The day after saving Serena, the world seemed brighter to Ash. Goh and Chloe were already fast asleep when he returned to their cabin, so when they got up in the morning, Ash wasted no time telling them everything that happened while they were in line to bathe before breakfast. Though Ash was never one to make up wild stories, Goh and Chloe were skeptical. The mere concept of him saving a first-class woman he was staring at out a couple days prior was hard enough to believe, even without adding that her fiancee invited Ash to dinner.

During breakfast, the trio shared a table with Gary, and Ash repeated his story to their new friend. Gary laughed, thinking Ash confused his encounter for a dream. After breakfast, they decided to relax out in the third class general room. Some passengers sang and played the piano while drinking beer. Kids ran around playing while their parents talked amongst the other adults. Goh and Chloe sat together, befriending other couples.

While Goh and Chloe mingled, Ash drew pictures of other passengers. Gary picked what he thought would be the most complex people to draw, such as kids playing jacks, a woman wearing a dress with complex patterns, and a man whose beard reached his chest. Each time, Ash proved up to the challenge, impressing Gary.

"These are pretty nice, Ashy-Boy," Gary said. "I betcha you'll find a newspaper in Wyndon that will hire you as an illustrator immediately."

"I don't know. With newspapers using cameras nowadays, I don't think anyone would need an illustrator," Ash said.

"Maybe you'll get hired as a royal artist with your imaginary first-class suitress," Gary said.

Ash frowned and said, "Will you knock it off, Gary? I told you it's not like that."

"I know it's not like that because you didn't meet that lady or get invited to join her for dinner by her fiancee," Gary said. "Seriously, Ash, the only believable thing about your story is that she's engaged to a lord. If I didn't know better, I'd say you came up with the prettiest name you ever heard for your tale."

"Why would I make up Serena's name?" Ash challenged.

"To make it less suspicious, obviously," Gary said. "Even then, it's a little weird that you would go so far as to make up her full name."

"Er, well, it was odd that she introduced herself by her full name, but she still did, and I am going to see her tonight," Ash said.

"Don't make me laugh again, Ash. No one in third class is allowed in the first class dining saloon," Gary said. "Besides, how do you expect to get in? Do you think that woman is gonna come down here where the common folk are and take you to her -"

"Um, Ash," Goh said.

Ash and Gary turned to Goh, who was pointing past them, with both him and Chloe looking shocked. They looked in the direction where Goh was pointing, and their eyes widened. Coming down the steps entering the general room was Serena in a white and beige dress. The room was suddenly quiet as all the other third-class passengers saw Serena. They whispered amongst themselves, wondering what a first-class passenger was doing there. Some of the men took off their hats and silently greeted Serena with respectful bows, while others simply stared at her, earning dark looks from their wives. Serena overheard a 9-year-old girl asking her mother if she was an angel, making her smile, but her eyes were fixed on Ash.

Ash stood up from his seat, staring at her with the same amount of awe that he gave when he first laid his eyes on her. He gulped and put on a look of respect.

"Ms. Yvonne," he said.

"Mr. Ketchum," Serena said in the same polite tone. "May I speak with you?"

"Of course," Ash said.

Serena looked around, realizing all eyes were on them.

"Privately?"

"Oh, yes. Absolutely," Ash said.

Serena smiled, and Ash grabbed his sketchbook before following Serena to the staircase. Ash looked back, seeing Goh and Chloe giving him excited looks while Gary looked at him dumbstruck.

"I really did build the ship of dreams," Gary said.

Ash chuckled with his mouth closed as he followed Serena up the staircase. They then walked down the hall to the outside of C Deck and went up the steps to B Deck. Ash paused, noticing the sign on the gates that said, "Third-class passengers not allowed beyond this point." Serena opened the gate to assure him it was fine, and he went through. Ash and Serena continued to walk silently as Serena led Ash to another staircase, taking them up to A Deck, then another to the Boat Deck. As they began walking around the deck, Ash wondered if Serena was really going to discuss anything with him. Then Serena cleared her throat and turned to Ash with a smile.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" She said.

Ash gave her a funny look from the awkward way she spoke and politely answered, "Yes, it is. Not a cloud in the sky."

Awkward silence overtook them again, and Serena began playing with her fingers until she said the first thing she could think of to say next.

"So, tell me about yourself, Mr Ketchum."

Ash smiled, a little more comfortable, with Serena asking something to initiate a genuine conversation.

"What would you like to know?" he asked.

"Everything. Where do you come from? What brings you here sailing to Galar?" Serena said.

"Alright then," Ash said. "I was born and raised in Pallet Town by my mom."

"Pallet Town? That's surprising. You didn't live that far for me. I was born and raised in Viridian City," Serena said.

"Really? What are the odds?" Ash said.

"Indeed," Serena said. "So it was just your mother? What happened to your father?"

"Never met the guy," Ash said with a shrug. "Apparently, he preferred traveling over settling down and raising a child, so he left my mom and never came back."

"That's horrible," Serena said.

"Yeah, I can't say I think highly of my dad," Ash said. "Anyway, it was just me and my mom in our little house in Pallet Town. We weren't exactly living like royalty, but we were happy. Then my mother died when I was 15. I had no financial way to keep the house, and I had no close kin unless you count my dad if he's still alive. So, I felt I had no choice but to take after him. I left Pallet Town and never came back."

"All alone?" Serena asked.

"Well, not always. I met my buddy, Goh, a few years later, and we've been traveling together ever since, taking on a few jobs here and there, living hand to mouth. At one point, when we were in Vermilion City, Goh married his wife Chloe, and she joined us in our travels. In fact, they're here on this ship with me, hoping we hit big in Galar," Ash said.

"I hope you do," Serena said.

"Thanks," Ash said. "Anyway, if I may go off topic, we've gone around this deck talking about the weather and where I come from. Call me suspicious, but I doubt that's why you want to talk to me."

Serena looked around and realized they had just passed the staircase they used to go up the Boat Deck. She hesitated, uncomfortable with getting to the point.

"Mr. Ketchum, I -"

"Ash. Call me Ash," Ash said.

"Alright, Ash," Serena said. "I want to thank you for what you did last night. Not just for pulling me back, but for your discretion."

"Oh. You're welcome," Ash said with a smile.

Serena smiled back before she looked away and sighed heavily.

"Look, I know what you must be thinking," she said. "'Poor, stupid rich woman. What does she know of misery?'"

"No, that isn't what I'm thinking at all," Ash said. "What I'm thinking is what could have happened to you that made you think you had no way out."

Serena hesitated again. She looked around, making sure Oleana, Mivashkama, or any of their friends were not around, then decided to take advantage that she had an ear to listen to her.

"Everything," Serena said. "My whole world and all the people in it…and no longer in it."

"No longer?" Ash asked.

"My father died a few months ago," Serena said. "He was everything to me growing up. He raised his only child by himself just like you and never hesitated to let me pursue my passion."

"Your passion?" Ash asked.

"I was a performer," Serena said. "I wanted to spend my whole life dancing to make everyone smile, and then as soon as my father died, I found out we were in debt from him financially supporting my shows. My stepmother forced me to be engaged to a lord just to fix our financial troubles and keep our social status. Now, I'm left to be just a pretty face for my fiancee to show off, and me being powerless to stop it."

Serena lifted her finger to show her engagement ring. Ash's eyes widened, and he lifted Serena's hand to get a better look.

"Holy moly, look at the size of that thing," he chortled. "It would have gone straight to the bottom."

"Yes, it would have," Serena agreed. "500 invitations have been sent out. All of Hammerlocke and Wyndon high society is going to be at the wedding, and all the while, I feel like I'm standing in the middle of a crowd screaming for help with no one to listen to."

"Do you love him?" Ash asked.

"What?" Serena asked, taken aback.

"Lord Herløv. Do you love him?" Ash asked.

Serena looked at Ash as though he said something profane.

"You're being very rude," she said.

"How is that rude? I'm just asking you a simple question. Do you love the guy or not?" Ash said.

Serena scoffed and said, "We are not having this conversation. You are being very rude and inconsiderate, and I'm going now."

"Oh, come on. You can't be insulted just for asking a question," Ash said.

"Too late. My mind Is made up," Serena said before shaking Ash's hand. "Ash, Mr. Ketchum, it has been a pleasure. I came here to say thank you, and now I have done so."

"And you insulted me in the process," Ash said.

"Er, well, you deserved it," Serena said. "Now that it comes to it, I shouldn't even need to leave. This is my part of the ship. You leave."

"Wow. Now you're the one being really rude," Ash said.

Serena scoffed again.

"You are so annoying," she said. She glanced at Ash's sketchbook and snatched it out of his hand. "What is this thing you are carrying?"

She opened the sketchbook, and she saw a picture of a woman holding her child. She turned the page to look at a drawing of a man drinking beer, followed by a picture of a child reading a book. Serena's irritation began to fade, but she tried to hide it as she glanced up at Ash.

"These drawings are rather good," she admitted as she flipped the page to another picture. "They are very good actually."

Serena sat down on a beach chair and looked at more drawings. Ash sat on the chair next to her as he watched Serena be captivated by his drawings.

"Ash, this is exquisite work, Serena said.

Ash gave Serena a toothy grin and scratched under his nose.

"Yeah, well, people didn't think that highly in places like Saffron City, Meridian City, Goldenrod City, Neon City, and the like," he said.

"Really? All those places in both Kanto and Johto?" Serena asked. "You really do get around for… well… someone of your background."

"Go on. Say it. I'm poor," Ash said.

Serena paused, then she went back to the drawings, not wanting to say it. The next drawing she turned to was of a young woman with spiky hair posing on a beach chair while wearing a strapless bathing suit. Serena glanced at Ash with a raised eyebrow as she turned to the next page. The following drawing was of a woman with hair that had a single fringe at the center with three edges dressed in a two-piece dress showing her legs and belly button. The drawing after that showed a woman with long, straight hair wearing a sweater dress.

"Well, well, well, so many pretty ladies," Serena said. "These were drawn in real life?"

"Well, that's kind of the good thing about being an artist. Women typically won't give the homeless guy the time of day, but they'll want to see a drawing of them in exchange for a dime per portrait," Ash said.

"I see," Serena said as she looked at more drawings. "You seem to like the woman in the swimsuit. You've drawn her several times."

"Well, she is the youngest of a team of sisters who are swimmers in Celadon City," Ash said. "Her sisters are the prettier and more popular of the four, so she turned to me to make drawings that flattered her."

"Is that so? I'm beginning to think you had a little romance with her with that kind of support," Serena said.

Ash laughed and shook his head.

"If I had a quarter for every time someone assumed that, I could afford a first-class ticket on this ship," he said. "No, it was totally professional. She was a recurring customer who kept me fed. She was mostly friendly but had a bit of a temper."

Serena let out a quiet "ah" before returning to looking through the sketchbook. She saw more pictures of the woman in the swimsuit until she came across a drawing of a woman in her 60s in a fancy dress and a flower in her long head of hair. She had a fretful expression on her old, wrinkly face, with her hands clasped together and held up to her chest.

"And who is this?" Serena asked.

"Ah, yes. No one knows her real name, but she's known in Saffron City as the Lady of Maiden's Peak," Ash said. "She was waiting for her lover, who left to fight a war and never returned. She went to this cliff outside the city every day, waiting for him to return. That's why they call the place Maiden's Peak."

"And she was okay with you drawing her?" Serena asked.

"Honestly, she didn't even acknowledge my existence, or anyone's for that matter," Ash said. "As far as I can tell you, there was no one in the world but her and her lover in her mind's eye. That's what made her so special to draw."

"I can only imagine," Serena said. "In any case, you have a gift, Ash. You do. You see people."

"I see you," Ash said.

Serena raised her eyebrow and smirked.

"And?" She asked.

Ash smiled and said, "You wouldn't have jumped."

Serena's smile faded. She didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or rebuke Ash. And yet, Ash continued to smile with no hint of lying in his hazel brown eyes. Serena couldn't understand how someone could say she wouldn't have killed herself with so much confidence, even after explaining why she wanted to jump. Still, Serena was comforted by Ash's answer. She didn't realize it then, but for the first time in months she felt somewhat positive about the future, and she hoped Ash would be in it.

Titanic's Marconi Room was built not too far from where Ash and Serena sat on the Boat Deck. Today, people believe it was used just to communicate with other ships in case they needed to report something to each other such as one of them sinking. In actuality, the Marconi Room was needed for far more than just communicating with other ships. The ship's two wireless operators, Jack and Clemont, were sending and receiving messages from Johto and Galar for some of the first and second class passengers. From dawn to dusk, Jack and Clemont sent and collected messages almost non-stop, making their cramped station a rather lively place.

There's conflicting evidence as to whether Titanic received its second warning of icebergs around the same time Ash and Serena talked, but many agree it was on the second to last day before the ship sank. Clemont was sitting down sending a message for a first-class passenger who wanted to contact his wife, who was staying at home in Motostoke with their children. Jack stood behind him, ready to deliver any messages they received to the passengers.

After sending the message, Clemont removed his headset, leaned against his chair, and stretched. His moment of relief was short-lived, however, as he heard beeping coming from his headset. Clemont sighed as he put his headset back on and carefully listened to the message.

"It's a message from the Varpathion," Clemont said. "They say there are icebergs nearby."

"Icebergs? Didn't we get a warning right as we left Olivine City? Jack asked.

"Maybe they spotted one, and their captain thought to let everyone know just to make sure," Clemont said. "Should we let the captain know?"

"Nah. Let's not bother. He already got the first message," Jackie said. "Besides, Varpathion is shorter than this ship. Whatever they spotted was probably an iceberg more dangerous for a ship of Varpathion's size. Just tell them QRL."

For those unfamiliar with how wireless operators on passenger ships communicated at the time, the signal QRL meant "Shut up. I'm busy" or "Be quiet. I'm busy." Naturally, one might conclude that Jack was telling Clemont to send a rude message to someone warning them of danger, but that is not the case. In fact, wireless operators typically knew each other as colleagues or friends who learned the technology together. When they communicated with each other, it was usually for identification to make sure what ships were around or to gossip.

They also had signals as a way of saying goodbye or that they acknowledged the given information. Such signals included QRL, meaning "Be quiet/shut up. I'm busy," GTH means "Get to Hell," and addressing each other as OM, means "Old man." A common signal between them was GTH OM QRL, meaning "Get to Hell, old man. Shut up. I'm busy." It's reasonable to think that would be insulting, but these operators were used to it. You might say it's similar to how pirates would speak to each other in vulgar slang back in the 17th and 18th centuries. It simply comes with the territory.

As for thinking an iceberg would be more dangerous for a ship smaller than Titanic, that's a matter of debate. They should've considered the possibility of an iceberg capable of seriously damaging Titanic, and the lack of care arguably took part in the disaster. On the other hand, it was widely believed that icebergs posed little risk. Close calls were not uncommon, and even head-on collisions were not disastrous. Usually, when a ship hit an iceberg or a large rock, it would just scratch the front or, at worst, hit the bow. The latter would result in a few deaths depending on the bow and how many people were at the bow, but the ship would stay afloat, leaving it able to finish its voyage and spend a year or so in repairs.

Bottom line, Jack's logic, however wrong, sounded reasonable at the time. If so few disasters were happening to ships that were significantly smaller than Titanic, one would assume there was little danger against the ship considered unsinkable. Not to mention, the sailors on the ship's Crow's Nest would spot any icebergs ahead so the ship could steer to avoid them.

Clemont debated for a couple of seconds, then shrugged.

"Yeah, you're right," he said.

He went back to the monitor and sent Varpathion the message QRL. With that, Clemont got off the headset and left to take a break for lunch. Jack sat down on Clemont's seat and leaned back, confident that he would not receive any messages for a while.