Part 9! ^-^

Disclaimer: Pokemon is not mine. Need I repeat it again?

Notes: ** is for thoughts, <> for telepathy, italics for pokemon speaking.

Link Masters – thank you

Takuya – hai…

Briememory – blame ff.net’s stupid new programs that screw up my html files…

SS2 Megami-sama – yes, for some reason I hate serebii…

Star’s Dreams – I love twists

Rachel – thanks

Jesse – I would like to inform you that because of your cursing and negative feedback, that is why everyone else had to wait so long for the update.

Dragi – thanks

Kaiser Bakura – Charlotte and Ash are _not_ dead, don’t worry. There are just… sealed, for lack of a better word.

Chapter 9: Peace at last? Not likely

Lance watched as Destiny slept, eyes closed and breathing even. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and then tightened the bands of healing energy she had placed around him.

“That should heal him soon enough.”

“Interesting.” A voice commented.

“Nice of you to drop in, Rayquaza. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” Lance asked politely.

The pokemon in human form shrugged. “I’ve always wondered how you do your job.”

“…”

“It seems stressful.”

“You have no idea, Rayquaza.” Lance replied as she dusted off her hands.

“That bad?”

“Well, I do have fifteen years of this job…”

“Ah.”

“And until I teach him the ropes, I’m stuck with it.”

“Oh.”

Lance held up a pair of silver scales. Three plates dangled from the black crossbar. On each rested a great ball.

As her eyes flashed blue, one ball rose while the other two sank.

Rayquaza watched in interest.

“Three houndour tribes were quarreling over territory, each claiming to be the wronged party. They were destroying the forest and polluting the river with ashes and dust. So I took the leader from each to solve this dispute.”

Putting the scales down, Lance released the poke ball that had risen.

A Houndoom with grizzled fur materialized. He was an Elder of the tribe, wise.

“Your tribe was the one that was wronged. I give you the land.” Lance said. And what the water master said was truth.

Houndoom thanked the trainer, and ran across the wilds to take the news back to his pack.

“But what do you do with the other two tribes?”

“They have been quarreling amongst each other fiercely. They are all but wiped out.” Lance said. “I shall send the survivors to one of the many pokemon refuges the guardians control. They will learn to work together and live in peace. When that time comes, they can return to the world.”

“You deal with this on a regular basis?”

Lance nodded.

“I’m impressed.”

“Thanks.” Lance said, as she healed a lost baby Articuno and sent it’s on its way, and turned to the next problem... the oil slick that had just occurred off the shore of Vermillion.

Sighing, the guardian used her powers to cleanse the water.

“Stupid people…”

Each action drained some energy out of her.

Every time she had to heal she lost power.

It hurt, to an extent. Still, she could always tap into the dream realm, but there were no guarantees.

Her eyes flared briefly as she drained some more dark power into herself and turned to the next supplicant.

It was a very tired ice guardian who fell asleep that night.

Over, Rayquaza kept watch. After all, it wouldn’t do for her to be unprotected.

She was the one keeping the balance after all.

It was a harsh duty.

She slept deeply, Rayquaza noted.

Sleep of death, almost.

Still, he could sympathize. It wasn’t easy being a legendary either!

Always being hunted. He really should move. Sky pillar was too easy to access. Why did people not get the point and leave him alone?

He sighed as he curled up inside the room, glad that at least the accommodations were large enough to fit him.

It was a very freaked out Bruno who ran down the hall the next morning, after having accidentally peeked into Lance’s room.

“GIANT DRAGON!”

Lorelei and Agatha sighed. “What is it now?” They asked as they continued to eat the buttered toast with strawberry jam they were having for breakfast.

Lorelei picked up the pitcher of milk and poured Bruno a glass, indicating for him to sit down. “You look disturbed.”

Bruno gulped down the entire glass at one blow. “Lance!”

“Again? What now?”

“There’s a GIANT DRAGON in Lance’s room!” Bruno shrieked.

Agatha raised her eyebrows.

“So?” Lorelei asked. “We all know Lance seems to be able to pull himself out of what looks like no exit situations. I bet its another ace he hasn’t shown us.”

“Maybe…” Agatha mused. “Especially if it’s a dragon type.”

A while later, Lance walked out, looking tired.

“No sleep, Lance?”

“Ne, still tired from the battles yesterday.” Lance remarked.

“GIANT DRAGON!” Bruno screamed.

Lance rolled her eyes. “Ah. Rayquaza. Well, he dropped in to visit me yesterday so I let him stay the night.”

“Welcome.” Agatha said politely.

“Nice to meet you.” Lorelei added with a small smile.

Rayquaza waved to both of them, as he padded out of the hall behind Lance.

< Well, the screams woke us up. >

“That would be Bruno…”

Bruno finally calmed down enough to look at the dragon. Up, and up and up…

“L-lance, are you sure it’s safe?”

“Absolutely.” Lance reassured the fight trainer. “You’ll be fine, he won’t hurt you unless…”

< Unless you attempt to get in bed with-. >
< STOP! > Lance yelled, looking sickened at the mental image. < Basically, don’t even come near me, okay? >
“… Okay.” Bruno muttered.

End Chapter!

Why don’t I like Bruno? I think its because he’s too weak in my opinion to be an E4 member

Started 12/4/04, completed 2/18/04

I’m _busy_. It’s known as taking a 1-semester calculus course in 6 weeks = at least 7 hours of work a day = busy!