Title: The Mew Amulet

Summary: I was meditating on why Lance had pink hair in the anime and a plotbunny jumped me!

One hundred and fifty amulets for the Kanto pokemon… and then the metal for Johto perhaps… spin the dice, see what it lands on, and step towards responsibility.

Category: Action/Adventure, some Humor

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics… I don’t own it. This is nonprofit, no copyright infringement fanwork written by me. So don’t take it, k?

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics for pokemon talking.

Lance is 14.9 years

Chapter 1: Launch

Lance Dragyn did not usually stop in jewelry shops.

For one thing, it was a very embarrassing occurrence, and people always made assumptions. Last time he had bought Claire pearl drop earrings for her birthday, people had been convinced he was buying an engagement ring for his girlfriend.

He was fourteen!
Yes, he was going on fifteen this year. So? He had only been pokemon League Champion for six months.

There was plenty of time to ease into the role.

However, the old man had been very persistent, and it could be an early Christmas present for Claire, anyway, so Lance followed him in.

There were a number of polished stones on leather cords, and also some metallic charms. Lance had been particularly drawn to one with a white stone. Dragon wings dropped down from it, so he had chosen the necklace for himself. It wasn’t really Claire’s style.

He bought that for himself and then a necklace with a Horsea inscribed in bluestone for Claire, she would like it. The old man accepted fifteen dollars, but when Lance checked his purchases after he had left, there were three necklaces in the bag.

The extra one was a leather cord with a mew.

The mew was carved in rose quartz. It was kind of pretty, but he hadn’t bought it! Lance did not want to lose his position because of shoplifting charges. He went back to return it, but the old man refused to take it back, insisting it was paid for.

In confusion, Lance decided to gift that to Claire as well.

He and his dragons flew home to Blackthorn.

“Hi, Oniisan.” Claire greeted him upon return.

“Glad to drop in.” Lance sprawled in the couch, looking up at the ceiling as if that held the answer to the world’s problems. “Any fans camping outside?”

“Oh no, after Dragonair ate one-.”

“You fed a fan to your Dragonair?”

Claire nodded proudly.

Lance sighed. “That’s just what the media needs, an excuse to pronounce me crazy so they can stick someone else up on the pedestal.”

“Don’t worry about it. I borrowed great-grandfather’s dragon armor and sword and pronounced that they were trespassing on holy ground.”

“And they bought it?”

“Yep!”

“Ingenious, little sister.”

“See?” Claire winked. “I am useful!”

“I never thought otherwise. Anyway, since your birthday is tomorrow, I brought you something.”

Lance flourished the necklace.

Claire grinned. “Nice! I saw Sabrina with one of them the other day, and it was a Butterfree. What’s this?”

“Horsea I think.”

‘Thanks, Oniisan!”
Claire hugged Lance as he smiled. “No problem, little sister. Happy birthday.”

They made cake and cookies together, and toasted each other with glasses of lemonade and punch through the night.

It was a happy day.

That night, while two slumbered, two amulets glowed darkly.

Your Chosen is ready, but I don’t think mine is!
Relax, Mew.

He doesn’t realize that he’s my holder yet!

Calm down! Yelling now won’t do anything.

Sorry.

No problem. Just nudge him to wear it tomorrow.

I’ll try… because the sealing begins in a week.

The next morning, Claire wore her necklace down to breakfast. Lance took little notice, he was too busy checking the scrambled eggs. It wouldn’t do any good for there to be shell pieces in them.

“Morning, onii-san.”
“Hi, Claire.” Lance said. “Breakfast’s almost ready.”
“Thanks!”

“No problem. Stopping by for a bit is the least I can do. I’m sorry I’m so busy staying at Indigo.”

“I understand, though. You run the League, I run the gym. It’s about the right thing.” Claire snorted at the thought of their parents. One run off, the other dead, so the two of them took care of themselves.

It was all right.

They were independent trainers.

“So, did you get a necklace for yourself, too?”

Lance nodded, fondly recalling the polished metal still wrapped in a layer of cotton wool, in the desk drawer.

He wouldn’t wear it all the time, just for special occasions.

Something clinked as Claire looked up in surprise.

“Did you hear that?”

“You think someone got past the defenses around this house?” Lance asked.

“Hmm…”

Both stood up silently, releasing a dragonair each, and split up.

Claire found nothing out of the ordinary, and neither did Lance, until they saw a pebble – a pebble? Dancing up and down and up and down in the tub.

“What the-?”
“Lance, is that yours?”
Lance cast a faint glare at the pink stone on the leather loop he had left in there the night before. “Yes. I was going to give you this one too.”

“Well…’ Claire picked up the stone with one finger, and then yelped.

Lance caught it before it hit the floor. “What happened?”

“It zapped me!”

“What? It should just be an ordinary necklace.”

“Ordinary necklaces don’t glow, and they don’t’ talk either.” Claire said, now staring at the little rock on a chain she was wearing. “Where did you get these?”

“Bernard’s Jewelry Co, Goldenrod City.”

“Interesting.” Claire muttered. “Well then, I say we pay him a visit.”

Breakfast was quickly eaten and then the two flew off.

It seemed Bernard was expecting them.

“Well now, I see you’ve figured out the secret of the amulets.”

“What secret?” Lance snapped. “I just want to know why this one shocked my sister!”

He leveled an accusing glare at the still faintly glowing pink rock.

“You have to wear it.”

“What?!”

“Just put it on, and everything will become clear. I promise you won’t be zapped.”

“That’s real reassuring.” Lance muttered, but seeing as threatening the old man would probably get him nowhere, he did so.

The glow continued to flash on and off, but it wasn’t as wild and frenzied as earlier. “So, what’s the story?”

Claire crossed her arms as she and Lance got ready to attack.

Bernard pulled open a drawer, revealing a black notebook. He quickly scribbled something in it, and then cleared his throat.

“Those are no ordinary necklaces, as you suspected. However, the full impart of their powers is far beyond your imagination. The responsibility of the bearer, unfortunately, is the same though.”

“Point being?”

“Do you believe in magic?”

“Of course.”

Claire nodded in confirmation of her brother’s words. Grandfather had shown them a tiny bit before he died.

“Well then, that’s good. I always like open minds better.” Bernard nodded at them. “Each amulet represents a species of pokemon, which the wearer must protect. In return, the pokemon grants its powers to the user.”

“Equivalent trade.”

“Quite right, young lady.”

“So how do we protect this pokemon?”

“You will learn at the Sealing.”

“The what?”

“There will be a ceremony in six days. You will find yourself automatically transported to where you belong, and the rest of the story shall be told there.”

“… All right.” Lance said, still not completely reassured.

Claire frowned. “Wait a second. How many people will be there?”

“Only the new bearers, for it is the Sealing, not the Call.”

Without another word, Bernard ushered them out. “Oh, and ask the amulets if you have any more questions.”

End Chapter 1

Complete 4/7/04