The Ketchum Family - An Amourshipping Story

by RazorKeyboard

This is the story of what happens after Ash wins the Masters Eight Tournament. (Amourshipping Fanfic) What will happen when Ash and Serena reunite? Where will their journeys take them? I don't have any profanity or overly dark elements in my story. Things will get steadily steamier between Ash and Serena as things progress. All main characters are 18 years or older.

7. Butting Heads and Breaking Hearts

A quick explanation about character ages. For Ash and all others of a similar age, I'm treating them as if one year passed for each region that Ash traveled to. Thus, at the start of this story, Ash, Serena and anyone else of a similar age were 18 years old. They are now beginning to rapidly mature to match their actual age and soon their bodies will reflect the number of years they have been alive. Ash and Serena are beginning to experience puberty, and soon, much more.

---

The transition to summer occurred far earlier than was usual in Pallet Town. The days became extremely hot; the sun at, times unbearable; and night only brought a little relief. Despite the warm weather, work continued at the Pokémon reserve. Exciting changes were under way all over the property.

The new land Ash had been gifted was already being put to work. New fencing had to be installed, obstacles cleared and shelters for the Pokémon constructed. It was a lot of work, but Ash and Serena were enthused at seeing all the progress and the huge potential for the future.

In addition to all the changes at the reserve, there were also changes going on with Ash and Serena. Each of them had grown several inches and Ash was now slightly taller than Serena. Furthermore, each of them had started noticing some subtle, and other not so subtle, differences in themselves. They'd been taught and prepared by their mothers about these changes, but years had passed while they'd journeyed, appointed times had come and gone and nothing had ever happened to them. They'd started to think that perhaps they were destined to be eternally young, but now, for whatever reason, these changes were finally occurring inside them. Both of them knew what was happening, however, that didn't make it any less awkward.

Serena found that her admiration and attraction to Ash had morphed into intense passion and desire, sometimes bordering on outright lust. When she was around Ash, she would quite often find herself flushing red and struggling with her thoughts and emotions. Along with the emotional changes, Serena had also experienced some physical changes. Her form was noticeable more feminine in several ways and she'd been forced to make a few adjustments to her wardrobe.

Ash, meanwhile, discovered one day that he found Serena incredibly charming and beautiful. He often found himself eyeing the new curves of her body and wanting to be close to her. He was extremely conflicted about these new feelings. On one hand, he held Serena in extremely high regard and didn't want to reduce her or their friendship to some base emotional impulse. On the other hand, on more than one occasion Serena had caught him looking at her and he could tell from her reaction that she welcomed his gaze. Thus, Ash found himself trying to find a balance of enjoying Serena's beauty whilst not objectifying her.

Initially, each of them had been distressed by the emotional and physical changes; however they'd since grown to appreciate them. It didn't make things between them any less awkward however. In their hearts, they were still two kids, and it was taking them time to figure out how to deal with their new feelings and impulses.

---

A bright glowing sunrise announced the beginning of another scorching day in Pallet Town. The temperature was already sweltering before the countryside was fully lit. Almost everyone stayed inside. Most of the non-fire Pokémon on the reserve hunkered underground, or in shelters. Anyone who spent an extended amount of time outside in the sun would be reduced to an exhausted, sweaty mess.

As Serena finished putting on a final layer of sunscreen in her room of the Ketchum household, a part of her definitely would have preferred to just stay inside. The house was nice and cool, thanks to Ash sending a Glaceon home with her one day. Delia had been immensely grateful, as she'd been suffering in the sweltering temperatures. Because Serena spent her days at the reserve, she didn't get to enjoy the cooler temperatures as much. It was a pleasant break when she returned home at the end of the day.

With the sunscreen in place, Serena strode over to the full-length mirror and checked her appearance. She was wearing her standard red shoes, blue shorts and a red sports bra. Serena chuckled as she eyed her midriff, remembering the fateful day she'd decided to go with this new outfit and the events leading up to it.

As the summer heat had started to get more intense, Ash had, at times, gone without a shirt when working outside. It was a desperate bid to stay cool in the unbearable temperatures. For her part, Serena had enjoyed every time Ash went shirtless. She loved watching him and made no secret of it. Ash had caught her openly gawking at him several times, and at first had been a little chagrined at her behavior. He'd quickly come to welcome her gaze though, and started to respond in kind, openly watching Serena when she worked, much to her enjoyment.

After this silent flirtation went on for two weeks, Serena had taken a trip to Viridian City. While there, she'd acquired several new sets of clothing, amongst which were a few sports bras. She'd originally justified getting the new tops because she thought they would be more comfortable to work in than her previous undergarments. At first, she'd planned to keep wearing a t-shirt over the new top, but as she thought about it, her plan had changed.

When she wore her standard outfit, because of the hot weather, Serena was often soaked with sweat by the end of the day. She thought that if she wore just the sports bra, she could stay a lot cooler and avoid getting as sweaty. She wasn't entirely sure about the choice though. Thus, the next day, Serena had left the house wearing a t-shirt over her sports bra.

During her walk to the reserve, Serena had held an internal debate about whether she should keep the t-shirt or go with only the sports bra. She was honest enough with herself to know that a big reason for her wanting to wear the new top was to catch Ash's eye. She knew her appearance in the new top was provocative and borderline inappropriate. She also knew that her original reason of wearing the sports bra to stay cool was just a thin excuse she'd manufactured to justify buying them. In fact, as Serena walked to the reserve she could come up with no good reasons for her to change her outfit.

By the time she'd reached the front door of the main building she'd thought of no less than fifteen different reasons why wearing only the sports bra was a bad idea. She had no rationale whatsoever for going ahead with her change in outfit, other than to get Ash's attention. Thus, with the matter firmly decided in her mind, Serena had stowed her t-shirt inside her handbag and headed inside the main building. A few moments later, when Ash had caught sight of her and Serena had watched his eyes widen so much she'd wondered if they'd pop out of his skull, she knew she'd made the correct decision. She'd also absently wondered exactly when she would regain full control over her faculties.

Serena turned to her left and then her right and saw no issues in the mirror. She pulled on a pink t-shirt and headed downstairs. She was somewhat embarrassed to be seen by other people when she was wearing the sports bra and so she kept the shirt on until she reached the reserve. It was just another indication of how the outfit was only for Ash's benefit.

After a leisurely walk to the reserve, Serena put away her t-shirt and headed inside the main building. Ash greeted her and the two of them sat down to eat breakfast and discuss what they would be doing today. They planned to continue working on a new shelter they were constructing on the recently gifted land. The small stable-like building needed a little bit more work and then had to be painted. Ash believed, if they worked hard, they could get the structure finished by the end of the day.

Once they finished breakfast, the two of them headed outside into the intense heat to begin the day's work. As time passed, they would periodically take care of the various needs of the Pokémon on the reserve. However, most of their effort was focused on finished the new shelter.

By early afternoon, they had finished the construction work. Ash and Serena then turned their focus to painting the new structure. The painting didn't go quite as fast as they'd hoped and they were suddenly reminded how late in the evening it was by the rumbling of their stomachs. They took a quick break for dinner, planning to finish painting the shelter after they'd eaten. As they sat around the table, there were many awkward silences as they struggled to come up with topics to discuss.

Before the recent changes, Ash and Serena had trusted each other completely and often had taken each other into their confidence. They'd been willing to talk about almost everything in their lives. Now, with all the new emotions and impulses they were experiencing, they were scared to discuss personal matters. Neither of them knew how the other thought about the more sensitive and intimate matters they were now confronted with. They each worried that the other might not share their opinions and beliefs and that a disagreement might lead to a breaking of their friendship.

As a result, their conversation covered topics such as what went on at the reserve, news around Pallet Town and events in the world, but there was an unspoken agreement to not discuss anything related to their physical and emotional changes. Both of them knew this couldn't go on forever, but so far, neither of them had gathered the courage to broach the subject.

They finished the simple dinner and then headed back outside into the evening light. Fortunately for them, the days were long, and they still had enough daylight to finish the project. It took around an hour for them to finish painting the shelter, and when they were finally done, they stood back and admired the fresh coat of white covering the brand new structure.

Ash and Serena had gotten a fair amount of paint on themselves during the project. It wasn't a big deal for Ash; he didn't have to go anywhere that evening, and planned to clean himself up a little later. Serena however, after initially bidding Ash farewell, decided against heading home. She'd didn't fancy walking through Pallet Town looking like a complete mess, so she took a quick shower while Ash resumed work on a side project he'd started a few weeks earlier.

---

Ash bent over the dining room table and eyed the cluster of drawings arranged along the edge of a large piece of blueprint paper. He took a moment to make sure the ruler was in line with the grid pattern on the paper, and then slowly drew out a long dark grey line with his pencil. He pulled the ruler away and eyed the floor plan. He glanced over at Pikachu, who was seated on the table, watching intently.

"Pretty cool, huh Pikachu?" he said.

Pikachu sounded his approval and nodded.

Ash continued drawing lines on the paper and consulting a book on construction. It was tedious work, but he doggedly kept at it.

He suddenly heard a door open inside the building and jumped in surprise. He didn't know that someone else was inside. He turned to face the sound and saw Serena walking toward him. She'd changed outfits, and judging by her now clean skin and the dampness of her hair, Ash surmised she'd decided to shower before she headed home. She was back to wearing her standard pink t-shirt and blue shorts. Her hair hung loose down to just below her shoulders.

Ash felt a little self-conscious at having been caught working on his project. He'd hoped to keep it a secret until he was done, but there was no chance of that now.

"Serena, I thought you'd gone home," he said.

Serena gave a subtle smile and shook her head. "I decided to clean up first. I didn't want to head home looking awful."

Serena stopped a couple of steps away from the table and looked at the papers strewn all over the surface. She'd never seen any of this before and was somewhat perplexed by what Ash was doing.

"What's all this you're working on?" she asked.

Ash momentarily pressed his lips together, unsure if he should share his secret with Serena. A second later, he decided to let her in on what was going on.

"Well…." Ash paused a moment before continuing. "I've decided to build a house!"

Serena flinched slightly in surprise. She blinked a few times and opened her mouth to speak. "A house?!" she said, clearly surprised and amazed.

Ash grinned, feeling pride and a little embarrassed. "Yeah," he replied simply.

Serena's face slowly transformed into an open-mouthed smile and she folded her arms, impressed by what Ash was saying. "What made you want to build a house," she said, sounding happy.

Ash continued grinning. "Well, we've got all the new land here, and the old lab really isn't a place to live. I figured I'd build a house of my own; something that I can call home one day."

Serena took a few steps forward so she was standing next to the table. "Do you know how to build a house?" she asked.

Ash looked at a pile of books on construction sitting on the table. He'd learned a fair amount during his various projects. Building a house was going to be a big job, but he believed he could figure it out. "I think I can do it," he replied. "Whatever I don't know, I'll look it up."

Serena slowly nodded, staring at the documents lying on the table. She had an expression of joy and wonder on her face.

Ash hesitated a moment. He still had a lot of work to do on the designs before he could even start any sort of construction. And before that, there was still all the work they had to do on the reserve.

"So, Serena," Ash began.

Serena looked up at him.

"There's a bunch of supplies we need to get for finishing the fence. I thought we could take some Rhyhorn to the port early tomorrow morning and pick up what we need."

Serena smiled and nodded. "Sure, that sounds great." She turned back to look at the floor plan. "Looks like you've got the rooms all laid out."

Ash gave a small shrug. "Not quite. There's still a lot to do. I'll probably end up changing a few things."

A mischievous smile spread on Serena's face. She took a few steps toward the doorway leading to the front door. "Well, whatever you decide on, just make sure the house has enough rooms."

Ash looked up at her, puzzled by the comment. "Enough rooms for what?"

Serena chuckled once and then replied in a playful voice. "For a big family!"

Ash, hesitated a moment, not sure what to make of Serena's comment. "Big family. What do you mean?"

Serena turned on a heel so she was now facing Ash and walking backwards toward the doorway. She had her hands clasped behind her back. Her face and neck had turned slightly red and she was grinning from ear-to-ear. "You know, for that big family you're going to have in the future. You should be prepared."

Ash paused, unsure how to respond. "Uh…"

Serena sniggered briefly, and then turned to walk through the door way. "See you tomorrow Ash," she said sweetly.

Serena disappeared through the doorway before Ash could come up with a reply. He heard the front door open and close a moment later and knew she was gone. Ash spent a moment pondering what Serena had meant by him having a big family. She was correct though; it wouldn't hurt to be prepared.

With that thought in his mind, Ash erased a few of the interior walls for the second story and started redrawing them so there were more rooms.

---

Morning came like it always did in Pallet Town. The summer sun rose, the temperature became unbearable and Ash strapped carrying saddles on a half dozen Rhyhorn. Once the creatures were all settled, he headed for the Ketchum household to pick up Serena.

Ash rode on one of the Rhyhorn and kept the Pokémon at a leisurely pace. There was no reason to hurry, as the sun made any exertion very unpleasant. Within a few minutes he pulled up the Pokémon in front of where he used to live. He jumped off and walked to the front door.

Ash knocked a couple of times and waited. After a moment, he saw Serena through the window and watched her come bounding up to the door. She had a fluffy, light-pink night robe wrapped around herself and looked a little surprised to see Ash.

Serena pulled open the door. "Ash, you're here earlier than I thought!"

Ash felt a breeze of cool air waft out of the house. He was glad Glaceon was keeping the house at a pleasant temperature. "I guess you're not ready to go?" he said, stating the obvious.

Serena looked apologetic. "No, I was just brushing my Pokémon. I'll get ready real quick."

Serena stepped back from the door and waved Ash inside. Ash walked into the living room, happy to be out of the heat.

Serena went over to the couch where her Pokémon and Glaceon were gathered. "I'm sorry, I've got to go. I'll finishing brushing you later."

Her Pokémon looked a little disappointed, but they gave a happy reply. Pancham and Delphox relocated to elsewhere in the living room, while Sylveon and Glaceon mewed playfully at each other and started chasing each other around the house.

Serena glanced at Ash. "I'll just be a minute," she said. She then stepped lively up the stairs and headed to her room.

Ash sat down on the couch, happy to have a little break before another day of miserably hot work. Delia poked her head in from the kitchen.

"I thought I heard you," she said happily. "Have you got another busy day planned?"

Ash smiled and nodded. "Yeah. We're heading down to the port and picking up some supplies. We've still got to finish building all the new fencing and a few more shelters."

Delia beamed. "You're doing such a great job Ash. I hope Professor Oak gets to stop by some time and see all you've done."

Ash smiled and blushed slightly. "Well, I'd like to get a bit more finished before we start showing the place off."

Delia laughed softly and returned to the kitchen. Ash folded his hands and rested them on his knees. He glanced around the room and spotted a pile of six magazines on the coffee table in front of him. The magazine on top of the stack was about Kalos Pokémon Showcases.

Ash smiled and picked up the magazine. He guessed that these periodicals were Serena's. He was glad to see she was still keeping up on contests. As much as he wanted her to stay at the reserve with him, he also wanted her to pursue her dream of becoming Kalos Queen. He didn't know how that would work, but he always wanted Serena to be happy.

The front cover of the magazine featured a female performer he didn't know, wearing a shining yellow dress. She was performing with a Helioptile and Dedenne. Ash paged through the first part of the magazine and saw Serena had written in small notes and comments here-and-there.

One comment read 'love this hem,' in reference to a beautiful dress worn by another performer. Another comment, next to a circled picture of a performance move, said 'try to use smaller flames in-between sequences.'

Ash chuckled as he got a small window into Serena's thoughts on contests. The next magazine in the stack was about Hoenn contests. Ash picked it up and saw more of the same small comments and notes. There were even some drawings of smiley faces, with cute comments attached, located next to places and events Ash guessed Serena had visited.

Ash grabbed the third magazine in the stack. This one was about Kanto contests. As he picked it up, the cover of the next magazine on the stack drew his undivided attention. It featured a pretty young woman in a fancy, white wedding gown, holding a bouquet of flowers. The woman had her light brown hair tied into an elaborate bun/braid combo and she looked overjoyed. With a start, Ash realized it was a bridal magazine.

'What in the world is Serena doing with a bridal magazine?!' Ash thought, feeling a strange mix of emotions suddenly churn in his stomach.

He quickly grabbed the magazine off the stack and began flipping through it. He intently scanned each page, specifically looking for Serena's comments. He found the first one on page five. Here, a woman was standing for a photo shoot, wearing a dress with a very long skirt that nearly reached the floor. The note read: 'Way too long. Don't trip.'

The next page featured a red and gold dress Serena had circled. 'Perfect! Just the right color,' the comment read.

He turned another page and spotted a veiled bride standing in an elegant wooden hallway. This comment said: 'don't know if I want a veil.'

Ash started to get an ominous feeling inside him. Was Serena thinking about wedding dresses?

He frantically scanned the pages and found a comment next to the picture of an Espeon with a pretty draping of white and purple flowers. 'Maybe use pink and cream for Sylveon,' it read.

He found another comment a few pages further. In this one, a different woman was wearing a strapless dress with an interesting bodice that showed quite of bit of her cleavage. The note next to it read: 'Ash would love this one! HA! HA!'

On the next page, there was a woman walking down the aisle of a wedding ceremony with her dress' train being held up by a pair of Floette. This comment read: 'What a cute idea.'

'Serena, what are you planning?! Why are you thinking about all this wedding stuff?!' Ash thought, feeling his face twist into an extremely apprehensive expression.

His question was jarringly answered three pages later when he saw a large picture of a blonde-haired woman standing arm-in-arm with a dark-haired man in an elegant suit. Ash could tell the man was supposed to be her newly married husband. Above the picture, Serena had drawn arrows pointing to the woman and the husband. The words 'Me,' and 'Ash,' were linked to the bride and groom respectively. She'd also drawn a smiley face surrounded by a heart in-between the bride and groom.

Ash felt like he'd just been trampled by his entire herd of Tauros. His mind spun as he tried to make sense of what he'd just seen. He'd figured out a while ago that Serena had romantic feelings and intentions. However, he'd never expected that she was so invested as to be picking out a wedding dress. That couldn't possibly be what was going on, right?

At that moment, Ash heard the sound of shoes clumping upstairs and realized that Serena had finished changing clothes and was heading downstairs. He quickly restacked the magazines and tried to compose himself as Serena descended the stairs.

As Serena came into view, she had her hands behind her head securing her hair into a ponytail. She was wearing her summer outfit of blue shorts and a red sports bra. When Ash had first seen Serena in this new outfit a few weeks ago, he'd been astounded by just how intoxicatingly gorgeous she could be. Judging by some of the glances she'd direct at him, he'd surmised that she was intentionally showing off her body to excite him. Up till now, Ash hadn't minded at all. In fact, he'd felt like they were getting close to finally taking the next step with their relationship.

Ever since spring, Ash had felt like he and Serena had become more than just friends. Serena had told him that she loved him and he knew she was attracted to him. Ash had also started to feel a very strong connection with Serena, and he'd slowly come to view her as pretty, then beautiful and then stunningly attractive. However, with all the changes in recent months, things had gotten very awkward between them. Some of his feelings for her were so strong and vivid that he felt embarrassed he possessed them. Ash had been too nervous to say anything about how he felt. He didn't know for sure how Serena would react, so he'd stayed silent. He'd thought that things would eventually work themselves out. Now, however….

Serena finished dashing down the stairs and came to a halt one stride in front of Ash. "Okay, all ready," she said in a perky voice.

Ash just stared at her for a second. His mind was still trying to wrestle with the idea that Serena might be planning a wedding for them.

'That's completely ridiculous!' he thought. 'We're way too young to get married! It can't be!'

Nonetheless, his eyes had seen her writings in the magazine, and as Serena stood before him, her suntanned skin looking as mesmerizing as ever, Ash briefly found himself really liking the idea of marrying Serena. His mind filled with images of him holding her; kissing her; touching her-

Ash promptly punted the series of thoughts out of his head. He refused to think of Serena in that way.

Delia again stepped into view. "Are you two getting ready to go?" she asked.

Ash blinked as he was brought back to reality. "Uh, yeah, we were just leaving."

Delia looked at Serena. "Serena, is that a new outfit?"

Serena looked surprised for a moment. "Oh, not really. I just haven't worn it here," she replied.

Delia smiled. "Well, it looks very nice."

Serena smiled in return. "Thanks!" She then turned and looked out the window. "Oh, Rhyhorn," she said under her breath. She then quickly stepped outside to greet the bulky rock types.

Ash's gaze automatically followed her as she headed out the door. A moment later, he felt the presence of his mother standing next to him.

"Serena sure is growing up into a beautiful young woman, isn't she?" Delia said to Ash.

Ash suddenly felt supremely embarrassed. "Uh, I guess so," he fumbled.

Delia smiled and laughed softly.

Ash swallowed and took a step toward the door. "Well, I better get going," he said quickly.

"Ash," his mother called after him.

Ash stopped and turned back to look at Delia. She looked a little emotional.

Delia took a breath and spoke. "I just wanted to say I'm so proud of how hard you're working so to build a future. It's really wonderful."

The word 'future' suddenly jogged Ash's memory. He remembered how Serena has said the same sort of thing last night when she was talking about him having a big family. Now, in light of what he'd seen in Serena's bridal magazine, her comment took on a whole new meaning.

"Oh, thanks mom," Ash said absently. His mind was elsewhere as he turned and mechanically walked out the front door. He took a few steps toward the road and saw Serena was crouched down, surrounded by the Rhyhorn. She was talking to them sweetly and skillfully petting them. When she saw Ash had approached them, she stood up and smiled at him.

"Rhyhorn are so much fun," she said happily.

"Uh, yeah," Ash mumbled.

Serena stepped over to her Rhyhorn and easily mounted it. After she did so, she put on a large, pink sun hat she'd brought along, as well as a pair of red-framed sunglasses. Ash moved to mount his own Rhyhorn, but nearly fell off the creature due to his distraction. Serena laughed and shook her head in amusement. Ash grumbled to himself and the two of them set off at a slow trot.

Ash finally had a moment to think, and his mind quickly formed an extremely concerning picture of Serena's actions. He hadn't been sure what to make of Serena's 'big family' comment last night, but now, it seemed clear. She was not only planning to get married, she was also planning for her future family. A family with him!

Ash, stealthily glanced over at Serena. He couldn't see her eyes because of the sunglasses, but she looked happy. He saw how alluring she was, but now, all that beauty took on a new context. He'd already gathered that Serena's new outfit was designed to get his attention, but what if she wanted more than just his gaze? What if she was working to seduce him? What if she wanted to start on that 'big family' right away?

Ash found this hard to believe. Serena had always been the pinnacle of grace and politeness. It had taken her years to finally come forward with her feelings for him. Could she really act in such a risqué manner?

He took another glance over at her and was reminded of how enticingly she was dressed. He also remembered how in recent months she'd become extremely flirtatious, and at times, inappropriate. It was undeniable that Serena had started pushing boundaries. What if there was a side to her he'd never know about or suspected? He had to get to the bottom of this. If Serena had some kind of grand plan for marriage, or starting a family, he needed to know.

Ash struggled to figure out what to say. The thought that Serena might want to have kids with him kept entering his mind and he fought to keep his imagination from wandering. He really didn't want to have this conversation, but there was no choice. He had to be the adult and get things sorted out.

Ash swallowed hard, and struggled to take a breath. "Soo… Serena," he began, his voice nearly catching in his throat.

Serena half-turned her head to look at him. "Mmmm," she hummed in acknowledgement. Ash really wished he could see her eyes to better read her expression.

"I was wondering," Ash continued. "Last night you said that I was going to have a big family." He paused a heartbeat, scarcely believing he was asking this question. "Why do you think that?"

Ash saw the corners of Serena's mouth turn upward slightly and she looked straight-ahead.

"Well, I just thought that whenever you do get around to starting a family, it will be a big one," Serena replied in a melodic voice.

Ash was so nervous, he felt like his teeth were shaking. "Okay, but why do you think I'm going to have a big family?"

Serena turned her head back towards him and Ash assumed she was looking right at him. He really wished he could see her eyes.

"I just have a feeling. That's all," Serena said coyly.

Ash felt a pit of dread forming in his stomach. His worst fears were coming true. "A feeling?" he repeated back.

"Mmmm-Hmmm," Serena replied.

"What sort of a feeling?!" Ash said, his throat tightening up.

Serena suppressed a laugh and grinned. "Ash, are you trying to say something?"

Ash felt panic spike inside him. "Uhhh, no no!" he deflected, uttering a fake sounding laugh. "I was just wondering why you were talking about having kids all of a sudden?!"

Ash saw Serena's eyebrows rise. She opened her mouth to speak and then hesitated. "Well," she began slowly. "I just figured that you would want a big family."

Ash felt himself sweating all over, and it wasn't because of the heat. Their conversation seemed to be racing ahead and he struggled to keep up with Serena's explanations. He had to get a handle on this! He had to know if Serena wanted to have kids right now or wait until later!

"Okay, so, theoretically," Ash began. "If I one day marry a girl, you think that I will have a big family?"

Serena chuckled. "Yes Ash, that's what I'm saying."

Ash felt a little hope. It sounded like Serena at least wanted to wait until they were married.

"So, basically, I get married….. and then I have a family," Ash said again, wanting to be sure.

Serena half-laughed, half-sighed and shook her head in an amused fashion. "Yes Ash, that's generally how it works."

Ash felt extremely relieved. At least he had some time to work with; as long as he could delay whatever wedding plans Serena had in place. Maybe he could convince her to go on a date before she proposed.

"Okay, great," Ash said smiling. "It's not like we're getting married tomorrow though, right?"

Ash saw a small jolt go through Serena's body. Her back straightened up and she breathed in sharply. She was still for a moment and then reached a trembling hand up to her sunglasses. She fumbled removing the red-rimmed shades and turned her head toward Ash.

She had a look of amazement and wonder on her face. As she began to speak, her voice was soft and ethereal. "Ash…. I didn't know… that you… I had no… idea….."

Ash watched as Serena's voice trailed off to nothing. She looked down at her hands; smiling contentedly as tears began to flow down her face. She made a happy humming sound and started to wipe at her cheeks.

Ash wasn't quite sure what to make of her reaction. She seemed to be happy, but it could be she was just putting on a strong front and she was actually heartbroken inside. He really didn't want to hurt Serena in any way. He just didn't want to get married right away; not until they'd at least gone on a few dates and talked about it.

"Hey, Serena?" Ash began in a gentle tone.

Serena looked up at Ash. Her eyes were full of tears and she seemed to be vibrating with energy. She took a shuddering breath and her lips trembled as she answered him.

"Uh…. Ash," she said, her voice cracking from emotion. "Can I just, have a moment?"

"Uh, okay," Ash replied. He started to feel terrible. Serena seemed to be upset. He hoped he could get her to understand that he really liked her as a friend and they could pursue something together in the future; just not right now.

Serena adjusted the slant of her sun hat so it completely hid her head from Ash. He could only listen as Serena occasionally took a gasping breath, and repeatedly raised her hands to her face and chest. She eventually stopped wiping at her face and became silent. Another minute passed and Serena finally took a deep breath and readjusted her hat so Ash could see her again. He felt extremely apprehensive at what she was going to say.

Serena looked straight at Ash. The areas around her eyes were slightly red, but she didn't look sad at all. If anything, she appeared enthused. "Uh… okay," she began breathlessly. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

At this point, even Ash wasn't sure what he wanted to talk about.

"Uhhh, so….. I guess…. about us," he tried to begin. He felt so awkward and anxious he could barely put words together. "I was wondering… erh... what you were… uh.…. thinking about…. umm… regarding….."

"Marriage!" Serena said in a sharp, happy voice; finishing Ash sentence.

Ash paused a moment. His throat was so tight; it made him feel like he was choking every time he spoke.

"Yeah…. basically…. I was wondering about…. what you were thinking…?"

Serena pressed her mouth into a tight-lipped smile. She looked away from Ash, appearing thoughtful for a time. She then started nodding happily and turned back to face him.

"Uhhhh," she gasped. "Well, Ash….. it's all really sudden," she said in a throaty tone. "But, uhhh," she swallowed hard and took another couple of breaths. "I think it's wonderful!" she finished energetically.

Ash felt relieved. It seemed Serena wasn't heartbroken. He started to relax a little. "Okay, good, great!" he said, his tone regaining some confidence.

Serena beamed and nodded in reply.

Ash tried to think of what else he could possibly say. He knew this was a delicate situation and he had to use the right words. "So, you're okay with it then?"

Serena took another gasping breath. "I think so," she replied, her voice squeaking from emotion.

Ash hesitated. He wanted to make sure Serena didn't misunderstand what he was saying. "But not for a long time right? It will be some time way in the future?"

Serena was smiling uncontrollability. She nodded in response to Ash. She opened her mouth to reply and her tone became steadily more enthusiastic as she spoke. "Yes. Yeah! Of course! Definitely!"

Ash nodded in response and smiled. He let out a tense breath and allowed himself to slouch in the saddle. This relationship stuff was hard but he was starting to figure it out.

---

Ash and Serena didn't say much more during the ride to the port. They arrived at the supply warehouse and started loading up all the needed materials. As they worked, any time Serena met Ash's gaze she would chirp happily and become giddy. Ash would smile back, happy that Serena had been okay with putting things on hold and taking their relationship at a much slower pace. He knew he still needed to address Serena's comment about kids and a big family, but that could wait until later.

They finished packing the Rhyhorn and mounted up to head back to Pallet Town. Even though they hadn't worked that much, they were sweaty and tired; the heat having done a number on them. They sat quietly in their saddles for a while, resting as the Rhyhorn plodded steadily ahead.

Eventually, Serena stirred. She was back to wearing her sunglasses along with her sun hat.

"You know Ash," she began in a quiet voice. "I never would have thought you were thinking about marriage."

Ash immediately felt uncomfortable. Even though they'd had the conversation earlier, the idea that he and Serena were heading for marriage made him queasy.

"Uh, well…" he began sheepishly. "I just saw…." he froze internally. He didn't want to fess up to having looked through Serena's magazines and seen what she was planning. She might get really angry at the violation. "….how things were going," he resumed. "And I wanted to get ahead of it." He laughed nervously, hoping Serena would drop the subject.

Serena stared at Ash. He couldn't see her eyes, but her mouth was turned up in a subtle smile.

"That's why you're building a house," she said in a whisper. "You're building all of this for us."

Ash pursed his lips. He hadn't been thinking of Serena when he'd started designing the house. He'd just wanted a proper home to live in one day.

Serena looked down at her saddle and mused to herself. "You really are amazing Ash Ketchum!" she said, her tone full of admiration and love.

Ash managed a smile, but he didn't feel all that amazing. He didn't feel like correcting Serena at this moment. Hopefully after things settled down a little, he could get all the facts straightened out. Right now though, he was just happy Serena's wedding plans were on hold. He shuddered to think what he would have done if one day she'd shown up at the reserve with a ring and all sorts of plans.

'What was she thinking anyway,' Ash contemplated. 'We're way too young to get married.'

---

They arrived back at the reserve a little after noon. Ash and Serena led the Rhyhorn to the edge of the property where they were assembling the new sections of fencing. They spent the rest of the day slowly putting together the barrier. They worked intermittently, so as to not get overheated.

Whenever they would stop for a break, Ash and Serena would retreat to the shade of a large tree near where they were working. They would sit with their backs against the trunk of the large oak, waiting for their sweat covered bodies to cool down. As the day wore on, each time Serena sat down to rest, she kept scooting closer and closer to Ash. By the time they were breaking for the last time, Serena had pressed her shoulder against Ash's.

Ash felt a jolt of excitement go through him as Serena leaned against his right side. Before the recent changes, Ash and Serena had shared a certain amount of physical affection. They'd held hands, hugged, sat next to each other; Serena had even nuzzled against Ash during one particularly happy moment. All of their physical interactions had trailed off as they'd started experiencing their new emotions and impulses. Ash couldn't even remember the last time they'd shook hands. It was an extension of their unspoken agreement to not discuss anything about the changes they'd undergone.

Before now, neither one of them had been willing to make any sort of move in fear of potentially starting something. The recent discussion of marriage had vaporized these restrictions in Serena's mind, and she was now allowing herself to once again show some physical affection. For his part, Ash had never experienced Serena's advances since he'd gained his new emotions. It was more intense than he would have expected.

Ash sat unmoving as Serena casually shifted her position. He could acutely feel the bare skin of her arm and shoulder rubbing against his arm. It felt like happiness itself was touching him and he glanced over at Serena; his eyes tracking up her legs and lingering on her extremely fit stomach. He spent a moment staring at her extraordinarily cute bellybutton, before moving his gaze further up, toward her head. He skipped over her sports bra, even though he found that part of Serena extremely alluring, and looked at her face.

Serena had sensed him looking at her and she'd preemptively turned her head to face him. Ash stared straight into her eyes and was amazed at all the wonderful detail he'd never noticed before. The tiny lines of light and dark blue radiating out from the center of her irises formed an intricate and captivating picture, which he found to be subtle and delicate, yet full of strength, and wholly striking in beauty. The image was a perfect mirror of Serena herself: elegant, beautiful and strong.

Neither of them spoke, as nothing needed to be said. Time stood still for Ash as he took in all the minutiae of Serena's face. He saw the curve of her nose, the hairs of her eyebrows, a bead of sweat slowing rolling along her right temple and the small creases in her lips. As Ash looked at her lips, he remembered back to the airport in Kalos when he'd briefly felt those lips press against his. Now, as he stared at the soft, pink, flesh surrounding Serena's mouth, he felt drawn toward her, like a parched man desperate for a drink of cool water.

Ash felt himself starting to lean toward Serena. He wanted their lips to gently meet, and their noses and cheeks to softly brush against each other. In his mind's eye, he saw himself slowly and tenderly placing his hands on Serena's shoulders and pulling himself against her sensational body. He saw himself and Serena passionately kissing and then her slowing moving herself sideways; sliding so her back was no longer against the tree. He saw Serena laying down, flat on her back, in the soft, green grass where he would then-

Ash flinched out of the fantasy and realized he was still staring at Serena and she was staring back. She was just as beautiful as a moment ago, but Ash felt concerned. He'd never been drawn to Serena in this way before. Right now, he wanted her in the best and worst possible way. This scared him a lot.

Ash had sworn to himself that he would never do anything to harm, dishonor or take advantage of Serena. No matter what happened, or how they acted, he always wanted their relationship to be honorable. The fact that he so easily found himself on the verge of losing control, made him drive the romantic thoughts of Serena from his mind.

Ash leaned away from Serena and looked toward the horizon. He could hardly believe how quickly Serena's beauty had nearly ensnared him. All he'd done was look into her eyes, and he'd nearly started a chain of events which would have led to them….

"Is everything okay?" Serena asked softly.

Ash nearly jumped in surprise. "Huh, uh….. yeah," he fumbled for an answer. "I was just thinking we should get everything put away for the day."

Serena nodded in response and looked at the setting sun. She hummed happily for a few moments and then spoke again. "Is there anything special you'd like for dinner?" she asked.

Ash frowned. He really didn't feel like eating. He just wanted the day to come to an end. In fact, he wanted to wake up tomorrow and discover that everything which had happened today had just been a dream and that he and Serena were still just good friends on the cusp of becoming something more.

"Uh, I don't know," he mumbled.

Serena smiled and chirped happily. "Okay, I'll surprise you then!" She then shifted her legs underneath her body and prepared to stand up. Rather than bracing herself against the tree or the ground though, Serena turned toward Ash and firmly clasped her right hand on his right shoulder. From the way she made the motion, it was clear she was doing this solely so she could put a hand on Ash. She boosted herself up to a standing position and moved so she was a step away from Ash. She then offered him a hand to pull him up.

Ash felt uncomfortable, but he took Serena's outstretched hand. She eagerly pulled him upright with enough force that he stumbled forward toward her. She didn't budge an inch however as Ash managed to stop just a few inches in front of her. She had a barely perceptible smirk on her face, which made Ash think that she'd forcefully pulled him on purpose. She held on to his hand a moment longer than she needed to and then turned toward the tools and the remaining materials they needed to put away.

"Come on! Let's get this done so we can get inside."

Ash sighed and followed after her. This relationship was going to take a lot of work.

---

It took them a short while to get the remaining supplies put away. Ash and Serena then headed inside the main building and Serena started cooking one of Ash's favorite meals. They worked together to prepare the meal, although this time was somewhat different than previous dinners they'd assembled. Serena kept asking Ash to smell what she was cooking and kept reaching past him to grab ingredients and kitchen utensils. Ash realized that she was manufacturing any excuse she could to brush against him or stand close to him. As much as he liked being close to Serena, this much contact was making him uncomfortable.

Once the food was cooked, they sat down at the kitchen table and shared a very awkward meal. Serena was mostly at a loss for words. She still could hardly believe everything that had happened during the day. She kept taking a bite of food and just staring at Ash while she smiled and chewed. Ash, meanwhile, had no idea what to say. Serena's plans for them had forced him to take action. They'd never even gone on an official date and now they were talking about marriage sometime in the future. It made Ash's stomach churn if he thought about it too much. What could he possibly say to her now?!

They finished the meal and cleaned up the dishes. Serena put away the last of the silverware and leaned against the kitchen counter; a thoughtful expression on her face.

Ash stood silently, wondering what in the world was next for them.

Serena scrunched her lips together as she thought and then turned to Ash. "Hey Ash," she began with a touch of uncertainty in her tone. "Could I see those plans for the house you were working on?"

Ash was surprised. Of all the things Serena could have asked about, he wasn't expecting the blueprints for the house.

"Uh, okay, sure," Ash replied in a subdued voice. He walked to the cabinet where he kept the blueprints and moved them to the kitchen table. He laid out the different floor plans and a few of the sketches. Serena stepped up to the table and intently eyed the drawings. After a minute of inspection, she opened her mouth to speak.

"So, did you add any rooms?" she asked, her gaze not rising from the plans.

Ash hesitated a moment and then pointed to the drawing of the second floor. "Yeah, I changed the layout here so there's six rooms instead of three."

Serena nodded and her brow furrowed together. She raised her right hand to her mouth and absently scratched at her upper lip. "Six rooms," she barely mumbled. "So, that four or five."

Ash glanced up at Serena, curious at the meaning of her comment. "Four or five what?"

Serena didn't hear Ash however. She was completely lost in thought.

Ash waited a moment and then repeated himself. "Hey, Serena. Four or five what?"

Serena started slightly and glanced over at Ash. "Oh, uh…." An embarrassed grin spread across her face. "Four or five kids," she said, on the verge of giggling. "That's the number of rooms you have."

Ash felt a pit suddenly open in his stomach. He knew he still needed to address Serena's comment about a 'big family' and kids in general, but he really really really didn't want to have that conversation. Despite his reservations and nervousness, he gritted his teeth and spoke the fateful words.

"Hey, Serena. Could we talk real quick," Ash said, his anxiety nearly strangling his voice.

Serena looked over at Ash. "Yeah sure. What about?"

Ash gestured at the chairs and sat down in one. Serena followed suit and sat half-turned in the chair so she faced Ash. Ash felt lightheaded. He couldn't believe this is what their friendship had morphed into in so short a time.

"So, Serena….." Ash began. "I wanted to ask you about what you said yesterday… How you were talking about a big family."

Serena rested her elbows on the table and looked intently at Ash. "Okay," she said, simply.

Ash had hoped for more of a response from Serena. He really didn't want to be the one carrying this conversation.

"Uhhh, so, you know Serena…." Ash began again, his voice meandering as he spoke. "I know you mentioned me having a….. big family." He paused abruptly, waiting to see if Serena would react.

She only continued watching him and said nothing.

Ash swallowed and continued. "Well… in order to have a big family, you have to have… kids."

Ash saw an amused smile start to form on Serena's face. She tried hard to suppress it and within a few moments her expression returned to normal.

Sweat was beading on Ash forehead. "What I was wondering is…. exactly when you were thinking of having….. kids?"

Serena didn't react for a few seconds as she wasn't sure if Ash was done staggering through his question. She finally took a breath and carefully formed a reply.

"Well, Ash. It's not entirely up to me," she said prudently. "You have some choice in the matter."

Ash wanted to slide down in his chair and slip under the table. He couldn't though. He had to be the responsible one and make sure Serena knew what he thought was acceptable between them.

"Yeah…. I know…" Ash croaked. "But I was wondering what you thought?"

Serena looked awkward and stared into space for a moment as she thought. "Well, honestly Ash….. I haven't really thought about it that much before now." She folded her hands and looked down at them. "I mean….. I guess I've always figured I would have children after I got married."

Ash felt a burst of relief. He'd hoped their earlier conversation when they'd been traveling to the port had been correct, but he'd wanted to be sure. With as crazy as this day was, he didn't want to have any misunderstandings.

"Okay, so you're not wanting to have kids until after…. you get married," Ash said.

Serena made a somewhat embarrassed expression and nodded in reply to Ash.

Ash hesitated and then continued. "And you weren't wanting to have kids… like right now… or really soon?"

Serena's eyes widened upon hearing this. "Uh, no!" she said, sounding bewildered.

Ash felt even more relieved. It looked like his concerns had been for nothing. "Okay, thanks. I was just wondering exactly when you were wanting to have kids."

Serena laughed nervously and waved a hand in a gesture indicating confusion. "I mean, Ash, why in the world would you think I wanted to have kids now? I'm not-"

Serena's eyes suddenly got a distant look to them and she froze as she put a series of thoughts together. Her expression slowly transformed to one of supreme amusement and she looked down at the table, her shoulders shaking slightly as she desperately tried to suppress a powerful chuckle.

"Okay, I get it," Serena murmured as she held back laughter. "When you say us 'having kids' you're actually meaning us having…" Serena choked and coughed on a laugh, then cleared her throat and looked up at Ash; her eyes moist with tears of mirth.

"Alright, so, you were asking about us 'having kids,' right?" As she spoke the 'having kids' phrase Serena made air quotes with her fingers.

Unfortunately for Ash, his brain was too scrambled by the events of the day to pick up on how Serena had interpreted his questions. He merely looked at her air quote gesture and was puzzled as to what she was doing.

"Uh, well, you just said not until after you were married. Right?" Ash replied, perplexed why Serena was revisiting what she'd just said.

Serena bent her head forward so her chin touched her chest. "Yep, that's what I said," she mused. She tried to suppress a snigger and rested her hands flat on the table. She started drumming her fingers on the surface in a distracted fashion and then looked up at Ash.

"I didn't know this was something you were thinking about so much Ash," her voice nearly breaking from amusement.

Ash's eyes widened and he nearly recoiled from the table. "UH, no! No! I'm not thinking about kids. I was just wondering what you were thinking!"

Serena pretended to nod in agreement; not believing him at all. "Right… Sure…" she said slowly, chuckling the entire time. "That's why you brought it up. You're not thinking about it."

Ash looked at Serena, not understanding her sudden change in behavior. Starting a family was a really serious issue, yet she seemed to be giddy and joking about it. As he watched, he noticed that her face and collar area had begun to turn red and she was starting to fidget in her chair a bit.

Serena sent Ash a mischievous look and slightly cocked her head to the side. "Ash," she began playfully. "I've seen you looking at me. You're telling me that you've never thought about 'having kids' before now."

Ash mechanically shook his head from side-to-side. "No, never!" he said sharply. "I'm not thinking about kids at all!" he added quickly.

Upon hearing this, a sharp laugh burst out of Serena, causing her to gasp for breath. "Oh, I bet you are Ash!" she said in an ironic tone. "I bet you are!"

"I promise, I'm not!"

Serena grinned manically and nodded. She slowly leaned toward him. Her face was now flushed red and her breathing was becoming a little heavy. She idly tapped a finger on the table as she began to speak again.

"Well, you see Ash….." she said in a low voice. "Unlike you, I have spent a little bit of time thinking about 'having kids' with you."

Ash looked horrified. "You have!" he replied.

"Mmmm-hmmm," Serena hummed, pressing her lips tightly together and nodding in reply.

"Wh-wh-why?!" Ash stammered.

Serena snorted and looked at Ash with bemusement. "Ash Ketchum," she began in a chiding yet playful tone. "Why do I think about 'having kids' with you? Do you really want to know?"

"Uhhhh….. no!" Ash replied; completely discombobulated.

Ash was starting to feel like everything was unraveling! He'd thought all this was resolved! Why was Serena changing her attitude all of a sudden?!

"I thought you said you were going to wait until you were married to have kids," Ash said desperately.

Serena fidgeted in her chair, then smiled and took a deep, shuddering breath. "See Ash, I think it's important for two people in a relationship to be absolutely committed to each other. That's what's most important."

Ash didn't like the sound of this.

Serena squirmed in her seat and then finally stood up. She took a single stride forward so she was standing next to Ash. She bent slightly at the waist so she was still at eye-level with him and began to speak again; her voice low and intense.

"If two people in a relationship aren't committed to each other, then getting married is pointless."

Ash's chair was still facing the table and he was awkwardly turned in it to face Serena. He was looking for any kind of distraction from their conversation, so he began to clumsily rotate the chair toward Serena. Serena saw this and grabbed hold of the chair with both hands; turning it to face her in one smooth, fast motion. She leaned in close to Ash so her face was only a few inches from his.

"However," Serena continued; her voice a low whisper. "If two people in a relationship are absolutely committed to each other, then it's like they're already married."

Ash opened and closed his mouth but no words came out. In addition to the subject matter they were discussing making him nervous, now Serena's proximity was unnerving him as well. Ash coughed and cleared his throat.

"So…. what are you saying?" Ash managed.

Serena just stared at Ash for a moment before she spoke. "I'm saying that if one day we decide that we're absolutely committed to each other, then we can 'have kids' Ash."

Ash heard the words, but he couldn't believe they were true! He'd thought he'd talked Serena out of this! Why was she changing her mind! As he looked into Serena's eyes he saw something he'd never seen before. There was a hunger inside her; like she desperately wanted something. Ash didn't know what it was, but her expression made him want to flee from the room.

Serena saw Ash's distress and silently laughed to herself. She reached out her right hand and gently brushed it against Ash left shoulder. She liked the feeling of his clothing; his bone structure; his muscles. Her hand started to slide off his shoulder and down toward his chest.

"Serena!" Ash whined; almost pleading for her to stop.

Upon hearing Ash, Serena pulled back her hand and took a sharp breath. She realized her heart was hammering inside her chest. Her skin was hot and tingling and the all-too-familiar yearning sensation was starting to get the better of her. She closed her eyes and took a few steadying breaths.

"I uh," she began tepidly. "I need to get out of here!" she said breathlessly.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, sounding like he himself wasn't okay.

Serena opened her eyes and looked straight at Ash. "Yes, I'm fine," she said quietly, a mischievous smile pulling at her lips. "But if I don't get out of here right now, we might end up starting on that big family tonight Ash."

"WHAT!" Ash exclaimed.

Serena chuckled and slowly started to straighten up. As she did, she couldn't resist reaching out with her left hand and mussing with Ash's black hair.

"I'll see you tomorrow Ash," She breathed.

Ash sat in his chair, looking shell-shocked; simply staring at her with eyes stretched as wide as they could go.

Serena pulled her left hand back and took a couple steps backward. She then turned and started walking toward the doorway which led to the front door.

Ash didn't move until he'd heard the front door open and close. Even then, he didn't move. Earlier in the day, he'd thought that he could talk some sense into Serena and convince her to put off any wedding plans or thoughts of having kids until they were much older. After his first conversation with Serena, he'd thought he'd succeeded. Now, however, it looked like all his words and reasoning had only egged her on. He'd never seen Serena acting or talking like she had been just a moment before. What could he possibly do now?!

---

Serena walked along the small dirt road at a moderate pace. She swung her arms, stretched her back, craned her neck and did everything she could to try and clear her mind. She kept taking long, slow breaths and slowly she felt the tension and emotions start to dissipate from inside her.

The past fifteen minutes were a blur in her mind. Ash had started talking about them having children, and then she'd realized that he'd actually meant something else. After that, the conversation had quickly gotten more intense, and Serena suspected that she may have gone a bit over the line in her conduct. She knew Ash would be fine with it though. She'd seen the look of utter befuddlement on his face, and given how much of the day he'd spent sneaking glances at her and then talking about 'having kids,' she wouldn't be surprised if this was one of the best days of his life. She knew it was for her.

By the time she reached the Ketchum house, most of the passionate emotions had drained out of her. She opened the front door and walked into the living room. Delia was sitting on the couch in her night robe reading a book. When she saw Serena, she looked up at her and smiled.

"Serena, another late night I guess?" she said happily.

Serena suppressed a laugh. If only Delia knew what had transpired this day. There was no way she was going to tell her though. Things were still too new and potentially volatile. Plus, honestly it was Ash's purview to share this sort of news with his mother.

"Yeah, it was really busy today," Serena said, trying to keep her voice sounding normal.

Delia nodded and made a thoughtful sigh. A moment passed and she spoke again. "I'll bet Ash likes that new outfit you're wearing," she said with a touch of blush in her cheeks.

Serena looked down at herself and realized she was still wearing the sports bra. Normally she would put on a t-shirt at night, but with all that had happened, it had completely slipped her mind.

"Oh, uh, yeah!" she replied, a little embarrassed. "I think he does."

Delia smiled happily.

Serena smiled back at her and took a step toward the coffee table. She grabbed the stack of magazines there and held them against her chest.

"Well, I need to get to bed," Serena said.

Delia nodded and Serena took a step toward the stairs. It was then that Ash's mother spoke up again.

"Serena," she began.

Serena stopped and turned around.

"I know I've said this before, but I'm so glad that you decided to stay here and help Ash. I think the two of you get along really well!"

Serena felt a warm glow of happiness bloom inside of her. She knew Delia approved of her, but it always made her feel special when she heard Ash's mother give her a compliment.

"Thank you," Serena said sincerely.

They smiled at each other and then Serena turned and headed up the stairs to the second floor.

Serena passed through the entrance of her room and shut the door behind her. She really needed some time to be alone with her thoughts. She set the stack of magazines down on the desk at one end of the room and started pacing back-and-forth across the length of the floor.

Now that she was finally alone, Serena started to feel extreme jubilation and excitement over the idea of her and Ash getting married one day. It was something she'd dreamed about for years and hoped they could make happen. She'd never thought Ash would be the one to make a big move though; and so soon; it was amazing what he'd done in just a few months.

Serena sat down on her bed but stood back up just a few seconds later. She had too much energy inside her to sit still. She continued pacing around the room, slowing going over the events of the day in all their exciting detail.

She heard a quiet scratching on the door and realized it was her Pokémon. Serena felt a little guilty over forgetting about them, but given the circumstances, it was understandable.

Serena walked to the door and pulled it open. She saw Delphox, Pancham and Sylveon all standing just outside. All of them called out a friendly greeting, happy to see her.

"Oh, hi there!" Serena said happily, with a touch of apology in her tone. "I'm sorry I didn't speak to you earlier."

Her Pokémon all waved off her apology and looked to join her in the bedroom for their typical nightly brushing and together time.

Serena frowned and didn't step aside to let them enter. "I'm sorry, but… I really need some alone time tonight," she said, her voice tinged with regret.

Her Pokémon all immediately looked surprised and concerned. Sylveon, especially, looked concerned and reached out with one of its ribbons to sense Serena's emotions.

Serena pulled her arms behind her back, preventing Sylveon from entwining with her. Because everything today had happened so suddenly, she didn't want Sylveon, or anyone, knowing about what she was feeling or what was going on with her and Ash.

"Sorry," Serena said shaking her head. "I need some time to think."

All of her Pokémon looked even more concerned, and gave a few soft cries of worry.

Serena put on a smile and spoke in a reassuring voice. "Oh, I promise, it's nothing bad. It's actually something really great! I just need some time to think about it, okay?"

Her Pokémon still looked disappointed, but they nodded and turned to walk away.

Serena shut the door and sighed. She felt bad for not performing her nightly routine with her Pokémon, but she knew they would understand when she explained what was going on. She turned and resumed her pacing around the room.

Serena wasn't sure how much time passed as she worked through all the events of the day. She occasionally giggled and squealed as she remembered particularly funny or sweet moments. As she remembered the final conversation she and Ash had during the day, she fell into the chair at her desk, covering her mouth to keep from laughing uproariously.

Serena leaned against the desk as her sides heaved with humor. A few cries of amusement escaped her covered mouth, but she managed to stay mostly silent. During the first part of the conversation, she'd thought Ash had been crazy; asking her if she wanted to have children right now. She'd then figured out that Ash was using a really unusual metaphor and the conversation had then taken a hilarious turn.

"Oh, Ash," Serena murmured to herself between chuckles. "I love you so much. But you really don't know how to talk about personal issues."

Serena took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She felt a little of the excitement from earlier returning to her as she remembered Ash frantically claiming to not be thinking about 'having kids' as he'd put it. Serena would have used the term 'sharing a bed' to describe it, but she supposed, to each their own.

Serena glanced at the clock and saw it was starting to get late. She needed to clear her mind and get some sleep; if that was possible. She sighed and looked at the trio of sketches which were sitting on the desk where she was seated. She was in the process of designing a new performance costume and she'd been using the various fashion magazines as a source of ideas and inspiration.

Serena fanned out the stack of magazines and immediately chuckled as she saw the bridal magazine. She'd originally got it as a source of costume ideas but she'd had a bit of fun when she'd been flipping through it. She'd imagined herself wearing one of the dresses on her big day; walking down the aisle with Ash at her side.

She pulled the bridal magazine out of the stack and opened it to the full-page picture of the wedding scene where she'd added a bunch of doodles and arrows indicating the participants were actually herself and Ash. Serena hummed happily and picked up her pen. She started drawing an image of how she envisioned Sylveon would be in the ceremony. She figured if Ash was making all these big plans for the future, she might as well make some plans of her own.

---

The alarm in Ash's room rang and he groggily rolled over in bed to shut it off. He hadn't gotten anywhere near enough sleep. He'd been unable to fall asleep until well after midnight, as his mind had been constantly replaying Serena's disturbing words and actions. He was worried what today could bring, and dreaded getting out of bed.

He heard Pikachu stir in his small bed on the floor, nearby. A moment later, the Pokémon sat straight up, looking attentive.

"PI-" Pikachu said curiously.

Ash shifted in bed so he could look down at his buddy. "Something up Pikachu?" he said.

Pikachu's ears twitched and the electric mouse quickly jumped up on Ash's bed. "PIKA-PIKA" he cried out, pointing toward the open door of Ash's room.

Ash had a puzzled expression on his face. He turned toward the door and focused his attention in that direction. For a moment he heard nothing, but then there was a faint clinking sound of metal contacting metal. Ash thought it odd; had one of the Pokémon gotten into something?

He rose from the bed and quickly changed into his standard clothes. With Pikachu just behind him, Ash descended the stairs; listening to the clinking sound coming from downstairs. As he reached the ground floor, he began to smell food being cooked, and he suddenly realized what was going on. When he stepped into the kitchen, his suspicions were confirmed. Serena had arrived at the reserve early and was preparing breakfast.

Ash felt apprehensive. With the way Serena had behaved last night, what was he in for this morning? Ash swallowed a lump in his throat, stepped forward and called out a friendly greeting.

"Hey, Serena. You're here early."

Serena quickly turned her head toward him, slightly surprised by his arrival. "Oh Ash!" she started. "You're awake. I didn't hear you."

Ash nodded and took a few steps forward. "Already cooking breakfast, huh?"

"Mmm-Hmm," Serena hummed. "I woke up early this morning and decided that I might as well come here."

Ash stopped a few paces away from Serena. He wasn't sure what to say. He felt like he needed to address some of the things from last night, but this didn't feel like the time. Maybe later, while they were eating?

Silence reigned for a minute while Serena worked with the food. She seemed to be preoccupied and kept getting a distant look in her eye. Finally she spoke, her tone a little hesitant.

"Hey, Ash," she began. "I wanted to apologize a little for last night."

Upon hearing this, Ash became laser focused. Maybe Serena had rethought some of what she'd said last night? Maybe some of the words had been spoken in the heat of the moment and weren't how she truly felt?

"Okay," Ash replied. "What about?"

"Well," Serena smiled sheepishly. "With everything we were talking about last night, I got a little excited, and I might have been a little more forward than I should have been."

Ash immediately felt a big weight start to lift off of him. "Really," he said, sounding pleasantly surprised.

Serena nodded. "Yeah," she said with a half shrug. "I know you probably didn't mind, but I just wanted to say that I uh….." she paused a moment and grinned ironically while shaking her head. "I'll try not to get that excited in the future."

Ash wasn't entirely sure what Serena meant, but the subject had been broached, and they could talk about it more while they were eating. "Well….. I'm glad you said that Serena," Ash said with a smile.

Serena made a happy sound and smiled at Ash.

Serena soon had breakfast on the table and the two of them sat down and started to eat. They talked about some of the projects they had to do, and Serena mentioned some news from Kalos she'd read. As the meal drew to a close, Ash felt like he had to continue their conversation. There were some things Serena had said that he needed to address.

"Hey, Serena," Ash began. "I wanted to ask you about one of the things you said last night."

Serena had just taken a bite of food, and she looked embarrassed as she covered her mouth and tried to chew and swallow it quickly. "Uh, okay," she managed after a few seconds. "What did you want to ask?"

Ash blew out a nervous breath and braced himself. He was determined to not get rattled by the conversation this time; no matter how awkward it got.

"It's what you said about having kids last night," Ash said.

Serena snorted and tried to suppress a grin. "Back to this again," she said with a chuckle.

Ash hesitated and then spoke in a more determined voice. "Serena, I'm trying to take this seriously. This is a really important issue."

Some of the humor left Serena's face. "Yeah, I know," she replied; sounding a little humbled.

Ash sighed. "What I was wondering is, when you said that you thought we could have kids if we were committed to each other, was that what you really meant?"

Serena thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, Ash, that's what I believe."

Ash felt the weight, which had lifted off earlier, return; now twice as heavy. He sat with his mouth agape for several seconds before he put together a reply. "How can you believe that?" he said, clearly aghast.

Serena pursed her lips and formed a reply. "Well," she began diplomatically. "For me, the most important thing in a relationship is commitment. If you don't have that, nothing else matters." She stared at Ash for several seconds and then continued. "Marriage is just a formal agreement between two people. There's a lot of people who are married who have lots of problems because they aren't committed to each other. And there's some people who aren't married who have wonderful relationships because they are committed to each other." Serena gave an indifferent shrug and continued. "I know a lot of people are really focused on marriage, but I look at the commitment side of it. That's what's important to me."

Ash understood what Serena was saying, however, he just couldn't fathom why Serena would condone having children before they were married.

"I get that," Ash said, trying not to sound appalled. "But… kids… before you're married."

Serena sighed and smiled in an understanding manner. "Yes, Ash. If we, one day, decide that we are absolutely committed to each other, then I will very happily share a bed with you."

Ash felt like he was talking to a Wynaut. He could say everything and anything and he still got back the same answer. He looked down at the table, trying to put together the gentlest possible rebuke of Serena he could, when she suddenly held up a hand to stop him.

"But, I'm not saying we have to do these's things before we're married, Ash. We can wait, there's no rush."

Ash felt a little reassured that Serena was at least willing to wait before having children; however, he still didn't understand how she could rationalize children before marriage in the first place. How far did this caviler attitude about intimate relations extend? What was she thinking?

"Okay, but…." Ash began, struggling to find the correct words. "Last night you said you've spent time thinking about having kids with me."

Serena cringed as Ash spoke these words. "I really shouldn't have said that," she muttered under her breath in an embarrassed tone.

Ash hesitated a moment and then continued. "Uh, so I'm just wondering, what are you thinking, wanting to have kids before you're married? It seems really irresponsible. How do you justify that?"

Serena squirmed a little, uncomfortable at the line of questioning. "Well, I mean…" she gave a small laugh and tried to smile. "I….. love you….. and I think you're really handsome…. and…. I'm a girl, Ash, and… you're the man I'm interested in. And I really don't think it's irresponsible."

Serena's answer didn't make sense to Ash. "That's all… You like how I look…. and you start thinking about kids? How it that not irresponsible?!"

Serena folded her hands and rested her elbows on the table. She propped her nose up on top of her interlaced fingers, so when she spoke her voice was slightly muffled by her hands. "Well….. there's a little more to it than just that but-"

Ash sighed in frustration, cutting Serena off. This was too important for them to keep dancing around the issue. "Serena," He began, his voice carrying a bit of an edge. "This is something that's really important; why aren't you taking this seriously?!"

Serena felt a little hurt by Ash's tone. "I am taking this seriously, Ash," she said, putting emphasis into her words. "I would never… go to bed with someone unless I was absolutely sure that I was going to spend the rest of my life with them. Maybe I'm not as focused on marriage as you are, but that doesn't make me irresponsible!"

Ash really didn't like the tone both of them were taking, but he couldn't back down. "Last night you were saying that we might get started on kids right then. Is that being responsible?"

Serena felt doubly stung. Ash's words by themselves hurt, but her actions from the previous night caused her to feel a fair bit of embarrassment as well. She held up her hands, indicating that she was trying to explain things. "I didn't really mean that last night Ash. I was really excited; I shouldn't have said that; and I did say that I needed to get out of there."

Ash was quiet for a moment as he thought. Serena took the opportunity to continue.

"Ash, I'm sure at some point you've felt like that too," she said, sounding as sympathetic as possible. "I love you Ash, and a part of me really wants to….." Serena hesitated, then sighed and hung her head in embarrassment. "to be really close to you."

Ash didn't reply and Serena raised her head to look at him. She'd clenched her hands into fists and she absently tapped them against table. "I try not to let that part of me get out of control, but sometimes I…" She gave a tense laugh and then continued. "As you say… sometimes I really want to have kids with you."

Upon hearing this, Ash looked at Serena with a wary expression. "So…. you're saying that you're not always in contro-

At that moment, a beeping sound filled the room, emanating from the Pokémon transport system.

Serena looked up in surprise. "What's that?" she asked.

Ash turned toward the Pokémon transporter, which he'd reconnected earlier in the year. "That the transport telephone. Someone's calling us."

Ash stood up from the table and walked over to the communication screen. He pressed a button to accept the call and the face of a middle-aged man in a lab coat appeared on the screen. Ash didn't recognize him, but judging by his clothing and the room he was in; Ash guessed he was a Pokémon researcher.

"Oh! Uh, hello," the man began. "Are you Mr. Ash Ketchum of the Pallet Town Pokémon Reserve?"

Ash wasn't used to being address so formally. "Yeah, I guess that's me," he replied with an embarrassed smile.

"Oh, thank goodness," the man said, sounding relieved. "We're all in a real pinch here."

"What's going on?" Ash asked.

The man nodded and continued. "I work here at the Eterna City Pokémon Research Lab. Recently we revived several fossil Pokémon as part of a new project. Most of them are performing great, however there's a troublesome Cranidos that's refusing to fit in. It won't listen to anyone, and it keeps behaving aggressively."

"I see," Ash responded.

The man continued. "You see, we're not a very big operation here. We don't have the resources to deal with an uncooperative Pokémon. Some of the people at the lab knew about your reputation as the world's greatest Pokémon trainer, and we were hoping that maybe you could take this Cranidos off our hands and give it a good home."

Ash was intrigued. He was always willing to help out a Pokémon, especially one that seemed to be having a hard time. He glanced over at Serena, but saw that she was staring down at the table. She looked downcast and sad.

Ash turned back toward the screen. "Yeah, sure. We can take the Cranidos. It'll be more than welcome here!"

The man looked happy. "Oh, that's such good news. We'll transport it right away." The man started to make a move and then stopped. "Uh, I would make a suggestion though," he spoke again; his voice a little wary. "Don't let it loose inside!"

A few moments later the screen went black. Ash took a few steps over to where the transportation chamber was located. Serena rose from her chair and moved to join him. She looked fragile and was hugging herself as she approached.

"What's going on?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Ash glanced over at her. "There's a research lab in Eterna City that's going to send us a Cranidos. They said the Pokémon is a bit of a problem and needs a good home."

"Hmmm," Serena replied. She was silent for a moment and then started to speak again. As she did, her voice cracked with emotion. "Ash, I really don't like us being at odds with each other."

Ash didn't like being at odds with Serena either. It made him feel terrible. Nonetheless, she was talking very irresponsibly, and didn't seem to care about it. "Serena," he began gently but firmly. "This is a really big deal. It's not something we can take lightly."

Serena looked hurt and opened her mouth to speak. "I'm not taking it lightly, Ash! We're essentially saying the same thing, I just don't understand-"

"We're not saying the same thing Serena!" Ash said with a bit more force than he'd intended. "You don't see any problem with us having kids before we're married!"

For a moment, Ash thought Serena was about to get angry, then her shoulders slumped and her voice became very quiet. "I just don't see what the big deal is, Ash."

At that moment, the Pokémon transport system revved to life and began to warp in the new Pokéball. As the chamber began to glow, Serena leaned close to Ash, and gently took hold of his right arm.

"I am taking all of this very seriously Ash," she whispered. "I'm thinking about all of it. The house; our future; our children; everything you and I could want or wish for."

The chamber flashed brightly and the new Pokéball materialized.

Serena tugged on Ash's arm so he looked over at her. "I love you Ash," she said sincerely. "And I will do whatever it takes to make all of this work."

The transportation chamber powered down and Ash sent Serena a subtle smile. He believed they could work this out. Serena just had to have a change of attitude.

Ash reached into the chamber and retrieved the Pokéball. He was a little surprised by its appearance. The Pokéball itself was a standard red/white ball. However, there was a small copper-colored metal strap which wrapped around the device, starting at the top, stretching over the recall button, around the bottom of the ball and locking back into the top of the strap. Ash had never seen anything like this before.

"What is that?" Serena asked, intrigued as well.

"It looks like it's some kind of lock to keep the Pokéball closed," Ash replied.

She and Ash exchanged glances and he went to unfasten the strap. As he prepared to press the latch on the top of the strap, the words of the researcher rang in the back of his mind. Ash pulled back from unfastening the strap and stared at the ball for a moment.

Serena spoke up. "Maybe we should open it outside," she said cautiously. She'd heard the researcher's warning as well, and was a little concerned.

"Yeah," Ash said slowly. A moment later he brightened. "I know, let's get a bunch of the rock Pokémon together and give Cranidos a big welcome!"

Serena smiled and happily agreed. She was glad to see Ash's dower mood dissipate. She could always rely on Pokémon to make Ash feel better.

Serena and Ash headed out to where the rock Pokémon lived. Along the way, they picked up Bulbasaur, figuring the official diplomat of the reserve would be a perfect addition to the welcoming committee.

Ash waited until a fair number of the rock Pokémon had gathered around. There were several Geodude, a Graveler, a Larvitar, a pair of Rhyhorn and several Aron. Seeing all the Pokémon excited to meet a new addition to the reserve made Ash happy.

"Okay everyone," Ash said in an upbeat tone. "Let's all give Cranidos a warm welcome."

The Pokémon all cried out a preemptive greeting. Ash grinned and unfastened the metal strap from around the Pokéball. The strap popped free of the device, and before the copper-colored band had even hit the ground, the Pokéball violently snapped open and a flash of white light escaped out onto the ground.

The light resolved into an ordinary looking Cranidos. The rock type shook its head, and snorted, getting its bearings.

Ash smiled and glanced at Serena, she looked happy as well. "Hey Cranidos," Ash began. "My name is Ash and all of us here want to be your friends! We'd lov-"

The Cranidos suddenly snorted loudly, put its head down and charged straight at a Geodude. Several of the Pokémon gasped in surprise and the Geodude barely managed to vault out of the way of the oncoming head butt.

The Cranidos kept going, straight ahead, and plowed into a large boulder. There was a loud crunch sound and several pieces of the rock broke off and went flying. The Cranidos bounced backward from boulder, righted itself, then let out a nasally cry and wheeled around toward a Rhyhorn.

Ash was dismayed. "Hey, Cranidos, stop! We all want to be your friends!" he called out.

The Cranidos paid Ash no heed and charged toward the Rhyhorn. Bulbasaur acted quickly and reached out with Vine Whip; wrapping its vines around the charging rock type in an effort to slow it down.

Cranidos barely missed a step, and started dragging Bulbasaur along the ground. The endangered Rhyhorn cried out and tried to dash away. Fortunately for it, the other Rhyhorn lowered its head and met the Cranidos head-on, wishing to protect its friend.

There was a splitting crack as the two rock types collided and both Pokémon were thrown backwards. The Rhyhorn was staggered, but the Cranidos seemed unfazed. It shook its head and turned its attention to the grass type that was trying to enwrap it.

"Hey! That's enough!" Ash shouted. He charged toward the out-of-control Pokémon.

Bulbasaur tried its best to wrap its vines around Cranidos' legs, but the rock type was too determined. The Cranidos started to spin in place. It pulled the vines tight; yanking Bulbasaur off the ground, and suddenly Ash's Pokémon was flying around and around the rock type, like a ball attached to a tether.

Ash cried out in dismay and had to dive sideways to avoid Bulbasaur, as the Pokémon was hurled through the air. The grass type bounced along the ground a couple of times and came to a rest with a groan.

Serena saw all of this happening and suddenly felt a large amount of empathy for the Cranidos. 'You're just scared and don't trust anyone,' she thought. She quickly dashed toward the Cranidos, while Ash and Bulbasaur were collecting themselves.

Ash saw her move and called out. "Serena, be careful!"

The Cranidos appeared somewhat dizzy after spinning so quickly. It teetered and shook its head; its breathing was fast and loud.

Serena approached to within a few strides of the rock type and stopped. She took a breath to gather her courage and reached out her right hand, palm-up, in a welcoming gesture.

"Cranidos," she said sweetly; putting on her most welcoming smile. "You don't need to be afraid. All of us want to help you."

The Cranidos turned to face her; however its gaze was wandering all over. It was still disoriented.

Serena slowly and carefully took a step toward the rock type. "There are so many wonderful Pokémon here on the reserve," she continued in a happy voice. "You could make so many friends."

The Cranidos slowly regained its bearings and half-focused on Serena. Its nose crinkled and wiggled as it breathed. The Pokémon kept shifting on its legs, clearly agitated.

Serena carefully took another step forward. Just three more and she could touch the Pokemon. "I have three great friends," she said delightfully. "Delphox, Pancham, and Sylveon. I know all of them would want to meet you!"

The Cranidos didn't change in its demeanor. It kept breathing rapidly and shifting on its feet.

Serena took another step. "I know we could be great friends one day. I could even fix you a tasty trea-

Abruptly, the Cranidos focused its red eyes on Serena, snorted sharply and lowered its head. It planted one of its legs, preparing to charge.

Serena felt a cold chill travel down her spine. She hadn't braced herself so she could dodge and there was no way she could avoid being slammed by the Pokémon's attack.

"LOOK OUT!" She heard Ash scream.

Several things happened at once. Serena was forcefully shoved sideways without warning. As that happened, the Cranidos surged forward aiming at where Serena had just been. Serena barely had time to get her hands up to catch herself before she slammed into the ground. As that happened she heard a loud thud as the Cranidos connected with something.

Serena instinctively knew what the Pokémon had hit. "ASH!" she screamed out, feeling as if someone had just stabbed her in the heart.

Serena managed to twist her head around so she could see behind her. She saw Ash being tossed to the side by the Cranidos' head butt. She heard him cry out from the attack's impact and then cry out again as he slammed down hard onto the ground. Ash rolled a couple of times and then didn't move.

The agony, fear, dismay and heartbreak Serena felt at seeing Ash hurt were all suddenly eclipsed by sheer rage at the Pokémon who had just attack the man she loved. She bounded to her feet and furiously turned on the fossil Pokémon.

"DOES HURTING OTHERS MAKE YOU HAPPY!" Serena screamed louder than she ever had.

The Cranidos turned to look at her.

"DO YOU THINK YOU'LL FIND A HOME IF YOU ATTACK EVERYONE WHO TRIES TO BE YOUR FRIEND!"

The Cranidos suddenly looked shaken and hesitated.

"NO! YOU'LL JUST END UP ALL ALONE, WITH NO FRIENDS AND NO ONE WHO CARES ABOUT YOU! YOU'LL DIE ALL ALONE AND MISERABLE! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT!"

The rock type suddenly sagged and looked sad. It let out a mournful hoot and stared at the ground.

Serena took several ragged breaths and wiped at her eyes. Her heart was pounding and she had tears of rage flowing down her face.

Bulbasaur slowly approached and made a quiet overture to the fossil Pokémon. The Cranidos hung its head and made a sad sounding cry. Bulbasaur then slowly reached out a vine and draped it over Cranidos' back in a show of sympathy. The two Pokémon then started walking away, each quietly talking to the other.

Serena stood still for a moment as the rage drained out of her body. She then felt a spike of fear and agony in her heart and whirled around toward Ash.

"Oh Ash!" she breathed as she flung herself down on her knees next to his unmoving form. Ash was lying on his right side. His face was twisted up in anguish.

She heard Ash moan and immediately felt some hope. "Good job getting Cranidos to stop," he said in a pain filled groan. "I guess you have to take a firmer hand with some Pokémon than others," he added in a somewhat ironic tone.

Serena would have laughed but she was too upset. "I was just really angry, that's all," she murmured as she looked Ash over.

She reached out her right hand and gently touched Ash. It was more of a reassuring gesture than anything. "Does it hurt Ash?" she asked. Serena cringed the moment the words left her mouth. "Stupid," she said harshly to herself. "Of course it hurts."

Serena took a breath to calm herself. She had to be here for Ash. She couldn't fall apart.

"Ash, is there any really sharp pain?" she asked next.

Because of the needs at the Pokémon reserve, Serena had started to learn a bit about medicine. She only had a very basic knowledge of treating injuries and administrating aid, but she hoped it would be enough.

Ash groaned and managed a reply. "No, it just all really hurts a lot."

Serena nodded and took a breath. "Okay, Ash, I'm going to roll you onto your back. Tell me if you feel any really sharp pain."

Serena did just that, and although Ash groaned and winced, he didn't experience any sharp pain. With that, Serena gratefully suspected that Ash didn't have any broken bones. Serena then pulled aside Ash's shirt and looked at his right side. It was already showing signs of bruising, but thankfully there were only some abrasions; no deeps cuts or other wounds. After her initial examination, Serena started to feel much better. It looked like Ash had been badly hurt, but not critically injured.

Some time passed and Serena helped Ash to a sitting position. It was hard for him to move, and Serena kept a hand on his shoulder to hold him steady. A few of the reserve's Pokémon came over to check on Ash and he reassured them that he'd be okay.

A few more minutes passed and Serena helped Ash to a standing position. He could still walk, but he was in a lot of pain and a little unsteady on his feet. Serena draped Ash's left arm over her shoulders and helped support him as they moved inside. Ash initially wanted to just sit down in a chair and rest for a little while; thinking that after a break, he could get back to work. Serena would have none of the idea and insisted that Ash head up to his room and lay down in bed to recuperate. After a short debate, Ash relented, and the two of them headed upstairs.

When they finally reached Ash's room, the young man's pain had increased quite a bit. The exertion of climbing the stairs hadn't done him any favors. After Serena helped him sit down on the side of the bed, he admitted that she'd made the correct call in him resting. Serena dismissed the compliment out-of-hand; she felt terrible over what had happened. After a quick discussion, they decided that Serena would have to perform the tasks on the reserve today.

Serena gave Ash's shoulder the gentlest of squeezes. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" she said softly.

Ash's face was tense with pain, but he nodded. "Yeah, I'll be okay," he said. He took a labored breath and continued. "I'm sorry I can't help you with all the work today," he said, his voice tinged with regret.

Serena shook her head. "No, it's nothing Ash. I'm more than happy to do everything," she said, her voice filled with emotion. Her eyes started to tear up a little. "I'm just so sorry you got hurt. That Cranidos should have hit me."

Ash partially shook his head, and then winced at the motion. "No way," he said with a groan. "I wasn't going to let you get hurt."

Serena's throat tightened up. It was times like this when she was reminded why she loved Ash so much. She let out an emotional sigh and gently leaned her forehead against Ash's chest. She remained there for a few heartbeats and then straightened up.

"I'll come back and check on you later today, okay?" she said.

Ash nodded in reply. "Sounds good," he answered.

Serena hesitated and gave Ash's shoulder one final squeeze. "I love you," she whispered.

Ash smiled and nodded.

Serena pulled back, then turned and headed out of the room.

Ash sat on the side of the bed for several minutes before he made the effort to move onto the center of the mattress and lay down. He let out a few groans and whines from pain, but he managed to shift over so he could properly lay down, with his head on a pillow. He was still in a fair amount of pain, but he tried to relax; hoping that he could fall asleep. At least then he wouldn't be hurting.

---

Serena worked with a level of energy she'd never possessed before. Seeing Ash hurt had steeled her resolve in a way that nothing else ever had. She attacked each of the tasks on the reserve with a passion and found herself completing them much faster than she usually did. When she took on the more labor intensive tasks, which Ash typically handled, she found that they weren't too much for her. Even when her muscles were burning from exertion, she found the strength to finish whatever she was doing.

As the morning transitioned into afternoon, Serena completed the last of the tasks which had to be done every day. She was breathing hard, hot, tired and sweaty, but she felt exhilarated. Ash had protected her earlier in the day, and now she had helped him out, by making sure all the Pokémon were cared for.

As the sun beat down on her, and sweat rolled down her neck and chest; soaking into her sports bra, she spent a moment in quiet reflection thinking about what had happened. She guessed this is what it was like to be married; to have a partner who would do anything for her, and that she would be willing to do anything for them. As she thought, she idly wondered if the events of the day had been arranged by some divine power to test her commitment to Ash; to see if she was willing to step up and work hard when things got difficult. If that was the case, she felt that she'd succeeded and passed the test. She'd told Ash that she was willing to do whatever it took to make things work and she'd meant that with all her heart.

Serena let out a contented sigh and started the trek back to the main building. It was time to check on Ash.

After a slow walk across the reserve, Serena entered the main building. She was grateful for the cool interior of the structure after a day in the scorching sun. She headed into the laundry room, grabbed a towel and dried herself of as much sweat as she could. She then walked into the kitchen, refilled her thermos and guzzled down the entire container; needing to rehydrate herself. She then leaned against the kitchen counter for a couple minutes; taking some time to rest, before she started up the stairs to check in on Ash.

When she reached the entrance to Ash's room, she saw that he was lying on the bed and appeared to be sleeping. She didn't want to disturb him, so she slipped off her shoes and quietly padded barefoot into the room.

She walked up to the edge of the bed and looked Ash over. He was lying on the bed with his arms at his sides. His head was resting on a pillow, his eyes were closed and he was breathing softly. As Serena watched, she could see him occasionally wince slightly. She guessed that even when asleep, he could still feel some measure of pain. Her heart ached at witnessing this, and she quietly circled to the other side of the bed, so she could look at Ash's injured right side.

She didn't want to disturb him by moving his shirt, so she could only see a tiny glimpse of the injured area. From what she could see, his entire side was turning black and blue in a nasty bruise.

Ash winced again and Serena felt her throat tighten up.

"It's okay Ash," she whispered. She reached out her right hand and gently brushed the tips of her fingers along Ash's right side. Her touch was lighter than a feather, and she hoped it wouldn't disturb him.

She repeated the gentle motion several times and she thought she saw Ash start to relax slightly. Serena smiled and felt tears welling up in her eyes. "That's right, I'm here," she said softly. "I'll make sure you're okay."

Serena lightly rested her right hand on Ash's side; willing him to feel better. Several minutes passed and Ash seemed to be sleeping more peacefully than before. Serena smiled and slowly shifted herself so she was sitting on the edge of the mattress. She spoke some more kind words to Ash and gradually adjusted her position so she was halfway lying on the mattress next to Ash. Serena was starting to feel quite tired herself; the exertion of the day was finally catching up with her.

Being careful to not disturb Ash, Serena lifted her legs up onto the mattress and lay down; using her left arm as a makeshift pillow for her head. She made sure to keep some separation between herself and Ash, but she did keep her right arm resting on his side.

"Just rest Ash," Serena said as she yawned. "Get better. I'll take care of you," she continued in a sleepy voice.

A few moments later, Serena drifted off to sleep.

---

A wonderful dream quickly faded from Ash's memory as he drifted back toward consciousness. As he felt himself become awake, the only thing he could recall of the sequence was a beautiful, female, angelic figure with golden hair, attending to his injuries. He'd felt immensely happy in the dream, and he wished it had continued for longer.

He was now fully awake but he kept his eyes closed and didn't move. At the moment, he didn't feel any pain, but he knew the instant he made any sort of motion, all the aches and discomfort would return. A short time passed and Ash hoped he might drift off to sleep again. He then heard the sound of someone drawing breath just a few inches from his ear, and he suddenly became aware of a presence right next to him on the bed.

Without moving his body, Ash opened his eyes and looked to his right. He immediately saw Serena just a few inches away from him. She was lying on her left side and seemed to be sound asleep. She had her left arm folded underneath her head and her right arm was draped across his chest.

Ash had no idea what Serena was doing there. Last he'd know, she was supposed to be taking care of the work on the reserve. Given all of the discussions they'd just had about marriage, children, and Serena admitting to not being in control of herself regarding intimate behavior, Ash felt very uncomfortable with the situation. However, after a few moments passed, he started to relax. Serena was unconscious and she looked so peaceful and so beautiful, that he didn't want to wake her. He knew he'd have to disturb her eventually, but that could wait for a few minutes.

Ash slightly turned his head toward Serena so he could have a better view of her. He watched her as she slowly breathed in and out. It was amazing to him how such a simple thing made him feel so content. He felt the fingers on her right hand twitch against his chest and the tiny motion brought a smile to his face. He slowly took in a breath; enjoying the moment.

As he breathed in, he noticed that he could detect a faint scent coming from Serena. Ash was a little surprised, as Serena typically had no detectible smell at all. She rarely wore any kind of perfume; reserving it for special occasions or when she got dressed up. She also always liked to keep herself clean and well-kept. She rarely went more than a day without bathing or washing in some manner. Usually, the only smell Ash could catch from her was a weak floral aroma from her shampoo. At this moment though, Ash could definitely pick up her natural scent. Ash couldn't quite describe what the scent was like, other than to say it smelled like Serena, and that he really enjoyed it.

Ash was starting to really enjoy Serena being so close to him. He spent a few long moments looking at her beautiful skin and he felt a little guilty as his eyes lingered on her sports bra. Ash started to feel his deep-seated desire for Serena surface inside him, and he realized that he needed to wake her up. If this kept up, he might do something rash or inappropriate.

Ash quietly cleared his throat and then softly called out, "hey, Serena."

Serena didn't react.

Ash waited a handful of seconds and then called out a little louder, "Serena, wake up."

This time, Serena stirred slightly. Her right hand moved a little, and she ever-so-slightly turned her head.

Ash thought her small movements were cute. He reached across himself with his left hand and lightly ran his index finger along the back of her right hand; trying to wake her as gently as possible.

"Serena," Ash called again.

This time Serena breathed in a bit more deeply. She made a sleepy moaning sound and abruptly scooted herself toward Ash.

Ash took a sharp breath as Serena unconsciously moved her entire upper-half so it was leaning against him. He and Serena had shared several hugs over the years so her being close to him didn't bother him; however, as a result of Serena's shift in position, he was distinctly aware that her bust was now pressed up against his right shoulder.

A lot of thoughts went through Ash's mind and he wasn't sure what to do. He felt extremely uncomfortable, but at the same time, if yesterday Serena leaning her shoulder against him had felt like pure happiness; this was the same sensation but multiplied a dozen times over. The feelings were intense and sensual. Ash felt his desire for Serena become much stronger and begin to inexorably draw him toward her; like she was a magnet and he was caught in its pull.

"Serena, wake up!" Ash said sharply.

At this, Serena made a soft sound and breathed in sharply. She stirred and then her eyes cracked open briefly. Serena took another breath and her eyes finally fluttered open. She looked at Ash and a small smile spread on her face.

"Ash…. Hi," She said sleepily.

"Hey," Ash replied simply. He didn't know what to do.

Serena started to push herself to a sitting position, and let out a soft groan. She had a kink in her back from sleeping on her side and her left arm was asleep from being used as a pillow. Serena grimaced slightly as she straightened up. She flexed her left arm and moved all the digits on her hand, working out the pins and needles she felt. She then looked down at Ash and took a deep breath; trying to come fully awake.

"How are you feeling?" she asked without pretext.

Ash was a bit surprised by Serena's casual behavior. Did she not realize what had just happened? Did she not realize what part of her body had been in contact with him?!

"Uh, I'm okay," Ash replied.

"Mmmmm," Serena replied while nodding. "That's great Ash," she said, the last word in her sentence getting lost as she began to yawn.

Serena rubbed at her eyes and looked at the clock. "Oh, it's dinner time," she breathed, sounding a little surprised. "I must have fallen asleep." She raised her arms over her head and stretched her back, letting out a faint groan as she did so.

Ash found that he couldn't look away from Serena. Every movement she made was captivating. All the sensations he'd experienced in the last few minutes were rattling around inside his head; the look of her skin; the smell of her scent; the sound of her breathing; the feel of her body. Ash knew it was inappropriate, but he found himself reaching out so he could touch Serena's beautiful and alluring stomach. He knew she wouldn't mind…

Ash grunted and suppressed a cry of pain as agony shot through his right side. He'd forgotten just how injured he was and his attempted movement had woken up all the pain.

"Are you okay?" Serena asked upon seeing his discomfort; her voice was tinged with concern.

"Yeah," Ash groaned. "It just hurts." He was partially grateful for the pain which was lancing through him. It had instantly sobered him up, and he realized how he'd nearly done something inappropriate with Serena.

Serena held her gaze on him for a long moment and made a concerned face. "Well," she began. "What would you like for dinner?"

Ash didn't really hear the question. Between the pain, and his jumbled thoughts about Serena, he simply answered, "no thanks, I'm fine."

Serena gave an amused smile and suppressed a laugh. "You're not hungry? Ash, that's got to be a first."

Ash suddenly realized what Serena had asked him and he felt embarrassed. "Oh, uh, I don't know."

Serena continued to smile and slid off the mattress so she could stand up. "Okay, I'll surprise you then," she said.

With that, Serena walked out of the room and headed downstairs.

Now that Ash was alone, he spent a few moments thinking about how close he'd come to letting his desire for Serena get the better of him. He remembered what Serena had said about her feelings and how she had trouble controlling them. He didn't like to think that he could fall prey to the same issue. Nonetheless, he knew that if his pain hadn't stopped him, he likely would have acted inappropriately.

This lack of control concerned him. What made him even more wary was that he knew all Serena had to do was flaunt her physical beauty at him and he'd essentially be at her mercy. He doubted he could resist her if she made a deliberate overture.

Ash really hoped Serena could keep herself reigned in. Otherwise, things might get dicey.

---

It didn't take long for Serena to cook up a delicious meal. Once the food was ready, Serena returned to Ash's room to announce it was dinner time; figuring that they would eat there in the room. Internally, Ash didn't like the idea of staying in the bedroom with Serena. She was still wearing the sports bra and he found it hard to keep his eyes off her. He wanted to travel downstairs and eat at the kitchen table, however Serena was opposed to this idea.

After a debate, Ash tried to get out of bed and nearly passed out from pain. Although his injuries hadn't worsened, all his muscles had tightened up, and his entire right side was extremely tender. As a result of this, Ash could barely move without suffering considerable pain.

Serena, still feeling terrible over Ash's condition, gently helped him get back to a resting position. She then brought up the meals, and the two of them enjoyed something of a breakfast in bed; except it was dinner, and Ash sat in the bed while Serena sat in a chair.

After they finished eating, Serena carried away the dishes and then returned to stay a while with Ash. She sat cross-legged on the end of the mattress, facing toward Ash. They started discussing what Serena had accomplished during the day. Ash was genuinely impressed that she had managed to complete all the tasks.

"So you were able to fill up the food hoppers in the tunnels," Ash said, still not quite believing that Serena had managed that task.

Serena grinned, proud of what she'd done and that it had impressed Ash. "Yeah, they were really heavy, but I was able to take care of them." She paused a moment and then continued. "Why are those hoppers built like that anyway? It looks like they're indestructible."

The hoppers Serena was referring to were large metal constructs, which held food for the Pokémon who lived underground. In order to fill the devices, one had to lift up a large heavy metal lid and pour the food inside. It took a fair amount of strength to complete the task.

Ash gave a small chuckle. "I think Professor Oak built them that way so an Onix or Aggron couldn't accidently destroy them. They're pretty heavy."

"Definitely," Serena replied, chuckling as well. She remembered how much effort she'd had to expend to get the lids open.

The two of them spent a moment musing over some of Professor Oak's eccentric constructions and then Serena spoke again.

"Well, you don't need to worry about tomorrow," she said in a reassuring manner. "I'll take care of everything, and you can get better."

Ash frowned slightly. "I think I'll be feeling better by tomorrow Serena," he replied.

Serena sent Ash a loving but pragmatic smile. "Ash, you can barely walk. I don't think you'll be up to working by tomorrow."

Ash appeared a little doubtful, but when he spoke, he sounded confident. "We'll find out tomorrow. But I'll bet I'm back to normal."

Serena just watched Ash with a sympathetic expression. She finally sighed and replied. "Ash I don't want you hurting yourself, trying to do too much."

"You're starting to sound like my mom," Ash said humorously, with a wry smile.

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you think you're okay?" she asked rhetorically.

"I'm definitely getting better," Ash replied.

Serena nodded slowly. "Okay, how high can you raise your arm above your head?"

Ash made something of an annoyed face, but then raised his left arm high above his head. He grimaced slightly, but smiled in triumph at Serena.

Serena folded her arms and looked serious. "How about your right arm," she said critically.

Ash lowered his left arm and looked a little nervous. He started to raise his right arm and immediately had to grit his teeth against the pain. Ash made a valiant effort, but he couldn't get his hand to go higher than his shoulder. With his face bunched up in extreme discomfort and his body trembling in exertion, Ash let his arm fall back to his side.

Ash took a few gasping breaths as he recovered. "Fine… are you happy," he said at Serena in an irritated tone.

Serena looked somber. "No Ash, I hate seeing you hurting like this."

Ash's attitude immediately disappeared and he looked regretful. "Sorry," he said sincerely.

Serena shook her head and waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "It's nothing," she said quietly. "I wish you were well enough to raise your arm."

Both of them were quiet for a moment. It was Serena who finally broke the silence.

"Do you think you'll be okay, here on your own, tonight?" she asked.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Serena nodded in response, but she was clearly still thinking. "Ash, would it be okay if I slept here tonight?" she said abruptly.

Upon hearing the words, Ash felt like he'd been punched by a Machamp. His mind filled with images of Serena from earlier in the evening when she'd been lying next to him. His imagination started to expand upon the memories by adding what else could have happened between the two of them. Ash really didn't like this at all.

"SERENA!" Ash said sharply, more to quiet the thoughts in his mind than anything else. "How… why…. why would you want to…. want US to… to…. SLEEP together!"

Serena's eyes widened in surprise and she looked embarrassed and frantic. "What! No, Ash…." she said desperately, waving her hands in a defensive manner. "I wasn't meaning me sleep here with you here!" she said, gesturing to Ash's bed. "I meant, me sleep downstairs, on the couch!" she finished, gesturing emphatically toward the open door.

Ash felt the some of the panic and awkwardness begin to dissipate from inside him. However, he still didn't like the idea of Serena spending the night on the reserve.

"Why would you want to stay here tonight?" Ash said warily.

Serena sighed and looked awkward. "I'm just worried about you," she said softly. "I mean, what if you fall down, or get hurt?!"

Ash slowly shook his head, trying to dispel the idea. "I don't know, Serena," he said cautiously.

"I promise I'd stay downstairs," Serena said in a pleading fashion. "You'd never even know I was here."

Ash almost laughed at this. After everything that had happened the last two days. He knew both of them would be VERY aware of the other's presence, no matter what they did.

"Serena, I really don't think-" Ash tried to say.

"Please, Ash," Serena continued. "If something happens to you, I want to be here-"

As Serena tried to justify her idea, Ash felt all the stress and tension of the day building up inside of him and it suddenly burst out of him.

"SERENA! I really don't want us sleeping under the same roof!"

Serena flinched slightly at Ash's outburst. Silence hung in the air and Ash worried that his unfiltered words might have offended her.

Serena abruptly nodded. "Okay," she said in agreement.

Ash was a little surprised that Serena had just changed her mind that quickly. "You don't mind?" he probed.

Now it was Serena's turn to look a little surprised. "Well, yeah. I mean, if that's what you want Ash, then of course I'm okay with it."

Ash felt relieved. "Okay, great!"

Serena nodded. "Yeah, better safe than sorry, right?"

Ash thought he detected a little insincerity in Serena's statement, but he was glad that she was agreeing with him.

Ash nodded as well. "Yeah, definitely," he said, letting out a tense laugh.

Serena gave a tense laugh as well, and the two of them shared an awkward, silent stare.

Serena finally opened her mouth to speak. "I guess I should go," she said plainly.

"Yeah," Ash replied.

Serena shifted off of the bed and stood up. "If you need anything, just give me a call," she said.

"I will."

Serena took a few steps over to the doorway and turned back to face Ash. "You're sure you'll be okay?" she reiterated.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Serena looked down at the floor and pursed her lips. She finally looked back up at Ash. "I love you," she said sincerely.

Ash smiled and chuckled slightly. "Good night Serena," he said.

Serena idly tapped her right hand against her thigh a few times, then turned and walked down the stairs.

Ash sat for a few minutes reflecting on the state of his and Serena's relationship. He couldn't help but feel like things were spiraling out of control. One moment, Serena said that she could wait on intimate relations, and the next moment, Ash was waking up with her literally sleeping next to him.

His emotions were being pulled in several different directions. He didn't want to hurt Serena's feelings, but he was starting to feel that she wasn't being disciplined enough. Was she purposefully being reckless or was she just out of control, like she'd said? He didn't know, but he suspected that they'd have to talk about this subject again. He wasn't looking forward to that conversation. The previous ones hadn't gone so well; why should this one be any better? He hoped that Serena would be more responsible and they could continue forward without issue. The track record on her behavior didn't look good though.

With that, Ash struggled to adjust himself in bed so he could lie down. It caused him quite a bit of pain, but he was able to move so his head was again on a pillow and he could finally relax. As he began to fall asleep, Ash remembered how it had felt when Serena had leaned against his shoulder. The sensation of her soft and squishy flesh pressing against him was indelibly seared into his brain. Ash felt a little guilty dwelling on the memory, but he couldn't help it. Serena's body was just so beautiful and amazing that he couldn't keep it out of his mind. It was a good thing he'd insisted that Serena not spend the night at the reserve.

---

Pikachu arose roughly thirty minutes before sunrise. The small Pokémon spent a few moments stretching before he hopped out of bed and moved to check on Ash. His big buddy was sleeping soundly and didn't appear to be hurting anymore. Pikachu smiled at seeing the improvement in his trainer and then quietly padded out of the room and headed downstairs. With Ash unable to do his usual morning routine, Pikachu had taken it upon himself to make sure things got done. He set out into the reserve and made tracks for the forested area.

His first stop was a collection of burrows where a couple families of Minccino and Cinccino lived. After a brief argument, Pikachu convinced the overly tidy Pokémon to perform the tasks of cleaning and tidying parts of the reserve.

Pikachu then headed to the lake area, where the water Pokémon were still sleeping soundly. After some convincing, and a small shock to a particularly uncooperative Lombre, the water-types fanned out into the reserve to deliver water where it was needed.

So it went for the next half-hour. Pikachu crisscrossed the reserve, convincing and cajoling the residents to help Ash out. As the sun began to rise above the horizon, Pikachu returned to the main building, just in time to see his trainer's future mate crest the top of the stairs leading up from the road below. Pikachu didn't understand why humans always made relationships so complicated. Love was a simple and beautiful thing; why couldn't they see that?

The electric mouse waited by the front door as Serena approached.

"Hey Pikachu," Serena said with a smile. "You're up early."

Pikachu gave a happy reply and dashed inside once Serena had opened the door. She set her handbag on the table, slipped off her shoes and quietly walked upstairs. Serena moved to the entrance of Ash's room and silently looked in on him. He was still asleep, so Serena smiled and returned downstairs.

"Have you had breakfast yet Pikachu?" Serena said once they reached the kitchen.

Pikachu shook his head and gave a negative reply.

Serena smiled and reached into her handbag. She produced a Poké puff and handed it to Ash's Pokémon.

"Enjoy," Serena said sweetly.

Pikachu did just that and happily bit into the tasty treat.

While Pikachu consumed the Poké puff, Serena moved to the stove and began preparations for cooking breakfast. She hummed softly as she worked with a couple of pans and started spicing the food as it began to sizzle. After twenty minutes the meal was finished. Serena put together two plates and headed upstairs to Ash's room.

---

Ash was sitting on the side of his mattress when he heard Serena ascending the stairs. He'd woken up a few minutes earlier and was still wearing his pajamas. He'd tried using his right side and found that while there wasn't as much pain as yesterday, all his muscles were extremely tight and very tender. Serena had been correct; there was no chance he could work today.

Serena entered the room and smiled happily upon seeing Ash. She was wearing her usual blue shorts and red sports bra. Her hair was loose and messily hung down to her shoulders. Ash supposed she looked about as close to unkempt as she ever got. Despite the lack of styling, Ash thought Serena still looked beautiful. There was so much life and happiness inside her, it didn't matter what she wore; she always looked amazing.

As she sat down next to him on the bed, Ash felt a warm feeling of joy and delight spread throughout him. It made him remember some of Serena's words from yesterday; how she'd described several of her feelings and urges. He could feel deep inside himself that he wanted to be close to Serena; emotionally and physically; just like she had described wanting to be close to him. Did he like Serena because of how she looked, or was it because of who she was? Was this because of what had happened yesterday? He didn't know. He'd never felt this way before. It was all very confusing.

"I hope you like it," Serena said, handing Ash a plate.

"It looks great," Ash replied, smiling.

Serena smiled back and both of them started eating. It was a little awkward for them to consume a meal while they were perched on the side of the mattress, but they didn't mind. They enjoyed each other's company and that more than made up for any difficulties.

They talked about a few random topics as they ate. Serena was glad to hear Ash was feeling a little better. Ash listened intently as Serena described a new performance routine she was working on. It was all very pleasant, and both of them enjoyed a brief return to normalcy for their interactions. Neither of them had liked the tension which had permeated more and more of their discussions the last two days. In fact, they both felt a little sad when they finished eating and their conversation came to an end.

Serena stacked the two plates and the silverware and then prepared to go. "Well, I guess I'll get started on today's work," she said, a little disappointment evident in her voice.

"Yeah," Ash replied in a distracted tone. He was still thinking about how he felt toward Serena.

Serena stood up, looked straight at Ash, gave him a warm smile and turned toward the door.

Ash felt a little sad at Serena leaving. The confusion over his feelings was maddening for him. Was he attracted to Serena because of how she looked or who she was? Should he embrace these feelings or try to fight against them?

"Hey Serena," Ash called out as she took a step toward the door.

Serena immediately turned around. "Yes, Ash," she replied.

Ash took a breath. "Can I ask you a question?"

Serena gave a small nod. "Of course, anything," she said sincerely. She remained standing a stride away from Ash; still holding the plates.

Ash pursed his lips and then spoke again. "It's a big question," he said; patting the mattress next to him; indicating that Serena would want to sit down.

"Oh," Serena remarked. She moved and sat down next to Ash; setting the plates aside as she did so. She looked intently at Ash, waiting for whatever his question was.

Ash sighed and prepared himself. He really didn't know what he needed to say; he just wanted to figure out what was going on with his feelings.

"Serena," Ash began. "For a little while, you've been saying that you love me."

Serena gave a confident nod. "Mmmm-Hmmmm," she hummed an answer.

Ash paused a moment and then continued. "And you also said that you have really strong feelings and you sometimes want to be really close to me."

Serena nodded again. "Yes, that's right."

"I was wondering then," Ash said slowly. "How do you tell the difference between the two?"

Serena took a breath and slowly blew it out through her mouth. "Honestly, Ash, they're kind of related," she replied, choosing her words carefully. "I trust you and I admire you. I enjoy working with you. You make me smile and laugh. That's part of the reason why I love you."

Serena laughed briefly and then continued. "Because of all that, I want to be close to you Ash. I want to hold on to you and be held by you." Serena started to blush. "Umm, does that answer your question?"

Ash felt similar feelings to what Serena had just described, but it didn't answer his question. He needed to know if the feelings were good or needed to be suppressed.

"Not really," Ash said regretfully. "I guess, what I'm really asking is….. what would you say love is, Serena?"

Serena looked thoughtful for a long moment. "I would say love is wanting the best for someone, even when it's hard." She took a couple breaths and continued. "It's like when I messed up that contest a year ago. I told you I wanted you to always be honest with me even if what you said was critical of what I was doing. Love isn't always about being nice and kind to someone; sometimes you have to be tough and even contradict them." Serena smiled and looked down at her legs. "I think that's what real love is."

Ash nodded. Serena's words made sense. "So love is different from wanting to be close to someone?"

Serena sighed and looked undecided. "I'm not an expert Ash," she said with a chuckle. "But, I think love opens the door for desire. And I think that, as long as you don't let desire get the better of you, it's a wonderful thing, just like love is."

Ash was quiet as he processed Serena's words.

Serena turned to look at Ash and watched him for several moments. "Why are you asking all this?" she finally said in a soft voice.

Ash looked up at Serena and hesitated. He wasn't sure if he wanted to share what he was thinking. However, Ash knew a relationship was built on trust. If he didn't trust Serena with feelings and thoughts, they could never grow closer.

"Um," Ash began. "I'm trying to figure out my feelings for you."

Serena immediately felt her heart flutter and she made an effort to remain calm. "Oh!" she said sharply.

Ash nodded. "Yeah," he said.

Serena nodded as well. She pressed her lips tightly together and then spoke. "So, what are you thinking?"

Ash's expression became tense. "Well," he began, sounding a little embarrassed. "I know that I feel… what did you say?" he hesitated a moment. "….feel desire for you."

Serena smiled ebulliently as she felt a spike of warm energy shoot through her heart. "Okay," she said, keeping her voice calm.

Ash opened his mouth to continue, but struggled to find any words.

Silence hung in the air as Serena watched. "Describe how you feel, Ash?" she asked after several seconds passed. "You can tell me."

Ash briefly glanced up at Serena and then looked down at the floor. "When I look at you, Serena, that's when I feel the… desire." He sounded guilty and regretful as he spoke.

Serena felt the warm feeling become stronger inside her and her heartbeat quicken. She'd known Ash had felt this way about her, but hearing him say it was special and meaningful.

Ash looked up into Serena's eyes and continued. "When I look at your face; your eyes; uh…" Ash's gaze briefly dipped to Serena's chest and then rebounded up to her eyes. As this happened, his voice trailed off, he looked very embarrassed and began to blush.

Serena laughed internally, feeling very flattered. She didn't mind Ash's gaze at all; she'd been inviting it for a while. Inside her mouth, she chewed on her tongue, debating on how far she should push this conversation. A moment later she opened her mouth to speak. She'd wanted to hear words like this from Ash for a long time. There was no way she was going to let the opportunity pass by.

"They're called breasts, Ash," Serena said with a grin.

Ash nodded, blushed even more and looked away. "Sorry," he said bashfully.

Serena sighed and scooted so she was closer to Ash. She reached over and took hold of his left hand with both of her hands. When she spoke, her words were caring and gentle. "Ash, you don't have to apologize. It's perfectly normal for you to like looking at me."

Ash shrugged and still looked really embarrassed. He wouldn't meet Serena's gaze.

Serena squeezed Ash's hand and continued. "I actually like it when you look at me," she said softly.

At this, Ash turned his head and met Serena's gaze. They stared at each other for a moment and then Ash spoke quietly. "Really," he said, sounding a little surprised.

Serena nodded. "That's why I changed some of my outfits," she said with a somewhat guilty smile. "I saw that you were interested in me."

Ash gave an amused smile and chuckled.

Serena took a breath and then spoke; her voice slightly anxious. "Ash, you said you were trying to figure out your feelings for me."

Ash nodded. "Yeah," he said slowly. "I know I have really strong feelings for you. I just don't know if they're for the right reason."

Serena was a little puzzled by Ash's words. She'd possessed strong feelings for Ash all the time they'd been together. She'd never doubted her feelings or why she felt them. "What do you mean by 'right reason?'" Serena asked.

Ash let out an uncertain groan and paused a long moment before he spoke again. "The reason I started wondering about all this is because….. something happened yesterday."

Serena held Ash's gaze and waited intently.

"Um, so Serena you know when you came in to my room while I was sleeping?"

Serena nodded and smiled slightly.

"Well, when I tried to wake you up, you…... umm…."

Ash paused and Serena looked on. "Yes," she finally said, hoping to nudge Ash forward.

Ash looked very bashful and he leaned toward Serena, cupping a hand around her ear so he could whisper the event to her. As he described the incident, Serena first looked a little perplexed, but then her expression shifted to one of surprise and embarrassment, with a small amount of delight mixing with her emotions.

Serena started to flush red and she raised a hand to her mouth. "Ohh, did I really do that?!" she said in a low voice. Her tone was split between shame and enjoyment.

Ash's face was very red now and he coughed once; trying to regain his voice. "Yeah…" he said, his throat tight with embarrassment. "I thought you should know."

Serena pictured the scene in her mind and started to giggle. "So, what does this have to do with your feelings?" she asked, thoroughly amused by the situation.

Ash made a pained expression and then continued. "When all that happened, I felt really really attracted to you, and I almost did something inappropriate."

Serena felt a small shiver go up her spine at the thought of Ash doing something inappropriate to her. She actually liked the idea. She knew 'inappropriate' for Ash probably meant something innocent like touching her leg or leaning his head against her side. She was glad to hear Ash was finally starting to embrace his new emotions.

Ash hesitated and then continued. "I just want to know if what I'm feeling is good or not." He looked straight into Serena's eyes. "I want to like you for who you are, Serena, not just because you're really beautiful."

The 'beautiful' comment made Serena's heart beat faster. She also felt a huge surge of sweet affection for Ash. He always wanted to do the right thing and this was apparently extending into his romantic impulses.

"So, you want to know if what you're feeling is love and not lust, right?" Serena said softly.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, basically."

Serena grinned sheepishly and absently ran the fingers of her right hand over the top of her right ear to brush her hair out of her face. "Uhh, well…." she began, sounding a little self-conscious as her face continued to flush red. "I actually do have some experience in this matter."

Ash watched Serena intently as she briefly giggled and then continued.

"I love you Ash. I have for a very long time. And I'm also really really attracted to you." As she spoke, Serena was very deliberate and sincere. "But just because I have these strong feelings and urges; just because I'm physically attracted to you, that doesn't mean my feelings are bad or impure. I think my desire for you is so strong, because I love you so much."

Ash thought for a moment. "So, you think that I feel this way because I love you?"

Serena's heart skipped a beat, but she kept herself calm. "I'm not you Ash," she said, her throat tight with emotion. "Only you can say what you're feeling."

Ash looked conflicted as an internal debate raged inside him. A part of him wanted to tell Serena he loved her. He could envision her joyous reaction and see the two of them happily embracing and then sharing a passionate kiss. He wanted their relationship to go in that direction, but a voice inside him warned him to be careful. Things between him and Serena were charged enough as it was. This was only sure to escalate things. Any move forward needed to be done prudently.

Ash took a deep breath and slowly spoke. "I guess….. I think…. I love you, Serena."

To Ash's surprise, Serena didn't erupt in jubilation. He saw a small tremor go through her body and her eyes started to rapidly tear up. Her lips began to tremble and slowly stretched into a huge smile. She blinked her eyes, causing tears to flow down her cheeks and she spoke in a soft emotional voice.

"Oh Ash!" she said, turning herself on the mattress so her body was partially facing him.

Serena's lungs spasmed as she tried to hold back sobs of joy. She placed her right hand on Ash's left thigh then reached up and gently slipped the fingers of her left hand behind his neck. She started leaning toward Ash as she pulled him closer to her. She began to close her eyes in anticipation of a kiss.

For a moment, Ash just let everything happen. He embraced his desires for Serena. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to hold her. Then, as Serena continued to pull him closer, his right side started to ache and then sharply hurt as his muscles were stretched. The pain woke Ash out of his dreamlike state, and he realized that he and Serena were about to go too far. The kiss itself wasn't too far, but he knew it wouldn't stop there.

"Uhhh, Serena!" Ash said uneasily as he vocalized his pain and discomfort with the situation.

Serena froze, then smiled and let her hand gently slip away from behind Ash's neck. She desperately wanted to kiss Ash, but she realized that he wasn't comfortable with it right now.

"Right," she said softly. She could wait for Ash to get comfortable with his feelings. She didn't have to force things right now. Even though she really wanted to dive headfirst into their physical relationship, she could take things slow. Nonetheless, she leaned closer to Ash, so their noses were only a few inches apart. She really wanted to be close to the man she loved.

Ash continued to look uncomfortable and glanced down at Serena's right hand.

Serena followed his gaze and saw that her hand had slid up Ash's thigh to a point where he was very anxious with its location. She chuckled and lifted her hand from his thigh, sending him a mischievous glance as she did so.

Serena felt a rush of hot emotions course through her and she realized that their discussion and Ash's declaration of love had fully awakened the intense yearning sensation that always lurked just below the surface of her passionate feelings. She needed to take her leave, but there was one last thing she couldn't resist. She knew she couldn't kiss Ash on the lips, but…..

Serena stood up from the mattress and moved so she was standing directly in front of Ash. She debated for a moment whether she should go through with her idea and then reached out with both of her hands and gently took hold of Ash's head. She pulled him forward slightly and curled her head down toward him. She then planted her lips on Ash's forehead in a passionate and emotional kiss.

The kiss lasted for several seconds as Serena savored the feel of Ash's skin against her lips and felt the tickle of his hair brushing the underside her nose. She took in a sharp breath through her nostrils and worked her mouth slightly. The kiss became wet and Serena got a small, salty taste of Ash's scalp. She wanted more but she knew this was enough for now. She pulled herself away and there was a small, wet 'smack' sound as her lips came free of Ash's forehead. She lowered herself down so she could look Ash straight in the eye. His expression was one of shock and wide-eyed astonishment. Serena laughed to herself and then spoke in a low whisper.

"I'll be back later." She was suddenly overcome with a giggle as her mind went wild with thoughts of her and Ash. "Maybe we can continue things then," she said with a grin.

Unbeknownst to Serena, her actions had been far more amorous than even she realized. When she'd pulled Ash toward her and kissed him on the forehead, the positioning of his head meant that Ash's eyes had been just below Serena's chin. Additionally, because Serena had curled her body forward, it meant that Ash's face had been barely an inch away from Serena's bust.

As Serena had been laying a passionate kiss on his scalp, Ash had gotten a very up-close view of Serena's sports bra. He'd been able to see the individual stitches in the fabric of the covering and the tiny hairs growing from the skin on Serena's chest. For a very intense moment, he'd wondered if Serena's plan had been to push his face into the middle of her chest. Instead, she'd simply held him there for what had felt like an eternity; an eternity of extreme sensuality.

When she'd finally let him go, Ash was shell-shocked and flabbergasted. He didn't know what to say or do. He heard Serena's words; promising to revisit him later, but he didn't have the ability to reply.

Serena directed a final smile at Ash, then turned and walked out of the room. Ash sat on the mattress, trying to process what had just happened. He'd wanted to take the next step in his relationship with Serena, but it looked like Serena preferred to just take a running leap off the highest cliff, rather than move forward one step at a time. Now he had to wonder, what was going to happen when she returned?

---

Serena's day proceeded much as it had yesterday. She performed all the needed tasks and took care of a few miscellaneous jobs which needed to be done. Unlike the previous day however, Serena found that many of the Pokémon on the reserve were helping out here-and-there. She was very grateful for the assistance, as after the exertions of yesterday, her entire upper body was tired and a bit sore.

She crossed paths with Pikachu several times as the day wore on. A couple of times the electric mouse jumped up on her shoulder and traveled with her when she was moving across the reserve. Serena felt honored and joyful that Pikachu considered her a close friend. It was just one more sign of how everything was coming together in her and Ash's relationship.

As the evening began to set in, Serena finally finished with her tasks. She'd done a few extra things as a favor to Ash. Once again, she was hot and sweaty, but she felt immensely satisfied. This time, when she went inside the main building, she took a quick shower rather than just toweling off her sweat. With her hair hanging loose and still damp, she changed into her spare set of clothes; a dark blue sports bra and red shorts. She intended to spend some quality time with Ash and she didn't want to be dirty.

Serena spent a moment staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She considered whether she should put on a t-shirt over her sports bra. She usually wore a t-shirt in the evenings, but she decided against it. Ash had openly stated that he liked looking at her, and she was going to oblige him. With that thought in her mind, Serena retrieved a tiny spray bottle of perfume from her handbag and spritzed some on either side of her neck.

She'd spent the last few years occasionally testing what aroma Ash found appealing. Fittingly, she'd settled on a scent from Kalos which smelled like a field of flowers mixed with a little fresh fruit. She turned back to the mirror and smiled in anticipation. She was as ready as she could be so she turned and headed upstairs. As she passed through the kitchen, she picked up the small glass jar of salve she'd put together during the day. She hoped it would help with Ash's injury.

Serena stepped lightly up the stairs and entered Ash's room. She was still barefoot after taking her shower and made almost no noise as she walked. She found Ash sitting up in bed, reading a book about caring for Pokémon. He was still wearing his pajamas; a pair of loose fitting black sweat pants and a blue button-up shirt. He looked toward her and Serena smiled in response. Ash gave a small smile in return, however she thought he looked a little apprehensive. She moved forward and sat down on the side of the bed.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked softly.

Ash set the book aside and shifted his position so he was sitting cross-legged. "I'm feeling a lot better actually," he said, his voice sounding upbeat. "I think I can get back to work tomorrow."

Serena felt happiness surge inside her. She'd felt so guilty over Ash's injury and it was a relief to hear he was definitely getting better. "Oh, great!" she said sweetly. "That's really good news!"

The two of them shared a brief smile and Serena brought her right hand forward; holding the glass jar.

"I actually put this together to hopefully help you out," she said.

Ash looked at the jar with curiosity. "What is it?"

Serena smiled. "I did a little reading on using berries to treat injuries and I found a recipe for creating this salve. It's got Sitrus and Cheri berries in it. It's supposed to help with healing and reduce soreness."

Ash nodded but said nothing.

Serena fiddled with the jar in her hands for a few seconds and then put it on the nightstand next to the bed. She took in a shaky breath as she felt a sudden wave of intense emotions wash over her. Her eyes started to tear up and she gasped back a sob.

Ash saw this and looked concerned. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Serena nodded and wiped at her nose and eyes. "Yeah," she said, her voice tight with emotion. "It's just been a really intense couple of days." She took a trio of breaths and continued; her voice more steady now. "Between you bringing up marriage, and us talking about the future and then you getting hurt… I'm uh….." Serena blew out a tense breath. "I'm just a little frazzled right now."

Ash didn't reply and silence hung in the air for a few moments.

"I'm just so glad you're getting better, Ash!" Serena finally said.

Ash nodded but again didn't say anything.

Serena idly poked at the bed with her right hand and then spoke again. "I know you said that I'm not taking some of our relationship seriously enough, but I promise I am."

Ash pursed his lips and then replied. "I think we can work it out Serena."

Serena's face brightened and she nodded rapidly in agreement. "Yes, I do too. Just like last night. We talk about it and be honest with each other. That's what a relationship is all about."

Ash smiled slightly upon hearing this. Maybe Serena could be a little out of control at times, but she was still so sweet and wonderful.

"I think we can figure out some sort of compromise, Ash." Serena continued. "I know I've been changing some of my original ideas about our relationship. Maybe you can change some of yours."

Ash's curiosity was peaked. "Really, you've changed some things? Like what?" he asked.

Serena took a breath and then giggled abruptly. She looked toward the ceiling with a slightly embarrassed expression and hesitated a moment before she spoke in an excited yet tense voice. "This is something I never even told Bonnie, and I told Bonnie everything!" she finished with a laugh.

She looked at Ash like she was about to regret what she was going to say. "You remember when you found Noivern's egg?" she began.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, that was really cool," he replied with a smile.

Serena nodded as well. "I thought so too." Serena shifted her position so she was sitting on the bed, facing Ash, with her legs folded underneath her. "It was so neat how we took care of the egg together, and after a little while, we had a brand new Pokémon!"

Serena was beaming with joy as she continued. "We got to look after Noibat and raise it from the moment it hatched." She paused a moment, looked down at the bed and blushed slightly. When she continued, her voice was slightly hushed from shyness. "That night, when I was trying to fall asleep, I thought that everything we'd done was a lot like what new parents go through when they have a child." Serena blushed more and giggled again. "I started imagining that Noibat had actually been our child and that we'd spent the day taking care of him."

Ash looked a little surprised at hearing all this. "You were really thinking about all this way back then?"

Serena's blush continued to deepen. She chewed on her lower lip, and made a soft, awkward squeal, as she was briefly unable to speak due to embarrassment. Serena finally cleared her throat and continued in a more confident tone. "After that day, I always envisioned that we would have two kids."

"You did!" Ash responded, a little taken aback that Serena had been thinking about a family while they'd been traveling in Kalos.

Serena gave a single deep nod of her head. "Mmmm-Hmmm," she hummed. "I thought that we would have one boy and one girl." She chuckled briefly and then continued. "The boy would look just like you and the girl would look like me!"

Ash was stunned by this revelation and didn't have a reply.

Serena fixed her eyes on Ash. "But," she said slowly. "Then you started making plans and designing a house for a lot more than two kids."

Ash started to feel uncomfortable with what Serena was saying. He'd never planned anything of what she'd described. Everything he'd done had been in response to her plans and words. Now Serena was basing her choices off of his reactions to her plans. It was starting to look like there was a big misunderstanding. How could he possibly break this news to her though?!

Serena took a big breath and continued. "So, I spent some time reassessing my plans and ideas and I decided to change what I'd originally thought."

Silence suddenly hung in the air as Serena looked very intently at Ash, seemingly awaiting him to respond in some way.

"Uh, okay." Ash replied, nervously.

Serena smiled and started to blush again. "So…. what I decided Ash," her eyes abruptly started to tear up. "Is that, if you want a really big family; four, five or even more kids." Serena swallowed a lump in her throat as she was becoming very emotional. She smiled broadly and her voice cracked as she spoke the next words. "I'm willing to do my part to give you that big family!"

Ash was now feeling really uncomfortable. This misunderstanding was starting to get out of control. He felt he need to tell Serena that he hadn't been thinking of a family at all and that this was all a mistake, but as he watched how emotional Serena was, he couldn't bring himself to break her heart like that. What could he do?

Serena took a few breaths to regain her composure and wiped at her eyes. "So, anyway," she continued, her voice now back to normal. "That's what I'm thinking about, Ash. I really am taking all of this seriously."

Ash didn't know what to say or do. Serena was rushing ahead based on false assumptions. All he'd wanted to do was have her delay any wedding plans she had. Now it was all just a big mess.

Serena let out a sigh and allowed her shoulders slump as she released all the tension she'd felt over the conversation she'd just had. "Well," she said, sounding as if she was changing subjects. "Enough of that for now."

Serena scooted forward on the bed so she was just in front of Ash. She reached out and started working with the top button of Ash's shirt.

"What are you doing!?" Ash blurted out as Serena unfastened the top button.

Serena glanced up at him, a subtle smile tugging at her lips as she did so. "I'm unbuttoning your shirt Ash," she said, stating the obvious.

"Why!? Ash replied, sounding very uncomfortable with the sudden development.

Serena unfastened the second button and glanced at the jar on the nightstand. "So I can rub that salve on you," she said simply.

Ash swallowed as he felt his stomach begin to churn. A part of him liked the idea of Serena running her hands over his side; applying the salve. However, given their previous encounters over the past few days, he knew this was a very very very bad idea. Additionally, all this was happening under the backdrop of Serena's misunderstandings. He had to find a way out of this.

As Serena started fiddling with the third button, Ash gently took hold of her hands and pulled them away from him. "Serena, I don't think this is a good idea," Ash tried to say in a confident voice, looking Serena straight in the eyes.

Serena held Ash's gaze without blinking. She was still wearing the subtle smile. "Why is that Ash?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Ash thought fast. "For the same reason I wanted you to leave last night," he said.

Serena's smile expanded ever-so-slightly. She nodded once and replied. "You're afraid something will happen," she said directly.

It took a moment for Ash to answer. "Yes," he said slowly; unable to come up with anything else to say.

Serena smiled and shifted her position so she was sitting cross-legged like Ash was. "You see Ash, this is one of the things I was wondering about."

"Oh?" Ash replied, at a loss for Serena's meaning.

Serena placed her right hand on her chest, in a gesture that signaled she was emphasizing herself. "I was willing to make really big changes to my life plans when I found out that you wanted a big family. That's what a relationship is Ash, it's working together."

Serena removed her hand from her chest and gestured toward Ash. "I'm hoping that maybe you can make a change in your attitude. Maybe you can alter your plans just like I did."

"Like what?" Ash said apprehensively.

Serena lowered her hand to her side and thought for a moment; carefully considering her words. "There's a lot of things you don't do in our relationship because you're afraid."

Ash hesitated before answering. "I don't know if I'd say it like that," he said.

Serena nodded and then continued. "What I'm hoping, Ash, is that you won't be so afraid. We shouldn't be constantly worrying about something bad happening. That's only going to hurt our relationship. It's only going to keep us from being honest and open with each other."

Ash felt like this was starting to sound like some of their previous conversations. "Look, Serena," he said firmly. "There are some things we just shouldn't do. They're too risky or inappropriate."

Serena scoffed at this. "Ash, if I hadn't overcome that attitude, I'd have never kissed you in Kalos. None of this probably would have happened if I hadn't acted inappropriately back then."

Ash felt a little distressed at his argument having just been dismantled.

Serena waited a moment and then continued. "Ash, I know all these feelings and impulses are new and sometimes uncomfortable but we shouldn't be afraid of them. We're still in control of ourselves. We can choose what we do."

"You're the one who said you weren't in control the other night!" Ash retorted.

Serena looked a little annoyed, and her voice mirrored this. "Of everything single thing I did and said, Ash. Yes, I said a few things in hindsight that were inappropriate and I might have been a little forward, but I didn't lose control. I stopped myself."

Ash shook his head. "It just seems like a really bad idea, Serena. I mean….. what if we….."

"End up sharing a bed," Serena said, finishing Ash's sentence.

Ash blushed slightly. "Yeah….. what if that happens?!"

Serena thought for a time. "I don't think that will happen Ash," she said quietly. "We both don't want to do that right now. I think, between the two of us, we'll be okay."

Ash didn't share Serena's confidence. "But, what if it does happen?!"

Serena sighed and thought for a few heartbeats. "Then we'll have a wonderful experience, Ash, and we'll go from there. But I promise I won't let that happen."

This entire discussion was extremely uncomfortable for Ash. It was a topic he preferred not to speak about, and Serena's seemingly careless attitude just made it worse.

"Yeah, but…. uh…." Ash struggled for words and his blush continued to deepen. "What if….. we do… that and then you… uh…"

Serena gave an understanding smile and replied in kind voice. "Like I said Ash, I take this seriously and believe it or not, I've accounted for every possibility."

"Huh?" Ash replied, not understanding.

Serena laughed to herself and then continued. "Have you noticed how every few weeks I stop flirting with you for a couple of days? I do that so there's no chance of anything happening when there could be…. consequences."

"What?" Ash replied, still not understanding.

Serena mused for a moment at Ash's reply. "I'll explain later, Ash," she said with a laugh. "Just trust me that you don't need to worry. Everything is fine."

Ash wasn't sure how to proceed at this point. Serena seemed to be beyond reason.

Serena chuckled then coughed and cleared her throat. "Okay, it's clear that you're really uncomfortable with all this and you don't think we can control ourselves."

Ash nodded rapidly. Serena had taken the words right out of his mouth. "Yeah, we need to keep things from going over-the-line."

"And I'm saying that we shouldn't be so afraid. We can control our actions, Ash. We can share a hug or kiss or maybe something more and not be terrified that things are going get out of control."

Ash gave an awkward sigh. "I guess we're just gonna disagree on this."

Serena looked down at the bed and smirked. "Unless I can convince you," she said mysteriously.

Serena's face slowly shifted to a mischievous look, and she leaned forward toward Ash, putting her palms down onto the bed so she was on all fours.

Ash felt his heart start to beat faster. What was Serena planning now?

"Serena?" Ash said uncertainly.

Serena grinned then spoke in a soft and smooth tone. "Here's what I'm going to do Ash. I'm going to kiss you. Then I'm going to take off your shirt, rub that salve on you, kiss you again and then go downstairs and cook dinner. We'll enjoy the meal, and then I'll go home. At no time will we be intimate."

Ash's eyes went wide and he immediately started scooting away from Serena on the bed. His right side ached in protest, but he ignored it.

Serena chuckled and slowly crawled after Ash.

"Serena, this is crazy!" Ash protested.

"No Ash, being afraid of our feelings is crazy," she said confidently. "I'm going to show you we can be romantic and not lose control."

Ash scooted until he was on the edge of the bed. Serena kept creeping toward him though and was soon only a few inches away.

"I don't think you're as in control as you think!" Ash said desperately.

"Don't you trust me Ash?" Serena said as she started to lean toward him.

Ash gripped hold of the side of the bed and started leaning away from Serena. "Maybe not on this one issue." Ash replied.

Serena laughed softly. "Well, let me prove it to you." As she spoke these words, she continued leaning toward Ash, preparing to kiss him on the lips.

Ash leaned back as far as he could, but Serena simply matched his movements. There was no way he could get away!

Ash suddenly got a whiff of Serena's perfume and his mind flashed back, years ago, to a wonderful afternoon in Kalos. Serena had been practicing with Eevee in a field of flowers. He remembered watching Serena dance and spin, and thinking how lucky he was to have a great friend like her. Maybe one kiss wouldn't be so bad?

Serena and Ash closed their eyes and their lips began to touch. As this happened, because of how far Ash had leaned out from the side of the bed, he suddenly began to topple backwards, off balance, and fall toward the floor. Ash and Serena realized their situation simultaneously, but there was nothing they could do about it. They each let out a cry of surprise and then unceremoniously crashed to the floor; Serena landing on top of the still injured Ash.

"Ouch!" Ash moaned after a few seconds had passed.

It took a few moments for Ash and Serena to reorient themselves. Serena carefully shifted herself off of Ash and helped him up. She apologized profusely and offered to help in whatever way he needed. Ash was very annoyed and frustrated with Serena however. Additionally, he was now in quite a bit of pain.

Ash sat down on the bed and winced. He rolled his right shoulder, trying to work out the tightness in his muscles.

Serena stood by, looking concerned. "You're sure you're not hurt?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah I'm sure," Ash groaned.

Serena reached for the nightstand and retrieved the jar of salve. "Maybe you could try this," she said in a remorseful tone.

Ash took the jar and set it on the bed. He remained silent and Serena shifted nervously on her feet.

"Ash, maybe I can-" Serena began.

"Serena!" Ash said sharply, cutting her off. "I think you should go home."

Serena flinched slightly and looked hurt. She seemed to consider saying something else, but ultimately relented. "Okay," she said softly, her voice tinged with sadness. She turned toward the door.

"I really am sorry Ash," she said regretfully.

Ash sighed. "Goodnight, Serena," he replied.

Serena's lips trembled, but she kept up a strong appearance and walked out of the room.

Ash waited until he heard the front door shut before he relaxed. He really didn't like this latest turn their relationship had taken. Now Serena was trying to justify risky behavior and wanting him to go along with it. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. His neck immediately ached and he let his head drop back to a normal position. He saw the jar of salve on the bed and decided to give it a try. It certainly couldn't hurt.

Ash finished unbuttoning his shirt and opened the jar. The salve had a sweet aroma and the smell quickly filled the room. Ash tested rubbing the tan colored substance on a small area of his right shoulder. It made his skin tingle slightly, but remarkably, within a minute he started feeling less pain. Ash started applying the salve elsewhere and soon his entire side was feeling much better. His muscles started to relax and most of the pain went away; he could almost feel his body starting to heal.

Ash set the jar aside and just relaxed, enjoying being mostly pain free for the first time in two days. The room was filled with a wonderful smell and he couldn't help but feel thanks toward Serena. As annoyed as he was with her, he couldn't deny how amazing she was. They had to figure this relationship out.

---

Ash arose early the next morning. After two days of rest, he was ready to get back to work. The salve had worked wonders and his right side was almost back to normal. He got dressed and went out to get started on the daily chores. He was pleased to find that Serena had done an excellent job keeping things together.

All the Pokémon were in excellent shape and they were happy to see Ash was feeling better. He even encountered the Cranidos, and the fossil Pokémon expressed remorse for its actions. He encouraged and reassured Cranidos and the Pokémon was overjoyed. It seemed to be starting to fit in at the reserve and had already made a few friends.

Once Ash had finished his morning activities he returned to the main building and waited for Serena to arrive. A part of him dreaded her showing up, but his desire to make their relationship work was far stronger than any negative sentiments he felt.

Minutes ticked by, and Serena didn't arrive. She was usually very punctual and Ash hoped that nothing had gone wrong. Just as Ash was considering calling her, he heard the front door open and the familiar sound of Serena's footfalls. She didn't shout her usual greeting and instead poked her head in through the doorway to the dining room. She spotted Ash and sent him a timid smile.

"Hey," she said softly.

Ash gave a small hand-wave as a greeting. "Hi," he said.

Serena hesitated a moment and then entered the dining room. After she took a few steps, Delphox, Pancham and Sylveon all entered; trailing behind her. Ash was a little surprised by the Pokémon's appearance. Serena usually didn't bring her friends up to the reserve.

Serena stopped a few steps away from Ash. "How are you feeling?" she asked in a fragile tone.

Ash felt bad for Serena. He knew she was feeling sad because of what had happened between them. He really wanted to set things right, but Serena had so many irresponsible attitudes. He couldn't simply give in to her.

"I'm feeling a lot better," Ash replied, in an upbeat voice.

Serena smiled slightly. "Oh, that's really good to hear."

Ash nodded. "Yeah." He thought for a moment and then continued. "I tried that salve you made. It worked really well; thanks."

Serena looked emotional for a moment as she immensely appreciated the compliment. "That's great Ash!" she said; choking slightly on tears.

Serena stared at Ash for a few seconds and then sat down in a chair at the table. Her Pokémon gathered around her and made a few soft, encouraging noises.

Ash glanced at the trio of Pokémon. "So, why'd you bring your Pokémon up here today?" he asked.

Serena tried to form a smile, but didn't entirely succeed. "Well, it wasn't entirely my choice. They were worried about me and insisted they come along."

"Why is that?" Ash replied, a little curious.

Serena reached out her right hand and ran it through Delphox's fur. "Well, I was crying a lot last night. I was really upset about what happened, Ash. I… I love you and I never want to do anything to hurt you or our relationship."

She turned toward Ash; her eyes glistening with tears. "I'm really really sorry you fell off the bed and I fell on top of you."

At this, Delphox and Sylveon suddenly blushed a deep red and looked extremely bashful; Pancham merely raised an eyebrow and made a curious sound. Serena saw their reaction out of the corner of her eye and turned toward them.

"What is it?" Serena asked, perplexed by her Pokémon's behavior.

Delphox raised both her hands to her face and let out an extremely embarrassed call. Sylveon looked down at the floor and could only manage a small, uncomfortable mewl. Pancham still looked curious.

Serena had spent enough time with her Pokémon that she could occasionally understand bits of what they were saying. Last night, when she'd talked with her Pokémon, she'd been too humiliated and upset to go into the details of what had happened with Ash. Before she started sobbing uncontrollably, she'd only said that she'd really goofed up with Ash and she hoped she hadn't messed up their relationship. Now, after hearing the language of Serena's apology to Ash, Delphox and Sylveon assumed that she and Ash had done much more than just talk while she'd been in his bedroom.

"What! NO!" Serena exclaimed, turning red herself.

Before Serena could say more, Delphox swiftly grabbed the still clueless Pancham and quickly fled the room with Sylveon on her heels. They wanted to keep the tiny panda from overhearing any discussion of their trainer's 'intimate' activities.

Serena was distressed. "Wait! Ash and I didn't… We're not….." she called after them.

Her Pokémon were gone however, and Serena turned back to face Ash; her shoulders slumping in defeat. She rested her elbows on the table top and covered her eyes with the palms of her hands.

"Why does this have to be so hard," she moaned.

Ash hated seeing Serena upset, but as he looked on, he started to think that maybe this could be his chance to roll back some of the things they'd talked about. Their relationship had been thrown into chaos ever since he'd tried to head off Serena's marriage plans. Ash really wanted to go back to how things had been between them before that fateful discussion, but up 'til now, it had seemed impossible. Now though, with Serena feeling upset and under a lot of pressure, maybe she would go along with taking a few steps back in their relationship; maybe they could go back to just being close friends instead of being betrothed to each other.

Ash opened his mouth to speak, but Serena abruptly rose to her feet.

"I'm gonna fix breakfast," she said; her voice cracking and a tear running down her cheek.

Serena plodded to the kitchen and Ash hesitated a moment before following after her. He still cared immensely about her and never wanted her to be upset.

Serena quickly began getting things ready for cooking. She set up a pair of pans and rapidly chopped up the vegetables. As she was in the middle of a motion, Ash offered her a bottle of spice she always used and smiled toward her as he did so. Serena's lips trembled and she gratefully accepted the spice. She was too emotional to speak, so she mouthed 'thank you' to Ash instead.

Ash placed a reassuring hand on Serena's left shoulder and she sighed in gratitude. Ash really liked this side of their relationship. They were such a great team and worked so well together. The new emotions and impulses they felt might be interesting, but they were so confusing and seemed to always make a mess of things.

Serena took a breath and spoke; her voice was now back to normal. "You know Ash, this is all so silly," she said with a sigh.

Ash was intrigued. "What do you mean?"

Serena looked over at Ash. "All this tension and worry. I mean, how long have we been friends?"

Ash smiled. "It's been a long time."

"I know," Serena replied. "We've had all these experiences and adventures together. I know we're getting older but sometimes it feels like we've been stuck at the same age forever."

Ash nodded and chuckled. "Yeah, it sure does."

They were silent for a time while Serena continued cooking the food. Eventually, when she began adding some finishing touches to the meal, she sighed and spoke again.

"Sometimes I wish we were older," she said quietly.

"Oh," Ash replied.

"Mmm-Hmm," Serena nodded. "It would be a lot easier. We could just get married and we wouldn't have all these worries about who sleeps where and when. We could just be ourselves around each other."

Ash felt an all too familiar sense of dread take root in the pit of his stomach. "Get, married just like that, huh?" he said tensely.

Serena looked over at Ash. "Yes. I know I'm not going to be considering anyone else as a potential husband; and I don't think there's any other girl in your life, is there?" She sighed again, turned back to the stove and continued in a wistful tone. "That's why it's so frustrating. We know what our future is going to be; yet we have to wait."

Ash's mind spun. He had to find a way to roll this back. This had gone too far.

"Serena, ummm," Ash said tensely. "Maybe we shouldn't think so far ahead."

"Hmmm," Serena hummed in reply.

Ash felt like he was prodding an angry Electrode. "I mean, since we're so worried about the future, maybe we just….."

Serena stared at Ash as his voice trailed off. "Yes," she prodded.

Ash briefly gritted his teeth and then continued. "Maybe we just… put all that on hold…. and wait 'til later."

Serena looked perplexed. "What do you mean, 'put all that on hold?'"

Ash struggled to find a diplomatic way of stating his thoughts. "I mean…. if all these feelings and plans are causing problems….. why don't we just put them aside for now."

Serena struggled to hold back a laugh. "Just put aside our feelings," she said, sounding amused. "You think we can just turn off our feelings like a light switch."

Ash shrugged. "Well, maybe not like that…. but, you know, we could just, maybe… go back to the way things were, and worry about all this marriage stuff later."

Serena gave an understanding smile and picked up the pans off the stove. She carried them over to the kitchen table and started portioning the food onto a pair of plates. "Ash, we're going to be together one day; that's our future. We shouldn't hide from it. We just have to learn how to deal with whatever feelings we have; no matter how uncomfortable they are."

Ash felt defeated. He sat down at the table and waited for Serena to join him. The two of them ate together but there wasn't much conversation. Ash was trying to figure out some other way to get Serena to slow down their relationship and Serena was still a little timid after the missteps of last night.

They finished breakfast and started work on the reserve. This day however, instead of going their separate ways and doing different tasks, Serena wanted to stick with Ash and make sure he was alright while he worked. Ash was okay with this arrangement; he hoped that it would provide him with a chance to slowly win Serena over to his position.

This day wasn't quite as hot as the preceding days had been, but the temperature still took a toll on them. During one of their breaks Ash decided to try reasoning with Serena again.

Ash and Serena were sitting on the ground with their backs leaning against the side of the reserve's main building. The sun was currently on the opposite side of the structure and they enjoyed a short respite from the scorching rays. Ash was wearing his typical blue t-shirt and shorts while Serena had on her red sports bra and blue shorts. Serena's hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she was currently fanning herself with her pink sunhat.

Ash glanced over at Serena and opened his mouth to speak. "Hey Serena, remember how I was talking about putting things on hold."

Serena was fairly tired and she didn't turn her head to look at Ash. Instead she just nodded and hummed an acknowledgement.

Ash took a steadying breath and continued. "Well, I was just thinking. We make a really good team. Why can't we just keep things like that and wait 'til we're older to starting thinking about marriage and all that other stuff."

Serena turned and looked at Ash with a confused and baffled expression. "Ash, you're the one who brought up marriage. Why are you now wanting to put things off?"

Ash felt trapped between a rock and a hard place. He'd only brought up marriage because he'd seen Serena' plans. He really didn't want to accuse Serena of being the one to initiate all this, so he had to try and find a workable answer.

"Uh," Ash began hesitantly. "Look Serena, I think we can agree things have been going a bit fast these past few days."

"A little bit," Serena replied.

"Yeah," Ash continued. "I mean….. it's been interesting, but… I think we need to reconsider a few things."

Serena looked stunned. "Huh?" she gasped.

Ash cringed internally as he felt like he might have just said the wrong thing. He had to keep going though. He believed he could get Serena to agree with his point of view.

"Ummm, all this stuff about kids and being together and marriage, it's just all a lot and I think we need to take a few steps back and-"

"NO!" Serena said sharply.

Ash froze midsentence. Serena looked both frightened and angry. "Uhhh," he uttered as he tried to put together a reply.

Serena took a sharp breath and made an agitated gesture. "What-why-" she struggled to form words. "Why would you want to take a few steps back?!"

Ash swallowed and spoke. "Um, I just think that there's a lot of things that we're not ready for….. and maybe it would be good for us to….. hold off on all that until later."

"What!?" Serena breathed harshly, not believing what she was hearing.

Ash pursed his lips and continued. "We make a really good team Serena. I just think that if we could wait on all this stuff until later, maybe go back to thinking of each other as really good friends instead of husband and wi-"

Serena bolted to her feet; looking horrified. "Just friends!" she said in a high-pitched voice.

Ash rose to a standing position as well. He could tell he'd upset Serena and he tried to sound as diplomatic as possible. "Yeah, and once we're older, we can start thinking about all this agai-"

Serena threw up her arms and made a furious growl. She took three steps away, then turned on a heel and quickly strode so she was face to face with Ash. She now appeared guilt stricken and mortified.

"Is this because of what happened last night?!" she said, her voice tight with fear and sadness. "Ash, I told you, I'm so so sorry about that."

Ash swallowed again. This wasn't going at all how he'd expected. "Uh, no. I was talking about us and how we're having trouble controlling our feelings."

"What!?" Serena replied in a disbelieving gasp.

"Uh, yeah. I think that if we just put all this on hold until we're more mature-"

"Why are you so afraid of this?!" Serena said harshly.

Ash hesitated, caught off guard by Serena's accusation. "I'm not afraid," he replied.

"Yes you are!" Serena continued. "Every time I try to be romantic around you, you're always backing away and looking frightened!"

Ash felt stung by the words. He wasn't afraid; he was just trying to be responsible. "I'm not afraid; I just don't want anything bad to happen."

Serena scoffed sarcastically. "And you think that we can just put our feelings on hold for a few years, just like that, huh?!"

"We can at least try," Ash replied. He didn't like the tone Serena was directing at him.

Serena held a hand to her chest. "Ash, this is how we feel! It's not going away. We have to deal with it, not hide from it!"

"That doesn't mean we should be reckless!" Ash shot back. "You're the one who said you weren't in control!"

Serena looked peeved. "I already talked about that!" she said in an irritated tone. "We're not saints Ash; we're going to make mistakes!"

Ash didn't back down. "Well, I don't want one of those mistakes to be us ending up sleeping together!"

Serena rolled her eyes. "So you just want to hide from our feelings and pretend we're not attracted to each other. That's not realistic, Ash!"

"It's a better idea than tempting fate like you are!" Ash said in an accusatory tone.

Serena gave an aggravated huff. "Ash, it's years until we can get married. Whether we 'tempt fate,' as you say, or not, chances are, at some point it's gonna happen."

Now Ash let out a huff. "So, what, you just don't care?!"

Serena flinched and looked visibly hurt. "Why would you say that!" she said in a distraught voice. "I love you Ash! Our relationship is the MOST IMPORTANT THING IN MY LIFE!"

"Well, you're not being responsible!" Ash replied.

Serena took a couple of gasping breaths as she glared at Ash. "I AM being responsible ASH!" she shouted. "It is really really hard for me to control my feelings sometimes, but I do it. And I'm able to do it because I've worked really hard at it."

"You're not in control, Serena!" Ash said; his voice rising in volume to match Serena's. "What do you think would have happened last night if I hadn't stopped you!?"

Serena threw up her arms in an indifferent shrug. "I told you Ash! Nothing was going to happen!"

"What if we'd ended up sleeping together?!" Ash exclaimed. "What if you'd ended up… pregnant!"

Serena emitted an exasperated sigh. "I already told you Ash, I've got that handled. You don't need to worry about it!"

"Don't worry about it!" Ash said shrilly, shocked at Serena's dismissive attitude.

Ash prepared to continue but Serena's gaze suddenly shifted to the corner of the main building. He followed her line of sight and saw a bunch of Pokémon suddenly duck out of view. Ash looked around and realized that he and Serena's shouting match was drawing the attention of all kinds of Pokémon from the reserve.

Serena suddenly grabbed Ash's arm. "Come on," she said, leaving no room for argument. She immediately made tracks for the supply shed. She yanked open the door and stepped inside.

Ash followed Serena inside and turned to face her. Both of them directed hard looks at each other and briefly remained silent. The door of the shed emitted a metallic creaking sound and slowly started to swing shut. It was one of the shed's quirks that the door would always swing shut on its own. It now did so with a wooden 'bang' and the interior was suddenly shrouded in near total darkness. Only a little light entered from around the edges of the door. Serena hadn't intended to have this confrontation in the dark, but neither of them could be bothered to step outside, or even open the door.

Ash made the first move and crossed his arms in a display of firmness. He looked aghast and couldn't believe how casually Serena would dismiss something as serious as having children.

"How can you say everything will be fine if we end up sleeping together?!" Ash said; rebuking her. "Serena, having kids is the biggest responsibility anyone can take on, and you're just rolling the dice and saying 'don't worry about it!'"

Serena looked incensed. "I'm not rolling the dice Ash! I'm being very careful and taking smart precautions," she bit back.

"What precautions?!" Ash said incredulously.

Serena's face scrunched up in anger and she replied in a slightly condescending tone. "You remember a few months ago when I explained why I'd probably feel under-the-weather a few days every month."

"Yeah," Ash said, recalling the very awkward information Serena had shared with him.

"Well, it's that!" Serena said flatly.

Ash finally understood what Serena was talking about but he still didn't like the idea. "That's not much of a precaution," he said.

"Well, it's the only thing that's guaranteed," Serena said flippantly.

Ash just shook his head. "I think the better idea is just not put ourselves in a compromising position."

"That's a nice thought Ash," Serena said critically. "But eventually, despite our best efforts, we're gonna end up in a compromising position. When that happens, wouldn't it be great if we'd spent time learning how to deal with our feelings and control our impulses. Also, wouldn't it be great that if something did happen, we at least wouldn't have any permanent consequences."

Ash still shook his head, but he didn't say anything this time.

Serena tapped her foot, waiting to see if Ash said anything else. When he failed to speak, Serena opened her mouth; intending to drive home her point. "So you see, Ash, even if we 'have kids,' as you say, we won't actually have kids," she said succinctly. "I've accounted for this. I'm trying to be responsible and realistic."

Ash looked flummoxed. "That doesn't make any sense," he said.

"What doesn't make any sense?!" Serena retorted in an irritated tone.

Ash made a confused gesture. "If you have kids than you've got kids. What do you mean we wouldn't have kids?"

Serena blinked a couple of times. "Wait, wait…" she said, suddenly bewildered. "When you say 'have kids' what are you meaning?"

"I mean literally having kids; as in children running around."

Serena appeared introspective as she considered this for a moment. "That would make a lot more sense," she said quietly, as she recalled how odd some of Ash's comments about 'having kids' had sounded. She turned back to Ash and resumed looking annoyed. "You could have just said that's what you meant!"

"I DID!" Ash forcefully riposted. "What else did you think having kids could mean?"

Serena looked infuriated. "HAVING SEX ASH!" she shouted.

Silence reigned as the word both of them had been dancing around for months had finally been spoken aloud. Serena cleared her throat and each of them recollected their thoughts.

"Okay," Ash said awkwardly.

"Yeah," Serena replied in an equally awkward tone.

Ash suddenly shifted on his feet. "Wait, so all those times you were talking about wanting to 'have kids' with me you were actually meaning…"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Well, last time I checked Ash you have to sleep together in order to have kids. So it's basically the same thing."

"I thought you were trying to be poetic. I didn't know you were actually thinking about…. that," Ash said, sounding slightly unnerved.

Serena gave an exasperated sigh. "What! Are you really surprised that I'd be thinking about that!?"

Ash fumbled for words. "Well, you're just really refined and elegant. I didn't think you'd be spending so much time dreaming about something like….. that."

Serena huffed and spoke in a harshly teasing tone. "Oh, so you're surprised that your perfect little Serena is thinking some dirty thoughts huh?"

Ash turned red and felt silly. "Something like that, I guess," he mumbled.

Serena laughed incredulously. "Well, news flash, Ash! I think about that stuff all the time."

"All the time," Ash repeated back, sounding shocked.

"Yes Ash!" Serena said; her voice heated. "I'm a teenager, just like you! That's how it works! I'm sure you've thought about it too! Right?!"

Ash felt a little indignant. "I try not to!" he replied, with an edge in his voice.

"But you do," Serena pressed. "And I'll bet you think about me when you are, don't you?!"

Ash felt his face get very hot from embarrassment. "Okay, but I don't think about it all the time."

"HA!" Serena laughed triumphantly.

"Why do you care?!" Ash growled.

"Because we're both human Ash, and we have to deal with this stuff. Pretending it doesn't exist or that we don't have these feelings, like you're trying to do, doesn't work."

Both of them glared at each other for a moment and then Serena continued. "See, Ash, even with me thinking about this stuff all the time, I don't lose control of myself."

Ash snorted. "Oh, so we're back to that now!" he groused.

"We never left it!" Serena said sharply.

Ash took a heated breath and responded. "You don't really think about this stuff all the time, do you?!" he said in a challenging tone. "You're just saying that."

Serena took a step forward toward Ash. "Yes I do!" she said; emphasizing each word. She paused a moment and then continued in a hushed voice. "I love you Ash, and I spend a lot of time thinking about us being together."

"Even right now?!" Ash said in an almost taunting manner.

Serena crossed her arms and bit her lower lip; directing an unflinching glare at Ash. She abruptly pointed to a dark corner of the shed. "See that pile of blankets over there," she said sternly.

"Yeah," Ash replied.

Serena took another step closer to Ash, and spoke in an almost seductive voice. "Right now, part of me wants you to carry me over there; kiss me; undress me; and then make love to me in every single way you know how!"

Neither of them said anything or reacted as much as they normally would have; they were simply too peeved at each other.

Abruptly, there was a muffled sound from outside the closed door. Serena and Ash each turned their heads in that direction. Ash reached out a hand and swung the door open with its typical loud creaking sound.

The door opened and revealed Delphox, Pancham, Sylveon and Bayleef all standing just outside. All four Pokémon were blushing fiercely and looked mortified at having been discovered eavesdropping. Sylveon had wrapped her ribbons around Pancham's ears in an effort to keep the young Pokémon from hearing the 'adult' discussion.

"This is a private conversation!" Serena growled angrily.

The Pokémon yelped in dismay then turned and fled; displaying a level of speed neither Ash nor Serena had ever seen before. Ash dropped his hand to his side and the door creaked as it swung shut; once again plunging the interior of the shed into near-darkness.

"You really want me to do all that to you?" Ash said, skeptically.

"No Ash, a part of me wants you to do all that," Serena said heatedly. "I don't let that part control what I do."

"Then why do you keep talking about it so much?!" Ash retorted.

"Because, like it or not, Ash, it's part of who I am. I'm passionate, and determined; just like you."

There was another pause as both of them collected themselves. Serena made the first move this time.

"I thought this was what you wanted Ash?!" she said in an accusatory tone.

Ash was about to reply when they heard a thump of something landing on the roof of the shed. There was then the sound of claws scraping frantically as the thing slid down the side of the roof and fell to the ground.

"Are they serious," Serena hissed. She grabbed hold of Ash's arm again and stormed out of the shed. She headed to the main building and roughly shoved Ash inside first. She then turned and addressed the Pokémon she knew were lurking just out of sight. "ALL OF YOU BETTER STAY OUTSIDE!" she shouted then slammed the door shut.

Ash and Serena stalked into the dining room and took up positions on opposite sides of the table. They were both extremely frustrated with each other and neither of them were willing to budge an inch off of their beliefs.

"Wasn't this what you wanted Ash?!" Serena repeated in the same accusatory tone.

"What do you mean?" Ash replied.

"Us, marriage!" Serena said sharply. "That's what you said, right?!"

"I just wanted us to get closer, Serena! I didn't want all this. You're the one who's been taking this really fast."

"ME!" Serena shrieked. "ASH, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO BROUGHT ALL THIS UP!"

"I was just reacting to you!"

"NO, ASH, I have been waiting, and waiting and waiting for years for you to finally get comfortable enough to start a relationship! I've been so patient. Don't try to blame this on me!"

"You're the one who was asking about a big family!" Ash shouted.

"And you're the one who's building a house for us!" Serena shot back.

"No I'm not!" Ash replied.

Serena scoffed. "Well why else did you just decide to build a house?!"

"Because I need a place to live!" Ash said sharply. "This old lab isn't a home. I wouldn't want to live here forever."

Serena hesitated a moment and then continued. "Well, why did you bring up us getting married then?!"

"I was just reacting to you," Ash replied.

"What do you mean 'reacting to me?!' What was I doing?"

"You wanted us to get married,"

"I did not!" Serena said forcefully.

"You said you've been thinking about kids and us since Kalos!"

"That was all a dream Ash. I hoped that it would come true one day."

"No, you wanted it all to happen right now!" Ash retorted.

"No, Ash, I didn't!"

"Yes you did!"

Serena was almost shaking with anger now. "Look Ash, I don't know where you got this idea but it's crazy to think that I'd be-"

Ash was too mad at this point to care about keeping his discovery of Serena's plans a secret. He opened his mouth and shouted. "You were planning a wedding Serena!"

Serena's jaw fell open and she looked dumbstruck. "I was not!" she said indignantly.

Ash hesitated a moment and then continued. "I saw what you wrote in that bridal magazine. You were picking out a wedding dress, planning the ceremony and everything."

Serena's eyes went wide and she took a few short, sharp breaths. When she spoke her voice had lost much of the fight that had been present a moment before. "Ash that's… that's all just what I hope happens one day. I…. I wasn't planning anything."

"Then why were you picking out a dress?" Ash pressed.

Serena was starting to put together all the pieces of what Ash was saying. As she did so, all of the anger began to be leave her and she suddenly looked very fragile. She raised her arms and began to hug herself. "I'm not picking out a wedding dress, Ash!" She took couple of shaky breaths and continued. "I've outgrown my old contest outfit. I'm working on designing a new one. That's why I got all those magazines. I use them for ideas."

Serena gasped suddenly and had to choke back a sob. A shiver went through her and her knees began to buckle. "You saw those drawings and you thought I was planning…" tears started to pour from her eyes. "Ohhh noooooo!" she wailed as she fell into a chair and began to weep.

Ash felt all the anger begin to leave him as well. He slowly sat down in a chair and tried to take in all the new revelations. There was silence for several long minutes as Serena wept and Ash slowly figured out the series of misunderstandings and assumptions which had led to this point.

Serena pulled her left leg up to her chest rested her nose on top of it. She wiped at her cheeks and eyes and sniffed back tears.

Ash turned his head toward Serena. "So you weren't planning a wedding," he asked in a plain voice.

Serena slowly shook her head as a reply.

Ash waited for several seconds and then asked a second question. "And you're not wanting to get married right now?"

Serena again slowly shook her head.

Ash was silent for a few moments and then spoke again. "So, this was all just a big misunderstanding."

This time, Serena slowly nodded in reply.

Ash leaned back in his chair, soaking in the information.

"Huh," he finally said. Several more quiet seconds ticked by before he added, "well, that's a relief."

Serena let out a deep, heavy sigh and leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table. Her face was drawn and pale. She looked like she had aged several years in just the time they'd been at the table.

Another minute of silence went by before Serena spoke. "You know Ash, I think it's actually a good thing that all this happened," she said unironically.

Ash looked at her like she was crazy. This had probably been the worst day of the entire time they'd known each other.

Serena held up a hand to head off any comment from Ash. She sighed and looked Ash straight in the eye. "We haven't been talking, Ash," she said poignantly. "That's why all this happened. We've just been ignoring everything that's changed and hoping that it would work itself out."

Ash gave a small nod in reply but said nothing.

Serena brought her hands to her head and rubbed her temples then covered her eyes and let out another sigh. She then lowered her hands to back to the table.

"We need to talk about all this Ash," she said sincerely.

Ash leaned forward so his elbows were on the table. He looked toward Serena and waited.

Serena drummed her fingers on the table and then spoke again. "We need to talk about us, Ash, and our relationship," she said.

Ash nodded. "Yeah."

Serena nodded as well. "We need to talk about our feelings; our ideas about the future."

Ash nodded, in agreement.

Serena hesitated and then spoke the final thing she knew they needed to discuss. "We need to discuss what we think about sex…."

Ash squirmed and looked uncomfortable.

Serena sent Ash a sympathetic look. "I know it's uncomfortable; I know it's awkward; but if we don't discuss all this, we're just gonna have another misunderstanding and it's gonna be even worse."

Ash looked down at the table and didn't reply.

Serena gave a timid smile and slid her right hand across the table. "Ash, I promised that I would do whatever it takes to make our relationship work," she said in a heartfelt manner. "Will you do the same?"

Ash looked at her open hand and his expression softened. He slid his right hand to meet hers and he curled his fingers around hers. Both of them tightened their grip to the point that their fingernails dug into each other's skin and started to hurt. It was a good sort of pain though and neither of them cared.

"Whatever it takes," Ash said firmly.

A small shiver went through Serena's body. She smiled broadly as she knew something momentous had just happened. "Whatever it takes," she echoed.

The two of them gave their grip a final squeeze and then they let go. They sat back in their chairs and stared at each other.

"So," Ash began. "What do you want to start with?"

Serena chuckled and then sighed. This was going to be a long discussion.

---

The discussion between Ash and Serena began awkwardly. Neither of them were particularly eager to talk about such extremely personal and embarrassing topics, but once the subjects were broached, they started to loosen up and become more at ease. The two of them had hated every moment of their shouting match and they quickly reconnected as friends; eager to put the fight behind them.

As the talk went on, they began to laugh and cringe as they brought up different matters and asked each other questions. At one point, as they discussed intimate matters, it almost became a game to see which of them could ask the most embarrassingly personal question. By the end of it, they were both red-faced and giggling uncontrollably, but their level of trust and openness had reached an all-time high. They now fully understood each other and no longer feared discussing personal matters.

The discussion eventually came to an end and they found that it was starting to get late in the evening. They both retreated to the kitchen and began cooking a meal. They were once again two close friends, with no tension or fear keeping them apart. They happily worked together, enjoying the absence of all the difficulties that had plagued them the past few months.

They ate together and cleaned up together. Serena then prepared to go and it was time for one final exchange between the two of them.

Serena came to a stop a few steps from the front door and turned toward Ash. A smiled pulled at her lips and she spoke in an amused voice. "Okay, so just so we're sure. We're not planning to get married."

"Yep," Ash replied.

"We're not planning to have kids."

"Yep."

Serena grinned and stuck out the tip of her tongue. "We're not planning to have children either," she said with a chuckle.

Ash laughed and the two of them shared a jovial look.

Serena took a breath to control her laughter. "And we're just going to take things one day at a time."

"Yeah," Ash agreed.

Serena nodded and let out a heavy sigh. "You know. I'm actually glad we're not thinking about marriage. As fun as it was, it was really stressful."

"Yeah. We'll worry about that later."

Serena nodded. "Yes," she said. "Much later." She sighed again and reached out to take Ash's hands in hers. "I love you, Ash, so much," she said softly.

Ash smiled and hesitated a moment, before he responded. "And I really like you, Serena," he said sincerely.

Serena's face tensed up and she struggled to speak. "Only like," she said, her voice breaking. "Not love!?"

Ash was visibly pained by Serena's reaction. He paused a moment and then spoke in a compassionate voice. "When I told you I loved you, I think I said that because I felt I had to."

Serena nodded in understanding, but she still looked distraught.

Ash reached up and took hold of Serena's shoulders. He then spoke to her in a gentle voice. "Look, I need some time to think about all this, but I promise, when I get it all figured out, you'll be the first to know."

Serena sighed, turned her head and placed a soft kiss on Ash's left wrist. She then took a breath and spoke in an emotional voice. "Ash, are we okay?"

Ash looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Serena sniffed and continued. "I mean are we gonna be able to be friends like we were before?" She gasped briefly and then pressed on. "We were screaming at each other Ash. That's never happened before."

Ash gave Serena's shoulders a squeeze and moved so his face was very close to hers. He opened his mouth and whispered, "Of course we are. Serena, I'm sorry, and I forgive you for all that."

Serena gasped as a couple of happy sobs caught in her throat. Her eyes teared up and she spoke in an emotional and enthusiastic voice. "I'm sorry and I forgive you too Ash!"

The two of them pulled each other into an embrace and they remained that way for several long seconds. When they pulled apart, Ash used his hand to wipe a few tears from Serena's face, causing her to smile appreciatively.

Serena took a step back and looked straight at Ash. "So, we're going to be okay?" she asked.

Ash smiled. "Yeah definitely," he said happily.

Serena smiled and let out a tense yet happy laugh. "Great," she said joyfully. "So were good as friends?"

Ash grinned and chuckled. "Yeah, of course," he said. "Serena, I'm really happy you're my girlfriend."

Serena's eyes instantly went wide. She breathed in sharply and froze for a moment. "That's… how you think of me?!" she said in a shocked voice.

Ash hesitated and looked apprehensive. "Yeah," he said slowly. "Is that okay?"

A tense and excited laugh burst out of Serena. "Yes Ash, that's very much okay!" she said with immense enthusiasm.

Both of them smiled happily at each other. Serena then grinned and grabbed for Ash's right hand.

"And I'm really happy you're my boyfriend!" she said, seizing and vigorously shaking his hand.

After several seconds of grasping Ash's hand, Serena took a step back and opened the front door.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow….." she said cheerfully.

Ash smiled and watched her as she took a step out the door.

Serena turned back around and quickly said, "boyfriend" to finish her sentence.

Ash watched as Serena started walking toward the stairway leading down to Pallet Town. She kept glancing over her shoulder and smiling at him. Eventually, as she neared the stairs, she kept her eyes fixed on Ash and waved goodbye. Ash returned the wave and smiled at her. Serena kept looking at him until she disappeared from sight as she descended the stairs. Ash let out a sigh and closed the door.

It had been a crazy day, but he felt genuinely happy. He and Serena had worked things out and now the future looked bright. He started to walk toward the dining room and saw Serena had left her sun hat hanging on the rack next to the front door. He paused a moment and remembered back to when he'd first met Serena at the summer camp so many years ago. Who could have guessed that one fateful encounter would have led to this? Ash smiled and shook his head. He wondered what the future could possibly hold for them. Would it be as equally crazy as what they'd gone through thus far?

With that thought in his mind, Ash retired to his room and fell asleep shortly thereafter. During the night, Serena visited him in his dreams. She came running up an escalator in a familiar airport and eagerly threw herself into his arms. This time, Ash didn't let her go, and instead held her close as they shared a long, soft, sweet kiss. As their lips parted, the dream faded away and Ash found himself waking up. He regained consciousness slowly, and as he became aware of his surroundings, he suddenly felt a presence next to him in bed.

He breathed in sharply and looked to his right expecting to find Serena. Instead he saw nothing; he'd only imagined the feeling of someone next to him. Ash breathed out a sigh and thought back to a few days ago when he'd woken up with Serena next to him. It had been an unnerving moment, but it had also been a happy one. It had felt so right to have Serena next to him. He reached out his arm and patted the exact place where Serena had laid. He didn't know what the future held, but deep down, a part of him hoped that he would one day have many more memories of waking up with Serena lying next to him.