A Special Goodbye

by KingJoia

Serena and Ash are about to go their separate ways, Serena feels unsure of her future. All she knows is that she doesn't want to say goodbye. But, maybe this goodbye might be more special than she thinks.

This is my first ever fanfic, so don't expect it to be a great one.

The basis of this one-shot is an idea that I came up with. In the XY series, with don't see a good chunk of our heroes' journey. So what if, during those skips of time, something started blossoming between Ash and Serena? Something that neither of them are able to believe is there.

Overall, this is just a fun story I came up with following that concept, so I hope you enjoy.

Reviews, comment, and any tips you may have are appreciated

Author: KingJoia

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Pokémon

A special goodbye

The first rays of a rising sun easily pierced through the curtains of the windows of the Volta family house. As they started bashing against the eyelids of a honey-blond performer, they forced her eyes open. They were bothering her, but they weren't the ones that woke her up, the truth was she hadn't even slept that night.

Serena had spent the entire night stirring in her bed, unable to stay still, unable to relax, unable to sleep. No matter how much she tried she just couldn't take her worries out of her mind. Her journey was about to end, Ash was about to leave Kalos, to go back to Pallet Town, away from Kalos, away from her. 9 months, she had spent 9 months with him, and she couldn't have had a better time. This had been her first journey, and what a journey it had been, Ash on the other hand, from what she had learned about the Kantonian trainer, probably didn't see it that way. He had been to five other regions before, had met many different people, many different Pokemon, legendary even. She just couldn't help but think that for him, this would have been just another one to add to the collection, and in time, forget, forgetting her along the way.

She had also decided to embark on another journey. A journey to Hoenn, so she could partake in Pokemon contests, and use the experience to improve her abilities as a performer. Expect this time she would be on her own. And she would be lying if she said that that didn't scare her because it did. It was one thing to go on a journey with your friends in your home region, it was another to go on a journey in a foreign region. All on your own, with no one to help you, with no one to support you.

She knew she was stronger than she had once thought, a talented performer with a lot of potential. But she knew that her success wasn't only hers. During her journey, she had had moments of doubt, moments of hesitation, where she questioned herself. If it hadn't been for Bonnie, Clemont, and Ash, she wouldn't be where she was nowadays. And know, she wasn't planning to go to a different region, to face a new challenge. Becoming a performer, was a challenge she had willingly taken, and had succeeded in, yet she knew she still had a lot to learn and improve upon, despite having started with a lot of knowledge about the multiple tasks she was tasked with as a performer. Contests, on the other hand, were a different story. The appeals round would be too hard to get around, but the battling rounds were her biggest challenge.

She had engaged in small battles during her journey, but she knew that wasn't for her. Yet, to become a coordinator, she had to learn how to battle, and that was a daunting task for her. A task she had to face alone, without her friends. Despite being stronger than she thought, would she be strong enough on her own? Or would she falter along the way?

Deciding to try and take her mind away from the worries that plagued her mind, Serena scanned the room she was in with her eyes, laying her eyes on the lemon blond little girl, that unlike her, was sleeping peacefully on her bed. She could see the bedsheets raising up and down in rhythm with Bonnie's peaceful breathing, and that was just enough to force a smile out of her. One thing she would always cherish from her journey was her relationship with the Volta siblings. Clemont was like a brother to her, always ready to help her out, sure, most of the time he wasn't the bravest person in the room, but when the times demanded it, she knew he would stand up and face whatever dangers he had to face to protect those he cared about, especially if Bonnie involved. Sometimes she wished that her own brother was like that. Sure, she loved Calem, like all sisters love their older brothers, but sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if he saw her as a weak little and defenseless Togepi, always watching over her shoulder, always pouncing at everything that would be a remote threat to her, and if boys where involved, that's when he lost his head. She couldn't help but chuckle as she imagined his reaction if he ever found out she went on a journey, not with one, but two boys. Bonnie on the other hand had it easy, Clemont clearly worried about her, doing his best to protect her and help her when she needed it, but unlike Calem, he wouldn't place a glass dome around her and try to protect his sister from the entire world.

As she saw Bonnie shifting to a sideways position or her bed, Serena got up from her bed and move to the side of Bonnie's. Kneeling beside the bed, the young performer couldn't resist her urge to run a hand through the young girl's hair. She had grown to love watching Bonnie sleep, she was so peaceful when she slept, so far away from the young and energetic girl she had grown to love like the little sister she never had, the reason she had started to understand where Calem's overprotective nature came from. Like Clemont, she was willing to let Bonnie live her own life, make her own mistakes and learn from them, as she did, however, she was sure of one thing. During their journey, Bonnie had been able to capture her, Ash's, and most recently Squishy's hearts, so if anyone dared to harm a single hair of this girl's head, the three of them would unleash hell upon said person.

Slowly but surely, Bonnie's eyelids started to shutter, signaling her imminent awaking, but that didn't bother Serena, she was always happy to spend time and talk with Bonnie.

Letting out a small yawn, Bonnie's eyelids finally burst open allowing her to cast a glance at who at been stroking her hair for the past five minutes.

As soon as she laid eyes on Serena, Bonnie smiled, happy to see her.

"Morning, sleep well ?" Serena asked with a smile

"Like a baby!" Bonnie answering as she widened her smile

Serena giggled at the young girl's response, right before standing up and stretching, finally getting ready to start her day. "Come on, you better get up. We need to get ready. Ash and Clemont should be waiting for us by now"

"Right, wouldn't want you and Ash to lose your flights" Bonnie answered sadness evident in her voice as she removed her sheets and stood up

Serena couldn't help but frown from that response, there it was again the reason for her inability to sleep, the problem that plagued her thoughts for the past week. Quickly shaking her head to hide her worries from Bonnie she answered "Yeah, we wouldn't. So, you go ahead and take a shower while I make your beds, ok?"

Bonnie simply nodded to answer her question, right before proceeding to get her clothes and going out of the room. However, as soon as she laid her hands on the doorknob, she turned around and looked back with a serious expression on her face.

"Serena?" she called out, halting the performer, as she was carefully moving a sleeping Dedenne Bonnie's pillow.

"Yes, Bonnie?" she said surprised

"You know you need to tell him, right?" Bonnie started, with a face full of concern "You might not get another chance, you know?"

Serena sighed at that, as much as she hated to admit it Bonnie was right, and that was the main cause of her problem. The problem wasn't that she was parting ways with Ash, the problem was that she was parting ways without telling him how she felt about him, well at least that was one of her problems.

"Yeah, I know" she answered "But it's not that simple Bonnie"

"Why not?" she retorted "You just have to tell him how you feel. And right now, you can't use the journey as an excuse, you two will be going your separate ways"

Serena cast her gaze downwards avoiding Bonnie's. She couldn't help but agree with her. For the longest time, she had been telling herself and Bonnie that she couldn't tell Ash how she felt because they were currently on a journey together, therefore if she confessed and Ash rejected her, things would end up pretty awkward between the group, that was just her latest excuse, first, it was that she had to focus on her Masterclass, then it was because Ash needed to focus on the Kalos League, but now… now she didn't have any excuses, so all she had left was the truth.

"Because Ash is pretty important to me" she confessed

"Really? I hadn't noticed" Bonnie chuckled

"No, not just like that" she started "The truth is that for the longest time now, he has been my best friend. After the summer camp, even though I was never with him, he was my inspiration, his words were my source of strength. Whether I like it or not, he marked my life, and I don't mind it at all. In fact, I want him to keep being a part of it, even if just as a friend. So, I can't confess to him, because if I do he will most likely stop being a part of my it"

It was hard for Serena to keep her balance after confessing her fear like that, so she ended up sitting in Bonnie's bed with her eyes lowered, only to end up lifting them when Bonnie placed a comforting end in her shoulder.

"Do you honestly think that even if Ash doesn't return your feelings, he will stop being your friend?" she asked

"No...Yes… I mean, I don't know. As much as I keep telling myself that he won't, I can't help but fear that he will" Serena said doubtfully

Bonnie simply chuckled at her answer "Do you honestly think that Ash likes Miette more than you?" she asked mockingly

"No" Serena chuckled out "Arceus, I hope not. Do you think he does?"

"Of course, he doesn't silly" Bonnie whisper yelled, trying to avoid being heard by the two boys, as she lightly slapped Serena's arm" So if he still is Miette's friend, why wouldn't he be yours?"

Serena still remembered vividly the events of the day before, the day where the group reencountered the bluenette performer, the day where said performer confessed her crush towards the raven-haired trainer, motivated by his heroic action during the Kalos crisis, only to be rejected by said trainer. But most of all she remembered Ash's answer to said confession.

"I am sorry, but I don't feel the same way." he started, as he rubbed the back of his head "I see you as a friend, nothing more than that. I hope that we can stay that way, anyway" he added as he reached for a handshake.

Serena was extremely relieved that Ash turned Miette down, ending their rivalry for said trainer's affection right then and there, but at the same time, said rejection forced a new feeling inside of her. Fear. Fear that Ash would reject her like that, or worse, she was closer to Ash than Miette ever was, would her confession destroy the relationship they had nowadays?

"You know what I learned from you and Ash after all this time?" Bonnie asked

"No, what?" Serena asked in return

"No never give up, no matter way" she stated matter-of-factly "So why are you giving up without even trying?" she added

"I have tried Bonnie, but she never seems to pick up any of the hints I gave him" Serena said sadly

"You're right, he doesn't. He is dense, we all know that. But that is no excuse to give up, Serena. You still have a chance, and as far as I see it, it is a pretty good one" Bonnie stated.

"What makes you think that?" Serena asked, clearly intrigued by the statement.

"Let me see…" Bonnie started as she brought a hand to her chin, getting into a fake philosopher pose " Ohh I know. Let's start with Noivern. He sees Ash as his dad, right?"

"Yeah, he does. What about it?"

"So... Who is he closest to, besides Ash" Bonnie asked with a mischievous smile.

"Hawlucha, why?" Serena answered, afraid she knew where this was going

"Reeeeally?" Bonnie started "Then why did he kept nuzzling you and resting on your shoulder when he was a small Noibat?"

"That was just Noibat, that had nothing to do with Ash" Serena retorted

"You know what they say, Pokémon reflect their trainer's feelings" Bonnie countered

"S-s-still they have their own personalities. Noivern likes me, that doesn't mean Ash has feelings for me" Serena shuttered out

Bonnie shrugged at her reply "As far as I see it, Noivern doesn't like you, he sees you as his mother" Bonnie stated, causing a huge blush to consume the face of the older girl "But, still if that's not enough to convince you, I have more."

"M-m-m-o-ore?" Serena shuttered as her blush kept getting bigger and bigger

"Oooh yeah more, much more" Bonnie answered as her eyes gained a mischievous glint in them "Let's start with Greninja, have you seen how protective he is of you? No, then let me tell you, he is super protective of you. Do you remember those times we were separated from each other? How he acted like your personal bodyguard until you reunited with Ash? And let's not forget that he can use that transformation with Ash, which means he would know how Ash feels about you. Still not enough? Ok, then how about Pikachu, Ash's longest partner, you're the one he is closest to. He even rides on your shoulder, sometimes, and he only does that with Ash. And let's not forget the way he obeyed your commands when Ash was sick, it was almost as if you were his trainer. Oh, oh I have more, how about when he loses a battle, who does he stay with? You!" Bonnie continued, consequently, increasing the blush on Serena's face.

"Ok, ok, I get it. Ash's Pokémon like me, so what? That doesn't mean that Ash was feelings for me, all you can say is that we're great friends, nothing else" Serena stated matter-of-factly, trying to end the argument then and there before her face exploded with her blush.

However, to her surprise, Bonnie didn't seem fazed by her argument, instead, she once again adorned a mischievous smile, except this time, it was bigger than before.

"So, you're gonna force me to use the big guns, ugh?" Bonnie said, clearly enjoying the situation

"T-the bi-big g-guns?" Serena shuttered nervously

"Ok, then, let's see" Bonnie started completely ignoring Serena's question" Serena, how close are Greninja and Braixen?"

If Serena wasn't blushing before, she clearly was now, she knew where this was going.

"Cause as far as I can see, those two are clearly in love" Bonnie stated "If you don't believe me, just remember for how long Greninja hugged Braixen for when they last saw each other. It was almost as if he didn't want to let her go, in fact, I think he didn't"

"Aa…a..a.. " Serena tried to answer, as she tried to hide her face with her hair

"No comment, ugh" Bonnie continued, enjoying the situation far more than she should" ok then, let's not forget about Pikachu and Sylveon, those two are inseparable nowadays, I don't think I have ever seen two Pokémon nuzzle as much as those two, don't you think Serena? And do I really need to mention the whole trainer and Pokémon thing again"

"OK, OK I GET IT! NOW CAN YOU STOP, PLEASE" Serena shrieked out, completely and totally flustered

"Only if you promise me that you will confess" Bonnie demanded as she raised her pinkie

"Fine" Serena mumbled as she interlocked her finger with Bonnie

"Now promise"

"I promise"

"What?"

"I promise that I will confess to Ash" Serena mumbled, getting flustered once again

Bonnie squealed as soon as she heard those words coming out of Serena's mouth, bringing her into a warm embrace, happy to have had her way. Serena couldn't help but giggle at the young girl's excitement as she melted into the embrace, Bonne was really intelligent for her age, true she wasn't a tech genius like Clemont, but when it came to emotions, feelings, and social interactions in a whole, Bonnie was a genius in her own right, but she was still a child, so reactions like this were not only expected, they were utterly guaranteed, but Serena wouldn't have had it any other way.

But the sweet moment was soon cut short as the door was burst open by the concerned duo of Ash and Pikachu.

"We heard you scream. Are you alright, Serena?" he questioned, with a voice full of concern" What about you, Bonnie?"

Serena although initially startled, couldn't help but feel touched by his concern. But in the end, it was Ash she was talking about, he cared for everyone no matter if you were a close friend or a stranger he just met in the road, you needed help, you just had to ask, and Ash would be there to help you out.

"Yeah, we're fine, no need to worry" Bonnie exclaimed, quickly waving her hands around, trying to convince Ash

But that didn't work out in her favor, since Ash and Pikachu had just noticed that Serena was hiding her face in her hands, clearly worried about something. The electric mouse quickly jumped out of his beloved trainer's shoulder and in less than a second crossed the room and jumped onto her lap.

Using his small paws, Pikachu removed her hands from her face. "Pipika pika?" he asked worriedly

Serena was indeed worried about something. She was worried that the two of them had heard what she and Bonnie had been talking about. Like she told Bonnie, she wanted to confess, but she didn't want Ash to find out like this, she wanted to tell him how she felt, not for him to simply hear her say it through a door.

As soon as Serena saw who was moving her hands, she couldn't help but giggle at the electric mouse's behavior "You worry too much Pikachu. I am fine" she said while scratching him behind his ear causing him to coo in delight.

"You're such a cutie you know that" she commented with a smile

Pikachu in turn decided to return the affection by licking her checks affectionately.

"Stop it, that tickles" she laughed out

But Pikachu didn't stop, instead, he perched himself on her shoulder and started nuzzling her, just as affectionately.

"You're such a softie, you know that Pikachu?" she said as she stroked his head

"Pi pikachu pi" Pikachu said as he fake pouted, earning a giggle from the honey-blond who saw right through him.

"He has a soft spot for you that's all" Ash said as he squatted beside her, and started petting Pikachu as well

"What makes you say that?" she asked, as Pikachu jumped down her shoulder and moved out of sight

Ash just chuckled at her

"A few things I've seen" he answered with a grin

Serena would have been annoyed by his answer that clarified absolutely anything. Would have if she could focus on getting annoyed by it, but the truth was that at that moment she couldn't, because her focus was solely on his eyes, his chocolate brown eyes that reminded her of the hot chocolate's that she used to drink on the cold winters. They didn't remind her of it just because of their beautiful color, but also because of the effect, they had on her. Every time she looked at said eyes, she felt her insides warming up as if the Sun started showing through the clouds of a cold rainy day, to bring hope back into her heart and warm her life once again. So, she just stared into them, and he stared back.

"Chaaaaaaa!" Pikachu cooed loudly, snapping the two of them out of their trance

Looking behind the bed, they saw Pikachu being lifted by Sylveon's feelers, who had gotten out of her Pokeball on her own, as the two of them nuzzled each other lovingly.

"Just two really enjoy each other's company, don't they?" Ash chuckled out

"Yeah, they do" Serena answered right away "Honestly I think it's really cute"

"Yeah, it sure is" Ash shrugged as his tummy rumbled causing Serena to giggle

"Hungry?" she asked, amused at his embarrassed face

"Yeah. Well, I guess that is my cue to leave" Ash said as she rubbed the back of his neck "Coming, buddy?"

Pikachu looked at his trainer and then back at Sylveon, who had wrapped a feeler around his paw, with a sad expression.

"You know, Sylveon could come with us" Ash said, understanding what Pikachu was feeling" Only if that's ok with you" he added as he turned to look at Serena

"As long as that is what Sylveon wants I don't mind" she answered with a smile.

As soon as those words left her mouth, Serena felt Sylveon's feeler wrapping around her hand, she looked down at her eevelution, who beamed a thankful smile back at her right before unwrapping her ribbon and going with Pikachu towards Ash who was waiting for them at the door. As soon as she was within reach, Sylveon wrapped one of her feelers around Ash's arm, consequently forcing a huge blush to form on her trainer's face.

"Arceus, why does Sylveon have to do that. And why does she do with exclusively with Ash" Serena thought. Ash, on the other hand, wasn't the slightest bit bothered by the situation, he simply smiled at the eevelution, before glancing towards the girls "See you two later!" he said as the trio left through the door.

As soon as the door closed Serena moved her hands to her face. That situation had been too embarrassing for her. First Ash almost heard her saying how she felt about him, then she was caught intently staring into his eyes, sure he stared back, but still, that was embarrassing, and last but no least Sylveon had to go and embarrass her even more by wrapping her feeler around Ash's hand. This sure was not her day, she was sure that if this kept up, she would die of embarrassment by the end of the day.

"Well, well" Bonnie started, drawing Serena's attention. The young girl had Dedenne perched in her head, apparently, he had woken up some time ago, and both of them were staring at Serena with mischievous smirks on their faces "I don't think I need to say anything else" she finished as she moved towards the door

" Umm… humm…" Serena tried to speak but in vain, she was so embarrassed right now, she didn't even remember that Bonnie was in the room with them.

"All I can saw Serena is..." she said as she stopped by the door "Case and point" she finished as she left the room and closed the door behind her leaving a completely flustered Serena behind.

---

As soon as she finished getting ready, Bonnie started moving silently to the room she shared with Serena. As soon as she was at the door, she started opening it slowly and silently, careful not to alert the girl inside. Being careful not to be seen, Bonnie peeked through the opening of the door, scanning the inside of the room. There she saw Serena quietly humming to herself as she brushed Pancham's fur, having Braixen by her side, patiently waiting for her turn. And that was all Bonnie had to see, this was perfect for her. She knew Serena always took her time brushing her Pokémon's fur and seeing the amount of fur on Braixen's tail, it was clear that was going to take a while.

Bonnie quietly moved away from the door, before bolting towards the kitchen in search of her brother. Standing at the doorway, her eyes glanced around the room until they landed on the lemon-haired boy who was making breakfast for everyone. As she moved towards her brother she noticed Ash sitting at the table, looking at his Pokémon, who were happily eating their breakfast, with Sylveon joining them, but clearly closer to Pikachu.

"Clemont, can I talk with you for a moment" Bonnie asked, as she pulled on his sleeve.

"Sure, give just a moment to serve everyone" he said

"Lemme help you with that" Ash startling the two of them. The mere mention of food was enough to motivate the Kantonian native, making him move towards them without them noticing him.

Quicker than they could have said "quick attack" Ash had set the table and was already munching on his breakfast, giving the siblings the chance that they needed to talk privately. They moved to another room and closed the door behind them before Clemont started.

"So, how did it go?" he asked

Bonnie jumped his place and squealed in excitement as she answered "I did it, I did it. I convinced her to confess!"

Clemont chuckled at his sister's excitement. They had already tried many times to convince her friend to confess her feelings and never before had they actually succeeded.

"How about you?" Bonnie asked as she calmed down" How did it go?"

Clemont grimaced at his sister's question, she wasn't going to like his answer.

"It didn't go well. Ash confessed that to him, Serena was special, no one else can make him feel the way she does. However, he doesn't know how to describe said feelings. But that isn't important because in the end, no matter what I said, Ash was adamant that she didn't feel the same way" he said sadly

"Ow, come on. How dense can he be?!" Bonnie exclaimed irritated "Wasn't he noticed any of the signs she dropped?"

"Well, the problem is he did" Clemont answered, confusing Bonnie "But he thinks those things don't mean anything. He says that that is who Serena is. A sweet, caring person, therefore her actions reflect said personality."

"Still, she is waaaay nicer to him than anyone else, he should have seen that" she retorted

"He believes that that is a result of their long-term friendship. She met him at an early age, so it is normal for them to treat each other better than most. They have childhood memories of each after all" Clemont reasoned

"Damn that's a good point" Bonnie said bitterly as she placed her hands on her hips

"Language!" Clemont scolded

Bonnie ignored him as she started pacing around the room, trying to think of a way her brother could convince their friend.

"Look, I don't see why you are so convicted in trying to convince Ash. He is more stubborn than a sleeping Snorlax, we won't get anywhere with him. Besides, you already said that you convinced Serena, so right now we only need to get the two of them alone" Clemont reasoned

"Yeah, I know. But I also know Serena, she will probably get cold feet at the last minute" Bonnie countered

"You know Serena has changed a lot in the last few months she has been with us. In the beginning, she couldn't even be alone with Ash for a few moments without getting completely flustered, but, nowadays, she can even argue with him. You should have more confidence in her" Clemont argued

"Yeah, maybe you're right" Bonnie said, feeling bad for her lack of trust in her friend "I can't believe you weren't able to convince Ash. I know he is stubborn, but still, if I was able to convince Miss Blushy Blush, you should have been able to convince him"

"Well, what can I say? Ash is just too stubborn" Clemont said as he rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Clemont!" Bonnie exclaimed, seeing he was hiding something" What happened? "

"Weeell, you see" he started

"Come on Ash, it is clear she likes you! You should just tell her how you feel" Clemont argued

"You're just seeing things that aren't there Clemont" Ash countered, getting slightly irritated by his friend's persistence on a topic he clearly didn't want to talk about.

"Still, don't you think Serena should know how you feel about her" Clemont argued, trying to get his friend to see his point of view

"Alright let's say I tell her about it. How do you think she will react? Don't you think she will be weirded out by it? Telling her how I feel will just make things weird, and that will just destroy our friendship. And my friendship with her is something I value and am not willing to lose" Ash said firmly

"Look, Ash. If you do tell her, you have the chance to gain something beautiful. I really think you should….." Clemont countered only to be interrupted

"Alright Clemont, let's make a deal I will tell Serena how I feel the day you tell Korrina how you feel!" Ash snapped, ending the discussion as he left the room

"Hahahahahahahahaha, even Ash noticed" Bonnie laughed out "He isn't nearly as dense as I thought he was. But he was right big brother, you should tell Korrina. You know I will keep looking for a keeper until you do"

"I know I shouldn't have told you that" Clemont sighed in defeat "Besides, I still don't understand why you do that"

"Well, either you will man up and ask Korrina out in order to stop me or I will find a new keeper for you, so win-win" she explained

"Anyway, right now I have to focus on our plan, but then we will have a talk about this search for a keeper" Clemont demanded

"Sure, if I can't get the Clemont-Korrina ship to sail I will have the Ash-Serena one to" Bonnie commented

Clemont didn't even try to understand what she said. He knew that sometimes his sister could come up with some pretty crazy ideas, and this one was one her craziest yet, so he did the only thing he could do at that moment, he walked out the door, leaving an overly excited Bonnie alone, fantasizing about Ash and Serena's future kids calling her aunt Bonnie.

---

"So, I was thinking. Since Serena and I will be boarding our flights in the afternoon. What do you guys say about spending the morning together? Ya know, just going around town, sightseeing" Ash proposed as soon as the car that carried Alain, Marian, and professor Sycamore away was out of sight.

Everyone looked at the Kanto native with blank expressions on their faces

"What? Did I say something wrong" he asked nervously rubbing the back of his neck, intimidated by the expressions on his friends' faces.

Serena started giggling at Ash's reaction, confusing him even more. The performer quickly noticed his confusion and decided to explain.

"No, you didn't. It's just that we never expected you to be the one to propose something like this, you know. You're always so focused on training that you never consider doing something as mundane as sightseeing" she said, clarifying the situation.

"That's not true. I can relax sometimes. The way you talk it sounds like I'm a Clembot 2.0" Ash argued

"You're a training addict, Ash, and you know it" Serena countered

"Well, what about the time we visited the pledging tree? I only had a small training session that day." Ash affirmed

"Small? As soon as we got to the Pokémon center you spent the rest of the night training?" Serena said matter-of-factly

"Well, that isn't true" Ash said scratching his cheek nervously

"Well, that what were you doing?" Serena asked lifting an eyebrow

"S-stuff" Ash stammered out. He couldn't exactly say that he had been watching her practice her performance, he couldn't understand why, but it always calmed him down when he did, and besides, Froakie had been asking to watch Fennekin perform.

"What kind of stuff?" Serena insisted

"So, what do you guys say?" Ash asked, turning towards the Volta siblings, clearly avoiding Serena's question

"Sorry, but I have to check on Clembot back at the gym. There are still a few updates that I need to install" Clemont apologized

"Can't that wait? I mean, Serena and I are going away today" Ash inquired

Clemont shook his head in response "I have to start today. These updates take time, and I need to have Clembot ready by the end of the month, otherwise, Clembot won't be able to handle the toughest challengers. But don't worry, I will be able to see you guys off" he assured

"I will have to pass on it too. Daddy said that he wanted us to have our daddy-daughter bonding time today. Sorry" Bonnie added

"Oh, ok. Then I guess it will be just the two of us Serena, what do you saw?" Ash asked scratching under his nose

"Sure, fine by me. Just the two of us" Serena said beaming a smile, she couldn't believe this was happening again, she was going to be all alone with Ash.

"Pi Pikachu" Pikachu whined

"And Pikachu of course. We couldn't forget about you" Serena giggled as she scratched the electric-type behind his ears, making him coo in delight.

Ash chuckled at the sight as he too started stroking Pikachu's head before addressing the siblings once again "Ok, guys, we'll see ya later"

Ash and Serena started moving towards the shopping district of the city as Clemont and Bonnie waved them off. As soon as they were out of sight Bonnie spoke up.

"Update Clembot, nice one" she said as she raised a hand

"Bonding day with daddy wasn't bad either" Clemont praised as he high-fived his sister.

---

To say that Ash and Serena were tense as they walked towards the shopping district of Lumiose city would be an understatement. Both were terrified. Ash didn't want to say something wrong to Serena, he didn't want to part on bad terms with her, so he kept silent, thinking about what to say.

Serena on the other hand couldn't help but feel weirded out by the constant silence "Ash is usually so upbeat, so talkative, why is he suddenly so silent. Does he feel weirded out by being alone with me? Sure, we are rarely all by ourselves, just the two of us, but still, it's just two friends hanging out, nothing to be weirded out about. It's not like this is a date. Nope definitely not a date. Anything but a date. This. Is. Not. A. Date, Serena. So, stop being nervous about your 'not a date' and say something" Serena thought to herself, only to be interrupted by a small finger poking her cheek.

Turning her gaze to her left shoulder she found out that Pikachu had jumped into it and was looking at her with a pleading face while pointing towards her waistcoat's pocket.

"You want me to let her out?" Serena asked, understanding what Pikachu was trying to tell her

"Pi" he nodded

"Alright then" Serena said as she released Sylveon from her Pokeball.

"Sylve" she cried as she materialized

"Pika" Pikachu said as he jumped down to meet her.

As Sylveon saw him the two nuzzled each other, afterwards Sylveon wrapped a feeler around his paw. The two of them then started walking alongside their trainers.

"It's kinda weird to see Pikachu walking around" Ash chuckled out "My shoulder feels weirdly light"

"I imagine. You two are inseparable. Or rather were, until a certain Sylveon came into the picture" Serena joked, getting a laugh out of Ash and leaving the two Pokemon a blushing mess.

That's when Sylveon decided to wrap a feeler around Serena's arm beaming a smile at her. Enjoying the affection from her eeveelution Serena smiled back. A smile that turned into a worried face as soon as she saw a third feeler moving towards Ash's arm and wrapping around it.

"Oh Arceus, I am so sorry. I don't know why she keeps doing this, I have already told her to stop so many times but she just doesn't listen" Serena apologized while being a blushing mess.

"Eh, calm down. It's ok" Ash chuckled out" Besides, I like it" he added, scratching his cheek with his free hand.

"Y-y-you do?" Serena asked surprised

"Well, yeah. From what I know, this is a way Sylveon uses to connect with its trainer right?" he asked, to which Serena nodded, prompting him to continue "So in a way when Sylveon does this it makes me feel like I connect with our Pokemon, just like you do with mine and….. I like that idea. It makes me feel like… in a way…. we're connecting with each other" he cheerfully added

"You want to connect with me and my Pokemon" she inquired while gripping her blue ribbon, surprised by the revelation.

"Of course, I do" he answered without a hint of hesitation "Well, where do you wanna go Serena?" he asked as they reached the shopping district, wanting to change the subject, which to him was getting kind of uncomfortable.

"Well, where do you wanna go, Ash?" she asked in return

"Don't know, I am not that much into shopping. That is your area of expertise, so why don't you decide?" he said

Serena started thinking about her options. This would be her last day journeying with Ash, so she wanted both of them to have a good time, she could go to a clothes shop, but Ash would hate it, she could go see a movie, but that would draw all of Ash's attention, and she wanted to spend time with him, talking with him, so weighing her options she decided where they should go.

"How about a café? We could go and have a quick snack, what do you say?"

"Sweet" he replied

"Pika" "Sylve" the Pokemon chimed in

"Of course, we will get you guys a treat too" Ash said as he kneeled down and rubbed their heads "Now come on, let's go" he exclaimed excitedly as he started moving once again

"Ah, Ash!?" Serena called out, trying to contain a giggle

"Hmm?" he hummed looking at her

"The café is that way" she said as she pointed in the opposite direction

"Yeah, I knew that" he said as he started moving in the right direction

"Of course, you did" Serena said with a giggle as she followed him

---

As they moved towards the café, with Sylveon's feelers still connecting the two humans and the small electric mouse, Serena couldn't help but notice the looks they were getting from the people they walked past. Most of them just smiled at them, but she couldn't help it and started feeling self-conscious. She tried to play with the hem of her skirt to calm herself down and even gripped her precious blue ribbon in a futile attempt to suit her nerves but not even that helped in getting a single thought out of her head, a thought that came from a single truth. Everyone in Kalos knew what it meant when a Sylveon wrapped a feeler around someone.

"Is this it Serena?" Ash asked as soon as they arrived at the café, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Humm" she hummed "Yeah, yeah. What do you think? We can go somewhere else if you want"

"Naah, it's fine by me" he assured

The café was pretty simple in terms of decoration. It a small entrance its interior with a large window on each side, both being covered by a few green metal bars. On top of the door, there was another window, also covered by metal bars, except instead of being green, this one had a golden metal crux. On the exterior, there were four metal tables with a few plant vases around them. The café might have had an old, slightly medieval look on the outside, a look that might have put out some customers, but to Serena, that only added to its charm. Adding that to the heavenly smell that came from the kitchen and the good reviews Serena found on her tablet, it was impossible for her not to eat her. Seeing a free table on the outside, Ash and Serena quickly made their order, before moving to said table however to Serena's surprise, before she could even sit Ash started pulling a chair out for her.

"Thank you, Ash. I appreciate it, but you didn't have to" she said as she sat down.

"I know, but I wanted to" he retorted as he sat down with a smile on his face

As the minutes passed, neither one knew what to say. They had so much to say, but neither could build up the courage to talk about it. Serena, no matter how much she wanted to, couldn't get out of her head the idea that Ash would reject her even worse than he did Miette. Ash because, well, this was uncharted territory for him, how could he talk about this? How should he talk about this? Should he even talk about this? Seeing the tense atmosphere between the two trainers Pikachu and Sylveon decided to try and ease things a bit.

Moving under the table with her feelers still wrapped around everyone, Sylveon started rubbing her head against her trainer's hand, who was once again playing with the hem of her skirt, trying to calm her down. This drew the performer's attention, who starting mentally thanking her Pokémon for the distraction, while she rubbed Sylveon's head, making her coo in delight.

Pikachu on the other hand jumped on top of the table, getting his stressed trainer's attention. Making weird gestures with his hands, that made him look like he had an aneurysm he tried to convey a message to his trainer. To anyone else, this would have been pretty difficult to understand, but Ash knew Pikachu better than anyone, so he easily got the message. Grabbing his backpack, he quickly fished out a small ketchup packet before tossing it to the small Pokémon, who immediately started licking it as if his life depended on it.

Seeing the interaction from the other hand of the table, Serena covered her mouth with her free hand, before letting out a small giggle, trying not to disturb the two of them. However, to her dismay, Ash had heard her.

"What's so funny" Ash chuckled out as he rubbed Pikachu's head

"Well, it's just that Pikachu absolutely loves ketchup. You would have thought that such a powerful Pokémon could have such an addiction to ketchup" she giggled making the electric mouse pout at basically being called a ketchup addict.

"Oooh, come on Pikachu, don't be mad at me. You're still my favorite Pikachu, you know?" she said, as she tried to pet him. However, Pikachu turned his head around, still mad at her.

"Please, Pikachu, forgive me, I didn't mean to upset you" she pleaded as she leaned in the table and gave him Rockruff eyes. Pikachu tried to avoid her gaze, but couldn't, and eventually gave up and nodded as a way to say he forgave her.

Serena beamed a smile at him as she sat upright once again and gave him a quick stroke on the head, only to see a waitress coming with their food. They hadn't ordered much, just a single slice of cheesecake for each of them and a Pokepuff for each of the Pokémon, but that didn't bother them, they just wanted to enjoy their time together.

"Anything else I can do for such a cute couple?" the waitress asked beaming them a smile

"C-c-couple ? We're not a couple, just friends" Serena shuttered out, waving her hands dismissively. However, the waitress didn't seem to buy what she was selling.

"Your Sylveon seems to disagree" she said as she pointed to feelers who were still wrapped around the trainers' arms. The intertwined Pokémon didn't seem to even realize the embarrassment she was causing her trainer as she kept on peacefully eating her Pokepuff alongside Pikachu.

"It's just that when she was an Eevee she was really shy, and Ash was one of the first people that she opened up to, so she's really close to him" Serena explained

"Suuuuure" the waitress said sounding unconvinced as she moved away from the table "Keep telling yourself that"

As soon as the waiter was out of sight Serena started digging into her food trying to forget about the embarrassing situation, she had just been in. She could still remember the first time something like this had happened, the first time Sylveon surprised everyone by wrapping her feeler around Ash's arm as if he was her trainer.

The gang had just left Monsieur Pierre's Mansion, after the dance party. Serena was still bummed that she didn't get to dance with Ash but trying not to destroy the mood for the whole gang, she did her best to keep a smiling face and get involved in the discussion. At some point Clemont and Bonnie started lagging behind, giving Ash and Serena some space, but the two, as always, were so into their conversation with each other, that they didn't even notice. Soon enough, the conversation turned into Ash's favorite topic, battling.

"Man, that battle with had was so cool!" Ash said excitedly

"Pika" his first partner agreed from his shoulder

"Yeah, it sure was Ash. I had a great time battling with you" Serena said with a heartwarming smile

"Yeah, me too. You know I was really excited when Eevee started evolving. It's not every day a Pokémon evolves in the middle of a battle like that, and it's always soooo cool to see" Ash said with stars in his eyes "You should be proud that Eevee evolved into a Sylveon, Serena. That just proves how great of a trainer you are" he added as he scratched his under his nose.

Serena was pretty surprised to hear such a compliment coming from him, but that feeling of surprise was quickly overwhelmed by the butterfree that started flying around her stomach and forced a blush to take over her face.

"T-thank you, Ash. That means a lot coming from you" she said as she started playing around with her blue ribbon.

Ash didn't bother to reply, he simply showed her one of his iconic toothy grins, unintentionally increasing the number of butterfree on her stomach. Arceus knew how much she loved that toothy grin. The two of them kept walking ahead in a peaceful and comfortable silence. That was until Serena had an idea. One of her Pokemon had just evolved, and as far as she knew, whenever a Pokemon evolves, they are bound to have some changes in their personalities, so it would be a good idea to spend some time with Sylveon, at least to figure out if there had been any other changes, aside from her overcoming her shyness. Having made up her mind, Serena released her fairy type, causing her friends to stop on their tracks and wait to see what she was up to

"Sylve" she cried as she materialized and looked at her trainer expectantly.

As she was kneeling down, Serena could have sworn that she saw a huge smile creep up Pikachu's face as soon as he realized who exactly she had just released. Seeing that it wasn't the right time to be thinking about it, Serena shook her head dismissing those thoughts, and addressed her Pokemon.

"Hi there Sylveon. We were just on your way to Snowbelle City, so I was wondering if you would mind keeping me company, just so we could spend some time together. What do you say?" she asked

"Syl sylveon" her eevelution answered as she wrapped a feeler around her trainer's wrist

Everyone smiled at the display of affection between trainer and Pokemon before starting to move towards their next destination once again. And all was going well until Sylveon got a little too close to Ash. As soon as she was within reach, the fairy type eevelution wrapped one of her feelers around his wrist, making him stop on his tracks, and Clemont and Bonnie's jaws to drop.

"Sylve" she cried beaming a smile at the Kanto native. This cry was what drew Serena's attention to her eevelution, and as her gaze fell on the feeler wrapped around her crush's wrist her jaw dropped in rhythm with the blush that formed on her cheeks.

Everyone was in shock at the sight, everyone but Ash that is. He simply kneeled down until he has at Sylveon's level and started petting her head, having her nuzzling his hand in return. As soon as he was finished, he stood up and continued walking with a smile on his lips, as if nothing happened, with Sylveon in tow.

Both Serena and Pikachu were still shocked to the point of being paralyzed, but since they were both in some way linked to Ash, Pikachu being in his shoulder, and Serena being linked by Sylveon, were forced to follow him. But what no one noticed was that there was a pair of shocked siblings standing in the middle of the path with mouths agape, petrified as if they were statues.

That was only the first time that happened, and what an embarrassment that was, to Serena that is. After they reach the nearest Pokemon Center, Serena immediately recalled Sylveon back in her Pokeball and rushed to her room, trying her best to avoid Ash. She just couldn't look at him without remembering what Sylveon had done, he knew he acted like it wasn't anything special, but anyone who knew the least bit about the fairy type eevelution knew how meaningful that small act had been. So, to her it was obvious that he was weirded out, he was just being himself and trying not to hurt his friends, in this case, her. But the truth was, she couldn't have been further from the truth, Ash was in fact ecstatic about what happened. He knew that that was a big deal, and if he was being truthful with himself, he was glad that it did happen. By now he had figured out something, Serena was special to him, he didn't know why, but now that he knew that he was also special to her, he knew that he needed to figure out why.

After that incident, Serena started being very careful whenever she released Sylveon when Ash was around. Every time she saw Sylveon trying to wrap a feeler around Ash's arm, she either picked her up or recalled her into her Pokeball. But as much as she tried, there were sometimes when she failed, and when that happened it felt like a volcano formed on her face. But Ash after what Ash had told recently, she couldn't help but feel relaxed knowing that Ash actually didn't mind that Sylveon kept on pulling such a stunt, but that was another problem that arose with it. What the other people thought about it. People viewed them as a couple. But still, Ash didn't even raise a single eyebrow when the waitress said what she did. Maybe Ash didn't mind that idea, maybe he thought that the idea was so ridiculous that he didn't even need to comment on it, or maybe he was so dense that he didn't even realize what that meant.

Neither one of the teens said a word as they ate. Ash was too busy stuffing his mouth with food to talk, and Serena was unable to think what to say, it was too hard to let go of the embarrassing atmosphere of the waitress's comment, so she chose to stay quiet.

As he finished eating, Ash looked up to see that Serena was eating rather slowly, sure everyone ate rather slowly when compared to him, well, but this was different, because in between bites he could see that she was playing with her food, and by now he knew Serena well enough to know that that meant something was upsetting her. He could have tried to speak with her right then and there, but he chose not to, he figured out that the best way to talk to her would after he cheered her up a little bit, because if he did, maybe then she would be comfortable enough to open up to him until then, it would be better to just keep quiet and let her be.

As soon as he saw her cleaning her mouth with a napkin, Ash decided to finally speak once again.

"You finished?" he asked

"Humm" she hummed as she nodded.

"Ok, then let's go" Ash said as he stood up and offered her a hand

"Go where?" she asked unsurely

"That's a surprise" Ash said with a smile

Serena decided to just stay quiet and see where this was going, she may not know where she was going, but one thing she was sure, she could trust Ash, so they paid for their food and went on their way.

---

Ash didn't know that much about shopping, it was an activity that never interested him, so he paid never that much attention to it, but he knew that Serena did, so he did his best to try and take her to shops that he thought she would like. To him it was kind of tedious and boring, but he saw that she was enjoying just walking around and window shopping and to him, that was enough, seeing her getting more and more joyful and happy by the minute was enough to make him happy, so he kept going from shop to shop, and when he saw her eyeing a shop at the distance, he knew that that one was the one he couldn't miss. Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed her wrist and started leading her towards it.

"Wanna go in?" he asked as they arrived at the entrance. Serena simply shook her head at the question, before starting to move ahead, until Ash once again grabbed her wrist and stopped her in her tracks.

"Serena, I know you wanna go in. So why are you going away?" he asked

Serena was at first surprised that he saw right through her like that, but then surprise was replaced by happiness, she was happy that Ash was willing to go in just for her, but in truth, she knew she couldn't be selfish like that, Ash had already gone around window shopping for her, and she knew he hated to shop, so for her, this along with the thought that he was willing to put up with this for her was more than enough.

"I appreciate the thought, Ash, but we don't have to go in, really. I know you hate to shop, so you don't have to put up with this for me." She said as she reached out for her blue ribbon.

"I know I don't have to. But I also know that it makes you happy, so I want to." he said as he walked into the shop, dragging Serena and the two Pokemon along with him.

Saying that Serena was overjoyed after that would be a huge understatement. She was just moving around the shop with a huge smile on her face, selecting the pieces that she either found cute or elegant before moving in front of a mirror to get an idea of what said pieces might look like on her, always keeping an eye on Ash to see when he was getting bored by said activity

"That one over is free. Why don't you go try them out" Ash said as he pointed towards one of the changing rooms

"Ok, don't worry. I will make it quick" Serena said as she moved towards the changing rooms, leaving Ash, Pikachu, and Sylveon, who was still linked to Ash's arm, to wait for her. While Ash waited for her, started scanning the store with his eyes, trying to find something to distract himself with, until something caught his attention.

Ash stood up and walked towards the item that captured his attention confusing the Pokemon that were with him until they saw it too. The item in question was a dark blue dress. Said dress had a blue ribbon with a bow at the front dividing it in two halves. The bottom half consisted of a simple knee height blue skirt, while the top half consisted of a sparkly blue top. To add a little extra detail, the dress had a big blue bow on the left shoulder. Ash was never one to pay much attention to fashion, but even he had to admit that that was a pretty dress, and at that moment he could only think of how good Serena would look in it.

"Do you think she will like it?" Ash asked the Pokemon.

"Syl sylveon" Sylveon answered as she vigorously nodded her idea in approval, while Pikachu simply gave him two thumbs up.

Seeing that his poor taste in fashion had apparently taken a day off, Ash grabbed the dress before moving towards the changing room where Serena was just getting out of. As she saw her leaving, Ash instinctively hid the dress behind his back and flashed her one of his signature grins, receiving one of the smiles he loved in return.

"So, what do you think?" she asked as he approached, doing a small twirl to showcase her simple outfit. She was wearing a knee height loose red dress with a black collar and some brows boots. The outfit was complemented by a slim brown belt around the waist and the ever-present blue ribbon on Serena's wrist.

"You look great. That's a great outfit for you to wear in your new journey" Ash complimented and the Pokemon cried in agreement

As soon as he mentioned a new journey, he could swear he saw her smile waver a bit. "So that's what's upsetting her" he thought "Now I just have to get her somewhere more private"

"Thanks, Ash" she said as she moved a strand of hair behind her ear, widening her smile" Just give a moment to change back and then we will be on your way"

"Before that, why don't you try this one out too" Ash said, showing her the dress, as he rubbed his nape"I think you will look great in it. Maybe you could wear it in your next performance"

Serena's mouth was wide open at the revelation of the dress, not only because of how beautiful it was but also because of who was presenting the dress to her. Not in a million years would she think Ash would be the one to tell her to try out a dress.

"What's wrong. You don't like it?" Ash asked nervously

"No, no, I like it. It's just…...so beautiful" Serena exclaimed, as she took the dress from his hands"You really think I should try it?"

"Course I do. That's why I told you to" Ash said with a grin "But if you're that afraid of my fashion sense just ask Sylveon"

"Sylvie" the eevelution cried out in agreement

Serena giggled at their antics as she started moving towards the changing rooms

As soon as the door closed Ash let out a breath, he didn't know he had been holding. He had gotten really worried went Serena just stared at the dress without saying a word. He thought that either she had been offended because she thought the dress was ugly or he had made things weird between them, but as far as he could see she had actually enjoyed his little gesture and that relieved them.

As Ash waited on the outside playing around with Sylveon and Pikachu, Serena kept looking at herself in the mirror in total wonder and surprise. She just couldn't believe how beautiful the dress was and how well it suited her. The dress hugged her body in all the right places, enhancing her slim figure, while not being oversexualized for a girl her age. Not only that but it complimented really well her honey-blond hair and her blue eyes. But the best part for her was remembering who picked it, she just couldn't help but wonder how Ash would react when he saw it. But a part of her, small but loud, was stopping her from going out and let him see, the part that said that he wouldn't like it when he saw her wearing it. Serena just shook her head and cleared out her thoughts "No, I can't think like that. Ash picked it, that means that he likes it. So he will like it. I look great in it. There is no way he won't like it. Right?" she thought as she opened the door and slowly stepped out.

As Ash heard the door open, he stopped petting Sylveon and looked up to see Serena come out. And what he saw made his jaw drop and his heart stop. Rubbing her hands together and having a rosy pink adorning her cheeks Serena stopped in front of him.

"So, what do you guys think?" she asked as she looked down, trying to hide her blush.

"Pika Pipika Pikachu" Pikachu happily complimented giving her a thumbs up

"Syl Sylveon Veon" Sylveon agreed as she wrapped a feeler around her trainer's arm

"Thank you, guys" Serena said as she nervously looked up at Ash, who kept staring at her, mouth agape, but without saying a word

" Ash, what do you think?" Serena nervously asked as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

What did he think? Ash thought that she looked beautiful, cute, adorable, delicate. At least, those were the words that came to his mind as he saw her, but he couldn't bring himself to say that to her, but at the same time, he couldn't lie to her, he never did, and didn't intend to start now.

"You look beautiful" she slowly whispered

"You really think so?" she asked unsure if her imagination was playing tricks on her

Ash didn't answer verbally thought, he was afraid that if he did, he would say something he shouldn't, so he simply nodded his head in confirmation. Fortunately for him, that was enough for Serena, who beamed a smile at him before turning around and going back to the changing room. As soon as the door closed, Serena smarted jumping in joy. She was ecstatic at Ash's reaction, she just couldn't believe how dumbstruck he had been, and to top it all off he said she was beautiful, now she was more than sure that she had to get the dress.

After changing back to her everyday clothes, Serena started scanning the dress for a price tag, and when she found it, her eyes couldn't believe it. The dress was incredibly beautiful, that was a given, but it was just as incredibly expensive. Despite having received quite a bit of money for her victories in multiple showcases and her placement in the Master Class, buying this dress would still be a hard blow in her wallet.

Sighing to herself, she grabbed her belongings and the items she wanted to buy and got out of the changing room once again.

She started moving to the register with her items in tow accompanied by Ash and the Pokémon. But as she was about to pay for the items, Ash beat her to it.

"Ash, what are you doing?" she asked surprised

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked jokingly" I'm paying for your clothes"

"Ash, I am more than capable of paying for my own clothes. You don't have to pay for them" Serena retorted with a pout

"Relax Serena" he said as he lifted his hands in surrender "I'm not saying you can't pay for them. I just wanted to gift you something before we…. you know" he said sadly

As soon as he mentioned their imminent separation, Serena expression saddened, she didn't want to think about it, fortunately for her, there was something that she could use to distract herself at the moment. Sensing her trainer's feelings, Sylveon immediately wrapped a feeler around her wrist.

"Why?" she asked

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to give me a gift" she inquired

"Cause I feel like it" he said with a toothy smile

Serena pouted as she crossed her arms, causing Ash to sigh in defeat.

"Alright, alright. I just wanted to give you something as a way to say thank you" he confessed

Serena raised an eyebrow at that "Thank you? For what?"

"For everything" he said as he placed a hand on her shoulder" You have always been there for me in my journey through Kalos. Always cheering me in my Gym battles, always helping come up with different strategies, always motivating me. And you never asked for anything in return. So, I just wanted to give you something special to show how much I appreciated your help"

"Pika" Pikachu agreed as he jumped on his trainer's shoulder and pumped a fist

As she tried to ignore that warmth of Ash's hand on her shoulder, which was sending jitters all over her body, Serena was once again flabbergasted by Ash's actions, why was he the one thanking her for her support? She was the one who should be thanking him, after all, if it wasn't for him, she still wouldn't have a dream, or maybe she would still be at home, training to accomplish a dream that wasn't even hers, to begin with. She wouldn't be where she was today without his support.

"Ash, I…." she started, only to be stopped as Ash moved his hand from her shoulder and placed a finger on her lips, effectively shutting her up, and freezing her on the spot

"No, I am buying you that dress, and that's final. If you don't want to see it as a thank you then…uhh… see it as a way for you to remind me" he with a toothy grin as he, much to her relief, removed his finger.

Serena didn't try to protest any longer, she knew it would be useless since Ash was just too stubborn. So, she just let him pay for the dress before the two of them were on their way once again.

As they were exploring the shopping district once again, Serena kept looking at her feet, deep in thought, not even Sylveon's feeler around her arm was able to suit her worries. She couldn't help but feel like she had been a burden for Ash during their journey. She had always had his support, she had found a dream because of him, she had become a better/stronger person. In return she had done so little, and yet Ash still kept on giving and giving, as much as she loved to have his attention and to know that he cared for her, she couldn't keep this up, she had to repay him somehow. For once, she had to be the one to give him something.

"So, what do you wanna do now" Ash said snapping her out of her thoughts

"Uh, well… how about we go to Lumiose park? We could release our Pokémon and let them have a bit of fun" she suggested

"Sure, let's go" Ash said as he started moving in the direction of the park.

---

As they reached the park they were almost immediately hit by the relaxing scent of the multiple flowers that were there. The scenery was simply relaxing, a battlefield standing in the center of the park, with a small hill with a tree on top on one side, and a small lake on the other. The combination was so harmonious that anyone who entered the Park could feel their worries wash away.

Ash and Serena went up to the tree before releasing all of their Pokémon. When they materialized, they let out their signature cries, greeting their trainers.

"Hey, guys!" Ash greeted" So, Serena and I still have a little while before we have to go to the airport, so why don't you go and relax a bit"

Despite Pancham and Braixen not being Ash's Pokémon, they joined them in nodding in affirmation, before scurrying around the park to do their own thing, all except Noivern, who was in place looking expectantly at Ash.

Ash knew exactly what Noivern was up to, so he nodded towards the Pokémon as if giving permission.

But instead of going to do his own thing, Noivern, turning towards Serena, as if asking for her permission.

The honey-blond was surprised by this action but still nodded towards the dragon type, who afterward flew away, joining Talonflame in a race.

All of the Pokémon were doing their own thing. Braixen was going around the park looking for flowers, trying to make a crown, Sylveon and Pikachu were in the shading of the tree, cuddling together, while Hawlucha and Pancham were having a mock battle by the lake, but to everyone watching it was more of a show of flashy poses.

Seeing all their Pokémon having fun together Ash and Serena went to join Sylveon and Pikachu by the tree, preferring to stay in the shade. Ash took off his hat and jacket, folding it into a pillow, before laying down on the ground, relaxing. Serena, meanwhile, took off her tablet from her backpack and started typing away, what she was doing, Ash didn't know, but he didn't wanna pry, so he started scanning around the park, trying to see if his Pokémon weren't getting into any kind of trouble. They might be alone in the park, but they might end up breaking something, and that wouldn't be good for anyone.

He was glad to see that it didn't seem to be any sort of trouble, but as his eyes laid on Braixen, concern started filling him. Braixen might not be his Pokémon, but Ash cared about all Pokémon, especially his friends Pokémon.

The fiery fox sat on the ground, using her paws to form a batch of flowers into a crown, as Serena taught her, but what caught Ash's attention was her face. Her face might have a smile on it, but Ash could see that it was nothing more than a front. Anyone who had met the fire type and got to know her could see that she was using that small smile to hide her sadness deep inside. Ash knew where that sadness came from, and he couldn't help but feel sad and guilt all at the same time.

"How's Braixen been doing?" Ash asked getting Serena's attention

Serena's gaze fell on her fire type before turning around to look at Ash. Lately, she had been deeply concerned about her starter.

"It has been quite hard for her. Greninja meant a lot to her. She… wasn't able to tell him how much. So, in the end, she…. wasn't able to get any closure" Serena said as her expression dropped, almost as she was speaking from experience

"Maybe I can help with that" Ash said as he stood up and moved towards the fiery fox

Serena watched from afar, seeing Ash kneeling beside her starter and talking to her. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but from the change in Braixen's expression, she could guess that it might just have been what she needed. Not as she saw Ash closing his eyes and moving his fist towards his heart, she knew where this was going, as Ash opened his eyes and started talking Braixen's expression changed completely, her eyes became watery, but, much to Serena's relief, her smile widened. When Ash was finished, her starter lunged at him, hugging him so tightly that Serena even started standing up to stop her from choking Ash to death, but alas that wasn't needed as she let him go with a smile as she started wiping her tears.

Ash stood up with a smile, as started moving towards Serena with a sense of accomplishment.

"What did they say to each other" she asked when Ash neared her

"Let's just say they go the closure they needed" he replied

"Uhu… in a good or bad way?" she inquired

Ash glanced over his shoulder, once again looking towards his friend's starter, who was still crafting a crown from flowers, except now, she had the widest smile plastered on her face.

As Serena followed her gaze, she couldn't help but smile, she had the answer she needed. Now, all she needed was to get her own closure, because now, she knew what would happen if she didn't.

The two teens once again decided to relax under the shade of the tree, in a comfortable and relaxing silence, while always keeping a watchful eye on their Pokémon.

At some point Ash realized turned his gaze towards Serena, only to see her focused on her tablet. Ash didn't know what she was watching, but from the expression on his face, he could only guess that whatever she was watching had to be related to what was bothering her.

Silently straightening himself up, as not to bother her, Ash looked over her shoulder seeing what she was watching on her tablet.

"So that's what's been bothering you, uh?" he asked startling her

Serena yelped as she turned around, completely flustered by the fact how close Ash had been to her face without her noticing.

"That was a contest, right?" he asked concerned for her

Serena couldn't answer, she was still too embarrassed, while using her short hair to hide her face, something which Ash found extremely cute, she silently nodded.

Ash moved closer to her and place a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him

"Serena, what's wrong?" he said in a caring tone" Please, tell me"

Serena looked away from him and trying to ignore the warmth of his hand on her shoulder she answered

"I don't know if I can do it, Ash"

Ash looked at her with a confused expression "Do what?"

"I don't know if I can be a coordinator. Palermo told me to go to Hoenn and try to become one to improve myself, but … as I look at the battle rounds I can't help but think that….. that isn't me. I can't do what coordinators do, I can't do what you do. I am a performer, I am not a battler, so how am I supposed to become a good coordinator. How am I supposed to make people happy when they expect to see a battle and I can't do that. I am only setting myself up to fail" she confessed

"Why are you thinking like that? You were able to become a performer, why can't you become a coordinator?" Ash commented, bewildered by her words

"That's different. I had your help. Now I am going to a different region, all on my own to try and take on a challenge that is well beyond my comfort zone" she retorted "I will try my best, but I just feel like it won't be enough. I don't think I am strong enough. I will end up disappointing everyone"

Ash looked stunned at her for a few moments. He didn't know what to say, to him Serena was a great, no, an amazing performer. She was just so strong, so positive and cheerful. She wasn't going to disappoint anyone, if she wanted to make people smile, she just had to do it herself. At least, to him, seeing her smile was more than enough to make him smile. She had no reason to doubt herself, and yet, here she was, afraid, doubting herself, and thinking that she was going to fail before she even started. He knew she was great, he saw it every time she performed. If only he could show her what he saw. And that's when he figured out what he could do, to do just that.

"Pikachu, can you come here for a second, buddy" Ash called out as he stood up

Pikachu looked up at his trainer pouting. As much as he loved Ash, and would do anything for him, he was so comfy cuddling with Sylveon. Why couldn't Ash use another Pokemon?

"Pika pikachu, pikapi" he said as he cuddled with Sylveon even more

"Com'on buddy. I just need you for a sec, then you can cuddle all you want" Ash pleaded

Pikachu looked up at Sylveon who gestured him to go, before giving him a lick on the forehead in encouragement. With said encouragement Pikachu ran as fast as he could towards his trainer and jumped on his shoulder, eager to get back to cuddling with his comfy mate.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Serena asked as Ash lent her a hand to stand up

"Just trust me, k?" he said as she took his hand

As she stood up, Ash started guiding her towards the battlefield, without letting go of her hand, much to the delight of both of them.

"Ok, Ash, care to tell me what this is all about?" Serena inquired, looking around the battlefield they were standing on.

"Sure, as soon as you choose your Pokémon" Ash replied as he moved towards one side of the battlefield

"W-wait you want me to battle y-you?" she shuttered unable to believe what she was saying.

"Course, that's why we're here after all" Ash said grinning at her, while Pikachu took his place on the field "Just choose your Pokémon, and then I'll explain"

"Ok" she said as she glanced at her Pokémon, weighing her options. Sylveon was a no go, she would never forgive her if she made the eevelution battle Pikachu. Pancham was a good option, but he was currently engaged in a mock battle with Hawlucha, so he would be tired out, and since she was battling Ash's Pikachu, a powerhouse of a Pokémon, she couldn't allow tired Pokémon to battle. So in the end, she only had one option "Braixen, could you come here, please?"

The fiery fox made her way towards her trainer, with a smile that Serena hadn't seen in a while, a true, genuine smile. As she neared her, Serena noticed that she had made two flower crowns, having one on her head, and another on her paws.

"Braix braixen brai" the fire type cried, reaching to place the crown on her trainer's head

"Thank you, Braixen. It's beautiful!" Serena complimented, smiling at her starter "Listen, Ash wants to have a battle with us. I know it's going to be hard, but do you mind battling with me?"

"Brai" she cried as she took her crown off and gave it to her trainer before moved towards her place on the field, already wielding her wand.

"Ok, then this will be a standard Contest battle" Ash announced from the other side of the field "So you don't have to beat us, you two just have to make your points drop, ok?"

"Uhm, Ash, how will we keep count of our points?" Serena asked sweatdropping

"Well…" Ash chuckled, rubbing his nape "I was hoping we could have any idea of you good we were doing from their reactions" Ash added pointing to the side of the field where their Pokemon were standing to watch the battle

As soon as he saw Serena nod in agreement Ash made the first move

"Pikachu, Eletro ball"

His starter was quick to comply, forming a ball of electricity on the tip of his tail, before flinging it towards his opponent

"Braixen, dodge it" Serena ordered urgently, knowing the power behind those attacks

Braixen sloppily dodges the attack before shooting an unfocused stream of flames at the electric mouse

Pikachu wasn't about to get hit so easily. He quickly enveloped itself in a white outline before disappearing out of sight

"Electro ball" Ash ordered

Pikachu reappeared behind Serena's fire type and swiftly executed his trainer's command, forming a small of electricity in his tail, before firing it at his target with pinpoint accuracy. The rest o their pokemon, mainly Ash's, could be heard cheering for the display of speed

Braixen however, despite not being a battler herself, had engaged in enough battles to not be so easily fooled. With a hasty twirl, she dodged to the side, avoiding the powerful ball of electricity, before nervously firing a flamethrower in the electric type's direction.

Pikachu immediately jumped into the air, dodging the jet of flames. While airborne he contracted his body into a ball, before stretching himself, unleashing a thunderbolt that soared through the air towards the Kalosian Pokemon. Once again, exclamations could be heard coming from the rest of the Pokemon, clearly liking the power behind the attack

Braixen on the other hand watched in horror as the attack approach her, she tried to dodge it, but her clumsy moves didn't allow her to.

"Braixen!" Serena yelled desperately as her starter was hit square on. As the dust from the attack settled, she could see her partner lying down on the ground, visibly hurt by the attack.

"Brai" she cried as she struggled to stand up.

"Braixen, can you still go on?" Serena asked when she saw her fire type full up on her feet once again

"Brai, braixen brai" was her cry in response

"Stop it!" Ash said from across the field, catching their attention "Stop being afraid!"

"Afraid?!" Serena said, moving her hands to her heart

"You are scared. And Braixen can feel that. You may be battling us, we may be more experienced than you, but that doesn't mean you can't win. This is a contest battle, Serena. You're a performer, so this is where you shine! You don't have to overpower us. Think like a performer, not a battler. Now, get your act together and gives us a battle we won't forget" he added as he punched the air in front of him

"Ash is right! I am a performer, so I should think like one! I could try and use his moves against him" Serena thought as a fire of determination light in her eyes "You can bet on it, Ash" she stated

"That's more like it!" Ash grinned

"Pikachu thunderbolt!" he ordered as he extended a palm

Pikachu unleashed a powerful jolt of electricity towards Braixen, who waited for her trainer's command

"Hidden Power" Serena ordered, also extending a palm

Braixen formed a ball of mysterious energy in front of her stick and fired it towards the jet of electricity coming her way. Knowing that wouldn't be enough to stop she quickly fired two others in quick succession.

The balls collided with the thunderbolt exploding and leaving a cloud of sparkly dust in the air upon their destruction. The audible gasp of the Pokémon on the sidelines clearly showed their enjoyment of the beautiful display.

"Iron tail" Ash ordered excitedly

Pikachu jumped towards Braixen with a shinning metallic tail. As he was above the fire starter he swung his tail down, aiming for her head. Braixen however wasn't about to let him have his way so easily. Using her stick as a weapon, she defiantly blocked his strike and pushed him away. Pikachu wasn't deterred yet, so he kept on trying to hit her.

Braixen kept trying to defend herself against the steel type moves, but despite their size difference, Pikachu was stronger than her, and as the collisions kept going, he quickly started getting the upper hand. Braixen knew she was no match for him, but she also knew she had to keep up for as long as she could, at least until her trainer came up with an idea.

"Scratch on the tail" Serena ordered as an idea hit her

Braixen wasn't able to see what her trainer was planning, but she complied anyway. With all the strength she could muster she pushed Pikachu away once again, before extending her glowing white claws and starting to use them to deflect Pikachu's tail.

And that's when everyone figured out Serena's plan. Each time Braixen's claws collided with Pikachu's tail, hypnotizing white static sparks were released with a screeching noise. The noise was bothersome, but no one seemed to care, as everyone gasped at the display, everyone but Ash, who simply smirked. This battle was going just as he wanted it to.

"Enough, Pikachu" Ash said to his partner.

Pikachu backflipped as he pushed away once again, once he was on the ground once again, he made his way to his starting position once again, not giving Braixen a chance to attack him

As both Pokémon were in their initial position once again, everyone could see how the battle was taking a different toll on both Pokémon. On one side, Pikachu was barely fazed by the battle, his fur was immaculate his breath slow and composed. On the other, Braixen was clearly tired, multiple scratches from Pikachu's initial assault were visibly on her fur, her breathing was fast and heavy, showing the toll the battle had on her. She wasn't a weak and inexperienced Pokémon, but she was a performer, not a battler, she wasn't used to having such prolonged battles.

"Well Pikachu, it thinks it's time. Let's see what they got!" Ash said as he pumped his fist" Quick attack and electric rings. Show them what you can do, buddy!"

"Electric rings?!" Serena whispered confused, she didn't know what move that was

But faster than she knew, she got her answer. As Pikachu got enveloped by a white outline and disappeared out of sight. Only small occasional poofs of dust showed that Pikachu was still there. And then it started, as Pikachu reappeared on Braixen's side with a ring of electricity on his tail, swiftly throwing it right before using his tail to slice it in two, only to disappear once again as soon as the attack was launched. All of the Pokémon watching enjoyed that combination if all the cheers they gave out were anything to go by.

Braixen formed a hidden power in front of her to defend herself, but as soon as the rings collided against it, Pikachu reappeared behind her, firing at her back. Unable to turn around in time, she got hit by the rings, causing her to stumble forward and fall on her knees.

And Pikachu was only getting started. As the onslaught went on, Pikachu started getting faster and faster, appearing in front of Braixen, then behind her, then on her side. Braixen tried to defend herself, firing Flamethrowers to where she thought Pikachu would be, but she kept failing every time. No matter how much she tried, Serena couldn't figure out where he would appear next, he was too unpredictable, much like Ash. Yet she had to figure something out, she had to help Braixen, and that's when she did.

"Braixen, spin around while using Ember" Serena said to her starter, confidently. Earning a smirk from Ash.

The fire type gritted her teeth, fighting through the pain of the electric attacks hitting her, before inhaling deeply. As she stood up once again, she started exhaling a barrage of burning embers as she spun on the spot.

Serena's strategy worked perfectly. As Pikachu's electric rings collided with the wall of embers that surrounded Braixen they left a sort of electrical glitter in the air. The way they contrasted with the cinders of Braixen's attack was mesmerizing. It was a mixture of yellows, oranges, and reds that brought out the memory of a setting sun.

The cheers of the Pokemon were intense, more intense than ever. It was clear as day that they appreciated the performance Braixen had put on, and that was enough for Pikachu to stop attacking and go back to Ash.

"Alright, I think that is enough" Ash said with a smile as he petted Pikachu's head, causing him to coo, before scurrying off towards Sylveon

"You and Braixen were amazing Serena" Ash said as he made his way towards the performer, who was giving a congratulatory hug to said Pokemon.

"Thanks, Ash" Serena said as she parted from the hug and looked at him

"I know that contest battles might seem intimidating for you, but what you just did right now proves that you will do great in them" Ash said as he placed a hand on her shoulder, sending shivers down her spine

"Y-you really think so" Serena shuttered as she tried to ignore the warmth of his hand on her shoulder. From the side of her eyes, she could see Braixen taking back her crown of flowers and moving away from them, leaving them alone.

Ash grinned at her, right before hugging her, surprising her

"I know so, as long as you and your Pokémon believe in each other, I know you will do great" he whispered in her ear before pulling away to look her in the eyes

"You don't have to be strong on your own. You and your Pokémon are a team, if one of you isn't strong enough, you lean on each other for support. You just have to believe in yourself. And if you ever stop believing in yourself, just remember that I won't!" he said, the sincerity in his eyes and the truthfulness that plagued his voice took Serena by surprise "I will always believe in you! And I will always support you, no matter what!"

"You will?" she asked, unable to believe his words

"You bet! I always support my friends. And after all, you did for me, how could I not return the favor?" he asked in return

Serena just looked down at her feet, deep in thought, causing Ash to get concerned, before she spoke up again

"Ash, can you assure me that we will always remain friends? No matter what" she asked nervously

"Serena…" Ash said, taken aback by her question

"Can you?" she insisted a sad undertone in her voice

Ash looked away for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to answer her question. Meanwhile, Serena started hearing her own heartbeat, feeling more and more nervous, more and more scared by the second.

When Ash looked back at her with a serious expression on his face, her heart stopped

"Look Serena.." he started, looking into her eyes " all my friends are important to me. I would never want to lose any of them. But, out of all of them, you stand out, you're special. So, the truth is I can't promise you that. I can swear on Arceus himself. I would never, ever want to lose you, Serena"

Serena's mouth was left agape by that revelation. She knew Ash valued his friends, so the more reasonable part of her had been telling that he would say yes. But she had never expected him to say something little that.

"You mean it?" she almost whispered, as her hands grasped her blue ribbon

"Every word" he replied without hesitation.

Serena looked into his eyes, and once again she only saw genuineness in them. That's when she convinced herself of what she had to do. She had to tell him. Ash was being totally honest with her; it was only fair that she returned the favor.

Still, having decided to confess didn't make the act in itself any easier. Her legs were still feeling like jelly, her heart was still pounding against her chest so hard she could hear every heartbeat. And that was just from thinking about the act, not doing it.

"Can we seat, please?" she asked shyly, afraid that her legs would collapse at any given moment.

"Sure" Ash said with a smile, before grabbing her wrist and leading to the shade they were sitting at before.

Serena immediately sat down and started taking silent deep breaths while grasping her ribbon, trying to calm her nerves. Ash sat down beside her, looking at her in deep thought before asking.

"What're you so nervous about?"

"Hmmm" she hummed as she turned to him, surprised by his question.

"Your ribbon" he clarified pointing at it "You're holding it. Really tightly. You only do that when you're nervous"

She immediately let go of said ribbon, and looked down at her lap, taking another set of deep breaths, before looking back at him with determination.

"Ash, what I am about to say to you isn't easy. So, please just listen, ok?" she asked glancing at him with a worried look on her face.

He smiled at her, a comforting smile, and grabbed her hand, giving her a comforting squeeze. As she felt him grab her hand, she felt herself relax. That gesture, that small gesture seemed to take away all the fear and anxiety that plagued her mind.

"I guess I should start by thanking you, Ash…" she said, only to be interrupted

"Thank me for what? I think I…." he said until he saw her looking at him with an annoyed expression "Sorry, I will let you finish" he added rubbing his nape with his free hand

"As I was saying, I should thank you, Ash. Before we met, I was a shy little girl, I barely had any friends. I was easily scared. But all of that changed when I met you." she said "At that summer camp, no one wanted to be around me, the awkward shy girl with the weird accent. No one, except you. You choose to be my friend when we first met, but as we spent time together in that camp, you became so much more. By the time we parted ways, you had become my best friend, Ash. Even when we were apart, I always treasured the time we spent together, and I always remembered the words you used to inspire me. I guess I even adopted them as my own."

"I am glad I could help you, Serena. But you aren't alone in it. To me, our friendship is really special too" Ash said with a smile

"But that's the thing, Ash. I don't think we see our friendship the same way, not anymore at least." she said with a sad smile, confusing him, and from what she could see in his eyes, hurting him "Don't think that I don't value our friendship, I really, really do. But the think is… I don't think you value it as much as I do." she quickly added, before looking away, towards their Pokémon.

"I all started when I saw you in the night that night. You know, the night you saved Garchomp, on top of Prism Tower" she continued, as she watched Sylveon and Pikachu cuddling together "When I saw you that night. I knew I had to find you, I had to see you again. I still considered you my best friend, and wanted to see you again, and well, if I am being totally honest that was also a great excuse to get out of my Ryhorn training" she chuckled out, getting a little chuckle out of Ash

"I would be lying if I didn't say that I was bummed when you didn't recognize me" she said, pouting, causing Ash to rub his nape and look away in embarrassment "But, that didn't even compare to how happy I was that my best friend was still the same energetic, kind-hearted and positive kid I knew" she added, making him smile brightly at the praise

"So, I guess it was only natural that I was overjoyed when you asked me to travel with you" she confessed "And I am grateful for it. All the adventures the four of us had together, they were some of the happiest moments of my life, and I will always treasure them. But most of all, I will remember what you did for me, Ash. I didn't have a dream at first. I didn't know what I wanted to do, for a long time. But, when most people would have given up and tried to force me onto a path not my own, you didn't. You stood by me and helped me find my own dream. And when I did, you were always there cheering me on." she said

"Of course, I was Sere…." he tried to say

"But that's not all" she interrupted "You were an inspiration to me, Ash. To me, Clemont and Bonnie. But, unlike them, you were, and still are a lot more to me. When I started to travel with you, you were my best friend. But as we travelled together, as I got to know you better, I couldn't help but be amazed by your personality, your kindness, selflessness, generosity. So, in time, I started…... developing a…. a…. c-crush on you. A crush that eventually became something more" she finished

"S-S-Serena" Ash whispered, astonished by what he was hearing

"So, I guess, what I am trying to say is…. I love you, Ash" she concluded, looking at him with sincerity filling her eyes.

Ash stared intently into her eyes for a while, before looking away towards their Pokémon. When that happened, Serena figured out what was going on in his head, not realizing he was still holding onto her hand firmly.

"Look, I know this might seem weird. But I thought you deserved to know. I understand if you're weirded out. I just hope this won't…." she started, only to be interrupted when Ash placed a finger on her lips.

"Look, I… This is hard for me, ok?" he started, halting halfway when he saw Serena blushing like crazy while looking at his finger on her lips, causing him to blush too "Sorry" he said when he removed his finger

"This isn't something I am very good at. All this emotional stuff. I am more of a…. act first, think second guy. I have never handled something like this before, this is all new to me" he said looking down at the ground

"I get it, Ash. But, like I said, I don't expect you to return my feelings. I just thought you should know how I feel" she said softly as she squeezed his hand

"But what I said is true Serena. You are different from everyone I travelled with. You're special, and I feel different about you. I may not understand fully, but I think it is enough for me to say that I love you too" he said as he smiled at her

"Y-y-you do?" she shuttered flabbergasted

"Well, yeah. I just said I did, didn't I" he chuckled out

"Well, yeah. But you can't just say something like that, Ash. You…. have to mean it" Serena said, looking down depressingly

However, her gaze was soon taken away from the ground as she felt a finger on her chin, gently lifting it up, only stopping when her eyes met Ash's.

"What makes you think I don't mean it? Have I ever lied to you Serena?" Ash asked gently

Serena replied with a small shake of her head. She was too stunned for anything else.

"Then, why don't you believe me? I really, really mean it, Serena. I love you" Ash said full of sincerity

Serena threw herself at him, hugging him tightly as the duo fell on the ground. Neither caring about it as they held each other in a tight embrace, much to the delight of an observer hidden in the nearby bushes.

"She did it Dedenne, she did it!" Bonnie squealed out excitedly

"Nenene, dene!" the small rodent happily cried out

"The ship finally sailed" Bonnie whisper yelled as she jumped around in joy

Her small celebration ended abruptly as she bumped into an unseen figure, causing her to fall on her behind. As Bonnie looked up to see what she had bumped into, she gulped nervously

"You know, Bonnie. It's not nice to eavesdrop into other people's affairs" Clemont said as he stared down at his sister with his arms crossed

"Well, I wasn't eavesdropping, I was just seeing what they were doing" Bonnie replied as she scratched the back of her head.

"Doesn't matter, Ash and Serena were having a very nice moment together. You had no right to that what you did. That was private" Clemont scolded his sister

"I am sorry. I only wanted to know if they were having a good time" Bonnie, answered looking down, but then her head quickly snapped up to look Clemont in the eyes "Wait, a minute. How did you know they were having a very nice moment together" she asked with narrowed eyes, Dedenne mimicking her actions while on her head

"Uhh… well I just took in account the good atmosphere of the park, the close friendship the two have, and other factors and deduced they would probably have a very good time together." Clemont answered while looking away.

Bonnie however didn't seem convinced

"You were spying on them too, weren't you?" she stated matter-of-factly

Clemont's head dropped as soon as those words left her mouth. "Yes" he mumbled under his breath

"I knew it" Bonnie celebrated as she high fived Dedenne" You're no better than me, big brother!"

"Nene dede dedenne" Dedenne added

"Yeah, I know, I know" Clemont said as he turned around "But, still, what we're doing is wrong. We should give them some privacy." he added

"You know, I don't think they will have much of that in a public park" Bonnie said as she placed her hands on her hips

"I think we are the only ones in here that are interested in spying on them Bonnie" Clemont said, not even bothering to turn around

"Team Rocket would like to disagree, big brother" Bonnie stated triumphally

"Nee ne ne" Dedenne cried out in agreement as he crossed his tiny arms

Clemont sighed in annoyance. Sometimes, he cursed Arceus for making Bonnie as stubborn as Ash. He knew he wouldn't win this argument, no matter how much he wanted to, so he didn't even bother to. He simply clicked on a button on his backpack, making his aipom arm reach out and lift Bonnie of the ground. As soon as she was secure he started making his way out of the park, while carrying his protesting sister with him.

Meanwhile Ash and Serena where just enjoying their moment together, with Serena resting her head against Ash's shoulder while he had an arm around her and rested his own head against hers. They were in a comfortable silence, simply watching their Pokémon play around, a silence that eventually ended up being broken by Ash.

"I wanna go to Hoenn with you" he said as he watched Noivern and Hawlucha playing around with each other

"You what?" Serena said as she lifted her head and looked at him, surprised by what he said

"I said I wanna go to Hoenn with you" he said, looking her directly in the eyes.

"I know what you said, but are you sure?" she asked skeptically

"Well, yeah… I mean, I wanna keep travelling with you and since there are no contests in Alola, the only solution is for me to go to Hoenn with you. That is if you want me to." Ash said, almost whispering the last sentence

"Well, I want you to come with me, but are you sure you would be happy if you came with me" Serena asked doubtfully

"Well, yeah. I think I would. I would be with you, and I like to be with you." Ash said, grinning at her. Serena was touched by his words, but she knew Ash well, she could hear the doubt in his words

"I also like to be with you Ash, but I know you. I saw how happy you were when Professor Sycamore talked about the Alola region. Can you promise me that you would be happy if you came with me? Can you promise me that when you saw a Pokémon, you wouldn't be thinking about the new Pokémon you could see if you went to Alola?" Serena asked sadly

Ash looked away for her eyes and at the ground, in deep thought. After a while he sighed sadly and talked once again

"No. No, I couldn't" he said dejectedly

"I know. And that's why I couldn't let you come with me, Ash." Serena said as she placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look at her "As much as I want to be with you, I want you to be happy. And right now, for you to be happy, for the both of us to follow your dreams, we have to be apart. But if it serves you as consolation, I will wait for you, Ash" she added shyly

"You will?" Ash asked with widened eyes

"Yes, I will. I will wait a lifetime for you" Serena said with a smile

Ash smiled back at her as he brought her in for a hug, which she immediately returned resting her head in his shoulder.

"You won't have to. I promise you I will work hard, harder than ever to achieve my dream. And then, when I become a Pokémon Master and you Kalos Queen, we will finally be together" Ash whispered in her ear, causing her to smile in joy.

---

The path to the airport was a short one, but one that took a while for the two of them to travel. As much as they knew they had to part ways, neither one wanted it to happen, so they walked slowly, as slowly as they could.

They weren't the only ones who were down, as they walked besides their trainers, Sylveon and Pikachu were also quite gloomy, neither one daring to get away from the other.

But as they were placing through the shopping district once again, Serena suddenly stopped, causing Ash and the Pokémon to also stop and look back at her.

"Something wrong?" he asked, surprised by her sudden behavior

"No, no. Everything's alright, there is just something I have to do" Serena said hastily "You three go on ahead without me, I will catch up, I promise"

"You sure? We could go with you" Ash replied as the Pokémon nodded in agreement

"I'm sure, besides, this is something I have to do on my own" she replied determined

---

Ash and the Pokémon accepted her answer and let her go on her own, while they kept going on their way towards the airport. As they arrived, they were greeted by Clemont and Bonnie, who were waiting for them at the entrance of the airport, wanting to have a last farewell with their friends

"Where's Serena?" the young girl asked, as she searched for her friend

"She said she had something to do, but don't worry, she said she would catch up" Ash informed her as he approached them

"So, I guess this is it?" Clemont started out, with a sorrow expression

"Yeah, I guess it is" Bonnie joined in

"Hey, don't thank like that, you two" Ash said as he addressed them with a small smile" We will see each other again someday, I am sure of it"

"Pika, Pikachu" Pikachu nodded

"Sylvie" the fairy type agreed with a smile

"Don't see this as a goodbye" Ash continued "See it as a see you soon"

"You're right" Bonnie agreed excitedly "And next time we see each I will be a strong trainer, just like you, Ash. With lots and lots of strong and cute Pokémon, and then I will battle you, and Dedenne and I will be as awesome as you and Pikachu, won't we Dedenne"

"Nene, Dene, Dedenne" the antenna Pokémon said as it started punching the air in front of him

"Pi, pikachu pi" Pikachu said as it pumped his fist

"Like Pikachu said, you two bring it on!" Ash said as he extended a fist towards Bonnie "The two of us will be ready! There is no way we're gonna lose"

"We will" Bonnie replied as she fist-pumped Ash" But you can be sure, we will be the ones who win"

Ash simply smiled at the young girl, loving the enthusiasm she displayed, and the sight of his fiery determination being reflected on his eyes. Until his attention was caught once again as Clemont cleared his throat.

"Lucky for me, I don't have to wait to have a rematch. So, Ash, what do you say?" Clemont said as he showed Ash a Pokeball, causing his friend to smile

"You're on!" Ash said with a fist pump, which was mimicked by Pikachu

"Wait guys, what about Serena, we have to wait for her" Bonnie reminded them

"Oh, right" Ash said. He looked down at Sylveon, who was still attached to him and Pikachu, thinking of asking her to wait for her trainer, but he quickly shook that thought off, knowing she wanted to see Pikachu battle. Having no choice left, he took out a Pokeball and released his Noivern" Noivern, can you wait here for Serena, and when she arrives tell her to meet us on the battlefield?" he asked his soundwave Pokémon, who answered with a simple nod.

As Noivern stood by the entrance of the airport patiently waiting, the group made their way to the battlefield, with an overly excited Ash leading the way.

A few minutes after the group left for the battlefield, Serena arrived at the entrance of the airport, and as Noivern saw her arriving, the dragon type flew over to her with enthusiasm, confusing the teenage girl, and scaring multiple bystanders.

"Noivern, what are you doing here?" she asked

"Vern, Noi noi" he answered as he used one of his wings to point towards one of the airport's battlefields

"Are you saying Ash and Clemont are having a battle?" she asked to which Noivern nodded and started escorting her towards the battlefield, only to stop when he felt Serena place a hand on his wing. Noivern turned towards her and tilted his head in confusion

"Can you do me a favor, Noivern? Please?" she asked shyly

"Noivern, Noi" he quickly said

"Can you please distract Ash? Just for a little bit" Serena said as she started playing with her fingers nervously

"Noi?" Noivern said, once again tilting his head

"I just want to give him a little something, but I want it to be a surprise, so could you please distract him, so I can place it in his backpack" Serena explained as she showed him a small brown box which was laced by a piece of her blue ribbon

"Noi" the Pokemon said enthusiastically before starting to lead her once again

---

"End this, Pikachu! Iron tail!" Ash commanded as he swiped the air with his hand

Pikachu jumped over a paralyzed Bunnelby and swiftly slammed his shining metallic tail on his head. The blow to the Pokémon's head was so strong, that it buried the poor digging Pokémon's head into the ground, ending the match right then and there.

"Bunnelby!" Clemont shouted in concern, as he ran to help his defeated Pokémon

Ash was on his way to congratulated Pikachu for his victory when Sylveon beat him to it, reaching Pikachu and nuzzling him affectionately, seeing this Ash changed his direction, deciding to help Clemont check on Bunnelby

"Is Bunnelby alright?" he asked as he approached his friend

Clemont nodded as he returned his fallen Pokémon, before standing up and addressing Ash "Yeah, he just needs to rest, nothing major. Thanks for the battle, Ash. I always learn a lot when I battle you"

"Same here, Clemont" Ash chucked out" You and Bunnelby are a strong team, I am sure in no time you will become the strongest gym leader in Kalos"

"Thank you for the support, Ash" Clemont said embarrassed "But I think I am still a long way from being stronger than Wulfric"

"I don't think it is as long of a way as you think" Ash said as he put an arm around his friend's shoulder "You will see, in no time they will be calling Clemont the greatest gym leader of Kalos, and Clemont, the most amazing inventor of Kalos"

"He is right big brother, and don't worry, as soon as you do, I will make sure to ask Korrina to take care of you" Bonnie added as she hugged her brother

"Bonnie!" Clemont shouted even more embarrassed

The group of friends then started laughing at the young inventor's embarrassment, only for it to be interrupted when a large bat like Pokémon brought the three of them into a massive group hug as he started nuzzling his trainer's head.

As her friends were being distracted by Noivern, Serena quickly made her way towards Ash's backpack, opened it, and carefully placed the box she showed Noivern inside, much to Pikachu's and Sylveon's confusion. Seeing them watch, Serena led her finger to her lips, pleading with them to stay quiet about what they saw. Having their confirmation that they weren't going to say anything, she went towards the hugging group.

"Please Noivern I love you too buddy, now please stop it tickles" Ash said between laughs while Noivern licked his face

"Come on, Ash, Noivern just wants to show how much he loves you" Serena giggled as her friends were getting up, only to see Ash grinning at her before he turned towards Noivern

"Noivern, I think you should also show Serena how much you love her" he said, and apparently his Pokémon loved the idea, since a huge smile appeared on his face, and in an instant he tackled her into a hug, before he started licking her.

As soon as Noivern let Serena go, the group decided to take advantage of the free battlefield they were on to let their Pokémon out to say their final goodbyes. It was a hard time for everyone, especially Sylveon and Pikachu. The two were having a hard time saying goodbye, despite knowing they would see each other again, it was still a hard blow for the both of them, so much so, that after saying goodbye, Sylveon couldn't take it and went inside her Pokeball on her own. Having given the chance for their Pokémon to say goodbye their trainers started moving towards the boarding gates for their respective flights. Once they reached the escalator that would take Serena to her flight, the group stopped once again.

"I can't thank you all enough" she started addressing the group" I have had a wonderful time, and it's all thanks to you guys"

"No need to thank us, we could say the same thing to you" Clemont said as he approached her

"Take care of yourself, Clemont" Serena said as she brought her friend in for a hug, which he immediately reciprocated

"You too Serena, I will miss you dearly" he said as he parted away from the hug, giving the chance for Bonnie to lung herself in for a hug with the older girl

"Serena…" Bonnie tried to say, with tears forming in her eyes

"I know, Bonnie" Serena assured her as she rubbed her back "I will miss you, too!"

After a while, Bonnie finally pulled away from the hug, wiping her tears, finally giving Ash and Serena a chance to say goodbye.

"Ash,….I really meant what I said in the park. And there is so much more I wanted to tell you, there are just no words for it" she said causing the two Lumiose siblings to high five each other

"But there is another thing I can tell you, and that is that you will like the kind of person I will grow into" she added with a wink

"Same here Serena. I will make you proud, you can count on it" Ash said with a fist pump before Serena pulled him into a hug, a hug that was only broken by the last call to her flight.

Reluctantly, Ash led Serena to the escalator with Clemont and Bonnie right behind them, right before stepping on the escalator, Serena turned towards her friends one last time

"Take care all of you. And Pikachu, do me a favor and keep Ash out of trouble, will you?" Serena asked as she scratched him behind his ears.

"Pika!" he said full of determination

With one last smile, Serena stepped on the escalator and started behind let down towards her boarding gate, but to everyone's surprise, halfway down, she turned back

"Ash, there is one last thing" she shouted, as she started running up the escalator

When she reached the top, she leaned him towards Ash and planted her lips on his, kissing him. The kiss didn't last that long before the escalator pulled them apart. But, to Serena's surprise, as they started parting ways once again, Ash grabbed her wrist and pulled closer. Close enough to whisper six words in her ear before letting her go, six words that reinforced her confidence more than anything else could.

"I will wait for you too"

---

The last rays of sunlight had already lost the battle against the darkness of the night when a raven haired trainer and his first partner reached the top of a hill that allowed them to at long last see their hometown in the distance, gazing at the small and peaceful town with a small smile on their faces. They took a while to absorb the calm and relaxing atmosphere that radiated from the town before they set off on their way home once again.

Ash and Pikachu could have reached their home a few hours ago, but they usually do after every journey, they decided to pay a visit to an old friend, hoping to finally be able to reunite. Unfortunately for them, it still wasn't the right time. Not a single Pidgeotto had evolved into a Pidgeot yet. Ash knew that what he was asking of his flying type was a lot. There hadn't been a single case of a wild Pidgeotto evolving to this day, however, he knew that if there was a Pidgeot that could help achieve that, it was his. So, with a lot of pain and sorrow, Ash and Pikachu went on their way home, once again leaving Pidgeot behind.

The duo reached their home in no time, with Ash stopping at the entrance, causing Pikachu to grow even more concerned for his trainer, ever since they left Kalos, Ash had been unusually quiet. Seeing his concerned partner, Ash gave him a smile and scratched his ears, before opening the door.

"Mom, I'm home" he announced as he stepped inside the house

The smell of his mother's cooking invaded his nostrils, giving way to a sense of familiarity, and safety. Ash made his way inside finally seeing his mom for the first time after 9 months. In a surprising twist of events, Ash was the one who brought in for a bone-crushing hug.

"Hi mom!" he said as he loosened the hug

"How are you my little Pokemon Master" Delia asked as she caressed his cheek "I saw you on TV. And I have to say, I am very proud of you"

"You did? How did you?" Ash said, surprised. He knew that she always tried to accompany his league battles, but due to the minor privacy protection laws that ruled the Pokemon League, young trainers like him had their faces blurred on TV, and their names were never divulged, at most, the announcer would only say their first name, and that was only if they made it past the Top 8. So, it was really hard for her to follow his battles.

"Well, it was really simple actually. I just had to try and find the battles that featured a little yellow powerhouse" she said as she petted Pikachu on the head "That and I knew only you could have a special Greninja by your side" she complimented

"Yeah, this little guy was awesome" Ash replied as he smiled at Pikachu, but Delia could help but notice a small hint of sadness in his voice

Before she could try to find out more, the mother and son reunion was cut short as a huge rumble came out of Ash's belly, startling her and causing Pikachu to sweatdrop at the sound that was too familiar to him.

"Hungry I see" Delia said as she clapped her hands "Well then, go wash up you two"

Ash and Pikachu quickly made their way upstairs and washed up, afterwards they had a pleasant dinner with Delia talking all about their journey, the places they went, the friends they made, the battles they had, everything. They talked for so long that before they knew it, it was already midnight.

"Well, that is enough for me, I think I will go to bed now" Delia said as she yawned "Goodnight you two, don't say up late, ok?" she added as she made her way to her room

"We won't. Goodnight mom" Ash said as he and Pikachu made their way to his bedroom

As they arrived, Pikachu simply laid down on Ash's bed and waited for his trainer to go to bed as well. To his surprise, Ash instead made his way to his backpack, which caught the electric type's curiosity.

He watched attentively Ash unpack his stuff from his backpack, most of it didn't matter to him, but when he saw his trainer stop in his tracks as he looked into his backpack, Pikachu knew that the moment he had been waiting for arrived.

Carefully Ash pulled out a small brown box from his backpack. Despite never having seen it before, Ash knew who had placed it in his backpack, to him, the blue ribbon that decorated it was a dead giveaway.

"She sure is stubborn isn't she, Pikachu" Ash asked as he sat on his bed

"Pika, Pikachu" Pikachu shrugged as he approached his trainer

"What do you mean I am just as stubborn?" Ash exclaimed offended

"Pika" Pikachu said pointing to the box

"You're lucky I am just as curious as you" Ash said ruffling his electric type's fur, before turning his attention back to the box. Being careful not to damage the ribbon that decorated it, Ash opened the box. Only to be surprised by what he found inside

"Serena, you're amazing!" Ash exclaimed with a huge smile

---

Delia woke up early as per usual, but unlike usual she was more happy than usual. She loved whenever Ash got back home, so much so, that whenever he was home, she would spend most of her time with him, only going to her restaurant when it was extremely necessary. She loved to cook, but if she had to choose a person, she loved to cook for more than anyone else, it would be Ash. She just loved to see the joy and the enthusiasm he ate with. His manners might not be the best, but no one's perfect, and besides, she could always teach him later.

With a huge smile on her face, Delia made her way towards the kitchen and started preparing a delicious and nutritious breakfast for her son. With Mr Mime's help, she quickly ended her task. After eating her portion, she decided to go ahead and start taking item after item out of her chores list.

Before she could realize it, several hours had passed, glancing at the clock, she saw that it was almost midday, and yet Ash still hadn't woken up. She knew that sometimes he liked to sleep in, especially whenever he came back home, but still this was too much.

"Mr Mime, can you please go and wake up Ash and Pikachu" Delia asked her barrier Pokemon as she decided to sit down after all the work she had done.

As Mr Mime made his way upstairs Delia decided to go ahead and turn her TV on, but even before she could set her focus on a special report about the recent Kalos crisis, she was distracted by a sudden yell by Mr Mime.

Running upstairs as quick as she could, Delia reached her son's room only to be surprised by what she saw. To her surprise neither Ash nor Pikachu were there, not only that, but the room was as tidy as she had last left it, almost as if no one had entered t recently.

Delia started questioning her own sanity for a moment before she addressed Mr Mime "Ash came home last night, didn't he?"

"Mime" Mr Mime nodded, assuring her

Having the confirmation, she needed, Delia started thinking about where her son could have gone to. Knowing Ash as well as she did, she immediately came up with a single location, so she grabbed her keys and left her house with Mr Mime.

Making her way to Professor Oak's lab in just a few minutes, she got the confirmation she needed as she approached the entrance, a confirmation in the form of multiple explosions.

Knocking on the door as hard as she could to get the Professor's attention, Delia only had to wait for a few moments before Professor Oak himself opened the door for her.

"Delia, my child, thank Arceus you're here" the Professor exclaimed as soon as he opened the door for her and let her in" Maybe you can know some sense into Ash's head"

Delia sighed as she heard professor Oak say those words, as much as Ash had matured over the years, he was still a little immature, and when that side of his happened to come out, she was usually the one that had to pay for his immaturity

"What did he do now?" she asked, fearing for the worst, as Professor Oak led her to the backyard, where she presumed Ash was

As professor Oak read her expression, he figured out she was already making wrong assumptions about what he said earlier.

"Oh, no, no. He didn't do anything wrong my child" he assured her

"Then what's wrong, Samuel?"

"Well, it's just…." he started "Look, I know Ash wants to be a Pokémon Master, and just like you, I fully support him and I am happy to see that his dedication to such a hard goal is as big as it always has been. But that being said, I still believe that he needs to have a bit of moderation on his training regiments, he can't push it as hard as he is"

"I don't understand, how long has he been here for?" she questioned, taken aback

"6 hours" Professor oak clarified as he opened the backyard door

As the two of them reached the ranch, where all the Pokémon stayed, Delia was shocked by what she saw. All of Ash's Pokémon were hard at work. Some were battling each other, others were having some physical training while the rest practiced some of their moves. Most of them were visibly tired, but still giving it their all nonetheless. The ground was ruffled, with dirt missing in some places, scorch marks were visibly on the ground, with sweat covering them. And to top it all of, Ash wasn't any better than his Pokémon. Like them, he was sweating profusely, visibly tired, and hurt as he did some push-ups close to his Pokémon.

"Keep at it guys, you're all doing great" Ash complimented as he pushed himself to do one more push-up, his own body begging him to stop

"Ash, what're you doing?" Delia asked approaching him

Hearing his mother's voice, Ash stood up and glanced at her with a smile

"Oh, hi mom. Just having a little training session before lunch, why do you ask?" Ash answered before turning his attention back to his Pokémon "Infernape, give me your strongest flamethrower. I want to feel the heat all the way over here. Charizard the same goes to you" Ash commanded causing his two fire types to engage in a clash of power.

And just as Ash had said the heat reached them in no time. Delia could feel sweat starting to form in her skin. She had seen Ash train before, but she had never seen something as intense as this.

"You call this a little training session? Shouldn't you tone it down a bit? Maybe take a little break?" she asked incredulously

"If I want to become a Pokémon Master me and my Pokémon need to give it our all. We need to push ourselves beyond our limits" Ash replied determinedly" And that is exactly what we're doing!" he added as clenched his fist in front of him, excited by his own words

"Not that I disapprove of you giving it your all. But, what the sudden determination? Why now?" Delia asked

Ash finally looked back at her, allowing her to see the dedication that engulfed his eyes. Bigger and brighter than ever before

"Cause now this is just about my dream anymore" he said before looking at an elegant leather bracelet on his wrist. A bracelet that held a weird white stone on its center, and that Delia could have sworn she had never seen before.

"Now I have a promise to keep"

Well, if you were able to endure my writing up to this point, I would appreciate it, if you gave me a little review. If I see that people like this, I might add a follow up.

Anyways, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy it.