Title: Gloomy
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #44, Gloomy
Rating: PG-13
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

Warnings: AU, vaguely Star Wars-esque, het

“You’ll come to a bad end, young Red, if you take this path.” Professor Oak warned, leaning heavily on his cane.

He smirked. “What is the matter, old man? Are you afraid that the power my love wields will seduce me away from the side of the Light?”

“It is not a mere threat any more, Red! You have already joined her!”

“So you did notice,” He smiled. “Well, in that case, I’ll be collecting my Pokémon and saying my goodbyes now.”

Did Oak really think mere words would stop him? Did he think him so blind?

After all, he already knew the truth.

“Not so fast, Red. I will not let you corrupt innocent Pokémon!”

“Mmhmm,” He drawled. “Hand them over.” They were his Pokémon anyway. How dare his former teacher try to keep them!

His choice had been made, the instant he discovered exactly what had been hidden from him. It had been a bad idea, coming to Cinnabar Island alone, leaving Professor Oak behind, but what else could he do? He had felt a surge of Dark energy and gone to investigate.

He had expected Darkness, but he had never thought it would hit so close to home, especially when he found out exactly who she was.

Lance had explained everything. After she had turned from the Light, unable to stay focused and serene, when she had cursed Oak after her Dragonite had died defending Pallet Town from a swarm of Deoxys… Oak had cast her out, tried to kill her.

But she had survived. She had let passion flow in her veins, and that had saved her, unlocking her latent abilities, which were not of Light, but of Darkness. The Darkness could heal, though it tainted her, turning her hair bloody red and her eyes sharp gold. It mattered little. Red thought his fiancée looked wonderful.

They were soul-mates, and he had felt it with their first kiss. Their lives had been intertwined from the moment of conception.

Red knew though, now, that the life of a Pokémon did not matter, that even the life of a Trainer in the Path of Light meant little to the League of Light.

He knew also, that this is not what he wished for his future. It’s too cut-and-dried for him, much too prim and proper, and in his mind, it’s immoral.

What he wants is passion, and depth, and to live each day to the fullest, knowing that it is real, not some facade of blind, dead faith.

If he has to be cast out, well, he’ll have her back, and he’ll take his Pokémon with him, and he’ll be… all right, somehow, because he can’t sacrifice Pokémon he loves without crying. He can’t just accept that they will go to a better place and move on without a tear.

Red’s not ‘Light’ enough. He always felt off, and now he knows why.

The Legacy of his family is not that of Light after all – it never was, and neither was hers. But he doesn’t mind.

Lance-chan will teach him to wield the Dark. She won’t judge him, and she’ll stand by his side no matter what his choice.

He thinks he already loves her. And now, he’s ready to make his stand.

“No.” Professor Oak said, and thumbed a panel, releasing his safety. He had kept several Pokémon in reserve just in case, and his vigilance and paranoid mind had finally paid off.

Red studied the Nidoking, Golem, Arcanine, and Scyther with a half-smile. Four Poke Balls sailed into the air and discharged their occupants.

So it had come to this…

Articuno flapped her wings, freezing the two part ground types solid. Gyarados crushed Arcanine’s back in powerful fangs and deluged the lab with water. Scizor battled Scyther, quickly disabling the other bug.

Oak glanced around quickly for the fourth Pokémon, only to crash into a wall when it barreled up from beneath the ground, tunneling rapidly. Sandslash gave a fanged smile in response.

Red smiled sweetly. “You see, Professor? The Light is too weak for me. But Dark is too passionate for one such as I, so I will build my own path and walk Shadow.”

“That is impossible!” Oak spluttered weakly. “No one has been able to become a Shadow Master in a thousand years!”

“Then I will be the first.” Red turned to leave, and whistled. From the skies a beautiful Dragonair descended, though its red eyes glowed with madness.

The rider wore sleek, black leather armor, and a cape of blood-red silk.

“Lance-chan,” Red acknowledged, with a pleased purr that set Oak’s nerves on edge. What was this?

“You did not kill him?”

“There is no need to.” He recalled his Pokémon and walked to his wife-to-be. As Professor Oak watched, horrified, he tipped his head up, anticipating…

Lance kissed him, sliding her arms around his waist.

“Darling, you may of course choose your own path, though I will teach you all the Darkness you desire to wield.”

“You see, Professor? She is so much more reasonable.” Red frowned for a moment, before he snapped his fingers.

A whistle sounded, and Oak shivered. He recognized it.

It was a Call…

But Red had only been gone a month! How had he mastered Darkness to such an extent already?

The Poke Balls in his lab shattered, as the Pokémon broke free. The old mentor recognized many of Red’s Pokémon with a sinking feeling. They almost gamboled as they raced towards their Master, eager to follow him, though he might lead them into Hell itself.

He had failed, not once, but twice…

* No… *

“Let us be gone from this place.” Lance said, as Dragonair curled about her Master, opening a portal. Darkness glimmered beyond. Red led the way, and the Pokémon followed, as Oak shuddered.

When they were gone, he fell to his knees, weeping.

Twice a failure over!

Now, all hope was lost.

“I chose you.” Red smiled. “Because you are the one I love. I don’t love him, you know. I never loved him the way I love you.”

“I know.” Lance responded, as she kissed him again, watching as red light began to glitter in the eyes of every Pokémon he had brought. “I know.”

“And now you won’t be lonely any more, right?” He asked anxiously. She was the only one who understood him, and the only one who loved him for who he was. He needed her, had recognized the need the instant they had met.

“Yes,” She smiled.

She needed him as well, for he tempered her icy calmness and brought light into her life. He would balance her, when rage drove her into the abyss, and help her climb out, smiling all the while.

Red beamed, and she petted his hair as she watched darkness taint her fiancé’s aura with pretty shadows.

They would help each other, no matter where the path led.

“I love you too…”

End Fic

Completed 9/22/06

Edited 7/21/09

Bit more plot in this one, ne? I’ll probably do a prequel sometime… The prequel is Theme #35, Enraged. Upon editing, I merged this with the former Theme #48, Guilty, so it would flow better.