Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon's Series ❯ Apparently not long ( Chapter 31 )

Disclaimer: Pokemon not mine, Destiny/Hope/other new stuff is. Entiendes? Do you understand?

Xaero - I love to bash Misty and Bob.

SS2 Megami-sama - yep, you're right! ^_^

Tmp - well, I don't think the memories will have to be erased, you'll see soon. Ah, I'm not going into detail on Charlotte's death in this chapter, just wait. Um… *points to Championshipping detail* I'd rather not have to kill Lance, so I probably won't.

Karania Avalon - as you wish

The Pokemon Reader - hai! ^_^

Link Masters - thank you very much!

KiAnson - well, Lance is telling the truth… too bad Bob doesn't get it…

Incomplete13 - hehehe, *laughs* I almost feel sorry for them, but you're right… you know my writing style that well?

Pichu*Star - I don't think Bob n' Misty will have any time to blab… remember, they're still stranded…

Chapter 4: Apparently not long…

"Hah! Don't make me laugh!" Bob retorted. "As if!"

A slow smile made its way across Lance's face. "Are you sure?"

"You're just bluffing to try and distract me, freak."

Misty nodded and put in her own two cents. "You just want to put Bob down."

This, in return, caused Ash to nearly jump on and throttle the water trainer, but Lance grabbed him by the back of his cloak.

"Calm down."

< Why! Why do they have to be so mean?! Why!? >

< That is not for me to judge. Serebii knows, but she will never tell. >

< Lance-chan… how can you stand it? >

< Ice is patient, little guardian, not as volatile as fire or thunder. >

< Gomen… >

Lance's eyes opened wider a little as she wrapped a blanket of calming chi around him. < Don't worry; I can handle this. >

< Hai… >

Ash calmed down almost instantly and walked a few feet away to stare at a tree and ignore the argument.

Misty blinked. * When has Ash ever not taken the opportunity to argue with me? What's going on? *

Bob continued to glare.

"Who called who a freak?" Lance asked as her eyes dilated to silver, then to gold.

"It's perfectly true!" Bob snapped. "Ever since I saw you healing a pokemon with that golden light you've been a freak! No normal human can do that!"

"And, your Dragonite was speaking the truth." Lance said serenely.

"You weren't born in the Viridian Forest! So you must have stolen that power from someone!"
"It's not possible to steal the power of the forest guardians. Get your facts straight."

"Oh yeah?!" Bob raged. "You're just an egoistical maniac!"

Ash was now looking ruffled as little sparks began crackling around his clenched fists. < Lance-chan… >

< Don't worry. >

< But he's being really mean! >

< I can take care of it. >

< Ne, can't we just kill them? >

A chuckle sounded in his head. < Not always the best solution. Besides, rebirth happens. >

< I forgot… >

"So, Dragon-Mage." Lance said, smirking slightly. "You want me to prove it?"

"Hell yeah! Without proof I ain't listening to any of your weird crap!"

"Fine."

Lance closed her eyes and held her hands in front of her heart, as a blue glow surrounded them.

"There is a reason that only Claire and one other have passed the test… and I shall show you now."

There was a flash of light and Bob found himself in an icy cavern.

"What the ****?"

In front of his panicked eyes, Lugia appeared, tranquilly floating on an unseen current.

< Ah. Another one has come to take the test of mastery. Yet, I sense hesitation and deception and darkness in you. Are you prepared to take my test? >

"Dragonite, go! Use blizzard!" Bob yelled, wanting to capture the rare pokemon.

His pokemon hesitated briefly, but attacked.

Lugia teleported out of the way as an Aeroblast sent Puff flying. It crashed into the cavern wall, and tumbled down, bloody gashes on its body from being flung into the jagged rocks and ice spikes.

Puff pulled himself to his feet and roared, but obviously was in pain.

< Quiet. > Lugia said. < I have no time to waste with petty trainers who just want to capture me. Are you taking my test of Dragon's Mastery or not? >

"Of course!" Bob said incredulously.

< Then we shall begin. My first test tests the bonds between you and your pokemon. Can you withstand the elements? >

A blizzard kicked up as Bob cursed and wrapped his cloak more tightly around himself. "What the **** is going on?!"

Faint laughter sounded from a few feet away.

Bob spun around. Lance was watching him with a smirk.

"What the **** are you playing at here, Lance?!" Bob demanded, outraged.

"You wanted to take the test, I simply brought you here." Lance said. The snow did not even seem to affect her.

"…"

"If you can pass Lugia's tests, you'll become a dragon master and perhaps you'll be able to beat me. But I doubt that, Dragon-Mage."

"Quit calling me that!"
"Your attempts at hiding the truth are pathetic. I know who you are. I also know why you were able to break the seal. But that is none of my concern at the minute."

Bob growled.

"Bob the Dragon-Mage, Clow's Dark Apprentice…" Lance smiled. "Just try and pass the test of dragon mastery."

And with that, Lance vanished.

"Where did he go?!" Misty demanded as she attempted to mallet Lance into the floor.

Lance phased through the attack and gave a predatory grin. "Oh, Lugia's testing him."

"WHAT?!"
"He wanted to become a dragon master, didn't he? Well, I've just given him the chance."

Ash walked up to Lance and hugged her tightly.

< That should keep him away for a while. >

< Thank you. *Mental hug* >

Lance's eyes sparkled as she ruffled Ash's hair.

Misty frowned. * There's something going on here… Lance is being too nice… what is it? *

"So where is he?"

"Whirl Islands." Lance said nonchalantly. "But you can't contact him until the test is over."

"You planned this, didn't you?" Misty accused. "You keep trying to break us up!"

"Hypocrite." Ash hissed. "Who was trying to keep me from my soul mate?"

"He, I mean she, is not your soul mate!"

"Want to bet?" Ash asked, his voice a low, dangerous whisper.

Lance rested her fingertips on Ash's shoulder. < Ash… >

< I'm really trying! I am! >

< Calm yourself, Thunder's guardian. You two, Fire. >

A brief flame flicked in Ash's eyes and then disappeared. Ash looked down, feeling chastised.

Misty narrowed her eyes. * Lance seems to have some sort of power over Ash… what is it? *

"Be careful, don't let your emotions get the better of you again."

"Hai." Ash whispered. * I can't let that happen again. *

Meanwhile…

Bob cursed and swore as he stomped through the cavern, trying to find his way out of the devastating maze. * ARGH! *

"I just got out of a blizzard!" He complained. "This is unfair!"

There was no reply.

"What sort of stupid test is this anyways?"

Silence was his answer.

"Wait! I can use my pokemon! All right then! Dragonite, go!"

Bob's second Dragonite appeared.

"Ken, you're up! Use Fire Blast!"

Dragonite nodded and roared, sending a fire blast flying at the icy walls.

A smoky hole appeared.

Bob punched his fist in the air. "YEAH! Now let's get outta here and get that mastery now!"

Lance snapped her blue compact mirror shut and smirked.

"Does he really think its that easy?"

As if in reply, Bob suddenly saw huge ice shards flying at him from all directions. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He blacked out from fright as the blades sank into his body from all directions.

"Game, Set, Match." Ash said, leaning over her shoulder.

"I wonder what Lugia will do now…."

End Chapter! ^_^

Authoress' rant

In Hamlet, Polonius told Laertes, 'and above all, to thine own self be true'. That is one hard lesson to follow, especially as a fanfic writer. But I learn. There is no way on earth I am capable of writing AAMRN, and it just doesn't work out. Therefore, I would like people to stop e-mailing me with complaints about my non-AAMRN and anti-AAMRN fics. I can't write it! Is that clear? There is no way that I am able to write AAMRN. End of discussion

So to be true to me, I write Championshipping and other strange things, but that's me. And I'm not going to follow a fanfic cliché just to get a few hundred more reviews in my inbox.

Phantomness