As the Kalos Queen and her 'boyfriend' traveled, the word continued to spread far and wide. People had gotten many pictures of the two holding hands or sitting on a bench together like a proper couple.
The news caused a roar. Serena, the Kalos Queen, who was known to be distant from men, was acting like a lovestruck teenager. It was a sight to behold.
The teen had been searching through PokeVision the other day and saw a video regarding her relationship with the Pokemon trainer.
She had been on the site for different reasons, but that reason faded away as she delved into videos of herself and Ash.
The pictures in there were a mix of blurry, quick flashes on a person's phone, and others were clear and taken as if they were at a photoshoot. The honey-blonde couldn't stop gushing at how lovestruck they looked.
The comments on these photo collages were mixed with positivity and shock. While most were surprised at her leaked love life, others were in a midst of showing support for the two. It boosted Serena's confidence through the roof.
But, three days later, the girl was at a loss. They were close to arriving at Lumiose City, but she hadn't been able to spend much time with Ash.
The boy had gone into tunnel vision as they traveled, spending mere moments of rest as he trained tirelessly with Ampharos and the rest of his Pokemon.
All she heard was battling. Dirt ripping off the ground, shouting of orders, and the roars of Pokemon as they used their moves. Explosion after explosion, like a rhythm. Serena thought she would go mad.
But results were beginning to show for themselves. Ampharos had begun to trust Ash a bit after seeing his genius in action, and his growth started to grow in large margins. Serena could no longer even think of beating Ampharos as easily as she did before, and it amazed her.
But frankly, she also felt very lonely. Ash hadn't been able to give her much attention thanks to his constant training. It wasn't like she needed attention like a baby, but she definitely would prefer more than a small conversation every other hour.
Even now, Ash was in a heated battle with his Pokemon as they took a small break. Serena watched from the sidelines, bored.
"Ampharos, Now!" Ash yelled. For the last three days, he'd been trying to get Ampharos to 'do its magic' as he describes it. The light pokemon hadn't been able to do so, unfortunately. It was physically fine, so there was some sort of mental barrier.
"Argh, not again.." Ash mused, falling to the floor. His new pokemon had failed to do the move and was laying on the floor, miserable. Its pride was a bit hurt from the disappointment Ash felt, even though it wasn't directed at it.
The three days of nonstop training had also started to show its drawbacks, as fatigue littered every Pokemon's face. Truthfully, Serena was surprised they had only started to face the side effects now.
"Ash, how about you take a break?" Serena asked as gently as she could, "You've been at it for three days now."
Ash furrowed his eyebrows, disliking the idea. "..I guess. I'd rather train more, but a break is important too," Ash said with a smile. He glanced over to his pocket monsters, who gave a big thumbs up.
Serena glanced at the Ampharos, which hadn't said anything for a while. He was tired, both physically and mentally.
The Ampharos, which had seen Ash's amazing team in action, wanted to catch up to them. As the newest addition to the team, the light Pokemon wanted to prove itself. And it thought the only way to do so was to win a battle.
And so, it gave it one hundred percent every battle. Every move. But, those full-power attacks weren't nearly enough- the Pokemon wasn't even able to use the move that Ash had caught him for. He was holding everyone down.
That stress accumulated quickly along with his clumsy body, which wasn't used to such brutal training.
It was overwhelming. These days must have been hard for the Pokemon, yet it kept silent and pushed through it. That's how much it had come to admire Ash.
The honey blonde could see it all. Those awestruck eyes, which reminded her of herself while watching Ash battle, and the elated expression it sometimes carried as Bonnie did.
"I think Ampharos deserves that break. It's been working hard, and results have started to show." Serena commented. She sat down next to ash, rubbing her hands together.
It was one of those colder days when the honey blonde's frosty breath was visible, and a heavy wind whistled past them every few seconds. Her ears and cheeks were semi-permanently tinged red, and her body was constantly shivering.
Ash scooted closer to her. She sneaked a look at his face and saw he was staring off at the sky. He must have done it unconsciously. "He's been working the hardest here, after all." The sadness in his eyes hadn't gone at all. It made her heart hurt just watching him.
But, there was also a glint of tiredness in them. The Auburn swirls were slow and glazed, and his breathing was shallow. Something was pushing him to keep going, but it also served As a tight rope around his neck that he kept tugging.
He needed a change of pace, and Serena felt she could do it this time. Back when they used to travel together with Clemont and Bonnie, she had wanted to help Ash take a step and breathe, but she never managed to do so. But now, it was her and him.
Her cold, frosty hands slowly slid on top of his, which were just as cold. The flaky snow below them let out a low crunch. Ash turned his gaze to her, a bit startled.
"I think you did the most work." She said, matching his gaze. Taken aback, the black-haired boy's gaze shrunk. He didn't seem that confident right now.
Her hand slowly caressed his hand in a comforting manner. There were no words said between the two, but emotions were conveyed. Her slender thumb rubbed over his knuckle, whispering comforting words to it.
"You ran around, gathered food and berries, trained, and helped your pokemon so much. For the past three days, you've barely slept trying to figure out a way to help Ampharos- If he knew about all this, he'd be grateful."
Ash's heart felt like it was fluttering. Her angelic words seemed to touch him in a way nothing else had before. She was watching him closely. She cared a great amount for her. The thought alone was enough to make him happy.
"Serena.." He trailed off. The teen's heart couldn't take much more as though it had been filled with something. His hand grasped hers.
"That's why I think you should focus on your well-being too," She concluded, tugging his grasped hand a bit. There was a weird gleam in her eyes, one that Ash had last seen at the airport with her five years ago.
"Come on. Let's go on a walk."
-
Snow had started to fall again. Every step Ash took felt like a gentle whisper, which alleviated his drowsiness.
The rhythmic sound of crunching ice next to him made the teen relax. Serena was next to him, calmly walking alongside him.
The honey-blonde hadn't said anything. She didn't need to. They both were plenty satisfied with the silence between them both, as they looked at their surroundings.
There wasn't much around them other than the veil of snow coating nearly every surface. Both their hats had also gained snow topping on top of them, fitting in with their environment.
A chirp of a bird randomly, or maybe the scraping of a leafless bush when a Pokemon ran through it. Those sounds were the only ones heard in the area.
Ash couldn't find himself thinking about his Pokemon for the first time in a while. Even his buddy, Pikachu, was left behind with the rest of his Pokemon to rest up.
His mind was crystal clear, with no thoughts or goals in mind. He merely looked ahead, at the tree trunks with brown branches going out. Not a single leaf was in sight.
It would have been a dreary sight if it was night. But, the cloudy sky and white snow made it serene.
Serene, huh? Sounds like Serena.
It was a stupid thought in his head, but he couldn't help but chuckle at it. The blonde glanced at him, amused at his sudden laugh.
"Ah, there's that smile," Serena said randomly. Ash turned to her with a confused look. "Smile?"
She merely pointed at his mouth, a bright smile spread across hers, as though she was mirroring him. "This smile on your face. The one I like most."
The honey blonde's soft, slender fingers pushed against the corner of his mouth and cheeks. It felt like a nice massage, although she merely played around with his face. A small giggle escaped her lips.
Her face was in front of his. Her frosty breath visibly blew on his neck as she tilted her head slightly up to match his gaze. Her azure orbs were hypnotically beautiful, shining as bright as the sea on a sunny day.
He felt as though everything but her had been erased from his view- after all, her enchanting face was too alluring to look away from. Small snowflakes rained from above, slowly floating between the two. His eyes drifted across her close face, seeing things he'd never noticed before.
Her face was so pale. It wasn't a paper-white, but it was pale. Her hair and drizzle locks were so shiny and silky, swaying with every blow of the breeze. Her teeth were clean and straight, almost like they were aligned perfectly.
He had a huge urge to hug her. Hold her and not let go. His thumping heart resounded across his body like a melody only he could hear. A soft tinge of lavender tickled his nose from her perfume. He hadn't been able to smell it before, but he definitely could from this range.
"I guess I was smiling.." Ash mumbled, his tooth taken away, "But so are you." He pointed out. The girl nodded, not even bothering to check if she was.
"I know."
They had stopped walking at this point, their eyes and mouth being the only things that moved. It seemed like they were checking each other out for the first time.
Ash couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a girl as cute as her. Day by day, she had only grown brighter and more attractive in his eyes like no other. Years of traveling and he never found something even rivaling her.
He couldn't stop staring at her: Her fashionable clothes, her beautiful hair, her cute pink lips, and mainly her eyes. Those jewels were bright enough to light up this cloudy day. The teen was smitten with them.
"You've got some amazing eyes," Ash couldn't help but mutter. The boy couldn't help but act weirdly after experiencing such strange yet pleasing new emotions.
"I could say the same about yours," Serena whispered, gazing into his eyes. While the sweet words made his stomach do backflips, he couldn't help but wonder just what was so interesting about them.
"Mine aren't that nice, they're just brown." He said, discrediting himself. Serena just put a bit more pressure on his cheek, as if telling him to listen.
"Auburn. They're Auburn, and a beautiful shade of it." Serena corrected. Ash felt his cheeks grow warm. The honey blonde had begun to act weird too, her words laced with a different tone of sweetness. It felt warm and cozy, almost welcoming.
"And yours are a light shade of blue. Almost like.. azule?" Ash asked, unsure of the word. Serena let out a small laugh, her breath tickling his neck, "It's Azure."
"Right, what you said."
The silence returned, yet nothing changed. Her hands were still padded onto his face, and his hands were slowly creeping up to hers.
The snow didn't stop. It may have started snowing more- the cold breeze turned extra chilly. But the two went cold in the slightest. Their body warmth spread through their touch, and across each other. It was like a ripple flowing across a pond.
I feel like standing here forever.
His hands grabbed hers, firmly grasping it. She showed no signs of rejection, letting go of his face and slowly nestling into them. Their hands were intertwined now, hovering by their chests.
Their bodies naturally inched closer. Ash had never been so conscious about a girl, but he couldn't help but let her enter his privacy. She was slowly becoming part of it.
Thoughts-ones like never before- slowly streamed into his head. Why was she so cute? How much more beautiful could she get?
He didn't know the answers, yet felt like the answer rested within him. His mind was an organized mess, staring affectionately at Serena.
The blonde's gaze wasn't any less affectionate. Her eyes were half-lidded, staring warmly at him. Her face was so close and so sweet.
He had done this before. Just days ago, some sort of trance had pulled him close to her face- specifically her lips. The way his head naturally tilted to the side, letting her face feel more comfortable as it approached, almost like it was a kiss.
Kiss?
A kiss was something a person shared with the one they loved, Their special other. A partner.
When Ash looked at her, he couldn't see anything less than that.
His eyes widened a bit at the realization. Ash Ketchum liked Serena. The same Serena that he is about to kiss right now.
Without realizing it, both their faces inched closer. Serena's eyes were about to close, falling into the same trance as last time. He could feel himself start falling for it too, the sweet feeling wrapping his consciousness and bringing his desires upfront.
This wasn't about right or wrong. He wanted to push forward, one last time...
Suddenly, Serena stopped. He could hear her clothes rustle a bit as they halted. He stopped as well, their synergy ruined.
"W-wait, I'm not ready for this.." Serena muttered, pulling back a bit. Her hands remained within his, but they didn't seem comfortable anymore.
"Serena?" Ash called out, almost confused. A second after he said her name, the black-haired teen realized what he was about to do, and paused.
Their hands immediately let go after that. They turned away, their faces bright red. Ash had just come to learn about his feelings and Serena was about to experience her dreams but got cold feet.
It was a bit sudden. Things were steering in this direction from the sweet talk, but Serena hadn't done it on purpose. It was like her feelings had taken over.
She managed to reign her body back to it's senses at the last second, but it felt like she messed up big time.
Does he think I don't want to kiss him?
It was the farthest thing from the truth. She was dying to kiss him. The number of times she'd imagined doing so was surprising.
She glanced at her crush and saw him turn away. To her surprise, his ears were burning red from embarrassment. The team felt relieved she wasn't the only one suffering from this.
But in the end, she had a lot to fix and explain.
-
Things would have been very awkward if it weren't for the snowstorm that had started terrorizing the entire route. It was merely snowfall at first, but it got worse and worse at a fast rate, till the point it had become a blizzard. The two ran as hard as they could, legs pumping and hearts heavy with worry.
Where were their Pokemon? Were they okay? How would they get back? Things went looking good.
Ash glanced at Serena, who glanced back at him. They both had worried looks on their faces.
"Don't split up, and stick close. Our Pokemon can handle themselves better than us," Ash mentioned. The roaring wind died down his loud voice into a small whisper, but the message was relayed to the girl, who nodded her head.
Their footsteps were in unison. Small crunches of snow creaked with every quick step they took, maneuvering through the white terrain.
Their breaths weren't dragged out and slow anymore. They could barely see the frost on their labored wheezes of air, arms and legs working as fast as they could.
Serena was focused on finding a cave to stay in as cover. She knew Ash was right: Their Pokemon were far more competent than them. If anything, trainers were merely strategists, not the heavy-lifters.
Ash barely managed to pull Serena out of the way of a ledge, which had a small drop. If she were to fall suddenly though, it would have injured her.
"T-thanks..." Serena muttered, looking like she'd seen a ghost. Her eyes were glued to the rocky terrain past the edge she would have fallen into.
"Are you okay?" Ash quickly asked, regaining his breath. Amid the winter storm, Serena had accidentally drifted off from his path without realizing it. It took every last muscle in his body to save her in time.
"I'm fine," Serena said, shaking her head. The blonde knew now wasn't the time to stop and talk, "Let's keep going."
Ash nodded, responding to the determination written across her face. This time, he firmly grasped her hand and started to run.
Serena didn't say anything but merely followed him. But Ash felt like saying a few things, "Don't focus too much on finding shelter. In this weather, you can barely see ahead of you, so it's better to focus on making our way through and randomly finding something."
His words were different from the Ash she was used to; a dumb, brazen boy who relied on his instincts to make it through life. He barely gave anything outside of battling a thought, yet always managed to pull through.
This person was different. His eyes were sharp, and his Auburn pupils seemed focused on something. His body moved according to his instincts, which were sharpened to another level. He felt dependable.
Why can't he always be like this?
The performer couldn't help the thoughts that poured into her mind, admiring her crush. It left the blonde feeling amazed at how she could even be thinking of these things in such a situation.
"Got it," Serena said, her words almost like a wheeze. The teen's body was tired from the constant running. Plus, the snow made it harder to see ahead and what was below them, which could lead to a lot of slipping.
Her ears blared from the wind pushing against them, and her outfit madly fluttered from the constant movement. Her brain started to feel dizzy and her limbs were giving out. Things weren't looking good for the Kalos Queen.
Maybe she should have eaten something beforehand, checked the weather, or worn warmer clothes. All those regrets were pointless now. At this rate, she would succumb to the numbness that had begun to spread across her body.
"Ash.." Serena gasped, "I can't keep going.." Her jello legs wobbled with every slowing step, and her arms went limp, swaying side to side from all the running.
The black-haired boy turned to her and pressed a hand against her head. His eyes turned worried. The raging snow made it hard for Serena to hear what he was saying, "You're burning up."
She still managed to hear his whisper. It then dawned on her how close she was to fainting.
Her racing mind was so focused on everything else that it forgot about itself, only realizing it after someone told it. Her vision was impaired at the moment, with weird darkness around the edges of her vision. Her blinks felt longer and heavier as though her eyelids were going to shut down.
"Huh?" The teen said with a strange slur, losing balance and falling onto Ash's chest. His breathing and heart rate weren't nearly as bad as hers, which was getting worse by the second. Her breaths were so shallow that they weren't even visible in the icy temperatures.
She desperately grabbed onto his collar, feeling the strength leaving her body. Serena would faint in a few seconds, and she knew it.
"Serena? Hey, Serena, stick with me!" His distant voice slowly faded, the teen's cries uselessly as the darkness enveloped her entirely. Now, Ash was the last one with his thoughts racing, and a sick friend in his arms.
He was also tired, his muscles and body sore from the three days of little to no rest. It didn't help that he now had to carry a sick Serena carefully to make sure she didn't get any more hurt. Frankly, things were racked up against him.
But the gleam in his eyes hadn't died down a bit. And that was all he needed. With heavy steps, the seventeen-year-old pushed through the raging storm and didn't stop.
-
A lot of time had passed by. He didn't even know where to start remembering this entire ordeal from how tired he was. It was a dimly lit cave, a pile of slightly damp wood that was barely burning. He had taken his jacket off and placed it on Serena, who kept shivering as the snowstorm hit its climax.
His eyes were heavy. A single blink was enough to knock him out cold. His unresponsive body didn't help, his muscles screaming with every move.
There was no food, nor any way to make some. The wood he had was the driest he could find in the icy blizzard, and it was being used to keep the cave warm. Ash had spent a good hour searching for it.
The worst part was that the storm showed no signs of stopping any time soon. The sun was no longer visible outside, yet the storm showed no signs of rest. It was even more lively now than earlier.
His hand weakly glided over Serena's silky locks, which rested on his thighs. Her breathing had gotten a bit better, relieving a bit of his stress. If she was fine, he'd be fine.
Ash watched the swaying trees just outside the little opening of the cave, which was barely enough to fit two people at once. Between the trunks of trees, a few silhouettes hobbled around.
Ash leaned up, his interest turning to the figures, which seemed weak and cold. They were moving towards him, seen by their growing size.
His body creaked with every move, and Serena rustled. He had sat up straight, staring intensely outside. The hobbling creatures were right at the mouth of the cave.
"Slowpoke? And Oddish?" Ash muttered aloud. Those two Pokemon, alongside a few others, hesitantly entered the cave. "Wow, there's a lot of you guys.."
If he had to take a guess, it would be more than he could count on his fingers. They all were cold, most being unsuited for the cold winter. They were probably left behind during the migration, by accident or purposefully.
It didn't matter to him though. All he saw were Pokemon in need. "Hey, you guys can come over here. It's cold, right?" Ash cooed, using a gentle voice. Their ears perked up at his voice, and they slowly shuffled forward. The fire was also an attracting factor, a weak level of warmth spreading across the cave.
When they got in front of Ash, they began to sniff him a bit. The teen had always found the thought of sniffing someone for danger as funny, so he couldn't hold back a smile.
They deemed him safe, and a few snuggled up against his shirt. He took his hands off Serena's head and wrapped them around all of them, pulling the Pokemon close. Warmth had begun to return to his fingers.
A Slowpoke said something, nudging Ash's stomach with a concerned expression. The black-haired boy deduced that the slow Pokemon was talking about the weak grip he had.
"Don't worry," Ash comforted, rubbing its smooth head, "I'm just tired. By tomorrow, I'll be fine." The other Pokemon began to press against him, trying to comfort and warm his weary body. Ash felt grateful.
He sat in that position with those Pokemon, not saying another word. He wanted to let them rest, and they wanted him to rest.
It didn't take long for drowsiness to overtake him. He could tell within the next minute, he'd be asleep.
With the last of his conscious strength, he looked around the cave. The fire, which had grown dimmer, no longer outlined the edges of the cave. He could only see those around him.
The Pokemon around him were fast asleep. Their little breaths, which couldn't be called snores, were the only noise other than the crackling fire. The teen was glad they could find a warm place to rest for the night.
Then, he glanced at Serena. He hadn't fallen asleep yet due to the worry stuck on the edge of his mind. What if her fever got worse through the night? There was no food, so the chances were high. Without any supplements, her body couldn't fight the cold.
Ash reluctantly let his mind go of such worries, relying on luck to make sure it didn't happen. With a labored breath, he let his drowsiness take over.
That night, he dreamed of being underwater again. The teen couldn't understand why, but he felt like someone- or something- was in there with him.
Sorry if it was corny or cheesy since it's my first time doing something like this. If there are any mistakes or issues let me know.
See you in the next one.