Championshipping! Whee!

Title: No Celebration
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red/Ash)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #6, Celebrate! Or Holidays
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. Special-verse

Warnings: AU, fanon, shonen-ai, Character Death

He stared at Deoxys, even as he felt the pokemon tremble, dazed with the effort of the Hyper Beam it had used to free them from Team Rocket’s helicopter. He closed his eyes, and reached for his poke balls, knowing that the final battle was at hand. Jagura had gone mad, and someone had to stop him…

The Team Rocket agent smirked, ordering another Explosion attack from his Forretress. Red released Poliwrath, hoping that Damp would take effect in time, as the rest of his team joined him. Venusaur, Aerodactyl, Espeon, Gyarados, and Snorlax…

They had to do something. They had to keep him from killing them all!

Gyarados snarled and used a Hyper Beam of his own, smashing Jagura’s Steelix into the ground below. Scowling, he released a pair of Electrode, only for Aerodactyl to bury them with a Rock Slide as Espeon teleported her trainer to relative safety on Aeroy’s back.

Red frowned, still with a hand on Deoxys’s appendage, as he sighed. It seemed that he had no choice. The others were going to crash no matter what, and even with Snorlax’s bulk to protect them from the fall it was a touch and go situation.

Yellow and Silver were there, and Giovanni too… he had to do something else, but what? His pokemon were little good in midair, even as Venus lashed herself to Gyara with a vine and used another to tie Jagura up.

What was he going to do?

He had to do something! But what could he do? It wasn’t like he had power, like Giovanni and Yellow. All he had was his faith in his pokemon!

Were they going to die now?

He closed his eyes and prepared for the worst, even as Aeroy frowned. It couldn’t be…. Could it?

Yellow, Silver, and Giovanni suddenly appeared, falling, as the craft above them exploded into smithereens. If they hit the ground now-!

No.

Blue flashed quicker than he could have seen, three pairs of eyes widening in recognition.

This was-!

The two Dragonair eyed them before they were deposited on the ground, and Red stared in disbelief at the trainer who had saved their lives. His golden eyes were cold as he scanned them all, before he turned to leave.

They were safe, weren’t they?

Except that Jagura was still alive. “You… you traitor!” He screeched. “We had a deal!”

“Did we?” The Dragon Master purred, eyes glinting. “Ptera dear… you should show him what happens when you break promises.”

His Aerodactyl grinned as Lance jumped off elegantly, wings shining. Yellow’s eyes widened, as she thought back to their battle at Cerise Island.

Blades…!

“No!” She cried, but Aerodactyl had already slit his throat. Lance smiled, as he recalled the rest of his pokemon.

Red watched him fly away, feeling odd. Why … what had just happened? He was no longer sure…

Afterwards, there was a grand ceremony in which they were all praised for being wonderful trainers, but Red left feeling oddly empty. He didn’t know, but as he flew off, Yellow followed him.

It did not take long before they reached Cerise, and Lance was making no effort to hide, sitting on the beach with his Aerodactyl next to him.

“Lance?”

The Dragon Master spun around, surprised. “Why are you here?” He asked quietly. “You should be celebrating with the rest of the trainers. Another victory today, wasn’t it? Deoxys is yours now. You should be proud…”

Yellow privately agreed, as she ducked behind a boulder, a bit embarrassed.

Red sighed. “Perhaps.” He said quietly. “Why did you save us?”

“Why does it matter, Champion?”

“Because…” Red shook his head, “I just want to know.”

Lance smiled crookedly. “You do realize that I didn’t have to. But now I am clear. A life for a life…”

“… A life for a life?” Red blinked.

“I saved Yellow. Giovanni. Silver, and of course you, Champion. I owe nothing more to Kanto or Johto now.”

“But I still don’t understand…”

“You don’t have to.” The Dragon Master sighed. “But now, it can finally end.”

“What…?”

Lance turned, as he stood, cape rustling behind him. “Finally. It is over now. And the world will be safe, won’t it?”

“… For a time, I guess.” Red admitted.

“It is no longer necessary.” Lance closed his eyes. “And now, it’s time to end things.” He turned to Red. “You should leave now.”

“…?” Red goggled at Lance. The trainer paused for a moment, before he smiled.

“Can you take care of my dragons for me?”

“What?”

“It’s not a difficult request.” Lance held out his hands, and Red was startled to see six Ultra Balls sitting there innocently. “Please.”

“Wait! But why? This is so unexpected… what are you going to do?”

“You’ll see.” Lance closed Red’s hands with a fond smile, before he walked to the edge where water met sand. “I’m ready.” He said quietly, and then he began to sing.

Red and Yellow listened, almost enraptured, and Yellow wondered idly how Lance could have such a good singing voice, but as the song wound down, she was surprised to see the Dragon Master fall to his knees.

Red ran to his side, his natural instincts taking over reason, and he was horrified to see blood welling up from his chest. “W-What are you…”

“It’s time.” Lance repeated, softly, as he placed his hands over the hilt of the sword beginning to emerge. “Take the Sacred Sword.”

“What?” Red demanded incredulously.

“You’ll need it in the future.” Lance whispered, and with one final jerk, the Sword wrenched free of his body, leaving Red to stare in horror. Mechanically, he picked it up, feeling cold terror freeze his insides, and as he grasped the hilt, he remembered…

“Lance! Why?” He screamed, as tears ran down his cheeks and he clutched he Sword to his chest. “Why must you torment yourself like this? Why?”

There was no answer.

End Fic

Completed 12/16/06

As of now, I only know that Deoxys has Red’s blood, not the actual manga summaries of what happened after Silver found out Giovanni is his father, so it’s all speculation, really… but apparently Red and his pokemon play a pivotal role in saving the world again…

Wow, this fic really went off the path… *sigh*