Gah, the fluff! This isn’t me, really!
Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me!
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks
Chapter 5
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Catelyn backed away from the screaming boy. “R-Red?”
His eyes fastened on the pin with his face on her tank top. “Can’t I get a snack without one of you crazy fangirls chasing me?”
“But I’m not a crazy fangirl!”
“Uh-hum.” Red nodded. “Right…”
“Really. I’m not glomping you right now, am I?”
“Could be self-restraint?”
Catelyn sighed and handed him a bag of chips. “Here. For scaring you.”
Red blinked. “… Thanks.”
The sound of pounding feet around the corner sent the Champion into panic as he quickly released Aerodactyl and shot off.
Misty and Yellow led the pack. “Where’d he go?”
“Flew off.” Catelyn said, going back to her manga.
Misty released her Starmie, Yellow her Dodrio, and they ran off after the fading silhouette in the air…
Catelyn frowned. < Lance? >
There was no reply. Of course… Lance only talked when they were sleeping… < Lance? >
She didn’t expect a decidedly male version of Lance’s voice speak up. < Yes? Ah… Catelyn… >
< Eh… you’re the male Lance, right? >
A mental shrug… < Really, we’re all the same person, but yes. We’re close – gender’s practically the only difference between us. Not like you. >
< Wait, what? I’m still confused… >
< What did you want? > The voice had modulated into more feminine tones.
< Er… did you and Red ever… um… >
< Oh dear Lugia… you’re supposed to be the innocent one! >
< Ah! > Catelyn blushed crimson.
< No, we
didn’t. I couldn’t let him remember, after all. Nothing but a touch of
friendship… otherwise Cerise would hurt too much… history repeats itself, no
matter what we say… >
< What? >
< You don’t need to know. It’s safer that way… >
It’s like a mirror, the two of us…only it’s not a perfect mirror because of the obvious difference in gender, but other than that…
There’s really no difference between us, besides purely physical ones.
Lance and Lance-chan exchanged smiles before they clasped hands and became one again… the way they had always been.
They’d wait a little longer…
We can always wait…
“I miss you, Lance… where did you go?” Red sighed. “What am I going to do now? Now I know why you told me to stay away from the Elite Four, but I didn’t listen…”
It’s my fault you’re gone…
I told Yellow that she had defeated you. I didn’t want to believe it! The words tasted like charcoal when I forced them out, but!
Please… come back?
You can’t
be dead! You can’t be! I won’t believe it!
Red closed his eyes as he
flopped down onto his bed. It wasn’t fair! He almost hated Pikachu for
what he had done…
Pikachu… and Yellow…
Some day, I want you to suffer as I am suffering now…
*FLASHBACK*
“Eek!”
“… You scream loud enough to wake the dead, Red…”
“Wataru?” The capped boy grinned as he turned around. “Nice to meet you! What are you doing here in Seafoam?”
“Searching for Articuno, you?”
“Oh… Articuno hasn’t been seen here since Team Rocket captured it in Silph…” Red said sorrowfully.
“Really? That’s a pity.”
“I thought you trained dragon pokemon. Isn’t ice strong to dragon?”
“Not if I fire blast the bird first.” Lance grinned.
“… Point taken.” Red had improved of course, since his last battle with Lance almost half a year ago, but still…
“Where have you been?”
“Training,” Lance shrugged. “Why?”
“You weren’t at the Kanto League Championships….”
“Should I be?”
“Well, it’s not like you need badges to enter!” Red said cheerfully. “Why not?”
Lance smirked. “Perhaps I wouldn’t want you to fail, Champion…”
“Hey! That was uncalled for, Wataru!”
“So you say, so you say…”
Red frowned, but it was true. “You only train dragon pokemon?”
“Is that wrong?”
“No, but they’re so hard to get… I mean, that’s not what I meant! Er… um…”
“Yes?”
“It’s like how gym leaders stick to one type!”
“Oh, I see…”
Red frowned. “Are you a gym leader from Johto or Houen?”
“Not really, no…”
“Oh well…! I guess some people only like one type of pokemon.”
“I like all pokemon… I simply choose not to train them.”
“I like
pokemon too, but people don’t like it when I save them.”
Gold met red eyes. “Oh? Why?”
“Because they think I’m showing off.”
“How terrible. If saving pokemon counted as showing off, that would explain why there aren’t any pokemon preserves or national parks… only the Safari Zone…”
Red blinked. “I guess you’re right.”
Lance was about to say more when a Shellder popped out of the water and shot off an Aurora beam. Releasing his Gyarados, he made quick work of it and the incident was forgotten…
End Chapter
Completed 6/30/05
Started 6/29/05