What Happens...

[RobSp1derp1g]

What Happens... (Amourshipping, K+)

Hello, my good folks! RobSp1derp1g here, with something new and exciting, as I've heard from a friend so many times...

I bring you a new story. This was originally a drabble on the AmourShipping thread on SPPf, and people liked it so much, I turned the idea into a fanfic.

The topic was: Ash won the Kalos League and there's a party in Pallet Town. Serena is invited. How would everyone's reaction be? (paraphrasing)

It's a supposed to be a two-shot, but I have some plans for this. The party in Pallet part (try saying that 5 times fast) will be toward the end, and there will be an epilogue after it. I didn't really have a backstory, so I whipped something up. It's basic, and possibly badly written, but you'll like it... I think.

This story is rated K+.

I MUST INFORM YOU THAT THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SPOILERS!

So, without further ado, here's...
What Happens...

[/B]
For so, so long, this was all he wanted. With a desire that made men's hearts burn with passion.

The moment his name was announced as the winner of the Kalos League, he fell to his knees in disbelief. His most trusted partner climbed to his shoulder and started celebrating. A celebration that felt more precious than rare materials or diamonds and pearls... A celebration that their souls needed.

After the interviews, the photographs and the obligatory induction in the Hall of Fame, he was finally able to rejoin his friends. A blonde child sat on a chair, swinging her legs, eagerly waiting for the chance to release the accumulated energy that seemed to originate from the tiny mouse located in her satchel. A teenage boy sat quietly beside her, but the same energy was there, though more controlled, as he was tapping his feet. Pacing through the small room, which was dotted with potted plants; was a teenage girl, who seemed more excited than the other two combined. She was electrified. Her small fox-like companion acknowledged her trainer's excitement by barking at her. The girl picked her friend up and held her in her arms, making an unsuccessful attempt to deviate her attention...

A door opened. A teenage boy with black hair walked through it, looking in disbelief and amazement to a gold object in his hands. In his shoulder, a yellow mouse celebrated.

"Ash, is that..." The blond teenage boy asked, walking towards the door that had just opened.

"Huh?" Ash suddenly realizes where he is and all that transpired. He did it. He finally did it.

"Ash, can I play with the trophy?" The small girl ran to his friend, and asked.

"Trophy? Oh, sure, Bonnie." Ash handed the trophy to the young girl, as his yellow companion jumped to the ground and started playing with the creature in the little kid's satchel.

"Serena, what's wrong?" The blond boy questioned.

Anyone watching that scene would ask the same question. The girl had tears in her eyes, but a large smile in her face.

"You. You managed to complete your goal, defeating insurmountable odds and now, that you're standing here with your dream fulfilled, you can't believe it." Serena explained.

"Clemont, can you come here, please?" Bonnie asked.

"You didn't break the trophy, did you?" Clemont inquired the little girl as he walked away from the teenagers.

"I guess you're right. It's been a very long time waiting for this..." Ash's victory starts to settle in.

Serena threw herself towards Ash, with her arms open, in an effort to embrace him. Seeing as he didn't really have a choice, he put his arms around her. It felt good. It made the league victory he just accomplished, after years of hard work, seem trivial.

"Serena", Ash softly spoke, "thank you."

"For what?" Serena questioned, the tinyest bit of curiosity took over her voice.

"You've been there for me ever since I started my journey in Kalos. When things looked bleak, you never left my side. I don't think I'd be able to be here today, in the Champion's Hall, if it weren't for you." The black-haired teen answered.

"I'm so proud of you." Serena's voice was soft, her emotions worn on her sleeve.

Serena pulled herself back from the embrace, and intended to give Ash a simple kiss on the cheek, to congratulate him on his achievement. But Ash decided to turn his head to the right...

"Okay, Ash, I just need your signature in a few docu...ments..." A voice originating from behind them quickly became quiet in front of what its owner saw.

Clemont looked back to see who was talking, and he recognized the woman, and the lizard-like creature that was perched in her shoulder. But his gaze swiftly changed and what he saw left him flabbergasted.

A teenage couple sharing the most tender, unexpected kiss in recorded human history. Neither of them expected it, but neither of them were moving... Their eyes, opened by surprised at first, slowly closed to give way to emotion.

The bigger of the yellow mice looked at his trainer and with a smile exclaimed: "Pi ka!" (A/N: Which translates to something along the lines of "About time!")

Clemont smiled. He was happy for his friends. It clearly had been a long time coming. Being a man of science, he'd noticed the smiles, the tiny variations in their behavior when they were around each other. Serena had always been into Ash, but something triggered the same effect on Ash. He suspected something happened when they went shopping for presents for their Pokémon.

The woman who opened the door walked towards the blond boy, taking careful steps not to make any type of sound.

"How long do they do this for?" The woman asked, clearly content.

"I don't know," Clemont explained, his gaze focused on the couple. "They've never done this before..."

"Are you saying I walked in on their first kiss? Good one, Alexa!"

"Whose first kiss?" Bonnie asks, getting up from the ground from playing with Ash's trophy.

As if predicting what would happen, Clemont walked behind his sister and prepared himself. Bonnie looked at Alexa and acknowledged the young woman.

"Alexa, what are you doing here?" The child questioned.

"Well, being the sister of a gym leader has its advantages..." Alexa explained, to which Bonnie chuckled. "When I found out that Ash had won the league championship and was going to battle Diantha, I asked Viola to introduce me to Diantha, because I wanted to be here in case Ash won, and win he did. In more than one respect, I might add."

"What do you..." Bonnie looked at Ash and became electric. "Holy Arc..." She was suddenly silenced by her brother, who covered her mouth with his hand.

"Come with us, Bonnie." Alexa requested.

"But... but... but..." The child complanied.

Alexa took the siblings to the door and opened it. The Pokémon looked at her expectantly, but she just said, "Stay there, we'll be right back". She let the siblings through and crossed the threshold herself, closing the door almost in full, except for a crack.

"Bonnie," Alexa crouched to level herself with the girl, "what you saw in there..."

"I know what I saw in there, I'm not stupid." Bonnie retorted. "Ash and Serena were kissing. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is," Clemont mimicked Alexa's action and crouched, and held Bonnie's arm with his right hand. "Ash and Serena don't know we saw them kissing. So, if they tell you something about what you saw here, you tell them you only saw Ash won his match against Diantha, okay?"

"Okay... but it's so cute!" Bonnie begrudgingly complained.

"Oh, she thinks we're cute!" A voice rings out.

A triple gulp took place.

Across the threshold were the Ash and Serena.

"Ash, Serena... we... we were just..." Clemont stuttered, nervously.

"Guys, I know you saw us, but I have one favor to ask you. When we get to Pallet Town, in Kant, please don't tell anyone what you saw here." Ash pleaded
"Why not? It's a beautiful thing." Alexa said.

"Yeah, but if they knew, my mom and Prof. Oak would never let me hear the end of it..."

"Just one thing," Clemont inquired, "Why would we go to Pallet Town?"

"By now, news of my victory must have reached Pallet. Don't you think I'd want to celebrate it with my friends?" Ash smiled.

"Oh, I don't know..." Bonnie replied, faking an upset tone. "It seems you already had a celebration of your own back there..."

All five people began laughing. The Champion and his friends. Ash motioned for Pikachu to join him, and Dedenne followed.

As they walked away from the Champion's Hall, all five of them knew that their dynamics shifted. What was there five hours ago, is not what is there now. And what they left behind...

"Oh no! The trophy! I left it inside!" Bonnie panicked.

"No, you didn't. I got it when we came out." Ash replied.

"Sorry? If it wasn't for me, it would still be waiting for someone to pick it up!" Serena protested.

"Yeah, but... but... I give up..." Ash conceded.

"Wise decision." Alexa commented.

And so a journey came to an end, only for another one to begin. But many things can take place, on the way to Pallet Town.

So, what do you think? Read, enjoy and review, please.

 

[Blood Red]

Man, good job! I hope you forget about this ridiculous two-shot thing when this clearly deserves to be much longer.

 

[RobSp1derp1g]

Man, good job! I hope you forget about this ridiculous two-shot thing when this clearly deserves to be much longer.

Thank you! I have some nice plans to complete this, but they're well guarded. You'll have to wait and see...

Have you noticed the colossal amount of posts this thread has? God, I might get lost in these...

 

[Blood Red]

Thank you! I have some nice plans to complete this, but they're well guarded. You'll have to wait and see...

Have you noticed the colossal amount of posts this thread has? God, I might get lost in these...

Man, that's great! I hope you publish the next chapter soon and make this story longer. We don't have enough Amourshipping fics

Man, you have to get used to the lack of reviews. Most of the traffic is on FF.net and that too for longer stories. Once your story reaches a certain threshold, it'll grow in popularity. I had a hard time with reviews back when I started and it was when Pokémon was more popular. Also, look at my deviantArt page! While I don't think my sketches aren't anything special, they aren't bad, but there's not a single comment on them. Don't let it get to you, just keep on doing your thing.

 

[xEryChan]

Can you please add a rating to this fic? Every fic needs to have a rating or I will have to close this.

 

[RobSp1derp1g]

You're right!, I never did give it a rating. Thank you for the reminder, xEryChan!
Mind If I use the rating system from FF.net?

 

[Midnightmoon6o2]

Wow Rob (you better be Rob or else I'm super embarrassing myself here), I can't remember the last time you wrote anything. I still love reading stories in your style. It's cute and sweet and not over the top.

I can't wait for the other half of this two shot. Keep it up.

 

[RobSp1derp1g]

Yup, it's me. And thank you.
Writing's kinda riding a bike, you never forget it...

 

[RobSp1derp1g]

Hello, my readers!

I'm here presenting what would be a Prologue to Chapter 2 of What Happens.

It's a little short, but it's good. At least I think so.

Let's get reading, shall we?

Thoughts are powerful things. One thought, once placed in the mind, can have a myriad of effects. It can make you sick, it can make you happy. It can lead you to your doom or guide you to success.

There has been one stray thought jumping around in Ash's mind ever since he won the Kalos league championship. Ever since he held that trophy in his hands, ever since he was named the Kalos league champion, and the youngest champion ever to win the Kalos league. Ever since she kissed him.

This thought kept him awake while 95% of the passengers of Air Pidgeot's Flight 025 lay fast asleep. The red-eye flight has that effect on people. But the truth is, the inception on this thought was long before this event… He couldn't exactly pinpoint the origin, but it was there when they had their first date. And Bonnie teased them, gradually. Maybe she knew something was up.

He didn't know, though, why this thought would plague his every waking moment. He had little control over it. It was like if he had been locked out of his own mind. The only thought he could access as the thought of earlier today, when he was surprised by Serena. No one in the group knew, but that had been his first kiss. He looked at the girl sitting beside him, sleeping peacefully. She's so pretty, he thought.

He caught this thought. He analyzed it. He recognized it. He questioned it. Why do I feel like this?

As she peacefully slept, Ash picked up the complementary blanket, offered by the airline, and softly covered Serena all the way to her shoulders. She shuddered as she came into contact with this new material. For a split-second, Ash regretted covering Serena, believing having woken her from her slumber. But then he heard her talk in her sleep.

-Bonnie, what do you mean… 'keep Ash…, s'il vous plaît'?

Those words, although unconscious, brought a smile to Ash's lips.

"Maybe it's not so bad that I feel like this…"

He put on his headphones, turned on "Sounds of the Pokémon of the Sea" and drifted off to sleep.

10 minutes later, while Ash dreamed about becoming a Pokémon Master, Serena stirred from her sleep. Her eyes laid on Ash as he peacefully dreamed away. Serena smiled as she saw the face he was making.

-"Pikachu… Thunderbolt…"

Her smile intensified, Ash and Pikachu's bond was something delightful to see. If Pikachu was there, he'd be asleep but he'd still carry out the command his master; no, his friend gave. That's why Pokémon are kept in the cargo bay or in their Pokéballs.

Still looking at Ash, Serena laid back in her seat and held Ash's hand with her own. As she began to drift away to dreamland (A/N: Area 51), she thought of all the adventures she had with Ash, and all the adventures that were yet to come.

The red-eye flight. Probably the most boring flight ever… The pilot's flying, the passengers' asleep, and the crew has nothing to do.

Such is the case of a young woman in her 30's, donning the official attire of Air Pidgeot. She walked silently along the corridors of the airplane, making sure the passengers had a nice flying experience. As she walked, she laid eyes on a young couple who were sleeping peacefully, holding hands. She smiled, it reminded her of herself in her younger days. She whispered "how cute…", but immediately covered her mouth when the young girl stirred and looked at her.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" The woman asked, apologizing.

"Hm-mm" Serena nodded, robbing her left eye.

"My apologies," the woman continued. "it's just that, it was walking past you and I saw you and your boyfriend holding hands while sleeping and it reminded me of me and my husband when we were dating…"

Serena blushed a little. She looked at her right hand, intertwined with Ash's left, who still sound asleep.

"We're not dating." Serena confessed, "Not yet, anyway."

"If he's anything like my husband, you will be, don't worry." The woman smiled. Serena felt like she could tell this woman all about Ash. "He was so thick headed when it came to love and romance, but when his armor was cracked, he became such a romantic. The day he proposed to me, he took me to a flowery field in Verdanturf Town in Hoenn. We were surrounded by Beautifly. It looked like a corny romantic movie. I'll never forget it…" The woman put her hands on her cheeks, trying to contain the emotion of remembering her marriage proposal.

"Ash would never do something like that. I don't think he has it in him." Serena commented with a weak smile.

"Oh, don't say stuff…" The woman suddenly stopped. "Ash?"

"Yeah." Serena nodded.

"Ash Ketchum? From Pallet Town, in Kanto?"

"You know him?" Serena whispered, not wanting to wake up the young man.

"I do, and so does my daughter." The woman replied with a smile.

"Dau… Daughter?" A feeling, much like jealousy, was starting to be felt in Serena's heart.

"Hm-mm, you might have heard of her. 'The Princess of Hoenn', they call her."

"Ash knows the Princess of Hoenn? She's the top coordinator in Johto!" Serena silently yelled in disbelief.

"Ash doesn't just know the Princess of Hoenn, he made her the Princess of Hoenn. He taught her everything he knew. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't be May." The woman stated.

Serena looked at Ash, her eyes filled with a mixture of pride and hurt.

"it's funny actually," The woman continued "I thought my daughter would get through to him, but it was you…" The woman suddenly stopped and covered her mouth with her left hand. "How rude of me! I didn't even ask you your name…"

"It's Serena, nice to meet you." Serena moved her right hand for the woman to shake, but Ash's subconscious grip was too strong, and she didn't want to wake him up.

"Hello, Serena! I'm Caroline."

It should be noted that the only reason I made this chapter is for me to use the phrase "red eye flight" on a fanfic

Hope you enjoyed and thank you!

 

[RobSp1derp1g]

In this chapter, I’m including a game called Spot the References. There are 4 references hidden in this chapter. The reviewers who get them all, receive a shoutout when chapter 4 is released.

Also, I'd like to give a shoutout to Pokesrini for helping me with this chapter.

Chapter 3 - …in Saffron​

​

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We will be arriving shortly at Saffron City airport. Local time is 3:57 AM, it’s a nice 17ºC and the sunrise is expected to occur in the next hour. In the name of everyone from Air Pidgeot, I’d like to welcome you to the Kanto region. We hope your flight experience was pleasant and come fly away with Air Pidgeot.”

He always felt a dash of excitement when returning home. His mom, his friends, his Pokémon. They would always support him and his dreams. But today, along with the excitement, he was feeling a bit queasy. It was the first time he did this, after all. He never brought home a girl. Sure, his friends visited him when he returned from his travels, but he had never arrived home alone with a girl. This was sure to spark comments…

The girl beside him stirred. Her journey through dreamland was at an end, for now.

“Good morning, Serena.” He greeted her.

Serena opened her eyes and squinted them for a better view. For a fraction of a second, she thought she saw a kid from long ago. But further observation revealed the teenager that kid had become.

“Good morning, Ash.” She replied.

Serena still had the events of last night fresh in her mind. The talk with the flight attendant, who turned out to be the mother of the acclaimed Princess of Hoenn, had been quite enlightening.

Ash had traveled with other girls; that was certain. And among them was May, the Princess of Hoenn herself. But there was something that Caroline said that stuck in Serena’s mind: “I thought my daughter would get through to him, but it was you.” She thought about it until she looked out the window.

“Oh my God!” Serena exclaimed at the astonishing sight.

The lights of Saffron City glinted like stars below them. As they descended further, they could make out individual buildings and houses; then cars; then even people before the plane lurched as it touched down on the runway.

The plane slowed down and eventually halted. The “fasten seatbelts” light, which had been turned on earlier during the final approach, had finally become dark, signaling the end of the flight.

After landing, Serena’s thoughts drifted back to her conversation with Caroline. To May. To how close she was to Ash. She didn’t like being jealous, but that feeling was getting the best of her. But she decided to put those thoughts in the back of her mind.

But they would occasionally return.

Ash, on the other hand, was ecstatic to be back in Kanto. After stepping out of the plane, he rearranged his hat, opened his arms and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Kanto region! I am home!” which caused the people standing on the airplane to shush him immediately. After asking one of the flight attendants about where to get his Pikachu, Ash started talking about his Pokémon in great detail. He stopped talking only when someone else talked to him.

Arriving at the baggage claim conveyor belt, the teens yawned. It was a long, late-night flight. The sun would be up soon.

Ash proceeded “…and mom makes some of the best food I’ve ever tasted, just wow…”

Despite Serena being lost in her thoughts, she heard what Ash said and decided to play with him a bit.

She put on her best hurt voice. “Even better than mine?”

Ash was left with a tough choice. He could defend his mom’s cooking and face Serena’s rage, or take his statement back, saying Serena’s the best cook, and possibly be branded a liar later.

But Ash had always been honest and truthful, and he wasn’t going to stop now. He turned to her.

“Serena, I’ll be honest. On one hand, we have my mom’s cooking,” he said, raising his left hand. “On the other, we have yours,” he continued, raising his right hand. He then proceeded to move them, like plates on a scale, which have similar weight on them, but never settling which is heaviest. “But your sweets…” Ash raised his right hand heavenward, while lowering his left as much as he could.

Serena looked at him, upset. Ash stared at Serena, but he couldn’t figure out why. And then he saw it.

“OH!” He lowered his right hand and raised his left. “Sorry, my bad.”

Serena smiled. She knew that his intentions were genuine, and so was his mistake. Maybe it wasn’t fair of her to make him choose between her and his mother’s cooking. Besides, Ash didn’t mean anything bad by what he did. Despite that, this discussion about who was the best cook was almost able to let her forget about the conversation with Caroline last night. Almost.

Serena’s smile turned sad.

“Ash, can I ask you something?” Serena questioned tentatively.

“Of course, Serena. What is it?” Ash stated.

“How did you survive while you traveled?” It was an odd question, but hopefully Ash wouldn’t mind answering it.

“What do you mean?” Ash asked, confused.

“Don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never seen you cook. How did you eat on your journey?” Serena wondered.

“You know, just because you’ve never seen me do something, doesn’t mean I can’t do it.” Ash commented, mockingly. “But yeah, I can’t.” He confessed. “On the first few days of my journey, we had sandwiches, Pikachu, Misty and I.” Serena’s expression, which was proof she was enjoying what Ash was recounting, changed slightly upon hearing Misty’s name.

“Then we met Brock and our lives changed. His cooking is just…” Ash noticed Serena’s look, and regretted the path he was taking. “Never mind… May did cook for me once… She made me a grilled cheese sandwich. She couldn’t find the cheese. She didn’t know it could be sold already sliced.” Ash recalled fondly.

May. The Princess of Hoenn. Top Coordinator. Former travelling companion of Ash’s. Serena just couldn’t forget the conversation she had with Caroline the night before.

Serena was just about to ask Ash about May, when Pikachu’s cage appeared on the conveyor belt of the baggage claim area.

“Pikachu!” Ash exclaimed.

“Pikapi!” Pikachu cheered.

“You know, the airport people in Lumiose never told me why Pikachu couldn’t travel with me.” Ash wondered. “When I went to Kalos, there wasn’t any problem.”

Suddenly, a male voice echoed behind the teens.

“Young man,” the voice said, “have you tried the Pokémon Gym in Petalburg City?” Ash and Serena turned around to see a man, in his thirties, wearing a red jacket with vertical black lines and dark blue pants. A pair of black boots covered his feet.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Ash?” The mysterious man asked, to which Ash smiled.

“It sure has, Norman!” Ash replied, extending his right hand, an action repeated by Norman.

“Norman, I’d like you to meet my…” Ash froze. How was he supposed to introduce Serena? He hadn’t thought about it… Such a simple question became a debate in Ash’s mind. What were they to each other? Friends? No, they are closer than that. Boyfriend and girlfriend? No, their accidental kiss did not change their stance towards each other. So, what was the middle ground?

He does feel something for Serena, but doesn’t know what it is. But he believed he had found an answer.

“… my close friend, Serena, from Kalos.”

Serena smiled as she shook Norman’s hand. It was almost as if she could hear Ash’s internal debate.

“Kalos?” Norman wondered, “You’re a long way from home, Serena. What brings you to Kanto?”

“Ash does.” The girl stated. “He won the Kalos league and he’s having a party in Pallet.” Serena looked at Ash and blushed. Norman’s keen eye saw it.

“And you didn’t invite me? That hurts, Ash…” Norman said, smiling.

“It’s sort of an open invitation. And I was hoping you’d find your way to Pallet.” Ash confessed. “May did.”

“Haha, I’m just joking.” Norman laughed, causing Ash to sweat drop.

“Are you on a family vacation, Norman?” Ash questioned, excited to see his old friends.

“No, just me and my wife” Norman replied. Looking down, Norman saw the cage Pikachu traveled in.

“Ash, I’m intrigued. What’s with the cage?” Norman remarked. “I know you’d never do that to your Pokémon, at least not willingly.”

“Airline rules. All electric-types are to be either inside of their Pokéballs or on the cargo hold, and since Pikachu doesn’t like his Pokéball, the solution was obvious.” Ash turned to Pikachu, “But he knows I didn’t have a choice, right buddy?”

“Pika!” Pikachu exclaimed.

“What they didn’t tell me, is why.” Ash said.

Norman smiled. “I know just the right person.”

He reached into his pocket, pulled out his cellphone, pressed a few buttons, and raised it to his ear.

“Hey, honey, it’s me”. Norman said on the phone. “You’ll never guess who I ran into. The new Kalos League Champion! Ash! Yeah!”

Serena took the opportunity and turned to Ash. “Ash, why did Norman talk about the Petalburg Gym?”

“He’s the Gym Leader.” Ash replied.

“Okay. See you soon. Love you too.” Norman said as he hung the phone up. “Caroline will be here in 10 minutes.”

Upon hearing Caroline, Serena’s head jerked up.

Could it be? Was it the same woman who talked to her on the plane the night before? The same one who saw her and Ash holding hands while sleeping? The same one who told her about May, the Princess of Hoenn? Serena wished it wasn’t. She wished it would be someone else, with the same name.

No such luck.

About ten minutes later, a woman with brown hair appeared to be headed in their direction.

She wore a yellow top, held by a white stripe that covered her shoulders. She had an orangy-brown skirt and sandals. A piece of red ribbon was tied on her waist.

Maybe she just walks past us, Serena thought.

“Caroline, over here!” Norman shouted, waving at the woman. Serena sweatdropped.

“Welcome back, honey!”

“Hi, sweetie!” Caroline approached her husband and greeted him with a kiss.
Ash and Serena stood confused as they watched the older couple kiss.

In all his travels, he met many couples but not one of them made such a public display of affection. Serena, on the other hand, had dreamt about that. Not only that, she had also stayed awake thinking about that. Their “makeshift” kiss in the Champion’s Hall was such a moment, but she wasn’t sure on how to classify it, because it wasn’t intended.

She looked at Ash, blushing. It caused him to turn to her, and her blush made him blush, which in turn made her blush even more. They just wanted that awkwardness to be over.

It had barely begun.

The older couple broke their kiss after what felt like hours to Ash and Serena, but was actually just a few seconds.

“So, did you get it?” Norman asked.

“No,” Caroline shook her head, “a woman named Emily got it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, dear…” Norman said, trying to comfort his wife.

“I’m not. Their hours were too complicated. Besides,” Caroline’s voice became more seductive as she grabbed her husband’s collar, “I can stay at the Gym with you…”

“Oh…” Norman smiled at Caroline.

Knowing where it was headed, and to save Serena and himself from further embarrassment, Ash kicked the cage Pikachu had arrived in. He kicked it hard enough for it to make a sound, but not hard enough for it to go too far.
Norman and Caroline snapped back into reality.

“Oh, sorry, Ash!” Norman apologized. “Caroline, you remember Ash, right?”

“How could I forget? He’s the only thing May talked about, as well as Max.” Caroline greeted Ash with a handshake. “Hello, Mr. Champion!”

Ash smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Maple! What are you doing here?” He inquired.

“Well, a friend of mine told me Air Pidgeot was hiring, and I’ve always wanted to know how they do their job, so I applied for it. They had 7 applicants and they put us in a trial-by-fire situation with mystery flyers being hired to evaluate us. I was doing fine, until I stopped to talk to you.” Caroline revealed.

Serena was speechless. She liked talking to Caroline the night before, and now she found that that same conversation had cost Caroline her chance for a new job…

“Mrs. Maple, you lost your job because of our talk?” Serena questioned with a cracking voice.

“No, no, no, no, no!” Caroline waved her hand. “Don’t worry. The other applicant on the plane, a woman named Holly Gennero, told me that the woman who got the job won by a long shot. So, don’t worry about it, and turn that frown upside down.” She put one hand on Serena’s shoulder. “I’m sure Ash here wouldn’t want to see his girlfriend sad, now would he?” She turned to Ash.

“No, I wouldn’t.” was Ash’s instinctive reply. Serena started blushing redder than ever before. Caroline and Norman just smiled.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

That was the number of seconds it took Ash to fully assimilate what Caroline had said. After he did, he blushed and asked with a stutter “Wh-what do y-you mean?”

“Last night, when you were sleeping, I was talking to Serena, and you were very keen on not releasing her hand. To me, that’s something.” Caroline commented.

Ash suddenly felt the need to learn Dig, just so that he could hide. He was asleep, he wasn’t aware of his actions.

Seeing a bit of himself in Ash, and remembering what he was like, Norman decided to help Ash, by changing the subject.

“Caroline, do you know why Ash couldn’t bring Pikachu in his lap?” Norman steered the conversation.

“You mean you don’t know, Ash?” Caroline questioned, to which Ash shook his head.

“They should have told you that when you were to board the plane.” Caroline remarked.

“Well, in their defense, it was a busy day for them…” Serena commented.

About two years ago, there was an incident on a plane heading to the Orange Archipelago…” Caroline started explaining, but noticed a metallic object on the floor.

“Ash, maybe you should return that cage. The booth’s over there.” She pointed to the left. “Meanwhile, Norman, why don’t you be a dear and get us a rental car?” Caroline told her husband.

Norman looked around and found what he was looking for.

“The red and white booth, right?” Norman confirmed.

Norman looked around and saw what he was looking for.

“Yes. Get us a car that seats 5 people, we might give them a ride.” Caroline informed.

She then looked around. After seeing that both Ash and Norman were far enough, she turned to Serena.

“I have to talk fast, they might hurry.” Caroline whispered, to Serena’s amazement.

“Even a blind man can see you’re in love with Ash.” Serena blushed, but Caroline continued. “I don’t know if you want my advice, but I’ll give it anyway. Go for it. Make a move.”

“But what if it ruins our friendship?” Serena asked, worried.

Caroline looked around again. Ash was starting to make his way back. Caroline guessed she had about 30 seconds to quell Serena’s doubts.

“Don’t worry about that. There’s no reason to. Trust me.” She calmed the girl down. And she did so just in time for Ash to join them.

“What are you guys talking about?” Ash asked curiously.

“I was asking Serena if she knew what route you will take to Pallet.” Caroline replied, with a knowing smile to Serena, who smiled back.

Ash pondered on that. He hadn’t given it any thought. He wanted to hurry home, but maybe Serena wanted to see the sights. Hurrying home would take them a few hours, through Diglett’s Cave, but taking the scenic route would make their journey longer by at least two days, through Mt. Moon and Pewter City… unless…

Ash snapped his fingers. “I got it!” he exclaimed, before running off. Five seconds later, he returned, with his hand on the back of his head, and asked where the Pokémon Center was, causing Serena to sweat drop.

Caroline laughed. “It’s to the right, Ash. You’ll see the sign.” Ash thanked Caroline and ran off, leaving the women to converse.

About five minutes later, Ash returned to where he had left Serena and Caroline, who were now joined by Norman.

“Did you get what you needed?” Serena asked.

“Yes, we’re good to go.” Ash replied, with a big smile.

“I guess I should finish the story, then…” Caroline commented when they were walking towards the exit. “So, there was this 5-year-old boy with an Elekid who wasn’t in his Pokéball. When the plane was on the air, the elekid got scared and its Static engulfed the plane’s fuselage, causing damage to some of the gauges of the plane. When the pilots found out the reason for the damage, they did all they could to calm Elekid down, but to no avail. One girl had to put Elekid to sleep…”

Ash and Serena stopped. They couldn’t believe their ears. Both Ash and Serena’s eyes were open in shock. Serena had her hands covering her mouth.

“…with a Sleep Powder attack.”

The teens blinked in disbelief at Caroline’s poor choice of words.

“There were no injuries to report, but they added a rule that all Electric-types were to travel in their Pokéballs or in cages, in the cargo hold. A bit heartless, if you ask me, but they want to protect their customers, so I get it.” Caroline finished.

“That makes sense, I guess, I wouldn’t want Pikachu to hurt anyone… except maybe Team Rocket…” Ash commented.

The group shared a laugh at the expense of the determined semi-evil trio.

“So, Ash, can we give you a lift?” Norman questioned.

“Actually, no, Norman. Thank you, though.” Ash replied, earning a hurtful look from Serena.

“Are you sure, Ash? Caroline insisted.

“I am, don’t worry.” Ash’s smile was increasing in size.

“Then this is where we part ways, Ash, Serena.” Norman commented. “You should visit Petalburg sometime.”

“I will. Say hi to Max and May for me!” Ash exclaimed as he waved farewell to his friends’ parents.

Serena turned to Ash. “Ash Ketchum, you better tell me what you have in mind. I’m very tired from the flight. I can barely feel my feet…”

“When Caroline talked about what route we’d take to Pallet, I thought of two choices:” Ash revealed, as he walked towards the street. “We could go through Diglett’s Cave and arrive in Pallet in a few hours, or take the scenic route, adding two, maybe three days of traveling to our schedule.”

“I don’t feel like walking for one hour, let alone two days… Isn’t there another way?” Serena complained.

Ash’s smile reappeared. “There is. In that building.” He pointed to a building about 10 stories tall.

xxxxx

“Oh, my God! It’s amazing!” Serena beamed. “It’s just so beautiful!”

Ash smiled. He himself had had that reaction when he first laid eyes on the landscape of Saffron City, viewed from the top of the Silph Co. building observatory.

Saffron City is remarkably calm at night, despite its large size. The lateness of the night, or the earliness of the morning, depending on one’s view, forced the streetlights to still be on, due to the lack of natural light present. The dark color that covered the sky was changing, ever so slowly, hiding the few visible stars that dotted the firmament.

Looking north from the entrance of the roof, towards Celadon City, allowed one to see the Department Store building with the lights still on. To their west, the Vermillion Sea was could barely be seen. On their east, only a few lights in Cerulean City were visible. If they looked to their south, a marvelous sight. The Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town blocked the view of the sun, which was spreading its light everywhere.

“I’ll admit, it is quite amazing, but I’ve seen things that are more beautiful.” Ash stated as he walked towards Serena.

Serena looked to her left and saw Ash standing there, looking at the horizon, She then attempted something that didn’t go too well in Courmarine City, in Kalos: she tried to hold Ash’s hand. Ash didn’t pull his hand away, at first. When he did, he brushed it against his jacket, saying “It’s a bit sweaty, sorry” and handing her his own hand.

Serena was on top of the world. She knew that moment would have to end, but she didn’t care. Ash held out his hand for her to hold.

“So,” Ash broke the silence, “you don’t want to walk? I got just the thing.”

Ash let go of Serena’s hand, much to her dismay, and grabbed a Pokéball from his belt. After clicking the button to expand it, he threw it into the air and a draconic lizard materialized.

“Charizard, can you take us somewhere, please?” Ash requested his Pokémon.

Charizard nodded and bowed, allowing the trainers to climb on his back.

“Serena,” Ash warned, “you might want to keep your hat in your bag.” Serena complied.

Ash climbed on Charizard’s back and offered Serena his hand for her to do the same. He whispered something in Charizard’s ear, to which the Pokémon grunted and took off. Serena put her arms around Ash to avoid falling into almost certain death.

“Before we go to Pallet, we’re gonna go somewhere first, okay?” Ash informed, speaking loudly so Serena could hear him, due to the rushing wind passing them.

“Where?” Serena replied with the same volume.

“We’re visiting an old friend.” Ash revealed.

 

[gsdfhf]

Not bad, pretty good in fact. Although, I do have some nitpicks here and there, but I don't want to sound like a broken record, so I'll forget about it.

Overall, pretty decent.

 

[Alvinthegoat]

Hey! Just wanted to say that I formed an account on this site Just to reply to your story! I Really like it and the direction you're taking it. I haven't read many Pokéfics but I read a fair number of NaruHina, SasuSaku, IchiRuki, and general Doctor Who fanfics- I just wanna say that the feel and tone of your writing is something I greatly enjoy, hope you start pumping out Loads of chapters really soon!

 

[RobSp1derp1g]

Hey! Just wanted to say that I formed an account on this site Just to reply to your story! I Really like it and the direction you're taking it. I haven't read many Pokéfics but I read a fair number of NaruHina, SasuSaku, IchiRuki, and general Doctor Who fanfics- I just wanna say that the feel and tone of your writing is something I greatly enjoy, hope you start pumping out Loads of chapters really soon!

Wow, that's a very nice compliment, and a huge ego boost! Thank you!
I think you'll love what I've got in store for this story...

 

[Alvinthegoat]

Awesome man! Best of luck keeping the momentum going! I'll be looking forward to each chapter when it comes out! Thanks for writing!

 

[Trublsmbob]

Really good so far! I like your style and idea! The one thing I don't like is that I think Ash is OOC other than that really good!

 

[RobSp1derp1g]

So, here we are. Another day, another chapter.

I hope you enjoy chapter 4 of What Happens. I'lll do my best to bring you the rest of the story ASAP.

"Ash, who are we going to see?" Serena asked.

"You'll see! I think you'll like it!" Ash replied.

"But Ash, it's late. And I'm tired…" Serena retorted. "Maybe we should just spend the rest of the night at the Pokémon Center."

Ash knew she was right. He was excited about going home, and that masked the fact that he was feeling a bit weary himself…

"Charizard," Ash commanded, "slow down. Take us to the Pewter City Pokémon Center."

The Pokémon complied with its trainer's command, and adjusted its speed and trajectory…

"Thank you", Serena smiled. "Some more sleep will do you good, and me too. Besides, the only thing keeping Pikachu awake is the wind on his face…"

Charizard flew down towards the Pokémon Center and landed softly on the ground, Ash climbed down and waited for Serena to do the same before recalling Charizard.

As they entered the Pokémon Center, they were kindly greeted by Nurse Joy.

"Hello and welcome to the Pokémon Center!"

"Nurse Joy, good evening. We'd like a room, please." Ash said to the young woman.

"I'm sorry, but we're out of rooms with single beds… Unless you don't mind sharing a bed, you'll have to rent two rooms." The nurse informed the trainers.

Serena's face became tomato red upon the thought of sharing a bed with Ash.

"I don't mind…" She said.

"I don't mind either…"Ash confirmed.

"Okay, then. Here's the keycard. It's the second door on the right." Nurse Joy handed Ash the keycard.

"Thank you!" The trainers said in unison as they walked to the door of their room.

"Be safe!" Nurse Joy called out from a distance to the two young trainers, to which Serena blushed, while Ash just wondered "I wonder what she meant by that…"

Ash inserted the keycard in the slot and turned the doorknob to the right, unlocking the door. Opening it, the teens saw a king-size bed, as Nurse Joy had described. There was also a table and a few chairs surrounding it. The bathroom door was located beside the bed, which was being bathed in the moonlight, which slipped past the blinds in the window.

"Which side do you want?" Ash questioned.

"Either side is fine." Serena replied.

"Then I'll take the right side." Ash said as he sat down on the bed. The softness of the mattress reminded him of how sleepy he was, which surprised him. He couldn't fight that feeling for long…

He took his backpack and placed it by the nightstand. Pikachu climbed down from its trainer's shoulder and curled up into a ball, falling asleep.

Serena took her sleep clothes from her bag, placed it on the nightstand and entered the bathroom. She changed her clothes and brushed her teeth, which took her less than five minutes. When she returned to the bedroom, the sight before her made her smile.

Ash was sound asleep, with Pikachu curled up next to him. Both of them had the moonlight behind them, causing Serena's sleepy eyes to see both of them glow.

She got into bed, turned to face Ash, kissed his forehead and whispered "Good night, Ash," before adding "I love you."

Serena woke up when the light seemed to pierce her eyelids. She even covered her eyes with her left hand, but the damage was done. She was awake. Beside her, only Ash's most trusted partner remained in bed.

Serena sat upright on the bed, stretched her arms and got up, taking care not to wake her close friends' Pokémon. She grabbed her regular clothes and walked into the bathroom to change.

Ash walked into the room after leaving all of his Pokémon except Pikachu with Nurse Joy to check up on their health. As soon as he entered the room, he was amazed at the sound that echoed in the air. Serena, who was unaware of Ash's presence, nonchalantly whistled a melody they had heard in Kalos, namely in Laverre City, which is where Serena stepped into the spotlight regarding girls. Ash walked over to the bed, where Pikachu slept and woke him.

"Come on, buddy. Today's a big day." He whispered to the Pokémon. Ash wanted Serena to hurry, but didn't want her whistling to stop, so he decided to wait for her to finish and go to the window. As Ash looked through the glass, he wondered about how much had Pallet changed while he was in Kalos. He was so focused on his thoughts, he didn't notice the whistling stop.

"Ash?" A voice brought him back to reality.

"Huh?" Ash saw Serena gather her backpack and place it on her back.

"Something wrong?" She asked, worry noticeable in her voice.

"No, nothing." Ash shook his head. "I was just admiring the view... but come on, we have to go."

Picking up his backpack and slinging it over his shoulders, he shook Pikachu up to wake him.

"Come on, buddy." Ash said as he shook the Pokémon. Pikachu, upon being shaken, released a thunderbolt, hitting its trainer, who got the message: never shake a sleeping Pikachu.

Serena smiled at the scene as she helped Ash up.

"I didn't want to bring out the big guns, but you forced my hand." Ash confessed. "Pikachu, after breakfast, I'll give you a bit of ketchup."

"Pika…" The Pokémon protested.

"Okay, a spoonful of ketchup…" Ash relented.

Pikachu smirked victoriously, and climbed into its trainer's shoulder.

"We go home today, Pikachu, you can sleep all you want tomorrow." Ash commented as he closed the door to the bedroom, headed to the cafeteria.

"Sometimes, you just gotta bribe them…" Ash joked, and Serena laughed.

After eating, Ash paid for his meal, as well as Serena's, which surprised her, and after Pikachu finished his spoonful of ketchup, they got up and went to the lobby.

Ash handed the room's key to Nurse Joy and thanked her for letting them use the facilities. As Ash filled the satisfaction report, the doors opened and a man in a white lab coat entered.

"Good morning, Dr. Brock." Nurse Joy greeted the man.

"Funny, I have a friend named Brock who's a Pokémon doctor…" Ash commented. While Ash spoke, Brock signaled Nurse Joy and Serena to stay quiet. "He was a fantastic cook, his food is comparable to Clemont's… Oh, and he couldn't see a pretty girl without hitting on her…"

"Yeah, but I developed an immunity to poison-types thanks to that…" Brock stated.

Ash turned around and saw his old friend, who travelled with him through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh.

"Brock!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu greeted their old friend, as Ash extended his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Ash questioned.

"My job." Brock replied, proudly. "I'm the doctor in this Pokémon center."

"That's amazing!" Ash continued.

"Thank you, and Ash, who is this young lady?" Brock turned to Serena.

Serena stepped forward and introduced herself.

"I'm Serena from Vaniville Town in Kalos." She extended her hand for Brock to shake.

Brock took her hand and was just about to say something when he was interrupted by Ash.

"Brock, she's... hum... off-limits." Ash revealed.

Brock was unsure of what he meant by that until he figured it out. It's one of those things, you can't see it until you see it. And once you see it, you can't unsee it.

Brock let out an "Oh, I see..." and smiled and shook Serena's hand.

"So you're Serena... Ash has told me so much about you. Welcome to Pewter City, I'm Dr. Brock, also known as Doctor Love and former Gym Leader of Pewter Gym. You know how Ash got my Gym's badge? He turned on the sprinkler system."

Serena laughed, while Ash only said "Not my finest hour..."

"So, Ash, did you win the Kalos League?" Brock asked. "I was watching the match but there was an emergency..."

"I did, that's why we're going home to Pallet." Ash informed "Mom's throwing a party. But I have to go see someone first."

"Who?" Brock questioned.

Ash approached Brock and whispered something in his right ear. Brock smiled, "You should do that!" he said.

Ash stated, "You could come with us!"

The breeder-turned-doctor smiled weakly. "I wish I could, but I have to stay here in case there's an emergency…"

Upon hearing those words, Nurse Joy interjected. "I'm sorry to intrude on your conversation, but I don't mind you going with them. Just make sure to keep your PokéGear with you in case I call."

"That's great! Thank you, Nurse Joy!" Brock commented. "That's why you're my favorite Nurse Joy in Kanto!"

"Oh, stop, you're making me blush…"

Brock smiled to his friends. "That settles it. It'll be fun to seen ever…"

Brock couldn't even finish the sentence. The sound of an ambulance cut through the air. As the ambulance stopped, the EMTs brought in a Pidgey in a stretcher.

"This Pidgey needs help!" One of the EMTs yelled.

Brock, who was chatting with his friends, looked at Ash, who just aid, "Go. We'll wait." And with that, the Pokémon doctor made his way to the room where Pidgey was.

Ash placed his backpack on a nearby couch and sat down, motioning Serena to do the same.

"Brock, huh?" Serena broke the silence.

"Yeah, he's always trying to get a girl, but he always fails. But he never fails to cook an amazing meal, that's for sure." Ash recalled, amused.

"How so? Is he better than me?" Serena complained, sort of jokingly.

"Brock has had a really tough life. His dad walked out on him and his siblings when they were young. After a while, his mom, unable to cope with all the responsibility, did the same, leaving all of the kids in Brock's hands. So, he learned how to cook. And on top of that, there was the gym. Denying a challenge because he was too tired would cost his the Gym's license, meaning no income. He only managed to come with me because his dad had a change of heart." Ash explained. "You like to cook. Brock had to learn to like to cook."

Serena was shocked. Astonished. She didn't know Brock's childhood had been so rough. Her expression became heavy, which got Ash's attention.

"Serena, what's wrong?" Ash asked as he approached her.

"I try not to judge people, Ash, but I ended up judging Brock just because you said he cooks better than me…" The girl confessed.

Ash was unsure of what to do. He had never seen Serena look so sad, even when she lost her performance debut. So he did what his instinct told him.

He scooted over to her and placed his arm behind her head, reaching her left shoulder.

"Serena, look at me." Ash instructed and Serena complied.

"I told you Brock's story to explain why he's a better cook than you. I don't think you need to apologize to anyone because of that, but if you feel the need to, you should apologize to Brock." Ash informed her, looking straight into her eyes. "Also, I didn't want to make you feel like this. That was never my intention. So, for that, I'm sorry."

As Serena heard Ash's words, she turned to face him. His eyes were so calming, so relaxing, like a balm for her heart.

When Ash finished talking, he found himself unwillingly staring into Serena's sapphire eyes. And he felt an urge, one he had been feeling since Laverre City, he wanted to hold Serena, to protect her. Ash's gaze fell down to Serena's lips, and he felt strangely drawn to them, as if they were magnets charged with a different polarity than his own lips.

Relying on the attraction pulling them together, both of them closed their eyes, allowing instinct to take hold for a second. Which was all they got.

The bell rang, meaning the Pokémon that was being treated was now out of harm's way. Brock emerged into the lobby, to find his friends red as a Tamato Berry.

"Ash, you lucky dog…" He whispered to himself. "Guys, I'm free, shall we go now?" He said out loud, for his friends to hear him.

"Y-yes, let's go." Ash said, moving frantically.

"Yes, we should go…" Serena spoke softly.

Ash, Serena and Brock left the Pokémon Center and headed to the south exit of Pewter City, on route to the Viridian Forest.

Brock was aware he had interrupted their moment, but he had to do it, otherwise, they'd never move. But he was going to help them, in his own little way.

Ash was upset. The reason why he was that way, he didn't know. Maybe because Brock had interrupted him back at the Pokémon Center.

Serena was disappointed, because that kiss-that-almost-was would be their real first kiss, with intention, feeling and spur of the moment, not awkward and accidental like the one on the Champion's Hall.

"So, Ash," Brock questioned, breaking the silence, "who are you travelling with now?"

Ash smiled as he recalled his current travelling companions. "I'm travelling with Serena, who you know," he smiled at Serena, who walked beside him, "as well as Clemont and Bonnie. Clemont's the Gym Leader of Lumiose City, an amazing cook and an inventor, and Bonnie's his little sister." At the mention of cooking, Serena lowered her head, recalling what Ash told her about Brock.

"Ah," Brock commented, "so it's almost like the Hoenn days, but without me and May."

"Something like that", Ash laughed.

As they were enjoying their conversation, Brock's PokéGear rang. He answered it, looked at Ash, and smiled.

"Okay, I'll tell him, bye!" He ended the call and turned to Ash. "Ash, where's your backpack?"

"Oh, man! I can't believe I forgot it! May's half-ribbon is in there!" Ash commented. "You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up in no time."

"It's fine, we can wait." Serena replied before turning to Brock. "You don't mind waiting, do you?"

"No, it's okay, go get your stuff." Brock informed.

As Ash ran back towards the Pewter City Pokémon Center, Serena nervously kicked the ground at her feet, as she thought of the best way to apologize to Brock for judging him.

"Brock…" "Serena..." Both the performer and the breeder-turned-doctor said in unison, before Brock signaled Serena to keep talking, saying "Ladies first."

Serena's expression became slightly heavier. "After Ash told me you were a really good cook, I got sort of jealous, but then he told me your story, what you went through, and I just felt bad for judging you so readily."

Brock was amazed at this girl's honesty and sincerity. Needless to say, he wasn't used to that.

"Wow," Brock said, "this is a first… just to clarify, you're jealous of my cooking skills?"

Serena nodded. "In a way, but mostly of the way he referred to you, as if you were a master cook." Serena confessed.

Brock smiled, reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. He scribbled something in the paper and handed it to Serena. "That's my e-mail." Brock informed. "Feel free to ask for recipes and advice, be it cooking for all four of you, or just you and Ash…" He smiled.

Serena started to blush and tried to deflect the topic. "Th-thanks!" She stuttered, before turning her head towards the road leading to Pewter City.

Brock looked to the road, as if following Serena's gaze. They were both checking if Ash was back on the road. As he couldn't be seen anywhere, Brock decided to ask Serena the million-dollar-question.

"Hey, Serena, how long had you been in love with Ash?"

Ash ran as fast as he could towards the Pokémon Center. The houses on the sides of the road became blurry, along with the vegetation with no details being visible to him. The people he encountered, or rather, who encountered him, wondered about the reason for his hurry.

He didn't want to make his friends wait, so as soon as he reached his destination, he entered the Pokémon Center, ran over to the lobby, asked for his backpack, thanked Nurse Joy and as quickly as he had arrived, he left.

As Ash ran, he thought of how his friends would accept Serena. Would they like her? Would she feel like an outcast? Would his mom bombard Serena with questions? How would his Pokémon react? So many questions…

As he moved closer to where his friends awaited him, Ash slowed down and began walking in their direction.

"Brock, you're like the big brother I never had." He heard Serena exclaim.

"Thank you, Serena! It means a lot!" Brock continued.

"So, you guys got along?" Ash asked as he approached them.

"Yeah, Brock's super nice and helpful." Serena commented, smiling.

"And so is Serena. I'm starting to see why you lik…" Brock, looking at a blushing Serena, stopped. "Nevermind, let's go."

As the group walked down the road, Ash began to recall all the adventures he has had over the years.

"This road brings back so many memories…" Ash commented.

"Yeah, most of them are Team Rocket digging holes for us to fall into." Brock recalled. "We were so dumb…"

Serena looked at Ash with a surprised look on her face. "Holes? They dug holes?"

"Yeah, like really big holes and covered them with leaves and branches. Let me put it this way: if you were to mark all the holes they did in the maps of Kanto, Johto and Hoenn, you'd have a message in Braille. On all the routes." Brock revealed.

As if on cue, the group felt the ground give way under their feet. The traditional feeling of wanting to shout "Who did this?" almost took hold of Ash, if he hadn't seen that Serena was clutching her right arm, next to the shoulder.

"Serena, are you okay?" A concerned Ash questioned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just a scratch." The girl reassured him.

"This, Serena, is what I was talking about." Brock explained. "Sudden holes appearing in the middle of the road. I'm expecting Team Rocket to show up and bust some rhymes."

But silence is what followed. No one came to them, no blue-haired man, no pink-haired woman, no talking Meowth.

"Strange, they should be here by now…" Brock commented.

"Maybe it's one of those they left behind…" Ash hypothesized.

"Maybe we should get back up, guys." Serena joked.

Ash stated to climb out of the hole and before long, he was out. He reached out his hand to help Serena, who gladly took his hand and climbed up, kneeling next to Ash.

The two younger teens stood next to each other, each assessing the other's status, making sure the other was okay. Their friend stayed in the hole, and observed what was happening.

"I'll rescue myself, then." Brock joked.

Ash and Serena kept checking each other for signs of injury. Suddenly, they hear a voice coming from behind them.

"Shall we get going?" Brock's voice spoke.

"Brock, when did you get out of the hole?" Ash questioned.

"When you too were checking each other out, just a few minutes ago." Brock replied, smiling. "You became so blind to your surroundings, you didn't notice that I got out of the hole. But nonetheless, we should get going."

Ash and Serena looked at each other, blushed and looked away towards Brock. The doctor could just smile, "You guys…" as the started walking towards the forest.

Soon, the teens arrived at a gate leading to the Viridian Forest. The enormous trees inside were visible from the group's location.

"Ash, I've been thinking. Why don't you make an entrance in Pallet?" Brock suggested.

"An entrance?" Ash and Serena said in unison.

"Yeah, every year you go back home by foot, but this time it's different. You put Pallet on the map. You should arrive in style." The doctor continued.

"And how do I do that?" Ash questioned.

"You have any flying Pokémon on you?" Brock inquired.

"Talonflame's not big enough to ride and Noivern, can only carry one person. Oh, I have Charizard!" Ash confirmed.

"Good, give me Charizard. I'll go ahead." Brock suggested. "It'll give you a lift."

Serena didn't know what the boys were talking about, but when Ash handed Charizard's Pokéball to Brock, she realized she had lost her ride. 'How would arriving in style be possible if there was no Charizard?', she wondered.

"I'll go ahead, see you soon." Brock informed before opening Charizard's Pokéball, and telling it to take him to Pallet.

After Brock left, there was no sound to be heard, except for the rustling of the trees caused by the wind. But Ash broke that silence.

"When I started my journey, I wasn't that much of a trainer. I tried to catch a Pidgey by making it think I was wearing my pajamas." Ash stated. "But after that I caught a Pokémon, my second capture, and it stood by me through thick and thin. I left it here," Ash pointed at the forest, "to take care of its friends and promised to return when I had finished the Orange League, a promise I never fulfilled. Without it, I wouldn't have done anything that I accomplished." Ash stopped.

As Ash turned to face Serena, she saw an energy in his eyes that surpassed anything she has ever seen in them.

"Today, Serena," Ash smiled, "is the day I fulfill that promise."

Ash took a few steps forward until he was about to enter the forest, raised his hands to his mouth, to amplify and direct his voice and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"PIDGEOT!"

A young boy hung around the Viridian Pokémon Center. He had heard his friend won the Kalos League, and so he came to Pallet, hoping to surprise him. After all, they promised to battle whenever possible, and it seemed the time had finally come.

Suddenly, a loud cry came from above. As the kid looked up to see what was happening, he saw the dragon-like wings and flaming tail of a Pokémon he hadn't seen in a while.

"It's him!" He remarked to himself.

He adjusted his glasses, looking hard to try and see the Pokémon's trainer on its back. The boy wanted to surprise his friend, but it he was on Charizard's back, there was no way it would happen.

The boy looked on, with a resolute expression. He'd reach pallet as fast as he could. As sure as his shirt was green and his shorts, so comfy and easy to wear, were brown, he'd be the winner of their match. For he was the son of the Petalburg Gym Leader.

"I gotta wake her up." Max exclaimed.

So, did you like it? Let me know!

 

[Geodude]

Great job! Very well written. I enjoyed all the references to games and characters.

 

[ArionXV]

Do you still plan on posting the 5th chapter? I'm really enjoying it so far

 

[RobSp1derp1g]

Do you still plan on posting the 5th chapter? I'm really enjoying it so far

I do, I totally do. And after Chapter 5, there'll be an epilogue.

It's gonna take a while, though.