hadn’t even known he had given it to her. It was the sole thing that gave her a reason to keep on living.
Only nine months after his death, May became a mother.
Looking back to the sink, she returned to the dishes and vainly tried to scrub off a persistent stain before giving it up as a bad job. Leaving the dish to soak, she dried her hands and sat on the couch to wait. A loud crash echoed from upstairs, and despite herself she smiled at the noise. Standing at the sound of footsteps thundering down the stairs, she turned just in time to see the figure of her tall, slightly clumsy daughter dashing towards the front door.
“Bye, Mom!” Alex shouted, wrenching the door open. “I’ve gotta go, I don’t want to be late!”
“Don’t you at least want some breakfast first?” May called after her daughter’s receding figure. There was no reply save for the settling dust, and May sighed as she returned to the kitchen. “That girl is as impulsive as her father,” she murmured as Pikachu walked in through the still open door and sprang on to her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek.
“Well good morning,” she greeted him warmly. “Are you ready to see her off too?”
“Pi!” Pikachu agreed, and May smiled as she wrapped some buttered toast in a napkin before heading to the open door.
“Come on then,” she said, “we may as well go now. I doubt she’ll want to stay at Gary’s lab for too long before leaving. Glaceon!” she called, and the ice type bounded around the side of the house before coming to a rest at May’s side, nuzzling the proffered hand warmly. Closing and locking the door securely, May turned and began walking up the path with both Pokémon in step at her side.
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Professor Gary Oak jumped as the doors flew open and Alex skidded inside, panting for breath. “Easy there,” he called as he moved over towards her. “You don’t want to be move that quickly when you’re on your journey, you’ll miss everything!”
“S-sorry,” she gasped, trying to stop herself from doubling over. “I just couldn’t wait.”
“Where’s your mother?” Gary asked.
“I came on ahead,” Alex answered. “I didn’t want to be late and miss out on getting a Pokémon!”
“You mean you don’t want a Pikachu?” Gary grinned, motioning for her to follow him further into the lab.
“Maybe if I catch one, but not to start off with,” Alex said. “I already know exactly what Pokémon I want!”
“Well you’d better know, it’s no good making your mind up on the spot,” a gruff voice called; twisting her head in its direction, Alex let out a shriek of delight and threw herself on top of Silver.
“Uncle Silver, you came!” she said happily.
“Of course I did,” Silver laughed. “I wouldn’t miss the start of your journey!” He leaned in towards her conspiratively. “So what’s it gonna be?” he whispered. “Are you doing Gyms or Contests?”
“Neither,” Alex grinned back. “I’m doing something different!” Silver roared with laughter.
“A secret agenda, eh? Just like your Uncle Silver then!” Alex looked at all the scars on his body and shivered.
“Maybe I will do Gyms after all,” she said, causing him to laugh all the louder.
“So Alex, are you ready to pick your first Pokémon?” Gary asked, leading her into a small room with three Poke Balls in it.
“You bet I am!” she exclaimed as May and Silver walked in behind them.
“Pi, pika pi?” Pikachu asked, and Alex laughed.
“No, it’s not a Pikachu, sorry,” she said.
“Pi,” Pikachu said, looking slightly disappointed.
“Well then, what is it?” May asked.
“You already know, Mom!” Alex said, looking surprised. May shook her head.
“You ran out of the house so fast you didn’t have time to tell me,” she countered.
“Oh, right,” Alex conceded.
“You forgot your bag as well,” May said, lifting it by the strap.
“Oops,” Alex murmured.
“And you wonder why she worries,” Gary sighed. “Oh well. Make your choice, Rey. Do you want the grass-type Bulbasaur, the fire-type Charmander, or the water-type Squirtle?”
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“Alex, are you sure you want to wear a skirt?” May asked for the umpteenth time, and her daughter sighed.
“It’s fashionable, Mom. I’ll be fine!”
“Just wait until it’s a windy day in the city,” May muttered. “What about one of your Dad’s old Pokémon? You may need them to protect you from any bad people.”
“Squirtle will do that for me,” Alex answered, feeling the Poke Ball at her waist with satisfaction. “Stop worrying, Mom. I’ll be fine.”
“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t worrying about you,” May retorted.
“Here Alex, take these,” Gary said, pressing six Poke Balls and a PokeDex into her hands. “These will help you on your journey. Use them as you see fit, but use them wisely.”
“I will, thanks,” she said gratefully. Turning to Silver she gave the gigantic man a hug goodbye before moving on to her mother.
“Take care, Alex,” May whispered, hugging her daughter quickly before she could see the tears forming in her eyes.
“I will Mom,” she said, extricating herself from May’s grip gently. “You take care too, okay?” Unable to speak from the lump in her throat, May nodded and stood back. Alex took a last look around at the three adults and two Pokémon who had come to see her off and smiled.
“I’ll see you soon!” she shouted, turning and beginning to run out of the lab grounds and into the great world beyond. “Goodbye!”
“Goodbye,” May whispered, turning to run in the opposite direction, back to the outskirts of the town to her house. The tears streamed from her face in the knowledge that now Alex was truly gone, and she was alone once more.
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As Alex walked up the grassy hill, she couldn’t help but feel freer than she had in a long time. Her Pokémon journey had just begun, and so had her life. She wanted a great many things out of it; gym badges and championships for one thing, as well as lots of new Pokémon friends. But she hadn’t been lying to Silver earlier when she’d told him that neither Gyms nor Contests were her priority. He hadn’t believed her of course, but what she wanted most in the world was the one thing she had never had.
*This is only a sample portion of the chapter; the full chapter will be posted after completion of Road to the Championship.
So here it is, an exclusive sneak peak at the sequel to Final Challenge, the story that will show the adventures of the daughter of Ash and May, Alex: The Lost Ones. Any and all feedback you can provide on this is much appreciated.
Chapter One: The Journey Begins*
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Her hands moved slowly, automatically, barely noticing the soapy water on her arms, or the dish in her hand. Lowering it slowly into the steaming water, she wiped off her hands and looked through the window into the backyard. Catching sight of her pale reflection, she touched a hand to her face and sighed ruefully.
May had aged beyond her 28 years. Though the raw beauty in her face had not diminished, she looked haggard and careworn. Drew’s betrayal, compounded by losing Ash in such an unfair way... tears welled up in her eyes as the painful memories were revisited, their last moments together...
But it hadn’t ended that day. For before he had left, Ash had given her one last gift, a gift that spoke of his fathomless love for her, though he hadn’t even known he had given it to her. It was the sole thing that gave her a reason to keep on living.
Only nine months after his death, May became a mother.
Looking back to the sink, she returned to the dishes and vainly tried to scrub off a persistent stain before giving it up as a bad job. Leaving the dish to soak, she dried her hands and sat on the couch to wait. A loud crash echoed from upstairs, and despite herself she smiled at the noise. Standing at the sound of footsteps thundering down the stairs, she turned just in time to see the figure of her tall, slightly clumsy daughter dashing towards the front door.
“Bye, Mom!” Alex shouted, wrenching the door open. “I’ve gotta go, I don’t want to be late!”
“Don’t you at least want some breakfast first?” May called after her daughter’s receding figure. There was no reply save for the settling dust, and May sighed as she returned to the kitchen. “That girl is as impulsive as her father,” she murmured as Pikachu walked in through the still open door and sprang on to her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek.
“Well good morning,” she greeted him warmly. “Are you ready to see her off too?”
“Pi!” Pikachu agreed, and May smiled as she wrapped some buttered toast in a napkin before heading to the open door.
“Come on then,” she said, “we may as well go now. I doubt she’ll want to stay at Gary’s lab for too long before leaving. Glaceon!” she called, and the ice type bounded around the side of the house before coming to a rest at May’s side, nuzzling the proffered hand warmly. Closing and locking the door securely, May turned and began walking up the path with both Pokémon in step at her side.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Professor Gary Oak jumped as the doors flew open and Alex skidded inside, panting for breath. “Easy there,” he called as he moved over towards her. “You don’t want to be move that quickly when you’re on your journey, you’ll miss everything!”
“S-sorry,” she gasped, trying to stop herself from doubling over. “I just couldn’t wait.”
“Where’s your mother?” Gary asked.
“I came on ahead,” Alex answered. “I didn’t want to be late and miss out on getting a Pokémon!”
“You mean you don’t want a Pikachu?” Gary grinned, motioning for her to follow him further into the lab.
“Maybe if I catch one, but not to start off with,” Alex said. “I already know exactly what Pokémon I want!”
“Well you’d better know, it’s no good making your mind up on the spot,” a gruff voice called; twisting her head in its direction, Alex let out a shriek of delight and threw herself on top of Silver.
“Uncle Silver, you came!” she said happily.
“Of course I did,” Silver laughed. “I wouldn’t miss the start of your journey!” He leaned in towards her conspiratively. “So what’s it gonna be?” he whispered. “Are you doing Gyms or Contests?”
“Neither,” Alex grinned back. “I’m doing something different!” Silver roared with laughter.
“A secret agenda, eh? Just like your Uncle Silver then!” Alex looked at all the scars on his body and shivered.
“Maybe I will do Gyms after all,” she said, causing him to laugh all the louder.
“So Alex, are you ready to pick your first Pokémon?” Gary asked, leading her into a small room with three Poke Balls in it.
“You bet I am!” she exclaimed as May and Silver walked in behind them.
“Pi, pika pi?” Pikachu asked, and Alex laughed.
“No, it’s not a Pikachu, sorry,” she said.
“Pi,” Pikachu said, looking slightly disappointed.
“Well then, what is it?” May asked.
“You already know, Mom!” Alex said, looking surprised. May shook her head.
“You ran out of the house so fast you didn’t have time to tell me,” she countered.
“Oh, right,” Alex conceded.
“You forgot your bag as well,” May said, lifting it by the strap.
“Oops,” Alex murmured.
“And you wonder why she worries,” Gary sighed. “Oh well. Make your choice, Rey. Do you want the grass-type Bulbasaur, the fire-type Charmander, or the water-type Squirtle?”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Alex, are you sure you want to wear a skirt?” May asked for the umpteenth time, and her daughter sighed.
“It’s fashionable, Mom. I’ll be fine!”
“Just wait until it’s a windy day in the city,” May muttered. “What about one of your Dad’s old Pokémon? You may need them to protect you from any bad people.”
“Squirtle will do that for me,” Alex answered, feeling the Poke Ball at her waist with satisfaction. “Stop worrying, Mom. I’ll be fine.”
“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t worrying about you,” May retorted.
“Here Alex, take these,” Gary said, pressing six Poke Balls and a PokeDex into her hands. “These will help you on your journey. Use them as you see fit, but use them wisely.”
“I will, thanks,” she said gratefully. Turning to Silver she gave the gigantic man a hug goodbye before moving on to her mother.
“Take care, Alex,” May whispered, hugging her daughter quickly before she could see the tears forming in her eyes.
“I will Mom,” she said, extricating herself from May’s grip gently. “You take care too, okay?” Unable to speak from the lump in her throat, May nodded and stood back. Alex took a last look around at the three adults and two Pokémon who had come to see her off and smiled.
“I’ll see you soon!” she shouted, turning and beginning to run out of the lab grounds and into the great world beyond. “Goodbye!”
“Goodbye,” May whispered, turning to run in the opposite direction, back to the outskirts of the town to her house. The tears streamed from her face in the knowledge that now Alex was truly gone, and she was alone once more.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Alex walked up the grassy hill, she couldn’t help but feel freer than she had in a long time. Her Pokémon journey had just begun, and so had her life. She wanted a great many things out of it; gym badges and championships for one thing, as well as lots of new Pokémon friends. But she hadn’t been lying to Silver earlier when she’d told him that neither Gyms nor Contests were her priority. He hadn’t believed her of course, but what she wanted most in the world was the one thing she had never had.
*This is only a sample portion of the chapter; the full chapter will be posted after completion of Road to the Championship.