Title: Medium of Exchange
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #33, Medium of Exchange
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: Het, fanon references

 

            “That’ll be five hundred pokeyen.”

            Red handed over the money with a smile.

            “Enjoy.” The smiling lady said, handing over two Poke Balls and an Antidote. He walked out of the Pokemon Mart with a smile. That had been relatively simple. He was glad that he had chosen to wear sunglasses and a bright brown wig of hair. It helped deter fangirls admirably.

            He saw Lance calmly sitting outside a café, sipping on an iced green tea and chatting with another girl. His eyes lit up as he walked over.

 

            “Charlotte! Long time no see!”

            She grinned as Red hugged her. “Nice to see you too, Champion.”

            “What were you talking about? Anything interesting?” Red asked, taking a seat next to them. The waitress came up and he ordered a chocolate malt with a smile.

            “I wish,” Lance said. “We were discussing how well trade was going on between Cosmos and Indigo. They export a lot of our foodstuffs, after all, but the strange weather has caused more than half of their citrus fruit supply to freeze, so... the price is going up for those. Strawberries and cherries are up too.”

            Red nodded. It made sense, but he hated going to trade talks. Still, he knew enough to know that trade with Cosmos was important – a lot of their chocolate came from there! And if the price of fruit were going up, that would be bad.

            It was lucky his salary as Champion let him eat well.

 

            His chocolate malt arrived, and he thanked the waitress as he stirred the thick liquid with the straw, taking a sip. Yum.

            He listened to them talk for a while longer, before Charlotte’s cell phone rang. She picked up and her expression changed.

            “Sorry, Lance. I have to run.” She got up. “Challenge match.”

            “Perfectly understandable. I’m glad we had some time to talk.” The Johto Champion rejoined. “I’ll see you again soon.”

            “Yes. Sorry I couldn’t talk more.” She released her Eterneon and vanished in a flash of white light, as Lance shrugged.

           

            The waitress came with the bill, and Red handed her his credit card. She nodded as she left and returned a few minutes later with the bill for him to sign. He finished his malt and then he and Lance teleported back to the Indigo Plateau with his Espeon.

            “It’s all supply and demand, ne?”

            “Pretty much.” The Dragon Master agreed. “But we shouldn’t lose too much money.”

            “Actually, if we went there for a few weeks, wouldn’t the prices be cheaper? I’d like a vacation.”

            Lance chuckled. “Well, when you put it that way, it’s rather economically efficient to do so. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind the company.”

            Red beamed. “So we can go?”

            “I don’t see why not.”

            “Great! I’ll start packing right now!” Red cheered. Soon, he was all packed, with his suitcases loaded on Lance’s Charizard. The Dragon Master shook his head and gathered his important possessions quickly, before they both soared off.

 

            Needless to say, Charlotte was a bit surprised to find them waiting outside the Champion’s Residence, but she shrugged and invited them in with a grin.

            “Did you come here to escape the high import taxes?” She teased.

            “In a way,” Red grinned.

            “… You’ve been taking economics?” His cousin sounded amused.

            “Not really. It’s just that Lance taught me a bit.” Red hugged her again, and the other Champion raised an eyebrow.

            “I see. Well, you’re welcome to stay for as long as you like….”

            “Thanks a lot, Charlotte!”

 

            “Just don’t let me catch you two together, and I won’t say a word.” The Cosmos Champion smirked. Red colored as Lance gave a mock salute.

            “Of course we wouldn’t show off.” His wife purred. Charlotte just shook her head as she walked off.

            He cuddled closer into Lance’s arms. “You don’t like her, right?”

            “Red, I’m not in love with her. It should be obvious by now.” She frowned. “Are you?” If he was, she might have to have some words with him.

            “No!” He shook his head. “But I’m glad to hear that. Now kiss me and promise.”

            “All right,” Lance agreed, and did so.

 

End Fic

Completed 1/17/07

Edited 6/3/09

A Medium of Exchange is something people accept in exchange for goods and services. (Brief Principles of Macroeconomics, 4th Edition by N. Gregory Mankiw)

Money is obviously the favored medium of exchange…

 

Eterneon is a light-type pokémon (an Eevee evolution) created by me, and Charlotte is my OC, the Champion of Cosmos Island my fan-created region. Don’t steal her!