Serena's POV

It had been a long day. A very disappointing day. A very depressing day. I walked around the grounds of the Pokémon centre, looking for Ash. He wondered off a few hours ago, and I have no idea where he is. I'm worried about him.

Clemont told me I shouldn't worry about him, that I should just leave him be. That's easy for him to say. I can't stand to see the token of my affection acting like this.

I searched the vicinity of the Pokémon centre, but I can't find him. I found a pathway, though, leading away, which I followed.

The path went along for some time, through some finely trimmed hedges and past a hut, reaching the viewing stand of the nearby docks.

There he was. There was Ash.

I approached Ash nervously. He faced away from me, leaning on the railings, looking at the stars. I hadn't felt so nervous since I approached him after his defeat at the first Gym battle in Kalos, which felt like years ago. It's a dark night out, and a full moon in the sky, the primary source of light outside the Pokémon centre, hangs above him.

I hear noises in the distance. Other trainers, celebrating their matches.

The Kalos league was over. Ash had lost in the Semi - Finals.

It had been a close match, and Ash had done his very best. It all went well until the final two Pokémon. Pikachu went up against a Torterra, a well trained, well battled, and tactical Torterra. Ash and Pikachu had pushed it to the brink of defeat, but it came down to who could stand up the longest. Pikachu couldn't, and lost the match. A Torterra was quite easily the worst match up for Pikachu Ash could have physically asked for. Ash had always been able to turn disadvantages into advantages in the past, but this Torterra seemed specifically trained to counter Ash's unorthodox battling style. Had Ash gone against anything else, anything, he would have almost certainly beaten his opponent.

I felt absolutely devastated for them. Ash and Pikachu seemed to take it well, but I can tell this is like a punch to the face for them. How couldn't it be? I've watched them train harder and harder, day after day for this for moment, and they lost the fight, completely due to a mis-match of types. How couldn't they feel devastated?

I want to talk to him. He's been out here for hours, with Pikachu, just staring into the sky, apparently. But what do I say to him? I can't predict what he's thinking. Me mentioning the match could have no effect, or tip him completely over the edge.

I want to tell him it'll be okay. That he'll do better next time. That he can win next time. That I know he can, without a shadow of a doubt. But the words get stuck in my throat. I find it difficult to speak to him at the best of times, this is like I'm trying to talk to him with cementing paste lodged into my voice box.

"You know something, Pikachu?" Ash spoke, breaking the otherwise silent scene. He was now looking down, at the moonlight reflecting on the waters surface, like it was dancing.

"Pika?" Pikachu looked to his trainer, quizzical, no doubt. I think this was the first time Ash has spoken in a while, maybe the whole time they'd been there.

"I don't regret coming here. Not a bit. I did everything I could. You, Greninja, Talonflame, Hawlucha, Goodra, Noivern, and everyone else on our Kalos team, you all did your absolute best to get us this far." Ash took out the badge base he had from his belt, and opened it, looking inside, seeing all his badges he had accumulated over the year in my home region. "Viola, Grant, Korrina, Ramos and Clemont, all the gym leaders we fought to get here... They gave us everything they had, they threw all their power right at us. And we fought back, and won all these badges."

Pikachu nodded in agreement. Me, meanwhile, just stood behind, about 10 feet back, listening to this.

"And everyone back home helped us out in the league. They all tried their hardest to win, and we made it to the Semi - Finals. Gliscor, Tarous, Oshawatt, Bayleaf, Quilava, everybody, I couldn't be prouder of them." Ash said with a sigh. "But still... I thought we could win this time for sure."

"Pika, chu..." Pikachu seemed to sigh in agreement with his trainer. Crushed dreams had hit them like a ton of bricks.

Ash sighed, with what was almost a laugh. "Looks like I'm not as good a trainer as I thought I was."

"You're the best trainer I know, Ash."

I found my voice at that moment. I had removed the cement from my voice box, and could now speak freely.

Ash turned, quickly, surprised to hear another voice this far out. "Serena?" He seemed a bit embarrassed in that moment. "How long have uh... Have you been there?"

"Long enough to know you're doubting yourself." I said. Before I knew it, words were tumbling out of my mouth, regardless of if I wanted them to, or not. "Ash, listen to me." I say to begin. "You're the best Pokemon trainer I've ever known. You never gave up, you never used defeat as an excuse, you always got up again and kept trying your hardest, in everything. After all, didn't you say 'Nothing is a waste of time', Ash?" I looked at him, directly in the eye, "You don't have any reason to be doubting yourself."

Ash took a second to register what I was telling him. "I'm not doubting myself, Serena."

"Then why didn't you say I'm that whole speech that you'd have to become tougher? The Ash I know wouldn't even wait to say that. He'd be training right now to become better the moment he left the battlefield."

Ash sighed and looked back out to the water. He waved me over, inviting me to stand next to him. I did so, without hesitation, questioning what was on his mind at the moment. His face gave nothing away in terms of his emotions. His face was a blank card.

"Serena... This is the sixth Pokémon regional league that I've been a part of, and the sixth one I've lost, consecutively. I've come so close, each time, only to trip up at the last hurdle." Ash sighed. "Imagine if you lost every single showcase you'd been in until this point." I swallowed. I remembered how devastating the blow was to fail like I had on her first ever showcase. It had been like having a shard of glass pierce your heart. "That's about where I'm at right now."

"But I didn't give up..." I told Ash, quieter this time.

"I know you didn't. You're the Kalos queen. You got what you wanted." Ash said with a faint smile, directed towards me. "And I'm proud of you. Happy for you, genuinely."

I would have blushed, had we not been having this talk.

"Its not that I'm giving up..." Ash said, looking back into the water. "It's not that I'm doubting myself either... I just... Don't feel motivated. I love to battle, I love to train... But I don't... Have the spark I had, if that makes sense."

I understood it now. I had lost a few showcases, back to back, and lost my motivation to compete. But I had a couple of things motivating me. The first was Shauna and Miette's rivalry, especially Miette's, edging me on, and the second was Ash. He didn't give up on me at any point. I remember he once staged a mock performance with Braixen and Pancham, just to get me out of my funk, and it certainly worked. I didn't have the talent for raw Pokémon battles... But I refuse to give up on Ash.

"You have plenty to be motivated about Ash! I mean... What about Scottie? Or Tierno? I thought they were rivals of yours? You aren't going to let them get one up on you like that, are you?" I told him.

"Heck no." He said, rather bluntly. It wasn't exactly the get-up-and-go response I had hoped for, but it was something.

"What about the next Pokémon league? You won't pass that up, will you?" I ask him.

Ash stands up a bit taller. "No chance of that." I hear a bit more enthusiasm in his voice this time.

I smile. "I didn't give up... Because you wouldn't let me give up. I won't ever let you give up like this. Not after everything you've done for me."

Ash seemed stunned for about half a second, until I saw the first smile he cracked since this conversation started. What he did next surprised me to no end. Without warning, he hugged me, tightly. It took me a few seconds to register what was happening, and when I did, I went a shade of scarlet, redder than any tomato, I'm sure of it. I made an involuntary squeal out of sheer shock, the kind that always seemed cute in the movies and books, but which I regretted instantly doing myself. His arms were between my waist and halfway up my back. His head was settled on my shoulders, slightly nuzzling me.

"Thanks Serena." He said to me, whispering it gently into my ear. I went a shade of scarlet again, but couldn't make any noise. I was too embarrassed.

I don't know of he did this as a signal to me, but next, he planted a peck on my cheek. Needless to say, my entire face shot up in a red shade. Separating from me, much to my dismay, he looked at me, smiling meekly, perhaps embarrassed at his own actions. "Serena, I've been meaning to ask you..." He rolled his eyes around his sockets, trusting to avoid my eye gaze directly, smiling meekly, and I swear he went a bit pink himself, "Do you, um... Wanna come back to Kanto with me? Meet everyone personally... And after... Who knows, maybe we could find another region to explore together?"

This time, it was my turn to hug Ash, which he replied by hugging me back in turn. I had my Ash back. The one I remembered. The one I loved. And he wanted me to stay by him for longer. I was worried that he'd leave me behind after his Kalos league, but now I could stay with him, for a long time to come. Maybe I could find my courage while I'm with him. To tell him I love him.

But I'm not going to worry about that right now. For now, I'm enjoying the hug I'm in with the boy of my dreams.

Just a small one shot I made for you guys while I'm in America, at the request of . As usual, requests are still open. If I like your idea, I'll write it into a story. I hope you enjoyed this fanfic. My updates are gonna get a little rocky, being on holiday / vacation really leaves me with bus journeys and 10PM onwards to write, and I'm usually asleep by 12. Basically, the stories will be shorter, but I'll do my best for you guys. As always, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you in whatever it is I decide to do next. See ya!

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