Title: Missing you
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Ash/Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #38, Missing You
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, angst

When she first puts the mask on, she cries, but the tears run down her cheeks and make her face itch, so she stops. She knows that it is a great honor to be dedicated to the Gods, and she doesn’t mind being a Priestess, but now she can never touch another who does not wear the symbol of the gods again. She would kill them if she did.

When Lance meets the Priestess, he sees a little girl crying inside, and he pities her, but he feels little else. His service is to Lugia-sama, so he wears the bracelets of power on his arms, and it helps ground him.

He has to ground her, because for the first week she is in the Temple, the power of Parukia overwhelms her, and she sparks with lightning so she can’t do anything. He brings her food and water and bathes her despite her protests, and dresses her in the proper robes of white and lavender.

Red thinks he is rude, but at the same time, she finds his attentions endearing, and so, it’s nice to have a friend, or at least someone to talk to, with her, while they orient themselves to better serve their respective deities.

Lance wonders if she’s hideously ugly behind the mask, but doesn’t ask, and she doesn’t ask him questions either.

They’re not in love, but they’re alone and together at the same time, so it’s better than nothing.

And when he leaves with Lugia for a month to do dream training, she finds that she actually misses him.

Isn't it funny how things turn out?

Theirs isn’t a love story, but it works.

End Fic

Completed 9/16/06

Nothing like killing a bunch of defenseless Rattata on your Game Boy Advance to inspire you to write again… just kidding!

Lance: I dearly hope so…