Lance's Favorite Move: Spite

Lancelot’s favorite move is, by far, Spite. This probably sounds like a rather unusual choice as far as favorites are concerned, so let me explain!

In the earliest years of Lance’s time as a newly fledged prince, the Meowth was often picked on. After all, he didn’t exactly pick up a lot of his father’s kingly qualities. He lacked the confidence, the pride, the outgoingness… and just about everyone talked about these problems behind the young prince’s back. It infuriated him, of course, but he couldn’t exactly -do- anything about this. He didn’t have his father’s confidence, nor his brother’s bravery. While he did express these concerns to both of them, he felt as though they were simply brushed off by his family and as a result he felt fairly powerless to stop them.

He figured that these rumors and insults would soon subside and that he could just continue his regularly scheduled life as a prince. He was okay with being a wallflower, after all. However, to Lance’s dismay, the opposite occurred. Soon enough, he was the talk of the entire royal family. This still did not, however, bother King Antonidas. On the other hand though, his wife began to pay attention to the matter. Lancelot had yet to mention the matter to his mother at all; he figured that if his father and brother found it so unimportant, it was not worth bothering his mother for.

His mother, actually, cared a lot about this situation. She loved Lancelot with all of her heart, after all, and wished for nothing more than for her little Lance to feel safe in the comfort of the castle at all times. These sorts of rumors and talk in the shadows were certainly a cause for concern, and as such the Persian elected to pay attention during a time where her Pyroar husband refused to take action. She had a plan, but she needed to wait for the perfect opportunity to enact it-- and she needed to have faith that Lancelot would be able to pull it off without her lifting a paw.

As those that were unfond of Lance began to grow and fester, so too did the young prince’s disdain for the politics provided by the house. Fortunately for Lancelot, so did his mother. One day, his mother took him out into the private gardens where the two could have a talk, and she taught him a rather special move: Spite. It was actually one of the very first moves he had ever learned-- and more importantly to him, it was given to him by his mother the queen. This was a rather major part of the woman’s plan, as his mother was rather tired of watching the dissent among her subjects, much less against her own child. While his mother refused to elaborate at the time on what the move did, she did tell him that all of the rumors and bantering would stop if he ever found himself willing to go through with using the move against another Pokemon. She wasn’t sure if he would ever go through with using it, but she had done all she could to help Lance with his problem. It was up to him now.

Lance wasn’t entirely sure what his mother meant by any of that, and it unnerved him somewhat. That day would come some weeks later once the young prince caught wind of a group that was plotting to stage an uproar over the young man’s right to the throne. His movement covered by the veil of the storm raging outside, Lance arched his back and let out an angry series of hisses. The power unleashed from all of the anger, frustration and hatred toward those that had slowly worn down his patience and naivety had finally come to bear its fangs against its first victim.

It is said that the poor Pokemon that had to bear the grudge of the young prince had permanently lost the ability to use any moves other than struggle, a rumor started by the same people that had once opposed him. Lancelot does not wish to confirm nor deny these claims, though he will admit that he likely used the move more that faithful stormy night than he ever has since.

Spite is, in essence, the embodiment of everything that Lance cannot bring himself to articulate towards his foes and rivals. It is a statement toward those that would dare oppose his eventual rule, and a way for the fledgling Meowth prince to prove to the nonbelievers that he is, in fact, capable of more than just hiding behind his father’s shadow. Most importantly though, to him, it is one of the very few rare things his mother has been able to give to him that are simply his. Not his brother’s, not his father’s…just his and no one else’s.