A/N: This story takes place before Ash challenged Wulfric to a gym battle and combines elements of the anime and the games. I hope you will enjoy~

Enjoying the Little Things by SPG123

Ash and his friends had just arrived in Snowbelle City. Ash didn't expect the south of Kalos to be so cold; he was used to more northern cities like Snowpoint City being this cold. It didn't matter to him, though. There were two reasons for his fiery passion: Pokémon and another reason he couldn't fully quite grasp.

Since heading to the Kalos region, he's kept his same mentality, more or less, though some things changed.

As a growing teenager, he'd begun to look into things that aren't only Pokémon. He's begun to look into a few things he didn't notice in the opposite gender before, his friends included. As the gang walked inside the Pokémon Center, he was surprised he managed to stifle his blush for so long, especially when the snow whipped his face in the city. Clemont entered the center first, clutching his large backpack at its straps. Bonnie cheerfully followed suit. Serena… don't let him get started on Serena.

The straw-hat girl grew to be quite a looker.

Her bright blue eyes bore a beauty that was simply divine. From her luscious eyelashes to her powdery lips to her bright blue eyes that he always lost himself in… her appearance just oozed out divinity. Ash was blushing just thinking about her and that was only her face. Her impeccable personality and fashion sense turned her into a triple threat. She was someone who could stick out in a crowd and look good doing it. It surprised Ash that he managed to act like she was just another traveling companion to him for almost an entire year. His past obliviousness provided a pretty good cover for his newfound awareness for the opposite gender.

Ash couldn't help but think about these things recently. He couldn't believe the things he missed out on because of the density filled cloud that was his head. Granted, he still had much to learn in the way of romance, but one thing was clear to him.

He liked Serena.

Something about her made him go crazy… it was a craziness he couldn't explain. His heart started thumping. His hands started shaking. He resisted the urge to rub under his nose every time he spoke to her. Was it just a 'like' or was it something more than he anticipated? He hoped he could find out once he had his gym battle.

Both Serena and Clemont were unaware of Ash's true feelings about Serena. Bonnie on the other hand… she was too nosy into other people's romances not to notice something fishy with the dark haired boy. She had to hide a coy smile whenever Ash rubbed under his nose or was more enthusiastic than normal with his mannerisms regarding Serena. She tried to help him with his romantic advances recently, but somehow, Ash turned it into her meddling with Clemont's love life every time. Today was no different.

When Bonnie made a teasing comment regarding Serena's beauty as they rested in the center, Ash redirected it to Clemont feeling that way. Clemont, in his usual embarrassment, carried the girl away, accidentally covering for Ash. Since Ash was seen as dense, Serena nor Clemont thought Bonnie was jabbing specifically at him. Bonnie squinted her eyes at the boy, folded her arms and pouted. Ash made a toothless grin. Her determination to outsmart him only increased.

She wondered how he could seem so dumb on the surface yet be so clever. Still, Bonnie had plans for her raven-haired friend. We will see how much longer you can hide your feelings, Ash.

About an hour later…

"Chu?! Pika pika? Pikachu?" Pikachu exclaimed. Pikachu expressed disappointment. He had been looking forward to bashing a few Ice types with his steel tail. His trainer had the same reaction.

"What?! What do you mean the gym is closed? Where's the leader?" Ash said at the same time as Pikachu. He pouted when he noticed the entrance was blocked off by the referee.

"I'm sorry. Wulfric isn't here right now. I hope you can understand and wait for him to come back from his errand." The man bowed apologetically.

"Well, do you know where he's doing his errand at?" Ash in asked in a somewhat impatient voice.

"Nope." The man answered a little too fast. None of the teens noticed his hurried pace in tone. She made said with a devious smile, "However, I suggest you look around the quiet beauty that is Snowbelle. Who knows, maybe you can hang around the boutique with your girlfriend."

Ash looked at the man quizzically. Serena's cheeks burned bright with crimson.

"Serena is just a really close friend," Ash said while looking lost. Serena looked hurt at first, but quickly covered up any anguish she felt on the inside. She stayed neutral. Clemont wondered what was wrong while Bonnie sighed and internally face palmed. So did Pikachu.

The man looked mystified by the boy and his obliviousness. He looked at Serena and shook his head. "Sure, kid. Anyway, you have to wait for Wulfric. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

The gang walked away from the Pokémon League employee, slightly disappointed, but mostly disgruntled. it wasn't because of the gym battle delay, but because of the tense atmosphere. Everyone felt it. Ash regretted what he said, but acted like nothing was wrong to keep up his 'density'. Serena was still somewhat crushed considering she liked him. Bonnie wanted to whack the two behind their heads to set them straight and Clemont was the only one truly oblivious. Bonnie decided to help out her friend.

"Serena…?" The blond child asked in a small voice. "Maybe we can take the man's suggestion and go to the boutique. There had to be many cute winter outfits in there. Ash, Clemont, care to come with us?"

"You know that I'm not that fond of shopping, Bonnie. I would look ridiculous in there with my jumpsuit… not to mention of how many possible girls you'll try to match me up with." Clemont looked at his sister with a bit of an annoyed glare. Bonnie chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't deny that she would try to match him up in there. After all, she saw herself as the Cupid of Lumiose. Clemont did exactly what she wanted. Now, it was up to Ash.

Serena looked at Ash with a bit of hesitancy and expectance. He knew what she wanted him to say, but he dreaded saying it. Instead, he decided to play it dense, "I don't like to shop, but I'll know you'll have a wonderful time with Serena, Bonnie."

"Let's go to the boutique, Bonnie. It'll be nice to have some girl time." Serena agreed quietly. Bonnie brought out her hand. Serena accepted it.

"Make her feel better, Ash!" Bonnie whispered as she bumped into Ash roughly. She made her way to the chilly boutique with her female friend. Ash wheezed slightly from the impact. The girl was surprisingly strong for her age.

Ash felt bad and was in a bit of a dilemma. If he relented, he knew Bonnie would try even harder to force them to confess while in the clothing store. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that. If he decided not to, he would crush Serena's feelings even more. He hated when she was upset. Ultimately, he decided Serena's happiness was more important. He spoke up and started to catch up with them, "You know what? I'll go with you. I can train and challenge Wulfric tomorrow."

"R-really?" Serena said in a hopeful voice. Both Bonnie and Clemont raised an eyebrow in surprise. Ash was actually willing to go in a clothing store on his own? That was a bit weird for both of them. For Serena, it was a dream that she thought would never happen.

"Sure!" Ash said with his normal confidence. He added with a wily smile, "I can think of some strategies to beat Wulfric while in there, so it's not a problem."

With that one sentence, her dream was dashed in an instant. Then again, Serena half expected it. This was Ash, after all. She said, somewhat subdued, "That's fine. I'm glad you're coming with us. Clemont, are you coming?"

"Nope. I've got a few machines to build. We can meet up later at the Pokémon Center." Clemont replied. Serena, Ash, and Bonnie waved him off as he walked back to the center. Pikachu jumped off his trainer's shoulder, saluted to him, then ran to catch up with Clemont. Ash saluted back at him. Once Clemont and Pikachu were gone, Bonnie's face grew more mischievous. Ash sweat-dropped at what the blond child had in store for him. Serena was curious about what Bonnie was thinking about and hid a bit of a blush. Neither of them liked the look on her face.

"Let's go, you two!" Bonnie cheerfully ran ahead of the two. Ash and Serena smiled and decided to catch up with her.

The gently falling snow easily settled itself on the boutique's rooftop. On the way to the entrance, Ash had been tempted to grab her hand, but thought of any attempt as foolish or too direct. Bonnie had seen his eyes shift toward Serena's hands and shook her head. The poor boy was a helpless slave to love. She'd find a way to make those two get together… some way.

Eventually, the trio reached the door of the boutique. The bell on the top ringed when it was opened and they were greeted by a blond woman with an enthusiastic smile. She wore a white short sleeved shirt, black vest, and dressy dark pants. Her hair was in a bun and her blue eyes were amicable. Her smile got wider when she noticed Ash and Serena standing next to each other. She got in between the two of them and wrapped her arms around their shoulders.

"Welcome to the Snowbelle Boutique, lovebirds!" The woman greeted the two warmly. Both of them immediately blushed. The woman gained a thoughtful look in her eyes before they turned back to normal.

"What's with everyone saying something like that today? Serena is my really good friend. This town is weird with all the lovey dovey stuff." Ash frowned slightly and crossed his arms. Everyone looked at him and made a subdued sigh. Ash knew exactly what he was saying and it worked to great effect. The only downside was seeing Serena's cute face contorting in disappointment. It hurt him terribly to see her sad, but he wasn't ready. Not yet, anyway.

"I'm sorry for assuming, sir." The woman moved away from the two of them and walked in front of them. She brought out her hand to the rest of the store. Even though Snowbelle was a fairly small city, the boutique was pretty big, filled with multiple winter outfits and accessories. There were several snowflake and snowman designs everywhere. Several winter hats and clothes were displayed or hanging neatly all around them. "We have a very large selection of clothes. Please, look around and tell me what you want. I'll be happy to help."

"Thank you." All three of them said to the lady.

Serena moved on ahead to look more closely at the clothes. Ash cruised lazily behind her, knowing she would need help carrying her things. He knew she would ask eventually. He would rather not fight being a bag boy this time.

Bonnie stayed by the lady and tugged on her vest. She had a planning smirk on her face.

The blond lady looked attentively at the child, wondering what she desired. She figured Bonnie would need some help trying to find clothes her size. Bonnie gestured her close and whispered into her ear. The lady's ear perked up slightly. She widened her eyes before having a small frown on her face. "You want me to do that? That isn't exactly in my job description."

"I know it's sudden, but I really want to help my friends. I'm sorry for asking something way off from what you are supposed to do. Can you please help if you're able to?" Bonnie pleaded.

The blond lady was about to immediately decline Bonnie's wishes… until she looked into her eyes. They were innocent and playful. They reminded the lady of herself when she was Bonnie's age. She was still slightly hesitant, though. She needed to hear Bonnie's conviction again to make her choice.

"You're quite an assertive child helping your friends like this." The lady said tentatively.

"I know… but I know all they need is a little push." Bonnie argued. The woman seemed a little lost in thought. She could definitely hear how determined Bonnie was. It was hard to ignore it. The woman nodded.

"You know what? I'll help. You do seem like the persistent type if I said no, so I'm not sure if I really have a choice." The woman said with a slanted smile.

"Thank you so much!" Bonnie seemed grateful. This garnered a smile from the elder blond.

"Good on you, little lady. Hopefully, your plan will set them straight. I'll head out in the back and later get some attention from the two. Make sure you aren't seen." The lady told her. Bonnie nodded.

"Got it." Bonnie brought out her pinky finger. The lady tilted her head, then chuckled. She wrapped her pinky around Bonnie's. Bonnie squealed in delight.

"Ah… young love. Makes me remember when I was their age. I remember when I was in your situation, trying to put my nose where it doesn't belong. Maybe that's why I feel like I should help…" The lady said wistfully.

"Hehehe. Thank you for doing this, Ms…" Bonnie tried to properly thank her, but she realized she didn't know this lady's name. The blond woman smiled and quickly accommodated for her.

"Call me Cecelia. What is your name, child?" Cecelia asked.

"Bonnie. Thank you, Cecelia." Bonnie said as she walked back to her friends. The lady crossed her arms and shook her head. She couldn't believe she agreed to this.

When she rejoined Ash and Serena, Ash was already holding a few shirts for Serena. All of them had a running wintry theme. Serena continued to look through the selection of clothing, but she was beaming happily. Bonnie noticed that Ash wasn't groaning. He was standing right behind her, attentive to her every whim. He looked somewhat bored, but otherwise was fine. She was surprised seeing him like this. They seemingly didn't notice her in the area. Bonnie smiled and made sure neither of them could see her. She found some paper and quickly scribbled down a note.

Bonnie stuffed it in Ash's bag without him noticing. She quietly observed them from afar and waited for the blond lady to return.

"Um… how do you think this will look on me, Ash?" Serena placed a relatively plain cream short sleeved cream shirt with fills at the ends. Ash took a moment to visualize her in the shirt. He made a slight smile. However, he had a slightly better shirt in mind.

"I think…" Ash searched the same clothing rack Serena got the shirt and looked through it himself. Serena was surprised by this. Ash seemed to be searching hard for something particular. He snapped his fingers when he found a very similar shirt to the one Serena held. The only difference was that the color was red. Ash smiled, "…red would look better. It would show the passion in your eyes. Even still, you'd look gorgeous in anything you wear."

They both took a few moments to drink in what he just said. Serena widened her eyes. Ash covered his eyes with his hat. They each blushed while averting each other's gazes.

"Did he really just say…?" Serena thought in disbelief.

"Did I really just admit that? Arceus, what is wrong with me?" Ash internally face-palmed. He was so into trying to help her that he didn't think about what he would say. He said exactly what he would normally only say in his mind. He cursed inwardly at his slip-up.

They look at each other rather awkwardly. Neither Ash nor Serena knew what to say to each other. Out of the two, Serena was the one who spoke up and she could only say, "Ash…?"

"I was just trying to help a little." He said a bit too quickly. Serena picked up on his anxiety. Ash? Nervous? How odd.

This was the first time in the entire journey where she was suspicious about Ash. It still seemed unlikely to her but… did Ash Ketchum actually have feelings for her? No… Yes! Maybe? She didn't know. Perhaps the raven haired teen wasn't as oblivious as she thought. She found herself getting excited. However, her excitement quickly diminished in that same moment. She didn't want to set herself up for disappointment. The honey blond girl decided to keep a closer watch on her friend.

The blond worker who greeted them earlier ran frantically toward them. Both teens looked confused. She said, "You two look like a couple of strong trainers! Please help!"

"What's going on?" Ash and Serena said at the same time.

"There's a Pokémon rampaging in Pokémon Village!" Cecelia announced to them.

"Pokémon Village?" Ash echoed back in confusion.

"Yes, it's south of this city outside the forest clearing. Pokémon can get hurt if you don't go there!" Cecelia quickly surmised to them.

"Serena. We need to go there." Ash said seriously. Serena nodded in agreement.

"Right… but what about Bonnie?" Serena wondered. She looked around, but the blond child couldn't be seen anywhere. She immediately grew worried for her traveling companion. Cecelia noticed Serena's distressed face. Then, she noticed a bit of shuffling in the winter coats. The worker had to stifle a bit of a chuckle. She noticed a yellow streak of hair poking out of a coat, but neither teen noticed. She decided to keep their attention away from the coats.

"The blond girl from earlier, right?" Cecelia asked.

"Yes." Ash and Serena said.

"She already went on ahead to see what's up. I don't think she has anything other than her bag with her." The lady recalled. Both teens' eyes grew as wide as frying pans. They silently deliberated to themselves on whether they should bring Clemont, but based on the lady's face, they figured they didn't have much time.

"We gotta hurry. Come on, let's go!" Without thinking, Ash quickly grabbed Serena's hand and ran out of the boutique. As soon as they went outside, they both saw a beam of powerful energy shot into the sky. Ash stopped in his tracks, somewhat alarmed, then continued onward. Meanwhile, Serena's face warmed up because of Ash taking her hand. She was glad he was so focused on saving Bonnie because he couldn't see how red her face was. She was struggling not to melt through his fingers.

Once they left, Bonnie jumped out from the selection of coats. Cecelia gestured her to follow her. Bonnie did. They walked to the back of the boutique. The lady made a loud whistle that seemed to resonate with the gently falling snow. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, a silhouette quickly approached them from the air. The snow seemed to provide cover for the looming shadow. Then, the Pokémon revealed itself to be a Noctowl.

Cecelia patted the Pokémon on his head. Noctowl craned his head toward her to allow for better access. Bonnie was astonished at how big the bird was compared to her. It was definitely a normal Noctowl, but this was the first time she was seeing one up close. Bonnie wanted to pet the Pokémon. Cecelia stopped what she was doing and asked Noctowl to bring his head lower. The bird immediately obeyed. Bonnie smiled at feeling his feathers. Noctowl sighed happily.

"Good job, Noctowl. Were any Pokémon actually frightened by your Hyper Beam?" She asked, somewhat worried.

"Towl." The Pokémon shook his head 'no'.

"Thank goodness." The lady made a sigh of relief. She returned the bird to his Poke Ball. Cecelia turned to Bonnie. "I sent them to Pokémon Village like you wanted."

"Is it really true that the village is a super quiet and peaceful place like what I've read in books? No other people are usually there, right?" Bonnie asked. Cecelia smiled and nodded easily.

"The only person that could be there is the town's gym leader, Wulfric. You are right otherwise. The yellow flowers and the peaceful Pokémon turns the area into a tranquil blessing. People who don't scare the Pokémon away will immediately be calm. The relaxing atmosphere can also lower one's emotional defenses, too. I do hope that your friends will finally admit their feelings to each other." Cecelia explained and winked.

"I do, too." Bonnie's face grew serious.

"You really must care for your friends. I like that." Cecelia noted with admiration. She continued, "Now… is there anything else you want me to do?"

"No. I'm going to head back to the Pokémon Center with my big brother. Thank you so much for all your help." Bonnie bowed slightly with respect.

"It was a pleasure, Bonnie," Cecelia replied. Then, she frowned and huffed, "However, the next time you are in the boutique, please actually buy something. My boss is going to be mad that I let two potentially lucrative customers run off. That girl looked like she would have bought a lot of clothes..."

Bonnie sweat-dropped. She said quickly. "Er… Right... Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it, Bonnie. Go on to your brother." Cecelia said with a subdued sigh. Bonnie felt awful and was about to say something, but she couldn't find the right words. Cecelia had an understanding look on her face and made a gesture with her hands to go. Bonnie made a sad smile and decided to hug the older blond. She was surprised by the sudden contact and awkwardly patted the child's head. Bonnie waved as she ran back to the Pokémon Center to reunite with Clemont.

Once Bonnie was far enough away, Cecelia sighed and shrugged her shoulders. She walked back inside her store and grumbled to herself, "Well… at least this was a good break from how boring this town is…."

Ash and Serena rushed to the forest. They were surprised that the forest inside wasn't covered in snow like the town was. However, after about twenty minutes of running, they soon began to see the same trees and grasses. Ash took out his Talonflame and Noivern to scope out the area. Both flying types flew to follow their master's wish. Then, the two teens continued forward.

After a few more minutes of walking, they began to see more familiar trees. The forest began to feel like a blur to them and they both were getting increasingly concerned. Ash kept leading both of them through the same paths and trees. Although Serena loved the boy to death, she wondered here he got his sense of direction from. When they saw the same tree for the fifth time, Serena decided to finally speak up about it.

"Ash… don't you think you're lost?" Serena asked, somewhat worried. Ash looked at her with a confident smirk. They were in front of a three-way path. The paths were north, south and west. Ash decided to lead them down the west path.

"Of course not! I think we just need to go down this path…" Ash said as while leading them around the forest path. Thinking they finally made a breakthrough when they saw a light, they scurried over to try to find the source. However, their hopes were dashed when they walked down the path completely. They were in the same exact area as before. Ash sighed, "Oh, you've got to be kidding me…"

"Ash…" Serena gave him a look that said, 'Seriously?' The boy finally relented.

"OK, we're lost," Ash admitted. Serena sighed.

"That's what I thought. Oh, I hope Bonnie will be alright. I just wish she didn't rush off like this." Serena curled her fingers against her chest in worry. Ash looked serious.

"Don't worry. Bonnie will be fine. Let's just hope Talonflame or Noivern will see something." Ash reassured her.

Serena nodded. They decided the best thing to do was to keep going in hopes of finally leaving the forest labyrinth. A few minutes after walking again, Ash's beloved flying types returned to him. They both seemed confused. Ash wondered what was wrong.

"Find anything?" Ash asked earnestly.

"Vern…" Noivern sighed.

"What do you mean there may be nothing wrong?" Ash reiterated. Serena was always amazed at how Ash can understand the gist of what a Pokémon said or wanted based on their tone. It made him that much more special to her.

"Talonflame. Talon!" Talonflame explained to him. Ash made a small frown.

"You think Bonnie may be safe as well, huh. You sure you didn't find anything suspicious?" Ash asked them. Both Talonflame and Noivern nodded their heads 'yes'. Ash sighed. Then, an idea popped up in his head. "Noivern, can you fly us to the village so we can check a bit more? Think you can carry both Serena and me?"

Noivern shrugged his shoulders slightly, then nodded eagerly. Ash climbed onto his dragon type and offered his hand for Serena. Serena had to hide a bit of a blush. She couldn't help but imagine them riding on the bat in a more romantic setting with Ash. She could imagine herself snuggling against Ash as he directs Noivern toward the sunset. While flying, Ash turns around, leans close and then…

"Serena?" Ash interrupted her thoughts with a slightly confused tone. "Why aren't you moving?"

"Er… sorry." Serena immediately became flustered and accepted his hand. With a might cry, Noivern leaped into the sky with the two humans on his back. Talonflame flew right near Noivern and the two flying types sailed the skies with ease.

After a few minutes of flying, Talonflame noticed a stuffed piece of paper sticking out of Ash's bag. The winds from the sky proved too much for the small piece of paper and it flew out of Ash's bag. Talonflame, being right behind his trainer, noticed the paper dropping. Despite being bemused, he figured it was pretty important if it was in Ash's bag. He silently dived down and caught the paper with his beak. The bird decided to hold it in his mouth until everyone was on stable ground.

Eventually, the duo started to see a field of yellow flowers. They were surprised that this area didn't have any snow, considering that both the city and the forest had snow. Serena was enthralled by the beauty of the flowers. Ash glanced back at the girl and had to hide a bit of a smirk. Noivern softly landed on the ground and lowered his back. Ash got off first and offered Serena his hand. Hiding a bit of a blush, she accepted it and got off the dragon type. Ash thanked Noivern and Talonflame for their help.

Ash was about to send the two flying types back in their Poké Balls, but Talonflame nudged him and presented him the paper in his beak. Puzzled, Ash asked, "What's this?"

Talonflame shrugged his shoulders. Then he said, "Talon. Talonflame."

"You thought it was important? That's why you caught it in your beak, huh? Well, I've never seen this before." Ash opened up the paper completely and noticed there were some words on it. Serena seemed a bit confused as well. She quickly figured how what the paper was.

"It looks like it's a note for you. Maybe you should read it." Serena suggested.

"Sure, I guess," Ash said somewhat indifferently. He noticed there was a hole in the middle of the paper, but because Talonflame's beak was so fine, it only created a small hole. Ash could still read the words, but he noted that the handwriting was very neat. He began to read it to himself:

Dear Ash/Serena…

It doesn't matter which one of you sees this. What matters is that one of you reads this and get your head out of the clouds! Serena, if you are reading this, Ash does like you! He purposefully acts oblivious to throw everyone off! You'll need to confess to him. Ash, if you are reading this, stop being so hesitant. It's obvious that Serena likes you! Stop beating around the bush and tell her how you feel! Maybe this note will finally force you to say something once she gets suspicious. Don't worry about me, by the way. The 'attack' at the village was a ruse by me and the boutique employee. I just wanted you two to be alone in a more pleasant setting. Have fun, lovebirds, and be sure to enjoy yourselves!

-Bonnie

P.S- Don't do something my dad wouldn't approve…

Once Ash was done reading the note, Serena immediately noticed how stricken Ash was. Ash's face immediately turned red and he crumpled the note. Serena wondered what was wrong and voiced her concern, "Uh… Ash? What did it say?"

"N-nothing too important." Ash stammered slightly. He rubbed under his nose a little. Secretly, he growled in his thoughts, Clever little girl...

Serena noticed her friend acting a bit strange. The blond crossed her arms and frowned. "Ash…"

Ash sighed. He wasn't sure how he should answer her question. He thought a little bit before he said, "It turns out Bonnie is safe in Snowbelle City. Bonnie sent us out here for some… weird… reason. She said something about wanting us to be alone… or something."

"Ash… can you show me what she wrote?" Serena asked.

"Uh…" Ash kept looking away from her.

"Ash…" Serena insisted more gently.

Ash didn't know what to do or say. He didn't want to lie to her, but he also didn't want to show her the note. Ash made a small frown and looked around. He had to admit, the flowers made for a lovely atmosphere. He was beginning to feel Butterfrees in his stomach imagining some of the things Serena and him could do. He glanced at Serena. She seemed a bit upset. Ash hated that he was the reason. He couldn't stand it, but he knew what he had to do.

"Come with me," Ash said abruptly. He returned his Pokémon and brought out his hand for her to take. Serena was a bit surprised at the gesture, but accepted it easily. Ash walked slightly ahead of Serena. They walked through the field of flowers until he led them in front of a large tree. When he sat down, Serena followed suit. They peacefully watched the yellow flowers sway gently in the breeze. They both enjoyed the view… and glanced at each other's hand without the other noticing. After a while, Serena looked at him to say something.

Ash sighed. He could feel the bubbles in his stomach. He hated this foreign feeling of nervousness. Even though he had been noticing a lot of signs recently, he still wasn't sure if she would return his feelings. Feeling trapped by the note and by Serena's soft, but demanding eyes, he decided to talk. "Bonnie did say she wanted us to be alone. That note was for both of us, but she didn't mind if one of us read it."

"Really? Why?" Serena asked.

Alright… here it comes. Come on, Ketchum! You can do this… "Well, Bonnie wanted one of us to say something important. Before I say something, let me ask you something. Serena, what made you want to return my handkerchief to me when we started traveling together?"

Huh? Why would he ask that so suddenly? "Well, I saw that you were in Kalos, so I figured I might as well catch you before you were too far. I also used it as an excuse to start my journey so my mom couldn't force me into Rhyhorn racing."

Interesting… but I can tell she didn't tell me everything. I need to see if my guess is right. "Is there any other reason why you were so determined? You could have left after giving me the handkerchief."

Hmm… he seems oddly serious about this. His eyes… something about them is more alluring to me than normal. He's studying me just like he would in a Pokemon battle. I can see the gears turning in his head. Maybe… should I say the real reason? "Ash… do you really want to know why I was so determined?"

Was Bonnie right about this? Does this mean she actually…? "Y-yeah…"

He… stuttered again. How unlike him. Does this mean he actually…? "Well, it has something to do with how I feel about you."

"Really?" Ash said with surprise. The honey-blond girl watched his expression very closely. Serena had the same look in her eyes as Ash. She noticed he tensed up slightly and he rubbed under his nose. However, she couldn't tell if him tensing up was good or bad. She decided to make a guess.

"Ash… you aren't that dense… are you?" Serena said suddenly.

Silence ensued between the two.

Ash didn't know how to respond to her question, but that was the perfect answer to Serena. Serena leaned a bit closer to him. She wasn't the type to be so bold, but she needed to see for herself how Ash would react. She inched closer and closer until she was only a few inches away from his lips. Ash's heart was pounding. Serena stared right into his eyes and said, "Well?"

"You got me." Ash raised his arms in defeat. Serena moved further from him until she was situated from in her spot. She looked at him again to say something else. Ash knew what Serena wanted him to say. He flung his body in the flowers and looked at the moving clouds. "Bonnie wanted us to be here alone, like I said earlier. She's annoyingly clever… because she forces me to say…"

"Say… what?" Serena said with a bit of hope. Her heart was pounding fiercely in anticipation.

"Well, I like you, Serena. I don't just like you as a friend, either. I… I feel like I like like you." Ash said as he sat up and looked directly into her eyes. Now, he was the one to eye her expression closely. There was surprise. Finally, a large relieving grin. Ash was relieved himself. That was a good sign.

"You… actually like me?" Serena asked in a hesitant voice. Ash laughed nervously, but nodded.

The boy finally admitted it.

There was an air of disbelief. Serena couldn't believe that Ash Ketchum actually had a crush on her. It seemed so unbelievable to her, especially with how dense he was acting. Speaking about how dense he was, though…

Serena suddenly got very angry. She crossed her arms, turned her nose up and suddenly pouted. Ash was confused by the gesture. Serena hissed, "Ash Ketchum, if you truly weren't dense, that means you knew exactly what to say to hurt me!"

"Uh… I… I didn't want that…." Ash quickly scrambled to find the right words. He impulsively grabbed her hand. Serena was stunned. They both started to blush profusely. The raven haired teen continued, "I swear… I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry. I just… I didn't feel like I was ready to say how I really felt about you. Bonnie kind of forced us into this situation, but… I'm glad she did. She helped me to open my heart. I… never had these sort of feelings before, so it felt kind of weird to say it. Besides… I haven't heard you say if you like me."

Serena had a sideways smile on her face. She said with a bit of a laugh, "You big goof. I've loved you for a long time. Even before I traveled with you, I had a bit of crush on you. When you saved me and told me to always to never give up, I took your words to heart. I've always admired you, Ash."

"R-really?" Ash said with surprise.

"Yeah. So… does this mean we're a couple now?" Serena asked.

"I guess so." Ash made a small, but warming smile. Ash got up and brought out his hand for her to take again. With a giggle, Serena accepted it gladly. This time, instead of walking ahead, Ash walked side by side with her. They walked as slowly as possible. Serena sighed dreamily and rested her head on his shoulder. Ash was a bit surprised at the sudden contact, but was happy for it. He walked them both to an open space in the middle of the field. He instructed, "I have an idea. Lay here."

Serena was a bit surprised, but she followed through with it. Once she laid down, Ash laid down beside her. His hand interlocked with hers. Serena looked at him with a bashful smile. Ash glanced at her with the same smile. The two spent the rest of the day in the yellow flowers. They looked up at the light blue sky seeing the cloud gently drift by. They began to see the clouds in different shapes and began to see what clouds looked like certain Pokémon.

All in the while, Serena noticed that Ash completely forgot about his gym match. She giggled to herself. She could tell Ash was enjoying his time with her. She felt ecstatic thinking about it. They spent the rest of the day doing this. Once it was sunset, Serena decided to speak again.

"Ash…?" Serena said in a somewhat shaky voice.

"Yeah?" Ash gave her his full attention.

"I… really enjoyed being like this with you," Serena admitted with a small blush.

"Yeah, me too." Ash also admitted with a blush. The sun started to set in the distance. They both sat up with their hands still interlocked.

Serena smiled and said, "Think this will be a new beginning for us, Ash?"

"Yep. I want to keep enjoying little things like this with you. I can definitely get used to this…" Ash told her. Serena felt a swell of euphoria inside her and suddenly gave him a hug. Ash happily returned the embrace. Ash wrapped his arm around her shoulder and enjoyed the scenery with her. Serena knew this sort of moment was rare and enjoyed it while she still could. Eventually, the two left the field and returned to Snowbelle City.

A/N: Hey guys. I hope you enjoyed this little story. Until next time...

~SPG123~