Chapter 1: Mysteries

Ash settled down for the night in his sleeping bag for the night under the star filled indigo-ebony sky. Sighing, he thought about the how he would fare in the far away Unova League. He still felt quite disappointed from the previous league he competed in where he landed a spot in the top 4. It was troublesome enough to bring nightmares upon his sleep. Under the shade of the tree, he looked up and saw Iris on a branch, eyes closed and chest slowly falling and rising periodically. Beyond her, pure moonlight shone through the canopy.

As Ash tries to fall off into dream land, a thought occurs to him. What did Iris mean when she said that the Cottonee were in love? Aren't they just becoming best buds? Ugh! All of this love talk is so confusing! What is love anyways… After a long while of trying to decrypt the mystery of love, Ash finally nods off.

"Ash? Ash?! Ash! Wake up!"

"Ugh…w-what is it?" Ash replied groggily. Opening his amber eyes, a blurry image appears before him. Coming into focus, he sees Iris kneeling down next to him in her signature ivory tights and yellow/pink blouse. Axew poked his head out of her royal purple hair. On Ash's right was Cilan in his waiter outfit and his green, rounded hair. Sitting on Ash's chest was Pikachu.

(Pi pika? Pikachu pi chu?) squeaked Pikachu. Ash began to sit up on his arms when he noticed a bead of sweat glide down his eyebrow and drop onto the sleeping bag.

"W-what's going on guys?" he asked hurriedly.

Iris shakes her head. "You were thrashing around and…and we thought you were having a nightmare or something…" Her eyes narrowed as her mocha-colored face twisted into a deeper look of concern.

"Yeah, Ash. It appears to me-" Cilan started, automatically closing his eyes and bringing a hand to his chin, which signaled that the connoisseur was about to break out into a cheesy lecture. "-that you had the unfortunate and bitter experience of a horrible nightmare! Just as too many tablespoons of chili spice are added, as I have had in an unlucky moment with my brothers, so have you been filled a worry in the night! Now that the nightmare is over, tell me Ash, what was it about?"

"W-w-well, actually, I really can't remember," Ash innocently said, scratching the back of his head. Iris and Cilan sweat dropped (that phrase is courtesy of Toadettegirl2012 :) ).

"It didn't have anything to do with some Pokémon battle, did it Ash?" Iris questioned, eyes piercing his gaze.

Ash froze, but only for a split second, due to a thought that flashed across his mind. Whoa, those eyes...like jasper gemstones... Quickly snapping out of it, he answered, "I-I don't know...I mean...what was I saying in my sleep?"

Cilan stood up, saying, "You started muttering things about leagues, champions, and impressions. Iris just thought you were caught up in some dream battle." Looking up at a small angle, he began to walk out towards a small clearing. "As much I would like to solve this flavorful mystery, I have fix us breakfast. Pancakes with some wild Oran berries topped off with the sweet taste of maple syrup sounds about right."

Ash and Iris's eyes widened and the topic they were just discussing vanished. "Count me in!" exclaimed Ash, a naïve grin spreading across his face.

"I'll go searching for those Oran berries!" yelled Iris as stood up and started, almost literally, sprinting up the tree. Looking down at Ash, she chuckled and said, "You know, Ash, with this nightmare about something as simple as a Pokémon battle, you look like little kid!" Before Ash could protest, she grabbed a vine and swung off into the forest.

(Pikachu?) Pikachu questioned.

"Yeah, good idea. Let's get you some Poke food," Ash replied. I swear to Arceus that I'm gonna get Iris back for calling me a little kid. Her eyes though...and her perfect skin... He blinked. What are you thinking? What was that... As he made his way to Cilan's little table set up to help with the meal, he continued thinking to himself. What was up with Iris and Cilan when they were talking about those Cottonee..."

"Hey, Axew?" Iris swung through the trees, constantly searching for the Oran berries. The wind rushed against her face and cut through her thick hair.

(Axew axe?) The green dragon type tusked Pokémon revealed itself in Iris's hair.

"You...you think that Ash is really that dense?" Iris hesitantly questioned.

(Axe?)

"I-I just wanted to hear another's opinion, you know? I just hate thinking that my friends will stay...well, alone for the rest of their lives," Iris mumbled. The last part was barely audible. I don't want Ash to die all alone...No one can live a full life without love...

(Axe axew.)

"Well duh, of course they will have friends there for them and all, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about love, silly!" A light pink blush entered her cheeks.

(Axe?) Axew inquired.

"You don't know what love is? Really? Ugh, it's hard to explain." Iris crinkled her eyebrows. "I guess it's a deep yearning to be with someone, to be more than just...well, friends. To have some sort of internal emotional connection, you know? It could be an interpretation of a feeling, too, I guess. Everybody just has to ask themselves what is love..." Iris's blush deepened. Ash doesn't know what love is to him, yet... A smile tickled the corners of her rosy lips. He's such a cute little kid...

(Axew axew!) Axew started rustling around in Iris's hair. Noticing this, Iris snapped out of her thoughts.

"What is it Axew?"

(Axe axew axe!) Axew pointed to her right. Following his finger (or paw, whatever), Iris saw a tree not 20 yards away with azure berries.

"There's the Oran berries! Thanks Axew," Iris said. Dashing across broad branches and leaping over gaps between trees, she finally reached the Oran berry tree. Dropping down from the tree, she landed on the ground and walked over to the berries. Picking a sizeable berry, she took a massive bite out of it, relishing the sweet taste of the fruit's flesh. A little juice dripped down her chin. I always loved these berries so much! So sweet...kind of like Ash...

Ash finished setting up all the dishware on the little camping table just as Iris came back with a hair-full bushel of Oran berries (come on, her hair's big enough to hold Lugia for crying out loud). An innocent grin spread on his face when she glanced at him as she passed. Wow, she looks like an hourglass... He blinked again. Rubbing his temples, he figured that he was imagining those thoughts. Then again, thoughts are just imagined.

Iris had only had a swift look at Ash and his raven hair before she hurried over to Cilan, who was waving her over to a series of plates piled with buttermilk pancakes, but she swore that she had seen a twinkle in Ash's eyes. His amber eyes. She inwardly smirked. What was she thinking?

Ash remembered early that morning that Iris had called him a little kid. He smirked. Time for another fun argument. "You know Iris, all those berries in your hair make you look like you have a lot of Azurill trying to eat your SCALP." His smile disappeared when he realized his voice cracked when he said scalp.

Pausing her march over to the pancakes, Iris peered over her shoulder. Her lips started wobbling when she suddenly burst into a cacophony of giggles. Cilan himself chuckled as he closed up his makeshift kitchen.

"W-what was that?" Ash inquired with a look of utter confusion set into his features. Iris tried to speak through her convulsions.

"C-Cilan, *giggle*, e-explain, *giggle*," she stuttered. Her face reddened to the shade of a Blaziken's horns.

Cilan sweat dropped, a nervous smile planted on his face. "I-I believe that you're growing up (roll credits, hehe CinemaSins). It's called puberty."

Ash made an "o" with his mouth, eyes widening. Cilan and Iris simply stood there, waiting for it to sink in. "What's puberty?"

His friends fell, anime style. Iris shook her head. First it was what is love. Now it's what is puberty. Great! Hehe! He's such a little kid...my little kid...