Wai~! Another chapter! Ah, ecology…

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 2

Lance returned a few hours later, covered with rain and looking soaked. He must have fallen into a body of water or something. Ash handed him a towel, which he accepted, than began to talk.

“I think that the rest has done me some good.”

“What did you remember?”

“Some people… Professor Oak and Elm, a girl with long pink hair, Misty and Brock, my cousin Charlotte, Morty from Ecruteak….”

“Interesting.” Lance said quietly. “Well, I suppose that’s what we’ll figure out.”

“Hmm?”

“Here, I have some antivenin…”

“You mean antidote?”

“Yes, exactly.” Lance said. “Would you like to try it?”

Ash hesitated. He wasn’t about to drink an unknown concoction, but Lance had no reason to dislike him, right?

The diary function on the PokeNav hadn’t indicated any hostility… more like the opposite end of the spectrum.

They were friends at least, he gathered that much, although some of the entries had indicated more… Ash flushed and hoped that nothing severely damaging to his body had happened. No way!

“So, here you go.” He accepted the flask of purple liquid and took a sip. It made his head feel better almost immediately, as the migraine from staring at his PokeNav screen glare was immediately gone.

Lance was… one of Erika’s cousins, if he remembered correctly. He specialized in more poison than plant-type pokemon, and he had Arbok and Seviper with him as his companions. He was well versed in Herblore as well, which was useful since they were in a forest full of potential medicines….

Yes, another part of this expedition was to decide which areas should be set aside as a Pokemon Reserve. They couldn’t preserve the entire jungle, as it was economically faulty to do so, but perhaps the most valuable parts could be left alone and the rest open to trainers? That was the plan.

Never mind poachers and those things…

“I miss you.”

“Hmm? Lance, were you talking to me?”

Lance made a shushing sound and Ash realized that he was talking on the phone function of his PokeNav. With a shrug, he walked a few feet away so he wouldn’t eavesdrop. That was impolite.

“Yes, I know, don’t worry everything is still proceeding according to schedule… we won’t fail you, Professor Oak.”

With that, he hung up and turned to Ash.

“How long do we have left?”

“Another two weeks here in this jungle. That’s all the time that he’s allotted us. Pity, but there’s nothing we can do.”

Lance sounded almost as if he wanted to stay. Ash found that very odd. He didn’t mind camping, but something in Lance’s tone belied long-term stay… why?

He could investigate later. For now, all he really wanted to do was rest…

“Lance?”

“Yes, Ash?”

“What are you doing?”

Lance smiled. “Sketching what I saw today.” He indicated several large pieces of white tag board tacked up around the camp. Ash suppressed a smile.

“Why don’t you take electronic notes like I do?”

“I don’t know…. It just seems unfair…” Lance frowned. “Don’t worry, we’ll do well on this report.”

“Er, okay…”

What in Mew’s name was Lance being so antsy about? Surely… they had been working together for almost a year, so it wasn’t the uneasiness of a new partner. What was it then?

He didn’t like to delve into unknowns, but if push came to shove, he would find out what was plaguing his partner! Otherwise, it would be bad! They needed to concentrate to get this job done!

Still, Lance was an awfully good artist, and had captured several plants perfectly. Ash idly wondered if he drew animals. Probably…

For a long while, there was only silence broken by the soft scratch of pencil lead against paper. Finally, Lance yawned and looked up at the moon. “It’s late, Ash. Let’s go to bed.”

“Sounds good.” Ash nodded, as he changed into his Pikachu-print pajamas and climbed into his sleeping bag.

Tomorrow would be another day, and he’d actually get to leave camp.

Sure enough, the next morning dawned bright and early with dew clinging to the plants around their camp and to the tent, Ash stood up suddenly and wound up quite soaked, as he bumped into the tent covered with water. Lance stifled a laugh and tossed him a towel.

They were minimizing human impact on the ecosystem, so it was better not to use their pokemon too much…

“So where are we going today, Lance?”

Lance pulled out their rough map – it was copied in both hardcopy and on their PokeNavs. “Here.” Lance pointed to an area next to the meandering river that ran not far by their stream, quite a long ways upstream. “We’ll stat mapping from there. Be careful, there are some rare anticoagulants there.”

“What?”

“They’re plants that stop bleeding.”

“Oh…”

That was quite important, Ash had to admit. He wondered if Lance was taking samples. He probably was, to analyze back home in Indigo…

Somehow it didn’t bother Ash. He liked nature, and the more they studied nature, the more he could enjoy it. He liked pokemon biology after all…

“Are we splitting up?”

“Do you want to investigate the left or the right bank?”

“I’ll take left.” Ash grinned.

“All right. I’ve heard rumors about poisonous scorpions in the area so be careful, all right?”

“I will!” Ash promised with a smile.

Poisonous scorpions! Really, did they even exist now? Surely they had gone extinct years and years ago when pokemon became the dominant life forms on earth…

Ash scoffed as he walked down the road to the river, before releasing his Golduck. Within moments, they had surfed through the rapids and were now at the left bank. As took out his PokeNav and turned on the Camera ability it possessed, ready to take pictures of anything interesting he might encounter.

We’re here, Master.

“Thanks, Golduck.” Ash replied with a grin. “I guess our investigation starts now.” With that, he looked around and began cataloguing the vegetation, matching pictures in his PokeNav with the plants he recognized, taking pictures of the ones he didn’t for Lance to identify.

There were curiously few pokemon, but many tiny insects… a stark deviation from what they had expected.

Maybe the pokemon were hiding? But that was impossible. Even if most of the species lived underground… they could not hide forever, could they?

His PokeNav was not registering any pokemon species as he scanned though. With a sigh, Ash wondered if Lance was faring any better. If this project failed, Emerald Jungle would be cut down and part of it would become agriculture, another a Pokemon Ranch, and the rest another city…

What a waste.

Meanwhile, at the other bank, Lance filtered water through several flasks and sighed at what emerged.

“What’s wrong?” A voice asked, and he jumped, seeing a woman in a pale green robe materialize. Recognizing her, Lance sank down to one knee, never mind the fact that he was in a river.

“Now, none of that!” The Emerald Lady chided. “You hail from Viridian, my sister’s abode. You are truly one of her children.”

“Nothing lives here.” Lance said dully. “Even the water, though clear it may be, holds little life… even the insects have gone.”

“Perceptive. Do you know why?”

“I can guess.” Lance said quietly, still not meeting her eyes.

The goddess sighed as she placed a kiss on his forehead. “Sleep then, and forget my visit. Until you learn to see the truth behind the actions, it is too dangerous to allow you our secrets.”

“Is that wise, sister?” Another voice asked, another figure fading in, only her robe was a green almost black. “He is one of ours…”

“But he knows not yet his purpose, and it maybe dangerous if he continues without that. It will not harm him.”

“I know.”

“Then fret you not, my sister. I know he is one of your children and you care for him fondly, yet this is my protectorate, not yours…”

Viridian nodded as she faded into mist and vanished.

End Chapter

Completed 12/14/05

Yep, in this fic, the Viridian Forest’s spirit is Lance’s mother…