There aren’t that many Janine fans out there that I know of…

Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon, it belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This is non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanwork, written by me so I own it, and my ideas belong to me and me alone.

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

Chapter 8: Behind the Scenes

Lance stepped back, surveying his work.

Sightless eyes stared back at him.

“You really shouldn’t have tried to capture Lugia, Collector.” Lance warned. “He doesn’t like it.”

< He’s already dead, Chosen. >
< Oh, is he? > Lance said a bit sarcastically. * He deserved it though, messing with the balance of nature. *

< Chosen? Why aren’t you chasing the child of light? >

< Lugia! >

< Oops. I forgot we weren’t supposed to discuss your personal life. >

“I just feel that it’s better, he’s still so young. And pressure causes cracking and that causes snapping and then I don’t want to deal with that.”
< Are you afraid? >

< No, but I want him to be happy. >
< … Happy? >
< Yes, he’s happy now, he has a ‘family’ and friends. I can be a friend to him, but that will be it. >

<… >

Lugia wasn’t quite sure exactly what was rising on the Eastern Front, but kept silent.

His Chosen was smart enough to make his own decisions.

Lance vaporized Lawrence III’s body with Hyper Flame and then vanished in a sparkle of blue.

“OW!”

Ash dropped his bamboo sword, wincing. That had hurt!

“You okay, Red?” Janine asked. “I didn’t hit you that hard, did I?”

“Not really…just startled me, and it kind of stung.”

“Oh.”

Ash massaged his hand for a moment or two, and then picked up the weapon again. “Okay! Let’s try again.”

Janine nodded, and they re-engaged, being careful not to whack each other in the eyes. They might blind each other.

So it was a lesson in control also, not just sword fighting.

Speed was good and dandy, but power was no good without control. So to build power, you needed to learn how to concentrate first.

Hence, that was why they had meditation.

Koga watched.

Red did have potential, of course, he was on quite a lower level than Janine, but he was improving steadily. And he didn’t slack off.

That was quite good.

Perhaps he could adopt the child… children shouldn’t be without parents. Arbok nuzzled his master.

Master?

“I’m fine.”

You are worried?

“Do not concern yourself overly with my affairs.”

All right. But is there any trouble I can help with?

Koga shook his head, and Arbok slithered off to see how the two Ekans Koga was also keeping were doing.

Surge poured himself another glass of whiskey, ignoring the glare Sabrina cast this way.

< If you’re asking me out on a date I don’t appreciate this. >
“Oh no. I was wondering, why aren’t you enlisting Red in a military academy or something?”

Sabrina nearly dropped her iced tea, but regained control swiftly. < WHAT! >

“It’s good training for a boy.”

< Not in a million years, Koga is already training him, and so will I if he needs me to. > Sabrina retorted.

“Your loss.”

Surge took a gulp of the alcohol, smiling as its pleasant warmth ran down his chest and into his belly.

Sabrina shook her head. * This cannot be the best Team Rocket has to offer. Seriously. *

She took another bite of the Caesar Salad and drummed her fingers on the table as she waited for her Chicken Marsala to arrive.

As soon as the meal was over, she would go back and see how Red was settling down. * Little brother should be fine, right?*

Hopefully, Koga wouldn’t push him too hard… no, why worry?

Red was a smart kid.

Plus, Janine could keep an extra eye on him.

“And so it ends.” Lance said, not looking back as Team Aqua pursued him to the edge of a waterfall.

“Stop or we’ll shoot!”

Lance smirked, raised his hands, and fell backwards.

“Argh! Someone catch him! He’s stolen the Blue Orb!”

“No, you incompetent fool!” Archie raged, berating the executive and his Mantine who had taken off after them. “It might be a trap!”

Sizzling noises were heard, and when the dust cleared, Archie discovered to his horror that all of his agents had vanished.

What the-?

“Kyogre’s a water type I don’t really owe any allegiance to, but I’m just helping out.” Lance said as he snapped his fingers. * After all, I do control water… *

Plus, it might forestall against a new Houen Chosen being created.

Archie felt his legs give away, turn to water almost, as he slumped forward on the dusty ground.

The cascade roared into white foam inches away from his face.

Steel wings glinted as the sky was quickly crossed. The elderly couple on Mt. Pyre was most grateful when they discovered the missing Blue Orb had reappeared.

It was lucky, very lucky…

The Red Orb glowed next to the blue, and the balance of earth and water stayed still for the time being.

End Chapter

Yes, I did some Lance snippets.

Complete 5/6/04