Y
In the days following Ash's match against Korrina, a storm had descended on Shalour City. The tumultuous squall, starkly out of season, appeared with little warning, battering the city with intense winds and unyielding thunder and lightning. Since the weather was so perilous and the tide holding so high, the group decided to hunker down on the mainland, inside the warm walls of the city's Pokémon Center.
Serena sat slouched in the center's common area, her arm resting on the rough fabric of an old public sofa. At her side, Fennekin lied asleep, while across from her was Clemont. He was tinkering with something or another, keeping his mind occupied on anything other than the storm raging away outside. It was quite late, so Bonnie had gone to bed early. That just left Ash.
Ash had gone to bed as well.
Serena squinted her gaze, looking over the closed door leading to Ash's room. It must've been the hundredth time that she had done that. Perhaps it was time to try something different.
"I'm worried about Ash," she declared, dwelling on her own words for a moment after. Then, she groaned. "Ugh, when am I not worried about Ash."
"It does seem like a pattern around here," Clemont said, a hint of humor in his voice. He looked up from the gadget he was tinkering with, and then craned his gaze to the door. "Still, I understand what you're getting at. I couldn't imagine being in his position."
"Korrina… She's so strong." Pulling away, Serena leaned back in her seat, turning her eyes to the ceiling. "And her Mega Lucario, it just feels unbeatable."
A moment of silence hung, only interrupted by the rumble of the storm overhead. The thunder echoed for a few seconds, before Clemont spoke up once more.
"Well, I wouldn't go that far." His words struck Serena by surprise, pulling her to sit straight as he spoke. She watched his hands fiddle with the construction in his lap. "Ash and Pikachu are amazing, but I don't think they're fully playing to their strengths here."
Serena was left dumbstruck for a moment.
"But, how? They're running at full speed," she said, shaking her head and looking up. "How could they not be giving it their all?"
"Oh, it's not that they're not trying hard enough. It's just, not an ideal type match up." Clemont clarified, finally setting his project to the side. "Korrina's Lucario uses Fighting and Ground-Type moves, and no Steel moves, which Pikachu would at least resist. Meanwhile, Hawlucha would resist or be immune to both of those types."
"What? Are you saying Ash should try to beat Lucario with just Hawlucha?" Serena didn't seem convinced by the idea, which thankfully is why Clemont wasn't standing by it.
"Oh no, of course not. I doubt Hawlucha would be able to win by himself," he quickly clarified. "But, if Ash brought Pikachu out earlier in the match, he might be able to get enough damage on Lucario, so that a well-rested Hawlucha could finish the job afterwards."
"But, it can't be that easy. There's no way that's all he needs to do." Sitting up in her seat, Serena began going over Clemont's plan in her mind. Pikachu could probably beat Machoke or Mienfoo without much effort. That would leave Hawlucha completely unharmed when he faced Lucario. Yet… "It just seems… too easy."
"I'll concede it's just an idea," Clemont added then, as he paused to wipe his glasses clean. "Just something for Ash to try, in my opinion. It certainly doesn't guarantee victory."
Silence stood between the two once more, bringing back the familiar ambiance of rain and lightning to Serena's ears. The storm was rolling and thundering up above her, and yet, she paid it no mind. Instead, she began to think, began to contemplate Clemont's plan again.
"But, what if…" Though Serena considered herself a novice, she'd been watching Ash battle for a good while now. She had a sense for how the flow of his matches went. So as she played the scenario Clemont laid out in her mind, she couldn't find a reason to dismiss the idea. She felt like it could work. Soon, there wasn't any doubt. "We should tell Ash."
"Huh?" When Clemont looked up, Serena was already standing, pacing back and around the couch. She had her eyes locked on Ash's door.
"Your plan, if it could help, we should tell him about it. Maybe he could try it out."
"Well, I'm sure Ash has thought about it," Clemont argued, standing up himself then. He joined Serena's side and put a hand on her shoulder. "Ash is a very capable trainer. He must have his own reasons for leaning on Pikachu here."
Serena paused after approaching the door, her hand just touching the handle.
"Maybe…" Her mind went back to days earlier, to the training she discovered the two doing: Firing Thunderbolts into the ground. Were they trying to prove something? Trying to push through despite the disadvantage? Serena's hand tightened. "But maybe not. I'm telling—"
Serena froze as she opened the door, going silent the moment she looked inside.
The sound of thunder ripped through the Pokémon center.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Clemont asked as he approached. All at once, Serena whipped around.
"Ash— Ash and Pikachu are gone!"
Their room was empty, and all that remained was a still-open window.
Z
"Serena!? Serena, where are you going!" Clemont could barely keep up as Serena sprinted through the Pokémon Center, bursting past the lone Nurse Joy on duty. Without a moment of hesitation, she flew through the front doors, braving intense winds and sideways rain while she looked across the horizon. "Serena!?"
"Young lady, this weather is too dangerous for you to go out there!" The Nurse Joy cried, joining Clemont's race. With a desperate heave, the two of them each grabbed a swinging door and pulled, leaving just a crack for Serena to re-enter through.
Yet, Serena didn't re-enter.
"Ash is out there, Clemont. I don't know why, but him and Pikachu walked out into this storm," she said, her gaze locked into the distance. After a moment, she forced herself to look back. "I just know, they need help!"
"But, Serena—!" Before Clemont could get another word in, Serena sprinted into the storm, disappearing in the torrential downpour almost instantly. Left alone, with just the Nurse Joy at his side, all Clemont could do was sigh. "Who's going to help you…"
XY
The rain crashed into Serena's side, stinging her skin like cold sleet and chilling her to the bone. Wind too battered against her, forcing her to cover her eyes as she marched on. Yet still, she marched on.
All around her, the rain and wind roared as the lightning above thundered. She couldn't see anything, she could barely hear anything, and still, she pressed forward. Screaming Ash's name against the wind, she desperately begged for a response, but got nothing in return.
Until, through the howling storm, a call rang out.
"Chuuuuuuuuuuu!"
It was Pikachu, firing a Thunderbolt! Serena could recognize that cry anywhere! In an instant, she oriented herself and began sprinting, taking off towards the source of the sound.
"Piiiiikaaa— Chuuuuuuu!"
The boom of the storm's lightning was quickly becoming drowned out. All Serena could hear now was Pikachu and his thunderclaps. She was nearly there, she knew it!
"Piiiiiiiikaaaaa— Chuuuuuuuuuu!" Then, all at once, it was like the storm disappeared.
"Huh—!?" Serena stumbled and blinked, finding sand at her feet and clear air around her. When she turned, a wall of rain and wind was standing at her back. The howling of the weather seemed almost distant now, muted.
Was this, the eye of the storm?
"Piiiiiiiiiiiiikaaaaaaaa— Chuuuuuuuuuuu!"
When Serena whipped around, her vision was blinded by a flash of golden yellow— golden yellow she recognized. All at once, when the light faded, she felt her heart swell.
"Ash!" she called, rushing forward and grabbing the boy's attention. Ash and Pikachu were there, standing on the sands of Shalour City's beach! Skidding down a tall sand bank, Serena quickly made her way over to them.
"Serena? Serena!? What are you doing here?!" Turning, Ash jumped in surprise at Serena's sudden appearance.
"What do you think!? You guys ran off in the middle of a storm!" she shouted, grabbing her hair and squeezing water from it. She was utterly soaked after her own march through the rain. "What're you doing here!?"
Despite Serena's obvious worry and almost feverish tone, Ash grinned.
"What's it look like? We're training!" he answered, somehow excited despite being sopping wet himself. Stepping back, Ash motioned to Pikachu, who was standing closer to the shore— Standing, with his back to the two. "Watch! Give her a taste, buddy!"
"Pika." Nodding, Pikachu took a step forward, before glaring up at the wall of the storm. Then, with a smack of his cheeks, he began building up a charge. "Piiiikaaa—!"
"Is he—?" Almost immediately, something about Pikachu stood out to Serena. Before she could process the thought, however, Pikachu let his attack rip.
"Chuuuuuuuuuuu!"
Pikachu fired a monstrous, full force Thunderbolt into the air, carving a hole straight through the storm and into the sky behind it. A moment later, after the storm closed the chasm Pikachu had made, it returned fire. Two stunning bolts of lightning crashed down onto Pikachu, igniting his body with a bright golden energy.
"Piiiiii— Ka!" Letting out a furious roar, Pikachu stomached the blow, skidding against the sand as the twin bolts drove him back. Then, all at once, the lightning vanished! It snapped out of the sky and flew into Pikachu's body! When the light dissipated, Pikachu was left standing, crackles of electricity bouncing off his cheeks.
"He, absorbed the lightning," Serena muttered, earning a confident nod from Ash.
"We're using the storm like a big battery! Supercharging Pikachu for our next shot at Korrina!" he explained, as Pikachu went to fire another Thunderbolt. It was bigger, better this time, resembling the 110% Thunderbolts they were training with the other day. "This has to be it— The technique that'll get us the win!"
"Pika," Pikachu called out in agreement, as he readied for what came next. Two more plumes of lightning rained in from the surrounding storm, striking him and sending his charge skyrocketing. "Pi— Ka— Chu!"
With a proud and furious cry, Pikachu broke the storm's lightning, ripping it from the wall of clouds and pulling it into himself. The charge in his cheeks grew once more, the sparks now crackling like firecrackers.
This was impressive, Serena had to admit. Despite her worry, there was a part of her that couldn't help but get caught up in the spectacle of it all, in the sheer performance of the pair. Yet, despite that, Serena was still hesitant as she watched them train. Something was rattling her, something about Pikachu.
Pikachu was angry.
While Ash seemed excited, almost manically so, Pikachu was furious. Every word he spoke, every attack he fired, it all carried a ferocious anger, unlike anything Serena had ever seen. It was like Pikachu was trying to outmatch the fury of the storm itself.
Serena watched as Ash leaned down to give Pikachu a head rub, only to receive no response in return. Pikachu merely growled and began charging up his next shot.
Ash didn't seem to mind, Serena realized.
"Ash, isn't this dangerous? You guys are in the middle of a storm," she pleaded, as Ash turned to face her once more. "What happens if you get hit by lightning?"
Ash merely laughed.
"Ah come on, Serena. I've been taking Thunderbolts to the face for years— My whole life even!" he said, dismissing her concerns with a wave. Behind him, Pikachu fired once more, thundering into the sky with a bright bolt of lightning.
"Not real ones, Ash! You and Pikachu can get really hurt!" Frowning, Serena paused to catch her breath, as the sheer vibrations of the lightning knocked her off her balance. "And what happens if the eye of the storm starts moving?
"Then, we'll just keep up with it!" Ash threw out that answer almost immediately, not taking even a moment to think it over.
"You can't keep up with a storm, Ash!" To Serena, it felt like she was talking to a brick wall. Were none of her concerns getting through to him? Was anything getting through to him? "You two have to leave before you get hurt."
This time, Ash didn't immediately respond. He remained silent, visibly tensing as Serena said her piece. It was hard to notice, but his hands had curled into fists, at the moment she said the word 'leave'.
After a moment, he began again, as Pikachu thundered another bolt of lightning into the sky.
"We can't, leave." Three words, that was all he had to say. And even that seemed like a difficulty for him. Serena noticed his emphasis on the word 'leave', like it was pulling a tooth just to say it.
Though she noticed it, she didn't understand it.
"What kind of answer is that, Ash!?" she called, taking a step forward and putting a hand to her chest. Frustration was rising in her voice now as well. "Why can't you leave?"
"Because— Because we're giving it our all right now! Just like we always do!" he exclaimed, defending himself with a haughty voice and puffed chest. Soon though, his facade fell away, and he forced himself to turn around. "A little rain isn't going to make us run away. We'll be fine."
Another bolt of lightning flew from Pikachu, striking the storm and beckoning for its response.
"This isn't a little rain, Ash!" Serena cried, her voice beginning to run ragged. "This… This is crazy. Ash, please… You guys don't have to do this. There are other ways to get stronger."
Ash's whole body tensed, as Pikachu's lightning ripped through the sky ahead of him. From Serena's angle, it almost looked like it was coming from Ash now.
"Like what?" he asked, the wild energy in his voice beginning to slip away. With his back still to Serena, he asked again. "How else are we gonna get stronger?"
Immediately, Serena felt the tone of the conversation shift. The manic Ash from moments ago sloughed away, and a far more frustrated one now remained. She could hear it in his voice, and see it in the way his fist trembled at his side.
"We've been training for weeks, Serena. Double time since we got to Shalour." Turning, Ash faced Serena, a fire in his eyes as their gazes locked. "It's not working."
Another bolt of lightning from Pikachu filled the air.
"It's still not enough, Serena. We're still not enough. But every time me and Pikachu faced an opponent like this, we kept going!" His voice pulled on the effect of familiar assured energy. "We trained and trained, and changed up our strategies until we made it through— So if we want to make that work again, we can't leave yet!"
Ash's call rang into the air, piercing the winds of the storm and echoing back at him and Serena.
"Ash…" Serena pursed her lips and furrowed her brow, her whole body shivering against the cold. For a moment, she wanted to step away, to let Ash and Pikachu handle their own business. Those two would be fine, her mind told her. They were always fine. Yet, she stayed. Despite the coldness, despite the resistance she was getting, Serena knew one thing for certain.
She hated seeing Ash like this.
When Pikachu fired into the sky this time, the sky roared in response. A massive bolt of lightning came down, flying past Pikachu, and landing on the beach behind Serena.
"Ash. This isn't right. You're not thinking straight— You're acting recklessly—" Serena pressed forward, both hoping and fearing that her words would strike a nerve. "You're not invincible just because you're trying your best. You and Pikachu— You aren't going to make it work here! Not like this!"
Serena motioned to the beach all around them, to the literal storm just meters away.
"I know… I know it hurts, to try and try, and still not be where you want to be," she began, her words echoing those from weeks ago. "I know—"
The whole sky lit up with lightning, as Ash grit his teeth.
"You don't know anything!"
Ash's cry ripped through the air, louder and more furious than even the thunder itself. For a moment, it felt like the whole storm was laid quiet, as his snap echoed against the wind. Serena stood frozen in shock, and even Pikachu stopped now.
"I… You…" Ash, for his part, seemed to catch himself then, as he paused and pulled back. The anger in his eyes faded away, and a new, sadder expression took its place. Turning to the side, Ash began rubbing his eyes. "You just, don't get it…"
Silence reigned in the air between Ash and Serena, the storm now seeming wary to disturb them. The roll of thunder and lightning had stalled, leaving just the patter of rain as the backdrop to their meeting. Who would dare to speak first?
Tightening her fists, Serena stepped forward.
"What? What don't I get, Ash?" Despite her shock from Ash snapping at her, Serena pressed onward. She'd come too far to be turned away now. "Talk to me. If I don't understand, then please, explain it to me."
Looking to Serena, Ash hesitated, the thoughts visibly ticking away in his mind. After a few quiet moments, he sighed. Then, he grit his teeth.
"You don't get, how hard it is," he began, each word like pulling teeth. "League after league— region after region— Me and Pikachu have tried so hard, and we just keep losing."
Memories from weeks ago flashed in Serena's mind— All those badges Ash had shown the group, but not one league to his name.
"You don't get how that feels, giving it your all again and again and again and always falling short," he said, voice rasping and chest heaving. "It kills me."
Silence returned for a moment, a different silence. Not one that begged someone to start speaking, but one that begged them to continue.
"It… It scares me," Ash finally confessed, frustration giving away to sadness now. His words made Serena's eyes widen, made her stare as he made a fist. "I'm scared."
Tears were beginning to form.
"Oh, Ash…" Serena did something then, that surprised even her. She stepped forward, until she was right at Ash's side, and, after a moment's pause, reached to him. Pushing past one last bout of hesitation, Serena cupped Ash's face in her hand, freezing him still. He looked up at her, as she held him. "What could scare you?"
Even while she asked him for an answer, Serena's gaze held nothing but empathy. All Ash could do was stare, before he began to speak.
"I'm… scared, scared that no matter how hard I try, how hard I ever try, I'll… I'll never be good enough," he explained, eyes falling to the sand at their feet. Though he tried to hide it, tears were streaming down his face, dripping to the ground below. "I'm scared, that I can't beat Korrina, because this is as good as I'll ever be."
Then, like that, it all clicked for Serena, everything. Ash's dogged impatience, the warnings Mabel had given him, his dissatisfaction in beating Grant— It was all down to this one thing, underlying it all. It was this fear, that he'd never be better than who he was now.
Ash was scared that he had peaked.
Never in a hundred years could Serena have guessed that.
"Pikapi?"
Serena looked up, her train of thought lost as she realized someone else had joined their conversation: Pikachu. He'd finally turned around, and was now sitting on Ash's shoulder with a worried look.
"Pikapi, pikachu-pi?" he asked, nudging the side of his partner's head. Ash broke into a small smile then, at the sight of Pikachu, his worries almost going away.
"Yeah… Yeah, you're right. Crying never solved anything, huh?" he said, putting on a hint of the bravado Serena knew him for. Moments later though, it slipped away again. Ash's gaze turned back to Serena, as he realized she was watching him wipe the tears from his cheeks. "Well, that's everything, I think. I'm sorry, if I don't come across as that cool anymore."
Serena stared at him, blown away by his implication.
"What are you talking about, you dork?" Serena picked up Ash's gaze with her hand. "You're the coolest, most amazing person I know."
"Look at me, I'm crying," he replied, choking out a laugh as he said that. One of his tears hit Serena's hand then. "Hard to call that very inspiring."
Serena paused, as she dwelled on Ash's words. Thoughts were rushing through her mind, and along with them, a response.
"Seeing you cry, hearing you say those things— It hasn't changed how I see you, Ash." Now it was Serena's gaze falling to the ground beneath them. "You may get knocked down, but you still stand up afterwards. You may not be the best yet, but you always try your best. That's the Ash I know, the Ash I see every day, and—"
Serena smiled then, giving Ash a warm, tender look, a look she hoped carried her meaning even better than her words did.
"That's the Ash I see now," she finished. In Serena's eyes, there was awe, and in that awe, a message: That even in Ash's lowest moments, Serena still looked up to him.
With that, Ash finally paused. His breathing steadied and, at last, the tears came to an end. Wiping his face clean, Ash nodded, before giving Serena his response to her message. With a smile, he accepted her words.
Silence stood now, as the pair took a moment of calm reprieve. Ash's gaze hung low, not in contemplation but in simple peace. Thoughts and worries and fears no longer rushed through his mind. It was finally quiet.
Serena, meanwhile, had not moved from her position. Her hand still cupped Ash's cheek, and her gaze still looked onto him with awe. Yet, while Ash was happy to finally let his mind settle, Serena's mind was still going. She was still processing something.
"Thank you, for opening up to me, and telling me all that. I know it wasn't easy," she said, catching Ash's attention. When he locked eyes with her once more, she paused for a moment, before smiling. "I think it's only fair, if I opened up a little too."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Pika?"
Taking a deep breath, Serena stepped back, pulling her hand away from Ash and giving herself some space in the process. With a nod, she stood tall, before continuing.
"Ash, I know what I want to do with my life— On my journey, with you," she began, her heartbeat almost immediately picking up. She couldn't tell if it was panic or excitement. In either case, it didn't matter. This was happening. "Because you inspire me, because of what you've shown me, I want to become a Gym Challenger, like you."
Ash and Pikachu blinked.
"P-pika?!"
"That's— That's amazing! This'll be amazing!" Almost immediately, Ash's mood seemed to take a 180. Slow, peaceful content ignited into familiar, burning excitement. "We can train together! I can show all the tricks I've picked up!"
"Pikachu-pi!" Pikachu added then, standing up tall on Ash's shoulder.
"Yes, perfect! We can teach you and Fennekin how to use Counter Shield!" It was stunning, like their nasty mood from minutes ago had never existed.
For a few moments, that return to normalcy calmed Serena's nerves. Her muscles relaxed for what must've been the first time since she discovered the two missing. Yet, after a moment more, she tensed again.
"...No, Ash."
"Pika, chu?"
"Huh?" Ash's smile fell as he came to a stop, watching Serena shake her head. Once he realized she was being serious, he stood straight. "What do you mean?
"I mean, we can't do that. Not right now, at least," she answered, looking down at her hands. "I need to go back to Santalune and Cyllage, and earn the badges you already have."
"Well, we'll go with you! You'll need help just starting out!"
"Pika!"
"And you," Serena continued, remaining firm despite Ash's offers, despite wanting to accept Ash's offers. "You two need to go find what you're missing."
"...What, what do you mean?" Ash's energy seemed to drain, as Serena looked up at him. The expression she held told him exactly what he didn't want to hear— That what happened tonight, wasn't over.
"You said it yourself, Ash. You're missing something. Something you need to beat Korrina," Serena explained, taking a step closer to Ash. "I'm not sure what it is, but you won't find it where I'm going."
Reaching forward once more, Serena took Ash's hand, raising and holding it up between them.
"I don't think you'll find it here," she continued, motioning to the area around them, to Shalour City itself. "Ash, you should go find what you're looking for. Go find, what's missing."
Serena felt her throat tighten, like it was almost trying to stop her from speaking. On some level, she couldn't blame it. She couldn't believe what she was saying either.
Ash and Pikachu were stunned silent, a hundred thoughts crossing their eyes as they took in what Serena said. All the while, Serena could only watch. All she could do was stand with them in the quiet of the night.
Quiet.
Neither had realized it, but the storm had come to a stop.
"I think, you're right," Ash confessed, looking down to the sands for a moment. "Me and Pikachu— I've been in a funk about this for a while now."
"Yeah, you have." Serena's thoughts went back to the last few weeks of their journey, to all the signs that had passed her by. It all painted a picture to her of Ash's state of mind. "And, I think I have, too."
All the while Ash had been struggling, Serena had been wrestling with her own internal conflict: The question of where her life was going, of her becoming a Gym Challenger.
"But now we can clear things up!" Ash exclaimed, pulling Serena from her train of thought. "And when we meet again, we'll both be ready to move forward! You and me!"
"Pika!"
Serena smiled, Ash's words resting easily in her mind.
"Yeah. You and me…" She basked in the idea for a moment, before her eyes widened. "Oh shoot, what about Clemont? How are we going to explain this to Clemont?"
Another voice then entered the fray.
"You won't have to."
Turning in surprise, Ash and Serena faced one of the beach's larger sand dunes, something the wind had swept up hours earlier. There, climbing atop of it, was a familiar figure clad in blue.
"Clemont!?"
"I heard everything, after a certain point," he explained, taking a breath and looking down the steep incline. With a hop, he slid down the embankment, joining Ash and Serena with only a few minor slips along the way. "Ash—"
Clemont turned his focus to Ash, a moment of weakness in his eyes giving away to strength. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Ash, I'm sorry. I wish I had realized sooner what you've been going through. I know talking about all of that wasn't easy," he said, before turning to Serena. Where with Ash his face held strength, with Serena, it was pride. His other hand went to her shoulder. "And Serena, I am so proud of you. You finally committed to becoming a Gym Challenger, and you finally told Ash!"
With a hand on each of his friends, Clemont broke into a wide smile, tears welling in his face. Before either Ash or Serena could realize what was happening, he pulled them into a hug.
"I'm so proud of you! Both of you!" he exclaimed, displaying a surprising feat of strength as he held the others tight. Soon though, Ash and Serena broke into a laugh and returned the favor.
After the trio separated, Serena's mind went back to business.
"So, what are you and Bonnie going to do now, since me and Ash will be splitting up for a while?" she asked.
"I think we'll head back to Lumiose, for the time being. I've realized that the both of you deserve a Gym Leader worthy of your efforts," he explained, readjusting his glasses. "Me at my current level can't even give you much of a challenge, Ash."
Clemont's words earned a hearty chuckle from Ash, a sight that brought a smile to Serena's face. After a moment though, that smile dipped.
When it did, Clemont took notice.
"No matter what though, the three of us will stay connected, yeah?" he asked aloud, looking between Ash and Serena.
"Oh yeah, of course! No way we're just gonna let Serena start her journey by herself!" Ash declared, fire in his voice as he made a fist. Pikachu stood tall on Ash's shoulder and agreed.
"We can call consistently, and I'm sure me and Ash will have lots of advice as you challenge your first few gyms," Clemont added.
"Consistently? More like every night!"
Watching the two go back and forth between themselves, Serena couldn't help but break into a smile. The group of them, even if they were going to spend some time apart, wouldn't be divided, not even for a moment.
She felt blessed, to have friends like hers.
XY
"What do you think you're going to do? Where will you two go?"
After talking for a good while longer, the trio decided it was time to head back to the Pokémon Center. It was late into the night by now, and there was much to do tomorrow now that they had plans. Clemont, ever the responsible one, headed out first to make sure Bonnie wasn't left alone for too long.
That just left Ash, Pikachu, and Serena, the former two looking on at the sea, while the latter looked at them.
"I don't really know," Ash confessed, shaking his head for a moment before turning to Serena. "I'm not even sure what I'm missing, to know where I'm supposed to start looking."
"Pi-kachupi…" Pikachu was similarly unsure, his expression matching Ash's. Soon though, both of their faces turned, as Ash grew a confident smile.
"But that's not going to stop us! Not me, or my team!" he exclaimed, Pikachu echoing him with a call. "We've never done anything like this before, but I think that means it just might work!"
Ash turned his gaze back to the ocean, to the Tower of Mastery standing just beyond the water. The sight of it made him pause, bringing a thought to his mind. That thought made him chuckle.
"It's like you said, Korrina," he said, under his breath. "We gotta try something new.".
The storm... has broken.
Through her resolve, Serena has connected her heart to Ash's and discovered what weighs down upon our hero. The burden of loss sits heavy on his shoulders, as the fear that he will *never* achieve his dream has bubbled to the surface. All the while, Serena finds the courage she needs to commit to her own dream, to one day stand proud at Ash's side as an equal on the battlefield.
With that comes the time to heal, as our heroes face a new stage in their journey, one that they will need to face apart, but *not* alone.
Part 1 of Pokémon XY: Trying Something New concludes next week, with the parting of ways!
Until then!