Whee!

Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon, it belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics! This is non-profit fanfic written by me so I own it, and I’m not infringing on the copyright of the many companies who own pokemon.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks!

Chapter 7: Right Whale

Ash stared, flabbergasted.

“Isn’t that right?” Lance continued, something flickering to life in his eyes.

“H-how did you?”

“It’s not that long of a story, and you probably have a right to know, but I’ll just show you.”

In his hands formed a pool of blue light, almost like a puddle of water, and as Ash looked inside, it wasn’t his face he saw.

So that was Red…

Really, they didn’t look that different, except that Red’s eyes were red-tinted brown not more towards yellow like his…

That wasn’t the point though. The memory swiftly unfolded. It wasn’t very complicated to figure out what was going on. Red set up his materials, locked Solaris outside after silencing him with sixteen layers of spells to prevent the telling of his secret, and then took off to a remote second lab he had set up.

Then….

He tried to perform human transmutation.

The results, of course, were horrible. There is a reason why some things are forbidden, creating new life the chief of them.

The components of creating a human body are not difficult to obtain, and can be bought with a child’s pocket money. [1]

However, there is no way to create a soul. Souls are things that cannot be designed and fabricated and brought to life, it simply isn’t possible, as that goes against Gaia.

The punishment for disobeying Gaia is always dire.

What emerged once the fires of magic died down was definitely not his mother, and it swiftly attacked the already-drained Chosen. The battle was not pretty to watch, but at least it was mercifully over.

Ash looked green and shaky…

“Y-you-?”

“How did I know?” Lance asked, as the image dissolved. “I was scrying. Something was up once he didn’t’ show for our Circle.”

“…”

“And then? My power was always much higher than his, I found Solaris and broke the wards, and the cat told me everything, but of course I couldn’t interfere…”

Lance stopped, catching himself. Ash looked at him curiously.

“What do you mean?”

“Gaia… it’s complicated, but I’m sure you realize she is more than just an energy web. Right?”

“Hai!”

“She allows me my version of sealing, but everything comes with a price. My life is bound to all those pokemon? Yes, that’s what you called them.”

“… If they die, you die?”

“Yes.”

Ash jumped topics, launching into the area he was really worried about. “But why do you like me? Is it because you see Red?”

“I won’t deny you are his doppelganger, but… you have more level-headedness about you, and you have your own skill.”

“That’s not what I meant! Do you love me or him?!”

“Touchy, touchy.” Lance said, flying out of the way as Ash began to rant, bolts of green lightning fizzling off the walls.

Solaris took refuge underneath the bed. Better safe than sorry!

“I confess at the beginning it was probably my love for him, but… you surpassed my expectations.” Lance said. “You aren’t some substitute, you are real. I love _you_.”

“Honto ni?”

“I will not lie to you in this area.”

Ash still looked suspicious. “So I’m just supposed to accept this?”

“Good lord, no, these things take time. I’m sorry if I coerced you into… well, we both know what we did.”

Ash crimsoned. “Yes…”

“And I know that me telling you all this will not make you instantly fall head over heels in love with me. in fact, if I were you right now I’d want to run home.”

“How did you!?”

“Well, you can’t be Red, so you must have your home somewhere…”

“Yes,” Ash sighed. * With all my pokemon and my mom… *

“Well then, why didn’t you leave immediately?”

“Not enough magic energy.”

Lance nodded, a hand under his chin as he pondered. “Well… maybe I can help…”

“What does it involve?” Ash said warily.

“My, how suspicious you’ve become. Well, it’s quite simple. Pokemon can attack, yes? Surely there’s at least one that drains energy.”

While Ash quickly ran through a list of all the battles he had fought, Lance brewed some hot chocolate with vanilla.

“Um… Leech Life, that’s common, and Mega Drain I’ve seen once or twice, that’s it…”

Lance nodded. “Attack me.”

“WHAT?!”

“You heard me, you need energy, and the other way of transferring it would require a high level of intimacy, so… use one of those attacks.”

Ash face-vaulted. “We just made out and you’re worried about intimacy?”

“Well, I assume you’re not in a hurry to try that again.”

“No! I mean, you’re very attractive and all that, and…” Ash looked down. “It wouldn’t be right of me to…do this…”

“Well then, how about if I kiss you?”

“T-that’s all right…”

“It works transference either way.”

“…?”

Lance kissed him gently, before Ash felt… energy? Yes, that was it, running through him and over him…

In a few minutes it was over, and he had, to his surprise, enough to open the gates. Lance really did have an insane magic level.

“Well then, I guess this is good-bye.”

“H-how can you be so cold?” Ash asked, in spite of himself.

“What do you mean? I’m giving you what you want.” Lance paused. “Don’t you want to go home? Isn’t that the goal you have been working at for all this time? I’m just helping you get there.”

“I want…” Ash stopped, still muddled. What did he really want? Could he stand to leave Lance alone here?
Am I that cruel?

Oh please, don’t make me choose!

Love – love, really? Well, he loves me but do I love him or is it just lust like I thought? Why are things so complicated!

I don’t want to choose!

But I have to. If I stay, I can probably see my pokemon again… but maybe not mom…

Why? Why… I wish this had never happened to me!
I wish…

Wishes are dangerous things that offer too much power… barely had the thought crossed Ash’s mind, when…

It happened.

The tapestry of time spun backwards, unraveling itself and ripping to shreds what might have become life.

That is the tripwire of power.

You cannot… let it control you.

Ash’s eyes opened in a wordless cry, before he was thrust forcibly backwards into the whirl of dimensions.

When he awakened again, he was exactly where he wanted to be.

Pidgeotto was fanning his face with her wings, while Charmander and Squirtle and Bulbasaur all hugged various body parts tightly.

You’re home!

Master Ash! You’re back!

I knew you’d reappear in a few minutes!

Wait, a few… minutes?

Ash checked his watch and to his horror, yes, he was back in his own world, five minutes past the time when the shifting had occurred, dressed in his normal clothes, with no evidence of anything else having happened.

Half a year wiped away completely.

“Where’s Pikachu!?” Ash demanded, freaked out.

Squirtle gave him an odd look. She ran off to find water for you a few minutes ago. Don’t you remember?

He would have said no, but as an odd lump of lead settled in the pit of his stomach, he realized that, for him, there were no second chances this time.

This is my fault, I’m so stupid! But… I’ll live with this the rest of my life, and no one will ever know… I deserve this punishment. Why did I have to be so stupid?!

This can’t happen again. I must work harder in the future.

I’m sorry, Lance.

Gomen nasai…

I think I might have loved you too, but it’s too late now.

He scrubbed any possible tears from his eyes harshly, and then got up. Pikachu came back in a few minutes rolling a water bottle filled with water in front of her, rosy-cheeked and bright-eyed.

She wouldn’t remember.

I will have to carry this burden by myself now, and… maybe I’ll find you again in this world, but I won’t count on it.

I don’t deserve that happiness anymore.

The End!
EEK!! Not exactly what I wanted to write, but it’s the bunny’s fault. *chases plotbunny*

Well, I’m not writing any more.

This was created 4/28/04, completed 4/30/04

This won’t have a sequel, but they are all chained fics just the same. I think by now everyone has realized Chosen aren’t perfect either.