Serena and Ash OneShot
Serena Tell All! XY & Z Episode 60
Quite out of character, I thought about her sparkling red dress as she had competed in her third Poke-Triathlon that evening, of her twirling gracefully with her Evee and her Panchum. And that smile; that bright, always positive, kind and caring smile; she had smiled so brightly tonight that you could practically feel the heat radiating off of her. Quietly, I studied her eyes, those deep blue eyes, as deep as the ocean and as radiant as the morning sunrise above us. Her facial features was every bit as regal as the royalty, the Queen of Kalos, that I knew so that she would be. Serena eyed the ground biting her lip. Her nerves were almost too great for her to contain as she faced Ash and the others.
"I'm sorry I tore the outfit Valerie gave me," she said quietly. "I guess I should tell her how sorry I am."
"You know," I responded, still somewhat in deep thought about her...performance..."It really looked great on you."
Serena blushed heavily, her cheeks rosy red with...well...I couldn't tell, but she looked embarrassed or maybe something else...I'm really not good with interpreting girls, only Pokemon.
Serena POV
Inside: *'Wow! Ash just said that the dress I wore tonight made me look great! That's his way of complimenting me!'*
*Blushing*
"Um, thank you, Ash."
*Ash nervously toys shirt, tugs at hat and hair matted in front of his eyes*
'You're welcome!'
LATER THAT EVENING
Ash POV
Clemont, Bonnie and I had all changed into our pajamas and were getting ready for bed when I noticed Serena wasn't in the room. I went looking throughout the Pokemon Center, which was still lit up in case anyone had an injured Pokemon with them. In case of emergency the station, and whichever Nurse Joy was present, would be there to assist the trainers and their Pokemon, at any time of day or night. As I was just about to give up looking and head back to the room to help Clement tuck in Bonnie for the night, I heard someone talking just outside the Pokemon center. I ducked my head outside the door and found Serena, back turned to me, head in her hands, with all of her Pokemon surrounding her. Her shoulders slumped and she was understandably very upset from losing the Pokemon Triathlon from earlier in the day when she had fallen on and rolled her wrist, but I remembered earlier how upbeat she had been, even though she had lost. She had seemed to be in such good spirits. I guess she just didn't want us, and especially Bonnie, who considered her an older sister, to see that she was upset. I walked quietly up to her, and put my hand on her shoulder gingerly. She flinched, and looked up at me, those deep blue eyes radiating concern, loneliness, and...could that be hope? I really wasn't sure.
"Hi Serena," I said, quietly, as I took a seat next to her.
"Hi Ash," she replied back softly.
"Does your wrist still hurt?" I asked, carefully.
"No," she trailed off, "I was out here thinking about...something else." She avoided my gaze.
"Are you thinking about your next performance, maybe?" I asked politely.
*Blushing*
"Yeah. Something like that." Serena said as her eyes darted away from me and towards the ground again.
"I see." I said, comfortingly. "It's the same with me. Whenever I lose a battle, I start thinking about how I'm going to battle next time, and I say to myself "I'm going to win next time," and I get all excited about it." I said, smiling at her. She really did look beautiful out here in the night time. The way her hair blew in the breeze, the way her blue eyes reflected the night time sky, and the way her dress rippled slightly in the evening breeze. And that smile...so radiant...like the stars gleaming in the nebula above all the Kalos region we'd been traveling together.
I was pulled out of a daze when Serena complimented, "Ash, it really is amazing how you're always so positive." Serena said again, quietly, blushing heavily.
I turned to her. "You really think so?" I could feel my face getting hot.
"You never feel unsure, Ash." Said Serena, smiling flickering and almost disappearing as she looked down again.
"Sometimes I feel unsure, too." I admitted to her. "But you see," I said as I ran down the steps, "You should make a move, Serena. Even if it ends in failure, at least you'll be left with something." I took a breath and then continued. "There's nothing you could do that would be pointless then."
"Ash..." Serena whispered, awestruck.
"We've got to get some sleep. Come on. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow" I said, taking her by the wrist, and leading her back towards the room we were all staying in.
"Ash, wait." Serena said.
"You know what you just said about making a move when you feel unsure about something?" She asked, blushing.
I nodded. "Sure. What about it?"
"Even if it ends in failure, you'll be left with something." Serena repeated to herself.
"Serena, are you okay?" I asked, trying to reassure her.
"Yes," she whispered, blushing again.
ASH POV
"Why did she keep blushing? What was it making her blush like that? The heat outside? Maybe it was just my eyes playing tricks or me, or maybe it was the lights of the Pokemon Center turning her face redder than a rose. I had been noticing her blushing ever since we had started our journey through Kalos together. It had happened quite a lot when we were alone or talking, and why she did that utterly confused me.
SERENA POV
"Serena, can I ask you something?" Ash asked hesitantly.
"Sure, Ash. You can ask me anything." I replied quietly.
"Why do you blush whenever we talk? I don't notice it when you talk to Clemont or Bonnie. Just with me. I like it when you smile, and your blush makes you look really nice, but when you blush I don't know what that means, so I am curious." Ash asked me, straight forwardly.
I was taken aback. I had never heard Ash be this direct before. 'So he does notice me,' I smirked to myself inwardly, if sarcastically. "Y-you l-like my smile? You...you think I look pretty when I blush?"
"Course I do!" Ash responded, fist pumping into the air in his own cute way. The better half of me told me to shut up and answer his question. My mind is a mess. I felt my lips moving even before the words could get out.
"When you said to make a move when you feel unsure about something, and that even if it ends in failure, that you gain something? Well, I wanted to ask you about that." I said, blushing heavily.
"What is it?" He asked, curiously.
"Say you're a boy, and you're traveling with this girl that you really like," I started.
Ash interjected an "uh huh," questioningly, and let me continue.
"And you're not sure that the girl likes you back. How would you make your next move because of the uncertainty of hurting your relationship with that person?" I asked, hesitantly.
Ash drew in a long breath of Kalos' air. "It's like in battle. I would have to have a strategy. But..." he paused, thinking intensely as he always does in the moment about a battle, "I wouldn't be afraid." He replied with conviction, his eyes gleaming. "I would tell the girl how I feel about her, and hope for the best. But you have to take that chance. Because if you don't, you will never know if the other person won't like you back. I know it must be scary for that boy and girl you described to tell each other their feelings." He tailed off at the end, looking at the ground himself.
I was so shocked at his response. Ash had been so open with me; more than anybody that I knew of, about their feelings before. Was he...embarrassed? No, that couldn't be. Ash doesn't get embarrassed...unless...could he?
ASH POV
"Why would Serena be asking me about relationships?" I said inwardly to myself. "She must know I'm not very good at recognizing feelings, especially girls feelings."
I looked over at Serena who looked stunned at my latest reply. "I really thought about that one." I chuckled. She laughed. "She has an amazing laugh." I thought to myself. "Why I am thinking these thoughts?" I asked myself inwardly, not wanting Serena to hear. I couldn't put my finger on it.
Serena POV
"He's still so dense but he's really opened himself up to me tonight." I said to myself, shyly grinning over at him, my cheeks full rose red.
"Ash, that was...really sweet of you." I said lovingly.
"Huh?" He asked.
"Oh, um, right. Thanks." He said fidgeting around.
"So, Ash...if I were the girl in that hypothetical story, how would I approach the guy, if he doesn't know that I have feelings for him?" I asked him.
"I would go for broke in that case." Ash said, winking at me.
I blushed again. "You mean, just tell him, even if he doesn't know or possibly won't return my feelings for him?" I asked him nervously.
"Absolutely. If the guy doesn't return your feelings, he should at least respect you for putting everything out into the open." Ash responded, a hint of, was that jealousy in his voice?
"He has NO IDEA that I'm talking about him! He's so dense but he's SO cute when he does that!" I almost screamed at myself for my mixed up emotions.
ASH POV
Serena must really like this guy she keeps talking about. I'm starting to get a little jealous. I don't know why. It's just...she's a great friend of mine and I don't want to see her hurt or anything by a guy I don't even know.
"Ugh." I muttered, under my breath. 'Serena?" I started, "would you mind telling me who this guy is? Is it Clemont? It's ok if it is, I'd just like to know."
Serena almost choked. "N-No!" She squealed, a little too loudly for her own pleasure. She went ghost white, but took a moment to gather herself. "N-no, he's 16." She choked out, trying to regain her composure. "He's got jet black hair raven style, which is always matted under a hat," She continued. Ash's eyebrows began to rise. His eyes opened wide, and his jaw dropped open ever so slightly as began to realize what was going on.
"He always wears a tight, form fitting sleeveless black teeshirt under his blue and red buttoned jacket, and, although he's super competitive, he's kind, sweet, strong, a devoted friend...and...he's amazing." She replied, quietly, her whole face going from ghost white to red as a beet. Ash's mouth fell open. "And his dream is to become a Pokemon master." She concluded, inhaling sharply, trying not to choke on her words.
SERENA POV
"There. I just let all of it out there. And he still doesn't know what I'm talking about from the expression on his face!" I wanted to scream at myself.
ASH POV
Ash wore a look of confusion, because to be honest, that's what he felt. "Was she talking about me? The person she was describing shares my characteristics." I said to myself. All sorts of alarm bells were going off inside of my head giving me a headache. She likes...loves...ME? I shook my head and smiled at myself. But all I could muster outside of my own head was "interesting." Serena looked shocked and then dumbfounded. "Why do you say that, Ash?" She asked, surprised.
"Because the person sounds a lot like me. Were you talking about me that whole time?" I wanted to ask her, but I held back.
"Whoever that boy is, he's a very lucky guy." I said, remembering...stunned...what Gary had said to me about Misty years ago. "I hope you know you're a very lucky guy, Ash." He had said. I had been confused then. I wasn't now.
"Thank you, Ash." She added, smiling sadly. She stood up to walk away back to our room.
"Wait! Serena!" I yelled, grabbing her hand. "Please tell me," I said, "was that me you were talking about?" Serena looked outcast. She looked up, down, side to side, any way away from meeting my eyes. She slowly nodded, her face immediately crest fallen as she buried her head into her hands.
"I like you, Ash." She confessed, going white again and then blushing a full shade of red. She could feel my fingers intertwining with her own.
"I always have, ever since Professor Oak's summer camp in Pallet Town." I tightened my grip on her hand. Serena let out a sigh from the release of anxiety of the moment.
"During the dance, well, at the dance, I wanted to go with you. I wanted to dance with you. Gods of Egypt, I dressed up for you!" She said, a little angry, but then lost her edge as tears started streaming down her face. "I have been trying to tell you how I've felt since the day we reunited, but I know that you're always busy with your Pokemon training! When we went into the city together, I wanted to go as your date! I wanted to hold your hand and...and..." She said, choking up. "I...I love you, Ash." She promptly dropped her head into her hands and sobbed from the sudden release of all the emotion she had just told Ash.
She expected Ash to not understand, or for Ash to leave her, but he did neither. Instead, he put his arms comfortingly around her shoulders and midsection, hugging her tightly, and chuckled lightly. She let out a gasp. "Ash is...hugging me!" She blushed furiously.
ASH POV
"Wow, I didn't expect that. I'm no expert in love but I guess when you really see everything, this makes sense. I mean she is a beautiful person, kind, nice, caring, loving, strong, and amazing..." Ash told himself, "and," he chided himself, "she loves me."
"Serena," I chuckled happily, memorizing myself in her eyes as he went about stroking her sweet golden honey colored hair. "You are an amazing person. You are very nice, always caring, loving, supportive, awesome, strong, and..." he paused, "beautiful." He let the word set in. Serena turned bright red and looked up.
"Does that mean you-" I cut her off.
"Yes." I smiled, putting a finger to her lips, as I slipped her smaller hand into mine. I leaned in and kissed her. I caught the sweet scent of her lilac perfume, mixed with the perfection of those rose red lips as we kissed. "I love you, Serena." I smiled and blushed, as she cradled in my arms.
"I love you too, Ash." Serena whispered, falling into another kiss.
End of Chapter One