Caved In
I MUST CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMASHIPPING WORLD!
Did you guys know that Ash is one year younger than Paul? I just read it on Bulbagarden .
Paul didn't know what was more annoying. Being stuck in a cave with his rival and Pikachu, or the fact that it was now raining outside, and they had no way of leaving the cave now, even though they had found the exit. He sighed and trudged along inside the cave, trying to find some food for him, and Ash, although he wouldn't admit it, to eat. Thankfully, nothing bad had happened yet, so he wouldn't have such matters to deal with. He plucked a berry from one of the few bushes growing in the cave. "Well… that's it for the day." He was just walking back when a loud yelp came from the direction in which he had left Ash, which made him run quickly there to check on the younger trainer and his Pikachu.
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu was exclaiming worriedly as he looked at his trainer sitting on the ground, his hand over his ankle. He was wincing as he leaned on the wall, clutching his ankle in pain. Well. It was not really surprising, Paul thought, as he saw a rock near the now injured trainer. The klutz would obviously manage to trip over a rock in this damned cave. "… Paul?" Ash looked up, just realizing that Paul had come back from his scavenging. "… …" He just realized that Paul was staring at his hand clutching his ankle as well, and immediately removed it, pushing himself up from the floor, meanwhile 'assuring' Paul that he was fine. Well, it didn't work. It wasn't long before he collapsed again, his injured ankle unable to take the stress from his weight.
"… Pathetic. You think I can't see through that façade?"
"Eh… Ouch…"
Awkward silence ensued. Suddenly, Paul turned and looked outside the cave, where suddenly the sounding of raindrops against the ground could no longer be heard. "Hm. It seemed like the rain stopped." And he turned to walk out of the cave. "… Uh, Paul?" Ash called out. Oh right. He had forgotten his accident-prone rival. Paul sighed and walked back in, pulling the boy up. Paul then wrapped an arm around Ash's waist and pulled his rival's arm around his shoulder, which definitely surprised him. "… So troublesome…" They moved out of the cave at an embarrassingly slow pace, Paul's grip tightening on Ash every time he grimaced. "Um, Paul? You're kinda holding onto me a bit tight…" "… … You dumbass."