The four of them lay on the grass, staring up at the sky. A meteor shower was always beautiful to watch. Streaks of fire, racing across the sky.
Bonnie was curled up next to Clemont, her eyes never leaving the sky. Clemont watched with interest, occasionally looking down at his sister and smiling warmly before turning his attention back to the sky.
Serena, meanwhile, was side by side with Ash - not awfully close, of course, but it still felt... special. She looked over at him. He had that usual confident, lopsided grin - the one she liked so much. Seeing him always made her want to smile.
She wasn't sure if he realized how much she liked him. Back when they were little, and they had first met, she'd felt something... different about him. Something just told her... well, that he was special. That he would be something special to her.
Pikachu was on his lap, and his left hand rested on the little yellow Pokémon's back. His right hand, meanwhile, rested on the grass near hers.
Slowly, subtly, Serena moved her hand closer to Ash's so their fingers touched. He looked over to her, a bit startled, but soon relaxed. He moved his hand even closer, so they were practically holding hands.
Serena blinked.
So Ash did understand.
Warmth spread across her face. She was blushing now. Her heart felt like it was overflowing with joy. This moment was so perfect.
As they watched the many "falling stars" pass overhead - and Clemont had been sure to note that they weren't actually falling stars, but chunks of rock and ice, much to Bonnie's disappointment - Serena realized that she and Ash had created an unbreakable bond.
He had recognized that. There was no turning back now. And as Serena turned to look at Ash once more, she felt like flying.
An unbreakable bond. Something special. And though that bond had originally been formed through friendship, it was something far more powerful than friendship that kept them together now.
"We'll always be friends... you know that, right, Serena?" Ash spoke up. Serena was mildly surprised by the comment, but as she thought about it, she quickly realized he had meant much more than what he had said.
"Yeah," she replied, her cheeks pink and a smile on her face. "I know."
Serena knew very well that they would always be friends - that they would always be more than friends, that there would always be a special connection between them. A very, very special connection.
An unbreakable one.
