In the center of the large island that formed the Hoenn region, a large metropolis was bustling with residents and travelers alike. The normally busy city was even more active than usual, with a major Pokémon competition set to take place there that afternoon, and a great many tourists had come to watch the sparks fly. One pair of travelers, both of them ten-year-old boys, were making their way out of downtown, eyeing a large stadium next to a wooded public park.
"Mauville City!" one of the boys declared, stretching his arms upward as he looked around; the yellow mouse-like Pokémon on his shoulder did the same. "Feels like we only just left, and now we're back again."
"It's only been a month or so since the whole sandstorm incident happened. We practically did just leave," the other boy replied, all of his Pokémon companions tucked away into the Poké Balls attached to his belt. "With all that was going on, we didn't even really get a chance to have any fun while we were here."
"Well, we're not going to be working this time." The first boy smirked as he looked over the stadium that was his destination. "That World Coronation Series competition has my name all over it. Ultra Class, here I come!"
The other boy grinned, always amused by his companion's relentless competitive energy. "Good luck in your battles, Ash!"
"Thanks, Goh." Ash glanced back at his friend. "What are you going to be doing? Catching more Pokémon?"
"You know it!" The other boy pumped his fist. "I've got a bag full of Poké Balls and nothing but time on my hands. I'll be bringing a boatload of Pokémon back to Prof. Cerise!"
Ash grinned. "Well, make sure you watch my battles, alright?"
"Sure thing! I'll be there."
"Great, thanks! Good luck finding Pokémon to catch!" Ash turned away and walked into the stadium, visibly radiating excitement, which he did before every battle; the Pikachu on his shoulder gave Goh a quick wave before turning to face his destination. Goh turned in the opposite direction, heading into the nearby park, ready to make his first capture.
Later that day, Goh had managed to add three new Hoenn region Pokémon to his Pokédex, and had taken a break to get himself something to eat. He had quickly found the Mauville Food Court, and was now standing at the front of a long food line, trying to decide what he wanted to order. He could feel some people behind him growing restless, as he struggled to choose his lunch for the day.
"You gotta make a decision, kid," the food worker warned. "It's lunchtime, and there's a lot of people waiting to order."
"I know, I know…" Goh responded, eyes once again scanning the smorgasbord in front of him. "It all looks so tasty, though…"
"You should try the Magnemite Croquettes."
Goh turned around quickly, hearing a voice from behind him, and found himself looking into the smiling face of a blond-haired girl roughly his age, wearing a red hat and a casual pink dress. "Trust me, they're really good."
He grinned. "Alright, if you say so." He turned back toward the counter. "I'll have the Magnemite Croquettes."
"Good choice," the food worker responded, ringing him up and getting him his food, happy to say anything so long as this boy just got out of line. He stepped off to the side with his bag of croquettes, reaching in to grab one and taking a bite. His eyes lit up as the delicious, savory flavor filled his mouth, and he took a moment to savor the experience. As he slowly chewed, the girl from before walked up to him with her own bag of croquettes, grinning at the expression on his face.
"I told you they were good," she said, before fishing a croquette out of her own bag and taking a bite of it.
"Mhmm," he managed with his mouth full, before swallowing. "You sure did. Thanks for the tip." He smiled back at her. "My name's Goh. What's yours?"
She took a moment to chew and swallow before responding. "I'm Serena. Nice to meet you."
"Same to you." The both of them turned and started walking toward the exit, side by side. "What brings you to Mauville City? Do you live here, or did you come here for the World Coronation Series?" He popped the rest of his current croquette into his mouth as he awaited her answer.
"No, I'm not here for that." She shook her head. "Right now, I'm just killing time before my train leaves for Lilycove City. I was here for a Pokémon Contest last night."
"Contest?" He raised his eyebrows, recognizing the term. "So you're a Pokémon Coordinator?"
"That's right." She grinned and reached into her bag with her free hand, pulling out a small plastic case and opening it proudly, revealing three contest ribbons, each one representing victory in a Pokémon Contest.
Goh leaned in closer for a better look, impressed. "Whoa! You really know what you're doing, huh? That's great!"
"Thanks!" She closed the case and slipped it back into her bag. "I met an experienced coordinator when I first arrived in Hoenn, and she's given me a lot of help." She took another bite of her meal.
"That must have been really nice," he replied. "So I'm guessing you're gunning for Top Coordinator here in Hoenn?"
She shook her head, taking a moment before answering. "Not really, no. It would be nice, but that's not my real goal. I'm actually using this as training to become a better Pokémon Performer."
Goh raised one eyebrow, not familiar with this term. "Performer? What's that?"
Serena smiled and began to explain the Pokémon Showcases that took place across the Kalos region where she lived, as well as the performers who participated in them, as they continued to walk together. They eventually ended up sitting on a bench outside, close to the wooded park nearby, as she finished up her explanation and they both finished up their food.
"Gotcha," Goh responded, tossing out his empty food bag in an adjacent garbage can, before taking hers to toss it out as well. "So your goal is to become Kalos Queen, then."
She nodded, wiping her fingers with a napkin. "That's right. I came really close last time, but couldn't quite make it."
"Well, good luck! I hope you get it next time. I bet these contests will be a big help."
"Thanks, I hope so." She smiled back at him. "What about you? Do you have any sort of goal you're working toward, Goh?"
"I sure do!" he responded, eyes gleaming. "My goal is to catch one of every kind of Pokémon! And when I've done that, I'm going to catch Mew!"
Serena's eyebrows shot up, surprised at such an ambitious goal. "Every single one? That sounds like it would take a really long time."
"That's what makes it a good dream! It's something I can use to motivate myself for years and years to come." He reached into his pocket, pulling out his Rotom Phone. "Besides, I've made a lot of progress already, just over the past couple months." He pulled up the Pokédex app on his phone, turning the screen to show his new companion.
She grinned and leaned in as her eyes scanned the screen, seeing the dozens and dozens of Pokémon Goh had already caught. "Wow, you sure have." Her eyes flicked back up toward his. "Is that why you came to Hoenn? To catch more Pokémon?"
"Well, sort of." He put his phone back into his pocket. "My research partner is here to compete in the World Coronation Series. I came along to help cheer him on, but it's going to be hours until all of his battles are done. I figured I'll catch what Pokémon I can when he's not battling."
"I see." Her mind immediately flashed back to one of her old traveling companions in Kalos, who would have loved a chance to compete in such an event. "He must be pretty good then, huh?"
"Yeah, he is. He wants to take on the champion of the whole series, Leon. He's really-"
He immediately stopped himself, hearing a rustling in the trees behind him. He quickly turned around, eyes widening as he saw a green, gecko-like Pokémon crouched in the branches of a tree close by. "Whoa! Who's that Pokémon?"
Serena turned around as well, her eyes taking a moment to find the creature, but immediately recognizing it once they did. "Oh, that's a Treecko. They're one of the starter Pokémon available to trainers here."
"Well then, that's how I'm going to start the afternoon!" He immediately jumped up, causing the already-wary Treecko to whirl around and hightail it deeper into the park. "Let's go! Treecko, you're mine!" He hopped over the bench and started running after it.
"Hey! Goh, wait up!" Serena hopped up as well, racing after him.
Minutes later, Goh was moving slowly and quietly through the trees, the lizard-like Sobble on his shoulder, with Serena close behind him. All three of them were looking upward, scanning the foliage for any sign of Goh's target.
"I hope he's still around," he muttered under his breath. "He can't have gone that-"
He abruptly stopped, as he felt Serena tugging on his sleeve. As he turned toward her, she pointed upward toward a nearby tree, where he could see Treecko lounging lazily, wrongly assuming it had evaded capture. He smirked, reaching down for a spare Poké Ball, taking careful aim, and letting it fly toward the resting Pokémon.
Everyone watched as the ball approached, looking perfectly primed to capture its target. At the last second, however, Treecko sat up and whirled around, smacking the ball with its large tail and sending it right back at its owner. Goh didn't react in time, and the ball smacked him right between the eyes, knocking him off his feet, and knocking Sobble off his shoulder.
"Oh no! Are you alright?!" Serena turned and kneeled next to him as he held his face, hearing the amused cackle of the Treecko behind them.
Goh growled, rubbing his face and glaring at the gecko Pokémon angrily. "I'll be alright once I've caught that thing." He took Serena's hand and she helped him get onto his feet again, as Treecko turned and started leaping from branch to branch. The trio ran after him, Sobble hopping back onto Goh's shoulder.
"Water Gun, Sobble! Knock him down!" His Pokémon started spitting out streams of water from its mouth, trying to knock the Treecko out of the trees and onto the ground, but the wild Pokémon was proving too agile to be caught. As Treecko started gradually pulling away, Goh began to slow down, his heart sinking as he saw his chances of capture slipping away. Watching the wild Pokémon flee, he jumped as Serena suddenly dashed out in front of him, grabbing a Poké Ball of her own and tossing it out in front of her.
"Go, Sylveon! Use Disarming Voice!"
As the Poké Ball hit the ground, it dispensed a four-legged pink-and-white Pokémon, with a number of bows and ribbons attached to its body. Sylveon immediately opened its mouth and let out a powerful shriek in Treecko's direction, just as it was jumping to another tree. The sudden scream shocked and disoriented Treecko, causing it to miss the branch it was trying to grab; it slammed face-first into the tree trunk instead, falling to the ground in a daze.
"Perfect!" Serena exclaimed, turning back. "Now's your chance!" Goh nodded, grabbing another Poké Ball and whipping it toward Treecko as quickly as he could. This ball hit its mark perfectly, sealing the Pokémon inside itself, and everyone watched as the device rocked back and forth for a few moments. Seconds later, the Poké Ball emitted a small chime, indicating a successful capture. Serena exhaled, relieved, as Goh excitedly ran forward to claim his prize.
"Awesome!" He picked up the ball in one hand as he grabbed his phone in the other, scanning it. Serena walked up behind him, watching as the phone registered Treecko into his Pokédex.
"Great job, Goh!" she said cheerfully.
"I should be saying that to you." He grinned wide as he turned to face her. "I would have never gotten it without you jumping in."
"Happy to help! Besides, that was fun. I haven't done anything like that in months." Her Sylveon walked up to her side, wrapping her ribbons lovingly around Serena's arm, and she reached down and patted the Pokémon's head appreciatively. "Are you going to try and catch anything else?"
"That depends…" He took another look at his phone, noting the time. "Oh, geez, it's later than I thought. I need to get back to the stadium. My friend's match will be happening any minute."
Serena nodded. "Mind if I come along? It's been a while since I saw a really good Pokémon battle."
"Sure!" He smiled at her, glad to have the company. "Come on, let's get moving!" She smiled back, returning Sylveon to her Poké Ball before they made their way back out of the park.
Minutes later, the two of them had taken their seats in the Mauville City Stadium, and were watching the tail end of an exciting battle between a Meganium and a Hypno. Both of them cheered with the rest of the audience as Meganium's Solar Beam completely overwhelmed its opponent, delivering a victory for its trainer. The two combatants stepped forward to claim their Pokémon and shake hands, as the crowd began to settle.
"I'd forgotten how much fun this is," Serena commented, thinking back to all the Gym Battles she'd witnessed during her journey through Kalos. "Especially when the trainers are really talented."
"If you think they're good, you haven't seen anything yet," Goh teased. Serena grinned, about to ask him more about his research partner, when the announcer's voice cut through the air.
"And now for our next battle, between two Great Class trainers!" he called out. "Walking onto the field now, it's Christopher from Nimbasa City!"
Goh grinned excitedly as the challenger stepped onto the field. "Alright, here we go!" He turned toward the other end of the battlefield, cupping his hands to his mouth as he yelled. "Come on, Ash! You can beat this guy for sure!"
Serena immediately froze upon hearing the name of Goh's friend. "Ash…?" As she wondered if it was just a coincidence, the announcer spoke up again.
"And Christopher's opponent is no stranger to these events: it's Ash, from Pallet Town!"
Serena bit off a shriek as she saw the boy walk onto the battlefield, looking exactly as she remembered, down to the Pikachu on his shoulder. Her body immediately went into panic mode as her mind stopped functioning properly, her heart pounding out of her chest.
Goh blinked in surprise as he looked over at his new companion, who was now standing up, her face flushing a deep red as she covered her mouth with both hands. "Serena? Is something wrong?"
"I… I…" She tried and failed to think of something to say, unable to look away from the boy down on the battlefield, simultaneously excited and terrified that he might look her way and discover she was here. After several moments that felt like ages, she whirled around, rushing toward the exit. "I'll be right back!" He watched her race out of the stadium, looking as if she'd seen a ghost.
"Uh…" Goh kept his eyes on the exit for a moment, wondering if she would return, before the announcer brought his attention back to the battlefield. He shrugged it off as a mystery for later, as the battle between Ash and Christopher began.
Serena was soon seated at a picnic table outside, not far from the stadium, as she tried to catch her breath and regain her composure. She had managed to recover from the shock of seeing Ash again, but she was still as panicked as she was before, having no idea what she was supposed to do now. Her mind was far away, back in Lumiose City, replaying the final goodbye that she had given Ash before she left for Hoenn. She could clearly see herself turning and racing back to him, running up the escalator, stepping up to him and bringing her lips to his.
Even then, she had been shocked by her own boldness, in disbelief that she was capable of doing such a thing. In retrospect, she had realized that she was only able to do it because she was leaving, and wouldn't have to deal with any potentially awkward fallout from her decision. She had assumed they wouldn't see each other again for years and years, at least. By then, the two of them might be totally different people, their previous feelings and personalities replaced with new ones, giving them both the opportunity for a fresh start.
She ran her fingers through her hair, flustered. This hadn't been what she'd expected at all. It had only been a handful of months since they had parted, not years. That kiss was sure to be fresh in his mind right now. What if she had made things hopelessly awkward between them? What if she had completely put him off by kissing him? What if he didn't want to see her, didn't want to be reminded of their final moments?
She tried to tell herself that she was being silly, that the two of them had been the best of friends throughout their entire journey, and even if he wasn't happy with being kissed, he would still be happy to experience a reunion with her. It was no use; despite the protests from her mind, her heart was still hopelessly terrified. She sighed deeply, wishing that she hadn't been cursed with this Ash-induced anxiety.
After taking a minute to collect herself, she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, her face falling when she saw the time. She was going to have to catch her train soon, and based on what Goh had said, Ash was going to be busy for at least another hour. If she didn't make her train, she would almost certainly miss her contest in Lilycove City. There simply wasn't enough time to go and see him. The decision had already been made for her.
She groaned and put her phone away again, feeling terrible that he wouldn't even know she was there until she was gone. He deserved a better reunion than this. She slumped forward, arms on the table, wishing there was some way she could at least say something to him, somehow. She stewed over this for a minute, before a lightbulb suddenly went on in her head. There was a way she could say something to him.
She reached back into her bag, digging through it for a moment until she located some stationery, which she had been using to keep in touch with Bonnie back in Lumiose City. She carefully pulled out a piece of paper, laid it out on the table, grabbed a pen, and began to write.
Fifteen minutes later, Goh was standing up in his seat, stretching, ready to get some fresh air after Ash's battle. Now that the match was over, his mind once again returned to Serena's sudden, mysterious departure. Clearly, something about Ash had spooked her enormously, but he had no idea why; he'd never known him to be the type of person anyone would be afraid of. He didn't have time to wonder long, as he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.
"Goh!" He looked over to see Serena running toward him, looking a bit sheepish, holding something in her hand.
"Serena! There you are." He ran up to her. "I was wondering where you went. You missed the whole match, you know."
"I know." She looked down, embarrassed. "I'm sorry for running off like that."
"It's fine," he responded. "I guess you and Ash know each other, huh?"
"Yeah, we do." Her face turned a bit pink as she looked back up. "Did he win his battle?"
He nodded. "He did. It was close, but he pulled it out somehow."
She smiled a bit. "That sounds like him, all right." She stepped as bit closer. "Goh, can I ask you for a favor?"
He raised an eyebrow, a bit wary. "Sure… what's up?"
She held her arms out, holding an envelope in both hands. "When you see Ash, could you please give this to him?"
He reached out and took the envelope, looking it over quickly, seeing Ash's name written on the front in small print. "A letter?"
"Yes," she affirmed. "I wrote it for him, just now."
"I feel like you should maybe give this to him yourself?"
"I… I don't know if I can." Her face flushed a little more. "Please, Goh?"
He looked back into her pleading eyes, and his resolve quickly melted away. "Alright, I'll give it to him, I promise."
"Thank you so much." She bowed her head humbly for a moment. "I really owe you for this."
"No way," he replied, causing her to look up. "You helped me catch that Treecko, remember? The way I see it, we're square."
She smiled warmly at him. "Right. Still, I appreciate it." She stood up fully. "I need to get going. My train to Lilycove City is going to be leaving soon."
He nodded. "Good luck in the contest! Hope you get your fourth ribbon!"
She nodded back. "Thanks so much. It was nice meeting you, Goh." She waved at him as she turned to leave, and he waved back at her as she disappeared out the door and out of sight. He glanced down at the letter he was holding in his hand, curious as to its contents, but knowing better than to try and take a peek. He turned it over between his fingers a few times, pondering what he should do, before stepping into the aisle and heading for the stairs. Based on the conversation he had just had, he figured Ash might need to know about this sooner rather than later.
Several minutes later, he managed to find the miniature Pokémon Center built into the stadium, where numerous trainers were having their battle-worn partners looked over. A quick glance around the room found Ash in the corner, talking strategy with his Pikachu and his Lucario.
"Hey, Ash!" he called out, waving with his free hand as he walked over. Ash turned around quickly, grinning and waving back as Goh approached.
"Hey there, Goh! Did you catch any new Pokémon?"
"Yep! I added four of them to my Pokédex so far." Goh stopped in front of him. "That was a great battle you two had. Lucario really gave it his all at the end there." Lucario gave an affirmative response, quite proud of himself.
"He sure did. That last Aura Sphere was something else." Ash glanced down at Pikachu, who was standing on the floor next to him. "I think Pikachu's going to be my choice for the next battle. He's really been raring to go all day." Pikachu struck a fighting pose, sparks emitting from his cheeks.
"Yeah, I bet." Goh watched as Ash kneeled next to Pikachu, rubbing his head gently, before changing the topic. "Hey, Ash… do you know a girl named Serena?"
Ash froze for a moment, shocked at hearing Goh mention that name, before turning his head and looking upward; Pikachu did the same, looking similarly taken aback. "Yeah, I do… why do you ask…?"
Goh paused for a moment before continuing. "Well, I ran into her earlier, and-"
"She's here?!" Ash immediately stood up, placing his hands on Goh's shoulders, his eyes wide as saucers. "Is she still here?! Where is she now?!"
"She…" He took a second to collect his thoughts, not expecting such a severe reaction. "She went to the train station! She's headed for Lilycove City!"
"Thanks, Goh!" Ash took off like a rocket toward the exit, Pikachu following behind him. Goh goggled at him for a moment, never having seen him react that way about anything.
"Hey! Wait, Ash! What about your next match? You could be disqualified if you miss it!" He started running after his friend, even more curious now about how Ash and Serena knew each other.
Serena sank back into her seat on the train, taking in a deep breath and letting it out as she heard the whistle blow. She was still feeling a bit anxious after finding Ash here, but she had managed to calm herself for the most part. Goh would deliver her letter to Ash, and he would know that she was here, and that she had been thinking of him. She hoped that would make him happy.
As the train car started to move, she felt herself relax. She was content with her decision, having convinced herself that this was for the best. She did have a contest to get to, and those had already proven invaluable in improving her skills as a performer. She told herself that she needed to be away from him for a while in order to grow as a person, in order to further develop her own internal strength. On top of that, she wanted him to see how much she had grown when they met again, some years down the line. She smiled a bit as she imagined their proper reunion, how happy they would be to see each other, regaling stories of their travels and their accomplishments.
"Serena!"
She jumped as she heard a muted but familiar voice, sounding like it was coming from outside. She looked out the window, scanning the platform as the train started to pull away, quickly finding the person who had shouted her name. Ash was running alongside the train platform, trying to keep pace with it, eyes locked on hers through the window. Pikachu was running behind him, trying to meet her gaze as well. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, realizing just how badly she had misjudged the situation.
Serena immediately jumped out of her seat, moving into the aisle and racing to the back of the accelerating train, all of her prior justifications going out the window. She no longer cared about making the contest in Lilycove City. She didn't care about her own personal growth, or with impressing him in some future meeting. All she cared about now was seeing him, holding him, talking to him, spilling her heart out to him. Reaching the back of the train car, she threw open the door and stepped outside, her hands grabbing the railing on the back.
"Ash!" she called out, her eyes meeting his, everything else in the world disappearing as she did so. They kept their gaze on each other for a long moment, her heart practically stopped, before she realized that he was slowing to a stop, as was Pikachu. Glancing down, she saw that the train had completely pulled away from the platform, and was starting to pick up speed. He was too far away for her to pull him onto the train, and they were going much too fast for her to jump off without injuring herself. They wouldn't be able to meet again after all. She'd missed her chance.
Her eyes went back to his, their gazes locking once again as he tried to catch his breath. She could see the mixed emotions on his face, his excitement at being able to see her again, and his disappointment in their reunion being so short. Her mind put together just what he had done, how he had run across Mauville City in a matter of minutes, how he had abandoned the competition and risked putting his dream on hold, just for the chance to see her for a few moments. A wide smile spread across her face, as she clasped her hands over her chest, her heart feeling as full as it could be.
Standing on the platform, Ash kept his eyes fixed on Serena, seeing her upset expression turn into a brilliant smile, the same magical smile that she had shown him so many times over the course of their journey. He'd always enjoyed seeing it, glad to know that she was happy, and he always tried his best to make her smile when he was able. Looking at her now, he could feel his own heart warm up as he saw how happy he made her, just by being here, just by her seeing him. He soon found himself smiling back at her. They hadn't been able to say anything to each other aside from their names, but they had still learned everything they needed to know.
Serena felt her heart swell even more as he smiled back at her, thrilled that she might be able to make him as happy as he made her. She closed her eyes as she brought her fingers to her lips, before gently blowing him a kiss. She opened them again, watching as Ash touched his fingertips to his cheek, as if he were able to feel the kiss land upon it. Grinning even wider, he started to wave enthusiastically as the train picked up speed, and she responded in kind; down by Ash's feet, Pikachu was waving as well, with both arms, jumping up and down. They waved at each other for as long as they could, until Serena had pulled completely out of sight.
As he lowered his arm and sighed, he could hear footsteps approaching him from behind, along with some labored breathing. "I can't believe you ran all the way here."
"Yeah… sorry for just running off like that."
Goh took a second to catch his breath. "Did you manage to see her?"
"Just barely," Ash answered. "I was a little too late."
"Ah… I'm sorry, Ash."
"It's alright." He kept his gaze upon the space where the train had been, as Goh walked up beside him. "We'll see each other again, I'm sure of it."
He kept looking out into the distance for a few moments, before he felt a light tap on his arm. Looking to his side, Ash saw Goh holding an envelope in his hand. "She asked me to give this to you, before she left."
"Huh…" Ash took the letter from him carefully, looking it over, seeing his name written carefully on the front of the envelope. He smiled again, already imagining what might be written inside. "Thanks for this, Goh."
His friend nodded in response. "We need to get back. You're going to miss your match if you don't hurry."
"Yeah, I know." Ash tucked the letter into his inside vest pocket. "Let's get going." Both boys turned and started heading back to the stadium, Pikachu climbing up onto Ash's shoulder once again.
Later that evening, the two of them were seated on a plane that was flying them back to Vermillion City in Kanto. Goh was snoozing away in his seat, exhausted, having ran about and caught several more Pokémon when he had the opportunity; Pikachu was also tuckered out, having fought some difficult battles and barely coming out on top. Ash's ranking hadn't moved him to the Ultra Class yet, but after today's event, he was much closer than he had been before.
After spending a long while looking lazily out the window, mulling over the events of the day, Ash reached into his vest pocket, pulling out the letter that Serena had written him. He slipped the letter out of the already-opened envelope and unfolded it, starting to read it for the second time.
Ash,
I'm sorry that we didn't get a chance to see each other today. I can't tell you how much I wanted to talk to you, and tell you how I've been, and ask you all about your travels. In the end, it just didn't work out. We both have our journeys to go on, and I know that I need to see mine through. I owe it to myself to become the best person I can be, and after all you did for me during our travels together, I owe it to you as well.
It seems like you're doing very well for yourself, which makes me happy to see. I was able to watch you competing in the Alola League on television a few months ago. I was so happy to see you finally win a Pokémon League that I cried. It means so much to me to see you following and achieving your dreams. Now Goh tells me that you're trying to battle Leon, the World Coronation Series champion, which sounds exactly like something you would do. I'm sure that if you keep at it, you'll be able to have your match. You can do anything that you put your mind to, that much I know.
My journey is treating me well, so far. When I first arrived in Hoenn and started competing in contests, they were a lot more difficult than I anticipated. All of my Pokémon are great dancers, but it turns out that doesn't make them great battlers. It took a lot of training for all of us, and a lot of help from other coordinators, but I eventually managed to win my first contest. I have three ribbons now, and I'm hoping I can get my fourth in Lilycove City. I really hope I can make it to the Grand Festival before the season ends. This has been great training for all my Pokémon, and I can tell it's going to make me a much better performer.
Do you remember May and Max? I met them not long after I arrived in Hoenn, and May has been incredibly helpful in making me a better coordinator. We spent a while training nearly every day, and while I've still never beaten her, I've come close a few times. Max has been helpful, too. He knows more about Pokémon than almost anyone I've ever met. He talks about you all the time, as if you were his personal hero, and he thinks the world of you. May doesn't talk you up the same way, but I can still tell that you mean a lot to her. Everyone you meet seems to like you, which I can completely understand.
I miss you so much, but I can feel myself growing stronger every day that I'm out here. I still have Sylveon, Pancham and Braixen to support me, and they've all been wonderful companions. Sometimes I can get upset with myself after a bad loss, or sometimes I just get lonely, but then I think of all the encouraging words you've said to me, and it helps to bring my spirits up. Even when you're not here, you're still giving me the strength to go on. One day, when we see each other again, I want to be able to return the favor. I want to show you how much I've grown by then. I promise I'll make you as proud of me as I am of you.
Please take care of yourself until we meet again. I'll be thinking of you until then.
All my love,
Serena
Ash let out a contented sigh as he folded the letter up again, carefully placing it back into its envelope before returning it to his pocket. Even if he couldn't hear the words straight from her mouth, it made him happy to hear that she was doing well. Given how proud of her he was already, he couldn't want to see what kind of person she would become when her journey was complete.
He closed his eyes and rested his head against the airplane window, eventually drifting off, having pleasant dreams for the rest of their flight back to Kanto.