Chapter 8: A time before us
The path into the mountain wasn't very steep, it winded up through the forest making it easier for people who didn't travel very often. For Ash and May who had been on the road for years it was no different to walking normally.
With the stillness of the forest and almost complete silence around her May had plenty of time to think. To her frustration May's thoughts kept coming back to Ash. She remembered having a small crush on him when they first travelled in Hoenn, something she felt again when she met him for the Wallace Cup in Sinnoh. But the few times she met him afterwards the brunette didn't feel the same way. She tried to remember why that changed and why she was suddenly having these same feelings surface again. Then she remembered, back then Ash was with someone. A blonde haired girl who he had gotten together with a few years ago though her name escaped her. Digging through her memories May recalled when Ash had come to see her after she had won the Grand Festival, she remembered being introduced to this girl by Ash and suddenly her name became clear, Serena.
Now May was curious, if the two of them were still together why wouldn't Serena come alone, or why Ash would come at all for that matter.
"Ash weren't you in a relationship with a girl called Serena?" May asked.
Hearing Serena's name made Ash nearly freeze in his tracks, it was true he had been in a very close relationship with Serena for a few years since he had visited Kalos, but that had ended not to long ago.
"Y-yeah I was together with Serena, but we." Ash trailed off remembering the last time he spent with Serena.
"It's ok you don't have to tell me what happened." May told Ash despite her curiosity.
"Actually I think it's time I faced up to what happened, instead of running away from it." Ash admitted more to himself then to May.
"I had been together with Serena for nearly three years, everything was going great, we brought a house in Kanto, and it was probably the happiest years of my life." Ash reflected.
"But everything started to change when I got into the Elite Four. I was working longer hours, spending less time at home, going on sudden long trips. I didn't notice it at first but Serena was becoming less and less happy the more I got involved with my job."
May listened intently, she knew the conversation had only one outcome but for whatever reason she wanted to hear what happened.
"We started having arguments, to me they didn't seem to major but then one day it just got out of control." Ash breathed in as he prepared to talk about the argument.
"She started off saying that I don't spend enough time with her, I tried to explain that I'm not just a gym leader I have to be all over the place at any time. She then started accusing me of not loving her anymore and at that point we both started shouting at each other." Ash lowered his head.
"It kept going on and on back and forth both of us just ripping into each other over the dumbest things. And then she said that I spend too much time with-" Ash paused as he recalled the event.
"She said 'You spend too much time with those stupid Pokémon.' Ash forced out the sentence.
"And the worst thing was, her Delphox was in the other room with Pikachu and could hear everything we were saying." Ash had to look away at that point, the hurt of the incident still affecting him.
"After that, I told her to leave. She packed her things and left, needless to say we are no longer together." Ash finished.
The area fell silent after Ash's reflection, even Pikachu didn't bother to squeak. May didn't know how to start, three years was a long time to be in a first relationship and to have it end on a note like that would have been hard on Ash, and Serena.
"How long ago was this?" May asked.
"Two weeks ago." Ash responded.
"Only two weeks?" May exclaimed. "Ash are you sure you're ok?" The brunette asked.
"Well that's why I took a holiday, to clear my head and travel for a bit and I thought Hoenn would be a good region to go to." Ash explained.
"Why Hoenn?" May continued to ask.
"Just thought it would be a good place to unwind is all." Ash thought out loud.
"Well I don't think what Serena said to you was right, even if you didn't stay at home all the time she should of known how important being part of the Pokémon League is." May tried her best to comfort Ash. "And saying that about your Pokémon was going too far I mean-"
"I almost hit her May." Ash suddenly stated causing May to cut her sentence short.
"After what she said about my Pokémon I raised my hand and was about to hit her, when we both realised what I had almost done I told her to leave because I didn't know what I would do from that point on. I didn't know if I could control myself." Ash admitted, the shame of his actions showing on his face.
"But you didn't hit her, so isn't that something? May asked despite knowing she wouldn't of accepted Ash's actions either.
"May you don't have to try and make me feel better. The next day Serena came back and we both agreed that we should go our separate ways. She just had a lot of anger built up and needed someone to be there for her, she's moved back to Kalos now and we both wished each other the best." Ash laid out the last few days of his relationship with Serena.
'I hope Ash didn't come over here looking for someone to replace Serena, because there's no way I can have someone like him in my life. Not to mention the trouble he's caused me already.' May thought to herself.
"Hey May," Ash's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Thanks for letting me join you, I know I can be a pain sometimes and I know I shouldn't have wasted our time at the lake but-"
"It's alright Ash, I'm sure everything will turn out right in the end." The brunette put the trainers mind at ease.
"Thanks May." Ash gave the coordinator a smile.
May wasn't sure what she gained from learning about Serena from a mission's perspective. However she did learn a bit more about Ash's character, he seemed deeply affected by what had happened yet hadn't let it show until now. Ash had always been focused on the here and now, another attribute that hadn't left him. May wondered if she could use that to her advantage somehow.
"You hear that?" Ash asked out of the blue.
"Hear what?" May replied stopping so she could listen better.
"It sounds like the cry of a Pokémon, I think it might be lost or hurt. Pikachu lets go check it out." Ash turned to his partner before running off in the noises direction.
"Wow some things never change at all." May referenced Ash's one track mind before running after him.
I didn't really want to beat up on Serena but I thought by diving into Ash's past it would add a bit to the story. Just for reference I don't dislike Serena I actually don't mind her as a character. I just needed one of Ash's friends to take the fall and she seemed like the most likely to hook up with Ash especially with X and Y being the current season. Short chapter I know but the next one is pretty long and I can never seem to get a regular length to my stories. Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, please feel free to leave a comment they really help me to continue writing.