Everything hurt and he wanted to die.
His chest felt like it was on fire, literally fire because it was burning. He wanted to say that it was worse than a breakup but no woman had ever burned his heart this much. His head felt like it was trampled on by his hoard of Tauros and he had no feeling in his limbs which was even worse.
What if he was paralyzed?
At least he'd be able to leave the Chamber of Xovier if he looked at the plus side.
When his eyes opened, he could tell that it was nightfall, which was an obvious statement considering that the corner most wall of his room had been replaced by a gigantic looking glass. Even though his eyesight was a little weak, he could still make out that they were on an island or the beach house in Hoenn he'd stayed one summer with his then-girlfriend Misty before things went stale between them and they went through a horrible break up.
Pleasant memories... he sighed.
His chest was covered in bandages and his arm in a cast. A grunt escaped his lips as he tried to get up but his effort was useless and his chest still burned.
"Lay back," said a soothing voice, "you're still injured."
His eyesight was still blurry, he couldn't make out the face of the woman in front of him. The only thing he could see was a mop of brown hair.
"Mom?" He said.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she brought her face closer to his face. "It's me," said Serena, "I had to dye my hair."
Ash felt a tinge of redness crawl towards his cheeks. He sighed and merely smiled. "My... eyes are..."
"I know," she puffed his pillows, her aroma quickly took over the smell of blood and bandages that surrounded him, "it's just temporary. The doctors did a wonderful job, a few of your bones were broken but it'll only take a few days to repair."
She sat down right next to him on a chair, the same pleasant smile on her face.
"Just... days?" His throat was scratchy.
She nodded, "They have such advance technologies..." she sighed as she looked down at her old diary, a pen was engrossed in between one of the pages.
"Where is... Gary?"
"He's okay," she continued to smile, "Dawn is with him."
He raised his eyebrows.
"I know," she chuckled, "but it's not a secret crush, I think she just wants to rub her accomplishment in his face."
Ash chuckled despite the stiffness in his facial muscles, "Sounds like her,"
For a moment, they stared into each other's eyes. It wasn't much but to Ash, it meant the world. Being apart from Serena for so long made him forget how alive it felt whenever she was around. Even if she was yelling or throwing things.
Serena carried liveliness which could automatically raise a person's hope and make them feel good about themselves. Sometimes Ash wondered whether she was aware of the effect she had on people when she wasn't mad (sometimes even when she was).
Ash knew he could easily spend an eternity staring at her cerulean ocean and still long to see more. And her smile... it alone was capable of bringing light to a desolate town devoid of hopes and dreams.
"Serena I..." Ash said, "I..."
He wanted to apologize for everything he'd done to her, he wanted to set everything straight once again. The only thing which was more tiring than his injured was the burden of carrying their little spat on his shoulders.
But words couldn't come out of his mouth, they were on the edge of the cliff but refused to roll over.
Serena didn't say anything, she affectionately put her hand over his and smiled... that damn smile send jitters all over his body.
"You don't have to say anything," she smiled.
"But I..."
"Hush," she put a finger over his lips, "I know..." there was a level of understanding in her voice which he couldn't comprehend, "...I'm sorry to... for everything."
A frown showed up on his forehead as Serena withdrew her finger. Why is she sorry? He wanted to ask, I'm the villain of this story.
"Why?" He croaked, his throat was still sore.
"For hitting you with the Pokeball," she took a deep breath, "for insulting you countless times... for kissing you at the elevator."
She was biting her lip nervously and refusing to meet his eyes.
It had been so long that Ash had forgotten about the kiss on the elevator before Serena left for Hoenn. It was a little peck on the lips, no big deal but back then, his mind was blown by amazement. Her lips were so soft one could've mistaken then for cotton candy.
Back then, the only people who didn't know that the Ash and Serena loved each other were Ash and Serena.
"Why..." he asked, "it... it was a good kiss." He shrugged.
Serena laughed, "It was," she reminisced, "but it wasn't worth it."
Ash's heart broke into a million pieces.
His eyes screamed the question: Why?
"You didn't talk to me for six years Ash!" She exasperated, "and if it wasn't for this situation you probably wouldn't have talked to me, like ever again." She sighed as she looked down. "I lost my best friend Ash, and as good as the kiss made me feel for a moment... it wasn't worth it."
Ash felt more guilty than he had when he woke up, he didn't talk to Serena not because he didn't want to be more than friends because he wanted to. God, he wanted it more than anything else. But he was afraid of what it would mean and kept putting it off and before he knew it, seconds turned into days which turned into months which then turned into years.
After that, he was just ashamed.
"Can't we just... forget it?" He asked as he squeezed her arm, "like... start afresh?"
The grimace on Serena's face disappeared, it changed into a gigantic smile. "I would like that," she said, "more than anything."
"So... what the hell is going on?" He sighed, "I mean, hunting unknowns? I feel like Jesse, James, and Meowth!"
"I know!" She answered, "it still feels like a dream! One moment I was performing and the next I'm in a bloody academy!"
He nodded, "And the worst part is, they took our Pokemon!"
"It's been ages since I've brushed Sylveons hair... she gets cranky when they're left untamed for a long time."
"Pikachu doesn't care if I brush his hair or not..."
"Because boys don't care about their hair," she messed Ash's untamed raven hair, "I mean look at your own, they look like a spearows nest!"
Ash chuckled as he grabbed a hold of her hands, "Some boy do care," he released his grip, "look at Gary, I bet you he owns more hair products than you do."
"And some girls don't," she sighed, "I mean I do, I do very much but my mother doesn't give her hair rattata's ass."
They laughed for a couple of minutes before they stared at each other again. His gaze fell on her arm which was wrapped in a bandage.
"What happened?" He pointed towards her arm.
"Oh," she sighed as he looked down, "it's no big deal... Calem shot me."
It took Ash some time to process what she'd said. "What?" He screamed.
"It was a misunderstanding," she sighed, "Dawn shot him as revenge."
He took a sigh of relief.
"It only grazed his arm though."
He clenched his fists again.
Serena sighed as she looked down at her notebook, she pulled her legs up and sat comfortably in her chair wrapped like a little burrito. He stared at her as she noted down some stuff in the book and then scratched it only to write it once again.
"What are you doing," he asked.
She was bitting the tip of her pen when he asked her. Serena sighed as she looked up, "It's... nothing,"
She said.
"Come on, it must be something."
Serena thought for a whole minute before opening her mouth, "It's... well, my ideas for my performances, the moves, the dresses and well... songs."
"Songs?"
She nodded eagerly, "I have tons of ideas in here, I take it with me wherever I go."
Ash looked bewildered. "It's very... big."
Serena tapped her brain, "Trust me it isn't enough."
"Well... I'd like to hear them."
Serena laughed as she thought he was kidding, but after seeing that he was dead serious, she raised an eyebrow. "It's very long."
"You got anywhere to be?" He shifted aside, making space for her on the bed, "come on!" He patted the bed.
Serena looked conflicted but the temptation was too great to be avoided. She took off her shoes and climbed next to him. Their arms touched as she took control of one of the pillows behind his back.
"So, Paradise is the name of..."
Serena went on and on about her ideas, Ash tried listening to them but he was too busy staring at her beautiful self to concentrate. The way her eyes sparkled as she told him an idea of a performance where she thought of using an electric ball to create an effect and one of the songs she was working on.
The way her lips moved as sweetness came out in form of her voice. Ash found himself bending towards her, the urge to kiss her perfect self was talking over him, he was just a few inches apart. If only he could...
Suddenly, the belt around Serena's waist started to vibrate, it broke him from his trance. Ash coughed hysterically as he sat back, he nervously rubbed his shoulders to avoid eye contact with her.
"Oh Goodness," Serena sighed as she dug inside her belt, "I almost forgot..."
She took out her vibrating Pokeball, a vibrant light burst out of it and a minute later, there was a mouse at the side of his bed.
"Pikachu!" He exclaimed as he engulfed the mouse into a hug.
"Hush!" Serena whispered, "he's not supposed to be here... I stole him from the center before I came, I thought he might cheer you up.
But Ash didn't care because, for a second, he had everything.