Tired…
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
Misty bashing is, as always, prevalent in my fic. Fans of the water bitch stay clear!
Chapter 4
“You know, I thought you were a great trainer once.”
“Did you?”
“Yes! How can you doubt me?”
“Oh, easily, knowing what I know about you.”
“And what do you know about me?” Misty asked sarcastically.
Lance shrugged. “Hearsay and rumor and what your sisters tell, which can hardly be the truth, but even a falsehood may have a grain of truth within.”
“So…”
“Which brings us to this question. Why have you sought me out now, water master to be?”
“It’s important.”
“What is important, water master that you now are?”
“I do have a name you know!”
“Which I prefer not to use. State your case, water master.”
Misty hesitated for a second, than took the plunge. “I’d like to meet your younger brother.”
“And why is that?”
“What, I can’t get to know someone who might become a friend?”
Lance shook his head. “Red is sick right now.”
“But…”
“I will not allow you to see him until he is recovered.”
“Sheesh, you’re overprotective…”
“Am I?” Lance’s voice inflected strangely, sounding as though it were somehow twisted within the time-space continuum. “Am I?”
Without another word, Dragonite harrumphed, flicking a wing irritably, and Lance jumped on, taking off into the sky again.
“Wait!” Misty cried, but it was too late…
“I cannot hide you much longer, Red. I’m sorry.” Lance said. Even if it had been only three days, he was still quite worried about his ‘baby dragon’.
The devolution spray had not succeeded, which was quite unfortunate. Lance had also tried feeding Red powdered Everstone mixed with chicken broth, but no discernable effect had been observed. That was quite troubling.
Red chewed idly on a herring as he listened to Lance talk. Even if he couldn’t understand the words in his current state, the sounds were soothing.
Lance sighed. “What am I to do now, Red? You are not a dragon.”
Dragon. He understood that word. He growled softly and nuzzled Lance’s knee. The Champion stroked the blue-scaled head and debated his options.
They could continue waiting, but really, how long would it be? And Red’s mind was not even there. He had trusted Sabrina with the secret and had her come check for him, but to no avail, and then Agatha had determined that yes, this was Red, and his spirit had not passed on to another life.
Abnormal situations call for discrete actions and secrecy…
“Lance?”
“What is it, Lorelei?”
“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”
“Ah, ever so perceptive, my dear cousin. Yes, it is. This new dragon seems rather temperamental and it is something I cannot fix.”
Only half a lie. He wanted Red back, as a human, thank you very much for your twisted sense of humor, Serebii…
Lorelei’s sigh was slightly magnified by the echoing dimension of the phone. “Lance, be careful, all right? Something tells me I don’t want to know what you’re doing. Even if I respect you, some things I really don’t want to know.”
“You probably don’t.” He agreed, sighing inwardly. What to do, what to do…?
The blood was slick and wet under his fingers. He glanced at the trespasser carelessly and licked his fingers. Sweet, rich darkness, although tainted by the alcohol the man had recently imbibed…
Disgusting humans.
Oh, no, he wasn’t human, no matter how much he pretended, but having Red around had helped, keeping his… urges at bay, or at least out of sight…
Now, though, it seemed it didn’t matter.
And as he shifted forms, feeling the scales glitter over pale skin, ice and silver and steel, and where he had stood was a lovely white dragon with sharp-edged wings and claws. Fangs bared in a grin.
Red gasped as he watched Lance transform. So the Alpha really was a dragon as well! How appropriate…
Of course, Lance realized, it could have been the blood bonding ceremony we did to become blood brothers. But it was only a little bit… surely my blood couldn’t have changed him into a dragon…
However, no one knows the effects of random genetic variables precisely every time. It could have happened.
Then the way to change Red back would be to… find that twist of dragon DNA and take it away?
Easier said then done. He did not want to mess with genetics. He was more used to magic than science…
Besides, why two years of time delay?
That made no sense… was it an age question?
He was not sure he wanted to know. Father could not help, the Dragon of the Seas still slept on…
And the Dragon of the Air had his hands full trying to stay alive…
Lance hated feeling alone. It was not an enviable position by any means, and he had to be careful that his secret didn’t slip.
Without a balance, keeping his temperament under control would be difficult. He could not fail. The consequences were always dire.
End Chapter
Completed 11/26/05
I have had *such* bad writer’s block on this fic… it’s run away from me in a direction I didn’t intend it to take!
*Anger sparks*
Red: No fluff?
Shoyko: Nah. Darkfic ahoy!