Title: Catch-Up Effect
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #26, Catch-Up 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. Game-verse

Warnings: AU, het

 

            Red sighed as he recalled his Charizard outside the Pallet Town city limits. His mom was already waiting at the door when he walked up the path, smiling brightly in her white apron and holding a broom.

            “How was your trip to Orre, honey?”

            Red shrugged. “It was all right, but everything was so expensive. It took quite a chunk out of my savings.”

            “Ah yes, they’re going through a period of high inflation right now.” His mother said. “But come on in, I’ve got dinner ready.”

            Red smiled. “Did you make fried chicken?”

            “With mashed potatoes and string beans,” She smiled.

            “Yay! Thanks, mom.”

            No more on finance was said, and after a hearty dinner and a good night’s sleep, Red returned to the Indigo Plateau the next morning.

 

            Lance was already at her desk, busily moving through her mountain of paperwork. The Dragon Master wished him good morning and promptly buried her head in the white stack once again.

            Red groaned when he saw the pile on his own desk. With a sigh, he picked up his pen and got to work.

            Fan mail… fan mail… credit card bill… love letter…          

            Honestly, he couldn’t see the advantage of the Championship at all… he watched as Lance carried a bulging armful of papers to the recycling slot in the wall, and cracked a grin. At least most of it was unimportant.

 

            “How are you holding up? Was Orre fun?” Lance asked, about two hours later. Red finished signing the proposal for reduced Center rates and sighed.

            “It was pretty different. All dry and dusty, and everything was overpriced.”

            “Ah.” She shrugged. “Well, it could have been worse.”

            “I had to fight off a biker gang in the desert who tried to steal my pokémon and supplies!” Red fumed.

            She turned to look at him, eyes twinkling. “It is a sad fact that the lack of an organized central government breeds chaos and anarchy. Then again, that could happen with enough corruption.”

            Red grinned. “But I won. I even got these.” He held out two Poke Balls.

 

            Lance chuckled. “So you turned the tables on them and ran off with their pokémon instead? That’s dangerous, Champion!”

            “Why? No one’s going to catch me.” He said.

            She looked at him. That was true enough…

            “Aren’t they pretty?”

            The woman wondered how Red could possibly call a Cacnea and Trapinch pretty, but decided not to mention it. He obviously was still lacking some social skills. Then again, Trapinch could evolve into a beautiful Flygon…

            “Looks like you didn’t do too badly then, ne?”

            Red nodded, before he leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Did you miss me while I was gone?”

            “Quite.” Lance replied, before she tipped her head upwards and kissed the Champion. He giggled.

 

            “I missed you a lot.” He shoved the paperwork off of his desk, and grinned. “So, Dragon Master… can we catch up now?”

            Lance stalked over to the younger teen, smirking. “Yes.”

            And they did.

 

End Fic

Completed 1/17/07

Edited 12/3/09

The Catch-Up Effect refers to the property whereby countries that start out poor tend to grow more rapidly than countries that start out rich. (Brief principles of Macroeconomics, 4th Edition by N. Gregory Mankiw)