Her eyes fluttered open, sunlight shining through the curtains of the room. It took a moment for her to awaken, her eyes looking around. She had been sleeping with the Lucio's, sitting upright in the couch of the living room. She had grown a bit more accustomed to the doctor's advice to sleep upright for a little while so her body could adjust to the lack of the ability to use her legs to get out of bed.
She noticed a figure sleeping in the sofa, a small yellow pokemon snoring slightly next to him.
She smiled as she watched her boyfriend peacefully sleeping.
Boyfriend.
It seemed surreal, even more then having no feeling in her legs. They had confessed to each other, and shared their first and second kiss. She reached to her lips, biting a little bit on her bottom one.
'We kissed.'
She was startled a bit as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, relieved to see that it was Meyer.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
"No, it's alright." She assured the man, looking back at the raven boy, still vast asleep.
"I'm happy. For the both of you. Ash is a real good guy." Meyer said, his voice filled with proud.
"Thanks, dad."
Her eyes widened as she realized what she had said. She covered her mouth, a small tear leaving her eyes. She felt Meyer's hand leaving her shoulder, but instead found it on her arm.
"I know it's a lot to adjust to. You don't want to deny the fact you had a father once, but you also want to accept someone else as your new father." Meyer said, looking at Serena with caring eyes. She smiled softly at the man.
"Thank you."
"How about I get breakfast ready, huh? I'm sure he'll wake up at the smell." Meyer said with a happy tone to his voice, raising the mood. Serena nodded, a small idea coming to her mind.
"I'll help." She offered, reaching for her wheelchair. The Lucio-father smiled softly at his future step-daughter.
"That would be nice."
"So, your leaving with the train in two days, right?" Meyer asked as he washed the last of the dishes. Ash and Serena both nodded.
"Yeah, I've got the tickets already." Ash said, sitting down in the sofa. Serena smiled at Ash's enthusiasm.
"When are the two of you actually going on a date?" Bonnie asked, leaning over from the couch. The young couple blushed at the blonde's comment, but they both wondered.
'Should we?'
"You don't have to." Clemont stated, grabbing Bonnie from the couch. She pouted at her brother, struggling in his grip as she was being brought to the ground.
"Would you mind?" Ash asked, rubbing the back of his head. Serena smiled softly at her boyfriend.
"I wouldn't at all, Ash."
The raven boy blushed, but inside his head he was already starting to think. 'Where should we go? Should I get her something? What should I wear?'
"How about you go to the retry of the Tournament ceremony? You don't want to miss your friend getting his price, right?" Meyer noted, putting the washed dishes away in the kitchen cabinet. Ash looked at the clock, surprised to see how late it already was.
"I think we can still make it if we hurry." Serena said, already grabbing her bag. Ash quickly followed her example, getting his own bag. Pikachu hoped on his trainers shoulder. Bonnie grabbed her purse with Dedenne, and the three left, leaving Clemont behind.
"Are you going to tell them?" Meyer asked as he approached his son. Clemont shook his head, refitting his glasses before turning to his father.
"It will only work for one time. I want to tell them when it's right." He said, looking at the stairs. In his room was a device covered by a blanket, a few bits scattered on his work-desk. Next to this was a flat square-shaped device, blueprints that seemed to resemble a wheelchair next to it.
'A device that can help Serena walk. If only.'
"Oh, yeah!"
Max jumped, cheering, Ralts laughing for his trainer's happiness. Serena and Ash laughed with how happy he was, and Bonnie just looked happily at the young trainer, her gaze a bit more engrossed in the boy then she meant. Max was happy receiving his price. The price itself was simple: A small trophy and some price-money, but in the end it was the gesture that mattered. Max had won in a tournament, even if it was alongside other trainers.
"I still remember how excited I was after my first win." Ash said, thinking back to the good old days. "That's already six years ago."
"Time sure goes fast, doesn't it?" Serena said, looking up at the sky. "Before you know it, we're all gonna be grown up."
"You say." Max joined in, Ralts now walking besides the boy. Serena nodded, her thougts also turning to her future. She was planning to become a trainer, but she too knew that in the end there is more to life then just that.
"One day, we're all going to have to start thinking about the future."
They could only nod. It was only logical. At a certain point, you grow up into an adult, and then you have more responsibility. You have to start thinking about work, money, a place to live. Ash looked at Serena, a soft smile on his face. For now, he only wanted to be with the one he loves.
The group passed a restaurant, and on cue Ash's stomach growled.
"Looks like someone knows what time it is." Serena teased, causing Ash to blush. Max chuckled at the interaction between the two. His mind wondered though.
'Is there someone out there for me?'
At the same time Bonnie looked at the boy, a small blush on her face as she imagined her traveling with a boy.
"Wow!"
Max stared at the massive structure in front of him. Even though he has been staying in Lumiose city for a week now, he didn't have the chance to go and see the massive Prism Tower in the center of the city.
"And inside is the Lumiose Gym." Serena spoke up, pointing at the building.
"Isn't Clemont going to open the gym tomorrow?" Ash asked for conformation. Max turned to his old friend.
"Wait, Clemont is the Lumiose Gym-leader?"
"Yep, although during his journey with us his robot, Clembot, took care of the gym." Serena explained. Max's eyes sparkled at the mention of a robot.
"No way! A gym-robot?!"
Ralts sighed at his trainer. He was easily impressed with technology.
"Why do I have the feeling like you two could make for brothers?" Serena muttered to herself. She only got a deadpanned look from he boyfriend, and Max was to awed by the tall building to have heard her.
"Isn't my fault! I think I've traveled with you for too long, Ash." Max stated after finding out what the pair were talking about.
"Yeah, sure." Ash waved the comment of, and instead decided to go and grab a quick snack from a nearby cream-shop.
"Is he always like that?"
"Only when he wants to." Serena says, smiling a little bit awkwardly at the raven boy. Sometimes she wished he was a little bit less stubborn.
"Let's go get an ice-cream too before he eats the entire place empty!" Max joked, already going ahead. Serena couldn't stop a laugh from escaping her as she followed the green-haired boy, as they made their way to their hungry friend, who was busy deciding what flavor to pick.
"The train is due for tomorrow, right?" Serena asked as they made their way back. Ash nodded, pulling out the duo of train-tickets from his pocket. Max had left to go and see some more things in Lumiose City, and Bonnie had suggested that she would show him around. That left the couple together, walking throught the city.
"We have to be there in time if we don't want to miss it."
Serena nodded. She had been waiting for this for a little while now. Tomorrow they would leave for Southern Kalos. To be honest, she hadn't really been there before, and it was supposed to be an amazing place with lots of shops and sights to see.
"Hey, Ash?"
"Yeah?" Ash turned to look down to his girlfriend. The wheelchair made it so that she would always be around the height of his chest.
"I just... Wished we could walk hand in hand." Serena said with a silent voice, just audible for Ash to hear. She had a blush on her face, but her eyes were watery. Ash understood what she meant, his mood falling a bit.
"I know." Was all he could say, not really having much else. There were no softening words, no speeches of encouragement. There weren't any for her situation. Losing the ability to walk is like chopping an arm or leg off. Without it, life becomes a lot harder, and some things won't be an option anymore.
They walked in silence, the mood no longer joyful. He wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words. She wanted to do something, but wasn't in the position.
"Do you feel, like... S-something d-down there?" Ash stuttered a bit, not really sure if that was a good way to ask. He had grown curious, and you couldn't blame a curious 16 year-old for asking. Serena took a moment to register the hint in his question, and a blush covered her face. She looked away, not in the mood to face Ash like this, and decided to just answer.
"Only my legs are paralyzed. T-the rest is all f-fine."
He blushed a bit, not expecting the honey-blonde to actually answer. He simply nodded in understanding and let the silence return between them.
They reached an empty park and sat down on the only bench, finally alone for the day. There weren't any pokemon or people around, and so they were free to talk.
"Ash, have you... Like, ever... D-done... 'It'?" Serena asked, feeling like this was a good question to start, seeing as the situation was leaning close to it. The raven boy was at first confused, until the lessons from Professor Kukui came back to him, and he started blushing furiously.
"N-no." Ash scratched the back of his head, feeling the awkward environment around them intensifying. Serena sighed of relief, happy to have at least that of her shoulders. But then came the inevitable counter-strike.
"Have you?"
She swore that her face could explode by just how red it was. A sweat rolled down her cheek, her expression blank for a few moments. She took a moment to recover herself before answering.
"No."
Ash this time was the one sighing of relief. And then he was struck right in the heart by Serena's newt statement.
"Not yet."
He turned to see her looking at him. Their eyes locked, and at that moment they could almost read each others thoughts. And that was something that wasn't needed at the moment. They could see the urges and desire in each others gaze, that only lasted a few moments until they broke away, blushing heavily.
They both sighed.
'Well, that was awkward.'
"Hey, guys!" Bonnie answered, opening the door for the young couple to enter. The both said their respective "Hello." before entering the living room, where Meyer was busy watching the evening news-broadcast.
"Where's Clemont?" Ash decided to ask, as he didn't see the blond inventor anywhere. Bonnie giggled behind their back, unable to hold herself so well from keeping the surprise a secret.
"Upstairs." Clemont answered, coming down the stairs. He was holding a strange device in his arm, just big enough to fit in Ash's bag.
"What's that?" Serena asked, noticing the strange object. Clemont's smile grew even wider as he put the device on the ground, pressing a button on the side. Suddenly, the thing started to expand, opening and twisting, doing all sorts of maneuvers until finally stopping, revealing itself to be a wheelchair.
"A wheelchair?" Ash asked, not really sure why Clemont had made this thing.
"I wondered where you were planning to keep Serena's wheelchair, and so I made one that you can bring along anywhere. It fits in your bag, Ash, so you don't have to carry it in your arms or anything like that." Clemont explained. The couple's eyes widened at the brilliance of their friend. They hadn't even thought about that, and he already had a solution for the problem!
"Thanks, Clemont!" Serena said, noting to herself to give the thing a little try when she has the chance. The inventor smile sheepishly, still not used to the praise of his friends.
"That's not all!" Bonnie exclaimed, interrupting the three. Clemont his expression turned desperate as he tried to stop Bonnie from talking, but she evaded all his attempts before speaking again.
"He's trying to find a way to help Serena walk!"
If she could, she would have fallen over. Serena felt her heart going faster, as she started to realize what Bonnie meant. It hit her like a knife, but it was a pleasant feeling.
"R-really?" She asked, looking up at Clemont, who rubbed the back of his head with an expression that could only mean that Bonnie was right. A sincere smile came to the ex-performer's face as she rolled closer to Clemont and hugged him, surprising the inventor for a moment before he returned the gesture.
"Thanks, man." Ash said, slapping his friend on the back. Clemont sweat-dropped, the small shots of pain going through his body as he endured the strong hits of the raven-boy. Still, he knew it was meant well and he smiled.
"As long as these don't explode." Bonnie stated, Clemont his face turning to an expression of hurt. He started arguing with his sister that not all his inventions exploded, and Bonnie countered by listing every invention of his that exploded during their journey and outside.
"They really are siblings." Serena said with a small sigh as she watched the scene unfold.
"And also your step-siblings." Ash stated, a smile on his face as he watched them argue. Serena nodded, in her mind deciding whether or not to come between the two.
'And I wouldn't want it any other way.'
Serena sat down in the couch, her PJ's already on. She looked at her bag standing next to Ash's, everything she'll need on their journey inside. She still couldn't believe that a wheelchair was inside Ash's bag, the fabric not showing any strain whatsoever off the weight or size of the device.
She allowed herself to lay down, a little sigh escaping her.
"Tired?"
She turned to face her boyfriend, who was rubbing Pikachu behind the ear, the two in the sofa. She nodded, her head becoming a bit heavy. She had a fun day, and the surprise in the end was nice. A good day.
She allowed her eyes to close, fatigue taking her away in a dream. Ash watched as she fell asleep, a smile on his face. She looked cute as she slept, even if she was sleeping somewhat upright, something he would only do after a really long day and he was to tired to reach his bed and the wall or something else seemed comfortable enough for the moment.
Pikachu curled up in his spot of the sofa, his eyes already closed. For that moment, Ash felt like everything was just perfect. He has his partner, his girlfriend, and his friends around him.
He was about to go sleep himself when he heard turning and the noises of a couch being strained. He looked at Serena, noticing that her face was in a bad expression, sweat-drops running down her whole body. She was having a nightmare, a real bad one!
"Serena!" Ash shook her a bit, trying to wake her from her nightmare. Her eyes flashed open, her breath becoming heavy and loud. She lunged forwards, almost hitting him. She looked around, her eyes darting quickly until they rested on the raven-boy, his expression saying it all.
"It... Was a dream." Serena sighed of relief, sinking in the couch.
"What happened?" Ash asked, crouching a bit so he was at eye-level with the honey-blonde, who was still recovering from the scare.
"I-I dreamed that I was alone... I was on the ground, I couldn't move. And then... I-I saw you, leaving me behind... Oh, Ash, it seemed so real!" Serena started to cry in her hands. Ash got up and walked closer, grabbing Serena by her waist. She was surprised for a moment as he dragged her up in his arms, walking over to the sofa. He sat her down and seated himself next to her, putting an arm around her back. She leaned in his embrace, resting her head against his shoulder.
"It was only a nightmare. You know I would never do that, right? I would never leave you." Ash said, giving her a peck on the forehead. Serena nodded with a small smile, closing her eyes for a bit as she snuggled closer in his embrace. She ended up snuggling in his chest, one leg over Ash's lap. She couldn't feel it, but Ash didn't mind.
"Ash... Do you mind if I-I sleep next to you?" Serena asked, a small yawn leaving her. She liked being close to him, but she was still very sleepy. Ash nodded, noticing that Pikachu had awoken from the small event and had left to sit and sleep in the couch. He silently thanked his partner for understanding and helped Serena lay down on the sofa. He grabbed the blanket and covered the two of them, their chests against each other. Their faces were inches away, and Serena was blushing a bit.
Ash leaned closer, placing a sweet and gentle kiss on her lips. She returned it with kindness before separating, their foreheads touching.
"Sleep well."
"Sleep well, Serry."
Serena was surprised for a moment by the nick-name, but she smiled, finding it catchy. The two fell in a deep sleep, snuggling against each other in the sofa.
And neither were haunted by nightmares that night.
People were walking, or running for some, around through the large hall. There were long lines of people waiting to get a ticket. Pokemon were seen all around, some from Kalos and others from far-off regions. Ash could see a few that he knew were from Alola, but he was more focused on getting to the platform were their train would arrive in a few moments.
They had made it to the station without getting lost, but now they had to find where their train was.
"Platform 3, right?" Serena asked, looking at the signs that were scattered around. Ash nodded, pulling out their tickets.
"Excuse me, do you know where we can find Platform 3?" Ash decided to ask to some people. After a few wild guesses they were helped by a kind couple, who showed them the way. There was a problem though.
The platform was on the next floor, and the only way they saw was with stairs, as the elevator was broken.
"Don't they have a ramp?" Serena asked, looking around. She sighed in defeat, seeing the stairs as the only way. The wheelchair she was seated in was the one Clemont had build, but even he hadn't thought about stairs.
"I know!" Ash said, an idea forming in his head. He got read for Serena to get on his back, the honey-blonde at first uncertain until she understood.
After getting Serena in her piggy-back riding position, Ash walked to the wheelchair and pressed a button on the handle. The thing folded together and was now small enough to fit in his bag. He turned to face the large staircase, only now noticing how high it really is. He took a deep breath and started climbing.
A few minutes later the couple arrived at their platform, Ash taking a deep breath before sitting down, Serena next to him. Their train was due for in a minute or so, and he needed a rest after climbing those stairs. Serena wasn't heavy, in fact he had carried boxes that were heavier, but she still weighed enough to make a staircase feel like a mountain. That her leaning back a bit almost made him lose balance a few times also didn't really help. But he would do anything for her.
The train arrived right in time, coming to a swift halt before stopping completely. The door slid open and Ash stood up. He was glad to see that the train had a ramp for wheelchairs. He got Serena's wheelchair out and helped her inside, catching a little bit of attention by some bystanders, but they shrugged it of and got on the train.
Inside, the seats were nice and clean. He found the spot where they were seated. There was enough space for the two of them to sit next to each other. But that's when Serena noticed.
It were two seats, no place for a wheelchair.
"I'm glad Clemont made that wheelchair." Ash said absentmindedly, helping Serene to sit down, the chair folding up in it's small form. He put their bags away and took his own seat. He quickly handed their tickets to the conductor and they waited until the train started moving.
The trip to Southern Kalos would take a few hours, so Ash decided to take a little rest. Pikachu had been quiet the entire time, following them along. Pokemon were allowed on the train without the need for a ticket. He got into Serena's lap, snuggling together until he was comfortable and he took a rest. Serena rubbed the mouse-pokemon over his head, the electric-type cooing in enjoyment.
Serena gazed at the scenery outside flashing by. She sighed, her head resting on her hand.
Ash slowly woke up from his nap, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked to his side, noticing the face Serena had. She was thinking, and it was making her sad.
"Long rife, huh?" The raven-boy asked, testing Serena's reaction.
"Mhm? Huh, what?"
Ash chuckled to himself because of his girlfriends reaction. He reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder, gaining a soft smile from her. "What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, nothing." Serene said, avoiding Ash's gaze. Even he could tell she had something on her mind, and he felt like this also concerned him.
"What is it?" He pressed, rubbing her shoulder. He knew she relaxed a bit at that, and he was right as he felt her muscles relax.
"It's just. I've been thinking." Serena turned to face Ash with a serious and sad expression. "Why me?"
"Why what?"
"Why me? Why do I have to got through this? Why do I have to go through the pain and suffering? Why... Why would you want to love someone who can't walk?"
Ash swore he felt his heart shatter at the last part. He couldn't believe his ears, was she questioning his love for her? "Serena what are you talking about?"
"Why do you love me, Ash? I can't walk, we can't hold hands, I'm a burden... To all of you, to my mother, to Clemont and Bonnie, to their father, to you!" Serena her voice was turning hoarse, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Serena, you're not a burden! I love you for who you are! Your personality, your ready-to-go attitude, your string resolve and confidence. I know some things are because of me, but I love you the way YOU are. I don't care if we can't be a normal couple, who cares for that anyways? I don't hate you, if that's what you're thinking." Ash breathed out, a bit dazed that he had been able to get that all out in one go. Serena stared at him for a few seconds, taking everything in.
"But..."
She was stopped by lips pressing against hers. She allowed her instincts to take control after some hesitation, returning the passionate kiss. Pikachu was thankfully asleep on Serena's lap, not seeing the moment of fluff his trainer was having right now.
After a few seconds they separated, taking a deep breath. Their eyes were sparkling, the same spark of love they share.
"Ash..."
"Sorry, it was the only way I could get you silent." Ash said, rubbing the back of his head, as sheepish smile on his face. The honey-blonde's eyes darted across his lips for a few seconds before she pulled her gaze away.
"I-it's alright. I needed that, I guess."
"Good. Becaus there's more from where that came."
Before Serena could react she was pulled in another kiss. She was glad they were in a part of the train were few people were seated, and there was no one seated anywhere near them. They kissed like that a few more times before calling it enough, Ash catching his hand going across the ex-performer's waist, almost reaching underneath her shirt. Serena cursed herself after stopping herself as her hand was reaching from Ash' leg to a... More private part.
The train kept going, and passed a large canyon, trees and other vegetation covering the sides.
Unknown to anyone, a pokemon gazed through the bushes, the blue-green eyes following the train as it enters Southern Kalos territory.
But at the same time, a man with dark sea-green hair a pair of pilot-glasses on his forhead watched over the mythical pokemon. He sighed, putting his pokéball away, seeing that the sudden disappearance of the mythical pokemon was false alarm.
"Sometimes, I wonder what you're goal is." He whispered to himself, but the mythical had heard him and turned to face him, a small scowl on her face. "Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to anger you."
"Melo..." The mythical sighed, turning to look at the train-tracks passing the canyon, ignoring the human near her. She had felt his presence and had asked the local legendary about this. The answer was simple and straight-forwards, and made her happy inside.
Her old friend had returned, and she really wanted to see him again. She had fun with him, until the entire ordeal with Team Rocket. She had been hoping to escape the ridicules antics of her protector. She didn't hold a grudge against the descendant of her ancient protectors, but she did want the chance to go some-place else. It had taken her years to convince him to let her travel to the Kalos-region.
She decided to leave, finding that she had been stuck on the same spot long enough and flew into the air. The man was at first surprised, but quickly followed her with his partner Golurk.
"Me, meloe." She called, taunting the Golurk. The automaton didn't fall for it though, maintaining it's strong composure. You can't get a single bit of fun from those two.
"Mel..." The mythical sighed as she flew faster, the Golurk just able to keep up. It's size and mass wasn't helping, compared to the mythical's small size and aerodynamic shape.
"She really is getting bored of us, isn't she?" The man asked to himself. His partner agreed, noticing the acting of the mythical pokemon to have been more absent from them.
"Maybe she wants a new protector." The man wondered, still keeping an eye on the pokemon with his binoculars.
"Go-lurk." The ground/ghost type wondered too, but he knew that that was risky. And so did his trainer, who grumbled to himself.
'But who would be good enough to protect a pokemon like she? Maybe that boy from those years ago, in Unova...' His mind wandered.
Author's note:
Alright! 2,000 views! Thank you to all those who have been following the story, and sorry for not updating for a moment, I was a little bit focused on gathering 'intell' on writing these kind of stories. Either way, did you enjoy? 'Cause I did writing this. I just love making those cozy moments between Ash and Serena, their made for each other.
Anyways, watch, fav and review and I'll see you all next.
P.S.: Is the mythical clear now? Oh, I'll just spoil you, it's melo-
Ash: Don't! #clapses my mouth shut#
Me: (mumbling)
Ash: Anyways, see ya'll soon #sweat-drops#
Me (finally free): Alright, see ya!
