Whee! Another chapter!
Disclaimer/Notes: Phantomness does not own pokemon. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me…

Recap: Ash got the Cascade Badge, saved a girl from drowning who tried to mallet him… bad luck?

I use <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Chapter 8

Outside, Ash was surprised to see the girl he had rescued from drowning earlier trying to beat up another trainer who also had red hair.

Well, okay, he had pretty gold eyes, but that wasn’t the point.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Ash demanded.

Lance was getting rather irritated as Misty was attempting to mallet him. Sure, he was dodging all her rapid strikes, but…

Lance’s eyes began to glow in warning as he prepared to use dragon dance and kill this annoying little busybody.

Fortunately, at that moment Misty spotted Ash, eeped, and then attacked _him_. Unfortunately, she missed completely.

“Officer Jenny! I’m being assaulted!” Ash shrieked, hoping this ‘chicken’ solution would work. It did. Seeing Misty still trying to mallet Ash into the ground, Jenny slapped handcuffs on the girl and dragged her to the station. Ash’s childish looks helped a lot too, in that regard. Nurturing urge to the forefront of the brain there…

Lance and Ash both sighed, one in relief, one in mingled fear and surprise.

“You okay?” Ash asked, walking to Lance. * It’s my fault he was getting hit. That stupid scrawny tomboy! *

“I think so.” Lance smiled.

Ash blushed at the look. * Woah there! I’m still a kid! I don’t like anyone! *

“What’s your name?”

“Lance Dragyn.”

“I’m Ash Ketchum.”

Lance masterfully did not wince as he shook hands with Ash. This wasn’t Giovanni though, right?

He wouldn’t hurt pokemon, at least not from what Lance had seen. * Maybe I won’t have to kill him… *

His hand felt kind of nice and warm though.

Where had that thought come from? Lance chalked it up to too much Disney and wondered again why Lugia had made him watch those stupid movies. Oh well.

What to do now?

“So, are you a trainer?” Ash asked the obvious. Lance squashed the impulse to smack him and nodded.

“That’s cool! Let’s travel together!”

Well, then he’d be able to keep an eye on the boy. “Certainly.” Lance said smoothly. * This will work. I’ll have time to convert him, I hope. *

So Ash and Lance sat down on a convenient bench and began chatting. For three hours. By then, the angle of the sun indicated that food was probably necessary so Lance took Ash out and they split a large pizza.

After spending a night at the Cerulean Pokemon Center, the two of them set course for Vermillion City.

< So how goes it? >

< I have linked up with him. > Lance replied.

< Interesting. > Lugia nodded. < Good work. Celebi said you have at least six months before he finds Mewtwo. >

< Hai, Father, I will try my best. > Then, communications ended.

Meanwhile…

Birch stared at the pokemon. So Ash had really caught all of those pokemon? Wow…

His protégé had turned out well!

Ash had expressed interest in becoming a pokemon breeder. That was interesting. If he succeeded, he could become a master breeder and carry all of his pokemon with him. Birch suspected that was Ash’s true aim.

Oak frowned. Ash hadn’t contacted him, but he could wait. Where was the boy anyways?

His five-year-old grandson was busy playing with his Eevee.

Oak went back to his research and began taking notes on Eevee’s evolutions from the lecture being played over the radio.

The trip to Vermillion was quite uneventful. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, luckily.

Very lucky!

Ash yawned.

It wasn’t as if he needed more pokemon right now…after all, he had his entire ‘Hive’ ready and willing to fight for him.

Maybe being Queen wasn’t so bad.

Lance picked up on that thought and smiled inwardly. A beedrill hive had accepted Ash as their Queen? That was interesting.

It proved he wasn’t a horrible trainer though. Beedrills wouldn’t succumb to just anyone, or swear allegiance for that matter…

Excellent!

So the boy had potential at least. Hmm… maybe, he could do an experiment? Lance smiled inwardly.

He had his own plans.

Killing off this rather kawaii child was not in them – yet. But he wouldn’t disobey his father, at least not now.

Friendship doesn’t beat family yet. Perhaps it will later?

Vermillion dawned golden yellow before them.

“I suppose you’re after the next badge?” Lance inquired. Ash grinned.

“Aren’t you?”

“Well, I’m not into collecting badges.” Lance lied. “I find friendship much more valuable than blind obedience.”

Ash nodded. He liked being friends with his pokemon too.

So they could be friends!

“Um… Lance, do you want to be friends?” Ash asked shyly. Although he had been rather steadfast about revenge earlier, that had faded to the back of his mind. He was still a child after all.

“Sure.” Lance grinned, and they sealed it with an ice cream.

End Chapter

Completed 10/15/04