Title: Normative
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #13, Normative Statement
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, het, fanon

“One wish.” Lance repeated; his eyes hollow gold, as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “One chance, really. You’re quite tempting, Annabelle, but I will not take it.”

Annabelle gaped in shock, as her Jirachi blinked. “Why not? Aren’t I pretty enough for you? Plus I’ve got a legendary Pokemon! And I beat you and the rest of the Elite Four! So why won’t you agree to marry me?”

“If you were so confident in your position, would you still try to bribe me with a wish?” Lance asked. “You’ve already used up all of yours, haven’t you?”

The slight tightening of Annabelle’s expression was enough evidence. Lance nodded, slowly, before he turned to Jirachi.

The Pokémon slowly met the Dragon Master’s gaze. You know that I am not omnipotent. I cannot remove another legendary’s work.

“I know.” Lance said. “And you cannot give me what I truly want.”

No. Jirachi agreed. That is out of my control.

“I will not choose that as my wish. I want her….” Here Lance’s expression twisted, as his eyes glittered. “I want her to fade.”

Jirachi sucked in a breath. Fading was a terrible punishment, given only to guardians too weak to protect the world. They would unravel, losing their life and humanity, and then they would be used as an energy source to power the realm. For him to wish such a thing…

But it was not in direct violation of any rule, so Jirachi nodded, and in an instant, Annabelle was gone, as though she had never been, and Jirachi felt the chains of bondage fall. Lance nodded.

“Be safe, child.”

And then he was gone.

Red was waiting when he returned, chatting amiably with Charlotte over tea and biscuits. They both glanced up at his arrival. Charlotte poured him a cup of green tea, and Red ran up and hugged him.

Lance smiled, kissed his wife, and then sat down.

“Did you do anything?”

“My, so direct.” Charlotte sipped her coffee, then grimaced at the taste as Lance shook his head.

“Well!” Red protested, crossing her arms. “I don’t like it, but if it was necessary, I guess I could forgive him.”

“Not even kissing.” Lance reassured Red. “I spun my illusions quite well, but she didn’t really need them.”

“Why?” She looked at him. “What did you do?”

“I faded her.”

“Wicked!” She breathed, more relieved than she would like to say. “So now I won’t have to worry about her stealing you away?”

“I doubt I was ever in any danger of being stolen, Champion.” Lance said dryly. Red shrugged as she hugged him again.

“I don’t care. You’re mine.”

“… Is that a fact?”

“Well, you should be!”

Lance reached for a blueberry scone and said nothing. Let Red pretend, and be happy. It certainly cost him nothing.

“Does that mean you belong to Lance too?” Charlotte asked, adding a fourth lump of sugar to her coffee.

“Of course! And we’ll be together forever and ever!” She beamed.

“I hope so.” Lance agreed, and kissed Red.

End Fic

Completed 1/7/07

Edited 2/2/10

A Normative Statement is a claim about how the world ought to be (Brief Principles of Macroeconomics, Fourth Edition by N. Gregory Mankiw)