Another chapter…
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.
Chapter 6
“ARGH!”
Ash paused in his doctoring. He had decided to take the test and was now a certified basic nurse. Yay.
He hadn’t been dreaming of Lance since…she left. Karen had mentioned that he would be back soon, but…
He? Wasn’t Lance a girl? Or did Karen know something he didn’t? No, Lance had been definitely female – he’d given her a sponge bath and hooked her up to the IV himself after all…
So… Ash sighed. This was getting nowhere. Now what was that noise?
He saw Bruno come barreling past, face flaming in anger…
And he looked quite obviously pregnant.
Karen began to laugh. Ash shot her a confused look.
“I suppose something carried over, even though Lance didn’t intend it to… pokemon do reproduce much faster than humans.”
“Huh?”
“It takes pokemon, what, two weeks at the most to have their children because they develop so fast? Well, I think Bruno is feeling the effects now. It ought to take only a month or so, which is lucky for him, but also unlucky, because he won’t be able to do anything…”
“What?”
“Never mind…”
“Oh, okay.” Ash nodded. “I understand.”
He didn’t really, but he didn’t want to make things worse either. He closed his eyes – and suddenly, he found himself in dreamscape.
It wasn’t as dark as before, the area was sort of gray and misty, but he could see…. Grass. And blue water. And maybe a hint of sky amidst the fog…
“Lance?”
A figure turned around. Ash caught a glimpse of dark red hair and golden eyes. He frowned. “You are Lance, right?”
“Of course I am.” The voice was slightly deeper, more masculine… and the clothing… instead of silver armor and lavender robes, this apparition was wearing… white. White robes and silver armor. That wasn’t much difference, except…
This one had wings. Silver wings. Sharp, Skarmory-like wings…
“You are Lance?”
Laughter. “Would you like me to write notes to you?”
Ash belatedly realized that he was holding the quill and notebook. “Oh! Um… you can’t, since I haven’t given these back yet…”
“No, I suppose not.” Lance walked over to him. “I can talk again. But you’ve never heard my voice before -.”
“Yes I have! You saved me at Lake of Rage, remember?”
A slight frown passed across the figure's physiognomy. “Ah…. But Catelyn saved you, and she’s gone now.”
“Catelyn?!”
“The other me. The one who died was not I.”
“The one who was…?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t get it.” Ash frowned. “You are Lance, but the Lance I knew was a girl.”
“I know. She’s not Lance, but we all use that name so it doesn’t get too confusing. She’s a girl, I’m a boy, and she’s ice, and I’m dragon…”
“Then… what happened to her? Is she dead? Oh wait, you just said she was…” Ash blanched. “Did you kill her?”
Lance shrugged. “It was necessary. And she’s still a child; she certainly can’t be bearing another child. And the child is fine, although tis none of my concern now. Bruno can take care of him.”
“Him?”
“He’ll have a son – if he keeps the baby.” Lance shrugged.
“Oh.” Ash nodded. “So… you aren’t dead. Not anymore.”
“Close enough…”
“And… er… well… you’re a guy now.”
“Yes, and you can quit feeling me up now.”
Ash gulped and colored. “Sorry! Just wanted to check!”
“I know it was all in medical interest, ne? I’m perfectly healthy and I’ll be back at the Plateau, like Karen said.”
“Do you know Karen?”
“Yes.”
“She said something about you being her Leader…”
“Dragon and Dark rule over ice, and psychic and ghost, and poison and flying and water… many things. I’m just her… well, Leader sounds good enough. We keep the world in some semblance of order… sometimes.”
“What?”
“I think you should wake up now. You can ask me when I come back.”
“Okay…”
Ash drifted out of dreamland. Karen was watching him. Joy was not there. Bruno was – well, he could hear Joy talking to Bruno about proper weight maintenance and stuff.
Nothing to do with him…
“Hello, Ash.” A voice said, startling him.
Lance stood there. Actually in the flesh this time! Long, crimson hair streaked with gold and a touch of silver fell to mid-back. He wore a black bodysuit, red jacket, and a black cape lined with red satin on the inside. White boots with black designs on them encased his feet. It was different, but still recognizable.
It was better than the provocative stuff Catelyn had been wearing in any case…
“Nice to see you back, Dragon Master. Grandmother was worried.”
“I told Agatha everything would be fine.”
Karen shrugged. “She still worries. She watches over you. She’s like…”
“My grandmother.”
“Exactly.”
“Well… hi.” Ash said. He tried not to stare and blush. He didn’t quite succeed in either endeavor…
Lance smirked.
Ash suddenly had an urge to drool and forcibly slapped himself in the face before running off.
“How long do you think he’ll hold out?” Karen asked Lorelei.
Lorelei shrugged. “No idea. Not long though. Besides, I’m going on vacation. Get Will to fill in, will you?”
“Course I will. Nice to see him again…”
“And so the new Elite are here, almost. Perhaps we’ll hire Koga since Bruno is… otherwise occupied.” Lance sneered. “Serves the bastard right.”
Bruno walked in, saw Lance, and screamed.
Lance smirked again.
“You’re alive!”
“Hardly. I’m not alive… this is a new body.” Lance glared. “You sick perverted rapist! If you’re going to bitch about your condition it’s your own fault!”
“Huh?”
“I’m a clone.” Lance said, deciding that the truth would just go over Bruno’s head. “The real version of me is dead – you should know, since you raped and killed her! Now it’s time to pay the price…”
Bruno paled.
Lance began to pin him with a stare that would have shattered steel. Bruno didn’t last long before he ran off, wailing.
“Nice.” Lorelei smirked at her cousin. “Well, I’m heading off to the Orange Islands.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll call Will.” Karen said. A few moments later, the masked psychic and his Xatu were moving into Lorelei’s room…
Sabrina and Morty. Karen and Will.
They were often there on the sidelines to watch, to help, occasionally to guide and help. Agatha too, and Koga and Aya…
They worked with the Dragon Master after all… he was their Leader.
They didn’t mind.
There own lives were not as impacted as the Realm Guardian’s, but they still had their parts to play, as lesser masters.
But overall, life was life and it was good.
“So… hi.” Ash said. He wasn’t going to quit working at Indigo Plateau just because a hot guy had shown up. Even if said guy had once been a girl and was… um… well… and haunted his dreams… and last night had been particularly disturbing…
“Ash, you just put the Dragonair in the machine.”
He snapped back to reality. He looked at the ultra ball in his hand. Lance had an exasperated look on his face.
“Sorry!” * I really, really need to stop spacing out… *
Lance hid a smirk. * Well, well, this won’t take along at all… even with Bruno’s manipulations, I’m sure there are still ways… *
He adjusted his cloak as Ash turned around, and Ash gulped again.
He was taking a cold shower as soon as he got a break! Now!
Why was he feeling this way though?
Perplexing…
End Chapter
Completed 8/11/05
I don’t like Bruno. Hence, he is getting his just desserts
Kairo: *laughs*
Ash: Well, I’m smitten. Great…
Lance: *smirks at Ash and starts edging closer*
Phantomness: *sparkly eyes*
Ash: Eep!