Chapter Text
Once again Ash was back home in Kanto, having sufficiently traveled through another region and battled through their Pokémon League. Only this time things were a bit different.
This time, he had finally won. Eighteen years old, one of the youngest champions in history and ranked as one of the world's top Pokémon trainers. Ash decided that instead of staying the usual day or so with his mother in Pallet Town, he would spend the whole summer at home- taking the time to visit old friends and give all of his Pokémon at Professor Oak’s lab some quality time with him. After all, he would have never gotten to where he was now without each and every one of them.
By the time he arrived at Pallet it was nearing evening, the sky just beginning to change from blue to a more orange color as the sun began to set over the horizon. He figured his mom was most likely preparing dinner for him since she had been expecting him for a few hours now.
“Mom, I'm home!”
He called out when he stepped inside his childhood home, Pikachu perched on his shoulder as he carefully set down his bag. The house was unusually silent, no answer from his mother nor any sign of Mr. Mime. He could smell fresh food coming from the dining room which only confused him more. Maybe mom had to run out on an errand?
“Hello?...” He called out again as he slowly stepped into the dining room.
“Surprise!”
His eyes widened in shock as he looked around the room to see that all of his friends were there waiting for him. His mother and the professor had thrown him a party to celebrate his return home and his victory in the Pokémon League. There were banners strung up, a table full of a wide variety of food as well as a few wrapped up gifts! He had been planning to visit Brock and Misty sometime after arriving in Kanto and wasn't at all surprised to see them or Tracey- but May, Max and Dawn? That was definitely unexpected.
“Welcome home!” His mother darted forward, Pikachu jumping off of Ash’s shoulder before his mom crushed him in her hug as well. “T-Thanks mom, really- but you didn't have to do all of this.” Ash murmured humbly, seeing as how his mother was always doing the absolute most for him.
“Oh Ash, I am so proud of you. I spoke with your father on the phone and he is over the moon!” She pulled back to smile at him, wiping away the tears in her eyes as she looked over him lovingly. “I always knew you were capable of doing whatever you set your heart out for.”
“Alright mom, it's getting a little bit sappy in here.” Ash scratched the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed of being doted on by his mom in front of everyone, especially at this age.
“I'm sorry, I just love you so much! But you're right, we're here to celebrate and have fun. Make sure you get enough to eat, okay? I'll just be in the kitchen finishing up dessert.” She kissed him on the cheek before she left to his embarrassment, Misty stifling a laugh as she watched.
“You're such a mama’s boy. Even eight years later and still nothing has changed. Except you have gotten a little bit taller.” Misty grinned in amusement at him.
“A little? I'm taller than you by quite a bit nowadays if I’m seeing things right.” He remarked with just the slightest bit of ego present, grinning back at the ginger haired girl.
“It's good to see you, Ash.” She stepped forward, meeting him in a tight hug before Brock moved over as well, a charismatic smile on his face as he put his hand out towards Ash. “Been a while, old pal. What's it been, a year since you last came home?”
“Yeah, something like that.” Ash smiled back at him, taking his hand and gripping it tightly, just like they had in the old days.
“Ash! You have to have a Pokémon battle with me before you leave again this Summer!” Max was suddenly at his side, tugging on his shirt with a serious look on his face. “Hello to you too, Max.” Ash chuckled softly, ruffling the younger boy's hair to his annoyance as his older sister May moved over.
“Max, don't you have any manners? Ash just barely got home and you're already pestering him for a battle.” She shook her head disapprovingly, crossing her arms as she looked at him. “It's great to see you, Ash. It's been a couple years since we've got to see each other in person.” May smiled at him, leaning in for a quick hug.
Ashe grinned back at May, meeting her embrace and then pulling away to chat with her. “Yeah, it's great to see you too! How are things with you and Drew?”
“They're going well!” May smiled at the mention of her boyfriend, Max rolling his eyes and mocking her from the side. “He actually might come up to visit in a few weeks. The last time he was in Kanto was for the Grand Festival so he's been wanting to take a trip here.” She noticed Max’s rude imitation of her and swatted him gently with a look of irritation.
“Hey!” He yelled out and Ash couldn't help but chuckle at them, glad to see some things never changed. “Really? That's awesome, you'll have to bring him by to say hi.”
“Don't worry, I will.” May grinned at him before turning her attention back to her younger brother, the two of them starting to bicker which left Ash to head over to Tracey who was busy sketching in his art book to no one’s surprise. Like Brock and Misty he saw the other boy more often than his other friends, but it was always nice to visit and catch up.
“What're you drawing there, Trace?” He peered over at the sketch book, Tracey only looking up for a second to smile at him. “The party. I have a few sketches going now, but I plan on drawing one of everyone together at some point when things have calmed down a bit.” Tracey answered, his pencil moving across the paper in delicate motions.
This particular piece was of Pikachu licking frosting off a cupcake and Ash looked across the room to see his little buddy sitting on the table doing just that, a happy look on his face while his mother took photos of him with her digital camera.
He chuckled, turning his attention back to Tracey for a moment. “Have you seen-”, his sentence was cut off by someone saying his name, the voice familiar and coming from the person he was just about to ask about.
“Dawn, where have you been hiding?” He asked the girl with a smile, opening his arms as she stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
“Sorry, I was in the kitchen. I've been making poffins for the Pokémon!” She smiled at him as she pulled away, a proud look on her face.
“Poffins? It's been a while since I've had one of those.” Ash thought, rubbing his stomach slightly as he thought back to his Sinnoh days.
“They're not for you. Seriously, is food all you ever think about?” Dawn rolled her eyes as she teased him and Ash couldn't help but feel a little defensive. “Hey, it's not all I think about.” He argued, but like everyone else there Dawn knew him better than himself. “Sorry, food and Pokémon battles.” She corrected herself with an amused grin, Ash rolling his own eyes with a stubborn pout.
“You ever think about getting a girlfriend or something?...” Dawn asked, a devious grin forming on her face.
Ash’s face grew warm, his cheeks turning a slight shade of pink at the question. “W-What're you, my mother all of a sudden? I don't have time for that kind of stuff right now, I have too much going on..” He looked away, suddenly feeling nervous in regards to his relationship status. It was something he didn't spend much time thinking on, always having been more interested in catching Pokémon than dating girls.
“Sounds like an excuse. Now's the perfect time! You're home and have no gym battles or leagues to worry about.” Dawn pressed the topic further but Ash was quick to shut it down, not enjoying being put on the spot. “Where's Cilan and Iris? Were they invited?” He asked, changing the subject.
Dawn rolled her eyes but dropped it, answering his question instead. “They couldn't make it but they wish they could be here. They both said they plan to head over sometime this Summer to visit though.”
“That's too bad, but I'm glad I'll get to see them eventually.” He remarked, grateful that they were still thinking of him when suddenly the doorbell rang, causing Ash to look over in confusion. Everyone else was too busy chatting and laughing to even realize so he moved across the room himself, heading out into the walkway to answer the door. He had no idea who it could possibly be, seeing that Cilan and Iris couldn't make it. Perhaps they were surprising him as well?
When he opened the door his eyes widened in surprise and he couldn't help but let his jaw fall open slightly, unable to get any words out let alone process the many thoughts running through his head.
“Welcome home, Ashy-boy.”
“G-Gary?” Ash had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't imagining things as he stared back at the other teen, Gary smirking at him with a pleased look on his face. “Professor Oak didn't say you'd be coming.”
“I told him not to tell- thought it would be better to surprise you.” Gary grinned at him fondly, taking in Ash’s appearance as he did the same for him. Ash hadn't seen Gary in a few years now, though they kept touch via occasional video calls and mail, nothing compared to the real thing. “Well, this is definitely a surprise!” Ash voiced with an excited grin, always glad for an opportunity to see his childhood rival and friend.
He wasn't sure whether to hug Gary or not, which was strange seeing as he knew the guy longer than he did anyone else attending his party. Gary seemed to notice his hesitation and chuckled softly, extending his hand for Ash to take in a firm grip, as though they were making some sort of promise to one another. “It's been a while, Ash. You've gotten taller.” Gary noted with a smirk, letting go of Ash’s hand as he did. Of course he would get two comments on his height that night.
“Yeah, we're practically the same height now, huh?” Ash grinned at him, glad that Gary had one less thing to tease him about now. “Hey, you should come inside. People are probably starting to wonder where I ran off to.” Ash backed up, allowing the space needed for Gary to enter his home. “Thanks.” Gary nodded at him, stepping inside the house and closing the door behind him. “Though, I do think I’ve still got an inch or two on you.” Gary grinned, winking at him playfully.
Ash’s cheeks flushed slightly at that and he turned away, unsure as to why Gary’s playful banter made him feel strange all of a sudden. “Y-yeah right, you wish.” He retorted, not looking at him as he led the way back into the living room. Gary simply laughed at his reaction and followed close behind him, giving a small wave to the others as they entered the room.
“Yo.”
Everyone said their hellos to Gary, welcoming him easily into the group, either already aware of his plan to surprise Ash or they had guessed he would show up at some point.
Ash had settled in a corner of the room on the couch, scratching Pikachu behind the ears as his small friend lay in his lap. Gary had made his way over to him, sitting down beside him at the other end of the couch with a friendly smile on his face.
“So, Gary, how long are you planning on staying in Pallet?” Ash asked, looking over at him curiously. The last time they had spoken, Gary had just left Kalos- the region Ash was planning on heading to once the Summer was over, and was continuing onto another region.
“Actually, I'm here for the next few months. I decided I’d spend some time back here doing research with Gramps. I guess I’ve been feeling a little homesick these days.” Gary scratched the back of his head somewhat bashfully, a characteristic that always surprised Ash when he witnessed it, seeing that it was a stark difference from the way he acted in their childhood days.
“Seriously? That's awesome! I guess we'll be seeing each other a lot then.” Ash grinned at him, excited for the opportunity to hang out with Gary a few times before he set out again on another adventure. Every time they ran into each other it always felt as though their time spent together was cut short, Gary always having been too busy with research to properly catch up with him. It would be nice to have uninterrupted one-on-one time.
“Definitely. I'm sure I can set aside some time to hang out with little ol' Ashy-boy.” Gary grinned at him, leaning back against the arm of the couch and crossing his legs comfortably.
“Still with that nickname?” Ash asked, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment while Gary just smirked at him. “You know, maybe we could even have a battle- for old times sake?” Ash smiled at him, sitting up a bit straighter in excitement at the thought.
It had been a long time since they last battled, the two of them being arrogant kids at the time. Ash had grown a lot since then and had loads more experience, being a champion and all and having traveled through multiple regions. He was sure battling with Gary would be one for the books.
“A battle? I'm kind of out of practice, you know. I'm not sure that I would be able to stand up against a champion.” Gary replied modestly, chuckling softly as he ran his fingers through his hair. Gary really had grown up a lot over the years.
“I'm sure you'd do better than you think you would. That stuff never really leaves you, you'll always be a trainer at heart.” Ash grinned at him, sharing his genuine belief on the matter.
Gary looked at him in an almost surprised manner, pausing for a moment before grinning softly with a chuckle. “Maybe you're right. Well, I suppose you might get lucky and I’ll take you up on your offer eventually. I mean, who am I to turn down the champion?” He teased, sitting back up to lean forward on the couch towards Ash.
Ash chuckled softly at that but felt a weird twinge of melancholy in his chest at Gary’s last comment. Back when they first set out in Pallet town all those years ago he had always assumed that Gary would continue to surpass him as a trainer, or at the very least imagined that they would be at the top together. Things had changed when Gary decided to become a researcher after his loss against him in the Silver Conference, and while Ash was happy for him, he supposed it was something he never quite got over completely.
“You could have been one too, you know.” Ash looked at him with a smile, a more serious note to his tone but Gary only laughed at that, narrowing his eyes as he spoke. “Was that a genuine compliment to me? I'm touched, really. Never thought I’d hear you admit my skills as a trainer.” He said arrogantly, leaving Ash to roll his eyes.
“There’s the Gary I grew up with.” Ash grumbled, looking at him in faux annoyance which only caused Gary to laugh harder, leaning forward closer to him on the couch as he examined Ash’s face before he uttered the word, “Cute".
“What?” Ash asked, his cheeks turning pink, but before he or Gary could say anything else his mother called for a group photo. Everyone quickly filed over to the couch, leaving Ash and Gary to scoot next to one another to make room for others on either side of them, the rest of the latter standing behind them.
“Alright everyone, squeeze in!” Delia said with a smile, bringing the camera up to her face to look through. Everyone leaned in closer, Ash and Gary pressed against each other side by side. Ash glanced at Gary and the other boy grinned at him, making Ash look away quickly towards the camera. He didn't know why he felt so weird, it was just Gary after all- his oldest rival and childhood friend…
He could smell the faint scent of Gary’s cologne with how close they were, the arm that was pressed up against his tingling slightly. “Say cheese!” His mother commanded with a smile, everyone quick to oblige asides from Ash who hesitated for a moment, Gary leaning in closer to him to murmur in his ear. “Smile, dummy”.
Ash smiled quickly, hoping his face wasn't overly red in the photo when the camera flashed, his mother cooing at how cute everyone looked together as they dispersed, each of them trying to get a look at the photo.
Ash was almost frozen in place, finally snapping out of it when he realized Gary was beckoning him forward across the room away from everyone else. He stood up, Pikachu hopping out of his lap as he made his way over, readjusting his hat as he walked.
“Look. It's from Tracey.” Gary extended his hand, a piece of paper in it that Ash took gingerly, flipping it over to see what it was. Gary was grinning at him and Ash found it hard not to smile at the drawing of him and Gary joking around on the couch, Pikachu in between them.
“That Tracey’s a pretty good artist, huh?” Gary noted, nodded towards the sketch. “Yeah. he’s certainly talented.” Ash agreed, looking over to Tracey who winked at him from across the room. He looked away in embarrassment, that weird feeling from before creeping up on him again.
He couldn't help but stare at the drawing a bit longer, a small smile on his face before Misty called to him across the room, his group of friends gathering around for what he imagined was another surprise. Truthfully, he wasn't sure how many more he could take in one day.
“You gonna go over there?” Gary asked him, raising an eyebrow in amusement.
“Only if you go over with me.” Ash looked at him, hoping Gary would be there for backup if his friends decided to do something crazy.
"I'll always be there for you, Ash." Gary grinned, standing straighter as he motioned for Ash to follow him over to his giggling friends.
He may have been referring to something simple in the moment, but Ash knew the serious sentiment behind Gary's words. He grinned, shaking his head softly in faux annoyance as Misty called for him again and followed behind Gary, his heart skipping a beat when Gary turned to smile at him again.
Why he was reacting this way? He had no idea. But what he did know was that it was going to be a long Summer.