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Disclaimer/Notes: See chapter 1

Lance: So where am I?

Phantomness: I’m getting to that… oh! It’s a Chinese holiday today. Yay! Pretty full moon!

Ash: …

Pika-chan: *eating moon cakes*

Kairo and Shoyko: *doing the same*

Chapter 2

Lance smirked. Oh yes, this was a useful disguise…

He was completely shrouded in darkness.

Now where was the smog coming from?

Sneaking around so far had been easy. Plus, who would recognize him in his getup? Certainly not any rabid fangirls…

Right? Without another thought, Lance continued on. He was nearing the basement when he nearly tripped over a shapeless lump.

What in the world?

Well, it was so dark in here that he wasn’t relying on his eyes, only Aerodactyl’s supersonic. “Ptera, what is it?”

Looks like a person.

“Really.”

He’s out cold too. Should we just leave him?

Lance was about to reply when a large, blue Clefable came barreling down and nearly ran into him. He wasn’t fast enough to duck, so…

Aerodactyl attacked with Hyper Beam, blowing Clefable into the wall, which promptly developed a huge hole. Oh dear.

There went the sneaking plan.

Now what should he do?

Mewtwo looked up, surprised. < What is going on out there? >

There’s apparently an intruder, sir, but we can’t see him! A clone Zubat reported.

< Fools! Use Supersonic! Use Detect! Find him or her and bring them to me! >

Yes sir!

“This is bad.” Lance sighed as he stared at the unconscious trainer. * Can’t just leave him here… *

He released his twin Dragonair, as clone pokemon swarmed in.

“Hakuryuu! Call up a Tempest!”

Many of the pokemon were beset by the raging elements. Once the coast was clear – and full of fainted pokemon, Lance grabbed the boy and flew out. He’d come back later…

And then…

“What?”

Lance stared at Ash Ketchum in disbelief. “What does he have against me? I blew my cover because of him. Again.”

Sheesh.

Well, this time he’d make _sure_ the boy wouldn’t interfere. Orange League Champion he might be, but the boy had never bothered to attend any of the Masters’ conferences, being too busy traveling all over the place… and incidentally messing up several people’s well-laid plans. This time, though, it was _not_ going to happen!

Lance tied Ash up to a convenient bed and left them there. He also left his Gyarados there to guard him.

There… that should do it.

Once back in HQ, Lance went straight for the area of greatest smog concentration, aided by a handy Poison Meter *Tm.

He stayed invisible, but still…

Even Specter cloaks aren’t that good against a Mewtwo, albeit a wild mewtwo. This was one powerful pokemon.

Mewtwo looked at Lance. < Who are you? >

“Indigo League Champion – Dragon Master Lance Dragyn.”

< Why are you here? >

“Why are you smogging up all the major cities?” Lance countered.

< That is what the humans deserve. >

“Ah…”

Lance turned. “Well, I won’t bother you then.”

Mewtwo sweatdropped. < What? You think you can just waltz out of here? >

“Why not?”

Mewtwo barricaded the room with Light Screen, Reflect, _and_ Barrier. < That’s why. > This human was… entertaining though, if nothing else.

Certainly he wasn’t spouting love, peace, and self-righteous indignation. Yet.

“That is unfortunate…” Lance nodded. “But I believe I can still find a way out… Kairyuu… Brick Break.”

Mewtwo’s eyes did a wonderful insect impression as the barriers shattered.

“This move was specially designed for breaking out of barriers.” Lance smiled. “Anything else you want to throw at me?”

Mewtwo huffed, feeling indignant. < Quit mocking me! > He was rapidly losing his ‘I’m right and therefore I’ll get my revenge on humanity’ calmness.

Lance raised his eyebrows as he waited.

< Disable. >

The blue waves slammed the Dragon Master and his pokemon – not hard, at least – into the wall.

< Now how will you escape? >

“Pity I can’t reach my escape rope.” Lance sighed morosely. “Oh well, I doubt that would work in this situation in any case.”

< I do not want to kill you. You are quite entertaining for a human. I am surprised you are not trying to capture me. >

“Why would I? You’re not a dragon pokemon.”

Mewtwo looked offended. * Now I’m not good enough for him? Someone’s got a swelled head! *

“You’re not ice-type either last time I checked.” Lance mused. “Or water for that matter… I’d guess psychic.”

< … You dare mock me? > Mewtwo asked, tightening the Disable and causing Lance and Dragonite to squirm uncomfortably.

“I was just stating a fact. You _are_ psychic-type, right?”

< Why are you here? > * And that is none of your concern… *

“Well, as League Champion I got stuck with the job of taking care of every problem that’s major but the government doesn’t want to deal with. It’s good for ‘public relations’ if the Champion is actively helping society.”

< What? >

“No one else wanted to see what was causing the pollution.”

< … I see… >

Very odd! Very, very odd!

Mewtwo decided not to kill Lance for now and knocked him out for a few hours while he tried to figure out exactly _what_ to do.

This was one strange human…

End Chapter

Completed 9/28/04