Find Your Way

SUMMARY: Serena never had a good sense of direction, until the day when a young man helped her back on her feet.

GENRE: Friendship/Angst
RATED: G / K

COPYRIGHT NOTE: I don't own Pokemon / Pocket Monsters
STORY TAKES PLACE IN: Pokemon the Series XY

COMMENTS: For those who might be wondering (or are worried), yes, I am still a Pokeshipper first and foremost. But since XY debuted, I've grown to appreciate Serena and her brief, childhood friendship with Ash (*squee*wee!Ash*squee*). For once, it's nice of the canon to offer us a female character who does share some history, however brief, with our hero. I can't call myself a hardcore Amourshipper, but the relationship has won my respect…and thus inspired this little Serena character study you're about to read. Enjoy!

Find Your Way
Aiselne Phoenix

Serena never had a good sense of direction. Perhaps it was because current technology spoiled people with nifty Pokedex applications—including GPS—that fit in the palm of one's hand. Who needed any sense of direction when just a few taps on a screen could pinpoint one's location and destination, along with the estimated time of arrival and every tourist attraction along the way?

She did not consider herself nearly as tech-savvy as people like Clemont, but Serena acknowledged her reliance on technology, just like anybody else living (never mind traveling) in the modern world. But maybe it would not kill her to learn other travel methods—say, reading a traditional compass, or approximating the time based on the sun or stars' alignment, or finding moss growing on trees and so forth. Just in case.

Just in case a day came when Serena found herself without the help of her trusty Pokedex.

Today was that day.

This is all Team Rocket's fault, Serena told herself, scowling as she tore the nth twig out of her disheveled dirty blonde hair. She was a mess after falling a distance from Jessie, James, and Meowth's exploding hot air balloon. The trio of crooks had gotten greedy when they attempted to steal Pikachu that afternoon. Why steal just Pikachu when a full Pokemon Center was ripe for the taking?

Ash was first to the rescue as always, chasing Team Rocket as they fled into the forest. He told his companions to stay put; help Nurse Joy and notify Officer Jenny. Clemont and Bonnie did just that, but I just had to follow Ash, didn't I? sighed Serena. Just like I did when I first realized he was in Kalos. I'm almost as brash as that boy.

Her efforts were not in vain. Thanks to Serena and Ash finding Team Rocket's cabin, the kids stole into the Meowth-shaped hot air balloon, retrieved the PokeCenter's Pokeballs, and sent the thieves off in a Thunderbolted blast-off. And everything would have gone off without a hitch if Ash and me weren't in said balloon during said blast-off.

She prayed for Ash and Pikachu's safety, but trusted they survived worse in the past. As for herself, nothing (physically) appeared broken, but Serena predicted some nasty bruises and sores would grace her body in the near future. Her portable first aid kit already helped to repair the cuts on Serena's legs, though nothing could be done to save her shredded knee-high stockings. Those were a new pair, too. The rest of her wardrobe did not fare much better, either; there was a noticeable (but fixable) coin-sized hole in the hem of her favorite red skirt. This is just not my day. Being a bit of a clean-freak, Serena was anything but content with her current situation.

And to add insult to injury, the fallen girl had landed on her knapsack—which resonated a cringe-inducing CRACK that could only have been her now broken Pokedex. A busted bottle of lotion and a box of crushed cookies were also amongst her pack's casualties, but the good news was that the rest of Serena's valuables—namely Pokeballs—seemed intact.

The bad news: Serena found herself alone in an unfamiliar forest, with no sense of direction and no Pokedex to compensate.

I guess it could be worse, though Serena did not want to jinx herself. Still, as she brushed off herself and compared her battered body to her Pokedex' shattered remains, I could've been the one who ended up in pieces. A broken Pokedex is better than a broken bone. Materials could always be replaced, and easily at that. Pokemon Labs and Centers issued, updated, and replaced Pokedexes. Nurse Joy would happily replace Serena's Pokedex as a thank-you for helping save the PokeCenter's stolen Pokemon. Problem solved.

Great! All I need to do is find my way back to the Pokemon Center. Problem…not yet solved.

"Great…" Serena muttered with less enthusiasm. The afternoon sunlight was beginning to fade and dusk-time insects occasionally nipped at her sleeveless arms. She never spent a night outside alone before and Serena had no intention of doing so this evening. Surely Team Rocket's balloon had not flown that far from town. If only she could find some landmark to point her in the correct direction.

The trees are so tall, she gaped, wondering if the forest only seemed dimmer thanks to the thick canopy of foliage overhead. Nature's vastness was boggling sometimes, though "intimidated" was more accurate a word to describe the impact such woods had on Serena. The trees are always so tall…no matter what age you are.

I used to think trees looked tall just cause' I was so small. A nostalgic grin found the blonde's lips. Frankly, younger Serena once hated the so-called "great outdoors," and remembered throwing quite a tantrum when her mother sent her off to Kanto summer camp. Fashion and clothing had always been Serena's forte…not romping around filthy, buggy forests. Did people actually think that was fun?!

One person thought so. That dark-haired little boy with the golden smile…

Serena learned the outdoors were not so terrible after all. In fact, the natural world could be quite beautiful. She liked to think she had matured since that fateful summer.

But sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same, she realized. I'm older now, and I'm taller now, but I'm still small compared to the trees. I always will be, too. And it put her situation into perspective, made her broken Pokedex and ruined clothes seem even less important in the grand scheme. There was so much more to Serena's life, was there not?

But when I think about it, not much has changed since that camp. Now that I'm on a Pokemon journey, all I've been doing is wandering around forests, alongside Ash to boot…

Was this what people meant when they said life comes full-circle? Serena liked romanticism as much as the next female, but she was a tad young for her life to come "full-circle," right?

So why did it feel like Serena was stuck in a loop? Unchanging.

Mindful of the broken shards lining her knapsack, Serena gingerly retrieved Fennekin's Pokeball. It seemed like yesterday since she first met the fiery fox and began her Pokemon quest across the Kalos Region. But…why was she traveling?

Collecting gym badges to enter the Pokemon League was Ash's goal, not Serena's, but what other options were there for aspiring trainers? There were telecasts of Pokemon "coordinating" and respective "contests" from lands like Hoenn and Sinnoh, but no such things existed in Kalos (yet). Serena's mother was an expert Rhydon rider, and she obviously hoped her daughter would continue the family tradition, but Serena sought a different path in life. She just did not yet know what that path happened to be…except that the current path she traveled just so happened to be the same as Ash's.

There were romantics who spoke of "coincidences." Others believed in "fate."

But was it fair for Serena to dub her and Ash's reunion as "meant to be" when she consciously sought him out? She was not ashamed of her decisions—Serena was happy to see Ash again after so many years. The tykes had only known each other during that single special season at camp, but Ash was one of those people who left a lasting impression. Apparently that part of him had not changed over the years, either. Ash was still as confident and kind-hearted as ever, maybe more.

I still remember that day you found me in the woods, and foolishly, Serena wished history could further repeat itself. Ash was somewhere out there, having been beside Serena during their battle with Team Rocket. The boy survived plenty of falls, too, so Serena was certain he was okay—probably better than she could say about herself. Perhaps any minute now Ash would poke his head out from some bush, save the day as always, and together he and Serena would find their way back to Bonnie and Clemont. Not that Ash had any better sense of direction than Serena, but the companionship alone would be a godsend for the girl.

I felt so lonely back then, and that same loneliness was creeping its way back into Serena's mind, threatening to cripple whatever resolve in her possession. I had fallen and scraped my knee, and I couldn't find my way out of the forest. I was so scared and sad.

But then you came along with that big smile of yours, Ash. He had been so tiny. It never ceased to amaze Serena how such a little boy's body could harbor so much energy and vigor—and it was utterly contagious. You bandaged my knee and told me to be strong that day. To never give up!

And if you were here right now, you'd tell me the same thing, wouldn't you, Ash?

If history repeated itself, Serena would be a fool not to learn from it. And so her palms gently but effectively slapped against her cheeks, coupled with a mental pep-talk that worked its magic throughout Serena's sore physique. Now was not the time to be afraid.

Be strong! You can do this! It was time she took Ash's advice again. He never steered her wrong before.

So what if Serena's Pokedex was broken? So what if she had a lousy sense of direction? So what if she had not yet decided what to do with her Pokemon career? So what?! She still had a brain, did she not? Though some things had not changed over the years, Serena definitely was not a damsel in distress anymore. That was the whole reason she sought out Ash when he entered Kalos—aside her obvious infatuation, Serena wanted to prove how one boy's advice helped mold Serena into the confident young lady she was today.

Really, it was the only way she could truly ever thank Ash.

Her mind was made up. Nodding affirmatively, Serena's hand passionately tossed the Pokeball high into the air. "Fennekin! Let's find our way!"

It was dark by the time Serena and Fennekin strolled across the automatic threshold of the Pokemon Center. And almost as instantaneously as the Center's doors, a small crowd of friends and Pokemon bombarded the blonde, familiar faces all relieved to see her again.

"Serena!" cried Bonnie, the child's tiny stature ideal for wrapping arms around Serena's waist and burying her face in the older girl's pink skirt. Dedenne locked onto Serena's foot in a weak (but still sweet) attempt at mimicking Bonnie's hug. "I was so worried! We looked everywhere for you!"

Bonnie's squeeze elicited small jolts of pain through Serena's frame, but the aches were eased by warm emotions. After kneeling down to Bonnie's level Serena returned the gesture with ample gratitude. She hated to run her dirty hands through Bonnie's pretty, sunny-colored hair…but Bonnie was not particularly clean at the moment, either. There were twigs in her ponytail, too! No point in depriving the kid of physical affection when both girls were equally filthy.

Almost maternally Serena shushed, "I'm fine now, Bonnie."

"Those bruises look pretty nasty," observed Clemont, looking as dirty and winded as one who traipsed through the forest himself. There had obviously been a Serena search party, and the guilt hurt Serena worse than any of her injuries. But all was well that ended well. Clemont was clearly relieved to see Serena, but based on his concerned face, he feared their troubles might not be over just yet. "Want me to fetch Nurse Joy and have her take a look at them?"

"Sure. Thanks, Clemont," Serena replied with a smile, and the boy promptly dashed to the Center's front desk. She could hardly wait to get a clean bill of health from Joy and then take a nice long shower. A good night's sleep was calling, too. But before Serena could call it a day…

"Hey Bonnie," she softly began, finally parting from Bonnie and Dedenne. Returning to her full height, Serena peered around the Pokemon Center's lobby. There were plenty other people and Pokemon going about their business, but one obvious patron was missing from the blonde's immediate sight. "Where're Ash and Pikachu?"

After scooping up Dedenne, Bonnie exchanged an unreadable expression with her mouse. "Ash came back first with the bag of Pokeballs Team Rocket stole. But he got banged up from the fall, just like you, Serena. He's fine, but Nurse Joy told Ash to stay put and rest. Which…hehe," she giggled lightly, "you can imagine how hard a thing that was for him. Me n' big brother took turns going out to look for you, and which ever one stayed here had to look after Ash. Pikachu had its hands full."

Serena could just envision the debacle. Ash Ketchum could hardly sit still on his best of days. Knowing one of his friends was lost, and maybe even hurt, whilst he was stuck indoors must have agonized the poor boy. The sooner Serena saw Ash, the better. Whatever injuries he sustained would never heal until Ash's mind was put at ease first.

"You must be Serena." At the sound of being addressed, the girl turned to see Clemont returning with the Center's Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff. Her hands politely folded before her, the pink-haired woman bowed graciously before Serena. "On behalf of this Pokemon Center, I cannot thank you enough for helping to rescue our patrons' Pokemon from Team Rocket. If there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask. I understand you sustained some injuries yourself?"

"They're nothing serious," Serena figured, though it never hurt to run a check-up to be safe. She needed to speak to Joy about replacing her Pokedex, too, but there would be plenty of time for that later. "First, I'd like to see Ash if that's okay."

"Certainly," Joy answered, cuing the girl to follow her upstairs. "He and Pikachu are in your group's cabin upstairs."

The day's drama over, Clemont and Bonnie were free to wash up and eat dinner—per insistence of Serena. She nearly keeled over when Serena discovered she was the reason her friends had yet to even eat supper! Fennekin, as big a clean-freak as its master, happily accepted the invitation to join Bonnie and Dedenne in the tub. While his sister hogged the bathroom, Clemont went on a mission down in the cafeteria, hoping to find something for him and his friends to call dinner at such late hours.

Serena was not surprised to find Ash up and about in his room, despite Nurse Joy's orders. Pikachu sat on his bed, looking rather exasperated over its trainer. Fortunately, the boy looked none worse for the wear, at least no worse than Serena. Though judging by the wide-eyed expression on his face, one might think Ash just saw Serena on her deathbed. She did not look that bad…did she?

"Serena! Are you okay?" he asked with no small amount of worry. His brown eyes seemed particularly glued to the torn stockings that unveiled Serena's roughed-up legs. Rephrasing his question—since it was obvious Serena was not "okay"—Ash added, "It's nothing serious, right?"

She could not help but smile sheepishly, appreciating his concern yet also feeling a tad self-conscious the way his eyes stared at her body. "I'm fine, Ash. Really. It looks worse than it is. I'll go see Nurse Joy in a minute; better to be safe than sorry. I just wanted to check on you beforehand." And after seeing Ash's condition, Serena returned his question whence it came. "Are you okay, Ash?"

As if Serena just asked the dumbest question on earth, Ash laughed. "Ha! Oh sure! This is nothing!" though his boast would have been more believable had he not flinched when he flexed his right arm. That was when Serena noticed a rather large wrapping of gauze around Ash's elbow, the bandage's underside darkened by a patch of dried blood. Nursing the elbow with his left hand, Ash then spoke more humbly. "Smashed my elbow pretty good on a rock though."

The thought alone sent shivers down Serena's spine as she imagined Ash's painful landing. That was not all, either. She could see other cuts, bruises, and bandages decorating his arms, hands, and even face. An alarm sounded in Serena's brain when she saw a big Pokeball-printed Band-Aid cover Ash's left temple. He had obviously hit his head, though not severely. No wonder Nurse Joy demanded he take it easy.

"I'm fine, Serena," Ash reassured just as Serena did before. Apparently it had been Serena's turn to look wide-eyed and worried, and Ash would have none of that. Taking a few steps forward, he placed his left hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'm just glad you're safe. I'm sorry I couldn't go out looking for ya. Nurse Joy kinda' locked me in here," though he also sent a teasing glare to his yellow-furred companion. "She had accomplices, too."

Though Serena could tell Ash was frustrated with himself, he still managed to maintain his cheerful disposition. His optimism was endless. Was there ever a time when Ash doubted himself and became lost like Serena? Probably, but Serena suspected that his will and determination pulled him through whatever life tossed his way. It was truly admirable. Serena was almost jealous, but instead of giving into pettiness, she preferred to think she was learning from Ash.

Her mother said the point of a Pokemon journey was for a person to grow and learn. If Serena chose the same path as Ash, then she would grow and learn beside him, because of him. She believed her journey was already paying off.

"You did what you could, Ash," Serena reassured, setting Ash's frustrations at rest. Maybe now was not the time to jump-start the boy's anxieties again, but without thinking Serena softly clasped the hand on her shoulder. She squeezed it just as Bonnie squeezed her embrace earlier, and the affection clearly threw Ash's senses for a loop. But at the moment, Serena could not think of any better way than to express her gratitude. "Thank you."

Clearly unaccustomed to handholding with a girl, Ash stammered nervously. Maybe it was her wishful thinking, but Serena swore she saw a tinge of blush on his cheeks. His eyes began wandering randomly around the room. "I-uh…well, I really didn't…I didn't do anything much, Serena…"

And that was when Serena laughed heartily. She wanted to hug the sweet boy but figured poor Ash felt awkward enough. Oh Ash, you really haven't changed all these years, have you? Not that she ever wanted him to change.

You'll probably never know just how much you've affected my life, and the lives of so many other people.

I can never thank you enough. Because of you, Ash Ketchum, I know that whenever I'm lost in life, somehow I can and will find my way.

The End

A/N: Wow, my first (and probably only) XY-based fanfic! Ordinarily my stories take place in Pokemon's seasons from long ago like Kanto or Johto, but it was fun to try something new for a change! :)

So, how'd I do for my first Serena fic? I'd appreciate any comments you may have via review. Thanks for reading!