Another chapter…

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

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

Chapter 3

So Red trained, and caught a few more pokemon, and presented Lance with eight badges within three months.

“You’ve done very well.”

“Hai.”

“So… you can join my organization.”

Lance slipped a pair of silver bracelets on Ash’s wrists. They were pretty, woven silver with a coiled dragon.

“Kakkoii…”

“There are only two others at the moment besides us. Claire and Drake.”

Red recognized the names and gaped.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll explain later. Come on.”

Red climbed on Dragonite as Lance took off. Soon, they reached a beautiful Island.

“Is this Whirl Islands?”

“Hai.”

Red followed nervously as Lance entered a cavern. He got ore nervous when he noticed Lugia.

“Ah!”

< Lugia-san. >

< Welcome. Have you brought another to the fold? >

< Hai. >

Red looked bravely at Lugia while the pokemon studied him and read his mind without notice.

< Very good choice, Chosen. Very well. Magic Grant… >

Red’s eyes widened as he felt power flooding his body. * What is this? *

Magic grant? Umbreon gasped.

Espeon looked as flabbergasted. * Wow… *

Magic Grant was only granted to those who had passed Lugia’s trials.

So… psychic… and… no, it wasn’t dragon.

It wasn’t dark either, oddly enough.

Lance looked amused. * Not thunder, but poison? Interesting. *

Poison could be strong in its own way.

Afterwards, Lance began explaining their mission.

“You see, it is not only Team Rocket that we fight.”

“Oh?”

“We of the Dragon Clan will fight all that threaten our earth.”

‘But that seems so vague.”

“Let me explain further than. We fight the companies who spend their time destroying the world. We fight the trainers who abuse their pokemon. We fight the ignorant and the black-hearted. And we kill if we must.”

“I see…”

“Do you swear you will follow our Code then?”

Red did not even hesitate. “Hai.”

Really, he didn’t think he’d have to kill people…

Oh, how wrong he was.

Barely three days later, he and Lance were scouting when they saw a man whipping his Jolteon.

< Ready? >

< Ready. >

“What are you doing?” Red asked. He was unprepared when the man swung the whip at him hard, and he didn’t do a very good job of evading.

A long cut sprouted across his chest.

It hurt and bled copiously.

Lance smirked. “Well then, that answered our question…”

In the air around him shimmered blades, hundreds of them it seemed, as he began to dance slowly with deliberate steps.

Red could not tear his eyes away as the man screamed and howled and bled.

“He deserved it, didn’t he?” Lance asked afterwards.

Red nodded, as he was busy applying Potions to the poor Jolteon.

“Do you see why we have to kill now?”

Red smiled. “Hai…”

Already the brown in his eyes was starting to lighten.

Soon they would be such a pretty blood red, Lance thought, smiling.

And if this continued, the boy would be his.

“Red, you’re still bleeding.”

Red blushed. “I know, I know, but I should take care of Jolteon first.” Well, he did have a good attitude.

That was valuable.

Plus, he would have talent… that was good… otherwise magic grant would not have worked.

He finished with the pokemon, and then Lance turned to him. “All right, shirt off. You need to get bandaged up.”

Red nodded, as Lance took out a vial of all-purpose antiseptic and smeared it over the cut, luckily there was no grit in the open wound. He couldn’t help wincing and biting his tongue though.

“Now, I’ll cheat this time and do this the easy way.” Lance said.

Red blinked, before Lance placed his fingers on his chest and glowed.

Well, literally glowing blue, and it was a pretty blue, but that wasn’t the point. He stared in shock as torn flesh re-knitted.

“Is that?”

“Yes, that’s another one of my gifts from Lugia.”

“Kakkoii…”

“I usually use it to heal pokemon.” Lance said practically. “Now then, was there something else you needed?”

Red shook his head, and then went off to train with his pokemon while Lance scouted for danger.

Bellsprout had become a magnificent Victreebel, and Red was starting to teach him more poison attacks of various types for advantage in battle.

Umbreon and Espeon slept, while Charizard soared overhead as well.

You can never be too careful.

End Chapter

Completed 7/12/04