AN: I recommend watching the episode first.

"Serena, what did you think of the party?" Clemont questions while hovering over a boiling pot of stew on the campfire. The party had taken place merely hours ago and yet it felt almost days in the past. Perhaps the stark change between the ball scenery and the campfire outdoors makes it feel like more time has gone by. Serena, seated beside the fire near the tents, turns to the gym leader. Not surprised per-se, more like caught a little off guard since the inquiry was so out of the blue.

The party had gone well enough. Sure she had to dance with Clemont instead of her crush, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. Her Eevee became more comfortable with strangers and had even evolved into an adorable, affectionate Sylveon during a tough double battle. The dresses were gorgeous, the atmosphere was so refined, and she felt even closer to becoming the Kalos Queen than ever before but especially after seeing Aria dancing so skillfully in that beautiful ballgown.

"It was fun! I just wish I got to dance a little more though," she answers, not exactly gloomy or disappointed, just feeling as if she missed something that could have been great. She looks over to her side at Ash with a little frown.

"We never did get to dance together, huh, Ash?" They hadn't even started when the battle portion began. They would have been the last partners anyway. The women's circle in the center had gone almost completely around during the song and yet no one got to dance with the last partners.

"Hm?… Oh, yeah! The music stopped before we had the chance." The question pulls the trainer from his badge-polishing session as he places the badge box back in his bag now that the conversation involves him. " Didn't you say the something like that earlier during the party? How you wanted to dance more?..."

"I guess I did..."

After a moment of thought, he moves Pikachu off his lap and stands, hand outstretched to the performer beside him with a playful grin on his face.

"What do you say about one more dance then? I warn you I might step on your foot though. You know my rhythm needs all the help it can get!"

Serena blushes at the proposition. Butterfrees fluttering briefly in her stomach, she takes his hand with a smile and stands as well, dusting herself off once she's up.

"Okay. It'll help pass the time until dinner is done!" It's an excuse, but she feels as if she needs one to accept the offer without seeming too eager. Ash certainly seems ready to do it, but he's so gung-ho about practically everything that it can be nearly infectious. It's almost unusual that he's so willing to dance after the fiasco he had earlier that day though. He must be feeling more confident about his skill.

And so Ash leads Serena to the side of their makeshift camp to begin. The light from the fire is a bit dimmer here, but there's plenty of open space in the grass for prolific amounts of movement just in case worse comes to worst. He sucks in a breath and robotically positions himself as he tries to remember how he was taught back at the party. One hand on Serena's waist, the other cupping her own.

The was the closeness Serena had been hoping for all party long and here she is in the middle of the night about to have the final dance under the stars. Oddly romantic by Ash's standards. She wonders briefly if he realizes it. Doubtful. But hopeful still as any other in her place would be.

Not even the absence of their ballroom clothing could take the anticipation away. Actually he might even dance a little better in his broken-in adventuring clothes. More range and more comfort should make him more attentive to how he moves. Plus who looks at their partner's clothing while dancing together? Serena would much rather watch his face instead. They could dance in their pajamas and neither would care as long as they both had fun!

"Alright... Ready?" Their eyes meet when he asks and Serena can't help herself from smiling as she nods. Ash takes a deep breath and hums a few notes, stepping in time to the song much better than he did with Miette. Practicing with her had made him more wary of his actions for sure. That or he used up all his bad moves on her.

As he hums more and more of the melody, Serena slowly notices a familiarity within it. It's the same song as the one from the party: Meloetta's Relic Song. Granted he's a little off-key in a few places, but the general tune and the sentiment are still there. Like he's trying to bring back a piece of the party for just a little while.

She had only heard it once and only been told the name afterward so how does he know the whole thing? Perhaps the song was common in a region he's visited before. Ash has been to so many places, he's bound to have heard a Meloetta or met one at some point, right? Wouldn't it be a neat story to tell if he had actually met such an enchanting Pokemon?

She moves a bit closer as they slowly dance in circles. One, two, three, they move on tempo and around the grassy opening by the camp, careful of rocks or roots to trip them. Bonnie has been watching the whole thing unfold with a sly little grin as she holds her Dedenne close. Clemont has taken a break monitoring their dinner to sit beside his little sister and watch as well.

The distant sound of Pokemon cries, the crackling fire, and the humming of a song fill the air. Quiet footsteps and the swish of fabric, the two trainers twirl and circle around together. A few more steps and Serena breaks from the lulling trace with the realization that Ash has let his gaze drop to their feet.

"What are you doing? You're not supposed to look at your feet while you dance!" she says with a laugh, distracted enough to be slow on a beat. The humorous call out breaks the quiet of the night. How are they supposed to dance like this!

Ash stops humming to answer, "Well I don't want to step on you!" He laughs himself and skips a step out of distraction, resulting in him stopping their dance early. One more step definitely would have resulted in a sloppy, and possibly painful finish. He had lost his place in the song anyway so it was probably wise to quit while they were ahead.

The premature halt isn't taken with any hard feelings though. In fact, Serena may be even more fond of him than before. Of course a dance with Ash Ketchum is asking for a mishap. It's nice that he thinks enough about her to be wary of his own weaknesses. He obviously tried his best to keep his moves with the tempo and he did really well for someone who's such a poor dancer. Even if it WAS cut short.

She takes a step back and gives a little curtsy as she would have at the party. She got what she wanted and couldn't be any happier about it.

"Thank you, Ash. I think you've gotten better!" Her hands meet behind her back and she bounces on her toes, doe-eyed and beaming. As happy as she would have been to dance with him back then, doing it this way is just so much more enjoyable and intimate. It's a dream come true!

"Thanks! Though I don't think I'll be trying out Tierno's routine again any time soon." He grins and beckons her back to the campfire to sit and eat. Once they're back, Bonnie is practically jumping out of her seat, completely impressed by the impromptu show and excited for dinner now that they're done. Clemont is on his feet by the time they sit, pouring bowl after bowl of stew and passing around silverware.

The four of them talk and joke about their day, about the week ahead, about plans, and before they know it, it's time for bed. Full and sleepy, they each make their way to their respective tents to change into pajamas and wish a good night before crawling into their sleeping bags.

After a short while, Pikachu has fallen asleep by his trainer's side. The rhythmic breathing from the two tents indicate at least a few of their group are asleep. Ash isn't though. Not yet anyway. Hands resting on his stomach, he stares up at the ceiling of the tent, only lit by the gentle burning embers of the fire and the light of the moon.

"Serena?" he whispers after a while, not even sure if she's still awake. He's lucky though because after a second or so, a murmur of an answer is heard from the neighboring tent. She's awake.

He turns his head to the side facing where the two girls are to whisper again.

"Thank you."

Serena's brows furrow in half-asleep confusion. 'Thank you'? Did she do something? Moments go by before she rolls over to answer.

"'Thank you'... for what?"

His lips turn up in soft smile and he turns his head back, eyes closed.

"For one last dance."