Hi! *waves*

Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon. That belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics! This is non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanwork written by me so I own it. taking my writing is plagiarism and can be punishable by law.

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

Fic timeline-wise, this takes place after ‘Jewel-bright’ and ‘Second place’

Warnings: Championshipping (Ash x Lance) shonen-ai, possible insanity

Ash is 15, just to clarify, there’s been a time jump between this and the last part. I should quit doing that, but my brain froze.

Chapter 11

“Articuno, Blizzard.”

He was smiling.

Nicole gulped. She had heard that it was unwise to challenge the champion, but she had tried anyways. Now, she was starting to regret it. Three of her pokemon had fainted already.

The artic princess shook out her feathers, the ice crystals immobilizing and shattering the Onix.

“Well?” Ash asked, voice like honey smoke. “Are you still trying to win? Just forfeit now…”

“Never!” She said, false bravado coming to the fore. “Go! Marill!”

“’Tis your choice, not mine.” Ash said with a grin. “In that case… I choose you, Chonchii…”

Chinchou smirked and used Spark.

Marill screamed.

“Finish,” Ash said, his tone betraying a sense of boredom. The little fish was quick to obey, a second electric attack took Marill out.

It hadn’t even had time for Rollout.

“Well?”

Chinchou waited along with his friend.

“No way!” Nicole gasped. “Raichu, Thunder!”

Luckily, Chinchou’s dual type was some protection. It used Take Down, further lowering the HP.

“Perfect.” Nicole said, feeling more confident. “Raichu, use another Thunder!”

“Double Team…”

The area filled with clones.

“That won’t do any good, Thunder again!”

The third thunder hit, but luckily, only eight copies were destroyed and a few were left.

“Now…” Ash whispered. “Flail.”

Chonchii’s move finished the electric rodent off quickly.

And then? Well, Nicole’s Magcargo had a quick faint.

“You did well,” Lance said with a smile. Ash grinned.

“Hai!”

“So…” The Dragon Master continued, voice lowering as he wrapped his arms around Ash’s chest from behind. “What now?”

A faint blush stained the child’s cheeks. < Are you sure? >

< Do you love me? >

< Hai… >

< Then your heart will make the decision in its own time. >

Ash wasn’t sure which one of them made the first move, but it was so right, and he was mewling and purring and by the time it was finished, so he didn’t really care.

He had a legend in his arms.

He was a legend, as such.

The pokemon were happy, and that was enough. It didn’t matter that they had been forced to cleanse the earth.

Humanity deserved it. The pokemon were happy also, flying and running and living on the new planet.

But now, didn’t this mean their time was up?

“How soon till Sleep of Death, Lance-chan?”

Lance frowned. “I believe, not long.”

“We might as well make the most of the time we have then.”

“Yes.”

The lights danced around them as two met in a dance among the stars. It was over too soon, and the darkness waited.

It was time.

Two sighed, and parted ways sorrowfully, but at least they would be able to find each other in the future…

Yes…

End Chapter!

End fic… it’s done! ^-^

Started 5/10/04, completed 5/18/04