Chapter 11- Syncing Hearts
Noise drowned into the grip of the lake, there was nothing to separate them now. Their eyes met, separated by mere metres. The raven-haired boy felt all of his doubts wilt away, every confusing worry stood to one side. Inside his stomach he felt the sizzling warmth blossom; she graced his sight. It was a sight of surprise, one he never expected to see again just a few short hours ago. In the moment he was overcome with relief, his smile lighting up. It was instant, driven by instinct. Ash's swelling feelings hid behind his ever widening grin. He was unmistakably brimmed with joy. His body froze in the moment. He was now waiting for the honey blonde girl to come and envelop him.
Serena was shaking, her hands slapping over her mouth to cover the sheer shock of his very presence. It was a sight too miraculous for any reality she had ever pictured. She refused to believe it was a dream, even if it was, she would make it real. She would make him feel everything in that moment. Shaking her head in elated disbelief, her stomach began glowing.
"A-Ash..."
Nerves trembled her weakened stance; no longer could she stand still. She ran, powering through on the planks of wood with her eyes firmly fixed on the gaze of shining amber in front of her. She unfastened her hair clip and tossed it away, letting her short locks free in the breeze. She ran with her legs relentlessly reaching forward towards him, her heart still knocking on her chest, trying to make a grasp towards its partner that lied ahead within the raven-haired trainer.
She ran, refusing to let herself slow down, and set her sights on him before immediately falling straight into his chest with emphatic impact. She instantly wrapped her arms around him in the process, pulling him in, squeezing tight. It was the level of tightness that rendered Ash completely in her possession, she would not allow him an inch to escape, nor any room for either of them to become even the slightest bit timid. Through pure emotion, her instincts bled through her line of thoughts, throwing her into his arms. He felt struck by her release of such emotion, and felt constricted into the calls of her heart. In her tender, but strong arms the very force of each squeeze pushed out his all of his worries, each and every stinging pain was soothed; he felt assured, he felt safe. She embraced him with every fibre within her, keeping the moment close, feeling grateful, and relieved that she finally had him back with her. He felt the moisture on his wet skin evaporate instantly, as her warm skin melted into him. He felt her rapid breathing rustle against his ear, as she hung her head over his shoulder, wrapping him into her embrace further. He felt her heart press into his chest, and offered no resistance to the feeling. She sunk in further into him, where he felt it. Pure as the sound goes. He felt her heartbeat, tapping against his own heart. They raced alongside each other, beating, and colliding where they had previously been separated. He felt the sensation of Serena's soft hair rubbing around his neck, she held him tighter, still shaking. Ash felt his doubts subside as Serena's sweet fragrance enticed his mind, her aroma soothing him into a warm, comforting veil of happiness. It was a feeling like no other; it was the feeling that ignited him in a way he never felt before.
"Serena..." He whispered softly, his words trickling into her ears.
"Ash...!" She wailed, looking back up at him; their eyes met once more. Ash saw the gushing waves of blue brim to the brink in her eyes, filling the swollen skin from days of rough sleep. She gazed deeply into the tunnel of amber. It really was him. He really was back; he really did return for her.
Ash did not know what to say, only leaving himself standing there, allowing himself to sink into the moment. Words could not convey his thoughts, nothing could convey what he was feeling. It was new, it was scary, but oh so exciting. He wanted to feel it more; the surge of warm adrenaline embracing each cell in his body. Once he again, he just could not allow Serena to let go.
Serena shuddered as she felt herself running her fingers through his thick raven hair, shocked in the moment still, feeling every worry she had ever suffered brew in her stomach, waiting to at last be released. Her eyes began to melt with tears. Streaming down her cheeks, some running into her own mouth. She tasted the sour savour of sorrow, a flavour that once split her heart, one that reminded her just how much Ash meant to her.
"I really-" She tried to begin speaking, but was bombarded by her gush of overflowing tears. Ash gazed deeper, wondering what she was about to tell him.
"I-I really thought I had lost you." She choked on her words, her mouth running too fast. Ash shivered, feeling her teardrops fall onto his shoulder. She was crying, revealing to him every raw and throbbing pain that crippled in her aching heart. He recalled just how the sound of her tears had hurt him, how he wanted to break from the darkness to comfort her. It was a sound he could not bear.
The reality dawned on him.
In that moment Ash's mind clicked, for the first time in a while trusting himself, knowing his mind had the answer.
It was her voice, the sound of her crying, and each wet teardrop that he felt himself drown in during the darkness.
Everything felt like it was coming together.
He did not want to be alone, he wanted to be with Serena.
She tried to slice her tears with a brief laugh, she was steaming with relief, every strand of sweat colliding with the crisp autumn air.
"I'm sorry for holding you like this, it's just-"
Ash smiled, feeling the relief massage him. He healed her words for her, acting with what the feeling in his stomach encouraged him to.
"No, I'm the one who's sorry." He whispered, before feeling the urge encapsulate him. He slowly placed his arms around her waist, feeling her soft slender body quiver under the sizzle of his hands. She blushed a deep crimson, trembling with shyness as those now self-believing amber eyes seized her.
"Serena, I'm sorry I made you worry.
But I'm back now; it's okay." He sent a reassuring tone that danced around her mind. She felt her heart throb, the words she had whispered to him. "It's okay." She never knew how valuable two words could possibly be, but in that moment she knew he had been listening. She knew he had heard her calling voice.
Ash wanted to reach to scratch under his nose to distract his nerves, but his arms remained fixed around Serena. He appeared slightly hesitant for a moment, pondering, wondering how to put his gratitude into words. He glanced at the floor, and then looked back up at her.
"And it's all thanks to you."
Her cheeks flushed in surprise, maybe he really did hear everything.
"W-what do you mean..?" Serena asked, as she felt herself now melting into Ash's embrace.
"Well uh, how do I say this..." Ash stumped himself, not knowing how his next string of sentences would go.
"You can tell me, Ash." She prodded for an answer, clinging onto his chest now, feeling the warmth radiate through his shirt.
"Well, maybe I... guess I kinda knew from the start that what Bonnie and Clemont had told me was true; I still wanted to be sure, I just had to be! When I was asleep I had so many weird dreams. But... you really were always there for me. Your voice... I could hear it. In fact it's what kept me believing Serena."
"Y-you heard me..?" Her tone dithered into shyness.
He took a hold of her wrist that rested on his chest, and moved it over to his heart. She felt his heartbeat, matching the rhythm of hers, racing away, nerves hurrying it.
"This is what I heard." He paused to let her listen to the impulses from his chest.
"Then I heard your words. Every night you were there, speaking to me. It was then I knew I wasn't alone, Serena."
She felt her tears evaporate, as the warmth of her grin now shined brighter towards Ash, who felt the tension in Serena completely disappear. She knew she had her raven-haired trainer back. She knew it was over; she could finally stop worrying, and from now on appreciate every second she had by his side, seeing the precious value each moment carried.
"And now, thanks to you, I finally understand everything. I can finally get back to normal! So thank you, Serena."
This time she felt his words fall out with about as much energy as before his incident; that is to say it was the youthful expression that Ash often portrayed. With the doubts and angst shoved to one side, he felt he had at long last conquered his feelings, and confirmed to himself that he really knew it all. Serena was someone he could trust his life with, as he already did. She was someone he could rely on, and believe in until the very end. To him, she was special. He didn't think he needed to evaluate it any further than that. He thought his mind and stomach were brimming with merely gratitude for someone who had kept with him. Yeah, just that.
At long last Ash breathed a sigh of relief, albeit a naïve one.
Serena on the other hand felt her big moment nearing. She had watched over Ash constantly for what felt like an eternity. She knew every single feature on him. She knew how she felt, and if he really did understand, then he would have to show it to her. She revelled in the jubilation of finally having him gazing at her once again, but now she already had the bug for the touch of his hand, she wanted to more. She wanted to finally make him all hers, for him to understand fully just what it meant to love. In their embrace she at last felt comfortable, she felt happy. She began playing her own little game, to tease him into realising, now she had her boy back.
"So Ash, now that you're all better, can you do one thing for me?" She asked with innocent, blinking eyes. Ash released Serena from his arms, and smiled back; naivete was still flourishing in his expression even after all this time.
"Okay, what?" He replied.
"Close your eyes for a second." She spoke in a more daring, but quiet tone.
"Uh, sure." Ash followed through with her request, and shut his eyes.
As soon as his eye lids covered him, he immediately wished he hadn't.
The blinds had been pulled, the lights were out.
Serena had vanished; he was back in the darkness.
He was back in the infinite void, where nothing but sound existed.
He no longer felt the warmth of the sun, nor the chill of the breeze.
He no longer felt alive, but instead trapped again. Trapped in the darkness, where he was alone.
All so alone.
His heart skipped a beat.
Sweat bursting from his glands.
Shaking, shivering.
He was afraid.
He was falling into the clutches of fear itself.
He was alone, alone again in the darkness.
"See if you can understand this, Ash!" Her voice whispered amongst the midst of the blank world. Serena's voice had appeared to him again, to heal him, to save him. She was there once again, calling for him to break out of the dark void. She was always there. He was trembling with fear; he didn't want to go back to being alone in the dark, he wanted to be back with Serena.
He whipped open his eyelids again, returning himself to reality after revisiting the dark. Although he wasn't exactly expecting what was coming next.
Serena had slowly leaned in close, angling her neck around to the side of his face, where she made a limp pout, and pecked him softly on his cheek. He felt her lips tingle against his skin, imprinting her affection and relief over his face. He was astonished, the feeling surged from his cheek to the whole length of his body. He was revitalised with energy, his fears dealt with. Serena was the reason for his feelings again; or rather, maybe he actually did have feelings for Serena. He shuddered.
He was wrong. All wrong.
Everything he thought was happening was all wrong.
Nothing he had thought was really that simple, it was more than that.
She was so much more than just a friend.
Serena had made him feel alive again. She brought him out of the world he feared so traumatically.
He knew he was only comfortable believing in things he could understand, yet he had to face his doubts. He did not understand what was happening to him.
He did not know how he felt.
Ash stood there expressionless, Serena shrieked with shyness, trying to hide her bright red face in the midst of her blonde locks, but they were too short to cover her look of embarrassment.
Serena too thought she was in control of her emotions, but nothing could ever prepare her for the shyness she felt around Ash. Inside she scolded herself, she had lightly kissed him, but couldn't bare the embarrassment of having him watch. She cringed under her shy expression.
"Y-you weren't supposed to watch!" She stuttered.
Ash didn't move, he just felt the surge of energy dance around his system, he didn't know what was going on, but again, he knew he somehow liked it. On his cheek, where the touch of her lips still gently sizzled, appeared a small rosy blush on the raven-haired boy. He did not have a hat to hide himself, nor hair to cover himself. He reacted like Serena, stuttering, and hiding from the shyness. It was a new, and scary emotion that he had been taken over by. Serena had made him blush, he felt his hot cheeks burn the colour red. They burned the colour he associated with Serena. She had left her mark.
Ash stood there bewildered with her, the two had no words to break their awkward pause. Each glance up was instantly retracted and repelled like two equal ends of a magnet. Something was the matter with Ash, he was quiet, seemingly lost in thought. She didn't know how he was reacting. They froze like statues, Ash was caught trying to process every frantic emotion that was soaring around his body at that split second. Serena sensed a difference in Ash, almost similar to the dream she had a while ago. Ash was more tentative, maybe even more thoughtful. He seemed to have trouble tapping into his feelings, almost as if he had become indecisive, which was surprising, considering his ability to confidently trust himself and make a stand was something he was renowned for, especially during the heat of a tough situation like a Pokemon battle. Serena on the one hand had still felt a hint of concern, but on the other felt that maybe Ash was finally coming into his emotional side. Maybe finally he would learn to realise, and truly understand both what she felt, and what he felt inside. It seemed her raven-haired crush was beginning to realise that life wasn't all about training Pokemon and winning battles.
Amongst the silence, his feelings must have hit a brick wall somewhere. From Ash came a familiar sound that Serena and the entire group had gotten used to. From his stomach came the bellowing call of an angry digestive system that was seriously low on food. Serena chuckled to herself, but felt another tinge of happiness arise. It's always the little things; like the little sounds you hear on a daily basis that you find yourself coming to appreciate the most. It was the little traits from Ash that she found adorable, and his gluttonous stomach was no exception. She hadn't heard Ash's growling stomach in a while, and until that moment she didn't even realise how much she had missed it.
"Umm..." Ash looked down, still blushing, this time at the interruption from his belly.
"It really has been a while, huh!" Serena laughed, patting Ash's stomach which was feeling quite sorry for itself after three days of sleep and a quick morning sprint.
"Shall we get something to eat? Maybe food will make you feel all better!" She cheerfully suggested. Ash nodded, immediately warming to the idea; maybe all he ever needed was food. He turned around to return to the fishing shack house, where his sight was then filled by a shade of yellow that shone brighter than any ray of sunshine he had ever come to know. It was then he noticed a certain sprinting yellow mouse yelling "Pika Pi!" run up, and joyously jump all over him. Pikachu had found Ash again, his trainer, his best friend. Seeing him standing there, all awake and moving again gave him the urge to start playing with his trainer's cheeks using those tiny yellow hands and waging his tail around in jubilation. Ash's face lit up. In fact it didn't just light up, it was quite literally electrified thanks to his Pikachu's most affectionate Thunderbolt. His best friend had returned to his favourite spot on his shoulder.
"Pikachu! I'm so glad to see you buddy!" He beamed with a stoked expression. Pikachu then pointed over to the other side of the pier. His yellow partner had a grin that stretched as wide as those red dots on his cheek pouches. Ash and Serena saw the stampede of Pokemon approaching the pier. They were his Pokemon. Reared up by the returning Clemont and Bonnie who had already changed into their day clothes, they were his family. All sprinting towards him, all smiling brighter than the low autumn sun as they surprised their trainer. Serena caught a sight of Braxien and Pancham too running in the crowd. The sight of them being so relieved to Ash warmed her inside, she felt glad that they accepted and understood how she felt towards Ash. Of course, as a Fennekin, the two had their run-ins, particularly during the PokeVision filming, but deep down the fox Pokemon knew that Ash had a good heart, and appreciated why Serena had such feelings. Seeing Serena happy made her happy too, and Pancham was no different. They joined the running crowd of Pokemon, where Ash knelt down, holding his arms out wide to receive them all. Serena grinned, seeing him waiting to embrace everyone like that reminded her that he did know what love was, although only now was he ever beginning to experience the endless enigma of human love.
"Hey everybody!" He cheered. Hawlucha, Talonflame and Noibat had all flown straight from the window after seeing Pikachu dash off. The excitement they felt from their yellow friend was the reason why they fled together from their PokeBalls to see what the rush was about. They soared around in the air, showcasing various joyous acrobatics, featuring spirals and somersaults from their sheer elation. Ash saw their freedom in the sky, he saw their delight, their relief. He saw Bonnie and Clemont grinning next to Braxien and Pancham, he felt gratitude towards everyone. They all worried together, they had all pulled through the ordeal together, they had all waited for Ash together as a family. He was touched by their presence, their smiles.
"Man I missed you guys; it looks like I'm officially back, huh!" He proudly declared, yelling over his constant stream of thoughts.
"Hold up, where's Frogadier?" Ash looked around, wondering where his speedy ninja frog was hiding. The group looked around briefly, where Dedenne then sent a small rumble of electricity from its cheeks across to Pikachu, who reacted by jumping down from his trainer's shoulder and running back to Clemont and Bonnie who were waiting from a noticeable distance. Ash's flying trio then starting to climb slightly higher into the sky, as in a flash Frogadier leaped up from the depths of the lake behind them, splashing his trainer and Serena with a wave of fresh lake water as part of his surprise plan. Frogadier usually wasn't one to dwell in emotions much like Ash, although Ash himself could tell by his little surprise as he stood there drying himself from the sudden torrent of water that the blue frog was pleased to see him again. Either that, or maybe it was a call for everyone to get washed and ready to begin training again.
There they all were, the group reunited at last, a true sight to behold as the Lumiose siblings and their Pokemon stood there laughing at Ash and Serena, both drying their drenched night clothes. After such a long few days, the pair were glad to finally change out of them, and back into their normal attire.
Noibat swooped down to Ash and Serena, laughing away, with the joy of having its parents back in its company streaming from its big yellow eyes. In a stressful turn of events for the baby bat, it was more than glad to see its trainer who was also its parent back, and smiling with its mother. Noibat lowered itself as Ash caught it in his hands.
"I'm awake, Noibat! Did Serena take good care of you?" He asked in a father like tone as he played with the innocent purple bat, holding it high in the air and spinning around like it was on a fun amusement ride. Noibat responded by gleefully reaching its tiny hands out to Serena, who saw the giddiness teem from its eyes once more. She felt it again, the feeling of adorable innocence that she saw in Ash.
"Noibat seems to really think of you as its other parent now!" Ash uttered a familiar string of words, letting Noibat take a hold of one of Serena's hands as he spoke. The bat rubbed its lilac fur against her soft fingers, taking comfort from her tender warm skin.
"Yeah... I guess I'm like the mother, and you're the father, huh Ash!" She chirped along; feeling a tiny influx of joy that she could share such a responsibility at such an innocent time with Ash. It was like games of 'mums and dads' as a kid, only this time she got to baby a super cute Pokemon with her crush.
"And Pikachu really trusts you..."
Ash had noticed the way in which Pikachu approached Serena. For the first time the yellow mouse seemed to be embracing someone with a fondness only matchable to that of their own relationship. He saw how important they treated each other. He saw an unbreakable bond of trust.
He seems to want us to stick together." Ash concluded, this time digressing into a tone that suggesting he was going off on another tangent of thoughts. Noibat yelled its cry, flailing its limbs at its parents for attention. Ash and Serena both laughed.
"Noibat too!" He added.
Deja vu immediately struck Serena. She had heard those words before. She was then reminded not to act rashly. Pikachu knew how she felt, she had told him a couple of days ago. For him to bring up such a thing to Ash meant he knew it was a more serious manner than it initially appeared. She held her words; looking around, she saw everyone still there watching. Now was not the time. To talk about such an important topic with Ash in the midst of his own battle with his feelings needed to come at an appropriate time instead. She smiled back at Ash, where Clemont then stepped forward to speak.
"To celebrate such a happy occasion, I've prepared a hearty breakfast us all!" The lemon-haired gym leader proudly announced. Ash's face shot forward in delight.
"All right! Finally!" He cheered, before dashing off with Bonnie and his party of Pokemon. Serena recalled Braxien and Pancham, in order to give them a good pampering back at the fishing shack house, where this time she ran after him, trying to catch him before one of his muscles would inevitably pull up with cramp. The eager party dashed back in through the door, where Clemont had already laid out and prepared the table. The scent of bread burning and becoming golden slices of toast wafted into his nostrils, pleasantly greeting him. He felt his mouth water at the prospect of sitting down for his first meal in ages, until a tap on the shoulder from Serena halted his assault on the breakfast table.
"Don't you want to freshen up first?" She asked, causing Ash to reconsider after looking around at Clemont and Bonnie both sitting there in their day clothes. He looked at Serena, who already had one foot on the staircase. There was no resisting the gaze of those crystal clear eyes. She was visibly uncomfortable in her pyjamas, as she twirled each strand of her blonde locks with a dissatisfied expression. Ash then reconsidered, feeling the stains of sweat on his skin, and the stick of his clothes that had been drenched numerous times in sweat and water from both the rain and the lake.
"I guess you're right." He conceded, Bonnie smirked as she watched him trudge up the stairs. Ash felt his stomach growl again, it was becoming more impatient. He decided to skip a step and run up two steps at a time, until he forgot about the effect of the polished wood coming into contact with his wet feet. He slipped on the surface, and flew head over heals back down to the bottom of the stairs with a loud thud. Serena had reached the top, but the intrusive bang on the wood made her jump. She creaked her head around, hoping not to see him have yet another accident. Upon turning around, she saw the innocent, embarrassed expression sitting on his face as he lay there at the bottom of the staircase, with his feet dangling over the first step. After noticing he was okay, and just being drowsy, she slowly made her way back down the narrow staircase to meet him at the bottom. Ash dreaded her arrival with every footstep. He was expecting to be scolded, having only just awoken from his concussion. Surely she wouldn't be happy; but then again, why was he so worried about disappointing her? Her wanted to run like a child who knew he had done something bad. He dreaded the look of concern on her flustered face. Instead, resting her hands on her knees, she crouched down and leaned over him on the step above his astray leg. She smirked, almost sinisterly.
"You know what I'm going to say, right?" She teased in a wife-like manner.
He scratched his head. "S-sorry..." He replied with unease, still awaiting further backlash after already making her weary with worries before. She made a long sigh, before holding out a hand to help him up. Her smirk had gone, an expression of angst cropped up.
"Just... be careful." She said gently. Ash felt his stomach sink again, he knew he had messed up. He knew she didn't want to think any longer about the moment he fell from the cliff. It was still too fresh in the mind.
"Sorry, Serena." He softly apologised with a timid face of sincerity, he took her hand to get back to his feet, but then found himself under her grip once more. His hand was being held. Once again, he was feeling the warmth radiate, as his hand melted into her skin. He felt the rush of nerves return, the memories of lying in bed with her asleep on his lap; the memories of being caught, and never wanting to let go. Ash felt his appetite suddenly leave him. He was fixed in the moment, standing there, holding onto Serena's hand. He didn't know when his legs started moving, but they followed Serena back up the stairs, and back into the familiar room with the bed he had been trapped on. He gazed around at the room where the two had spent so many nights together, but with the feeling of being so far apart crippling them. Their hands remained linked. Serena quickly picked up on the anxious aura Ash was giving off. She saw him look around, possibly remembering being rushed to the room, not knowing whether he would wake up. She too remembered the litres of tears she had cried while waiting by his bedside. The two remembered the words Serena had said when choking over her raw feelings. The room had a very unsettling atmosphere to it. Ash seemed to need assurance, he held tightly onto her hand, even though they would be separated for mere moments before rejoining each other at the table.
Serena pulled his hand to her chest, before taking his other arm, and placing the other hand in the same place on his chest. She leaned in closer to him, whispering into his ear.
"Remember Ash, always together; always in sync." She paused to allow Ash to hear the sound of their matching heartbeats once again. The impulses of two beating hearts worked in perfect synchronisation, like they were always connected, like they were constantly calling for each other. Serena let go of his hand, and jogged off to a room further down the corridor, where she pulled out a new set of clothes from her backpack. Ash saw her leave, but kept his hand on his heart. He wondered what it could possibly mean. He wondered what he really wanted deep down, but every conclusion was eerily simple; he just wanted to be with Serena.
His stomach came biting back, despite thinking his appetite had dwindled. He shook his head to relieve himself of the confusion, and picked up his electric blue coat, now dry, and ready to wear again. He pulled out a new set of trousers from his backpack, and dusted off his shoes, pulling at the tongue so that they would slip back on again. He stood in front of a mirror, one that was fairly wider than usual. He analysed himself, feeling revitalised being back in his normal, everyday clothes. He pulled the zip tight, leaving a hint of his black and white shirt showing, and tightened the gloves around his wrists. He stood in front of the mirror, with a huge space left to his side. Something felt missing, he still felt... empty. Maybe it was his stomach, or maybe it was because of the rush of emotions had died down. Either way, he dashed back out of the room, and carefully manoeuvred his way down the stairs, joining his lemon-haired friends at the breakfast table, while Serena remained upstairs, refreshing her image, making sure she was once again clean and pristine. She sat down on a free, unused bed, that was twinned with another adjacent single bed, similar to the layout in the room Clemont and Bonnie had been using. She reached for both her PokeBalls, and deployed Braxien and Pancham once again. They appeared through a veil of a blue, glistening light, and offered their warm grins back at Serena. She moved over, and lay on the bed, pulling up her black stockings as she finished tying her blue ribbon, ensuring it was immaculately presented. She relaxed, breathing a long sigh of relief following the hectic few hours since he had woken up. She turned over to face her two Pokemon.
"Poor Ash." She began to speak her mind.
Pancham and Braxien looked puzzled.
"He's been through so much lately, and I guess now he's started to notice everything... He's gotten a bit confused, huh."
Braxien nodded in approval to her thoughts.
"I guess, liking someone, and 'love' can be really confusing. I mean, surely he's gotta feel like that at some point? It reminds me of when I started to like him..." She grinned, feeling the slightest bit shy at the thought of when she first knew she liked Ash.
"It's just like they say, only when something is taken away from you, do you then really start to see its true value." Pancham looked at Braxien in confusion as Serena's thoughts became more philosophical.
"It's just like when your twig broke, right Braxien?" The fox Pokemon soon realised, and latched onto the analogy, understanding the way in which Serena began to see just how important Ash was to her.
"When you lose something, or someone that really means a lot to you, the world without them just becomes so... empty." She sighed once more.
"We really wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Ash." She then reached over and pulled out her Princess Key from her jacket pocket, still shining from where she had polished it, showing not a sign of wear and tear even after the storm.
"He really built the world around us. He helped me find out who I was, and helped me have faith in choosing my own dream..." She dwelt into fond memories of their earlier travels. She could look back and laugh now, but back then she really did need guiding. Seemingly trapped in the shadow of her mother's past glories, she didn't know where to turn. It was Ash who helped her develop confidence in herself. She knew what it was like to be trapped in condemning thoughts, and just how it felt to need guidance. She realised that in this moment Ash was the one who needed guidance. He needed to know what these feelings were. He needed to know he could believe, and most importantly trust those feelings and himself. She still owed it to him.
"The thing is..." She faced both her Pokemon, a timid pose of earnest honesty appeared.
"I really do think that I love him."
She lowered her head, squashing it further into the pillow.
"And I know that I've got to try and just explain everything to Ash face to face. I need to show him what those feelings really mean." Her heart thundered against her chest; she knew she had to confess. Whether he felt the same or not, it was something she needed to do for his own sake.
"He needs to know, otherwise he'll never fully get back on the road to becoming a Pokemon Master, right?" It would potentially be the spark that he needed. Pancham definitely agreed, punching a fist in the air and yelling its name. It liked the surge of confidence in Serena.
"Ash... whatever you're feeling... I'm going to let you know that it's nothing to be afraid of." She rehearsed her plan to herself, taking his feelings as purely her duty, pulling on her rose red jacket and fastening the buckles on her brown boots. She made her way to the staircase, with Braxien and Pancham following close behind.
At the table, Ash was motoring away at his food, enjoying the long-awaited feeling of satisfaction in his belly while glugging down every refill of tea that came his way.
The faint sound of gentle footsteps then knocked against his ear drums.
Serena had returned, this time looking refreshed and healthy, with Braxien and Pancham by her side.
"Sorry for being late everyone! It's nice to finally feel clean again." Serena beamed with a shining grin. Ash turned around. His jaw dropped, letting the crust from his slice of toast fall from his mouth, and of course, ending up landing butter side down onto his new trousers. He had seen her in that outfit many times before, but for some reason, this morning she just looked so much cleaner; so much fresher. As she sat down to take her seat right beside him, he felt the essence of her aroma entice him, making his stomach chase away the food, and dance alight with zest at being by the side of the naturally beautiful blonde.
Once again, his appetite had run away from him.
As ever, her manners at the table were impeccable. She picked up her tea, and held the cup securely in both hands. She blew gently on top of its piping steam. Seeing her elegant actions in motion was somewhat calming, he realised how reckless she would make him look when eating. Serena brought the cup to her mouth, letting the hot liquid pass between her lips, and feeling the sensation of the heat caressing her throat. She grinned, but kept the notion to herself. This time her tea was hot, just the way she liked it.
Ash, adjacent to her, tried to follow in her manners. He picked up the tea slowly, and carefully in both hands. She watched him, smiling as he focussed intensely on letting the tea naturally run into his mouth. She saw as his cheeks filled up with large quantities, before he opened the floodgates in his mouth, flexing the muscles to let the tea gush through his throat in one large glug. He looked at his cup in disappointment, before offering a glance back to Serena, who quietly sat there chuckling to herself behind her hand which covered her mouth. In doing so she noticed the ever widening smirk cropping up on Bonnie's face, she was overseeing the entire situation.
Ash stared at his plate, and realised he no longer had the desire to eat away to until his heart was content. Food was no longer his most central desire.
He looked up dejectedly, there were still piles of food left, but his stomach seemed to want to reject it. He felt flustered at just how such a simple pleasure for him had been swallowed in these new emotions. They felt unnatural, they were beginning to worry him more by the second. Each passing moment, he would glance at Serena, not wanting to take his eyes of her. He was seeing the frame of his companion in a completely new light, seeing and thinking about her in ways he had previously never known. Was it natural..? It was a question Ash ended up asking himself the entire day.
The group elected not to go out travelling so soon after Ash had only just woke up, and thus decided to depart from the fishing shack the following morning, in order to continue their journey towards Anistar City.
Serena kept a close eye on Ash throughout the afternoon, all the way into the evening. He tried to join in with his Pokemon's games, and help Bonnie in her quest to land a cute water Pokemon. He tried to apply himself and run around the same way he did before the fall, yet Serena knew it would take him time to readjust, and that he probably felt bombarded with all of these emotions. Serena felt a hint of guilt arise; maybe it was a bad idea to tell him how she felt during his stint of unconsciousness. Maybe she was the reason he was struggling to reignite his flame, or maybe he was just too caught up in his feelings to fully understand. Either way she was at the point of no return; Ash was still falling, and she needed to be there to catch him.
Bonnie too had picked up on Ash's quiet attitude, and approached Serena to see if she could help. The raven-haired trainer sat there quietly by the lake, with his Pokemon close beside. He seemed to have a thousand-mile stare, while he gently petted Pikachu, gazing out into the open water. Bonnie joined Serena in watching him from the window, the younger Lumiose sibling picked up on her big sister's concerns.
"Ash seems to be acting kinda strange, huh Serena." She spoke, but Serena kept gazing through the window.
"I guess after that fall, Ash is starting to come into contact with his emotions a bit more." She theorised, pondering whether Ash would approach his journey less rashly, and under a veil of caution following what could have been a tragic incident. Bonnie recalled his behaviour at the dinner table, and took a more excited view of the situation.
"Don't you think he's noticing?" She asked with a grin. Serena laughed with a blush tingling on her cheeks. "I guess so."
"He really doesn't get it at all does he?" Bonnie continued teasing.
"I don't know why my brother is the same; I mean, c'mon! Love is nothing to be afraid of, right?" The lemon-haired girl shrugged her shoulders. Maybe she was the one who didn't seem to get it, because for Ash to feel such emotions meant he was going through some big changes. That said, was that really something he was afraid of? Ash sat there pondering, feeling himself edging between the platforms of love and nightmares. It turns out maybe there was something he wasafraid of after all.
"I suppose not; but Ash is strong." Serena tensed, placing a hand over her ribbon.
"He just needs to believe that again." She kept gazing, a sadness looming over her eyes.
Bonnie felt the tension, but spoke the words of what she believed in.
"You should tell him." She prompted, looking up at Serena.
She looked down at the young girl, and nodded. She gave an uneasy look to respond, but she knew that Bonnie was right.
Serena remained observant of Ash for the rest of the afternoon. He refused any more meals, his appetite had vanished. As the evening met the reign of the night, she knew she had to talk to him. Even if he wanted to be alone, she had to be there. He had to know.
Ash eventually returned indoors to the fishing shack, but he felt out place, within himself, and in his environment, he felt lost.
"Aren't you coming up to bed, Ash?" Bonnie asked curiously.
Ash fastened his hat, trying to force a smile at his young surrogate sister.
"I'm not tired yet, I'll join you all up there a bit later!" He tried to reassure with a raised thumb. Serena then appeared from behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Bonnie stepped back to allow them to talk, encouraging the watching Pokemon around her to do the same.
"Ash... Is everything okay?" She asked in a tone that was brimmed with worry.
In that moment everything around him seemed to vanish again, he could only focus on Serena.
"I just... don't wanna sleep tonight." He murmured, looking down at the ground.
Serena then realised that at that moment there was something far worse troubling Ash.
"I'm going to go outside for a while, y'know for some fresh air." He continued while scratching the back of his head. Serena then stepped further forward, pulling herself into his plans, not letting him go out there alone.
Ash looked up, and once again the gaze of amber met a sea of cerulean blue.
"Can you.. come with me?" He asked, wide-eyed, while scratching his cheek. Somewhere on those cheeks was a blush from the raven-haired boy.
"Uh, sure!" Serena felt herself enveloped in his gaze, those amber eyes seizing her. She glanced over to see Bonnie making her way upstairs, with a smirk that suggested "good luck" on her face.
She turned back to Ash.
"There was kinda something I wanted to talk to you about." Ash continued, but his words sent an influx of nerves hurling towards Serena. She felt her time was up. No longer could she go on thinking and planning about it. It was time to put her feelings into words.
"Actually Ash... me too."
It was time to tell him just how much he meant to her, and what it means to truly love someone.
For Ash, it was time to learn these feelings, and face his fears.
Author's Note: Once again everyone thank you for reading! To quickly answer a question from Justanaverageguy, I have not had any first hand experience at having a concussion like Ash! However I was keen to explore the feelings that the human body experiences after periods of intense rest and how much of a challenge it can be to rehabilitate oneself into what they consider their normal body functions. I suppose in that sense I took slight inspiration from a few of my friends after their recoveries from injuries that made them sit out and rest for extended periods of time.