THE GIRL AND THE LUGIA

THE GIRL AND THE LUGIA

By kathlaida-princess

Summary: In order to bring his best friend back to the world he knew, a boy has to make a sacrifice and change into the most beautiful creature, the Sea Guardian itself, so that he could find out the reason why she left in the first place and he could tell her how he really felt inside… However, when the boy is kidnapped by a Pokemon Collector, things get complicated, as the girl must return the boy's love for him to be human again before it is too late.

With the special appearance of Lugia, my favorite Pokemon!

I sure hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Pokemon characters nor the places in the Pokemon World. If I did, I'd change the game's battle style completely. And I don't own Friends either. If Friends belonged to me, … I'm tired of doing this… if Friends belonged to me, I'd be a happier person…

Author's Notes: Hello, dear readers! So, here we are, with the last chapter of this fanfiction! It was a wonderful year dedicated to this and I'm very happy knowing that I'll be writing the words 'THE END' in this story soon! It's my true hope that you have enjoyed reading this as much as I loved writing it, and I really hope you like how this story ends!

Anyway, once again, thank you Liydenn (well, I wouldn't consider Penelope neither a deus ex machina or a plot voucher since she is a perfectly normal and human character, but I guess I didn't do it right and I'm sorry for that… I hope that maybe the ending of this story will make things clearer. Penelope is one of my favorite characters here. Thank you for the compliment though and I'm sure you're as good as I am!), Foxyjosh (er, his name is Daniel xD, but thank you for the review anyways!), Pwnanator (hey, don't say that, you write Karen wonderfully too, as well as baby Chandler, and I hope you update your own fic soon! I would love to know more about those ideas, and I promise I won't be like Karen and spread them across the seven winds ;) Finally, Organization 13 does rock, and Xigbar is loads of fun too! Thank you for the BIG review!), pinayangel528 (aww, thank you so much…), Lugia's Bestfriend (reviews are always inspirational, they make us know that our writing is appreciated and that is enough to make us want to write more! I hope you like this final chapter!), gible-girl (yeah, I added some of the Sinnoh Pokemon in this chapter and I have this feeling I added one in the last one too… Ah well, thanks for reviewing and no problem!), Zephyter0 (I'm really glad you think that way! Thank you!), Jolteon Master (yeah, I do have to be more careful about the mistakes (being Portuguese and all)... About the Friends thing, I tried to improve that in this chapter, I hope you like it! As for other works, there are some right here on , just go to my main page. Other than that, I'm afraid I don't have any other works. I keep a journal on dA and LiveJournal too (I'll send you a PM if you're interested), but they're really short texts about the problems of the world. I'm working on writing more, or at least on having the chance to do so... Anyway, thanks a lot for your review, it made my day!), seven interrogation marks (I'm such a bad person for not updating soon :( sorry and I hope this is worth it!), HaloEver, ArigahWRITER (thank you so much!), dragonsrullllz, Miloctra (and I'm really glad you think reading this was worth it :) Here's the final chapter, I hope it's not disappointing...) and Flipper Boid Skua (your review did make a difference and I found myself remembering yours and others to keep on writing. Thank you so much for it and it's my great desire that you like this final chapter!) for reviewing the other chapter, and I really hope you like this final one!

I have nothing else to say…

On with the story!

FINAL CHAPTER

CHAPTER 14

A NEW BEGINNING

Oh, how wonderful it felt to be back on an adventure, even though she was scared and so much was at stake… How wonderful it felt to have her long blond hair being whipped by the rushing wind, although she knew she was headed towards danger... But, most of all, how wonderful it felt to have her heart beat faster with a possible love, even though the possibility of failure haunted her every move…

Five days had passed since Karen and her PokeTeam spoke to Penelope, and the seven of them were sure to be close to Lawrence the Third's mansion. They had travelled all across the Johto region, through mountains, forests, rivers and lakes, always north. They would always camp at night in some forest, to let Rachel rest from an entire day of flight and to let Karen make sure they were going in the right direction. Ross would set up the tents (with great aid of his psychic powers of course), Chandler would hunt down a big Buneary or Pikachu (A/N: ah, ah, I'm so mean to Pikachus, only, because I love Bunearies!!) for all of them to eat (except Phoebe, who was a strict vegetarian) and Monica would cook them on the fire. Phoebe would Sing for Rachel and Karen for them to sleep better and Joey… well… Joey was there for emotional support (even though Ross couldn't understand how just standing outside the big tent could be supportive…)! Everything was done in the greatest haste (although still with perfection) since there wasn't a minute to waste.

Now, still riding her Pidgeot and with the rest of her gang resting inside their constricted PokeBalls, Karen could see the outlines of Blackthorn City further away, the severe silhouette of the mountains making an intense contrast with the clear blue of the sky. Good, this was now the last day before Daniel became a Lugia forever and the blonde still needed a plan to break into the mansion.

But with Rachel's elegant swiftness, it took them little time to reach the city per say, and as soon as the big mansion outside it became visible, the Bird-type said, "We're almost there now… And we had better think of a plan soon…"

It was unusual, seeing Rachel talking about plans, but too much was at stake now and the Pidgeot was willing to do anything to prove Karen they could do it, that she would be happy. The young woman merely nodded, asking the big bird to land near a big group of pine trees (which reminded her particularly of home).

After stretching, Karen released the rest of her Pokemon from their red and white prisons, while Rachel took flight again, under her trainer's orders.

"Argh…" Ross interjected. "I wish I was bigger so that I could carry you, Karen… I hate traveling by PokeBall…"

Chandler, the biggest of the present, retorted, "Now YOU are complaining?"

The blonde chuckled at the Typhlosion's comment, feeling a bit guilty for having to make them go through all of that with her, but after she stroke his bluish fur apologetically once, she spoke, "Yeah, I'm sorry guys, but hey, we're here already!" The five Pokemon turned their heads to the nearby mansion and saw it was true. I mean, four of them looked at the big house, while Joey still wondered what Karen meant with 'here'.

It really was a magnificent building. From their hideout, the group wasn't able to see much detail, but the front of the mansion alone could let them know that this wouldn't be an easy adventure…

It was a building made from white, sturdy stone, extremely decorated with arches, huge windows and countless statues of ferocious Pokemon, Pokemon famous for the power they imposed on others. The front door was as tall as a stretched Gyarados and it was made from dark wood. The mansion was enclosed in a beautiful and very well-treated garden, under the constant watch of several guards, human and Pokemon alike. Finally, the set mansion-garden was surrounded by an impassable yet rather pretty and tall railing, making the 'coming-in-without-being-seen' impossible. It really wouldn't be an easy adventure…

And the news Rachel brought with her from her flight did nothing to help their motivation…

"This place is stuffed to the core with guards!" she exclaimed. "But not regular guards, like those losers we were used to a couple of years ago… Believe me, this was the biggest group of really rare Pokemon I've seen in my entire life and they don't seem very friendly either… We'd better think this through carefully before we try anything…"

And as the others drooped at the Pidgeot's words, sensing that they wouldn't be able to do much to rescue their newest member, Monica wasn't ready to let anyone else besides 'HER TEAM' win. She spoke passionately, with fire in her heart and excited sparks on her bee-like ears, ready to lift the group's morale.

"Oh, come on!" she almost screamed, startling her audience. "Don't tell me that you're scared of a lousy piece of metal passing for a fence or even a bunch of mindless tough gorillas pretending to guard something! Do I have to remind you who WE are?!"

The rest of the Poke-gang didn't dare to say a word, afraid of bringing a greater storm to themselves. The Ampharos carried on.

"I will tell you who we are! We are the only Poke-Team in the entire Poke World who can SPEAK to their trainer! We are the youngest, less-experienced team in half a century to have beaten the Elite Four and everything that comes with it! We traveled, we explored, we learned, we fought, we surpassed the most difficult obstacles and in the end we won! We won even when everything seemed lost, just because we stayed together and stood strong! And if success graced us in all those hard times of the past, I can assure you it will also grace us right now! Today, we will fight like the united team we are and I promise that by the end of the day this woman," Monica pointed to Karen, "who made all the good things in our lives possible, will be having her happy ending with the boy she loves the most in this world!"

By the end of her speech, the Electric-type had a vivid aura of sparks around her head, which made her words even more powerful. The other 'mons, who had been listening in sheer silence with all the attention they could pay (even Joey), looked at each other and then faced Monica with a broad smile, raising their hands and paws to the air in a fearsome 'HURRAY!!'. After that, Chandler the Typhlosion merely threw himself at the Ampharos in a big hug, saying aloud proudly, "THIS IS MY GIRL!" And after some awkward and silent moments (in which Monica sent Chandler several of her deathly glares), the team began planning their way in!

Ross was the first one to think. He picked up a twig from the ground and started using it to make some strategic drawings: of the mansion, of the fence, of the garden and, finally, of the path they would walk.

And as the little Togetic worked on his 'art' surrounded by the others, Karen approached Monica and said, an emotive smile upon her lips, "Thank you for that. I'm really glad we are like this..."

The Ampharos smiled too and placed a fingerless hand on her trainer's shoulder. "It's not just the craving for victory, you know? I really want you to be happy with Daniel, since he's a good boy and all, and all of us will make that craving a reality!"

The smiling blonde young woman nodded and patted Monica kindly before the two of them joined the rest of the group.

After about fifteen minutes of brainstorming, a plan was successfully conceived and Ross was now reviewing it, making sure every one of them knew where they were supposed to be.

"We are here," the Togetic said, pointing with his twig to where the front of the mansion was on the picture. "All of us will be going there," he traced a line to the back to the mansion, "and then..."

"I'll Dig a tunnel under the fence, so that we can go inside," Joey promptly replied, surprising everyone. When his trainer's happiness was at stake, he would find memory and wit in the most recondite places of his mind.

Ross nodded, "Exactly. All of us will go through the tunnel and after Phoebe Sings, we will break in three groups. Joey and Phoebe..."

"We will go left, find a way in without being spotted by the guards, because Rachel says she has seen a door, and just keep going until we find Daniel," the Wigglytuff said this time. "And if we fail, Joey and I will create some... distraction." At these words, both Phoebe and the Furret grinned mischievously.

Ross rolled his eyes and carried on, "Me and Rachel will be going to the right. We'll do the same as Phoebe and Joey, but instead of diverting the guards we will be opening the way for the last group. Karen, Monica and Chandler..."

This time, the trainer spoke, "We will sneak in from the back door. We will make our way to Daniel without distractions because the other two groups took care of that for us. We will free Daniel and then wait for you."

"Very well," the little fairy Pokemon said. He was now floating in midair, centering everyone's attention in him. "Now, we know nothing about what we might find inside, so we have to be really careful. If any of us shall fail... well... Just make sure you do everything you can to get out of any tight situations! And if all of us fail... we'll end up together and that will be enough to get us through anything!"

Agreement whispers erupted from the small crowd and Ross ended that conversation by handing a strange, furry object to each one of them, which looked a lot like a hairy pair of headphones.

"Hum, since Phoebe will be Singing to the guards and it will be best if we are awake to complete our mission I got these for every one of us to wear. They were specially designed to block only the sleep-inducing notes of Phoebe's song. Do not forget to put them on!" Ross explained.

After this, the nervous Karen spoke. It was time... "Well, let's do our best! May Celebi be with us..."

And, with this, the six Pokemon followed by their human companion scurried to the back to the mansion, imperceptible to the many guards strolling on the other side of the fence...

But not imperceptible to Lawrence the Third. In his detailed plan, Ross completely forgot the many hidden security cameras surrounding the building, serving as the collector's many secondary eyes. And he was now looking through them at the machinery room, a mean smile playing on his mouth as he watched that glorious group trying to stain the reputation of his impenetrable house.

He considered calling Alaina and her group (or even any other element of his security) but then decided he wanted to have some fun. The girl and her Pokemon could try, but there was no way they could pass by his security and get to the Lugia. First there was the guards outside, the fake doors on the walls, the real doors carefully locked. Then, if they by some miracle managed to enter, they'd be on the main room of the mansion, with many more guards awaiting them. They wouldn't be able to reach the basement of the building, and even if they did, they'd face an endless maze of cages, corridors and doors and they'd be driven crazy with the sound of the many rare (and not so rare) Pokemon he kept there. They would never reach the Lugia, carefully enclosed in his unbreakable glass cell, impotent and emotionless.

Lawrence was grinning now, sitting back comfortably on his chair, curious to watch Karen's humiliation. Still, a mechanical female voice was heard, asking, "Shall I get rid of the intruders, sir?"

"No, not yet," the collector replied to the computer. "Let's first enjoy the show."

In the meanwhile, Joey the Furret was now taking care of the first step of their plan. The tunnel was now reaching its destination with an amazing speed and it soon erupted from the carefully cared grass of the garden. Nodding enthusiastically, Ross sent Phoebe forward, whispering, "Remember, you'll have to Sing loudly, all of them need to fall asleep. The rest of you, put on those earmuffs!"

'Mons and human alike wore the fluffy headphones while the Wigglytuff crossed the tunnel to the other side. But she was forced to stop in midway... because she got stuck.

Joey used Strength to pull her, the rest of them used all their might to push her, but still the pink one wouldn't budge. The irritated Ross was about to lose his temper when Chandler had an idea (although he wasn't too enthusiastic about it).

"I don't care!" the Togetic exploded. "Just take her out of there!"

And the Typhlosion did so, throwing the most powerful Dynamicpunch he could come up with. The Wigglytuff successfully crossed to the other side too, her behind hurting a lot though. The rest of the team (except Rachel) went through the tunnel as well, some of them still giggling at the incident and Ross much calmer.

Following the plan, Phoebe Sang out loud, and as soon as every standing guard crashed down on the ground, the Poke Gang split in three and carried on their mission.

Let's follow Joey and Phoebe first.

These two went left (although Joey firstly motioned to go right, before Phoebe held his arm and squealed, "Not that left!") and immediately started examining the broad wall in front of them, looking for a way in. They sometimes tripped over the sleeping bodies on the ground, but the guards weren't bothered one bit, and so the Wigglytuff and the Furret went on with their search.

But the door Rachel said she saw was a fake one, it was nothing but a very realistic painting on the stone wall... Disappointed, the couple carried onto plan B: distraction maneuvers.

Phoebe and Joey started wiggling their arms like crazy, jumping wildly in front of the big windows and making the most stupid noises. Of course the guards inside saw them, and they immediately took action, flooding the garden in furious hordes. And since Lawrence hadn't told them anything, they didn't know it was a trap.

With a devious smile plastered on their faces, both the Furret and the Wigglytuff took on the approaching guards with relative ease, astounding attack after astounding attack.

Diversion was created.

As for Ross and Rachel, they hid for a while and then went right after the many guards left the mansion going after their mischievous friends.

And though the two Flying-types searched thoroughly, they weren't able to find a viable way in either, so they were pretty much stuck.

Rachel, in a mocking mood and a soft tone, said to Ross, her wings folded across her bird chest, "How can this be possible? I mean, you had a sketch!"

The Togetic sent her one death glare (which creepily resembled on of Monica's) and thought about another way to get inside. A solution did hit him after a few minutes and the little Pokemon promptly asked the Pidgeot to hold onto him before saying, "This might take a while... But don't let go of me and be patient."

The bird, clueless about what Ross was talking about, merely rolled her eyes and wrapped one tip of her wing around one of his legs, waiting.

Ross then began waving his arms in rhythm, in a way that could only mean... "Metronome?" Rachel asked. "What in Darkrai's name are you trying to do?"

"I think I told you to be patient!" he simply replied, carrying on.

But this Metronome was transformed into a very powerful Flamethrower, with no use whatsoever.

"Oh, I see... You're trying to set the house on fire..."

"Will you just shut up?!" Ross cried out, giving it one more try...

... Which became a Howl...

And before Rachel could comment on that failure, the Togetic tried still one more time, this time getting what he wanted: a Teleport.

But the truth is Ross had never seen the cage room before, so he merely thought about Daniel... This wasn't enough to bring this couple to the Lugia himself, but after the Teleport they found themselves in a different room inside the mansion, which they later found out to be the room just before the one Daniel was in.

In front of them was a door that read 'The Pokémon Room' and the two hurried to it.

But they weren't alone...

And as Ross leaped up to touch the handle, his chubby arm suffered a violent burn, for the metallic object was really, really hot, making him scream out loud in pain.

Rachel surprisingly came to his aid, but then a voice from behind them was heard, someone (or something) speaking in the Pokemon language...

We're terribly sorry, but someone from your group already entered that room and we're not about to make the same mistake again...

Someone else? Karen? Ross and Rachel turned around to find an answer to these questions and once they did, they came upon a unique sight: a small Eevee surrounded by seven other Pokemon, his seven possible evolutions... The two Flying-types faced their opponents (noticing that the Flareon still had a small flame sprouting from his smiling mouth) and, side-by-side, prepared for battle.

The little Eevee, who had a very tough personality, spoke again, We are the Eeveevolutions and we shall give you hell!! First battalion! Attack!!

Two slender Pokemon immediately jumped forward. One was ice-blue in color, with a strangely lozenge-shaped tail and two long appendices almost covering its furious face. The other one was mostly cream in color, with a long leaf for a tail as well as one coming out of its forehead. Glaceon and Leafeon.

"Have you ever seen these guys before?" Rachel whispered to her companion.

"Not really..." Ross replied in the same tone. "But who cares, we'll fight them anyway."

And with this the Pidgeot nodded and took the first step. With her broad wings, she created a massive wave of air and threw it to the Leafeon, who couldn't move in surprise and instantly fainted once the Wing Attack hit it, falling flat on the floor.

Rachel smiled, "This was it?"

But at the sight of his fallen partner, the Glaceon went crazy, beginning to show his true powers. Ice spikes after ice spikes left his mouth towards the Pidgeot as the ice-eon pursued her. Rachel was now regretting her actions and was hoping that Ross could find a way to help her, because the Glaceon proved to be quite the fast one.

But Ross had to think for a while before finding a way to beat him.

"Try to stall him, Rachel, keep him right there!" he asked. "I have an idea!"

"Just hurry up already!" she furiously replied, dodging several ice spikes that stitched themselves on the wall.

And that was Ross's idea exactly. Trying to keep up with the Glaceon's speed, the Togetic climbed the ice spikes craved on the walls as if they were stairs, almost reaching the ceiling like this. From his perch, he jumped, managing to land on the back of the fox-like Pokemon while waving his arms in a Metronome. Holding onto the Glaceon tightly, Ross Overheated, which was enough to hit his opponent with his weakness and make him faint.

Ross and Rachel victoriously stood side-by-side again after these two defeated, but the battle wasn't over.

There was a bit of irritation on the Eevee's voice when it sent forward the, Second battalion! Now!!

This time, the two Pokemon were black and purple respectively, one of them with long rabbit ears and the other resembling a cat in almost every aspect. Umbreon and Espeon. The Pidgeot and the Togetic had already had much experience with those species, so confrontations were fast to begin.

This battle was chaotic. Ross tried to surprise the Espeon with Psychic powers similar to his opponent's and Rachel did her best to hit the Umbreon with a Fly, but the two 'eons were so much faster. And they kept throwing their own powerful attacks, hurting the two Flying-types quite a bit.

Things were going on so quickly that it was difficult to accompany their movement even to the 'audience'. The Pidgeot was already tired of this and had come up with a brilliant plan. She used the chance to tell it the Togetic when it came and preparations were soon made.

Ross and Rachel came to the middle of the chamber and stopped there, a few feet apart and facing their backs to each other, tired and almost defeated. Seeing this, the Umbreon and Espeon slowed down too, deciding to make one final attack. The two of them ran forward, Headbutt on their minds.

And this was what the other two were expecting exactly. Coming closer to each other, Togetic and Pidgeot waited until the two 'eons were almost hitting them, then they leapt up and flew away. The Umbreon and the Espeon obviously crashed, knocking each other out.

This time, the two Flying-types hugged in midair when the Eevee spoke one more time, visibly not happy with the situation, Third battalion! FINISH THEM OFF!!

And the three original evolutions of Eevee were the last to come forward. The orange and yellow fluffy Flareon, the blue and finned mermaid-like Vaporeon and the yellow electrical Jolteon. And as soon as they moved across the room, Ross found a way to defeat the first one.

Waving his arms for the last time, the Togetic got a Steel Wing from his Metronome. The Jolteon was coming after him, so he did what popped into his mind first: when the Vaporeon was running by, he touched his forehead with one hardened wing while the other one was pointing up. That way, the Thunder coming from the Electric-type was attracted to the Togetic's wing and hit the Water-type instead, rendering him automatically unconscious.

But even with a fallen companion, the Jolteon didn't give up, sending a second wave of lightning bolts. This one did hit Ross and paralyzed him, and Rachel got really worried about him. Having stopped chasing the Flareon, she went to check on the Togetic right away, sad to see him like this and angry with the ones who hurt him.

And anger was the most powerful emotion in her mind when she faced the two remaining Eeveevolutions with fire in her eyes, knocking them out with the strongest Return she had ever performed. The humongous energy wave caught the Jolteon and the Flareon by surprise and left them with not even one drop of strength in their bodies.

And after this, the Pidgeot did return to her companion, when the last opponent came: the little Eevee itself.

You may have destroyed my soldiers, but I guarantee you won't be awake to see the end of this adventure!

Rachel, who had calmed down a bit, became angry again, slapping the small fox-mon with one of her wings. The Eevee remained motionless for several seconds and then he suddenly began crying desperately. Ross was now recovered from his paralysis and watched the whole scene with a surprised expression.

And he was about to tell the Pidgeot that she had been really rude when the little Eevee Body Slammed the two of them.

It was now the Togetic's turn to become infuriated, but that usually had a side-effect on the fairy-mon. And Rachel was completely aware of it when she saw her friend become redder and redder by the second.

"Oh no..." she whispered. "It's the Red Ross!"

And it was the Red Ross indeed! Now as red as Vulpix tail, the Togetic faced the Eevee (who seemed now more scared than ever) and finished the Eeveevolutions Gang once and for all, with an anger-powered Headbutt. Needless to say that the little one fainted like his evolutions, leaving the path to the cage room and to Daniel opened.

As for Rachel, she merely smiled at the now calm Ross while bringing a wing to the side of her head. "Unagi," she said, and this was the first time she truly complimented the Togetic.

Finally, we'll check the third group out.

Monica, Chandler and Karen hid longer than the second group to move forward, and by the time they crossed the back door into the mansion there were no guards left (all of them were fighting Joey and Phoebe).

That way (and with the valuable aid of a map on the wall), this group quickly found their way down to the basement. They got there before Ross and Rachel did and so the Eeveevolutions Gang didn't notice them.

After taking a deep breath, Karen held the handle to the door that read 'The Pokemon Room' and turned it, beckoning the others to follow her.

And the cage room was exactly like they imagined: gigantic, filled to the brim with cages, aviaries and aquariums and impossible to cross without someone's help. And the girl and her friends had to find the boy she loved all by themselves.

But a massive Feraligatr already noticed that intruders had entered the cage room, and she promptly reported this to her boss through a high-tech translator.

Lawrence the Third, who amusedly sipped on his glass of champagne, was quite surprised to know the girl had gotten that far and decided it was soon time to act.

"Wait for me before we face the girl, Alaina," he ordered. "Let's let her taste victory before we take everything away from her..."

With this, the crocodile-mon retreated her own troops, awaiting further orders.

It wasn't easy for the girl, the Typhlosion and the Ampharos to find their way to the Lugia, especially with the chattering of all those imprisoned Pokemon and the complicate maze those cages seem to make. But when there's a will there's a way and Karen's heart was her strongest will. And it was right over Daniel's chest.

Because of that and after many wrong turns and endless dead ends, the final group finally found the Sea Guardian, behind a cell made from the thickest glass they had ever seen.

"Oh Daniel..."

The blonde immediately threw herself forward, happy to see that the Lugia was unharmed. But Daniel remained motionless and emotionless, although he seemed a bit surprised to see her there.

Karen placed a hand over the glass, trying to understand what was happening. But the boy she loved wouldn't budge... The young woman was now afraid to have hurt him beyond anything in their last encounter and went through her mind furiously, wanting to find the words to make everything okay again.

But time wasn't much... Steps began echoing across the floor and Chandler and Monica readied for battle.

"We've got company," the Ampharos stated.

After that difficult battle won, Ross and Rachel crossed the door to the cage room too, facing this new challenge in awe. But besides the Pokemon noises there's a familiar sound coming from far away: the sound of their friends in battle.

One last Cut made the last guard fall to the ground and Joey and Phoebe's distraction maneuver was complete. With the same devious smile, the two complimented each other's effort, before noticing they have a bigger mission to accomplish.

Furret and Wigglytuff go to the back of the garden and enter the building, they too making their way to the basement. The two Normal-types consider the fallen 'eons on the floor and nod in agreement.

"They've been here already," Joey stated.

Then, the two of them enter 'the Pokemon room' too, finding Ross and Rachel there.

"No time to chat!" Rachel says. "Our friends need us!"

And with this the four of them move forward, following Monica, Chandler and Karen's tracks.

"We've got company," the Ampharos stated.

And she was right, for the corridor in front of them was now filled with more of those infamous guards. Rhydons, Tyranitars, Flygons, Dragonites and Salamences, all of them feral, brutal, unfriendly. Alaina and Lawrence were behind the horde, watching everything but unseen to our heroes.

But at that very moment, Karen's Poke Gang was reunited, for Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and Joey had just arrived.

"We hope we're not too late..." the Wigglytuff said.

"No, you were just in time for the party," Chandler replied.

And the party was about to begin, as soon as Alaina barked her orders. But someone in Karen's group caught the Feraligatr's attention... Chandler the Typhlosion himself.

The massive crocodile forced her way between her troops to everyone's surprise. Lawrence didn't know what she was doing either, but he trusted it was the right thing. And when Alaina stood before the Fire-type Pokémon, all ten feet of her, Chandler immediately recognized her.

Well, well... if it isn't fire-boy, she said, in Pokemon.

"Alaina..." the Typhlosion muttered.

Monica, surprised at this discovery, approached her boyfriend and asked in a whisper, "You know this... woman?"

Chandler nodded in agreement. He did know her... from a long time ago.

The facts were these: the Cyndaquil and Totodile Chandler and Alaina once were had been raised by the same breeder, a very nice man who had seen them hatch and treated them with the greatest care. But instead of having a regular growth like the Cyndaquil did, Alaina grew at a much scarier rhythm, which allied to her impish nature soon became too much for the breeder to handle. Unfortunately, he had to give up on her when she (impressively quickly) evolved to a Croconaw, but he was always sad because of his decision...

When that guy abandoned me, I was found by this Pokémon collector, the Feraligatr explained. He took me in and made me see all my true potential, he turned me into what I am today. It's a funny coincidence we meet here today... Let's see how life has treated you...

And without further notice, a thick spray of water shot from the crocodile's mouth, aiming for the Typhlosion.

Chandler reacted faster than ever, immediately summoning a sphere of powerful flames around his entire body, strong enough to evaporate the entire Hydro Pump directed at him. All that was left there was an incredible amount of steam.

Hum, it seems you have learned some tricks too... Alaina stated, slightly frustrated. She then turned to her troops watching the scene and barked, Don't be just standing there, attack the others! I'll deal with this one personally...

And the chaos of battle sprung again in that mansion.

The Typhlosion and Feraligatr were locked in a furious combat, a hectic dance of fire and water, attack and defense, swift movement followed by its swift reaction. The Water-type was much bigger than the Fire-mon, but still Chandler held on tight, countering her water with powerful flames, fervent auras, cunning intelligence. Alaina had also her Water Sport readied, a beautiful sphere of drops protecting her, but she still hadn't been able to hit her foe with her Hydro Pump... The Feraligatr would sometimes cheat, unnoticeably asking a nearby guard for dishonest help, but Monica the Ampharos was always there, taking care of that guard with some of her own moves.

The rest of the set was as chaotic. Each one of the previous groups (except for Monica, who was aiding Chandler) was a dynamic battle centre, allowing guards to come forth almost periodically just to finish them off with their outstanding combo attacks. If the situation weren't that serious, they'd surely be having fun.

And Karen was the living proof of how difficult that situation was, for she was now with both hands over the thick glass trying to bring Daniel back to his senses, but the Lugia remained silent and still, once in a while lifting a sorrow-filled gaze to the blonde young woman. The trainer herself was about to cry.

"Please, Daniel, I'm so sorry for everything... I never meant to say those things to you, after you came all this way for me... Please forgive me, let me take you home..." she pleaded.

Silence... Two tears rolled down her cheek and she carried on, not wanting to know what would happen if she gave up.

But time kept going and her Pokemon companions continued their wonderful job defeating the guards without much fuss. And Chandler's battle with Alaina evolved.

At a moment of less care, the Feraligatr was able to hit the other one with a particularly powerful Hydro Pump, smiling wryly in success. But said smile was not justified, for the Typhlosion merely shook the water off his wet body in a very dog-like manner, completely unaffected. It was his turn to smile now. "Didn't I mention water does me no harm?" he said. All those swimming lessons proved to be useful.

At this, the crocodile remained still, not knowing what else to do, which gave Chandler the opportunity to end that battle. It's true some are unharmed by water, but even a powerful Water-type will suffer with a well-chosen fire attack.

With this in mind, the Typhlosion summoned yet another sphere of flames around him, using the attack that had inspired the Lugia before and led to his victory on the entire Poke Gang. Chandler's Overheat was so intense that its heat wave not only knocked Alaina out but also overwhelmed some of the guards around them.

And when their massive leader fell to the floor with a thunderous sound, the remaining guards faced the tragedy, left completely disorientated. Karen's companions used this chance to rest, but that wasn't over yet.

"Enough!" an extremely irritated Lawrence roared, coming out of his hiding spot. The chaos instantly ended. "You coming here was quite entertaining and you do have some impressive techniques, but I'm already through with it. It's now time to stop you."

The Pokemon collector clapped his hands twice and six devices were shot from one strange machine nearby. Those were magnetic handcuffs and they locked themselves around all of Karen's Pokemon's wrists without giving them a chance to retaliate. The last guards gathered them all in the centre while Lawrence spoke to Karen.

"You had some nerve barging into my house uninvited. And wanting to take my most precious belonging! I deal harshly with these situations."

And the brave Chandler spoke now, "Don't you dare lay one finger on our friend!"

And the human faced the Typhlosion, his eyes widened. "Oh yes, I forgot about the talking Pokemon! Once I've taken care of your 'friend', you shall make a lovely addition to my collection. You..." Lawrence pointed to a Rhydon, "finish the girl off."

Several muffled 'no's could be heard from the Pokemon's group, but still the grey giant moved towards the girl with her back to the thick glass, still awaiting a reaction from the Lugia inside. But nothing happened as the Rock-type put one ugly hand around Karen's neck and closing the other one in preparation of a heavy punch.

The crying young woman, having nothing to lose, whispered one last thing to Daniel.

"You are so silly, can't you see that I love you?"

And this sentence alone made all the difference.

Those words were more beautiful than music to the Sea Guardian's ears, who finally understood that the girl hadn't come there out of guilt or regret, but out of the same love that filled the shards of his broken heart, the love that would free him from that body and would allow them to be happy together. But Daniel might have understood that a little too late, although there was no place in his mind that admitted it. He too stretched his reflexes to the maximum to find a way out of that cage before the Rhydon outside hurt his best friend and with that something amazing happened.

A ball of raw energy began growing inside his now opened mouth, with several separated light beams coming out of it. As he focused and put all effort on this last hope, all the light beams converged into one truly powerful one, allowing the Lugia to use his most characteristic attack for the very first time: Aeroblast.

And the energy ray broke a huge hole through the glass in perfect timing, making the Rhydon take several steps back without hurting Karen.

Now that he was free and was facing her, there were many things Daniel wanted to tell the girl right now, so many beautiful words describing such wonderful feelings, but time was little and that amazing group had to escape first.

Karen automatically called her friends back to their PokeBalls, leaving only the magnetic handcuffs on the floor they once were, and quickly climbed onto the Lugia's neck after giving him a one-second-long hug.

"Do you have a plan to get us out of here?" the blonde asked.

"Not really, I'll improvise as we move on," the Sea Guardian merely replied.

And as the girl chuckled the Lugia leapt up and flew away, breaking the ceiling and a wall with the weight of his body and some water attacks in despair to leave the building.

The nearly-exploding Lawrence couldn't believe what was happening in front of him and so he howled more furious orders to the befuddled guards, "DON'T JUST STAND THERE, YOU INCONCIEVABLE MORONS!! THE LUGIA CANNOT ESCAPE!!"

Many Salamences and Dragonites flew like this in pursuit of the Legendary Pokemon (who was now far outside of the mansion), not wanting to know the wrath of the Pokemon collector if they failed. Hyper Beams, Ice Beams and many other kinds of beams flew at the girl and the Lugia's direction, but Daniel dodged them all. But more guards joined the ones already there and the scenery slowly became unbearable.

Hurt and tired from the escape and chase, the Sea Guardian could only think of one thing that would save them both. He prepared yet another Aeroblast while flying and held it long enough to hit all guards and the mansion far away. This way, they were already free, but Daniel had lost too much energy. Karen noticed this and quickly came to his aid.

The last thing the Lugia remembers is the girl calling Ross out of his PokeBall and watching him fly to the ground, involving him in a strange wave of Psychic energy that made him feel much lighter. After that, everything went dark...

Daniel woke up in a very different scenery, a light headache tormenting him. He found his body laid over several united regular-sized hospital beds and concluded he had been brought to a Pokemon Centre. The thing that surprised him the most was seeing all of Karen's Pokemon around him, looking at him, with their trainer as well. The past events were crystal clear on his mind.

"Yeah, you woke up!" Joey the Furret exclaimed.

The Lugia, stretching his wings, nodded and smiled. "I did. And thank you so much for having rescued me, you were brilliant in there."

"Don't mention it!" the emotional Joey replied, hugging the other one with more strength than expected.

After that, Daniel looked at the silent and nervous-looking Karen, smiling and greeting, "Hello there."

And she promptly replied, "Hi..."

And before she could go on, he said, "I think we need to talk, about those words you spoke to me through the glass..."

At these words, the entire Poke Gang stared in surprise and expectation (and Joey even let out one mischievous "Oh yeah!"), but the blonde quickly burst their bubble, saying, "Guys, please wait outside."

All of them protested, especially the Furret, but there was no way to disobey Karen's orders. The door closed shut behind them and Daniel spoke again.

"First of all, I think I should apologize for not having told you who I was from the beginning... But I really didn't want to mess this up again, I didn't want to lose you for good... I love you, Karen, and I wanted you to know that, to understand why I did what I did..."

And then it was the young woman's turn to speak.

"I know, Daniel, and I really see what you meant, even though it's probably too late. I was stupid to get mad at you when all you did was trying to protect me, when you were the greatest friend to me all along... I hope you can forgive me..."

The Lugia brushed one of his long fingers over the girl's cheek.

"I've already forgiven you, you came back for me."

And at this, Karen repeated the magical words she said at the mansion.

"I could never leave you, Daniel, I love you."

"Oh, come on, just kiss her already!!" Joey's excited voice was heard from behind the door.

And the Lugia was ready to do as the Furret said.

As the human and the Pokemon leant forward, Daniel's body changed one more time, glowing intensely and losing the shape he had gotten used to in the past few weeks. Arms became smaller and hands much better defined, whose fingers now carefully intertwined with several locks of Karen's blond hair. He lost most of his height and his neck suddenly became much shorter, his skin now free of the many silver feathers covering it. His body now fit in the width of just two beds and was completely without clothes (which had been ripped with the previous transformation) (thankfully, he was covered by a blanket xD). Finally, his head became human again, his spiky dark hair too invaded by Karen's hands and chocolate-brown eyes now shut, while his lips gladly found hers in their very first kiss.

Daniel had stopped glowing a while ago, but he felt like shining again, for the happiness going through his body could only be shown by means of an intense aura of light. Their mouths moved in synchrony for several seconds (which seemed to last much less to both of them) before the two parted. Nonetheless, Karen threw herself over Daniel in a loving, emotional embrace, not wanting to let him go ever again.

By this time, the Poke Gang was inside the room again, letting out some 'aww's to show how adorable the scene was.

Still locked in their embrace, Karen whispered to the boy she loved, "I'll gladly go back with you to LA... I know that was why you came here..."

But after some moments of consideration, Daniel shook his head, "No. We'll stay here and start our lives here. This is a much happier place, you were right all along. I know that only here you'll be happy..."

And the embrace went on, observed by all the couple's friends... But at the prospect of having the happiest life there with the one he loved, Daniel couldn't help but kiss Karen again, this time for much longer, acquiring the flavor he will love for his entire life.

But one thing neither of them noticed was a shadow peeking through the Pokemon Centre window. It was reporting what it saw with its Psychic powers.

"They are holding now... And Daniel has returned to his human form... Oh, they're kissing... I think our job is done here..."

"Excellent, it took us a lot of effort, but it sure was worth it," a different psychic voice said, one that seemed much more... aged. "You can come back, Liadan."

The shady figure opened broad wings and flew towards the forest, landing right next to an Abra, a Gardevoir, a Slowking and their trainer, an already very well-know character: Penelope.

Showing a wide, proud smile, the old woman said, "We all did a wonderful job... Liadan," she looked at the shade that was actually a female Xatu, "Without your abilities to see the past or the future of the boy, we would never have thought of this...nor we would know the right time to act..."

The bird remained motionless, but she too was smiling, "You know how I am... I can't resist a good story..."

Penelope went on smiling. "Patty," the almost sleeping Abra startled at the mention of her name, "I don't what I'd do without your Teleport. You were essential to allow us to be there in time always..."

"Yeah, yeah..." the little Pokemon replied, sighing. "I just hope I can sleep without being interrupted from now on..." Abras and their great need to sleep...

"Maria," at this, the Gardevoir faced the old lady, "Thank you so much for looking after all of us, and mainly for not leaving my Arthur alone..."

The beautiful Psychic-type beamed glamorously, embracing her trainer. "That is our duty, Penelope."

"And Spencer..." the Slowking had vanished from their sight. "Where is Spencer?"

With this question, the Xatu immediately entered a trance, replying, "He just went for a walk... You know how he is."

"Yeah. Well, but he was also important to make Daniel believe..."

All of them nodded, looking at the couple with a fulfilled grin gracing their expression. But human steps were heard behind them, as well as a male, deep, aged voice.

"Aren't you forgetting anyone, Penelope?"

The ancient lady turned around, her smile widening at the sight of the approaching old man. His eyes were intensely blue and, around his neck in a necklace, he carried a silver feather with a peculiar shape. Arthur Taylor put an arm around Penelope's shoulders and kissed her lips lightly, his wife's lips.

"Oh, yeah..." she admitted. "Thank you for keeping that portal constantly watched and letting us know of those two young people. And thank you for making the potion one more time..."

The old man smiled and replied, "The first time was harder, I didn't have a feather around and the recipe was well-hidden. But if becoming a Lugia was what you needed to forgive me, then I'd do anything to accomplish it. I still had some feathers from the time I took the potion myself. Who would guess our story would repeat itself on these two... It's a shame I never got the chance to meet them in person..."

"Yeah, sorry for having to keep you away from this..." Penelope explained. "But Karen had to see how terrible it would be to lose Daniel, so I had to lie a bit, I couldn't tell her you did all that to get me back... It's a shame too that they had to go through much more complications than us..."

"That's true, but everything ended up well and they're stronger now. And I have a feeling we'll meet them again soon..."

The Xatu entered her Foresight trance again, stating, "Yes, of that we can be completely sure..."

And they remained like this for several minutes, until they decided to leave this new couple alone and went away, until their help was needed one more time...

THE END

Or is it?

She has been running for such a long time now that her clawed paws hurt, hitting rocks, twigs, roots of trees inside that forest. She would fly, but they would catch her, they would kill her like they killed her male. But she can't let that happen, she has a valuable possession to protect, in a time where her species faces extinction. The flame on the tip of her tail burns vividly, she is afraid they will find her faster like this...

The female Charizard runs across the forest with her egg on her small arms and a strange necklace around her long neck. Though she runs fast, the hunters catch up on her and she knows they'll get to her soon...

She stops and hides the egg somewhere safe, putting the necklace around it before flying away in the opposite direction.

This is a signal to the hunters, who shoot the female dragon and cry out in success. They quickly reach her dead body, but one of them asks, "What about the egg?"

And the other replies, "We have two grown-up Charizards, who cares about the egg?"

And they use a special kind of PokeBall to capture the dead body before leaving.

As for the egg, it remains hidden, waiting for one good soul to take it and look after it.

The necklace around it is now perfectly visible. A beautiful feather is attached to it. It isn't silver or peculiarly shaped, but it does seem to shine, to glisten with the seven colors of the rainbow...

TO BE CONTINUED...

END OF CHAPTER

Yay!! Can you believe I finished this? This is my first complete story in my entire life and I'm so happy about it.

Thank you for everyone who has stuck with me this far, The Girl and the Lugia is a gift to everyone of you and it's my only wish that it is what everyone expected it to be!

The last part of this chapter is a small preview of this story's sequel. I'll start writing it right away, but I will focus on another fics first.

If anyone's interested, my next one will be a Stardust one (my favorite movie ever).

Anyway, if you have any question, suggestion, request, ..., please leave a review and I'll answer to you or go to my main page for an e-mail address.

It was a great pleasure writing to you :)

kathlaida-princess logging out...