Whee! Another chapter!
^-^

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 4

Lance was busy getting acquainted with his new Dratini when a familiar face, if not voice, intruded.

“So you’re the one…”

“Hello father.” Lance said, raising an eyebrow. “I was wondering when you would show up.”

“How did you know?”

“Oh, it was easy. I tapped some of the pokemon’s memories.” Lance said, as a pale yellow glow formed around his fingers. “Like you can.”

“Smart one.” Giovanni laughed. “Well, we can’t have you living out on the streets, can we?”

“You want me to live with you?”

“What’s so strange about that?”

“Nothing.” Lance said. “Well, let’s go then.” His pokemon vanished inside their poke balls as he followed Giovanni back to Team rocket HQ.

“So you chose Dragon-type just the same?”

“Yes. I didn’t choose earth like you father.” Lance said. “Dragon is still my type, I can feel it.”

“Well, I suppose… here, you can use this room for now.” Giovanni opened the door, revealing a bed, a closet, and a desk. Lance thanked him, and then Giovanni went back to work feeling slightly better.

He would show his son around tomorrow.

Are you sure this is safe?

“Miniryuu, this is the safest place for us right now.” Lance said, as he groomed first one dratini, than the other. He had changed from his black catsuit into another one, only this boasted a red ‘R’ on the front.

Like blood.

But it feels so dark…

The dark is prettier than the light most of the time, children. Hakuryuu said in her gentle voice. You’ll see.

O-okay…

Lance finished, and then brought up a map of HQ on the PC sitting at his desk. After a few hours of studying, he went exploring.

Giovanni looked intrigued when Lance showed up in his office the next morning.

“What do you want me to do, father?”

“My, you certainly learn fast.” Giovanni said. “Ready for a first mission so soon?”

“I beat James, didn’t I?”

“Yes… you did. Well, we should start out simply then. How are you at thievery?”

Lance shrugged his shoulders elegantly. “Good enough. How do you think I kept Dragonair and myself fed? Beating seven gyms in two years is not close to enough, and dragons eat a lot.”

“Well then.” Giovanni said. “By the end of today, I want you to bring me six pokemon. No pidgey or rattata, you know.”

“Accepted.” Lance replied softly before he left.

In three hours he was back.

“Slowpoke. Chansey. Ivysaur.” Lance said. “She’d just gotten out of the Safari Zone. “Rhyhorn and Dugtrio. And… Miltank.”

Giovanni sighed. “Well, at least you got my skill.”

“Perhaps, I just improvised on it.” Lance replied. “What’s next?”

“Take the day off, tomorrow we’re going down to the labs.”

Lance nodded. “Evaluate and see how good I am?”

“Yes.”

“That’s fair enough.”

There was a shimmer, a sparkle, and he was gone.

“How does he do that? I’m a Viridian empath with more experience and I don’t know…”

Persian shrugged.

Beedrill buzzed.

Giovanni made a mental note to pay close attention at the tests tomorrow.

You are very unconcerned, Master?

“I cannot take the test of Dragon’s Mastery until I am fourteen or older.” Lance replied. “You know that.”

So why are you here?

“Because, _he_ will never look here.” Lance said. “And I do not ever wish to see him again.”

I see…

I’m hungry.

Me too?

Can we go get dinner, Lance?

That sounds good to me.

Lance picked up the two dratini, and they had a fairly good dinner in the canteen, even though salad wasn’t quite the same as fresh seaweed, but they managed.

Dragonair stuffed herself on salmon and tuna and felt much better.

It was good to be full. Sure, she didn’t starve, and it had kept her lean, but still, it was a treat to fill up.

Especially since the food was tasty. Yum!

< Chosen… >

Lance stirred in his sleep.

< Come to me, Chosen… when you have walked the darkness and seen its true form, come to me… >

Hakuryuu curled herself protectively around Lance’s bed to protect him from possible attackers.

There weren’t many.

The two Dratini had proved their worth well, having kicked out three rockets already. Lance made a mental note to tell his father.

Strange, he could have sworn someone was talking to him, but it wasn’t one of his pokemon. Closing his eyes, Lance went back to sleep and left weird dreams for daylight to analyze.

He was probably just nervous about the medical tests.

End Chapter

Completed 6/20/04