A/N: Sorry if the wait was too long, everyone! I thought that since Thursday's episode showed more insight on the context of Ash and Serena's past relationship, then I thought it'd be appropriate to wait and acquire the facts. And my, those were a lot of facts...and HINTS! :D Makes me wonder why I still delayed with this chapter...

Anyway, enough rambling! On with the chapter. ENJOY!

P.S.: I was gonna update Sunday, but the site's servers somehow went out for me, so I apologize for the further delay.

Serena tightly held Bonnie's hand in her own as the two girls, plus Fennekin, continued to trek across the barren landscape. For what seemed to be almost an hour, all they could ever see were the trees, all bent over to the sides, their branches stretching out like outstretched arms. From afar, the trees resembled helpless, swaying, mindless ghosts, still haunted and trapped by the horrible circumstances of their predicaments and subsequent deaths.

The Trainer looked around nervously, surveying one tree as she passed it. There were hollowed-out holes in the trunk, which were arranged in a way that resembled a human face, screaming out helplessly. Taken aback by the strange phenomena, Serena quickly looked away. However, she found it extremely hard to ignore the other trees. It seemed as if they were all looking at the wayward trio, waiting for a perfect moment to take advantage of their vulnerability and strike...

It was one thing to be afraid of forests while they were still active and bustling with life through their green leaves and plant-life. But to be afraid of forests while they were in a desolate, barren, lifeless state was a completely different thing. In fact, it was worse. Serena began to miss the familiar, welcoming shades of green...

"All of the trees look so sad..." Bonnie said out loud. "Serena?"

"Y-Yes, Bonnie?" replied Serena, struggling to keep her fear at bay.

"Do you think trees have feelings too? Or is it just the Trenevant that have them? You know, the Pokémon that looks like a tree? Trenevant?"

"Trevenant," Serena corrected. "I think everything has feelings, including plants."

"I hope they didn't get hurt that much by the fire... I feel sorry for them."

"I'm sorry for them too."

The next several minutes were spent with more disheartening silence, save for the soft whispers brought by the small breeze. The two girls continued walking quietly across the devastated ruins of the forest, with Fennekin leading the way, trotting along and occasionally sniffing the air for anything nearby.

"Dede?..."

Serena glanced at the satchel Bonnie was carrying and saw that the little girl's faithful Dedenne had stuck its head out, rubbing its eyes. She remembered that the tiny Antenna Pokémon had drifted off into a peaceful slumber just a few hours earlier, and it surprised her to know that the little thing was able to sleep through the entire chaos of running away from the wildfire. Looking at Bonnie, Serena felt that she was thinking the exact same thing.

Then, once it was finished rubbing its eyes with its paws, Dedenne surveyed its surroundings before scrambling out of the satchel, up Bonnie's left arm, and onto her shoulder, looking around curiously. It was obviously wondering why its surroundings suddenly looked so bleak.

"Are you okay, Dedenne?" Bonnie asked, petting the Antenna Pokémon.

"Dede..." cooed Dedenne as it continued to survey its environment. Then, it looked at Serena for several seconds before looking around, almost frantically.

As if she knew what it was thinking, Bonnie replied, "We got separated from Clemont, Ash, and Pikachu."

"Dede?" Dedenne was taken aback by the revelation, and it continued looking around in search for its missing friends.

"It's okay, Dedenne," piped Bonnie, stroking the Antenna Pokémon's head, slowly calming it down until it began to coo. Bonnie then took Dedenne in her arms, and the two continued walking. Dedenne began to cower in Bonnie's arms as it registered the ghastly skeletons that were the burnt-out trees, something that Serena noticed.

"At least I'm not the only one who's afraid of forests..." she thought.

Then, Serena exhaled calmly and looked directly ahead at the thick blanket of dark smoke. She hoped that Ash and Clemont were both still alive and well. She couldn't even bear to think what would happen if they...they...he... No, she couldn't think about it! She just couldn't! No, she had to keep hoping for the best!

"Never give up until the end!"

The six words replayed themselves within the forefront of Serena's mind like a broken record player. She subconsciously nodded in agreement with those words. Never give up until the end. That's exactly what she was gonna do. She was gonna find Ash and Clemont, both safe and sound, even if it was the last thing she'd do!

"Serena?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes, Bonnie?" replied Serena, looking down at the younger girl, who was staring ahead intently.

"Is that Clemont and Ash?"

Serena noticed that, ahead, there were two dark silhouettes, barely visible from the dark smoke. Both appeared to be masculine in nature...

"I think that is them!" she exclaimed in response. Both girls laughed in relief as they burst into sprint towards the two silhouettes, Fennekin trailing close behind them.

Caught up in her excitement, Serena began to think about what she'd do once she and Bonnie caught up to Ash and Clemont. She did not want to seem too dramatic, otherwise that'd be very awkward for her and Ash. She initially contemplated on giving Ash a hug, but then, she knew that'd already be awkward. Maybe she could say to them, "Oh, I was so sorry about you guys!" ...Yes, that is what she would do. Just be neutral, she kept thinking to herself. Do not give Ash any attention that would warrant any sort of curiosity from the others. No need to be overly dramatic and romantic, right?

The two girls dashed through the blanket of smoke, and they both shielded their eyes, noses, and mouths from the foul odor and the potentially dangerous ashes that would be fluttering around in the air. As they continued running, they heard one of the two silhouettes speaking...and the voice sounded...older...

"...Obstacles that will confuse or further hinder us in our quest to get outta this forest," the rough, stern, deep voice was saying, sounding a bit strangely pleased at something. "So, we just explore the landscape and look for a safe route outta here and back to civilization! I'll contact Nick and Lloyd..."

That was when Serena and Bonnie stopped in their tracks.

The smoke had cleared well enough for them to see the physical features of the silhouettes that they were running towards. The both of them were fully-grown men; one was tall and thin, with gray eyes and a crop of short blue hair; the other had neatly-combed, wavy green hair with golden streaks and also yellow eyes that were glinting in a way that perturbed Serena for some strange reason. The man with green hair was already pulling out a walkie-talking, which was crackling with static.

The blue-haired man was looking at them.

"What the?!" he exclaimed. "What're you kids doing in the middle of this forest? There's a wildfire going about!"

"Yeah, we know!" replied Serena. "We were traveling with our friends and got separated from them while trying to run away from the fire. I'm Serena!"

"And I'm Bonnie!" Bonnie added. She then gestured to Dedenne. "And this is Dedenne!"

"Dedenne!" chirped the Antenna Pokémon, while Fennekin barked in a welcoming tone.

"DAMN RECEPTION!" screamed the green-haired man as he furiously flailed his arm around in the air, trying to get a signal for the walkie-talkie he was holding. "Floyd, come on! We gotta keep moving; I need to find a place where this forsaken static won't keep plaguing the walkie-talkie!"

"Sure thing, boss," the blue-haired man replied. However, he looked at the two girls, then asked, "Wait a minute, what about these kids?"

"Who?" The green-haired man flicked his head at Serena and Bonnie, and his eyes narrowed at them menacingly. "Leave them, they're obviously done for!"

"WHAT?!" Serena shrieked. "We're obviously not done for! Bonnie and I are trying to find our friends! Did either of you see 'em, by any chance?"

"What do those guys look like?" asked the blue-haired man.

"One of them has spiky black hair, wears a hat, and has a Pikachu on his shoulder-"

"-And the other wears these workman clothes and glasses, and also has yellow hair, like mine!" interrupted Bonnie.

"Well," snarled the green-haired man nastily, "we were too busy running for our lives to notice anyone who looks like the people you just described." He growled and looked at the blue-haired man. "Come on, Floyd, we have to find Nick and Lloyd before the fire catches up to us and fries us good!"

"But we can't just leave these kids here to fend for themselves, Adam!" Floyd protested.

"Well, like the saying goes, it's every man for himself!"

"Excuse me!" Bonnie exclaimed, a pouting expression forming on her face as she stomped over to the man named Adam. "You're saying that 'cause we're girls, huh?!"

"Dede!" Dedenne added angrily.

Adam looked down at Bonnie and smirked nastily. "Personally, I couldn't care less if I was dealing with a boy OR a girl." He looked up at Floyd and barked angrily and impatiently, "Floyd, come ON, don't just stand there like a damn idiot! I need to contact Nick and Lloyd!"

"Yes, Adam..." Floyd replied sullenly as he followed Adam into the smoke.

However, Bonnie, refusing to be treated that way, followed the two men. Serena gasped in concern and ran to catch up with her, just as she started speaking again.

"Well, we're both looking for someone, so why don't we look together?" the little girl suggested, although Serena registered force in her tone.

"Floyd, can you get this brat OUTTA HERE?!" demanded Adam as he continued waving the crackling walkie-talkie around in the air.

"Don't you tell me what to do, mister!" Bonnie exclaimed furiously as Floyd turned around to face her. "I'll tell Dedenne to attack you if I have to! But Serena and I can't find our friends, and if you two are gonna be the only other people around here, then we'll just go with you guys, instead of having to deal with the scary trees!"

"You're a persistent one, aren't you?" Adam asked, still waving the walkie-talkie.

At that point, Serena caught up to Bonnie and watched as Floyd stopped in his tracks. He looked at the two girls pitifully, surveying them both. Then, he smiled warmly.

Looking at Adam, he then leaned forwards towards the two of them and whispered, "You two can tag along. I'm pretty sure we can help each other."

"But what about-?" Serena began.

"I'll deal with Adam," replied Floyd. Then, he ran up to Adam, prompting him to stop, and began whispering something in his ear as Serena and Bonnie both watched. It took a few minutes when Adam nodded, seemingly reluctantly, and glanced at the two girls, obviously trying to hold back his annoyance and anger.

"Fine," he snapped. "You two girls can tag along. Just...Just DON'T interfere with whatever I'm doing, alright? Simple directions! Now come on, let's move!"

"Thank you very much!" exclaimed Bonnie angrily as she followed the two men. Serena and Fennekin stayed behind for a few seconds before following suit.

For some reason, Serena couldn't help but feel that there was something off with these two men...

The next couple of hours were spent in awkward silence. Adam spent this time waving his arm around, trying to get a signal for his crackling walkie-talkie. Floyd quietly walked a couple of inches behind him, his hands in his pockets as he looked around nervously. Bonnie tried several times to get Adam or Floyd's attentions, only to be met with failure in the form of them either ignoring her or merely smiling at her and nothing more. As for Serena, she was now carrying Fennekin in her arms, continuing to think about what had happened to Ash and Clemont, if they were okay or not, and if they were actively searching for them just like she and Bonnie were.

Finally, Bonnie exclaimed, "Why are you two so quiet?!"

"WILL YOU SHUT UP?!" screeched Adam, turning around to face the young girl, staring directly at her eyes with his own as they glinted with menace. "I SWEAR TO THE ALMIGHTY ARCEUS THAT IF YOU DON'T KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT, OR EVEN TRY AND DO SOMETHING TO CATCH MY ATTENTION, I'LL THROW YA IN THE RIVER AND LEAVE YOU TO THE HUNGRY POKEMON! SO SHUT UP, ALRIGHT?! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! DON'T MAKE ME REGRET BRINGING YOU TWO ALONG!"

Then, he continued marching, grumbling to himself furiously as he left behind a shocked Bonnie, who stood still, seemingly paralyzed. Serena stopped alongside Bonnie and saw that her eyes were welling up with tears that she was trying her hardest to suppress.

"Oh, Bonnie, don't cry!" Serena exclaimed as Bonnie suddenly hugged her and began crying into her skirt. "It's okay!"

"He was so mean..." sobbed Bonnie. "I just wanted to talk..."

"I don't recommend talking to Adam." Serena looked up and saw Floyd looking at them. "He's not the type of person who tolerates having their buttons pushed."

"You could've warned us about that, you know," the Trainer replied angrily as Bonnie continued to cry.

"Sorry." Floyd walked up to Bonnie, knelt down, and patted her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. I apologize if Adam scared you like that."

"Your friend is mean..." Bonnie said as she stopped crying and started sniffling.

"Hey, that's Adam for ya. Come on, let's keep walking."

The three resumed walking, following Adam into the smoke. As they did, they began talking actively.

"So...what are you guys doing in this forest?" asked Serena.

"We were...we were, uh...researching," replied Floyd. "Yeah, that's what we were doing. Researching!"

"What do you research?"

"Um...uh, um...uh...um, um...uh...uhhhhh..." replied Floyd.

"You don't know what you were researching?" Bonnie asked.

"Not really. I don't have the brightest mind. Hey, uh, Adam?" Adam flicked his head at Floyd, a look of annoyance on his face. "What were we researching again?"

Adam gave him a curious expression, but then replied within a few seconds, "We were researching on the migration patterns of the forest Pokémon, what else?"

"Thanks, Adam, I knew I could count on you and your sharp mind!" Floyd then faced Serena and Bonnie, smiling widely. "Yeah, migration patterns, that's what we were studying. In fact, we were observing a flock of Flying-type Pokémon flying around when the fire suddenly came in. My brother Lloyd and our friend Nick were observing from another location a couple of miles away, and I think the fire separated us even further."

"So, your brother is out there too?" asked Bonnie, sniffling as she wiped the last of her tears away. "Mine too."

"Really? What's the guy's name?"

"Clemont."

"Clemont, huh? I'll be sure to keep that in mind in case we meet up with Nick and Lloyd. They might have seen them somehow." Floyd then started scratching his head. "How about your other friend? The one with the spiky black hair, the hat, and the Pikachu on his shoulder? What's his name?"

"His name's Ash," replied Serena.

"Ash. Alright, I'll keep that in mind too. Wait, what're your names, girls? Just to be clear."

"I'm Serena, and she's Bonnie. These are our Pokémon, my Fennekin and her Dedenne."

Fennekin barked, while Dedenne chirped. However, Floyd was examining Serena curiously, a finger on his chin.

"Serena, huh?" he asked. Then, he shrugged and said, "That's a nice name."

"Oh, thanks."

The three continued following Adam in silence as the green-haired man continued waving his walkie-talkie around, only to receive more crackling. Other than that, the only noises that were being made were Adam's frustrated grumbling as he continued to march across the barren forest floor, kicking up small clouds of dust with each step he took. All of the silence gave Serena enough time to delve into her own private thoughts again.

Now that she had more company, it was more comfortable to wander around in the desolate forest. It wasn't Ash and Clemont, but it was good enough. Glancing over her shoulder to look at Bonnie, who was now holding Dedenne in her arms protectively, just as she was with her Fennekin, she began to wonder what would happen if they still can't find Ash and Clemont by the end of the day. Would they have to leave the forest and find civilization, which was more than qualified to find the two of them? What would happen when Clemont and Bonnie's parents find out that their son is missing in the middle of a forest that was devastated by a wildfire?

What would Ash's parents think when they found that their son was missing? Would they blame her for losing track of their son?

What would happen when Ash and Clemont were found...?

Serena shook her head. "No!" she exclaimed within the confines of her mind. "I've gotta stop thinking about that, I gotta! Never give up until the end! I WILL find them the both of them, safe and sound! I can't afford to lose my friend, not after all of the things he's done for me..."

"Friends."

"What?"

"Friends, Serena. You said 'friend' before, not 'friends'. I feel bad for Clemont; he doesn't get any attention from you."

"I do give him attention! Great, I'm talking to my own brain again."

"Well, I'm the only friend you've got who'll listen to everything you've got to say. Who else would be reliable for that job?"

"..."

"That's right. I'm right, I'm always right. Now, what's your problem?"

"Problem?"

"You obviously have a big problem, otherwise you wouldn't be talking to me, your own brain, now would you?"

"Darn right I have a problem. Me and Bonnie got separated from Ash and Clemont, and now we're trying to find them."

"And you're worried that they might be-"

"Don't say that! It makes things worse!"

"If you insist. Now, how do you think you're gonna be able to find Ash and Clemont? Hm? Tell me, enlighten me."

"I don't know. I am just gonna follow these two guys around the forest and help them find their friends. Who knows? Maybe their friends have seen Ash or Clemont, or better yet, they might have them with them at the time! They look friendly, anyway. ...Well, Floyd, that is."

"Do you really trust those guys?"

"They are the only people around here. And besides, they obviously wanna get outta this forest as much as Bonnie and I want to. And that Adam person has a walkie-talkie. If he somehow manages to contact his friends, or even civilization, he could get help and they'll rescue us, and also Ash and Clemont! I'm gonna have to rely on them for now."

"If you insist. But remember, you cannot just rely on others to help you. Sometimes, you need to learn how to stand up on your own."

"Great. Apparently, my brain is a philosopher."

"...You're welcome. Just don't come crying to me when this blows up in your face, Serena. 'Cause I'm gonna be busy having a workout at the time."

Serena sighed and looked at Floyd, noticing for a split-second that he seemed to be looking away from her. Blinking, the girl turned away as well, starting to regret her decision to follow the two strangers. She knew that there was something wrong about this, despite Floyd's warm, welcoming mannerisms. However, Bonnie seemed to enjoy Floyd's company greatly, as did Dedenne, so Serena felt that it might be all right after all. She hoped she was right in the latter assumption.

She didn't want to know what would happen if she was indeed wrong.

A couple of hours passed, and the group saw nothing but the skeletons of the tree trunks. No other signs of life were present anywhere. The smoke was thick on both the ground and the sky. At that point of time, Serena, Bonnie, and Floyd decided to pass the time by talking about each other's lives.

"And then, Nick just gets thrown off the Rhyhorn like a doll and lands on the pile of poop a few feet away!" exclaimed Floyd as the trio held back their laughter.

Serena couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out in uncontrollable laughter, while a giggling Bonnie cringed.

"Ew, he landed in the poop!" the little girl exclaimed.

"Dede!" Dedenne cried in agreement, sticking out its tongue as emphasis.

"Serves him right!" said Serena. "He wasn't being one with the Rhyhorn!"

"I know, right?!" replied Floyd. "That's what the other jockeys were warning him about! I even warned him about it, but did he listen? Arceus, no! He just hops on and does random stuff just to provoke an action from the Rhyhorn! Nick always had that thick skull; it's hard for him to listen to proper directions!"

"I never knew you guys did Rhyhorn Racing as a hobby! That's so cool; my mom was a great Rhyhorn Racer!"

"Yeah, that was very fun." Floyd smiled widely as he looked off into the distance and started to reminisce. "I honestly loved the rush of adrenaline whenever I hopped onto a Rhyhorn and got it to run. That's what mattered the most. Not the victories, just the sights of the world passing by you in a blur, the blast of fresh wind that is always blowing in your face, the feeling of freedom... You know, my dream has always been to jump onto a Rhyhorn and just race around Kalos for Arceus knows how long. No purpose, no motivation. Just...to be free from everything, you know. To savor that feeling..."

"How come you never do that?" Serena asked curiously. "Hop on a Rhyhorn and race around Kalos?" When Floyd looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face, she added, "Well, judging from what you've told us about your research, it sounds very...boring. No offense."

"None taken." Floyd smiled slightly and shrugged. "I don't know why I haven't done that yet, really. I guess it's because I feel...tethered by our research..." He glanced at Adam, almost subconsciously. "Besides, Adam's become so devoted to his, uh, research, and we gotta help him. Just because he's smart doesn't mean he's also got the brawn to carry out his project all by himself. He needs help, assistance...backup, you might as well say."

"Adam should understand. You said all four of you did Rhyhorn Racing as a hobby."

"He would've understood." A strange expression flooded Floyd's face. "Had it not been for a particular experience that caused us to stop taking racing up as a hobby."

"Why, what happened?" Bonnie asked, an eyebrow raised.

Floyd merely shook his head and replied, "If Adam found out that I told you, he'd have my head."

"We won't tell Adam." Bonnie smiled widely. "It's our little secret!"

Floyd shook his head again, with more force this time. "I would rather not tell you. It was my experience too, and I definitely do not want that story to come to light." He sighed heavily and looked up at the smoky sky. "Sorry girls, if that disappoints you both."

"It's okay, Floyd," replied Serena. "I guess it's your secret; it should be respected. Otherwise it's not really a secret."

"Yeah." Floyd smiled slightly and shrugged. "Everyone's got their little secret, am I right?"

At that moment, Serena began to think of something. Everyone's got their little secret... Did that include Ash, perhaps?...

Suddenly, she heard Bonnie begin sniffing the air rather emphatically.

"Something smells bad," she said.

At first, Serena was confused by Bonnie's announcement, but then, her nostrils were filling up with that familiar odor of wood burning, and she could feel a heightening surge of heat prickling at her skin. She looked around frantically, but couldn't see any flames raging nearby...and yet, it smelled as if the fire was close...

"I smell it too," replied Floyd. He looked ahead, where Adam was still waving the walkie-talkie around. "Hey, Adam! I smell something burning!"

"Yeah, lovely, you smell a nice barbecue," Adam snarled sarcastically, ignoring his companion. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to find some damn reception."

"No, it's not a barbecue! I'm hungry, but it's not a barbecue I'm smelling! I think it's the fire-"

"Does it look like I smell any-" Adam suddenly froze in his tracks and started sniffing the air. "Scratch that, I smell it too. But I don't see any damn fire nearby!"

"You think we should turn back?"

"We don't even know where the fire is, idiot. Wanna walk straight into the fire? Be my guest! But I'm gonna walk on ahead!"

Adam marched forward into the blanket of smoke. Floyd prepared to follow when Serena grabbed his arm angrily.

"You're gonna follow him?!" she cried. "After all the treatment he gives to you?"

Floyd looked at Serena and nodded, his lips pursed. "Adam may not be the kindest person, but he has the sharpest mind out of all of us. Without him, I'd probably be Kalos Fried Human right about now. I'm gonna follow him, but if you two don't want to do the same, be my guests."

The blue-haired man then went on ahead into the smoke, leaving Serena and Bonnie behind. Serena briefly contemplated on going her separate way with Bonnie, but she remembered Adam's comment that the fire could be anywhere and she could potentially walk straight into it...

"What're we gonna do, Serena?" Bonnie asked, looking up at the Trainer.

"We still follow them," replied Serena. "They may not be the best company right now, but they'll have to do. At least they haven't tried to hurt us yet."

Once Adam and Floyd were at a considerable distance from the two girls, the former twirled around and faced his companion, a suspicious expression on his face.

"This had better be worth it, Floyd!" he snapped. "You were always the one with the lamest of ideas!"

"Come on, boss, this is my best idea ever!" replied Floyd defensively. "Once we find Nick and Lloyd and get outta this forest, we'll have the best hostages anyone can ever ask for! They'll do whatever we say! ...Hey, I got it! They can probably distract clerks while we rob the cash registers at Poké Marts, how about that?"

Adam continued to stare at Floyd with a disturbingly blank expression.

"Huh, boss? It's really clever! They'll be useful for our robberies! We won't have a fiasco like this ever again!"

Adam sighed heavily. "That sounds like a creatively-"

"I know, right?!"

"-flaw-assed idea." The green-haired man shook his head in disapproval. "I guess it can work, but if that blows up in our faces, I'll know who to look at. Huh?"

Floyd nodded. "Yes, boss." He looked back and saw Serena and Bonnie approaching, to which he whispered to Adam, "Besides, it's not gonna be that long now. Very soon, we're gonna score ourselves enough money to reestablish ourselves and our reputations! Isn't that right?"

A smirk suddenly crawled upon Adam's lips, and he chuckled maliciously as he stared at the approaching Serena and Bonnie.

"Yes," he replied. "Yes, that's right..."

A/N: So, Serena and Bonnie have been "captured" by Adam and Floyd, whom they don't know are enemies! And the threat of the fire is still existent, and very real.

What shall happen next? Stay tuned!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

Pokemon Trainer White: Obviously dead. :P Just kidding, they're okay.

celebi4ever: Here's more! Sorry if it's late.

Agent BM: Thanks for informing me that.

Social fanfiction 20: Well, at least the Ash-remembering-Serena part has already been remedied. :D

Feibush Melech

Falcon GQ: Thanks! There shall be more to come.

Rewile: Here it is. Sorry if it's late. :P

Well, hope you enjoyed this heavily delayed chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!