Title: Diminishing Returns
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Ash)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #25, Diminishing Returns
Rating: PG-13
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, fanon, shonen-ai
Summary: Meddling scientists deserve death.
"Why isn't it working? Why?" He demanded.
Ash smiled sweetly at Professor Oak. "Did you truly think we had not prepared for such a thing, Professor?"
Lance's eyes were a glittering blaze of red-gold as the restraints around his wrists snapped. He pulled himself free as he held out a hand, a sword glittering into view, with a silver hilt and a blade of jagged ice.
Professor Oak frowned, and that was when Lance lunged forwards. The pain was excruciating, and even as he groped for the emergency button in his lab, he felt life slipping from his fingers and he slumped to the ground.
"Finished." Lance said quietly. "I do wish it had not taken so long."
Ash nodded. "Eventually, we would have activated our power before he started his crazy experiments. After that, well, it was just waiting for the trap to spring."
"Do you regret it?" Lance asked.
Ash shook his head. "No."
"Truly?"
"Lance… I want to stay with you. Forever. That's all. Don't you understand? Nothing else matters now that I remember this. And I want to love you, like you love me…" Tears shimmered in his eyes, and Lance bent down, capturing Ash's lips in a tender kiss.
"I understand." He whispered.
End Fic
Completed 1/13/07
Diminishing Returns is the property whereby the benefit from an extra unit of an input declines as the quantity of the input increase. For example, if Robinson Crusoe is stranded on an island and has to catch fish with his bare hands, he won't catch many fish. If you give him a fishing pole, he catches more fish. However, as you give him more and more fishing poles, he can't man them all and so he eventually stops catching fish or catches less fish.