I can’t believe it turned out this long! How much longer till the end? Oh wait, this is the sequel! Ahahaha!

Started 2/24/05

Title: Painted Faces – II

Pairing: Championshipping (Red/Ash x Lance)

Disclaimer: Wish I owned pokemon, but it belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics! Don’t steal my fanfic, hear!

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

Timeline: 6 months later

Chapter 16

Something was wrong again.

Sometimes, Red really cursed his foresight. Something bad was going to happen, and he really didn’t want to know about it, but…

It wasn’t his decision to make.

With a sigh, he watched as mew reappeared before him. < What is it this time? >

< Nice to see you again too, Red >

< I know, I know I messed up last time. You still want me to work for you? >

Mew was surprised that Ash remembered, but nodded. < I need you to steal-. >

< Oh no, not again! >

< Hold on, I haven’t explained it yet. Besides, you’re not doing this alone. >

< Huh? >

< You can come out now. >

Lance shrugged as he appeared in a flash of dark light, always one for the dramatic. Ash stepped back involuntarily, before sighing in relief.

Good, it was someone he knew.

Golden-blue eyes settled on him fondly. < Shall I explain the rest, Mew? >

< Certainly. >

Lance cleared his throat. “This time, the legendaries have sent us to retrieve a magical item called the Wand of the Water Guardian.”

“The… what does it do?”

“The wand is made out of twisted bronze, but at the top there is a three-pointed blue crystal, that shines with the power of pure water energy. It is a healing item, it can create potions, make berries grow, or act as a healing wand.”

“Wow.”

< Yes. That is why we must find it to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. We have heard that Team Rocket has discovered its existence. >

Ash imagined team Rocket with invulnerable pokemon and shuddered. < Point taken. Where is it? >

< Supposedly, the legends state that the Wand of the Water Guardian lies in the heart of Seafoam Islands. >

“But Seafoam’s been destroyed by Cinnabar’s volcanic eruption, hasn’t it?”

< You are correct. In the ruins though, the wand still remains… >

“Um… no offense, but why can’t one of you get it?”

< Because neither a human nor a pokemon can have the power to wield the wand. Only one with the blood of both can safely… >

Ash nodded. * I bet Lance has pokemon blood. So I’m just going along to help? That’s fine. It can’t take too long, anyway. *

“I’m ready.”

< Good luck, both of you! > Mew said, as they reappeared in Seafoam.

Ash coughed as he looked at the ruins around them. At least there weren’t any pokemon corpses around, but still…

Horrible…

All this destruction – and for what? Why had the volcano erupted? What purpose had it served? All the poor water and ice pokemon…

< Interesting. >

< You’re reading his thoughts, Lugia-san? >

< He is broadcasting them aloud. I am not reading them. >

< I see… >

Yes, pity the pokemon… that was Lance’s way of life. Honestly, if it were up to him, he’d destroy all the cities besides Blackthorn and Indigo Plateau….

But the world was not his, for now…

Lugia sighed. His Dragon Master really should quit thinking such depressing thoughts.

< Lugia-san, did you know that Silph came up with the Ryuu Ball just to capture dragon-type pokemon? They’re selling like hotcakes right now. >

< WHAT!? >

< The sent me a sample. > Lance’s expression turned grim. < Unfortunately, they work… almost like a master ball… >

< You don’t think-? >

< I don’t know what to think, but I do know that we have to find the Wand of the Water Guardian fast… >

Ash tripped over a rock and fell flat on his face – well, almost. He managed to teleport himself out of harm’s way just in time.

That was close…

“I know, Pikachu, I know…”

Pikachu sniffed. I smell something… with that, she dashed off. Ash followed, only to discover what Pikachu had found wasn’t the magic item, but instead, a dead baby Seel.

Lance and Lugia followed.

< Mew, that’s terrible… >

< It’s already dead, you can’t heal it, Chosen one of mine. >

Lance turned to Ash. “Should we give it a burial?”

Ash nodded, sniffling. * Poor pokemon… *

The heaped a mound of rocks and ice over the body, and even Pikachu helped…

“I wish that pokemon could live happily here on earth.”

“You have noble goals, Ash.” Lance told him. “But we had best get back to our mission.”

“Yes, I know.”

Lance’s dragon necklace began glowing, acting like a Geiger counter for the Wand of the Water guardian. A beam of blue light shot off towards a buried tunnel.

“Cool!” Red said. “Abra, move the rocks out of the way with your psychic powers!”

Abra did as commanded, wondering why he hadn’t evolved yet, unlike Sabrina’s pokemon. Oh well. Master knew best.

The rocks out of the way, the two continued running.

Soon, they came to a barrier of flames.

“Squirtle, Hydro Pump!”

Hydro Pump was like adding oil on a fire. The flames only blazed brighter. Ash was about to order another one when Lance stopped him.

“Calm down, Ash. Panicking will do no good…”

< Sorry. >

“Let me think…” Lance’s eyes glittered. Yes, there was a way…

End Chapter

Completed 2/24/05