Welcome back to age 22. This entry is the largest one by far. 8000 words or so. It technically is the closing to the story. But I already have an epilogue written, which will be posted with this.
Anyway, here you go. :)
Age 22
"Excuse me, this is your captain speaking. We are set to land in Saffron City in roughly 15 minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts, as we will begin our descent now."
Serena Yvonne looked out the window of the passenger jet with a yawn, hoping to catch a view of her destination. It was 11:33 PM, and she had been flying for several hours at this point. The flight from Kalos to Kanto was not the worst flight she had been on, but that didn't make it pleasant.
Through the clouds, the faint lights of the large metropolis of Saffron City dimly shined in the distance. It was late at night and most people were asleep by this point, but Saffron City was large enough where it never truly went to sleep. As the largest city in Kanto ever so slowly got closer to her, the honey-blonde thought about the steps of the journey that led her to Saffron City.
It was her third year as Kalos Queen, and she had rocked the performance world since receiving the title. Critics were calling her the "Queen of Queens", and she was to be inducted into the Performance Hall of Fame later in the month. At this point, she's the only Kalos Queen to be inducted into the hall of fame while still reigning.
It's not all roses and sunshine though. These past three years have been some of the hardest of Serena's life. Meeting after meeting and the stresses of being the face of an organization had done a lot to her. She hadn't slept well in months and had become a coffee addict, requiring it to stay awake in the mornings longer than a few hours. Her body was sore all the time and she knew that she didn't eat as much as she should too. She just wasn't hungry.
Then there was the constant pressure of "maintaining your image" as Palermo put it. You never could be seen in public doing anything other than performing or official business, as the performance industry didn't want to deal with any public scandal. After many arguments with Palermo, Serena finally understood why Aria went out into public in disguise, and silently wondered how her predecessor was the reigning queen for six whole years.
To Serena, the life of Kalos Queen was fulfilling, but draining. She enjoyed bringing smiles to people's faces and spreading joy all across the region, but didn't have time to be anything other than the face of the industry. It was exhausting, and that was why Serena decided to stealthily book a flight to Kanto and disappear for a few days. She was under the guise of "meditation and private practice at a private resort" back in Kalos, so nobody suspected that she was actually leaving the region.
Why Kanto though?
Serena had asked herself that several times since she bought the tickets a few days ago.
Well, the truth was that Serena had had enough of the exhausting life of Kalos Queen. She was ready to retire. Three years was still a whole year longer than the average reigning time for a Kalos Queen, and the honey-blonde was tired of not living her life. She was 22, and had found a few gray hairs already from the amount of stress that she had been put through for the past three years. Living in the limelight with fame and fortune wasn't all it was made up to be, she found out the hard way.
Kanto was a region that held a lot of significance to her. First and most importantly, it was the home region of Ash Ketchum. He was her first friend and crush, and someone whom she greatly cherished in her mind. But that was where he stayed: in her mind. In reality, she hadn't heard from Ash in two years. Before that, they exchanged letters and even had a phone call a few times, but once Serena's intense schedule got even worse with the start of the new performing season, she didn't have time to keep up contact. Ash apparently had something similar going on, as he was going around the regions and redoing the leagues he had failed before. They lost contact, and that was two years ago. She had no idea where he was now.
With that in mind, why was she flying to Kanto?
Well, Serena couldn't really answer that question. After hours of thinking about it on the plane, she still couldn't give a solid answer. The closest thing she could come up with was: to reminisce. The chances of her seeing Ash in Kanto were next to none, but even then, she wished to return to the place where everything began: Pallet Town.
For the first time in a long time, Serena was scared and a little clueless. She had accomplished her dream: to become Kalos Queen, and had done almost everything she had wanted to do in her life. She was only 22 though, and had a long life ahead of her. With her secret plans to retire, she didn't really know what to do next, or where to go. Of course, she didn't have to worry about money. She had enough from publicity deals and advertisements that she could probably live the rest of her life comfortably, but money wasn't the issue. The issue was that Serena simply didn't know what to do after she accomplished and retired from her dream. She didn't want to continue being Kalos Queen, but was scared of the future. Scared of the unknown.
Now Serena was returning to Kanto. To Pallet Town. To return to the place where she met the person who changed her when they were children at summer camp, and maybe find some inspiration on what to do with herself there, just like how he inspired her all those years ago when they wandered through Kalos together.
It was all she could think of to do.
The plane began to touch down, and Serena gently jolted forward as the wheels skidded on the pavement of the runway. She'd spent the last several hours thinking deeply about Kanto and Kalos Queen duties and her life, and honestly, her head hurt a little bit. She was thankful that the flight was over, and eagerly awaited the call to depart along with the rest of the passengers on the plane so that she could get to her hotel and sleep the night away.
Upon exiting the plane and retrieving her small suitcase, Serena hurried out of the airport and hailed a taxi. She was thankful that performing wasn't as popular in Kanto as it was in Kalos, and that seemingly nobody recognized her here. She didn't want to be swarmed by paparazzi. The taxi took off with Serena in the backseat, and the drive to the hotel was like a blur to the honey-blonde. She was so tired from days of lack of sleep and the long flight that the next thing she knew, she was checking into her room and plopping herself down on her bed. She fell asleep almost immediately, dreaming dreams of her mother and brother Calem and how she hadn't seen them in a little over a year, and of Ash Ketchum, the boy who stole her heart all those years ago…
Serena awoke with a groan. She slept like a rock, not even moving from the position she took when she almost literally fell onto her bed the previous night. She took a few minutes to adjust her eyes to the pain of being awake in the morning without coffee and stared at the cheap hotel ceiling above her. Realizing she slept in her traveling clothes and not even in her pajamas, she inwardly chastised herself, and reluctantly got up. Her morning routine was the same as it always was. She showered, brushed her long honey-blonde hair, drank a pot of coffee, brushed her teeth, did her morning stretches and exercises, and changed into her clothes for the day. She decided to keep it simple, and was wearing a sky-blue dress that went down to her knees. On her head was a straw hat, similar to the one she wore when she was a child at summer camp, except for the fact that it had Ash's blue ribbon tied around it. It was a little faded from constant use and being almost six years old, but she had tried her best to keep it in good shape.
Declaring herself ready for the day, Serena grabbed her pokeballs and slipped them into her purse. She would never come back to Kanto unprotected, and with her oldest companion, Delphox, with her, she felt a little more at ease with the prospect of returning to Pallet Town. She left the hotel and got on a public bus that supposedly would take her right through the small village. Palermo would probably have a heart attack at the thought of Serena, reigning Kalos Queen, taking a public bus, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.
The ride was long, and Serena spent the entire time day dreaming. She had a lot to think about, and at the moment, had no answers.
"I guess that's why I'm here…" She thought as they passed another town that wasn't Pallet. She glanced at the time on her Pokedex. 2:34 PM. She had been traveling for hours at this point, and the map said she had another two to go. Inwardly groaning, she ate a few snacks from her purse, and willed herself to stare out the window some more so that she would have something to look at to pass the time.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. Only because Serena had fallen asleep leaning against the window, though. She awoke with a jolt as the bus stopped, and it took her a few moments to realize where she was.
Pallet Town, it said on a small sign right next to the bus.
In her sleepy daze, she almost didn't realize the significance of it, but right as the bus was about to pull away, Serena jumped up.
"This is my stop! Thank you!" She yelled as she stumble-raced for the door. The bus driver grumbled, but still opened the door for the honey-blonde. She thanked him kindly before stepping off the bus onto stable ground for longer than a few minutes for the first time since the early morning. She stretched, cracking a few bones around her body, and sighed as she took in the sights in front of her.
Pallet Town looked like it hadn't changed much in 100 years, let alone the past 16. It was still a small town with few businesses and ancient houses. The largest building in the town was without a doubt the Pokémon lab, where the reputable Professor Oak was probably finishing his day's work before he went home. There were a few people that Serena didn't know walking around the streets, but otherwise, it was a typical small Kantonian town.
Serena was on a mission though, and knew exactly where to go. She walked towards Professor Oak's lab, passing and waving at a few people she met along the way. They all stared at her with curiosity, as there likely weren't many "out-of-towners" that came through Pallet Town. At least, that's what Serena hoped. It would be ironic that she would travel throughout Saffron City and the entire region of Kanto and not be recognized as the Kalos Queen, but be recognized in one of the smallest towns of the region. She prayed that would not be the case. She enjoyed being Serena Yvonne every once in a while, not Serena Yvonne—Kalos Queen.
Pallet wasn't very large, and the walk to the lab was quick. Serena's destination was not the lab itself though as she turned hard right for the surrounding forest. This was where the summer camp kids spent most of their time anyway. The forest was where pokémon were, after all. She entered the tree line and was thankful for the shade the trees provided from the sun.
Having not been here for 16 years, Serena didn't know exactly where to go. She just kept walking through the forest, weaving through trees and crossing through small groves of bushes and tall grass. The sounds of pokémon were all around her, and she laughed to herself as she recalled her fear as a small child at all the friendly calls. Back then, she was just afraid of almost everything, and didn't want to be at summer camp to top it all off.
The performer didn't really know what she was looking for, but continued walking anyway. After an unknown number of minutes passed, she entered into a clearing that had a pond in it. She recalled it as the pond that the camp had water activities in all those years ago, and she also remembered how afraid she was of all the water pokémon that occupied it.
The pond wasn't that big or deep and was perfect for small children swimming, and Serena felt compelled to call it her destination. She walked around, looking for a suitable place to sit, and eventually decided on a soft-looking section of grass near the sandy beach. Smoothing out her dress and adjusting her straw hat, Serena sat down on the shore. There was a small drop-off on the section she chose, but it was only about a foot down. Taking off her sandals, she slipped her bare feet into the cool pond water and gazed down at her reflection.
A long-haired, blue eyed woman stared back at Serena, and while the average person might not be able to do it, she could see through her own façade. She was tired, and not just from the fatigue of travel. Being Kalos Queen was stressful, and it was taking its toll on the young woman. She had been overjoyed at achieving her dream at first, but after years of not seeing the people she cared about and her constantly booked schedule, Serena had decided that she had had enough.
Her reflection stared back at her with tired eyes, and Serena knew in her heart what she had to do. She was going to do what she thought she had to do. That is, officially retire from performing. Of course, she was thinking about doing that anyway, but after seeing her reflection—actually seeing it—for the first time in who knows how long, she knew it had to be done.
She didn't really feel any different though. Why did she come to Kanto? She pretty much established something she already knew before: that she was going to retire. Now that she was here, the honey-blonde couldn't really explain what was pulling her to this location. Where was this inspiration that she craved so greatly?
Absentmindedly, Serena started picking at the grass around her, and a memory from years ago reappeared in her mind. It was when she was sitting out by a similar pond in Kalos and Ash came to join her. Smiling at the memory, she recalled her teenage awkwardness and timidity whenever Ash would compliment her somehow. She was totally smitten by the boy, and he had to be truly dense to not be able to see it. Seemed like everyone else could.
Serena looked at the pond and the forest around her. The trees offered no answers to her many questions and the light summer breeze gave no solace to the confusion in her heart and mind. Turning back towards her reflection, she saw her blue eyes staring back at her again.
She recalled something Ash had once told her that same night out by the pond in Kalos.
"I bet you'd succeed even if I wasn't around. To me, you're the embodiment of never giving up"
Back in the day, Serena didn't believe him. She didn't want to imagine a life without Ash around back then. Sooner than she would have wished though, it ended up happening. And Serena did exactly as Ash had said. She succeeded. Of course, she wished Ash would have been around, but fate would have it differently. She succeeded in her dream and lived in the upper echelons of society for three years.
"Now look at where I am though…" She thought to herself as she frowned at her reflection. "I don't know if retiring is giving up, or if it simply is accepting that I've lived my dream and moving on with my life."
These thoughts circled around in her head, and Serena sighed. Her headache was coming back. There was another thing that had been bothering her too. One of the costs of becoming Kalos Queen was the total separation from a real social life. Aria went through the same thing, she found out. Serena hadn't seen her family in a little over a year, and her friends in even longer. The schedule demanded her constant attention, and it was a miracle that she could even get away long enough to come to Kanto. Even then, if Palermo found out where she was, she'd freak out.
Serena was lonely.
Whether it be from friends, family, or romantic interests, the honey-blonde was woefully deprived of the ability to be social. She's been lonely for a long time, but for the sake of her dream, she had denied it to herself. Now, with no one here but her reflection and the trees, the honey-blonde had to be honest with herself. She was lonely, and she hated it.
So what now?
She looked around again at the trees, as if the answer was lying on their trunks. She thought of her friends and family and how she hoped they would welcome her back after so long without contacting them. What about Ash? She hadn't seen or heard from him in so long. Was there still a chance with him? Was there ever a chance in the first place? She didn't quite know anymore. Even if they wouldn't work out romantically, Serena would still like to be friends with him. He was one of the most influential people in her entire life, and she felt like she wanted to keep in contact with him no matter what.
"Where's my happily ever after?" Serena whispered to herself with a hint of sarcasm.
The only thing that answered her was the silence of the forest around her, and the honey-blonde sighed to herself.
"This has been some reflective trip. I don't know what I was thinking when I came out here." She said to her audience of nobody. "I established that I'm lonely and basically hoping that retiring will fix my damaged relationships with my friends."
There was a rustling of bushes nearby that signaled that something was walking through them. Serena glanced over in that direction, half-expecting a poliwag to come flying out of the bushes like one did all those years ago. That would be ironic. The rustling grew closer, and Serena's azure eyes stayed at the spot where she anticipated the pokémon would come out.
It wasn't a pokémon's hand that shot out of the bushes though, but a human one.
Not just any human one too, but the tanned hand of an adult male. An adult male that was wearing a familiar red hat and had a pikachu sitting on his shoulder.
Serena couldn't move. Her mouth gaped open in shock as she registered just who it was that was standing roughly 30 feet down the shoreline. He hadn't seen her yet, and he simply stared out at the pond with a sigh. He still had a blue jacket just like all those years ago, but he had changed to black pants and his old hat was worn, with what looked like a few burn marks on its bill.
Ash Ketchum, "Z" marks and all, was standing a stone's throw from Serena, and she couldn't believe her luck. She was still unable to move though, and stared at him in total shock.
Ash looked around the pond, taking in the sight of it, before scratching Pikachu on the cheek. The yellow mouse cooed and rubbed against his best friend's face.
"Well buddy, I'm not really sure what I expected by coming out here. Just an old pond I've seen countless times."
"Pika…" Pikachu replied slowly, shaking his head. He looked around the pond while Ash continued staring at the waters, before his eyes caught the honey-blonde woman with familiar azure eyes staring at them, mouth gaping.
Pikachu stopped moving as well, before composing himself and punching Ash in the cheek.
"Hey! What was that for?" Ash said with an irritated tone. He looked towards Pikachu on his right shoulder, and saw what his best friend was staring at. He recognized the woman immediately, but just like her, he couldn't believe it.
Ash and Serena stared at each other for a few seconds longer before the performer jumped up to a standing position, splashing water around from the speed at which she ripped her legs out of the pond. Ash flinched, stepping forward a few paces.
"S-Serena? Is that you?" He asked, as if to confirm that it really was her standing not far in front of him.
Serena nodded, and that was all it took. Both Ash and Serena sprinted towards each other faster than they thought possible. Pikachu held onto his friend's shoulder for dear life while Serena had let her straw hat fly away as the distance between them closed in no time at all, and they collided together in a tight hug.
Absolute bliss.
That was the only thing running through Serena's mind as her face was buried deep into Ash's shoulder. He was several inches taller than her now. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly. After so many years of not seeing him, there was no way she was letting him go now. Her mind was blank, so she acted on pure instinct as she held on for a few more seconds. She leaned back, still keeping her arms on his shoulders, as she stared into his eyes with a teary smile.
Ash's bright brown eyes stared back at hers, and they maintained this silent eye contact for a few seconds. Neither really knew what to say, but it seemed they were content just being in the other's presence for a few moments.
Serena pulled Ash tightly into a hug again and allowed a few tears to fall from her eyes onto his shoulder. She felt Ash's arms tighten around her, and she couldn't remember the last time she grinned like that.
"I can't believe it…" Ash said into Serena's hair. "I can't believe you're here. What are the chances of that?"
Serena laughed into Ash's shoulder before wiping her stray tears away and leaning back to look into Ash's eyes again. "I don't know. The chances were very low, I thought."
Ash grinned, and Serena didn't realize how much she missed his toothy smile until she saw it for herself. "Well, I always did say that nothing is impossible…" He said with a teasing tone.
The honey-blonde broke out into a fit of giggles as she felt the ancient feeling rising up in her chest. The one she had for years for her raven-haired friend that she held in her arms. She thought it gone at several points, but it always came back with a vengeance. She felt her cheeks turn pink as she looked down shyly.
"Pikapi…"
Both embracing friends looked down and saw that Pikachu was being crushed between them, and violently let go of each other to allow the pokémon some breathing room. Pikachu took a deep breath before smiling up at Serena and jumping up onto her shoulder. He nuzzled her face with his cheek, earning a laugh from the performer and prompting her to scratch him behind the ear.
Ash gestured towards the ground beneath them, a twinkle in his eye. "I don't suppose you have anywhere to be. Care to stay for a bit so we can catch up?"
Serena grinned back at him. "I suppose I can do that." She replied before sitting down herself, careful not to mess up her blue dress or knock Pikachu off of her shoulder.
Just like all those years ago when they were in Kalos, Serena and Ash were sitting on the shoreline of a similar pond together. Serena was on top of the world. Sitting next to Ash again was only possible in her wildest dreams. She scratched behind Pikachu's ear and laughed at his cooing expression as Ash looked at her with fondness in his eyes.
"So, what are you doing in Kanto?" Ash asked with a small laugh. His lighthearted tone betrayed him, as if he couldn't believe this was happening either.
Serena was unable to keep her eyes off of her old friend, so she simply smiled at him. "Well, I don't really know why I came here. I suppose it was to find answers."
Ash raised his eyebrow. "Answers for what?"
"Well, being Kalos Queen isn't really working out."
Both Ash and Pikachu shared the same expression of shock, and Serena briefly wondered how a person and pokémon could possibly be as close as those two. "Not working out? What do you mean?"
Serena shrugged. "Well, the schedule is a bit too much for me. I miss being myself, or seeing my family and friends, or doing anything other than meeting with officials or even performing. I guess you could say I'm burnt out."
Ash nodded, turning his gaze towards the water. "Ah, I see." It was quiet then for a second before he spoke again. "Well, whatever you decide to do is gonna be the right decision, I guess. Did you figure out what you wanted?"
"Not really. I guess I knew before coming here that I was going to retire. I came here to see if I could figure out what I would do after retiring from being Kalos Queen. Haven't really gotten an answer to that yet."
Ash was silent then, his face forming an expression that betrayed deep contemplation. Thinking he didn't know how to respond and unwilling to let silence fall between them for too long, Serena spoke again.
"What have you been up to? I haven't been able to keep up with what you've been doing because of my busy schedule."
This seemed to bring Ash back to the present and he smiled. Rubbing the back of his head nervously, he laughed. "Well, I've been traveling around for years, as you know. But after becoming champion of Alola and traveling with my friend Goh for a bit, I decided to I wanted to re-enter the leagues I had failed as a kid. I've been pretty successful so far."
Serena smiled at her friend's—no, crush's—victories. She had to be honest with herself. It hadn't gone away. Being around him again only confirmed that. "So, what does that mean? Are you super-champion or something?"
Ash laughed and Pikachu shook his head. His laugh was like music to Serena's ears. She had forgotten how much she missed that too. "Not quite. I'm champion of Alola, Sinnoh, Unova, Johto, and most recently, Kanto. That's why I'm home, actually. Just became Kanto champion a few weeks ago."
Serena playfully hit Ash's shoulder. "I expect nothing less from the future pokémon master of the world. Congratulations!"
"Thank you, Serena! It means a lot coming from you."
Deciding to not dwell on the possible implication of that statement, Serena decided to ignore it and continue on. "When do you plan on challenging the champions of the other regions?"
Ash was quiet for a few seconds before shrugging. "Not sure. I don't think I will."
"Why is that?" Serena asked, taken aback by how sure he sounded despite his shrug suggesting otherwise.
Ash looked back at Serena, a wistful and bright look in his eyes. "I've spent 12 years traveling the world, Serena. I wouldn't change a thing about it too, and I've had more fun than I could possibly imagine. I've met amazing people, seen amazing things, and done amazing things. Now I'm the champion of five regions, and from what I hear from the inner circles of the training world, everybody knows I can easily become champion of the remaining ones. Feels kinda pointless, you know?" Serena didn't answer, so Ash sighed and continued. "I feel like I've accomplished what I set out to do. I'm unofficially the undisputed pokémon master of the world. The remaining champions are essentially waiting to hand their titles to me. Kinda takes the fun out of it."
"I see…" Serena replied, turning her gaze towards the pond.
"That's actually why I decided to come here."
This brought Serena's attention back to her raven-haired friend. "What do you mean?" She asked, her curiosity peaked and eyebrows raised.
Ash was quiet for another second and Serena couldn't help but wonder if this "more contemplative" Ash was part of the natural maturity that came with aging. It was a far-cry from the "act first think later" Ash of their teens. "It's hard to explain." He began. "This place has always held significance to me. I had a lot of memories of coming down to this pond to fish or look for pokémon. Not to mention it isn't far from the very spot where I met you." Upon mentioning this, Serena felt him glance over at her out of the corner of his eyes. "I just feel…comfortable here. So lately, whenever I was about to leave for a new region to challenge the reigning champion, I would come here and think for a bit. But now that all the fun has been taken out of challenging the remaining champions, I'm actually at a loss for what to do. I accomplished my dream, but I'm not sure what I would do after my dream, you know?"
Serena gasped then, putting her hand lightly over her mouth. What he was describing sounded very familiar.
"For the first time since I was a little kid, I don't really know what to do." He chuckled then and shook his head. "Mom said I should start a pokémon training school. Teach anyone who is interested how to battle and be a good trainer. Stress the bond between trainer and pokémon, too. Kinda like a gym, but instead of getting a badge, you just get more experience. I never really saw myself as a teacher, but I guess I can see myself doing that."
Serena worked up her courage and put a hand over Ash's. He looked at her with a surprised look on his face but didn't move his hand away. "Whatever you do, Ash, I know you'll be great at it. You would be an amazing teacher. You're the best trainer there ever was."
Ash grinned his trademark smile and moved his hand so he could give Serena's hand a squeeze. "Thanks Serena. I guess you could say I came out here to find inspiration, and just like when we traveled Kalos together, you've given it to me."
"Oh stop." Serena said, reluctantly pulling her hand away to hit his shoulder playfully and trying to take attention away from her reddening face.
"He's here for the same reason as I am…!" Serena yelled inside her head. "This place is just as special to him as it is for me!"
"I'm sorry I didn't write more to you." Ash said, his smile fading as looked down at the ground with an ashamed look. "I wanted to, but I saw just how busy you were. I was busy too, but it was like you were on a whole different level of busy. I didn't want to bother you."
Serena looked down at the ground too, sighing. "I'm still very busy all the time, but I'm at fault too. I've been so tired all the time. I should have made time for contacting you or my other friends." She looked over at Ash then, prompting him to make eye contact with her. She offered a small supportive smile. "I appreciate you thinking of me though. Knowing that now is enough for me."
Ash nodded, and opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated. It took him a second, but he eventually worked up the courage to speak. "How are you and your boyfriend?" He asked, his tone betraying an unknown emotion.
Serena knitted her eyebrows together. "What do you mean?" She asked after a moment of hesitation of her own.
Ash looked uncomfortable, and she felt Pikachu fidget on her shoulder. "Well, I guess last I heard, you had a boyfriend." He avoided Serena's gaze by picking at the grass beneath his feet. "I guess it has been a while since we last talked, or saw each other."
Serena shook her head and petted Pikachu's ears again. "I haven't had a boyfriend for three years." She scoffed then. "Seems like everyone wants to get with the Kalos Queen though. I've rejected more boys and girls than I ever knew existed."
Ash chuckled then, sounding slightly less uncomfortable. "Yeah, being the champion of several regions apparently means something similar. I've rejected lots of dates. Gary is pretty jealous."
"I understand." Serena said, joining him with a chuckle of her own. "Well, my ex-boyfriend and I only dated for about a month. It was an experiment, nothing more. We both went our separate ways in life."
It was silent for a few more moments and Serena saw Ash's gaze flicker over to Pikachu, who she felt was nodding on her shoulder. Ash loudly cleared his throat then, and his hands fidgeted on his jacket.
"It's ironic that you've come to Kanto though…" He said, his voice faltering from…nervousness?
"Why?"
Ash reached into his pocket tentatively, pulling out what looked like a Saffron City plane ticket. She didn't really get the chance to look at it though, as the trainer started playing with it in his hands. His gaze looked to be avoiding Serena's at all costs as he stared at the ticket intently. "I was actually going to fly to Kalos today. I, uh, wanted to come see you."
Serena gasped again. She looked down at the ticket and then back at Ash, who bashfully looked back up at the honey-blonde again. When their eyes met, both of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Serena looked away shyly.
"I just…really wanted to see you. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately…I mean…for the past six years."
"About what?" Serena breathed out, barely able to be heard by the trainer in front of her.
"You." Was Ash's simple quiet answer. He then captured Serena's azure eyes within his own, both of them staring into the other's. "I've been thinking about that kiss you gave me when you left for Hoenn all those years ago."
Serena felt her face go red at the recollection of the memory but she didn't move her gaze away. Ash had completely entranced her.
"It sounds stupid, but I actually didn't realize what it meant for a long time. I was in Alola talking about it with my friends there when I realized what it meant…and how I felt…"
Serena felt her breath hitch. Was he…?
"I had several girls ask me out over the years, but I always told them that I was taken. That my heart already belonged to someone. We were both following our dreams though, and I was willing to patiently wait for when you became Kalos Queen so that I could tell you how I felt. But…" He paused then, and his eyes filled with an unfamiliar sadness. "When I sent you that letter congratulating you on achieving your dream, I had already booked the tickets to Kalos to come find you. I found out from Clemont a few days or so after I sent it when I was planning my visit that you had a boyfriend, so I decided to just leave you be. You and I exchanged letters and talked on the phone once or twice, but I avoided the topic of your boyfriend as much as I could because it kinda hurt…"
Serena managed to regain her composure and put both of her hands on Ash's on the ground. "Ash! I only dated him for a month! Clemont must not have known either that we broke up!" She facepalmed, thinking about how she was going to call Clemont and Bonnie after May had visited, but got caught up in her schedule and forgot. How different things would have turned out if she had just done that… "I should have made it more public!"
Ash dryly laughed, shaking his head. "No matter now. I probably wouldn't have heard anyway. I tried my best to avoid the paparazzi and not watch the news. I spent a lot of time without a phone, which was why I preferred to write letters." He directed his gaze back to Serena's azure eyes. "I told myself that if you had managed to find a boyfriend, then he must have made you happy. All I wanted was for you to be happy, and sure, I was more than a little disappointed, but in the end, you were happy, and that's what I wanted."
"Ash…" Serena quietly replied, unable to stop herself from smiling. "I appreciate that, but seriously. We only dated for a month."
Ash nodded then and took another deep breath. He briefly let his gaze fall on Pikachu before turning it back to the honey-blonde, who was staring at him intently. "Serena, when you left Kalos for Hoenn all those years ago, you told me that I was your goal, and that I was going to like the person that you grew into. For a long time, I didn't really understand what you were saying."
He paused then, and Serena interpreted that as meaning he was expecting a response. She didn't notice that his gaze was on Pikachu again, who was doing elaborate hand gestures towards his best friend.
"W-well—"
Ash raised his hand, interrupting her. "Wait, Serena. I've got a lot I have to say." When she nodded in not-so-subtle anticipation, he continued. "When you told me that, at the time, and for a long time afterward, I was thinking 'Why would she tell me that I would like who she would become? She's Serena. As long as she is still Serena, then I'm going to like her no matter what.' Once again, I figured out everything in Alola. I didn't know when we were traveling through Kalos that I…had these "weird" feelings for you…and when I did figure it out, you were already gone and I was in Alola."
Serena felt her heart swell with love, and had a great urge to scoot herself ever closer to Ash. She did so, and a great smile was beginning to tug at her lips. These words he was saying were better than anything she could conjure up in a dream. She deftly pinched herself to make sure that what was happening wasn't a dream, or that she hadn't actually gone crazy from the stresses of Kalos Queen and was recovering from a severe mental breakdown and was hallucinating this entire trip.
So far, so good. It was real. This was all real.
"Serena." Ash continued, his confidence seemingly returning as he squeezed the honey-blonde's hand on the grass. "I have traveled all over the world. I have met more people than I could ever count, but none were as special or as memorable as you. I declared that I've achieved my dream of becoming a pokémon master, and I was going to fly to Kalos to find you and tell you how I felt. Ironically, if I hadn't come here, I would have been in Kalos and you would have been in Kanto. So I'm glad I decided to come back to this pond! What I'm trying to say is...I love you, Serena. You're the only person I've ever loved, and the only person I ever could love…"
Serena grinned madly, averting her gaze down to the grass to shyly giggle. She felt as if her mind was overwhelmed and that her heart was about to explode in a joy she had never felt before. Years she had waited for this very moment. Years. She tried convincing herself that her crush would go away, and every time she was close to believing it actually did, Ash would come back into her mind. She still remembered her mom and Calem teasing her about her crush on Ash. Oh how she would rub this in their faces…
Ash, on the other hand, looked like he was beginning to get a little nervous at Serena's lack of an immediate response and her staring at the ground and giggling. He laughed awkwardly and rubbed his hand behind his head again. "W-well, I've put a lot of thought into how life would work out if my trip to Kalos was successful…" He said a bit too quickly. "I mean, I've got a lot of money saved up from the championships I've won and I've already got the school planned out to support us and Clemont said when we last talked a long time ago that he would help out with finding a place to live if we needed but I don't know if he can still help and I've never been in a relationship before so you've got to forgive me if I act like an idiot every once in a while and…"
Serena, at first, was listening to Ash's rambling rant, but as he went on and on, she stopped. He was nervous, and it was adorable.
"And I don't know if you feel the same and I feel stupid for taking so long to realize how I felt so I certainly understand if you don't feel the same anymore after your kiss implied that you did and…"
Serena shook her head, grinning madly, before decided that she had enough of his adorable rant. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a kiss, effectively silencing him in the best way she knew how.
While she may not be a timid teenage girl anymore, her confidence to be able to pull something off like kissing Ash Ketchum again surprised even her. The kiss, to Serena, was everything she ever hoped it could have been. By that, she meant that she felt an electrifying spark shock through her when her lips touched his. Like they were always meant for each other, and that kiss was the seal on the letter that foretold their futures together. Ash was incredibly tense at first, but soon relaxed into the kiss, and when Serena withdrew, she saw that his face was almost as red as hers must have been at that moment.
Serena pulled away but kept her hands on Ash's shoulders. He looked dazed, with a stupid smile on his face and his cheeks red. The honey-blond giggled, and brushed her hand against his right cheek. "Was that a clear enough message about how I feel?" She said quietly, earning a slow nod from the raven-haired trainer.
"Twice now you've done that to me…" He said, shaking his head as he was beginning to compose himself. Serena giggled again, and Pikachu jumped off of her shoulder and ran off somewhere else. A small twinge of embarrassment crept up inside her as she realized she kissed Ash with Pikachu on her shoulder, but forcefully pushed it away. Now wasn't the time to be reserved. It was time for action.
"I suppose that is something I could get used to doing…" Serena said playfully. She scooted even closer to him and adjusted her position so that she was leaning against his shoulder, looking out at the pond in front of them. Ash wrapped his arm around her, and for the first time in seemingly years, Serena felt rejuvenated. Refreshed. Awake. Ecstatic. Content.
Happy.
It seemed that the two of them were content silently looking out at the rippling pond in front of them. Both of them held huge grins on their faces as they enjoyed each other's company. A few minutes later, Pikachu emerged from the forest holding Serena's straw hat with Ash's blue ribbon wrapped around it. He recognized the ribbon immediately, and looked down at Serena with a smile, which she returned immediately. Pikachu jumped up on Serena's right shoulder that wasn't nuzzled into Ash's side and plopped the hat back onto her head. The brim lightly hit Ash in the face, prompting Serena and Pikachu to laugh. He pretended to be offended at first, giving a smiling glare to his best friend, before joining in the laugh as well. Serena thanked Pikachu, who proudly nodded in return, before she moved the hat back down to the ground next to them so she could lean back into Ash.
The three of them sat out looking over the pond as if nothing in the world could break the two new lovers down. Serena looked up at Ash then, leaning back slightly so that she could see his entire face.
"You know, I came here for inspiration to figure out what to do after I retire from being Kalos Queen. But as long as I'm with you, I don't think I have to worry about what I'm going to do."
She felt Ash's arm squeeze around her again, bringing with it a sense of joy and safety. "I feel the same, Serena. Being with you again is amazing!" His face twisted in concentration. "It's like winning a pokémon championship for the first time, except maybe better! If you think the school would be a good idea, I'll happily start that up in Kalos if you wanted?"
Serena nuzzled herself back into Ash's shoulder, relishing her chance to do so now, and silently thanking Arceus for letting her be able to do it again in the future. "I'll gladly help you out with the school, Ash…"
She felt Ash nod then, and he laughed. "I'm totally going to rub this in Dawn's face…" He said with a teasing tone. "I just talked to her last month and she spent most of the conversation telling me how I stupid I am for not asking you out years ago like I should have."
Serena then thought of what May had told her when she first became Kalos Queen three years ago and laughed as well. "Looks like you were right, May. Fate found a way…"
"I was willing to wait forever for you, you know." Ash suddenly said out to the pond. Serena felt Pikachu cuddle into her face and nod, as if he was affirming what his best friend was saying. It made her feel even warmer inside.
Serena felt a few happy tears well up in her eyes once more that she didn't even try to stop. Slowly looking up at Ash with a bright smile and tears running down her face, she met his brown eyes with her azure ones. "How about we begin our forever right now?"
As if their minds synched together in the way that only lovers could, they both leaned in, and lips touched again for their first mutually-initiated kiss. It was even better than the first two, and the sparks were all there. Serena felt her mind go blank as they both leaned away after a few seconds. Both Ash and Serena laughed then with red faces, and cuddled even closer together, as if that were possible. Pikachu shook his head, but was smiling himself.
Serena Yvonne and Ash Ketchum both came to the same pond in the Kantonian forest in hopes of finding out how they would live their lives after completing their respective dreams, but instead, they found each other. In a way, they found exactly what they were looking for. Many years before, they were both small children in this very same forest. Fate brought them together at first, and it was fate that brought them back after many years to very nearly the same location.
The former spot of the summer camp was special to both of them. It was where they met, and now, it was where their relationship began. While many children had played in this forest, it was Ash and Serena who formed an unbreakable bond within its trees and bushes.
What would the future hold? Neither of them knew. But, at this moment, none of that mattered. All that mattered is that they finally found each other. It all started with a little girl falling over in the woods, and a little boy coming through looking for a pokemon, and found her instead. It all started in these woods.
It all started in a place only they knew.
And Serena wouldn't have it any other way.
Welcome to the end! I realized that I could have just typed and posted this last entry and it could have been its own standalone one-shot. Posting the previous ages of Serena's life was just adding something that I wanted to do. Not required, you know. Like, you could read "Age 22" without reading any of the previous chapters and still pretty much get everything you needed to know. This chapter also was the true namesake of "Somewhere only we know". The other chapters were just lead-up to this.
I already have an epilogue written, so that'll be the next and final chapter. Thanks for making it this far.
Twilly