Betas: To Mockingbird, GwendolynStacy, Igornerd, Monster Cat Music Girl, Duesal Bladesinger, Serrith

Chapter 3:

Lance peered carefully through the binoculars, his Dragonite keeping careful watch beside him. He had pretty much gathered all the proof necessary, this was one of the splinter Team Rocket groups setting up base on one of the Seafoam Isles. Now he just needed to call in backup so they could root them out.

Locals on the other isles had already reported pokemon mysteriously vanishing without a trace, and even a few reported Team Rocket sightings as well. The fact that their base was on this particular island was especially disturbing. It lay over a major fault line of the area and Team Rocket most definitely planned to use it to their advantage. Even a minor change in the area's tectonic activity could spell disaster for the coastal cities to the North or Cinnabar islands to the West.

They needed to crush this new base before it could get started.

He pulled out his phone and dialed in a number, his mind already spinning plans and selecting the most promising by the time the person on the other end answered.

"Uh, hello?" Red answered uncertainly.

"Hey, Kid," Lance greeted shortly, but didn't pause before going on. "Listen, I've just verified some intel from one of my agents and have located another fringe Rocket hideout. They've just begun to dig themselves into the Seafoam Islands and I'm going to need your help to flush them out before they get too entrenched. How soon can you get here?"

"Oh," the voice replied in surprise. "Uh... haha, so, funny story."

Lance narrowed his eyes even though he knew the speaker couldn't see him and Red went on.

"I'm... uhm... not able to come... at the moment. I don't suppose we could try a different time? Like in a week or so?"

There was a heavy silence that fell between them as Lance tried and failed to think up a reason for Red to be unable to help him stomp out an evil organisation trying to conquer the world and own all of its pokemon.

"You... What could you possibly have going on that's more important than stopping Team Rocket?!"

"Er... well, I kinda sorta maybe forgot I had Sunday dinner with Mom and I might... just a little, kinda... maybe..."

"Kid, spit it out already!"

"I'm grounded! She grounded me. I'm not allowed to leave the house for another week."

Lance stared dully off into space for a moment while his mind attempted to process that statement. "... Please tell me you're joking."

"I wish."

"... How can she ground you, you have a Mewtwo."

There was a derisive snort. "Not as helpful as you'd think when he takes her side. If I even step foot outside I get teleported back into my room. Mr. Fluffy makes it worse not better!"

Lance carefully did not huff in exasperation as he brought his free hand up to rub circles into his temple against the headache he could feel coming on. "This is an evil corporation bent on enslaving all pokemon. Surely you could talk to her about—."

"You've clearly never had a conversation with my mother," the teen deadpanned. "The last time this happened, she didn't even let me take on any challengers for championship. She single-handedly brought the Indigo Plateau to a stand still. And that was only for three days. Believe me. Talking has been tried."

The dragon trainer took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Okay, different idea. I could try talking to her about letting you out. Possibly on probation with me. Maybe if I make it sound like it could be part of your punishment..."

He could not believe he was even having this conversation. Still, Lance always had always considered himself resourceful.

The snort of amusement from the other line interrupted his musings. "Sure, Lance. You're welcome to try."

And that was how Lance found himself seated beside Red's mother as she and Mewtwo debated the finer details of Del Amor Prohibido about six hours later.

No. You see, Maria must travel with Julio's circus in order to make it to Tulancingo to make it in time to stop her twin sister Elaina from faking her death and stealing her inheritance. If she turned down Enrique's offer, she'd have to sneak aboard the pirate Jose's ship instead. But that wouldn't make sense since the pirates are heading East, in the opposite direction. The circus is the only route that makes sense.

"Oh but, Mr. Fluffy, you're forgetting the episode last season with the weird vehicle that landed out in the desert. That's probably Maria's long lost son from the future, Miguel, come to help her stop Elaina. I bet he shows up to take her to Tulancingo."

... I will allow that that does seem somewhat more likely. Perhaps.

A chime echoed from another room making Red's mom look away from the television. "Oh, Mr. Fluffy, would you be a dear and get those orange cranberry muffins out of the oven?"

Of course, Madam. You wouldn't want to miss the big reveal.

Lance was beginning to rethink his life choices as he watched an all powerful god-being that had once attempted to take over the world with an army of clones teleport an apron and oven mitts onto himself so he could catch the hot tray of baked goods floating itself out of the kitchen. A set of small plates and tiny forks also followed, arranging themselves onto the coffee table. Tiny orange and red-speckled muffins were just teleporting themselves onto said plates when the door burst open.

Red dragged himself inside, pausing only long enough to removed his muddy shoes (he'd learned long ago to never track dirt onto his mother's floors) before trudging the last few steps to the couch and collapsing onto it with a weary groan.

Or at least, he tried to. A purple aura surrounded him before he made contact with the white floral patterned cushions and tossed him out of the room onto the tile floor of the kitchen. "Ow. Mr Fluffy, what was that for?" he whined.

You will not sully Madam's furniture with your filth and sweat. Then you would have to clean it again, for the third time, and we'd be stuck here for another day!

The teen let out a frustrated huff. "Fine! Whatever!" He made himself comfy on the floor before holding up a hand and ticking off tasks on his fingers. "Okay, so I cleaned the gutters, mowed the lawn, weeded the garden, repotted the petunias, fixed the leak in the roof, repaired and repainted the fence, replaced the broken hinge on the gate, washed the car, decluttered the garage, organized the shed and scrubbed down all the garden gnomes. That's everything on your list. Can I please, please, please be ungrounded early?"

Soulful blue eyes turned on the matriarch of the house and she regarded her son with a stern expression. After a moment, she sighed reluctantly and nodded. "Alright. That was the deal."

"Yes!" Red cheered, jumping to his feet, exhaustion apparently forgotten. "Thanks, Mom!" He rushed over to give his mother a quick peck on the cheek. "I promise I won't forget next Sunday, alright?"

"Be sure that you don't," she warned before softening her tone. "I finished your laundry this morning, and made you a couple dozen of those cookies you like for the trip. Do not eat them all in one day. I know you, Buster! Now go upstairs and shower and change. Mr. Fluffy is right, you're filthy."

Red laughed sheepish, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, okay Mom. I'll do that. I'll just be a few minutes, Lance!" He spared the dragon trainer a quick glance before darting up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"And don't forget to pack plenty of clean underwear!" The embarrassed groan echoing down the stairs was music to her ears.

A few minutes later there was the muffled sound of a shower turning on. Lance nearly choked on a bite of muffin as a gaze fiercer than any dragon he'd ever tried to tame shifted to him.

"Now. Mr. Lance. What, exactly, do you need my son's help with?"

EXTRA: (Because people keep asking me why no one recognizes the Pokemon Champion)

"I can not believe I let you talk me into wearing that."

Lance paused in midstep, turning back to blink at Red in confusion. "What?"

Red sighed and gestured at the wall beside him. "During the PR photoshoot. For the league posters."

Lance retraced his steps to take in the image plastered from floor to ceiling. It was Red, standing with his arms folded, staring stoically off into the distance, though that was hard to see through the sunglasses on his face. A dark cape fluttered in the wind behind him, the inside a bright red that contrasted with the navy blue and orange lined outfit he wore under it. His hair was gelled back, and just... didn't look at all like his usual self.

"I see nothing wrong with it."

Red sent him a flat look. "Really. This is why no one ever recognizes me!"

Lance shook his head. "No, that's the sunglasses. Those are entirely Agatha's idea. And the hair was all Lorelai."

Red growled in irritation. "At least I didn't let Bruno convince me to go shirtless."