Hi~!

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 8

< He’s figuring it out. >

< As can be expected. There were enough hints, I hope. >

< Ah child, you can be so cruel… >

< Cruel? Father! >

< Just teasing, dear heart. He will call you soon enough. >

Lance smiled and did not reply.

Ash was in tears at the end of the meeting. Nothing had worked out; the Council had gone on ahead without the Elite’s consent and destroyed Mount Moon and the Safari Zone preserve…

All those pokemon – dead, because he hadn’t been able to argue well enough!

He locked the door to his room, flopped down onto the black satin sheets, and began to cry like a lost child. He still was a child, barely thirteen, but with the responsibility of one much older…

“I wish… I wish Lance were here… he’d know what to do…”

Aster looked at Ash worriedly, but she and the other pokemon left him alone.

He had read through all the reports – almost three year’s worth, but oh, he felt so inadequate…

I wish he were here…. I’m grateful for all that he’s done beyond the grave, but I want to meet him… oh, that’s stupid, he’s dead you idiot!

< Are you sure? > The barest brush of a whisper in his mind.

Ash nodded. Great. Now he was hearing voices…

< What would you say to him, if you met him? >

“If I met him?” Ash frowned. “Thank you, I suppose, for all the help he’s given me.” He blushed. “And… um… well, I’d ask if we could be friends.”

< Would you? >

“He sounds wonderful… I mean, I’d like to be his friend… and maybe, maybe…”

< Maybe? >

“There’s a one-fourth chance that he could have been in love with me, right? That’s… it makes me feel all fluttery inside… it’s a nice feeling. I know I probably don’t deserve it, but… I think I fell in love with him, which is stupid since he’s dead, but I can’t help it!”

< Would you love him then? >

“I think I would…” Ash touched a hand to his lips softly. “I think I could learn to love him…”

And then there was pressure against his lips and gentle eyes meeting his and he squeaked in surprise but-!

It felt nice…

Crimson-tipped gold and silver met his vision, golden eyes; the apparition was wearing black, lovely shimmering darkness…

“L-Lance?”

“Who else?” A smile. “After all, you never bothered to put up any security here.”

“But you’re dead! I saw you die on T.V.! And… did you just kiss me?”

“No, yes, and yes.”

Ash colored brightly. “Um….”

“Do you regret it now that I’m not dead?”

“What? Of course not! I meant every word I said! Were you the creepy little voice in my head?” Ash asked suspiciously.
“Dear Lugia, no!” * although I suppose I could blame Father… *

“I don’t deserve your love… I’ve done nothing to earn it…”

“Who said you had to? I didn’t. Besides, you needed me and so I’m here to help.” Lance got up and smirked. “So, having problems with the proposal of destruction?”

Ash nodded meekly, deciding that if this were a dream, he might as well enjoy it.

“No problem.” Lance turned o the computer, placed his hands on the keyboard. “Initiate…”

A map popped up, showing little dots where the machines were. Ash watched in fascination as Lance smirked, before blue teardrop-shaped disks appeared on top of all of them and…

Rain.

It started to rain?

Wow, was this magic? Sugoi~!

“But why did you have to die?” Ash asked moments later, after the elation had worn off. “I mean, are you a ghost?”

“Do I feel solid?”

Ash poked Lance in the chest and nodded. Then he frowned. “Um…”

“Feels like metal, doesn’t it?”

“How did you know? Oh, that sounded stupid!” Ash blushed as Lance stripped off his jacket, baring his chest. There was a lovely tattoo of a sword, but somehow, as he touched it, blushing all the while, he knew that it was more than that.

And he… on the edge of his mind, skitters…something, a piece of information… “I… last time, I killed you, didn’t I? Something about Team Aqua…”

“I died for your sake. I’ll always die for you.”

“But why?”

“Because I love you.” Lance tapped Ash on the nose. “Somehow, you have a hard time believing that. It’s odd….”

“I just met you though!”

“Did you? Didn’t you say that you felt as if you knew me? That you could fall in love? Does my being here change anything?”

Ash slowly traced the outline on Lance’s chest with a fingertip, and then shook his head. “No… not at all… I trust you…”

“That’s the way it’s meant to be.”

There was silence for a few moments, before Ash ventured another question. “So you’ll stay with me now?”

“Mm. I suppose so. Why? Do you want me to leave?”

“No!” The vehemence of his own statement startled him. How could he be so attached to someone he had known in the flesh for less than an hour. And yet, when he thought of the entries he’d read and the feelings he had, he knew that it was more than that.

I trust him.

I love him…

And that’s all that counts.

End Fic!
Completed 6/14/05

Phantomness: YAY! DONE! AND IT’S NOT AN ANGST! PRAISE ME!

Lance: ^^