Chapter 37

It's the morning after Max and Holly just won their badges from the Fuchsia City gym, and the group has just made it back to Fuchsia City itself. The night before, they decided to make camp just a couple of miles or so from the city where May and Max got to know Holly better and vice versa. Brock was overjoyed to watch more of his friends start to bond with the woman he likes while he was making supper for everyone. After everyone ate, they took out their sleeping bags and fell asleep so that they can get up and make it to the city first thing in the morning.

After they enter Fuchsia City bright and early, the group decides to go to the Pokemon Center and have Nurse Joy check on everyone's Pokemon while Ash and Serena make a quick call to Clemont and Bonnie.

"Oh, wow!" Bonnie exclaims excitedly. "You already have four ribbons now? That's so great, Serena!"

"Yes, it's good to hear you've been making such remarkable progress, Serena," Clemont says calmly with a smile.

"Thank you, you guys," Serena says sweetly before she frowns. "Sorry I took so long to update you."

"That's alright. No doubt you've been working hard focusing on winning more ribbons," Bonnie says with a toothy grin.

"Hey, Clemont, how are your inventions going?" Ash asks.

Clemont chuckles nervously and says, "They're going slowly. Apart from fixing Clembot, my inventing hasn't been going as smoothly as I would like."

"I'll say," Bonnie says with an annoyed glare. "Every time he works on a new invention, it blows up when he tries to turn it on."

Ash and Serena both chuckle.

"That sounds about right," Ash says.

"I don't miss getting my hair messed up because of your inventions exploding, Clemont," Serena says, giving Clemont a sympathetic look.

"Yeah, you guys are lucky. You don't have to live with Clemont and get your hair ruined because he keeps blowing stuff up. He really needs a wife," Bonnie says before her eyes widen, and she grins enthusiastically. "Hey, I got a great idea. Why don't Clemont and I fly over to Kanto for the Grand Festival and Indigo League?"

"Hey, that is a great idea," Serena says happily. "Then, you can cheer for Ash and me!"

"Yeah, that would be awesome," Ash says.

Bonnie turns to Clemont and starts tugging him by his suit.

"Can we go to Kanto to support Ash and Serena? Please, please, please, please, please plllleeeaaasssseeee?!" She begs childishly.

Clemont smiles and says, "Yeah, I think that sounds like a great idea."

"Yay!" Bonnie cheers.

Ash, Pikachu, and Serena smile at their friends on the screen and nod before they hear Brock's voice from the other side of the hall.

"Ash, Serena, Pikachu, we gotta go!" He calls out. "Max and Holly just got their Pokemon back from Nurse Joy, and the ferry's on the other side of town!"

"Okay, Brock!" Ash calls out back before turning back to the screen. "Well, it's time for us to go, guys."

"That's alright. We understand," Clemont says. "Don't forget to call us when you win your last ribbon, Serena."

"I won't. I promise," Serena says. "Take care, you guys."

"Bye, bye!" Bonnie calls out cheerfully.

The screen disappears, and Ash, Serena, and Pikachu turn around and head down the hall and exit the Pokemon Center where Brock, Holly, May, and Max are waiting for them. As the six trainers walk with Pikachu on Ash's shoulder, Serena smiles fondly and sighs before turning to Ash.

"I'm so glad we remembered to give them a call this time," she says.

"Yeah, me too," Ash says with a friendly grin before turning to Serena. "Do you miss Kalos, Serena?"

Serena looks at Ash taken back by his question for a moment before a small smile enters her face, and she turns her head to look at the sky.

"A little," she says. "I do miss participating in showcases and traveling with Clemont and Bonnie. I also miss Mairin, Alain, Professor Sycamore - I even miss Mom, Fletchling, and Rhyhorn. But I'm happy to be away to pursue my dream and go to new places I've never been before with you and meet people and Pokemon that you've come across in your past journeys."

Ash gives her a fond smile and nods.

"What about you? Do you miss Kalos?" Serena asks.

"Definitely," Ash says without hesitating. "I loved seeing new Pokemon and learning more about mega evolution. I also miss traveling with Clemont and Bonnie and seeing what kind of inventions Clemont makes. And not a day goes back where I don't wonder how Goodra, Greninja, Squishy, and Squishy's friend are doing. But at the same time, I'm also glad that I can revisit so much of Kanto and introduce you to the friends I've made over the years."

Serena's smile grows, feeling happy to hear Ash say the last sentence. But then she frowns as she begins to worry about how much longer she be able to stay by his side after the Grand Festival and the Indigo League. But her moment of worry is short-lived when the group makes their way to the dock, and they hear two familiar voices.

"Hey, you guys, over here!"

"Piplup!"

Immediately, Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Brock, Holly, May, and Max turn their heads to see Dawn and Piplup happily running toward them, with Dawn waving her hand in the air. Everyone but Holly smiles brightly and runs to meet up with the blunette and her partner.

"Dawn, it's so good to see you!" Serena exclaims as she and May run over to hug their friend.

"It's great to see you too," Dawn replies as she hugs Serena and May back. "Are you guys taking the ferry to Cinnabar Island too?"

"We sure are," Ash answers. "We're going for Serena to compete in the contest while Max and Holly challenge the gym."

"Wonderful! Piplup and I are going for the contest too!" Dawn says excitedly before she looks confused. "But who is Holly?"

"That would be me," Holly says, stepping in.

Dawn stares at Holly in shock.

"Hey, I remember you! You were Brock's partner at the Hearthome City Tag Team Battle Tournament! Brock was really devastated that you left!" She exclaims before she realizes that Brock and Holly are standing close together. "Wait...does that mean the two of you are an item?"

"No, not yet," Holly answers with a smile. "But we're planning to become one after I compete in the Indigo League."

"What?!" Dawn shouts frantically. "Are you serious?!"

"Very," Holly says, taking Brock's hand. "And I can't wait until then."

"I'm counting the moments myself," Brock squeaks while giving Holly a loving look.

Holly chuckles, amused with Brock's declaration while Dawn, Max, and May stare at the pair befuddled. Suddenly, their thoughts are interrupted by a loud horn, and they turn to realize it's coming from the ferry.

"Guys, the ferry's about to leave soon!" Max exclaims. "Let's get in now and talk later!"

Everyone says words of agreement before they all race toward the ship heading to Cinnabar Island.

**************************************

The group manages to catch the ferry before it sets sail to its destination. They are able to get rooms close to each other with one room for the girls and the other for the guys. Shortly afterward, May learns from one of the crew members that the ship has an outside pool and so everyone excitedly agrees to change into their swimsuits and check it out. Before long, Ash, Max, Brock, Holly, Pikachu, and Piplup are swimming in the pool with the two Pokemon splashing water at each other playfully, Ash and Max racing each other from different sides of the pool and Brock and Holly just swimming together.

Meanwhile, Serena, May, and Dawn decide to lay down on beach chairs in their swimsuits. Absol is out of its Pokeball and is lying down next to Serena, who pets its head affectionately while the three girls lay down with their eyes closed, feeling the sun on their skin.

"Ah, this is the life. Right, guys?" Dawn says with a blissful sigh.

"You said it, Dawn," May says.

"I can't remember the last time I've bathed in the sun like this," Serena says as she pets Absol's head. "In fact, the last time I relaxed at the beach like this was with my mom before I went on my journey with Ash and our friends, Clemont and Bonnie."

"Sol," Absol says while enjoying being pet by its mother figure.

Dawn's open her eyes and turns to Serena with a teasing smirk.

"Oh yeah, speaking of which, Serena, how's it going for you and Mr. Dense over there?" She asks.

Serena's eyes snap open, and her cheeks heat up, knowing exactly who Dawn is referring to.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask about that at the gym," May says, opening her eyes and turning to Serena. "Have you had any luck coming through to him?"

Serena freezes in place, realizing she is outnumbered and surrounded by May and Dawn sitting next to her on both sides. Then she sighs, knowing what she has to say.

"No, I'm afraid it's just the same," she says.

The two other girls groan in disappointment.

"Seriously?" Dawn ridicules. "Have you tried to make any progress since I last saw you guys at Saffron City?"

"Um… not really," Serena admits.

May gives a sad frown while Dawn huffs, annoyed.

"Honestly, Serena, when do you plan to tell him how you feel? When you guys are in your sixties or something?" Dawn rebukes.

"No, it's not like that," Serena says, waving her hands. "There just isn't a good moment to try to tell him how I feel. And besides, we've been so focused on me competing in contests and him rechallenging gyms that it doesn't seem right to tell him."

"Serena, there may never be a good time if you keep making excuses like that," May says with a sympathetic look. "If this is how you're going to be with just confessing your feelings, how long will it be before you're finally going out with him or kissing him?"

Serena's cheeks turn red again, but this time she smiles and looks down, playing with her fingers. Dawn and May look at her, confused, until it hits them.

"Have you...kissed Ash?" Dawn asks.

Serena's blush grows, and she hesitantly says, "On...the...cheek."

Dawn and May look at her in shock, unable to believe what they just heard.

"How did Ash react to that?" May asks.

"Uh...he didn't," Serena says, her face turning redder. "You see, we were going back to our rooms at the Pokemon Center after having dinner with the Frontier Brain, Lucy and her sisters, and Ash was getting sleepy from eating a lot of sweets I made. I carried him to bed, and he said that I make the best sweets in the world before he passed out and...I was so touched by his kind words that I…"

"Kissed him while he was sleeping," Dawn finishes with a smirk. "Girl, you have some nerve."

Serena whimpers in embarrassment, and Absol looks at her in confusion.

"I know! I know! I know!" She exclaims. "I just couldn't help myself! He was so sweet, and I really wanted to thank him, and I just...wanted to kiss him!"

May and Dawn sigh and shake their heads.

"Well, I guess it's something better than nothing," May sighs. "Though you should have waited until he was awake to thank him."

"I know," Serena whines. "I just couldn't wait until then. It really means a lot to hear him say things like that or hear him cheer me on when I'm competing in contests. I just had to thank him on the spot."

"That still doesn't raise your chances of getting through that dense mind of his," Dawn counters.

"Yeah, if you really want to thank him, you have to do it when he's wide awake and can say everything you have to say," May says.

"But that was two weeks ago, so there's no point," Serena protests.

May and Dawn frown disapprovingly and think of a way to give their shy friend a push. Then, May's eyes widen, and she starts to blush after getting an idea. After a moment of debating, she shuts her eyes and shakes her head before turning to Serena with a determined look.

"Then we will have to force a proper "thank you" kiss out of you," she says.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Serena says with her, Absol and Dawn looking at May confused.

"Well, since you apparently have faced Dawn in a contest battle but not me, then we should fix that," May suggests. "I noticed there's a battlefield inside, so let's have a little wager."

"A wager?" Dawn asks.

"Yes," May says. "If you beat me in a contest battle, then you have to walk straight over to Ash and kiss him on the cheek and thank him for all the nice things he's done for you in front of everyone."

Serena's cheeks heat up, and she says, "I have to do that? But...but what happens if I lose?"

May's face turns red, and she grabs the sides of her beach chair to muster the courage to answer.

"If I win…then…" she begins before taking a huge breath and spits out, "Then I'm going to kiss Ash!"

"What?!" Serena and Dawn scream at the same time.

"I mean it," May claims with her face beet red. "If I beat you, I'm going to give Ash a peck on the cheek in front of everyone."

"May, that's crazy," Dawn says. "How are you going to explain it to him if you actually do it?"

"Uh...um… I don't know," May says nervously. "I'll make something up. He'll probably believe anything because he's so dense."

"That's ridiculous," Serena rebukes. "I'll just refuse, and no one kisses him."

"You can't. If you refuse, then I'll hop in the pool and kiss him right now," May counters.

"Oh, come on," Serena protests. "You can't be serious."

"Yes, I am," May claims. "As of right now, someone is going to kiss the guy you like today on this ship. It's all up to you as to who is going to do it. So, what will it be, Serena?"

Serena becomes uncomfortable, feeling on the spot. She turns to Dawn, who only shrugs, unsure as to whether or not May will do what she says. The honey-blonde girl debates with herself until she suddenly imagines another girl kissing Ash, and her heart sinks.

"Alright! Alright!" She screams. "I'll take your wager!"

Dawn looks at Serena, shocked while May smiles, trying to hide the fact that she's equally nervous.

"Good," she says. "Then let's head over there now."

Serena reluctantly obeys, taking her bag containing her Pokeballs before the three girls and Absol all stand up and walk to the other side of the ship, where there is a Pokemon battlefield. May takes a deep breath before turning to Dawn.

"Dawn, why don't you be the referee," she says.

"Huh? Why me?" Dawn asks.

"Because I'm trusting you to judge this battle like a contest battle," May says. "That, and you can set a timer on your Poketch, right?"

"Oh, that's true," Dawn admits. "Alright then, if we're using my Poketch, then let's use it to decide who will make the first move."

"Sound good to me," Serena says despite feeling nervous on the inside.

"Okay," Dawn says, opening coin toss on her Poketch. "May, you call it; heads or tails?"

"Heads," May answers.

Dawn touches the coin on the screen, and it flips into the air. All three girls watch in anticipation until it shows a side.

"It's tails, so Serena gets to make the first move," Dawn declares.

"Great," Serena says, smiling.

"Alright, girls, get into positions," Dawn declares.

May and Serena nod and walk over to opposite sides of the arena while Dawn stands on the sidelines.

"Just so you know, Serena, even if I'm using this match to give you a push, I'm not gonna go easy on you," May warns while taking out a Pokeball from her bag. "You're still a rival for the Grand Festival, so I'm going to treat you like one."

"That's fair enough," Serena says despite feeling a little intimidated that it will be that hard to stop her opponent from kissing Ash.

"Alright then, Glaceon, let's go!" May shouts.

A Glaceon comes out of the Pokeball, and Serena smirks at it.

"A Glaceon, huh?" She says before turning to Absol. "Absol, I think I will use Sylveon since it's also an evolved form of Eevee, okay?"

"Absol," Absol says, nodding in understanding.

"Alright, Sylveon, come on out!" Serena calls out.

Sylveon comes out of its Pokeball with a cheerful smile while Dawn adjusts her Poketch to be a timer.

"Alright, battle begin!" she declares as she starts her timer.

"Sylveon, use Swift!" Serena commands.

Sylveon jumps and flips while sending several golden stars toward its opponent.

"Counter with Ice Shard," May commands.

Glaceon opens its mouth and fires multiple shards of ice from its mouth. The shards collide with the golden stars, and they explode into tiny golden and light-blue sparkles.

"Ooo, nice one, May," Dawn compliments. "Serena, that means you lose some points."

"Understood," Serena says determinedly. "Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!"

"Glaceon, use Mirror Coat!" May shouts.

Glaceon's body becomes surrounded in a glowing, reflective substance while Sylveon unleashes Fairy Wind. The pink wind hits Glaceon, and it grunts in pain, shocking May.

"What? Why didn't Mirror Coat work?" she asks.

"Because Fairy Wind is a special attack that isn't affected by Mirror Coat or Counter since it isn't a physical attack," Serena says, smirking.

"Really? That's awesome, Serena," Dawn says. "That's a few points off of you, May."

May smirks back and nods at Dawn before turning to Serena.

"That is a nifty move. Now let's see how you handle Secret Power!" May calls out.

Glaceon grins as its body glows sparkling pink, and it charges at Sylveon.

"Dodge with Double Team!" Serena shouts.

Sylveon creates multiple copies of itself, and Glaceon stops running to find itself surrounded by multiple copies.

"Jump up in the air and spin while taking them out with Ice Shard!" May commands.

Glaceon jumps in the air and starts spinning as it fires multiple ice shards at the copies of Sylveon. All of the images disappear, but the real Sylveon jumps high into the air until it's at the same height as Glaceon.

"Now, use Swift!" Serena commands.

"Stop it with Shadow Ball!" May barks.

Glaceon summons a Shadow Ball with its mouth and fires at Sylveon before it can use Swift. The Shadow Ball hits Sylveon directly, and it crashes into the ground.

"Don't let up! Use Secret Power!" May commands.

Glaceon's body glows in pink sparkles again, and it lands safely on the ground before it rams into the downed Sylveon, sending it rolling away close to Serena's feet with yellow sparks surrounding its body.

"Sylveon!" Serena cries out worriedly.

"Absol!" Absol shouts, concerned for its fellow Pokemon.

"I'm afraid that's a lot of points taken away from Serena after that successful combo," Dawn announces.

May's smirk grows and says, "Good strategy, Serena, but I know that use of Double Team all too well. No doubt Ash has taught you how to use Double Team to sneak on your opponent."

Serena grows uneasy, realizing that May figured out what she was trying to do. She looks at Sylveon, who slowly gets up despite the yellow sparks still appearing all over its body and makes another battle stance despite the pain it's in.

"I guess I should have guessed you would know after traveling with Ash before me," she admits. "And I haven't seen a move like Secret Power before. I would have liked to have known it could paralyze Sylveon."

"Actually, the effects of Secret Power vary by location," May says. "Depending on where you are, Secret Power can also cause the victim to be burned, confused, poisoned, fall asleep, or have its speed, attack, or defenses lowered. Since we're in a plain terrain inside a ship, I guess that is reason enough to cause paralysis in this case."

"Interesting," Serena says. "But it won't be enough to stop us if we can help it."

"Sylveon!" Sylveon calls out confidently.

"We'll see," May says. "Glaceon, use Secret Power again!"

Glaceon's body is surrounded in pink sparkles once more, and it charges at Sylveon.

"Sylveon, use Fairy Wind on the ground and then use Swift!" Serena commands.

Sylveon uses Fairy Wind on the ground underneath it, and it propels the intertwining Pokemon into the air, causing Glaceon to miss. Sylveon then flips in the air before throwing several golden stars at its opponent, successfully hitting it.

"Wow, what a creative use of Fairy Wind!" Dawn says in amazement. "That's a few points taken away from you, May."

"Oh yeah?" May says, growing more determined. "Glaceon, use Shadow Ball!"

"Sylveon, use Protect!" Serena calls out.

Sylveon lands on the ground and prepares to summon a blue force field, but then yellow sparks appear on its body again. It winces in pain giving Glaceon the opportunity to hit it hard with another Shadow Ball.

"Now, use Ice Shard!" May orders.

Glaceon fire several shards of ice from its mouth, and they hit Sylveon hard.

"Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!" Serena shouts.

"Glaceon, dodge it and use Shadow Ball!" May calls out.

Sylveon fires Fairy Wind once more, but Glaceon jumps out of Sylveon's line of fire and fires another Shadow Ball. Sylveon only has a moment to realize what is happening before it gets hit, and Serena's heart sinks as she watches her dear Pokemon howl in pain as it is sent flying into the air and crashing into the ground, fainted.

"Sylveon is unable to continue, so the winner of this contest battle is May!" Dawn announces.

"Alright!" May shouts triumphantly.

"Glaceon," Glaceon says with a cocky smirk.

Serena and Absol rush to Sylveon's side. The honey-blonde girl picks up her Pokemon sadly, and Sylveon opens its light-blue eyes to look at Serena.

"Sylve…" it says weakly.

"You were great, Sylveon," Serena says with a sad smile on her face. "Get a good rest."

Sylveon smiles weakly before Serena returns it back into its Pokeball. May does the same with Glaceon and walks over to Serena with an encouraging smile.

"That was a good battle, Serena." She compliments. "It's honestly been a while since I've had a contest battle like that."

"Thank you, May," Serena says with an appreciative smile as she stands up. "You are a very tough and creative opponent."

"You have a pretty imaginative mind yourself, Serena," Dawn days while walking over to Serena, May, and Absol. "I think May is just a little more experienced than you are like me."

"Well, yeah, but I also managed to beat you at the Saffron City contest, didn't I?" Serena points out.

"Well, that's true," Dawn chuckles while scratching the back of her head.

May looks at the two girls and thinks for a moment before turning to Serena with a skeptical look.

"Come to think of it, how many contests have you competed in now, Serena?" She asks.

Serena turns to May and says, "Well, I guess the contest at Cinnabar Island will be my sixth."

"And how many ribbons do you have?" May queries.

"Four," Serena replies. "I only need one more to enter the Grand Festival."

"Really? So do I," Dawn says excitedly. "Looks like we'll be competing for our last ribbon."

"Great! I'm looking forward to it," Serena says with a cheerful smile.

May also smiles for a moment before her skeptical look returns.

"One last thing, Serena; how tough would you say your opponents at the final have been in Pokemon contests compared to Dawn and me?" She queries.

Serena looks at May, confused, before she scratches her chin in thought.

"Well...if I had to judge them skeptically, I'd say they weren't particularly skilled," she confesses. "I won my second ribbon because the person I was against in the final round, Giselle, treated it more like a normal Pokemon battle than a contest battle. The third win was against a woman named Jessalia, who relied too much on countering moves, and during my fourth win, the biggest threat was a woman named Abigail, who also relied more on her Pokemon's strength than putting on a show. So I guess I haven't come across someone so professional as you two since Saffron City."

"I see," May says. "That might be a problem for you at the Grand Festival."

"What do you mean?" Serena asks.

"Serena, when Dawn and I first started to become coordinators, we had to learn a lot from our rivals who are stronger than us," May explains. "We had to face coordinators who had been participating in contests before we first left home, and they helped us learn a lot to be as talented as we are."

Dawn looks at May, confused before she thinks about it, and nods.

"That's true," she says.

"So, what are you saying?" Serena asks.

"I'm saying I think you have a lot to learn in order to be the best coordinator you can be," May says. "You clearly have the talent, imagination, and strong bonds with your Pokemon, but you need to be more."

Serena frowns, feeling disheartened by May's words.

"So, what do you suggest I do?" She asks.

"Well, since we got a long way until Cinnabar Island, I think now would be a good time as any for Dawn and me to teach you a few things," May says with a smile.

"Really?" Serena asks, smiling. "You'd do that?"

"Of course!" May responds cheerfully. "After all, if we're all going to compete together, we gotta make sure that we're all at our very best. Right, Dawn?"

"Right," Dawn says with a smile. "Though, while I agree with this idea, you better come up with your own strategies and stuff to show you are your own coordinator, Serena."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Serena says.

"Absol!" Absol says cheerfully, sharing its trainer's excitement

"Excellent," May says. "Now that everything is settled, we should -"

"Wait a minute!" Dawn says in realization. "Not everything is settled. You still have to fulfill your part of the wager!"

Serena and May turn to the blunette in confusion until their eyes widen and their pupils shrink.

"Oh yeah," May says with her cheeks turning red. "Now, I have to kiss Ash."

Just as soon as she said those words, Ash, Pikachu, Piplup, Max, Brock, and Holly walk over to the three girls and Absol still in their swimsuits.

"Hey guys, we're about to take a break from swimming and grab some lunch," Ash calls out. "Are you in?"

May's blush grows, and Serena's heart sinks further at the sight of the raven-haired boy.

"Uh...yeah, that sounds great," Dawn answers for them with a nervous grin.

Ash smiles and says, "Okay, then come on and -"

"Wait!" May spits out.

Everyone turns to May, who is still blushing. She awkwardly walks over to the group with Serena, Absol, and Dawn following behind. Serena watches May carefully with a look of dread and her hand close to her neck as if her ribbon is there. May stops when she's only a couple of feet away from Ash and takes a deep breath.

"A-ash...t-t-there's something I need to...to tell you," she stutters.

Max, Brock, Holly, Pikachu, and Piplup look at her in confusion while Ash gives her a friendly smile.

"Okay, so what is it?" he asks obliviously.

May silently whines with her mouth closed, and her face turns redder. She takes a step closer to Ash, who starts to become uneasy with how she's acting. May puts her hands on Ash's shoulders and snaps her eyes shut before she takes a deep breath, puckers up her lips and slowly leans in until…

"Stop!"

May lets go of Ash, and everyone turns to Serena, who abruptly steps in front of May and Ash with her cheeks beet red.

"Ash, there's something very important I need to tell you," Serena says hurriedly.

"Uh...what?" Ash asks awkwardly.

Serena takes a moment to muster her courage before she places her hand on Ash's left cheek and kisses his right cheek.

Everyone stares at the display in shock. Brock, Holly, May, and Dawn's mouths hang open while Pikachu's ears stand up, and it puts its paws on its cheeks and shock. Piplup lets out a shocked squeak, and Max stares at Serena dumbfounded. Absol, on the other hand, is beaming to see its trainer display such affection at the boy she likes. The kiss only lasts for five seconds before Serena pulls her head back with her face red all over to see a taken aback Ash.

"Ash," she begins hastily. "I just want to say thank you very much for all your support during my showcases and Pokemon contests! I deeply appreciate hearing you cheer for me every time and having you help me train Absol to face Abigail and her Nidoqueen! Also, when you were falling asleep after we went to Lucy's dinner party, you said I make the best sweets in the world! That was a very kind thing to say, and it meant a lot to me, so thank you!"

For ten seconds, no one says a word. Serena stares at Ash with her face still red, and Ash is slowly processing everything Serena just said while everyone else is still shocked by the kiss. Finally, Ash snaps out of it and smiles warmly at Serena.

"You're welcome, Serena," he says. "Though you don't need to thank me at all. I will support you anytime, just like you've always been there to support me."

Serena's heart skips a beat, and she smiles back at Ash. Ash then takes out his fist in front of Serena, and Serena takes a moment to realize what he's doing before she bumps his fist with her own.

"Anyway, what was it you had to say, May?" Ash asks.

May drops her look of shock and chuckles nervously while waving her hands.

"Oh, it's nothing important," she says.

Ash blinks before he smiles and says, "Okay. Now that's cleared up, let's go eat."

With that, Ash walks away with Pikachu and Max following him. Brock gives Serena a teasing grin, and Holly smirks and winks at her, making her blush again before the two adults follow the two boys and Pikachu. Serena, May, Dawn, Absol, and Piplup, on the other hand, stay where they are in silence until everyone else is far enough that they can't hear Serena letting out a loud whimper before bowing to May apologetically.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She squeals with her face red all over. "You won the match, and so you were supposed to kiss him, but I just couldn't bear to let you do it!"

"No, no, please, it's fine," May says, waving her hands. "If anything, I'm relieved. Ash is a good guy, but I don't care for him that way. I was just trying to get you out of your shell a little."

"Really?" Serena asks, lifting her head in surprise. "So, you wouldn't have kissed him?"

May grows uncomfortable and awkwardly scratches her nose, saying, "I-I-if that's what it takes to get my friend to stand up for her feelings, then yes."

Serena and smiles at the brunette girl, touched.

"Thank you, May," she says kindly. "I really appreciate it."

May gives the honey blonde girl a friendly smile as a way of saying, "You're welcome."

"So how does it feel to give him a 'thank you' kiss when he's wide awake and in front of everybody?" Dawn says with a teasing grin.

Serena's cheeks turn pink, and she smiles while putting her fingers on her lips.

"I feel much better letting out all of my appreciation like that," she confesses. "Part of me wanted the kiss to last longer to express my feelings a little too."

"Well, then you're braver than I am," May says with a smirk. "I was so nervous that I was starting to think of making Dawn kiss his cheek for me."

"What?! Me kissing Ash?!" Dawn shrieks hysterically before frantically waving her arms. "Oh, no! Nonononononononononono! Serena can kiss him all over his face for all I care!"

"Ah! Don't say that!" Serena screams in a high-pitched voice with her face deep red and her hands on her cheeks. "It took everything I had just for that one kiss!"

The girls pause what they are doing and start looking at each other before they burst into laughter. The three of them walk together to the ship's cafeteria, with Piplup and Absol following behind. As Dawn, May, and Serena laugh and talk together, the honey blonde girl's heart grows warm, and she feels thankful to have such thoughtful and encouraging friends by her side.