Ash had come so close.

He had stormed through the preliminary rounds of the Kalos League, blessed with easy victories in his first few matches, and with an accomplished strategist by his side. In the mornings, or occasionally the afternoons, Ash would have his battle for the day, with Korrina cheering for him in the stands. Later in the day, the two of them would spend time researching the competition and devising strategies, and the evenings were spent having fun together in Lumiose City, where the competition was taking place. There was thankfully no rule about Gym Leaders remaining impartial, which was good for Ash, who had both Korrina and Clemont in his corner.

The first several rounds saw Ash going up against impressive trainers, but he had more than enough experience to get through them without much trouble. In the semifinals, he battled against Sawyer, the trainer that he had met in Shalour City and developed a rivalry with. The battle was a difficult one, coming down to the last Pokémon each, but the strength of Greninja's mysterious transformation won the day. Professor Sycamore, after researching the transformation, eventually unearthed a little-known effect known as the Bond Phenomenon. He proposed calling the new form "Bonded Greninja", but young Bonnie had already suggested "Ash-Greninja", due to the way Greninja looked more like Ash when transformed, and her name had stuck.

The final round pitted him against an older boy named Alain, whom Ash and Korrina had met earlier in the week. Ash managed to take an early lead in the battle, and soon Alain had lost five of his Pokémon, compared to only three for Ash. Unfortunately, Alain's final Pokémon, a Charizard, proved to be an unstoppable powerhouse. The power of Charizard's Mega Evolution overwhelmed two of Ash's Pokémon without much trouble, and it eventually came down to Ash-Greninja against Mega Charizard X. After an intense and powerful battle that shook the entire stadium, Alain was the one who managed to claim victory. The Kalos League championship had barely slid out of Ash's grasp.

Ash forced a smile onto his face as he shook Alain's hand and walked off of the battlefield, but internally he was gutted. He had been so close to a victory unlike any he'd ever achieved, and it had been snatched away at the last second. He found Korrina waiting for him as he exited the battlefield, and walked without hesitation into her open arms. She wrapped him in a warm embrace, planted a kiss on his temple, and spoke gentle words of comfort into his ear, telling him that she was as proud of him as she could possibly be. He didn't say anything in response, but she could feel him relax in her arms, his disappointment evaporating into thin air. He had already won a far more important prize. Failing to win the Kalos League was not the end of the world.

What happened next was very nearly the end of the world.

Immediately after Alain was awarded his championship trophy, hundreds of enormous black vines erupted through Lumiose City, damaging buildings and streets and leaving destruction in their wake. The vines were the result of dangerous manipulations by an organization known as Team Flare, led by a renowned philanthropist by the name of Lysandre. The crisis led to a chase that ended many miles away in Anistar City, where the entire planet was nearly engulfed in a massive explosion of energy. Averting this disaster took the combined strength of Ash, Greninja, Alain, every single Kalos Gym Leader, and a legendary guardian Pokémon named Zygarde, who had been inexplicably befriended by Bonnie months ago.

The world had been saved, but Lumiose City had still been devastated by Team Flare's assault. Buildings were destroyed, parks had been torn up, and streets had been reduced to rubble. Seeing their beloved city in tatters, the spirits of the citizens of Lumiose City were at an all-time low. The people badly needed a morale boost, which came in the form of two young Pokémon Performers. These two girls put on a visual spectacle in the center of the city, dancing with their Pokémon in a well-rehearsed routine, whipping the gathered crowd into a fervor and inspiring them to dance along to the music and the performance. For a time, the people of Kalos were able to forget their troubles, captivated by the delightful performance.

Ash, watching from the crowd, was just as captivated as the rest, but for an entirely different reason.

For the time being, he was wandering through the city by himself, as the Gym Leaders attended a debriefing session with the government of Kalos, filling the officials in on everything that had transpired with Team Flare. Ash had heard about the upcoming performance and had come to watch, and while the performance was visually and technically impressive, he had been more interested in the performers themselves, one of them in particular.

One of the performers was a shorter girl with brown pigtails, who was dancing with her Ivysaur. The other was a girl of the same height as Ash, with long, honey-blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail partway down her back, who was performing with a Braixen. Ash had seen both of these girls before, on television, as he had watched the Master Class performance competition several weeks ago with Korrina. Beyond that, however, there was something about the blonde-haired girl that was tugging at the corners of his memory. Something about her eyes, or her hair, or her glowing smile was oddly familiar to him, but he couldn't figure out why.

Eventually, the two girls joined hands in the center of the makeshift stage that had been hastily assembled, raising their arms into the air, signaling the end of the performance. They curtsied to the enthralled audience, catching their breath, as the crowd burst into raucous applause. Ash grinned wide and applauded as well, with Pikachu cheering from his shoulder. He still wasn't sure why the blonde girl was so familiar to him, but it had been an amazing performance nonetheless, reminding him of the Pokémon Contests he had seen in Kanto, Hoenn and Sinnoh. The girls' ability to turn fire attacks into fireworks had been particularly impressive, and he was wondering in the back of his mind if any of what he had just seen could be useful in battle.

As the crowd began to disperse, and the performers recalled their Pokémon, Ash reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone and check the time. As he saw that it was slightly past noon, a text from Korrina arrived right at that moment, telling him that her meeting was over and asking where he was. He sent a reply as quickly as he could, which wasn't very quick, as he was not a fast typist on a phone keyboard, or on any keyboard at all. He pocketed the phone again as he looked back on stage, eyes drawn to the blonde performer once again, as she placed a pink pork-pie hat onto her head.

Instantly, a long-forgotten memory unearthed itself and burst into Ash's mind. He immediately flashed back to several years ago, when he was a young child attending Professor Oak's summer camp in his home of Pallet Town. He had been chasing a Poliwag through the woods, trying to make friends with it, when he came across a young blonde-haired girl in a straw hat, crying and holding her injured knee. Ash had wrapped a handkerchief of his own around her knee and helped her to her feet, returning her to Professor Oak's lab. The smile he saw on her face that day, after he helped her out of the forest, was the same smile that the performer on stage had been wearing during her routine.

"That girl with the straw hat…" he muttered to himself, causing Pikachu to turn to him curiously. Without even thinking, Ash started walking forward toward the stage, just as the girl was hopping down from it. This might be his only chance to say something, and he had to take it before it slipped away.

"Excuse me!" he called out as he approached, causing her to look back at him in curious surprise. "Hi…"

She put a show smile onto her face, one she had clearly practiced. "Oh, hello! Can I help you?" She took a moment to study Ash, before recognition flashed across her face. "Wait… weren't you competing in the Pokémon League a few days ago?"

"Oh!" Ash was surprised, but quickly nodded. "Yeah, that was me! You were watching that?"

"Mhmm." She nodded back at him. "I saw the finals on TV. You came really close… I'm sorry you didn't win."

"It's alright. That's still the best I've ever done. I'll win a league championship one of these days." He gave her a reassuring smile. "I saw you on TV, too! You came really close, too, huh?"

"Yeah…" She looked down for a moment, fiddling with her hair, recalling how she nearly won the title of Kalos Queen. "I never thought I would come that close to winning… I was just trying to do the best I could."

"Well, you did a great job!" he insisted. "I was cheering for you in that final round. I'm sure you'll get it next time!"

"Thank you, very much!" She looked back up at him, smiling wide. This boy was very good at offering sincere words of encouragement. "Sorry, but I don't recall your name. Mine's Serena. What's yours?"

"Serena…" He smiled warmly at the sound of her name, recognizing it. "I'm Ash. Ash Ketchum."

"It's nice to meet you, Ash." They looked at each other for a moment before she spoke again. "So… is there something I can do for you?"

"Yeah, um…" He rubbed the back of his head. "So, this is going to sound weird, but… when you were younger, did you ever go to Professor Oak's summer camp in Kanto?"

The girl's eyes shot open wide. "Ye-yes… I did, but…" She took another, closer look at Ash, studying him carefully, and he could see her eyes light up after a moment. "Oh my gosh… you're the boy! With the handkerchief!"

"Yes!" He grinned from ear to ear, glad that she had recognized him as well. "And you're the girl with the straw hat!"

She couldn't help but let out a delighted laugh, astonished. "I can't believe it… I never thought I'd see you again."

"Yeah…" He smiled back at her a bit sheepishly. "I'd sort of forgotten about that, honestly."

"I hadn't," she replied immediately, before turning a bit pink and looking away. "So… what have you been up to all this time?"

"I've been traveling, mostly…" The two of them started walking as he continued, looking for a more quiet place to talk.

—

"…When I got home to Kanto, Alexa told me about her home region of Kalos. She told me it had a Pokémon League of its own, so I wanted to give it a shot," Ash explained, sitting with Serena at an outdoor café table close by. "It was really great! Kalos has so many cool Pokémon! And there's lots of…" He waved his hands a bit, gesturing all around him as he tried to think of the right word. "…Nature."

Serena giggled at his word choice. "You're right, there is. I hadn't really explored it until recently, but it's a beautiful place. The countryside, the cities…"

"Definitely," he agreed. "Though it's a little less pretty now, after that whole mess…" He sighed. "It feels like trouble just follows me everywhere I go, sometimes."

"It does sort of sound that way…" She thought it over for a moment. "Though you could also say that you're always there to stop trouble when it starts."

"Yeah, maybe…" A slight grin appeared on his face. "It does sound better when you put it that way." He looked back into her eyes. "But I've just been talking about myself. What about you? What has your journey been like?"

"Well, it hasn't been anything like yours." She brushed some stray hairs out of her face. "I didn't even start my journey until a few months ago, when my mom sent me to Professor Sycamore's summer camp."

Ash smirked. "Another camp, huh?"

"Yes, another camp. I think my mom just wanted me to stop hanging around the house all summer." She closed her eyes and shook her head, not sure why she felt the need to reveal that. "Anyway… when I was there, I met Shauna and her friends. She's the one who first told me about Pokémon Showcases."

"And that got you interested…" He trailed off as he managed to do a bit of math. "Wait, you only learned about showcases a few months ago? And then you nearly became Kalos Queen?"

Serena nodded. "Yeah, I suppose I did…"

"That's amazing, Serena!" Ash beamed at her. "You're a natural!"

She smiled back at him humbly. "I'm not sure I would say 'natural'… my first showcase in Coumarine City was a disaster. I didn't even make it past the first round."

"Oh…" He smiled regardless, staying upbeat. "Well, that happens to everyone at some point, doesn't it? And you picked yourself back up and tried again. That's what's important."

"Yeah, it is." She looked back into his eyes, her heart beating a bit harder, as she mulled over what she wanted to say. After a moment, she decided to bite the bullet and go for it. "Actually, to tell the truth… the reason I picked myself back up is because of you, Ash."

He blinked, puzzled. "Huh? Me? But… what did I do?"

Serena sat up straighter. "On that day at camp, when you were trying to help me back up, you said something to me. 'Never give up until it's over.' That's something that's always stuck with me." She could feel her heart beating out of her chest, feeling vulnerable, but there was no stopping now. "The night after my first showcase, I was starting to think of quitting and going back home… but then I remembered what you said. It's silly, but… I thought you would be pretty ashamed of me if I gave up so easily. So I told myself I was going to try again, for your sake. And now… well, here I am."

She couldn't help but grin at the dumbstruck expression on his face as she continued. "I wanted to thank you for what you did for me all those years ago, but I never thought I would see you again. But now you're here. So… thank you, Ash."

Ash was stunned for a moment, his face red, not sure he believed what he'd just heard. "Is… that true? Really?"

She nodded, eyes fixed on his. "Yes, it's true."

"Wow…" He looked down, an awkward smile on his face. "I was just trying to make you feel better… I didn't think it was that big a deal."

"Well, it was a big deal to me." She suppressed a giggle as she saw the bashful expression on his face. He had been so confident before, and seeing him like this now was rather cute.

"Well… I'm glad." He kept his gaze averted as he changed the subject. "So, now that the Master Class is over, what do you think you're going to do?"

She hummed. "I was thinking of traveling to Hoenn. Someone suggested that I go there to participate in Pokémon Contests. They could help my Pokémon and I to become better performers."

"Hey, that's a great idea!" Ash replied, reverting to his usual cheery self. "Hoenn's a great place to travel. And I think you'll really enjoy contests!"

"I hope so!" she responded cheerfully. "I hear you have to actually battle in contests, though. I'm not sure if my Pokémon are ready for that."

"Yeah, you do, in the Battle Rounds." He nodded. "I bet you'll pick it up quickly enough, though. You learned how to do performances really fast, didn't you?"

"I suppose I did… thanks, Ash. I'll do my best!" She cocked her head. "What about you? Do you have any plans?"

"I don't know yet." He sat back in his chair, looking up toward the sky. "My mom mentioned that Professor Oak had an idea he wanted to run by me, so I'll see what that is. But other than that, I'm not sure what I'm going to do."

Serena watched him mull over his plans, her cheeks starting to feel warm once again. She hadn't given much thought to how this boy had grown over the years, but it had certainly been for the better. As far as she could tell from their conversation, he'd grown into a kind-hearted, chivalrous, energetic and ambitious young man - and if she was being honest with herself, a rather cute one as well. Maybe there was a reason the two of them were meeting again now. Maybe…

"You know…" she began, hands clasped in her lap. "If you wanted, you could come with-"

She stopped herself as Ash abruptly stood up, waving his arm and calling out to someone behind her. "Korrina! Over here!" She turned around to see a tall, blonde-haired girl in a grey blouse and a white skirt making her way down the street, waving back.

"Hey, Ash!" Korrina called out, slowing down as she approached. She turned her eyes toward Ash's companion. "Oh, hi… you're a performer, right? I recognize you. You were in the Master Class a few weeks ago, weren't you?"

"This is Serena," Ash explained helpfully. "We were just catching up. It turns out we knew each other when we were kids! Wild, huh?"

"Oh, wow! What are the odds?" She skated to the other side of the table, taking a seat next to him. "Ash and I saw you on TV. You were amazing! That was one of the best performances I've ever seen."

"Thank you very much!" Serena smiled back, as her brain reassessed the situation at the speed of sound. She couldn't help but notice the way Ash's eyes lit up as he spotted this girl, or the way she rested her hand on his shoulder as she sat down, or how she made a point of mentioning that she and Ash had watched the Master Class together.

"Sorry, I interrupted you," Ash apologized. "What were you saying before?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Serena shook her head, letting the idea go in her mind. "Don't worry about it."

"Serena!" She turned around again, seeing her performance partner Shauna calling her name from a half-block away. Beside her were a heavyset, black-haired boy and a shorter boy with orange hair, waving her over. "We're going to get lunch! Are you coming?"

"Yeah! I'll be right there!" She turned back toward Ash, giving him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, it looks like I'm needed."

"That's alright." He gave her a sincere smile in return. "It was good to see you again! I'm glad you've found something you really enjoy."

"It was good to see you too, Ash." She stood up, reaching into her bag and pulling out a scrap of paper and a pen. She quickly wrote something on it before handing it over to Ash. He accepted it and looked it over, seeing something that looked like an email address.

"Keep in touch this time, okay?" she asked eagerly. "I want to hear all about the adventures you're going to go on."

Ash grinned and placed the paper in the pocket of his jacket. "I will, I promise. Good luck in Hoenn! You're going to have a great time!"

"Thanks! Take care, Ash! Good meeting you, Korrina!" She waved to both of them before turning around and stepping away, walking back toward her friends.

As Korrina started filling Ash in on what happened in her meeting, Serena took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, a giddy grin spreading across her face. She'd finally been able to convey a message that she'd been holding onto for ages, and she was thrilled that she had had the strength to do it. She was proud of herself for how she'd grown, for the strength she had acquired over the course of her journey. Now she was on her way to starting a new journey in a new region, with a new goal, and a new penpal by her side. Her future was looking bright.