*Leaving off where we left off in EP27*
Ash was sitting on the bench in the middle of the Snowbelle City forest, wind blowing, snow inducing, bone chilling weather. but he didn't care. he was thinking of Greninja. how Greninja and him had this special bond but yet everytime they battled either Ash would pass out or Greninja would get knocked out. Ash thought of the battle against Diantha a lot. he had come so close to beating the champion of Kalos only to pass out in the end and have Team Rocket ruin everything. that battle was on his mind currently. he had never been so strong in his entire life. sure he won the battle frontier and finished in the final 4 in Sinnoh but nothing compared to this. he has a great team. Noivern, Hawlucha, Pikachu, Greninja and Talonflame. he had done a amazing job since arriving in the Kalos region. but recently he has hit a snag. ever since Greninja evolved he was told of a "Amazing power" that only comes around every 1000 years. Ash had the power, he just couldn't harness it. "How?" asked Ash. "How can i harness Greninjas power? every time i try... i end up passing out in the end". then Ash thought of the battle with Shota. how Shota had used his Sceptile to knock out Ash's Greninja. and the fact that for the first time ever, Ash couldn't get the Ash/Greninja form with Greninja. why? what was he missing? Passion? Honor? he couldn't figure it out. and yet here he was, sitting in the middle of a freezing cold blizzard in the middle of nowhere thinking bout everything that has transpired. Ash started to think bout the league. how he had done so well since coming to Kalos and now all of a sudden he's having this going on. how was he supposed to win the Kalos league if all of this is going on? if he passed out in the Kalos League using Greninja, the match would most certainly be called, Ash would lose via forfeit (techinally) and Ash's dream of becoming a Pokemon Master would again be put on hold. Ash was tired of losing. TIRED of it. he had been traveling for 20 years. lost in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh etc etc. he had great teams sure, but in the end he would end up doing what he does before... losing. whether its Harrison, Tobias, Ritchie etc etc he would end up falling flat on his face in pursuit of his dream. what was it worth anymore? if Ash can't win one league then why bother even trying to become a Pokemon Master? he questioned himself. "Maybe trying to become a Pokemon Master isn't what is meant for me" said Ash. "Maybe...i should just get a plane ticket, say goodbye to Serena and them and just go back on home cause i won't get anywhere anyway". Ash sat depressed and cold on the bench thinking bout his journey so far. thinking bout Misty, May, Dawn and Iris traveling with him, all the great friends he made, enemies too, pokemon he met, caught, made friends with. as he was thinking bout this Ash... slowly... began to cry. softly at first, but picking up speed until he wept and wept and wept. "Why am i such a loser?!" cried Ash. "WHY CAN'T I BECOME A POKEMON MASTER?! WHY ARCEUS WHY!? :( " cried Ash. he had given up hope. if he couldn't connect with Greninja, then why try to battle with him in the league. and Ash knew he would have to battle with Greninja at some point in the league. so if Ash pashed out in the middle of the battle... that was it. another league lost. Ash started to think of the gang. how Clemont and Bonnie were probably out looking for him right now in the middle of this cold winter storm. he thought bout how Clemont and Bonnie would feel if he told them he was giving up on his dream in order to go home and do something else. then... he thought about Serena. how this girl... that he met back at Professor Oak's camp had changed his entire life. Ash had never had a girl travel with him that cared for him so much. NEVER. Ash couldn't understand why. why did Serena care for him so much? was it just cause she was a nice and kind person? was it cause he motivates her? Ash couldn't figure it out. he knew she was probably out looking for him right now in the freezing cold. he guessed she would be beyond pissed when she found him. he didn't care. he had no care anymore. all his care was gone. Ash slowly began to shiver. the cold was starting to get to him. "Man i regret coming out here now" said Ash. "i didnt bring not 1 of my Pokemon with me, i have no way of getting back... i'll freeze to death out here". Ash didn't know where to go. the wind was blowing hard now and the snow was coming down in piles. he sneezed. "Man...why...is...ever...ever...thing...happening...to mmeeeee" shivered Ash. Ash started to cry again. here he was in the middle of the forest with noone around, freezing to death. and not anyone would find him till its too late. Ash swore it was cold enough for his tears to turn into ice particles. Ash figured since noone would find him and since he can't find his way back to the Pokemon Center, to just freeze to death crying. Ash was freezing cold and his winter coat wouldn't be enough to help him out. then... out of nowhere... Ash heard a voice. "Ash". Ash looked up to the source of the voice. and in front of him... freezing to death herself was Serena. her face was smitten with cold, snow all over her and panting. "Ash... finally i found you. Thank Arceus your alive" Serena said. Ash... not in the mood took his hand and pulled his hat down to his eyes and said "Why do you care?". Serena got offended by this. "Ash? what are you talking about? im out here looking for you and you say that to me?" Serena said. "Well it was stupid of you to come out here looking for me in the first place Serena." Ash said. Serena... hurt by his comment replied "What?! Ash! i was waiting at the Pokemon Center with Clemont and Bonnie all night for you! you never cam..." Serena said before interrupted by Ash. "Why don't you just go back to the center and leave me alone then!" ash said. "because..." Serena started. "because of what?!" Ash said. "becau...because..." Serena started crying. this caught Ash's attention. "Why Serena? tell me why now!" Ash said. "BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT YOU!" Serena cried out. "i got scared ok?! YOU DIDNT COME BACK! IT WAS STORMING! AND...AND... WE WENT OUT HERE TO FIND YOU! TO MAKE SURE YOU WEREN'T... dead :'( " Serena cried out. Ash was speechless. here this girl was... risking her life to find his... and Ash couldn't understand. why was she doing all of this? to make sure he wasn't dead. "Maybe it would be better if i was dead Serena" said Ash. "ASH..." said Serena... "Why...why would you say that?! you are living a gre.." Great life huh?!" said Ash interupting her. "why don't you live my life and tell me its been great huh?! all my life i've been nothing more than a failure" said Ash crying. "A big ugly...failure". Serena... obviously freezing sat down next to Ash on the bench. "Ash... look at me". Ash refused to. "ASH KETCHUM I SAID LOOK AT ME!" said Serena crying her eyes out. Ash finally looked at her dead in the eyes, eyes full of tears and sadness. "you are not a loser Ash. dont you EVER say that again". "But i a..." started Ash but Serena interupted him. "NO YOU ARE NOT ASH! NO YOU ARE NOT!" said Serena. "you are not a loser to me Ash" said Serena. "Ash... i know your having a hard time right now with Greninja but listen..." Serena said. "your Ash Ketchum. your the best trainer i've ever seen in my life. you've done incredible things in your life. dont you forget that" Serena said. "you can overcome this problem with Greninja Ash trust me if you give it a little more tim" Serena said before Ash interupted. "A LITTLE MORE TIME?! SERENA! I HAVE NO TIME LEFT! THE LEAGUE IS COMING OUT AND I CANT BATTLE WITHOUT PASSING OUT! I HAVE NO TIME LEFT!" ash screamed at her. this of course cause Serena to open the floodgates and really start crying now. Ash looked at her. "Stop crying" he said. "Serena...i said stop!" "SERENA THATS ENOUGH STOP CRYING!" he screamed at her. this just made her crying even worse. so Ash decided to calmly ask her. "Serena..please...stop crying... please i dont want to see you cry anymore... please...stop :( ". Serena didn't stop but... her crying did calm down some. "you don't know what i've been through Serena. losing league after league after league after league... it gets tiring Serena" ash said. "i've traveled for over 20 years and gotten nothing. sure i won Battle Frontier and was offered a Frontier Brain but i turned that down to pursue becoming a Pokemon Master" said ash. "maybe... i should have accepted it" said ash. "then... my life wouldn't be where it is today". Serena... hearing all this started to feel her heart shatter. "Ash" said Serena. "you think your life is hard? i had to leave home because my mom wanted me to do something i DIDNT want to do (ryhorn racing). i had noone to help me out or anything at first till i met you guys. i made it to the finals of the Master Class to lose to Aria. everything i've done on this journey to finish runnerup! so before you go and say your life is hard LOOK AT MINE!" screamed Serena. Ash... couldn't believe this. why was Serena being so sweet toward him? "just for your information Ash... im not leaving this bench. you wanna die out here in this cold?! fine! ill die with you!" serena said. Ash...was shocked. this girl was risking HER life... for his. why? why was Serena doing this? "Serena...no." ash started. "your not going to die out here. not on my watch" said ash. "why are you doing this for me Serena? why are you doing this?" asked Ash. "because i..." serena started. she couldn't say it. her heart wanted to say it but her brain couldn't. "WHY SERENA?" asked Ash. "i...i... ..." Serena said. "I What? asked ash. "BECAUSE I LIKE YOU! *she couldnt say love*" serena said. "because...i like you Ash.. thats why :( ". Ash got confused. "i don't understand why your doing all this for me Serena" said ash. "because.. i care for you ash. like a friend. please...please stop. please" Serena started crying again. as she said this... it finally ticked into Ash's head. he knew the secret now to Greninjas form and power. he knew how to harness it now. it was "Love". Love. ash was missing Love for Greninja to be 100% form. now he knew. Serena had snapped it into him. now... the form was complete. "Serena" said ash. "yes Ash?" said Serena. "Thank you..." said ash. "huh? thanks for what?" Serena said. "for making me understand what i need to master Greninjas form" said ash. "and what is that?" serena asked. Ash looked at her and smiled "Love". Serena went into shock. did Ash Ketchum just say what she thought he said? did Ash just utter the word Love? "Ash?...Love?" said Serena. "Yes Serena" said Ash. "i was missing one thing to make the transformation complete. its not about the power. its not about wanting to win. its about... Love" said ash. "thats why i kept passing out. i only wanted to win all the time when i should have known better than to be greedy" said ash. "the form is only complete with Love. i don't need to be greedy. i just need to let my heart connect with Greninjas as one. then... the form is complete". Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing. the one thing ash was missing was love for Greninja? did Serena finally get that dense skull of Ash Ketchum to finally start working? only time would tell. the storm had stopped by then and over a foot and a half of snow was on the ground. Clemont and Bonnie had to be worried sick by now and ash decided to not worry them anymore. "Thanks Serena" said Ash. "theres the Ash Ketchum i know... now come on... its getting late and the storm is over now" said Serena. "Thanks... " started Ash. "Huh?" Serena said. "Thanks for what?" "For being so nice to me Serena and helping me out" said Ash. Serena went up to Ash and kissed him on the check and smiled "thats what childhood friends are for right?" Ash goes beetred from Serena kissing his cheek. "uhhhhhhhh yeah i guess hahahahaha ^_^ (*so dense*)" "Hey Serena..." said ash. "what ash? "CATCH!" *Ash throws a snowball at her face hitting her* "OW!" said Serena. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WAHAHAHAHA" said ash. "oh realllllly Mr. Pokemon Master?" serena said. "Hey Ash?" "what Serena?" said ash. *Ash gets hit in the face by a snowball* "TAG YOUR IT! HAHAHAHAHAHA" said Serena. "oh... this is how its going to be huh? ok..." *throws another snowball at Serena and hits her in the shoulder*. "SNOWBALL FIGHT!" screamed Serena as ash and Serena begin to throw snowballs at each other. they snowball battled for another 10 mins before deciding to head back to the Pokemon Center and warm up. in a span of 15mins Serena had won back Ash's confidence and also... his heart.