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

Chapter 9

 

The next morning, Red was awake first.

Lance was still sleeping, a small smile on her face. He tried to slip out of bed to take a shower.

She blinked her eyes open. < Morning, love. >

< Morning, I'm going to go take a shower now. Then we can go to the amusement park. >

< Sounds like a good idea. > Lance stretched. < I'll join you in a bit. >

< If you do, we won't get out of here… >

Lance pouted. < Point taken. Just don't take too long! >

Five minutes later Red came out, clean. < Your turn. >

The Dragon Master quickly showered, and then put on a skirt and matching blue sailor jacket. < All right, I'm ready. >

Red smiled, nodding. < Let's go! >

 

The two of them left the hotel, and headed to the amusement park. Once there, Red literally bumped into a girl that looked like Misty.

"Oh! I'm sorry." The girl said. She blinked at him for a minute, before she began to smile. < What are you doing so far from Blackthorn during mating season? >

Red blinked. < Mating season? >

The girl nodded. < Yes, it's the first week of Dragon Mating season when the Festival is held. Is this your first time? No, it shouldn't be... >

Red looked confused and then slanted a look at Lance, who was just as perplexed. < Why do you say that? Who are you? > The boy asked her.

< Oh! Sorry. I'm Misty's older sister, Violet, from the Gyarados clan! Pleased to meet you! >

Lance's entire face was bright red. * Mating Season… *

 

< I'm Red and this is Lance. We've never been here before. >

< Oh! > Violet smiled. < Are you from Houen or one of the other regions? That explains it. If you're a dragon over a certain age, and you're in Kanto or Johto during this week, you'll be affected by the yearly mating cycle. >

< That explains it. > Lance sighed.

< You're saying we'll go at it like bunnies? > He demanded.

< Pretty much, unless you don't have a Mate. > Violet said.

Lance blushed even redder.

Red also got very red. < Dragons try to make eggs at this time, right? >

< Of course. > Violet said, smiling. < Most dragon eggs don't make it to hatching, so you want as many as possible. >

The Kanto Champion hid his face in Lance's shoulder.

< Anyways, > Violet grinned. < I have to go now!  See you around! > She waved at them before skipping off.

 

< Eggs, Lance? >

< I... I don't think so. > Lance said shakily. < Guardians are infertile as a rule. >

< I-I know that. But now that she's said it, I… >

Lance's expression was slightly wistful. < I would never want human children, but it'd be nice to have baby Dratini or something... >

< I wish... just this once that we could. >

< Who knows? > Lance said, giving him a kiss. Then her look turned sly. < Though considering you've been a girl too, they might be your eggs. >

Red blushed. < I-It never bothered me before but now... Now I want eggs. > He looked down and away from Lance.

< You'd make a better mother anyway. > His Mate smiled, before pulling away. < And who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky. We're not at home now, so not all of our powers are active. >

At the end of the day the two Guardians returned to Blackthorn.

 

"Hi, Ash." Red waved, seeing the trainer and his mate having ice cream together on a bench.

"Hi! Did you have a good time in Celadon?"

"Yep! We went on the Ferris Wheel and six different roller coasters!" Red beamed. "What about you?"

"How'd you know we were in Celadon?" The Dragon Master asked.

 

"There are some special springs near here that are supposed to have calming and healing effects on Dragons. We went to see them." Ash answered Red. Then he turned to Lance. "Violet called to say that she found a wayward Dragon and her Mate."

"I assumed that was you." Wataru grinned.

Lance flushed slightly. "Well, was the hot springs fun?" She asked.

Ash nodded. "And what they say is very true."

"Maybe Red and I should make a trip there too." Lance grinned.

The red-eyed boy nodded "If anything, it would help us. Lance-chan, I don't feel really good anymore..."

"All right." Lance said. "We'd better get back to our hotel. We'll talk to you later, Ash, Wataru."

She put her arm around Red's shoulders and started walking him back towards the hotel. At front, they got a different room and then settled in.

 

Wataru had sniffed the air delicately when Red had said he wasn't feeling well.

"Is he sick?" Ash asked.

Wataru shook his head. "I think he's carrying eggs..."

"But Wataru... Men can't carry eggs..."

"That's why I'm confused." Wataru said. "But if Lance could change his gender, maybe Red could too?"

"That would make sense..."

Wataru sighed as he hugged Ash close. "I wish we didn't have to wait..."

"But I'm still too little..."

"I know." Wataru kissed Ash. "I'll wait for you, love."

Ash nodded with a sad smile on his face. He didn't want to wait, but they had to.  The two of them watched the stars come out as they finished their ice cream.

Wataru hated to admit it, but he was jealous of the other two. * If only. * No use wishing... they'd just have to wait....

 

Meanwhile, Lance tucked Red into bed and pulled the covers up around his shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Red shook his head. < I don't know what’s wrong. Maybe Chansey will. >

Lance concentrated, summoning Chansey. The tubby pink egg pokemon waddled over to Red.

Don't worry, Master, I'll just take a quick look...

Suddenly Red felt rather ill.

Oh dear! Chansey said. This is most unexpected!

Seeing Red turn faintly green, Lance had grabbed the ice bucket and handed it to him. The poor boy had to empty the contents of his stomach.

Lance looked at Chansey, concerned.

 

It seems as though you're going to have eggs! Chansey said. Three of them!

Lance gaped. Eggs?

Red's head shot up. < EGGS? >

Yes. Of course, you won't know what they are until they hatch, but... Guardian? Are you all right?

Red looked rather pale.

< Red? Are you all right? > Lance asked, putting her arms around him.

 

< We are supposed to be sterile, Lance! This shouldn't be happening! ...Not that I don't want these eggs, but! >

< Red, > Lance said, < Breathe. > She rubbed his back soothingly for a moment. < I told you that not all of our powers work here. Maybe we're not sterile anymore. >

Red nodded and did as he was told. < I’ll need to assume my other form then. >

< Yes. > Lance said, as she continued to rub his back, watching as his curves shifted. < I'll take care of you, Red. >

 

The now female Red nodded. < Charlotte will be surprised. >

< Oh, very. She's going to be an aunt. > Lance breathed. < I can't believe I'm going to be a father, er, mother… >

< Parent? >

< Sure. > Lance said, before kissing Red.

Chansey smiled.

Red giggled. < Looks like we'll have to stop the Mating. >

The older Guardian gave him a sheepish grin, running a hand through his spiky hair. < Yes, we don't want to hurt them. >

It should take another two or three days until the eggs are ready. Chansey smiled. I'm so happy for you!

 

Red kissed her. < Then we can start again. >

Lance blushed. < I'm sorry. >

< Why? I liked it. >

< Mm… > The older girl purred. < I wonder what they'll be. >

 

The next day Red and Lance tried to find the Hot Springs.

They walked around Blackthorn for a while, before they spotted a sign with a carved Dragonair holding the sign 'Hot Springs' in its mouth.

< I wonder why we didn't see this before… > Red giggled.

< I guess we were busy with other things. > Lance said. She was wearing the swimsuit she had bought Lance earlier, the dragon one.

Red nodded and began to walk but felt sick again. < Lance…>

< Shh… > Lance held onto her and eased her over to a rock. She kissed her lover, sending healing chi running through her body.

The girl quickly felt better. < Thank Lugia that still works. >

< I know. > Lance replied, holding Red. < Better now? >

She nodded. The other people just thought it was a kiss. < Let's keep going. >

 

They walked for a while, until they reached an unoccupied spring. Red sank into the water with a grateful sigh, and Lance followed.

Red grinned. < Ash was right! >

< Yes, this feels wonderful... > Lance closed her eyes. The younger Guardian felt much better and she fell asleep in her Mate’s arms.

Lance rubbed her back as she smiled. Red was already starting to show curves. She ran her fingers through her mate's hair, hoping that the healing springs would help her deliver their eggs safely.

* I never thought about it before, but Red seems to glow. * She smiled, and placed a kiss on Red's forehead. < Beautiful... >

The younger girl murmured in her sleep. Lance smiled, and waited for her to wake up.

 

A few hours later, Red woke.

< Feeling better, my love? > Lance asked.

Red nodded. < Do I seem different? >

< Well, you're... glowing. > She said honestly. < With health. How do you feel? >

< Much better. >

< Mmmm. That’s good. > Lance gave Red a long kiss. < You are looking... fuller though. Are there any other side effects? >

< I could eat a Rapidash and still be hungry. > She blushed.

< Okay then. We're going to dinner. >

< Yay! >

 

The two of them dried off quickly. Then, Lance transported them to the hotel's restaurant. All the other Dragons seemed to notice that Red was glowing. Lance and Red got several winks and cheers as they made their way to the buffet.

Red's blush darkened.

< Well, at least they're very accepting. > Lance said, as she filled a plate for herself and two more for Red.

She nodded. < I just hope Green and Blue are like this. Er, I hope they won’t throw a fuss. They are my friends, after all. >

< How are you going to explain... well, I mean... > Lance flushed.

< I told them about my love for you, Lance. They said as long as I was happy, that was all that mattered. >

< Oh... > Lance colored. < Thanks, Red... >

She smiled. < Love you. > She promptly kissed Lance and got wolf whistles.

The rest of the patrons clapped, and one old man yelled that he hoped they would have many eggs.

Red's face got darker still. "Thank you..." Red said quietly. < Do they even care that we're both girls at the moment? >

< Er... I'm not sure? >

She gave an award-winning smile. < Maybe they don't! >

< Well... I guess that's good. > Lance smiled. She and Red walked back to their seat and she watched as Red tucked in, pleased.

<Yummy! >

< Eat up, love. > Lance said, taking a sip of her orange juice.

 

Red was careful. Meanwhile the news of the first pregnant Dragon Mate spread rapidly. By the time they had finished dinner, many people on the streets had come up to congratulate them.

She reveled in the attention for once. She got several gifts.

 

< The people here are very friendly, aren't they? > Lance asked, as Red admired her new barrettes.

Red nodded. < Yeah! > She giggled as Ash and Wataru found them.

< Well, congratulations! > Ash cheered.

< Thank you, Dragon’s Child. >

He beamed.

The girl was positively glowing.

 

< We got you this. > Wataru said, handing over a pair of dratini-print hair ribbons.

Red smiled, < Kawaii! Thank you so much. >

< You're welcome. > Wataru grinned. < It's always good to have more dragons in the world. >

Red nodded. <Yes it is. Stupid Humans... At home, dragons are extinct in wild...>

< Really! > Wataru gasped.

Lance nodded, her eyes dark. < I had to summon dragons from another Realm... >

She looked at Lance. * Oh! *

< That's why they all vanished after Cerise... I wasn't strong enough to hold them... >

<Actually...> Red walked away from them a few steps. < Most pokemon at home are going extinct because the humans are wrecking the environment… >

< That's so sad. > Ash gasped.

Red turned to Ash. < It is. There is an upside though, well, not much of one. There are several humans who know what's going on and they hate it... the only problem is they can't do anything about it… >

 

< We failed, > Lance shook her head.

Wataru frowned. < Isn't there something you can do? >

< What were you trying to do? > Ash asked them.

< We were going to summon Lugia and use his power and those of the badges to destroy humanity... > Lance said. Her eyes flashed angrily. < But a meddling girl stopped us. >

< She had a crush on me and she thought she was saving me from the Elite. She almost killed my Mate… > There were tears in Red's eyes.

 

< The Elite? You mean the Elite Four? > Ash blinked.

< How horrible... > Wataru winced.

< Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Lance-chan. The base was in an active Volcano... The girl used my Pikachu, Pika to cause Lance-chan to fall into the lava…>

Ash gaped in horror, and Wataru hugged him.

< If she had stayed in the lava much longer she and Hakuryuu would be dead! > The tears were flowing down her cheeks now.

< That's despicable! > Wataru said. Lance moved to Red's side and held her close.

 

< Stupid Yellow! It doesn't stop there! No, she laced the soup I was making with Sleep Powder! She was going to kill... while we slept! >

Wataru's eyes flashed. < So what happened to her? >

Lance answered. < We fed her to our Gyarados. >

< She deserved it. > Red added, as Lance kissed her.

The Blackthorn native nodded slowly.

Ash looked horrified. < Did she know that you were mates? >

< She wanted me for herself. > Red said bitterly.

< She snuck upstairs and interrupted us, so I would say she knows. > Lance added.

< Like I would want her anyway! > Red spat. < She was nine! >

Ash's eyes went as wide as saucers at this pronouncement.

 

< In any case, we couldn't just let her go. > Lance smirked.

The boy looked sick. < Nine? >

Red nodded.

< That's crazy! > Ash blurted out.

< Yellow was rather crazy. > Lance demurred. < She was Mother's failed child, after all. >

< Who is your Mother? >Wataru asked Lance. < I mean, Lugia is your Father, but… >

< The spirit of the Viridian Forest. > Red grinned.

Wataru stared. < Oh. That would explain your shape-shifting powers... >

Red shook her head. < No, we can because we have lived different lives as girls and boys. In our world every few years there is a child born in the Viridian Forest that has special powers. They can heal Pokemon and read their minds. >

< Oh. Well... > Wataru smiled. < In any case, I'm glad you're here. I hope you two have happy lives. >

Red smiled. < And you as well, I hope you have many eggs too! >

< Next year. > Wataru smiled, as Ash flushed.

<Yes... Next year... I hope we can come here again. >

< Me too. > Lance smiled.

It was getting dark, so Wataru and Ash said goodbye to Lance and Red and they parted ways.

 

End Chapter

Completed 8/18/08

Neph like eggs, so I let us RP it for fun! ^^ I’m not so fond of pregnancy, *cough* okay, I hate the idea of pregnancy and babies and children under the age of ten are usually brats. Yeah.