Ash POV

Feeling uncomfortable, I shake my hand off Serena's grip. Looking at her opposite of me, she has that something in her, telling me to let her know. Her inner desires. I could sense her love but I don't dare to reciprocate. I hate to give her empty promises, she definitely demands a better guy than me. So I just to act as if I don't know. It is utterly painful to pretend nothing has happened, the times we spent together. I just cannot say. I cannot put you in danger. My dad was the first, and hopefully my last. I just cannot put my love ones. That night was an accident...

However, Serena snaps me out if my thoughts. She says, "What are you thinking? You look very deep in thought."

I lie, "Nothing."

"Then tell me, Ash."

I sign and decide to give in to her request, hoping that I don't have to say the untellable. I ask, "What do you want to know?"

"Your cinemaphobia, of course, it drives you nuts that day! she explains.

I heave an early sign of relief. Seeing her perseverance, I carry on, "Ooh, it starts way back before we met. You see I am originally a Kalosian, just that I move to Kanto after this incident...

I could hear her gasp in shock as I continue with my story.

*Flashback*  

It was a hot sunny day. Ash and his dad had just finished their scrumptious dinner at Mcdonalds. Ash asked, "Daddy, what's next?"

His dad happily replied, "Let's go to the cinema!"

"Yay, movie time, I want some popcorn dad!" Ash demanded.

"Sure, we will get some." Ash's dad replied with a smile.

After they bought their tickets and popcorns, they entered the cinema hall 8. "Daddy, what movie is this?" I ask as we settled down into our seats.

"You will love it!" he replied.

"Yay!"

After a few minutes of screening, Ash's dad said, "Boy, I need to go shee shee, stay here and don't move, I will be back!"

However, Ash did not respond as the movie was so intriguing. Ash's dad slowly made his way out of the cinema hall...

When the movie reached its climax, Ash screamed, "Dad, dad look!" as I used my right hand to hit my dad's lap... but it turned out to be his seat.

Ash thought, 'Where is Dad? He promised he will be back? Where is he?' as he looked around for any signs of him. However, the cinema hall was just too dark for him to notify anyone of his father's physique.

He then recalled that his dad had told him to wait for him 'stay here and don't move' and so he did, even after the movie ended.

Still, his dad did not appear as promised. As the minutes pass, Ash gets more devastated. Where is daddy? He doesn't want me anymore! Am I a bad kid?

After Ash yelled one of the cleaning staff away for chasing Ash away, the cinema manager then managed to convince Ash by striking a deal with him that if his dad doesn't come back in a half an hour, he had to chase Ash out and close the cinema. So Ash waited for his fantasy, hoping that his dad would return.

As the clock slowly ticked and crept towards 12 midnight, still there was no sight of his dad, not a single trace.

The same cinema manager who wore a black suit with the cinema logo pasted on the top right corner of his blazer approached Ash again, "Sorry boy, seems like your dad will not return!"

Mixed with growing hatred and sadness, he yelled at the manager like any ordinary parentless child will do, "NOO, MY DAD WILL COME BACK, HE PROMISED!" as his tears started to trickle down from the side of his eyes.

After several cooling down measures and pampering together with the tiredness from the endless screamings, Ash soon settled down, still in bewilderment that his dad had just abandoned me. He was kindly sent by the cinema manager to stay the night with Officer Jenny.

*End of Flashback*  

Ash POV

I say, "And so this is how I become afraid of cinema because it brings back bad memories of my dad.

Serena scratches her head and asks, "I thought you have Delia as your mother?"

Just then, our dessert comes. A waiter comes with a tray full of plates and says, "Excuse me, uh, this is tiramisu, and this is crepe, this is Eclair and lastly these small macaroons are on the house!" as she slowly places the plates on our table.

Serena goes, "On the house?"

The waiter says, "Yeah!"

I tell Serena, "What are you waiting for? Let's dig in!" as I chip off a small portion of each dessert and throw one macaroon into my mouth."

Instead, she looks at me and giggles at the way I ate. Soon, we finished our lunch without leaving a trace. 'Slurp,' as I chew finish the last half a macaroon into my mouth.

"This is so delicious!" Serena says.

After I settle the bill like what a gentleman should do, we head out of the cafe, refreshed.

As we walk towards the main shopping district, Serena says, "Ash, seems like you have not answered my question!"

I look at her and reply, "Uh~"

"Let me guess, Delia is your adoptive mother?"

Upon hearing that idea, that thought, I stand still on the position, leaving her walking forward due to her reaction time. I stare at the ground. Serena then getting excited asks, "So I am right, she is not your blood-related mother!"

Then, I start to laugh. Serena becomes confused and asks me, "What's so funny?"

"What makes you think that she is not my real mother?"

"If she was, you won't be abandoned." she states.

Her words pierce my heart like a needle due to the fact that what she said was the fact. She adopted me shortly after my dad disappeared and brought me to Kanto to live with her husband...

Serena snaps me out of my thoughts and asks, "Are you ok?"

I immediately shake my head in disapproval and reply quickly, "Nothing, nothing much."

She seems to know I have something but she decides not to ask as soon as she opens her mouth.

Serena POV

I really want to share the burden with Ash, but I know I cannot force him to say everything in one shot. His 'Nothing' reaction shows that he still has something, just that he does not want to share. I can forgive him for that scolding me that night but I need to know his dark past. And since he was able to share his cinemaphobia with me, I believe he will tell me the rest, I'm sure about it! it's just a matter of time! But now isn't the time.

We keep silence as we slowly make our way home. I know he really wants me to start any random topic but I have no ideas until...

Ash speaks, "Serena, what future do you want.

I come to a standstill, The question shoots me right through my brain, as I do not have the slightest idea.

Ash prompts me, "Any dreams, or aspiration?"

I say, "Not really."

"Means you have thought of it!"

"Yeah, but you will laugh at me," I reply, sweatdropping, feeling awkward too.

"What is it?" Ash asks curiously.

"Another time?"

"Ok, I share mine first! I would like to be one of the greatest Pokemon masters of course!" Ash chuckles.

"Haha!"

"How about yourself?"

"I would like to be a pilot!" I exclaim proudly.

"Woah, by then I will have to call you Captain Serena!"

"Just my aspiration! Doesn't mean I will be" I reply.

Just nice, we arrive outside my home. After we bid goodbye, I enter my home

---

A slow chapter

Thanks for the wait for those who yearn for one.

As you may have seen, I have some hints on a possible sequel. As to whether I will have one, I highly doubt so. Just my thoughts as of today may change in the near future.

Thanks for the unwavering support and 5k views! :D