Chapter 2!

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me. Don’t steal my work!

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

Red = Ash, real name Ashura

Chapter 2

“Lance.”

The fourteen-year old Rocket member looked up from his encyclopedia on rare pokemon. “Yes, father?”

Lance was the other of Giovanni’s successful experiments in human and pokemon DNA combination. Instead of Houndoom, though, his blood ran with Lugia and Suicune – a tricky mixture. However, psychic and flying tempered water so all was well. Besides, he balanced out the dark and fire in Ash…

“Your brother has returned to us.”

“Ashura has returned?” Lance’s eyes glittered with suppressed longing. “Truly?”

“Yes. However, he will most likely not remember you…”

“Wherefore, father? And where has he been these past years?”

Giovanni sighed. “Seven years ago, they attempted to kidnap my heir…”

Lance nodded. Ashura had been Giovanni’s heir, Lance was older, but Ashura… ah, he had the proper alignment for it.

“I remember… I tried, father, but I only fought four of them off…”

“And it was lucky you did, for those four were luckily, the four that knew the technique to kill a legendary pokemon.”

‘But now he has returned.”

“Yes, Lance, so I need you to take care of him…”

“Of course, father.”

“Excellent. I shall send him later.” With that, Giovanni left.

Lance nodded, his unnaturally golden eyes surveying the room. With a sigh, he began to clear his textbooks and equipment off the second bed. They vanished into the depths of the closet on the left. The one on the right was empty, thankfully, so he didn’t need to clean that…

Twenty minutes later, the room was sparkling clean. Lance flopped down onto his bed and absentmindedly rubbed the quartz crystal on a gold chain Ash had given him for his seventh birthday, days before the boy had been abducted…

What would his little brother be like now?

Red gloomily followed Giovanni down the corridor. The leader had been quiet along the way and they finally came to a door that opened into a nice suite of rooms. Giovanni pushed Red in and then shut the door.

Red blinked.

This was not quite what he had expected. Giovanni wanted him in Team Rocket, but this….

Well, this place looked expensive!

There was a kitchenette, a bathroom with a shower and a luxurious Jacuzzi, a small library, and finally, the bedroom.

The bedroom was huge, bookshelves covered the walls, and there were two closets and two beds, both covered with black silk sheets. On the opposite wall, two reading desks were arranged, one with a computer on it.

Sitting at the desk was a boy around his age, dressed in only a pair of black trousers. White hair with two dark blue streaks in it fell almost to his waist.

“Um… hello?”

Golden eyes swiveled to meet his, and Ash gaped. They were so…. Well, warm for lack of a better term. It was almost as if his presence had been expected. But how had Giovanni known?

“Ashura! Little brother, I’ve missed you so much!”

Red nearly fainted in surprise as he was tackled to the ground. Luckily, the thick burgundy carpet was quite soft and made a good landing spot.

“Um…. Hello? Who are you? Have we met before?”

The boy released him, looking oddly disappointed. “You… ah, I thought father was exaggerating, but you really don’t remember.”

“Remember what?” Red froze as he caught sight of the two-inch long crystal spear, wrapped in gold wire, hanging around Lance’s neck. “That…”

“You remember? You gave this to me for my birthday, days before you were kidnapped.”

No…. it couldn’t’ be true… he wasn’t part of Team Rocket, he wasn’t! But it looked so familiar…

Without thinking, he reached out and touched it.

A memory skittered along his mind, playing before his eyes as Lance’s psychic powers began to unlock Ash’s memories…

Of course, associated objects were useful…

*FLASHBACK

“Aniki!” Four-year-old Ashura diRocketti raced after his older brother as fast as his chubby legs could carry him. “Wait for me!”

The taller child stopped, and smiled. “What is it, Ash?”

A package messily wrapped in Porygon-print wrapping paper was thrust into the elder’s hands. “Here you go!”

“For me?” Lance smiled. Today was his birthday, but few knew of it. With a smile, he began to unwrap the present…

A necklace on a gold chain winked at him.

‘Do you like it?” Little Ash asked hopefully.

“Wow…. It’s pretty, Ash” Lance said, slipping it over his head. “I’ll wear it forever.”

“Yay!” The boy cheered. “Can we have cake now?”

“Of course…”

End Flashback*

Red stared at Lance. “You’re my *older brother*?”

“Why is it so surprising? I just called you little brother, didn’t I?”

“But… but I don’t remember you at all…”

“You’re too young to remember much at that age. Here.” Lance went to his desk, opening the top right hand drawer and taking out a photo album. “Father only keeps a few pictures, and our mothers probably curse our existence, but…”

Red’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at a picture of himself as a baby, red eyes blinking sleepily…

So it was true then…

As the pages flipped, time progressed, Ash’s first word was recorded ‘Dada’, and then ‘ni’ for aniki, and then… he watched himself grow into a toddler, blushed at a few pictures of himself running around in naught but Pikachu diapers, and finally…

The last picture must have been taken at Lance’s birthday party. He was wearing a blue party hat, and there was chocolate frosting smeared over his hands and face. Next to him, Lance was hugging a stuffed Dratini doll and smiling.

Then… these pictures could not have been faked, could they? But even if they had, Giovanni had gone to an awful lot of trouble to convince him of this lie…

He would believe it for now then.

“So do you believe me?”

“I… I think I do.” Red finally said. “Just… give me some time to think it out? It’s been a big day.”

“I understand, otouto, but if you ever need to talk, I’ll listen.”

“All right, aniki.” He whispered, and was surprised at how *normal* it sounded. Maybe… maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

End Chapter

Completed 5/1/05

Aight, hope you enjoy! FLUFF!

Pika-chan: *eats bananas*

Phantomness: Bad fluff muse! You’ll get fat!
Kairo: Who cares?

Shoyko: As long as the darkfic stays away, I’ll be happy