Author's Note (Spoilers for Gotta Catch That One):
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
What? Today's not Valentine's Day! Oh woe is me.
Okay...okay, to the real stuff now. As those on Twitter are aware, I was hoping to get this oneshot out for Valentine's Day, but of course...I didn't. But no matter, let's just say Kantonians and Kalosians celebrate it on the 15th...or 16th...whatever date it is that you read this. And of course, we will be returning to my precious GCTO universe. This takes place six months after Ash's battle with Diantha, so...it'll be the first Valentine's Day for our favourite couple. Hope you enjoy.
Gotta Catch My Valentine:
Why Ash had never noticed this celebration in all his years of travelling and training, he didn't know. Perhaps it was because he had been focused on so many other things, like battling, catching Pokemon or supporting his friends. Maybe he had just never been to a place where it was celebrated to this extent. Or, he supposed, he just never noticed, because he'd never had a reason to.
"Ash, c'mon man, you'll need to find something awesome for Serena," Brock said, bringing Ash out of his thoughts as he looked to his old friend. When Ash had asked him for help with this, Brock had been more than willing to step up, even if he'd mumbled about not having his own love life. Of course, that's how the topic of Valentine's Day had come up in the first place.
It had been about six months since Ash and Pikachu had emerged victorious over Diantha in their post-Kalos League exhibition match. Ash had been spending most of his time since then either training with his Pokemon, or going to performances with Serena. It had probably been the best months of his life, just the two of them travelling, no need to rush to one destination or the other. While Ash did take some joy in that in the past, he was definitely happy to savour the downtime with Serena.
But the official invitation had come. One more month, and he would be challenging the Kalos Elite Four, or "Elite Three," as he'd already fought Malva. If he beat them, Diantha would be next. If he beat her once more, well, things would change forever. If all went well, Serena would be challenging once more for Kalos Queen in the coming months as well. It was so surreal to them both, but it had been their promise to each other. They would accomplish their dreams together, side by side.
When Ash had received the invitation, though, it had immediately changed things. Not in a bad way, of course, as both Ash and Serena were ecstatic about the next stage of their journey. However, they both knew that training would be a lot more intense, and their time for taking things easy was coming to an end. The preparations had begun quickly.
They set off back to Pallet Town as soon as possible, Ash hoping to work with all of his Pokemon as he prepared for the top Kalos trainers. He was confident heading into it of course, with a win against Diantha already. He did know it would be more difficult this time, though, with each opponent getting prepared for him, and him alone. That's why he knew he would need to get all of his Pokemon ready, and the best place to train them was his hometown.
And the training had gone well so far. Ash had all of his Pokemon in top condition, and he knew that picking a team of six to go up against these top trainers would be harder than any of the choices he'd made during the Kalos League. When Brock had arrived to give him a hand and do a checkup on his Pokemon, he'd been grateful to get some proper battle training in, the former Gym Leader accepting the role of sparring partner with Gary back in Sinnoh, and Serena still practising performances.
It was after one of their battles that Ash had brought up the topic of this strange day that seemed to be approaching. He'd heard Serena talking to his mother about it earlier that morning, and he'd realized that something was apparently expected of him. Of course, this was all still new to him, so he'd asked Brock to fill him in on what the details were, his friend apparently having been hoping to talk to Ash about it already.
"It's a day to celebrate love!" Brock had told him, Croagunk watching him a few feet away, apparently warning Brock to not get too excited. "It usually involves a special kind of date, and maybe a gift, depending on the couple."
This had, of course, made Ash fairly nervous. Not that he and Serena hadn't gone on a few "dates", but it was usually something simple and comfortable. And usually, or rather, all the time, Serena planned things out. As Brock explained things further, Ash realized that he should probably be doing the planning this time around, mainly for that reason. If this day was about showing how much he cared about Serena, he needed to something special.
"So do you have any ideas?" he asked Brock, after thinking silently about it for a few minutes while they watched Staraptor, Swellow, Unfezant and Talonflame have an air race. "I'm not sure what to do that's really any different."
Brock considered this a moment, finally losing the lost look in his eyes from thinking about his own love life. "Well, Serena loves performing, so maybe you could take her to a Pokemon Contest. You could make a day of it, and go to a nice restaurant."
Ash didn't want to say so, but for Brock, it wasn't his best idea. It was obviously true that Serena loved performing, and had shown interest in contests before, but Ash just didn't feel it was unique enough. They went to performances all the time. Yes, she loved them, even when not competing in them, but Ash didn't see there being anything special about going to a Pokemon Contest. Not for Valentine's Day.
Brock seemed to pick up on this as he chuckled, realizing the idea wasn't being celebrated. "You want to do something different?"
"Maybe not different," Ash suggested, thinking that he needed to make sure it was something they could both enjoy, even if it wasn't something brand new. He did want it to be something that made Serena know how much he cared, though, and that he'd put some thought into all of this. "I'm not sure. Contests, performances, battles...they're all fun when we see them or participate in them, but with the Elite Four coming and the Showcase season heating up, we'll be doing so much more of that."
"I see," Brock said, nodding thoughtfully. "Something unique, but it should show how well you know her." He rubbed his chin, watching absentmindedly as Talonflame burst away from the other fliers in their race by using Flame Charge. "Maybe we should start with the gift rather than the date."
Ash liked that idea, already thinking he could figure out something with that. "Misty might be able to help with that. Serena's been talking about using Poliwhirl in more performances now that he's trained a bit more. Maybe I can get her something that would be good for a water type routine."
"Maybe..." Brock whispered slowly, "although Valentine's Day is usually more of a chocolates and flowers type of thing."
"Why would Serena want that?" Ash asked, tilting his head curiously. Sure, she liked that stuff, he supposed, but there wasn't much special about them. They could find flowers on the ground and there were probably about a hundred places in Lumiose City alone where they could get chocolates once they went back to Kalos.
"It's a Valentine's Day tradition!" Brock told him, looking up, a proud smile on his face as Croagunk took a step forward. "If I had a special lady, I would give her all the finest chocolates and the most beautiful- agh!"
"Croagunk!"
Ash waited a moment as Croagunk dragged Brock away, hoping the Poison Jab hadn't hurt his friend too much. He understood what Brock was saying about tradition, but he just didn't feel like this one fit him and Serena. At least, he felt he should put more thought into the gift. He was sure Misty could help him out with this one, as he'd told Brock. Serena had seemed so excited about the prospect of using Poliwhirl that he was sure he could make it an even better experience for her if he gave her something to help her routine.
As for the date, or whatever he was supposed to call it, he was still unsure. He was a little disappointed that they couldn't be in Kalos for this, as they might've been able to go to Coumarine City for the Monorail, where he could've made up for what Serena had apparently thought was a date when they'd first gone there. Or, maybe even Glorio City, where their relationship, well, their romantic relationship, had begun. They had so many memories in Kalos, and it did make things a little difficult to plan something special here in Kanto when their relationship had grown so much over there.
"Ash, dear, lunch is almost ready!" He turned around at the voice of his mother, seeing her making her way up the hill from Professor Oak's lab. She was quickly greeted by Oshawott, who she happily picked up, making the water type's eyes shine with happiness. "Training going well?" Delia asked as she reached Ash, looking over in concern at Brock, who was now sitting up against a tree, recovering from Croagunk's attack.
"Yeah, it looks like Talonflame has gotten even faster!" Ash said, pointing up at his flying type, who was now in complete control of the flying race. "It looks like the others are moving really well too, though. It's going to be tough to pick my first team for the Elite Four."
"I'm sure you'll pick the best one possible," Delia said encouragingly, smiling as she looked at some of the other Pokemon, before resting her eyes on Pikachu, who was now coming over with Bulbasaur and Charizard, the three of them having been training together. "Besides, they'll all be on the team, whether they battle or not, right Pikachu?"
"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, nodding as he scurried up onto Ash's shoulder. He sounded like he was okay with that, but Ash did notice a little look from his best buddy, making sure that Ash knew he was expected to have one specific member on his team of six to battle.
"And of course, I'll be cheering you on the whole way," Delia assured Ash, fixing his hat upon his head, as it had shifted a bit. "We'll all be rooting for you. Serena has been making sure that we know when and where the battles will be, so that we can watch on TV."
Ash laughed at that, smiling at the thought. "She might be more excited than me!"
"Oh I think she is," Delia said, almost as though she was just partly joking. "You found such an amazing girl, Ash. She's really one of a kind."
He blushed at that, avoiding his mother's eyes. She told him this about six or seven times a day, but each time it was just as awkward as the last, even if it was true. Not that he didn't want his mother knowing how great Serena was, but the attention on the matter was somewhat embarrassing, especially as this was all new to him still.
"Brock has told you about Valentine's Day, I expect?" she finally asked, moving the conversation along. "He asked me earlier if you'd made any plans."
"Um...yeah," Ash said, nodding, but not hiding his uneasiness. "I think I've got some ideas for a gift, but I'm not sure what Serena and I could do together. Brock says it should show how well I know her, and how much I care about her, but...all I can think of are things that we can only do in Kalos, and we're going to be here."
"What sorts of things were you thinking of in Kalos?" his mother asked, looking interested. It was, admittedly, rare for Ash to talk about his relationship with Serena in this way to his mother.
"The Monorail in Coumarine City, something in Glorio City, Prism Tower in Lumiose City...most of our memories are from Kalos." He loved his home region, but Ash wished he could think of something they could do here that represented their past together.
Delia seemed to pick up on that, smiling a little at Ash's overwhelmed expression. "Most of your memories?"
"Yeah...well..." His eyes widened in realization, looking out towards the forest. Not all of our memories are from Kalos. "I've got a perfect idea!"
When Serena woke up on Valentine's Day, she went about her morning routine like it was any other day. She went to the washroom, brushed her teeth, got changed, and went down to the kitchen, planning to help Mrs. Ketchum prepare the breakfast.
Serena had talked to many of her friends about this day, each of them telling her it was a very important day for her and Ash. Shauna had told her that their first Valentine's Day was almost as important as...well...their wedding day, which Serena did not want to think about right now, knowing it would turn her into a walking Tamato Berry. Bonnie, as young as she was, had told her it would be where Ash would need to promise to take care of her forever and ever. Aria had been the most reasonable, saying that Serena should embrace the day, not thinking about performing at all, and only spend the time with Ash.
Aria's thoughts on it had been the most appealing to Serena, but she still hadn't wanted to expect anything out of the day. She already knew how much Ash loved her, and how much she loved him. They didn't need a specific day on the calendar to tell them that. While she would've loved a day devoted to her and Ash simply being together, he hadn't mentioned anything, and she didn't want to force anything on him. He was very busy in his preparations for his coming battles after all.
So, when she walked into the kitchen and saw Ash Ketchum preparing breakfast while his mother was relaxing at the table with a cup of coffee, Serena nearly fell over in surprise. Neither of the Ketchums noticed her, and Pikachu seemed oblivious as well, eating his Pokemon food, and Serena just stood there a moment, watching as Ash flipped a couple of pancakes. It was a bizarre sight, especially considering how comfortable he looked doing it.
He finally looked back, noticing her standing there, smiling excitedly upon seeing her. "Serena!" He set down a spatula and moved over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and stepping close to her. "Good morning," he whispered, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "I'm making you breakfast," he added, even if it was obvious.
Serena laughed at that, looking over to the stack of pancakes next to the stove. "I can see that. What's this for, though?" He stared blankly at her, looking surprised that she didn't seem to understand, but a moment later she laughed again. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ash."
He smiled again, returning to the pancakes with a spring in his step while Serena sat down at the table. It had been over seven months since they'd first become a couple, and this was one of the most bizarre things he had done to show his affection. And he'd brought an army of Pokemon to rescue her in Lumiose City! She definitely wasn't complaining, though. Something simple like this...it meant far more to her than something extravagant, like a fancy breakfast at a restaurant.
When he was done, some of the pancakes and various other things he'd tried to prepare looking a little blackened, Ash put the food out. It wasn't like something Delia or Brock could make, but Serena felt it tasted much better than any breakfast she'd ever had, just knowing that Ash had made it for her. She ate even faster than Ash, although it might've been because Ash couldn't stop looking to her for approval of his breakfast making skills.
Eventually, they all finished, though, Delia taking over the cleanup, despite the protests of Ash and Serena. She assured them that she was happy to do it, wanting them to both enjoy their day together. "Ash is going to keep you quite busy today," she said, "so you should both get going."
Although Serena, and Ash, wanted to help, Delia made sure they were out of the kitchen pretty quickly. Serena wasn't too sure what would happen after that, all of this just a pleasant surprise so far, but Ash had them on the move pretty quick. He took Serena's hand, pulling her along as they headed outside.
Once outside, Pikachu, who had followed them out, hopped up onto Ash's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek affectionately before hopping over to Serena. He did the same with her before hopping down and running off in the direction of Oak's lab. While Serena wouldn't have minded at all having Pikachu around, she couldn't help but love him for giving them this time alone. Of course, she supposed he would be meeting up with a certain Pokemon that was also currently at the lab.
With Pikachu gone, Ash led Serena out into the heart of Pallet Town. While they'd spent plenty of time here over the last little while, Serena still loved walking around the small town. It reminded her so much of Vaniville Town, yet it still had that Kanto flavour to it. She couldn't remember too much of it from the summer camp way back, but Ash had made sure she was informed on all the little things there.
"I didn't know if I should do this next part, but Brock was talking a lot about all the traditions and stuff, so I think I found something that you'll like." This intrigued Serena, and she followed after Ash as he led her to a small cafe, one they'd actually been to a couple of times over the past few weeks, but mostly due to her own planning. It was small, but it had everything needed to be comfortable and all the best drinks and snacks to even fill Ash up a few times. Of course, they'd already eaten, so Serena assumed they'd be leaving out the snacks for the most part.
When they entered, however, Serena was stunned, realizing that this wouldn't be like any regular visit to the cafe. They were immediately greeted at the front by the familiar face of Brock, wearing an apron and apparently in the middle of baking something. "Ash! Serena!" he said, gesturing to a table in the back. "Please be seated!"
As Ash started to head towards the table, Serena realized that it seemed to have been all set up for them. She even noticed a bouquet of cherry blossoms, her favourite, at the centre. And as they sat down, the man who normally served them here, came out with a package, handing it to Ash. "It arrived this morning," he said, winking before heading back to his kitchen.
Ash looked a little uncomfortable as he held the package in his hands, but eventually his eyes met Serena's and he held it over the table, encouraging her to take it. "I wanted to get you something that could help you when you try using Poliwhirl in your next showcase." As Serena took the package, smiling while Ash spoke, he paused, apparently trying to think of the words. "I knew Misty could help since she knows all about water types, and her sisters perform with them in their own way. I ended up picking it in the end, though. Hopefully you like it..."
Serena knew that she would love it, whatever it was, but when she did open the package, she was truly amazed. There was a small box of chocolates, Ash mentioning that he heard it was tradition from Brock. There was also a pair of tickets to see Misty and her sisters perform in Cerulean City, which Ash apparently didn't know about, laughing in embarrassment that they'd slipped that into the package.
But what Ash had picked out, was incredible, and she knew that it would be perfect for her first showcase with Poliwhirl. It was a dress as blue as the sea, with beads along it shaped like drops of water. Ash mentioned that they were similar in shape to the Cascade Badge, which he'd earned from the Cerulean Gym long ago. And as Serena held the dress up to her ribbon, she realized they matched perfectly. She supposed Ash probably had a better sense of style than anyone ever gave him credit for. Regardless, she loved the gift, and she couldn't have been more grateful.
"Ash...this is..." She knew she didn't need to say it, the "thank you" practically plastered onto her face. Besides, Ash wouldn't let her say the words, leaning over and kissing her before she could speak. When she'd finally recovered, she pulled out her bag, remembering that she'd gotten him a gift as well, not having been able to resist, even if she hadn't expected Ash to plan anything for this day. "I got you something too."
"You did?" He looked surprised, but he leaned forward in excitement. "Macarons?!"
Serena couldn't help but giggle at that. "Sorry, no, but I'll make some later. I got these when we went to the department store in Celadon City a few weeks ago." She then handed her own small package to him, watching excitedly as he opened it up.
"Pokeballs...but they're...different." He looked excited, always happy to have something related to Pokemon, but he seemed a little confused.
"Ultra balls," Serena said, pointing to the five black and gold capture devices. "They're supposed to be good for catching more powerful Pokemon. You have great Pokemon already, but if you end up Kalos Champion, you'll need more to defend your title."
"Awesome! Professor Oak mentioned that a Moltres had been spotted near Indigo Plateau...I wonder if..." With that, Ash couldn't stop talking about all the possible Pokemon he could end up catching. Serena definitely considered that a success, glad to know he thought he could make use of her gift, just as she'd be able to use his.
They stayed at the cafe for a little over an hour, eventually getting a couple of drinks and enjoying their chance to sit back and relax. Serena was so grateful that Ash had thought of this, happy to have the chance to push battles and showcases to the side for a little while. It really was a day for just the two of them, and she was enjoying it more than anything else they could have been doing, especially with Ash describing how he would use one of his new Ultra Balls to eventually catch Ho-oh when he'd managed to accomplish the Rainbow Pokemon's wish. If anyone can unite the hearts of people and Pokemon, it's Ash, she thought to herself, imagining the day when it would happen, knowing that he would succeed.
When they were finally finished, Brock came out with a large basket, filled with all kinds of his famous snacks that Ash had talked about ever since Serena could remember. Serena wasn't too sure what this was all about, but Ash took the basket, leading her out of the cafe as they said their goodbyes. Apparently there was more to this day, and it was something Ash seemed to be looking forward to even more than this little outing. Serena was already happy with how things had gone so far, so she just embraced what was next as a bonus.
As Serena followed after Ash, her boyfriend eventually slowing down and taking her hand as he realized he was rushing, she embraced the quiet of Pallet Town, deciding that there was no better place for her and Ash to spend this day. She had to admit, she'd imagined many possible ways they could've spent Valentine's Day in Kalos, knowing all the memories they'd made there, and knowing so many more would come. However, Pallet Town would always be special for them as well. Not only was it Ash's hometown, but it was where they met, and nothing could take away from how special that was to both of them.
Eventually, Serena realized they were heading in the direction of Professor Oak's lab, which she was surprised about, but definitely didn't mind. She was happy to see the Pokemon up ahead as they made their way up the hill, noticing Professor Oak and Tracey doing some work with Bulbasaur and a group of water types. They waved to them, before eventually heading into the area where most of Ash's Pokemon were. Fortunately, his Tauros weren't there at the moment, and Ash was saved from his daily stampede.
They did greet the Pokemon that came up to them, including Hawlucha, who seemed to want to demonstrate a few new poses for the couple. Serena made sure to applaud his efforts enthusiastically, knowing that the fighting type was doing his best to get picked for Ash's first Elite Four match. While she loved all of Ash's Pokemon, she did have a soft spot for those she knew well from their Kalos journey, and seeing Hawlucha go up against some of the best would be a lot of fun.
Ash wasn't done, though, finally leading Serena back down the hill and towards the forest, giving her a knowing look as they reached the trees. He reached out, taking her hand, and as they headed into the forest, he held their hands up, much like how they had held hands on that special day so long ago. However, this time, Serena breathed in the fresh air and watched in excitement, not fear, as Pokemon scurried around the trees and bushes. This place had seemed so dangerous back then, but now, it felt like one of the safest and most welcoming places she could be in.
And finally, after walking for what could have been an hour, or five minutes, or any other amount of time, Ash and Serena reached a very familiar clearing, with bushes blocking their path. Ash turned to Serena after a moment of silence, the two of them clearly remembering their first meeting. It was so embarrassing...but I wouldn't change it for anything, Serena thought to herself, reaching out and brushing her fingers against the bushes.
"I heard there's a Poliwag on the other side," Ash finally said, pulling Serena close to him. "But maybe it's just some scared young trainer."
Serena playfully narrowed her eyes. "Just some scared trainer?"
"You're right," Ash agreed, nodding. "She's not just some scared trainer. She can take care of herself. Maybe I'll go look for that Poliwag somewhere else."
Serena pulled away at that, smirking at Ash's shocked expression. "I guess I'll have a little look on my own then," she said, turning back towards the bushes. She gave Ash one last glance, smiling as she pushed her way through, disappearing to the other side.
When she emerged, she laughed aloud, hearing Ash mockingly calling out for a Poliwag. A Poliwag that's no longer here, she thought with a smile, looking at the package she still held in her arms. She laid it against the tree, before she stepped out into the middle of the small clearing. Her memory of that day was so vivid. She had been so scared, yet Ash had managed to change all of that in seconds of knowing her.
"Poliwag!"
"Oh!" She was startled as the small Tadpole Pokemon emerged near some bushes from the other end of the clearing, staring at Serena a moment as she took a few steps back towards the tree, before it ran off, disappearing into the trees ahead. She hadn't realized there was a root growing out of the ground beneath her, and Serena stumbled a bit, falling back against the tree, although not painfully. In fact, she couldn't help but laugh at how perfect it was, given what they were doing.
"Huh? Is there a Poliwag over there?" she heard Ash call in excitement. "Poliwag?" he called as she looked towards the bushes, watching them rustle as he started to make his way through. She could almost hear the echo of his younger self.
When he emerged, he set the basket of snacks down, looking around the clearing with a smile on his face. Serena just watched him, knowing how lucky she was to have met him again in Kalos. She only wished she had somehow been able to be with him longer. Perhaps, though, their time apart made them love each other even more now.
Ash finally noticed Serena sitting against the tree, a little awkwardly positioned after her fall. His eyes widened in concern and he rushed towards her. "Are you okay?"
"Of course I'm okay," Serena assured him, holding her hands up so he knew she was fine. "The Poliwag surprised me, that's all."
Ash smiled at that, looking around once more, apparently hoping to see it. She supposed he had missed it on that day they'd met as well. "I was going to catch it!" he admitted, rubbing his neck as he chuckled in embarrassment. "Oh well. I'll catch something even better."
"What's that?" Serena asked, shifting so she was more comfortable as she lay against the tree, looking up at him. "It's only us now."
"I've gotta catch my Valentine," he said, reaching down, holding his hand out as he had done that fateful day. It made Serena tear up a little as she slowly reached her hand out to take his, their eyes meeting as they each remembered the moment.
Don't give up till it's over, kay?
Instead of letting him pull her up, though, Serena decided she wanted to stay there, in that spot, a little longer. Surprising Ash, she pulled him, causing him to stumble forward, falling into her as she reached her arms out, catching him in a hug.
"Looks like I caught you," she said jokingly, Ash lifting his head up, looking into her eyes.
"We caught each other," he told her, his head moving closer, his brown eyes so close to her blue ones. "Happy Valentine's Day," he whispered, so close now that Serena could feel his heart beating as she held her hand to his chest.
"Happy Valentine's Day."
It was the best one she could have ever wished for.
Author's Note:
And that's that, some nice sappy bit of fluff. Obviously pretty simple, but that was the point I suppose, since it's a Pokemon story without much in the way of Pokemon. Hopefully it was enjoyable enough, though, and brings back some fond memories of GCTO. Ah...the good old days.
Let me know what you think...and even though it's late, Happy Valentine's Day!