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Ash sat calmly in the Cerise Park located inside the Cerise Laboratory brushing Lucario's fur. Today was one of those days where Ash and Goh didn't have to visit a new region for research, or train for a battle to get a higher ranking or even have an adventure. He could have a break and relax with his Pokémon, and honestly, after dealing with Rose, Oleana and Eternatus, Ash needed this break.
But unfortunately, while doing an activity like this was peaceful, sitting quietly with his Pokémon was not one of Ash's favourite things to do. The reason he disliked it was that whenever he sat quietly like this, he started to remember a boy. A certain boy with blonde hair, green eyes that sparkled during a battle or softened with affection for his Pokémon or his sister and the sweetest smile that always seemed to be reserved just for him.
Ash sighed as he stopped brushing Lucario's tail before lying back on the grass, staring at the sky through the glass. He missed Gladion. So much. He thought back to when he and Goh visited Alola a month back so Goh could catch an Alolan Exeggutor. He had hoped Lillie and Gladion had returned from their journey. He had hoped to see Gladion again. However, that hope had been dashed when he had learnt that Lillie and Gladion were still travelling in search of Mohn. Still, he hid his sadness and broken heart by distracting himself with his Alolan foster family, new baby brother, Alolan Pokémon and friends, even if it was for a couple of days.
But when they got back on the plane to return to Cerise Laboratory, Ash waited until Goh had fallen asleep before allowing himself to cry into Pikachu's fur, whispering to the electric mouse how much he missed Gladion and wanted to see him.
I miss you Gladion, he thought, closing his eyes. I wish I'd been brave enough to tell you how much I love you before you left.
"Lucario?" Lucario asked.
Ash opened his eyes to see the concerned faces of his Pokémon before sitting up. "What?"
"Pika?" Pikachu asked gently while Gengar stretched out his hand to touch Ash's cheek.
That's when Ash realised that he had started to cry.
"I'm okay," he smiled, wiping his cheeks. "Don't worry."
"Pika, pi, pi, pika, pika!" Pikachu folded his ears over one eye to resemble bangs before looking sullen.
Immediately, Ash's cheeks turned red as Pikachu and Gengar shrieked with laughter while Farfetch'd and Lucario smirked in amusement. Dragonite gave the snickering Pokémon a scolding glare as she hugged Ash.
"Har har," Ash laughed sarcastically, giving Dragonite's hand a gentle pat. "Yes, I was thinking about Gladion again and yes, I miss him. A lot. I'm glad you guys find it amusing."
Immediately, the Pokémon stopped snickering and started to give Ash hugs and pats to say sorry for laughing.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you guys. I just-.” he sighed again before pulling his knees to his chest and resting his head on them, smiling as he felt gentle brushes along his arms from paws and wings. "Thanks, guys, I appreciate you."
"Hey, Ash?"
Ash lifted his head to see Goh kneeling in front of him with Sobble on his shoulder.
"Oh, hey Goh," Ash smiled as the Pokémon moved out of the way so Goh could sit on the ground properly in front of Ash.
"Hey, are you okay?" Goh asked in a concerned voice.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash nodded as Pikachu climbed to his shoulder. "Just enjoying the quiet."
"Okay, now I know you're lying," Goh sighed. "You hate the quiet. What's wrong? Is there something I can do?"
"No, this isn't something that you can fix," Ash answered, shaking his head.
"Well even if I can't fix it, I don't want you to be sad," Goh pointed out. "Come on, tell me what's wrong."
Ash sighed, realising that Goh wasn't going to leave him alone about this. Might as well tell him.
"I miss Gladion," he admitted.
"Gladion?" Goh frowned, trying to remember where he had heard that name. "Gladion, Gladion... Oh wait, Gladion's Lillie's older brother, isn't he?"
Ash nodded.
"Well, it makes sense you miss him," Goh shrugged. "You were disappointed when they weren't in Alola when we went to visit so it makes perfect sense you miss them"
"No, you don't understand," Ash shook his head. "Yes, I miss both Lillie and Gladion but I miss Gladion. Like I really miss him."
"Again, makes sense," Goh repeated. "I remember you telling me that Gladion was a great rival and friend."
Ash sighed. It was obvious Goh wasn't understanding the hidden meaning behind his words.
"Okay, here's the truth," Ash said. "Back when I was in Alola, I kind of... I kind of..."
"Kind of what?" Goh asked, his face filled with curiosity.
Ash bit his lip before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I kind of fell in love with Gladion!"
There was a silence. Biting his lip again, Ash opened his eyes to see Goh looking confused.
"I'm sorry, what?" he asked.
"I fell in love with Gladion," Ash repeated. "He's just...he's an amazing trainer and it was so much fun to battle him. I really admired him. But as I got to know him better, I learnt that he's a kind and loving person. He treated me with respect and kindness, so different from my past rivals. Eventually, I realised that I loved him but I was too afraid to tell him in case I lost my friendship with him. I was hoping that when we visited Alola together, he would be there so I could just... look at him. But he wasn't there and I miss him, Goh. I just want to see him."
Goh gave Ash a sympathetic look before leaning forward and giving Ash a hard hug. Ash closed his eyes as he tried to relax into the hug.
"Do you hate me?" he asked in a small voice.
Goh quickly released the hug and looked into Ash's eyes. "Of course, I don't hate you, Ash," he smiled, squeezing Ash's shoulders gently. "You're my best friend. Why on earth would you think I would hate you?"
"For being in love with a boy," Ash answered meekly.
"You love him," Goh shrugged as he stood up and held out his hand. "There's nothing wrong with that. Come on, let's get something to eat. Mr Mime made a delivery from your mum."
Ash smiled as he allowed Goh to pull him to his feet. "Thanks for listening, Goh.”
"Anytime," Goh smiled back.
***
A few mornings later, Ash opened his eyes to see Goh and his Pokémon beaming at him. Blinking blearily, he rolled over and put his pillow over his head, hoping to go back to sleep.
"It's nice to see you all," he grumbled, his voice muffled by the pillow. "What do you want?"
"We have a surprise for you," Goh told him in an excited tone while the Pokémon started chattering eagerly.
"That's nice," Ash said. "Feel free to show me later."
After hearing Goh and the Pokémon sigh in annoyance, Ash smirked, thinking he had won.
"I don't think he's going to come out," he heard Goh say.
"Give me a minute.”
That was a new voice; a female voice. Ash frowned. That voice sounded familiar.
Must be my imagination, he thought as he relaxed further into the blankets. Suddenly, he felt someone poke the back of his shoulder.
"Pikachu or Gengar?" Ash groaned.
"Neither," came the sweet, familiar female voice followed by a high-pitched "Vulpix!"
Ash's eyes widened before sitting up, throwing the pillow off. He gasped when he saw Lillie standing beside his bed, Snowy in her arms and Pikachu on her shoulder.
"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu cheered.
"Surprise!" Lillie grinned as Ash quickly got out of bed and hugged her tight.
"Lillie! Snowy!" he cried joyfully. "You're here! Why are you here? I'm sorry, I'm just so excited to see you. I've missed you."
"I've missed you too Ash," Lillie grinned as she and Snowy hugged him back as best they could.
"What are you doing here?" Ash asked as he released the hug and Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder. "Did you find your father?"
"We did," Lillie nodded. "He's gone back to Alola with Mother. Anyway, I'm here because Goh asked Mallow for my number and he invited Gladion and me here. He said that you missed us."
"Gladion's here too?!" Ash asked joyfully, looking over Lillie's shoulder in hopes of seeing him before realising what he had just said. "Sorry, I mean, that's so awesome you found your dad."
"Thank you, Ash," Lillie smiled. "And yes, Gladion's downstairs with Goh. Goh's very interested in his Pokémon."
Then, her face turned serious, much to Ash's surprise. She sat on the bed, patting the space next to her.
"What's wrong?" Ash asked in confusion as he sat beside her.
"Why didn't you say you were in love with my brother?" she asked. "Why wouldn't you tell me? We always tell each other everything."
Ash sighed. "I don't know, I didn't want you to hate me for loving Gladion."
"Oh Ash," Lillie said softly. "I could never hate you. You're my best friend. In fact, I think it's wonderful that you care about my brother so much."
"Really?" Ash asked hopefully.
"Of course, but you need to tell him," Lillie said. "Right Snowy?"
"Vul!" Snowy nodded.
"I don't know if I can," Ash admitted.
Lillie smiled as she gave Ash another hug. "That's okay. Why don't you get dressed and come downstairs? Oh, and before I forget, Gladion and I got Rotom phones. Goh gave us your number and we sent our numbers to you. That way you can talk to us anytime."
Ash quickly picked up his phone to see two new messages. "Thanks, Lillie."
"I'll leave to give you some privacy," Lillie said, standing up, about to leave when Ash quickly grabbed her hand. "Ash?"
"I'm really happy that you found your dad," Ash told her earnestly. "And thanks for being okay with me loving your brother."
Lillie grinned before leaning down to kiss Ash's cheek, making him smile.
"Thank you."
***
"Do I look okay, Pikachu?" Ash asked, nervously tugging on his vest as he walked down the stairs, Pikachu walking beside him.
"Pika," Pikachu nodded.
"Are you sure?" Ash asked, not seeing Yamper resting on one of the steps. "It's just... what if he... Ah!"
"Yamper!" Yamper yelped as Ash accidentally stood on Yamper’s paw, causing the electric dog to jump and Ash to trip.
"Pika!" Pikachu screamed in concern.
Ash closed his eyes, waiting to hit the hard steps or the floor before realising that he wasn't falling. In fact, it felt like someone was holding him bridal-style. As he opened his eyes, his stomach flipped when he saw a familiar soft expression looking down at him.
"Hey, Ash."
"Gladion," Ash whispered happily.
"Are you okay?" Gladion asked as he carefully set Ash on his feet. "That was close. You could have hurt yourself."
"I was a little distracted," Ash admitted sheepishly before looking up the steps. He winced as Yamper glared at him. "Sorry, Yamper."
Yamper huffed in annoyance before trotting off to find Chloe. Gladion gave a light chuckle while Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder.
"So, you're still falling out of the sky for me, huh?" he joked, giving Pikachu a scratch under his chin.
Pikachu cooed while Ash blushed.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly.
"It's alright," Gladion smiled before his face softened. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," Ash said quietly. "Would you like some breakfast?"
"Sure," Gladion nodded. "And maybe you could show me around Vermilion City and tell me what you've been doing with yourself?"
"Sure," Ash smiled, his stomach filling with excited Butterfree.
***
After breakfast, Ash happily greeted Magearna, Umbreon, Lycanroc, Zoroark and Silvally before introducing them to his new Pokémon. After the introductions, Ash and Gladion watched as Goh introduced all the Pokémon he had caught to Lillie, who happily examined and played with them along with Snowy and Pikachu.
"Hey," Gladion whispered. "You want to head out? Show me around?"
"Sure," Ash whispered back, pulling out his Rotom phone to quickly text Goh and Lillie to let them know where he and Gladion were going.
Goh and Lillie looked up from their playing to check their phones before looking at Ash and Gladion.
"Will you be back for lunch?" Goh confirmed.
"Not sure," Ash answered honestly.
"Have fun you two," Lillie smiled. "And don't worry. Goh and I will care for everyone."
Ash and Gladion nodded as they stood up and walked out the exit. As they walked through the laboratory, Ash felt his phone buzz. Opening it, Ash saw it was a message from Lillie.
Tell him. It read. Ash rolled his eyes as he felt his cheeks colour.
"Everything okay?" Gladion asked.
"Yeah, everything's fine," Ash nodded as they walked towards the street.
"Okay," Gladion smiled. "So, tell me everything you've been doing since you started being a research assistant."
Ash grinned as he began to talk about the adventures he had been having with Goh. Everything from meeting Goh and riding on Lugia's back to the battle he had with Chairman Rose and how Riolu had evolved into Lucario during the battle. As he finished the story of Eternatus, Zacian and Zamazenta, his voice trailed off when he noticed that Gladion was looking at him with worry.
"What?" Ash asked.
"Are you okay?" Gladion asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine, why?" Ash said as they approached the Vermilion City harbour. Gladion sighed as he took Ash's hand and led him to a nearby bench.
"Sit with me?" he invited.
Ash nodded as he quickly sat beside Gladion.
"Ash, tell me the truth," Gladion said. "The battle, Pokémon being hurt by someone selfish, nearly losing Pikachu and Lucario, and legendary Pokémon getting hurt. Sound familiar? So, I'm going to ask again, are you okay?"
Ash sighed as he stared out at the ocean. "I don't know," he admitted. "I just can't understand why people selfishly use Pokémon for their own gain or hurt them. It's just not fair."
"Ash look at me?"
Ash turned to face Gladion just in time for Gladion to reach up and pull off his hat.
"Gladion?" he asked in confusion as Gladion placed the hat beside him before looking into Ash's eyes.
"Ash, I don't know or understand why there are selfish people in the world," Gladion said, placing his hand on top of Ash's. "But there is one thing that I am certain of. You are a kind and wonderful person and I know that you'll always fight to keep a Pokémon and the ones you love safe."
Ash blushed at the compliment. "Thank you," he smiled.
"Ash, may I ask one thing of you?" Gladion asked.
"What?" Ash asked.
"Talk to me if something like this happens again," Gladion requested. "I don't want you to keep negative feelings inside you. Remember how I used to be? Closed off, only cared about being stronger?"
"Yeah," Ash nodded.
"I was lonely," Gladion admitted. "But you made me feel like I wasn't lonely. I don't want you to experience the same loneliness that I did. So if something happens, whether Team Rocket that's bothering you or you're feeling insecure, I want you to call and I promise you, I will answer."
Ash smiled as he squeezed Gladion's hand. "Okay."
Gladion smiled back. "I've really missed you, Ash. I've missed your smile and your excitement, whether it's battling or a new Pokémon."
"I've really missed you too," Ash sighed as he reached up to touch Gladion's cheek. "When I returned to Alola and you weren't there, I just... I wanted to see you so much. I know that's selfish of me to say because you were trying to find your father but-."
"Ash," Gladion placed a finger against Ash's lips, gently silencing him.
Ash's eyes widened as his cheeks coloured.
"Ash.” Gladion then removed his finger. "I need to tell you something."
"I need to tell you something too," Ash admitted.
"Okay. You want to go first?" Gladion asked.
Ash opened his mouth and then closed it and then opened it again before sighing. "Man, this would be so much easier if we were battling.”
Gladion snorted softly. "You can't solve everything with battling. How about we say it together?"
"On three?" Ash asked.
"Three," Gladion confirmed.
"Okay, one...," Ash said, his stomach clenching.
"Two...," Gladion said.
"Three," they said together. "I love you!"
Ash's eyes widened while Gladion's did the same before filling with hope.
"You love me?" he asked hopefully.
Ash sighed. "So much, I've loved you since our first proper battle. You were the only one who treated me with care and respect. I've wanted to tell you for so long but then you left to find your father and I didn't want to put pressure on you. I also didn't tell you because I didn't want to lose my friendship with you just in case you didn't feel the same and.... mmmph!"
Ash's eyes widened again as Gladion quickly pressed his lips to his. He blinked in surprise as Gladion pulled away.
"Sorry, you were rambling," he smiled, cupping Ash's cheek. "I love you too, Ash. I've loved you since you helped Lillie and me rescue our mother. I've never known anyone else who would willingly help me with something so dangerous, especially someone whom I had only met a couple of times."
Ash grinned as he closed his eyes, nuzzling his cheek into Gladion's hand.
"Ash?"
Ash opened his eyes to see that Gladion was slowly leaning closer.
"Ash, may I try kissing you again?" Gladion asked.
"Yes," Ash whispered.
Gladion smiled as he moved closer. Ash took a shuddering breath as his eyes closed, just in time to feel gentle pressure against his lips. Slowly, Ash relaxed into the kiss, lifting his arms to wrap around Gladion's neck. Ash hummed as he felt one of Gladion's hands move through his hair while the other wrapped around his back. Gladion's lips were warm, soft and a little chapped. As Ash felt Gladion pull away, he kept his eyes closed for a few seconds.
"Was that okay?" he heard Gladion ask.
Ash opened his eyes and smiled. "That was incredible. I love you Gladion."
"I love you too Ash," Gladion smiled, gently rubbing his nose against Ash's. "I love you too."