Ack, I was super tired and completely missed the Friday update, sorry! But here we are! The final chapter! :O Thanks to everyone for reading this far!
Fun fact: I wrote this chapter before I'd even written the big battle against Team Rocket in the gym… needed this ray of sunshine to aim for through all the angst haha Also a giant Clemont hug for Sapphiria for guessing Ash's dream correctly! Well done C:
So without further ado, here's the last chapter~
Chapter 20
Two weeks after Ash finally opens his eyes, Clemont wakes to the sound of bedsprings creaking under an unfamiliar weight. The room is cloaked in darkness – what time is it? – and his glasses are folded up on the bench an arm length away, but Clemont doesn't need to see his early-morning visitor to have a fair idea of who it is.
Sure enough, his suspicions are confirmed when Ash's voice floats out of the darkness. "Hey, Clemont!"
"'S too early," Clemont mumbles into his pillow, turning his back towards the direction Ash's voice had come from. "Try an' sleep." He buries his face further into the pillow, hoping vaguely that Ash will follow the suggestion. Clemont hasn't gotten much sleep himself the last couple of days – or really, if he's being truthful, it's been hard to have a proper night's sleep since the day Team Rocket had tried to steal Ash away. Some nights he still wakes up in a cold sweat, terrified that Ash is still lifeless and broken or that Bonnie is hurt. On those nights, he is driven to drag himself out of bed on shaky legs to check on them both. Bonnie is always sleeping soundly when he looks in on her, for which he is thankful.
It usually takes a longer time to search out Ash. Sometimes he finds the robot watching Bonnie; sometimes he comes across Ash sprawled in the middle of his workshop, Pikachu curled up beside him asleep as the robot finds various ways to occupy himself while his family sleeps. Sometimes Clemont has to search a little further, his heart speeding up anxiously until he finds Ash standing in the Gym, looking around at the construction work in progress. The warmth of Ash's hand and the steady hum of life under Clemont's fingers at his wrist always help to chase anyway the lingering cold of Clemont's nightmares. Sometimes, though, it's not enough; Clemont doesn't know how Ash tells these nights apart from any others, but the robot always follows him back to his room on these nights and stays there until Clemont can fall asleep again (Ash will never tell him that there's a certain wild-eyed look that Clemont gets that hurts Ash to witness, because it's his fault that Clemont has all of these fearful memories in the first place).
The last few nights, however, Clemont has stayed up to work on the new robot to look after the Gym while he and Ash and Bonnie travel around Kalos. He welcomes the work, because new inventions are always exciting to work on and also because focusing all his energy on building a new robot means that he falls into bed at the end of the day absolutely exhausted. He'd finished building Clembot (he'd ignored Bonnie's raised eyebrow at the name this time) earlier that day and while Clembot was not like Ash, Clemont knew that the newer robot would look after the Gym well in their absence. It was absurd to compare other robots to Ash anyway – Ash was a miracle, one of a kind, and really, that was the way it should be.
Still, miracle or not, that doesn't mean Clemont appreciates being woken at the crack of dawn by his friend.
"Cleeeeeeeeeeemont," Ash whines when Clemont makes no further move to get up. "Clemont, come on, wake up." He shakes Clemont's shoulder, but only gets an indistinct grumbling in reply. "Come on come on come on let's go!" Ash continues, clearly not giving up despite the lack of response. The bed starts to shake as Ash bounces on it eagerly. "I can't wait anymore!"
Clemont gives into the inevitable, slowly propping himself up on his elbows with much effort. "For what?" he asks groggily, yawning. He peers blearily into the gloom, making out the blurry outline of Ash sitting cross-legged beside him on the bed.
"To go and meet Professor Sycamore and get my first Pokémon!" Ash says excitedly. Clemont winces at the volume and Ash drops his voice immediately. "Whoops, sorry!" he whispers, sounding apologetic. He leans in, his knee touching Clemont's shoulder. Clemont can feel Ash practically vibrating with excitement. "But Clemont! Today's the day! I'm gonna go on a Pokémon journey! I'm gonna actually be a real Pokémon Trainer!"
The sheer amount of enthusiasm in Ash's voice has Clemont smiling before his tired brain can actually process the actual words. Ah, I should have known, he thinks ruefully once Ash's words finally filter through. "Ash," he says, stifling another yawn as he squints at the clock, gives up, and reaches for his glasses. Settling them on the bridge of his nose, he has another go at reading the glowing numbers on his alarm clock. "Ash, it's four in the morning."
"So?" Ash asks, sounding genuinely confused as to why this poses any sort of problem. "Let's go!"
"No! Reasonable people are asleep at this hour!" Clemont retorts. "Humans need to sleep, Ash!"
Ash falls silent. Slightly worried he might have offended Ash somehow, Clemont squints through the gloom towards his early morning visitor. He can't make out Ash's expression, but he can feel him fidgeting. "But what if we're late?" Ash asks eventually, voice suddenly very small in the quiet of Clemont's room. "What if the professor runs out of Pokémon or something?"
So that was it. Clemont sighs, taking off his glasses to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "Ash, the Professor knows you're coming," he reminds the anxious robot in a reassuring voice. "He won't run out of starter Pokémon, even if something happened and we did turn up late. I know you're looking forward to it, but the Professor probably wouldn't even be awake if we went now." Clemont stifles another yawn. "Plus, I really need to sleep. Just hang on a few more hours for Bonnie and I, alright?"
Ash groans. There's a soft thwump as he flops over in defeat, landing face-down in a pillow. "Fine," Ash grumbles, voice muffled by the pillow. Luckily, Ash doesn't see the smile that flashes across his friend's face before Clemont reaches over to pat Ash on the shoulder in sympathy.
"It's only a few more hours," Clemont tells him optimistically, reclaiming his hand to return his glasses back to safety on the bedside table. He only gets an indistinct grumble in reply, so Clemont leaves Ash be and settles back down under the bedcovers. "Try and sleep," he suggests again in a mumble, already halfway to sleep by the time his head rests on his own pillow.
The bed shifts. "Good night, Clemont." Ash's voice is clearer now; at the very edge of awareness, Clemont can hear the undisguised amusement in his voice.
"'Night, Ash," he murmurs, and is asleep again in seconds.
/\/\/\
Awareness creeps in slowly when Clemont next wakes up. This time, it's luckily at an hour where there is sunshine streaming in through his window. He blinks blearily at the ceiling for a few moments, trying to figure out why his chest feels so heavy. It's not until he glances to the side and comes face-to-face with the side of Ash's head that he realises that he had apparently not bothered to move off Clemont's bed last night and that the heaviness is, in fact, Ash's arm slung over Clemont's chest as he sleeps. Well, Clemont assumes Ash is sleeping – or at least trying to in any case – judging by the way Ash's eyes are closed and his face is mashed unrepentantly against Clemont's other pillow. Clemont can't help a snort of laughter at the sight – with his messy bed hair and pillow creases across his skin, no-one would ever guess that Ash wasn't human if it weren't for the complete lack of movement.
Ash doesn't need to breathe, nor does he twitch in his sleep or any of the thousand other little reflexive actions that humans have. Objectively, Clemont knows this, but Ash is laying so still and his eyes are closed and it's too close to how lifeless he looked that day in the Gym, what if something has gone wrong, what if Ash is –
The weight on his chest shifts – just as well, because Clemont is having enough trouble breathing all on his own without any added help – and suddenly there's a warm hand being shoved into Clemont's grasp, his fingers closing automatically around a wrist that pulses under his fingers with warmth and electricity and life.
"I'm okay," Ash says quietly as Clemont breathes out slow and steady, trying to calm down the rapid beat of his heart. The robot is still laying on his stomach, but now warm brown eyes peer out from under messy black bangs with concern. "Bonnie's fine as well." Clemont sucks in another breath and nods, his eyes squeezed shut again. They lay like that for a moment – Clemont's fingers over the steady buzz that is Ash's pulse; Ash's hand privy to the rapid thump thump thump of the blond's heart – until Clemont calms down from the unexpected panic.
Well, there's no way he's going to be able to get back to sleep after that. Clemont sighs, throwing back the blankets to sit up and rub at his eyes. Ash reclaims his hand, propping his chin up on his arm as Clemont reaches for his glasses. The clock displays a much more decent hour to be awake this time.
A flash of yellow catches his eye. It appears that sometime during the night Pikachu has also migrated to Clemont's bed. It isn't that surprising, since wherever Ash goes, Pikachu goes – the electric Pokémon had probably woken up to find Ash not around and searched him out. Pikachu is curled up asleep on Ash's back, which explains why Ash is still laying in bed for all the robot's eagerness earlier this morning.
Clemont crawls out of bed, doing his best not to awaken the sleeping Pokémon either. He yawns and stretches on his way over to his closet. "Have you decided what Pokémon you're going to choose from the Professor yet?" Clemont asks curiously as he digs through his clothes, searching for the jumpsuit he hadn't packed. Ash hasn't really named a preference for one of the starter Pokémon over the others thus far, despite how much he's been talking about it this past week.
There's a muffled yet surprisingly loud sigh from behind Clemont. "Ahhhh I dunno, it's so hard!" Ash complains. He starts ticking off the fingers on one hand as Clemont quickly changes out of his pyjamas. "There's the water type, Froakie… and the Fire type, Fennekin… and also the Grass type, Chespin…" Ash closes his hand and props his chin up on it, sighing. "They all seem pretty cool. I've only ever battled with Electric types and Bunnelby 'til now, so type-wise they'd all be fun to partner with…" Ash drops his head into the pillow again. "It's too hard to pick one!" he laments in frustration.
Pikachu stirs on Ash's back at the sound of the robot's voice, ears twitching as the he slowly opens his eyes. "Pikapi!" Pikachu chirps upon spotting Ash. "Pika pika!"
"Haha, good morning to you too!" Ash laughs. With no reason to be staying still any longer, he twists over and sits up to catch Pikachu in a hug as the electric Pokémon launches himself at Ash's chest. "Today's the day, Pikachu!" Ash says excitedly, beaming. "I'm gonna be a Trainer!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cheers, crawling up onto Ash's shoulder. Ash's bed hair immediately makes the Pokémon sneeze, gaining Ash an unimpressed look. "Pikapiiiii."
Clemont pauses in his dressing, leaving one arm free of the jumpsuit in favour of grabbing a brush and passing it to Ash. "Here, you can use this," he tells Ash, much to Pikachu's appreciation. Clemont reaches out and scratches Pikachu between the ears. "Good morning, Pikachu."
"Pipika pika!"
"Thanks, Clemont –" Ash's voice falters for a second. Concerned, Clemont glances towards him, only to find an odd look on Ash's face as he stares at the visible patch of Clemont's collarbone. Clemont follows his eye line and realises with an inaudible gulp that the bruises from Ash shoving him away that day in the Gym are visible above his undershirt. In the past weeks they've faded quite significantly from the deep purple-black they'd been, but even mottled yellow-brown stands out against Clemont's pale skin. He's never told Ash about them, not wanting Ash to feel bad about anything he did while under Team Rocket's mind-control.
Before Ash can recognise the bruises for what they are, Clemont stands up and tugs his jumpsuit hurriedly over his shoulder, zipping it up completely. "I'll start breakfast!" he says quickly, escaping out the door to do just that.
Slightly bewildered at the sudden exit, Ash exchanges a questioning frown with Pikachu. The electric Pokémon shrugs. Ash sighs. "Come on, we'd better get you something to eat before your stomach starts rumbling like an earthquake," he teases, unfolding his legs to jump off the bed and laughing when Pikachu swats at his face in retaliation.
/\/\/\
Luckily, Ash doesn't comment on Clemont's odd behaviour when he emerges from Clemont's room and wanders into the kitchen, Pikachu riding on his shoulder. Clemont breathes a quiet sigh of relief as he kneels and rummages through a cupboard, looking for a frypan.
"Hey Clemont, do you want any help with breakfast?" Ash asks, leaning over the kitchen counter. Pikachu takes the opportunity to jump down onto the counter as Clemont looks up from his search.
"No, it's alright," he tells Ash. "Though could you go and see if Bonnie is awake yet, please?"
"Sure!" Ash replies easily and disappears from Clemont's view again, his footsteps fading further into the apartment. Clemont finds the frypan soon after and begins to make breakfast – pancakes, as a treat to celebrate Ash's first official day of being a Pokémon Trainer. Although Ash can't eat them, he thinks sheepishly, sending a silent apology Ash's way as he mixes the batter. Pikachu looks on curiously.
There's already a few pancakes stacked up by the time Ash reappears, this time with Bonnie in tow. While Ash is clearly trying to keep his enthusiasm somewhat in check, his little sister clearly has no such compunctions as she bounds over to him, full of energy. "Good morning!" Bonnie sings, throwing her arms around his waist in a big hug.
"Good morning," Clemont replies with a smile, bending over to give her a kiss on the forehead when she releases him. Her braid is rather messy this morning, which is odd considering Bonnie is rather good at braiding her own hair nowadays."Did you sleep well?"
"Yup!" she replies happily. Clearly, it's only Clemont who gets woken up at the crack of dawn by enthusiastic soon-to-be-Trainers. "Ooooh yay, pancakes!" Bonnie cheers with enthusiasm, throwing her arms in the air.
"Ah, good morning, Pikachu!" she adds, spotting the electric Pokémon sitting on the bench next to Clemont, happily munching on a pancake that Clemont had pretended not to see him swipe from the steadily growing stack.
"Pika!" is Pikachu's muffled reply as he waves a hand at Bonnie, his cheeks bulging with stolen pancake.
"If you eat all of them, there won't be any left for anyone else," Clemont admonishes, adding another pancake to the stack and starting on a new one. Pikachu gulps down the last of the pancake and rubs the back of his head sheepishly.
"Pika pikachu…"
Bonnie giggles. "Don't worry about it, Pikachu, my brother doesn't actually mind." Pikachu brightens at her words and Clemont's accompanying smile.
Pikachu thanks Clemont with a cheerful "Pipika pi!" and leaps off the kitchen counter to perch on Bonnie's head instead. Bonnie squeals in delight, twirling around on the spot. "Look, look, bro! Pikachu is sitting on my head!"
"So he is," Clemont agrees, smiling. "It seems that Pikachu has really taken a liking to you!" He catches Ash's eye across the kitchen, where the robot leans against the doorway as he watches them, and they share a smile over Bonnie's head. I'm glad Pikachu seems to be so comfortable around us now, Clemont thinks to himself as he flips a pancake. He's even friendlier around people he doesn't know.
Bonnie grins brightly at Clemont's words, raising her hands to pat Pikachu. "Just don't mess up my braid, okay?" she tells him. "Ash did it for me!" Suddenly, the clumsy braid at the front of her hair makes more sense.
"I tried my best, but I don't think it turned out that well," Ash admits from the doorway. "Keeping all the strands separate is hard. You can redo it, I don't mind."
"It's ok, you'll get better with practice!" Bonnie reassures Ash, grabbing his hand. "Clemont used to have to braid my hair until I learnt how to do it myself!"
"Huh, is that so?" Ash asks, an interested look on his face. "Clemont's really good at lots of things, isn't he?"
"Yup, he is!" Bonnie agrees. "Well, except when his inventions explode…"
"Bonnie, could you set the table, please?" Clemont cuts in, embarrassed by praise and criticism alike. "Breakfast is ready."
"Sure!" Bonnie replies. Behind her, Ash doesn't even bother to hide his grin behind a hand as he takes the stack of plates from Bonnie.
"Here, I'll take these, you get the cutlery…"
/\/\/\
Somehow, they make it through breakfast without Ash bursting from impatience, although Clemont can practically feel him vibrating with barely-contained excitement throughout the entire meal. Still, Ash doesn't complain as he waits for Clemont and Bonnie to finish eating. Instead, he chats excitedly with Bonnie about what Pokémon they might see at Professor Sycamore's lab today, occasionally snagging a pancake onto his plate for Pikachu.
Huh, that reminds me, I wonder what Ash intends to do about Pikachu , Clemont muses, watching Ash laugh as Pikachu licks syrup off his paws. He chews on a piece of pancake thoughtfully. Or rather, what Pikachu intends to do about Ash? The two of them have bonded so closely, but it's not a guarantee that Pikachu will want to come with us. He's technically still a wild Pokémon, after all; Ash never actually caught him in a Pokéball. Pikachu may just want to go back to the flower garden when we leave. Ash won't try to make Pikachu stay if he doesn't want to come with us, I'm sure of it. Clemont sighs internally. Although I think it would make him unbearably sad to leave Pikachu behind after everything they've been through.
Still, that's a decision to be made by Ash and Pikachu, not me . He knows though that both he and Bonnie will miss the electric Pokémon almost as much as Ash if Pikachu decides to stay behind. He sighs again.
Clemont is content to just eat and let Bonnie and Ash's excited conversation flow over him, not really paying attention as he goes over a mental checklist of everything they need to do before they set off. He's in the middle of trying to remember if he packed a spare set of screwdrivers – knowing Ash, they'll probably come in handy at some point or another – when Ash seems to pick up on his internal worrying and ropes Clemont into their conversation as well.
Finally, all the pancakes have been eaten and their plates are empty. "Ahh, I'm full!" Bonnie sighs, resting her hands on her stomach. "Thanks, Clemont!"
"Mm, that meal looked really nice!" Ash comments, propping his chin up on his hands. "Did you enjoy it, Pikachu?"
He looks towards Pikachu, who is once again licking syrup off his paws. "Pika!" Pikachu replies happily, before twisting to look at Clemont. "Pipika!"
"You're welcome," Clemont replies with a smile. He stretches and gets to his feet, starting to stack up the empty plates.
"Oh, leave that to me!" Ash says, scooting his chair back and taking the plates out of Clemont's hands. "You did all the hard work cooking, I can take care of the washing up," he says over his shoulder as he carries the dishes over to the sink.
"Oh! Thanks," Clemont says in surprise. "Well, in that case, I'll go and check that I've packed everything that we'll need… then we can head off to Professor Sycamore's laboratory, alright?" Ash and Bonnie raise a cheer in response, Pikachu joining in. Chuckling to himself, Clemont turns to head back to his room, but pauses in the doorway of the kitchen and turns back to Ash. "If your hands start feeling strange or anything, please come and get me!" he tells Ash. While Ash's hands had escaped injury in the fight against Team Rocket, Clemont didn't want to take any chances that there might be some kind of damage that he missed while fixing Ash.
Ash sighs. "I accidentally fry my hands once and I'll never live it down…" He catches sight of Clemont's serious face and huffs a laugh, hand on hip. "Yeah, okay, I'll come and get you, but it'll be fine , Clemont. You're the one who built me, after all! You should have more faith in your own abilities." Clemont ducks his head, and Ash's smile becomes gentler. "And besides, I know that you'll always be able to fix me, no matter what happens."
"Of course," Clemont tells him, and he wants to say more but the words stick in his throat and he can't get them out. There's no world in which I wouldn't try. Struck speechless, he can only smile back at Ash.
Luckily, Bonnie rescues him at that moment by asking into the silence, "Pikachu, I'll help you clean you all up, if you want?" Pikachu glances from Bonnie to his syrup-soaked paws and sticky face and back again, looking sheepish as he nods. Bonnie's eyes light up at the prospect of getting to look after a Pokémon. "I'll brush your fur too, so you'll look your best when we go to the Professor's laboratory!"
"Pika!"
"Thanks, Bonnie!" Ash adds in, his attention switching to the two still sitting at the table. "That'd be a great help."
"It's okay! I love taking care of Pokémon!" Bonnie grins, hopping down from her chair to find a towel to wipe the syrup off of Pikachu's face. "Pikachu, you stay there, okay?"
"Pika!"
Clemont takes the opportunity to slip down the hallway back towards his room. Should I have warned Bonnie that Pikachu might not stay with us? he wonders as he enters his room. If she gets her hopes up too much, then it will hurt worse if Pikachu does end up staying behind… but then, it's not worth needlessly upsetting her if Pikachu does intend to come with us... He stares unseeingly into his bag for a few moments, contemplating what to do, before he realises that he's spacing out and shakes his head to clear it. It's up to Ash and Pikachu, he reminds himself, determinedly putting it out of his mind as he begins to rummage through his bag. I'll just have to trust that they can figure something out. Now, did I remember to pack that first aid kit…?
/\/\/\
Clemont has migrated to his workshop by the time Ash wanders in, the robot miraculously injury-free. He absently returns Ash's greeting as he contemplates his workbench, trying to figure out what other of his inventions might be useful enough to take on their journey – and if so, whether they will fit in the space he has left. Maybe it would be better to take spare parts rather than a fully complete invention? The ability to adapt to situations on the fly is a vital skill that he's learnt from watching Ash battle – and it's a useful trait to have outside of Pokémon battles as well. Yes, more spare parts is probably the better choice.
"Woah, Clemont, what on earth do you have in here?" Ash asks incredulously, cutting through Clemont's train of thought. His eyes are wide as he pokes Clemont's bag, sitting open on the platform in the centre of the room. "Are you sure you're gonna be able to carry all this?"
Clemont lets out a hmph. It's not like he has that much stuff in there, surely. "Well, there's the tents, sleeping bags and the cooking gear," he starts to list off on his fingers. "Changes of clothes for Bonnie and I, not to mention food, soap and toothbrushes, medical items for humans and our Pokémon – and my tool kit and spare parts in case I need to repair you or build anything else… oh yeah, and some of my inventions, I thought they'd be useful…"
Ash looks dumbfounded as the list continues on. "You guys really need all that stuff?" he asks eventually when Clemont finishes his list.
Clemont smiles a bit at the robot's surprise. "Unfortunately, yes, Bonnie and I both need all of these things. And Bonnie can't carry any of it, she's too young. So it's up to me."
Ash makes a face. "At least let me carry some of it, like the tents," he offers reasonably. "It's not like I need much space in my own bag, and I can carry more weight much more easily than you can as well."
With a sigh, Clemont concedes that Ash has a point – it's not like Ash will ever get tired from carrying a heavy bag around. Still, he feels a bit guilty for making his friend carry things that he won't even be using.
"Don't be silly, I'm offering," Ash retorts when Clemont says as much. " I'd feel bad if I didn't try to help somehow."
With that, what else can Clemont do but concede the point? "Thank you," Clemont says gratefully. "I really appreciate it."
Ash waves off his thanks with a hand, instead peering at Clemont's bag with interest. "So what inventions are you bringing, anyway?" he asks curiously as the two of them transfer several of the heavier items from Clemont's rucksack to Ash's backpack.
"Oh! Um, well there's the Aipom Arm, you've seen that one," Clemont says, pointing to it on the front of his backpack. "And the Solar Charger I was making a few weeks ago – I changed the wiring a bit so that it doesn't overheat so much anymore, and it connects to this mini solar panel on the Aipom Arm's dock so that it can charge all the time."
"Wow, that's great!" Ash comments with wonder, peering at it closer. "Science sure is amazing!"
"Now that I've got more space, maybe I can bring something else too…" Clemont muses, wandering back over to his workbench. "Let's see…"
Ash heaves a great sigh behind him and flops backwards onto the raised platform. "Come on, Clemont, let's goooooo!" he complains. "I wanna pick my Pokémon!"
"So, you've decided on one then?" Clemont asks casually, hiding a smile at the defeated noise Ash makes in reply. "There's no need to hurry, Ash, Professor Sycamore isn't going anywhere. It's better to take a little bit more time to plan things out instead of rushing in."
Ash folds his arms across his chest, still laying on his back and looking up at the ceiling. "I guess you're right…" he says reluctantly. "Although winging things generally seems to work out for me." Ash hums tunelessly, not moving an inch from where he lays as Clemont gathers up the last of the items that he thinks might come in handy later on.
Clemont dumps the pile of spare parts and tools next to his rucksack, drawing Ash's attention away from the ceiling. "I'm getting kinda nostalgic, laying here," Ash admits, pulling himself up into a sitting position. He pats the platform. "This is where you made me the first time around, right?"
Pausing in his repacking, Clemont takes a moment to look around the workshop, thinking of all the times he'd spent with Ash in here. Despite the sadder memories of more recent times, they pale in comparison to the good memories Clemont has of the time spent in this very room. "It is," he answers, feeling the same nostalgia that Ash had mentioned sweeping him up. "You've come a long way since then."
"I think you have too, Clemont," Ash tells him seriously, propping his chin up on his hand. "We've both grown."
'Great! I look forward to working with you! Let's grow together, Clemont!'
Clemont smiles. "You haven't gotten any less accident-prone, though," he teases Ash, who grins sheepishly back at him. "Although," Clemont says thoughtfully, tapping a screwdriver against his chin, "I did accidentally trip over you almost straight after I built you and you bumped your head, so maybe that started a trend…"
"What?!" Ash says indignantly, sitting up straight, his eyes wide. "You never told me that!" He crosses his arms. "Geez, Clemont, that's so mean!"
A sheepish chuckle escapes Clemont as he rubs the back of his head. "Sorry…"
"Although…" Ash continues, scratching a cheek. "I guess I wouldn't be me if you hadn't, since my code wouldn't have gotten all messed up otherwise!" He flashes a blinding grin at Clemont, rendering him speechless for a few moments with the warm feeling that wells inside him.
"I... guess so, yes," Clemont eventually says, recovering. The thought seems almost inconceivable to him now – that everything might have depended on Clemont's clumsiness, that there could have been a world in which Ash never existed. But Clemont has already experienced a world where Ash no longer existed; those days had been amongst the worst in his entire life. Clemont never wanted to experience that feeling of hopelessness ever again.
He busies himself with packing once more, pushing away memories that threaten to burden his heart on what should be a morning for excitement. For all of Ash's earlier complaints about how long Clemont is taking, a quick glance at a clock shows that not much time has passed at all. There's not much left to do after this, he thinks as he buckles the last strap on his rucksack. Everything should be packed and Clembot is already down in the Gym, waiting to be activated… Clemont suppresses a shiver at the thought of the Gym downstairs. "Oh yeah, I need to give these guys to Clembot as well," he says to himself, pulling three of his Pokéballs from his pocket.
"Huh? You're not gonna bring everyone with you?" Ash asks, brows knit in confusion. Clemont shakes his head.
"Since Clembot is going to be taking over the Gym for the two of us while we're gone, he's going to need some Pokémon to battle with," Clemont explains, holding out the three Pokéballs to the other. Ash accepts them, cradling them in his palms as he looks at Clemont expectantly, waiting for him to continue. "Just like how you've always borrowed my Pokémon to battle with. And Lumiose Gym is an electric Gym, so it's better if I leave Heliolisk, Magneton and Magnemite with Clembot. He might be new to being a Gym Leader, but all of my Pokémon have experience battling in Gym matches at least, so I know they'll do a good job."
"I'm sure Clembot will also do a great job of being a Gym Leader robot!" Ash says confidently, nodding. "After all, I managed it!" the robot adds, laughing. "Especially with all these guys' help." He indicates the Pokéballs in his hands.
"Yeah," Clemont agrees. He holds up Bunnelby's Pokéball. "However, I'm going to bring Bunnelby with me. He's not an electric type, and I think Clembot should be fine with the others." Clemont looks at the Pokéball in his hands. "Please bear with me a while longer, Bunnelby!"
"And me too!" Ash pipes up. "I'm looking forward to travelling together!" The Pokéball in Clemont's hand wriggles, as though Bunnelby is acknowledging their words. Ash and Clemont exchange a smile.
Ash sighs as Clemont resumes his packing. "To be honest though, even though I'm excited about going travelling with you and Bonnie… I'm gonna miss being here too," he admits, looking around at the workshop. "This is where I first met you and Bonnie, even if I was asleep at the time… and it's where I woke up after you gave me this appearance… and then after…" Ash trails off, his eyes distant. "You and Bonnie are always here to meet me, so going into a deep sleep like I had to those times wasn't scary, 'cause I knew you'd both be there when I woke up again."
Clemont's packing has slowed as Ash spoke, until all he can do is just stare at Ash, willing himself not to burst into tears. He can't speak past the lump in his throat, but Ash doesn't seem to mind. The robot continues to muse aloud as he looks around at the workshop, most of it covered with sheets to keep off the dust while they are away. "I spent a lot of time in this room, watching thunderstorms go by or watching you work on your inventions… looking down at the city or up at the stars while you and Bonnie slept at night. Sometimes I still do," he admits, scratching his head sheepishly. "I haven't really gotten the hang of sleeping yet."
Tears fade in favour of an ungraceful snort of amusement. "Ash, considering most robots don't sleep, I'd be surprised if you actually had picked it up smoothly."
"You guys always look so peaceful, though," Ash complains, crossing his arms. "I wish I could, it looks nice. It's not fun being the only one awake."
Clemont winces. "Sorry."
"Huh? Oh, it's not your fault, Clemont. Like you said, robots aren't supposed to sleep – but humans need to, right?" Ash says reasonably. He holds out the three Pokéballs in his hands, placing them in Clemont's hands when he reaches out to take them. However, instead of simply dropping them into Clemont's hands, Ash presses them into Clemont's hands and lays his hands over the top of them, curling his fingers around the edges of Clemont's palms. Clemont looks up at Ash, startled. He's unprepared for Ash's next words.
"I'm really glad that you made me," Ash tells him sincerely. "Every new day that dawns, every day I get to spend with you and Bonnie and Pikachu, every day that I get to be a Gym Leader and have battles – and from now on, as a Pokémon Trainer too – I'm really glad that I'm here, that I got to meet you." Ash grins suddenly, that blinding smile that always manages to take Clemont's breath away spreading across his face. "I really love being here! So, thank you, Clemont. For making me."
Clemont sniffles loudly in reply, his fight against the tears welling in his eyes already a losing battle as Ash's suddenly concerned features start to blur in a watery haze. He looks down at his feet, blinking furiously.
"Those are… happy tears… right?" Ash guesses, sounding uncertain.
Clemont squeezes his eyes shut, nodding furiously in reply as tears begin to escape and roll down his cheeks. "Yes, v – very happy," he manages, before words fail him completely.
There's a tug on his arm, drawing him blindly forward until Ash's arms wrap around his shoulders. Clemont buries his face against Ash's shoulder, clutching at the back of Ash's t-shirt as tears slowly soak into the thin material. The robot doesn't seem to mind, however, apparently content to kneel there and let Clemont cry into his shoulder.
Eventually, the tears slow to a trickle. Loathe as he is to let Ash go, Clemont drops his arms and moves back to give Ash some space. The wet patch on Ash's shoulder has his face heating up in mortification, the last of the tears drying up with his embarrassment. "S-sorry," he sniffles, wiping his eyes with a sleeve. "I got your shirt all wet…"
"Hrm?" Ash asks, bemused. He looks down at his shoulder like he is only just noticing the tearstains for the first time – considering this is Ash, it's quite possible that this is in fact the case. "Ahh, don't get embarrassed about that! It's okay to cry, you know?"
Clemont glances away, his face flushing a brighter red. It's all very well for Ash to say something like that, but it doesn't stop him from still feeling embarrassed about it. This is meant to be the start of our new journey together, and here I am, a crying mess already! He pats his face, willing himself to calm down and act somewhat normal.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Ash suddenly says, breaking the mood. He rummages around in a pocket and holds his hand out to Clemont, letting his fingers fall open so that Clemont can see what lays in his palm. One of the Voltage badges from the Lumiose Gym sits there, shining under the lights of the workshop. The very same badge that Clemont had 'won' in his test Gym match against Ash, the first day that Ash had woken up. The very same badge that Clemont had given back to Ash as he lay lifeless on the very platform he sits on now.
Clemont looks from the badge to Ash's expectant face. "I was holding this when I woke up last week," Ash explains, interpreting Clemont's questioning look correctly. "This is the one I gave you on that first day we battled, right?"
Clemont blinks, amazed that Ash actually recognises this particular badge. "Yeah." All traces of tears or embarrassment have vanished in the wake of his curiosity.
"Mm, I thought so…" Ash nods, closing his fingers around the Voltage badge. Instead of returning it to his pocket, Ash reaches out and takes Clemont's hand to drop the small piece of metal into his palm. "Here, you should have this back. This is a badge that you won from a Gym Leader, after all!" Ash tells him, his smile reflected in his eyes.
"But I gave it back to you!" Clemont protests, staring down at the badge in his hand. He holds it out to Ash. "You should keep it!"
Ash shakes his head, pulling his hands back out of reach before Clemont can mirror his earlier gesture. "Nah, s'okay," he says. "You hold onto that for now." A fiercely determined grin suddenly splits his face. "I'm gonna earn it properly once I have four other badges!"
"Four…?" Clemont repeats, brows furrowed in confusion.
"Yeah. That was the skill level you wanted potential challengers to have, wasn't it?" Ash asks, tapping his temple. "I remember asking you about it."
'You're meant to have at least four badges before you can challenge me… But I really wanna battle….!'
'Huh? I only put in that I'd like them to have around four badges, if possible…'
'Oh, really? Awesome! In that case, let's battle!'
Our first battle… "Uh, well, I did say that, but…" He closes his fingers around the badge, feeling the smooth metal against his skin. "…You know I don't really follow that as a rule." Truth be told, he'd forgot that had ever been one of the conditions that he'd programmed into Ash's original AI. Ash was enthusiastic about accepting any and all challengers that came to the Gym and it was easy to get caught up in his sincere passion for the things he enjoyed.
Just as well that Ash was already ignoring his programming by that point , Clemont thinks, amused. I don't have any badges, so who knows what could have happened if he'd stuck to it? We might have been thrown out of the Gym! He shakes his head, smiling at the small metal pin resting in his palm. Well, I guess I have one badge now, at least…
Not that it would count officially; Gym Leaders couldn't compete in the League that their Gym was associated with. Clemont has already completed and submitted the paperwork a few days ago to deregister Ash as a Gym Leader and register Clembot in his place. Ash had been rather disgruntled at the change in status, unhappy that his promise to keep working at the Gym with Clemont was effectively broken. Clemont had pointed out that it was only while Ash competed in the championship league – there was nothing to stop him returning once the competition was over. Reasoning that it was more like Ash's promise was on hold rather than broken had made Ash's grumbling subside. Apparently, Ash has been thinking about the other implications that come with his new status in the days that have passed since then – namely, that he was now free to challenge the Lumiose Gym like any other Trainer for one of his eight badges if he so chose.
"Yeah, I know," Ash replies. "But I want to have those skills before I come back to challenge this Gym for my own Voltage Badge." That intense spark is back in the robot's eyes as he grins at Clemont. "And when I do, I want my opponent to be you, not Clembot."
Clemont's eyes widen in surprise; a moment later, a challenging grin spreads across his face as an answering spark of determination flares up in his chest to match the bright look in his friend's eyes. "Very well then, I'll be waiting for your challenge!" he replies firmly, fingers closing around the Voltage Badge in his hand. "And until that time comes, I'll acquire more skills as well, so that I can give you a proper battle as a Gym Leader!"
"I look forward to it," Ash says with a grin. "It's a promise, Clemont!"
Clemont nods. "Yes, it is!" The two of them laugh happily together, both boys already looking forward to their promised Gym battle.
"All right, I'm all fired up now!" Ash exclaims as Clemont slips the badge into his pocket for safe-keeping. "Clemont, how's the packing going?"
"Well, I think I've got everything now," Clemont says, patting his backpack. "Shall we head off then? The Professor should be ready for us by now."
"Yeah!" Ash cheers, springing to his feet with a most un-robot-like agility that Clemont quietly envies. "Alright, let's go! I think your Dad said that he'd be waiting down in the Gym with Clembot to see us all off as well."
About to lift up his backpack, Clemont stills at the mention of the Gym again. I can't avoid it forever, that's ridiculous, Clemont berates himself furiously. I'm the Gym Leader, for goodness' sake! And yet… and yet… the thought of stepping foot in that place again…
"Clemont?" Ash asks, brows drawn down in concern. "Are you okay?"
"W – What? Oh, y – yes, of course," Clemont replies, flustered. He takes a deep breath and forces himself to speak more calmly. "Let's find Bonnie and then we can all head down to the Gym together."
Ash doesn't move, looking unconvinced by Clemont's claims of being alright. "You know…" he starts, scratching his head. "…It's okay to be sad or nervous about leaving home for a while, right?" Ash says finally, tilting his head to the side. There's a strange expression on his face. "I mean, I know you've left home before when you went away to study, but at least then you knew when you'd be back. So it's probably different this time, right?" Ash pauses for a second, obviously mulling over his words. "I've never had a dad, so I don't know what it would be like to not see them for a while, but…" Ash places a hand over his chest, where his clockwork heart rests. "I know that I'd be hurt really bad in here if I had to leave you and Bonnie for any reason, so…"
For the second time in as many minutes, Clemont is rendered speechless. How does he manage to continually surprise me like this? Clemont wonders, not for the first time. Ash might have completely the wrong idea about what is worrying him – well, not completely; Clemont is maybe a little nervous about the three of them travelling around on their own, but he has faith they'll manage in the end – but here his robot is, doing his best to comfort him regardless. He has such a kind heart… I'm sorry to worry you, Ash, but this is something I don't think you can help me with. I need to figure this out on my own.
"That's not exactly it, but thanks, Ash," Clemont replies with a small but genuine smile. Ash crosses his arms and studies Clemont for a few more moments, until Clemont starts to feel a bit nervous from the unwavering stare. "Uh…"
Ash blinks, a spark of understanding suddenly dawning in his eyes. "Clemont… you… haven't actually been down to see the Gym at all in the past week, have you?" he asks slowly, brows furrowed in thought.
Urk. He noticed. "I went down there the other day!" Clemont protests wildly.
"You came down to get me," Ash retorts, still clearly thinking things through. "And you didn't actually step foot inside the Gym at all." Urk. He even noticed that! "Clemont… are you sure you're okay?" Ash looks unusually serious. "You can tell me if you're worried about something, you know. Especially if it's about the Gym. Are you worried Clembot won't be able to look after the Gym challenges properly? If you need more time to upgrade him or something, we can stay in Lumiose for a few more days. I can wait."
Oh, Ash. This, coming from someone who had woken Clemont up at four in the morning in the hopes they could go and receive a Pokémon from Professor Sycamore right then and there! Ash doesn't look particularly thrilled about the idea, but his concern for Clemont's sake apparently far outweighs his own adventurous desires. That Ash would put his own dreams on hold – even if only for a few days – to make sure that Clemont was alright was a bit overwhelming for him to contemplate. Too bad that's not actually the problem.
"No, no, it's not that!" he hastily replies, waving his hands around for emphasis. "Thank you, Ash, I really appreciate the offer! But Clembot is fine as he is now; there's nothing else I need to do for him." Clemont sighs in defeat. "The truth is…"
He trails off. I can't tell Ash the truth, he thinks miserably. What kind of Gym Leader is too afraid to enter their own Gym? There was nothing Ash could do to help in any case. Clemont hasn't managed to step foot inside his Gym ever since Team Rocket had tried to steal Ash and his Pokémon. It's better at night, when darkness shrouds the Gym and he can barely see a thing. During the day, however… even with all the reconstruction going on and some of the Gym restored back to new, Clemont can only ever see his Gym in ruins when he looks at it now.
Ash, lying lifeless on the ground.
There's too many painful memories associated with Lumiose Gym at the moment. Maybe they will fade with time, overwritten by the memories of his travels with Ash. Clemont certainly hopes so, because the thought of losing his Gym – losing all of the other good memories he has of it – hurts almost as much as actually looking at it.
It wouldn't be fair to burden Ash with all of this. Lumiose Gym is Ash's home; it's where he was created, after all. He was created specifically to help out with Gym Leader duties and no matter how much Ash has evolved on his own, being a Gym Leader will always be a core part of him. Despite everything that happened, despite practically dying in that very Gym – but then, it wasn't Ash who remembered dying – it's still Ash's beloved Gym as much as it is Clemont's. Ruining that for him – confessing that the thought of walking back into that huge hall has him in a cold sweat every time – it wouldn't be fair. Clemont won't spoil that for Ash. I just need to get more courage to overcome this on my own. Hopefully, the time away from the Gym will help.
He can't tell Ash the truth, but he can offer at least a partial truth. "The truth is," he repeats, "even with all the work that's being done to restore the Gym at the moment… it hurts to look at it, Ash."
Ash sighs, shoulders slumping as he uncrosses his arms. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Seeing it all destroyed like that hurts me as well. But," he offers, "Meyer will make sure they put it back to how it was before, so by the time we return to Prism Tower the Gym will look as good as new!"
He grins at Clemont, so brightly that Clemont can't help but smile back no matter how he feels. "Yeah, you're right," he agrees. And hopefully by then I'll have sorted out my feelings about it as well. Hefting his backpack onto his shoulders, Clemont winces at both the weight – Ash was right, this is heavy! – and the way one of the straps digs into the bruises on his chest.
His vague hope that maybe Ash hadn't noticed is immediately dashed when he sees Ash frowning. He's by Clemont's side in a flash, reaching out to press a gentle hand against Clemont's chest. Despite the care Ash takes, the pressure is still enough to draw another wince.
"That's from when I shoved you that day, isn't it?" Ash asks, brown eyes filled with sorrow.
He's hidden enough from Ash already today. "Yeah," Clemont admits. Ash sighs through his nose, mouth twisting in distaste at the confirmation that he had caused Clemont injury.
"I'm sorry," Ash tells him sadly, regret plain on his face. "It must have hurt."
"It's okay," Clemont reassures him. "There's nothing to forgive, it wasn't your fault. It's just bruises, anyway; they're almost all healed by now."
"Still…" Ash's hand is still resting over Clemont's heart, as though he can heal the bruises just by touching them. It's only when Ash's fingers spread out – very carefully, afraid of causing more hurt – that Clemont realises that the robot is listening to Clemont's heartbeat. "You said it was dangerous for me, going on this journey," Ash says slowly, almost hesitant. "But… I never stopped to think that it might be dangerous for humans like you and Bonnie, too." He pulls his hand away and stares at it with an unreadable expression, flexing his fingers every now and then.
He's worried too…
"True, there will probably be times when things are dangerous for all of us," Clemont agrees. "But you don't have to worry about it yet. That's why we have each other, after all!" He hesitates for a moment before placing a hand on Ash's shoulder and squeezing it gently. "We'll look out for each other, keep each other out of trouble and patch each other up if we need to – although keeping you out of trouble might take a miracle." He grins at a surprised Ash. "But no matter what happens, we'll all be together," Clemont finishes. "And that's what's most important, right?"
Ash's surprise melts into an answering grin that lights up his eyes. "Right!"
"Clemont! Ash! Are you guys ready?" Bonnie calls, her voice echoing down the hallway. A few seconds later, her head pokes around the door to Clemont's workshop. "Ah, here you both are!" she cries, spotting them and hurrying over, Pikachu following at her heels. "Pikachu and I were looking all over for you! Dad's waiting downstairs," she adds to Clemont.
"Thanks, Bonnie. We'd better not keep your Dad waiting, then," Ash replies, shouldering his backpack with an ease that Clemont envies. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yep!" Bonnie replies happily, patting the yellow satchel at her hip. She grabs a hold of Ash's hand, tugging him towards the door. "Come on, come on, let's go, Ash!" she chants excitedly. Clemont hides a grin as he watches the two of them. Bonnie's almost as excited as Ash is!
"Come on, Clemont, aren't you coming?" Ash laughs, grabbing Clemont's attention. A hand closes around his wrist, drawing a startled yelp from an unsuspecting Clemont as he is tugged forwards as well. Ash chuckles, grinning over his shoulder at Clemont as Bonnie tows them both towards the door.
"Pikapi!"
Bonnie comes to a surprised halt. Behind her, Ash and Clemont also slow to a stop, Clemont peering over Ash's shoulder curiously. Pikachu stands in front of the doorway with his arms spread out as though to block the way, looking determined. Huh? Pikachu…?
"Hey, Clemont, what's Pikachu doing?" Bonnie asks, looking over her shoulder up at her brother. Clemont shakes his head in response, just as bewildered as his sister. Ash, however, closes the distance steadily and kneels down in front of the electric Pokémon. Pikachu drops his arms, apparently satisfied that Ash isn't about to leave before he can say what he wants to say.
"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asks kindly.
Pikachu waves his arms wildly. "Pika pikachu chu pika! Pikapi pika!"
Clemont can't see Ash's face from where he is standing and he's not exactly sure what Pikachu has just said, but Ash's shoulders slump just the slightest. Still, Ash's voice sounds normal when he replies in a reassuring tone. "Don't worry, Pikachu. We'll take you back to the garden before we leave so you can be with all your other friends. Or – if you want, you can stay here while we're gone. I'm sure Clemont won't mind."
Oh, Ash. Clemont's heart aches for his friend; from the sound of things, Pikachu has decided to stay behind…
"Chu!"
…Or not?
Pikachu shakes his head, looking exasperated as he holds his arms up in a X sign. Ash blinks, and there's a small seed of hope sprouting in Clemont's chest again. "You… don't wanna go back to the flower garden?"
Pikachu nods. "Pika!"
"Then… what do you wanna do?" Ash asks, still looking puzzled.
"Pika pikapi!" Pikachu replies, a cheerful smile on his face as he waves his arms enthusiastically again.
Ash blinks again. "You… wanna come with me?" Hope and joy bloom in Ash's voice, growing with every word that he speaks. The slumped line of his shoulders disappear as Ash straightens. "Really?"
Pikachu nods vigorously. "Pika!"
Laughter bubbles up from Ash's chest. "Pikachu!" he cries, overjoyed, spreading his arms. Pikachu leaps into them with enough force that Ash is knocked backwards, falling on his backside. Ash doesn't seem to mind, simply hugging Pikachu to his chest fiercely as he laughs. Pikachu hugs Ash back just as hard with a happy "Chaaaaaaaaa!"
"Yay! Pikachu's coming with us!" Bonnie cheers, throwing her arms up in the air. Clemont feels like cheering himself; as it is, his smile is so wide that his cheeks are starting to hurt.
"Good for you, Ash!" he tells the laughing Trainer. "That's great!"
"Thanks!" Ash says breathlessly, grinning up at Clemont. His laughter dies down and his expression turns serious as he glances back down at Pikachu, still cradled in his arms. "But… are you really sure, Pikachu?"
"Pi?" Pikachu asks, the Pokémon's head tilting to the side as he looks up at Ash.
Ash sighs. "You keep getting into trouble because of me," he explains. "First at the flower garden, then at the Gym the other week… plus I'm gonna be a Trainer – there'll be heaps of battles. I like battling. But I wouldn't want you to get injured again just because of that." He brushes the scar on Pikachu's tail with gentle fingers, sadness passing over his face.
Pikachu contemplates this for a few seconds, face unusually serious, before abruptly swinging around and batting Ash across the face with his tail. "Ow!" Ash says, startled, putting a hand to his cheek. "What was that for?!"
"Pikapi pika chupi pika!" Pikachu scolds, paws on hips. "Pika pika pikachu pi!"
Ash laughs sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Alright, alright, I gotcha, I gotcha!" he says, chuckling. "Sorry! I just wanted to check!"
"Pikachu." Pikachu crosses his arms haughtily, looking less than impressed at Ash's reasoning.
"Aww, come on Pikachu, don't be like that," Ash laughs, collecting the unamused Pokémon in his arms and hugging him again. "I'd love for you to come with us! Will you be my partner?"
Pikachu tries to stay stern in the face of Ash's returning joy but quickly gives in after a few seconds, laughing as he hugs the robot back. "Pika!"
Well, there was still one more step to go before Pikachu could be officially recognised as Ash's Pokémon. This time it's Clemont's turn to step forward, as he kneels beside Ash to offer him a Pokéball. "Here you go, Ash," he says with a smile. "You'll need this to catch Pikachu as your own Pokémon."
"Ah! Thanks, Clemont, I'd almost completely forgotten!" Ash replies, taking the Pokéball from Clemont gratefully. He frowns when he notices Pikachu watching the Pokéball warily. "Hm? What's wrong, Pikachu?" he asks in concern. Pikachu makes a face at the red and white ball.
"Chu…"
Ash exchanges a glance with Clemont, asking silently if he has any idea what the matter is. Clemont frowns in thought, putting a hand to his chin. Pikachu doesn't seem to have any second thoughts about going with Ash, so it's not that… Just an issue with the Pokéball itself, maybe? Wait, I think I read something about this while I was studying. "I've heard that there are some Pokémon who just don't like being enclosed in a Pokéball," Clemont says aloud slowly, tapping his chin. "Pikachu have been noted as having a higher percentage of this trait than other Pokémon."
"Oh, is that it?" Ash asks Pikachu. He hefts the Pokéball. "You don't like being inside this?"
Pikachu nods with a relieved look on his face. "Pika."
"I see…"
Clemont sighs. "The Pokémon Association won't recognise Pikachu as an official part of your team unless he's been properly caught with a Pokéball," he informs robot and Pokémon with regret. "If he's not registered, you won't be able to use Pikachu in any Gym matches or League-affiliated battles."
Pikachu's ears slant back unhappily. "Pikapi…"
"Hrm," Ash replies, closing his eyes for a few moments of thought. Then he nods to himself, opening them again. "No worries!" He holds the Pokéball out to Pikachu. "I know you don't like being in this," he tells the electric Pokémon. "So I promise, after this, you'll never have to go inside it ever again, okay?"
Pikachu looks up at Ash with uncertainty on his face. Clemont and Bonnie both hold their breath, waiting for the electric Pokémon's response. It doesn't take long. Ash gives Pikachu a reassuring smile and suddenly the small Pokémon's eyes shine with trust. With a determined nod, Pikachu reaches out and taps the Pokéball with a paw, disappearing inside it in a flash of red light. Ash cups the ball in his hands as it wriggles around furiously, the indicator light blinking rapidly on and off.
Come on, Pikachu, you can do it! Clemont thinks fervently. Beside Clemont, Bonnie clasps her hands together. "Please…" she whispers. "Please, Pikachu!" Ash stays silent, his belief in Pikachu keeping his face calm as he watches the wildly rocking Pokéball.
After what seems like an age, the Pokéball finally lets out a small ' ding!' and the indicator light blinks out in a spray of sparkles. Ash's calm expression breaks into a beaming grin. "Yes!"
Clemont breathes a sigh of relief as Bonnie cheers next to him, a hand on his heart. "Thank goodness!"
"Alright, come on out of there, Pikachu!" Ash calls, holding out the Pokéball. A flash of white light reveal sPikachu curled in on himself. Pikachu's ears twitch in the open air of the workshop and he straightens. A shiver runs down the small Pokémon's body and fluffs up his fur as Pikachu shakes his head with a noise of discontent.
"Hey there, Pikachu," Ash smiles. Pikachu's head snaps up at the sound of Ash's voice.
"Pikapi!" Gone is the discontent from moments earlier, replaced with a happiness that radiates from the small Pokémon's body as he bounds across the floor and slams into Ash's chest for an enthusiastic hug. " Chaaaaaa!"
"Good to see you too, buddy!" Ash laughs, scratching Pikachu between the ears. "Thanks, Pikachu! Let's aim together for the Kalos League Championship! And then onwards to being a Pokémon Master!"
"Pika!" Pikachu replies enthusiastically, raising a paw.
Ash's shoulders tremble with barely-contained excitement. He turns to Clemont and Bonnie, his brown eyes shining as he holds Pikachu in his arms. "Look Clemont!" Ash exclaims, beaming widely. "I got Pikachu! I've caught my very first Pokémon!"
Clemont laughs, light-hearted as Ash and Pikachu's combined joy wipes away everything that has been weighing down his mind lately. Team Rocket, the Gym, their journey – all of it pales beside this moment. This is why he had decided that Ash should go on his journey and chase after his dream, no matter how dangerous things got. This is why Clemont will be right beside him every step of the way; to watch Ash grow and achieve his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master and all the ups and downs that this adventure would more than likely bring them. Clemont has no doubt that Ash would rise to meet every challenge that faces him; Ash's steadfastness gives Clemont courage and makes him want to try his hardest as well, so that he can continue to support Ash and grow into a person worthy enough to be his robot's equal.
Pikachu had seen that same spark in Ash, that determination and courage and kindness that makes Ash such an exceptional person whether he was made of metal or of bone. The Pikachu that they had met that day in the flower gardens had been mistrustful of humans, but Ash had somehow gotten past the wary Pokémon's defences; it's easy to see that the Pikachu that sat with them today loves Ash with a fierce loyalty. Clemont is glad that Pikachu has decided to come with them and that he managed to overcome his dislike of enclosed spaces long enough out of that same love to let himself be captured. It seemed Ash inspires courage in everyone he met.
"Congratulations, Ash!" he replies, beaming. "I'm really happy for you!" He turns his attention to Pikachu, holding out his hand. Pikachu stretches out a paw to grasp Clemont's hand and they shake hands. "Please bear with me from here on out, Pikachu!" he says cheerfully.
"Pipika!" Pikachu responds with a happy smile, patting their joined hands with his free paw.
Bonnie leans in, throwing her arms around Pikachu. "Pikachu, you were really brave!" she exclaims. Pikachu blushes, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. Bonnie giggles and sits back on her heels. "I'm so glad you're coming with us, Pikachu! Let's have lots of fun together!"
"Pika!"
Clemont gets to his feet, adjusting his backpack and brushing the dust of the workshop off his jumpsuit. He then stretches out a hand to both Bonnie and Ash, helping to pull them to their feet when they grab his hands. "So Ash, are you ready to go?" Clemont asks.
Ash reaches up to adjust his hat, settling it on his head as Pikachu climbs onto his shoulder. He exchanges a quick glance with Pikachu before he turns back to Clemont and gives him a nod in reply, brown eyes filled with a fiery enthusiasm. "Yeah!"
He blinks as Ash holds out his hand, a smile on the robot's face. "Clemont, Bonnie, I hope you'll bear with me!"
Clemont smiles in reply. "Yes, likewise!" he answers, taking Ash's hand. As always, Ash's hand is warm beneath his own.
"Ah!" Bonnie exclaims, a pout on her face as she bounces up and down on the spot. "No fair! Me too, me too!"
Clemont hides a smile as he and Ash kneel down so that Bonnie can reach their clasped hands as well. Pikachu jumps off Ash's shoulder, joining Bonnie in laying a hand – or paw – on top of Ash and Clemont's hands. "Let's go and meet lots of Pokémon!" Bonnie exclaims. The laughter bubbling up inside of Clemont finally escapes him in a joyful chuckle, meeting Ash's grin across everyone's joined hands. Here we go!
"All right, everyone!" Ash announces. "Let's set off on our adventure!"
Together, they all raise their hands up into the air. "Yeah!" Bonnie and Clemont cheer, echoed by a happy "Pika!"
Ash grins at all of them and offers an arm to Pikachu, leaping to his feet once he is comfortably settled on his shoulder. "We'd better go say bye to your Dad or he'll be wondering where we are!" Ash teases as he heads out the door. "Come on, let's go!"
"Yeah!" Bonnie exclaims, racing after Ash. Clemont follows his sister at a more sedate pace, pausing in the doorway for one last look back at his workshop.
This is where it all started, huh, Ash? he thinks, glancing around at the sheets covering the benches. I can't believe it's only been half a year that we've known each other… I never expected things to turn out like this! He smiles to himself, a quiet, private smile. Maybe it was only by accident that you became who you are, but I'm glad I met you too!
"Come on, Clemont!" Ash's voice floats down the hallway. "I still don't want Professor Sycamore to run out of Pokémon before we get there!"
"Coming!" Clemont calls back. He flicks off the light, plunging his workshop into darkness and closes the door behind him firmly. Ash and Bonnie are waiting expectantly for him at the end of the hallway by the front door.
"There you are!" Ash says as Clemont hurries towards them. The robot reaches out, grabbing Bonnie and Clemont's hands with his own. "Let's go, together!"
And so together they step over the threshold, ready to begin their new adventure.
fin.
TO BE CONTINUED (maybe)
Aaaaand that's all folks!
It took two years to write but it's finally done! C: I can't believe I actually managed to finish it! This is the longest fic I've ever written :O
I just want to say a really big thank you to everyone who has stuck through to the end of this story, especially everyone who reviewed or faved! Your kind words have meant a lot to me. Glad you all decided to come along for the ride in this random AU hahaha Also a really big thank you to my friend once again, who beta-read this for me and put up with me screaming about plot holes for two years and just generally motivated me to keep writing it ^^b
For those of you wondering if there will be a sequel: The original intention, when I started writing this fic, was that this whole thing would be a short (LOL) sort of "episode 0/episode 1" fic that would replace the first episode of the XY anime, and then after that it would just be little scenes (whether onscreen or offscreen) from each episode to map out their journey in snapshots. Unfortunately, this fic grew into a beast and sapped my will/motivation somewhat, so I only wrote two scenes from episodes fairly far apart and moved on.
However! I still wouldn't mind doing some short scenes, and the only episode I actually had a (vague!) plotline for was the replacement for "Clemont's Got a Secret/Retake the Lumiose Gym" so… if anyone has a request for a scene from one of the episodes (can be an onscreen moment, can be an offscreen moment we never saw) and if it fits into the AU, I'll have a go at writing it? I can't promise that I will definitely write it, for various reasons (motivation, plotline, other fics etc), but I'll certainly try C: Got a request for the volcano ep which means that they're all gonna be kinda angsty so far?
The two ficlets that I've already done will be posted once I actually work out a title for the collective sequels... why are fic titles so hard D:
As always, thanks for reading! C: