Note: This story was first published on Archive of Our Own as "Gives Me Strength" which now has a sequal called "It's Okay To Cry". For ease of viewing, they have been combined to be uploaded to

Original opening note below:

First off, this is based off two Pokemon Journeys episodes that have not been dubbed yet, so spoiler warnings for those who keep up with just the dub. You have been warned! Anyways,

My first fic! Seeing Ash and Iris at the tunnel before and after her match against Cynthia me think of all the romantic possibilities there, and NegaiShipping doesn't have a lot of fan material, so I thought that now was the perfect chance to add to it. This is a one-shot.

I do not own Pokémon. It is owned by The Pokémon Company, Nintendo, and Game Freak. Please support the official releases.

Story begins below:

She knew he would come to see her before her match. He was just that type. Always the number one supporter of everyone he travelled with. That's what got him so many supporters even before he became the first Alola champion.

And he was no different. Sure, at the time, he was a bit immature, that's why she constantly told him he was a little kid, but, he went to that football game with her, he played Tennis with her, not holding any grudge after she hit him with a tennis ball, in the face.

He helped prove Dragonite's innocence after Officer Jenny wanted to punish it for damaging the Power Plant. He did everything he could to help Dragonite that day, when it was hurt and confused, and unable to control its emotions.

He was there when they returned to her home city, calmed her down and got her off that tower…would Officer Jenny really have arrested her if he wasn't there? Maybe. No-one can confirm she wouldn't have.

So…she was really happy to see him there.

"Iris!"

"Ash!"

"Right now, I'm just so nervous…And so fired up!"

"You're going up against Cynthia. If you say you want to be a dragon master, you definitely can't say it until you beat that Garchomp, not that you didn't know that already."

"Oh, I'm ready for anything…Haxorus and I have been waiting for this for a long time. Remember when we sparred against those two when he was an Axew?"

"Yeah, but she was actually going easy on you there. She won't hold back here, she wants to win just as much as us. But no-one is unbeatable, I've beaten people in the Ultra Class I never pictured myself beating, like an Elite Four member from Kalos, though I'll tell you more later if you want. But now, you have to go out there and get it!"

He's right, she does have to go out and get it. But also in a way he's not thinking about. Probably.

"Ash, there's still a couple of minutes before I need to be out there, and I want to say, thank you for everything you did when we travelled together, I was this girl with an inferiority-superiority complex who had dropped out of a school of the type she specialized in…You always believed in me, kept pushing me, never gave up on me, defended me…and, what I'm about to do will give me strength." Iris said.

She quickly closed the gap between them, leaned in, and kissed him. Not for long, more of a "peck", but it was still a kiss.

He seemed to not know what to say…

"I-Iris…"

She smiled, turned around, and ran onto the field of Wyndon stadium.

Well.

She had worked at it for a long time, but that dang Draco Meteor is just too hard to avoid for Haxorus. At least she took out Cynthia's other two Pokemon, and Haxorus stayed in the match for a little bit. Though others had probably done that as well.

This sucked.

And what would he say? She shouldn't have done that. She had basically promised him she would win. But now that moment was totally wasted. What if he thought she was playing with his emotions? Or trying set up a situation of guilting him after her loss? This was worse then losing.

And he'd definitely be avoiding her now.

Ugh, it's hard for her to think with that double whammy.

Then Iris thought, she could probably ask Diantha about it. She was sure she could keep a secret. Probably Cynthia too, since she would likely come to tell her she still did such a great job when she clearly did not. Then again, She and Ash are at least somewhat friends, so maybe she shouldn't be entrusted with that se-

Iris stopped, realizing two people were there.

Crap.

He was there, as was his friend Goh.

Dumbfounded, she just stood there. And then she fell to her knees. And began to cry.

And cry.

And cry.

And cry.

Ash slowly walked to her, and sat down, crisscross.

"Cynthia is really strong." Ash said

"It-it feels like my Pokémon and I will never be as good as you or her. Just freaking call Draco Meteor, and I'm d-done…and I wasted that strength…" Iris could barely get that out with her crying

But then, Ash reached out his hand.

Not thinking much, perhaps out of habit, she took it, and he pulled her up.

Then, he hugged her.

"There's nothing wrong with losing to her. Most people have. And I'm willing to go out and say that that Garchomp is a strongest Dragon Pokémon that's not a legendary. And even then, I wouldn't be surprised if it ever beat Dialga." He started with

"And, you're still the strongest trainer in Unova. Stronger then anyone in Castelia City, then your old classmates at the dragon school that you struggled at. And, you're the strongest of my friends, of my companions, everyone I've travelled with. You've always inspired me with your fiery spirit, from the moment we met where you yelled at me for throwing a Poké ball at you, thinking that was Axew, and all of our fights at those tournaments, like the Clubsplotion,"

There was a brief pause, where they just looked at each other, holding each other. Goh was too surprised to do anything.

"You always wanted to be the best, and that's probably what got you into the Masters 8. When I was travelling with you, that sometimes got you in trouble when you thought you were better at something when you really weren't, but I think that confidence will let you be champion for a really long time. And I don't want you to change any of that." Ash said warmly

And then he hugged her again. All cheered up, some of Iris' spunk came back

"Ash, you're beginning to sound like a slightly bigger kid!" Iris said

She instantly regretted bringing that up, thinking maybe he'd get mad at that, but he just laughed

"Okay, actually, the one thing I'd change is that you stop calling me that. Especially after I beat you in our Ultra Class match-up."

"Don't you start to hang your hat on that, next time we fight, I'll hit your team with Outrage before any of you can call Draco Meteor! I did beat you at one of those tournaments, remember!" she countered, laughing.

"Yeah, that's a win you can always be proud of. And speaking of winning, now I need to get strength…"

What? Iris couldn't believe he had just said that.

He leaned in and kissed her.

This wasn't a quick one like the last time, but a good one.

Goh's face was hard to describe, he never thought this would happen. But he liked it, so he smiled.

Once they were done, Iris did walk over to Goh

"Goh, let's cheer on Ash together! And if you want to tell everyone about that before we're ready, Haxorus can join us!"

Goh was incredibly intimidated by that, of course, but was never the less excited for both them as a couple and Ash's upcoming match against Steven, and he didn't want to be a "leaker" anyway

"Yeah, Let's go!" Goh said

Ash smiled, glad his friend wasn't the chaotic sort.

"I'm counting on you two!"

And then he walked out to the field. The man, the myth and the legend Steven Stone was waiting for him.

While Iris was bummed, she knew that watching Ash beat Steven, avenge her against Cynthia, and beating Leon would make her feel almost as good as if she won it.

Ending notes:

Tell me how much you loved or hated it in the comments!

Episodes referenced:
Ash tries to catch Axew and accidently hits Iris with the Poké Ball: BW002
Iris defeats Ash in Nimbasa Pokémon Club Battle: BW042
Iris and Cynthia spar using Axew and Garchomp: BW085
Iris meets and catches Dragonite: BW089
Iris climbs tower and later thinks of her old Dragon School: BW101
Ash and Iris battle in Ultra Class: JN065
Ash battles Drasna of the Kalos Elite Four: JN104
Iris and Ash meet before her battle against Cynthia: JN116
Iris battles Cynthia and loses, talks with Ash and Goh afterwards: JN117