Chapter Twelve – See You on the Dark Side of the Moon

Serena stepped outside. It was dusk. In the distance, Ash and Hau battled. Serena did not bother to stop and look. She was certain Ash was winning. Instead, she descended the front steps as quickly as her feet would carry her and ducked around the far side of the lab, hiding from sight.

She wandered toward the shore. In the distance, a palm tree swayed in the breeze. The sun was down. The moon was rising over the sea. It was only half full. The night sky was crystal clear. The stars were just beginning to shine. In the pristine sky, the faint shadow of the dark side of the moon could be seen. It was split perfectly in half, like a Poké Ball. One half was an ethereal, shimmering white. The other half was a ghostly black.

Serena folded her arms as if wrapping them around herself, trying to steady herself. She stared at the moon. The longer she stared, the less like the moon it looked. Perhaps it was all the tears. Perhaps she had finally lost her mind, for real. Either way, the longer she stared, the more and more it looked like a Poké Ball, and the more and more colors it shone. It did not just shine a brilliant white, but all the colors of the rainbow.

Minutes passed. She blinked. She shook her head, and it was all gone. Surely this time she had gone insane. If this was not insanity, what was? The headache she had was by far the worst of her life. Her head may as well have been in a vise. In fact, a vise may have been helpful. She was not certain if her head was going to implode or explode, but she figured some stability either way would help.

She looked around. Her present location was not much of a hiding spot. She was exposed on all sides. It was only Ash and Hau's battle that kept them from seeing her, she was sure. Even then, that was certain to soon be over. Hau was no match for Ash under any circumstances. Their battle would end, and then, her time would really, truly, be up.

There was no hiding anymore. The truth was in plain sight. Serena knew it now. Everything that had happened, every single thing that had gone wrong, was her fault. It was all her fault. All of it. No one else had done anything wrong. It was all her. Not Lillie, not Ash. Nobody except her.

Every bad decision had been her own. Every lie had come from her mouth. Every seed of mistrust had been sown by her own hand. There was no reason they could not all have been happy together and gone on a great adventure as friends, except for the poison she had injected into herself. Forget Nihilego. It was her own venom coursing through her veins.

There was nothing to be done now. Maybe, if she had not destroyed Lillie's property and invaded her privacy, there would have been some hope of reconciliation. There was none now. Lillie would have no reason to forgive her. She had done something so petty and terrible that it was beneath even Lillie's mother. She would be lucky if Ash forgave her for it. She would surely no longer be welcome in the lab. Everything was ruined, thanks to her.

She could not imagine Ash being on her side in any case. There was no chance he would support her. It was impossible to imagine him staying with her. Where would she even go? Ash already had a brand-new journey and purpose waiting for him right here. He even had a pretty girl who would be with him for a quick rebound after the forthcoming end of his relationship.

Serena supposed this was it. The actual end. How fitting that she brought it upon herself. The more she considered it, the more obvious it seemed.

It was time to go.

But then, buzzing filled her ears.

"Hey, Serena!"

Serena did not turn her head. She only looked with her eyes. Ash ran toward her from across the beach, waving to her. Pikachu ran beside him. Cutiefly flew frantically in front of both of them. Hau was nowhere to be seen.

Serena did not respond. Her lack of response elicited another call as Ash approached.

"Serena?"

Serena sighed. She bowed her head. Cutiefly landed on the brim of her hat and chirped. Her song was not cheerful or melodious. It was dissonant.

Ash came up beside Serena.

"Hey, what's up?" he said.

Lips tight, Serena looked up at the sky. She shook her head, forcing Cutiefly to take flight again. She knew her tear-stained face would provoke some questions, and it did.

"Are you okay?" said Ash.

"No."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" said Ash.

Serena shut her eyes. She wanted to cringe.

"I've got plenty of time," said Ash. He poked the tips of his forefingers together. "The rest of the night, if you want."

Serena's heart throbbed. Of course, now that it was too late, he could see that something was wrong and had time to talk about it.

"It's too late," said Serena.

"We've talked later at night than this before," said Ash.

"That's not what I mean."

"I… don't get it."

"I know," said Serena. "I know you don't. It's not your fault. It's mine."

"I still don't get it."

Serena turned to face Ash.

"Look," she said. "Look at me. Do I look okay to you?"

"You're always pretty," said Ash.

"I mean mentally."

"Uh…"

"Exactly."

Serena folded her arms even tighter. There was a silence, which Ash broke.

"I, uh, still don't get it," he said.

"I know," said Serena. "It's okay."

"But you said you weren't okay."

"I'm not."

"What's going on?"

"So many things," said Serena. "I'm not sure where to begin."

"What happened after you went inside? You seemed fine then."

"That's the thing," said Serena. "I'm not, and I haven't been for a while, and it's my fault for not being honest sooner."

"Well, you're being honest now, right?"

"Yes, but it's too late. I've already made too many mistakes. I… I can't fix this, Ash."

"Fix what?"

"Everything. I've completely ruined my friendship with Lillie, and probably our relationship, too. Not to mention my friendship with a bunch of other people. I've probably also ended my welcome here at this lab."

"What? How?"

"I've done a lot of really stupid things. Really, really stupid. And it's all my fault."

"What did you do?"

"Well, I've told a lot of lies," said Serena. "I guess that's a start."

"You lied? About what?"

"About what I really wanted."

"What do you mean?"

Serena sighed. She rubbed her forehead. Things were never easy with Ash whenever the situation required him to be less literal.

"I lied to you," she said. "I don't want to go on an adventure in Alola with Lillie. I don't want you to go with her, either."

Serena's face flushed red. It was beyond embarrassment. It was shame.

That was all she ever had to say. The truth. Two sentences. It was nothing. She could have said it at any time, but she waited until now, after everything was broken beyond hope of repair.

It was the dumbest thing she had ever done, and she knew it.

Ash scratched his head.

"Yeah, that's, uh, not what you told me. That's for sure."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm surprised," said Ash. "You seemed, uh, excited about it, you know? And happy. It looked like you wanted to go."

"Exactly," said Serena. "I lied to you."

"You really fooled me, then. I had no idea."

Serena wondered if she was wrong about being a terrible liar, or if Ash was just that dense.

"I know you didn't. I'm sorry I lied to you. I shouldn't have."

"You're telling the truth now, right?"

"Yes."

"Then it's okay," said Ash.

Serena shook her head.

"It's not okay," she said.

Ash tilted his head.

"Huh?" he said. "Why not? I forgive you. I just wanna know why."

"Why I lied?"

"Yeah."

"There's a lot to explain," said Serena. "That's why it's not okay. It won't be okay, once I explain."

"I don't get why you keep talking like that. It's not like you."

Serena scoffed.

"It is so like me."

Ash folded his arms.

"The Serena I know never gives up," he said.

"I didn't give up," said Serena. "That's the whole point. I should have given up a long time ago. On this great big lie, I mean. But no, I can't ever give up. I had to keep going. I had to tough it out until I broke under the stress."

"The Serena I know knows that things can always be fixed."

Serena paused.

"Maybe," she said. "But maybe not. I don't know."

"Well, I know! We can fix this right now."

"I don't think we can. Not this time."

"Why? When things got all messed up last time, you kept going! You never gave up. What changed?"

"I've done some really bad things this time."

"Like what?"

Serena held her breath for a moment.

"Well, to start, I got the money I needed to fly to Kanto and meet you by threatening Aria with blackmail."

Ash's shoulders slackened.

"Oh," he said.

"I fought with my mom, then ran into Palermo and lied to her to get Aria's email address. Then, I emailed Aria and pretty much asked her to send me money or else I would tell about what really happened between the two of us. She sent me a ton of money overnight. I went to Kanto without my mom's permission. Then, when we came here and met Lillie, everything got worse."

"Lillie?" said Ash. "What did she have to do with this?"

"Nothing, really," said Serena. "She didn't do anything. Like I said, it's all my fault. It's all in my head. I began to lose my mind when I met her. I've been slowly going insane this whole time."

"You don't sound crazy to me."

"I may as well be. Lillie was completely innocent from the beginning, but I never could trust her, deep down."

"You don't trust her? Why?"

"Because I feel threatened by her. I feel so pathetic next to her! It's like she dropped out of the sky to be a perfect match for you!"

"A what?"

"You're the hero! You're the knight in shining armor! She's the damsel in distress! The princess with the tragic past! And you know what that makes me?"

"No."

"The evil stepsister. That's what."

The way Ash looked at her cemented it in her head. Serena knew she had truly gone insane.

"You're not evil!" said Ash.

"Compared to Lillie, I am. Especially after what I've done to her."

"What did you do?"

"I tried to befriend her and only ended up hurting her. To her, it looked like I was a true friend, but the longer it went on, the less I tried to help her and the more I tried to figure out if she was going to try to take you from me."

Ash's eyes narrowed. His whole face wrinkled in confusion.

"What? Take me from you? There's no way she would do that!"

"She wants to take you on a journey all around Alola!"

"She needs my help!"

Serena clenched her fists. She raised her voice.

"I know!"

As loud as they were, Serena's words vanished into the night air like they were nothing at all.

"I know that!" she said. "I know that, but I can't stop thinking that she's going to take you from me! It's driving me insane and I hate it! My brain has been pulling me in a hundred different directions at once since the day we met her. I can't take it anymore!"

"I don't understand," said Ash. "Why are you afraid of her? I'm not going to leave you! I promised."

Serena glared at the ground.

"My dad promised my mom the same thing, once," she said. "I bet your dad promised your mom the same thing, too."

Ash's face tightened. Before he could interject, Serena continued.

"And I mean, really, just look at Lillie," said Serena. "She's perfect. Too perfect. It's like she was placed here just to be your perfect match. And that's the real problem. This whole thing has felt to me like it was set up, like everything we've done was destined to happen and nothing I did could ever change it. From the day we met her, I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the chance to be her hero. And look how that turned out!"

"She needs my help! I help people! That's what I do!"

"You could have helped me by not making me feel inferior to her!"

"How?"

"I- I don't know! You couldn't! I never told you what I was feeling! It's not your fault. It's mine. All mine."

"Serena…"

"I know," said Serena. "I know how dumb this all is. How crazy it all sounds."

"Why would you think I would leave you for Lillie?"

"You mean aside from the very personal reason I just gave you?" said Serena. "And the fact that it feels like she was made for you? How about this? She's prettier than me, nicer than me, smarter than me, more honest than me. You know, just better than me in basically every way."

"She is not better than you!"

"It feels like she is! Do you know what all my efforts to overcome my paranoia and actually befriend her taught me? My problems are nothing compared to hers! She has lived a way worse life than me but still sees the best in people. I have everything I ever wanted and all I've done is worry and complain about nothing, and blame her for all my problems when she's completely innocent. What am I compared to her?"

Ash stared at her. He blinked a few times.

"You're Serena."

Serena looked away, clenching both her fists and her jaw. She never expected tears to come on so quickly. She bitterly fought back against them. She shook from the effort.

Her silence gave her plenty of time to listen.

"I don't want Lillie," said Ash. "I want you. I want the girl in the straw hat, not the girl in the giant, floppy white one. I want the girl who came back to find me after all those years because she cared about me, not the girl I just met who asked me to travel with her because she needs my help. I want my best friend, not my newest one. Don't you see that?"

Serena shut her eyes. She was not going to cry. She was not going to make a sound. Not now.

"I want the girl who showed me how to never give up," said Ash. "I'm not going to let you give up. No matter what it is, we can fix it if we try. I told you that first, but you showed me what that means. And right now, I'll be the one to show you, if that's what it takes."

With her eyes still closed, Serena shook her head.

"I mean it," said Ash.

Serena opened her eyes again.

"It's not so simple, Ash."

Ash met eyes with her. The look in his eyes broke Serena's heart. He looked desperate.

"Why?" he said.

"Because I betrayed Lillie's trust. I destroyed her most valuable possession and violated her privacy, all because I couldn't own up to this mess I've made."

"Huh?"

"I broke into her diary."

Ash went silent.

"I broke open the lock, and I read it. That's why she's inside crying her eyes out right now."

Ash looked at the lab's nearest window, then back at her. Cutiefly sat on the windowsill, pecking at it like mad.

"And I did it because I never give up," said Serena. "I refused to give up on my web of lies, and I ruined everything in the process. So, maybe it's time to give up, for once. What do you think?"

"Serena-"

"I've been fighting the whole time I've been here. Against fate, I guess. I wanted to control my own destiny, for once. I've spent my whole life following others. Just when it looks like I'm going to get a chance to take charge, what happens? I get dropped into someone else's story, that's what."

"Story?"

"It's a metaphor, Ash."

"A what?"

Serena grimaced. She took a deep breath, trying not to snap at him.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "The point is that I wanted to feel like I was in charge for once, but instead, Lillie came along and took over our lives."

Ash held up his hands. He shrugged, shaking his head.

"She didn't do that," he said.

"I know. That's what makes this so frustrating. I know it's all in my head, but that doesn't make it any less real to me!"

Ash looked like he wasn't sure what to say.

"If it's all in your head, then can't we, uh, make things better in your head?" he said.

"I wish," said Serena. "It doesn't work like that, though. Not in my head, anyway."

Ash folded his arms. He thought for a moment.

"I dunno what to do," he said. "You make it sound so hopeless!"

"It is hopeless."

"Nothing is ever hopeless!"

"Ash."

"I mean it!"

"I do, too."

"I-"

Ash abruptly shut his mouth, then looked back toward the lab. Cutiefly was attempting to wriggle beneath one of the windows.

"I'm going to get Lillie right now so we can all talk this out," said Ash.

"Don't."

"I'm going."

"Ash!"

Ash had already begun to turn away, but Serena's piercing shout stopped him in his tracks. Pikachu tugged at his leg and pointed back at Serena. Ash turned around.

Serena stared at him. Her face was pulled in so many directions by so many different emotions that she wasn't sure what she looked like. She figured it probably made no sense at all. Fitting, if so.

"It's not you who needs to go," she said.

"Do you wanna go get her?" said Ash.

Serena shook her head.

"No, I don't," she said.

"Then I need to go get her."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"Huh?"

"I need to go. I need to leave."

"Leave?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean?"

"I need to be somewhere else," said Serena. "Somewhere not here. Anywhere else, as long as it's not here."

A horrible realization crept its way up Ash's face.

"Do you mean…"

"I mean here. This lab. This island. Alola. With Lillie. Even… with you."

"Are you-"

"I'm leaving."

"No!"

"Yes. I'm leaving."

"But-"

"Don't," Serena said, holding up a hand to silence Ash. "I've made up my mind. It feels like it's the right thing to do. It may be the only thing I can do, honestly."

"That's not true!"

"I've burned too many bridges. I can't fix this."

"Maybe you can't, but we can!"

Serena did a poor job of hiding the look of disgust on her face.

"That's kind of my point," she said. "I want to live my own life. I don't want to have to rely on others to fix my problems. I've been doing that for way too long. That, and just hoping that things would fix themselves. I can't do that anymore. That would be giving up."

"So is leaving!"

"Maybe," said Serena. "Not as I see it, though. Remember what I said to you at Siebold's café about not wanting to be a showcase performer anymore? It's the same idea. I'm not giving up. I'm going out on my own terms."

"It's not the same!"

"It really is."

"No, it's not!"

"Please. Let's not fight about this. I don't want to fight anymore, you least of all."

"I don't wanna fight you, either!" said Ash. "I wanna fight all these problems! I know that we can win if we work together!"

"I don't want to fight them, either," said Serena. "I've been fighting them this whole time. I just never said anything. And now, I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting. I fought, and I lost. It's time for me to go. It's the right thing to do."

"No, it's not!" said Ash. "Why do you think that?"

"Because I've made a ton of mistakes, and I've hurt an innocent person really badly. Maybe leaving is another mistake, but at least if I leave, I can't make any more mistakes that will hurt Lillie. Or you."

"Why won't you just try to work this all out?" said Ash.

"Because I've been trying this whole time! It didn't work! It only made things worse!"

"But you haven't tried with me! Together!"

"I don't want to try together! This isn't about us. It's about me. Everything that's going on here is so much bigger than me. I didn't realize that until tonight, but-"

Serena winced.

"What Lillie told me, and what her diary said… it made it perfectly clear that I need to stay out of this."

"Why?"

"Because a whole lot more than a friendship depends on her success."

"What?"

"You'll find out. Eventually."

Ash went quiet. He stared at Serena. Serena hung her head. There wasn't much more to be said.

She took a deep breath.

"It's time," she said, looking up at him again.

"Time for what?"

"Time for me to go."

"Go where?"

"I don't know."

"Are you really leaving?"

"Yes."

"But you can't!"

Serena's eyes narrowed.

"Don't tell me what to do," she said. "I've made my choice. I know this is right for me."

"But what about us?"

There was a long pause. Several seconds passed. In the distance, a wave broke on the shore, then receded.

Serena shook her head.

"I don't know," she said. "We're not the problem. I am. That's why I need to leave."

"Then I'm going with you."

Serena shook her head again.

"No," she said. "You need to stay. Lillie needs your help."

"But isn't that the problem?"

"Yes, but not in the way you think it is. Trust me, Lillie needs you right now more than I do."

"Serena…"

"I waited for you for years. I never gave up hope. And for you, I never will. What difference does a little while longer make? We still have forever, don't we?"

Serena wasn't sure if she believed her own words. Only a few weeks ago, when this all began, forever meant nothing. It was nothing compared to a few days. This all happened, every single bad decision made and lie told, all because she couldn't wait just a little while longer.

"Don't go," said Ash. "I won't let you."

"Don't say that," said Serena.

"You can't solve problems by running away from them!"

"I can't solve this one. You can, though."

Ash stood there, mouth hanging open, staring. Serena wondered what she should do. She felt like a kiss would be inappropriate, no matter how much she wanted it. Any physical contact at all felt like a terrible idea. At best, it would send the wrong message. At worst, she would completely lose control of herself and do something very, very stupid. She had done enough stupid things already.

She thought about her position some more. She already had her bag with her. All of her belongings were on her person. The only farewell she needed to say was the one she was in the middle of saying. It wasn't much of a hike to the nearest Pokémon Center. She could stay there overnight and figure out her next move.

There was only one thing left to do.

Serena looked Ash in the eyes. She sighed. A bittersweet smile formed on her lips.

"Well…" she said. "This isn't goodbye. But it's bye for now."

Ash said nothing. He stared, frozen to the spot.

Serena stepped forward. She waved.

"Bye, Ash."

She tore her eyes away from him and stepped past him. Her steps were rigid at first but then became faster and more fluid as she passed the lab. There was no turning back, not even for one last look. She couldn't risk it. She had to keep up her resolve. As hard as it was to keep going, each step was one more in the right direction.

But then, she heard someone else's footsteps. There was a flash of light and the unmistakable sound of a Poké Ball opening.

"Rowlet, Leafage!"

In an instant, a rustling wall of leaves appeared out of nowhere, blocking Serena's way. Her eyes shot open wide as she skidded to a halt.

Just as quickly, something snapped. Serena's entire body clenched. She shook. Her lips pulled back, exposing her gritted teeth.

Behind her, the footsteps stopped. Without turning around, Serena spoke. Her voice was low, and it trembled.

"After everything I just said?"

There were a few seconds of silence. Serena tried to take a deep breath. It was impossible. Her body refused to cooperate. Rigid, she slowly turned around.

Her eyes focused on Ash's clueless face.

"After everything I just said?!"

Serena's throat burned from how loudly she screamed at him. She shook like her body was enduring an earthquake as the words roared from her lungs.

Ash recoiled. Pikachu backed away a step. In the air beside them, Rowlet backed away a few feet.

Serena jammed her hand into her bag and pulled out a Poké Ball of her own.

"Braixen, Flamethrower!"

There was one flash of light, followed by another. First, Braixen emerged from her Poké Ball. Then, as commanded, she pulled her wand from her tail and fired a jet of flame from it.

The attack hit Rowlet directly. When the flames faded, Rowlet fell to the ground.

Ash ran over to Rowlet. He looked horrified.

"Rowlet! Are you okay?"

He knelt down and scooped Rowlet up in his arms. Even in the dark and from a distance, Serena knew that Rowlet was down for the count. Between the type advantage and the power gap, Rowlet never stood a chance.

Pikachu stood between Braixen and Ash. He looked stunned.

Slowly, Braixen lowered her wand. For a few seconds, she stared at Pikachu, and what she had done to Rowlet. Then, she turned her head and looked back at Serena.

Serena's heart broke. Braixen said nothing, but her eyes said everything.

Why?

Serena swallowed. She tried again to steady her breathing. It was no use. She tore her eyes away from Braixen and looked at Ash instead.

Ash looked back at her. His eyes asked the same question as Braixen's.

Serena's anger came spilling out of her mouth again.

"After everything I said, you attack me? You try to stop me from leaving by force? I told you I wanted to make my own decisions! I told you I didn't want to fight!"

Ash tapped a Poké Ball against Rowlet's beak. Rowlet vanished inside of it, and Ash clipped the ball back onto his belt.

"I told you I wasn't going to let you leave!" he said. "Running away won't help!"

"You don't understand! You don't know what it's like to be inside my head! I need to escape from this! Removing myself from this mess is the only thing I can do to help now!"

"That's not true!"

"Yes, it is!"

"It's never too late to fix things!"

"Yes, it is!"

"We're going to fix this together."

"You don't get to decide that! I am not going to be told how to live my life. I will not just let you and everyone else push me around and handle everything for me. I don't want to fight, but if I have to fight you for my freedom, I will!"

Braixen looked at Pikachu. The two of them both appeared unnerved by the exchange of words taking place.

Braixen looked back at Serena again. Serena held out Braixen's ball and activated it. Braixen disappeared inside it.

"Let me go, Ash," said Serena. "Just let me do this. I don't want to fight. Don't make this any harder than it already is!"

"Please, just come with me," said Ash. He took a tentative step forward. "Let's talk to Lillie together. What do you have to lose?"

"My freedom. My life. Everything."

Ash stepped past Pikachu.

"Please, Serena. Don't go. Let's give it one more shot, together."

Serena remained still, following Ash with her eyes.

"Stop," she said.

"Serena, please."

Ash came closer still. Serena backed away a step.

"Don't touch me!"

Ash came within arm's reach. Serena scrambled backward, reaching into her bag again.

"Pancham, Arm Thrust!"

In a flash of light, Pancham emerged from the ball, ready to strike.

Just as quickly, Ash dropped to the ground and ducked.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

Pikachu leaped into the air, and his tail turned to metal. A moment later, he and Pancham collided in midair, their blows each countering the other.

After a brief struggle, the two of them landed opposite each other on the sand.

Serena backed away a few more steps before stopping. She glared at Ash, trying to pierce him with her eyes while he rose to his feet again. For a moment, Ash was slow to get up, and Serena hoped that the sheer force of her glare alone would keep him pinned to the ground. But of course, it was not, and Ash rose to his feet.

Ash stared back at her. His face was not nearly as fierce, nor as cold. His eyes continued to plead with her, but there was something more inside them now. Serena recognized it all too well. It was the look Ash always had when he was itching for a battle.

If it was a battle he wanted, Serena was determined not to simply give it to him. He was going to have to come and take it. No matter what, she was not going to make the next move, even if meant their standoff would last all night. She was not even going to speak unless Ash spoke first.

And he did.

"I don't get it," said Ash. "You said you kept all this stuff a secret, and that you made a lot of mistakes. Now, you tell me about it, and I wanna help, but you won't accept my help?"

"I don't want your help."

"Why won't you at least let me try?"

"Because I want to do this on my own!"

"But you need help!" said Ash.

"No, I don't!"

"Helping people is what I do! It's what friends do for each other!"

"Exactly!" said Serena. "We're not just friends anymore! Do you understand that? There's more to this than simply being friends who kiss sometimes!"

"I've been trying my best, but this is all still really new to me, you know?"

"It's new to me, too, but apparently I'm the only one of us who got the memo that even though we've become more than friends, we don't get to control each other's lives!"

"I haven't been trying to do that."

"You're trying to do that right now!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Then what do you call this?"

"I'm trying to help you see that this isn't over! It's not hopeless! There's no reason to give up!"

"I've been trying to make you see that this is bigger than you, me, or even us. The only thing I know to do is to remove myself from the situation! I've told you that I've been going crazy for a chance to make my own decisions and to do something all on my own, but here you are, stopping me, like you haven't understood a word I've said!"

"I've understood what you've said," said Ash. "I just think you're making the wrong choice!"

Serena's lips tightened. She let out a long breath through her nose. When she spoke, her voice came out in a dangerously calm tone.

"I don't care if you're my best friend, or my boyfriend, or even my mother," said Serena. "You don't get to make that choice for me, and you don't get to tell me what to do. I have thought about this way more than you have, Ash. I love you, and I want this relationship to last, but I will not let you stand in the way of me taking control of my life. The only way you're stopping me is by force."

Ash did not respond. He only blinked a few times while he stared.

"So, you have a choice," said Serena. "Stop me, or let me go. The choice is yours."

Ash looked at the ground. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out before he closed it again.

"Make a choice," said Serena. "It's now or never."

Ash looked up at her, meeting her eyes. He spoke again. His voice was quiet.

"Please don't make me do this," he said.

Serena wanted to ask him what he meant, but for some reason, she couldn't find the words.

What did he mean? Did he not want to choose? Was there a particular choice he did not want to make? She assumed it was the latter. It was the only way it made sense to her. Ash was not usually an indecisive person. Maybe this was an exception, but Serena was certain that Ash would much rather battle her than stand by and watch her leave, even though he knew that letting her go was the right thing to do.

She couldn't blame him for feeling that way. Doing the right thing was hard.

Maybe she could make it easier for him. All it would take was one more lie. One more little white lie, for his sake.

She could let him take the easy way out. All she had to do was win.

"Pancham, Dark Pulse!"

Pancham, as well as both Ash and Pikachu, twitched in surprise at Serena's command. Regardless, Pancham complied. Before Ash could make a command of his own, and before Pikachu could dodge, Pancham fired the Dark Pulse at point-blank range. Pikachu braced himself and took a direct hit, skidding backward in the sand.

Ash disappeared for a moment behind a cloud of dust. When the dust dissipated, Serena saw him standing there with his fists clenched, the uncertainty in his eyes replaced with grim determination.

It was silent for a moment. Then, Ash reached up for his hat, pulled it from his head, and tossed it aside in the sand.

"Pikachu…" he said.

Serena clenched her teeth and swallowed. This was it. No turning back.

"Quick Attack!"

"Dodge!"

Telling Pancham to dodge Pikachu's Quick Attack was like telling Pancham to stop the sun from rising. Pikachu streaked across the sand as a white blur and rammed shoulder-first into Pancham.

Pancham went rolling. He flipped over several times before digging his fists into the sand to stop himself. By then, Ash was already calling another attack.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Stone Edge! Block it!"

With his fists already buried in the sand, Pancham had plenty of time to form a jagged stone pillar and make it shoot up from the ground, right in front of him. Pikachu's Thunderbolt hit it. The pillar absorbed the attack, then shattered.

"Electro Ball!"

"Dark Pulse!"

Pikachu's attack was faster. The Electro Ball was already on its way when Pancham fired the Dark Pulse. The two attacks met in midair, but much closer to Pancham than to Pikachu. Once again, dust kicked up everywhere. This time, Pancham was shrouded in it.

Serena saw an opportunity to use the cover to her advantage, but she faltered. Pancham was the wrong Pokémon to take advantage of the situation. But then, she had a crazy idea.

"Dark Pulse, on the ground! Now!"

Pancham pointed at the ground and fired. More sand kicked up everywhere. As quickly as she could, Serena jammed both hands into her bag and pulled out two Poké Balls.

And then, she issued an unexpected command.

"Moonblast!"

Serena wasn't sure it was legal, technically. The switch was so hasty that for a split-second, both Pancham and Sylveon were on the battlefield. It was the kind of thing that she had heard stories of trainers being disqualified from league matches for attempting.

But this was not a sanctioned match.

So, in a flash, Sylveon emerged into the dust cloud, glowing. Where Pancham had risen into the air from the impact a moment before, there was now a brilliant, shimmering ball of energy, casting everything in pale light and thin shadow.

And for just a moment, Ash didn't know what to do. That was what mattered.

The dust in the air thinned. Sylveon fired.

"Electro Ball!"

Pikachu leaped into the air, flipped over, and fired the ball from his tail. The two attacks collided. Both Serena and Ash were already calling their next moves.

"Swift!"

"Quick Attack!"

Sylveon flung a shower of stars from her feelers. Pikachu ducked and weaved through the attack, attempting to dodge them all.

Serena knew what Ash was attempting. She was not going to be fooled.

"Protect!"

"Iron Tail!"

It was nothing more than a maneuver to get Pikachu in position to strike. Serena knew it. She had seen him use Quick Attack for that exact purpose so many times. By the time Pikachu broke through the field of Swift stars with his tail aglow, Sylveon was already wrapped in a shield of light.

Serena hoped to see Ash hesitate, caught off-guard again by her accurate anticipation of his strategy. But Ash did not hesitate, nor did Pikachu. Without any reaction from either of them, Pikachu's Iron Tail bounced harmlessly off of Sylveon's shield.

The shield vanished, and Pikachu landed right in front of Sylveon. His tail continued to glow.

As Ash called another attack, Serena understood how much of a fool she was.

"Iron Tail, again!"

Pikachu spun and sideswiped Sylveon, landing a direct hit on her face. Sylveon's feet all left the ground from the force of the hit. She went flying, landing on the ground several feet away.

Serena had thought it was a clever plan. She had thought she was one step ahead of Ash, using her knowledge of his strategies against him. What she had not anticipated was Ash expecting her to do it.

The little shred of pride she felt from Ash's apparent respect of her abilities was crushed by the weight of how stupid she felt for not realizing what Ash clearly knew all along. It didn't matter if Sylveon blocked the attack. She had no way to exploit Pikachu being stuck in that position. She had no moves that posed a threat at such close range.

Pikachu was on the move again.

"Electro Ball!"

"Protect!"

Serena knew it was a long shot, but it was the only shot she had. There was no way Sylveon could withstand another hit like that.

Sylveon rose to her feet. Once again, she wrapped herself in a shield of light.

Pikachu flipped over in midair. He flung the Electro Ball from the tip of his tail.

Serena held her breath. The shield had to hold. It had to. She needed the time to think.

The Electro Ball made impact. It scattered across the surface of the shield, eating it away. As soon as she knew Protect had worked, Serena called her move.

"Moonblast!"

And so did Ash.

"Thunderbolt!"

For an instant, Serena had hopes of Moonblast countering Thunderbolt and giving her another chance to think of something effective, anything at all.

Her hopes were dashed when Pikachu jumped high into the air, launching himself with his tail. He soared above the sphere of energy Sylveon was charging, with his cheeks sparking.

Serena reached for her bag. It was already too late.

Pikachu fired the Thunderbolt straight down through the charging blast. There was a blinding flash of light. The Thunderbolt pierced the heart of Sylveon's Moonblast, bringing the combined energy of both attacks crashing down on her.

Serena shut her eyes. She did not want to look. She opened them again only when the light had faded.

Sylveon lay in the sand, completely limp, collapsed in a heap. She did not move.

Pikachu stood in front of Sylveon. He did not look pleased with himself. He looked concerned. He leaned over and placed a hand on Sylveon's forehead. Serena assumed it was an apology.

Serena looked at Ash. He did not look pleased, either. He looked disgusted with himself.

Serena pulled Sylveon's ball out of her bag. She activated it, and Sylveon vanished inside it. Pikachu stood alone on the battlefield.

Ash spoke.

"I didn't want to do this," he said. "You said you didn't, either!"

"I thought you did!" said Serena.

"No," said Ash. "I never said I did. But you said you didn't! Why did you attack?"

"Why did you attack me?" said Serena. "You started this! You had Rowlet use Leafage to stop me!"

"You told me to make a choice, and then you made it for me!"

"I thought you didn't want to just let me leave. I thought it would be easier for you to battle me instead."

"I didn't want to let you leave, but I didn't want to do this, either," said Ash. "You made me do this."

Serena went quiet. She wasn't sure what to say.

Ash spoke again.

"I don't want to fight you, either, you know," he said. "Not for real. I didn't want to do it in Monego City. I really don't want to do it right now."

"Then let me go."

"Are you going to just walk away?" said Ash. "I don't buy it. I know you. I don't know why you're running away from fixing things with me and Lillie, but I know you don't run from a challenge. You don't give up."

Serena bit her tongue. She looked at her feet.

"I don't get how leaving doesn't count as giving up on things here, but whatever," said Ash. "If that's what you believe, then fine. I believe you, too. You're not giving up. I know you won't give up on this battle, either. It's just not who you are."

Ash held a hand against the back of his neck. He sighed.

"Honestly, I wish you would give up on this battle," he said.

Serena looked up at him again.

"Seriously?" she said. "After everything you've said?"

Ash shook his head.

"This is different," he said.

"How?"

"If we really battle, you can't beat me. You're just going to get your Pokémon hurt."

A nerve twitched in Serena's brow. She folded her arms.

"Oh?" she said. "So is that an admission that some things really are hopeless after all?"

Ash made a strained face. He shrugged.

"Maybe?" he said.

Serena tightened her arms.

"I'm not weak," she said. "You've even told me how strong I am. I've seen you pull victories out of nowhere more times than I can count. What makes you think this particular battle is so hopeless?"

"Because both of us are going to lose."

Serena's face went slack in surprise for a moment, but then quickly formed into a grimace.

"If I'm going to lose, then it's going to be on my own terms," she said. "You're right. I'm not walking away from this. You will not stop me without a fight."

Ash closed his eyes. He drew his lips into a thin line.

Serena reached into her bag again. She pulled out another ball.

"Pancham," she said.

Pancham appeared on the battlefield again. He narrowed his eyes when he saw Pikachu.

Pikachu's shoulders slumped. He looked back at Ash, then past Pancham, right at Serena. Serena closed her eyes, tightened her fists, and tried to breathe.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Pancham, this is for real."

Pikachu tried to protest. He was ignored.

As he did on the beach in Monego City, Pancham spat out his leaf and tossed aside his sunglasses.

Pained as he spoke, Ash raised his hand and gave a command.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack," he said.

There was no excitement in his voice. It was nothing more than a flat, bored order. Serena struggled to do any better.

"Dodge," she said.

Pancham rolled out of the way. Pikachu did not stop. When he reached the spot where Pancham should have been, he sharply turned and continued after him.

Pancham rose to his feet and braced for impact.

"Arm Thrust!" said Serena.

Pancham stuck out his arms and met Pikachu's attack head-on. Pikachu pushed him back, his heels digging into the sand as he went sliding several feet backward.

"Iron Tail! Into the air!"

It was not a strong hit. Serena knew it was never intended to be. Pikachu drove his metallic tail down on Pancham's head. Pancham was more annoyed than hurt, almost pushing Pikachu's blow aside. Inflicting damage was never the point, though. Pikachu used Pancham as a springboard, launching himself into the air.

Serena knew what was coming next. She called her counterattack before Ash even spoke.

"Stone Edge!"

"Thunderbolt!"

Pancham dug his fists into the sand. A moment later, a stone pillar erupted from the ground in front of him, another impromptu lightning rod to take the attack.

Serena was already thinking one step ahead.

"Dark Pulse!"

One step ahead was not enough.

"Electro Ball!"

"Stone Edge!"

Two steps were not enough, either.

"Iron Tail!"

Serena hesitated. There was no way Pancham would understand her if she called any more attacks at the moment. They had never practiced it. All she could do was watch.

Pikachu's Thunderbolt hit the pillar from Pancham's Stone Edge. Much like last time, the pillar cracked, then crumbled. As the bits and pieces of it fell away and scattered into the wind, Pancham fired his Dark Pulse through the field of debris. On the other side, his Dark Pulse met Pikachu's Electro Ball. The two attacks collided and exploded.

Again, Pancham dug his fists into the sand and created another jagged stone pillar. This time, before he was finished forming it, Pikachu swung his metallic tail and cleaved it right in two. Pancham was left standing there with nothing in between the two of them, looking stunned.

"Quick Attack!"

Serena bit her lip. It was now or never.

"Payback!" she called.

Pancham braced himself. He grit his teeth and growled as Pikachu rammed into him and sent him skidding.

For a moment, it looked like whether or not Pancham managed to remain on his feet would determine the outcome of the battle. But then, as the two of them came to a halt, Pancham glowed with violet energy.

A black aura wrapped around Pancham's fist. He prepared to swing.

Serena held her breath. She could feel the power even from where she stood. The aura was almost painful to the eyes. It was going to be a devastating blow.

But then, Pancham swung. His fist did not connect with anything but air.

Without a word from Ash, Pikachu dropped to the ground, ducked beneath Pancham's attack, and spun around. Pancham went tumbling as Pikachu swept his feet out from under him with his tail.

"Electro Ball!"

Pikachu flipped over in midair right in front of Pancham. Almost in direct contact, he sent a ball of crackling electricity crashing down on Pancham's head. Serena watched in horror as the electricity rippled through Pancham's body, making him shake and spasm starting with the head, and spreading down all the way to his toes.

Pikachu leaped through the air and dashed away like a blur. A few seconds later, Pancham toppled over backward, smoking.

Aside from involuntary twitches, Pancham did not move. Serena returned him to his ball in silence. On the other side of the battlefield, Ash had a frustrated look on his face, and his hands were jammed into his pockets.

He was not looking at Serena. For some reason, that aggravated Serena more than anything.

"What," she said. It wasn't a question. It was more of a plaintive demand.

"It was never gonna work," said Ash.

"Excuse me?"

"Pancham's new move," said Ash. "I was there when Professor Kukui taught him how to use it. So was Pikachu. We knew about it."

Serena's jaw tightened. There was more to that story. She was more than capable of filling in the missing pieces on her own.

Ash and Pikachu had helped teach Pancham that move. All that sparring practice? It was obvious now. Pikachu had probably learned that counterattack in the process.

And where had she been during all this? Watching from the sidelines, at best. It was just like with Braixen. She hadn't been there. She hadn't even tried. She was no help at all.

Pancham probably could have come up with a better use for the attack all on his own, Serena figured. She probably held him back. She probably held all of her Pokémon back.

She felt the weight of that realization as she gripped Braixen's Poké Ball in her hand. It felt heavier than usual.

She said nothing as she threw the ball and Braixen appeared on the battlefield. Braixen was equally silent. She did nothing but ignite her wand.

Ash crossed his arms. He looked disgusted.

"Thunderbolt!" he said.

"Hidden Power!"

Pikachu's cheeks sparked, and he sent an arc of lightning streaking over the field, right at Braixen. Braixen raised her wand, formed a blue sphere of energy on the end of it, and sent it to intercept Pikachu's attack.

The two attacks collided and dissipated. Pikachu was already on the move.

"Quick Attack!"

"Flamethrower!"

Pikachu seemed to move faster than ever. Braixen followed his movements with a stream of fire. She could not keep up with him. Serena saw the distance between Braixen's Flamethrower and Pikachu's feet growing greater and greater.

Then, Pikachu disappeared. Braixen halted her attack.

"Behind you!" Serena shouted.

Braixen spun around. There was a blast of fire already formed in her mouth when she caught sight of Pikachu. It was still too late. Pikachu rammed directly into her stomach, driving his shoulder into her. The blast fizzled out as she gagged and staggered away.

"Electro Ball!"

"Fire Blast!"

Despite needing to steady herself on her feet, Braixen complied. Fangs bared, fire leaking out from the gaps between them, Braixen glared at Pikachu and pointed her wand at him. Pikachu flipped over in the air and flung the Electro Ball at her.

Braixen fired the Fire Blast. Serena hurried to shut her eyes. Even from a distance, the heat seared her eyes. There was a violent sizzling sound as the two attacks collided. Against her better judgment, Serena peeled one eye open to look.

Across the field, she saw Ash shielding his eyes, too. The tension in her jaw loosened, and her lips parted. She had never seen such a powerful attack from Braixen before. Her Fire Blast overpowered and devoured the Electro Ball. Pikachu had thrown himself to the ground to duck for cover.

The five-pointed blast of flame billowed into the empty night sky and evaporated into dancing tongues of flame. Serena had no time to admire the fireworks.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Flamethrower!"

Braixen's breaths were ragged as she charged her attack. Serena wondered just how much energy Braixen had put into it. Had it been everything she had? Was it out of frustration?

Pikachu's Thunderbolt rocketed across the battlefield. Braixen's Flamethrower did the same.

This time, Pikachu had the stronger attack. The Thunderbolt cut through the Flamethrower like it was nothing but hot air, and it connected with the tip of Braixen's wand.

There was a sizzling sound, and Braixen howled. She dropped her wand. She backed away, the hand in which she typically held her wand visibly singed and smoking.

Before she backed away another step, she picked up her wand with her other hand. Trembling, she held her injured hand close to her side, trying to protect it.

"Braixen!" said Serena.

Braixen looked back at Serena. Her eyes were fierce. Heat radiated from her. Serena wanted to say more, but she couldn't find the words.

"Serena!"

Ash interrupted her train of thought. Serena looked at him. He held out his hands like he was begging.

"Do you see what I mean?" he said. "This is why we can't have a real battle!"

"I am not weak, and neither are my Pokémon!"

"That's not what I mean!" said Ash. "It doesn't matter who's stronger! If we fight like this, we both hurt each other! Everyone gets hurt! I don't want to hurt you or your Pokémon!"

"That excuse wasn't good enough the last time we battled, and it isn't good enough now!" said Serena. "Since when did you care so much about Pokémon getting hurt? I've seen every one of your Pokémon beaten within an inch of their lives! Where did this come from? Who do you think you are? Lillie?"

"Serena!"

"Don't even start with me!"

"But-"

"Stop! Just stop. Let me go."

"I'm not going to just give up like that!"

"Then what are we supposed to do? Either one of us has to give up, or this is going to continue! What matters more to you? Our promise, or your ridiculous fears about hurting me?"

Ash tightened his lips. He looked away.

"I told you once before, and I'll tell you again," said Serena. "The easiest way for you to hurt me is to refuse to be the real you with me. I want all of you, Ash. I want your real strength. Your real feelings. Avoiding that has only made everything worse. Look at where we are now! Look at what we've done!"

Braixen sank to one knee, clutching her injured hand. Pikachu took a tentative step toward her, but then seemed to think better of it and backed off.

"None of this had to happen!" said Serena. "All of it happened because I wasn't honest, and because I didn't trust you. And now that it matters more than ever, you're not giving me any reason to trust you! You still won't let me see the real you!"

Ash continued to look away, silent.

"That's the whole problem!" said Serena. "I think I know the real you, but only through the bits and pieces of what you show me! So, you're the perfect hero, but you're also never honest with your emotions. You can't even be honest about your emotions with your Pokémon! They give you everything they have, and you just leave them behind again and again and replace them! How could I not fear that you would leave me for the obvious, easy match that Lillie provides you? This - our relationship - is hard. Being a hero is easy, for you."

Ash spoke, quietly.

"I want to be your hero," he said.

"I don't need a hero right now!" said Serena. "That's the point! I'm trying to take control of my life and own up to my mistakes, and you're trying to stop me so that you can fix it for me! I don't want that! If you really want to be my hero, you would support what I'm trying to do! You were once, but you're not my knight in shining armor anymore. You're my boyfriend. I need you to understand that!"

"I'm trying," said Ash. "I really am."

"Then support me. Let me make my own decision. Let me go."

Ash looked at her, his eyes heavy, staring for a moment longer than she wanted. By the time he spoke, Serena knew he wasn't going to say what she wanted to hear.

"A promise is a promise," said Ash. "I'm not giving up until the end, no matter what."

Serena hated it, but neither her mind nor her body could contain it anymore. The frustration came pouring out. Tears pooled in her eyes before she could draw another breath, nor even blink. She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white as she tried to hold it back. She shook as she spoke.

"Ash…"

Ash hung his head, shaking it.

"Let's end this, Pikachu. Quick Attack."

Pikachu's ears twitched. He looked surprised to receive an order. He hesitated for a moment before moving.

Serena had almost no time to react.

"Braixen!"

Pikachu turned into a white blur, and he dashed across the sand like a streak of light. Braixen, not even on her feet again, went reeling, knocked flat on her back.

Pikachu circled around, landed in front of Braixen, and prepared to strike again.

Braixen dug her wand into the ground for support and pulled herself upright. She rose to one knee, shaking as she tried to stand.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Serena said nothing. There was nothing she could do. There was not any move Braixen knew, nor any technique they had ever practiced together, that could prevent the inevitable now.

It was over. She failed.

Pikachu's cheeks sparked. The end was only a moment away.

But then, Braixen found her balance. She rose to her feet, snapping rigidly upright. She eyed Pikachu from the side, her eyes as fierce as anything Serena had ever seen.

And then, Braixen put one foot forward, aimed her wand at Pikachu, and glared at him down the length of her arm. She growled.

"Braixen?"

Serena didn't know what to think. Neither did Pikachu. His cheeks stopped sparking. He looked all around like he felt something crawling on him.

Braixen opened her mouth. Her growl turned into a piercing shriek. Her voice echoed through the empty night. For just a moment, Serena could have sworn she felt the ground shake.

And then, an indigo aura appeared around Pikachu.

Pikachu flailed as his feet left the ground. Braixen's piercing cry continued. Her eyes went bloodshot, her entire body seeming to sink from the immense strain of the effort. Her voice crescendoed into a scream.

Pikachu froze in midair, his movement arrested. Braixen began to glow a brilliant white. Serena gasped. She knew what was happening, yet she could not believe her eyes.

Braixen's cry became deeper. Her form grew. Her back hunched as she changed shape. She sank to her knees again as all of her limbs became suddenly and awkwardly larger. All the while, her roar continued, and her wand remained pointed at Pikachu, suspended in the air. Stunned, unable to move anything but his eyes, all Pikachu could do was watch the transformation. Serena's heart pounded as she held her breath.

The cry diminished. It became a low growl again, and the light faded.

The figure in front of Serena stood, Braixen no more.

Delphox rose to her full height. She kept her wand focused on Pikachu, who gave up struggling. She looked at her other, previously injured hand. She flexed it a few times. It looked no worse for the wear.

She looked at Pikachu. The indigo aura around him flared, and she flung him like a ragdoll, sending him crashing into the sand.

Delphox looked back at Serena. It was barely noticeable, but the corner of her mouth turned upward into a smile. Or perhaps a smirk.

A tear fell from Serena's face. She felt it wet the fabric of her shirt.

"Braixen, you're…"

She looked Delphox up and down. She was magnificent. Proud. Majestic. Powerful.

"...not Braixen anymore, are you?"

Delphox slowly nodded, then turned back toward the battle.

Pikachu rose to his feet. He rubbed his head, massaging a sore spot. He was scuffed all over, his fur ragged. He shook sand out of his ears.

"Wow…" said Ash.

Serena could not speak. There was nothing to say. Delphox had overcome everything, without her.

And without her command, Delphox moved. She swept her arm in a wide circle, drawing a wreath of flame in the air with her wand. She launched it, effortlessly, like it was as simple as taking a breath.

The wreath of fire shrank as it approached Pikachu. Pikachu made no attempt to dodge it. The center of it closed, and it collided with him.

Serena had seen the technique before. Aria's Delphox used it. Mystical Fire.

Pikachu grunted as he weathered the attack. Ash gave no orders, as if frozen in time. Delphox, meanwhile, looked almost uninterested in the battle. She airily waved her wand back and forth, conjuring flames in all manner of shapes, as if mildly amused by her newfound power.

When Pikachu rose to his feet again, Delphox came back to reality. She ended her fiery daydream, the shapes she traced in the air abruptly snuffing out of existence in a puff of smoke.

And then, with a twirl of her wand and a flourish, without moving from the spot, she launched a Flamethrower at Pikachu.

Serena shielded her face. It didn't even look like Delphox was trying, yet it was easily the strongest attack she had ever fired.

When she uncovered her face, Pikachu was staggering away, smoking. He collapsed at Ash's feet. A black, charred trail of glass separated him from Delphox, spanning the distance between them across the sand.

"Pikachu…" said Ash. "Wow. Good effort, buddy. You take it easy now, okay?"

Pikachu muttered some kind of weak reply. Ash reached for the final Poké Ball on his belt. He looked at Delphox.

"I guess this is what you really wanted, huh?" he said.

Delphox gave Ash a single, slow nod.

Ash tossed the ball. High in the air, Greninja emerged from it. He somersaulted through the air, landing in a ready stance in front of his opponent.

When Greninja saw who his opponent was, his eyes widened, and he pulled back a few inches.

Delphox crossed her arms, wand still alight and clutched firmly in her hand. She eyed Greninja levelly.

It took several seconds for Greninja's shock to wear off. He blinked repeatedly, as though he could not believe his eyes. After an extended moment of contemplation, he shook it off. He pulled himself up to his full height, standing opposite Delphox.

Serena was not sure how Greninja could come beyond it so quickly. She remained stunned. Delphox was more powerful than she ever could have dreamed. She was strong enough to easily finish Pikachu, at least when he had already been weakened. Maybe she would be able to stand up to Greninja. Maybe.

A staring match unfolded in the center of the battlefield. Save for the flickering flame at the tip of Delphox's wand, she and Greninja were both as still as statues, waiting for the other to move.

Ash rubbed underneath his nose.

"So, uh, are we gonna do this, or what?" he said.

Serena did not respond. She didn't know how. She wanted to ask Delphox, but she didn't know how to do that, either.

Delphox, however, made her intentions very clear. The flame at the tip of her wand roared to life, casting even more of the beach in flickering, golden light.

Then, Serena felt something that defied description. It was in both her head and her heart, like a voice that called without sound and spoke without words. It told her one singular, absolute truth.

Yes.

Serena's eyes widened. She blinked away the remnants of the tears. She raised her arm, extending her hand.

"Delphox, Fire Blast!"

"Aerial Ace!"

"Flamethrower!"

"Water Pulse!"

Without moving, Delphox let out a sharp, percussive cry, and ejected a Fire Blast from her mouth. By the time it reached Greninja, he was already gone. Both Serena and Delphox knew exactly where he was. In one fluid motion, Delphox unfurled her arms, spun around, and launched a Flamethrower from her wand. She met face-to-face with Greninja, who fired a Water Pulse from his hands, quelling the flames.

"Double Team!" called Ash.

"Mystical Fire! Hit the whole area!"

Greninja vanished in the blink of an eye and then reappeared as dozens of copies of himself, scattered all over the beach. He was on the ground, in trees, in the air, all around. Delphox raised her wand high above her head and waved it in a circle, creating a wreath of flame. This time, rather than shrinking, it expanded as it descended, forming a curtain of fire that radiated outward from where she stood. Each of Greninja's copies vanished on contact.

The real Greninja hovered high above, the only one not touched.

"Water Shuriken!"

"Flamethrower!"

Greninja fired the array of shuriken down from the sky. Delphox responded with a torrent of flame from her wand. Each shuriken fizzled against it, but over the course of a few seconds, Greninja pushed her flames all the way back to their source.

The handful of remaining shuriken struck Delphox directly as she tried to shield herself from them with her arms. She grimaced as she was hit.

"Aerial Ace!"

Greninja vanished. An instant later, he was behind Delphox. Delphox barely had time to turn around.

"Cut!"

"Psychic!"

Delphox pointed her wand at Greninja. She growled. Nothing happened. Instead, she was sent flying as Greninja landed a solid blow right on her side.

Delphox dug three of her limbs into the sand, halting her skid.

Ash shook his head.

"That's not gonna work," he said.

For just a moment, Serena wondered if Delphox had somehow already lost her tenuous grasp on her psychic abilities. But then, she remembered, and she groaned.

"Oh, right. Dark type," she said.

Delphox followed Greninja with her eyes as he leaped high into the air. He readied a Water Shuriken on each of his fingertips.

"Greninja, you know what to do!" said Ash.

Serena fell back to her classic defense against Water Shuriken.

"Hidden Power!"

Delphox raised her wand, but nothing came out of the end of it. For a moment she grimaced in frustration, but then, her eyes glowed deep indigo.

There was a rustling noise from all around. All of the palm trees in sight shook. A moment later, a dozen or more coconuts, all illuminated by Delphox's psychic aura, came flying toward the tip of her wand as if pulled by a magnet.

Greninja fired. So did Delphox. Their attacks met with a flurry of cracking and shattering sounds. The coconuts and the shuriken collided, and an incredible mess of coconut shell, milk, and shavings went scattering all over the battlefield. A strong scent of coconut greeted Serena's nose.

"Water Pulse!"

"Fire Blast!"

"Double Team!"

Greninja fired, then vanished. Delphox's Fire Blast fizzled in midair against the Water Pulse. She was already preparing her next move.

"Mystical Fire!"

Wand held high in the air, once again, Delphox summoned a wreath of flame. Just like last time, dozens of copies of Greninja were scattered all over the field, all in a ready stance, watching and waiting.

Delphox brought down the expanding curtain of flame.

"Water Shuriken, then Aerial Ace!"

Serena was not sure how Ash and Greninja did it. It was not the first time she had seen it, but she knew from attempting it with Sylveon that it was very, very hard. Greninja fired a Water Shuriken from all directions, each one of the copies firing its own. And then, they all charged at Delphox.

The Water shuriken cut a hole through the veil of fire. Each of Greninja's copies passed right through. They all struck Delphox at once.

Delphox was hit hard, but she was not fooled. Without command, she spun around. With a fierce cry, she unleashed a blistering Fire Blast from her mouth. Greninja had no time to react. He took it head-on, and he staggered backward.

When he regained his balance, he vanished again. Delphox spun around and saw him standing on his own side of the battlefield again, in front of Ash.

"I can't believe how much stronger Delphox got when she evolved!" said Ash. "It's amazing!"

It was, indeed, amazing. But Serena was not surprised. Not one bit.

Like trainer, like Pokémon, after all.

"I believe it," said Serena.

Ash's whole demeanor had changed. It was all about strength. The presence of a worthy opponent on the battlefield was all it took to make him change his tune. Five minutes ago, he had been waxing poetic about not wanting to hurt Pokémon. Now, Serena saw him almost visibly itching for more.

"You two are strong!" said Ash. "You're gonna have to do better to beat me and Greninja, though!"

Serena felt like a bubble inside her chest popped. She had no doubt that Ash was right. There was no way she and Delphox could win. Delphox was already tired. Greninja had a major type advantage, not to mention so much more experience. He and Ash hadn't even used their transformation yet. It was doubtful that they would need to.

So close, yet so far.

"So?" said Serena. "We're not giving up. If you want to win, you're going to have to earn it!"

"If you want us to earn it, you better be ready for our very best shot!" said Ash.

Greninja looked at Ash, then at Delphox. His eyes narrowed. He looked at the ground.

Ash held up his wrist. His Z-ring and the attached Waterium Z glinted in the fiery light from Delphox's wand.

"Ash…" said Serena.

"No holding back now, right?" said Ash. He looked so eager.

Serena held her breath for a moment.

"No," she said.

"Then we're gonna give it all we've got!" said Ash.

He placed his feet shoulder-width apart. He clenched his fists.

"Get ready!" he said.

Ash moved his arms in a great circle, then held his arms out in front of him, fists closed, crossing over each other. Then, he opened his fists, and with his open palms, he made a motion like that of the waves, first twice to one side, then once to the other.

"Hydro Vortex!"

Nothing happened.

There was no flare of aura, no flashy movements nor giant vortex of water. Instead, Greninja simply stood still, head bowed. Ash stood there in the final form of his pose, holding it, looking like an idiot.

Delphox said something. Greninja looked up at her. He stared at her for a moment, then shook his head.

Serena's heart stood still.

"Greninja?" said Ash. He was still in his final pose, trying to keep his balance as he held it.

Greninja's shoulders slackened. He turned around and faced Ash.

The excitement drained from Ash's face. Once again, Greninja bowed his head. Ash let his arms fall to his sides.

"Greninja…" he said.

Delphox let her arms fall to her sides. The flame at the tip of her wand shrank, reducing to nothing more than a flicker of candlelight.

Greninja gave Ash a very long, wordless stare. Then, he turned around, and he gave the same to Delphox.

The silence dragged on. Delphox spoke again. Greninja said something quiet in reply. There was more silence.

And then, he was gone.

In the blink of an eye, Greninja vanished from the battlefield and reappeared on the roof of the lab. Up there, alone, he crossed his arms and sat, staring at the moon.

Delphox said something underneath her breath. Although she could barely hear it with her ears, Serena felt as though she somehow heard it with her entire body. She felt the single word and every last bit of weight it carried echo through her mind.

Why?

Delphox said something else under breath, something unpleasant. She dropped her wand, letting it fall to the sand, seemingly disgusted by it. Then, she folded her arms and dropped to the ground, sitting alone in the sand. She hung her head.

Ash had his back turned, watching Greninja on the roof. Serena wasn't sure why, but her body began to carry her toward him. Without thinking at all, she put one foot in front of the other, again and again. She couldn't think. She couldn't feel. She could barely see.

Blind. She had been blind this whole time.

"Ash…"

Serena's own voice surprised her. It was no surprise at all that Ash jumped at the sound of it. She had no idea how it got so waterlogged so quickly, or how she could possibly have so many tears left after everything.

Ash spun around and looked at her, obvious concern on his face.

"Serena?" he said.

Serena walked up to him. She stood right in front of him. She wanted to reach for him, but she could not will herself to do it. Instead, she wrapped her arms around herself. She did not even try to cover her face as she sobbed.

Ash's face turned from concern to sadness when Serena spoke again, through tears.

"Please… hold me…"

Ash wrapped his arms around her. Loudly, messily, Serena sobbed into his shoulder.

"What have I done…"

It all came crashing down. The idiocy of it all crushed her, at long last.

"I'm sorry…"

She repeated it over and over again. She lost track of how many times. All the while, she felt Ash's hand on her back, smoothing over the fabric of her shirt, endlessly moving up and down.

She knew it would come to an end soon. Maybe forever.

She found the courage to pull away and look at him. She was certain she looked hideous. Ash just looked lost.

Before she could say anything, something came frantically buzzing up to her shoulder.

It was Cutiefly.

In the distance, a pair of headlights approached the lab. Serena's heart sank. It was Professor Kukui and Burnet. She had no doubt that Cutiefly had gone to find them after failing to get inside the lab.

This was it. Her time was up.

Serena bit her lip. Eyes full of pain, she looked longingly at Ash.

"I have to go," she said.

She kissed him. It was nothing, only a quick peck on the lips. They had time for nothing else.

Serena reached into her bag. She pulled out what was once Braixen's Poké Ball, now Delphox's. She looked at it, then at Delphox.

Delphox sat in the sand, staring at the ground, her head in her hands. Serena approached her.

"...Delphox?"

Delphox looked up. Serena knelt down beside her.

"I'm sorry. I've failed you. I wasn't the trainer you deserved."

Delphox stared at her.

"You've become so strong," said Serena. It was becoming harder to hold back the tears, yet again. "You did it all without me, all on your own. You're amazing, you know that?"

Serena reached toward Delphox's face with one trembling hand. Delphox eyed it suspiciously for a moment, but she did not resist when Serena ran it over her mane.

Serena tried to smile as she choked back tears. It was so hard. She pulled her hand away and wiped her eyes.

"I'm so proud of you," she said. "We've come so far together. But… I don't know what more I can do for you. I think you've outgrown me, maybe. And… if you want this to be the end of our journey together, I understand."

Delphox's mouth opened. Her eyes widened as she continued to stare at Serena.

"I know how much you care about Greninja," said Serena. "If you want to stay here, I understand. I know Ash will take great care of you, and you'll have lots of great adventures together. He's the best. And you are, too."

Delphox closed her mouth. She looked away. Serena followed her eyes. They landed on Greninja, on the roof.

Greninja was making no attempt to be his usual stoic self. He was staring right at them.

Serena held out the Poké Ball in her hand.

"So… if you want, you can keep this," she said. "That way, you can travel with Ash. And Lillie."

Once again, Serena tried to smile. It was bittersweet at best.

"I'll be okay. Pancham and Sylveon will be, too. They'll understand. We'll all be fine, eventually."

Delphox took hold of her wand, picking it up from the sand. Slowly, gracefully, she rose to her feet. She stood before Serena, almost eye-to-eye at her new height.

Delphox's gaze was as determined as ever.

Serena had no idea how to ask the question, but it had to be asked. She held the Poké Ball out toward Delphox in the open palm of her hand.

"So… what do you say?"

Delphox looked at the Poké Ball, then turned her head. For what felt to Serena like an eternity, Delphox stared at Greninja.

And then, she looked Serena in the eye.

Delphox raised her wand. Her eyes began to glow, that familiar deep indigo.

Serena held in a gasp as she felt the weight of the Poké Ball leave her hand.

Aglow, the Poké Ball hovered in the air between them. Serena's mouth hung open, dumbfounded as she watched it float. Delphox concentrated for a moment.

Then, there was a click.

The trigger on the ball depressed. It opened. There was a flash of light, and Delphox vanished inside.

And with one last push of psychic energy, the ball tossed itself into Serena's bag.

Tears were coming again, but this time, they were interrupted. The roar of an engine and the flash of headlights drowned out everything else.

Serena saw Ash running toward her, and Professor Kukui and Burnet climbing out of the car. Cutiefly chittered like mad.

"Hey, you two!" said Burnet. "What's going on? Cutiefly found us at the harbor and tried to get us to follow. It sounded urgent."

"That was some impressive speed, yeah!" said Kukui. "I've never seen Cutiefly get a move on like that! Woo!"

Burnet nudged Kukui in the side with her elbow. Between that, and noticing Serena's tear-stained face, Kukui immediately adopted a more serious demeanor.

Kukui's eyes examined the beach. All the kicked-up sand, thousands of coconut fragments, and the burned trail of glass were obvious signs of a struggle.

"What happened here, cousins?" he said.

Serena opened her mouth to speak, but all she did was shake her head. She looked at Ash.

"I have to go," she said.

For a moment, Ash was very still. Then, he sighed.

"Serena…"

"I love you," said Serena.

"I-"

Ash paused. Serena knew he would say no more.

"I know," she said.

Serena took one last look at him. Then, she left.