Another chapter! ^_^
Anyways, I don’t own pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This is non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanwork written by me and I own it!
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks
Ash is 12 in this part, 13 at the most
Chapter 10
It was such a sad story…
Ash was crying by the end, as Espeon finished her tale. The trainers dying to keep the pokemon safe…
“My hero…” Ash sighed, thinking of the story. * I want to be just like him… * He sighed.
Why did all the good people have to die? Life was so unfair. But unfortunately, he couldn’t do much about it.
He sighed.
Espeon nuzzled him. < That’s all in the past, Ash. >
< Hai. >
< And if you really want to be like them, then all you have to do is work hard now. Right? >
< Hai! >
Ash smiled. His new goal shimmered brightly in the air, and he cheerfully tackled his journey once again.
Six months later, he became the new League Champion. He used his power to influence public policy, and pass bills to save pokemon. Yet…
Sometimes, it seemed that all his work came to nothing.
“Ashura?”
Ash looked up as the Leader of his Elite Four walked in. “Oh, hi, Lance.”
“You seem worried.”
“Why did they strike down the bill? It could have saved the lives of so many marine pokemon…” Ash said. “Do they _like_ polluting and destroying the environment?” All those energy companies…
Oil slicks, air pollution, sludgy wastes filling the water and flooding into the ocean, turning once pristine blue to gray… murky gray…
Death as the pokemon choked and died…
Death waited in the afternoon.
Lance nodded.
“Why?”
“Because it costs them nothing. They care not for the loss of life as long as there are a couple of dollars coming in with each death.”
“But that’s not right!”
“You will find very soon, Ash, that few of the politicians actually care for ‘right’ and ‘justice’. They just say so to earn votes.”
“So cruel…” Ash whispered. * Why… why can’t I do anything to stop it? I’m trying my best, but… it’s not doing any good. *
He cried.
He didn’t care that someone was watching. It was no shame to shed tears for a worthy cause.
All those lives being lost…
Ash was startled when Lance put his arms around him. “Shh…”
“Lance…”
“Just let it all out, it will make you feel better.”
Ash didn’t care what the other might think, he took the advice and let loose. He cried for the lives lost and for his own inability to change anything.
It was no shame to cry….
But the Dragon Master didn’t pull away, he just held the Champion closely, and they quietly sat there.
That was all they could do…
Ash pulled away after an indeterminate time, a shy half-smile on his face. “A-arigato, Lance.”
“It’s nothing. You push yourself too hard.”
“I have to! I’m trying to save them and yet I can’t do anything!”
“Of course you can, and I know you’re trying. But you fight fair and they don’t.” The trainer explained.
“What?”
Lance walked to the window. “Don’t wait up for me. Which company was it again?”
“Um… Vermillion Oil and Gas, STAR energy, and OLEA.”
“Thank you.”
Ash’s eyes widened as Lance leaned out the window, through the glass, and disappeared. “Wait! What are you?!”
There was no reply.
Ash looked at Beedrill, who shrugged. Don’t ask me…
Ash did not sleep well that night, too edgy and worried. The next morning, when he picked up his newspaper, he gasped.
“No…”
Pictures of rubble stared back, the aforementioned companies all razed to the ground and many more besides.
Ash ran to find Lance. He needed an explanation, and fast!
He found the trainer in the pool with his dragons.
“Lance! What did you?!”
“Only what you wanted.” Lance said, completely undisturbed. “Why?”
“Y-you!”
“Yes, I destroyed them. They deserved it, didn’t they?”
“But you can’t just go around killing people!”
“Why not? You do it.”
Ash paled. * How did he? *
“Besides, I’m only doing what I’m supposed to.” Lance said, eyes straying down to the silver bracelets wrapped around his wrists, wing tips embedded.
Beedrill gasped.
Chosen! You are-!
“Nice, you figured it out. I’m impressed.”
“You’re _Chosen_? But!”
“You are too, dear.” Lance said, raising an eyebrow. “Why are you so edgy?”
“I!”
“You don’t really think you were killing all those people because you liked it did you? That would be quite dangerous, for a Champion.”
“Of course not! They-they-…” Ash broke off as he realized that he was just repeating Lance’s arguments.
They were essentially the same.
“You…you’re…”
“Yes.” Lance said.
Ash swayed, stunned by the revelation, and would have fallen, but Lance caught him first.
“Shh…”
“But I’m scared.” Ash whispered, as he leaned his head against Lance’s chest. “I’m afraid…”
“You’re still Chosen, and you cannot run from the duty.”
“I just don’t want to lose control. It’s all about control, and I can’t fail. I can’t! I won’t! And…”
“Don’t worry, little one.” Lance said, fingers toying with the strands of Ash’s hair as Ash relaxed, so warm… and it felt so right, just lying there and letting the other boy hold him.
“I’ll protect you…”
He wanted to be safe.
End Chapter
Started 4/10/04, completed 5/1/04