Hey, guys, here's Chapter 8, although I have some bittersweet news. I've decided to save my good ending for my future Amourshipping story, since I want that one to be my best one. I still have a pretty decent ending in mind for this story, though, so don't give up on this story just yet! Thanks for reading, and enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 8: Secrets

The gang has finally arrived at the Pokemon League, where Ash will compete in the Kalos League. The first match starts in the afternoon, and our heroes have an hour to kill before then. Ash is excited as ever, and Serena is ready for her final Showcase competition that will decide the new Kalos Queen.

"Man, I can't wait for my first battle! I wonder if I'll be battling anyone I know..." Ash said, who could hardly contain his excitement.

Serena smiled, once again enjoying Ash's high-spirited company. But underneath her smile was an overwhelming feeling of melancholy. In just a few days...I won't be with Ash anymore, she thought.

Bonnie looked over at Serena and could somehow tell that something was wrong. After all, the young blonde had seemed to mature a lot over the course of their journey...certainly a lot more than Ash had, that's for sure. I'll ask her about it later, she thought.

Ash sat down, his hands behind his head in a relaxed position. "So what do you guys wanna do while we wait?" he asked the group.

Clemont was busy working on an invention. "I think I'll be content for the next hour just sitting here. I need to work on this new invention I've come up with."

Bonnie didn't really wanna do anything, either. "I'm kind of tired...I think I'll just brush Dedenne and the rest of my brother's Pokemon."

Serena got up. "I was going to practice my performance. Would you like to watch me, Ash?" she asked casually, blushing a little.

Ash smiled. "Sure! It's always awesome seeing you perform, Serena," he said. Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder, nodding in agreement.

Serena and Ash spent the next hour outside together, talking about performances and Pokemon battles. Eventually, one subject led to another, and they ended up talking about the future.

"You know, I'm not so sure what I'm going to do after the Kalos League is over," Ash said. "I mean, I'll go home of course to see my Mom and all my Pokemon, like I always do after a journey. But after that, I mean...I'm pretty lost, you know?" he looked up into the sky, thinking hard.

Serena started to get a little nervous. The future was a subject she had been wanting to steer clear of, but now she realized that she was just trying to avoid the inevitable. Should I tell him what I want? She wondered, not knowing what to say.

Ash looked at her. "So...what are you planning on doing after you become Kalos Queen?" he asked with a playful smile.

Serena blushed. "I mean, after this showcase is over...well I guess it kind of depends on whether I win or not. If I win, then I think I'll have an obligation to stay here in Kalos...and just do...well, Kalos Queen stuff I guess."

Ash nodded, his face almost expressionless. That's not like him, Serena thought. Is he...disappointed?

Clemont and Bonnie walked outside and saw Ash and Serena talking. They walked over to them. "Just wanted to let you know Ash, your first match starts in fifteen minutes. I think it's time we started heading over to the stadium," Clemont said.

Ash got up, a big smile on his face. "Alright! Let's do it!" he shouted. He walked past Serena, not saying anything in response to what she had just said earlier. Clemont followed Ash, adjusting his backpack as he walked in.

Serena looked a little hurt. Bonnie noticed this and decided that this was the right time to talk to her. "Hey Serena...is something wrong?" she asked, hoping that she wasn't intruding on her privacy.

Surprised to hear such a question from Bonnie, Serena hesitated before answering. "Well...kind of...it's complicated. You probably wouldn't understand," she said, looking at the ground.

Bonnie smirked. "I think I'll understand, Serena. The question is: will Ash?" she chuckled a little to herself.

Clemont was just about to call the girls when Ash asked him to talk in private. He nodded, slightly puzzled. Since when did Ash exclude others from conversations? He thought.

Ash shuffled a little bit. "So, uh...our journey is pretty close to meeting its end," he said, looking at the ground.

Clemont nodded sadly. "Yeah, I guess it is...it was fun, though, wasn't it? I know I had a great time. And not to mention all that I've learned...from you, from my Pokemon, and – I can't believe I'm saying this – my sister. It's been a great experience for me."

Smiling, Ash nodded. "Yeah, you bet! I've traveled to so many different regions, but Kalos really stood out for me." his smile faded and he looked back at the ground. "But...I don't know why but I'm gonna have a hard time saying good-bye to you guys. And, no offense, but I'm especially going to have trouble leaving Serena..." he blushed a little at that last comment.

"I see," Clemont said, pushing up his glasses. "So my suspicions were correct. You've developed an infatuation with her!" he playfully accused, pointing his finger toward Ash.

This brought a smile to Ash's face. "Maybe you're right, Clemont. I honestly can't tell you; I don't know the first thing about girls," he said.

Clemont nodded understandingly. "And I can't deny that I don't know much about girls, either, Ash. But I do know one thing: Serena definitely likes you. And I mean more than a friend."

Ash's eyes lit up. "How do you know? Did you use some sort of Clemontic Gear? Man, science is so amazing!" he said, his eyes shining. To his confusion, Clemont shook his shead.

"Actually, I didn't use any technology to figure this one out. I know, shocking, huh?" he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I just sort of gradually noticed the hints that Serena, well...throws in your face. And I noticed that they seemed to bypass you completely," Clemont chuckled a little bit to let Ash know that he wasn't trying to insult him.

Ash was about to reply when Bonnie called them over: "Hey guys! Let's get going! You don't want to be late, do you?" Bonnie's voice was energetic as always.

Ash and Clemont both sighed. Before they started to leave, Clemont said, "You know, Ash, I'm going to tell you my opinion. I think that after the league is over, and when you're at the airport...you should consider buying two tickets. And that's all I'm going to say for now." He walked out of the Pokemon Center, following Bonnie's excited voice.

Ash stood there for a moment, staring blankly at the floor. He thought deeply about what Clemont had said. He's not seriously saying...that I take Serena with me to Kanto...is he? He shook his head, shaking all the thoughts out. I've gotta stay focused. He walked out of the Pokemon Center where the others were waiting for him.

The group started their walk to the League, with a slightly uncomfortable air about them, with the exception of Bonnie's demeanor. Ash and Serena tried to resist glancing at each other, afraid that the other might notice. After 10 minutes, they arrived at the stadium, where Ash's first battle was to take place.

They had arrived just in time for Ash to register. After about half an hour, everyone gathered around a large television screen to get a first look at the bracket.

All the pictures of the registered trainers flew onto the screen in an orderly fashion. After all the pictures were laid out into pairs, Ash saw that he was paired with a black-haired boy wearing a black-and-yellow cap backwards. He looked about the same age as Ash.

"Hey, that's pretty sweet, I get to battle Ash Ketchum!"

Ash turned around to see the very boy matched up with him on the screen. "Uh, how do you know who I am?" he asked.

The boy smiled. "By now, I think almost everyone knows who you are, Ash. I don't think anyone else can say that they jumped off of Prism Tower after saving a rampant Garchomp!"

Several heads turned to see Ash, and whispers could be heard flying through the crowd.

Serena smiled. "Well, it looks like you're somewhat of a celebrity, Ash!" she said, blushing a little. As she said this, the boy stepped up and stuck out his hand toward Ash.

"My name's Jimmy. It's cool to finally meet you, Ash. And I'm guessing this is your girlfriend?" he asked, nodding towards Serena, who instantly looked away and blushed, pretending not to hear.

Ash shook his hand, instantly liking this guy. "It's nice to meet you, too, Jimmy. And uh, well...no it's not quite like that," he said, blushing.

Jimmy nodded, but didn't seem convinced. "I see. You're in denial. Don't worry, I've been there before," he said as he turned and started walking away. "Good luck, Ash! I'll see you on the battlefield!" he said, waving.

Ash watched him leave, his cheeks still a bright shade of red. He saw Jimmy hugging a blue-haired girl amidst the crowd. Then he turned to face Pikachu. "You ready, buddy? I have a feeling that Jimmy's strong, so let's give it our all!" he said, punching the air in excitement. Pikachu mimicked Ash. "Pika!" he cried, clearly just as psyched as Ash was.

Serena was still blushing as she smiled at the sight. He's so determined to win, she thought. She looked away. I want to win, too, but...maybe if I don't...I might be able to stay with Ash...

Half an hour later, the preliminary matches had begun. The announcer's voice echoed throughout the stadium, which was completely full of cheering spectators. "Next up, we have Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town versus Jimmy from New Bark Town! Both of these trainers have traveled from far away to be here, so we can expect great things from them! Let the battle begin!

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Sorry if it feels like I'm rushing the story. I just didn't like the way the whole thing turned out. But hopefully you guys will keep reading, I really appreciate it. And as you can probably tell, I don't often forget past characters, even if they were insignificant like Jimmy. I liked Jimmy a lot, cause he reminded me of Ash. Plus, I really liked him and Marina, it was perfect. Anyways, thanks for reading and the next chapter will likely conclude this story.