"Do you think it's a good idea?"

"Of course it is!"

"But…"

When Serena found herself questioning Dawn's words were the last thing that convinced her otherwise. The uncertainty was still there – had always been there – and no matter what she did, she could not help but realize how worrisome it would be. She could not help but feel apprehensive.

She knew it wasn't a good idea.

"You have no need to worry!"

And that gave her more reasons to worry.

Serena held her arms together and glanced away. "You know," she started, "there can be another way to-"

"No time!" Dawn said. "He is coming. We need to go!"

Before Serena could look around, a pair of hands forced her forward and with startling steps, she found herself pushed inside a café. A whimper escaped her lips as she tried to protest but found herself helpless as the door closed behind them.

"Don't sweat it, alright? I will be around – and watching, too."

Serena blinked – her mouth agape, and she found herself unable to speak when Dawn disappeared from her sight, leaving her all alone sitting next to a big glass panel. She let out a sigh and placed her arms on the table. Her eyes softened and she looked away, glancing at the street outside.

It was a quiet place. Gary had chosen a place situated on the outskirts of the Pallet Town as the rendezvous point. Dawn mentioned it to her once that Gary would drag Ash here whenever he felt like hanging out, and that made it the easiest pick without raising much suspicion.

The café wasn't entirely empty, but most people had chosen to sit further inside rather than on the edge. It gave her some room and Serena felt more comfortable as she pondered over her thoughts.

Dawn had come over at Serena's place yesterday and decided to stay for the night. And sometime around late in the evening while they were busy, Dawn received a call from Gary telling them that he had convinced Ash to meet him at a café they visit often. Serena was surprised to learn that she was the one supposed to meet Ash instead of him.

Serena knew from that very moment that it wasn't a good idea. She was not on good terms with Ash – and she hated it. Over the past few days, her anger had faded. She could not help but find herself at the point where she wished everything was normal again. She was ready to relentlessly chase after him. But whenever he would ignore her – it hurt.

He had made himself so isolated and unreadable; she could only imagine how he would react when he would learn that he was tricked. She was afraid that she would end up making things worse. And so she tried to argue back. In the end, she had to give in.

Gary and Dawn were too persistent. But she knew she was the one to blame, too – there was no other choice for her.

"Excuse me…" Serena turned around and looked up – her trance breaking. A waiter was standing there, a pad in his hand and a pen in another. "…what would you like to order?"

"I'm waiting for someone…" Serena said her voice small and polite. She gave a small smile when the waiter nodded.

When he walked away, Serena let out a sigh. Her hands grasped her arms and she looked down at the table. Her glance softened, and her mind was already occupied to process anything else. What am I going to do? She thought. And she thought it over and over again.

In the end, it was all the same. Nothing made her feel better. And the longer she waited, more anxious she became. Her hands held her arms tight and she let out another sigh – the bell rang quietly when the door of the café opened.

Serena felt the familiar presence around her, the certain flame ablaze in front of her. When she looked up, she saw him, his feet leading him towards her. And at the moment she saw him, he noticed her too.

When their eyes met, his feet stopped and she found him standing in front of her, looking at her. He looked surprised – perhaps amused too? Serena noticed his hand moving – a card was flickering between his fingers. But when Serena looked back up at her, she noticed the frown replacing his uncertain expression. His eyes lowered and he cut the glance short – turning around and walking away.

"Ash, wait!" Serena called out, standing up as she followed after him. "Listen to me at least!" Her voice wasn't loud, but she was persistent. The emphasis was present in her voice – and it made him stop. She wasn't certain but she felt that he noticed it – he noticed that how desperate she sounded.

But she couldn't care less.

Ash breathed in, his hands moved up and covered his face. When he let the air out, the card stuck between his fingers slipped out and fell next to his feet. When his arms leaned down and straightened again, he prepared to walk out – but her voice interrupted him, again.

"Just this once…" He heard her call. Her voice was small, desperation was still there, and he knew why. "…please."

Serena shivered inwardly when he turned around and walked to her. She felt tempted to step back, but giving in wasn't an option. She breathed in, but did not move and tried to be strong.

"…your treat."

Serena felt another shiver running down her spine when he spoke in her ear, before walking past her.

Serena took another moment to process what she heard. Her hand moved to her heart and she closed her eyes, breathing the air out. When she turned around and returned, Ash was already sitting at her table. She took the seat opposite to him.

Ash had his arms crossed and placed on the table. He was looking out at the street, staring at the people passing by. His eyes spotted a certain young blonde on the street – the girl's small hand was wrapped around her mother's hand as they walked. He noticed – she was wearing a blue dress, the skirt ending above her knees. A bow was on the left side of her hair.

"What are you…?" Serena looked up, surprised when she heard Ash, his voice no more than a whisper. But the uncertainty vanished when she noticed his glance. "…five years old?"

She followed his glance and noticed a young girl – as he said – not more than five years old. When she looked back at him, her mouth opened slightly. His eyes softened and he looked down at the table. She was certain that he looked sad.

"Excuse me…" A familiar voice rang through her ears and Serena looked up – the same waiter from before was standing in front of her. "…what would two like to have?"

"Just water…"

Serena looked at Ash, surprised at his choice. But she looked back at the waiter when he turned to her. "Lemonade please…" she said.

"Would that be all?" When neither of them spoke, the waiter prepared to leave. But he was stopped – unexpectedly – by Ash.

"You know what…" Ash said, his one hand took the cap off his head and another ruffled his hair. He leaned back in the chair and looked up at the waiter. "…I think I will have the same. Oh and…can you possibly give me Rawst Berry too? That would be all…I guess."

The waiter wrote it down on the pad and nodded before walking away. A silence brewed between the two and Ash once again looked away, out at the street. His gaze softened again and a thoughtful look took over Serena as she stared at him.

Serena opened her mouth to say something, but the words refused to come out. Her lips pursed together and she looked down, away from him. For a brief moment, she caught a glimpse of a familiar sight. When she looked up at it, she noticed, it was Dawn looking at her – just like she had said.

When Dawn noticed her glance, she motioned with her hands towards Ash.

Serena sighed and turned away. She once again looked up at Ash, who was still looking away. She felt like her heart had stopped beating the moment she opened her mouth. She gulped down, her fingers twiddling together.

"Ash…?" Serena called in a light voice. But the raven-haired boy never responded. With such an expression – one that even defied his own true self – he looked relented. She found it hard to believe it was the same boy who had hurt her once before. And it even made her wonder – was it his fault at all?

He tried. He had warned her to stay away from him. But she did not listen. And it was rather a surprise to her when she heard from Gary that he regretted doing that.

And now looking at him like that, an unreadable expression on his face, she could not help but wonder –

–what is wrong with you Ash?

But she could not bring herself up to speak it. She let out another sigh, still yearning for his attention.

"Ash," she called. He did not respond again. "Ash," she called a little louder. This time, in response, Ash turned to her and blinked, his mouth opened slightly and he truly looked out of his mind. "…are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah…" Ash breathed inwardly. His head leaned back on the chair and he looked up at the ceiling. "…I just have some things on my mind."

Serena was unsure of what prompted him to say that. She did not even know why he would even say that to her. But she could not help and wonder what he was thinking about.

What could it be that left him so dazed?

But she could not question him. In the end, she was left helpless, unable to sate her curiosity.

A moment later, the waiter reappeared. He placed their drinks down and – as asked for – also placed a small plate filled with Rawst Berry down in front of Ash.

"So…" Ash leaned forward, his hands wrapping around his drink. "…what do you want from me?"

"Well…uh…" Serena bit her lips, inwardly, and looked down at her drink. "…I just want you to work with me on that project." She looked up, her eyes glancing at him. He silently took a sip of his drink but did not speak. She continued. "Professor Juniper wants everyone to present the draft of their project next week and um… we haven't even started."

"Is it so…?" Ash said, glancing down at his drink. His eyes turned towards the blue colored berries and he picked one of them. "And why do you think I would care?"

"Ash, please…I'm sorry," Serena said, holding herself back to not raise her voice. Ash, meanwhile, bit on the berry. With his eyes still holding the same softness, he gave no response on the taste of it. "I know I shouldn't have said that. But I was mad at you. You…You'd hurt me. How could you not expect me to?"

Serena shivered inwardly at the mere memory. The pain briefly resurfaced and she forced herself not to relive it. She moved her hand down to her lap and clenched them into a fist. Ash still did not respond. Instead, he took a sip of his drink. His eyes moved up and he briefly glanced at her before looking away.

"Ash, please," Serena pestered. "You know how much it means to me. I don't want to lose the marks over something like this. Can't you work with me?"

Ash leaned forward and placed his arms on the table. His hands covered his face as he closed his eyes. With the sound of his heavy breath even audible to her, Serena thought that she might have irritated him – somehow.

But she was not about to give up.

"Please?"

Ash suddenly stood up. His movements even shook the table. Serena felt like her heart had stopped beating. Her eyes glanced at him and her hands clenched her skirt.

He began to walk away.

Serena could not help but stare at him wide eyed. But as he walked past her, she could not herself back. She stood up and walked after him.

"Come on, Ash. Don't be so mean to me…" Serena called out after him. Her feet stopped and she soon found herself standing behind him – barely a few feet away from where she had been sitting before. "I said I'm sorry…" she said, her hand moving over to her heart.

"Six o'clock…evening…professor's lab…" Serena blinked, unable to process what she heard. His voice, however, felt rough. And she realized, he was panting heavily. "…now stop fo-following me…" Ash coughed at the end. Before Serena could grasp the situation he was already gone and out of his sight.

She was still overwhelmed by the fact that Ash had agreed, and was nearly startled when someone walked past her. It was just a brief glance, but she could swear it was Gary. The sound of the bell as the door opened and closed rang in her head and snapped her back into the reality. And it was then she realized how worried the brown haired boy looked.

"How did it go?"

Serena looked back and saw Dawn walking up to her, her arms behind her back. However, her eyes briefly caught the glimpse of something. When she looked down, next to her feet was a card. It was the same card that Ash had dropped earlier. She knelt down and picked it up.

Her eyes rose in confusion when she realized that it was an archeologist's card. A number was written on the corner with a name above it.

Spencer Hales.

"What did he say?"

Serena glanced at Dawn, now standing next to her. She let out a sigh and shook her head, her hand placing the card in her skirt's pocket.

"He refused?"

"No-No…" Serena shook her head again, her hair swayed left and right as she laughed nervously. "He wants me to meet him at Professor Oak's lab later."

"So all worked in the end?"

"Yeah…" Serena crossed her arms behind her back, her hands clasped together, and so did her feet, as she turned towards Dawn. "…I guess so."

"You will have to go alone this time. I won't there for you," Dawn said.

"I know…" Serena sighed as she spoke.

"I still can't believe he even listened to you," Dawn said, amused.

"You have no idea…" Serena shook her head disapprovingly. "Would you believe the only reason he stayed because I agreed to pay for him?"

"What?"

It did not come as a surprise to Gary when he saw Ash leaning against a wall in an alleyway, panting heavily. The raven haired boy had his hands clenched into a fist and his eyes were closed, his head was tilted up. Several beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead to his chin.

Gary's eyes lowered as he stared at him, unable to do anything.

Ash hadn't seen him yet, and Gary was thankful for that. He was never the one to admit it to anyone, but he hated seeing Ash in so much pain. It saddened him every time. He even felt tempted to hit Ash on occasions, but the raven haired boy would never tell him anything.

"Hey, Ash!"

Gary could swear that Ash whispered something under his breath about him and he chuckled. His arm reached out for Ash and wrapped around his neck. Gary pulled the raven-haired towards him and ruffled his hair.

Ash attempted to get away immediately.

"Don't be so mad now. I'd to do that. You don't listen to anyone." Ash somehow loosened the grip around him and got away from Gary. He looked up at the brunette, staring intently, before dropping his gaze to the ground and shaking his head. "So…what are you doing now?"

"Nothing," Ash muttered.

"Perfect!" Gary exclaimed, forcing his hand on Ash's shoulder. "We should definitely hang out!"

"Stop it," Ash murmured, shrugging the hand off his shoulder. When Gary frowned, he let out a sigh. "I'm meeting someone right now."

"But I thought Serena was coming later."

"Of course she is coming later – thanks to you…" Ash's tone changed in the end, and Gary could not help but chuckle. "But it's not that. I'm seeing someone else right now."

"Is it your girlfriend?"

"What?" When Gary gave him a knowing grin, Ash shook his hand. "Don't be ridiculous…"

"Serena won't like it…you know?" Gary elbowed Ash as he spoke, the raven haired boy glared at him. Gary chuckled and stepped back, walking backward. "Okay. Okay. Fine…I will let you go." Gary said, taking steps back, an amused expression still present on his face. "But she better be cute!"

"Would you stop it?"

"Nope!"

"Idiot."

When Serena arrived at the Professor's Oak lab, she thought she had missed her chance yet again. Ash had told her to visit the laboratory at six, and she was late. However, Ash wasn't around at all. She felt relieved – but the feeling faded and was replaced by frustration over next half an hour.

Ash did not show up at all.

The night had already fallen long ago. And Serena could not help but wonder for a moment, did he even mean anything he said earlier that morning?

Serena let out a sigh, her arms on her thighs and face in her hands. She could not help but stare in front of her – the gigantic frame occupying a large part of the wall. She hadn't looked closely before, but now that she observed it, the frame looked opulent.

Serena continued to stare at the frame, her eyes slowly lowering and she found herself looking at her – younger – self, standing next to Ash. Both of them were very young, and looked so innocent; a smile unknowingly made its way to her lips.

Serena found her thoughts wandering towards Ash again – but she felt helpless to stop. She breathed out. Her arms shot up and she leaned back on the couch. As her eyes looked up at the ceiling, she found herself losing herself to her thoughts.

"What happened to you…?" she whispered and felt her eyes closing. "…and you haven't even returned yet."

Her eyes opened when she remembered something. Her hand reached out for her skirt and pulled out a card from the pocket. Holding it in both the hands, she raised it high and stared at it.

"Spencer Hales…" Serena read out, her eyes narrowing. "…where have I heard your name before?" She could not help but wonder, her eyes closing again. "And what does Ash want from you?"

Serena opened her eyes again when she felt a tickling sensation running down her spine. When she looked down, she noticed Pikachu had perched over the couch and was now nudging against her thigh. When he realized she was looking at him, he looked up at as well and smiled, his small paw rising up.

"Pika-chu!"

Serena smiled. Her arms lowered and she placed the card back in the pocket, before reaching out for the electric type. She held his small body in her arms and pulled him close. Holding him against her chest, she let her hand run down the soft fur of the Pokemon.

"You are soft…" Serena whispered, feeling herself smiling more. Her eyes closed and she embraced Pikachu. "…and so warm…"

Pikachu cooed against her touch, and Serena was left contemplating on her own thoughts. She still could not believe such a gentle and friendly Pokemon could be Ash's. She could not help but wondered how they would have even gotten along in the first place.

Pikachu's ears rose suddenly. A certain presence called him. He looked towards the door and the hallway – able to listen to voices coming from another room. But before he could attempt to go after it, he found himself trapped in a gentle grip.

Serena opened her eyes and placed her chin on Pikachu's head. But her eyes suddenly opened wide and her lips curled into a smile.

"I know!" she exclaimed. "Do you want to see my Pokemon?" Serena reached out for her Pokeball as Pikachu turned around and looked at her. His head tilted towards a side. "You will love to see her!" she said before finally releasing her Pokemon.

When the light faded, the fire type stood on the floor, looking intently at her trainer. "Fenne-kin?" She could not help but cry out, confused when she saw Pikachu.

Serena quickly let the electric type go and he landed on the floor. Serena stood up and knelt down in front of them.

"Fennekin, do you remember Ash? That boy you saw in the album?" Fennekin nodded at her trainer's words. "This is Pikachu… his Pokemon!"

"Fenne-?" The fire type turned and looked at Pikachu as if inspecting.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried delightfully and raised his paw. Fennekin did not respond immediately but took her time. She was rather startled by Pikachu's sudden advance. But nonetheless, she greeted him back with her own cry and smiled. She did not find him harmless, but rather friendly.

Serena let out a smile, delighted that Fennekin was getting along with Pikachu. Her thoughts, however, were interrupted when she heard a loud voice ringing in the laboratory.

"So where is he now then?"

The voice was too loud for her to ignore – and familiar too. When did Ash return? She could not help but wonder as she stood up.

"Where is he? Isn't it his responsibility to be here and tell this to me himself?"

Her feet moved and she found herself moving out of the room. Pikachu had already reacted when he heard the voice and made a dash for it, his ears perked up even now.

"Where is that man? Where is my dad?!"

As the time the scream did, the entire laboratory fell silent. And by the time Serena exited the room she saw Gary running down the stairs. He stopped amidst and looked down the hallway below him, his eyes briefly meeting hers.

"How dare you s-?"

"How dare I? How dare you?"

The voice of Professor Oak was loud and harsh, and Serena found herself unable to comprehend anything. He had never raised his voice like that – let alone yelling at someone so angrily. Just what was going on? She could not help but wondered as she briefly looked at Gary again.

Gary quickly ran down the stairs and headed towards the room where the commotion was going on. But he stopped in front of the door and nearly crashed into Ash who was coming out from the other side. Ash attempted to recover and walk away but Gary immediately held him by shoulders.

"Not today Gary…" Serena heard Ash, his voice low but wavering.

"Come on, man…"

"…don't do it."

"Don't be-"

"Gary stop-"

"You don't have to-"

"I said stop it!" The raven-haired boy yelled. And never did Serena thought she would be startled by his voice – for the second time.

Ash brushed the hands off and walked away. And Gary could not even bring himself to follow Ash but stared at him – his eyes falling soft and filled with uncertainty.

Serena felt her mouth opening agape when she saw Ash moving towards her. His arm was rubbing his eyes and he was breathing solemnly. When she heard him hitching quietly, was it then she realized that the boy was wiping his tears off.

"Ash…" Serena attempted to call out for him, but could not afford to raise her voice. But as her hand moved to hold him, he brushed past her.

By the time Serena turned around he was already at the door. He exited the laboratory in a hurry and pulled the door behind him – but he never expected a loud, crashing sound behind him. When he turned around, he saw the door opening outside. The sound of metal dropping on the ground echoed into the silence.

For a brief moment, his eyes met hers. And it was then Serena noticed the tears welling up in his eyes for the first time. Ash turned around and began to walk down the stairs. And that was all she could see as the door closed again.

Serena felt herself clenching her skirt. A temptation arose inside her, and she followed it instinctively – rushing after him before he could go away.

"Ash, wait. Listen to me at least," Serena said. Her hand moved forward and she held the knob before pushing the door open. "Don't just…"

But her words were left unspoken. They vanished into the thin air as the door opened. Her eyes lowered as she stepped out – the door closing behind her as she let it go. The air swooped past her and she finally let it out.

"…disappear."

No one stood in front of her.

Serena stumbled as she moved. She stepped down a stair and sat down on the porch. She placed her arms on her thighs and her face in her hands – looking up intently at the moon.

A quiet, cracking sound echoed behind her as the door opened. Pikachu and Fennekin stepped out and walked to her. Serena looked down to her left when she felt a nudge against her. Fennekin looked up, her eyes glimmering in worry as she stared up at her trainer.

"I'm fine, Fennekin." Serena breathed, her eyes briefly closing as she shook her head.

Fennekin nudged Serena once again, but her trainer did not respond this time. She sniffed and snuggled next to her trainer.

Serena placed her hand on Fennekin's head before softly tracing it down her fur. She turned to her right and looked down. Pikachu was standing next to her on the other side. He wasn't even looking at her but rather down at the stairs.

"It's okay," Serena whispered and placed her hand on his head. She ran down her hand through his fur, and then his tail. The electric type shivered.

Pikachu looked up at her and she gave him a small, sad smile. His ears lowered and he sat down. Serena held him up and brought him to her lap. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close into a warm embrace – feeling a tickling sensation as his fur rubbed against her skin.

"Don't be so upset," she whispered against him, her voice gentle and small. "Ash will be alright. I promise, okay?"

Pikachu did not speak but looked up – staring intently at the moon. But even the cool wind and the serene sight did not heal him. If only he was watching the moon with Ash like he always does.

How happy would he be?

Why did he have to go away?

Pikachu sniffed and his ears perked up. He tilted his head and looked around, briefly staring at the corner of the laboratory. But before he could move further, follow the familiar scent, he felt Serena humming in his ear.

"It's okay."

He could not help but give up against the warm temptation.

Serena felt Pikachu relaxing against her touch. She let out a sigh, contemplating on her thoughts as she recalled the event. She still could not bring herself to believe how Ash treated Professor Oak not so long ago – and it ended with him tearing up.

What could they be even arguing over?

Her trance broke when she heard the door opening behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Gary standing on the porch, his eyes observing the door as he moved it.

"You didn't have to break it," he whispered. Letting out a sigh, he looked up and at Serena. "Hey, Serena…" he called, now realizing he had her complete attention already. "…gramps was saying you should go home now." He brought out her bag from behind his back.

Serena sighed and nodded. She let Pikachu go, who hopped down to the ground and walked to Gary's side. As Serena took her bag from him, she realized, he wasn't even looking at her but away. His eyes had a solemn expression as he softly glanced at the ground.

She couldn't help but realize that he was, indeed, taking it bad. He was worried for Ash, more than she thought he would be.

"It's getting really late…" Gary suddenly broke her trance; his words wavered as he spoke. He breathed out before walking past her and down the stairs, without even looking at her. "…come on, I will drop you home."

Serena saw a key in his fingers as Gary stepped down the stairs. Initially, she felt tempted to refuse the offer, but realizing how late it was getting, she could not argue back. She turned to look down at Fennekin and quietly returned her to her Pokéball. She turned around and looked back at the door.

Pikachu was still looking at her.

She tried to smile, but the electric type walked inside the laboratory. With her lips curling down in a frown, Serena found herself walking down the stairs, and a little while later, sitting in the passenger seat of the roofless jeep.

As the jeep ran down the road of the Pallet Town under the blooming light of full-moon night, Serena found herself unable to think of anything but Ash – his words keep repeating in her mind.

Serena sighed, her head tilted towards the door and eyes lowered.

Just what were you talking about Ash?

This chapter was finished for a while so I thought, why not upload it a few days earlier than the scheduled date? Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed it. To sum up everything I will be saying now - next chapter is going to be by far my most favorite and for several reasons.

So, to see how attentive you guys are: how many among you noticed the minor character that I've hidden here in this chapter, who will be a major character in the sequel? I can bet nobody noticed anyway.

The next chapter might take some time. Expect it sometime around two weeks from now on, as scheduled. I will try to keep it that way. Oh and, please make sure you leave a review. I appreciate criticism - flaming, however, is not tolerable. Feel free to point out any mistake I made. I will fix it up - unless it is your misunderstanding.

Keep supporting. I will see you next time!

-Sam