Author's Note: So a French kiss, and Ash having naughty thoughts about Serena in the shower count as M-rated, huh? Then I should probably officially put this story down as rated MA.

9: Round 2! Ash vs Diantha!

Ash smiled as he affixed the Pidgeotite to a band around his Pidgeot's left foot. "Well, girl, what do you think?" He asked of the Bird Pokemon as she lifted her leg to examine the new accessory.

"Pidgeo!" She cooed before bending to nuzzle his cheek affectionately.

Ash chuckled and pet her above her beak, "Glad you like it," he said as he looked out at the stadium, "We're going to need it."

On the jumbo-tron was the day's match up, and he was up first.

1st Match Champion Ketchum vs Champion Diatha

2nd Match Champion Cynthia vs Champion Leon

3rd Match Winner of Match 1 vs Winner of Match 2

His match was in just ten minutes, and his family and friends were already seated in the V.I.P. box. He'd requested that Paul, Dawn, Barry, Max and Bonnie be allowed to watch from there as well. Today was to be a big day for him. He had his best Pokemon at the ready for the battles ahead. Diantha would be tough, and, if he could beat her, then it was on to Leon himself, and that Charizard of his. According to Max, Leon had never changed out his Pokemon in his match against Lance, not even once.

[I'm going to have to change that soon,] he sighed, looking down at his jacket where his Artisan Poke Balls hung. He had it pretty well figured out, since Diantha favored a mixed variety of Pokemon, or so he had heard. He was basically going in blind since all he had ever seen her use was her Gardevoir. So there was no room to pull any punches.

"Champion Ketchum?" A stadium attendant poked their head in, "We're ready for you now, Sir."

Taking a deep breath, Ash stood, "Alright, time to earn my spot."

Ash was escorted to the stadium, and he was once again overwhelmed by just how big it was. Diantha was also being similarly escorted until they both stepped out onto the field, and the growing crowd sheered for them both.

{And here they are, ladies and gentlemen,} shouted the overly excited announcer, {Today's battlers are our esteemed guests, the wild card looking sharp with his unique collection of Poke Balls, Champion of the Orange Archipelago, Ash Ketchum!} The crowd roared, and chanted his name like he was some big celebrity. Had he been a younger trainer, it might have gone to his head a little bit, {On the opposing side we have the glorious Grand Duchess of Kalos, and Champion of the Lumoise Conference, Lady Diantha!}

Diantha smiled as the crowd roared for her louder than it had for Ash, and smiled at him as they met in the middle of the field, "Quite the circus they have us in, isn't it, Ash?"

"No more than the usual League Conference," Ash said as he looked around the stadium, "Though the stadium is a lot bigger."

Diantha chuckled and held out her hand, "All the better to battle in," she said as he took her hand and shook it, "Good luck today, young Champion. Know that I will be battling to win."

Ash smiled right back at her, "So will I."

The Rotom drone buzzed down and to the side of the field. "Trainers, please move to your respective areas," it said as Diantha and Ash took up their respective positions, "Trainers will now send out their Pokemon."

Diantha took an Ultra Ball from her purse, "Do allow me to start things off," she said with a wink, "Aurorus, it's time for a battle!"

The crowd "Oh-ed!" as the beautiful Ice/Rock-type Fossil Pokemon landed on the field, tall and majestic. {And Diantha takes the lead and sends out her Aurorus, an dual type of Ice and Rock! How will Ash respond?}

Ash took a Fast Ball from his jacket, "Like this," he threw it out onto the field, "Quilava, I choose you!"

Quilava appeared with a fiery shouted as his flames sprouted across his body. {And Ash responds by sending out a powerful-looking Quilava.} The announcer said, {Quilava has a slight advantage over Aurorus, but since its a Fire-type, Aurorus also has the advantage of being a Rock-type! Let's see which one is going to come out on top!}

Rotom buzzed down between them, "This battle will be a three on three match. No substitutions will be allowed at any time during the battle. The victor will be decided by whoever has the last Pokemon standing. The first round will be Quilava vs Aurorus." It floated to the side of the field out of the way, "Battle commence!

"Flame Wheel!" Ash shouted out as soon as they were given the green light. Quilava flared up and spun himself in flaming wheel toward Aurorus.

"Reflect, Aurorus!" Diantha called out as a wall of energy appeared in front of her Pokemon, and Quilava bounced right off of it. "Now use Thunder!"

Ash blanched as electricity started rushing along Aurorus' fins. "Quick, use Dig and go underground!" Quilava jumped and burrowed underground right away just as Aurorus unleashed its attack. The ground around Quilava's burrow was shattered by the force of the attack, but thankfully, Ash didn't seen any sign that his Pokemon had been harmed. And that gave Ash an idea, "Keep digging Quilava! All over the field!"

Diantha looked at him in confusion, "What are you up to?" She whispered to herself. "Aurorus, keep your guard up. We can't let that Quilava get a single hit in!"

Aurorus nodded and kept its eyes on the ground where Quilava was burrowing through the ground, the only sign of it being little puffs of dust on the surface. "Protect yourself with Light Screen for now." She told the Pokemon.

Ash saw as the Fossil Pokemon veiled itself in a protective shield, but he still had the smile on his face, "Alright...ERUPTION!"

"What?!" Diantha yelped as cracks began to form in the stadium floor, and a small quake rattled her. Then a fiery blast took up her entire side of the field as the attack exploded out from underground and sent fire and molten rock at Aurorus.

Quilava jumped out of the ground and landed lightly in front of Ash, the trainer impressed with his work, "Good job, Quilava, that's just what I wanted." He told the Fire-type with a grin on his face as the injured Aurorus staggered out of the blast zone. Growling in defiance the Pokemon advanced across the field.

"Thunder one more time!" Diantha shouted.

"Flame Wheel," Ash ordered as Quilava went on the move again, and out of Thunder's reach before it got him, the electricity further damaging the field, "Move around the debris!" Ash shouted, hoping that the rocks on the field would protect him from the attack.

"You can't hide forever!" Diantha said, "Use Blizzard!"

Aurorus growled and blasted out a powerful icy blast of breath as Quilava ducked behind a rock to avoid it. Ash could see Aurorus was getting tired, and as soon as it let off of its attack, that would be the opportunity.

A few minutes prior in the V.I.P. boxes, Delia and the girls, Bonnie with Pikachu in her lap, were biting their nails while Paul, Barry and Max were watching with interest, "I didn't know he had a Quilava that strong!" Barry gushed out as they watched the smaller Pokemon darting in and out of cover, "Makes me wonder what it'll be like as a Typhlosion!"

Paul shook his head, "He's started off weak again," the stoic teen said, "Sure, that Quilava is strong, but that Aurorus is trained by a Champion."

Max elbowed him, earning himself a hard look, "Ash is a Champion, too, jerk, don't forget that!"

"Yeah!" Bonnie said with heat in her voice with Pikachu echoing her.

Nearby, Steven was pacing like a caged Persian. "Come on, Ash!" He growled as he watched the battle and Ash's Quilava dove underground.

And that was when the field exploded.

"Oh my gosh!" Serena yelped.

"That's the same move he pulled with Infernape!" Dawn shouted as Diantha's Pokemon was engulfed.

Barry looked over at Paul, "You call that a weak start?" He gestured to the field.

Paul held up his hands in dismissal, "I got nothing."

Bonnie and Pikachu were clapping, or bouncing up and down in excitement in Pikachu's case until the smoke began to clear, "Wait, it's still standing!"

Aurorus was now chasing Quilava all over the field with Thunder and Blizzard attacks, one right after the other while the little Fire-type kept running around, and dodging behind the boulder created by the explosion.

"Agh, now he's in trouble!" Barry groaned.

Paul shook his head, "Not yet, it hasn't used and Rock-type moves, yet."

Back on the field, Ash was beginning to worry. Aurorus was powerful, and Diantha was more than confident in its abilities. [One hit from that Thunder attack, and Quilava's done for .] He thought to himself, [I don't wanna have to resort to that, but I might not have a choice.] He frowned as he watched his loyal Fire-type duck down into one of its burrows. [Looks like there's no choice.]

"Quilava!" Quilava poked his head out, "Time to use Blast Burn!"

Quilava nodded and darted out of his hole, bouncing and rolling from one boulder to the next all the while his internal temperature was rising. "Don't let it get any closer!" Diantha yelled, and smiled across at the younger trainer, "Ancient Power!"

Aurorus' eyes began to glow as the stones and boulders around it began to rise. Quilava's flames flared to full blast and began to burn white with heat. As Aurorus unleashed the Ancient Power attack, Quilava let loose a massive blast of flames from it's mouth. The stones exploded as the energies collided, and struck Aurorus dead on.

The resulting explosion covered the field in smoke.

The Rotom drone flew out onto the field, "Verifying Pokemon." It said and descended into the smoke, the little drone's eyes lighting up as it scanned the field.

Diantha frowned as she and Ash waited. Rotom found Aurorus first, the large Pokemon knocked out on the ground. "Verified. Aurorus is unable to battle." It said before flying off in search of Quilava. The smaller Pokemon was not far. "Verified. Quilava is also unable to battle. The battle is a draw."

Ash looked disappointed as he pulled off Quilava's Fast Ball to return him, gazing down at it, "I promise to be a better trainer to you from now on." He shook his head, looking across the field, "No one else is getting left behind."

Daintha smiled down at her Ultra Ball, "Good job, Aurorus." She placed the ball back into her purse. "Well, Ash, I'll admit that you've come quite a way since we last faced off."

Ash shook his head, "Not far enough, it looks like." He said, and took a Heavy Ball from his jacket, "Round two?"

Diantha nodded, "After you, good sir." She performed a little curtsy as she pulled a new Ball from her purse, this one a normal Poke Ball.

Ash nodded, "Alright, Torterra, I choose you!" He tossed the Ball out, and Torterra landed heavily.

"TORRRR!"

Diantha smiled at the giant Pokemon, "Your Torterra is very strong," she smiled, "You've trained it well." She said, "But I've trained mine just as well. Goodra!" She tossed the Ball out, revealing the gooey Dragon-type.

{After a fierce first round, both Diantha and Ash have upped the power by sending out two very powerful-looking Pokemon.} The announcer said, {Let's hope that this round will prove just as exciting as the last, ladies and gentlemen, because these two trainers are just getting started!}

"Round two: Torterra vs Goodra." Rotom said as it flew back to the sidelines, "Battle commence!"

"Use Rock Climb to get in close!" Ash ordered. Torterra took off with surprising speed for a Pokemon his size, the glowing claws on its feet carrying him across the field.

Diantha was a little surprised herself at the tactics. "He's fast," she muttered, "Goodra, use Fire Blast!"

"Meet it with Energy Ball!" Ash shouted as Goodra charged up the Fire-type attack. Torterra charged up a quick ball of energy, and fired it just as Goodra unleashed the fiery attack. They met in the middle and exploded, Torterra powering through the blast, "Use Crunch!"

Now, as Torterra neared the Goodra, a steel trap-like set of jaws appeared in front of him, and came crashing down on Goodra. Goodra was sent skidding back by the attack, but managed to hold its ground. "Focus Blast!" Diantha ordered.

Another ball of energy powered up at Goodra's mouth, and fired point blank at Torterra. "TORRR!" Torterra was sent rolling onto its back and feet again, scrabbling to get back into the fight. Ash frowned, "Okay, now's the time," he said to the large Pokemon, "Use Outrage!"

Torterra's eyes gleamed before a red aura flared to life around him and charged the Goodra. Now Diantha panicked. "Get away from it!"

But Torterra was moving too fast for the Goodra to fully dodge the attack, and was slammed by the Dragon-type move right back into the stadium wall.

From where they sat, Paul, Barry and Max couldn't help but wince, "Man, that had to hurt!" Barry said.

"Yeah, but Ash can't afford to pull any punches with this one," Paul said, "Diantha's a reigning Champion, not some retiree."

Steven threw a scone at him, "I heard that!" Paul leaned back and the scone flew passed him and smacked Max right in the face.

"Ow! Hey!" Max yelled, "Didn't your mom teach ya not to play with your food!?"

Pikachu picked it up and started nibbling on it happily.

Serena was looking where the Goodra was stuck to the wall, "Is it over already?"

Dawn shrugged, "Dragon-type moves are super strong against Dragon-type Pokemon," she reasoned, "And Goodra did take some damage from that Crunch attack."

Delia bit her thumb nail, "This is so much different than just watching it on the telly."

Meanwhile Leon and Chairman Rose were watching the second round with much more interest. "He reminds me of you as a young man, Leon," the chairman said as the Rotom drone flew toward Diantha's Goodra to verify it's condition.

"He's strong, I'll have to give him that much," the Champion said with a smile, "And his Pokemon are all well-trained from what I've seen. I can't wait to face him."

Rose looked at the man, "You think he'll pull through?"

"No doubt about it," Leon smiled, "He's a kid with a few tricks up his sleeve."

Down on the field, Rotom announced, "Goodra is unable to battle! Round two goes to Torterra!"

Diantha returned her Goodra, and nodded across the field, "Your Torterra will be tired after that battle," she said, noting that Torterra did look worn down from the battle, but still willing to fight. "You know what's coming, so why not spare it the harm?"

Ash nodded, "Torterra, do you want to keep going?" Torterra looked back at him with a determined gleam in his eye, and nodded his head, stomping the ground in front of the Kalos Champion defiantly. "He says thanks for the offer, but no thanks." Ash shrugged, "Torterra stays in the battle to the end."

"Terra!" Torterra said for himself with a rumbling growl.

Diantha smiled, "As you wish." She reached for her last Ball, pulling out what looked like a Premier Ball, "I only hope that you don't regret that choice." She tossed the Ball, and out came her Gardevoir.

{And it's down to Diantha's last Pokemon, ladies and gentlemen,} roared the announcer, {Diantha's Gardevoir is known to be her favorite, and most powerful by far. Let's hope that Ash can keep up with this last Pokemon, and perhaps pull off a win for himself!}

"Round three: Torterra vs Gardevoir!" Rotom buzzed out, "Battle commence!"

"Synthesis!" Ash yelled, hoping that Torterra would heal fast before Diantha -

Diantha thrust out her arm, "Gardevoir, use Dazzling Gleam!" As Torterra began to glow, Gardevoir shone brighter than a than the sun for a moment. Ash was momentarily blinded by the light, helpless to do anything for Torterra as the giant Pokemon cried out from the blast. As the light died down, Ash saw his Torterra still standing, smoke rising from his skin, and his eyes had gone completely white.

Rotom flew out, and hovered in front of him, "Torterra is unable to battle," it announced, "The round goes to Gardevoir!"

Serena covered her face, "Oh, no!"

Dawn reached over and gripped her knee, "Don't give up, yet, he's still got one chance!"

"But who will he use?" Bonnie asked.

"Pika?" Pikachu cooed.

Meanwhile, Ash reached for a pink Poke Ball on his jacket, "This is it," Ash smiled at the Ball, "Your big debut, old friend." He tossed the Ball out onto the field, and out came his Pidgeot with a screeching battle cry.

Diantha was surprised by the large size of the Pokemon, "My word...!"

Steven goggled at the Pokemon, "That's the biggest Pidgeot I've ever seen!"

"Whew," Leon gave a whistle of appreciation, "What a beauty!"

"Indeed," Chairman Rose said in awe of the majestic Bird Pokemon. He lifted a pair of Galilean binoculars to his eyes, and smiled, "I do believe it has something around its leg."

Leon blinked, "A power up item of some kind?" Rose passed him the glasses to allow him to look for himself, and when he did, the grin on Leon's face could have outshone Lumiose City at night. "Oh, yeah! This is gonna be good!"

Back on the field, Diantha's eyes had lowered to the band around Pidgeot's ankle, and smiled, "Steven giving you that Key Stone seems to have been a good thing." She pulled a braided cord from beneath her blouse, attached to a Key Stone of her own, "Shall we?"

Ash nodded, and touched his right wrist band, "Pidgeot, this is gonna be rough, but just bear with it for a little while, okay, girl?" Pidgeot flared her wings in agreement, and Ash grinned, "Alright, Pidgeot, let's do this!" He thrust his arm up, the stone shining brightly, "Mega Evolve!"

"Gardevoir," Diantha's stone began to shine as well, "Mega Evolve!"

Both Pokemon were soon encased in crystal-like spheres. The spheres grew in size, and soon began to crack. Pidgeot smashed her way out of the sphere like a newborn chick hatching from its egg and shot into the air, far larger than she had been before, and her plumage becoming regal.

Gardevoir emerged a second later, its body puffed out like a regal ball gown. Diantha smiled as she took in the sheer size of the Mega Pidgeot. "Ash, you'd best get ready. I've already told you that I have no intention of losing here."

"The feeling's mutual," Ash said.

"Final round: Mega Pidgeot vs Mega Gardevoir," Rotom announced, "Battle commence!"

"Gardevoir, use Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge with Aerial Ace, and counter with Hurricane!" Ash shouted as Pidgeot looped into the air to dodge the Electric attack Gardevoir sent her way. She then started flapping her wings rapidly, the winds becoming stronger as rubble and debris was swept up into the whirling funnels created by Pidgeot's attack. Gardevoir shielded herself from the winds and debris, but the powerful attack was too strong for her to stay standing for long as she was swept off the ground and into the maelstrom.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Diantha shouted over the wind.

"GARD!" The Embrace Pokemon growled as she unleashed the bright attack, forcing Pidgeot to let go of her Hurricane, and shield herself from the light as the energy burned her wings.

Ash smirked, "Power through it and use Steel Wing!"

As soon as the Hurricane stopped and Gardevoir was safely on the ground again, Diantha saw the Pidgeot coming at them full speed with a Steel-type attack. "Quickly, use Thunderbolt to stop it!"

"Spin!" Ash order, and Pidgeot started a rapid barrel roll that deflected the electricity. She then slammed right into the Gardevoir a moment later, and smashed it into the ground. "Now, while it's down, finish it with Brave Bird!"

Pidgeot flew low, and fast as she looped back across the field in an arc, and aimed at Gardevoir's recovering form as she shone with power.

"Mystical Fire!" Diantha shouted as Gardevoir rose, and breathed out a strong blast of flames. But Pidgeot just spun again, the flames only adding to the power behind her attack before the two of them collided.

The smoke cloud that erupted around the pair obscured the battlefield for a moment, but Pidgeot, it seemed, wasn't done, yet. The massive Bird shot out of the smoke, surprising all when she clutched Gardevoir in her talons.

Having spent so long in the wild, Pidgeot's battling style had gone from graceful to near brutal as she whipped around and sent the Gardevoir sailing into the stadium walls where it reverted back to normal, and fell to the ground, knocked out.

"Gardevoir is unable to battle," Rotom said needlessly, "The winner of the round, and the match, is Pidgeot and Ash Ketchum!"

Pidgeot landed in front of Ash and returned to normal, panting in exhaustion as Ash ran to her to check her over, "You did great, Pidgeot," he told the Pokemon as he stroked her feathers affectionately. "You really are amazing."

"Pidgeo," the Bird crooned as she nuzzled him affectionately.

The crowd had gone completely nuts as he had rushed to his Pokemon's side, cheering and shouting for his victory. The roar only intensified as the mutual affection he and his Pokemon shared was shown. {And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen,} the announcer blared, {After an intense battle of legendary proportions, Champion Ketchum has managed to secure his victory against Champion Diantha, and will be moving on to the final match against the winner of the following match later this evening.} He said, {But be warned ladies and gentlemen, we have a severe storm warning for this evening due to the time of year in Galar. Not to worry, though, the stadium has a retractable roof, however if the storm proves too dangerous for anyone to be out in it, the battle will be postponed until the following day, or until the weather is deemed safe.}

"Well that puts a damper on everything," Diantha said as she sauntered over to him after retrieving her Gardevoir. "That was a great battle, Ash." She extended her hand to shake his, "You have a magnificent Pokemon in Pidgeot."

Ash returned the gesture, "All of your Pokemon were amazing, too, Diantha," he said, "Any longer, and I probably would've lost."

"Perhaps," Dianths smiled, winking at him, "But now you'll have to deal with either Cynthia or Leon the day tomorrow, provided the Galarian weather doesn't turn dangerous. "

Ash just grinned at her, "I'm looking forward to it."

ガラル

The weather, as it turned out, did not hold, and a raging lightning storm swept over the city which forced a reluctant Tudor Rose to cancel the day's final match. But Ash wasn't sorry to miss such a match as the storm outside of his hotel room's window gave him every inclination not to be outside where the weather could reach him. "And I thought Kalos had horrible storms." He muttered as lightning flashed across the Wild Area, and rain pelted the window.

Serena was sitting on the bed behind him, wincing as thunder crashed outside, "It is a shame," she said, "I was hoping to see the match today." She sighed whilst brushing her hair, "Still, Ash, you did wonderfully out there. I never knew that your Quilava could use Blast Burn of all techniques."

Ash turned and gave her a sad smile, "Neither did I until we got back home," he said, shaking his head, "He learned it while I was traveling through Unova, and I never bothered to see how he was doing until now." He frowned, "It's just like I've said before, Serena, I'm a terrible trainer."

"Say that about yourself one more time, and so help me I'll find some snowballs to start throwing at you." She warned him with a small smile on her lips, "Besides, I've never heard anything so untrue in all of my life." She said and stood up from the bed, laying her brush on the comforter before walking over to him, "You are, without any doubt in my mind," she snaked her arms around his neck, pressing herself up against him, causing a blush to rise to both of their faces, "The strongest." She pecked him on the lips, "Bravest," another kiss, longer this time, "Kindest trainer that I've ever met." She gave him a long, lingering kiss before pulling back, her eyes glimmering, "And all of your Pokemon know how much you truly care about them as much as I do."

Ash smirked and placed his hands lightly on her hips, "Arguing with you never going to be dull, is it?" He asked with a small chuckle, "But I will say that I prefer kisses to snowballs."

Serena giggled as he pulled her closer, "So do I." She breathed out as their lips met once more.

Suddenly there was a bright flash of lightning followed by an explosion of thunder rattled the window, and even managed to shake the hotel. Serena yelped and jumped straight up into his arms in alarm as the lights flickered and sputtered out, leaving them in darkness save for the light streaming in through the window. She had her face buried in the crook of his neck right where his stitches were, making him wince in slight pain as her chin dug into the still healing wound, but he managed to keep himself from groaning at the pressure, and pain her embrace was causing him.

Instead, he gathered her up in a princess carry, and moved them over to the bed where he laid them both down. Stretched out on the mattress, he rubbed soothing circles over her back, allowing her to relax somewhat. The tenseness in her shoulders easing.

"Better?" Ash chuckled as her death grip on him loosened.

She nodded, embarrassed with herself from such a display. Fortunately the room was so dark that it was impossible for him to see the neon blush burning up her cheeks.

Since there date around the city, she was becoming more and more aware of how they had begun to act around each other. Ash was, of course, a gentlemen when they were together like this, but that was only ever when they were out in the public eye. Now, though, she was all but glued to him. It didn't help her situation in the slightest that she considered herself half-naked at the moment, either. Her usual sleeping attire of shorts, and a pink tee shirt were almost as bad as if she were in nothing but her underwear.

Ash wasn't much better, but at least his shorts covered more skin than hers did. "Serena?" His voice startled her out of her thoughts, making her jolt in his arms, "Can I kiss you?"

Serena could have laughed at the question. How many times had they kissed recently? He did not even have to ask her permission. What stopped her laughter, however, was the way he asked. His voice was deep, and sounded husky, a sound that made her shiver more than the raging storm outside their window. Slowly, she nodded her head, but remembered that he couldn't see her. "Y-yes?"

He chuckled and raised a hand to run the knuckle of one finger down her cheek. She closed her eyes and tilted her face into the caress like a feline being petted. Slowly, the same hand reached around to catch her behind her neck and pulled her forward and covered her mouth with his, smiling as her lips parted. Ash immediately deepened the kiss.

A small moan reached his ears and fanned the flames that the girl had ignited inside him. Ash's kiss became rougher, more demanding, and Serena responded by opening to him further. Her hands crept around his neck.

She gasped, then arched nearer as Ash let his hands rub down and across her back as he had earlier to comfort her. But there was nothing comforting about the motions of his hands now. Ash's internal fire was a bonfire, but Serena, having carried a torch for him for years was a raging wild fire. "Ash..." the girl in his arms whimpered as he broke from her lips and kissed a trail down to her neck. "We...we shouldn't..." she said breathlessly as he lowered himself to nip at her collar bone. "We need to stop!"

And stop he did when he heard the desperation in her voice laced with disappointment. Unable to see the look on her face, he asked, "Was I taking it too far?" He asked, out of breath.

He felt her nod, "A little." She breathed out, just as breathless as he had become. He could feel her heart pounding against her chest, "We...I'm sorry," she muttered, "I'm not ready for that...not yet."

Ash found himself laughing lightly at her adorable stammering. "You don't need to apologize for that," he said, rubbing his hand up and down her back, "I wasn't planning on anything beyond that kiss. I was just going with the flow is all."

Serena giggled as another flash of lightning illuminated the room, "Are you sure I'm your first girlfriend?" She found herself asking, "You sure know how to kiss a girl senseless for someone that claims to have never dated anyone."

Ash smiled into the darkness and tucker her head under his chin, "Definitely. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

ガラル

Author's Note: The whole chapter was basically battle, but I had to find a spot to put in some romance for the two leads. Anyway, break chapter coming up next, and then its on to the grand finale of the tournament.

If ya wanna see and read it, then ya know what to do!

Adios Amigos!