_Long_ fic, but I’m trying not to time jump… really! Bear with me here…

Notes/Disclaimer: See an earlier chapter please. I don’t own pokemon, which is the most important point. Don’t take my writing!

Chapter 20

Once upon a time, it snowed.

“I love winter!” Ash cheered, as they engaged in a snowball fight with many other furious rockets.

Lance smiled. “So do I.”

Winter was all sparkling and cold, and best of all it _always_ killed weaklings.

He dodged a snowball, scooped up a handful of slush, and sent it flying at an unsuspecting rocket.

“Yeow!”

“This is a war zone, take no prisoners!” Ash said, pelting the opposition with many, many snowballs.

The rocket frowned, but laughed.

It was just difficult to be angry with such a cheerful kid…

However, something just seemed… off.

What was it? He couldn’t really tell…

Lance smiled as he dodged a snowball. “Too slow!”

Ash frowned, but then lobbed three at once. “Oh yeah? Say that again!”

“He got you pretty good.” Giovanni said, observing from a safe vantage point in his office with binoculars.

Lance stuck out his tongue and then pounced on Ash before stuffing a handful of snow down the back of his shirt.

“Ah! Cold!”

“Hehehehe….”

Ash frowned, but felt better when Jessie came out with a tray of hot chocolate. “Anyone want some?”

“Yay!”

Giovanni looked at the two keenly as they sat together. * Hmm… well, I suppose it wouldn’t be so odd if my suspicions were proven… *

Ash wasn’t a bad Rocket, he was just too hyper, which was why he had been partnered with Lance.

Lance was always calm in the face of adversary. That was a very valuable and expedient trait.

They made a good team.

But really, they were still children… wasn’t it a bit harsh, or at least unrealistic for love to sprout this early? However, he himself wasn’t exactly the best judge of relationships… ah, as long as it didn’t interfere with their duties, why bother.

Giovanni stroked his Persian’s head and went back to his paperwork. Mountains and mountains of it… yuck.

Still, he had better get going on the Leaning Tower of Important Documents before it exploded or something. Who knows, sometimes people (mainly junior trainers) who lost at the Viridian gym weren’t too happy…

“Rattata, use Bite!”

Giovanni resisted he urge not to slap his forehead as Kingler whacked Rattata away with a claw. * Being a gym leader really, really is a pain most of the time. *

“Oh no! Go Pidgey!”

“… Bubblebeam.”

The trainer defeated, Giovanni went back to his office to work. * I ought to hire a few junior trainers… or at least gym assistants… *

Maybe… Ash and Lance had done almost sixty missions already, and they could use a break, as they were still children after all.

“I like it.” Lance said.

Ash beamed. “Me too!”

“Very well then, you two are now my junior trainer equivalents.” Giovanni said. “It should be less tedious than your previous work.”

“Hai! Thank you!”

Lance smiled, as they backed out of his office.

“This will be much better.”
Lance nodded. “No exploring for rare pokemon in weather like that.”

Ash grinned, and they took up posts by the gym doors while they waited for a new challenger.

Mark walked in. “I challenge the gym leader for an Earth Badge!”

“That was quick.” Ash commented, as he got up. “Before you face the leader, you must defeat both of us.”

“That’ll be a cinch! Articuno, Attack!”

< An Articuno? >

< Shh… he’s trying to scare you, it’s not real. > Lance chuckled.

< Oh. >

“Charmander, I choose you!”

“Articuno, Blizzard!”

“Flamethrower!”

Dittos were only as strong as their real level, so the blizzard was quickly vaporized, thanks to the burning flames. Then, Charmander breathed out a Smog technique. Ditto accidentally breathed it in, and coughed, taking poison damage.

“Ice Beam!”

“Slash…”

Sharp claws raked through soft feathers with a loud keen of pain. Ash nodded once, and then an Ember finished.

“Well, it looks like your ‘legendary bird’ didn’t help much.”

Mark glared. “I’m not done yet! Electrode, go! Explosion!”

Charmander dove underground with Dig. Explosion missed!

Next to fall was a Bellsprout.

< He doesn’t have any more pokemon. > Lance observed, looking up from ‘Bless me, Ultima.’

< That’s good! >

“Well, you lose.” Ash said simply. “Have fun healing your pokemon at the Center.”

Mark cursed and stomped out. Loudly.

Little drifts of snow and puddles of water were left by his sneakers. Lance grabbed a mop and was almost done when a second challenger showed her face.

“No way…”

Claire didn’t recognize him, but he could see her… she still looked the same, mostly, a Dragonair was wrapped around her waist and a Kingdra followed.

He let the shadows hide his figure as Ash asked if she wanted to battle.

End Chapter

Completed 6/26/04