Archive of Our Own

…pulled out a ring, and said

"Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone

I love you and that's all I really know

I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress

It's a love story, baby, just say 'Yes'”

🌸

“I think I caught you?”, Ash tries to joke, but he quickly gets quiet when Goh still doesn’t say anything.

Something Goh has dreamed of for such a long time, it’s a reality now, and he is so positively shocked that he forgot how to even speak.

It’s for him. The ring is for him. It’s stunning. As stunning as Ash finally properly getting on one of his knees right now. On both actually. He’s on both of his knees, not asking for Goh to marry him, but begging him to stay in his life. 

Goh’s eyes flicker between the ring in the Pokeball and Ash’s face, and Ash takes a deep breath as he eventually starts to speak again to finally share what’s on his mind.

“I um, did come up with the speech, but I think there’s been so much going on these days that I… I need to improvise instead, so yeah, so I’m sorry if it doesn’t make sense, so um…”, a shaky exhale. “I had this ring since you um, were in coma, and I just couldn’t bear the thought of losing you, losing you without keeping my promise. A promise of staying in your life forever. A lot has happened since then that kept me away from proposing to you, but I always held the ring close to me. I broke your trust by reading your diary, and that made the most impact on it because I didn’t feel like I was worthy of doing it, of having you back in my life, of being forgiven for breaking your trust. Now this whole thing happened, and you kept having those dark thoughts these past days that are still circling in my mind, I almost lost you ag–”, suddenly Ash is caught off by Goh abruptly kissing him on his unprepared lips. It’s not unwelcome, it’s pretty welcome right now, and it helps to ease Ash’s anxiety that he’s feeling.

Goh has never realized how much these past days had an impact on Ash – seeing Goh so hurt, being so caught up in his head. He can’t imagine what Ash has been going through seeing him so heartbroken for the past week. Goh only has thought about himself, he never considered how Ash felt.

And he feels so bad about it.

“I was talking, you know”, Ash eventually points out, breathless from the kiss, his eyes shining from the sunset around them, and Goh can’t get enough of how beautiful Ash looks right now – surrounded in the shining sun. 

“Yeah, and you were getting sidetracked”, Goh chuckles, teary-eyed as he cradles Ash’s face into his hands, caressing his cheek mark with his thumb.

There’s a moment of silence where Ash is entranced by Goh’s eyes. The blue in them shines so beautifully that Ash needs to dart his gaze away, or else he won’t continue his speech. “The truth is…I tried to propose on our anniversary, but I…Arceus, you looked so beautiful in the sunset that I forgot how to speak, then I tried to propose the day before the Tournament, but…I swear it’s not Bonnie’s fault, I love her so much, she just chose the wrong moment…”, Ash keeps saying, and Goh’s lips gape a little at the confession. He gives Ash’s face an extra caress before his hands settle on his shoulders instead. Ash takes a deep breath, looking up into Goh’s eyes again. “But maybe…maybe the universe tried to stop me from doing it, because…I don’t think there’s any better moment than now. Especially after what you’ve been through and what’s been on your mind. I…”, a pause to gather himself. “Marry me”, Ash whispers, and Goh’s knees almost give out underneath his weight.

It’s not a question, there’s no sign of a questioning mark in Ash’s voice, it’s marry me, it’s a statement. Ash begs. He begs Goh to stay in his life for forever and always, just like they both dreamed of.

Goh glances at the ring that is still being held in Ash’s shaking hand, still untouched, shining in the setting sun as well, begging to be worn on the finger already.

The silence is getting uncomfortable in Ash’s position. He looks at Goh’s face, and if he could, he would snap a photo of it because he has never seen Goh so shocked before, but he hopes Rotom Dex is taking a lot of photos right now hidden behind the trees. 

Ash smiles to himself as he puts his free hand over Goh’s one that is still resting over his cheek. It seems to snap Goh back to reality, because he meets Ash’s gaze again, the setting sun illuminating in his teary eyes. Ash has never seen them shine so bright before like now in this beautiful moment.

Some tears still escape Goh’s eyes, and neither Goh nor Ash do anything to stop them, because they both know they are happy tears. Goh’s a mess right now, but he doesn’t care. He’s been waiting for this moment for such a long time. So has Ash. And Goh knows the next word he will utter will change their lives forever.

Yes.

Ash’s expression relaxes as he squeezes Goh’s hand in his hold. Did he–did he hear it right? He needs to make sure–

“Yes?”, Ash breathes out, and Goh nods his head as he finally wipes some of the tears that are blocking his vision. He needs to see Ash’s beautiful face right now.

“Yes”, Goh utters again, quiet and only meant for them. He says it again, and again, and again until it sinks in, and Ash’s smile only grows bigger with each confirmation. He connects their lips again in yet another kiss, and Goh can tell that Ash is much more relaxed now that the anxiety from the moment has worn off.

It’s a sweet kiss, soft and tender. Nothing too deep, but still perfect for the moment.

"Absofuckinglutely”, Goh breathes out when they pull away, and Ash chuckles before he decides to lay over the sand, dragging Goh onto him. Goh doesn’t complain about it – at least for now, he’s still in the afterglow of the moment. 

He finds his favorite place on Ash’s chest and just lays there, basking in the warmth of the sun enveloping their bodies and comfort of Ash’s presence. For the first time since the past week, he feels at peace. That’s the peace he wanted, needed. The peace he’s been craving.

They lay just like that for a moment, before Ash’s racing heartbeat reached his ear, and when he lifted his head, he saw why. Ash is holding the opened Pokeball again, the ring shining and begging to be put on his finger.

“Can I?”, Ash whispers, but to his surprise, Goh closes the Pokeball.

“We don’t wanna take the attention away from your win tomorrow, do we?”, Goh says, and Ash kisses the crown of his head.

“I wouldn’t care”, Ash muses, stroking Goh’s hair gently.

“I know”, Goh says as he basks in Ash’s comforting embrace. “But it can wait a little longer", Goh admits, smiling at his own words.

He was dying for that exact moment for such a long time, his biggest dream has finally come true. 

Ash gently threads their hands together as he traces Goh’s ring finger delicately. Goh smiles to himself as he squeezes Ash’s hand back.

Yeah, the future is in the palm of his hand.

And when they come back an hour later to the house, Professor Burnet is still up. She glances at them from the book she’s reading and smiles at them when she sees Goh in a better mood than before. 

“I see someone’s mood lifted up”, she chuckles, and Goh nods his head. He feels like his heart could burst out from happiness any minute. She frowns at them curiously. “How was the walk?”.

And Goh could tell what happened…but…instead, he glances at Ash, who just smiles at him, squeezing his hand, giving him the choice.

And Goh neither confirms nor denies Burnet’s rising suspicions and hopes.

“It was awesome”, Goh lets out, smiling from ear to ear, feeling emotional, but happy, and Professor Burnet just smiles at him. 

She does glance quickly at Goh’s finger – it’s empty, but Goh’s aura seems so cheerful that deep down, she is sure that it has happened. 

But she doesn’t ask anything, she just observes as Ash places a soft kiss to Goh’s forehead, still holding his hand tight before he leads him up the staircase.

She hears the door being locked, and maybe she could tease them in the morning, but all she does is smile to herself as she looks over the wedding ring on her finger lovingly.

🌸

Cheers fill the stadium as the smoke slowly clears from the battlefield. Goh’s hand clutches the railing too hard, the second curls around Grookey’s fur tightly. They know Ash won, and Goh feels it, too, but the anxiety is still there before it’s gonna be officially announced. Ash won, Goh knows it, he feels it, but his heart still skips a bit when the smoke disappears completely.

But Pikachu is still standing, tired, but he looks like he could still have around five more battles, and deep down, Goh wonders from where Pikachu gets all that energy. Ash runs to check on his partner, hug him tight, and thank him for the hard work.

And Ash would love to hug someone else right now. 

Professor Burnet must have noticed Ash’s longing gaze towards their seats, because she glances at Goh, who still smiles widely as pride is written on his face. She nudges him gently, and Goh looks over at her. “Come on, let’s join him”.

Goh bites his lips as he hesitates. He doesn’t want to steal any attention from Ash right now, it’s his moment. 

But that’s coming from the person who jumped through the railing to kiss Ash in front of thousands of people two years ago, so Burnet raises his brow at him to make a point before she laughs. “He wants you there, come on”.

And Goh maybe believes her when Ash’s face lightens up even more than before when he spots Goh on the battlefield. There’s a kiss to his forehead, before Ash wraps his hands around his body tight. There’s an I’m proud of you whispered to Ash’s ear, and there’s a thank you for cheering me on whispered back to Goh’s ear, and maybe that’s the moment where Goh realizes he is glad that Professor Burnet has dragged him here, because now can he share and celebrate Ash’s victory with him and feel whatever he feels that fuels him towards the victory.

But the one person that always fuels Ash towards the victory is in his arms right now, being held tight, and just like Goh is celebrating his win with him on the battlefield now, Ash wants the crowd to celebrate something more with him as well. 

Ash slowly pulls away from the hug. He caresses Goh’s cheek delicately with his thumb as he gives him a sweet smile. That kind of smile that doesn’t bode well. Ash takes a hold of Goh’s hand, and Goh’s breath dies in his throat when Ash gets on one knee again as he reaches for that one Pokeball.

And Goh underestimated how loud the whole stadium can truly get, it’s even louder than it was in the moment that Ash won. Goh’s eyes flicker from the ring to Ash’s face again. The cheers eventually got quiet as everyone was probably waiting for Goh’s response. 

And Arceus, Goh feels so embarrassed as heat rushes to his cheeks. All he can let out is a soft laugh, and Ash’s heart bursts out from happiness because he missed Goh laughing like that, his eyes sparking like he hasn’t seen them in those past months.

“Come on, get up, I already said yes”, Goh laughs, he is choked, and he feels emotional, and he feels Ash squeezing his hand. The crowd cheers again, and Goh’s eyes widen when Ash takes the ring out of the Pokeball and he prepares to put it on Goh’s finger. For the first time. It’s real. It’s really happening. And Goh forgets how to breathe when Ash carefully slides the ring onto his finger, and it fits perfectly like it would always be meant to be here. Like it would belong here. 

Goh stares at his hand, it’s trembling, he still can’t process what has happened, but it’s real, and Ash brings him back to reality by squeezing his hand again. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, what a beautiful day. We’re not only celebrating the Champion’s win tonight, we have something even more meaningful to celebrate. Congratulations to the newly engaged couple”, the announcer says, and the whole stadium fills with cheers again.

Goh closes his eyes for a moment as he basks in the noise of the cheers. It feels oddly comforting. But he opens his eyes mere seconds later when he feels his hand being put over something. Something heavy and made of gold, but equally important to Ash. 

When did Professor Kukui bring the trophy?

The ring merges with the gold of the trophy beautifully. The cheers are on constant loop, and Goh eventually wants to take his hand from the trophy, so the attention can be more on Ash’s win, but Ash keeps it there by putting his own hand over Goh’s and squeezing it.

“It’s our day”, Ash whispers, his eyes shining brighter than any star in the sky, and Goh’s lips gape a little, but they curl into a soft smile seconds later. 

There’s another kiss to his forehead, and Ash eventually wraps his arm around Goh’s body and Goh basks in the comfort of it.

It was Ash’s battle, Ash’s win, but the trophy is equally important to Goh as it is for Ash. And maybe it’s Goh’s ring, on Goh’s finger, but the ring is equally important to Ash as it is for Goh, because it’s Ash’s promise to him to stay in his life forever, and Goh agreed to it. He said yes. He wants it as equally as Ash.

It’s their day. It’s their future.

🌸

Ash is aware that in mere minutes and hours later, he will have thousands of calls and messages to respond to. Right now, he holds onto Goh’s hand extra tightly as they’re walking through the endless corridor that leads them to one of the back rooms where they can have some rest before driving back to the house, and celebrating today’s events with Mallow’s tasty dinner.

Ash talks about something, but for some reason, Goh’s mind is cloudy, and Ash’s voice is muffled. Only one sleep in Alola separates him from the flight back to Kanto, and a soon-to-happen court trial that the thought of makes him sick to his stomach. And that’s what Ash is talking about for the most part, because he mentions something about how he asked for a private plane so they can have the privacy Goh needs on the way home. And Goh only hums to that, still being lost in his mind. 

Ash eyes him warily, but quickly, his attention is brought up to someone calling his name.

“Ash? Could we talk for a moment?”, Clara asks, and Ash offers her a warm smile. 

Goh looks over at the woman. He frowns as he recognizes her from the days before when he ran into her searching for Grookey. 

“Hi, Clara”, Ash greets her cheerfully, and Goh just shyly bows his head in greeting when Clara smiles at him.

“Congratulations on the engagement. I took some lovely photos of it, if you would be interested in seeing them”, she says, darting her gaze away for a moment. There’s some awkwardness in her eyes and in her tone of voice that makes Goh feel uneasy. “But I wanted to talk about something else, something that happened in the past, so do you have a moment?”, she asks, some regret filling her voice, and Ash nods his head.

Goh slowly drops the hold on Ash’s hand. “Maybe it’ll be better if I’ll leave you alone”, Goh proposes, and Ash nods his head. Clara thanks him with a smile. Her smile is so contagious that Goh can’t help but smile back. “I’ll see you later”, he says to Ash, pecking him over his lips, before he makes his way to the room where their friends are waiting for them, Professor Burnet catching up quickly to accompany him there as she waves hi to Clara too, uttering a rushed thank you for what you’ve done.

Ash watches them with a soft gaze for a moment before he turns his attention back to Clara. 

“I wanted to apologize”, Clara lets out as they walk through the corridor at a slow pace, and Ash frowns at her. “For that interview”, she tiredly sighs, and Ash offers her a sympathetic smile. “It was my first interview, and it was with you – a fresh new World Champion, such a great opportunity, I…”, a pause to take a deep breath.

Ash stops for a moment as he watches Clara worriedly, but she shakes her head. “I knew that I messed up when Leon asked me to not air the interview anywhere. I was so devastated. Leon never told me what the reason was until it clicked for me a year later when you… disappeared from the public view, and then were kissing with your partner in the stadium full of people, and then I realized how awful my comment must have sounded. I’m sorry, Ash”, Clara bows in apology, and Ash offers her yet another warm smile.

“I’m not gonna lie…”, Ash starts, and Clara looks over at him again. “It did flip my world upside down, it was weighing on my mental health a lot”, he bitterly reminisces on that, and Clara opens her lips to utter another apology, but Ash shakes his head. “But all’s well that ends well. I was doubting myself a lot and I hurt someone I shouldn’t have, but it taught me an important lesson, and now…I’m engaged to the love of my life”, Ash says, smiling softly as they reached the door of the room that Goh is now, and Ash can hear his muffled voice through it. “So, no hard feelings”.

“Thank you, Ash”, she says, relief filling her voice as she smiles kindly.

“I wanted to thank you, though. Alain mentioned that you helped to find Goh, and I couldn’t be more grateful for your help, so thank you. Really. I don’t wanna imagine what could have happened without your help”, it’s Ash’s turn to bow his head in gratitude, and Clara offers him another yet smile.

“I’m glad your fiancé is alright”, she breathes out, and Ash’s expression softened at the word fiancé.

It’s real. He’s really done it. And Goh has said yes.

“I’m glad too”, Ash quietly utters, glancing at the door again. “But about those photos…”.

🌸

For now, Goh decides to forget about the upcoming trial as they are celebrating Ash’s win, and the engagement news at the dinner party organised by Mallow. Ash and Goh are slow dancing in the moonlight to the relaxing and soft music playing in the background. Goh has his face pressed to the crook of Ash’s neck, and Ash can tell Goh is mere minutes from falling asleep in his hold because Ash is doing most of the leading.

Max and Bonnie are dancing nearby too, basking in each other’s embrace and Ash smiles at them from time to time, being happy about their blossoming relationship. 

Professor Burnet looks over at Ash and he meets her gaze. She nods her head towards tired Goh, and Ash chuckles at his almost sleeping partner. He places a soft kiss on Goh's forehead.

“Still with me?”, Ash whispers, and Goh just gives a hum as a response. “Are you gonna fall asleep?”.

“I’m not asleep”, Goh mumbles, and Ash smiles to himself, which Goh can feel clearly through his tone of voice.

“Yeah?”, he breathes out, and Goh hums again. Ash leans away for a moment to glance at him, and chuckles when he sees that Goh is on the verge of falling asleep. “Do you want me to take you to bed?”, Ash asks, and for a moment, there’s no response, so Ash gently shakes Goh’s body to see if he dozed off.

Eventually, Goh shakes his head no, when the question finally reaches his cloudy mind. “I can stay for a little longer”, he mumbles, and Ash laughs again.

“You’re a terrible liar”, Ash teases, but Goh doesn’t register that anymore as he’s half asleep already, and Ash’s voice is muffled with each passing second. 

Ash gently lifts Goh up to take him back to the house and the warmth of the bed. 

Aww, did he fall asleep?

Yeah, I think so. I’ll just lay him in bed and I’ll join you back in a few minutes.

Ahh, there’s no need. You must be tired too, and you have a flight tomorrow, you should get some rest.

It’s okay, I don’t mind, besides–

Goh doesn’t register the rest of the conversation as he dozes off completely, but he does feel being held and moved, and eventually being gently laid in bed.

“Can I count on you two to stay with him?”, Ash quietly asks, and Grookey nods his head. Espe already has laid next to her trainer, trying to get some rest as well. 

Ash places a soft kiss atop of Goh’s head before he considers if he should cover Goh with a blanket, but feeling how warm the room is, he just puts the blanket on the bed, close to Goh’s reach if he would get cold.

“He must be tired, isn’t he?”, Professor Burnet asks once Ash joins her back on the beach. He sits next to her as he chuckles at Clemont and Sawyer’s attempt to dance.

“I don’t blame him. That was such an exhausting week. It was exhausting for me, but I just can’t imagine how tired he must feel”, Ash lets out, and Burnet nods her head in understanding.

“Poor sweetheart, going through all of it…I’ll do anything I can in the court so he can get the justice he deserves”, she promises, and Ash smiles at her, whispering a kind thank you.

Pikachu jumps to Ash’s shoulder, and he scratches him under his chin as his gaze lands on the horizon in front of him. “I um…I regret not telling you anything”, Ash utters, and Burnet sighs.

“Look, Ash…I admit I was too harsh about it. How could you know that something could happen here?”, she whispers, trying not to disturb the quietness of the evening, but it’s ruined anyway by the girls chatting and laughing loudly.

“I knew this guy was planning to participate in the World Coronation Series, but I never expected that he would come here and…”, Ash bites his lips so he won’t start crying, and Burnet hugs him with her arm. 

“I know, it’s okay, sweetie”, she coos as some tears still escape his eyes, but he quickly reaches to wipe them off his cheeks.

“I was trying so hard not to punch him in the face. Actually, no, I was trying so hard not to kill him there. Alola is…Alola is home. It’s safe and peaceful and he…he ruined. He tried to ruin the League, and he tried to…he wanted him dead”, Ash exhales a shaky breath as he quietly utters the last word. Burnet squeezes the hold around his shoulders as she offers him a warm smile. It’s all she can do.

“It all shows how mature you are, Ash. He hurt someone important to you, and you still kept your composure. You protected Goh and Alola so beautifully with a lot of courage. We are all so grateful to have such an amazing Champion”, she says, pride filling her voice. “And Goh is lucky to have such a caring fiancé like you in his life”, she smiles, and Ash’s face flushes in a delicate shade of pink.

Burnet laughs. “What?”.

“Nothing”, Ash casts his gaze away for a moment, smiling to himself. “I’m still…not used to it. It feels unreal that he said yes”, he whispers as he shifts his attention to Mallow, who started to gather the dirty plates. Burnet waves to Kukui, who takes the cue and gently lets Lei know that it’s time to go inside. Lei pouts at that, but Max and Bonnie promise to watch some Pokemon shows with him on the TV once they’re inside the house.

Lillie helps Mallow with cleaning the tables, too. Sawyer and Clemont decide to go on a walk nearby. Alain chats with Gladion, Kiawe and Sophocles about some battle strategies. There's laughter from Lana and Misty, who are reading something on their phones with Serena and May. Everyone is still having fun, even if it’s getting late. The chilly breeze that surrounds Ash’s body tells him that it’s late enough to go outside and maybe go and check on sleeping Goh. Professor Burnet must have thought the same because she’s the first one to get up, and she silently offers to help Mallow with cleaning the tables after the dinner. 

“I think he would say yes even in another life”, she winks before joining the girls and helping them with the promised cleaning.

Ash follows her silhouette as he smiles to himself, looking up at the starry sky. Ash believes that what Professor Burnet has said is true – that even in another life, Goh is Ash’s and Ash is Goh’s, and they are always tied to each other.

And Ash is certain that even in another life, he would die for Goh in the same way.

🌸

Goh stares through the window throughout the whole flight, his face resting over his hand as he observes the changing landscapes.

Ash went to the back of the plane to check on their Pokemon after some heavier turbulence, but they seemed to be alright, so he retreated to his seat.

“No running on the plane”, Ash reminds as he sits, and Pikachu gives an understanding squeak in return.

Ash looks over at his absent-minded partner and his expression softens. He delicately holds Goh’s hand into his own. He gives an extra caress to Goh’s finger where the ring lays on it, and it’s enough for Goh to dart his gaze away and meet Ash’s concerned eyes. 

“Penny for your thoughts?”, Ash smiles, and Goh hums, shifting his attention to the window again.

“I’m just thinking about…”, a tired sigh. “I’m just scared…to see him again”, Goh shakily admits, but Ash squeezes his hand tighter, and it helps to ease the anxiety in his chest.

“You have nothing to be scared about. We all will be there for you. Your parents, Gary, Chloe, even Aimee will fly from Paldea, Professor Burnet will come too, and most importantly, you have me, we will get through it together”, a strand of Goh’s hair falls onto his eyes, and Ash chuckles as he gently brushes it off. Goh’s eyes are still sad and absent, but a soft smile curls onto his face at the reassurance.

“Thank you”, Goh breathes out, biting the yawn that almost escaped his lips.

Ash laughs again. “Get some rest, baby, while you can”, he pleads, and Goh weakly nods his head as he uses Ash as his pillow and rests his head on his shoulder. 

Ash quietly calls for Grookey, and it doesn’t even take a minute for the Pokemon to jump onto his trainer’s lap, and Goh’s hand curls in his fur.

Ash places a soft kiss atop of Goh’s head before he lets the tiredness overcome him, too.

🌸

The first thing Goh does when he’s back in Vermillion is fall into Chloe’s arms. She hugs him tight like she has never before in her life. Gary just offers a sympathetic smile, but it’s clear that he’s angry and ready to throw his hands at Marcus in the court.

Goh has brushed it off. For now. And the subject was briefly shifted to something gold adorning his finger instead. Chloe looks in awe at how beautiful the ring is, and how truly fitting it is for him in all aspects. She quickly says I’m so happy for you before Goh decides to take some rest, saying that maybe he will be more talkative after taking a nap as he tosses the Pokeballs to let out his Pokemon before going upstairs.

Goh seems…fine, but Chloe can tell he’s not only physically drained, but also mentally. His eyes are sad and withdrawn, and it may take some time before he will recover from what has happened.

Chloe leans over the counter as she watches Ash feeding the little group of Pokemon. She can tell that he’s caught up in his thoughts, but he still tries to ease the atmosphere.

“Misty said how…you were quite helpful with calling Goh’s phone when they were searching for him, so I wanted to thank you for doing that”, Ash says, his voice soft and quiet, and Gary just smiles at him in return.

“Wasn’t sure if it would work, but it was worth giving a shot, and I’m glad it worked in the end and they could find Goh safe and sound”, Gary says as Ash leans over the table, sighing tiredly.

Chloe tilts her head. “You’re tired. I mean, more than you should be”, she notices, and Ash drags his hand through his hair in a tired motion.

“Well, this past week…honestly, shit, these past months were not what I expected them to be”, Ash admits, and Chloe nods her head in understanding.

“You need some rest”, Gary says, and Ash sighs again.

“I think I will be able to truly rest after everything’s over. Like really over”, he says, and blood boils in his veins just at the thought of seeing Marcus’ face again.

Chloe casts her gaze away as she considers if they should continue this subject, seeing how tense Ash got, but Gary must have read her mind as he switches the topic effortlessly.

“So…you finally did it”, Gary smiles, and Ash’s eyes soften right away just at the mention of the proposal.

He surely did. And it still doesn’t feel real. It feels like a fever dream, but it’s not a dream. It’s reality, and it’s on Goh’s finger right now.

“I sure did”, it’s hard for Ash not to grin, and Chloe lets out a quiet aww, and Ash blushes slightly, but he recovers quickly. “Twice”, he laughs, and Chloe raises her brown in confusion.

“Twice?”, she echoes, and Ash nods his head.

“The first time was…private and more special. On the beach, and the kind of proposal Goh deserved. And the second time was after I won the League. It just…felt like doing it again. It did feel special to me too, I guess…I just wanted to share this moment with everyone. That was my…biggest win throughout my whole life, bigger than any of the Leagues, having Goh back in my life and hearing him say that he wants to spend the rest of his life with me. It just felt right”, Ash softly utters when he hears some sniffing. He looks over at Chloe, frowning.

“Sorry, I’m just so happy for you. You both deserve that happiness”, Chloe says, wiping the tear from her cheek, and Gary hands her a tissue from the table, which she kindly accepts. “You need to tell us more details”, she lets out, excited, but Ash shakes his head.

“I’d love to, but it isn’t my story to tell. Goh was waiting for that moment for such a long time that I think he should be the one to tell you the whole picture of it”, Ash softly says, and Chloe nods her head in understanding.

The topic is changed again, and there’s chatter about everything and nothing. Soon after Pokemon are done eating, Ash lets them out to the park before he decides to take some rest as well. With waving his goodbyes to Chloe and Gary, he makes his way upstairs and joins Goh in his deep slumber. 

Goh really needed the night atmosphere, because the blinds are rolled down, and the room is completely dark. He’s cladded in one of Ash’s shirts, and Ash chuckles at that as he slowly slips under the blanket. Goh shifts in his sleep as he hums something, slowly peeking through his eyes.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”, Ash whispers, but Goh shakes his head, not uttering any response as he closes his eyes again, not caring about the slight disturbance of his sleep.

There’s a kiss to Goh’s forehead, and Goh buries himself further into Ash’s embrace.

Ash holds him tight throughout the whole afternoon as he fidgets with Goh’s hand in his hold, admiring how the ring is shining bright on his finger in the darkness of the room.

🌸

“It’s an egg”, Goh blinks, and Ash nods his head as Goh shifts his gaze to him and Aimee.

“Yeah, from Paldea. It was supposed to be your Christmas gift, but um, with how much has happened, I messaged Aimee if she could bring it another time when you’ll be in a better headspace”, Ash explains, and Goh nods his head in understanding as he hugs the egg tight in his hold, but not too hard so as to not damage it.

“I truly hope it’ll help you to ease some anxiety with the trial happening soon”, Aimee says, some cheer in her voice, but the bitterness of the situation takes over her voice more. 

Goh just smiles at her weakly. “Thank you”, he lets out, his voice shaking, but the familiar weight of Grookey on his shoulder that just came to sniff the egg helps to ground him.

Ash gently nudges Aimee to let her know that it’s still a sensitive topic for Goh, and she bows her head in apology, but Goh shakes his head. 

“It’s okay, we um, should be talking about it at some point”, Goh quietly admits, but his voice still breaks, and Ash considers wrapping his arms around him and never letting go. “So um, who else will be coming for the trial?”.

The question is uttered more as a distraction than real curiosity, but Goh hopes it will help to put his mind at ease.

“So um, I called Sam and Sophia since they were the closest to him back in school. They promised to give evidence to your advantage”, Aimee says, and Goh weakly nods his head. 

“You can count a lot on Professor Burnet. Of course, Chloe and Gary, too. I also called Jessie and she promised to tell them about what happened back in her restaurant. Your parents will fight hard for your justice, too”, Ash says, sitting next to Goh on the couch. “You won’t be alone in it. I promised to hold your hand throughout all of it, and I will”, he promises, wrapping one of his arms around Goh’s body, and his head drops to Ash’s shoulder.

Goh exhales a shaky breath. Just the thought of the court being filled with so many people already makes him feel anxious. But it also makes him feel safe for some reason, and Goh knows that the more people are there, the better, so at the same time, just knowing that so many people will be on his side makes him breathe easier.

There’s a kiss atop of Goh’s head and squeeze to his left hand. Goh smiles to himself. He knows that he won’t be alone. He knows he can get through it all with Ash by his side.

🌸

Guilty is being heard, and Goh holds his breath. His head is ringing and everything is muffled like time would stand still. There’s a squeeze to his hand and someone yelling something in his direction. Goh can’t register any words, but he does notice Ash’s arm being held in front of him like a shield in an attempt to block any way to him. Goh can pick up his dad’s raised voice at someone in the midst of the cloud in his mind.

Then everything is quiet, the air seems to clear, but Goh stays still, his gaze casted on his own lap, his hand still in Ash’s embrace. 

Ash exchanges a relieved look with Gary, who just smiles, then his attention shifts to still quiet Goh. Ash just motions with his head to everyone to leave the room and to give Goh some space. So they do, even if they’re still worried over Goh’s quiet behavior, they understand the heaviness on his mind and that he needs to come to terms with what has just happened, so they give him the space and peace he wants right now. Camille and Walker are the last to leave, glancing worriedly at their son, but Ash reassures them with a smile that he’s gonna be okay. 

Ash squeezes his hand one more time – there’s no response, and Ash wonders if Goh maybe is going through a silent panic attack.

“Hey, are you okay?”, Ash quietly whispers as he traces Goh’s skin delicately. 

Again, there’s no response. 

It’s okay, he can breathe. 

Goh, baby?

He hears Ash’s voice – but it’s muffled, and as much as he wants to voice out that he’s fine, he can’t. He can’t move a single bone like he would be in a trance.

Are you okay?

There it is. Ash’s voice again. Patient and tender, soft like today’s breeze outside, and that’s why Ash offered for Goh to borrow his blue jacket so he won’t get cold, and Goh still has it wrapped around his shoulder. He can smell Ash’s familiar scent all over him, and it brings a lot of comfort. Yet, Goh still can’t utter anything nor move from his spot.

Is your partner alright?

Oh, a new voice, but somewhat familiar. It will be engraved in Goh’s head for the rest of today. Maybe even tomorrow. Maybe for upcoming weeks and months. Maybe for the rest of his life even. The voice that helped him to get him the justice he deserved. 

Yeah, I think so. Do you have something cold? I just think that–

There’s a muffled response again. The judge quickly asks one of her assistants to bring an ice pack, and five minutes later, Ash presses it onto Goh’s sweaty palm. It takes a few seconds for Goh to jerk at the sudden coldness as he blinks rapidly a few times, and his gaze immediately searches for his favorite brown eyes. 

Ash smiles at him, relieved. “You’re back”, a chuckle as Ash puts the ice pack aside and takes a hold of Goh’s hand again. “You were spacing out, you were so out of it”.

Goh weakly smiles. “I’m sorry. I’m just…”.

Relieved, but still confused. Grateful that his side of the story was listened to, and that the judge believed everyone who was on his side. 

Goh, for the first time in a long time, feels at peace. 

“I understand”, Ash whispers, placing a soft kiss on his forehead. “Ready to go home?”.

Goh hums. “Yeah, I just need to use the bathroom real quick”.

“I’ll be waiting for you outside”, Ash smiles, and Goh nods his head.

And when Goh looks at his own reflection in the mirror, he sees how the tiredness of the past months got to him. He’s tired, not only physically, but mentally as well. The eye bags under his eyes have been a part of his face since weeks. His eyes are sad and withdrawn from any emotions. Not to mention the throbbing headache from all of that stress he’s been feeling. 

Goh didn’t get enough sleep for the past week, but maybe now when it’s all truly over, maybe the sky will look brighter, maybe bright colors will wash over his face, fading the black and white colors surrounding him. Maybe, maybe…Goh can be happy again and breathe with his full chest.

But for now, Goh just splashes his face with water to get rid of the tiredness a little bit. Goh is tired of everyone’s concerned look all over him, so maybe after refreshing his face, he will look more decent so as not to worry everyone further, especially Ash, who was holding his hand not only throughout the whole trial, but also for the past weeks. Goh knows he was living on his own stress, so Ash deserves a break from the constant anxiety, too.

And that’s what Goh dreams about right now – to leave the court, come back to the Laboratory, have a quick dinner and chat with his family and friends, and to call it a day, forget about everything as he will cuddle with Ash, and be held throughout the whole night.

But as he exits the bathroom, a conversation between Officer Jenny and Marcus’ mom spikes his attention. He quickly casts his gaze away, passing them by as he rushes to the front door – the sooner he leaves, the better. But Officer Jenny stops him. 

“Oh, Goh, do you have a moment?”, she asks, and Goh’s heart skips a beat. His fear on his face must be noticeable because she quickly explains. “This is Lucy – Marcus’ mom, and she wanted to have a word with you”.

Goh hesitates as he hugs himself. His hand starts to sweat, and he wishes he could have Grookey with him right now. He feels his beating heart quicken, and Officer Jenny frowns at him worriedly. “Are you okay?”.

Goh nods his head. Way too quick for Jenny’s liking, because she still eyes him worriedly. “I-I’m fine, it’s just–”.

Goh doesn’t even know what he wants to say, the rest of the words die in his throat as he scratches his forearm with his nail.

“You absolutely don’t need to agree, I will understand if you deny”, Lucy says as she smiles warmly at Goh, and Goh for a second wonders how she can smile when not long ago, her son was just arrested. “I just…wanted to apologize, but I’ll understand if you’d not want to hear it at all”, she darts her gaze away, but she looks over at him again when Goh speaks seconds later, agreeing.

“It’s okay, we can talk for a moment”, Goh quietly mutters as he motions to the nearby chairs to sit.

Officer Jenny decides to give them some privacy, but she promises Goh to let Ash know what’s going on, and he thanks her with a smile before he turns his attention back to Lucy.

“Congratulations on the engagement”, she smiles, pointing to his finger, and Goh looks over at it, too, smiling to himself. When he looks over at Lucy, the woman is looking on her own lap, not bracing herself to meet Goh’s gaze. “I’m sorry, I’m just…how can I even look into your eyes after what happened? I’m so disappointed with Marcus that I just feel like…I don’t have a son anymore”, she utters, shaking her head to herself, and Goh chews on his lips. 

Lucy exhales a tired sigh. “When I first got called to meet your parents and talk about what happened after you were coming back from school and Marcus got expelled, I thought it was just a phase. The thing is, Marcus lost his father not long before it happened, and maybe I was excusing his behavior for not having a proper father figure in his life back then. Sam and Sophia cut him off, so he lost his childhood friends as well. I tried to talk to him about it, and tried to explain that what he did was wrong, he…didn’t listen. He left home to go on his journey, and since then…he didn’t get in touch with me a lot. It felt like he cut me off completely. Not long ago, he called me about how he reunited with one of his “friends”, and there was something in his voice that told me that his tone wasn’t right, he sounded maniac, but I brushed it off because how could I possibly help him when I felt so powerless already. I should have. I should have tried. Then, one day, I got another call, he told me to watch the Alola League, I’ll make you proud, I…I will never forget how he was smirking, when your partner was so shaken up about your well being. I can’t imagine how traumatized your partner felt at that moment. I don’t wanna imagine how traumatized you feel right now, I’m at a loss of words, and I know a simple I’m sorry won’t fix anything, but that’s what I can offer. I don’t even deserve to ask for your forgiveness, but what he did is unacceptable, so please accept my genuine apology”, Lucy says, bowing and eventually meeting Goh’s gaze.

Goh is at a loss of words, he looks at Lucy, his lips slightly gaped and his hand trembling, so he curls it into a fist on his lap. “Thank you, I appreciate the apology”, he lets out, exhaling a shaky breath, and Lucy bows her head again.

“If there is anything I can do for you to help you recover, please let me know. I can pay for your therapy, anything”, she genuinely utters, but Goh shakes his head.

“I know it will take me a lot of time to recover from it, but I’ll do it at my own pace. You don’t need to do anything, your apology was quite reassuring on its own”, Goh weakly says, and Lucy offers him a warm smile, giving Goh whiplash at the contrast of her and Marcus. “But I do wonder.. what will happen to his Pokemon?”.

“Oh, I let them all out into the wild, except this one, he refused”, Lucy says, handing Goh one of the Pokeballs, and Goh is almost certain what Pokemon is inside. 

Goh holds the Pokeball in his shaking hand as Lucy offers. “Could you take care of him for me? I feel that you will treat him right. I feel that you are the right person”, she pleads, and just when Goh wants to form a response, Ash interrupts him.

“Is everything okay? I was getting worried”, he says, eyeing Lucy warily, but the woman takes a step back.

“Well, I should be going. Thank you for the talk, and once again, I apologize for all the inconvenience my…he has caused”, she bows her head before she disappears down the long corridor.

Goh follows her silhouette until it disappears from his view as he clutches the Pokeball in his hold tightly. Ash looks at him worriedly as he shakes his shoulder delicately. “Hey, are you alright?”, he echoes the question, and Goh closes his eyes before he meets Ash’s gaze.

“Yeah, I’m fine”, Goh smiles, and Ash places a soft kiss on his forehead. Goh uses it as a distraction as he quickly hides the Pokeball in his pocket before Ash takes him by the hand.

“Let’s go home”, he whispers, and Goh nods his head, holding onto his hand tightly.

Yeah, let’s go home.

🌸

When they come back to the Laboratory, Goh immediately makes his way upstairs, not even waiting for Ash. And even if Ash is concerned about Goh’s sudden behavior, he tries not to show it in front of Chloe and Gary.

Chloe offers tea to celebrate the won trial, but Ash shamelessly opens a bottle of wine.

“Sorry, Chloe, that was a hell of a day. Something stronger is required”, he utters, and Gary backs him up, chuckling.

Honestly, she agrees too. It was a rough day. Anxious and tiring one, and even if the mood was lifted up after the case was closed in Goh's favor, no one can deny how down Goh still is, and how much time truly has to pass for him to heal from what happened.

If he ever will heal.

And the scream coming from upstairs is proof of that. It’s painful, and Chloe rises from her seat, concerned, but Ash stops her.

“It’s okay, Goh’s therapist advised him to let out how he feels by screaming if his feelings would get unbearable”, Ash explains, putting the glass of wine down before he mutters I’ll see how he is doing.

And Goh is doing…fine. Kind of. He’s trying. He’s trying to be fine.

Ash carefully puts a hand over Goh’s back so he won’t startle him, but the boy doesn’t even yield. “I think you forgot the part where Betty said to muffle the scream into the pillow”, he chuckles, and it earns a chuckle from Goh, too, because he softly laughs, and Ash smiles at that.

Goh turns to face him, and Ash presses a soft kiss to his forehead. “Is everything okay?”.

“Yeah, I just needed to be alone for a moment, and just…let it out. I’m still shocked and exhausted, I think it’s gonna take some days to adjust to everything, to let everything sink in”, Goh explains, and Ash nods his head as he lays down on the bed for a moment so Goh can put his head over his chest. “Are Gary and Chloe still here?”, he quietly mutters, and Ash nods his head. Goh chuckles when the movement ghosts over his face.

“Thought you could join us for a glass of wine”, Ash proposes, and Goh hums.

“Maybe later”, he says, burying himself further into Ash’s embrace, and Ash places a kiss atop of his head.

“You promised your parents that we’ll join them for dinner tonight, remember? Your mom invited everyone, and ah, Professor Burnet has a flight tomorrow, maybe she could see your Pokemon while she’s still here–”, Ash keeps saying, and for some reason, his voice starts to get more and more distant with each word. 

Goh is disconnected from the conversation altogether seconds later as he closes his eyes, exhaling a shaky breath. A gentle nudge brings him back to reality. He opens his eyes to brown eyes staring into his blue ones.

“Where is she staying, by the way?”, Goh asks out of blue, and Ash frowns at the question as he visibly was on a different topic already, but he doesn’t question the topic change as he offers a reply.

“With my mom in Pallet, but she wanted to see us here before she leaves anyway. Aimee is staying with Chloe if I remember correctly. Such a shame Clara had to leave early”, Ash says, disappointed. Goh hums again, and Ash glances at him. “Seriously, is everything okay? I can tell something’s bothering you”, Ash says, and Goh tiredly sighs.

“I’m fine, it’s just–”, Goh says before he groans, annoyed at himself, and Ash tilts his head, looking at him, worriedly. “You’ll be mad”, he eventually mutters, dragging his hand through his hair, and Ash just offers him a smile.

“I won’t, you can tell me what’s bothering you”, Ash reassures, threading his hand with Goh’s.

“You promise?”, Goh makes sure, muttering quietly, and it catches Ash off guard as he frowns, but he nods his head.

“I promise”, he smiles as he brushes Goh’s hand with his thumb delicately.

Goh takes a deep breath as he reaches for the hidden Pokeball in his pocket. He places it on the blanket in front of Ash, and Ash eyes it in confusion.

Goh stays silent for a moment as he considers if he should be the first one to speak, or maybe he should wait for Ash to break the silence instead. 

But Ash doesn’t speak first, he still eyes the Pokeball, confused. He may have a feeling of what Pokemon is inside. And he doesn’t like it. Not one bit.

“If it’s his Pokemon inside, I’m leaving this room”, Ash says, maybe too harshly. He feels his blood boil in his veins just at the thought of it.

“You promised not to get mad”, Goh points out, pouting, and Ash pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“You can’t be serious”, Ash mutters, and Goh frowns. “This Pokemon–”.

“Don’t blame the Pokemon on what he did. I want to give him a loving home”, Goh interrupts before Ash can finish his sentence. “And if you won’t do it with me, I’ll do it myself”, Goh says, grabbing the Pokeball, and before Ash can ponder on anything, Goh is already out of the bed, out of the room, and probably out of the Laboratory.

Ash sighs to himself, because arguing with Goh is the last thing he wants to do right now, so he runs after his partner.

Goh releases Blastoise from his Pokeball with a shaky hand. Blastoise stares at him, but he shifts his gaze to Ash when he joins Goh’s side, then back to Goh.

Goh takes a deep breath. “I want to give you a new loving home. Try to. At least, that’s what I can do. If you don’t mind spending more time in the park, chilling with other Pokemon – I can offer that, but if you’d rather keep battling…my partner can bring out your potential”, Goh says, putting his hand over Ash’s shoulder. Goh feels Ash tense under his touch, so he glances at him as he says the next sentence. “But if nothing works out for you, I can let you out to the wild – just like your previous trainer’s mother wanted, or I can bring you back to her, so um, it’s up to you”, Goh whispers, placing the Pokeball on the grass.

Blastoise tilts his head to the side, shifting his gaze from Goh to Ash, and eventually, he comes closer. Cinderace takes a step forward, too, staying on guard, but Goh stops him with his hand. Blastoise hesitates at first, but after a moment, he destroys his old Pokeball, and Goh’s breath hitches down his throat. The Pokemon takes a step closer to Ash, and Ash’s eyes widen in shock.

It wouldn’t be the first time Ash would take care of a Pokemon that hurt Goh in some way. Zoroark almost killed Goh, and Ash still put a trust in him, understood his past, and caught him. Blastoise didn’t directly hurt Goh, it was all Marcus’ doing, and Goh is right that he shouldn’t blame the Pokemon for Marcus’ actions, and maybe, maybe Ash could put it aside and take care of Blastoise, just like Goh would want him to do.

But when Ash pulls out an empty Pokeball to catch him, as he looks into his eyes…he sees something familiar. Something that Ash has seen in the eyes of many Pokemon before. Hurt.

Charmander. Chimchar. Tepig. Gengar. Zoroark, too. It’s all the same expression. Hurt and betrayal. And it pulls at Ash’s heartstrings.

“You were hurt, too, weren’t you?”, Ash whispers, and Blastoise confirms by nodding his head. Goh’s hand, which still is on Ash’s shoulder, grips it tighter, and Ash puts his free hand on it to give it a reassuring squeeze. 

Ash takes a deep breath. “I may hold a grudge…but it’s not towards you, but towards your previous trainer. He hurt my partner, and I won’t ever forgive him for it…, but here…we are a family. It’s home, and I think you deserve it, you deserve to have a loving home, and we can offer that. I know it may take some time for us to warm up to each other, but we’ll do our best to take care of you”, Ash says, a soft smile curling on his lips when Blastoise nods his head as he presses the button on the new Pokeball.

Ash breathes out in relief when a sob reaches his ears, he looks over at Goh, who quickly tries to wipe the tears off his cheeks. Ash reaches his hand to help, but he’s met with a head shake.

“I think he should warm up to the Pokemon here first”, Goh says, sniffing as he leaves towards the Laboratory with a silent plea to leave him alone.

So Ash does, even if he dreams of nothing more but to hug Goh tight, until he lets out everything into his embrace.

🌸

When Ash finally braces himself to check on Goh upstairs an hour later, he’s met with Espe laying beside the door. He hears muffled voices coming through the door. Goh is talking to Betty, perhaps?

Ash chuckles as he kneels on Espe’s level. “Are you his do not disturb sign?”, he whispers, and even if it’s quiet, Goh stops talking for a moment like he would be aware that Ash is nearby. Ash doesn’t take it to heart that Goh doesn’t want him to hear the conversation, it’s personal, after all, and Ash knows Goh well enough that he’s certain his partner will share what’s on his mind when he’s ready. “Good girl”, he pets her a few times, and she leans into his hand comfortably. “Let me know if he…if something would be wrong”, Ash pleads before heading back downstairs, and Espe lays her head on the floor again, wiggling her tail.

Ash decides to occupy himself in the kitchen while preparing some food for the Pokemon. Zorua scratches at the counter, and Pikachu whines hungrily, which makes Ash laugh.

“A few more minutes, buddy”, Ash says, continuing to chop some vegetables. Grookey jumps on his shoulder, and Ash hums when a few seconds later, a familiar person wraps his arms around his body.

“Do you need some help?”, Goh asks quietly, but Ash shakes his head.

“It’s fine, I’m already done”, he says, putting the chopped vegetables into the bowl. Grookey jumps off his shoulder, and Goh unwillingly entangles himself from Ash as he places the bowl on the floor. 

Espe comes to the kitchen seconds later as she uses her tail to move Grookey a little bit so Zorua and Pikachu can eat from the bowl, too. Ash chuckles at that before he shifts his attention back to Goh. 

“Are you doing okay?”, Ash asks, there’s some concern behind his voice, and Goh wraps his arms around Ash again, hiding his face in the crook of Ash’s neck.

“I’m fine”, Goh mumbles, and Ash tightens the hold around Goh’s body as he places a kiss atop of his head. 

“Did the talk with Betty help a little?”, Ash asks as he moves his hand over Goh’s back in a soothing movement, and Goh nods his head.

A sigh escapes his lips as he untangles himself from Ash again, sitting on the counter, and Ash looks over at him, concern flickering in his brown eyes.

“Yeah, it did help”, Goh admits, fidgeting with his fingers, and Ash threads their hands together, placing them over Goh’s lap. “Betty said that maybe we had the wrong approach with my past. I always wanted to run away and move on from it, but maybe I should learn to tolerate my past and start to get along with it somehow. And even if it’s gonna be hard, she still recommends that I start writing in my diary again. She said that it can be either one sentence or a whole page, but after all, I started to write the diary in my childhood, it’s also the time where um, Marcus appeared in my life and bullied me, so she hopes writing in it again can be healing for me in some way”, Goh explains, his voice quiet and his gaze focused on their threaded hands on his lap. 

Ash looks over at their intertwined hands, too. His finger fidgets with the ring, and a smile curls on Goh’s lips as the ring glistens beautifully in the kitchen’s light. Shimmering beautiful.

“So what do you think about it?”, Ash hums, and Goh tilts his head in a deep thought.

"I think it’s worth giving a shot, I think it will be a good way to get my mind off it all”, Goh whispers, and Ash places a soft kiss on his forehead.

“I will hold your hand throughout all of it”, Ash promises, wrapping his hand around Goh’s body, and Goh hides his head in his chest, basking in the comfort of Ash’s embrace.

There’s a muffled thank you, followed by I love you, and Ash places another kiss atop of Goh’s head.

They stay like that for a moment, Goh relaxing in Ash’s hold. It’s peaceful and quiet, too quiet, and just when Goh thinks about it, Grookey hits the bowl with his stick, and Goh groans at the silence being broken.

“I was just gonna say that they are way too quiet”, he laughs, pulling away from Ash’s hug, and Ash kisses Goh’s forehead for the last time.

Grookey jumps onto Goh’s lap, and Goh pets him a few times as Ash takes the empty bowl to rinse it in the sink, Pikachu hopping on his shoulder, nuzzling into his cheek. “By the way, are you still up for dinner with your parents?”, Ash asks, glancing at Goh. His hand stops petting Grookey, and Ash’s gaze turns into a worried one.

But when Goh looks up at him moments later, his eyes shining brighter than the sun, whispering a soft yeah, and smiling – Ash’s worries are washed away.

🌸

Goh is absentmindedly fidgeting with the glass of wine in his hand as he stares at the wall. He hears Chloe, Dawn and Aimee helping his mom with cleaning the table. He hears Professor Burnet chatting with Delia and Jessie about something – he’s 90% sure that it’s about the ring. He feels Gary’s stare at him, but he doesn’t interfere as he whispers something to Tokio and tries to brush Goh’s behavior off.

The truth is, Goh feels everyone’s worried gaze on him. It makes him anxious and uneasy, but he tries not to show it off as the wall and the half empty glass are the best distraction right now. Goh despises worrying everyone, and that’s what he's been doing since the past weeks, months even, and that’s what he will probably do for the upcoming days. Weeks. Maybe months. And that’s okay, he will eventually heal. 

Goh settles his hand in Grookey’s fur as he grounds himself on his familiar weight on his shoulder. He hears Ash’s voice nearby, his soft laughter and his quick excuse to join Goh back on the couch to offer some comfort.

And soon enough, Goh feels a quick kiss placed atop of his head, and an arm being wrapped around his waist. Goh chuckles as he looks up into Ash’s eyes before laying his head on his shoulder.

“Took you some time”, Goh mutters, and Ash brushes Goh’s hair that has fallen on his forehead.

“Sorry, you know how my mom is. She’s been worried about you, just like everyone is”, Ash says, quietly to not attract any attention to the conversation, and Goh exhales a shaky breath. “She asked if we would want to join her for a New Year’s Eve dinner tomorrow, but I said that we would rather spend tomorrow alone. That sound nice?”, Ash asks, squeezing Goh’s waist, and Goh nods his head, smiling to himself.

It does sound nice, but Goh didn’t feel the Christmas atmosphere this year at all, and he doesn’t feel like it would be a New Year in two days. But spending it with Ash, with one of the most patient people he knows, and starting the New Year just with him, kissing in the moonlight, watching the fireworks in the night sky sounds like the best night ever.

“By the way, she asks when’s the wedding”, Ash whispers straight to Goh’s ear, and Goh blushes crimson.

Goh glances at the ring on his finger. It glistens beautifully in the light, and Goh can’t help but to smile widely whenever he looks at his left hand every time.

“She…knew, yeah?”, Goh whispers, and Ash nods his head, intertwining their hands together.

“Yeah, actually, a lot of people knew. Gary knew for the longest time”, Ash chuckles, sheepishly scratching his cheek, and Goh laughs softly, too, as he squeezes Ash’s hand.

“I…I kind of like the way it is now”, Goh admits, and Ash looks over their threaded hands, smiling to himself. 

What Goh means is that he prefers to be just engaged, and he doesn’t need anything else for now. He was waiting for it to come for such a long time, and for now it’s enough. They’ll choose when they’ll get married when they will be ready. And they have lots of time to figure it out, yeah?

Professor Burnet puts a hand over Goh’s shoulder to ask if he would want more wine. He shakes his head, but he is up for watching the karaoke contest Halta just organised. It’s Gary’s turn to sing when the doorbell interrupts it. Camille quickly goes to check who it is, and for a moment, Goh just hears his mom’s muffled voice and the voice that sounds oddly familiar, even if Goh has just heard it maybe for 15 minutes in his life.

Goh drops the hold on Ash’s hand as he decides to join his mom in the doorway. Ash tilts his head, confused as he watches his disappearing silhouette, but he keeps his guard up.

“Oh, there you are, sweetheart, I was just gonna call for you”, Camille smiles, and Goh kindly welcomes Lucy, although he is confused by her sudden visit.

“I’m sorry I came uninvited, but I just wanted to ask and check if you maybe plan to keep Blastoise with you. I realized that I may have dropped it so suddenly on you, without properly checking if you wanted to”, Lucy explains, but Goh nods his head, and she breathes out in relief.

Just when Goh wants to say something, Ash comes to the door, too, as he wraps his arm around him. Lucy takes a step back, feeling uneasy, but Goh doesn’t feel any tension coming from Ash, and it’s relieving.

“Actually, my partner caught Blastoise, since he’s more of a battle person than me, but we’ll both take good care of him”, Goh reassures, and Lucy kindly bows her head. 

“Thank you so much. Now I’m sure he’s gonna be in good hands”, she smiles in relief, bowing kindly. “But yeah, I don’t wanna interrupt your afternoon, I should be going, but thank you um, for taking good care of Blastoise”, she rushily says as she turns to leave. Goh watches her for a moment as he bites his lips, but it takes only a glance at him from Ash to sense what Goh’s heart wants. 

He squeezes Goh’s waist as he stops Lucy from leaving. “Would you like to join us for dinner?”, Ash proposes kindly, catching Lucy off guard as she hesitates. Goh looks over at him, shocked too.

“Are you sure about that?”, she asks, some anxiety of not being welcome filling her voice as she looks over at Camille.

“Only if my son wants you to be here”, Camille smiles, and Goh nods his head, motioning for Lucy to come inside.

Lucy bows her head kindly to everyone in the room as she thanks them for the hospitality. She apologizes one more time, and everyone welcomes her warmly, and Goh is grateful for that.

Gary glances at him when he passes him to sit back on the couch, but Goh just offers him a smile, and it’s enough for his worries to fade away. Goh sits on the couch, Ash following him closely, and he puts his head on Ash’s shoulder, Ash wrapping his arm around his waist. Growlithe jumps on the couch, too, and Goh laughs as he pets him, Grookey demands some attention, too, but Ash places him on his lap, scratching his head, which makes him fall asleep quickly.

The karaoke contest resumes, Camille offers some wine for Lucy. There’s Gary’s awful singing, but at least he tries, Goh thinks as Tokio shamelessly records him, and Ash tries to stifle his laughter.

Goh laughs, wiping the happy tears from his eyes. There’s no tension around. There’s no anxiety. There’s peace and quietness in his heart for once.

And maybe, maybe, it’s a step closer for Goh to heal.

🌸

The fireworks adorn the sky as Goh watches them shine alongside the stars. There’s a kiss to his shoulder blade, and a blanket being thrown over his shoulder, and there’s a glass of champagne being offered to his hand. Goh takes a sip of it, basking in the quietness of the night. The Pokemon are already fast asleep, but Goh wanted to stay until midnight to celebrate the New Year with Ash by his side. He would, nevertheless, even if he would be asleep, but nothing beats watching the colorful fireworks shining in the sky. 

Ash feels the same way, because he whispers a quiet Happy New Year, baby to Goh’s ear before he takes a sip of his own champagne. Goh chuckles to himself as he looks over at Ash, his eyes shining as bright as the fireworks now before he catches Ash’s lips to share another kiss. It’s delicate, soft, and filled with champagne, and Goh finds a lot of comfort in that right now.

Ash hugs Goh from behind, shifting his attention to the sky filled with stars and fireworks, and Goh follows his gaze. 

It’s New Year, it doesn’t even feel this way with how much has happened in the past one. And Goh still feels stuck in the past year, but it’s New Year, and there’s a lot to look forward to. There’s a lot of promises that Goh has made to himself for this upcoming year.

There's a World Coronation Series later in the year, and it means that they will travel to Kalos a lot to see Sawyer and Alain. There are already a lot of battles to look forward to. There’s Gary and Tokio’s wedding, which Goh is really excited about. He has promised to help Tokio choose the suit, and he knows Ash has promised Gary the same. There’s the plan where Goh has promised himself to do more catching sprees to fill his Pokedex more, and Ash promised to help with that. 

And there’s the plan where Goh has promised himself to heal. Or at least try to, and Goh knows it may take a lot of time. It may take months, years even, but Goh is certain that with Ash by his side, he will get through everything. 

Goh’s gaze shifts to the ring on his finger. It shimmers beautifully in the light of the fireworks. And it’s the first time where Goh can truly admire the ring. It has a little stars and moon patterns all over it, and it’s perfect for Goh, because that’s what he loves the most – to stargaze and admire how the moon reflects in his eyes as he stares at it during his sleepless nights. It was made for Goh, it has Goh written all over it, and it reflects his soul and who he is. Ash couldn’t have chosen a better ring, and that’s what Goh loves about Ash, too – how thoughtful he is and how well he knows Goh. How he memorized his fears, his hopes, his dreams, and how he reflected it in this ring, and in the promise of staying with Goh forever. And maybe that’s another thing to look forward to this year, too. Goh loves the weight of the engagement ring on his finger, and he dreamed of being engaged for such a long time. He would love to keep it this way for now, but just the thought of talking with Ash about the future wedding and the plans around it is enough for Goh’s heart to explode from happiness. 

Ash brings Goh back to reality by squeezing his waist, and Goh hums in the comfort and warmth of Ash’s body and the blanket surrounding him. The fireworks start to slowly fade away from the sky, and it’s probably a good time to call it a day and get a decent amount of rest. He feels Ash being mere seconds away from proposing to go back to bed. And he’s not mistaken about it at all when Ash slowly pulls away from Goh as he gives a last squeeze to his waist and urges him to go inside.

“Let’s go inside, I can feel you’re cold”, Ash whispers, and well, that’s true, the blanket starts to not be enough, so he slowly nods his head, looking at the stars for the last time before Ash drags him back to the Laboratory by the hand, brushing Goh’s ring finger delicately.

Soon after (after not trying to squish Pikachu and Grookey while getting to bed), Goh finds his favorite place on Ash’s chest, basking in the warmth of his body and the duvet with the extra blanket being wrapped around his body. Ash’s heartbeat is the best lullaby Goh could ask for right now, so his eyes close on their own. But Goh doesn’t fall asleep right away, he’s on the verge of drifting off, but still being aware of what’s happening around. He feels Ash’s steady breathing, but Goh can tell he’s not asleep either because a tired sigh escapes his lips as he lifts himself for a moment to get his Rotom Phone from the nightstand. Goh can feel the light radiating from it through his closed eyelids, so he peeks through one of his eyes to see what Ash is up to. Ash types something on his social media account with a smile on his face, and Goh smiles to himself as he closes his eyes again and melts further into Ash’s embrace, allowing himself to get some rest. 

But the typing continues for the next ten minutes, and when Goh opens his eyes again, Ash has a frown on his face as he’s deep in thought.

Goh blinks at him slowly with sleepiness behind his eyes. “What are you writing?”.

Ash hums, putting his free hand in Goh’s messy hair and moving through them. “I just wanted to post some photos from our engagement on my socials”, he whispers, avoiding waking up the sleeping Pokemon, and Goh lifts himself slightly to sit instead. “Clara really did take some beautiful photos, it would be a shame not to post them”.

Goh chuckles and peeks through Ash’s shoulder as he swipes the photos before he frowns at some of them. “Hold on, I thought no one knew about the proposal on the beach, so how come you have photos from it, too?”, he asks, raising his brow, and Ash sheepishly laughs.

“Well, let me tell you that I asked Rotom Dex to sneak behind one of the trees to capture the moment. I figured you would love to frame it, too”, Ash winks, and Goh squeezes his shoulder, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. 

“I definitely will frame it”, Goh says, covering his own yawn as he lays back on Ash’s chest. “I can’t believe I’m going into a New Year as the World Champion’s fiancé, it still feels like a fever dream”, he closes his eyes again, and Ash starts moving his hand through Goh’s hair again. 

Ash chuckles as he shifts his attention back to the screen full of letters. He hovers his finger above it for a moment before he bites the inside of his cheek. “Do you mind the caption being a little bit personal?”, he asks, and Goh opens his eyes for a moment, not saying anything at first. 

Goh looks adorable like that, hair sticking left and right, some of them falling over his forehead, his eyes blurry even if he didn’t get even one minute of sleep, and Ash can’t get enough of the sight. He brushes the hair that fell onto Goh’s face as he places a soft kiss to his forehead, and Goh chuckles at that. 

“No, not at all. I want to read it, too”, Goh whispers, closing his eyes for the umpteenth time that night. “Can I read it later?”, he mumbles, pressing himself further into Ash’s embrace, and Ash squeezes his waist one last time before whispering a soft sure, allowing Goh to get much needed rest.

Ash presses the post button as he puts the phone down, hoping to not be bothered by how it will be received throughout the night.

🌸

But Goh wakes up to Ash staring at the ceiling, a frown covering his expression, his phone in hand, and Goh tips his head to the side, squeezing his shoulder.

“Ash?”, he asks, carefully, not knowing what reaction to expect, but Ash just turns to face him, his expression softening as he smiles at Goh.

“37 million likes, yeah, you heard it right, 37 million likes. At this point, I’m not even surprised that my posts with you blow up the most. I think they love it when I post about you. I mean, that’s understandable, you are the most lovable person in the world after all, but when I post myself, I don’t get such high numbers. I think my fans broke the app for a few hours after I posted our engagement photos”, Ash chuckles, and Goh cradles his face into his hands to place a sweet kiss upon his lips.

And Ash would love to deepen the kiss, but Goh pulls away quickly, too quickly, and that’s a shame, and he takes Ash’s phone to read what he has written in the caption. He lays back on Ash’s chest where he can feel his quickened heartbeat.

HE SAID YES!!!

I still can't fully process the fact that I'm getting married to the love of my life. To my partner. To my best friend. To the best research fellow partner I could ever ask for when I first met him.

2 years ago we shared our first kiss – such an intimate moment with a crowd of thousands of people after I defended my World Champion title in Galar.

And this year couldn't be any better when I finally braced myself to ask that one question that’s been on my mind for months. 

And I wanted to share this beautiful moment with the Alola crowd, because...Alola is home. It's safe. It's respectful. It never failed to make me smile. It helped me in my darkest hour.

When I first took my partner (back then friend, honestly – no offense to anyone, but best friend) to Alola, he was 12, and I was 13. We were young, carefree, and eager for new adventures, always running forward to achieve our goals. It was days, or maybe hours – I’m not sure myself, because love was always confusing to me – after I realized that I am in love with my best friend. And how odd can it get that you introduce your best friend that you're secretly in love with to your second family hours after you realize how in love you are? It could only happen to me.

I was confused, but deep down, I knew what this feeling was. Love. For my best friend. And I never felt it before towards anyone, but with him? It felt right, I wanted to keep being in love with him, and I never wanted to let go of this feeling. 

But I did. Sometimes, life gets heavy and you try to erase the right people from your life because your mind tricks you into thinking that it's for the better. Dark clouds above my head – I still chose Alola, hoping it would bring me the peace I needed to come to terms with the feelings that were scaring me. 

It was the hardest time of my life. The home that Alola was for me at some point became an escape. Escape from my thoughts, from my feelings. Escape from the person I should have held close to me instead.

I'm doing it now, while I’m writing it, and I couldn't be more grateful that he was the one to break the distance that I put between us. The distance that should never have happened because nothing will bring back that year without him that’s missing in my heart. I broke some promises, I broke a lot of trust, and even if all’s well that ends well, there's not a day I don't regret the mistake of letting him go.

Alola is important to me, it became an important part of my partner's life as well. It's here where we confessed our feelings to each other, it's here where I got on one knee to ask him to spend the rest of his life with me. It's home, and that's how I wanted my partner to see Alola too – home.

The past weeks, even if still full of sweet moments, still have a bitter taste. These weeks were hard, and Alola is filled with bitter sweet memories now, not only for my partner, but also for me, but I know time will heal every scar and every wound.

And with that, I wanted to thank everyone who supported me during the League, I'm sorry that I won again, you all can try next year 😜

Happy New Year everyone. 

- Your favorite Champion who is getting married

P.S Actually, this is me coming clean that I proposed twice 😅 HE SAID YES TWICE!!!!

P.S 2. My advice is always ruin the friendship (by confessing I mean!!!)

P.S 3. Gary, I’m gonna restrict you from commenting if you won’t stop spamming the comment section with how gorgeous my fiancé is.

Goh snorts as he sees how Gary has deleted all the comments he’s written as he settled on leaving only one.

Imagine being Goh, and being asked by the one and only World Champion to marry him TWICE. Goh, you lucky, ass. Ash, you too. Congratulations, you finally did it. I helped to choose the ring, I deserve some credit, too 😜

Ash rolls his eyes, and Goh laughs, but he does place a kiss to Ash’s chest, close to his heart, and Ash squeezes his body tighter, kissing Goh atop of his head a few times. 

Goh doesn’t say anything, he re-reads the caption one more time. Twice for good measure, and Ash smiles to himself as he sees how fondly Goh looks at what he’s written. He moves his hand comfortingly over Goh’s back as he reads it over and over again. With passing time, the rest of the text is blurry as Goh’s eyes only focus on one sentence.

We were young, carefree, and eager for new adventures, always running forward to achieve our goals.

And Goh wants to feel it again, alongside Ash. On the new chapter of their lives. Maybe Goh could use some escape from the pain he experienced, from the scars on his heart. Maybe Goh could find a place that could help him heal and forget about the pain he’s been feeling.

And Goh knows the place for that – a place he would love to visit again, to explore it properly this time with Ash by his side. 

Goh takes a deep breath as he glances at the egg laying on the table, being close to hatching soon. “Ash? Let’s go to Paldea”.

🌸

Don't you sweat it, baby, it's alright

You were dancing through the lightning strikes

Sleepless in the onyx night

But now, the sky is opalite