AUTHOR'S NOTE

Happy (Belated) National Pokemon Day! Hopefully everyone is as excited for Pokemon Sword & Shield as I am. The graphics for the game look lovely; now if they can just get their original animation studio back for the show they'll have my full support! Anyway, this chapter is a little shorter than the others, but the Snapshot is longer. Hopefully it evens out.

I do appreciate the support I got for the last chapter, and it means a lot to me that people are still reading this! By the way, if anyone would like to connect on Pokemon Go, shoot me a message with your trainer code! Gifts will be sent out as frequently as this story is updated (just kidding...sort of).

CHAPTER 4
A Rose By Any Other Name!

"Ash, you did it again." Serena swiftly moved out of the way as Ash's foot crashed down, almost landing on hers. "You were supposed to step with your right foot that time, not your left."

"I get my right and left mixed up sometimes," Ash admitted sheepishly, stepping back and trying again. "It's hard to keep them straight in my mind when I'm moving this fast."

Serena shook her head, trying not to be so depressed about the hopelessness of the situation. She wasn't sure if it would ever be possible to teach Ash how to dance. But she knew if anyone could ever teach him how to, it was her. "How do you keep your directions straight if you're walking somewhere?" she asked him, hoping that he could apply the same technique here.

"I don't!" he said cheerfully. "This city is shaped like a circle. If I go the wrong direction, I can just keep walking and I'll still get there eventually. Isn't Lumiose City great?"

Serena stared at him, at a complete loss for words. She knew that Ash took a "no worries" kind of approach to everything in life, but this was taking things a little too far in her opinion. "Yeah, it sure is," she replied, though her reasons for liking Lumiose City were apparently different than his. "Let's take a break." She walked towards the sound system, shutting it off and getting them each a bottle of water from the nearby shelves.

"Thanks, Serena," Ash said, accepting the bottle of water. Next to him, Pikachu shook his head at the bottle offered to him, not having participated beyond the occasional twitch of his tail. "Dancing is pretty important to you, huh?" Her sudden interest in dancing hadn't gone unnoticed, even by him - of course, it was hard to ignore something that you were forced to participate in, even if you usually were oblivious to those sorts of things.

Dance lessons with Serena had started back when he was getting close to entering the Kalos League, because she had claimed there might be dancing there. The lessons were infrequent, and once he had made his way through the League (without dancing, he was pleased to see), he had assumed the lessons would stop. Unfortunately, this hadn't been the case, and their dance lessons had now increased in frequency from once every couple weeks to as many as three times a week if their schedule could accommodate it.

"Oh, yeah," Serena said nervously, even though it wasn't exactly the dancing that was important. Several months ago, she had gotten word from Palermo, a former Kalos Queen and her mentor, that there was a ball coming up soon. As much as she had enjoyed going with Clemont last time, she wanted to go with Ash this time - which meant he needed to learn how to dance before then. She had convinced herself there was plenty of time, but last week she had finally faced the facts - the ball was only a month away, and Ash had only marginally improved. Or, perhaps it was she who had just gotten better at predicting and avoiding his missteps.

You could just tell him, she reasoned with herself. If you don't let him know about it soon, he might schedule something over it. Ash's schedule was the most unpredictable of the group, because he was always trying to accommodate his clients, scheduling them in at the last minute. No one could ever doubt his loyalty, though - if he made a promise to anyone, he kept it.

"Maybe since you're teaching me how to dance, I can teach you something too!" It wasn't that he was ungrateful for the dance lessons, really. Ever since Clemont and Bonnie had laughed at his strategy for battling Korrina, he had realized how bad he was at it, and had privately promised himself to at least get to the point where he wouldn't be embarrassed one day. But he had assumed it was something he would learn in a few years, and slowly over time. Not by wearing himself out to the point of exhaustion three times a week.

"That's really nice of you, Ash." Serena blushed a light shade of pink, a shy smile appearing across her lips. She could think of nothing Ash could teach her that she hadn't already learned from years of travelling with him or that she had any interest in learning more about, but it was a nice offer nonetheless, and would easily allow her to spend more time with him. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"Well..." He ran through several possible situations in his head, none of which seemed to end very well. He mainly taught people about various aspects of training and battling - but Serena's skills were already formidable in both those realms. He glanced at Pikachu to see if he had any ideas, but his only response was to tilt his head, looking just as confused as Ash.

"That's okay," she told him, seeing that he was struggling to come up with an idea. "We should probably give it a rest for today, anyway. It's almost 2:00 -"

"What?!" Ash exclaimed, spitting out the mouthful of water he had just taken. There were no windows in the studio to give him a reference as to the time, but he was so sure it had been earlier than that! He did have afternoon plans, after all.

"Ash, what's wrong?" Serena was leaning back, having narrowly avoided the splash of water.

"I'm late!" he explained, jumping up with surprising speed and rushing around, gathering his things. "Thanks for the lesson, Serena," he called over his shoulder, running out the door. "Come on, Pikachu!"

"Dearest Ash,

It all started the day we met. The day I saw you falling from Prism Tower. I knew I had to save you, because even then I felt you would be important to me someday. And how right I was.

There was a time when I struggled daily with my confidence. I felt inadequate; as a person, a son, and a brother. I didn't even feel good enough to be a Gym Leader. That feeling of incompetence, and not my desire to spend more time on my inventions, was the real reason I left.

But that all changed, thanks to you. You were everything I wanted to be - ambitious and confident; adventurous and brave. You gave me the strength, and the courage, to be those things too.

There's still something I've been struggling with each day, though; something I don't know if you can help me with. Something that's hard for me to admit.

You're such an inspiration to me, Ash. You always show concern for your friends and your Pokemon. You always project an aura of strength and optimism, even when things aren't going your way. You always tackle your problems head on, and never let anything hold you back.

Because of you, I stopped thinking of myself as not being good enough, and started realizing that I did deserve the love and respect my family and friends gave me. Because of you, I felt proud of the things I created, even if they were failures, rather than ashamed. Because of you, I was able to grow as a person, and as a Pokemon trainer.

Every day, I felt a little more sure of myself. It helped, knowing that you were there for me every step of the way. Being your friend is the best thing that has ever happened to me. No matter what happens, I always want us to be friends. But lately, I've been thinking that we could be something more. I just hope that you feel the same way.

Ash Ketchum, I think I love you."

Clemont put his head down on his desk with a groan, his pencil rolling out of his hand as he stretched out his arms in defeat.

"I give up," he mumbled to himself. "There's no way I could possibly put to words what I'm feeling for him." There was no one there to hear his words, save for himself and his Pokemon. Even though Luxray was watching him with concern, he doubted that word of his afternoon activities would be passed onto Pikachu. The two Electric-type Pokemon were friends, but Luxray respected him too much to share his secrets.

"Why is this so hard?" He wasn't sure whether his question referred to just writing, or if it included the act of sharing his feelings as well. The answering nudge he got from the Gleam Eyes Pokemon made him smile, and he patted Luxray on the head affectionately..

He had never cared much for writing. Writing was for people who thought in words; people who needed either the power of pen and paper or the art of conversation to express themselves. People like his mother and his sister. His mother had loved writing, and had even kept a daily journal. Bonnie enjoyed writing too; she had confessed to him once that it made her feel closer to their mother. But Clemont didn't think in words. He was more like his father in that way. He thought in precise mathematical formulas and technological terms. What he found difficult to say out loud, he found easy to sketch as a schematic diagram. He had never seen the use in putting down words on a piece of paper when he could just build an invention to communicate his thoughts.

Yet, he had been told he was good at writing, when he put his mind to it. He knew it was something that was easy for other people to relate to, something they understood. There was the added bonus of paper not being prone to explode, either. That was why he had given it a try: writing his feelings down in a letter to Ash. Ash wasn't like him, and was more likely to understand words than schematics. But words meant nothing without feelings behind them, and Clemont couldn't pour his soul out onto the page in the appropriate way anyway. Besides, when was the last time he saw Ash reading something? If he was going to share his feelings with Ash, he would just have to do it in his way. And his way was an invention.

With a burst of annoyance, he made as if to rip the letter in half, but a sharp pressure on his arm made him drop the paper before he could do so. "Huh? Luxray, what's wrong?" He looked down to see the sleeve of his jumpsuit lodged firmly between Luxray's teeth, and guessed what his Pokemon partner was trying to tell him. "Okay, okay." He held his free hand up in surrender. "I won't make any decisions just yet, I promise." With a slight growl, his arm was released, and Clemont yanked it out of Luxray's reach.

Taking a deep breath, he fiddled with the key he always wore around his neck, tucked safely underneath the collar of his jumpsuit, where no one could see it. The key belonged to one of his desk drawers; the middle drawer on the left-hand side to be exact. Putting his hand on top of the desk to steady it, he unlocked what he had always referred to as his secret drawer, and yanked hard. The drawer no longer required additional strength to pull it out, as it had when he was a child, but old habits were difficult to shake. The items inside shifted with the sudden movement, but only one caught his eye - a small wooden box that he had not laid eyes on since the day he put it away.

He reached down into the drawer and pulled it out, staring at it with mixed feelings. The outside was nothing special, really. There were no decorations on it, nor had it been painted. The wood was light and unfinished, slightly sandpapered on the edges. It had a hinge built from machine parts, that almost ended up being longer than the box itself. The inside, though, had an emotional value attached to it that was so high Clemont had found it necessary to lock it away from everyone, including himself.

He had always meant to give the box to Ash, one day. It was a gift meant to accompany the one he had given Chespin and Bunnelby under the Pledging Tree several years ago. Sometimes when he was struck by inspiration, he found it nearly impossible to put down his tools, and that day he had certainly felt inspired. Once he had decided to make a music box, he couldn't think of a good reason to not make a second. It was only once the sun started setting and they had begun to gather their gifts that he decided a gift for Ash had no place in the ceremony. After all, the tree was meant to honor Pokemon, not people.

That was the same night he had first become aware of his feelings for Ash. Of course he had felt an instant connection with him from the moment they met, a connection that helped their friendship to grow in ways he had never thought possible. But the love you feel for a friend and the love you feel for a potential romantic partner can also be a fine line, and he wasn't sure when he had crossed it. So when he left for Lumiose City in advance of their gym battle, he had brought the music box with him and hidden it in his old writing desk. That was the last day he laid eyes on it or even heard its music.

Opening the small latch on the top, Clemont lifted the lid of the music box until he could hear the song inside. Though it had been years, the parts inside still worked, and soon his room was filled with the uplifting melody.

Hey, there's something I need to say that's been on my mind.
I want to thank you for believing in me and never leaving me behind.
Hey, I don't think my words can properly be expressed
But all the time we spend together is the best.

Sometimes I stumble lost and afraid in the dark of night
To be with you when the day turns to the light.
I'll help you see this through - even if you're just feeling blue,
I will always remain next to you.

Shimmer, shimmer, shimmer in a sparkling hue,
Sending kisses into my pocket: chu, chu, chu!
No matter the time of day, all my dreams are here to stay:
I won't let them fade away.

Twirling, whirling, whirling until I fall flat
Then I laugh it all away with a rat-tat-tat.
Let's head onward, you and me - seeing all there is to see.
Think of every possibility!

It was a song his mother had sung to him when he was a child; a song that her own mother had taught her. She would hold him close and sing it softly, for his ears alone. She used to tell him that he was her world. "I love you, Clemont," she would whisper to him as he fell asleep. "You are the one who makes me shine brightly and brilliantly."

He still cried every time he thought about her.

It was just a single tear at first, streaming down his cheek unnoticed as he gazed at the music box. He remembered, now, the real reason he had never given the box to Ash. The reason he had abandoned it as soon as he arrived in Lumiose City. This song, his mother's song, felt almost like part of his soul - yet he had been willing to share it with someone he had known for only a year at that point.

One tear turned into several as he remembered how long it had even taken him to be comfortable with thinking about the song again, after her death. His father had tried so hard to fill the void she left, coming into Clemont's room every night to tuck him in and tell him how nothing would ever split their family apart. But he had pushed him, and Bonnie, away, afraid of the pain he might feel if he ever got close to someone again. He regretted those lost years now, years he could have spent with his family instead of with robotics kits and spare machine parts.

By the time a bell rung throughout the Prism Tower living quarters, signifying that a trainer had come to challenge him, he was openly weeping, teardrops falling on the interior of the music box.

"Do I have to do everything by myself?" Bonnie had perfected a tone somewhere between exasperation and sarcasm, and now seemed to be as good a time as any to use it. She wasn't really as annoyed as she pretended to be; actually she was rather pleased she had noticed the sound before her brother. "Come on, Clemont!"

She wasn't entirely sure where most gym leaders spent their time when they were waiting for trainers, but her brother could always be found in one of two places. In the past, he spent a lot of time in his workshop at the very top of Prism Tower, working relentlessly on his inventions. Even Bonnie had to admit that his best and most successful inventions had been created in that room - it was where he had built both his Clembot and his Aipom Arm, after all. But ever since they had returned from Ash's Pokemon journey, he spent more and more time in his bedroom, even going so far as to take his meals there occasionally.

"You're going to be late," she snapped, sidling into his room through the half-open door. She had been making more of an effort to wait to be invited into people's rooms, or at least to knock before entering. But this was important. While it was not uncommon for a challenger to arrive in the arena before a Gym Leader, there was only a small period of time during which waiting was acceptable. Clemont needed to get down there.

"B-Bonnie?" he stammered, frantically trying to hide what he had been doing. He shut the music box and tucked it back in the drawer, just about to close it before realizing the letter was still sitting out on his desk. He grabbed for it desperately, shoving it inside the drawer and slamming it shut, before tucking the key back inside his jumpsuit.

"Big Brother! You have a challenger!" She stared at him, wondering what had been so important that he had to go hiding it in his desk, before realizing that something wasn't right. Her irritation faded as she took in the scene: Clemont, bent over his writing desk, eyes red and puffy as he focused on a corner of the room. "What's wrong?"

In the past, she had been known to call her brother a crybaby, especially because he tended to get upset over things that were no big deal, at least from her perspective. But even she was forced to admit that when the occasion called for it, Clemont was capable of putting aside his feelings and focusing on the task at hand. If he couldn't do that now, then he wasn't feeling well enough to handle being teased either.

"Nothing," he told her, wiping at his eyes as if her words had suddenly brought him back to life. "I just need a minute."

"Oh, no," Bonnie told him, narrowing her eyes and shaking her head at him. "I don't think so." She strode over to a small panel to the left of the doorway, putting her hand down on the screen so she could be scanned into the system. "Clembot?" she said, pressing a small button. "Can you take this one?"

"Of course," Clembot's reply came back through the screen, and Bonnie smiled. At least there was always someone available to watch over her brother's Gym, no matter what was going on.

"Now, what's wrong?" She walked over and stood next to Clemont, her arms crossed in front of her chest with a stern look on her face. It was an expression their father typically wore when asking them questions; a look that had always been meant to scare them into answering him honestly. But Clemont had never responded well to it, and all he did was regard Bonnie with a small frown.

"You didn't need to do that," he said, straightening up in his chair a bit. "I'm fine."

"What were you thinking about?" she asked, ignoring his protest. This wouldn't be the first time that Clemont tried to put on a brave face for her, but his effort was always wasted - Bonnie handled bad news and hard truths much better than he did.

Clemont curled his hands together, nervously circling his fingers around each other. "I was...I was thinking about Mom," he admitted, hanging his head in shame. It was pain they had shared together many times before; pain that at one point had driven them apart before they learned to help each other through it.

"Oh, Clemont…" Bonnie pushed forcefully on her brother's arm, putting enough space in between him and his desk to climb onto his lap. She was getting a too big to sit there as she once did, but it was how she always had comforted him in the past. "Mom would be so proud of you. You know that."

In truth, Bonnie had never known their mother. She had been told that Rose was a wonderful woman, one who brought much happiness to those around her. Meyer talked about her all the time, and would often read to Bonnie from her mother's journals. She was where Clemont had gotten his determination and where Bonnie had gotten her spunk, and they had her to thank for their blond hair and blue eyes as well.

"I know, I just...I had been listening to her song…and I was thinking..."

So it was about the song. Rose's song. Clemont had sung it to Bonnie for the first time when she was four years old, telling her it was a gift from their mother. It was the first time she remembered him ever smiling at her; the first time she remembered him tucking her in for the night.

"You know I love you, right?" It was so much more than just the song that was bothering him, it was the rush of emotions that accompanied it, facts and feelings that he had never shared with Bonnie. But somehow, she always understood, and knew just what to say.

"Right," she told him, putting on her bravest face. She was sure there had been a time he blamed her - how could he not, when it was her birth that had caused their mother's death? Between Clemont's frequent apologies for not being a better brother, and his careful insistence on making sure she knew how important she was to him, it was obvious he still felt guilty about it. He had no reason to feel that way. Bonnie could not remember a time when her brother did not love her.

"Thank you," he told her, stroking her hair. He could see a lot of Rose in her, more so than he had ever been able to see in himself.

"Anytime," she told him, smiling as tears started to form in her own eyes. "I promise I'll always be here for you."

SNAPSHOTS
A Pokemon XY Dedication
"The Newest Gym Leader"

"You doing okay there, Clemont?" Lor, the kindly janitor of Prism Tower, always watched out for the boy when he came to the Lumiose City Gym. He used to visit frequently, sitting on the stands or pacing around the perimeter of the battlefield. In some ways, Lor almost felt he had watched Clemont grow up, in a different way than his family or school had seen. But this was the first time he had been there in over a year.

"Huh? Yeah." Clemont looked out over the now-empty gym, trying to imagine it as it had been in its prime. Was the atmosphere warm and friendly? Had the stands been filled with people, cheering for the competitors? Certainly, it could not have always been as cold and lifeless as it appeared now. He wished, not for the first time, that he had taken more of an interest when the gym was open.

"I've worked here for more than 20 years, you know," the man said, almost as if he could read his young friend's mind. "If you have any questions, I'm sure I could answer them."

"Thanks," he responded absently, clenching his hand into a fist repeatedly. He stared at the floor of the stadium, scuffing his foot into the hard-packed dirt. He wondered what it would be like to stand here, Pokemon at the ready and a competitor waiting on the other side.

Was this really what he wanted to do with his life? He wasn't a trainer. He didn't even have any Pokemon of his own. Science and the academic world were what he had been preparing for; his dreams were filled with thoughts of inventions that would improve the lives of people and Pokemon across the world. But then what would happen to Helioptile, Magnemite, and Magneton? They were his family's legacy.

"Was she happy here?" It was the only question he really had left at this point, one that he had been afraid to ask before now.

"Your mother?" Lor asked, smiling gently at the son of Lumiose Gym's former Gym Leader. "Oh, yes. She loved it here. She was very happy."

"Thank you." He turned around, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he prepared to leave. "Oh, and Lor?" he said, pausing at the doorway. "Please, go home and rest. You deserve some time off. We have a grand re-opening scheduled for next week, after all."

"Helioptile, Magnemite, Magneton - come on out!" Clemont threw their Pokeballs up in the air, nodding at each of them in greeting as they exited their makeshift homes.

"Helio!" The small, electric rabbit came over to Clemont, looking up at him in curiosity. It had been a long time since anyone but Meyer, Clemont's father, had let them out of their Pokeballs. Magnemite and Magneton, just as curious but more wary of Clemont, hung back as they surveyed their surroundings.

Smiling, Clemont bent down and picked up the Generator Pokemon, cuddling it against him. Heloptile had been his mother's favorite; the first electric Pokemon she had ever forged a connection with. She had told him once that she was just holding onto Helioptile for him, for the day when he was old enough to get his own Pokemon. How he looked forward to that day. He had been so excited to grow up with Helioptile, and one day train and evolve him into Heliolisk.

But by the time Clemont reached the age of 10, his mother had already departed this world, and he had turned his back on the possibility of being a trainer.

"I missed you," he whispered to his friend from so long ago. Helioptile leaned into him, and gazed at him with its bright blue eyes. He had missed his trainer-to-be as well.

"I hope you all know where you are, and why you're here," he said, raising his voice. Magnemite and Magneton floated closer, interested in what he had to say. Unlike Helioptile, they did not know Clemont well. He was nothing more to them than the son of their trainer, and they had been trained exclusively for Gym combat - not raised as a friend or companion.

"I know it's been so hard on you, these last few years," he continued. "I...I'm sorry. I should have been there for you..." he sniffed, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "But I wouldn't have been a good trainer. Dad took much better care of you than I could. I was at school," he explained. "I had to go...I hope you understand.

"I learned a lot while I was there. I studied mechanics, and electronics, and science. But mostly I studied Electric Pokemon. Just like the three of you. And...I think I'm ready now, to take over. Just like Mom always wanted. I...I was really hoping you three would help to re-open the Gym with me."

Helioptile was the first one to voice its satisfaction. He nudged against Clemont with his forehead, giving him an encouraging nod. "Helio!" he told him happily. Magnemite and Magneton began circling around him, and Clemont gave a nervous glance to their cold, metal faces, relaxing when he saw their happy expressions. With a slight buzzing noise from their magnets, they did a sort of dance in midair, voicing their support of him as well.

"Thank you," Clemont told them in a soft voice. He put his head down, hiding the tears that were beginning to fall. "I really...I'm so lucky to have you. All of you."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Well. That chapter was a long time in the making. My parents are still around, and I'm an only child, so those interactions were surprisingly difficult to write. I actually have more head-cannon concerning Clemont's first year as a Gym Leader, and I even have a bit more about Clemont's mother and how her death impacted him and Bonnie. Unfortunately, it's unlikely to make its way to a Snapshot, simply because I don't have enough content. We'll see, though.

Before moving on, I have to give credit where credit is due. If you didn't recognize it, the song from the music box is KiraKira. English lyrics are from JorporXx (Mark de Groot)'s Youtube Cover, slightly rearranged for the story - this is a great dub, so check it out! If you haven't watched the show in Japanese (or even if you have), give the original song a listen too. I recommend the version by Yuki Kaji, Clemont's voice actor. I really do cry every time I hear it. It's that good.

Stay tuned for Chapter 5, and thank you for reading / following / favoriting / reviewing!