Title: Riddle me this
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Ash/Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #42, Riddle
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, mistaken Incest, Shonen-ai

Giovanni tapped his pen against his desk. Nearby, two captives were bound and gagged in hard oaken chairs, stripped of their poke balls and other accessories. “Come now, Red.” Giovanni wheedled. “If you join Team Rocket, they will both go free, but if not, I’ll only allow you to free one. Who will you choose, I wonder? Your brother, or your precious girlfriend?”

Lance shook his head, his golden eyes bright. Red nodded. “In that case, I have to choose Misty.”

Giovanni shrugged. “Any last words? I’ll give you a moment to make your good-byes. I’m not a wholly heartless man, Red, though I am quite disappointed you chose this route.”

Red shrugged, as Giovanni undid Lance’s gag. “I’ll miss you.” He whispered, before he kissed his brother. Lance nodded, his eyes bright with unspoken meaning, and as Red pulled away, the world erupted in a whirlwind of smoke and flame.

When Giovanni recovered, all of his captives were gone.

“I can’t believe he thought I was your girlfriend!” Misty exclaimed, glad that Lorelei’s explosives had worked.

Lance shook his head. “And I can’t believe he thought I was your brother.”

“Who cares what Giovanni thought? We’re free right now, aren’t we?” Red grinned. “And besides, Team Rocket’s going to take a while to rebuild.”

“And where are we off to now, my dear Champion?” Lance stretched his fingers glad to be free of those ropes. Pity Giovanni hadn’t thought to check carefully enough…

“Are you all right? It must have been uncomfortable, and…” Red hastily pulled a towel out of his backpack and handed it to Lance, “Put some clothes on!”

“… Considering my suit just exploded, that could be a bit difficult.” Lance stated dryly.

Misty giggled. “We did it though! Team Scarlet strikes again!”

As the three of them flew back to their base via Red’s Gyarados, he had to agree. They had done it.

Misty and Lance’s pokémon were still in Giovanni’s hands – or they would have been, except those poke balls had been decoys. Realistic ones – Agatha had worked hard!

“Thank Lugia you’re safe.” Lorelei greeted Misty with a hug and a kiss as soon as they returned. Agatha simply nodded.

“Good work.”

“When’s our next mission?”

“Not for a day at least. Get some rest… and Lance, put some clothes on! There are some things an old woman doesn’t need to see!”

Lance scowled, still wearing only a towel. It had been rather drafty on the flight back to their base.

He followed Red back to their quarters, before Red grinned. “I don’t mind how you look.”

“Oh?” Lance’s smile turned predatory.

“Not at all.” Red whispered, and the next moment, Lance had him up against the wall and kissed him senseless.

… Not that he minded, of course.

This was one of the perks of his job!

End Fic

Completed 7/29/06

Come bunnies! Don’t desert me!
Oh, look at all the kissing! ^^