Hey I'm back! You know how I promised last time that I wouldn't take a month to publish the next chapter? Since today is exactly one month after the last update, that obviously failed. Well, here I am. Had a lot going on in my life, so that's the reason for my brief departure from this website. Anyway, onto this chapter! It's a long one.
If you remember me, then I don't care if everyone else forgets…
Haruki Murakami
Ash awoke the next morning in an amazing mood. Yesterday was a rollercoaster of a day, but it went very well. He found out his real name, met up with Clemont, Serena, and Pikachu, and found out answers to questions he had had for years. He felt better than he had felt in a long time, and he didn't even know he felt otherwise.
Ash walked around his apartment with a bounce in his step, getting ready for his day. His planned visit to Prism Tower promised discoveries for him, and he was eager to figure out more about himself.
He set out food for his Fletchling, got his jacket, and raced out the door, a smile plastered all over his face.
While he could see Prism Tower from his apartment, it was still a reasonable distance away. Walking the short path to the bus stop, Ash waited patiently for the public transit to arrive. Almost everyone in Lumiose was familiar with the public transportation system, and with the size of the city and the traffic, it was necessary to have the buses. Ash walked to work since he didn't live that far away from Restaurant Le Yeah, but whenever he needed to go somewhere else, he had to take the bus.
He wasn't waiting for very long before the bus arrived. He boarded it promptly, paid, and took his seat, waiting to be taken to his destination. The bus took off with a lurch and sped off on its route.
Ash occupied himself on the ride by looking out the window and thinking about yesterday's events. He was thrilled to be around Pikachu again, and never thought he could miss someone as much as his best friend. Of course, he didn't remember all of his adventures with Pikachu, but he was sure he would remember them eventually.
Then there was Clemont and Serena. Being around them again was an odd feeling similar to being nostalgic. They were familiar, but Ash couldn't place it. Of course, he knew the truth. They used to be his good friends. But that didn't change that he didn't really remember them at all. All he had to rely on was his dreams, and because of the nature of dreams, he couldn't really discern fiction from reality whenever he dreamt of his adventures.
But then there was Serena herself. It used to be that whenever Ash thought of her, his headaches would get terribly painful. While that didn't happen very often anymore, Ash still felt "odd" whenever he thought of her. Whenever her face popped into his mind, a confusing feeling started that filled his entire chest, and he couldn't explain it.
It wasn't a bad feeling. No, it was the opposite. It faintly reminded him of how he felt about Talia back when they were still together and happy, except simultaneously stronger and more "blurred" at the same time. The feeling was usually accompanied by confusion and a lack of answers, but also joy and excitement. Being around her only intensified the feeling, and he was left wondering what exactly it meant for him. No matter what it was though, Ash had to admit that Serena was strangely captivating. The feeling was something he couldn't quite figure out, but was determined to do so today.
Time flew by on the bus and Prism Tower got closer and closer. Soon enough, he had arrived at his destination. When the bus stopped, he stood and exited after waving and thanking the driver. His shoes touched the chilly concrete and he adjusted his jacket. Most of the snow from yesterday had been cleared or melted, but it was still decently cold outside.
Looking up at Prism Tower, Ash took in the whole height of the building. He looked up to the very top, thinking about how at the very start of his journey in Kalos, he had apparently jumped off the top in order to save Pikachu from falling to his doom. Of course, he would have fallen to his doom too, if it weren't for a mysterious Mega-Blaziken that apparently was Clemont's dad's. The story was a little confusing at that part when his friends were explaining it yesterday.
Underneath the gray clouds, Ash took a deep breath and began walking towards the entrance. He knocked on the door, not really knowing what to expect. In the few years it had been since he lost his memory, he had never been to Prism Tower. He never really had a reason to, since he wasn't a trainer. Except that he apparently was a trainer, as he recently found out. He just didn't know that he was.
When there was no answer, Ash knocked again. A few minutes passed and nobody emerged from the door to let him in. Humming to himself once, Ash decided to just enter on his own accord, and opened the door. What greeted him was a long hallway, and he began to walk down it.
The only sounds in the tower were that of electrical creations that Ash couldn't have described to someone even if he tried, and the click of his shoes as he walked down the hallway. Cogs turning, metal banging, steam erupting, and electrical buzzing all echoed down the long corridor. Not far down the corridor was another door, and Ash briefly thought that he was going to repeat the same situation he just had at the entrance of the building.
Deciding that he wasn't going to knock again, he reached the door and immediately opened it. On the other side of the door was a large room, but this time it had occupants. Occupants that he very much wanted to see.
Clemont, back in his dirty coveralls, and Serena, who sported a faded pink fedora, were watching as a large group of Pokémon were all either playing with each other or training. It was a marvelous sight to behold, and Ash gasped when he saw the fire blasts and flying attacks being exchanged by some of the battling Pokémon. Seeing a battle like that brought him a familiar feeling of excitement and adrenaline that he couldn't quite explain.
Eager to get a closer look, Ash clicked the door shut behind him and one of the flying Pokémon that Ash identified as a Noivern heard it, and looked over. It stopped what it was doing mid-flight and stared at Ash for a few moments, both of them locking eyes together. Ash froze, a feeling in the back of his brain telling him that the Noivern was his Pokémon just as it sped towards him, calling out its name loudly.
All of the other Pokémon, as well as Clemont and Serena, turned over as well, and soon, Ash was the target of a stampede. He didn't even have time to brace himself as the horde of Pokémon all tackled him and began clamoring around his body. Ash couldn't help but laugh at the display of affection he was receiving, and petted and hugged as many of the Pokémon around him as he could.
He recognized all of the Pokémon for what they were, of course, but felt a bond to only a few of them. The Noivern that first saw him, Hawlucha, Talonflame, and Goodra. He could tell just by looking at them that they were his Pokémon from back when he was a trainer. It was how they looked at him, and their extra excitement in seeing him compared to the others who were present. There was also a Delphox, Sylveon, Pancham, Diggersby, Quilladin, and a Luxray. He figured they were the Pokémon of Clemont and Serena, who had just walked up to him as well. Pikachu bolted up to Ash's shoulder, taking his spot with a wide grin.
"It's good to see you, Ash." Serena started with a smile. She took a step forward hesitantly, and looked to be debating something in her head for a moment. She suddenly darted forward and gave Ash a light hug, to which he replied by wrapping his arms around her in surprise. They separated after a moment, both smiling.
"It's good to be back," Ash replied. He then looked at all the Pokémon that had circled around him. "I guess you two weren't the only ones that missed me judging by this crowd?"
"Tal, talonflame!" The bird Pokémon replied, doing a twirl in the air. Several of the other Pokémon did similar gestures, all voicing their eagerness at seeing Ash again. One didn't have to know what Pokémon were saying to be able to hear the excitement in their voices.
Clemont laughed. "You could say that again. Your Pokémon have been staying with me since you disappeared." He adjusted his glasses. "I think I've taken good care of them, but I could never replace you, Ash. They've been waiting for you."
"And this isn't even all of your Pokémon too!" Serena added, throwing her hands in the air. "You have a lot more back in Kanto, at Professor Oak's lab! I'm sure they can't wait to see you as well!"
Ash reached his arm out and scratched Noivern behind the ear. "Wow. I must have been quite the trainer to have so many strong Pokémon." His smile widened at the reaction all of the Pokémon had to his praise. They looked elated, as if Ash's words were gold. "I can tell that Clemont has been taking good care of you, but…I have a feeling that you were all strong before I disappeared, right?"
Hawlucha flexed and then did a pose, making everyone around him laugh. He proudly bowed, appreciating the temporary spotlight.
Ash looked over his Pokémon, a glimmer in his eyes, until he realized something. Something felt…missing. He voiced his concern by looking over at Clemont.
"Hey, Clemont." He started. "I feel like someone is missing. Did I have any other Pokémon when I was in Kalos?"
Clemont sighed and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. The Delphox next to Goodra looked down at the ground then, appearing disappointed. "Yeah, Ash. You did. You had a really strong Greninja. But after you disappeared, he went looking for you. Nobody has heard from or seen him since. We don't know where he is."
Instantly, Ash gasped as a memory resurfaced in his head and the sharp pang of a headache banged in his temples. It was cold, and he saw his Greninja standing in front of him, poised for battle. On the other end of the arena he found himself in was an Abomasnow, who appeared rather menacing. Then, in the blink of an eye, he felt a sudden power and influx of adrenaline fill him. His vision distorted and blurred, like two images were combining into one, and he began to feel a tingling all over his body. After several seconds of confusion and not knowing what the overpowering feeling inside of him was, he felt his arm move on its own somehow. He looked down at his own arm and noticed that it hadn't moved at all. Yet, when he looked forward, he saw that the Greninja's arm had moved? The Pokémon also looked different, and had a large water shuriken on its back, and strange red and black markings on its head.
He moved his "real" arm, and this time it moved, but somehow, he felt like it didn't. Looking forward, he saw the Greninja's arm hadn't moved this time. Then, like an explosion in his mind, it somehow all dawned on him. He was the Greninja, in addition to himself, somehow. The distortion in his vision? He saw what his Pokémon saw, through his superior amphibian eyes. The odd tingling that rang throughout his body? He felt the power coursing through the veins of himself, yet the Greninja. Somehow as well, he knew that Greninja felt the same thing for him too. He knew the Pokémon could feel the same thing from him.
Without another thought, he suddenly knew what he had to do. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated on what he wanted, and his body followed. Ash raised his arm and sliced in front of him just as Greninja jumped high in the air, glowing in anticipation for the move he was about to call out. Never before had he experienced such a closeness and bond with anyone or anything. It was surreal. Unexplainable. Incredible. The power he felt was unbelievable.
He called out for a Cut attack, already miming the motion, and the attack connected. The Abomasnow reeled backward, and Ash knew he had to press his advantage. A voice in the back of his head told him that Greninja felt the same way too, and he was right about to call out an Aerial Ace. He felt himself begin to move in preparation, but was interrupted by an echoing voice coming from outside his head.
"Ash?"
Suddenly he was ripped from the memory and was thrusted back into his regular body in Prism Tower, all of the considerable power leaving him in an instant. "Huh!?" Ash yelled out, jolting himself back to reality. He was breathing heavily, despite not moving, and everyone was looking at him with concern. Taking a second to look around and take in his surroundings, Ash felt the adrenaline pumping inside of him, and had to calm himself down by taking a few deep breaths. His head was throbbing in pain, although not as much as it did during the showcase debacle, thankfully. He brought a hand up and put it on his forehead and attempted to rub the pain away.
Serena took another step forward, her hand on her blue ribbon again. "Are you okay? You just kept staring at Clemont and then started hyperventilating."
Ash blinked a few times and looked down at his hands. His right hand was shaking for some reason. It was also the same hand that he had used Cut with during his memory. "I'm…I'm fine." He said, attempting to steady his breathing. "I just remembered something, and it was intense…"
At this, both Clemont and Serena perked up. "You did?" Clemont asked, taking a step closer. "What did you remember?"
Ash looked at Clemont and then at Serena, taking in their excited yet concerned faces. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his trusty pain medication. Swallowing a few of them as his friends and Pokémon watched on worriedly, he began his story. "I remembered dueling an Abomasnow somewhere. Greninja was in front of me, and then suddenly I…was Greninja." When he received nothing but blank stares from his friends and Pokémon, he got embarrassed and looked away. "That's about the best way I can explain it. I know it sounds crazy but you have to trust me. I could feel everything he could and I knew what he was thinking, and somehow, I knew he could feel everything I was feeling as well."
Both Clemont and Serena hesitantly grinned then, the latter easing her stranglehold on the ribbon slightly. "That's great, Ash! That's something that you used to do with Greninja!" She said.
"The bond-phenomenon!" Clemont added, adjusting his glasses. Light shone off of the lenses again somehow and he smirked. "I studied it a bit back when we traveled through Kalos, but it certainly was something that was unique about your bond with Greninja. You had the ability to bond with him in a way that most people couldn't achieve, and your power was greatly increased whenever you activated it!"
Ash shook his head to get rid of some of the weariness that he now felt. "Wow." He said, smiling as he took a deep breath again. "I guess that's why it felt so surreal. It was a crazy feeling, and I'm still a little winded from it, actually."
"That happened sometimes too in the beginning." Clemont added. "Although it's weird for you to feel a little winded just from experiencing a memory. I'm not sure how that works."
Ash shrugged. "I'm not sure either."
"You looked like you were also in pain though?" Serena suddenly asked, pointing at his head. "Do you have a headache again?"
Ash nodded once, feeling the room lazily follow his eyesight as he did so. "Yeah, I do. But the pills will help that soon. I've only had a headache as bad as this one a few times. When I saw Misty, Brock, and you, Clemont in the restaurant, and when I went to the showcase and saw you, Serena."
"That's odd that it would happen with Greninja and not your other Pokémon too." Clemont wondered aloud. All of the Pokémon around him suddenly looked very worried. "I wonder why…"
Ash shrugged, attempting to push the pain away. "I'm not sure. Let's not worry about it now though. It's passed, and the pills will help it go away. Hopefully."
He then looked at Serena, who was staring at him with a hesitant smile on her face and her hand on her ribbon. Again. Chuckling to himself, Ash pointed at the object of her fixation attached to her chest and attempted to change the subject.
"Serena, why do you keep messing with that ribbon on your chest? You seem really preoccupied with it."
Like it was rehearsed, her hand suddenly flew from the ribbon, as if she was trying to hide that she was playing with it just a few moments ago. "Oh," She said, averting her gaze to the floor. "This ribbon was a gift that you gave me near the start of our journey. For a while there…it was one of the few things I had to remember you by. I guess I just play with it sometimes when I'm remembering you."
"What are you remembering though? I'm right here." Ash replied with a laugh.
She joined him in a short chuckle, her face turning a tinge of pink likely in embarrassment. "It's an old habit. I guess sometimes I don't even know that I'm doing it!"
There it was again. The odd feeling in his chest. Ash laughed a little with her, but the feeling only amplified. Suddenly overwhelmed with a desire to know what it was that was filling his chest, he furrowed his brow when they were done laughing and looked over at her.
"Hey Serena, I have a question for you if that's okay."
"Sure Ash! Anything."
Ash put his hand on his chin, attempting to gather his thoughts. "Excuse me if this sounds weird, but I've had this weird feeling in my chest for a while now whenever I think of or see you."
Apparently not expecting this, she blushed madly and glanced at Clemont. "Y-you do?"
"Yeah. It's hard to explain. It used to give me headaches, but time has passed and I've recovered more of my memory, and now the feeling is just there, you know?"
"What is the feeling like?" She asked tentatively.
"Well, it's not a bad feeling, if that's what you're wondering. It's just really hard to describe" He rotated his hands in the air, as if that would help the process of explaining a little. "It's a strong feeling, but a good one. Like, I feel excitement and joy whenever the feeling is there, but also nervousness. It would be a lot easier to describe if it wasn't so blurry." Ash laughed at himself then. "That's a bad way to describe it, I guess. But "blurry" is about the only way I can think of to describe it. It's like whenever I try thinking about it, I can never come up with any answers, and I don't know what the feeling is. Does that make sense?"
Clemont adjusted his collar and looked mildly embarrassed while Serena's hand twitched. She looked like she was torn between playing with her ribbon and running away.
"I guess?" She replied. But she didn't elaborate any more on it, which confused Ash. Maybe she wasn't saying everything she was actually thinking, or he didn't explain it well enough?
Ash looked off to the side then. "Actually, I realized on the bus here today that the feeling kind of reminds me of how I used to feel about Talia. It's not like having a crush, I think, but it's a very familiar feeling similar to liking somebody." He then caught her eyes with his own and stared into them. "Sorry if its awkward to ask about, but were we ever dating at some point during our journey? That's the only explanation I can think of."
Serena looked like she mentally shut down, staring into space for a moment before wildly waving her hands while Clemont started coughing violently, like he was choking on something. Both of their faces turned an intense shade of red.
"No no no no! We were just friends, Ash! Nothing more…" She yelled quickly. At the end of her sentence was a twinge of…disappointment? Ash wasn't sure if he heard that correctly or not, but wasn't going to comment on it. Asking the question seemed to be enough for them.
Serena suddenly ran off then, faster than he had seen anyone run in a long time, and disappeared into another room. She was sputtering words about how she had to go get something as she ran, leaving Ash with Clemont and all of the facepalming Pokémon.
"That was…odd…" Ash commented with a chuckle. "Why was she so nervous?"
Clemont calmed himself down after a moment and sighed. "Ash, you mentioned that you had dated the waitress at the restaurant, right?"
Ash nodded. "Yeah, I did. Talia, for two years or so."
"Did you ask her out or did she ask you out?"
Ash rubbed the back of his head awkwardly while laughing. "There's actually a funny story behind that, actually. Apparently, she liked me for a while and I didn't even realize it. It took George pestering me about how I felt about her in order for me to figure it out. Talia was headstrong though, and actually asked me out on the date first. I was going to do it, but she beat me to it." Ash then slid close and whispered to Clemont, making sure that none of the curious Pokémon heard him except for Pikachu. "That's part of the reason why I'm so confused about this feeling with Serena." He added.
Clemont nodded then and gulped, while Ash continued. "The feeling I have for her in my chest is similar to the feeling I had for Talia way back then, but it's just too confusing for me to say that it's the same feeling, you know?"
"I guess so."
"There's just a lot of stuff I can't figure out. I'm sure this would be a lot easier if I had my memory back…"
"Maybe, maybe not." Clemont said while shrugging. He backed away as footsteps were heard coming from the direction of where Serena ran to.
Sure enough, Serena reappeared into the room, breathing a little heavily, looking more composed than when she left. She was holding something that Ash immediately recognized.
"My hat!" Ash yelled out. He ran over to Serena, who was cautiously holding the hat in front of her with a huge grin on her face.
Ash didn't take long to reach her, and accepted the hat that she was holding out in front of her. Looking it over, Ash felt like he was holding a piece of himself from the past. In a way, he was, and he knew that. Turning it around to put it on, Ash noticed an odd faded brown stain on the back of the hat.
"What's this from?" Ash asked, pointing at the stain and showing Serena.
Serena looked away then, her smile dimming. "That's…your blood, Ash." She said. "This is the hat you were wearing when you disappeared, and was the only bit of evidence we found when we looked for you in the mountains. I tried my best to get the stain out, I promise!" She chuckled awkwardly then. "Pikachu can attest, I've spent hours over the past few years trying to get the stain out. I've gotten most of it, but I don't think the rest is coming out."
Ash hummed and turned the hat around again. Standing tall, he put the hat on, and suddenly felt a wave of confidence come over him that he hadn't ever felt before. Serena seemed to think the bewildered look on Ash's face was funny, and she giggled.
"I feel more complete now than I've ever felt in my entire life…" Ash said, shaking his head at his own reaction. He then adjusted the brim. "Thanks for keeping the hat, Serena. It means a lot to me, even if it has my blood on it."
She shook her head then and pointed at Pikachu. "Actually, Pikachu has been the caretaker of your hat since you disappeared. I was just the one that was trying to clean it."
Pikachu nodded then and rubbed his face into the side of Ash's, who reached up to pet his friend. "Well thank you too, Pikachu! I feel like a complete man again."
"That's great!" Clemont said, walking up next to Ash and putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Just this morning, we alerted all of your friends that you are in fact alive, Ash. All of them want to see you, but we thought that if we let you get bombarded by so much info from your past, it might aggravate your headaches."
"That makes sense. I hope I can talk to everyone soon."
"We did think it would only be right for you to talk to Misty and Brock though." Clemont added, gesturing towards the giant tv screen over on the other side of the room. "They were just here, and didn't get to see you. Plus, they were your first traveling companions. It's only right if you at least talk to them."
Ash pumped his fist in the air. "Yeah let's do it!"
With an excitement even he didn't know he had, Ash ran over towards the screen and waited patiently for Clemont to catch up and to get the call connected. After dialing a number and pressing several buttons, the "call connecting" popup appeared on the screen, and Ash could barely contain himself as he waited for his old friends to appear.
A few seconds passed, and sure enough, Brock was the one that popped up on the screen. With his face came memories of Ash's adventures with him. At least, the ones he could remember. He looked surprised for a moment to see Ash, but immediately grinned wider than Ash had ever seen him.
"Ash!" He said loudly. He looked to his right then and waved his hand. "Misty! Come over here! Ash is on the phone!"
"Hi Brock!" Ash greeted, waving his hand. Misty sprinted onto the screen then, an eager look written all over her face, before she too grinned at the screen. "Hi Misty! It's great to see you both again!"
"Ash! It's great to see you too!" Misty replied. She looked to be shining with happiness, much more so than Ash had ever seen her with throughout their journey through Kanto. "We didn't know if we'd ever be able to talk to you again! Where have you been?"
"I was in Lumiose City the entire time! Can you believe it?"
Brock shook his head, still smiling. He looked a quite a bit older than Ash recalled, but he supposed that it had been many years since he started his journey. "I believe you, Ash, as hard as that is to do. To think that we searched the entire region multiple times, and spent days searching Lumiose City several times too, and never found you!"
Ash shrugged. "As I told Clemont and Serena, Lumiose is a pretty big city! Makes sense that you wouldn't have found me, no matter how much you looked."
Misty's face softened then. "How are you doing, Ash? Clemont told us about your memory issues."
"I'm doing good!" Ash replied without hesitation. He then gestured behind himself, where Clemont and Serena were standing and watching. "I think you can see Clemont and Serena behind me? They've been a huge help since I saw them yesterday. They've told me as much as they could about my journey here! I feel like I'm picking up pieces of myself really fast now."
"That's great, Ash!" Brock said. "I assume then that you remember us, judging by how you are acting like normal?"
Ash nodded then, and Pikachu did too. "Yeah, you two are some of the few I can remember most of my adventures with. I have a lot of holes in my memory still, but I'm recovering more with each day."
"That's amazing to hear." Misty said, dramatically wiping a fake bead of sweat off her brow. "When Clemont told us that you were found but couldn't remember huge parts of your memory, I immediately thought that you had forgotten about us. You don't know how much it means to hear that we are some of the people you do remember!"
Ash laughed then. "You don't know how it feels to be talking with you guys right now, knowing that I had forgotten you before, and have been working as an assistant chef in a restaurant in Kalos!"
Brock crossed his arms then. "Yeah, it's disappointing to know that we came so close to seeing you. This is great and all, but I wish we could have seen you in person."
Ash awkwardly rubbed his nape then. "Sorry about that, guys. I wish I could have seen you too. I'm getting my memory back through a therapist, and one of the side-effects of the therapy is "mental vulnerability", as she put it. Headaches, passing out, I've done it all. I actually have a headache right now that hopefully will be going away soon."
"That sucks, Ash. I hope it does go away soon. You'll have to come back to Kanto as soon as you can." Brock replied. "Both Misty and I probably won't be able to come over to Kalos for a bit."
"Plus, your mom is really worried about you!" Misty added, clasping her hands together. "You should probably visit her soon!"
"I will! My mom is number 1 on my list of people I have to go and see when this is all over!"
"That's good to hear." Misty replied, a small smile reappearing on her face. "You'll have to tell us all about what you've been doing since you disappeared. It's been a long time since we last saw each other."
Ash nodded, his headache forgotten thanks to his excitement, and then went into a detailed and spiraling story about everything he'd done since his disappearance at Snowbelle City. Clemont and Serena both watched and laughed along as Ash told story after story of his time with Frank, as well as the curious Fletchling that continued to follow him to this day, and up to his time at Restaurant Le Yeah. Misty seemed oddly curious about the fact that Ash actually managed to get a girlfriend, as she put it, and Brock made a few jealous mutterings about Ash being a "lady's man". Serena also looked strangely uncomfortable when Talia came up, so Ash tried not to dwell on that subject for long.
Ash laughed, talked, and reminisced with Brock and Misty for a few hours, with Clemont and Serena joining in for conversation every once in a while, too. Clemont eventually dismissed himself to go work on a project for a while, but Serena never left. She simply sat and watched the conversation between old friends unfold like she was watching a movie.
A few hours into the conversation, about halfway through, Clemont rejoined everyone and took a seat next to Serena watching everything happen. It was the closest Ash had felt to his old self in years. His Pikachu was by his side, his hat was on his head, he was talking with Brock, Clemont, Misty, and Serena, and his Kalos Pokémon were eagerly standing next to him. Inwardly, he longed for the day when he recovered his full memory. He hoped it would come soon.
Brock mentioned long into their call that he still had a few things to do for the remainder of the day. He was training to become a Pokémon doctor, and Misty was still a gym leader, and got the notification that she had a challenger waiting for her back in her hometown. She would have to leave to make the trek there. Ash said goodbye to his old crew, promising to come to Kanto soon to visit his mom and them as well.
When the call disconnected, Ash let out a content sigh, and rubbed Pikachu's head again. "It was good to talk to them, Pikachu." He said. "I think I needed that."
"Just think, Ash," Serena said while raising her pointer finger. "That was just the first meeting! When you're better, you can meet everyone else again! I'm sure they're all looking forward to it."
"You're right, Serena. Although if every conversation lasts that long, I'll have to set aside a whole week to talk with everyone!" Ash replied, turning towards his friends.
Clemont put his hands on his hips then. "So, Ash. You're a regular resident of Lumiose City and have been for quite a while. What do you usually do on Sundays when you aren't working?"
"Well, Sunday is the only day that I don't work, so if I need anything done, I always try to do it on Sunday."
"Have anything you need to do today, Ash?" Serena asked, leaning forward slightly.
Ash shook his head. "Not really. Sometimes when I have nothing to do, I just take walks to get some fresh air, watch tv, or try to socialize with my Fletchling. Never works though." He shrugged then. "Something I always do every Sunday though is cook a good meal for myself. I consider it a part of my training to become lead-chef at Restaurant Le Yeah, so I guess I'll do that today?"
Clemont reached into his pocket and pulled out a wrench. He deftly tossed the wrench into the air and caught it, his glasses shining in the light for a moment. "Today I have to work on Clembot. I wanted to update him with a new battle algorithm, so you're welcome to accompany me in that task if you want, Ash." He flicked his eyes over to Serena then, a gesture that went completely unnoticed by Ash, but not by Serena or Pikachu. "Or, you can go out and do something else? Today is your day, Ash! Spend it however you like!"
Ash put his finger on his chin for a second, and then looked over at Serena. She looked…expectant. Chuckling to himself, he silently agreed to the task that was just thrown into his hands: Figuring out the feeling with Serena.
"Hey Serena," Ash began, adjusting his hat. "Why don't we go out and shop for a bit? I'll need some stuff for the dish I'm making tonight, if that's okay. We can even go somewhere you wanted to go as well."
Everyone suddenly became silent, their faces morphing into surprised awe mixed with confusion.
"Shopping?" Serena asked, her voice raising a little near the end. Her lips tugged up into a smile then, but she said no more.
"What?" He asked with a slight shrug. "Was that the wrong thing to say?"
Everyone seemed to recover from whatever came over them, and Clemont chuckled. He shook his head in disbelief. "Sorry Ash. I just hadn't expected you of all people to offer to go shopping with Serena."
"What's wrong with shopping? How else do you buy the things you need for food?"
Clemont leaned to his left then, his hand on his hip. "Unless it was for food, I guess, the old Ash never would have wanted to go shopping. What's surprising is your offer to Serena."
Serena scoffed playfully. "Never did I think the day would come where Ash Ketchum wanted to go shopping with me."
Ash smirked. "Geez, was I really that difficult back then? How did you guys deal with me if I wasn't even willing to do something as simple as shop?"
Serena walked up next to Ash and grabbed onto his arm. Her face had a small blush on it, and Ash's blush was growing as well as she looked at him with a flirtatious stare. "You were surprisingly easy to deal with. Most of the time." She winked then and grinned. Ash felt his blush intensify under her stare. "I'd love to go shopping with you, Ash. We'll see about going to a shop for myself though. Don't want to get swamped by people asking for pictures. Lead the way."
"Will do, madam." Ash replied sarcastically as he regained his composure, earning a giggle from the girl on his arm.
With Serena in tow, they waved good bye to Clemont and began their walk to the door. Not before turning towards the group of Pokémon though. Ash gave them a sad smile, but surprisingly, they didn't look disheartened at all. Instead, they looked excited for some reason. "Sorry I can't train or battle with you guys. I'm not sure I remember how. I promise that as soon as I get better though, we'll do both of those things as much as we can, okay?"
"Noi!
"Haw-LUCHA!"
"Talon!
"Goodra!"
Ash nodded once and tipped his hat. "Good to hear, guys. I'll be back!" He then turned towards Clemont. "I'll make sure she's back safe and sound, Clemont!" He called out as they walked towards the door again.
"You'd better do that!" Clemont yelled back.
"Yeah, I'd better be back safe and sound." Serena agreed with a giggle and a squeeze of Ash's arm.
"Pi-Pika!" Pikachu added from Ash's shoulder.
"I think Pikachu would shock me if anything happened to you." Ash replied with a fake-nervous tone.
"Pika…" Pikachu replied with a curt nod and crossing his arms.
Both Ash and Serena laughed and opened the door. They walked outside with some difficulty, since Serena refused to let go of Ash's arm when he wanted to open the door exiting Prism Tower. He made it work though, albeit after a few failed tries to unhook Serena from his arm, who only stuck her tongue out at him and laughed in response. The walk to the nearby shopping district was several blocks away, but not too far so that they couldn't get there on foot.
As they swerved around people and dodged small puddles left from snow melting on the crowded Lumiose sidewalks, Ash found that Serena was incredibly easy to talk to. Although he barely knew her, she acted as if they had been friends for years, laughing and joking along with him often. The thought crossed his mind that if he hadn't disappeared, they would have continued being friends, and while he had forgotten her, she surely hadn't forgotten him.
Before they had even gone a city block away from Prism Tower, Ash was talking with Serena like she was an old friend. She had moments where she displayed extreme confidence, but also had moments where she was easily embarrassed and timid. The contrast between these two parts of her personality was amusing, and Ash found out quickly that it was very easy to make Serena blush.
"May I ask why you like holding onto my arm so much?" Ash asked just as they entered the shopping strip. He wiggled the arm she was clutching onto for dramatic effect. "You held onto my arm when you escorted me home last night, and took it again as soon as we started to leave Prism Tower."
Serena's face became red and she let go of Ash's arm immediately. She turned her head away and nervously put a lock of hair behind her ears. Ash smiled at her obvious timidity. "No reason." She replied, averting her gaze. "I just thought nobody would try to stop me and ask for pictures if they saw me holding onto you. I am the Kalos Queen, you know." She flicked her eyes over at Ash then, which only amused him more.
"But don't you think we've been seen, Serena?" Ash pointed out. He scratched Pikachu, who cooed in delight, before reaching his hands into his pockets.
"Yeah, so what? Nobody bothered us, so my plan worked!"
Ash smirked at her. "Yeah, but since we were probably seen, that means that the tabloids probably already have pictures of us up on their websites." He laughed then and held his arms out. "Kalos Queen arm-in-arm with recently found Pokémon Trainer, Ash Ketchum! I can see the title already!"
Serena gasped and blushed again. "Oh no…I hadn't thought of that…" She whispered. "I'm going to have to explain that to Palermo…and my mom!"
Ash laughed as they turned a corner and walked around an elderly couple. "It'll be fine. You're the face of the showcase industry. Rumors are bound to exist no matter what you do."
Serena sighed and rolled her eyes. "I know. I've just tried in the past not to feed the rumor-mill tabloids. I've been relatively successful up until now, apparently." She crossed her arms then and mock-pouted. "Thanks, Ash."
Ash smiled and looked over at her. "You're welcome, Serena. Although this is all your fault. You're the one that wanted to hang onto my arm."
Shaking her head but unable to stop her own smile, Serena looked up and began to read the signs of stores as they passed them. There were a huge number of small shopping districts all throughout Lumiose City, meaning that there were countless options for stores if you had the ability to get to them.
Ash was looking for a particular store though, and Serena seemed to notice this as his eyes quickly read over the signs of passing shops and his pace increased ever so slightly.
"What place are you looking for, Ash?" She asked as she quickened her own pace to keep up with him. Pikachu looked back at her from his shoulder and shrugged, as he was just as clueless as she was.
"There's a special store I go to every Sunday." Ash replied, his eyes flicking over the store names. "I've never come from this direction to get to it, so I'm just looking for the sign."
"What's it called? I can help you find it!"
"Gabriel's." Ash said just as he stopped in front of his target. It was modest shop, with chipping gray paint on the outside of the building and a "Help Wanted" sign crookedly hanging on the door's window.
Ash walked forward and opened the door. A bell chimed as he pulled it open, and he sent Serena his best grin as he held the door open and gestured inside. "After you, Queen Serena."
Serena blushed yet again and adjusted her hat. Turning her nose up and humming, she strolled past him with a twinkling smile. "Thanks Ash." She said as she walked inside with Ash following just behind.
The inside of the building was a typical grocery store. A few aisles of various separated food categories, like canned food and breakfast were not far in front of the entrance, but the store itself wasn't very large. There was a portly man wearing a bloodied apron behind the counter, using a calculator and a pencil to write on a paper, and he glanced up to see who entered the store. He didn't register who it was at first who entered, but he did a double take and gasped, jumping up from his seat behind the counter. His eyes stuck to Serena, who waved at him shyly.
"The Kalos Queen!" He said with a gravelly voice. He bolted around the counter and grabbed Serena's hand, kissing it lightly. She giggled, thanking him with a bow of her head. "It's an honor to have you come to my humble store." He continued. Looking up, he saw Ash behind Serena, and his grin grew.
"And Aaron!" He called out, throwing his arms up just as Ash did the same, and the two men hugged. When they pulled apart, the man held Ash by the free-shoulder, looking into his brown eyes with a sparkling stare. "Or should I say "Ash" now! Your story is all over the news, my friend!"
Ash rolled his eyes and patted his friend's shoulder. "I would have been surprised if you hadn't seen the news yet, Gabriel. You're glued to that television when you aren't doing inventory or cutting meat."
"And what was I doing when you came in?" Gabriel replied, pointing back at the counter. "Doing inventory. You know me so well!"
He looked back at Serena then, who watched the two men with her infectious smile. "And you brought the Kalos Queen to my store! I saw the pictures of your reunion at Restaurant Le Yeah! You never told me you were dating the Kalos Queen, Ash!"
Ash scratched under his nose, feeling the heat rising to his cheeks just as he glanced over at Serena, who looked tongue-tied with a fiery-red-colored face.
"Sorry Gabriel, but we aren't together. Just out for a night, that's all." Ash said, stealing another look over at the incredibly red girl standing next to him. He had to admit to himself that she looked adorable when she was so obviously embarrassed.
Gabriel shrugged and switched looks between the two. "We all know what that means, Ash. Ain't no young man and woman coming to my store on a Sunday afternoon shopping for any random occasion, alright? Especially when one of them is the beautiful Kalos Queen and the other is the handsome Ash Ketchum!"
"Thanks, Gabriel." Ash replied with a chuckle. "But we're just friends."
"Whatever." The man replied, waving his hand in dismissal. "What are you cooking for her today?"
Ash looked over at Serena, who appeared to be attempting to calm her now pink face at the moment. "You're gonna eat with me, right? Otherwise if you're not, I won't get as much food."
"Um, sure!" She replied cheerily, her familiar smile returning to her lips. "I'd like to see what this new Ash is capable of making! The old one couldn't boil water right!"
Gabriel laughed loudly and slapped his knee. "I like you, Kalos Queen. You'll be surprised with what this guy can cook." He pointed at Ash then. "Trust me, this guy could be a cook at Restaurant Le Wow if they were hiring!"
Ash waved his hands bashfully. "Aw come on Gabriel, don't hype me up like that! Albern is much better and more experienced than I am. I'm not even close to his level of skill."
"Albern doesn't shop here every Sunday, and that's why you're better!" Gabriel replied, waving his hands animatedly like he always did when he talked. "Now tell me what to get! I'm sure your dear girlfriend is starving over here!"
"She's not my—" Ash shook his head, choosing not to protest again. He had learned from experience that there was no arguing with Gabriel. The man would just yell until he got his point across if it came to it. "I wanted something simple. You got any magikarp on hand?"
Gabriel poked his finger in the air. "Just got some today. What were you thinking of using it for?"
"Magikarp à l'oseille" Ash replied nonchalantly.
"Impressive." Serena commented, raising an eyebrow and nodding her head. "You think you can pull that off?"
"I know I can." Ash asserted, sending her his best confident smirk. "I wanted to pick something I've made a hundred times before so that I don't screw up and embarrass myself tonight."
"Trying to impress her, are you? We'll see if you manage to do that, lover-boy." Gabriel bellowed as he turned around and walked back behind the counter again, leaving Ash embarrassed yet again. "I'll be right back with your fish!"
"Get the best one, Gabriel! I'm treating someone else tonight!" Ash called out just as his friend disappeared into a room behind the counter.
"You know him well." Serena commented when it was just the two of them, putting her hands on her hips. She seemed to be acting confident again. "You come here every Sunday?"
"Every Sunday that I can. I've known Gabriel for about two years now. Met him at the bar I used to frequent with my work-friends."
She shook her head, a smile spreading across her face. "You've grown up, Ash." She said with a chuckle. "It's hard to see you as the same person that thought about nothing but battling, food, and Pokémon when we were on our journey." She pointed dramatically at him. "Now look at you! You have a good job, apparently are a good cook, haven't caught a new Pokémon in four years, not that that's a good or bad thing, and go to the bar." Serena crossed her arms and smirked at him, giving him a flirtatious smile that made Ash's heart jump for some reason. "I'm impressed."
"Have I really changed that much?" Ash asked, slightly worried, forgetting about the joy he felt at Serena's "adult" description of him. He was just discovering the pieces of his life that had left when he lost his memory. The last thing he wanted was to lose friends because of his changed personality over the years it had been since he was last "Ash".
Serena shrugged. "I think you've changed, yes, but in your core you're still Ash Ketchum, if that makes sense."
"How so?"
"Well," She began. "I'm sure that the Ash I knew in the past never went away. He's just hidden inside your memories. You may have new interests and friends now, and have an apartment and a job, but I can tell that you're still the Ash I knew. You're just grown up now, I think."
"There has to be more to it than that." Ash said, chuckling. "I want to know as much about my old life as possible. How can you tell that I'm the same as the old me deep down?"
A light pink color came to Serena's cheeks and she smiled. "Call it intuition, I guess. I can tell that you're the same passionate, friendly, optimistic man that I knew when he was just a boy. The only thing that has really changed is your age."
Ash felt gratitude swelling up inside of his consciousness, and was about to voice this and ask Serena to elaborate further, but was interrupted by the gravelly voice of his friend behind the counter.
"Should I leave you two alone?" Came Gabriel's smug voice. Both Ash and Serena turned over and saw Gabriel smirking at them, holding a huge magikarp in his hands. "I don't want to interrupt whatever moment you two had going on there."
"If there was a moment, you ruined it anyway, Gabriel." Ash replied, rolling his eyes. Serena giggled at his side. "That fish looks great though. What do you think, Serena?" He asked, looking over at her.
She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm not the chef here."
Ash smiled, turning back over to Gabriel then. "Then it's settled. I'll get that one."
"You have the rest of the stuff you need, Ash?" Gabriel asked.
Ash nodded, reaching for his wallet in his back pocket. "I've got everything else at home, I think. Thank you."
Ash paid Gabriel, dodged a few more questions about his non-existent relationship with Serena, and soon enough, they were on their way. The sun was about to dip below the horizon and street lights all turned on around them as they walked down the sidewalk. There was a content silence covering the two friends. Serena was humming a familiar song that Ash was unable to name and had a bounce in her step. Her bubbly energy spread over to Ash, and he found himself walking alongside her with the same positivity that she exuded.
His thoughts though were on the confusing feeling in his chest. Being with Serena was fun, but mixed in with that thought was the confusion that came whenever he tried thinking of her. For some reason, he could never think straight whenever he tried thinking of her or their shared past. From that first memory he recovered in Dr. Carter's office when he attended his first appointment, to seeing her at the showcase and revealing that he was alive, unintentionally. Then they reunited at Restaurant Le Yeah, and now were on what the entire world would call a "date". Since he had "rediscovered" her a few weeks before, she was accompanied by confusing feelings that Ash couldn't identify.
Shaking his head to try and get himself back on track, Ash suddenly realized a mistake he had made. They had gotten the fish before they had gone to a store Serena had wanted to go to, and now likely wouldn't be able to since the fish could spoil.
He stopped and looked over at the girl next to him, an apologetic look on his face. "Hey Serena," He started.
"Yeah, Ash?" Serena said, turning around. She tilted her head and beamed a bright smile at him. Her cheeks had a light blush, and she looked so positively happy that Ash was stunned for a few moments.
It was in that moment that something on her caught his eye. He had seen this image before somehow. Her bright blue eyes were staring at him with an expectant gaze, eager to hear what he had to say. Her smile was so infectious that Ash couldn't help but feel his lips tugging up to join hers. Gasping, Ash remembered that she wore a similar smile when he saw her face over Talia's back at the bar. That instance must have been a memory that he saw of her during their journey! That was the only explanation. And now, as Ash stared at her, captivated by her bright face, he realized at least some of the odd feeling in his chest.
He wanted to be around Serena more.
The feeling in his chest began to feel like he had a crush on her. That was the only answer he could think of. To his knowledge, he had only felt that feeling one other time in his life, and that was with Talia. There seemed to be more to it that Ash couldn't figure out though. He felt like the veil over his mind was half-lifted, and he could begin to see under to the other side of the confusion. Like an incomplete puzzle, there were still more pieces that needed to come together before he figured out what the odd feeling in his chest truly was.
As for the present moment and his realization that he may like Serena as more than a friend? Talia had mentioned several times since their talk in the pantry that it sounded like he may have had feelings for her at one point, but Ash knew that emotions such as those were ones that he wasn't good at identifying. Thinking back, the evidence did point towards him having liked her at one point, with how he talked about her and how she was the center of the odd feeling that occupied his mind.
He didn't know whether his old self had feelings for her or not, but all he could think about in the present was the sudden sense of clarity at why she was so captivating. Why his eyes were always drawn to her, and his odd desire to make her happy. Ash suddenly felt very lucky to have met her again, and wished that his memories of their previous friendship would come back sooner so that he could have the other pieces of the puzzle. So that he could see the other side of the veil, and figure out what his feelings truly were.
"Hey Ash?" Serena asked, concern etching into her tone. Her radiant smile disappeared, bringing Ash back to reality.
"Yeah?" He breathed, blinking a few times.
"You were just staring at me."
"Yeah."
"Why were you doing that?" She asked, a light blush appearing on her face. Ever bashful once again.
Ash awkwardly chuckled, bouncing the bag of raw fish in his hands as a means of distraction. "I just…felt like I figured something out."
She stepped forward, hope covering her features. "What did you figure out?"
Ash rubbed under his nose and turned his gaze away. "Nothing important. I was just going to tell you that I messed up and bought the food before we could go to a store of your choice. We might have to head back now so that it doesn't spoil."
She looked away, appearing disappointed. "Oh. Okay." Then in an instant she brightened up, winking at Ash in a way that made him want to see it again. "That's okay though. I'm glad that I can be here with you, no matter what we're doing. Let's head back and get this food started!"
"Alright!"
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Ash had almost forgotten that his friend was there. The electric mouse had mostly stayed silent and watched everything that was going on, only nodding and shrugging where appropriate. He was sure that Pikachu was excited to dig into some food as well. If he was anything like Ash was, which he suspected he still was, then food was top priority in his life.
Serena quickly latched herself onto Ash's arm again, and he prayed to Arceus that she didn't notice his blush as they walked along. He was a bit lost on what to do about his realization that he may have feelings for Serena. For now, he would just bide his time and see where the days took him. He didn't want to make any rash decisions that would cost him his friendship with someone from his previous life.
Ash lived nearly on the opposite end of town, but apparently being Kalos Queen had more perks than he knew of. Serena flagged down a taxi, waited for the taxi driver to recognize her, and then they took a discounted rate all the way to Ash's apartment. She tipped the driver a hefty sum as a thanks for his kind deed, but even with that, it was still far cheaper than it normally would have been if they had taken a regular ride.
Ash opened the door to the building and escorted Serena inside. They walked up the stairs, arriving at Ash's apartment door in just a few moments. Fiddling with his keys, he unlocked the door, turned on the light, and let Serena inside.
She looked around for a moment, inspecting his living room with an awed face.
"Wow." She remarked. She turned towards Ash and flashed a playful smirk. "I expected it to be a lot dirtier."
Ash laughed just as Pikachu hopped off his shoulder and began to look around the apartment on his own. "I think I used to be a more disorganized person, but Frank really hated clutter, so he kind of stopped that habit quickly. I guess I've been orderly ever since!"
Because of the increasing darkness outside, Ash walked around the apartment and turned on a few lamps and the kitchen light, placing the magikarp on the counter as well. Serena removed her shoes while Ash wheeled around and took her jacket for her, placing it on the nearby coat rack.
Pikachu bounded back over to the two friends, pointing at the pantry next to the kitchen.
"Pikapika, chu~!"
Ash smiled and walked over to the pantry his partner was pointing at. "You can smell the Pokémon food in there, can't you?"
Pikachu nodded while Ash opened the pantry door, grabbed several ingredients he would need for the food for him and Serena, and Pikachu's food as well. He took one of Fletchling's bowls, poured food into it, and set it down for Pikachu to eat.
"Doesn't Serena ever feed you, Pikachu?" Ash teased, sending a glance up at his friend.
Serena scoffed playfully, crossing her arms. "I feed him all the time! He can eat more than any Pokémon I've ever seen!"
Ash poured another bowl of food out and walked towards the balcony. "That's because he's like me, Serena. I not only have a passion for cooking, but I also have a passion for eating as well!" He opened the door to the balcony, set the food down, and promptly closed it. That few seconds of the door being open let the cool breeze in, and Serena shivered from the sudden lack of warmth. Ash went over to the thermostat and turned the temperature up slightly in order to warm the apartment to a more appropriate temperature. It was a little chilly in the building even without the door being open for a few seconds.
Ash then noticed that Serena was standing near the doorway, not really moving around his apartment. She looked to be content inspecting the living room and kitchen from afar, making random glances at Ash every once in a while. "You can come inside, you know." He offered. She was broken from whatever trance she was in, and looked down at the ground.
She walked into the living room, running her hand along the couch that sat in front of the television, and turned her head towards Ash. "Sorry. I'm just getting used to the fact that this is where you've been since you came down from the mountains. I never really pictured you as an "apartment in the city" kind of guy, Ash."
Ash shrugged. Serena seemed to have moments where she accepted Ash for what his life had become, but also moments where it seemed that his current life wasn't what she had expected for him. "I don't know what I would have pictured myself as. What matters to me now though is this present moment, and this fish I'm going to cook." He lifted up the magikarp and waved it in the air gently.
Serena smiled and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "Yeah. You're right. Things are different now." She walked over and joined Ash in the kitchen, peering around his shoulder as he set out what he needed to cook the meal.
"Is this something that you make at the restaurant?" She asked.
Ash nodded and turned the heat on the stovetop up. "It's been a while, but once in a blue moon or so we'd have it for the special. I actually learned how to make it from Albern."
"So I should expect top-tier cooking if his skill is as great as you say?"
Ash looked over and grinned. "Nothing but the best for the Kalos Queen, Serena."
Serena blushed, and nodded once.
With that, like a chef with much more experience than he had, Ash set about cooking the meal for him and Serena. She watched on with awe as his hands moved as fast as Pikachu's Quick Attack, simultaneously cooking and cleaning up after himself at the same time, often in the same motions with his hands.
After several minutes, Ash noticed that Serena was not watching the fish simmer in the pan. He glanced over at her as he adjusted the heat for the sauce pan and started adding ingredients to it. She was watching him with an odd smile and a hand over the ribbon on her heart. Chuckling to himself, he grabbed the stirring spoon he had set out and pointed it at her.
"Your turn." He said, smirking and waving the spoon in her face.
"My turn? What do you mean?"
"What do you think? I started the fish, and now you're going to make the sauce."
She looked around nervously, looking everywhere but Ash and the spoon being waved in her face. "I mean, I can cook just fine and all, but I don't know if I can compare to an actual chef!"
Ash waved the spoon more in her face, and she took a step back to get away. He continued sending her a mischievous smirk as her face began to turn red. "That's nonsense, Serena! You're an artist just like me!"
She cocked her head a little to the right. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Ash shrugged but kept his smile. "You're a performer, Serena. You practice art in the form of performing, and I practice art in the form of cooking. I'm sure I could learn how to perform if I had someone as good as you as a teacher, and you can learn how to cook like me if you let me help you. So, what do you say?"
"I don't know…"
"Come on. You can just stir, okay? Just stir, and I'll do the rest. How does that sound?"
Serena thought this over for a second until she nodded, sent him another flirtatious smirk, and grasped the spoon from Ash's hand. "Okay fine. Only because you kept asking though."
She promptly started stirring slowly as the sauce that Ash had prepared was heating up. Meanwhile, while he was helping her and making comments about the food preparation process every few moments, Ash was keeping an eye on the cooking magikarp on the other half of the stove. They both laughed and shook their heads at Pikachu, who looked bloated from eating too much food and was lying down on floor next to them.
"You know Serena, you're doing an amazing job." Ash said a few minutes into the stirring.
Serena scoffed, quickening her pace slightly. "It's not hard to be good at stirring, Ash." She replied. She then hip-bumped him, but did it a little too hard. He almost fell over to the side, and narrowly managed to prevent the pan with the fish in it from falling over onto the ground. He looked at her with a shocked face, unable to process what had nearly happened.
They stared at each other for a few seconds before breaking out in anxious laughter. "You nearly knocked me over!" Ash said, standing up straight again.
"You should learn to balance yourself better." Serena sassily replied as she went back to stirring, smiling to herself.
"Yeah, sure. That can be the first lesson you teach me when I learn how to perform." Ash scoffed, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
Serena laughed but did not reply. They sat in a comfortable silence, both cooking their halves of the food and exchanging a few comments about the cooking or their day every once in a while. Ash had to admit to himself that he was having a lot of fun. Serena was a person who was easy to talk to, and seemed to know more about him than he knew about himself, not including the obvious fact that she literally did know more about him thanks to the amnesia.
Time passed and the food was soon finished. Ash reached up in the cupboard near the stove and grabbed two plates and glasses, and then silverware as well while Serena idly stirred the sauce for the fish. He placed the plates on the counter next to the oven and bumped into Serena on purpose, making her shake her head and grumble with a smile. Walking over to the table, he placed the remaining dinnerware down and turned on the light overhead. Looking over the table and nodding in contentment, he walked back over to the kitchen, asked Serena to stop her stirring, and plated the food.
He was thoroughly impressed with himself. The food looked delicious. He only hoped that Serena would think the same thing.
He beckoned her over to the table from the kitchen. "Go and sit. I'll bring the food over."
"I'm looking forward to it." She replied, walking past Ash and pulling out a chair.
Meanwhile, Ash put the seasoned fish onto the plates, poured the sauce over it, and ran them over to the table. Rushing back to the refrigerator, he grabbed a bottle of wine and popped the cork.
"Wine? That's about the last thing I expected from Ash Ketchum." Serena commented with a laugh. She held her glass out and Ash poured an appropriate amount into the cup.
"I indulge every once in a while." Ash replied, pouring some of the light-colored liquid into his own glass. "Albern once told me that "Wine is the elixir of life, so let's live a little!". I haven't forgotten that since."
"You really look up to him, don't you?"
Ash took a seat and scooted in with his chair. "He's been my mentor in more than just cooking, Serena. Frank may have taught me how to survive in the mountains, but it was Albern who has taught me how to live."
Serena glanced down at her food and smiled. She looked reflective for a moment, several emotions flashing through her eyes in a split-second, and raised her glass. "I knew someone just like that a few years back. He taught me how to live as well, and I've thought about him every day since I last saw him." She grinned then, offering her cup over to Ash. "To mentors, and those who have taught us things we didn't know we needed."
Ash remembered reading about Serena's inspiration in her performer biography back when he was first discovering his memories. He also remembered wondering if that person she looked up to in her bio was him, and if he was somehow about to toast to himself. By how she had just said that she hadn't seen this person in a few years though, there was no way it was him. Waving the thoughts away, he raised his own cup and clinked it against hers, before both of them took a sip. It was now fully dark outside, and the lights of the city shown throughout the night-sky. They both reached down and took a bite of their fish, and Ash made the chef's kiss gesture.
"I have to say Serena. I think that if you ever wanted to stop being Kalos Queen, you might just have a career in the culinary arts awaiting you."
Serena looked at him in disbelief, a smile growing across her face again. "I only stirred the sauce!"
"And I don't think I've ever had sauce over magikarp that was as perfectly stirred as this was." Ash said, pointing at his plate. "I think it's the best I've ever had."
Serena scoffed and took another bite of her food. "When did you get so sarcastic?"
"I work in a restaurant, Serena. It's second nature when two of your friends are waiters who enjoy teaming up against you."
Serena hummed. "Well, I guess that makes sense. I never would have thought that I would help Ash Ketchum in the kitchen though. It seems so far-fetched to think that would ever be a possibility."
Ash laughed. "I guess judging by the stories you and Clemont told me about my past self, I can't be insulted by that."
"The food is very good though. I see why you're the assistant chef at a good restaurant." Serena added, looking up at him with a glint sparkling in her eyes.
Ash matched her smile with a grin, feeling his heart soar in his chest at her praise. "Thanks Serena. I really appreciate that."
They chatted and ate for quite a while, laughing amongst each other from comments the other had said, and exchanged stories of their times when they were apart. Serena told stories of her time in Hoenn, and Ash eagerly listened, laughing along when he heard about the time that Serena had met Dawn—one of the few people Ash could recognize from his murky memory—and how Serena had at first thought that she was just an obsessive fan of May's before actually figuring out who she was.
Time passed and Pikachu awoke from his food-coma and jumped up onto the table, watching as the two humans talked and laughed together. He added his own "Pikas" to the conversation too whenever he got the chance and nodded along whenever he agreed with whatever was being said. They talked long after they had finished their food, and well over an hour later, as Ash confirmed by looking up at the clock on the wall, he stood and gathered their dishes with a stretch. Serena attempted to help the clean up too, but Ash refused her, stating that she was the guest and shouldn't help clean. Because of his quick cleaning during the cooking though, there wasn't much work to be done, and both of them were thankful for that.
Serena yawned, stretched, and looked at the clock. "I should probably be heading back to Lumiose Tower now. I promised Palermo this morning that I would get up really early tomorrow to practice a new routine idea I had, and all of my Pokémon are back with Clemont."
"I can escort you back? It's a long taxi-ride." Ash offered, scratching under his nose. "I know I would appreciate the company if I had to ride across the city through early night traffic."
"I'd love for you to come with, Ash." She beamed with a blush as she walked to put her shoes on. Pikachu jumped up into Ash's arms as he fished for his jacket out of the closet and grabbed Serena's as well. He handed it to her and they both put on their coats. Pikachu apparently had decided that he didn't actually want to be on Ash's shoulder despite jumping up there less than a minute before. Still reeling a little from his food coma, he didn't want the extra movement, and jumped down to walk alongside them. Turning off the lights and heading out the door, they both fast-walked down the stairs and left the building out into the cold.
They started their walk towards Prism Tower, hoping to see a taxi along the way so that they could flag it down. Serena looked to be fighting the urge to do something whenever Ash glanced over at her, and after a few minutes of her looking conflicted, she finally decided to act. She stepped over and grabbed Ash's arm again, sending him a smug smile and sticking out her tongue as he shook his head at her.
"This again?" He said with a laugh.
"Some people would kill to have the Kalos Queen hanging onto their arm, Ash. You sound like you don't like it."
"Hey I wasn't complaining!" Ash replied. "I was just going to make a comment about how you don't seem to care about the discussion you're going to have with Palermo and your mom anymore?"
Serena shook her head, smiling. "I've been seen. What's done is done. I might as well enjoy this without their prying comments and questions while I can."
Ash felt a little heat rise to his face and he looked forward just as a taxi was driving by. They flagged it down, did the same trick as they did earlier in the day to get a cheaper fare, and headed over to Prism Tower.
With the traffic slightly diminished compared to earlier thanks to the later time of day, it didn't take nearly as long to get to Prism Tower as it took to get to Ash's apartment. They tipped the driver his hefty pay as a thanks for letting them drive a cheaper rate, and both got out with a wave. Ash turned towards Serena, who, to him, looked like she was part of a famous painting. Behind her were the lights of Prism Tower, and her form was outlined by them, making it look like she came down from Arceus himself.
She smiled up at him and started twirling her hair in her fingers. "I had a lot of fun, Ash. It was great spending time with you today."
Ash smiled back at her, putting his hands in his pockets. "I had a lot of fun too, Serena." He rubbed under his nose then. "I didn't realize how much I missed you until I started seeing you. I wonder if the rest of my friends will be this way?"
Serena looked surprised and her face had a pink tint to it, dimmed only by the lights of the tower around them. "We'll have to see." She looked like she wanted to say more but chose not to, and in that moment, chose instead to look away shyly.
Ash decided that he would speak again. "I feel like I'm so close to just remembering something really important, you know? It's really hard to describe. I wish I could just wake up tomorrow and remember the rest of my life. That would make this much easier."
Serena smiled at him, turning her head slightly to the side. "It'll come with time. I know everyone's been telling you that, but it's true." She suddenly gained a small smirk then, looking up at him with a mischievous look on her face. The pink tint on her cheeks deepened into a slight red.
"When you remember everything too, I have something really important to tell you."
Ash felt his shoulder's slump. "Aw man, who knows when that'll happen! Why can't you tell me now?"
Pikachu snickered then, walking over to stand next to Serena and gazing up at his friend. Ash looked down at him, asking him for help with his eyes, but received none. Serena shook her head. "Nope. It's too important. That's why it has to wait."
"Yeah, but can you at least give me a hint? What's it about?"
It all happened in slow motion. Serena waited for a second, took a deep breath, and suddenly reached up and cupped Ash's cheek with her hand. She quickly leaned up and pressed her lips onto Ash's right cheek, lingered for just a second, and then slowly backed away from his shocked face. She looked redder than Ash had ever seen someone before, but he knew that she was composing herself better than he was in that moment. He couldn't even think straight, and didn't attempt to hide his obvious blush as he stared at her, mouth agape.
She giggled, likely at his ridiculous face, and winked. "It's a secret. I'll tell you when you remember."
With that, she turned and ran back towards the entrance to Prism Tower. Pikachu stayed behind for a second, laughing at Ash's stunned face, and then bolted off after Serena.
As he watched Serena run off, laughing to herself giddily, and Pikachu running to catch up with her, Ash felt several emotions flooding his mind. His hand slowly rose and covered the spot where Serena's lips had touched his cheek, and his head spun. The image of her embarrassed face from earlier in the day when he asked if they were dating came into his head. Then came her blushing smile that he had remembered when he got a similar kiss from Talia back at the bar. Finally, the image of her right before she leaned in to kiss his cheek repeated itself over and over again in his mind.
Comparing the kisses from Talia at the bar and Serena just a few moments earlier, it was easy for Ash to pick which one he'd rather have again. He liked Talia as a person, and she was a nice girl, but Serena was in a completely different league. In that moment, as he stood there in total awe, Ash Ketchum thought to himself that he may have just experienced one of the best moments of the life he knew of. With that, he wished for his memory to come back faster than ever before so that he could find out what Serena wanted to tell him. Maybe then he would experience more amazing days such as the one he just had. Just maybe…
So this was the longest chapter I had written for this story so far? Why? Well, I originally wanted to split it in half, but couldn't find a suitable place to do it. The next chapter is going to have the same issue, although I don't think it'll be quite this length. With this, I thought "I'll just put the whole thing up." Worked out okay, I think. I actually rewrote this entire chapter twice. That's one of the reasons why it took so long to update this story. I originally had Ash and Serena go to a nearby park, but I didn't like the flow of how things were going so I deleted everything and started from scratch. So essentially I wrote two chapters, but only delivered one. My bad. I still don't really care for this one, but it passed my tests enough to warrant being published.
When looking up the food that Ash would be cooking, I didn't go too far into it. I'm not a great cook, lol, so I took a few liberties. Criticize that if you'd like. Also, magikarp is something that is seen as a food that is eaten in the Pokemon world a few times, so that is the unlucky Pokemon that got chosen to be the dish for our two compatriots.
As far as the progress of this story? The next chapter is actually the last "real" chapter. After that, there's only the conclusion, and the end of the story. So really only two chapters left. One if you don't count the conclusion chapter where I scramble in an attempt to wrap things up. Feels weird, man. I'm already 2/3 of the way done with the next chapter, so I can safely say this time, for real, that it won't take a month like it took for this one. I apologize for the slow update. We'll get this thing going again. Thanks for reading this far down the story and for reading my lengthy note! Have a good day,
Twilly