Words in italics indicate the inner thoughts of Serena.
Serena's POV
As Serena ran into the forest, she couldn't help but allow the tears already threatening to spill down her face to run their course. What's the point in stopping them anymore? It's over. Everything is over. There's no point in going on with Ash on this stupid journey. Not if this is how he really feels. Even when Serena looked up to see where she was going, she found it difficult to visualize a path through her watery eyes. The distressed damsel stumbled essentially blindly around the forest, her anger blocking any signals of pain from scratching her arms on branches or large bushes. She could still hear her name being called in the distance, and it sparked a fresh wave of enragement throughout the performer, giving her the motivation to press on through the darkened woodland. When she felt she had reached a respectable distance from her crush, she silently pulled out a poké ball containing her pancham. She released the small panda pokémon, shushing it as it tried to say its name out loud upon release. "Pancham, I need you to keep Ash from finding me. Misdirect him or something, do whatever you have to do."
Pancham looked shocked and a bit confused at the vague, somewhat treasonous instructions, but it still had every intention of trying to please its trainer. "Pancham, pancham pan!" the pokémon exclaimed as proudly as it could in a whisper, before taking off in the direction of Ash's voice, which was still hovering on the outer edge of Serena's auditory range.
Serena gave her loyal little fighting type a small smile to see it away on its mission before glancing around to make sure no one was immediately in the nearby area. This fact confirmed, she leaned back and eventually sat against the nearest tree, releasing her braixen as she sank to the grassy ground. The fire type emerged, stretched and yawned, clearly irritated by being summoned at such a late hour, only to immediately panic when it saw that its trainer was bawling against a tree. "Brai, braixen!" Braixen quickly kneeled next to its closest companion, trying to comfort its trainer without knowledge of the circumstances that caused the girl to become in such a disarray.
Serena looked up at the fire fox and smiled sadly. "I let you out because I need to talk about this, Braixen, and you're the only one who would understand me. We probably don't have much time, so listen closely." Serena spoke in a quiet whisper that forced her pokémon to lean in extremely close to even hear what she was saying.
Braixen realized the gravity of the situation and sat next to its trainer, staring intently at Serena. The girl took this as Braixen's signal to begin.
"You remember how sad Ash has been feeling about Goodra, right? Well, it turns out there was someone else that was really bringing him down..."
Several hours ago.
Loss was not unfamiliar to Serena, in the way that pokémon were not unfamiliar to Ash Ketchum. If anyone were to understand the way he was feeling now as he struggled with the fact that he had given up one of his closest friends, then Serena certainly would. The anguish at never potentially seeing a friend again, the agony of pondering over what you could have done differently to stay with them, and even the small regret that snuck in and asked if it were better had you never met them in the first place were all familiar to the aspiring Kalos queen. For these reasons, Serena had decided to avoid Ash during his mourning process. It wouldn't be right of her to try and pull him away from his grieving before he felt ready to return to his jubilant self. As much as it hurt the girl to watch her longtime crush suffer so greatly, it was losing him in the first place that had taught her that Ash needed to resolve this problem on his own, despite Clemont's insistence on trying to solve the problem himself and Bonnie's evil scheme to force Serena to play heroine and save Ash from his problems. For a few days, this worked out beautifully. Serena enjoyed spending the extra time with Pikachu, caring for him in Ash's place, and as much as she would rather have the boy himself and not his best friend by her side, it was enough to know that Ash trusted her with the electric mouse and he was still conscious of the needs of those around him. It was a good start, far better than the one she had after losing Ash for the first time. Perhaps it was this sense of security she gained from how well things were progressing, seeing as how Ash had actually greeted everyone with a smile at dinner that night, that caused her to drop her guard and unintentionally allow Clemont to make the move he so desperately felt that he needed to.
"So... Ash, are you feeling any better?" Clemont's tone carried a wispy air of innocence, as if Ash's problem was a common cold rather than a crippling cheerlessness.
Serena wasn't fooled. He's going to make an attempt at cheering him up by force. Again. I'm going to have to stop him. Again. Why can't he understand that Ash needs to do this himself? If he jus- Serena's thoughts were completely interrupted by the expression that had formed on Bonnie's face. The young girl had started waving her arms with her bright young eyes open as wide as they could be, pantomiming so clearly to Ash that Clemont needed to be quieted that Serena was shocked the usually vocal girl didn't just come out and express her distress. In fact, it surprised her that Bonnie apparently wanted Ash to shut their friend down as much as she did. Her face contorted into what she had to imagine was a strange expression as she considered the implications of Bonnie's actions. She did just have a minute alone with Ash. Is it possible he opened up to her? Bonnie never seemed inclined to stop her brother before, so maybe this means Ash is finally- Serena found her contemplation interrupted once again, this time by Ash.
"What makes you say that, Clemont?" Ash asked, wearing a curious yet cautionary expression on his face.
Clemont began to launch into his story about his gym pokémon, a story Serena had gotten incredibly sick of hearing after the scientist had repeated it so many times while praising the magic healing power he claimed it could have on Ash. Hearing it now in front of Ash made her feel more nauseous than any previous recounting. Why won't he listen to reason? He doesn't understand this problem like I do. This is only going to upset Ash further. Enough thinking, time to act. I have to stop him before Ash gets any worse. Serena had finished her thought and even opened up her mouth to vocalize her intentions before Ash himself decided to end Clemont's healing process early.
"This isn't anything like that, Clemont! I have no reason to believe that I'll ever see Goodra again!" Ash yelled directly at the inventor. He had stood up to deliver his ultimatum, and the sudden swing in tone of the conversation sent a shockwave through the group.
Bonnie and Clemont were speechless. Serena, on the other hand, felt something ignite within her. She didn't think. There was no time or further reason for that. What she did do was stand up and issue her own command to the object of her attraction with all the emotion of a commander ordering a soldier to a task, thrusting a finger directly towards the boy's face. "You need to cool off. Leave and come back when you can talk to us with the respect we deserve for trying to help you," she spoke icily, restraining as much of the pent up emotion from the past few days in her voice as possible. It was becoming everything she could do to hold onto the commanding presence, yet Serena withheld her sigh of relief until she was sure Ash, who appeared lost regarding the whole turn of events despite inciting them himself, silently obeyed and had left their immediate earshot to follow her instructions.
The girl sank down slowly into her chair, allowing reason to again claim her mind. Clemont seemed even more shocked at Serena's controlled outburst than he was at Ash's violent one. "Wha- how did you..."
The flare lit up again as Serena's head snapped over to face Clemont. "I warned you, did I not? I cautioned you that something exactly like this could happen if you went ahead with this plan. Bonnie understands, don't you, Bonnie?" Serena shined the spotlight on the young girl, who was comforting her dedenne.
Bonnie looked up at the sound of her name. "Serena is right, Clemont. I wasn't totally sure until recently, but she was right about you talking to him." While Bonnie had chosen for the most part to remain impartial during the debates of action between Serena and Clemont, it was now obvious she knew more than her two older companions about Ash, and that knowledge had swayed her against her brother.
Fortunately for Serena, Clemont either didn't notice this or feel inclined to bring the point up. Instead, he simply stood and bowed his head in shame to no one in particular. "I'm so sorry, Serena, Bonnie, everyone! I really messed up. I guess I got too fixated on my hypothesis and I forgot how to, well, consider Ash's feelings and your advice. What am I supposed to do? I don't want to ruin our friendship!" Clemont began to panic slightly, ruthlessly running his hands through his hair and straightening up, only to walk around in small circles, an exercise that quickly tired him out and led to the gym leader laying down spread eagle on the grass, huffing to himself while Bonnie and Serena looked on, both amused slightly despite the situation. Serena finally let go of her frustration to console the troubled boy. "Clemont, you made a mistake. It happens to the best of us. What's important is that you don't give up on Ash or yourself until it's over. You need to apologize to him. He's certainly not the type to hold a grudge, and we aren't either. If you smooth things over now, Ash can get back to recovering normally, and the sooner that happens, the sooner we can really get back on track with our journey," Serena soothingly explained.
Bonnie nodded at Serena's advice. "Yeah, Clemont! Just apologize! That's what works when I mess one of your inventions up, isn't it?" Bonnie giggled a bit, apparently remembering what was likely numerous times where her antics had messed up a project Clemont was working on.
Clemont pushed himself into a seated position and straightened his hair out. He still appeared unsure of himself. "But... are you two sure that Ash will be ready to forgive me already?" The nervous tone Clemont's words carried reflected themselves in his eyes, darting nervously between the girls, as if he expected one of them to suddenly pounce at him the way Ash did.
Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You know we're talking about Ash, right? I don't think he has the capacity to stay angry at people."
Serena would have completely agreed, had she not played witness to the boy's depression for the past few days, a side of Ash the girl had no idea even existed. She wasn't about to let that block her from pitching in. "And, even if it wasn't Ash, it's only courteous to apologize to someone for a mistake. You look like you don't care if you remain silent," the performer explained, receiving a nod in response from Clemont.
"Alright, I surrender, Serena, Bonnie. I have to fix what I've broken. Would you two mind handling the camp while I'm gone?" Clemont looked reluctant to even have to ask for a simple chore to be done for him.
Bonnie got up and sauntered over to her brother, suddenly striking as she neared him, wrapping Clemont in a tight hug. "You know we will, Clemont! Now go take care of Ash for us!" Bonnie released one of her infectious smiles to the group, quickly producing grins from her two companions.
Clemont shed a small tear, which he wiped away as it passed his glasses. "You guys... you're the best. Really. Wish me luck, okay?" The boy released himself from his sister after returning the hug, stood, and started to head off in the direction Ash had elected to take away from camp, the setting sun giving the start of his journey a picture perfect backdrop as Clemont and Serena sent their luck with him.
Maybe things can finally start getting back to normal around here... I think I've had quite enough strife for one week. Serena turned to Bonnie as Clemont disappeared. "So, Bonnie? Shall we?" she asked, gesturing to the rather disheveled sight that was the group's campgrounds.
Bonnie, much to Serena's confusion, shot her closest female friend an aggravated look. "You think you're getting off that easily, Serena? You need to open up even more than Ash does." The young blonde's body started to work on clearing the table while remaining fixated on Serena's response.
Thankfully for her, Serena quickly identified what Bonnie was referring to. "I've made my position on this very clear, Bonnie. Ash needs to come to his own conclusions with Goodra. Clemont just proved that trying to interfere is only going to make things worse." Serena began to help her pseudo sister with the cleaning, and she realized that no one had actually really eaten that much, if at all, and they hadn't even released their pokémon to eat before Clemont had dived into his doomed delving of Ash's mind. Oh well... there's always breakfast. The others will understand skipping one meal, and the sun is almost gone anyways.
Bonnie had her reply loaded long before Serena began speaking, but she wasn't about to tip her hand that easily. Years of messing with her brother had raised a highly skilled mischief maker. "You're wrong, Serena," Bonnie said, matching Serena's confidence evenly.
Serena was indignant. "How so?" she asked.
Bonnie dropped part of her façade to grin. "You're blushing."
Serena dropped the rag she held in her hand that she was using to wipe off the group's table, quickly putting a palm to her face, confirming the girl's accusation with the unusual warmth the performer found there. "S-so? That has nothing to do with Ash! I'm just... tired! Yeah, I'm tired!" It irked her sometimes how easily she blushed, but she knew any efforts to control the flushing of her face were pointless while Ash was around or even mentioned.
It was time for Bonnie to move in for the kill. "Exactly my point. You won't directly address the source of your blush in the same way that you won't directly talk to Ash. Can I ask you a question and get an honest answer, Serena?" The Lumiose native had relinquished her poker face and grin, leaving behind any hint of teasing to allow herself to taken seriously.
The sudden change in mood wasn't lost on Serena. "I... suppose so," she answered carefully.
Bonnie finished putting the last of the plates away and turned fully to face Serena, glancing around before walking over to whisper in the older girl's ear. "Do you love him?" She quickly scurried away and stood behind the dinner table, unsure of how Serena would react to such a sensitive question.
Everything froze in place for Serena. Her mind seemed to have gotten caught in its processing of information when the word love was used. The beautifully despicable word had taken a hold over the performer, leaving her unable to do anything but utter out the only other word that surfaced whenever her thoughts had turned to such a topic. "Ash..." she muttered, in a barely audible tone.
Bonnie nodded, with a bit of concern appearing in her blue eyes. "Yes... are you feeling alright, Serena? You didn't think I was talking about Clemont, did you?"
That comment was more than enough to jolt Serena from a grinding halt of feeling to full steam ahead in denial. "What? No! Absolutely not! Never! Well, I mean, he's nice and all, and the inventions he makes are useful sometimes, but I don't see him in the was I see Ash-" Serena threw a hand over her mouth to forcefully cease her flow of words, but she knew that she had let one name too many slip from her tongue.
The mistake was certainly not lost on the other member of the conversation, who began to form a positively massive grin on her face. Serena shook her head rapidly at Bonnie, but the young girl's smile only spread as she watched Serena's face approach a new world record for blushing depth. It was a long time coming, and the people weren't exactly who she envisioned when she started her mission, but Bonnie was finally ready to add successful matchmaker to her repertoire of skills, and there was no way Clemont would be able to stop her from finding him someone to take care of him with that title under her belt. "You know, I've had a sneaking suspicion for a while, Serena, but I had no idea you were this deeply in love with Ash! Come on, you know you can talk to me. Just say it."
Serena didn't see much of an alternative to confirming what both parties had already become well aware of. She took a deep breath and let years of withheld emotion have voice for the first time."Fine, then, Bonnie, you win. I love Ash Ketchum. You got me. Happy?" Serena was only slightly irritated at having to tell someone about her deepest secrets before she told Ash, but she couldn't help feeling a wave of relief wash over her after relinquishing the title of sole bearer to her inner thoughts. Saying it out loud just made the whole thing suddenly feel... real for the first time. Am I really ready to handle telling someone? It's never felt like the right moment for this. I don't have any confirmation from him, either.
The Lumiose girl returned to the side of her friend and took Serena's hand. "You know I won't be happy until you say it to him."
Serena started, almost ripping her hand from the grip of the younger girl, were it not for the surprisingly strong hold Bonnie had on her. "No. Way. I can't do it now. Especially given his situation. That is definitely out of the question, Bonnie, and I swear if you say-"
"He loves you too, Serena!" Bonnie yelled, cutting off the performer mid-sentence.
Serena froze up again, and Bonnie quickly added onto her statement from left field. "Well, what I mean is that, um, we talked, and he was saying that he can't stop thinking about you, and I swear he's showing all of the signs of it, if that magazine I read is accurate at least..." Bonnie trailed off in deep thought, clearly trying to find the best way to present her highly scientific findings.
The performer had recovered once she realized what the base Bonnie's proposition stood on was made of, and she was not impressed. "Are you trying to get me to confess to Ash because a magazine said he might be into me?"
Bonnie huffed. "It was a good magazine! It had a bunch of pictures in it and everything! Hold on, I think I still have it..." Bonnie exclaimed as she began to dig into her satchel, releasing Serena's hand.
Serena crossed her arms, grateful to find some control in the situation. "Bonnie, there's no way I'm going to say anything to Ash right now. He needs to recover from losing Goodra before I can even start to try to bring that up to him again. And yes, I've tried the subtle path already. Don't ask."
Bonnie stopped digging in her bag and shrugged. "I don't need to. I have a good idea. Let me ask this instead: why are you so insistent that Ash recover by himself?" Bonnie wasn't certain, but she had a hunch, and love didn't get anywhere without a few good hunches.
The older girl didn't hesitate. "Because that's what worked for me. I, unlike your brother, understand what Ash is going through, losing someone like that. I found a way past it, though it took some time, and Ash can do the same if we give him time," she stated matter-of-factly.
The younger girl raised an eyebrow to Serena. "Did you get over Ash by yourself?" she asked.
Serena nodded in the affirmative, thankfully for herself missing the identity of her loss being revealed. "Of course. It was easier once I told myself to never give up until it's... over... oh no." Did I mess up? How could I have overlooked this?
The sagely nod from Bonnie only served to confirm Serena's trepidation. "You get it now, don't you? It was Ash that kept you going when you lost him, and now it's your turn to return the favor. Besides, that's what good couples do for each other, isn't it?"
Bonnie's final comment hit its mark, driving another wave of blush through Serena's face. That passing, Serena found herself for the first time in their conversation agreeing with a piece of advice she had been given regarding Ash. "I can't believe it, but I think I agree with you Bonnie. I...messed this up. I should have tried to console Ash sooner instead of leaving him out to fend for himself like this. He probably thinks I'm cross with him now, especially after dinner. I was only trying to help... what have I done?" The honey blond began to panic, all of her actions over the past few days now spun in a light that framed her as offensive to Ash, one of her greatest fears.
"Serena, you need to calm down. it's not your fault Ash is still upset, but I think now would be the best time to try to fix it," Bonnie carefully advised, trying to console her friend while shoving her to the desired course of action at the same time.
Serena blinked rapidly to avoid allowing a tear to stream down her cheek, calming herself into a state of cognizance. "Yeah... I don't want to see Ash like this any longer. This isn't the Ash I know, and... now I need to remind him how he helped me so he can come back himself." And ... if what Bonnie said is really true, then maybe, just maybe... no. Now isn't the right time for this. I need to be there for Ash first, myself second.
Bonnie gave her friend a thumbs up. "Alright! You'll definitely make Ash feel better. I knew I could get you to help Ash out like this." The young girl smiled cheekily.
Serena frowned. "And why is that, exactly?" I would hope I'm not as easy to manipulate to her as I am for her to read... wait, is that the guys?
Ash and Clemont were returning from their mutual reconciliation, barely visible and completely unnoticed by Bonnie, who began to spout out her response. "Because you're in looov-"
Serena immediately clamped a hand over the girl's mouth when she realized what was being said, much to Bonnie's ire. She only relaxed when Serena indicated to her that the guys had returned, with it admittedly being hard to see them in the newly fallen cover of night. Alright, Serena. If you're gonna do this, then you've got to do this. No more excuses. Ash needs help.
Ash was tentatively approaching the two girls. "Do you two... need a minute or something?" he asked.
He can be so cute when he's nervous. No, not now, focus! Serena released Bonnie and worked to put on her most convincing smile, pretending that she wasn't blushing while waving her hands in front of her. "No no, we're fine here! Um, how are you? Did you and Clemont make up?"
Clemont moved to make himself better seen by the girls, nodding along as Ash answered. "We did. I made a mistake, and I needed to apologize to both him and you two for it, so I'm sorry. I...was wrong to lash out, even given the circumstances."
Serena released a breath she didn't realize she had started holding. At least something worked out the way it was intended to today. Now, I just need to play my part... "That's good. I forgive you, and I'm sorry I snapped at you. I just couldn't... think of another way to get your attention." Why are you bringing that up now? Are you crazy? You're trying to get him to want to talk to you! Serena vaguely processed Bonnie saying something in the midst of her self-deprecation when the center of her attention spoke up again.
"Don't apologize, Serena, you did exactly what you needed to." Ash actually sounded genuine, and it surprised the performer a little.
Then again, I guess I should expect such forgiveness from him by now. He's so amazing... not now, brain. Focus on helping Ash!
The would-be recipient of Serena's help clearly had other ideas in mind. "I think it's a good idea for us all to go to bed. We've had a rough evening."
Serena felt like a truck had just hit her. What?! but I thought Bonnie said- Serena turned to the little girl, who was clearly trying to pipe up and vocalize Serena's thoughts, only for Ash to rush his words onwards and prevent her from getting the chance. "And Serena, do you mind if we talk first thing in the morning? Before we have to head out, that is."
Even though it was her intention, the idea of being alone with Ash still sent a small shiver up her spine and blossomed a new blush on her person. I suppose I can't force him to talk now. I'll just go along with him so he doesn't get suspicious of anything... yeah, this is fine. The avoidance of confrontation for the night brought a bit of relaxation to Serena's countenance, but she realized that she needed to go if she wanted to hold onto it before Ash changed his mind. "Um, sure, no problem! I'll get up early then. Goodnight!" The performer almost sprinted into her tent. When she got there, the girl quickly made about changing into her pajamas, barely finishing the task before Bonnie stormed into their sleeping quarters.
"What was that all about? He said he was going to talk to you tonight!" Bonnie was agitated, throwing her onesie pajamas on over her regular clothes without thinking about it, getting ready to sleep with over exaggerated movements, like an actual angry tyrantrum.
Serena simply shook her head to nobody as the two entered their sleeping bags for the night. "If there's one thing my experience has taught me, Bonnie, it's patience. Maybe it's made me a little too cautious sometimes, but if Ash wants to wait until the morning, I don't mind waiting a little longer to help him."
Bonnie had already run out of energy from the day's events, and by the time Serena finished talking, the girl was wrapped inside her sleeping bag, throwing something that could be loosely interpreted as a good night over her shoulder to her companion. Serena smiled and shut off the lantern in their tent that she thankfully had the foresight to turn on when they set up the tent, allowing her to change before Bonnie arrived. Good night, Bonnie. Good night, Clemont, Ash. Tomorrow... I promise you that I'm going to set things right. I'm going to give you something back.
Serena slept incredibly soundly, something she had failed to do since Ash had lost Goodra. She found herself standing by her lonesome in a field of flowers. Wherever she tried to walk, the flowers suddenly tore themselves away from the peaty soil and flew into the air, far from her reach. When she walked away, the flowers returned to their position. This created the effect of a circle of petals swirling around the girl as she wandered the field. She wasn't particularly thinking of anything, or even doing anything of her own free will. Rather, the sensation of floating in bliss was all she felt. Suddenly, the entire world shook, and for a brief instant the flowers faltered in their rhythmic circling, dropping like pebbles to the ground. Serena froze. Had she done something to offend them? Why would they suddenly stop? No answer came to the girl in the time it took the petals to again begin their graceful whirlwind of activity, resuming their ritual for the performer as if they never had ceased. Serena was confused, but she let that feeling go. There was no reason to hold onto negativity when every other part of her body told her things were fine. The sudden cessation of movement happened thrice more, and Serena never seemed to find the time to consider the source of the problem before the flowers began to spin around her in such pretty colors again, enrapturing her with their serenity. The fifth time the flowers stopped dead, the other flowers still planted reacted, suddenly withering and turning to ash before her eyes. The whirlwind started again, only now the beautiful flowers had been replaced by coarse clouds of ash all around Serena, making it impossible to see in front of her. She felt herself saying something out loud, but she didn't know what it was. She advanced forward, and doing so pulled her into the dust devil, the protective circle around her gone. The last thing she saw before the dream drowned itself in ashy blackness was a single flower, unaffected by the torrent of ash around it. Serena recognized it instantly, the shock of realization jolting her awake with a gasp.
A dream... of course it was. Oh well. Maybe I'll see one for real one day.
"Pika pika, pikachu pika."
Pikachu?! Serena recognized the voice of Ash's favorite pokémon, and she checked her tablet to make sure she wasn't still asleep or crazy. 12:17. Who is Pikachu talking to this late at night? Curiosity got the better of Serena's respect for the pokémon's privacy, and she leaned her ear to the edge of the tent to hear the identity of Pikachu's conversation partner.
"-going to the tree clearing where we talked to Clemont. Can I trust you with this? I promise I won't be gone long."
Serena jolted backwards from her tent wall like it had stung her. I'm eavesdropping on Ash! I guess he couldn't sleep... He can't go out this late! It's dangerous to go alone! I have to go after him. He doesn't need to get himself hurt for no reason. The conversation had ceased outside, and Serena realized she needed to hurry if she wanted to catch Ash. The girl found her red sandals and vest containing her ribbon and poké balls and put both on hastily, slowing herself to carefully exit the tent so as not to awaken Bonnie, a likely unnecessary gesture, as the young girl was sleeping like a brick. She looked around, unable to see very far in the shadowy night, but well enough to tell that Ash had already vacated the premises. "Dang it... I guess I'm going hunting for a clearing," she sighed, having no idea as to where Ash had been conversing with Clemont.
Suddenly, a small yellow mouse bounded into Serena's field of view. Pikachu looked surprised to see anyone, and it was clearly distressed at Serena's presence. "Pikachu pika pi... pi pika?"
Serena received none of Pikachu's message other than what sounded like nervousness in the pokémon's tone, so she kneeled done to meet the yellow mouse at eye level. "Pikachu... which way did Ash go? He shouldn't be out this late."
Pikachu was startled that Serena knew Ash was gone, but it wasn't about to go directly against his trainer's request. The electric type folded its arms and turned away from its friend. "Pika pika."
Serena thought for a moment. Clearly Pikachu was playing bodyguard for Ash tonight. It was just like him to try and keep them from worrying about him like that. If she hadn't heard Ash earlier, Pikachu would have likely gotten her to go back to sleep. "Do you remember what Ash and I were talking about yesterday, Pikachu? You know as well as I do that he needs our help. He isn't feeling well, and the only way he's going to get better in the morning is if he can stay awake long enough to have a conversation. I'm asking you to let me aid our friend, Pikachu. He'll listen to me. I won't tell him you let me pass on purpose, if you point me in the right direction." Serena winked mischievously to accompany her last statement.
Pikachu turned back to Serena and appeared to contemplate its options. Eventually, the prospect of returning Ash to normal came out over the need to obey Ash himself, and Pikachu pointed in the direction of the clearing. "Pi, pi pikachu pika pi."
Serena beamed at the little mouse. "Thanks, Pikachu! We won't be long, I promise." Serena started off in the direction Pikachu had pointed, as the mouse itself curled up into a ball to rest. There was no need to worry now that Serena was going to take care of Ash.
As Serena walked into the forest, she began to wonder what possessed Ash to take a stroll at this hour. It's not the strangest thing he's done recently, to be fair. I wonder if he's having the same kind of dreams I had when I was in his position... I bet that's it. If that's the case, then it makes sense for him to take off like this. Hopefully this clearing isn't too far ahead... Serena's thoughts had their answer ass she came upon the clearing. The moon illuminated the tree in the clearing's center surprisingly well, allowing Serena to identify the boy sitting at the base of the tree a Ash even from the clearing's edge. Well, not like anyone else would be hanging out around here now anyways. Serena crossed the clearing quickly, ready to chew Ash out for wandering off and rush him to bed, when his words caused her to stop dead just a few yards away from the boy, unseen only by virtue of Ash looking down into his own thoughts.
"Help me out here, universe. I can't solve this problem by myself."
Things suddenly clicked for Serena. The setting, the greater illumination, the lost boy, and her. Now is the time. I have to help him now. He isn't going to recover if I keep putting things off. This is the first step. Do it for him. Serena steeled herself and spoke up. "Would you let me try to help you, then?"
Ash turned almost pale white in terror, and Serena worried she may have sent the poor boy into shock. "It's me, Ash, not the universe."
It took a minute, but Ash seemed to understand the distinction. "Oh... sorry, Serena. Didn't think anyone knew where I was. Did Pikachu not try to stop you?"
Serena thought for a minute before nodding. "Pikachu tried, but it's just as worried about you as I am, Ash. I told it that I'm going to try and bring you back, and that's what I'm here to do."
The aspiring pokémon master lowered his head. "Sorry, Serena, but I'm not ready to go back to sleep yet. I've... been having nightmares that I don't want to deal with right now."
Called it. Serena walked over and took a seat next to Ash against the tree the boy was planted next to. "I'm not talking about bringing you back to camp. I'm talking about bringing back the Ash everyone knows and... really admires, if you'll let me try." Serena's voice grew quieter as she spoke, nerves creeping around her confidence and threatening to shut her down. I can't falter here.
Ash looked at Serena, then at the night sky, then back to Serena. Her hair shone in the moonlight. "Well, I guess it is morning, isn't it?" he asked, rubbing his nose nervously.
Serena giggled lightly. "Yes, I suppose it is. I don't think we'll benefit anyone by putting this off any longer."
The boy put his focus directly on the girl's eyes, ready to gauge a reaction. "Here goes, then, Serena. Let me ask you something. Do you really understand what it means to lose something?" His stare burned directly into Serena.
A deep breath was released from the performer. It was time to start playing with fire. "Ash, when I was younger... a lot younger, that is, I lost something. I didn't quite understand how important it was until it disappeared from my life, but then again, I think that's part of what fulfills the requirement for something to be truly special to you. In any case, I was distraught beyond belief when I lost this thing. I stopped talking to my mother, I wouldn't play with my toys, and I even stopped eating for a day. All I could think about was how I had let that thing enter my life, permanently alter it, and then waltz out as if its act was a routine. I so desperately wanted to see and regain what I had lost, but I knew in my heart the odds were slim to none of ever being graced with such a fortune from fate. There was only one thing that kept me going back then, that inspired me to soldier on and eventually get over the devastation of that loss, even though it felt like I should have been able to get over the problem with the aid of time alone." Serena paused for dramatic effect and to see if Ash was comprehending her message.
Ash hadn't even blinked. "What was it? What kept you going?" He inquired softly, gently biding Serena continue.
The blush on Serena's face was getting a head start on appearing before Serena could even begin to answer her crush. "Well, you see Ash, I was able to keep going because of something that something said to me when we met. He told me something that I've held very close to my heart, a double-edged sword in that it helped me so many times while reminding me of how far away the source of the advice was. He said... to never give up until it's over." Serena ran out of air. That's it. There's no other way he can interpret that.
Ash turned away from Serena, his gaze roaming, as if there were someone else who had provided Serena with that quote hiding under the cover of shadow. "So... you're saying... that I should have been following my own advice the whole time..." Ash began to chuckle to himself, slowly building up to a full laugh that sent echoes throughout the clearing. He quieted and returned his gaze to Serena. "Yeah, you understand, and you're right. I really should have followed my own advice. But that's not the point, is it, Serena?"
Serena had legitimately worried that Ash had missed her reveal of the identity of who she lost, but his return from laughter alleviated that fear. "Um... yeah. I guess you could say that. Do you really understand what I'm trying to say?" The performer blushed as she finished that sentence. Please Ash, if you have any weakness in your density, now would be the best time ever to take advantage of it.
Ash put a hand on his chin contemplatively. "Did it really break you up that much when we parted ways for the first time?"
Serena nodded quietly. Please. For me. For us.
Ash realized she was still expecting an answer and continued. "Do you think about me as much as I find myself thinking of you recently?"
Serena's heart jumped three beats ahead. YES YES YES YES. "Yes, Ash. If I really show up in your mind as hard as you try to think of something else, without warning, and without rhyme or reason, then we think of each other in equal amounts," she whispered, inching closer to the boy.
The pokémon master in training nodded, almost to himself. "Alright then. I think I understand now. You lost me when we were young, and the advice I gave you is what helped you, well, recover from me, and even then it left me stuck in your mind. Man, saying that out loud sounds weird. Oh well. Anyways, I lost Goodra, and as long as I don't give up on the idea that I'll see him again, then I can move on from that, even though I'm going to randomly start thinking of you. Is that right?"
Serena was dumbfounded. How did he manage to put that in the least romantic way possible? Maybe I need to try again. "That may all be true, Ash, but aren't you curious at all as to why you're thinking of me?"
The boy nodded empathetically. "Of course! Are you saying that you can explain that too?"
The girl realized she needed to choose her next words very carefully. "I honestly can't explain it for you, Ash, but I know why you're always on my mind, and it has everything to do with who you are. You're kind, funny, brave, talented, and confident, and those are just a few of the things that I... admire about you. You make me feel stronger just by being around me, and I feel like I can accomplish anything when I'm around you. It's the kind of feeling you get around people that you see as... more than a friend."
Ash froze. The two were incredibly close now, their faces merely a few inches from each other. "Well you're definitely much more than a friend to me, Serena! I would still be trying to get my first gym badge if it wasn't for you, and I've accomplished so many things here in the Kalos region thanks to you. You are the best friend I have Serena."
Serena's heart literally shattered at that. I guess he really doesn't feel the way I hoped he did..."That's it then? Your best friend? Is that what I am to you?" she asked, her voice wavering violently.
Ash tilted his head. "Yeah. Is that a problem or something?"
Serena pulled herself away from Ash and turned to face the forest around them, standing up. "That's it then. I guess we're done here," she stated emotionlessly, all energy of the moment having burned up her passion in the worst way possible.
Ash frowned and also rose, confused at Serena's sudden mood change. "Something's wrong, Serena. Tell me."
Serena whipped around to face Ash. "You should know! I just poured my heart out to you and you called me your best friend!" she rebuked angrily.
"Whoa, what? Who gets mad at a guy because he called her his best friend?" Ash asked, taking a half-step back from the rage radiating from Serena's body.
It didn't matter if he knew anymore. Nothing matters if he doesn't feel the same way. "A girl who's in love with you, you dense dolt!" Serena yelled, causing a flock of murkrow to fly out of a nearby tree, squawking angrily as they flew away. Serena let her words hang in the air for a moment before she slowly pulled her blue ribbon out of her vest pocket. The girl dropped the gift from Ash on the ground, turned, and bolted for the woods, leaving one pokémon trainer speechless behind her.