Archive of Our Own

Gladion sighed as Komala rang the school bell, signalling the end of the school day.

"Okay, class, you all did well today,” Guzma praised after stopping the stereo. “Now, I want you all to spend the weekend thinking about what you want to do for the assignment I've given you. Have a good weekend, everyone."

Gladion sighed, taking off his dance shoes before replacing them with regular red joggers. As he tied his laces, his Pokémon partner Umbreon sat beside him.

"You did well today, Umbreon," he praised as he rubbed her back.

"Bre," Umbreon purred before pulling Gladion's hoodie out of his bag.

"Thanks," Gladion smiled, taking the hoodie and pulling it on, hiding his loose tank. Then, after shoving his dance shoes into his bag, he stood up and swung the bag over his shoulder. "Let's go."

As he walked towards the door with Umbreon following close behind, he thought about the assignment Guzma had given his class.

What am I going to do? He thought just as he walked out the door.

"Gladion!"

Turning, he saw his little sister and her Vulpix running toward him. Smiling, he stood still, waiting patiently for his sister to finish running toward him.

"Hello, Lillie," he greeted as she stopped in front of him, panting slightly. "Hello, Snowy."

"Vul!" The little white fox squealed, rubbing noses with Umbreon.

Taking a deep breath, Lillie stood up straighter with a smile. "Hi, big brother," she grinned before smirking. "So, did you speak to Guitar Boy today? Do you know his name yet?"

Gladion glared at her. Why did I tell her about him? he thought.

"No, I didn't!" he snapped. "And no, I don't! And I've told you, don't talk about him while we're in school! What if he suddenly turns up and hears you?!"

"Okay, okay," Lillie laughed, holding up her hands in a defensive position. "We'll talk about him later. Here's a safer topic. How was your dance class?"

Immediately, Gladion's face fell, causing Lillie to frown. "It was… okay.”

"Okay?" Lillie asked in surprise. "But you love to dance. What's wrong?"

"You know the upcoming open house at the end of the school term?" Gladion asked as they walked to the school gate, their Pokémon partners following.

"You mean the one that's happening in three months?" Lillie clarified. "Yeah, Professor Kukui told us about it today. Our class will be performing too."

"Yeah, Guzma has set up an assignment where we have to sing and dance," Gladion explained. "Best performance gets to perform at the upcoming open house."

"Really?!" Lillie cried as she stopped walking, her eyes wide in excitement. "That's amazing! Ooh, I hope you get to perform!"

"Vul!" Snowy squealed in agreement.

"Perform?" Gladion repeated with wide eyes. "I'll be lucky if I pass!"

"What? What are you talking about?" Lillie frowned. "You're one of the best dancers in school! And you have a lovely voice."

"But I can't sing and dance at the same time," Gladion pointed out. "Remember what happened when you and I tried to perform a duet for Mother and Father's anniversary last month?"

"Oh," Lillie winced, remembering how winded Gladion got in the middle of the dance routine they had created as a present for their parents.

"Yeah, oh," Gladion repeated, smiling as Umbreon nuzzled his legs to comfort him. "Forget the open house. I'll be lucky if I pass this assignment without embarrassing myself!"

Lillie hummed thoughtfully before her face lit up with excitement.

"I think I might know a way to help you!" she grinned before grabbing Gladion's hand and pulling him in the direction of the music area. 'Come with me."

"Why are we going to the music area?" Gladion asked, confused, as Lillie eagerly continued to pull his arm. "What about the car?"

"It's okay," Lillie smiled, waving her free hand dismissively. "I'll message them in a minute. And we're going to the music area because there's someone there who I think can help you with your assignment."

Gladion rolled his eyes as he stopped walking, making Lillie look at him.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "You're not making any sense."

"Okay, a few weeks ago, we got a new student in my class," Lillie explained. "You've probably seen him around. He's always running around with his Pokémon during lunchtime or playing his guitar. Anyway, his name is Ash, and he's a wonderful singer. So maybe he can help you."

"But why would he do that?"

"Because he's very kind.”

Gladion grimaced with uncertainty. "I don't know."

"Come on, big brother," Lillie smiled kindly. "You know I wouldn't suggest it if it weren't worth it. Besides, what have you got to lose?"

Gladion sighed. She did have a point.

"You two think it's worth asking?" He asked, looking down at Umbreon and Snowy. Getting eager nods from the two Pokémon, he then looked at Lillie. "Okay, I'll meet your friend.”

"Yay!" Lillie cheered, clapping her hands together happily. "Come on!"

"Okay," Gladion smiled fondly. "So, tell me about this Ash."

"Well, he comes from the Kanto region," Lillie recited. "His partner is a Pikachu, and they love to battle. He’s travelled to many regions before he came here. Um, he's staying with Professor Kukui while he's at our school, and he likes running, battling and music. And that's all I know about him."

"Really?" Gladion asked as they reached Professor Kukui's closed classroom.

He was about to ask another question when he heard something. Someone was singing while a piano was playing.

"In case you failed to notice," the tenor voice sang. "In case you failed to see. This is my heart, bleeding before you. This is me down on my knees. These foolish games are tearing me apart. And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart. You're breaking my heart."

Gladion exhaled sharply. That voice. It sounded so beautiful. So sad.

"Lillie, who is that?" he asked as Lillie put her hand on the doorknob.

"That's Ash," Lillie smiled as she opened the door. "The one I was telling you about. Look."

Gladion looked inside to see a boy about his age, with black hair and tan skin, playing a piano with a Pikachu on his shoulder. Gladion blinked as his mouth fell open and his stomach fluttered. It was him.

Ash is Guitar Boy? he thought as he watched Ash play, thinking back to when he had first seen him.

Around two weeks ago, during a lunch break, Gladion was making his way towards his next class with Umbreon, his artificial Pokémon; Silvally (a Pokémon his parents trusted him to care for) and his Midnight Form Lycanroc, waiting for the bell to ring when he saw him. He was just sitting with that Pikachu on a bench, gently strumming his guitar and humming. It sounded so beautiful that Gladion, Silvally, Lycanroc and Umbreon just stood there, watching and listening to him play until Komala rang the bell. Their eyes then briefly met before Gladion left to go to class.

He had initially thought it was a one-time thing, but the next day, there he was again, Pikachu beside him and a guitar on his lap. The only difference was that he had a Rowlet sleeping in the backpack by his leg. Again, Gladion, Silvally, Lycanroc and Umbreon stood there and listened to him play. Only this time, as he played, the boy looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. Gladion was about to say something when Komala rang the bell. After giving the boy a small smile, he left with his Pokémon following close behind. The third day was the same; only a Rockruff had joined the pack, and this time, there was only curiosity on the boy's face.

When the fourth day rolled around, Gladion had left his class as soon as the bell rang. Once he was at the bench, he waited patiently for the boy and his Pokémon to appear. When they arrived, the boy had a surprised look on his face, but after a few minutes, a small smile appeared before he sat down next to Gladion and started playing, much to Gladion's relief.

After that, Gladion would go to the bench every break and wait for the one he had nicknamed 'Guitar Boy' to come and play his guitar. Once Guitar Boy had appeared, the two would sit quietly. Guitar Boy would play while Gladion listened, along with the Pokémon. They never spoke to each other. They didn't even know each other's names, but it didn't matter. It was peaceful, and during that time, Gladion had developed a slight fascination for Guitar Boy.

"Are you serious?" Gladion whispered. "That's Ash?"

"Yep," Lillie nodded before knocking to get Ash's attention.

Ash stopped his playing before looking up. "Oh, Lillie, hi," he smiled while Pikachu waved. Then, as his eyes fell on Gladion, he blinked before giving a friendly smile. "I know you."

"Hello," Gladion waved awkwardly.

I am so screwed! he thought.

"This is Gladion, my big brother," Lillie introduced.

Ash's eyes briefly widened before he stood up.

"Brother? Really?" He asked in surprise as he walked over.

Standing before Gladion, Ash studied him. Gladion blushed, wishing he were wearing his usual jeans and hoodie instead of his dancing sweats. After a few seconds, Ash smiled again before holding out his hand.

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in the Kanto region," he said before turning his head slightly towards the electric type on his shoulder. "And this is my partner, Pikachu."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu waved.

Gladion smiled as he shook Ash's hand. "I'm Gladion," he said before gesturing to his leg by looking down. "And this is Umbreon."

"Umbre!" Umbreon greeted.

"It's nice to meet you both," Ash smiled, releasing Gladion's hand. "Properly."

"Yeah," Gladion nodded.

"Properly?" Lillie asked in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

Gladion bit his lip as he looked at Lillie. "He's Guitar Boy," he explained with embarrassment.

Lillie frowned briefly before lighting up. "Wait, Ash is Guitar Boy?" she asked before laughing. "He's the one you've been sitting with during the breaks? Oh my gosh, that's so funny!"

"Guitar Boy?" Ash asked in confusion.

"I'm sorry," Gladion winced sheepishly. "I never asked what your name was. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Ash shrugged. "I've been called worse. What can I do for you both?"

Taking a deep breath to calm down, Lillie smiled at him. "Ash, we were hoping if we could ask a favour of you?"

"What's that?"

"Well, my class is doing an assignment where we have to sing and dance," Gladion explained. "The best one gets to perform at the upcoming open house. Anyway, I'm not a very strong singer, and I'm worried I will fail. But Lillie told me you were the best singer in her class and that you might be able to help me, if that's okay with you."

"I'm not the best." Ash scratched his head sheepishly. "But I'd be happy to help you."

"Really?" Gladion asked, surprised.

"Sure," Ash nodded before walking back to the piano, gesturing for Gladion and Lillie to follow. "But first, I need to hear your voice. Do you think you can match my pitch?"

"I'll try," Gladion shrugged.

Ash nodded as he sat down at the piano. "Watch Lillie and me," he instructed. Then, as he pressed different keys, both he and Lillie started harmonising to match the playing keys. "You see? Now, you try."

"Um, okay," Gladion said, pulling a chair over.

As Ash pressed the keys, Gladion nervously tried to match the pitch, except his vocals were coming out shaky.

"Okay," Ash smiled kindly, pausing his playing. "I can tell you're nervous. It's affecting your voice. Take a deep breath. Like, really fill your lungs with air."

Gladion nodded, clearing his throat before taking a deep breath, expanding his chest as far as it would go.

"Hold it for four seconds.”

Gladion nodded again, holding his breath.

"Now let it out slowly.”

Gladion pursed his lips as he breathed out, feeling his body relax.

"Great," Ash smiled. "Now, let's try again."

Again, as Ash played the keys, Gladion tried to match the pitch as best he could.

"Okay, good," Ash nodded. "Yeah, you can sing well, so I assume the problem is that you struggle to sing while dancing?"

"That's right," Gladion nodded.

"Can you help, Ash?" Lillie asked.

"I think I can," Ash nodded thoughtfully. "We just need to work on your breathing and your stamina."

"That's it?" Gladion asked.

"That's it," Ash confirmed.

"Great!" Lillie grinned. "How about you come over to our house tomorrow so you two can start working?"

"Lillie!" Gladion scolded before looking at Ash. "Only if you want to."

"I don't mind," Ash shrugged with a small smile. "I'm pretty much free every weekend."

"Great!" Lillie cheered before pulling a piece of paper and a pen from her bag. After writing something on it, she handed the piece of paper to Ash. "This is our address. See you tomorrow, Ash!"

Gladion waved as Lillie pulled him out of the classroom, his eyes never leaving Ash's face until he was out of sight. Once they were out of sight, Lillie looked at Gladion with pity.

"You're an idiot," she sighed.

"Bite me!" Gladion shot back, making his sister laugh.

***
The next morning:

RING! RING!

Gladion jumped as the alarm on his phone went off. Groaning, he pulled the phone out from under his pillow and turned it off. After shoving the phone under his pillow again, he rolled over and closed his eyes again, hoping for a few extra minutes of sleep.

"Bre?" Umbreon asked sleepily beside him.

"Go back to sleep, Umbreon," Gladion grumbled. "It's Saturday, so it's okay to sleep in."

"Bre," Umbreon purred before starting to snore again.

Gladion sighed as he relaxed into his blankets, letting sleep take over. Then, suddenly, he heard his door open.

"Good morning, my beautiful yet idiotic brother!"

Gladion groaned at the sound of his sister's cheerfulness, covering his head with his pillow. "Go away, Lillie!"

"Come on, you have to wake up," Lillie told him as she walked over and sat on the bed.

"Lillie, it's Saturday," Gladion pointed out. "I'm allowed to sleep in, and if I miss breakfast, I'll have some toast later."

"Well, normally, I would let you," Lillie grinned. "But Ash is downstairs."

Gladion's eyes shot open as he sat up, knocking off his pillow and disturbing Umbreon. "Excuse me?" he asked, hoping he heard wrong.

"Yeah, he just arrived," Lillie answered with a smug smile.

"Lillie!" Gladion cried, falling out of bed before running to his ensuite to shower.

Lillie giggled. "I'll let him know you're coming," she called before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

***

Gladion sighed as he walked down the stairs towards the kitchen.

What is he doing here so early? He thought. Well, I guess I didn't give him a time for when he should come over, but still. Why is he here so early?

"Morning Hobbes," he greeted the family butler as he entered the kitchen.

"Ah, Master Gladion," Hobbes smiled from his position by the bench, which was covered in breakfast items and food. "Good morning. What would you like to eat?"

"Just some juice please," Gladion answered.

Hobbes nodded, grabbing a glass before pouring some fresh juice.

"Thank you," Gladion smiled as he took the glass. "Is Ash around?"

"Ah, yes," Hobbes smiled. "I took him to the music room and said he could wait for you there."

"Thanks." Gladion quickly downed the juice before putting the glass down.

"Master Gladion?" Hobbes called just as Gladion was about to leave the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"Your shirt is on inside-out," the elderly man informed him kindly.

"Thanks," Gladion blushed before leaving the kitchen.

As he walked, he pulled his shirt off and flipped it right-side-out before pulling it back on again while approaching the music room. As he reached the door, he couldn't help but smile when he heard a familiar voice singing.

"I can fake a smile," the voice sang. "I can force a laugh. I can dance and play the part if that's what you ask. Give you all I am. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it...."

Gladion blinked, his smile falling. Another sad song? He opened the door to see Ash at the piano, singing as he played.

"But I'm only human," he sang. "And I bleed when I fall down. I'm only human, and I crash, and I break down."

Gladion leaned against the door, listening to Ash's voice. It sounded so pretty, so sad.

"Your words in my head," Ash sang. "Knives in my heart. You build me up, and then I fall apart 'cause I'm only human...."

Gladion sighed before gently knocking on the door. Ash jumped with a yelp, falling off the piano bench. Gladion winced before walking speedily towards Ash.

"I'm sorry," he said, holding out his hand. "I didn't mean to scare you. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ash shrugged off while accepting Gladion's hand. "Was it okay that I was playing?"

"Of course," Gladion smiled as he pulled Ash to his feet. "I'm just surprised to see you here this early. Honestly, I wasn't expecting you to be here so soon."

"I woke up early," Ash told him, releasing Gladion's hand. "And I didn't know what time I was allowed to come. I'm sorry. I can leave if you want me to."

"No!" Gladion said quickly, wincing when Ash jumped again. "Sorry, could we start again?"

"Sure," Ash nodded, giving a small smile. "Good morning. I hope it's okay that I came early."

"Morning," Gladion smiled back. "And yes, it's fine."

"Great.” Ash sat at the piano again. "So, let's get started."

"What do we do first?" Gladion asked curiously. “Mind if I sit?”

"Not at all. First, I need to hear you sing," Ash explained, shuffling along the bench a little.

"Didn't you do that yesterday at school?" Gladion asked as he sat beside Ash, positioning his leg in a way to support himself on the slightly limited bench.

"Yesterday, I wanted to know if I needed to teach you how to sing," Ash clarified. "But you can sing. You matched my pitches perfectly yesterday. So today, I want to hear you sing. Actually sing.”

"Um, okay," Gladion said. "Do you know this one?"

Gladion reached across and started playing a few keys in the high register.

Ash smiled. "Yeah, I know it. I'll play; you sing?"

"Sure," Gladion shrugged before lighting up. "Hold on."

Ash watched as Gladion stood up before walking over to a shelf. "What are you doing?"

"Just adding some extra music," Gladion told him as he pulled a violin and a bow off the shelf.

"You play the violin?" Ash asked in surprise.

"Lillie and I took lessons when we were little," Gladion explained as he tuned the instrument. "As we got older, Lillie continued to learn how to play instruments, while my heart became set on dance. But I still like to fiddle with it sometimes to make sure I can still play well. Also, Mother and Father enjoy it when I play."

"Cool," Ash smiled. "How long have you been dancing?"

"Since I was five, just like Lillie," Gladion smiled. "We started with ballet and eventually, I moved on to other dances."

"Do you have a favourite?"

"All among them, but if I had to choose, my favourites are tap, hip hop, and rhythm ballroom styles like cha-cha and jive," Gladion answered as he finished tuning. "Done. You ready?"

Ash nodded with a hum before turning back to the piano. "Okay, stand in front of me so I can see you properly."

Gladion nodded as he moved to stand in front of the piano.

"Perfect," Ash smiled. "Okay, you ready?"

"Ready," Gladion nodded as he positioned his violin on his shoulder.

"Okay, one, two, three."

As Ash started playing, Gladion closed his eyes. "A beating drum," he sang shakily. "It's in my lungs. I breathe it in; it takes my breath away. I don't look back. It's just a trap. We are all one, but we're not the same."

"Everybody's looking for a new horizon."

Gladion opened his eyes to see Ash smiling at him.

"Everybody wants to leave the world behind them," Ash sang encouragingly. "Everybody's looking for a new horizon."

Gladion grinned as he felt himself relax. "Everybody's looking for a second chance," he sang clearly. "Everybody's wishing they could take a stand. Everybody's looking for a second chance."

Ash watched as Gladion started to properly play his violin, losing himself to the instrument.

"What if I lose my self-control?" He sang. "What if I choose to let it go? I want to let you and me collide. Baby, these wings were made; these wings were made to fly...."

As Gladion held the note, Ash grinned before standing up. Then, after kicking the bench away from him, he started to play faster.

***

After finishing the last song, Gladion gently put his violin on top of the piano with a sigh.

"Wow!" he panted. "I can't believe we did three songs. Honestly, I never had that much fun with music before."

"I haven't had that much fun in ages," Ash grinned, falling to his knees, narrowly missing cracking his head on the piano. "Not since..."

Gladion frowned as Ash’s voice started to trail off. He kneeled to look at him. He looked sad again.

"Are you okay?"

Ash took a breath as he blinked a few times quickly before smiling forcefully. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Should we do another song?"

Gladion blinked in surprise at the sudden mood shift before deciding to move on. "Maybe in a little bit, I'm kind of hungry. Would you like something to eat?"

Immediately, Ash's stomach growled. Gladion chuckled softly as he stood up while Ash blushed.

"I'll take that as a yes," he smiled, walking around to where Ash was still sitting before holding out his hand. "Come with me?"

Ash looked at the offered hand before looking up at Gladion, who nodded. Nodding, he placed his hand in Gladion's, allowing the blond to pull him to his feet.

"Come on," Gladion smiled. "I take you to the kitchen."

"Okay," Ash said as Gladion led him out of the music room. "You know, you're a great singer. You've got excellent lungs."

"I think being a dancer helps with that," Gladion acknowledged, hoping he didn't sound like he was bragging before frowning. "But if that's the case, why can't I dance and sing at the same time?"

"You're probably not used to it," Ash pointed out. "So we just have to get you used to it."

"Makes sense," Gladion nodded as they reached the kitchen. "Please, have a seat. You want something to drink?"

"Do you have any iced tea?" Ash asked, looking around before spotting a bay window with a bumped-out window seat. "And is it okay if we sit at the bay window?"

"Yes, to both questions," Gladion smiled as he started making tea. "That bay window is one of my favourite places. Anyway, how do I get used to singing and dancing at the same time?"

"Well, the first thing you need to do is pick a song for your assignment," Ash clarified, sitting down to watch Gladion. "Do you have one?"

"I have a few ideas," Gladion told him. "But I haven't decided on which song yet."

"That's okay," Ash shrugged. "You still have some time to figure out which one you want to do. So, the first question. When you dance, do you ever lip sync?"

"Huh?" Gladion asked, picking up the glasses before walking towards Ash.

"You know, mouth the words while you dance?" Ash clarified.

"Oh, that." Gladion put a glass on a free wooden section on the bay window seat before holding the other one out to Ash. "Yeah, sometimes, especially if I enjoy the song or if I need to remember what move is performed during a certain section."

"Thank you," Ash smiled, accepting the glass. "Anyway, lip-syncing is a great way to get used to dancing and singing at the same time."

"Really? Why?"

"It helps you get your breathing in sync with your dancing, without the distraction of how your voice sounds at that particular moment,” Ash explained.

"How do you know all this?" Gladion asked as he walked towards the fridge. "Oh, is there anything, in particular, you would like to eat?"

"I have friends who are performers," Ash shrugged. "And no, I'm not fussy."

"Okay," Gladion answered as he examined the content in the fridge. "That's impressive about your friends. Anyway, back on topic, first, I need to practice lip-syncing with my dancing. Do I need to do anything else?"

"We'll also need to work on your breathing," Ash said after sipping some tea. "Do you do any breathing exercises?"

Gladion looked over his shoulder at Ash with a smirk. "I am a dancer," he pointed out before turning back to the fridge again.

"Right," Ash said sheepishly. "Anyway, so you know how you have to work on breathing while you dance?"

"Yes," Gladion answered, pulling out a plate before closing the fridge. "Hey, do you mind cold pizza? It's margarita."

"No," Ash shook his head.

"Great," Gladion smiled, closing the fridge before walking over. "So what about my breathing?"

"Well, it's the same with singing," Ash explained as Gladion sat beside him. "If you want to hold a high or long note, you need to make sure there's enough air in your lungs, so you don't choke or squeak."

Gladion hummed as he took a bite of pizza, thinking about the performance he and Lillie did for their parents. He remembered with embarrassment how he had choked a couple of times before his parents told him to stop so he could catch his breath. Blushing at the memory, he swallowed before looking at Ash.

"Well, that makes sense," he said. "So, how do I fix that?"

"Well, first, I need to hear your songs and see your routines for them," Ash told him. "Then I can tell you where you need to focus your breathing. And we'll also need to set up a cardio and running exercise routine for you."

"Why cardio and running?" Gladion asked.

"Both will build up your stamina," Ash answered. "I can help you with both."

"Really?"

"Sure," Ash nodded.

"After we eat, I'll show you our gym," Gladion smiled. "Then I'll show you the routines I came up with yesterday if you're interested."

"I'd like that," Ash smiled back.

"But I will have to wait about an hour before I dance so I don't get cramps," Gladion explained. "Is that okay?"

"Sure," Ash smiled. "You know, we did spend two weeks just sitting together at school and not talking at school. So, how about we get to know each other to pass the time?"

"Okay," Gladion nodded as he grabbed another slice of pizza. "Ask me anything you like."

"Where did the name 'guitar boy' come from?" Ash asked, making Gladion choke on his pizza.

****

After eating and spending nearly an hour and a half talking, Gladion then led Ash to the training room, a large room filled with exercise equipment and a small dance floor in the corner with a dance bar. Ash examined the equipment while Gladion pulled a couple of water bottles out of a nearby mini-fridge.

"Yeah, this will work," he smiled. "We'll be able to build up your stamina with these."

"Great," Gladion smiled, putting one of the bottles in the corner, under the dance bar.

"So, what songs are you planning on using?" Ash asked as he took a seat on the weight bench closest to the dancefloor.

"Well, this is a playlist I created with some of the songs I like," Gladion said, handing his phone and the other bottle to Ash. "Will you play them for me?"

Ash nodded, alternating between looking at the songs and watching Gladion stretch.

"Okay," Gladion nodded as he stood straight. "I'm ready."

As soon as Ash pressed play, Gladion started to dance. Setting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, Ash blocked out the world as Gladion danced to the three songs, completely enthralled. His movements were fluid, so smooth and graceful. Beautiful. When the songs finished, Gladion stopped to look at Ash, who was still staring at him.

"Ash?" he panted. "You okay?"

"Oh!" Ash exclaimed as he broke out of his trance with a blush. "Sorry about that. It's just... you're an amazing dancer! The way you move. It was just beautiful. You remind me of a Frillish or a Sylveon! You're amazing!"

Gladion blushed red as he looked away. "Thank you," he smiled softly before frowning. "They don't feel right."

"What doesn't?" Ash asked.

"The songs," Gladion admitted as he looked at Ash. "They just don't speak to me, at least not with my dancing."

Ash hummed thoughtfully as Gladion grabbed his unopened bottle.

"I understand your issue," Ash nodded as Gladion drank slowly. "I usually prefer songs that tell a story or show emotion. So I can understand if you're trying to show emotion in your dancing."

Gladion hummed as he put the bottle down again.

"But as I said," Ash smiled. "You still have time, so you don't have to decide now. Who knows? Maybe the song will come to you."

"Maybe," Gladion shrugged with a smile.

"Well, that's the good news, now the bad news."

Immediately, the smile fell. "What?" Gladion asked in suspicion.

"Some of the moves you were doing, you can't do them and sing at the same time,” Ash pointed out.

"What moves?" Gladion asked, confused.

"Your flips, leaps and those twirly things you were doing," Ash answered.

"Which twirls?"

"You know," Ash said as he stood up. "These."

Gladion watched as Ash tried a spin, only to trip and fall. Quickly, Gladion stepped forward and caught Ash in his arms.

"Woah," he chuckled while Ash blushed. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash nodded before looking up at Gladion.

The two froze as they stared at each other for a few minutes before Ash blinked and shook his head shyly.

"Sorry," he said, moving out of Gladion's arms. "I'm not the best dancer in the world."

"That's okay," Gladion smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Á La Seconde."

"What?"

"These," Gladion said, taking a couple of steps back before doing a couple of spins. "They're called Á La Seconde or second turns."

"Cool," Ash nodded. "Well, I've noticed your breathing gets heavier when you do flips, leaps and uh- second turns. So you can't do them and sing at the same time."

"Oh, I never noticed. Guess I've always focused on making sure I don't fall or injure myself that I never paid too much attention to my breathing."

"Hmm," Ash nodded. "Anyway, if you take out the flips, leaps and ... um...."

"Á La Secondes," Gladion reminded him.

"Thanks. Á La Secondes. If you take them and the other advanced moves out of your routine, I can help you learn how to sing and dance at the same time."

"Really?" Gladion asked hopefully. "Before my assignment is due?"

"Absol-utely," Ash joked, growling like an Absol as he held out his hand.

Gladion rolled his eyes with a smile as he shook Ash’s hand. Principal Oak must teach one of his classes if he can pull off a terrible Pokémon pun well enough.

"Thank you, Ash," he smiled.

"You're welcome," Ash smiled. "So, when do you want to start practising and training?"

"How about we start tomorrow?" Gladion suggested. "Maybe ten?"

"Sounds great. I don't have anything to do for the rest of the day, so how about we watch some music videos? You know, so you can see how singers do it?"

"Sure," Gladion nodded. "Let's go to my room. We can watch the videos on my laptop."

"Lead the way."

***
Saturday; two months later:

Two months had passed since Ash had agreed to help Gladion learn how to sing and dance simultaneously, and they were the most complicated and yet, most wonderful months of Gladion's life. After school and on the weekends, Ash would come by Gladion's house to help him. Some days, he would help Gladion with his cardio and breathing and other days, he watched as Gladion practised lip-syncing and dancing to a song he wanted to try for his assignment.

The work was hard, but Gladion didn't mind. He thought Ash was a great coach. He was kind and encouraging, and he never asked more of Gladion than what he could do. He was also great with Umbreon, Silvally and Lycanroc, which warmed Gladion's heart. But despite how much fun he was having with Ash and how much his crush on him had grown, Gladion did have some concerns.

His first concern was about Ash. He had noticed that despite how much time they had spent together, he didn't know much about his past. Every time Gladion had asked, Ash had avoided the questions, saying he wasn't ready to talk about it. Respectfully, he stopped asking questions, but he was still concerned, especially since Ash was always humming or singing a song about heartbreak or betrayal. His second concern was that his assignment was due in a month, and he still hadn't decided what song he wanted to use.

Gladion groaned after finishing another cardio session with Ash. Lying on the gym room floor, he put an arm over his eyes as they filled with tears.

"Gladion?"

Gladion lifted his arm to see Ash sitting next to him, smiling kindly at him. Despite his frustration, he couldn't help but smile back. There was just something about Ash's smile that always filled his stomach with excited Butterfree.

"You're crying," Ash said in surprise before looking empathetic. "Are you okay?"

"No," Gladion admitted, wishing his stomach would calm down.

Ash hummed. "How about we take a break? Maybe some tea?"

"That would be perfect," Gladion sighed as he wiped his eyes.

Ash smiled as he stood up before holding out his hand. "Come on, why don't we sit at the bay window?"

"I would love to," Gladion told him, taking Ash's hand and allowing him to pull him to his feet.

Once he was standing, the two made their way to the kitchen.

"Where's the tea?" Ash asked as he walked over to the kettle before opening it to check the water level.

"It should be in the pantry," Gladion said, sitting on the bay window couch. "And the cups are above the kettle."

"Great," Ash turned on the kettle before opening the cupboard. "So, you want to tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Gladion admitted. "I don't want to sound ungrateful."

"I would rather you'd tell me the truth," Ash admitted as he pulled out two cups.

"Are you sure?" Gladion asked as the kettle whistled, signalling that the water was boiled.

"Once upon a time, someone I cared about lied to me," Ash answered as he filled the cups a quarter of the way with hot water. "Just tell me the truth."

Gladion bit his lip as Ash turned around, holding the cups. After turning on the tap and filling the cups with cold water, Ash looked at him tiredly. Gladion's eyes widened at the sight of Ash looking so sad and tired.

"Ash?" he asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Please don't lie to me," Ash pleaded softly as he turned off the tap.

"Okay," Gladion nodded. "But please know, I've loved spending these past two months with you, and I'm so grateful for all your help. I'm practically a double threat because of you."

"That's very kind of you to say," Ash nodded as he walked over, holding out one of the cups towards Gladion.

"Thank you," Gladion smiled, accepting the cup before taking a sip as Ash sat beside him.

Ash nodded. "So, what's wrong?"

"I'm anxious because my assignment is due in less than three weeks, and I still don't have a song," Gladion admitted.

Ash sighed as he stared at his cup. “I'm sorry.”

"Why are you sorry?" Gladion asked in surprise. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"I should have helped you find a song," Ash told him.

"Oh no, Ash," Gladion smiled, gently placing a hand on Ash's knee. "As I said, you've done so much for me, and I'm so grateful for it. Besides, it's my assignment, so it's my responsibility to pick a song."

Ash looked at Gladion. “Really?”

"Really," Gladion nodded before lighting up. "You know what?"

"What?"

"We've been working hard these past two months," Gladion grinned. "We deserve a break."

"What kind of break?"

"Have you ever been to a Melemele dance night?"

"A what?" Ash asked.

"Every Saturday, a man called DJ Leo and his Diglett and Dugtrio put on a dance night for teenagers on the beach," Gladion explained. "Lillie took me with her friends months ago, and I had a good time. Since then, I have always gone whenever I feel stressed. I haven't gone for a while, so why don't we go tonight?"

"Oh. Uh, I don't know," Ash said uneasily. "I'm probably not the best person to go dancing with. Why don't you go by yourself? You've been working so hard, and you deserve a break."

"But I want you to come with me!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, Gladion felt his cheeks colour.

Oh, Island Guardians! he thought. Why did I say that?

"Really?" Ash asked in surprise. "You want me to come with you?"

"Yes," Gladion nodded, feeling relieved. "You've been so kind in helping me. I want to share something I love with you to thank you for what you've done. We can even invite Lillie and the others if you want. Please, come with me?"

Gladion held his breath as Ash continued to look at him with uncertainty. Finally, after a few minutes, a small smile grew on Ash's face.

"Is there anything, in particular, I should wear?" He asked shyly.

Gladion beamed, excited Butterfree dancing in his stomach. "Do you have jeans?"

***

Later that night:

Gladion grinned as he spun Lana before dipping her as they danced to DJ Leo's music, feeling his stress leave his body.

"Gladion, stop!" Lana giggled as Gladion pulled her up again. "You're making me dizzy!"

Gladion grinned as he released Lana before looking around for Ash.

"Looking for Guitar Boy?"

Gladion turned to see his sister grinning at him.

"Must you do that?" he scowled.

"I'm your sister," Lillie grinned. "There are rules, and one of them is that I'm allowed to tease my brother about his crush. Anyway, if you're looking for Ash, he's still at our table."

Gladion looked in the direction of the beach tables to see Ash watching everyone, tapping his fingers to the beat and mouthing the words.

"I thought he would have joined us by now," he said thoughtfully. "I'm going to go invite him to dance with us."

"You mean dance with you," Lillie corrected with a smirk.

Gladion glared at her briefly. "Fine, yes dance with me, you cheeky little Mankey!”

Lillie continued to smirk triumphantly until Mallow walked past, shimmying his shoulders as she went. When Lillie’s eyes followed her, Glasion blinked before smirking. Two could play at this game.

“Tell you what, little sis. If I get Ash to come dance with me, you have to get Mallow to dance with you."

"Okay, deal," Lillie said confidently, despite her pinkening cheeks.

Gladion rolled his eyes fondly before walking over to Ash. When he was close enough, Ash looked up at him with a smile.

"Hey Ash," Gladion smiled, taking a seat beside Ash.

"Hi," Ash smiled back. "How do you feel? You having fun?"

"Better and I am," Gladion answered before looking worried. "Are you okay? I'm surprised you haven't come out and joined us."

"I told you," Ash shook his head. "I'm not a good dancer."

"But I don't want you over here by yourself," Gladion said.

Then DJ Leo started playing a new song. Smiling at the mixture of soft rock, pop rock, Paldean* beats and silky vocals, Gladion took Ash's hands in his before standing.

"I love this song," he revealed, pulling Ash to his feet. "Come on, Ash. Come dance with me."

"Oh, no, no, Gladion," Ash shook his head as he tried to pull his hands out of Gladion's grasp. "I shouldn't. I'll just embarrass you, and there's a high chance I'll step on your feet."

"No, you won't," Gladion smiled reassuringly. "I trust you. Please, Ash, come dance with me."

Ash bit his bottom lip, making Gladion hold his breath. Then, after a few minutes, Ash let out a sigh as he gazed wearily at Gladion.

"You really want me to dance with you?" he checked. "For real?"

"Yes," Gladion nodded.

Ash sighed again before nodding. "Fine. But if I step on your toes, it's your fault. I did warn you."

"I accept that any injuries that might happen will be my fault," Gladion smiled, stomach fluttering as he led them onto the dancefloor, holding Ash's hands behind his back as he walked.

Once they were in the middle of the dance floor, Gladion turned back to look at Ash, ignoring the smirks on his sister's and friends' faces.

"Put your hands on my shoulders," he instructed, placing his hands on Ash's hips before pulling him close while Ash gingerly placed his hands on Gladion's shoulders. "Okay, that’s good. Now move with me."

Immediately, Ash looked down, his body stiffening.

"No, no," Gladion said gently, moving one of his hands so he could lift Ash's chin. "Don't look down. Look at me. Keep your eyes on me, Ash."

As Ash shyly looked up again, Gladion smiled.

"That's it. Good. Now, just relax. Imagine it's just us at my house. No one else but us."

"Okay," Ash nodded.

Gladion grinned, dipping Ash briefly before swaying them both to the beat, enjoying the shy giggles Ash was giving.

"Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell," the music played as Gladion spun Ash out before pulling him in again. "It was love from above like it saved me from hell. She had fire in her soul. It was easy to see how the devil himself could be pulled out of me. There were drums in the air as she started to dance. Every soul in the room keeping time with their hands...."

After spinning Ash again, Gladion pulled him close, holding their hands above their heads as their noses grazed. Gladion blinked as Ash's cheeks darkened. He could see every detail on Ash's face with him this close. He then released Ash's hands to carefully cup Ash's cheeks, gently tracing the cheekbones with his thumbs.

"Gladion," Ash whispered, his arms falling to his sides.

"Ash," Gladion whispered back before closing his eyes and pressing his lips to Ash's.

They were warm and soft, and they tasted faintly of lemonade.

Suddenly, Gladion felt hands on his chest before he was shoved away. He opened his eyes to see Ash standing there with tears rolling down his cheeks. Immediately, Gladion’s heart dropped into his stomach.

"Ash, I-," he started to say.

"I'm so sorry," Ash wept before turning and running away as fast as he could while Gladion stood there, feeling confused, hurt and guilty.

***

Gladion sat on the bay window couch in the kitchen the next morning, staring at the clock on the wall and waiting for Ash to turn up. As the minutes ticked by, he pulled out his phone to call Ash again.

"Hi, this is Ash Ketchum," the voice mail said. "I'm not available right now, but I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible. Say bye, Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

Beep!

"Ash, it's me again," Gladion said. "Listen, I'm sorry about last night. Please, I just want to make sure you're okay. Please call me back."

Sighing, he hung up his phone before looking at the clock again.

"You okay, Gladion?"

He looked towards the doorway to see Lillie standing there with Snowy in her arms.

"No, I'm worried about Ash. He's late and not responding to my messages or calls."

"Then go to him," Lillie encouraged.

"I don't know where he lives," Gladion told her. "We always did our sessions here."

"I already told you. Ash is living with Professor Kukui,” his sister reminded him.

"I don't know where Professor Kukui lives," Gladion pointed out. "He's your teacher, not mine."

"Oh, right," Lillie said with embarrassment. "He lives on the beach in the Hau'oli Outskirts. It's the only house there, so you can't miss it."

"Thanks, sis," Gladion smiled as he got up and headed towards Lillie.

"You're welcome," Lillie smiled just as he walked past. "Oh, and Gladion?"

Gladion turned, bracing himself for some more teasing only to get a sweet smile.

"I hope everything is okay between you two," she said sincerely.

Gladion smiled. "Thanks, Lillie."

***

"Thanks, Silvally," Gladion smiled as he dismounted his Pokémon partner.

The artificial Pokémon grunted as Gladion returned it to its Pokéball. Once Silvally disappeared into the Premier Ball, Gladion walked up to the house. He was about to knock on the screen door when he paused, thinking about the night before. How sad Ash had looked after Gladion had kissed him. How fearful.

Oh, Ash. I hope I haven't lost my friendship with you because of that stupid kiss!

After knocking on the door, he waited. Thankfully he didn't have to wait long because after a few minutes, the door opened, revealing Professor Kukui.

"Oh, alola," he smiled. "You look very familiar. Do you go to the Pokémon School?"

"Yes, sir," Gladion said respectfully. "I'm Gladion. My sister Lillie is in your class."

"Ah, yes," Kukui smiled. "Lillie's older brother. Ash and Lillie have spoken about you. They say you're a wonderful dancer."

"Thank you, sir," Gladion blushed. "Speaking of Ash, is he here? He never came by my place this morning and I want to make sure he's okay."

Immediately, Kukui's face turned serious.

"Yes, he's inside. He told me what happened when he came home last night."

"Oh," Gladion winced, unsure whether he should leave or not.

"It's okay," Kukui stepped to the side. "You may come in. I'm glad that you've come over. I was worried you wouldn't."

"Thank you, sir," Gladion said gratefully before walking inside.

"Ash is in the basement," Kukui told him. "Follow me."

Obediently, Gladion followed the professor towards a staircase in the corner of the house that seemed to disappear into the floor.

"Ash is down there practising his music," the professor pointed. "I have to go to the markets, so I'll leave you two to talk."

"Thank you, sir," Gladion nodded before walking down the stairs.

As he got closer to the bottom, he could hear a piano playing and a familiar voice singing.

"I've heard you cry every night in your sleep," the voice sang. "I was so young; you should have known better than to lean on me. You never thought of anyone else. You just saw your pain. And now I cry in the middle of the night for the same damn thing!"

Gladion winced. He recognised that song. Biting his bottom lip, he peered around the corner to see Ash sitting at an electric piano, his back towards him.

"Because of you," Ash sang sadly. "I never stray too far from the sidewalk. Because of you, I learned to play on the safe side, so I don't get hurt. Because of you, I try my hardest just to forget everything! Because of you, I don't know how to let anyone else in! Because of you, I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty! Because of you, I am afraid. Because of you."

After sighing sadly, Ash got up from the piano and walked over to an electric guitar in the corner of the room. As Ash started plugging the instrument into the speaker box next to the guitar stand, Gladion finished walking down the stairs before sitting down on the bottom step to watch. Once Ash had the guitar plugged in, he positioned the strap over his shoulder and started playing.

"Seems like just yesterday," he sang bitterly. "You were a part of me. I used to stand so tall. I used to be so strong. Your arms around me tight; everything, it felt so right. Unbreakable. Like nothing could go wrong. Now I can't breathe. No, I can't sleep. I'm barely hanging on. Here I am, once again. I'm torn into pieces! Can't deny it; can't pretend. Just thought you were the one. Broken up deep inside, but you won't get to see the tears I cry! Behind these hazel eyes!"

Gladion sighed as he listened to Ash's hurt tone. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He hated hearing the pain in Ash's voice, and he wanted to make it stop. After standing, Gladion gently knocked on the wall, flinching when Ash jumped with a yelp before looking at him.

"Sorry, Ash," he winced. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," Ash panted. "What are you doing here? Wait, how long have you been standing there?"

"A while," Gladion admitted. "I was worried about you. You weren't answering my messages. Could we talk?"

He watched with bated breath as Ash chewed his inner cheek briefly before sighing.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said.

Gladion gave a relieved sigh as Ash started unplugging the guitar.

"You can sit over there," Ash said, gesturing to a couch with his head as he continued his task.

"Thanks, and sorry again for startling you," Gladion said as he sat down

"It's okay," Ash said, taking off the strap and putting the guitar back on the stand before walking towards Gladion. "Um, do you want anything? I can get you something to eat or drink."

"No thanks," Gladion shook his head.

"Okay," Ash said, sitting beside Gladion. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Last night. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am."

"What?"

"I'm so sorry for kissing you," Gladion said quickly. "I shouldn't have done that. I just.... I really like you. A lot. I've had a crush on you since I saw you play your guitar at school, and then we started spending all this time together and... I kind of fell for you. But that's no excuse. I shouldn't have kissed you without asking you and-."

"Gladion, stop." Ash placed a finger against Gladion's lips, making him blush. He then slowly removed his finger while smiling shyly. "I'm not angry at you for kissing me. I actually liked it. And the truth is, I care for you too. The same way you care for me."

"You did?" Gladion asked in surprise. "You do?"

"Yes, I did," Ash nodded with a smile. "The kiss was nice. And yes, I do. I care about you very much."

"Then, why did you run away from me?"

Immediately, the smile vanished from Ash's face. "Because I was angry at myself. I still am."

"Why?" Gladion asked in confusion.

"Because I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you," Ash answered as he looked at his hands.

"What?" Gladion's eyes widened.

"I promised myself I wouldn't fall in love with you," Ash said, wringing his hands. "I promised myself I wouldn't fall in love again."

"Ash, stop," Gladion begged, grabbing Ash's hands. "Please, don't hurt yourself. Just talk to me. I promise you I'll listen."

Ash sighed before looking up. His eyes were full of tears. Slowly, Gladion released Ash's hands to cup his face, wiping away the falling tears with his thumbs, much to the musician’s confusion.

"What are you...?"

"Ash, talk to me," Gladion pleaded. "Please."

Ash blinked again before nodding. "Okay, I'll tell you, but it is a bit of a story."

"I promised you that I would listen," Gladion reminded him, removing his hands from Ash's cheeks. "Tell me everything."

"Okay. Um, do you remember when you asked me how I knew so much about performing, and I told you it's because I have friends who are performers?"

Gladion nodded, remembering when Ash had said that to him.

"Well, that's not the only reason," Ash admitted. "The truth is I'm a Pokémon Coordinator and Performer. I used to perform with my Pokémon in different regions before I came to Alola. In fact, I'm the first male Pokémon Performer in the Kalos region."

"Seriously?" Gladion said in amazement.

Ash shrugged. "I thought a Kalos Pokémon performance was the same as Kanto, Hoenn and Sinnoh Pokémon contests. At first, the judges were sceptical about allowing a male to participate because it was female-only. But after getting support from my friends and showing the judges what I could do, they let me participate. I didn't win, but that didn't matter. I opened the door for other males who wanted to participate but were too nervous about taking that first step. So now there can be a Kalos King and Queen."

"Wow!" Gladion whistled. "That's amazing. But what does being a Coordinator and Performer have to do with last night?"

"I did say it was a story," Ash reminded him.

"Right," Gladion said sheepishly. "Sorry. Keep going."

"When I was doing Pokémon Contests in the Sinnoh region, I met someone,” Ash explained, looking sad. “His name is Paul. We had a bit of a relationship."

"What kind of relationship?"

"We dated for a while," Ash admitted. "It was... messy and confusing. When we first met, he was cold and dismissive of me in public, especially because I participated in gym battles and Pokémon Contests. And then, one day, he approached me privately and said he had feelings for me. But he didn't know how to be affectionate, especially since I was the first boy he liked. I agreed to give it a try, and for a while, he treated me well. He was sweet but only when it was just the two of us. In public, he still treated me like he had before."

"Oh, Ash," Gladion sighed sadly.

"I didn't know any better," Ash admitted as tears fell again. "I always thought it was my fault he acted the way he did, so I tried to be what he wanted. I ended up broken because I was so stressed about being the perfect boyfriend for him. Brock and Dawn, two friends I was travelling through Sinnoh with, eventually asked me what was wrong, so I told them. They told me to break up with him because the relationship was hurting me. I couldn't because I thought I loved him. Heh, kind of makes me pathetic, doesn't it?"

"Ash, no," Gladion shook his head while pulling Ash into a hug. "No, that's not pathetic. You cared about him. I'm just sorry he didn't care enough about you."

Ash gave a watery smile as he leaned into Gladion's embrace, resting his head on his shoulder.

"You're very kind, Gladion," he whispered.

Gladion smiled as he rubbed the back of Ash's neck with his thumb. The two sat there for a few minutes before Ash started to pull back. Despite not wanting to, Gladion respectfully released him.

"So, how did you break up with Paul?" he asked gingerly.

"One day, we had a bad fight," Ash answered as he wiped his eyes. "A terrible one, actually. He said some hurtful things, and I couldn't take it anymore. So I ran. I ran as fast as I could to Brock, begging him to help me break up with Paul. Thankfully, he helped me do that. Then the Sinnoh League happened. My Pokémon and I defeated his. Afterwards, he begged me to date him again. He told me he would never treat me like he did ever again. But I was too hurt by what he did, so I said no. Thankfully, he accepted and left, but I didn't stop crying for weeks. He hurt me so bad."

Gladion sighed again as he squeezed Ash's hand. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, Ash.”

Ash nodded. "Thanks.”

Gladion gave a small smile before frowning. "So is Paul why you're afraid to open yourself to love?"

"Not quite," Ash shook his head. "He's not the only one who hurt me. Remember how I told you about being Kalos' first male performer?"

Gladion nodded.

"Well, after my first competition, I received a gift from a secret admirer," Ash explained with a small smile. "It wasn't anything fancy, but it was sweet."

"What was it?"

"A pink rose," Ash answered. "With a note that said 'you are fearless.' After that, whether it'd be gym battles or competitions, I always received a pink rose with a different note. It didn't matter if I won or lost a competition or a gym battle. I always received a rose with a sweet and encouraging note. This went on for about five months, and then one day, I met this guy and had a battle with him. When the battle was finished, he told me his name was Alain and that he had been the one sending me flowers and notes. He said he admired what I did with competitions, and he found my bond with my Pokémon fascinating. Then he asked me if I would like to try dating. I was slightly sceptical because I was still feeling unsure after Paul, but I decided to give him a chance. And it was nice. He was different from Paul. Actually, he's a little like you."

"How so?" Gladion asked.

"He was kind, calm and sweet," Ash smiled. "A little reserved and very protective of people he cared about. Like you. I felt so comfortable with him like I do with you."

Gladion gave a soft chuckle. "I feel very comfortable around you too," he smiled before frowning. "But if he was a great guy, what happened between you two?"

"I only learnt about this later, but all he wanted was to become a strong trainer and protect those he cares about," Ash explained. "Way before we met, he met this man named Lysandre who promised him that he could be a strong trainer. As long as Alain did as he was told."

Lysandre? Gladion frowned. Why does that name sound familiar?

"Alain abandoned his friend to become stronger," Ash continued. "After that, something happened to his friend's Pokémon. He blamed himself for not being there, so he left again, determined to help his friend. He threw himself into training and battles and didn't care about anything else except becoming strong enough to protect his friends."

Gladion hummed. He understood. Arceus knows he would never forgive himself if he couldn't protect Lillie.

"I see. So, how did he find you?"

"One day, he was having a break, and he saw me performing," Ash answered. "He told me that when he watched me perform, he felt happy. Happier than he had been for a long time. So, he kind of followed me. He watched me do gym battles and performances. And then, just as I was about to leave for the next town, he would give a note and a rose to Nurse Joy and ask her to give them to me. And that's how it was until my Frogadier evolved into Greninja. He approached me, and well, you know. Battle, introduction, asked me out on a date. So we dated. For seven months until the Kalos League happened. He was so sweet, encouraging and protective. I fell for him so hard. I gave my heart to him, and it came back and bit me!"

"How?" Gladion asked.

"Do you know what happened in Lumiose City after the League one and a half years ago?" Ash asked bitterly.

"Um," Gladion said thoughtfully, trying to remember. "The Kalos League in Lumiose City. There was a man called...."

His eyes suddenly widened as realisation hit him.

"There was a man called Lysandre controlling the legendary Pokémon Zygarde and making it destroy Kalos," Gladion finished in horror. "They're calling it the Giant Rock crisis. And you... You were there?!"

"Yep. I was," Ash nodded, tears rolling. "Lysandre held me hostage during it."

"Please tell me you're joking," Gladion pleaded, despite feeling that Ash wasn't.

"I wish I could." Ash wiped his cheeks roughly with his palms. "Lysandre found out I had an ability with my Greninja called 'Bond Phenomenon' where we spiritually become one. Anyway, Lysandre ordered his minions to capture my Pokémon and me so he could hold us hostage. He wanted to control my Greninja and me to remake Kalos in his own image after it was destroyed."

"Oh, Arceus, Ash," Gladion sighed, his eyes filling with tears.

"Hey, it's okay," Ash smiled as he squeezed Gladion's hands. "I'm okay. I still get nightmares, but I'm coping with what happened. Every day I get a little better."

Gladion nodded as he wiped his eyes. "Okay. What about Alain?"

"When Lysandre's minions captured me, I begged Alain to help me, but he didn't. He just let me get captured and knocked out. My Pokémon and I were restrained on top of a tower when I woke up. I could see all of Lumiose City getting destroyed by Zygarde. I don't know what was worse—watching Lumiose City get destroyed or watching Lysandre enjoy the destruction. Alain was there too, just standing there and not saying anything to me. That's when I learnt that he had been working for Lysandre the whole time."

"Ash."

"I was so shocked and hurt. But then Lysandre said he had been using Alain since the beginning. He was devastated. Anyway, long story short, my Pokémon and I managed to get free, and we teamed up with Alain to battle against Lysandre. We defeated him, but he escaped. And that's when that whole Giant Rock mess happened."

"Yeah, I saw the news with my family," Gladion nodded, pulling Ash into another hug. "So I know what happened. Arceus, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have gone through what you went through."

"Thank you," Ash sniffed.

Gladion nodded before pushing Ash back to look at him. "So what happened next?"

"Alain and I talked," Ash answered. "For a long time. I told him that I loved him and I wasn't angry at him for being manipulated by a psychopath. But he let me get captured. I needed him, but he wasn't there for me, and I wasn't sure if I could forgive him for that because of my relationship with Paul. He understood my feelings. He told me that even though he didn't know what Lysandre was doing, he still felt responsible for everything and wanted to make it right, especially with me. So we broke up, and I went home. I stayed at home for months healing until I came here for a holiday."

"A holiday?" Gladion asked. "Then how did you end up at the school?"

"Professor Kukui saw Pikachu and me battle," Ash answered. "He was impressed by us. After he learnt that I could play music too, he encouraged me to enrol. So I did. That's how I met your sister. And you."

He then sighed, clenching his fists in his lap. "This wasn't supposed to happen," he retorted as he started to cry again. "I promised myself that all I would do was participate in Island Challenges, learn about Alola and music. That's all I was supposed to do! I wasn't supposed to fall in love! I promised myself I wouldn't fall in love again!"

Gladion sighed as he watched Ash cry. Now it all made sense. Everything Ash had done since they started training together. He was heartbroken. What Gladion just couldn't believe was how not one but two people could throw this beautiful person away like he was nothing.

No. he thought as he grabbed Ash's wrists. Never again.

"Ash, listen to me. I know you tore your heart for them, and I'm so sorry that they hurt you the way they did. But please believe this. I'm not Paul, and I'm not Alain. I care about you, and I would never hurt you."

Suddenly, Ash glared at him, making Gladion flinch.

"You can't promise that," he snapped.

"I can and I will," Gladion said firmly.

Ash sighed as the anger vanished, only to be replaced by sadness. "Words, Gladion," he said bitterly. "They're just words. I'm sorry, Gladion, but I don't believe you. I want to believe you. So much, but I can't. I'm sorry."

Immediately, Gladion felt his heart break. "Ash.”

"Please, Gladion," Ash pleaded, pulling his wrists out of Gladion's hands. "Just go. Please just go."

Sighing, Gladion got up and walked toward the stairs despite not wanting to. As he started to walk up the stairs, he paused and turned back to look at Ash, who had curled up on the couch.

"I'm not giving up on you," he said. "You may not believe it yet, but I care about you so much, and I will keep telling you until you believe me."

No response. Gladion sighed. "I'll see you later.”

***

Gladion sat on the couch in the entertainment room, trying to distract himself by watching music videos on the television. But despite the music and the visuals, he couldn't stop thinking about Ash's face and what he had said.

They're just words. I'm sorry, Gladion, I just don't believe you.

Gladion sighed, bringing his knees to his chest as tears formed.

"Big brother?"

Gladion looked over his shoulder to see Lillie standing behind the couch.

"Hey, sis," he said before looking at the television again.

"Are you alright?" She asked as she sat beside him. "Did you talk to Ash? What happened?"

"I told him how I felt about him," Gladion answered.

Immediately, Lillie squealed. "Yay! And?"

"He feels the same way," Gladion answered.

"Yay!" Lillie squealed again.

"But he's too afraid to open himself up to me because he's been betrayed twice," Gladion finished.

"Oh," Lillie said sympathetically. "Poor Ash."

"Yeah," Gladion nodded. "I told him I would never hurt him but he doesn't believe me. I don't know what to do."

"Well, maybe you should show him you love him," Lillie suggested.

"How?" Gladion asked just as a new video played.

"I'm not sure," Lillie answered honestly before smiling at the TV. "I love this song."

Gladion glanced at the screen, which displayed two singers enjoying their performance, with scenes switching occasionally to dancers. However, it wasn't the video that drew his focus but the lyrics. Gradually, a smile appeared on his face.

"That's it," he said to Lillie as the video finished.

"That's what?"

"That's how I show Ash that I'm telling the truth," Gladion grinned, pulling out his phone to download the song. "I'll dedicate my assignment to him using that song."

"Seriously?" Lillie asked in surprise before beaming. "My brother, the romantic."

"Shut up," Gladion smiled. "Do you think you can help me? The song is a duet, after all."

"Of course," Lillie smiled. "I'd love to help."

***

Over the next couple of weeks, Gladion worked hard with Lillie, teaching her what Ash had taught him. The two worked together, figuring out the routine until they finally got it mastered.

"What do you two think?" Gladion asked his parents one night after he and Lillie finished the routine.

"It was wonderful!" Lusamine cheered, clapping her hands. "It was so beautifully choreographed!"

"Calm down, darling," Mohn smiled. "It was brilliant, son. You've done a great job. You'll definitely pass this assignment with a routine as polished as that."

Gladion sighed in relief. "I hope so," he said pulling out his phone.

Mohn gave him a sympathetic look. "You're still worried about Ash?"

"He stopped coming to school," Gladion said as he sat between his parents. "And he's still not answering my calls."

"I know it's hard, but keep trying to be patient," Lusamine smiled, stroking Gladion’s hair. "I'm sure he'll come around and I'm certain he'll love your routine."

I hope so. Gladion thought.

***

Assignment day:

Gladion leaned against the wall outside the dance studio after school, waiting for his turn to present his assignment.

"Gladion!"

Gladion looked over to see Lillie running towards him.

"Sorry," she panted. "I tried to get out as soon as I could."

"It's okay," Gladion smiled. "I'm the last one."

Suddenly, the studio doors opened and three teenagers walked out, followed by Plumeria.

"Well done, you three," she said before looking at Gladion. "Gladion, it's your turn."

"Okay, my sister is doing a duet with me," Gladion said. "Is that okay?"

"It's fine," Plumeria nodded, stepping to the side while gesturing into the studio. "Come in, give your music to Guzma and show us what you've got."

***

As the song finished, Gladion looked at Guzma and Plumeria anxiously as they talked quietly.

"Gladion," Lillie whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay."

Suddenly, the two teachers smiled at each other before looking at the siblings.

"Thank you, Gladion and Lillie for the performance," Plumeria smiled. "It was brilliant."

Immediately, Gladion's cheeks coloured while Lillie looked proud.

"My brother created the whole routine," she grinned. "It was all him. I'm just an extra."

"Well, extra or no, it was incredible," Guzma grinned. "So much so that I want you to perform it at the open house."

"Really?" Gladion asked in amazement while Lillie cheered.

"Really," Guzma nodded. "You two are dismissed."

"Thank you, Mr Guzma," the siblings said before walking out of the studio. As soon as they were outside, Lillie gave Gladion a quick hug.

"Congratulations, big brother!" she cried happily. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks," Gladion smiled before looking up. "Ash."

Lillie quickly looked over her shoulder before smiling.

"Yeah, I asked Ash to look after Snowy while I was helping you," she explained before turning to look at Ash. "Hi Ash, thanks again for looking after Snowy for me."

"No problem," Ash smiled before looking at Gladion gingerly. "Hi."

"Hey, Ash.”

"I'll leave you two to talk," Lillie smiled before leaving the two alone.

There were a few minutes of awkward silence before Ash sighed.

"Sorry I've been ignoring your calls," he apologised.

"It's okay," Gladion smiled. "I'm just glad you're okay. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Ash answered. "How did you do on your assignment?"

"I passed and they want me to perform at the open house next week," Gladion admitted.

Slowly, a smile grew on Ash's face. "That's awesome.”

"Hey, it's thanks to all of your help that I did it," Gladion smiled before looking hopeful. "Will you be at the open house?"

"I have to," Ash nodded. "Professor Kukui wants me to report on what I've learnt so far and how different Alola is to other regions I've visited."

"Oh, will I see you tomorrow?"

"I don't know," Ash admitted. "I have to go."

As Ash turned to walk away, Gladion grabbed his hand. "Wait! May I call you later?"

Ash blinked as he looked at their hands before looking back at Gladion.

"May I message you instead?" he requested. "I'm still trying to sort out my feelings."

"I'd like that," Gladion smiled.

***

Pokémon School of Arts Open House Day:

Gladion looked around anxiously in Professor Kukui's classroom, trying to find Ash.

"Gladion, relax," Lillie said soothingly. "He'll be here."

Gladion looked at his sister. "What if he hates it? What if this drives an even bigger wedge between us?"

"I'm sure he'll love it," Lillie reassured him before her eyes widened. "Look."

Gladion turned to see Ash walking into the classroom with his Pokémon, along with an older woman who looked like him with a Mr Mime. He looked around briefly before his eyes fell on Gladion. After whispering something to the woman, the two walked forward.

"Hi Gladion, Lillie," Ash smiled shyly. "This is my mum and Mr Mime. They're here for the open house."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs Ketchum," Lillie smiled while Gladion nodded.

"It's lovely to meet you both too," Ash's mum smiled. "And please, call me Delia. Are you both in Ash's class?"

"Only I am," Lillie smiled. "But my brother is especially close to him."

"Lillie," Gladion warned, his and Ash's cheeks turning red.

"Really?" Delia smiled. "Well, thank you for being such a good friend to my son, dear."

"Yeah, well, he's helped me a lot the past few months," Gladion acknowledged as he smiled at Ash. "I'm glad to have met him."

Ash looked down shyly while Delia looked between the two with an interested look on her face.

"I see," she smiled before looking at Ash. "I'm going to get Mimey and I some juice. Would you like anything, dear?"

"No thanks, mum," Ash smiled.

Delia nodded and walked off with MR Mime just as Professor Kukui walked over.

"Alola, kids," he smiled.

"Alola, professor," the kids greeted.

"Gladion, Guzma wants you and Lillie to get your headsets from him," Kukui smiled. "You two ready?"

"Yeah," Gladion exhaled sharply while Lillie nodded.

"I'll go get them," Lillie offered before walking off.

"And Ash, when they've finished their routine, I'd like you to give your report," Kukui added.

"Yes sir," Ash nodded.

"I can't wait to hear it," Kukui smiled before walking off.

Ash sighed.

"Are you okay?" Gladion checked.

"I've never been good at public speaking," Ash admitted. "I'm worried I'm going to make a fool of myself. Rotom says he wants to help but it doesn't feel right."

"How about this? While you're giving your report, pretend it's just me you're talking to,” Gladion suggested.

"Really?"

"Really," Gladion said just as Lillie came back, wearing a microphone-attached headset and holding another one.

"Come on, Gladion," she said as she started attaching the headset to Gladion. "We have to get up front. Professor Kukui's going to announce us soon."

"Okay," Gladion nodded, quickly fixing the headset to sit more comfortably while looking at Ash. "Hey, do you remember when I told you I wasn't giving up on you?"

Ash bit his lip briefly as he nodded. "Yeah.”

"I still haven't," Gladion said before leaning close to Ash's ear, carefully covering the microphone with his hand. "This song is for you. Please believe what I'm going to sing. This is for you, Guitar Boy."

Giving Ash a quick smile, Gladion walked to the front of the classroom where Lillie and Professor Kukui were waiting.

"At our school, we do a variety of performance arts with our Pokémon," Kukui informed the visitors as Gladion and Lillie took their positions. "To show you an example, we have Lillie and Gladion Aether doing a song and a dance for us."

As everyone applauded, Gladion quickly looked at Ash. Seeing his small smile, he smiled back as the music started to play.

"I know he hurt you," Gladion sang as he and Lillie danced. "Made you scared to love; too scared to love. He didn't deserve you, cause your precious heart is your precious heart. He didn't know what he had and I thank God. Oh. And it's gonna take just a little time but you're gonna see that I was born to love you."

"What if I fall?" Lillie sang.

"I won't let you fall," Gladion sang.

"What if I cry?"

"I'll never make you cry."

"And if I get scared?"

"I'll hold you tighter. When they're tryna get to you, baby I'll be the fighter."

As the siblings danced and sang, Gladion kept sneaking looks at Ash, who stared back with shock. Somehow the performance flew by and as soon as it started, it was already over. When everyone applauded, Gladion looked at Ash, who was still staring at him with a bewildered look on his face.

"Well done, Lillie and Gladion," Kukui praised. "What a Sparkling Aria and stunning Petal Dance."

"Thank you," Lillie and Gladion said.

The pair took their seats, Gladion sitting beside Ash, who kept gazing at him as if he couldn't believe he was real.

"Now, we'll hear a report from our newest student, Ash Ketchum," Kukui smiled. "Ash?"

"Sorry?" Ash asked, breaking out of his state.

"Your report?" Kukui reminded him.

"Oh, right, my report," Ash nodded as he stood up. He paused, looking at his paper briefly before looking at Kukui. "Actually, Professor Kukui, may I have a minute? I need to check something first."

"Okay," Kukui smiled. "Take as much time as you need."

"Thank you, sir," Ash smiled gratefully before walking out of the classroom, gesturing to Gladion to follow. Confused, Gladion quickly followed until the two were hidden under a staircase.

"Ash, what's wrong?" Gladion asked worriedly.

"Did you really mean it?" Ash asked in an urgent tone. "With that song. Were you telling me the truth?"

"I was," Gladion nodded. "I know someone else wrote the lyrics but I meant every word."

With a relieved sigh, Ash moved closer, wrapping his arms around Gladion's neck.

"I'm trusting you with my heart," he told him. "Please don't hurt me."

Gladion smiled, wrapping his arms around Ash's back.

"I won't," he promised, leaning closer so his lips were hovering over Ash's. "You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I love you," Gladion smiled.

"I love you too," Ash smiled. "Dancing King."

"Dancing King?"

"You call me Guitar Boy," Ash pointed out. "So I had to come up with a nickname for you."

Gladion chuckled. "I love it. I love you, Ash."

"I love you too," was the last thing Gladion heard before Ash kissed him.