Welcome back. To those of you that followed, sorry for the update spam. I was thinking "Why don't I just put the entire thing up?". I mean, the whole thing is already written. Might as well, you know? Instead of baiting people into continuing to come back for something that I've already finished, I'll just post the whole story and let people read it. So, once again, sorry for that.

This chapter, we join Serena at the age of 16 during the events of the show. I've been trying to keep the pacing of the years relatively even. First 6, then 12, and now 16.

Anyway, here is chapter 3. :)

Age 16

It was late at night in the Kalosean countryside and all was peaceful. The only sounds were that of nocturnal Pokémon blissfully flying and hopping around in their element and the soft breeze weaving its way around the landscape. A small pond with its rippling surface reflected the light of the full moon back into the sky. All things considered; it was a very typical night in Kalos.

A small camp was erected in an opening in the Kalosean forest, its fire having long gone out due to lack of fuel from its caretakers. Two tents, one blue and one purple were in the clearing, its traveling inhabitants seemingly long asleep in anticipation for another day of walking when they awoke. Lumiose City was their destination, and every day brought them closer to their goal.

A zipper quietly opening on the purple tent signaled that not all in the camp were asleep, and a teenage girl emerged, still in her pajamas. Serena Yvonne poked her head out to make sure that she was alone, and when an empty campsite greeted her in return, she deftly slipped out into the night.

The breeze was cool on her exposed skin, but she quickly adjusted to the change of temperature from her warm tent as she tiptoed through the campsite and towards the forest, careful not to wake her two traveling companions. Their third companion, Clemont, had recently separated from them in order to train for his upcoming battle with Ash back in Lumiose City, leaving their final companion and sister, Bonnie, in the care of his two friends.

Serena stopped her tiptoeing as she entered the tree line and headed for the nearby pond. After hours of sleep escaping her, she decided she had had enough, and went for a quick walk in order to clear her head. The pond wasn't very far, and soon she reached its rippling shore. Sitting down on the grassy shore, Serena looked over into the clear water and was met by her reflection gazing back at her.

Turning her head to get a good look at herself, the teenager's mouth turned into a small smile as her short honey-blonde hair moved with every turn of her head. She had recently cut it as a mark of change after her failure at her first performance showcase. At first, she put on a strong face to hide her sadness from her companions, but she was pretty sure that they all saw through it. She congratulated her friend and rival, Shauna, for emerging victorious, and later in the night, decided that she couldn't hold her emotions in anymore, and went down to the docks. There, she let all of her sad pent-up emotion out with great tears, but was reminded by her faithful Pokémon of just how far she had come since that fateful day she finally left her mom's house.

At that realization, Serena realized that she had to make a change, and decided to change up her wardrobe and cut her hair. She made it her mission to grow from her experience, and promised herself that she would never give up on her dream: to become Kalos Queen.

The honey-blonde reached for her pocket and clasped one of the symbols of her change: the blue ribbon. Ash had given it to her under the pledging tree back in Coumarine City, and she was certain that the trainer didn't know how much that small gift meant to her. She even incorporated it into her new outfit, and was reminded every time she looked at it to "never give up", just like how Ash had said years ago.

With a content sigh, Serena leaned back onto the grass and gazed up at the stars. Putting her arms behind her head, she watched the stars twinkle back at her with a blissful smile.

"How could I possibly be so lucky?" She said out loud to the sky. Truthfully, she meant it. If you asked her four years ago if she ever thought it would be possible for her to travel with such a group of friends and actually a dream of her own, she would have dismissed it as a fairy tale. Something that kids thought of as an escape from their current reality.

But thankfully it wasn't that. Serena really did have a dream, and she really did have a group of friends that she considered a second family.

First there was Clemont, the gym leader from Lumiose City, and an absolute genius. Even if his inventions failed 70% of the time (or higher, but Serena gave him the benefit of the doubt), the thought was still there, and she was convinced that with some tweaking and time, he would grow to be a true intellectual marvel. He already had the makings for one, and on top of that, he was about as supportive of a friend as you could get. He always wanted the best for people, and as a gym leader, he sought to help others grow past their mistakes and improve as a person. Not to mention he was an amazing cook, and a great trainer as well. He was like a brother to the honey-blonde, and she always knew she could count on him in every time or situation.

Then there was Bonnie, whom Serena saw as the little sister she always wanted. Being the younger sister to Calem wasn't always sunflowers and roses, as she often found herself on the receiving end of pranks and teasing from her only sibling. Throughout her childhood, Serena wished that she had a sister she could bond and do girly things with. Or maybe someone that she could team up against Calem with, but that never happened. Now though, it was like a dream come true. Bonnie was like a spark of electricity that bounded between each member of their little group, electrifying each person with her optimistic and playful personality. She loved pokémon and, like her brother, had an inquisitive nature that definitely contributed to her smarts. Serena bonded with her immediately, and has stayed up late at night laughing and talking with her "little sister" more times than she could count. The little lemon-blonde girl was destined for great things, whatever she decided to do.

Then there was the stalwart leader of their group. The one who bonded them all together like glue, and the reason why they were all together in the first place: Ash Ketchum. Serena could spend the next several hours talking about him if she let herself, but decided in her head that that probably wasn't a good idea. There was simply just so much to say. Ash was inspiring. He never let anything stand in the way of what he wanted, and had been pursuing his dream of becoming a pokémon master for the past six years. He was without a doubt the best trainer that Serena had ever seen, and she was certain that he could even give her brother a run for his money if they ever fought in an arena. His endless optimism was contagious, and Serena found it hard to be pessimistic whenever he was around.

There was also the fact that she had a massive crush on him.

A light blushed graced her smiling cheeks as she continued to stare up at the twinkling stars, lost in her thoughts.

Her mother and brother had teased her about Ash for as long as she could remember, and for years Serena refused to acknowledge any sort of affection for him. She herself didn't even know she had a crush on him for years, and hadn't thought about him in equally as long. She kept his motto of "Never give up" close to her heart, and it was that phrase that kept her going whenever she was tired of trying to ride Rhyhorn or when chores were especially difficult. She was convinced she'd never see him again, that is, until she saw him jumping down from Prism Tower to his doom all those months ago. It was at that moment that Serena decided she had enough of riding Rhyhorn and decided to go find Ash and a dream of her own. Her mother thankfully understood, and was probably secretly thankful she could return to rhyhorn racing herself, and ever since, Serena had been living each day as if it were a dream.

She didn't know what she wanted to do at first, but discovered that she wanted to try showcases, and had loved it ever since. With Ash cheering her on, Serena felt like there was nothing that she couldn't do. When she was with him, she was on top of the world. If only he understood just how she felt about him. She wished and hoped for it every single day, but in the months she had been traveling with him, she realized that he wasn't very in-touch with his romantic side. That would take time, and maybe, just maybe, if she didn't give up, Serena would be the one to help him discover this new side of himself. Now that would be a dream come tr—

"Serena?"

The familiar voice from a few yards behind her startled the honey-blonde, making her jump up and turn around with a great gasp. Thankfully, it was just the object of her current thoughts and affections: Ash Ketchum himself. He was still in his night clothes too and yawned greatly.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked groggily, taking the initiative of walking forward and sitting down next to his friend.

Serena calmed her racing heartbeat, thankful that it was Ash and not some robber here to attack her or something. She sat up and faced back towards the pond. "Oh, hey Ash." She replied. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to come out here by the pond. I thought it would be a nice place to think."

He paused for a moment as if to ponder the meaning of Serena's words. His eyes were half-closed and he looked like he was barely present. "Oh, okay. I just heard you walking off and I got worried. I didn't want you going off somewhere in the dark and getting hurt."

Trying and failing to suppress the blush that was growing on her face, Serena put on her best poker face and turned her attention to the grass beneath her. She began pulling grass up, one strand at a time, as a means to distract herself. "Thanks for your concern, Ash." Serena replied to the grass with a warm smile. "But I'm okay. No need to worry about me."

It was quiet then for a few moments, and if it were with anyone else, Serena would have thought it awkward. She was comfortable though, and was even more at ease now that Ash was sitting next to her. He, on the other hand, looked dazed, like he had woken in the middle of deep sleep, and simply stared at the water in front of them with a slouched-forward posture.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay. Is it okay if I sit here with you?" He asked after a moment. "I won't bother you if you want to think in peace."

"No, you can stay!" Serena blurted out almost too quickly. Mentally chastising herself, she nervously put her hair behind her left ear and looked in her friend's direction. "How did you hear me walk away? I thought I was pretty quiet."

Ash chuckled and then yawned. With a great stretch that cracked a few bones, he looked in Serena's direction. He looked to be slowly waking up. "You were pretty quiet, but I have a knack for hearing if someone is sneaking around. Too many times, Team Rocket has snuck up on me when I was sleeping. Gotta be prepared, you know?"

"Makes sense." Serena agreed with a hum. "Where's Pikachu?" She asked, noticing that the yellow pokémon was nowhere to be seen.

Ash rubbed the back of his head nervously and laughed. "Well, he was the first one that heard you walking around, actually. I told him that I didn't want you getting hurt and that I was going to see what you were doing, and he told me something confusing. I was actually hoping you would know what he meant."

"Oh? What did he say?" Serena asked, her curiosity peaking. She loved Pikachu, and as far as she could tell, Pikachu really liked her too. She could only hope that this "confusing" thing he said was good.

"Well, he told me 'Go and finally get that girl. She's been waiting ages for you'."

Serena's face flushed bright red and with a quiet "eep", she brought her legs close and looked the opposite direction of Ash. She appreciated Pikachu's efforts, but silently dreaded that her emotions for the Ketchum boy were so noticeable that even a pokémon noticed them. But, Pikachu was Ash's best and oldest friend, so it would make sense that he would know Ash better than anyone.

"I thought it was odd that he would say that." Ash continued, his tired gaze on the moonlit pond in front of them. "You were only gone a few minutes at most. What did he mean?"

"W-well," Serena stuttered out. "He c-could have meant a number of things. Did you ask h-him?"

Ash nodded once. "Yeah I did, and when I did, he shook his head and went back to sleep."

Serena began fiddling with her short hair. This was the moment she had been dreaming of for months. It was her chance to finally get her feelings out in the open. Pikachu had thrown the ball into her court. But, for some reason, she felt that she wasn't ready. She had just failed her showcase, and even though she had bounced back and was now working on changing for the better, she felt that she was still a "work-in-progress". As much as she wanted now to be that moment, her conscience was telling her that it wasn't the right time. She also couldn't tell if that was even true, or if it was just her nerves convincing her it was.

With a big sigh, Serena looked back at Ash, hoping he wouldn't comment on her reddened face. "He probably was just sleepy and thought I was gone longer than I was." She spoke. Then, with a small smile as if to reassure herself that she was doing the right thing, she added "I do appreciate him looking out for me though. And you, too, for coming to check on me."

Ash looked back at Serena with a smaller, more tired version of his trademark grin. "I'll always be there for you, Serena. Just like how I know you'll always be there for me."

Serena nodded and silence enveloped them again. The honey-blonde didn't know if she just did the right thing, but she was content with her decision. Ash still had half of his badges left to go, and he would be in Kalos for much longer. She would surely have plenty more chances to confess to him how much he meant to her. Maybe he would find out his own feelings too, and confess to her. That would be a real dream come true.

Serena decided she wanted to lay down again, and did so. The grass was soft and the stars were bright, so she wanted to look at them again. Ash wordlessly decided that he wanted to do the same thing, and laid down next to Serena. A foot separated them as they both silently stared at the night sky above them, a blanket of stars covering their bodies.

"Do you ever think about how lucky you are?" Serena asked quietly, breaking their comfortable silence. She didn't know why she said that, but if she chickened out of telling him how she felt, then she at least would say another thing that was on her mind.

He nodded and crossed his arms under his head as he looked up at the twinkling night lights. "I do. All the time. Why?"

"Well before you came to check on me, I was just thinking about how lucky I am to be able to travel with you and Clemont and Bonnie. I felt like I should say that to you."

Ash smiled, turning his head towards Serena. "I could say the same thing. I don't think I've felt this close to a traveling group since my early days with Brock and Misty. You are all something special." He then laughed. "I mean, with you, I remember being a kid and promising you when I was leaving summer camp that we'd meet again. Looks like even that came true!"

Serena laughed, looking at the raven-haired trainer with her eyes brightly shining as she recalled the memory. "It may have taken a while, but I suppose Ash Ketchum finally delivered on his promise."

"Yeah, I'm glad I got to meet you again. I didn't realize I missed you until you joined our group."

Serena gasped, her face breaking out into a full blush again. This night was very quickly becoming emotionally overwhelming. "What do you mean?"

Ash never broke his gaze on Serena's azure eyes, and his face had a small smile as he recalled his memories. "Well, you're so much different than the other girls I traveled with. You always support me and never get mad at me when I do dumb stuff, even though I probably deserve it. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met and make amazing baked goods and most importantly, you never give up." His brown eyes softened then. "I saw how badly your loss in your showcase affected you. Trust me, I've been there. Lost every league I've been in, actually. But you did the right thing and bounced back, and I know for certain that you'll become Kalos Queen someday."

Serena didn't know what to say. Never before had someone so important to her complimented her on a personal level like that, so she just stared at Ash, her mouth slightly open from shock. She bet that if you could look up the word "red" in the dictionary, her face would match the color in that book too. Ash chuckled, apparently not noticing his friend's intense blush, and turned back towards the sky. "So sometimes I think about how lucky I am to have a person like you following me and supporting me throughout Kalos. I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for you."

Serena decided that she would finally respond to her raven-haired crush's declaration of admiration for her. Clearing her throat and willing her blush to disappear, she kept her gaze even on him. "Ash, you don't know how much it means to me to hear you say that. Thank you! I want you to know though that you do the same for me. You've inspired me to never give up, you know? You're the one who first told me that, and even now, it's your support that keeps me going, even after I lost in that showcase."

Ash chuckled again, prompting Serena to look at him with a confused face. "I don't think that's entirely true, Serena." Ash said. Before Serena could ask anything though, he continued. "You're the real inspiration here. I may have been the one who first told you to never give up, but you're the one who took it to the next level. You've taken that phrase and kept it close to you, even when I've forgotten it a few times. I bet you'd succeed even if I wasn't around. To me, you're the embodiment of never giving up."

Stunned once more, Serena made a mental note to analyze this situation carefully. Why was he complimenting her so much? Maybe when Ash was tired, he would become in-tune with his emotions. It wouldn't be the first time he's complimented her before though. Many times in the past, Ash had "accidentally" complimented Serena. He'd say something romantic but continue as if nothing had happened afterward, leaving a stunned and blushing Serena unable to respond every single time. And now was one of those times.

Nodding slowly, Serena leaned up and mustered up every ounce of courage she had in her body. She put her hand overtop of Ash's and gave it a small squeeze. He looked over at their hands with a confused expression, but then a small smile crept onto his lips.

"Thanks, Ash. For everything." Serena whispered, not even trying to hide her blush anymore.

Ash's hazel eyes stared into Serena's azure ones, and a wave of electricity passed between the two of them. To Serena, it seemed like neither of them could—or even wanted to—look away. They were seemingly captivated by the other's gaze, and they remained like this until a small twig cracked in the forest edge nearby. This broke their trance, much to Serena's dismay, and Ash yawned again.

"I suppose I'd better get back to sleep though. We have a long day of traveling tomorrow. Gotta reach Lumiose City so I can win against Clemont!" He finished with a fist pump.

His enthusiasm was contagious, and Serena grinned back at him. Both of them stood up then, with Serena gesturing back towards their camp. "That's the spirit, Ash! We'd best get back. I just realized we left Bonnie alone."

Ash's face immediately dropped and he sprinted back towards the camp, leaving a laughing Serena trailing behind with her leisurely walking pace. She didn't mention that Pikachu was still at the camp and he would never let anything happen to the little girl, but that was okay. She had her fun making Ash run all the way back to camp.

This was a night she wouldn't forget any time soon. It ignited a hope in her that maybe Ash did like her in that way, but just didn't know what it meant or how to express it. After all, Serena herself did have a crush on Ash for years and didn't know it, so it wouldn't be that odd for Ash to have the same thing happen to him, especially if he had been focusing on training for years.

He probably never really paid attention to women. It was already established that he's rather dense when it came to romance, even if he had a tendency to accidentally be romantic every once in a while. That, to Serena, was a sign that inside of his head, buried beneath his love for battles, pokémon, food, and Pikachu, was a part of his brain that had the capability to be romantic.

With a contented smile, Serena entered their camp just as Ash was tiptoeing back towards his tent. They acknowledged each other with a grin and a nod of their heads, before Ash reentered his tent. Serena walked over and did the same. Bonnie's sleeping form had only moved slightly, and the honey-blonde returned to her sleeping bag with a grateful heart.

She may not have said anything to Ash tonight about her feelings, but she felt invigorated regardless. She had received the best gift Ash could give her at the moment: his admiration. And to Serena Yvonne, that was the next best thing to reciprocated emotions. And maybe someday, Serena hoped, she'd get that too.

She just had to never give up...

Another finished chapter. I don't really have much to comment on with this chapter. It's just a page out of the book of the show, so I didn't really change much, if anything. I always liked a version of Ash though that is accidentally romantic. Like, so dense that he says things that a normal person could interpret as romantic. So I guess I did that. Plus, amourshipping Pikachu is cool.

Anyway, see you all in the next chapter.

Twilly