Ash's POV
"Wait, Braixen, where's Serena!?" Even as he asked the question, Ash already realized what the answer would be.
Braixen pointed to the forest and started to speak its name, but Ash held a hand up to stop the fire type. "Did she go to get an antidote?"
Ash thought Braixen released what looked like a sigh of relief before nodding emphatically, likely grateful that it didn't have to explain its trainer's whereabouts. "Braixen brai."
It made sense to Ash. Serena wouldn't leave any pokémon out here like this if she could do something about it. I guess that means the plan is to stay here to see her and get the antidote in one move. The pokémon trainer smiled at Serena's starter. "Then I guess I'll just wait here for her here then. Oh, and by the way, thanks for using those moves in the air, you two. I would have been searching forever if it wasn't for your signal."
Frogadier nodded solemnly to its trainer, while Braixen avoided Ash's gaze and refused to acknowledge the praise. This reaction confused the boy. Did Braixen not send that signal on purpose? But Frogadier certainly did... was Braixen just trying to keep me away from Serena like Pancham was? Braixen had seemingly finished its business with Ash and had returned to tending to Frogadier, with all the attention of a real nurse Joy. Ash frowned and joined the fire type in looking over Frogadier, the water type getting uncomfortable with all the attention it was getting. Ash, for once, didn't take the hint from his pokémon's subtle body language. As much as it annoyed his water type, this was the only way that Ash was going to get Braixen's full attention. The situation Ash intentionally intensified finally spilled over when Braixen turned to the boy beside it and spoke with barely controlled tranquility. "Braixen... braixen braixen."
Alright, let's get this over with before Serena returns. "Braixen, did you signal Hawlucha and I on purpose?" Ash maintained an innocent tone that failed to match the air around him, especially when Braixen froze up at the question.
Ash waited expectantly for a response of affirmation or denial, but he received uncharacteristically large amount of nothing from Braixen, the starter just staring at Ash, as if it had never heard the question in the first place. Frogadier seemed to be getting sick of the entire process and muttered to the fire type as loud as it could through the suffocating poison. "Frog... frogadier frog!"
Braixen turned to Ash's pokémon and tilted its head in contemplation. The tension between the three hung in the air for an incredibly lengthy moment before Braixen sighed and nodded to Ash in affirmation, not making a sound. A breath of relief left Ash's mouth, confusing Braixen. "Braixen, I appreciate the honesty. I'm not mad at you, and I'll say the same thing that I said to Pancham to you: I need to speak to Serena right now, whether she wants to speak to me or not. Does that make sense to you?"
The fire type glanced over at Frogadier for a split second before agreeing with its head, again wordlessly. This startled Ash even more than the sudden silence that had infected the area. That was easy. Hmm... maybe Braixen really is more fond of Frogadier than I realized. I suppose I'm not the only one starting to understand what these feelings are... The boy gave the fire type a genuinely warm smile and thanks before the two returned to fussing over Frogadier, much to the disappointment of the frog, still too weak to resist. Hawlucha realized it had nothing to do and began to practice its victory poses. After thoroughly checking on his pokémon, Ash realized the only thing he could do for Frogadier at this point was to give it space to rest, as returning it would prevent him from being able to monitor his pokémon. He tried to relay this information to Braixen, with little effect. Surrendering full Frogadier nurse duty again to Braixen while mumbling his condolences to the frog, Ash gave the two some space, wandering over to a nearby tree halfway between Hawlucha and the starter duo and leaning against it. While Ash wanted to practice what he was going to say to Serena in order to avoid another massive mishap, at the same time it felt inappropriate to him. If I'm going to do this correctly, it has to come out raw, from my heart, not my head. Just like a pokémon battle. Yeah, exactly like a pokémon battle. Man, I love pokémon battles... Ash's mind began to escape him, entering a reality in which he was a pokémon master and had beaten every league in existence. He was just about to receive a special medal for becoming the best trainer in the world with Serena at his side, cheering for his greatest achievement, when a real battle suddenly began to break out in front of him.
Daydreaming had robbed Ash of his senses, but when he came to, Hawlucha and Braixen were facing each other angrily, Braixen brandishing its branch menacingly while Hawlucha was guarding the flowers Ash only just now remembered handing the wrestling pokémon close to its chest, bristling with indignation. The whole situation made Ash think he was still fantasizing about battling and thee two pokémon in front of him had just decided to enact his thoughts for him. This idea completely disappeared when Frogadier suddenly yelled at its trainer directly. "Frog frogadier!"
The urgency in his pokémon's voice convinced Ash that he wasn't in fact projecting his dream onto reality. He stepped forward and began to open his mouth to tell off both pokémon when Braixen struck. Ash expected Hawlucha to receive a face full of flamethrower, but the fox pokémon instead lunged at its foe directly. Ash barely had time to process how strange that battle strategy was before Hawlucha reacted equally as peculiar, shying away from the assault and attempting to defend itself by turning away from the attacker without countering. Is this a battle? Then what the heck are they doing? If you're gonna battle, then bat- oh, wait. The flowers! Things clicked into place as the two struggled. Ash had never actually told Hawlucha what the flowers were for, and Braixen must have seen the ribbon, thought Hawlucha had stolen the gift, and was now trying to retrieve it for its trainer. But if they keep going on like this... "Hey, stop it you two!"
The warning found voice a split second too late as Braixen managed to get a paw on the flowers, causing Hawlucha to panic and drop to the ground, sending its foe somersaulting over its head. Ash reached the two as Braixen managed to stand up, only enraged at the unplanned trip, while Hawlucha remained in its fetal position on the grassy terrain. The boy forced himself in between Braixen and Hawlucha before the fox could pounce again. "Braixen, enough! The flowers are for Serena! Hawlucha didn't steal anything!" Ash felt the adrenaline rush through his system as Braixen appeared ready to charge at him for interrupting before the meaning of the words began to sink in.
"Brai... Braixen. Braixen." The fox pokémon blinked several times and came to its senses, bowing formally in apology to Hawlucha.
It concerned Ash that Hawlucha still refused to budge from its position despite the threat clearly being resolved, even when Braixen apologized. "Hey, Hawlucha? Are you alright? You can stand up now." Something about this night was clearly causing all of his pokémon to behave as paradoxical to their normal selves as possible, and between Frogadier's acceptance of being fussed over and Hawlucha's timid battling style, Ash wondered if he had somehow walked into the mirror world from Reflection Cave at some point by mistake.
Hawlucha looked up, a sheepish expression on its face, and it slowly rose, thankfully appearing to be physically okay. What had failed to survive, however, was the bundle of flowers Hawlucha had been tasked with guarding, crushed under the bulk of the wrestler. Hawlucha started to stutter apologies, but Ash didn't hear anything. He carefully bent down and extracted Serena's ribbon, thankfully intact in spite of the impact. The blue article of clothing was carefully inspected and wiped clean of flower juice by Ash before he stood up again and, after reassuring Hawlucha that everything was okay and that it wasn't a big mistake, turned and presented the ribbon formally to Braixen. "Here, Braixen. I clearly can't do a good job of keeping this safe, and it belongs to your trainer, so why don't you hold onto it for her?"
"Or you could just return it to its owner, you know."
Every nerve on Ash's spine tingled, and he spun around to see Serena standing there, one hand on her hip, the other clutching a small bottle that had to be the antidote she had left to get. A fine layer of sweat decorated the girl's brow, and her honey blond hair glistened with the few stray droplets of perspiration clinging to both it and the moonlight from the sky. In short, Serena made Ash take notice of her, in a way he was only just coming around to seeing her. The girl held out her free hand expectantly. "We don't exactly have all night, Ash."
Ash's mind worked overtime to reactivate, and he forced himself to overcome his mixed emotions to place the ribbon in the open palm of its rightful owner. "Right, uh, sorry. You just startled me, Serena. I guess that's the second time tonight, huh?" What kind of an introduction is that!?
Serena seemingly sympathized with Ash's sentiments. "I don't intend to make a habit of it. I'm here to heal Frogadier." The beautiful performer turned away and paced over to the frog, carefully applying the antidote, Frogadier sighing in pleasure as the poison finally began the process of being expelled from its system.
Ash found his eyes glued to the girl in front of him. As revolutionary as his revelation was, there was nothing that prepared him for the unique amalgamation of emotions his mind experienced as his gaze remained fixed on the savior of his pokémon. She's never been so... cold to anyone before. It's entirely justified, but it doesn't make the sting hurt any less. How did I manage to reject Serena? She's even caring for my pokémon when she's already furious with me. She's so kind, caring, pretty... Wait. I can't lose myself in my thoughts here. Focus! I have to show her what I've discovered. A minute of healing later, Serena rose, Frogadier thankfully managing to stand up along with the girl. Only when Pikachu hopped from Serena's shoulder to Ash's did he realize his closest partner was even there in the first place. Ash started when the yellow pokémon suddenly rejoined its trainer, almost sending the electric rodent flying off of his shoulder, but caught himself quickly enough to avoid such an accident. "Pika pi!"
"Sorry, buddy. Didn't realize you were there. I got distracted," he apologized hastily to the yellow mouse. Pikachu just looked so... natural on her shoulder. Is that even possible? I guess he looks normal on my shoulder to everyone else...
"That seems to be a running theme with you tonight," Serena remarked icily, staring directly at Ash with blue fire in her eyes, a stark contrast to the tear lines that decorated her cheeks from when the performer must have been crying earlier.
Ash winced. "Alright, I suppose I deserved that." I did this to her. I have to fix this.
Serena nodded. "You deserve worse than that, but I don't have it in me to give it to you. Braixen, stop that." The girl paused to tell off her starter for drawing its branch in Ash's general direction when she mentioned the boy deserving worse.
Grateful to not be burned, Ash decided to handle the immediate problem first. "Sooo... is Frogadier alright?"
Serena appeared to be holding back a biting remark, instead opting for a simple nod. She failed to halt her pokémon's reaction at this news, and Braixen rushed forward, gripping the water type in a tight hug that it ended just as quickly as it started when it realized that every person and pokémon in the area was staring at it, Frogadier included. Ash saw the problem and decided to throw his frog pokémon a line. "Frogadier, if you're feeling up to it, why don't you and Braixen look around the area a bit for more wild pokémon that might have been bothered by our noise? I don't want anyone to get attacked again."
If any signs of weakness still remained in Frogadier's countenance, they were dropped immediately. "Frog!" It stood proudly, Braixen at its side, and quickly took its leave into the forest, silently joining hands with its companion when it thought Ash couldn't see it anymore.
The gesture brought a smile to Ash's face, and he turned to deal with his last remaining Kalos pokémon. "Alright, then, Hawlucha. You need to head back to camp and let Clemont know that Frogadier and the rest of us are fine and that we'll be back soon. The camp shouldn't be too far from here. Can you handle that?"
Hawlucha saluted proudly and sprinted off into the forest in the opposite direction of camp. Serena sighed in exasperation. "Hawlucha, the camp is the other way!" she yelled after the receding form of the wrestling pokémon.
Seconds of silence passed before the red blur of Hawlucha returned just long enough to be seen taking off in the opposite direction, the word Hawlucha in the form of a thank you being echoed through the woods as it passed. Even Serena failed to maintain her stoic composure at Hawlucha's inane behavior, just as Ash hoped. Now's your chance. You have to get in the door while it's open! Serena spoke as Ash opened his mouth to perform the same action. "You know Hawlucha isn't going to be able to explain anything like that to Clemont, don't you?" She asked, some of the sparkling and refreshing lightness of her normal voice penetrating her current tone.
Ash leapt on his chance. "Yeah, but it was the only way that I could convince him to leave, and I need to talk to you again. Alone." The seriousness Ash normally reserved for intense pokémon battles was coming out, and Ash realized this was one battle he truly couldn't afford to lose.
Serena nodded to Ash's closest partner. "What about Pikachu, then? Why is he allowed in chats between friends if Hawlucha isn't?"
That one hit hard, and Ash winced a bit. He didn't even have to glance at his pokémon partner to respond, however. "Pikachu is half asleep by now. He can't sleep well if I'm not around, and he knows I'm not about to go to bed anytime soon, so this is the compromise."
The look of shock that Serena revealed at the level of understanding Ash had for his partner was evident, but she quickly hid it, again raising the iron curtain of unfeeling over her expression. "Alright then, you've got me here. Talk."
Ash swallowed his pride in a massive gulp. There was no way through to his goal other than brutal honesty. "Serena... I messed up. Badly. I didn't understand what you meant-"
"How is that even possible!? I made my feelings as clear as I possibly could for you and you turned your back to me! I spent so much of my life waiting, hoping, praying for a chance to see you again, and when you couldn't remember me, I wanted to give up. But I didn't, because you taught me not to. When you missed hint after blatantly obvious hint, I wanted to give up. But I didn't, because the boy who was playing with my heart was encouraging me to keep going, to keep trying. And when you called me your best friend... I couldn't hold on any longer... everything I had been working towards was... was..." Serena's enraged interruption began to waver and peter out, the girl's head slowly shifting downwards as tears began to fall again from her big blue eyes.
When Serena started to cry again, Ash swooped forward quickly to try and put a comforting arm around her, only to have it thrown off by the distraught performer. "Serena..." Ash murmured to the girl in the small space between them.
Serena was in no mood to hear her crush out. "No, Ash. I've had enough of your help. I'm realizing what a stupid idea this was. I'm sorry for even trying. I just want to leave quietly." Ash couldn't see Serena's face, but he knew the performer didn't really mean her words by the uncontrollable regret that seeped into her tone.
There was no more reason to leave things up in the air. Ash gently placed a hand on Serena's chin, lifting her head up to meet his own. She didn't throw him off this time, either because she didn't mind or lacked the necessary energy to care. Her eyes were drowning in their own sorrows, any flame that had burned in them completely extinguished, and Ash brushed away the bitter tears with his other hand. "If you really want to leave Serena, then I won't stop you. But I would like to show you something first. Is that alright?"
Serena gazed deeply into Ash's eyes, and for a moment he was genuinely terrified that the performer was going to reject his offer before she responded. "Yes, that's fine," she uttered in a quiet and weak tone.
Ash silently celebrated and removed his hand, indicating his companion follow him as he turned abruptly and trekked off into the woods. He didn't steal a glimpse back, but he knew that Serena was following him by the sound of her steps on the leaves scattered throughout the forest floor. The two continued in complete silence for several eternal minutes before Serena felt the need to speak up. "Ash, where are we going? What's so important that we have to go somewhere else to talk about it?"
The pokémon master in training threw a glance back at Serena before he carefully formulated his answer. "I realized something after you ran away, Serena. Something I feel needs to be seen to be understood. Not sure if that makes sense, but trust me, you'll love this."
The performer apparently accepted this answer and quietude again descended upon the pair as Ash struggled to recall the correct path from the small wooded grove where he had found an injured frogadier not so long ago, despite it feeling like days in the past. It certainly took longer than his trip in the reverse direction, but Ash eventually reached the clearing of flowers where Pancham and he had battled. Serena stepped out into the open air and gasped, he eyes now shining brightly with wonder instead of sorrow at the sight of the flowers. She slowly bent down and touched one, like she couldn't quite believe that it was real. She glanced from the boy to the flower to the boy again. "Ash... do you know what these are?"
Ash nodded jovially. "Yup! They're flowers! I saw them and immediately thought of you. I tried to bring some for you but Hawlucha crushed them, so I thought I'd just bring you here. Do you like them?" Ash inquired.
Serena didn't respond immediately, instead continuing to gently stroke the flower in front of her. "Never thought I'd ever actually see them for real..." she whispered almost silently.
The boy didn't quite catch what Serena was saying, but he decided it was best to move on to his point anyways. "Well... I also brought you here because I wanted to explain myself in a more appropriate scene. Like I said, I realized something, once I came to terms with what you said to me. I thought really hard about what it is to, well, be in love with someone, and I started thinking about the things I love. I love my pokémon. They're my family. That's one reason it hurt so badly that Goodra left, but at the same time, I'm grateful, because losing Goodra stirred something in me. I felt real fear, not directly over losing Goodra, but because the thought of losing Goodra made me afraid of losing... someone else."
Serena looked up straight at Ash while he spoke. Her eyes were gradually widening, as if she was visually having trouble comprehending the reality of the moment. Ash forged ahead. "I finally understood that I was afraid of losing you, Serena. My mind made a connection between you and a feeling I normally only reserve for my pokémon, and now I think I fully comprehend what that means. I brought you here, to a place that reminded me so much of you, so serene and beautiful, because I wanted to both tell you and show you that... I love you, and-" Ash was interrupted in the climax of his speech as the girl he was confessing to suddenly tackled him in a hug, sending both of them careening into the field of flowers and rudely sending an awakened Pikachu flying off towards the edge of the clearing.
A dim part of Ash's mind warned him that Pikachu wasn't going to take the sudden assault lightly, but almost every other part of him was completely focused on the gorgeous girl holding him tightly. Right now, all that really mattered was that he was next to the girl he had taught himself how to love. He returned the hug to the best of his ability given the two's position next to each other in the flowers. "I... didn't finish my sentence," he stammered awkwardly.
Serena looked at Ash and smiled the warmest smile the boy had ever seen. "You didn't have to. I got the message loud and clear. Ash... this place... it means more to me than you know that you brought me here, and... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm so overjoyed that you feel the same way I do. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear you say those words."
Ash grinned. I think I did it right! She isn't mad anymore! "So... are we still... you know..."
Serena suddenly released Ash and shoved him off of her, the boy rolling on the ground a few feet away before scrambling up to face the girl again. "No, Ash, we aren't friends anymore." She sat up in the field of flowers and delicately picked one, wafting the fragrance to her nose dreamily as Ash matched her position across from her in complete confusion.
"But... Serena... I understand now... I love you. You said you love me. I'm sorry about what I said before, about Pancham, about everything! What do I have to do to prove myself?" Ash's tone grew more desperate as he spoke. He had come this far, and there was no way he was going to lose Serena here again. I can't give up until it's over!
The performer simply unveiled a sly grin before leaning in close to Ash and whispering in his ear. "We aren't friends anymore, Ash Ketchum, and we never will be again. From here on in, you're my boyfriend." The unfamiliar word passed Serena's lips and entered Ash's mind for the first time.
Boyfriend. Boyfriend? "Ummm... what the heck does that mean?" Ash was completely confused at the addition of his gender to the title of friend.
Serena pulled away to stare at Ash, evident shock on her face. "You're kidding, right?"
Ash tilted his head to the side. "No. Am I missing something obvious here? Again, that is."
The girl sighed heavily. "I guess I should have seen this coming, but I guess I figured that even you would understand... you know what, never mind that. Alright Ash, listen carefully. When people are in a relationship, they call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, and everyone only has either one or no boyfriend or girlfriend. You said you are in love with me, and you already know I'm in love with you, so that means that you're my boyfriend and I'm your girlfriend. Does that make sense?"
The instructive nature of her speech made Ash think she had actually rehearsed this lecture for just such an occasion that Ash didn't understand her. "That... makes sense, I guess. So now we're like best friends, but... closer? Is that right? And did you practice this?"
"I've had plenty of time to get ready for this moment..." Serena muttered, almost to herself, before speaking up again, "Yes, that's close enough for now. It's love, not a contract. Oh, it doesn't really matter anyways. What matters is that we're happy, and I'm happiest when I'm around you."
That description made sense to the aspiring pokémon master. "And I'm happiest when I'm around you, Serena! It's, uh, not something I understood for a while, but when I really thought about it, it just made so much sense! You helped me out so much on my journey, lifting me up when I felt down, supporting me no matter what, and I was so excited for you when you finally found a dream to pursue... that's another reason the reality of Goodra's departure shocked me so much. I haven't given a second thought to my future beyond the Kalos league, and now I realize that I can't do that. Not when another coincidence could be the difference between us staying together and separating. I was scared for the past few days, Serena, because for once I've met someone who I don't think I can bear to see go their own way without me."
Serena had given Ash her full attention, and the boy had to try hard to stay focused. How am I going to ever directly talk to her when she won't stop being so... so...cute... ugh! There are worse things to have to get used to, I guess. The girl realized her crush had concluded his little monolgue, and proceeded to commence one of her own, placing a fair yet firm hand on her new boyfriend's shoulder. "Get one thing straight right now, Ketchum. I'm not going anywhere anymore. Even when you broke my heart I wasn't sure if I had it in me to leave you, so I certainly don't have any intention of departing now. No, I'm going to keep being there for you, because you've given that strength to me tenfold and more. I mentioned this already, but you're the reason I eventually stopped giving up on so many things, difficult as it was in some cases. I wouldn't be where I am without you, on a journey with my pokémon, Clemont and Bonnie, all of whom I've grown so close to, and have also been inspired by in different ways. They aren't you, but they do an amazing job impressing me every day, and I strive to improve myself as a person to follow all of your examples. Sometimes... when I wasn't in a good place, um, mentally, I wondered if the reason you never noticed me is because... I just wasn't good enough for you." Serena's voice broke a bit at the memory, the pain of the past clearly not sitting well with her, the warm aura she had given off ever since Ash had finally confessed fading a bit.
That was what got Ash to react. "Serena, any failure in the past to get my attention has been one hundred percent a result of my own stupid density. You are an amazing person with a kind heart, and that's more important to me than anything else. I don't want you to doubt yourself anymore, because I'm certainly not going to doubt myself about this anymore."
As Serena opened her mouth to respond, a certain yellow mouse that happened to be extremely enraged at being rudely awoken burst through the flowers into the very small space between the new couple, bristling angrily. "Pika pi!" it exclaimed in a battle cry.
Ash panicked a bit. There were three things he simply avoided doing to Pikachu, as close as the two were. One of those things was to try to take ketchup away from it, another was try to return it to its poké ball, and the final thing was to interrupt his partner's sleep. None of these things happened often, if ever, and that was for a good reason. He prepared for the inevitable pain of electricity to course though his body, but Serena spoke up before his starter could attack, releasing Ash to give the new visitor her full attention. "Pikachu, would you mind not shocking my boyfriend please?" Serena spoke in a surprisingly airy and carefree tone given the circumstance, but nevertheless, the fresh new word unleashed its full power on another victim as Pikachu stopped short of firing its dangerous electricity to turn to Serena in bewilderment.
The moment hung in time briefly before Pikachu lowered its guard completely. "Pika," it stated simply, before padding over to Serena and allowing the girl to nuzzle it lovingly.
Pikachu's trainer would have been less shocked if the pokémon had actually shocked him. "But I've never... how did you..."
Serena giggled at Ash's loss of speech. "You'd be surprised how far asking nicely for something can go, Ash. Speaking of which, I never asked you what happened to my Pancham. Would you kindly explain?"
Ash wasn't looking forward to this part of their conversation. I guess I need to clear this up anyways. "Yeah, okay. You know you sent Pancham to distract me... and when it ran out of places to lead me, it jumped me and stole your ribbon. I had to battle it right here to get it back, actually, and Hawlucha accidentally got carried away and almost knocked out Pancham. I'm sorry... I really didn't want Pancham to get hurt, and I would have cared for it myself if I had the necessary medicine and wasn't in the middle of trying to find you." Ash put every ounce of genuine regret that he could into his words, and it clearly had an effect on Serena.
The girl took in the story quietly. "Well, I didn't want Pancham to hurt you like that, and I'm sorry it caused you so much trouble. It's partially my fault it got hurt in the first place. You said you fought Pancham here?" She pointed directly at the ground they sat upon, the dead seriousness on her face causing Ash to chuckle.
"Well, not this exact spot, but this was the clearing, yes." Why does that even matter?
"... the ash..." The words from Serena was almost inaudible, and Ash leaned in closer to properly hear the girl.
"Excuse me? Did you say something Serena?" Ash inquired.
Serena looked like she didn't intend to respond, and was even in the process of shaking her head in denial, but she clearly thought better of it at the last second. "Do you know what these flowers are Ash? No, few people do. They're called angelonia, or, more specifically, serena angelonia. I've never seen one before in real life, though my mother showed me a picture of them more times than I care to count. Something about fate or destiny or something like that. The picture just shows them decorating one of her ryhorn racing award ceremony pedestals. The only reason I remember them is because they keep appearing periodically in my dreams."
The backstory was mildly interesting, but Ash didn't get the point. "So... you're excited to finally see your namesake in real life?" he presumed carefully.
The girl chuckled. "I wasn't named after them, silly! It's just a coincidence. My mom didn't learn their name until after I was born. No, it just now struck me as interesting that, in my dreams, I can never get close to the flowers because, well, they become covered in... ash." She put a bit of theatrics into her last word, waving her hands like a magician performing a trick.
It took some thinking, but Ash got it. "Oh. So, ash hid the flowers, but Ash brought them to you! I get it now!"
Serena smiled. "Yeah. I guess my mind was trying to tell me something, too. Well, that or my mom is a psychic for driving that flower so particularly into my head once she found out its name..." Serena trailed off as Ash suddenly had another thought.
"Oh man, what are our mothers going to say about all of this? She still thinks I need help with... actually never mind that." Ash quickly backpedalled, almost embarrassing himself in front of his new girlfriend, only for her eyes to light up with mischief in the wake of his Freudian slip.
"What were you about to say, Ash? Come on, you can tell me." Her words were reassuring, but Serena's teasing tone told Ash it would be a bad idea to respond honestly, even though he knew deep down that she wouldn't do anything to embarrass him. In public.
"Uhhh... hey, we're in a relationship now, huh? Isn't that something?" Ash scratched the back of his head nervously, even more so as he realized that Serena wasn't getting distracted.
Serena didn't, however, push Ash further. Instead, she turned to Pikachu, gently scratching it differently to get its attention. "Hey, Pikachu, you know Ash's mom, right? Would you happen to know-"
Ash cut the girl off before Pikachu could even think about responding. "No no no no no. No. We are not doing this right now. Or ever. Never works for me." Flustering as the past several hours had been, Ash was firm in his stance on this one. She can never meet my mother. I'll never hear the end of it.
A smile played on Serena's lips. "Alright, alright. Maybe some other time, Pikachu." The yellow mouse was indifferent, returning to its relaxed rest position quietly.
Ash took note of this. "Well, I think it may be time we headed back to camp. Clemont and Bonnie are waiting for us, and we all need to sleep."
Serena's face took on a look of concern as Ash started to stand. "Are you sure that you're feeling better about Goodra, Ash? I realize we didn't exactly stay on the subject for very long..." The girl gently prodded Pikachu to let it know they were moving, and the mouse jumped up to its place on Ash's shoulder.
The boy offered his girlfriend a hand, which she took gratefully, clutching a few of the flowers and her ribbon in the other hand. "Like I said, Serena. My problem with Goodra was that his leaving sparked awareness in me for the first time. I'm not happy that it left, but I've made my peace with the departure now, especially since it lead me to my true feelings about you."
The blush and shy smile that arose on Serena's face was incredibly cute to Ash. I guess I'll be getting used to using that word more as well. "Oh, Ash..." She tightened her grip on the trainer's hand, prompting him to follow suit as they finally bid farewell to the site of so many unleashed emotions.
Before really leaving, Ash called out for Frogadier, and Serena mimed the call for her braixen. A moment or two of yelling rewarded them with the appearance of the pokémon, walking again hand in hand, showing no trepidation once they realized that their trainers were mirroring the behavior. Frogadier appeared to have shaken off the majority of the effects of the poison, keeping its head held high as it returned to its trainer. Ash gave the two a thumbs up of approval while Serena teased Braixen a bit about the pokémon's unleashed feelings before the human couple thanked the two for scouting and returned their pokémon for the night. The couple then began to saunter through the woods towards their own sleep, taking the time to completely enjoy each other's presence despite Ash's earlier point that they needed to return to allow their friedns to go to bed. The two had found something new together, and Ash for once was going to take as much time as possible to truly soak it in as they walked hand in hand together. Whatever's out there, ahead of me... There's no way I won't be able to take it on as long as Serena's by my side. Serena herself could be mistaken for being in heaven. Ash couldn't blame her, the happiness that had taken over her entire person transferring to him easily through the two's conjoined hands. Who knows how long she's pined and worked just to get to this moment. I'm just glad that I found out later rather than never. I can't take this from her, and I certainly don't want to. Eventually, however, the two did manage to make their way back to the camp, Ash spotting Clemont, Bonnie, Pancham, Fletchinder, and thankfully Hawlucha seated around the fire. Ash decided to approach with far less subtlety than Serena had used earlier. "Hey guys, we're back!" he called out to the entire campsite.
Everyone in the area shot up at the exclamation, even Serena, who didn't realize in her bliss that Ash had intended to alert everyone to their presence or even that they had arrived at camp. She tried quickly to detach her hand from Ash, but failed to succeed in keeping the hand holding from being seen by everyone. Bonnie's jaw dropped. There wasn't even time for the girl to shoot her boyfriend a dirty look before Bonnie was all over them, asking rapid fire questions while prancing around the new couple and exclaiming things along the lines of "I did it!" and "I knew it all along!"
As the two scrambled desperately to calm down the young girl, Clemont stood carefully before walking over to the two. He whispered something Ash couldn't quite hear in Bonnie's ear, and the girl suddenly quieted, nodded, and returned to the campfire to say goodnight to Ash's pokémon before going to her and Serena's tent without any complaint. This didn't surprise Ash. Nothing could after the night he had just had. The only thing he wanted more than sleeping now was spending more time with Serena alone, but that clearly wasn't possible at the moment. Serena spoke up. "I don't know how you managed that, Clemont, but I want to know something else first. About... what you said to me when I came to get the antidote. I wanted to thank you for the advice. It helped me far more than you could possibly imagine. But... what in the world had gotten into you back there? You were like a completely different person!"
Clemont beamed, his eyes brimming with pride behind his glasses. "Well, I've learned a few tricks for dealing with Bonnie over the years, but that's beside the point. I only told you what Ash would have told you in the same situation. Sometimes we all just need a reminder of what we keep going for," Clemont explained, his eyes shifting to Bonnie's tent and back again as he spoke. "I had a lot of time to think when Fletchinder woke us up to take care of Pancham, which, by the way, needs to stay out of its poké ball until the morning. The medicine I gave it doesn't work inside a poké ball. I thought about how little of your problem made sense to me. I thought about what that could possibly have to do with Serena. When you returned in such a secretive manner, Serena, I knew something was amiss, but I also knew that the person I was wasn't going to be able to inspire you to keep going, so I channeled everything Ash taught me when I spoke to you, trying to be intimidating so I wouldn't let my terror at potentially ruining this situation forever show. It was the most scientific way I could comprehend the situation. I guess it worked then? Are you feeling better for real now, Ash?"
The vast majority of Clemont's words were lost on Ash, but he understood that the last question was directed at him. He took notice of the dumbfounded look on Serena's face as he responded. "Yeah! I feel great! I figured out that my mind was just trying to tell me that I wanted to be Serena's boyfriend!"
Clemont staggered back like he'd been shot. "Wait, WHAT!? BOYFRIEND?! But that has no scientific evidence backing it up whatsoever! How is that even possible!? Oh, I need to redo all of my calculations now! This needs to be recorded immediately!" Clemont threw his hands up in the air and stormed away into his tent, ranting about variables and affection.
Serena and Ash exchanged a small smile at the confusion they had incited in their friend. "Clemont gave me some great advice when I tried to get the antidote, but I guess even he didn't understand what he was talking about." Serena blushed sweetly at the memory.
Ash was baffled, but he figured piling on a little more confusion to the massive pile of different emotions he was feeling wasn't a big deal. Ash's remaining two Kalos pokémon made their way to the boy, and he thanked them for their efforts before returning them to their own poké balls to rest. "Well, I'll thank him for that. I guess... I'll see you tomorrow then?" Ash's smile gave way to a small frown. I don't want to leave her... but she and I need to sleep.
Clemont and Bonnie had already returned to their respective tents for the evening, the fire they had started beginning to peter out and die. Serena matched the slightly sad gaze on Ash's face. "Yeah...I guess I have to stay out here with Pancham... I can't leave it out here in the night all by itself and I don't want to move it..." The suggestion in her tone seemed to hint at something, but Ash couldn't for the life of him understand what it was.
"Oh, do you want me to get your sleeping bag for you? It should be warmer than the ground." I bet that's it. She must be as tired as I am.
The response Serena provided indicated just how far off Ash was. "I suppose so... but I was really hoping that a certain somebody would be willing to keep me company while I keep an eye on Pancham..."
That message was delivered formally to its recipient. "Oh! Right. Serena, would you like me to watch Pancham with you?"
Serena sighed in relief and grinned. "Why yes, Ash, I would! Thank you for asking!"
Ash sighed to himself as the two got comfortable on the ground around the last vestiges of the fire. I really need to work on how this whole boyfriend thing is done. Pancham was resting peacefully, all of the effort Clemont put into healing it really seeming to take an effect. Ash was grateful that he sent the little panda to his friend instead of trying to handle it himself. There's no way I would have been able to patch Pancham up this well. As he watched the rhythmic movements of the pokémon's chest as it rose up and fell down, he suddenly felt the head of the girl next to him lay down on his lap as he sat cross legged on the grass, Pikachu thankfully having left to lay next to Pancham when the two settled across from it, the dying fire between them and the pokémon. Ash responded with his first instinct, intertwining one hand in his girlfriend's hand tightly while using the other to stroke her hair gently. It wasn't for any reason Ash could explain, but the new position felt unequivocally right to him. The unshakeable smile that had developed on Serena's face seemed to agree. "Ash..." Serena muttered, halfway between consciousness and dreaming.
"Yes, Serena?" Ash responded quietly, in a soothing voice he didn't even know he could use.
"I love you. I love you a lot, Ash..." Serena muttered through her fatigue.
Ash felt himself slipping into the same land of dreams his partner was already headed towards, but he shook it off and responded. "I love you too, Serena. Good night."
"Good... ni...ght..." Serena managed to utter before her circadian rhythms took over for her.
Ash realized he wouldn't be able to sleep in his position, but there was no way he was going to move Serena and potentially rouse the girl from her slumber. That was okay though. He had gotten some sleep earlier that night. The fire finally sputtered and died out with one last crackle, leaving the two in darkness. That was okay, too. There was no need to bother with a fire when the love emanating between him and the incredible person resting on him was so warm.