fates collide // an ash xy love story

xxv // burning up

"Alain?"

The said boy looks towards the two of them, and sees their positions and scoffs in annoyance. He begins to walk closer to the two of them, Ash's arm gripping slightly tighter around Hannah's waist with every step he takes.

Alain then brings his index finger and points it at the girl, "You," he exclaims, stopping dead in his tracks, "You've been ignoring me for quite some time now."

"I wouldn't have to if you weren't so rude to me," Hannah states, ushering Ash to keep the two of them walking past him. Alain grunted and grabbed Hannah's wrist, stopping her in her tracks, "I wasn't done talking to you."

"But I am done with you, completely," Hannah declares, walking away from the boy, and she would've continued doing so, but his words stopped the two of them.

"If you don't talk to me, I'll do more energy regression."

The two of them turned at his words, Ash's eyes confused and Hannah's eyes angrier than before, "I knew it was you who did it, who else is heartless enough to do something so seriously detrimental?"

"Careful what you say, Hannah," Alain warns the younger, "I can do it again, and not just to Pokémon."

At this, Ash's eyes widened at the threat and he stepped back slightly. He looks to his right to see Fletchling looking nervous around Alain and decides to coddle her to comfort the Pokémon.

Ash holds the tiny creature to his chest, calming her down completely. The Pokémon chirps contently and Ash smiles slightly at the action, continuing to hold her close to his chest.

Alain hears Fletchling and turns his attention from Hannah to Ash, seeing this boy comforting a Pokémon, "Jeez," Alain scoffs, "What are you, a girl? Stop hugging the damned Pokémon and fight me like a real man..." Alain walks up closer to Ash, "That is if you are one."

Ash looks shocked at the comment, and looks down at Fletchling in his arms, rubbing his face in his chest for warmth. Ash considers the elder's words, but he can't for long as Hannah's booming voice stops him.

"What are you talking about, Alain?" Hannah asks sharply, "Of course he is still a man!"

"You would know all about that," Alain mutters, looking off to the side slightly with his eyes growing bigger.

"What did you just say?" Hannah asks, looking him dead in the eyes.

"I said how would you know all about it?" Alain questions, not at all intimidated about the threatening eye contact of the girl.

they hold this eye contact for a little too long, it turning into more of a staring competition than anything. Ash looks between the two of them with confusion, before after a while Alain breaks it by exclaiming loudly.

"Oh, I get it!" He says, clapping his hands in congratulations to himself. both Hannah and Ash look at the boy with bewilderment.

"It's like the roles are reversed in your relationship, Hannah's the masculine head, while poor little Ash is the feminine figure. This just gets better and better!"

Hannah and Ash look at him with shocked faces, Hannah growing more hot-headed than before, while Ash continues to cuddle Fletchling more, holding her tighter in his arms.

"That's not true at all!" Hannah blurts, challenging his claim.

"Oh yeah?" Alain questions, "Then who is always saving who? Who is constantly gettin' the bad guys?"

Hannah's mind draws a blank, although she knows Ash saves her so much of the time, she can't think properly at this moment, "I just... want to protect him."