Megabondshipping is my guilty pleasure ship! I love it and wish there was just more fics and arts celebrating it. I like that Alain and Ash's relationship isn't about animosity like with Gary or Paul. Alain is a breath of fresh air. I am pissed that he won though…recant his trophy for connections to Team Flare! Or hell, rematch now that he doesn't have the Mega Stone since it was Lysandre's.

Ash and his friends were staying at Professor Sycamore's so that all of them could recuperate, both humans and Pokémon. Clemont was hard at work rebuilding his Clem-bot and Serena took Bonnie shopping to get her mind off Squishy. Ash was finally able to enjoy time on his own so he could think things over.

It seemed like the Kalos League was brushed aside once Lysandre began his attack on the city. His Pokémon, barely rested, were thrown back into battle to stop that monster from destroying everything in his path. But now that everything was back to normal, Ash could only think about his failure during the League.

His Pokémon had all done their best against Alain and his team. But once again, his Mega-Evolved Charizard bested Greninja. His dear friend had apologized, but Ash should've been the one apologizing to him. Greninja fed off the emotions and strength of Ash in that form. And that meant Ash failed them both.

Alain was of course, perfect. His Pokémon were strong and his Charizard was in great shape. After everything that happened, Ash found himself unable to look Alain in the eye. Every time Ash looked at him, he didn't like the ugly feeling growing in his chest. It wasn't hate, he didn't hate Alain. He was a great Trainer and an even nicer guy. He could say that freely. But was it jealousy? It was too similar to how he felt towards Gary. And because he felt so negative around Alain, he decided to ignore him. It was easy, sorta. Mairin kept him distracted and random people would come up to get his autograph so Ash didn't have to talk to him. Even at breakfast this morning, he didn't focus on Alain and let Professor Sycamore keep his attention, but he wasn't listening much then either.

Ash decided to come out of his room to go outside where the Pokémon were. He left his hat in his room to let the breeze comb through his hair. He needed the fresh air and couldn't be cooped up in his room forever. Like that time when he lost against Wulfric and needed a moment to himself. He needed to isolate himself for a bit, otherwise he would get upset like he did with Serena. He didn't want a repeat. Eager Pokémon ran his way to play with him, Ash laughing as they begged him for food and scratches. Well-equipped, he handed off handfuls of their food so they would give him space to breathe.

It felt nice to be outside with Pokémon again. It took him away from his personal pity party so he could focus on what mattered. The Pokémon.

A familiar roar took him away from his thoughts, eyes following the sound. And there he saw a Charizard without the familiar Mega Stone around its neck. Its Trainer was calmly feeding it with a small smile on his face. Ash froze. It was Alain and no one was there to distract him. He still couldn't face him with how he was feeling. Alain didn't cheat to become champion for him to feel this bitter.

He turned to walk away, but the excited Pokémon around him weren't giving him the space to do so. In fact, they were getting really vocal when he moved, thinking he wanted to play with them. The commotion caught Alain's attention, the taller boy curiously looking over and beaming when he saw Ash.

"Ash!" he called. The younger one sighed internally. He didn't want to feel this way. Alain was nice. And Ash really liked him because he was a solid Trainer, more so than Gary even. He tried to smile.

"Hey, Alain!" he greeted, waving as Alain and his Charizard came closer. For a second, he saw Alain frown, but it was quickly replaced by a smile.

"It's good to see you walking around after everything that's happened." Ash laughed nervously, scratching his cheek.

"Yeah, I was gonna go see if…Professor Sycamore needed my help with something. Like…helping Garchomp." His excuse was flimsy, but it wasn't unreasonable. Alain narrowed his eyes.

"Ash, Professor Sycamore isn't here. He went to the Pokémon Center because we were running out of medicine here and needed to talk to Nurse Joy. He said that at breakfast, remember?" Ash's eyes widened. Oh, had he? Great…

Alain's hand rested at his hip, eyeing him cautiously. He had been making an effort to talk to Ash more because he wanted to make sure he was okay, but the latter would take off or otherwise to avoid talking to him. Even at breakfast this morning, Ash didn't look him in the eye. Maybe he hated him for being on Lysandre's side, but that wasn't it. Ash had forgiven him with such earnest. More than his friends who would eye him suspiciously for a time before they believed him. This wasn't about Lysandre or Team Flare. But it was about him. Had he said or done anything to offend him?

"You've been distant. Not just quiet. But reclusive. It's not to everyone though. You're doing it to me." Ash visibly withered. Alain was always blunt with him, but had he always been this perceptive? He had to be, he was a good Trainer because of it. Ash sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"It's not...it's not something you should worry about. I'm getting over it." Alain's sharp blue eyes narrowed.

"So it is about me." Ash's heart skipped, looking up at him in alarm. He didn't want to talk about this. At least not with him.

"Alain-" The paler boy reached out and took his arm. His eyes were much gentler now.

"Talk to me about it. If it's about me, I'll listen. And you'll feel better once it comes out." Ash was shaking his head fiercely. He would look terrible, like a child throwing a tantrum because he didn't get his way.

"No, Alain. I'm not going to say it to you. You don't deserve it. I don't deserve to feel this way." It was…jealousy, perhaps? Alain couldn't think of much else.

"Ash." He followed his eyes so he was in front of the tanned Trainer. "I promise I can handle it. I just want you to be honest. Get it off your chest."

Inside, Ash was having a turmoil. He liked Alain and the Trainer didn't deserve to hear the qualms from a loser. Heh, a loser. He hadn't done anything official to show he was anything but.

"I...I hate that you won." It was said so softly that Alain had to strain to hear it. "I hate myself for not preparing my team better. They don't blame me for losing. But I do."

He sighed, feeling the weight get a little lighter. Alain didn't say anything, taking in what Ash was telling him.

"I worked so hard for this. But it's been torn away from me. Just when I thought that maybe, maybe, I wouldn't be the loser from Kanto. But no, I lose. Again. And again. All the same results with different Pokémon. It's not fair to them. And I did it. And I hate that you were the one who took it from me." This first time, his inexperience with Charizard costed him the match. In Johto, it was against Harrison. Hoenn, Tyson. Sinnoh, a Darkrai and Latios. Unova, a newly evolved Lucario. This time, it was against Alain and he was in the finals. It hurt that he was just so close. So close to that trophy. He wasn't going to cry. He was over crying about the losses. But they still hurt. His fists clenched and shook at his sides. He was fighting hard to keep himself from lashing out.

"Just once. Once. I just wanted to win. I wanted to see my Pokémon win. I wanted to be the reason why they're so proud. But I'm not. Now they're sitting in the lab because I failed them." Alain wanted to protest. Ash's Pokémon were as good-hearted as their beloved Trainer's. It probably never crossed their minds to blame Ash, though he was sure all of it was directed to him. Ash's frustrations he can take on in a heartbeat. But six furious Pokémon? He...he'd take it on. For Ash. Because Ash made him feel fulfilled. He wanted him to keep smiling because of it. Whenever he saw him, he got excited and it wasn't just because of the battle, because he loved feeling alive afterwards. It took him some time to realize that maybe what he felt for Ash was deeper than their rivalry.

Greninja and Pikachu were both healed and roaming the gardens, enjoying the relaxation and the breeze. But the blue frog noticed its Trainer and the teen who won against them talking. It felt somewhat bitter that Alain didn't stand up for Ash faster before he started getting hurt, but Ash was okay now. It still didn't like him for winning the Kalos League though. Greninja was ashamed for letting Ash down. Like that time against Wulfric. Pikachu tilted his head at his friend.

"Pika?" he asked, louder than Greninja would've liked. It quickly put a finger to its lips and grabbed him, hiding into a tree close to the humans. Pikachu stayed quiet out of respect, but curiously stared at Ash and Alain.

Alain reached for one of Ash's fist, closing a firm hand over it.

"Ash, you're allowed to feel frustrated. But you are more of a Trainer than you realize. Your Pokémon do more than respect you as a master. You have a bond of friendship that can make even the best Trainers jealous. Anyone can see the amount of love between you and your Pokémon. Your quest is to be a Pokémon Master, isn't it? How you recover from a loss is more important than the loss itself. And I'm sorry that I was the reason why you feel this way. I didn't want you to feel worthless. I wanted you to feel how you get my spirits up in battle." He bit his bottom lip, then straightened up. He was happy that Ash told him how he felt, but didn't like what it was implying.

"I understand if you resent me. I…I don't want you to hate me for it." Ash hating him after making him feel alive was a rollercoaster he wanted off of. To his relief, Ash looked surprised.

"'Hate' you? N-no, I wouldn't. I hate the feeling, but I don't hate you. I like you, Alain." He said it with the same earnest when he forgave him, his rich brown eyes soft. Alain's heart lifted. His cheeks pinked up and he had to look away so Ash couldn't see.

"'L-like' me?" A blush rose in his tan cheeks. Ash choked a gasp, quickly backpedaling so he wouldn't get the wrong idea.

"A-as a friend! You're a great friend. And I'm happy to call you a rival." He meant that. Alain laughed a little.

"Of course. And I'm happy you're mine. Rival, I mean," he added quickly before he would turn red with embarrassment. Ash smiled, genuine and carefree. His chest didn't feel heavy anymore.

"Maybe...we could have another battle again? After we relax for a few more days, of course. I don't think battling is what my Pokémon want right now." Greninja wanted it if Alain dared to get closer to Ash. There was a personal bubble and Alain was invading it. The taller male nodded. Ash may have lost in their battles, but Alain felt he had more to learn from him rather than the other way around.

"I agree to all of that. It would be a pleasure." He smiled softly at Ash, who suddenly felt conscious of the closeness between them. He took a small step back, beaming.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go see how my Pokémon are doing and talk to my professor from back home. I'll see you around lunch time!" Alain nodded.

"Sounds good." Ash took off, heading to check on the others, but paused and looked back.

"Oh, and Alain?" He was still watching him, perking up.

"Yeah?" He grinned and put his thumb up.

"Thanks for listening." Alain smiled softly.

"I'm always here if you need me," he whispered it, watching Ash seem confused, but smile again and run off. Charizard marched up to Alain, nudging him sharply and looking peeved. Alain chuckled.

"I'll...I'll confess to him another day." Charizard made an accusatory face. It was Alain's perfect chance to confess and he wasted it. Alain shook his head. He stared out into the pond calmly.

"It was a good day, Charizard. I feel like he can open up to me more. And it's brought us closer. I...I'm happy." Charizard roared happily.

Greninja and Pikachu were still high up in the tree, observing them below. While the yellow mouse questioningly stared over at Alain and his odd confession, the blue frog wasn't pleased. Alain was nice and it didn't blame him for the loss, but the urge to protect its Trainer outweighed the cordiality it felt for him. Alain was a capable Trainer, but still.

The next day, Ash and his friends were happily chatting at the PC while Ash was talking to someone on the other line. Alain was hanging around nearby, observing and smiling when he saw how happy Ash was now. Ash's Pokémon were released from their balls, all playing around except for Greninja. The frog was glaring at him, but Alain was paying him no mind.

Ash hung up the phone and held up a ball to his friends. The Pokémon noticed and crowded around him. Ash had a proud grin on his face. As he led them outside.

"Now that Goodra's heading back home, I decided I'd bring over a friend to say hello! It's pretty excited to meet you guys. Everyone, meet Charizard!" Ash tossed the ball in the air, light shining to reveal a vibrant Charizard. It greeted with a roar that shook the lab. Even Alain's Charizard perked up at the strong presence.

Ash was animatedly talking about his Charizard, boasting how proud he was while the Pokémon greeted its new family members. Charizard got too excited and accidentally used Flamethrower on him, but Ash wasn't too fazed and was laughing while Serena panicked and cleaned his face.

Greninja looked into Charizard's eyes and immediately saw the fondness, strength and pride on its face. An ally. It held out a fist and Charizard's eyes sharpened. He roared and pounded it with his own. Now Greninja had to tell him about the rival who could steal their Trainer from them.

Alain smiled as he saw the Charizard. It looked pretty strong and proud, like the Trainer who raised it. He gazed over at Ash, smile growing bigger. While Ash was here, Alain planned to have his feelings known. He felt that his feelings for Ash were validated. It was more than just admiration he felt. Greninja looked over at Alain, then Charizard followed its eyes. Seeing the Trainer look at its own had Charizard narrowing its eyes. Alain's Charizard flexed protectively. While the Pokémon were having an intense staredown, the humans were blissfully unaware of the new rivalry forming.

How was it? Too cheesy? But I hope you enjoyed it! I wanna do another chapter, but it's gonna be about shenanigans between Ash's Greninja and Charizard versus Alain's while he tries to get his feelings out to Ash. No more angst here!