"Where are we going now?" Serena asked. It's the 4th day of her time with Ash. Day one had her witness crime occur in front of her, and then the offenders getting murdered right in front of her face. Day 2 saw her getting a front row seat to the kind of business her father runs. Both days saw her learning things about the world that a sheltered life simply cannot teach. The third day went off without a hitch. Sitting in Ash's apartment and watching TV or reading books, almost boring compared to the eventful past 2. However, today Ash promised to do something fun outside.
"We're heading over to see one of my old friends near Poliwag Lake"
"Where is that?"
"It's just over the hill right over Unknown Studios. I've known her since I was a kid."
About half an hour later, the car pulled into a parking lot by a beautiful pristine lake, with nothing but green fields and hills surrounding it. In the water Serena can see a few boats lazing about, their occupants enjoying the beautiful day. Serena got out and watched, mesmerized, the bright, quiet and natural lake is a complete contrast to the loud, bustling and modern city she spent most of her 25 years of life in. 'Maybe one day I can move here, get a house, with Ash-' she shook her head 'What am I thinking? Ash will have to go in a few days and we might never see each other again, might as well forget it'
"Hey, Serena, you alright? Cmon, we don't have all day." Ash held out his hand to her, with his usual bright and friendly smile on his face. Serena felt her face redden slightly and took his hand. The two walked along the sidewalk, admiring the view before reaching the docs. Suddenly, Ash called out "Hey, Misty! Long time no see!" Serena looked in Ash's direction. She saw a woman loading a boat with equipment. She had short, ginger hair braided to one side. She wore an orange tank top and shorts, showing her athletic build. Ash ran over to the woman and shook her hand.
Breaking the handshake, Misty spoke up first. "So what brings you here?"
"I felt like going fishing today."
"Well you're in luck! I just finished loading up my boat and-" Misty peeked behind Ash and noticed Serena holding his hands. She smirked and a glint developed in her eyes "Oh I see, you're taking your girlfriend on a date, aren't you?"
"SHE/HE IS NOT MY GIRL/BOYFRIEND!" Ash and Serena yelled at the same time, realized what both of them said, and blushed, covering their mouths.
Misty put her hand up in defense, but still had a smile on her face "Whatever you two say, but I heard this lake is a great place for couples to spend a day. Cmon, the sun won't be out forever." She stepped into the boat and started the motor. Ash rolled his eyes and gestured for Serena to follow him. Serena, on the other hand, is still red from the short conversation and Ash had to pull her onto the boat.
A few minutes later, the boat is now a few hundred meters from the shore, and Misty started setting up her fishing rod with professional speed, and before you knew it she was already casted into the water. Ash also is preparing his rod with little difficulty and casted shortly after Misty. Serena, on the other hand, looked at her fishing rod with confusion. Ash, noticing her predicament, set his rod down and went over to help her. "Here, let me show you how it's done. Ash picked up a lure from the tackle box and tied the line around it before tightening. "There you go, now cast" Serena continues to have a perplexed look on her face. Ash then demonstrated the casting method before reeling in and giving Serena a try. This time, she casted perfectly. Before long, Misty reeled in a large bass, which flopped around on deck. Misty picked it up and threw it in a nearby cooler, earning her a look from Serena.
"What? I gotta eat somehow. Oh, looks like Ash is getting a bite!" Ash quickly reeled in a trout. He held it up for everyone to see. "Yo, Misty, you want this?" "Sure, just throw it in the cooler." Ash tossed his fish in the cooler before recasting in the water. Suddenly, Serena felt something tugging on her rod. "Serena, you got a bite!" Misty pointed at her rod. "Quick, reel it in!" Serena spun the handle wildly, bringing up a bluegill. While not nearly as big as Ash or Misty's catches, she felt very happy and proud. "Smile for the camera!" Serena turned and saw Ash with a camera in his hands, and she flashed a bright smile and posed with the fish.
*Snap!*
"Misty, you want the fish?" "No thanks, I only take back what I need, you can release it though" Serena unhooked the fish and tossed it back into the water and watched it slowly swim away. She felt like she was really having fun.
Ash and Misty watched, and Misty saw the bright smile on Ash's face. "You really are falling for her, huh?" "Yea- wait no! Shut up!"
"You can't deny it no longer."
"She's just an escort, my boss paid me to watch over her for a week! There's no way romance can develop between us, and even if it does, I don't think her father will like it very much!"
"Really? Wouldn't any good father see that his daughter is in love and approve of it?"
"Did you forget who I work for? He's… huh?"
Right as Ash was saying the sentence, Serena prepared to cast again, however, she did not realize her hook latched onto Ash's trademark cap. Before anyone realized what happened, Serena casted, sending the lure (and Ash's hat) flying into the water.
Ash felt the wind and sun on the top of his head. He slowly put his hand on his head, while his eyes narrowed. "SERENA! REEL IT BACK! QUICK! I NEED MY HAT!" Serena did as she was told, but by the time she reeled back, the hat was gone.
"NOOOOOO! MY HAT! I'M COMING FOR YOU!"
Ash raced across the deck and dived into the water, speeding like a shark towards the hat's last known location. Serena sweat dropped and looked at Misty "Did he really have to do that? Wouldn't it be easier to buy another hat?"
Misty shook her head. "That hat means too much to him. It was made for him by his mother and he wore it since he was 10. Quite surprised it's still in one piece."
"Oh, you think he'll be mad at me?"
"Don't sweat it. Like one of our old friends used to say, 'No need to worry'. Ash isn't the type to hold a grudge."
A couple minutes later, a very wet, and very miffed, Ash surfaced and crawled onto the boat, with the hat on his head where it belonged. He spat out a mouthful of water and wrung his vest.
"Ash, I'm sorry, please forgive me!" Serena cried out. She expected to be yelled at, but instead Ash placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok, accidents happen. Why don't you go back to fishing while I dry out in the sun? Ash sat down next to Misty while Serena went back to fishing. Not learning her lesson, she once again drew back way too far, and this time, the hook landed on poor Ash's arm. Ash and Misty's eyes widen, and Misty cried out "WAIT, STOP!" But too late. Serena casted, and-
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Ash's scream of pain echoed around the lake, startling Serena and she looked back and gasped. Ash is on the deck groaning while a line of blood ran down his forearm. Misty bent down to check the wound. Serena stood there in shock at what she had done. "Serena quick, get me the first aid kit, it should be in my backpack!" Serena rummaged through the bag and brought out a red box and handed it over to Misty. Misty washed the wound with a bottle of water and used some paper to dry it before wrapping Ash's arm in bandages.
Ash: "I think we should go back to shore huh."
"Yeah, we should." Misty and Serena said in unison.
The boat drove back to shore and Ash and Serena got off. They thanked Misty for her time and walked to the car. Once Misty was out of earshot, Serena started apologizing profusely. "Ash, I'm sorry you got hurt, I'll never do that again, please forgive me, I'm sorry-" She was stopped by Ash placing a finger on her lips, silencing her. "It's ok. Like I said, accidents happen, ok?" Serena nods before hugging Ash, causing him to cry out in pain "Not the arm! Not the arm!"
Later that night…
Ash and Serena enter a bar, one of the most popular on this side of Lumiose City. "Ash, I don't know about this, I never drank before…" "Don't worry, I won't force you to. Besides, this bar is owned by your father, we can't get in trouble here." They enter the bar and Ash sat down on the counter. He whispers something to the bartender, who nods and serves Ash a drink. "What about the lady?"
"Give her something light, she never drank before."
The bartender nods and serves Serena a cocktail. She looks nervously at her drink and then at Ash, who's already chugging his drink like there's no tomorrow. Before she can say anything, Ash's glass is empty. He looks over at her still full glass and laughs. "Cmon, life's all about trying new things! Just give it a shot!" (Note: The author does not condone peer pressuring your friends to drink, nor do they condone irresponsible drinking in general) Serena nervously takes her first sip of the forbidden beverage, and she smiles "Mmm, this is not bad!" Ash pats her on the back. "That's the spirit! (No pun intended) We're here to have a good time! Bartender! Can I get a refill?" Ash picks up the recently filled beverage and is about to take a sip until he feels a slap on the back, causing him to nearly spill his drink. "Who the hell-" he turns around, and his mild anger turns to surprise and joy when he saw who delivered the slap. "You two?!"
"In the flesh, Ashy-boy"
"And don't forget me!"
There stood Goh and Gary-Motherfucking-Oak, both sporting wide stupid grins on their faces. They sat down next to Ash and ordered their drinks, and immediately started laughing and joking around with Ash. They all seem to be having the time of their lives. Serena smiles at the friends but can't help feeling a little left out. "Hey, guys, I'm going out for some fresh air."
"Alright, I'll go with you." Ash stood up but felt a hand on his shoulders.
"Sit down, Ash. She'll only be out for a minute. You deserve to relax, too." Goh said.
"Yeah, you overwork yourself. Live a little!" added Gary. Ash sighed. 'I guess they're right.' He sat back down and went back to chilling and drinking with his friends.
Serena stepped out of the bar and felt the cool, night breeze against her face. She took in a deep breath of fresh air, and exhaled. She started wandering down the dimly lit street and pondered about how much she changed since the beginning of the week. Going from a shy, timid girl being constantly watched by her father to being much more social, willing to try new things, and generally enjoying what life has to offer. She truly felt grateful for Ash being thrown into her life, even if both he and her initially were skeptical about it. Maybe her father can have Ash escort her again next time, that will certainly be nice. Suddenly, a cold breeze snapped her out of her thoughts, and she just realized that she walked over 100 meters from the bar. She started to walk back, but suddenly, she felt herself being forcibly grabbed. Serena tried to scream for help, but a cloth over her mouth muffled her shout.
Meanwhile, back in the bar, Ash is starting to get worried. Serena is supposed to go out for a breath of air, yet she's been gone for over 5 minutes. "Guys, I'm going to check on her." Gary opened his mouth to object, but Ash was faster "Look, Oak tree. I was assigned to protect her by Lysandre, if anything happens to her, the boss will be pissed, I will lose my paycheck, and will probably be tortured medieval style in a way that involves a blowtorch and pliers!" Ash stood up, left behind money for the bill, and rushed out the door. He left the bar, and as he feared, Serena is nowhere to be seen. "Serena! Serena, where are you!?"
Meanwhile, Serena found herself in a dark alleyway with a pair of darkly clad men. Her eyes are tearing up while her heart pounded with fear. The men took the cloth off her mouth. "What do you want from me?" her voice trembled. "Our friends Calem and Drew were found dead in their apartment about 2 weeks ago, and we've been trying to track down their killers since. Luckily for us, Drew as still alive when we got there, he said the killers was a man with messy black hair and a dark skinned man with red highlights in his hair. We saw you with the first man." "What do you want with Ash, are you going to hurt him?" The first man laughed. "Hahaha! Listen to her, Travis! 'Are you going to hurt him?' She's almost adorable!" He turned back to Serena. "Of course we'll hurt him. First, we'll kill you in front of him, then, while he's in shock, we'll kill him as well!" Serena is in shock. 'Ash is in danger! I have to warn him!' "Now, you will tell me where he is, or I'll make you." "Never!" Serena cried out defiantly. "They never make it easier for themselves don't they. I'll show you what happens when you don't comply." The first man suddenly punched Serena in the stomach, making her cry out in pain. Then came a slap followed by another. Her face burns from the force of the blows, tears flowing out of her eyes. "Please stop!"
"Are you going to say anything?!"
"No!"
"Then I'll keep going!"
The man keep attacking Serena, and every hit stung on her skin. She fell to the ground, desperately trying to defend herself. The man picked her up by the throat, and drew a knife, placing it against her arm. "Last chance. Tell me now or I'll start cutting you."
Despite all the pain she felt, Serena remained adamant. She shook her head. The man smirked. "I was hoping you'd do that. He ran the knife across her arm, causing Serena to cry out in pain. "Hurts, doesn't it? Well buckle in sweetheart, cuz it's gonna get much wor-"
*BLAM!*
The sound of a gunshot tore through the night, followed by the sound of an ejected casing hitting the cold concrete. Serena felt herself being dropped to the ground as the man screamed in agony, holding what used to be his hand, which is now a bloody stump.
"AAARRRGGGHHH!"
"Shamus!" the second man, Travis, cried out. "Who dares do that!"
"Me, you pieces of shit."
All heads turned, and Serena's heart fluttered. Standing at the mouth of the alleyway stood Ash breathing heavily. A gun is in his hand, barrel smoking, his face filled with so much anger that even a lion would run away from him.
"You! You're the one that killed Calem and Drew!" Shamus said angrily.
"Oh, you meant those two? Yes, I killed them. You should've seen the look on Calem's face right before me and Goh sent him to hell!"
"You bastard!" Travis charged at Ash, ready to punch him.
Ash sighed and pulled the trigger.
*BLAM! BLAM!*
Travis hit the floor, screaming in agony as blood poured out of both his kneecaps. Ash walked over to him, and stomped on his throat, and an audible crack could be heard, echoing off the alley walls. Travis's body went limp. Ash walked over to Shamus with the calmness of a practiced killer, which isn't that surprising considering his job. He picked up Shamus and pinned him against the wall, and pinned the gun against the ruffian's abdomen. "Please, I'm sorry! I won't bother you again, I promise!" Ash looked at Serena. She didn't say anything, but Ash already got her message. He emptied his clip into Shamus's body, making sure not to hit vitals. He tossed the man's body on the ground and watched him writhe in pain like a dying animal. Ash spat on Shamus's body before checking on Serena. "Are you okay?"
"They tried to hurt me Ash, and they want to hurt you!"
"Hey, hey, they're gone now. Here, this will make you feel better."
Ash took out a faded blue handkerchief and wrapped it around Serena's arm. He then waved his arms in the air and said "Feel better, feel better, right away!" Ash grinned "Jogged any memories, Serena?" Serena gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "You were that boy from the summer camp! No wonder why you looked familiar!"
"And it seems fate brought us a full circle."
Serena leapt up and embraced Ash tightly, not wanting to let go. Tears fell out of her eyes, but this time they were happy tears. "Thankyou for saving me Ash, not once, but twice."
"And I will gladly do it a third and fourth time, Sere."
Serena blushed madly, realizing Ash called her a nickname.
They're beautiful moment was interrupted by voices, likely those that heard the gunshots. Goh and Gary ran into the alley with a pair of security guards from the bar, all of them with weapons drawn. Gary analyzed the scene and nodded to Goh, who took out a phone and made a call, while the guards walked over and helped Ash and Serena up. Ash walked Serena to his car and drove them to his apartment. After they both showered, Serena climbed onto the bed while Ash prepared to get in his sleeping bag. "Ash, can you sleep with me tonight? I'm scared."
"Fine, I guess," Ash said in a reluctant tone, while deep inside he was jumping jacks of joy.
He joined her on the bed and stroked her hair while she lay on his chest. "Ash, ever since the summer camp, what happened to you? I came back now and then but haven't seen you since."
"I've been traveling for a very long time."
"Why so?"
"My mother was single. My father left her when I was three. I don't know where he is and what happened to him."
"Ash, I'm sorry-"
"No, it's not your fault. My father was a terrible man for leaving his family like that. I don't know where and what he's doing, but I hope he gets what he deserves. If he died, I hope he's rotting in hell along with those two ruffians."
Serena nods. She realized how lucky she is to have known both her parents who cared and loved her.
Ash continued his story. "I left home at the age of 11, because I don't want to be a burden to my mother. I still call her often and visit when I have the chance, but I can tell she's been less stressed since. In my travels I made friends, like Misty who you met today. I took jobs and lived where I could. I taught myself most of what I know. When I was 18, I stumbled into Kalos and met Clemont, one of our gang members. One time, we were attacked by a gangster, and I killed him. Apparently that guy was a Team Flare member, and it got reported to Lysandre. But instead of hunting me down, he offered me a position, along with Clemont. I've been working for him for 7 years, while I invite friends when I see fit. Gary joined 5 years ago, Goh and Chloe 3 years ago. And now I'm here, telling you my story."
Serena listened in wonder. 'No wonder why Ash is so tough, he's been living in the streets for more than half his life!'
"It's getting late, Sere. Let's turn off the lights."
"Okay, good night, ashy."
"Good night Serena."
With that, the room went dark.