Japanese Title: The Battle Between Heart And Mind! Forgivable Lance?!
Translation: Sono Batoru Kai Haato To Maindo! Yurusu Wataru?!
By: Pro_V
"Do you think she'll make it, Eusine?" Morty fingered a spare Fog Badge, "Honestly?"
"Honestly, I don't know, Morty," his cousin answered glumly, "There's a strong chance she won't and you know that."
"Yeah, I know," Morty looked up and back down again, "What about the odds she does? What would you say those are?"
"Pretty good," Eusine said truthfully, "She's a strong girl, Morty. She's got a lot of heart and a lot of determination. I really don't think she came this far to lose it now. She'll make it, Morty, and so will Medira. Just keep believing that and there's no reason they won't."
"I hope you're right, Eusine," Morty stared out the window, "I really do."
*^~^**^~^*
Eevy spit to her side, "How much more of that junk do I have to take?"
"As much as it takes," Yuu-Yuu shook her head, "Tastes bad, huh?"
"Worse than bad. Horrid. Absolutely wretched." she shouted, then slipping into another dizzy spell.
"That's what you get for getting so worked up. You've gotta calm down and just take this medicine like a m-uh-woman."
"What I've gotta do is sleep," she rolled over, "I can sleep now, can't I? I really need it."
"Yeah," Sooney muttered from the end of her bed, "Go ahead and sleep. It should actually help keep you calm."
"Good night, girls," Eevy raised a hand as Sooney and Yuu-Yuu exited the room.
"Good night, Eevy," they called back and walked out as Lance walked in.
"Can't you wait until after I'm through with this to pester me?" Eevy snorted, "I was going to sleep."
"I'm just going to sit here and keep an eye on you," Lance pulled out her desk chair and sat down, "If Rubeus happens to show up, you are in no condition to battle."
"I could if I had to," she snorted and rolled back over again.
"Well, you won't," he scowled a bit, "Get some sleep."
She narrowed one eye at him, "Well?"
"Well what?" he cocked his head, "Oh, all right!" he stood up, huffed, and turned the chair around, "Happy?"
"Elated to an extent."
*^~^**^~^*
Medira watched the ceiling for a minute before yawning and starting to doze off, but the door opening woke her again, "Hey, Medira," Jason mumbled as he pulled the chair of her desk out and slammed to sit, "Feeling any better?"
"A bit," she yawned again, "I still get dizzy spells and I still feel like I'm roasting. Plus the blurred vision and all."
"I do believe Sooney's done good work, but sometimes things can change," he heard her whimper nervously, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that quite the way it sounded."
"It's fine. I'm just worried a bit, I suppose. I have the weirdest feeling something good will come of all this fighting, but then again, I could be wrong."
"Do you think Lance and Eevy will ever clear things up?"
"I don't know. Eevy can be pretty stubborn sometimes. Even with herself. It's entirely possible she may wait until her death bed, which might not be so far away."
"Don't talk like that! Anyway, it's been a full week and she's made no attempts to fix this whatsoever. Lance is getting worse and worse every day."
"I noticed that," she nodded and yawned wide.
"I'm sorry!" he jumped up, "I didn't know I was keeping you up."
"I'll talk to you anytime, but I could use the sleep."
"I'll come back in and check on you in a bit. Good night."
"Good night," she rolled over again, "Good luck, Eevy."
*^~^**^~^*
Lance yawned and smacked his mouth tiredly, glancing over his shoulder at Eevy, "She seems all right, though she does seem a bit more pale," he muttered and settled back down, "Raikou," he thought, "Raikou, I know you can hear me. Why are you leaving her like this? Isn't there anything you can do for her? She's been poisoned and you three seem as if you couldn't care less. That can't be true, Raikou. I know you too well to believe that."
Eevy wasn't really asleep, but thinking while staring at the ceiling, "Why didn't Raikou or one of the other Beasts come? I really needed help, and they didn't do a thing about it. They didn't help Medira either. I sure hope they're not in some sort of trouble," she looked towards the window and noticed Lance still sitting there, "You don't have to stay, you know," she said out loud, causing him to spin around, "I can care for myself and scream like a banshee when needed."
"I'm sure you can," he stood up and pushed the chair back to its original position at the desk, "I'll be back sooner or later. Good night, Eevy."
"Yeah, whatever," Eevy reached down on the opposite side of the bed on the floor, "Vovo, wake up."
"Eevee?" he moaned tiredly and poked his head over to look at her, his fur thrown in every imaginable direction.
"Would you go find me something to read or look at, please?"
"Eev-ee-ee?"
"Dexter. You know the usual drill."
"Read? I thought you couldn't see straight."
"My vision's a bit better. Might as well use it while I have it. Go on, shoo."
Vovo hopped out the door and headed down the hall. The books in the library were too heavy for him to carry, so he continued on his quest to find the perfect something for his beloved Mistress to read. He just started to pass one of the larger doors when he noticed it was propped open. He poked his head in and saw something strewn about on the floor. As he stepped in, he noticed tiny specks of broken glass. He dodged them carefully and saw a somewhat large pile of papers. He looked at the colors of the paper and decided they'd be good. He flopped them together into a stack with his tail and started to leave when he noticed a picture frame with broken glass. It was a pretty picture, he decided, so he picked it up and sat it on top of his papers. He traipsed out the door and back down the hall. He hopped up on Eevy's bed and dropped the papers at her feet, smiling wide at her with a toothy Eevee grin of, what he believed to be, success on his mission.
"What's all this?" she picked up one of the papers, "Vovo, where did you get these?" she examined the paper.
"On the floor in a room down the hall," he shrugged.
"You numbskull! That was Lance's room!" she conked him on the head, "How many times have I told you to knock and never take things that don't belong to you?!" she shook her head, "These are the letters I wrote him," she flipped through them, "Why were they on the floor?" she kept skimming, "This one's all marked up," she stopped, finding this was the letter written right after their very first big departure after the train ride, "He's been crying. Lance can't cry. He's Lance!"
"Are you all right?" Vovo asked and tilted his head.
"I'm fine," she saw the shine of the picture frame and picked it up, "This is the golden Grimer picture I sent him, but the frame's all banged up and the glass is broken. What's all this about?" she stacked them back up, "Here. Put them back where you found them."
"Whatever," he picked them up and returned to the hall, "All that work for nothing."
He entered the room once again, putting the papers on the floor and flicking them with his tail to throw them about in the same fashionable mess he'd found them in. There were footsteps in the hall, so he threw the picture frame in its remote area and ducked under the bed.
"What a pigsty," Lance muttered and gathered up his papers, "Why'd I even bother reading them in the first place? It'll never happen."
Vovo tilted his head to the side, looking out at the pair of boots clomping around the room, "He sounds upset…But not as upset as he made my Mistress!" he thought.
"This picture," he picked up the photo and looked it over, "No point in it now," he tossed it across the room with a crash, "Pity. It was my favorite frame."
He sat down on the bed, causing the mattress to bow right above Vovo's head, "Uh oh," Vovo scurried back, "I'm gonna get flattened!"
"Can't you see, Eevy?" Lance continued talking to himself, "I didn't want to hurt you, that's why I never told you who I was. I swear I'm more sorry now than I ever have been in my life."
He swung his legs up and laid down, basically causing a cave-in above Vovo, "I gotta get outta here!" Vovo looked frantically around the room, spotting that the door was open, but Lance stood up again.
"What is it she expects of me?" he muttered and picked up the picture frame, "I can't do anything but apologize. So what does she want from me?"
Vovo watched Lance turn towards the window, "Go, Vovo! Run away!" he shrieked lowly to himself, scampering out from under the bed and zipping out the door, kicking it as he ran.
"What was that?" Lance's head shot up and he looked out the door, seeing a shadow running into Eevy's room, "I do not think so," he snorted and ran down the hall after it.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Vovo sprang onto the bed next to the now sleeping Eevy, "Night, Eevy!" he jumped to the stand, kicked his Star Ball open and was taken inside.
Lance slowly creaked the door open, "Eevy?" he whispered, "She must be asleep," he tiptoed forward and pulled the chair out and sat down facing her, "Good night, Eevy," he said as he settled down, "Sweet dreams, m'love. Even if they're about killing me…"
*^~^**^~^*
"I'm worried, Raikou," Suicune mumbled, "Her body temperature is rising now instead of falling."
"I know, Suicune," Raikou nodded, "Trust me on this. Leave them alone. Everything will be just fine in a few hours."
"You'd better be right, my friend," Entei slouched, "I'm not going to be held responsible for her if it so happens she doesn't pull through. Same with Medira."
"Both girls will be just fine, Entei," Raikou nodded again, "I'm absolutely sure."
"Are you positive?" Suicune loved this game.
"Only fools are positive," Raikou shook his head.
"Are you sure?" Entei snickered.
"I don't know. Are you?" Raikou was prepared for this.
"I'm positive," Entei's face tweaked, "Ack! I fell for it!"
"Got ya!" Raikou laughed.
*^~^**^~^*
Eevy's temperature was soaring because of wild dreams and nightmares plaguing her because of her nervousness. Unfortunately, Lance didn't know that was what the problem was and sprang up in the middle of the night from Eevy muttering and moaning in her sleep. He knelt by her bed, nervously gnawing his fingernails as she started getting bright red. He didn't want to wake anyone, as he'd promised to keep an eye on her alone. He swallowed hard and took the chance of her slugging him when she awoke when laying his head on the edge of her pillow. He didn't mean to doze off, but as soon as he was there, she was silent the rest of the night.
*^~^**^~^*
Medira's eyes shot open and she sprang to sit up. She felt like every usable bit of energy that she'd had just a few days before had been completely drained from her. She grabbed a thermometer from the bedside table and stuck it in her mouth. She sat there a moment and waited for it to beep before examining it. She screamed suddenly, awaking Jason from the chair beside her.
"What?! What?! What's happening?!" he shouted, spinning around and around after shooting to his feet.
"Look!" she shrieked, tossing the thermometer at him, "My temperature is normal again!"
"Ahh! It is!" he threw it into the air, "Stupid Rubeus can't take you down, can he?"
She tossed her blankets off and sprang up, throwing her arms around his shoulders, "No way! Ooh! I love you, Jason!"
Peter's eyes flared their angry blood red swirling with neon yellow, "That ignorant pigmy of an Elite…One of these days, Peruwa. One of these days…"
*^~^**^~^*
Eevy rolled over and slowly opened her eyes. The first thing that came into vision was Lance, laying his head at her side. She reddened a bit (Whether from anger or embarrassment, she wasn't sure.) and realized she felt stronger. She too grabbed a thermometer and took her temperature, suppressing the urge to grumble about Lance and to bite down. She looked at it quickly, finding her temperature to be slightly above normal instead of way below, which was normal after a night of crazed dreams. The fever she went through the night before had heated the freezing effects of the poison away. The one and only use she'd probably ever find for her nightmares. She covered her mouth to keep from cheering and threw the thermometer back onto the side table, then glancing down.
She looked down at Lance with anything but a scowl, "He sat in here all night worrying about me. He didn't even have to and I never asked him. He just did. Because he cares…About me."
He started to stir and turned his head towards her, smacking his mouth tiredly while slowly opening his eyes, "You're feeling better?" he braced himself.
"Yes," she nodded slightly and sat up, causing him to sit up on his knees, "Lance, I want to…To apologize."
"You? What for?" he leaned away.
"For getting so angry with you and hitting you. Lance," she swallowed, dry mouthed, "You stayed here all night, just for me, and I really appreciate that."
"Anyone would do it…For their friend," he murmured, looking down and fiddling with the sheet.
"Lance," she leaned to meet his gaze, sitting up straight and pulling his eyes with hers, "I saw the letters and the broken picture frame."
He choked and bit his bottom lip, backing away slightly, "When?"
"Vovo brought them to me in a complete accident. Lance, I'm so sorry," she put her right hand on his left, "I really am."
He stared between her hand and her face, "Does this mean you…?"
"Yes," she leaned closer and stopped an inch from kissing him, eyes closed, "I forgive you," she whispered.
She was so close he felt her words and he jumped forward the last inch, throwing his arms around her and covering her lips in his own. She turned to let her feet hang off the bed and wrapped her arms around his neck. They broke from the kiss to a huge embrace, each with their chin on the other's left shoulder. They were both smiling wide, but Eevy's was more of a slightly saddened smile than a bright, beaming one like his.
"I was beginning to think you'd never come back," Lance said in a slightly broken tone.
"Hey," Eevy leaned away, her voice cracking as well, "We're together again, just like you promised and just like our dreams said."
"I am so sorry," he held and squeezed her elbows, "I really am."
"I know, Lance, I know," she calmed him as he kept apologizing, "You don't need to say it anymore, Lance. I believe you," her eyes softened and started watering, "You lied to me to protect me. You wanted to keep me in the competition so we could be together. You only wanted to keep me safe…And I've been pushing your love away and refusing it instead of embracing it and returning it. I'm so sorry…" she gave a small pause as she swallowed and looked down and back, "…you big jerk."
His jaw dropped a bit and his eyes widened before he closed his eyes tightly and swallowed hard, "I love you, Eevy," he pulled her into another hug.
She swallowed and nodded to herself, "And I love you, Lance."
*^~^**^~^*
"I knew it!" Raikou cheered to the other two Beasts, "The poison actually helped bring them together! I told you Rubeus would help!"
"I must admit, Raikou," Suicune nodded, "I'm impressed. You actually knew what you were talking about."
"I actually am a bit flabbergasted," Entei looked a bit thoughtful, "How does Raikou always turn out to know everything?"
"I'm never certain of the future," Raikou shook his head.
"Are you sure about that?" Entei asked.
"I'm sure he's sure, aren't you?" Suicune snickered.
"Sure I'm sure," Raikou nodded, "Don't you think so?"
"Yes, I do. But are you really sure?" Suicune snickered.
"Do you think I am?" Raikou narrowed one eye, widened the other and grinned.
"I'm positive you do," Suicune choked, "Oh, man!"
"Gotcha again!" Raikou laughed, "Haha! No one can beat the master!"
*^~^**^~^*
Medira and Eevy were both up and around that day, sending Peter into a fit, "No way! Magcargo Lava Poisoning is almost impossible to live through! How'd they do it?! Huh?! Answer me that one question and I'll never ask another one again!" he slouched into his chair, "Damn that Lance. Always getting in the way along with that Jason. That psycho-Psychic Will deserves to get roasted. He's too sensitive to my presence. That Luri is way too strong against my type of Pokemon to attempt anything and that Medira is too cunning. But," he looked to other members of the house, "All of these lovely people left unprotected. Hmm…What can I do with this…lovely opportunity?"
*^~^**^~^*
"Where are Eevy and Lance?" Sooney muttered, "They're late."
"They're probably fighting somewhere," Luri mumbled.
Ash's stomach made not so appetizing noises, "Come on, Eevy!" he blared, "I'm starving!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Eevy's voice echoed in from the hallway, "Hold the Snorlax in your stomach down, Ash!"
"Sounds more like rampaging Gyarados to me," Will snickered as he acquired a nasty scowl from Ash, "Well it does."
The group sat snickering at the nasty look Ash shot until the doors opened. It was only Eevy and Lance, but there were some major differences. Their now routine fighting on who was first in the door was set aside and they walked in side by side, each opening one of the two doors. The next change was the fact they were both smiling and laughing. The final and biggest change was the fact their arms were linked together. The group around the table pretty much froze solid, examining this and taking it in as a side effect of the poison.
"What's up with you guys?" Eevy stopped, causing Lance to pause as well, "You look like you saw a ghost."
"No, we watch way too much Ripley's Believe It Or Not," Jason muttered.
Medira rubbed insanely at her eyes and blinked wide-eyed at them, "Nope! I'm really seeing what I'm seeing."
"Huh?" Lance tilted his head, "Oh, you mean this?" he pointed to their locked arms and snickered.
Eevy stepped away and laughed behind her hand, "Then this'll give ya' a real jumpstart," she stepped around in front of him, turned to face him, and pulled him down into a hard kiss, pulling away and returning to her position at his side to leave him beat red.
"No way," Lisle mumbled.
"Am I really seeing what I'm seeing?" Mizu blinked a few times.
"Yeah," Eevy smiled wide and nodded, "You sure are."
The group cheered wildly for the final completion of the fight. "The group", of course, excluded Mortimer Hikoboshi, who huffed away at the corner end seat of the table. Eevy waved everyone away a bit and dug into her pocket, pulling out the Crystal Bell.
"You said you wanted to see the Beasts again," Eevy shrugged, "Here goes nothing," she rung the bell twice before the doors shot open, "I think it worked," she slightly laughed.
Three different cries flooded the room, sending chills down even Eevy's spine. The highest of pitches was Suicune; the first to enter and flocked to Luri and Will. The lowest of pitches was Entei; the second to enter the room and bolted to Jason and Medira. The medium of cries belonged to Raikou; the last to enter and walked slowly to Eevy and Lance. The rest of the group sat still, including Morty.
"We told you, didn't we?" Suicune looked to Eevy.
"Yes, you did, and I admit that willingly," Eevy scratched at Raikou's head, causing the usual purr to start up, "And I thank you, Beasts. Just as Medira said I would."
Medira snickered and smiled wide, "I'm good," she nodded.
"We're sorry you're having such a problem with Peter," Entei slouched, "That boy's just no good."
"It's not your fault," Eevy shrugged, "But you did at least try and I thank you again for that."
"Your meetings with him are far from over, Eevy," Raikou harnessed his purring and sat straight, "He'll be back again. He's probably planning right now."
"I know that, but I'm not going to let it scare me."
"I am," Beth quivered, "I'm petrified!"
"But you don't need to be," Eevy put her hand on Lance's back and the other on Raikou's head, "We're all Pokemon trainers, and that's just how it is. We're all friends, and nothing can change that. Peter's just going to have to learn that the hard way," he face turned rock hard, "I'm not letting him take away my rightfully earned place among the Champions!"
"Eevy's right," Morty shot to his feet, "He's one guy. Just one. Against all of us. Trainers, Gym Leaders, Elite and Champion. We can do this. It's just going to take teamwork. And I, for one, am ready to make the team work," he stepped in front of Lance, "For my sister," he held out his hand.
Lance looked between Eevy and Morty, "For your sister," he took his hand, "And everyone else."
"We can do this!" Eevy jumped, "Are we ready, everybody?"
"You bet!" the group thundered.
"We'll be here for you, Angel," Raikou nodded, "Just ring the Bell."
"Are you sure?" Eevy knew the games the Beasts played.
"Yes, I'm sure," Raikou nodded.
"You've got to be with such an important matter," Suicune snickered.
"I am sure," Raikou emphasized.
"You'd better be, because one glitch could really mess things up," Entei teased.
"I'm positive, all right?!" Raikou suddenly stiffened, "Oh no! I fell for it!"
"Someone can beat the master!" Eevy, Entei and Suicune snickered, "Take that!"
"Not funny," Raikou grumbled, "Not funny at all."
*^~^**^~^*
"If they think they can defeat me they're all wrong. I can take them down easily. Just because they have the Beasts they think they're all-powerful and amazing. Not so!" Peter burst and started packing his Poke'Balls onto his belt, "This will be a big battle, but not the final one. Oh, no. No way. I refuse to go down like this. This is far from over, brats."
The Next Chronicle:
Dwindling
Notes
OK, so it's fluffy...If you haven't learned by now, I like fluffy. Anyway...I'm planning on posting the 4th Lost Episode on Wednesday, October 16th, 2002. Yeah, I specified year...Never know! And remember that I post new chapter(s) every Friday/Saturday. If somebody asks me when the next chapters are coming...Arrg...But, come December of this year, that schedual is gonna go crazy (Like me!!). If you're at all wondering when something's getting posted, check http://www.geocities.com/hukubuandnanka/calendar.html That's the calendar page at my site, and it lists birthdays for my characters, holidays and when I'm posting anything for TAA, chapters and specials alike. OK? That's all...Bye!
*^~^*Pro_V*^~^*
-=O~Her Pokemon~O=-