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: Het, incorrect gender pronouns

Chapter 7: Let me heal you

A few weeks of uneasy silence passed between the two, which was difficult since they were sharing a body, but Lance simply didn't say a word during the whole time.

Red rubbed his necklace sadly.

Truth be told, he missed the trainer. Even though he had been quite bitter last time they had talked, he liked having the trainer around.

Normally, his 'friend' would keep him company. He was lonely, now.

"Lance?" The Champion whispered. "Are you still here?"

The crystal in the necklace had overnight turned dull and cloudy.

"Lance?" He asked again. "I'm not mad… but please, don't leave me alone!" To his shock, he began to cry.

It wasn't fair.

Lance really was a friend.

All of a sudden, he felt Lance's arms around him as the trainer placed a finger on his lips. "Yes, I'm here."

"Lance!" Red cried, hugging the trainer tightly. "I'm sorry for making you sad. But please, please, don't leave me alone!"

Gently, the Dragon Master brushed his tears away.

"I'll always be with you, Red. You are my entire life." She said, simply holding the younger teen. Cliché, but true…

"Y-you didn't come…" He said; his voice muffled into the other's chest. "I called and called, but you didn't come…"

More tears soaked into Lance's shirt. Rivulets ran down her cape, staining it with dark red, like bloody fingerprints.

The pain of the soul in picturesque format...

"You really missed me, didn't you." She stated. It was not a rhetorical question, but a statement.

He continued to sniffle as Lance ran semi-incorporeal fingers through his hair. "You're my only friend…"

That admission hit the trainer like a falling out-of-tune piano. "What?"

"Blue and Green don't have any time for me anymore…." Red confessed. "They have each other. I barely talk to them."

"And Yellow doesn't really count…"

Lance suddenly felt very, very guilty. Perhaps it was hormones, or perhaps it was something else. Nonetheless, she felt like she should apologize.

"I've been spending all this time complaining about the fact that I'm a spirit… I never thought about how much of a burden I am to you." She told him.

"No! I don't mind!" Red defended. "But… if you're here… can't you stay with me?"

The spirit bit her lip. "Do you really like having me around?"

Red nodded fervently as he clung tighter to Lance.

Sighing, she nodded. "All right. I will never leave you like that again. Fair?"
"Fair," He nodded.

They shook hands, and he finally stopped his crying.

Lance was quite puzzled. She was the girl in the relationship, if there was any relationship at all, so why was he the one acting clingy?

Was he really that lonely? Impossible!

Pika peered at them from behind a chair.

He couldn't really understand his master's attachment to this… outsider.

Are you angry? Poli asked.

Yes! I mean, look! Lance is hurting him! Pika yelled. If he wasn't a ghost I'd shock him to death!

Pika. Aerodactyl said. I recall you fought against him?

So? I still dislike him. It has nothing to do with the past.

Perhaps. Venus put in. But one may never be sure…

What is that supposed to mean? Pika yelled, cheeks sparking.

What if you're jealous? Eevee asked.

And why would I be jealous?

Well… Aeroy stretched wings. I think they're good for each other.

But he made Red cry!

True, but I think he sincerely regrets it. This came from Gyara. Besides, can't you see that Master needs him around?

Pika scowled. That's what I dislike the most.

The two stayed side by side, with Red in Lance's embrace, for a long time. True, their friendship had been damaged, but like all things, it would heal in time. And now, the strength of their hearts had been proven.

Three weeks later…

"Aerodactyl… Hyper Beam."

Four Nidoking went flying. He watched in awe as Lance's prehistoric dragon flew back to her trainer, beaming.

"Sugoi…"

She smiled, still resting her fingers on Red's arm. The necessity of contact remained, but he honestly did not care.

The opposing Trainer burst into loud, noisy, curses.

"Shut up." Lance said. "Instead of doing that, you could be getting your pokemon to a Center."

'Worthless things! They can't even beat one lousy pokemon!"

Golden eyes began to shine with a blue fire. "Don't say that…"

The Trainer glared. "You cheated. But then, I should get better pokemon." With that, he stomped off, leaving his Pokemon fallen on the ground.

Red winced as he felt a tingling in Lance's fingers. That was not a good sign…

The next thing Carl knew, was a whirlwind of silver flames.

Lance glared at the fainted and badly burned trainer. "Be glad I spared your worthless life. Treating your pokemon like that. You deserved death."

Red did not flinch.

After all, Lance hadn't killed the trainer. And maybe it would teach him a lesson.

"Champion..."

"Hm?" He asked.

"Those Nidoking shouldn't be left in his hands, but they were trainer-raised. He bought them at a Breeding Center and they can't be released into the wild. Could you take care of them?"

"Oh!" The teen grinned. "Sure! I already have a lot of Nidoran family members that I caught in the Safari Zone."

"Good. They deserve a better trainer, and you are definitely worthy, Champion."

Red colored faintly at the compliment. Lance recalled Aerodactyl, after checking her over and ascertaining no damage had been done.

"Shall we go?"

He nodded. It had been a long day, and Sandshrew had been glad to evolve into a very powerful Sandslash, while he had caught a Magmar.

So with all the other training it had done, it had been a good day's work.

She took his hand, before using her powers to teleport them home.

End Chapter

Started/Completed 2/27/04

Edited 5/9/09

Viva championshipping~!