Fire and Ice

Why

Hawlucha didn't really like him, Greninja mused. Oh sure, he said he did, but he didn't really mean any of it. Why would he? He wasn't anything special. The only reason Hawlucha claimed to love him was because he was a conquest of some sort, some sort of trophy to be won. Hawlucha didn't actually care about being his friend; he was all about the chase, not the prize.

Everyone thought Hawlucha's constant pleas for Greninja's friendship and affection didn't have any effect on the frog Pokemon. But they were wrong, terribly wrong. They did affect him, more so than Greninja cared to admit. What made it worse was the fact that these days, he found himself almost saying yes a few times. The last time, the affirmative had been on the tip of his tongue before he remembered that it was all a joke to Hawlucha, and that had been all the reminder he needed to spit out a rejection and crush the flower Hawlucha brought for him-a symbol of what he was doing to his heart.

One day, however, Hawlucha seemed different than normal. He wasn't his usual flashy self, something everyone took note of. Yet he didn't seem to be sick or injured, which, while it was a good sign, was also a cause for worry. If he wasn't sick or injured, why was he acting so differently?

Finally, Greninja had enough and decided to confront him. He approached Hawlucha after a training session, noting the Aztec bird's look of surprise when he saw him coming.

"What's going on with you today, Hawlucha?" Greninja asked. "Why are you acting so...not you?"

Hawlucha looked down at his feet. "I...I've decided I'm giving up," he responded quietly.

Greninja blinked. "Giving up?" he repeated. "On what?"

"On you," Hawlucha answered, his eyes despondent.

Greninja didn't know why, but he couldn't help feeling disappointed at that. "But...you never give up on anything," he pointed out. "It isn't you."

Hawlucha's eyes flashed with anger. "Is that what this is all about, then?" he snapped. "Just me not being me? Well, guess what, Greninja? Maybe I'm not who you thought I was. Yes, I acknowledge that I don't usually give up, but this time I have to make an exception. Because I've made it clear to you how I feel about you, and all you've done is treat me like crap. So if this is what you want, then I hope you're happy. Even though you're one of the most important people in the word to me, I can see when I'm fighting a losing battle."

Guilt tore at Greninja's heart. He knew now that he had been wrong to think that Hawlucha didn't care about him. He did care about him, more than he could have ever imagined. That much was obvious now. But it was too late to change anything.

"Hawlucha..." he whispered.

"I loved you," Hawlucha whispered, his voice shaking. "I loved you, and you knew it."

Greninja lowered his eyes to the ground in shame as Hawlucha turned and fled the scene. In his agony and guilt, he didn't realize that Pikachu had walked up to him.

"Greninja..." the electric mouse said softly.

"I was wrong," Greninja whispered. "I was wrong."

"Go talk to him," Pikachu ordered gently.

Greninja nodded and raced off after Hawlucha, who had gone back into Ash's tent. When he saw Greninja, the fighting-type's eyes narrowed. The frog-ninja Pokemon felt a little discouraged, but refused to let this dissuade him.

"What do you want, Greninja?" Hawlucha asked testily.

"I'm sorry," Greninja said.

Hawlucha studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Okay," he replied.

That stung a little, but Greninja brushed it off. "I didn't mean any of what I've said to you," he continued. "When I say you don't care for anyone's feelings except your own, I wasn't talking about everyone...I was just talking about me."

"What are you talking about?" Hawlucha asked.

"I like you," Greninja whispered. "No-more than that. I-I love you."

Hawlucha paused for a moment, looking at Greninja with eyes so full of hope that it almost broke his heart.

"You do?" he repeated softly.

Greninja nodded and Hawlucha hugged him tightly, and as terribly cliche as it may sound, both of them were happier than they could remember being in a long time.