Chapter 29: the 1
Ash, May, Clemont, Bonnie, and their Pokémon were somewhere enjoying the festival treats. After all the dancing, almost all of them managed to work up an appetite. All except Serena. While they were stuffing their faces, Serena admired the fireworks alone. The blonde-haired performer insisted they go without her, and she'd claim a good spot for watching the fireworks once they got their fill.
Fortunately, the staff managed to get a functioning machine just in time. "Oh, Clemont," Serena chuckled when she thought of how the gym leader failed to resolve the issue earlier. She stared at the Pokémon designs that formed from the fireworks. There was a Pikachu, Fennekin, Torchic, and many other familiar Pokémon. The various bright colors illuminated Serena's eyes with wonder. She got so distracted by the show that she didn't think about how long her friends were taking to arrive.
"They're not back yet? There must be a long line for the funnel cake," May's voice nearly startled Serena. The coordinator came up behind the performer. She was holding a bag of macarons.
"I guess so, or maybe Ash is trying to get his hands on as many desserts as he can while Bonnie and Clemont try to stop him," Serena joked, making May laugh in agreement.
The girls leaned against the stone ledge overlooking a small valley with a lake. The fireworks gave a nice aesthetic to the valley as they continued to dazzle the crowd. "Here, have some," May offered Serena the sweet treats.
"Thank you," Serena jovially accepted one. The girl enjoyed the dark chocolate favorite of the tasty pastry. They finished the bag of macarons together.
May smiled over the satisfied gesture Serena made when she took bites. "So, did you have fun today?" the sapphire-eyed coordinator questioned her friend.
Serena joyfully nodded, "I did. Performing was so much fun, especially!"
May agreed, "That feeling never gets old. Does it? Something about performing makes you feel like nothing else matters. It's you and your Pokémon, that's it."
"I couldn't agree more. One of the things I enjoy most after every performance is that my Pokémon and I learn something new. We discover new ways to do a follow-up or find what works and what doesn't," Serena thought of Delphox, Pancham, and Sylveon.
"That's always a great takeaway. I enjoyed watching you perform with Pancham and Sylveon. You were fabulous. The way you used Sylveon's move to make yourself float like a fairy was amazing. I was also impressed when Pancham brought the whole ice sculpture down with a single Arm Thrust. They are really well-trained!" May gushed over Serena's performance.
Serena smiled modestly over the praise she received. "I can say the same for you, May. You blew everyone away with your big entrance using Beautifly's Silver Wind. The way you slid across the stage with Skitty's Blizzard made you look so cool. Not to mention how amazing it was when Munchlax's Solarbeam got sent into the air. Then Beautifly absorbed the energy to enhance Morning Sun. You looked like a bright butterfly with the way that combination got coordinated. I loved it!" the Kalos performer started to gush over May's performance.
May appreciated her compliment. Their tender conversation explored their previous performances, where they felt they fumbled, and gave each other pointers on how they might be able to enhance several techniques. They had forgotten about the fireworks and that their other friends still hadn't shown up.
"You know, when I traveled with Ash, there were many times where I'd mess up because I got overconfident or I'd rely too much on luck," May admitted her earlier mistakes.
"That's hard to believe, considering how good you are now," Serena highlighted.
"If you ask him, I'm sure he'd remember. He helped me get through some stumbles," the coordinator rubbed the back of her. She recalled her early failures with some embarrassment.
"Yeah, Ash always knows how to help someone pick themselves up after a fall," Serena's eyes started to glisten when she lowered her head to think of their mutual friend.
May noticed the change in Serena's disposition when the trainer entered the conversation. She knew there was something she needed to discuss with the performer. "Serena," May called her name to grab her attention.
"Yeah?" Serena slightly blushed when she lifted her head.
"I hope we can still be friends without letting our feelings for Ash get in the way," the Hoenn coordinator timidly declared. She tread carefully, but it was something May wanted to address.
Serena's face turned bright red upon hearing May. "Feelings for Ash? What do you mean?!" the Kalos performer awkwardly panicked.
May tried to get the performer to ease with a gentle tone, "Don't be nervous, I understand. I know you like him."
Serena read May's face. Her sapphire eyes were warm. She sensed there was no malintent there. Her warm grin indicated that she wanted to discuss this in a mature fashion. She never had a crush on the same boy as a friend, much less the famous May, and she never expected to talk about it. May's willingness to address the matter with such a calm demeanor made Serena feel more comfortable. The performer placed her hand over her heart. She spoke softly, "You do, too, don't you?"
The blue-eyed girl from Vaniville Town saw May shyly nodded. With that, the genie was finally out of the bottle. Two of Ash's most beautiful, talented, and desired friends stood face-to-face with a conundrum. There was a brief awkward silence, but Serena carried the conversation, "But we can all tell that Ash likes you. The way he puts you on a pedestal is obvious, even if he doesn't realize it."
Her brunette friend lifted her eyebrow with surprise over Serena's observation. May nodded sideways with a smile. "You shouldn't be so quick to dismiss yourself. I have a feeling Ash also harbors a special kind of affection for you, Serena."
Serena's eyes widened over May's conclusion, "You're saying you think he likes both of us?"
"I don't think he realizes it, but yes. I do," May hid her arms behind her back. "The way he believes in you is different from how he believes in his other friends. I hope this doesn't sound conceited, but I know because the only other person I've seen him believe in like that is…me," the coordinator elaborated.
Serena sighed. She had noticed, and she couldn't argue with May's logic. Regardless, it didn't make her feel any better about the situation, "I see. However, sometimes, I am just not sure. It's always so hard to tell with Ash. He's so…so…ugh, what's the word?"
"Dense?" May finished Serena's sentence with a light grin.
"Yes!" Serena exclaimed, prompting the girls to giggle over Ash's obliviousness.
When their giggling settled, the pair sighed. May gazed at the fireworks, noticing a Treecko on display. "How did you end up having feelings for Ash?" May asked her.
"It's kind of a long story, but I met Ash when we were little at a summer camp that I went to in Pallet Town," then Serena went on to describe how she saw Ash on T.V. when he saved a Garchomp and set out on a journey to reunite with him. She recounted how Ash failed to recognize her, but she still chose to follow him on his journey. "As I traveled with him, my feelings for Ash turned from a puppy crush to a genuine attraction. I got to know the grown Ash more, and he drew me in more and more," Serena's eyes glistened when she remembered the early days of their Kalos adventure.
May smiled. Serena's experience was all too familiar to her. "Is there a favorite memory you have of him from your travels together?"
"There is," Serena vividly recalled the time they were in Coumarine City. "When we went to Coumarine City, the residents were getting ready to celebrate an annual festival dedicated to the Pledging Tree. As part of the tradition, Ash and I decided to shop for gifts to give our Pokémon. Then we went to a station where Ash won a long blue ribbon for being the station's millionth visitor. After that, we did our shopping, but Ash had a harder time finding something. I remember I asked him what kind of present would make him happy on the way back, and he bolted out of the station without a word. Later that night, Ash returned with a giant sack of berries for his Pokémon. It was wonderful, but the truly special part came near the end of the festival. With fireworks in the background, similar to tonight," Serena realized the coincidence, "Ash gifted me the blue ribbon he won as a thank you for helping him get the idea to gift his Pokémon berries."
"When you asked him what kind of present would make him happy, he got the idea," May acknowledged. The brunette thought it was a wonderful story. Then she saw the blue ribbon that was part of Serena's outfit. "Is that the ribbon Ash gifted you?" the coordinator pointed.
Serena touched the ribbon and blushed, "It is."
May giggled, "That's so cute."
Serena nodded while still holding her ribbon, "I was surprised. Truthfully, I didn't expect it from him."
"Well, I'm glad you have such a wonderful memory of him," May commented. Abruptly, May noticed something. "Serena, you're responsible for the change in Ash," the coordinator added.
Serena raised her eyebrows with confusion, "What kind of change?"
May explained, "The way Ash is more attentive and affectionate than when I traveled with him. Even if he doesn't realize how romantic it was of him to gift you that ribbon, I can't imagine a time he would've done that back in the day." Serena blushed over her remark. The Kalos girl didn't realize she had that effect on Ash. "Ash hardly thought about anything outside of Pokémon and gym badges. Sometimes we'd have arguments over the stupidest things," May sighed. She felt a hint of jealousy over how caring Ash seemed toward Serena during their journey.
May's new friend giggled, "If Ash was that bad, how did you fall for him?"
May chuckled, "Despite all that, I admired Ash for how determined he was and how caring he could be as a friend. That's what pulled me to him. I remember I took one contest loss pretty hard after a winning streak, and he looked for me on his own to comfort me. His encouragement helped me dust myself off and keep moving."
"Aw," Serena believed was Ash at his best when he encouraged his friends.
"Unfortunately, nothing ever came of our friendship. To make matters worse, our bond became lost when I suffered an accident in Johto that caused me to lose my memory of him," May lowered her head with disappointment. She still coped with their friendship's lost time.
Serena gasped, "Ash never mentioned that, but you remember him now?" The performer became confused by the circumstances.
May blushingly smiled, "I don't think he had a chance to tell anyone because so much happened these past weeks that there was no time. Nonetheless, Ash changed my life again when we reunited." The coordinator updated Serena on the factors leading to their reunion, Ash accompanying May to her home, and the incident with Tyranitar that led to the restoration of her full memory.
"Wow, that's a lot to take," Serena was astonished by everything that happened recently between Ash and May. She was glad May recovered physically and mentally from the run-in with Tyranitar. The performer even admired Ash for choosing to nurse May back to health for as long as it took.
The Hoenn coordinator agreed. "With my memories restored, and with the way Ash took care of me…I felt my feelings for him reemerge. What I felt for him in Hoenn and Kanto came back with force because I remembered everything Ash had ever done for me on our journey."
Serena felt a bit timid to ask, but she was curious, "Do you have a favorite memory of Ash?"
"I do," May was glad Serena asked. "Near the final days of our journey, Ash and I signed up for a contest in Terracotta Town. It was Ash's first content, so it was exciting to get him involved. We competed together and faced off in the finals. It was his Sceptile versus my Blaziken. We had so much fun on the stage. If I hadn't injured myself in Johto, I would have never forgotten it. In the end, we tied, but they only had one ribbon."
"Oh no, what did you do?" Serena got so invested in the story that she got momentarily startled when a loud firework revealed a Froakie design.
May admired the Froakie with Serena as she continued to reminisce. "Without needing to communicate anything, Ash and I already knew what to do. I threw the Terracotta Ribbon into the air, and Ash's Sceptile sliced it in half with Leaf Blade. We split the ribbon between us. Ever since that day, Ash carries his half while I carry mine," May pulled out her half of the Terracotta Ribbon to show Serena.
"It's so pretty. I'm so happy you two shared that moment," Serena was surprised at herself for not feeling jealous over the story. She was happy her friends had a fond memory together.
May put her half of the ribbon away. "Ash has a special place in my heart like you, I'm guessing."
"He does," Serena confirmed. The girls put their hands over their hearts.
Then May sighed, "Even though I liked Ash, he was too dense to pursue anything romantic. When we traveled together, there was another boy I had an interest in."
"You liked another boy besides Ash?" Serena got caught off guard. She didn't judge May, but she hadn't expected it.
May guiltily nodded. "He was the opposite of Ash. Often, he'd put me down with his criticisms, but he also knew how to get my attention. He would give me roses when we'd bump into each other, or he'd slip in the rare praise that made me feel special. He was my rival in contests, so we had that in common, too. Every time I saw him, he knew how to catch my interest. When he told me he was traveling to compete in Johto contests, I followed him because of our rivalry and my attraction toward him. That's when I left Ash," May recounted.
"That's quite a story," Serena didn't ask who the boy was out of respect for her privacy.
"Yeah, at first, nothing came of that either. I'd even decided to visit Ash in Sinnoh in the hopes of something finally sparking, but I was wrong. I returned to Johto disappointed, and then I got into my accident. My rival took care of me, and that's when we started dating. It was lovely for a period, but things didn't pan out by the end," May sadly recalled.
"Oh, May," Serena sympathized with her.
May shook off the sadness and smiled, "I'm alright now, though."
"Good," Serena smiled at the shine in May's pretty eyes.
"Since reuniting with Ash, I've gotten stronger in every aspect of myself. When my memories of him came back, it reignited the spirit I had when we journeyed together. Now I realize my feelings for him never left either. He's really one of a kind," May confessed with glistening eyes.
"He really is," Serena's eyes sparkled when they imagined the boy who unintentionally enamored both of them. One of the fireworks in the background looked like Ho-oh when Serena and May eyed each other.
May returned to the original subject. "So, Serena, can we become great friends without letting our feelings for Ash get between us?" May's expression was of suspense as she hoped Serena would say they could.
Serena smiled, "I just met you today, May, but for some reason, I feel like I've known you almost my whole life. Maybe it's because parts of you remind me of Ash, but I like you. May, I want our friendship to keep blossoming so we can be best of friends. I won't let a boy stop that!"
May felt tears of joy form in her eyes. She lunged at Serena to hug her. The performer also felt tears form in her eyes. "Thank you," May softly said as she embraced her new friend.
"You're welcome," Serena gently answered. The blonde-haired performer wiped the tears from her eyes when they separated. Then Serena made a confident fist, "Don't forget we're also rivals, so you better watch out for me one day!"
"That's right!" May found Serena's fiery energy contagious. The brunette made a confident fist, too. May's eyes continued shimmering while she stared at Serena, "I'm glad I got to meet you."
"Me too," Serena's eyes gleamed as she focused on May.
From a distance, Ash, Bonnie, Clemont, Pikachu, and Dedenne spotted them with ice creams in hand. "Look, there they are!" Ash excitedly pointed when he spotted the girls.
"We better run; the fireworks show is nearly over. I told you guys getting funnel cake would have us miss out!" Bonnie complained. The little girl dashed off with Pikachu and Dedenne. The younger sibling led the way.
"We still made it in time!" Ash laughed in pursuit of Bonnie.
"Hold on, wait for me!" Clemont panted as he ran after them. The whiny science boy struggled to keep up with his energetic friends.
As the trio ran to them, May's phone started ringing. "Who could that be?" the brunette wasn't expecting any calls at this hour. Serena also wondered who dialed the coordinator. She answered her Rotom phone to show Wallace on the screen. The reveal made May's stomach drop. She thought about what her mentor could want. That moment, Wallace delivered some unexpected news that surprised Serena, but May shouted, "What?!"