TDBigJ's message: I'M BAAAAAAAAAACK! Woo, man, I've been holding that in for seven weeks. Anyway, how are you guys? How's the last month and a half been for you? I've been pretty busy working on this and the other story, and seeing as if you voted on the poll, you would know what I'm talking about. When it comes to the poll, well, it seems you know the result. This story won the poll, 6 votes to 3. Within the first twenty four hours of the poll being up, there were four votes in total, all for this story, and after that, the other story (Against All Odds) got three of the next five votes but it seemed that it wasn't enough to beat it out, so this story is the winner. I would've been happy either way and also, either way, you'll be getting both stories from me, so don't worry that Against All Odds lost (At least for those of you who wanted it next) because that story will come out right after this one. Just be ready to wait a little longer for that one, because if you remember what I said at the end of the final chapter of In or Out, I will only be working on and releasing one multi-chapter story at a time because two at once would be too stressful for me. But trust me, I am excited for that one as well. And if you remember what I also put in the chapter after the story part of the chapter of the final chapter of In or Out, I left you guys with the option to send me a request for a one-shot, and I did get some within a couple days after In or Out ended and you will be seeing those from me within a month or two. You will only see me release one one-shot per month or two if I'm in the zone and let me tell you, I got some pretty good requests and I am excited to be working on those, so for those of you who sent me a request, get ready for my shot at your suggestion. I hope I don't disappoint you. But with that aside, I am glad to be back. That seven weeks flew by pretty fast didn't it? Well, I wouldn't know how it was for you guys. I'm just happy that I am back to working on another story. If you wanted to know, this story is also going to be fifteen chapters so get ready for it, and yes, I will be updating weekly so I won't keep you waiting for each installment. I know a few of you didn't like that with In or Out, so if you want to talk about it with me, just send me a PM, I'll be happy to talk and see if we can reach an agreement. I've got some ideas for this story and I'm going to be more flexible when it comes to typing each chapter and the amount of characters that are going to be in it. I'm planning on adding some more characters from the anime to this story, like: Barry, Cilan, Iris, Morrison, Ritchie, Stephan, Cameron, Misty, and the list goes on. So without further ado, here we go with "Love You Now, Love You Always". Let's get this started!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they belong to Game Freak and Nintendo, and… whoever else.
The sun shined bright on a beautiful looking September morning. Some people were already up and moving, others still laid in bed, school kids mostly. That's right, it was time for another year of school. Many kids dreaded this day for obvious reasons, but for some others it had no bother to them. Yep, it looks like this year was going to be one heck of a thrill ride.
A little bit of light escaped through the blinds of the room of a certain future Pokemon master. Since it was miniscule, he didn't notice, and also the fact that he was still asleep. His trusty partner that always spent the night next to him awoke when a tad bit of light shined on his left eye. Pikachu opened his small black eyes and noticed that it was morning. The yellow mouse Pokemon rubbed it's eyes with his paws and stood up. He walked over to his buddy and placed his paws on Ash's left cheek to try to jar him awake. Due to the fact that Ash was a heavy sleeper he didn't jerk a muscle. Seeing as he wasn't going to get him awake this way, he let loose a few short but powerful jolts out of his cheeks. This worked as Ash's eyelids swiftly moved open to see his best friend in front of him smiling which made him smile himself.
"Hey Pikachu, good morning."
"Pika pika."
Ash took his left hand out from under the covers and petted Pikachu's head. After that he sat up in his bed and cuffed both hands behind his head and pulled so he could stretch. He then got out of bed and opened the shade so he could let the sun in. The sun was a little too bright and he had to put his right hand in front of his face to keep himself from being blinded. Pikachu did the same as well. Ash then realized what day it was.
"Oh right, today is the start of school. Oh well, the summer was good while it lasted. Travelling another region, collecting badges, and entering the Pokemon league. At least we didn't do too bad in the league this year, huh Pikachu?"
"Pika!"
"Yep, another remarkable summer."
Ash loved how his summer went. He collected all his badges all the while learning new battling tactics to conquer the gyms and the Pokemon league. The league was a great time for Ash. He didn't win the league but he made it as far as the semifinals in the final four, which tied for his personal best when he participated in the Sinnoh league a few years back. When Ash lost his final battle in the league, he didn't feel upset at all. He usually never did when he lost a league battle. The only thing that Ash felt after his final league battle was a sense of pride. Brock even said so himself. Shadow even said that Ash should feel nothing short of that. But the person that made him feel even better after the battle, that said they were proud of how well he did, was Serena, his girlfriend. He reflected back to that day about a week ago.
Flashback
Ash picked up Pikachu after he had fainted, signaling the end of the battle and victory claiming to Ash's opponent. He looked at Pikachu with a genuine smile spread across his lips. He felt great that Pikachu battled so well. He didn't feel one ounce of shame after the end of the battle.
"Don't feel bad buddy. You were awesome. I'm proud of how you did. Good job." Ash commented.
Ash then shook hands with his opponent and walked back to his friends who were standing outside the stadium waiting for him. Right when he caught eyes with them, smiles spread across their faces. He walked over to them.
"Hey Ash, you did great out there. Nice job." Shadow commented who then high fived and hugged him.
"Thanks Shadow, I appreciate the support." Ash replied.
"Ash, if I know whatever you're feeling right now, it's a sense of pride. You definitely gave it your all out there, you were nothing short of brilliant." Brock stated.
"Thanks for that Brock. And you're right, I am feeling a sense of pride. It doesn't matter that I lost, I should be happy that I made it as far as I did."
"That is true."
The two then high fived and hugged. Ash was glad to have someone like Brock travel with him again. Brock was one of the people who always gave him enough courage and support. But there was still one person who hadn't expressed their thoughts to him yet, so he went over to her before anything else proceeded.
"No matter how you did out there, you're a champion in my eyes. I'm so happy with how you did." Serena commented.
What she said to him was short and sweet, but Ash wasn't one to ask for more (even when it came to food). She told him she was proud of how he performed and that was good enough for him. This was the first time she saw him compete in a league, and although he didn't win, he at least made into the top four. Top four out of 600 plus has got to be something to be proud of and he was glad she was there to see him do it.
"I'm glad you think so. Thanks for supporting me the whole way." Ash stated.
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Serena commented.
The two then shared a quick kiss and then hugged. Brock and Shadow knew what this kind of moment was for them, and enjoyed seeing them happy. They all thought that they never wanted this journey to end, but it would be soon, but they would see each other in school next week anyway, so it wasn't like they were splitting up for a long time. They enjoyed the moment as it continued. When it concluded, they went back to their hotel and spent the rest of the night relaxing after such a stressful day.
End of flashback
It was a fun summer indeed. It was one of Ash's best throughout the years, heck, maybe even his best. Winning the league would've made it a little better but it didn't matter to him. He never won a league before with the exception of the unofficial Orange League, so he was used to it. But Ash knew that it was a learning experience because he knew one thing: You learn more from losing than you do from winning. But he had to put that aside for now, because he had to get ready for school. He wasn't bothered by it. He was one of those people who didn't let school be a nuisance to him. He didn't enjoy school with the exception of a few classes, but he certainly didn't hate it either. He grabbed the clothes he wore during the summer and rushed into the bathroom to take a shower.
Ten quick minutes later he emerged from the shower all dressed in his hoodie and cap. Pikachu just laid on his bed to get a few more winks while Ash was in the bathroom. Right when Ash entered his room Pikachu opened one of his eyes to see him approaching and then quickly sat up and rubbed his right ear with his paw. Ash just smiled and again rubbed the top of the yellow mouse's head.
"Don't worry about it buddy. You can sleep until we have to leave."
Pikachu heard what he said but in his mind he thought he had caught enough sleep and was ready for the day. He watched his partner put on his red and black sneakers and tie them and walk downstairs and followed right behind him. Delia was already up and in the kitchen doing little duties. She heard her son coming down the stairs and looked at him when he caught the corner of her eye.
"Morning honey, ready for your final year of school?"
"Pretty much. Just one more year and I can journey all year long."
Ash had planned that after he graduated he would start travelling twenty four seven three sixty five. His mom dreaded the day it would come but she loved how her son followed his passion and she couldn't hold him back from it, but for now, at least for the next ten months, she wouldn't have to worry about it. She watched as her son put his usual breakfast in the toaster who then poured himself a glass of orange juice.
"Walking with Serena to school this morning?"
"Yeah, I promised her that now that we're in a relationship, that we would walk to school every day together."
Delia admired the idea that Ash finally had someone else other than her to care about. Sure he had his friends but she meant when it came to love. She even admitted before Ash and Serena got together that he was a bit dense, but he finally got past it and got himself a girl.
"It's so sweet that you two became a couple before your journey this summer. I'm so proud you have a girlfriend." Delia commented.
"I'm glad I'm with her. I mean, I knew nothing about relationships before I met her, but she opened my eyes to it." Ash replied.
"I'm just so happy that you now have a lady to take care of." Delia stated. Ash nearly spit out his juice when his mom said "lady". He had to cover his mouth with his hand to prevent any liquid from spraying.
"Mom, really?" Ash shouted, cheeks blushing a dark red.
"Why, you embarrassed about it, honey?" Delia teased, tilting her head toward Ash. Ash slightly shook his head.
"No mom, I'm not. But did you have to put it that way?" Ash asked.
"All I said was "lady" and "take care of", what's so bad about that?" Delia asked, raising an eyebrow. Ash put his hand on his head and took a deep breath and shook it off.
"No mom, it's fine. I just overreacted is all. Me being in a relationship with her is still kind of new to me. I mean, we've only been dating for almost three months." Ash explained. Delia returned to what she was doing before as Ash's breakfast popped out of the toaster and he grabbed one and took a bite out of it.
"Do any of your friends know about your two's relationship?"
"Besides Brock and Shadow, no. But we were planning on telling everybody today. They will probably all ask when they see us holding hands anyway." Ash answered.
Part of her wanted to ask him what he thought their reactions were going to be because she was curious, but she shoved that idea to the side and finished what she was doing.
Meanwhile Ash finished his two toaster pastries and gulped down the last of his orange juice. He looked at the time and realized school started in forty five minutes. He thought he would get a head start and get there early. He already called Serena last night and planned when they would walk together this morning. He grabbed his binder and rushed out the front door but not before saying "goodbye" and "I love you" to his mom.
Half an hour earlier
An alarm went off signaling the start of the day. After about ten seconds of the alarm buzzing a certain honey blonde took two of her fingers and pressed a button, ceasing the blaring alarm. She lifted her head off her pillow and rubbed her eye and looked at the wall, eyes half open. Realizing that it was now morning and what day it was, she swiftly sat up in her bed and stretched her arms out. She got up and opened the blinds she squinted her eyes closed when the bright light shone in her room. The bright light woke up Fennekin who also rubbed her eyes with her paw. Serena went over to her and pet the top of her head.
"Good morning, Fennekin. Today's a new day."
"Fenne." Fennekin moaned silently. She was still groggy from a good nights sleep. Serena didn't mind so she told Fennekin she could keep on sleeping if she wanted to, which Fennekin thought she would sleep for a few more minutes. Seeing as Fennekin wanted to catch a few more Z's, Serena went into the bathroom to take a shower to get started for the day.
Since Serena took a little longer than Ash when taking showers, she got out a few minutes later than he did. She got dressed and went into the bathroom to fix her hair since she just washed it after getting bed head the previous night. She was rather quick with getting her hair dried and curled since her hair was short. It took her much longer when it was down to the middle of her back. She missed her long hair but she liked her short hair look and didn't plan on going back to her long hair look anytime soon, although she wouldn't mind going back to her long hair someday, just to see how much she had missed it and more importantly, see what Ash would think of it. Within five short minutes it was the way she wanted. She went back into her room and put the rest of her attire on and walked downstairs. Fennekin stayed in the room and kept on resting. She knew that when Serena had to leave for school that she would have to get up and get moving, so she fell back to sleep and rested with what time she had left. Serena had entered the kitchen and her mom handed her a glass of milk which she gladly took and took a sip out of.
"Get enough sleep, honey?"
"Yep. I'm ready for today."
"I know you've only been back for three days, but a lot of sleep is what you deserve from the long summer you had." Grace explained.
"Mom, I had a lot of fun this summer, I didn't need that much sleep." Serena responded, rubbing her left eye again.
"Even if you've had a fun summer, you could still use a bit of sleep. You moved around a lot."
"I see what you mean. But trust me mom, I'm fine."
"So, how was it travelling with Ash? You two have a good time together?" Grace asked.
"It was great! Ash did really well in the league and I finished in the top four in the master class tournament, so I had a blast this summer." Serena explained.
"Well, I'm glad it was good for you. I'm sure travelling with your boyfriend has to be fun."
Serena looked up at the ceiling, smiled, and sighed happily. "Yeah."
"You two be careful around each other. Remember what I said a few months back, I'm not ready to be a grandmother yet." Grace remarked.
And just like before, this sent a shock up Serena's spine, making her spit out the milk that she had just drank onto the floor in front of her and she covered her mouth with her hand. She looked directly at her mom.
"MOOOOOOM!" Serena whined, whole face completely crimson. Grace just chuckled to herself.
"Just playing around with you." Grace said.
"UUUUUUHHHH!" Serena groaned out loud.
A few minutes later Serena finished her drink, grabbed her hat and binder and walked out the door to meet Ash. Ash was sitting at the curb in front of her house. Apparently he was waiting for her. She silently walked up to him. She didn't want to play games so she just tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to see her there and stood up.
"Hey, ready to go?"
"Yeah let's go."
They started to walk, but Serena halted Ash after a couple steps.
"Wait, if we are a couple now, there is something we should be doing while we're walking."
"What's that?"
Serena stood forward again and put her left hand down by her side, open, and motioned Ash with her head to follow suit. Ash looked down for a second and was unsure of what she was implying but then realized what she was doing and grabbed her hand as well and they continued walking. Once they got to the entrance to the forest it was very silent.
"So how has your morning been?" Ash asked.
"Oh nothing to brag about really. But my mom kind of shocked me with something she said."
"What did she say?" Ash asked, wondering what would surprise her like this.
"Well, you know we are in a relationship, right?" Ash nodded. "She just told me that she wanted us to be careful because she's not ready to be a grandmother yet."
Now Ash was the one to be shocked. Once she said that his eyes widened, he jumped and dropped his binder. Pikachu's expression was almost the same, even he understood it. Serena jumped a tiny bit at Ash's reaction. It seemed that even Ash took it as an uncomfortable question.
"Really, your mom asked that?" Ash asked, picking up his binder off the ground and dusting it off with his hand.
"Yeah. Don't worry, I pretty much had the same reaction as you." Serena replied.
"Oh, well, I guess we both took it the same way, huh?" Ash stated.
"Yeah."
"It's no big deal. My mom even made that statement to me once." Ash mentioned.
"Looks like our moms think alike it seems." Serena remarked.
"Yeah, I guess." Ash responded then grabbed Serena's hand and they continued walking. After a few seconds, a thought came across Serena's mind.
She looked at Ash. "Hey Ash?"
"Yeah?"
"What do you think our friends will think when they see we're in a relationship?"
"Oh, I hadn't thought of that." Ash looked down at the ground for a few moments while he took the time to think. "I'm pretty sure they'll be happy for us, I mean they're our friends, I doubt they will think any different."
"Yeah I guess you're right." She replied.
The rest of the walk was filled with conversation about what their friends were going to think about their relationship but also mainly about the new year. This was going to be their Senior year which everybody knew was the final year of school. They were stoked that after this year that they could travel all the time without the worry of academics, but that was a long ways down the road so they had to take every day in stride because every day of school they finished was a day closer to their next adventure. They just had to be patient.
They reached the school within a few minutes and went and got their schedules for the year. They walked around comparing their classes, seeing if they had any together. They waited for when their friends would show up. Their wait wasn't long as a certain blunette appeared in front of them.
"Hey guys, long time no see." Ash and Serena looked up from their schedules and saw Dawn in front of them, arms outstretched.
"Oh hey Dawn." They said simultaneously. Dawn walked up to them and embraced them in a hug. But she hugged them so tight that they bonked heads with her. They both got hurt by it but since Dawn was really into the hug she didn't feel the pain, either that or she ignored it. Dawn released from the hug after a few seconds.
"So how was your summer you two?" Dawn asked, curious of the two's adventure over the past three months.
"Oh, well, it was pretty fun. We each worked hard towards our dreams but at the same time it was a blast." Ash responded.
"Yeah Ash, I saw you in the Pokemon League and Serena I saw you in the master class tournament. You both did great!" Dawn exclaimed, expressing how happy of her friends turnouts over the summer.
"Thanks Dawn. That means a lot." Ash replied.
"Yeah, I was speechless. You two deserve as much-" Dawn stopped as soon as she saw the one thing she wasn't aware of: Ash and Serena were both holding hands. Since she didn't know about it, her eyes widened a tad bit. "What is this?"
"What is what?" Serena asked, unsure of where Dawn was going.
"You two are holding hands. Does that mean… you two are?" They both shook their heads.
"Yes Dawn, we're boyfriend and girlfriend." Serena replied.
Dawn now really was speechless. She smiled and gasped. She pointed both fingers at them. "When did this happen?"
"Day after school ended last year, before our journey started." Ash answered.
"I'm so happy for you guys." She once again walked up to them and hugged them with both arms, less rough this time. "I had a feeling this was going to happen."
Ash and Serena both each put an arm around Dawn. She was ecstatic that they ended up together. Well, they now knew what one of their friends thought. Just, what about everyone else? But that was a question for later.
"Where's Ally at?" Serena asked.
"Oh she's just getting her schedule right now. She'll meet me in a few minutes." Dawn replied.
"Oh okay."
"I'll see you guys a little later, I have to go get my schedule as well." Dawn said and ran off in direction of the front office.
The two looked over their classes as well. Unlike last year, the two didn't have the same first period but did have three of their six classes together so it wasn't a total loss, especially since their last period was the same so that saved time meeting up after school. Time passed by pretty quickly so school had to start. They parted ways and said to each other that they will meet each other in second period.
Ash reached his first class and looked at the seating chart to see where he would be sitting. He quickly found his spot and went over and sat down. A minute later, a familiar face sat down next to him, and the cordial green haired future Pokemon connoisseur saw Ash sitting next to him. Ash easily knew who he was. They didn't have any classes together last year but it looked like they had this one this semester.
"Hey Ash, where have you been?" Cilan asked.
"A lot of places. Traveled another region this summer." Ash replied.
"Yeah, I saw you on tv in the Pokemon League. Good job there! I know you didn't win but you were still great." Cilan commented.
"Thanks man. How was it running the gym?" Ash asked.
"Tough, but I have experience so it wasn't extremely difficult." Cilan explained. Ash always wondered how Cilan had been doing since he left Unova after traveling with him. See if he made any progress into becoming an S-ranked connoisseur and if running the gym was any easier.
"How about your connoisseur dream? Getting farther in that at all?"
"A little. I know it's hard but I'm making a little progress here and there so it isn't too bad." Cilan responded.
"I see. How are your brothers?"
"Fine. No different. But you know, they're my brothers so it's easy."
"I'm glad. Hear anything from Iris lately? I haven't seen her in forever." Ash brought up.
"Not much. I see her every so often. But you will probably see her around school, I'm pretty sure she would like to hear what you've been up to. I think she would like to know where her favorite "immature" kid has been." Cilan stated, making air quotes when he said "immature".
"Will do. Thanks for the tip." Ash replied.
The day passed by fairly quickly. Ash got to see all his friends that he wasn't able to see over the summer. They were all surprised but yet happy when they found out that the two were dating. Since he and Serena had the same last period, they were able to walk home all the way from the last class. Which made Serena breathe a breath of fresh air since she didn't have him do that last year. They held hands all the way home. But right before they reached the edge of the forest Ash had an idea.
"Hey Serena?"
"Yeah?"
"Why don't we stop somewhere before we head home?"
"What did you have in mind?"
"I have an idea."
With their hands already intertwined, Ash went ahead of her, pulling her with him. Ash jerked her a little quickly which made her almost drop her binder. They walked for a good few minutes. Once they reached a foliage of trees, Serena took a good look at them. They looked really familiar to her. She thought it through for a moment and it soon came to mind. She knew where he was taking her, but she wanted to know for sure. Once they reached an opening, Serena realized her assumption was right. It was the field that he showed to her when they first met earlier that year.
"You brought me here?"
"Yeah. It's been a while since we've been here. I thought that since we haven't been here since we became a couple that I thought I would bring you here for the first time now that we are."
Serena had been here many times before, but this time felt like it was the best one of them all. She came here mostly just to relax by herself by Ash's insistence, but this time beat all of the previous ones. She looked right at him.
"You're so thoughtful. Thanks!" She said. Ash looked right into her eyes so he could say what he wanted to say next.
"I learned from the best."
Serena knew who he was referring to and blushed. "I can't take all the credit."
"I'm just saying you taught me a lot more about it. I didn't know as much as I do now than I did before I met you. You made this possible."
He said what she wanted to hear. It made her blush even harder. She could have swore she saw him blush as well. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips for a few seconds. She looked back at the field. Ash looked at the field as well.
"You ready to go home?" Serena shook her head.
"Not at all."
Ash smiled. "You read my mind."
The two then laid down on the field but not before taking off their hats and setting them to the side. Serena bent her knees and laid her head on Ash's chest while also resting her hand on his stomach. Ash put his right hand behind his head and started stroking Serena's hair with his left. They laid there for a long time, not letting anything else bother them, not even worrying what time it was or how long they were laying there, they just enjoyed each other's company, just their own, nobody else's.
Yep. It was going to be one heck of a year.
Author's note: Well how about that, I think it's a good start to the story, but like usual, I'll leave that for you guys to decide. Well, this is what you guys wanted, or most of you at least. I am so stoked to be back. I am so excited for the long ride ahead and I hope you guys are too. Here's to another three months. Anyway, if you know what the last story was like and where it went after this, then, well, you would know what's up next. Yep, if you guessed right, it's the preview.
Ash took off his gloves and put them into his pocket and went up to the sink to wash his hands. He dried it with a paper towel when he was done and put his gloves back on and walked out of the bathroom. But right when he walked out, Gary came up running to him. He seemed to have been running for a good amount of time because he was heavily panting, and it also looked like something was up.
"Ash, you've gotta come quick." Gary said, motioning his hand to tell Ash to come with him.
"What's up Gary?" Ash asked, curious to the situation.
"You might want to see this, it's about Pikachu. And it's not good." Gary explained.
"How bad is it?"
"Another person's Pokemon has picked a fight with him."
Ash's eyes widened. "WHAT?"
After that Ash ran with Gary to the courtyard behind the lunchroom. There seemed to be a crowd surrounding the area where a battle was supposedly taking place. Ash was worried. He didn't fear the worst because Pikachu could handle himself in these situations, but he still wanted to know what was going on. Once he and Gary reached the scene, it seemed that Pikachu was in a battle against a Serperior. Pikachu didn't look too bad. The worst that he had was a few marks, but nothing serious. Ash rushed to a safe distance from the battle to where he wouldn't get hit. It seemed that neither Pikachu or Serperior were going to give in. They were both looking like they were about to strike. And right when they did, Serperior got ready to jump while sparks emanated from Pikachu's cheeks. But before either could start their attacks, Ash and a familiar voice shouted at their Pokemon simultaneously.
"PIKACHU STOP!"
"SERPERIOR HOLD BACK FOR A SECOND!"
Pikachu looked back at Ash when he heard his name, and Serperior looked at his trainer as well when he emerged from the crowd. Right when Ash saw who it was, he was surprised.
Author's note: Ooh, tension is in the air. So much you can cut it with Scyther's arms. Who is this trainer that Ash has seen? You can probably guess who it is, based on the Pokemon. Are you right? Well, we'll see when the next chapter comes out. For the meantime I'll watch some Pokemon while I'm at it and also see what the English dub version of the dance episode is like which airs tomorrow in case any of you who are curious. So I'll see you next week. Until then…
TDBigJ out!