Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon's Series ❯ Truth hurts like nothing else ( Chapter 23 )

Part 20! *Authoress sighs in exhaustion, before tumbling to the floor, asleep. *

Disclaimer: No, I don't own pokemon. I doubt Nintendo will sell it to me anyways…

Notes: None, except I apologize for the abruptness of the ending…

Ranma - well, you know me. Don't think Ash has had any, if much female contact before Misty. He still thinks Lance is a guy…

Pikacar/Marle - yes, Ash could do with some societal lessons. ^_^

Tmp - lucky, Ash discovers the truth in this chapter! Thunder's child will be elaborated on later, and probably in a different fic.

Nikki and Crystal - thanks!

Guy Shani - thank you for all the reviews, it made me really happy. ^_^

Part 20: Truth hurts like nothing else

Lance cradled Ash's body in her arms as she poured more chi and energy into him. "Damn it, Ash, why did you have to play the hero and try to shut down Team Rocket's machine on your own? If you had waited for Agatha, you wouldn't have been hit with all of that energy!"

< But I had to. > Ash said telepathically.

Lance started. < Ash? I thought you were unconscious. >

< I'm not sure… > Ash admitted.

< Ash, this is too dangerous. > Lance said. < You're still only fourteen. I hate putting you in danger like this. >

< But I'm part of the Elite Five! > Sometime during the months, Bruno had shown up and joined the group.

< I know. > Lance said. < But Ash, this can't continue. One of these days… it's not going to work out. > She turned away so that Ash couldn't see the tears threatening to form in her crystal blue eyes.

Ash didn't say anything else.

< If you can make him hate you, would that work? > Dragonite asked.

< I don't know… > Lance admitted. < I would rather not try it… >

< What if you have no choice? > Tempest queried.

< In that case… > Lance sighed. < I suppose… > Silently, a plan began to brew in the depths of the Dragon Master's mind.

The next day…

"Lance-chan?" Ash asked as he looked around. His sight was still a bit blurry, the electricity from Team Rocket's machine had done significant damage to his eyes and they would still need time to heal.

"Poli, I choose you!" Ash said, releasing Poliwhirl. "Do you see Lance-chan anywhere?"

He is probably in the bathroom. Poliwhirl said. Can't you hear the water running?

Ash listened closely. "Oh, I see. Okay, let's wait."

Um, he left breakfast for you on the table…

"He did?" Ash made his way over to the table. There, it was set with scrambled eggs, a plate with bacon strips, and a stack of pancakes. Near his cup of milk sat the maple syrup and strawberry jam as well.

"Yum!" Ash said, as he dug into the food. A few minutes later, he heard footsteps behind him.

"Morning, Lance-chan." Ash said.

"Good morning." Lance said. She sat down across from Ash. The white shirt and pants she was wearing contrasted darkly with her red jacket. * I hope the powder worked… *

Ash didn't look up. "Are we going anywhere today?"
"No, I don't think so." Lance said. "We need a break, anyways."

"Wai!" Ash said as he jumped out of his chair and glomped Lance.

*SLOW DRAMATIC PAUSE*

Ash slowly poked Lance in the chest. "Lance-chan?! How did this happen? Did Team Rocket do something to you?"
"No." Lance said.

"Then you've always been a girl?!"

Lance nodded.

Ash's teenage hormones finally caught up with him. * AAAHHHH! No way! So I've been hugging a girl all this time?! And what about chi transference? Doesn't that count as kissing? Oh my god! I've had my first kiss already?! AAAHHH! I'm only fourteen! Wait, that might explain why I was attracted to him, I mean her. At least I'm not perverted, right? Oh no! What am I going to do? *

Ash went into shock. It wasn't helped by the fact that what Lance was wearing showed that she was a girl.

Lance kissed Ash.

Ash snapped out of his trance. "L-lance-chan…" He turned bright red and tried to pull away.

"I-I don't think I can deal with this, on top of everything else." Ash managed to stutter out.

"I understand." Lance said. "Do you concede my point now?"

"But I could have survived it! But now that I know that you're a girl on top of everything else…" Ash turned tomato red as his mind began playing out a variety of scenarios. * Oh my god, I've seen Lance shirtless before, but she looked like a guy, wait, oh my god… *

"I've hugged you while-!" Ash broke off and flushed again.

Lance thought back to the times they had gone swimming and she had been shirtless.

"So?"

"You looked like a guy then! Wait, if you're a girl, how come you looked like a guy?"

Poliwhirl shrugged. This was pretty amusing.

"I know! I've read about this before! Jusenkyo curses! Did you fall in the spring of the drowned boy? Or were you a boy who fell in the spring of the drowned girl?"
"Um…" Lance wasn't quite sure how to explain the situation to Ash. "No, I'm 100% female…"

"Then…" Ash grew a huge question mark on top of his head. "Wait! What's your name as a girl?"

"Catelyn Vongard."

"That sounds familiar…" Ash said. Just then, it hit him. "Isn't that the girl I'm supposed to marry to inherit my uncle's fortune?!"

Lance shrugged.

Ash fainted.

Lance picked Ash up in her arms. "So young, and still having to deal with all of this… it would be better if you forgot."

She leaned down and kissed Ash slowly. Lines of black light plaited themselves around the pair. One by one, Ash's memories evaporated into a pool of blackness. An illusion wove itself around him, changing his appearance to that of a ten year old. His clothes changed, into a red and white vest, red league cap, red and white sneakers, black t-shirt, and blue jeans. However, he still kept his starlight orb locket.

After a few minutes, Lance pulled away. "It's done. Aerodactyl, I choose you!"

Aerodactyl popped out. < What is it? >

< Take him to Pallet Town. > Lance said. < From now on, there is only the Elite Four… >

The dragon pokemon nodded and flew off.

End Part 20! *Sobs* WAAHHHH! I don't want to part them! *Sniffles*