Chapter Seven – The Turning Away
When Serena and Lillie returned to the lab, the fact that they were drenched to the bone was not the strangest occurrence at that moment. Instead, as they approached the lab, Serena noticed two figures standing on the beach in the downpour. Greninja stood tall, focused, staring up into the rain, the water slicking off his skin. Some distance away, out of Greninja's sight, Braixen matched his pose.
Serena left Lillie's side and ran toward the beach.
"Braixen!"
Greninja's head turned in Serena's direction ever so slightly. Braixen did not move at all, not even when Serena ran up beside her.
"What are you doing? Are you okay?"
Braixen clenched her eyes shut. She made an effort to straighten up her posture. She did not succeed. Instead, she shivered. Her fur was matted down, waterlogged. Serena placed a hand on Braixen's shoulder. She was cold to the touch.
"Braixen..."
Braixen opened her eyes. She clenched her teeth, baring her fangs. She straightened up again and growled.
Serena withdrew her hand. The look on Braixen's face was like none she had ever seen. It was beyond determination. It was beyond ferocity. Braixen appeared to be livid, but Serena had no idea with what.
Braixen opened her mouth as if to say something, or perhaps to launch a jet of flame into the sky. But instead, she quivered. Her eyes rolled backward, and so did she. She collapsed.
"Braixen!"
Serena knelt over Braixen. She pressed a finger against her neck. There was a pulse, and it was strong. It was nothing more than fatigue, the predictable effects of a fire type Pokémon spending hours exposed to the rain.
When she rose to her feet, Serena saw Greninja still standing in the same spot, unmoving. She folded her arms. Then, she called to him.
"Ash may be clueless, but I know you're not!"
Greninja's eyes moved to meet Serena. Serena spoke again.
"Why do you keep letting her do this?"
Greninja turned his head. His eyes remained on her. Silent, he stared.
The longer Serena held Greninja's gaze, the more her blood wanted to boil. She tore her eyes away and said nothing.
She turned and knelt down, scooping Braixen up in her arms. Water dripped from Braixen like a wet rag. She was heavy from the weight of it.
Lillie stood beneath the shelter of the front porch, wringing out her braids. She appeared worried as Serena approached.
"Is Braixen alright?" said Lillie. "What happened?"
"She's fine," said Serena. "She just overdid it, that's all."
"Well, that's a relief," said Lillie. "What exactly did she do, though? Why was she out here?"
"She was training with Greninja, I think," said Serena. "Or... she was trying to, anyway."
Lillie pursed her lips. For a moment, she pondered the situation. Her moment of thought was interrupted by a commotion from inside the lab. There was a tremendous crash. Voices shouted. The porch floorboards shook beneath their feet.
Lillie threw the door open, and she and Serena scrambled inside.
Dust settled. Professor Kukui laughed like mad. Ash's legs dangled through a gaping hole in the guest bedroom wall. One of his feet twitched.
Opposite him, there was a cushion missing from the sofa.
Stufful, Serena learned, was an adorable, timid Pokémon that looked like a plush toy, complete with a vestigial tail that looked like a price tag. Furthermore, due to its strength which substantially exceeded its size, as well as its quick temper, it was widely feared as one of the most dangerous Pokémon in Alola. Naturally, Professor Kukui kept one for research purposes.
As Lillie explained, Stufful was responsible for the majority of the holes in the walls of the lab. Due to its reclusive nature, it preferred to spend its time hidden among the similarly squashy cushions of the sofa, and it tended to react violently when disturbed. Ash, for his part, forgot about the restriction against touching the sofa and took one of the cushions to reinforce his pillow fort. He spent the rest of the day lying on his cot, nursing a splitting headache and a sore back. Serena and Lillie, after changing into dry clothes, spent the rest of the day repairing the massive hole left in Ash's bedroom wall. Every so often, Serena checked on him and refreshed his ice pack, which he held against his throbbing head.
Wrapped in a towel, Braixen spent the rest of the day huddled in a corner of the living room, refusing to talk to anyone. Every now and then, she glanced out the window.
After yet another Alolan Plate for dinner, Serena collapsed on her cot and fell asleep in minutes, exhausted. Not even Lillie writing in her diary late into the night could keep her awake.
The next day, Serena remained exhausted. Ash was so stiff he could barely walk, so Serena and her Pokémon became Professor Kukui's focus for the day. She spent hour after hour on the beach, repeating the same moves over and over again for Professor Kukui to record. By the end of the day, she was so tired that she went to bed without eating. Later that evening, she woke up to the feeling of a hand on her shoulder.
Lillie and Cutiefly both loomed over her. Cutiefly chirped excitedly. Lillie beamed. Serena squinted at them.
"I apologize for disturbing you, but I thought you might like to hear the news," said Lillie.
"News?" said Serena.
"Professor Burnet called," said Lillie. "She has finished up everything she needs to do at the Dimensional Research Laboratory for this week, so she is going to take tomorrow off and come here for a long weekend visit."
Serena tried to piece it all together in her head. Days of the week still existed. It was easy to forget. Today was… Thursday? Yes, that was it. It was Thursday evening. It all made sense.
"Professor Kukui suggested we might all take a camping trip to Melemele Meadow for a night or two," said Lillie. "It's supposed to beautiful this time of year, from what I have read."
The next morning, Serena slept late. When she awoke, she was unsure at first whether or not her exchange with Lillie had been a dream. When she went downstairs, her question was answered. She found herself face-to-face with a woman she had never seen before.
"Ah, you must be Serena."
Serena's lips parted, but nothing came out. She had no doubt the woman before her was Professor Burnet, because she was every bit the oddity that Professor Kukui was. She was dark, but it wasn't clear if that was her natural skin tone or a very deep tan. Her hair added to the mystery. It was several shades beyond platinum blonde, almost entirely white. Serena could not imagine intentionally dying one's hair such a color, yet she also could not imagine it was natural. Professor Burnet looked far too young to have grayed so much. She was in incredible shape. She wore a slim-fitting tank top and leggings, with a hoodie cinched around her waist. A large green barrette secured her hair, but she wore it backward.
Despite the strangeness, Professor Burnet had the warmest smile Serena had ever seen. She extended a hand to Serena.
"It's great to finally meet you! I've heard so much. All good, I promise."
Serena paused for a moment before accepting the handshake. There was no one else around.
"Thank you," she said. "It's nice to meet you, too. I only heard about you very recently, though."
Serena felt foolish as soon as she said it. Professor Burnet gave her a curious look.
"Oh really?" said Burnet. She exaggerated the surprise in her voice, placing her hands on her hips. "Now, isn't that typical?"
Professor Burnet laughed. Serena felt her brain connect more dots against her will. Ash wasn't the only one who neglected to tell anyone about his significant other, it seemed. Unwilling to give that thought any time to sink in, Serena spoke again.
"Lillie spoke very highly of you!" she said, hurrying to say something, anything to move the conversation forward.
"What a coincidence!" Burnet said, raising one eyebrow. "Lillie spoke very highly of you, too."
Serena's awkward smile turned to a flat expression of surprise.
"She did?"
"Yes, she did," said Burnet. "And I'll have you know, that's not a common occurrence."
"It isn't?"
Professor Burnet took a step backward and leaned against the kitchen counter. She crossed her arms.
"Not exactly," she said. "Lillie's such a kind soul. She would never speak poorly of anyone, but sometimes there's a difference in the way she talks about people, you know?"
Serena hoped the question was rhetorical, because she did not answer. Instead, Professor Burnet seemed to read her mind and answered the question she wanted to ask.
"She told me you were becoming a real friend to her," said Burnet.
Serena rubbed a hand on her bare arm and looked aside.
"Well, I've been trying," she said.
"I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear Lillie say that," said Burnet. "I don't know how much you know about her upbringing, and it's not my place to share that with you, but if you become her friend, you will be her first."
"I... kind of thought I might be," said Serena.
"As surprising as that was, she told me something more surprising," said Burnet.
Serena met Professor Burnet's eyes again.
"Oh?"
"Yes," said Burnet, a smirk forming on the corner of her mouth. "She told me that Cutiefly appears quite taken with you."
"Is that weird?" said Serena. "Cutiefly seems really friendly."
"Well, she is friendly," said Burnet, "but yes, it's weird because you're the only person other than Lillie that Cutiefly is drawn toward."
Serena tried to piece together what Professor Burnet meant by all of this, but none of the pieces seemed to fit together. She shook her head.
"I... don't see what's weird about that," she said. "Cutiefly likes us both. What's the big deal? I mean, Lillie and I are kind of alike, and Cutiefly is, like, her Pokémon or something. I'm not really sure?"
Serena finished her statement with a confused shrug. Professor Burnet smiled and shook her head.
"You're not from Alola, correct?" said Burnet.
"I'm from Kalos."
"So, you're not familiar with Cutiefly, are you?"
"No."
Professor Burnet unfolded her arms and placed her palms on the counter. She leaned her head forward slightly and held Serena's gaze.
"Cutiefly are empaths," said Burnet. "They can sense people's emotions. They see people's auras. The old myths about them say that they are drawn toward people with auras that resemble those of flowers."
Serena looked down at her floral shirt. Surely that was not the cause. She couldn't imagine what kind of flower she resembled. It made sense for Lillie, though.
"In practice," said Burnet, "what that means is that Cutiefly tend to gravitate toward people experiencing strong emotions."
Serena's eyes shot upward again. Professor Burnet stared at her expectantly, her eyebrows raised. Serena's face went flat with surprise again. Her mind lurched. She recalled everything she had heard about a Pokémon's feelings tending to mirror those of their trainers. Her, Braixen. Ash, Greninja. Lillie, Cutiefly?
Surely Professor Burnet was not implying that.
"Good emotions?" said Serena.
"Not necessarily."
Serena wasn't sure if that offered her any comfort.
"What does all this mean, though?" she said.
"Beats me!" said Burnet. She shrugged. "It's still pretty incredible, I think."
"Why?"
"Do you know how Lillie and Cutiefly met?"
"No, actually. I've never asked."
"Cutiefly is not Lillie's Pokémon. She's wild. She just showed up one day, not long after Lillie arrived."
Serena did nothing but stare.
"You're the only person other than Lillie she seems to trust. It was because of Cutiefly's behavior toward you that Lillie was so willing to open up to you."
The next several hours unfolded in a whirlwind of activity. Serena discovered that despite the similarities to her husband, Professor Burnet was not the type to go riding on the back of a Sharpedo to travel from place to place, and as such, actually owned a car. And, Serena learned, they would all be piling into that car along with an assortment of camping gear, as it would be necessary to travel by road to reach Melemele Meadow in a timely manner.
So, after a veritable circus attempting to load the car with everyone and everything, Serena spent the next few hours sandwiched between Ash and Lillie in the middle of the back seat. While Professor Burnet drove, Professor Kukui never stopped talking, pointing out every single landmark along the way. Ash and Pikachu seemed pleased to receive a guided tour, but on Serena's other side, Lillie constantly soothed Nebby to try to keep it asleep despite the noise. All the while, Cutiefly remained perched on the brim of Serena's hat.
When they finally stopped, Serena checked her tablet. They were all the way on the opposite side of Melemele Island from the lab. They parked at a visitor's center and unloaded the car. They were in a lush, green area at the base of a mountain. Ahead, past the visitor's center, a trail led into the jungle and up into the mountain above.
With Nebby in her arms, Lillie looked up at the top of the mountain.
"We're not climbing all the way up there, are we?" she said.
"You bet we are!" said Professor Kukui. "Melemele Meadow is in the caldera of this volcano! Don't worry, though. It's long since extinct."
Serena stopped to read a large informational sign posted near the head of the trail. An illustrated diagram confirmed what Professor Kukui said.
"It's a bit of a hike," said Professor Burnet. "I'm sure you can handle it, though."
Lillie did not look like she agreed.
"I hope you're right," said Lillie. She gazed nervously at the trailhead which awaited them. "It doesn't seem like I have much of a choice…"
And so, they began their trek along the trail. Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet carried the majority of their gear, each with a large pack on their back. Ash carried a third, smaller bag, replacing his usual backpack. Serena and Lillie both only had to carry their usual personal bags.
For Lillie's sake, Serena was grateful for it. She lingered in the rear with Lillie, watching over her and Nebby. Cutiefly hovered around, appearing concerned. It was clear why. From the beginning, Lillie struggled. Serena offered to take Nebby to lighten Lillie's load, but when Lillie eventually agreed, Serena discovered that Nebby was practically weightless. It made no difference at all.
After about half an hour, Serena also took Lillie's bag. Lillie stopped talking. The path became steeper and steeper as they emerged above the canopy. Lillie walked with her head down. When they reached a section with a sheer cliff face, the sea waiting far below, she braced herself against the rocky wall for support.
An hour into their hike, Lillie began to fall even further behind the rest of the group. Lagging behind, Serena asked Cutiefly to go catch up with Ash and bring him back. Cutiefly flew off, and Serena told Lillie to stop.
Lillie complied without a word of protest. She plopped roughly onto the ground, leaning her back against the cliff face. She breathed heavily. Sweat ran down her face.
Serena pulled a bottle of water from her bag. Lillie had already consumed the entire bottle in her own bag. Serena twisted off the cap and passed it to Lillie.
Lillie shook her head.
"Isn't that yours?" Lillie said between breaths.
Serena also shook her head. She had not even broken a sweat.
"It doesn't matter," she said. "You need it. I don't."
"I can't take it."
"Yes, you can."
"It's yours."
"You need to take it."
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not," said Serena. She grabbed Lillie by the wrist, wrapped Lillie's fingers around the bottle, and pushed it toward her.
Still, Lillie did not drink. Instead, she moved as though she were going to stand.
"Lillie, please," said Serena. "Stop. Don't do this to yourself."
"I can do this," said Lillie. She pushed against the ground, sliding her back against the cliff wall as she tried to stand. Her knees shook. "Professor Burnet… she knows I can."
Serena looked ahead. Professor Burnet and Professor Kukui were far ahead on the trail, ascending a long, winding path of stone steps which looked like they led to the summit.
"She's right that you can do it, but not if you refuse to take care of yourself," said Serena. "Not if you keep refusing help when you need it."
"I don't need help," said Lillie. Hunched over, she took a shaky step forward, then stopped.
"Lillie, please," said Serena. "Please listen to me. You're going to get yourself hurt."
Or, as Serena thought but did not say, killed. One slip on the cliffside path would be all it took.
"I have to keep going," said Lillie. She took another staggering step forward. "I have to be stronger than this…"
"Heat exhaustion and dehydration won't make you stronger!" said Serena.
"I have to protect-"
Cutiefly came buzzing around the corner. A moment later, Pikachu appeared behind her.
Lillie stumbled. She fell to her knees.
"Nebby…"
Lillie held one arm flat against the cliff wall. She leaned her head against it, knocking her hat off. Serena caught it as it tumbled away. Lillie slumped against the wall, then sank to the ground.
Ash appeared from around the corner.
"Ash!" said Serena.
"What's going on?" said Ash. His eyes moved from Serena to Lillie, then widened. Along with Cutiefly and Pikachu, he ran up to Lillie. He knelt beside her.
"Lillie!" he said. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," said Lillie. She shook her head, trying to hide her eyes, but she had no hat behind which to hide them.
Serena held Nebby under one arm and Lillie's hat under the other. She joined Lillie and Ash, standing over them both.
"No, she isn't," said Serena. "She's exhausted and she won't drink any water or take a break."
"I have to be able to do this," said Lillie. "I have to keep going…"
"Hey, that's the spirit!" said Ash.
"What?"
The word left Serena's mouth before a single thought crossed her mind. Nobody seemed to hear her.
"We'll have you back on your feet in no time," said Ash. "You've just gotta catch your breath first. Have a drink!"
"Oh… Okay…"
With only minimal hesitation, Lillie raised the bottle of water to her lips. She took one sip, then another, and then a long drink. In no time at all, half the bottle was gone.
Indignant, Serena's brow creased. She pursed her lips, and her grip on Nebby tightened.
"I can't be this weak," said Lillie. "I have to be stronger for Nebby."
Despite being held under Serena's arm like a football, Nebby remained fast asleep.
"It was my fault…" said Lillie. "I couldn't run fast enough. I couldn't keep going…"
Ash stood up. He extended a hand to her.
"Don't give up until it's over!" he said.
Serena's eyes shot wide open. There was no way she heard him right. It was some kind of mistake.
He did not just use their phrase with Lillie. He couldn't have.
She wanted to go back and listen to it again to be sure, but it was too late. The words were gone. Their echoes vanished into the air around them. There was no way to rewind.
Lillie took Ash's hand. Ash gripped her hand and helped pull her to her feet.
"I'm not sure about this…" said Lillie. Her knees shook. She did not appear to be capable of walking.
Serena knew it was because Lillie needed more than a minute of rest to recover, but she said nothing. She couldn't. Her voice was gone. She could not make a sound. Meanwhile, Cutiefly zipped and zoomed about, buzzing and chirping feverishly.
"No need to worry!" said Ash. "We're almost there. I know what we can do."
Serena did not understand how, but her body acted without her permission. A few moments later, she took Ash's backpack from him as he handed it to her. Before she knew what happened, it was over her shoulders, and Lillie's hat was back on her head.
And then, Ash knelt down in front of Lillie, his back facing her.
"Climb on," he said.
Both Lillie and Serena's faces flushed.
"I… I don't know about this," said Lillie. "Are you sure?"
"No doubt!" said Ash. "We'll have you at the top in no time."
Serena wasn't sure if there was any further exchange of words or any more awkwardness as Lillie climbed onto Ash's back. All she knew was that she watched Lillie wrap her arms around Ash's shoulders and her legs around his waist, and Ash hook his arms around the back of Lillie's legs. He rose to his feet.
"Ready?" he said.
It was not until Pikachu poked her leg that Serena realized the question was intended for her. Without thinking, she nodded.
Then, she stood there dumbfounded, her face burning as Ash and Lillie disappeared around the bend. Cutiefly followed them, singing a cheerful tune. Pikachu stood with her for a while, waiting for her to move. Eventually, he gave up and ran to catch up with Ash.
After overcoming the shock, Serena was quick to make up for lost time. Even as fit as he was, Ash was not capable of a particularly fast pace while carrying someone else on his back. It took Serena only a couple of minutes to reach them again on the trail. When she approached, she found Lillie predictably flustered by her circumstances.
Lillie turned her head, noticed Serena, and looked even more embarrassed.
"Oh! There you are," said Lillie.
Serena gave Lillie a bemused look.
"Yeah, hi. It's me," said Serena.
Lillie turned her head to speak to Ash.
"It looks like Serena didn't have any trouble catching up to us," she said. "I do hope I'm not weighing you down too terribly. You were having so much trouble yesterday after what happened with Stufful."
"Nah, I'm fine," said Ash. "Serena's quick! That's all. We traveled together for a long time. She's got lots of experience with this."
Serena knew what Ash meant, but she could not help but think that from her perspective, no, she did not have lots of experience with this. This was the first time she had experienced seeing her boyfriend in such close contact with another girl. Her arms were around his neck. His hands were on her legs.
Serena shook her head. She knew she had to snap out of it.
"Ash is fine," said Serena. "How are you, though? Are you still lightheaded?"
"I suppose I'm feeling better," said Lillie. "I'm not sure I'm well enough to walk on my own, though. This cliff..."
Lillie eyed the drop to the sea below, only a few steps away. She quickly turned her head the other way and shuddered.
"I'm... not fond of heights," she said.
"Haha! Don't worry about it!" said Ash. "I've fallen from higher than this a bunch of times."
Lillie tensed up. So did Serena.
"That's not particularly reassuring!" said Lillie.
"It's no big deal as long as you don't hit the ground," said Ash.
"Well, yes," said Lillie. "You can't count on Tapu Koko saving you every time, though!"
Serena wondered if Lillie was correct about that.
"Maybe," said Ash. "I'm pretty lucky, though."
"I would prefer not to have to rely on luck!" said Lillie.
"Yeah, but sometimes you have to," said Ash. "I've done tons of things I wasn't sure I could do. The only way to find out is to try!"
"That may be true, but I have no interest in finding out if I can survive a fall from this cliff!" said Lillie. "So if you could, please, put some more distance between us and the edge!"
"Yeah, okay," said Ash. He laughed as he veered away from the edge of the cliff. Lillie sighed.
"Thank you," she said. "I do apologize, though. I don't mean to be so demanding. I'm in no position to demand anything of you."
"It's alright," said Ash. "I'm kinda crazy, you know?"
Serena restrained a snort of laughter. It was an unexpected moment of candor.
"I don't know if I would say that," said Lillie.
"Well, I would!" said Ash. "Just ask Serena. She knows."
The corner of Serena's mouth turned upward. Maybe Ash really was learning something, after all.
"Ash has never met a dangerous situation he didn't like," said Serena.
"I can't say I share that perspective," said Lillie. "Who am I to judge, though? I always have to rely on others for help."
"Nothing wrong with that," said Ash. "Everyone's gotta get help from someone else sometime."
"For me it seems like it's all the time," said Lillie.
"No one can do it all alone," said Ash. "I know I sure can't."
"Are you quite sure you're alright carrying me?" said Lillie. "If you need to rest, please don't hesitate. I know I'm being a burden on you. Rather literally, in fact."
Had Nebby not been in her arms, Serena would have folded them.
"Lillie," she said. "Ash is- Ash!"
Ash stumbled. Lillie shrieked. Ash fell forward and landed on his knees. A loose rock slipped from beneath his foot and went tumbling past Serena, off the cliff face and into the abyss below.
Serena ran to reach the two of them. As she did, Nebby stirred in her arms. Lillie lost her grip on Ash and fell off, landing on her bottom behind him. Her hat went askew.
"Oh goodness, oh goodness, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" she said, hyperventilating. "Are you okay? Please tell me I didn't hurt you! I'm so sorry!"
Ash stood and dusted himself off. He was unfazed. A scraped knee appeared to be the extent of his injuries.
"I'm fine!" he said. He tried to wave off Lillie's concerns. "I'm okay, really! Don't worry about it! Are you alright?"
"Yes, but I'm so sorry! I knew I was weighing you down, I shouldn't have accepted your ride, I-"
Serena stepped past Lillie. As she did, she slipped Nebby, now crying, into Lillie's arms. She walked up to Ash and pulled him aside. She whispered to him, eyes level with him.
"Are you really okay?" she said.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Ash.
"You really scared me there for a second."
"Yeah, that got the heart rate up," said Ash. He ran a hand over the back of his neck. "Sorry I scared you. I didn't mean to."
"I know," said Serena. "It's okay. This is different. You slipped. I'm just glad you're okay."
Behind her, Lillie wrapped Nebby up in her arms and tried to hush its cries. Ash moved his hand from the back of his neck to the back of his head. He scratched.
"I still feel like I should apologize," he said. "You know. After everything you said."
The worry on Serena's face softened.
"Apology accepted," she said. "But don't end up apologizing all the time, like a certain someone, okay?"
Serena looked over her shoulder. Lillie remained on the ground, rocking Nebby in her arms. While she attempted to steady her rapid breaths, she whispered to Nebby.
"It's okay. You're okay. You're safe. We're all safe. I'm sorry I scared you."
Lillie caught sight of Serena's glance. She looked up at her.
"I'm so, so sorry," said Lillie. "I didn't mean to frighten everyone like that. This is all my fault."
Serena frowned.
"Lillie, please," she said. "Ash just tripped! It's okay!"
"I knew it wasn't a good idea for me to come along for this trip," said Lillie. "I- I should have stayed back at the lab. None of this would have happened if I weren't here."
Serena found herself at a loss for words once again. As much as she wanted to disagree, she knew that Lillie was technically correct.
After calming Nebby, it took longer to convince Lillie that she still needed Ash's help and to get her on his back again than it did for them to reach the summit. When they arrived, Serena's jaw dropped.
They passed through a tunnel and emerged into a sweeping valley. Between the rocky outcroppings of the caldera, every inch of the valley was in bloom, blanketed by a carpet of golden flowers. The innumerable petals and stems swayed in the gentle breeze, rolling like waves. A sweet, rich aroma hung in the air. The entire valley was bathed in a soft yellow light.
Chittering with excitement, Cutiefly zoomed past Serena's head and landed atop a flower in the nearest grove. She sipped from the blossom, buzzed, then hopped to the next one and did the same. Lillie climbed down from Ash's back, standing on her own two feet again. Serena handed Nebby to her, then went to Ash. She slipped her hand into his and pulled him forward.
They walked to the edge of the rocky platform on which they stood, the expanse of the golden meadow stretching out ahead of them. Serena closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose. All was calm. The sweet air invigorated her, lifting her as though pulled up by strings around her shoulders.
When she spoke, she was breathless.
"This is amazing," she said.
"Yeah, it is," said Ash.
"I've never seen anything so beautiful."
Ash did not reply, but there was no need. Words seemed pointless. There was nothing more to say.
In the distance, on a tall outcropping, Serena saw Professor Burnet and Professor Kukui sitting next to each other, their legs dangling over the edge. They chatted about something, their words lost to the distance and the wind. They were too far away to be sure, but it looked like they were also holding hands.
Serena tightened her grip on Ash's hand. Regardless of whether or not they were on a break, she was not letting go of him. Not right now. Not in this glorious moment of peace and quiet. For a while, they basked in the pale golden light, breathing in the crisp air. Not a word was said.
Not until Lillie broke the silence.
"Nebby, no! Come back!"
Serena's eyes darted toward Lillie, who shakily ran toward the edge of the outcropping. Ahead of her, a faint glimpse of purple disappeared into the flowers, the petals shaking like a wake as Nebby waded through them.
Lillie cupped her hands over her mouth like a megaphone. Her knees knocked together as she called after Nebby.
"Nebby, please! You're only just becoming well again! I can't see you! I can't protect you! You could get hurt! Or, worse..."
Lillie looked toward Serena and Ash, her face full of worry. Before Serena could say anything, Ash's hand slipped from hers. He ran to Lillie's side.
"I'll get Nebby back!" he said. "Don't worry!"
He hopped down from the ledge and waded into the sea of flowers below.
"Pikachu! You know what to do, buddy!"
Pikachu joined Ash in the meadow. Ash reached for his belt and removed two Poké Balls from their clips. He tossed them high, and they opened.
"Greninja! Rowlet! Search from the air!"
Ash ran off. Serena remained there with Lillie.
For a moment, Serena thought Lillie was going to say something, but then Lillie covered her face with her hands and sank to her knees.
"Not again..." Lillie groaned.
Unsure what else to do, Serena placed a hand on Lillie's shoulder. Lillie gasped at the touch and looked up at her.
"Nebby's going to be alright," said Serena. "Ash will find it. Everything will be fine."
"I can't keep doing this," said Lillie.
"It's okay," said Serena. "We're your friends. We help each other."
Lillie paused for a moment before shaking her head.
"That's not what I mean," she said. "I mean I can't keep losing Nebby."
"Nebby's a troublemaker," said Serena. She shrugged. "What can you do?"
"I don't know," said Lillie. "That's what's so troublesome. I don't know how Nebby keeps escaping. I try so hard, but... I can't lose Nebby. I can't."
"I know Nebby means a lot to you," said Serena.
"There's... more to it than that, actually," said Lillie.
"Huh?" said Serena. One of her eyebrows shot upward. Lillie looked away.
"I- I'm so sorry. I can't say. Not right now."
Serena's eyes narrowed. She shook her head.
"I don't understand," she said.
"I know," said Lillie. "I'm sorry. I really am. Please, I know I ask enough of you already, but... I need your help. Please, help Ash find Nebby."
"I-"
Serena had so many questions, but there was something about Lillie's tone that unnerved her. Not since their first encounter had she sounded so desperate.
"Okay."
Serena reached into her bag, pulled out her Poké Balls, and jumped down the ledge into the meadow. As she waded in, she looked back at Lillie.
Lillie knelt there with her hands folded and her head bowed, as if in prayer.
It took two hours to find Nebby. As Serena pieced together from the exchanges she witnessed between her Pokémon and Ash's, part of the problem was that Nebby's scent was sweet, much like the flowers of the meadow. Serena had not been aware of Nebby having any particular scent while she carried it, but the explanation made some sense, as tracking Nebby proved abnormally difficult. The flowers formed a canopy which hid everything on the ground below, and the constant breeze made it impossible to track Nebby's movements via the movements of the flowers.
Naturally, it was Ash who found Nebby. After happening upon a small crevice in one of the caldera walls, he crawled through it and found Nebby exploring a dank, dimly-lit cave on the other side. According to his story, Nebby did not resist his attempts to retrieve it. In fact, Nebby came puffing right up to him, delighted to see him, and behaved the entire way back out of the cave and through the meadow.
Exhausted from her own failure of a search, in which she and her Pokémon crawled through the meadow on hands and knees in an effort to comb the entire area, Serena watched Ash explain all this to Lillie. Lillie stood there, enraptured by Ash's story, her bag shaking and thrashing like mad while she stood as still as a statue, awe in her eyes.
As Ash neared the end of his story, Serena held her breath. There was a piece of her mind that expected Lillie to throw her arms around Ash. When Lillie folded her hands and bowed her head politely, Serena felt silly for ever entertaining the thought. Instead, Lillie thanked Ash effusively, again and again until she was red in the face. It went on for several minutes, steadily becoming more and more awkward, interrupted only by the arrival of Professor Burnet and Professor Kukui. Serena was relieved for it to come to an end.
It was late afternoon. After Professor Kukui had a laugh at the story of the chase, he explained that they were interested in setting up camp for the night. He and Professor Burnet led the way to an alcove along the edge of the valley that was sheltered from the wind. As the sky began to turn golden like the rest of the valley around them, everyone shed down their gear and began the work of setting up their campsite. A fire was built, and food preparations began. To everyone's good fortune, it was Professor Burnet who did the cooking. That meant no Alolan Plate tonight.
While Professor Burnet was occupied with their meal, Professor Kukui brought up the sleeping arrangements.
"Four tents!" he said, holding up four fingers. "The big one is for the two of us. The other three are for the three of you!"
Thus began the work of setting up the tents. The tents were placed in a circle around the campfire. On one side, there was the large tent for the professors. Ash's tent was on the opposite side. On the two adjacent sides, Serena and Lillie's tents stood opposite each other.
All throughout the setup of the campsite, and continuing through dinner, something caught Serena's attention. Lillie seemed to be keeping closer to Ash than usual. She followed him everywhere. After noticing the configuration of the tents, Serena began trying to keep herself between the two of them at all times. It proved more difficult than she expected. It was like Lillie was glued to him.
After dinner, as night fell, Ash regaled everyone with stories from his adventures over the years. He had a willing audience. Lillie hung onto every word. All the while, Serena sat there tuned out, only chiming in occasionally when Ash missed some important detail. None of these stories were news to her. She had heard all of them before. She had even been there for some of them. So, she found herself with plenty of time to think. Perhaps too much.
The image of Lillie on Ash's back, red in the face, arms and legs around him, was burned into her brain. It stuck in the back of her mind like an itch. The more she scratched it, the worse it itched. She knew it was all nonsense. It was insane. Lillie was bashful and easily flustered under normal conditions. Social interaction of any variety was apparently new to her. How could she not be flustered by being in such close quarters with Ash? How could she not be grateful to him? She had every reason to be.
And yet, no matter how much Serena tried to quell it, it was still there. None of it made sense.
By the time everyone decided to turn in for the night, she still had not made sense of it. All of the Pokémon with them were let out to keep watch over the campsite, and everyone retired to their tents. Inside her tent, Serena changed into her pajamas on mental autopilot. She was too restless to even lay down. Instead, she sat on her sleeping bag, hunched over in thought. She remained that way for some time.
A rustling sound from outside derailed her train of thought. She jumped in surprise. She had no idea how long she had been seated, but her legs ached from being crossed for so long. While her heartbeat returned to normal, curiosity got the best of her. She rose to her knees and unzipped the very top of her tent's entrance, just enough for her to peek outside with one eye.
All she saw was Lillie's tent opposite hers, the smoldering remains of the campfire in between. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
She sat once again. The silence all around her was excruciating in contrast to the cacophony in her head. She had so much to say. She was sure she would explode if she did not speak, but she had no one to speak to, not even herself.
An idea occurred to her. She reached for the zipper again. Gently, she tugged. Determined not to make a sound, she pulled it down, undoing it one clasp at a time until there was enough space for her head.
She leaned forward and stuck her head through the opening. She looked to both sides. There was nothing to see. All remained quiet. The tents were all motionless. There was no sign of activity. Professor Kukui's Rockruff and Professor Burnet's Munchlax both snoozed beside the remains of the campfire, evidently sleeping on guard duty.
Emboldened, Serena undid the rest of the zipper in the same silent manner. She stepped outside the tent. Then, as soon as she was on her feet, there was light.
She spun around. On a high ledge above, she saw Braixen silhouetted against the starry night sky, her blazing wand held high like a torch. Braixen gazed down at her in the flickering light. Their eyes met for a moment, and then Braixen turned her back. She extinguished her wand and walked away, passing out of Serena's line of sight.
Careful not to trip over the sleeping Pokémon behind her, Serena tiptoed her way backward so she could see more on top of the ledge. She stepped past Lillie's tent, then all the way to the edge of the meadow. She peered through the darkness.
High up on the ledge, bathed in the dim starlight, she saw the familiar form of Braixen, arms folded, staring into the distance. Opposite her, his back turned, was Greninja. In between the two, Sylveon animatedly pointed at the stars with her feelers, tracing shapes in the heavens while Pancham, Pikachu, and Rowlet sat there and listened. Above them all, Cutiefly zoomed around and around, dancing in the patterns Sylveon traced.
Serena's eyes settled on Braixen. She folded her own arms. Whatever was going on between Braixen and Greninja was a mystery to her. She knew there was something happening with them. Something had been happening for a long time. At times, Serena had suspected it was love. Whatever was happening now did not look very much like love.
If Pokémon's feelings mirrored those of their trainers, Serena was not sure she wanted to know what it all meant.
Then again, perhaps it made sense. There was so much she wasn't saying. Her eyes drifted toward Ash's tent. They narrowed.
Stepping silently, she inched her way toward Ash's tent. She held her breath as she took hold of the zipper and began to pull slowly, undoing it just as she had done to her own. The longer it took, the more she feared what she might find inside.
But when she stuck her head inside, all she found was Ash, sound asleep.
Serena stepped into the tent. Careful not to make a sound, she slowly closed the zipper behind her. Then, she crawled up beside his shoulder, lowered her head toward his, and whispered into his ear.
"Ash."
Her voice was barely audible, barely there at all, barely more than a breath. Ash did not respond. His slow, steady breaths continued. Serena placed a hand on his shoulder and tried again.
"Ash."
Again, nothing. She jostled his shoulder.
"Ash, it's me. Can you hear me?"
Ash's lips parted. His head moved. Heavy with sleep, the lids of his eyes opened. His eyes landed on Serena, but Serena saw no recognition in them. He blinked slowly again, then once more before his pupils slid into focus. He drew breath as if to speak.
At lightning speed, Serena held one finger to his lips and another to her own, hushing him. It took Ash several more seconds to comprehend his surroundings.
"It's okay," Serena whispered to him. Her finger fell from his lips, and she placed her hand on his shoulder again. "It's me."
"Serena?" Ash whispered back.
"Yes."
"What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"
"Yes, mostly."
"Mostly?"
"Everyone is okay," said Serena. "I am, too. I just..."
"What's up?" said Ash.
"I felt like I needed to be with you right now."
It was a few seconds before Ash said anything.
"Okay."
Serena lowered herself to the ground next to Ash. She lay beside him. She moved her hand from his shoulder to his chest, wrapping her arm around him. It reminded her so much of another starlit encounter, one which would have landed them in just as much trouble had they been caught.
As though compelled to do it, she nuzzled up to him and kissed him on the cheek. She felt Ash go tense beneath her touch.
"Um... our break?" he said.
Serena leaned her head against his shoulder, clenched her eyes shut, and sighed.
"I know," she said. "I know. We shouldn't be doing this. But... I really need a cuddle right now."
"Are you sure everything is okay?" said Ash.
"No. But, please. Just cuddle me. I need this."
Ash turned toward her. He put his arm around her. He pulled her in closer, her head against his chest. She breathed in his scent. She tightened her grip on him.
This was perfect, she decided. This was what she wanted, the only thing she desired in life. She wanted nothing more than to exist like this, right here with him in perfect closeness and calm, forever. She did not want it to end. She could not bear to interrupt it. She did not dare give voice to the multitude of thoughts and feelings swimming in her head. They were nothing. This was everything.
Serena's thoughts, structured and rigid, began to change. Her sense of reality metamorphosed. New thoughts followed old ones with no logical link between them. In the span of a few minutes, she went from the tent to some unimaginable place, some unnatural blend of places both familiar and unfamiliar, joined by impossible alien geometries. People spoke in incomprehensible tongues, asking nonsensical questions which received equally illogical answers. Serena drifted, lost in space, suspended in time.
And then there was silence. Darkness. She was dragged down, down deep through the recesses of her own mind. At the very bottom, she saw a shimmering light. She drew near to it. It grew in her vision. It was not some distant star, some amorphous ball of light. It had a shape, and a color. The shape was like a lampshade... no, perhaps a dress. The color was like the sky, but not during the day. Not at night, either. Something in between.
A veil parted. Behind it was nothing. Nothing at all. A gaping maw of emptiness. Fear grew in Serena's stomach. That thing, that horrible creature, had returned. It was coming closer, drawing nearer with every passing second. It was just like before. She was frozen. She couldn't move. She wanted to run, but her limbs were immobile, paralyzed. She felt warmth beneath them. She felt Ash. He was there. He could save her. But he was asleep, unaware of the danger. She tried to speak. Nothing happened. Her lips and her tongue resisted her attempts to make them move. She tried to scream. Nothing happened.
It was coming closer. It was right in front of her eyes. It was too late. Any second, it would touch her. The void inside it, the empty socket inside of its head, beckoned to her. It was going to devour her, consume her, smother her. It was going to take her, supplant her, destroy her, end her. Her heart thundered. She tried to move, to no avail. She tried to scream, again and again. No matter how hard she tried, she could not find her voice. She could not make a sound.
The hideous creature's dangling tendrils reached for her. Her heart felt as though it were going to explode. Her head felt as though it would split. Her throat felt as though it would rupture from her unending effort to force air through it. A chill descended upon her. The shroud of death lowered itself over her head.
Her heart stopped. Her mind shattered. A searing lash of pain ran from her eyes to the back of her head, all the way down her spine. In an instant, before it was ever truly there, it was gone. Her eyes jolted open. Her limbs spasmed. She gasped for air.
Serena bolted upright. She clutched her hands over the top of her head. She heaved for breath, her face damp with cool sweat. Ash lay there next to her, sound asleep, completely unaware.
A dream. It was nothing but a dream. It wasn't real. It was a nightmare. It was all in her mind. She understood it was sleep paralysis. What she did not understand was why tears were flooding her eyes.
Hands still on top of her head, she looked upward. There was nothing but the roof of the tent. She moved one hand to cover her hammering heart, and the other to cover her face. In silence, tears fell. She slumped over backward, lying apart from Ash. She slid her hand down her face and covered her mouth. Staring at the roof of the tent, wide-eyed, she tried desperately not to sob. She would surely wake the entire camp. She could not be caught.
Serena shook as she tried to steady her breathing, crying in silence. Minutes passed. The tears stopped, but her heart and her head throbbed. She looked to Ash. He had not moved. He had no idea.
She inched closer to him. She hovered over his shoulder. She whispered, breathlessly.
"Ash?"
Nothing.
"Are you asleep, Ash?"
Nothing at all.
Serena lowered her head. She pressed her forehead against his arm. She snuggled up against him, without placing her hands on him. She held both of her hands against her heart. She sighed.
"I'm trying so hard, Ash. I'm trying as hard as I can, and everything is still so messed up."
Ash's slow, deep breaths continued.
"I don't want things to be like this. I want to change them, but... but I don't know how. I've hidden so much for so long. I haven't figured out how to stop hiding. I'm hiding right now. I know you can't hear me."
Serena took a deep breath of her own.
"I know you tell me never to give up. Sometimes, I wonder if that's the right way to look at things. Aria didn't think it was. Honestly, the more I refuse to give up on some things, the worse I make them. I can't stop lying, Ash. I don't want to lie to you, but I'm so lost. I have this... this façade that I just can't tear down. I can't tear it down because without it, I'm not sure I know who I am. I don't know what's behind it. And I'm afraid of the answer, because I'm afraid it might be nothing."
Seconds passed in silence.
"I don't know what I'm doing. Not here, not with you, not with any of this. I don't know why I'm talking to you right now, really. I just don't know what else to do. I don't want to keep hiding from you, but I've made so many mistakes. I've been so dishonest. I've done some bad things. I don't know what you would think of me if you knew the truth, if you knew I was so desperate for you that I blackmailed someone who tried to help me. Aria gave me more money than I know what to do with, and it's crushing me. I shouldn't have it. I lied to her to get it. I betrayed her trust. I'm terrified of what would happen if all the secrets of what happened between her and me got out. And deep down inside, it really bothers me to think that all of this crazy stuff happened because I couldn't give up... on you."
Serena shifted, drawing a bit closer to Ash.
"My mom knew I was in over my head. I know why she thought so. I don't know why she was so quick to forgive me after our fight. Honestly, it doesn't make me feel that much better that she did, because I lied to her, too. She said she was impressed with my maturity, but she won't be if she finds out the truth behind all this. I can't tell her, and I'm so tired of hiding. I'm so tired of hiding, Ash. But I'm terrified that everything is going to fall apart unless I keep hiding. I can't share the truth with anyone. Not you, not my mother. I don't think Aria even wants to talk to me. And Lillie... I think things are more messed up for her than I can imagine."
Serena held her breath for a moment.
"Please don't leave me, Ash. Don't leave my life again. I don't know what I would do without you. That's why I'm so afraid of you putting yourself in harm's way all the time. Now that I finally have you, when I say I don't know what I would do without you, I mean it. I barely even know what to do with you. Without you..."
Serena clenched her eyes shut. She exhaled.
"I don't know. I just don't know."
Serena pulled up one side of Ash's blanket and covered herself with it. She cuddled up closer to him. He held one hand atop his chest. Serena leaned in and kissed the back of his hand, then settled in next to him.
There was something more she wanted to say, but she could not say it. Not now. She settled on a single word instead.
"Goodnight."
Serena was aware of nothing more until she heard a crackling sound. Then came the smell of smoke. She opened her eyes. Light flooded them.
She threw the blanket aside and sat upright. A jolt of panic surged through her heart. Ash was asleep beside her. She was still in his tent. She was with him, in his tent, in broad daylight. Outside, someone was already awake and had rekindled the campfire.
Hands held against her head, Serena cursed herself for her stupidity. She had never intended to sleep so long. She had assumed that at some point during the night, she would wake up and sneak back to her own tent. No such thing had happened. Instead of the restless sleep she expected in the aftermath of nerves and nightmares, her mind had passed out of existence for hours and hours. She slept dreamlessly.
Now, here she was. Trapped.
Her mind scrambled to come up with a plan. There had to be some way she could avoid being caught. Nothing came to mind. If she woke Ash, she was certain they would be noticed. She had none of her Pokémon with her to create a distraction. Her only hope seemed to be for whoever was outside not to notice her, somehow.
She rose to her knees. As she had done several times the night before, Serena tugged the zipper on the tent entrance and slowly pulled it down, undoing it silently, one clasp at a time. When there was enough of a gap for her to see through, she put her eye to it.
The campfire crackled, but there was no one in sight. Through the peephole she had created, she could not see anyone, nor any sign of activity at all. She heard nothing.
She pulled the zipper down further. Time was critical. She knew she was certain to be caught if someone was out there and she was too slow. She had no choice but to go for it.
Holding her breath, Serena stuck her head through the tent flap. She looked in one direction. There was nobody there. She looked in the opposite direction. She froze.
Professor Burnet was walking back up to their campsite from the meadow, carrying a bucket of water. She stopped in her tracks. Their eyes met. One of Professor Burnet's eyebrows raised.
Serena's face flushed. Abandoning all pretense of secrecy, she unzipped the rest of the tent flap and scrambled her way outside, hands held up in surrender. Professor Burnet placed the bucket of water on the ground and both of her hands on her hips. She tilted her head at Serena. There was a long, wordless pause.
Then, Professor Burnet motioned for Serena to follow. For a moment, Serena considered refusing. Before she could make up her mind, though, Cutiefly appeared. She buzzed in from above and landed on top of Serena's head.
But even after Cutiefly landed, there was still a buzzing noise. A few seconds later, another Cutiefly emerged from the meadow, made a beeline for Serena, and landed on her shoulder. The buzzing grew louder still. Another Cutiefly appeared. Then another. Then several more. Then dozens.
A few moments later, a cloud of Cutiefly descended upon her, occupying every possible space atop her arms, shoulders, and head. Serena burst into laughter. She couldn't help it. It tickled like mad. Heads poked out of all of the other tents. Across the campsite, Professor Burnet's expression changed from one of confusion and concern to one of amusement. She smirked as she folded her arms.
From the entrance of the tent, Ash looked up at Serena, astonished. Serena looked at him and shrugged. What could she possibly say? The Cutiefly all knew the truth.
And so, lost for words, Serena laughed and laughed. It was the best she could do.