Confused Lance = ^^. I’ve decided to finally continue this. It’s fun. ^^ I like humor, even angsty humor!

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Chapter 7

Master…

“Maybe it was just… nothing.” Lance sighed. “This is not fun at all…”

No, I wouldn’t think so. We’d better be careful. Maybe it’s a trap! Or…

“Or a test,” Lance said, voice suddenly becoming bitter.

A test? Now would be too soon…. Right?

“One never knows…”

No, I suppose not. Don’t worry, Master. We’ll protect you…

Lance stared at the ring that glittered on his finger. “I hope so…”

Brock and Suzie’s wedding went off wonderfully, not a single hitch. Everything was bright and cheerful and happy!

They drove off in a shower of rice and rose petals…

Afterwards, Ash was left to wonder what life would be like for them and then he had to go home and make sure that his pokemon hadn’t killed May or vice versa in his absence. Perhaps leaving his Charizard and Pikachu and Bulbasaur and Squirtle and Pidgeot to care for a baby was not the best move…?

Oh well.

It wasn’t really any of his business to pry into after all…

Besides, May was alive and being tickled by Bulbasaur and Squirtle was mopping the floor… and Charizard really was cooking! Wow!

Charizard’s food was edible too. Amazing…

And May was alive. Thank goodness. And she looked healthy. That was good

Ash collapsed on the chair and immediately fell back into sleep. What a pain… he hoped his mom came here soon…

Well, he shouldn’t feel that way about his daughter but!

Ash sighed.

You were supposed to love your kids, right? He really was too young to deal with this, still a confused child himself…

Not for the first time, he cursed his choice – he and Misty had been married for three years, but it had been far from smooth sailing.

He was already tired of it.

Perhaps he had made the wrong choice. Why had he married her in the first place?

Oh yes…. she’d told him she was pregnant with his child and he couldn’t very well throw her out on the streets, but as it turned out, there was no child, there hadn’t been a child until May, last year… last year…

Last year….

The math just didn’t add up, did it?

“I…”

He didn’t want to think about it! If it were really true, than it was too horrible! No matter how cruel she was, she wouldn’t! She wouldn’t-!

She couldn’t have manipulated him into this! That didn’t make any sense! If she didn’t even like him, why would she-?

Was it for his fame? His position? It certainly wasn’t for love, he couldn’t bring himself to touch her after, and she always had to… seduce him or….

Wait.

He knew that after the first few weeks, after the dream fell apart, he had never touched her so…

How had she gotten pregnant?

It wasn’t as if she could just conceived on her own, she wasn’t a pokemon! That meant…

She had… been with someone…. Despite everything!

Anger began to strip away his restraints – without her influence here, without her here to defend her, and then he could see clearly exactly what she was!

Oh gods… but then, who had he hurt?

He knew that what had happened at the party was not some alcohol induced fog. He had slept with someone, that much was certain, but who?

He was so confused…

Well, he had slept with someone male, he distinctly remembered that. However, all inhabitants of the party being male, that didn’t help much!

Ash sighed and closed his eyes, trying to remember everything…

A knock sounded on the door.

“Go away.” Ash muttered. The knock was repeated.

With an irritated groan, the Champion stumbled to the door. He blinked. Lance was standing there with a bulging manila folder of paperwork in one hand, and a…. was that a picnic basket in the other?

Couldn’t be…

“Well? Are you going to move aside?”

Struck by the commanding tone, Ash jumped. Lance pushed past him, set the basket and paperwork on the table, and turned to leave.

“All those papers need to be done today. There are sandwiches and a thermos of cocoa in the basket – there’s a thermos of chicken soup too, since Agatha said you’d need it. I don’t think you can cook. Besides, you didn’t show at the Plateau today so something was probably wrong. Have fun, and drop the papers off before nine tonight.”

“Er… thanks?” Ash said, as the door closed.

How odd.

He looked at the stack of papers, groaned, swallowed two aspirin for his aching head, and went to work.

How boring…

This was not fun at all! Not at all!

With a sigh, he went back to work… by eight-thirty; he was done, although he felt rather exhausted. He gave Charizard the papers, stumbled into the shower, and finished the last of the sandwiches Lance had brought him.

They weren’t bad sandwiches, turkey and Swiss with avocado and a hint of tomato, a few tuna salad, and another few peanut butter and jelly.

“I can’t believe I ate twenty sandwiches today…”

The soup hadn’t been bad either, even after it was cold… but he was tired!

Ash yawned and suddenly realized he hadn’t heard May all day… and to his relief, he found Pikachu and May sleeping.

Good.

She wasn’t dead yet.

He was so glad his mom would be coming in another two days! He couldn’t hold out much longer!

End Chapter

Completed 8/9/05

Yes. I think Ash would make a horrible father… and Misty would make a terrible mother… Which is why when Ash and Lance are together they never have kids!

Lance: Oh?
Phantomness: ^^ I don’t like kids