Chapter Text
Meeting up with Lisia, Serena decided, was almost more trouble than she was willing to deal with right now. Her fellow idol had insisted on coming to the Mossdeep Gym with her full entourage in tow, which meant fans everywhere. It made focusing on her Gym battle with Tate and Liza that much more difficult. In the end, Delphox and Absol pulled through to win the Mind Badge for Serena, which was a massive relief- though not as much of a relief as when Lisia’s fans dispersed.
“Way to go, Rena! That was amazing!” Lisia cheered, and Serena gave her friend a tired smile.
“Thanks, Lis. I need to get Delphox and Absol to the Pokemon Center, though. Especially since we have a flight to catch.”
Lisia winked. “Don’t worry about that! I brought a whole bunch of healing items just in case of a situation like this!” The teal haired Coordinator reached into her seemingly endless purse, retrieving a pair of Sitrus Berry juiceboxes and handing them out to Delphox and Absol. Absol took his cautiously, still wary of Lisia’s excitable energy, while Delphox dropped her decorum and downed the juicebox in two quick gulps. Battling was hard work- it really made what Ash and Greninja were able to do all the more impressive. Still, she’d proven her worth today, and the smile on Serena’s face made every hit she’d taken from that infernal Grumpig worth it.
Serena watched her Pokemon with a fond smile. It was amazing how easily her three newest captures had slotted into their little family, especially Absol. The Disaster Pokemon had seemed half-dead when Pancham happened across him in the woods outside of Petalburg City, and Serena had slowly nursed him back to health. The fact that he had made a full recovery was nothing short of a miracle, and that was before considering his battling prowess.
“When’s our flight?” Lisia quizzed, and Serena dug her phone out of the pocket of her skirt.
“Two hours from now, but with security and everything, we should probably get going.”
Lisia clapped her hands. “Perfect! Let’s go!”
The idol then proceeded to grab her friend’s hand and drag her in the direction of the airport, leaving the flustered Serena to recall her Pokemon.
After going through security and stopping at a small cafe for sandwiches, Serena found herself scrolling through her phone alongside Lisia. Their feeds were similar, though Lisia tended to be more active about posting updates for her followers. As a less known Coordinator, Serena kept her official account mostly silent, while her personal account was filled with photos of her Pokemon and her friends. The main difference in their feeds was the amount of battle highlights that Serena watched, especially from a certain someone.
Lisia leaned over, putting herself into Serena’s personal space without a care in the world. “So how’s your boytoy doing?”
Serena blushed. “First of all, he’s not mine.”
“Yet.” Lisia interjected with a smirk, though Serena ignored her.
“To answer your question though, Ash is doing quite well. He’s in the Ultra Class now, and he hasn’t lost a battle in a while. At this pace, he’ll make it to the Master’s Eight before the season ends!”
The smirk on Lisia’s face grew wider with every word. She looked for all the world like the Persian who’d caught the Pidgey. “And you’ll be there to cheer him on, I assume?”
If it was possible for a human to have more blood rush to their face than Serena had at that moment, it seemed quite unlikely.
“Only if he wants me to.” The Performer murmured, subtly curling into herself as her hand went to the familiar blue ribbon at her wrist. The ribbon was faded, but its meaning couldn’t be overstated.
Lisia’s smirk was quickly replaced by a thoughtful frown. In spite of her exuberant and often smug exterior, she genuinely cared for Serena, and it was clear that something was troubling her friend.
“Come on, Serena, talk to me. What’s wrong?”
Serena looked up from her phone, biting her lip and clearly debating if now was the right time to pour her heart out. Eventually, Lisia’s understanding expression won her over.
“Am I ready, Lis? He’s only getting stronger, and I just feel like I’ll never catch up.”
Lisia raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Two questions. One, why do you have to ‘catch up’ to someone on his way to being the world’s strongest Trainer? And two, why doubt yourself now?”
Serena clutched at the ribbon again. “When I left Kalos,” she began, “I promised Ash that the next time we met, he would like the person I would be. I’m still trying to live up to that promise, to feel like I can stand next to Ash as an equal instead of being stuck in his shadow. And with us going to Kanto and seeing him again… it made me think about how far I still have to go.”
“Hold up, I never told you we were going to see Ash!” Lisia interjected, and Serena gave her friend an unimpressed look. If Lisia thought she was subtle, she was in for a rude awakening.
“...Point taken, continue.” The older Coordinator eventually conceded.
Serena sighed. “I need to be better, Lisia. Because I’m not somebody in the way that you are or Ash is. Not yet, at least.”
Lisia looked at her friend- this bright, courageous girl who often didn’t seem scared of anything- and she saw the heart of the matter.
“You don’t have to be ‘somebody’ to win him over, Serena. All you need to be is yourself. If Ash Ketchum doesn’t see you as enough, that’s his problem, not yours.”
The honey haired Performer shook her head. “It’s not really about Ash anymore. I just… want someone to see me. Really see me for who I am.”
Lisia placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “And someone will, Serena. I promise.”
The moment was interrupted by a flight attendant calling for the passengers to begin boarding, and Lisia moved to stand. She was flying first class, of course, but Serena had booked herself a much less flashy ticket. After such an intense conversation, however, their separated seats would give both young women time to cool off.
Serena gave her friend a weak smile. “We’ll talk more when we land, Lis. I really need a nap right now, though.”
Lisia attempted to match the smile, but even to her, the expression felt fake. “Get some sleep, Rena. Next stop, Vermillion City.”
Chloe wasn’t entirely sure why she had made Goh accompany her to the airport to pick up Serena and Lisia, but she was really starting to regret that particular decision. Her friend’s abundance of energy was getting on her nerves, and it didn’t help that he insisted on drinking her coffee like his life depended on it.
“When are they supposed to get here, again?” Goh asked, slurping from Chloe’s Yamper-patterned thermos.
The auburn haired girl rolled her eyes, pointedly snatching her drink out of her friend’s hands. “They should be grabbing their bags and coming over to meet us any second now, so stop pestering me.”
“Chloe!” A voice called, and the researcher perked up. She looked across the terminal and locked eyes with Lisia, before running over to wrap her friend in a hug. Serena wasn’t far behind, and for a moment, the three girls were meshed together in a tight group hug, the noise of the airport fading as they embraced each other.
Chloe pulled back with a grin spread across her face. “It is so good to see you two! Are you ready for a week of the best Vermillion City has to offer?”
“You bet!” Lisia chirped. Then her eyes caught on Goh, and her expression changed to a flirty smile.
“And who might you be?” She purred, watching as the boy seemed to short-circuit. Oh, this was going to be fun.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Lisia, please don’t break Goh. He wouldn’t know healthy social interaction if it hit him in the face.”
“Hey!” The boy protested, still somewhat stunned by Lisia’s charm. “I resent that remark!”
“Am I wrong, though?” Chloe fired back, and Goh recoiled like a kicked Growlithe.
“No, but you didn’t have to be so blunt…” He muttered.
Lisia muffled a giggle. She knew of Goh from Chloe’s many fond and exasperated rants, but she hadn’t expected the boy to be so starstruck by her presence. He was cute, she supposed, though in a nerdy and awkward way.
Sensing potential mischief on the horizon, Chloe clapped her hands to call the group’s attention and prevent any Lisia related shenanigans. “Okay, people! The lab is about forty five minutes from the airport if we walk, and it’s twenty minutes away by cab. Given the amount of luggage Lisia brought,” she gestured to the two large suitcases and the duffel bag on the luggage cart, all in Lisia’s signature shade of teal, “I think a cab is our best bet.”
“I’ll walk, if that’s okay.” Serena said quietly, adjusting her messenger bag to sit more comfortably on her hip. Cramming into a cab with her friends, no matter how much she loved them, wasn’t the most appealing idea at the moment. Besides, she hadn’t been to Kanto since she was seven years old- it would be fun to do a bit of sightseeing on her own.
Chloe gave her friend an understanding smile. “That’s totally fine, Serena. You can put the directions to the lab into your phone, and we’ll meet you there.”
“Sounds good.” Serena replied, plugging Cerise Labs’s address into her Poryphone’s navigation system. The route that the device produced for her was a nice walk along the harbor, and it would also take her past a public park, which was likely a good place to let her Pokemon stretch out after the flight.
Goh looked up from his phone. “Cab’s been ordered, it should be here in about five minutes.”
With that settled, Serena placed her phone into her pocket, then pulled Chloe into a quick hug. “I’ll see you guys later.”
“Be safe!” Lisia called out, and Serena smiled. Knowing that her friend cared, even when they didn’t always see eye to eye, meant a lot.
Once Serena had exited the group’s immediate vicinity, Goh turned to Chloe. “I’m getting the distinct feeling that we’ve been outplayed.”
Chloe shrugged. “More power to her. Come on, help me with the bags.”
Goh groaned at that. Heavy manual labor wasn’t his strong suit, and moving Lisia’s luggage certainly qualified as such. Still, if he wanted to impress the fashionable girl, he’d have to do his best.
As Serena had hoped, the walk to the lab gave her a chance to stretch her legs and enjoy time with her Pokemon. Absol and Lilligant were mesmerized by the sights and sounds of Vermillion, while Delphox and Sylveon took the opportunity to strut and pose like models on a runway. The blonde couldn’t help but giggle at her Pokemon’s antics- they craved the spotlight even more than Lisia did at times!
The sounds of a battle caught Serena’s attention, and she turned to locate the source of the noise. It was coming from the park she’d noticed on the map. Figuring that she had time before she had to meet her friends at the lab, Serena approached the park, and was greeted by the sight of a Noivern and a Heracross locked in a fierce spar. Type advantage favored the Noivern, but if a year with Ash had taught Serena anything, it was that type matchups meant very little at the highest levels.
Upon entering the vicinity, however, Serena was nearly bowled off her feet by a yellow blur, which let out a happy shout of, “Pika-cha!”
On instinct, the Performer reached out to catch the leaping Pikachu, pulling him into a hug.
“Hi there, Pikachu!” She giggled, spinning the little Electric type around. “How have you been?”
Pikachu began vocalizing animatedly, and Serena briefly felt worried that she had lost her knack for communicating with the mouse. However, upon noticing the Performer’s anxiety, Pikachu slowed down, allowing Serena to better understand what he was trying to convey. It seemed that he and Ash had enjoyed several more adventures in their pursuit of the World Champion title- if she hadn’t been so happy to see Pikachu again, Serena might have worried over Ash’s continued recklessness.
When Pikachu finished, Serena smiled and scratched the Electric type behind the ears, just how he liked it. Pikachu leaned into her touch with a happy sigh. Why hadn’t Ash done anything about this girl’s feelings, again? Because if he didn’t act soon, Pikachu would be forced to take matters into his own paws.
“Great work, guys! Return for now.” Ash called Noivern and Heracross back to their Pokeballs, then did a double take when he noticed that Pikachu was missing. It was certainly odd. Normally, his best friend preferred to oversee the training sessions alongside him, and offer advice if Ash missed anything. He turned around to find Pikachu, and when he did, all of the breath in his lungs was stolen. Serena.
She was here- not just a fleeting image on a dock, but a beautiful girl of seventeen, with his normally standoffish best friend cuddled up to her like a house Skitty. It was a sight that warmed his heart and made his chest feel tight, like Gliscor was hugging him hard enough to bruise his ribs. The sensation should have been uncomfortable, but instead, Ash felt a sort of contentment. It was an unfamiliar feeling for the wandering Trainer, but it didn’t scare him like it might have in the past.
“Hey, Serena.” His voice came out hoarse, as he’d just directed Heracross and Noivern’s spar for a good fifteen minutes.
She smiled at him, and Ash briefly stopped functioning. “Hi, Ash. How have you been? Pikachu told me a little bit, but I can’t talk with him like you can.”
Shaking himself out of the stupor that came with being subjected to Serena’s gorgeous smile- wait, since when was her smile “gorgeous?”- Ash grinned back at her. “We’ve been great! I got so excited when Chloe told me that you were coming to Kanto, Pikachu made Bulbasaur use Sleep Powder on me!”
Serena giggled at that. “That sounds about right. Pikachu’s always been the more sensible of the two of you, anyway.”
Ash placed a hand on his chest, pretending to be gravely wounded. “Low blow, Serena. I can be perfectly sensible when I try!”
She smirked at him, and oh, how that did things to Ash’s heart. “Ash, for you, ‘sensible’ means only training for most of the day, instead of all of it.”
Ash smirked back at her, secretly enjoying how she seemed to blush under his stare. “It takes one workaholic to recognize another.” He fired back.
Looking at two of his favorite humans barring Delia, Brock, and Misty, Pikachu felt the strong urge to slap each of them upside the head. Serena clearly wasn’t over her feelings, and from the looks of it, Ash was finally realizing that he felt the same way. Arceus, humans could be so stupid.
“Oh my goodness, Pikachu!” Sylveon trilled, prompting the mouse in question to wriggle out of Serena’s arms and greet his friend.
“Hey, Sylvie! Is everything going okay?” He chirped.
The Fairy type wrapped a ribbon around Pikachu’s tail in an affectionate embrace, smiling gracefully. “We’ve been doing well, thank you. Serena is quite nervous about seeing Ash, however.”
Pikachu chuckled. “Ash is the same way. I wouldn’t be surprised if they finally talk about Serena’s little parting gift from the airport. Just… mind what you say out loud, Ash can understand almost any Pokemon now.”
Watching as Pikachu chatted with Sylveon, Ash felt a sense of calm come over him. He couldn’t explain it, but something about Serena just put him at ease. It was a new feeling for him, but it was the furthest thing from being unpleasant.
The young Trainer was jolted out of his thoughts by Serena lightly tapping him on the shoulder, a look of concern clear on her face. “Everything okay? You looked lost in thought.”
Ash shrugged. “Just thinking about some stuff. I really missed you, y’know.”
That brought a flush to Serena’s face. “I missed you too, Ash.”
Acting on impulse, Ash pulled Serena into a hug. He was slightly taller than her now, (which was saying something for his growth spurts considering how tall Serena was already,) and he was putting it to good use. She smelled the same as ever, like cinnamon and a flower he always forgot the name of. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed that familiar smell, or how much he craved the feeling of Serena’s hugs.
When they separated, Ash rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Ready to go to the lab? I think you’ll like it there.”
Serena nodded, trying desperately to tamp down her blush. She knew Ash was spontaneous, but she hadn’t expected him to actually initiate physical affection. Maybe her feelings weren’t as one-sided as she had feared.
Seeing Serena nod, Ash grinned. “Great! I’ll show you the way, and you can tell me all about what’s happening in Hoenn!”
Almost without thinking, he reached towards Serena’s hand, before stopping himself. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.
Sylveon noticed the raven haired boy’s hesitance, and decided to take the initiative. She gently wrapped her ribbons around Ash and Serena’s hands, intertwining their fingers. The embarrassed flush on both Trainers’s faces was entertaining, but more telling was the fact that neither of them made an effort to untangle their hands.
This was going to be a fun week.
When Ash and Serena arrived at Cerise Labs, they found their friends sitting around a table playing cards.
“Got any threes?” Goh quizzed, and Chloe shook her head.
“Go fish.”
“How do you have none of the cards that I need?” Goh grumbled, his disbelief clearly audible.
Chloe shrugged. “I’m cheating.”
Lisia’s jaw practically hit the floor. “How do you cheat at Go Fish?”
“Carefully.” The auburn haired girl replied, slapping down a pair of threes- the cards that Goh had just asked for- with a grin. “Count yourselves lucky you’re not playing Uno with me.”
“Chloe’s a demon at Uno.” Ash agreed, sliding into a chair next to Goh, which left Serena a spot between Lisia and Ash.
Internally groaning at the teasing that was sure to come, the Performer took her seat, pulling out her phone to check her messages. Maybe if she buried herself in relatable memes and the teasing nature of the Coordinator group chat, she could escape Lisia’s sisterly antics. Alas, that wasn’t the case.
“So… what kind of stuff do you three get up to here?” Lisia drawled, clearly fishing for some specific bit of information.
Ash perked up. “Well, it really depends on the day. Sometimes, we just hang back and look after the Pokemon staying at the lab. That’s when I do most of my training for the World Coronation Series. A lot of the time, though, Chloe’s dad sends us into the field to collect data and do surveys. Between Goh’s catching skills, my battling skills, and Chloe’s science skills, we make a pretty good team!”
Serena smiled at Ash’s enthusiasm. “I never took you for the science type, Ash.” She teased, though her gentle smile made it clear that there was no malice in the statement.
Ash chuckled sheepishly. “Yeah, school was never really my strong suit. But Professor Cerise makes it seem… I dunno, like science isn’t just something you read about in a textbook. It’s living, breathing, and evolving, just like the world around us. If I’m going to be a Pokemon Master someday, I need to know more than just how a Pokemon battles. I need to be able to understand them, like how Professor Cerise understands them.”
The group fell into a contemplative silence. Though they’d all heard Ash talk about his dreams and ambitions, this was the first time that any of them, even Ash, had really gotten a sense of what being a Pokemon Master meant to him.
Serena was the first to speak. “Well, wherever that dream takes you, you’ll always have us by your side.”
Goh and Chloe nodded their agreement, but Ash only had eyes for Serena, something that didn’t go unnoticed by a certain Coordinator.
Lisia found herself wondering how could this boy be so clueless. Everything about his body language and tone screamed that he was head over heels for Serena, and he didn’t even seem to notice!
Chloe, sensing Lisia’s growing irritation, decided to take action. “Okay, what does everyone feel like doing this week? We’ve got six days to do basically anything we want, so let’s hear some ideas!”
Goh quickly raised his hand. “We need to check out the festival. They’ll have games, contests, and fair food, all of which are good things.”
“If Vermillion’s boutiques are half as good as the ones in Sootopolis, I need to do some shopping.” Lisia chimed in, drawing a fond smile from Chloe. It may have seemed stereotypical for someone in Lisia’s position to love fashion, but the older girl embraced her feminine side without reservation.
Serena tapped her fingers against the table thoughtfully. “The festival and shopping both sound like great ideas… there’s something I was hoping to do, though.”
“What would that be?” Chloe quizzed.
Serena gave her friend a shy smile. “I want to try winning a Gym Badge.”
Ash, hearing the fateful words that had defined so much of his journey, couldn’t suppress a grin. “That’s awesome, Serena! Have you been doing the Gyms in Hoenn?”
Serena reached into her messenger bag, pulling out a badge case. “I’ve won five so far, and my goal is to win all eight by the time I compete in the Grand Festival.”
“But why would you do Gym battles if you’re a Coordinator?” Goh queried, and Serena laughed softly.
“At first, it was just to practice my battling skills. Showcases don’t have battle rounds, but Pokemon Contests do, and I wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t immediately get knocked out because I didn’t know how to battle like a Coordinator. After a while, though, the Gym battles became almost as exciting as the next Contest!”
Ash smiled at that. “It’s a rush, that’s for sure. D’you know which Kanto Gym you want to battle? Normally I’d say to do Vermillion since we’re already here, but Lieutenant Surge is kinda harsh, and I don’t think battling him would help your style that much.”
Brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, Serena met Ash’s smile. “I’ve been debating between Cerulean and Viridian. They’re ranked as two of the hardest Gyms in Kanto, and even if I don’t win, it’ll be nice to know where I stand.”
Goh snapped his fingers, a thought striking him like one of Pikachu’s Thunderbolts. “Ash, don’t you know the girl that runs the Cerulean Gym?”
Ash shook his head. “Misty used to run the Gym, but she just got promoted to the Elite Four a few weeks ago, so her sisters do it now. Viridian’s been a bit of a revolving door, but last I heard, my friend Ritchie got an interim spot as the Gym Leader. It would be pretty awesome to go there and battle him again.”
“Then I’ll go to Viridian. That way, both of us will have fun.” Serena decided.
Chloe took the opportunity to grab her phone, opening a new note to log the group’s itinerary. Shopping, the Luvdisc festival, and a trip to Viridian City for a pair of Gym Battles were swiftly added to her calendar. All in all, it seemed like a pretty decent list of things to do. However, the professor’s daughter couldn’t help but notice that Ash had failed to add anything to their plans. Sure, he also wanted to go to Viridian for a battle, but that was likely for Serena’s benefit as much as his own. It struck Chloe as odd.
Ash felt a buzz against his wrist, and he lifted his watch to check the alarm. When he lowered his arm, it was with a slight grimace. “Crap, I just remembered I have to go home tomorrow. I promised Mom I’d stop by for a visit.”
“It’s alright, Ash. Seeing your mom is super important.” Serena gently reminded him.
Suddenly, a thought jumped into Chloe’s head. “Hey, why don’t we combine going to Pallet Town with the Viridian City trip? If Ms. Ketchum is okay with it, we can make it work.”
Ash considered the proposition. It made sense on the surface, but would be difficult to pull off in practice.
“I feel like we’d have to do one or the other.” He concluded. “It’s just too much to squeeze into the amount of time Serena and Lisia have here.”
Serena nodded at that, already making her decision. “In that case, I won’t go to Viridian. Your mom doesn’t get to see you much, Ash- you should make this visit with her count.”
Smiling, Ash pumped a fist in the air. “Alright! I’ll buy us some bus passes for tomorrow morning, and we can come back the day after. You guys are going to have so much fun in Pallet Town!”
“What is there to do in Pallet Town, exactly?” Lisia asked, clear skepticism in her tone.
Ash smirked. “You’ll just have to wait and see!”
After eating a hearty dinner of leftover ramen, Ash headed to his room. The bus for Pallet Town would leave early in the morning, so a good night’s sleep was in order. On his way to bed, however, the raven haired teen was startled by a hand on his shoulder. He instinctively reached for the Pokeballs on his belt, but upon seeing that it was just Chloe, he let out a relieved exhale. “For a second, I thought you were Team Rocket.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow at that, but chose not to comment. Instead, she pulled Ash into a side room, flicking on the lights to reveal Lisia and Goh sitting around a table. The serious look on Lisia's face was unnerving to Ash. Lisia was one of the most carefree people he knew- what could possibly be important enough to elicit this reaction?
Goh met Ash’s gaze. “I don’t even know, dude. They dragged me here and wouldn’t tell me why, so I’m assuming they haven’t told you either.”
Ash shook his head at that. “Yeah, I’ve got no clue why I’m in here.”
“You’re about to find out.” Lisia interjected, her tone ominous.
Chloe, having closed the door and wheeled a whiteboard over, clapped her hands to call the group’s attention.
“Alright, everyone! Now that we’re all here, it’s time to reveal the purpose of tonight’s meeting! The Ash Ketchum Confession Committee is officially in session!”
Silence fell over the three normally talkative Trainers. Then, Goh stood and walked towards the door. “Nope. Not happening.”
Lisia’s hand shot out, grabbing the city boy by the collar in a practiced move. “Sit down, pretty boy. You’re an important part of this.”
Overwhelmed by Lisia complimenting him, even through the reprimand, Goh’s protests died in his throat. He mutely returned to his seat, turning his eyes to the whiteboard Chloe had seemingly procured out of thin air.
Ash was silent, but internally, his thoughts were running faster than a Blaziken with Speed Boost. The main emotion was a distinct sensation of being caught, like he was six years old and stealing cookies from his mom again. The young Trainer wasn’t entirely sure why he was feeling this way, but the fact remained that it was how he felt.
“Ash? You in there, dude?” Goh snapped his fingers in front of his friend’s face, jolting Ash out of his daze.
“Yeah, I’m here.” He replied, still reeling from Chloe’s untimely reveal.
Perhaps blinded by her determination to make something happen in the romance department, Chloe took little notice of Ash’s stunned demeanor. “Okay, let’s get started. We’re all here for one reason: to get Ash to confess his feelings to Serena.”
Ash almost choked on thin air. He’d made a guess about his friend’s intentions when she announced the name of the club, but hearing Chloe’s goal stated in her usual blunt manner threw him for a loop.
“What do you mean?” The young Champion of Alola asked, somewhere between denial and confusion.
Lisia sighed. Arceus, Mew, and Rayquaza above, how could a teenage boy be so uneducated about attraction to the opposite sex? She would have to put this in rather simple terms for him…
“Ash, think about it like this. You’ve made a lot of friends, right?”
Ash nodded, unsure where Lisia was attempting to lead him. “Yeah…”
“And you feel differently about Serena than you do about, say, May or Dawn?”
Again, Ash nodded. “Every one of my friends is important to me for a different reason.” He stated firmly, though the statement came with an odd feeling of deja vu, like he’d had this conversation with Brock before… though that couldn’t have happened with his friend still attending medical school.
Lisia rolled her eyes. “For the love of God… Ash, do you want to kiss her? Pull her into your arms and never let go? Make her feel like she’s the most special, most amazing girl in the world?”
A full-body flush overcame Ash, and his next words came out in a quiet, reflective tone that was completely unlike his usual boisterous enthusiasm.
“Sometimes, all I can think about is kissing her. Like, I’ll be trying to fall asleep, and I’ll imagine her lying next to me, or kissing me goodnight. And I want to make her feel how you said, Lisia. Because Serena deserves to feel like that, and because she’s already the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”
Silence reigned until Ash continued, not realizing what a massive bombshell he’d dropped. “I dunno if she likes me like that, though.”
At that, Chloe exploded. “She kissed you, you idiot! How can it not be clear after that?”
Ash shrugged, uncharacteristically shrinking into himself. “That was three years ago, Chloe. Even if I feel the same way, Serena probably doesn’t like me anymore. She’s grown so much, become even more amazing than she already was, and I’m still just a guy chasing an impossible dream who was too stupid to realize how she felt.”
For the first time since attempting to leave the meeting, Goh spoke up. “Look, I’m no good at this stuff. You know that. But if Serena really means as much to you as you’re saying she does, you need to tell her. Girls, especially girls like Serena, don’t wait around forever.”
Newly filled with determination, Ash rose to his feet. “You’re right, Goh. I’ll tell her tomorrow, when we get to Pallet Town.”
Then he yawned. “After I get some shut-eye, though. G’night, guys.”
Once Ash exited the room, Lisia grinned at Goh. “And you thought there was no point in you being here!”
Goh shrugged, his cocky smile offset by a visible blush. “I have my moments.”