Do not reject plotbunnies, usually…

Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This is non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanwork by me and so I own it!

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

Chapter 6

Ash looked at the little bubble of light in his hands and smiled. For some reason, it reminded him of water training. Lance did say something about suppressed memories coming back…

The ball solidified, and Ash bounced it off the floor, where it jumped quite a few feet. Taking careful aim, he tossed it at one of the targets painted on the wall. It wasn’t a bulls-eye, but the ball didn’t hit the outside two rings either.

Ash formed another ball, the first one having vanished, and threw. By the end of the afternoon, nearing six hours of training, he had managed to make smaller balls of light that flew in triples in a straight line.

“Very nice.” Lance said.

Ash gulped down a potion and a ether, helped himself to the split pea soup and sandwiches Lance had brought, and then got ready for his algebra lesson. After that, it was off to more pokemon training, he was working on Squirtle’s defense and accuracy today.

Ash fell asleep, tired as usual, but with a smile. It had become a rather repetitive life, but in reality, it wasn’t boring at all!

Lance always had new things to teach him. He wondered idly who Lance’s teacher had been…

But that was nothing he wanted to pry into, so Ash fell fast asleep. The morning twice after, they flew home for his birthday party.

Being a social mom, Delia had invited all of Pallet’s population, despite the rash of idiotic children and unappreciative parents.

Cake was served, punch and soda in great goblets, for she would not shirk generosity and loved to show off. Steaming hot ramen, plates piled with chips and cookies fought with a fresh garden salad and homemade chicken potpie.

Ash stayed mostly out of the way, he didn’t appreciate huge public displays, and especially since those annoying kids just grabbed the food and ran. Plus, they didn’t bring presents!

Still… it wasn’t too bad of an affair. The cake had already been cut, so Ash retreated with Lance to a small copse of trees – all natural, near the fringe of the party to feel safer – and opened his presents.

Lance looked bemused as Ash hastily shoved a twelve-pack of unbleached cotton underwear into his backpack. Oh why, why did his mom have to give him underwear on his birthday?

Still, he appreciated the dark green jacket with the black alchemy symbols on it, it was light, but made out of elemental-repelling material, so it would stand up to pokemon attacks.

And… some extra poke balls weren’t too bad. So he wasn’t too unhappy.

Lance handed him a package, and Ash hugged the older boy tightly, glad to get a present, before opening it.

A pair of sai with slender gold hilts fell into his lap, along with a necklace. It was a cute necklace; a little star in a moon with wings on the sides...

“Sugoi…” Ash breathed. “They’re really for me?”

“Hai.” Lance said, as Ash felt the edges. Sharp! So they were real and not just for decoration.

“You’ll teach me how to use them then, right?”

“In a few months.”

“Arigato!” Ash said, favoring Lance with another hug. Lance smiled, eyes hidden beneath the russet bangs, and…

That was when a flashbulb popped.

Ash blinked, just in time to see someone running away really quickly.

Under his shirt, Lance’s key necklace flashed, and another second later, there was a wail of anguish.

A camera had been smashed. Imagine that.

Invisibly they flew.

Chosen of course.

“Hentai media…” Lance muttered. * I don’t even want to know. They’ve been pretty desperate for fodder lately though. But the Elite have warded the Plateau against all… so they can’t go there. *

Winfield wailed his disappointment to the skies. That picture could have made his career! Well, no use crying over split milk, the saying goes, and I guess it can be applied to cameras too.

Lance shook his head imperceptibly. * I hate this… *

Popularity was never a good thing. Well… maybe in small doses, Ash might not have accepted his teaching so easily otherwise, but still…

For the main part, it was annoying…especially in tabloids. He was losing his right to privacy.

It was seriously getting out of control. He had to scan his room every night, and it was time to play dirty.

Lance mentally rigged up the normal alarms and then set his card pokemon to guard. Invisible wires snaked over the place, a web… An intruder would be eaten or sent straight to the dream realm.

Hopefully that would send the do not disturb message.

Sheesh. Why was it so hard to get privacy?

Ash carefully put the necklace around his neck and the weapons in a small storage sub-set of his backpack; then climbed back into Lance’s lap.

It was quiet and peaceful hear.

He could even pretend not to listen, as the children screamed and fought and basically ruined _his_ party.

Idiots. I hope they all die.

Lance had done a spell so he could hold about a square mile’s worth of items in his backpack. That was very handy.

Lance was nice, too…

Not like those stupid fillers his mom had invited. Seriously, he could have just had a party with his sensei and that would have been fine…

A slight frown tugged at his lips. * Baka… this is so stupid… *

His mom found them still… cuddling. However, she didn’t look angry, just surprised. Why wasn’t Ash out there playing with the other children? Strange; so he was training with Lance?

She wondered why, but ignored it for now.

Lance let go as Ash stood up, yawning.

“Ash! Come on, the party’s ending, its time to go home.”

“Hai.” Ash said sleepily. Lance walked him back to the door and then flew home on Dragonite.

They would meet up in four days, after Ash had satisfied his ‘stay-at-home-with-mom requirement’.

End chapter

Complete 5/13/04