And…! Another chapter, now shower me with praise! *Laugh*

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*

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

Chapter 5

The rest of the day passed in silence, and they slept without much conversation. The next morning, however, there was a show with trained Dewgong and Sharpedo, which Red was looking forwards to seeing. The ship stopped for two hours while the pokemon performed outside, doing leaps and wonderful acrobatics.

“Wasn’t that wonderful, Wataru?” He asked afterwards. The other trainer gave him a curious look.

“I suppose it was.”

“You didn’t like it? When the three Dewgong stood on top of each other to get that tuna, I was so surprised!”

“I would prefer normal pokemon to trained specimens.” Lance said shortly.

“Oh…” Red said. He hadn’t thought of that. “I see.” It wasn’t quite a rebuke, but he still felt uncomfortable…

Lance did not press the issue farther, and Red did not bother to pry. There was so much that he didn’t know about Wataru, but he hadn’t told Wataru about his own life either, so it was hardly fair to demand answers…

“I was born in Viridian.” Lance finally broke the silence. “My father was from Blackthorn but he married my mother. She was a…” Here, he flushed, “Call girl who caught his eye. I was born not long after. Despite his father’s urgings, my father still went and married my mother… and so he was disowned.”

Red nodded.

“I haven’t seen my family for years.”

“I see…”

Lance sighed. “Don’t worry about it. My pokemon are really my only family.” Red was unsure as to how to respond to that statement, so he quietly slipped out.

He waited until he was sure Red was gone before he released Aerodactyl and Dragonair. < I am sorry to have kept you inside your poke balls all this time. >

< We do not blame you, Master. We would rather you be safe. >

< Yes, > Aerodactyl nodded, < Although this is an interesting development. Why are you bothering with him? >

< Revenge. > Lance said simply with a smirk.

< Against that girl? > A smile formed in his mind, Aerodactyl sounded quite pleased. < How nice! >

< Be careful Master… >

< I will be. > He vowed. < Sleep well, dears. >

Red returned three hours later, several books in hand. He had obviously found the ship’s library entertaining… good for him.

What Lance did not know was that Red was looking up information about the Viridian Forest, as well as pokemon conservation efforts. He found a shocking lack of human impact in both areas.

People didn’t care that the companies had turned Cerulean and Celadon into wastelands? How many pokemon had died out there? He shuddered.

“Red?”

“What is it, Wataru?”

“We’ve arrived in Houen. Are you ready to leave?”

“Just a minute…”

Why hadn’t he known about this? He was Kanto Champion, shouldn’t he be informed? It made no sense…

Then again, perhaps he was simply being paranoid about… something. Red sighed. No one had ever told him what went on. He did not run Kanto…

He was only a figurehead for the adoring masses go gaze upon, and that was scary at times. Red shuddered, thinking of several fangirl letters he had received before. Definitely scary

He picked up his packed backpack and followed Wataru down the steps, careful not to slip on metal wet with saltwater. Wataru caught him as he tripped on the last step, and Red forced the blush off his face as he hastily stood once more on solid terra firma, never mind that it was wood of the dock beneath his feet and not the earth.

What was wrong with him?

However, Wataru did not say anything and Red was left to suffer in his thoughts as they walked up the dock to Slateport city. Truly beautiful, and as the Museum was right next to the shipyard, they decided to go take a look inside.

It was lovely.

He was eying a display of living seaweed – Slateport had an aquarium connected to their museum but it was natural, something he approved of. Showing knowledge to the masses in hopes that a few would see the truth and rise above – when the first ones attacked. Poochyna.

Those dark types were vicious little dogs, and yet in nature they were mostly cowards, attacking in packs to bring down prey and running away at the first sign of the battle being lost. Still, what faced him now were slavering, mindless beasts. Brainwashed. Team Aqua was rather an expert at that.

He did not bother to reach for his own poke balls, knowing that any motion he made would be a signal to attack.

Red, who had been studying a model of the Submarine Explorer, had no such reservations. In an instant, his pokemon were free and the dripping jaws had closed over his arms and legs.

Pain exploded in his vision and he sought, struggled hard to get them to let go, even as he felt tearing and intense agony…

He laughed, mockingly, as the Poochyna looked at him blankly, not sure whether to attack or no.

“What are you waiting for?” Mary hissed, releasing her Poochyna as well as the three that had already surrounded the trainer. “Attack!”

The Poochyna leapt forwards, just as Lance pressed his fingers against the glass wall of the tank he had been standing in front of and *shoved*. Instantly, shards of glass exploded outwards, hurting all within range. Casually licking a spot of blood off his cut hand, he threw forwards his poke balls.

Aerodactyl and Dragonair emerged, half-crazed with bloodlust from their unfamiliar captivity, as well as their Master’s emotions running through the link like wildfire. The Poochyna were easily tossed aside, the humans torn to shreds…

By the time Red recovered, Lance was bandaging him and the pokemon were gone. “W-Wataru?”

“Yes, Red?”

“What happened?”

“Team Aqua attacked the Center and you and your pokemon fought them off.” Lance lied easily, knowing that Red’s pokemon had seen much, but they would not tell. They had been under his control as much as his own. Yellow had never known of this power, she was too ‘pure’, here, Lance sneered mentally, but he had already walked down the path of swords and snatched Viridian’s terrible secrets from a heart of flame.

The reckoning would be soon, but until then, he could continue to wind Red deeper into his web. He carefully brushed his lips across the other boy’s briefly, seeing shock along with a flare of lust. How interesting…

So it was working.

End Chapter

Completed 12/7/05

Lance: I’m somehow good at seducing people…

Phantomness: Shrug