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.

40. The Princess and the Key

Serena carefully braided her golden hair into a twisting crown encircling the top of her head. She fixed her locks in-place with a trio of hairpins and then reached down for her collection of jewelry. She put on a bracelet of turquoise beads and a few small, red ribbons. She glanced down and smoothed out her red dress. She gave it a small tug and stretched her arms, testing its fit. She breathed in deeply and blew out a sigh. She stared into the mirror before her and frowned.

Her outfit was elegant and beautiful. Her hair was lovely and her adornments cute. She took a long moment to gaze at each and every detail of her appearance. Even though there will still plenty of showcases left before the master class, in her heart, Serena knew this was her last performance. Whether it was the passage of time or her focus on Ash, she'd lost the ability to perform on stage. She'd made her peace with this sad reality but her heart still ached.

Serena took a shuddering breath and her eyes started to tear up. She was more than happy at the thought of being Ash's partner at the cost of attaining Kalos queen, however she did wish her final performances had gone better. She would have liked to go out on a high-note. The girl from Vaniville Town wiped at her eyes and forced a smile. She was determined to enjoy this one last showcase before she retired to become the wife of the world's greatest Pokémon trainer and eventually the mother of his children. She picked up her earrings, fastened them to her earlobes and took a step back. It was time to put on her final show!

---

Upon a worn and beaten up couch, Mimo sat close behind Mallow, grunting with effort as she used her hands to knead the muscles of the other girl's shoulders. Mallow let out a happy sigh and let her posture relax.

"Boy, I really need that!" the green haired girl said. "I guess those bags of Pokémon food are heavier than they look."

Mimo grinned. "I told you, you should have asked Kiawe for help! He's really strong and all."

Mallow chuckled and shrugged. "Yeah, I know. I just didn't want to bother him."

On the other side of the main building's living room, Ash was fiddling with a large television. Kiawe stood nearby, reading an instruction manual.

"It says to make sure the auxiliary cable is plugged in before you turn it on," the man from Alola said.

"I thought I did that," Ash muttered from behind the television. He let out a sigh and spoke in a downcast voice. "It's times like this I wish Clemont was around."

Mallow let out another happy sigh and Mimo looked toward the two men. "It's about time you got a television, Ash!" the young girl teased. "Welcome to the modern age!"

Ash chuckled. "Well, I haven't had a reason to get one 'til now," He said. "But I really wanna watch Serena's performance with all of you."

Mimo nodded. "I hope you get it working. Otherwise, us staying up this late will be for nothing."

At that moment, there was the sound of popcorn popping from the kitchen and Lana stuck her head around the corner. "Hey, Mimo, come help me with the snacks!" she said in a melodic voice.

The yellow and brown haired teenager sniggered and slid out from behind Mallow. "Oh, big brother!" she sang.

Kiawe warily looked over his shoulder at his devious little sister. "What is it?"

Mimo grinned. "Come help me with Mallow for a second!" she sang.

Mallow looked puzzled while Kiawe cautiously stepped over. "Okay….." the buff, dark skinned man said slowly.

Quick as a flash, Mimo stepped forward and shoved Kiawe down on the couch. "Mallow's shoulders are really sore. My hands are tired so you can take over massaging her back while I help Lana in the kitchen."

Kiawe's face became a mask of distress. "Hey, what!" he squawked.

Mallow laughed and shook her head at Mimo's antics.

Mimo grinned broadly. "Bye!" she chirped before turning and skipping away.

Kiawe froze for several seconds until Mallow glanced over her shoulder and sent him a playful look. "I guess Mimo's career as a masseuse is over," she said with a chuckle.

Kiawe forced a smile and raised his hands to her shoulders. "Uh, yeah…" he managed.

Mallow turned her head forward and relaxed again. After a few seconds of hesitation, Kiawe gently touched the almond skin of Mallow's shoulders with his fingertips. A second later he started kneading her tight muscles and upper back.

After several moments, Mallow flinched, let out an agonized moan and rolled her head from side-to-side. Kiawe Immediately stopped working, fearing that he'd done something which had hurt Mallow.

"Oh, don't stop!" Mallow grunted. "That feels really great!"

Kiawe suddenly smiled and had to struggle to keep a silly grin from spreading across his face. "You like that?" he asked, resuming the massage.

Mallow grunted again. "Yeah," she breathed. "You're hands are really strong! Keep going!"

Kiawe kneaded Mallow's shoulders a few more times before Mimo popped out from the kitchen. "His hands are also really big, Mallow!" she said in a sneaky tone.

Mallow and Kiawe turned their heads to look at Mimo. Both of them had looks of puzzlement on their faces. Mimo held their gaze for a few seconds and then sighed while rolling her eyes. She turned and walked back into the kitchen, having failed at her brand of humor.

Across the room, Ash pushed a button on the remote and the television screen flashed to life. He let out a happy shout and immediately flipped through a few channels. Mimo and Lana returned from the kitchen carrying big bowls of buttery popcorn.

"Oh boy," Lana said in her excited yet low-key voice. "We're gonna get to see the showcase."

The girls sat down and Ash finally found the correct channel. A female announcer was on screen, talking about the showcase in Fleurrh City. Various images of the showcase hall and past performances flashed on screen while she talked. Ash stared at the broadcast for a few seconds and then gasped in dismay.

"Oh man! It's about to start!" he exclaimed.

With that, the world's greatest Pokémon trainer dashed toward the front door, rapidly tapping on his phone as he ran.

The folks from Alola watched him go and then turned to look at each other. Lana offered Mallow a bowl of popcorn.

"Here you go," the blue haired girl said kindly.

Mallow chuckled and accepted the bowl. "Thanks!" she replied sweetly.

Mimo and Lana settled down next to each other and started munching on the popcorn. They stole a couple of glances at Kiawe and Mallow and exchanged some sneaky sniggers.

"Did you hear them, earlier?" Mimo whispered.

Lana grinned. "Yep," she whispered in return. "Sounded like they were in the middle of doing the deed!"

At that moment, Mallow wheezed and groaned. She rolled her shoulders and spoke in a breathless voice.

"Yeah, that's the spot!" she gasped. "Keep it up, right there!"

Naughty grins spread across the faces of both girls and their skin quickly flushed red with feminine excitement.

---

Serena paced back and forth to the side of the dressing room. She glanced at her trio of Pokéballs but hesitated to send out her friends. Part of her dreaded participating in another showcase. She feared that the performance would end in another disaster and that she and her Pokémon would be humiliated. She knew she had to eventually send out Delphox, Pancham and Sylveon, but not quite yet. She could hold on to these last few minutes of peace before she once again waded into the chaos of competition.

Abruptly, Serena's phone started to ring and she grunted in surprise. A moment later, her eyes brightened as she realized who was likely calling her. She grabbed her phone from her bag and nearly sobbed when she saw it was Ash. She answered it immediately and struggled to speak as emotions roared through her.

"Hey, Ash!" she said in a pitchy voice.

Ash chuckled. "Hey," he replied. "You all ready?"

Serena took a shuddering breath. "Ready as I can be!" she managed. "Time to give it one last go!"

Ash uttered a thoughtful hum and spoke in an encouraging tone. "Well, I think this is the start of your big comeback," he said. "Sometimes you have to get knocked down before you can get stronger."

Serena let out a bitter laugh. She loved Ash's optimism. It was so effusive that it almost made her believe in herself. But she'd tried at showcases again and again. Whatever edge she'd had before, she'd lost.

"Thanks, Ash!" she said sincerely. "I promise I'll put on a good show!"

Ash chuckled. "I hope so!" he said in a wry tone. "Kiawe, Mallow, Lana and Mimo will all be watching with me. Plus, I know my mom will be too!"

A small, queasy tremble went through Serena's stomach. She really hoped she didn't make a fool of herself in front of Ash's friends.

"Okay…" she said in a warbling voice.

Ash chuckled again. "I love you, Serena! Go show em how it's done!"

Tears flowed from Serena's eyes and it took all of her willpower to keep from weeping. "I love you too!" she rasped.

Ash made a kissing sound and then chuckled once more. "Talk to you later!"

Serena laughed once. "Yeah, talk to you later, Ash!" she said softly.

A moment later, the call ended. Serena stared at the phone and let out a heavy sigh.

"See you soon," she whispered to herself. She hadn't wanted to say that to Ash. She didn't want him to know that she'd already bought a plane ticket back to Kanto. Tomorrow, she'd be heading back home. She'd made her peace with showcases. This would be her last official performance. She just wanted it to not be a disaster.

Strangely, even though she still had the performance ahead of her, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. No matter what happened; no matter how poorly it went, she would soon be back home with Ash.

Serena stowed her phone away and reached for her Pokéballs. She held the collapsed, red/white spheres in her hands for several wistful seconds before enlarging them and tossing them into the air. Bright flashes of white light burst from the balls and arced down to the floor, revealing her long-time friends.

Delphox, Pancham and Sylveon all looked toward her with kind and determined expressions. Her Pokémon were wearing the decorations Serene had put on them earlier. Delphox featured some lovely red ribbons, a sparkling necklace made of blue beads and some shining, clear crystals attached to her ears, arms and tail. Pancham had his signature fancy sunglasses along with a cute, black bowler hat. Serena wasn't sure why, but he simply looked adorable in that outfit. Sylveon was adorned with small bows of pink, yellow and pale blue. She also had some silver ribbons trailing from her head which blended beautifully with her natural ribbons.

Serena took a deep breath and forced herself to smile. Her Pokémon were beautiful. They'd worked so hard for this moment. She desperately hoped she wouldn't let them down. With that, the girl from Vaniville Town clapped her hands together and spoke in a happy, clear voice.

"Okay, it's time to put on a show!"

---

Shauna rubbed her hands together in tense anticipation. Her Flabébé floated nearby and Ivysaur padded around a short distance away. Both of her Pokémon were adorned with cute, pink bows, miniature jewelry and fluffy feathers. A few steps away, Lisia was sitting down, staring at her phone and giggling as she tapped out messages.

Shauna turned around and began to pace to the other side of the back stage area. She saw Serena enter from the dressing room and the coco skinned performer let out a happy chirp. She stepped lively over to her friend and smiled broadly.

"All ready for another go!" Shauna said in a bubbly voice.

Serena managed a warm smile in reply, but her expression was noticeably tense. "Yep, all ready," she said in a sweet tone.

Shauna briefly pursed her lips and sent Serena a critical expression. "You know, you're the only one here who's won anything big. You should be more confident."

Serena sighed. "I know, but things just haven't been going my way. It's like I'm cursed…"

Lisia rose from the bench and stowed her phone away in her nearby bag. "Well, it's time to reverse that curse!" she said in an ebullient tone. The turquoise haired girl glanced at Chimeco and her Altaria, Ali. "How do we reverse curses?" she playfully asked her Pokémon.

Chimecho and Ali cried out happily and moved in an animated fashion. Lisia giggled and raised her hands above her head.

"You spin around counterclockwise!" she sang.

With that, Lisia and her Pokémon let out cute chirps and turned around in-place, counterclockwise. Shauna held a hand to her mouth and giggled. Serena shook her head in amusement and sighed while laughing.

Lisia finished her spin and looked at Serena with bright eyes. "Now you do it!" she said sweetly.

Serena laughed some more but shook her head in tepid refusal. Shauna grinned and playfully elbowed Serena in the side.

"Come on," Shauna teased. "I'll do it with you!"

Serena chuckled, sighed and finally relented. She raised her arms along with Lisia and Shauna. All of them spun around counterclockwise along with their Pokémon. Lisia came to a stop and spoke in a confident tone.

"Now the curse has officially been reversed!" she said.

Serena and Shauna burst out laughing and Lisia joined them moment later. Serena clutched at her jiggling belly and wiped a few mirthful tears from her eyes.

"Thanks you two," she said with sincerity.

At that moment, the crowd in the showcase hall erupted in applause. The stage manager looked at a clipboard she was carrying and called out in a loud, clear voice.

"Shauna, you're up next!"

Lisia chirped happily and bounced excitedly on her heels. Serena sent her friend a warm smile and nodded in her direction.

"You'll do great Shauna!" she said.

Shauna smiled sheepishly. "I hope so," she began tensely. "I'm going up against you!"

Serena laughed but her amusement was more morbid than humorous. Shauna didn't need an amazing performance to beat her. In her heart, Serena knew she wasn't cursed; she'd just lost her edge.

Shauna took a deep breath and turned toward the curtained entrance to the stage. "Wish me luck!" she said. A moment later, she stepped forward with her Pokémon and disappeared from sight.

---

Monsieur Pierre walked to the center of the stage and elegantly swept his right arm in an arc. "Ahnd nouw, eetss tiimee foor ouur neext parformer en thee Fleurrh Ciity Pokémon showcase!" He turned and gestured into the dim light behind him. "Weth two princess keeys alredy, shee is redy to take er plaace en thee Maastar class." He raised his cane and performed an exciting flourish. "ET'S THEE BEEAUTIFUL SHAUNA!"

The crowd erupted in eager applause just as the lights began to dim. The stage grew darker and darker and eerie music began to play. The audience became quiet and suddenly a bright, pink sphere of light appeared at the center of the performance area. The eerie music hit a pitchy melody and the pink sphere began to dance up-and-down. A moment later, the sphere split in two and each ball of light began its own dance.

The crowd oooed and ahhhed as more pink spheres split off from each other. Soon, there were two dozen of the pink lights moving about the stage. They expanded outward into a circular formation and suddenly increased in brightness. The stage was illuminated in an ethereal, pink glow, revealing Shauna standing in a pose with Ivysaur at her side and Flabébé and Gothita floating nearby. The eyes of her psychic type were glowing blue as it controlled the small spheres of Moonblast energy Flabébé had generated.

"Ivysaur, Solar Beam!" Shauna commanded in a happy, boisterous voice.

The smiling grass type let out a croak and a bright flash of yellow light flared out from its heavily adorned flower. The light bathed the floating pink sphere and caused them to begin shining with a flickering whiteness that shifted between pink and yellow. Shauna laughed and pirouetted while waving her arms in an expressive manner.

"Now, Flabébé, use Misty Terrain!"

Shauna's flower-riding, little friend complied and let out a sharp cry right before a faint, blue mist began to rise up from the stage. The mist billowed up, and while it didn't obscure vision, it did add to the eerie sensation Shauna's performance evoked. The spheres of flickering light glowed in the heavy air and the entire stage was lighted in a constant criss-cross of shadows and light.

"Let's go Ivysaur!" Shauna shouted.

With that, trainer and Pokémon dashed forward and each of them lunged toward a sphere floating nearby. Shauna jumped into the air and swung her leg in an arc, kicking a sphere toward Ivysaur. Her Pokémon performed a similar maneuver, except it used a vine instead of a leg to strike the sphere. With Gothita guiding them carefully, both balls of light flew toward each other and collided in a flashing burst of brilliant light. A shower of pink and yellow sparks lingered in the mist while Shauna and Ivysaur moved on to another pair of spheres and knocked them toward each other.

Pair after pair of spheres collided and soon the mist was filled with countless shimmering sparks. Shauna and Ivysaur laughed and chuckled as they dashed to-and-fro. The music switched from eerie to playful and the lighting became warm and welcoming. Flabébé started to sing a happy tune and Gothita swayed side-to-side, in-time with the melody, as it continued to float in the center of the stage.

The final pair of spheres collided and Shauna and Ivysaur immediately followed this by performing forward flips while crossing paths with each other. They landed to the side of each other, near the front of the stage. They beamed at the crowd and Shauna took in a breath to issue a final command.

"Now, Petal Dance!"

Ivysaur and Flabébé let out cries and both of them sent out bursts of pink, sparkling petals. The rush of their attacks blew the mist from the stage and out into the audience. The crowd gasped in amazement as a soft, warm cloud, full of glittering sparks and sweet smells wafted over them. The mist hung in the air for the perfect amount of time and then dissipated, leaving Shauna and her Pokémon standing in their final poses. The music ended with a happy crescendo and the gathered people erupted with thunderous applause.

---

Serena was still clapping when Shauna finally stepped through the curtains covering the doorway to the backstage area. The coco skinned woman was grinning like a giddy schoolgirl and couldn't help chuckling upon seeing her friends.

Lisia stepped up and squealed with delight. "That was so awesome, Shauna!" she said joyfully.

A silly grin spread across Shauna's face and she tapped the fingers of her hands together, not quite knowing what to do with herself. "Yeah, it really worked out!" she replied, excitedly.

Serena laughed a couple of times and nodded respectfully at Shauna. "You really know how to put on a show!" she said sincerely.

Shauna took a few breaths to calm herself and nodded in reply. "Thanks, Serena!" she said.

Lisia chuckled and took a few steps toward the stage entrance. She glanced at Altaria and Chimecho and clinched her hands in eager anticipation.

"Okay, now it's our turn!" she said in an energetic voice.

Ali and Chimecho let out happy cries and followed her as she strode toward the stage. Serena watched them as they went.

"Good luck, Lisia!" she called out after her.

Lisia turned her head and smiled over her shoulder right before she disappeared through the curtains. Serena let out a sigh and turned to face Shauna.

"That was such a good performance, Shauna! You probably won the whole thing!"

Shauna suddenly looked bashful and laughed awkwardly. "Ha ha, uhhh, I don't know if I'd go that far!" she warbled, scratching at the back of her head.

Serena smiled kindly but didn't say anything more. Shauna paused a moment as the crowd roared at Lisia's appearance on-stage before speaking in a humble tone.

"Lisia's still got to go and you do too," she said. "It's not like I've got this in the bag."

Serena shrugged and looked to the side. "Well, Lisia maybe, but you probably don't have to worry about me," she said in a self deprecating manner.

Lisia frowned. "Serena…" she said sympathetically.

---

Monsieur Pierre grinned slyly and pulled at the brim of his top hat. "Up next es ah parformer from Hoenn. Shee hoops to wiin herr ferst princess keey tonight! Pleese weelcom THE SPAARKLING LISIA!"

Lisia dashed forward, struck an exciting pose at center stage and let out a loud shout. Chimecho hovered above her and Ali took position behind her. The girl from Hoenn took in a deep breath and spoke in a cute, clear voice.

"When you use a Metronome attack, you don't know what move you're gonna get!"

Dead silence hung in the air for the briefest of moments. Lisia then giggled, stepped into a wider stance and brought her hands together, above her head, in a loud clap.

"Let's see what happens!" she squealed.

Immediately, the sound of a steadily ticking metronome began playing over the PA system. Chimecho started rocking side-to-side with its banner-like tail extended straight out so the Pokémon looked like it was itself a metronome keeping time. The psychic type started sweetly chirping each time it reached the lowest point of its sway, smiling all the while.

A few ticks into Chimecho's routine, Lisia and Ali started rocking side-to-side as well, as if they were metronomes as well. They began chirping as well, perfectly in sync with Chimecho. The music started to insert some playful melodies along with the ticking. Chimecho abruptly froze in-place and let out a sharp, sweet bell-like sound.

Lisia gasped and looked shocked. "It's Gravity!"

Immediately, Chimecho let out a cry and a pulse of wavy, pink energy radiated out from it; except, instead of everything getting heavier, Lisia's Turquoise braids started to float upwards. A moment later her feet left the ground and she briefly flailed in mid-air, her limbs pin wheeling as she tried in vain to touch something solid.

"It looks like it's reverse Gravity!" she warbled in distress.

Ali, Chimecho and Lisia all let out wild yelps of uncertainty as they floated upwards. The music turned into a series of wild, dramatic and uncertain runs, matching what was happening on stage. The audience started to gasp and murmur in concern as they watched the trio rise higher and higher. Lisia slowly flipped upside down and suddenly her feet contacted a glowing green surface which appeared without warning. Lisia gasped again and looked at Ali.

"Oh! Protect! Good thinking Ali!" she said with childlike innocence.

Ali cried out happily and took up a position behind a now inverted Lisia. All three of them turned toward the crowd and smiled.

"Okay, let's try that again!" Lisia said sweetly. A moment later, the ticking resumed over the PA system and Chimecho, Lisia and Ali all started repeating the metronome rock they'd done before, only now completely upside down.

The crowd suddenly started to cheer and shout in amazement as they realized that what was happening wasn't a mistake but part of the performance. Lisia's rocking continued for a few more seconds and the music became playful once again. Chimecho let out another bell-like sound and Lisia gasped in surprise.

"It's Charm!" she exclaimed. A second later she blushed and shyly waved her hand in a dismissive yet flirtatious manner. "Awww, you shouldn't have!"

Chimecho immediately started bobbing side-to-side, letting out sweet ringing sounds and happy cries. Lisia and Ali froze for a moment and then started imitating the psychic type. They smiled and swayed. Lisia winked and then she gasped again, bringing her hands to her cheeks in an expression of dismay.

"The gravity gave out!" she exclaimed.

All three of them started flailing and shouting as they began falling in slow motion. A moment later, Ali let out a bold cry and swooped forward to catch Lisia and Chimecho. The flying type soared through the air above the audience and Lisia let out a relieved sigh.

"Phew, thanks Ali!" she said in an innocent tone. Behind her, on Ali's back, Chimecho started performing the metronome rock once again. The Pokémon quickly let out a shout and Lisia gasped once again.

"Wait, that's‑"

Her comment was suddenly cut off as all three of them vanished in a flash of white light. The entire showcase hall fell silent as everyone wondered if something had just gone horribly wrong. Long seconds ticked by and then there was another flash of white light in the center of the stage. All three of them appeared; Lisia and Chimecho still riding atop Ali.

"‑Future Sight!" Lisia said, finishing the sentence she'd been speaking when she'd vanished. The girl from Hoenn looked around as if surprised by her surroundings. She slid off of Ali and wobbled on her feel for a second. She recovered quickly and stood with her hands on her hips, looking befuddled.

"I guess you really don't know what you're gonna get when you use Metronome!" she said with childish innocence.

The music hit one final, playful note and all three of them struck a finishing pose. There was a moment of uncertain silence as the audience didn't quite know what to think. A heartbeat later, all of them erupted in thunderous applause.

---

Serena laughed and clapped rapidly as Lisia stepped through the curtains and into the backstage area. Shauna joined her friend and both girls eagerly congratulated an exhausted looking Lisia.

Shauna squeaked and spoke in an amazed voice. "That was so incredible, Lisia!" she shouted to be heard over the still applauding crowd. "How'd you come up with those ideas?!"

Lisia half-smiled and weakly waved at her two friends. "I saw an old slapstick routine and modified it a little," she said in a disoriented voice.

Serena let out a girlish chuckle and beamed at Lisia. "You know, I said Shauna had won the whole thing, but you may have just beat her out."

Shauna snorted and directed a playful scowl at Serena. "Boy, fame really is a fickle thing!" she deadpanned.

A moment later, both girls laughed and turned to face Lisia. The turquoise haired girl was partially doubled over and her skin was extremely pale. She was breathing heavily and sweat was beading on her forehead.

Serena frowned in concern. "Lisia, are you okay?!"

Lisia nodded heavily and wobbled on her feet. "Yeah, I'm okay," she wheezed and smiled sheepishly. "I guess I overdid it."

Shauna stepped forward and laid a hand on Lisia's left shoulder. "Would you like some water?" she asked.

Lisia nodded. "Sounds great," she croaked.

As Shauna moved to retrieve a bottle of water, Serena gave Lisia a reassuring pat on the shoulder and started walking toward the stage entrance.

"Be back soon!" Serena said.

Lisia nodded. "Go get em!" she warbled.

Serena stepped up to the curtains and looked to her sides. She'd nearly forgotten Delphox, Sylveon and Pancham were right there with her. They'd been so quiet since they'd arrived at the showcase hall. She sighed and sent them a kind smile. They knew it was their last, big performance and they were taking it all in, just like she was. Serena drew in a breath, and behind her, Lisia suddenly swooned.

Shauna gasped and lunged forward. "Lisia!" she shouted, catching the collapsing girl in her arms.

Serena gasped and turned around to look at the sight. Shauna was cradling both Lisia and the bottle of water in her arms. Lisia's eyes were closed and she was slumped against Shauna's right shoulder. Serena took a step toward Shauna but the coco skinned girl shook her head.

"I'll take care of her. You go win that showcase!" she said confidently.

Serena laughed at the ridiculous statement but immediately regained her composure. She nodded solemnly and turned toward the stage entrance. It was time for her final showcase!

---

I looked up at Serena as she stood at the edge of the curtains, just out of sight of the crowd. Her golden hair was perfect and her red dress sparkled in the dim light. I watched as she clasped her hands together and held them over her heart. She sighed heavily and a look of disappointment briefly flitted across her face.

I felt guilt and sorrow wash over me. It was because of my and Delphox's petty fighting that she had gotten to this place. She thought she was a failure when the blame lay squarely on the two of us. It was time to make all this right!

I turned to look at Delphox and Pancham. The fire fox sent me a small, acknowledging nod and I returned it. Pancham let out a grunt of determination and nodded as well. Delphox huffed and said that it was time for us to show the world that Serena was the greatest performer out there. She bent down and held out a paw. I chirped in agreement and immediately moved one of my ribbons to join with her paw. The two of us shared an ironic, knowing look. So many months ago we'd started this trip in the same fashion, but with very different states of mind. How things had changed…

Pancham grunted his agreement and slapped a paw on the pile. All of us let out a small shout of dedication and then separated. We all knew what we had to do!

---

Monsieur Pierre walked across the stage, holding his cane at chest height, half way up its length. He turned to face the crowd and spoke in his usual, confident and enthusiastic tone.

"Ahnd nouw, wee come to ouur laast parformer of thee night. Shee haas wun thee chaampiionship en Hoenn ahnd nouw shee looks to winn herr first princess keey toonight! WELCOME, THEE WONDERFUL, SERENA!"

Serena breathed in deeply and felt her dress stretch along with her torso. The spotlights snapped on and her upbeat music started to play. She smiled, turned to her right and flourished her arms toward Delphox.

"Okay, Fire Spin!" she shouted in a happy and energetic voice.

Delphox held her stick out from herself and spun around in-place twice before her stick began to draw a stream of orange and red fire in the air. Delphox completed several more spins, leaving four flickering rings of fire encircling her. The fire type let out a shout and jumped upward, out of the rings. She landed a short distance away and Serena gestured to Sylveon.

"Use Fairy Wind!"

Sylveon let out a sweet cry and extended all four of her ribbons. A gust of pink air burst out from her and immediately began to swirl around her. After a few seconds, the pinkish air started to form into another series of rings. Serena laughed and gestured to Pancham.

"You're up, Pancham!" she said in a bright voice.

The tiny panda dashed forward and leapt into the air, soaring in an arc toward Delphox. As Pancham flew, Delphox whirled her arms and the circles of flame began to move. One of them floated into Pancham's trajectory and he somersaulted as he passed through the middle of the circle before landing on the stage. Pancham let out a cry and leapt back into the air, passing through a different flaming hoop as he rose.

Serena let out an enthusiastic shout and took a running start before leaping through one of Sylveon's shimmering, pink rings. Sylveon and Delphox quickly joined in and began bounding along the stage, leaping through hoops as they ran.

The red and pink hoops slowly moved around the stage while Serena and her Pokémon kept up their acrobatic routine. After a couple of passes, Pancham jumped toward Sylveon and Serena shouted another command.

"Use Dark Pulse and Moonblast!" she said in a happy voice.

Pancham pulled back his right arm and purple energy began to swirl around his fist. At the same time, Sylveon brought all four of her ribbons in front of her and started charging a bright, pink sphere of energy. Just as Pancham was about to crash into Sylveon, he unleashed a powerful, dark energy infused punch, straight into the readied Moonblast.

Serena briefly tensed up as this part of the routine had gone wrong so many times before. She watched as Sylveon rolled the pink and purple sphere up in its ribbons and then tossed it to Delphox. With a joyful expression on her face, Serena's first Pokémon neatly caught the sphere, winked and then snapped her fingers.

Instantly, the sphere exploded outward in countless tiny pink and purple flames. The crowd gasped in amazement as the entire stage was lit in eerie, multicolored light. Serena laughed in excited relief and stepped into a pose so she was pointing at Delphox with her right arm.

"Now use Mystical Fire!" she sang.

Delphox let out a lengthy cry which built in intensity. She whirled around once and waved her flame-tipped stick in a powerful flourish. A moment later, all the pink and purple flames started to dance and coalesce into the air above them. At the same time, all the pink and red hoops started aligning themselves so they were underneath the gathering of flames.

Serena took a tense breath and said a quick prayer. This had never worked. She didn't even know why she'd decided to keep it in their routine. Maybe it was some stubborn part of her, born of her time with Ash, which refused to accept defeat? Maybe she secretly hoped the move would fail, the performance would flop and she would finally be able to go home? Whatever the reason, she steeled herself and started to run forward toward Sylveon!

Her loyal fairy type let out a happy cry and bounded along the stage toward her. Serena tensed her arms and started a forward somersault. She hit the stage, finished the roll so she was on her back and untucked her legs just as Sylveon leapt into the air. Her Pokémon landed on Serena's feet and the girl from Vaniville Town used her legs to propel Sylveon into the air like a springboard.

Serena immediately looked to the side and saw that Pancham had just launched Delphox into the air using a similar maneuver. The fire type was now soaring through the air toward Sylveon. Serena held her breath and waited. A moment later, Delphox and Sylveon came together, smiling and crying out happily. Delphox grasped Sylveon's ribbons and hurled the fairy type up at the large gathering of pink and purple fire.

As Delphox started to fall back to the stage, Sylveon continued flying upward even higher. She flew through the center of the gathered red and pink rings. A moment later she let out a loud cry and was enveloped in a bright, pink light.

"Misty Explosion!" Serena shouted.

Sylveon impacted the gathering of pink and purple fire. A second later the entire collection of flame exploded outward in a wave of shimmering, pink sparks. A rush of sweet smelling air washed over the audience and the sparks followed a few seconds later. Sylveon fell from above, elegantly twisting and turning as she went. The fairy type gracefully bounced off of Delphox's fur skirt and landed on her feet.

Serena stared with mouth agape as her Pokémon all struck dramatic poses. She could hardly believe they'd done it. Her Pokémon tensely stared back at her and Serena squeaked in distress. She'd nearly forgotten the most important part. She stepped to the side, smiled as broadly as she ever had and raised her right arm into the air.

"And that's it!" she cried out joyfully.

---

Ash pumped a celebratory fist in the air and shouted excitedly. "Yeah, all right, Serena!"

Mallow smiled happily. "She sure put on a show!"

Kiawe nodded in agreement. "I can see why she won in Hoenn."

Ash chuckled and sighed in relief. "Yeah, she's really amazing! I knew she could do it if she just kept at it."

Lana and Mimo glanced at each other and exchanged sniggers. "Serena sure is beautiful, isn't she?!" Kiawe's little sister chirped.

Ash blushed a little and suppressed a snicker. "She always looks great when she's putting on a show," he replied.

Lana and Mimo giggled. They exchanged glances again and this time it was Lana who spoke up.

"I guess you'll be really happy when she gets back home!" she said in a sneaky voice.

Ash grinned and shrugged. "Yeah, but I don't think she'll be back home for a while!"

Mimo and Lana's faces fell. "Oh, why not?!" Lana said.

Ash looked toward the television where the announcers were breaking down the different performances. "Cause she's still got to win Kalos queen!" he said proudly.

---

The crowd was still applauding as Serena stepped behind the heavy curtains flanking the stage. She placed her right hand over her chest and took a few deep breaths to steady herself. Part of her still couldn't believe it had gone so well. She'd thought those days were lost to her. A couple of happy cries from at her feet brought her back to reality. She looked down and saw her Pokémon beaming at her.

"Oh, you!" Serena blubbered, tears instantly bursting from her eyes. She bent down and engulfed all three of her friends in a big hug. Her chest shuddered as she gasped for air and struggled to keep from happily sobbing. She was so glad her last showcase had been a good one!

After several long seconds of emotional hugging, Serena straightened up, wiped at her face and started toward the backstage entrance. She sighed and let out a heavy breath. She'd gone out on a high note. She wouldn't have done it any other way.

The girl from Kalos passed through the curtains of the doorway and looked around. She saw Shauna and Lisia sitting on a bench nearby. Lisia was clutching a half-empty bottle of water and looking winded but alert. Serena let out a sigh, relieved to see Lisia appeared to be feeling better.

Shauna looked over at Serena and her eyes immediately lit up. The coco skinned girl stood and dashed over to her friend. Shauna let out a girlish chuckle and clasped Serena's hands with her own.

"Oh, Serena, I knew you could do it!" she said excitedly.

Serena chuckled awkwardly. "Well, that makes one of us," she laughed.

Shauna laughed as well and let go of Serena's hands. The two friends shared a respectful look before Serena turned toward Lisia.

"Lisia, are you feeling better?" Serena asked in a concerned voice.

Lisia was still a little pale but she looked steady. The turquoise haired girl nodded and looked up at Serena.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better now," she said in a drained voice. "I just needed to sit down for a minute."

Serena let out a sigh and started to wring her hands anxiously. She hadn't been expecting her performance to go so well. There was a chance she'd actually won. She doubted that was the case, Shauna's performance had been spectacular and Lisia's riveting. Hers had been very standard and she didn't think it deserved a win. She took a tense breath and abruptly the stage manager called out in a loud voice.

"All performers return to stage for voting!"

---

Mallow sat on the edge of the couch, intently watching the six girls lined up on stage. "This is so cool!" she said in an excited voice.

Ash was grinning from ear-to-ear and nodded in response. "Yeah, and in just a second you'll see how the voting works."

As if on cue, the audience raised their glow casters and small spheres of various colors started flying toward the girls on stage. The light orbs zeroed in on their designated girl and were absorbed into the heart-shaped key adorning their dresses. The votes began to be counted and everyone in Ash's living room watched with rapt attention.

Serena, Shauna and Lisia all quickly moved ahead of the other three girls. Lisia surged ahead by a little but the others soon caught up. The voting remained neck-and-neck!

Ash gritted his teeth in determination. "Come on!" he hissed.

Tense seconds ticked by and the vote remained close. Mallow let out an anxious squeak and grabbed hold of Kiawe's right hand for reassurance. Still seated behind Mallow, the man from Alola stared with wide eyes at the girl of his dreams and struggled to keep a ridiculous smile from spreading across his face.

Finally, the last spheres of light found their homes and everyone held their breath. The vote totals were so close; they couldn't tell who had won. Ash waited with clenched fists and a set jaw. Suddenly, the music flourished and the spotlights all focused on Serena!

---

Serena stood with mouth agape and eyes wide with shock. She hadn't expected this in the slightest. She heard noises from the PA system but none of them made any sense. A few moments later, Shauna clapped a hand down on her left shoulder and gave her a shake.

"SERENA! YOU WON!" Shauna shouted over the noise of the applauding crowd.

Serena flinched and swallowed. "I won?!" she stammered uncertainly.

Some happy tears started to flow from Shauna's eyes. The coco skinned girl chuckled and nodded several times. "Yeah, you did it!"

Lisia approached from Serena's right side. "You earned that one, Serena," she said in a voice which was still a little shaky. "You were so fabulous!"

Serena swallowed again and tears started to flow from her eyes. "I really won!" she warbled as reality began to sink in.

To one side of Serena, Shauna laughed and dabbed at her eyes. To the other side, Lisia started clapping and smiling. Serena took a ragged breath and looked out at the audience. It had been a long time since she'd done this. She smiled, raised both her arms and started to wave. She suddenly remembered that Ash was watching and she glanced around to find a camera. She spotted one and looked directly toward it, making her expression as happy as possible. She hoped he was watching!

As she waved to Ash, she suddenly started to feel an ache in her heart. She'd planned to go home after this performance. Now that she'd won, she had a chance to reach the Master Class. She couldn't let her Pokémon down and break her promise to them yet again. She would have to stay and keep performing. She would have to remain apart from the man she loved and missed so desperately!

Serena's lips trembled as conflicting emotions rushed through her. Even though she kept smiling and waving, a few of the tears which flowed from her eyes were those of sadness, not jubilation.

---

Mimo stretched her arms high above her head and let out a big yawn. "Arrrrrrrh, well, good night Ash! I'm sure glad that Serena won," she said in a tired voice.

Ash smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I figured she'd win this one. It just took her a few tries to get back in the groove."

Lana was sitting a short distance away on the living room couch. She had her legs pulled up to her chest and was looking at her phone. She was wearing her pale blue pajamas and glanced to the side as Mallow returned from brushing her teeth. The green haired woman was wearing a simple, cream colored nightgown which featured a skirt that barely came down to the middle of her thighs. At the advice of Lana and Mimo, Mallow had acquired the garment in Saffron City so she could have something to wear before going to bed. The two girls had even helped her pick it out.

Mallow's eyes were half-closed and she offered a partial wave at everyone as she walked towards the stairway leading to the second floor.

"Goodnight everyone," she said in a tired voice. "Be sure to tell Serena congratulations…" she added, glancing at Ash.

Ash chuckled and smiled happily. "I will!" he replied.

As Mallow passed by Kiawe, his eyes briefly tracked up her lovely, bare legs and also drank in her mostly exposed cleavage. Mallow's nighttime attire wasn't exactly modest. The man from Alola swallowed tensely and looked away from the alluring sight.

"Goodnight, Mallow!" he croaked out.

Mallow yawned and waved at Kiawe. "Goodnight," she replied.

Mallow padded up the stairs on bare feet and Mimo slowly slunk over to her big brother. The young teen was pleased that her choice of clothing for Mallow had evoked the desired effect. When Mallow had entered her room, the yellow and brown haired girl spoke up.

"You know, most people change into their pajamas when they go to bed!" she began.

Kiawe grunted and glared at his little sister. Mimo grinned and continued.

"Mallow changes out of hers, though, when she hits the sack!" she chirped. "Isn't that funny?!"

Kiawe growled while Lana sniggered. "TIME FOR BED!" the dark skinned man barked.

Lana rose from the couch and joined up with Mimo. The two of them sniggered a few times and headed for the closet where they slept.

"Sweet dreams, Kiawe!" Lana sang.

Mimo grinned. "After seeing her in that nightgown, I'm sure they'll be VERY sweet!" she teased.

Kiawe clinched his fists and the two mischievous girls scurried away, giggling all the while. The closet door shut and the man from Alola let out a weary sigh.

"Well, I'm going to turn in too, Ash," he said in a tired voice.

Ash nodded. "Sounds good," he replied.

Kiawe stood up and took a few steps toward the stairway leading to the second floor. "Are you going to bed?" he asked, glancing back over his shoulder.

Ash grinned in an embarrassed manner. "Not just yet," he replied. "I wanna call Serena first."

Kiawe nodded and smiled. "Well, I hope you have a good chat. Tell her she did a good job!" he said in a happy tone.

"I will," Ash answered.

With that, Kiawe walked upstairs and entered his room. Now alone, Ash sat on the couch, replaying Serena's showcase performance in his mind. He waited for a few minutes before pulling out his phone and dialing her number. He hoped he'd given her enough time to talk to the reporters and collect her things. He listened as the phone rang twice and was answered.

"ASH!" Serena immediately squeaked.

Ash couldn't help but grin. "Hey!" he said in a slow, smooth voice. "Congratulations!"

Serena alternated between laughing and gasping as she struggled to keep her emotions contained. "Yeah, I did it!" she finally managed.

Ash kept smiling. "I hope I didn't interrupt you," he said.

"Oh, no, no!" Serena replied quickly. "I was just leaving the arena. I'm all done here."

Ash settled down into the couch. "You did really great!" he said in a sincere tone. "I told you that you'd win. You just had to keep at it."

There was a brief hesitation before Serena replied in a tense voice. "Yeah… you… said that!" she said awkwardly.

Ash nodded, feeling nothing but warm feelings for Serena. "So, where do you think you'll be going next?"

Serena made an uncertain sounding croak before stammering for a few moments. "Well… uh, there's a showcase in Lagoon Town in a couple of weeks…"

Ash grinned. "And then one more after that!" he said confidently. "Then you can win Kalos Queen!"

"Uhhhhh, yeah!" Serena warbled.

Ash kept nodding and grinning even though Serena couldn't see him. "I know it's a lot of work, Serena, but you're gonna get your shot. I just know you'll reach your dream."

There were several seconds of rasping and stilted breathing as Serena struggled to come up with a reply. Finally, she let out a long, slow sigh and spoke in a disheartened tone.

"Yeah, I'll give it my best shot!" she said, speaking each word as if it pained her greatly.

Ash frowned and furrowed his brow. "Is everything okay?" he asked in a concerned tone.

There was a long pause before Serena answered in a pitchy yet upbeat voice. "Nope, I'm just a bit emotional after tonight!" she chirped. "I've been crying a lot!"

Ash smiled and nodded. "Yeah, we were all a bit tense here, too," he said. "I thought Mallow might faint!"

Serena let out a stilted laugh and Ash joined in. After a few seconds, Serena spoke up in a low and sincere voice.

"I really miss you Ash," she breathed.

Ash nuzzled against his phone and spoke in a sultry voice. "I miss you too!"

For the next several seconds, the only sound was of Serena's shuddering breaths and a few muffled squeaks. She finally spoke up in a warbling tone.

"I…. uh… need to get to the hotel!" she managed. "I've… got a big day tomorrow!"

Ash smiled and nodded. "Well, you get to it!" he said with a laugh. "Have a goodnight sleep!"

There was a pause before Serena replied. "I really wish you were here to keep me warm, Ash!" she warbled.

Ash felt a tingle ripple through his loins at Serena's comment. He sniggered and directed a sneaky tone into the phone. "Well, how about I call you some night this week and we can tell each other all about what we'd do if we were together!"

Serena started to laugh but it quickly devolved into a sob. She gasped for breath, cleared her throat and replied in a ragged tone.

"Yeah, that sounds great," she managed.

Ash smiled. "I love you!" he said in a happy tone.

Serena sniveled a couple of times. "I love you too!" she replied in an emotional tone.

Ash paused a few moments before speaking in a warm voice. "Goodnight, Serena!"

Serena gasped a few ragged breaths. "Goodnight, Ash!" she replied.

Ash briefly hesitated and then he tapped his phone, ending the call.

---

A world away, Serena lowered her phone, leaned her back against the wall of the empty dressing room and started to weep.

---

The next day started slowly for the residents of the Pokémon reserve. The late night carried over to the morning and everyone except Ash and Kiawe were groggy as the day began. In the dining room, Mimo grumbled as she chomped down on a bowl of cereal before sitting listlessly in her chair. Lana mumbled to herself while slowly munching on a piece of toast.

Mallow was more chipper but still yawned a lot while cooking up a simple meal for herself. She hadn't bothered to put on her work clothes and was still wearing her nightgown. As she sat down to groggily eat her steaming bowl of grains and fruit, the left strap of her gown slid off her shoulder and caused her entire dress to droop. Mimo finally perked up and chimed in that her big brother should try and help Mallow with her tasks that day. Kiawe looked over and nearly choked on his breakfast as he saw Mallow's state of undress, which featured everything short of an exposed nipple.

Mimo and Lana giggled and then promptly ran for their lives as the dark skinned man from Alola turned red with rage. Mallow finished her meal, never correcting her gown. Kiawe awkwardly wished her well and the two left without another word.

The rest of the day passed without incident. Work got done, Pokémon were cared for and Mimo only pranked Kiawe once. The chilly winds blew all day and clouds moved in just as the sun was setting. Ash decided to hold a feast in honor of Serena's victory and soon all of them were looking forward to the evening meal. Delia got involved and started cooking a bit early. The Alola crew went down to the Ketchum residence to help her out and soon the house was filled with all sorts of wonderful smells.

As the evening set in, Ash called Serena a couple of times, hoping that she could join them for the feast, via video call. She never answered, however, and he was left puzzled as to what she could be doing. He finally sent her a text and hoped for the best.

---

Mallow used a wire ladle to fish a piece of golden-brown bread out of a bubbling pot of oil. She hummed happily and eyed the morsel with practiced attentiveness. Satisfied that the cooking was complete, she chuckled and set the steaming bread down into a basket lined with paper towels.

"The cakes are ready!" the green haired chef sang. She immediately began fishing out the other dozen pieces of bread, still sizzling in the oil.

Delia stepped up to the stove and sent Mallow an impressed look. "Well, usually I insist on doing the cooking in my own kitchen, but I have to say, you're really talented!"

Mallow laughed and blushed. "Aww, thanks Mrs. Ketchum!" she said bashfully.

Delia chuckled. "Please, call me Delia." Ash's mother looked at the half-dozen meals Mallow had in progress and shook her head ruefully. "I should have invited you over sooner! I can imagine that Ash has been taking full advantage of your cooking."

Mallow laughed some more. "Yes, he sure does have an appetite!"

While Mallow attended to her cooking and Delia made small talk, Kiawe rounded the corner and hesitated before stepping into the kitchen. He inhaled a tense breath and spoke in as casual a voice as he could manage.

"So, Mallow, have you given any thought to if you'll be heading back to Alola with Lana and Mimo?"

As Kiawe spoke these words, Lana and Mimo leaned around the corner and watched the conversation with sneaky excitement.

Mallow frowned briefly before putting on a sympathetic expression. "Well, I'm pretty sure I'll be going back with them," she replied in an apologetic tone.

Kiawe did his best to hide his disappointment. "Oh, uh, I thought you'd said that since Serena wasn't coming back you were gonna stay for a little while longer."

Regret and confliction pulled at Mallow's features. "Yeah, I know, and I would stay, but…" Mallow let out a sigh before she continued. "It's just that Lillie really needs some help dealing with the Ultra Beasts. Plus, there's my restaurant. I know my brother can run things, but I really need to get back there and help."

Kiawe's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Oh, uh, well, if you really need to get back to Alola…" his voice trailed off.

At this, Lana and Mimo made a series of disgusted faces and started gesturing and sneering for Kiawe to say something. He glanced back at them, gritted his teeth in annoyance and shook his head. The girls continued for a second longer until Delia sent them a vicious glare and placed her hands on her hips.

Kiawe cleared his throat and did his best to appear confident. "Well, I'm going to stay here and help Ash for as long as he needs it!" he said.

Mallow smiled warmly. "You sure are a good friend to Ash, Kiawe!" she said sweetly.

Kiawe smiled and his lips trembled as thoughts raced through his mind. He briefly opened his mouth to speak, closed it and then opened it again.

"Uh, well, I sure hope you have a safe trip back to Alola!" he squawked.

Mallow smiled in reply while Mimo and Lana slapped hands over their faces in disbelief. The two eavesdroppers slunk away, muttering about what a dweeb Kiawe was.

A few minutes later, Mallow had stuffed the fried cakes into a basket wrapped with a towel. She had Kiawe carry a casserole and Lana hold a tray of cheesy potatoes. Delia was still in the kitchen working on a final dish when the group from Alola wished her well and headed for the door. They planned to have their feast up at the Pokémon reserve and they were eager to get there.

As they slipped out the door, steam started to rise from the various dishes. The air was chilly and all of them shivered and grimaced in the winter evening. They stepped away from the Ketchum household and Mimo suddenly gasped and looked up at the overcast sky.

"Hey! It's snowing!" she shouted with amazement.

The other three all looked up and saw there were tiny flakes of white snow slowly drifting down to the ground. It was hardly a snowstorm, but Mimo giggled and laughed happily.

"WOW! I've never seen it snow before!" she sang, skipping along the path.

Kiawe frowned and spoke in a puzzled tone. "But you've been up mount Lanakila before. You've seen snow there."

Mimo giggled some more. "Yeah, but never down in a place where people live!" She looked up at the sky and chortled as some flakes landed on her face.

Mallow pulled her arms in close to her body and whined as she shivered. "Well, how about let's get moving," she urged. "You can look at the snow later." As she spoke, puffs of mist billowed from her mouth.

Mimo laughed and dashed ahead, swerving from one side of the road to the other as she enjoyed the snowfall. It wasn't long before they reached the front door of the main building. They let themselves in and were immediately greeted by Ash. Mallow set the trays on the kitchen table and quickly set to work on a couple of dessert dishes.

Ash stared with hungry eyes at the prepared meal before Lana started up a conversation with him. She told him of her, Mimo and Mallow's plans to return to Alola. Ash was sorry to hear of their imminent departure and he thanked them profusely for all the help they had rendered.

While Ash and Lana conversed, Mimo sauntered up to her big brother and prodded him to have another little chat with Mallow. The green haired girl was engrossed with a tray of pastries and completely oblivious to the harsh whispers and bitter language which flew back and forth between Mimo and Kiawe. Finally, after several exchanges and a couple attacks on his manliness, Kiawe turned toward Mallow and swallowed tensely. He stepped up behind the girl of his dreams and opened his mouth to speak.

"Hey, Mallow‑"

Mallow gasped in surprise and looked over her shoulder. "Oh, Kiawe!" she exclaimed.

Kiawe smiled tensely. "Uh, yeah…. I‑"

Mallow turned the tray of pastries around. "Could you hand me that bowl of glaze," she asked in a sweet voice.

Kiawe froze and pursed his lips. "Uh, sure," he mumbled. He passed Mallow the bowl and opened his mouth again. "So, I was wondering‑"

At that moment, there were a series of knocks on the front door. Mallow gasped and looked in the direction of the entrance.

"OH! That's Delia! I bet she's carrying that tray and can't open the door!"

Mimo groaned, Kiawe appeared deflated and Ash quickly turned and strode for the door. "I'll get it!" he called out.

Ash stepped lively around the corner and reached the front door. He grinned and yanked the door open, eager to have his mother join them with more of her delicious cooking.

"Hey, mom! It's‑‑‑‑"

Ash froze as the female eyes staring back at him were not amber but blue. Wrapped in a stylish red trench coat, topped with a cute, pink wool cap, was Serena! She stood with her mouth half open and an expression which split the difference between anxious and eager. Small flakes of snow were falling all around her, glimmering faintly in the dim light. She folded her red-gloved hands in front of her and blew out a big puff of misty air.

"Hey, Ash," she breathed in a soft, hesitant voice. "Remember me?"

---

18 Hours Earlier

The door swung open and I pranced into the hotel room alongside Delphox and Pancham. All of us were still celebrating Serena's awesome victory which put her one step closer to achieving her dream. Pancham was happy, Delphox was happy, Serena was happy and I was happy. It was like old times, once again.

Serena traipsed through the door, looking tired but content. She pushed the door shut and let out a big sigh. She kicked off her dress shoes and sagged a little as she let out another sigh. All three of us came to a stop and looked toward her with eager expressions. She saw our attention and smiled kindly back at us.

"Hey, you all did so great!" she said in a tired yet sincere voice.

We chirped a few happy replies and Serena took a step toward us. She first leaned toward Delphox and wrapped her arms around her in a loving hug.

"I'm so proud of you!" Serena whispered.

Delphox smiled and hugged her back. After a few seconds, Serena let go of the fire type and moved to Pancham. She picked up the tiny panda and cuddled him against her chest.

"Thanks a lot!" she said warmly, gently hugging him.

Pancham replied with happy cries and smiling eyes. He hugged Serena back and nuzzled against her face. The embrace lasted for a few seconds until Serena set Pancham down and turned to me. She stepped over and bent down so she could wrap her arms around my neck.

"You really nailed that final move!" she said in a grateful tone.

I smiled and let out a series joyful cries. I felt so happy and I reached out with my ribbons to intertwine with Serena's feelings. I wanted to share in her joy of success. I wrapped my ribbons around both of Serena's arms and immediately felt….. sadness, loneliness, conflict, distress and agony!

The wave of negative emotions was so intense and contrary to what I was expecting that I nearly recoiled away from her. My expression fell and I pulled back a little so I could look at my trainer's face.

Even though Serena was smiling, now that I looked closer at her face, I saw the lines of tension surrounding her eyes. I saw a tiny tremble in her lips and a small furrowing of her brow. Serena wasn't happy in the slightest. She was putting on an act!

Serena let go of me and straightened up. She let out another sigh and smiled at all of us. Delphox and Pancham smiled back. This time, however, I didn't join them.

"Well, one down; two to go!" she said, her voice briefly warbling. She reached into her handbag and pulled out the princess key she'd been awarded. She looked at the finely crafted symbol of her showcase victory and smiled faintly. "We worked really hard to earn this…" she said, her voice suddenly cracking. She paused and swallowed before gasping in a breath and continuing. "Isn't it great?!"

Delphox let out a soft pip of puzzlement at Serena's behavior. I looked over at the fire fox and whispered to her that Serena wasn't happy at having won. Delphox's eyes widened and Pancham appeared surprised. I elaborated that Serena had expected to lose and she was sad that she wasn't heading home. Delphox's face fell and she nodded in solemn agreement. After a pause, she mentioned that, the previous day, Serena had purchased a plane ticket back to Kanto. I was surprised to hear this and Delphox said that Serena had tried to keep it a secret from the three of us but the fire type had seen the ticket in Serena's suitcase when she'd been changing clothes.

Pancham's shoulders sagged and he expressed what all of us were feeling. The victory we'd won just didn't feel as uplifting now that we knew how unhappy Serena felt.

"Hey, why the long faces?" Serena spoke up, looking at all of us.

We all glanced up at her and let out tentative replies. Serena clutched the princess key in her hands and huffed before continuing.

"I know this was tough, but we've got to get ready for our next showcase in Lagoon Town," she warbled. "It's only two weeks away, so we've got a lot of practice to do." Serena froze for a moment and her lips trembled. "I know we're all tired and we've been away from home for a long time…." as she spoke, her eyes started to shimmer with tears, "but… we've got to keep going!"

I glanced at Delphox and she glanced at me. Neither of us knew what to do. Guilt started to creep into my heart. Serena was doing all of this for us. Her heart was breaking so that she could keep the promise she'd made to us.

Serena let out a feminine grunt and wiped at her eyes. She sighed and gasped in a breath as her face glistened with wetness.

"We're not going to quit now!"

Pancham idly swung his arms and looked at the ground, unable to meet Serena's gaze. I struggled to keep from crying. I understood all too well the sadness and loneliness Serena was experiencing. What could we do, though? It was our job to help Serena become Kalos Queen. We had to help her achieve her dream. I let out a faint whine as my own heart ached from the conflict raging inside me. A few seconds later, Delphox spoke up and Serena looked over at her first Pokémon.

"What is it, Delphox?" Serena asked.

The fire fox was standing to the side where Serena's luggage was. She had a tense expression on her face and stepped forward to Serena. Delphox hesitated before stretching her arms forward, offering Serena the plane ticket she'd purchased.

Long seconds passed as Serena looked at the ticket with a blank expression. Her lips trembled again and she awkwardly took the ticket from Delphox.

"Uhh, I thought we were going to lose again…" Serena said in a voice which was barely a whisper. "I thought I'd forgotten how to perform and I was ready to go… back home…" A tear rolled down from her right eye and she pursed her lips as she struggled to continue. Abruptly, she forced a smiled and shrugged her shoulders in a dismissive manner. "But, that's not the case now! We can keep going!" she said in an upbeat tone.

Serena grabbed the ticket with both her hands and arranged her fingers so she could tear it in half. "We don't need this anymore!" she said with faux excitement.

I squeaked in dismay and Pancham moaned in unhappiness. Delphox, however, quickly reached across and gripped hold of Serena's hands, staying her action.

Serena grunted in surprise and my jaw fell open in shock. Delphox, the one who'd gotten this whole Kalos trip started; the one who Serena had made the promise to reach Kalos Queen with; the one who loved performing the most, had just stopped Serena from destroying her ticket out of Kalos.

"Uhhhhhh," Serena stammered, not sure what to say.

With a solemn expression on her face, Delphox picked up Serena's phone and tapped it so the screen lit up. The display showed a picture of Ash sitting on the front steps on the main building, smiling and looking happy. Delphox chirped and held the phone out to Serena. The golden haired woman took the phone and another tear rolled down her face. She swallowed, cleared her throat and set the phone aside.

"Look, yeah, I miss Ash," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "But, I'm not going to quit just because things are tough!"

Pancham looked up at Serena and made several impassioned shouts while pointing at the phone. Serena glanced at her small partner and at the phone before shaking her head.

"No!" she said sharply. "I'm not going to give up just because I miss Ash." She clinched her hands into fists and put on as determined an expression as she could manage. "After all, he says 'don't give up until it's over!' What would he say if I just quit?!"

Conflict raged inside me. I knew Serena wanted to keep her promise to us and become Kalos Queen. I also knew she missed Ash in the worst way and she desperately wanted to go back home to him. I wanted to support her, but what was the correct decision?! Either one would leave Serena heartbroken! To my amazement, Delphox piped up and started speaking slowly and deliberately so Serena might understand her. She spoke of how Serena should follow her heart and not feel bound to silly promises they'd made when they'd been younger.

Serena stared intently at Delphox, clearly struggling to make sense of her Pokémon's words. Finally, Serena shook her head and let out a troubled gasp.

"NO! We can't just quit!" she wailed. Serena reached behind Delphox and grabbed the ribbon-wrapped stick which was always just behind her back. "Remember the promise we made over this stick!" Serena said in an insistent tone. "I'm not going to break that promise!"

Delphox took hold of the stick and shook her head while crying out a rebuke of Serena. I saw a little anger and frustration creep into our trainer's expression. This clearly wasn't going the way she'd expected.

"We all knew this was going to be hard," Serena choked out. Tears were running down her face and she was barely holding it together. "This isn't the Hoenn circuit. We're going up against the best in the world! We can't just give up if we get really lonely!"

I'd finally had enough! What good was a title or trophy if you broke your heart in the process of getting it?! I let out a cry and used my ribbons to tear off one of the elegant jewels attached to my back. I threw it to the ground in a gesture of defiance.

Serena stared at me with wide eyes and I hoped that I hadn't just shattered our relationship! A second passed and her face twisted up into a look of befuddlement.

"What‑" she stammered. "Don't you‑"

Pancham suddenly cried out and yanked off his sunglasses. He threw them to the ground and folded his arms. Delphox followed suit by reaching up and yanking free one of her decorative bows.

Serena gasped in a dismayed breath and spoke in a shaky voice. "Stop that!"

All three of us glanced at each other and then immediately started tearing off more decorations. We squeaked in defiance and sometimes in pain as the adornments occasionally pulled at our fur as we ripped them free. Serena made a few protestations and animated gestures but soon she was simply standing idly with tears streaming from her eyes.

Delphox tossed a final jewel to the floor and all of us stopped. Silence hung in the air, interrupted only by the sound of Serena sniffing back tears. She glanced at all of us before speaking in a cracking, emotional voice.

"So, you all really want to go home?!" she blubbered.

Without hesitation, we all nodded and chirped our agreement. A small flinch rippled though Serena's body and she sobbed once before stepping forward. The princess key fell from her fingers and thudded to the floor. She knelt down and wrapped her arms around all of us. She pulled us close and buried her face in our bodies. Her chest heaved as she wept and we all nuzzled against her, expressing as much love as we could. After a fair amount of time, she pulled away and looked at us with red, glistening eyes.

"Okay, let's go home!" she breathed.

---

18 Hours Later

Ash stood frozen in place as another puff of mist billowed from Serena's mouth. He finally blinked and sent an uncertain gesture at his secret wife.

"Uhh!" he stammered.

Serena gasped and sobbed once before stepping forward into the doorway. Ash immediately reached up to grasp her sides and a moment later they pressed together and wrapped their arms around each other. Serena clutched at Ash's back as tears flowed from her eyes. She took a few shuddering breaths and nuzzled against his neck.

Ash hugged his girl and pressed his nose into Serena's golden hair. He took in a large breath and felt warm emotions blossom inside his chest as he inhaled her lovely scent. There wasn't any perfume, shampoo or other fragrances. It was all Serena and he loved it.

Ash sighed as happiness washed over him. He rubbed his hands over Serena's back, feeling her slender frame beneath her coat. He bent his head down and felt his lips brush against her cold cheek. Serena softly grunted and looked up at him. He stared into her blue eyes and she into his brown ones. A second ticked by and they pressed their lips together.

They'd shared many kisses over the years, but this one seemed special. It was full of longing, desperation and passion. Their lips buzzed with sweet intensity and they worked their mouths once before both of them gasped in a breath and pulled apart. Neither of them quite knew what to do. They stared at each other again and Ash's brain finally caught up to reality.

"Serena," he whispered. "What about Kal‑"

Serena immediately brought up her right hand and pressed her pointer finger against his lips, silencing him. "Shhhh!" she breathed in a soft, emotional voice. "I'll tell you later." She sighed and nuzzled against him again. "I just wanna be with you right now!"

Ash hesitated for a moment before smiling subtly and pulling her close. "Okay," he whispered in a kind voice. He brushed his nose against hers. They looked into each other's eyes again and…..

"OOPS!" Mallow squeaked from beside them.

Ash and Serena turned their heads to look at the almond skinned girl who was quickly turning a shade of deep red. Mallow's eyes were wide with embarrassed distress and she awkwardly pointed back the way she'd come while taking a sliding step in that direction.

"I…. uh!" she stammered, "thought… Ash's mom…. with the food…"

Serena chuckled and blushed slightly. "Hi!" she said sheepishly.

Ash chuckled as well and pulled away from Serena so Mallow could see his girl's entire form. "Uh, this is Serena, Mallow!" he said with some embarrassment.

A red-faced Mallow tensely tapped the fingers of her hands together and pressed her lips into a tight smile. "Uhh, Ash's girlfriend, right?!" she squeaked.

Serena briefly glanced at Ash and smiled while nodding. "Yeah!" she replied eagerly.

Mallow nervously pursed her lips before gesturing further inside the main building. "We've got lots of food, if you're hungry….." she managed.

Ash and Serena exchanged embarrassed glances before the girl from Kalos stepped forward and spoke in a gracious tone. "Thanks, Mallow! That sounds great!"

Mallow chuckled anxiously and stepped to the side so they could pass. The trio got a few steps beyond the entryway before Lana came into view. The blue haired girl's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"UHHHHH!" Lana uttered as she stopped in her tracks. A moment later, Mimo leaned around a corner and gasped out her own reply.

"Holy, fridge!" she exclaimed.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Kiawe barked indignantly from the other room.

Mimo frowned and shouted back. "Not the word you're thinking of!" she said sharply.

Kiawe stepped around the corner looking steamed. A second later he saw Serena and his demeanor instantly changed. He suddenly appeared embarrassed and stood awkwardly behind his little sister working his mouth in an effort to find words.

Serena glanced at the three dumbstruck people in front of her and chuckled before casting a sidelong look at Ash. "Did you bring everyone from Alola, here?" she joked.

Ash chuckled and stepped forward. "Hey, uh, everyone," he began awkwardly. "This is‑"

"Serena!" Mimo said smartly. The brown and yellow haired girl was now grinning broadly and practically rubbing her hands together. "Why'd you come back?!" she asked bluntly.

Serena half sighed and half laughed. "Long story," she said with some tiredness. "It was time for me to come home."

Lana nodded and smiled kindly. "Well, alola!" she said in a happy tone. "Welcome home!"

Serena giggled and nodded in reply. "Thank you," she said kindly.

Kiawe regained his composure and sent Serena a friendly smile. "Glad you could make it!" he said.

Mimo continued to grin. "Yeah, this is really great!" she sang.

Serena nodded to both of Ash's friend and thanked them in-turn. Ash chuckled and stepped forward while gesturing at Lana.

"So, Serena, this is‑"

Serena quickly held up a hand and stopped Ash midsentence. "Hold on! I think I can remember!" she said playfully. "You only told me about them a hundred times."

Ash raised an eyebrow and smiled. Serena furrowed her brow, took a breath and looked at Kiawe.

"You're Kiawe!" she said smartly.

Kiawe nodded and smiled. "That's right!" he replied.

Serena looked at Lana and her confidence immediately foundered. "Uhhhh," she said while looking at the blue haired girl. "Lillie?" she finally said.

Lana chuckled kindly. "Lana!" she replied in an amused voice.

Serena grunted in annoyance. "Right, the other 'L' name!" she mumbled.

Lana chuckled again. "It's fine. People get us mixed up all the time," she said with smiling eyes.

Kiawe frowned. "No they don't!" he mumbled.

Mimo instantly elbowed her brother in the ribs, silencing his critique of Lana's graceful reply.

Serena turned toward Mimo and her face immediately scrunched up in concentration. Mimo looked up eagerly at Serena while the golden haired girl thought. A few seconds later, Serena sighed and shrugged her shoulders in defeat.

"I don't know," she said in a regretful tone.

Mimo's posture instantly became a slouch and her expression sour. "Mimo!" she muttered unhappily.

Serena sent Mimo an apologetic smile. A moment later, Lana stepped forward and held out her arms for a hug.

"Glad to finally meet you, Serena!" she said.

Serena's lips trembled as emotions surged within her. She held out her arms, welcoming Lana. "Glad to meet you, too!" she said emotionally, sniffing back some tears. The two girls hugged and a moment later Mimo joined in.

"Glad to meet you, too!" Kiawe's little sister chirped.

Serena chuckled and soon was amongst all four of the Alola crew. She laughed, she smiled and she wiped at her eyes as tears of joy constantly flowed. Ash stood a little to the side, smiling broadly and occasionally chiming in with a wry comment.

The happy reunion continued for several minutes until the noise of the front door opening sounded. A moment later, Delia stepped into view, carrying a foil-covered tray.

"Mallow I hope you've got some‑" Ash's mother began. Her gaze then found Serena and her eyes widened in total surprise. The auburn haired woman gasped in amazement and the tray slipped from her fingers, plummeting toward the floor.

Time seemed to slow as the carefully prepared meal fell toward its doom. Serena gasped, Ash cried out in horror and Delia let out a dismayed shout. The tray reached the floor… and landed softly. Everyone stared in utter puzzlement at the somehow unharmed meal. A moment later, the tray of food started to rise into the air. A moment after that, the grinning form of Gengar rose through the floorboards, neatly holding the tray above its head.

Ash smiled broadly and let out a belly laugh. "Hey, great job, Gengar!" he said.

The ghost type laughed and clutched at its stomach as it enjoyed the moment. Ash's Pokémon handed the tray back to Delia who quickly carried it into the kitchen and set it down. Mallow stepped over and examined the feast.

"Okay, it looks like we're all ready!" she said excitedly.

Ash happily thrust both his fists in the air. "Yeah, let's eat!"

Serena laughed, Delia shook her head and everyone else chuckled. A minute later, all of them were in the kitchen, shoveling food onto plates and taking turns talking to a tired but overjoyed Serena.

---

The night was deep and snow was steadily falling as I dashed here-and-there, across the reserve. Most of the Pokémon had snuggled into their shelters for the night and an eerie silence hung in the air. There was only the quiet hush of cold air moving and the tiny tics which sounded as flakes of snow fell to earth.

I skidded to a stop at the top of a ridge and heard the warbling cry of a Vanillite as it wandered nearby. Part of me felt elated, knowing that Glaceon would likely be out, enjoying this weather. Another part of me felt dread.

I didn't know how he would react to my return. I'd been pulled away before getting to say goodbye to him. I'd been gone so long. Would he still have feelings for me? Would he hold a grudge over the way I'd left? I tried to cry out for him but my voice caught in my throat. I was too scared!

I started running again, feeling my tears chilling my face as air rushed by. I simply had to find him tonight! It didn't matter how long I had to search!

I checked in the caves near the rock Pokémon area. I skirted the large pond in the water Pokémon area. I poked my head into the ice tunnel which ran under the large hillside. My love was nowhere to be found.

I padded to a stop in the middle of one of the grassy fields. My legs shook and my body felt so heavy. It wasn't the cold which weighed me down, though, it was sadness. I sobbed once and bemoaned how unfair life was. Everyone else had gotten their happiness, why couldn't I?!

Far above, the clouds shifted and the moon began to shine through a gap in the cover. It cast a beautiful, bluish glow across the snow-specked terrain. The air seemed to shimmer as did the bare trees and rocks. The sight was so amazing. I wished my love could be there to see it with me. We'd spent so many nights together staring up at the moon…..

I gasped and instantly felt strength return to my legs. I knew where he was! Quick as a Pikachu, I ran into the forest and made tracks for the small clearing near its center. My heart pounded and my lungs hurt as I gulped in the freezing air. A few moments later, I burst out of the leafless brambles and landed on the soft grass of the clearing!

I was breathing hard and large puffs of mist billowed in the air. A short distance in front of me was the adorable, blue form of my love! He was curled up on a patch of ice he'd no doubt made himself. He was looking up at the moon with an expression of longing on his face. He blinked at my disturbance and turned to look at me!

My heart seemed to stop as our eyes met. I saw him blink twice more and his mouth partially fall open. Small flakes of snow were floating in the glowing air. The moon beams shown down all around me and I tentatively stepped forward, my ribbons fluttering in the gentle breeze. I took a breath and whispered the quietest of apologies for how I'd left him.

My love flinched at my words. He rose to his feet and started to say something. I spoke before he could get out more than a word. I started to explain everything but my throat filled with tears. I began to blubber and I looked down at the ground in shame as words failed me. I felt so ashamed.

A moment later, the feet of my love padded into view, right in front of me. I hesitated before looking up at him, afraid of what his expression might be. With tears blurring my vision, I looked at my love and saw he was smiling at me!

I reached out with one of my ribbons and touched his shoulder. Instantly, warmth, joy, happiness and love flooded through me like a raging river! My knees nearly buckled from elation and from my indescribable gratitude for my love! He'd missed me just as much as I'd missed him! He leaned forward and nuzzled against my face. Tears of joy flowed from both our eyes, freezing into tiny, little, ice crystals as they fell to the ground.

---

The celebration party, turned welcome home party, went on for hours and hours. Serena recounted many stories from Kalos, deftly avoiding her scattered memories of one ill-fated night, out with her friends. Kiawe told Serena about some of the additions he'd made to the reserve. Mimo took every opportunity to inject Mallow into the conversation and the green haired girl laughed and waved her hand dismissively on more than one occasion.

Delia stole a moment to have a brief, serious exchange with Serena about her unexpected return. Afterward, Ash's mother struggled to keep herself from beaming and blushing.

Lana and Mallow found that they had a few things in common with Serena. Lana liked performance and having her Pokémon do beautiful moves while Mallow loved cooking. All three girls giggled as they spoke and were soon the best of friends.

Lana also took the chance to ask Serena if the men in Kalos were as hot as she'd heard. With some blushing and awkwardness, Serena said that some of them were certainly suave. She mentioned Lisia's boyfriend Raoul and Mimo suddenly popped up in the midst of them like a Diglett surfacing from the ground.

Serena quickly discovered that Kiawe's little sister was quite the character and didn't mind asking overly personal questions, especially when the subject matter was boys and sex. Somehow, Mallow got dragged into the conversation and Serena found herself awkwardly talking about her relationship with Ash to an equally uncomfortable Mallow.

As the night wore on, the gathering moved into the living room and they sprawled out on the couch and chairs, swapping stories and munching on snacks as time ticked by. News of Serena's arrival had spread throughout the reserve and Pokémon periodically arrived to deliver their happy greetings. Serena smiled and thanked them graciously, equally happy to finally be home.

At one point, Kiawe started reciting to Ash a recent story from Alola. Serena looked on, not fully understanding all the people involved as she'd never been to Alola, but that didn't matter for her. She simply loved watching her Ash and his reactions. She stared at him with shimmering eyes and a subtle, hungry expression.

Sitting next to Lana, Mimo looked across the room and took note of Serena's expression and focus on Ash. A sneaky grin spread across the teenager's face and she glanced at Ash before leaning toward Lana.

"Looks like someone is gonna get laid tonight!" she said in an excited whisper.

Both girls covered their mouths to keep from giggling. They turned red and looked at Serena and then Ash. Mischievous sniggers sounded from them and they practically rubbed their hands together in anticipation.

More time passed and Delia excused herself from the gathering. She said it was getting to be her bedtime and she needed to turn in. As she went to leave, she cast an excited look at Serena and both women blushed slightly, struggling mightily to suppress bashful smiles.

A short time later, Mimo and Lana saw Serena once again staring at Ash and decided it was time for all of them to leave as well. They first subtly and then not so subtly encouraged Mallow and Kiawe to wrap up their time with Ash and Serena. Soon, the four friends were at the door, wishing Ash and Serena goodbye. The Alola crew finally left with Mimo being the last to slip out the door after announcing that she hoped that Ash and Serena had a 'fun' time together.

The door shut and Ash and Serena were finally alone. Ash blew out a breath and Serena sighed while her shoulders slumped. The man from Pallet Town looked at his secret wife and sent her a warm smile.

"Tired?" he asked.

Serena reached up and pulled at her long, golden locks so they were in cute bundles to either side of her face. "It was a long flight," she exhaled.

Ash grinned and reached a hand over, behind Serena's back. Serena smiled subtly and leaned into her man. He gently gripped her side and guided her away from the door, into the living room. They swayed against each other, sighing happily and enjoying the other's presence. They came to a stop and turned to face each other.

Ash reached up and rested his arms on Serena's shoulders. Serena sniggered while smiling happily. She reached up with her hands and gently took hold of her man's extended forearms, letting her arms hang loosely below them. They stared into each other's eyes for long moments before Ash finally spoke.

"So….." he began slowly. "Are you just taking a quick stop here, before heading back to Kalos?"

Serena smiled wistfully and stared into Ash's eyes as she formed a reply. "No, I'm here to stay," she said in an emotional and sincere voice.

Ash partially frowned and pursed his lips. He hesitated a moment before replying.

"But, you just won your first showcase?"

Serena nodded. "Yeah…" she breathed, her voice sounding distant. "And after I won, I'd never felt so unhappy," she said, her voice cracking.

Ash cocked his head to the side, clearly puzzled. Serena forced a smile and continued.

"I know you really want me to pursue my dreams, Ash, but… my dream isn't to do showcases or be Kalos Queen anymore. I just want to be here, with you!"

Serena stared at Ash and she saw disappointment cross his features. She also saw him do his best to try and hide it. She felt warmth bloom inside her chest as she watched her man trying to be as supportive as possible. She smiled and spoke in a kind, loving voice.

"I'm still going to do little performances and things like that," she said. "I'm just done with the big competitions."

At this, Ash's expression brightened. "Oh, good," he responded. "Cause you're really good at performing. I was hoping you wouldn't stop."

Serena smiled and nodded. She leaned a little closer and continued staring into her man's glimmering, brown eyes.

"Of course I wouldn't stop," she said playfully. "I know how much you love watching me perform."

Ash sniggered and leaned closer. "I really do love watching you perform," he whispered.

Serena chewed on the tip of her tongue and sniggered. She tried to form words, but all she could do was giggle as their faces moved closer and closer together. Finally, their noses brushed together and then their lips pressed against each other. Both of them hummed in enjoyment, savoring the kiss. A moment later, they pulled apart, looked at each other and adjusted their arms.

Serena slid her hands around Ash's back while he reached up with one hand and held the back of her head. Ash dropped his other hand to Serena's waist and pulled her close. Their bodies pressed together, and a moment later, their lips followed suit.

This kiss was much deeper and wetter than any of the previous ones that night. Their lips smacked, their tongues began to explore and their mouths worked as they savored flavors they had missed for so long.

A dozen seconds into the kiss, Serena started to subtly push Ash toward the couch. He gladly went along with her and the two of them slowly swayed and shuffled toward the beat-up old piece of furniture which had played host to so many of their romantic moments. Ash's calves bumped into the base of the couch and Serena pulled away from him. She giggled once and gave him a small push so he was forced to sit down on the cushions. He looked up at her with loving eyes and she stared back with excitement and desire!

Serena moved forward and lifted her legs so she could kneel on the couch, with her legs straddling Ash's. She settled atop him and let her lower half rest on his thighs. She grinned, reached forward with her arms and wrapped them behind his neck. She let out a happy sigh and spoke in a soft, loving tone.

"I'm really glad to be back!" she breathed. A moment later she pressed her lips against Ash's and the kiss began again.

This time, the kiss went on and on and on. Both of them worked their mouths and moved their bodies. Ash ran his hands up and down Serena's sides. He teased the areas below her breasts and occasionally caressed her butt. Serena ran her hands through Ash's black hair and playfully squeezed his muscular shoulders.

As the seconds ticked by, Serena started to gradually scoot herself forward so her lower half moved closer and closer to Ash's crotch! Finally, Serena wrapped her arms around Ash's shoulders in a delightful hug and pulled her body against his! Both of them hummed in intense enjoyment as their loins pressed together and hot sparks erupted from lower halves. Serena gasped and groaned as she felt the firmness of her man's excitement inside his pants! She rolled her hips and shuddered as her womanly parts sizzled in ways she'd missed so, so much!

The kissing, humping and moaning went on for the better part of a minute. Finally, Serena delivered a small, playful kiss and pulled back from Ash. Her face and neck were flushed a deep red and her body felt like it was on fire. She looked into her man's eyes and whispered mysteriously.

"Just a second. I need to go get something."

Ash was at a loss as the woman he loved suddenly got up and stepped around the couch. Without another word, she headed into the laundry room and disappeared from sight. He sat on the couch, wondering what in the world Serena was up to. A minute went by and Ash looked over his shoulder. He considered sneaking over to the laundry room and surprising Serena but he decided against it. She was planning something and he wanted to see what it was.

A few moments later, he heard the padding of bare feet and saw Serena's head lean around the corner of the doorway. She was grinning excitedly and her eyes sparkled with energy.

"Okay, close your eyes!" she shouted playfully.

Ash started to snigger as excitement grew inside him. What was Serena up to?! He closed his eyes and turned around so he was facing forward.

"Don't peek!" Serena added with tease in her tone.

Ash sniggered some more. "Okay," he chuckled. He heard Serena giggle and then heard her bare feet padding toward him, across the floor. His heart rate started to increase as anticipation built within him.

It seemed to take forever for Serena's footsteps to reach him. He heard her approach the couch and walk so she was in front of him. He desperately wanted to open his eyes; mainly to see what she was doing, but also to make sure she wasn't about to spring some prank on him. After all, she could be sneaky at times.

Serena blew out a tense breath and spoke in an energetic voice. "Okay, open your eyes!" she sang.

Ash immediately did so and instantly grinned as the girl he loved filled his view. Serena was standing a couple of steps in front of the couch. Ash's eyes widened a bit more as he saw that Serena now had a white, fluffy towel wrapped around her torso and upper thighs. The world's greatest Pokémon trainer was puzzled and intrigued for a moment….. and then he saw that Serena's neck and shoulders were bare!

Ash's jaw fell partially open as he suddenly realized that in addition to discarding her shoes, Serena had also clearly cast aside her tights, skirt and shirt as well. All of those garments would have peeked out from the towel and they were nowhere in sight! Drool started to flow within Ash's mouth as his eyes tracked up and down Serena's lovely, sun-kissed legs.

Serena grinned from ear-to-ear. Her hands were up at her chest, holding the towel closed. She chewed on the tip of her tongue as she watched Ash's reaction. A moment later, she spoke up in a sultry voice.

"I wanted to change into something a bit less restraining." She swayed side-to-side and undulated her body in a seductive manner. "I was cooped up on that plane for a long time."

"Uh, huh!" Ash mumbled as his eyes fixed on Serena's towel-covered hips. How much of her clothing had she taken off?!

Serena continued grinning and stepped forward. She leaned toward Ash and purposefully let the towel loosen so more of her chest was revealed. The man from Kanto found that his eyes were irresistibly drawn to the alluring skin directly below Serena's neck. Was there anything under the towel?!

Serena hummed erotically and straightened back up. Ash grinned and started to rise to his feet, eager to get involved with his woman. Serena's eyes flashed with glee and she immediately lifted her right leg and used her foot to shove him back down.

"Just a second, Ash," she said in a teasing tone. "I've still got a show to put on!"

Ash's heart was absolutely pounding at this point. He settled down into the couch and stared at the woman he loved.

Serena stepped back and expertly twirled around so he could see all of her. She sent her man a look which dripped with sex before seductively sashaying her shoulders at him. She savored his expression and she turned her back to him. The woman from Kalos was completely flushed red and couldn't quite believe she was about to do this. It had been on her mind ever since Miette had taken her to that strip club. With a small squeak, she blew out a nervous breath and began!

"So, Ash, did you miss me while I was gone?!" Serena teased as she started to rock her hips from side-to-side.

Ash simply chuckled and didn't reply. Serena looked over her shoulder and added a bit more sway into her legs and lower half. She pulled the towel tight so every curve of her feminine form was on display. She then rolled her hips and wiggled her butt for Ash's viewing pleasure.

"I sure missed you," she breathed.

Ash continued to chuckle. "Yeah!" he croaked.

Serena hummed and turned around. She used her left hand to keep the towel clasped together and reached down with her right hand. She slipped her fingers in between the towel halves just below her crotch and caressed the inside of her thighs while continuing to sway side-to-side. She bit her lip as she watched Ash's eyes desperately trying to catch a look at her nether regions. She made sure to only tease, though, and not actually show him anything.

"I really love putting on shows, Ash!" she said in a sweet, voice.

Ash squirmed on the couch, clearing struggling to remain seated as the woman he loved teased him like never before.

Serena let her gaze linger on the bulge in Ash's pants before she spun back around and faced away from him. She swayed and undulated her body like before, adding a little extra movement into her hips.

"Do you like my shows, Ash?!" she asked in a teasing tone.

"YEAH!" he replied without hesitation.

Serena wiggled her shoulders and then suddenly extended both her arms out to the side! She kept the towel grasped in her hands so the white fabric extended outward like a curtain, keeping her upper thighs and back covered. Her front, however, was completely exposed!

Ash's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as incredibly erotic and sensual images flashed through his imagination! He felt a certain measure of jealousy for the reclining chair in front of Serena. It was currently taking in an unobstructed view of her succulent body! How he wished he was there instead of where he was!

Serena continued to sway side-to-side. She made sure to press her butt against the towel so Ash could see the outline of her body in the fabric. After a few more sensual movements, she pulled her arms in and wrapped the towel tightly around her body. Serena spun back around, her smile flashing and her eyes gleaming.

Ash was practically panting with excitement. "So, what brought this on?!" he asked in a befuddled tone.

Serena licked her lips. "I've been working on a new routine," she deadpanned. "I wanted to give you a sneak peek!"

Ash didn't have a reply. Serena pressed her lips into a tight smile and slowly turned away from Ash while continuing to wiggle and waggle her body. She loosened her grip on the towel and the white fabric started to slip down her torso. Ash's eyes were fixed on Serena's rolling shoulders as more and more of her lovely flesh began to come into view! There was no sign of clothing yet! Was Serena about to show him something amazing?!

Serena glanced over her shoulder and winked at Ash. Without warning, she extended her arms and flicked her wrist, sending the towel flying toward him! Ash caught only the briefest of glances at Serena's uncovered body before the fluffy, white fabric descended on his head like a net. This was, without a doubt, the best night of his life! He clawed at the towel, frantic to toss it aside. In less than a second, the towel was gone and Ash took in the sight of the woman he loved!

Serena stood facing him with her right hand on her hip and her left hanging loosely. She had her left knee bent slightly and her legs somewhat spread apart. Her long, golden hair hung down past her shoulders. Her eyes burned with excitement and her smile smoldered with barely contained desire.

Serena wasn't unclothed, however. Ash was surprised but certainly not disappointed. What she was wearing was almost as lust inducing as pure nakedness would have been. Wrapped around her bust was a red, frilly bra which left the upper half of her bosom fully exposed. A single, thin, red strap encircled her back, offering little guarantee that the garment would remain secure. Protecting her nether regions was a small triangle of frilly, red fabric, supported by bands of red elastic which ran up and around the sides of her hips. The covering came short of rising to her waist and Ash was treated to a generous view of the flesh below Serena's stomach which made his manhood twitch in anticipation! The sight was beyond incredible, and then Serena started to move!

The girl from Kalos began to subtly gyrate her lower half and roll her stomach. She swayed her shoulders and rocked her bust from side-to-side. Ash's mouth fell half-way open and his eyes darted from one sensual sight to the next. Serena's eyes sparkled and her lips turned upward in a grin of primal enjoyment.

Ash's love stepped closer in a smooth and sexy manner. She raised her arms above her head and slowly turned around, being sure to wiggle her butt, hips and torso for him as they all came into view. She looked over her shoulder and winked at him before turning back around.

Ash coughed and uttered a few garbled words before he found his voice. "Uhh, so where'd this come from?!" he managed.

Serena hummed seductively. "A department store in Cerulean City!" she said flatly.

Ash chuckled a few times while his eyes began to itch as a result of their refusal to blink. "Uhhh, I meant, uhh!" he stammered.

Serena smiled and took in a deep breath which caused her exposed torso to stretch and bulge. The bra drew even tighter and Ash wondered if it might just pop loose. It was truly a flimsy thing…

The girl from Kalos hummed again and spoke in a seductive voice. "Oh, you mean, where'd all this come from?" she said, running her hands down her sides.

Ash chuckled some more. "Yeah!" he replied, swallowing some drool.

Serena drew in another breath and blew out a sexy rush of hot air. She stepped forward so she was standing directly in front of Ash and reached up with her hands to grasp both his shoulders.

"See, Ash," she said in a slow, sexy voice. "I've been away for a long time. I've really missed you." She licked her lips and grinned manically. She leaned her head forward and planted a very wet kiss on his lips. She passionately worked her mouth as bursts of breath entered and exited her nose. After some seconds, she finally pulled away; threads of saliva trailing from her glistening lips.

Ash's secret wife let out an erotic hum and squeezed his shoulders. "When I don't get to be romantic toward you, it builds up inside me, and right now, momma's feeling very… PENT… UP!"

Ash simply couldn't believe this was happening! His eyes tracked down the incredible sight of Serena's slender, barely-covered, form. Her gorgeous skin seemed to glow in the dim light and the way her body slowly undulated before him awoke feelings and desires inside him he never knew existed. He garbled a word and then croaked out a reply.

"Momma?!" he said in aroused amazement.

With a glint in her eye, Serena chewed on her lower lip, put her hands on her hips and rolled her entire body through a swaying motion so erotic he began to wonder if he'd hit his head and was in the middle of the best dream ever!

Serena let out a playful, feminine growl and spread her legs a little while putting increased emphasis on the wiggling of her pelvis. "Mmm, hmm!" she hummed. "I'm wearing my earrings Ash, so I can't get pregnant!" she breathed in a sexy tone while reaching up and fingering the small red jewel attached to her right earlobe. "But that doesn't mean you can't do your best to try and make me a momma tonight!"

Ash's eyes were glued to Serena's lingerie-adorned pelvis as it dipped and gyrated in front of him. He'd never seen so sexy a sight! Never in his life had he wanted to grab Serena and haul her away to the bedroom, but right now he was sorely tempted! His manhood twitched and throbbed in his pants, desperately wanting to unite with the part of his woman being dangled before him!

Ash struggled to control his impulses, and then Serena let out a feminine sigh and ran both her hands down her sides! She made sure that her fingers rolled over her breasts and tugged at the frilly, red fabric which barely concealed her modesty. She slid her hands past her cute bellybutton and finished the sensual motion by slipping her thumbs into the bands of fabric which ran around the sides of her hips. She first pulled down on her lingerie and then pulled up. Ash's mouth was agape as he watched Serena's fantastic tease of her luscious nether regions. This was simply unfair! Ash looked into Serena's eyes, saw nothing but sizzling desire and promptly rose to his feet!

Serena cackled like a maniac and immediately raised her right leg. She planted her foot against Ash's chest and firmly shoved him down into the couch for the second time.

"Hold on, now!" she playfully scolded. "I've got to finish my performance!"

Serena kept her foot pressed against Ash's chest for a second and then wiggled her toes before lifting her leg and sliding it past his left ear so her calf was next to the left side of his head. She slid her leg a bit further and Ash found himself enamored by the amazing, smooth, silky texture of her skin. His eyes tracked up her leg and fixed on the small band of red fabric which concealed Serena's womanhood. With Serena nearly performing a split, he had a great view. He drank in the sight and suddenly noticed some strange discoloration of the fabric. Was the lingerie partially transparent?!

Serena didn't give Ash a change to ponder the erotic curiosity. She leaned away from him and withdrew her leg, tickling his ear with her toes as she did so. She took a few sauntering steps away from him, posed for his pleasure and then stepped forward until she was right up against the couch. The girl from Kalos fluffed her hair and then crawled up on the couch, straddling Ash's legs with her own. She took hold of his shoulders and leaned close enough so the tips of their noses touched.

"I've been waiting a long time to do this!" the golden haired vixen breathed. A second later she opened her mouth and engulfed Ash's lips with her own. She began to work her mouth and Ash followed suit. Her hands crept behind his head and pulled him close. Flavor flowed between them and muffled grunts sounded.

After a few seconds of lovely kissing, Serena used her knees to scoot forward. She pressed her body against her man and undulated her hips in a slow rolling motion. Ash grunted and Serena gasped as her soft flesh melded around Ash's firmness. If it weren't for their clothing separating them, the two of them would have immediately become one.

An amazing shudder shook Serena's body and she broke the kiss with Ash. She wheezed for breath and pulled back far enough so she could look into his eyes. A joyful and intense grin spread across her face and she gripped Ash's shoulders as she rolled her hips again!

Ash grunted and his eyes stretched even wider. He took hold of Serena's bare sides and caressed her lovely, smooth flesh. He started to roll his hips along with Serena's motions. The sensations exploding within his loins were beyond description. This was the best day of his life!

Serena rocked and wiggled her lower half. She gasped and squeaked as her flesh sizzled with eye-watering euphoria. Her breath came in quick, hot gulps; spaced in between moans and whines as she humped her man.

"OH, I love you so much, ASH!" Serena croaked out.

Ash tried to grunt an acknowledgement but Serena engulfed him in another kiss. Her wet lips fastened over his and her strong legs squeezed his hips. She rolled her body with passionate determination and broke the kiss with a big flourish. She gasped in a breath and chuckled excitedly. Another powerful shudder made her body tremble and she grinned hungrily. She was well on her way to an amazing, feminine celebration. What better way to begin her encounter with Ash than to dazzle him with her display and then go away to the bedroom where he could dazzle her in return!

With her body feeling like it was on fire, Serena took hold of Ash's head and let out an excited wheeze. It was time to push things over the edge! She passionately kissed her man's forehead and then pulled his face into the middle of her chest. Sparks exploded inside her bosom and Serena giggled as she carried out something she'd wanted to do for a long time.

To say the next few moments were chaotic would be an understatement. Serena continued to roll her hips and undulate her body. She held Ash's face against her chest for several incredible seconds before he started to wiggle and clutch at her body. Serena chortled and had to bite her lip to keep from crying out as Ash's movements sent thrilling lightning bolts arcing through her bosom. She hugged him tightly and kissed the top of his head.

Ash tried to pull away a little and a muffled exclamation rose up from him. "Serena!" he said from between her bosom.

Serena was delirious with arousal. "WHAT'S THAT, ASH?!" she asked gleefully, enjoying every second of his struggle within her embrace.

Ash flinched and struggled a bit more. "Serena!" he said desperately.

Serena grinned, slid her lips next to his left ear and rolled her body yet again. She let out a happy sigh and was about to say something naughty when Ash groaned and clutched at her. A moment later he flinched and let out a manly grunt. Serena was about to continue her rolling motion when she suddenly felt Ash's firmness twitching against her womanly flesh!

Serena instantly froze! Even though she'd never felt or witnessed a man delivering his essence, she knew exactly what was happening. Her eyes stretched wide as Ash wheezed and flinched again. The twitching continued for a few more times and then subsided. She released her grip on him and he pulled his face up from her bosom. Their eyes met and Ash sent her a sheepish and apologetic expression. Serena's own expression was one of total embarrassment and dismay. She clutched a hand over her mouth and spoke in a pitchy, distressed tone.

"Did you just…" she squeaked.

Ash managed an awkward grin. "Uhh…" he replied.

Serena's embarrassment only increased. "Ohh, noo!" she moaned in dismay while starting to laugh in amusement.

A torrent of conflicting emotions erupted within Serena. On one hand she felt completely mortified that she'd just ruined the sexy moment they'd been sharing by pushing Ash too far. On the other hand, this was by far the sexiest and most erotic thing she'd ever done with Ash! On the other, other hand, the idea that she'd just put on a show that was so sexy it had caused Ash to soil his underwear, was simply hilarious!

Serena sniggered, laughed and tears started to flow from her eyes. She giggled a couple times and then started to sob. She gasped in a breath and then laughed twice while crying. She finally took a few deep breaths, looked Ash in the eye and spoke in a cracking, amused voice.

"I'm so sorry!" she wheezed between giggles. She gasped in a breath and continued. "I really didn't mean to do that!"

Ash started to snigger and the two of them shared an amused stare. Serena rested her arms on Ash's shoulders and tried to put on a sad face as a show of remorse. She mostly failed as she couldn't keep from sniggering. Ash laughed and she abruptly giggled as well. She leaned forward and planted her chin on his left shoulder. A thought occurred to her and she started to giggle.

"Well, I'd ask if you enjoyed it," she chuckled. "But I think the answer is pretty clear!"

Ash laughed, Serena laughed and the two of them let out sighs as the tension began to dissipate. They stared into each other's eyes and Ash was the one to speak.

"Well, what now?" he asked with a bit of curiosity.

Serena simply shrugged and sniggered a bit. Her plans of being carried away to the bedroom and engaging in passionate lovemaking had been dashed on the rocks of her overly enthusiastic gyrations. She blew out a sigh and leaned her head forward so her forehead pressed against Ash's.

"I don't know…" she whispered.

A naughty smile pulled at Ash's lips. "Well, if you give me a few minutes, I can get back to it…"

Serena's eyes widened and a spark of hot desire flickered inside her chest. "Oh!" she replied. "Really?"

A slightly embarrassed grin spread across Ash's face. "Uh, yeah…" he said.

Serena pursed her lips and considered the possibility. The idea of picking up where they'd left off was very appealing. However there was just one little issue…

Serena chewed on her lower lip; looked up at the ceiling and made several thoughtful sounds as she wrestled with her desires and wants. Finally, she let out a defeated sigh, looked Ash in the eye and spoke in an awkward tone.

"I'd really like to Ash, but… there's just one thing…"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Serena started to blush and she gritted her teeth against embarrassment. She couldn't believe she was about to admit to this kink.

"See, Ash," she croaked out in a tight voice. "When we do it for the first time….. I would really like it if you..." She rolled her eyes, groaned and shook her head. "If you could… fill me full of love…"

Upon saying this, Serena cringed while Ash's eyebrows shot up. "Really?!" he blurted out.

Serena's face turned a deeper shade of red. "Yeah…" she murmured, unable to meet Ash's gaze. Silence reigned for several long seconds before Serena sighed and straightened up. She slowly raised her head and looked at the man she loved.

"I guess… it's… uh….." she mumbled. "I just really want it to be real," she stammered. She paused for a moment before continuing. "Plus, I really want to have kids one day… so that's probably a reason too…" Serena scrunched up her lips and looked to the side before mumbling a final reply. "And I think it's really sexy…"

Ash sniggered a few times and leaned towards his secret wife. She turned her head so they could press their cheeks together. They sighed and took long, slow breaths. They were so immensely happy to finally be back together that the simple presence of the other was more than enough to evoke warm feelings inside them. After a minute of quiet, Ash spoke.

"We can hold off on being together if that's what you want." He sniggered and continued. "We can wait a day for me to… reload…"

Serena laughed abruptly and both of them started to giggle. A mirthful tear ran down Serena's cheek and she softly kissed Ash on the lips.

"Thanks for being so wonderful," she whispered.

Ash grinned and Serena smiled. She playfully rubbed her nose against Ash's and then carefully scooted backwards. She stood up and stretched her legs before turning to Ash and striking a pose.

"So, do you like this?" she said with girlish flair.

Ash eyed Serena's barely covered form and grinned from ear-to-ear. "I like it!" he chuckled. His gaze lingered on her for a few seconds before he awkwardly stood up and took a step forward. He wrapped his arms around Serena's uncovered waist and pulled her into another kiss. They exchanged a few lovely, warm kisses before they pulled their lips apart.

"You know," Ash began in a low voice. "You helped me out, but I didn't get to help you out," he said.

Serena smiled and nodded. "Yeah," she sighed. She thought for a moment and a sneaky smile pulled at her lips. "How about, after we go to bed, give me a call and you can tell me all about what you would have done to me!"

Ash grinned and ran a finger along Serena's left cheek. "Just like in Kalos?"

Serena nodded. "Yeah," she breathed.

Ash sniggered for a few seconds before nodding in reply. "Sounds good," he whispered.

The two lovers lingered for a bit longer and then headed for their respective rooms. They each changed clothes and settled into bed. The call was made to Serena and soon the Kalos native was listening to explicit descriptions of everything which would have been inflicted on her had she not gyrated her hips a bit too energetically.

Much to both of their enjoyment, the phone call lasted for nearly an hour. Going into it, Serena hadn't felt lonely at all. By the end, after her gasps and muffled moans finished echoing through the walls, she felt only blissful contentedness and warm love for her man. They wished each other good night and fell into peaceful sleep.

---

Mallow waved to her friends from Alola and to Delia before padding up the steps to Serena's room. "Goodnight everyone," she said, suppressing a yawn.

Kiawe, Lana, Mimo and Delia all wished her well. A moment later, Delia followed Mallow up the stairs to her own room. The remaining trio settled into the living room and got comfy. Kiawe was sleeping on the couch while Mimo and Lana were in sleeping bags on the floor. Kiawe turned out the lights and all of them laid down to sleep.

"It's so dumb you convinced Mallow to sleep upstairs," Mimo chirped to Kiawe.

Kiawe gritted his teeth. "She deserves privacy, Mimo," he growled. "She doesn't have to be with us."

"Uh, huh," Mimo replied sarcastically. "You were just afraid that you wouldn't be able to resist crawling into her sleeping bag," she teased.

Kiawe coughed. "NO, I'm not!" he hissed.

The girls giggled for a few seconds before Lana spoke up. "She's really warm in bed, you know," the blue haired girl chimed in with her usual, low-key voice. "Plus, she doesn't snore."

A series of grumbling sounds came from Kiawe before he barked out a demand. "Time for bed!"

The two girls giggled some more before turning over in their sleeping bags. Kiawe sighed and covered his face with his forearm. He was a bit too tall to fit on the couch and his legs were slightly bent. He wiggled, trying to get comfortable and then heard Mimo whispering in voice loud enough for him to hear.

"So, Lana, what do you think Ash and Serena are doing right now?!"

The other girl sniggered and replied in a hushed voice. "I bet they're having sex!"

Kiawe bit his tongue while Mimo giggled. "You really think so?" the brown and yellow haired girl replied in a sneaky voice.

"Yeah," Lana whispered. "You saw how she was looking at Ash. I'll bet they're in the middle of pound town right now!"

Kiawe turned his head and tried to cover his ears with his pillow. This was going to be a long night…