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 12: More Confessing

Ash nearly panicked when he saw Lance. Fortunately, Ho-oh kept a grip on him.

< Now, even though you’re not my first Chosen, I need you to hear me out, so don’t attack him. >
< O-okay… > Ash said.

Apparently the thunderwave had also unblocked a good portion of his memories. Well, good things sometimes come from bad ones.

He did remember Lance, but… it was muddled.

Well, sometimes a boy, sometimes a girl, on the whim of fate and even her own desire.

Taking another peek at his would-be rapist, Ash noticed that the crazy light had completely vanished.

“What? But…”

< Lugia doesn’t like snapped Chosen, but that has nothing to do with this matter. > Honou said. < Now, care to explain? >

< Certainly. > Lance said, crossing his arms.

“Ash… I’m afraid to say that this has all been an elaborate test.”
“A… test?”
Lance nodded, as he kept a safe distance away. “Forgive me.”

“For what?”
“Everything.” Lance sighed. “Even if I was frustrated and insecure, I should not have been playing with your life.”

“… What?”

“I hope you don’t hate me… in either form.” Lance said, before he shifted back into Catelyn.

Ash took a few deep breaths. Actually… it made sense!

Plus, from a snippet of the past, he could see that Lance’s name had been Catelyn.

And with her powers of water, including cursed springs, Lance could have two forms without trouble. Heck, she had three forms as a realm guardian.

So… it was… fine!

Catelyn was the child of ice, and Lance the Dragon Master.

Having sorted all this out, Ash snapped back to reality.

“Test. Why did you test me?”

“You’d have to see a particular set of memories to get the answer to that.”
“Normally, you just talk…” Ash frowned. “I don’t listen, do I? Of course I don’t, I’m too busy enjoying your touch and thinking about myself. I let a lot of good advice go wasted. So you just took direct action, right?”

“Quite insightful of you.”

“So, now that that’s all straightened out…” Ash paused. “You seduced me!”
“I know I did.”

Ash turned beet red. “But Catelyn’s so cute and innocent…”

< Cute and innocent? > An incredulous voice asked. < Wrong Chosen, Thunder’s child. >

< Huh? >

Lugia poked his head in the window. < I hope this wasn’t a private party. >

< AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! >

Lance grabbed Ash and kissed him. That effortlessly shut him up.

“L-lance-chan…” Ash blushed.

The two legendary birds immediately exited. After all, you never knew where this might lead.

And if the Chosen got bonded, so much the better!

“I hurt you, didn’t I?” The Dragon Master mused.

“But I’ve hurt you, too…”

“That doesn’t make it right!” Lance cried, as he shattered a good number of the hotel windows in frustration. “And it certainly does not endear you to me! What was I thinking!”

“Like me.” Ash supplied helpfully. “I’ve taken revenge many times.”

“This is different.”

“And how so? At least you only confused my emotions instead of killing me.”

“That’s worse, Ash.”

“You know… it seems we wind up hurting the people we love most, don’t you say? Whether intentional or unintentional, it happens.”

“And?” The trainer prodded.

“You never cried when I hurt you…” Ash whispered. “You always were strong, and you continued taking care of me…”

Lance shook his head. “I cannot say I had noble intentions.”

“But you stayed. Even though it hurt you, you did not leave me alone. You didn’t abandon me. Why?”

“Because I love you?” The trainer asked sarcastically.

“Exactly.” Ash said. “It’s not my love for you that you really are afraid of. It’s your love for me.”

“… Come again?”

“You’re afraid you don’t love me enough.”

Lance opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. After all, he mused, he had all the memories.

And, strangely enough, Ash was right.

It was often his own love that bound him tighter to the other Chosen, it clung to him like sticky syrup.

It was… obsession, in a sense.

And yet, now that his pretty little one had figured it out, why wasn’t he crying?
“If you know my love for you is fickle, why do you care for me?”

Ash started laughing almost hysterically. Fickle? Lance?

“Oh Lance-chan… you’ve blinded yourself to your own heart for so long, it must be hard to see without the shadows. Please, look without the darkness?”

“For me?”

Lance sighed, and agreed.

The next thing he knew, Ash was glomped onto him tightly. And the light was so bright, so pretty…

So… right…

And the timid little kiss just made it all so much better.

End Chapter/End of fic

I’m sure you are all dying to see what happens next, but I’ve decided to end here on a happy note. The plotbunny’s about dead anyways, so… Ja ne!
Completed 3/18/04