Ash, Serena and Saphira are now in the Alola Region, they are going to find the Ice Gem in the Lanakila Mountain. When Saphira notices the snow, she is so happy that she is jumping in joy, it is a good thing that Ash and Serena have already prepared a snow coat for her, or else she would be freezing.

"Papa? Are we back home?" Saphira asks Ash with excitement, as Ash knows that this place is quite similar to Mt. Silver in the blizzard.

Ash smiles at the girl and says, "No, Saphira, we are at another snowy mountain. This is Mt. Lanakila, and it is located in the Alola Region."

"Why is there a snowy mountain in Alola? You told me that Alola is a tropical region." Saphira says with a curious tone.

"So you think that there shouldn't be any snow in Alola?" Ash asks Saphira, who shakes her head and says, "No, it will be very boring if there is no snow in Alola."

Ash giggles at Saphira's reaction. Then he says, "The reason why there are snow in Alola is because of Pokemon, Ice Type Pokemon needs a place in the Alola Region to live after all."

"Okay, Papa." Saphira says. Serena is smiling at the father and daughter relationship, but deep inside she is still frowning about the whole deal.

As they reach the peak, Saphira wants to play in the snow and Ash decides to take a rest. Ash notices how quiet Serena is and he starts to feel worried, as she isn't a type of person who would keep silent all the time.

"Serena? What's wrong?" Serena is surprised that Ash is talking to her, she says, "Oh, nothing. I am pretty fine."

"Really? You haven't said anything when we are climbing the mountain." Ash says as Serena looks at him with surprise. He can't believe that Ash has been observing him for a long time.

"I...uh...a lot of things happened these days, and I couldn't seem to comprehend everything." Serena says with a frown, Ash notices her shivering as he remembers that Serena's snow coat is given to Saphira, thus she is still wearing her own dress. So Ash quickly takes off his coat and put on Serena.

"Here, you should be warmer if you wear this." Ash says as he gives her his coat.

"But what about you?" Serena asks with concern, if she wears the coat, it will be Ash's turn to get cold as he is now wearing his T-shirt. Ash says, "Don't worry about me, Serena. I am an Arceus and I can be a Fire Type to warm myself up. I am not an Alpha Pokemon with nothing after all."

Once Serena wears the coat, Ash also has a lot in his mind as he decides to think about it by lying on the snow. Serena is surprised at the sudden action, and Saphira just looks at her father curiously. "Papa? Are you making a Snow Angel?"

Ash notices that Saphira is watching him as he quickly sits up, he says, "I am sorry, Saphira, I was just lying down like it is a soft white bed."

"Can I do it as well?" Saphira asks, and much to Ash's shock. "I want to lie down like Papa did."

Ash knows that Saphira is an Arceus, and she has a Flame Plate as well. He says, "Sure, but you have to put your Flame Plate as your pillow."

"Yes, Papa." Saphira says as lies down with the Flame Plate on her head. "Wow, now it is just great."

"Aren't you feeling cold? Saphira?" Serena asks.

"No, Mama. It feels nice...and it is just right for me." Saphira says.

"I know." Ash says. Serena slightly chuckles at the actions of her daughter and Ash's, but then she remembers the past as she feels like she has been left out.

Saphira notices the frown on Serena's face, she thinks that maybe her mother want to lie down, but she can't. Saphira asks, "Papa, is Mama fine? Why can't she lie down with us?"

Ash says, "It is complicated, your mama is very hurt because of bad meanies."

"You mean those bad meanies who killed Grandma and Uncle Pikachu?" Saphira asks. "Why are they still alive? Why didn't you kill them yet?"

"It is complicated. They are bad, bad enough to escape from death." Ash says, trying to give out an explanation to Saphira since he doesn't know how they are still alive even after a lot of attempts to kill them. "But don't worry, right now we have to find what we are finding, the Ice Gem, if we want to end them once and for all."

"Yes, Papa." Saphira says as she jumps up, "I want to find them as well. Can you tell me what it looks like?"

Ash takes out the Electric Gem and says, "It looks like this gem in my hand, but it has a Ice Symbol and it is aqua blue colored."

"Okay, papa." Saphira says. "I'll try to find it for you."

As Saphira leaves, Ash feels insecure as he sends out Greninja, asking him to help her find the gem. Greninja nods as he rushes away to chase after Saphira.

Now that there is only Ash and Serena, no survivors, no Pokemon to evasedrop, only the two of them. Ash says, "How about we get this over with? I feel like it won't be better if we continue to put off this conversation."

"You're right." Serena nods, but she looks at the cave that Saphira and Greninja went inside, she asks, "But are you letting Saphira find the gem on her own? What if she might be in danger when we aren't around?"

"From the memories I saw, I had been training him with the moves. I want Greninja to help her out so it can be her own test." Ash sighs. "She has alternative memories and I can only know by looking into her mind. It is tiring, but I manage to know how she feels in the seven years."

Ash's face turns serious and then he says, "But enough of Saphira, now I want to talk about us."

Serena nods and then she asks, "So Ash, are we still friends? Or maybe more?"

"Why are you asking this now?" Ash asks.

"Recently, I had nightmares. I had to watch myself to see your misery...and I had to watch myself being raped again...and now that Saphira is here, I am so scared that she might suffer the same fate as me..." Serena says with tears almost going to form.

Ash knows how hurtful it is for Serena to endure all of that, since he also endure the same thing and it is the reason why he wants to destroy the humans as soon as possible. He can't bear seeing Serena cry and he says, "Do you want me to ask Darkrai if he has done something to you when you are asleep? Or do you want me to give you a Lunar Feather from Cresselia?"

Serena shakes her head and says, "I don't need anything. I just want you to answer my question, I don't want you to ignore it anymore...it hurts me as I can't read what you think about it."

Ash says, "To be honest, it is my fault that I didn't notice your feelings back when we are traveling together in Kalos. I really did focus on Pokemon Battles more than noticing other people, it is because of my performance in Unova."

"Unova? What does it have to do with it?" Serena asks.

"As you can see, when I enter the Unova League, I was facing against Cameron, I am sure you know who he is, right?" Serena nods and he continues, "It was in the quarter finals. He has a Persuado Legendary: Hydreigon, that beat a lot of my Pokemon, I can't say anything since it is strong, but what makes me feel bad is that in the battle, his Riolu evolved, and it manages to defeat all the Pokemon I had left, including Pikachu. Not only that, he also thought that a full battle is 5 on 5, only a rookie would make a mistake like this, and I lost to a rookie..."

Serena can't believe that Ash would think like that, Ash says, "I really feel that I am weak back then, I failed my Pokemon and I really felt myself as a trash. That's why I think that maybe if I work hard, I would not make the same mistake again."

Serena nods and she asks, "That is not your only reason, right?"

Ash nods and says, "Did you remember Team Rocket?" Serena nods and he says, "Those three are nothing compared to the other members, but they have considered me a threat and they have been trying to hurt my friends and my family. You may wonder why I put my Pokemon back in the Pokemon Lab instead my Pikachu, right? It is because I didn't want them to get hurt by them. I know they are strong, but when I faced Giovanni back in the Unova, I felt that they are another level."

"How is that a different level?" Serena asks. "Can you tell me about it?"

Ash says, "Giovanni is actually my uncle, but he hated my sister as he is acting the same as Professor Oak. And because my mother has him as her brother, he manages to know everything about Pokemon and they know their weakness in order to destroy them completely. He is also the eighth Gym leader of the Kanto Region, which is the strongest of them all. Minami and I can't even defeat him without playing dirty...as I have been kidnapped for multiple times, and Minami has been tortured by him..."

Serena can't believe how cruel he is, and Ash says, "But I am glad both he and Professor Oak are gone, that way no one would be able to hurt the ones that I loved."

"So you acting dense is to protect me?" Serena frowns as Ash nods. "Yes, Serena. I am sorry that I couldn't confess to you sooner, since I don't want to take any risks that might drag you in. Which is why I go to Alola for school and the Galar as research assistants. In the end, I won the leagues and I go to Kalos, and you know the rest."

Serena frowns and she says, "When we first met, you told me that you forgot about me, was that a lie back then?"

"Yes, you are the only person that I loved ever since we met in the Summer Camp. I would never forget you. It is just that we haven't met for 9 years, I was afraid what you would say after I said that I remembered you." Ash says, but before Serena can ask more, they see Greninja holding Saphira in his arms, and Saphira is sleeping.

"What happened to her, Greninja?" Ash asks in worry.

"She found the Ice Gem, but she worked so hard that she is tired." Greninja says as both parents sweat dropped. Ash finds the gem in her pocket and then Serena sends out Delphox, trying to warm her up.

"We should wait until Saphira gets back up. After that, we are going back to Johto to find the Dragon Gem." Ash says as Serena nods.

Here is a new chapter, and Ash makes some confession to Serena and I hope you like it. In the next chapter, I am going to write about Trenor and Chloe first with their Steel Gem hunting.