Title: Placebo Effect
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #25, Placebo Effect
Rating: PG
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, Special-verse, het

No matter what Red thinks, her Viridian Power doesn’t work on humans. Lance tried explaining this, but it just seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Thus, whenever he gets injured, she will hold her hands over him, and call up the pale healing light of Viridian, and Red will close his eyes and feel the pain ebbing away, but it’s really all in his head. The Viridian Power only works on Pokémon, after all.

But as long as Red gets relief, she’s not going to disillusion him.

Lance will kiss him afterwards, and pet his hair, even as she bandages Red up, and Red doesn’t seem to mind that his wounds aren’t instantly cured. She will kiss him and cuddle him, because endorphins block pain too, but that seems to be the only useful information she learned from psychology.

He will stare at her with adoration in crimson eyes, and the Dragon Master wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world, so she allows Red to keep his placebo, and she keeps him happy.

And Red smiles sweetly and is soft and warm and childish, so it’s fun to sleep with him. And she’s gentle, and no matter what Pika thinks, they are happy together.

Who cares if it’s not a conventional relationship?

Their marriage vows are still forever, and no one else has to know.

End Fic

Completed 12/5/06

Edited 6/30/09

A placebo is basically just a fake medicine, used to test how emotion and perception changes the effects of drugs.