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Ash woke up to a slight noise caused by a certain someone and his pokemon scooting themselves over on the slight space at the door of their room. Pikachu who is awake before him snickered a bit as he sees the sight of the three trying their best not to make noise as they listen to a conversation on the other side of the laboratory. It seems as though Professor Cerise is discussing something with his assistants in which Goh clearly is interested in.
“What are you three doing?” Goh,Grookey and Cinderace look like they’ve been caught stealing something as Ash clears his vision. PIkachu, failing to hold his laugh finally falls down the ground as he laughs hysterically by the trio’s reaction. The trio sensing a potential threat on their mission rushed over to Pikachu’s location as they tried their best to shut the pokemon’s mouth.
“Now what are you guys doing? I’m actually surprised you’re not part of this mess, Ash” Chloe who barged in the door asked a question Ash would want an answer to.
“You can hear us?” Chloe rolled her eyes from Goh’s question. “Of course we hear you crystal clear from the other side of the room, Grookey isn’t very quiet” Goh and his pokemon only smiled sheepishly at the girl as they let go of the poor mouse still laughing.
“We’re trying to listen to the Professor’s discussion regarding that Pokemon sighted at one of the buildings, we don’t want to barge in since they sounded so serious” Goh, hands in his nape explaining their current situation at the two.
“What pokemon?” Ash asks, Chloe sighed as she led the two outside of their bedroom from the other side. “Good Morning Goh and Ash you looked like you woke up very confused” Professor Cerise greeted the two as they emerged from the door.
Chloe explained the trio’s shenanigans as they indulged in breakfast. “Oh we just finished discussing about that, apparently there is a sighting of a pokemon and it’s trainer from a tall building but they don’t have any idea on who might that be”
“It’s nothing important tho Officer Jenny can handle it very quickly. Why are you interested in that case, Goh?” The Professor asked as Goh smiled nervously. “You think it’s a legendary pokemon, am i right?” Chloe answered on behalf of his friend who takes his time into thinking the right phrase for his intentions.
“Hehe, yeah” Professor Cerise smiled as he pointed out a document from his desk and handed it over to Goh. “Well there are no reports on the case being dangerous so why don’t you guys investigate it, hmm?” Goh lits up as he skims through the documents of reports from the incident.
Surprisingly Ash stayed very quiet through the whole ordeal which made them suspicious and concerned, normally the boy would be the very first to check it out before the Professor can ask them but now he’s just quiet and let Goh drag him to their room to pack their supplies. The professor became worried about the boy’s condition so he asked Chloe to come by.
“Chloe, please come with them. I'm worried for Ash. He hasn’t said a word this morning, usually he would be the first to be excited of all people. It seems that something is bothering him.” Chloe, who also sees the issue, agreed and packed her things upon Goh’s dismay.
The three of them embarked on their journey to the Police Station to gather more information about the case and on Chloe’s own investigation. Ash has come back from his trance and is indulging Goh with their shared interest as lively as ever, and he hasn’t shown any suspicious acts aside this morning until they came to the building so Chloe managed to shrug it off as merely just morning grogginess.
“Hey, doesn't this place look very gloomy?” Goh asked as he hid behind Chloe’s back. “Maybe it just has Ghost Pokemon inside? It doesn’t look harmless” Ash dives head on as he opens the door to the building.
“It looks abandoned” Chloe states as they checked every room the building has and found no signs of someone camping out or any training residue. “If they’re not training here, then what are they doing here?” Goh asked himself as he investigated a few rooms.
“Maybe they’re just here on sightseeing?” Ash answered obliviously. “Then why on an abandoned building? There are so many tourist spots in Vermillion City?” Goh responded to Ash’s unmindful statement.
“Let’s head up to the rooftop, where the sightings are” The three agreed as they find an entrance to the top floor. Ash realised that Pikachu is missing, which was just playing with Eevee and Grookey but somehow only Pikachu is not with the two.
“Pikachu?” Ash called out which made Goh and Chloe alerted. “What happened, Ash?” Goh asks as Ash calls out for his pokemon.
“Pikachu was only with Grookey and Eevee playing but somehow he’s not there anymore” Chloe and Goh picked up their pokemon who were busy eating their fill and asked them if they saw Pikachu but the two gestured ‘no’.
Ash began to worry and hurried himself on the entrance to the rooftop with Goh, Chloe and their Pokemon running behind him. As they reached the top there were no signs of Pikachu and also no signs of the sightings.
“Eevee!” Eevee called out from the door as she called out the three. “What happened, Eevee?” Chloe asked the pokemon as she smelled something from behind the door and they heard a slight but loud bang behind.
Before the trio could even react, Pikachu came bursting from the door running with his eyes closed and directly jumping out of the roof. Ash widens his eyes from Pikachu’s surprising behaviour and readied himself to save his pokemon.
“Pikachu!” But as he was preparing to jump alongside Pikachu, he felt a hand pulling him and grabbing him by the waist. “Wait Ash, Look carefully” A mysterious voice has emerged behind him. With his eyes fixed on Pikachu he saw a Charizard whom he is very familiar with flies from the bottom and catches his pokemon midair.
Pikachu has been saved thankfully and now his only concern is the hand holding his waist, Goh and Chloe wouldn’t be as strong as to grab him completely stopping him. He can only think of one person but that same person has been on Kalos and he is in Kanto. There’s just no way.
Before he can turn his head he feels the man nuzzled in his neck and plants soft kisses on his nape. “Don’t worry he’s safe, I know you want to save Pikachu but please don’t do anything dangerous.” Ash knows who it is but he doesn’t want to believe reality and he has so many questions.
“I miss you, Love” Ash slightly blushes as the man whispers the words directly to his ear, only for him to hear.
“Alain!” As he finally turns his head he sees Alain smiling at him genuinely and Ash spends no time and pulls him into a hug. It has been so long since he last saw Alain but here he was. Charizard also ascended to the rooftop with Pikachu smiling and clearly happy for the two of them.
Goh and Chloe stand on the side clearly dumbfounded on today’s events. They just saw Pikachu happily jumps on a rooftop, Ash jumping without a second thought to save his pokemon if not for the mysterious man stopping him, A Charizard flying to the rooftop with Ash’s Pikachu on its back.
As Ash happily greets Charizard, he introduces Alain to his two friends awkwardly standing beside the door confused. Their Eevee and Grookey have made friends with Charizard faster than both of them can process what happened.
“Alain, this is Goh and Chloe. They’re both my friends. Goh is my travelling companion and Chloe also comes with us sometimes when we’re out investigating pokemon cases” Ash proudly introduces the two.
“Goh and Chloe, This is Alain, My boyfriend” Alain smiled at Ash, pleased with his introduction of him. Alain looks at the two of them and they clearly aren't looking at him but on his hands on Ash’s waist. They both probably don’t expect Ash of all people to indulge in romance.
“Wait, wait, wait Ash you have a boyfriend?!” Goh, still not processing all the information, asks Ash for validation on what he just heard. Ash smiled at him widely and nodded.
“I thought you’re only interested in talking about Pokemon’s and battling. I never thought you would have a boyfriend yourself of all people?” Chloe also voiced her concerns.
“Well it’s actually a long story on how we met and got together, but I also don’t know why you’re here, Alain. Aren’t you in Kalos?” Ash explained while Alain smiled at him and fixed his hair blown up by the wind.
“We’re actually here in this building for a few days and we wanted to visit you but we don’t know your location so i just asked Charizard to find you through flying. We also don’t have the time to visit Aunt Delia and ask for your location since Professor Sycamore and I have some business to attend to.” Alain explained.
“So the reports of a Pokemon sighting in this building is you? But there are no reports of a Charizard flying, surely they would have seen it?” Chloe asked Alain in which Alain answered “Oh we only use this building to pinpoint locations, we can’t be seen flying freely without permission after all.”
“Oh well anyways, Nice to meet you Goh and Chloe. I hope Ash isn’t giving you both a hard time” Ash shyly smiled at Alain. The two best friends greeted Alain back and quickly brought themselves on a conversation.
“I’m still confused about Pikachu, why did you jump? Did you see Alain before us?” Pikachu climbed up on Alain’s shoulder as he nods excitedly.
“I believe you guys are just a little early since our arrival. We saw Pikachu when we climbed the floor you were in. I was surprised at first since i never thought i’d see him first hand but then i heard you calling for him, we wanted to surprise you so we thought of a plan. It was actually Pikachu’s plan to jump” Alain smiled at the mouse looking as smug as ever as he bridged the two on their heartfelt reunion. Ash snatches Pikachu from Alain and tickles him to no end lecturing him on how dangerous his plan was.
Their conversation deepened as they talked about their interests, dreams and current situations in their lives. The four of them talked profoundly until sunset with their shared interests, Goh and Chloe did not have a hard time getting along with Alain. As night began to fall, they all settled to leave the building as their Professors might be getting worried for them. Goh and Chloe excused themselves and informed Ash that they will be waiting at the bottom of the building to give the two some alone time before they depart.
“Ash, I’m afraid I won’t have time to meet with you again since tomorrow is our last day and Professor Sycamore and I have some business to attend to” Ash’s smiles at him, the same smile he loves yet now breaks his heart. He wants to stay but they both have their own journeys and businesses to deal with, they all have the time in the world yet they can’t even spare a time for each other.
Ash held his hand on his face softly caressing it, Alain nuzzled into his warm hands “It’s okay, as long as I know you’re there chasing your dreams knowing full well you love me then it’s enough for me. Of course, it’s also the same for me. We both have our own dreams to pursue. We don’t need to see each other all the time, as long as we know we have each other at the end of the road I think we can make everything happen”
“I love you, Alain” Ash tiptoed on him and quickly closed the distance within their lips. He didn’t even need to hear his answer because he knows. Their kiss was soft and tender, filled with hope and love. A love that is connected and secured.
As they descended on the bottom floor, Alain also bid his goodbye to Goh and Chloe along with their Pokemons. As the trio are walking together, Goh and Chloe don't even realized that one of them is missing for a quick period of time. Alain pulled Ash gently from the group and planted a small peck on his lips catching him off guard. They aren’t rivals for nothing, Alain is just returning the favour to Ash. He started the kiss and Alain now has to end it.
“I love you too, Ash.” Ash blushes on the act even though they both just kissed on the rooftop. He can never get used to Alain being affectionate.
Halfway through the road, Chloe finally turns her head in Ash's direction. “Ash? Are you okay? Why are you red?”
Ash mentally choked and answered “Nothing, nothing just ate something spicy” Chloe raised her eyebrows in suspicion yet shrugged it off.
In a distance, Alain slightly smirked, clearly amused on how Ash can pull off initiating a kiss and still manages to get flustered on sudden affections from him.