Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri, 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, and Lance is a girl

Warnings: Het, gender-bending, incorrect pronouns

Phantomness: Hi all!
Emerald, Kairo, Shoyko, and Lance all wave, some happily, others not.

Phantomness: Enjoy the fic! *bows*

Chapter 6: Turning Pages

"I cannot believe it!"

(What?) Lance asked. (Are you referring to the callousness?)

(Well, partly…) Red fumed, frustrated. (But… killing all of those pokemon and polluting a river just to get more money!)

(It's done all the time, Champion. Very few companies actually care.)

(But why do they do these horrible things? It's not their earth to ruin.)

(If I knew the answer to that, I would not have had to resort to destruction.) Lance said, recalling when her dragon army had almost decimated all the major cities in Kanto. Pity, things had been going so well, too.

(Right…)

She slipped out and put an arm around the trainer. (Why are you so surprised?)

(I don't know… maybe it's because part of me still keeps hoping.) He sighed.

(Little one, sometimes its time to put fantasy behind you and see the real world as it is.) She whispered.

He was silent after that. She just held him, offering what comfort she could. Soon, he fell asleep.

Lance solidified as she and Dragonite flew Red back to his house.

You do care for him. Dragonite said oddly.

"What do you mean?"

I think maybe you might consider him a friend.

"Why shouldn't I be friendly? He never fought me." She said. "Besides, my life is intertwined with his. I cannot leave."

So, making the best of the situation, master?

"Yes…"

Dragonite landed and Lance recalled her pokemon, before carrying him upstairs and tucking him into bed.

Once in a while, she could be maternal too.

"Sleep well," She told him, before disappearing into the necklace again.

Red woke up hours later, feeling better. To his surprise, the pain had been reduced to a dull ache. He had no idea how it had happened.

(Um… Lance?)

(You have another question for me.)

(Did you heal me?) He promptly thwacked himself mentally. What a stupid question! Besides, he didn't have to answer!

(Actually, I did.)

(You did? He looked interested. How?)

(It's something called the Viridian Power. Every few years, a child is born possessing the powers of that forest…)

(Hmm…) Red nodded. (So is that how Yellow could control Pika?)

(Your deductions are correct.) She replied. * Control, eh? Not borrow? Interesting… *

He hugged the sleeping Pikachu to him for a few minutes, brushing his hands over Pika's shimmery fur.

"I'm glad Pika still loves me the best…"

"I'm sure you are." Lance said, taking transparent form next to him.

"Lance… do you hate me?"

Her eyebrows shot up. "Why would I hate you?"

"Well… I fought against the Elite Four…"

"You are also the reason I exist right now." The Dragon Master pointed out. "Isn't that true?"

"…" Red had to ponder for a while before he nodded.

If he had not found that Dratini guarding the necklace he would never have found Lance. It was kind of like having an older brother, he decided, which was nice! Being an only child could be lonely.

(I will never hate you, because you gave me life again…) Lance whispered into his mind, like the brush of feathers. (Never hate you…)

Feeling reassured, Red went downstairs and made himself some hot chocolate as a cheering agent.

Feeling much drowsier and pleasantly happy, he slept well that night.

She spent a few hours sleeping next to the boy, but slipped back into the necklace before Red awoke.

He was the only person she could touch… even when she was solid, he could not feel. It was like she was still a spirit, only not.

It hurt a lot. She could feel her dragon pokemon simply by virtue of being the Dragon Master, but for anything else, it was a moot point.

The breeze did not touch her.

And even when she walked, it was more like floating. She could not feel the ground underneath her feet either.

It was very depressing oftentimes, but at least she was not completely dead.

Somehow, that thought did not cheer her up.

* Maybe… it would be better, if I had just passed on. This half-life often seems worthless, and Red has shown no definite signs of accepting my view. *

"Lance?"

Lance started. "I'm sorry, Red. I didn't mean to wake you up."

The younger boy looked at the spirit. "You're sad? Why?"

"How did you know?"

Red sat up, drawing the covers up to his chest. "I felt it."

That was unexpected. "You can feel my emotions?"

He shook his head. "Only the very strong ones, and its very faint… but you feel sad right now. It woke me up."

"I… It's nothing." Lance told him, not trusting her voice. "Go back to sleep."

"But if you're hurt, maybe I can help."

"Champion, if you really want to help, all you need to do is to work harder at your pokemon training." She said, her voice taking on an acrimonious tone.

The trainer looked startled by the sharp reply, but did not press further and obediently went back to sleep.

End Chapter!
Lance was kind of mean… but cut him some slack. Look at what the poor girl has to go through.

Phantomness: *waves*

Lance: *crosses arms* so I'm a female in this fic?

Phantomness: We already established that, didn't we?

Lance: *rolls eyes* Why do I even put up with you?

Phantomness: Because without me, you'd only be sleeping with Sues…

Started 2/26/04, Completed 2/27/04

Edited 5/9/09