Title: Inflation
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #14, Inflation
Rating: R
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: AU, shonen-ai, prostitution

Summary: Prostitute Red only likes to service the Champion

Red never tells the Madame this, but there's only one customer he really likes to service. After he saw Yellow starved and beaten for two weeks for her refusal to take an old man, he knew to keep his mouth shut. It was very instructive.

Besides, all of the other children had to work harder to make up for the loss in profits when the customers found their favorite plaything gone, so no one really likes Yellow much.

Red doesn't want to end up in the same position.

But in any case, his family needs money somehow, and as the youngest child it's all right if he's sent out – they have two other boys who need the cash, and since Pokemon Journeys are so expensive he'll never be able to leave.

Honor. Pride. His family needs to save face. Such words. Red hates them, because he thinks of his brothers getting fat off his blood, and it really makes him so angry.

But having the Champion around makes it better.

The Champion always pays for him, usually for a week at a stretch, and takes him away, which is nice, because he really hates the brothel. It smells of strong perfume and lots of other things he doesn't want to remember, and the bright garish decorations hurt his eyes.

The Champion will wash his hair, and it's almost gentle, and it makes him cry, because he's always afraid that one day the Champion will turn out to be just like the others, and hurt him terribly, but it hasn't happened yet. And then the Champion will dress him in comfortable clothing that doesn't show off all his skin like a cheap whore, and they'll have lunch, and he'll have the afternoon to himself, to do whatever he wants, and after dinner the Champion will take him.

The Champion has pretty pokemon, lots of them, and Red likes to play with them, and sometimes, he pretends that they're his, and he wonders, what things would have been like if money wasn't so dear and journeys so expensive.

He doesn't like to think about it too much, because it makes him sad.

The Champion is a handsome man, compared to most of the others. He has long hair like a girl's, dark red, and Red likes to run his fingers through it. He has eyes that are beautiful gold, and he's nice. He even makes it not hurt, though Red isn't quite sure how.

Sometimes, he takes Red outside, to different places, and Red will get to pretend for an afternoon that he's just an ordinary child. They go to the beach, and to carnivals, and he's always enthusiastic afterwards.

None of the others ever did anything like this.

One night, Red is lying in the Champion's arms, almost asleep, when someone climbs in the window with a gun, and Red panics, and the Champion slips out of bed calmly and as the moon peeks out from behind a cloud Red recognizes his older brother Jeffrey and feels anger.

… Especially when Jeffrey tries to hurt the Champion.

Red isn't strong, but he picks up the alarm clock, and takes aim, and manages to hit Jeffrey, who falls down. The gun goes off, but it doesn't hit anyone, and then the Champion whispers something and his pretty dragons fly in through the window, and then they eat Jeffrey.

Red rather wishes he didn't see that, but it turns out to be all right. The Champion comes back to bed, and holds him close, and the next day, terminates his contract with Madame.

Without Jeffrey to support, Red no longer has to work there, and he's happy. The Champion holds him close and kisses him, and Red responds eagerly, because now – now he can stay with the man by choice.

And Lance smiles, and runs his fingers through dark hair, and wonders.

End Fic

Completed 1/7/07

Inflation is an increase in the overall level of prices in the economy (Brief Principles of Macroeconomics, 4th Edition by N. Gregory Mankiw)

I credit MidKnight2501, who wrote an Untitled Snape/Harry fic that involved prostitute! Harry for inspiring me.