No, I don’t think Lance is ever completely sane.
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me. Don’t take it.
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks
Warnings: Violence, blood, insanity and all that…
Chapter 6
“Crystal?”
The next morning, Ash had woken up first. He was hesitant to wake her, though, because she might still be in a bad mood.
Sleepy lilac eyes blinked at him.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Crystal said, stretching a little. “What about you?”
“Um…” Ash kicked his macho sub-homunculus out of his head. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you sad!”
Crystal blinked.
“I mean, sorry Crys! I didn’t want to make you cry! Please don’t be mad at me…” He trailed off into silence.
She shrugged. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“All right then!” Ash cheered. “Let’s go!”
He took her off, and she smiled as she was dragged into another adventure.
“Dragonite! Hyper Beam!”
“Eek!”
“Be careful, Ash!” Lance said, as Charizard grabbed him and they flew away, behind them an avalanche sounded.
“The shrine…”
“We had to do it. If we left Articuno’s shrine standing, then someone else would try to summon the titan of ice.”
“Oh… Crys! You’re bleeding!”
“I am?” She hadn’t noticed, but there was a sizeable gash on her left arm, staining her white garments with crimson.
Ash nudged Charizard over to Dragonite. Then, he jumped onto the startled dragon’s back, carrying the first-aid kit.
“You’re going to bandage me up in midair, Ash?”
“No choice really, Crys.” Ash said, grabbing the antiseptic tightly so it wouldn’t fly away.
“Ow!”
“I’m sorry!”
“Just get it done quickly, Ash…”
Ash quickly swabbed the wound and wound clean bandages around it tightly. He even managed not to blush during the whole ordeal… which was saying a lot, since Dragonite had hit turbulence once, and he had landed on top of her, which was… er, slightly off to say the least.
But they both passed it off as just an accident.
“Crys?”
“What is it, Ash?”
“Do you think we did the right thing?”
Lance paused. “Why? If we hadn’t interfered, Millicent might have killed Articuno.”
“I see…”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine! But how’s your arm?”
Crystal smiled. “It’s healing.” * with a little boost from my dragon magic of course… but that doesn’t matter… *
“I’m sorry!”
“How many times do I have to say this? It’s not your fault.”
Ash simply hugged her tightly, making sure she was real.
It was quite interesting, really…. A pity he couldn’t remember anything. That meant, there was no love. Yet.
But at least the time would be up eventually…
Four months later…
“Crys?”
“What is it, Ash?”
“I…I think I love you.”
“That’s very sudden, Ash.”
“Is it?” He looked at her. “I’ve traveled with you for a while now, and you’ve been a really good friend.”
“Then why not just think of me that way?”
“Because… when I think of losing you, my heart hurts. Are you all right by the way?”
“I’d be hurt worse if you hadn’t pushed me out of the way of that Ice Beam.”
“I guess, but maybe we shouldn’t have been searching Seafoam for Dewgong.”
“Why?”
“Um…”
“Don’t you have to complete the pokédex? Then you have to travel all over the place! How far are you?”
“Well, I’m about three-fourths done… but are you sure you are all right?”
She glanced at her arm, which was in a sling. “I’ve been through worse.”
The genki-ness had worn off incredible fast while they were traveling. Not that he minded. Crys was still nice.
But…
Something was wrong. He could feel something bad on the wind. So he had to tell her now. “I…”
She waited patiently.
He screwed up his courage and kissed her. * Lugia, please, don’t let her slap me or mallet me… *
He was going to cry if that happened.
Instead, she kissed him back, and they both wound up crying as they sat there underneath the moon and a handy strand of trees.
“Crystal?”
“I might as well tell you now.”
Ash blinked the cobwebs from his mind, as they woke up on the grass, covered with their sleeping bags by thoughtful pokemon.
“What do you see here?”
“Um… it’s a mirror. Oh! We use it sometimes to see other people.”
“Yes, but… now what do you see.”
Ash’s eyes widened as he looked from Crystal to the image in the mirror. “But that’s impossible! You can’t be-.”
“Lance? I am Lance.”
End Chapter
Completed 6/9/04