Title: Teamwork
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Ash/Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #41, Teamwork
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. Game-verse

Warnings: Shonen-ai

“It… won’t… budge!” Red said, glaring furiously at the boulder that was blocking their way. Lance crossed his arms, glancing around the muddy cavern they had been trapped in.

“When we get out of here, I’m going to flay Bruno alive.” He cursed.

Red’s smile faltered slightly. “If we get out.” He said gloomily.

It had seemed perfectly routine. Bruno had reported a strange ecological shift in the pokemon in Mount Silver, so Red and Lance had flown up to take a look. They had not known that Bruno had spent months, perhaps, preparing a trap. It was simple, but effective.

Rocks began to rain down from the ceiling, and Red yelped as he and Lance fled deeper into the caverns.

Just bloody great. They were all going to die.

“I cannot believe I didn’t notice this.” Lance commented. They looked at the filled tunnel that blocked the way to the front.

Red’s hands went to his poke belt. “At least he didn’t steal our pokémon.”

“True.” Lance said thoughtfully, before he paused. “Is it just me, or is it getting darker?”

Red shivered and drew closer to the Dragon Master. “I think it really is….”

“The sun can’t possibly be setting yet. It was noon when we came here…”

“But… I keep feeling cold...”

Lance smiled. “Here.” He slipped his cloak off his shoulders and wrapped it around Red’s body. Red blushed as he felt Lance’s hands moving over him, but valiantly tried to suppress it, and his inappropriate reaction.

Lance half-smiled. Red did not know that he had near-perfect low-light vision. He decided not to mention it and watch the Champion squirm a bit. It might be fun.

“Red, we’d better stay close to one another.”

Red privately agreed, and snuggled up against Lance. He tried to remember if he had brought any pokémon that knew Flash with him. However, something seemed to be dulling his senses, making it difficult to think.

Lance narrowed his eyes as the last point ticked in his mind.

Bruno had done his research well. The groundwater in this area was chock-full of minerals. When they sprouted above ground, they formed wonderful healing springs, but underground, before they were purified… they absorbed much power from pokemon and humans alike.

So if they stayed here much longer, they would drain… and that was probably what Bruno was expecting.

Well, he would not lose so easily. He brushed his belt, released Pupitar, who blinked at him quizzically.

< You know what to do. >

The pokémon nodded, and began to eat the dirt around them rapidly. Soon, it had reached one of the groundwater springs. Lance smiled as he watched warm stream gush upwards.

“Come, Red.” He coaxed, and Red shed his clothing, almost without thinking, stepping into the hot mineral-laced water with a sigh.

Lance knew that while Red’s body would heal rapidly he would stay muted, and as he joined the Champion, he carefully brushed a kiss across his lips.

Red responded quickly, and one thing led to another. By the time Red recovered, Lance was purring.

Red was a bit flustered, but really, it hadn’t been a bad experience, and he trusted Lance, and now they could escape.

They didn’t kill Bruno, but Agatha snapped control bracelets over his wrists and sealed his mind with Dream Eater, so perhaps the punishment was worse than the crime.

Bruno hadn’t actually killed Red or Lance…

But he would have.

They were alive and well, and that was what counted, and now Red had someone to love.

And he liked that very much.

End Fic

Completed 10/11/06

Mood: Pissed

Lance: *Hugs Phantomness*

Phantomness: I don’t like tutoring stupid people… *Frazzled*