I’d rather this were a short series…

Started 6/28/04

Disclaimer/Notes: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This is non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic written by me and I own it under international copyright laws. <> Is for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Implied shonen-ai championshipping (Ash x Lance)

Timeline: 1 week later

Chapter 2

“I won!”
“So you did.” Erika said, handing Misty the cash. Misty preened.

“Say, have you seen the new kid yet?”

“Ash? He’s so hot!” Misty squealed. “He’s in my trigonometry class.”

“Lucky!”

“Yep!” The fifteen-year-old shimmered happily. “I’m so happy!”

“So he really is that cute up close, huh?”

“Yep! I’ve been thinking about asking him out.”

“That might be good.” Erika smiled.

Misty grinned.

Ash unwrapped his box lunch slowly and chewed quietly on the sushi rolls inside.

“What’s wrong?”

“You don’t have to keep me company, you know.” Ash said.

Lance shook his head. “I can’t leave you, I’m your Protector, remember? If we’re more than a mile apart, I start…”

He trailed off, not wanting to upset Ash.

Ash did not notice and ate another sushi. Teeth slowly ground rice and seaweed and crab and pickled cucumber to a pulp.

Lance watched him without saying a word, as the gold seals shimmered on his wrists.

“Hi~! Why is a cute guy like you eating lunch all alone?” A bright voice intruded. “Come eat with me and my friends!”

Ash’s eyes widened as Misty forcibly dragged him over to a picnic table where she and two other girls were.

“He’s even cuter up close…” Dawn whispered to Mayra.

Mayra giggled and nodded.

Ash swallowed his initial feelings and tried to be polite, even when Misty tried to hand-feed him the grapes in her lunch.

That was going a little too far…

Well, more than a little!
He was only putting up with them because it would be rude otherwise. He didn’t even like girls.

No, that wasn’t it.

His heart was still broken from the affair with Linda and he didn’t want to get too close.

Ash closed his eyes. * I don’t want to get hurt again! *

Misty took advantage of this distraction to put a grape in his mouth.

He blinked, and swallowed it, trying to get past the lump in his throat and the feeling of revulsion.

If she was flirting with him!

He would…

“So, Ash, what are your hobbies?”

Ash swallowed. This sounded like suspiciously familiar ground, if unpleasant. “Well, I like swimming and camping out.”

“Me too!” Dawn chirped, letting the sunshine shine brightly off her bleached orange hair. “I’m on the swim team!”

“That’s cool.” Ash said.

Lance remained silent, but they were too busy fawning over Ash. It was all right. Glamour hid his appearance, since he didn’t need to shine.

< I’m just the shadow that follows the sun… >

He closed his eyes and let the darkness that was his elements hide him.

He didn’t like the light. It reminded him of what he didn’t have. Not that he was jealous of Ash…

But I want… no one will care, after all, I’m literally a living weapon. It’s all right though. On the heir’s sixteenth birthday he takes over the clan.

He won’t need me anymore. I’m sure he’ll let me go.

Then I’ll finally be free.

“I hate perfume.”

“Oh? Why?” Mayra asked. “My mom runs a perfume shop.”

Ash inchingly edged away from her.

He _hated_ perfume with a passion. It made him come out in a really itchy rash, and even calamine lotion did not assuage the pain or soothe his nerves.

Poison Ivy = Perfume = AAHHH!

He really, really didn’t want to think about that.

“So.” Misty said, as she leaned forward and invaded his personal space. “Want to go out with me?”

Ash blanched. * No! So soon? What’s with her? *

“I-I…”

“You don’t have a girlfriend do you?”

“No, but…”

“Don’t worry! We can go see that new movie ‘Titanic’!” Misty proclaimed. “It’ll be fun!”

“I-.”

Before he could protest, she was latched onto his arm. Ash panicked. * No! What am I going to do? I can’t get close to girls! *

Transforming in front of them would cause disgust.

Disgust led to fear, fear to anger, anger to…

Well, he didn’t want to think about death.

But it wasn’t safe. It was never safe. He should have stayed at home, no, that wasn’t safe either.

Linda was there.

Where would he finally be safe?

I… I want security.

I want to be loved.

I want someone to care for me as me…

But that will never happen.

Before Ash knew what he had gotten into, he had been roped into taking Misty on a date that night at 6:30.

End Chapter

Completed 6/28/04