#thanks so much for the req! when i saw it i felt itd be too obvious to have goh saying the line so i wanted to swap it around :') | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kohakhearts · 9 months

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❛ please don’t leave me. ❜

This with satogou would be so cute 🥰💯

Thank you for doing it if you get round to it!!! ❤️

“please don't leave me” wc: 2576 read on ao3 here

They’re deep in northern Sinnoh when Ash starts sneezing.

“It’s n-nothing,” he says between chattering teeth. “Let’s keep looking.”

Pikachu, nestled in the front of his jacket, shoots Goh a look he can only really describe as mildly threatening. Not that he needed Pikachu’s confirmation, but the message is more than received.

“We could come back another day,” he says, carefully. “Snowpoint City is pretty close to here, right?”

“But it’s a beautiful day. Why would ya waste the chance?” He sneezes again and pats Pikachu’s head apologetically. “Sorry, buddy. I think your fur got up my nose.”

It’s true that the weather is perfect for Pokémon-catching today, and that the unpredictability of the northern climate may very well mean it will be weeks before an opportunity like this presents itself again. And Goh feels fine—he suspects Ash is feeling the chill a bit more deeply because of all the sleep he’s lost recently getting up early in the morning to train with his team.

Which is a…weird thought, because this is a quality of Ash’s he has always admired. When does tenacity morph into something more hostile to the eternal optimist espousing it? He files that away for later contemplation.

Finally, he heaves a sigh. It billows out in front of him dense and fluffy, like the wings of a Swablu.

“If you’re sure… But you could go back without me, too. I don’t really mind.”

Ash’s expression hardens. “You can’t stay here alone. If it starts to storm, you’ll be trapped. Let’s stick”—he sneezes again—“stick together. ‘Kay?”

“Well…okay.” Goh eyes him dubiously as Pikachu chitters in mild disapproval. “But if you need to go back, just say the word.”

Really, Goh should know better, but he doesn’t want to lose his chance to catch Pokémon he otherwise doesn’t see much. It’s only a few hours later when Ash collapses against a tree and his legs give out on him that Goh realizes it’s a lot more than a budding cold.

“Pikapi!” Pikachu pushes himself up in order to press his nose against Ash’s face, while Ash raises a weak arm to pat his head—or push him away—and mutters, “’M fine, Pikachu, don’t fuss.”

Goh picks his way over the snowbank between them and glowers down at him.

“You are not fine,” he snaps. “I thought you were going to tell me if you felt worse! You need to—”

He stops abruptly, as he feels a snowflake land on his nose. When he lifts a tentative hand in the air, more flakes than he can manage to count dissolve on his palm; some of them sting against the exposed skin between his glove and the sleeve of his jacket.

Ash groans. It sounds more as if he is in pain than irritated at the sudden turn of the weather.

“Look, let’s just—we can make it back to the Pokémon Centre, okay? Let me help you.”

Goh steps forward, but has to stop before he can reach a hand down to Ash as a sudden forceful gust threatens to knock him off his feet too. He grits his teeth and looks down at Ash and Pikachu, his frustration melting into alarm almost immediately when he sees sweat beading his forehead beneath the brim of his hat.

“Okay, Goh, think,” he mutters to himself. “What’s the quickest way back to the Pokémon Centre…?”

He stops as he sees Ash fumbling for one of his Poké Balls. A sense of immense stupidity washes over him when it opens up to reveal Dragonite, who immediately leans down to pull her trainer back up to his feet.

His grip remains on her even once he is standing, clearly the only thing keeping him upright. His other hand comes up to pat her arm weakly in thanks. “’S’not too far to fly,” he promises. “Not a blizzard yet, but ya never know. C’mon, Goh.”

It’s the sound of his own name that finally forces Goh to approach. Ash doesn’t climb on Dragonite right away; the fierce trembling in his legs tells Goh he ought to do so first, so he can pull Ash up after him. It isn’t easy, but they manage, and once Dragonite lifts off from the ground, he slumps against Goh’s back and sucks in a deep, rattling breath.

“Sorry,” he says, very quietly. “Cold.”

Goh swallows hard against the lump trying to form in his throat. “Yeah. It’s okay. We’ll be there soon.”

It thankfully is the truth, too, for in only a handful of minutes he makes out a faint glow of red beneath the flurry of white. The snow has picked up somewhat, but Dragonite doesn’t let it deter her. For Ash’s sake, Goh supposes; there is no doubt of the fierce loyalty he has earned from all his Pokémon.

She lands just in front of the Pokémon Centre, breathing hard from the exertion. When Goh helps Ash come down from her back, he falls against her and does the same.

“Thanks a bunch,” he tells her. His words string together, barely perceptible through the heaviness of his fatigue. “Take a good rest, ‘kay?”

Goh takes Ash’s arm and wraps it around his own neck to keep him standing after he has recalled Dragonite. Pikachu peers up at him from where he is nestled in Ash’s jacket with wide, pleading eyes.

“Inside,” he says with a small tug to get Ash’s feet moving. “Almost there.”

Neither of them speaks again until they make it through the door and Nurse Joy greets them. Her smile falls as soon as her eyes land on Ash, however. In no time at all, she is there helping Goh guide him to a chair.

“Caught in the storm?” she asks, sympathetic.

Ash has slumped over in the chair and gives no response, so Goh tells her, “I think he’s sick. I thought… He said he wasn’t, but the cold…”

Nurse Joy hums. She kneels down in front of Ash and Pikachu, peering up to get a look at his face.

“Ash?” she probes. “Can you look at me? It’s Nurse Joy at the Snowpoint City Pokémon Centre.”

He lifts his head slightly, though doesn’t seem completely aware of her. Gently, she reaches a hand out to touch his face, lips turning down in a concerned frown as she does.

“I think you’d better stay the night,” she says. Turning back to Goh and standing at her full height, she adds, “Some warm fluids and rest are the best solution. He’ll probably be feeling better in the morning. Let me find you a room for the night, all right?”

Despite his best efforts, the lump lodged in his throat has gone nowhere. His voice is very small when he says, “Okay.”

She turns away and makes her way back to the counter. Goh only watches her a moment before a feeble “Pikapi” draws his attention back to Ash and Pikachu.

Ash reaches a hand up to stroke Pikachu’s head. It is shaking so badly he nearly misses. “Don’t worry ‘bout me, Pikachu. I’m okay s’long as you are.”

Goh can only manage to stand and watch, uncomfortably aware that there’s nothing he can do. He should have insisted earlier. He should have noticed sooner than he did. He should have…

“Ash,” he suddenly remembers. “Ash, you should leave Dragonite with Nurse Joy. She’s probably weak from flying through the snow.”

Ash pulls his hand back away from Pikachu and places it over the Poké Balls strapped to his belt. But he does not take Dragonite’s off; his fingers twitch over top of it, as if defensively.

“Dragon types don’t do well in snow,” Goh reminds him. “She might have some frostbite or something. You’re not in any condition to do anything about that yourself.”

Ash recoils slightly. Upon closer inspection, Goh sees that his eyes are glassy; his teeth are chattering too much for him to speak.

At that moment, Nurse Joy returns with a room key, which she hands off to Goh. She smiles kindly at them both.

“Is there anything else you need from me? I was already preparing some soup, so I’ll have it brought up to you once it’s ready.”

“Ash’s Dragonite flew us back here. She seemed tired, so…”

Nurse Joy nods in understanding, then turns to face Ash. “I can take a look at her, Ash.”

Ash’s hand wraps around her Poké Ball, but he doesn’t take it off his belt. “Too cold,” he mutters. “They’ve gotta stay in their balls.”

Goh frowns. “C’mon, Ash, we’re at the Pokémon Centre. It’s perfectly safe here.”

After a beat wherein Ash does not move at all, Pikachu reaches down to pry his hands away from Dragonite’s ball. The reaction is immediate.

“Pikachu! Stop!” He tries to get his hand back in position, but is shivering so violently he doesn’t quite manage before the ball clatters to the floor. His lips thin and he lets out a little hiss, but Goh stoops down to pick it up before Ash can even think of it.

“Just a quick check-up,” Nurse Joy promises as Goh wordlessly passes Dragonite’s ball off to her. “She doesn’t even need to come out of her ball for it. I’ll send it back up with the soup. Why don’t you go get some rest?”

She turns away before Ash can respond, but he doesn’t seem keen on doing so anyway; his head is bowed, hands braced in trembling fists against his knees. Pikachu crawls up from his lap to his shoulder and rubs against his cheek. He doesn’t relax even a bit, which seems just as concerning to Pikachu as it feels to Goh.

Goh leans down to offer Ash his hand. A long moment passes before Ash reaches up and grasps it; Goh releases his held breath in a relieved sigh and tightens his hold to hoist him up to feet. It is effortful work, but they eventually make it to the room Nurse Joy assigned them to. A testament to her charitable insight, it is not far from the front at all.

While Pikachu jumps down and rushes for a bed immediately, Ash stands at the door a moment, swaying slightly on his feet. Goh takes him by the elbow and directs him to follow Pikachu. He sinks into the mattress and wraps his arms around himself. In spite of the warm roof over the head and all the wintergear he’s wearing, he is still shivering.

“Why don’t you take off your jacket?” Goh suggests. “You’ll overheat if you leave it on.”

If anything, he just wraps his arms around himself more tightly. He takes in a deep breath and pushes himself up on the bed so he can lean against the headboard. Pikachu jumps up on his lap and settles down there, apparently with no intention of leaving anytime soon.

Goh sighs. “That can’t be comfortable. Come on.”

“Cold,” is the whining response he gets.

“That’s just— It’s because you have a fever, Ash. Your brain is telling you you’re cold but your temperature’s actually higher than usual and you don’t want to make it worse, so…”

Before Ash can protest further—as Goh can tell he wants to, even as he lacks the energy for it—they are interrupted by a knock on the door. Goh opens it to see a beaming Nurse Joy. She pushes a tray with two steaming bowls and Dragonite’s Poké Ball toward him.

“I hope you’re both getting comfortable,” she says cheerfully. “If you need anything at all, don’t be afraid to ask. It’s quiet tonight, so I don’t mind helping out!”

Goh accepts the tray, careful to position it so that the fine trembling of his hands doesn’t result in spilled soup. He forces a smile on his face. “Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy. We really appreciate it.”

“It’s what I’m here for.” Her eyes slide briefly to Ash, but she must not see anything too concerning, because then she steps back and says, “Good night!”

When the door closes again, Goh is quick to find somewhere to set the tray down. He hands Dragonite’s Poké Ball back to Ash, who immediately relaxes once it is back on his belt.

“Thanks,” he manages after a moment. “What smells so good?”

Under any other circumstances, Goh would have rolled his eyes at that, but Ash’s renewed interest in food is so relieving he instead finds himself smiling a bit, genuinely this time.

“Soup,” he says. “And you can have some as soon as you take off your jacket and everything.”

Ash grumbles about a bit, but eventually sheds his winter clothes and drops his backpack on the ground beside the bed. Though he doesn’t look happy about it, Pikachu vacates his lap and curls up beside him instead.

Goh passes him one of the bowls. He wastes no time in digging in.

“It seems like you’re feeling a bit better already,” Goh remarks.

“Hm?” Ash swallows, blinking. As the comment registers, a guarded look crosses his face. “I guess. I don’t really like the cold.”

“That feels like an understatement,” Goh says before he can even really think about it. He regrets it as soon as he sees Ash’s shoulders hunch up.

“Bad memories,” is all he says, and Goh is too uncomfortable to ask for anything more.

They finish their meal in silence, except for the occasional sniffle from Ash. Aside from any sinus issues, though, he looks significantly better when Goh takes his empty bowl back. Eyes wide and alert—present, rather than…whatever they were before. His expression is somewhat grave, but not any more so than would be expected for someone riding out a fever.

Goh sets their dishes aside, then straightens up and says, “She didn’t bring any food for our Pokémon, so I’m gonna go get some, all right?”

Ash doesn’t respond right away; when Goh glances back at him, he looks…small.

“What? Do you need something?”

“I just…” He looks away. Sniffles. Says, very quietly, “Please don’t leave me.”

Goh stares at him. He blinks a few times. Opens his mouth, and then closes it, and then finally manages to ask, “What?”

If his face weren’t already so flushed from his fever, Goh wonders if it would have reddened from the same emotion that clenches his hands into fists in his lap.

“Never mind,” Goh says, quickly. “I can stay a while longer. Do you…?”

Without a word, Ash nudges Pikachu and they both scoot over to make some space on his other side. Ash still doesn’t look up at him, but the message is more than received.

Goh has barely sat down before Ash is leaning against him. He’s still trembling, but suddenly Goh isn’t sure that’s entirely thanks to his fever. Awkwardly, he wraps an arm around him and holds him closer, as if he could put a stop to it if he tries hard enough.

It doesn’t stop completely, but he feels when Ash begins to relax. He looks over at Pikachu, whose head rests against Ash’s thigh, and knows that their Pokémon won’t mind waiting a few minutes longer for their dinner. It isn’t just his own Pokémon’s loyalty Ash has earned, after all.

Once his breathing has deepened a bit, Ash murmurs, “Thanks.”

Goh doesn’t say anything. He just holds him a bit tighter, content to stay where exactly where he is until Ash falls asleep.

send me a prompt + a character/ship!

#answered #*reqs #*writing #mine #*fic #this is way longer than i meant for it to be so if it feels rushed its because it is LMAO #journeyshipping #satogou #anipoke #pokemon #thanks so much for the req! when i saw it i felt itd be too obvious to have goh saying the line so i wanted to swap it around :')

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