Hey! I'm back with another oneshot! Now, I'll admit, this is a very different kind of oneshot compared to normal. For one, it takes place over a period of many episodes, as opposed to being in between just two. For another, Amourshipping isn't the main focus. Gasp! What? Yes, that's right. There will be some Amourshipping, but this is a Marissonshipping oneshot. However…well…you'll see what that entails down below. Please, enjoy!
"Are those all eight badges?" Her voice was loud. Louder than it should have been, though he wasn't all that surprised by this point. She always had a way of making her voice louder than he liked. Not that he minded.
"It is," Alain responded carefully. Stretching his arms out on the bench he was on, his head shifted to the side to look at the case in his right hand. More than that, the case concealed her face. For a moment longer, he let it, watching the collection of eight badges in the case reflecting in the dying embers of the sunset. Then, with just a small hesitation he dropped his arm and looked at her smiling face.
"Was it hard to get?" she asked happily. Alain frowned a little. She was always so enthusiastic, her red hair sticking out from underneath her hat as she faced him on the bench. The sound of the surf in Shalour City wafted into his ears, but Alain didn't move from his position. His hand did clench around his badge case, however.
"Not particularly," he answered.
"You make it sound so cool," she laughed out. Alain still felt himself frowning; his heart was clenching and he tucked the badges away. Right now, they weren't important. He looked away from her, out over to the Tower of Mastery. It looked like some people were working on it, and had been since his battle earlier today. Probably something to do with the rumors that the place had been attacked some days prior. None of that mattered to Alain. News, unless it came through his Holo-Caster, hardly mattered.
None of it mattered unless it was about her.
"It's not. It's just something I had to do," Alain grunted out, finally moving to lean forward, staring down at his clasped hands, and the badge case between them.
"Ohhh, right…" she said with a light laugh. Why did she have to laugh? It hurt. "You have that guy you want to fight. Ash, right?"
"Something like that," was the easiest answer. He looked up now to see her in front of him, pacing back and forth like some madwoman. He smiled just a little at that before remembering why she was doing it and the smile dropped off. Now unclenching his hands again, Alain sighed and stood.
"We're already going?" she asked him suddenly. Alain didn't answer, but he did choose to keep walking forward with long strides that forced her to keep up. She didn't do a very good job at that, but she was always rather clumsy. "I'm gonna miss this place. We never spend long enough anywhere to really appreciate it. Not that I really know what I want to do. Do I want to win gym badges? Or just learn from you? I definitely wanna learn how to Mega Evolve."
"Pokémon Mega Evolve, not people," he reminded her for what seemed like the umpteenth time. He would have chuckled if he wasn't so exasperated.
"I knew that…" she sighed out, like she didn't want to be treated like a child. Maybe he wouldn't if she didn't act like one, but he wasn't about to voice that out loud. He liked seeing her smile. "I was just saying. There are lots of things in this world I haven't seen and don't know about, but I'd love to learn them, you know? Ooh! I know! I'll travel the world and become even better than you at training."
"I'd like to see that," Alain chuckled out, knowing full well it wasn't going to happen all that quickly.
"Yeah! One day, I bet even Chespie will beat your Charizard!"
Alain froze. There was no other sound of footsteps stopping behind him, but, of course, he knew that. The illusion was broken beyond repair. Because she wasn't here. She wasn't smiling. Once more, Alain's fists clenched, his hand wrapping around the badge case that symbolized the final hurdle he had to overcome. Swallowing the wad of spit in his throat, Alain looked back to see nothing but the Shalour shoreline. Shaking his head, he continued to walk on towards Lumiose City.
"Don't worry, Mairin. Once Chespie's all better, I promise to teach you anything you want. I promise."
He certainly hadn't expected to see what he'd seen. Walking past a row of magazines and newspapers, something he usually didn't care for, Alain caught sight of an oddly familiar picture. Despite not being one for usually sating his curiosity, the ebony-haired trainer approached the newsstand and glanced over the large number of copies for the paper.
"What happened?" he asked aloud, hardly realizing that he was doing so. His question had apparently been heard by the vendor, though, because he responded. That was more of a shock to Alain than anything. He spent so much time on his own that hearing a voice other than Nurse Joy and…her…was jarring.
"You mean you don't know?" the vendor asked with a hearty laugh tacked on the end. Alain shook his head, not sure what he should know about. "They're reporting on the Nova Incident from about a week ago. That thing's like a never-ending source of media reports. Heck, even the Champion Diantha had a press conference the other day about it."
"The Nova Incident?" Alain asked. Sometimes, he had to curse how out of the loop he was with the world, but that hardly mattered. Either way, he took one of the newspapers off the stand and began to look at the front pictures. Sure enough, he had quickly located the picture that had drawn him to it in the first place. He would have scrutinized it more closely, but the vendor was speaking to him. Unlike Mairin, he felt it rude to ignore him.
"You heard about the Ancien Debacle?"
"Vaguely."
"You must live under a Crustle or a Boldore…" the vendor chuckled out. "Turns out a bunch of kids who battled it out in the Kalos Team Tournament and saved the city during the Ancien Debacle were involved in something at Nova Town. Caused a big thing with the League. Anywho, those kids were led by that…oh, what's his name, Ash? Yeah, him…Anyway, he had this huge battle atop an airship. Heard it was a spectacle, even if no one knows much about what happened up there. Now, the kid's set to be the League favorite."
"Favorite?" Alain asked in amusement. He wasn't all that surprised, hearing Ash's name. The boy seemed to always be on the move, going after one challenge or another. It made him smile. "Can I keep this?"
"Feel free," the vendor waved off. Alain thanked him, and began to walk off, folding the paper over. Sure enough, Ash's face was right on the front, and he thought he could spot a rather blurred picture of the boy's Greninja. Even through the picture, it radiated a sense of raw power, making his hands tremble. This was proof. Proof of what he always knew. He turned to look at the official statement from Diantha, the Champion.
"In light of the events at Nova Town, we have decided to upgrade security at this year's Lumiose Conference. Further, as Champion of Kalos, myself and the others have decided on League reform which we will begin negotiating after the conclusion of this year's Lumiose Conference."
Alain could have shrugged off that statement. It meant next to nothing to him at this point. Diantha didn't matter. The League didn't matter. Only him. Only that one obstacle to being the strongest. Then, she could smile again.
"Ooh, is that Ash?"
Then the real Mairin could smile again.
"He looks pretty impressive," she noted with a tinkling laugh. Alain refused to respond, his gaze lingering slightly longer than he'd expected to on the pictures in front of him. Ash looked fierce and determined; all the qualities he would have wanted and more in the trainer that inspired such battle fever inside him. Looking at the pictures here, Alain had no doubt he'd do it again. All he needed was the ink on paper to prove that. "Kinda handsome, too. What do you think, Alain?"
"I think you shouldn't go looking at boys as handsome when you have your own problems to worry about," Alain snapped at her. Mairin frowned, folding her arms and pouting just a little bit at him.
"Well, that's mean," she mumbled out. "I'm not saying I like him or anything."
"I didn't ask." Mairin strode forward now, almost skipping to keep pace in front of him. Alain tried to speed up, but she kept herself in stride with him, that infuriating smile on her face.
"Aw, are you jealous, Alain?" He scoffed at that. What did he have to be jealous of Ash for? "It's okay if you are. Just proves you care, right? Ash might be cool saving the world and all, but I didn't go seek him out!"
"No, you just followed me without my permission," he said, shoving the paper into his knapsack and plunging his hands into his pockets with a surly expression. He didn't like this conversation. Mairin wasn't responding either, and Alain had to wonder if she was already gone, but when he looked to his side, he saw she was still there.
"You were pretty cool, too…in Hoenn…" she said quietly. Alain hung his head, remembering their moment in Hoenn. It twisted deep inside like a knife. If he had said something then…if he had…No, there was no time for this. And there was no time for "jealousy", if that was what it was.
"It's not important, Mairin. And I have no reason to be jealous," he told her sternly. "Besides, I plan on battling Ash at the Kalos League. He'll give me the battle I've been waiting for. The battle of the strongest."
Mairin didn't say a single word more, but he knew she was still there, marching alongside him, no matter the downcast expression on her face. To Alain, however, it was a comfort. A light that guided him in the darkest of times. He took solace in that as he marched on.
The Lumiose Stadium was massive, there was no denying that, yet to Alain it felt almost tiny. Sure, the opening ceremonies were almost set to go off with this big bang, but Alain felt himself just going through the motions. None of the pomp and circumstance mattered. He was there for one reason and one reason alone.
To face him.
"But you could have been nicer to your other competitors," Mairin pointed out from his trainer's suite at the site of the Conference. "I mean, everyone was mingling, but you were just by yourself. I don't think you even nodded at anyone."
"Why should I?" Alain asked, perhaps a little colder than he meant to. He didn't like being back in Lumiose City. There were too many memories here. Too much…pain. Seeing Mairin gleefully kicking her legs on his bed was too much of a sharp reminder to him. "We're here to compete, not make friends."
"That's-"
Alain grunted, turning his head towards the window and the setting sun on the skyline. Placing his head on his palm, he stared out over Lumiose City. Mairin didn't say anything else, allowing Alain to continue his observations. It had been a while since he had been back here; since he left to heal Chespie. He had to wonder, how were they doing now? Mairin had mentioned that Chespie's spines had moved, but no news had come since then. Were his efforts succeeding? Or was he just failing to protect those that mattered?
No, he thought savagely, his other hand tightening into a fist. I won't fail again. I'll find the strength that is necessary, defeat Ash, and protect those that are dear to me.
For a moment, he blinked. Defeat Ash? Before, he'd only thought about fighting him, but now he had every intention of winning. The League meant nothing to him, but beating Ash…that was like a confirmation of all the strength he'd gathered up. Everything before would be prelude, not worth wasting his time on.
"What're you thinking about, Alain?" Mairin asked from the bed. She was still kicking her legs up and down, making no sound in the room. Alain didn't answer her. She knew what he was thinking.
Keeping his gaze on the city sprawling before him, Alain noticed the Prism Tower, its lights starting to shine as the sky darkened, illuminating the bountiful streets of the city. A little ways over, he caught sight of the Sycamore Lab. His face dropped a little and he moved on, examining what he could while trying to forget about his time there. If he thought about it too much, it would make him worry too much, which would put that man in danger.
"So, are you looking forward to the first match tomorrow?" came the question from the bed. Alain now proceeded to sigh a little. She didn't let up. "You're first up!"
"That doesn't matter," Alain finally noted. There was no use in letting her babble on.
"Of course it does! You must be nervous," Mairin noted, clasping her hands to her chest, almost like she was praying. "I know I would be in my first League match."
"I'm not." Mairin dropped her praying position and frowned at him. "There's no reason to be nervous. Charizard and I can handle everything. The rest of the trainers don't matter."
"That's kinda cold," she noted. He didn't agree. Unless there was some other trainer that could instill within him the passion of battle, Alain didn't want to waste his time. Just as Lysandre wouldn't waste time with him if he wasn't strong, he wouldn't waste time with those who were weaker either. He was here to battle, not be warm and fuzzy with his competitors, but he didn't feel the need to remind her, either. "You were cold to the professor, too. He just wanted to talk to you!"
"Drop it, Mairin," Alain growled out a little. She was toeing a very fine line in his mind.
"Professor Sycamore is really nice guy, though. He gave me Chespie, and I know he really wanted to help Chespie get better. But you just kinda ignored him and-"
"I said, drop it, Mairin!" Alain suddenly roared. He didn't know where it came from, but as soon as the words were out of his mouth he began to regret it. She had flinched, recoiling from his tone. His own hands clenched at his clothing and he heaved in breaths. Mairin wasn't the enemy here. He knew that. But it didn't stop him. "How I handle the professor is my business. I'm not going to put him in harm's way."
"Harm's way? It's a competition, Alain!"
"This doesn't concern you," Alain challenged her. She glared at him but didn't say anything to refute his argument, almost like her mouth had been sewn shut by his forceful behavior. She just didn't understand. None of them understood. He was protecting them by keeping them at an arm's length. Maybe they'd understand when he showed he had the strength to protect them.
Maybe they'd finally understand when he won every match.
"Well…I'm rooting for you anyway…"
Alain whipped around to see that she was gone from the bed, and he finally allowed himself to relax. For a moment, he leaned back on the chair and considered calling Lysandre but eventually shook his head. No, he didn't want to know how she was doing. That was only secondary. Because there was no possible way that the real her smiling and rooting for him could be real. Not now, at least.
He'd have to win, first. Then he'd have the strength to make it real.
"Another win, Ash! That's great!" Alain twitched a little, turning his head to the sight of Ash exiting from the stadium, out to where his friends were waiting. In no time, he watched as the honey-blonde girl of the group suddenly caught the boy in hug. He hugged her back without any delay. "You're really doing well!"
"Thanks, Serena, but it's my Pokémon that deserve the credit," Ash admitted with an embarrassed laugh and a rub to the back of his head. "I wouldn't have gotten this far without them. Quarterfinals, huh? You ready to go, Pikachu!"
"Pika!" the electric mouse responded happily. For a moment, Alain watched them, considering approaching them as they made their way out of the stadium, but when he saw some others go to meet them, he stopped and hung back.
"Ash, good match out there!" called a blonde girl. She looked familiar to Alain and he quickly recognized her as Astrid, the girl with the Mega Absol. A strong opponent, and the one Ash would face in the quarterfinals the next day. "Our match is finally tomorrow."
"Yeah! And I'm gonna win it!" Ash proclaimed enthusiastically, pumping his fist a little. Astrid chuckled a little, and the reaction baffled Alain. These two were opponents, and there were still far too many battles to go before any trainer could reach the finals. How could they be so at ease going forward with that?
"Not a chance," Astrid replied with a confident smirk. "I've been training hard since the Nova Incident. I knew we'd face each other, and I'll put up the fight of your life."
"I'll give it right back!" The two then shook hands, as if accepting one another as rivals. Alain then watched as Astrid waved at Ash and walked off, only to be replaced with a different black-haired boy and his friend. For a moment, Alain had to try and remember who he was, until he noted that the orange hair belonged to his opponent on the first day. Troy? Trenton?
"Hey, isn't that the guy you beat on the first day? Trevor?" That was it. Trevor. He was surprised that he had forgotten such a detail, but it wasn't like it mattered. He hadn't been a trainer of any real note, despite his own strange looking Mega Charizard. Next to him, Mairin looked at him with a frown, as if chastising him.
"Tierno, are you pumped for the Quarterfinals?" Ash asked, reaching out to fistbump the bigger boy. Alain continued to watch. "You're up against Sawyer, and he's pretty tough."
"Oh, I know that! He almost beat you in the Kalos Team Tournament," Tierno said with a snap. Ash just laughed it off. It seemed too odd. To laugh off a near loss like nothing. "Either way, he's nothing against my dancin' crew!"
"Tierno's got this one!" Trevor insisted. "Anyway, Tierno, we gotta call Shauna. She's showing up tomorrow."
"Oh, you're right, Trevs. Catch ya later, Ash!" With that, the two boys ran off at a quick pace. Alain chuckled a little under his breath as Ash and the rest of his friends began walking forward, in his direction. Ash stretched his arms skyward.
"Man, I'm hungry…"
"Let's go for some dinner. I made a bunch of PokePuffs earlier this morning for your Pokémon, Ash," the honey blonde, Serena, said to Ash. He looked to her with dazzling eyes while the two siblings behind the pair trailed after, lost in conversation.
"Sweet! You're the best girlfriend, Serena. They're gonna love it."
"Pika pika!" Pikachu agreed with his trainer. Serena seemed to laugh at this before Ash suddenly grabbed her hand and the two began to run forward together. They were running straight at him, unnoticing of him, and as the moment of their paths crossing nearly arrived, Alain slunk into the shadows of the stadium. The happy couple ran right past without noticing him, and the same went for the siblings. Mairin remained standing in the street, and as expected, said nothing. No one took notice of her, and when they had passed, Alain stepped forward again.
"You didn't talk to them," Mairin said with another pouting face. They were becoming less and less effective.
"He's a rival."
"Not a friend?" Alain didn't answer her. In fact, Mairin didn't say anything else. She just looked downcast, the smiles all gone. Seeing that, Alain turned back towards the trainers' rooms, shoving his hands in his pockets. She needed to smile. Why wasn't she? Why couldn't he have what Ash…?
Growling a little under his breath, Alain picked up the pace as everything started to fall away in his eyes. Seeing Ash with his girlfriend was a sharp reminder, a reminder of what he was trying to protect…or had he pushed it away. It was so frustrating. He just wanted to protect them. Protect the people he loved, so…why? Why couldn't he smile? Why couldn't she smile like they had? Even in his head, the smile was fading.
Don't worry, he thought to himself, all you need to do is win and keep winning. Get the energy you needed and save Chespie, and then any future is possible. Even one where we're together…smiling…
The Mairin next to him said nothing.
Cheers resounded around the stadium as the victor was announced, but Alain could hardly care. The guy had barely made him even break a sweat. Hardly worthy of being a semi-finalist. He'd already forgotten his name, too, despite having met him twice. Well, he remembered that at least. All that was left was a final match to watch. Ash against some other unimportant kid. He was certain that Ash would win. They'd meet in the finals. Other than an assured smirk, not a single other emotion stretched itself across his face. Feeling relaxed, Alain continued up towards the stands to watch Ash's semifinal match. Mairin was waiting at the top of the steps, looking at him. She wasn't smiling. He didn't smile back. He simply shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and proceeded up the steps.
"Not even a thank you, Alain," she said when he'd drawn level with her. "He put up a good fight."
"Not good enough," Alain admitted with a surly glare.
"But he-" Mairin said. Alain cut her off by moving right on past her with not a word or gesture in her direction. She didn't say anything, so he stopped.
"I'm doing this for you, Mairin. To protect you…and your smile."
"But…I'm not her," she said. "And…maybe you need to smile, yourself. A real smile."
"You'll understand," he assured her, but her look didn't seem to think so. "Nothing else matters. Just winning enough to get the energy I need to save Chespie and see you…her, smile again."
"Is it really all about winning, Alain?"
That question made him stop with his hand on the railing. Beyond him, the cheers of the crowd were rising up with intensity. One of the trainers must have been about to step on the field. He turned to look at her.
"It's the only thing I have left that matters."
Mairin's eyes just teared up, but Alain didn't let it matter to him. He was determined. Winning. He needed to win. He needed to beat Ash. It was the only way to prove his strength; prove that he had enough to protect people's smiles. Fixing that gaze of steely determination on Mairin he watched as the single tear slipped from her face and hit the ground. As soon as it did, it was like she cracked. Her words were gone, and then she was gone. As Alain took his place to watch the match, all he was left with was his determination.
He would focus on winning.
What he didn't realize was the part of his soul he had ripped out by doing so.
Author's Note: Like I said, this was rather different, not only for me but just in general. No, Alain is not crazy. I want to point that out. Think of it like a coping mechanism: Alain spends so much time on the road alone, he's gotta do something to stop from going insane. Is he actually talking out loud? No. But it would be weird to read with italics all over the place. Plus, it makes it seem like Alain's having a harder time.
As for his vision of Mairin, she's meant, in some way, to represent positivity and kindness in himself. Slowly over the course of the oneshot, she gets quieter and quieter while Alain starts snapping at her and ignoring her to the point she breaks and disappears entirely, just like the real Mairin. It's all meant to show how he's so determined on winning that the future he wants, the one that Ash and Serena have, is disappearing or has already. Beating Remo just slammed the final nail in. Hope it all tracks for you and that the characters were in character (which is hard from the dearth of episodes they appear in). And hopefully no one thinks XYZ 36 and beyond contradicted this, because I wrote it beforehand...
Of course, it isn't strictly romantic, but the overtones are there, and I hope I presented them nicely while bringing my point across. Furthermore, as many of you here know, I have planned the final installment in the Ancienverse. Of course, that's still a ways off, but I have updated my profile with information to take a gander at. If you've got any questions about it, feel free to PM me. But, at the very least, be sure to leave me a Review and, as always,
Dare to Be Silly,
Epicocity
Author: Epicocity
Rating: PG
Pairings: Marissonshipping and Amourshipping
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon. Stop asking.Rating: PG
Pairings: Marissonshipping and Amourshipping
Fragmented Figments
A Marissonshipping/Amourshipping Pokémon Oneshot
A Marissonshipping/Amourshipping Pokémon Oneshot
"Are those all eight badges?" Her voice was loud. Louder than it should have been, though he wasn't all that surprised by this point. She always had a way of making her voice louder than he liked. Not that he minded.
"It is," Alain responded carefully. Stretching his arms out on the bench he was on, his head shifted to the side to look at the case in his right hand. More than that, the case concealed her face. For a moment longer, he let it, watching the collection of eight badges in the case reflecting in the dying embers of the sunset. Then, with just a small hesitation he dropped his arm and looked at her smiling face.
"Was it hard to get?" she asked happily. Alain frowned a little. She was always so enthusiastic, her red hair sticking out from underneath her hat as she faced him on the bench. The sound of the surf in Shalour City wafted into his ears, but Alain didn't move from his position. His hand did clench around his badge case, however.
"Not particularly," he answered.
"You make it sound so cool," she laughed out. Alain still felt himself frowning; his heart was clenching and he tucked the badges away. Right now, they weren't important. He looked away from her, out over to the Tower of Mastery. It looked like some people were working on it, and had been since his battle earlier today. Probably something to do with the rumors that the place had been attacked some days prior. None of that mattered to Alain. News, unless it came through his Holo-Caster, hardly mattered.
None of it mattered unless it was about her.
"It's not. It's just something I had to do," Alain grunted out, finally moving to lean forward, staring down at his clasped hands, and the badge case between them.
"Ohhh, right…" she said with a light laugh. Why did she have to laugh? It hurt. "You have that guy you want to fight. Ash, right?"
"Something like that," was the easiest answer. He looked up now to see her in front of him, pacing back and forth like some madwoman. He smiled just a little at that before remembering why she was doing it and the smile dropped off. Now unclenching his hands again, Alain sighed and stood.
"We're already going?" she asked him suddenly. Alain didn't answer, but he did choose to keep walking forward with long strides that forced her to keep up. She didn't do a very good job at that, but she was always rather clumsy. "I'm gonna miss this place. We never spend long enough anywhere to really appreciate it. Not that I really know what I want to do. Do I want to win gym badges? Or just learn from you? I definitely wanna learn how to Mega Evolve."
"Pokémon Mega Evolve, not people," he reminded her for what seemed like the umpteenth time. He would have chuckled if he wasn't so exasperated.
"I knew that…" she sighed out, like she didn't want to be treated like a child. Maybe he wouldn't if she didn't act like one, but he wasn't about to voice that out loud. He liked seeing her smile. "I was just saying. There are lots of things in this world I haven't seen and don't know about, but I'd love to learn them, you know? Ooh! I know! I'll travel the world and become even better than you at training."
"I'd like to see that," Alain chuckled out, knowing full well it wasn't going to happen all that quickly.
"Yeah! One day, I bet even Chespie will beat your Charizard!"
Alain froze. There was no other sound of footsteps stopping behind him, but, of course, he knew that. The illusion was broken beyond repair. Because she wasn't here. She wasn't smiling. Once more, Alain's fists clenched, his hand wrapping around the badge case that symbolized the final hurdle he had to overcome. Swallowing the wad of spit in his throat, Alain looked back to see nothing but the Shalour shoreline. Shaking his head, he continued to walk on towards Lumiose City.
"Don't worry, Mairin. Once Chespie's all better, I promise to teach you anything you want. I promise."
He certainly hadn't expected to see what he'd seen. Walking past a row of magazines and newspapers, something he usually didn't care for, Alain caught sight of an oddly familiar picture. Despite not being one for usually sating his curiosity, the ebony-haired trainer approached the newsstand and glanced over the large number of copies for the paper.
"What happened?" he asked aloud, hardly realizing that he was doing so. His question had apparently been heard by the vendor, though, because he responded. That was more of a shock to Alain than anything. He spent so much time on his own that hearing a voice other than Nurse Joy and…her…was jarring.
"You mean you don't know?" the vendor asked with a hearty laugh tacked on the end. Alain shook his head, not sure what he should know about. "They're reporting on the Nova Incident from about a week ago. That thing's like a never-ending source of media reports. Heck, even the Champion Diantha had a press conference the other day about it."
"The Nova Incident?" Alain asked. Sometimes, he had to curse how out of the loop he was with the world, but that hardly mattered. Either way, he took one of the newspapers off the stand and began to look at the front pictures. Sure enough, he had quickly located the picture that had drawn him to it in the first place. He would have scrutinized it more closely, but the vendor was speaking to him. Unlike Mairin, he felt it rude to ignore him.
"You heard about the Ancien Debacle?"
"Vaguely."
"You must live under a Crustle or a Boldore…" the vendor chuckled out. "Turns out a bunch of kids who battled it out in the Kalos Team Tournament and saved the city during the Ancien Debacle were involved in something at Nova Town. Caused a big thing with the League. Anywho, those kids were led by that…oh, what's his name, Ash? Yeah, him…Anyway, he had this huge battle atop an airship. Heard it was a spectacle, even if no one knows much about what happened up there. Now, the kid's set to be the League favorite."
"Favorite?" Alain asked in amusement. He wasn't all that surprised, hearing Ash's name. The boy seemed to always be on the move, going after one challenge or another. It made him smile. "Can I keep this?"
"Feel free," the vendor waved off. Alain thanked him, and began to walk off, folding the paper over. Sure enough, Ash's face was right on the front, and he thought he could spot a rather blurred picture of the boy's Greninja. Even through the picture, it radiated a sense of raw power, making his hands tremble. This was proof. Proof of what he always knew. He turned to look at the official statement from Diantha, the Champion.
"In light of the events at Nova Town, we have decided to upgrade security at this year's Lumiose Conference. Further, as Champion of Kalos, myself and the others have decided on League reform which we will begin negotiating after the conclusion of this year's Lumiose Conference."
Alain could have shrugged off that statement. It meant next to nothing to him at this point. Diantha didn't matter. The League didn't matter. Only him. Only that one obstacle to being the strongest. Then, she could smile again.
"Ooh, is that Ash?"
Then the real Mairin could smile again.
"He looks pretty impressive," she noted with a tinkling laugh. Alain refused to respond, his gaze lingering slightly longer than he'd expected to on the pictures in front of him. Ash looked fierce and determined; all the qualities he would have wanted and more in the trainer that inspired such battle fever inside him. Looking at the pictures here, Alain had no doubt he'd do it again. All he needed was the ink on paper to prove that. "Kinda handsome, too. What do you think, Alain?"
"I think you shouldn't go looking at boys as handsome when you have your own problems to worry about," Alain snapped at her. Mairin frowned, folding her arms and pouting just a little bit at him.
"Well, that's mean," she mumbled out. "I'm not saying I like him or anything."
"I didn't ask." Mairin strode forward now, almost skipping to keep pace in front of him. Alain tried to speed up, but she kept herself in stride with him, that infuriating smile on her face.
"Aw, are you jealous, Alain?" He scoffed at that. What did he have to be jealous of Ash for? "It's okay if you are. Just proves you care, right? Ash might be cool saving the world and all, but I didn't go seek him out!"
"No, you just followed me without my permission," he said, shoving the paper into his knapsack and plunging his hands into his pockets with a surly expression. He didn't like this conversation. Mairin wasn't responding either, and Alain had to wonder if she was already gone, but when he looked to his side, he saw she was still there.
"You were pretty cool, too…in Hoenn…" she said quietly. Alain hung his head, remembering their moment in Hoenn. It twisted deep inside like a knife. If he had said something then…if he had…No, there was no time for this. And there was no time for "jealousy", if that was what it was.
"It's not important, Mairin. And I have no reason to be jealous," he told her sternly. "Besides, I plan on battling Ash at the Kalos League. He'll give me the battle I've been waiting for. The battle of the strongest."
Mairin didn't say a single word more, but he knew she was still there, marching alongside him, no matter the downcast expression on her face. To Alain, however, it was a comfort. A light that guided him in the darkest of times. He took solace in that as he marched on.
The Lumiose Stadium was massive, there was no denying that, yet to Alain it felt almost tiny. Sure, the opening ceremonies were almost set to go off with this big bang, but Alain felt himself just going through the motions. None of the pomp and circumstance mattered. He was there for one reason and one reason alone.
To face him.
"But you could have been nicer to your other competitors," Mairin pointed out from his trainer's suite at the site of the Conference. "I mean, everyone was mingling, but you were just by yourself. I don't think you even nodded at anyone."
"Why should I?" Alain asked, perhaps a little colder than he meant to. He didn't like being back in Lumiose City. There were too many memories here. Too much…pain. Seeing Mairin gleefully kicking her legs on his bed was too much of a sharp reminder to him. "We're here to compete, not make friends."
"That's-"
Alain grunted, turning his head towards the window and the setting sun on the skyline. Placing his head on his palm, he stared out over Lumiose City. Mairin didn't say anything else, allowing Alain to continue his observations. It had been a while since he had been back here; since he left to heal Chespie. He had to wonder, how were they doing now? Mairin had mentioned that Chespie's spines had moved, but no news had come since then. Were his efforts succeeding? Or was he just failing to protect those that mattered?
No, he thought savagely, his other hand tightening into a fist. I won't fail again. I'll find the strength that is necessary, defeat Ash, and protect those that are dear to me.
For a moment, he blinked. Defeat Ash? Before, he'd only thought about fighting him, but now he had every intention of winning. The League meant nothing to him, but beating Ash…that was like a confirmation of all the strength he'd gathered up. Everything before would be prelude, not worth wasting his time on.
"What're you thinking about, Alain?" Mairin asked from the bed. She was still kicking her legs up and down, making no sound in the room. Alain didn't answer her. She knew what he was thinking.
Keeping his gaze on the city sprawling before him, Alain noticed the Prism Tower, its lights starting to shine as the sky darkened, illuminating the bountiful streets of the city. A little ways over, he caught sight of the Sycamore Lab. His face dropped a little and he moved on, examining what he could while trying to forget about his time there. If he thought about it too much, it would make him worry too much, which would put that man in danger.
"So, are you looking forward to the first match tomorrow?" came the question from the bed. Alain now proceeded to sigh a little. She didn't let up. "You're first up!"
"That doesn't matter," Alain finally noted. There was no use in letting her babble on.
"Of course it does! You must be nervous," Mairin noted, clasping her hands to her chest, almost like she was praying. "I know I would be in my first League match."
"I'm not." Mairin dropped her praying position and frowned at him. "There's no reason to be nervous. Charizard and I can handle everything. The rest of the trainers don't matter."
"That's kinda cold," she noted. He didn't agree. Unless there was some other trainer that could instill within him the passion of battle, Alain didn't want to waste his time. Just as Lysandre wouldn't waste time with him if he wasn't strong, he wouldn't waste time with those who were weaker either. He was here to battle, not be warm and fuzzy with his competitors, but he didn't feel the need to remind her, either. "You were cold to the professor, too. He just wanted to talk to you!"
"Drop it, Mairin," Alain growled out a little. She was toeing a very fine line in his mind.
"Professor Sycamore is really nice guy, though. He gave me Chespie, and I know he really wanted to help Chespie get better. But you just kinda ignored him and-"
"I said, drop it, Mairin!" Alain suddenly roared. He didn't know where it came from, but as soon as the words were out of his mouth he began to regret it. She had flinched, recoiling from his tone. His own hands clenched at his clothing and he heaved in breaths. Mairin wasn't the enemy here. He knew that. But it didn't stop him. "How I handle the professor is my business. I'm not going to put him in harm's way."
"Harm's way? It's a competition, Alain!"
"This doesn't concern you," Alain challenged her. She glared at him but didn't say anything to refute his argument, almost like her mouth had been sewn shut by his forceful behavior. She just didn't understand. None of them understood. He was protecting them by keeping them at an arm's length. Maybe they'd understand when he showed he had the strength to protect them.
Maybe they'd finally understand when he won every match.
"Well…I'm rooting for you anyway…"
Alain whipped around to see that she was gone from the bed, and he finally allowed himself to relax. For a moment, he leaned back on the chair and considered calling Lysandre but eventually shook his head. No, he didn't want to know how she was doing. That was only secondary. Because there was no possible way that the real her smiling and rooting for him could be real. Not now, at least.
He'd have to win, first. Then he'd have the strength to make it real.
"Another win, Ash! That's great!" Alain twitched a little, turning his head to the sight of Ash exiting from the stadium, out to where his friends were waiting. In no time, he watched as the honey-blonde girl of the group suddenly caught the boy in hug. He hugged her back without any delay. "You're really doing well!"
"Thanks, Serena, but it's my Pokémon that deserve the credit," Ash admitted with an embarrassed laugh and a rub to the back of his head. "I wouldn't have gotten this far without them. Quarterfinals, huh? You ready to go, Pikachu!"
"Pika!" the electric mouse responded happily. For a moment, Alain watched them, considering approaching them as they made their way out of the stadium, but when he saw some others go to meet them, he stopped and hung back.
"Ash, good match out there!" called a blonde girl. She looked familiar to Alain and he quickly recognized her as Astrid, the girl with the Mega Absol. A strong opponent, and the one Ash would face in the quarterfinals the next day. "Our match is finally tomorrow."
"Yeah! And I'm gonna win it!" Ash proclaimed enthusiastically, pumping his fist a little. Astrid chuckled a little, and the reaction baffled Alain. These two were opponents, and there were still far too many battles to go before any trainer could reach the finals. How could they be so at ease going forward with that?
"Not a chance," Astrid replied with a confident smirk. "I've been training hard since the Nova Incident. I knew we'd face each other, and I'll put up the fight of your life."
"I'll give it right back!" The two then shook hands, as if accepting one another as rivals. Alain then watched as Astrid waved at Ash and walked off, only to be replaced with a different black-haired boy and his friend. For a moment, Alain had to try and remember who he was, until he noted that the orange hair belonged to his opponent on the first day. Troy? Trenton?
"Hey, isn't that the guy you beat on the first day? Trevor?" That was it. Trevor. He was surprised that he had forgotten such a detail, but it wasn't like it mattered. He hadn't been a trainer of any real note, despite his own strange looking Mega Charizard. Next to him, Mairin looked at him with a frown, as if chastising him.
"Tierno, are you pumped for the Quarterfinals?" Ash asked, reaching out to fistbump the bigger boy. Alain continued to watch. "You're up against Sawyer, and he's pretty tough."
"Oh, I know that! He almost beat you in the Kalos Team Tournament," Tierno said with a snap. Ash just laughed it off. It seemed too odd. To laugh off a near loss like nothing. "Either way, he's nothing against my dancin' crew!"
"Tierno's got this one!" Trevor insisted. "Anyway, Tierno, we gotta call Shauna. She's showing up tomorrow."
"Oh, you're right, Trevs. Catch ya later, Ash!" With that, the two boys ran off at a quick pace. Alain chuckled a little under his breath as Ash and the rest of his friends began walking forward, in his direction. Ash stretched his arms skyward.
"Man, I'm hungry…"
"Let's go for some dinner. I made a bunch of PokePuffs earlier this morning for your Pokémon, Ash," the honey blonde, Serena, said to Ash. He looked to her with dazzling eyes while the two siblings behind the pair trailed after, lost in conversation.
"Sweet! You're the best girlfriend, Serena. They're gonna love it."
"Pika pika!" Pikachu agreed with his trainer. Serena seemed to laugh at this before Ash suddenly grabbed her hand and the two began to run forward together. They were running straight at him, unnoticing of him, and as the moment of their paths crossing nearly arrived, Alain slunk into the shadows of the stadium. The happy couple ran right past without noticing him, and the same went for the siblings. Mairin remained standing in the street, and as expected, said nothing. No one took notice of her, and when they had passed, Alain stepped forward again.
"You didn't talk to them," Mairin said with another pouting face. They were becoming less and less effective.
"He's a rival."
"Not a friend?" Alain didn't answer her. In fact, Mairin didn't say anything else. She just looked downcast, the smiles all gone. Seeing that, Alain turned back towards the trainers' rooms, shoving his hands in his pockets. She needed to smile. Why wasn't she? Why couldn't he have what Ash…?
Growling a little under his breath, Alain picked up the pace as everything started to fall away in his eyes. Seeing Ash with his girlfriend was a sharp reminder, a reminder of what he was trying to protect…or had he pushed it away. It was so frustrating. He just wanted to protect them. Protect the people he loved, so…why? Why couldn't he smile? Why couldn't she smile like they had? Even in his head, the smile was fading.
Don't worry, he thought to himself, all you need to do is win and keep winning. Get the energy you needed and save Chespie, and then any future is possible. Even one where we're together…smiling…
The Mairin next to him said nothing.
Cheers resounded around the stadium as the victor was announced, but Alain could hardly care. The guy had barely made him even break a sweat. Hardly worthy of being a semi-finalist. He'd already forgotten his name, too, despite having met him twice. Well, he remembered that at least. All that was left was a final match to watch. Ash against some other unimportant kid. He was certain that Ash would win. They'd meet in the finals. Other than an assured smirk, not a single other emotion stretched itself across his face. Feeling relaxed, Alain continued up towards the stands to watch Ash's semifinal match. Mairin was waiting at the top of the steps, looking at him. She wasn't smiling. He didn't smile back. He simply shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and proceeded up the steps.
"Not even a thank you, Alain," she said when he'd drawn level with her. "He put up a good fight."
"Not good enough," Alain admitted with a surly glare.
"But he-" Mairin said. Alain cut her off by moving right on past her with not a word or gesture in her direction. She didn't say anything, so he stopped.
"I'm doing this for you, Mairin. To protect you…and your smile."
"But…I'm not her," she said. "And…maybe you need to smile, yourself. A real smile."
"You'll understand," he assured her, but her look didn't seem to think so. "Nothing else matters. Just winning enough to get the energy I need to save Chespie and see you…her, smile again."
"Is it really all about winning, Alain?"
That question made him stop with his hand on the railing. Beyond him, the cheers of the crowd were rising up with intensity. One of the trainers must have been about to step on the field. He turned to look at her.
"It's the only thing I have left that matters."
Mairin's eyes just teared up, but Alain didn't let it matter to him. He was determined. Winning. He needed to win. He needed to beat Ash. It was the only way to prove his strength; prove that he had enough to protect people's smiles. Fixing that gaze of steely determination on Mairin he watched as the single tear slipped from her face and hit the ground. As soon as it did, it was like she cracked. Her words were gone, and then she was gone. As Alain took his place to watch the match, all he was left with was his determination.
He would focus on winning.
What he didn't realize was the part of his soul he had ripped out by doing so.
Fín
Author's Note: Like I said, this was rather different, not only for me but just in general. No, Alain is not crazy. I want to point that out. Think of it like a coping mechanism: Alain spends so much time on the road alone, he's gotta do something to stop from going insane. Is he actually talking out loud? No. But it would be weird to read with italics all over the place. Plus, it makes it seem like Alain's having a harder time.
As for his vision of Mairin, she's meant, in some way, to represent positivity and kindness in himself. Slowly over the course of the oneshot, she gets quieter and quieter while Alain starts snapping at her and ignoring her to the point she breaks and disappears entirely, just like the real Mairin. It's all meant to show how he's so determined on winning that the future he wants, the one that Ash and Serena have, is disappearing or has already. Beating Remo just slammed the final nail in. Hope it all tracks for you and that the characters were in character (which is hard from the dearth of episodes they appear in). And hopefully no one thinks XYZ 36 and beyond contradicted this, because I wrote it beforehand...
Of course, it isn't strictly romantic, but the overtones are there, and I hope I presented them nicely while bringing my point across. Furthermore, as many of you here know, I have planned the final installment in the Ancienverse. Of course, that's still a ways off, but I have updated my profile with information to take a gander at. If you've got any questions about it, feel free to PM me. But, at the very least, be sure to leave me a Review and, as always,
Dare to Be Silly,
Epicocity