"Here it is, Serena! The best seat in the whole town!"

While the golden-haired girl certainly had had her misgivings about Ash's suggestion, the moment she saw the night sky, she realized that there had been sense in it after all. The boy eagerly extended his hand to her to give her a boost, and together they helped her step onto the roof of his house.

"You can see everything from here," Serena breathed as she settled herself onto the blanket beside him. "I feel like I can almost touch the moon!" She extended her hand outward towards the sky, and the beautiful harvest moon glowed behind her outstretched fingers.

"Climbing up here wasn't that hard, either!" Ash commented with a wink, then asked, "How was your first moon viewing festival?"

"I loved it!" Serena smiled brightly as she recalled the day's events. "I wish Kalos had something similar. I loved seeing all of the stalls at the Viridian Festival and learning about the traditions. I've never seen so many chestnuts!" Ash chuckled as she continued. "Plus, I had the chance to wear a traditional yukata. Are you sure your mom doesn't mind me borrowing this?" she asked, suddenly aware of the fact that she had risked climbing a ladder while wearing this beautiful garment.

Ash nodded reassuringly. "Of course! She seemed really happy when I told her I had a friend who needed to borrow a yukata, and you saw how big her smile was when she saw you step out in it!"

Feeling less guilty as well as slightly flustered now, Serena changed the subject. "A-anyway, those rice dumplings at the gym were delicious! Now that I've tasted some, I may want to try making them."

Ash turned toward her with eyes sparkling. "Oh man, would you make your own tsukimi dango for next year? I bet they'd be delicious!"

Serena's faced turned an even deeper shade of pink. "Next year?" she echoed. He was inviting her back?

"Yeah, it only comes once a year," the Pallet Town native explained, completely missing the point of her question. "I had a really great time at the festival with you! Of course, every day is fun when you're around," he added as an afterthought. "So what d'ya say?"

Unable to find the proper words, she simply nodded. Ash seemed satisfied enough by her warm smile and gentle, grateful gaze, so he turned his attention back to the sky. "We should have a really good harv– whoa, Serena! A shooting star!" He sat up straighter and pointed wildly. "Are you gonna make a wish?"

The performer shook her head and laid down on the blanket. The silver moon, the twinkling stars, and the blazing tail of the shooting star all danced within her shimmering eyes. "Not this time," she murmured. "Right now, I think I have everything I could wish for."