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When the excitement of their trip back from the Ultra Space dies down, Ash inevitably bursts into tears.
Ash had burst into tears after Nebby left, too, so at this point it probably shouldn't have come as a surprise. But seeing him break down in both of the Professors' arms while he attempted to explain why Poipole wasn't with him did uncomfortable things to Gladion's stomach, twisting and tying it into harsh knots. The feeling rises all the way up to his throat and tightens it so much that he can't speak, his entire body feeling heavy with emotion.
There's just something about witnessing someone he cares about so deeply cry their heart out, all raw and open and without any restraint, that makes his own heart feel like it's breaking in two. Just like when Lillie had cried during the Nihilego attack, or the even blurrier memories of his mother's wrenching sobs when his father had disappeared. A desperate part of him wants to go over and comfort Ash, but he knows it's not his place. Besides, the Professors seem to have it handled just fine, with Kukui rubbing soothing circles into the teen's back and Burnet whispering soft encouragements into his ear. Even Pikachu is chipping in, though he looks just as upset about their separation from Poipole as his Trainer. Ash is still hiccuping noisily but things have quieted down a bit, at least enough for him to breathe between bouts of tears.
Gladion might be hovering a bit too close, but it doesn't feel right to just leave Ash like this. He's not letting his friend out of his sight until he's sure he's 100% okay.
Naturally, the first person to pick him out in the crowd of people is Lillie. His sister has a weird, innate sense of when something is bothering him, and always happens to pop in when he's busy having an emotional crisis. Which, as of late, has been happening way more often, though he's loath to admit it.
"Brother," she calls, and he jumps, almost colliding his head with Noivern's, who is preening its wings. With a slight scowl Gladion manages to drag his gaze away from the Kukui family group hug and focus on his own family, who at least seems a bit apologetic for spooking him. Vulpix is right at her heels, giving a quiet chirp in greeting.
Lillie follows where he'd been looking a second ago and smiles, that knowing, soft one that can only spell certain doom. She’s way too perceptive for her own good sometimes, and she has the privilege of being the only person able to fully read him.
"Are you worried about Ash?" She asks, and yup, there it is.
With a sigh Gladion drags gloved fingers through his hair, which had been thoroughly tangled after getting tossed around like a ragdoll by Necrozma a couple times too many. At this point there's really no sense in lying to her—she’ll be able to tell either way.
"He's been like that for a good fifteen minutes," he offers, and by ‘that’ he means crying fitfully in a tone full of raw anguish. "I just...want to make sure he's okay."
Instead of teasing him like he expects her to, Lillie nods her head in agreement. "He'll be alright, don't worry. Ash bounces back from things like this quite quickly."
"That's the part that worries me," he mumbles, eyes darting over to the dark-haired Trainer again.
Lillie giggles, the sound light and airy. "You care about him a lot, don't you?"
Gladion sputters at that, his ears warming, and tries to play it off. "Well, I mean—he's my rival, so..."
"And your friend, and someone you admire and care for a great deal," she adds, quite confidently. Gladion wonders if it's the Ultra Guardian suit that's giving her all of this extra courage, or if it's the result of her own growth as a person.
Gladion mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like a "yeah" before he moves on to the topic at hand. "Mind catching me up to speed about that Ultra Beast? I guess Ash formed a bond with it like he did with Nebby, right?"
"Yes, that's correct. He was tasked with watching over Poipole until we could find out where it came from and return it home safely. Poipole lived with him and the Professors for over a month."
"That long, huh..." Gladion murmurs thoughtfully. That's just about as long as Ash spent with Nebby—no wonder he seems so upset about having to leave it behind.
"It must be heartbreaking for him," Lillie murmurs, forlorn. "He and Pikachu were especially close with it. I'm sure he'll miss Poipole very much."
Gladion can sympathize with the feeling of separating from someone you’ve known for a long time. The heartache of his father’s vanishing act never truly faded away; it still burns sometimes when he drowns in the memory for too long. But the thing is, there’s a stark difference between that situation and the one Ash is going through now.
“We managed to meet Solgaleo again,” he reasons softly, feeling his lips curl up into a fond smile that he couldn’t fight even if he tried to. “I’m sure that Ash will see Poipole again someday, too.”
Lillie looks right at him, then, and her eyes are glimmering with conviction and warmth. “You’re absolutely right. I think so as well. No, I know so! We'll definitely be able to meet Poipole again in the future, I’m sure of it.”
“I think Ash has realized that too,” Gladion comments, gesturing to the Kantonian boy’s face, which is now lit up with hope. His caretakers had probably reached the same conclusion and told him as such.
The blonde won’t admit to the stark relief flooding through every nerve ending on his body, but he can definitely feel it in the loosening of his shoulders and the soft sigh that whooshes out of his mouth of its own accord. Ash definitely looks better with a smile on his face—brighter, merrier, shining more beautifully than ever. In the time that he’s known Ash, Gladion has seen a myriad of emotions, broadcasted like an open book for him to read, ranging from elation to fury and even all the way to quiet resignation. But out of all of them he definitely prefers it when Ash is happy, radiating with smiles that light up the very space around him, that draw people and Pokemon alike to him. Almost like a magnet, with an irresistible pull. At this point Gladion isn’t even trying to get away anymore.
A thought strikes him, something that he’d been meaning to ask about sooner—an event he hadn’t been around to witness. He supposes it’s his own fault, really, for being so withdrawn from the rest of the Ultra Guardians, but he’s always done things at his own pace. While being around them never fails to be entertaining, fun, and even dangerous, it’s very easily draining. He definitely can’t imagine attending Pokemon School with them, no matter how tempting the idea sounds with Ash as the main motivator. Getting to see Ash every day would definitely be great, but…
Hurriedly shaking that thought off before it can really fluster him, Gladion refocuses.
“I heard Mallow mention it when we were leaving, but...that thing that Poipole drew. It was Ash and Pikachu, wasn’t it?”
Lillie tilts her head, her long blonde hair spiraling over her shoulder. “Oh, the drawing? Yes! Poipole learned how to express its feelings and emotions by drawing our faces and symbols. The lightning bolt actually means ‘I like, like, love you’!”
"Oh," he blinks, mildly impressed. "That's...actually pretty clever." Who knew an Ultra Beast could be so intelligent? And emotionally adept? That’s way more than he’s capable of, which is sad to admit, but true.
His sister laughs again. “Isn’t it? We were all thrilled when it did that the first time! It holds such great affection for Ash and Pikachu. I’m so glad it was able to get its feelings across properly.”
Get its feelings across, huh...Gladion thinks, his head whirling.
He’s never been that great with talking. He’s always preferred the “actions speak louder than words” phrase, because doing things rather than saying them comes easier to him. If he wants to express something, he shows it through body language, through battles, through each sharp movement of his arms when he forms a Z-pose. Words take too much thought, too much room for error. If he gives into instinct and lets his actions do the talking instead, he’ll have time to sort out any mistakes later.
Gladion never thought he’d be taking an Ultra Beast’s example in a million years, but right now it seems like the smartest way to go. He knows without a doubt that if he tries to express his thoughts in words he’ll get horribly tongue-tied—at least with this he can be clear and concise with his feelings without any misunderstandings.
Now, the question isn’t whether or not he can communicate what he wants to say—it’s if he’s actually willing to.
“Hey, Lillie,” he says, his mouth moving before his brain can process. Might as well throw himself into this without any time to think about it; he can regret it afterward. “Do you happen to have a pen or marker on you?”
“A pen?” She asks, befuddled. Gladion can’t blame her. “Uh, I don’t I believe I do...but Wicke or Mother might!”
“Perfect,” he says firmly. “Do you mind getting one from them for me? It’s important.”
Lillie regards him like he’s grown a second head, but apparently accepts his words, for she nods and says, “Alright. I’ll be back shortly!”
Gladion distracts himself by scratching under Noivern’s chin, who is now resting comfortably on the ground. The Ride Pokemon purrs lowly, leaning into his touch. With a quick glance around the clearing Gladion spots his own team milling about, taking the rare opportunity to converse with all of the other Guardians’ Pokemon.
Lillie returns moments later and hands him a red marker. Why Wicke or Lusamine happened to be carrying one on them at the time is a mystery, but he decides not to question it and thanks his luck instead, as well as his sibling for going through the trouble of getting it for him.
“What are you up to, Gladion?” Lillie questions, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. If she’s already caught on to what he’s planning, is there truly any hope for him?
Nonetheless, Gladion sighs and grips the marker tighter in his fist. “Just delivering a message.” And with that he starts heading in Ash’s direction, not even bothering to turn around and witness understanding dawn in Lillie’s eyes. Definitely way too perceptive for her own good.
By now the Professors have cleared out and moved on to checking on the rest of the group, so Ash is standing by himself. His Pokemon hover nearby, stuck in conversations with their companions, but still close enough to dash over for moral support. The universe couldn’t have given him a clearer sign that now is the time to strike.
Well, here goes nothing.
“Ash,” he says, finally crossing the remaining distance between them. “You doing okay?”
“Gladion!” Ash squeaks and, much to his surprise, the dark-haired Trainer’s cheeks look pink. Maybe from crying earlier?
Ash quickly scrubs at his face and coughs into his arm, seeming embarrassed.
“Ah, sorry,” he says, trying his best to give Gladion his brightest grin. “You saw that, didn’t you? Sorry you had to, uh, witness that.”
Gladion immediately shakes his head. “Don’t apologize. You’re allowed to cry when you’re upset, Ash; I won’t judge you for it.”
This time, the smile he receives is genuine, and it makes his insides warm.
“Thanks,” Ash breathes, relieved. “I just thought—I dunno. I guess I didn’t want to lose my cool in front of you.”
“Please, like you haven’t seen me have an emotional breakdown before,” Gladion snorts, thinking back to the maelstrom of emotions he’d felt when his mother had been taken by Nihilego, and the way his hands couldn’t stop shaking afterward. It’s flattering that Ash had wanted to look cool around him, though, because he honestly feels the same way.
“I guess that’s true,” Ash laughs, and it’s unarguably the most wonderful sound in the world.
Then he looks up into the sky, expression wistful, something that’s a touch bittersweet. Gladion can already tell what he’s thinking about, from the way his lips quirk down at the corners and how his eyebrows draw together.
“I just wish we had a little more time to say goodbye,” he sighs, his eyes pools of sadness. “It still doesn’t feel real, yet. Like at any moment Poipole will come charging in and start splattering everything with paint like it always does…”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t have stayed longer,” Gladion murmurs, his heart twinging in sympathy for his friend’s loss.
Ash shakes his head. “It’s not your fault! We were on a time crunch, it was either that or being stuck on the other side of the wormhole for who knows how long. No, I’m glad we all made it out okay.” He scratches at a bit of dirt on his suit. “I just wish I’d known, you know? That Poipole was going to stay there. At least that way I could have been a little more prepared for it.”
“You’ll meet again, though,” Gladion reminds him, hoping that it’s enough to lift Ash’s spirits once more. “You met Solgaleo again, right? I’m sure that one day, Poipole will find its way back through a wormhole and come to see you and Pikachu again too.”
“Yeah, I know,” and Ash beams, the sight of it radiant and dazzling. He glances away, his smile turning more nostalgic.
“I’ve met lots of people on my journey,” he says quietly, his eyes soft. “I’ve had loads of hellos and goodbyes. It hurts for a while, but eventually it stops. And I know the goodbye isn’t forever. I’m sure I’ll cross paths with everyone I’ve met again someday, including Poipole.”
Gladion doesn’t respond this time—instead, he just stares, thoughtful. He wonders if that’s how Ash will view his goodbye, as something that will become more insignificant over time, once he leaves Alola. Gladion doesn’t want that to happen. He always wants Ash to remember him fondly, to think of him and smile and look forward to seeing him again. Or maybe they don’t even have to part again at all, so Ash will never have to worry about having to say goodbye...but it’s probably a bit too soon to be hoping for something like that. Still, though, he will hope for it.
“Lillie was right,” he blurts out, “you really do bounce back quickly from things like this.”
Ash looks surprised, but only for a second, and then he laughs again. “Well, there’s not really much point in dwelling over it, right? Of course I’m sad, but like you said, we’ll definitely meet again! I’d rather spend my energy trying to be positive instead. Poipole would want that too!”
“That’s so like you,” Gladion mumbles, incredibly fond.
Ash bears his teeth in a wide grin, a self-satisfied little chuckle following. He steps forward, drifting closer into Gladion’s personal space, but the blonde can’t even mind it for a second. From this close he can see the light sheen of sweat on Ash’s skin and the freckles spattered across his nose, can smell the dizzying, earthy scent of cinnamon and cedarwood with just a hint of electricity. Gladion feels as if his heart is going to crawl up into his throat and leap right out of his mouth, but he stays still, waiting breathlessly.
“Hey, uh—” Ash cuts himself off and chuckles again, and Gladion’s sure he’s not imagining the redness to his cheeks this time. “I’m, um. Really glad you came along with us. Being able to do that Z-move with you...it was really, really amazing! You were amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything like that before...”
He stares up at Gladion through his eyelashes, utterly bashful.
Holy shit. Gladion’s brain is going into overdrive. If he were a locomotive there would absolutely be steam blowing out of his ears. He’s not dreaming, right? He’s not just making this whole scenario up in his head, right?
The weight of the marker in his hand is heavy, so heavy, but also charged with energy, like it just knows.
“Listen, Ash, I—” And he swallows, nervous, feeling much too hot in his Ultra Guardian suit. At least the others have a bit of skin showing; his covers every inch, the dark colors absorbing the heat from the sun. It’s like a blaring signal. Now or never, Gladion. “There’s something I need to show you, um…can you give me your hand for a second?”
Ash’s eyebrows scrunch together and he gets an adorably lost look on his face, but he complies, offering his hand up without any hesitation. The amount of trust in the gesture is not lost on Gladion, and he forces himself to breathe, otherwise he’ll just keep holding it until he passes out.
With horribly shaking fingers, Gladion removes Ash’s glove and uncaps the marker, hoping that he doesn’t look as much of a disaster as he feels. He pulls Ash’s hand close and crowds in so the other Trainer can’t see what he’s doing, and then he sets to work.
It takes about a minute or two to cover Ash’s hand completely, but once it is Gladion draws back with a satisfied nod. Ash is vibrating with curiosity, practically buzzing as he tilts his head in for a closer peek.
Before Ash can inspect his hand, Gladion darts forward and presses a soft kiss to his cheek, his heart pounding in his ears.
“Thanks for today,” he breathes against Ash’s flushed skin. “I don’t think we could have made it out of that situation without you. Giving all of our energy to Necrozma...you’re really something, you know that?”
He pulls back and is met with the sight of a completely dumbfounded Ash, mouth hanging open like a Feebas and face brilliantly red, all the way up to the tips of his ears. If Gladion doesn’t know any better he’d say Ash seems positively lovestruck.
With hearts in his eyes and affection swirling in his chest, Gladion gives the stammering teen a crooked grin and gently squeezes his hand. Mission accomplished.
“See you,” he murmurs.
Then he turns away and bolts like his life depends on it before his legs can give out on him.
Pikachu finds Ash two minutes later, still staring down at his hand. Upon a second glance, it appears to be covered in little drawings. His human is strangely quiet, and even weirder, his face is flushed like he’d just been running a marathon.
The electric mouse leaps up to his usual place on Ash’s shoulder and follows his gaze to his ungloved palm. Pikachu’s ears twitch in surprise when he notices a familiar lightning bolt-shaped marking all over Ash’s skin, and realizes that someone had written “I like, like, love you” tons of times over.
“Pikachu,” Ash breathes, his eyes round with awe. “Does this mean what I think it means?”
“Pika?” Pikachu cooes, curious and utterly confused.
“Oh my gosh,” Ash says, burying his face in his non-marked hand. “Ohmygosh.”
“Pikapi?” The Pokemon nudges around Ash's hair, worried about how warm his body feels. Does he have a fever? Maybe the strain of traveling between worlds had been too hard on him.
“Gladion likes—” Ash chokes on his own words, and then he releases a very flustered squeal.
Pikachu sniffs at the air and catches a whiff of citrus and ginger—definitely Gladion’s scent. He'd probably just been here, then, judging by Ash's reaction. Had Gladion been the one to leave all of those symbols on his trainer's hand?
Ash finally takes a moment to breathe long and deep, his tense posture slumping into something more relaxed. Then he smiles; a big, bright one that makes his eyes light up and crinkle at the corners. He seems absolutely overjoyed, like he'd just received the best news of his entire life, something even greater than winning a Z-Crystal or a Pokemon League trophy.
"He kissed me...he likes me," he whispers, soft and full of wonder. "He like, like, loves me."
Pikachu cries out in shock, nearly falling right off of Ash's shoulder. So that's what the markings implied—Gladion confessing romantic feelings for his trainer! No wonder he's practically radiating with elation, an absolutely smitten expression on his face.
And just with that alone, Pikachu can tell that Ash probably—no, definitely—'like, like, loves' Gladion just as much.