At a café in Lumiose City, Ash was just sitting at a table playing with his food, not taking a single bite. This made Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Pikachu worry, Ash always finished his food. He wasn't speaking either, which made them worry even more.

Bonnie decided to break the silence and calm everyone's nerves and said, "Ash are you doing alright? You haven't said or eaten anything since we came back from the Kalos League."

She was right, Ash had just lost the Kalos League. He did make it all the way to face the champion, but still lost to Diantha's Gardevoir. It was the farthest he has ever gotten in a league, but he still seemed depressed.

"I'm fine Bonnie," Ash said with a weak smile, "I'm just not hungry, that's all."

That startled the group. Ash Ketchum? NOT hungry? It was pretty clear that he was not fine.

"Ash, what's really going on?" Clemont asked, "You know you can tell us."

"Pika pika," Pikachu replied in agreement.

"It's fine, really," he said trying to convince them, "lets just head to the Pokémon Center." He got up from his seat and waited for the others.

That night, Ash laid in bed but couldn't sleep. Pikachu was laying right beside him fast asleep, he gave a faint smile before turning to the ceiling. He thought some fresh air would probably clear his head, so he climbed out of bed, put on his usual attire, and walked out to the battlefield behind the Pokémon Center and sat down.

He was deep in thought as was trying to figure out why he was feeling down. Just then, he heard a familiar voice call his name. He turned around to see Serena in her usual outfit.

"Hey Serena," he said to the honey-blonde girl, "couldn't sleep either huh?"

"Yeah, that's one reason," she said, "but when I saw your bed empty, I decided to check on you."

"I told you Serena, I'm fine," he said, knowing where this conversation was going.

"Ash, I know you're not okay," she said, "please, tell me what's wrong." Ash remained silent. "Ash come on, I haven't seen you this upset since," she paused, now she knew exactly what was wrong with Ash, "since you lost your first battle with Viola."

Ash's face turned into a sad expression. "This was the furthest I've ever gotten in a Pokémon league," he said, "I've lost every league I've been in, the fact I actually made it to the champ and lost, left me a fatal blow. I was so close to winning a league for once, but now that I've lost to one, I'm starting to think if I'll ever achieve my dream." Serena's face fell sad at Ash's tale, she really felt sorry for him.

"I've been in six leagues and lost," Ash continued, "I guess I'm just not meant to be a champion."

"Y-You're my champion," Serena said softly with a blush appearing on her face.

"What?" Ash turned to her with a confused look.

"Remember when we first met? I never really told you or anyone how I felt," she said, checks glowing red, "I never really wanted to go to camp in the first place, the Poliwag that started me proved that. I was very shy and scared, but when you came out of the bushes and helped me, I felt like one of those princesses in fairy tales being rescued by a knight in shining armor. After that, I was glad to be there, cause if I didn't, I wouldn't have met you. I was still scared too go in the woods by myself."

"Is that why you always partnered up with me during the other activities?" Ash asked.

Serena nodded. "I always felt safe with you after you helped me out," she continued, "I didn't want to ever leave your side, but once camp was over and my mom told me we were going back to Kalos, I was very sad," her voice saddened at that last part but continued, "I was never able to return your handkerchief and thank you for helping me, so I kept it with me, hoping we would meet again."

Ash was taken aback. Serena really felt that way around him?

"I was almost about to give up hope but then I saw you on the news. Once I saw your face, I was overjoyed with happiness. When I was on my way to Shalor City, I kept thinking how you would react when you saw me, I was a bit disappointed when you didn't remember me."

"Yeah, sorry again about that," Ash said scratching the back of his head.

"It's fine," Serena said, "but when I did get to you, even though you didn't remember me, I felt the same way I felt at camp, and that feeling heightened when you finally did remember me."

Ash just remained silent as Serena came closer to him, "You taught me to never give up and now you're regretting all you've done, all you've accomplished?" Ash still remained silent as he tooked into Serena's blue eyes. "It doesn't matter if you've never won a league because you're a champion to me, because I...," Serena hesitated for a while, trying to bring the words she kept to herself for so long to her mouth.

She was interrupted when Ash came up and hugged her. 'Is this really happening,' she asked herself, 'is Ash really hugging me?'

"Thank you Serena," Ash said braking the silence, "you just made me feel a lot better."

"How?" Serena asked.

"When I was battling Diantha," he said, " I wasn't really focusing on the battle. I was focusing on you."

Serena pulled away giving him a confused look, he was focusing on her? What did he mean by that?

"You see since my rematch with Viola, a weird feeling came over me," Ash explained, "it was like you unlocked something inside of me that made me feel invincible, and I liked it, and when you smiled once I won, it made me happy. I never felt anything like this before. That's why I invited you to come with us, I wanted to feel that way more. So during my battle with Diantha, I was so focused on seeing that smile, I didn't even pay attention to the battle."

"So it's because of me that you lost," Serena said in a sad tone.

"Serena don't think like that," Ash said, "if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have made it as far as I did." Serena looked up with another puzzling look. "Every gym battle and tournament round I was in, I thought of you, how you reminded me to never give up until the end, that's what drove me during those battles. I guess I kinda have a crush on you."

Serena's lit up at that sentence. Ash was thinking about her the entire time. She was so happy that tears came to her eyes.

"Ash, that makes me so happy," she said, "the truth is when I see you happy, it makes me happy. Ash I... I... I love you!"

Ash was was shocked, Serena really loved him? He was about to say something but was interrupted by Serena coming close to his face and planted her lips on his. At first he was even more shocked, but then returned it. They remained like that for what felt like hours to them, their thoughts focused on nothing else.

'I can't believe me and Ash are kissing," is what ran through Serena's mind that entire time. It was the same for Ash, both couldn't believe that this was happening and they were glad that it was. They finally pulled away and gazed into each other's eyes.

"Serena," Ash said, breaking the silence, "would you like to return to Kanto with me?"

"Of course Ash," Serena said, "a champion can't return home without his prize."

They both smiled and kissed again for a short time and gazed into each other's eyes once more.

"I love you Serena," Ash said.

"I love you too Ash" i said back.

They sent a silent message to each other and went back to their rooms and went to sleep. Ash had no problems this time, now that he finally became a champion.