Pokemon Shipping Oneshots (Ash Ketchum Shippings Only)

megabondshipping • i saw a star up close

if you're bored of this ship then too bad because i will never be :)

enjoy!

knock, knock, knock.

"alain?"

no answer. let's try again? knock, knock, knock. 

"are you okay?"

there are hesitant shuffles from where he can hear with his head against the door. but he's not giving up not matter how stubborn you are, alain. again; even if we're here until tomorrow.

knock, knock, kno--

oh, never mind. he opened the door.

stumbling back in surprise, ash watched a tall, dusty figure emerge from the shadow of his room. alain's once proud shoulders were slouching as if they tried to reach the rest of his listless body, which hadn't bothered to dress itself in no more than a white tank top, crumpled and stained, and a random pair of shorts. his hair had looked as if he had been electrocuted. contrary to having slept for most of the day, he looked like he hadn't slept for eternity. yet when he looked down at the smaller, as of now brighter figure, you couldn't find an inkling of moodiness on him.

but when his eyes found the sores in their corner all watching him, the friends of the little sun in front of him, including professor sycamore and mairin, his face bent slightly into looking like he was mildly disgusted. 

without speaking, he grabbed ash's hand, retreated back in after capturing the boy from the corridor, and swung the door into a locked state just as quickly as it had opened.

alain's curtains were strictly shut. the clutters of work on his desk were fresh and untouched, unlike the cup of coffee that was surely rotten by now judging by the awful smell that had plagued the room. or was that the clothes piled onto his chair, or the plants which were wilting and prey to small bug pokemon hovering around them? or, dare ash think, alain himself? no. let's not go too far when we just got into his room.

"when did you last eat?", ash asked, noting the lack of food in the room which he hadn't been seen leaving for days, "have you had water, either? or, you know...a shower?"

alain's eyes blinked a little closer to facing ash, implying that he should listen before asking questions. ash received the message and bowed his head apologetically.

in his raspy voice, a few words made their way out, "i'm not in the mood for any of that"

okay, well, not very helpful answer, but we got him talking. baby steps. perhaps ash could talk a little now?

"but why aren't you taking care of yourself?"

usually alain was very skeptical of opening up, even to the professor or mairin sometimes. but he felt something he couldn't explain where he didn't think ash could ever hurt him.

"someone like me doesn't deserve to be taken care of"

those words went straight through ash and lightly pummeled his chest, yet the feeling remained sharply after. was he scared for some reason?

"don't say things like that. everything that lives should be taken care of"

"even if i'm living, i don't deserve to live"

there it was again. like a missile to a wall of paper. but ash ignored the feeling and spoke with his head.

"that's nonsense. what did you to not deserve to live?"

alain's mouth trembled as his fingers pulled back into fists. should he start being careful now?

"i almost took someone else's life"