Ah, I love weird titles!

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 3

“What did you do to him?” Yellow asked, as Lance walked back out.

The Dragon Master did not answer at first, as he walked over to the fridge and pulled out what looked remarkably like sandwich bread and deli supplies. “I erased his memory.”

Yellow stared at him. Gold dropped the boring book he was reading. He rubbed his wrists. They still ached like crazy, even after Yellow had healed him.

“Y-You can erase memories?” Yellow asked.

Lance flipped four slices of bread into the toaster, and turned around as he opened the packet of roasted turkey breast slices. “It’s part of Viridian’s power.”

“It is?”

“There is a lot about Viridian that you do not know.” Lance said. “Though erasing memories is not precisely correct. It is more like… suppressing them for a time.”

“Red mentioned you used it on him before.”

“Yes, he did.”

“Can you tell me?”

Lance sighed. “Well, considering that it is for his sake you are here, I suppose I shall have to entertain you. Very well. Red and I have always been friends, in the mildest sense. However, when I joined the Elite Four and became their Leader, it had to stop.”

“So you erased his memories?” Yellow asked, aghast, turning to stare at Lance as through he’d grown another head.

“I had to. It was too dangerous. He had so much potential that I wanted to keep secret, because if he caught the eye of the Elite Four, he would never be safe. Well, it failed after all. I almost wish Green had defeated him and become Champion instead. Then I wouldn’t have had to worry…”

Yellow thoughtfully filched a slice of toast from Lance’s plate and nibbled on it. “You do like him.”

“No, really.” Lance sneered.

“It’s not a crime! Er… I mean… well, I can’t say I’m not horribly jealous, but…”

“Are you stunned that I am capable of caring for another human, Yellow?”

“Yes?” Yellow squeaked.

Lance shook his head. “Red is special… and I would rather die before injuring him. As for the Elite Four, I doubt you will have to worry about them any longer.”

Yellow blinked. “Why?”

Lance smirked as he stood. “You’re a rather smart girl, Yellow. Why don’t you figure it out?” With that, he vanished into the bedroom Red was currently occupying.

Yellow frowned and poured herself more water.

Gold peeked from his position on the couch and wondered how much longer he had to live.

Red woke up to find Lance – still wearing girl’s clothing – bringing him tea. There was a pounding headache behind his eyes, but he recognized it. He tried to sit up, but found his body screaming in pain.

Lance did not say a word.

“Who was it?”

“Red, you just requested that I use Amnesia Wave on you yesterday. Surely…”

Red opened his mouth to reply, but realized the validity of Lance’s words and sighed. “I hate this.”

“You asked me to do it.”

“It’s not that!” Red sighed. “Well, who else is here?”

“Yellow, and… Gold.”

He expected the first. Of course Yellow would come looking for him – he paused. “She’s not dead, is she?”

“No, though if she makes a move on you she may well be.”

“Oh good. Who else.”

“Red,” Lance pressed softly, as he sipped at his vegetable broth, “Whom do you remember?”

Red coughed. “Only that it wasn’t a girl.”

“I see.”

“I don’t remember anything. I remember leaving my house days ago, but that’s all. I can’t even remember who I was traveling with.” Red froze. “You’re not telling me that...”

“Yes, he was the one.”

Red glared into the soup bowl. “I’ll kill him!”

“You’ll have to wait until you’re more awake, and you remember his identity.”

“I know. It’s just that I feel so frustrated, Lance…”

“Would you rather I undo the block?”

“No. I wouldn’t be able to deal with it.” Red sighed as he finished his soup. “Can you carry me up to one of those healing springs?”

“Silly child. Don’t you remember?”

Red’s brow furrowed, before a smile lit on his face. “Then can you just carry me to the bathroom?”

“Of course.”

Red sank into water with a grateful groan, feeling his body healing. They could have tried the Viridian Power, but he was not fond of doing things that way. Besides, the healing springs on Mount Silver worked so much better.

Still, it hurt, to feel flesh and blood and bone knit together. He was starting to wonder how battered he had been before rescue. And it had only been three days!

When he found out who the culprit was…

“Red,” Lance said, and Red flushed. “I can feel your anger. It’s giving me a headache.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It is not your folly.”

“But you take my pain away,” Red said. “That’s how it works, doesn’t it? Viridian cannot heal mental scarring, only physical wounds. So every time you cast amnesia wave, my memories go to you…”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Let me kill him then,” Lance whispered, as Red got out of the water with a groan. “Let me – no, let us kill him. We can do it together, Red. I’ll lend you my sai, would you like that? Or, any other torture instruments….”

Red laughed. “I love you.”

“I know you do, my precious one.”

“Can we really kill him?”

“I don’t know. Would you like to?”

Red hesitated. He had always been the innocent, but as he thought of the pain, a muted echo in his mind, his decision was made. Pokemon attacks he could handle, but being raped… that was personal.

“Yes… let’s.”

End Chapter

Completed 7/4/06

How do I manage to write this weird mess of fic? I have no idea. *Kicks plotbunny*
… Does Lance’s statement imply he killed the rest of the Elite for hurting Red? With how snapped he is in this fic, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Lance’s bathroom connects to the hot springs. Thus, he can get warm healing water. Yay!