fates collide // an ash xy love story

xxvi // answer

"For the last time Ash, there is no need to keep apologising," Hannah says, walking in between Ash and Laura supporting her weakened state.

"But I feel like I should! I feel guilty for leaving you alone while I was fighting him!" Ash says, looking sympathetically over to Hannah.

Hannah has been walking with the assistance of Ash and Laura to get out of the forest, with Weavile agreeing to go back into her Pokéball to not weigh down anyone trying to help stabilise Hannah. Pikachu still sits on Ash's head and keeps Fletchling company, who is perched on Laura's head.

The three of them walk back to the hotel in order to regain Hannah's strength she lost while restoring Fletchling's health and stopping Ash from battling Alain.

"It's okay, and stop looking at me like that, I'm fine. All I need is to get to my hotel room and eat a lot of food."

"I still feel guilty," Ash states, "He totally baited me into that, had me wrapped around his finger."

"I understand, trust me. I've fallen for that schtick of his too many times to count. It's a miracle you've only fallen for it once." Hannah scoffed, looking at Laura who looks at her with pity.

"Was this when you were both assistants for the professor?" Ash questions.

"Unfortunately so," Hannah shrugs off, not wanting to mention the boy more than she has to.

Ash looks over to see Hannah limping a little more than before, her form hunched further down than before, "Have you lost more energy than before?"

"I guess so, all the walking I've done and using the Bone Rush really tired me out, I feel like death." Hannah jokes, laughing a little.

This causes Ash to remember a question that's been on his mind for a little while, "Wait, you know how if you run out of energy, you turn to stone," Ash starts, looking down at the ground, "Can you, you know, come back to life?"

"Technically, I'd never really die in the first place," Hannah says, "What happens is my body uses the last of its available energy supply to turn me to stone. This then may make my heart stop and blood stops pumping, but since I have no energy left in my body, it's like my body is frozen in time. I don't age in the stone, and the only way that I may be able to move again is to have Xerneas transfer some of their energy into me."

"W-Woah, Xerneas? So, only a legendary Pokémon has the power to save you?" Ash questions Hannah with bewilderment within his voice.

"Basically, yeah," Hannah confirms.

"I see," Ash comments, looking ahead to see the Pokémon centre and the league appear in his sights, "Look! we are back!"

Hannah looks and lets out a breath of relief, thankful that she can finally rest after today.

But when the two of them look closer, they see another figure in the distance, her arms crossed in anger and her face displaying it too.

"You have got to be kidding me," Hannah mutters, looking to Ash to see his face filled with panic.

"Where have you been?!" The angry girl screeches, crossing her arms across her chest in fury, especially after seeing the two of them so close together.

"Serena, please calm down," Ash attempts to say, loosening his grip on Hannah now that he can tell they won't be walking for a while and that if they hold it for a little longer, he may witness Serena explode.

"How can I calm down?! You told no one of where you went, and now you finally return with her right at your hip!" She yells.

Hannah quickly realises what this situation might become and returns Laura to her Pokéball. The Pokémon is confused and tries to get out of it to no avail. Pikachu looks at this and attempts to make little to no noise throughout what's about to come. Fletchling flies from Laura's fading form to Pikachu's, making sure to keep a distance.