Not sure if this will be a short or long series yet…
Ash: …
Lance: Well, its different I think…
Phantomness: I’m so touched by your confidence
Emerald: After some of what you’ve written, I have no confidence.
Phantomness: *pulls out kitchen rapier* you said what, Emerald?
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me under international copyright laws.
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks
Chapter 2
After the meeting, Ash checked his poke balls just in case. Yes, they were there, his team….
Jolteon, shining with pretty golden fur, Venusaur, his starter, Aerodactyl, whom he had revived in Cinnabar, Ninetails, his fire-type, Gyarados, his water dragon, and Hypno, who had defeated all of Agatha’s dragons for him.
Checking the PC in his room, he found that his two boxes of pokemon were there as well as his items.
Interesting.
It was like he had been transferred into the game! What a cool dream…
He let his pokemon run around in the exercise area inside of the Plateau, and then he went to explore. The library turned out to be fascinating, containing not only books about pokemon but also histories, novels, science reports…
Excellent!
He spent nearly the whole day
in there, absorbed in the printed words. It was only when Lance dragged him to
dinner at seven that he realized how much time had gone by.
“You’ll tax your eyes if you do that all day, Champion.” Lance teased.
Ash scowled as he finished the roast beef sandwich.
The sandwich was very tasty and filling though, and the lemonade was sweet and tangy as well. They had pretty good food here.
He would have to remember that.
In any case, he was staying at the Plateau for the time being…
“Lance, is it total time spent here?”
“Like two months here and then two exploring? That could work, you just have to be here at least half of each year.”
“I see…”
It must be horrible for them though, ten months restriction to the Plateau.
But it was
only a game!
Still, his dream was getting
interesting.
It was amazing how the human mind worked.
He spent three weeks practically living in the library while he wasn’t playing in the sun with his pokemon, and it worked out well.
He visited Pallet Town, amazed at the size of Professor Oak’s laboratory. It looked so small in the pixels.
He played with his pokemon that had been boxed, and enjoyed their company. So real…
They were really like pets.
But they were nice and powerful pets!
He liked them, of course, how could he not? He had trained and raised and captured them.
It was nice…
The world would get better, he thought, as he groomed his purring Ninetails under the sun.
Besides, what was it to him? It was only a dream.
But a nice dream!
There was just one problem.
Yes… that _was_ a problem.
Why in the world was he falling in love with a dream character?
That was crazy!
“Ash, what’s wrong?”
He jumped as he took the lemonade Lance handed him. “I don’t know.”
“Are you worried about staying here?”
‘No! I love the library and the garden.” Ash said truthfully.
“Then why are you troubled? Can I help?”
Oh well, it was only a dream; he could wake up if it turned out badly. He would forget it anyway.
“I admire you Lance.”
“Really?” The Dragon Master raised an eyebrow.
“You’re the force that keeps the Elite Four together.”
“Ah, you noticed…”
“Um, I’d like you to protect me as well…”
Lance looked amused. “I can do that.”
“Really?”
“Hai.”
“Arigato!” Ash said, before he gave Lance a quick hug and then went back to his novel.
The Jungle Book was actually kind of interesting in its own way.
Quite interesting!
He liked it.
He turned a page as Lance walked outside, boots clicking slightly against the smooth blue tiles.
Indigo Plateau had lovely accommodations. But then again, it didn’t look that drab in the game…
How strange…
Lance checked his poke balls as he brushed out his long red hair. Why would Red ask that of him?
Unless…
No, that was impossible! He was still just a child, wasn’t he?
He couldn’t have noticed…
He shouldn’t have!
Master Lance?
“I’m fine, Hakuryuu.”
Truly?
“Yes.” Lance smiled as he finished combing. He stood up and opened one of his drawers, taking out a vial of white powder.
No, it wasn’t cocaine or heroin or some illegal drug.
It was just…
Well, that’s not important. In any case, Lance stirred the protein powder into his dragon’s dinner, and then went off to bed.
He needed all the rest he could get; right now this troubling problem was not something he wanted to deal with.
Red had no idea what protector entitled.
It was not just a title in name; any fool could claim that. But to keep the Plateau in one piece, to work with the wires and arrange the matches and keep the Elites alive in this hopeless environment…
Pity the child.
End Chapter
Completed 7/7/04