Twenty Questions
Fandom: Pokémon XY (Anime)
Genre: Romance
Summary: A compilation of vignettes showing Ash and Clemont's relationship develop through a series of questions, from friendship to infatuation to something more. Fluff, drama, Diodeshipping, mostly Clemont-centric POV, equal parts Season 17 and post-XY speculation, almost all chapters rated for general audiences except where noted.
Current Rating (subject to change): K
Warnings: Dub names and boys' love
This chapter seemed a bit obvious, but it had to be done!
Inquiry, Part 1: Who
It was an innocent question. Clemont hadn't meant to imply anything by it, only remark on a peculiar inconsistency he had noticed in Ash's behavior.
"Ash? We've been to visit Professor Sycamore's lab twice now..."
"Yeah?"
"They do a lot of scientific research there."
"Yeah."
"So, um... how come you only get really excited about science when it involves one of my inventions?"
Ash hesitated, as if he had never really thought about this before.
"Oh," he said, placing a hand at the base of his neck. "I dunno. That stuff is all pretty cool, I guess. But Professor Sycamore and every other Pokémon professor I've ever met is mostly interested in theories and observations and studyin' and... stuff. That's their version of science. But yours is... I dunno, more about doing and building and solvin' problems and creating things no one has ever seen before! I guess that's a lot more exciting to me than tryin' to understand why stuff is the way it is, or somethin'."
Clemont blinked in surprise. He hadn't been expecting to receive such a direct answer, somehow.
But Ash wasn't finished. His train of thought had picked up steam and was continuing to barrel down the track, his voice growing more assured with each passing moment. "Yeah! An' what's best of all is that every one of your inventions comes directly from you— your head, your hands, even your heart! You put everything you have into each and every one of them, no matter what! So when I say science is amazing, I guess…" and here he faltered. "I guess what I'm really sayin' is that… well, you're amazing, Clemont."
"Oh." Every half-reasonable or coherent thing Clemont had been planning to say might as well have fallen out of his head at that point. His mind was completely blank, save for a few remaining vestiges of politeness that told him he had to say something. Anything. "Uh… oh. O-OK then! I wasn't looking for… I just— I had been wondering. So… thanks?"
Ash looked uncertain, even apologetic, as he attempted to read Clemont's expression.
"Is that… all right?" he asked tentatively.
"What?" Clemont asked. "Oh— y-yeah. Of course it is, that's fine, it's… yes. Absolutely!"
Ash was immediately relieved. "Oh good! Well then… I'm gonna go do some trainin', OK? See ya later!"
Clemont's brain was still attempting to scrape up the broken fragments of thought that would allow him to act like a normal human being again, but he did manage to send Ash off with a small smile and feeble wave. "Great! Well, good luck, and let me know if you need… anything?"
Ash's shot him one of those endearingly crooked smiles and disappeared into the forest, leaving Clemont to ponder everything that had just happened.
Ash had paid him a direct compliment. And in receiving it, Clemont had turned into a nervous, stammering wreck.
Seriously, what in the world was wrong with him?!
