Damn it. Damn it!
He had all that time. All those moments when he could have realized, but didn't.
How could I have been so stupid?
Their journey had taken nearly a year. In which he had failed to notice what he meant to Serena-or what she meant to him-until the flight away from Kalos.
Looking back now, it was all completely, painfully, obvious. From the Bug Badge to the Kalos League, and all the bumps and roadblocks in the way...
But those once-happy memories had become bittersweet the second he stepped into the plane, leaving behind:
1. Bonnie, still begging him to take her and Dedenne along (he would have said yes, but he had no ticket for her, and either way, her brother would freak)
2. Clemont, shining glasses hiding a face full of sadness
3. Serena, barely managing to keep herself from crying (he thought it would be too rude to ask her why)
Something about their farewell had felt wrong from the moment he'd walked into the airport, about an hour before. Like he was seeing everything through a negative filter. When Dedenne ran off, he'd scolded it unnecessarily, to the point where Bonnie had held the tiny Pokemon close and glared at him while Clemont asked if something was wrong. And though things settled down after that, a certain dread still filled him, one that had been absent during all his other travels.
It wasn't the words itself that had bothered him: there had been the normal "I'll miss you guys so much...", cheesy but honest, the regular "Until we meet again!", sadly pretty unlikely, and the typical "Call me soon, all right?", almost never followed up upon...
None of that mattered. He had only paid half of his attention to what he was saying. Because he had been studying Serena's face.
And you couldn't tell that you loved her until a minute ago?
The thing was, her expression had been the same, her hair just like always, even her blue ribbon was exactly as it had been-perfectly arranged. But he was sure, absolutely sure, that part of her had changed. As he continued with the cliché, he had tried to figure out what it was. And then it hit him.
Her eyes were dull. They lacked the sparkle, the energy that he had come to expect from the honey-blonde Performer. As he watched, they'd filled with tears. For a reason he couldn't describe, that bothered him. But when he'd asked if she was all right, she'd told him that she was perfectly fine.
Wouldn't she be excited to be heading to Hoenn and entering Contests?
In his mind, he'd puzzled it over-until the "last call!" intercom announcement directed him to the Alola-bound flight. A few hurried encouragements were the last things he'd said to her before running off.
Granted, Ash Ketchum was not an emotional guy.
When just being around her sent Butterfree into his stomach, he wondered which of his huge meals had caused it.
If his cheeks flushed when she talked to him, he chalked it up to hot weather.
Any time his heartbeat sped up when she came nearby, it was obviously due to plain and simple exhaustion from training, walking, and battling, all in the same day.
Each and every encouragement or compliment he gave her was friendly, and nothing more.
And if he was ever nervous? He'd pull right through it, Pokemon at his side.
So that was what the raven-haired teen was doing-or at least trying to do. No point on dwelling on the past...especially when he would be going to school the next day.
Classes again...
It was still hard to believe that so many years had passed since Ash had started his journey. Sometimes, when he was asked his age, he still felt an impluse to respond 'ten!'.
He hadn't read a single word of a textbook since he was that young...
But he'd had experiences with many things on his travels that could be very useful in a classroom, ranging from old legends and Pokemon to limitless battle strategies to geography and interesting facts about each region. And with a science-obsessed friend, he'd picked up some info in that area as well. So he should be okay.
Math might be a problem, though...
Even the unintentional pun didn't cheer him up-not with Kalos so fresh in his mind.
It's not going to be the same...I'm not competing for badges, or even traveling around the islands...
And I won't have Serena with me.
Luckily, he was quick to come to a decision to solve this.
I'll call her as soon as I can.
He wouldn't let it end like all the others. He wouldn't let her slip away like the rest. This time, he couldn't say goodbye.
I should have told him at the airport.
Serena's plane had carried her to Mauville City, where she'd quickly found a room at the Pokemon Center to stay at. Her eyes were still slightly red.
Actually, the second he told me about the invitation to Alola would have been better.
No..maybe during those fireworks.
Even earlier...When he beat Sawyer?
After that win against Wulfric?
In the Winding Woods?
The night after the Masterclass?
There were infinite opportunities. None of which she had taken. And the only idea she did listen to? Going to a completely different region to enter competitions she knew barely anything about.
What was I even thinking?
Trying Contests wasn't a bad idea in itself- the battles would be a nice change of pace, standing out in front of judges would mean valuable feeedback, and heavy competition would push her to improve her performances.
Hoenn was where it had all began, and it was home to more than a few idols. It was a natural place to start.
But it meant leaving Ash.
Right before he was about to step on the plane, when he had asked her if she was all okay...all of her built up feelings threatened to explode out. Now, Serena kind of wished they had.
This wasn't anything out of the romance stories she sometimes read. It was more like...Ash gave her strength. He was kind and strong and spirited, and she admired everything about him-except his density.
Anyone else would have picked up on her love for him a long time ago. Bonnie did, and she was just a little kid! There were so many obvious signs-enough to make her laugh and cry at the same time. No, the only way he would ever realize was if she told him. But she wasn't like him. She just wasn't brave enough.
Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that this shouldn't, couldn't, be the end. He'd told her to never give up until it's over. So how could she leave now, with so much unsaid?
Because she had to. The answer was simple.
Or at least it was, until the phone Clemont had given her rang. The screen lit up with everything she needed to know.
'Calling: Ash.'
She slammed her finger down on the "Accept" button like a Quick Attack.