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Chapter Text

Of all the new sights in Alola, Ash wasn't expecting to see the person who sat on Hau'Oli Beach, overlooking the water, a roselia at his side.

Ash ran to greet him, hoping Pikachu and the rockruff they'd recently befriended were keeping up. "Drew, is that you? Hey!"

Even donning a pair of dark sunglasses, he was unmistakable up close--he looked about the same as Ash remembered him, right down to the outfit; he must've really been committed to that aesthetic to be dressing the same way five years later. Upon noticing Ash, he let out a small sigh of resignation. "It starts."

Drew stood, and Ash noticed that Drew was several inches shorter than he was. "If you're after an autograph, you'd better have a pen on you because I don't."

"Oh, I'm not a fan," Ash said. He saw Drew frown--in confusion or annoyance or what, he couldn't tell. "Wait, that came out wrong. I mean I'm a friend. You don't recognize me?"

Drew pushed his sunglasses up to the top of his head, blinking as his eyes readjusted to the bright sunlight, and studied Ash. "Not gonna lie, I have no idea who you are. Name?"

"I'm Ash." Did Drew really not know who he was? Maybe the mention of Drew's old rival would help. "I used to travel with May, back in Hoenn and Kanto, remember?"

Sure enough, recognition sparked in Drew's eyes. "Oh, that Ash. It's been a while." He looked Ash up and down. "You've gotten taller."

"You haven't," Ash said. Drew's eyes narrowed. "Hey, easy, I'm kidding. Sorry. Anyway, how have you been? How's May? Is she here too? What're you doing in Alola? Contests aren't a thing here," he added the last part with a note of confusion. He was pretty sure contests weren't a thing here, but Drew's presence made him doubt it.

Drew closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm well aware that contests aren't 'a thing' here, as you so eloquently put it. If you must know, I won a grand festival in Johto, competed in the Sinnoh contest circuit, and now I'm taking a break from coordinating." He paused and his expression softened. "May's not here, but last I heard she was doing well."

"Taking a break?" Drew, who had always seemed relentlessly ambitious and driven, was vacationing in Alola? "That doesn't sound much like you."

"A lot can change in five years," Drew remarked coolly. As Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder, Drew added, "Though I see your pikachu hasn't."

"Neither has your roselia," Ash said. "I guess we've got that in common. And what're the odds that we'd both end up right here at the same time?" A brilliant idea struck him. "We should explore Alola together! It's gotta be fate, us running into each other again after so long."

Drew frowned. "I don't travel with other people." Rockruff was pawing at Drew's leg to get his attention, but he didn't seem to notice.

"The Drew I knew didn't take vacations either, but here you are," Ash pointed out. "Maybe it's time for another change."

"Hard pass." Drew looked down at his partner. "Let's go, Roselia. We have places to be." He turned his back on Ash and started toward the city, Roselia following closely.

"Well, see you around," Ash said. Then, to Pikachu, "What is up with him?"

Drew had managed to avoid Ash and his questions for the rest of the day, but even as night fell and he retired to his motel room he couldn't shake the thought of what had happened. As he went to his bed and sprawled ungracefully on his back, hands behind his head, his mind was still racing. Between this and the jet lag he was still feeling, he figured sleep would be a long time coming; if it came down to it, he might have Butterfree knock him out with sleep powder again.

He never would've expected to run into one of May's old friends in Alola of all places. Maybe that was why he hadn't recognized Ash at first--well, that and the fact that (no matter what Ash said) they had both grown since they last saw each other; Ash was taller and tanner, leaner with broader shoulders. Drew almost envied him--he himself had never quite grown into his height. (You'll fill out once you hit puberty, people would sometimes try to assure him. I'm sixteen, he would reply.)

"Rose?"

"I'm fine, Roselia," he assured his partner. "Say, do you think I should've taken Ash up on his offer?"

Roselia didn't answer. So this was his problem to solve. He groaned, moving a hand to cover his eyes.

He had always traveled alone in the past--apart from Roselia and the rest of his team--and didn't have plans to change that. But he hadn't planned to see Ash again either.

And he had come to Alola because he needed to make some changes. His recent run through the Sinnoh contest circuit had been the worst of his entire career--he was burned out, and he needed time off to try something new and find the spark he once had again. Was Ash the way to do that?

Drew doubted it. If he wanted to keep his head down and avoid media attention, hanging around with someone who did so much shouting would be a bad move. And all he knew Ash as was May's loud and cheerful friend who had, when Drew was like eleven, made him realize he might like boys too--not that that meant anything now. The two of them weren't even friends.

Still, something needed to change.

"This isn't accomplishing anything." Drew recalled Roselia with a sigh, reaching for the poké ball that held his butterfree and giving it a careless toss.

"Free?" Butterfree looked at his trainer with concern.

"Can't sleep," Drew said. "You know the drill."

Chapter Text

Ash was wandering the city streets, looking for a place to get breakfast, when he spotted Drew through a café window. Another opportunity to talk to him--hopefully it'd go more smoothly this time.

The aroma of coffee and pastries nearly stopped Ash in his tracks when he walked in; no wonder Drew was hanging out here. He went to the counter and studied the menu for a few moments, eventually ordering two cinnamon buns--one for himself and one for Pikachu--and a Tapu cocoa. Once he had that, he went to the table where Drew was seated and took the empty seat across from his.

Drew was focused on a crossword puzzle, pen in hand and tongue sticking out a little in concentration, and either didn't notice Ash or was hoping he'd go away if he was ignored long enough.

"I thought you didn't have a pen."

Drew started at the sound of Ash's voice and dropped his pen, cursing under his breath when it clattered onto the floor. The first one, then. "Don't you have anything better to do than follow me around?"

"I'm not. I came here for breakfast and wanted to talk to you while we were here." While Drew was fumbling for his pen, Ash looked at the crossword. "By the way, four across is 'Juniper'."

Drew wrote it down. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. Like I said, I just wanted to talk." Ash took a bite of his cinnamon bun, choosing to ignore Drew's judgmental frown. "You said yesterday that you'd won a grand festival, right? That's awesome! I was runner-up at the Lumiose Conference not long ago! I bet we could learn a lot from each other."

Drew raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Really," Ash said. "I know you're good, I saw that way back in Hoenn and Kanto. I know I'm good too--and don't give me that look, I haven't forgotten about your ego either."

Drew huffed, but didn't argue. There were shadows under his eyes Ash hadn't noticed before.

"You look tired."

"Aren't you an observant one," Drew said dryly. "Jet lag. You know how it is."

"I hear you." Ash reached across the table to put a hand on Drew's shoulder. "Well, you've got a friend here if there's anything I can do to help."

Drew placed his hand on top of Ash's and moved it off his shoulder. "Firstly, don't touch me," he said. "Secondly, we're not friends."

Ouch. "We can be," Ash pointed out. "We didn't talk much before, but I've always wanted to get to know you better."

Drew rested his head on the table, arms shielding his face. "That's not gonna happen."

Ash blinked at him. "Why are you being like this?"

Drew muttered something Ash couldn't make out.

"I don't know what you just said," Ash said, "but you were sitting alone in a café with a crossword puzzle. Only lonely people do that, Drew."

"Untrue," Drew replied without looking up.

"So you are listening to me. Anyway, you don't have to act so cool and independent all the time. It's okay to get help from other people sometimes."

Drew didn't respond to that, and Ash realized he was snoring softly. For a second Ash was too caught in the surprise of learning that Drew snored--he didn't seem like the type, he usually acted so perfect--to do anything about the situation. Then he snapped out of it and gently shook Drew's shoulder.

"Huh?" He lifted his head, blinking, then his eyes narrowed at the sight of Ash. "You're still here."

"I didn't know you snored," Ash said.

"What? No, I don't."

"Yeah, you do," Ash argued. "I heard you when you dozed off just now."

Drew huffed. "Whatever."

"Speaking of that," Ash said, "there are probably better places for a nap than this. Are you staying somewhere?"

"That's none of your business."

Why was he being so difficult? "Come on, at least let me walk you to your room. You shouldn't be wandering around town alone if you're this worn out."

Drew raised an eyebrow. "You're really stubborn, you know that?"

"So are you," Ash pointed out. "Just let me do this one thing for you and then I'll get off your case. Deal?"

"Sure." Drew rose to his feet, picking up his things and politely yawning into his hand. He went to the counter to drop a couple bills in the tip jar and Ash did the same.

"Are you staying at the pokémon center?" Ash asked as they stepped out.

Drew shook his head. "A motel in a quieter part of town. I guess I'll lead the way."

"Lead on, then."

"I still don't see why you insist on doing this," Drew said as they started walking again. "I'm fine. Besides, we're not even really friends."

"You know, Drew, I have a feeling you're not completely fine." Ash chose to ignore Drew restating that they weren't friends--why he kept saying that was beyond Ash.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't seem right," Ash said. "You can call me unobservant all you want, but I can tell something's up with you."

Drew looked surprised for a second, then his expression went back to cool indifference. "Do you always make everyone's business your business?"

"Not always…"

"May's told me about your adventures, you know." Drew rounded a corner and Ash did the same. "You guys sure got into a lot of trouble."

Ash couldn't deny that. "Sure, that's one way to look at it, but I'd say we've had a lot of fun and excitement too--right, Pikachu?"

"Pika, pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"And you didn't seem to mind getting caught up in our adventures either," Ash reminded him.

"Of course I wanted in on the action when I was a kid, but now--"

"You're still a kid," Ash pointed out. "You're what, sixteen? That's still young."

Drew grumbled something Ash didn't catch and started walking faster.

Drew stood where Ash had left him, directly outside the motel, and watched Ash go. Then he turned and walked in the opposite direction. Halfway here he'd remembered he had already checked out--how something like that slipped his mind, he didn't know--but he wasn't about to tell Ash that. Besides, he didn't think he'd be able to sleep again anyway.

The sun really did shine in Alola--Roselia would enjoy it. He stopped to let out his partner, who looked at him with obvious concern. "Rose?"

"I'm fine." At least the caffeine he'd had earlier was finally kicking in. "Let's get out of here. I hear Melemele Meadow is gorgeous this time of year, you interested in checking that out?"

"Roseli!"

"Great." It felt nice to have a destination and a goal, even if it was just sightseeing. The two headed north, and Drew couldn't help wondering if he would run into Ash again.

But instead somebody ran into him. Too caught off guard to keep his balance, he took a rough tumble and heard Roselia cry out in alarm. Sitting up, he rubbed the back of his head--that hurt--and blinked up at whoever had caused the collision. If it was Ash again--

"Yo, watch where you're going, pretty boy!" It wasn't Ash. Two guys who might've been close to his age, both in a tacky skull-themed getup, were leering at him.

"Pretty boy?" Drew rolled his eyes. "How original. Never heard that one before."

Thug One looked to his companion. "This guy looks rich and he's giving us attitude. We should make him pay."

"I heard that," Drew said. These two couldn't be serious if they were talking about mugging him to his face, could they? He stood and dusted himself off, doing his best to look unruffled by the implied threat, but casting a quick glance over his shoulder. Where was Ash now, when backup would be helpful?

Thug Two took out a poké ball. "Enough talk! You're in Team Skull territory and you're gonna pay! Go, Salandit!"

Thug One took that as his cue to throw a poké ball himself. "Zubat, bring 'em down!"

An black reptilian pokémon Drew hadn't seen before and a far more familiar bat pokémon appeared.

"So a battle's all you want? That I'll be happy to oblige." Drew had been itching for a good battle, and Roselia didn't need to be told to come forward. He reached for Cherrim's poké ball--his youngest team member would shine in this bright sunlight.

"That's enough." Another voice got everyone's attention. An older man was approaching, the cheerful yellow of his floral print shirt greatly contrasting against his stern expression.

The two thugs took that as their cue to recall their pokémon and make a run for it.

The man shook his head. "Seems those troublemakers are at it again. They sure have gotten bolder lately. Are you all right?"

Drew nodded. "I'm fine." He was almost disappointed he didn't get to try putting up a fight--he had a feeling he could've taken them.

"Good to hear it." The man smiled, and it looked like he did that a lot. "I'm Hala. I'm the kahuna responsible for looking after things here, so let me know if you come across any more trouble--or if you find yourself in need of a meal or a place to sleep. My home's in Iki Town and my doors are always open to young travelers, wherever they come from."

"Will do." Drew doubted he actually would--if Hala said that often, no doubt he had a lot to deal with already. Drew could handle himself. "I'd best be on my way now."

Hala chuckled good-naturedly. "You youngsters are always in a rush. Take care--and remember, it's good to slow down every once in a while."

"Noted." Drew went on his way again, hands slipping comfortably into his pockets.

Soon buildings and pavement gave way to grass and trees. Surrounded again by nature, Alola's summer weather warming him the same way as Hoenn's, he was reminded of when he'd first left LaRousse at ten years old with Roselia at his side and a fire in his heart. He had been captivated by every new sight, and when the sun had set, he and Roselia had marveled at how many stars they could see away from the city lights--despite how tired they had been, Drew remembered spending a long time just looking up at those stars.

Perhaps tonight, he and Roselia could watch the stars once more. It'd be nice to feel like a kid again.

Ash wanted to see if Rockruff could get the hang of rock throw before they faced the first trial, but as they trained, his thoughts kept drifting back to Drew. What had gotten into him?

Something about leaving him hadn't felt right, but there wasn't much else Ash could do. He had escorted Drew to the motel, hopefully to get some rest, and Drew clearly didn't want him around longer than that.

"Ruff?" Rockruff had picked up on Ash's distraction and was looking at him curiously.

"I'm fine, Rockruff," Ash assured his pokémon. "Just thinking about something." He shook his head to dismiss those thoughts. Drew could take care of himself--strange as he'd been acting, there was no need to worry about him. "Maybe we should take a break."

Rockruff nodded in understanding, then caught a glimpse of her wagging tail and set about chasing it. Ash smiled to himself as he watched her; he was lucky to have met such an energetic new friend at the start of his Alola journey.

Pikachu's ears twitched and he looked around.

"What's up, little buddy?" Ash asked. "You hear something?"

A young man with pink hair, brown skin, and pretty features approached. "My apologies if I startled you," he said. "I heard the unmistakable sound of a training session and had to investigate. Judging by your Z-ring, I take it you're a trial-goer?"

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and this is my good buddy, Pikachu." Ash motioned to Pikachu, who chirped his own greeting.

"Pallet Town? That sure is a long way from here," he said. "I'm Ilima. I'm a friend to the totem pokémon of Melemele Island, and I could escort you to his lair if you'd like. A group calling themselves Team Skull have been causing trouble around here, so you would be safer traveling with some company."

Ash would have to tell Drew about that the next time he got the chance. Hopefully Drew wouldn't run into them in the meantime. "That'd be great! We go north from here, right?"

"Correct," Ilima said with a warm smile, turning to lead the way. Ash recalled Rockruff and followed.

Chapter Text

Totem Raticate was bigger and tougher than any raticate Ash had ever met, but it wasn't nearly as agile as Rockruff. She was having a great time darting around her larger opponent, delivering one bite attack after another and leaping out of the way when it tried to retaliate, and the raticate was tiring fast. The battle would be over soon.

"Alright, let's finish it with rock throw!" Ash's voice rang out in the cavern.

With a fierce bark, the little puppy fired a barrage of stones at her opponent and it went down. The battle was over.

"Great job, Rockruff!" Ash praised his pokémon, who barked cheerfully in response, her tail wagging. "Let's go tell Ilima the good news."

They headed out in good spirits and found Ilima waiting just outside. "Congratulations on your victory." He pulled a rhombus-shaped crystal out of his pocket and held it out to Ash. "Totem Raticate would like for you to have this normalium Z. If you perform these poses in battle--" he demonstrated "--your pokémon's normal-type attack is transformed into a powerful attack called breakneck blitz that cannot be evaded or shielded from."

"That's really cool!" Ash accepted the crystal and fitted it onto his Z-ring. "Thanks, Ilima."

Ilima blushed faintly. "My pleasure. Good luck on the rest of your island challenge."

"Maybe you and me could have a battle the next time we meet?" Ash offered.

Ilima seemed to be struggling to regain his earlier calm and composed demeanor. "I'd like that very much, Ash."

Rockruff had her nose to the ground like she'd noticed some scent that interested her. She suddenly lifted her head and took off running with a flurry of barks.

"Rockruff, hey! Wait up!" Ash took off after her, giving Ilima an apologetic wave. "See you around!"

Drew breathed in the comforting scent of flowers and felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. Just looking across the meadow, its flowers a cheerful yellow, brightened his mood. He hadn't realized how much he needed this. Roselia trilled appreciatively beside him.

They weren't the only ones enjoying it--cutiefly and oricorio, pokémon Drew had never seen in person before, flitted about without a care in the world, occasionally landing on his head or shoulder only to fly away when they realized he wasn't a plant. (That kind of thing happened to him a lot; he was well past the point of minding.)

This was nice. He was reminded of an afternoon back in Johto, in a flower field with May, when he'd fallen asleep and woken to find her giggling about something she refused to explain. He hadn't found out what until he'd caught sight of his reflection that night and seen the flowers in his hair--too many of them for it to have happened by accident. He still couldn't believe everyone had let him go around like that without a word.

Good times.

"Ruff-ruff!" The sound of excited barking jerked Drew out of his reverie as a small canine pokémon--a rockruff, he was almost certain--ran up to him. It stopped at his feet and looked up at him expectantly, wagging its fluffy tail until he gave in and knelt to pet it. The fur was short and coarse on most of its body, he found, and the collar-like ruff around its neck was rough and hard as stone. He'd never seen anything like it--it was strange, but adorable and kind of fascinating.

"Rockruff! Where'd you go?" That couldn't be Ash's voice. After Drew had done such a fine job of avoiding him, that would just be unfair.

Sure enough, Ash came running up to them. Great. Drew just couldn't shake the guy--it was as if the universe itself were conspiring against his valiant attempt at experiencing peace and quiet.

"There you are." Ash sounded breathless. How far had he run to get here?

Rockruff rubbed its neck against Drew in a painful display of affection, then licked his cheek and scampered to its trainer. Ash knelt to look it in the eyes, expression serious. "You shouldn't run off like that," he gently scolded his puppy. "Who knows what you could've gotten yourself into? We're lucky Drew found you instead of something worse." Finished with his lecture, he looked at Drew. "Hi, Drew."

"Hello, Ash," Drew responded curtly. "Can't you even keep your pokémon from taking off?"

"They don't usually do that," Ash said, unruffled by the taunt. Disappointing. "I guess she was excited after winning that battle against Totem Raticate, and then some scent caught her attention and she couldn't resist going after it."

Apparently realizing she wasn't in trouble, Rockruff approached Roselia with a friendly bark. Roselia trilled a response.

"Rockruff sure likes you and your roselia," Ash observed.

Drew could tell where this was going. "Let me guess--you're about to suggest that we travel together?"

"I wasn't," Ash said, flashing a grin, "but it's a good idea."

It would've been so easy to say no, get up, and walk away. Yet Drew didn't. Wiping the rockruff drool off his cheek with his sleeve, he glanced to Rockruff and Roselia, and then at Ash. Maybe Ash was trouble and chaos, but maybe a little trouble and chaos could be what Drew needed. "Sure."

"I underst--" Ash broke off, his eyes widening with surprise. "Wait, really? You mean it?"

Drew shrugged. "Might as well. For once I have nothing better to do."

"Well, that's not the enthusiasm I was hoping for," Ash said with a slight pout, before breaking into a grin once more, "but it's a start. You won't regret this, Drew. It'll be fun, you'll see."

Hopefully Ash was right, but counting on Ash being right was probably a sign in and of itself that Drew should be worried.

"Hey, Drew, there's something in your hair. Don't move." Before Drew could protest, Ash's hands were in his hair, entirely too close for comfort. When he finally moved, a small yellow puff rested in his cupped hands. "A pokémon?"

"A cutiefly, to be exact." Drew set about fixing what Ash had done while fixing him with a glare. "Don't do that again. You don't get to touch my hair."

Ash might have been too preoccupied with the pokémon in his hand to hear that. He took out a pokédex and scanned it.

"Cutiefly, the bee fly pokémon. A bug-and-fairy-type pokémon. Myriads of cutiefly flutter above the heads of people who have auras resembling those of flowers."

Ash looked at Drew, and both looked up at the surprising number of cutiefly circling above his head. "You look like a flower to these guys?"

Heat rose to Drew's face. He'd heard enough plant jokes in sixteen years to last a lifetime and they were neither clever nor funny, but apparently they were onto something. "I suppose so."

"That's awesome," Ash said earnestly. "Bug pokémon must be drawn to you a lot."

That reaction was unexpected, but Drew definitely didn't mind. For the first time in what felt like ages, he felt a real smile playing across his face. "Come to think of it, yeah, I'd say they are."

Ash looked impressed. "That's awesome."

"You've said that already."

Ash didn't seem to care. "Hey, d'you think this little guy's okay? He hasn't moved."

"Maybe it just likes you," Drew said. "Makes one of us."

Pikachu's cheeks sparked--an obvious warning. Ash seemed unfazed. "You can say you don't like me, but you haven't walked away yet."

Drew didn't have a retort for that. The only defense he had was walking away, but he found that he didn't want to. 

The cutiefly buzzed cheerfully, confirming that it was fine, and possibly trying to prevent a fight--fairy-types could be incredibly empathetic, Drew had heard, even if this one couldn't tell him apart from a flower.

"Oh, I get it!" Ash said. "You want to come with us?"

The cutiefly did a quick circle around Ash's head and buzzed what sounded like an affirmative. Ash held out a poké ball and the tiny bug-type headbutted it, vanishing inside. The ball emitted a soft ding, confirming a successful capture, and Ash smiled warmly at it. "Welcome aboard, Cutiefly."

That was… an exceptionally simple capture. Drew was impressed, but he wasn't about to tell Ash that. "Alright. Let's head for the nearest pokémon center, shall we?"

He stood, taking another look over the meadow before he turned around and started walking again. Ash soon fell into step beside him. "So, Drew, do you like it in Alola?"

"I guess," Drew answered. "The climate's definitely more comfortable than Sinnoh was."

"Sinnoh is pretty chilly," Ash said. "I guess you're more used to the tropics, huh?"

Drew had forgotten Ash went to Sinnoh at around the time he and his rivals had gone to Johto. The guy really had been places--but then, so had Drew. "You could say that."

"Alola's a nice place," Ash said, grinning up at a flock of pikipek as they flew overhead. He met Drew's eyes. "It's gonna be fun exploring it with an old friend."

"We are not friends," Drew reminded him.

Ash gave Drew a curious look, then shrugged. "If you say so."

Chapter Text

Ash was already learning new things about Drew. One of those things was that he slept in budew-patterned pajama bottoms--the contrast against his plain gray nightshirt and serious expression, arms crossed defensively over his chest, silently daring Ash to make any comment on it, was almost comical.

The silent staring contest was getting uncomfortable, so Ash finally said, "I like your pants."

"Shut up," Drew replied flatly, going to his bed and disappearing under the covers. Some conversationalist he was.

"Goodnight to you too." Ash gave Drew one last look before retreating to his own bed, Pikachu getting comfortable at his side.

After a bit of silence, hoping Drew was still awake, Ash spoke up again. "Hey, Drew? I'm glad we're traveling together, really."

Drew was silent a while, and Ash thought he might be sleeping, but he finally said, "Why do you care so much?"

"It's nice to have company," Ash said plainly.

"My company, though?"

Where was all that confidence Ash remembered? "Drew, are you okay?"

"Just fine." Drew's voice was curt, tired. "Goodnight, Ash."

"'Night, Drew."

As they set out for Iki Town, Ash was clearly in high spirits, and Drew found himself warmed by the sight of it despite himself. That energy and enthusiasm reminded him of somebody.

"Hey, what's that?" Ash took off running before Drew could figure out what he was referring to.

Drew shared a look with Roselia before the two of them went to see what Ash had taken off after.

They found him looking up at what appeared at first glance to be an ordinary palm tree, before Drew realized this palm tree had legs. And... was that a tail?

"It's like an exeggutor," Ash said, still looking up, "but… really, really tall."

Drew looked up and found that Ash was right; it definitely had the face--well, faces--of an exeggutor. "Huh. Come to think of it, a researcher I know mentioned that some pokémon take on different forms in other regions. This must be what the exeggutor here are like."

"Oh, yeah!" Ash's looked at Drew, brown eyes bright. "I battled a raticate and I've seen lots of rattata running around, and they're completely different than the ones in Kanto." He finally seemed to remember he had a pokédex.

"Exeggutor, the coconut pokémon and the evolved form of exeggcute. A grass-and-dragon-type--"

"A what?" Drew burst out, then felt his face heat up when Ash gave him a curious look.

"As it grew taller and taller, it outgrew its reliance on psychic powers, while within it awakened the power of the sleeping dragon."

Ash looked up at it one more time. "So it's not just taller, it's a whole different type!" He turned to Drew with a grin. "Isn't this amazing? Alola is full of surprises!"

Drew's earlier outburst had rendered him unable to claim total nonchalance, but he nodded coolly as they continued on their way. "Odd that it's a dragon-type, though."

"I wonder what Iris would think of it," Ash mused. He seemed to belatedly realize Drew wouldn't know who that was. "She's a friend of mine from Unova, and she was training to be a dragon master last I heard from her."

"Unova?" He'd been to Unova too? Where hadn't he been? "Do you just travel around the world making friends wherever you go or something?"

Ash tilted his head. "Do you… not make friends in new places?"

"Not often," Drew answered. "I have enough friends already and beyond that, my priority is my career. Making friends comes second to that."

"That sounds like a really lonesome way to live," Ash said. He was giving Drew a pitying look now, which was completely unnecessary.

"I don't need your pity, Ash." Drew found himself getting irritated and he wasn't sure exactly why. Was he getting defensive over this? "I'm not lonely. I have friends."

"I'm not pitying you, I'm just…" he trailed off, like he couldn't figure out how to complete the sentence. "You're not focusing on your career right now, so why don't you make some new friends here? Start with me." He went to stand in front of Drew, holding out a hand. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."

Drew walked past him. "I know how to make friends, Ash. I just don't care to."

"Uh, okay." Ash caught up and fell back into step beside him. "Suit yourself."

They carried on a while longer, Ash occasionally breaking the silence to comment on some new sight or launch into a story about some adventure he'd been on (of which there were apparently many), Drew trying his best to follow Ash's enthusiastic train of thought. It seemed Drew was a magnet for boys who could talk his ear off, but that was fine--at least he didn't have to worry about keeping the conversation going.

Ash eventually suggested they break for lunch, which Drew agreed to. He was pleasantly surprised when Drew volunteered to cook, and delighted to learn Drew could cook well. After everyone had eaten, they didn't set back out yet--it was nice to just relax and enjoy the sunshine for a while.

Rockruff was growling playfully at Drew's absol, who seemed as aloof as its trainer. Pikachu and Roselia were engaged in some conversation nearby, chatting as amicably as if they'd known each other forever (and making Ash wonder what they were talking about). Drew's flygon and cherrim slept in the sun, and Drew was sitting near Flygon's head, absentmindedly scratching under his pokémon's chin. Cutiefly was investigating some flowers near Ash's feet, and curiously, Drew's butterfree had decided to rest on Ash's head.

"He picked that up from May's beautifly," Drew said when he noticed what his butterfree was doing, a bemused smile playing across his face. "I've never seen him do it with anyone except May and I, though. Huh."

Drew was actually making conversation--they were getting somewhere. "I used to have a butterfree of my own," Ash said. "But I released him so he could be with his mate. Maybe he and this one could be related?"

"You think so?"

"Anything is possible, right?" Ash did wonder about how Butterfree was doing out there sometimes.

Drew looked thoughtfully at his flygon. "I've never had to let a pokémon go before. That must be hard."

"It is," Ash admitted. "But if they'd be happier that way, it's for the best."

"I suppose you're right." Drew studied Ash with something new in his eyes--was that respect? "You're really something, Ash."

Chapter Text

It took another two and a half days to arrive in Iki Town, a sleepy little town with a warm, inviting atmosphere. In the heart of it was where Ash faced Kahuna Hala on a wooden stage--apparently the place all the island's ceremonies occurred, watched by their guardian deity.

Drew hadn't realized how important the trials actually were until this point. He'd been under the impression they were about the same as the gyms in most regions, but it seemed there was a cultural significance way beyond that--they weren't just a rite of passage for trainers hoping to compete in the region's league (did Alola even have a league?), they were a tribute to the gods Alola's culture honored. It made him wonder how and why Ash, who Drew was certain hailed from Kanto, had ended up taking them on. Would it be intrusive to ask?

Given that Ash was in the middle of giving commands to his cutiefly as they opposed Hala's makuhita, now probably wasn't the time for questions one way or another.

Drew had watched Ash's training and they had even sparred a couple times, but he still found himself fascinated by Ash's battling style. Ash didn't seem to plan ahead much, instead thinking on his feet, but Drew had definitely underestimated him initially--Ash was quick to realize the aggressive approach wouldn't work on his sturdy opponent and start taking advantage of Cutiefly's speed and incredibly small size instead. Unsurprising for someone whose partner was a pikachu, but still a sight to behold.

For all his goofing off, Ash was an impressive battler, and Drew couldn't help wondering what kind of coordinator he'd make. It was a thought he'd had about a few other people before--how could he not, when coordinating had been his life for so long?--but Ash was certainly an interesting one. He didn't have a coordinator's grace, but plenty of potential was there if he ever wanted to use it.

Cutiefly finally felled Hala's makuhita, and a crabrawler came out next. To Drew's amusement, Ash failed to suppress a shudder at the sight of it--no doubt reminded of the one that had chased him until he'd had to climb a tree on the way there. That was a story Drew would hang onto.

Cutiefly was finally worn down after taking a few hard hits, and after murmuring some words of praise, Ash recalled Cutiefly. Next, Pikachu leaped off of his shoulder to take over.

Ash and his pikachu had apparently been a team for a good while even when Drew first met them all those years ago, and it showed. Much like Drew and his own partner, Roselia, the two battled as if they were one being--it felt almost like Ash's verbal commands were merely a courtesy to his opponent, trainer and pokémon understanding each other so well that words were unnecessary.

Hala was a skilled trainer in his own right, of course, but it wasn't a surprise when Ash won.

After Ash had accepted the fightinium Z from Hala, he turned to see Drew and Roselia approaching from the sidelines. Drew looked almost impressed. "Congratulations, Ash. Not a bad performance."

Not bad? That was all he had to say? Ash pushed aside his disappointment at the faint praise; he had won his first grand trial and Drew had given him a genuine compliment. This was a good day. "Thanks, Drew."

"It's getting dark," Hala observed. "Would you boys like to stay the night at my home?"

"I'd hate to impose--" Drew started just as Ash said, "Sure! Thanks, Hala!"

Hala gave them an amused look. "Let's go, then."

He started north and Ash followed, Drew following after a second's hesitation. "How's Alola been treating you two so far?"

"It's been great," Ash said. "Everyone is so nice and friendly, and there are so many awesome pokémon here."

Drew gave a small nod beside him. "It's a beautiful place. A lot like Hoenn, but with its own unique qualities."

"I'm pleased to hear you like it here," Hala said with a warm smile. "Have you tried mantine surfing?"

Nobody had told Ash about mantine surfing. "No, but that sounds fun!" He looked at Drew. "You want to try that before we head for Akala?"

Drew closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if preparing to dive underwater. "Sure, Ash."

That was one more thing to look forward to.

Hala led them to a guest bedroom and told them to make themselves at home, promising dinner would be soon (which Ash was very much looking forward to) and swiftly but kindly dismissing Drew's offer to help, then left.

"There's only one bed," Ash said. "I guess we'll have to--"

"No, no, no," Drew interjected, paling slightly. "I'm sleeping on the floor."

Ash didn't really understand why Drew had objected before he could finish the thought, but he was still struggling to understand a lot of things about Drew. The guy was an enigma. "Uh, okay." 

Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder and curled up on the bed. Drew turned away from Ash, suddenly becoming very interested in a window on the other side of the room. Roselia followed him to it.

Not for the first time, Ash got a feeling Drew's mind was somewhere else. Ash crossed the room to stand beside him. "So you keep Roselia out all the time now?"

Drew gave a curt nod. "The sunlight is good for her."

"And I bet you like having her company, too," Ash said. "I know I like having Pikachu out with me all the time. Roselia was your first pokémon, wasn't she?"

"That's right," Drew answered, expression softening. "I met her in my moms' garden when she was just a budew. Guess you could say we grew up together."

"That's sweet," Ash said, meaning it. "I got Pikachu from Professor Oak. You've heard of him, right?"

An amused look briefly crossed Drew's face. "I have. Doesn't he usually give beginning trainers bulbasaur, charmander, or squirtle, though?"

"Usually, yeah," Ash said, grinning sheepishly, "but I overslept and Pikachu was the only pokémon left when I got there. He wanted nothing to do with me at first, but we're best friends now."

Drew tilted his head. "I see. Sounds like you had a pretty rocky start."

"Yeah, you could say that," Ash conceded. "But it's been an incredible journey, hardships and all. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I bet you feel the same way about your journey, right?"

Drew studied him for a few moments, then looked thoughtfully out the window. There was a ghost of a smile on his face. "Yeah."

Wrapped up in fond memories, Drew almost seemed content. Beside him, Ash reflected on his own--he really had come a long way since he first left Pallet Town. To say things hadn't always been easy would be an understatement, but everything he and Pikachu had been through had brought them here and a million other places, and he couldn't be anything but grateful for that.

Chapter Text

Ash stood on a mantine's back, riding the waves without the slightest hint of fear or hesitation, while Drew had opted to sit on the sidelines with Roselia and Pikachu--it was entertaining enough just watching this spectacle. Ash had handed his hat over to Drew, asking Drew to hang onto it for him, and Drew had put it on as protection from both the sun and the risk of recognition. It felt odd--he wasn't used to wearing hats, given that he put too much effort into making his hair look its best to hide it.

Ash suddenly lost his balance, falling off the mantine's back and into the waves, and Drew felt his breath catch in his throat. Moments later Ash emerged, laughing and seemingly unharmed. Drew relaxed.

"These mantine are trained to catch their riders if they fall off," the surfing instructor, a pretty woman some years older than Drew, explained. "You don't have to worry about him."

"I wasn't," Drew said, hearing the note of defensiveness in his own voice and hoping she didn't notice.

She gave him a knowing smile. "Sure you weren't." She looked at him a second longer, more thoughtfully. "You know, you look familiar. Have I seen you someplace before?"

This, Drew was prepared for. "Not likely," he said, casually pulling the brim of Ash's hat a little lower, hoping to obscure his features without looking too suspicious. "I get that a lot."

She accepted that answer, heading off elsewhere and leaving Drew to sigh in relief. His relief was short lived as Ash returned ashore. Ash stroked the mantine for a few moments before running up to Drew, grinning. "Mantine surfing is great! You should try it!"

Drew shook his head. "I'd rather not." The idea of getting wet didn't particularly appeal to him, and he'd never been the strongest swimmer. Not that he'd ever tell Ash anything that implied he was scared--he was just cautious, and it wasn't worth the risk involved. "Besides, don't we have a ferry to catch soon?"

Realization dawned on Ash's face. "Oh, that's right! I completely lost track of time." He paused, seeming almost hesitant. "But do you think we've got time to get something to eat first? I'm starving."

"If you can find something quick, sure."

"I think there's a malasada shop near the port," Ash said. "That'd work, right?"

"If that's what you want to do," Drew answered. "I'll wait for you at the port, then."

Ash tilted his head. "You're not hungry?"

"I'm fine," Drew said. "You've worked up an appetite, I haven't." He had to hope Ash wouldn't question him further.

"If you're sure…" Ash looked at him for a second. "Oh, and can I have my hat back?"

"Oh. Right." Drew handed it over and Ash put it back on.

"Well, see you at the port," Ash said pleasantly. "Don't take off somewhere without me, okay?"

"Of course." Drew wouldn't admit it, but he was beginning to enjoy Ash's company. That boundless energy kept things interesting, and it was pretty nice having a sparring partner to keep his battling skills sharp.

And maybe, just maybe, he was growing a little fond of Ash himself.

Upon getting off the boat, Ash looked around for Drew. He was sure Drew had boarded with him, but shortly after it departed, he'd turned and Drew was gone. Knowing him, Ash figured he'd gone off to find some quiet and solitude and it was probably best to leave him be, but now they needed to meet back up.

"Chu!" Pikachu pointed into the crowd. Drew was among them, looking slightly dazed, but snapped to attention when Ash called his name. He headed for them, letting out Roselia again.

"There you are," Ash greeted him warmly, ruffling his hair and earning a glare that had no real bite to it.

"Well, we're here." Drew's voice sounded strained. Ash realized he looked pale, too. "What now?"

"Are you okay?" Ash asked. "You don't look too good right now."

Drew pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. "Just a headache. I'll live."

"It's okay if you need to rest."

"I'll be fine," Drew insisted, though he didn't look fine.

"Hey, it's all right." Ash rested a hand on Drew's shoulder and he didn't pull away, which was either a good sign or a really bad one. "Come on, let's find somewhere to stay until you're feeling better. You look miserable."

Drew hesitated, then gave a resigned nod. His stubbornness had worn out already. "I think I know a place. Follow me."

He found the energy to lead the way to an impressive white building, where he stopped as if to let Ash take it in.

"That's a hotel? "

"Yep," Drew confirmed, a weak smile flickering across his face. "The Tide Song Hotel."

He headed for the entrance and Ash followed.

While Ash was trying to take in everything on the inside, still having trouble believing this was a hotel , Drew talked to a person behind the counter with easy confidence. Ash was looking up at the ceiling when he felt Drew nudge him.

With a quick apology Drew didn't respond to, he let Drew lead the way some more until they were in a room-- their hotel room .

It was a good sized room, with two very comfortable looking beds, and the windows had a view of the beach and vast ocean outside. Drew didn't take any time to admire any of it, though, instead slipping off his shoes and flopping facedown onto a bed.

Poor guy. Ash walked up to him and lightly put a hand on his back. "That's it, buddy. Just sleep it off, and we can get to doing stuff again once you feel better."

"Don't patronize me," Drew mumbled in response without raising his head, voice muffled. Regardless, he was snoring softly within minutes.

Ash covered him up with a blanket and went to draw the curtains closed, but noticed Roselia watching her trainer with a concerned expression. Being careful of the thorns--he'd seen what her poison point could do in battle--Ash stroked her head. "I'm sure he'll be okay."

Drew woke up disoriented and under a blanket. Had Ash done that? That was considerate of him.

Pushing himself into a sitting position and shaking off his post-nap daze, he looked around. The lights were off and the curtains drawn--the main source of light in the room was a lamp, which Ash was sitting next to, studying a map with Pikachu and Roselia beside him. He was saying something too softly for Drew to make out the words--either planning a route or making some other conversation with the pokémon, Drew guessed--and Drew felt a warm flicker of gratitude.

"Hey, Ash."

At the sound of Drew's voice, Ash looked up and smiled. "Oh, good, you're awake. Feeling any better?"

"Substantially." Everything was still a little fuzzy, but his headache and nausea had subsided and he felt more like himself. He stood and stretched to ease the stiffness in his shoulders. "How long was I out?"

Ash seemed to think for a moment. "About an hour, maybe?"

An hour? Well, he'd done worse. "And you were in here the whole time? 

Ash nodded. "It wouldn't feel right to leave you alone when you weren't feeling well," he said earnestly. "Hey, mind if I let some light back in now that you're up?"

"Go ahead." Drew watched with amusement and what might've been a hint of affection as Ash jumped to his feet and ran to pull the curtains back, like he couldn't wait to see the view again. "You know, Ash, you're a good friend."

Ash looked at him, wide-eyed and mouth open. Then a grin spread across his face.

Drew blinked, both in confusion and his eyes adjusting to the light. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You called me your friend," Ash said.

Oh.

"I guess I did." What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to react to Ash being so happy to be called a friend, or the sudden realization he considered Ash a friend? "There's really no need to make a big deal about it, though."

Ash was still smiling. What a dork.

Drew's dork, apparently.

Chapter Text

The morning after they'd arrived in Akala, Ash woke up to find Drew and Roselia nowhere to be seen.  He noticed a note had been left on his pillow, reading, Gone to pick up a few things. Not sure how long it'll take, but I'll be back soon enough. - Drew in quick but elegant handwriting.

  With no sign of where in the city he'd gone, there wasn't much Ash could do except get dressed and wait for him to come back, so he did that.

Drew soon returned with Roselia at his side and a coffee cup in hand. He was whistling to himself, but stopped when he saw Ash. "'Morning, Ash."

"You're in a good mood today," Ash observed. It was nice to see.

"Sure. Hey, catch." Drew pulled a pastry bag out of his satchel and tossed it to Ash. Ash caught it. "Thought you'd like a chocolate croissant from Sawsbucks—be quick, though, we've gotta check out before too long or they'll charge us for another day."

Ash could do that. "Thanks, Drew."

"Don't mention it." Drew smiled a soft, genuine smile and sipped his coffee. "So we're headed north to Brooklet Hill for your next trial?"

Ash nodded. "That's right! If we take one route there's this place called the Royal Dome we can stop and check out on the way, too."

"Look at you, doing research and making plans," Drew said with a playful smirk. "I'm almost impressed."

"So you’re up for it?"

"Yeah, I'm game." Drew finished his coffee and threw the cup away. "It'd be good training for the both of us."

Ash grinned. "Great! We good to go, then?"

Drew nodded. "I'll get us checked out."

Soon enough, they were checked out and on the road again. The route they were on was surprisingly green for being so close to the city, but the wild pokémon had the same fearlessness of any who lived near cities—pikipek flew overhead or watched them from the trees, while lillipup and eevee scampered around without a care in the world.

Ash noticed a pikipek with bright green eyes watching them intently from a tree, but it flew out of sight a moment later. 

The path soon branched off, with signs showing Brooklet Hill was straight ahead and Royal Avenue was to the east. They headed east.

The path turned from dirt to pavement, then opened up into what looked like another city entirely. Along with the pokémon center, there was a big stadium farther ahead and a fair number of other buildings. Pink flowers attracted oricorio the same color, and Ash noticed Drew looking at them with obvious fascination.

“I’ve never seen pokémon like that before,” Drew said when he noticed Ash noticing him. “They look completely different from the ones back in Melemele Meadow because of the flowers they get nectar from.”

“Have you heard of Pinkan Island?” Ash asked. When Drew shook his head, Ash continued, “It’s in the Orange Archipelago. A fruit grows there that turns all the pokémon that eat it pink, it’s so cool.”

Drew nodded, smiling faintly. “That does sound really cool.”

A blond boy dressed in all black brushed past them, heading for the stadium.

“Rude,” Drew muttered.

“Rose,” Roselia agreed.

“Coming through!” another voice called, and Ash and Drew sidestepped in time for another boy to dash through the space between them, a brown, green, and white bird pokémon flying in his wake.

“Well, at least he warned us,” Ash said, and Drew, blinking in confusion, nodded. “Maybe we should go that way too.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Drew seemed at ease as they headed for the stadium, and Ash hoped he’d stay that way for a while. The guy deserved to relax.

As they wove their way through the crowded streets, Drew recalled Roselia and surprised Ash by stepping closer to him, brushing against him for a second.

It turned out everything about Battle Royals was chaos. They held battles whenever four willing participants showed up—this time the four were Drew himself, Ash, and the two boys they’d encountered earlier, apparently called Hau and Gladion. Already a chaotic setup, but it turned out the battles themselves were even more chaotic.

Trying to watch his three opponents and his own pokémon, Drew didn’t envy the referee. Hau’s dartrix—which Ash had taken one look at before excitedly shouting, “Drew, it looks like you!” though Drew didn’t see the resemblance—was currently going after Ash’s rockruff, while Gladion’s sneasel chased after Drew’s cherrim.

“Dazzling gleam!” Drew called when the sneasel got close, feeling a twinge of satisfaction when the attack knocked sneasel back. It was momentarily stunned, but shook it off and launched an ice shard attack.

“Dodge it, Cherrim, and counter with a petal blizzard!”

Cherrim managed to dodge the ice and send a flurry of petals at Sneasel, only for Dartrix to swoop in, barely visible through the cloud of petals. Before Drew could call for his pokémon to dodge, a powerful wing attack slammed Cherrim into the ground.

It was over for Drew, then. He recalled Cherrim. “You were great, Cherrim. Get some rest.”

He looked back at the arena just in time to see Rockruff leap at Dartrix with teeth sparking. Was that thunder fang? When did Rockruff learn thunder fang?

Drew heard the bell sound this time as Hau recalled his dartrix.

So it was just Ash’s rockruff against Gladion’s sneasel. Rockruff had the type advantage—she and Ash stood a good chance at winning this.

Much like Ash, Rockruff’s energy made her nigh-unstoppable when it was channeled into battle. But the opposing sneasel was fast and relentless. Still, it had been quite a fight, and they’d have to be tiring out soon.

Finally, after an intense tussle, Sneasel landed a metal claw and it was over.

Thank goodness. Trying to keep up with that match, Drew was getting a headache.

He’d definitely be sticking to contest battles and sparring with Ash for the foreseeable future, though that was an experience he wouldn’t soon forget.

“That was fun!” Ash declared as they left the dome.

“I guess,” Drew said. “Though I’ve never seen a battle so… chaotic.”

“It was fun,” Hau agreed. “You guys were amazing!”

“You were great too, Hau,” Ash said. “You’re a great trainer, I’d love to take you on again sometime.”

The younger boy lit up. “Yeah, that’d be great! I’d better get going now, but first I wanna say you—” he looked at Drew “—remind me of my dartrix. See you guys around!”

And then he was off. 

Drew frowned in confusion. “Hey, Ash? Do I really look like a dartrix? Because I don’t see it.”

“Yeah, you do,” Ash confirmed. “I think it’s the hair. Hey, where’d that other kid Gladion go?”

Drew paused in thoughtfully touching his fringe to look around, then shrugged. “Beats me. He just snuck off, I suppose.”

“Yeah, guess so.” Ash smiled to himself. “Those two are so young.”

Drew nodded, a soft smile playing across his face. “Can you believe we were that small once?”

“You’re still small,” Ash pointed out.

“Shut up,” Drew said pleasantly.

It was nice to see Drew in such a good mood. Something had changed, either with him or between the two of them or both, and whatever it was, Ash was grateful for it.

Drew let Roselia out again, and she trilled happily at being in the sun. “The day’s still young, we ought to start heading for Brooklet Hill next. We probably won’t get there before nightfall, but we can make some good headway.”

“How about we get some malasadas first?” Ash suggested, pointing out a stand nearby.

Drew frowned for a second, then nodded. “That’s a good idea, actually.”

After they bought their malasadas, which Drew had swiftly pulled out his wallet to pay for, they sat on a bench where oricorio fluttered by, the pink bird pokémon stopping to sip nectar from nearby flowers or look at the boys curiously.

Ash offered a piece of malasada to Pikachu, who eagerly accepted it. Drew did the same with Roselia, but she rejected it.

“Figures,” Drew sighed, fond exasperation on his face. “She’s always been picky. Won’t eat anything that wasn’t prepared by either me or my moms.”

“That’s kinda sweet,” Ash said.

Drew nodded, resting a hand on his partner’s head. “Yeah, I suppose it is.”

An oricorio landed on Drew’s head and he looked up, blinking in surprise.

“Looks like you’ve found a new friend,” Ash teased. “Unless it thinks you’re a flower.”

Drew looked at Ash and then back up at the oricorio, who had started preening his hair. “Looks like it likes my hair, at least.”

“Why not try inviting it along?” Ash asked. “If it likes you, or your hair, it might want to join your team.”

Drew took out a poké ball. “How about it, Oricorio? Care to tag along with us?”

It fluttered off of his head to peck the ball, immediately going inside. A soft ding followed.

Drew blinked at the poké ball in his hand. “You know, most of my captures have been a bit more complicated than that.”

“No need to look a gift ponyta in the mouth,” Ash said. “Congrats on the new friend! Is that the first friend you’ve found here in Alola?”

“Not counting you, I suppose.” Drew blushed a little, but seemed to shake off his embarrassment quickly, giving Oricorio’s poké ball a casual toss. “Oricorio, come on out.”

Oricorio burst out with a cheerful chirp, then returned to its perch on Drew’s head.

“Yeah, you’re definitely here for my hair,” Drew said.

Ash laughed.

Chapter Text

Shortly after they had set out en route again, now amidst fields and farmland where mudbray and mareep roamed, Drew heard a commotion up ahead and saw Ash snap to attention.

He immediately knew what his friend would be thinking. “We are not investigating that.”

“But someone could be in trouble,” Ash protested.

The words It’s none of our business sat on Drew’s tongue, but died when he looked at Ash again. Seeing the fierce determination on Ash’s face, Drew had a feeling there was nothing he could say to win this argument.

“You don’t have to come with me, but I’ve gotta see what’s going on.” There was utter conviction in Ash’s voice. He took off.

With a sigh of utter resignation, Drew followed.

He managed to catch up with Ash, who had stopped. On Ash’s shoulder, Pikachu’s ears were pricked.

“What now?”

Instead of answering, Ash shouted “Look out!” and shoved Drew.

“Hey!” Drew protested sharply, grabbing onto a nearby fence for balance. “What was that for?”

Then he heard hoofbeats and saw Ash leap back as a tauros charged right through the space they’d been a moment ago.

Drew suddenly felt a little faint. “Whoa, what was that about?”

“I don’t know,” Ash said, which was very helpful. “Watch out, he’s coming back.”

This time instead of shoving Drew aside, Ash pulled Drew close to him, using his own body as a shield. Drew couldn’t help being a little offended at the implication he needed protecting, but that was a whole tauros and it was kind of a sweet gesture.

This time it skidded to a halt. Drew reached for one of his poké balls—Butterfree’s sleep powder would get them out of this situation—and saw Pikachu’s cheeks sparking in anticipation.

“Relax, guys,” Ash said. “I’ve got this.”

No, you don’t, are you out of your mind? Drew wanted to say, but Ash was already approaching the tauros, palms out and at his waist in a nonthreatening gesture. He looked the tauros in the eyes, saying something to it too low for Drew to catch the words.

The Tauros looked at him, then turned around, flicking its tails for them to follow. Ash grinned at Drew. “Come on, I told you! You gotta stop worrying so much, Drew.”

And with that, he followed the tauros, Drew following suit.

It was quick to lead them to the problem—another tauros, its horns caught in a fence. Drew felt a pang of sympathy.

“Poor guy,” Ash said sympathetically. “Don’t worry, we’ll get your friend out of there.”

Ash approached the stuck tauros’s side, running a hand along its flank so it knew he was there, and Drew mirrored him on the other side.

When it cried out and started struggling, Ash gently stroked its mane. “Hey, easy. It’s okay, my friend and I are just gonna help you out if you’ll let us.”

Seemingly hearing the sincerity in Ash’s voice, it settled down.

After several tiring minutes of guiding the tauros’s head, murmuring directions and encouragement, it was free. Mooing delightedly, it tossed its head and went to nuzzle its friend.

Drew was happy to watch this sweet moment, a warm glow of pride in his chest that he’d been able to help. Then in its excitement one of the tauros rammed Drew in the chest, bowling him over as he let out a startled yelp.

Ash held out a hand to help Drew up, unable to keep the laughter out of his voice when he asked, “Are you okay?”

Drew brushed himself off, heat rising to his face. “Just fine.”

Then it was Ash’s turn. He grabbed the tauros’s horns to steady himself, laughing with exhilaration.

Watching him, his boyish smile, laughter full of his usual warmth, Drew suddenly felt something come over him—a warmth in his chest threatening to spill over, making his heart flutter as warmth flooded the rest of his being.

Oh.

Oh no.

It had been a while since they said goodbye to the pair of tauros and continued on their way, and Drew had barely said a word since. Ash was starting to worry.

“Drew?”

Drew startled at Ash’s voice, like he’d been deep in thought. He regained his composure quickly. “Yeah?”

“Are you okay?” Ash asked. “You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“No, I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” He brushed a stray lock of hair out of his eyes before shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’m just thinking, ‘s all.”

“What about?”

“Nothing important,” Drew answered, just a little too quickly to be fully convincing. But he’d probably just retreat deeper into himself if Ash pried. “You know, Ash, you were pretty impressive with those tauros earlier.”

“You think so?” Drew didn’t give praise easily, and Ash found himself a little flustered at receiving it. “I have thirty tauros of my own, so I guess you could say I know ‘em pretty well.”

Drew blinked. “Excuse me,” he said, like he wasn’t sure he’d heard Ash right, “did you just say you have thirty tauros? ”

“That’s right!” Ash confirmed. “Not with me of course, but yeah.”

Drew gave him the blankest look he’d seen since the last time he’d met up with Misty and seen Psyduck. “Why?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Maybe you can tell it after we’ve built a fire,” Drew said, looking up at the darkening sky. “It’s about time we make camp for the night.”

Ash nodded. “Sounds good to me.” He watched as Drew headed for a dense cluster of trees to grab kindling. “How about you tell me some stories about your adventures too?”

“You’d probably be disappointed,” Drew said, not looking up. “I’m afraid my travels haven’t been quite as exciting as yours—I haven’t exactly fought a pirate to defend the Prince of the Sea, or caught thirty tauros for some reason, or anything.”

Ash waved him off. “Don’t be silly, everyone’s journeys have exciting moments. How about when you won the Johto Grand Festival? That must’ve been exciting, right? I bet you had some awesome battles.”

Drew looked over at him, smiling faintly. “Okay, you win. But you’ve gotta explain the tauros thing first, I won’t be able to rest until I know how that happened.”

“You got it.” Ash grinned triumphantly. He’d gotten Drew talking again; whatever might’ve been bothering him must not have been too bad. “You ever hear about Kanto’s Safari Zone?”

Chapter Text

Before heading for Ash’s next trial, Drew had offered to spar with him—an offer Ash took Drew up on with great enthusiasm.

“Rockruff, I choose you!”

“Butterfree, let’s go!”

Rockruff took a battle stance, her tail wagging in excitement as she looked up at her opponent. Butterfree looked eager too, fluttering in place with a cheerful trill.

“Butterfree?” Ash looked across the field at Drew curiously. “Why send out Butterfree against a rock-type?”

Drew shrugged. “I like a challenge, and Butterfree could use some action.”

“Fair enough!” Ash grinned. “Rockruff, let’s kick off with sand-attack!”

Rockruff barked eagerly, whipping around to kick up dust.

“Blow it away with silver wind!” Drew countered. “You’re not going easy on me, are you, Ash?”

“Of course not!” Did Drew really think that or was he trying to rile Ash up? “Show him your thunder fang!”

“Sleep powder!”

The powder coming off Butterfree’s wings didn’t faze Rockruff. She shook it off, leaping at Butterfree with jaws sparking. Butterfree was stunned, sparks coming off his body.

Drew hadn’t given up yet. “Psybeam, Butterfree!”

Butterfree’s eyes glowed. He fired a beam of pink energy at Rockruff, knocking her off and getting back into the air.

“You still want to keep going, Rockruff?” Taking a hit like that at close range had to hurt.

She leaped to her paws and nodded fiercely. “Ruffruff!”

Ash felt a warm pride in his spirited pokémon. “Alright, let’s try and turn this around. Rock throw!”

“Evade it with quiver dance.”

She fired stones from her ruff. Despite being hurt, Butterfree managed to evade most of them with surprising grace. But it shouldn’t have been that surprising, Ash realized—Drew was a coordinator, he and his pokémon specialized in staying graceful even in the heat of battle.

“Now let’s finish this,” Drew said. “Silver wind!”

Rockruff was swiftly knocked off her paws. She staggered to her paws, then dropped again.

“Let’s call it quits,” Ash said. “You did great, Rockruff. Get some rest.”

“You too, Butterfree. You were fantastic, return.”

Both pokémon recalled to their poké balls, Ash headed to Drew with a grin. “That was a good battle!”

Drew nodded. “That thunder fang was a surprise. Rockruff’s quite a fighter, you and her make a good team.”

Ash was surprised by the praise. “Thanks, Drew. You and Butterfree were awesome too, you raised Butterfree really well.”

Drew didn’t flick his hair and brush off the compliment. He looked like he’d been caught off guard, almost embarrassed. “Thanks,” he said, voice soft.

There was something endearing about that.

“You two are adorable.” Ash startled at an unfamiliar voice and saw Drew do the same. They both turned to look where the voice had come from. There stood a short, blue-haired girl, grinning mischievously. “Are you gonna kiss?”

“No,” Drew said flatly. He looked tense. Ash rested a hand on his shoulder.

“Anyway, the name’s Lana. I take it two trainers like yourselves might be here for the trial?”

Ash nodded. “That’s right! I’m a trial-goer, Drew’s here on vacation.”

Drew fired a surprisingly heated glare at him. What’d Ash do to earn that look?

If Lana noticed, she gave no sign of it. “I hope you’re prepared for water then. You’ll probably need a fishing rod.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Drew said curtly. “I have one, Ash can use that.”

Ash looked at him in surprise. “You do?”

“Good luck, then. The trial site is the lake that way, you can’t miss it.” Lana’s face turned serious. “Be careful though, some dangerous creatures lurk in that lake. I fished up a kyogre once.”

Ash looked at her in awe. “Wow, really?”

She flashed a mischievous smile. “What do you think?” Before Ash could answer, she said, “Well, I’d best be going! You two make a cute couple, by the way.”

“We’re not—“ Ash started, but she’d already turned around.

“See you two around!”

And she was gone.

“She seems fun,” Ash said. “Weird that she thought we were a couple though.”

Drew still looked irritated. “Well, maybe if your hand wasn’t on my shoulder that entire time—“

“Oh.” Ash moved his hand off Drew’s shoulder. “I just… you seemed upset. I wanted to help.”

“And that’s very sweet of you,” Drew said, voice sharp with irritation, “but don’t.”

“Don’t comfort my friend?” Ash didn’t understand that. “What are you saying? What’s up with you?”

“Just…” Drew trailed off, then sighed. “Just give me a little space, would you?”

“Fine, suit yourself.” Ash was still confused. What was Drew’s problem all of a sudden?

Drew had felt instant guilt for snapping at Ash. The memory of green eyes clouded with hurt and confusion already haunted him, and he hated to see that look again—Ash might’ve been pretty used to his attitude by now, but that didn’t make it okay.

Ash had, true to his word, given Drew space. They sat a couple feet apart at the edge of the lake now. Pikachu had given Drew a reproachful glare before settling at Ash’s other side.

Drew really owed him an apology. But distracting him in the middle of something important would be a problem, so it’d have to wait.

“Rose?” Roselia was looking at Drew worriedly. He softened and gave her a thumbs-up, a silent signal he was okay.

Whether or not she was fully convinced he couldn't say, but she relaxed enough to lean against him and enjoy the sunshine.

At the very least, Ash really seemed okay—watching his lure in concentration, looking calmly focused even as the light in his warm brown eyes betrayed his excitement. Drew watched him, charmed despite himself. Ash looked handsome with that expression on his face.

Drew could feel Roselia’s eyes on him again. He looked at her again, and was met with her knowing look. “Hey, stop looking at me like that.”

“What’d you say?” Drew was startled by Ash’s voice. Ash was eyeing him curiously, head tilted ever so slightly.

“Nothing important.” Drew gave Roselia an annoyed look and she half-shrugged, unbothered. “But while I have your attention, I wanted to say I’m—”

At that moment, the line grew taut and Ash leaped to his feet. This was the third time it’d happened, and the other two had been wishiwashi, an unimpressive little pokémon, but Ash hadn’t lost any enthusiasm yet.

This time was different, though—whatever it was, it was big and putting up quite a fight.

“Hey, Drew—could use a little help here!”

What did he expect Drew to do? Regardless, Drew got up to help.

The line went slack and Ash was left stumbling back with a yelp. Something possessed Drew to try to catch Ash and Ash fell on top of him, leaving him breathless for two reasons.

“Whoa! Are you okay, Drew?” Ash had moved quickly to give Drew a concerned look.

“Don’t worry about me, worry about that!” Drew gestured at the massive blue pokémon that had breached the lake’s surface, briefly wondering if that girl earlier hadn’t been messing with them about the kyogre thing.

“Oh, man!” Ash was on his feet again, whipping out his pokédex.

“Wishiwashi: school form. Weak wishiwashi school together to concentrate their power. At their appearance, even gyarados will flee, and when they team up to use water gun, its power exceeds that of hydro pump.”

The little pokémon from earlier could become that?

Drew tensed. Ash was in for a challenge.

Chapter Text

Totem Wishiwashi was a fierce opponent, and it took plenty of effort from Ash and his team until, finally, Rockruff’s thunder fang put an end to it. Totem Wishiwashi retreated back into the lake with a massive splash that drenched them all.

“Awesome job, Rockruff!” Ash knelt to praise his pokémon, patting her on the head as she shook out her fur and barked in delight. He noticed a small blue crystal had landed at his feet and picked it up as he stood.

“Drew, check this out—waterium Z!”

Drew, who had still gotten soaked despite having backed away, came closer to look. “That’s great, congratulations. You all battled well.”

“Pika!” Pikachu shook water off his fur and hopped onto Ash’s shoulder, before seeming to remember something and giving Drew a glare.

“And uh…” Drew looked away nervously. “I’m sorry about earlier. I’ve had something on my mind and that girl struck a nerve, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

“Yeah, you shouldn’t have,” Ash said, because it was true. “But don’t worry, I forgave you already.”

Drew relaxed, and his expression softened. “So, we head east for your next trial?”

“Yep!” Ash confirmed. “At the summit of Wela Volcano.”

“Sounds… dangerous.”

“It’ll be fine,” Ash assured him. “Blaine’s gym was inside an active volcano, and I survived that like seven years ago!”

“Excuse me,” Drew said, like he wasn’t sure he’d heard Ash correctly, “Blaine’s gym was inside a what? ” 

“An active volcano,” Ash repeated. “It’s okay, nobody died or anything.”

“Nobody died,” Drew said dryly. “That sure is reassuring. Is total lack of self-preservation just how people are in Kanto?”

“Well…” Ash was about to say Tracey was pretty sensible, but then remembered that anecdote Gary had once shared about Tracey grabbing onto a moving aerodactyl. “Maybe.”

“You’re killing me, Ash, you know that?” Drew suddenly looked so tired. “You’re killing your friend.”

Roselia patted Drew’s arm sympathetically.

“Relax, it’ll be fine,” Ash said, giving Drew a pat on the back. “You worry too much. How about we relax here a while before we head off for that?”

“Fine by me.” Drew reached for his poké balls. “The rest of the pokémon would probably like some time out here too.”

“That’s the spirit!” Ash sent out Cutiefly while Drew let the rest of his team out. 

The pokémon all soon got comfortable. Oricorio immediately landed on Drew’s head to lovingly preen his wet hair while Cutiefly went to greet him too. Flygon was quick to take flight, eager to stretch her wings, while Cherrim burst into bloom in the sunlight. Butterfree fluttered off in search of flowers. 

Rockruff bounded to greet Absol, who nosed her in a friendly greeting before curling up to doze. Rockruff curled up close by in a mirror of him.

As the pokémon had their fun, Ash saw Drew pick up a smooth stone, weighing it carefully in his hand before tossing it at the lake. It bounced across the surface three times before sinking.

Without saying anything, Ash picked a stone up and did the same. Four jumps.

Drew picked up another one. Yet again, he weighed it carefully in his hand, and seemed to think for a long time before giving it a throw. Five jumps.

Pikachu and Roselia noticed what they were doing and decided to join in too. Roselia launched hers elegantly, with a graceful spin and a petal dance, while Pikachu tossed his up into the air before striking it with his tail with great enthusiasm. Both managed seven jumps.

“Lucky number seven,” Drew remarked. “They’ve both got us beat.”

Ash laughed. “They sure do. Great job, buddy.”

“Pika!” Pikachu replied proudly.

“You too, Roselia,” Drew said, giving his partner a fond look.

As Drew sank to the ground, seemingly content, Ash picked up another stone and without much thought, gave it a toss.

One, two, three, Bwark!

The rock was launched right back and Ash barely avoided getting hit in the face. Out of the water emerged a cute blue pokémon with a round pink nose. Judging by the annoyed look on its face, it had been hit.

“Popplio, the sea lion pokémon. A water-type, and one of the pokémon commonly offered to beginning trainers in Alola. This pokémon can control water bubbles, and it practices diligently so it can learn to make big bubbles.”

Popplio launched a bubble attack at him as if to demonstrate, hitting him right in the face.

“Okay, fair, I guess I deserved that.” Wiping the water off his face, Ash knelt in front of Popplio and held a hand out. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you, really.”

Popplio gave him a wary, searching look, then brushed his hand with a flipper. With a friendlier bark than earlier, it jumped back into the water.

“Well, that was an odd little pokémon,” Drew remarked.

It figured that as soon as Drew’s hair had dried, it’d start to rain.

They’d recalled the pokémon and made it to a pokémon center before it started coming down too hard, at least. And a summer rain in a place like Alola wasn’t nearly as bad as the weather Drew had endured in Sinnoh.

And racing through the rain with Ash, who was laughing in exhilaration, made the experience more than bearable.

Now, Ash had left their room with the pokémon to grab food, but Drew just wanted to towel-dry his hair and sleep. The past couple days had been eventful. How Ash wasn’t more tired was beyond him—they were the same age and both had traveled for years, but somehow Ash’s energy was just boundless in a way Drew’s wasn’t.

But then, Ash hadn’t been kept awake last night by thoughts about his friend and feelings he shouldn’t act on, lest he screw up and end up hurting someone he cared about again.

Ash was cute and sweet and exactly Drew’s type and there was no escaping that, but Drew could keep his thoughts to himself. Ash didn’t seem too likely to pick up on it anyway.

Satisfied with his hair, Drew fell back onto the bed he’d claimed with a tired sigh. He would catch up with Ash in a minute.

He woke up to the sounds of Pikachu and Rockruff playing, and the feeling of a hand pressed against his forehead. “Ash? What’re you doing?”

“Are you okay?” Ash asked instead of answering.

“Yeah, just tired.” Drew sat up and stretched. “I haven’t been out long, have I?”

“No, don’t worry,” Ash said. “We just got back in here and we weren’t gone too long. I thought I’d ask if you wanted something to eat.”

Drew shook his head. “No, thanks.”

“Why, is something wrong?” Ash asked. “You didn’t get sick from the rain, did you?”

“A friend of mine always insisted that was a myth,” Drew said, even as his heart melted a little at Ash’s concern. “But really, I’m fine. Just tired.”

“Today has been an exciting day, hasn’t it?” Ash gave him a gentle smile. “If you want to go back to sleep, I won’t stop you. I’m pretty tired myself.”

“Thanks. Goodnight, Ash.”

“Goodnight, Drew.”

Chapter Text

It made sense for a volcanic area to be hot, but somehow Ash hadn’t expected it to be this hot. The heat was stifling. Pikachu drooped over Ash’s shoulder, while Roselia had been returned to her ball.

He didn’t know how Drew could stand it, being dressed the way he was. As they made their way to the summit, Drew was quiet—even quieter than usual—and Ash had to check to make sure he hadn’t quietly passed out from heat exhaustion.

Drew’s sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, his face was flushed, and his hair was damp with sweat, but when he noticed Ash looking at him he offered a weary smile. “I’m good, Ash. I can keep going like this all day.”

Looking at him, Ash wasn’t so sure about that. But at least they were almost to the top. As they made their way up, Ash noticed a small black pokémon watching them intently. It scurried off a moment later.

By the time they made it to the summit, Ash was well and truly exhausted. But the trial wasn’t over yet; he still had one last challenge to face—the totem pokémon was here somewhere.

He felt Drew nudge him. “Maybe we can rest a bit before it shows up.” He gestured to a rock large enough and flat enough to sit on.

“Yeah, good idea,” Ash agreed. Only to then feel hot breath on the back of his neck. He turned around and found himself face-to-face with a tall, lithe lizard pokémon. He took out his pokédex.

“Salazzle, the toxic lizard pokémon. A fire-and-poison-type, and the evolved form of salandit. Its poisonous gasses can be diluted to use in the production of perfumes.”

This had to be the totem pokémon. Putting his pokédex away, he reached for Rockruff’s poké ball and prepared for battle.

From the moderate comfort of his rock, Drew watched as Ash struggled against Totem Salazzle. Ash had been worn out from the climb before the battle even started—it turned out even his seemingly boundless energy had limits—and in the heat his pokémon were quickly losing steam themselves. Even spirited little Rockruff had only managed a few (effective, but still few) hits before she lost the strength to stand. Now Ash’s cutiefly was on the field.

Drew wiped sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. He was going to need a thorough shower after this to feel like a person again. Cutiefly took a hard hit—flame burst, it looked like—and Drew winced in sympathy. They were having a rough time.

Somehow, Ash and Cutiefly managed to push through, and Totem Salazzle went down and retreated. Drew felt a pang of worry when Ash showed none of his usual enthusiasm. After praising and recalling Cutiefly he just stood there, breathless and sweat-soaked.

Drew started toward him. “Ash? Are you okay?”

At that moment, Ash dropped.

“Ash!” Drew rushed to his side, grabbing his wrist and feeling for a pulse. He’d passed out—Drew quickly recognized his rapid pulse and cool, clammy skin as symptoms of heat exhaustion. Not good, but not terribly dangerous if Drew could get him somewhere cooler.

Realization set in. Drew was somehow going to have to get Ash back the way they came. “You have got to be kidding me.”

He noticed the firium Z on the ground and picked it up, wincing at how hot it was before putting it in his pocket; he’d have to remember to give that to Ash once Ash came to. For a moment, he debated on borrowing Ash’s hat to guard him from the sun until he could get them both out of here. He swiftly decided he needed all the help he could get and put it on, pulling the brim down low over his eyes.

Next was the hard part. Ash was bigger than Drew was, but somehow he managed to haul Ash up, trembling with effort. Man, he was so screwed. Pikachu hopped onto Drew’s shoulder, giving him a worried look.

“It’ll be fine,” Drew assured Ash’s partner. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

Pikachu still looked doubtful, and Drew couldn’t blame him. As they started what would be a long, arduous path down, Drew privately lamented leaving Masquerain back home with his moms. Ice beam would be useful right now.

But it wouldn’t do to dwell on that. He just had to press on and hope he wouldn’t pass out himself.

The path proved as arduous as Drew had expected, and for once he was profoundly relieved to see another person—a dark-skinned boy who looked close to his age, maybe a little older, and was not wearing a shirt. Drew tried not to think too much about that.

“Hey,” Drew said, and before he could figure out his next words, swallow his pride and choke out a plea for help, the guy looked at him and clearly figured out what was going on.

“Seems like you’re in a bind,” he said.

“Little bit.” The words came out breathlessly.

“Say no more.” The boy mercifully went to his side to help shoulder Ash’s weight. “Your friend here isn’t the first this has happened to.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” Drew knew heat—Hoenn had plenty of it. Yet these temperatures were brutal even for him.

The boy looked at him, at what he was wearing. Drew knew what it looked like when a person was mentally questioning his fashion choices, but this was not that—this guy was questioning his sanity.

“I’m from Hoenn,” he said. He liked to think people from his home region were built differently than most—built to withstand scorching heat and pouring rain, and how the two often combined into a stifling humidity.

After a moment of contemplation, the boy responded with a nod, like that was enough of an explanation.

They made their descent with little conversation passing between them—both focused on navigating the difficult terrain with Ash between them. Drew learned the boy’s name, Kiawe, and tried to commit it to memory in his gratitude.

By the time they parted ways, Ash was beginning to stir, and Drew silently thanked the heavens above for Kiawe.

Chapter Text

“Absol, use water pulse— gently.”

Ash was brought to wakefulness by a cool splash of water. He was in a grassy place, under the shade of a tree, with no memory of how he’d gotten there. Drew stood close by, Absol at one side and Roselia at the other. He was… wearing Ash’s hat? “Oh, now you decide to wake up.” There was something soft beneath the words. With a sigh, Drew ran a hand through Absol’s ruff. “Good work, Absol. Return.”

Ash managed to sit up, hearing an excited “Pikapi!” from beside him. He scratched between Pikachu’s ears. “I’m okay, buddy. What happened?”

“You fainted after your battle on that volcano,” Drew said. “I had to carry you here. Thanks for that, by the way.”

“Really?” Ash asked. “I mean, no offense, but how’d you manage that?”

“With difficulty,” Drew answered, slumping to the grass wearily. “And some help from a guy named Kiawe. We’re both lucky he was around.”

“Yeah, sure sounds like it.” Ash saw Drew flex a shoulder and wince. “Are you okay?”

“Don’t even think of worrying about me right now,” Drew answered. “I’ll be fine. Are you okay? You’re the one who passed out earlier.”

“I think so.”  He was still a little dazed and very thirsty, but otherwise he felt fine. “Are you wearing my hat?”

A look of realization crossed Drew’s face and Ash could’ve sworn he blushed. “Oh, right.” He quickly took it off and pulled an orange crystal out of his pocket, handing both over. “This is also yours.”

“Thanks, Drew.” Ash put his hat back on, instantly feeling more like himself, and put the firium Z into his Z ring. “You know, for the whole getting me down here thing. And for going up with me in the first place.”

If Drew hadn’t been blushing before, he definitely was now. “Don’t mention it.” He reached for his satchel and pulled out a thermos, handing it to Ash. “You need water. Drink.”

Ash looked at it. “Isn’t this yours?”

“I’m pretty sure you need it more than I do right now,” Drew replied.

“Well, you don’t have to tell me twice.” Ash drank what was left and handed it back. “Thanks again.”

Drew took it with a nod and put it away. For a while, they stayed put. They all could use a break before setting out again. Pikachu curled up on the grass beside Ash with a yawn and took a nap. At some point, Drew took out a map and started to look it over.

After a while, Pikachu’s ears twitched. He’d heard something. Ash listened. Rustling, coming from a nearby bush and getting closer.

He was wondering if he should warn Drew and prepare for a fight—did any of his pokémon have the energy to fight?—when the pokémon emerged. It was a popplio, maybe the one from before. Had it followed them this far?

“Hey little guy,” Ash said, which got Drew’s attention. 

Drew looked up from the map. “Is that the same popplio from the lake?”

The popplio barked an affirmative.

“Wow, did you come this far looking for us?” Ash asked.

Popplio nodded, holding out a flipper.

“Well, Ash,” Drew said, “I think maybe it’s decided it wants to come along. Might’ve been helpful a little earlier.”

“Be nice, Drew,” Ash chided him. “You want to be part of the team, Popplio?”

Popplio nodded vigorously. Ash held out a poké ball and Popplio pushed the button with his nose, disappearing inside.

Drew blinked. “... How does that keep happening?”

“What?”

“We’re three for three now in the time we’ve been traveling together,” Drew said. “Do you have some kind of friendship superpower, like some kind of anime protagonist?”

Ash looked at Drew, and realized with a jolt that he was making a joke. There was a bemused smile on his face and a gleam of humor in his eyes. Had Drew ever actually made a joke in the time they’d known each other? “Yeah, Drew,” Ash joked back. “Did I never tell you? Goku is my dad.”

Drew laughed— a genuine, unrestrained laugh . “I buy it, you look the part.” 

Ash was taken aback by the sound of Drew’s laugh—he was sure he’d never heard Drew laugh like that before. He was already more than warm, but this rush of warmth felt… different, and he was suddenly at a loss for words.

Drew cleared his throat. “There’s a pokémon center a little ways down the road. We should probably head there and call it a day when you’re ready. I need a shower.” He wrinkled his nose. “And so do you.”

Ash couldn’t argue with that. It had been hot, they’d both done a lot of sweating. “I’m ready when you are.”

“If you’re sure you’re not gonna pass out on me again,” Drew said lightly, standing up and stretching. He tucked his hands casually into his pockets, pushed-up sleeves falling back into place. “Let’s go.”

Ash stood up, Pikachu in his arms. Once Pikachu settled onto his shoulder, he easily fell into step with Drew and Roselia.

It wasn’t a long walk—maybe about ten minutes—but Drew kept casting worried glances at Ash the whole way. If he was trying to be stealthy about it, that wasn’t really working for him.

Once they arrived at the pokémon center and went through the routine of getting a room and leaving their pokémon to be checked up on by Nurse Joy, Drew made a beeline for the shower.

Ash, meanwhile, sat down on one of the beds to wait. After a while, he went to retrieve his and Drew’s pokémon.

When he went back to their room, Drew was sitting near where Ash himself had been a minute ago, hair damp and a towel draped over his shoulders. Ash sat beside him. “I picked up your pokémon for you.”

“Thanks.” Drew leaned closer to take them.

“You smell nice.” Ash wasn’t sure why he said it but it was true. The sharp scent of roses, something sweeter beneath, lingered on Drew’s skin and in his hair. Did he always smell like that? How had Ash never noticed?

“You don’t,” Drew replied bluntly. There was a faint flush on his face. “Please go shower.”

Ash looked at him curiously. “Well, okay.” He stood, grabbing a change of clothes, and cast a final look at Drew—who was absentmindedly petting Pikachu, expression unreadable—before heading to shower.

Once Ash had gone, Drew was left to mull over what happened.

You smell nice. Ash had actually said that, completely out of the blue. What was that about? Sure, Ash gave compliments all the time, but the things he complimented were usually more along the lines of battle strategies. Coming from him, something like you smell nice was… weird.

Not that Drew minded. It was cute. Which unfortunately brought his crush to the forefront of his mind again.

And that brought back the memory of when he’d been joking with Ash earlier. It had felt so easy, so comfortable, so right. Drew didn’t have many friendships like that. He couldn’t do anything to endanger it.

He stifled a yawn, the realization of how exhausted he was hitting like a lairon’s heavy slam attack. The sun hadn’t set that long ago, but the day had been long and brutal. Hopefully Ash would get out of the shower soon so they could have dinner and call it a night. If Drew fell asleep now, there would be no waking him.

But for now, he figured he could relax and enjoy the position he was in, Pikachu’s comforting weight and warmth curled up on his lap, soft fur with only the faintest buzz of static beneath his hands. It seemed Pikachu was enjoying the attention too. It was peaceful—and quiet.

He heard the shower cut off, and Pikachu’s ears pricked. A few moments later, Ash was back. He took one look at Drew and Pikachu and grinned. “You guys are getting along well, huh?”

“It sure seems like it,” Drew replied.

Pikachu lifted his head and squeaked a greeting to Ash. He quickly vacated Drew’s lap to leap onto his trainer’s shoulder. 

“Hey, little buddy.” Ash scratched between his partner pokémon’s ears before looking at Drew again. “You want to go eat? I’m starving.”

“Oh, absolutely.” He stood up and let Ash lead the way out.

There were few in the cafeteria, which meant they could let out all the pokémon—even Flygon, who Drew often had to feed separately outside. “You go ahead,” Drew told Ash. “I’ll take care of these guys.

“Thanks, Drew. I owe you one.” Ash grinned and strode off.

Smiling to himself, Drew got out the pokémon’s bowls and food. As he measured out the food for each, he caught sight of Roselia’s knowing smirk. “Don’t make fun of me.”

She trilled in amusement and he gave her an injured look.

Ash returned just as Drew was finishing up with the pokémon. Drew acknowledged him with a nod and went to get food for himself.

When he returned to the table, he noticed Ash looking at him, smiling a soft smile that seemed… different, somehow. What was he thinking? “What?” Drew asked.

“Nothing, just… thinking,” Ash replied.

“That’s a dangerous pastime,” Drew replied.

“You call that dangerous? We climbed a volcano today, Drew!” Ash said, laughing. “Speaking of, I… don’t really remember the battle, it’s all kinda fuzzy. Was it awesome?”

Drew’s heart melted at that boyish grin. “It was. You had a serious disadvantage, between the heat and having Cutiefly out against a fire-and-poison-type, but somehow you and the pokémon pushed through to win. Even if you passed out immediately after.”

Ash rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. “You mean all that?”

“‘Course I do,” Drew said lightly. “You know I only give praise I mean.”

“Thanks, Drew.” Ash looked genuinely touched, so touched that for a second Drew was afraid he might cry.

Before that could possibly happen, Drew changed the subject. “The next trial is pretty near here, isn’t it?”

“Yep!” Ash confirmed, grinning once more. “We could probably get there within a day or two, no problem.”

Drew felt a twinge of worry. “Already?”

“Yeah, we’re on a roll right now!” Ash said. “If you’re worried, don’t be. If we can handle that volcano, we can handle anything.”

Drew had half a mind to remind Ash how well he’d handled that volcano. “I’m not so sure…”

“Relax, Drew.” Determination was written across Ash’s face, sparking in his eyes like lightning, but his voice was surprisingly gentle. “It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

Drew had a feeling Ash wouldn’t back down. Drew’s moms and friends had always said he was stubborn, and it seemed he’d met his match on that front. Proposing a compromise might be the only way to halfway win this. “Okay, but how about you and I have a battle first? To make sure you’re up to it?” He offered a hand. “Deal?”

Ash took it. “Deal.”

Chapter Text

The next day, they set out bright and early. But there was something to do before they could travel further.

“Here looks like a good place for a battle,” Drew said. He flashed a cocky grin, reminding Ash of their Hoenn days. “That is, if you’re ready for it.”

“I was born ready,” Ash replied.

“So how about two-on-two?” Drew suggested. “A double battle seems like a good change of pace.”

Ash grinned, excitement setting in. “I like the sound of that.”

They took a few paces away from each other, clearing enough space for the battle to take place. When they faced each other again, Ash saw determination blazing in Drew’s gaze and felt that same determination flaring in himself.

“Pikachu and Cutiefly, I choose you!” he called, sending out Cutiefly as Pikachu leaped off his shoulder.

A pikipek landed on the grass a short distance away. Ash glanced over at it and saw it was watching them, its green gaze curious. He looked back at Drew in time to see him also looking at their new spectator. “Anyway,” Drew said, refocusing on the battle, “Roselia and Cherrim, let’s go!”

Roselia left Drew’s side to go into battle and a second later, his cherrim appeared beside her.

Using two grass-types seemed like a weird choice, especially against a bug-type like Ash’s cutiefly, but Drew was an experienced coordinator—he probably had something up his sleeve.

"The first move is yours," Drew said.

That was polite of him. "Pikachu, hit Roselia with quick attack! Cutiefly, use silver wind!"

As Pikachu made contact with Roselia, Drew smirked . "Cherrim, counter that silver wind with your razor leaf! Roselia, magical leaf while Pikachu's close!"

Both grass-types swiftly launched their attacks. Pikachu tried to leap away, but staggered, and was stricken by the full impact of Roselia's blow. Ash realized hitting Roselia directly was a mistake. Cherrim and Cutiefly's attacks collided in midair, but both hit their marks. They had weakened each other. That must've been what Drew was going for—a silver wind at full power would've done a lot of damage to a cherrim.

"Hang in there, Pikachu," Ash said. "Cutiefly, try another silver wind!"

"Petal dance, both of you!" Drew commanded. His pokémon sent out a flurry of petals simultaneously, moving as one. The silver wind passed through the petals to strike Drew's pokémon, seemingly harder this time. At the same time, the flurry of petals split in two with one half striking each of Ash's pokémon.

This wasn't going well, but Ash could turn it around. He'd have to do it fast, though; Pikachu was trembling from the effects of Roselia's poison point. "Hey, Drew?"

"What's up?" Drew asked. "Forfeiting already?"

"You wish!" Ash answered. "I just wanted to know if you'd mind me using a Z-move."

"Not at all," Drew said. "Go for it!"

Ash grinned. "Great! Pikachu, let's show him a breakneck blitz!" He did the movements Ilima had shown him and Pikachu was enveloped in a bright orange aura. Pikachu shot at Cherrim like a bullet of pure energy. Cherrim went down and didn't get back up.

Drew took out a poké ball. "Well done, Cherrim. You've earned some rest." As Cherrim was returned to the safety of its ball, Drew looked at Roselia. "Let's try and even the score, eh? Solar beam!"

Roselia was quick to oblige. She raised her roses to the sky, a bundle of light gathering in front of them, before firing it at Cutiefly. Much like Cherrim, Cutiefly didn't get up again.

"You did great, Cutiefly. Get some rest." Ash returned his wounded pokémon. "Looks like it's one-on-one now. Iron tail, Pikachu!"

Despite his fatigue, Pikachu rushed Roselia, his tail stiffening and turning silver. He struck her with it and she was knocked back a couple feet, though she quickly regained her balance.

"Roselia, use petal dance."

"Pikachu, thunderbolt!"

Countless petals streamed from Roselia's roses and surrounded her and Pikachu. A flash of electricity illuminated them. When the petals cleared, both pokémon were panting. Electricity crackled across Roselia's body. The two still looked willing to keep fighting.

"Quick attack!"

"Magical leaf!"

Pikachu charged through the barrage of leaves to strike Roselia, at which point both finally gave into their exhaustion.

Ash looked at Drew. "Would you call that a draw?"

"I'd say so," Drew answered with a decisive nod. As both went to their tired partners, Drew pulled a potion and an antidote out of his bag and tossed them at Ash. Ash caught them and flashed a grateful look at Drew, who had already taken out a potion and paralyze heal for his roselia.

Ash sprayed his partner with the medicine. "Better?"

"Pika!" Pikachu replied, leaping onto Ash's shoulder and nuzzling his cheek.

Ash looked over at Drew and Roselia. Roselia had already made a swift recovery and trilled in response to something Drew said to her. Ash grinned at the two of them. "That was an amazing battle."

"Yeah," Drew agreed. "I haven't had a battle like that since Sinnoh."

"You ready to get moving again?" Ash asked, standing up.

Drew followed suit. "Ready when you are."

The pikipek from before suddenly flew over to them, chirping enthusiastically. "You enjoyed our battle too, huh?" Ash said.

It nodded and chirped some more.

"Do you think it wants a battle?" Drew asked.

Ash looked at the pikipek. "Do you?"

The little bird pokémon nodded vigorously before fluttering closer to Ash and tapping a poké ball with its beak.

"Alright, I'm down for it," Ash said.

Drew looked at the two with an amused expression. "I guess it'll be a while longer before we set off again after all. This should be entertaining." He stepped aside, casually leaning against a tree.

"Rockruff, I choose you!" Ash called as he sent Rockruff into battle. It was only fair she get some action today.

The pikipek chirped delightedly.

Ash's battle against the wild pikipek lasted slightly longer than Drew had expected. It was clearly a young and inexperienced pokémon, but it must have been a spirited one. Once the battle was over, it looked at Ash with eyes that almost looked pleading.

Ash seemed to understand what it wanted. He threw a poké ball and it went in eagerly, the ball only rocking once before it stopped. Ash picked it up.

"Looks like you have a new team member," Drew said. "Congrats."

"Yeah!" Ash grinned. "Pikipek is going to be great, I know it!"

He already had so much faith in the pokémon he'd just caught. How sweet. What a great guy.

"What was that, Drew?"

Drew realized that Ash was looking at him. "Huh?" Had he said what he was thinking out loud ? He looked to Roselia for an answer and found her hiding a giggle behind her roses. So he definitely had.

"You said something," Ash told him. "I didn't hear you."

"Oh, nothing important." Relief swept over him. "Just talking to myself." He knew what a terrible explanation that was before the words left his mouth. Why was he being such an idiot all of a sudden?

Oh. He knew why. He'd been an idiot around May too.

Regardless, Ash accepted the explanation. "Okay. So, to Lush Jungle?"

"Ready when you are," Drew said.

Ash grinned. "Great! Let's go!" He broke into a run.

Drew looked at Roselia and sighed, somewhere between fondness and exasperation. "What am I going to do with him?"

"Rose-li," she replied.

"I guess I'd better catch up with him." Drew returned Roselia to her ball so she wouldn't have to run with him, then took off. "Hey, Ash, wait up!"

Adrenaline surged through his body, giving him the boost he needed to keep up with Ash's longer strides. The ground gradually sloped up as the path curved, and Drew realized he could see a forest ahead. They were almost there.

Eventually, they both slowed to a halt. Ash flopped onto the grass, looking up at the sky.

"This is why you pace yourself," Drew quipped as he sat beside his friend.

"Don't pretend you aren't tired," Ash said pleasantly. "A break isn't gonna hurt when we're right in front of the trial site."

"Fair enough," Drew conceded. He really didn't mind resting for a bit. He was a bit tired, and the warm sun and gentle breeze felt nice. "You're not going to pass out on me after this one, are you?"

Ash sat up to punch Drew's arm.

"Okay, that's fair," Drew said.

Ash studied Drew, a look of realization dawning on his face, then said, "I know what's going on."

Okay, that was alarming, and it was made worse by the knowledge that Ash could probably see the panic on Drew's face.

Then he broke into that boyish grin Drew had come to accept he'd fallen for. "You're worried about me."

Drew tried not to look too relieved. "Right," he said. "Something like that."

"Well, don't be." Ash slung an arm over Drew's shoulders and his heart skipped a beat. Ash had no idea what he was doing to him. "Everything's gonna be fine. Relax."

Ash dropped onto his back again, his time pulling Drew down with him, and Drew had to stifle a yelp of surprise. It registered with him that he was lying beside Ash, mere inches apart. His heart was racing. He tried willing himself to calm down. It was just Ash, his friend, whom he happened to have feelings for. No big deal.

"Drew?" Ash's voice jerked Drew out of his thoughts. "Are you okay? You're shaking and you look kind of red."

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Drew answered, fumbling for some explanation other than that he was having what his last boyfriend would teasingly call a bisexual disaster moment. He shook his head to dismiss that thought.

"You sure you're not sick or anything?" Ash was looking at Drew with such intense and genuine concern that Drew almost felt guilty for making him worry.

"I'm fine, really," Drew assured him. "It's just hot out here is all." That was admittedly a weak excuse, but hopefully Ash trusted him enough to believe it.

Ash gently pressed his palm against Drew's cheek. "You do feel really warm, but if you're sure you're okay--"

"I am," Drew insisted. This was the single most mortifying experience of his entire life and he wanted nothing more than for it to be over.

"Then I guess we can keep going." Ash stood and Drew followed suit. He let out Roselia again and she smirked at him like she knew exactly what had just transpired.

Soon enough, the awkwardness passed. Ash seemed focused on the trial he was about to face more than anything else. "Since the trial is in a forest, the totem must be a grass-type," he said. "Cutiefly and Pikipek can handle that."

"It could be a bug-type," Drew pointed out.

"We'd have no trouble finding it in that case," Ash said cheerfully, ruffling Drew's hair, "with how bug-types are drawn to you."

Drew sighed as he attempted to fix his hair. "I told you to stop doing that."

"Sorry," Ash said, grinning sheepishly. He seemed to notice something a ways away and nudged Drew. "Hey, look over there."

Drew looked where Ash was looking and saw a green-haired girl probably a couple years younger than they were. He raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Is she a relative of yours?" Ash asked.

"I doubt it," Drew answered. "Not all people with green hair are related, you know."

"But she could be?"

"I don't know, Ash," Drew said. "I don't track my entire family tree."

"We should talk to her," Ash said, but she was already approaching them.

"Is that a roselia?" was the first thing she said. She knelt in front of Roselia. "We don't see a lot of these around here. Aren't you pretty?"

"Roselii," Roselia trilled. She liked this girl already, it seemed.

Drew couldn't help being pleased by the compliment himself. "Roselia is a beautiful pokémon, and I worked hard to raise her as well as possible."

The girl stood to face Drew. "You must be proud."

"Believe me, he is," Ash said. "Maybe a little too much. But he does a really good job raising all his pokémon and he's a great coordinator. He even won at a Grand Festival!"

Drew had to try very hard not to blush at that. He knew his strengths and had heard plenty of praise for them, but hearing Ash praise him so enthusiastically to a stranger affected him in a way he did not anticipate.

"A coordinator, huh?" She studied him curiously. "What brings you to Alola? I don't see a Z-ring on you, so it must not be the Island Challenge."

Drew wasn't sure how to answer that without saying more than he would like to. As he was struggling for an answer, she looked at Ash. "Oh, you have one!" She looked back at Drew. "So you're supporting your boyfriend!"

Oh, not again. "He's not my boyfriend," Drew said, trying very hard to keep his voice level, "I just came here for a change of scenery."

"Yeah, Drew's cool, but we're just friends," Ash said.

"Oh, I guess I shouldn't have assumed," she said. "You two must be really good friends. Anyway, I'm Mallow. I take it you're here for the trial?"

Ash nodded. "That's right!"

"Well, I guess I should warn you, it's a tough one," Mallow said. "A lot of people have struggled with it."

That only seemed to fire Ash up more. "Nothing we can't handle, right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

Drew had to admire how unshakable Ash was. Pikachu, too. Those two seemed to believe they could take on anything.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Mallow said. Then, more cheerfully, "Look for a big mushroom, an oran berry, and a white herb. Good luck!"

They parted ways, and the boys and their pokémon headed for the forest.

Chapter Text

Lush Jungle was every bit as wild and green as its name suggested. Dappled sunlight filtered through a canopy way above, and the air was filled with the rustling of leaves and the voices of pokémon. It wasn’t cold by any means despite the shade, but Ash could see Drew shivering slightly. "You good?"

"We're being watched," Drew said, which was a weird answer.

"It's probably just a wild pokémon that got curious," Ash assured him.

Drew didn't seem entirely convinced, but he nodded. "Yeah, probably. Maybe."

Ash went over the list in his head—big mushroom, oran berry, white herb. He glanced around and spotted a patch of red and white mushrooms. "Look, Drew!"

"That's awfully convenient," Drew said, eyes narrowing in suspicion, "but I wouldn't touch those if I were you. They look like they could be poisonous."

"Do you think Roselia would be able to touch them?" Ash asked.

Drew seemed to consider. "She's a poison-type, so poison wouldn't hurt her, but…" He looked at his partner. "Would you mind?"

Roselia smiled at her trainer and shook her head, approaching the mushrooms and carefully picking one up.

"Thanks, Roselia," Ash said. "I owe you one."

"Rose," she said, giving Drew a look he seemed to understand more than Ash did.

"Yeah, thanks," Drew said. He seemed to relax a bit and looked at Ash. "Well, that's that. Onward?"

"Let's go," Ash said, and they started off again. An oran berry bush shouldn't be hard to find; they were common just about everywhere. He looked around, hoping to spot the right bush.

"Watch out," Drew said just as Ash tripped over a root. "Oh. Too late," he added when Ash hit the ground. He held out a hand, which Ash accepted, and pulled him to his feet.

"You could've warned me a little earlier," Ash said, "but thanks for the hand there."

Drew looked away with sudden shyness. "Don't mention it. Just try to watch where you're going, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll try."

They continued until they finally came across oran berries. Pikachu bounded over to the bush and plucked a berry off of it.

"Great, Pikachu." So all they needed now was a white herb.

"Over there," Drew pointed out.

Ash suddenly realized something. "Uh, Drew? How long have we been holding hands?"

Drew looked down at their hands, still clasped together, and went red. "Oh." He let go. "My bad."

"Don't sweat it," Ash said. He didn't understand why Drew was getting so flustered over nothing, but that was Drew; always a mystery. Ash went to the white herb patch Drew had spotted to pick one up.

"Hey, Ash?" Drew spoke up. "Remember how I said we were being watched?"

That did not sound like it was leading to anything good.

"You might want to turn around."

Ash turned around, leaping back in surprise at the sight of a pink bug pokémon close to his height with piercing red eyes. He collided with Drew, who stumbled and grabbed Ash's arm for balance. Drew released Ash's arm and gave a short, nervous laugh.

Realizing a response would only make things more awkward, Ash took out his pokédex to scan the pokémon.

"Lurantis, the bloom sickle pokémon. A grass-type pokémon, and the evolved form of fomantis. It fires beams from its sickle-shaped petals. These beams are powerful enough to cleave through thick metal plates."

"Holy jeez," Drew said. "Talk about overkill."

"We'd better watch out for that," Ash said. "Pikipek, I choose you!"

Pikipek burst out of the ball, feathers sparkling, and chirped eagerly. She didn't look remotely intimidated by the much larger pokémon she was up against and her eyes gleamed with determination.

"Use peck!"

Quick as a flash, she flew at the lurantis and struck it with her sharp beak. Totem Lurantis reacted with a fierce blow from one of its arms that knocked her flying. She landed at Ash's feet and made an attempt to get up, but collapsed again.

"It's okay," Ash soothed, kneeling to stroke her head before taking out her poké ball. "You did your best. Return."

Once Pikipek disappeared into the safety of her ball, Ash stood. Even if she was young and inexperienced, Pikipek going down in one hit was a surprise. This was going to be harder than he had thought.

He had to consider his next move for a second. Against a grass-type, Cutiefly would probably be his best bet. "Cutiefly, your turn!"

Cutiefly emerged from the ball and gave a fierce little buzz as he faced down his opponent.

"Let's try silver wind!" Ash said.

Cutiefly's little wings started fluttering harder as he summoned a flurry of silver scales that went straight for the lurantis. It recoiled from the attack, but steadied itself and raised its arms to the sky, gathering sunlight from an opening in the canopy above. Then, the ball of light it gathered turned into a blade that struck Cutiefly from above.

Cutiefly hit the ground hard. Still, he got up again, tiny body quivering. That one attack had done a lot of damage, but Cutiefly wasn't giving up yet.

Just as Ash opened his mouth to give a command, Cutiefly started to glow. Cutiefly's body didn't get much bigger, but he changed shape, becoming more upright and gaining a brown scarf. Ash scanned his newly evolved pokémon with his Pokédex.

"Ribombee, the bee fly pokémon. A bug-and-fairy-type pokémon, and the evolved form of cutiefly. It rolls its pollen into puffs, some of which are used for food and some in battle."

"Way to go, Cutiefly—Ribombee now," Ash corrected himself. "Now that you've evolved, hit 'em with your silver wind again!"

Ribombee nodded and flapped its wings. The attack hit even harder this time, knocking Totem Lurantis off its feet. It struggled to its feet, then prepared its solar blade attack again.

Ash knew what was coming this time. "Ribombee, get ready to dodge and use fairy wind!"

When the blade crashed down, Ribombee swiftly evaded it and flapped his wings, sending a sparkling pink powder at the lurantis. It staggered, but righted itself and lashed out at Ribombee.

The attack hit its mark, but Ribombee wasn't giving up. Lurantis, on the other hand, was clearly starting to tire.

"We've almost finished it," Ash said. "Let's try another silver wind!"

Ribombee eagerly used the attack. It seemed like it hit even harder this time than the last, and Totem Lurantis was sent sprawling.  Despite being battered and exhausted, it got up once more. It stepped into one of the sunnier spots and glowed.

Synthesis. That wasn't good.

It hit Ribombee hard and he finally went down.

"You were amazing, Ribombee," Ash said. "Get some rest."

This wasn't a great situation, but Ash wasn't about to back down. He looked at Pikachu. "You ready to give it a go?"

Pikachu nodded.

Drew winced in sympathy as Totem Lurantis yet again stepped into the sun and healed itself. Ash and Pikachu both looked so tired. Still, they were hanging in there.

Ash's eyes suddenly lit up. "I know what we need to do. Pikachu, whatever you do, keep it in the shade."

Pikachu seemed to understand. "Pika," he said fiercely.

Drew realized what Ash was going for--if it couldn't get into a sunny enough spot, it couldn't heal or charge its solar blade attack. That was clever of him.

Totem Lurantis wasn't completely defenseless even without sunlight, but it seemed to make the fight a lot easier. When Pikachu finally gave out, Ash brought in Rockruff and she landed the final blow--a thunder fang that left electricity crackling off of Lurantis's body when it collapsed.

The first expression to cross Ash's face was relief. The second was delight. "We did it!"

"You sure did," Drew said. "Well done. Your idea to keep Lurantis out of the sun was… really good thinking."

Drew hadn't thought it was possible, but Ash lit up even more. "Thanks, Drew!" He turned to Rockruff. "You were awesome, return."

Totem Lurantis suddenly rose up. Drew tensed, anticipating another fight that wouldn't end as well, but there was no sign of hostility in the powerful pokémon's expression. It stood face to face with Ash, as if studying him, then whirled around and vanished into the trees. A green crystal remained where it had stood.

Ash stayed where he was for a moment, seemingly processing what had transpired, before he picked up the Z-crystal and flashed a grin in Drew's direction. "Let's get out of here."

By the time they found their way out of Lush Jungle, the sun was setting and clouds warned that it might rain, so they checked into a nearby motel for the night. It wasn't the nicest place, but it would do. There weren't any major issues… except that there was only one bed.

"You're not sleeping on the floor this time," Ash said.

"But—"

"No," Ash said stubbornly. "The bed is big enough for both of us. I don't have cooties, Drew."

"Fine." Drew didn't feel like arguing about something so minor anyway. It was just one night, then they would move on and he could pretend it hadn't happened. Anyway, he had other matters to attend to; Roselia needed grooming. He took a spray bottle out of his bag and filled it with water from the sink. Fortunately, despite being a cheap motel, the water looked clean . He pulled out a kerchief.

Roselia stayed still while he gently cleaned her face and body. To his relief, she didn't seem like she was going to tease him about tonight's situation. He felt a thorn prick the heel of his hand and cursed under his breath.

"You okay?" Ash asked. He had been getting bowls out to feed their pokémon, but now was looking over at Drew with a concerned expression.

"Just pricked myself on a thorn," Drew said.

That seemed to worry Ash even more. "But doesn't your roselia have poison point?" Already, he was digging through his bag for an antidote.

"Ash, I have been getting pricked by the thorns of this particular roselia for like a decade. I'm pretty much immune." He winced. "It still hurts, though, I'll admit that."

"Oh," Ash said. "So you're good?"

"Yep," Drew confirmed. He resumed the task at hand. Roselia held out one of her roses for him to spritz, then the other, and they were done. He stroked her head with his uninjured hand, being more mindful of those thorns.

"Rose," she said contentedly.

Drew stood and stifled a yawn. If he was tired, Ash had to be exhausted, but he seemed just as lively as ever. He was feeding the pokémon, pausing to give each of them a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears, that adorable smile on his adorable face.

Drew shook his head. He really needed to stop thinking things like that. Sure, Ash was cute, but he was a friend and nothing was going to happen between them. Nothing could happen between them, not after last time.

Chapter Text

Drew had only been in Sinnoh for a week when he met Gary. He was being mobbed by fans and desperate to get away when he heard someone shout, “Is that Gary Oak, Professor Oak’s handsome, charismatic grandson who published that brilliant research paper on umbreon behavior?”

The crowd had been distracted long enough for Drew to lock eyes—green on green—with a very handsome boy who promptly mouthed, “Run!”

Drew had wasted no time turning tail and running for the pokémon center, where he could hide in a room nobody else had the key to for a couple hours. Once the panic had faded, he realized exactly what had happened. That description had been oddly specific and aggrandizing.

Drew was too focused on coordinating to pay much attention to researchers beyond how their discoveries could aid in his art, he had no idea the esteemed Gary Oak was his age. It was a shame he’d never get a chance to thank the guy.

Or so he’d thought. Then he’d braved the city to visit an out-of-the-way little café—intending to order something warm and low in caffeine to settle the remnants of his nerves—and as he was nursing his green tea in the corner, someone approached his table. Chest tightening with dread for round two, he’d looked up… and seen none other than the boy from earlier, apparently Gary Oak.

“Holy shit, dude,” Gary had said, sounding so unlike the sophisticated young researcher Drew expected that he’d second-guessed himself about who this guy was. “You okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Drew had replied curtly, guard still up.

“You looked at me like you were expecting an attack.” Gary’s eyes had sparkled with amusement, but there was concern in them too. “And I saw how uncomfortable you looked earlier. Just wanted to see how you’re holding up now.”

“I’m fine,” Drew had assured him. “That stuff’s been happening to me since I was ten, I’m used to it.”

“Wow, Mr. Celebrity here.” Gary had sat down in the seat across from him with a smile. “Can’t say I blame ‘em, you’re a looker now that you’re not scared half to death.”

Drew hadn’t had the slightest idea how to respond to that—whether to protest being accused of being that scared, give some kind of acknowledgment to what sounded a lot like flirting, or discreetly pull out his phone and search if Gary Oak was gay to be sure that was flirting—so he just moved past it. “I want to repay you for earlier. Can I buy you a coffee?”

Gary had lit up like a Christmas tree. “I never say no to free coffee.”

And so Drew had bought him his coffee, and they’d sat together again and talked. For so long that Drew had lost track of time and done none of the training he’d planned to do before sunset. And when he’d said as much, Gary had laughed. “I was like you once. One day you’ll learn there’s other stuff just as important as your training schedule, maybe even more.”

“Shut up, you’re a month older than me,” Drew had said, prompting Gary to laugh again.

Gary had given Drew his jacket on the way out, saying, “I’m used to the cold and I know you’re not, Hoenn boy.”

From there, their paths had crossed again and again, Gary had kept flirting and Drew found himself responding in kind, and within a month Gary had forwardly asked Drew to be his boyfriend. Drew had accepted. 

They’d tried keeping it under wraps—even as they spent more time together and, thanks to their pokémon also spending more time together, Drew ended up with a young growlithe (named Ichi for his place in the litter) added to his team. But one day someone spotted them holding hands at some hole in the wall restaurant they’d both thought they wouldn’t be seen at, and the odd researcher-coordinator couple was in the tabloids.

Drew had always hated his love life being the subject of public gossip, even as Gary had tried to put a positive spin on it—pointing out at least they didn’t have to hide their relationship anymore.

But despite how often Gary seemed to let things roll off his back like water off a psyduck, Drew had learned with time there were things that haunted him. Personal failures, incidents from years before Drew had known him, and the pressure of coming from not only the most esteemed family in Kanto, but one that was a household name around the world.

“My grandpa always tells me he’ll be proud of me no matter what,” Gary had said once. “But I want to deserve it.”

Gary hid a lot of things beneath that confident, outgoing facade of his. He worked too hard, always trying to prove his worth to people who had already decided how they felt about him—whether they loved him, hated him, or envied him.

They had more in common than Drew had realized at first. But maybe that wasn’t a good thing.

At some point, their back-and-forth banter had started to toe a line between playful and genuinely adversarial, inching further and further into the latter as they brought out the worst in each other. Drew had stopped feigning irritation and started genuinely feeling it, snapping at Gary over remarks he would’ve laughed off a couple months earlier.

It had gotten harder to laugh anything off the worse his performance in Sinnoh got.

Every time he’d called his moms, they seemed worried, like they could see the decline and knew something had to be causing it. Unable to bear the way they looked at him, he’d stopped calling. He’d stopped talking to his friends and rivals outside the contest hall. Gary could tell something was wrong with him too, so he’d started avoiding Gary, knowing his stubborn, nosy boyfriend (he’d once called Gary those things affectionately, but the words felt less affectionate now) wouldn’t give up trying to get an explanation out of him.

But Drew hadn’t even felt like he knew, really. All he’d really known was that he was tired, but avoiding anyone’s company left nothing to do but throw himself into training.

Drew waited at the secluded spot he’d asked Gary to meet him, heart heavy. He had to remind himself this would be best for both of them.

Finally, Gary arrived. He flashed a grin and went to greet Drew with a kiss, but Drew pushed him away.

“Shrub?” There was levity in the nickname, but Gary was smart, and it was clear in his voice that he knew something was up. “What’s going on?”

Drew had to take a deep, shuddering breath to prepare himself for what he was about to say. This was going to hurt.

“Come on, out with it,” Gary urged, clearly trying to keep his tone light, but unable to stop the edge of worry creeping into his voice. “I know something’s been bugging you. You haven’t even talked to me in days, I know you asked me to come see you now for a reason. Are you gonna tell me what it is?”

“Gare…” Drew found the words catching in his throat. His boyfriend’s dark green gaze was brimming with concern. Beneath his sharp tongue and rough edges and playfully flirtatious manner, Gary’s love was genuine. His heart was kinder than anyone would’ve imagined at a glance. And now Drew was going to break it. “This isn’t working.”

“What?” Gary tilted his head, confusion clouding his gaze and drawing his eyebrows together. It was a rare look to see on his face, and it was a cute one. But Drew couldn’t think about that now. “What’s not working? Yeah, you haven’t made it past the first round in weeks, but you can still turn it around.”

Drew shook his head, frustrated. “Not that, this! Us.”

Gary flinched like he’d been struck. Hurt joined the confusion on his face. “You can’t mean that. What’d I do?”

Drew sighed. “I do,” he said. “But it’s not your fault. It’s me.”

“That’s what they all say,” Gary replied bitterly. “What is it really? Is there someone else?”

“No!”

“Is it because all the tabloids say spending time with a failed trainer is holding you back?”

“Of course not!” Drew hadn’t even known anyone was saying that, and he felt a fresh surge of anger. If anything, he was holding Gary back.

“Then why?” Gary demanded. “What did I do wrong?”

“Gary, please.” Drew willed him to understand. “It’s not your fault. You deserve someone who makes you happy, and let’s be honest. I haven’t made anyone happy in a long time, especially not you.”

Gary opened his mouth as if to argue, then shut it again. His gaze wavered, and he looked away. Drew knew him well enough to know why he did that, and the realization that Gary didn’t want Drew to see him cry stung more than it should have. “So that’s it? You’re breaking up with me, giving up on us, because you don’t think you’re good enough?”

Trust Gary to be sharp enough to cut to the core of the problem. But Drew didn’t let his resolve falter. This was the surest he’d felt of anything in months—possibly in all the time he had been in Sinnoh. “That’s… that’s the gist of it, yeah.”

Gary still didn’t look at him, didn’t show any sign of reacting to that answer.

“Gare, you’re a great guy,” Drew said, aching to soften the blow. “You’ll be okay.”

Gary didn’t acknowledge the words. Instead, he turned around and walked away. “Goodbye, Drew.”

Ash wasn't sure what had happened to Drew and he didn't think he should ask. At some point Drew had just spaced out, and even when they went to bed, Ash got the impression something was on his friend's mind.

Drew had settled nearly on the edge of the bed, like he wanted to keep as much space between himself and Ash as possible. That stung a little (though Ash realized he had no idea why it stung at all), but he told himself it probably wasn't anything personal; Drew was just like that.

Ash respected it, staying as close as he could to the edge on his side. Pikachu seemed content to curl up in the space between them.

"Hey, Drew?" Ash said. "You still awake?"

He heard Drew sigh. "Unfortunately. What's up?"

"I just wanted to know what you might be thinking about," Ash said.

"You want the truth?" Drew asked.

Ash nodded, before realizing that Drew was facing away from him and couldn't see him. "Yeah, I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t."

There was a long pause before Drew answered. “Back in Sinnoh, I…hurt someone. I was going through something, and I didn’t mean to hurt him, but that doesn’t change that I did.”

Ash had no idea what to make of that confession. Why was Drew telling him this now? Whatever the reason, it seemed like he needed reassurance. “Drew, you’re not your past. One of my friends used to go out of his way to pick on me all the time, but he’s not like that anymore. One day he told me he was sorry for, in his words, ‘being a stupid kid and taking my insecurities out on you,’ and you know what? I forgave him. He’s a great guy now, he found what he wanted to do and he seems really happy.”

Drew didn’t respond at first. Then, quietly, he said, “I might do it again.”

“Yeah, probably,” Ash said. “You’re not perfect. We all mess up sometimes. You’ve just gotta keep trying to be better.”

Drew sighed. “I guess you’re right.”

“Yeah, I am,” Ash said lightly. “Feeling guilty doesn’t help anyone unless you do something about it. You can forgive yourself.”

Drew rolled over just to look at Ash in surprise. “When did you get so insightful?”

“You know me,” Ash said with a wink. “Always full of surprises.”

“That’s for sure.” With another sigh, Drew faced away from Ash again. “Goodnight, Ash.”

"Goodnight, Drew."

Drew yelped in surprise before hitting the floor, where he landed in an undignified heap. Maybe positioning himself on the very edge of the bed wasn't the best idea.

Pikachu looked at him from on top of the bed, one ear pricked curiously. "Chu?"

Drew sat up, blinking, and tried to shake off the daze that came with being woken so unceremoniously. "I'm fine," he assured the pikachu. He checked the clock—four-thirty, it said—and groaned. Too early to be awake, but too late to go back to bed. Still lamenting the loss of sleep, he stood and stretched.

At least he hadn't woken Ash; his friend was still sleeping soundly, chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm as he breathed. For a moment Drew was tempted to lie beside him and close his eyes, to hide from the morning a while longer, but he pushed aside the thought. He absolutely could not do that, no matter how nice it would be to feel Ash's warmth and hear the beat of his heart.

Instead, he went to the nightstand and used the pen and notepad there to quickly write a note, in case Ash woke up before he got back.

Went out for training. Should be back soon, but feel free to come find me if needed. -Drew

That done, he stepped outside. Though he had come to enjoy sparring with Ash, solo training would work as well to clear his head as it always had. The ground was wet from last night's rain shower, but it wasn't raining anymore and only a few clouds remained in a still starry sky. It was a full moon, which explained a lot, and also provided enough light that Drew would be able to see.

All was quiet. Drew walked far enough away from the motel that he wouldn't risk waking anyone, then let out Flygon. His old friend hadn't seen much action recently and would definitely be glad for a chance to stretch his wings.

"Alright, Flygon, let's kick off with a sandstorm."

Flygon complied and with a few rapid flaps of his wings, sand was soon swirling around pokémon and coordinator. Drew felt it graze his skin and was almost comforted by the familiarity of the sensation. So much pain had gone into raising this pokémon—he could still remember how much it hurt being bitten when Flygon was a trapinch; he'd had bandages up to his elbows for ages, and pale scars still marked all the places he had been bitten. All that pain had been worth it, though.

"Now use steel wing."

Flygon's wings shone silver as he used them to cleave through the sand until the air was clear once more.

"Beautiful," Drew praised his pokémon. "Let's see your flamethrower!"

Flygon lifted his head and eagerly fired a jet of flame to the sky. It was so bright, Drew guessed it would be visible a mile away.

"Well done," Drew said. "We've still got it."

Flygon headbutted his shoulder affectionately, but with just enough force that Drew had no trouble keeping his balance—an interaction they had perfected over the years.

"The sky is clear here," Drew noted. "You want to go for a little flight? Go ahead."

Flygon's eyes lit up. He launched himself into the sky, a green blur, and for a few moments Drew just watched, pride and affection warming his heart. Then he turned his thoughts back to training.

Oricorio was the newest and least experienced team member; to catch up, she would need one-on-one training and practice working with the rest of his team. He sent her out, then after a moment of thought, sent Roselia out as well.

The rising sun had begun to turn the sky shades of pink and blue as Drew recalled Oricorio. Roselia had joined in the training session for a while before returning to him to watch from the sidelines, and she trilled in pleasure as she felt the sun's rays. Flygon still soared above, clearly enjoying himself.

Finally, Drew let himself relax. Despite being on a hiatus from contests, he and his team were still sharp as ever and improving. They would be ready when the time came to get back into it.

Roselia nudged him. "Rose," she said, gesturing the way they had come from. He looked that way and saw Ash charging toward them. He stopped just short of Drew and flashed that boyish grin of his.

"You're up early," Drew observed, casually taking a step back.

"So are you," Ash pointed out. "Anyway, when I woke up Pikachu showed me the note you left—" he paused to rub his partner's head “—and so we came looking for you. How's it going?"

"Really well," Drew said. Flygon landed beside him, and he recalled the tired dragon before looking back at Ash. "Care to join in?"

"You know it!" Ash said, his warm brown eyes lighting up. "Pikachu, are you up for it?"

"Pika!" Pikachu's cheeks sparked in anticipation.

Drew walked a few paces away before turning to face Ash again, then reached for the poké ball that contained his absol. "Okay, ready?"

Ash looked at Drew with fierce determination. "I was born ready."

"We'll see about that," Drew quipped. "Absol, show him what you're made of!"

Chapter Text

On the long journey back to Heahea City, Ash and Drew stopped at a pokémon center for a rest and, at Drew's reminding, to call their moms.

Ash's mom was as nice and as worried as ever, and she was thrilled to meet another of Ash's friends. She'd given him a reminder to change his you-know-whats that Drew was obviously confused about, but Ash didn't really want to explain to him.

Ash was dying to know what Drew's moms were like, considering everything about Drew, so stood beside him while he dialed the number. A moment later, a woman with long brown hair and moon-gray eyes appeared on the screen. "Drew!" she said, clearly delighted to see him. "Good morning—or is it evening over in Alola?"

 "It's evening here," Drew said. "How're things going in the shop? Ichi hasn't burned the place down, has he?"

 "Business as usual here, and your good boy has been a perfect gentleman," Drew's mom said. "We’d make him our second mascot if Sylvie would ever forgive us. But how are things for you? You look well. Oh, and it looks like you have a friend!"

 Ash took that as his cue. "He does! I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town."

 She seemed to consider him for a second. "Oh, I know who you are! You're the boy who helped save LaRousse five years ago!"

 Drew looked at Ash incredulously. "That was you?"

 "I guess I was, huh?" Ash said. "Yeah, that happened."

 "Okay, we are going to have to talk about that later, because you just raised so many questions," Drew said, before looking back at his mom. "Anyway, everything's going fine. I've added a new pokémon to my team, and I think she has a lot of potential. You’ll love her—she’s an oricorio, those bird pokémon that take different forms depending on the flowers they drink nectar from."

 "Oh, I’m excited to meet your new little friend now," she said. "Haven't fallen off of anything lately?" She smirked playfully as she said it, and suddenly Ash saw the resemblance between the two.

 "Mom!" Drew protested sharply.

 "Okay, so you definitely have," she said. "You weren't hurt, were you?"

 Drew shook his head. "It was just a ledge. I'm fine."

 She looked relieved. "Good. Cecile and I worry about you, you know."

 "I know," Drew said softly. "Tell her I said hi."

 "I will," she said. "She'll be glad to hear our petit chou is still alive out there. I'd better get going, though. Those flowers aren't going to sell themselves, you know." Her expression softened. "Take care, darling. I love you."

 "Love you too," Drew murmured. "Bye."

 After he hung up, he looked at Ash.

 "She seems nice," Ash said.

 Drew nodded. "Yeah. And her cooking is the best," he added with a touch of wistfulness. "Maybe you could come by sometime." As soon as he'd said it, his eyes widened and he went red. "I mean—"

 "I'd like that," Ash said.

Chapter Text

The trip to Heahea City passed by uneventfully. They wove through the city's crowded streets, sticking close together, and soon were standing at the entrance to Diglett's Tunnel.

"It looks pretty dark in there," Drew said.

Ash looked at him. "Are you scared or something?"

"Not at all," Drew answered. "In fact, I have a plan. Go, Absol!"

Absol emerged from his ball and looked around, then looked at his trainer.

"Use flash," Drew said.

The dark spot on Absol's forehead glowed bright white. Drew walked into the cave alongside his pokémon, smirking like he was proud of his forethought, and Ash followed.

The light Drew's absol was giving off was enough that they could all see where they were putting their feet, but not much further, and the group had to stay close.

Ash wondered how many paths this tunnel might branch off to and where they might lead; hopefully they weren't heading down a dead end right now. It was getting progressively colder the deeper they went in. Pikachu pressed closer to Ash's shoulder, fur fluffed against the chill. Ash could see Drew shivering, and wished he had a jacket to offer him—even if Ash's prideful friend would probably insist he was fine.

Drew and his absol suddenly stopped, and Drew flung an arm across Ash's chest to stop him. "Watch out."

In front of them the ground dropped sharply. It wasn't that far of a drop--when the light Absol was giving off shone down, Ash could see the bottom--but it still looked like it would hurt to fall from. "Looks like we'll have to find a way around," Ash said. "Thanks for the heads-up, Drew."

Drew nodded. "Absol, to the left."

Absol led the way down a path on the left and Drew followed, Ash close behind.

The walls were narrower in this one. Absol walked a step ahead of Ash and Drew, lighting the way, while trainer and coordinator were so close together they nearly touched. "Drew, are you sure this is the right way?"

"Nope," Drew admitted. "But I sure hope it is. I don't know about you, but I don't fancy the idea of spending the night in here."

"Don't worry," Ash said. "It won't take us that long to find our way out."

"I'm not worried," Drew said, though he still let out a sigh of relief when the tunnel widened.

Ash looked around the dark, trying to judge where the walls were now, and stumbled on a rock that had been sticking out of the ground. Drew halfway caught him, which was enough for Ash to regain his balance. "Thanks."

Drew nodded. "Just watch where you're walking. Please."

"Yeah, yeah, I will." He kept going, this time focusing more on where he was putting his feet.

They had been walking for a while when Drew stopped. "Hey," he said, his voice softer than it was a moment ago, "you weren't hurt or anything, were you?"

Ash was taken aback by the gentleness in Drew's voice, but he managed to shake his head. "No, I'm okay."

"Good."

Absol looked back over his shoulder with a huff, seemingly wondering what the holdup was this time.

"We're coming, Absol," Drew said. The group got moving again.

Ash wondered why Absol seemed so restless. It might have something to do with how eerily quiet this place was; Ash realized that although he could clearly hear all their footsteps and even Drew's breathing—quick and shallow, like he himself was getting nervous—there wasn't much else. "Hey, Drew," he said. "Have you noticed how quiet it is in here?"

Drew frowned. "Yeah, I was wondering about that."

"Weird, right?" Ash glanced around for any movement, any sign of other living things around. "Most places in Alola are so alive, but it's like there's nothing here."

"Who's scared now?" Drew asked, tone light and teasing.

"I'm not scared of anything!" Ash retorted. More quietly, he said, "It's just really weird that it's like this. Something's not right."

Drew collapsed in exhaustion and relief when they finally got out. He definitely didn't look dignified, sprawling facedown on the ground, but for once he was too tired to care.

"I guess we're resting here for now," Ash said. The grass rustled slightly as he settled beside Drew, and Absol did the same.

Drew dozed off to the feeling of soft fur brushing against him on one side and warmth on the other.

He woke up to raindrops hitting his back and Ash shaking his shoulder. "Come on, Drew, wake up. We've gotta get going."

Drew lifted his head. Absol was pacing a couple feet away, which was a bad sign. He rolled into a sitting position. "Okay, I'm up."

Ash immediately jumped to his feet, briefly slipping on the now wet grass, and pulled Drew up before he could react. "Come on!" He took off running toward where the ground sloped up, and Drew and Absol ran after him.

The rain quickly turned into a vicious downpour, wind blowing it into Drew's face and blinding him, but he pressed on.  He could hear Ash breathing hard beside him, and occasionally saw him stumble. He must have been exhausted, and running uphill in the rain was quickly wearing him out even more.

Drew regretted not recalling Absol earlier. The mountain-born pokémon would have no trouble keeping his footing, but rain would eventually seep through and weigh down his thick fur. But there wasn't time now; they would just have to get through this together.

Konikoni City wasn't far. Drew realized through the haze of rain he could see the city lights, a beacon of hope in a time like this. Just a little farther.

Finally, grass gave way to stone and Drew registered that they had made it into the city. He saw Ash run for a red and white building—hopefully the pokémon center, though it was hard to tell—and followed. The doors slid open and Drew blinked water out of his vision.

This was, in fact, a pokémon center, and it was crowded. Trainers and pokémon huddled together, some of them soaked and others just looking nervous. Nurse Joy was among them, checking over the pokémon, comforting scared young trainers, and offering blankets and towels.

Beside him, Absol shook himself, blinding Drew once more. He didn't have the heart to scold his pokémon after what he'd put him through, and instead wiped his face on his wet sleeve without a word.

Ash sneezed loudly, which got Nurse Joy's attention. She rushed over to them. "Are you boys all right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Drew answered, because Ash was busy sniffling.

She looked at him and then at his drenched absol. "Is this absol yours, young man?"

Drew braced himself for a lecture. "Yes, ma'am," he said meekly.

She definitely looked like she wanted to lecture him. But she must have taken pity on him, instead merely saying, "Keep your pokémon inside its ball during heavy rain like this." She faced Ash, looking pointedly at his pikachu. "And that goes for you too."

"Pikachu won't—" Ash started, breaking off to sneeze—"go inside a poké ball."

"I see," she said. "Anyway, you boys should try to get warmed up. I'll check on your pokémon soon." She handed them a blanket and a couple towels and waved them off, heading off to see to someone else.

They went to huddle together against a wall; Drew, Ash, and Pikachu shared the blanket while Drew used a towel to dry off Absol. Ash and Pikachu quickly dozed off. Absol stood patiently while Drew rubbed his fur the wrong way, hoping it would warm and dry him faster; Drew could smooth it with a thorough grooming later.

Once that was finished, he let Absol curl up on the floor and covered him with a dry towel, making a mental note to keep an eye on him.

Drew was suddenly aware of how cold he was. The chill seemed to seep all the way into his bones, and he realized he was shaking. Forgetting to be self-conscious, he pressed against Ash and was surprised by how warm his friend was. "Ash?"

"Wha'?" Ash responded drowsily, barely lifting his head.

"You feel really warm," Drew said, trying and failing to not sound too concerned. "Are you okay?"

"That's just 'cause you're cold," Ash said. "Don't worry so much."

Before Drew could think of anything to say, Ash was asleep again.

Maybe Ash was right, and he only felt so warm because Drew himself was so cold. He had been sneezing earlier, which wasn't a good sign, but a little cold was nothing to worry about. Everything was going to be fine.

Chapter Text

Ash woke up feeling extremely hot. Drew was lying across his lap (how had that happened?), snoring softly, and the weight and heat of his body were so unpleasant Ash was tempted to push him off. He didn't, though, not wanting to hurt his friend.

Where was Pikachu? Oh, he was right there, asleep on Drew's back.

After a while, Drew stopped snoring and lifted his head a little. He suddenly pushed himself upright, dislodging Pikachu (earning an indignant squeak), and looked around wildly before sighing in relief. Then he looked at Ash. "Ash! You look awful!"

"I'm fine," Ash said, though his throat hurt when he tried to talk.

"You are most certainly not fine," Drew said. He rested a comfortingly cool hand on Ash's forehead and cursed under his breath. "You're burning up. Stay put while I talk to Nurse Joy."

Drew got up and walked off. Pikachu climbed onto Ash's lap, looking up at him anxiously. "Pikapi?"

Ash stroked his partner's head. "Don't—" he broke off to cough "—worry. I'll be fine."

A few moments later, Drew was back. "Can you walk? Or stand, at least?"

Ash tried. He managed to stand, but staggered after one step. Drew rushed to steady him.

"So that's a no for walking on your own," Drew said. "Just lean on me, then."

Ash felt Drew wrap an arm around his waist. He put his own arm around Drew's shoulder and heard Drew's breath catch. "You okay?"

"You're not in a position to ask me that," Drew replied.

The two slowly made their way to wherever Drew was going, Pikachu following closely. Ash could feel Drew trembling with the effort of keeping him upright by the time they had made it to a bedroom.

Drew eased Ash onto a bed and took a second to catch his breath. "After the rain died down, some vacancies opened up," he explained. "Nurse Joy wanted us to stay here in case things get worse, but I've got it covered for now. The first order of business is getting that fever down."

As Drew went off to do whatever he was doing, Ash stared at the ceiling. Pikachu had curled up beside him, but was still awake. Out of the corner of his eye, Ash could see Pikachu's ears twitching.

Ash felt something cool and wet touch his forehead before he fully registered that Drew was sitting beside him. "This ought to help," Drew said. "Man, I really hope I don't catch what you've come down with. I'm gonna chug hand sanitizer in a minute."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Ash said hoarsely.

"I was joking," Drew said. "I can do that, you know. Anyway, don't try to talk, okay?"

"Okay."

"Why are you like this? And don't answer that," he added when Ash opened his mouth to reply. "It's a rhetorical question."

"I—" Ash started, only for Drew to immediately put a hand over his mouth. Ash sneezed on it.

Drew jerked his hand away with an indignant yelp.

"Sorry," Ash said. "I promise I didn't mean to do that."

"Please stop talking," Drew said, getting up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to scrub my hand for the next ten minutes."

"Have fun with that," Ash said before remembering he wasn't supposed to be talking.

Drew sighed loudly. "What did I just tell you?"

"Not to—" Ash stopped himself. He probably wasn't supposed to answer that, and his throat hurt too much anyway.

Drew walked off, leaving Ash to figure out what to do with himself. He removed the cloth from his forehead; it wasn't cold anymore, but he was still hot.

He figured it might be a while before his next trial.

After what probably wasn't ten minutes—though Ash couldn't quite judge time right now—Drew came back. He touched Ash's cheek, his hand still comfortingly cool, but jerked away when Ash leaned into the touch. "Please don't sneeze on me again," he said, which made Ash want to tell him it wasn't on purpose the first time. Drew gently ran a cold, wet cloth along Ash's face before leaving it on his forehead. "Try to sleep now," he said, his expression softening as he ran his fingers through Ash's hair. "It'll make things easier on both of us."

Ash closed his eyes, and the last thing he was aware of was a hand running through his hair.

Drew worked his fingers through Ash's hair until every tangle he could find was gone, and continued for a while after that; he was doing it just as much for his own comfort as for Ash's, letting himself be soothed by the rhythmic activity and the feeling of Ash's hair—softer than Drew had expected, not that he was complaining—between his fingertips.

 Under other circumstances, Ash leaning into Drew's touch like his life depended on it would be a good thing, but this time it only told Drew how miserably feverish his friend was. Sympathy for Ash's situation stabbed Drew's heart.

At least Ash was finally asleep, and from the sound of his snoring, it seemed like he would be for a while. He was out cold. And as annoying as it had been trying to get him to stop talking when he was awake, it was a good sign that he at least had the strength to do that.

 Standing and stretching, Drew went to find some hand sanitizer. He had (mostly) been joking about drinking it earlier, but he was definitely going to use a lot of it; with how hard and fast this sickness had hit Ash, Drew did not want to catch it himself. He soon found there was a bottle of it in the bathroom, near the sink, and applied it generously—managing to discover several small cuts in the process as always. How much it would actually do for him when he was sharing a room and continually interacting with Ash, he didn't know, but it offered some sense of security.

He deliberately ignored his reflection, knowing he probably looked like a wreck. He would have to do something about that soon, but now wasn't the time. Instead, he went to check on Ash again.

Fortunately, Ash was still sleeping peacefully, and though his face was flushed with fever, he felt a little cooler. That was a relief. Drew picked up the damp cloth Ash had set aside earlier and ran cold water over it again before returning with it to Ash.

 From Ash's other side, Pikachu looked at Drew with a worried, almost pleading expression. "Pikapi…"

 "I know," Drew said sympathetically. "I'm worried too, but we have to remember Ash is too tough for anything to keep him down for long. He'll be okay—I'll make sure of it."

 That seemed to reassure Pikachu a little. He curled up beside his trainer once more, seemingly doing his best to offer comfort, and Drew wondered for the first time if pokémon and humans could catch illnesses from each other.

 As he touched the cloth to Ash's face yet again, he hoped he was doing the right thing. Though he was confident in his abilities on a lot of fronts, this wasn't one of them. He could ask Nurse Joy for help or advice—even if she specialized in dealing with pokémon, it was still true she had more medical knowledge than he did—but he was reluctant. Turning to other people for help wasn't something he did if he could avoid it. But he had promised Pikachu and himself that he would do everything he could to make sure Ash got better soon, so if it came down to it…

Drew was jolted out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. "Come in," he called, probably a little more loudly than necessary. Ash stirred, but didn't wake, only shifting a little closer to Drew. Drew felt his heart flutter despite himself.

Nurse Joy stepped in. "Is everything going okay?"

"Yes," Drew answered, trying to sound sure of himself. "He's asleep now, but he was pretty talkative when he was awake."

She nodded. "And what about you?"

He blinked, not understanding. "Pardon?"

 "I know you're worried about your… friend," she said, "but you have to take care of yourself as well. You won't be able to help him if you get sick too, and he'll be fine if you leave him alone for a minute."

"Oh. Right." Drew was just relieved to not hear one more person call Ash his boyfriend. "Will do."

 "Make sure you do." She turned around and looked back over her shoulder. "Come get me if you need anything."

 "Right," Drew said. "Thanks."

 "My pleasure," she said, flashing a kind smile before leaving.

 Taking care of himself? He could probably figure that out. He needed a shower for sure, but it had been so long since he'd eaten anything that he was starting to feel dizzy. Addressing that was probably more important. He didn't want to leave Ash alone—he still remembered when he had been recovering from seasickness and Ash had stayed with him, saying, It wouldn't feel right to leave you alone when you weren't feeling well—so he instead looked through his bag.

 Drew usually kept a small stash of chocolate for emergencies, and though this wasn't exactly that type of emergency, it seemed like a reasonable time. Not the healthiest option, but it would get his blood sugar up and take the edge off his hunger so he could function—and he wouldn't have to leave the room either.

 "Hey, Pikachu," Drew said softly.

 Pikachu's ears pricked and approached Drew curiously. "Chu?"

 "Take this." Drew held out a piece of chocolate to Pikachu, who gladly accepted it before returning to his trainer's side.

 Despite how long it had been since he last ate, Drew found that he didn't have an appetite; anxiety had twisted his stomach into a knot. Still, he forced himself to eat a little before going to take a shower.

 He left the bathroom door open a crack so Pikachu would be able to let him know if he was needed, and took a quick, hot shower, drying his hair with a towel. Odds were he still looked like a wreck, but at least he was clean and he felt a little better.

He went to sit with Ash and Pikachu again. Ash mumbled something incoherent before blinking open feverishly bright eyes. "Drew?"

"Shh," Drew hushed him almost reflexively. He would have to find Ash a notepad so he could communicate without straining his already sore throat. "Do you need something?"

"Water."

 Drew nodded, grabbing the water bottle from Ash's bag and refilling it. When he returned, Ash had managed to sit up on his own, but Drew still watched him carefully. Ash was shaky, but he could drink on his own and didn't spill much. He handed it back to Drew. "Th—" he coughed—"thanks, Drew."

Warmth flooded Drew's chest, spreading all over. He was such a goner. "What're friends for, right?" he said, trying to sound casual. He set the water aside.

"Right, we're friends." It clearly was hurting him to talk, so why did he keep talking? "I'm glad we're friends."

"Yeah," Drew said softly. "I'm glad we're friends too." Yawning into his hand, Drew realized how tired he was. It felt like he hadn't slept properly in days.

"You should rest," Ash rasped.

"But—" Drew started to argue.

"I'll be okay." Ash looked at Drew with that brave, earnest face. "You can sleep right here if it makes you feel any better."

For a few moments, Drew was tempted. But he shook his head. "You shouldn't worry about me, Ash. Just focus on getting well again yourself. I can rest then." He fought back another yawn; that wouldn't help his case. He started to get up, but Ash grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"No," Ash said firmly. "Stay."

How could Ash be so stubborn when he was so sick? "How about this?" Drew ventured. "I rest here with you for a while, you give your voice a break. Deal?"

Ash nodded, already holding up his end of the bargain.

At least they had reached a compromise.

Ash muffled a cough, wincing as it aggravated his sore throat. He didn't want to wake Drew, who now dozed quietly beside him; he lay on his side, facing Ash, hair a little messier than usual falling into his face. Without thinking, Ash lifted a shaky hand to brush the hair aside.

Even in sleep, Drew didn't seem entirely relaxed—his eyebrows were still scrunched together, and he mumbled Ash's name in a voice taut with worry; he'd worn himself out worrying and he still hadn't stopped.

Ash didn't really understand why Drew was so worried about him anyway. He just had a cold. He would be fine and in a day or two, everything would be back to normal.

Probably. Hopefully.

"Drink this." Drew's words were blunt, but his voice was soft, and his eyes were clouded with compassion and something else—something Ash couldn't pin down. He handed Ash a warm mug, placing his own hands over Ash's to steady them and bring the cup to Ash's lips.

Whatever it was--Drew still hadn't told him—tasted sweet and sort of flowery. Ash would've asked what it was if he hadn't lost his voice completely—something Drew had chided him over earlier, saying, You should have stopped talking when I told you to.

Drew must have guessed what Ash was thinking, and helpfully said, "Chamomile tea with honey. It should soothe your throat and help you sleep this bug off." Smirking playfully, he added, "I know you can't thank me, but you're welcome."

It was nice in a way that Drew hadn't completely stopped teasing Ash. It felt familiar and normal, like Drew no longer thought Ash was dying.

Ash wished he knew how long it had been since he got sick, but everything was blurred together and he had slept so much he had no way of knowing. Maybe Drew would tell him. He put the mug down so he could pick up the notepad and pen Drew had brought him earlier, shakily scrawled the question, and handed it to Drew.

He frowned at it for a second before saying, "Two days. Your handwriting is atrocious, by the way."

Ash groaned. How long was this going to take? He was so close to this island's grand trial and couldn't do anything!

Drew tilted his head. "Was that a reaction to what I just told you?"

Ash nodded.

"Okay," Drew said. "You had me worried for a second there." He picked up the mug and held it out to Ash, expression serious. "Anyway, relax. It's frustrating, I get it, but the trials aren't going anywhere. There's only one battle you need to fight right now and it's this one."

Ash still wasn't happy with the situation, but what Drew was saying made sense. He accepted the mug and let Drew's hands wrap around his again.

The tea must have been helping; his throat didn't hurt as much, even if he still probably couldn't use his voice.

He yawned, and Drew's expression softened. "Sleep. You need all the rest you can get."

Drew frantically dug through his bag, muttering to himself about bad timing. Those painkillers had to be in there somewhere. He could go to Nurse Joy, but he would rather avoid the awkward questions that might lead to.

"You okay?" Drew started at the sound of Ash's voice, hoarse and thick with drowsiness and back way too soon; the sudden movement sent a new stab of pain through his insides and he winced. He had thought his friend was asleep.

 "No," Drew answered unthinkingly. "I will be if I can find this ibuprofen."

 "You're not getting sick too, are you?"

 "No, this is a different thing," Drew assured him.

 "Oh. Good luck," Ash said, a note of sympathy still apparent in his rough voice. "Feel better."

 "Back at you," Drew said, relieved that Ash hadn't asked for details. Things would have to be explained eventually, but now wasn't the time.

 Finally, his fingers closed on the pill bottle. He took two pills, hoping the pain would go away a little faster. Once the stabbing pain dulled to a more tolerable ache, he went to sit beside Ash, who apparently still wasn't sleeping. He looked at Drew with warm brown eyes—warm seemed to describe everything about Ash, especially now. "You found it?"

 Drew nodded, lightly resting a hand on Ash's cheek to check his temperature; not alarmingly hot anymore, but still too warm. "Don't worry about me, Ash," he said. "This happens every month. I was just a little less prepared this time." He immediately realized he shouldn't have let that slip.

 "Every month? You should've told me." Ash sounded almost hurt. "I… I could've helped somehow."

 "It's fine, Ash," Drew assured him. "I'm more than capable of handling these things on my own."

 "You don't have to, though," Ash argued. "We're friends. We can help each other through stuff."

 Drew blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Ash to feel so strongly about this, or how... exposed it made him feel. Something about the sincerity almost made him want to tell Ash about his situation, about something he'd done his absolute best to keep private for his whole career, to the point he could count on one hand the people who knew about it. Even a lot of the kids he'd grown up with in LaRousse had either only ever known him as a boy, or completely forgotten he'd ever been seen as anything else. It probably wouldn't change how Ash thought of him, but... he wasn't ready. "Look, Ash." His patience was wearing thin and for a second, he regretted absolutely everything. "You're sick. We can talk about this later."

 Unsurprisingly, Ash didn't take that for an answer. "Don't you trust me?"

 "Yeah, but I have boundaries!" Drew snapped, the stress and frustration that had been building up for days finally spilling over. "There's stuff I don't want to talk to you about and I'm just asking you to respect that! Is that too much to ask?"

 For a few moments Ash just looked at Drew, brown eyes wide with surprise. Then he looked away guiltily. "I didn't know you felt like that," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."

 Drew's anger melted. "No, I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. I know you mean well, I just... can't talk about this right now."

 "That's fine, I get it," Ash said. "But you know you can tell me anything, right? I'm not gonna judge you." Some of the usual spark returned to his eyes. "And that includes telling me when I need to back off."

 "I know," Drew said. "And I do trust you, really. You're a good friend. It’s just… this is really personal."

 Ash nodded. "I know. If you ever wanna talk about it, I’m here. And you know... I might understand better than you think."

 "I'll keep that in mind." Drew stroked Ash's hair. "Now get some sleep."

 "That's all I've done for days!" Ash protested.

 "I'm aware of that," Drew said mildly, "and I don't care. There's not much else you can do, now, is there?"

 Ash sighed. "I guess," he conceded. "You need to rest too, though. I can tell you're tired."

 "Okay, you got me," Drew said. "Do you want me here or over there?"

 "Here," Ash answered. "I'm cold."

 That was forward. Drew wanted to point out that there were other solutions to being cold, but if this was what Ash wanted, Drew figured there was no harm in going with it—especially when he had done exactly this already. And as long as it didn't lead to Drew also getting sick, Ash wanting his company was a good thing, he reminded himself. "Well, okay."

 "Great!" Ash said, shifting slightly to make a little more space and pulling back the covers.

 Drew hesitated. There were several reasons he shouldn't be doing this; it was a miracle he hadn't caught what Ash had already, for one thing. Still, he lay beside Ash, on his side so they were face to face, and willed himself to relax.

 Then Ash draped an arm over him, hand resting on his back, and his heart stopped. Drew ducked his head to hide the blush he felt spread across his face.

 It was only after he did that he realized his face was right up against Ash's chest.

 "Drew, is something wrong? You're really tense."

 "No." Again, Drew willed himself to relax. This was no big deal. Just guys being dudes, snuggling for warmth and comfort. "Everything is fine."

 He closed his eyes, focusing on the beat of Ash's heart—was it just his imagination, or was it beating as fast as his own? Ash's hand ran up and down Drew's back, which felt… good.

 Drew realized he could get used to this arrangement.

Chapter Text

Ash was nothing short of delighted when he woke up and realized he could breathe normally. He sat up and Drew, who had taken to sharing the bed with him over the last few days—not that Ash minded, it was nice, even if the bed was a little crowded—stirred.

Green eyes looked up at Ash, still bleary and unfocused. "What is it?" Drew's voice was thick with sleep.

"Nothing's wrong," Ash assured him. "I don't even feel sick anymore!"

"That's great, Ash," Drew said, blinking sleep from his eyes. He shifted into a sitting position, stretching and muffling a yawn, before touching a hand to Ash's forehead. "No sign of fever, so that's good. What now?"

"Can we get breakfast?" Ash asked. "I'm starving."

Drew actually grinned. "So you're back to your old self after all." Ash didn't think he had ever heard so much warmth in his friend's voice. "Let's go, then."

Drew got out of bed and Ash followed, a little unsteady on his feet; he felt Drew's arm wrap around his waist so quickly it was like Drew had done it reflexively. "Easy there," Drew said. "It might be a bit before you get all your strength back."

"I think I can walk on my own," Ash assured him.

"I believe you," Drew said, letting go, "but feel free to lean on me if you have to."

It was weird; Drew used to get so flustered about touching, but it seemed natural for him now. Sharing a bed might've had something to do with that, though.

Pikachu hopped off the bed and followed them—seemingly not wanting to risk unsteadying Ash. They made it to the pokémon center's cafeteria without Ash having to lean on Drew much.

"You know, we both should shower after this," Drew said as he spread jam across a piece of toast. "I showered more recently than you have and I feel gross."

 "You're not though," Ash said. "You're not as fancy and pulled together as usual, but you're fine."

 "That's very sweet, Ash, but 'fine' isn't enough." Drew ran a hand through his hair and cringed. "A coordinator has to look their best no matter what."

 "You're ridiculous." Ash hoped Drew could hear the affection in his voice. "I know that's important to you, but you don't have to get all insecure because you've been too busy taking care of me to take care of yourself."

 Drew blinked in surprise. "I'm not insecure," he said. "But I'll admit you have a point." He coughed, then met Ash's alarmed expression with a small smile. "Just a tickle in my throat, don't worry. We don't have time for a repeat of the last several days."

 Ash reached across the table to touch Drew's cheek, which immediately got a lot warmer. So much for not getting flustered about touching.

 "Ash, stop." He pushed away Ash's hand with his own, chuckling self consciously. "I'm okay, really."

 Ash decided to take Drew's word for it; his emerald eyes seemed about as bright as usual, and the color that had risen to his face was probably more from embarrassment than anything else—it was starting to fade now. Ash returned his attention to his pancakes, while Drew went back to his toast.

 Once they had finished, they went back to their room. Newly revitalized, Ash didn't need to lean on Drew at all this time.

 "You can shower first," Drew offered. "Just don't use all the hot water."

 "You don't have to be so nice to me," Ash said. "I'm not dying."

 "You need it more than I do," Drew pointed out. He then tilted his head, eyes sparkling with humor. "Is that better?"

 Ash laughed. "Yeah, that sounds more like you."

"So you like being made fun of," Drew said. "Noted. But do you want the shower or not? 'Cause I'll gladly go first if you'd prefer."

"Go ahead," Ash said. "I'm not in a hurry."

 Without another word, Drew went for it. Ash shook his head; his friend could be so ridiculous. He went to sit on the bed Drew had barely slept on, Pikachu hopping onto his lap. It was nice to have things going back to the way they normally were. He was eager to find the kahuna and challenge them to a battle. Then he could be on his way to face the next island's trials.

He wondered what kind of trainer Akala Island's kahuna would be, and what pokémon he should use against them. Popplio deserved a turn for sure. Rockruff was always eager for a battle too. And of course, he could always count on Pikachu. But Ribombee had evolved not too long ago, and Pikipek had plenty of energy...

Ash stayed where he was, petting Pikachu and thinking it over, until Drew reappeared. "Your turn, Ash."

Pikachu moved from Ash's lap and Ash got up, giving his partner one last scratch behind the ears before going to shower.

He came out feeling clean for the first time in way too long and found Drew sitting in the floor, a small mirror in one hand and something that looked like a pencil in the other, his expression focused.

"Makeup?" Ash asked him.

 "Mm-hmm," Drew answered, not looking up, expression unchanging.

Ash decided to let him finish before trying to talk to him again. Instead he went to Pikachu, who leaped onto his shoulder. Ash grinned at his partner. "Hey, buddy."

The two of them watched, fascinated, as Drew carefully traced around his eye with the pencil thing. Once he had finished, he finally blinked and contemplated his reflection. Apparently satisfied, he put the items away and looked at Ash and Pikachu. As much as his eyes usually stood out, they seemed to stand out even more now. He raised an eyebrow. "Never seen a guy use eyeliner before?"

"No, never," Ash answered. "How do you do that without hurting yourself?"

"Concentration and a lot of practice," Drew said. "I could teach you sometime if you want."

"Maybe." Ash was still mystified. "Why do you do it anyway?"

"Why not? Sometimes a man just wants to feel pretty, Ash."

"But you're always pretty," Ash pointed out.

Drew laughed. "You're adorable."

Ash couldn't tell if he was being made fun of. He decided it didn't matter. "You ready to go out?"

For a second Drew looked startled. "Go out?" he repeated. Then he seemed to realize what Ash was talking about. "Oh, to find the kahuna. Yeah, sure."

That was weird. "Drew, are you sure you feel okay?"

"Never felt better," Drew said. "I'm ready to leave when you are."

It was finally time for Ash's second grand trial.

 The sky was clear and the city was bustling; it was so different from the last time Ash had been out. Now that he was able to take it in, he saw that the city had a cool, earthy vibe about it. It'd be fun to explore later. But right now, Ash had a mission.

 "We need supplies," Drew said. "I'll take care of that while you look for the kahuna."

 "Got it," Ash said.

The boys split up, Drew heading south while Ash went north. Ash figured he would have to ask around to see if anyone knew who the kahuna was and where to find them.

 Pikachu's ears pricked. "What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

 Pikachu pointed out a blue-haired girl Ash recognized. "Lana!" he greeted her. "What are you doing here?"

 She looked amused. "I live here," she answered pleasantly. "Where's your boyfriend?"

 "He's not my—" Ash realized he didn't have time to argue that. "Drew went to buy supplies. I'm looking for the kahuna, do you know where I could find them?"

 "Of course," Lana said. "Olivia works in that jewelry shop over there when she's not doing kahuna stuff. You might be able to find her there."

 Ash nodded. "Great, thanks."

 "Don't mention it," Lana said. "I'm going to do some fishing. Tell your boyfriend I said hi." She walked away before Ash could even try to tell her Drew wasn't his boyfriend.

 Ash walked into the jewelry shop Lana had pointed out and walked over to the counter, where a pretty, dark-skinned lady was. "Excuse me, is Olivia here?"

 "She is," the lady said, "and you're talking to her right now. You're looking for a battle, I'm guessing?"

 "That's right," Ash said.

 Kahuna Olivia nodded. "We can have a battle once my shift ends in a few hours. I'll meet you at the pokémon center then and we can go to the trial site from there."

 "Great," Ash said. "I'll be ready."

 He strode out, deciding to look for Drew. There were a fair number of shops around; if Drew was buying supplies, he could be in any of them. He looked around as he walked, keeping an eye out for a flash of green hair among the crowds.

 He was so focused on finding Drew that he ended up bumping into someone—a girl younger than he was, blonde and dressed in white. "Sorry!" they both said at the same time.

 "You're fine," Ash said, picking up the girl’s big white hat off the ground and dusting it off. He handed it back to her. "I was looking for my friend instead of looking where I was going."

 "I was actually doing the same thing.” The girl fidgeted with her hat for a second before putting it on. "Looking for my friend, I mean. Not yours."

 "Maybe we could help each other out then," Ash said.

 The girl's green eyes widened. "Oh, you don't have to--"

 "Don't worry about it," Ash tried to sound reassuring. "What does your friend look like?"

 "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

 That was a weird question, but Ash had been in weirder situations. "I promise."

 "It's a pokémon," she whispered. "It's purple and blue, and it sparkles like a nebula. It's pretty small, too… I hope it hasn’t gotten into any trouble."

 Ash could work with that description. "We'll find it. By the way, my name's Ash, and this is my buddy Pikachu."

 "I'm Lillie," the girl said. "Thank you for your help, Ash and Pikachu."

 So they started looking. Ash glanced into alleyways, poked his head into shops, and ended up colliding with Drew.

 "Easy there," Drew said. "Did you find the kahuna?"

 "Yeah," Ash answered. "And I ran into this girl, and I'm helping her with…" He remembered his promise. "Something."

 Lillie looked at Drew suspiciously, then at Ash. "Can we trust this boy?"

 "Ash, what did you get yourself into this time?" Drew asked, exasperated. "Can I not leave you unsupervised for twenty minutes?"

 "Drew's a good friend," Ash said, ignoring Drew's questions. "He's a little prickly, but you can trust him."

 "Are you two going to let me in on your little secret, then?" Drew asked moodily.

 "My pokémon wandered off," Lillie said. "It does that a lot, and I'm worried it'll get into trouble…"

 Drew looked at Roselia and his expression softened. "I'll help." 

 After a while of searching, they found Lillie's pokémon near a malasada shop.

 "What have I told you, Nebby?" she said to the pokémon. "Stay in the bag!" She turned to Drew and Ash with an embarrassed smile. "Thank you for your help."

 "It was no problem," Ash said.

 Drew wasn't going to disagree, even if the search had been a little extra trouble. He would've been worried sick if Roselia had gone missing when he was just starting out, when they were both so young and she was his only pokémon. He would be worried if Roselia went missing now. "We would've done the same for anyone."

 "I'd better get going," Lillie said. "Thanks again."

 She dashed off, vanishing into a crowd.

"So, did you find everything we needed?" Ash asked Drew.

 Drew nodded. "We should be good for a while."

 "In that case, are you hungry? Because I am."

 Drew looked at Ash in surprise. "Already? Breakfast wasn't that long ago."

 "I know," Ash said, "but still."

 At least Ash would get his strength back up sooner. It was nice to know he was back to his old self. "I could eat," Drew said.

 "Well, there's a place right there," Ash said, pointing out the malasada shop.

 Drew nodded. "Works for me."

 "Great!" Ash grinned, grabbing Drew's hand and leading the way. "Let's go!"

Reflexively, Drew pulled his hand away. They might be closer now than they were a few days ago, but they couldn't be that close. "You don't have to guide me there, I can see it too."

Hurt flashed across Ash's face, but it vanished so quickly Drew thought he might've imagined it. Ash's smile still seemed a little more subdued, and guilt pierced Drew's heart.

Chapter Text

Ash didn't know why Drew had suddenly distanced himself again or why that stung like it did, but he pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he faced Kahuna Olivia. He could feel Drew's piercing green gaze trained on him from where the coordinator stood a safe distance from the battlefield—he was watching Ash intently.

"Are you ready, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

From his shoulder, Pikachu gave a fierce nod. "Pika!"

"Then let's go! I choose you!"

Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder and onto the battlefield, cheeks sparking in anticipation.

 Watching Ash struggle, Drew was starting to regret not insisting he put this battle off. He was down to only Rockruff, who was panting with exhaustion, while the opposing midday lycanroc hadn't broken a sweat. They were outmatched, and Ash's illness had put them out of practice. Ash himself looked tired and frustrated.

"Lycanroc, finish it with accelerock."

Lycanroc rushed at Rockruff too quickly for the tired puppy pokémon to have any hope of dodging. She was knocked back by the impact and didn't get back up.

Ash knelt beside his pokémon and said something too softly for Drew to make out the words, then returned her to her ball. He stayed where he was, unmoving, not even looking up when Olivia approached him.

The loss had crushed him.

"You can challenge me again when you're more prepared," she said gently. "Get your pokémon seen to."

Ash abruptly stood, turned, and took off without a word. That was alarmingly unlike him.

"He'll be okay," Drew said, though he wasn't sure whom he was trying to convince. "Nothing keeps him down for long."

Kahuna Olivia nodded. "That's good," she said. "He's got spirit, I'll be glad to face him again when he's ready."

"I'd better catch up with him, though," Drew said. He had a feeling Ash shouldn't be on his own at a time like this—even if it weren't for his emotional state, his team was in no condition to fight if he needed to defend himself, and it was getting dark. He ran in the direction Ash had gone, hoping he could find him before trouble did.

Fortunately, Drew found Ash quickly enough, walking the same path they had taken to get here; Drew fell into step beside him, though he nearly had to jog to keep up with his friend's long, hasty strides. Ash's head was down, cap pulled low over his face so his expression was hard to read, but anyone could tell he was upset.

 If only Drew knew how to comfort him. He had experienced his fair share of crushing defeats, but there weren't any words he could think of that didn't risk making this situation worse.

 But then, maybe words weren't the solution.

 Tentatively, he reached for Ash's hand. Ash jerked away.

 So that was what rejection felt like. Drew decided maybe it was best to give Ash his space for the time being.

In the time it had taken to get to the pokémon center and leave his pokémon with Nurse Joy, Ash had only been feeling progressively worse. The loss after having to wait all that time was bad enough, but now Drew wasn't talking to him and that was salt in an already painful wound.

 So here he was, sitting alone on a dock as the half moon rose higher. If only Pikachu were with him instead of having to get injuries treated because Ash hadn't been willing to wait until they were ready.

 As he blinked back frustrated tears, he heard light footsteps approaching. A rose dropped onto his lap. He picked it up, taking in the sight of deep red petals. "Drew?"

 "Hey," Drew said softly from just behind Ash. "Mind if I join you?"

 "Go ahead," Ash said. "I could use some company right now."

 Drew sat beside him, shifting until he got comfortable. "I thought you might want to be left alone for a bit. Sorry if that wasn't the right call."

 "I think I wanted to be alone at first," Ash said. "But..."

 "I know." Drew rested his hand on top of Ash's. "I've been there. A loss like that hurts, and sometimes you need the time and space to process things. But sometimes being alone makes it harder."

 "Yeah." Ash looked again at the rose. The petals were flawless, all the same shade of red, and two thorns had been cleanly removed from its stem. Ash wasn't an expert on flowers, but this seemed like a nice one. Drew must have been trying to cheer him up. "Thanks, Drew. You're a good friend."

 "Don't mention it," Drew said. "You know, if you're up to it, we could train together tomorrow."

Ash felt a smile tug at his lips. "I'd like that."

Chapter Text

"Use air cutter!" Drew's voice was clear as day from Ash's side of the battlefield, but his oricorio didn't seem to hear the command. She just kept swaying, seemingly enjoying the breeze. She had spaced out like that after using feather dance, and hadn't listened to a thing her exasperated trainer said since. Drew sighed. "You always do this, Oricorio."

"This doesn't seem fair," Ash said. Pikipek kept looking at him, awaiting a command, but he wasn't sure if he should attack when Drew was still struggling to get his pokémon's attention.

"Go ahead and attack," Drew said. "It might snap her out of this."

"If you say so," Ash said. "Pikipek, use quick attack!"

Pikipek slammed into Oricorio, finally getting her attention. Ash could see the relief on Drew's face.

Drew sprawled out on the grass, worn out but pleased with how the training had gone. Oricorio was getting better at staying focused in battle, which was a big relief, and Ash had regained his usual cheerfulness. He was tossing a pinecone for his rockruff, who seemed to be having a great time chasing after it and bringing it back so he could throw it again, the setting sun casting a warm glow over the scene.

"That's an interesting way to train," Drew said.

"Yeah, you could say that," Ash said, grinning sheepishly, "but we were just doing it for fun. Right, Rockruff?"

"Rock-ruff!" the puppy pokémon barked, tail wagging.

Drew watched them for a while before closing his eyes. He was suddenly finding it hard to stay awake—he couldn't remember the last time he'd slept properly, and the cool evening air and the breeze playing with his hair felt so nice...

He was starting to doze off when the sensation of sturdy little paws jabbing into his stomach jolted him to alertness. "Ow," he grunted reflexively.

"Sorry," Ash said. "Rockruff must've gotten excited and forgot you were there. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Drew sat up and dusted himself off. "It takes a little more than that to hurt me."

Rockruff hopped up and licked his cheek, which must have been an apology. He scratched behind her ears to let her know the apology was accepted, and she gave him another lick before going back to Ash.

Drew wiped the puppy's drool off his cheek with the back of his hand, sighing. Weird, but cute, the assessment he'd made when he first met Rockruff, still held true; she had those things in common with her trainer.

Ash threw the pinecone again, though it didn't go as far this time. He looked tired, and Drew couldn't help worrying that the illness that had knocked him out before would come back.

"Hey, Ash?"

The way Ash looked at Drew, he'd clearly heard the note of concern in his voice. "What is it? Something wrong?" When Rockruff dropped the pinecone in front of Ash, he dutifully picked it up and tossed it again, sending her running after it.

Drew realized with how stubborn Ash could be, he might insist he was fine even if he wasn't. "Mind going to the pokémon center to rest a while? I'm beat." It wasn't a lie—he was tired.

"Would you say you're… bushed?" Ash gave that ridiculous(ly adorable) boyish grin of his. "You know, 'cause—"

"I get it, my hair is green, I've heard the jokes before," Drew said. Ash was so lucky he was cute. "Are we going or not?"

Ash pouted. "You're no fun," he complained. The smile returned to his face. "But yeah, let's do that. We've all been working pretty hard."

As they started back toward the city, Drew noticed Ash kept stealing glances at him. He looked worried, which was odd considering Drew was the one who should be—and was, so much—worrying about Ash. "What is it, Ash?"

"What?"

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Drew pressed. "You can't think I didn't notice."

"I was just thinking how weird it is for you to admit you're tired," Ash said. "You're so stubborn, you usually insist you're fine even when you're not."

That sure sounded familiar. "I'm okay, really."

Ash gave him a look. "I knew you'd say that."

"Look, Ash," Drew said, as gently as he could, "I'm exhausted. Your concern is very sweet, but all that's wrong with me is I haven't had a full night's sleep in over a week."

"Because of all that time you spent fussing over me." It wasn't a question.

"Exactly," Drew said.

"Well," Ash said cheerfully, "now it's my turn to fuss over you. You're going to bed as soon as we get to the pokémon center and I'm gonna make sure you sleep as long as you need to."

"That's so unnecessary."

"Let people take care of you, dork," Ash said. Drew was surprised by the affection in his voice, and even more surprised that being called a dork made his heart race like a rapidash.

He was definitely a goner.

Ash wasn't sure why he missed sharing a bed with Drew. It had been crowded, and with how light of a sleeper Drew was, Ash kept waking him with every sound and movement he'd made—which, when he had been coughing and sneezing every five minutes, was bad.

Still, as his friend slept on the opposite side of the room, Ash felt like something was missing.

He crossed the room, Pikachu following him, and knelt beside the bed. Drew must have been exhausted—he was out cold, snoring so gently it sounded like a purr. His chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm.

His breathing suddenly hitched and he sneezed, barely managing to muffle it into his arm. Green eyes blinked open and took Ash in. "Ash? What are you doing?"

"Bless you," Ash said. "Are you getting sick?"

"I told you we don't have time for that," Drew said, pushing himself upright and politely yawning into his hand. "Something tickled my nose a bit is all. I feel fine."

"If you say so," Ash said. Drew did look fine—maybe a little disoriented, but he'd just woken up.

"I'm gonna splash some cold water on my face." Drew rose and stretched, then casually slipped his hands into his pockets and walked to the bathroom.

Ash let Pikachu climb onto his shoulder before standing. Drew was back quickly, and he looked more alert. "So," Drew said, "what now? More training?"

"Maybe we should eat?" Ash suggested.

"It's always food with you," Drew said, though he seemed more amused than annoyed. "If that's what you want to do, sure."

"Great!" Ash grinned. As they started out, he said, "You can decide where we go, if you want. I'm fine with anything."

"Okay," Drew said. "In that case, I'm going to pay too."

"But you pay for everything!" Ash protested.

"Not everything," Drew argued. "But you never did tell me—what were you doing at my bedside earlier?"

"Oh," Ash said, realizing he didn't have much of an explanation, "I missed you."

Drew raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Ash nodded. Why was Drew giving him that look?

"I see," Drew said after a long pause. "You're not telling me you want to start sharing a bed again, are you?"

"I don't know," Ash confessed. This felt like a weird conversation to be having in the city streets.

From the way Drew's eyes widened, he hadn't expected that answer. His eyes narrowed soon after. "Well," he said curtly, "let me know when you figure it out."

Chapter Text

Drew shifted his weight from one foot to the other and rubbed his arms; he had always had trouble staying warm, but he definitely felt colder than usual.

After a lot of intense training—which Drew had gladly helped with—Ash finally felt ready to face Olivia again and was doing so now, but Drew couldn't focus on their battle because he was so cold. Ash had been puzzled when Drew mentioned the drop in temperature, saying he hadn't noticed, but Drew knew it was chillier than it had been a few days ago.

He refused to acknowledge the possibility that he could be coming down with something. The chill was more noticeable to him than to Ash because Ash had more muscle; he was tired because of all the training he and Ash had been doing; lack of appetite wasn't unusual for him—it was one of the ways he and Ash balanced each other out. Everything was fine and as long as seasickness didn't hit him too hard when they headed for the next island, everything would continue being fine. 

Ash was holding his own in the battle this time. There wouldn't be any more delays.

Olivia hadn't led with her lycanroc this time, and it was Ash's final opponent—again facing off against Rockruff.

Things were going better this time. Rockruff took an accelerock attack—it came too quickly to avoid in time—but she got up and started to glow.

Was she evolving now, mid-battle? Lycanroc had different forms depending on whether it evolved during the day or night; it was sunset now, so which form would she take?

She looked a little like Olivia's lycanroc, but her mane seemed rougher and fluffier. When the light dispersed, he realized she was a different color—instead of light brown, she was golden-orange like a sunset, and her eyes were a brilliant green instead of blue.

"Well, that's unusual," Olivia said. "Lycanroc, use bite!"

"Dodge it and use bite too!" Ash called. Now that Rockruff had evolved, they stood an even better chance at winning.

Ash's lycanroc bounded out of the way, whipping around to land a fierce bite on the other lycanroc's hind leg. It yelped in pain and surprise and had to struggle to free itself.

"Now finish it with thunder fang!" Ash urged.

His lycanroc bared her now sparking fangs and lunged. Too tired to avoid the attack, the opposing lycanroc took the hit and went down, stunned.

"You did well, Lycanroc," Kahuna Olivia said. "Return."

Her lycanroc vanished into its poké ball and she crossed the battlefield to face Ash. "You've improved a lot since we last battled," she said warmly. "You've earned this." She handed Ash a brown Z-crystal. "The Lycanium Z. It's not what I usually hand out, but I think you and your unusual lycanroc will make good use of it."

"Thank you," Ash said, looking down guiltily. "And I'm sorry about how I acted after our first battle."

"It's all right," Olivia assured him with a smile. "We all do things we aren't proud of, but it's good to own up to them."

"Well done, Ash," Drew said. His smile was faint, but his eyes brimmed with warmth. "Am I allowed to be proud of you?"

"Thanks, Drew! You were a lot of help." Ash was warmed by Drew's praise—he didn't give it easily. Ash looked at Lycanroc. "I'm proud of you, evolving in the nick of time like that. You were amazing!"

Lycanroc barked cheerfully, giving him a series of affectionate licks. He pet her, scratching behind the ears—her favorite spot—before recalling her.

"If you don't mind me saying this," Olivia said, "you boys make a lovely couple."

Drew looked startled but didn't object, only mumbling an awkward, "Thanks." Easier than doing the whole we're not a couple thing again, Ash figured. He wasn't going to disagree himself.

"So," Drew said to Ash as they made their way back to town, "I take it now's the time for a celebratory dinner?"

"That's a great idea," Ash said. "I'm starving."

"You always say that," Drew teased. "You can decide where we go this time. I'm buying, don't even try to object. We're celebrating your win, after all."

"Thanks, Drew," Ash said. "Really, you've been great lately."

It was hard to tell in the growing dark, but he could've sworn Drew blushed. "No need to thank me, Ash."

Drew picked at his food, wishing he could settle his nerves. He wasn't looking forward to the trip to Ula'Ula in the morning, but the least he could do was try and enjoy tonight.

He was so obvious that even Ash clearly realized something was up; he kept giving Drew this look, his brown eyes soft and worried. "Drew, is something wrong?"

"I'm fine." The words came out harsher than he'd intended and he felt a pang of guilt when Ash flinched. "Sorry."

"No worries," Ash said. He must have been in a good mood after his win against Olivia; nothing would bring him down now. "But what's gotten into you? I know something's bothering you; I'm not that dense."

"It's nothing serious," Drew said. "It's just been a long day is all. And it's kinda hot in here."

"It must be, with that black turtleneck you're wearing." Ash frowned a little. "But haven't you been talking for days about how cold it's been?"

"Not in here it isn't," Drew said. "But you don't have to make a fuss. I'll be fine."

Ash still suspected something was bugging Drew that he wouldn't admit. He'd excused himself to the bathroom a few minutes ago—unsurprising, considering he'd downed at least three glasses of water since they got here—leaving Ash to wonder what had been going on with his friend these last few days. Drew always seemed eager to train and acted like himself during it, but afterward he'd be grumpy and tired no matter how things had gone. He hadn't been eating much either—he was starting to look thinner than usual. It was weird.

He'd been gone a while. Ash wondered if he should go check on him, just to make sure he was okay, but Drew might not appreciate that; he preferred taking care of himself. But if he was sick or something, did that matter?

Ash was about to get up when Drew returned, looking perfectly like himself. "There must be a vileplume or something in here," Drew remarked casually. "Something set me off coughing so hard I nearly stumbled into the women's room."

"Oh boy," Ash said.

"'Oh boy' is right," Drew replied before awkwardly clearing his throat. "Moving on. I take it you're looking forward to heading for the next island?"

"You bet!" Ash was surprised someone as smart as Drew would have to ask. "But are you gonna disappear like you did last time we were on a boat?"

"Probably," Drew answered. He suddenly looked away like he was embarrassed. "I get seasick. It's not pretty, and I'd rather you not see me like that."

"Is that what you've been upset about?" Ash was almost relieved. "It's okay, lots of people get seasick. I'll stay with you this time."

Drew looked even more embarrassed now that Ash had made that offer. "You don't have to do that."

"You took care of me when I was sick," Ash reminded him. "There's no reason I can't do the same for you." With a grin, he added, "And I sneezed on you. That's not pretty either."

"Yeah," Drew agreed with a self-conscious laugh, "that was really gross."

Ash tilted his head. "So it's settled?"

"I still don't like it," Drew said. "But if you insist."

And that was Ash's second victory of the day.

Chapter Text

Ash rubbed small circles on Drew's back, trying not to flinch at the spasms that wracked his friend's body. The normally elegant and pulled-together coordinator was leaning over the boat's railing, his knuckles white from clinging to it for dear life, as he violently heaved his guts out. Poor guy. He had to be absolutely miserable.

Heat came off of him in waves; did seasickness usually come with a fever? Ash wasn't sure, but it was weird that Drew had been complaining about heat last night when he usually ran cold. "You're sick, aren't you?"

Drew lifted his head to give Ash a sidelong glance. "Yeah, no kidding." He gagged and returned to his former position. That was the most he'd said in a while, earlier only mumbling an apology when this started—which Ash had responded to by squeezing his shoulder and assuring him it was okay—and growling Don't when Ash tried touching his stomach.

Ash sighed. "No, I mean you've been sick for days. You must've caught what I had."

"Ugh," Drew muttered. Ash couldn't tell if it was a response to him or just a commentary on his situation. From his position on Ash's shoulder, Pikachu gave Drew a pitying look and reached over to pat his shoulder.

"I know you feel awful right now, but it's gonna be okay," Ash soothed. "We'll be able to get off soon and then you can rest on solid ground."

Drew's only response was an exhausted groan.

"Do you think you could keep down some water?" Ash was worried if his friend didn't at least drink something, he'd get worse. If there was worse than his current state, that is.

Drew shook his head weakly. 

"Come on," Ash said, taking his water bottle out of his bag. "At least try. You're sick, you need fluids."

To his relief, Drew complied, taking the water bottle with a shaky hand  and taking a few small, cautious sips before handing it back. Only a few moments passed before he coughed and leaned over the railing again, bringing the water back up. He looked at Ash miserably. "Told you."

"At least you tried," Ash said in an attempt to be optimistic. He resumed rubbing his friend's back. "Hang in there, buddy. You're gonna be fine, just hang in there a little longer."

Drew felt only slightly less miserable on land. His head was pounding, his throat felt raw, and he was so overcome by vertigo he had to tolerate Ash's arm around his waist to stay upright.

He didn't make sense of his surroundings until Ash was easing him onto a bed. "There you go. Just take it easy."

"Can you not talk so loud? My head is killing me."

"Sorry," Ash said more quietly. "Relax and try to get some sleep, okay? You're gonna be fine."

Drew wanted to snap at him just to make him go away. He knew on a rational level that he wasn't dying, but he felt like he was, and he'd rather die with a little dignity. He shut his eyes, hoping sleep would eventually take him.

A cool cloth pressed against his blazing forehead and he couldn't withhold a sigh of relief; so much for dying with dignity.

"That good, huh?" He could hear the smile in Ash's voice. "You know, you could've told me you didn't feel well sooner. All that time you spent telling me to take it easy and you turn around and do this to yourself?"

He was right; Drew was such a hypocrite.

"You've gotta stop trying to be independent all the time and let people—whoa, you look like you're gonna be sick again, do you need a bin?"

He swallowed hard against the bile rising in his throat. "Probably not." He was going to keep from vomiting in front of his crush again through sheer force of will.

"Okay, if you say so," Ash said. "Can you try keeping down some water again?"

Drew opened his eyes and forced himself into a sitting position. It was worth a shot—he didn't have much to lose but the dryness and taste of bile in his mouth. He accepted the water Ash held out to him and carefully sipped it. He then handed it back to Ash and flopped onto his side, utterly exhausted.

Ash smiled and sighed in relief. "Thanks, Drew." A gentle hand combed through Drew's hair and abruptly stopped. "You're sweating a lot. Would you be okay with taking some clothes off?"

"No," Drew said firmly. Was it unreasonable? A little. Was he going to budge? Absolutely not. He hadn't made Ash take anything off when he was the one with a fever.

"That's okay," Ash said, sounding completely unbothered. "I'll just have to find some other way to cool you down."

"Thanks, Ash."

"No problem." Ash touched Drew's cheek lightly, almost a caress, and Drew's heart skipped a beat. "I want you to be comfortable, I'm not gonna make you do anything you're not comfy with."

Did he just say comfy? That was way too cute. Forget the fever, Drew's cause of death was going to be cuteness overload from being around this precious boy. 

Before he'd even realized Ash had gone anywhere, he was back, gently running something cold and damp along Drew's face and through his hair. He closed his eyes, letting himself be comforted. It never ceased to surprise and impress him how gentle Ash could be—how a boy so loud and brash and full of energy could sit here, quiet and patiently comforting, slowly soothing a miserable and exhausted friend to sleep.

Drew woke up disoriented. Light still filtered through the curtain, so either he hadn't slept long or he'd slept for a very long time—most likely the former, given that he didn't feel much better. At least he didn't feel as hot, but everything ached and his nose was starting to itch. Ash was nowhere to be seen, but Pikachu sat vigil at Drew's side, warm brown eyes like his trainer's watching attentively. Ash must've said to keep an eye on him.

Stifling a yawn and swallowing hard when it threatened to turn into a gag, he glanced over the edge of the bed and found a waste basket lined with a plastic bag had been moved there. So Ash did think things through sometimes.

The door opened and Ash walked in, a mug in hand. "Hey, you're awake."

"I noticed," Drew replied. "It sucks."

He expected Ash to say something optimistic, but instead he just said, "I know. That bug you caught from me hits hard enough, being seasick on top of that must be horrible."

Not the optimism Drew had expected, but compassion was just as typical of Ash and so much better. He sat beside Drew and handed him the mug. "Nurse Joy said peppermint or ginger would help. I thought peppermint sounded nice."

"You made tea for me?"

Ash nodded. "You did it for me, so—"

"Thanks, Ash." He didn't know how to tell Ash how much that meant to him. "That's really thoughtful."

Ash grinned sheepishly. Was this fever messing with Drew's head, or was he blushing? "I try to be."

Drew wasn't sure whether that feeling in his stomach was because of the way Ash was smiling at him or the nausea from earlier returning with a vengeance, but he sipped his tea in hopes of settling it down.

Ash rested a hand on Drew's forehead. "You still feel hot. Do you hurt anywhere?"

"Try everywhere." He normally wouldn't be so open about how terrible he was feeling, but if Ash was planning on helping, he could use it.

Ash frowned. "That's rough. Where do you want me to start?"

Start what? Drew wanted to ask. "Shoulders?" he said instead.

"Got it." Ash moved a little behind Drew and started massaging the aching muscles near his shoulder blades, gentle at first, then more firmly.

Drew was so caught off guard by how nice it felt that he nearly dropped his tea. "Whoa."

Ash stopped. "Was that a good whoa or a bad whoa?"

"Good," Drew assured him. "Very good."

Ash continued, moving on to Drew's mid-back. "If I do anything that hurts, tell me, okay? Say something like, 'Ow, that hurts,' so I'll know to stop."

Drew let out a short laugh despite himself. "Got it."

They lapsed into silence for a while, before Ash spoke again. "I really don't know what I'm doing," he confessed. "I don't do this much, the taking care of sick people thing."

"Believe me, I'd tell you if you were doing a bad job," Drew said, earning an unusually self-conscious chuckle from Ash. "You're doing fine."

"I guess I did pick up a thing or two from Brock," he said. "And from you. You did a good job looking after me."

Drew was warmed by the praise. "Would you believe me if I told you I wasn't sure what I was doing either?"

"You weren't?" Ash sounded surprised. "You seemed like you knew what to do."

"I'm a talented actor." Drew didn't know why he was telling Ash all this. To commiserate, like Ash had with him? Or because he wanted Ash to know this personal thing—that he wasn't always as sure of himself as he seemed? Or maybe it was just the fever talking.

He finished the tea and let his eyes close. Ash rubbing his back felt good, and he was tempted to lean into the touch a little.

He didn't realize he'd dozed off until Ash had wrapped arms around him with a startled, "Whoa!" He laughed nervously. "Don't pass out on me. You okay, buddy?"

Heat surged to Drew's face as he looked up at Ash. "Depends on how you define 'okay'."

Ash tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"You've gotta tell me if we're talking physical or emotional here." What was he saying? It was like he'd lost control and his mouth was just acting of its own accord, saying barely coherent nonsense. Definitely the fever talking. "Physically, I'm about as close to okay as I was a few seconds ago; emotionally, I'm mortified because I just fell asleep for a second." He paused. "You give fantastic massages by the way. I'm almost offended you've been holding out on me this long."

Ash definitely blushed at that, which meant at least one thing Drew said had made sense. It also meant Drew wasn't the only flustered one here, which was another plus. "Thanks, Drew."

Drew felt something that he knew wasn't because of the way Ash was smiling at him. "Ash," he said shakily, "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Uh-oh." Quick as a flash, Ash reached down and grabbed the bin beside the bed. He seemed mostly unfazed by the situation, just gently patting Drew's back as he vomited yet again. "There, there, buddy. Let's try ginger next time."

Drew's seasickness eventually subsided, only to give way to a cough and a rising fever. Ash had to persuade him to eat or drink something every once in a while to keep his strength up; he didn't seem like he was having trouble keeping anything down now, but illness had killed his already small appetite.

"Hey, Ash?" Drew's voice was quiet and strained, and got Ash's attention immediately.

"What's up?"

"There's a thing of ibuprofen in my bag, can you get it out for me?" he asked. "My head hurts."

"Sure thing, buddy." Ash went through Drew's bag, trying not to pay too much attention to anything that wasn't a pill bottle. He quickly found it and brought it to him along with some water, sitting beside him to help him take it.

"Thanks, Ash," Drew said. "I love you."

At first Ash wasn't sure he'd heard his friend right. Drew wasn't normally the type for open declarations like that. "Uh, thanks. I love you too." He did, really. Drew had become a good friend.

"I'm sorry," Drew said suddenly, which startled Ash more than the other declaration.

"What are you apologizing for?"

"This is another delay for you," Drew said. "You were frustrated about getting sick because that was a setback, and you were so upset after your loss against Olivia—"

"Hey," Ash interrupted him. "Don't be sorry. It's not your fault and I'm not upset, I just want you to feel better because you're my friend and I care about you."

Drew sighed like he was relieved; he must have actually thought Ash was upset with him, which made Ash want to apologize for whatever he did to make his friend think that.

"Don't ever think I'm mad at you for something you can't help, okay?" Ash was relieved to see Drew nod. "And you don't have to push through it alone either. I'm here for you."

Drew moved to comfortably rest his head in Ash's lap. "I really don't feel great," he confessed.

Something panged in Ash's chest. "I know," he murmured, running a hand up and down Drew's back. "You're gonna be okay, though. You're one of the toughest people I know."

A little light returned to Drew's eyes. "You mean that?"

"'Course I do," Ash said.

Drew found the strength to smile faintly. "That's high praise, coming from you." He muffled a few coughs and closed his eyes with an exhausted little sigh.

Within a couple minutes, he was asleep, snoring a little less softly than usual on Ash's lap. Ash realized that he wasn't going to be able to move without possibly waking Drew—a light sleeper who really needed rest—so he stayed put.

Ash had never seen Drew in such a vulnerable state—even when he'd been sick before, on Akala Island, he'd recovered quickly—and as much as it hurt seeing his friend suffer, there was something oddly endearing about it.

The first two things Drew was aware of were warmth and the sound of Ash's snoring. He blinked sleep from his eyes and found that not only was his head on Ash's lap—who had somehow fallen asleep sitting up—but Pikachu was also curled up near his chest. The warm presence of the two was more comforting than Drew would ever admit, especially with the chill that had come over him.

He stifled a sneeze and the movement woke Pikachu, who lifted his head to look at Drew. "Chu?"

"I'm okay," Drew said, sniffling a little. He didn't think he'd ever been so congested in his life and it felt so gross. How had Ash survived it?

Ash stirred, yawning, and Drew was suddenly very aware of the position he was in. Unfortunately, he didn't think he had the strength to move.

"You're awake," Ash said warmly. "How're you feeling?"

"Cold and congested," Drew answered, struggling into a sitting position. Come to think of it, his head and throat hurt, but he didn't want to complain too much.

Ash frowned—Drew wasn't sure what that meant—and reached for a tissue, which he handed to Drew. "Blow—no, you're not gonna get anything out like that. Harder."

"I don't want to be gross in front of you."

"Drew," Ash said gently. "I hate to break it to you, but I think we passed that a while ago."

Okay. Fair.

"Please just stop being shy about it and blow your nose, your sniffling is making me sad."

Well, he didn't want to make Ash sad. He complied, setting off a series of sneezes forceful enough that every single one sent a jolt through his entire body.

"Whoa," Ash said when it was over, sounding almost impressed. "Better?"

"Kinda." His congestion problem was solved, but he was still cold and sneezing had aggravated his already sore throat; talking would probably aggravate it more, he realized, so he needed to stop doing that.

"You're shivering," Ash said. "C'mere." He wrapped his arms around Drew's body and pulled him close, tucking Drew's head under his chin. Drew was almost startled by the intimacy of it, but he was so cold and so tired that he couldn't stop himself from melting into Ash's warmth.

Ash still had no idea what he was doing. Drew had gone into komala mode—mostly sleeping and clinging to Ash like he was his only lifeline, which made it difficult to do much for him other than offer comfort. Sometimes he slept fitfully, groaning and whimpering and writhing like he couldn't get comfortable, but he seemed to be sleeping peacefully now; he lay still, his gentle snores muffled into Ash's shoulder.

Drew mumbled something, voice hoarse and blurred by sleep, and nuzzled Ash a little.

Something  stirred in Ash's chest, something he'd definitely felt before, though he wasn't sure what it was. "What'd you say?"

Drew repeated himself, but Ash still had no idea what he'd said. Before he could ask again, Drew broke into a coughing fit and Ash's attention went to that.

"Whoa, easy, easy." He patted his friend's back while Drew coughed roughly into his shoulder.

When the coughing tapered off, the only sounds were Drew's ragged breathing and Ash's hopefully reassuring voice. "That's it, deep breaths. It's okay, buddy, I've got you, you're okay." He eventually wasn't sure what he was saying, but it seemed to be helping; Drew had relaxed, rubbing at his eyes—which had teared up from the force of his coughing—before looking up at Ash sheepishly.

"I'm okay now," he said hoarsely. "Sorry about that."

Ash ran his hand through Drew's hair. "Don't apologize. And don't apologize for apologizing," he added when Drew opened his mouth again. "This is really hitting you hard, huh?"

Reluctantly, Drew nodded.

"Can I get you anything to help?" Ash couldn't remember the last time his friend had eaten.

"Please don't leave," Drew said, sounding younger and smaller than Ash had ever heard him sound, even when they were kids back in Hoenn.

Ash blinked in surprise. "Okay, I won't."

"Thanks, Ash." Drew nuzzled into Ash's chest and quickly fell asleep again.

Chapter Text

Drew stumbled, unused to being on his feet, and Ash steadied him. "Easy there. Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Absolutely," Drew said. "It's just a little walk to Malie Garden. I can handle that." He understood now why Ash had been so frustrated when he was sick; as soon as he had the energy to move, he was restless and needed fresh air. Roselia was looking at him doubtfully, but she didn't comment.

He let Ash lead him out and blinked as his eyes readjusted to the sunlight. Realizing he had no way of knowing which way to go, he accepted that Ash would have to keep leading the way. Their hands were clasped together—Drew had a feeling it'd be the death of him if their fingers intertwined.

For all his brave words, he found himself tiring fast. To his surprise, Ash noticed, his warm brown eyes meeting Drew's and his hand offering a reassuring squeeze. "We're almost there."

"Don't patronize me," Drew said.

"Okay," Ash responded, unfazed. "Do you want me to let go of your hand?"

"No." Embarrassing as it was to admit, Ash still felt like a lifeline, and any way of holding onto him was a source of comfort and stability—both of which Drew needed.

He focused on the ground, on continuing to put one foot in front of the other, until Ash was pulling him in a different direction. "Drew, here it is!"

They passed through the elegant golden gate. The place was vast and beautiful, brimming with plants Drew remembered seeing in Johto. A river flowed through the garden—Drew recognized the sound and the chill it sent down his spine even before he saw it—and he decided he'd stay clear of it; his history with fast-flowing water wasn't the best.

"Hey, Drew," Ash said. "Looks like other people have their pokémon out. We should let out ours, they'd probably enjoy this place."

Drew couldn't disagree with that. He sent out his pokémon just as Ash was sending out his own. His team—aside from Roselia—looked at him questioningly.

"You guys all need fresh air, right? Enjoy yourselves."

Flygon shot into the air, a green, dragon-shaped bullet; with a flicker of amusement, Drew noticed Ash's pikipek in Flygon's wake, trying her best to keep up with the dragon—and then she started glowing, and then changed shape, keeping up a little better in her new form. Butterfree and Oricorio, along with Ash's ribombee, fluttered off to investigate some nearby flowers, while Absol and Cherrim settled in a patch of sunlight and closed their eyes. Roselia remained at Drew's side.

Most of Ash's pokémon stayed nearby. Popplio went to investigate the river, Pikachu following to keep an eye on him, while Lycanroc wisely kept her distance from it—being a rock-type, it made sense that she'd rather not get wet.

After a few moments of watching their pokémon, Ash flopped down onto the grass and pulled Drew down with him, causing Drew to let out a startled yelp. In response to Drew's glare, Ash grinned at him, and his irritation immediately melted.

Their faces were mere inches apart; Drew could feel the heat of Ash's breath, and it occurred to him how easy it would be to close the short distance between his mouth and Ash's. How easily he could kiss him right now.

What was he thinking? There were about a million reasons not to do that—for one thing, he was recovering from an illness he knew was contagious, and Ash definitely wouldn't want to catch it again. He also had no idea whether Ash even felt remotely the same way he did, and kissing him without warning wasn't the way to find out.

"Earth to Drew." Ash waved a hand in front of Drew's face, and the moment was gone for good. "You spaced out again, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Drew answered. "I was just… thinking about something."

Ash smiled gently, curiosity in his eyes. "About what?"

Dammit. Now he had to make up a lie because there was no way he could tell Ash what he was really thinking.

"You were staring at my mouth," Ash said as if trying to puzzle it out himself, making Drew panic, "do I have something caught in my teeth?"

"No, no, you're good," Drew assured him, mind going numb with relief. "I was just thinking about how easy it'd be to kiss you just now." Why did he say that?

Ash blinked at him. "That's a weird thing to be thinking about," he said, "but I guess you're right. We're what, two inches apart? I don't know why you would, but if you wanted to it would be easy."

Just as Drew was letting relief wash over him at Ash's unfazed response, Ash decided for whatever reason to demonstrate how easy it would be. Their lips touched for a split second before Drew recoiled like he'd been electrocuted, scrambling into a sitting position. He could feel his entire face burning. "Ash! What the hell?"

Ash looked as confused as Drew felt. "You were right, it was easy for me to kiss you. Until you moved away like that, that is."

"Why exactly did you feel the need to test that?" A whirlwind of emotions were going through Drew's head, one he hoped wasn't showing too much on his face—shock, embarrassment, confusion, outrage, and an intense, breathtaking euphoria. Ash Ketchum had kissed him. Ash Ketchum had kissed him.

Ash shrugged. "I dunno, because I wanted to? Sorry if it weirded you out, I guess I should've asked. You're the one who brought up kissing, so I thought..."

Drew's heart was about to burst. Ash had wanted to kiss him. Even if it was for a stupid reason, Ash had wanted to kiss him. Which meant he might want to kiss him for a less stupid reason later. Struggling to gather a little composure, he said, "You're a weird guy, Ash. I'm used to it. Let's just put that behind us, okay?"

"Okay." Ash's reluctance wasn't lost on Drew. "That was weird, I don't know why it happened."

"It doesn't matter," Drew said tersely, pulling himself together at last. "Pretend it didn't happen," he added, though he wasn't sure he himself could do that.

Ash knew Drew was upset with him—the way he had gone quiet, refusing to talk to Ash except for one-syllable responses, was enough to tell him that—but what he didn't know was why. Was he still upset about the kiss? In hindsight, it was a stupid, impulsive thing to do, but Ash couldn't do anything about it now; he'd already apologized, and Drew had told him he'd rather act like it never happened.

From his side of the pokémon center bedroom, Ash looked over at Drew. He'd gone to bed as soon as they came back, claiming he was tired, and he lay perfectly still under the covers now; only the fluffy green hair at the top of his head was visible.

Ash wished he could sleep. Even Pikachu was sleeping, leaving Ash to wonder what had happened between him and his friend. Why had he tried to kiss Drew? Drew was the one who brought it up, but now that Ash thought about it, he had wanted to kiss him right then. A little.

But friends didn't usually kiss each other in movies. Girls Ash was friends with had kissed him on the cheek before—so had Gary once, on a dare when they were seven (or at least that was what he'd told Ash)—but on the lips? None of them had ever done that.

In movies, people kissed on the lips when they were in love. Was he in love with Drew, then?

Ash was jolted out of his thoughts by an irritated, half-asleep groan from Drew.

"You okay?" Ash asked. Just because Drew had decided to act cold didn't mean he couldn't be civil.

"Just fine," Drew muttered in response as he crawled out of bed. He headed for the door, seemingly unaware of his bedhead.

"Where're you going?"

"Out," Drew said.

"I'll come with you." Ash stood, but Drew shook his head.

"I need some time alone," he said curtly. "If there's trouble, I have Roselia and my other pokémon. Don't waste your time worrying."

He walked out. Ash was tempted to follow him, but he clearly wanted space, so it was probably best to give him space.

Ash wondered if he should stay awake until Drew got back. But there was no way of knowing when that would be, and he was suddenly a lot more tired than he'd been earlier. Besides, Drew was tougher than he looked, and he had his pokémon; whatever he'd gone out to do, he'd be fine.

Drew slumped against a tree, exhausted. He'd headed to the quiet outskirts of town, having decided a training session was the best way to clear his head, and was now starting to realize that might not have been the best decision.

"Rose," Roselia chided him.

"I know," Drew said. "We shouldn't have come all the way out here. I wasn't thinking straight." He definitely hadn't been thinking straight in a long time—come to think of it, his moms had a joke about that. "I just need a minute, and then I'll be fine to walk to the pokémon center."

He hoped he would be. There was a chill in the night air—the seasons were changing—and clouds were starting to gather.

Roselia seemed to sense his doubt and she settled close beside him, the fragrance of her roses familiar and comforting. Some of the tension left his body. They would just rest a while longer, and then they could go back.

When Drew wasn't there in the morning, Ash started to worry. His bed was unoccupied, there was no sign of him rooting around in the bathroom, and his bag was still where he'd left it last night. No sign he was nearby and no sign he had come back.

Ash realized he was jumping to conclusions. Drew liked quietly slipping out to train alone or get coffee in the mornings. He'd probably just done that. "Pikachu, do you see a note anywhere?"

Pikachu joined Ash in looking. Neither found a note.

So either Drew was madder than Ash had thought, or something was wrong.

"Looks like we've gotta go find him," Ash said. "I hope he's okay."

"Pika," Pikachu agreed, leaping onto Ash's shoulder.

Ash opened the door, ready to go out and find his friend, and immediately found him. A damp and disheveled Drew stood in front of the door, coffee cup in hand and Roselia at his side.

"Drew!" Forgetting all the tension and awkwardness of the day before, Ash was relieved his friend wasn't in trouble—even if he did look a little worse for wear. "Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" he replied. "Don't answer that. And don't talk to me until I've finished this." He sipped his coffee, then slipped gracefully past Ash to sit on his bed, Roselia following him.

The nerve of this guy! Making Ash worry like that and then brushing him off, telling Ash not to even talk to him! "No," Ash said firmly. "I'm gonna talk to you and you're gonna listen. Why did you run out like that? Did you even come back last night? You say we're friends but you never tell me anything!"

"Ash—"

"I worry about you! Whenever something's bothering you, you always push me away! I just wanna help you but you're too stubborn to—"

"Ash!" The sharpness in Drew's voice stopped him. "I had a rough night, let me have my caffeine and then I can deal with you."

"Deal with me?" That stung. Whatever his feelings for Drew were, Drew obviously didn't feel the same. "Is that all I am to you, another problem to deal with? I thought we were friends!"

Drew didn't look at him. "I'll tell you one thing," he said curtly. "You need to back off now, before one of us says something we'll regret."

Ash shot a glare at him that he didn't see. "Fine." He picked up his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and headed out.

Pikachu looked at Ash, eyes brimming with concern. "Pikapi?"

"I'll be okay," he assured his partner. Drew's coldness hurt, but Ash wasn't angry at him—more frustrated by his stubborn insistence on facing everything alone. He'd been way more of an open book when he was too feverish to care what he was saying, and he was asking for comfort and begging Ash not to leave then. He'd told Ash he loved him.

Now Drew didn't even want to talk to him.

Chapter Text

Drew had held back when Ash was yelling at him, but somehow he still managed to regret everything he'd said. Even if he hadn't the nerve to look at his friend, whom he was hopelessly in love with, he could hear the hurt in his voice. Drew had almost confessed to him right then and there.

"He has no idea how much he means to me."

Roselia gave him a look that seemed to be asking, Why don't you tell him, then?

"You know why," Drew said. "He's probably no more ready to hear it than I am to say it. Especially now."

Roselia shook her head as if she thought he was an idiot. She was probably right, considering the things he'd said.

Having lost interest in finishing his coffee, he threw away what was left of it. He couldn't stay in the room and sulk; he had to go find Ash and talk to him. That was, if he'd want to talk to Drew now.

A sneeze stopped him in his tracks. Great, getting caught in rain last night had made him sick again. He was going to push through it this time, though. If Ash had just decided to take off, Drew couldn't risk losing him. He picked up his bag and headed out.

It was only then that Drew realized he had no idea where Ash would've gone. He headed the way he'd gone last night, hoping to glimpse a red hat, a pikachu, any trace of his friend. Stifling another sneeze, he swore under his breath; he didn't need this right now.

He saw dark hair and a pikachu's tail among a crowd and rushed after them, mumbling, "'Scuse me" and "Pardon" as he wove his way through. When he finally caught up, he found himself face-to-face with a boy who was vaguely familiar, but definitely not Ash—he was shorter than Drew, with brown skin and dark hair in a ponytail.

"Dartrix guy!" Not Ash greeted him, flashing a grin. "Long time no see!"

Drew couldn't even object to being addressed that way, given that he was thinking of this boy as Not Ash; he had to get better at names and faces. "And you're…" His memory was failing him. Who was this kid?

He didn't seem to realize Drew had no clue who he was. "I've gotten a lot stronger since the battle royal, wanna see?"

Now it was coming back to him. This was the kid who'd battled with a dartrix, that Ash had encouraged afterward. "I'll have to pass for now," Drew said, gently as he could. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

The kid looked a little disappointed, but something in Drew's expression must've given away where his mind was—he smiled like he understood. "Okay, we'll battle some other time. You'd better be ready!"

Drew nodded. This kid reminded him so much of Ash, with that determined expression and the pikachu on his shoulder. "I'll be looking forward to it."

The two went their separate ways, Drew glancing around again before turning back the way he'd come from. Ash might've left town at this point—he'd taken his backpack when he stormed out, so there was nothing stopping him. He had every right to.

But maybe, if Drew could catch up with him, he could try to make things right between them.

Ash stopped to sit under a tree. It seemed like a good spot to contemplate—something he'd been doing more of than usual lately.

He unzipped his backpack, unsure of what he was looking for, and noticed the rose he'd shoved in there some time ago. It was crumpled and dried out, but it still held the memory of sitting on a moonlit dock, looking out over the ocean, Drew's hand on top of his in a quiet display of sympathy. It felt like ages ago, but it had only been a couple weeks.

As if summoned by Ash's thoughts, Drew's voice rang out. "Ash! There you are!" Drew ran to him, Roselia following at a calmer pace. "I was starting to think I wouldn't—" he broke off, noticing the rose Ash was holding. "You still have that?"

"Yeah," Ash said, confused. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Figures you'd be the sentimental type," he said. "Maybe you'd appreciate another one, then." He pulled a red rose out of his sleeve with practiced grace. "A peace offering."

Ash accepted it. "I am more than a problem for you to deal with, right?"

"So much more than that," Drew said. "You have no idea."

When Ash looked at him, his expression was unreadable, strangely guarded. "I don't want things to be weird between us," Ash said. "I'm sorry we fought. I just wish you'd let me into that head of yours."

Drew's guard seemed to drop as he sat beside Ash. "You know why I push you away, Ash?"

"No, I don't." Ash wasn't sure where this conversation was going, but if Drew was about to open up about something, he figured he should encourage it.

"Two reasons, really." He took a deep, shaky breath as if steeling himself. "When we were kids, I was jealous of you."

"You were? Why?"

Drew nodded. "You know I had a massive crush on May back then, right? Solidad tells me everybody except for May knew." Ash didn't actually know that, but nodded anyway. "Things between you and her… weren't complicated. You weren't a rival to her. I doubt she ever hesitated to call you a friend."

Ash couldn't ignore the bitterness and pain in Drew's voice, swept up in the memory of a years-old wound. "Drew…"

"It's fine now," he said, his voice and expression softening. "May and I are good friends now, there's no denying that. But, apart from her, I was jealous of you because you never had to put on an act."

He seemed to be struggling, so Ash helped him out. "What do you mean?"

"Coordinators perform as much as our pokémon do. We always have to be pulled-together, graceful, perfect." He spat out the last word like a curse. "And when you're used to doing it onstage, you start doing it offstage too." He looked at Ash directly. "You don't have to do that. You're shamelessly, unapologetically yourself all the time and people like you."

"You know, Drew," Ash said, "I like you better when you're not acting so cool and perfect. Plenty of people would like you."

"You're not the first person to tell me that," Drew said, suddenly becoming very interested in something off to the side, "but it's hard to believe it."

"You said there were two reasons," Ash said. "If jealousy is one, what's the other?"

"There's something about you." Drew looked back at Ash before looking straight ahead. "You're so persistent, so talented at breaking down the walls I put up." His voice shook slightly as he quietly said, "It scares me. Not many people can do that."

Ash didn't know what to say to that. All of this was really a surprise to him.

"I'm afraid of what you do to me. Apart from my moms, I can count the number of people I've opened up to on one hand. I didn't intend for you to be one of them." He laughed, nervous and self-conscious. "And yet here I am, baring my soul to you."

"You don't have to stop," Ash told him.

"I'm done." Drew looked different, Ash realized—a little lighter. Getting all that off his chest must've done something for him.

Ash rested his hand on top of Drew's. "I'm glad you opened up to me."

Drew seemed like he was about to say something, but instead he sneezed, killing the moment.

"Bless you," Ash said. "You okay?"

"Yeah." He sniffled. "Got caught in rain last night, but I'll be fine." He stood. "I bet you're ready to get on with your next trial, huh?"

"Sure am!" Ash shoved the withered rose into his backpack, but hesitated to do the same with the fresh one. He'd hold onto it, for now. He leaped to his feet and slung his backpack over his shoulders. "But can we eat before we go further that way? I haven't eaten all day and I'm starving."

Drew nodded, though his eyes seemed trained on the rose in Ash's hand. "I hear you. All I've had is coffee." His stomach growled loudly and his face went red, eyes widened as if horrified. Ash couldn't help laughing over the intensity of his reaction and Drew's blush deepened. "Quit laughing at me!"

"I'm sorry," Ash said, trying to pull himself together. "It's just, you get so flustered over the tiniest things. It's kinda cute." Wait, did he really just say that?

Drew looked away sharply. His voice was oddly calm as he said, "Whatever. You want me to cook or would you rather head back into town?"

"There's a diner we passed by a while back that looked good," Ash said. "We could go there."

The color fading from his face, Drew nodded. "I'll take your word for it. Let's go."

Chapter Text

Drew could tell how happy Ash was to be back on the road. Their earlier disagreements forgotten, he strode eagerly along the grassy path, eyes shining, a dorky grin on his face and a rose in his hand.

If he was being honest, Drew had no idea what to make of the fact that Ash was still carrying the rose Drew had given him earlier. That had to mean something, right?

Ash had said he didn't want things to be weird between them—whatever that meant. Drew himself had claimed he wanted to pretend the almost-kiss—the catalyst for all this awkwardness—hadn't happened, but he couldn't help thinking of how Ash's lips were softer than he'd expected and the feeling of them brushing against his, even for a brief moment; he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wanted it to happen again.

That was definitely not on Ash's mind. Knowing him, all he was thinking about right then was the trial he was about to face.

That one-track mind would be irritating if it weren't so endearing. Drew could respect Ash's single-minded passion; he understood it, the way his heart had begun to ache for the contest stage. Whatever had come over him in Sinnoh was gone now. Once his journey with Ash drew to a close, he'd be back for the next contest season.

Still, the thought of parting ways with Ash made his chest pang. Where would Ash be going after Alola? Where would Drew be going?

If their hearts were set on separate paths, Drew would miss him.

"Drew?" Ash's concerned voice broke Drew out of his depressing train of thought. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing serious. I was just thinking…" Drew hesitated, but continued, "when this is over and we go our separate ways, I'll miss you."

"Hey, there's no need to think that far ahead!" Ash slung an arm around Drew's shoulders—friendly and casual, yet surprisingly comforting. "We've still got plenty of time here. No need to figure out our next adventure yet."

Trust Ash to not be thinking past his next battle. Still, the implication of there being a them was enough to assuage some of Drew's worries. "I guess you're right."

"I'm right about a lot of thi—WAUGH!" Ash ducked, bringing Drew down with him. Something flew right above their heads—Drew felt talons ruffle his hair—then was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"What was that?" Drew asked as they stood again.

"A fearow," Ash said. "It swooped down outta nowhere! Is everyone okay?"

"Pika," Pikachu answered, nodding. His cheeks sparked like he was ready for their assailant to come back.

"I'm fine too." Drew ran a hand through his hair. "Roselia?"

"Rose-li," she said with a nod.

Ash looked around, then knelt to pick something up—apparently he'd dropped his rose when that fearow attacked them.

Drew wondered how long he was going to keep carrying it.

"Odd place for a bus stop."

Ash agreed with Drew, but he looked at the long way up the mountain where the next trial would be and was grateful they wouldn't have to walk all that way. This would be faster. "How're you holding up?"

"Well enough." Drew lifted a hand, briefly touching his hair, then brought it to his face to stifle a sneeze. "Don't even think about blessing me."

A boy Ash recognized ran up to them. "Aue, it's you two again!"

"Hau!" Ash grinned. "How's it been?"

Hau grinned back. "It's been great! I've found some new friends and my team's gotten a lot stronger. I think Dartrix is gonna evolve soon!"

"That's great!" Ash liked this kid. "It's always exciting when your pokémon evolves. Though some don't want to—like my buddy Pikachu—and that's fine too."

Hau nodded in understanding.

"Guys," Drew interjected, "the bus is here."

"Oh, yeah." Ash wasn't sure how he'd missed it. He looked at Drew, who was frowning about something. "Let's go."

The group boarded the bus, Drew claiming a window seat, resting his head against the window, and Ash settling beside him. Hau took a seat behind them.

"Drew, what's wrong?" Ash wasn't going to let him say he was okay; something was clearly bothering him.

"Just tired," Drew answered. "This morning was pretty eventful."

"Yeah, it was." Ash wasn't sure that was all there was to it, but he had to trust his friend.

"How long have you two been trainers?" Hau asked as the bus started moving.

Ash turned to look at him, keeping an eye on Drew at the same time. "I started my journey about seven years ago."

"Same here," Drew said.

Hau's eyes widened. "Whoa, no wonder you guys battle so well! You're super experienced!"

A ghost of a smile appeared on Drew's face—or maybe it was a smirk. Ash couldn't tell.

"Yeah, I started out in Kanto." Ash was warmed by memories. His journey had had a rough start, but he looked back on the travels through his home region fondly. "Pikachu and I have come a long way since then—haven't we buddy?" Pikachu chirped an agreement, and he continued, "And we've made a lot of great friends—like Drew here."

The ghost of a smile on Drew's face became a full-on smile as he rolled his eyes. "Way to get all sappy on me, Ash."

"Don't act like you're not sappy too," Ash teased. He looked at the rose in his hand—proof of that—and from the way Drew's eyes narrowed and his ears turned pink, he got the message. He let out an irritated little huff and closed his eyes. Ash almost felt guilty for embarrassing him in front of Hau.

"Don't worry about Drew," Ash said when he noticed Hau's concerned expression. "He hasn't been feeling well lately and I think he's moody because of that."

"Yeah," Hau said. "I kinda got that vibe when I met him earlier, like something was bugging him."

If Drew was listening to them, he gave no sign of it.

"So are you two like…" Hau paused as if considering his words. "… dating?"

Why did everyone think that? "Nah, we're good friends is all," Ash answered. Drew's lack of response proved he wasn't listening. "People keep thinking we're a couple for some reason though."

"Oh," Hau said. He seemed a little disappointed—what about, Ash couldn't guess.

Drew cracked an eye open. "If you want advice about a boy, Ash isn't the guy to ask," he said. "He wouldn't know flirting if it dropped into his lap."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash asked, confused. Had someone been flirting with him recently? The waitress at the diner had said Pikachu was cute, but that wasn’t flirting, was it? He was pretty sure he knew what flirting was.

"It means you're dense," Drew said plainly before shutting his eyes again. "We've established that."

"I'm not that dense!" Ash protested. “I’d know if someone was flirting with me… I think.”

Drew didn't reply.

Hau, who must've sensed the awkwardness, carefully said, "I hear the totem here is an electric-type."

"Yeah?" Ash was glad for the change of subject—battling was something he understood. "That means a ground or grass-type would do well."

"I'm gonna battle with Dartrix." Hau grinned. "You've noticed your friend looks like a dartrix, right?"

"Yeah, the green bangs and all." Ash looked at Drew, who must've finally given out, judging by the gentle snoring and the steady rise and fall of his chest. He sure wasn't listening now. "He looks a little like a roselia too. That's always struck me as funny, since he's had one since I met him."

Hau gasped at the realization. "He does!"

Ash chuckled. "I know you haven't seen it as much as I have, but he's a really great guy." He didn't know why he felt the need to say that, but it felt right. "He can seem a little mean sometimes, but he's a good friend and a softie deep down. And he's really fun to battle with."

"I get that," Hau said. "I know a guy who's the same way."

"Is he the guy you wanted advice about?"

Hau nodded, suddenly looking sheepish.

"I might not know a lot about that stuff," Ash said, "but I think it's best just to trust your instincts and do what your heart tells you is right. You're younger than me and Drew and you're probably gonna make as many mistakes as we have, but if you're following your heart everything'll work out in the end, I think."

Hau smiled. "Thanks, Ash. That's really good advice."

Ash wondered if Drew would agree. Since he wasn't awake to hear it, there was no way of knowing.

Chapter Text

Drew was still recovering from the embarrassment of falling asleep on public transportation as he and Ash were led to the trial site—an observatory at the summit of Mount Hokulani. The boy leading them, who had said his name was Sophocles, kept looking back at them as if looking for reactions.

Drew found the building impressive, but he wasn't going to react the  way Ash was—looking around in awe, eyes shining and that boyish grin on his face.

"So," Drew said, "you say you can summon the totem pokémon?"

"It should work," Sophocles answered. "The machine caused a blackout last time, but I've worked out the bugs since. That shouldn't happen again."

"That's awesome!" Ash grinned. "I can't wait to see it in action."

Drew was a little more concerned that the thing had caused a blackout, but he kept quiet. Things had been rocky enough for them lately; the universe was bound to let them catch a break eventually.

The totem pokémon, a vikavolt, was fierce, but Lycanroc was fiercer. She was a blur of teeth and claws and stone, shaking off every attack and not giving an inch.

"Hey, Lycanroc, let's give your Z-move a try!" She turned to him when he said it, her eyes flashing with excitement. "Splintered stormshards!"

Performing the poses Olivia had shown them in perfect sync—Ash half wondered if Drew was impressed, but he wasn't about to take his focus off the battle—he and Lycanroc became one and energy surged through them. Lycanroc fired shards of stone at her opponent and it collapsed.

There was a pause. Totem Vikavolt rose, but instead of continuing to fight, it flew away. A bright yellow crystal lay where it had been.

Ash picked it up, grinning. "We did it, guys!"

"Pi-pikachu!" Pikachu cheered from his shoulder. Lycanroc howled triumphantly.

It was then that Ash noticed the damage the room had taken during the battle, and that Drew and Sophocles were backed against a wall. He laughed sheepishly. "Sorry about the mess. I guess we got a little carried away."

"This always happens," Sophocles said. "Don't worry about it."

Drew walked to Ash. "That was… quite a battle." He flashed a smile. "You and Lycanroc did well."

At the sound of her name, Lycanroc rubbed against Drew and licked his hand. He scratched behind her ears.

Ash reached out to pet Lycanroc himself one last time before returning her to her ball. "You were awesome, Lycanroc. Get some rest."

Sophocles led them out just as the moon was rising. Once they were outside, Ash looked up and gasped. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and with how high up they were, the stars seemed so close and so bright. "Drew, look up!"

He heard Drew's breath catch. "Wow."

Ash looked over at him in time to glimpse his awestruck expression, the stars reflecting in brilliant green eyes. In that moment of unrestrained emotion, he was more beautiful than Ash had ever seen him, and Ash suddenly wasn't sure if the high altitude was the only thing making him feel dizzy.

"Hey, Drew, do you want to stay out here a while?"

Drew looked at Ash, and though his expression had mellowed, there was no missing the starlight in his eyes. "Definitely. It's not often there's a view like this—and I'm getting ideas for my next appeal."

"Really?" Ash said, leading the way to a quieter spot where they could talk alone.

Drew nodded. "Coordinating is an art, and the best artists look for inspiration anywhere. When you find beauty, you have to—ah—" a sneeze interrupted him. "Ugh. You have to find a way to use it. You know what I mean?"

"I think so," Ash said. "It's like with battles, you can learn from watching other people battle—seeing what works and putting your own spin on it. Like when you battled May at the Kanto Grand Festival, that awesome spiraling fire-and-water combination she used? She learned that from someone I battled." 

"You remember that?" Drew had raised an eyebrow. "Ash, that was five years ago. You're telling me you remember a battle you weren't in that happened five years ago."

"It was a good battle." Ash nudged him playfully. "May did a good job beating you. I was real proud of her."

"So was I, in a way," Drew said. "She's my rival, but she was a rookie with a lot of potential when I met her and I wanted to see her rise to it—even if it freaked me out when she did and I realized she had caught up to me." There was something bittersweet about his expression—this mixture of emotions Ash couldn't name. "She's really come into her own. You should've seen her in Sinnoh."

It was odd hearing Drew talk about May with so much admiration when he used to make fun of her constantly. But a lot had changed, and that change was a welcome one for sure.

Drew cleared his throat. "So, how're you feeling after that trial?"

"Great!" Ash said. "The next one's some way away, so we'll get some rest and plenty of time to train before then. But I feel ready to face it now."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself," Drew warned. "Remember last time that happened?"

"You worry a lot," Ash said. "I never noticed it when we were younger, but now that we're together more, it seems like you're always worrying. You know you can relax, right?"

"On a rational level, yeah, but some things… aren't rational." Drew lowered his gaze.

"Hey," Ash said gently, putting an arm around Drew's shoulders and pulling him close, feeling him melt into it. "It's okay. If you can't help it, that's not your fault. Just let me know if I can help."

"You know you can't fix me, right?" Drew looked at him, eyes begging Ash to understand. He understood. "You can't love a person's anxiety away."

"I know that, dork." Ash ruffled Drew's hair. "I'm not gonna try to fix you—besides, you're not broken—I just want you to know I'm your friend and I'm here for you no matter what."

Drew smiled; he didn't seem to mind that Ash had messed his hair up. "I appreciate that, Ash."

"Don't mention it."

Ash turned his gaze to the sky, but he didn't feel Drew move to do the same. He was quiet, but not tense; Ash could feel that there wasn't any tension in his back or shoulders. He seemed almost content.

Drew suddenly tensed up, then sneezed.

"Maybe it's time we go inside," Ash said. "You're gonna catch a chill out here."

"Fine by me." Drew moved away from Ash. "It's about time we get some rest anyway."

"Yeah, I'm beat." Ash yawned. "And we'll have an early day tomorrow. I wanna help Hau prepare for the trial and I think we both promised him a battle." 

Drew's eyes narrowed. "Sometimes I think you're too nice."

"Butterfree, let's go!"

Ash couldn't help wondering if Drew had chosen to use his butterfree in battle against Hau so he'd be ready to face a bug-type. Trust him to be thinking like that.

Instead of sending out his dartrix, Hau sent out a raichu—one of the Alolan ones, with bright blue eyes. Pikachu's cheeks sparked at the sight of it; he probably wanted a chance to prove himself against his evolution again.

"Sorry, buddy," Ash said. "This is Drew's battle. You'll get your chance."

Pikachu nodded.

[BATTLE SCENE GOES HERE; DREW NARROWLY LOSES]

"You did well, Butterfree. Return." Drew recalled his butterfree, then flashed a smile. "You have talent, kid. Ever heard of pokémon contests?"

Hau looked up from petting his raichu. "I think so. They're a big thing over in Hoenn, right?"

"They sure are." Drew looked pleased that Hau knew that much. "And in Sinnoh, Johto, and Kanto. I've heard they're making their way to a couple other regions too. If you get the chance, maybe you should give them a try."

"Maybe I will," Hau said. "If they come to Alola, or if I ever go somewhere else."

Drew seemed satisfied with that. "Well, Ash and I have to move on, but good luck with your trial."

"Yeah," Ash said. "You're a good trainer with good pokémon, you'll do great."

Hau grinned. "Thanks, guys. See you around!"

As he went his own way, Ash looked at Drew. "So you think Hau would be a good coordinator?"

"Sure, why not?" Drew said. "I think you'd be a good coordinator if you weren't so set on a different path."

"You do?" That was a surprise to hear.

"May told me you competed against her in an unofficial contest once, back in Kanto. And you two tied for first place, didn't you?"

"That's right," Ash said. He still had his half of the ribbon they'd won.

"That was after she'd made it to the semifinals at the Grand Festival." There was a seriousness in Drew's expression, like this was something he'd thought a lot about. "It says a lot for your talent that you managed that when you'd never competed in a contest before."

"I guess so, huh?" Ash rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly; Drew had praised him before, but this felt different. "But you're right that I'm on a different path. I'm a trainer, and I'm gonna be a pokémon master someday."

"Knowing your stubbornness," Drew said affectionately, "I think you can do that, Ash."

On the bus once more, the conversation he'd had with Ash kept replaying in Drew's head. He hadn't meant to say all that, but it was out now—Ash hadn't exactly seemed uncomfortable with the praise, but Drew still felt like he'd been too forward, said too much. Ash had that effect on him nowadays.

He felt a weight on his shoulder and glanced over. Ash was asleep, his head resting on Drew's shoulder. He must have been tired—and after his trial, their heart-to-heart beneath the stars, and everything with Hau, Drew couldn't blame him.

None of the others on the bus seemed to take notice of them, which was a relief. Drew was tempted to use Ash's hat to hide his face regardless; he felt self-conscious, being seen in this position, and Ash's snoring was bound to get someone's attention eventually.

Trying his best not to disturb him, Drew removed the cap from Ash's head, feeling relief wash over him when his friend didn't wake—though the pikachu in his lap looked puzzled by Drew's actions. He then pulled it low over his eyes. Confident that his hair and face—the things that would make him most easily recognizable—were both concealed, he let himself relax. 

At his side, Ash seemed perfectly at peace. Both his arms had wrapped around Drew's arm as if to keep himself stable. Drew didn't have to look at him to know he was being very cute right now. Acting on an impulse, he lightly kissed Ash's head. There was a quiet "Aww" from somewhere nearby and Drew pulled the cap down lower, feeling heat rise to his face.

The next thing Ash knew, Drew was nudging him awake. "Ash, we've gotta go."

"Yeah, I'm up." Ash looked at Drew. "You're wearing my hat."

"Sun was in my eyes," Drew said, taking it off and putting it back on Ash's head. Drew's hair was sticking up a bit. He didn't seem to notice, so Ash reached out and smoothed it for him. Drew blinked a couple times in surprise, but didn't say anything.

They got off the bus and Drew let Roselia out again. The group soon fell into step together.

"Ugh," Drew said with a disgusted glance at his shoulder, "I think you drooled on me."

"Sorry about that." Ash hadn't meant to fall asleep and wake up with his head on Drew's shoulder, but he'd been tired.

Drew shrugged. "No big deal. At least I'm not gonna get the flu from that, unlike when you sneezed on me."

"You're still mad about that?"

"Nah," Drew said, smiling. "Just wanted to remind you it happened."

Chapter Text

"Hey, Ash?"

Ash looked at Drew. In the past few days of travel, the air had become crisp with the chill of autumn, and Drew had swapped out his usual light lavender jacket for a thicker one in a darker shade of purple; he also donned a scarf of the same color. They looked nice on him—but then, everything probably did. "What is it, Drew?"

"I…" he trailed off, looking away. "Never mind."

"You can tell me if something's bothering you," Ash reminded him.

"It's nothing," Drew said. "Don't worry about it."

Ash hadn't seen Drew acting this shy in a while. What had gotten into him? Maybe getting him to talk about something else would help. "So, where'd you get the scarf?"

He looked grateful for the change of subject. "It was a gift from my… friend. In Sinnoh." An amused half-smile appeared on his face. "He got all worried because I'm from Hoenn and obviously had no idea how to deal with the cold."

"Who's 'he'?" Ash was glad to be able to coax conversation out of his friend. "Harley?"

Drew shook his head. "You got your pikachu from Professor Oak, right? Ever heard of his grandson? Tall, spiky reddish-brown hair, kind of obnoxious?"

"Gary!" Ash hadn't heard from him in a while. "He and I go way back, I didn't know you knew him."

"Yeah, we met in Sinnoh. We hung out, got each other out of some tight spots, made out a couple times—"

"You what?"

"Made… out?" Drew tilted his head. "Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all." Ash hadn't expected Drew to drop something like that so casually, but Gary kissing guys wasn't new information. Drew kissing guys wasn't breaking news either, he figured.

Drew blinked. "… Anyway. Standard friend stuff. Except the making out part, that was because we dated for a while. He's a piece of work, but you learn to love him."

"Yeah. You should've met him when he and I first started out as trainers," Ash said. "He was worse back then. You reminded me of him when we first met."

"Thanks for that, Ash," Drew deadpanned.

"Hey, you know what you were like. You insulted May and her beautifly for no reason."

"Okay, fair," Drew said. "But in my defense, I had nearly taken a frisbee to the face from a really cute girl with an equally cute friend and I was eleven."

"An equally cute friend?" Was Drew talking about Beautifly? He sure used to give Beautifly a lot of roses.

"Hey, look! Civilization ahead!" Drew dashed ahead and Ash ran to catch up with him.

Even if there weren't more water and plants than they'd seen in days, this place would be an oasis for offering Drew an excuse to end that conversation with Ash.

He'd had two opportunities to tell Ash how he felt, but he'd been a scaredy-skitty and bailed on it both times. He would have to tell him eventually, but would Ash be ready to hear it? Would Drew be ready to say it?

First, he needed to have a conversation with Gary, because he had not realized the Ash he knew and the Ash Gary had talked about were the same person, and falling in love with his ex-boyfriend’s childhood friend was a horrifying coincidence.

"Hey, the next trial site isn't far from here!" Ash's voice broke into Drew's thoughts. "We could get there before the day's out!"

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Drew asked. "The sun is about to set."

"The sky's clear and it's gonna be a full moon. It'll be fine." Ash had a confident smile on his face. Drew wasn't sure he could deter him, and that was a good point.

Still, he had a bad feeling about this.

The trial site was south of Tapu Village—a place that, apart from a lone pokémon center, was more ruins than anything that could be called a village. The place had an eerie vibe, and seemed colder than where they'd been before.

"Hello." At the sound of a girl's voice, Drew let out a yelp and grabbed onto Ash's arm.

Ash glanced at him. This place's atmosphere must've put him on edge. But where had that voice come from?

A petite girl with lavender hair strolled up to them, an odd pokémon at her side—it looked a little like a pikachu, but… not. "Did I scare you? You two sure look nervous."

Drew let go of Ash, awkwardly clearing his throat, and set about adjusting his scarf. "I'm not nervous," he said unconvincingly.

This girl seemed harmless, so Ash took out his pokédex to scan her pokémon.

"Mimikyu, the disguise pokémon. A ghost and fairy-type. It wears a ragged head cover to look like pikachu. It is said that a scholar who tried to look inside met his end."

"Mimikyu, huh? You sure don't look deadly." Ash knelt to be on eye level with the mimikyu. It was pretty cute, really.

Pikachu tilted his head, ears pricked in curiosity. He jumped off Ash's shoulder to get closer to Mimikyu and sniffed it. It hissed threateningly and Pikachu ran to hide behind Ash.

"I'm with Pikachu on that one," Drew said.

The girl gave Drew a look—which Ash thought was fair, since he'd just insulted her pokémon. Mimikyu made a sad little noise.

"Drew!" Ash scolded him. "You hurt its feelings! Tell it you're sorry!"

Drew put his hands up defensively. "Alright, alright." Apprehensively, he knelt to look Mimikyu in the eyes—though he was looking at the ones on the disguise instead of its actual eyes. "I'm sorry. What I said was mean. I'm sure you have a dazzling personality."

It squeaked delightedly and jumped into Drew's arms. He paled. Ash couldn't help feeling a little jealous that the mimikyu liked Drew more than him.

The girl giggled. "Looks like Mimikins likes you. I'm Acerola, are you here for the trial or to know what's up with this place?"

"For the trial," Drew said, stiffly petting the pokémon in his arms, "but information would be nice."

"Tapu Village used to be an actual village," Acerola said. "But the people who lived here angered the island's guardian deity, Tapu Bulu, and it reduced the place to rubble. Vengeful spirits still reside here—or so they say. Ironic that a village named after the deities would meet such a fate."

"Whoa," Ash said. “Spooky.”

"The trial site's that way." She pointed toward a black sand beach. "Though it might be best to wait until morning." Her mimikyu jumped out of Drew's arms. "Well, see you around!"

"That thing gives me the creeps," Drew said when the two were out of earshot, standing up and dusting himself off.

"I think it's cute." Ash didn't understand why Drew was so wary of it. It didn't look that different from Pikachu, and Drew got along fine with Pikachu. "Anyway, the trial site's right there! Let's go!" Ash started off that way, but Drew stopped him.

"It's gonna be dark by the time we get down there," Drew said. "Maybe we should wait until morning like she said."

"You don't have to come if you're scared," Ash said. This was his challenge anyway. Even if he'd like to have Drew around, he didn't have to drag his friend along.

Drew's expression hardened. "No, if you're insistent on going, I'm coming with you."

As they headed for the beach, Ash spotted movement in the corner of his eye. Something was following them.

Or maybe it wasn't. He wasn't going to get nervous and paranoid when there was a trial ahead.

The beach was perfectly quiet and peaceful. Apart from the sand being pitch black, it looked like an ordinary beach, moonlight reflecting on the water and waves gently lapping the shore.

Drew's eyes were focused on the path ahead. If he was still nervous, it wasn't showing. There was a dilapidated building in the distance—could that be the trial site? Ash ran ahead.

"Ash, wait up!" Drew's voice broke into the quiet. Once he'd caught up, he looked at Ash seriously. "I think something's following us. We'd best not get separated until we find out what it is. I swear, if it's that mimikyu again…"

So it wasn't Ash's imagination. "It's okay," he said, trying to be reassuring, "it's probably nothing. But you're right that we should stay close."

Getting closer to the building revealed what it had once been—a supermarket.

"This is the trial site?" Drew raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Ash said. "Which means…"

"We have to go in there?"

"Looks like it." The door slid open when they got close. "The automatic doors still work. Weird."

Ash walked in and Drew followed him. The door immediately shut.

They were trapped.

The pale moonlight filtering through holes in the roof wasn't enough to see by.

"Absol, use flash!" Drew sent out his absol, who immediately lit up the dark building just enough that they could see what was closest.

"Good thinking, Drew," Ash said, taking in the surroundings. It looked like the once-supermarket had been completely destroyed. Items were scattered everywhere in sight. Ash didn't want to say it, but there was an eerie feeling, as if something lived here that wasn't friendly. "We don't want to get separated in here. Maybe we should hold hands."

"Who's scared now?" Drew challenged. But his fingers laced together with Ash's.

Would they have to look for the totem pokémon in here? Would it let them out if Ash won? Hopefully.

Absol stayed slightly ahead of them as they walked, just like back in Diglett's Tunnel. This place was just as ominously quiet; the sound of their footsteps seemed louder in the silence.

Ash heard the clang of metal hitting something, followed by Drew's voice raised in a yelp. "Ow! Fuck!"

Drew was scowling, his free hand on the back of his head, but when he saw Ash looking at him in surprise he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I don't know where that came from."

Ash was less concerned with the swearing than he was with his friend being hit upside the head. "Are you okay? That sounded like it hurt."

"It hurt a lot and still does, not gonna lie, but I'm fine." Drew squeezed Ash's hand three times as if for emphasis. "Let's just find the totem pokémon and get out of here."

They kept walking, passing through another aisle. Drew suddenly staggered and grabbed onto a shelf for balance.

"Drew? Is something wrong?" Ash let go of Drew's hand to put an arm around his shoulders, keeping him steady.

"Just a little woozy." He let go of the shelf and leaned against Ash. "It's fine, it'll pass."

Even in the dim light, there was no mistaking that he was pale as a ghost. Ash eased him to the floor. "It's okay, just take it easy."

Drew kept leaning against Ash, a cold sweat breaking across pale skin. His absol pressed at his other side protectively.

"It's okay, buddy," Ash said. "We've got you. You're gonna be fine." He wasn't sure which of them he was trying to convince.

Drew's eyes closed and Ash thought he might've passed out. But he opened them a moment later. "I… I think I'm okay now."

"That's a relief." Ash was ready to help him to his feet, but he stood on his own. "You can still lean on me for a while."

"That's not necessary," Drew said curtly.

Ash gently reached out to hold his hand again, but he backed away. "Don't touch me."

"Don't you at least want to—"

"I said don't touch me!"

Ash took a step closer to him, alarmed by the outburst. "Drew—"

"Get away from me!" Drew's fist swung at Ash's face and he could've sworn in the midst of pain and shock and his vision blurring as his eyes teared up, he heard something crack. Then he felt heat on his upper lip. His nose was bleeding.

Drew had punched him.

Absol growled at his trainer, and then Ash realized something definitely wasn't right. Not only would Drew never punch him—he wasn't actually sure if Drew knew how to throw a punch—but the look in his eyes and the way he was standing were off.

He was possessed.

"Hey," Ash said firmly. "Get out of my friend."

"What are you talking about?" That questioning tone, the raised eyebrow, the slight tilt of his head, were so distinctly Drew that Ash was almost fooled. Almost.

"I'm not falling for that." Ash looked at Pikachu, then back at Not Drew. "Pikachu's gonna use thunderbolt if you don't get out of my friend now."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Not Drew warned. "You'll only hurt this dear friend of yours."

"I don't believe you," Ash said. "Pikachu, use—"

A haunter came between them. Not Drew backed farther away.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded. Pikachu jumped off his shoulder and unleashed a bolt of electricity that briefly lit up the building. The haunter vanished. Too easy to be the totem pokémon.

Ash lunged for Not Drew and grabbed him by the arm. "What do you want? Drew doesn't deserve this!"

A chill crept down Ash's spine as Not Drew looked him in the eyes—green eyes that had once shined with starlight now dark and dull and so unsettlingly wrong—then at Pikachu. "See me."

Pikachu cried out in alarm as a mimikyu—bigger than Acerola's—slammed into him.

Chapter Text

The fight against Totem Mimikyu was challenging, and Pikachu was panting with exhaustion by the time it finally collapsed, sparks still coming off its body. At about the same time the mimikyu went down, Drew went limp and Ash caught him. "I've got you." He lifted Drew up in a bridal carry and Pikachu jumped lightly back onto his shoulder, looking down at Drew with concern.

Hopefully he'd be himself again when he came to.

Absol still lighting the way, Ash headed for the exit. The door opened, and relief and moonlight washed over Ash simultaneously as he stepped outside.

As he walked along the black sand once more, he spotted movement again—a pale shape he couldn't quite make out. He was distracted by Drew groaning softly, beginning to stir. His eyes fluttered open and they were his again. "Ash? What happened?"

"Something fell off a shelf and hit your head," Ash said softly. "It knocked you out cold." What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"Well, that's embarrassing." Drew touched Ash's face. "You're hurt."

"Just a nosebleed." Not a total lie. "It's nothing."

"Inopportune timing for that," Drew remarked, sounding sleepy and nonchalant. "Did you get possessed? I don't know if that's something that happens to possessed people."

He was so out of it. So endearingly out of it, and so clueless about what had really happened. "I don't think it is."

"Really?" Drew questioned. "Bleeding from random orifices seems like it'd happen to a possessed person. I think I saw that in a movie once."

The idea of Drew watching horror movies struck Ash as odd considering everything he knew about him. "You watch that stuff?"

"May likes it," he said. "I don't."

Ash chuckled at that. He could just imagine Drew acting brave and tough, pretending his friend's taste in movies didn't faze him at all.

Drew closed his eyes and his breathing slowed. Ash could breathe a little more easily knowing he would be okay, that he was Drew again. He kept walking.

The pale shape got closer, until Ash could finally see what it was.

"Shrew?" it said as it blinked up at him.

It didn't look like any sandshrew Ash had seen before—its body was an icy bluish-white, and its back looked like an igloo—but a sandshrew was definitely what it was.

"Hey there," Ash greeted it, softly to keep from waking Drew. "We're just passing through, please don't attack us."

It tilted its head and looked up at him a while longer before scampering away.

Friendly little thing. Ash wouldn't mind seeing it again.

Drew  groaned. Everything ached—especially his head, which had probably never hurt this much.

But at least he was in a warm bed, Ash and Pikachu asleep beside him—even if he wasn't sure how that had happened. He didn't know what time it was, but for once, he didn't want to find out. He buried his face in Ash's chest to hide from the morning a while longer, soothed by the familiar sound of Ash mumbling battle commands in his sleep.

Then nausea suddenly hit him, forcing him to get up and stumble to the bathroom so he wouldn't puke on or in front of Ash. A great start to the day.

He had his head in the toilet and was vomiting his guts out, so he didn't hear Ash come in and flinched in surprise at the hand that rested on his back.

"Whoa, you okay?" Ash's voice came from right beside him. His warm, gentle hand rubbed soothing circles on Drew's back.

"I'm so tired of you seeing me like this," Drew said when he could speak again.

"No judgement between friends," Ash said pleasantly. "But really, are you okay?"

"Not really," Drew answered bluntly. He found the nerve to lift his head a little and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You said I hit my head hard enough to be knocked out, right? That's probably a concussion."

Ash looked away. The dried blood on his face wasn't doing Drew's stomach any favors, but it seemed like a rude thing to comment on. "Yeah, you should probably rest then." He helped Drew up. "Want me to try to find a human doctor to take you to?"

"No." For whatever reason, Drew really didn't want to be left alone. He figured he'd be okay as long as he could go back to bed. He noticed something in his pocket and took it out—it was a yellow crystal, which looked like it had a place on Ash's Z ring. "Ash, I think this is yours."

"Oh!" Ash took it. "I was so worried about you that I forgot about the Z crystal. Thanks, Drew."

"So you did beat the totem pokémon?"

"Yeah," Ash said. "And with just Pikachu!"

"I'm sure that was quite a battle," Drew said. "I wish I could've seen it."

A haunted look entered Ash's eyes and he paled.

"What's up? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Don't worry about it," Ash said. "Everything's fine." He was a terrible liar; it was obvious something had happened—maybe something had attacked him in there? His "nosebleed" did seem a little intense to have happened on its own.

Drew decided not to press the issue. His head was throbbing--it was too bright in here—and he wanted nothing more than to hide under blankets and feel Ash's warmth beside him. "Let's go back to bed. I want to sleep and you're warm."

"Sounds good," Ash said. "I could do with some rest too."

"But maybe wash that blood off your face first." 

From the look on Ash’s face, he’d forgotten about that completely.

Drew had fallen into a deep, healing sleep—for the head injury or whatever getting possessed might've done to him physically, Ash wasn't sure—and it was nice to know he'd be okay.

Ash hadn't thought about it in a while, but he was starting to realize he might like Drew as something other than a friend. Lying here with him, breathing in the faint smell of roses that somehow always lingered on his skin and in his hair, everything felt okay despite the ordeal the night before.

Ash never gave that stuff much thought; boys or girls or whoever else just didn't cross his mind like that very often. But Drew was brave and smart and passionate, and as cool and aloof as he tried to be, it was so obvious that he cared—he cared about Roselia and his other pokémon and he cared about his human friends and he cared about Ash, whatever Ash was to him.

He cared enough about Ash to follow him into that haunted supermarket—and it was a good thing he had, since Ash wouldn't have been able to see without his absol's help; Ash hated that he'd gotten hurt because of it.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu was looking at Ash curiously.

"I'm fine, Pikachu," Ash assured his partner. "More or less." Weird Drew-related emotions aside, Ash's nose was still sore from that punch; he wouldn't have expected a punch from Drew to hurt that much.

Pikachu pointed with his tail at Drew. "Chu?"

"It's not his fault," Ash said. "He doesn't know."

"Doesn't know what?"

Apparently Drew was awake—even if he still looked a little out of it, propped up on his elbow and blinking drowsily at Ash.

"Nothing important," Ash lied; hopefully Drew was too out of it to tell. "Just stuff that happened at the trial site. How's your head?"

"Better," he said. "Though that's not saying much. I'll be ready to get moving tomorrow, I think."

"That's great, Drew, but there's no rush." Ash reached to hold Drew's hand. "Like you said a while back, the trials aren't going anywhere. Let's take it easy for now, okay?"

Drew started as if to protest, but he didn't. Instead, he nodded. "Okay."

Drew wriggled free from Ash's arms, careful not to wake him, and heard him mumble something too low to make out the words; it sounded a little like, "Outta my friend," but that didn't make much sense.

Wondering what he might be dreaming about, Drew cast one last look at him and slipped out of the room with the stealth of a liepard. Night had fallen and though he knew it would be cold out, he needed fresh air.

But first, he needed to make a phone call—it’d be around late morning or early afternoon in Kanto at this point, which seemed as good a time as any.

The pokémon center lobby was quiet at this hour, nobody in sight except a chansey puttering around behind the counter.

He went to the phone and dialed a number.

The phone rang twice before a dark-haired, kind-eyed young man appeared on the screen—and though they’d only met once, no matter how Drew struggled with names and faces, he could never forget about an artist named Tracey Sketchit. Apparently Tracey recognized Drew too, because all the warmth suddenly vanished from his expression and he looked at Drew with something between wariness and barely concealed contempt. “You have some nerve calling here. What do you want?”

Clearly, the grief Drew had caused Gary hadn’t been entirely forgiven. And yet he couldn’t help being a little surprised that the polite boy he’d once had an enthusiastic conversation about the arts with was being so curt now.

And Tracey really wasn’t going to like what he said next. “I need to talk to Gary. Is he there?”

Tracey hesitated, jaw clenched like he was barely holding back some choice words. Finally, he nodded. “I’ll see if he wants to talk to you. Hold on.”

He walked offscreen, and Drew waited. The full-body soreness had eased—even a day's rest had done him a world of good—but his head still hurt a little, and he badly wanted to get some air and then go back to bed.

A couple minutes passed before Gary came into view. He was smiling, which was probably a good sign. A familiar amber pendant caught the light and Drew’s eye—Drew had bought that for his birthday during the honeymoon phase of their relationship. If he was still wearing it, that was a good sign too, maybe? “Hey, stranger! I haven’t seen you in ages, how’s that vacation treating you?”

“Just fine,” Drew said. “I think your friend hates me.”

“Who, Tracey?” Gary looked amused by the idea, eyes sparkling in a way Drew hadn’t seen in a long time. “I don’t think he has it in him to hate anyone. Unless maybe you did something really awful, like breaking his friend’s heart or something.”

Gary’s tone was light, but Drew winced. “Sorry about that.”

Gary waved him off. “It’s whatever. I’m fine now.” Looking offscreen with fond exasperation, he continued, “You hear that, Trace? I’m fine! You can go!” After a couple moments, he looked back at Drew. “I’m guessing that’s not all you called to talk about, though?”

Drew took a deep breath. “I’ve been traveling with this guy, and I have some… feelings for him.”

“An Alolan boy, huh?” Gary tilted his head in curiosity. “And you’re calling me about this because…?”

“He’s not from here, actually. And yesterday I found out you know him.” Here it was. The moment of truth. “It’s Ash Ketchum.”

Drew wasn’t sure what reaction he was expecting, but one he definitely didn’t expect was Gary doubling over with laughter, laughing harder than Drew had ever heard him.

Oh no, he’d broken Gary.

He could only watch in confused horror until Gary righted himself, wiping a tear from his eye. “Man, what’re the odds? That’s hilarious.”

Drew was only getting more confused. “So… you’re not upset?”

Gary shook his head. “I’m over both of you, so if you’re looking for my blessing or whatever, you’ve got it.” He smiled. “Good luck. I’m pretty sure everyone who hangs out with Ash and isn’t either a lesbian or Brock falls in love with him, but none have been lucky enough to win him over so far.”

That was a far kinder response than Drew probably deserved. “Thanks, Gary.”

“No worries,” Gary said. “Watch out, though. Tracey’s close with Ash too, and he is not gonna be happy if you hurt another one of his friends. He’s a nice guy, but trust me, you do not want to get on his bad side. There’s a reason the Oak Lab doesn’t get targeted by Team Rocket anymore.”

Drew nodded apprehensively. “Got it. And, Gare… I really am sorry things didn’t work out between us.”

“It’s fine.” Gary shrugged. “Maybe in another life, but I’m over it in this one. Now go back to bed, I know it’s late there and you look like you got hit by a bus.”

“Thanks for that,” Drew muttered dryly. “Take care, Gary.”

“Yeah, yeah, you too,” Gary said. “Night, dweeb.”

And with that, Gary ended the call.

Relieved at how well that had gone, Drew made his way out into the moonlight, suppressing a shiver when the chill hit him. The ominous vibe he'd felt in Tapu Village before had seemingly vanished, and now it was just quiet. He let out his absol for some company; like him, Roselia had never liked the cold, but Absol had once lived among Kantonian mountains and definitely wouldn't mind.

Drew ran his fingers through thick white fur, letting the sensation ground him.

He'd gotten Gary's approval. All that was stopping him from telling Ash how he felt now was, well… himself.

Absol nudged him and motioned with his head to something behind them. Drew turned around and saw Ash approaching. Pikachu wasn't with him--he must've still been asleep in the room.

"Drew?" Ash's voice pierced the silence. "Is that you?"

Drew nodded. "The one and only."

"What're you doing out here?"

"I needed some air," he answered. "It was getting stuffy in there."

"I get that," Ash said. "But could you let me know next time? It spooked me waking up to find you gone without a trace."

Drew raised an eyebrow. "And I suppose you left Pikachu a note?"

"I told Pikachu I was going out to look for you."

"I didn't expect you to wake up and start worrying over me," Drew said, a little defensively. He had just planned on slipping out for a while and coming back without Ash having to know he'd left. "Why are you getting on my case about it?"

Ash looked away. "It's stupid, really. I just had a nightmare and when you were gone…"

"I see." Drew wasn't sure if he should pry. "Want to talk about it?"

"Nah, don't worry about it." Ash flashed a smile that was trying too hard to be convincing. "It was just a dream. I'm fine now."

"Well, let me know if you change your mind." Feeling bold, he took Ash's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "I'm here for you if you need to talk."

Ash nodded, some of the tension leaving him. "Thanks, Drew."

"Don’t mention it," Drew said. "Speaking of talking… this might be a bad time, but I have something I should probably tell you."

Ash looked at him with full attention, warm brown eyes curious. "Oh, yeah? What is it?"

He took a deep, shuddering breath, steeling his nerves. This was it. The moment of truth. No more hiding, no more repressing, no more wondering if he deserved it. "I like you. As something other than a friend. You have a cute face that I'd really like to kiss, but more importantly you're kind and brave and fun to be around. Things have been wild lately, but I need you to know how I feel about you."

"Drew…" Ash seemed to be at a loss for words. "I think I might feel like that too. About you. But I'm… not sure yet."

That wasn’t quite the answer Drew was hoping for, and part of him felt a twinge of frustration, but it wasn't a no. It was a maybe. He could live with that for now. "Okay. No need to rush."

Ash opened his mouth as if to reply, but then something scampered up to them—an odd-looking sandshrew.

"Oh, you're back!" Ash said. He looked at Drew. "This is who was following us before. I think he was just curious."

"Huh." The sandshrew was a cute little thing. It looked so harmless, dark blue eyes blinking up innocently. It headbutted Ash's leg. "Looks as if it likes you. No surprise there."

"And you're a pretty cool pokémon," Ash said, kneeling in front of it. He flashed a grin over his shoulder at Drew, looking for acknowledgement of the pun, and Drew rolled his eyes with a fond smile. "You know, you don’t just have to follow us from a distance. You can come travel with us if you want." He held out a poké ball.

"Shrew, shrew!" It pressed the button with its nose and disappeared inside. The ball dinged a moment later.

Drew didn’t think he would ever get over the absurdity of Ash Ketchum.

"New friend!" Ash grinned. "Sandshrew, come on out!" He tossed the ball and in a burst of light, Sandshrew appeared.

"So that's your sixth team member?"

"Yep!" Ash confirmed. "Welcome aboard, Sandshrew. Though I guess you’re more of a snowshrew, huh?"

"Shrew!" Sandshrew said cheerfully.

"I think we've had enough excitement for tonight," Drew said. "I'm ready to go back to the pokémon center when you are."

"Yeah, good idea," Ash said. "Let’s get some rest."

He'd done it. He'd told Ash how he felt, and Ash had said he might feel the same way—not an outright rejection—and wasn't treating him like there was any awkwardness between them. There was one more trial on this island and one more island left. Their time together might be over before too long. Hopefully Ash would figure his feelings out by then.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Drew had gone to shower after breakfast, which gave Ash the opportunity he'd been looking for to make a phone call.

He almost dialed Brock's number—the love expert he was, Brock would undoubtedly have advice—but instead called someone else.

Mimey answered the phone. "Mime?"

"Hey, Mimey," Ash said. "Is Mom there?"

"Mime!" Mimey said with a cheerful nod before going offscreen.

A few moments later, Ash's mom came into view. "Ash? What is it?"

"How do you know something's up?" Ash asked.

"Because I know you, honey," she said. "Now, tell me what's bothering you."

"There's this guy…" he trailed off, not knowing how to continue. Nerves fluttered like butterfree in his stomach at the thought of trying to put words to whatever his feelings for Drew were.

"You like a boy? Is that it?" Her eyes were brimming with sympathy. "Ash, you know I'll love you no matter what."

"I know, Mom." Ash hadn't even thought of his mom not supporting him. She'd been so quick to accept him being a boy—him liking a boy never seemed like it would be any different. "That's not exactly it. He likes me—he told me so—and I think I might like him, but… I'm not sure. I don't know much about this stuff."

"Well," she said gently, "that's up to you to decide. No one else can tell you how you feel. You have good instincts—just trust them like you always do."

As much as he'd been hoping for a different answer—some surefire way of knowing what to do—she was right. He had to figure this out himself. "Thanks, Mom."

"Anytime, sweetie," she said.

Ash spotted Drew from the corner of his eye. "I've gotta go."

She nodded in understanding. "Let me know if you need to talk about anything else. Take care, I love you. And don't forget about your you-know-whats—"

"I love you too!" Ash said quickly. "Bye."

He hung up and turned to see Drew approaching him. "Hey, Drew. How was your shower?"

"Same as usual. Who were you talking to?"

"My mom." Hopefully Drew wouldn't ask what they were talking about.

"I should call home sometime," Drew said softly, seemingly more to himself than anything. "But anyway, you ready to get a move on?"

"Sure am!" He was eager to face the kahuna for sure, but he also wanted to get out of this place. Maybe then he'd be able to completely shake the image of Not Drew leering at him.

 Drew couldn't help wondering what was on Ash's mind as they made their way along the coastline northwest. For once, he got the feeling it wasn't the trial ahead.

"Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not upset about what I told you yesterday, are you?"

"Not upset with you," Ash said. "I just… don't know how to deal with it. I don't know the words for how I feel."

"I never thought I'd be saying this to you, but maybe it's best not to overthink it." The last thing Drew wanted was for Ash to force himself into anything. "You shouldn't be upsetting yourself over it."

He was tempted to say friends didn't normally act the way they did. But for all he knew, Ash might be like that with his friends. For one reason or another, Drew had always been awkward about being close to people with very few exceptions, so his normal was probably vastly different from Ash's.

"Thanks, Drew." Ash smiled, and he looked more like himself. "I'm glad you don't mind it's taking me a while."

"My type is people too dense to realize I'm in love with them even when I'm shoving roses in their face. Trust me, I can be patient." He realized too late that he'd dropped the L-word to a guy who might not even like him back.

"You mean Gary was like that?" Ash seemed unfazed by Drew's casual declaration of love.

"Sort of," Drew said. "We spent a solid month flirting with each other before either of us realized the other was as serious as we were. May and Solidad thought the whole thing was hilarious." It hadn't been funny to Drew at the time, but he was starting to see the humor in it now. It was nice being able to painlessly reminisce.

"So you can't make fun of me for being dense." Ash smirked—an expression Drew was surprised to see on his face—a friendly, teasing light in his eyes. "You were the same way."

"I'll admit that." Drew couldn't really argue with it; he'd called himself out and Ash was right.

“There’s one other thing that’s been bugging me though…” Ash said.

“Oh? What is it?” Drew asked, surprised. It wasn’t like Ash to keep quiet about… much of anything, really.

“During that last trial, you sorta, uh… got possessed and punched me in the face.”

“What?!”

"Wow! Drew, look!"

Drew and Roselia caught up to Ash, who had run ahead, and saw what he was looking at. The ground where they stood sloped down to a vast field of deep red flowers. "Wow is right," he said. "They're beautiful." Roselia punctuated his words with her own trill of agreement.

As they walked closer, Ash pointed at a group of slender bird pokémon with red and black feathers. "Are those oricorio?"

"Maybe." They did look a little similar to Drew's oricorio, though they looked sharper and fiercer.

"You should let your oricorio try the nectar from those flowers," Ash suggested.

"Okay. Oricorio, come on out!" In a burst of light, Oricorio appeared, her pink feathers standing out among a sea of red. "Though these oricorio live here, and I doubt the change would be instanta—"

His oricorio sipped the nectar and with a flash, her feathers changed. She looked at him and chirped—it sounded a little different, but her expression was the same as ever.

Ash grinned at him. "C'mon, Drew! Haven't you figured out by now that pokémon are full of surprises?"

"I suppose so." Drew looked at Oricorio, who was showing off a new dance, and smiled; as frustrating as her moments of ditziness could be, he had become fond of her. When the time came, he would make sure she shined on the contest stage. "Oricorio, return."

As they went on their way, Drew noticed Ash smiling to himself. "What's with that face?"

"Nothing," Ash said too quickly not to raise suspicion.

Ash was usually such an open book. What was he hiding now?

 Ash could keep a secret if he tried. He just had to try really, really hard. And not think about the thing he was trying to keep secret at all.

So instead he would think about the trial ahead—this island's grand trial. When he defeated the kahuna here, he would be moving on to the final island. And after that, his journey through Alola would be drawing to a close.

But he didn't need to think that far ahead.

A girl in a skull-themed outfit appeared out of nowhere. "You're entering Team Skull territory! Get 'em, Salandit!"

"Solar beam," Drew said calmly before Ash could react. Roselia fired her attack and the salandit was knocked out instantly.

The girl looked stunned as she recalled her pokémon. "What the—"

"Is there going to be any more trouble?" Drew's voice was still perfectly calm, but held the hint of a threat. When had he become so fearless?

"You're still in—"

"Young lady," a man's voice said curtly. "Leave these two alone."

A tired-looking man with gray hair was approaching. The girl slinked away.

Drew's eyes narrowed, as if he expected to be attacked again. "Who are you?"

"Officer Nanu," the man answered. "You don't have to give me that look. I'm not going to attack you."

Drew didn't relax. Ash reached for his hand and laced their fingers together, taking Drew's lack of protest as a sign he appreciated the gesture. "I'm Ash Ketchum. We're looking for the kahuna," Ash said. "Do you know where we would find them?"

Nanu seemed to notice Ash's Z-ring. "Unfortunately. You're looking at him." He sighed as if in utter resignation. "I take it you're looking for a battle."

"That's right!"

"Well," Nanu said, "let's get on with it, then."

 Drew shouldn't have agreed to referee. He wasn't usually one to call out words of encouragement or anything, but he wished he could say something to counter Nanu's taunts. It turned out Nanu was a different person on the battlefield—Drew had a feeling the taunting, and making him act as an impartial referee, were part of a strategy.

Trumbeak was on the field, facing off against Nanu's krookodile. Despite the type advantage, Trumbeak wasn't doing very well. Drew couldn't help wincing when she took another hard hit.

"You ready to give up yet?"

"Never!" Ash said fiercely. Trumbeak started glowing, and in a burst of light, was a different pokémon. Drew had to suppress a snort when he realized what the colors of her beak—pink, purple, and blue—reminded him of. Those were the colors of one of the flags hanging on his bedroom wall back home, a show of support from his moms. Ash's pokémon was a bi pride mascot.

"Great timing!" Ash grinned. "Hit 'em with your bullet seed!"

Toucannon shot seeds rapid-fire from her beak and Krookodile didn't stand a chance.

Drew almost forgot to make the call. "Krookodile is unable to battle," he said quickly, motioning toward Toucannon. "Toucannon wins!"

"You haven't won yet, kid," Nanu said. "I have one more pokémon at my disposal. Go, Persian."

The persian was unlike any Drew had seen before, with lavender fur and a rounded face. Unusual, but elegant in its unconventional way.

"Toucannon, use wing attack!"

"Sucker punch."

As Toucannon swooped in to strike her opponent, Persian neatly dodged and dealt a powerful blow with its paw--powerful enough to knock Toucannon back to Ash's feet.

"Toucannon is unable to battle. Persian wins."

"Where's that enthusiasm?" Nanu inquired. "Are you already giving up on your friend?"

Drew felt himself blush. He hadn't expected to be called out like that.

"Drew's not giving up and neither am I!" Ash declared. "Pikachu, I choose you!"

Pikachu looked ready for the fight, sparks flying from his cheeks. "Pika!"

Be careful, Ash.

"Fighting a cat with a mouse," Nanu said. "This should be interesting."

Blows were traded and evaded, volts of electricity and pulses of darkness coloring the field, and Drew struggled to keep track of how the match was going. Was Ash winning?

Ash flashed his trademark grin, and suddenly Drew had no doubts about how this match would end. "Pikachu, it's time."

Pikachu understood.

Drew had never seen the poses they were doing before. This must have been the crystal from Ash's last trial—the one Drew had missed.

"TEN MILLION-VOLT THUNDERBOLT!"

Drew had never seen such a brilliant, colorful flash of electricity. Even after it had already stricken the hapless persian, sparks crackled off of Pikachu's body. There was no questioning that Persian had been defeated, and he felt the awestruck grin spreading across his face as he made the call.

"Pikapi! Pika-pika!" Pikachu leaped into his grinning trainer's arms. Ash didn't seem to mind the electricity—Drew figured he was used to it.

"We did it!" Ash said as he hugged his partner. "You were amazing, Pikachu!"

Drew loved him so much. As Nanu spoke to Ash, Drew prepared himself to present another rose when the kahuna left—the third he had given Ash, a show of congratulations and of the love that was already in the open.

He wasn't prepared for Ash to shove a flower in his face.

"Drew," Ash said. "I've thought about it—how I feel about you—and I might not have all the answers, but I know I want to keep doing this. I want to be with you. You're smart and you're brave and so many other things and if it's okay, I want to kiss—"

Drew grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down into a kiss because he couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't perfect—it was clumsy and uncertain and clearly Ash had next to no experience, but it was a real kiss and Drew's heart was racing. He had wanted to do this for so long and now it was happening.

"Hey! No making out in Team Skull territory!"

They broke apart—Ash's face was red and Drew had a feeling his was too—and saw a group dressed like the girl from earlier watching them.

"You two are adorable, but go be adorable somewhere else!"

Ash nodded. "Let's get out of here, Drew."

"Agreed."

As they went on their way, one called out, "Drew? I've seen your contests! I love your work!"

"Thanks!" Drew called back.

"That was fun," Ash said. "Can we do it again?"

Chapter Text

Solidad heard her phone ringing and left Harley and May to their bickering. The coordinating season had ended, and the three of them were relaxing at Solidad's place. It wasn't the same without Drew.

The number calling was from Alola. Speak of the devil. She picked up and Drew's face appeared on screen, looking far happier than she had last seen him, and far healthier too—even though it was winter now, the Alolan sun had brought some color to his face, and he didn't look quite so thin. She wouldn't have to ask if he would be back to the coordinating scene—that spark in his eyes was a definite affirmative.

"Drew," she greeted him. "It's good to see you. You look well."

"You too," Drew said. "How are things over there?"

Solidad was eager to fill Drew in on the gossip, but she started simple. "We all made it to the Grand Festival, of course," she said. "Want to guess who won?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You again?"

She shook her head. "Harley."

"Great, now he’ll be even more insufferable," Drew said. "And how's May?"

"I knew you would ask that." She delighted in his indignant look; she had missed that face. "She's doing well. She started spending time with this sweet blonde named Serena who was new to contests—she used to do those showcases in Kalos, and don't make that face because we do not have time for that discussion now—and I think she's been for Serena what you were for her when she started out."

"Hopelessly smitten?" Drew asked, a playful note in his voice that she hadn’t heard in entirely too long.

That wasn't what Solidad meant and she knew he was joking, but amazingly, he wasn't wrong. "She sure is."

"Cute," Drew said. "I, uh, met someone too." He looked offscreen. "Hey, Ash!"

Another boy joined him, a pikachu on his shoulder, and promptly slung an arm around Drew's shoulders. He looked familiar, come to think of it. "Solidad! Long time no see!"

"It sure has been," she said. She remembered him now—one of the boys May used to travel with. "Drew, May's going to have a field day with this."

The bickering in the next room had ceased at some point, and Solidad heard May's voice. "It is Drew! Told you, Harley!" A moment later, May joined her. "Drew, hey! You're with Ash?"

"In more ways than one," Drew said.

May seemed to take in the sight before her—Ash's arm over Drew's shoulders, both boys looking like they'd never been happier. "You're dating?"

"Yep!" Ash confirmed.

"Aww, that’s great for you guys!" Ever the romantic, of course May would be happy her friends got together. "I guess Ash is your type, huh, Drew?"

"Enough about us," Drew said, a playful smirk playing across his face. "What's this I hear about you and a Serena, May?"

"You told them?" May gave Solidad a look of utter betrayal, face reddening. "She's just a friend!"

Drew raised an eyebrow, the image of skepticism. "Then why, pray tell, are you blushing?"

"Be nice, Drew," Solidad chided him.

"Don't pretend you're not enjoying this," Drew said. "I know you missed it."

Okay, he was right. She did find their antics highly entertaining. "True. I've missed you—we all have."

May nodded, beaming once more. "It's good to see your face again, jerk. And you too, Ash and Pikachu."

"You too, May," Ash said. His pikachu squeaked in agreement.

"So," Drew said, "where are you guys planning on going next?"

Solidad knew what he was asking. He wanted to know if he was going to have to choose between his rivals and his boyfriend.

Before she could answer, Harley made his presence known. "Drewbie, is that really you? Sol, have you told him about our plan to take the contest scene in Galar by storm?"

"Galar?" Ash grinned. "Hey, that's where we were talking about going!"

"Harley." Drew's tone was matter-of-fact, a curt acknowledgement. Then he grinned. "I can't wait to take you down in a contest again."

"We'll see about that, hon. While you were gallivanting in Alola, we all picked up some new tricks."

"So did I," Drew said, unruffled. "And I was 'galivanting' with the runner-up of the Kalos league and new victor of the Alola League. Tell me you had a better sparring partner."

Ash grinned at the praise. "You're a pretty great sparring partner yourself, Drew."

"Bragging about your boyfriend's accomplishments already?" Harley rolled his eyes. "Is this going to be worse than that researcher boy whose papers you kept prattling on about in Sinnoh?"

May frowned. "I thought Gary's research papers were interesting."

"Thanks for that, May," Drew said without a hint of sarcasm. "They were interesting and that's why I talked about them."

"Hey, I want to hear about Gary's research papers!" Ash volunteered. "He never showed me anything."

"We can talk about that later," Drew said, smirking at Harley with the gleam of triumph in his eyes. "So, we'll all be heading to Galar, then?"

"That's right!" May affirmed. "It'll be great to see you guys again."

"It sure will," Ash said. "Drew tells me you've really come into your own, May. I can't wait to cheer you both on."

The sea breeze ruffled Drew's hair as he stood on Hau'Oli Beach; the fresh air was nice, as was the warmth of Ash's hand in his. This would be their final day in Alola—in a few hours, they would be boarding separate flights to their home regions.

"Remember when we first ran into each other here?" Ash said.

"More like you saw me and booked it to say hi." Drew remembered being annoyed, but that hadn't been Ash's fault. 

"You were so distant back then," Ash said. "A lot can change in a few months, huh?"

"This is gonna sound really sappy," Drew said, "but if there's such a thing as fate, I think you were right when you said that was what us meeting again was. I was in a major slump before you came along and you helped in a lot of ways—I hope I've done the same for you."

"You have done a lot for me," Ash said. "I'm glad it all happened, and I'm glad I got to help you."

"I'm gonna miss you." It was still embarrassing to say those words—like some admission of weakness. But he could live with that.

"Me too." Ash's smile was melancholic. "But as soon as I get to Pallet Town we can call each other every day. And we can travel together again in Galar. By the way, do you get sick on planes too?"

"Sometimes," Drew admitted. "But it's not usually as bad."

"Then take care of yourself, okay?" Ash looked very serious. "Get lots of rest and drink water and all that."

"I will." Drew nudged him affectionately. "I've been through all this before, you know."

"And I also know you try to push through it every single time," Ash pointed out.

"That's only true when I'm traveling," Drew said. "And I assure you my moms will meet me at the airport in LaRousse and drag me home before I can even try to do anything else."

"Good." Ash grinned. "I like your moms. You have to introduce me to both of ‘em in person sometime."

"I will," Drew promised. "You have to introduce me to yours too."

"Yeah!" Ash said. "She’s gonna love you. You’re gonna love her too, everyone does. She’s the best.”

“If she’s anything like you, that’s no surprise,” Drew said, warm affection blooming anew in his heart. He was going to miss Ash so much. He was tempted to cancel his flight to LaRousse and follow Ash to Pallet Town.

His moms would understand. They knew what it was like to be in love.