NOTE: Hey guys! So, I had to split this chapter into two. As I wrote it, I realized that it would be really long and I sort of want to keep my chapters near the same length. So, this chapter will be "Into the Mountains", and the next one will be "Below the Mountains" (as what I have put in the preview in the last chapter) :)

Just one question from last chapter.

Guest: ...After Ash's battle with Alian did Greninja go back to Oak's lab? He wasn't there when you introduced Ash's Alolan team.

I didn't think much about Ash's team tbh. It's not that important since this is mostly just school and drama. Although, when choosing it, I went with anime logic and went with "he has a new team all the time.. soo..."

Thanks to everyone who reviewed since last! - Daisy Pragnya, StreetRacer-Sam, skyblu23, aliensinnoh, FantasyLover88, Q-A Authoress, JayFan67, UptownFunk, Phsycres, Bluejack222, 2 Guest's, and DoodleRose.

Ya'll are awesome! Enjoy! :)

Chapter Eighteen: Into the Mountains

"Time to hit the slopes!" Dawn yelled out excitedly, pumping a fist into the air. She then stuffed the rest of her pecha danish into her mouth before taking a swig from her hot cocoa.

Serena turned her attention to the bluenette after handing her Delphox one of the many pokepuffs her and Miette made the day before. She smacked her hands together, rubbing her palms against one another to rid of any crumbs that were clinging to her skin.

"Are you sure you want to hit the slopes?" asked Serena, looking down to the coffee table where her own danish was still sitting on the quaint dish, untouched. She then took a seat on one of the comfy leather couches that was surrounding the large, round table. As she did, she reached out for her treat, taking a bite out of it after pulling it close to her mouth.

"Why wouldn't we?" Dawn asked, raising an eyebrow. The bluenette then stood up from the couch across from Serena and grabbed her coat that was draped across the armrest. After zipping up her coat, the bluenette pulled out a black knitted toque from her pocket and fitted it atop her head.

Serena glanced over at May who was standing behind Dawn, pulling a glove over her hand. Arnold was already fitting his ski goggles over his eyes and Gary was already heading out the door. He just finished returning his Pokémon to their pokeballs, and the others were doing the same. It was kind of odd for him to decide to go skiing with the others. No one was really in the mood to talk to him right now. The only person who was finding him tolerable was Dawn and that was because he was her project partner. She was the only one answering his questions or replying to his comments, but her answers were always crude or ill mannered. Everyone believed he deserved it though. Even Arnold was angry and he wasn't really in the loop. The ignorance didn't seem to be affecting Gary that much though. He was still hanging around everyone. The only difference was his quietness. Serena found it weird, but she preferred it that way.

"You guys don't want to start your assignment?" Serena asked. She placed her treat back on the coffee table before lifting her backpack from the floor and placing it on her lap. "I mean, wouldn't it be better to finish the assignment first?"

"No," Dawn answered and May was quick to follow.

"C'mon you guys," Serena grimaced as she watched the two girls fit their helmets over their toque-covered heads. "Tomorrow is our last full day. We should finish our assignment first and have fun tomorrow."

"But I just finished putting on my gear," May complained, but sounded more like she was looking for an excuse.

"I'm not in the class so I don't care," Miette chimed in, sipping from her mug of hot cocoa.

Serena turned her head to the left and glared at Miette, who in return blinked her way a couple times before gazing downwards at the Slurpuff by her feet. Sometimes Serena never understood Miette's trivial and unhelpful comments. It was most likely for her amusement, but still, Serena found it a nuisance.

"I agree with Serena." Ash stood from the leather armchair adjacent to the couch Serena was sitting on. "We should finish our assignment. After that, we'll have nothing to worry about. We can spend the whole day doing whatever we want."

The apples of Serena's cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. Ash was taking her side and it was making her feel all tingly inside. She kept her gaze on him as he looked to his classmates. Maybe two voices were going to somehow persuade the rest.

"I vote we do it tomorrow. Now whose with me?" Dawn raised her voice before picking up her mug, drinking the remainder of cocoa. She gulped the entire thing and then placed it back on the coffee table.

As she straightened up, Serena looked to the rest of the students in Professor Sycamore's class. Other than Ash, they all had their hands up, agreeing with Dawn's suggestion.

"I'll come along if you'd like," said Alain, shrugging his shoulders. He was standing a little far from the group, his back pressed against the wall, one hand in his pocket, and the other holding onto a half eaten granola bar.

He was one of the three who was minding his own business. Shauna was sitting next to Serena, quietly eating her oatmeal, and Miette who was sitting next to Shauna was playing with her Slurpuff, slowly tuning out their conversation.

"No!" Dawn and May yelled out in complete sync. "You're going to teach Shauna how to ski!"

"He is?" Shauna glanced up with a mouthful of oatmeal in her mouth. Surprised by May and Dawn's sudden plans, a little bit of oatmeal slopped from her mouth and back into her disposable bowl.

"You two know how to ski," said Alain, placing his granola bar on the mantle where the fireplace was keeping the café nice and warm. He then kneeled down, unstrapping the ski boots that Dawn and May so eagerly forced him to put on just moments before. "You can teach Shauna."

"But you're a great skier!" Dawn blurted out. "We all need your guidance."

Alain stopped unstrapping his boots and squinted his eyes at the two girls. Serena could tell that he was confused by what was going on. He was probably wondering why they were so eager to hang out with him. They were scared of him. If only he knew of there plans to get him with Shauna.

"Last time I checked, May won the Snowbelle ski tournament the year before," Alain pointed out, continuing with unstrapping his boots. "I'd rather help Serena anyways. Maybe she can finish the assignment quicke-"

Alain stopped mid sentence as Dawn and May neared him, dragging him away by each grabbing onto one of his arms.

"Hey!" Alain yelled out, infuriated. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"You're teaching us whether you like it or not," Dawn said as she let one of her arms go from his bicep to grab the black duffel bag that had all his gear.

"I guess that's my cue to leave," Shauna said, finishing her last bit of oatmeal. She then reached out for her glass of apple juice and chugged it within seconds. "I'll see you guys later." She stood up from the couch and followed Gary and Arnold out of the café after returning her Pokémon to their pokeballs.

Serena sighed. She really wanted to be with everyone when completing the assignment. She thought it would be more fun that way. But that wasn't true. The real reason was because she didn't want to be alone with Ash. She hasn't liked anyone in years. Yet alone, the boy she tried so hard to forget. It was too awkward for her. She didn't know how to deal with the romantic feelings that resurfaced. The best thing she thought she could do was to ignore her beating heart by immersing herself in other activities. That's why she got Miette to make pokepuffs with her after the Showcase. And after that, she spent the rest of the night creating a busy schedule. More training. Trying out new activities. Going to Lumiose to visit Bonnie and Clemont. Ash wouldn't be on her mind if she was so busy, plus she would be saving herself from getting hurt if something were to come out of it.

The only problem on her schedule was trying to complete their last project for Sycamore's class. Serena knew that she would have to be alone with him, and she didn't want that. So, she planned to have everyone work on the project together, but separately. She was going to tell the girls of her idea the night before, but she hadn't realized that she was planning till two in the morning. Everyone was asleep, and Serena just hoped that they would follow her suggestion. Her plan backfired though. They did the exact opposite of what she wanted.

"Hey Miette…" Serena said, scooting over to the bluenette who was looking over a small booklet that contained all of the shows or events happening around the city. Serena gulped as Miette turned a page in the book. "Do you… want to join us with completing our assignment?"

Miette turned her head to look at Serena. She tilted her head, squinting her eyes as she placed the booklet on her lap.

Serena bit her bottom lip. She knew that Miette was trying to read her mind. Miette was always the first to pick up on everything before everyone else. She probably knew that Shauna had a crush on Alain before Shauna even admitted it. She most likely didn't say it because she wanted it to come from Shauna's mouth. Again, that was for her amusement.

"No," Miette replied in a cheery tone.

Serena pursed her lips together, keeping her expression emotionless. Her inner self was gaping in horror with her soul leaving her body. She also felt like a boulder just fell from out of nowhere, crushing her shoulders. Her last thread of hope was burned to a crisp.

Miette lifted the booklet from her lap and frantically began to flip through the pages. After finding the page she was looking for, she held the book up to Serena's face.

"What?" Serena deadpanned, her eyes glossing over a dozen words. A dozen different events.

"Right here," said Miette, turning the booklet for a mere moment to point out what she wanted Serena to see.

Serena blinked as Miette shoved the booklet into Serena's hands. She then put her finger on the line that she wanted the honey blonde to read.

"Beginners Rhyhorn Racing, lead by Calem Yvonne and his team," Serena mumbled.

Serena seriously wanted to smack Miette on the head. She's had a crush on her older brother for as long as she could remember. They were seven years apart. There was no way on earth that she was going to win her brother's heart. He was a pervert and a playboy. Even Gary was better than him.

"I'm going to find your brother!" Miette announced before grabbing her belongings and prancing out the café door. Trailing along behind her was her Slurpuff, still eating its pokepuff.

Serena sighed in disappointment, but also in relief. There was a chance that Miette didn't pick up on her newfound feelings for Ash. She was probably too deep in her thoughts over Calem. And as much as Serena despised it, she had to thank Calem for it.

"So I guess it's just you and me then," said Ash, rubbing the palms of his hands against his jeans.

"Ri-Right," said Serena. "Le-let's get to it then!" She placed a fist over her chest. With everyone gone, she could feel it pounding throughout her entire body. It was ringing through her ears, and it made her feel as if Ash was able to hear it too.

Relax Serena. She told herself. Our Pokémon are here. It won't be such a big-

"Let me just return my Pokémon to their pokeballs." Ash reached around his belt, grabbing his pokeballs. "It will be much easier for us to get to a habitat without them around. If they are seen, they might scare away the wild Pokémon too." As he returned each Pokémon, he looked over to Serena's Delphox. "If they see your Delphox, they might think that they're going to be under attack. It's mostly going to be ice types here, and they might be afraid to see something they are weak too, especially if they have young ones around them. It's just a survival instinct."

"That's true…" Serena mumbled, reaching for her own pokeballs.

After a minute, their Pokémon were no longer in the room, making Serena realize that they were the only ones in the café. Even the barista's and waiters were gone. They were probably cleaning a few things in the back.

"Shall we go?" Ash asked, standing from his seat. Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder, allowing him to put on his coat.

"Ye-Yeah," Serena answered, standing from her own seat to put on her winter wear. As she did, she looked over to Pikachu who was standing on the armrest, waiting for Ash to finish with putting on his coat.

Pikachu is here. That's gotta help! Serena sighed in relief once more as she zipped up her jacket. She then turned around, reaching for the rest of her winter accessories. Her eyes widened as she stared at the yellow knitted scarf. It was the one that Ash gave to her yesterday. She didn't realize that she forgot to give it back to him. She didn't even notice that she grabbed onto it before going to the café for breakfast. Serena grazed the scarf with her fingertips before clenching her fist. She glanced at Ash who was putting on his gloves. She noticed that he didn't have a scarf with him.

Should I return it to him? She thought. I could go up and grab a different one. What if he's cold? Serena grazed the material again, unsure if she should just wear it. She didn't want to waste his time by going upstairs to grab a scarf. What is wrong with me? I was comfortable with him the second he got here. I even teased him about his love life… His love life… Did he have a girlfriend in Alola? Is that why he's no longer dense? Serena felt the beat of her pound harder. This time it hurt though – another familiar feeling she hasn't felt in a very long time. No, Serena. She shook her head. That's none of your business.

"Serena? Are you okay?"

The honey blonde jerked her head to look at the Alolan Champion. He was fully dressed and looked pretty warm in all his winter gear. Pikachu was already perched up on his shoulder too, and he already had his backpack on.

"Uhh… yeah," she squeaked, feeling her cheeks burn. With the added heat from the fireplace, she was starting to feel sweaty beneath her coat. "I was just wondering if you wanted your scarf back." She grabbed the knitted scarf from the couch, her arm a little shaky as she held it in front of him to grab.

"It's okay," he said. "You can keep it. Besides, I got it for you anyways."

"But, won't you be cold?"

"I'll be fine." He smiled. "Besides, if I get sick, it's not a big deal. But if you get sick, you won't be able to train well for the next Showcase. And I want you winning the next one."

"Right." She looked down, feeling much more nervous because of his answer. She then wrapped the scarf around her neck before putting on her gloves and fitting the shoulder straps of her backpack around her arms.

"Great," he said. "I think I know a good place for us to find a habitat too. I saw it one of the booklets."

"Okay," Serena squeaked as she followed Ash out the door.

The honey blonde stood in line, waiting to receive a Rhyhorn that was going to escort them up the mountain. Ash was busy looking through a few other winter gear set up in the area, talking to one of the advisors if anything else was necessary for the trip up.

Usually, most people took the Rhyhorn's to the other side of the mountain to go to the next city. For those staying in Snowbelle, they were allowed to go to the top of mountain to enjoy the view of the city from a small lodge. They were also allowed to wander around the paths, observing the wild Pokémon.

Serena glanced up at the television that was bolted up on the wall above the registration counter. The channel was set on the weather network and the woman on the screen was talking about the current weather conditions in the city. At the bottom of the screen was a red news ticker with the words "SNOWSTORM COMING OUR WAY!" scrolling by. Serena looked up at the news reporter, tuning out the rest of the noises around her.

"Be careful today everyone! A snowstorm is to be heading our way around 4PM! Everyone is advised to stay away from the mountains after lunch time to ensure safety and proper evacuation."

The weather lady repeated her message once more, causing Serena to worry about her friends on the slopes. She hoped that they were well aware of the message. They had too. If the workers were doing their jobs, everyone should be safe.

"Hey, squirt!"

Serena looked up to see her brother walking her way with a key in his hand. The key used to show that he was renting a Rhyhorn. Beside him was a girl – a blonde with long curly waves, fair skin, and piercing green eyes. She had a thin nose, and small lips that were covered in a tinted pink lip-gloss. Under all those layers of clothing, Serena could tell that she probably had a body to die for. After all, her brother was always after girls that practically looked like models.

Serena looked down, noticing that the two were holding hands. She wondered how long these two were supposedly dating for. This was most likely the first date. After all, he never made it pass date one with a girl. It was a good thing Miette decided not to come. She would be burning with jealously if she did. Although, she would also be disappointed to see that Calem wasn't at the class she was so eager to attend.

"This is my sister. Squirt, this is Lacey."

"Hi there," Lacey said, extending her arm, holding her hand out.

"Hi," Serena greeted, shaking her hand. "My name's Serena. Not squirt." She glared at her older brother.

Lacey giggled. "Don't worry. My older brother calls me names too."

Serena smiled. Lacey seemed nice. Hopefully she didn't want a relationship from her brother. "So, why are you here Calem?" she asked, returning her attention to her brother. "I was looking through this booklet and saw that you were supposed to be teaching a Rhyhorn class here."

"Yeah," he said. "I let my assistant Brian lead the class today. It's a good learning experience. And in return, I get to take a break and spend the day with Lacey." He turned his attention to the blonde and kissed her on the cheek. "Why don't you get our Rhyhorn?" he said to Lacey. "I'll catch up with you. I just have to talk to my sister for a second."

"Sure." Lacey grabbed the key from Calem's hand. "It was nice meeting you Serena."

"You too," Serena said as she watched Lacey walk over to the entrance leading to the Rhyhorn's.

"So," he said, a sly grin on his face. "I don't see any of your other classmates. I just see Ash…"

Serena rolled her eyes. "It's just a project!" she stammered, her face turning red. "Where did you even meet Lacey and why did you take her here?"

"I met her two days ago at one of my lessons," He grinned. "And I like taking girls here because I'm an expert Rhyhorn Racer. They go crazy when I let them ride with me." He winked. "So you and Ash are on a date, huh?" He nudged her arm with his elbow. "My sister's growing up so fast." A twinkle appeared in his eye.

"It's not a date. I told you, it's a school project! We need to observe wild Pokémon."

"Mmhmm," he said, unconvinced. "Did you choose this place?"

"No, he did."

"It's a date," he teased. "This is a hot spot for dates. Look around you squirt. Couples everywhere."

Serena rolled her eyes and crossed her arms before deciding to take a look at the people around her. Calem was right. Almost everyone here was a couple.

"He hit two Fletchling's with one stone," said Calem. "Finishing an assignment while taking you on a date. He's a clever one." He winked again. "Maybe I'll see you at the lodge later." He sauntered pass Serena, then turned around. "Be aware of the snowstorm, squirt!" He turned back the other way, heading towards the Rhyhorn pen.

Serena rolled her eyes again.

"Calem is here?" Ash asked, appearing out of nowhere. "I thought he was supposed to be teaching a class."

"He always finds a way out of his duties."

"I bet Miette is disappointed," he said before lifting up the plastic baggie in his hand. "I got us some snacks and a blanket. It might get a bit chilly when we're looking at the Pokémon."

Serena looked inside the bag, seeing a waterproof blanket and a couple packets of candy and chips. It's kind of like a picnic… Serena thought. She gulped as Calem's voice echoed through her mind. He was chanting one word in particular. The word date.

But it's not a date. Serena told herself before looking up to see another guy exiting the shop. He stopped in front of a girl, pulling out a blanket from the bag and showing her the snacks that he bought.

No… those two could be sibli-

She watched the two kiss each other on the lips.

"Serena, we're next in line," said Ash, heading towards the counter.

Serena gulped as she looked around her. There were couples everywhere. Calem was right when he pointed out that this was a couple's hotspot.

But maybe it's just a coincidence… Serena tried to convince herself.

She leaned forward, trying to find a group of friends or a lone tourist in the room. The more her eyes wandered, the more angsty she got. A million questions began to ponder her mind – was Ash really using this time to take her out on a date? Is this some kind of trick? Is Calem right?

The honey blonde took a step back, feeling dizzy from all the thoughts crossing her mind. She took off her toque, her head feeling a cool sensation as the sweat on her forehead began to dry off. She crunched the knitted material in her hand, now noticing that she was profusely sweating under all her layers of clothes.

It was her nervousness. It was making her well-being go haywire. She was overthinking the situation, and couldn't seem to stop. It was just a project, but she kept thinking it was more. And now she was worrying about the smell of her odor. Or if her hair was kept intact under her toque. Or if she had a booger sticking out of her nose.

"Serena? Are you okay?" Ash asked.

"What?" Serena looked up from staring down at her boots. She didn't notice that she ended up looking at the ground after scanning the area.

Ash held the key up, and grabbed Serena's wrist, pulling her away from the line.

Serena bit hard on her bottom lip as she stared at Ash's hand. She felt her temperature rise, causing her undergarments to uncomfortably stick to her body. He then pulled away and Serena's eyes followed his arm as he pulled it back to his side.

"We should go," he said, leading her to the Rhyhorn pen. "We don't want to be caught up in that storm later."

Serena shook her head before slowly inching it upwards to look at him. "Ri-Right," she muttered.

Ash turned his head, flashing Serena with a small smile. "Great," he said. "Let's go."

Serena held her breath, her face turning a bright shade of red. Somehow she was going to have to get through the next few hours being alone with Ash.

Next Chapter Preview: Below The Mountains

"Remember when you told me about those little notes you and Miette would hide in your dorm room?" Ash asked, unzipping his bag.

"Yeah?" Serena raised an eyebrow. She forgot she told Ash about that. She even forgot that her and Gary took over her and Miette's room from the year before.

"Well, I think I found one." He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his bag. The thing was folded as if it were meant to be some new type of origami. "Don't worry. I never looked at it. I thought you'd like to see it first."

"Oh," said Serena, feeling somewhat excited to read what was on the note. The piece of paper was pink, indicating that it was one of her notes.

Serena grabbed the folded note from Ash's hand and meticulously began to unfold the paper.

Once unfolded, Serena's eyes widened - One day, I will kiss Ash Ketchum.

"So what does it say?" Ash asked.

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