"Well... I'm not sure if you'd believe me if I told you," Ash said.
The performer gazed at him with concern plastered all over her face and gave his hand a tight squeeze. She gave him a reassuring smile and opened her mouth again.
"Ash, we've talked about this," she said. "No matter what, I'll always listen to what you have to say."
The young man turned and tilted his cap downward, glancing away from her and back. He let out a sigh.
"I... I don't know, one minute, everything was normal but then, I got bit by some weird spinarak, and now... I really don't know."
The Kalosian trainer gazed at her old friend with concern written all over her face. This wasn't some weird joke, she knew. But at the same time, she knew a mere spinarak couldn't have caused him to be able to stop a truck with his bare hands like that. There had to be some logical explanation to all this. But what? She looked to the young man and gave his hand a squeeze yet again, before she spoke once more.
"Have you gone to the hospital?"
"No," he replied. "I probably should, but... I just don't know what to do. Though, Professor Oak said someone he knows is looking into it."
Serena let out a slight sigh of relief just then.
"Well, I'm glad you're trying to figure all this out," she said. But then, her voice shifted from calm to puzzled. "But how could a spinarak be the cause to all this?"
The young man shrugged.
"Beats me. I was just doing some training when it happened too," he explained. "Since then, it's like my life was flipped upside down, and I can't explain how without sounding like I'm going nuts."
Serena couldn't help but feel sympathy for the alolan champion, sadness was all over her face with no hint of relief being able to creep through. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and gave her best comforting smile, even if the sadness was still lurking within the shadows.
"I'm sorry, Ash."
The young man looked to her and then away.
"It's okay," he said. "You didn't do anything."
"I know, but... I can understand how you feel."
She then looked down.
At that moment, Ash looked to the young performer and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, it's okay," he smiled. "I mean... It's not all bad. I'm still me."
She then looked up and let out a sigh of relief, before glancing away.
"I know, but... I..." She wasn't sure how to talk to him right now. "Just... I'm afraid I might know what it is you mean."
He arched a brow, and glanced to Pikachu who gave his friend a shrug in confusion. The two looked back to the young woman, before Ash spoke.
"What do you mean?"
"I..." She looked to him with fear in her eyes. "Do... Do you promise not to tell anyone?"
"Promise." He gave her a thumbs up, which made Serena feel slightly better.
"Well... I haven't been honest with you either. I..." She began. "I..."
"Serena?"
"I... I'm... I-I'm happy for you and your mom!" Her voice squeaked.
The two blinked before a wave of anger and annoyance washed over them.
"Really? That's it?" He asked.
She nodded, with a faint tint of pink on her cheeks, which made the young champion sigh.
YOU ARE READING
Pokemon: Power & Responsibility
FanfictionAll Ash Ketchum wanted was to be normal and be a Pokemon Master, but little did he know that life had other plans. Now, his life had been flipped upside down after being bit by a mysterious Spinarak, but to his shock, he wound up being infused with...
