I love X-men, so it was inevitable I would start crossing it over with pokemon, somehow…

 

Title: The Price of Power

Author: Shadow/Phantomness

Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Don’t own X-men (DC Comics) or pokemon (Nintendo/Satoshi Tajiri/Shogakukan Comics). This fanfic is non-profit, non-copyright infringing and it belongs to me under international copyright laws. Don’t steal or sue!

Summary: In a world of pokémon, there exist people with special powers…

 

Chapter 1

 

            Precocious child…precious child…

            One day, you shall change the world…

            Madeline rocked her son as she watched her husband type away busily on his laptop. “He’s adorable, isn’t he?”

            The man nodded, dark blue eyes bright beneath a shock of white hair. “Truly lovely.”

            “I am a bit concerned though… what if he turns out to be one of them?” The tone of her voice implied her disgust for those who were born with strange mutations in their blood. It was whispered that such was a punishment.

            “What of it?” The man asked.

            “Don’t you care at all, Luke?”

            A single eyebrow was raised. “No. He is our child and that is all that matters.”

            No more was spoken on the topic.

 

            It was a time of drought in their village. The farmers had toiled hard, but the earth yielded no grain. Their cattle grew lean and the few plants that did sprout were the hardy weeds. Clouds of dust blew over the parched land.

            He entered the dusty stillness of the small shrine to the great guardian of the seas, Lugia. Few worshipped him in Houen.

            Still…

            Lance knelt before the altar, and closed his eyes. < Please… the people are dying here… and so are the pokémon… >

            He heard the rumbles of the legendary pokémon in his mind. His mother told him that when he was five, his father had died. Lance could not remember much of his father, save a blurry white shape, but it mattered little.

            < You seek my favor to bring rain? >

            < Yes, Lugia-sama. >

            < What would you give to save your village? >

            What a simple question! His village was everything. Without it… he shivered. < Anything. >

            < You are a brave child, Lance… > something was almost wistful in the legendary’s voice. < Truly a brave child… >

            The twelve-year old frowned.

            < I will grant you this then. You have the power within you. It waits to be unlocked. Call fourth the winds, and they will answer you. >

            Without another word, the presence faded.

 

            “Lugia-sama!”

            There was no reply. Lance shivered, as he peered outside, at the baked earth. What on earth had the legendary meant? He had no power.

            True, his eyes and hair were of a strange color, and he had been teased unmercifully for it, but…

            What power?

            Powers were forbidden things. He had witnessed two with power killed, long ago. It was dangerous!

            But if he could save the people and the pokémon here, all the little wild things that scampered, the Zigzagoon and the Wurmple, the poor pokémon were surely starving to death…

            If he kept it a secret, no one had to know!

            With that resolution in mind, he stepped outside. No one was around. The oppressive heat had stifled normal town life.

            He clasped his hands to his heart, and tried to bring up his power.

            Lugia-sama would not lie to him, right?

 

            Behind his closed lids, his eyes flashed blue. All of a sudden, a rumble of thunder sounded. Startled, he opened his eyes and saw stormy rain clouds, fat black clusters of moisture, gather on the horizon. At the same time, his body buzzed with electricity, just waiting to be unleashed.

            Was this… his power?

            It raced through his veins as he laughed, and in return, there was another loud rumble, and fat raindrops began to fall, pattering on the dust.

            It would be enough.

            He walked home, thoroughly soaked, but pleased with himself. Other families had rushed out to dance in the new puddles, and praise various deities for their salvation.

            His mother joined him, not even bothering with an umbrella, her honey-colored hair plastered to her back as she laughed in pure, unfeigned relief.

 

            “Isn’t this wonderful, Lance? I knew the storms would come eventually! Now, we won’t starve!”

            Indeed. The rains would soak the thirsty ground, and the plants would grow, and the pokémon would flourish, and everything would be all right.

            No one would ever know he had caused this storm.

 

            As they watched, the storm clouds lifted, and for a few moments, a rainbow was visible, glittering against the counterpane of blue sky.

            Beautiful.

            Lance’s smile was bright as he entered his house. Things would be better, and he had saved them all.

            It felt wonderful.

 

            The rain continued for almost two weeks, enough for this region of Houen to get back on its feet.

            Lance thanked Lugia with an offering of fresh corn and the richest grapes, and was satisfied to see his offering gone when he returned the next day.

            < Thank you, Lugia-sama. >

            < For what? > Lugia’s voice was almost surprised. < I did nothing. You were the one who sent this rain. >

            < But you gifted me with this power. >

            < Yes, child. And now you must be careful… you understand why no one must ever know of your power. >

            Lance nodded. He would likely die. He did not want to die. It would be grossly unfair if he died. After all, hadn’t he saved them all?

            So he would keep the secret.

 

End Chapter

Completed 6/10/06

New plotbunny, yay!

Lance is not evil yet. Key word ‘yet’, of course!

(And if you really squint, Red is Pyro n’ Lance is Magneto, though Lance has different powers ^^)