Soft footsteps clacked along a tile floor, breaking the near silence that enveloped the hospital hallway. Although the room's walls muffled the sound considerably, Ash Ketchum was still able to hear them, and he noticed when they ceased. He wanted to be excited when he realized that they stopped right outside his door, but with a deep sigh he braced himself for some criticism from the latest in a line of medical professionals who had been giving him the same unsolicited advice all day. Instead, however, a young blonde with a kind face and bright blue eyes entered the room, and his entire demeanor changed. "Serena!" he exclaimed with a grin, quickly shifting his position so he could sit upright. A sharp jolt of pain raced down his arm, forcing him to grit his teeth. "They're finally lettings friends visit?" he asked once the pain had subsided a little.
Serena pulled up a seat beside the trainer's hospital bed. "Mhmm!" She smiled warmly at him, but concern weighed heavily on her gentle features. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly, and her gaze drifted to the bandages wrapped along his left arm from his wrist to his bicep.
"Much better!" Ash declared confidently, ignoring the lingering remnants of pain from a moment before. He and Greninja had won a close battle in the quarterfinal, but their opponent's final blow sent the ninja Pokémon flying, and his arm took the full brunt of the impact upon landing. Unfortunately, Ash's body wasn't able to withstand the damage too well. "I sure hope our next opponent doesn't know Body Slam!" he added with a laugh, trying to lighten up the situation. Serena giggled softly, but she still seemed extremely worried.
"About that," the Performer began hesitantly. "Ash…" She trailed off uncertainly, and she seemed to be fumbling around for the right words.
Even Serena was going to say it? She had no way of knowing that he'd heard the same spiel multiple times that day, but he still couldn't help but feel disappointed. "I can't," he whispered. Serena jumped suddenly, as if startled by his words. "I know I should withdraw, but that's one thing I just… I can't do it. Not when we're so close." Every nurse and doctor had told him to remove himself from the tournament in order to avoid further physical damage. Even if he didn't synchronize with Greninja, his body was battered, and entering a battlefield was risky in and of itself.
"That's not what I was going to say at all!" Serena blurted out. Her cheeks were turning bright red, and they appeared to be getting darker with every word she spoke. "I was… I was just going to tell you to be careful. I wanted to say that we're all worried about you, but we're so proud. So please… just be careful." The blonde delicately lifted her face until she could meet his eyes. "I'd be quite a hypocrite if I told you to withdraw after getting an injury." She stuck out her tongue playfully.
A swarm of emotions began to cycle within Ash. First, he was ashamed for cutting Serena off and jumping to conclusions. However, that feeling wasn't nearly as strong as his elation, because she was the first person to come in here and offer him support. His dream was within arm's reach, and he wasn't going to give it up after one mishap. Even more strongly was the sense of pride that rushed over him; he wasn't too proud of his own victory, but rather, he was extremely proud of his dear friend, who had come such a long way on her journey. If anyone else understood the importance of chasing after a dream, no matter what happened, it was Serena. "That would be pretty unfair," he agreed with a grin. "You were inspirational, though. Your dedication at the Master Class is what's motivating me now!" He tried to shift his body so that he could stare directly at her face. Solemnly, he murmured, "I promise I'll stay safe."
She sat there with her mouth agape for a moment, blushing wildly. "You inspired me first," she mumbled, looking rather flustered by his comment. "Do you swear? Can I believe you, Mr. Reckless?"
Ash nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! I'd pinky promise you, but…"
Both of their gazes shifted to his broken arm, and then Serena was the first one to lift her eyes and speak again. "Well, w-we… I… We can still… promise…" She was tripping over her words again. Ash glanced at her curiously, but he didn't even have time to figure out what she was trying to say before she suddenly leaned towards him. Her soft, pink lips brushed against his, and for a moment they started to pull away. They never quite broke contact, though, and the hesitation melted away as her lips suddenly pushed forward to lock with his.
About two, maybe three seconds ticked on the clock before she pulled away, but those seconds felt like an eternity for both of them. A dreamlike, surreal moment, perplexing yet pleasant. Ash didn't move at all; he was struggling to sift through this new wave of emotions that was cascading over him, far more powerful than the mixture of feelings from a few minutes before.
"Now it's a p-p-p-promise!" Serena stammered, and she jumped to her feet. "I'm g-g-going to get you some r-r-ribbon. If you have a c-cast or b-b-bandages in your match tomorrow, we c-c-can at least dress them uh… up!" She scurried out of the room while the boy from Pallet Town remained in his surprised stupor.
He certainly wouldn't forget this promise in the arena tomorrow.