Not exactly a sequel then, but an addition…
Like those missing scenes…
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
Recap: Last episode, Lance and Ash hooked up and decided to be friends. That’s about it.
Chapter 9
Once in Vermillion, after getting a quick check-up from Joy at the Pokemon Center and verifying that none of his pokemon were in trouble, Ash headed for the gym. Theoretically, he should use some of the newly transformed pokemon he had changed his Beedrill hive into, because they needed experience. Plus, none of his types had an advantage against Surge at the moment, and some were even weak (i.e., flying), so… while Lance was busy checking out brands of dragon-diet pokemon food at the Mart, Ash called Birch and transferred a few of his pokemon.
“So, are you ready for another badge?” Lance asked when they hooked up again. Ash nodded.
“Let’s go!”
The Vermillion City Gym was surprisingly empty, but it was soon explained by a junior trainer reading a comic book that the gym leader had imbibed a bit too freely at a wedding reception last night and would probably not be up. Even if he did wake, he would most likely be in possession of a horrific hangover and thus, would be in no mood to battle. Having no reason to argue with that sort of logic, Ash accepted a coupon for a battle later and decided to do something else.
Train his
pokemon in Diglett’s tunnel!
So approximately eight minutes
later, Lance was looking around with charmander perched on his shoulders,
giving off Flash, and Ash was busy fighting digletts.
Barboach was getting a good workout. So was Roselia. Er… Sandshrew? Not quite…
“I’ve never seen those pokemon before.” Lance said, interested, as Roselia hugged him. Cute pokemon.
Even Lugia didn’t know everything.
“Yes, well…”
“How did you catch so many?” Lance asked innocently. Test of trust one…
Feeling he had nothing to lose, Ash drew out the transitional pokeball and handed it to Lance.
“A poke ball? Well, I know you caught them.”
“No, it’s not that.” Ash hastily colored. “By some… fancy flying I did in Pewter, I managed to capture an entire swarm of Beedrill.”
“Impressive, so you traded them?”
“No. I don’t like trading pokemon.” Ash said firmly. “The point is; this poke ball turns pokemon into other pokemon.”
“Really!”
“Really.”
“Sounds intriguing.” Lance shrugged, handing it back. “Pretty at least.”
It wasn’t a perfect transformation. Some of the hive mentality carried over, but that was fine…
Ash broke down and told Lance the whole story. It wasn’t anything really tragic or sad; he just didn’t want the other boy to laugh at him.
It wasn’t as if had any other friends at the moment!
Surprisingly,
the boy just smiled and said that he had been blessed with extraordinarily good
luck. And that was that!
“Really, Lance?”
“What motive do I have to lie?”
Ash could not come up with a repartee. However, years of mistrust can never be broken completely.
He didn’t want to do it, but he sent Zubat to keep an eye on Lance. The bee-turned bug was happy to oblige.
Where are you going?
Lance looked at the Zubat outside his window. “Why do you want to know?”
Master Ash sent me to keep an eye on you.
“My, someone’s touchy…” Lance did not wait for a cognizant answer before he slipped out the window and landed agilely.
Zubat’s nearly non-existent eyes widened.
Still, he followed Lance to the mall. Lance went inside and presumably went shopping, although Zubat wasn’t sure. He did reappear half an hour later with a shopping bag. A quick check via echolocation revealed that there were only two poke dolls but that was it. Another scan revealed Lance had no cell phone.
Just to be sure….
The next day, while Lance was sleeping, Ash got up at 4 A.M. and had his Abra scan Lance.
No secrets were revealed, save what Ash already knew. Lance’s shields weren’t self-created, Lugia had crafted them and a simple Abra just slipped over the mental walls. There was nothing to cling to. Nothing.
Still, Ash felt bad afterwards.
He could have ruined a friendship for nothing.
Should I confess? It was wrong, but I don’t want to drive him away…
Guilt gnawed relentlessly though…
“What?”
Ash nodded, as they stood in the relative darkness of Vermillion gym the next day, sometime around noon.
Surge’s hangover had finally worn off.
“You read my mind?”
Ash nodded.
“Why?”
“I…”
Lance’s eyes shimmered, * Damn it I will not cry I am not a weak human! * But there was really nothing to be done.
Falling…
Falling…
I should not have tried, should not tried to reach out past this shell, past my armor, past the ice… I should have trusted father, should have never tried…
No! I will not let this defeat me!
Ash stepped back as Lance abruptly quit crying. So… cold! What was wrong? Cold and snow and white and cold and ice and snow and!
“L-lance?”
Whatever else he might have said was abruptly cut off when Lance collapsed. “Lance!”
End Chapter
Completed 10/16/04