*Waves* Hi all

 

Chapter 12: Resolution

 

            “Lance-chan…”
            Lance was sitting on the edge of a cliff, thinking again.

            Ash flew over to her.

            “Ash?”

            “I-I… I’m sorry.”
            “Why are you sorry? It’s his fault.” Lance said. “I just want to kill him for his ignorance.”

            “He’s not Chosen like us.”

            “I know, but that doesn’t make me feel any better.” Lance said. “Why do we need them anyway?”

            “We don’t.” Ash said.

            Lance nodded, as Ash put his arms around her. “I’m just tired. Tired of all this world and its idiots.”

            “Lance-chan…”

            “I’ll live, don’t worry. I don’t die that easily.”

            “I’m glad.” Lance said, before she smiled and kissed him. It was gentle, soft…

            So sweet…

 

            She was pure, fresh air in a stifling darkness.

            She liked darkness, but this was different. Brock was a real thorn in her side. He could see that even if he was Brock’s friend.

            But if he really put them on a scale, he would choose Lance-chan.

            She was his dark angel, his protector forever, and the one who really held his heart. No denial.

            Ash leaned into the kiss.

            The world could take care of its own affairs. He just wanted her.

            Yes…

 

            Science had become the old sow that eats its children. Humanity had played with fire it should not have touched in the beginning, and now the fires were raging far beyond their control. The oil of intellect was wasted. The lives of many were tossed into the garbage heap. Power always came at a price, and perhaps now they were finally realizing that did not want to pay it. What Ash and his team of ‘rebels’ did was simply speed up the process. It was inevitable that the population would descend into chaos or civil war.

            It was barely one in five hundred chances of survival, if the operation worked.

            If the operation worked was always a question.

            Imperfect knowledge, immune system suppressors… oh yes those worked temporarily, but what happened when the supply ran out? And if the body developed immunity, then the new cells would be destroyed.

            The body would implode on itself, because the mutated cells would fight against the normal and vice versa.

            It would turn once a human into a battleground, science versus nature. And it did not matter who won, not at all, for death would be a blessing throughout the pain.

            Multiply cancer, for at least cancer transplanted cells used to be the body’s own, and they were possible to regress. But oh, there was no way to undo the operation to poke-human.

            Pity.

            Yes, but they had made their choices.

 

            Ash simply felt sorry for the ones who hadn’t volunteered. Yes, intellect was dangerous in the wrong hands, and with a paranoid government who knew what might happen?

The poor souls… Even if they lived through the dangers, there was always the risk of losing identity. Death was better than that. A mind-controlled slave of the government with only a few weeks of life was no life at all.

After Mewtwo’s failure, hadn’t the scientists understood what unrestrained experimentation could lead to?

            He hoped they were reaping the fruits of their folly. Few still lived; he and Lance had attacked just about every known base and even most of the secret ones.

            Gary’s skills at hacking were superb.

            There was less than a handful left, from the millions of biotech companies that had jumped into this fiasco eagerly, anything for power.

            Now, the price was being paid.


            That path had already been convoluted and unclear but now it just got worse.

            Sooner or later, it would snap.

            The balance of nature itself was in danger, as both Chosen tried to hold back the inexorable destruction.

            One dead, to power up another. Two living, to fight the war… three Chosen, tools of the legendaries, simple pawns…

            No, that was not quite true.

            Chosen did have their own lives, but the duty tied them down. And soon time would run out.

            Mother Earth would have had enough.

            The time would come.

            It had to come, the stirrings were forming and the gates to the dream realm could open any moment, if that was the cleansing method the guardians chose.

           

            Lance noticed Ash’s prolonged silence and looked at him worriedly.

            “Don’t leave me.” He whispered.

            “Little one, I won’t.” She promised. “You know.”

            “Hai…”

            And he believed her, because she was shining darkness but the dark was his friend, and it would protect him.

            She didn’t use those scientific methods. She didn’t kill innocents by surgical and unethical means.

            She didn’t try to gain power by butchering pokemon and using the parts, killing more if they didn’t fit.

            No. She was there for him, and with him, and she would stay.

            Stay…

            He didn’t even flinch as they slipped into oblivion.

            The darkness was so pretty…

 

 

            Meanwhile,

            Brock stared at Cindy, who was coughing.

            “Cindy, do you have a cold?”

            She shook her head. “No… but my chest hurts.”

            “You must have gotten pneumonia from being out in the cold. Don’t worry.’ Brock fixed her a cup of superheated milk with vitamins in it and added some chocolate syrup.

            “Here you go, drink it up.’

            Cindy took the chocolate milk and obediently drank it all.

            Slowly the spasms subsided.

            Brock sighed in relief inwardly. * Thank Lugia she’s okay… *

 

            Under Whirl Islands, Lugia stirred, but did not wake from self-imposed slumber.

 

End Chapter