To those who requested trustedpartnershipping: I apologise profusely for doing this one beforehand. I haven't forgotten about you guys and you don't deserve this delay. It's a horrible excuse but I'm having some trouble accessing Pokeflix (the website I use to watch Pokemon) and so can't watch the episode necessary to write the Oneshot. I hope you understand.

Aside from that, I was asked to do this ship more so, here ya go! Yep, you guessed it, set in the Team Flare arc.

Enjoy!

"Not everything is over", Olympia reminded the Champions as she approached them, "Lysandre may be defeated for good, but the aftermath of his misdeeds is nothing better"

Since Alain won the Kalos League against that other boy he couldn't keep his eyes off, he was technically a Champion and so was alongside them. Much to Steven's dismay. Ash should've won, in his opinion; he was convinced a rematch was due since he didn't have that Mega Stone that was never his in the first place.

Steven found himself in a hospital, walking alongside the psychic gym leader and fellow champion Diantha. And some emo trainer.

"Since the Pokemon centres are beyond crowded, Pokemon are being treated in human hospitals, so there are still enough rooms for everyone in the case that they can share services. I didn't come here to bore you, but there is one certain room I think you ought to see"

They were confused until Olympia stopped at the window of a dimly lit room. 

Through the darkness, the glow highlighted a bed at the centre. Clear white sheets stained with the tears of a hysterically sobbing silhouette. Holding, infact clenching, empty fingers. Beneath the sheets was a deathly pale body, lifelessly reposing into the mattress with its motionless arm hanging at the side of the bed. Veins bulging through until a wrist wrapped with red leather. Blue lips slightly parted. Eyes forever shut. Thick black hair thrown across the pillow.

"Not even a chance to save him. There was hope when he was with us in the ambulance, but he ran out of blood before it could stain the bedsheets. That Mega Evolution energy had the ability to control a legendary like Zygarde, and for that boy to endure it all in his last few hours...he was braver than all of us. Rest in peace, Ash Ketchum"

His heart sunk below his feet. He couldn't breathe. Even putting his hand to the window was too difficult when he was struck so violently. The overload of emotions overwhelmed him, and in the blink of an eye, he was numb. He could still see Diantha's teary eyes yet Alain's breakdown as he pound the glass and descended to his knees. Although his senses were gradually shutting down, he couldn't help but feel angry towards him. He'd seen him punching the floor on Prism Tower when realising how he'd contributed to the crisis, and resented him just as much.

His next conscious moment was making sense of a white ceiling, walls, and bed he was apparently lying in. 

"I apologise for devastating you", a familiar voice explained as a woman with purple hair came into view, "But I understand. We will all dearly miss the hero whose life was cruelly taken. Who, I'm afraid to mention, is in the bed next to you"

His eyebrows shifted slightly. He was lying next to a corpse? Even worse, the one he loved?

"As I said before, there is little space left for patients. We have to make do with what we have. I'll be leaving now. Take care"

And the door shut. That was it. In a few minutes, he no longer had anything to lose. And so he allowed himself to drown into a deep slumber.

Or so he thought he was going to do, until a bony hand seized his wrist, forcing his heart to stutter once more. A pale body emerged from the sheets, exhaling desperately. Steven's senses came rushing back as the boy hyperventilated. Before he knew it, their eyes met, and his wrist hurt even more.

"Listen to me", Ash warned hastily, still struggling to breathe, "Something is going to happen any time now, and we need to ge-"

Lights flickered off throughout the deadly silent building. Not even a single tear had time to slip from Steven's wide eyes as he was dragged into a much smaller room with some form of lighting. He watched the young boy tamper with a system of wires, as if he knew exactly what to do.

"But I thought you were-"

"Dead? I knew it. Those crazy people really did it, huh"

"What are you talking about?"

"After we defeated Lysandre, I knew Team Flare wanted revenge for it. They must've figured me out and tried to kill me, or at least make it look like I died, so I couldn't tell anyone"

"What do you mean 'figured me out?'"

What sounded like an unlocking seemed to alert him. He slid over to the corner of the wall and applied certain pressure. The wall flew open like a trapdoor as he held his hand out.

"Trust me", he breathed with a smile.

Steven slipped his hand into his before they were sent tumbling down a tunnel passageway. Sharp discs of metal sealed their entrance as they made it to the bottom of what seemed like an underground network.

"H-How did you do that?!"

"No time for questions, just try not to make too much noise, 'kay?"

"Okay..."

It was amazing how sure and heroic he was, even without Pokemon he made it certain they were going to be safe.

"I'm really sorry for all this, 'specially since you're a champion, y'know? I just couldn't leave you behind back there"

A mass of electronics sputtered wildly with electricity as Steven felt his body pushed down by a much tinier, but stronger figure.

"Sorry 'bout that", Ash apologised once again as he helped the Champion to his feet, "Just knew you weren't gonna move"

"W-What?"

"We have some time before they find us, I disabled the sensory devices. So if you wanna ask questions, now would be the best time so you're not distracted when we have to run"

Steven was shocked, yet massively impressed. He knew the kid was his own kind of genius, coming up with all sorts of unique tactics in battles. But he never thought he'd see him in this kind of intelligent. He only loved him even more.

"How'd you know what to do? You know where to go, what's going to happen...you're from Kanto, so I'm sure this is your first time in this hospital, yet you know all this stuff that no one's even supposed to know"

Ash looked astounded by the question. Like he was expecting it, yet wasn't sure how to answer.

"Let's just say I have some...sixth senses. I've always been able to figure things out when I shouldn't be able to"

"Like...?"

"...Like how I saw during the finals that Alain was collecting energy for something horrible, whether he knew it or not, and that the future would be more painful if I kept our battle going. So I just gave in so whatever was going to happen wouldn't be as bad as it could've been"

"So you let him win?"

"I wouldn't like to say it like that", Ash chuckled, "More like...doing what I think is best for everyone. Who knows? If that energy was even a little worse, I might've actually been gone"

He immediately regretted his last few words when he saw the other go quiet and drop his head.

"That's probably impossible anyway. Look at you. You're so brave and selfless. It's like you know nothing can stop you"

Ash's face was flushed with red as he tried to hide his excited smile.

"I-I wouldn't say that..."

"..."

"..."

"...I knew it. There's no way that guy could be Champion"

Ash couldn't help but burst out laughing along with his companion. He didn't even know this guy that much, but he felt some sort of pull to be around him. To trust him. After all, Steven pretty much trusted him with his life at this point, why shouldn't he do the same?

Without warning, noises began to echo in his head.

"Someone's coming! You don't have any Pokemon on you?"

"You'd think a Champion would have Pokemon on him at all times, huh. They must still be in that room"

A group of armed grunts dressed in orange burst through the door, guns at the ready to shoot them. 

After warning the older male to stay back, Ash made himself the target as he sprinted through the bullets and got his own hands on a weapon. 

"You know how that works?", Steven yelled before the boy took a second to stare.

"I do now!"

He was able to take out every grunt except one. Ash didn't need more than a second to think.

He knew what was going to happen. 

"This has been fun"

Once again, Steven was tackled down to the ground, this time with a loud, sharp sound echoing in the distance. Except this time, the other didn't move. He didn't climb off and apologise. He just stayed there, sprawled over his body. 

He felt a calm yet eerie silence in the air as he gently carried him onto the floor. His eyes set on him completely. Every limb and muscle remained paralysed, but he wouldn't have been so concerned had there not been a red puddle expanding from his chest.

And he had a feeling he wasn't going to wake up and grab his wrist again.

His mind responded differently to the day's second wave of shock. Instead of being scraped of his emotions, he was drenched in them. Endless tears flowed even as the ambulance car sped through time, as his beloved was rushed through corridors on a stretcher, as all he could truly do was watch from behind glass as, at any moment, a red leather band could be rightfully circling his wrist.

As Ash predicted, midnight struck with tears.

And a kiss.

And a smile.

The lively monitor is a reminder of his life, instead of an informer of his death. He still remembers the sound at the happiest times.

"...Champion of Kalos  and the first Champion from Pallet Town, Pokemon Master Ash Ketchum!"

Cheers and applause erupt from the crowd as a trophy sits in the proper hands. 

A bitter blue scarf scoffs from the side, tempted to snap the medal hanging from his neck. 

Steven grabbed Ash by the waist and pulled him into a passionate kiss, giving Diantha a high-five with his free hand.

"So are you guys, like, the Champion couple and I'm the Champion third-wheel? I sure hope so 'cause this little trio here is looking great!"

As their eyes wander through the joyful crowd, fingers intertwined, Ash turned to his lover.

"You know, for the first time, I didn't see that coming"

I'm sorry if that was cringe, I just love sharing my ideas with you guys.

Once again, those who wanted trustedpartnershipping, I am so sorry. I will try and get access somehow to the episode I need but, if not, either maybe someone can tell me what happens, or I can't base it off that episode but I will still do the ship!

Thanks for reading, feel free to request, although it might take a week or more because it takes me a while to produce these :)

Have a great day, please stay safe and wash your hands.

Did not draw this and don't know who did but they're so cute