Another chapter… *yawns*

DISCLAIMER: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me…

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

Timeline: 2.5 months later

Chapter 7

 

            Koga’s Soul Badge via Butterfree, Blaine’s Volcano badge via Squirtle…

            Now it was time to get the last badge. Earth.

            That meant facing Giovanni again.

            Ash hadn’t bothered catching more pokemon for now, but he had been busy training Lance.

            It also was a job keeping her hidden.

            Still… the Pokemon League was in sight now. He walked in the gym doors, and saw Giovanni waiting.

            “Time for my badge, right?”

            “Right.”

            Lance was released from her poke ball, and she smiled. < Well, father? >

            “You’re fighting for him? All right. Rhyhorn, go!”

            “Rock type too… Lance, use that new move. Steel Wing!”

            Lance’s wings glinted, before she slammed first one than the other into Rhyhorn’s body. The pokemon wailed, before fainting.

 

            “She’s steel type? She’d be weak to fire then. Ninetails, I choose you! Use Flamethrower!”

            “Bubblebeam!”

            Ash decided not to divulge Lance’s type for now, just in case Giovanni had ice pokemon.

            Lance nodded, blasts of bubbles shooting from her hands and smacking into Ninetails.

            “Quick Attack!”

            The pokemon plowed through the human pokemon and hit the floor on the other side. Lance smiled sweetly, before she used another bubblebeam.

            Oak and Bill said there was no way to reverse this transformation. Oh well.

            It wasn’t too bad…

 

            “Hmm… interesting. Ghost type? Well then, I choose you, Tyranitar!”

            This time, the pokemon that emerged look hard to defeat.

            “Dark type?”

            “Guessed right, Ash. Bit late now, Tyranitar, Crunch!”

            It was a ‘partial’ dragon, Lance decided, as she avoided the first bite. Now… what was its other type? Ground?
            She sent another bubblebeam at it.

            Tyranitar stopped for a second, before charging forwards again. It was a good thing dragons were versatile. So if Thunderwave didn’t work, she could at least stop it this way…

            Tyranitar was swept up in a Dragon rage attack. However, then it used Rock Slide. Those rocks _hurt_!
            Lance sighed. * Recover… *

            The healing finished, and she decided to quit playing around, as Hyper Beam blasted out.

            There went Tyranitar over the horizon…

 

            “…” Giovanni stayed speechless for a few seconds, as Lance stuck out her tongue at him.

            “You okay, Lance? No broken bones or anything?”

            Lance shook her head as she used Recover again, back to full HP now.

            “Well, you’ve been a good trainer, that’s for sure, Ash. I compliment you.”

            Ash blushed slightly as Giovanni gave him the Earth badge. “Thank you sir.”

            “Has Team Rocket bothered you?”

            “No…”

            “Good. I don’t want someone else to take my daughter away. I’m leaving her with you so she’ll be safe. understand?”

            “Y-yes…”

            It made sense, kind of… why not? He’d take care of Lance, and not hurt her.

            It was his fault anyway.

            Plus she was cute.

            Ack! Where had that thought come from?

            Giovanni looked amused as Ash turned into a veritable lobster, before running out.

            So he was falling to her feminine wiles, eh? Interesting… well, why not?

            It must run in the family.

 

            It was on to the Indigo League!

            < Well, you can’t use me as a pokemon in the Indigo League… >

            “It’s okay.” Ash smiled. “I’m just glad I only have you.”

            < Oh? Why? >

            “Can you imagine me having six girls in poke balls? What would people think?”

            < You were one lucky guy. >

            “?”

            <… Never mind. > Lance replied. * How can he be so naïve? Well, I don’t want to be the one to break the news… *

            “I wish we were home now.” Ash said, nonchalantly. He had been carefully monitoring his wishes, but this one was light.

            A flash later, they were in Pallet Town, in Ash’s room to be precise.

            Delia looked shocked, as she had just been airing it out.

            “Ash! You’re home!”

            “Hi mom.”

            “And who’s this young lady?”

            “Um… Lance is…”

            Lance smiled. < Hello Mrs. Ketchum. >

            “Oh! Nice to meet you.”

            Lance smiled, but not before Delia caught a glimpse of her wings. * What in the world? Is she a pokemon? *

            She’d ask Ash later…

            They went downstairs, had lemonade and cookies, and there wasn’t anything really wrong with the girl, but…

            That outfit… certainly strange!

            Was it the fashion now?

            “Um… mom… I guess you’ve been wondering about Lance… it really was an accident…”

            “What happened?”

            “She is a pokémon.”

            Lance sighed, nodding. “Genie.”

            “…? What happened?”

            “Long story short, I accidentally turned her into a pokemon and she chose me as her trainer. But Professor Oak is keeping it quiet.”

            “Ah…”

            “That’s about it.”

            “I thought you were traveling with a girl named Misty?”

            “Oh, we split in Vermillion.”

            “I see…”

            Lance was floating around, keeping an eye out for Drake. Maybe he had taken the hint…

            She liked being left alone.

            Professor Oak came over, upon seeing her.

            ‘Lance… we need to talk.”

            < I’m listening. >

            “You have to be registered as a pokemon. Otherwise, it’s illegal for Ash to use you in battle.”

            Lance scowled. < Fine, fine. >

            She didn’t appreciate though. Now, everyone would be out to try and capture her. no more privacy. She hated it. It wasn’t fair!

            Damn media… I can’t wait.

            They’ll blow this whole thing out of proportion. And this outfit does nothing… Argh, what to do? I wish I knew amnesia…

            She started going through her attacks methodically, trying to find a way…

            Why did this have to happen?

            I thought being a pokemon would be less stressful, but now…

 

            “Lance?”

            Ash walked out. “Oh, hi, Professor Oak!”

            “Hello Ash. Have you caught any new pokemon?”

            “Um… not really, but there’s still three months before the league, so I’ll get to work.”

            “That’s good.”

            “Lance, is something wrong?”

            < He’s going to paste me all over the world now… first human pokemon ever… I’ll never have a moment’s peace. >

            “Oh no…”

            Oak looked at Ash. “What is it?”

            “Professor Oak, if you do this everyone will know!”

            “I’m sorry, Ash, but it’s the best method.”

            ‘I wish there was another way!”

            “Wish granted.” Lance replied, smiling smugly. Professor Oak’s eyes fogged over, and then… silence.

            “What did you do?”
            < I erased the memories and evidence of everyone who knew I was a pokemon except for you. I hope you don’t mind. >

            “No…”

            < Also, I did a little time bending. For all intents and purposes, I’ve been at Indigo Plateau this entire year. >

            “Wow…”

            Lance toppled, and he dived beneath and caught her. * Looks like that tired her out… * He recalled her to her poke ball, and then quickly left.

 

End Chapter

Completed 8/30/04