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Gladion groaned in pain and disgust as he flushed the toilet before standing up. After washing his hands and rinsing out his mouth to get rid of the aftertaste of bile, he looked at his reflection. He looked awful. He sighed as he turned off the bathroom light. This was the third night in a row he had woken up with nightmares about UB-01 Symbiont and how it tried to take Lillie away thanks to Faba summoning it. However, this was the first time he had woken up from a nightmare with his stomach clenching so hard that he ended up vomiting. Shaking and clutching his head, which was throbbing from a headache, Gladion stumbled dizzily out of the bathroom back to the bed. He moaned in pain as he sat on the bed. The bed creaked, waking Umbreon and Lycanroc. The two looked at Gladion, gasping at the sight of their trainer.
"I'm okay," he said, pushing down the blanket before starting to strip to his underwear, wanting to get out of his sweaty pyjamas. "It was just a nightmare."
Lycanroc growled while Umbreon chittered with worry—another nightmare.
Not again, she thought as she watched her trainer climb into the bed again.
She knew why the nightmares had come back. It was because of that little Ultra Beast that was now residing with Ash. After Ash, Pikachu, his unique Lycanroc, and that Ultra Beast surprised them three days ago, Gladion had been having nightmares, and Umbreon knew exactly what they were about. She remembered everything about them. She remembered Gladion having his first nightmare after Silvally saved him and Lillie from UB-01 Symbiont. She remembered the first time Gladion’s screams and sobs woke her up. She remembered listening to Gladion cry every night after waking up from the nightmares. She remembered how helpless she felt listening to her trainer and best friend wail because he was so scared to go to sleep that she had evolved one night to protect him. She remembered the first time she used her yellow markings to glow for him. She remembered how every night she would curl up with Gladion and glow until he fell asleep again. And she remembered how they eventually went away. But tonight was the first night where the nightmares were so bad that they had made Gladion vomit.
Umbreon watched in concern as Gladion pulled the bedsheet up to his shoulder, wrapping himself tightly in it as he shivered because the sweat on his skin was cooling. Umbreon closed her eyes to make her markings glow before moving closer to curl up near Gladion's stomach while Lycanroc lay his head on Gladion's hip. Gladion smiled weakly before he closed his eyes, hoping for a dreamless sleep. As he did, Umbreon and Lycanroc still kept an eye on their trainer, hoping that he would be okay.
***
Early the next morning when Gladion opened his eyes, he felt cold, dehydrated and very weak. His skin was sweaty, his muscles ached, his throat was dry and scratchy and his head was throbbing. After getting up, Gladion walked to the bathroom, swaying until he was finally inside. He looked at the mirror, panting. He was pale and he had dark spots under his eyes. He quickly checked the drawers and the cupboard for medicine but no luck.
I'll have to send Umbreon or Lycanroc to get me some medicine, he thought as he stumbled out of the bathroom, panting.
Shivering, Gladion tried to reach for his blanket to cover his naked skin but as he picked it up, he collapsed on the bed. The sudden movements caused Umbreon and Lycanroc to stir and open their eyes in time to see Gladion push himself up, moaning in slight pain. As they looked at him, they gasped at his appearance. After talking to Umbreon urgently, Lycanroc jogged over to the front door and opened it with his paws before disappearing.
"Lycanroc? Where are you going?" Gladion moaned as he tried to stand up again to follow, only to collapse on the floor.
"Bre!" Umbreon shrieked in a panic as she jumped off the bed.
"I'm okay," Gladion winced. "Just dizzy. Where's Lycanroc going?"
"Bre," Umbreon cooed gently, yanking the blanket off the bed before pulling it to cover Gladion's body.
Gladion panted and shivered as the cold blanket covered him.
"Umbreon," he whimpered, rolling onto his back helplessly.
"Bre," Umbreon cooed again as she curled up near Gladion's face to lick his cheek.
"Umbreon..." Gladion moaned again as his vision went black.
***
"Gladion?"
Gladion moaned as he heard someone say his name and a hand on his shoulder. The voice sounded so familiar. He tried to open his eyes but the sunlight through the window was hurting his eyes, which was making his headache even worse.
"No, don't open your eyes," he heard the voice say gently, hand leaving his shoulder. "I'll close the curtains. Give me a moment."
Gladion panted as he heard the curtains being closed. Carefully, he opened his eyes, sighing in relief that the bright Alola sun was no longer blinding him. He slowly rolled his head towards the window to see Ash standing there with Pikachu, Lycanroc and Umbreon by his side with worried looks on their faces.
"Ash?" Gladion questioned. "What are you doing here?"
"Helping you," Ash said, taking off his backpack and hat and putting them near the window. "Give me a few minutes and then we'll talk a little if you're up for it."
Gladion watched as Ash approached him, his eyes widening as the black-haired teenager kneeled before reaching for the blanket covering him. Quickly, he sat up and held the blanket to his chest. Two big mistakes he realised. Number one was sleeping on the floor. Result; aching muscles and back. Number two was moving too quickly. Result; sweaty skin peeling off the floor too quickly and a dizzy spell.
"Ash, wait!" he panted, wincing as his head throbbed and the skin on his back burned.
"Are you alright?" Ash asked in alarm as he held Gladion's upper arms. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm... I'm not... decent," Gladion admitted, his head falling heavily against Ash's shoulder.
Ash paused for a few minutes before helping Gladion lift his head so they could look at each other.
"Are you naked?" he asked calmly, despite his cheeks colouring.
"No, I'm... still wearing underwear," Gladion said in embarrassment.
"Okay," Ash nodded. "Well, I need to get you back in the bed so trust me?"
Gladion blinked before nodding, relaxing his grip on the blanket so it fell to his lap. Ash nodded back before carefully pulling the blanket away, revealing Gladion in his boxer shorts.
"Okay, I'm going to pick you up and put you back on the bed,” Ash told him. “Do you think you can put your arms around my neck?"
Gladion nodded dizzily as he slowly lifted his arms and wrapped them around Ash's neck while Ash placed one arm under his knees while wrapping the other around his back. Ash grunted as he shakily lifted Gladion off the floor bridal style before gently placing him on the bed. Once he was lying down, Ash turned around and picked up the blanket before placing it over Gladion, making the blond sigh in relief as the warm blanket covered his skin.
"Thanks," he said.
"It's okay," Ash said, placing a hand on Gladion's forehead. "Why are you in a motel?"
"This is where I live at the moment," Gladion answered as Pikachu, Lycanroc and Umbreon jumped onto a nearby couch to curl up and relax. "How did you find me?"
"Lycanroc found me this morning," Ash explained as he felt Gladion's cheeks. "He sort of gestured to me to follow him. When I came in, I found you on the floor. Yeah, I think you might be getting a fever; you're not burning but you're very flushed. I think you might have a cold unless you ate something bad or maybe you have some cuts that have gotten infected?"
Gladion remained silent as Ash examined his arms and chest for any scratches or cuts.
"I don't think I have any infections," he said.
Ash hummed thoughtfully before walking to his backpack. After grabbing it, he walked back to the bed and sat on the mattress.
"I still want to check you over though," Ash told him. "I'll give you some medicine to help you then I'll check you over. If it's not a cold or food poisoning, it must be an infection."
As he opened his bag, Gladion's eyes widened in fear before he sat up and looked around. Where was Nebby?
"Where's that Ultra Beast?" he said in a dark voice, causing Ash to frown at him.
"Nebby's with Professor Burnet today," he answered before pulling out a medicine bottle and a water bottle. "They're having a 'data date' as she calls it."
"Oh," Gladion said, feeling so relieved that he fell back against his pillow.
He did not want that thing near him. He watched as Ash put the two bottles on the bedside table before standing to collect the extra pillows Gladion had stacked on a nearby chair. After grabbing them, Ash put them down on the bed before helping Gladion sit up so he could position the pillows around him for support. After Gladion was sitting comfortably against some pillows, Ash grabbed the medicine bottle and took out two tablets before holding them out to Gladion.
"Here, these should help," he informed him.
Gladion opened his palm, allowing Ash to deposit the pills in his hand before he grabbed the water bottle and held it out as well. Gladion put the medicine in his mouth before quickly grabbing the water bottle to help him swallow the bitter pills. As he did, Ash kept studying Gladion's face.
"What?" Gladion groaned as he put the bottle down.
"The bags under your eyes," Ash said in a worried tone. "You're paler than usual, jumpy and you were looking around in fear for Nebby. Are you sick because you're feeling anxious or stressed? Is it because of me?"
Gladion bit his lip when he heard the hurt in Ash's voice at the last question. Yes, he had issues with the Ultra Beast but in no way did he blame Ash. If anything, he had proven that he was more than capable of looking after it. Sighing, Gladion opened his mouth to answer only to cough dryly and start shivering. He hated this; hated feeling cold and weak. Ash winced before looking over at the Pokémon.
"Are there any extra blankets?" he asked.
Lycanroc nodded and looked in the direction of a cabinet against the wall beside the bed.
"Thanks," Ash said gratefully, standing and walking to the cabinet.
After opening it, he reached inside and pulled out a soft blanket before going back to the bed, unfolding the blanket as he walked.
"Lean forward," he ordered gently.
Gladion did as he was told, allowing Ash to drape the blanket around his shoulders.
"How's that?" Ash asked, sitting on the bed again.
"Good," Gladion croaked as he held the blanket in place around his chest with one of his hands.
"Drink some more water," Ash urged. "In a while, I'll get you some things for your throat."
Gladion nodded as he drank some more water, enjoying the soothing feeling it was giving his scratchy throat.
"Gladion, are you stressed because of me?" Ash asked again. "Like so stressed to the point where you're sick?"
"It's not you that's stressing me," Gladion admitted after swallowing. "It's Nebby. When Lillie got taken by that Ultra Beast when we were little, I had nightmares for days but they eventually stopped. But three days ago, after seeing Nebby, the memories and nightmares came back. I've been having them nearly every night, but last night was the first time it was so bad that I threw up. I got sweaty so I stripped down and I didn't use the blanket. Then I woke up feeling cold and dizzy and fell off the bed and that's the last thing I remember until I heard you say my name."
Ash sighed. "It is my fault. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to stress you out and I certainly didn't mean to get you sick."
"It's okay," Gladion shook his head. "It's not your fault. Also, I admit I haven't been looking after myself lately and I got sneezed on the other day by a kid so I think I was already getting sick."
"Did you get so caught up in training with your Pokémon that you forgot to eat and sleep properly?" Ash smiled kindly. "Or did you train because you couldn't sleep?"
Gladion blushed. "How'd you guess?"
"Done it before," Ash admitted with a smile. "Once I trained with a water type until early morning, soaking wet with water. Got myself sick with a fever. Also, I have suffered from not sleeping properly due to stress, so I understand completely and as for the sneezing kid, it is Autumn which is the beginning of flu season. Add all those together and this is the result. But listen, I just want to make sure you don't have any cuts, bites or scratches somewhere that are infected cause getting a fever from an infection sucks. Can I check you please?"
Gladion blushed harder as he nodded. Ash's cheeks coloured as he gently inspected Gladion's skin, lifting the blankets to inspect his back and his legs. After a few minutes, Ash smiled.
"I don't see any cuts," he confirmed. "But your skin is very sticky. If you want, I can help wash you."
"Wash me?" Gladion asked in surprise.
"Yeah, you might feel better after bathing because your skin is very tacky with sweat," Ash explained, his cheeks colouring again. "And if you're still feeling too weak to stand for a long time, I can wash you while you're sitting."
Gladion blinked as he thought about it. He admitted that a shower did sound wonderful right now but Ash washing him? He barely knew this boy and the couple of times he had met him, Ash had acted like an overexcited Rockruff. But right now, he was different. Calm. Caring. He was being so gentle with him right now and it felt nice. And Gladion had to admit, while he found Ash's enthusiasm for battling and admiration for his Pokémon and himself quite amusing and sweet, he was enjoying this quieter side of Ash.
"A shower would be nice," he admitted with a small smile.
Ash smiled back and nodded. "Can you walk or are you still in pain?"
"I'm still feeling a little sluggish and sore," Gladion admitted.
Ash nodded as he lifted the blanket off Gladion's lap.
"Put your left arm around my neck," he instructed as he placed his left arm under Gladion's knees. "Use your right hand to hold your blanket."
Gladion nodded and did as he was told as Ash gently lifted him before carrying him to the bathroom with ease. It must have been easier for Ash to pick him up from the bed rather than the floor. After knocking the toilet seat down with his foot and placing Gladion to sit on it, Ash looked around the bathroom quickly. Gladion couldn’t help but look at the bathtub. He loved baths.
"I didn't know you had a bathtub. How about a bath instead?" Ash suggested.
Gladion gave a slow nod and watched as Ash filled the bathtub up with hot water until it was decently full.
"I'll close my eyes if you want," Ash offered as he helped Gladion stand up again. "Or I can leave."
Gladion bit his lip again before deciding that he trusted Ash enough to help him with this.
"Would you close your eyes?" he requested, shifting shyly on his feet while still holding the blanket.
Ash nodded and closed his eyes, holding his arms out firmly so Gladion could lean on him if he felt dizzy. Gladion blushed as he dropped the blanket before pulling off his underwear with one hand while holding Ash with the other.
"Okay," Gladion held Ash's arms with both hands. "I'm ready."
"Okay," Ash said, still keeping his eyes closed. "Use me to keep supporting you. Once you're in, I'll let you go."
"Okay," Gladion said as he used Ash's arms to support him while he started to move, hissing as his muscles ached.
"You okay?" Ash asked as he carefully turned so Gladion could step into the bathtub.
"Yeah, muscles are just stiff," Gladion answered as Ash helped lower him into the water.
He sighed as the hot water soothed his tacky skin and his sore muscles. After using a nearby washcloth to cover his nether regions, he tapped Ash's hand.
"You can open your eyes now. I'm decent. Well, as decent as I can be in a bathtub."
Ash opened his eyes and gave a shy smile before looking around. "How do you feel?"
"Bit better," Gladion admitted.
"Is it okay if I still wash you?" Ash asked, spying a bar of soap. "At least your back?"
"I'd like that," Gladion admitted shyly
Ash nodded as he picked up the soapbar and dipped it into the water before gently rubbing circles with it on Gladion's back. Gladion smiled, his eyes closing as he felt Ash gently wash his back and shoulders.
"This is very kind of you, Ash," he said quietly as Ash traced the bar across his collarbone. "Thank you for helping me."
"It's okay," Ash smiled, putting the soap down and using a nearby cup to rinse Gladion off. "Have you eaten anything today?"
"No," Gladion answered.
"How about I go get us something to eat and you relax in here?" Ash suggested as he stood up and washed his hands in the sink. "I saw there was a convenience store across the road from here. I'll also get you more medicine."
"Okay," Gladion said as he started to relax further into the water. The hot water felt really good.
"I'll be back as soon as possible," Ash promised, grabbing a towel off the towel rack and placing it on the sink, close to Gladion before walking out of the bathroom.
Gladion smiled gratefully before grabbing the soap and washing himself until he felt clean all over. After he had finished, he closed his eyes and relaxed into the water. He figured he must have drifted off because the next thing he knew, the water was bordering on cool and Ash was kneeling beside the bath, shaking him awake while looking away.
"Hey, wake up," he said gently. "If you stay asleep, the water will get cold and you'll get sicker."
"Right," Gladion said wearily as he stood up, shivering as the water rapidly cooled on his skin. “May I have my towel please?”
Quickly, Ash stood up, picked up a towel and held it out to Gladion, who quickly took it and wrapped it around his body tightly.
“Okay, I’m covered,” he said.
Ash then kneeled to drain the water before standing and helping Gladion out of the bath. As Gladion stood there wrapped in the towel, Ash washed his hands again, turned on the light switch for the heating light on the ceiling and left the bathroom. After a few minutes, he came back holding a pair of pyjamas.
"Here.” Ash put the pyjamas on the sink. "Sorry about before. I found you asleep and I got worried. I didn't look at you. I swear."
"It's okay," Gladion smiled as he hugged the towel tighter. "Thanks for coming back so quickly and waking me up. It would have been awful to wake up in cold water. How long was I asleep for?"
"Maybe seven or eight minutes," Ash said. "You must have dozed off a few minutes after I left. Good thing, I ran. Anyway, more good news, you're not as pale now and you're standing without wobbling so it looks like you're doing better, just a little sleepy. Do you think you can walk?"
"A little," Gladion answered. "I just feel more tired and hungry now. I'm quite thirsty too."
"That's good," Ash smiled. "Come out when you can. I have food for us."
Gladion nodded as Ash left, shut the door behind him. After drying himself off and pulling on his pyjamas, he looked in the mirror. Ash was right. He did look a bit better now, just drowsy. Suddenly, his eyes widened. If he's sick, there might be a chance Ash will get sick too. Gladion sighed guiltily as he left the bathroom to see Ash sitting on the couch with some medicine bottles and boxes and two glasses filled with water in front of him on the coffee table. He was reading the bottles and packages. The Pokémon were curled up on the floor in the corner of the room.
"Hey Ash?" he asked as he walked over to the couch and sat down, to which Ash looked at him briefly. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" he asked as he opened the bottles and packets.
"You're probably going to get sick too," Gladion answered.
"Maybe, but I wasn't going to leave you like you were," Ash shrugged as he started measuring out the correct doses, checking the instructions to make sure he was getting them right. "Anyway, I've taken some vitamins. Probably won't stop me from getting sick but they should help make my immunity stronger so I'm not sick for very long. Anyway, take these. They should help kick your immunity in gear."
Gladion opened his hand, accepting the vitamins and medicine. After placing the pills in Gladion's hand, Ash picked up the two glasses of water.
"Here," he offered, holding out one of the glasses. "This one is plain water and the other one has Grepa Berry juice. I should warn you; it'll be very sour but it should help you."
Gladion nodded, taking the offered glass before swallowing a mouthful with the pills. Once they were gone, he put the glass down and took the one with Grepa Berry juice in it from Ash’s hand.
"This is going to suck," he complained before starting to drink, pausing every so often to cough and screw up his face from the sour taste. "Ugh, this is revolting! Please, Ash, I don't want it!"
"You're almost done," Ash encouraged gently, rubbing Gladion's upper back. "Two more mouthfuls. You can do it."
Gladion grimaced again before taking a deep breath. "Okay.”
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to quickly drink the remaining liquid before coughing and gagging at the taste.
"There you go," Ash said gently, holding up the plain water while rubbing Gladion's arm. "You did so well."
Gladion slowly drank the plain water, relishing as it washed the acidic taste from his mouth.
"Okay, take this cough medicine," Ash instructed, holding up a medicine cup filled with a clearish-red liquid before standing. "I'll make you some toast and soup."
After swallowing the sticky-sweet medicine, Gladion cocked an eyebrow. "Lillie told me you can't cook," he teased lightly.
"I can't cook like Mallow," Ash called from the kitchen as he turned on the stove before putting some bread in the toaster. "But I can make some basic stuff and follow instructions if Rotom isn't yelling in my ears and distracting me."
"Yeah, it can be a bit much," Gladion agreed before standing. "I'll be right back."
"Sure," Ash nodded, reading the instructions as he carefully cooked some soup and toast, focusing hard so they wouldn't burn.
Once the soup was done, he filled some bowls he had found before carefully carrying them to the coffee table. After going back to the kitchen to put the fresh toast on a plate, Ash turned back to see Gladion sitting on the couch again.
"Is it okay that I got minestrone?" Ash asked as he walked back and sat while placing the plate between the two bowls.
"Thank you," Gladion said gratefully as he picked up a bowl to eat. "That's my favourite."
He was about to take a bite when his eyes widened."I haven't fed Umbreon and Lycanroc!"
He was about to stand up when Ash placed his hand on Gladion's knee.
"It's okay, I fed them. I also took them with me while you were in the bath so they got a bit of exercise as well."
Gladion sighed as he took a piece of toast and nibbled on it. "Thank you.”
The two of them were silent until the bowls were empty. As Gladion finished his last spoonful, he yawned.
"Why don't you go lie down?" Ash suggested as he collected the empty bowls and plate. "You still need to rest."
Gladion nodded before going to the bathroom again. When he came out, he saw Ash washing the dishes. He went to lie on his bed, still watching Ash. Pikachu and Umbreon looked up from their place on the floor before standing. After walking over, the two Pokémon jumped on the bed to curl up near Gladion's feet, making him smile. Eventually, Ash finished washing. He turned to look at Gladion.
"How are you feeling now?" he asked.
"Tired," Gladion admitted.
"I can go if you want to sleep," Ash suggested only for Gladion to sit up suddenly.
"No, wait!" he cried, making Ash flinch.
"What's wrong?" he asked in alarm.
"Don't go," Gladion pleaded, aware of how pathetic he sounded but he didn't want Ash to leave. "Don't leave me."
Ash's face softened. "Okay. What would you like me to do?"
"Just stay with me," Gladion requested. “Please.”
"Okay," Ash nodded before sitting on the bed. "Is this what you want or would you like me to be a bit closer?"
"Selfishly, I would like you to be closer," Gladion admitted.
"Okay," Ash nodded. "Move over."
Gladion quickly wiggled across the bed so Ash could lie down properly.
"How about this?" he asked.
Gladion bit his lip before shuffling towards Ash until he was lying beside him. Ash looked at him before softly caressing Gladion's cheek with his fingertips. Gladion’s eyes closed briefly before they opened again.
"I'm sorry if I get you sick," he said, placing his hand over Ash's. "But I just don't want you to leave. I like the way you've been taking care of me today. You've been so kind to me."
"You're my friend," Ash smiled, his cheeks coloured. "I care about my friends."
"Friends don't do what you did with me today," Gladion admitted. "You could have taken me to the doctors or back to the mansion but you didn't. Why didn't you?"
Ash bit his lip before moving closer until his nose was touching Gladion's.
"I care about you Gladion," he admitted. "When you told me about that Ultra Beast taking Lillie and how Silvally saved you. I just... I haven't been able to stop thinking about how scared and alone you must have felt. I don't want to leave you alone again, not while you're feeling vulnerable. I know you're afraid of Nebby and I can't answer the questions you asked me a few days ago because I don't understand it myself. But I care about my friends, I care about my Pokémon and I care about you. I will always look after my friends and Pokémon, even if it's an Ultra Beast."
Gladion bit his lip before rolling over to look away from Ash, tears falling. He sighed as he felt Ash place his hand on his shoulder.
"I wasn't finished," he said.
Gladion sighed again as he rolled back, showing his tears. Ash frowned as he started to wipe them away.
"If you let me," he said. "I'll look after you Gladion, as a friend."
Gladion blinked at him as he sniffed. Friend sounded nice but more felt better.
"What if I want more?" he asked as he curled closer.
Ash smiled brightly, causing Gladion to give a small smile despite his tears. "Then I'll happily be more.”
Gladion's smile grew. He then quickly kissed Ash on the lips before he realised what he had done.
"I'm sorry," he winced. "Now I've increased your chances of being sick."
"I don't care," Ash smiled as he tugged up the blanket to cover them.
After tucking the blanket over Gladion's shoulder, Ash pressed a quick kiss to his lips before he reached behind his head to rub the back of Gladion's neck with his fingers.
"Sleep," he whispered as Gladion's eyes grew heavy from exhaustion and the massage.
"Will you still be here when I wake up?" he asked.
"I promise," Ash whispered back.
"Thank you for looking after me," was the last thing that left Gladion's mouth before he fell asleep, Ash following a few minutes after.