Title: Dragon Rage
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Ash/Red)
Fandom: Pokémon

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: Fanon

Chapter 5

Four days later, Red collapsed in front of Lavender Town’s Pokemon Center. The Nurse Joy on duty found him there, and diagnosed that he was simply exhausted. She put him to bed, and that was where he woke up several hours later.

Red gave her his secondary ID, which luckily had full coverage, glad that he had set up precautions. Admittedly they had been to deal with fangirls and not escape from certain death, but whatever worked…

She nodded and smiled as she healed his pokémon, and then he went out to grab a bite to eat. He was almost glad that he had left his Pokedex at the Plateau. Otherwise, they could have tracked him with it.

What… what was he to do now?

The television was showing the inauguration ceremony, and as President Goodman proclaimed Bruno the new Champion, Red felt red-hot rage flare up in his chest. It wasn’t fair!

But what could he do now?

As he walked by, he noticed a flyer, proclaiming some free concert or another. With a shrug, he decided to go. Why not?

He had time to waste after all…

Lance smiled. Things were finally falling into place. Luckily, Bruno had not managed to harm Red, or he would have cursed him to wander the mists of time for an eternity, tortured by the shadow creatures that lived in the Astral Plane.

He carefully applied his makeup, feeling the long silky strands of hair flow to his waist. It was hardly any different from what he was used to, though he missed the sleek bodysuits he had worn as Dragon Master.

Well, one could not have everything…

He slid the hairpins into his hair, pulling it up into a single ponytail and then a bun, sharp-edged silversteel inlaid with brilliant crystals at one end in flower shapes.

He smoothed down the cheongsam he had chosen to wear, a simple one of pale blue with black reeds picked out in patterns near the bottom edge of the skirt. Fastening the frogs at his throat and wrists, he stepped outside.

The bodyguards were waiting and escorted him to stage.

After a short, pointless speech, he began to sing.

Red listened, fascinated, but though the words rolled over his body smoothly, and he sighed rapturously, he could not help but hear some hidden message inside.

When the song was over, he clapped like the rest of the crowd.

The singer stood, and smiled, before she left. He followed her.

It was not until they were in her trailer that he realized how indiscreet he was being. But she shushed him, placed a pale hand against his lips, and told him to relax.

He did.

She poured tea for them both, and he breathed in the faint scent of mint a chamomile as he found himself sobbing, telling her his story.

Afterwards, she held him and put him to sleep in her bed, wrapped in a nest of blankets.

As soon as Red had dropped off to sleep, Lance called Karen.

“I see that you have left the Plateau.”

“Let Bruno rule an empty world if he wishes. It will not stay there long in any case. Are you going to open the gates to the Dream Realm?”

“Soon…” Lance agreed. “It is high time for the cleansing to begin.”

Karen’s grin filtered down through their link, and they said no more.

Words were useless at this point in time.

Red woke up in a strange bed. For a moment he panicked, but then he glanced around and saw the singer – what was her name anyway? – Sleeping on the floor nearby, wrapped in a blanket.

He slowly got up, trying not to wake her, but her eyes slid open. They were pretty gold, and now that he was close, he could appreciate their beauty more.

“Good morning.” She said. “Did you sleep well?”

Red nodded shyly. She had changed into pajamas, some light blue silk with a little Dragonair embroidered on the front pocket, how cute!

But…. She was familiar, somehow, and not just because he had watched her sing the night before.

“What’s your name?”

She half-smiled. “Lance.”

“… Lance? But that’s not usually a girl’s name…”

“No, it isn’t.” She said, and let him put the pieces together.

It took a few minutes, but finally, it made sense. After all, what better way to disappear than to hide in plain view?

It still made him a bit frightened though.

The Dragon Master laughed as he gathered the Child of Light in his arms, and Red whimpered as Lance kissed him.

Memory opened in floodgates, and he hissed angrily.

Bruno…!

“Can we kill him?” He asked, running his fingers through Lance’s long hair. White was pretty, but he still preferred bloody crimson.

“I say we torture him first.”

“He hurt you, didn’t he, Lance?” Red leaned his head into the crook of his once and future lover’s neck. “That bastard.”

“Yes.”

“We’ll have to let him die a thousand deaths then, and if Charlotte is willing, the Phoenix Curse shall determine his punishment!”

Lance purred. “That shall do nicely, my love.”

No more was said, as Lance dipped his head downwards and captured Red’s lips in a kiss, the first in this lifetime.

Free.

End Chapter/End Fic

Completed 10/27/06

So I learned in Psychology class that subliminal messages in music DO NOT WORK and if you play music backwards your brain can’t comprehend it anyway, so why are all those right-wing fundamentalists yelling that pokemon tells you to worship Satan? *Huffs*

Anyways…

Also in psychology, I learned that hair and eyes are very important to identify people with, so… if you change those two, it helps disguise.