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The day started with crashing face-first onto the wooden floor of my bedroom. I wasn't exactly suffering a nightmare, but watching a Dialga swallow my nerdy best friend in one gulp, weeks after parting with my Kalosian friends, did that to a boy. Groaning, I rubbed a hand down my face. The photo we took in Geosenge, where everything was seemingly alright, was tucked into duct tape on the stationery board. My gaze flitted to the other photo. A honey-blonde, the same age as me, smiling widely at being called the runner-up of the Master Class. Her golden locks illuminated the backdrop, her grin brighter than her Fire-type's flame. Heat warmed my cheeks, my pointer flying to my lip. I didn't know what she did, but the minute she leaned back on the escalator and I noted my pulse feeling like I had just won a championship, I knew I was sick. Pikachu stared at me oddly the entire evening. The little mouse's sarcastic frown only creased his non-existent brows deeper when I found myself plastering the memory beside the group photo with tape.
"Pikachu!"
Startled by the yellow blur whirring into the room, I jerked away from the board. My starter was totally enjoying seeing my abnormal illness. "What?" He snickered and tucked himself on my shoulder, one paw doubling the pressure like he was comforting someone who didn't need it from him of all people.
"Pikachu, Pika, Chu, Pika!" A furry finger pointed at the girl's photo. He jumped to the bed, slamming the ringing alarm with his tail before snickering again. I didn't speak Pokémon, but everything he said made sense. Call her up already.
"I'm not going to," I murmured, choosing distraction in the form of freshening up. Serena would be busy settling in Hoenn. Who knew what the time difference was? But what if she's sick the way I am...? What if she's feeling just as hot as I am in these freezing temperatures and doesn't have anybody to take care of her like I have Mom? The thought sent a shiver down my spine. Pikachu seemed to have noticed, but before he could do anything about it, someone else walked in. Familiar spiky brown hair and tanned skin—the boy before me grinned.
"Hey, Ash! Long time, no see!"
"Brock!"
By the time we hit the cobblestone streets of Viridian, it was already noon. Something about Misty meeting up with us here for some Mega Evolution research. I didn't get the full gist of it, mostly because Brock quickly picked up on my morning musings. The fact that he glanced at the photo of a lone girl pinned safely in my room didn't help in the least. "I didn't know you noticed girls after Giselle."
"I don't!" It was getting irksome. Pikachu and Brock were throwing back-to-back mockery.
"But I gotta admit. She is pretty—"
I stared, mouth agape. Not Brock too! Wait, what do I mean, too—?
As if the universe had some comical, impeccable timing, the air before us cracked. A car materialized on the road, and before I knew it, I was lugged onto Brock's shoulder. The automobile drove headfirst towards us, barely screeching to a stop before it hit the curb. A young girl tumbled out, barely catching herself from falling onto the pavement. When our eyes met, I would have sworn I saw my soul floating away.
"Ash!" She skidded to a stop before us, one Poké Ball raised defensively against Brock. "Put him down!"
Brock hesitated but lowered me slowly. "I know you." Wait, it wasn't hesitation... "You're Serena! The girl Ash talks about all the time! No wonder, you're even prettier in real life!"
The honey-blonde's eyes widened, but the Poké Ball was still shoved into Brock's face. I stepped in before the situation could escalate. "Serena!" I winced internally at the octave higher. "It's so good to see you!" On the contrary, seeing her made my pulse race with anxiety. Serena wasn't one who appeared in public in a disheveled look. Her hair stuck out worse than mine, like she had run across three regions without a break. "Are you okay?"
She eyed the teen behind me wearily. Somehow the message was understood. "He's a friend. There's no need to worry." The girl nodded and put her Poké Ball back in her belt, a frown creasing her pale skin.
"It's Clemont. Bonnie called this morning and said he hasn't returned from his field trip to the woods behind Lumiose," the girl informed, matting down her messy hair with ease. They seemed to oblige, unlike my locks. "I just had to come get you, in case it was linked to... Greninja and..."
I nodded. The rest of the information wasn't hard to grasp. Serena was reluctant to voice Squishy's existence in front of Brock. "We should go there. But how?"
Serena's lips curved, something softer settling in her demeanor finally. "The Xatu Sisters have a way. Psychic taxi."
I exchanged a look with Brock, finally relieved to see my old Serena back. Wait, my?!
"Why are we waiting for the Sunkern to grow?" Brock clapped my shoulder. "Right behind you, Asho!" The taxi door opened with a creak, as if it had not been oiled for years. Serena climbed in first, and I followed after ensuring she was comfortable. With Brock on the other side, the girl produced two hundred Poké Dollars.
"Another hundred?" the woman wearing a blindfold asked, her voice calm on the surface. Her sister, wearing an identical mask with the crest of Xatu, jabbed a thumb at Brock. "Every kilogram carries itself."
Serena rummaged through her purse, her lower lip wobbling. "I ran short."
"I'll cover one." Thankfully, the coin I found on my study table was still safe in my pocket. After paying the sisters, Serena leaned close to whisper.
"She suspects Squishy found something and called him." That was weird. Why would Squishy summon Clemont over Bonnie? Was it a serious matter that couldn't involve the younger girl? "We could really use Greninja right now."
I nodded, catching a glimpse of the scenery around us starting to warp. This was how the taxi worked, huh? "So he's the boyfriend you dream about," one of the sisters—the masked one—prodded. Her dark beaded glance landed on me. "Must admit that he is cute."
Dream about? Boyfriend? Me?!
"B-boyfriend?!" Serena exclaimed, surprise evident in her tone. She turned around so fast that her hair gave my cheek a whiplash. "I-I never said boyfriend! I never—!"
"Yeah!" I agreed, although some sick part of me wished to rejoice instead of agreeing with her.
But Serena wasn't red for no reason. "I never said boyfriend! He isn't—"
"I-I trust you!"
"Where are we headed?" the blindfolded one cut in smoothly, as if her sister hadn't just used Heat Wave against us. Serena stopped shuffling, her hands finding my sleeve—a cue for me to answer in her stead. I didn't know the answer. Heck, I didn't even understand why I was suddenly feeling motion sick.
"Lumiose City outskirts!" The woman nodded and pressed a button. The colours blurred together outside, and for one ephemeral heartbeat, I felt Serena inch closer to my shoulder. "If Clemont was seen in the woods, he ought to be in the outskirts."
"Y-yeah—"
"Is Clemont the other guy you dream about?" the masked woman turned back again, her smile crooked. "Your other boyfriend?"
I choked. "Huh?!"
Brock looked like he wanted the floor of the taxi to swallow him whole.
"WHAT?!" Serena exclaimed again. Our words left our mouths simultaneously when she turned back to me, her face a deep shade of red. "NO! I don't dream about Clemont!"
"Wait, you have another boyfriend?!"
Heat exploded from her face, and she turned away, hiding behind the curtain of her golden locks and mumbling something incoherent. I observed her for a minute before turning to the masked sister, who had begun dropping another nuclear bomb at us.
"You think danger awaits as nature. I think it's illogical." Her pitch settled like a silent boom. The warp finalized, threatening to squeeze out the morning's breakfast before the door, thankfully, creaked open. Serena staggered out while I hastened to follow her. The doors slammed shut, and the taxi smoked out diesel.
"You both reek of nerves!" their voices boomed before another psychic move was used on the yellow cab.
I turned to Serena, but she sighed and started trekking to the woods. One glance with Brock said I had to do something.
"Serena!" I jogged to fall into step with her. Her gait didn't stop, but I could feel her footsteps lighten a bit. "Maybe we should try contacting Bonnie first."
"Letters that need money to be sent?"
That landed. Not because Bonnie couldn't be contacted without one. Rather because that seemed... personal. "I did intend to call you after I landed in Kanto, Serena, I swear. I just—" What reasoning did I have? We promised to check on each other after landing, but with the memory of her farewell still tingling on my lips, I couldn't grope for the courage that eluded me every time I saw the phone booth.
"Drop it, Ash."
Brock was carrying Pikachu, the pair muttering something in hushed whispers as if they understood each other. The woods were eerily calm, almost like the tranquility before a storm. Two clearings in, Brock called out after us. "Don't you think we should try gathering information on the missing person before sending a search party?"
I knew better than to disagree with him, and Serena seemed too exhausted to whip up a solution on her own. The girl curled inward, arms around herself the entire time we walked back into the city. I wanted to reach out, ask her if she was feeling cold and wanted my jacket, but some part of me resisted the thought. Why did her silence sting when I didn't bother much about falling out with the rest of my friends?
The Prism Tower loomed with night lights. Clembot's welcome wasn't warm in the least. His memory had been rebooted, and although Clemont had made sure to introduce us, I doubted two days of staying back with the new ROM would have made much difference. "No Gym Badges equals no entry," his robotic voice warned, sparks crackling at the ends of his arms. Pikachu jumped before us at once, ready to fire back.
"Clembot, you have to listen," Serena stepped closer to the robot. Electricity sparked, heating the air. I tugged her behind me at once. "Ash, what are you—"
But she couldn't complete the sentence. The double doors opened with a clean sound, revealing two silhouettes. One was doubled over, laughing, while the other approached us. Clemont. And Bonnie.
"They really did fall for this one, Brother!" Bonnie cackled, clutching her sides. Dedenne hopped off her shoulder and onto the robot, who stepped aside, welcoming us with a bow.
"Ash, Serena, you're welcome on board the Prism Tower."
I gaped.
The traitorous robot.
The traitorous friends!
"This was a prank?!" Serena exclaimed, incredulous. I felt her trying to wriggle out of my grasp, but my muscles had a mind of their own.
"You made us cross regions for this?!"
Clemont exhaled shakily, like he had been forced into this and nothing that transpired was really his doing. "Bonnie."
"But hey!" the little girl exclaimed, pointing at something. Our... hands. I let go immediately, and Serena flinched away like she had been burned. "We got them together!"
"N-nothing of that sort happened!"
"Keep telling that to yourself, Serena!"
Brock stepped in before I could question the reason for Serena's red face. "Now that we are here, do you think I could use your kitchen?"
Now that was what I was talking about. Food! Regardless of whatever this strange sickness was, I was sure my stomach would stop doing flip-flops at the sight of Brock's homemade food. "He's an awesome chef, Clemont!" I put in, in good faith for my best friend. The lemon blond didn't consider much after that.
"Kitchen access granted." He bowed slightly. "Let me assist you as well."
Brock, being the chill guy he was, draped an arm around Clemont. "Lead the way!"
As the two guys disappeared, Bonnie turned to us. "So... did you two have a reunion kiss?"
"Bonnie!" Serena shrieked, much to Pikachu's dismay. As for me, my mind reversed to that one moment I had been circling back to ever since leaving Kalos. The airport. The crowds. The escalator. The billboards. Numerous eyes, but hers trained on mine, and likewise. The feel of her... My gaze dropped to her lip, now bleeding from how often she was nibbling at it in anxiety. She was talking with Bonnie, but the loudness of that one embrace dulled her words.
I faintly registered Pikachu leaving my shoulder for food. Oil. Seasoning. The smell wafting from the kitchen already made my stomach grumble. Before I could reconsider it, I grabbed Serena's hand. "Let's go!"
The entire meal, Serena only smiled when spoken to—not counting "pass the sauce." Pikachu seemed to have caught on to the shift in the girl's behavior and eyed me cautiously, as if to convey I was somehow the reason. I knew I was, but couldn't figure out how.
Brock and Clemont's combined efforts paid off in the form of a delicious Kan-Kalosian cuisine. The Pokémon seemed content with their food, and Bonnie had her veggies wiped clean. While the two older boys exchanged recipes, I seized the opportunity to find Serena alone on the balcony. The moonlight caught her hair just right, and for one startling second, I wondered if I had been hit by a wayward Moonblast. "Lost in thoughts?" I whispered, resting my elbows on the same banister as hers. She didn't flinch like I half-expected her to. The night air was cooling, but my cheeks felt strangely warm. As if I were back in the tent, nerves on fire after a vigorous training session with Greninja. Serena had been there the entire time. Everything was still a daze, but I remembered her. The feel of her caresses.
"I didn't call you because I didn't think... that we really said good-bye." She was silent, but I knew she was listening. So I willed myself forward. "Maybe I should have, but... I didn't feel like... you know?"
"What did it feel like then?" Her tone wasn't harsh, but it cut through my nerves anyway. The airport, the scent of Pecha Berries, and the feel of her soft lips...
Without realizing it, my face warmed with the memory, a hand flying to the back of my neck. Words eluded me when her shimmering blue eyes landed on me. "Like a... good-luck motivation?" I screwed up. I knew I did. Serena's face soured with a bitter smile, like she was both terrified and hopeful at once.
"Good luck, huh?" she echoed blankly. Her fingers blanched over the dark monostone railing before she stepped away. "I'm leaving for Hoenn tomorrow. Going to hit the hay early." A smile that felt so foreign, like the one she wore whenever she lost a Showcase or was disappointed in herself. "Good night, Ash."
She left without a glance back.
And for some bizarre reason, the warmth that this new kind of fever brought along suddenly turned into chills. Shivers that weren't subdued by the jacket I wore or Pikachu's soft sweet-nothings.
That night, sleep didn't come easy. Pikachu was curled against my side, paws pressed to my collarbone. Warm, grounding—but somehow it made it all worse. The words Serena had uttered—Good luck, huh?—and my reply... I could have done better. Maybe an I missed you or I couldn't stop thinking about you would have been great. But I went and chose the safest option, blaming it on a charm. A kiss and... good luck? Really?
Groaning, I turned to my side. Clemont's bedroom was as silent as it could get with the other guys snoring. Across the hall was Bonnie's bedroom—probably where Serena lay... where she... Would she be hurting? Or maybe she was confused as to why I behaved the way I did. I shouldn't have called her farewell a good-luck charm. It was much more than that. Something that... infected my being with some weird virus. A bug that made my stomach do acrobatics in the middle of a training session. What for? I couldn't ask Bonnie—she would snicker until the end of time. Clemont was just as clueless as I was in such matters, and Brock? He was as bad as they came in matters of the heart. The only person who flashed to my mind was Serena—but how did I ask her about something that concerned her?
Hi, Serena, I have a question. Ever since your mouth touched mine, I feel like I'm getting bursts of fever for no reason. Do you know what it's called?
She'd choke at my face if I ever did that. Not that she was unkind, though. More like done with how bad I would sound asking such a bizarre question.
The morning came too early for my liking. The daylight was blaring, and Pikachu's familiar weight was missing from my chest. Voices resonated from the dining area—Bonnie's eager chirps, the clink of cooking, and that familiar softness. Serena. My chest caved in when she caught me staring, the brief contact sending a shiver down my spine. Great, the fever was acting up again.
"Oh, you're up!" Clemont noted instead. "Impeccable timing. We were just going to call you for breakfast. Serena's leaving soon." The sentence dampened the atmosphere, but Serena wore her farewell like another bright smile.
"We still can meet up. Xatu Taxi is a thing, right, Bonnie?"
The younger girl smiled widely. Breakfast wasn't noisy. The Prism Tower's dining area was huge, but we didn't require that much space. Brock took care of the dishes after we were done so we could walk Serena to the taxi hub. "Honestly, I wish it was a little cheaper," Clemont mused, one finger tapping his chin. "The innovation is genius."
Pikachu stayed glued to my shoulder, his soft growls a reminder to do something before it was too late. Only, I found my muscles frozen when Serena did a little twirl just short of the hub's entrance. "This is where we part again, then!"
Bonnie exchanged tearful hugs. The rest of the embraces dulled behind my eyes. Serena. How was I supposed to make up for my mistake? Tell her I was in some weird kind of heat because of that farewell? I just... couldn't. And when she didn't meet my eye, even as she bade good-bye, I regretted not chasing her. Regretted it when the taxi doors slid shut.
Brock and I left after a while—an afternoon of piled-up excuses. Mom waiting with food growing cold, badges that didn't earn themselves. Clemont offered to run diagnostics on Pikachu, just in case, but the Electric-type refused with a wide grin. A grin he plastered on to avoid letting me down before everyone.
The taxi ride home wasn't eventful. Bonnie's teary good-bye lingered in my headspace, but the larger part of it was occupied by Serena's warmth—the one slipping away like grains of sand. Brock didn't comment. He was a bad wingman as it was. Before we went our separate ways, he assured me that he would take care of meeting with Misty and that I needed to clear my mind and set my priorities straight. Which somehow felt like an indirect indication to correct things with Serena. Only, I didn't know how.
That night, Pikachu and I lazed on my bed. Pallet Town was cooler than Lumiose, the air devoid of pollution and color. Pikachu rubbed his paw at my side, his tail flicking toward the phone that lay on the nightstand.
"You're persistent," I groaned, picking it up.
"Pika!"
The contacts lit up to reveal three names. Clemont, Brock, and Serena. The only people whose contacts I had—and yet my fingers hovered for a moment longer above the person I desperately wanted to hear from. A ring. Two. I considered giving up, but Pikachu's brows bore in deep. By the third, her voice came, a little disoriented.
"Ash? Anything wrong?"
I swallowed. What was I supposed to say? The fever came in hot and cold—both at once. "You... reached a Pokémon Center safely?" Great. Champion-level starter. Serena hummed, the static diminishing her yes. "I... realized I didn't tell you something, Serena."
"Mhm?"
"I—" Pikachu nodded, paws fisted. Taking a deep inhale, I let honesty take over my senses. "Ever since Kalos, I've been feeling something... foreign. I don't know how to say that, but the airport... it didn't feel like a send-off. I didn't wish to let you go, not when... when your—your—um, you know, made me go fuzzy like that bad flu on our way to Snowbelle, and I can't help but think how much I liked being cared for by you and that I—" I cut myself off, realizing I was rambling at this point. "I-I don't think it's a fever." The realization practically forced itself out of my throat. A fever didn't make your pulse race around one person. Which meant... was I right? "Maybe it's... you."
Silence. Thick, rejecting. When Serena made no reply, no indication that she had heard me, I jammed the end-call button and threw the device across the mattress. Why did I tell her that? What if she feels weirded out? What if it was actually a good-luck kiss and I had over-imagined everything because of the fever? That had to be the only sane reason. I brought a hand up to cover my eyes. Serena would hate me now. She would never want to look me in the eye when I had just come off as a creep. As someone who definitely wasn't Ash. Heck, I didn't even feel like the Ash she knew. It was like the fever (maybe it was one after all!) had brought out an entirely different persona. Maybe I should ask Mom for some tabs tomorrow—to clear my head and my flushed body.
Pikachu yelped suddenly, shoving the buzzing phone up at my face. My heart skipped a beat. Not again. **Incoming Call: Serena.**
"What do I do?!" I panicked. Pikachu's ears twitched, and he reacted before I could, swiping at the screen and accepting the call. I sent him a glare when Serena's voice cracked through the static.
"Ash, did your phone... die?"
I gulped. "Yeah, no, I mean—" Well, damn it all. "Serena, I don't know what this is, but everything feels louder with you around and blank with you gone. That's—that's all I have to say about your... question yesterday."
The sound of sheets ruffling. Something crashed on her end, and my pulse soared. Before I could ask her if she was okay, there was a snort of laughter. "Now that you told me that, I can't help but... feel the weight."
My hopes nosedived.
"Wait, I didn't mean it in any weird way!" I added, totally not calm. It felt like a Pokémon charging up a Hyper Beam while I was trapped within Bind. "I mean, you don't have to take it the weird way!"
"Ash—!"
"I know! Brock told me I was pathetic at this! I just didn't guess I was this bad!"
"Please don't make it harder than it already is!"
"I'm trying!"
"PIKAPI!" The Electric-type's sacs sparked dangerously. In an attempt to get away, I tumbled off the bed, landing with an exclaimed ow.
"Ash!"
"What I'm trying to tell you is that I may have a... crush on you, Serena."
Silence. Dead silence. Like a storm was approaching. Pikachu tilted his head innocently, as if he hadn't been the catalyst scheming calls. Before I could pound him on the head as punishment, a scream tore through the Rotom Phone, rattling the room and alerting Mom, who rushed in in her pajamas. The sight of her son on the floor, completely red and scowling at the static line, might not be one she'd ever see again.
Morning slipped in silently. Figuring I had no business crushing on girls when I was due on becoming a Pokémon Master, Pikachu and I took to the road. Brock had said something about meeting Misty, so maybe that would divert this fever and hopefully chase it away.
Halfway to Cerulean, in the Viridian Woods, the air rippled with an external energy. Pikachu was the first to pick up on it, his tail rising with sparks as he leapt off my shoulder. Before he could fire, the ripple materialized into a familiar cab with bright graffiti on its body. The door shot open, and a teal-haired girl grinned. The next thing I knew, a blob of honey-blonde was discarded by her, and the taxi was out of sight.
"That... Lisia!" she groaned, holding her scraped knee. The minute she looked up, my body gave out with the cursed fever again. Blue against brown—a million apologies issued and a million questions left unanswered. Serena tilted her head down, breaking the stare. "Ouch!" The gash from landing on her knees was close to bleeding. Doubling over, I pulled out the kerchief she had returned to me and held it up to her. Her throat bobbed, wind howling through the woods. Pikachu's presence would have been forgotten if he hadn't approached her to sniff the handkerchief I had tied around her knee.
"...Are you okay?"
A beat.
I couldn't read what was going on in her mind. Her gaze flickered to the kerchief, then to my eyes, holding me there. "You..." She cut herself short, shaking her head as if getting water out of her ears. What was she thinking? Was I wrong in confessing through a call? Was the truth hurting her? Did I hurt her? Oh, Arceus, oh. "You have no idea how much it hurts when you said that was a good luck charm."
Oh, no. No. She assumed the worst. And it was all my fault. I should have said something else. Something real. About the fever. Or... something else. Something other than that poor excuse.
"You like... me?" she asked, quieter now, eyes downcast as if she wasn't able to hold my eye anymore. I practically felt the urge to hold myself together. "For... real? Or did I imagine... everything? You... like me?"
I didn't hesitate this time.
"Yes."
Silence. I could feel the fever rushing back like a broken dam.
I watched her fingers twitch on the mushy undergrowth. What if she didn't feel the same? What did I do? I screwed everything up! Even Pikachu was stunned into silence, as if he had been paralyzed by a wayward Thunder Wave.
Painful silence.
Her hair hung over her cheeks, muffling a... laugh?
"Oh, Ash! So that's why you asked if I had another boyfriend!" She chuckled, raising herself a little. I instinctively reached forward to steady her before she tripped into my arms, holding my midriff like she intended it to be an embrace. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear that."
I swallowed, heart pounding in my ears. What should I do? Where do I rest my hands? What was she telling me? Why is the fever not cooling off?!
Pikachu gave an unhelpful "Chu!" Like he wanted to help but didn't know how without making it more challenging than it already was.
"I like you too, you idiot!" His cries faded to the back of my mind when Serena squeezed me in her arms, her breath warm against my ear. My pulse skyrocketed. "I like you like you love battles and food. That's what I meant!"