The ferry carried a trio of dreamers away from Hoenn during sunset. One an aspiring Pokémon Master and World Champion, one to find a myth so rare it stood at the origin of this worlds creatures and one that was looking for a dream to pursue as her two friends and the girl she met today. Ash turned to his Research Fellow Goh and was visibly upset.

"You should've told me Serena was performing!"

"You would've seen her if you weren't so occupied with Wallace!"

Ash and Goh back and forth blamed each other for missing out on a thing they wanted to do. Ash took Wallace's challenge while in reality they were in a hurry to watch Chloe's Contest. The Contest Master adamant for a battle with the fast rising star in the PWC Ash couldn't turn down a challenge from someone equal to the Hoenn Champion. The third person Chloe shook her head tired of today's events and their bickering while still carrying Eevee.

"Back up a little, where were you two?" She was annoyed they missed her debut despite promising they would be there. Goh told her more about today.

"I was trying to catch an Altaria after seeing Ash's battle with Drasna. Lilycove City is a place where they are regularly sighted. When one got away we saw you on screen being interviewed by Lisia. We ran to the Contest Hall when Wallace took a hold of Ash and challenged him to a battle."

"Wallace, isn't he the Contest Master?" Chloe heard the name mentioned a few times before.

"And Lisia's uncle." Ash did remember what the theatrical Contest Master said. Vaguely catching a glimpse of Lisia in posters he hasn't met her personally but she was as big a star as her more experienced uncle.

"I'm beginning to think you almost know everyone." Goh being pulled along on some of Ash's battles it just emphasized how much history Ash has before they stumbled into each other on Lugia. Gary, Iris, Dawn, Volkner, Brock, Clemont, Bonnie and now this Serena who helped Chloe in her Contest debut. Ash had more friends than Goh has Pokémon at this point.

"Couldn't you ask him to wait? You missed the Contest and our performance." Chloe was disappointed they didn't come. Goh had an excuse but was eager to know more.

"I watched you on my Rotom Phone. I know you came here to see a Sylveon but how did Lisia get to you and who convinced you to compete?"

Chloe explained her version of today's events. A busy day of being the so called next Contest Star and meeting Sylveon on Eevee's wish she went through till the moment she was convinced by Serena.

"Serena told me something. If you have to hesitate, then make a move. At least you'll be left with something."

"Same idea, different phrasing."

Ash hearing the phrase Chloe said chuckled. Looking back over his shoulder to the dock he last saw her on he wished he had more time. Time they weren't granted now by fate but he was certain it will eventually come again. It did after not seeing her for years at Summer Camp and now into his long journey again.

"Yeah, that sounds like something she would do."

"Pika!" The most experienced of travelers among them just glanced at each other and smiled. Ash laid his hands back against his head as now he had mixed feelings.

"Man. The battle against Wallace was great but now I'm kind of bummed we missed her Performance."

Goh and Chloe noticed this. It took quite a special thing to get Ash out of a battle and Serena was reason enough for him to postpone if he knew. Chloe curious wanted to know a little more about the pair.

"Ash, How did you two meet? You said you were travelling companions right?"

"Quite a long story. So, who's up for dinner!? Battling Wallace has me starved!"

"You're always starving!" Goh complained to his best friend and ravenous appetite as they headed to the restaurant onboard the ferry.

"We could've gotten something to eat while you were chasing Altaria!"

"These two I swear…" Chloe watched them go at it again. They were lively boys but a but too lively for her tastes. Speaking of taste she better follow them to get something to eat as well before they devour the entire buffet on the ferry leaving her with leftovers.

Having gotten a table for three it was a walk in buffet. Ash requested a minute or two to watch Serena back on replay on his Rotom Phone, a request his friends granted. His eyes widened immediately at seeing her Pokémon.

"Cool, Braixen evolved."

Chloe saw his mouth form into a little smile. The longer it went on the more of a grin came on his face till she heard the speaker on his phone say finish. The act finishing Ash put his phone back in his pocket. Before taking a bite from his stacked plate.

"Man, she certainly improved a lot. She's better than I remember."

Her Contest studies paid dividends. The moment Serena announced her intention to go to Hoenn and do Contests he knew she would succeed. May started here and now is known as the 'Princess of Hoenn' so doing well is a major boost in your reputation and skill that comes with it.

"Still seeing her so stiff feels weird."

"She was amazing! Why do you say that?" Chloe a little insulted Serena was called stiff while she was at the pinnacle of grace and elegance.

"I'm used to seeing her dance alongside her Pokémon. Performers perform together to create dances they all do together. If she's this good standing still I can't wait to see her in a real Showcase again."

"I didn't know that. Serena did say Eevee was a good dancer. She didn't say she was a good dancer herself."

"Yeah, she always was quite modest about it. She tried to teach me once but failed. That's more of a failure on my part than hers."

"Can you start talking about your meeting already?" Goh asked him to tell something about the girl he and Chloe know.

"Oh yeah!"

Ash told the duo the basic story how they met. Summer Camp where he helped her get back to safety, the event that led to their meeting with Goh sounding out a proverb…

"You jumped off Prism Tower!?"

Making him believe Ash is crazier than he seems. To him meeting her after he lost his first Gym battle in Kalos to the eventual memory of the handkerchief and their union which led to quite the journey and Serena's eventual discovery of her career path.

"You really didn't recognize her looking at her from behind? Rude." It earned him some scorn of Chloe. Ash had a valuable reason for not recognizing the Performer and passing her by without saying hello.

"She styled her hair differently and also her clothes changed a lot. At least I recognized her voice now and when I saw her face."

Ash still felt sorry after Serena told him she knew them from Camp he forgot. They both grew many inches and years from then and he met so many people on his journey he's bound to forget one or two of them. It happened to Wallace of all people per example. At least he'll never forget Serena now after spending so much time with her in Kalos making memories with Clemont and Bonnie.

"So what were you talking about before you had to go?" Goh asked feeling left out. He really needed to speak to Serena next time they have more time.

"We agreed to meet again later." Chloe said as Ash perked up about a future meeting between Eevee's trainer and Sylveon's.

"Great! Give me a heads up when you go see her again. I'd love to talk to her some more about how she's doing in person."

"Will do."

Chloe making a note to tell Ash when the next meeting would be arranged. Maybe then she found a goal worth pursuing as much as all the ones she 's seen with all of Eevee's evolution trainers. Today's experience and Serena's own history being indecisive about things she owed the two on the table an apology but didn't say it out loud as they were starting to eat as food was getting cold.

"For your dreams. You being the strongest trainer in the world and you catching a Pokémon rarer than anything in the universe. I thought they were boasts at first and dreams of delusion. Goals too high to grasp yet you chase them as if there's no tomorrow."

Ash and Goh talked big and dreamed bigger. In her earlier days Chloe would just tell them to calm down and lower expectations. Goals should be set but not so high that it was inconceivable you'd never reach it. She really thought at first they set out to do the impossible and she didn't understand how her father made them Research Fellows they were anything needed for a researcher. Her father was right all along about them though.

"I thought they were unobtainable at first but then you guys kept going…then Eevee."

Now in her arms Chloe hugged her tighter. The little fur critter into her life was one of the best things to ever happen to her. A world opened to try different things as Eevee is curious to the point of it being unhealthy but maybe it was faith a Pokémon with that type of character came to her. Today was another effect of that meeting.

"And when I heard Serena speak about her goal she glowed like a sun. She truly believes in it and would make sure to do anything to make it happen. It's not the same glow as you two have but I see it clearly now when you talk about it or something relates to it. It's not enough to have a dream. You need to follow it with blind faith and the confidence you will succeed."

"Eeviui?" Sensing something wrong Eevee put her paw on Chloe's hand.

"I'm fine Eevee. Just tired." She covered it up by being exhausted.

"So what is Serena going to do next?" Ash dying to know her next move. Serena always kept moving forward so even if their paths differ he had good faith they will end up meeting another day.

"Lisia asked her to become an Idol duo with her. I don't know if she agrees to it."

"If I know her she will. I hope Lisia doesn't mind being stand up then. Serena doesn't mind to share the stage but she'll be the main star."

Chloe found it strange he has this many praises and determination to put Serena in a good light. Dawn was another companion he told stories about and her skill in Contests but those compliments were overshadowed about what he's saying now about Serena. She inherited her father's keen perception and put it to use thinking something else is in play here.

Something affectionate.

"You really like Serena don't you Ash?" Poking him to see how much she can get out of him. Ash feigned ignorance as it was natural for him.

"Of course I like her. She's my friend."

Chloe frowned at his response. Either he's unaware or just dense. She clearly hoped for the first one as it was easier to work with and to make him open up more.

"Not what I mean."

"What do you mean? What are you implying?" Goh eager to know now as well. Chloe just hung back and puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

"You know. You, her. A boy and a girl. Your reunion in Kalos which is considered a region of…you know?"

"I don't get it." Ash feigned ignorance about Chloe's accusation. He knew perfectly well what Kalos is considered to some people. A region of love.

"Me neither." Goh lacking that piece of knowledge since it does not relate to Pokémon Chloe hung back in her chair.

"Never mind then. You're both hopeless. For Research Fellows you both seem to miss what's right under your nose."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Proving my point Goh."

Ash knew perfectly well what Chloe meant as he continued his meal which grew cold by now. Having eaten the three all went to bed. Ash stared at the ceiling with everyone sleeping around him as he had enough to think about.

"All that practice for it paid off. Both you and me."

The days of denseness and being unaware to love were over. Quite some time passed and he made all the necessary preparations for whenever someone confronted him about it. A hidden pact between Ash, Clemont and Bonnie all agreed not to speak of that kiss unless the one that started it was present so Goh did not know or a danger that the small girl would just blurt it out.

Secretly in his head while on the road he crafted multiple scenario's if anyone ever implied something about him and Serena. Keeping it hidden wasn't that hard, just had to act the way he did before while trying to act as 'Ash' as possible. Being in a household with a pair of newly weds that were trying for a baby really shifted his perspective on love.

"I wish I can ask if you really meant it. They don't have too know what happened when we last saw each other. Took a lot of guts to do what you did."

Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet were so happy the mood in the house was infectious. Maybe a thing like that is worth it if Serena really wants something like that from him. In fact he felt honored she seemingly choose him for a life like that. Still he has his doubts due to inexperience in this field and if he can provide what she needs. Serena did deserve the best. He wizened up but did not call himself a romantic like Brock who seemed to have a talent despite countless rejections.

"Really wish we had more time. It's great to see you still chase your dream as fiercely as you do."

The moment Serena wanted to become a Pokémon Performer she became unstoppable. Any roadblock placed before her was trampled as the Rhyhorn her mother rode in races. Full force with the power of a Giga Impact is what he would describe her when it came to her level of motivation for succeeding.

"I'm happy to see you so independent. At least I know you're now doing this for yourself, not for me or anyone else. That's all that matters."

Of course he worried for every friend at the end of a journey. Being with people for as long as he is you tend to make bonds more powerful than just friends. Companions that were there through thick and thin. Ash knew Serena has an enormous amount of patience but even one time he pushed her buttons too far. He still was grateful snapping him out of that funk after losing to Wulfric and then went on to conquer that final badge. Maybe another talk was in order to clear up this form of confusion lingering in his mind.

"So far, I'm liking the person you grew into. I can't wait to see what comes out when you're done travelling. I do know you'll be a Pokémon Performer Kalos will be proud of. Go for broke! A Pokémon Master and the Kalos Queen. Yeah, that sounds cool!"

Least he can do is go for broke himself and take his rightful place among the greatest trainers in the world in the Masters 8 soon. And then the obtain titles they both pursued relentlessly. He may not have seen her perform live today, he went to sleep with the same smile Serena had plastered on her audience during her act.


My entry into that unofficial competition of that scene everyone here does, you know the one.

See you around.