Hey guys, Jeff here!

By the way, I'm back! *sets off fireworks*

Well, it's actually been a while, since I was SO BUSY with exams; but also I have been giving this story a little bit of a twist and having major changes to the plot, so look forward to that in the upcoming chapters ;D

I do apologise very sincerely as to why I was away this long, but at least I'm back now. In compensation, I plan to write 3 chapters in the same week, with this one to start that off!

Without further ado, let's get to reading...


Ash smiled with a hint of nervousness. "All right! Shall we go, then?"

Serena nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sure!"

At that point, Ash and Serena walked together from the entrance of the school where they all separated from everyone else. They all went in different directions, seeming as though they all live around town anyway, but with much coincidence, Ash and Serena will be heading home together. They both didn't expect this, expect them to be first of all being friends already at the start of Serena's school year, and expect them to be walking home together. Some people might then say something about this, like spread rumours or anything like that, but they just have to deny it if it so happens. I guess that's really how people act like these days.

Serena shook nervously as she walked. To be honest with herself, she hasn't walked with anyone for quite a long time. The only time she remembered to be walking with someone home is from her past, which she is still coming to terms into forgetting the whole ordeal. The only person whom she actually walked home together during her past was not surprisingly her boyfriend. I mean, it is kind of typical that her boyfriend would walk her home that time, but no one could really blame Serena for being a bit conscious. This is the very same boyfriend whom Serena loved, whom then betrayed Serena and then left her to be alone, so who can really blame Serena acting like this; but this shouldn't really bother her that much, since Ash is with her.

Ash gulped. He was also filled with nervousness. Not really the same as Serena, but he was still nervous like her. It wasn't because of how he has also got a past, that's not really it, it's because he is nervous to just talk to her. After finding out and being told about Serena's past by Professor Oak this afternoon, who can blame him for acting like this? That information that he found out about Serena is going to bother him, so he knew that he was going to act like this towards her, but he knows that should not bother him, since he is looking at a different Serena. The one who will eventually get over the past, the one whom will stop suffering on the inside and stop hiding that by smiling on the outside, the one whom he will make sure she fits into a new life.

Ash smiled as he looked towards Serena. "Hey Serena, how was your day today? I mean, did you like the school overall?"

"Oh, it was great actually." Serena answered. "I like this school, especially meeting your group of friends. The teachers and the other students were also really nice and kind to me."

Ash smiled once more. "Well, I'm glad that you're already having a good time here in the school."

"Yeah, I'm really glad I came to this school! I'm sure I'm going to have some fond memories from here before I graduate!" Serena added.

"I will make sure then that what happened in the past will not happen again to you." Ash whispered under his breath. "I will not let you experience that pain once again."

Serena tilted her head. "Hey Ash, did you say something?"

Ash scratched his head. "Oh, don't worry about it. That was nothing. I was just talking to myself there, so don't mind me."

"Really? Are you sure you're all right?" Serena asked with concern. "You've been acting like this when we started walking together. Is something on your mind?"

Ash smiled, trying not to worry Serena. "Nah, it's all good."

Serena sighed. "Well, if you say so…"

To be honest, who can really blame Ash acting like this? Then again, he did promise that he will not let Serena's past in his way as he was walking her home; but at this point, if this continues, he's sure and he's bound to let himself through. He won't hold back and probably bother Serena about it. He just couldn't really take this thought he has on his mind, he couldn't just leave it alone; but he knows that he has to so that he wouldn't bother Serena like that. He should just keep this information to himself and not tell anyone too, since that is also the other promise that the Professor and also Serena's mother wanted him to keep, so he will keep that promise.

The only problem is that he just couldn't accept it. He couldn't accept how Serena is so calm and in control about this. He really expected her to still be in pain though, even though it has been quite a long time ago. He just couldn't accept how Serena is suffering inside, but on the outside, she is still acting normal as ever. It's not what Ash really wants to see, how it is painful for him to watch. Just like he was before…

"Hey Ash, could I ask you something?" Serena spoke up with curiosity.

Ash nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

Serena sighed. "Your friends said that all of you transferred here. Am I right on saying that?"

Ash nodded once again. "Yeah, I did transfer to this school and then met everyone."

"So, why did you transfer here?" Serena asked.

Ash stopped for a minute and stood in silence making Serena looked back at him with concern as he fell behind a bit.

Serena shook. "Oh, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked that if you don't want to."

Ash smiled to reassure Serena and not make her worry. "No, it's okay. It's just something that I don't really want to talk about. Don't worry about me…"

Yes, it was something that he didn't talk about. Ash now understands, he now understands why this troublesome past that Serena has experienced is bothering him that much, filling up his mind. It's because he has felt this feeling before. He remembers now, how everything was the same for him way before, probably when he was younger. Now though, he has come to terms and moving on about it, but as he met Serena, the faint memories that he has tried to forget is going to come back to him and he knows it. He knows that it is kind of a similar case to Serena's, how it has also impacted his life and changed its course, but he just doesn't want to remember it all.

Serena smiled. "Oh, okay then. I do apologise when I asked that. I should've taken into consideration about how you feel about things…."

Ash chuckled. "Don't worry about it, it's not like you did anything wrong. I was just kinda taking things a bit too seriously, that's all."

'Have I uncovered something about Ash? Maybe, just maybe… but I need to be sure before I make assumptions…' Serena thought.

Ash smiled. "By the way, how far is your house from here, Serena?"

Serena laughed nervously. "Well, I don't exactly know, because I rely on my tablet too much for that kind of information."

Ash giggled. "Oh, I see. Well, my house is just 10 minutes away from the centre of town, so let's hurry and pick up the pace."

Serena nodded. "All right! Let's get home before it becomes dark."

Ash and Serena picked up their pace at that moment. They were just hurrying back, passing through the shops, which are now closing, the sun setting beyond the horizon behind their backs, and passing through people whom are also probably on their way home. As they walked jogged across town, Serena sort of remembered this way, since it was sort of the way she went through when she was heading towards school this morning; but as she took the shortcut with Lyra after she got lost, she doesn't really remember anything and the place was still a blur to her, meaning that she still doesn't know her way around.

As they left the town centre and entered the outskirts of town, Serena then recognised the place even more. To be honest with herself, she wasn't really good with mapping and finding her way around places, since she always relied on the navigation system that her tablet has, but since it ran out of battery, then she just had to rely on Ash this time around. Also, she's not very good at remembering things as well, well, she can remember places where she has been before if she familiarised herself a bit more, but that's about how good she can remember and follow her footsteps and that kind of thing.

At that moment, Ash and Serena stopped out of a sudden. It seems that they stopped as they both spotted that there was something blocking their way to get to their house, which Ash and Serena spotted that their houses was just beyond where this 'thing' is blocking from. They could not really do anything about them other than stop and most likely wait for them to move, but they both know at this rate and how this 'thing' is standing in the way, it won't budge anytime soon.

Ash scanned the area for a minute and focused on what is blocking his and Serena's way in order to get home. He figured that there was a person who was wearing black clothing that hid his face and his whole body. He was blocking their path and have formed a barricade to prohibit anyone going through, but most likely that this person was waiting for Ash and Serena to come along, like how he anticipated and knew that they were both going to end up here, how they both came this way as well.

"Hey! What do you want!?" Ash shouted to grab his attention.

Serena shrugged. "C-can you just let us pass, please?"

The figure continued to stand where he is and not move.

"I repeat! What do you want from us?!" Ash yelled, grabbing his attention once again.

"Hey Ash, it seems like they are not listening." Serena whispered into Ash's ear. "What do we do now?"

Ash shrugged. "I don't know…"

'Well, if nothing happens now, there's only one thing for it.' Ash thought. 'But I don't want to reveal myself. Not now.'

"Serena Yvonne and Ash Ketchum. That's who you are, isn't it?" The figure spoke with confidence.

"Why do you ask that now?" Ash answered back without hesitation.

The figure laughed. "Such a hasty one. Just answer my question already and stop wasting my time."

Ash gulped. "Yeah, it is. Who are you?!"

"That is not important right now." The figure spoke once again. "But what is important is Serena, isn't that right, Ash?"

Ash shrugged. "What do you want from her?! She has got nothing to do with you!"

The figure chuckled. "Oh, but she has, Ash Ketchum. You probably might know me, Serena~"

"No, I don't know you at all!" Serena yelled back.

"Why are you here anyway?" Ash shouted.

The figure smiled. "I have come to get what I came for. I have to get her. I have come to get Serena and take her home with me."

At that point, Serena stepped back, like she was scared of something, how she was afraid of something. Even Ash could tell that she is scared and he doesn't blame her for that. Being in this situation is going to scare a normal person who is just trying to get on with their lives, but Ash is different. He has experienced this kind of trouble before, which is what his past has got something to do with. He has already moved on from it, but as it is coming back to haunt him once again, he has no choice but to just face it head on if he has to, which this situation is currently in a state on.

Ash chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint, but you are not going to take her from here. She belongs here and nowhere else. She is not coming with you."

The figure started to walk towards Ash and Serena. "Is that so? Well, I think that you may have made the wrong decision~"

At that moment, footsteps are heard from just around the corner, which made the figure inspect who it was. Well, it was someone from Ash and Serena's house, which to be exact was their mothers. Since the figure had no choice as witnesses were around, he threw a black circular object into the ground and smoke then poured out of it, which made Ash and Serena lose sight of him. As the smoke eventually cleared, the figure was nowhere to be seen and has escaped.

Ash sighed. "Well, at least that's over. Let's head home, okay?"

Serena nodded. "Yeah, sure. Are you all right, Ash?"

Ash smiled. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. What about you?"

"I was kinda scared, but at least everything's good now." Serena replied.

'What does he want me for? Do I know him from somewhere? What does he want from me?' Serena thought.

'Luckily I didn't have to bring it out, otherwise my true identity would have been revealed, but then again, I couldn't anyway.' Ash thought. 'It was a close call.'


There you have it, guys! Chapter 8 is done! Hopefully you have enjoyed this chapter! :D

Wow, what can I say with this chapter! That thing I was saying about the plot had major changes, well this is the start of it. A lot of things are still in question, like who is this guy who appeared, what does he want from Serena, and also Ash's past and hidden identity? Lot of things in this chapter, so look forward to it ;D

Anyways, I'll see you all in the next chapter, but also please put your thoughts of this story in the reviews! Please show some support!

But also Private Message me for any story suggestions!

Also, please check me out on Twitter at jeff_amour if you can for updates of my stories!

So, that's it from me!

See ya! Have a great day!