Author's Note: This story was written to commemorate Ash's departure from the anime. Valentine's Day seemed as good a time to post it as any.
The first time they said goodbye, she was devastated, and he barely noticed.
They were both seven years old when they met at a Pokémon summer camp in the Kanto region, run by the venerated Professor Oak. The camp took place in the wilderness of Pallet Town, the small and sleepy town where the expansive Oak research laboratory was located. For many of the young children in attendance, this was their first opportunity to interact with the wild, varied creatures known as Pokémon, around which the whole world seemed to revolve. The children would be able to observe, play with, and even battle with the numerous Pokémon that Professor Oak studied at his lab.
As an aspiring Pokémon Trainer, he couldn't have been more excited. As a perennial homebody, she could not have been less so. While he hoped that this summer camp could last forever, she was counting down the days before she would be able to return to her home region of Kalos - until the day they met.
On the fourth day of camp, Professor Oak led the children on an excursion into the forest surrounding Pallet Town, so they could observe woodland Pokémon in their natural habitat. She was in silent protest as she traveled with the group, keeping her eyes down toward the ground and occasionally stamping her feet in a petulant manner. She stubbornly refused to engage with the professor or the other children, and she was determined to not have fun for even one moment. She kept herself busy by grumbling angrily under her breath, kicking at stray leaves on the ground, and daydreaming of being back at home watching television.
It eventually dawned on the young girl that the sound of Professor Oak's voice had disappeared. Looking up for the first time in nearly thirty minutes, she could find no trace of the professor, or the other children she had been traveling with. Panic began to set in, as she realized she was lost and alone in an unfamiliar forest.
It was all she could do just to keep calm, as she walked forward through the forest and called out for anyone who might be listening. In her state of panic, she was easily spooked by the sounds of rustling leaves from all around, or the sensation of her long honey-blonde hair occasionally brushing against her back. It was in forests like this where disobedient young children were most often eaten by storybook monsters, after all.
Eventually, the girl shrieked as a nearby bush rustled threateningly. She stumbled backward and tripped over her own feet, her leg twisting underneath her as she tried in vain to remain upright. She crashed painfully to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through her knee. She looked back fearfully, only to see a harmless, blue, tadpole-like Poliwag leap out of the bush and run further into the forest.
The girl managed to sit up, holding her injured and aching knee, which blazed painfully in protest as she attempted to put weight on it. Pushed to her breaking point, she began to cry open, tears cascading down her cheeks and onto the ground below. She called out for her mother, or for anyone who could help her, praying that she could somehow be magically transported back home where she no longer had to deal with all of this.
It was at that time that his path crossed hers.
The young raven-haired boy had been chasing after the Poliwag, wanting to play with it and make friends, but found a young girl instead. After introducing himself as Ash, he had immediately knelt down to help her, wrapping a handkerchief around her knee and offering to help her get back. He could see the pain in her expression, and fear in her eyes. She didn't believe that she was going to be okay. She didn't believe she could make it back without her mother there to help her. She had already given up. He was having none of it.
"Never give up until it's over!" he insisted, extending his hand to help her up. Her crying stopped as she looked at his hand, then his face, then his hand again. There was something in his smile, and his earnest words of optimism, that put her fears at ease. She took his hand and stood up with his help, and the two of them started walking back to camp together, hand in hand.
Just before they arrived back at Professor Oak's lab, she had the presence of mind to introduce herself as Serena.
From that point on, they were inseparable - or more accurately, she was inseparable from him. She stuck to him like glue for the remainder of the camp, enjoying his companionship and his optimism. She began to see the world of Pokémon through his eyes, as a world full of wonder and magic. Rather than waiting for summer camp to end, she found herself wishing it would last a little longer.
Sadly for Serena, time did not come to a stop, and the end of summer camp eventually arrived. As a parade of parents came by to retrieve their children, the air was filled with the sounds of sadness, as new friends gave each other tearful goodbyes. Serena didn't have many goodbyes to make, as she had only made one friend the entire time, but she badly wanted to see him once more before she left. She wanted to exchange contacts with him, to stay in touch, to keep him as a penpal. She didn't want this camp to be the last time they saw each other.
As the crowd of children began to thin out, Serena's mother informed her that they could wait no longer, and they had to leave so they could catch their flight back to Kalos. She was devastated as she climbed into the back seat of their rental car, resting her hands on her lap and trying not to cry again. With all he had been to her during camp, it seemed that she had barely registered with him. The sting of rejection hurt worse than when she had hurt her knee.
Looking out the window one more time, she gasped as she saw a familiar black-haired boy exiting the lab, running down the front steps. She frantically rolled down the window and stuck her head out, shouting his name. He stopped and looked toward her, grinning wide as he waved goodbye.
"It was good to meet you, Serena! Hope to see you again sometime!"
With that, he turned and ran off toward Pallet Town again, unable to hear her pleas for him to stay for just a minute longer. Soon he was gone, and so were her hopes of staying in touch. Ash was already nothing but a memory.
As her mother drove them both to the airport, she used his handkerchief to wipe her teary eyes, holding it tightly in her grasp.
The second time they said goodbye was both a parting and a promise.
Three years after that summer camp, Ash traveled from Kanto to the Kalos region in search of new friends, new Pokémon, and new victories. He had found new friends quickly enough, as he was joined by the ten-year-old Clemont and his younger sister Bonnie, and he had added two new Pokémon to his roster as well. After being bested in a battle at the Santalune City Gym, however, he was finding victory hard to come by.
Ash had a tendency to let his losses get into his head, and this one was no exception. He'd placed highly in championship tournaments in five different regions, going as far as the semifinals in the Lily of the Valley Conference in Sinnoh. Losing his first gym battle in the Kalos region was more humiliating than he wanted to admit. At times like this, it was hard for him to see a way forward, as he grew wrapped up in his failure.
It was at that time that her path crossed his - though this time, it wasn't by random chance.
Some days before, Ash had a brief but noteworthy adventure in Lumiose City, and it had been reported on live by the local news. As Serena watched the events unfold on television, the image of his face unlocked a long-dormant memory within her mind. She suddenly had the opportunity to thank the young boy who had befriended her at camp, and she immediately left home to seek him out. Days later, she finally found him in Santalune City.
They had a brief meeting earlier in the day, shortly after Ash lost his battle against the Gym Leader Viola. At that time, she had returned the backpack that he had left in the gym. Later, in their second meeting, she returned to him the warmth and reassurance that he had given to her years ago. She spoke to him the same words he had said to her - "never give up until it's over" - and granted him a confident smile that had, unintentionally, grown to mimic his over the years.
The next day, Ash challenged the Santalune City Gym again, and walked away with his first Kalos Gym Badge.
Serena was proud of him for overcoming the challenge, and proud of herself for finding him and returning his favor from summer camp. With her task complete, she began to wonder what to do with the remainder of her Pokémon journey, which had begun only days ago. She had partly started her journey to see Ash again, and partly to get away from her overbearing mother, who had been pushing the girl to become a professional Rhyhorn racer. She had no dreams of her own to chase. She was aimless, just as she had been at Oak's summer camp.
When Ash invited her to travel with him, however, there was no force on Earth that could compel her to say no. After reminding him of their first meeting, and finally returning his handkerchief, the four of them were off on an adventure they would never forget.
Traveling with Ash was more wild than she could have ever imagined. The boy was a magnet for trouble. He was constantly hounded by a villainous band of thieves known as Team Rocket, and it seemed that he ran into a person or Pokémon in need of help every other day. Somehow, through what could only have been extraordinary luck, they always managed to make it out with nothing worse than a fever or a sprained ankle. Their journey was never lacking in excitement, though Serena would have preferred fewer encounters with Ghost-type Pokémon.
Along the way, Serena eventually discovered the world of Pokémon Showcases, which quickly ignited a burning passion within her. She discovered a talent for choreography and dancing with her Pokémon, one that took her all the way to the final round of the Master Class performance competition. Ultimately, she was defeated before she could claim the title of Kalos Queen for herself, but she didn't allow this loss to crush her spirits. She had spent too long around Ash, and his relentless optimism, to let her dream die.
As she was learning more about herself, she was also learning a great deal more about Ash, and all of it was to her liking. He was just as chivalrous, kind and optimistic as he had been years ago. On top of that, he was energetic, unpredictable, a little goofy, and single-minded in pursuit of his dreams. He always knew how to keep the group's spirits up, putting smiles on their faces when they were feeling down. The sound of laughter followed him almost anywhere he went.
The most important thing she learned was that she was absolutely head-over-heels for him. Nearly every day, her heart was set pounding by some word or glance from him, and she frequently had to turn away to hide the blush that spread across her face when he was around. Traveling with him was like a dream, one she hoped to never wake up from.
Once again, time refused to obey Serena's desires, and relentlessly marched on. The day eventually came when the group of four would go their separate ways. Clemont and Bonnie would return to Lumiose City, where the former would resume his duties as Gym Leader. Ash would return home to Pallet Town, to see his mother and think about his next journey. After a discussion with a former champion, Serena had decided to travel to the Hoenn region and compete in Pokémon Contests, in order to hone her skills and prepare her for the day where she would become Kalos Queen.
Before she left to board her plane, she looked Ash in the eye and made him a promise. She told him that she would use her journey to grow and better herself, to become the same inspiring person that she had been to her. He would be proud of her. She would be worthy of him. The smile he gave her in response told her that he believed in her.
As she stood on the escalator that led to her flight, she was struck by an impulse that she refused to deny any longer. She turned around and ran to give Ash one last parting gift, from her lips directly to his.
The third time they said goodbye was only seconds after they said hello.
Serena's experience as a Pokémon Performer, along with her natural talent, had catapulted her to the top tier of Pokémon Contests in Hoenn, which was coincidentally also known as the Master Class. Her meteoric rise had granted her a small amount of fame in the island region, as well. She hadn't yet become as famous as the likes of Lisia, the darling of Hoenn who appeared on television and in tabloids on a regular basis, but she was still able to garner the occasional television interview. She instructed herself repeatedly to not allow her fame to go to her head. Ash would certainly not be happy if she became a prima donna.
One of her television interviews led a young Kantonian girl named Chloe to seek Serena out in Lilycove City. Chloe had seen that Serena owned a Sylveon, and she wanted her Eevee to meet one of its potential evolutions face-to-face. Chloe ended up being roped into a Pokémon Contest by none other than Lisia herself, but with Serena's guidance, she and her Eevee were able to put on a respectable show. Chloe gained a new respect for Pokémon Contests, and Serena's passion to become Kalos Queen was reignited by her mentorship. The two girls said their goodbyes at the Lilycove City docks, parting as friends.
What Serena didn't know was that Chloe was also friends with a boy she knew very well - and that boy had joined Chloe on her trip to Lilycove City.
Serena was briefly stunned into silence as Ash ran obliviously past her, joining Chloe and some other boy on the boat back to Kanto. She quickly came to her senses and called out his name, causing him to turn around. The way his face lit up upon seeing her warmed her racing heart.
They barely had time to greet each other before the boat started to pull away, but they didn't let that stop them from having a long-overdue conversation. She told him that she was aiming to become Hoenn's Top Coordinator. He told her that he was competing in the World Coronation Series, in order to become the world's top-ranked trainer. She promised to cheer for him, and he promised the same for her.
As the boat pulled away and they waved to each other, she felt her chest swell with pride, for herself and for him. He was surpassing even her lofty expectations. Aiming to be the strongest Pokémon trainer in the world was an almost comical pursuit for a ten-year-old, but he believed with all his heart that he could do it, and so she believed in him as well. Ash had a curious habit of doing the impossible.
What stuck out most in her memory was the way his face had lit up when she told him of her goals. His wide eyes and wider grin conveyed the pride and respect that she had always wanted to see from him. She had never seriously doubted that she was on the right track with her dreams, but now she knew it for certain. As she turned back toward Lilycove City with her Sylveon, she was more determined than ever to become Hoenn's Top Coordinator. She would become someone that no one, especially Ash, would ever forget.
Weeks later, as she watched Ash win his final match to be crowned the Monarch of the World Coronation Series, she was elated, ecstatic and thrilled - but she was not surprised.
The fourth time they said goodbye, something about it felt incomplete.
When Serena was told by her manager that she would be competing in a Contest Battle with the reigning Monarch, as a promotional stunt for the Wallace Cup in the Sinnoh region, her heart jumped into her throat. She wasn't worried about embarrassing herself - as Hoenn's current Top Coordinator, she was used to battling at a top level with far higher stakes. She was worried because the current Monarch was a boy she hadn't seen in three years.
She had been following Ash's career with great interest, which wasn't exactly difficult. There were few trainers in the world who were as exhaustively covered by the press as the one at the very top. Every battle he had was covered in some newspaper or magazine. Every word he spoke was reported, and frequently exaggerated, in some tabloid somewhere. After six months of constant exposure, he had tried to run away and hide from the world, unable to take any more of the relentless press coverage. It had taken a lot of convincing from some good friends, and the hiring of a good manager, before he allowed himself to return to the spotlight. Serena sympathized wholeheartedly.
Despite knowing almost everything about his victories, defeats and gaffes, Serena felt as if she didn't have answers to any of her most important questions. How had his personality changed over the past three years? What did he think of everything she had accomplished? How would he react to the person she was growing into? She started feelings pangs of regret as she thought about kissing him at the Lumiose City airport. Maybe she should never have done it. Maybe she had permanently poisoned the happy memories of their friendship together. Maybe things could never go back to the way they were before. There wasn't much that made her anxious these days, but he always managed to hit a spot in her heart that nobody else could touch.
Her worries flitted through her head like moths, as her middle-aged manager led her through the halls of the ritziest hotel in Jubilife City. She paid no attention to where she was going, and so she was taken by surprise when he suddenly appeared in front of her, sitting on a couch in a large, ornate lounge. She froze in place as their eyes met, and a second stretched into an eternity. He had grown just as she had, just enough to look like a different person who was borrowing some traits from the boy she once knew. Her words, her breath were briefly stolen away from her as she looked into eyes that were familiar and alien at the same time.
All of her anxieties melted away as he leaped up and ran over to her, wrapping her in a bear hug and lifting her off the ground. She laughed and clung tightly to him, all of her stolen words suddenly spilling out of her as she greeted him as warmly as she could.
From that moment on, it was as if no time had ever passed between them.
For the next week, Ash and Serena spent nearly every waking moment together. They had their regular meetings together, as they planned out the exhibition battle between the Monarch and the Top Coordinator, with their managers handling all of the most boring details. As soon as these meetings were done, they would escape to lunch or dinner, sharing every detail of their lives that they could think of. When they ran out of memories to recount, or dreams to discuss, they would simply sit together in a pleasant silence that never felt cold or awkward.
Serena had never felt so at peace with Ash. After three years apart, she had finally been able to bury her desires, and see him as the great friend he had always been to her. He was someone she could talk to without butterflies forming in her stomach, someone whose shoulder she could rest her hand on without her skin tingling afterward. For the first time in a long time, she could stand by his side without her mind flooded with thoughts of romance.
Serena did not see this as some great loss. Even when they traveled together at ten years old, she knew in her heart that her pining was one-sided. He had never shown any romantic interest in her, and there was no reason to believe he ever would. Rather than torture herself with unrequited love, she had learned to make peace with the relationship they did have, which was as precious to her as any romance could ever be. She had come to accept their friendship with a smile on her face.
Ash had not.
He had not been as consumed with her as she had been with him, at any point during or after their journey. Naturally he had kept an eye out for news about any of his friends, including her, and it always made him proud to see her accomplishing some goal that she had set out for herself. Still, she had never been anything more to him than a good friend, even after she had kissed him years ago. He had merely watched her progress out of the corner of his eye as kept his eyes forward, focused on his own journey, and that of his Pokémon.
As a result, he had been wholly unprepared for just how different Serena was when they finally met again, at the age of thirteen.
Obviously she had grown and matured, as she began her transition from a young girl to a young woman, with all the changes that entailed. Beyond that, though, Serena herself was different, from the way she walked, to the way she talked, to the light that shone in her eyes when he looked into them. Her voice had a rock-solid confidence to it whenever she spoke. She stood taller, stood prouder, walking with purpose and conviction even when the two of them were aimlessly wandering through Jubilife City. He couldn't help but admire the way her eyes lit up, and her voice picked up, whenever she was approached by a group of fans - an occurrence both of them had become accustomed to over the years.
He began to dwell on her when he had no reason to. He started noticing details about her appearance that had never stood out for any other girl he knew, like the way her hair reflected the light of the sun, or the way her cheeks dimpled when she smiled. His mind replayed their conversations over and over, long after they had happened. If he ever made her laugh, he clung proudly to his words as if they were precious trophies. Late at night, when he was trying to fall asleep, he could acutely recall the sensation of her lips pressed against his.
When their exhibition battle finally arrived, and they stood across from each other inside the stadium hosting the Wallace Cup, she shot him a confident smirk that put a blush on his face and butterflies in his stomach.
Their first battle was a standard trainer battle between his Pikachu and her Delphox, which he won handily. Their second bout was a Contest Battle, where the two combatants had to balance strength with grace and elegance in order to impress a panel of judges. Ash, who possessed all the grace and elegance of a drunken rhinoceros, had no hope of besting Serena's Sylveon with his Snivy. The results were a surprise to nobody, but the battles themselves were exhilarating for everyone involved, especially for him. It felt like hours before his heart rate returned to normal.
When the Wallace Cup came to a close, and it was time for the two travelers to depart, something about it felt… wrong, somehow, to Ash. They had spent a wonderful week together, and they had given their audience a memorable pair of battles, but for some reason he felt as if his business had gone unfinished. He felt as if there was something important that he had utterly failed to do over the past week. This feeling only intensified as they hugged and said their goodbyes at the Jubilife City airport. As he looked into her eyes, he felt a powerful impulse to do something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. For some reason, being around her made it harder for him to think.
He was unable to find the answer he needed before she boarded her plane and returned to Hoenn.
From there, both of them continued on the journeys that were defining their lives. Serena returned to her second home of Hoenn, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction and closure. Ash returned to his home region of Kanto, feeling nothing of the sort.
As his plane took him back home, his left hand was gently petting the Pikachu resting on his lap, while his right hand idly played with the handkerchief resting in his vest pocket.
The fifth time they said goodbye made them wish they had never said hello.
After years of weaving his way out of trouble, staging one death-defying escape after another, Ash's extraordinary luck finally ran out at the age of fifteen. He had been in the Johto region, chasing down a villainous trainer who was attempting to capture a legendary Pokémon, an event that happened multiple times each year. Ash was flying through the air on the back of a Latias he had befriended years before, chasing down the villain's airship and trying to prevent his escape.
Eventually, a powerful Thunderbolt from his Pikachu struck one of the ship's engines, causing it to smoke and short out. The airship began a slow descent to the ground, where a small army of police officers were waiting to intercept it. Ash flew in closer, wanting to confront the thief himself and free the Latios that was being held captive within.
From somewhere inside the airship, a massive Hyper Beam tore a hole through the outer wall, aimed directly toward Ash. As close as they were, Latias had no time to move her passenger out of the way. Ash only had time to protect his Pikachu before the energy beam slammed into him, knocking him off of Latias's back and into the Lake of Rage a hundred feet below. He was able to push through the intense pain and maintain consciousness until Latias had dragged him to shore, but he passed out immediately afterward.
When he woke up several days later, numb and foggy in a hospital bed, Serena was sitting there beside him. She was buried in her phone at the time, deeply invested in some exchange, and hadn't noticed him stirring. She jumped as he called her name, nearly dropping her phone, and turned to him immediately. He looked into her eyes as best he could, his vision blurry and unfocused, and asked if he was dead.
She needed a moment to respond, torn between relief, amusement and exasperation. She eventually informed him that he was alive, but badly injured. She explained that she had flown in from Kalos when she heard that he had been hurt, wanting to offer him comfort and support. Seeing him as banged up as he was, she couldn't stop herself from chiding him for his recklessness, which had been a defining trait of his for as long as she had known him. He apologized and explained that when he had woken up in a bright white room, in the midst of a numb delirium, with an angel by his side, he had assumed that he had arrived in heaven.
He immediately slipped back into a drug-fueled slumber, and she got up to splash some water on her face before it caught fire.
Serena couldn't return to his room right away, needing to go out for a walk as she sorted out her mind. Had he really meant what he had just said about her? Had the pain medication addled his brain to the point where he was hallucinating another, prettier girl, or had they lowered his inhibitions so he could speak from his heart? Years of telling herself that they could never be together, years of managing her emotions and desires, were all crumbling in an instant. Dreams she had not dared to dream in ages were coming to light once again.
She eventually returned to his room, needing to speak with him and set the record straight, before she started falling for him all over again. He was awake when she walked in, petting his Pikachu, and he looked toward her with a confused and surprised expression on her face. Her heart dropped into her stomach as he greeted her, asking when she had arrived. He had no memory of what he had said to her.
Despite her disappointment and heartache, she stayed with him for several days as he recovered, because that was what friends did. She tried her best to put a smile on her face, but Ash knew her well enough to know that something was wrong. Underneath her cheery exterior was an undercurrent of hurt and confusion. He assumed at first that she was just upset at him for getting hurt, but she remained upset even after he started to recover. When he asked her about it, she insisted that everything was fine, in the way that girls did when their world was burning down around them.
After four days, Ash was released to his mother's care, and he returned home to Pallet Town, while Serena traveled back to Kalos. They hugged gently and bid each other farewell with smiles on their faces, but neither of them were happy on the inside. Serena was once again struggling with latent desires, for the first time in years, while Ash was torn up over his own feelings for her. Both of their hearts remained in turmoil for the next year.
The sixth time they said goodbye felt less like a parting and more like a beginning.
The one thing Ash hated most about being famous was his inability to simply go wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted. As the two-time champion of the World Coronation Series and the reigning Monarch, he found himself constantly mobbed by fans, or harassed by paparazzi. Any time he lost a battle at any level, even a simple one-on-one match to train a new Pokémon, he and the rest of the world had to hear about it for days on end. He eventually began training his team exclusively in private, in the building that had once been the Viridian City Gym before it was abandoned.
As a result of all this, he hadn't attended a Pokémon League tournament in years. However, when Bonnie called him up and informed him that she had qualified for the Lumiose Conference in Kalos, there was no way he wasn't going to go cheer her on.
After arriving in Lumiose City, he was quickly chauffeured to Prism Tower, where the Lumiose Gym was located. He barely set one foot in the door before he was jumped by a young blonde-haired girl throwing her arms around his neck, thanking him for coming. It was surreal to see the girl who once wore Tyrunt pajamas to bed as a full-fledged, eleven-year-old trainer, but her complete collection of Kalos Gym Badges was more than convincing enough. His pride in her was immeasurable.
The moment was complicated - or perhaps outright ruined - by the arrival of Bonnie's second guest. As the young girl latched onto Serena with another hug, her eyes locked onto his for several long seconds.
Both of them should have expected the other's arrival, but neither of them were prepared for it. They greeted each other warmly but stiffly, and their reunion soon turned quiet, as their conflicting emotions stole their words away. Thankfully, Bonnie was too oblivious in the moment to notice, and she broke the silence by introducing the teenagers to her team of Pokémon, led by her ace, Gardevoir, and her longtime companion, Dedenne. She and Ash spent a solid ten minutes talking strategy, while Serena sat nearby and watched quietly, as Ash's Pikachu relaxed in her lap.
When it came time for lunch, Bonnie volunteered to go get meals for all of them, leaving Ash and Serena alone together in the gym. They tried making small talk with each other, normally an easy task, but an agonizing one now. Neither of them could set aside the uncomfortable and uncertain circumstances of the last time they had parted, and their conflicting emotions were killing conversations as soon as they were born. She was too full of questions that she was too scared to ask, and he was too worried about upsetting her to pursue any sort of meaningful conversation. They eventually lapsed into a crushing, unbearable silence, that was only broken when Bonnie returned with bags of food.
As the days went by, and Bonnie progressed further and further in the Lumiose Conference, the smothering silence followed Ash and Serena relentlessly. Their eyes rarely met as they did before, but he would steal glances at her at every spare opportunity. There was a clear tension in her eyes when he was around, like she was perpetually waiting for the other shoe to drop. He couldn't tell if she was waiting with anticipation or fear, and he was too cowardly to ask. Of all the terrors and monsters he had encountered in his journeys, the scariest one was a girl that once had been one of his closest friends.
Bonnie was eventually knocked out of the tournament after a nail-biter of a match, placing in the top sixteen. Ash agreed to stay for the remainder of the tournament, at Bonnie's insistence, but he soon started wishing that he hadn't. Serena's mood had gradually shifted from anticipation to resignation and defeat. She spoke to him as little as possible, her voice devoid of energy. The spark of life had faded from her eyes, leaving them dull and listless, as if she was in mourning. It was gut-wrenching to see.
Ash had grown despondent. The two of them were broken, and he didn't know how to fix them. He knew what he wanted, but the idea of it felt like taking a thousand-foot plunge off of a cliff into the ocean. If he took that jump, there was no climbing back up. There was no piecing together what they had before.
He didn't know what to do, and he knew he wouldn't come to a decision on his own. During the second-to-last day of the conference, he sought out advice from his friend Brock, who was the definition of a hopeless romantic. He poured his heart out into his email, detailing all of their interactions ever since she had kissed him six years ago, and pleading for his expert help. After reading what Brock had to say, he immediately sought out better advice from his longtime friend, Misty, and his best friend, Dawn. Brock meant well, but his approach was a bit heavy-handed.
Both Misty and Dawn were unequivocally clear in their responses. There was no returning to what he and Serena had been before. There was no going back, only forward. He had to man up and take the next step, or else he ran the risk of losing her forever. He read their responses a hundred times each, part of him hoping the words would magically change, and they would recommend a less terrifying solution. He had no such luck. There was only one option in front of him now.
After the closing ceremonies of the Lumiose Conference, Ash and Serena returned to Prism Tower with Bonnie and Clemont to celebrate her impressive performance. The party lasted late into the night, until Bonnie's sugar rush turned into a sugar crash, and she passed out on one of the bleachers. Clemont carried her off to bed, bidding their two guests a good night. Serena thanked him and quickly excused herself, wanting to get some rest herself in her hotel room.
As she stepped out the front door, she stopped as she felt a hand clasp around hers, holding her back. She turned around to see Ash standing behind her, looking nervous. He kept a gentle grip on her hand as he asked her if she wanted to go out and spend a little more time out in Lumiose City together - just the two of them.
The look on her face was something he would remember for the rest of his life.
The following day marked the last day of their visit to Kalos, but to both of them it felt like the first. When they met once again in Prism Tower, their eyes were bright, their conversation animated, their voices full of energy. It was as if the last week had never happened, and they were reuniting for the first time on that day. They had rebuilt their fractured relationship into something stronger than it had ever been before.
Upon arriving at the airport, Serena was the first to depart. After giving farewell hugs to Bonnie, then Clemont, then Bonnie again, she stood in front of Ash with a warm smile on her face. She took a moment to try and find the words she wanted to say, the words that would convey everything she had felt over the past week, and especially the past twelve hours. It felt like she had experienced a lifetime's worth of emotions in a very short span of time, and she was finding it hard to synthesize everything she was feeling in that moment.
As she was searching for the right words, Ash grasped her hand and pulled her in for a kiss, which she quickly decided was much better.
They were both flushed and grinning as they parted, staring into each other's eyes and ignoring Bonnie's muffled squealing from behind them. As he basked in his moment of victory, he was startled by her hand sliding into his vest pocket. She smirked at him as she withdrew his handkerchief, clutching it tightly between her fingers.
"Now you have to see me again, if you ever want this back," she said with a wink. Ash promised her that he would return for the handkerchief, and for her.
Ash, Bonnie and Clemont all stayed and watched Serena's flight depart, hoping to catch a glimpse of her waving through the window, which they unfortunately did not. Bonnie was beside herself with happiness, as she repeatedly told Ash how thrilled she was that they had finally shared their first real kiss. He didn't have the heart to tell her that they had shared their first real kiss the night before, followed greedily by kisses two through twenty.
Soon, Ash was on his own plane with Pikachu, returning them home to Pallet Town. As they flew through the air, he kept pulling out his phone and bringing up his contacts, staring at the name and phone number that he should have claimed ages ago. This time, it wouldn't be years before they spoke to each other again.
The seventh time they said goodbye, they nearly didn't get the chance.
After years of traveling from one region to the next, participating in Pokémon Contests everywhere she could and honing her skills, the seventeen-year-old Serena had her original goal back in her sights. She returned to Kalos and began competing in Pokémon Showcases once again, quickly gaining the three victories that she needed to enter the Master Class. As soon as she had her third and final Princess Key in hand, she had called Ash to tell him the good news. Before she could invite him to watch the Master Class in person, he declared his intention to go and see it for himself. He was going to be with his girlfriend in her moment of victory or defeat.
As was often the case, his status as the reigning Monarch made travel difficult. His manager had already scheduled him for a series of workshops, where he would battle with new and experienced trainers alike, in order to give them advice on how they could improve. He tried to debate his way out of it, but she shut his protests down with brutal efficiency. Having such a headstrong manager was great for dealing with an overzealous press, but she was just as effective at dealing with him.
After an extended argument that lasted nearly a week, she finally relented. She would rearrange his schedule to give him one day to travel to Kalos and watch the Master Class in person. It was far less than he was hoping for, but it was enough. He and Serena agreed that they would have their own celebration with Bonnie and Clemont after the event, if she was declared the winner. If she lost, they would all commiserate together on a couch with movies and ice cream.
Seating at a Pokémon Showcase was usually a free-for-all, with the best seats going to the fans who had camped out in front of the theater for hours. For the Master Class, however, Clemont and Ash had wielded their collective influence to reserve three of the best seats in the house, for themselves and Bonnie. There was no way Serena was going to miss them in the audience, especially not with Ash's bright yellow Pikachu sitting in his lap.
As the lights dimmed and she came out for the first round, she flashed all of them an eager and confident grin. She did it a second time as she walked offstage with her first-round victory.
As the night progressed, the numerous competitors were slowly whittled down, as they were dispatched by Serena and others. After two hours of competition, there were only two performers remaining: the reigning Kalos Queen, Aria, and Serena herself. Both of them would give one final performance, to try and convince the audience, both in person and on television, to choose them as the champion.
Aria went first, and promptly blew the audience away with an incredible performance, honed over the course of many years. Her Pokémon were incredibly well trained, hitting their marks and creating effects with expert precision. Some of the things she had done on stage, Ash had never seen from any human or Pokémon, anywhere. His girlfriend had a very tough act to follow.
Fortunately, Serena had been preparing just as much as Aria had, and she answered with an incredible spectacle of her own. It was partly a dance and partly a light show, with her Delphox and her Sylveon creating what felt like a world-class fireworks show, contained entirely within the confines of the theater. Her Pokémon danced elegantly even as they provided the special effects, making it look effortless, even though they were pushing themselves as hard as they could.
When Serena finally took her bow, nobody knew who would come out on top. She was racked with nerves as the votes slowly trickled in from all over Kalos, her eyes flitting around the room and frequently settling on Ash. As the event's MC stepped back on stage with the results, her hand was tightly clasped with Aria's. She dared not breathe as the host raised his microphone and spoke into it.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "Please give your congratulations to our winner… and new Kalos Queen…"
Serena shrieked and collapsed to her knees before her name was even called. She was soon surrounded by arms and bodies, as all of her Pokémon embraced her at once, as well as Aria. The theater erupted into cheers and applause, with Ash, Clemont and Bonnie all screaming at the top of their lungs. As Serena was awarded with the champion's tiara, her tearful eyes met with each of her friends in turn, one by one. Her gratitude was evident for all of them to see.
Once the Master Class had officially concluded, Serena's trio of cheerleaders returned to Prism Tower to prepare for her victory celebration. Ash shot off a text asking when she would arrive, and she responded by saying that she had some press events to take care of first, but she would hopefully arrive in an hour or so. They all began digging into the party food as they waited for her, talking amongst themselves about the incredible performances she had put on that night.
After an hour and a half with no sign of Serena, Ash sent out another text asking for her ETA. She sent back an apology ten minutes later, explaining that she was still tied up, but she was trying to escape as soon as she could. She gave them the same answer an hour afterward, then again an hour after that. As the clock struck midnight, then one o'clock, her replies eventually stopped coming altogether.
The two boys worked together to carry a sleeping Bonnie up to her bed, before Ash bid Clemont farewell and returned to his hotel to sleep. He would have stayed up all night waiting for her if he could, but he had an early red-eye flight back to Kanto that he could not miss - not if he wanted to survive his next encounter with his manager, at any rate. He sent Serena one last congratulatory message before slipping into his bed and falling asleep.
He woke up four hours later to get ready, checking his phone one last time to see if Serena had responded, but she had not. He reasoned that she was still asleep, as he wished he could be. He groggily gathered his belongings and left the hotel, getting a ride to the airport from a private chauffeur. If he could feel anything other than exhaustion, he would likely be telling himself to be happy for her, for finally achieving the dreams she had worked so hard for. There would be plenty of time for disappointment later.
As he walked through the airport to his gate, his eyelids drooping and his heavy head aimed at the ground, he was suddenly stopped by a finger pressing against his forehead. He blinked and looked up in surprise, needing five seconds to recognize that the new Kalos Queen was standing in front of him.
They embraced each other tiredly, as she offered her apologies and he offered his congratulations. She looked dead on her feet just as he was, but she had been determined to see him before he left. They were nearly silent as they walked hand-in-hand to his gate, too tired to think of anything to say, but neither of them cared. They had each other, if only for a few minutes. That was enough.
When they finally reached his plane, she pulled him for a quick kiss, thanking him for being here and promising to see him again soon. After they said their goodbyes, she automatically turned to leave, seduced by the siren's song of another few hours of sleep. As she walked away, she stopped dead in her tracks at the words that spilled tiredly out of his mouth.
"I love you."
Serena ran back and kissed him for so long he nearly missed his flight.
The eighth time they said goodbye was by far the hardest.
An eighteen-year-old Serena stepped out of her car and onto the streets of Ambrette Town, looking up at the large, empty warehouse in front of her. She cocked her head and stared at it for a few moments, not seeing anything particularly special about it. Why Ash had invited her to this place, she had no clue. She shrugged and stepped forward, hoping that he would provide her with some answers.
As she pushed open the door and walked inside, she was greeted with a shout and wave by her long-distance boyfriend, the boy who had been the Monarch of the World Coronation Series until a couple of months ago. At the most recent Master's Eight tournament, his challenger had come in with a strategy that he had never seen before, one that was specifically engineered to defeat Ash and his team. It was generally agreed upon that he would regain his title at the next Master's Eight tournament, in four years.
Serena greeted him with a series of short kisses, before asking why they were standing in an empty building in Ambrette Town. He explained that this was the future site of Kalos's first rotating-type gym. Unlike all of the other gyms, which each specialized in one specific type of Pokémon, this gym would have up to a dozen different specialties, which would change for each challenger. For any trainer who came seeking one of their first three Gym Badges, the trainer would get to choose which type of Pokémon they battled against. For anyone seeking their fourth badge and up, the Gym Leader would be the one choosing the type.
She admitted that the idea was unique and interesting, and she idly wondered what sort of trainer could be an effective Gym Leader for a gym like this. He answered not with words, but with an excited grin. It didn't take her long to realize that the future Ambrette Town Gym Leader was standing right in front of her.
Her eyes went wide as the implications fell into place. He was staying in Kalos. He was staying with her. Finally, after years and years, they could be together the way they always wanted.
What followed were the two most blissful years of their lives.
Being able to see each other on a regular basis was a revelation for both of them. They no longer felt the stress of maximizing their time together, or trying to fit in every detail of the past few months that they hadn't conveyed in their phone calls. They could just be together, without pressure, without expectation. They could go out to a fancy dinner together, or they could just order in and watch romantic movies or past Pokémon battles, depending on who won the fight for the remote. All they needed to do was whatever made them happy, and when they were together, there wasn't much that didn't make them happy.
As the reigning Kalos Queen, and a current Gym Leader, the two of them weren't able to spend quite as much time together as they would have liked. Given all the time in the world, they would have happily spent every day together. They were still able to make time for each other once or twice a week, which was far more often than they had been used to. On any day they couldn't spend together, they would spend their evenings on the phone, talking about their day, or Pokémon, or what was going on the world, or nothing particularly interesting. Their calls used to end on a bittersweet note of longing, but now their "goodnights" and "I love yous" were tinged with contentment instead of regret.
Being the public figures that they were, the two of them were expected to make public appearances together on a regular basis. Sometimes this meant watching an important Pokémon battle together, but more often than not it meant attending a social occasion with the Kalos elite - something that Ash referred to as "the boring kind of party". Serena relished the opportunity to socialize and make new friends with interesting people, but Ash would quickly grow bored and restless from the lack of activity. To his credit, he never retreated into a corner, and always put forth his best effort to be social, for Serena's sake. She always made sure to repay him for his efforts at a later date. His preferred repayment was usually the delicious pastries she made, though cuddles were a close second.
Unfortunately for them, the good times would not last forever. At the age of twenty, Serena was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to the island region of Alola to take part in a major feature film. She would be able to follow in the footsteps of major Kalos celebrities such as Aria, or Diantha, the former Kalos Champion. Such an opportunity would allow her to expand her influence and her reach, giving her even greater opportunities to do good in the world, as she had always wanted to do.
Ash could not join her, due to his ongoing duties at the Ambrette Town Gym, but he encouraged her to follow her dreams regardless. The two of them would be separated for at least a year, but they resolved to stay in touch as they always had, with regular calls and messages. They would be together again soon, they told themselves.
Their final day together would be a farewell they would never forget. They stayed with each other all day, saying their goodbyes with kisses and held hands and ice cream and long walks. They stayed with each other all night, falling asleep tangled up in the sheets and in each other's arms. As their eyelids drooped, they traded whispers of love until they drifted off together.
Serena's year in Alola passed at an excruciatingly slow pace. Despite calling each other every night, they never felt as if they had enough time for each other. After being so close for so long, going back to a long-distance relationship felt like a giant step backward for both of them. Still, they pushed through it, counting down the days until they would be together again.
As filming came to a close, Serena called Ash with some bittersweet news. She had been offered another film, this time with her in the starring role. She felt terrible extending her absence, but he was as encouraging as he always was, telling her to reach out and grasp her dreams before they could slip away. She eventually accepted.
As she kept herself busy, Ash dove headfirst into the World Coronation Series once again, determined to regain the title of Monarch. As their schedules filled up, their nightly calls gradually decreased in both frequency and length. One obligation led to another, followed by another. One year apart turned into two, then three. The future that they had planned together was vanishing into thin air.
Their eighth goodbye would be their last.
Serena stood on the shore of Ambrette Town, watching the vast ocean churn and feeling the sand underneath her feet. It had been three years since she set foot in the region where she was born, the region that had made her into a star and allowed her to touch the hearts of thousands with her performances. This was still the most beautiful place she had ever been. Even Alola, with its vast beaches and lush tropical vegetation, could not compete with the nostalgic love she held for Kalos.
She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, as her thoughts turned toward the boy who had changed her life. A chance meeting sixteen years ago had sent her on a trajectory far different than she had imagined, giving her a new outlook on life and on herself. She realized that he had been there for all of the important turning points in her life, encouraging her, loving her, and sometimes frustrating her. She had never taken the time to tell him just how much his presence and support meant to her, before the two of them had parted years ago.
Perhaps she would tell him today.
Her heart jumped as she heard her name being called from behind her. She turned around with a wide smile on her face, quickly spotting the man she was looking for. He looked older now, more mature, even though she knew for a fact he had barely matured a day. She knew how he looked now, from his pictures and their video calls, but there was something about seeing someone in person that images and videos could never convey.
This was the ninth time they said hello. This time, there would be no goodbye.
Ash strode toward her with determination, his heart pounding and his hands shaking. He had planned a full day with her in order to celebrate her return, with a surprise waiting for her at the very end. When his eyes met hers for the first time in three years, however, he realized that the end of the day was too far away. He had been without her for what felt like an eternity. He wasn't going to wait one more second.
He clasped her hand in his, got down on one knee, and presented her with a small, black, velvet-lined box.
The wedding between the current Monarch and the current Kalos Queen was a media circus for the ages, which was why Ash and Serena chose to have two weddings. The first wedding, the real one, was held in secret at Ash's home, with a small handful of guests in attendance. They had planned for only their closest friends to be present, but Ash had made so many close friends in his life that the guest list ballooned to more than thirty. The ceremony was quiet, with no spectacle and no cameras, only quiet words and heartfelt vows.
The second wedding was held outdoors in Lumiose City, with nearly a thousand guests in attendance. Most of Kalos's biggest celebrities were there, as well as local politicians and powerful trainers, but all of the best seats were saved for the friends and family of the bride and groom. Every news organization in Kalos was present, along with several from every other region. As the happy couple exchanged vows, millions of eyes from around the world were glued to the four at the altar: the minister, the bride, the groom, and the little one that would be joining them in eight months' time.
The two of them bought a large house in a quiet part of Ambrette Town, needing more space than Ash's simple two-bedroom home would provide. They needed more bedrooms for visiting guests, a large entertaining space that would allow Serena to host the parties she enjoyed, and a backyard large enough for Ash to continue training his team of Pokémon. They worked together to furnish and decorate a nursery in neutral colors, which were replaced with pink before too long. He tried growing a beard. She ordered him to shave it off. As her stomach quickly swelled with new life, he told her daily that she was the most beautiful woman on the planet, and he meant it every time.
Months later, Serena was lying in a hospital bed, as Ash stood proudly over her with his Pikachu on his shoulder. She was sweaty and exhausted, and her lower body was in shambles, but she was beside herself with joy as she beheld the tiny little girl sleeping in her arms. She had her mother's eyes, her father's raven-colored hair, and the names of her two grandmothers. Legally, she was Grace Delia Ketchum, but her parents had agreed to call her Gracie.
Serena reached into a nearby bag that Ash had brought with him, pulling out a handkerchief and gently wiping tears away from her daughter's eyes. This was the same handkerchief that had changed both of their lives forever. She hadn't given it back. She never would.