Heartbeat
AshxSerena

Chapter 1: Golden Days

He lay there, motionless. Nothing but the blinking pulses within his heart, amongst the stinging silence at the dead of night. She could hear nothing. She could feel nothing. Two hearts that were merely inches apart, but were separated by infinity.

She sat by his bedside, like she had done for the whole night, and the night before, and waited. Waiting, hoping, wishing for the miraculous spark that would bring him back. She wanted to see those amber eyes gaze at her once again, she wanted to feel the energy radiate out from his tanned skin and raven hair.

She would picture the moment that she lost him. Wondering where the innocence went, she would blame herself, she would anger herself, and then she would break down in tears. She wanted him back.

Serena looked out of the window of Ash's room, and caught the moon's reflection across the lake of Route 16's Fishing Shack. Tranquil, calm water, with the purity of the white moon resting in it. She would think back to the time before it happened, before the rain began to pour, and before he slipped and fell. She would think back to the moment before he fell away from her, and everything around him.

She tensed, holding back the tears. She really wanted him back.

It was a gloriously golden autumn day in Kalos. Having accumulated half distance already, the travelling quartet of Ash, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie were heading east. As summer's embers faded away, the glistening crunch of autumn was falling into place. A mild breeze in the air, with jewelled grass beneath their feet. In their quest to Anistar City, they decided to take a slight detour. It would be one that they would initially not regret, as they stood next to the proud sign that harked "Route 16" and gazed in awe at a sea of gold and brown leaves. They fluttered through the wind, sat in large piles on the ground, and danced around in the scenery- it was a scene of emphatic propositions. It was another beautiful day, as they all stood there grinning, revelling in the essence of autumn itself.

Bonnie took a huge intake of breath, and sucked in the crisp autumn air. She sprinted on ahead, with her arms stretched out, before taking a huge jump into a nearby pile of fallen leaves.

"Careful Bonnie, some piles may have more than just leaves in them." Clemont kept walking, tentatively ensuring his younger sister would not run into any trouble. Like always, Clemont took his big brother duties seriously, and was keen to ensure that Bonnie was keeping out of harm's way. It was natural for him, no matter how many times she had flustered him, or even on multiple occasions embarrassed him. As they entered the more rougher routes of Kalos, it was unsurprising that Clemont would be adjusting his glasses often to ensure she didn't run off out of sight; yet the younger lemon-haired sibling was having too much fun to care, as she lied down and flapped her arms and legs to try and make what she called a 'leaf angel'. She wasn't bound to any responsibility, and like the floating leaves in the breeze, she darted around the new autumnal surroundings. Serena grinned as she watched Bonnie enjoy herself.

"This place is so fun!" Bonnie innocently exclaimed as she made for another pile of leaves.

The still calmness of the area felt soothing, one where time could sit and wait, and watch the group relax into a slower pace. On such a glorious mild day, Serena, the elegant honey-blonde Pokemon Performer couldn't help but revel in the infinite stretch of gold as she stretched her arms out into the breeze.

"Why don't we stay here and have lunch?" Serena turned to ask the group as she gazed around at the rich scenery. Ash, the raven-haired leader of the group, paused in his marching tracks, and faced Serena. His mind was always targeting the location of wherever his next challenge may be; Anistar City beckoned, and so did his seventh gym badge. The thought of it sent excitement swirling around his stomach; but Serena's voice called, and it wasn't the first time that she had tempted him back into reality. He saw her, grinning and blushing at the proud scenery that Bonnie was ecstatic for. Clemont too, despite his love of technology was embracing the autumn breeze, and seemed relaxed. The cool wind weaved through the hairs on his arms, and at that moment he felt himself at ease. His shoulders dropped from their hunched up position, before he released all of the air from his lungs out of his mouth and nose, relaxing, softening, warming to the world around him. Ash began to ask himself why he would want to skip through such a path, but then again, Serena always had that eye for detail that he didn't. She saw things that Ash would overlook, and saw the beauty in the world that Ash had previously been marching through. Just this once, strangely, he wanted to stop and admire the view.

It wasn't the first time that he gave in to Serena's words.

He took a step closer to her, and grinned. "Sounds good to me!" chirped the raven-haired trainer as the group settled into their autumnal realm.

Serena's eyes twinkled at the delight of Ash's approval.

Clemont replied with a bright nod, only lightly tainted by Bonnie and Dedenne's infinite laughter in the background. He couldn't help but worry, she was a free spirit in an open world after all.

The group set up their bench and deployed their Pokemon. In synchronised motion, Ash, Serena and Clemont launched their PokeBalls into the air, where the dazzling blue flashes released their companions. In front of Ash, appeared Frogadier with Hawlucha, Talonflame and Noibat flapping their wings above it. Pikachu jumped down from his trainer's shoulder as his party gave a energetic cheer upon sight of their beaming trainer. In front of Serena were the performing duo of Braxien and Pancham, while Clemont's trio of Luxray, Bunnelby and Chespin leaped from their PokeBalls, and looked delighted to see their lemon-haired trainer once again. The travelling party were in high spirits, as Clemont got to work on preparing them all lunch before they would continue their travels towards Anistar City. While he stirred his boiling pot of stew, Clemont kept a close eye on his younger sister in the background, dive-bombing into every pile of leaves she could find. Ash's Pokemon immediately caught sight of her joyous little adventure, and rushed off to join in the fun. Luxray and Bunnelby remained loyal to their trainer's cooking duties, although Chespin wasn't in the mood to wait, and wondered off into the golden surroundings, where a flurry of laughter from the group's Pokemon warmed the mild breeze. Always proud of its impeccable elegance and manners, Braxien sat there as Serena brushed its fur, although Pancham could clearly catch the odd occasional glance at the playful group over the other side. Despite its pride and desire for cleanliness, resisting the look of everyone's fun was eventually too much for even the fox Pokemon to bear, as Pancham smirked before they trudged off to join the action. Serena giggled to herself as she watched Braxien and Pancham relax as leaves began to rapidly fly around their playground. She looked over at Ash, who was sitting there looking glum as his stomach bellowed out another chorus of complaints while Clemont got to work on lunch. A hint of regret over choosing to stay here maybe? No; Ash's stomach could never be helped. It was business as usual, but everyone was relaxed, everyone was having fun. Serena thought she would take this opportunity to think to herself.

She liked the group's recent slower pace; as she slowly breathed in the autumn air, she stretched her arms out, and felt herself finally be able to take a light breather. For a long time in a while, she found herself surrounded with feelings of accomplishment, of relieved happiness following the emotional roller-coaster of her latest Showcase. After the heartbreak of her debut disaster, she had done it. On her second attempt, she had defied her demons, and with a one of a kind willpower, managed to outright dominate the proceedings at Dendemille Town. Where did such a willpower to win stem from? The thought of it was enough for her to crack a wide grin. The ever-burning passionate flame of her crush that was simply undeniable had rubbed off on her. Ever since they had begun travelling together, she was drawn to him. A feeling of adoration that simply would not fade.

Serena sat there on her own, for once instead of scanning ahead at the future's anxieties, she was smiling, and in a reflective mood following her first big achievement. There it lied in her hands, the glistening, beautiful, gold Princess Key. It was like a new toy that she couldn't keep her hands off. It was physical proof that all of the sweat and tears up to this very point had been worth it. It was a symbol of success. At the heart of it lied a crystal clear diamond, a blue that almost matched her eyes, yet had a shine that reflected her elated grin. In holding it, she felt a huge release of the previous anxieties and doubts that haunted her. She tilted the key in the sunlight, reflecting its shine in all of its different angles. Blue seemed to be a colour that she was drawn to. She tilted the key one way, and in the light shined her precious ribbon; she then tilted the key another direction, and in that light reflected the energetic trainer in the electric blue jacket that gave it to her. Her raven-haired crush- Ash Ketchum.

The significance of a key held numerous meanings to Serena. A sign that for the first time, she had accomplished something through her own independence. She was no longer in her mother's shadow, but was shining in her own light. In that sense, she had a key that unlocked the world in front of her, one that she wanted to grab and seize in one hand, and the hands of her dear friends in the other. She cherished one hand in particular, Ash's; yet he was an innocent enigma, a heart that she didn't seem to have the key to, yet.

He was unmistakably brave and heroic- her knight in shining armour, yet it was an armour of obliviousness. Was there a key that could unlock such armour?

Was there such a way of connecting with the Ash inside?

She knew that her affectionate feelings lied solely within her, even if a certain lemon-haired 'sister' of hers had caught adrift of her flushed face from her previous encounter with Miette.

Yes, Bonnie knew.

More worryingly, she was a loose cannon, one that could fire away her feelings within her at any moment.

Would she ever get the opportunity to make him understand? For now she was biding her time, she was being patient. It was a slow day, and one where a relaxed pace made her revel in the time she had to be able to work on improving herself, training and grooming her Pokemon, and of course, eventually getting to spend some time with Ash.

Today, she felt no anxieties; yet tomorrow is always capable of exposing naivetés.

After a soothing few minutes of ensuring her Princess Key looked pristine, she glanced up, and was humoured to be reminded that action was always around the corner on the group's travels.

"Woah! Were you hiding in there the whole time?!" An amazed Bonnie shrieked from the distance, as Serena rekindled her senses back to reality, she noticed Clemont suddenly looking sheepish, while Ash had sprung out of his seat, and had that blazing look in his eyes, signifying that something exciting was about to happen. It turns out the group weren't alone on Route 16, and that their little game wasn't exactly going unnoticed.

A stern, powerful male voice bellowed, as in a flash it dashed to reveal itself from the leaves.

A dark-skinned man, wearing a crimson uniform with navy trim appeared before them.

"You should all be more careful of jumping into piles of leaves like that. There are wild Pokemon living around here that might get disturbed!" All eyes turned.

"Who are you..?" Clemont asked with dread at the large masculine figure after his younger sister's antics had gotten everyone into a new mess.

The man pulled his navy gloves tight and beamed with a proud, confident smirk.

"I'm Bjorn, the Red Pokemon Ranger, and I'm about to teach you a lesson!" He barked at the children below him.

He whipped out his PokeBall from his crimson Pokemon Ranger uniform, and an instant of light revealed his eager looking Sliggo, ready for battle. Not just a trainer, but a Pokemon Ranger had appeared from out of nowhere, and already the group were running into action after only just settling into the environment. It looks like it wasn't going to be such a relaxed day after all, Serena thought as each Pokemon reacted and engaged with a battle-ready stance in preparation for a call-up.

"But my stew!" Clemont panicked as he ran back to check up on his lunch, ensuring he wasn't going to leave it boiled like that sweltering day in the Badlands; one of many things he had come to learn on his journey.

"Leave it to me, Clemont; I'll take care of this!" Ash intervened. That powerful, confident flare was radiating from his aura. His fighting spirit was ignited; Ash had accepted the challenge. Serena watched on in admiration as Bonnie came and sat beside her. A battle was about to begin.

"Noibat, I choose you!" With a point of the finger, he summoned Noibat to take the stage for its first ever battle. The baby bat took its position, and looked tentative as the Sliggo on its opposite side stared it down; the mental game had already begun.

For a first battle, Ash was certainly setting the bar high. Serena leaned forward in anticipation. She loved the little bat, right from its birth she always wanted to be by its side to calm its tears, and watch it grow into a powerful member of Ash's group of Pokemon. Noibat turned around and spotted its crowd, all of the Pokemon, including the cheering duo of Serena and Bonnie. It shivered with nerves.

"Don't worry Noibat, this is your first ever battle! So listen to everything I say and it'll all be okay!" Ash bellowed his words of confidence into those big purple ears.

"We're cheering for you, Noibat!" Serena added before a roar of support from the group of Pokemon watching set the tone for Noibat's big debut.

Amongst the anticipation, unfortunately Bjorn didn't look even remotely intimidated by his opponent.

Sliggo watched on as Noibat tried to sustain momentum in flapping its wings. Bjorn rolled up his sleeve; he was gearing himself up for an easy sweep.

Clemont frantically returned to stirring his stew, but harked from the distance to add order to the imminent scrap.

"Battle, begin!" He called; half referee, half chef.

Bjorn turned back to his opponent, and smirked.

"Okay Sliggo, hit it with a Dragon Pulse!" The hearty cry connected with the Sliggo as it began to draw in power to unleash a potentially critical blow that would be super effective against the fellow dragon type in Noibat.

"Dodge it!" Ash cried.

Sliggo unleashed its blast of dragon power in a huge beam of purple light, which then stampeded Noibat's way. It panicked as the attack drew ever nearer, and didn't know which way to dodge. In that instant, Noibat was saved from its pinch, as the wind swept it clear out of harm's way. Just like it had learnt to at the Sky Relay, Noibat rode the wind out of danger, and away from any damage.

"All right!" Bonnie cheered as everyone began to applause Noibat's fortunate reactions.

"Just like that! Now it's our turn. Supersonic!"

Still amazed by how the little target could've escaped the encapsulating attack, Sliggo and Bjorn looked up in a stunned shock, as Noibat swooped down, and from its ears sent a Supersonic wave hurling towards it. Despite using a move of risky accuracy, Noibat had managed to hit, and the effects of the Supersonic immediately took their toll on Sliggo, as it immediately slipped into a state of confusion. Bjorn took a step back in disbelief. Such a youthful and delicate Pokemon had suddenly demonstrated the prowess of a seasoned battler, with smart dodging skills and quick-witted counters, it had set up an opportunity for itself, despite the disadvantage in raw power.

Ash and Serena both felt a sense of pride, as Noibat turned around and cheered at its turn of fortune. They grow up fast; Noibat was already taking charge of battles. Even Hawlucha looked impressed.

"Now follow it up with Tackle!"

"Sliggo snap out of it, c'mon!" Bjorn's cries were no use, as Noibat quickly landed a second attack in quick succession, with this one landing physical damage while Sliggo tried to regain consciousness of its movements.

"C'mon use Dragon Pulse again!" Angst and irritation was cropping up in the Pokemon Ranger's voice, as Sliggo's efforts once again proved futile, with it beginning to attack itself while Noibat consistently landed hits with Tackle. The damage was taking its toll, and Sliggo quickly began to weaken. On consecutive attacks Sliggo had managed to use its own power against itself while the baby Noibat chipped away at it, wearing down its energy until it could land that final blow.

The wind picked up again.

"Now Noibat, ride the wind and hit it with one last Tackle!" Ash voice was growing in excitement by the moment, he was using every opportunity that came his way, and watched on as Noibat was about to earn its first triumphant moment. Great things were destined for the baby bat, all it had to do now was land that critical hit. It soared into the cloudy sky, and with a tornado of leaves surrounding it, swept down and with the momentum gained, struck Sliggo powerfully with that critical blow that was enough to eventually render it unable to battle. Clemont turned off the gas on his stove.

"Sliggo is unable to battle, Ash and Noibat are the winners!" He announced as the cheering group roared in appreciation.

Bjorn was genuinely stunned.

In all honesty, so was Ash, Noibat, and just about everyone else.

Fortune had played its part, but Ash always believed that you make your own luck, particularly in Pokemon battles.

"Wha-... The Red Pokemon Ranger is in trouble!" He recalled Sliggo with an exasperated tone, but regained his prideful stance to face Ash, and a Noibat who was over the moon.

Ash's Pokemon ran to the baby bat, and lifted it up into the air; it had become an instant hero, even earning the respect from its big brother, Hawlucha, who offered a fist-bump at its apprentices newly honed battle skills.

"Beginner's luck. But hey, you should be more than fine to continue." Bjorn assured with the bitter taste of defeat still fresh.

"Uh, thanks!" Ash replied, scratching the back of his head. There seemed to be an added emphasis on security around these parts, Bjorn was inspecting each Pokemon around him, almost as if he was regulating them for the environment.

"Be careful though, if luck's not on your side then things can quickly turn nasty around here."

Wise but sobering words from the experienced Ranger, who walked off to heal his Pokemon. Ash heard, but amongst the jubilation coming from Noibat, didn't listen. Instead, all eyes were on Noibat's big moment, as Serena sprinted over to congratulate it on the big win; a feeling that she knew could be so wonderful and empowering. Ash held Noibat close in his arms, cradling the infant who was in a mixture of confusion and deliriousness after its big moment. Pikachu hoped onto Ash's shoulder, where Serena then appeared next to him.

"Congratulations, Noibat! Your first win!" Serena cheered as Noibat stretched out its tiny arms upon seeing Serena's grinning face appear above it. Noibat jumped up where Serena caught it, it seemed to want to be hugged, so Serena held on closely, and swayed side to side, which Noibat would respond by giggling with delight. Serena knew that it was still young, and so after such adrenaline, it would need to rest quickly soon.

Reminiscent of one of Bonnie's sugar rushes, it wouldn't be long before Noibat would calm down, and that rush of energy would leave it stuttering to a halt. Babies and children often played up when tired; Serena had learnt that from her own mother's endless stories amongst the days of being tutored on how to become a Rhyhorn racer. She even sometimes saw it in Ash too, an amusing thought that always made her grin. He may be the rugged, adventurous hero that she found herself occasionally slipping into dreamy visions of, but even he could admit that after a tiring day, sleep was vitally important. Noibat needed a good rest. After all, in a flash it had taken its first ever win, in its first ever battle! The youthful Pokemon deserved the rest.

She let Noibat softly sink into her arms, where her soothing movement calmed down Noibat's rush of energy. Gently swaying to those big drowsy eyes, Ash and Serena watched on closely beside each other, as those yellow orbs began to become heavy, and they gradually started to shut. As Noibat began to breathe deeper, it once again reached an arm out, this time for Ash, as it nestled in Serena's warm arms. Ash felt his hand touched by tiny purple claws, that then brought his hand over to its chest, before in its other hand it reached for Serena's, as it slowly drifted off to sleep. Ash and Serena looked down at the sleeping Pokemon, holding their hands. It was a truly adorable sight, and was yet another special moment the group had experienced together. After such a long time of travelling in unison, they had all become more than partners, they were like a family. From below the surrogate sister of Ash and Serena gazed on in excitement, with glistening eyes and a toothy grin. Serena gulped, that look had always unsettled her.

"So cute! You're like its parents!" The tenderness of the moment was suddenly ambushed. Bonnie squealed while jumping up and down with her Dedenne running around her shoulders.

Serena felt herself overcome by a sudden intense flush of redness, as she looked back at Ash and then down at Noibat. Blushing as those amber eyes gazed back at her; she felt like a mother, with Ash the father, and Noibat their child. In a sudden influx of emotions, Serena startled herself with just what was going through her mind. After the initial embarrassment from Bonnie's sister-like teasing, she looked around at her situation, and with the innocent Noibat sleeping soundly in their arms, she felt a hint of happiness as she shared the moment with Ash; albeit with a hyperactive Bonnie parading around as Noibat softly purred with each breath becaming more relaxed.

"Shh! We don't want to wake it!" Serena pressed a finger against her lips and whispered to Bonnie. It was naïve for Serena to believe the teasing would stop there.

"Together, you and Ash really are great parents, huh!" She made that pose where she would pull an eye lid, and stick her tongue out to tease. She really was enjoying herself, amongst the excitement of the open world, and seeing Serena get closer to Ash had all the makings for an exciting day in the life of Bonnie. Serena tensed her eyes at the lemon-haired girl, but saved any response for another day. In this very situation she wanted to enjoy the moment, and savour the sight of the sleeping Noibat that was holding onto the hands of herself and Ash, keeping them close together, like a relaxing family.

"Lunch is ready!" Clemont called as he laid out bowls of stew onto the group's bench.

"All right!" Bonnie dashed to the table where she led a group of hungry Pokemon anticipating their meal after a long morning of walking and playing in the leaves.

"I think it might be bed time for someone!" Serena lightly suggested in a gentle tone as she cradled Noibat with Ash. He gave an approving nod with that infinitely energetic smile, and slowly reached for Noibat's PokeBall.

"Sweet dreams, Noibat!" She whispered close to its ear, as a beam of blue light gently lifted the weight of the purple bat from their arms, and the tender moment faded. It wasn't a surprise to Serena to then instantly see Ash run off to get his meal. She walked on behind to the table, where she helped Clemont pour the tea for everyone. Amongst the mild atmosphere, flickers of the already faded summer heat became evocative as she poured the boiling water into everyone's cups. It was a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere at the table, as she took her place next to Ash, who as ever was wolfing down everything in his bowl. She smiled to herself, and felt the slow pace of time gift them another meal in the beautiful open fields of Kalos. A gorgeous playground of golden leaves and swaying trees, where tall, rocky cliffs overlooked from just ahead. To get to Anistar City they would eventually have to climb them, but for now they weren't moving, for now it was another day in the open.

The occasional leaf would blow quickly across the table, while the steam from their tea in the mild, chilly air would sweep across in the wind's path. Yet time seemed to be pausing. Everything seemed to slow down, almost... too slow.

The weather would become harsh and unpredictable the further they plunged east in Kalos, as autumn and winter would abruptly clash. It wasn't like the western or central areas, where the seasons would complement and transition nicely into one another. Eastern Kalos had a few abrupt surprises, but Serena had kept that knowledge out of mind; Serena was instead focussing on the positives, and revelling in her recent success. As she thought back to the moment where she cradled Noibat with Ash, she reminisced the glowing innocence that she felt from the sleeping Pokemon, almost a direct reflection of its very own trainer. Ash was full of heart, but an innocent one, a heart that was naïve to what his honey-blonde companion truly felt.

Yet Serena was about to realise, that naivete was something that dwelt in herself, too.

Time doesn't wait, nor does it work at anyone else's pace.

As she took a sip of her piping hot tea, she noticed the clouds just beginning to darken ever so slightly, while the gusts of wind became noticeably more intrusive. The group focussed on their meals, while Serena noticed a couple of gentle rain drops beginning to fall into her cup.

They would lightly splash, and trickle into the heat.

They would splash against the tea's warmth, and turn the hot water cold.

They increased in volume. Each drop was taking out more of the temperature.

Her tea was turning cold.

Serena felt a chill tap her on the shoulder, shivering her spine.

Spots of rain began to fall;

they were cold and intrusive, the warmth that previously embraced them was beginning to run away.

Innocence brewed on their young faces; venturing deeper into eastern Kalos, there were many lessons that they were yet to discover.

The first of which being just why the locals so curiously referred to Route 16 as 'Mélancolie Path'...

Author's Note: Thank you very much for reading this first chapter!

This FanFic will feature a much deeper and darker storyline, with some sobering moments in store for the young XY family who have a few important lessons to learn. I hope you guys recognised the use of the NPC trainer and his dialogue! That's something I'm going to try and expand on to really set the scene for Kalos's gorgeous Route 16.
Credit goes to Asuna07neros for the cover!

I'm looking forward to sharing this story with you all! After all, the weather has suddenly taken a turn for the worse with some very autumnal mornings greeting us all here in the UK, so it seems fitting to be posting this story over the coming months!

Lights of Laverre was blessed with wonderful support, even when the site encountered numerous issues which might have inflicted problems with reviews and traffic stats, so I hope there are no issues this time out, and that you all enjoy this story! If you could leave a review, I would greatly appreciate it.