NOTE: And here it is! The next chapter! Sorry it took awhile. :)

Onto some reviews!

aliensinnoh: ...I'm surprised she wrote that note though, wasn't she already trying to forget Ash at that point?

I seriously should have written the past details somewhere. The more chapters I write, the more difficult it is for me to remember what happened in the past. There's an explanation in this chapter, and I'm surely hoping it fit with what I planned. lmao. I think it did, but that is definitely something I'll keep in mind for future stories. :)

DefinitelyNotLit: ...And does ash have a z-ring and all the other z crystals?

I didn't really plan out Ash's adventures since it's not that important. I would say the drama and interactions with people he met are more important. This leans more towards a typical school fic, but I still wanted Pokemon and certain elements on Pokemon in here. So, it is how it is...

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed! - Queen Got Swag, FantasyLover88, Q-A Authoress, Nexxus176, Bluejack222, UptownFunk, Guest, Elcall (Your review put a smile on my face! It means alot, especially coming from a quiet reader! Thanks so much!) , PunishedEagle88.

I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

Chapter Nineteen: Below The Mountains

Ash and Serena reached the top of the mountain with enough time to complete their assignment. Serena smiled, bringing her hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the blinding rays of the sun. She inhaled, taking in the fresh mountain air while looking down at the incredible view. She shifted around in her leather saddle, her eyes fixated on the sight below the mountain. It amazed her to see that a city that seemed so big was actually small compared to the rest of the world. Beyond the gleaming lights and moving cars was the vast, green canopy, extending for miles and miles. Serena could only imagine what wild Pokémon were lurking by those hundreds of trees.

With guidance from one of the workers, the Rhyhorn trudged through the snow and into the docking area.

"Easy now," said the worker as it rubbed Rhyhorn's rocky head.

Serena grabbed onto her bag, rechecking her supplies to make sure that nothing accidentally fell when they were traveling up the mountain. As she opened up the small pocket on front of her bag, she smacked her lips, rubbing them together. She could feel a few dry, flaky bits irritating her lips. She reached her balm and immediately applied a thin coat to her lips before rubbing them together once more. As she returned her balm and zipped up her bag, she looked up, noticing Ash's hand extending upwards towards her.

"C'mon," he said, offering to help her off of the Rhyhorn.

Serena stared at his hand, contemplating whether or not she should accept his help. If she didn't, then she would look like a jerk. But if she did, then they would look like a couple to everyone else. Serena mentally shook her head, wondering why these kinds of thoughts were suddenly clouding her mind. It was just a friendly gesture. It was nothing more than that. This was Ash for crying out loud. He would probably do the same for Dawn or Clemont.

"We should hurry," said Ash, looking to his right. "We want to finish before the snowstorm comes."

"R-Right," said Serena, grabbing onto his hand. Now she felt stupid for accepting his request so late.

The honey blonde jumped down and thanked the worker who in return reminded them to be back just before one. The duo nodded and headed off into the wild.

It was quiet. The only thing that could be heard was the rush of the weak wind. Serena looked down to her boots that were leaving imprints in the snow. She furrowed her brow, trying to listen to the crunching noises that sounded with each step she took.

Every so often she glanced up, looking at Ash who was leading the way. He had a map in his hands, using it as a guide to prevent them from getting lost. Pikachu was intently staring at the map, making sure that its trainer wasn't taking the wrong turn.

Serena chewed on her bottom lip. The constant chewing immediately dried out her lips, making her reapply her balm for the fourth time since they left the Rhyhorn stable. She clasped her mitten-covered hands together and began rubbing her palms. She couldn't think about anything other than her feelings for Ash. Every time he looked to the left, she caught herself catching a glimpse of his auburn colored eyes. A week ago, they were just auburn. They were just eyes. But now they were much more. She found them beautiful and wanted to stare into them forever. And then she would shake her head, trying to fight her sudden romantic urges.

"Pika Pikachu!"

"Huh? What's that buddy?" said Ash, who was still looking down at the map.

Serena glanced up and took a step next to the Alolan champion. She looked to the right, noticing a few Cubchoo's and Beartic's walking by a few snow covered bushes. "There's some wild Pokémon there," said Serena, pointing ahead.

Ash looked up, noticing what the two were staring at. "Quicker than expected," he said.

"Really? Weren't we walking for a half hour?"

Ash chuckled. "It's only been around seven minutes, Serena." He turned to look at her and flashed her with a toothy grin. He then looked over to Pikachu and thanked his buddy for finding them some wild Pokémon for them to study.

Serena stood there, stunned. Has it really been seven minutes? She checked her phone, confirming the time. I guess I was thinking too much…

"Let's go," he said. "We'll be done in no time. Then we can join the others and do something back at the hotel."

"Ye-Yeah," said Serena. If they finished fast enough, then she'd be away from Ash sooner. It was a great plan. She just had to trudge through the assignment, and she'd be back to safety.

Serena sighed in relief as she stuffed her textbooks back into her bag. She pulled her phone from out of her pocket and looked at the time. 12:45PM. They've been doing their assignment for a little over than an hour. It felt like an eternity to her though. Ash decided that they should divide their list of questions, so that they would finish the assignment much faster. He wanted to be able to work on each question together, but he also wanted to finish before the snowstorm. If they didn't finish, they would have to come back the next day, and he was adamant about getting a chance on the slopes without having to worry about completing their assignment.

Serena thought that it was an excellent idea. That meant that they didn't have to talk. And they rarely did. The only problem was that they were going to have to review their questions together. The assignment wasn't a presentation, but Serena knew Professor Sycamore. To make sure that they were actually working together, he was probably going to randomly question the duo before they handed in the assignment. Serena hated that aspect of Professor Sycamore's teaching, but he was only doing it to make sure that the work was balanced.

"We should hurry," said Ash. "We don't want to be stuck up here."

"Yeah," Serena replied before draping the straps of her bag around her shoulders. She stood up and looked at Ash, and the two began their walk back to the Rhyhorn stable.

It didn't take that long for them to retrieve their Rhyhorn and return back down the mountain. Serena saw Calem at the stables before they left. When Ash went to the worker to get their Rhyhorn, Calem pranced to Serena and began teasing her about her 'date' with Ash. Before Serena even had the chance to tell him otherwise, Ash came back. He asked Calem if he wanted to join them on their way back down, but Calem rejected his offer. He smirked at Serena, and Serena knew what he was insinuating.

Serena tapped her boots against the edge of the doorframe, trying to rid her boots of any excess snow. She then followed Ash into the room they were in a few hours ago and began sliding her boots against the black rug. She walked over to the exit and opened the door once she saw Ash walking her way after returning the key. She spotted a taxi and was thinking of taking it back to the hotel.

"Wait," said Ash, causing Serena close the door.

She could tell that the storm was on its way. She barely opened the door, but she felt a strong gust of wind against her face.

"What is it?" she asked quietly. She moved from the exit, allowing some strangers to exit the building.

"Did you want to eat here?" he asked, pointing at the arched doorway that led to what looked to be a quaint café.

"Oh." Serena looked down. "I don't know… Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to the hotel? We don't want to be caught in the storm…"

He chuckled. "The workers said that it should be fine in town. It's just the slopes they are worrying about. Besides, I'm pretty hungry, and I know that Pikachu is too." He rubbed his belly.

Serena smiled. She forgot that Ash was the one to get hungry after every task he completed. Now that he was mentioning food, Serena felt pretty hungry herself.

"While we eat, we can read each other's notes. Then tomorrow we can hit the slopes while everyone else finishes their assignment."

She hated it, but he was making a good point. "I guess I am pretty hungry," said Serena.

"Great. Let's go!"

"Pikachu!"

Serena took a deep breath, finding it kind of unbelievable that she was going to have to spend another hour alone with Ash. She really wanted to get back to the hotel and join the others. They were all probably off the slopes and having a late lunch at the buffet. Or maybe they left the slopes early to have some fun at the indoor pool. Serena sighed. She really wanted to be with the others.

The honey blonde took a seat across from Ash at the café. After ordering their food, the two released their Pokémon from their pokeballs. There was a playpen for Pokémon just across the café, so while they were waiting for their food, their Pokémon were happily playing in the background.

Serena reached for her cup of iced water, taking a swig as she began reading Ash's notes. After reading a few sentences, she started to feel like a terrible partner. She had a hard time concentrating on the mountains, so her observations weren't written to the best of her abilities. She continued to skim his notes, noticing that he added extra information that wasn't needed. He added his own hypotheses about certain things, his own thoughts about the life of the Cubchoo's and Beartic's. If she added her work to the assignment, the grade was going to be pulled from an A+ to a B-. She had to fix her answers before handing in the assignment. She had to make them much more profound and observing like Ash.

"You don't have to worry about adding more information," said Ash like he was reading her mind.

"Huh?" Serena blinked, finding it kind of creepy. This was the second time that he was able to pick up on what she was thinking.

"I'm in the researcher's program. I need to get used to answering things a certain way. It's practice for me. This is just a beginner's course for you. You don't have to worry about it."

"But wouldn't Professor Sycamore know that we didn't answer these questions together?" asked Serena.

"Professor Sycamore actually gave Gary and I a little more extra work than the rest of the class." He tugged on a piece of paper that was hanging from his textbook.

Serena grabbed the paper from his grip and began skimming the words on the page.

"He just wants a little bit more input since we were unable to join a different elective, so it's fine." He smiled before taking the paper and tucking it back into his textbook. His face then lit up and he dropped his pencil onto the table. "I almost forgot about this." He began rummaging through his backpack.

Serena tilted her head, curious as to what he was looking for. She tucked her pencil at the center of her textbook, making sure that it wasn't going to roll off the table. She straightened her spine, slightly leaning over the table, trying to find what he was looking for.

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

"Yeah?" Serena raised an eyebrow. She forgot that she told him about that. She also forgot that him and Gary were the ones who took over her former room. The room that she was with since she started attending the academy.

"Well, I think I found one."

Serena leaned back and sat comfortably in her chair as Ash placed a folded note in front of her. Her and Miette were really into origami during the time that they created all their notes. It was probably the very first activity Serena learned to get over Ash. Some folds were simple, while others were quite advanced. Sometimes their notes were folded to look like envelopes. Others were paper cranes or flowers. The one in front of her was a blooming rose. Serena remembered that once she mastered the rose, she wouldn't stop making them. She was so absorbed in folding paper that she mastered a bunch of different kinds only a week into starting it.

"Don't worry," said Ash, handing it to her. "I never looked at it. I thought you'd like to see it first, and well, I didn't want to ruin your work."

Serena smiled, eager to see what was written on the note. Her and Miette left dozens of notes in that room. Some of them didn't even make sense, but Serena didn't care. She meticulously began to unfold the pink piece of origami paper. If she remembered correctly, pink indicated that it was something she wrote.

Once unfolded, Serena's eyes widened.

One day, I will kiss Ash Ketchum.

She almost choked on her own saliva reading those words. It was a distant memory, but Serena remembered why she wrote it. It was during her first year at the academy. She was such an emotional teen back then. Ash left for quite some time at that point, but she was still insanely in love with him. That's when Miette started to force her into taking some classes to take her mind off of him. She told her that if she focused on other things, her crush would fade away. At one point, Serena thought that it was working. But then she received a letter from Ash, detailing his adventures in Alola. Then he wrote 'I miss ya!' at the end of the letter. She was ecstatic over his words, so she wrote that note. She didn't realize that he sent the exact same letter to all of his former travelling companions though. Once she befriended Dawn and May, they showed their letters to her and began laughing at Ash, saying that it was typical of him to send the exact same letter to everyone. Serena thought those words were for her, but they weren't. And that's when she realized that she had to get over him a hundred percent. She was out almost all of the time. She was busy with clubs, visiting Shauna and the siblings as much as she can. She even went to plays and movies alone. And then she came across Alain, and from there, things drastically changed.

"So what does it say?" asked Ash, curious.

"Oh, uhm… It's nothing important." Serena folded the paper in half.

"If it isn't so important, then why can't I see it?" A smirk crept onto his face. He reached for the paper, almost grabbing it between his thumb and index finger.

Noticing his actions, Serena quickly pulled the paper away, allowing his fingers to grasp onto nothing.

Ash grimaced. "I can't see it? I found it. I should be able to read at least a part of it," he said playfully. He scooted his chair closer to Serena and extended his arm, trying to grab the folded note that she was hiding behind her back.

"It's a secret." Serena giggled, extending her arm backwards.

Ash leaned in closer, trying to reach for the paper that was almost within his reach. "But we're friends right? Do you know how hard it was for me to not open up the thing and read the note myself?"

Serena shook her head in a mocking manner. "Well it's too bad that you decided not too." She laughed and then turned her head, meeting his auburn colored eyes.

She didn't notice how close he was. She could feel his warm breath against her cheek.

"I-uhm-" Serena tried, feeling herself unable to breath. She choked on her words, but swallowed hard. He wasn't moving away.

Instead of moving back or saying anything, Ash just stared into her eyes. He then leaned in closer, his lids slowly covering his auburn orbs.

Serena gulped once more, unable to process what was happening. Before she could say anything else, she felt his lips pressing against hers. Her body tensed up, and she dropped the folded note onto the floor. Her extended arm slowly started to fall down to her side as she felt Ash's lips move against hers. Serena slowly closed her eyes, feeling her body relax, but she was immediately taken aback as Ash pulled away.

Serena's eyes fluttered open and she stared at the raven haired trainer in front of her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean too, I just…" He stopped, thinking of what to say.

Serena sat there in confusion. She didn't know what to say or what to think. It all happened incredibly fast. She just knew that she wanted to kiss him again.

"Ash…" she said quietly. "Do you-"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" A loud voice sounded right next to her.

Serena was about to turn her head, but was forcefully pulled away from her wrist and dragged away from Ash. She was still stunned and unable to process anything that was happening. She looked at Ash who had a look of guilt on his face. She then turned to look at the person who grabbed onto her. It was Alain, and he was furious. He dragged her away from the seating area and into a small hall that led to the washrooms.

"WHAT THE HELL, SERENA?" He was angry, but his voice was shaky too. "DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TO PICK UP YOUR PHONE?"

"What?" Serena asked, quietly. She was still coming into terms with what just happened.

"DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TO PICK UP YOUR PHONE?!" He repeated again. He then paced around the small hall before kicking the stool that was placed beneath a public telephone.

"I..." Serena reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone. She had fifteen missed calls and twelve messages from Alain. There were also a few from the others, but not nearly enough as him. She swore it hasn't been long since she checked her phone. Her and Ash just ordered their food. If anything it's been a half hour since she checked it.

"The snowstorm came earlier than expected." He was trying so hard to sound so calm. "Everyone was being evacuated, but we couldn't find Dawn or Gary. They're stuck on the mountain's somewhere."

"What?" said Serena, exasperated.

"If you weren't too busy kissing Ash, then maybe you would have looked at your phone!" His calmness broke and his voice immediately rose. "I THOUGHT YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD NEVER LIKE HIM AGAIN!"

"I-I don't," Serena's voice faltered. But she did. She was just still coming into terms with it. "We were just doing our assignment, and he kissed me. It was an accident. I didn't want it!"

But she did. Deep down, she really did.

"Is that why everyone was forcing Shauna on me? To get you with Ash? They were all in on this weren't they?!" He questioned, his voice cracking much more than before. "I tried to be her friend for your sake! Because you wanted me too! I tried to befriend everyone, and this is what you do!? You told me that you would never like him again, and now you're kissing him! You shouldn't have told me to befriend Shauna! I would have been able to watch you! I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROTECT YOU!" He hovered over Serena, backing her up against the wall. He then punched the wall beside her head, startling her in the process. He then backed away, not wanting anyone to think that he was trying to hurt her. He paced the small area again before kicking the stool once more, this time letting it fall onto the floor.

Serena made a fist and stood up straight. She then took a deep breath, not wanting to say what she was thinking. But she had to do it.

"I don't need a guard," she said with a stern expression. "I'm fine on my own! And I can like anyone I want too! Even if it is or isn't Ash!"

"BUT YOU BELONG WITH ME!"

And he said it. He finally said it. Serena knew that's what Alain wanted. She knew that all he wanted was her. But she couldn't understand why. All she did was help him cope over Mairin. In her books, that wasn't enough to justify the feelings of love. He was just trying to fill the void, and Serena couldn't accept it. She loved Alain. But as a friend. Nothing more.

"I don't want to be with you," Serena said quietly, unable to meet his eyes. "I will not be with you."

"Why?" He gritted through his teeth.

"Because… Because you're a mess," she admitted. "You've been a mess for years, and you won't do anything about it. You're the Kalos Champion and you're doing nothing to keep your title! There are trainers out there working harder than you trying to take it away! You haven't even battled in two years and you won't even try to be the great trainer you once were! Everyone's trying to help you get back on your feet, but you're just blowing off all the training sessions! You don't deserve to be the Champion anymore!" She was no longer able to control her breathing. She tried so hard, but she felt like she was about to have a panic attack. The tears began to roll down her face. "…And you sure as hell don't deserve me… or my friendship!" She finished off before storming away from him.

She marched out of the hall, and came to a stop at the arched doorway. She looked at Ash who was hovering over the note on the ground. He looked up at her and they briefly made eye contact. Serena squinted her eyes, noticing that the note was lying on the floor with the words faced upwards. It didn't matter to her though. He most likely heard the argument she was having with Alain. By the looks on all the workers faces, everyone did.

Behind Ash were all her Pokémon. They were all holding onto her items, staring at her with concerned looks on their faces. She then turned away, walking through the arch, hearing the footsteps of her Pokémon trailing behind her.

NOTE: So, there is no preview for this chapter. Reason? Well, I was looking into the next chapter and felt that it was a sudden change from all the drama that just happened here. I had to take a step back and add in a chapter before doing the one I initially planned (and I didn't plan for the sudden change, soo...).

Thanks for reading though! (:

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