Thanks for reading. I don't own Pokemon. As usual, reviews and constructive criticism would be appreciated.

Fun little note. This will be an Amour fic; however, if you don't like the ship then don't worry too much! It is strictly a secondary part of the story, and the main focus will still be almost entirely on Ash and his battles. Serena is present most of the time, but usually acts as more of a companion or background figure; it is not often that much of the shipping actually comes into play.

That being said, for those of you that do like the ship, there are still some nice moments between the two, maybe not in this chapter but in future ones. Enjoy!

Italics: Telepathy.

'Word': thoughts.

"Words": spoken words.

"Words": words spoken by Pokemon.

Ah, I see. That is… disappointing to say the least. Lucario spoke to the others through telepathy. I had believed that Brock, May, and Max were capable of better judgement. I apologize; it must have been hard for you to go through.

Ash nodded, still looking annoyed but clearly having calmed down. "Yea… it wasn't easy. Although to be honest I didn't see Max or a few of my old companions or rivals with them, so I'm still holding out with some hope that I have some supporters left."

He shook his head. "Anyway, it's not all bad. It feels great to be independent on not being held back anymore, and the one tournament I've entered since I left I won easily, so it's a pretty good sign. But on to more important things."

He pulled a Poke Ball from his belt and offered it to Lucario. The Aura Pokemon glanced at it for a moment before reaching out and tapping it gently. The ball converted him into energy and absorbed him, snapping shut and indicating a successful capture with no resistance. Ash smiled at the ball, knowing it contained a new teammate and ironically, his new trainer. "Well Mew, it's been nice. I better head back to Rota before the castle staff start to worry."

With that, Ash released Pidgeot from his ball, hopped on, and made to take off.

However Mew decided it would be a great time to spontaneously mess with Ash. In a flash, Ash, Pidgeot, and Pikachu were teleported away.

The trio materialized inside the throne room of the castle in midair. Pidgeot managed to level out and stay in the air, but Pikachu and Ash tumbled off him and crashed into the floor.

"Owwww…" "Damn that Mew…"

Trainer and Pokemon pulled themselves off the floor and looked at the throne, where Queen Ilene and her staff were looking on with mixtures of amusement and surprise. "Uh… hi?"

Ash wandered the courtyard, pondering what to do next. It had been some time since he had abruptly arrived back at the castle, but the Queen and doctors had declared him fit to do what he wanted, since he was physically okay and the tint had faded, though it seemed his Aura was still active since he could understand his team. He sighed; the ball that celebrated the Guardian was tonight, and he wasn't sure if he would enjoy it. Last time, he had friends with him. Still, it was a mandatory thing, so it wasn't like he could get out of it…

Ash sat on the chair he was provided in the costume he wore during the tournament.

"And now I present our Guardian this year! Ash Ketchum!" the Queen announced.

Ash followed the customary gesture and assumed the Hero's Pose, lifting Sir Aaron's staff above his head. His natural resemblance to Aaron, the fact that he was holding the staff, and that fact that Lucario was right next to him all ensured that he looked very similar to the actual Aaron.

"Now, all are free to enjoy the ball! Dance, eat, enjoy yourselves!" the Queen exclaimed with a smile.

Ash muttered something under his breath as he remained seated and complained about wanting food. The Queen's aide smacked him.

An hour into the ball, the aide whispered to him. "Ash? Hello?"

The guardian replied… with a snore? Ash's head lolled over, revealing he was asleep.

The aide rolled her eyes and called to Pikachu. She gestured to Ash, and the mouse Pokemon sighed before releasing a Thunderbolt. Ash awoke instantly, yelling. "Damn you, Pikachu." "Love you too"

"Mr. Ketchum! You need to listen! There is a new policy here at the ball for the guardian! It states that you must join in some of the dances."

Ash paled. "Uh, I can't dance. At all." "Well, better learn on the spot. I heard that's how you do your best in battles anyway." "Wait!"

She shoved him onto the dance floor.

"Ah!" Ash stumbled onto the dance floor, muttering curses under his breath directed towards the aide.

He cringed as expectant looks were thrown his way and adjusted the big blue hat of his costume before looking around nervously. He was prepared to call out Pidgeot and make a hasty escape- until a hand grabbed his own and pulled him onto the floor.

He sweatdropped and made to pull away before the unknown figure giggled. "Don't you recognize me?"

Ash whipped around and stared directly at the figure; he knew that voice well. The tall, slender figure of Serena filled his vision, wearing the red dress she once wore at the ball where her Eevee evolved into Sylveon.

"Serena! I thought you were in Hoenn!" a confused Ash stated.

"Well hello to you as well, Ash! And thanks for not recognizing me, AGAIN!" Serena pouted and Ash fumbled for the right apology to use. "But here's the thing. I went to Hoenn and realized a small issue. Contests have a battling stage, which Performances don't have at all. My team is pretty strong, but it's not built for battling, and I realized that to take on Contests effectively, I need to train, and that means taking a more battle related route. So I decided to head to Kanto, since I knew it was where you started out and I wanted to see the place. I figured it made more sense that doing Hoenn Gyms and then retraveling Hoenn for Ribbons. And imaging my surprise when I come to this tournament too late to register only to see your name on the roster!"

Ash blushed; she sounded really happy to see him, and he hadn't quite forgotten what had happened last time he saw here. Although he agreed to stay and help Greninja and Zygarde, they had all decided he should go with the group to say goodbye to Serena. The kiss on the escalator had caught him completely off guard, yet was one of the best sensations of his life. He had plenty of time to reflect on his journey when he was with Zygarde, and he realized that the hints she dropped about liking him were actually pretty obvious.

Serena noticed the blush and blushed herself before speaking. "Anyway, it's great to see you again. Let's dance!"

Ash and his old friend danced the night away, although the irritated duo spotted Pikachu and Braxien off to the side making rather… suggestive gestures. Blushes adorned both their faces, but they kept on dancing and enjoyed it immensely; seemed Ash was able to instinctually pick up on how to dance with Serena guiding him. Eventually, the songs ended and the two slid out of the hall before he Queen's aide could pull Ash back into the chair.

The two headed to the outside courtyard, Ash sprinting ahead with a grin. "Haha, Serena, you're too slow!"

An angry Serena chased after him. "Take it back!"

Ash, being the unnaturally fast and strong teenager, had literally no trouble whatsoever keeping away from her, and even had the nerve to run a few circles around her before she got tired and sat down.

The raven-haired trainer joined her and sat on the edge of a fountain with her. Small splashes of water washes over them.

"So, Ash, why are you out here? I would have thought you would have followed your usual routine of going home and heading to another region within a few days. Were you trying to redo the Kanto League or something?"

And as per the norm now, Ash's expression grew dark and angry. The usual explanation that followed turned Serena pale.

"Oh my God! Ash, I'm so sorry! I wish I had been there to tell them off and help you!" She looked very upset; Ash hurried to comfort her.

"No, no! You never could have seen it coming, especially since even I had no clue it was going to happen. Trust me, it's completely okay that you weren't there; I'm just happy that you're still standing by me."

Serena lifted her head, still visibly upset, but nodded. She would be okay given time, and it wasn't like much seemed to be wrong with Ash at the moment anyway. He seemed… more angry, but that seemed restrained to when he was with them. Besides that, his Pokemon were his best friends, and they seemed to keep him happy.

Ash scrunched up his forehead in thought. "It's great to see you again Serena, but what are you doing now? You don't have to do the gym challenge, since you can train with me if you want, but I don't really have a goal in place at the moment…"

Serena looked up and began to answer before a massive gust of wind blew down at the two of them. Ash leapt up with a Poke Ball in his hand and ready to throw it.

It turned out to be unnecessary. The Dragonite that landed merely reached into a satchel it was holding and held out a letter, offering it to Ash. The trainer, still war but now curious, accepted. The Dragon Pokemon nodded at him and the girl behind, then stood and looked at Ash expectantly.

Serena glanced at the envelope. "What is that?"

"Beats me. But it looks like Dragonite wants me to open it now." Ash shrugged before tearing open the envelope and looking it over.

Mr. Ketchum,

As a result of numerous factors, I request your immediate presence at the Indigo Plateau. Do not worry; you have done nothing wrong. Rather, we feel that we may have an opportunity for you over here and would like to meet with you to discuss it in person. If you are able to make it, please tell Dragonite; his trainer is more than capable of understanding him, so a simple verbal answer will suffice. Thank you for your time, and we at the Pokemon League hope to see you soon.

Sincerely,

Charles Goodshow

Pokemon League President

A note was attached underneath the letter.

Ash,

Sorry about the formalities; that's a scripted letter I have to send to any prospects. You know me, and you know that's not me. Anyway, we have a great opportunity for you over here, so I really hope you can make it!

C. Goodshow

Ash finished reading the letter and passed it to Serena before looking at the Dragonite, who was still waiting. He gestured for the Dragonite to wait another second before turning to Serena, who had finished her reading.

"Wonder what this is about… Are you going to do it, Ash?" Serena asked. "It could be something big!"

Ash rubbed his forehead. "I'm not really sure. I don't really have anything better to do, and I am curious, but I was really thinking about taking it slow for a while to recover from my loss in Kalos; that's why I came to Rota instead of going for a big tournament. I'm not sure I'm ready…"

Serena shook her head. "You listen here Ash Ketchum! You. Are. Strong. I believe in you, your Pokemon believe in you, and the friends that didn't betray you, I can virtually guarantee, believe in you also! Have faith in your own talents and give it your all! Whatever this is, you can handle it."

At Ash's unsure look, she sighed. Drastic measures were required, no matter how embarrassing it was… oh well. She stepped up to Ash and kissed him. The teen's eyes widened and he looked thoughtful before he pressed back. Serena held the kiss, squealing on the inside; he kissed back! As per the human anatomy, the need for air forced them to separate, and Serena stepped back a little.

Ash put two fingers on his lips, feeling them; something just felt new, different. That felt way better than he would have expected… He looked at Serena, who was blushing like a tomato.

"That enough to show you that I have faith in you?" she quipped. Ash smiled. "You know what… I think it is. Dragonite?" The Pokemon perked up. "The answer is yes." The Dragon Pokemon nodded before flying off at high speeds.

Ash turned back to Serena. "And for the record, I like you as well. I tend to be a bit dense on this stuff, but even I can pick up on a message as direct as that, and something has always felt different about you." Before Serena could start squealing on the inside, Ash spoke once again. "Serena, will you come with me to the Plateau? We can train together and grow as a team."

Serena didn't need to give it a second though. "I'm in!"

Chapter 10: Complete

Date Uploaded: December 12