In which Ash eats a hamburger, Misty is annoyed, Serena is green with envy, and Brock falls in love (again).

"So Ash," Serena bats her eyes shyly, "where are we going now?"

Ash shrugs, and replies distractedly, "To lunch, maybe? I dunno."

Serena sighs, and says, "Right. And Ash? My hair is on fire."

Ash nods, and responds, "Cool, Serena. Great idea."

Serena grabs his arm, and shakes him. "Ash! Wake up!"

Ash jolts out of his stupor, and looks around. "What? What's wrong? Is Team Rocket here?"

Serena rolls her eyes. "No, but neither are you. I asked if you wanted to go anywhere. You said lunch. Sound familiar to you?"

Ash scratches his head, and chuckles. "Right, sorry Serena. I do want lunch, though."

Serena smiles, and says, "There's a diner over there." She points to a polka–dotted awning, with a sign hanging off the doorknob reading: "24/7 diner: open twelve through twelve every day!"

Ash's stomach rumbles, and he breaks out into a sprint for the restaurant, arms outstretched. "Yes! I could do with some grub, eh Pikachu?"

His yellow mouse rolls its eyes, and replies with a sarcastic: "Pikapi. Pika, pika pika! Chuu!"

Ash rubs its head. "You know you want it, buddy."

They push open the foggy door, and Serena follows suit––with Clemont out of the way, she thinks happily, I have Ash all to myself. She feels a prick of guild, and amends, No. Clemont is my friend, too. I would love to hang out with him alone, as well, but it's different. All the same, I shouldn't want to get him out of the way.

She blinks at the dingy light swinging from the chipped, white ceiling, and slides into a booth with rubbery red, fraying cushion covers.

A waiter wearing jeans and a button down shirt walks up to their table, and snatches a notepad and a stubbed pencil out of his bag. "What can I get for you?" he says in a strong Sinnoh accent.

Ash grins, and announces, "I want a hamburger, soda, and…"

Serena closes her eyes, and pinches the bridge of her nose. Right, she thinks. Ash and food.

The front bell jingles happily, and a loud voice exclaims, "'Kay Brock, think this is alright?"

Another voice––this one quieter––says, "My food is better, but it'll do."

Ash looks up, and the waiter leaves before Ash can ask for everything on the menu.

He stands, and looks to a booth next to theirs. Serena cranes her neck to watch, and sees a redheaded girl with a spiky ponytail and an older boy with darker skin and spiky brown hair.

"Misty? Brock?" Ash asks, incredulous.

"Ash?" the two say in unison. They see him, and immediately the boy's face breaks out into a huge grin.

"Ash!" the boy scoots around the girl, who is standing, rooted to the spot. Ash isn't moving either, Serena notes diligently.

Ash, when he sees the boy approaching, blinks and then beams. "Brocko! How're you doing, huh? Good? Bad?"

'Brocko' shrugs, and says, "I'm doing fine. I'm in Kalos for some business. How 'bout you, Ash?"

The girl marches over to the talking twosome, leans towards Ash, and grabs the front of his shirt. "You!" she bellows. "You still owe me a bike, Mr. Pokémon Master!"

Ash rolls his eyes. "You're still goin' on about that, Myst? Jeez, Nurse Joy replaced it, and"––the girl snorts, but lets him speak––"you were just using that to follow me around."

The girl's face turns a combination of purple and red, and she yelps, "Was not!"

Ash scowls. "Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Quiet!" 'Brocko' yells. "Ash! Misty! C'mon, I thought you were over this. And besides"––his eyes form little hearts, and his nostrils flare––"we shouldn't argue in the presence of such a young, beautiful lady." He kneels down on the floor next to Serena. "Miss, you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life."

Misty crosses her arms over her thin chest and remarks to Ash, "That's got to be illegal."

Ash nods, and whispers something in her ear to make her laugh.

Serena looks over at the two of them––at their posture, at their tone of voice, at everything, really––and thinks, Could they be a couple?

"Anyway," 'Brocko' gets off his knees, and brushes off his pants, "Ash, do you wanna spend a day around town with us?"

Ash nods, and then looks to Serena, gaze asking: Do you mind?

She does, but she lies, shaking her head. "Go ahead," she manages a small smile. "I'll be here."

And she'll always be there––waiting for Ash––but she knows that he will never turn around to see her, because there's Misty in front of him.

And, to her utmost surprise, she's okay with that.