Title: Choices Made

Summary: Duty or love? Choose the earth, or choose a child? Whose survival is more important?

Disclaimer: If I owned pokemon, Misty would be some prostitute on a street corner and Ash would be a Pokemon Master… and with Lance. ^^

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks. Has the ‘shadow sacrifice’ from X1999 mentioned… which belongs to CLAMP

Sequel to ‘Neverland’, hopefully this one will be happier

Timeline: Post-badge 6 of Kanto, pre-Charmander’s evolution to Charmeleon

Chapter 1

Ash was watching T.V. with half a mind in the Fuchsia Pokemon Center, when the news station suddenly caught his attention. It was a meeting of the Elite Four, but…

“Lance!”

The leader of the Elite had suddenly fallen over in the middle of his speech. Lorelei and Agatha rushed to his side, but he shook his head.

“I’m sorry! My time is up…. Father, forgive me… I tried… but I was too weak after all…” His poke balls opened in several bright flashes, revealing Dragonite, Aerodactyl, Gyarados, his two Dragonair…

“Run, and save yourselves.” He gasped, blue eyes wide with pain. “Move!” The dragons didn’t wait to be told twice, they streaked off, wing-beats bright…

And then he screamed.

It wasn’t a human scream, it was wordless, but obviously someone could hear it, because all of a sudden, the clouds darkened outside, and thunder flashed, and heavy rain began to fall…

And…

The force of the explosion threw the closest watchers and bureaucrats back, as the Champion literally burst into flames…

And when the flames cleared, only a badly burnt corpse lay there, barely recognizable as being human…

The newscast abruptly cut off, the other Elite must have stopped it… how horrible… to die on T.V. like that…

Ash shuddered as he looked away from the television, wishing he hadn’t seen that. How terrible… he shivered as Nurse Joy came back with his pokemon and wished him a good day.

What’s wrong, Ash? Pikachu asked with a frown. I thought you were happy since you just got the Soul Badge!

“I was, until I saw what happened. Pikachu what’s going on outside?”

Pikachu peered out of the window, having just been released from the poke ball after healing, and gasped.

It looks like it’s going to flood!

“I know. Something’s wrong.” Ash quickly explained what had just happened on television. Pikachu frowned.

I don’t know. This seems too close to be mere coincidence, Ash… she looked worried. Something is up, and I wish I knew what…

“I can’t believe he just died like that!”

Me neither. That’s not a normal death. Human combustion is a very rare thing, you know, and while on T.V.? That can’t just be coincidence…

“Huh?”

I think he meant for people to see this, or maybe… pokemon or something, but why? Who would want people to watch them die?

Ash shrugged and then wondered how Misty and Brock were. They had gone shopping, and now that it was raining… maybe they were taking refuge in the mall?

That was probably it.

He checked on his other pokemon – Charmander and Bulbasaur and Squirtle were playing tag, and Pidgeotto was snoozing…

Well, everyone seemed fine…

It was just another tragedy, rare, but people died all the time, didn’t they? And he didn’t even know Lance, so it didn’t matter…

It didn’t matter at all.

< Hush, hush, little one, you tried your best… >

Golden streaked with red met blue. < Father… it’s not good enough! I only lasted two hundred, and only fifteen with humanity… dragons are supposed to live a thousand years… >

< And most dragons aren’t the shadow sacrifice for the world either, and you’re only half… >

< Is that why I’m so weak, father, is it because I have that weak Cerulean woman’s blood in my veins as well? >

Lugia frowned. < Only partially. The other is… > He tapped a wing against Lance’s chest. The Dragon Master sighed.

< The sacred sword. Once the holder of the sacred sword, are you always the holder? Will I never be free of it? >

< Never. No matter which of the three forms you take; dear child, no matter whether you are the Child of Ice, the Dragon Master, or the Master of Dark Illusions… it always remains in your heart. No matter how many secondary forms you may create by stretching life, you will never be free from it… >

< Not until the Sacred Sword is no longer necessary… >

< Correct. >

Lance sighed. < I sacrificed Catelyn to the fires of hell to buy time, but tis still not enough… Tis not time enough to heal… and they see not the destruction they cause! They see nothing… why must we suffer for their sake, Father? >

< The world will end in time, child, and Serebii knows this well. >

< I only wish – ah, but what is the use of wishing. I forge my own destiny when I choose. And I hope I choose correctly… >

His red hair glittered with specks of silver and gold as Lugia shrugged, a few strands uplifted in the motion. < I wish for your happiness, my dear child. >

< Still, I don’t understand… why Misty’s mother. Why must I be related to her? Is there some blood tie I can use to control her, or vice versa? I lied last time. We really are half-siblings. >

< Shh, I know, but I can’t tell yet. >

Lance shrugged. < It was worth a try. > He looked up as his five dragons swooped in. < Did I hurt you in the burning? >

< Of course not. > Dragonite huffed. < Although Lorelei was quite worried – we had to calm her down, you know, your dear cousin, and we drove off all the cameramen before they could take a good look at your… >

< My former body, yes. I tried to erase all evidence… it wouldn’t have been good for them to find out my true gender. >

< Heh, barely bones left. > Aerodactyl chuckled. < Good work. >

< That’s good… >

< Sleep now, child. > Lugia warned. < Although you switched forms, the effects may still carry. You’ve lost most of your energy. >

< Yes, father… >

Lance’s eyes closed as Lugia spread a wing over him. The two dragonairs smiled a bit at the sight, and then closed their eyes in slumber as well.

The rest of the dragons followed.

They would sleep far longer than a few nights…

End Chapter 1

Completed 6/10/05

Ugh… 7 straight hours of training… tired…

Ash: You finally have inspiration?
Phantomness: Espero que si!

Lance: That means ‘I hope so’

Kairo: I hope so too!
Shoyko: Why must you write darkfic and torture me so? Why?

Pika-chan: Since she’s Phantomness! Darkfic authoress! *Laughs*