"Please go to the dance with me!"

Ash Ketchum was a sixteen-year-old boy, attending Pallet Town High as a third-year student. Across from him was Lillie Celeste, the heiress to the Aether Foundation. Her wealth was beyond Ash's wildest dreams, and her beauty was blinding. Ash had been smitten with her, just like every other boy in school, since freshman year. Her pale blonde hair and piercing green eyes contrasted against the school's muted dark blue uniform, making her standout further. She was the school's idol and practically worshiped by many of the boys.

Lillie's voice cut through the air, inquisitive and sharp. "Ash Ketchum, was it?" she asked, eyeing him with passive interest. "This is the first time we've spoken, and you're inviting me to the school dance?"

Ash felt his heart race as he stammered out his response, extending a box of chocolates adorned with a bright red ribbon. "Ever since I saw you, I've liked you!" he exclaimed, his voice shaking with nervousness.

Lillie scoffed as she looked at the box of cheap chocolates. "Sorry, I don't eat sweets," she replied dismissively.

Ash felt his knees grow weak. "It's over," he thought. "My love life, is over."

But then, to his surprise, Lillie spoke up again. "I will go with you though," she said, her voice softer now.

Ash's heart leapt with joy, but he was still confused. "Huh?" he asked, looking up at her in disbelief.

"I will go with you...to the dance," Lillie repeated, blushing slightly as she stepped closer to him. "The truth is, Ash, I've liked you ever since freshman year."

Ash's heart skipped a beat as he tried to process her words. "Really?" he stammered, feeling a surge of hope.

Lillie nodded as her face flushed. "I'd be happy to go with you."

Ash felt a rush of excitement as he tried to play it cool. "Good good, sounds good." he felt out of breath.

Lillie turned and snapped her fingers, summoning a tall purple-haired boy carrying a few books and an expensive looking purse. From the purse, the boy fished out a large smartphone and handed it to Lillie. After fiddling with her phone, she handed it to Ash.

"Here's my number," she said, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "I'll text you the time and place to come pick me up."

"I'll make it a night to remember!" Ash quickly jotted down the number into his cheaper, less impressive smartphone. He felt his heart swell with happiness as he handed Lillie her phone back.

"Make sure to text me, Ash Ketchum." she said boldly before walking away, her bodyguard trailing behind her.

"If Brock knew I had this phone number, he would kill me," Ash thought. He was going to the dance with the girl of his dreams, and she had even given him her number.

It wasn't long before Ash saw Brock and Misty in the school halls. "Guys, you won't believe it!"

Brock looked skeptical. "What? Did she say yes?"

"Oh my god, did she really?" Misty's eyes widened with excitement

Ash nodded, flashing a cocky grin. "She did! Lillie agreed to go to the dance with me!"

Brock's jaw dropped, and Misty let out a squeal of delight. "I can't believe it," Brock said, shaking his head. "You, of all people, with Lillie..."

Ash shrugged, trying to play it cool. "I told you guys, I'm charming."

Misty giggled. "You're something, all right. That's the most popular girl in school."

"Well, congratulations, Ash. Guess my teachings worked." grinned Brock.

Ash stretched as he walked through the halls. He felt a newfound confidence guide his vision. "Thanks, guys. It's going to be a good school year."

The school bell rang over the speakers, interrupting the group of friends.

Brock panicked "Ah, shit. I gotta get going."

"So do we, come on Ash!" shouted Misty as she grabbed Ash, dragging him to first period.

Ash Ketchum had Professor Birch for as his homeroom teacher. The young professor was a favorite of Ash's, always cracking jokes and making class enjoyable. He even taught Ash's favorite subject, Earth Sciences.

"Good morning, everyone," the professor said, smiling. "I have a new student to introduce to you today. Some of you may know them already." The professor paused for a moment, taking in the expectant faces of his students. "Please welcome Gary Oak," he said, gesturing towards a tall boy with long brown hair and a cocky grin. "Gary used to live in Pallet Town, but he moved away a few years ago."

As Gary made his way to the front of the classroom, Ash Ketchum couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over him. He was the last person Ash wanted to see.

"Sup, my name is Gary Oak. Just moved back here since my parents died. Gonna be crashing with my gramps for a bit." The boy removed his sunglasses and tucked them into his Hawaiian shirt, which was definitely not adhering to the school dress code. "Where should I sit, teach?"

Before he met Misty and Brock, Gary was Ash's only "friend." Their play-dates consisted of Gary taking Ash's Pokemon cards and pushing him into dirt. Ash was relieved when his mother told him Gary's family had moved away. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as his eye's met Gary's. Ash hoped to never speak with him again, but fate had other plans.

"Dude, it's been so long!" Gary exclaimed as he rushed over to Ash, eyes lit with excitement. The boy slapped Ash on the back playfully. "What's going on bro."

"Hey, man," Ash stammered, trying to keep his voice steady. "Long time no see."

"You two are already friends I take it?" Professor Birch asked, walking up to the two boys with a smile. "Well then, Gary, you can sit in the seat next to Ash."

Gary grinned, flopping his backpack onto the desk next to Ash's. "It'll be just like old times, Ashy," he said, grinning with excitement.

Ash sighed. He couldn't believe that he was going to have to spend the semester sitting next to his former tormentor. Ash decided to bury his head and sleep through first period.

Professor Birch returned to the front of the room. "And students, I actually have one other student to introduce," he announced, capturing everyone's attention. "She too used to live in Pallet town and is returning after living in the Kalos region."

Ash didn't even bother looking up. He had no interest in meeting any more new students. But as the door opened and a quiet voice spoke, he was unable to resist looking up.

"Hello, my name is Serena Summers," the girl said softly. "I plan to join the tennis club. I enjoy designing and wearing clothes."

Ash's eyes widened as he took in her appearance. She was wearing the same muted blue and gray uniform as all the other girls, but somehow it was different on her. Honey blonde hair was styled in long, soft waves, and it cascaded down her back like a waterfall of gold. As she looked around the classroom, her sky blue eyes lit up with an air of wonder and curiosity.

Professor Birch directed Serena to a seat in the front row. Ash watched as Serena unload her handbag neatly.

"I could have sat next to her, but now I'm stuck with Gary," thought Ash.

As the class began Ash found himself sneaking glances at Serena whenever he could. He watched as she took notes, her pen moving gracefully across the page. He watched as she laughed at one of Professor Birch's jokes, her blue eyes crinkling at the corners. Her face seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember from where.

Gary leaned over to Ash, nudging his shoulder with a sly grin. "She's a cutie, right?" he whispered. "I caught her checking me out when we were in the teacher's lounge. She's definitely into me, dude."

Ash rolled his eyes, not impressed by Gary's arrogance. "You thought that about Carly back in primary school," he said, shaking his head.

Gary laughed, brushing off Ash's comment. "Come on, man. You can't deny that I have a certain charm that the ladies can't resist," he said as he winked at a group of girls across the room.

Ash rolled his eyes, not wanting to entertain Gary's delusion any longer. He knew that Gary was lying, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as he watched the girls giggle and smile at the transfer student.

"She doesn't like you," a voice came from the seat in front of Gary's. It was Marnie, she was well known for being rebellious at school, violating the dress code by shaving her hair and getting various piercings. She had never been one to shy away from speaking her mind, even if it was to the school staff.

"Huh, why not?" Gary whined, leaning back in his chair.

"Because she already has her eyes set on someone," Marnie replied looking in Ash's direction.

"Soon her eyes will be directly set on this," said Gary, flexing his bicep.

"Hey, you two!" Professor Birch looked up from the textbook he was reading from. "Shut up and focus, especially you Ash!"

"Alright teach!" said Gary.

Ash threw a final glance at Serena. The girl looked forward, diligently taking notes. "Well, I give up. I can't remember." Ash dismissed as he looked down at his textbook, letting his mind drift into fantasies about his upcoming dance date with Lillie.

It had only been a week since Gary and Serena had transferred to Pallet High, but Ash was already fed up. He found himself struggling to focus with Gary in his ear. More surprisingly, he found himself staring at Serena often. He felt silly caring so much about her when he had Lillie to look forward to. In an effort to clear his head, Ash decided to visit his friend Brock in the third floor restroom. The third floor restroom was old and rarely used, making it the perfect spot for students to indulge in their vices.

Brock was already there, puffing on his vape as he lounged against the wall. "So you think you remember this girl, you just don't know from where?" he asked, taking a long drag. "Have you talked to her at all?"

"Not at all," Ash replied, watching the smoke fade into the air. "Although she has looked at me funny a few times."

"She's waiting on you," Brock said as he handed Ash his vape. "Here, try this, it will clear your mind."

Ash grumbled as he took a hit. "This will just make everything worse."

"Cheer up, buddy," Brock said, patting him on the back. "You're taking Lillie Celeste to the school dance. You have nothing else to worry about."

Ash coughed a little and smiled, "Well, that is true." he said, thinking back on his conversation with Lillie the night before.

"Speaking of Lillie, how are things going?" Brock asked.

"We're texting a bit," Ash replied. "She's fun to talk to… although her mom is performing a background check on me."

Brock laughed, "Seriously?"

"Apparently she does this with every guy Lillie has contact with."

"You better be careful, if you treat her wrong her bodyguards might come after you," Brock joked.

The purple-haired bodyguard flashed in Ash's mind. He definitely looked like he could do damage to Ash. Not only was he taller than Ash, but clearly more muscular as well. Ash took another drag on the vape.

"I'll try to avoid that. Anyway, I need to go back to class before last period ends," said Ash as he passed Brock his device back, leaving the third-floor bathroom.

As Ash walked through the hallway, a faint breeze blew through the windows. It took Ash's mind back to a time in his childhood. Once best left forgotten. It was a day he had met his a girl at summer camp. His first crush.

A young girl emerged from the trees. Her light blonde hair laid gently on her shoulders, as she wore a white dress. Her eyes, large and blue, darted around as she surveyed the forest landscape. Taking Ash's hand, she guided him towards a mass of trees.

"Be careful, these plants have thorns." the girl said as she carefully guided her gown over and around the plants.

Nestled in a grove of trees was a hidden gem in the wilderness. A small waterfall tumbled over a rocky ledge, sending a misty spray into the air. The sound of water cascading into the pond was soothing, and the gentle rustling of leaves added to the tranquil atmosphere. A statue of a whimsical creature stood at the back of the pond. With a mischievous grin and twinkling eyes, it stared at Ash. Its stone surface was weathered and worn, but it still exuded a sense of playful charm.

"Nobody else knows about this place. It's my secret," the girl bragged, walking down towards the pond. Carefully, she dipped her feet into the water. "So cold!"

Ash hurriedly took his shoes off and followed the girl. It was only a day prior he had arrived at summer camp. Arriving a week later than all the other attendees, Ash struggled to make friends. It seemed everyone had already made friends by the time Ash arrived. Everyone except for her.

"Watch out, Ash, it's really slippery right there!" the girls voice cried out as Ash made placed his foot on a large rock underwater. The smooth surface offered Ash no grip, causing him to fall head first into the shallow water.

"Ah, sorry. I should've told you earlier," the young girl squeaked as she looked down at Ash The boy gave her a wry smile before getting up and walking to the statue. "Hey, don't stand too close, you'll ruin my skirt!" she whined.

"Ah, sorry," Ash mumbled as the water fell off him. He wondered whether wringing out his clothes would help at all.

"Isn't this place nice?" the girl said as she looked at the waterfall. The whole clearing was painted in a faint mist. "I found it when I came to camp last year. Whenever we have free time, I come here!"

Ash looked down at the statue. It was far too worn down to read, but an inscription was written at the bottom. "Whats this?" he asked, avoiding looking at the girl's pretty face.

"I've named him Stoney." the blonde girl knelt down and looked at the statue. "Isn't he cute?"

It looked impish. It almost reminded Ash of Mr. Mime from the Pokemon games. "I don't know, he's kind of ugly." said Ash.

The blonde girl knelt down and hugged the statue. "What? Don't say that to Stoney!"

"Oh my bad," Ash racked his brain for a proper apology. "Sorry Stony."

Ash stared at the statue's cheeky smile. A strange force seemed to emanate from it, although Serena didn't seem to notice or care.

The young girl flashed again in Ash's mind. "Serena..." thought Ash. It was unmistakable to him now. She was the girl from summer camp all that time ago. It had been so long he could barely recall their time together. The small statue also stuck out in Ash's mind. He felt it was important somehow.

"Ash," a voice broke Ash's thought. It was Lillie. "You are listening right?"

Ash had been listening to Lillie explain her plans for tomorrow's dance.

"Of course, Lillie. I'll make sure to pick you up early so we have plenty of time for pictures," he said, trying to sound confident. "And I'll remember to wear a full tuxedo, just like you asked."

The two had been talking for over thirty minutes already. Ash had never been to a dance before, let alone with someone as beautiful and popular as Lillie, but it was a lot more work than he realized.

Lillie sat on her bed, smiling. "We'll have to go around and meet everyone. Oh, I can't wait to show you off at the dance." she said excitedly.

Ash yawned, feeling the weight of the long day finally catching up to him. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," he said, his voice tinged with exhaustion.

Raising his thumb to end the call, Ash stopped when heard Lillie's soft voice come through the phone. "Wait Ash." he held the phone to his ear and listened intently.

"Do you think we can we keep talking?" Lillie's voice was hesitant, as if she was afraid of rejection.

Ash's heart skipped a beat. Despite Lillie's wealth and power, she had her soft spots. "Yeah, we can do that." he replied.

For the rest of the night, the two of them talked about everything, from school to their futures. They laughed and joked, and Ash felt a sense of contentment wash over him. The girl he had liked for so long cared about him too. Only after Lillie had dozed off did Ash finally end the call, feeling excited at the prospect of dancing with her tomorrow.

Ash Ketchum stood confidently in a full tuxedo. It was a struggle, but he got all the pieces together. His jacket was a hand-me-down from his late father and slightly too big for him. The pants, borrowed from his cousin, were too long and in need of constant adjustment. Finally, his shoes were the same ones he had worn to his middle school graduation. Normally Ash wouldn't bother dressing up so much, but Lillie's mother specially requested Ash arrived in a Tuxedo. Next to Ash stood Lillie. She wore a white sequin dress, the material was shiny and expensive. Ash couldn't help but notice how the dress showed off a lot more skin than the school uniform.

"Sorry, I'm ready now," she said, her voice relaxed. "Did you wait long?"

Ash shook his head, trying to hide his nervousness. "No, all good."

Swinging open the door, Delia Ketchum entered the room. "Oh Ash, you look so handsome! Just like your father used to." she exclaimed. Behind her was an older looking maid who seemed to have some sort of authority.

An older maid directed Ash and Lillie towards a small photo set in the room. Ash felt his heart race as the maid placed his hand on Lillie's waist, she was so soft. Her green eyes peeked up at him happily as he held her. Ash thanked god how lucky he was to be here with her.

"Okay hold that position."

The maids snapped picture after picture, their cameras clicking incessantly. After a while Delia joined in, giggling as she snapped photos of Ash and Lillie posing together.

Lillie blushed as she smiled at Ash. "Sorry, my mother cherishes these kinds of pictures," she explained.

Ash nodded, eyeing his mom. "I get it," he said, feeling a little overwhelmed.

As they posed for more photos, Lillie asked, "Did you go to last year's dance?"

Ash shook his head. "No, did you?"

"I did, although I went with my bodyguard," Lillie replied, frowning as she looked over at Paul who was standing in a corner. "It was the only way my mother allowed me to go."

Ash looked over at the bodyguard, who gave him a glare. "I don't think he likes me," he thought to himself.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the maids and Delia relented and allowed Ash and Lillie to head to the dance. A man wearing a suit and black hat came over and ushered them towards a long black limousine, the doors opening automatically as they approached.

"Come on, Ash!" Lillie grabbed his arm, pulling him excitedly towards the car. Ash's heart stopped when he saw who was inside.

The large purple haired body guard looked uncomfortable despite the car's spacious legroom. "I'll be keeping an eye on you tonight, ma'am," he said, although his gaze fixed on Ash.

Lillie smiled at the bodyguard. "Thank you, Paul" she said, hopping in the vehicle. "Come on, Ash."

Ash reluctantly sat down next to Lillie, avoiding Paul's continued glare.

"Oh Ash, this is going to be a wonderful night!" said Lillie. As made sure to avoid any bodily contact with Lillie under Paul's watchful eye. Slowly, the limousine carried the three of them to the school dance.

Sitting in front of her mirror, Serena checked her makeup one last time. Her blonde hair fell gracefully around her soft face, and her sky blue eyes gleamed with excitement. A red bodycon dress accentuated her allure, giving her an air of confidence.

"Okay, I'm ready to go!" she exclaimed, looking over towards Chloe and Marnie, who were lounging on her bed.

"I'm so pumped!" Chloe said excitedly. "I can't wait to see how Goh looks."

"I can't believe you two dragged me into this," Marnie grumbled, looking down at the purple dress her friends forced her to wear.

"It will be fun," replied Serena, trying to counteract Marnie's lack of enthusiasm. "We can dance as much as we want."

"You're just looking forward to seeing Ash," stated Marnie, sounding annoyed.

Serena blushed, feeling a sense of embarrassment wash over her. "That's not true!" she protested, but deep down she knew that Marnie was right. She couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for Ash. Looking into his brown eyes brought back memories Serena long forgotten.

"You should go talk to him," Chloe said, standing up from Serena's bed. She was wearing a simple dark green dress with a selection of small gems decorating it. "Even if he doesn't remember you, it's still worth a shot."

"Soon you'll lose your chance. Everyone thinks he's hot now for some reason," Marnie added, her voice laced with boredom.

"I wonder if he's dating Lillie," Serena thought out loud, feeling jealously wash over her. "Have you heard anything, Marnie?"

Marnie shook her head silently, causing Serena to sigh. She had hoped that Marnie might have some inside information, but it seemed that she was just as clueless as Serena was.

"Serena, are you ready?" her mom's voice came through her door.

"Almost, mom!" Serena shouted back. Running over to her desk, she grabbed a yellow bracelet adorned with a small graphic of Pikachu.

"Again with the weird accessories?" Marnie peered over at Serena, who was throwing various bracelets and hairbands onto her wrists.

"It's sorta my style." Serena said jokingly as she held her hands in front of her friends. Her nails were painted a bright red to match her dress. Small hearts had been painted on. Serena relished in the opportunity to dress up in something other than the boring blue-and-Grey school uniform.

"That's impressive, Serena," Chloe commented as she fluffed her hair in the mirror.

"Well, let's get this over with." said Marnie as the three friends embarked towards the school dance.

The school had undergone a remarkable transformation, the gymnasium was now an underwater palace taking the theme of "The Little Mermaid." The dance floor was awash with blue light, and the fruit punch even had candy fish added in.

Lillie dutifully went around introducing Ash to her various friends, who were all eager to gain favor with the young heiress. The fellow male students seemed to take particular interest in Lillie, often trying to stare down her dress. Her strained smile made it clear to Ash that she was uncomfortable.

"Shall we dance?" he asked, offering his hand to save Lillie.

"Yes, sir!" Lillie replied playfully, taking Ash's hand and following him to the middle of the dance floor. As they danced, they found themselves surrounded by other students, each lost in the rhythm of the music. Ash noticed his teammate Drew and his girlfriend May holding each other close. Brock was dancing with the school nurse, and Gary Oak was grinding on a blue-haired girl Ash didn't recognize.

As the night wore on, Ash and Lillie continued to dance, lost in the music and each other's company. Lillie's laughter filled the air as she pulled Ash further into the crowd of dancers, her energy infectious. "Oh, Ash, I love this song!" she exclaimed, jumping rhythmically to the beat.

Ash couldn't help but join in, feeling the music pulse through his veins as he moved to the beat. But as the song commanded them to "jump," Ash crashed into someone next to him, stumbling backwards and nearly losing his balance.

"Ah, sorry," he apologized, looking to see who he had bumped into. To his surprise, it was Serena. Her revealing red dress caught Ash's attention. He couldn't help but notice how much she had grown in the ten years since they had last seen each other.

"Ash," she said, her voice barely audible over the music. "Can I talk to you?"

Ash and Serena made their way over to the drink station, a long table adorned with an 'Ariel' tablecloth. On it sat a big bowl of fruit punch, complete with candy fish.

"Lillie doesn't like sweet things, if only there was water," Ash said as he poured himself some punch. He watched as Serena also poured herself a cup. In contrast to Lillie's otherworldly beauty, Serena was more like a girl-next-door. Her wrist was adorned with various colorful bracelets and hairbands. There was one in particular caught Ash's eye, however.

"Ah, that's..." Ash peered closer at Serena's wrist.

Serena instinctively hid her wrist from view. "Whats wrong?" she asked confused.

"It looked like... a Pikachu bracelet," Ash pressed, walking closer to Serena trying to peek at her wrist. It was a black and yellow plastic bracelet that had clearly been seen use. The colors were faded slightly, but to Ash it was unmistakable.

"I knew it, you're that girl from summer camp!" he exclaimed.

Serena felt her face grow hot as she realized Ash remembered her. She tried looking into his eyes, but found herself staring at the boy's noticeably oversize pants. She chuckled as Ash had to adjust them after every few movements.

"Hi, Ash," she smiled widely. "I'm back!"

Ash felt a weight lift off his shoulders, she remembered him. He smiled warmly at her. "Welcome back. I'm surprised you held onto that Pikachu bracelet."

Serena looked down at her wrist. "I like to wear it on special occasions," she replied.

Ash stared at the various other items on her wrist, "Are all of these special?" he asked.

"They all hold some sort of meaning to me," Serena said.

"Well I'm glad to have given you one," Ash smiled at the honey-blonde girl.

A cold voice interrupted their conversation. "Ash, what's going on?" It was Lillie. "Who is this?" The school's idol looked Serena up and down.

Ash felt the air grow cold around him. "Uh, this is Serena from my class."

"Hmm," Lillie walked up to Serena. "So you two are friends?" She shot Serena a smile as they came face-to-face.

"Sort of," Serena squeaked out. It was common knowledge among all the female students to stay on Lillie's good side. Her family had enough money to remove any student she didn't like.

"Come on, don't stare too intently," Ash said nonchalantly, placing his hand on Lillie's shoulder. "Let's go dance."

Lillie gave Serena one last scornful look. "Yes, let's."

Ash glanced once more at Serena. "Well, it was good to reconnect. See you in class." he said, giving a short wave.

Serena grew jealous as she watched Ash and Lillie walk back to the dance floor hand-in-hand. She thought their reunion would be grander than that. She partly expected him to confess like it was a television drama.

"That was tough to see."

Out of nowhere Marnie appeared. The smell on her suggested she had spent a majority of the dance in the bathroom smoking.

"Marnie!" Serena cried, jumping into her friends arms. "He's taken!"

"It's not like they're dating yet, they just went to the dance together." Marnie stated. "There is still time to break them apart."

"I can't do that." Serena sighed, "Even if I could, it's Lillie Celeste. I'm no match for her."

Marnie patted her friend on the back. "Don't say that. You can go toe to toe with her. Come on, let's peel Chloe away from Goh and head back to my place. My dad bought us some whiskey."

"Okay…" said Serena as she timidly followed her friend back towards the dance floor.

Ash's mind raced, unable to shake the image of Serena from his mind. Talking to her had refreshed his mind in a way he couldn't explain. Memories of their time at summer camp flooded back to him - catching bugs, swimming, playing in the pond. The two had been inseparable the entire time Ash stayed. At the end of the his stay, Ash gifted her his prized Pikachu bracelet.

"Ash," Lillie's voice broke him from his thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Ash shook his head and looked at Lillie. "Want to go get some air?"

Lillie hid her frown. "Okay," she followed Ash as he pushed his way through the school's hallway out into the late summer breeze. Sighing, he looked up into the night sky.

"Are you thinking about Serena, Ash?" Lillie asked suddenly.

Ash tried avoiding her suspecting gaze. "What Serena? No, no, I'm just tired is all," Ash said fervently, racking his brain for a better excuse. "Dancing takes a lot out of you."

Lillie frowned. "Dancing, huh?" Her voice held clear jealously.

Ash laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, dancing."

After a minute, of silence. Lillie finally spoke.

"I'm going to go back and dance with my friends," she said in a defiant tone as she started walking back to the gymnasium enterance. Before entering, she paused and looked back longingly at Ash. "I'll be waiting for you to dance with me!" she shouted before darting back inside.

Ash sat silently outside the school. Ever since freshman year, he had a crush on Lillie. She was beautiful and intelligent, loved by teacher and student alike. She was perfect. For Ash, It was a dream come true to take her to the school dance. He would be foolish to think about any girl other than her right now. Nevertheless, he did.

"Get it together Ash, you're blowing it." he said to himself. Grabbing his phone Ash opened the camera app. His unruly hair seemed to have gone crazy from all the dancing he did. Grumbling Ash began to fix his hair. After a few moments, Ash put his phone down satisfied. "Alright, lets go dance."

As Ash started walking towards the school, he saw two figures exiting the building. It was Serena. Her bright blue eyes lit up upon seeing Ash. Alongside her was Chloe, who Ash knew mainly as his teammate Goh's girlfriend. She had watched all of their games last year.

"Hey Ash." said Chloe, chuckling as she noticed his oversized tuxedo. Serena simply remained silent as the pair walked past Ash.

"Hey there, prince charming?" Ash turned to see a smirking Marnie following the two girls. Her piercings and smell of cigarette smoke gave her a more mischievous air than usual. Ash had considered himself on good terms with Marnie, as she also seemed to dislike Gary.

"Not that I care, but I wasn't expecting you to bring Lillie to the dance," Marnie said bluntly as walked up to Ash. "I swear, all guys have the same taste,"

"I guess so," said Ash, confused at Marnie's sudden interest in him. He thought he saw Serena peeking back at them through the corner of his eye.

Marnie took another step closer to Ash. "Serena was happy to talk with you," she said quietly under her breath.

Ash stood confused as Marnie quickly walked off towards Serena and Chloe. He questioned whether it was worth trying to approach Serena when Marnie was with her.

"Yo Ash, whatcha doing out here?"

A deep male voice broke Ash's train of thought. It was Gary. In one arm he had the blue-haired girl from before, in his other arm was a senior girl Ash recognized from the volleyball team.

"I saw you dancing with that rich girl, dude. Guess you evolved from being a dweeb." smirked Gary.

"Hey Gary," said Ash in a monotone voice. "I'm just heading back in."

"Wait Ash, you wanna come with me and these girls and-"

Ash ignored Gary's requesting, instead returning to the school gymnasium. Seeing the garish boy reminded Ash that he had a gentlemen duty to uphold. Lillie's face was clad in blue as she stood at the edge of the dance floor, watching the various couples dance on the floor. The music had switched from the upbeat music to a more romantic tone. Next to Lillie stood Paul with his arms cross, his watchful eyes surveying the room for anything threats.

Ash ran up to Lillie, ignoring Paul's glare at the sudden intrusion. Not giving him any time to ruing the mood, Ash took Lillie by the hand. "Let's dance," he said, pulling her onto the dance floor. Drawing her close, the two swayed to the soft music. His hand rested on her back, guiding her movements as they moved together in harmony.

"Sorry for disappearing for a bit." said Ash as he apologized for leaving Lillie alone.

"It's okay," Lillie replied, laying her head down on Ash's chest, causing him to blush. "I won't let you disappear anymore."

The music continued to play as they danced, lost in each other's embrace. The students around them faded away, and it was just the two of them, lost in the moment.

End of Chapter 1

Character Profiles

Ash Ketchum
Age: 16
Dating: n/a
Best class: Earth Sciences.
Worst class: Mathematics
Likes: Basketball, Video Games, Girls
Dislikes: Math class, Gary Oak
"Despite being a hard worker, he only gets bad grades." - Misty

Serena Summers
Age: 15
Dating: n/a
Best class: Literature
Worst class: Earth Sciences
Likes: School, Fashion, Ash
Dislikes: Earth Sciences
"She gives the best advice, and her empathy is off the charts!" - Chloe

Lillie Celeste
Age: 16
Dating: n/a
Best class: All of them.
Worst class: n/a
Likes: Playing golf, reciting ballet, Ash
Dislikes: Sweets
"Even her maids have maids!" - Brock

Gary Oak
Age: 16
Dating: ?
Best Class: n/a
Worst class: All of them.
Likes: Women, picking up women, partying.
Dislikes: Alarm clocks, tests
"He chews his gum loudly to get attention." - Marnie

Paul Berimont
Age: ?
Dating: n/a
Best class: ?
Worst class: ?
Likes: n/a
Dislikes: Ash Ketchum, people who harm Lillie.
"He's gotta be like 6'8." - Ash