Welcome back everyone. Last time we left off, the third round came to a conclusion with a six-way battle between the members of Team Lightning and Team Mega.
Ch 56: A New Kind of Battle
"You do remember what you're doing tonight, right?" Janine asked, laughing at Ash's antics to get ready. It really was a fun sight watching him struggle so much with just putting a tie on. "Or do you need me to run through it one more time?"
"I think I'm pretty sure. I mean, Serena and I are just going to enjoy ourselves on the town. Not that much to worry about," Ash replied, continuing to struggle with his tie. The fabric just wouldn't work with him, or it may have been his nervous hands making it difficult, but he wasn't quite sure. "There isn't much else to talk about. Just like we went over earlier today. Everything will be just the same as what was said then. Only, I still don't know where to take her."
"Fine, but two things real quick," Janine responded, removing Ash's hat from his head and tossing it off to the side, the article of clothing landing on his bed. "First, lose the hat for tonight. Second, why am I the one being dragged along into this? Why aren't you asking anyone else?"
Chuckling, Ash ran a hair through his messy hair, knowing full well that it wasn't worth the aggravation to try and get it nice and neat. "Well, it's because the others would probably give me a hard time about it. I know Gary would for sure, and Dawn would probably go along with it but I know she would have some fun. And Brock...well, Brock might go overboard with helping me. Everyone else just had plans," Ash explained, giving up on the tie for the moment, letting the silky fabric hang around his neck. "At least I know you'll be helpful without any wise remarks or the such."
Nodding to that answer, the young ninja faced the mirror directly in front of Ash to get a better look. "Lose the tie, it doesn't work with the rest of your outfit," she explained, pulling the loose hanging fabric away from his neck, tossing it onto the bed.
"You really think this looks good enough?" Ash asked, tugging at the collar on his shirt. He definitely wasn't used to anything other than his usual free fitting clothes. "I mean, how do I know I'm not overdressing or worse, underdressing?" About to pull at the collar of his plain, blue, collared shirt, his hand was slapped away.
"It's fine, trust me. Serena will like anything you're wearing. Just...Just be yourself and everything should turn out just fine for tonight," Janine replied, a slight smirk on her face. Sighing, she leaned up against the wall. "You really seem to like Serena quite a bit. She does seem to be a special girl."
Ash merely nodded, looking over himself in the mirror before deciding that he was fine. A blue, collared shirt, brown pants and his usual sneakers. He figured it would be best to leave his hat behind despite how much he wanted to wear it. It just wouldn't go well with the rest of his clothes. "She really is. I can't explain, but when I'm around her everything seems so much better. I've never told anyone this, but at one point I was worried that she would leave that I didn't know what to do. That's why I want to make tonight perfect. She deserves it."
"Pika," Pikachu agreed, nodding his head while thinking back to that day. Ash definitely seemed to have been rather worried over the prospect of Serena training under Palermo. The Electric-Type had rejoined Ash once everyone returned to the Trainer's village, wanting to help him get ready before running off with Piplup once more.
Janine just stood in silence. She could tell there was something between them, but she never thought it was like that. "Well, the only advice I have for you is just be yourself. That's the Ash she's seen this entire time. Don't be someone you're not when it comes to all of this stuff." Pushing off of the wall, Janine walked over to Ash and slapped him lightly on the shoulder, a playful laugh leaving her mouth in the process. "Serena is going to enjoy just being alone with you for the entire night. Now, it's almost time to go meet her. So don't make her wait any longer."
Putting her hands on Ash's back, Janine began to push the trainer over towards the door. Opening it, Ash slowly stepped outside, Pikachu and Janine trailing behind him. The small group made their way down the hallway and towards the stairs that would lead them to the lobby. "And don't forget, Ash, I'll be watching from afar. Nothing is going to ruin this for you."
"Right, thanks again for doing this, Janine," Ash replied rubbing the back of his head, letting a light chuckle out. "I really appreciate this. It means a lot, really."
"I won't lie; it did catch me off-guard when you asked. It isn't every day someone asks me to watch them on a date. Especially right after I lose a battle," Janine laughed, the duo getting ready to split off to separate hallways. "But, with those two attacking you earlier this week I don't blame you. You can't be too safe, not right now anyways. Now get going, I'll be watching from afar. It'll be like I'm not even there."
With that, Janine merely nodded her head, casting a light smile as if to say "it'll be fine" before walking down a separate hallway.
Gulping, Ash now realized he was mere moments away from his date with Serena. But was it really a date for him? He had never used the term earlier in the day, but it definitely seemed like something Brock used to fantasize about; just two people, doing things together without anyone else hanging out with them. "Well, it's just about time. I bet Serena is waiting down in the lobby right now..." he muttered to himself, feeling equal parts excited and nervous from all of this.
"I have no clue what to say or even do...is it just like at the League or do I treat this differently? I wish things like this could be just as easy as a Pokémon battle. Those are really simple," Ash continued to mutter, Pikachu shaking his head in annoyance with Ash and his current attitude.
"Pikapi..." the Electric-Type muttered to himself, cheeks sparking with electricity due to his annoyance. "Pi! Pi pikachu, chupi!"
Hearing his best friend's words, Ash couldn't help but laugh slightly. "You're right, Pikachu, I'm getting all nervous for no reason. Serena and I are going to have a fun time even if I don't have much of an idea for what to do. I'm just going to have to treat this like an actual battle and figure it out as things happen! Nothing has stopped me before and I won't let it now!" he cried out softly, pumping his fists in front of his body.
Sighing, a small smile crossed over Pikachu's face. He knew Ash wasn't the best with a lot of stuff, but romance was especially tough for him due to his denseness. "Pikapi! Pipikachu!" Pikachu cried cheerfully, Ash scratching his partner behind his ear. Hearing Piplup's voice coming from the dining room, Pikachu let out on final cry of enjoyment before making his way towards his best friend's voice.
"Thanks, Pikachu. I needed that little pep talk from you," Ash replied, the nerves from before having temporarily left him. Making his way towards the lobby, Ash stole a quick glance from the clock on the nearby wall. Seeing what time it read, Ash decided to pick up his pace a little. "Now I just need to figure out something to do for tonight. I know there's a lot of different events going on, but I need to find something Serena really likes. Hehe...maybe I should have figured that all out sooner," he thought to himself, rounding the corner into the lobby.
Catching sight of Serena, Ash momentarily stopped in his tracks. Sitting in the lobby, Serena was dressed in a light pink sundress that ran down to her knees. She appeared to be sitting there humming to herself, unaware that Ash was standing there. The setting sun painted a beautiful background for where she sat and to Ash it looked perfect. Feeling his mouth dry up, he tried to swallow what little saliva he had left. Unsure of what was happening, he could feel his heart speeding up and whatever nerves he had lost before were now back and in full force.
Taking a deep breath to try and calm himself, Ash made his way over to the girl. "Serena," he called out softly, unable to raise his voice much to his surprise. Seeing her turn to look at him, he was captivated by her beauty. "Wait, since when did I think that?" he quickly thought before smiling at Serena.
"You...you look really beautiful, Serena," he complimented, unable to find the right word until using that same word again. "There it is again. Only this time I said it out loud."
Blushing from the compliment, it looked as if she was taken aback by the compliment. Letting out a light squeak from the surprise, Serena managed to get herself under control. "T-Thank you, Ash. Y-You look...very...handsome yourself."
Letting out a light chuckle, Ash felt his heart beating at a mile a minute, or so it felt to him. He had never felt anything like this before, even his match with Alain hadn't elicited a reaction like this. Feeling his hands sweeting, he lightly wiped them on his pants, hoping Serena wouldn't notice. "So, how about we get going?"
"That sounds good," Serena replied, placing her hands behind her back. Smiling at Ash, the duo made their way out of the lobby. "There seems to be a lot of different activities going on tonight. What did you have in mind?"
"I kind of just figured we could do whatever seemed interesting," Ash replied honestly, shrugging his shoulders, a feeling of slight embarrassment filling him. "I wasn't exactly sure what you would like to do. Though, I heard there was a fashion show going on in a little. I know how much you like that."
"A fashion show?" Serena responded, slightly confused as to why Ash would want to spend his time there. "We don't have to do that. Why not something a little more exciting?"
Scratching his cheek, Ash let out a light chuckle. "I just assumed you would really like the fashion show. I know how much you like stuff like that and I want you to just enjoy yourself tonight."
"I think I have a better idea, Ash," Serena said, nodding to herself. Grabbing his hand (Ash slightly jumping in the process), Serena pulled Ash along besides her. "Instead of doing something only one of us likes, why don't we just go take a walk around the town. I'm sure we'll find something to do. If not, just a nice relaxing walk is nice too."
"If you want to, a walk sounds nice," Ash responded, keeping pace with Serena, grabbing ahold of her hand as well.
"He's hopeless..." Janine silently thought, watching the duo from a nearby tree. "He likes her. She likes him. Yet, neither knows how to say it." Janine's thoughts were immediately broken by the duo leaving their current location. "Better not lose sight of them," she thought to herself, listening to the duo as they walked away.
"You battled really well out there today, Serena," Ash stated happily. Something about seeing Serena keep up with him despite the vast difference in experience had made him proud for the girl. "The way you and Braixen battled together showed just how much you two have grown together. Though, I never realized you watched all my matches that closely. The fact you used a lot of older ideas really surprised me."
The young girl let off what sounded like a nervous chuckle to Ash, a light blush forming on her face. He knew she was always a modest one, so the compliment must have embarrassed her slightly. "T-Thank you, Ash. I'm glad we were able to give you a fun battle. Braixen and I just wanted to have a lot of fun. And the two of us figured the only way we could do so is by surprising you like we did. I figured you would have fun seeing some of your old ideas and your rivals' ideas while we added our own little touch to it."
"And I really do watch all your battles with great interest. The way you and your Pokémon work together, it just amazes me to no end. I really admire how much work and effort you put into every battle with your Pokémon. The least I can do to help support you all is by watching with great interest."
Rubbing under his nose, Ash felt a mix of emotions swell up inside of him from Serena's words. The fact she thought so highly of him made him proud, even excited by the thought. "I'm glad you enjoy them. Though, you give just as much effort with your Showcases, if not more. I could never be a Performer. Between the need to be coordinated for the final performances and not to mention skilled in so many vast fields for the theme round. It's a lot of hard work for you. The crowd loves it when you perform, and I know I can't take my eyes off of you when you're up on stage."
Neither trainer knew how to continue from there. The fact that they just complimented each other like that made both of them nervous as to how they would each react. And so, the duo continued on their walk, hand in hand, through the town in silence. Making their way though, the duo caught sight of the other teams out and about. It seemed as if they were doing their own things to celebrate their accomplishments in this tournament so far.
"Look at that..." Serena muttered, pointing over towards one of the cafés. Sitting out there were Team Victory, or at least two-thirds of them were. "From what you've told me about Paul, I never would have pictured him out with his team. And where's Hugh? Why isn't he with Paul and Astrid?"
Nodding, Ash looked over at the café. To his surprise, Paul was sitting there, arms crossed and looking slightly bored while Astrid seemed to be talking about something. "I wonder why Paul would be out like this? I would expect him to be back at his room all alone, thinking about whoever he's facing tomorrow."
"Maybe he wanted to get out for once?" Serena asked with a shrug, Ash responding in the same motion as she was. Neither knew just what exactly he was doing out, but figured there was no reason to push the issue. "He does seem to be having somewhat of a good time," the performer pointed out, noticing a slight smirk cross over Paul's face before it vanished immediately.
"Huh, who knew Paul could have a good time," Ash joked before the duo continued on their walk, passing by what seemed to be a reluctantly celebrating Team Mega. As they passed by the team, Ash could have sworn he heard Gary telling them that the tournament has only just started. Taking a quick glance at the members of that team, Ash caught them all sitting there seriously except Wally (who appeared to be nervous of his teammates for some reason). Though what really caught his eye was four chairs surrounding their table despite there being only three members to a team.
"I have an idea," Serena stated suddenly, causing Ash to look at her in a surprised manner. "Since we're near Professor Sycamore's laboratory why don't we visit him? Gurkinn did say that he might know something else about Greninja's transformation."
Smiling, Ash could only agree with Serena despite not wanting to. He didn't want to be selfish, but he would rather not see Professor Sycamore tonight. Not while he was on his...date, if he could call it that. He still wasn't entirely sure about the concept of what consisted of a date and what didn't. Either way, he would rather do something Serena would enjoy instead of sitting in a lab with Professor Sycamore talking.
"S-Sure, Serena...if you want to. Though...isn't there anything else you would like to do?" Ash replied slowly, hoping that she would change her mind. However, it didn't seem likely, as (hand in hand) the two trainers continued on their way, Serena leading them to Professor Sycamore's laboratory.
Making their way through the packed streets, Ash continued to see the other teams around, or some of their members were. Passing by another café, Ash noticed Sawyer writing something down in his notebook before taking a sip of his beverage. On the other side of the street, Ash could make out one of Remo's mighty laughs and wondered if Clemont was with him or not. He didn't have time to look however, Serena leading him down another side street.
"We should be almost...there," she stated, walking out of the street only to see the sight of Professor Sycamore's laboratory staring at them from across the street. "It didn't really take us that long. I guess memorizing that map for the preliminaries helped me learn a lot of the streets and a few shortcuts through Lumiose."
"Ash? Serena?" the Professor's voice called out from across the street, the man slightly confused by their appearance there. "It's not like I don't enjoy company, but why are you two here? And why are you dressed up? I would have thought you'd be with Clemont and the others getting ready for tonight. After all, with all the buzz this tournament has created, you should all enjoy yourselves tonight."
"We were actually just walking around the town when we thought it would be nice to drop by for tonight," Ash explained, his voice lacking the usual excitedness. "And while here, we were wondering if you knew anything about a thing called 'Bond Phenomenon'."
"I-Is Mairin here?" Serena asked, peering around the Professor only to notice that she wasn't anywhere nearby. "Alain said that she was staying with you until he found Lysandre. Is she elsewhere right now?"
Letting out a light laugh, Sycamore shook his head. "Mairin said she just had to go celebrate with Alain and he relented. The two of them just left here not too long ago," he explained, his face becoming serious as he continued. "Though I can help with your other question. Come with me inside, we can talk there." Making their way inside, the group of three made their way into the main room of his laboratory.
"Please, sit down. Make yourselves comfortable, you must both be tired after that battle of yours," Sycamore offered, motioning for them to sit down on the couch. Doing so, the two trainers sat on one couch while the Professor himself sat on the one opposite them. "The tournament really has lived up to its name. Everyone in town seems to be talking about it. The matches today were just marvelous. Especially the final match of today, a six-way battle...or, a 'Battle Royal' as I'll call it. That was breathtaking, seeing six trainers go all out, no allies fighting alongside them."
Ash merely nodded his head in agreement. The usual amazement for battles just wasn't with him to talk about that crazy match between Lighting and Mega. "Yeah," he replied, Sycamore being slightly surprised by his lack of enthusiasm. "I wish I could have battled in it. That was something I had never seen before."
"Yes, and they all gave quite a show down there. Especially Clemont. Despite losing, he managed to have Chespin stay out of harm's way and inflict quite a bit of damage on both Alain's Charizard and Remo's Garchomp. Though, did you two see the match-ups for tomorrow?" Sycamore asked, getting a simply head shake from the duo. Ash realized that amidst getting ready for tonight, he never looked over the match-ups tomorrow. "Well, in the first match, Team Victory is facing off against Team Mega. Ash, your team is facing off against Team Strategy and that leaves Team Lighting for Serena's team. It'll be interesting to see how you and Clemont face off, Serena." Standing up, Sycamore left the room briefly, returning with a tray holding a tea pot and cups. Setting the tray down on the table, the Professor carefully poured a cup of tea for each of his guest.
"It should be interesting. Though, I think tomorrow, it's Brock and Nate going to battle, we really haven't decided who will sit tomorrow," Serena explained, taking a sip out of her tea before placing it down. "I think I'm more interested in seeing Ash face off against Silver. He seems so mysterious. I wonder if he's as strong as people say."
This piqued Ash's attention. Janine had mentioned that she thought something was up about Silver, and the boy even seemed strange at times, but now that Serena was mentioning it, it got him thinking. "What do you mean by that? Have others faced him before?"
"Well, I ran in Shauna, Trevor and Tierno last night and they mentioned how Silver beat them all single handedly. He made it seem easy, at least from how they explained it," Serena explained, Ash nodding in understanding. This Silver had more going for him than any of them knew about.
Sycamore raised a hand to his chin, knowing full well what was happening. He may not have met them, but from what Diantha told him about the true meaning of this tournament, he could only assume that Silver was one of the G-Men sent in to stop Team Rocket. Deciding to change the topic, the Professor place his cup down onto the table. "Now, you two mentioned something known as Bond Phenomenon, so why don't we get back to it. I'd hate to waste your night by spending it here. I may not know much about it, but ever since I saw Ash's Greninja transform during the events with Team Flare and at the League, I began to look into old legends of such a transformation. With some help from Alexa of the Lumiose Press and Gurkinn, I found out of one previous encounter."
"The Greninja from Ninja Village..." Ash muttered, placing his hand under his chin. It looked as if he was in deep thought based on his expressions. "Sanpei mentioned that long ago there was a Greninja who transformed just like my Greninja does. Though no one has ever seen one do it since."
"Yes, that's because of a rare occurrence known as what we now call, Bond Phenomenon," Sycamore continued on, pulling a tablet out of his lab coat and showing some ancient text. "You see; it's believed that certain Pokémon have an untouched wealth of hidden potential just waiting to be brought out. Though, it takes a certain trainer to be able to, hence why Greninja when he was a Froakie always left his trainers. He might have known about his hidden potential and wanted a trainer who would be able to pull it out of him. And so, when he saw how you treated him while injured and what lengths you were willing to go to for your Pikachu, he must have felt you were capable of doing so."
"So you could say that in a sense, Ash and Greninja were destined to be together?" Serena asked, hands placed across the end of her dress. "But, if Ash is good enough to bring out a Pokémon's hidden potential...how come it's never happened for him before?"
Waving his hand slightly, Sycamore scrolled to the next picture he had on his tablet. "This section of text explains how very few Pokémon have this amount of potential that Greninja has. So yes, I would say fate brought these two together. And I can only see great things in both of your futures. Ash, one more Elite Four win from challenging Diantha. And, Serena, one more Princess Key from competing in the Masterclass again. I'll be rooting for the both of you on the rest of your journeys."
"Sadly, that's all my information I have for now. Most of it was received from Gurkinn, so it might have been a refresher for the two of you. I hope it was what you were expecting though," the Professor stated, running a hand through his hair, placing the tablet away with his free hand. "I would love to keep you both here longer, but I think it's best that you two get going before you miss all the excitement tonight."
"Excitement?" Ash asked, unsure of what he exactly meant. Yeah, there were booths and shows going on tonight because of the tournament, but he wouldn't call it "excitement". "Is there something happening tonight?"
Pretending to shush Ash, Sycamore placed a singer finger up to his lips and smiled. "It's a surprise, Ash. You'll find out soon enough. Just enjoy this marvelous night. Alright?"
"We will, Professor Sycamore," Serena replied, grabbing Ash's hand immediately. "Thank you for all your help tonight. I think we may have learned a little bit more about Greninja and his transformation because of this."
"Glad I could help," he responded truthfully, lazily waving goodbye to the duo. Watching Ash and Serena exit, Sycamore couldn't help but smile. "Those two look marvelous together. Hopefully something happens between them soon," the Professor muttered to himself before Garchomp walked in. Letting out a light cry, Sycamore rubbed his partner on the top of her head. "I know, Garchomp, it's time to feed you. Come on, I'll see if Sophie has the food ready for all the Pokémon."
"Now, if I were a secret weapon, where would I be hidden?" Michael muttered to himself, exploring through the many different hallways of Team Rocket's base. "I've been down every single hallway at least three times and I can't find anything. Not even a trace of a weapon. The only thing I've seen was that Megalith and right now it's just being studied...there's no way it can be that important."
Turning down another hallway, Michael wondered if this was the right thing. Perhaps Silver was right and they should have just attacked once they knew Giovanni was in Kalos. If they had all five Champions, then maybe Team Rocket wouldn't stand a chance. "Sometimes I don't give that boy enough credit..." Michael muttered, quickly covering his mouth as heard someone talking.
"Xerosic, are you sure about all of this?" a voice asked out, Michael immediately recognizing it as Lysandre's. He was surprised by this revelation. Lysandre had been hidden right underneath his nose the entire time. "Are you really willing to risk it all to turn on them?"
"Of course," a second voice, which must have belonged to Xerosic, replied back before letting out a cackled laugh. "Those three buffoons will never see it coming. And once it happens they'll be powerless to stop me. Once I pull it on the entire organization, we'll be left in charge and we'll rule the world."
"You can count me out," Lysandre retorted, a slight gasp escaping Xerosic's mouth. Turning to face the confused scientist, the former Team Flare leader looked confused. "I've explained myself before, Xerosic. I have no intention of doing this again. We, the leaders of Flare, lost their way from our original goal of helping the people of this Earth. We became too misguided by power and I will not allow the same mistakes to be made."
"So you're fine being a lap dog for these Team Rocket fools!?" Xerosic shouted, anger filling his entire body due to Lysandre. "We were so close to our end goal, Lysandre. Are you really willing to throw away a better world?"
Walking away, Lysandre crossed his arms across his chest before pausing. "I am no one's lap dog, remember that Xerosic. As for my willingness to help Rocket...I have no say in the matter. Either do this and be free or sulk in jail. The two options aren't exactly pleasing either way."
Biting his lower lip, Xerosic removed his gloves and gripped them tightly. "You're making a mistake, Lysandre. We should be planning to overthrow these Team Rocket members, not work with them! Imagine the possibilities if we ran this organization! Think of everything that could be ours!"
"And what would that accomplish?" Lysandre asked, sounding disappointed in his friend's current thought process. "Leading a criminal organization is not what I wanted to do in the first place. I wanted to create a better world, and in the process created a terrorist organization that brought the entire safety of this planet to question. We are not helping anyone by causing widespread chaos and damage. Once this entire situation ends, I will be gone. I need time to think things over, to become a better person. To truly help this planet."
"Man...for two friends, they definitely don't get along all too well," Michael muttered, peering around the corner to get a better look at the two men. What he saw shocked him. Not only were the two men in a small computer room, there appeared to be some sort of machine sitting in the center, hooked up to the computer. "Is...is that the machine we've been looking for!?"
Stepping backwards, Michael covered his mouth, making full well that he didn't say anything too loudly. "I...I can't believe it's been here the entire time. To think, I stumbled upon this by accident because those two were arguing with the door open! This...this is a really lucky break. I could probably stop the machine once those two leave!" he declared, listening to the two men go back at it.
"You really have changed, Lysandre. You've lost yourself since being placed in jail. We need to help this world by building it up from the bottom up!" Xerosic cried out, the sounds of wrenches clanking against metal echoing through the room. "There are too many corrupt individuals to keep them all and create a better planet!"
"I think you're the one who has changed, Xerosic," Lysandre replied with a gruff "hmph". "It's been so long since we were following our own plans. We diverged way too far from our desired outcome. And now, you still are obsessed with our wrong goal. Perhaps if I had remained clear headed and not allow the evils of this world to corrupt me...maybe then we would have succeeded without becoming the scum we did," he stated, his voice sounding just as strong and forceful as when he was the leader of Team Flare. "And please explain; why must you continue to tinker with that machine?"
Laughing, Xerosic wiped a few drops of sweat from his forehead before sitting back up. "Because, I just added my own final touches to this machine. Now, thanks to them, I have complete control of it without any of these bumbling Team Rocket members knowing so. And, I made it that the machine cannot be shut down without my specific input coding once activated. That way, only I can use this machine."
"Drats," Michael muttered, snapping his fingers lightly in frustration. Gritting his teeth together, the older agent seemed conflicted. "I could probably take them on right now. They would be too surprised to counter myself in time. I then destroy the machine and make a break to get out of here...but it could also backfire! Aghhh! Silver makes it seem so easy with going against our commands!" Michael thought to himself, grabbing at his head, running his large hands through his hair.
Stopping his actions, Michael decided to not attack for the time being. Standing up, he placed his hands into his pockets and took one last glance at the room. "No. Now isn't the time to do anything. Now that I know where it is, I can return anytime I need to. Best to let the others know and then try something. Just as long as that machine doesn't get activated anytime soon, I should be all set."
"So where to now?" Ash asked nicely. At this point, any ideas he had for tonight were now ruined that most of the events were over for the night. It was now getting dark out, with a lot of the stores leaving their lights off for some odd reason. "Anything specific you want to do?"
Pondering for a moment, Serena tapped her index finger against her chin, Ash watching with interest on his face. For some reason, he could just stare at Serena for the rest of the night and he would be fine with it. He would be fine with just sitting there with her the rest of the night. As long as they were together right now, he felt they would be content. As he continued to stare, his father's words rang through his head once more, helping him understand exactly why. "Kid, that's love."
Seeing a hand wave in front of his face, Ash was forced into blinking, instinctively taking a step backwards. "Ash?" Serena asked, a concerned look on her face. "Are you alright? You were kind of spacing out for a moment and didn't respond to my question at all. It was almost like you were in your own little world."
"Huh? What?" he quickly replied, throwing his free hand over and behind his head. Letting out a laugh, he immediately changed his posture to that of his usual self. "I'm perfectly fine, Serena. I was just thinking about something important. Now, what was your idea?"
"Oh, well, as long as you're alright that's good," she answered, smiling sweetly towards Ash, his heart beginning to race once more. Part of him enjoyed this, while another part wished for Team Rocket to show up. His nerves were practically killing him at this point. Shaking those thoughts out of his mind for the time being, Ash listened on while Serena continued.
"I overheard some people talking about fireworks tonight over near the Trainer's Village. I think that might be something fun to go and see."
"Fireworks?" Ash asked, wanting to make sure he had heard correctly, especially with how he was spacing out recently. Serena merely nodded in response, a large smile on her face from the thought of such an event. Thinking over his dad's words, Ash figured now would be the best chance to see if he was right. "That sounds like it could be a great time! And I even know of the perfect spot to watch them, somewhere that nobody else would even think to head to. That way we can see them all with no distractions. Let's get going, we don't want to miss them!"
Now it was his turn to drag Serena along, the two trainers running through the streets happily as Ash led them to his spot. There was only one spot he felt was good enough for tonight and it was going to be where he had his talk with his father. He felt that they would have a great view of the entire fireworks. Racing through the remains of the crowds (or rather those who hadn't went to go find a viewing location for the fireworks), the duo managed to see the park that was attached to the Trainer's Village.
"Ash, where are we heading?" Serena couldn't help but ask, laughing in the process. Hearing her laugh, it filled Ash with joy and energy. It was a sweet sound to his ears and he couldn't believe it had taken him this long to realize why Kalos had been such an unforgettable experience. Why it was just so much fun for him. It was because of Serena and her smile, her laugh. Even her encouragement meant a lot to him.
Turning his head over his shoulder, Ash playfully winked at her. "It's a secret. You'll see soon enough." Then, picking up his pace, Ash made the last push through the Trainer's Village and over towards the park. Passing other trainers and ordinary citizens, Ash continued on his way, Serena now walking right alongside him. Turning to face her, a smile crossed over his face, hardly able to contain it anymore.
"You see that hill over there? We'll be able to see the entire show clearly from there," Ash explained, Serena's eyes following his index finger pointing over towards a hill further in the distance. It wasn't that far from them, but it made her wonder just why he would pick that spot out of everything else. "I spent some time up there yesterday and it was a wonderful view."
Making their way up there, the duo noticed a blanket was already set up, Ash receiving a look of confusion from Serena. Hearing a rustling noise from a nearby tree, Ash silently thanked Janine, knowing full well that she had just left it here for them. "Here, let's just sit and wait for the fireworks to start," Ash stated, offering a hand to the young girl. Taking his hand, Serena allowed Ash to help her sit comfortably on the blanket, Ash himself soon joining her on the blanket.
"Serena..." Ash began to say, the duo now laying down on the blanket, watching the stars up above them twinkle in the night sky. It was relaxing, almost like those nights they spent during the League...back when these feelings first started bubbling upwards in him. "I...I just wanted to thank you for everything."
Ash could tell Serena was slightly caught off-guard by his words by the way he felt her body move slightly. Wanting to relax her, subconsciously he reached for her right hand, gripping it within his left. Feeling her body become less rigid, a slight smile crossed over his face. Letting out a light sigh, Ash knew he had to keep going, otherwise he may never know. The battle gave him a good understanding, but he still wasn't completely sure yet.
"I mean it, Serena. Thank you for everything. The treats, the never ending support, the wonderful adventure through Kalos. I just need to thank you for everything, you definitely made it special for me," Ash stated, his usual confidence beginning to waver. He was in a completely unknown territory for himself. He had never done anything like this before. "And especially with our time in Snowbelle City...without you waking me out of my depressive state, I don't think I would have even made it to the League. And you, and Clemont, and Bonnie, you all gave me that needed push to keep going in the League. When things looked bad, I always thought back to our fun times and how...how I didn't want them to end. I didn't want any of our adventures to end. And I still don't. Not right now anyways," he explained, letting everything off of his chest. For a moment, he swore he could have felt Serena's hand burning up and wondered what it was for, but a quick glance at Serena and he saw that she was slightly red. Ash was about to ask if she was alright, only to be cut off by the girl.
"Ash, I should be the one thanking you. Despite just starting out on a journey to just meet you, I managed to find a dream that I can partake in. Find the greatest friends in the world. And find my partners for the rest of my life. And yet, without your guidance, I don't know if I could have done it. You, Clemont, Bonnie, everyone. You all pushed me along and when it was time to return the favor, I just couldn't sit back. Seeing you depressed in Snowbelle after losing to Wulfric, it hurt me to see you in that state. I had to do something to help," Serena explained, sitting up slightly, Ash copying the motion. The duo were both looking at each other now, Ash feeling himself being lost in Serena's blue eyes. Shaking his head slightly to not lose his concentration, Ash began again.
"No, Serena, you don't get just how much you helped me. During my first gym battle with Viola, you helped me reignite my fire after that crushing defeat. I was at a weak point there, coming off of that devastating loss in the Unova League only to lose at my first Gym Battle in Kalos. You helped me get back my confidence. Then with the Shalor City Gym, you spent all day trying to help me get my rhythm strategy perfected even if I wasn't the greatest student. You took time out of your day to help me out. And your teaching helped me learn that the rhythm strategy wouldn't help me win, especially since I have my own unique rhythm. Those two Gyms, you helped me more than you even realize."
"Well...it was the least I could do," Serena replied slowly, Ash wondering if she was getting flustered from the compliments or if it was something more. "Like I said, you helped me more than even you know. If I never met you again, I would probably still be at home practicing Rhyhorn Racing. You helped me out in more ways than I could explain. Your presence alone helped me out when I was questioning myself. Every time I wondered if I could handle it, your confidence and spirit raised me up and helped me move on."
Silence fell between them. Ash knew he was important to her; he had figured it out completely after the match. He was able to realize it through how she admitted to use old ideas from his previous battles across every region he traversed. Yet, to hear that he was part of her inspiration, that helped him figure it all out. Fireworks soon erupted in the background, catching their attention.
"The fireworks have finally begun, they look so beautiful," Serena spoke, Ash merely nodding in agreement, words unable to escape his mouth now. Whatever he was building up to was gone, his momentum gone and so was his confidence. He couldn't figure the words out now, the very sentence he was forming in his mind now gone.
"They really do," he replied, his eyes instead focusing on Serena, her body glowing in the light of the fireworks. Sitting there, Ash let out a light sigh, upset over the fact he lost his chance. However, his dad's words echoed through his mind once more, the fireworks exploding in the background. "Take a chance. You'll never know anything until you try something, Ash. Think of it like a battle, without taking a risk in it, you'll never know if your strategy will win." Nodding slightly to himself, Ash knew he couldn't wait any longer. He had to do something.
"Serena?" he asked, catching her attention, the honey blonde turning her head to face him.
"What, Ash?" She asked, no answer coming from him. Instead, the duo felt a warm sensation running through both of them, Ash finally taking a chance. A warm sensation starting at their mouths and ran through their entire bodies.
Pulling back, Ash was smiling, knowing full well what he had done. Knowing that the feeling was right, he couldn't help but be happy. Looking across from him, Serena looked shocked from the event. But none of that mattered right now. He knew he kissed Serena and he knew one thing from that kiss. One thing that he had been piecing together ever since the League.
He loved Serena. His dad had been right.
Well, there it is guys. I finally did it; the moment you have all been wondering when it would happen. They finally went to Professor Sycamore and talked about the Bond Phenomenon...wait, that wasn't the moment? Oh, right. Ash finally made his move and pieced everything together. Can't say it was my best way of doing it since, well, I am very bad with romance. So, hopefully it turned out alright. And the reason this chapter is shorter than the others? Well, it was a decent point to cut off here. Especially with how much longer it would have continued if I hadn't.
Anyway, sorry for taking a while with this chapter, school has just been hectic (how many times have I used this as an excuse?), but expect the next chapter out for either late Friday night or sometime Saturday.
Thank you to everyone who read the chapter and supports this story. Please leave a review letting me know what you enjoyed and how I can improve the story.
