fates collide // an ash xy love story

xi // truth untold

Hannah's hesitant towards revealing her secret. Fidgeting with the grass beneath her fingers, she stares at the ground for a long time, contemplating whether or not to share her secret. Pikachu and Weavile are playing around in the grass in front of their trainers, this being the first time they've both been able to really get to know each other. All of the other Pokémon are inside their respective Pokéballs, resting and relaxing. Ash is waiting patiently beside Hannah, not forcing her to tell him anything.

Rather, he is looking at the Pokémon, and occasionally glancing towards Hannah's figure. The said girl changes the look on her face from contemplation to assurance, and she grips the grass beneath her fingers and looks up at the sky with pure certainty. She has made a decision towards the matter, 'I'll tell him.'

Hannah's head has now turned towards Ash, who gives her a small and reassuring smile. She quickly began her story by telling Ash, "It may not make any sense to you, because it doesn't make complete sense to me either." Ash's smile just grows wider at that, him saying "Don't worry about that, Hannah. Maybe by telling me, it may help you understand it more."

Him saying that soothes Hannah's nerves, and she begins her story. "Well, I'm from Snowpoint City in Sinnoh, but you already knew that. In the Sinnoh region, a specific bloodline exists, that being the heritage I've got in me. It's the bloodline of..." Hannah looks around to make sure no one else is listening, before turning back to Ash and quietly whispering, "An Aura Guardian."

Ash begins to grow a shocked look on his face, staring at Hannah with disbelief. But Hannah doesn't see it. Instead, she stares at the ground below her and continues telling her tale.

"When someone who has the Aura Guardian background turns 10 years old, they are to be given an egg, it being a baby Riolu which they raise to become their companion. Raising them is the first task to pass. To become an official Aura Guardian, one must pass all the tests with their Lucario by their side. The Riolu is a gift from the parent with the Aura Guardian heritage. It took about a month for the egg to hatch, and when I was 14, she evolved into the Lucario you know today. It takes around 3 years to complete the training, but since I had a... issue pop up in between, mine got extended to 4.

"The tasks were so difficult. From summoning your aura to surviving in the wilderness with only Laura, I hated it. I didn't want to be an Aura Guardian, with so many responsibilities on my shoulders; rather I wanted to be a regular trainer. I always disliked it. But in my last year is when I really grew to dread it. I became so apathetic, all I wanted to do was travel around, but I couldn't until my training was over. After my final task, I was granted a certificate of completion, and I was off to travel around Sinnoh, on my journey. After Sinnoh and that league, I travelled around Kalos to conquer this league. And here we are now."

Hannah finishes her story and glances towards Ash, waiting for him to say something, anything. Then, he opens his mouth and says, "Wow, that's quite the story you have there."

Hannah's eyes avoid his as soon as he says that, finding the grass to be what she stares at instead. "So when you introduced yourself to me, the part where you said 'I'm just a regular trainer', it was more of a dream than a reality?" Ash asks the anxious girl.

Hannah nervously bites her lip, and replies to his question with a muttered "Yes..." Hannah, still looking down at the ground, raises her voice slightly and begins to apologise to Ash. "Ash, I'm sorry for ly-"

"Don't be," Ash replied, looking towards their Pokémon, still hyperactively playing in the grass. Hannah is surprised at the response, and in confusion looks up at Ash to continue his thoughts.

"I don't mind if you lied about that. I know you didn't want anybody to know about your secret." Ash finishes and makes eye contact with Hannah. Hannah then asks Ash the question she has anxiously waiting for the answer upon, "You won't tell anyone, right?"

"Of course not!" Ash agrees. Hannah's whole body relaxes from that and begins to thank Ash for not telling anyone. They talk for a little while longer until he remembers something, and promptly asks Hannah for the time. "It's currently 5 past 3."

Ash quickly gets up and looks at Hannah, "I need to go now; I'm supposed to meet up with my friends at 3."

"Well, just go. I mean, we didn't get to have our 3 on 3 battle, but I did get to know you better." Hannah says standing up and walking next to Ash. Weavile and Pikachu see their trainers standing and run towards them, leaping into their arms. They then take their positions on their respective trainer's shoulders and smile at each other once more.

Ash is about to say goodbye to Hannah, but an idea strikes in his head, "You should come with us!"

Hannah then gets extremely nervous and instantly replies with, "No, I'm quite good thank you."

"Why not?" Ash asks her, looking at the nervous Hannah who tries to reply. "I'm not very good with... people." She whispers while playing with her hair.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. I mean, you made friends with me!" he cheers, trying to convince her to join them at the café.

"But, you're... different," Hannah states, looking straight into his eyes.

"I am? Why am I different?" Ash asks Hannah, staring right back into hers.

'Our connection...' Hannah's mind thinks.

"Um... You know..." Hannah utters, trying to create up some excuse. Hannah's eyes dodge to the ground, her feet shuffling along the grass beneath them.

'Olympia's prediction...'

"Because..." Hannah mutters, thinking of how she can get out of this one. Ash this whole time is staring at her, wanting to hear her answer.

'Or is it just my imagination creating a fantasy?'

Hannah's head shoots up and gives him a smile, "because you talked to me first." Ash mentally sighs, hoping she would say the same thing he was thinking, 'maybe it's in my head.' Ash concludes in his mind, before announcing to Hannah, "Well, if that's all you are worried about, I'll get the conversation going!"

Hannah knows there is no way she is getting out of this one, not with her terrible excuses. So, she sucks it up and agrees to head out for Café Milton, them both silent, but in their heads wondering...

'Do you... feel it too?'

---

hello everyone! just a heads up, the aura guardian plotline is in no way linked to Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and Ash does not have any aura guardian in his bloodline.

please vote if you enjoyed the chapter! ⭐

have a good day/night!

- hannah ✨