Megabondshipping vs Diodeshipping (part 3)

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The rest was a blur until Alain saw a doctor step out of the room, and without realizing, impulsively got up from his chair and approached him desperately. Clemont's shoulders slouched as he sighed with annoyance. He had been planning to be the one to talk to the doctor, to make himself look a little better after what happened back at the lab.

Clemont was still shaken from having Alain rudely interrupt him and undo the lock himself. Seeing the other rush over to Ash, he figured he should grab the remote and free the Pokemon. 

Carefully, fearing Xerosic would regain consciousness, he crawled over to him and removed the remote from his pocket with two shaky fingers. He was struggling to find the release button, but as he was doing so, he didn't realize he was getting distracted with how impressive this remote was. Not only was it the kind of technology he never dreamed he would be able to engineer, but it even looked like it came from the future, with how neat and presentable it was. Everything about Xerosic's invention was immaculate!

He didn't think it was a big deal. Inventors are into the habit of analysing each other's work. He knew Professor Sycamore had done it towards Team Rocket before, so he wasn't too ashamed of it. Until...

"Cle-"

Was that his name? He looked up and found a pair of dark blue eyes glaring at him, full of rage and distress.

Alain turned back to Ash before they could have a second of eye contact, and that's when Clemont became conscious of his decisions in that moment.

"Doctor? How is he? Is he alright? Does he need--"

"--Ash will be alright", the doctor intervened, using his hands to reassure Alain, "The surgery went well. I must say, especially being a child, that boy is the strongest patient I have ever seen. He'll need only a minimum week's rest, then he can be discharged and return to normal activities as long as he takes it easy"

It was a relief to hear, but Alain couldn't relax just yet.

"...Can I see him?"

"Of course. He's resting at the moment, so please be gentle"

Without looking back, Alain hurried in, holding his breath at the sight.

Ash, drooped across the bed with his hand hanging off the side, lay limp and lifeless, his skin resembling the colour of his hospital gown. Alain tried his best to catch the boy breathing, but instead resorted to the cardiac monitor, which was beeping less frequently than he'd liked. He could see clear as day the scar on his chest, winding over his shoulder. His constant shuddering added to the image that he looked like he was freezing to death, despite being warmly wrapped in thin sheets that he wore almost like a coat. His quivering purple lips didn't make Alain feel any better either.

Alain made a step towards him, gulping in an attempt to restrain his tears. He made a few more steps, getting closer and closer, reaching out his hand. He felt more courage with each step. But that didn't last for long when something yellow snaked past him and stole Ash's hand. 

"Ash...", Clemont whispered, ignoring a disgruntled Alain behind him, "Come on, Ash, wake up. Just open your eyes. Please"

Alain didn't feel bad when Clemont started sobbing, only hating that he wasn't in that position right now. But when Ash's eyes fluttered open, and he noticed the pain he was feeling and looked around as if he was lost, he began to hate it even more. He should've been by his side, holding his hand and being the first thing he saw when he woke up.

But he had no reason to complain about that last one.

He didn't know whether his clothes were more vivid in that lighting or if Clemont's glasses were too bright to look at, but Ash's eyes were drawn to him first. And when he saw him smile as their eyes met, he felt his face going red.

He was just tired. Those were Clemont's thoughts. Maybe because Clemont was so close, he was a little blurrier in Ash's view. He could come up with a million scientific reasons, and he would, as long as he could avoid that one reason that meant Ash didn't like him.

He saw himself out, not even caring to look back at Alain taking his place.

Alain bent back into the chair and took Ash's hand into his own. He didn't want to scare him, although he was smiling. Considering it was Ash, perhaps smiling was just his default response to waking up, and he would soon realize the events that ended him up in a cold, white bed.

But that didn't happen. Instead, something more entertaining.

Alain needed to be soft. Ash could start having a panic attack at any moment as he remembered his Pokemon were in danger, or he could start dropping questions left and right. 

"A-Ash...", he started, squeezing the boy's hand, "...Do you know what happened?"

Yeah. That was a simple question. It couldn't freak him out, right? But Ash was still stuck in his dazed, drunken smile.

"A-Ash--"

He jumped a little when a small, weak finger attached itself to his chest. He looked at his shirt and back at Ash, who was jokingly poking at him.

"You...", Ash mumbled, still grinning adorably, "You...need...to learn...about...colours"

"W-What?"

Alain was tempted to chuckle, but was slightly taken aback by the statement. Was Ash still on anaesthesia?

"I mean, who puts violet and teal together? Come on, man. Where'd you even get that scarf? Hmm? From your grandad?"

Alain face down to hide his smile. Although it was comedic, he knew now that Ash only noticed him because of the colour of his clothes. But that fact encouraged him. He knew he still had a long way to go, and one day Ash would be noticing him for completely different reasons.

As soon as he got rid of four-eyes, who strolled through the door uninvited with his younger sister behind him.

Bonnie put her hands on her hips and gave Alain a sharp look, gesturing towards Ash. But he wasn't intimidated. In came Mairin with the same look as she stood by Alain, mutually threatening the lemon-haired siblings. 

Ash took one look at this. Two people in his hospital room wanting to kill each other. He was familiar with this image, and though he never understood it, didn't want to deal with it again.

Silently, he pulled the covers over his head and lay back on the bed, rolled into a ball.

"Not today", he said to where he could see a person with a keyboard and a cup of coffee, laughing as they put him through this for the 100th time.

hope you guys enjoyed! i know that took way too long to come out.

feel free to make suggestions of ash ships i should write either on their own or against each other. 

have a good day/get a lot of sleep tonight :)

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