Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ 40_Economic Concepts ❯ Theme #3: Scarcity ( Chapter 3 )

Title: Scarcity
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #3, Scarcity
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, het

 

“I'm sorry.” The smiling lady at the counter said, “But we ran out of Pokemon Fire Red version yesterday. The next shipment won't be coming in for another two weeks. Would you like to pre-order a copy?”

Red drooped as her words registered. He had to wait two more weeks? But there really was nothing he could do about it.

“All right,” He handed over his pokédex, watching as she scanned it with a cheerful smile.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No thank you.” He left the Poke Mart, feeling disappointed. He found Pidgeot waiting outside, squabbling with several Spearows over a dropped pretzel on the ground.

“Come on Pidgeot, let's go. I'll buy you something nice.”

The bird perked up and allowed Red to climb on, and soon, she had returned to his house in Pallet Town. He bought her a cinnamon roll studded with almonds at the local bakery before he went home. His mom was talking on the phone with someone when he came in, so he fixed him self a pepperoni lean pocket in the microwave and went upstairs to brood.

Two weeks…

 

A few minutes later, he heard his mom's tentative knock on his door. He frowned, minimized his chat windows, and opened the door. “Yes, what is it, mom?”

“I'm sorry, Red, but…” Elizabeth sighed, “With the new changes in the welfare program I'm afraid that we won't be able to afford that game.”

Red gaped at her for a moment, before he sighed. “All right, mom. I'll pay for it myself.” He did have an account, money that was supposed to be for his college fund, mostly earned from trainer battles, but a little wouldn't hurt.

He deserved a treat!

 

Elizabeth looked sheepish. “Well, Red… I've been meaning to talk to you about that… the truth is that I've had to borrow from you just to make ends meet…”

“… What?”

“And I'm afraid that you're in the black…”

“What?”

His mom had leeched money from his account without telling him? Red hastily logged into his online banking account, and sure enough, there was barely any cash left. But that was impossible! He was making four thousand pokeyen a day by being Champion of the Kanto League…

He stared at her in disbelief. “That's…” Without a word, he grabbed his backpack and rushed out the door before he did something he would regret later. Pidgeot was more than happy to take him to the Plateau.

He dashed down the hall, and flung open the door to a familiar room.

“Lance!”

 

The Dragon Master guiltily shoved her manga underneath the pile of paperwork on her desk. “What can I do for you, Red?”

“Something's come up.” The Champion said grimly. “And I want to know what.”

“…?” Lance squinted at Red. “Well, do tell.”

“Do you have the welfare legislation on your laptop?”

Was he finally starting to take an interest in the workings of the Kanto Governing Council? With a shrug, Lance found the appropriate documents on her desktop and opened them.

Red skimmed over the text, trying to decipher it, before he shook his head. “No good. Lance… um…” He took a deep breath. “I need to borrow a hundred pokeyen from you!”

“Sure.” The Dragon Master said, nonplussed by this strange turn of events. “Would you like that in cash or check?”

“Cash please.”

While Lance walked down the hall to the ATM, Red slumped down in his chair. Where was all of his money going, anyways? He knew that the government had placed rent controls on housing, so his mom wasn't paying a lot for their house… and food wasn't that expensive…

It was a puzzle!

 

Lance returned with two fifty pokeyen bills and handed them to Red with a smile. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” Red stuffed the money in his pockets, and fidgeted. To tell or not to tell? Well, if he didn't, she would eventually get curious, so…

“Lance, did you know that my mom was on welfare?”

“Mmhmm,” The Champion shrugged. “I suspected as much, since she had no job.”

“Oh. Well. Um…” Red swallowed. “It's just that, since I'm under eighteen, she has access to my bank account, and she spent all my money!”

She had not been expecting that. She goggled at him. “… On what?”

“I don't know!” Red threw up his hands. “But I'm not happy about it…”

“No kidding!” She paused. “But don't worry too much about it. We can solve that problem pretty quickly.”

“We can?”

“Sure.” Lance smirked. “You have a Hypno, or at least some other psychic-type Pokémon, right?”

“I have Kadabra.” Red said, frowning. “And… Gastly.”

“Gastly's not a psychic-type, Red…”

“But you're suggesting that I mind-read her, right?”

“Sharp of you, Champion,” She approved. “Unless, you have a better idea…”

Red shook his head, and looked at Lance. “C-Could you do it? I mean, she is my mom, and I don't want to hurt her.”

“It'll cost you.” The Dragon Master warned.

“But I'm broke, Lance!”

 

“Who said I wanted money?” Lance purred, and Red blushed. “I'll start with… this.” She leaned over and kissed the surprised Champion.

Red grinned, feeling his body start to respond. “Oh, I see…”

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all! You're pretty. And it didn't hurt last time.”

“All right then. I'll be back.” Lance flew off on Dragonite, while Red turned back to the legislation and continued to read. It was mind-numbingly boring, so after a few moments, he gave up and perched on the edge of her desk as he slipped a hand into his jeans and began to touch himself.

Lance returned in a flash of blue light, accompanied by Red's Gastly and Kadabra. Red eeked and the Dragon Master chuckled.

 

“So eager, are you?” She teased. “Such a sly little minx you are, Champion!”

Red simply grinned in a way that was not at all innocent, and Kadabra sighed.

< Master Red, we have the results. She was spending the money on… >

Red tensed, as Lance put her arms around him.

< Male prostitutes. >

“WHAT?!” The Champion screeched.

“Well, that explains it.” Lance said, taking advantage of Red's distraction to pin him down against the hardwood of the desk. “Sex is so… demanding.”

Red whimpered as she slipped her mouth over him, feeling hot warmth envelope his cock. He threw his head back and closed his eyes, reveling in the sensations before he thrust hard into Lance's mouth, feeling orgasm break over his head in blinding waves.

Still, Lance thought, she ought to… do something about the situation. While Red would not starve, as room and board was provided at the Plateau as long as he retained his Champion position, the lack of any financial cushion was deplorable.

* Hmm… *

 

Three weeks later, Elizabeth was caught soliciting the services of two male prostitutes, and taken to court. She was sentenced to three months of community service, but was unfortunately not jailed. Not until Red testified to, well, theft was the sentence extended to a month's stay in the local jail.

She was only going to be gone for a month?

Red was sure that once she got out, Elizabeth would drain him again, but he was still underage.

When he brought up this problem, Lance whispered that if he wanted to get rid of her permanently, it was possible, but he balked at that so the Dragon Master suggested an alternative she found pleasing.

 

“I'll marry you.” She smirked. * And now you won't be able to leave me… *

“What?” He blushed.

“That way you won't be under her control any more, right?” She asked. * Mine, on the other hand… *

True, but it was a bit strange… still! If it kept him safe, he would do it. And, well, spending time with Lance was nice…

This would just be making their relationship permanent.

 

She managed to get the papers drawn up and legalized in two weeks, and so, when Elizabeth left prison, there was no one she could leech.

And that was fair.

Red thought that it had happened a bit too quickly, but he was happy with her, so there was no reason to get a divorce.

 

End Fic

Completed 1/3/07

Edited 6/1/09

The time I can allocate to fanfic is also a scarce resource! *Laughs* Just kidding! Seriously though, in economics, Scarcity is the limited nature of society's resources. (Brief principles of Macroeconomics by George Mankiw) There is not an infinite supply of clean air, clean water, food, living space or time… I could go on… but I think you get the picture, ne?

Can prostitution be expensive? Yeah, there's a whole spectrum of how much it costs, and I figure Elizabeth would want the best. I made her a snooty bitch.

Red: *Sigh*

Lance: *Smirks and molests Red*

Phantomness: ^^V