Hey, here's our next chapter! This one is packed with Amour fluff and character interaction, and I hope you enjoy!

Lavaridge Town Pokémon Center, 8:30 A.M

Ash's eyes fluttered open as he awoke, still feeling exhausted after yesterday's events.

"Guess I must've been out for the count for some time. I should probably get-"

Ash's train of thought was interrupted once he realized the situation he was in. Currently, Serena was practically latching onto him with her arms around his body, and he was also doing the same. He blushed softly upon noticing Serena smiling in her sleep. Ash felt a calming happiness seeing Serena safe after what happened at Mt. Chimney, though there had to be a better name for what he was feeling than just the "Serena Effect". Rather than get out of bed, Ash chose to remain laying on it, not wanting to let go of this feeling.

On the other side of the bed, Serena was half-asleep but could still somewhat decipher what had happened. Upon realizing she was cuddling with Ash, she blushed a dark scarlet and buried her face further into his chest (Does he always feel this warm?). This was another one of the moments she had always desired to share with him, and she wouldn't let it pass. Her heartbeat picked up its pace as she nestled her head towards Ash, closed her eyes, felt little footsteps on top of her…

"Pika-pika!"

Pikachu's voice awoke Ash and Serena from their half-asleep state as they clutched onto each other in surprise, before noticing that the other was awake. Laughing nervously and blushing, they regretfully let go of each other.

"M-morning Serena."

"Morning A-Ash. How did you sleep?"

"I think I slept okay, especially after what happened yesterday. What about you Serena? Are you feeling okay? Do you need my help with any-"

"I'm feeling great Ash, don't worry!"

Ash sheepishly smiled at Serena, and she smiled back. It seemed like ever since the Mauville tag battle, Ash was more up-front and affectionate with her, something she was surprised by, but obviously didn't mind whatsoever. The kiss at Trainer Hill especially had constantly made her heart melt every time she thought back to it. Perhaps she needed a second opinion on how to approach Ash about her feelings. As great as Chloe was, Serena knew someone who had experienced a relationship before would be great to talk to.

"Hey Serena, can I talk to you?"

Ash's words made Serena jump slightly, before turning towards him and sending a smile in his direction.

"Of course! How can I help?"

Serena's smile always made Ash smile back: it was that contagious (like Pokérus). He sat down next to her and sighed to himself.

"L-lately I've been feeling kind of odd around you. I don't know if it's the fact that we hadn't seen each other in ages or what, but it's this odd sense of…protectiveness."

"Ash, I'm just a close friend. Friends look out for each other!"

"Y-yeah, they do, but this feels different. When Zinnia insulted you, I felt like she insulted me too. When you went hurdling down that chasm, I dived right for you and put myself in the line of danger to save your life. It's almost like the Bond Phenomenon with Greninja, but…different. Do you know what I mean?"

Serena blushed as she heard Ash describe how he felt. Perhaps this was why he was acting differently. Perhaps she needed to give him a nudge in the right direction.

"Ash, we've known each other for a long time. You care so much about people and Pokémon, and I really admire that about you. I'm not sure what exactly this feeling is, but what always helps me is some internal reflection. Thinking to myself."

"But I'm always such a rash and quick-thinking person, Serena. I almost never think to myself!"

Serena chuckled slightly, smiling at Ash. She had expected this answer, but knew the perfect way to handle it.

"And I think that's awesome. But sometimes we all need to simply sit down alone, close our eyes, and think about what troubles us the most."

"Y-you're right. I'm always blazing ahead so much that I never take the time to think deeply. I think maybe we should stay in Lavaridge for the day; I'm not ready for Mossdeep yet."

"That's the spirit Ash! And besides, I want to check out the hot springs myself."

Ash remembered; a while back, he and Goh went to the Lavaridge hot springs one time! He knew Serena would like it as much as he did.

"I'll go tell the others!"

"Ash, wait, you haven't even changed out of your-"

Ash had already run out the door, leaving Serena to sigh to herself as she looked towards Pikachu.

"He's full of energy, isn't he?"

"Pikapika…"

As Pikachu hopped off the bed to run after Ash, Serena grabbed her Rotom Phone from the nightstand of the bed, dialing to make a call.

"Hi May, what's the earliest you can arrive in Lavaridge at?"

Lavaridge Pokémon Center Lobby

"Of course you guys can spend the day resting in Lavaridge! I wouldn't have forced you to immediately come back here if what you told me is true."

Currently, the group was huddled around a videophone, where Brendan had called Professor Birch about the events the day before. He seemed relieved that the Primal shard had been secured, but still worried about what had happened.

"Thank you dad!" Brendan responded. "We'll probably hit the hot springs whenever we can."

"They're unparalleled," Birch responded. "We'll see you guys when you arrive in Mossdeep."

"Actually Professor," Sawyer corrected. "Steven Stone requested that I return to Mossdeep immediately. After Zinnia's attack, he wants to guarantee the safety of the Link Cable."

"Well, I can't argue with the Hoenn Champion," Birch noted. "See you in Mossdeep Sawyer."

Birch ended the call as everyone looked towards Sawyer.

"You're leaving already?!" Ash exclaimed. "But we never battled since I got here!"

"Believe me Ash, I would've loved to," Sawyer stated. "But I need to make sure the Link Cable is safe. I hope you understand."

Ash groaned in disappointment as Serena put a hand on his shoulder. Sawyer smirked as he closed his journal and walked to the door.

"See you guys back in Mossdeep!" Sawyer waved to everyone. Everyone cheered and bid him farewell as he stepped out the door.

"So, who's up for the hot springs?" Goh asked. Everyone was nodding in agreement, and were about to walk towards the entrance when a voice called out through the building.

"Got room for one more?" May asked. Goh and Chloe were surprised to see that she had arrived, while Ash and Brendan were completely dumbfounded. Serena took the time to walk in front of the group to explain what had happened.

"I invited May to join us to help with our post-volcano de-stressing," Serena stated. "I hope that's okay!"

"Of course it's okay!" Ash exclaimed. "How have you been May?"

"I'm great Ash!" May explained. "After I won the Grand Festival I was getting set to take on Unova's contest circuit, but then there was the meteor strike near Fortree and suddenly all the airports were closed! I'm glad I'm here to-"

May suddenly stopped talking once she noticed Brendan standing amongst the group. A very faint blush creeped across her face as she smiled softly.

"I don't believe it. Brendan Birch?"

"Guilty as charged," Brendan smirked as he raised a hand. "It's been a while hasn't it?'

"Y-yeah," May responded, twirling a finger in her hair. "I'd love to catch up more if it wasn't for the fact that the hot springs are split by gender."

"We'll have plenty of time later," Brendan noted. "Now c'mon, let's hit the hot springs!"

Lavaridge Hot Springs

While their Trainers were relaxing in the other areas of the hot springs, the gang's Pokémon were also taking it in within their section, sitting all throughout it. Some of them, like Braixen and Rhyperior, sat on the edge of the springs due to their distaste for water, while others like Inteleon, Swampert and Milotic were living it up and even splashed water onto the smaller Pokemon. Grookey snickered as he tried to splash Inteleon back, while Eevee shook the water out of her fur before returning to chatting with Glaceon and Sylveon.

Meanwhile, Ash and Serena's Sceptiles were sitting within one specific corner of the hot springs as Pikachu, Pancham, and Munchlax were observing.

"Pika-pika." Those two are all buddy-buddy, eh?

"Cham, Pancham." You're almost as dense as your Trainer is.

"Pikapi, Pikachu!" I was being sarcastic. You'd have to be a Slowpoke not to see the chemistry those two have.

"Munch, Munchlax?" Those two like each other?

"Cham, Pancham." Apparently so. It's just a shame that Ash and Serena can't see their admiration for each other.

"Chu, Pika!" Now I feel bad for waking them up from cuddling with each other this morning.

"CHAM?!" You did WHAT?!

"Pika, Pikachu, Pikapi!" I wanted to wake up and get Ash to bring me ketchup for breakfast! I didn't know at the time!

"Lax, Munchlax..." I could really go for some ketchup right now…

"Pan?" What's with you two and ketchup?

"Pika, Pikachu!" It's the greatest substance on earth. Don't lie Pancham, you want some right now, don't you?

"...cham." …yeah.

"Lax, Munchlax! Laaax…" I know just the spot to grab some here. Plus, I have another idea…

Munchlax turned toward Ash's Sceptile, waving as he winked.

"Lax, Munchlax!" Hey Scep, you wanna go grab a bite to eat with us?

Sceptile nodded, before turning towards Serena's.

"Scep, Scep! Tile?" I'm game. You okay with me joining these guys for a bit? I haven't seen Munchlax in ages.

"Tile, Sceptile." You go right ahead. Besides, Braixen wanted to talk to me about something.

The two Sceptiles nodded at each other as they went their separate ways. As Ash's Sceptile exited the hot springs with Pikachu, Pancham, and Munchlax, he looked towards them with a questioning stare.

"Scep, scep?" Okay, what's this really about?

"Laax. Munchlax." We're gonna help you get a gift for your girlfriend there.

"Scep…" She's not my-oh, alright.

As the four Pokémon walked along, they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a woman screeching. Turning towards the hot springs, they shrugged before continuing along.

Serena, Chloe, and May stepped into the hot springs as they all laid back on the wall, smiling and closing their eyes. It was incredibly relaxing; the warm water and the pleasant heat. Chloe pulled her braid up and tied it into a bun. NOW the spring water felt perfect to her.

"So Ash saved you from falling down a chasm into lava?!" May exclaimed. Serena blushed lightly as she nodded.

"Y-yeah, he did…" Serena responded. "He's someone I strive to be like, and hopefully be with one day…"

May blinked twice, dumbfounded, before unleashing an ear-piercing screech of joy across the entire hot springs. She grabbed Serena by the shoulders and shook her.

"YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON ASH?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER? I KNOW TONS ABOUT THAT GUY AND I AM DYING TO HELP SOMEONE WITH THEIR ROMANTIC PROBLEMS AND-"

"May, maybe speak a little quieter so that Ash doesn't hear you," Chloe snarked. "Or anyone else for that matter."

May quickly piped down as she looked to Serena in happiness, putting a hand on her shoulder as she smirked at an unamused Chloe.

"Alright sister, spill the deets," May asked. "What do you like about Ash anyway?"

Serena breathed in, closing her eyes as she smiled. This was something she had always been sure about.

"Ash is…someone I've admired since I was very young. His passion and energy for life give me so much hope for the future, and he's always a go-getter.. He's dependable, he's supportive, he's unstoppable, he's cute, he's-"

"Geez, I never went into that much detail whenever I talked about Drew," May noted. She nudged Serena's arm. "You love him, don't you?"

"Y-yeah," Serena responded, blushing a dark shade of scarlet as she looked down. "I just wish he would notice how much I care about him."

"Ash is a notoriously dense person," May shrugged. "Every time Brock would hit on a girl while we traveled in Hoenn, Ash never spoke about it or cared."

"That sounds just like him, but lately Ash has seemed different," Serena noted. "He's always asking how I'm doing, he's always concerned if I'm safe, he kissed me when the jumbotron at Trainer Hill made us do it, he nearly saved my life several times…"

"WHAT?!" May exclaimed. "HE KISSED YOU? WILLINGLY?"

Chloe rolled her eyes; weren't hot springs supposed to be relaxing?!

Ash, Goh, and Brendan were sitting in the hot springs, seemingly silent as they took in the heat. Ash in particular was deep in thought regarding Serena, as per usual. Serena's advice about taking moments to think deeply was something he was deciding to try out now. So far, his mind was blanking.

"Something on your mind, Ash?" Goh asked. Ash opened up his eyes as he sat more upright and looked towards Goh.

"Yeah, kinda," Ash responded, scratching his neck. "It's about Serena. Again."

"Why am I surprised?" Goh stated. "I've never seen you in such a state before."

"Perhaps I owe you guys a true look into what I've been thinking," Ash noted. "Brendan, you want to-"

An ear-splitting screech echoed through the hot springs as Ash, Goh, and Brendan jumped up in their spots.

"What was THAT?" Brendan exclaimed. Ash and Goh shrugged in response as the three of them sat back down. Maybe it was a wild Pokémon?

"Alright, I guess it started back in Mauville," Ash stated. "We were doing the tag battle together, and somehow I felt a close connection to her as we worked together. It was like…this weird pain in my stomach and my brain bouncing all over the place. After that day I made it a goal to observe Serena closer and see how she acted around me, and needless to say it was…surprising. She always blushed whenever I complimented her or said something inspiring."

He took a deep breath in before continuing. "The fact that she fainted right after I kissed her was something else that felt odd to me. And then at Mt. Chimney I nearly risked my life to save hers, and the whole time my heart was pounding rapidly! I had to protect her and I don't know what I would've done if she fell down that chasm. Wh…what is this?"

Goh and Brendan sat down, eyes wide open, as they stared in shock. Never had they heard Ash speak so openly about his feelings before.

"Ash, I'm going to be blatantly honest," Brendan stated. "What you are describing is a crush."

Ash blushed profusely as he raised his hands in the air. A crush? Really? He acted nothing like Brock did when he was around women.

"N-no, it's not like that!" Ash exclaimed. "If it was a crush I'd be constantly doting after Serena and making a fool out of myself!"

"...that is nothing like what a crush is," Brendan stated. "Where did you even get your conception of romance from anyways?"

"It's a long story," Ash responded. "But suppose I do…have a crush on Serena. What do I do?!"

"You tell her how you feel," Goh responded. "You tell her everything you told us."

"But what if she finds it creepy?" Ash exclaimed. "And besides, I don't even know if I have a crush on her!"

"Ash, it's unhealthy to lie to yourself about this," Brendan stated. "Everyone has grappled with feelings for someone at some point. Heck, I've even seen May in a certain light and-whoops."

"...you have a thing for May?" Goh asked. Brendan sheepishly nodded as Ash and Goh grinned at each other.

"Well, THAT takes a load off things," Ash thought to himself.

Pikachu, Pancham, Munchlax, and Sceptile walked back towards the hot springs, comically oversized ketchup bottles in hand, while Sceptile carried a small box.

"Scep. Sceptile." You sure she'll like it?

"Pika, Pikachu!" If I know Serena's Pokémon well enough, she'll like it much like how Serena loved the ribbon Ash got her.

"Munch, Munchlax!" You got this dude. We'll be watching.

"Pancham, cham!" We'll be rooting for you!

The Pokémon arrived at the hot springs, and they all got back in the water. Pikachu, Pancham, and Munchlax sat on the sidelines as Ash's Sceptile approached Serena's Sceptile, scratching the back of his neck.

"Tile, Scep…Sceptile." I…got you something.

"Scep? Tile?" A gift? For me?

Ash's Sceptile nodded as he handed the other Sceptile the box. Opening it, her eyes were sparkling as she eyed her gift. Ash's Sceptile had got her a lei made out of light blue flowers, almost the same color as her Trainer's ribbon. The flowers smelt pleasant; strong but not overwhelming. Blushing, she lowered her head as Ash's Sceptile placed the lei around her neck, before staring at Ash's Sceptile in happiness.

"Scep. Sceptile." It's lovely. Thank you.

"Scep…" It was no big deal. Just wanted to give the Pokémon I cared about a gift.

Serena's Sceptile rested its head on Ash's Sceptile's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her, before giving a thumbs-up to Pikachu, Pancham, and Munchlax. Pikachu in particular was optimistic that if Ash and Serena's Pokémon could get close, so could they.

6 P.M

As the group returned to the Pokémon Center, May winked at Chloe before turning towards the rest of the group.

"So, since it's been a while, I thought I'd treat us all," May declared. "So I've placed a takeout order at Geosenge Gyoza for us all!"

"The restaurant owned by Siebold of the Kalos Elite Four?!" Serena exclaimed. "I've always wanted to eat there!"

"Well, if you really want to go there, we need two folks to bring all the food here," May stated. "I ordered a LOT, and Ash can attest to my desire for food."

"It's true," Ash chuckled. "But I'll be happy to pick it up. Serena, do you want to join me?"

Serena's heart almost skipped a beat when she heard Ash asking her to join him. There he was being upfront again!

"Y-yeah!" Serena exclaimed. "I'd love to!"

Ash smiled at Serena's answer as he pulled out his Rotom Phone and plugged in the location of the restaurant.

"It's not too far from here," Ash stated. "Serena, you ready?"

"I was born ready," Serena responded, winking and giving a thumbs-up. As Ash and Serena walked off, Brendan turned to May with an expression of curiosity.

"May, do you remember when we were kids and I nearly choked on a dumpling?" Brendan asked. "You know I can't stand them, so why order from there?"

"How do you choke on a dumpling?" Goh asked.

"Who said the food was for us?" May replied.

Ash and Serena walked down the streets of Lavaridge, eyeing the surroundings as they made their way to the restaurant. Above them, Mt. Chimney glowed a crimson red in the night sky as its smoke covered up the stars.

"The sky's beautiful here, isn't it Serena?"

Serena blushed lightly as she heard Ash's words.

"O-oh. Yeah, it really is."

Ash smiled at Serena's answers as they walked along. Pikachu was on his shoulder as usual, watching the two of them interact, until he got an idea. He leaned on Ash's shoulder, slowly nudging him towards Serena until, after a few minutes, Ash was practically colliding with her. The two of them briefly exchanged a glance as they blushed softly, before regretfully splitting off.

Eventually, the two of them arrived at the restaurant, where a magnificent sight awaited them. Inside, chefs were visible from the seating area as they prepared meals, a band played relaxing jazz music, and even a large tank of water full of Water-type Pokémon. Ash approached the reception, coughing into his hand.

"Hi, we're here to pick up an order for May," Ash stated. "Is that how the process usually goes or-"

"Oh, you must be the guests the Grand Coordinator told us were coming," the waiter stated. "Please, right this way to your table."

"But we-"

Ash's words were interrupted as the waiter pulled him and Serena by their hands to their table. It was a snug booth in the corner of the restaurant, with a long blue candle in the middle. As the two of them got seated, the waiter handed them two menus.

"I'll be back shortly to take your orders," the waiter stated.

"I think this is a misunderstanding, we're only here to-"

The waiter already left before Ash could finish his sentence. Sighing, he picked up a menu as he looked at Serena, who was visibly smiling (and blushing) behind her menu.

"Is it just me or does it feel like May knew this was going to happen?" Ash asked. Serena smirked as she put down her menu.

"I mean, it beats having to haul all of that food back to the Pokémon Center," she stated.

Several minutes later, Ash and Serena were gorging away at their food, eating plate after plate of dumplings. Pikachu was in the Pokémon section of the restaurant, where he was sating his ketchup addiction alongside a Trainer's Pawniard. Three other Pokemon looked on; a confused Manectric, a snickering Kadabra and an unimpressed Breloom. As Ash finished another plate, he set it aside as he patted his stomach.

"Man, I am stuffed," Ash declared. "I gotta hand it to May, she picked out a great place to eat."

Serena giggled to herself. Setting down her plate, she looked at Ash head-on.

"So Ash, have you ever done this before?" Serena asked. "Been out at a restaurant alone with a good friend?"

"Besides my mom, no, not really," Ash replied. "Most of the time I'd just eat whatever we cook on the road, or Pokémon Center food."

"Yeah, that's about the same for me," Serena rubbed the back of her neck. "It's just funny to see the champion of Alola and one of my best friends in such a fancy establishment like this."

"I aim to surprise," Ash responded, sending Serena a toothy grin. "But it's a nice change of pace if I'm being honest. Great food aside, I'm going to be honest: these last few days have been among my favorites in all the journeys I've ever been on. I never realized how much I missed you Serena."

Serena blushed a shade of scarlet as she turned her head away from Ash ever so briefly.

"Yeah, I enjoyed Hoenn a lot but it didn't feel the same without you," she happily sighed. "You don't know how many times I saw a wild Pokémon and expected you to show up to catch it."

"You know me too well," Ash replied. "But you haven't seen the least of what my adventures have been like."

"Oh, tell me!" Serena exclaimed. "You barely talked about your journeys to other regions when we were in Kalos!"

"Well, alright then," Ash replied. "It all started around my tenth birthday. I was watching a match on TV late at night…"

10 P.M.

The rock fell from the ceiling, opening up a crevice in the floor and sending Serena plummeting. Ash dove for her, but his grip slipped as she fell into the fiery depths of Mt. Chimney. He fell to his knees, Pikachu shaking his arm in panic, as Zinnia towered over him, laughing.

"The champion of Alola. The son of Pallet Town. The conqueror of the Battle Frontier and the Orange Islands, reduced to a hysterical mess. And over what, a girl?"

Ash stared down Zinnia as he got up, glaring at her.

"Serena is more than a girl to me. She's the one who I hope to see the smile of every time we travel together. She's the one who I'm proud to have inspired day after day. She's the one I would risk my life for!"

"But you failed her. You allowed her to die. And soon…"

Zinnia grew in size as she transformed into a large, ghostly being, looming over Ash.

"Soon you will fail the world."

"No…"

"NO!"

Ash woke up laying in the middle of a white void. Getting up, he looked around the area. It was empty.

"Hello? Anyone?"

"I was wondering when you'd arrive."

A faint light began to glow in front of Ash as a gray and blue Pokémon emerged, floating over the ground. Ash recognized it almost immediately. It was…

"Azelf?!" Ash exclaimed. Azelf shook its head.

"Not quite," Azelf replied. "I'm your conscience Ash. Ever since Serena came back into your life, I've been watching from the sidelines, hoping to talk with you about it. And now we can! Apologies if that nightmare was a bit scary, I had to create it in order to draw your attention."

"I guess I can forgive you," Ash stated. "It was fake anyways. So what do you want to talk about?"

"Serena," Azelf replied. "She's been on your mind constantly, and it's been worrying me. You've never been in a state like this before."

"I haven't, no. This…"Serena Effect" I've been getting has made me feel all weird inside. Like I'm about to explode."

"Ash, that's what love is. It's the overwhelming desire to be there for someone and act as their equal. To uplift them and make their personal happiness and wellbeing tied to yours. And keeping it pent up inside you isn't healthy."

"L-love? That's what this is? I've never known love before. Or even had interest in girls for that matter."

"Well, Goh and Brendan suggested that you may have a crush on Serena. Crushes are often the first stage of love."

"I don't have a crush! Why does everyone keep saying that?!"

Azelf snapped its fingers as Ash's memories flooded into the room. Each one showed a specific interaction with Serena. Ash was in shock as he looked around, seeing his past experiences with her.

"Even if you don't believe you have a crush on her, the evidence doesn't lie. You've shown more affection for her than you have anyone else."

Ash looked around at the memories as he watched them in a new light. His first meeting with Serena at camp. The reunion in Santalune. The two of them supporting each other's dreams. The snowball fight. Even recent ones like the Trainer Hill kiss and him saving her life at Mt. Chimney were there, and Ash realized that even if he wasn't thinking about it at the time, he had always subconsciously admired Serena.

"Wow, I…I had no idea. Maybe I do have a…a crush on Serena."

"I'd say to take a longer look at it, Ash. You've conquered Pokémon Leagues, you've stopped Team Rocket countless times, you've befriended countless Legendary Pokémon…this is no barrier to you. Think long and hard about this question."

"Do you love Serena?"

What a chapter! This was my favorite to write so far, and is oozing with Amour fluff and hope for the future. And May's back too! Make sure to leave a review, and I'll see you next time!