Life could be worse. Right?
Disclaimer/Notes: See a previous chapter
Recap: Lance turned into an Articuno
Chapter 9
So. Now he was a semi-immortal Articuno. Yay…
Ash wasn’t freaking out. At least that meant the boy could be trusted. He wasn’t faking – Lance could tell. However, it was still odd.
Lance was practicing his attacks while Ash and his pokemon watched. Claire had gone off to the afterlife.
She’d probably be reincarnated as another dragon clan member.
“So…um… Lance?”
Lance turned. “Yes, Ash?” He was still getting used to the wings that had just grown out. They were soft, ice blue and very pretty, but also kind of heavy.
“You have pretty wings.” Ash blurted out.
“Why thank you.”
Poliwag giggled. How funny! Master was trying to get a mate, right? How cute! Well, humans had different age standards.
Hmm…
“Can I touch them?”
“Sure…” Lance considered. Wasn’t he a pokemon now? It should be okay. He purred as Ash ran careful fingers over his wings. That felt nice. No wonder pokemon liked grooming! Ash marveled at the feel of soft, satiny feathers. Wow…
“Pretty…”
“Mm.” Lance agreed.
After a few minutes of this, Ash got embarrassed and stopped the stroking. Lance yawned and tried to figure out what to do next.
He didn’t’ mind living in Seafoam three months a year.
This wasn’t that bad of a deal… but… it would suck to fall in love and then watch your friend age and die…
Friend?
Did he actually have feelings for Ash?
Lance took several deep breaths to calm down. They were only friends, but why was he feeling this way?
Was it a side effect of the transformation?
Who knew?
“Lance?” Ash got nervous when he saw Lance just stare into space, twitching once in a while. Was she – no, Lance was still a boy even if Articuno was a girl, sick?
“Lance?”
The Articuno snapped back to reality. “Oh. Sorry, Ash.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I feel dizzy.” Lance lied. Ash quickly fussed over his friend and told him to sleep. Lance did, although how Ash wound up in his arms the next morning was a mystery.
It was nice being held though, Ash decided.
Very nice!
So what now?
“I won’t tell anyone your secret.”
“I trust you.”
“Are you sure?”
“What? You want me to seal the deal?” Lance asked mischievously. Ash blinked.
“Um… you’re just letting me go?”
“Why would it? Just because I have Articuno’s powers… I’m still _me_. But since you feel so uncertain…”
Ash blushed as Lance kissed him on the cheek. “There we go.”
Get a grip, he didn’t even kiss you on the lips! Ash’s mind ordered his hormones. It didn’t seem to work too well though.
“Lance? Do you like me?”
“’Course I do.”
“Do you _like_ me?” Ash pressed.
Lance froze. “H-ai…I think I do…”
“That’s good then. I trust you too.”
“So what do we do now?”
‘Continue with life I suppose.” Ash shrugged, being a child. “I’ll stay here and become a Water Master like I wanted to, and you won’t be lonely for the rest of this winter, and you can keep an eye on the pokemon. It’ll work out somehow…”
Lance grinned. “Point taken.”
“What are friends for then?”
Lance nodded. “Indeed. I trust you.” And that was that
End Chapter
End fic for now
Completed 10/29/04