"A-Ash?" Serena spoke out into the darkness. Her head felt sore and she still felt dizzy. A wave of nausea hit her, but Serena held in the sickly feeling. She looked around to get a good scope of her location, the iron bars stopping her from getting out either end of the cave. It was just one large circle, with iron bars just infront of Serena. There was enough space for a whole living room in the cave she was trapped in, but it was dark, baron and silent. Serena got up and brushed down her dirty clothes and then she realized how tired she actually felt. The floor was comforting for her legs, which now felt dead as she tried to walk, her legs shaking with each step as she tried to regain her balance.
"Serena?" Ash's voice suddenly rang out from the other side of the cave. Serena's head almost snapped in a one-hundred and eighty degree motion and she sprinted over to the voice.
"Ash! Are you okay? Can you stand?" Serena asked, grabbing onto Ash's arms and helping him up.
"I should be okay" He replied, brushing down his clothes and looking around. "Where are we?"
"Some sort of cave, I think. I am scared Ash" Serena looked around, while Ash walked over to the bars.
"Where is Pikachu?" Ash chose to disregard Serena's comments and focused on they had to do to get out.
"I don't know, he was in your arms before and when I woke up I couldn't see anything, maybe he isn't here and is safe" Serena, in the situation they was in, was trying to be positive for Ash's sake.
"He must be safe, Eevee too" Ash patted his waist and then sighed. "Of course I have nothing on me"
"I see you're both awake" A familiar voice said, the person walking out of the darkness.
"Parker" Ash stared coldly at Parker, who grinned.
"Why the long face, Ketchum?" Parker retorted, putting a key into the iron lock. He swung the iron bars to one side. "Both of you, over here"
They both looked at each other and hesitated. "Don't make us do anything stupid" Parker threatened them and that was enough, they both moved.
Parker latched a handcuff onto Serena's right wrist and then locked the other cuff onto Ash's right wrist, locking them both tight. Serena felt her face heat up, even in this situation. She was wearing one of the two cuffs and Ash had the other, they was locked together.
Parker ushered them both upstairs, where the rest of Team Shadow was.
"I have brought them, boss" Parker took a step to the side as their boss turned and smiled at the two, his white teeth flashing beneath his shadow-like face.
"What a pleasant surprise, two unwanted guests" His voice was harsh and cold.
"Well we didn't want to be here!" Ash retorted. In a flash, The Boss backhanded Ash, sending him on his knees. He dragged Serena down with him, being cuffed together and she dropped to the floor too.
"Of course you don't want to be here, I don't want you here" The Boss tutted and then turned to Parker. "I am entrusting you with this job, you picked up unwanted visitors, so do what you will with them"
"I will keep them locked up downstairs until our plan is done. We can eliminate the rest of his friends if things get rough" Parker sounded so cold, it was different from his casual attitude and it made Ash shiver with a slight amount of fear. "Okay, back downstairs"
Serena and Ash quietly went downstairs and back into the cave, where they was locked up once more.
"What are you doing to this region?!" Ash shouted as Parker began to walk off. "What do you gain from this?"
Parker stopped walking up the stairs and laughed maniacally. "It is all about power, everything is you fool. We will gain all of the power in the region by making Kanto a region shrouded in darkness, where every Pokemon must obey our every command, our own army!"
"You are crazy!" It was Serena's turn to shout.
"No" Parker snapped back, turning his head slightly so one eye fell on Serena "You're crazy if you think you can escape" Parker turned back and headed up the stairs once again.
Ash didn't really know what to say. He had no words. So, the two sat in silence, against the wall. They couldn't stay separated, due to be locked up together by the same handcuffs, which made it awkward for them both.
"Ash?" Serena suddenly broke the silence, making Ash feel slightly nervous.
"Yeah?" Ash replied. He could barely see in the dark, so it was almost like talking to the darkness, but he could feel Serena right next to him. He suddenly felt her face brush against his shoulder. When he looked down, he could see her head resting against his arm.
"Is everything going to be okay?" Serena asked Ash, who didn't know the answer himself.
"I don't know. I hope so, Serena. I really do" Ash sighed and looked around, taking in his surroundings for the first time.
"Ash?" Serena asked once more.
"What is is this time?" Ash replied once more.
"What do you think of me, like, seriously?" Serena suddenly blurted out, making Ash almost jump.
"A question at a time like this..." Ash murmured to himself and then let out a deep sigh. "I...I still don't kn-" Ash stopped there and he paused for a moment, Misty's voice ringing in his head. You have to be in control and make the right choice... "The right choice" Ash murmured once more.
"Serena to Ash, over?!" Serena waved a hand in Ash's face and he shook his head to bring himself to reality.
"Sorry, huh?" Ash looked around and his eyes froze onto Serena's as she looked at him seriously.
"Answer the question, please" She almost whispered, wanting to know.
"You already know who likes me, don't you?" Ash asked, instantly figuring it out. Serena nodded, looking down at the floor. Ash refused to let her look down and he cupped a hand under her chin, raising her head up slightly. "Misty gave me some very important advice and I have used it here and now"
"What?" Serena asked, looking with a sad expression on her face, her eyes twinkling in the darkness of the cave. She could feel her body heating up, with Ash so close that they was touching, their breath audible in the silent gaps between their conversation.
"I said that my decision was going to be at the end of the tournament, but with the way things are, we may never see the end of the tournament" Ash continued to look at Serena, not looking away. She knew he wasn't backing down and her eyes began to widen as she realized he was telling her his feelings.
"Serena, throughout our journey in Kalos and beyond, you have shown support for me throughout, even when I didn't remember you back in my first gym battle, you was there, supporting me. You have always like me since that day we met, back when we was kids, but I have never realized it until now, so I could never tell you how I felt. It must have hurt you, with me ignoring your hints everytime. I am pretty sure I may have avoided you confronting me about your feelings on different occasions during our journey in Kalos, so I am sorry. I am sorry for ever hurting you Serena...Because...Well...I love you"
As the last word rolled off of Ash's tongue, Serena's eyes were so wide they could have popped out. Ash brushed some of Serena's hair out of her eyes, that had flopped down from her lying on his shoulder. Then, Serena felt Ash's warm fingers lock onto hers, there hands cupping together.
Her hand feels so small...So weak. Something I must protect with my life. I know these feelings are true, Serena. I do love you and I will prove it.
Ash moved his head forward ever so slightly and Serena realized what he was doing. She closed her eyes and her hand slipped off his. Instead, she wrapped it around his neck as his hung loosely by his side. They locked lips at that moment, forgetting about the world. They forgot about being locked in a cave, with a small chance of escaping. They forgot about the trouble going on, the only thing that mattered in this moment was their love for eachother. Ash, to his own surprise, felt calm and collected as they continued to kiss, making the moment last for as long as possible. Serena's whole body felt hot as they carried on, their cuffed hands intertwining, fingers locking together. As Ash slowly moved back from Serena, he shared the same smile as her. Then, he slowly leaned back against the wall and Serena rested her head on his shoulder once more.
Serena knew that, although it was unexpected, Ash was being truthful.
"Ash?" Serena whispered in his ear, closest to her head.
"Mhm?" Ash whispered back, peering down at Serena, who had her eyes closed now.
"I love you, you know" She said, smiling to herself with Ash watching.
"I know" Ash replied, smiling back, pressing his head against the rocky wall behind him.
Serena didn't need to hear Ash say it. No matter how unexpected it was, how surprising Ash had been, in that moment, Serena knew.
He loved her.
"As long as I have you, Serena, the world will never fall into darkness, because you are my light" Ash whispered, just as Serena started to fall asleep. Ash continued to think to himself, about what just transpired and any possible way of getting out and stopping Team Shadow.
There was another person that felt the same way as Serena. Her good friend, coincidently, someone with lots of Pokemon by her side, ready and willing to save Ash and Serena from trouble.
Pikachu, Slurpuff and Eevee all stood infront of Miette, who was ready and determined to save her friends, the ones she cared for most. Whether she was alone or with someone else, she wanted to save them.
"Lets go guys" Miette said to the Pokemon around her, jogging off down the path, with one more pokeball in her hand.