Who I Am - Lightning99

Chapter 28:

Mallow's Worries

"I don't believe it! You're Clemont, the inventing prodigy!" Sophocles exclaimed through the Poké-Center monitor, pointing a tiny, stubby index finger at the bespectacled blonde, who looked positively giddy at the recognition. "I'm a huge fan! I love tinkering with machines and Electric-Type Pokémon too!"

"Really?!" Clemont asked, tweaking his glasses which glinted white exactly as they did whenever he was moments from unveiling a new invention. "It's been a while since I've met somebody so like-minded!"

Ash lingered near the monitor a few minutes longer until his presence was all but ignored in favour of a complex scientific discussion. The further they delved into the intricate language of coding and technology the more confused Ash became – that wasn't exactly his forte. Deciding that he needn't act as their mediator due to their mutual awkwardness when meeting new people any longer, Ash left the geeky pair as they weirdly bonded over their shared inability to exert themselves without running out of breath – a more modest way of saying they were poor at exercise – and joined his other friends.

Another day of training had vanished into the fog of time, during which Ash had attempted to finally materialise Rockruff's new move and soothe Litten's worried soul, both to no avail. Rockruff's lack of success he didn't mind; they still had time to learn Rock Throw. Litten's situation, however, had him constantly worried. The small cat was half-hearted during training and nothing Ash tried seemed to lift his spirits. They were to challenge Lana's trial in a couple of days, and Ash had to fix his mood by then.

On a more positive note, Ash had mastered the movements for his Z-Moves with Hau and Pikala's help and Lillie's assistance. He had pulled off Catastropika again – this time with the movements – and Breakneck Blitz with Rockruff and Pikachu. But still nothing with Litten, which was, as of recently, dishearteningly normal.

It was the evening now, and the first time their whole group had gathered together once more since their paths diverged somewhat, if only due to their change of lodgings. As Lillie had suggested, they took up residence in the Poké-Center near Brooklet Hill. They were hidden away amidst the dim overgrowth like a cottage nestled in an enchanted forest, the sounds of chirping birds and rustling bushes prominent in all directions: Ash much preferred it to the city.

When they had arrived, they booked rooms and settled with the same sleeping arrangements as before, even with how proactive Lana had suddenly become at suggesting that Mallow and Lillie swap, an argument that made Ash wonder just what was going on with Lana and Mallow recently. Surprisingly, Lillie had been the one to decide to keep it the same, even after Dawn suggested she stay with her.

The Poké-Center turned out to be a much more comfortable and friendly atmosphere than the hotel, emphasised by Nurse Joy allowing them to gather in the foyer to catch up and even page a call to Sophocles on the large monitor so he could join. Suffice to say, Ash was more content with staying in the Pokémon-Center, and he could tell the others were too.

"I knew they'd get along well," Ash said, sitting comfortably on a chair beside Lana and Brock.

"Yeah," Lana agreed.

"They may not be the most social or stand out much, but together you probably couldn't quiet them down," Kiawe said.

Hau grunted in response. "I gotta be honest, I kinda forgot about Sophocles for a minute there…"

A collective groan resounded but nobody made a chiding comment; that was Hau's personality, after all.

"That's so like you, Hau," Mallow simply said instead, her dangling strands of hair swinging like vines in the wind as she shook her head.

"To be fair, you guys didn't tell Brock and I about Sophocles either," Dawn said, and nobody could properly respond to her nonchalant bluntness.

Brock heaved a sigh. "Ignoring Dawn's inability to read the mood—"

"Hey!"

"—which she learned from Ash—"

"Hey!"

"—have you informed Sophocles about your situation yet, Ash?" Brock asked.

"Not yet," Ash answered. "I was going to, but then—"

"They started geeking out like champs?" Hau asked.

"For lack of a better description, yeah," Ash said. "Let's wait until they've finished talking to tell him."

And that they did, fifteen minutes later when Sophocles and Clemont had finished a long discussion concerning Clembot and its semi-human capabilities.

Cosily compact, Ash proceeded to relay the story to Sophocles with aid from Brock, Dawn, and Clemont. That was only his third time retelling the story – once to his Pokémon in the forest, once to his friends when Hala intervened, and once now – and Ash felt slightly more comfortable explaining it. It wasn't much – he still hesitated a lot and chocked on his words a bit – but he was getting there. He was healing.

It was painful enough for her to hear it the first time, so when Ash began retelling the story of his friends turning on him like fans to a celebrity who made one human mistake, Mallow's heart hurt again.

When Ash had told his story the first time, which he had done on the brink of a breakdown, Mallow thought she had come to terms with the situation after they consoled Ash the next morning. Hearing it again told her otherwise. The more he said, the more her cheerful emotions waned. She tried her best to keep up looks in front of the group, most of whom were still smiling despite the story – all except Lillie. But it was hard to do when the person that had unknowingly seized her affection looked like he was hurting. As he hurt, she hurt.

But Mallow wasn't just hurting; she was frustrated with herself. Despite her sympathy for Ash's situation, and despite the hardships he had endured, Mallow still criticized herself for not noticing Ash's pain. She knew she shouldn't; Ash had hidden it better than a Pokémon in Phantom Force, yet she couldn't stop her self-depreciation, and that's what made her frustrated. It was because she was known as the mother among the group, the one everyone came to for help with their problems, the one that everyone relied on, the one that could see beyond any mental shield her friends tried using. But she had failed. She hadn't seen beyond Ash, the person she had a deep crush on. If she didn't have that anymore, she didn't know who she was.

By the end of the explanation, Sophocles looked mortified. A long silence fell during Sophocles' initial reaction. Mallow assumed, because that was what she had done, Sophocles was comprehending everything he had been told. He then repeated everything the rest of the group had responded with the next morning: he asked whether Ash was alright, he said he couldn't believe everything he heard, then became quiet again.

Informing Sophocles of the situation that unfolded in his absence was a necessity, but Ash's tale layered a heavy atmosphere in the room as if a Heart Swap had been used to exchange the cheery mood for a melancholic one. It was evident to Mallow that Ash didn't want that. He quickly overthrew the gloomy mood by deflecting the conversation to a more positive note. More specifically, onto his upcoming challenge at Lana's trial, something everyone was quick to comment on. A debate started after he mentioned it, pitting Ash succeeding in the trial against Lana's trial proving too difficult for him. Kiawe immediately voted for Ash.

"Ok, Kiawe can't vote. He's too biased," Lana said.

"I'm most certainly not!"

"Aww, come on!" Ash complained. "In that case, as your best friend, Mallow can't vote either!"

Given his smirk, Ash seemed to think his comment was a fair comeback, but half of the room bluntly laughed in his face.

"Hah, go for it," Lana said, "you'll just be losing another vote anyway!"

"Huh?"

Normally, Mallow would have shrieked at Lana's suggestive comment, stumbling to defuse the situation, but she only looked to her lap this time. Mallow was listening, but her focus rested on Ash and how quickly he had taken the conversation away from himself to please his friends. That was one reason she didn't reply. The second was that she didn't know who she would favour anymore, but that was a trivial matter at the moment.

A second later, Ash said something that had Mallow's heart set to fast-forward.

"Ok, guys, what's going on? You're all laughing. I feel like I'm missing something here…"

Mallow covered her cheeks with her palms because she could feel the heat rising on them. Luckily, the rest of the room drowned out the comment when the thunderous laughter resumed. Ash attempted to ask why everyone was laughing, but nobody even provided a hint. For that, Mallow was more than thankful. She wanted to reveal her secret herself.

It didn't take long for the conversation to switch again, this time to Dawn's coordinating. Mallow returned to the room, her thoughts and doubts put away for the moment, with difficulty.

"I took part in my first Pokémon contest on my journey with Ash. I was twelve at the time," Dawn explained.

"T-Twelve?" Sophocles asked.

"Yep. See, Ash's birthday is earlier than mine in the year, so I hadn't had my birthday before my first contest," Dawn explained.

"R-Right, that makes s-sense," Sophocles muttered nervously, probably because he was talking to a girl who he was unfamiliar with.

"W-We haven't asked before, but Ash, how old are you?" Lillie asked, rather eagerly, Mallow noticed. With a similar eagerness, Mallow leaned forwards in her seat. She had been wondering that for a while.

"Oh yeah, I can't believe we haven't asked!" Kiawe added.

"I haven't said?" Ash asked, scratching his head thoughtfully. "I'm sixteen. My birthday is May 22nd, the day before I started my journey. My mum insisted that I celebrate it, or else I would have started it on my birthday…"

"I-I see," Lillie muttered, smiling to herself, her gaze averted to her lap.

"What about you, Lillie? And the rest of you?" Ash asked.

"I am sixteen also. I was born on June 21st," Lillie said.

"The longest day of the year?" Brock asked.

"Yes, the Summer Solstice – the day with the most amount of sunlight. It can fall on either the 20th, 21st, or 22nd. That year, it was the 21st. Interestingly, the day I was born was a solar eclipse. I was born during the eclipse, just as the sun and moon aligned perfectly, according to… my mother," Lillie explained.

"Woah, that's so cool!" Ash exclaimed.

"D-Do you think so?" Lillie asked.

"Yeah! Solar eclipses are amazing!" Ash said. "What about the rest of you? Any cool stories?"

"Well, I was born on October 19th, which so happens to be the anniversary of the last time Wela Volcano erupted," Kiawe said rather proudly.

"Yeah, that explains a lot," Hau said.

"Does that mean you're younger than Ash?" Clemont asked.

"Oh, no, I'm sixteen also. I was born a year before."

"So, you're older…" Ash muttered.

"So am I," Mallow said. That was another reason people called her the mother of the group: she was the oldest excluding Kiawe. "Only by about a month, though. I was born on April 16th."

Subsequently to Mallow's statement, everyone gave their birthdays, and the sharing of the information made the reside of the tension slacken. Mallow already knew most of their birthdays: Lana was born on February 18th, Hau on November 1st, and Sophocles on March 9th, making him the youngest. Brock was quite evidently the oldest, born in the same month as Ash, May 3rd, and Clemont said he was born on October 28th. Dawn told them hers was December 11th, and that she was named because she was born at the first light of dawn. It was interesting to learn more about her new friends – especially Ash – and very amusing when Hau started calling Brock 'big bro', but Mallow was too caught up in the fact that Ash's birthday had already passed. That was unfortunate. Giving him a present could have been her in.

No, Mallow thought, he's hurting at the moment. I can't be thinking about making moves…

"—been up to? As in, what've you been doing as temporary trial captains?" Mallow heard Ash ask, shaking her thoughts from her head.

"I don't know if it's the same for the rest of you," Mallow said, "but Kahuna Olivia instructed me to make up my own trial that is in some way related to Grass-Types. There were no restrictions, so I've had quite a bit of fun making mine. I put the finishing touches on it today."

"Yes, it's the same with me," Kiawe said. "I've made up a trial that will surely keep you on your toes Ash, Hau."

"Heh, I can't wait to try it!" Hau said.

"Additionally, I asked Kahuna Olivia for something rather… different, shall we say. I think you will find it more significant than anybody else, Ash. I won't say what it is," Kiawe added.

"Ooh, now I'm interested!"

"And you, Lana, Sophocles?" Brock asked.

"Big Mo and I are working on some machines that I'm thinking of incorporating into my trial," Sophocles explained. "So, yes, quite similar to the others."

"I'm setting up a trial too," Lana said. "Although, there is a slight complication with mine, hence why it's taking a bit longer, Ash."

"I see…" Ash muttered, nodding.

"How about you guys? What have you been up to?" Sophocles asked.

Ash took the wheel. He explained all about their adventure to Treasure Island, his, Lillie, and Hau's visit to Pikachu Valley, and how he's been training non-stop.

"But it's not my progress you all should be focusing on," Ash then said, settling calmly into his seat. "It's Lillie's. She's doing amazing!"

"Really?! Well done, Lillie!" Mallow exclaimed; her spirits suddenly brightened. She was genuinely happy for her friend. The way not being able to touch Pokémon made Lillie feel was one of the things Mallow had noticed recently: the timid, disheartened glances she took whenever anyone else was around their Pokémon, the way she sighed sometimes. She sympathised with her and wished she had noticed earlier. It was the same with Hau and his battle with Hala, which he told them about earlier. Some of her friends were really struggling and she wasn't seeing it. Why couldn't she see it?

"Progress?" Dawn asked.

"O-Oh… umm… yes. Umm…" Lillie stuttered, clearly uncomfortable with sharing her phobia with somebody she had just met. Mallow wondered how she had so easily told Ash. Lillie probably felt as comfortable around him as she did.

"Ah, it's ok if you don't want to tell us! Either way, well done with making progress!" Dawn said quickly.

"T-Thank you," Lillie said with a little bow.

"Uhhh, so, the Kahuna on Akala is named Olivia?" Ash asked, easily changing the conversation yet again, saving Lillie and his older friends the awkwardness of a lingering silence.

"Yep," Mallow answered. "She's a beautiful Rock-Type trainer."

"A beautiful… Rock-Type trainer…" Brock repeated in a mutter. Suddenly, Brock flew to his feet, a tinge of red taking a hold of his cheeks, his posture upright and tensed and his face twisting out of its natural smile into something more charming. "You must introduce me to her immediately!"

"Settle down, Casanova," Dawn said, sighing, pulling him back into his seat.

From then, the conversation returned to trivial matters and the usual laughter. That atmosphere had been present before meeting Ash, but with him there, and Clemont, Brock, and Dawn, it was to a much deeper degree of camaraderie. Mallow, despite being bombarded by conflicting thoughts, enjoyed the evening in the company of her best and new friends.

Rockruff jumped, his rear pushed upwards, a rippling white light pulsing from his tail. A circle of small pebbles spawned from the light. Rockruff threw them down at Sceptile below him with all his energy, but they merely bounced off his body. The rocks weren't large enough for the move to be complete.

Ash sighed, watching Rockruff descend back to the sandy battlefield. It had been that way the entire day, of which was nearing its end. Ash had hoped Rockruff would finally learn the move he had so persistently been practising before his trial tomorrow, but it wasn't there yet. They had stagnated on the cusp of incompletion and completion without anything to nudge Rockruff further.

"One more time, Rockruff!"

Ash had said one more time fifteen minutes ago and a hundred times after that. Nonetheless, Rockruff barked and crouched low, poking his rear into the air, enacting that strange habit he picked up while practising – Rockruff's tail wagged quickly in circles as he gathered the energy for the move, almost like the blade of a propeller. It had done so since Ash demonstrated the crouched pose for Rockruff to follow a few days before. Ash didn't get it, but the action seemed to help Rockruff concentrate. Even still, the move didn't work.

Fifteen minutes later as dusk started, transfiguring the sky a brilliant golden colour the more semi-circled the sun became, Ash's quote of 'one more time' became a completely automatic, monotonous command. By the time the final section of the sun was poking above the horizon through the trees, Ash thought of turning in for the night. It was probable that Rockruff was tired and that was hindering his progress.

Slightly exasperated, Ash called for one final attempt, but Rockruff didn't act. Instead, his body a rigid statue, Rockruff was staring at the sunset, a mystified look on his face.

"Rockruff?" Ash asked, taking a step closer.

Rockruff didn't move. Not when Ash tapped his head, not when he waved in front of his face, as if he were frozen, petrified to the spot, or he'd endured too many Glares.

After his apparent stasis, Rockruff unleashed a loud howl, crouched down, and began to store the energy for the move; Ash flinched backwards, yelping when Rockruff suddenly bellowed.

What Ash saw next was unlike his previous attempts. Previously, the light Rockruff stored on his collar was pure white, but this time some golden flecks, almost like confetti, appeared within it. Rockruff jumped, his tail rotating, and the rippling white light reappeared. The rocks spawned. This time they were the perfect size for a Rock Throw. Rockruff launched them ferociously down at Sceptile, who, despite his experience, was knocked back a few steps by the force.

Completely baffled as to why Rockruff had looked so dazed when staring at the dusk sky and yet ecstatic he had learned the move, Ash grabbed Rockruff into his arms and started throwing him up and down, parading around the battlefield in excitement. Finally, Rockruff had a move that could attack from range.

Eventually, Ash clattered into Sceptile, and they all fell into a heap on the ground. The world was beginning to fall asleep, but they could have kept it awake with their laughter.

One of their training goals completed after Ash asked Rockruff to test it a few times, Rockruff and Pikachu scampered back into the Poké-Center and he returned Sceptile. Litten was the only one left.

Once again, Litten's attitude to training had been half-hearted. Ash had tried to talk to him during the session, but all he had received was a comment: An abandoned Pokémon was abandoned for a reason. Watching Litten trudge back into the Poké-Center, Ash felt a little bit helpless. If this kept up, Litten would only fall further, and their trial was tomorrow.

Ash had an epiphany. It was Litten's comment. The trial was the key. The trial and then a demonstration afterwards. That was all Ash needed to make Litten feel better. At least, he hoped.

With that thought in mind, Ash ambled back through the Poké-Center, which was now bathed in warm golden lights as the black of the night sky had fallen upon the island. He climbed the stairs to his floor, walked through the hallways, but stopped beside an open set of glass doors, his attention grasped by a figure stood on the balcony overlooking the battlefield in her pink PJs, her emerald hair – that she had let loose – as luminous as the stars above.

"Hey, Mallow," Ash greeted, standing beside her.

"Ash," Mallow said, flinching.

"Ah, sorry if I startled you."

"No, it's ok! I was deep in thought," Mallow said. "It looked like your new move training went well."

"Yeah, we finally figured it out! Just in time too; we're taking on Lana's trial tomorrow."

"I didn't say it before but… I'm rooting for you," Mallow said. Ash noticed how she didn't look him directly in the eye, which was something she always did. Craning his neck further to see her face, Ash saw a weak, contemplative look in her eyes, and her neither happy nor sad expression. Suddenly, Ash was alert, his instinctive compassion activating.

"Is everything alright, Mallow?" Ash asked caringly.

"Yes, I'm—" Mallow started, speaking so quickly it sounded like a reflexive response. She stopped, turned to face Ash. Looking directly in Mallow's eyes, that had dimmed from a sparkling emerald to a paler jade, Ash knew she wasn't ok. "N-No, not really…" she confessed in a rather meek voice, one he hadn't heard from her before.

"…Do you want to talk about it?" Ash asked, purposefully calming his previously excited tone to a gentler one.

Mallow paused for a minute. She looked out at the night sky, then back to Ash. "Yes, I… umm… I-I'm worried… about…" Mallow stuttered, before sighing deeply. "A-Are you ok, Ash?"

"Huh?" Ash asked. "Ah, yeah, I'm ok, why?"

"Why?! Do you really have to ask that?! Your whole situation! Hearing about it the first time, I couldn't believe it, and having to listen to you explain it to Sophocles a second time last night was heart-breaking! I can't imagine what you're going through. I've been so worried these past few days!" Mallow exploded; when she seemed to realise, her face turned scarlet.

But Ash paid no attention to her forming blush nor the unnecessary rambling she descended into afterwards for a reason he couldn't determine. His focus was solely on her words, the fact that she said she was worried, that in her own time she thought of his wellbeing. That was something only a real friend would do. He quickly flashed back to that night on the beach after seeing Serena's Poké-Vision, cursing himself for even questioning their friendship. The answer he had settled on that night was the truth: they were different people.

"You were worried about me?" Ash asked, smiling genuinely.

"Ah, umm, yes," Mallow answered, nodding her head sheepishly.

"Thank you, Mallow."

"That's nothing to thank me for. I-I failed to notice that you were hurting…"

"No, it is," Ash said, shaking his head. "You were upset because you were worried about me. Not just anybody does that. It shows that you care about me," Ash said, watching as the light returned to Mallow's eyes. "But what do you mean you failed to notice I was hurting?"

Mallow looked as if she had revealed her deepest secret. "No, it's nothing…"

"Are you sure?" Ash asked. He didn't want to pry, but it looked like Mallow wanted to talk. "I'm all ears."

"Are you sure? With what you're going through, it's selfish of me to talk about my problems…"

"Mallow, I'm asking you," Ash said softly.

"I… ok…" Mallow whispered, and she smiled. "I've always been the person everybody goes to when they're upset or feeling down. I've always been able to notice when people aren't quite themselves. I noticed when Lana had her first crush, how she always wanted to be with them but pushed them away because she was nervous. I noticed Lillie's fear of Pokémon before anyone else – she used to pretend she wasn't afraid. I noticed when Kiawe was distraught because his sister got hurt under his supervision. I even noticed when Sophocles felt left out one day. That's always been my thing.

"I-I can't do it anymore. It's as if I've become blind. I didn't realise that Hau was sad he lost to Hala; he had to tell us for me to see. I've only recently noticed how much her fear of Pokémon affects Lillie, yet you did, and you've started helping her … I didn't notice… how much you were hurting…" Mallow trailed off, glancing wistfully at Ash. "I guess… I don't know who I am without being able to help or comfort my friends, and your situation kind of told me that."

"Mallow…" Ash muttered. He didn't know what to say, so a silence fell between them while he thought about it. They both looked out at the night sky.

"About noticing these things about people…" Ash started, unsure of where he was going. "Don't beat yourself up about it. I've had friends in the past who were dealing with all sorts of things that I didn't notice. I was annoyed at myself, too, but… I guess I realised something. Maybe I didn't notice, but when I did know, I helped them. It's not about being the first to notice. It's not a competition. Just because you don't see they're struggling before they tell you doesn't mean you can't help them, right?"

"Ash…" Mallow breathed.

"As for me… Thank you, Mallow. I'm ok, you don't have to worry. It is hard to deal with at times but I'm getting used to it. I'm healing. It was a bit easier to explain it all to Sophocles yesterday. I have all of you to thank for that. You've all been amazing to me since I met you. I couldn't have met better people when in that situation."

"Ash…" Mallow repeated just as breathlessly, her joyous smile returning. "I'm glad you're ok! I-If you're alright talking about it, can I ask you something? There is one thing I'm curious about."

"Yeah, sure."

"What does it feel like, losing friends you were close to? How did you feel?"

Ash took a moment to think of a way to word it. "I guess… it felt like something precious had been taken from me? I'm probably the only one to compare the two, but it was like I had my Pokémon stolen from right in front of me and I couldn't do anything to save them. It was like a part of me disappeared, like–"

"It's like a part of your world was crumbling away beneath you…"

"I… guess so, yeah…" Ash said, remembering Mallow had lost somebody too. "I wouldn't compare it to how you must have felt when you lost your mother, though. She was a huge part of your life. It… probably felt like you lost everything."

"It did. At least for a while. But I have my father and brother, my Bounsweet, and… I have all of you. I have my memories of her, too. She's not gone. Not really," Mallow answered, glancing out across the sky again. Ash copied her, watching while the breeze brushed over him.

"As for how I felt, well, similar to what you said just now, really. I kinda lost the idea of who I was. All my life, I've been devoted to this idea of becoming a Pokémon Master, but when everyone questioned that and criticised it, I questioned who I am. I questioned my dream."

"And now?"

"Now…?" Ash asked. He chuckled. "I'm certain I wanna be a Pokémon Master but… Honestly, I've got less of an idea of who I am now more than ever!"

"Really?" Mallow asked.

"Yeah. But I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, you know? We're still growing up, aren't we? We're still becoming who we're meant to be," Ash explained.

"Ash…" Mallow breathed his name for the third time.

"Was this why you were quieter than usual yesterday?"

"You noticed that?" Mallow asked amazedly.

"I did," Ash said, nodding.

The silence returned between them, during which only the sounds of some distant Hoothoot and the rustling leaves were audible. Having not heard anything from her in a good minute, Ash turned to look at Mallow; her eyes were watering, and he had to react with the reflexes of a Ninjask when Mallow threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, nestling her head in his shoulder.

"Y-You're amazing, Ash," Mallow whispered, hugging him tighter.

Ash was momentarily stunned. His mind darted all over the place as he vainly attempted to pinpoint where the hug had come from. Was she thankful to him for talking with her? Was she still upset? Unable to determine any definite answer, Ash wrapped his arms around Mallow, hugging her back.

The hug felt intimate, warm, soothing. It lasted for a few minutes, a lot longer than any hug he had previously shared. That's when something impossible jumped into his mind, a thought that made him conflicted, a leap to conclusions that soared even higher than a High Jump Kick: did Mallow like him?

Mentally shaking his head, Ash dismissed the thought. He wasn't as dense as he used to be, but he wasn't delusional either. This had all happened before. With Serena. He loved her, and he had thought something was there between them, something special. She had even kissed him, a clear indication of that something more. But then, when he had asked her, she said it was nothing but a kiss goodbye. He had been wrong. Mallow's hug right now felt similar to that, but Ash knew she couldn't have a crush on him. It wasn't possible. He was just jumping to conclusions. Just like last time.

Ash kept his arms around her, enjoying the hug anyway.

Serena pulled her bag over her shoulder, brushing her hair aside as she turned to face Delia, who stood alongside her in Viridian Airport.

"Thank you for letting me stay with you for a few days," Serena said, bowing to Delia.

"It's no problem, Serena. Was everything ok?" Delia asked.

"Yes, it was perfect. I'm glad I could see Bonnie again, too, and getting to know you and Red… It made me feel like I was a part of your family, if only for a little while… You've done a lot for me, Mrs Ketchum. Thank you," Serena said, bowing once again.

"Please, call me Delia, Serena. How many times must I say?" Delia said gently; Serena laughed lightly in response. "I'm glad you're doing better."

"I… I am. A lot of it has to do with Ash being alive, and I'm still a little bit worried, but I feel like I can finally take a step forward."

"Is that why you decided to go back home now?" Delia asked.

"Yes," Serena confirmed.

"You don't want to stay to watch Professor Oak's trial?"

Serena shook her head. It was a difficult decision to make due to the prospect of seeing Ash again, but she was resolute. "I do want to see what happens, what is revealed, but… I want to see Ash in person rather than over a screen, in a courtroom. Red asked me to do this job for him, so I feel I have to do it, no matter how much I want to see Ash."

"I see. I wish you the best of luck, Serena. When you finally see Ash again, make sure you tell him the truth, ok? We'll let him know about the hypnosis situation after Professor Oak's trial, so the rest is up to you," Delia said.

"I'll do my best!" Serena said cheerily.

"Dragonite Airlines departure to Kalos, flight number 831, now boarding at Gate 6," a voice announced over the loudspeakers.

"That's my flight," Serena said, double-checking her ticket. She lifted her head, tipped her hat back, and flashed Delia the biggest smile she could. "I'm off!"

"I'll see you soon, Serena," Delia said, waving as she departed.

Serena waved back until she turned the corner and was out of sight. She spun around as if performing a dance move and walked towards the gate with conviction. She wanted to see Ash. She desperately wanted to see Ash. But she had to do this. She had to find Greninja and Goodra and deliver them to Ash. Some iota of the plan made it seem like an offering, that she was taking them with her to gain Ash's trust back, but Serena saw it another way. Ash had had all of his friends and Pokémon abandon him, so he needed as many friends as he could get. She wanted to be the one to bring them back to him. She wanted to be the one to save Ash.