I've seen an idea like this floating around, so I thought it'd be fun to play with.

For once in his life, it all seemed so clear.

It came to him in a dream. The night before, he had been training hard, and while Bonnie and Clemont were really impressed with his hard work, Serena had been pouting almost the entire time. "If you keep getting soaked like that, you're going to get sick!" she warned, her nagging laced with concern.

"It'll be fine," he assured her, drying off his head with the towel she had tossed at him before sneezing.

That night, he had a very vivid dream.

All around him, everything was engulfed in flames. But they weren't the red flames that Talonflame would cloak itself in when it used Flame Charge.

The city he was in was burning to the ground, cloaked in flames of green.

All he knew in this moment was that he was alone.

"Pikachu!" Ash's voice called out. "Pikachu!"

He ran down the streets, looking for his buddy and partner. He had no Poké Balls, not friends, nothing that could help.

He turned a corner and saw that strange group with the glasses, dressed in red suits. The same one he and his friends had encountered before. The reached up, their hands holding Poké Balls, the green flames reflecting off their glasses.

Ash turned and ran away. He had no choice, no way to defend himself. The flames seemed to grow hotter and hotter, and he could feel the sweat start to pour down his face.

"Ash!"

A voice called out to him. It was familiar. Calming, even. Smooth and sweet like honey, with a sweet tang to it like a fresh strawberry.

"Serena?" his mouth worked on it's own. "Serena, where are you?!"

Ash looked around for the source of the voice. "Ash! Over here!" she called. It seemed like it was echoing from everywhere. He began running forward again, hoping to see her, or anyone friendly for that matter.

Then he saw it. Up ahead.

Surrounded by her three Pokémon, Serena lay on the ground, crouching over something. Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon were all firing attacks all around her, knocking back the attacking Skorupi and Houndour that the hordes of glasses people were sending her way. A Dark Pulse to the left, Swift to the right, and a red-hot Flamethrower down the middle kept Serena safe. Ash raced forward, reaching out towards Serena. His friend was in danger, and his stomach clinched. He wanted to keep her safe more than anything in that moment. If only he had…

And that's when Ash's eyes widened, for he saw exactly what Serena was crouching over. Or rather, whom.

Laying beneath her, battered and beaten into unconsciousness, was Ash's best friend. Serena was shielding Pikachu from the attacks with her own body. A Pin Missle escaped from being blocked by Pancham and crashed into the girl's back. Her scream pierced Ash's eardrums and he began running towards her even faster than ever.

Serena kept herself positioned above Pikachu. "Don't worry," she told the Electric-Type. "I'll keep you safe."

"Pi… Pikapi…" he responded, struggling to stand with every muscle in his body keeping him pinned to the ground.

Ash could feel his pulse racing. How dare those guys hurt Pikachu and Serena! He could feel the anger and indignation welling up within him. Forget a Pokémon! Ash was balling up his fists to begin punching through the attackers.

But no matter how hard he ran, he couldn't seem to get any closer.

The buildings around Serena began to crumble as the green flames consumed them. Pancham, Braixen, and Sylveon began to back up towards Serena, their fatigue beginning to show. The attacking Pokémon hordes were closing in on them. Ash reached out towards her, stretching his arm to the limit as if he could somehow touch her from so far away.

"Serena! Don't give up! Don't give up!" he called, his voice hoarse with despiration.

She looked up, finally seeing him. Her blue eyes shimmered with happiness, even with the chaos and destruction around them. Her beauty was marred by the flames and the ashes that were choking the air, but Ash saw the smile he recognized every morning grow across her face as she saw him approach.

"I'll never give up, Ash," she said, her voice as calm and soothing as a strawberry dipped in honey. "I won't give up 'til it's over."

Ash felt his heart jump. The words seemed so clear to him, the feelings behind them even moreso. He reached out to her.

The buildings around her and her Pokémon began to collapse and fall, bricks and stones falling over Serena and the Pokémon. He could feel the ground shaking beneath his feet as the buildings tumbled over, a cloud of smoke, dust, embers, and ash coming over him.

Suddenly, he felt cold. Very cold.

All of the green flames had gone out. Everything was quiet. He stood before a pile of ice cold rocks and stones, where Pikachu, Serena, and her Pokémon were. Frantic, Ash began digging through the stones, tossing them from side to side. He grit his teeth as the cold pierced him, chilling his skin. Nothing could run colder than his blood at this moment as he hoped to find a sign of life in a world that seemed dead.

Finally, he turned over a stone, and he found Pikachu there. His eyes watering, he picked up his buddy and held him close. "Pi… Pikachu…?" he asked, afraid that he would receive an unwelcome answer.

"Pi… Pikapi…" the Pokémon responded, it's voice weary.

Ash hugged Pikachu tightly, but then the images of Serena flashed through his mind again. "That's right. Serena saved you, didn't she?" he asked.

"Pipika…" he lowered his ears, looking at the pile.

"If she's in here, we gotta save her, too!" he said. Placing Pikachu on his shoulder, he began digging again, looking for his friend. Her voice echoed in his mind. All those days they had spent together on their journey, all those cookies she had made for him and his friends. Those furtive glances she would shoot towards him. The happiness she had when he was winning. The worry in her eyes when he was struggling. Even the nagging concern he remembered, and it all became so clear to him.

He found her, and his heart began to break.

He pulled her body out of the bricks. There was a stream of red blood running down her face, between her eyes. Her entire form was still.

Ash pulled Serena into his lap. "Serena! Serena! You gotta open your eyes!"

There wasn't any response.

Ash put his hands on her face and forced her eyes open. Staring back were the blue eyes of his friend, but they were cold and dark, missing that spark of life and love that he had always seen in them.

He pulled Serena's body into a hug. "Serena, you can't be gone!" he shouted, clenching his eyes shut. "Not after I finally understand what you've been trying to tell me all this time!" He was alone now. Pikachu had disappeared, and the only thing with him now was Serena. "You said you'd never give up until it was over! It's not over yet! I'm here! I finally get it!" His voice echoed. In this moment of clarity, he finally understood what Serena's heart was saying to him, and his heart was trying to respond in kind. "Serena… you've believed in me since we met.. Since before I even remembered you. I've believed in you, too! I still believe in you! I know it sounds crazy, but everything seems so obvious now! I'm no good with words, you know that by now. But… But Serena… I love you. Please, Serena, come back."

Ash shook awake. He felt hot again. Looking down, he saw that he was in his sleeping bag. In the tent. Safe and sound. He let out a breath of relief. His clothes were stacked neatly, ready for the next day. But he could tell that he wasn't feeling well. His thoughts were jumbling together, his mind was still racing after that dream ended.

The dream… The dream where he finally put all the pieces together. He finally understood how he felt about Serena and he knew what he had to do. He felt nervous, shaking even. He sat up. Ash knew what he had to do in that moment.

He sat up and grabbed his shoes, slipping them on without socks. There was no time to change into all of his clothes. If that dream meant anything, it's that Serena could be taken from him at any moment. He had to go to her and tell her exactly how he felt right that moment.

He unzipped the tent and stepped outside. Bonnie was looking at the tent as he stepped out. "Hey, Ash!" she said, cheerfully. "Breakfast is ready!"

"It's ready, huh?" Ash said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Good morning, Ash!" said a honey-sweet voice.

Ash looked up and he saw her. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The air around her seemed to shimmer, even.

He moved quickly, pushing Bonnie to the side and approaching her. His knees felt weak and began to buckle under him. Falling, her grasped for her arms to hold himself up. He stayed there for a moment, close to her. Feeling her warm, smooth skin under his fingers.

He looked up at her. Serena's face was turning red, and her eyes held surprise and confusion. He vowed within himself to dispel that confusion. "Right.. Now's the time…"

Serena's eyes were tearing up. She stared back into his eyes, whispering "Oh, Ash…"

Ash began to gather his courage. He wouldn't let her be alone. He wouldn't have to hold her lifeless body in his dreams again.

"I…" he started. There were so many things he wanted to say. 'I care about you.' 'I finally understand.' 'I love you.' 'I will protect you.'

As if responding to his mind, he returned to his dream. He was surrounded by the green fire once again. The attacking Pokémon were closing in. The buildings were starting to collapse on them. He had to think quickly.

"Iron Tail, Pikachu!"

Then, everything went dark again.

Serena held Ash's shoulders, her face full of worry. She had no idea Ash was this sick, that he'd stumble out of his tent, muttering near gibberish. A touch of her hand on his forehead revealed his out of control fever.

"He's burning up!"

Clemont came over and took a look at his face. "Let's get him back to bed for now."

Agreeing, Serena put one of Ash's arms around her shoulders and helped lift him into a sort of standing position, with Clemont helping her with the other arm. They carried Ash into the tent and slipped him back in the sleeping bag.

And with that, the single moment of clarity had passed, and Ash would be back to his old self once he awoke.