Yep! Another Chapter!

Disclaimer: Don’t own pokemon, ok? Ok! It belongs to Nintendo. This is non-infringing, non-profit fanwork copyrighted by me. Don’t take it!

So <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, and italics if a pokemon talks. Ash = Red

Warnings: Violence, death, abuse, insanity

May be Championshipping later

Mew Amulet Part II

Chapter 2: Unpleasant discovery

Red wound up staying for almost a week, while Lugia and Zapdos bickered over small weather-related issues.

Of course, since Moltres and Articuno had joined the discussion… it seemed to take forever.

The legendaries were almost like children.

Lance showed him the section of the caves that was furnished, and so Red found it pretty comfortable.

It was different from his home, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

He watched Lance practice the dragon dance again.

Lance was a good Chosen, very powerful… and he wasn’t even using magic, just steel weapons.

Ash might have felt jealous if Lance were mean to him, or made him feel inferior, but there wasn’t any of that.

Lance was just… blank.

Yes, that was a good word. Ash had yet to see him get angry, or feel sadness, or even happy.

He was a perfect Chosen, if only seen from one point of view. The perfect weapon, built to protect his pokemon.

Somehow, that was little consolation.

“Careful.” Lance said, when Red mentioned going outside. “Poachers and rare pokemon hunters often come to try and capture Lugia.”

“I will be.” Ash said, a bit annoyed.

“I didn’t imply you couldn’t take care of yourself. The caves are pitch-black.”

‘…Oh…”

“And there are traps set up all over the place, so you might get caught if you aren’t careful.”

Lance handed him a copy of the master map, so Red nervously navigated through. He almost drowned when he avoided a set of falling icicles, only to trip over a cunningly placed ledge and topple into the water.

With only two feet of space between the roof of the cavern and the frigid, turbulent waves below, it was easy to see why Lance had warned him.

In any case, Red was very glad when his impromptu tour was over… very glad. He sat shivering, wrapped in layers of towels, while his outfit air-dried and Lance brought him a cup of superheated hot chocolate.

The caves were well stocked with food. After all, most Chosen didn’t want to eat the same food as their pokemon.

Say, you had Tauros. Would you have to graze like them?

Ugh…

Pokemon traits might carry over, but hopefully not that one…

“I warned you.” Lance said tonelessly.

Yes, that was true.

Red took the hot chocolate, but noticed something else as he took the first sip.

He hadn’t seen lance eat anything… wasn’t he hungry?

In any case, Chosen shouldn’t starve themselves. Eating was a pleasure granted to all people!

Flower petals and confetti fell in the background as Red turned to his next task. It was time to promote the greatness of food!
His amulet sighed.

Chosen, you’re being foolish.

< No, my goal has appeared! >

Chosen…

The amulet sighed again. * Baka one, * It thought, almost affectionately.

Red was a good child, eternally sealed.

If Lance tried to hurt his Chosen, he’d attack.

That was the way.

Lance suddenly tensed, and to Red’s shock, he smiled.

It wasn’t really a smile though, it was more like a bloody gash in a pale face. Red shivered in spite of his courage.

“Looks like someone made it past the traps.”

Lance casually tightened his arm guards as he prepared to leave.

Red and his amulet crept behind (just in case Lance needed help! Despite the fact that Red was still in towels…) him as Lance walked outside to the caves, where a burly man in nothing but a pair of oversized orange swim trunks waited.

“You! You killed my uncle!”

“So I did.” Lance said. “If you want to capture Lugia, I’ll kill you too.”

“I think not! I know your secret!”

“Then attack me.”

The man charged with a roar, arm extended for a punch that might have sent Lance sprawling if it connected…

When Lance grabbed his arm at the wrist and elbow, stepping back and yanking the man onto the floor. [1]

“Looks like those basic karate lessons didn’t go to waste.” He murmured.

The man gazed in horror at his arm, which had been torn out of its socket. How could such a weak-looking kid be capable of that?!

“Go! Dugtrio!”

As the ground pokemon dug underground, both Lance and Red took to the air, one on wings, and one flying without.

Red kept hidden though, still watching.

< He’s good! >

That’s nothing if Lugia’s bragging is true. The amulet said.

< What? >

You’ve seen the Dragon Dance. That’s not even Lance’s best attack, he just likes using it.

< Oh. >

There are some who are made for battle, and he is an example if I ever saw one.

< But that’s… then they’re just like weapons? >

Correct.

As Dugtrio shot out, Lance’s eyes glowed purple and a disable attack pinned it to the ground.

“Next.” Lance taunted.

There was no joking tone whatsoever.

Caleb gulped, and then threw out his Onix and Steelix pairs.

Lance tsked, even though it didn’t matter to him. * One type… idiots, unless it’s a good type, like my dragons, you are screwed. *

A fire blast killed Steelix, a Hydro Pump onix. No, not killed, just fainted, but they would be disgraced forevermore.

Trying to capture a legendary….

It was against pokemon rules… if you broke them, you were judged.

The Arbiter could be a harsh man.

Caleb screamed as a blade – where had it come from, where?! -- sprouted out of his chest.

Lance smiled. “You lose, trying to catch Lugia-san…”

Red had to look away as Lance yanked the blade down through the poor man’s body and pulled it out, still dripping.

At least Caleb was dead, so he felt no more pain.

That was small consolation, though.

Lance calmly licked the blood off his fingers, after cleaning the blade in the calm waters.

The lugia amulet hummed, happily.

As long as its Chosen was happy, it was too.

That was the power of a first Chosen.

“Oh Mew…” Ash said in horror, safe back in the living area. * I can’t believe it… how could he… *

Chosen…

< Why? Why? > Ash asked. < I may kill but… but… he enjoyed it! >

I cannot tell you for sure. It may be nature, but let us assume the rumors are true.

< Rumors? What? >

Chosen, calm yourself, or it will do no good! I shall explain.

Red took many, many deep breaths before he was calm enough. He still couldn’t wipe the images from his mind completely, but at the moment they were being suppressed well enough.

< I-I’m listening. >

Good.

The amulet glowed once, then launched into its tale.

Lugia’s Chosen, two years ago, received the amulet of the Mew.

Red nodded absentmindedly, having a faint recollection of seeing him at the Sealing ceremony.

He did not want to be mew’s Chosen, but Mew forced the power onto him, and forced the power into him, and broke him so thoroughly that he can never heal. The only way to escape while meeting the strict standards the mews imposed on his was to change. And change he did…

< What did the Mews do? >

I have heard that they constrained him and bound him, so he fed off magic alone, and the taste of blood…

< But how could an amulet do this to its Chosen? > Ash said in horror.

I do not know, Chosen, I do not know.

< And now… >

Now? Lugia likes him. the others? I’m not sure. What can I do? Nothing, so don’t ask.

< I think I pity him though… >

Yes, you are a kind Chosen, which is why I chose you.

Red did not fall asleep for a long time that night

End Chapter

Completed 4/10/04

[1] yes, that is a self-defense move, and even when done lightly, its painful if you’re on the receiving end! *Ow*

Blood? Well, it’s the only er, ‘food’ Lance could take with the Mew’s ‘training’

If you are squicked, you should have heeded the warnings.