fates collide // an ash xy love story

xxxiv // destiny

It feels like the world has stopped for Bonnie. Seeing a newfound friend's life drain from her eyes, and an old one crying as he faints by her side. Bonnie runs to hug her brother for comfort, arms wrapped around him tightly as she cries into his shirt.

"It's okay, Bonnie, It'll all work out," he says to consoles her, but also in the process comfort himself, wishfully thinking of a good outcome.

Sycamore quietly looks at the ground, deep in thought and spiralling quickly, "two of my apprentices gone in a day," his mind thinks, "one losing his mind and the other losing her strength, I shouldn't take anyone else in, I'm not fit for this, what if it happens again? what will people think of me-" 

His spiralling is stopped by Serena approaching him and talking to him.

Hannah's Pokémon make their way over to her rock form, hurrying down the mountain.

Team Rocket stands still, joining everyone else as they look over the cliff to see the tragedy. Jessie mutters to the other two sadly, "so, we beat her, huh?"

"It doesn't feel like it," James adds.

"Come on, we shouldn't be here any longer. Let's go," Meowth states quietly, with the other two agreeing. 

While walking away, James suggests something that intrigues the others, "maybe we should take a break for a while?"

The two nod as they walk away from the adversaries they grew a little too attached to.

Olympia looks over the mountain to see the two trainers lying side by side with Weavile attempting to shake Ash awake, desperately trying to get his attention. 

Olympia sighs and looks to her two Meowstic who share the same look, "looks like fate wasn't on your side, it was your time."

Ash's eyes open slowly and lethargically. He groans as he lifts his head from the ground and manoeuvres his body into a sitting position. He rubs his eyes before looking directly at Hannah's stone form, laying beside him.

'I thought it was a dream,' Ash thinks he groans and begins to look around. He sees Hannah's Pokémon looking at him. His eyes go to Meowstic who is using Protect to create a temporary shield to surround them. Ash wonders why, but overall ignores it in favour of the stone statue lying on the ground.

Ash holds her cold hand and keeps it in his grasp while he thinks and thinks, tears start to well in his eyes again the more he does think.

His thought chain is broken however when he feels a powerful aura surrounding his body. He looks up to see Hannah's Pokémon looking behind him with shock, all of them except Laura who stands with thankfulness in her eyes and a small smile on her face.

Ash turns stiffly and slowly, then he thinks his eyes deceive him.

For what he sees is Xerneaus. 

The legendary Pokémon walks slowly and gracefully over to the two trainers. They stop at the two of them and elegantly places their nose onto Hannah's forehead. An aura surrounds the trainers and Pokémon as the vaguely familiar sound of Hannah's hum can subtly be heard. The aura from Xerneaus is conveyed into the girl, all aura soon absorbing into her as Hannah's body reverts from stone to skin.

Ash's eyes don't leave the Pokémon, mesmerised by their appearance and poise. The only thing that steals his attention away is the same feeling of aura he experienced when being pushed back by Hannah's attack on the rock earlier, but this one is calmer, barely pushes his hair and cap back.