Oops! Shouldn’t write college applications and fanfic at the same time! ^_^() You get odd paste/cut results!

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Chapter 3

 

            “It is with great pride, in this year 2245, that we will begin registering all trainers labeled as ‘mutant’, and preventing them from league entry except in special cases…”

            The representative drowned on and on. Outside the door, two figures stood. One, dressed in somber black and clutching the bars of his wheelchair, looked simply saddened. The other whistled and a Dragonair swooped down. Without a backwards glance, he had flown off.

            Pryce sighed.

            The years had passed. Lance had begun gathering an army of those with powers, enraged at their treatment. The mutants were an inferior species, them? No, they were superior to those blasted humans…!

            Those lying, thieving, ungrateful beasts…

            He knew that Pryce would try to track him, but as long as he had a dragon around, there was no way for the slippery old man to get his hooks into his mind.

            Lance preferred it that way.

 

            Duplica was waiting when he returned, along with several others. Misty was quietly sleeping in her tank. The shock of losing her gym position had caused sufficient stress for her mutation to become more visible. Now, she boasted actual gill slits on her throat, and her legs were slowly becoming a tail. A mermaid in action.

            He felt sympathetic, but a bit irritated also. She was the poster perfect example of what the humans had done.

            Wretched species!

 

            Lorelei and Agatha were waiting in the antechamber. Lorelei was busy making ice sculptures. Her power lay in ice. She could create it, freeze it out of the air, and did not dehydrate herself. Agatha could phase through walls. It was quite useful.

            “So they voted.”

            “That they did.” Lance shrugged elegantly. “But they haven’t caught us yet.”

            “They never will.”

            No, they would not, because the entire building they were living in was woven from the auras of pokémon.

            The pokémon would mask the mutants, who were in truth, closer to pokémon than humans… and so they hid their brethren.

            It had been a sad sacrifice, but they had volunteered… the Ditto would live the rest of their half-lives out in peace here.

            The walls hummed as their Leader returned. Pleased. Happy. Content.

            Lance closed his eyes and basked in those emotions from a minute, pausing to place a hand against a wall. “Thank you.”

           

            He continued down the halls. There were others, of course, but Lorelei and Agatha were the only ones that could be considered his friends, along with Duplica. There were many children rescued before the government could experiment on them.

            Why would anyone want to lose his or her powers?

            He heard a slight rustling sound. Ah yes. Some of the mutants had been rather physically changed. It was unfortunate, but necessary. Galen was moodily walking down the hall, his hair – well, he had no hair, as his head was covered with vibrant red feathers. They were long and kept rustling as he walked.

            “Hello, Galen.”

            “Hello, Master Lance.” The boy said.

            “Did you see what happened?”

            “Yes. We were all watching television when the newscast came on. I’m afraid that the twins Liza and Tate got a bit angry, and accidentally blew it up.”

            “It’s all right.” Lance spoke. “It will be fixed.”

            He felt the hum of power beneath his feet as the house listened and almost nodded. “Did anything else of import occur?”

            “No.”

            “Excellent.”

 

            Red was not a bad child. However, when given the choice of Pryce’s school for gifted children or being banned from the Indigo League, he had chosen the school. There, Pryce had assured him, they took in all mutants.

            Red stared at the simple steel lighter in his hands as he flicked his fingers. A swirl of flame danced above them.

            His power was to control fire. He could not make fire, but he could control it, build a spark into roaring flames…

            He supposed that it could count as a potential weapon, but really, all it saved him on a pokémon journey was matches and occasionally firewood. It was hard to keep his concentration while trying to toast hot dogs over a swirl of flames though!

            It felt rather unfair. Besides, he had a Poliwhirl and a Bulbasaur and a cute little Pikachu. They fought for him and he respected them for it. Using fire would scare Bulbasaur, so he only did it when the little grass type was asleep or absent.

            He petted his sleeping Bulbasaur as he watched the news.

            Now it was permanent.

            He would never be able to compete in a league again…

            For a trainer who had wanted to be League Champion, it was a terrible blow. Over the continent, a hundred children cried out in rage.

            It wasn’t just, but what could they do?

            They were now lower than pokémon, almost! Even pokémon did not have to be tagged and monitored!

            The council required neurological-chips implanted in their minds.

            Would they have any privacy anymore?

            Lugia, it wasn’t fair

            And in the hearts of the children, and even the adults, the grapes of wrath began to fill, becoming heavy with vintage.

           

 

            “How is the construction progressing?” Lance asked. Several mutants who specialized in electricity or mechanics were busy working on what looked like a pokemon transfer machine.

            “Not bad, Master Lance. In approximately two weeks it will be completed.”

            “Excellent. Thank you.”

 

            There would be another meeting of the Indigo governing council meeting in two weeks. Every delegate would be attending. Lance smiled. It would be wonderful when his revenge came on. Now all he had to worry about was Pryce’s meddling.

            That could be a problem.

            Well, he’d solve it easily enough. Duplica materialized at his side with a smile.

            “You can distract him for me, won’t you?”

            “Of course…” She blew him a kiss and he laughed.

            That would be enough for now.

 

            Flick.

            The flames were pretty though. He could understand the appeal of fire. He liked fire. He closed his eyes as he thought.

            Why was he being crushed because he was special?

            The normal kids were probably all just jealous. Red clenched a fist. He had been popular before the incident, but now, all his former fans had fled. It was like he had the black plague or cancer or something

            He flicked the lighter again as he frowned. Something was stirring, and he did not like it.

 

End Chapter

Completed 6/11/06