DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Pokemon in any way imaginable. It belongs to Game Freak, Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo and Pokemon Company International.
Chapter 2: Remember, Remember in November
6 years ago
It was a silent and starry night in November in the Kalos region. After Ash had his Lumiose City Gym Battle against Clemont and winning it along with the Voltage Badge, Ash and Serena continued towards Laverre City for Ash's next gym battle against Valerie at the Laverre City Gym and Serena's next Pokemon Showcase Performance. Clemont had to stay back at Lumiose City so he could resume his duties as gym leader and Bonnie stayed with him. That just left Ash and Serena to continue the rest of the journey without them. And they were both happy with it, especially Serena.
But now, the duo were camping out and having a good night's sleep with their pokemon. Frogadier, Fletchinder, Pikachu, Hawlucha and Goodra were either sleeping inside Ash's tent or outside while Pancham and Braixen were sleeping inside Serena's tent with their trainer.
But one member of the group was still awake. Ash was sitting in his nightshirt and shorts at the nearby lake with his feet dipped in the water up to his ankles. In one hand, he kept on skipping stones across the waterbed until they sank. In the other hand, he held a prized possession.
It was a pink ribbon that was used for accessorising hair and hats.
But it wasn't just any ribbon. It was the same pink ribbon that Serena had on her straw hat that she gave Ash when she left Pallet Town. He gripped it tightly in his hand, not wanting to lose it. On his face, he had an expression of shame.
As a matter of fact, Ash carried it around wherever he went on his journeys. After a few years of travelling, he forgotten about what it meant to him, but he kept on carrying it around with him at all times.
"How could I have been so stupid?", said Ash to himself quietly, but in a self-punishing sort of tone, "How could I forget what this ribbon meant to me? How could I have forgotten Serena, my best friend, all this time and not recognising her when we first met back at Santalune City? I'm an idiot for not remembering her."
Ash, as a matter of fact, wanted to tell Serena something incredibly important ever since he started to remember who she was. In fact, he remembered…everything. But he had been too shy and a bit of a coward for not telling her anytime soon.
"Ash, what are you doing out here this late?", said a voice behind him.
Ash quickly spun around to come face-to-face with Serena. She was wearing a pink bow in her short honey brown hair and in her pink and purple sleepwear.
"S-Serena, when did you wake up? Did I wake you up? I'm sorry if I did.", said Ash in a worried look and with a little bit of blush on his face.
"I woke up to the sound of your voice and decided to see what was going on out here with you. It's okay. I don't mind you waking me up.", said Serena as she developed a faint blush on her face.
Serena walked up to him and sat down beside him, careful not to get too close to her childhood crush. They both were looking at the full moon and the stars that shone in the night sky, admiring their beauty.
"The night sky and the moon look beautiful tonight, huh?", said Serena.
"Yeah, but not as beautiful as you, Serena.", said Ash. But quickly realising what he just said, he slapped a hand over his mouth.
Serena just looked at him in shock and joy. 'Did he just compliment me as me being beautiful? Does he like me?'
"Whoops, S-S-Serena. I'm sorry. I didn't know what-", stammered out Ash, but Serena stopped him.
"No, that's fine, Ash. I enjoy the compliment.", said Serena with a giggle and a faint red cheeks.
"Oh, okay.", said Ash.
"Ash, you've been acting a little awkward and shy around me lately. Would you mind telling me what's wrong?", said Serena, not realising that she put her hand over Ash's. Ash felt it too, but he made no action in taking back his hand.
"Serena, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, but I'm not so sure that you want to hear it.", said Ash in a nervous tone.
"Ash, you can tell me anything. I wont bit or hurt you.", said Serena, hoping for the best. 'Is he going to tell me he likes me? For me to be his girlfriend?
"Serena, I've been meaning to tell you this for a while now. I want to tell you that I remember. I've remembered…everything.", said Ash quietly.
"Remembered?", asked Serena in confusion.
"Yes. Ever since I remembered you as The Straw Hat Girl in the beginning of our Kalos journey, more memory pieces have been flying right back to me until I remembered everything in our past.", explained Ash.
Serena stayed silent.
"I remember when we first met in Viridian Forest when you hurt your knee. You were crying for help until I arrived and helped you get back to Professor Oak's Summer Camp. I remember that during the rest of and after the camp, we used to play with each other until it was suppertime. It was when we first became the best of friends. I remember when Gary Oak used to bully you from time t otime and I used to stand up for you. Those were some very memorable times that I wish I never should have forgotten.", said Ash.
Serena could not believe this, as she was beaming with pure happiness that Ash was starting to remember her and all the fun times he had with her. She was eager to here more of what he had to say, so she stayed quiet.
"I remember all that good times that we had together from start to finish. But I also remember that terrible day that you were leaving the Kanto region forever.", said Ash in a tone of voice that suddenly became sad and hurtful. Ash even began to feel some tears build up in his eyes.
Serena felt this feeling too and she started to weep on the inside. She had left Kanto because her mother had been offered a career in Rhyhorn Racing in the Kalos region. She could still remember her begging her mother to stay with Ash, but it didn't do a thing.
"I was very heartbroken and it was painful to see you leave me, but before you left, I made a promise to you that no matter how long it takes me, when I begin my journeys as a trainer, I was going to find you again and that we'll never have to go our separate ways again. And you gave me this ribbon to remember you by.", said Ash as he showed the pink ribbon to his travelling companion.
As Serena saw that ribbon, she gasped. It really was the same ribbon that she had given Ash all those years ago. Ash handed it to her. "And just like how you gave me back my old handkerchief, I think it's about time that I gave you back your ribbon, Serena."
Serena gently grabbed the ribbon. "Ash, even after all these years, you still had it? Even if you forgotten what it meant to you?"
"Yes, Serena. Although I forgot why I valued it, I still kept it since it was very special to me in some way. And it looked like that it led me here to Kalos and to you, Serena. But I still broke my promise and I feel ashamed for it.", said Ash, getting sadder by the moment.
"Promise, Ash?", asked Serena with concern in her voice.
Real tears were suddenly streaming down Ash's cheeks like fast narrow rivers of pure sadness. "I broke my promise about finding you, Serena. Before I knew it, the only reason why I kept on travelling to new regions was so that I could try to win Pokemon Leagues so that I could become a Pokemon Master. I had completely forgotten everything else all because my goal got in the way of everything else, including you. Serena, can you please forgive me for my idiocy? And I promise to never forget you, ever again.", cried out Ash with his hands covering his face in shame.
This was a sight Serena couldn't bear to see. Ash, her Ash, crying. Crying because he had forgotten about her during all this time away from her. Crying because he let his dream get in the way of the one childhood friend he refused to let go of.
Seeing him cry was now making him cry as well, tears starting to fill her eyes and running down her cheeks. She started to feel exactly the way she felt when she got lost in Viridian forest before Ash came to her rescue, helpless and alone. She had to put an end to this. And the only way to do this was to tell Ash her answer.
"Ash, please don't cry. Whenever you feel sad it, makes me feel sad as well. I want to tell you what I have to say, so just please listen to me.", said Serena calmly.
Ash nodded and attempted at stop, but it was difficult to hold back sad tears of shame that he so rightfully deserved. After a few moments, the tears stopped coming from the eyes and he wiped them away from his face. Serena's face also seemed free of tears. Small smiles began to form on their faces in place of sad faces.
"Ash, I have already forgiven you. You may have forgotten me, but now you are starting to remember our past together. That's all that matters. And besides, we all have our dreams and we may get distracted by them. But well eventually remember our friends and loved ones in the future.", said Serena. She put her arm around Ash's. They both blushed, but didn't do anything else.
Ash started to feel in high spirits again. Serena was actually forgiving him, even after forgetting her for so long. But there was still one more thing he remembered that he so desperately wanted to tell Serena.
"Thank you, Serena, for understanding. But there is still one more thing that I remember. And I think that this memory is the most important one out of all of them.", Ash told Serena.
"Really? And what may that be, Ash?", asked Serena. Serena had already heard what she wanted to know, but she didn't know what else Ash had to remember.
"It is the memory of who you are, Serena.", said Ash.
"Who I am? I don't understand what you mean, Ash.", said Serena.
"You're not The Straw Hat Girl-,", said Ash, pausing for a moment before finishing his statement, "-you're Serena Yvonne."
At that very instant, Serena dropped the ribbon that was in her hand, letting it flutter to the ground in complete. Tears were once again in her eyes and on her cheeks, but this time, they were tears of happiness. She couldn't believe it. Ash had officially remembered her true name. Who she really was and not by her nickname. This time may not have been a romantic confession scene like Serena imagined, but this was the next best thing. She lunged at Ash, hugging him tightly. Ash returned the hug in the same strength.
"Oh, Ash, you do remember me! You have absolutely no idea for how long I've been waiting for you to say those words!", exclaimed Serena in her quietest shout.
"Yeah, and you have no idea for how long I've been wanting to tell you this. I promise that I will never forget you again in the future, even if we are apart.", said Ash.
"Me too, Ashy.", said Serena. Serena quickly planted a small kiss on Ash's cheek. It wasn't a kiss that immediately said 'we are now in an official relationship', but a friendly kiss. Realising what had just happened, Ash blushed very hard and smiled. But wrapped his arm around Serena in response.
For the rest of the night, Ash and Serena watched the stars and looked for shooting stars to make wishes. Serena kept her head laid down on Ash's shoulder the whole time. They fell asleep a few hours later against a nearby tree and with Serena on Ash's lap.
Unbeknownst to them, their pokemon had been watching the whole scene unravel before their very eyes. They had awoken a little while after Serena did and had been watching from behind the tents they snuck out of. And they were all crying rivers of tears, proud and happy for their trainers. Goodra, being the most soft-hearted, was crying just like Ash's Torkoal, grabbed Fletchinder right out of the air and smothered him in a gooey hug. Fletchinder fried to break free, but it was too sticky and futile. Pancham and even the almighty and proud Hawlucha were crying and hugging each other.
Braixen, however, wanting to get rid of her own tears and share the moment like her trainer and her friend, quickly grabbed Frogadier next to her by the arm and pulled him into a blissful and passionate kiss. Frogadier was shocked for a split second with wide open eyes before he decided to give in to the moment. They separated after about a minute and looked deeply into each other's eyes, feeling a zing between them.
For Ash and Serena, and Frogadier and Braixen, this was just the step down their pathway to a romantic relationship. And it was going to get only better for them with Christmas coming up very soon.