Pokemon One-Shots and Headcanons

An Honor

"I'm not them, I'm not them, I'm not them!" Greninja screamed into the darkness, only to be answered with nothing but silence and the twinkle of what few visible stars there were. 

"Don't you understand how it feels?" he continued his tirade, not even caring if he happened to wake anyone. "Do you know how it feels to be compared to them? To Infernape, to Sceptile-to Charizard, of all Pokemon? I'm not them! I'm nothing like them!" 

Because where Infernape shone, Greninja faltered. Where Sceptile was noted for beating a previously undefeated Darkrai, Greninja had no particularly notable accomplishments to his name. Where Charizard could beat a Blastoise, Greninja couldn't take down a Charizard-the fact that this particular Charizard could mega evolve had no bearing on the matter. 

To everyone else, Infernape, Sceptile, and Charizard were revered heroes. To Greninja, they were a burden. For how does one measure up to Pokemon everyone else sees as unbeatable? 

And what if it proved to be too much? What if he never lived up to their expectations? Would his friends turn their backs on him, just like everyone else in his past had done? What would Ash do? Would Ash leave him, claiming that he wasn't worthy and that he could find a better water-type? To anyone else, it would probably seem strange that Greninja was so worried about Ash leaving him, considering his history with his other trainers. But things had been different then, for he hadn't particularly cared for his old trainers. He did care for Ash, though-more than anyone in the world. If Ash turned on him now, it would destroy him. 

But if he continued to fail, how much longer would it be until that nightmare became reality? How much longer could he continue to disappoint his friends and teammates until they finally had enough of him? 

"Why can't you understand?" Greninja screamed. "I'm not them! I'm not! And no matter what you say, I'm never going to be them! Why, why do you keep comparing me to them?!" 

It's an honor, everyone told him. 

But an honor wasn't supposed to feel like this.