I know, got challenged to do this by Spirit Hellfire! So I’ll give it a try!

DISCLAIMER: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me.

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

Challenge: Make one with Lance as a sworn enemy. Make it so the Ash should want to hate him like killing his Aunt Sabrina and sister Erika. For torturing his Father (Giovanni) and then killing him, and having his mother watch all of it before killing her. And instead of a living relative (Blaine) to take the 2year old in, or the family best friend Prof. Birch (single. I hate Brendan. Go Wally. YAH YAH. Go Shuu/Drew YAH YAH.) He is given to Prof. Oak and the other two aren't allowed to communicate to Ash ever. A loophole is that they can send things to him like letters and presents. At age 9 he is given a special license to let him leave then. With his black Charmander (from Blaine), Scyther and a Absol (from Prof. Birch), a, to Oak, worthless Eevee, and Aron (from Oak) he is ready to seek his revenge, and be reunited with his family, and find the "brother" (Mewtwo) he never knew of. I hear that Mewtwo has some a Giovanni’s DNA. And could you make Wally and Shuu/Drew his travel friends?

As a bonus, I’ll try to write Charlotte in since Spirit Hellfire seems to like her… unfortunately, I don’t know _anything_ about Wally or Shuu/Drew… except in the game, sorry! I don’t do exact plots! And might you spell/grammar check your e-mails? It was a bit of an annoyance having to run a LONG checking program through your request to find out what it was…

Started 10/3/04

Chapter 1

It was dark and cold and dark and cold and dark and cold. Water dripped as the man clutched his terrified wife to his heart.

Outside, the council waited.

< Giovanni Ketchum, you are on trial for the heinous deaths of fifty-six pokemon dead at your hands. How do you plead? >

“Guilty!” The man glared at the pokemon. “How dare you try to judge me?”

< Silence. > The Honou boomed. < You have no place to ask! >

His wife, Delia cried, tears dripping down her face like rain. “Please… don’t kill my husband… he may be cruel but he was always kind to me…”

< That means nothing. > Honou spoke sharply. < He pleaded guilty. Now it is time for him to accept the punishment. >

Honou, Lugia, and Serebii were the three judges.

There were pokemon there to testify, lesser, but…

“I curse you all to the deepest pits of hell!” Giovanni roared. “I’ll never accept-.” His voice was drowned up by a choked gasp, as a thin rapier appeared through his chest.

Delia’s horrified eyes met icy gold as she trembled where she was, still holding Giovanni tightly. The boy could not possibly be more than five or six years old, dressed in a simple white robe. But…

< Is that it, Father? >

< Hai, Chosen. > Lugia said paternally, as the boy climbed onto his back, still carrying that bloodstained sword. < It is time to leave now. >

With that, the birds all took off, leaving Delia alone, as no sound came from the corpse she now held…

Four months later, she gave birth to a son and named him Ashura, but she died within a year past. Grief? Postnatal syndrome? Assassination? No one knew for sure…

Professor Oak did not want a child on his hands. On the other hand, he could not risk anyone knowing the truth.

For although the child had not seen Giovanni’s death, Delia had… and there were instances of memories passing from parent to child.

If he knew, then he might know the truth beneath what appeared to be truth. Well, Blaine was Ash’s only living relative, but the man was no doubt much too old to have a grandson… yes, both Sabrina and Erika were his older cousins, they’d been in their teens and they might have been able to take him, but they had died as well, odd… it was very strange.

So…

Well, why not? Professor Birch had always wanted a child. He’d send a message to Houen and ask. Birch had been Giovanni’s friend.

It should work.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Giovanni’s will gave Oak custody of Ash after his relatives. Why in the world…

Pity.

Blaine tried to argue the ruling, even going so far as to ask Birch for help, which he tried his best to, but…

No use.

Can’t go against a deceased’s last will…

Oak didn’t _want_ the child! It seemed he had no choice though. Oh well. It wasn’t even his!
Then he wouldn’t bother taking good care of it.

Stupid child.

< Father. >

< Chosen? >

Lance was busy polishing his dragon blades. They were silversteel, forged in dragon’s fire and dragon’s ice of dragon’s blood and tears, from the fallen feathers in his silversteel wings. Sharp-edged…

His unnatural golden eyes met Lugia’s as he frowned. < Why does everyone hate me? Is it because I’m still a child? >

< Everyone doesn’t hate you, Chosen. I love you. So do your aunts and uncles… > that meant the other legendary pokemon.

< Hai, but… >

< Humans are dangerous, Chosen. They will try to kill us. >

Lance nodded. < So it was right of me to kill Giovanni? >

< Yes. I told you to do it, didn’t I? >

< Hai. And you’re not wrong, Father. >

< No. Be at peace, my child. >

Calm now, Lance returned to his task. After polishing, he picked the blades up and began the Dragon’s Dance…

< Was I right to kill her too? >

< Of course. She needed peace. Once the child was born and could survive without its mother, we gave her that peace. >

< She didn’t cry when I killed her. >

< Then you did well. >

Lugia shook his head. Lance should quit worrying about humans and their problems. His duty was just to eliminate those who were a threat.

Besides, he wanted to keep his child safe.

_My_ child…

He was five when he realized he hated Oak.

Ash was hiding in his room, clutching his birthday presents to his chest. He tried not to cry, really, but…

It was so _hard_!
Stupid Gary. Well, no, it probably wasn’t Gary’s fault. A baby can’t help what it does. But why blame me?

Gary was the one who dropped his milk on the floor and caused Grandma Agatha to slip and break her hip.

Why is it my fault?

Grandma Agatha understood!

Why can’t grandfather? Wait, he told me not to call him that… I mean Oak…

Ash?

Charmander climbed up next to Ash. Ash?

A bruise was already forming on the child’s face.

“Why does he hate me?” Ash whispered as he hugged Charmander, trying not to cry because if he did it would put out Charmander’s tail flame and…

Then Charmander would die and that _would_ be his fault!

This Charmander had been a birthday present from Blaine last year… Oak said he was too young to have pokemon and wouldn’t give it to him, but…

This was a rare black charmander and it was _his_.

When Oak had tried to take it, Charmander had bit him and then he had gotten to keep Charmander.

“You’re my only friend.”

Don’t say that Ash!

“It’s true…”

Besides, Oak wouldn’t let him train Charmander, so it was just a pet pokemon. He sniffled as he tried to concentrate.

Shakily, he untied the packaging.

A letter and some photographs from Blaine and a cute red-and-white vest was in the first; in the second was a letter from Birch, a few more photos and a stuffed Pikachu doll.

My dear grandson,

How are you? My legs have been getting better. I might even be out of the wheelchair soon. The hot springs in Cinnabar are really doing wonders for my health.

I’m sorry I’m not allowed to see you. Here’s a picture of Magmar and me; we’re wishing you a happy birthday!

Are the Oaks treating you well? Are you getting enough to eat? How is Charmander?

Remember to write back soon!

You loving grandfather,

Blaine ^-^

Ash smiled as he leafed through the photos of his grandfather and his pokemon, feeling better.

No, Oak didn’t starve him; he just didn’t like most of the green yucky stuff. And Grandma Agatha was nice, except she was almost always at Indigo Plateau…

Ash began writing a letter back. Then, he opened Birch’s. Cute Pikachu doll!

Maybe… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad…

END CHAPTER

Completed 10/3/04

I’m trying my best, although I hate strict parameters!

Lance: Dear me…

Phantomness: Quiet! I didn’t decide this plot!
Ash: At least that means there won’t be lemon, right?

Kairo: You never know…

Shoyko: ARGH! DARKFIC! *Cries*

Pika-chan: I doubt I’ll see fluff until later, oh well…