Chapter 9!
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. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks
Chapter 9
It took about half an hour before the whiteness left his eyes. But when Red handed him a mirror, he saw that the white eyes – the eyes to see through magic, to discern between truth and lies – they remained. His eyes were no longer golden.
He looked blind.
“Um… Lance?”
“Who are you.” It was not a question. It was a demand.
Red gulped. “Red….”
“One of the four color trainers Professor Oak sent out to do battle against the Elite Four… and Lorelei once tried to recruit you.”
“Um… yes?” Red looked uncomfortable.
“Why are you here?”
Morty decided that now would be a good time to interrupt. “Claire requested that I bring you back from the dead.”
Lance stared at his cousin in shock.
Claire met his gaze squarely. “You’re my only family besides our grandfather, Lance… I needed you too…”
“I-I!”
“Are you feeling all right? It must be a surprise. Why don’t you get some rest?” Red asked, trying to be helpful.
Lance could only stare… before he nodded, following Red. * The legendary pokemon are not going to be happy about this… at all… *
They weren’t.
Umbreon appeared on Lance’s bed after Morty had led him to a room and Red had left. He did not look pleased.
“This is not my fault.” Lance said.
“I didn’t blame you yet.” Umbreon settled down next to Lance and locked eyes with him. “The problem is, we cannot undo this spell.”
“Why not? Don’t you four judges control life and death?”
“Death, yes. Life, no. Lance, once you are alive again you are really under our jurisdiction no longer…”
Lance winced.
“How long do I have?”
“Alive? No one knows. Enjoy it while it lasts.”
“All right…”
It was snowing again.
Red sighed. Would this change anything?
Lance was currently sleeping. Understandably, he was in shock. Well, being brought back to life must feel weird!
He wished he could help somehow, but how?
He didn’t know.
Everything was so confusing…
Lance woke up, testing himself. Well, he didn’t know what help he would be now… after all, all his dragons were dead!
“Lance?”
“Claire.” He smiled.
Claire was fiddling with her ponytail uncomfortably had she done the right thing? “I’m sorry, Lance. I didn’t mean to-.”
“It’s fine.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Claire stared at Lance as he swept her up into a hug.
Never mind then. No need to apologize. He had forgiven her! All was well now…
Morty observed this scene from the shadows. So it seemed that the siblings had resolved their differences. There only remained one question.
Would Lance step forward to fill the role of the Emerald Phoenix as Agatha hinted he might?
Perhaps. Perhaps not… who knew?
“You’re awake now, I see, Dragon Master.”
“Agatha…”
“Yes, I’m not dead either. Lorelei spoke with you, didn’t she?”
“Ghost masters know much more than they let on.” Lance retorted with a half-smile. Agatha smiled.
“True, true, that. And, Dragon master, how do you feel?”
“Like I was cheated… death was… pleasant.” Lance returned.
“So young… but then again, there are many young ghost masters. There is nothing wrong with rejoicing in death.”
“Thank you…”
“You know the true reason for summoning do you not?”
“I have a guess…”
“You were always more perceptive than you let on. You would have made a good Ghost-master.”
Lance smiled. “Thank you, Agatha, but I’m a Dragon Master no longer. I have no dragon-types…”
“Perhaps dragon is wrong for you.”
Lance frowned. “What? That cannot be! Dragon is the highest element of them all, and the most difficult to conquer and capture and tame…”
“You are true, in a sense. But we’re in Kanto no longer.”
“You mean to say-?”
“Yes. Have you ever heard of dark pokemon?
Red stood outside the door to Lance’s room, wondering if he should knock.
“Come in.”
“Um… hi?’
Lance half-smiled. “You’re Red, I see. It is nice to see you face to face.”
Red colored. “I’m not really that famous!”
“Oh?”
“Yes! You you’re a champion too1 I checked the Indigo League database and-.” Red broke off abruptly as Lance grimaced in pain.
“Oh! Does it hurt somewhere?”
“Not really.” Lance retorted.
“But you look hurt…”
“It’s nothing, Red.”
“Honto Ni?”
“Hai.”
“Okay then, if you want to be left alone I understand…”
Lance stopped him. “No, it’s not that. I’m not angry with you. In fact, I suppose I could be grateful.”
“Doushite?”
“Well… it was your life energy that brought me back.”
“Nani?!”
End Chapter
Completed 2/14/05
Ash: Ah! So that’s how you plan to ship us together?
Phantomness: Maybe, but I don’t want to plagiarize Mirror my Reflection
Lance: Smart of you, certainly…