Poor Ash *sniffles* I need to write more on his emotions

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*

Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Ash)

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

Warnings: Paul dies

Chapter 2

Lance left and called Charlotte, frowning. There was something wrong, and he didn't like it. And Ash's words had hurt – he winced as his chest twinged.

"What's wrong, Lance?" Charlotte looked concerned.

"Ash is... with someone." Lance said. "I think." The words were hard to get out. "And he needs help, but he doesn't want me to help him. Could you...?"

The Cosmos Champion’s eyes widened. "Of course I will, Lance."

"Thank you."

The next day Charlotte arrived at the Plateau.

"So where is my little brother, Lance?" She asked, businesslike.

"In his room." Lance pointed to the door at the end of the hall.

Charlotte nodded and took his Master Passkey. Opening the door, she saw that Ash was still huddled on the bed. "Ash?"

He froze. "...Leave me alone..." He said in a small voice.

"Ash, it's me..." Charlotte said.

Ash blinked. "A-Aneki?"

She nodded. "You know you can tell me what happened..." She sat next to him on the bed, pulling the comforter around him. He looked so thin and pale! What had happened to her little brother?

Ash hugged her tightly. "I...I ... T-There was a boy... and he..."

She embraced him, petting his hair. "Why don't you start at the beginning...?" She pulled him into her lap.

Ash haltingly did so, telling her how all that time had passed without him knowing he was being raped...

Charlotte rubbed his back slowly and said nothing, vowing to kill Paul bloodily when she saw him next.

"...And the worst thing is... Is that I have no idea when this started!" Ash finished.

Charlotte just rocked him slowly.

Ash felt a lot better once he had gotten that off his chest. He nibbled at the raisin cookies Charlotte had brought.

It was nice to be able to tell someone, though he still didn’t want Lance to know. He didn’t know if he could face the Dragon Master yet.

But he wasn’t sure how he felt about Paul.

Maybe, it wasn’t so bad. Maybe Paul did love him. Maybe this was the only way the trainer from Shinou could show it.

Someone… liked him that way?

It was a strange feeling.

Ash took another bite of a cookie. Well, if Paul had just told him and not been so rough, things would have been better!

Mayhap they could still fix things, and become proper lovers?

He nodded.

< Ice… He was not in a relationship with anyone… > Charlotte told Lance everything that Ash had said word for word.

Lance said coldly. some filthy human had dared lay a hand on his Mate!

He would not stand for this!

Ash was feeling better when he heard screams and crashes outside his door. He peeked out. Lance and Charlotte were beating Paul up. They were decked out in full armor, wings and all...

"Aneki! ... Lance? Stop!"

"Why?" Lance asked. "For what he did to you..."

"Go back to your room Ash, and let us handle this!" Charlotte told him. "He hurt you and we're not going to stand for it!"

"That's not your decision!" Ash yelled. "Lance, I love him!"

They both stared at him. Charlotte’s eyes widened, guessing what had happened.

"Y-You what...?" Lance asked shakily.

"He can redeem himself, Lance." Ash smiled. He and Paul would be able to patch things up, after their rough start.

Relationships were confusing things, right?

Paul hadn’t meant any harm!

"He-he... cracked..." said Charlotte quietly.

Lance stared at Ash for a moment. "I see." He ducked his head in a bow. "Well then, I'll leave you boyfriend in your capable hands, Champion."

She shot a look at Lance.

"I hope you know what you're doing, otouto..." Charlotte said sadly. She turned and followed Lance out of the room.

Paul grinned at Ash.

"You do love me, right?" Ash asked.

"Yes." Paul lied.

"I'm so happy..." The Pallet trainer grinned. Paul pulled Ash into a hug.

Charlotte watched the tableaux with hate in her eyes. "He rapes my brother and then has the audacity to say he loves him? He has broken my brother..."

She looked over at Lance, sorrow glistening in those golden orbs.

"Yes." Lance said. His eyes were flat and dull. "And we cannot do anything."

“We should have been paying attention! We should have been watching him this whole time!”

"I know!" Lance snapped. "It's my fault, all right?"

"No it's not. Neither of us could have known... and now... It's too late..."

"Yes." Lance agreed. "It is."

Ash wasn't sure how he knew that something was very, very wrong, but maybe it was the phantom pain in his chest? He pulled away from Paul and frowned.

< I'm sorry... I couldn't protect you... >

< Don't you dare, Lance! I want Paul dead! I don't care what my Chosen says! >

Lance froze. < Serebii? >

An enraged Time Travel pokemon was revealed. < Paul did something to my Chosen and I don't know if it's permanent or not! This is unforgivable! >

Lance nodded. He was the Sword of Justice for the pokemon, after all...

Ash was quite befuddled when Lance appeared in the room, along with a greenish pokemon he had never seen before. Paul stared. That was when Lance stabbed him with the sword he was suddenly holding.

< For your crimes against the Chosen One, your punishment is death. > Lance said detachedly.

Ash blinked.

Paul gurgled, before he went limp.

Lance turned to Ash.

Ash just stood there, shaken and still. What did Lance mean?

"W-Why...?" He asked. “I-I wanted him to love me... I know we could have made it work…”

Lance knelt down next to Ash. < Forgive me. >

Ash watched. He didn't really understand anything at all. His mind was still trying to comprehend the fact that Paul was dead.

The other boy would never touch him again. Was that good or bad? His head hurt from trying to think about it.

Lance hissed in pain, before he crumpled. < Forgive me... >

Ash watched in horror. Why... what was Lance...?

He felt a stab of intense pain, followed by emptiness. What was happening?

"L-Lance?"

Ash shook Lance. "L-Lance?" There was no response

"Lance!"

Ash managed to turn the Dragon Master over, seeing him holding a Sword covered with blood.

"W-what?"

Lance gazed at him, blood dripping from his mouth, eyes slightly dilated in pain. < A life...for a life... >

The Pallet trainer shook his head.

< Since... I killed... your boyfriend... >

Ash shook his head again. < No! I was wrong… >

Was Paul really his boyfriend?

Did boyfriends really rape you for months first, before saying they loved you? He wanted affection, not sex! He wanted to have someone to cuddle and talk to. He wanted someone who cared.

He didn’t want to be drugged or hypnotized!

< I'm so sorry about this… > Lance repeated. < Since you loved him… but I had to do my duty… >

"Lance..." There were tears in Ash's eyes.

He breathed.

"No! I won't…"

< Why? >

Ash looked into Lance's eyes. And what Lance saw was horrifying. The Guardian was absolutely shattered…

< No! > Lance shook his head. He hadn’t thought that killing Paul would do that much damage, and now… < Ash, you have to kill me! >

Ash vehemently shook his head. He made Lance look into his eyes again. Memory-shards glinted here and there, the true face of a broken child, whose soul had been terribly wounded.

Lance shivered. < Ash... >

Ash just looked at him silently.

Serebii frowned.

Lance kissed him, gently, wanting, needing a reaction, some spark of the boy he had once loved. < Ash…? >

Ash timidly kissed back, it was obvious that he was frightened.

"D-Don't die..." He pillowed his head against Lance's chest.

His eyes slowly turned sea green.

Lance reminded, but Ash did not seem to notice.

A faint humming music filled the air, as Lance’s injuries slowly closed. Ash licked up the blood from the edges. After it was clean, he fell asleep.

Lance stroked his hair, shaken. Was it really better this way? But Ash was nearly broken! That couldn't be good...

Should he let him forget and heal?

He looked to Serebii and Charlotte.

Serebii looked at him sympathetically. < Ash needs you, Lance. >

Lance gathered him into his arms. < What a pair we make… >

Charlotte smiled. < Take care of my brother, Lance. >

Serebii kissed Lance on the forehead. < I'm counting on you... >

Lance nodded. He would do his duty. He always did.

The Dragon Master looked at Charlotte. < Should we tell his – your – mother? >

< No. > Charlotte shook her head.

That made sense. The Elite Four exhaled slowly. How could he fix this? Sometimes, he didn't even want to try. But if he didn't, Ash might die.

Duty pressed down upon him, and he shook himself. He had no time for self-pity. He had a job to do, and he would fulfill his obligations, no matter what the cost.

His heart, his soul, and even his love, were all prices to be paid.

That was all.

End Chapter

Started 10/2/07

Lance is very cynical isn’t he? Well, considering at the situations that the poor Dragon Master has been through, I find that it’s justified. Ash cheats on Lance a lot. Lance keeps forgiving him, even though most people would have trouble dealing with betrayal once! Still, he’s bitter, and doesn’t trust easily…

Ash: *Sobs*

Lance: *Shrugs*

Ash: You don’t love me any more! *Wail*

Phantomness: *Smirking* It makes for drama, ne?

Shoyko: … *Sighs* And angst!