Being in the road for at least a couple of hours, Ash and Serena discussed many various things. Their conversation didn't have a particular focus, they just talked about whatever it was that came into their minds. They just talked. It didn't really matter what about.

The scenery grew stale after a while, with more and more grass just appearing, over and over again, so it was an atheistic refresher once they finally did come into the visual range of the lake.

The first thing any of the group noticed was a blast of pleasant, cool air. The lake was large, and therefore, the wind was able to collect heavily in and around the air, and had enough movement to go. It was like being on a beach side, blasted with a gust of wind. Getting past that, the lake was a beautiful crystal blue color, and a bright reflection of the sun in the waters calm face. The entire area was surrounded with Pokemon, in the air, in the water, and in the grasslands around it, like a thriving community of wild Pokemon. Wingull and Pelliper flew across the waters surface, while Finneon and Goldeen swam underneath the waters surface. Residing the the waters edge, were a group of Wooper, Quagsire, Polywag and Palpitoad. A few meters away from the lake, as a large, narrow chasm, which had been the result of an earthquake a few hundred years ago. It was grown over in plant-life, but was still very clearly there.

"Ahhhh..." Ash sighed in great joy after being hit by the cool gust of wind. "Thats... So much better." He said aloud, letting out another deep breath of relaxation.

"You sound like an old man." Serena commented humorously, but she did know in fact, that it was a blistering summer. Unusually so. Even she was feeling the effects of it.

The group made their way to the waters edge themselves. As its name boasted, there were lilac plants everywhere. They were in the fields, for as far as the group could even see. Beautiful plant life was everywhere, not just lilac plants. The flora was everywhere, a botanists paradise. Roses and sunflowers, daffodils. Oran berry and Pecha berry bushes were scattered around, and several trees, containing Sitrus and Lum berries were sprouted around.

Miette commented, her head popping up from an information booklet. "Apparently this lake is unique in that the soil allows all types of berries and plants to grow that would never grow naturally together. No one is too sure why."She closed her book and looked around the plants. "Interesting..."

"Oran berries and Sitrus berries in the same soil makes a certain sort of sense." Serena said. "They both replenish energy, so they require similar growing conditions, if i'm not mistaken. Though I'm not sure why there are Pecha berries also growing here. They need a more damp environment than this, don't they?"

"Put it down as just one of those wonders in the world." Ash suggested, grinning at the sight. As he spoke, he plucked an Oran berry from one of the bushes, and took a bite out of it. Surprisingly, it was very good. "These aren't bad at all." He grabbed two others, throwing one for Miette, which she caught, and passing another to Serena. Both tried them, agreeing with Ash's assessment of them. They were sour, but not overly so, like candy from a corner shop.

"These are nice!" Serena said, with a happy smile.

"Mmm!" Miette agreed, though her mouth was full, nodding in agreement also. Once she had swallowed this mouthful, she turned to Serena and said, "We should take a few of these for cooking. We don't get this kind of fresh food in the market stalls often."

Serena and Ash both nodded in unison, agreeing in their plans to stock up on the berries before they left the site. Returning to their sightseeing tour after filling their bellies, the group began to explore the area. Untouched by human hands, the place was a natural paradise, explosive with natural life, and populated by nature loving organics also. The Pokemon whom called this land home had a small little society-Esq system of their own, it seemed, where everyone helped one another to grow and expand their lush home. And it had to be said, to was a beautiful place. It had to be said over and over again, just to punctuate the point clearer. It was incredibly refreshing, and pleasantly cool. Ash was very content to remain here until nightfall, where he wouldn't essentially be a walking stew on legs.

Naturally a paradise for the Pokemon, as well as the people whom visited them, this was a place that anyone could see the need to look after and protect.

"Its so beautiful, isn't it?" Serena said to Ash, with a warm smile on her face, as she watched the lakes water dance in sunlight. The light reflected off the small waves on the surface, creating a small light show for those who paid attention.

"It is. Its so peaceful." Ash agreed with the Kalosian girl.

"I feel so calm here..."

"Yeah..."

"Its... Serene."

Ash glanced at Serena, and then smirked. "Serene. Serena. Heh, even your name means peaceful and beautiful."

At that moment, there was a deathly silence as Ash realized exactly what he just said. It took him about four seconds until the penny dropped, at which point his eyes shot open, and his face went crimson. "That - That came out wrong!"

To his side, a flustered Serena was looking at her feet, her face as red as Ash's crimson, her eyes fixated firmly on her feet. She had been caught totally, completely, and utterly by surprise.

Panicking, an unusual characteristic for Ash to have, he attempted to save himself from the embarrassment by making excuses. "No! I mean that - I don't mean your - Well you are but - That not... I..." Ash sighed in defeat, not having managed to get a single excuse out of his mouth. Not even a slightly plausible one. Not even a terrible lie either, he had just totally failed at averting the embarrassment, which had only compacted to embarrass him more. His face red, he muttered in defeat and resignation, "Oh, damn it..."

Serena managed to smile, despite the embarrassment. She was, in actuality, extraordinarily happy to hear Ash say something like that. She was caught off guard, and was frozen in her movement by said embarrassment. In a word, she was completely flustered. She managed to push back this to utter a few simple, but heartfelt words. "...Thank you."

"H-Huh?"

"It just feels nice to hear that... Especially from you..." Serena admitted, her own embarrassment becoming clearly evident in her hesitant voice.

"S-Serena..."

"I... Can't really explain it..." Serena said, hesitantly. "It just... Makes me happy to know... That thats what you think about me..." Serena leaned herself on Ash, resting her head on his shoulder.

From a distance she wasn't likely to be spotted, Miette watched this all take place hesitantly put his arm around Serena's shoulders. Still not there yet, but getting close. The two or them were so close to one another, that this entire mission of Miettes, she expected, shouldn't last too long at all. "Attaboy, Ash." She said with a smirk, congratulating Ash quietly.


Time seemed to go by extremely quickly that day, as before the group even knew it, the sun was setting. It hadn't even felt like a couple of ours to Ash and Serena, but there was the sunset, saying contrary to whatever it was that they believed.

"Huh?" Ash asked no one in particular. He had been sat under a tree, using a cloth to shine his Pokeballs and other pieces of various equipment. He had taken his jacket off, and was in his plain black T-Shirt, to allow him to cool down more rapidly. He had only just noticed the time, the sunset. "Feels early still..."

Despite being somewhat confused, Ash propped himself up, an made his way to the group, Serena and Miette both stood by the waters edge, talking about the same subject also. Serena had her arms crossed, and a look of confusion on her face. Miette just looked quizzical, and saw Ash come from the corner of her peripheral vision.

"Uh, you guys... Is it just me, or does it seem like it got late... Really early?" Ash said, fully aware that the sentence he just said made little to no sense.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Miette nodded at Ash. "I swear we haven't been here for a couple of hours."

"Did we arrive later than we thought?" Serena asked, trying to find a logical explanation.

"Try 'Illusion.'"

The group was joined by a forth voice, shocking each and every one of them. turning quickly on there heels, there was one of the last people any of them expected to see.

"Good to see you again, you cute Kantoean." It was directly aimed at Ash.

It was Sierra.

"You?" Ash asked surprised at her presence here. Of all the people, in all the places, Sierra was here? "what do you mean, 'Illusion'?"

"Psychic images produced from the outside area. Probability of discovery, negligible. Side effect, sunset within field of containment." Another voice. Robotic, like a computer. It didn't take a genius to figure out this was Beta. He stepped from behind a tree, joining Sierra in her stance against Ash and his group.

Remembering the advice Sycamore had told him, Ash was weary of these people. Synthcorp was a very shady group, from what Ash understood, and these two claimed to work for them. Were this the case, what were they doing here?

"What is it that you want?" Serena asked. She remembered their battle, their attitudes, the way they tried to hurt Ash.

"Don't we even get a 'It's nice to see you again'?" Sierra asked, acting offended. "Not even a 'How have you been'? I'm hurt."

"Sierra." beta said, coldly. "Objective takes priority. Your taunts are unrequited."

"Fun though."

"Focus on your objective."

"Yeah, yeah." Sierra said, muttering. "Well, let's get right to the chase then." She smirked, with a cruel smile, and held out an open hand. "Ash Ketchum - Your Pokemon. Give them to us, now."

It wasn't a demand Ash was unfamiliar with. Years of being chased by Team Rocket, Ash wasn't even surprised by these demands anymore. They had become so routine, they almost bored him. But these people were a plausible threat. They were very strong, and utterly ruthless. "Why on earth would I do that?"

"I'd do it if I were you."

Turning behind him once again, Ash saw a hooded figure leaning against a tree, brandishing a Pokeball, hiding his face from their sight. The hood was dark, and his eyes were hidden by the shade, the absence of light underneath his hood. From what little Ash could see, he had pale skin, and sounded to be male. that was about it.

"Drapion." Psi said, throwing his Pokeball into the air. From it came the Poison Dark type, letting out an aggressive battle cry, preparing it's stinger, and sharpening it's claws, ready for combat.

"Psi, give them a single chance more." Beta ordered. "Logic dictates you are overpowered, and outflanked. Surrender is the logical choice."

Pikachu's cheeks sparked with electricity, ready to fight off their opponents. Ash was also ready. Logic be damned, he sure wasn't giving up his Pokemon. His Pokeballs had been left by the tree he had just been sat at undefended, but hidden. Pikachu was all Ash had. So this was going to be a difficult fight.

All the same.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Unleashing a huge volt of electricity, Pikachu shot the bolt straight at the opposing Pokemon, whom dodged it with ease. Another bolt was fired at Drapion, whom once again, dodged without difficulty. High speed, uncharacteristic of a Drapion.

"Big mistake." Sierra taunted. Their orders were to acquire the Pokemon.

Absolutely nothing was said about the trainers.

Drapion already prepared its attack, sharpening its claws for Bulldoze attack. When Pikachu jumped up to attack, the Drapion slammed it with it's tail, sending Pikachu flying into the shrubbery. The Drapion let loose a loud, battle ready, vicious cry, and prepared to strike.

It wasn't aiming for Pikachu.

It was aiming for Ash.

"Ash!" Serena acted impulsively, pulling Ash back as he was still registering what was going on, due to the Drapions such high speed. Being pulled away Ash finally registered the attack, and moved alongside with Serena, covering her and turning to move with her.

The Bulldoze attack slammed into the rocky ground just behind the Kantoean and the Kalosian, and the resulting shock-waves sent them off the earth and into the air, carried along by the force of the attack.

The attack was so strong, the shock-waves sent the two of them flying.

Right into the great chasm, where gravity did the rest of the work.


Been a while since i did an authors note properly, seeing as you guys all seemed to say you liked them. that was a surprise to be honest, I was expecting a majority to dislike the A.N, but, hey its your guy's call.

This chapter is the point in which we actually get Amourshipping Amourshipping, if you know what I mean. Up until this point, I've been dodging and weaving around the content that, lets be honest we're all here for. That is about to change. but how will the two of them get out of this situation? This has been a plan I've had in place for a while, and marks the point in which I've been looking forward to writing this story for quite a while. You'll see, trust me. Also... Just to the one guy who was mad about the weather in this story... Uh... What?

I'm also working on another Fondantshipping story, just to piss off homophobes ^_^

Also this is where I'm hinting at an unnamed 5 chapter Amourshipping Story.

Also... SERIOUS consideration has gone into One Day Off : Aloha journeys. If the anime is gonna lose Serena, you can sure as hell expect me to not give up on her, so, I'm thinking, considering, daring the consider the possibility, of me doing a One Day off sequel. Do not quote me on that, but It's a possibility.

Outside of this, I've been working on writing my own independent stories, filled with my own world, characters, powers and personalities, and that sort of deal. A lot has gone into conveying it exactly how I want it conveying, and I've been getting lots of help from people around me who know a bit about writing. In the meantime, you guys have certainly been busy with all of the reviews and content that you've been providing or me to read. It helps motivate me so much guys, so thank you for that. Metakingiant has been a huge help in that regard. check out his profile. He's got some good works over there.

Other than that guys the usual stuff has been going on, So I hope you've enjoyed this chapter of Love, Loss and Loyalty, and Ill see you in the next chapter of whatever I do indeed write next. See you all!