A double update! Yay! :D

Chapter 8

Clemont waits nervously for Ash's reply, fists clenched at his sides. There's always the possibility that Ash is still too upset to forgive him – after all, he'd been upset enough to leave Prism Tower – and that possibility is a shard of fear in his heart. Even though his father had said over the phone earlier that Ash was alright and wanted to come back to the Tower when the rain cleared, Clemont hadn't been able to believe it until he'd seen the robot standing hesitantly in the hallway. The relief at seeing Ash, unharmed and finally right there in front of him had been so great that Clemont had acted on instinct, unable to resist rushing over to hug his friend.

But there was always the chance that between that call and now, Ash has changed his mind. Indeed, Clemont can feel his stomach sinking as the silence continues on without any kind of response from Ash. He's just about to give up when something warm and fluffy lands on top of his head. Clemont realises belatedly that it's a towel just as someone – Ash, probably – starts to dry his hair vigorously in much the same manner that Clemont used when drying Bonnie or Ash's hair.

When the hands release him, Clemont peeks up cautiously from under the towel to see Ash smiling brightly at him. He's helpless to stop the hesitant smile that spreads across his own face in answer; resisting Ash's smile is almost impossible. Ash's expression soon becomes serious and Clemont straightens, bracing for an answer he isn't sure he wants to hear.

It's Clemont's turn to be surprised, though. "I should be the one saying sorry," Ash tells him, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "You were just worried about me and I overreacted and got mad when I shouldn't have. Please forgive me too?" He holds out his hand, looking slightly nervous.

The fear and worry that has been weighing Clemont down all day finally lifts, melting away to make place for dawning joy. Thank goodness! A fond laugh born of happiness and relief escapes him and he ignores Ash's hand in favour of pulling the robot into another hug, a wide smile blooming across his face.

"Of course!" he says. "Of course."

This time, Clemont feels Ash's arms curl around him as the robot returns the hug, hesitantly at first but soon tightening his grip when Clemont just hugs him harder in response. Clemont hides his face against Ash's shoulder, hiding the tears of sheer relief that threaten to fall. He wants this moment to last forever: Ash is here, safe and unharmed and he's not mad at Clemont and he's going to come home when this rain finally lets up –

"Hey, Clemont?" Ash says eventually. Clemont hmms wordlessly in response, quite content to stay where he is. Ash is warm and Clemont is exhausted now that he isn't in a state of panicked worry anymore. "You're getting me all wet…"

Clemont blinks, belatedly remembering that yes, he's soaking wet and yes, Ash is now soaking wet as well. "Ack! Sorry!" he apologises, hastily letting go of Ash and stepping back.

Ash laughs. "Don't worry about it! It's not like a bit of water can hurt me, after all!" he says proudly, patting his chest. Ash reaches out to grab the towel slung over Clemont's shoulders and picks up where he left off in drying Clemont's hair. "You shouldn't have come out in the rain," he admonishes Clemont as he squeezes water out of his hair. "Waiting an hour or two for it to clear wouldn't have mattered. You'll catch a cold if you stay like this!"

Right on cue, Clemont sneezes. Ash raises his eyebrows at him –see? – and Clemont fixes Ash with an indignant look. "Of course I had to come as soon as I could!" he says hotly. "You're important to me, after all!" Ash blinks as Clemont blushes and looks away. "And to Bonnie as well," Clemont adds, staring at his feet intently.

With a fond look, Ash ruffles Clemont's hair. "Thanks, Clemont. You and Bonnie are important to me too." He grins brightly. "There's no place in the world I'd rather be than with you two."

Clemont makes the mistake of looking up and meeting Ash's smile. Between that and the robot's heartfelt words, Clemont finds himself blushing even harder and quickly ducks his head again. Fortunately, he's saved from having to make a reply by his father, who swoops in and catches them both in a hug as tears stream down his face. "I'm so happy for you both that you made up!" Meyer sobs. Clemont catches Ash's eye over his father's head and they share an amused smile, Clemont's cheeks still tinged with pink.

Eventually, Meyer releases them. "Clemont, why don't you go and change? You really will get sick if you stay in those wet clothes any longer! Maybe lend Ash something dry as well, since he's wet again," he suggests. Clemont nods, sneezes and decides that's probably a good idea.

"The clothes I keep here should still fit you," he tells Ash, starting to head for his room. "I'll find you something."

"Ah, I'm gonna check on Pikachu!" Ash says. He ends up following Clemont back to the room he'd been in before Clemont's arrival and blinks at Clemont in confusion. "Huh? You keep your clothes in here?"

"This is my room," Clemont explains, kneeling down by a chest of drawers and rummaging through it. "Well, it was until I became Gym Leader and started staying in the Tower, that is… ah, and there was also the time I was studying, I stayed on campus the whole time back then… so as you can see," he waves a hand at all the boxes stacked along the other side of the room, "it's doubling as a storage room at the moment."

"Ha, really?" Ash says with interest. The robot looks around the room, trying to imagine it uncluttered by boxes. The corner of what looks like a set of blueprints taped to the wall peeks out from behind a stack of boxes and suddenly it's easy to imagine a young Clemont hard at work at the desk by the window, staying up late as he scribbles down some idea or the other, his tongue poking out in concentration. Ash nods with an air of satisfaction. "Yeah, this is a very Clemont-esque room. I can imagine it." As Clemont changes out of his wet clothes, Ash seats himself cross-legged on the floor beside the couch and studies the sleeping Pikachu. "Hey, buddy," he whispers, reaching out to stroke Pikachu's fur and being extra careful of the Pokémon's injuries.

Clemont finishes changing, folding his wet clothes quickly and leaving them in a neat pile. The dry clothes are a welcome change from the drenched state he's been in for the past hour or so, trying to find Ash. Speaking of… he thinks, glancing over his shoulder at Ash as he works. In typical Ash fashion, the robot seems oblivious to everything but the Pokémon lying on the couch as he murmurs quietly to it, too low for Clemont to hear what is being said.

He grabs an extra shirt and makes his way over to Ash. "Here you go," Clemont says quietly, not wanting to disturb the Pikachu as he hands the dry shirt to Ash.

"Thanks," Ash says as he takes it, keeping his voice down as well.

"This is the Pikachu you saved?" Clemont asks as he crouches down next to Ash to get a closer look at the Pikachu that Ash had so bravely defended. According to his father, the small Pokémon had been badly injured in the fight with those Pokémon thieves calling themselves 'Team Rocket'; it needed all the healing time it could get. Seeing it now, Clemont had to agree. As it was –

"Shouldn't we take Pikachu to the Pokémon Center?" he asks in concern. Pikachu might need more medical help from a professional healer over anything they can manage.

"He doesn't want to go," Ash replies, voice slightly muffled amid the flurry of changing shirts. His head pops clear of the collar. "After Pikachu and Blaziken sent Team Rocket flying, there wasn't enough time to make it to a Pokémon Center, so I took him to one of your Clemontic Showers instead. That helped – and then Meyer found us and helped me take care of him. But Pikachu refuses to go to the Pokémon Center."

"I see…" Clemont trails off. On the couch, Pikachu rolls over and Clemont spots a familiar scar on the Pikachu's tail. "Ah!" he exclaims in shock and then lowers his voice, looking a bit guilty. "That's –!"

"The Pikachu from the flower garden the other week, yeah," Ash replies, ruffling Pikachu's ears carefully. Clemont notes how, even unconscious, the small Pokémon turns into the robot's touch – a big difference from how it had fled from even the idea of being touched the last time they had met. He smiles; it seems Ash has been working his magic again, befriending every Pokémon he comes across.

Ash stares down at Pikachu, a fond smile on his face. "Pikachu was doing his best to protect all the Pokémon in the garden from Team Rocket, all by himself," the robot tells Clemont as he pulls his hand back, not wanting to disturb Pikachu any further.

Clemont watches as Ash falls silent. Every now and then, the robot flexes his hand and his eyebrows draw down in a small frown. "Are you okay?" Clemont asks in concern. He still doesn't know exactly what happened in the flower garden, but for Pikachu to be in such bad shape there must have been some sort of battle with this 'Team Rocket'.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash answers. Clemont isn't sure whether the robot is telling him the truth since Ash is frowning at his hand again, but doesn't press further. "Hey, Clemont…" Ash says suddenly, before trailing off. Clemont's attention focuses on his friend, though Ash keeps his eyes on the Pokémon in front of him. "What I said before about quitting, back at the Tower this morning –"

'Well then, I quit as a Gym Leader!'

Clemont shakes his head, trying to dispel the memory of Ash's voice. "It's okay," he manages to reply. They've forgiven each other, but it doesn't mean the original reason for the argument has gone away. Ash still has his dream of becoming a Pokémon Trainer; if he doesn't want to help out as Gym Leader anymore, then that's his decision and Clemont can't do anything about it. The only thing he could do is to reprogram Ash – and even the mere thought of doing that makes Clemont feel sick to his stomach. No, no matter how it started, Ash has become his own person and Clemont will respect his wishes, even if it hurts. "If you really don't want to –"

"No, I'm sorry," the robot cuts him off, shaking his head. "I didn't mean it, I was just frustrated." He meets Clemont's eyes then, a smile on his face. "I like being a Gym Leader. It's really fun, getting all the challenges from other Trainers. And I like being your partner and being able to help you. But –" a glance towards Pikachu, "– when I was defending Pikachu, I had to get help from Blaziken and that masked guy to defeat Team Rocket… and I realised that I wanna get stronger. And I want to help you get stronger too."

"But – your dream –" Clemont asks in surprise.

Ash looks up at the ceiling, resting back on his hands. "I haven't given it up," he assures Clemont, who doesn't know whether to be relieved or worried at that. "I'm still going to be a Pokémon Master one day. So maybe it's not possible for me to become a proper Pokémon Trainer just yet, but… I can do my best as a Gym Leader for now, right?" He grins at Clemont, before turning sheepish. "If it's okay for me to come back," he adds, rubbing the back of his head.

"There will always be a place for you at Lumiose Gym if you want it," Clemont tells Ash truthfully. How could there ever not be? Ash was just as much a part of the Gym now that Clemont was, regardless of who was actually officially the Gym Leader.

Ash's grin is almost blinding. "Great! I look forward to working with you! Let's grow together, Clemont!" He holds out a hand.

Clemont takes it with an answering grin that's just as bright, his heart joyful. "Yeah! Please bear with me."

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Meyer chooses that moment to poke his head around the door, smiling to himself when he sees the two boys grinning at each other. Well, it looks like they've sorted everything out. He clears his throat to get their attention and they look up, finally noticing his presence. "It doesn't look like the rain is going to lessen up any time soon," he tells them both, nodding towards the window. Indeed, the rain is still bucketing down; it's no wonder his son was as soaked as he was when he arrived. "We may as well have lunch – I made some sandwiches while you two were getting changed."

"Oh?" Ash says, brightening – Clemont never understands why Ash gets excited about food when he doesn't need to eat – and turns to Clemont. "I'm not really that hungry after everything that's happened today," he says, with a conspiratorial wink at Clemont beside him, "But Clemont, you should eat. Gotta keep your strength up or you really will get sick!"

Clemont can't argue with that. In his relief at finding Ash safe and sound, he'd completely forgotten that his father still doesn't know that Ash is a robot; it seems like Ash is still keeping up the charade. He's climbing to his feet when he remembers that Bonnie is still waiting at the Gym for them to come back. "Ah! Papa, Bonnie –"

"Don't worry, I already let Bonnie know that you'd gotten here safely and that you and Ash would be back when the storm cleared up," Meyer tells them as they leave Clemont's room. Clemont breathes a sigh of relief. "There's some sandwiches for her too; you can take them back to the Gym with you."

"Thanks, Meyer!" Ash pipes up. He darts into the kitchen ahead of them all. "Wow, they look good!" Clemont hears him exclaim.

"It's not much," Meyer laughs. "Clemont is the cook in our family!" he adds proudly, clapping his son on the shoulder.

"Yeah, Clemont's food always looks so delicious!" Ash agrees enthusiastically.

Clemont manages to refrain from blushing at the compliments. "Well, cooking is just a form of science," he explains. "You make a plan, gather the ingredients and then put it together."

"Huh, really?" Ash says thoughtfully, crossing his arms. "That's interesting, I wouldn't have thought of it that way before!"

Clemont takes a seat at the table as Meyer directs Ash to the cupboard that holds the plates. The plate of sandwiches in the centre of the table are a reminder that he still doesn't know what the voice code to the locked file in Ash's programming is, but the lack of knowledge doesn't bother him. At this point, Clemont is certain that the locked file is more than likely Ash's 'core' and he has no intentions of ever touching it, even if he ever does figure out what the voice code is.

Sometime during his musings, Clemont ends up watching Ash; it's only because of that that he notices Ash wince as he reaches up to get the plates. Clemont straightens in alarmed concern as Ash sets the plates on the counter, rubbing at his shoulder. "Ash, are you sure you're alright?"

Ash makes a face and picks up the plates, bringing them over to the table. "I thought I was," he confesses sheepishly, dropping down into a chair. "But I think I took some damage in that fight with Team Rocket after all." Ash puts a hand to his shoulder and grimaces. "My shoulder… hurts? And my arm feels weird. Tingly. Like when I stuck it in water that first time."

Clemont is out of his seat before Ash has even finished speaking, circling around the table to kneel by Ash's side. "Please let me see?" he asks, hand hovering over Ash's shoulder. If there's water damage, Clemont needs to fix it right away before it can get into the rest of Ash's system and wreck havoc.

Ash offers his arm to Clemont without any hesitation and Clemont studies it, frowning. Now that he's looking more closely, he can tell there is something wrong with the way Ash's arm is moving. The shape of Ash's shoulder feels slightly warped when Clemont runs his fingers over it. There's no way he could have noticed it before now – especially not if Ash was trying to act normal and Clemont is going to have words with Ash about that later when he's not feeling so worried – but Clemont still feels bad for not noticing his friend was in pain sooner. "Yes, I think there is something wrong," he tells Ash quietly, trying not to let his father overhear. "I can't do anything about it now without my tools though, I'm sorry. Can you please wait a bit more until we get back to my workshop?"

"That's okay," Ash replies with a smile. "I can manage until then, no worries!"

"You aren't going to fix your friend, Clemont?"

Clemont jerks backwards in surprise at the sudden appearance of his father crouching down right beside him. Unfortunately, he's still kneeling beside Ash when he moves and so ends up knocking his head against the table. "Ow…" he mutters, rubbing at his head, before freezing as Meyer's words come back to him. 'Fix' was an odd choice of words…. Oh no, has he realised?! Clemont laughs nervously and tries for a normal tone but fails to sound anything other than flustered. "Wh – what do you mean?"

Meyer huffs a laugh and ruffles Clemont's hair, using the motion to check for any injuries his son might have gained from his recent encounter with the edge of the table. "If it's tools you need," he says casually, "I have some downstairs in the shop you can use. You can fix Ash now if you want."

This time, both the boys reel backwards with twin cries of surprise. Clemont narrowly misses gaining a second bump to match the first; Ash almost falls off his chair. The two of them stare at a smiling Meyer with wide-eyes.

"You knew?!" Clemont blurts out. Oh no, this is bad…!

"You mean, you already know I'm actually a robot?" Ash asks at the same time, looking nonplussed as he points at himself.

Meyer laughs. "If it helps, you really don't act like one. I was surprised when I figured it out. Did Clemont build you?"

"Yup!" Ash said proudly. "I used to look more like a robot before, but Clemont helped me to look like this too." He holds out his hands for study. "I still think that's pretty amazing."

The two of them watch Clemont in bemusement as he covers his face with his hands, hiding embarrassment. "Papa, why didn't you say anything before?!" Clemont wails.

Meyer hides a smile as Ash pats his son on the shoulder in comfort. "Well, it's good that he knows now, right Clemont?" Clemont just mumbles an inaudible reply and sinks further into the ground. Ash looks up at Meyer sheepishly. "Sorry that I can't help you with all this food after you went to all the trouble of making it…"

Clemont's father laughs, clapping Ash very gently on the shoulder. "It's no problem at all." He gets back to his feet, looking thoughtful. "I'll go find that toolbox…"

.

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.

True to his word, Meyer soon brings back the toolbox he uses to repair the appliances in his shop downstairs. Clemont rummages through it and is pleased to see that most of the tools he needs are there. He sets to work, watched in fascination by both Ash and his father. It's easy enough to see what the problem is – the impact of whatever had damaged Ash has dented the metal of his shoulder, cutting through some wires and twisting others; there's water damage too, where water has leaked in through the gaps in the warped metal. It's fixable, much to Clemont's relief. He's just glad that there isn't more damage than this.

While Clemont works, both he and Ash take turns to tell Meyer the whole story about Ash. Meyer nods every now and then as he listens, watching the way the two interact. Even when Clemont isn't speaking, the fierce determination and concentration in his son's eyes as he focuses on repairing Ash's shoulder tells its own story. It's easy to see the strong bond between the two of them, even if one is human and the other a robot.

When their story comes to a close, Ash realises that Clemont hasn't actually heard the full tale about his encounter with Team Rocket and proceeds to tell his friend what had happened. Judging by the number of horrified expressions that get directed at him as he talks about battling Team Rocket and defending Pikachu, maybe he should have kept this story to himself, but he also knows that Clemont would probably worry more with only his imagination to fill in the details. Clemont isn't looking at him when he mentions being thrown into the fountain wall, but Ash can practically feel his friend wincing, not to mention the way his grip on Ash's arm tightens for the briefest of moments.

"So, Clemont built you to help him with the Gym," Meyer says thoughtfully, as Ash's story winds down. "Are you enjoying it?"

"Yeah! It's great!" Ash replies instantly, lighting up with enthusiasm. "And Clemont and Bonnie are awesome! They're my first friends, you know?"

Although Clemont doesn't look up from what he's doing, Meyer can see the worried frown that's been on his face since hearing Ash's story soften into a small smile. Meyer smiles as well, directing his attention back to Ash. "I'm glad to hear it. Make sure you take care of them both then, alright?"

"I will!" Ash promises.

Meyer nods and ruffles the boy's – robot's – hair and crouches next to his son. "Clemont."

Clemont looks up at his father, hesitation written across his face. There's not enough time to worry whether he's going to get scolded for keeping a secret like this, because a beaming smile breaks out across Meyer's face almost immediately and Clemont finds himself ensconced in a hug. "You've done an excellent job, I'm so proud of you!" Meyer reaches out without looking and pulls Ash into the hug as well. "Both of you are fine young men!" he tells them, because it's true and it doesn't matter if one of them isn't technically human. Both Ash and Clemont blush in embarrassed pleasure as they return the hug.

After Meyer releases them, Clemont busies himself with trying to finish the repairs as soon as he can, because he knows from past experience in repairing the robot that having panels open to the air like this 'feels really weird' according to Ash. Probably the only reason Ash hasn't said anything by now is that he's been distracted by his conversation with Clemont's father. Speaking of conversations…

"I've never heard of this 'Team Rocket' before this," Meyer says thoughtfully, picking up a sandwich. "There was a man, a woman and a talking Meowth, you said?"

"Yeah. They're all bad guys who want to steal Pokémon!" Ash replies angrily. "I won't forgive them for trying something like that!"

Meyer hrms. "Well, let's leave it to Officer Jenny for now. It's her job to catch criminals, after all!"

"There's also that person in the Blaziken mask who helped you out," Clemont chimes in, twisting the last wire into place. There, that should fix things for now! He picks up the panel covering, ready to screw it back into place. "I wonder who it was?"

Neither of them notice Meyer almost drop his sandwich at Clemont's words. "From Ash's description, he doesn't sound like a criminal though, right?" the older man says hastily.

"Yeah... he helped me and Pikachu, he's not an enemy," Ash says thoughtfully. "I wish I'd been able to thank him though!" He frowns, remembering something. "He had a weird Pokémon I'd never seen before with him too… It looked like a Blaziken, but it wasn't a Blaziken?"

"Wow, does a Pokémon like that exist?" Meyer asks, a trifle too loudly. Neither boy notices.

"Yeah! It was super strong too!" Ash answers enthusiastically. He looks over his shoulder at Clemont, wondering if Clemont might know what kind of Pokémon it had been.

Clemont taps his chin, thinking hard. "A Blaziken that's not a Blaziken…" he muses. There's… something familiar about that. Something about… Professor Sycamore's research…? "Ah, I wonder if it could be a Mega Blaziken?" he says aloud in surprise.

"'Mega Blaziken'?" Ash repeats. "What's that?"

Clemont frowns, starting to screw the panel into place again as he explains. "Ah, well… I've heard rumours about a thing called 'Mega Evolution', where Pokémon can evolve further than their final evolution…"

"Really?!" Ash exclaims, eyes sparkling with excitement. "That sounds so cool!"

Clemont holds up his hands. "That's all I know about it, though." Ash deflates just as quickly with a drawn out aww of disappointment. "Sorry, Ash," Clemont adds apologetically, feeling a bit bad for not having more information to share with his friend. "I wish I could tell you more."

"Nah, it's okay!" Ash replies, leaning back in his seat. "Mega Blaziken, huh…" the robot says in contemplation, smiling. "I hope we meet it again!"

"Aha!" Clemont says, pleased. He pats Ash's shoulder. "There we go, that should do for now…"

He sits back on his heels and stretches as Ash tests out his arm. "Thanks, Clemont! That feels much better!" Ash says happily, swinging his arm around.

"Please go easy on it, though," Clemont cautions as he starts packing up the tools he had used. "I need to replace the underplate when we get home, and it looks like the rubber covering over it was also damaged, so I'll have to replace that too or you'll end up with, well, a scar…"

Ash looks at Clemont and then cranes his neck to look at the place on his shoulder blade that Clemont is referring to. He studies it for a second before looking back at Clemont and shrugging. "Nah, just leave it."

"Huh? Why?" Clemont asks, bewildered.

"Pikapi!"

There's the pattering sound of paws on wood and then a yellow blur is streaking across the floor to dive into Ash's chest. Ash catches the new arrival with ease despite looking startled, and brightens when he sees who it is. "Hey! Pikachu!" he exclaims happily. "You're awake!" The robot rubs Pikachu's head carefully, eliciting a whine of pleasure from the small electric Pokémon. "You're looking a lot better!"

"Pika, pika! Pikapi!" Pikachu replies, nuzzling into Ash and making him laugh. It catches sight of his bared shoulder and climbs up his arm. "Pikachuuuu?" the Pokémon says, concern in his voice as he taps at Ash's shoulder with a paw.

"I'm okay!" Ash reassures Pikachu. "Clemont fixed me! And look!" The robot points at his shoulder blade, where his 'skin' is damaged. "I'll have a scar just like you! We'll match!"

Clemont huffs a laugh. So that's why he wanted to leave it! he thinks fondly, watching the two interact. If it weren't for the distinctive scar on the Pikachu's tail, Clemont would have to wonder if this really was the same Pikachu they'd met that day in the flower garden. The playful Pikachu climbing all over Ash in front of him is a far cry from the guarded Pokémon who zapped them all when Ash tried to touch it.

Except –

His laughter attracts Pikachu's attention and the sudden switch in its attitude is incredible. Gone is the mischievous, happy Pikachu and in its place is a very wary Pokémon sitting on Ash's shoulder, watching Clemont with suspicion as sparks fly from its cheeks. Clemont holds up his hands in a gesture of peace and backs off slowly.

"Hey, hey, Pikachu!" Ash admonishes with a frown, placing a hand on Pikachu's head and ruffling the Pokémon's ears to distract it. "Stop it! Clemont's a good guy! He won't hurt you!" Pikachu looks between Ash and Clemont, conflicted. Clemont tries a tentative smile but Pikachu darts to Ash's other shoulder, putting the robot between them as he peers over Ash's head at Clemont. Ash sighs. "He's my friend, he's the one who fixed me up and made me better," the robot says patiently and then points at Meyer. "And that's his dad over there who helped me fix you up and make you better. You should thank them, not shock them!"

Clemont watches as Pikachu's ears droop at the scolding before he peeks back over the top of Ash's head again. "Pika pika!" it says and waves a paw at Meyer, who cheerfully waves back. Ash raises his elbow carefully to give the small Pokémon more space to stand as Pikachu climbs back over to his scarred shoulder. "Pika, pikapi," it tells Clemont, sounding contrite, and Clemont gets the impression that the electric Pokémon is thanking him for helping Ash.

"It's no problem," he replies with a kind smile. Clemont doesn't try to touch Pikachu, even though he'd like to pat its head in thanks like he would with his own Pokémon; he gets the distinct impression that only Ash has that privilege at the moment. Even so, after listening to Ash's story earlier, Clemont feels that the electric Pokémon deserves his gratitude. "Thank you," he tells it sincerely. "For protecting Ash like you did. I'm very grateful." Clemont's smile grows wider when Pikachu blushes and scratches the back of its head in an amusingly similar manner to an embarrassed Ash. Like Trainer, like Pokémon?

Ash grins at Pikachu. "See? That wasn't so hard." He just laughs as Pikachu swats at his face in retaliation with an irritable 'chuuuuuu' and reaches for a sandwich and a plate. "Clemont, here, you didn't get to eat before 'cause you were too busy fixing my shoulder…"

"Ah, thank you!" Clemont says, accepting the plate gratefully. His stomach chooses that exact moment to rumble hungrily, echoed almost immediately by the Pokémon sitting on Ash's shoulder. They all burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, I guess you're hungry too!" Ash laughs, reaching out to grab another sandwich. "Here, you can have my share." He passes it up to Pikachu, who starts munching at it immediately with sounds of happiness. Clemont follows suit, pleased with the discovery that the sandwich Ash had given him is one of his favourites.

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The rain still hasn't cleared by the time they all finish lunch, but it has lessened enough that Clemont and Ash are able to head back to the Gym with an umbrella that Meyer lends them. Luckily, it's big enough to fit the two of them, the box of sandwiches that Clemont is carrying for Bonnie, and Pikachu, fast asleep in Ash's arms.

"Pikachu is still in bad shape," Meyer warned as he handed the box of sandwiches to Clemont. Ash looked down at Pikachu, curled up in his arms. It seemed that Pikachu's insistence on going with him rather than staying and resting at Meyer's house had worn out the small Pokémon's remaining energy. "If you can, try and get it to a Pokémon Center."

"I don't think Pikachu will want to go," Ash replied glumly. His grip tightened on Pikachu and the Pokémon grumbled, fidgeting in his sleep.

"It certainly seems that way," Clemont agreed.

"If that's the case, then you'll have to make sure it gets lots of rest and eats well," Meyer instructed. "Don't let Pikachu battle until he's fully healed. Clemont knows how to take care of injured electric Pokémon, so listen to him, alright?"

"I will!" the robot promised.

"And both of you, take care of yourselves and Bonnie too." Meyer added.

"We will." It's Clemont's turn to promise. "We'd better be off now." He was wary of the rain taking a turn for the worse again, so they waved goodbye to Meyer and started walking back to the Tower.

Aside from the soft patter of rain against the roads, it's quiet as they walk back to the Tower. It's not an awkward silence – if anything, it more reminds Ash of the companionable silences they've shared before in Clemont's workshop. Still, there's something tentative about the quiet between them that Ash is worried about messing up. Whenever he glances over at Clemont, he always seems to be in deep thought about something. Not wanting to disturb his friend, Ash loses the nerve to speak every time and looks down at Pikachu sleeping in his arms. I'm glad Pikachu decided to come with us for now. This way, I don't have to worry about how he's doing…

Meanwhile, Clemont can't help sneaking glances at the robot beside him. Ash is uncharacteristically silent; a small part of Clemont worries that the robot is still mad at him, but he brushes that thought aside almost immediately. He's probably just troubled over Pikachu's injuries, Clemont thinks, tearing his gaze away from his friend for the umpteenth time. He wants to reassure Ash that Pikachu will recover, especially if Pikachu actually rests like he's supposed to. Every time Clemont tries to speak up, however, the words fade away before he can actually voice them and he has to look away lest Ash catch him staring.

They're turning into one of the smaller plazas around Lumiose City – Ash has no idea which one; it's not one he's seen before – when finally their covert glances coincide and they end up meeting each others eyes. The two of them blink at each other for a moment, caught off guard; Clemont can feel embarrassment at being caught creeping up on him as he recovers, but just before he can look away Ash starts laughing sheepishly and that finally breaks the tentative silence between them. Clemont feels his embarrassment fading in favour of a wide grin that quickly becomes a chuckle, and the two of them have to stop walking for a moment while they snicker uncontrollably at how ridiculous they're being.

"Ah, that's better," Ash says when their laughter dies down. "I needed that." The robot's eyes widen all of a sudden and he glances down at Pikachu with a worried expression. Luckily, Pikachu is still sound asleep in his arms. Ash's shoulders slump in relief that their laughter hasn't accidentally woken Pikachu up.

With the fragile silence gone, Clemont can finally speak the reassurances he's been wanting to give since they started walking. "Don't worry, Ash. If Pikachu rests properly, he'll recover from those injuries in no time."

"I hope so…" Ash says seriously. "I wouldn't want him to get any more scars because of me." He gently touches the scar on Pikachu's tail; Pikachu mumbles and burrows further into his arms without waking up, his tail whacking Ash across the face by accident as the small Pokémon gets comfortable. Clemont is relieved to see Ash's solemn expression dissolve into a snicker once again; Ash normally has such an upbeat attitude that seeing him upset just feels wrong.

"Pikachu has really taken a liking to you," Clemont comments. "I still can't believe this is the same Pikachu we met that day in the flower garden." His musings are interrupted by a sudden sneeze; Ash fixes him with a suspicious look as he sniffles.

"I hope you're not actually getting sick," Ash says, frowning. "I don't want you to fall ill because of me either."

Clemont frowns internally – it's not Ash's fault; it was his choice to go out in the rain and he'd do it again in a heartbeat if he had to. Still, he doesn't want to get into another argument so he lets the comment pass for now. He smiles reassuringly at Ash instead, hoping to at least cheer the robot up, and says brightly, "Don't worry, I'm fine! A little bit of rain never hurt anyone."

Ash snorts and looks over at the gutters still overflowing with rain water. "A 'little'?"

He laughs sheepishly. "Well, it doesn't usually rain like this here in Lumiose – if we get thunderstorms at all…"

"I've seen them before," Ash insists. "Okay, maybe not like this but…"

"Yes, we've had a few more than usual lately…" Clemont says, thinking back on the past few weeks. "You've been very lucky then!" he says with a laugh and smiling at Ash, who grins back proudly like this is some kind of achievement.

"Now that you mention it, it's pretty lucky that lightning didn't strike the Tower too, right?" Ash asks, peering out from under the umbrella to the tall form of Prism Tower rising above them. "That'd be pretty dangerous."

"Actually, the Tower does get hit by lightning every now and then in a storm, since it's so tall," Clemont explains, quietly amused by Ash's wide-eyed look. "Don't worry though!" he hastens to add. "There's a lightning rod at the top; the lightning gets converted into energy and used to supplement the power that the Clemontic Showers around the city run on." He pauses for a second, scratching at a cheek shyly. "I designed it when they installed the Showers – well, the lightning rod was already there but it just discharged the lightning safely into the ground… it doesn't generate that much extra power since thunderstorms are so infrequent but every little bit of energy counts, right?"

There's a whistle of amazement from beside Clemont; he feels his face flush slightly at the sound. "Clemont, you're amazing!" Ash says with feeling, sounding impressed. "You designed something like that too? That's so cool!"

"Ahaha, thanks..." The pink dusting across Clemont's cheeks darkens to a rosier hue as he ducks his head in embarrassment.

"You really like inventing, don't you?" Ash laughs, bumping his shoulder against Clemont's affably. He staggers a bit from the weight behind it; it seems that even Ash forgets that he's a being made from metal sometimes. "Good for you!" the robot continues cheerfully. Brown eyes flick down to the sleeping Pikachu in his arms and Ash's grin fades into thoughtfulness. Clemont is caught up in making sure the umbrella is covering both of them properly again when Ash speaks up again. "Hey, Clemont…"

Clemont's gaze snaps to his friend, confused by Ash's hesitant tone. If there's one thing Ash is not, it's being hesitant about anything. "Ash…?"

There's a few more moments of silence, a myriad of emotions flickering across Ash's face before his expression settles in a determined look. "What do you want to do? In the future, I mean," the robot clarifies quickly. "You already said you aren't interested in challenging the Pokémon League since you're a Gym Leader, but... are you gonna stay and look after the Gym forever?"

Clemont blinks. A question about his plans for the future wasn't what he had been expecting. "Stay and look after the Gym forever?" he repeats, unsure of what to say. Is this related to our conversation from before? His footsteps falter and his heart clenches. Is Ash having second thoughts about staying as a Gym Leader?

He sneaks a look at his friend out of the corner of his eye. Ash is still looking down at Pikachu, but the robot must sense Clemont's gaze because he glances up and catches Clemont's eye. No, Clemont decides, meeting brown with blue rather than looking away. I know he was being sincere before when he said he wanted to continue on at the Gym, even if he also one day wants to be a proper Pokémon Trainer.

"Why do you ask?" Clemont asks curiously instead of answering right away.

Ash sighs and rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I was just thinking… I was so focused before on what I might wanna do that I forgot completely that there might be things you wanna do as well, you know?" He shoots an apologetic grin at Clemont.

Ah, so that's it, Clemont thinks in relief. Still…

Ash had originally been built for the purpose of standing in for Clemont in Gym matches and no matter what he has evolved into since then, that purpose is still a large part of who the robot was.If I'm not Gym Leader, Clemont muses, where does that leave Ash?

He wonders if Ash thinks about this as well – if that's the reason behind the unusually serious face that Ash is wearing right now.

"I don't know," he says aloud, shifting his gaze to the sky. Clemont feels his friend turn to look at him, giving him his full attention. Beyond the brim of the umbrella, the storm clouds overhead are starting to break up, letting sunlight stream through in long beams. "What I want to do in the future… I want to become an inventor who can help create a world where people and Pokémon alike can enjoy life fully. Mastering Electric-types is a step on that journey for me."

"Which is why you took on the Gym in the first place. I remember," Ash says proudly.

Clemont nods. "Yes, that's right." He looks down at the ground with a sigh, wishing he could give Ash a better answer. "To be honest, I don't think I'll be Gym Leader forever," he admits. "But as long as there's things that being Gym Leader can teach me, I'll keep at it." He looks towards Ash, trying to gauge the robot's reaction and adds reassuringly, "It probably won't be for many years yet though. There's still so much to learn."

"Well then, we'll learn together," Ash says firmly, grinning at Clemont. "An inventor who helps people and Pokémon… I know you'll do a great job at that." The robot nods decisively to himself, confident that Clemont will achieve his goal without difficulty. "After all, you're already designing amazing things!" He claps Clemont on the back, making him stagger slightly again from the force of it. However, Clemont finds he doesn't mind, since getting his footing back gives him time to hide the flush of embarrassed pride that burns upon his cheeks. His fingers tighten their grip on the box of sandwiches as he straightens; Ash's words – and his confidence in Clemont – a bright point inside Clemont's chest. He smiles quietly to himself and almost misses Ash's next words. "I'm surprised you didn't use any of your inventions to keep the rain off you, though."

Urk. "Ahaha, well… to be honest I didn't even think about it," Clemont confesses. "I was…" too caught up in panic to even think about it at the time. He winces to himself and lets his sentence trail off, aware that his confession might be counterproductive in making Ash believe that everything is not his fault.

Ash seems to hear the words he holds back, however, and makes a face. "I really am sorry for worrying you," the robot says again, the corner of his mouth turned down in contrition. Clemont silently sighs and – since his hands are occupied – copies Ash's gesture from earlier, bumping their shoulders together in a show of comfort.

"It's okay," he says. "You're here now, and that's all that matters." You're not hurt. There's a flutter in his stomach as memories of panic and fear flash through his mind briefly and Clemont amends, "Just make sure you tell us where you're going next time!"

"I will," Ash promises, looking serious. Clemont smiles at him and Ash returns the gesture; the solemn mood quickly lightening, much to Clemont's relief. Ash looks down at Pikachu as the small Pokémon wriggles in his arms before quietening again. "You know, I used one of your inventions to find this guy when he was in trouble!"

"Huh?" Clemont replies, startled. He tries to remember if any of his latest inventions could possibly be of use in tracking down Pokémon, but to no avail – although he does file away the spark of an idea for another invention. In any case, he doesn't think he's given Ash any of them recently anyway. He looks at Ash questioningly.

Ash snickers at his confusion. "Me, Clemont! Don't tell me you forgot too!"

Clemont blinks. It's true – in a way, he had forgotten. The more time he spends in Ash's company, the harder and harder it is to see anything but a human personality. Yet on the other hand, he can't forget; Ash is too prone to jumping into things before thinking them out, too willing to ignore his own injuries and Clemont is the only one who knows how to fix him.

There's something in Ash's words that catch at his interest, though. 'Too'? Clemont wonders. Did Ash also forget?

He opens his mouth, intending to make sure Ash knows that he's more than just one of Clemont's inventions – he's Clemont's best friend, he's family – but Ash mentions using the thermal vision mode Clemont had included in his redesign and suddenly his thoughts are completely distracted.

"You used the thermal vision? Did it work properly?! What was it like?!" Clemont asks eagerly, eyes lit up in excitement. Ash just laughs and answers all of the questions that Clemont throws at him as best as he can as they continue walking back to the Tower.

Ah, there'll be time enough to tell him later, I suppose. Ash isn't going anywhere for now.

Thanks for reading! C: