In a way, some things aren’t bad. I love plotbunnies.

*Chasing after plotbunnies with a tranquilizer gun in a hang glider*

Lance: *laughs*

Pika-chan: Are plotbunnies edible?

Shoyko: I should hope not! Otherwise Phantomness wouldn’t be able to write anything!

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Shogakukan Comics, and Nintendo of course. Do not take my non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic because its mine under international copyright laws and I hate plagiarism.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks.

Lance wasn’t ugly, far from it.

Red was staring at him dreamily while Lance brushed out his long hair. It was pretty hair, all red and shimmery with bits of metallic shine.

Lance had cool eyes too, like dragon’s eyes…

He sighed, before realizing what he was thinking and slapping himself in the forehead.

Pika looked amused. Ah! I see how it is!

“Pika! You can’t tell him!”

I won’t… this will be our little secret.

Star giggled. Shy?

“Well… yes.”

At least he admitted that much. Aeroy yawned. Oh, the rest will come in due time.

Something like that…

Then, there was the girl.

She showed the same morning out of nowhere.

She was pretty…

Plus, she claimed she had been eighth Indigo League Champion.

Red thought he liked her.

Safe.

< How cruel… >

< Is it? > Lance asked, watching them walk arm-in-arm along the beach.

< This is a love that will not last. >

< Why did you allow her entrance into this sacred realm? >

< To make a point. > Lugia smirked.

Lance raised his eyebrows. < I cannot wait… >

“Oh Lindsey, I love you.”

“I love you too Red.”

Lance checked his watch. They had met precisely six hours and twenty-one minutes, four seconds ago.

That was certainly moving fast.

Well, what mattered it to him?

He picked up his dragon blades and went hunting.

The next day, Red woke up screaming.

“What is it?” Lance asked, pulling the blankets over his head. “And why are you in my room? I thought you would be with Lindsey.”

“She-! She-! She-!”

“Please, I cannot understand a word you are saying…”

“She!”

After about five more minutes of stammering, Lance was annoyed so he climbed out of bed and walked over to Red. “What is it?”

Tone of voice brooked no argument possible for Red, so he told the truth.

How interesting.

“So she was a prostitute.”

“No!”

“Well, from your description that is what I derive.”

Red scowled. “I! She should never have come here!”

“What did she do, jump you?”

Red’s silence and the pokemon’s nods were enough answer.

Without a word, he gathered up the boy in his arms. Red didn’t struggle, eyes downcast and melancholy.

“Shh… it will be all right…”

“Can you…”

“Can I what?”

“Stay with me.”

Lance raised his eyebrows again, but nodded.

And so it began.

After a few days it was getting exasperating, the way the boy would follow him around like an extra tail, even when he went to visit the dragons.

And why _did_ the dragons keep smiling as if they knew something he did not? Merciful Mew, what was going on?

What had happened to the arrogant, confident trainer of so many years ago?

Was he really that dependent on love?

It was horrible battle strategy.

“Red… please, it was only one minute in your life, surely....”

“But I can’t forget!”

“Oh Red~!”

Red hid behind Lance as Lindsey appeared. Lance wondered where she had been, but concluded Red could not have seen her either way as he had hid behind Lance ever since they left the room that morning.

Why wasn’t Red with Lindsey?

Hadn’t he already declared his impassioned love for her?

It was so confusing…

Well, he didn’t have to bother with love. Red, however… he wanted to shelter that innocence.

The boy most likely still had a part to play in the world’s fate.

“Red!” Lindsey cried as she hugged him.

Red burst into hysterical tears as he clawed at her face in attempt to make her let go. She did.

“My, what a prude.”

“Leave…me… alone!”

Lance watched with interest as spikes of clear crystal shot out of empty air and impaled Lindsey repeatedly.

Well, she was not going to survive that…

Red stared at his hands in shock.

So did his pokemon.

“I… did that?”

“You did.” Lance acknowledged.

He expected the boy to snap now, but he didn’t. Instead, the red eyes looked grimly at him from beneath black hair.

“I had to do it. And I think I understand now, why you did what you did.”

Lance’s eyebrows activated again and he nodded quietly.

Completed 7/23/04