Title: Tainted
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red/Ash)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #64, Dirty
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. Game-verse

Warnings: AU, shonen-ai, insanity, death

He can’t stop laughing. It spills out of him helplessly, hysterical, and Lance holds him close, their fingers intertwined, and the Dragon Master’s eyes are pinpoints of golden light that warn the others to stay away.

Lorelei nods, and she and Agatha slip out. It was bound to happen sooner or later – the stress placed on a Champion would cause them to go mad eventually, and what with the recent events regarding Team Rocket, well…

They would not have taken him along unless manpower were sorely needed, but with Bruno unable to participate in their operation due to both legs broken in a training accident, they had needed Red’s power.

And Red was a good trainer, he truly was, but there was a vast difference between orderly tournament-style battling and free-for-all, when death was on the line and you would do anything to win.

Lance had shielded him best as he could, but his dragons were a sadistic blur, Hyper Beam cutting through metal and flesh with disquieting ease, and Lorelei’s fingers moved quickly over the ice blades her Jynx had procured, slashing men left and right even as their pokémon fought against freezing winds. Agatha’s ghosts had been a vicious presence, fog and mist and shadow, felling the enemy in droves with sleep and poison and paralysis…

Red’s pokémon had leapt into the fray, bloodlust unlocked upon seeing the situation. They had won, true – Team Rocket had sorely been decimated and Red’s Scyther had finished off Giovanni before the trainer could order it to stop, but now, what became of the heroes in the aftermath?

The Elite were well versed in destruction, but their Champion had been innocent enough, and now, all he could do was laugh as his mind tried to make sense of the ordeals he had gone through.

“There’s so much blood…” Red murmured, as Lance held him close, and he giggled, uncontrollably. His hands looked clean, but if he squinted, he could see it. Crimson droplets oozing out of pale skin, staining them bloody…

“I know.” Lance said quietly.

“Isn’t it horrible, Lance? What would people think if they knew? The Elite Four and the Champion are really…” His breath hitched, and he found himself unable to continue speaking.

“They won’t know.” Lance reassured him, and his voice was smooth velvet over polished steel. “They will never find out, Red. My Charizard and your Flareon got rid of all the evidence, remember?”

Red hiccupped, once, before he clung to Lance tightly. “I… I’m scared, Lance.” He hadn’t known he was capable of such raw brutality. And his pokémon! Would he ever be able to battle again?

“It will pass.” Lance reassured him. “The first time is always the most difficult.”

“Y-You mean…” Red stared at the Dragon Master, aghast. “We’ll have to do that again?”

“If the need arises.” The Dragon Master smirked. “What, Red? Didn’t you know? The Elite Four were created to keep the peace. We play heroes to the public, but we haven’t been pure for a long time…”

Red swallowed. What had he gotten himself into? This hadn’t been what he had expected when he had defeated them to become League Champion!

But… someone had to do this, right?

His mind whirled dizzily, and he shook his head to try and regain some coherency. He was tainted. He was…

He laughed bitterly. His hands were already covered in blood. What harm could more do? He looked Lance straight in the eyes, and felt a cold smile cross his face.

If this was what was necessary to save Kanto… then he would do it.

Lance gave a curt nod in acknowledgement.

Red began to chuckle, before his eyes glinted. “Lance… since I’m Champion… then the Elite Four are under my control, correct?”

“Of course.” Lance replied smoothly, wondering where this was going to lead.

“Then will you obey my orders?”

Lance tilted his head to one side, peering at Red curiously, and that was when Red grabbed the golden cords on his cloak, pulling him down and kissing him. Lance blinked in surprise, before he shrugged and let the younger teen push him onto the couch and pull at his clothing.

It was better than some of the other alternatives, after all…and affection worked so well as a means of control.

He smiled. It would cost little effort, but it would keep their Champion bound, and that would be very fortunate indeed.

After that, the rest was relatively simple.

Red woke up the next morning feeling oddly contented, and he snuggled up against Lance without a word. It seemed rather crude to speak after last night’s experience, but Lance was right. The pain had faded. The disgust had faded. He didn’t even feel dirty anymore.

He felt warm.

After a few minutes, Lance began to stir, and he smiled, golden eyes soft. “Did you sleep well?”

“Very.” Red grinned.

“We should probably shower. I think I cancelled all of our matches for today, but Lorelei’s making pancakes.”

Red grinned. “I like pancakes.”

“Mm.” Lance agreed mildly. They showered luxuriously, and sure enough, Lorelei had made fresh pancakes, studded with blueberries.

Red happily helped himself, beaming at her with thanks and winking at Lance when the Dragon Master sat next to him, and he didn’t think about the events of the previous day once, except for the pleasant ones.

Perhaps that was the deadliest sin of all.

End Fic

Completed 3/3/07

Yes, if you’re going to say Lance is a total bastard, I’m afraid I’m forced to agree. And insanity. Whee! Sad to say, this was the first fic I felt brave enough to post to the community. I’m not quite sure now… so Lance is pretty heartless but so is Red in his own way. *Nod*

And that’s all folks~!

And the Elite Four are pretty creepy, ne? ^^. I based their personalities off Pokemon Special, though this is game-verse AU.