Here's a little  one shot to keep you guys entertained  :) I haven't given you written content in a long time! (Apologies as my English structure is occasionally poor lately)

(Also you don't have to read this part but my British friends have recently been teaching me a lot of good English slang! Cancel = end one's career. Oof = informal way of condolences. Tea = gossip. And so on! I might start using this stuff in my stories if I can correctly)

CAUTION-like most of my stories, this oneshot deals with some serious issues (I'm sorry for being so dark all the time I'm not good at being cute), reader discretion advised. If you decide to proceed it may upset you, this is one the most serious stories I have written. Apologies in advance for any upset I may cause you. Seriously though. This is messed up.

After the Kalos League and the incident caused by Team Flare, Serena offered everyone to stay at her house to recover. Clemont and Bonnie instantly disliked the idea, as they knew what kind of motives she had. 

But they couldn't let Ash know about something like that. Not only was he dense, but seemed down as of recent. Perhaps he was disappointed in himself for the Kalos League, but it wasn't his first loss and he was already a Champion in other Regions. Maybe it was about what Team Flare did, considering what happened to him, but he was able to talk about the subject.

Even when his friend of more than ten years came to stay with him, he wasn't any brighter.

It was June. Summer! He should be happy about that, right?

Then came the 21st.

"Are you ready, Clemont?"

"Of course I'm ready! I'm just nervous...he's had a hard year"

"We've all had a hard year!"

Clemont and Bonnie stood at the doorway, clutching little boxes wrapped colourfully. Serena and her mother, Grace, watched with a smile by the kitchen door, but Ash and his friend seemed to be ignoring them, almost on purpose.

"Clemont", Bonnie whispered, "Did you find out what's bothering Ash?"

"I don't know. It's weird. He's not moody, but doesn't smile as much recently. And he's quiet"

"He was like this at the start of May, too. You think he hates summer?"

"It's probably something personal"

Grace couldn't help but eavesdrop with her daughter and turned to her.

"You should be more concerned. If you can get to him, it'll be a huge breakthrough for your relationship!"

"Mom, stop. You're always so lame and dorky"

"I was just trying to help..."

"Serena!", Bonnie called, "Aren't you celebrating, too?"

"He works a lot", she explained, "But he'll be back tonight"

"Great! Ash?"

His friend quickly interfered, giving the same excuse, while Ash started quiet.

Everyone's attention was turned to the door as it swung open. Even Ash's eyes were drawn as a man stepped through with open arms.

"Dad!"

The lemon-haired siblings cheered in their Father's embrace as his smile widened.

"Ah, my kids! Ooh, are these presents?"

Serena and her mother grinned at the reunion until they couldn't help but notice Ash's expression. His eyes were dull. Empty. But somehow, he still looked hurt. His friend placed a hand on his shoulder as if to console him.

The siblings and their father, whatever his name is, had gone to celebrate the day, but Ash still stared blankly at the door. His friend called his name over and over, but there was no answer. Only when he shook him did he come back to his conscience. But he didn't answer. His eyes darted around like he was lost.

"Hey", his friend mumbled sweetly, "It's okay. Spend the whole day with me, okay? We'll forget all about it"

"...You don't have to do this, you know", Ash replied, distracting himself with chores.

"What do you mean?"

"I just feel bad that you spend every year with me instead of your own family"

His friend had both hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer so their eyes met. Perhaps at this point it was rude of Grace and Serena to be eavesdropping?

"Hey, stop it. How long have I known you, huh? Your whole life. And I won't let you spend a single year alone on a day like this. Besides, you do so much more for me"

"That's not true-"

He was interrupted by a sharp pat to the head.

"You're still the same height, you know", his friend laughed.

"No way! I've grown at least an inch"

"You know, you're lying a lot today"

"It's better than being more than six feet"

"Oh, please. Who wouldn't want to be me?"

"I bet you can't name someone who does"

"Longer legs run faster"

"Prove it!"

The two raced out of the kitchen before Grace held out her hand to block the taller one.

"You seem very close to him. Mark my words. No one takes my daughter's property. What's your name?"

The man smiled and placed a hand on his hip.

"Gary. Gary Oak"

————

Ash was sitting on his computer with his knees up while Gary lay next to him.

"What's the time?", Gary yawned, "It's not late, right? I'm exhausted for some reason..."

"That's because you've been spending the whole day with me!", Ash cried softly, "I'm sorry..."

"Hey, hey. Don't do that. There's nothing better for me to do anyways. Trust me"

The older man abruptly shot up with wide eyes and moved to be in front of Ash. His eyes sparkled with determination. It took a few seconds for the boy to notice his friend trying to get attention. 

"What?"

Gary started to childishly throw himself forward at the other's knees.

"Wha-"

"Maybe we can visit later...Mmm..."

Eventually, he used his hands to force Ash's knees apart and push them down so he could lie partly on his lap and stomach.

"You know you can just tell me", Ash giggled as he went back to his computer.

Watching from the door, Serena's blood boiled with jealousy. It was so unfair. How could their relationship be so much stronger? She had to get rid of him and draw Ash to her, which she was convinced would be easy. She was a gorgeous girl, according to Tierno, Trevor, and that one guitar guy from Episode 22 whose name I cannot find.

Without warning, the door began to creak open, and because I believe those with an IQ under ten do not know how to hide, Serena's only instinct was to stand up straight with a half-assed smile.

"To get some water—oh! Serena"

"Um, yeah, hi! I actually, I wanted to talk to you for a minute. If you could just...come with me for a second..."

She dragged him meters away from the room, hoping his annoying green-eyed friend wouldn't hear. As soon as they were still, she stared directly into his eyes, making him uncomfortable.

"Ash...", she exhaled, trying to look wistful, "...I know what you said before wasn't true"

"W-What...what do you mean?", Ash stuttered, "What did I say? I've hardly said anything-"

"That's the point! You're hardly talking these days, and it want even you who lied before. It was your friend! Your dad doesn't work that much, does he? Tell me why he isn't here!"

Startled by the sudden raised voice and pressure, Ash jolted back. He managed to breathe normally, and continue talking.

"W...What are you saying, Serena...I-"

"You can talk to me! Don't act like you did in Snowbelle City when you yelled at me!"

Grace, eavesdropping from downstairs, frowned after that. Someone yelled at her daughter?

Ash began to lose colour except red. His breath skipped a little, his eyes darted around quickly.

"That...w-was because...you were pushing...I-I...I need you to leave me alone. Please-"

"No! You're gonna tell me what's wrong with you! Why were you like this at the beginning of May, too? Tell me!", Serena yelled, stomping suddenly.

Gary was alarmed by the commotion and rushed outside. Immediately, he was angry and nervous. He tried to get Ash to look at him, but it seemed like he couldn't focus, like he was losing sight. His breath hindered and he leaned back against the wall, exhausted. His hands wrapped themselves around his body protectively. He couldn't move.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you...but please..."

"You really are upsetting me! I feel like I'll cry...what kind of guy makes a girl cry?! He said before you'd visit, right? Visit what? A grave? Is he dead or something? It's not that big a deal, tell me!"

Clemont, Bonnie and their father returned from their day and joined Grace downstairs. They had never seen Ash so vulnerable before. So scared to move.

"Just this once...", Grace murmured, "Just this once, Serena, don't lose your temper. Don't act spoiled, just this once..."

He looked like he was being suffocated. His face almost blue. In his eyes you could see anger, held back by fear and exhaustion. His mind was somewhere else. He could do nothing but talk. 

"S...O..."

"What? What are you talking about?!"

"Ash...", Gary whispered as his friend continued to shudder and plead.

"S...O...S...please"

Serena slammed her hand into the wall near him impatiently. She was sick and tired of acting so sweet all the time. Why was he mumbling random words?

"Nine...order...I know, it isn't...please, listen to me...pepper...", he stuttered with tears in his eyes.

"We're on the way", Gary suddenly said, drawing attention to himself, "Stay on the line, okay?"

"Clemont, what are they talking about?", Bonnie asked her brother. 

He, his father and Grace could only stay silent. But not for long.

"Now what are you saying?!", Serena yelled, ready to slap Gary. As she was looking at him, she didn't see her voice make Ash shake.

Meyer (that's what his name is) rushed up the stairs as Gary dialled on his phone. He held his arm and smiled. 

"You were brave", he assured, "Everything's gonna be fine, okay?"

Only the young lemon-haired girl and Serena couldn't understand what was happening. Ash's eyes went to the back of his head as he fell to the side. Meyer caught him and handed him to Gary as they noticed the sirens outside.

————

A man with a long coat walked out of the room with a clipboard. Gary ran over to him desperately while the others sat and listened.

"Doctor, is he alright?", he puffed.

"He's going to be fine. It seems he collapsed from an anxiety attack, and we had to get in contact with his adoptive mother to get his past medical information, since we couldn't find any under his current name. He was diagnosed with PTSD, correct?"

"Yes..."

Serena looked down. She didn't know what PTSD was, but heard it was something horrible. She still didn't understand anything else. Grace also looked down, in shame of her daughter.

"Doctor?", Bonnie asked, "Has he never been to a hospital before?"

"He has, but changed his name a while ago, and hasn't been to a hospital since"

"Why'd he change his name?", Clemont spoke finally.

"If I may explain, he was the victim of an incident that took place in Kanto. The Xiao Case. A boy was born to escapees of mental asylums in 2004. The two parents were assumed missing at the time as they changed their identity. They raised his as if they kidnapped him, and only on his tenth birthday, when he was allowed to go to school for one day, did he realise his life wasn't normal. Because of his childhood circumstances, he started being very brave and careless with his life at a young age, so it didn't bother him at first"

"One day...that's why he's dense...", Serena mumbled before being quietly silenced by her mother.

"When the boy was born at the hospital, another child was in the room next door and Xiao's parents let the child see their newborn son. They happened to live close in Pallet Town and met often so he could basically raise Xiao along with his grandfather, as his parents were unfit to do so. After his first visit to a school, his friend's grandfather informed him that he needed to get out of there, but knew that he'd be putting his own family in danger by helping directly. He gave him the police number and told him to call them, not knowing his parents watched him in the house constantly.

"When Xiao returned home, his parents brutally punished him for knowing the number and told him not to call them. That was when he decided he needed to. You know him as Ash, right? Ten year old Ash called the police and disguised it as a pizza order in order not to raise suspense from his parents. His parents were sent back to the asylum, but escaped soon after. Around that time, he was adopted by a young woman, Delia Ketchum, who had his identity changed. They tried to get him back after they escaped, but Xiao let people know quickly who they were, since they changed their identity again. His parents, having received mental treatment before, raised him with horrible stories about doctors and hospitals, and he has refused to see a doctor since his adoption. If it wasn't for Professor Oak and his grandson...Ash probably would've eventually died in his parents' hands"

Grace turned to Gary, though he wasn't facing her.

"That's you, right?"

Gary silently nodded after everyone looked at him. Wiping away his tears, he asked if he could enter.

"Go right ahead. One at a time, and with caution, please"

Gary tiptoed into the room, carefully closing the door behind him. He sat on a chair next to the bed after pulling the room's blinds down.

"Ash?", he whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Ash, it's Gary. Listen to me, okay? It's alright. The police saved you, remember? And you went to live with that lady in Pallet House. Six years ago. I told you I'd stay with you. I did. And I will. So, wake up for me, okay?"

By the end of what he said, Gary was in tears, clutching Ash tightly. The boy's eyes fluttered open and it was the first thing he could see. He smiled, getting his friend's attention.

"You know I don't deserve you at all, right?", he breathed.

Gary couldn't contain himself as he held Ash close to his chest. Ash himself cried a little bit, too.

"S-Stop saying that...you idiot...w-who else could c-call 9-1-1 and...and pretend to order a pizza?!"

"I wouldn't have known the number without you", Ash giggled, patting Gary on the back, "But I'm not the braver one. You are. You knew I'd have issues from my parents, especially through genetics, and you still stuck with me. You could've just left me to deal with it myself, but you didn't. I know I always feel bad about it, but can you blame me?"

Gary calmed down and eventually started smiling too.

"Y-You should sue Serena..."

Now that we're on the topic of Serena, should we see how she's doing?

"You shouldn't have done that", Grace scolded, "He told you to stop, and apparently this isn't the first time you didn't leave him alone when you should've-"

"Why don't you leave me alone?! You're always trying to discipline me and help me make decisions. It's so annoying!"

"It's my job! And would you rather I was like those parents?"

"I'd rather you shy the fu—wait, did he just say he should sue me? I'm going in there!"

"Serena, no!"

It was too late. She had already forced the door open and stormed into the room. 

"You!", she yelled, pointing at Gary, "You've been trying to sabotage my relationship ever since you got here. Even when Ash was panicking before, you acted along with it instead of telling me! If you even try to get me into court, I will-"

"Just stop it"

Meanwhile, outside their hospital room, Bonnie was looking quite uneasy.

"Bonnie?", Clemont started, "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm just worried about Ash..."

"He's gonna be fine. Why are you that worried?"

"...This isn't the first time he went to hospital like this"

"Huh?"

"Remember May 22nd?"

"I thought you guys weren't speaking about that", Meyer interrupted.

"Hold on dad. I think this is important"

—May 22nd—

"Ash is really quiet today. He didn't even call his mom for Mother's Day. They do video calls, right?"

"Maybe his mom is busy. I don't think he's feeling well today"

"It's not acceptable! He should let us know what's the problem-"

"Serena, be nice for once, please"

"Isn't his birthday around this time? He's not doing that either?"

"Maybe he hates May"

Bonnie heard footsteps from outside the room. Ash was walking away, particularly far so the others couldn't hear him, mumbling "video calls..." quietly over and over.. He fell back against the wall and started making some signal with his hand.

He held his hand upwards, as if saying hello. His fingers were close together. He then closed his thumb over his palm and closed his fingers over after. His hand was shaking the whole time.

She saw him try to shake it off and get up, but when it felt like he was ready to go back, he suddenly passed out and started shaking. She didn't know what to do. Whether she should tell Clemont or Serena. She froze there and watched Pikachu call 911 itself.

Then they went to the hospital.

"Your friend suffered from a clonic seizure. He just needs to rest and he'll be fine"

—June 21st—

"I saw him. He made some signal with his hand, then tried to get up, but collapsed and started shaking"

The door suddenly burst open as Clemont and Bonnie walked through.

"Just stop it. That's enough"

Serena was taken aback by the sudden argument. He was so calm and emotionless, but it still meant a lot.

"Just stop it. How much more do you want to make me suffer? Haven't you done enough? Why do you want to remind me of my life? You already heard my story, so leave it alone. You're lucky it doesn't have anything to do with you"

Serena, too stubborn to leave yet too shy to talk, leaned against the wall with arms crossed.

"Actually...", Bonnie stepped forward, "I wanna ask you one more thing"

Meyer and Grace came in as Bonnie demonstrated the signal.

"That signal...", Ash explained, "Is a signal for domestic abuse. I used it on a video call when my parents somehow broke out again and tried to take me back into custody. The police thought my case was a myth or something fake after I was adopted, so at least I got to prove it"

"Dumb police", Bonnie muttered, "They need to know their place"

"...I'm sorry. I've made your lives harder than they need to be"

Clemont wiped away few of his tears as he went over to the bed.

"D-Don't say things like that...you idiot", before he hugged him.

Surprised by the gesture, Ash couldn't move.

"Yeah, he's saying lots of dumb things today", Gary said holding his shoulder.

"Besides, it's good that we know. Next time we can help another kid in danger"

The door, for the third time, burst open again and a young woman with auburn hair and eyes appeared with suitcases.

"Sorry-! I meant to get here earlier, but traffic and—!...can I have a hug?"

Hope you enjoyed :).

It wasn't too clear, so here is a diagram of the hand signal.

Please be aware of this as it could help you and others who you may see. 

Again, sorry for not making any cute fanfics, but it would be kinda hard to make this subject cute, right?

Hope you guys liked it nevertheless.

*quick whisper* i'm so sorry about the lack of content guyssss I love you all take care of yourselves hygiene and eat well okay I love you byeeeeee